good morning. breaking news. bomb scares. an explosive device found at the new york home of bill and hillary clinton. another suspicious package addressed to former president obama intercepted by the secret service in washington. this just daysfter a similar device was mailed to the home of billi billionaire democratic donor george soros. are these cases connected, where did the packages come from and who sent them? we're live with the investigation. millions jackpot.

we'll have all the details. willa's wrath, a powerful storm causing dangerous conditions in the u.s. today. texas soaked to the max, bracing for more torrential rain. the gulf coast ravaged by hurricane michael set for another hit and the northeast gearing up for its first nor'easter of the season. al has it covered. all that, plus changing his tune -- >> there's no proof of anything. there's no proof of anything. >> president trump forced to admit he doesn't know if there are middle easterners in that caravan in mexico, contrary to what he, his vice president and his press secretary claimed. royal security scare, why megan hark meghan markle had to be rushed away from a appearance in fiji overnight. and can jenna opening up about barbara bush's surprise.

from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hi, everybody. welcome to "today." it's 7:00 a.m. on the west coast. >> breaking news sun folding in the suburbs around new york city and in the nation's capital. >>s what's being described as a functional explosive device mailed to the clinton family home in chnew york and now a similar package addressed to president obama was discovered during a similar screening in washington. let's get right to pete williams. i know you've been working the phones. what can you tell us? >> the first thing to emphasize here is that neither of these packages addressed to the former officials ever got close to them. the secret service says the two packages were sent through the mail, one addressed to hillary clinton at the clintons' home in west chester, new york, the

other addressed to former president obama and his home here in northwest washington, d.c. but neither was actually received at those addresses. instead, they were intercepted during routine mail screening. mail addressed to all former officials who receive secret service protection is never delivered directly the to their homes. it's checked at an off-site facility as, in fact, is the mail to the white house or other government building. so as the secret service says, former officials were not at risk of receiving anything hazardous through the mail. now, the secret service says the package addressed to hillary clinton was found on tuesday. the other addressed to former president obama was found this morning. law enforcement sources say the devices in both packages appear to be similar to the one sent to democratic donor george soros at his home in new york. law enforcement officials say all three packages contain what appeared to be working explosive devices containing a small amount of powdered explosive material. those devices are now being analyzed to find out whether

they were, in fact, fully functional. savannah, craig. >> pete, thank you so much and, of course, we're going to continue to follow the developments here throughout the morning. another major story this morning, mega millions. and if you played and really didn't play this time around, let's hope that you bought that ticket in south carolina. that is where the lone winning ticket was sold for the nearly $1.6 billion prize. these are your winning numbers this morning. 5-28-62-65-70-5. joe friar is live in hollywood with all the overnight details. joe, looks like you were one of the losers, as well. >> that's right, craig. we know there's a winner. the big question now is who. here in california, there were eight tickets that came oh, so close, matching five out of six numbers. but the big winner is somewhere in south carolina. it's good news for someone and for the rest of us, hey, there's still the powerball.

>> mega ball number is 5. 28-75-62 -- >> when that little yellow ball rolled into sight overnight, it cemented someone's status as winner of a jackpot of $1.5 billion with a "b." the lump sum payout is about $900 million. we now know the mega millions winning number was sold in south carolina. for the vast majority who did not win, it's truly better luck next time. >> the odds are never in your favor, but you never know when something is going to happen. >> lottery mania has absorbed the country for days now. >> you have to be in it to win it and i want to win it. >> long lines for a long shot. even singer katy perry waited in line to buy a ticket in kentucky, later reveal nog fireworks for her. >> right here. >> winning ticket. >> winning ticket.

>> in illinois, 1600 tickets were up for grabs inside one of those grab machines which looks like a blizzard in a snow globe. the odds in winning, just one in 302 million. still, for many, it was worth the $2 gamble and now players don't have to wait to roll the dice again. tonight's powerball jackpot is $620 million, with an "m." still, not too shabby. >> the odds of winning powerball just slightly better than mega millions. those still slim. by the way, the odds of one person winning both jackpots, one in 88 quadrillion. that's with 15 zeros. >> who even knew that was a thing. joe, thank you. also breaking overnight, hurricane willa making landfall in mexico. today, the torrential rains are taking aim at parties of water logged texas. eventually it will become a

nor'easter on the east coast. but first, let's get to nbc's kerry sanders. he's in austin, texas, this morning. >> good morning, savannah. south and central texas have been drenched by water in this so far this month. now, the water levels are those rivers and lakes are up. you can see over my shoulder, the mansfield dam. they've opened up the flood gates here and they're likely now to stay open until the end of the month. that is rare. willa roared ashore overnight as a category 3 hurricane making landfall some 70 miles south of mexico's popular tourist destination. this storm packing sustained winds of 120 miles per hour did some serious damage. taking down trees, knocking out power, this morning residents in texas and the florida panhandle are bracing for the remnants of willa, which is expected to bring wind and rain to areas that have already had too much of it lately. south and central texas are still recovering from as much as a foot of rain in some spots

last week that led to widespread flooding. now the area is again on high alert. that recent flooding churned up so much silt and debris, austin is now under a citywide boil order. residents emptying the shelves. officials hoping willa won't bring another deluge. >> we're planning for and preparing for whatever mother nature might throw at us, we have no indication at this point that this will be a long-term issue. >> along florida's panhandle, homeowners still cleaning up after hurricane michael could be in for another drenching for whatever left of this latest storm. >> base the ground here is already saturated, the concern is that the runoff will make its way to the waters and lakes as they rise.

the last thing anybody needed here, guys, was willa. >> you said it, kerry. thank you very much. al roker is busy heading where willa is heading next. what are we seeing? >> it's going to be the remnants of willa. about 300 miles away. low pressure will be making its way up the coast and as it does, this thing will be traveling about 2,000 miles, bringing heavier rain from new orleans, louisiana, into the panhandle of florida. and then part two, it continues to make its way up the eastern seaboard on friday, strengthening, a severe threat from florida to north carolina, heavy wind and rain along the eastern established into the northeast and new england with mountain snows. rainfall amounts will be the big story from bangor to norfolk and

back into western virginia. flash flooding may be a possibility. meanwhile this morning, health officials are now scrambling to contain a deadly outbreak of a viefl illness at a medical facility in new jersey. it's almost claimed the lives of 11 children. and health officials are scrambling. >> this morning, they're trying to make sure outbreak doesn't spread. normally this virus would cause a common cold, a minor illness. but when you have children like these who are medically fragile, it can be deadly. this morning, there's questions about a deadly adenovirus at a facility in new jersey. 7 children dead, more than 10 sickened. an investigation is now under way. the state health department said

it discovered minor hand washing deficiencies and infection control issues during an inspection at the center which treats children with autoimmune systems. >> it's hard to continue in a closed environment like this is. once it's in there, it can stick on surfaces. it's hard to clean off. it's very easy to spread from person to person. >> according to state health records, the center received citations in 2016 and 2017 for violations involving the spread of infection. >> he's still up there fighting. the doctor told me it's baby steps. >> paula said she wasn't notified about the outbreak until after her 14-year-old son, william, who can't breathe on his own had become severely ill with the virus. >> they should have notified us sooner and they shouldn't have let him get so bad that his one lung was completely shut down before they sent him to the hospital. >> in a statement, the center says it promptly notified all appropriate government agencies when the virus was initially

identified. and continues to fully cooperate with these agencies and has sought out their medical guidance. it's been reported the facility notified the state health department of some respiratory illnesses on the 9th. until the outbreak is under control, the rehab center knot allowed to accept any new patients. in the meantime, some parents are looking at what's left. >> i'm in the process of looking for a new facility for him. i feel that if this was to happen again, he might not survive it next time. >> reporter: so the state health department will remain on hand today. they've already quarantined other sick patients. they're also recommend something other measures, like disinfecting, gloves, masks and a lot of hand washing, guys. >> kristen dahlgren in haskell, new jersey. thank you. president trump is stepping up his rhetoric, making that migrant caravan heading for the u.s. border a defining issue ahead of the midterm elections.

the group is 1,000 miles from the border at this hour. at the pace they're going, it could take three weeks to more than a month to reach the united states. peter alex answereder is at the white house with the latest. good morning. >> good morning to you. republicans, the president's party, control the white house and both houses of congress. still, the president is trying to blame democrats for inaction on illegal immigration, a hot-button election issue. but he's now acknowledging that his claim of middle easterners among that caravan of migrants is unfounded. president trump confronted about his incendiary claim that unknown middle easterners are in that caravan, admitting he has no evidence to back it up. >> there's no proof of anything. there's no proof of anything. but there could very well be. >> reporter: that's a dramatic reversal, undercutting the president's attempts to promote his unsubstantiated claim on monday. >> you're going to find ms13.

you're going to find middle eastern. you're going to find everything. >> reporter: critics arguing it's to stoke fears and motivate his base ahead of the midterm elections. among those vouching for the president, press secretary sarah sanders, who said there was evidence. >> we know this is a continuing problem. >> reporter: and vice president mike pence going as far as to say this >> it's inconceivable there are -- not people of middle eastern descent in a crowd of 7,000 people coming towards our border. >> reporter: even as the president casts immigrants as potential terrorist threats. >> they're intercepted isis. >> reporter: a former intelligence official briefed on the caravan tells nbc news there is no evidence that any middle eastern terrorists are among the migrants. president trump calling on pence to back up the claim that democrats are behind the caravan. >> organized by leftist organizations and financed by venezuela. as we've said --

>> and the democrats, maybe? and the democrats. >> well -- >> let me give you your pen back. >> reporter: a democratic senator standing behind the president, laughing it off. in fact, there's no evidence the caravan is being led by anyone other than hondurans. nbc's gabe gutierrez is with the migrants in southern mexico, 1,000 miles from the border. >> the migrants here are unfazed. the ones we spoke with say they have no idea about the upcoming midterms in the u.s., much less the difference between democrats and republicans. >> reporter: meanwhile, the president is drawing secretmy for the embrace his label his critics have used for his policies. >> you know what i am? i'm a nationalist, okay? i'm a nationalist. >> reporter: deflecting questions whether he's concerned that the title is coded language for the racist ideology, known as white nationalism. >> i never heard that theory about being a nationalist. i've heard them all. but i'm somebody that loves our

country. >> reporter: those suspicious packages that have been intercepted by the secret service while our piece was just playing, i received a statement from the white house from press secretary sarah sanders who writes we condemn the attempted violent attacks recently made against president obama, president clinton, secretary clinton and other public figures. she adds these terrorizing acts are despicable and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the laws. white house official telling me moments ago they are taking this, quote, extremely seriously. back to you, savannah and craig. >> thank you, peter. if the entire world series is anything like game one last night, we are in for a classic, folks. the boston red sox hosting the l.a. dodgers in fenway park last back-and-forth game. manny machado, with that single in the third inning. it would stay close until the bottom of the seventh. that's when eduardo nunez hits a

laser shot over the green monster. three runs would come in. red sox hold on to win it 8-4. game two tonight back in boston. >> just getting started. hoda is going to join us in a moment. but first, al has the west coast forecast. good morning. >> good morning and good morning, west coast. showers up into the pacific northwest. another system coming in there. but plenty of sunshine as you get from san francisco down to the south. 63 degrees in san fran today. medford will be 66. looking at it, 78 degrees in l.a. a beautiful day. denver, you may have showers, but look at that temperature, 62 degrees. not too bad. as we push through and show you the rest of the country, mild in the rockies today. we do have that flood threat from the remnants of willa that's going to dump a ton of rain there. as we get into the upper midwest and the mississippi river valleys, the ohio river valley, plenty of sunshine. temperate conditions. heavy snow as a low pressure system pulls away from the new england area. there could be a few inches as

we get into the mountains there. look for sunshine through florida. we good wednesday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're going to see a few clouds rolling by throughout the morning and it's going to be a cool start, but then as we go through the day, a little bit warmer in some spots for the inland areas, reaching into the upper 70s. oakland today 68, and 65 in san francisco. san jose 71, and napa today reaching 74. we're in for a heatup in our

temperatures over the next few days. before you know it, we'll be in the upper 80s by the end of the week. >> and that's your latest weather. guys? >> mr. roker, thanks. apology this morning. plus, ground breaking supreme court justice sandra day o'connor revealing her battle with dementia. what her son is saying to nbc news about that difficult diagnosis and the road ahead. first, this is "today" on nbc. a. a. first, this "today" on nbc.is i'm dianne feinstein and i approve this message.

"look what she's accomplished... she authored the ban on assault weapons... pushed the desert protection act through congress, and steered billions of federal dollars to california projects such as subway construction and wildfire restoration." "she... played an important role in fighting off ...trump's efforts to kill the affordable care act." california news papers endorse dianne feinstein for us senate. california values senator dianne feinstein

coming up, two for the price of one. jenna and barbara bush will be here. we'll talk to them about the new way they're honoring their beloved grammy. we'll talk about barbara's wedding and a whole lot more. plus, the doctor stars go to to get better sleep. he pays us a visit. he will share his top five tips that will help you sleep better. but first, your local news. if you have psoriasis, little things can be a big deal.

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♪the more we are together the better we'll be♪ new details on a breaking story good morning to you. it is 7:26. new details on a breaking story the "today" show was following this morning as we are in our newsroom. cnn saying its offices in new york city's time warner center are being evacuated due to a suspicious package. authorities believe it may be similar to packages discovered this morning at the homes of president obama in washington, d.c., and president clinton in new york. of course we'll have more information when it's available. keep watching us for updates. let's check the forecast with kari. >> look at this view in dublin. the fog is rolled in and just gotten worse over the past i'd say about 30 to 40 minutes. so watch out for the low visibility through the tri valley. elsewhere it is mostly clear and

we're headed up into the low to mid-70s for the inland areas today. san jose expect a high of 71, 74 in napa and a high of san francisco will reach 65 degrees. we're enjoying cooler than normal weather now but it's about to heat up. starting tomorrow lower 80s and upper 80s friday into saturday. the cooler weather will return as we go into early next week. upper 70s, while san francisco will be in the low 70s from friday through saturday. let's get an update on the morning commute now from mike. >> look at this view, kari, of palo alto. northbound with the tail lights jammed up toward marsh from university. they should start to im, the crash cleared seconds ago north 101 at marsh, crash cleared as you see the slow drive from the rar o arrow on the bottom of your screen. the east bay side improving, a crash south 880 at dakota cleared. north 101 improvement but the second crash of the morning

north 101 at tully ties things up just north of capital. back to you. once again these are live pictures of the time warner building zooming into in new york. it's been evacuated right now.

back now back, now, 7:30, with beautiful images from the surprise wedding of former first daughter, barbara bush. we're so excited this morning because she's going to be here with her twin, jenna. it's a rare joint appearance by the bush twins. it is their first together since the big day. they're going to have a lot to talk about. >> a lot to talk about, including literally a new chapter in their lives. >> saw her upstairs. she has that newlywed glow. we start this half-hour with a check of today's headlines. we have a winner. one ticket was sold matching all six numbers in the mega millions drawing worth nearly $1.6 billion. that jackpot had been growing

since july. the winning ticket sold in god's country, sold in south carolina. just because you did not win the top prize doesn't mean you didn't win anything. here are the numbers again. 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and the megaball, 5. breaking news, police say a suspicious package apparently an explosive has been delivered to the home of bill and hillary clinton in the new york city suburb of chappaqua. this comes two days after a similar device was found in the mailbox of billionaire and democratic political activist george soros. officials say that package contained a small pipe bomb. a police bomb squad detonated it and no one was hut. a judge in washington state went above and beyond the call of duty earlier this month when a couple of inmates decided to make a run for it during a court appearance. judge r.w. buzzard stood up, ditched his robe and ran after them.

the handcuffed inmates ran downstairs. judge buzzard caught the second escapee as he was hitting the door. the second inmate was caught a few blocks away. judge buzzard did the deed. now to that comment that megyn kelly made on her show yesterday. she's apologizing for it now. >> reporter: good morning. megyn kelly issued that apology in an issue to colleagues. she now knows she is wrong about her comments about blackface which really ignited a serious conversation about race and the history of blackface in our american culture. this morning, megyn kelly is apologizing for her controversial comments. >> this year, the costume police are cracking down like never before. >> reporter: it started as a discussion about a proposed ban of offensive halloween costumes on megyn kelly today. >> isn't the purpose of halloween to dress up something other than yourself. >> reporter: but it evolved into a conversation about race in america.

>> what is racist? truly, you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blakeface on halloween or a black person who puts on whiteface for halloween. back when i was a kid, that was okay as long as you were dressing up as a character. >> reporter: kelly, defending a reality tv star who apologized for darkening her skin for a diana ross costume. >> she wants to look like diana ross for one day. i don't know how that got racist on halloween. >> reporter: on twitter, the backlash to kelly's remarks was biting. "top chef" host, padma lakshmi tweeting, i cannot believe the ignorance on this in 2018. you are on national television. you have a responsibility to educate yourself on social issues, megyn kelly. this is so damaging. >> the man has to put me through a simple move. >> no, stupid. you mean a civil service

examination. >> reporter: at one time, a fairley prominent form of entertainment, blackface targed the worst stereotypes mocking african-americans. >> when we had white performers darkening their features, exaggerating the lips and noses, it literally reduced the humanity of the black body. >> reporter: in an e-mail to staff released by nbc news, kelly writes, in part, i realize now that such behavior is, indeed, wrong. and i am sorry. the history of blackface in our culture is abhorrent, the wounds too deep. i've never been a p.c. kind of person, but i understand that we do need to be more sensitive in this day and age. >> jesus was a white man, too. >> reporter: kelly has come under fire previously for comments she made about race on fox news. >> for all you kids can watching at home, santa just is white. >> reporter: in her e-mail, kelly says this is a time for

more understanding and love. all right. >> most of the online criticism addressed the fact that there were no people of color represented in that panel. pointing out that what we saw was a conversation that people generally have in a private space, where there are no repercussions. but this learning moment really gifted us the opportunity to have this conversation in a public discourse. we now have the courage and the platform to have conversations like this, even when they're uncomfortable because we can see they're still necessary. >> it is uncomfortable because megyn is a colleague at nbc news. but, i know -- >> look, the fact is, while she apologized to the staff, she owes a bigger apology to folks of color around the country because this is a history. going back to the 1830s, minstrel shows, to mean and denigrate a race wasn't right.

i'm old enough to have lived through "amos & andy" where you had white people in blackface magnifying the characters of black people. >> there was an issue online, this is political correctness run amok. that's silly. it's disenginis. in addition to her being a colleague, she's a friend. she said something stupid. she said something indefensible. and the fact -- a lot of folks don't realize that jim crow, shorthand for the racist laws that existed in this country for much of the last century, especially in the deep south, the term jim crow from a minstrel show in the 1830s. it was an opportunity for us to learn more about blackface. i think a lot of people knew about blackface before yesterday. >> you know. you know. no good comes from it. and look, it goes back to the 1930s when warner owen played charlie chan. it's just not right. >> thank you for helping us have that conversation. >> thanks, morgan. we're going to send it to

mr. roker for weather. >> let's see what's going on. look at this. tornado damage in rhode island. parts of providence and other sections of rhode island. that state seeing these tornados. in fact, take a look right now. we can show you on the radar this is what was happening yesterday afternoon as these storms blew through. really, the history of tornados in rhode island, this is the first tornado since august 2012. only the second october tornado on record. just 11 tornados on record for that state since 1950. let's stay in new england. tonight, game two, first pitch world series, 42 degrees. a biting breeze and clear skies. then, we move to l.a. first pitch, clear and warm. temperatures, low 80s, in the mid 70s. if we need to get to game six and seven, it's back in boston, with temperatures in the 40s. game seven is going to be cold, blustery and 42 degrees. that's what's going on around good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall.

we are going to have another really nice day and just enough of an ocean breeze to keep your coastal temperatures in the low 60s. we will be slightly warmer in the inland valleys today with some low 70s and even some upper 70s in some spots, and that will be the trend over the next few days. warmer air moving in and mostly sunny skies. upper 80s by the end of the week in the valleys and up to 89 degrees as our temperatures peak on saturday and cooling off early next week. and that is your latest weather. >> all right, al, thank you. coming up the bush twins, jenna and barra are here to dish on their wild and wonderful life as they put it, including barbara's recent wedding. >> the time when a scary elevator malfunctioned. we'll have the story. ahead, an overnight security scare causes meghan markle to cut short an appearance in fiji. then the first woman to ever serve on the supreme court,

sandra day o'connor saying she is battling dementia. what is the road ahead for her? we will hear from her son right after this.

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trying, nothing has diminished the countless blessings in my life. >> she's a trooper. >> reporter: her son jay discussed it with justice correspondent pete williams. >> she is primarily confined to a wheelchair. but those are her only health ailments right now. can you have a nice conversation with her. she enjoys the company of friends. >> reporter: o'connor was nominated by ronald reagan in 1981. >> i was a judge on the arizona court of appeals and the phone rang and it was president reagan, sandra, i'd like to announce your nomination to the court tomorrow. is that all right with you? and i didn't know if it was or not. i was not truly prepared. >> reporter: sworn in with the reputation of a conservative, she was seen by many ast the court's middle voice the swing vote on key rulings that upheld roe v. wade and voting to uphold

california's controversial three strikes law as well as the death penalty, despite admitting its racially disproportionate impact. o'connor stayed on the court through breast cancer and subsequent mastectomy without missing a single day on the bench. she retired from the supreme court to care for her ailing husband. praise poured in, nancy pelosi calling her a trail blazer in every sense. a sentiment to o'connor, herself, took pride in, speaking today in 2005. >> the minute i was confirmed and on the court, states across the country started putting more women on than had ev been the case on their supreme courts. and nation around the world took note and started doing the same thing. >> reporter: the ground breaking judge still blazing the trail, making her latest decision to step away from public life once again on her terms.

>> she's going to be in phoenix, she said in her letter, she will always be a cow girl for arizona, i certainly remember as a young cow girl looking up to her, a woman on the supreme court. so we turned to dr. torres who is here. she said in her letter its dementia and probably alzheimer's. what itself t what's the probably? what's that from a medical standpoint? >> dementia falls under a big umbrella. always heimers is one type. it's the one that tends to be more devastating and is getting a lot of attention and rightfully so. >> it's kind of a teachable moment. i didn't realize 1% of people have a genetic lichlth i thouli. >> the main gene people talk about is apoe 4. one people have an increased risk. they're at higher risk. 99% is not associated with that gene. so we think there are other things causing it.

we're not sure what is causing it. we're getting closer to prevention. that's the main thing, starting that early is extremely important. >> what can people do to try and prevent alzheimer's, to try and prevent other forms of dementia as well? >> the biggest thing we find out is the heart-head connection. what's good for the heart will be good for the head. lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure. getting a diet. sleep is extremely important for people as they go through life, especially in our later stages of life and avoiding head trauma that puts people into the unconscious area. because that can cause issues later in life as well. >> she took care of her husband john who had alzheimer's for decades. she certainly know what is the road will be ahead for her. thank you very much. just ahead here, do you know that feel are now, sleeping of sleep, john, people are paying sleep coachs to actually get a better night's sleep.

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injuries. this is following a report this morning of suspicious packages found at the homes of president obama and president clinton. this is a live look outside the obama home in washington, cloud cover, th -- d.c., that is a reporter getting ready for a live shot. it's too early to know if any of these cases are linked. we are monitoring. nbc plans to go to a special report any moment now. you can also head to our twitter feed, where we are tweeting out the latest developments. in the meantime, locally let's get a look at our forecast for today. >> about 30 minutes ago we were taking a live look outside in dublin, where you couldn't see anything but now the visibility is starting to improve there, as the fog gradually starts to clear. elsewhere it is mostly clear. high temperatures today heading up to 71 degrees in san jose. 68 in oakland, and 74 in napa. san francisco today looking at a high of 65. let's get an update on the commute from mike. >> palo alto is much better than

a half hour ago, cleared north 101 at marsh. two crashes in the last half hour tie things up. northbound 87 flow. 87 seeing traffic diverting, 85 around almaden sprexpressway. approach to the bay bridge not bad. >> thank you, another upindicate update in half an hour. >> as joint overdoses rise in california and across the country -- >> lawmakers take action working to curb the opioid addiction epidemic.

former secretary of state hillary clinton and that the manhattan offices of cnn have been evacuated after another suspicious package was found in that company's mail room. this follows the news monday that an explosive device was found in the mailbox of the

suburban home of billionaire philanthropist george soros. we want to go to pete williams with the latest from our washington news room. pete. >> we know of at least four suspicious packages, all containing what appear to be pipe bombs, all of them sent through the mail. the secret service says one was addressed to hillary clinton at the clinton's home in westchester county, new york. another was addressed to former president obama. neither of those packages were actually delivered to those addresses. instead, they were intercepted during routine mail screening. so the secret says the former officials were not at risk of receiving anything hazardous through the mail. the secret service says the package addressed to hillary clinton was found on tuesday and that the one addressed to former president obama was found this morning. now, there had been some reports that another package was sent to the white house, but we're told that is not the case. law enforcement officials say the devices in these packages appear to be similar to the one

that you mentioned sent to democratic donor george soros at his home in new york found monday and now, as you you mentioned, police in new york are investigating what appears to be a similar one received this morning at cnn's headquarters in midtown manhattan that's prompted an evacuation. all of them were sent through the mail. all of them had stamps on the envelope. all boar the same return address of a prominent democratic official obviously a phony address. ands as to whether these devices were actually working, the initial assessment was that they appeared the to be working devices. working pipe bombs that the pipes did contain an explosive powder. but whether they would actually be fully functional, we're told, has not been determined. the most advanced work has been done on the one sent to george soros. that's been received at the fbi's lab in quantico. but officials tell me that the analysis of that device is not done and that no conclusion has been reached about whether these were actually working.

but but they're being treated as though they were. how they would be detonated, whether it would be a dimer, whether it would be movement, opening the package, that is all to be determined, lester. >> and peter, is there any word of any message contained in the device itself? >> no, i've not heard of one. but, you know, if you look at the targets, the potential targets here, soros, clinton, obama, what some may believe is cnn attacking the president, there seems to be a consistent thing there. so when we heard about a package addressed to the white house, that didn't seem to fit and we're told that that is not the case. >> all right. pete williams, thanks. the white house has issued a statement about all of this. peter alexander is there. what are you hearing, peter? >> i've been speaking to multiple white house officials over the course of the last hour this morning. they tell me that president trump has been briefed on this situation. they say the white house is taking the situation, quote,

extremely seriously. evidence of that, raps, a statement that we received from sarah sanders within the last hour or so. she says the following. we condemn the attempted violent attacks recently made against president obama, president clinton secretary clinton and other figures. these acts are despicable and anyone responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. she also says whoever is responsible for this is, as she describes it, a coward. >> peter alexander at the white house monitoring things from there. we'll of course be following developmen throughout the day and i'll be back with full details on nbc nightly news. for now, i'm lester holt, nbc news new york. shark. take a listen alexa, play baby shark. >> baby chair isn't included in prime. >> alexa, play baby chair. >> sure, baby by say anything on amazon music.

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. we're back. we're joined by two of our favorite sisters, jenna and barbara bush. their number one "new york times" best seller, "sisters first" is out in paperback this week. >> it features stories about their time in the white house and beyond. and now, there's a new chapter dedicated to their late grandmother, barbara bush. i read the last chapter last night, through tears with tis e tissues. it was beautiful. and it must have been cathartic to write and hard to write. >> the best part of this book is we got to explore life with our family. of course, at the center of that, the center of our universe, was always our ganny. to write about her again, was pretty great. >> barbara, you're name affidavit her. i'll bet that came with such great pride and also, it was weighty, wasn't it? >> yes.

i've had a complicated relationship with my name. when i was little, i didn't understand i would get looks with a name barbara bush. but when my grandmother passed away, i have a very different feeling about it. she walked into death. she was very fearless about how she lived her life, up until she passed away. and i remember the night that we found out that she had died. i was going to bed that night. i was thinking about how she showed us how you should live, fearlessly and leading with love. the opposite of fear is love. i thought when i was going to bed that night, i get her name now. and that is a reminder to me every day, to live my life in this way. and so, it's no longer complicated. i'm proud and thrilled to have my name. >> jenna needs kleenexes. >> she was incredible. you guys write about, even in the days it got out in the news, that perhaps her days were

waning, that you called her and she answered the phone. >> she answered the land line and she said, girls, don't believe everything you read. and we teared up and said, we just want to let you know that you were the best. or you are the best. and she said, i'm not leaving you girls. and she sort of caught herself because she was just trying to comfort us, until the end. she knew she was. >> i marvel at how honest and open you are in your family. and there was a part in there, i think, jenna, you said you went to your grandfather and said, like, is your heartbroken? you asked. like, most grandchildren would just stay away. but you felt comfortable to ask that. >> we both had that conversation with him. and barbara went and spent a week with him when he first went up to maine. >> it was just us two and my now-husband, craig, came, too. i didn't want him to go by

himself. i stayed with him and read to him every day and read love letters that he had written my grandmother to him, where he was an insecure 18-year-old worried she was going to blow him off. we would go out to dinner and eat oysters. he would have a martini at night. and it was just really special to be with him, one-on-one. and i told him, when i got there, that the house seemed quieter, without ganny. and he said, so, are you saying she talked too much? >> your grandparents are a great love story. and now, there's a another great love story. you mentioned your husband, craig. let's not let that moment pass. congratulations. >> thank you. >> wow. >> tell us everything. we saw your beautiful pictures. >> it was beautiful. it was everything we wanted. it was small, in a place that we have grown up and have so many incredible memories, in maine. we wanted to make sure we could do it while my grandfather was still healthy.

so, we did it out on the rocks. and the second it was announced that we were husband and wife, it started to rain. and i thought, that's my grandmother. she's with us, too. >> and she might have been mad that we moved all of the furniture out of the living room. >> what was it like watching your sister, your twin, get married? >> just the way you would expect. it was full of pride. there's a picture of us hugging, where i'm sweepi inweeping on t white dress. i wanted the best for her since the day she was born. she's the most important person in my life, after my husband and my kids. i should be careful. she exudes love and joy and she deserves that love and joy back. >> excitement. jenna, i know we were talking earlier. we said, it's an uncomfortable conversation that megyn kelly, our colleague, said things on the air. and you were right there. >> i was part of that panel. the conversation took a turn that none of us expected.

i didn't expect it. it's wrong. in a world that's sometimes filled with hate, it's more important than ever that we use our voices towards love. that's what we wrote about our grandmother. she lived with compassion, towards people who are different than her, people she didn't know. and now, more than ever, we need to make sure when a conversation goes that way, toward racial intolerance, we use our voices and use them loudly and with love and grace. >> perfect. >> thank you, jenna. thank you, barbara. and the book is called "sisters first." they're on tour. they're like rock stars. you can go to today.com/shop. you're going to stick around, right? >> i'm sticking around. >> barbara? >> you want to stick around? >> not really, she says. don't put her on the spot. >> she can stick around. let's go over to mr. roker for a check of the weather. >> that got a little awkward. just got to say. we're looking at the remnants of

willa, now, causing big problems for central and southern texas. flash flood watches from del rio to austin, texas. we have wet weather from houston to the panhandle, as the low pressure gets the energy from willa and makes its way to the gulf. and then, it makes its way up the eastern seaboard, friday into saturday, bringing a threat from florida into north carolina. saturday, up the coast, with lots of rain and mountain snows in northern new england, anywhere from 2 to 3 inches of rain good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. san francisco reaching 65 and 68 in oakland. some mid to upper 70s for the inland valleys and livermore, expect a high of 76 degrees. and 71 in san jose. we're in for some much warmer weather over the next few days, we'll see 0-temperatures peak

for the valleys, reaching the upper 80s by saturday and cooling off on sunday. t weather. guys? >> al, thank you so much. it's time for "pop start." >> she would have said. she could have been a "pop start" correspondent. >> i'm handle it myself. let's begin with unexpected drama on prinls hce harry and mn markle's tour. she was forced to cut short an appearance in fiji because of a large crowd. keir simmons has the details. what's going on? >> reporter: hey, there. good morning from thursday. we are 16 hours ahead of you here in fiji. now, look, we don't really know what happened today. meghan seemed to have an intense conversation with one of her royal aides. suddenly, she was being rushed through an event in something that seemed like a little bit of a security scare.

a barely concealed moment of tension for the young duchess. >> cameras down. >> pregnant meghan, hurried through a market by her protection officers. >> for the rest of it, she literally walked past everybody and walked out. >> reporter: royal officials offering differing explanations. first, saying it was too hot and humid. then, suggesting, a security scare. then, blaming crowd control issues. >> meghan is pregnant. and harry wasn't with her. and harry is protective of meghan. secondly, she's new to this job. it's a tough job being a royal. >> reporter: some local women she was set to meet, disappointed. >> only 15 minutes. >> too quick. >> the day had been going well. harry and meghan in island dress, visiting the university. >> good morning, meghan. >> reporter: the duchess speaking openly about her own struggles to get an education. >> it was through scholarships,

financial aid programs and work study or a job on campus went to tuition that i was able to attend university. and without question, it was worth every effort. >> reporter: outside, many gathered around screens to watch. >> everyone should be afforded the opportunity to receive education that they want but more importantly, the education they have the right to receive. and for women and girls in developing countries, this is vital. when girls are given the right tools to succeed, they can create incredible futures. not only for themselves but for all of those around him. >> reporter: when she sat down, congratulations from harry and a broad smile from meghan. harry's wife, meghan, may have made a simple speech. but for a member of the royal family to talk about her struggles, getting an education and women empowerment, that's a big deal. on arrival in fiji, the royals

received an royal welcome. harry, drinking a sedative. and then, a black tie reception of a tour that had gone smoothly until today. here's why i think meghan is so impressive -- i'm just going to say it. there's people in the royals that can be a bit snobby. they were snobby towards kate when she was with william. and they were snobby towards phillip when he married the queen. for meghan to say what she said, about the struggles to pay for her education, that was gutsy. there's some people around the royals that are snobby. they're probably going to throw me in the tower when i get home. >> thank you so much. >> shocked. >> get him a drink. up next, the greatest showman reimagined. it's a new album coming out, filled with an all-star list of

artists covering the film's hit songs, including pink and her daughter, willow. and we have the exclusive look at the pair's version of "a million dreams." take a look. ♪ what's the world to be the vision of the one i see ♪ ♪ a million dreams is all it's gonna take ♪ ♪ a million dreams for the world we're going to make ♪ ♪ we may be right we may be wrong ♪ ♪ but i want to bring you along to the world i see ♪ ♪ to the world we close our eyes to see ♪ ♪ we close our eyes to see >> wow. >> amazing. her daughter is only 7. >> that's amazing. >> clearly, it runs in that family. giving us chill there's.

the new album will feature kelly clarkson, zac brown band. to see the full video, go to today.com. that's your "pop start." >> sold. let's head it over to craig. >> thanks. it's time for a new installment of our series, "today wellness." more and more people are turning to mindfulness meditation to get a respite from the daily grind. and believe it or not, the holiday season is almost here. to help you get ahead of the hollywood craziness, we're joined by one of the leading voices in mindfulness, andy. he is co-founder of the app headspace, that i use on a regular basis. it's weird hearing your voice here, typically when i hear it in the morning. >> i get that sometimes. >> people who are unfamiliar

with mindfulness and meditation, what is it? >> i think the easiest way to think about it, being more penalty. less distracted. we're normally caught up with our thoughts and focusing on one thing. whether we're trying to interact and have a better relationship with those around us. how do you learn to be less distracted and more present in your life? >> we're going to provide a demonstration here in a few moments. let's talk about the holidays. thanksgiving around the corner, then christmas. stress in general. give us tips how to deal with it. >> i don't know how it is in your house. my son, he's 4, he's single "jingle bells." we're a long way out. if you look at this time period as, rather than waiting until we get stressed, learning something now, ahead of time to feel less stressed. and there's easy things you can do. number one, be more aware of your breath. a lot of the tension in the body comes from the way we breathe. we hold our breath when we're

stressed. being more aware of our breath can help a lot. >> what about eating? >> eating, for sure. it's different aspects of eating, right? there's the eating that we do at holidays when we are mindlessly eating. we don't know if we're hungry or not or if we want it. often, we eat it and wish we hadn't eaten it. to notice whether we're hungry or not is a big part of mindfulness. >> being present enough before you pick up. >> yeah. the temptation is to start and then you carry on like this, oh, it's all gone. and so, to be present throughout the process of eating. >> holiday travel. lots of folks get stressed out. >> different ways to thing about travel. one is to remember -- it's tempting to think that everybody is in our way, whether we're walking or driving. we're not stuck in traffic, we are the traffic. the person behind us is thinking the same thing about us. to remember that, i think is useful. and to find opportunities. if you're stuck in a line at an

airport, you can use that time to get stressed out or use it to practice the exercise that we're going to do right now. >> let's work on -- if there was a group that needed some mindfulness training, this is it. >> hi, honey. >> good morning. >> give us a primmer, if you will. >> going to do a simple one-minute exercise. it doesn't matter if you haven't done it before. >> okay. >> i'll lead you through it. >> okay. >> we're going to focus on our breath, just for one minute. it would be great if people at home want to join in. if you can look directly ahead of ourseyourselves. just nice, soft focus with the eyes. take one, deep breath, breathing in through your nose and through your mouth. as you breathe out, gently close the eyes. and take this first moment just to enjoy not having to do anything, not needing to be anywhere, not needing to check your phone. and just feel the weight of your

body against the seat beneath you. as you sit there, just start to notice how your breath feels in your body. sometimes, it's going to feel -- the breaths will be deeper and longer. sometimes a bit more short and shallow. just take 10, 20 seconds. you can place your hand on your stomach if you find it easier to feel the movement of breath. you don't have to do anything with your mind. just allow the thoughts to come and go. and each time you realize you're distracted, just letting go of that thought and coming back to the breath. >> we're going to let you continue with this group. we have much, much more. more ways to stay mindful at today.com. it's a fantastic app. i love it. i use it all the time. thank you for coming. there you go.

every morning. ina garten is back solving more of our cooking problems, as well. that's right after your local news. i )m ... we )re monitoring 8:26, i'm marcus washington, we're monitoring break news on the east coast. if you were watching our special report at the top of the hour, you can see right here this is the evacuation at the time warner center there. three suspicious packages have been discovered. this is a live look, time-warner center in new york city. home of cnn, where packages were found in their offices, that area, now evacuated. packages also addressed to the homes of former president barack obama and the clintons. they were intercepted off-site during routine inspections and did not arrive at their homes. it's believed that the latest packages are similar to the ones sent earlier this week to democratic donor and billionaire

george soros, we'll have the latest on that in our midday broadcast. now the traffic. >> bay bridge, up until three minutes ago we had a crash in lane. it wasn't presenting a huge problem and it did clear over here. the parking lot. traffic in the fast-track lanes is the worst. but off to the right approach. the cash lanes as well. a smooth drive, easier drive for the east shore highway. 580 and 880, typical there. across the bridge, slowing through san mateo. proposition 11 solves two issues.

first, it continues to pay paramedics while we're on break. second, it ensures the closest ambulance can respond if you call 9-1-1. vote yes on 11.

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it ensures the closest ambulance remains on-call during paid breaks "so that they can respond immediately when needed." vote yes on 11. ♪ and it is 8:30 on this wednesday morning, october 24th, 2018. a crisp start to the day here in midtown manhattan. that's a good-looking crowd. that's a good-looking crowd. >> fehello. good to see you. >> let's do it. >> good idea. >> looking for monique and

jesse. right there. congratulations, first of all, right? >> it's our honeymoon. >> when did you get married? >> june 29th. >> so far, so good. >> still in the honeymoon. >> i unction that you also have a daughter who may be watching. what's her name? >> her name is emma. >> how old is emma? >> she's 8 years old now. >> she's 8 years old. emma, by the way, a loyal "today" show viewer. in fact, mr. roker, among her first words -- >> was al roker. >> not a surprise. >> that's kind of nice. >> can you say hello to emma who is watching? >> hello, emma. it's al roker. how are you? i hope this isn't a disappointment after all that. >> al is popular with the kids. hoda's daughter, haley joy, her first words, al roker. >> actually, al cocoa. >> thank you. >> give her our love. >> awesome.

>> calvin said al roker, too, which is annoying. >> al roker is beloved by babies and adults everywhereverywhere. talking about ways to get a better night's sleep around here. when should you stop drinking caffeine? should you hit the snooze button? we have doctor to the stars to give us answers and hopefully get good rest. is it too early to talk about holiday shopping? i hope not. al has bought all of his christmas presents. we have an early look at the toys of the season to beat the crowd. and ina garten is back, day two. tips to help us cook like a pro. and we're tackling veggies to chocolate. >> we made that squash thing, but by we, i meant someone else. it was awesome. mr. roker, you have a check of the weather? >> starting off with today, we

are looking at a flood threat through texas because of the remnants of willa. mild in the rockies. heavy snow in northern new england. a storm system moves off of the coast. as we look toward tomorrow, more rain as the low pressure gets itself together and makes its way through the gulf coast. warm and dry through the southwest. look for snowshowers left over in northern new england. these nice ladies, when are you coming? >> friday night. >> see you then. good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. our inland areas will reach into the upper 70s today. and we'll be about normal for this time of year. but then we're going to be heating up as we get closer to the weekend. by friday we're up to 87. and temperatures peaking on saturday at 89 degrees. after that, we cool down, we'll bring it back to where we should be for fall. and san francisco will continue to see a less clouds and fog and highs by the weekend reaching the low 70s.

>> don't forget, if you're going to head out the door, you can take us with you. download the sirius/xm app and listen to us on channel 108, on sirius/xm. guys? >> thank you, sir. now, to a segment we hope puts you to sleep. >> a recent article in t"the new york post" caught our eye. some people are turning to sleep coaches. and some coaches charge anywhere from $10,000 for a day-long session. >> is it money well-spent? michael bruce is the author of "the power of when." he's here with the 411 and his five best tips for more rest that won't cost you a cent. dr. bruce, good morning. >> good morning. >> it is a real thing? >> it's amazing how many people are walking around saying they are sleep coaches. we have to be careful about

this. when you look at somebody that's a sleep coach, you don't know what their qualifications right be, as well as the program they're going to put you into and is it safe? >> why are we all here? why are we sleeping less than we used to? >> i never seem to have an end of the number of people who can't sleep these days. one thing is the political climate is something that a lot of people are talking about. i will tell you, ever since 9/11, my line has never stopped ringing. i think the world is in a state of sleep deprivation, due to stress. >> and anxiety. >> you have five tips for the low, low price of free. let's do tip number one. know your bedtime and stick to one sleep schedule. that's hard to do. >> well, it's hard to do for a lot of people. but all i'm talking about is your wake-up time. everybody wakes up at roughly the same time during the week. keep that wake-up time even on the weekends. >> we're supposed to sleep in on the weekends. >> if you sleep in longer than

30 minutes, your whole rhythm wants to shift and you get jet lag by monday morning. that's why monday morning stinks. your body doesn't know how to do it. >> we know no caffeine before bed. but after 2:00 in the afternoon? >> caffeine has a lauhalf-life six or eight hours. a lot of people will say to me, i can have a cup of coffee and fall right to bed. if i put electrodes over your head after you do that, caffeine is a stimulant. you're not getting the quality sleep. >> what about my night cap? i've been known to enjoy the occasional night cap before bed. is that a bad idea? >> not necessarily. there's a difference between going to sleep and passing out. alcohol is fine. it takes the average human body one hour to digest one alcoholic

beverage. if you have a night cap at 10:00 and lights out at 11:00, you're fine. alcohol does affect sleep. and it doesn't allow you to get into deep sleep where the restoration occurs. you should limit yourself to two drinks. >> you say, don't exercise too late. a lot of people have to wait until after work. >> that's okay. half of the people, when they exercise, can fall right to sleep. the other half get jazzed up. you can tell. exercise is the best way to improve the quality of your sleep. 20 minutes, park your car further away, walk in the city, do whatever you can do. >> and the last tip talks about morning light. >> you have probably never seen morning light when you wake up. what happens is when you get light and it hits your optic nerve -- the blue light turns off the melatonin faucet in your brain. you don't get the brain fog in

the morning. for you three, i would recommend to get a light box. they use them for seasonal effective disorder. >> should you hop out of bed? sometimes you hit the snooze. and i always feel crummier. >> the single worst invention for sleep is the snooze button. your body can't get back into deep sleep. when you hit that snooze, you're giving yourself light, crappy sleep, over and over. there's nothing good about that. get up or set your alarm at the last possible moment. i have one more tip. >> give it to us. >> people that wake up in the middle of the night, they have low blood sugar. a teaspoon of raw honey or guava leaf tea. >> how do you know you're out of low blood sugar? >> if you wake up between 2:30 and 3:00, there's 33% chance

it's blood sugar. >> or your baby is crying. enough about us. >> thank you so much. >> really good tips. still to come, halloween, a week away. we're looking ahead to the holidays. this morning, stephanie oppenheim's here and she's going to reveal the award-winning toys that every kid will want under the tree. the tree. sirst, this i i'm dianne feinstein and i approve this message. "look what she's accomplished... she authored the ban on assault weapons... pushed the desert protection act through congress, and steered billions of federal dollars to california projects such as subway construction and wildfire restoration." "she... played an important role in fighting off ...trump's efforts to kill the affordable care act." california news papers endorse dianne feinstein for us senate.

california values senator dianne feinstein

welcome back. believe it or not, christmas is just eight weeks away. hi. you're okay. >> little bud. >> you can come help your daughter. come on. >> help the little one. >> you're okay. you're okay. >> your mom can come on out. >> the f you have kids to buy for and you want to get a jump-start on your shopping. stephanie oppenheim is the author of toyportfolio.com.

>> i love the fact that you are in toyland. >> we are. >> this is your platinum list. >> the best of the best for the year. for older babies and toddlers. i love the fisher-price learning center. there's so much to explore. and you know, it's about a newfound possibilimobility and things happen again and again. >> this is what age? under 2? >> older babies and toddlers. >> this train is a pretty cool customer. >> basic is trains. and wooden trains are back. four toys tied for top spot. this is from happy. this is the grand city station. you can record messages for all of your passengers coming through. >> that's so cute. >> it's a great toy for developing language skills. the kids are playing with it on the floor and leave it on the floor so it's an open-ended puzzle. if you have a "star wars" fan of

any age, you're going to love this chewy. >> chewy, that's a great replica. >> and he's a sweet chewy. >> a small chewy. >> and he talks wookie and he's voice-activated. this is going to be one of the hottest toys of the season. >> puzzles are still big. >> puzzles win out because kids and paren love connecting with their kids and putting the screens away and connecting. this is "the very hungry caterpillar" puzzle. >> a good book. >> this is fromebu, the women's march. 500 pieces. on our list, we include things for kids that are older, that may be timing out of toyland. >> exactly. jen jenga, always a crowd-pleaser. >> we've all played with jenga. now, it's on this platform. it makes it more challenging

because you have to pass it back and forth while you're taking the pieces out. and the great thing about games is they tend to be affordable. over a dozen on our top list for all ages. and kids come back to games and puzzles. >> you stay with it. >> what are these young ladies up to? >> the girls are playing with a craft kit that jimmy fallon would love. they are sweater ornaments. you decorate your little sweaters. they come with cute little hangers. and kids make things that they can display with pride or make as gifts. if you make these together, it becomes a tradition. >> occupying hands is big. >> are you ready for harry potter? >> yes. >> here's your wand. you're going to touch this on the top. here's one for you. we lost hoda. >> i'm here. >> here's your wand. >> okay. >> these are training wands. and you get some sound when you turn it on. there's more to it. you learn to do 11 different

things, magic spells. >> cool. >> and you can play wizard tag with these. that's fun to play. >> it's really cute. >> these are cute. $25. and finally, i love this toy. this is from little bits. it's the avenger set. you're going to put it on. you're building with circuitry. it's a science s.t.e.m. toy. and you build this up with circuitry. you have a high-tech toy that's really fun. >> you're creating a mechanical hand or something? >> you're building all of this from all of the pieces. >> you're putting it all together. >> this is the finished product. >> and this is cool. you can be tony stark, but you have s.t.e.m. involved, as well. >> i think chewy has a place under the tree. aaron, you have to buy that one right there. >> he likes chewy. guys, thank you so much. stephanie, thank you, as always. if you want info on the toys and bonus picks, go to

today.com/shop. coming up, ina garten is back with tips to help us cook like a pro. first, this is "today" on nbc. 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.

we're back with "today food." and how lucky are we? for the second day in a row, ina garten is here. her cookbook "tocook like a pro is filled with tips that you can use in any home. yesterday, you taught us to slice, chop and peel like a pro. this morning, five more, plus a bonus one that is not in the book. tell us, if you were to pick five gadgets that everybody should have in their kitchen, what would those be? >> they would be good knives, half sheet pans. >> yep. >> saute pans. >> yeah. >> a dutch oven. >> yeah. >> and what's the fifth?

i think a zester. >> a zester. >> first, starting with cocktail time. >> the most important meal of the day. >> these are daiquiris and start shaking this because it takes 30 seconds to get this right. >> 30? >> start shaking. >> it's exercise. >> exactly. >> ujuicing a lime. >> the first thing you want to do is roll it, so it really releases the juices. a room temperature lime has more juice than cold limes. so, leave them out. are you still shaking over there? >> sorry. >> if the skin is thin, is it better? >> you get more lime. i'm going to make this for garnish for the cocktails. i think you're good. don't you want to pour those? don't we need a cocktail? >> who doesn't? >> what's the best way to juice a line? >> to juice a lime, you can use

this juicer or this reimer. just ujuice it this way. we have perfectly cut limes right here. we need one more. >> i'll take care of that. >> you need two, right? >> i do. >> you need to pour one more. >> like a daiquiri, just what you were hoping for for breakfast. >> pass them down. >> thank you. >> i think it's ee's medicinal. >> that was fun. you can continue drinking. >> how do you shave chocolate? i wondered about that. >> you take a piece of chocolate and put it in the microwave for 15 seconds. >> to soften it up. >> then, you run a vegetable peeler down and get gorgeous shavings. >> how do you not make it melt? >> this is meringue, chocolate pecan and meringue. >> i think you need to taste that, don't you?

it might not be that good. >> it's good. it's good. >> we nailed it. >> next. >> we're going vegetables. >> yes. >> the thing about a round vegetable that's really hard, is how do you cut something that's rolling around? you cut it in half and you have a flat surface. you won't hurt yourself. this is tomato and eggplant soup. i need eggplant that's cut in a one-inch dice. >> you don't have to peel it? >> do you have to salt it ahead of time, ina? >> sometimes, but not for this. and i keep the end of it together, so it doesn't fly all over the kitchen. you do a one-inch dice like that. you have a one-inch dice. >> she makes it look easy. >> what did you make with the eggplant? >> it's a soup. >> i was waiting for ina to feed me. i missed my chance. >> it's tomato and eggplant

soup, which is really good. and the leftovers, you can mix with pasta and bake the next day. it becomes a pasta sauce. it's all-vegetarian. >> that's amazing. there's so much flavor in this. >> so glad you like this. >> let's work on this. >> uh-oh. a man with a big knife. i'm really in trouble here. >> yesterday, i saw you hold it like this. >> we won't be doing that, not with an onion. we have short ribs hash, which is so good for breakfast. >> yes. >> and the same thing with the onion. we need to slice it. you cut it in half. you cut off the ends. and then, slice it really thinly that way. if you keep the end together, that's easy to do. again, flat surface. >> what about when you dice it? >> leave the end together, keep your hand up like that just dice it that way. and then, it doesn't --

>> a sharp knife helps, too. >> that's cool. >> you have good, diced onion. >> that's easy. i'm going to taste this. savannah? >> okay. >> ina, let me steal you. now, we have eggs that we're going to add to this. this is a dbonus tip. >> this is the key about eggs. if you have very fresh eggs, you can't peel them. >> fresh out of the water or in general? >> in general. you want to have eggs that are a week or two old. >> really? >> i think these are soft-boiled eggs. you crack it on one side, crack it on the other side and then roll it. roll it so it gets crackly. >> yes. >> and it's easy to peel. every once in a while, it's not easy to peel. but you see, it comes off just like that. >> that's cool. yes, it does. >> instead of fighting with egg s. >> we're going to have tip from

yesterday and today on today.com. you can learn more about the book. it's "cook like a pro today." we'll be right back. first, this is "today" on nbc. warning, california. a handful of billionaires have spent over $70 million on campaigns to undermine our public schools. and electing a former wall street banker named marshall tuck to superintendent of public instruction is all a part of the billionaires' plan to take money away from neighborhood public schools and give it to their corporate charter schools. that's why tony thurmond is the only candidate endorsed by classroom teachers for superintendent of public instruction. because keeping our kids safe and improving our neighborhood public schools is always tony's top priority.

♪ ina, thank you again. this is all delicious. jenna is going to join idina menzeli )m - -... we )re monitoring good morning, it is 8:56, i'm marcus washington, we're continuing to monitor the breaking news out on the east coast. three suspicious packages have been discovered. here's a live look at the time-warner center there in new york city, where one of those packages was found in the cnn offices. that area is as you see now, still evacuated. but in the past few minutes the package itself was removed from

the building and taken to an off-site location where they will detonate it. nbc's pete williams has learned it was addressed to former c.i.a. director john brennan. the packages were addressed to the homes of former president obama and the clintons were detected during off-site inspections, neither arrived at the presidents' homes. it's believed that the packages are similar to the one sent this week to democratic donor and billionaire george soros. and happening now, we're following the story from several angles for our midday newscast and we're looking into how the discovery are raising concerns among leaders in the bay area. we're posting updates on our twitter feed and will bring them to you soobs we get there. more news in an hour. maybe you could save energy by

weaving your own shoes... out of flax. or, simply adjust your thermostat. do your thing with energy upgrade california. country.. lawmakers take action, working to curb the opioid addiction epidemic. as drug overdoses rice in california and across the country -- >> lawmakers take action looking to curb the opioid addiction epidemic. and a san jose woman dealing with a dresser delivery dilemma.

[ applause ] good morning, everyone. and welcome to the show. i'm megyn kelly. and i want to begin with two words -- i'm sorry. you may have heard that yesterday we had a discussion here about political correctness and halloween costumes. and that conversation turned to whether it is ever okay for a person of one race to dress up as another, a black person making their face whiter or a white person, dork arker, to ma their costume complete. i said it seemed okay because it was part of a costume. bu i