see, a slowing for your northbound freeways. we'll continue coverage of the mass shooting in southern california this morning as the "today" show is minutes away. >> we'll have more news coming up at nbc7 bay area news at 11:00. good morning. breaking news. mass shooting. a gunman dressed in black bursts into a crowded country western bar near los angeles throwing smoke bombs and opening fire. >> it's a horrific scene in there. there is blood everywhere. >> at least 12 people killed including a sheriff's sergeant who raced in when he heard the shots. >> he died a hero because he went -- he went in to save lives. >> the gunman also dead. an investigation underway. survivors, many of them young college students, sharing dramatic stories. >> you just heard everyone say

run. >> a lot of gunshots. a lot of gunshots. >> we'll have the latest has the nation mourns yet another senseless act of violence, today, thursday, november 8th, 2018. from nbc news, this is a special deadics of "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, it's 7:00 a.m. on the west coast. let's pause to let stations join us. and this is an nbc news special report. this morning. i'm savannah guthrie alongside craig melvin. and officials are holding an update as we speak at that deadly shooting at the borderline bar and grill at thousand oaks, california. this is the sheriff of ventura county.

>> he was 28 years old. we've had several contacts with mr. long over the years. minor events such as a terrific collision. he was a victim of a battery at a local bar in 2015. in april of this year, deputies were called to his house for a subject disturbing. they went to the house, they talked to him. he was somewhat irate, acting a little irrationally. they called out our crisis intervention team. our mental health specialist who met with him, cleared him and didn't feel he was qualified to be taken under 5150 and he was left at that scene last april. deputies are at the house now. they have secured the residence. and taking a search warrant to do a thorough search of the house. the weapon used in this horrific shooting was a glock 21.45-caliber handgun.

the handgun is designed to hold ten rounds and one in the chamber. this weapon had have an extended magazine on it. we do not know at this time how many rounds were actually in the weapon, or how many rounds the magazine could actually hold. because it's still being processed agens part of the evidence. i'll be happy to answer any questions you might have. [ inaudible question ]. >> we believe that's the only weapon used, that handgun. >> you can -- >> we don't -- we don't know if he -- sorry. we don't know if he reloaded his well or not. we're still interviewing witnesses. there's not necessarily indication that happened.

it appears he walked up to the scene. he shot the security guard that was standing outside. he stepped inside. it appears that he turned to the right and shot several of the other security and employees there. and then began opening fire inside the nightclub. we don't have any other details to confirm an exact chronology about what happened. we will provide that to you, as we bring all of our witness statements together and we feel more comfortable about talking about that. we have no idea what the motive was at this point. [ inaudible question ]. >> the incident in april happened in his home. and he did purchase the weapon legally. >> what does the 5150 hold? >> the 5150 hold was never

placed on him. the mental crisis team that day. >> can you elaborate on the prior incidents? >> one, he received a traffic citation. he was a veteran. he was in the united states marine corps. >> do you feel there was ptsd? >> there was a point with the crisis. >> can you elaborate how the deputy was shot? >> when sergeant helus and the highway patrol officer went in, they immediately exchanged gunfire with the suspect. and that's when sergeant helus was shot several times. >> do you know about his service record?

>> no, i have no idea about the service record. [ inaudible question ]. >> we believe he shot himself. when the officer went in and made re-entry, they found him already deceased. >> how far in was he? >> he was found inside an office just add jarchjacent to an offi to the bar. [ inaudible question ]. >> sergeant helus was having a conversation with his wife on the phone as he had several times during the shift. hey, i've got to go, handle a call, i love you, i'll talk to you later. >> how much time expired from the first round -- >> not as farce as as we know s point. he could have but we don't know. [ inaudible question ]. >> there's no indication that he targeted the employees. we haven't found any correlation. we'll probably know more after he execute the search warrant at

his house that maybe there was a motive at this particular point, but we have no idea at all. [ inaudible question ] based on what he was doing and -- >> all i know about his direction of travel is he went in and he turned right. and fired at the employees that were standing there. he was -- my best recollection from seven hours ago, he was wearing a black sweater. and i don't remember what color pants he was wearing, i apologize. [ inaudible question ]. >> no, not when we went inside, he was not. [ inaudible question ]. >> 2 1/2 minutes. >> did he use smoke bombs? >> we haven't confirmed whether he used smoke bombs. we have a couple witnesses that have alluded to that. >> there was no reason to

believe there was anything wrong with this person before this happened? >> well, i mean, you can say there's no reason to believe it. i mean, obviously, he had something going on in his head that would cause him to do something like this. so, he obviously had some sort of issues. [ inaudible question ]. >> no. [ inaudible question ] >> no. >> was anybody harmed in -- >> not that we know of. >> any preexisting relation with this bar? why this particular location? >> there's no connection as of yet. [ inaudible question ]. >> we don't know. we knew -- we know that once sergeant helus and the highway patrol officer engaged him, the shooting inside stopped. we don't know if he then went back in the office and shot himself or how that really transpired.

>> do you know where he lives? >> he lives in new bury port. >> why do you think this keeps happening in the united states of america? >> that's a pretty challenging question. i think we see unfortunate, horrific actions that happen all over the world. and i don't know if it happens more in the united states or doesn't. i'd have to read the stats. >> why do you think that is? >> if i knew the answer to that i'd do something to stop it. >> you can talk about the training that sergeant helus and other law enforcement has in active shooting situations and arriving on scene? >> as we talked about it in the wee hours of the morning, post-columbine shooting how we changed active shooting. instead of waiting and surrounding and bringing in the s.w.a.t. team, the officers are to immediately engage and try to stop the target and stop the killing. and that's exactly what happened here.

there's no doubt that they saved lives by going in there and engaging with the suspect. who knows. we don't know -- i've heard anywhere from 150 to 200 people in there. so not by any means the loss of 13 lives is good. but it could have been much, much worse. >> do you have any idea how many people were in the bar? >> i don't know. [ inaudible question ]. >> well, i don't think it was random. you know, he's a resident of this area. and i would have to -- common sense would speculate that there's some reason that he went here. he probably knew about it. but it's not like he was driving down the freeway and decided i'm going to get off here. >> we've been listening to a live press conference from ventura county sheriff geoff dean who was just identified officially, ian david long.

he said he's a veteran and former marine. 28 years old. police say he's the one who walked into this bar in thousand oaks, california, late last night, started shooting, killing 12 people and then police believe turned the gun on himself. >> during that news conference with the sheriff, we've learned that he used a modified 45 glock. and also heard from the sheriff, apparently, police responded to his home earlier in april. let's bring in nbc's miguel almaguer who would be on the scene all night. just after 7:00, miguel, folks in that neighborhood wake up to tragedy. >> we know about the suspect and the veteran, we also know the play by play as the 911 first came in. a 29-year veteran of the ventura sheriff and a highway patrol

officer entered the building. that's when the deputy was shot. he was killed on scene. the chp patrol officer pulled him out. called for backup. that's when several other officers including the s.w.a.t. team went inside and found the gunman. we know that 12 people were killed including that sheriff's deputy. the gunman also. motive is the big question. investigators don't know why he chose this location and what was his motive. >> miguel, thank you. >> we continue to follow this breaking story out of thousand oaks, california, this morning. this has been an nbc news special report. most of you will return to more of today. 7:12 on the west coast on "today" show. and we are covering this just unfathomable act of violence in california this morning.

>> 307th mass shooting in this country so far. pete williams joins us with more about what we're learning about this 28-year-old shooter. pete, what can you tell us? >> well, beyond what they already said in the news conference, the big question is motive. and they won't know it for a while, if they know it at all. remember in the las vegas shooting last year, they never could figure out the motive of the gunman there who engaged in that mass shooting. but they are hopeful. 21, that this is a glock 21. it's a handgun. it is a.45-caliber weapon. now, that is more powerful than the typical 9 millimeter handgun. this is where the magazine or the clip goes into the gun. it has one in it now. as you can see, this holds about ten rounds but the authorities

are now saying that it had a high capacity magazine. it would protrude beyond the bottom of the weapon and hold more rounds. now, those are illegal in california. we know from the authorities that long purchased this weapon legally. we believe that was purchased three years ago, near where he lives. but high capacity magazines are illegal in california. so, one thing that they'll be looking at is how he got that. unfortunately, it's very easy to get them, despite the ban in california. so, now, the big question is motive. and as you just heard from miguel and from the sheriff, they're a long way from knowing the answer to that. >> our justice correspondent pete williams in washington. thank you. >> we were hearing stories of survivors telling harrowing stories. one began telling where he was. >> so, i was located. there's a side exit. so there's a side stage where i

can technically go on stage if i wanted to, but where i was looking at the time, i was looking directly at the front entrance. and i saw the suspect come in, pull out his gun and start shooting. immediately. but i was just blown away what i saw with my own two eyes. >> how would you describe the suspect, not just how he looked, but what was his demeanor? can you describe that? >> so, he didn't even say anything. so, he walked in. he didn't say one word. he just pulled out a gun and started shooting so -- >> and describe what he looked like. what you thought his demeanor was like. >> he had like a quick disguise. like a black outfit. black shirt, jacket. yeah, just -- looked like he was over 30.

i would say. but from a quick glance of what i saw within the time of what happened, not much of a visual on him. i also saw the handgun. >> what did you do, holden? you see the gunman. you hear the shots. were you able to run? did you hide? what happened? >> so, right when i saw everything happen, i mean, right when i saw the, like, flash from the gun, i was immediately just there in shock. wide open, my mouth. and i dropped down to the floor just to get covered. make sure i was safe. then i started crawling on the floor just to get access through the side door where i was at. once i was able to get up, started running. and then i started hearing more gunshots. and i didn't know if they were directly behind me but it all sounded so close. i just started running as fast as i could. i finally got access to my car.

i actually started hyperventilating. i was freaking out. my hands started curling in. i was breathing heavy. i just didn't know what to do. then once i started driving. there's like a gas station that's kind of close where i'm at. then i saw people on the street. i was like, get in my car. i said no one should be walking on the road right now. a girl that got into my car had like a broken arm and i ended up driving her to the hospital. dropped her off there. and i immediately went home to my family and i got into a safe environment. >> holden, were you there with friends? and have you heard from them? >> yes. i was with friends, you know, every time -- i mean, i'm a local. i've been coming here for like six months now, i can say. i met a lot of people coming in. one thing i do like about coming here is i always run into people i haven't seen since like high

school. and just, you know, even elementary school for crying out loud. it's always cool just playing catch-up with all of my friends here. but, yeah, unfortunately -- the first two gunshots that i saw, i knew the girl that was running like the cash register. we weren't like good friends, but just someone that i just met from going to borderline. and well just always had small talk. hey, good to see you, how's everything? just catching up basically. she was the first one to get shot. >> oh. >> yeah, i'm happy to be on my two feet. >> we're happy to see you and know that you're okay. and our thoughts are with you. >> i appreciate it. >> thank you for being here. take care of yourself. we appreciate you spending a few minutes with us. >> thank you, hoden. >> that was holden harrah, that

we smoke poke to a couple hours. >> reportedly, 18. >> yeah, it was 18 and up night. so, just a tragedy. we now know, of course, the identity, ian david long of the shooter. but we do have another breaking news story to tell you about. supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg has been admitted to a washington, d.c. hospital after falling in her chambers yesterday. tests reveal she fractured three ribs on her left side. the 85-year-old went home thinking her injuries weren't serious, but she decided to seek treatment. ginsburg is the court's most liberal justices. >> let's turn to mr. roker for a check of the weather. >> hey, our folks in california, you're headed down the highway when the guy in front slams on his brakes out of nowhere. you do, too, but not in time. hey, no big deal. you've got a good record and liberty mutual won't hold a grudge

by raising your rates over one mistake. you hear that, karen? liberty mutual doesn't hold grudges. how mature of them! for drivers with accident forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise their rates because of their first accident. liberty mutual insurance. liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ good thursday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we still have the high fire danger and gusty winds. fo for our inland hills, high temperatures will reach 80 degrees. our winds will gradually calm down tomorrow with highs in the upper valleys. and inland valleys will continue with higher than normal temperatures. san francisco, lower 70s. for veterans' day expect a high of 68 degrees and mostly sunny skies and more sunshine next week. and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you.

coming up, much more on the mass shooting at that crowded western bar overnight. we're going to have the latest on the suspected gunman and the hero who was killed responding. and then another major story this morning. the president has fired attorney general jeff sessions. how much will that impact the russia investigation? could robert mueller, the special counsel now be fired? special counsel now be fired? first, this is "today" it was time to update the bathroom but we wanted to work with a company we could trust. rebath gave us the bathroom we always wanted.

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so, this year let's all get up, get out and shop small on november 24th. i got croissant. small business saturday. a small way to make a big difference. we )re following breaking news n southe good morning to you. it's 7:26. i'm marcus washington. we are following that breaking news in southern california. another mass shooting. this one inside of a bar in thousand oaks. here's what we know. 13 people are dead, including the gunman and a sheriff's deputy following the shooting inside the crowded bar in thousand oaks. we've learned the suspect's name is ian david long. he's 28 years old and a marine corps veteran. that gunman used a glock 2 is handgun. we spoke with nbc news finding out 22 other victims have been taken to nearby hospitals. this all began around 11:20 last night. police say several hundred people were inside the

borderline bar & grill at the time of the shooting. the bar was hosting a college country night when all of that occurred. right back here in the bay area, we want to take a look at your forecast before you head out the door. >> the main concern this morning will be the high fire danger and the red flag warning that continues through tomorrow morning at this time. we are going to have a some gusty winds and some very low humidity. so, we do have to be really careful throughout the day and be sure to not light any fires that could spread very rapidly. as we go through the rest of the forecast, still some well above normal highs for our inland valleys. let's get an undate on the commute from mike. >> we know to expect the nimitz slow in the southbound direction. the south bay shows a slow drive. northbound 101 and 85. now 87 at kertner, we just saw this crash pop up. capital expressway is where you start to hit the brakes pretty tough. now getting toward the bay bridge, a smooth drive. i circled the walnut creek

interchange south 680, a crash trying to get to the shoulder before it causes more slowing out of concord. more local news for you coming up in 30 minutes.

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good morning, everybody. it's 7:30, thursday morning, the 8th of november, 2018. sadly these are the scenes in thousand oaks, california this morning. the scene of another deadly mass shooting. it's happened again in our country. at least 12 people killed at a country and western dance bar at a college night. and a lot of young people among the victims this morning. >> yeah. as well as the sheriff's sergeant who raced in. he heard the gunshots. went in. he was a good friend of the sheriff of ventura county. >> a sergeant who was preparing to retire as well.

he leaves behind a wife and son. >> nbc's joe fryer has more on the officer killed. his name is sheriff sergeant ron helus. >> reporter: we still don't know the identities of the 12 victims. but we know know the name of sergeant ron helus. moments after receiving the call of shots being fired, sergeant helus actually arrived on the scene along with a california highway patrol officer. within two minutes of arriving, they heard shots inside. sergeant helus decided to go in. he exchanged gunfire according to the sheriff. and he was hit multiple times. the highway patrol officer was able to rescue sergeant helus. pulled him out of the area. and taken to the hospital. >> the sergeant passed away at the hospital. about an hour ago.

sergeant helus was on the force for 29 years. was looking to retire in the next year or so. he was a moorpark resident and is survived by his wife and his son. you know, it's so tragic. i don't -- losing ron. you know, we go to the gym together, worked out together is horrific and terrible and it saddens our heart. ron was a heart ard-working dedd sheriff's sergeant. he was totally committed. he gave his all. and tonight, as i told his wife, he died a hero because he went -- he went in to save lives. to save other people. >> reporter: we just heard from the sheriff that sergeant helus had actually been on the phone with his wife when he got the call to go to the shooting. and he said, i'm sorry, i have to go to his wife.

we know that sergeant helus was an experienced firearms instructor. he also had experience on the s.w.a.t. team. we should note that thousand oaks is an incredibly safe community. statistically speaking, it is the third safest community in the entire country. but the sheriff pointed out it doesn't matter where you are, incidents like this can happen just about anywhere. >> sad. joe fryer, thank you. >> a check of the weather. more cold air to talk about, to see what's treinteresting what's going to happen. chicago, this is ahead of schedule, the first snow arrives about a week earlier than average. and we've got some cold air, coldest of the season coming in, friday, 5 in bismarck, minneapolis, 21, 30 in chicago. albuquerque, 34 degrees. saturday record lows possible from cheyenne, green bay,

memphis, erie, 33. atlanta, 39. look at sunday morning, new york city, close to freezing. detroit, 22. little rock, 35 degrees, even out in north nebraska 22 degrees. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. the bay area under a high fire danger with a red flag warning in effect for all of our bay area hills above 1,000 feet, these areas shaded in red. humidity will be low, wind will be high so any flames could spread rapidly. our high temperatures today could be 82 in concord to upper 60s in san francisco. in santa rosa expecting a high of 78 degrees. napa today, 80 degrees. san jose will reach up to 79. and that's your latest weather. and now another major story to follow this morning. the president has fired attorney general jeff sessions. his departure will have major implications on special counsel robert mueller's russia investigation, and already there's a new battle brewing on

capitol hill. nbc's chief white house correspondent hallie jackson with the story this morning. hallie, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, savannah, good morning. today is day one on the job for the new acting attorney general, but already his tenure is marked by controversy. matthew whitaker is the person who now oversees the russia investigation. but he's already facing calls from some here on capitol hill to recuse himself after comments he's made before about it. comms he's made before about it. this morning it's not just democrats delivering warning shots to the white house. >> any attorney general whether this one or another one should not be able to interfere with the mueller investigation in any way. >> reporter: even some republicans are making it clear the new acting attorney general should not mess with robert mueller. senator lamar alexander tweeting no new attorney general can be confirm who had will stop that investigation. and utah's senator elect mitt romney saying it's imperative

the special counsel proceeds to the conclusion unimpeded. the person now overseeing that investigation, matthew whittaker, the acting attorney general after jeff sessions submitted his resignation at the president's request. whittaker, session's chief of staff and former attorney finding his remarks under scrutiny. he suggested last year mueller and his team have too much power. >> i could see a scenario where jeff sessions is replaced and the attorney general just reduces the budget so low that his investigation grinds to almost a halt. >> reporter: he also called reports that mueller's team was looking into financial records related to the trump organization deeply concerning. >> i understand sort of following the money. but at the same time we cannot go on these fishing expeditions which are essentially casting a broad net looking for any crimes unrelated to the whole purpose of this investigation. >> reporter: those view seem to put him on the same page as the

president whose relationship with sessions soured soon after the attorney general recused himself from the russia investigation because he campaigned for donald trump in 2016. >> he took the job and then he said i'm going to recuse myself. i said what kind of a man is this? i'm disappointed in the attorney general for various reasons. >> reporter: sessions was the loyalist who rarely pushes back publicly against the president. sessions may wind up back in washington. a source close to him telling nbc news he's considering a run for his old senate seat in alabama. as for the seat he's leaving vacant, speculation swirling about who could permanently replace him? >> would you like to be attorney general? if asked, would you serve? >> no, no, no. >> reporter: no word on when a permanent replacement will be

named. you have democratic and liberal groups who have preorganized protests to try to protect the special counsel investigation. they're activating an emergency plan asking people to demonstrate later this morning. >> hallie jackson, thank you. news of the firing comes just after president trump held a post election news conference of q and a with reporters that at times was as bizarre as it was heated. peter alexander was there. peter, good morning. >> craig, good morning. this week's midterms marked the single biggest political setback for this president for the first time. there's a check on his power from the opposing party. and president trump at times yesterday appeared angry bracing for a bliz zard of investigations and possible subpoenas. >> president trump unleashed in the confrontational 8 7-minute news conference casting the mid terms as a republican win. >> i thought it was a very close

to complete victory. >> and touting gop gains in the senate crediting his red state campaign rallies with helping republicans expand their majority. >> this vigorous campaigning stopped the blue wave that they talked about. and the history really will see what a good job we did in the final couple of weeks. >> the president also settling scores mocking eight house republicans who lost tuesday as insufficiently loyal to him. >> mia love gave me no love, and she lost. too bad. sorry about that, mia. >> even taking credit for the retirement of his senate republican faux, jeff flake. >> pure and simple, i retired him. i'm very proud of it. >> reporter: the president delivers mixed messages for democrats complimenting nancy pelosi. and suggesting he's ready to work with the opposition. >> we have a lot of things in common on infrastructure. we want to do something on health care.

they want to do something on health care. >> reporter: at the same time the president threatened to retaliate against house democrats if they moved to investigate suggesting he could use the senate as a political weapon. >> if they do that, then it's just all it is is a war-like posture. i could seeing it being extremely good politically. i think i'm better at that time. >> reporter: the president often combative cutting off reporters. >> sit down. i didn't call you. >> reporter: and lashing out as a correspondent. >> mr. president, are you worried about indictments coming down in this investigation? >> you a rude, terrible person. you shouldn't be working for cnn. >> in gjim's defense, he's a diligent reporter. >> reporter: i'm not a big fan of yours either. when you report fake news which cnn does a lot, you're the enemy of the people. >> you said democrats would unleash a wave of crime that endangers families everywhere. >> reporter: because they're

weak on time. >> are you trying to be him? >> no. the question is why are you pitting americans against each other? >> reporter: through it all the president seemingly enjoying the show. >> should we keep this going for a little while? >> reporter: and late wednesday the white house suspended cnn correspondent jim acosta's white house pass effectively denying him access to the grounds. press secretary sara sandsers accused him of placing his hands on a young white house intern calling it in her words unacceptable. acosta on twitter called that a lie. i was there. video of the moment shows acosta didn't do anything physically threatening to the intern who was trying to take the microphone from him. the white house correspondent's association called on the white house to reverse course. in a statement they said they strongly object to the administration for using credentials as a tool to banish

a reporter with which they have a difficult relationship. the president fired his attorney general. >> peter, we appreciate your work. thank you. just ahead, honoring our military. jenna is going to introduce us to a veteran who has dedicated her life to helping others and gives her a well deserved surprise. then our special trip with then our special trip with our kids to sesame street. this food truck is our baby. and like any baby, it's loud, stressful and draining. and we love it. i refuse to let migraine keep me from saying... "i am here." aimovig, a preventive treatment for migraine in adults, reduces the number of monthly migraine days. for some, that number can be cut in half or more. the most common side effects are pain, redness or swelling at the injection site and constipation. talk to your doctor about aimovig. and be there more. ...heals extremely dry skin in just 5 days.

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this morning's breaking news. we woke up to horrible news of a deadly shooting at a country western bar near l.a. college kids came out. it was college night. a lot of young kids showed up just to have some fun. >> they did. we were talking about it earlier. this place is in so many towns across america. this is a place you grew up near? >> right over the hill. i grew up not far from thousand oaks. i think it's the fourth safest city in the united states. if there's any question about where these terrible acts can happen, it can happen close to you, anywhere. and like you said, there's a great couple of junior colleges around there. we shoot "the voice" down the road in burbank. a familiar area. great people. tragic to wake up to this news yet again. and to the ventura sheriff who lost his wife, a tragedy. >> and known to be very popular

with college witnesses. >> one of the witnesses this morning told us it was 18 and up night. so it sounds like it was one of those country dance -- you go in and do line dancing and that kind of thing. they had some presumably pretty young people in there. >> i saw one account of a 55-year-old gentleman who was in the bar. he said he ran out as did so many of the kids. he said i was probably the oldest one in that bar. i wish i could have stayed because there was a pause when he was possibly changing clips. he said i would have could have stayed. >> he apologized which made it that much sadder. >> terrible. >> we'll have the latest ahead, including new information on who the shooter was. plus we'll talk to some of the survivors. first, these messages. what if numbers tell only half the story? at t. rowe price, hundreds of our experts go beyond the numbers to examine investment opportunities firsthand. like a biotech firm that engineers a patient's own cells to fight cancer.

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good thursday morning. right now at 7:56, we have clear skies across the bay area and also another cool morning. our winds are starting to pick up and our red flag warning continues for our elevations above 1,000 feet around the bay area. our winds continue to stay gusty along with some low humidity, so the high fire danger continues. it's also going to be another really warm day for this time of year, reaching 82 degrees in concord and 79 in san jose. 80 in palo alto. san francisco in the upper 60s and low 70s. we go throughout the rest of the forecast without a drop of rain. the winds will gradually subside as we go through the day tomorrow. san francisco, some upper 60s and low 70s over the next seven days. let's get an update on the commute now from mike. >> overall we have that slow

drive really kicking in as we approach 8:00. that tends to be the case at this time of the year. atypical is this amount of slowing for north 87 approaching capitol expressway. the arrow shows you the slow direction. that's your commute. a crash on the southbound side must be the distractions factor kicking in there. you notice the rest of the northbound routes throughout silicon valley. the nimitz is tough down into fremont, dakota. san mateo, all directions for 92 congested over the last 20 minutes. happening now, we're following that breaking news out of southern california. a mass shooting inside a bar. at least 13 people are dead, including the gunman and a sheriff's deputy. this happened in thousand oaks last night. we've learned the suspect's name is ian david long. he's 28 years old and a marine corps veteran. 22 other people were injured. only one victim is being identified. it is the deputy who rushed in to action. his name is ron helus.

the procession will be held today in honor of him at 10:00 this morning. we'll bring you the latest coming up. the fire threat conti the bay area after a dangerous combination of high winds and dry conditions. we )ll be tracking any problems overnight. and kari has your exclusive forecast for all the big events this weekend. tomorrow morning from 4:30 to 7.

. it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, c it's 8:00 on "today." it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, college night tragedy. >> we dropped and we heard the gunshots. a lot of gunshots. >> at least 12 people killed including a sheriff's sergeant after a gunman opens fire in a crowded bar in california. this morning officials saying the gunman is dead as investigators remain on the scene to figure out exactly what happened. we're there live with the latest. plus sessions out a day after the midterm elections. attorney general jeff sessions announces he is stepping down at the president's request. so what does all of this mean

for the russia investigation? >> any attorney general whether this one or another one should not be able to interfere with the mueller investigation in any way. ♪ sunny days and word on the street. we show our little ones how to get, how to get to sesame street, as our kids meet big bird himself. and this morning he'll be here live along with some of the other sesame street stars to share news. thursday, november 8th, 2018. ♪ hey >> i'm halfway to a smucker's jar. >> hi, mom and dad. >> north carolina ladies love the "today show." ♪ in the middle isn't in the middle ♪ >> hi to my sixth grade class in virginia. >> it's their 70th birthday. >> here from michigan. for my 30th birthday!

>> here with my grandparents on the "today" show. >> welcome back to "today" on this thursday morning. we want to thank the nice folks for coming here to spend their morning with us, and we do so on a sad morning. we woke up and you guys know, woke up to sad news. we want to get right to your news at 8:00. americans are waking up to the horrors of yet another mass shooting. a gunman opened fire during college night at a country western bar in southern california. 12 people died including a heroic sheriff's sergeant. nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer is at the scene with the latest. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. the bar that turns into a nightclub is up the street behind me. the sheriff calls it a horrific scene. it was a wednesday night packed with more than 100 college students when the first gunshots rang out. the suspect has now been identified.

investigators say he used a handgun in the shooting. what we don't have is a motive. >> reporter: this morning, police are releasing details about the suspected gunman who walked into a bar opening fire, killing at least 12 victims including a sheriff's sergeant's. authorities identify him as 28-year-old ian david long. shots were fired and calls came in. long, a u.s. marine corps veteran who had minor run-ins with the police in the past used a .45-caliber glock. >> the hand gun is designed to hold ten rounds, one in the chamber. this weapon did have an extended magazine on it. it appears he walked up to the scene.

he shot the security guard outside. he stepped inside, it appears he turned to the right and shot several of the other security and employees there. and then began opening fire inside the nightclub. >> we knew immediately after the first shot something was happening. >> reporter: eyewitnesses describing the scene, saying the shooter entered the bar and began firing multiple rounds then, they said, setting off smoke bombs. causing the bar patrons to grab chairs and start jumping out of windows to escape. >> i was actually about to leave when we just started hearing pop, pop, pop. it downed like fireworks or something. i saw somebody on the floor as i was running to the front door to get out. i saw a security guard down. and he had been shot. i mean, he looked dead. >> reporter: as the bullets rang out, many clubgoers began diving for cover.

>> our main concern was to take cover making sure all of our friends could get out safe. >> reporter: sarah rose said she was in the bar celebrating the 21st birthday of a friend when the gunfire erupted. >> we heard gunshots. a lot of gunshots. and my friends were there. by the grace of god i got to the front door. i don't know how. >> reporter: now a popular college night for college students turning into a tragedy. >> thousand oaks is one of the safest communities in the country, it is. but it's just a reminder that these things can happen anywhere at anytime. >> reporter: with the fbi on scene, federal investigators are now combing over that crime scene. that sheriff's deputy who was shot and killed was a 29-year veteran, he was set to retire in the coming days. that is a tragic story here. back to you in new york. >> our heart goes 0 out to all

the parents making sure the children are all right tonight. miguel, thank you. new details are coming in about the gunman and the type of firearm he used. nbc justice correspondent pete williams has more on that. >> authorities say ian long was known to them but he did not have a violent past. sheriff deputies were called to his house in april on a call of disturbance, saying at the time he was irate and irrational. mental health experts were called in but they decided he was not a danger to himself or others so he was not detained. one thing people were looking at is whether he was suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder but they reached no conclusion on that. investigators say long bought that gun he used three years ago. in fact, it's partly through the gun that they were able to figure out who he was, since he apparently did not have any identification like a driver's license with him.

investigators say the weapon he used was a glock model 21 handgun. that's a .45-caliber weapon that packed more fire power. and they also say he had a high-capacity magazine which you heard the sheriff say which allows more rounds to be fired without reload. investigators are try to figure out how he got his hands on that one. he lived in newbury park, a neighborhood about ten minutes away from the nightclub that long attacked but they don't have any idea why he chose that target. they're now looking through his cell phone and his home to see what led up to that. and they're also talking to his friends and family and neighbors to see if they can shed any light on this. at this point, they have no indication that anyone else was involved. savannah. >> all right.

pete, presumably, they can chase the gun there and get information there. we're joined by teylor witler who was at the bar last night. thank you for joining us. how are you doing this morning? >> i'm as good as i can be. >> can you tell us where you were in the bar. just tell us what you heard and saw? >> i was on the dance floor. and then out of the blue, out of nowhere, during the middle of the song, i heard gunshots come from behind me. i turned around and i saw a guy standing at the door. gun in his hands, shooting. i saw three people drop, and by then, i was halfway off the dance floor. jumped into a dog pile of people on the other side. >> what you can tell us about what the expect looked like? did he say anything? could you tell anything about

the way he was acting, his demeanor? >> he didn't say anything, he wore all black. he had a black baseball cap on. because of his posture and his stance and the way he was holding the gun, it looked like he knew exactly what he was doing, and he knew how to use it. that's all i could really tell you. >> did all of your friends get out okay? >> no. i found some of them. i went in a group of 11. we still don't know where two of them are. we haven't heard from them. their parents haven't heard from them. they haven't gone home. we don't know. >> teyler, this is too much to bear. how are you feeling? how are you processing this? i can't imagine how terrified you must have been. >> to be 100% honest, it seems like it didn't really happen. it seems surreal.

just thinking, like, this could never happen to me, and then it happens, and then after i'm just so shocked. it doesn't feel real. >> we're so sorry about what happened to you, honey. we're glad you're okay. >> thank you. >> thank you. we go to washington now. jeff sessions' departure as attorney general is raising questions this morning about the fate of the special counsel's russia probe. president trump asked for sessions' resignation wednesday and replaced sessions with his own chief of staff, matthew whittaker. before joining the justice department he suggested robert mueller and his team have too much power. in 2017, whitaker said that sessions could be replaced with someone who would reduce mueller's budget. congressional democrats have already called on whitaker to recuse himself from overseeing

the investigation. we've got news covered. we thought we'd have a morning boost. we can always count on pets to give us a break from worries of the world. take a look at this dog who has a lot to learn about being sneaky. slow motion steps toward his buddy like nobody is going to notice even after they lock eyes, the little guy keeps coming, ready to pounce. i got you. he doesn't fool anybody. no hard feelings. they play around like this forever. i like that. >> we needed that. thank you. >> like a staring contest. so sweet. just ahead, a deserving woman gets a well-deserved surprise that will bring happy tears to your eyes. plus our friends from sesame street are here. if you think we're excited, wait until you see our kids. they were so pumped to be there, but first, these messages. ♪ ♪ i'm all for my neighborhood. . . . .

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the new lincoln mkc.mix. connecting the world inside, with the world outside. so you can move through both a little easier. introducing the well-connected 2019 lincoln mkc. we're back. three of the nation's biggest airlines are under an faa emergency order this morning to ensure their pilots know how to recover from a sudden nose dive. >> all of them fly the 737 max. that's the same plane that crashed last week in indonesia killing all 189 people on board. tom costello covers aviation for us. we understand the pilots may have been fighting the plane's

computers to keep that thing in the air. is that right? >> reporter: that's right. the plane's computers were trying to adjust the trim and pushing the nose down. the pilots were trying to pull the nose up. and now these three u.s. airlines in the u.s. are under this emergency faa order. they're come plying. they're trying to see if there was a software or hardware problem with the plane and could the pilots have done anything to save the lives of everybody on board? one week after the plane slammed into the sea at 600 miles per hour, an urgent worldwide effort to prevent another disaster. first issued by boeing. then an emergency faa order. this morning, united, american and southwest say they're complying with the emergency order and reminding pilots how to recover from a similar investigation. investigators believe one of the sensors on the side of the plane fed bad data to the on board computers suggesting the nose

was pointed up. the computers pushed the nose down. investigators believe the pilots likely tried fighting the plane but were unable to gain control. now some veteran pilots question why the lion air pilots could not save their plane. >> what i do, immediately turn over these switches and cut the motor out. and as you can see, it stopped the trim. >> reporter: this is a retired pilot who showed us the simple switch that should have turned off the malfunctioning system. however, he says, waiting too long can make it impossible to recover from a steep, fast dive. >> literally in a matter of seconds i'm in a nose dive. airplane is basically out of control. going through 340 knots. toward the water directly. into the ocean. >> reporter: indonesian authorities say the bad sensor had been repl after it malfunctioned on previous flights.

>> we are providing technical support to the indonesian vest fating authorities. >> reporter: investigators are looki looking at what caused the sensor to malfunction, and whether the pilots were trained to recover from that malfunction. this was a recoverable situation if the pilots had followed prescribed procedures. that's the basis for this bulletin, to reiterate these procedures. if the crew follows them, its aircraft is recoverable and can be flown normally. the faa's emergency order applies to all planes in the u.s., all max's. there are 45 in the u.s., 245 worldwide. many airlines around the world follow the faa's cue. so this will be a worldwide order. back to you. >> tom costello, thank you. let's get a check of our weather. hello. i see you looking out west this morning. >> we are. we have a potentially dangerous situation. it's been, you can have almost too much good weather and that's

what's been going on out this california. they have got very dry conditions. it's been sunny. there have been very little rain. we have red flag warnings because we have winds picking up. through friday morning wind gusts 30 to 50 miles per hour. tonight, i should say friday night, strong santa and a winds may bring wind gusts up to 70 miles an hour in the mountains, and look at this. through friday morning we've got extreme fire danger for our friends from santa clarita almost all the way down to san diego. record dry fuel. you have to be really careful out there and not allow for any flames to develop that could spread rapidly. red flag warnings continue through 7:00 tomorrow monarrnin. it is still very warm today reaching low 80s for our in land valley. the winds will gradually calm down tomorrow so that'll improve our conditions.

still really dry as we go through the rest of this seven-day forecast. honoring our military is created by "today" with our sponsor progressive and their keys to progress program. giving back to those who gave so much. >> now to our series honoring our military today. >> that's right. jenna with a fitting story with veterans day on sunday. good morning. >> good morning. the nonprofit organization soldiers wish makes dreams come true. when they brought sergeant tracy to our attention, we knew we had to do something to honor her. >> reporter: tracy hillman is a quiet hero, whether it's taking her friend emma grocery shopping because she doesn't have a car or giving money to someone in need. >> she has a heart of cogold.

she don't think about herself. >> i am very proud of the fact that she puts other people's interests and concerns ahead of herself. >> reporter: she is also an american hero. sergeant tracy hillman served a combined 16 years in the u.s. air force and the u.s. army reserve. what was the best part of your tary? >> just the camaraderie, you know. everybody getting to know different people and everything. >> reporter: deployed six times, including to war zones in iraq and afghanistan, she was awarded a bronze star for exceptional service in a combat zone. you loved your work, but you came home for two very important reasons. isaiah and jose. >> they are my cousins. they needed a place, so i took them in. >> reporter: and has life been like with them? >> definitely it has its moments. very challenging, but they're great. they are awesome kids.

they have been through a lot, and they definitely are persevering and becoming pretty awesome young men. >> reporter: with the help of you. >> oh, well, thank you. >> reporter: when you hear that she came home for you all -- >> she took us in and gave us a home so we didn't have to move from place to place which was very great. >> i get to meet my friends and actually have a really close friendship with them instead of having to worry about if i get too close to them then i'll just have to move again. >> reporter: tracy says giving them a forever home has made her life complete, but kids are expensive. her savings today? zero.

financially you've sacrificed to make sure they have what they need. >> raising kids costs money. everything they need costs money informal everything we all need costs money. >> reporter: for the difference she's making on the home front, we wanted to say thank you. and after spending time with her, it's clear what she needs. >> her car. it's dying. >> the brakes going squeak. >> one of the windows don't work. >> yeah, because i took it out to stop the beeping. >> no ac. we fixed it twice. >> reporter: tracy thought we were doing an interview about her service. little did she know we had other plans, enlisting her town to help out. we're about to surprise tracy with a car. [ marching band playing ] >> tracy? boys? >> reporter: we have a little something for you. >> oh, thank you.

we have progressive's key to progress. thank you so much for your service. this is your new car. >> thank you. very nice. thank you. that's awesome. >> reporter: did we surprise you? >> oh, yes. i'm very surprised. >> reporter: why are you crying? congratulations. thank you. >> i want to thank progressive's key to progress. this is a great program. it honors veterans like tracy. she sent us a thank you note. she said thank you. this reinforces what i try to teach my kids. if you're a good person, good things will happen. >> she's the best thing that happened to those darling boys. >> they're thriving because of

her. >> thank you for that. >> great stuff, jenna. coming up, one of hollywood's biggest stars is live in studio 1a. mark wahlberg. i )m laura garcia. way way the we )re following breaking news n southern california...a mass shooting inside a bar. we )re following breaking news n southern california... a mass shooting inside a bar. here )s what we know: -13 people are dead...including the gunman and a sheriff )s deputy. the shooting happened inside "borderline bar and grill" in thousand oaks last night. -we )ve learned the suspect )s name is ian david long... -he is 28-years-old and a marine corps veteran. -we also learned the gunman used a "glock-21 handgun" which was purchased legally . 22 other victims have been taken to nearby hospitals.... --the bar was hosting a college country night when the shooting occurred.

back to our local traffic report this morning. i want to check in with mike because of a reported accident on the golden gate bridge. details are a little sketchy right now. sky chopper just arrived. these are folks leaving san francisco. we see a slower drive coming into the city. i did see traffic in our live camera coming into the area. it is reported further along the span. there was a crash reported here, northbound lanes do appear to be moving. we'll take you out on the map and continue to monitor that because you see the lower drive back out in the city. >> another update in half an hour.

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good morning, everybody. it's thursday morning. >> great to see you. >> we're on the plaza. it's the best fans in the good old united states of america. >> by the way, two weeks away is thanksgiving. >> no. >> thanksgiving is two weeks away. >> i got to get to whole foods and start ordering. all right. we have an awesome, beautiful

crowd. hold on. let me see. where am i going? where am i going? where is nadia? hi, nadia. >> hi. >> where are you from, sweetie? >> florida. >> and you are here celebrating. >> my birthday. >> how old are you? >> i'm ten. >> you're double digits. that's got to feel good. she's skipping school, but i think it's okay. her mother happens to be the principal of the school. >> hello. >> are you skipping too? >> i am. it's for a good reason. it's educational. >> what are you going to do in new york? >> we're going to see the statue of liberty. we have shows booked. we're going to eat. >> don't forget al roker on broadway. nadia, thank you for celebrating your 10th with us. thanks, guys. how sweet. >> coming up, hollywood heavy

weight mark wahlberg is in the house. he's starring in "instant family". we're going to talk to him about that, about fatherhood and ask him some of the burning questions you have for him. he looks very excited about that. >> and he got that work out in already, didn't you, mark? up early. also can somebody tell me how to get to sesame street? you guys know how to get there. we'll show you what it was like on your fun adventure on sesame street. >> it was a blast. >> by the way, big bird and abbie are here in the studio. >> can we get a check on the weather. >> absolutely. let's see where it's clear in your neighborhood. friday starting off the weekend is a mess along the eastern third of the country. light snow along the great lakes. high fire danger in california. mountain snows in the western plains. lake effect snow in the great

lakes. and that widespread cold sunday, sunday makes its way east. lake effect snow around the central great lakes and look for a mild southern california good morning, i am kari hall, we have some nice but dry weather across the bay area and heading up to 80 degrees today for our in land valley and still windy. watch out for elevation above 1,000 feet and the wind gradually is calming down tomorrow. upper 70s throughout the weekend with san francisco near 70 degrees. it will be chilly during those early morning hours as low as 43 degrees on saturday morning. i'm almost afraid to ask who is honey nuts? >> my honey.

yeah, in kentucky. >> hoda? >> thank you, al. >> we're out of breath. >> we are. the new movie "instant family" tells the story of a couple who stumble into the world of foster care and ultimately adoption. pete and ellie want to start a family, but when they decide to take in a 15-year-old girl, they discover she also comes with two younger siblings. mark wahlberg plays pete. take a look. >> nice one. can we with the clippers? >> i'm more of a lakers fan. >> i'm sorry? >> we don't have to be sorry. i'm going to show you to crash the boards. okay? >> you did it on purpose. you hit me because i like the clippers. >> i like the clippers. they were smart for trading blake griffin, their best

player. >> mark, thank you. >> thanks for having me. >> before we get to the movie, and we will, we have to comment on what carson was talking about. before you get started on your day, you're in the gym at the crack of dawn. by crack of dawn, what time is that? >> i usually get up about 2:30. . >> in the morning. >> usually actors are late night people and we feel guilty they had to get up early. >> i've done that. i got that out of my system. i'm already four meals into the day. >> and a whole workout. >> i've been working out for this particular movie, so i got on a really clean regimen. i get up early and pray, reading, writing, working out before the kids get up. >> and you rubbed off on octavia spencer. >> i have invited so many people -- so many people have invited themselves to come out with me at that time of day. nobody showed up but octavia.

she is more inspiring than i could ever be. she's changing her life, and it's remarkable to see. >> she's incredible. this movie does something so unusual, because it's a heavy topic on the one hand. you're a couple along with rose burn. you're adopting three older kids who had been in foster care. it's a serious subject, but it's done with such humor and such love. is that what attracted you to it? that you kind of hit that sweet spot? >> i committed to making the movie because i love the story. the director sean anders, it's based on his real life. he had done daddy is home with me one and two. there are a lot of children in foster care. when families are being torn apart, people in a position to open their homes, it's a remarkable thing. being a parent in general, there's a lot of funny and difficult things. >> you got to rely and draw on your personal experiences. how old are your kids? >> 15, 10 and 8.

i would get a phone call from my wife. she'd want me to referee a fight they were having. nobody would listen to me. i'd listen to the fight. all those things ended up in the script. >> as i understand it, the young actress who plays your daughter, she actually was someone who had been through foster care. she was able to give a lot of kind of real life advice. >> yeah. it's amazing. i went to a foster care event where they kind of set up events, especially older kids in the system, and they try to pair them with parents. i met three children, all siblings. one of them, the older boy, he inspired me. he was like you know what? i'm getting an education. i'm going to turn my life around. i'm going to take care of my brothers. i left there thinking wow. having that experience and then having talked to sean, i had to be a part of this. >> a cool cast. rose bern plays your wife. have you acted together?

>> no. she's fantastic. she's so funny. she's so sweet. she's a mom of two. she loves to give me a hard time. i don't know if that's just -- >> about what? >> anything and everything. about me being involved in other businesses. having other interests. >> what about the morning workout? >> everything. i don't know if she likes me or not, but i love her. i've worked with her husband a couple times. she's fantastic. >> for fun we started googling you. and we wanted to see what are the most common questions that people ask about you. we thought we would do a public service by asking them. >> sure. >> do you want to know the first one? we typed does mark wahlberg and what popped was have a tattoo? >> i have had all of my tattoos removed and then i got one. i have it on my ring finger. when i'm working, i have my wife's name there, and she thought that was the best gift i had ever given her. i got it on valentine's day.

>> and the removal? >> it's ten times worse having them removed. >> when you type in "how is mark wahlberg" it fills in related to celine dion? >> are you related? >> i've never even met her. i hope so. >> that's so weird. french canadian, my mother is. >> maybe that's why. >> it says if you type in "is mark wahlberg" the question that pops up a lakers fan. >> i'm not. i'm a celtics fan. i'm a lebron fan. i live in l.a. the celtics were playing the lakers and i was sitting next to matt damon and phil jackson turned around and told matt damon to shut the f up. i was like he's talking to you, man. it's fun to go to a laker game. >> i heard you're shooting a movie in boston. >> i am.

>> do the old kids come and see you? >> yes. it's amazing to be able to bring jobs back to boston and being there in the community, you know, and if i can inspire kids growing up, especially in the bad parts like i did to work hard and do whatever they want and whatever they dream, they can make happen -- >> i'm going to kill most of our crew here c b, but congrats on world series? >> thank you. >> thank you. >> the movie is called "instant family". it's really fun. in theaters november 16th. we're so excited. our friends from sesame street are right next to us. first, this is "today" on nbc.

everybody sing now. dylan has joined us because we got to experience something incredibly special with our kids. >> we're experiencing it right now with abbie and elmo and big

bird. sesame street has been educating children for nearly half a century. we could not pass up an opportunity to show our kids exactly how to get to sesame street. >> look right in there, bert. >> ever since we were kids we loved and learned from sesame street. now so do our children. how could we pass up the chance to bring our little lovies to meet their beloved magical monsters? >> can you tell me how to get to sesame street? >> calvin, where's sesame street? is it behind that door? >> elmo. >> really? >> inside that door is sesame street. >> it's a magic door. >> hi, guys. >> hi. >> hi. hi there. what are your names? >> vail. >> hi, vail. i'm big bird. what's your name? are you haley?

>> yeah. >> are you calvin? are you charlie? hi, mommys. >> who is that? >> hi, big bird. >> hi, dylan. hi, hoda. hi, savannah. how are you? >> it's so nice to see you. >> at 8'2", big bird's imposing size took a little time for our tiny tots to adjust to. >> do you want to touch big bird? >> sure. >> wow. he's nice and soft. >> i'm a big bird. >> do you want to give big bird a hug? i heard he's really good at hug hugging. >> hi, vail. >> hi. >> i'll take a hug. >> fun, right? i think there are some other friends here for you guys to meet. are you ready to meet some other friends? >> yeah. >> that will be great. i don't know where they are. maybe they're that way. >> that way? >> i think so. >> thank you, big bird.

>> so nice to see you. >> good-bye. >> bye, big bird. >> bye bye. >> bye. >> who lives here? huh? >> off to see a fan favorite. the furry red guy. >> i think elmo lives over this guyw way. >> added bonus? grover was there too. >> hello. >> elmo is so happy to see all of you. >> grover too. >> want to do the happy dance? >> ready? >> three, four. ♪ happy happy dance dance when we learn something new we do the happy dance dance ♪ ? >> happy dances and some kisses too. >> yes.

i come over there. >> oh, that's oh cute. elmo loves you too. thank you so much for coming. >> bye, elmo. >> you can come back any time. >> say bye bye. >> we love you. >> down the street by the garden vail, charlie, haley and calvin geek out over abbie and cookie monster. >> hey, everybody. welcome to sesame street. me so happy you guys are here. right, abbie? >> yeah. we have all these friends in the garden. cookie monster, we're going to pretend to eat cookies. how do you eat a cookie? >> hold your hand and eat it like this, nom, nom, nom, nom. >> h is for hug. you want a hug? >> there's a lot going on around here. >> and with that it turned into a sesame hug-a-pa-l oo ooohug-a.

>> we love sesame street. >> calvin was a clinger at the end. >> best day ever. sorry. best day ever. >> hi, abbie, elmo, and big bird. >> hello, there. >> i still feel those hugs. they feel so good. >> we do too. we loved being on sesame street. big bird, you've been there so long. it's a magical place. >> well, i am six, so i guess that's how long i've been there. >> that's right. you've learned a lot since you've been there. huh? >> sure. yeah. >> elmo, sometimes haley and i know calvin and everybody watch you through the screen and sometimes they want to hug you through the screen. do you see them? >> yes. >> you do? >> yes. good morning. oh, over here. good morning. elmo loves you. >> oh. >> and abbie, i know calvin was giving you some really big hugs. there was a point i wasn't sure

he was going to let go, but is it true you're going on some amazing adventures soon? >> oh, yeah. >> it's true. i have a little brother. his name is rudy, and we like to play pretend stuff in my room. we've been everywhere. we can pretend we go to outer space and volcanos. we have the best time. >> wow. zb >> you guys are really good at hugging. how did you get so good at it? >> it's sort of like a monster thing. we're cuddly and soft and lovable. >> you guys are also good at dancing. can we see a little of the happy dance? >> sure. want to do it together? ♪ happy happy dance dance ♪ happy happy dance dance ♪ when we learn something new we do the happy dance dance ♪ >> big bird, elmo, and abbie, we love having you. >> ge we've got a couple of kid.

>> you want to say hello to big bird? >> oh, hi. hello, there. >> elmo, abbie, big bird, this is ike. >> hi, ike. >> would you like to shake big bird's hand? here. >> say hi. >> ike, you want to say hi to elmo? >> hi, ike. hi, buddy. are you having a good day? >> this party's just getting started. yeah. >> elmo and ike are both three years old. >> really? wow. you're tall. you're as tall as big bird. >> guys, thank you for bringing so much joy year after year. >> good job. >> all right. coming up, pop start including one oscar winner's royal honor. we'll get to that. first this is "today" on nbc. (toni vo) 'twas the night before christmas, and all thro' the house. not a creature was stirring, but everywhere else... there are chefs, bakers and food order takers. doctors and surgeons and all the life savers. the world is alive as you can see,

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sleep number. proven, quality sleep. hey. it is carson's time. let's do pop start.

>> hey. let's do it. first up emma thompson. he was received an award by none other than the duke of came bridge, prince william. the honor meant so much to her. she told reporters i love winpre william. i said i can't kiss you, can i? he said no, don't. saying this day should be about her, not him. congrats to em a thompson. up next, kate hudson gave birth to a daughter about five weeks ago. didn't stop from stepping out for a good news. she made her first public appearance since giving birth. she joined a designer to talk about her new role as the ambassador world food program. we'll have more on that on access later today. finally melissa mccarthy sat down to talk about her new movie "can you ever forgive me". she shared a funny story about

bringing her parents to the premier of the film and who they lost their cool around. >> they're very sweet. they don't get too crazy about anybody. judge judi was at our premier, and my parents went [ bleep ]. i'm not kidding. there's a -- my dad was like oh, my god. oh, my god. judge judi, judge judi. he kept saying judge judi, judge judi, and my mom was like -- look at the grip of death. it looks like -- >> celebrities on the red carpet. judge judi, they were freaking out about. it was a funny moment. that is your pap start today. >> it was a good one. >> a lot of fun. >> we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.cali fornia phones offers free specialized phones... like cordless phones, - (phone ringing) - big button, and volume-enhanced phones. get details on this state program. call or visit

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the winner travel deals you'll want to pounce on. >> and sara jessica talks about her family, will there be a "sex in the city" three? >> lots more to come. al is like broadway. don't we all do broadway? >> oh, me. >> we're back after ai )m laura we continue to follow breaking news in southern good morning to you, it is 8:54. i am laura garcia. we continue to follow the breaking news where a mass shooting happened over night. 13 people are dead including the gunman and a sheriff departmeut. it happens at thousand oaks bar last night, 40 miles west of los

angeles. 22 other victims were taken into the hospital. investigators are outside that suspect's home. they're working to gather evidence. long is 28-year-old, he has a history with run-ins with police at recently as april this year. investigator tell us he used a handgun with extended magazines. the deputy who rushed into the shooting, he's a 29 year veteran, he was planning to retire as early as next year. a procession will be held at 10:00. we'll bring you that coverage live. the fire threat continues

the bay area after a dangerous combination of high winds and dry conditions. we )ll be tracking any problems overnight. and kari has your exclusive forecast for all the big events this weekend. tomorrow morning from 4:30 to 7.

live from studio 6 a, this "today." >> and good morning to you. welcome. craig melvin joinsed by all. also political analyst. unfortunately we awaken this morning to the type of news that we have become all too familiar with in this country another mass shooting, this time in southern california. overnight a man walked into a country music baron college night, and opened fire, at least 12 people lost their lives, including a veteran police officer, his name is sergeant ron