are blocked by that crash. >> we'll be back with a local news update in half an hour at 7:25 and every half hour after that. >> we're always on at n"nbc bay area news" at 11:00. thank you for starting with your day with us here on "today in the bay." good mor breaking overnight, the fire and the fury. people running for their very lives as ferocious wildfires consume california. >> it's like a war zone. >> at least 31 people killed, hundreds more missing. an entire town burned to the ground. and this morning, the new challenge facing firefighters and harrowing stories from survivors who barely escaped. florida, florida, florida. a statewide recount begins in florida's razor thin governor and senator races. lawsuits and accusations, live. >> senator nelson is clearly

trying to commit fraud to try to win this election. >> where does this go next? grounded. an air traffic controller in las vegas out of a job after she slurred her words and seemed to lose consciousness during her shift. >> is there somebody up there who knows what they're doing? >> this morning, the disturbing question. why was she in that tower alone? what the faa is about to do now. all that plus the nation's finest. ♪ amazing grace an emotional memorial for the utah mayor and national guard major killed in action overseas. her story. michelle obama more candid than she's ever been on her past, her family, and her relationship. >> we work on our marriage. and we get help with our marriage when we need it. and saying i'm sorry. >> apology accepted.

>> the war hero and just elected congressman mocked by "snl" gets the last laugh. >> tell a veteran, never forget. >> he's with us this morning live as we honor veterans day, monday, november 12th, 2018. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. >> hello, everybody, welcome to "today." so much of the weekend has been consumed about what's happening in california, so much loss. >> all eyes on the west coast. >> absolutely. these are devastating wildfires. >> three major ones are raging this morning. the campfire, to the north of sacramento, wiped out a city called paradise. it's expected to be the deadliest and most destructive in the state history. >> then in southern california, two more just west of los angeles.

there's the smaller hill fire in ventura county. and the woolsey fire has burned homes in malibu and,0 thousand oaks and forced more than a quarter million people to evacuate. miguel almaguer is there, miguel, good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. in communities like this, the damage has already been done. this is the scene block after black, now after one of the most destructive wildfires in california history and one of the deadliest in nearly the last 100 years are bracing for those whipping winds. overnight a fierce firefight under way at both ends of the state. these epic conditions intensified by powerful winds, igniting them. >> the weather has made it very challenging. it's dry, it's hot. >> reporter: the death toll climbing across california. nearly three dozen killed. more than 200 people still

unaccounted for. some 7,000 structures, mostly homes, gone. >> i was just coming up the street to see my neighbors and i didn't realize my house is gone too. >> reporter: in northern california, the town of paradise is now hell on earth. the so-called campfire becoming the most destructive and deadliest the state has scene in nearly a hundred years. it's been a race to stay alive for those driving a gauntlet of fire. >> heavenly father, please help us. >> reporter: discovering bodies in cars and homes. nearly the entire town is burned off the map. moving at breakneck speed, the unstoppable wall of flames in the north is only matched by the massive inferno burning in the south. the deadly woolsey fire hopscotching across ventura and los angeles counties.

torching subdivisions near simi valley and million-car in mansions in a malibu. gerard butler posting the video of his home on instagram. some neighbors will never forget the haunting sound. >> it's just a roar in your ears that you'll never forget. >> reporter: exploding across hillsides and homes, the firestorm has jumped freeways and burned to the ocean's edge. this morning a staggering 72,000 homes remain threatened across california. a firefight still heating up as homes and lives are lost on both ends of the state. this morning, modern 8,000 firefighters are working around the clock across california. and now the president is under fire. here is a tweet he sent out over the weekend. it reads, "there is no reason for these massive, deadly and

costly forest fires in california except that forest management is so poor." one firefighters association firing back, "mr. president, with all due respect, you are wrong." crews overnight in this area say this has nothing to do with forest management. they say this fire can't be stop. savannah? >> and they're right in the middle of it, thank you very much, miguel. harrowing news stories are emerging from people who escaped with their lives but lost everything. nbc's steve patterson is in northern california in what is left of paradise. steve, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, this rural community virtually wiped off the map. the fire chief estimates less than 10% of homes are still standing. behind me you can see what's left of this elementary school classroom. residents this morning are telling us they're happy to be alive. but some of them barely made it out. paradise. a quiet, safe, and beautiful place to live is now gone,

destroyed by relentless flames from the raging camp fire. distraught residents surveying the devastation. >> paradise is gone! >> reporter: their neighborhood unrecognizable. >> it's like a war zone. >> reporter: after evacuating patients from the hospital where she works, nurse nicole jolley narrowly escaped death herself. >> the cars were bubbling, the mainta paint was melting off. i called my husband and said, nick, i'm going to die, i can't get out of my car, it's on fire. he says, don't die, run. get out of your car and run. two firemen came out of this truck, picked me up, and put me into the truck, and put a fire blanket over me and said, you're okay, you're okay, we'll take care of you. >> reporter: joe allen also documented his terrifying escape from paradise, trying to stay

calm for his 3-year-old daughter olivia. >> we're going to get out, okay? we're going to leave. >> we're going to get fire. >> no, we're going to get out of here. >> even if the town is burning down it's -- you know, for her it needed to be like any other drive, just with a really interesting show going on outside the window. >> reporter: the fire captain grew up here and has been checking on homes in the community. >> i'm not going to lie to you, it's been tough. that's what we're here for. we've got to keep pushing forward as a community. >> reporter: you've got a hundred. >> yeah. >> reporter: and how many homes were standing out of that hundred? >> not even ten. >> reporter: after supporting those on the front lines, california highway patrol officer john sheer checked on his own house. >> everything around here is gone. it was a beautiful place. >> reporter: this is all that's left of the place jim clarkson has called home for more than 30 years. >> we've got a great town, great people who live here.

everybody's going to step up and help each other. paradise will be a beautiful town again. >> reporter: and if you want to see the full scope of this fire, it is visible from space. take a look at this photo from nasa showing the camp fire. we spoke to residents, they say they're not giving up hope. they're determined to rebuilding. but it's a long road to go, hoda, savannah. >> steve, thank you so muc the weather forecast has fire officials concerned that the flames could keep spreading. al, what are they facing today? >> guys, it is really dire. as you can see right now, the camp fire, over 11,000 acres. the woolsey fire, only 15% contained. from the california/oregon border down to the california/mexican border, 22 million people at risk for red flag. we've got extreme fire risk from santa barbara down to san diego. and the wind forecast is brutal. we're talking about santa ana winds that in the mountains will gust up to 70 miles per hour, anywhere from 30 to

55-mile-an-hour wind gusts from los angeles on into escondido through tonight, into tomorrow. the ingredients for disaster have been unbelievable. july was the hottest month ever recorded in california. that hot weather dries out the vegetati vegetation. they've had no rain to speak of really in the last three months. this is all due to climate change. wildfire season, since 1970, 105 days longer on average. the annual number of large fires in california more than triple, six times as many acres burning per year on average. and guys, the last eight greatest destructive fires in california's history have occurred since 2017. and they're not done yet. >> wow. >> all right, al, thanks for the education, thanks so much. we have a lot more to get to including the statewide vote recount in florida's pivotal senate and governor races, leading to protests and lawsuits, bringing up memories

of the 2000 presidential debacle. nbc's kerry sanders has the latest. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. the statewide recount here of more than 8 million votes is getting ready to resume here this morning. it's proving controversial because on election night not all the votes were counted. the republican candidates for the governor of florida and u.s. senate have already claimed victory. but the democrats are saying not so fast. this morning, the fight for florida is far from over. computers now recounting more than 8 million ballots. in the race for u.s. senate, republican governor rick scott and democrat bill nelson. scott won by .2%. in florida, a race that close, by law, must be recounted. scott on fox news sunday. >> senator nelson is clearly

trying to commit fraud to try to win this election. >> reporter: the scott campaign also taking the fight to the courts with three new election lawsuits. nelson firing back, saying, we will not allow him to undermine the democratic process. the race for florida governor also forced into a recount. democratic andrew gillum lost to republican ron desantis by more than 33,000 when the votes were first counted. gillum even conceded. >> we recognize that, you know, we didn't win it tonight. >> reporter: gillum now waiting to see if the vote totals change. >> what we are here to do today is to say, count every vote. >> reporter: despite florida law requiring the recount, desantis maintains it's an over. >> those results are clear and unambiguous. >> reporter: president trump tweeting, "trying to steal two big elections in florida. we are watching closely." with legal challenges bouncing from courtroom to courtroom, it's looking a lot like the presidential recount in 2000 between george w. bush and al gore.

but this time, no hanging chads. the scott campaign claiming fraud in heavily democratic broward. state election officials say they found no proof of that. and in mostly republican bay county, an untold number of survivors of hurricane michael e-mailed their ballots, voting by internet is against state law. the county supervisor of elections telling nbc news, anyone who challenges the use of e-mail ought to be ashamed to take votes away from people who went through this disaster. the nation's third most populous state now staring down a thursday deadline to recount all the votes, with the rest of the nation watching. after all of the votes are recounted, if the races are separated by a quarter of 1%, then by state law the ballots that went through the computers here and showed no vote at all, they have to be hand-recounted, guys, this could go on for weeks.

>> stop me if we've heard this story before. thank you, kerry. craig is here with another big story we're following. >> good morning, ladies. former first lady michelle obama is speaking out ahead of the release of her memoir. she's talking about politics and also some very personal issues that have impacted her and her family. nbc's chief white house correspondent hallie jackson has more. hallie, good morning. >> reporter: hey, craig, good morning to you. the former first lady is talking about not just her time living at the white house but well before it too, opening up about a struggle that millions of women across the country have shared. michelle obama's new book shows one of the world's most high profile women like you've never seen her before. from the political to the very personal. michelle obama sharing intimate new details about her family and fertility, revealing for the first time her miscarriage before giving birth to daughters sasha and malia through in vitro fertilization.

>> i if he woufelt like i faile i didn't know how common miscarriages were because we don't talk about it. we sit in our own pain, thinking that somehow we're broken. i think it's the worst thing we do to each other as women, not share the truth about our bodies and how they work and how they don't work. >> reporter: and while her marriage to barack obama seemed picture perfect on the outside -- ♪ at last -- that wasn't always the case, as obama shares in her new book, explaining why she opened up about the counseling sessions that helped them through the low points. >> i know too many young couples that struggle and think somehow there's something wrong with them. i want them to know that michelle and barack obama who have a phenomenal marriage and who love each other, we work on our marriage and we get help with our marriage and we need it. >> reporter: the former first lady also referencing the current woman and how when they met after the 2016 election,

obama told melania trump she's just a phone call away. >> has she reached out to you? >> no. no, she hasn't. >> reporter: as for melania trump's husband, obama minces no words, blasting president trump for pushing the birther conspiracy theory, questioning barack obama's citizenship, before he ran for office. >> donald trump, with his loud and reckless innuendos, was putting my family's safety at risk. for this i would never forgive him. >> reporter: president trump responding. >> she got paid a lot of money to write a book and they always insist that you come up with controversial. >> hallie, a revealing conversation there to say the least. what's next now for michelle obama? >> reporter: craig, as is typical, a lot of authors go on tours for their new books. michelle obama is not showing up at bookstores, she's going to stadiums, basically, around the country, starting tomorrow night, fittingly in chicago. she's getting help from

celebrities like oprah, reese witherspoon, sarah jessica parker, who will be having conversations about this book with her. after that, there's a lot of buzz about maybe michelle obama reemerging on the political stage on her own right. but she's reiterating what she told us last month, running for political office, she says, is not in the cards for her. >> and she was adamant about that. >> we can't help ourselves from asking. not happening. jenna bush sits down with michelle obama for a conversation about something they both understand very well, life in the white house. we'll have that interview for you wednesday, only here on "today." in the meantime, a memorial service was held sunday for the utah mayor and national guard major who was killed while serving in afghanistan. nbc's kristen dahlgren is here with the story, kristen, good morning. >> good morning, guys. major brent taylor honored in

the city he loved, an emotional scene, a memorial commemorating a fallen patriot on a day when the nation paid tribute to veterans far and wide. ♪ amazing grace >> reporter: a moving tribute fit for a hero. major brent taylor's life of service and sacrifice remembered at an emotional hometown memorial. mourners of all ages in north ogden, utah, gathering together in freezing temperatures, warmed by a sense of togetherness. >> the mayor was a friend and a leader and a war hero. >> reporter: residents of this night-knit city where the decorated national guardman served as mayor before getting the call to return to afghanistan, paying their respects on veterans day. taylor's wife jenny, mother of the couple's seven children, addressing the crowd. >> brent taylor had three great loyalties. service to god, service to family, and service to country. >> reporter: speaking from the heart, with poise and optimism.

>> i have no doubt that where he is now, the only thing he would say is it's been an honor to serve. >> reporter: taylor was a pillar of strength in his community, revered for his unshakeable faith and commitment to a greater good. >> the turnout here this evening is emblematic of who he was as a man. it's very fitting. >> reporter: a loving father and husband and exemplified the best of who we are, leaving behind a tradition for his children and many others to hold close. >> i hope they'll see it as a legacy that their father has left. his legacy is a small part of a greater american legacy of. >> to see how the community has embraced the taylor family definitely adds perspective on veterans day, guys. >> his wife's strength is something to behold. >> thank you, kristen.

mr. roker has a look at the rest of the forecast. >> that's right, guys, we've got severe weather, tornado watches, winter storm watches behind this front. it will be a real mess today on into tomorrow, coming up. first, we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. c and dim the lights. ♪ ♪ good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. this is a look at the smoky sun rise from dublin this morning. it's chilly and going to be unhealthy to spend long periods

of time outside. our spare the air alert continues. high temperatures headed into the mid to upper 60s for much of the bay area. 73 in morgan hill. over the next several days our temperature will stay at about normal or slightly above normal, highs in the low 70s by midweek. weather, guys. coming up, an air traffic controller grounded after slurring her words and confusing pilots. the question this morning, why was she working in that tower alone? plus "snl's" pete davidson apologizes to dan crenshaw, the wounded warrior and politician, and gets a taste of his own medicine. we'll talk the congressman-elect as we honor veterans day. you work hard for every dollar.

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take an extra 15% off! plus - take an extra $10 off when you spend $25 or more! plus - take $10 off your $50 home purchase! plus - get kohl's cash! give joy, get joy - at kohl's. breaking news: massive wildfires are raging across good morning, it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia. we continue to follow breaking news, the mass save wildfires raging across california. statewide, 150,000 people under evacuation orders, in butte county, firefighters are battling the camp fire, dealing with dangerous weather conditions. 29 people died in that fire. it's burned an area the size of the city of san jose. in the meantime, two massive wildfires still burning in los angeles and ventura counties. the woolsey fire charred nearly 85,000 acres. it is 15% contained. at least two people are confirmed to have died in that fire. the smoky weather conditions

continue here. we check in with kari. >> it is cold in many of the inland valleys in the 30s and below freezing in parts of the north bay. after this chilly start, we're still going to have the smoky skies and the unhealthy air quality. highs for the inland valleys reaching the upper 60s, and still slightly warmer, as we go toward the middle of the week. san francisco to 66 today, and some morning temperatures will be in the 40s. let's head over to mike for an update on the commute. >> ghoood news, the traffic ale cleared. i'll show you where it was until about 20 seconds ago, southbound 101 at marsh just cleared the last of the lanes. that's great news for folks traveling through the area, get rid of that red sign and show you a smoother flow expected over the next few minutes, in toward pa llo alto. crash eastbound 24 approaching the walnut creek interchange. commute direction to the bay bridge is light because of

vacation for schools and businesses. back to you. >> be careful, another update in half an hour.

7:30, now, on this monday morning, november 12th. lookie what we have here, the rockefeller center christmas tree arrived this weekend. that is a 72-foot norway spruce. it arrived over the weekend. pretty soon, it will be decked out. all of the l.e.d. lights. and we'll be out there, too. >> we'll have the christmas tree lighting so the season can officially start, our tree is here. let's get a check of today's headlines on this monday. we start with the devastating wildfires in california. at least 31 people have been killed so far. hundreds more are still

unaccounted for. in northern california, search teams have been looking for survivors in the town of paradise and in surrounding communities. the so-called camp fire has b p burned more than 6,000 homes. and in southern california, the wood woolsey fire has destroyed more than 200 homes. that fire is 12% contained. the president is back in paris with world leaders to mark 100 years since the end of world war i. president macron used the occasion to rebuke the trump america-first approach and warned of nationalism, a term that the president has used to describe his own politics. macron said, nationalism, is a betrayal of patriotism. we erase what a nation holds dearest, its moral values. a statewide recount is under way in florida this morning,

where two pivotal races are too close to call. in the senator race, rick scott was leading bill nelson by 0.2% in the vote count. the race for governor was also forced into a rebound. det desantis was ahead of gillum. now, an investigation into what happened to an air traffic control tower officer on duty. it happened on the overnight shift in las vegas, which is the nation's eighth-busiest airport. and this morning, that controller is now out. tom costello with the rest of the story. what happened here? >> reporter: so, apparently, one of the controllers in that tower had left to take a break, leaving a single controller on duty. the faa says that was unacceptable. and that sole controller began slurring her words and at one point seemed to lose

consciousness, while pilots were in the air, some of them attempting to land. now, that controller is no longer employed by the faa as it investigates what happened. >> is somebody up there that knows what they're doing? >> reporter: just before 11:00 p.m. went, concern and confusion in the skies over vegas. >> we're number one. we're a little concerned about this. we're waiting it out. >> 1069, you're concerned about what? >> i'm sorry. say that again for spirit 1069. >> spirit 1069. >> an hour into her shift, she became more and more difficult to understand. >> say that again? >> frontier 762, cleared for takeoff. >> it's frontier 262, cleared for takeoff. >> sorry, 262, runway cleared for takeoff.

>> reporter: it went on for nearly 40 minutes, with several pilots voicing concern. >> you have a supervisor? >> reporter: then, indications the controller need help. >> sorry. i'm choking a little bit. >> reporter: soon, the pilots took action. >> go ahead and send in medical and police up there to see what's going on. >> reporter: finally, the second controller returned to the tower. >> everybody just stand by. i'm taking over now. i'll be right back with you. >> reporter: the faa tells nbc news, it is deeply concerned by the incident and investigating what occurred. and trying to determine why the other controller was on break during the ordeal. no safety events occurred during the incident, it changed the minimum staffing requirements in the tower on overnight shifts. >> it makes no sense to not have two controllers 24/7. we could have had an incident on the runway, a runway incursion,

or two planes colliding, two planes coming too close. it's the worst nightmare. >> reporter: this morning, the air traffic controllers union tells nbc news, it will fully cooperate with the investigation. the faa wants to know why did one controller leave the tower when it clearly requires two controllers to be on duty. again, the controller who became incapacitated is no longer an employee. guys, back to you. >> we heard a little bit of that interaction. do you know how many planes she was in contact with during this shift. >> reporter: in total, 29 we're told. some pilots, again, in the air. some of them circled, decided they weren't going to land. some on the ground decided they weren't going to take off. they opted to stay where they were. one pilot in the air opted to go around, he was so concerned about the situation in the tower and ground safety. just before midnight, the second controller came back into the tower. >> wow. >> thank goodness for those

pilots. tom, thank you very much. continue to follow it for us. mr. roker, you have a check of the weather for us? >> we have a lot going on besides that disaster going on out west. we have tornado watches. we have winter storm warnings, winter storm watches, flash flood watches through the southeast and the gulf coast. a real mess. heavy snow in oklahoma, kansas city, and amarillo has this front moves to the south. low pressure makes its way out of the gulf and into the southeast. a secondary low develops along the coast, bringing heavy rain into the mid-atlantic, northeast. heavy snow developing into parts of northern new england. rainfall amounts from 3 to 5 inches of rain, from the gulf into the mid-atlantic states. and snow, 1 to 2 inches in the plains. look up as we get into upstate new york and northern new england, 4 to 8 inches of good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall, and healthy air quality across the

bay area still thick smoke moving by from the nearby camp fire in butte county, northern california. we'll see temperatures staying on the cold side with highs in the upper 60s. we'll be up to 66 in san francisco and 71 in san jose. morgan hill reaching 73 degrees, and 67 degrees today in antioch. be careful and limit your time outside. >> coming up, a lot of the country is going to feel like the temperatures are the first week of christmas. >> oh. >> really? >> thank you, al. coming up, we're planning some really special ways to celebrate the men and women in our military, as we honor veterans day. then, the judge at larry nassar's trial being honored as "glamour's" woman of the year. and the big award for "the voice," that had carson, blake and gwen, cheering a moment. first, the navy s.e.a.l. and

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dan crenshaw. first, his surprise cameo. >> on behalf of myself and the show, i apologize. >> reporter: a mea culpa from pete davidson. >> he deserves all respect in the world. >> reporter: some argued that respect is the last thing that davidson showed to dan crenshaw, a former navy s.e.a.l., on last week's show. >> you may be surprised to hear he's a congressional candidate from texas. not a hit man in a porno movie. i know he lost his eye in war or whatever. >> reporter: crenshaw lost his eye to an i.e.d. in afghanistan on his third combat tour. the joke, immediately sparking criticism from politicians, viewers and colleagues along. davidson's castmate is a vetera vietnam. i wouldn't personally go there.

>> reporter: while he condemned the joke, thompson did say, davidson had good intentions. >> he has a big heart. he doesn't go out to offend people. >> reporter: after davidson's apology on saturday, crenshaw made a surprise appearance. >> we're good? >> we're good. apology accepted. ♪ just keep breathing and breathing and breathing ♪ >> sounds like my phone's ringing. >> reporter: crenshaw using his ring tone to take a swipe at davidson, playing a pop song of ariana grande, who split from davidson after a short engagement. >> this is pete davidson. he looks like the meth from "breaking bad" is a person. >> reporter: and then, crenshaw tabling the jokes for a more serious message. >> tell a veteran never forget. when you say never forget to a veteran, you are implying that

as an american, you're in it with them, not separated by some imaginary barrier between civilians and veterans but connected together as grateful, fellow americans, who will never forget the sacrifices made by veterans past and present. and never forget those we lost on 9/11. >> reporter: like davidson's father, scott, a new york city firefighter. >> i'll just say, pete, never forget. >> never forget. and that is from both of us. >> congressman-elect dan crenshaw joins us from houston. sir, good morning. we are honored to have you with us on this veterans day. >> thanks for having me. >> reporter: you had quite a week. you won your first term for congress. then, you got a call from lorne michaels to come on "snl." i won't ask you which was better. how did this come about? did you immediately say yes or were you hesitant at first? >> we were hesitant at first. we weren't sure what the skit was going to look like. we had a lot of veterans' events planned this weekend. in the end, we decided to do it.

we decided to do it because what better a platform than to give a united message for the country and talk about forgiveness and talk about veterans. they let me do the last part where we got a little serious and was able to give a message what it means to be a veteran and to bridge that gap between civilians and military. >> we want to get into that message, but we were all struck about how awesome your comedic timing was there. you were hitting joke after joke. did you have input or how did that work? >> there was. it was a collaboration. they come up with the framework. i had a bunch of ideas. it's not that often i get to pitch a bunch of comedy ideas to one of the biggest shows in the world. the good idea fairy was all over the place. it was fun, though. we had a lot of fun. >> congressman-elect, you said instead of saying thank you for your service on veterans day, we

should be saying something else. what is that and why? >> right. so, veterans always appreciate it when someone says thank you for your service. and i wanted to suggest a different option, which is never forget. and i suggested that because, it's less transactional. when you thank somebody, it's like you're on the other side of them. when you're saying never forget, it's almost like a secret code between americans that we can never forget the sacrifice of our veterans, past and present, but never forget why veterans are out now. we never forget those we lost on 9/11. it's a team effort more than a separation of civilian and military. >> sir, what you wrote after all this happened, you said in a tweet, i try hard not to offend and i try harder not to be offended. that was an incredible act of generosity for you to come here and make it okay and show what

forgiveness looks like on saturday night. >> well, it felt good. it felt like the right thing to do. i would appreciate it if everybody would stop looking for reasons to be offended. that's what this was all about. >> all right. >> great message. >> they need more humor in washington, sir. good luck. >> we'll bring it. >> congressman-elect, dan crenshaw. thank you so much. >> never forget. coming up, chip and joanna gaines' biggest remodel ever. what they're planning for their return to tv. first, these messages. [man 2] proof of less joint pain... [woman 3] ...and clearer skin. [man 3] proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis... [woman 4] ...with humira. [woman 5] humira targets and blocks a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further irreversible joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. humira is the number one prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis.

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good monday morning. right now at 7:56, it is so smoky outside, as we take that live look in dublin. our air quality will be unhealthy for all of the bay area throughout the day. it's a spare the air alert day, and if you have breathing problems, children and the elderly should limit their time outside. our high temperatures will reach into the upper 60s, and even some low 70s for the south bay.

going into the forecast, it's still going to be breezy, and some unhealthy air quality at least for the next three days as temperatures go up slightly toward the end of the week, we'll see the morning temperatures still staying chilly in the low 40s. for san francisco, mid-60s all week long and breezy. we should start to see a shift in the wind that could bring in improved air quality from friday into saturday, and then more clouds moving in on sunday with highs in the lower 60s. we'll be watching the air quality. let's get an update on the traffic from mike. >> a good quality drive right now, most of the bay showing green sensors. big problem here, eastbound 92 at highway 35. sky line we have a disabled truck causing one lane blocked. both directions are slow from the distraction. hopefully that will clear over the next 15 minutes. toward the bay bridge, an easy drive, no problems cocoa county or the maze. smooth, easy light flow of traffic but that air quality is a problem, like kari was talking about, so that will be an issue

affecting visibility. the drivers you're able to see the roadway just fine. back to you. >> thank you very much. 7:57, our team staying on top of breaking news. three major wildfires raging across california in butte county. firefighters battling the camp fire. 29 people died in that. we have updated numbers, the fire now has burned 113,000 acres. it is 25% contained. two massive wildfires burning in l.a. and ventura counties. the woolsey fire charred near 91 trveg ,000 ac ,000 acres. at least two people confirmed dead in that fire. we )ll bring s

the weather conditions change overnight... and new numbers come in. plus: a bay area city is set to cut ties with ice. the impact it may have on local businesses. tomorrow morning from 4:30 to 7. good morning, it )s 7:26...

it's 8:00 on it is 8:00 on "today." coming up, wall of flames. >> there is fire all around me. >> over night, the death toll rising from the historic wildfires in california. >> i was coming up the street to see my neighbors and i didn't realize my house was gone, too. >> 31 people kills, hundreds missing. firefighters gearing up for another dangerous day. >> plus justice served. >> i'm giving you 175 years, which is 2100 months. i just signed your death warrant.

the judge that helped put larry na nasser behind bars for life. >> i think the judge is my hero. >> and he is coming to town. >> santa clause? >> live and in person, one night only. >> kurt russell stopping by studio 1a and we'll talk to him about his jolliest role yet as the one and only santa claus. >> thank you, veterans today and every day! >> i'm turning 22 today. >> from seattle, washington. >> it's my 8th birthday trip from pike road, alabama. ♪ >> 60 in the city skblsmt.

>> 20 year army vet from seneca falls, new york. welcome back, so nice to have you with us, everyone in a good mood welcome bright and shiny out there and nice to have you along on this veteran's day. >> the west point marching band is out there and it will be part of our tribute to the veterans today, looking forward to that. we start out in california today, one of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in state history and it could get even worse today. high winds are driving the flames and spreading dangerous embers with people running for their lives. nbc national kor sp naal corres miguel almigure. >> today, wildfires are raging across northern and southern california and the numbers staggering, the death toll stands now at 31. let's talk about the destruction. some 7,000 structures mostly

homes have been destroyed and that number will rise in the next coming day. 177 of them are here in southern california where the damage is epic. malibu homes and simi county homes were destroyed. here 100 miles outside of sacramento, the most deadly wildfire in sacramento history. now all across the state more than 8,000 firefighters on the front lines certainly going to have their hands full. they're going to be bracing for the strong santa na winds. nearly one week after the midterm elections, a controversial statewide recount is under way in florida. both the governor's mansion and

a key senate race are at stake, kerry sanders is joining us live with more. >> they're recounting the votes, more than 8.2 million votes that need to be recounted and this is all a result of a state law that triggered the recount. if the difference between the first and second place was less than one-half of one percent the state law requires a recount and that was the case in the races for the u.s. senate as well as for florida's governor. so this recount now has a deadline. they must have it done by thursday, by 3 p.m., but with the more populous counties, specifically broward and palm beach counties, the supervisors of elections say that will be very tough to meet. >> kerrkerry, thank you. now to breaking news this morning, for the second time in less than a month an aircraft

from the carrier uss ronald reagan has crashed. they say it went down all of the philippines coast. both crew members were rescued in good condition. a dozen sailors were rescued earlier after a crash perform. last night the warriors and lakers played and the players wore shirts that said enough and had the names of the victims of the thousand oaks shooter. the guitarist for aerosmith was hospitalized.

paramedics treated him backstage before taking him to the hospital. perry is 68 years old. all right, we have the news covered, would you like a boost? sometimes a simple act of kindness decided to give a stranger some money, she was paying for gas with pennies, she just lost her husband and she was just struggling to get by. >> are you okay? >> yeah. we have love for you, this is for you, take that. take care. we have to take care of each other. >> just a simple reminder that a little act of kindness can make such a difference from someone. watch someone pay for gas with pen pennies from her purse. >> a random act of kindness, those are my favorite boosts by the way. >> still to come, an interview with the judge that oversaw the

larry nassar trial, she is speaking out and we'll talk about the special honor she is receiving. >> we're honoring veteran's day with the help of the west point marching band, a military moment coming up that you don't want to miss. first these messages. mhhm. that's wonderful news. go with the one that's here to help life go right. state farm.

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this morning on "today's talker," judge rosemarie aquilina. >> she sat on the trial of judge larry nassar. she and the sister army of survivors who told their story, has been named "glamour" magazine women of the year. >> first, her story. >> you have not admitted to what you did. you think that somehow you are right, you are a doctor, that you're entitled, that you don't have to listen. and that you did treatment. i wouldn't send my dogs to you, sir. >> reporter: judge rosemarie aquilina gained international attention, for sentencing larry nassar, the former olympic and usa gymnastics doctor, accused of molesting hundreds of young athletes. >> you do not deserve to walk outside of a prison ever again. >> reporter: the sharp-tongued michigan judge throwing the book at nassar, who is now behind

bars for life. >> i'm giving you 175 years, which is 2,100 months. i've just signed your death warrant. >> reporter: the cowboy boot-wearing daughter of immigrants, outside of the courtroom, judge aquilina has kept her docket full. she has two children and five grandchildren. and she became the first j.a.g. officer in michigan's army national guard, earning the nickname barracuda aquilina. >> your assault was precise, calculated, manipulated, devi s devious, despicable. i don't have to add words because your survivors have said all of that. >> reporter: while critics said that judge aquilina's tough talk during sentencing, pushed beyond her mandate, many, including survivors of nassar's abuse,

have prized her for taking a leading role in the era of #metoo. >> how do you sleep at night? >> reporter: judge aquilina asked women to share their stories during the hearing. >> you are strong, not just as an athlete, but as a woman, as a surviv survivor. i know you will get past this because of that strength, because you had the strength to come here and talk. >> reporter: a move inspiring many others outside the courtroom to come forward including four-time olympic gold medalist, simone biles. >> i think the judge is my hero just because she gave it to him straight and didn't let him get any power over any of the girls. >> reporter: judge aquilina, a champion in her own right. for some who now call her a hero. >> judge aquilina is with us now, exclusively. welcome. >> good morning, judge. >> you had a chance to sit with this. i mean, we watched this. we remember the trial. we remember those victims. you had a chance to sit with this for a while.

how have -- have your thoughts evolved on what happened in that courtroom that day? >> no one is more surprised than me. and i'm just so pleased that, really, the world took notice. this is a worldwide epidemic. so, when the media -- and there was so much responsible journalism and i have to credit the media for being there for seven days, along with all of the survivors, the families, everybody. it really opened up the world to say #metoo, let's start the discussion, which should have happened years ago. this never would have happened. >> what do you think it meant to these survivors to come in and he's sitting in that same room. and to say what they had to say. what does that do for them? >> it catapults their healing. i know because as 14 years as a judge, i let everyone speak. i hear how well they're doing now. when they came, they came very

hesitant, what was going to happen. i am going to face that, as a judge, and nassar in the eyes. as i spoke, i literally watched them grow to ten feet. and they got their power back. and it was so transformational. even for me, people said, how could you have gone and listen to that for seven days? do you need some help? i said, no because they energized me. as they got their power back from him and said, i am not a number. i am a name. here's what you did to me. they took their power back. they know they mattered. then, when we spoke, they were just transformed into butterflies, puffbeautiful. >> you gave it to dr. larry nassar. you called him despicable and said you wouldn't send your dogs to him. and he looked at you. do you think it registered to him that he did something wrong? >> no.

that's why -- there's the meme of me tossing water. and it's clearly -- i tossed it because he wrote a bunch of junk in there. and the primary problem i had with that letter is he still thinks he's a doctor and he still thinks he was performing medical -- >> what if he had shown remorse? would that have changed anything for you? >> yes. yes. i considered his letter and his demeanor in sentencing. and i also think that if he would have shown some remorse, we wouldn't have had the escalation of awful feelings in the courtroom, which you could feel. when i lashed out at him, it completely dissipated. and he has no idea what he did. he still thinks it's a good doctor that it was medical. it's not medical, sir. >> in addition to what was going on in that courtroom, other people were watching. other people watched those young girls stand up and get their back straight and say their name

and say what happened. have you felt, beyond the courtroom, there's been a change? >> around the world, women have contacted me and said, i felt like those girls were telling my story, verbatim. when you spoke to them and you believed them, your words are healing me. i'm not committing suicide today. i've stopped cutcutting. i'm eating. i sought therapy. and it's because you believed me. it was a safe place for me, too. they're binge-watching. they told me they taped it and when they need a boost, they listened to my words. i'm grateful for that. >> let me ask you because for those of us that don't spend our days inside a courtroom, we have if notion of a judge who sits on a bench and is impartial. in that courtroom, you seemed like an advocate for those young women. he had pleaded guilty. that's a big part of it. what do you say to those who say, okay, maybe she overstepped, became too emoti

emotionally involved. what's your response to that criticism? >> it's the people's courtroom and they have a right to say what they want to me. i can consider that in sentencing. i also considered him. he had pled. i have to make a decision about sentencing. and i made a fair decision about sentencing. i considered in sentencing, those seven. but it was important to hear the whole story to see the picture of his grooming, his control. i am fair and partial at sentencing. the fact that i kept listening is just justice. if he would have had people to listen, who wanted to talk to me, i would have listened to them, too. i always listen to both sides and consider that. he didn't have anybody. and his words were simply, i'm not sorry, i'm still a doctor, i shouldn't be here. so, i consider eed all of that fairly and impartially, injunction with the constitution and the law. i made my decision. it is the people's courtroom, first and foremost.

when someone tells me it's not, i am off the bunch and will fight to be people's courtroom. >> you're exactly as we thought you would be. >> you're going to be honored by "glamour" magazine as one of the women of the year. can you imagine -- you had an interesting life. you were a j.a.g. officer. you have five kids. you're incredible. >> i am so honored that "glamour items chose me. i read the magazine since i can remember. i'm honored. i have to thank "glamour" for keeping the conversation going, for trying to eradicate this and listen to the voices. that's what this means to me, they heard -- they want the world to hear. they are part of eradicating physical assault. >> important work. >> thank you for sitting with us today. have fun at the event. >> i will, thank you. we'll go over to al and get a check of the weather. >> to update you what's going on out there in california, 22

million people at risk for red flag warnings, from the oregon border to the california/mexico border and also into parts of arizona and nevada, as well. we have an extreme risk of fire danger today, from santa cla receipt rita, all the way down to the mexico border. 7 million folks at risk for rapid fire growth. we have bitterly cold air today. minneapolis, 22 degrees below average. denver, at 31. st. louis is 36. dallas, 44. and the cold air starts to spread east. tomorrow, chicago, you'll see a high of 28. 50 in new orleans. dallas, 42 degrees. as we move into the midweek period, that cold air moves to the east and northeast. that's what's going on around the country. that's what's going on around the country. here's ways happhat's happening neck of the woods. >> good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall.

here's a look at the smoky conditions over san francisco. we're seeing this all across the bay area. it does remain unhealthy to be outside for long periods of time today. and we will still have this spare the air alert. then we're looking at temperatures reaching into the upper 60s for much of the bay, even into the inland areas with a few south bay cities reaching the low 70s. we'll have unhealthy air quality for at least the next three days. temperatures coming up a few more degrees by midweek. >> and that is your latest weather. hoda? >> al, thank you. in honor of veterans day, we decided we wanted to do something special to honor our military. >> we're joined via satellite, by dennis claglass, he's been stationed in baghdad. >> good monday. thank you for your service. what's your duty in the army. for folks watching at home, explain what you do. >> for the past several months, i served as a public affairs journalist.

and i was stationed in iraq with the special operations joint task force. >> well, we're wondering, how long have you been away from your family? >> it's been 11 months since the last time i've seen my family. >> who do you have in your family? >> i have my wife, my three daughters. and also, my nephew stays with us. >> well, we have a surprise for you. we want to surprise you with something. take a look at who is here on the plaza with us. we have your whole family saying hello. >> your wife and your daughters. i hope you can see this because they're giving you air kisses. >> they're giving you some love. we want to point out that you're a veteran, too, right? >> yes. >> how does it feel to see him? >> wonderful. wonderful. >> it's been a long time. i see the tears in your eyes. hard to be away from each other, huh? >> it is. >> but it's good to see his face. >> you want to say hello, sir, to your family. >> hello, everyone. i wish i could be there. >> oh, sure, you could, couldn't you, sergeant?

come on. come on. hey. >> daddy's home. >> oh, my gosh. >> sergeant glass. happy veterans day, sir. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> did we get you? >> yes. >> you got me. >> when we walked up, she was crying before anything happened. how are you doing, sweetie? >> i'm good. >> i'm so happy to see him. >> what's it like to see dad, you guys? >> it's pretty weird. >> that was pretty impressive. >> wow. >> thank you for your service. you families are the ones that

give up so much while your loved ones are away. thank you. >> can you stay home for a little bit while? >> absolutely. i i got some leave time. >> how does she feel in your arms? >> excellent. >> a little heavier than the last time you held her, probably. >> yeah. >> that was awesome. we really appreciate it. welcome home. >> thank you. we appreciate it. >> thank you. going to keep the good times going in our next half hour. >> that's right. including more from the west point marching band. but first, your local news and weather. ♪ i )m ...

breaking news: massive wildfires are raging across good morning to you, 8:26, i'm marcus washington. breaking news to tell you about. those massive wildfires are raging across california. statewide, 150,000 people are under evacuation. in butte county, firefighters battling the camp fire are dealing with dangerous weather conditions. 29 people are dead there. that fire has burned 113,000 acres and is 25% contained. two mass itch wildfires still burning in los angeles, in ventura county, woolsly fire has charred nearly 1,000 acre and is 20% contained. at least two people are confirmed dead in that fire. back at home, mike has a look at

your morning commute. >> about telling us about that air quality. a look at all that smoke in the air. look, very few cars. lighter traffic. a vacation day for a lot of schools and businesses so everybodying veterans day. do take advisement over here. midday will be more crowded, but right now, we're looking at good recovery for eastbound 92. that earlier disabled truck has been cleared at skyline. the rest of the bay shows a nice light drive. there again is san jose with the light traffic flow. all of the smoke in the air, be careful, folks. >> thanks, mike.

♪ ♪ ♪ that was pretty perfect. 8:30 on this monday morning, november 12th. it is veterans day. the holiday is being observed today. we are so happy to have the

wonderful west point marching band here to bring their spirit to rockefeller center. >> that is so good. our military family, they just got reunited. they're catching up here on our plaza. >> hi, you guys. >> they're like, can we go home now? >> it's my favorite moment in months. >> me, too. you got us. >> it's been so beautiful. maybe the west point band knows some christmas carols. the rockefeller center christmas tree is getting all spruced up, get it? the lighting ceremony, wednesday, november 28th. we'll bring it to you live. just ahead, by the way, the great kurt russell is taking on an iconic role. he is playing santa claus. can't wait to talk to him in a few minutes. you may not be able to get a reservation at her restaurant. but missy robbins is here,

sharing recipes straight off the menu. >> speaking of cook iing, all ts week on the third hour of "today," we're going to have a special series, "when i grow up." i get to be a chef. and craig gets to try this, as well, with a superstar, which is pretty cool. jenna is doing it. and so is stephanie gosk. >> by the way, i saw natalie. >> natalie morales. >> she's in the house. >> and jenna and i will be -- >> hosting that show. >> you're practically a professional chef now. >> didn't you cut your finger showing off your knife skills? >> it was a bit of a knife fight. we'll show you what happened. you have a check of the weather? >> i have all five. >> on that hand. >> you should see -- never mind. that was close. almost lost the whole thing right there. could have been dylan's best day

ever. >> still waiting. >> let's show you what's going on. week ahead, severe storms through the southeast. light snow through the mid plains. cold blast in the western plains. then, the next storm comes up out of the gulf. less windy for our friends in california. cool in texas. thursday, interior snow in new england. light snow back through the plains. mild out west, with sunshine continuing through the gulf and on into the mid-atlantic states. that's what's going on aro here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. still smoky outside. we'll see that throughout the day. our air quality will be unhealthy so limit your time-out side. or if you work outdoors, wear a mask. our temperatures will reach into the upper 60s for most of the bay area. san jose reaches 71 and 7 it in morgan hill. upper 60s over the next couple

of days. i do think our air quality will be unhealthy through the next three days. >> and that's your latest weather. don't forget, you can always take us with you. all you have to do is go to "today" sirius/xm channel 108. now, let's go back inside. >> al, thank you. he has played the heartthrob and the action star. now, kirk russeurt russell is t his biggest role yet, santa claus. >> santa is ready to save christmas by any means necessary. >> christmas is down 35%. we need to get things back on track. >> hold on. >> what? >> shh. >> oh. no. teddy, i don't think this is such a good idea. >> neither do i. >> do you want to save christmas

or not? >> not by stealing a car. that undermines the whole naughty and nice concept, don't you think? >> don't you break into a million homes every year? technically, that's illegal, too. >> that's a fair point. >> good veterans day. wasn't that awesome? >> that's always the best. >> yes. and the west point band. you have to top this now. >> okay. >> you're playing santa claus. >> yeah. >> you know what happened the first time people saw your performance? what the headline said? >> no. >> oh, it's hot santa. oh, can there be one thing that doesn't have to be sexy? do we want santa claus to be x sexy? >> i saw him as an adventurous guy. he is a real person. he was born and has a history. his legend and his myth grew. he's one of the few figures we have in our zeitgeist that's been around that long. there's few that's been around.

>> an iconic role. >> that's how i looked at it. this is an opportunity i don't want to miss. i always felt the definitive santa claus was never displayed, you know? >> you know something about playing santa claus. you've been a mall santa yourself? >> we did. we were in colorado. we wanted to take wyatt to see santa claus. it was closed. and he wasn't there. and i got talking to one of the girls in the mall. and i said, where is the outfit? she said, you want to put it on? i said, yeah. we've come all this way. she said, if you want to do it -- it was a pretty good outfit. i put it on. and the kids start ed to gather. i was mall santa for an hour and a half. and wyatt didn't know who i was. i had the beard way up. this was an opportunity to expound on that. >> it's a little edgy, the movie. it has a lot of humor. >> i mean, in our family, he was always a little bit of an intimidating figure.

you were supposed to be asleep, or you risked getting coal or nothing at all. and this santa is not afraid of slinging coal. he knows when you're sleeping and knows when you're awake. he knows a lot of things about you. >> you look the part in this, big-time. you had the big, bushy beard. how much was you and how much -- >> we were talking about it this morning. dennis was makeup. we've been together for 22 movies. we talked about what we wanted to do. we wanted an authentic-looking human being. that meant me growing my beard for two or three months. >> extensions? >> we had them put on. when you're doing a character like that, you have to get the wardrobe, the hair and the makeup right. >> you do. >> when the kids first see him, you're instantly -- >> you have to pull it off. >> -- facing an iconic figure. >> every time you're here, we talk about your facial hair. roll the tape. you have such a gallery of

facial hair. we're looking at some of your finer -- that. that's all you, right? how does -- is goldie okay with that? oh, wow. >> a lot of facial hair. a lot of eye work going on there. wyatt is coming out in "overl d "overlord" this weekend. i herald it's great. >> you have a new one in the family? >> ronnie rose, unbelievably cute. they're having a great time. >> oh, new baby. >> we had a lot going on. she is adorable. >> how many grandkids do you have right now? >> six. >> do they call you grandma and grandpa? >> go go and gogie. >> who is go go and who is gogie? >> we were both go go. my middle name is vogel. and it came out go go when i was little. with my sisters, that became gogie.

that's how my grandkids and my nieces and nephews -- what my wine is called. we're go go and gogie. and everybody goes to colorado. we have a fantastic ranch there, a great christmas setup. >> with the time, you could grow out the beard again. >> that's what my dad used to say. it's time for me to start eating. >> kurt, thank you so much. "the christmas chronicles" hits netflix christmas day. we're going to elevate your usual christmas dinner with an take

this morning on "today food," we have james beard's best chef in new york city, missy robbins. >> she just opened up her second restaurant in brooklyn. it focuses heavily on something we can all get behind, pasta.

good to see you. you're going to show us a few recipes that are fan favorites. >> this is our fettuccine with buffalo butter and parmigiano. it's as simple as it gets. a grown-up version of your favorite kids' pasta. >> this is so good. >> different level good. >> start with the fettuccine. this was fresh, made this morning. it just takes one to two minutes to cook. in here, we take a little bit of the pasta water, which we reserved here. that starchiness adds a thickness to it. >> when you're boiling your pasta, do you use salt or no salt? >> always salt. >> that's a lot of better. >> i didn't say it was healthy. it's good. >> is that two different kinds of butter? >> it's buffalo butter.

it's made from buffalo milk. it gives it tanginess. when you eat buffalo mozzarella, same idea. and it gives a different kind of richness. you want to get this really mixed in here and emulsified. >> very buttery sauce. okay. >> you can do that quickly, while it's boiling. >> what's the next step? >> you take the pasta out. >> you would drain it and put it in the sauce? >> i never drain it. >> why do you not drain? >> so a lit officitle of the pa water gets in there. and you never want to rinse off the pasta, either, because it takes off all of the starch. >> don't rinse it or drain it. >> you mix it in and put in all the cheese. you want to mix it while you're adding it so it doesn't chumlum.

>> it's kind of melting. >> it's not that fatty. it's fine. small portions. >> it's similar. >> kind of not really. >> not really. >> and then, after that, we come here. he's going right for it, more pepper. >> more pepper. >> and more cheese. >> and more cheese. >> what kind of cheese is this? >> this is parmesan origiano. and then, you want to balance out with the solialad. a crunchy, acidic. we have fennel leaf. >> can you show me how to cut the fennel? >> absolutely. >> this is cut in half. the bulk is cut out. and you take it and slice it. >> you use the bits on the end, too? >> the whole thing. >> nice. >> the whole thing. >> it smells good. >> we have precut celery here.

celery leaf, walnuts, texture and parmesan. that gets mixed in there. >> and what's the dressing going to be then? >> very simple. really great olive oil and juice, a little bit of salt. not crazy about the salt. you have the parmigiano already. >> yes. >> olive oil. and freshly squeezed lemon. >> that's it. just toss it around. >> and a little salt. >> i can do that. make myself useful. >> i have to try this. what do you think? >> yummy. >> it's got that licoricey flavor and crunch, texture. i use fennel in everything. fennel, fennel. >> fennel ice cream. >> i haven't done that yet. but thank you. great idea. >> it's coming soon. >> how is the restaurant going? >> so far, so good. >> congratulations on everything. >> thank you, guys. >> thanks for coming in. >> you make it look easy. it tastes so good. >> if you want one of these delicious recipes, go to

today.com/food. back in a moment with "pop start" and big news from chip and joanna gaines. first, this istoday" on nbc. "

we are back. we have a little "pop start." >> we're mixing it up for you today. let's start with chip and joanna gaines. we love talking about them. they wrapped up their popular show "fixer upper" in april, saying they needed to step back from the camera and spend more time on their kids and marriage. but on friday, they revealed to jimmy fallon that their timeout from tv will soon be over. >> would you ever return to tv? >> wow. well, camera three just turned on and is shining directly at me. we signed a nondisclosure. and it said, quote/unquote, you can tell your mother, but that's it. mom, i wanted to make a quick announcement. we are coming back to

television. you'll get to see the kids grow up. you'll get to see us, maybe a six-month delay like the rest of the world. we're excited to be back. >> no way. you're coming back. >> i'm not convinced joanna knew he was going to go into all that. chip and joanna, they are back. in a statement provided to "today," a spokesperson said, we're currently in the early stages of talking with discovery about a lifestyle focused network for magnolia. our hope is to built a different platform for unique, inspiring and family-friendly content. there's been no word on when this new network will launch. and tina fey. she stopped by busy phillip's show and gave her pointers on how to be a boss lady. take a look. >> is it hard as the boss to tell people no? >> yeah. i'm not a yeller. i don't have a big voice. but over the years i have figured out ways to give

strength nonpverbally. >> i'm going to be late tomorrow. never mind. act like a big, bum baby and everything will do things for you. >> are you my boss? >> you're my executive producer. >> you know if my car is here? >> isn't that your car? >> up. >> all right. >> thank you so much. >> you're welcome. >> i really appreciate it. oh, i'm not driving. finally, the people's choice awards were last night. and one of our very own, carson daly, won an award for "the voice." he and blake shelton accepted the award and invited gwen stephanie step stefani was invited up, as well. taking photos with siri daly, all night long. carson couldn't help but show his excitement for the winner.

>> that is so cool. >> just hanging with gwen stefani. >> besties. we got a one-of-a-kind honor for some folks here at the table, by the way. "glamour's" editor in chief, samantha berry, is with us. >> we have amazing friends. >> they look familiar. >> they look very familiar. they are wearing the outfits that hoda and savannah wear tor first day that they anchored together. barbie and "glamour" honor one-of-a-kind women and one-of-a-kind barbies. it's about role models. and letting young women know they can be whatever they want to be, including two anchors of the "today" show. >> i love it. >> i am going to bring it home and my daughter will pull her legs off. >> yeah. that's -- what an honor.

thank you so much. >> there's something called a dream gap really quickly. what is that? >> the dream gap, it's scary when you think about it. there's been so much research into the fact that, starting at the age of 5, young girls stop believing their gender can do anything. they lose confidence. it doesn't happen with boys. but it happens with young girls, 5, 6, 7, they stop believing they can be the scientist or the paleontologist or the anchor. one of the things that barbie and "glamour" tries to do with these dolls, how do you know that girls have more role models so they know they can be whatever they want to be and bridge that dream gap. one of the nice thick things th two can do, is that you can be whatever you want to do and you bring other women with you. >> we're very honored. >> thank you. >> mostly, we just like to play with barbies. >> thanks. >> now, you need the dream house. and the camper.

>> have a great event tonight. women of the year. >> thank you so much. >> a lot of great profiles. >> sam, it's always good to have you. >> i love that you captured their hair. >> i know. on a good hair day. >> thank you. back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. hey, batter, batter, batter, batter.

[ crowd cheers ] like everyone, i lead a busy life. but i know the importance of having time to do what you love. at comcast we know our customers' time is valuable.

that's why we have 2-hour appointment windows, including nights and weekends. so you can do more of what you love. my name is tito, and i'm a tech ops manager at comcast. we're working to make things simple, easy and awesome. barbies doing what they do best. >> you're running. >> i'm yelling. >> looking for ken. >> just ahead, al, jenna and natalie morales. and al is going to live out his dream of being a professional chef, which i feel he lives every day. >> first, your local news. have a good one.

good morning. 8:56. i'm marcus washington. we're following breaking news, massive wildfires are raging across california. 150,000 people are under evacuati evacuations. in butte county, they're dealing with dangerous weather conditions as the fire claims more lives there. the number of confirmed dead now

stands at 29. that fire burned more than 113,000 acres. that's almost the size of the city of san jose. it is 25% contained. in southern california two massive wildfires are still burning in los angeles and ventura counties. woolsey fire has charred 91,000 acres and is 20% contained, threatening calabasas and malibu. firefighters are trying to get a hold on the nearby hill fire. that is 75% contained. concerns about air quality linger across the bay area. as 49ers fans get ready for tonight's game. the team says it will provide extra oxygen for both the teams on the sidelines as a precaution. yesterday, the raiders played down in l.a. and you could see the smoke there. our cameras even spotted some fans wearing masks. we )ll brings

the weather conditions change overnight... and new numbers come in. plus: a bay area city is set to cut ties with ice. the impact it may have on local businesses. tomorrow morning from 4:30 to 7. good morning, it )s 7:26...

live from studio 6a, this is "today." >> good morning. and welcome. i'm jenna bush hager. i'm joined by my friend, al roker. and all the way from the west coast -- >> reunited and it feels so good. >> we have natalie and kid hoover who are doing their show, "access live" from new york. but our hearts are in california. >> yeah. >> there are historic wildfires that are raging out of control, turning entire towns to ash. this morning, we're hearing from some of those who left everything behind and