amanda knox. she's engaged. return to wonder. fao schwartz is back and better than ever three years after shutting its doors here in new york. from magicians to toy soldiers and piano. we will take you inside. today, saturday, november 17th, 2018. >> announcer: from nbc news,

this is "today" with sheinelle jones, peter alexander and dylan dreyer. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> thank you for joining us. i wanted to dance on that piano at fao schwartz since tom hanks. >> coming up later, we will give you some joy. we have to start with the news headlines. let's get to the top story. the tragedy that continues to grow in california from the deadly wildfires. in the northern part of the state alone, officials say that more than 1,000 people are unaccounted for. the death toll also rising overnight to 71. a number that is certain to go higher. nbc's kathy park is in chico, california with the latest for us. kathy, good morning. >> reporter: peter, good morning to you. this disaster is now a

humanitarian crisis. pe many are living in shelters. the president is expected to be in the area joined by the governor and governor-elect. this morning, president trump flying cross country to see california's deadliest and most destructive fire first hand. but not before another round of critical comments about forest mismanagement on fox news. >> you wouldn't have the fires. >> what about the argument it is climate change and drier and hotter and that is contributing? >> maybe it contributes a little bit. the big problem we have is management. >> reporter: trump's second visit to the state comes during the numbers released during the deadly camp fire which continues to burn in northern california. at least 71 people dead. more than 1,000 others unaccounted for. some evacuees lost connection with loved ones, including 87-year-old edith jensen. >> i called the sheriff's office and told them i wasn't missing. >> reporter: now another threat.

unhealthy air. the smoke can be seen in san francisco, oregon and even space. the air so bad in sacramento, that one day of breathing it in is roughly equal to smoking 14 cigarettes. with their piece of paradise gone, the tent cities offer some comfort that's if they can get in. several are not accepting more evacuees. in the meantime, norovirus hit this shelter in chico. 52,000 people forced out by the flames in butte county are left with haunting memories like helen who threw her wheelchair down the stairs to speed up her escape. >> i thought i was going to die. i really did. >> reporter: chilling stories of survival. lives forever changed. the devastation far from over. >> kathy, from the beginning, we heard the president. he blamed the fires on forest mismanageme mismanagement. he did it again. he made no mention the fact were

forest fires. that complaint offended a lot of californians as he has tried to dial back his tone. what kind of welcome is he expected today? >> reporter: after speaking with residents, it seems like the priority is getting their lives back in order. the governor and governor-elect put out a joint statement saying they welcome the presidential visit and grateful for the response. >> kathy park in california. thank you. a challenge for the trump administration this morning. a key ally in the crosshairs. nbc news learned that a cia assessment concludes that the saudi crown prince did order the killing of "washington post" journalist jamal khashoggi. a claim the crown prince denied since khashoggi's death in early october. now the question is how will the white house respond? we have lucy kafanov following this from london. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, sheinelle. the cia announced that the crown

prince ordered the jamal khashoggi assassination. this is ruling against the claims that the de facto ruler was not involved. a murder mystery closer to being solved. the cia concluded that the saudi crown prince mohammed bin salman ordered the killing of journalist jamal khashoggi. according to the source briefed on the assessment. reportedly made in confidence, the report is based on intelligence which nbc news has yet to confirm independently. according to "the washington post," the crown prince's brother and ambassador to the u.s. called khashoggi telling the journalist to go to the consulate in istanbul. the ambassador denying the allegation on twitter. saying i never talked to him by phone and never suggested he go to turkey. the saudis insist the crown prince is innocent. >> royal highness has nothing to do with the issue. >> reporter: this week, charging 11 people in khashoggi's murder

with five facing the death penalty. the latest saudi version of events claims the journalist was killed by a lethal injection. his body dismembered and taken out of the building. contradicting the earlier claim he was strangled. the whereabouts of khashoggi's remains are still unknown. but mourners gathered friday to remember the slain journalist. prayers over an empty marble slab in istanbul. a funeral for a father of four and friend to many who won't be coming home. vice president mike pence this morning would not comment on classified information. he did say the u.s. will hold all involved with the murder to account. this intel puts the white house in a difficult position. the trump administration has cultivated close ties with the crown prince. they did slap sanctions against 17 saudi officials this week, but did not target mohammed bin salman. if the intelligence is

confirmed, there will be a lot of pressure on the white house for a tougher response. >> absolutely. l lucy, thank you. president trump is speaking out about the russia investigation. saying he finished his written answers to the special counsel about the interference in the 2016 election. the president insisting he has done nothing wrong. we have kelly o'donnell with more. >> reporter: good morning, peter. a pair of legal dramas for the president. federal court is intervenes in the dispute with the white house and journalist over press credentials and the long running investigation where the president is now taking part in something that he has called a hoax and witch hunt. now he is complying with a major request from prosecutors. from the oval office friday, president trump revealed he is personally responding to russia investigation questions from the special counsel. >> i'm working on that. i write the answers. my lawyers don't write answers. >> reporter: he said he would

hand over the responses after his legal team signs off. the president also accused prosecutors of setting a perjury trap. >> was the weather sunny or rainy? he said it may have been a good day. it was rainy. he told a lie.perjered himself. >> reporter: again insisting he and his campaign did not collude with russia. mr. donald trump said the probe is about him. >> it should never have been an investigation. it is not an investigation of me, but as far as i'm concerned, i like to take everything personally because you do better that way. >> reporter: after the white house clash with cnn. >> you are a rude, terrible person. >> reporter: friday, a federal judge appointed by the president, granted a temporary return of the cnn correspondent's press pass which had been revoked by the white

house. the legal battle will continue, but press secretary sarah sanders issued a statement. today the court made clear there is no absolute first amendment right to access the white house. the president said he wants new standards for press conferences. >> decorum. you can't take three questions and four questions and just stand up and not sit down. decorum. >> kelly, the appointment of matt whitaker as acting attorney general. whitaker still facing criticism this morning. facing a formal legal challenge. what is the argument in that case? >> reporter: whitaker has not been confirmed by the senate for the position. even the acting role of attorney general. that is a real core of the debate. in a new twist on the challenge, an existing lawsuit that bears the name of jeff sessions, who was forced out as attorney general, is asking the supreme court put rod rosenstein's name on the document. deputy attorney general who

formally would move up -- normally would move up in the ranks and say it is not legal to put whitaker in place because he was not confirmed. going about this to ask the court to weigh in on the existing case and say whitaker does not have the legal standing to be acting attorney general. the white house says the appointment is appropriate, but this will continue to be a legal fight. peter. >> the concern among critics trying to rein in the russia investigation. kelly, thank you. also this morning, hundreds of migrants arrived at the border where u.s. troops are ready for their arrival. the migrant caravan was the issue for the president ahead of the mid terms. since the election, he has been quiet on it. we have nbc's gabe gutierrez with us this morning on the california side of the border. >> reporter: good morning, shoi sheinelle. so far the process has been orderly as they an wade fwait a.

more than 1,300 soldiers are here in california. makeshift shelters are overflowing. 3,000 migrants are there. more are expected in the coming days. the system is so overwhelmed that migrants are expecting to wait at least a month at the border before even being processed. the president, meanwhile, has all but dropped the issue after calling it an invasion and using it to rally supporters ahead of the midterms. one estimate calls this cost of the deployment at $220 million. here at the crossing, customs has shutdown multiple lanes of traffic and more migrants are expected in tijuana. some may decide to head elsewhere. >> gabe, thank you. to florida now where election officials in several counties have a few more hours

to complete a manual recount after the statewide recount was issued for the race in senate. officials are working around the clock to get this done. we have nbc's tammy leitner with more this morning. tammy, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, peter. dozens of workers and volunteers are coming back here to do it again today. to recount each ballot by hand. all 67 counties in florida have until tomorrow to finish. in florida, it is a race against time. >> i agree. >> reporter: hand counting ballots the democratic senator bill nelson hopes will reverse his fortunes. ballots examined are those voters filled out incorrectly. circling or check marks or leaving blank. >> they will be duplicated and added into the vote totals and we will report the u.s. senate

race by noon on sunday. >> reporter: governor rick scott in washington this week, posing with senate majority leader mitch mcconnell says it is like the only westeperson who doesn'w it is time to move on is bill nelson himself. broward county counted 31,000 ballots in over two hours. >> all the votes were counted. positive. >> reporter: they have yet to release the results. nelson's campaign held out hope one of the machines there missed 24,900 votes in the senate race. democrat insiders say it was like al capone's vault. an empty effort. in georgia -- >> democracy failed georgia. >> reporter: democratic gubernatorial candidate stacey abrams acknowledging her opponent, brian kemp, will be governor. >> this is not a speech of concession. concession means to acknowledge an action is right, true or

proper. >> reporter: back here in florida, lee county has not started the hand recount yet and is not expected to start until tomorrow morning. hours before the deadline. peter. >> tammy leitner in florida. thank you. elise jordan worked for the george w. bush administration. she is now an nbc political analyst. elise, good morning. >> thanks for having me. >> we will start in florida with the state split evenly among the parties. tammy leitner said they suggest a razor thin margin for the governor race. is this almost like we are looking at what could happen in the 2020 election? >> it is a microcosm of what could happen in the race. it will come down to 12,000 votes for rick scott and bill

nelson. the 67 counties, only three fluctuate between democrat and republican. it shows the very tight margins that divide the country. it comes down to about 1%. who will govern us? >> talk about another headline today. the analysis that the cia has assessed that the crown prince of saudi arabia ordered the killing of "the washington post" journalist jamal khashoggi. saudi arabia is crucial to the administration's strategy in the middle east. jared kushner is very friendly with the man known as mbs. the sanctions on 17 saudis this week. is there more pressure to do more? >> president trump has been very careful to avoid anything that is going to go negatively on the crown prince. he has been trying to keep pressure off and protect the crown prince. >> that is their calculus. >> it looks pretty obvious there

was some involvement from the top of the food chain. is the administration just going to continue to ignore this and signal weakness and upset the regional power balance? this is a tenuous time and is congress going to overlook all of the very compelling evidence that there was a role from the top of the food chain in saudi arabia? >> before you leave us this morning, let's talk about the mueller investigation. the president confirmed he submitted answers to the mueller questions. is this a sign we're in the final stretch? >> robert mueller has been trying to get answers from donald trump for about a year now. this has been ongoing. the fact that donald trump is finally turning in information makes you think we are nearing the end. all of the sealed indictments waiting in d.c., you can't help but wonder when is the next load of information going to drop from the mueller investigation. >> to be continued. elise, thank you. time for the first check of the weather. dylan is here with that. >> good morning, guys. we are keeping an eye on the

next storm system that will race through the rockies and the midwest. two batches of snow. some falling through chicago and some back to the rockies. especially in the higher elevations. this cold front will continue to move eastward as we go through the day. we will see snow off and on through chicago and it will move to the east as we go into tonight. then we are looking at some light snow in cleveland, across upstate new york on sunday and new england. it is a fast-moving system. it will not produce a lot of snow. back through the rockies out near denver, we will see perhaps 4 to 8 inches of snow in the higher elevations mostly and moving eastward. it is a widespread 1 to 2 inches of snow with upstate new york temperatures. look at san francisco. 49 degrees right now and we are expecting these colder temperatures to stick around for the next couple of hours.

look at santa rosa. 31 degrees. we are tracking, unfortunately, that unhealthy air quality that is expected to remain very unhealthy through today. that smoke advisory will remain in effect through tuesday at about 11:00 p.m. our temperatures will climb into the 70s. and that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you very much. still to come, house divided. how top trump adviser kellyanne conway reacted when her husband recently slammed her boss in public. plus, former olympic swimmer rowdy gaines speaks out after being a victim of a scam and was told his daughter had been

we're back now on this saturday morning with "the weekly download." the look at the week that was. >> the headlines dominated by

the devastation in california, but a lot of other stories we covered with the snow storm that paralyzed large parts of the east coast. >> the first major snow storm of the season pounded the eastern half of the country. in mississippi, icy conditions caused this tour bus to flip. killing two passengers and injuring 40 others. >> rain and rain and snow. in and around new york city snarling traffic. first lady firing. the president's deputy national security adviser mira ricardel after the first lady's office called for her ouster. meanwhile, one of her husband's harshest critics, michael avenatti, was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. avenatti saying he's innocent.

>> i have never struck a woman. >> avenatti is best known for representing stormy daniels. adult film star who claims she had an affair with the president. one he denies. first lady michelle obama out with a new memoir spoke with jenna bush hager. >> i got a text from my dad that said send michelle my love. i thought it is interesting how people are so interested in your friendship. >> we're all american. we all care about our family and our kids and trying to get ahead. we have different ideas of about what is the best way to get there. a school district in wisconsin is investigating this photo of mostly white male students giving what appears to be a nazi salute. >> it is very disturbing. >> the superintendent telling parents we are extremely troubled by the image. adding hate has no home in the

school district. some of the week's most candid moments caught on camera. elderly man on a scooter sideswiped when he tried to stop a car thief from getting away. high school students in iowa were shocked to see if a confused deer bolt through the principal's window. luckily, everyone, including the deer, was unharmed. and a newly engaged couple got a surprise when comedian dave chappelle decided to get in the picture. finally, a new york city police officer must have heard that backstreet's back. he used his cruiser microphone to belt out one of the backstreet boys classics. ♪ that way >> not a bad voice. at the end there, i heard a little something. >> he sounded rocky in the beginning. >> you drive ahead of him and doing the speed limit. >> eyes on the road. >> and how about dave chappelle doing the photo bomb?

>> he disappears for a while and of all places. >> he lives there. >> his big comeback in the back of the family photo. >> that couple will have that picture forever. still to come on "today," we go back inside the new fao schwartz. after years of confusion, could low carb really be the way to it's time for sleep number's veterans day sale on the new sleep number 360 smart bed. it senses your movement and automatically adjusts to keep you both comfortable. and now, the queen sleep number 360 c4 smart bed is only $1299. plus 24-month financing on all beds. ends sunday.

. good saturday morning. it is 5:26. here's a live look outside. still smokey skies out there for the second weekend in a row. hopefully you're safe inside at home. thanks so much for joining us. i'm kira klapper. vianey arana has a look at our microclimate forecast. >> its cold out there right now. we're in the 40s. 29 degrees in santa rosa. napa 31 degrees, hayward 35, san jose 33, and today we're expected to be cooler, only topping out into those upper 60s, possibly some low 70s for the interior valleys but overall the high about 66 degrees for san jose, 64 for san francisco

and 67 for santa rosa. now we're under a microclimate weather alert because of that air quality. unfortunately, it remains unhealthy really for the majority of the bay area and very unhealthy still for areas like oakland, concord and areas near that camp fire. we will be keeping a very close eye on those shifting winds and the changing weather conditions that could impact, hopefully see some clearing, possibly some rain inching towards thanksgiving. i'll have a complete look at that coming up at 7:00 a.m. >> that will be a miracle. stay tune for that, thanks. it was another night of unbelievably bad air. this is a close-up look of what's in that toxic bay area. you can see the particles floating around. this is in downtown san jose. it almost looks like snow. as we head into a second weekend blanketed with smoke, lots of people are canceling their outdoor plans and are looking to escape this choking air.

a popular option is going to the movies. expect big crowds there this weekend. in san francisco, the main library is keeping its lower level open past closing until 9:00 p.m. as long as the air remains dangerous. some people took advantage of that offer last night. >> i'm seeing a lot of people here that don't have homes to go to so its nice to give them clean air. >> other people are paying for a breath of fresh air at vitality at pier 39. employees say they're seeing an uptake in interest at the oxygen bar. restaurants and hotels are taking a hit. people canceling their reservations, the streets of san francisco relatively quiet last night except for this sidewalk patio at tony's pizza. >> lunch crowd was a little thin, but tonight its like full hands on deck. and take a look at this

video from a southwest flight that landed in san jose. flight attendants handing out face masks to passengers before they exit the plane. hundreds of students showed up for an impromptu handout by a fellow student. all classes were canceled because of the air quality. coming up this morning on "today in the bay," we need your help, its our annual mission to make sure those in need have food this holiday weekend. our campaign to feed the need kicks off today. we'll have that plus all your top stories and weather. we do hope you'll join us in an hour and a half from now. in the meantime we'll send you back to the "today" show.

♪ i like that. >> you did it. >> it's hard. >> we are back on saturday morning, november 17th, 2018. sheinelle giving us the icoconi fao schwartz piano slide. >> coming up, we will take you there for a little tour. >> i can't wait to see it. i want to go in. >> i have short legs. it is hard to hit the last one. >> i have no doubt tina turner

could do it. let's get you a check of the headlines. president trump traveling to california for a look at the devastation left behind from the state's most destructive wildfire in recorded history. at least 71 people in northern california alone have been killed. a staggering 1,000 more are unaccounted for this morning. the air quality is a major cause of concern. breathing in sacramento for a day is equal to smoking 14 cigarettes. smoke can be seen from space. nbc news learned that the cia believes that saudi arabia's crown prince ordered the killing of "the washington post" journalist jamal khashoggi in istanbul, turkey. that coming from the source of the cia assessment briefing. khashoggi was killed at the consulate in turkey last month. the crown prince denied involvement. he is a close ally of the trump administration. today, vice president mike pence said the u.s. would hold accountable anybody responsible for khashoggi's killing, but did

not specifically mention the crown prince. a funeral service held for major brent taylor serving in the national guard in afghanistan. the utah mayor took a one-year leave of absence to train the afghan army. he was killed two weeks ago. he leaves behind his wife and seven young children. elon musk sharing his excitement on twitter with the video showing the break thereth the company boring is making. when it is done, it will whisk riders up to speeds of 130 miles an hour. it will be wrapped up by december launch. it is conway versus conway at the nation's capital. we are talking about kellyanne conway and her husband, george, a frequent critic of president trump. this week, he turned the heat up to a full boil. we have our correspondent geoff

bennett with more. >> reporter: the husband to the adviser kellyanne conway is talking about his contempt for president trump and what it is like being a critic of trump while being married to a close aide and ally. george conway. one of the president's fiercest critics who happens to be married to kellyanne conway is taking yet another swing at the administration. conway now telling a yahoo! news podcast if he had it to do over, he would likely leave the u.s. rather than support trump. >> if faced with the choice again, i would probably move to australia. >> reporter: conway says he is no longer a registered republican. >> it is a personality cult. >> reporter: he is urging fellow conservatives to speak out. forming a new group of right leaning lawyers called checks and balances. >> when you start corroding

constitutional norms over time and switching the dialogue, we don't have a functioning democracy. >> reporter: george conway's opinion is a source of fascination with his wife's role at the white house. he trolled the president on twitter. saying the country needs a president capable of reading the law. he has written many opinion pieces. president trump hitting back. >> you mean mr. kellyanne conway? >> unconstitutionally -- >> he is just trying to get publicity for himself. >> reporter: kellyanne conway did not respond to our request for a comment. on friday, she appeared to lean in for a time. changing her twitter bio the kellyanne conway and kellyanne conway's husband. >> when the press says kellyanne

conway, the president is never worried how it affects him. he is worried how it affects me. >> reporter: while jogeorge cony says he would not support the re-election, he did support his wife's work on the 2016 campaign. he said it was kellyanne who got the president elected. sheinelle, peter. >> geoff, thank you. to a terrifying warning for any parent about something called virtual kidnapping. it happened to rowdy gaines and his family. he hopes it doesn't happen to anyone else. we have rehema ellis here with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, peter. it is aftterrible. using technology, virtual kidnappers can make it appear as an -- as a warning. and an olympic swimmer has a

cautionary tale. as parents, rowdy and julie gaines say it was the worst nightmare. >> the fear i had never known. >> reporter: the three-time olympic medalist knows it was a scam from callers who claimed to kidnap their daughter to get money from them. at the time, they never heard of virtual kidnapping. when they got a call from a number that appeared to belong to their daughter, they assumed it was her. >> i had my children's faces. it popped up with her face and number. i had no reason to believe it was not her. >> the other person was threatening to slit her throat and kill himself. >> reporter: they had the presence of mind to start recording the call. the scammers then gave instructions. >> well, i have -- i don't have my keys to my car. >> we're walking. >> reporter: later, they heard madison's voice on the phone. >> when i questioned madison, are you okay.

she said i'm okay, but i need help. >> reporter: little did they know she was also being scammed on the other side of the country while at college in colorado. >> they said hi, we're with the colorado springs police department. is this madison. i said yes. i said so you know, there is a warrant out for your arrest. i felt terrified and i was emotionally just distraught the whole time. >> reporter: judy ended up contacting the police who told them it was a scam and they hung up on the callers. in the end, the family believes they were vulnerable because of details they share about their lives on social media. >> we need to be more aware of what we put out there. >> reporter: the fbi is investigating this and say you can protect yourself. in most cases, the first thing you should do is hang up. if you do engage, never use a loved one's name. and if this happens to you, police say try to reach out to the alleged kidnapped victim on

another phone by texting, e-mailing or calling. something that we all will pay attention to because this is frightening. >> think what you can put on social media and how it can be used against you. >> you don't want to hang up. >> you are getting information and so is the scammer. they will use it against you. >> smart to call that loved one. regardless. thank you very much. all right. we will take a turn now and get a check of the weather. dylan. >> good morning, guys. we will see very cold temperatures start to sag down to the northern plains. unseasonably cold. 10 to 25 degrees below average for the high temperatures. the high in minneapolis is 24 degrees. 17 degrees below average. 24 in rapid city. dodge city, 35. on sunday, the cold continues to push farther south. wichita, 39. memphis, 57. chicago, 35 degrees on sunday. charleston, west virginia, 53. as we continue through the start of next week, temperatures get

cold on tuesday in green bay with highs reaches in the 30s. in new york city, the high of 39 on wednesday. in wilmington, north carolina, high of 59 degrees and that's your latest forecast. >> thank you, dylan. still to come, "hamilton" creaticreat creator is moving to the big screen.

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dr. john torres here with everything we need to know. let's talk turkey. a salmonella outbreak as i understand it in raw turkey products. the cdc updated the notice to the public naming recalled jennie-o ground turkey products. if you cook this stuff, you will be okay. is this something you should toss or proceed? >> they are talking about recalling the ground turkey. not the whole turkey. you see the marks they are talking about on the turkey. they want that out of your refrigerator. some of the turkey itself may have salmonella. if you heat it well enough and cook like you are supposed to, it gets rid of the salmonella. thaw it correctly and cook it correctly for thanksgiving. >> more pressure for the holiday. >> should i skip the stuffing? a study found low carb diets work. is there a study to back it up? >> this is saturday morning science here. it turns out there is a study to back it up. the issue has been calories in,

calories out. we are finding out a calorie may not be equal. especially when it comes to carbs. carbs, especially processed, your body releases insulin. it stores more fat. in the study in the bmj, people with the high carb diets, carry more calories and get more fat than people with low carb diets. that ended up saving them almost up to 500 calories a day. >> so just for clarity. there is research that says that moderate carb diets help you. you need carbs in the diet. >> we need carbs. it helps your brains and muscles work. the main thing is avoid the processed carbs. the processed breads and cereals and foods out there.

white bread, white rice. low fast cot cookies and cracke >> that is our pantry. i think that is the bottom line. we will call this segment saturday morning science. anymore details? >> exercise. the government health officials updated guidelines on exercise. what is the latest? >> for years i have been telling people get exercise and get it every day. you want it in bits of ten minutes or so. they are saying 150 minutes a week. moderate intensitntensity. nobody was doing that. they said step back and look at what people are doing. they found the little things count. >> the burst of cardio? >> the deal was you don't need to break a sweat. >> take the stairs instead of the escalator. park farther away from the

shopping mall. walk around the mall. we found out getting off the couch and moving around during the day actually helps. >> you are like the good sign of my brain. >> call this segment saturday morning science. >> dr. torres, thank you. coming up next, the new trend of gift giving over the holidays and why it is not something y

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and unwind with lindor a milk chocolate shell with a smooth, melting center crafted by the lindt master chocolatiers whenever wherever lindor only from lindt we have a good crowd out there on a cold saturday morning. we'll say hi in a moment. hoping that some of have started holiday shopping. i bet most like me have not. >> have you? >> i have gotten a couple things. >> she's perfect. this year there's a new trend in

giving. it is not necessarily anything your loved one can hold in their hands. >> as numbers's jo ling kent tells us this one is all about the experience. >> reporter: next week, you won't need to storm the stores to find the perfect gift. instead of toys, electronics or ugly socks, about 1 in 3 consumers plan to give experiences instead. in fact, spending on activities has grown four times faster than spending on objects. the top trending gift ideas? travel experiences like a plane ticket, zip lining or wine tasting. airbnb offering a bali-wood dance class. if you are looking for stress free activities? a cooking class. then a safari in kenya or a stay in an irish castle. >> we are seeing particularly

with generation z and younger millenni millennials, the experience is much more resonance than the notion of the latest trend in fashion. >> reporter: here is a bonus. people love sharing photos and videos of the experiences on social media. research says in the long run, those moments make us happier than gifts you can wrap. for "today," jo ling kent, nbc news, los angeles. >> i love. that as a dad of girls, we have more clutter. >> you take pictures and it is a memory. brian and i don't give gifts. we save our money to go on a trip. >> give an experience. my little once f y, if you givem an experience, they want a box. >> the post card says you will get an experience. >> what? >> anyway. for adults, perhaps. still to come, speaking of gifts, there are plenty you can get your hands on. sheinelle takes us inside the newly reopened fao schwartz

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still to come this morning here on "today," monica lewinsky like you have never heard her before. opening up how she got bill clinton's attention and the gifts he gave her. then we are in the kitchen then we are in the kitchen cooking up with sirioh! oh! ♪ ozempic®! ♪

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it is 5:56. here's a live look outside in dublin. smokey skies still as we're under a microclimate weather alert. thank you for joining us. i'm kira klapper. vianey arana can break down that microclimate forecast for us. >> the reason why we continue to be under the alert is because of that poor air quality. look at this live camera from san francisco. the sun's not out but you can clearly see visibly that smoke and its not fog and the temperatures right now are in the 30s and 40s throughout the bay area. we've got some belowing freezing temperatures in santa rosa, 31 degrees, napa 31, san francisco

35 and down through san jose 42. now our current air quality index right now really showcases, you can see the color red is unhealthy, the purple is very unhealthy and concord, oakland and nevado, the santa rosa remains extremely unhealthy. san francisco down through redwood city, all the way down through san jose still unhealthy and the smoke advisory is expected to remain in place through 11:00 p.m. i am tracking rain chances as we head in toward thanksgiving so that will be something that we need but i'll break down things that might not be so good coming from that rain at 7:00 a.m. it was another night of bad air. this is the close-up look of what's in that thick toxic smoke covering the bay area. you can see the particles floating around. this is in downtown san jose and as we head into the second weekend in a row blanketed with smoke, lots of people are canceling their outdoor plans

and looking at options to escape the choking air. a popular option people are telling us is the movies so plan for crowds there. in san francisco, the main library is keeping its lower level open past closing time to give people an escape from the dangerous air. some people took advantage of that last night. >> you see a lot of people here that don't have homes to go to so its really nice for them to give them clean air. >> others are paying for a breath of fresh air literally at vitality at pier 39. employees say they are seeing an uptick in interest in the oxygen bar. some museums in san francisco will be offering free admission today. tourism is taking a hit because of the air quality with people canceling reservations and tours canceling on them. the streets of san francisco were relatively quiet last night but there was still a crowd sitting outside of tony's in north beach. >> lunch crowd was thin, but

tonight its full hands on deck. >> everyone is encouraged to limit outdoor exposure if you can. if you have to go outside, wear a mask. mean bhooil, president trump is flying into california later this morning to see the fire damage in butte county. he's scheduled to meet with victims of the camp fire. the president has come under fire for blaming the fires on mismanagement of forests. governor jerry brown and governor elect newsome will join the president today and say they welcome his visit. coming up this morning, we need your help for our annual feed the need food drive. we hope you can join us and we'll see you at 7:00. art bedsw during sleep number's veterans day sale. it senses your movement, and automatically adjusts to keep you both comfortable. it even helps with this. so you wake up ready to put your pedal to the metal. it's the final days of our veterans day sale where the queen sleep number 360 c4 smart bed is only

$1299 - save $400. plus, 24-month financing on all beds. ends sunday. sleep number. proven, quality sleep good morning. breaking overnight, staggering. the death toll from the wildfires in northern california rising to more than 70, with more than 1,000 people unaccounted for. president trump on his way there this morning, after initially blaming forest management in the state. we're there live. speaking out. monica lewinsky telling her side of the story like we've never heard it, talking about bill clinton. >> and notice me he did, over the course of the rest of august and september and october and into november, we had a number of these flirtatious encounters. >> the gifts he gave and how she got his attention. and return to wonder, the iconic fao schwartz is back open

three years after closing its fifth avenue doors here in new york city. we got a special tour inside, looking at everything from the toys to the magicians and, yes, the piano. "today," saturday, november 17th, 2018. ♪ ♪ >> mother/daughter birthday trip to the plaza into first time in new york. >> we are from st. louis. >> yay, game day. whoo. ♪ >> turning 13 on "today." >> celebrating 13 years on "today." >> birthday time on the plaza. ♪ this time of year is so fun. >> this is our favorite time. >> absolutely. it's packed out there. welcome back to "today" on this saturday morning. it's cold and they don't seem to mind. >> nobody cares. fall collided with winter this week and everybody is getting ready for the holidays. >> there's excitement in the

air, especially arnold this area at this time of year. >> we will get outside and talk to everybody in a moment. let's start with the news and really the awful news overnight that the unaccounted or the number of unaccounted for skyrocketed to over 1,000 out in california. today the president is on his way there to meet with victims and state officials. nbc's cathy park is in chico, california, with more. cathy, good morning. >> reporter: sheinelle, good morning. this disaster has turned into a humanitarian crisis. many evacuees are homeless and staying in shelters. the president is expected to be here at some point, joined by california's governor and governor-elect. this morning president trump flying cross-country to see california's deadliest and most destructive fire firsthand, but not before another round of critical comments about forest mismanagement on fox news. >> you wouldn't have the fires. >> what about the argument it's climate change, that it's drier, it's hotter and that that's contributing to it?

>> maybe it contributes a little bit. the big problem we have is management. >> reporter: trump's second visit to the state during his presidency comes in the wake of staggering new numbers released from the deadly camp fire, which continues to burn in northern california. at least 71 people dead, more than 1,000 others unaccounted for. some evacuees lost connection with loved ones, including 87-year-old edith jensen who found her name issued in the paper. >> i called the sheriff's office and told them i wasn't missing. >> reporter: and now another threat, unhealthy air. the smoke can be seen in san francisco, oregon, even space. the air so bad in sacramento that one day of breathing it in is roughly equivalent to smoking 14 cigarettes. with their piece of paradise gone, these tent cities and evacuation centers offer some comfort, that's if they can get in. several aren't accepting any more evacuees. meantime, norovirus hit this

shelter. the 52,000 people forced out in the flames in butte county are left with haunting memories, like helen thomas who threw her while chair down the stairs to speed up her escape. >> i thought i was going to die. i really did. >> reporter: chilling stories of survival, lives forever changed. the devastation, far from over. and rain is expected in the forecast for later on this week, which would help firefighters contain this fire, but also make it more challenging as they continue to recover more bodies in paradise. >> cathy, thank you. to a developing story overnight where nbc news has learned that a cia assessment concludes that the saudi crown prince ordered the killing of the "washington post" journalist jamal khashoggi. it's a claim the crown prince has denied since khashoggi's death in early october. now the question is how will the white house respond? nbc's lucy cavanaugh has been following this one for us from

london. >> reporter: good morning. this is a major development in this disturbing story. according to a person briefed on the cia's assessment the agency believes that the saudi crown prince, mohammed bin salman, ordered khashoggi's killing. the cia made their assessment with high confidence which cited intercepts of phone calls, audio recordings as well as a call by the kill team to a close aide of the crown prince. now, saudi arabia denies that mbs had anything to do with this, charging 11 people in khashoggi's murder this week, five are facing the death penalty. the latest saudi version of events and it has shifted quite a bit, claimed that he was killed by a lethal injection and that his body was miss mebd and smuggled out of the consulate. i should add that his remains have yet to be found. this murder has created something of a crisis for the trump administration because of its close relationship with the crown prince. the u.s. slapped sanctions against 17 saudi officials this week, those did not target

mohammed bin salman. there is going to be a lot of pressure if the intelligence is confirmed for a much tougher response. guys? >> the question is will they hold him personally accountable. lucy, thank you. back here at home, president trump has left the white house on his way to california, but he is speaking out this morning about the khashoggi killing and a lot more. nbc's white house correspondent kelly o'donnell is following that part of the story for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. an unusual early morning gaggle with reporters and the president as he did leave for the white house for his visit to california, making two stops today. he took questions from reporters on the south lawn and he was asked about this new development that lucy was just reporting on from the "washington post" and nbc news, that the cia has determined that saudi crown prince mohammed bin salman did order the killing of journalist jamal khashoggi. the president said a short time ago he would be briefed. here is what the president had to say to reporters. >> they have been a truly spectacular ally in terms of jobs and economic development

and i also take that -- i'm president, i have to take a lot of things into consideration. so we will be talking with the cia later and lots of others. i will be doing that while i'm on the plane. i will be speaking also with secretary of state mike pompeo. >> reporter: and the president also said so far he has not personally been briefed on any involvement by the crown prince, so this is a developing story. the president also talked about developments in the russia investigation and he said that he would be turning over his written answers to the special counsel this coming week. this is after the 18-month investigation, the president has complied and is writing answers. he says himself, but he will turn those in after his lawyers have a chance to look at it. and as the president headed out, he also said that he will meet today with california's current governor and the newly elected governor, he will meet with firefighters and in response to these devastating fires, he said there are more people missing

than anyone could have imagined. the president is on his way now. >> kelly, thank you. other news, the man who tried to assassinate president ronald reagan has been granted his largest measure of freedom. a judge ruled on friday that john hinckley can now move out of his mother's home in virginia and live on his own. hinckley will be confined to a 75-mile radius from his mom along with a list of several other conditions. the now 63-year-old shot and wounded reagan and three others outside a hotel in washington back in 1981. and in an interesting et inspired proposal amanda knox is now engaged, with the film sound track playing in the background her fiancée led the 31-year-old to that i remember backyard and proposed with a meteorite in place of a ring. she was in the public eye after the death of her roommate in 2007. her murder constriction was overturned in 2015. dylan is out on the plaza with another check of the weather. dylan, good morning. >> good morning, guys.

we've been watching these girls out the window right there and we saw some dance moves. where are you guys from? >> parkersburg, west virginia. >> why are you dressed up this morning? >> we're going to perform around the city today. >> randomly around the city? >> yeah. >> and you're starting here on the plaza? >> yeah. >> so nice to have you here. we've seen their moves, you have to check them out. hopefully you will see them around the city if you are in the area. if not let's look at your forecast going into the week ahead. a big travel week and we are still looking at the chance of fire danger weather out in the california area where winds will still be strong starting off the week. rain and snowshowers possible along the appalachians, also down through southeastern texas. on wednesday one of the biggest travel days of the year we are looking for fairly quiet weather for most of the country but much needed rain will start to move into the west coast, heavy rain expected down through texas. and on friday, the day after thanksgiving, a few showers in the middle of the country, cold in the northeast, spotty thunderstorms in florida and

it is very cold as you head out this morning, especially in the north bay. santa rosa right now at only 29 degrees, napa 31. 36 degrees through concord and down through the south bay in those 40s. these colder temperatures will be warming up but not by much. expect a cool afternoon. unfortunately that air quality remains extremely unhealthy especially for areas near the north bay and through the east bay and down through the peninsula. >> and that's your latest forecast. guys? >> all right, dylan, thank you very much. this morning we are hearing more from monica lewinsky ahead of a new documentary series set to air this weekend. lewinsky is painting an intimate portrait of her affair with bill clinton. >> nbc's stephanie gosk has more. >> i kind of have to laugh at my younger self, but that was when my crush started. >> reporter: monica lewinsky unfiltered. speaking out inew n released

dlips for the upcoming a & e documentary "the clinton affair" premiering this sunday. >> i was struck in a way that he had this ability to hold everybody who was there, not just young women, not just older women, but young men, older men, gay, straight, everybody was sort of starry-eyed in his presence. >> reporter: lewinsky starry-eyed herself talked about how she intentionally tried to get the president's attention, in a green outfit he had noticed before. >> and noticed me he did, over the course of the rest of august and september and october and into november we had a number of these flirtatious encounters. there was really no sense for me of anything beyond i have this crush and this person i have a crush on is actually paying attention to me. >> reporter: the president showering her with gifts. >> bill gave me this box which had a hat pin he said because, you know, you always look so

cute in hats or you and your hats, something like that. and then he gave me this really beautiful copy of "leaves of grass." it was a very meaningful present to me. it's an intimate book that you don't just give lightly. whatever had been nagging in me of like is what i'm feeling real, is that there, whatever those insecurities were, they kind of vanished in some ways. with him having given me this gift. this was the first time we had been alone since i had been banished to the pentagon and so we moved to the bathroom and were more intimate. >> reporter: but that attention died down in the days before and after clinton's 1996 reelection. >> i had this nagging insecurity, maybe he just did all of these things his last six months because he was trying to keep me quiet during the election. how stupid am i, that i believed

this, that i bought this? >> reporter: lewinsky's next step, confiding in friend linda tripp, who spilled the beans on her, that decision setting in motion clinton's impeachment. forever casting a cloud over his presidency and changing the course of american history. for "today," stephanie gosk, nbc news. dylan is in the orange room with a look at what's coming up next. dylan? >> we are taking a look at the least loved emojis out there. any guesses? there's a war going on about it and we will break it down for you, that's right after these messages.

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switch to geico®. it's a win-win. we are back on saturday morning talking about a battle of emoji. >> dat-dat-dat. dylan is in the newly renovated orange room. >> i will stand for this one. we have the go-to emoji. i use the monkey covering his eyes. i don't know. the one i use a lot. there are hundreds out there and maybe you have never seen or used. enter the twitter-bot least used emoji. the ones that are least used and tweets the updates. an online battle broken out with the two for the least used emojis of 2018. they are aerial tram and the

symbols for latin letters. people are campaigning to save them and using them as many times as they come. some asking for justice. brendan tweeting, i just discovered the aerial tram. i'm doing all i can to protect it. as of 7:00 this morning, the aerial tram is still the least used. twitter users are on the edge of their seats. andy tweeting full scale war. some have suggested an alliance. we have to fight together to get another emoji to be the least used. people are taking this too seriously. earlier in the year, the non-potable water symbol held the crown for eight days. >> what is that? >> i guess you can't potable

water. >> they got a bad wrap. >> i tell you one i overuse. i'm trying not to wink at people. look at my instagram or twitter. i overwink. i'm working on it. >> why would you wink? >> i'm winking all the time. >> you don't wink in person. >> my daughters are now into the emojis. she wrote us a text. she sent me yesterday, a little shot of this here for you, she writes form ava. this is going really well. she writes from ava to dad. i love you. she goes crazy with the emojis. i'm proud of it. there it is. >> how cute? >> i feel she is not telling a story. >> she just likes the colors. i like it. i screen shot it. >> how old? >> she is, wait for it, 5.

>> texting at 5. let's do "popstart." >> first up, lin-manuel miranda is stealing the show for the new movie "mary poppins returns." >> good thing you came along when you did, mary poppins. >> off we go. ♪ simply be more incandescent >> i get more excited. he stars as the street lamp lighter alongside emily blunt's character who returns to raise the new generation of children. the movie hits theaters next month. next up, netflix released a new series of man's best friend. the series is sure to make you laugh, cry and all the feelings in between. you can watch it now on netflix.

in about a week and a half, the rockefeller center christmas tree will be lit for the season. one of our favorite couples is helping out. tooe chrissy teigen and john legend. they will join stevie wonder and meghan trainor and many more. you can watch the tree lighting on wednesday, november 28th at 10:00 p.m. eastern on nbc. >> that is not even two weeks away. i have work to do. dylan, thank you. still to come, getting ready for thanksgiving. easy table decorations that

still to come on "today,"

america's favorite toy store is back open. i'm take you inside fao schwartz. and siri daly is whipping up food items. food items. and the notre dame band ♪ ♪ ♪ -whoops -sorry! ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ introducing the all-new corolla hatchback. toyota. let's go places.

good saturday morning. here's a live look outside. smokey skies over sfo. thanks so much for joining us. i'm kira klapper. vianey arana has a look at our microclimate forecast which includes a microclimate weather alert. >> and the reason for the microclimate alert that we've been under because of those conditions that you're currently seeing on your screen. we've got the smokey skies, unfortunately, that air quality remains really very unhealthy especially for portions of the north bay, the east bay and ports of the peninsula. right now, the temperatures as you head out the door, bundle up. look at the north bay. we're talking below freezing temperatures in the 20s, even in to the interior valleys like concord and livermore, low 30s

as we head in toward the afternoon, that ridging is kind of weakening. temperatures will only climb into the 60s. the air quality is what's going to remain, unfortunately, our big concern. i know its the weekend. people like to head outside. not so much so. take a look at the colors. red is unhealthy and purple is a very unhealthy. if you look at the bay area, we're following under red and purple. that advisory is in effect until tuesday right now. i am tracking a couple of changes that could help better the air quality but also we're tracking some rain in the forecast for the next seven days. >> which would be incredible. we'll tune in at 7:00 for your full forecast, thanks. it was another night of bad air. this is a close-up. look at what's in that thick toxic smoke covering the bay area. you can see the particles floating around. this is from downtown san jose. as we head into our second week, blanketed with smoke, lots of

people are canceling their outdoor plans and they're looking for indoor ways to escape the air. a popular option people are telling us is going to the movies. in san francisco, the main library is keeping its lower level open past closing time until 9:00 at night to give people an escape from the dangerous air. some people took advantage of that offer last night. >> a lot of people here don't have homes to go to so its nice to give them clean air. >> others are paying for a breath of fresh air at vitality at pier 39. it is an oxygen bar. employees say they're seeing an uptick in customers. some museums in san francisco are offering free admission. everyone is encouraged to limit outdoor exposure if you can. if you have to go outside, where an n 95 mask. meanwhile president trump is flying into california later this morning to see the wildfire devastation in butte county.

the president is skecheduled to meet with victims of the camp fire. trump had come under fire for blaming the fires on mismanagement of forests. governor jerry brown and governor-elect newsom say they welcome the president's visit. we need your help. it is our annual mission to "feed the need." we hope you can help us ensure those in need have food this holiday season. our campaign takes off today and we have coworkers spreading out all across the bay area. we'll tell you about it at 7:00.

♪ ♪ we are back on this saturday morning, november 17th, 2018 with our friends from notre dame. nothing like a little band to get you started. this is the notre dame band and

cheerleaders with the notre dame victory march. they take on syracuse at iconic yankee stadium. we have mike tirico calling the game. he is with us this morning. nice to see you early this morning. >> it is the first time new york city hosted the biggest college football game in the country in 70 years. >> 70 years? >> yes. d it is something. >> the notre dame team is a real fbs team this season. >> my an leagllegiance is right the middle. they have a huge fan base. brian kelly is doing a sensat n sensational job. so many alums here. it will be a special afternoon. >> you may notice special uniformis from notre dame. >> you put two ironic brands

together. you have to do pin stripes. it is not the gold dome helmets. when you look at yankee stadium and notre dame. to put these two together in the same image. it will be cool. >> it brought the fans out early this morning. >> and the band. >> is it weird to be the voice of notre dame and a syracuse alum? you can't be right down the middle? >> right down the middle, dylan. it will be a blast. the time at notre dame has been great the last three years. love calling the games. >> good to see you. i like what you did. mike, we appreciate it. you can see the notre dame game this afternoon at 2:30 eastern here on nbc. and still to come in this half hour of "today," one of the most famous toy stories of the world and fao schwartz is back. we have that in a bit. and make your thanksgiving table more memorable with activities for the kids ahead of

the big dinner. we have work to do ahead of the big dinner. siri daly is here for you. and how about a final check of the forecast, dylan? >> it is not 60 and sunny. what about 50? >> better than thursday. >> it will not be like thursday. clear skies here in new york city. most of the country will be nice and sunny today. extending to the gulf coast and texas. areas will be unsettled with light snow in chicago and iowa and the midwest today. also out in the higher elevations of the rockies. 4 to 8 inches of snow. fire danger continues out west. the winds increase into tomorrow. red-flag warnings are in effect again. we will see rain move in next week to california. tomorrow, we will see some of the heavy rain along texas and light snow starting to move into the great lakes area.

we're waking up once again very smokey but also very cold. below freezing temperatures all the way from north bay in through the interior valleys. livermore at 36 degrees down through morgan hill, 39d degrees. these 30s and 40s are expected to warm up but only nointo the 60s. however that air quality remains extremely unhealthy, really for the entire bay area as we continue to see that smoke advisory in effect through tuesday. it's very weird. it is like raining here and there's not a cloud in the sky. did you notice? we checked off the bucket list. be on the "today" show. hi, mom. where's mom? >> i'm mom. >> you didn't have to write it on the sign. what is it like? >> it is crazy. >> anybody else? >> i want to say hi to my daughters. one in orlando and one in denver. >> i made it. >> can we have a selfie?

>> yes. i'll get to that. i have things to do. back inside. thank you, dylan. we have exciting news to share. we have been talking about it for several days. not only is the christmas tree up, but across the street from us is an iconic toy store back open for business. three years after shutting the doors. the famed fao schwartz is once again open. >> this store is so great, it has something for every kid out there. it is reopening at a time when other toy stores have closed because of online competition. it officially opened yesterday, bu but i got the chance to go this week before it was opened to customers. it is every child's dream. a toy chest come to life. a place where astronauts, magicians and mad scientists walk among us. welcome back to fao schwartz. ♪ >> for morning 150 years, america's oldest toy store brought magic to new york city

and hollywood. setting the stage for movies like "home alone 2," and "the smurfs" and "big." in 2015 with the rise of online shopping and digital entertainment, the flagship on fifth avenue could not compete. >> will close in july. >> three years later, the iconic toy brand is back relaunching a new store with a new home at rockefeller center. >> every corner of our store will be something to look at and experience. i want to see phones put away in pockets and eyes as big as balloons. >> the idea is to give kids and parents what they can't get online. a shopping experience where actors dressed as characters roam the store. all of the actors had to auditi audition. >> we want the most whimsical

team. >> perfect. you made a light. >> this magician eric brown worked at the flagship store before it closed. >> it was the best job i ever had. >> what is it you loved? >> the place, not to be punn yerk y, but the place is magic. to share what i love with people from around the world is just the most incredible thing. >> and on a larger than life piano, dancer stella showed off her best and biggest moves. >> how did you learn how to do the piano? >> i have a dance background. it came easier to me. >> now auditions are over because it is show time. i was lucky enough to get a sneak peek before customers. >> check out the dance mat piano. >> my kids would love this. not my kids. i would love it. wait a minute.

this is it. i have been waiting for this. can i play? >> yes. >> oh, wow. hi, stella. you got the job. >> yes. >> it's official. >> and a lesson from stella herself. >> "chopsticks?" >> yes. >> i'm ready. ♪ >> so fun. >> you want to learn? >> yes. >> this is so fun. >> here we go. watch me mess it up now. ♪ >> yeah. >> i'm in. >> i just showed her. dylan. ♪ >> come on, peter. >> now i'll do beethoven. now i'll try it. ♪

>> i was going to do a little chiatkovksy. >> you just put double aa batteries in it and play along. >> i want to keep playing. >> there are kids shoulder tapping their parents. coming up, easy decorations for your thanksgiving table. but first these messages. >> we have kids over there. you want to play? cute cat what do you feed her? i give jojo blue indoor health. delilah gets purina cat show. ever read the ingredients? yeah of course. sure i have. could you read a few? sure. okay. deboned chicken. corn meal. poultry by-product meal. chicken meal. menhaden fish meal. corn gluten meal. brown rice. soy flour. barley. animal fat. while both foods provide complete and balance nutrition. 9 out of 10 cat chow feeders, prefer the ingredients in blue buffalo. and fill your cat's holiday stocking

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we are back on saturday morning with thanksgiving five days away. we are ready to start thinking about the food and making thanksgiving table look fancy. we are heading to the kitchen in a minute, but first the table makes the first impression. here to show us more is lifestyle expert on facebook watch is yvette rios. i need to catch up on facebook. >> nice to meet you. brand new. you have a pass there. >> i love that we're starting off with the fun cocktail. this seems easy to make. >> so easy. why not? when people come over, you want to have something for them to pick on. they come ravenous. it takes time to get the food on the table. you can do an antipasto tray.

i carved out a bowl with squash. you can put it out there. for the drink, like you mentioned, i love doing an apple cider mimosa. you take champagne glass and rim with sugar. put apple cider in it. this is for the kids. you have the drink ready to go. >> you just top it off with champagne. >> i would have done 1/8 of apple cider in there. >> salut. >> i want to set the table. >> do you need a drink before you get started? >> i'll make this part easier. the table is the main attraction. everybody comes. you were in charge of setting up the table? >> i slept here all night fixing it up. super duper easy. i used a piece of chalk board

paper. ask people what they are thankful for. we are taking time to reflect on it. >> that is what we do is go around the table. you can write it down. >> you can leave people with chalk board pencils and write the messages. these are pillar candles with herbs. you have the kids work on it while you get other things done. i grabbed branches of bittersweet. >> the table cloth is easy? >> it's a blanket. >> i noticed that. >> very nice, peter. you can use a blanket. you can give it that festive cozy look. >> can we check this out? we want to hang out with friends. >> this is liam and this is jack. >> you are done playing piano. >> you make the kid table fun. that is the time where you say oh, boy. you have ideas. including the leaves on the centerpiece tree. >> this is cool. liam will write down things he is thankful for also. you can put them on branches

right on the tree. construction paper. hole punch cutout. you can do different shaped leaves. to get the kids to reflect on it. having snacks for kids is fun and healthy snacks is what we are concerned about. he has skewers with dried fruit. we are making thanksgiving turkeys. there is a finished one with pears and dried fruit. and turkey legs. >> wait. >> you should eat this. you want popcorn? >> in a paper bag with little paper bones. tape it on and fill in with popcorn. it is fun and easy. >> i should not have eaten before saying thanks. we're glad you are heari-- glad are here with us. coming up,

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this morning in "weekend kitchen" we are all tackling the kitchen table. we are happy to have siri daly with us. she is with us this morning and she will show us how to make something easily for thanksgiving for our feast. >> it smells like thanksgiving. >> it does. >> saute onions. >> we start with the reecipe we can all do. >> this is essentially a casserole with eggs, bread and cheese. you can throw any vegetable in there. we are doing broccoli and cheddar and mozzarella. i will get the whole grain musta mustard. >> that is what i don't have. >> you can use any mustard. salt, pepper. i like it. it gives it a nice finish. salt, pepper, nutmeg, that goes

a long way. over here, cast iron skillets are one of the great things. saute, bake and serve. onions and garlic and broccoli. this isis sauteing. this is day old bread. you don't want to use fresh bred. -- bread. if you only have fresh, you toast it. you can toss it. you can use the tongs because it gets crowded. we will put our mozzarella. we will do half of it first, toss it and top it with the rest. parmes parmesan. you bake it for 40 minutes. it is simple. the good way to get your kids to eat broccoli. spinach and kale. >> mozzarella can be plain, but

the dijon mustard. perfect. >> am i doing dessert? >> mini apple tarts. i love anything individual for thanksgiving. a fun way to serve the guests. >> especially for kids. they feel they get their own special dessert. this is fun. >> mason jars are everywhere. you can get at the grocery store or craft store. it serves as a little mini tart pan. you don't have to buy mini tart pans. store bought pie dough. you don't have to wake up in the morning and make fresh pie dough. nice short cut. this is a 4 1/2 inch cookie cutter. we will make our rounds. you will be in charge of making that a little decorative edge with your fingers or a fork. we have apples here. >> what apples do you recommend? >> granny smith. you can do honeycrisp.

sugar. melted butter. lemon juice. nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. you stir all that up. put it in the tart pan. bake it for 30 minutes. then online i have this salted caramel sauce. it is simple to make. you can get store bought sauce to save time. ice cream. a little drizzle. >> i'm start eating. take care of dylan. >> and everybody wants to make food. i want to make a drink. >> a warm and spicy cocktail. >> my favorite part is it is called glug. isn't it fun to say? >> glug. >> thanksgiving gloog. it is a traditional swedish muld wine.

we will add bourbon. i like it. makes it warmer. >> we don't have much time. >> then orange juice, zest, sugar, spice. bring to a boil. cardaman, clove and cinnamon stick. bring to a boil. strain it and pour. >> you top it? >> you top with raisins. i can hear carson saying raisins? >> i'll get one. >> we have the recipe online for the toast here. >> siri, will you merge your family with mine? >> siri, have a great thanksgiving to glogg. >> if you want the recipes, go to today.com/recipes. to today.com/recipes. we are right bgive joy, get joy

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seven days in the future, but i'to be exact.uture. and the car you put on hold at carmax.com is still being held for you, free of charge. in answer to all your other questions: yes, no... and that's still illegal. ♪ carmax music sting siri, you get an a-plus. dylan is making this today? >> in a couple of hours. >> that's what it sounds like when it goes down. siri, thank you for being here. that will do it for us on saturday morning. tomorrow on "today," willie sits down with ethan hawke.

we hope you enjoy your day. have a great weekend. thanks for waking up with us today. good morning. coming up next on "today in the bay." president trump is on his way to california right now to visit with victims, first responders and tour the devastation in butte county. air quality remains very unhealthy across the bay area but could good news be on the horizon. vianey arana is tracking rain for thanksgiving week. and we need your help as we kickoff our annual campaign to "feed the need." today we're kicking off our annual food drive. good saturdas

saturday, november 17th. here is a live look outside -- palo alto good morning. it is saturday, november 17th. here is a live look outside. smokey skies and gloom covering palo alto as we are under a microclimate weather alert. good morning and thanks so much for joining us. i'm kira klapper. vianey arana has a look at our forecast and here we are two weekends in a row. >> that's right. unfortunately, that's because of

that air quality. as you see it, its very apparent. we don't even need to tell you. you can visibly see it and feel it. look at the current temperatures. if you're heading out the door right now, do not forget that jacket because you're going to feel the biting cold, especially if you're heading anywhere near the north bay or interior valleys, below freezing temperatures right now at 29 degrees in santa rosa, 33 in napa, 42 down through hayward and in the 40s for san jose, 30s up along the peninsula. now that ridge of high pressure that was keeping us very dry and warm is starting to weaken and now we've got a bit of a trough coming in which is great news in terms of the air quality as we head in toward tomorrow. we have seen slight improvement along the bay. however, we're still expecting to keep a lot of that smoke over the area and that's why that smoke advisory is expected through tuesday. i'm going to break down those rain chance that's i'm tracking as we head in toward thanksgiving coming up