of the bay area, that smoke is lingering. we'll be back at 7:25 with a live local news update. >> we're also back at 11:00 for more news and weather for you. thanks for starting your morning mere wi here with us. have a great day. good morning. sounding off. president trump taking on his critics in a new interview, suggesting he won't sit down with robert mueller. and saying this after the general of the capture of osama bin laden questioned his leadership >> it would be nice if we got osama bin laden a lot sooner than that. wouldn't that have been nice? >> and the president gives himself high marks. >> i would give myself an a-plus. is that enough? can i go higher than that? >> the latest from washington, just ahead. desperate search. nearly 1,000 people still missing in california. the death toll rises overnight. could a break in the weather make the difference this week?

we're there, live. all things thanksgiving. with a record number of travelers set to hit the nation's airports and roads, we have everything you need to know, as the holiday week kicks off, from the forecast to the sales that have people shopping already, to the one thing that could make or break your thanksgiving. those stories, plus, pointing the finger. a massive new lawsuit claims cvs and walgreens helped fuel the nation's opioid crisis. save mufasa. the worldwide fight to keep a rare white lion out of the hands of trophy hunters. and buble is back. after taking time off to help his son fight cancer, he's back in studio 1a with a new album and some great news to share. today, monday, november 19th, 2018. >> from nbc news, this is "today," with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hi, everybody.

good morning. and thank you for joining us on a monday morning. and thanksgiving week is upon us. >> it is here. people are hitting the roads. and people are also hitting the skies. >> i know. we were so struck by this image. this is the air traffic in the air right now. can you imagine? it's going to get only busier as the week wears on. we have your whole thanksgiving guide coming up. we start this morning with the president, in familiar fashion, unloading on his critics and sparking new feuds in a new wide ranging interview. the president weighing in on the special counsel's investigation to the murder of that "washington post" journalist. kristen welker is tracking all of it. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. that's right. as thanks giving approaches the russia investigation is looming large. the president says he is close to submitting his answers to special counsel robert mueller, even as he continues haze ta s s against the investigation. and in a new interview, the president is lashing out at new

targets. this morning, president trump defiant, as the special counsel investigation ramps up, saying in an interview with fox news on sunday, he would not overrule his acting attorney general, ma matthew whitaker. >> it's going to be up to him. he's well aware politically. i would not get involved. >> reporter: whitaker has faced calls from democrats to recuse himself for criticizing the mueller investigation in the past. but mr. trump insists, he was unaware of whitaker's past statements. >> i did not know that. did not know he took views on the mueller investigation as such. >> reporter: as for an in-person interview with robert mueller, the president is saying that is unlikely that will happen. >> probably. i could change my mind. but probably. >> no interview? >> i think we wasted enough time on this witch hunt. >> mr. trump saying he completed written answers for questions for mueller and is expected to submit them by thanksgiving.

>> we gave very, very complete answers to a lot of questions that i shouldn't have even been asked. >> reporter: and the president was pressed, after several news outlets, including nbc news, reported the cia has concluded the saudi crown prince ordered the killing of "washington post" columnist jamal khashoggkhashog. the crown prince has denied involvement. does the president believe him? >> i don't know. who can really know? but i know this, he has many people that say he has no knowledge. he told me he had nothing to do with it. he told me that five times. >> reporter: and the president took aim at retired admiral william mcraven, who led the operation to catch osama bin laden. >> hillary clinton fan. >> reporter: mcraven, while critical of mr. trump, never endorsed anyone for president.

but the president went even further we're this eyebrow-rising attack. >> it would have been nice if we got osama bin laden a lot sooner than that. wouldn't it have been nice? >> the president was on twitter this weekend and had a tweet about a congressman who is likely going to become the chairman of the house intelligence committee. and it certainly raised some eyebrows. >> reporter: it is raising eyebrows. the president is take aim at adam schiff, in a tweet, referring to him as little adam and misspelling his name as an expleti expletive. schiff fired back in his own tweet, wow, mr. president. that's a good one. was that like your answers to mr. mueller's questions? or did you write this one yourself? now, schiff, as you mentioned, savannah, will likely be the chair of the house intelligence committee, has signaled his committee will investigate a range of issues with the trump administration. we did reach out to white house for a clarifications on the

sspelling of schiff's last name. no response, savannah. >> thank you so much. now, to california, where firefighters were makie ining s progress against the deadly wildfires. but the flames from the camp fire in the north are still spreading. at least 80 people have been confirmed dead. 1,000 or more remain missing or unaccounted for. steve patterson is in the devastated town of paradise. good morning. >> reporter: hoda, it's been ten days since this devastating fire devastated this community of 27,000 people. this morning, so many are still locked in a constant struggle, searching for loved ones while crews are sifting through wreckage all over town that looks just like this. in paradise, more heartbreak. >> we have nothing left. we have nowhere to go. no one knows what to do. >> reporter: search crews digging for any sign of nearly 1,000 residents listed missing.

a painfully slow process that gets more difficult with each passing day. rain is forecast this week, which raises the possibility of mudslides and makes searches even more difficult, though it could help contain the fire. >> we'll get through it because we're going to get through it together. >> reporter: so many, still desperately looking to find friends and family. >> that's all i get. >> let us know you're okay, buddy. >> reporter: one year ago, susan lost her home in a disastrous northern california fire that destroyed entire neighborhoods in santa rosa. >> the hills behind our house were just glowing with fire. i could see the flames shooting up into the sky. we left with the clothes on our back. >> reporter: she and her husband fled to paradise and decided that's where they should stay. but only five months later, fire struck again. >> we knew we were moving to a fire area. we didn't think so soon. kind of like getting struck by

lightning twice. >> reporter: with the fire still burning, the holidays will be bittersweet. >> that will be the first year i haven't had thanks giving with my mom. >> reporter: this weekend, trump toured the devastation, pledging full support for recovery. >> we have never seen anything like this. >> reporter: but the president suggesting more could be done to prevent the fires. >> you look at other countries where they do it differently. they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things. they don't have any problem. it's a very small problem. >> reporter: his visit met with skepticism from some. >> actions speak louder than words. >> reporter: and relief from others. >> i'm glad he's here and we're grateful for anything that can be done. >> reporter: in the southern part of the state, the woolsey fire is expected to be fully contained by thanksgiving. that's only after rain is in the forecast, opening up this entire tate, burn-scarred to the

possibility of the devastating mudslides. hoda and savannah? >> steve, thank you. fire is the critical issue in california. for the rest of the nation, it's rain a we had a storm crippling much of the east last week. tom costello is looking at how weather issues might aspeffecta travel. al has the forecast. >> let's look at the plains. air quality out west. we're watching the northeast. a weak system spreads rain and snow, slick travel for the inland sections. as we move through tomorrow, a chilly rain could cause airport delays. accumulating snow in new england, through tuesday night. we're talking 2 to 8 inches of snow possible. lake-effect on wednesday in the northeast. but as we've mentioned, the flood threat is out west. rain returning to california, while it's a double-edged sword. it helps the firefighters but by late in the night tomorrow,

wednesday, we're looking at rain in los angeles. the heaviest rain will be up around paradise, where we expect to see anywhere from 2 to 3 inches. rock and mudslides are possible. on thanksgiving day, we have heavy rain in the northwest, into northern california. mountain snows in the rockies. but in the northeast, bitterly cold, into the midwest. look at these thanksgiving mornings. the windchills will feel like 3 below in boston. 12 in new york city. 24 in washington, d.c. it will feel like 6, as you make your way on into as you make your way through traverse city and as we make our way through the daytime highs, brutally low air temperatures anywhere from 10 to 25 degrees below average, so there will be frost on your turkey on thanksgiving. guys? good weather or bad, the thanksgiving rush, by the way, is in full gear this morning. experts are forecasting the road and air will be packed with the

most travelers in more than a decade. nbc's tom costello is at dulles airport outside washington. hey, tom, good morning. >> reporter: good morning and listen to a follow-up on al's reporting. take away the flight air misery map. this gives you a look at what's happening at flights all over the country. not a lot of misery. a lot of green. that means minimal delays. this airport also reporting minimal delays. we'll have packed airports and packed roads and that means low gas prices. it also means you'll have a lot of company wherever you're going. the vast majority of us, 48 million people, clogging the nation's roads. nearly 5% more highway travelers than last year, fueled by falling gas prices. the national average for unleaded now $2.63 a gallon, down 20 cents in a month.

bob schultz is driving the family to michigan. >> anywhere you can get gas outside somewhere outside the city will contribute. >> reporter: a record 30 million passengers expected the tuesday after thanksgiving. airlines adding 158,000 seats per day. as the military opens up normally closed air space to terminal travel this week. >> we're hoping we can brave the crowds that are usually there. >> reporter: on the ground the tsa is expecting to screen 2.5 million passengers each day. on duty, 80 new canine teams. remember, limit your liquid and gels to three ountsz, coats, shoes and belts off, laptops off unless you go through precheck. and no marijuana. it may be legal where you live but it's still a federal offense. >> we'll have officers in the

lanes to help people who may not be frequent travelers. >> reporter: the biggest travelers in the air this thursday and sunday as everyone tries to fly home at once. but the busiest travel on the roads today and wednesday and again sunday. so gas up, pack up and let the fun begin. all right, so you want to know what is the lightest travel day, the easiest travel day? it's going to be thanksgiving day, of course, but you may have missed the main course. ladies, back to you. >> tom, you mentioned the gas prices on average around the country are about $2.63, but i bet people look around their home towns and say, wait, it's a little different here. >> reporter: i get this question all the time. we cite the national average number, what it is nationally across the country. but of course gas prices fluctuate widely. $2.63 is the national average. they're paying a buck more on average out in california. the cheapest gas right now, missouri, about $2.25, more or less. >> tom, thank you.

good morning to you as well. two of the country's biggest drugstores are caught in the crosshairs this morning. the florida attorney general has added cvs and walgreen's to a lawsuit alleging they helped fuel this country's opioid crisis. nbc's kerry sanders has the story. >> reporter: this morning florida is suing the nation's two largest drugstores, accusing them of helping create the state's devastating opioid crisis. florida's republican attorney general pam bondi adding cvs and walgreen's to a lawsuit she first filed in may. among those initially named in the suit, purdue pharma, the named opioid provider. she said they sold and shipped unreasonable quantities of opioids into florida, bondi claiming the pharmacy giants also failed to stop suspicious orders of opioids they receive.

a cvs spokesman tells nbc in part the lawsuit is without merit and that the company complies wall federal and sat laws for dispensing of controlled substance prescriptions, adding, we also have stringent policies to prevent abuse. walgreen's says it does not comment on pending lawsuits. the suit claims since 2006, walgreen's dispenses billions of opioid doses from its florida retail pharmacies and cvs some 700 million doses between 2006 and 2014. in recent years, according to the cdc, opioid-related deaths hitting an all-time high. in 2016, every single day more than 115 million americans died of opioid overdoses. in florida 15 deaths a day. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, ft. lauderdale. a new drug designed to

lessen the potentially life-threatening exposure to peanuts may soon be available. the study gradually exposing 250 kids to peanuts, they will be able to be exposed to two ounces of peanuts without a reaction. let's go to you, mr. roker. >> bitter cold. this cold air will be making its way throughout the country, and then there is another reinforcing shot right behind that as this low pressure pushes up through the mississippi river valley. look for some more rain, and as you get into ohio and the interior sections of new york and pennsylvania, some light snow as well making for some slick roads. we're getting to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds.

good monday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. it's still smoky and very unhealthy air quality in san francisco. it's going to stay unhealthy as we go throughout the day, as our spare the air alert continues through tomorrow. and then as we get closer to our incoming storm, our air quality improves by wednesday. rain moves in, starts out light all across the bay area. continues off and on throughout the day on wednesday. tapers off on thursday and another heavier round of rain will be right behind that on thursday night. >> and that's your latest weather. guys? >> thanks, al. coming up, the clinton

affair. 20 years after his impeachment, a new series going inside the very public battle between the clintons and their critics, as monica lewinsky reveals new details of that affair. then, to the rescue. the worldwide effort to save a rare white lion from trophy hunters. first, this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, the black friday sales you can shop right now. why you don't need to wait to get great deals. plus, michael buble. he will perform right here in the studio. and he will tell us how he and his family have changed following his son's successful fight agains

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blended makes us shine blended makes us beautiful blended makes us better. whole blends haircare. by garnier, naturally. a very good morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia. live look in oakland near the coliseum. you can see the air hazy in part from the butte county wildfire. unhealthy air quality again, triggering school closures across the bay area. not all colleges are canceling classes. san jose state remains open despite a petition signed by students urging school leaders to change their minds. the petition has more than 11,000 signatures. san jose state university did cancel classes last thursday and friday but the school issued a statement saying decisions to close a campus are never made lightly. we're watching the air quality around here, kari, hoping some rain will finally wash them out. >> that won't happen until

wednesday so as we look at some of the numbers and actually in san jose, it is some of the better air quality we're seeing but still unhealthy to be out there, especially for long periods of time and unhealthy for san francisco, san rafael, and also in parts of the east bay. then the rain arrives on wednesday as you get ready to head out for travel day, a busy one. it's going to be wet at times, some scattered showers, and that will help improve our air quality as it moves off toward the east. it will bring in some sierra snow. we'll be tracking that. let's get an update on the morning commute from mike. >> we're holding at a relatively easy drive right now. we have slowing north 101 at capital expressway, a crash slows things down for the distraction, i think the lanes are clear but we don't have the full detail from chp. 87 also slow but overall not bad for the silicon valley. up toward the contra costa county cameras, we're looking at a slow drive for our sensors through walnut creek and upper east shore freeway holding steady and there is the bay

bridge. you have company and a lot of smoke. the air is tough there. be careful if you have to be outside for extended periods. back to you. >> another update in half an hour. see you then.

♪ ♪ ♪ 7:30 on this monday morning, november 19th, 2018. savannah guthrie is happy and so are these kids. these students, by the way, are the best of the best from around the country. these kids are going to be marching in the macy's thanksgiving day parade. they're going to be outstanding.

if you can stick around for our next hour, you're going to see them on our plaza doing their thing. >> it's so awesome. we have the best bands of the macy's thanksgiving day parade. they work so hard all year long. >> all-star band there. we'll get more from them in a moment. more parade-themed fun, as well. let's check the headlines. two weeks after election day, a couple of high-profile races have been decided. in florida, bill nelson conceded his re-election bid to rick scott, the state's outgoing governor. a recount showed that nelson trailed scott by 10,000 votes. in georgia, brian kemp was elected governor over his opponent stacey abrams. in a statement on sunday, abrams said he was the legal victor but said he interfered in the election in his role of secretary of state. the family of a girl who suffered an electric shock after touching a handrail at a resort is planning to sue. they were at the mgm fountain

when she was shocked back in june. she's been in the hospital with severe injuries since. poor electrical work and bad inspection practices are to blame. in a statement, they call the faulty work by contractors disturbing and disappointing. the caution flags were flying at homestead miami speedway before the nascar race even started. skydivers were part of the prerace activities that included a flyover and the national anthem. high winds blew one skydiver off target and away from a landing spot in the center of the infield. look at that. he got caught on the fence that surrounds the track and was left hanging two feet off of the ground. a safety crew arrived and untangled him and he is okay. the clintons are back in the news this morning. 20 years since bill clinton's impeachment had the world watching. a new docu-series takes a close look from a different perspective. and kate snow has that.

>> reporter: good morning. last week, we told you that monica lewinsky sat for hours of interviews. and for the first time last night, we heard an account of how she says a white house intern ended up in a relationship with a president. how it developed and what it meant to her. >> he motioned me in. unbeknownst to me, i was on the precipice of the rabbit hole. >> reporter: today, monica lewinsky's candor, front and center, in a new docu-series marking the 20th anniversary of the affair that captivated the world. >> i blurted out, you know i have a crush on you. >> reporter: now lewinsky revealing how her physical relationship with bill clinton unfolded, when he summoned her into his office for what was an innocent chat. >> he laughed and smiled and asked if i wanted to go in the back office. and i did. so, it was dark. and he eventually asked me if he could kiss me. and i said yes.

>> reporter: lewinsky says later that evening, she was the only person left in the office. >> he came back in and he said, if you want to meet me in the back study in ten minutes, you can. so, i did. and it became more intimate from there. >> reporter: their encounters, lewinsky said, did not happen in the oval office, but instead in clinton's personal office. lewinsky said those encounters with the president blossomed into a relationship. >> at that point, he was in touch or i saw him almost weekly. not every time that i spent with him in the white house had a sexual component to it. we talked about how our days were, what was going on in our lives. >> reporter: but still, lewinsky says, the power imbalance was palpable. >> i had no way to reach him. if he called me, i couldn't call him back. i was completely at his mercy in that way. >> reporter: it would lead to one of the greatest scandals in modern history. >> i did not have sexual

relations with that woman. >> reporter: and to clinton's impeachment. >> good morning. >> reporter: 20 years ago today, former independent counsel, ken starr, spoke before the house judiciary committee. >> the president's intimate relationship with a subordinate employee was transformed. it was transformed into an unlawful effort to thwart the judicial process. >> reporter: also speaking out last night, paula jones. she described being summoned to a hotel room when clinton was governor of arkansas, expecting a meeting. there, she says, clinton exposed himself and asked her to engage in a sexual act. >> i wasn't thinking about it. i thought, there's no way he's going to -- i didn't think about it. it didn't cross my mind that he would do something like that. >> reporter: bill clinton has vehemently denied what jones said right there. >> have the clintons responded at all to this a&e documentary? >> reporter: not directly. they have no comment.

they're about to go on tour. bill and hillary clinton are doing a ticketed tour. they were supposed to have an event in nevada. their team says that was rescheduled a couple weeks back due to a scheduling conflict. they have a series starting in canada, coming up, a series of lectures where people can buy tickets at big venues. >> kate, thank you. now to an extraordinary legal battle. a wildlife sanctuary in south africa is preparing for a tough custody fight over a lion named mufasa. >> he was confiscated as a cub three years ago. but the sanctuary that cares for him fears that the government wants to auction him off, putting him in the sights of trophy hunters. keir simmons is following this morning. >> reporter: good morning. it's hard to believe that anyone would want to hunt and kill this beautiful animal. that's energized animal lovers around the world, saying because

he is infertile, he would be no interest to breeders. if he's auctioned, he will be sold off to hunters. powerful and majestic, mufasa, a white lion at the center of a legal battle over its custody. the rare lion confiscated from a private owner who was holding it illegally, was placed under the care of a wildlife sanctuary in northern south africa, three years ago. now, claims the government is refusing to relocate mufasa to a different sanctuary, prompting fears the lion could be auctioned off to hunters. conservationists launching an appeal. >> the government told me on three different occasions that mufasa would be going on auction. it is common practice for the department to auction animals that they have confiscated. >> reporter: if auctioned, its former caretaker worries mufasa could be killed. >> many hunters come to south africa to shoot lions.

obviously, a canned hunt is an insurance that you can get a trophy. >> reporter: the support for mufasa's case going viral. comedian ricky gervais tweeting in support of the wild lion shaming who shoot the animal and those who accept it. and russell crowe speaking out, saying people who kill animals is as sick as any murderer. >> if it hadn't been for the social media, mufasa's head would be on somebody's wall already. >> reporter: animal lovers surpassing their target, reaching $10,000. >> we're not doing this for money. we're doing it for the life of a lion. >> reporter: three years ago, the killing of cecil the lion caused outrage, prompting calls to ban lion hunting. >> 43% of the lion population in africa in the last 20 years. >> reporter: the threat to this endangered species, ever so real. we reached out to authorities in south africa but have received

no response so far. so far, there have been 230,000 signatures to that petition to save mufasa. that just shows you, guys, at the very least, there's good people around the world. >> keir, thank you. now we turn to mr. roker. everyone has their eye on you to figure out what's happening over the holiday. >> a lot of cold weather to talk about. a lot of folks layering up because we have a cold blast and reinforcing blast coming up to canada, spilling into our area. shut the back door. bismarck is going to feel like -- it's 20 degrees below average. minneapolis, 28. chicago, 36 degrees, 12 degrees below average. look what happens tomorrow. that spills south and east. going to be 36 in pittsburgh, 44 charleston. nashville, 10 degrees below average. kansas city will see 44. thanksgiving day will be the coldest day throughout much of the northeast and into the midwest. pittsburgh, 29. buffalo, 23.

d.c., 34. it will be 29 for a high in new york city. 23 in boston. burlington, 18. and it's going to be windy. what will that mean for the balloons at the parade? details will be coming up later. but first, that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in you it's still smoky outside, very unhealthy to be out there, as we continue to see the drifts of smoke moving into the bay area. the spare the air alert continues through tomorrow. then as we look at our rain, that's going to help improve our air quality and gusty winds moving in, starting out early on wednesday morning, continuing off and on throughout the day. good coverage of rain across the bay area, and then we'll take a break on thanksgiving afternoon with another round moving in thanksgiving night into the day on friday. >> and that's your latest weather. guys? >> al, thank you. coming up, things are getting festive on our plaza with performances as we count down to the big macy's thanksgiving day parade.

just as important as the festivities, a "today" show tradition of giving thanks. we took a special trip with some of the st. jude children we met over the years. you don't want to miss their stories of courage. also, an "office" reunion, kind of. how steve carell's co-stars put pressure on him to get the band back together. and black friday sales in full swing. should you wait to shop or get on it now? we'll help you find the best deals right now after this. thifor people who never sayogy withno to one more episodeng. brilliant sound clarity for people who crash concerts from their couch and life-like color for people who staycation with sci-fi experience dell cinema on the xps 13 with an 8th gen intel® core™ i7 processor. the laptop for people who watch things on their laptops shop the biggest black friday ever at dell.com (intel chime)

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give joy, get joy - at kohl's. well, thanksgiving week means turkey and family monfun. it also means the black friday shopping season and crazy crowds. >> many stores have already slashed prices. so, should you wait to buy the items that you've been eyeing? or should you get shopping right away? jo ling kent has more on what we all need to know before we buy.

hey there, jo. >> reporter: hey, guys. good morning to you. it all depends on what you want to buy. here at malls like glendale galleria, they're already rolling out the discounts. that means that one day of discounts has stretched out into an entire week of shopping. >> the amazon black friday sale. >> reporter: the ads are everywhere. black friday deals popping up from most major retailers. some of the discounts available right now. >> really? it's not black friday yet. >> beat the black friday rush. >> reporter: when should you make your love? experts say that depends on what you want to buy. when it comes to some of the hottest toys this season, act fast. stores like target, walmart and amazon are carrying more toys than ever this year, inventory could still be an issue since toys "r" us closed their doors. pop-up shops like toy city are

also here for the holidays. but their goal is to sell out before they move out, which means customers need to jump on the must-have items early. >> it's a catch-22. the deals will be closer in september but you don't know if the hot toys will be available then. >> reporter: if you've been eyeing a new tv, black friday is still the day for deals on electronics, with discounts reaching up to 70% off. it's one of the best times to buy name brand tvs. the savings apply to smaller electronics, too, with good deal on smart speakers. black friday is a rare time to get discounts on apple products, like ipads and the newest iphones. if it's cloelt clothes that yo after, they may be worth the wait. discounts on apparel can be closer to christmas, when retailers are desperate to unload inventory of coats, holiday pajamas and warm winter

sets. that applies online and in stores. >> i'm here at the mall to check things out in person. >> reporter: half of consumers will do their shopping in stores. the rest will turn to tech to make the holiday purchases. if you're someone who is counting on cyber monday, experts say, keep an eye out for deals leading up to the big day. here's the biggest takeaway -- >> never check out over a cyber weekend without a free shipping code. >> what about for folks that want to get started today? how can they get an advantage? >> reporter: all right. so, what you probably should do is start shopping online. put all that stuff you want into your shopping cart but do not hit buy. don't use the discount code you see at the top of the website yet. sleep on it. overnight, you might get an e-mail for the free shipping we've been talking about or an even bigger discount code. once you've got your stuff ordered, you have to stay vigilant because you actually may see the prices go down even more. and then, you could get a price adjustment. there's different good

strategies going into to black friday. >> i didn't know that. >> that's a lot of work. that's why i do gift cards. >> and jo has your credit card. >> thanks, jo. speaking of thanksgiving, coming up, martha stewart will be here with the most important thing you need to know about your thanksgiving turkey. how is that for a tease? first, these messages.

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all this week - only at kohl's. ♪ ♪ ♪ good morning now, 7:56, unhealthy to spend long periods of time outside as smoke lingers over the bay area. our air quality unhealthy for all microclimates as a spare the air alert continues through tuesday. by wednesday rain moves in bringing us better air quality. at times this could impact your travel as it will be a busy

travel day, off and on rain across the bay area throughout the day on wednesday. thursday the rain starts to taper off, but there will be another round of rain moving in late thursday night into friday, as it moves from north to south, and this round by the end of the week could be a little bit heavier as we lead into the weekend, and at times, some heavy rain and some heavy sierra snow as our winds pick up. as we go throughout our forecast, we will see some improved air quality but we have to make it through the next 24 hours. as we head over to mike, how is it looking out there for the commute? >> the speed sensors reasoneare looking too bad. alum rock an earlier crash at capital hill on the shoulder. north 85 around winchester, a crash backing up off of highway 17. that will be a factor for a few minutes. moving up, looking at san mateo and dumbarton bridges slow westbound of course. we'll look at the arrow direction there and we have a disabled vehicle in the shoulder, but the slow lanes on the flat section as well as the

smoke. back to you. >> thank you very much. happening now, within the last hour, firefighters updated their progress battling the camp fire burning in butte county, now 66% contained, up just slightly from last night. the number of structures destroyed went up again, nearing 15,600. the number of confirmed deaths stands at 77, with nearly 1,000 listed as missing. you can link to the latest on our twitter feed. students at origin da high school plan to gather to mourn a fellow student who died in a tragic home fire. head to our home page for the full story. strike the bay area.

kari dissects the new computer models overnight to get you ready. plus: our consumer team bags a solution for.. a bay area woman..whose designer purse wasn )t holding up as promised. tomorrow morning from 4:30 to 7.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, second thoughts? >> i think we've wasted enough time on this witch hunt. >> president trump suggesting he won't sit down with special counsel robert mueller, saying he's completed written answers to his questions. >> we gave very, very complete answers to a lot of questions that i shouldn't have even been asked. >> so, where does the investigation go from here? we're live at the white house. plus, buble all the way. ♪ it's a beautiful day >> grammy winner, michael buble is here live, after two years

break from music. >> thank you, on behalf of my family and i. >> he will talk about his triumphant return and share inspiring news about his family. and martha stewart is here live with what you need to know to keep your family safe this thanksgiving, from storing leftovers to avoiding the "s" word, salmonella. she has all of the answers here, today, november 19th, 2018. >> good morning to my dad and three brothers in tampa, florida. >> from nola to new york. >> first time in new york ♪ >> happy 80th birthday, grandma. >> hi to friends in okeechobee, florida. >> from mississippi -- >> melissa's turning 40. ♪

>> we are ready to party, okay? this is one of the great bands that will performing for the macy's day parade on thursday. how can they play their instruments and march? they can dance. we're going to see a performance. >> see them flossing in a few moments. >> i got there early and there's a whole bunch of people outside. and they're here for one person, michael buble. they came from all over the country to see michael. he's not too far from us. >> right over there. >> can't escape us. >> so happy to see him. let's get right to your news at 8:00. the president is speaking out on a variety of topics, including his role on the russia investigation and the saudi prince's involvement in the murder of a high-profile journalist. kristen welker has it all covered. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. president trump is sounding off

on a number of issues. in a new interview on fox news, he said he would not overrule matthew whitaker if he curtails the special counsel's investigation into russian meddling. >> it will be up to him. he's well aware politically. i would not get involved. >> reporter: democrats have called on whitaker to recuse himself for criticizing the mueller investigation in the past. the president says he will submit his written answers to questions this week. he was pressed on the cia's assessment that the saudi crown prince ordered the killing of journalist jamal khashoggi. the president saying he doesn't know if he believes him. but democrats and republicans said it is impossible the crown prince wasn't aware. savannah? >> kristen, thank you. rain is expected to bring relief this week to crews battling that devastating wildfire in northern california.

however, officials feel the rain may also trigger mudslides. that's added new urgency to the search for nearly 1,000 people who are still unaccounted for. volunteers joined rescue teams on sunday to search for remains in the town of paradise and surrounding communities. 77 of the state's 80 confirmed fire fatalities took place in that area. president trump visited this weekend and promised full federal support. most of the country will be dealing with plunging temperatures and another storm heading into the holiday. al has it mapped out for us. >> today, bitterly cold in the plains. air quality problems out west, besides the fires. here in the northeast, a clipper is coming across. it is going to bring snow and rain as we get into the inland sections, slick roads will be a problem. it movers off quickly. accumulating snow in northern new england, 2 to 8 inches of snow in some sections. going into wednesday, what we're

worried about is what comes out west. a system is making its way to the south by late night on wednesday. and the heavy rain will be a big problem. the heaviest rain around paradise, that means the potential for rock and mudslides and debris employeeflows. thanksgiving day, heavy rain in northern california in the southwest. we are looking at temperatures on thanksgiving day with windchills, 6 in travers city, minus 3 in boston. it will feel like 12 for the parade on thanksgiving day here in new york city. >> thank you, al. >> we're packing our long johns for the parade. you have a "boost"? >> i have a boost. this teenager thought she was in trouble because she was called to the principal's office in school. the whole deal was a set up, for a surprise, waiting behind the principal's desk. >> what did you do? >> nothing. >> you sure? what do you think about that?

>> i think you just busted my lip. >> that's her mom, by the way, home from military service, totally unexpected. they gave each other a hug that lasted forever. by the way, this is a beautiful moment but it's especially great this time of year during the holidays, right? >> oh, my gosh. that is so sweet. >> every time. still ahead, michael buble. he is going to perform for us. he is making the heart emoji because that's the name of his because that's the name of his new ♪ because that's the name of his new ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ (woman) hey mom, about tomorrow, we're g(grandma)ave to cancel. oh no. (woman) it's kevin. (kevin) i have head lice. (kevin) now the couch has lice! (grandma) i'll mail your gifts.

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i got croissant. small business saturday. a small way to make a big difference. this morning on "today's talker," the sensational michael buble, one of the world i's mos talented singers. now, he's back after a two-year break. >> his son battled and defeated cancer. michael will talk about that in a moment. but first, more on this man with the golden voice. ♪ i just haven't met you yet >> reporter: michael buble, his voice and pop singles have made this canadian crooner a household name. selling more than 60 million records worldwide, winning 4 grammys, performing hundreds of sold-out shows. ♪ surrounded by a million people i ♪ >> reporter: but two years ago, his living changed forever, when his son, noah, age 3, was

diagnosed with liver cancer. michael took a hiatus from the spotlight, writing to fans, we have always been vocal about the importance of family and the love we have in our children. we have put our careers on hold to devote all our time and attention to helping noah get well. today, a reason to celebrate. noah is cancer-free. and now, michael is opening up about his family's difficult journey. >> thank you. on behalf of my family and i, there's no way you can know how much you meant to us. ♪ when i fall in love >> reporter: an understandable pause in his career, now making his return this morning, that much more meaningful. his tenth studio album was released friday and is aptly named, "love." we are in love because michael buble is back. how are you doing? >> i'm so good. for those of you who weren't

watching, i walked away when you show the whole thing about my son because, it sucks. it hurts. you know, we've gone through so many hard times and we've dealt with this and i had to answer the questions. >> yeah. >> it's so much fun for me to be able to sort of not look back at the past and look forward at the future and be excited about life for our family and my boy and everything. so, i just wanted to get away and get focused on the good stuff. >> there's so much good stuff. you got a new baby. >> i do. >> little lady, vida. >> beautiful girl, looks like mommy. >> she is the cutest thing. can we look back when you first came on this show. >> sure. i'm a little nervous about that. >> i feel like we were one of the first spots you came. >> you were my first -- it's funny. i get very sentimental about it. this was my first big american -- >> this is you. this is 2005, michael. we found this piece of video, on the plaza. no one -- i think people didn't

know your name at that point. but you sang at our tree lighting and you kept coming back. >> was this the first one? >> it was 2005. >> i remember being in the hotel, in the shower, very nervous about 4:00 in the morning and coming on. i believe katie couric danced with me. there's way back stuff. it's crazy. >> we feel like we've been walking these years with you. >> you're my family, you know? there's never been a release without you. you've brought me luck. i will say this. everything i've done, every beautiful thing that's happened in my life, is because of you. i'm giving you all of the credit. and god. and god. god and the "today" show. >> in that order, please. >> or whatever order. who knows? >> i mean, you do seem like you have a little skip in your step. i know part of that is because of all that you've been through. >> yeah. >> it seems like your whole --

it's like michael has been transformed as a human. >> i think, how could you not be? you go through things that are painful. there's two kinds of pain, as frank underwood says. there's pain that's useless and pain that you learn from. you learn about life and what matters. you stop sweating the small stuff. you realize that most of the stuff is the small stuff. >> i know faith was always important in your life. but i guess it was underscored recently. and i was watching you do some interviews. it was just something that fills you up, just to listen to you speak. how has that played into the man you are today, sitting in this chair? >> i think it's given me -- i love being a dad and being able to share that feeling and that faith with the kids. and i love that -- you know, they'll ask me sometimes, why are you praying to the "today" show? please, "today" show let my record come up. >> you're the same.

same, goofy michael we love. >> i think that may be the most personal sort of relationship i have in my life. that's why i'm so -- i'm proud of it but reticent to talk about it. i don't share what so many people -- they have different ideas what they're faith is. i'm open to knowing that i know nothing. >> you hold it in your heart. it's great to hear music again. what was it like getting back in the studio. were you rusty? is it like riding a bike? you remember right away? >> i didn't know when i was going to come back or if or how. i invited my bandmates over to the house. >> yeah. >> we got drunk. we got pizza. we played mario cart and kicked the soccer ball in the backyard. >> sounds like fun. >> and when we got bored of that, we said, we should jam. and my friend, rhyye ryan, a gr

kid, i forgot about this. it was never a divorce. i did what i had to do, put my family first and did what anybody would do. but i remembered why i loved making the music. that whole day, to be honest with you, when you hear this record, that's where the record came from. all of the ideas, the concepts, the feelings, all came from a beautiful, drunken, pizza day. >> congrats on your star on the hollywood walk of fame. >> amazing. >> i feel lyiike everything is working. don't you feel that? >> yeah. i was a little surprised by it. i figured, maybe, if i was lucky enough to have that kind of honor, it would be much later in my life, not at 28 years old. >> i'm looking at the research -- i don't think he's 28. >> he's not 28 years old. but beautiful. it was a nice thing. it was a really nice chance for my parents, my family, the

people that love me for all my life, to celebrate together, what they've done. to show that their unconditional love and all the giving of their experience and their support. it worked. >> are the kids wild about the new music? are you playing it for them? >> they love the new record. but more, i think they love christmas. i think they're just like july. and i'm embarrassed in my car because they're saying, play "jingle bells" again. i love christmas. it's not that much of a twist. >> my 4-year-old, play "santa claus is coming to town" on alexa, yours is the one that comes up. you've been playing since july in our household, too. >> thank you for the stream. >> we're so happy that everything is going so well. you can sing for us, too. >> you hear my voice. i'm feeling a little -- i went to see dr. kessler yesterday morning because i was feeling a little -- been a lot of traveling. i love making excuses like this

before i get up and do a live session. >> we know you're going to be awesome because you always are. >> i can't lose now. if i stink, you know he's got vocal problems. if i'm amazing, you're like, he can do anything. >> you can do anything. dr. kessler is great. thank you so much. >> thank you, guys. let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> thanks so much. and we're looking at bitter cold air coming into the plains. there's a reinforcing shot of that right behind it. a lot of trouble there. looking at snow in tin land sections of new england, northern new york and central pennsylvania. stronger storms making their that's what's going on around the country. >> good morning, it's still smoky outside but by wednesday, rain will help improve our air quality. scattered showers throughout the day. on wednesday, it's pretty much covered the bay area with some light rain. it tapers off thanksgiving,

thursday, then another round of rain that will linger into friday. at times some pockets of some heavy rain. >> that's your latest weather. >> i wish people sometimes could see what happens during the commercials. sheinelle in for carson. good morning. >> steve carell made an "office" reunion happen over the weekend. he hosted "saturday night live." and he started to take questions from the audience, if he would consider doing a reboot of "the office," which he said, thanks but no thanks. then, familiar faces tried to make him change his mind. >> hi. >> hi. people would really love to see an "office" reboot. especially me. i need that money. let's get that money, steve. >> i'm sorry, ellie. i don't think it's a good idea. >> you're a jerk. >> not only did ellie kemper

make an appearance, but so did ed helms, and jenna fischer, all trying to make the reboot happen. did it work? >> feels like everybody wants this to happen. do you guys want to see an "office" reboot? is that what's going on here? come up on stage. no. not you. you're not part of this. all right. i am proud to announce, officially, that we have a great show tonight. >> what a tease. we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope something comes out of that minireunion. >> i think it's happening. up next, emily blunt, on an interview today, the actress sat down with ellen to talk about her new movie "mary poppins returns." blunt sings in the film. ellen asked her to sing for the audience. blunt was nervous about the performance. she got assistance from the backstreet boys. take a listen. ♪ tell me why

ain't nothing but a heartache ♪ ♪ tell me why ain't nothing but a mistake ♪ ♪ tell me why i never want to hear you say ♪ ♪ i want it that way 'cause i want it that way ♪ >> you left me alone. >> that was your part. >> beautiful. she did so well. you see the rest of her interview with ellen, check the local listings and tune in later today. >> that song is in "mary poppins"? >> it should be. thank you, sheinelle. now, to something special. we're celebrating 15 years of our annual series "thanks and giving," highlighting st. jude children research hospital. kristen went on the road with marlo thomas and the inspiring kids of st. jude. >> reporter: on a misting morning near the arch of

st. louis, nothing could dampen the spirits of this team. >> come on, everybody. >> reporter: it's a trip the st. jude patients and their families have taken many times before. >> 15 years. >> reporter: but this one is different. smiles and hugs, honoring a 15-year thanks and giving ti timeline. >> i'm so happy you're here. brian, you've grown. and calleb, look how great you look. i'm so glad you're all here. >> reporter: and i came along for the ride. >> hey, everybody. this is kristen from the "today" show. >> thanks for having me. >> reporter: many of these patients have shared their story with us on "today." brian quinlan began his journey 15 years ago at age 4. he was diagnosed with acute lymphoplastic. >> you don't think of it has a bad experience. >> i think of it as happy and

joy. >> reporter: you think that's because of st. jude? >> 99% because of st. a.l.l. is the biggest success stories at st. jude research hospital. when marlo's father opened the hospital, the survival rate was 4%. when "today" began this series 15 years ago, it was up to 85%. today, thanks to st. jude, it's 94%. >> he said, our chemo is so good now, we don't need to radiate the children anymore. he stopped radiating them about 15 years ago. and now, we are using the genome to find out which cells are affected and how do we target those leukemia cells? and we freely and immediately share all of those methods with the community worldwide. >> reporter: "thanks and giving" was an idea that marlo and her family dreamed of, to raise awareness of childhood cancer by

telling patient stories. stories like brooklyn, who we picked up along the way. we told her story six years ago. today, she's an a.l.l. survivor. what would you say to other kids who have dance ecancer and are undergoing treatment? >> always believe in yourself. never give up. and trust everybody in that building. >> reporter: now, patients like 10-year-old calleb brown, on the road to a better tomorrow. he was diagnosed with a.l.l. last year and is currently in treatment. >> at the beginning, it's hard. but it will get better, way better. >> he has the best doctor. we don't even think about we're not going to beat this. >> one, two, three four. ♪ >> reporter: pulling into st. jude is like coming home. cheers from doctors, nurses, staff and patients. >> see how excited they are to see you? >> reporter: met with big smiles, laughter and love.

♪ faces, filled with hope and a future. >> it's so exciting to see all of you. and especially the 15-year patients of the "today" show, how exciting. thank you so much. >> i'm so happy to be here. thank you for coming, everyone. >> st. jude is amazing. thank you for coming out. >> i'm glad all of you came out here for us. >> thank you. >> reporter: for "today," kristen dahlgren, nbc news, memphis. >> okay. marlo is here. she is the outreach director of st. jude. 15 years and you get to see the results. >> i know. all of the kids on the bus were 15 years they've been on the show. >> you look at the faces.

that's a great life's work. st. jude, it's at a 94% cure rate. >> the last 6% have an aggre aggressive type of leukemia. now, our whole purpose is focused on getting the gene that is the reason we're not able to cure that cancer. >> so many advancements have been made. it must be hard to quantify all of it. >> the exciting part is it's happening. we're focusing on curing the incurable. we're focusing on the pediatric cancers that have less than a 50% survival rate. we're collaborating with hospitals all over the globe to impact the low and middle-income countries where children who

have cancer will die. 80% of them will die. >> you're doing god's work. >> it's exciting. >> we have a thanks and giving story today. andyi )m ... a live look in oakland near the coliseum. you can see .. the air is still hazy. good morning. it's 8:26. this is near the coliseum, the air still hazy. it is still in large part from that butte county wildfire. unhealthy air quality is triggering school closures. san jose state remains open. a petition signed by school students urging school leaders to change their mines. sysu closed classes last week but they said decisions to close a campus are never made lightly.

some trouble on the san mateo bridge. >> we have are the tow truck. but the stoppage was as far as the eye could see. no reports of any problems. in the last 30 seconds the traffic has started to move. now, we have an easier drive, a slower drive across the dumbarton bridge. looks like the crash has cleared up. the south bay only has this, toward winchester. the rest of the bay looks good. >> i'll have another local news update in 30 minutes.

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ christmas is here bringing good cheer ♪ ♪ to young and the old weak and the bold ♪ ♪ ding dong ding dong that is the song ♪ ♪ with joyful ring all carolling ♪ ♪ one seems to hear words of good cheer ♪ ♪ from everywhere filling the air ♪ ♪ oh, how they pound raising a sound ♪ ♪ through hill and dale telling a tale ♪ ♪ gaily they ring while people hear ♪ ♪ songs of good cheer christmas is here ♪ ♪ merry, merry, merry merry christmas ♪ ♪ merry, merry, merry merry christmas ♪ ♪ on, on they send on without end ♪ ♪ their joyful tone to every home ♪ ♪ ding dong ding dong >> yes. >> wow. that is the young people's chorus of new york city, singing "carol of the bells." how awesome is that. in case you want to see that one more time, you're going to catch them live thanksgiving morning, during the macy's day parade. it's just after 8:30 on this beautiful monday. >> this is a huge crowd. everybody is fired up. >> this crowd is crazy. >> i got a "crowd moment." i got a "crowd moment." where is -- hi, you guys.

where is marinda? marinda? hi, girl. wait a minute. are you a schoolteacher? >> i am. >> where do you teach? >> in indianapolis, indiana. >> what did you tell them you were doing today? >> well, i may or may not have told them that we were taking a personal day. >> all right. you said that one of the things you want to do is meet -- >> michael buble. >> i wonder if we can arrange for that? can we arrange for that? yes, we can. yes, we can. i'll take your coffee. >> hi. >> so nice to meet you. >> how are you doing? >> good. how are you? >> how are the kids? are they good without you? >> i hope. they're 6. >> they need you more than ever. this is when they need you, big-time. it's nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you, too. this is my daughter, camille. she's 13 told.

♪ happy birthday to you happy birthday to you ♪ ♪ happy birthday, camille happy birthday to you ♪ >> you are awesome. >> is it because i remembered the song? >> amazing. >> that's great. that dr. kessler must do magic. unbelievable, dr. kessler. >> he has to go back inside. he's going to sing for us, one of his new songs. also coming up, after black friday comes small business saturday. we're going to be shining a light on the big impact it has on our communities all across the country. also, going to talk turkey with martha stewart. she's going to get down to basics to show us how to properly and safely prepare the big bird, for that perfect thanksgiving dinner. jenna, craig, jill martin and i will see you on the third hour of "today." dishes you can make today to take the stress out of your thanksgiving holiday. >> you're going to make your sweet potato casserole?

>> that comes up on wednesday. these are make ahead sides you're going to love. meanwhile, how about these dancers? ♪ these skilled dancers from the fred astaire dance studios are giving us a sneak peek of what's in store for thursday. that will be quite the party. >> the executive producer of macy's day parade, susan, are you ready? >> so ready. i cannot wait. >> we are having a miniparade in our plaza. what's new this year? >> we have so many new things. you see the ladies that are joining us, will be with us at the top of the parade. we have tom turkey who has been with the parade since 1971. he will be revamped and lifted up high. he's got a new paint job. it will be an amazing moment of the parade. >> i have to ask you because it will be cold. i know that affects the helium.

we're worried about the winds. what are the contingencies for that? >> we work closely with the new york city police department and everybody to make sure that the parade is safe and the balloons can fly. we're not that worried and we know you're going to help us that day. >> the floats are my favorite part. what's your favorite part? >> i love all of it. with the 25 floats, the 16 balloons this year, 8,000 marchers, so much going on. i love seeing the kids that morning. >> the marchers have the fist full of glitter and they throw it at the crowd. we can't wait to see you on thursday. >> thank you, susan. >> rest up. we'll have a great thursday morning. 92nd annual macy's thanksgiving day parade starts 9:00 a.m. sharp, thursday here on nbc. al, you have a check of the weather? >> check of the weather? >> all right. >> let's see. let's start off with your macy's thanksgiving day forecast. it will be cold, windy, with

wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour. you have to bundle up if you're coming down. 23 is the air temperature. windchills will be in the low teens by the time santa comes into herald square. it will be about 26. the rest of the country on thanksgiving day, mild weather in the plains and rain into northern california. mountain snows around the rockies. bitterly cold in the that's what's going on around the country, here's wahat's happening in your neck of the woods. >> smoke still lingers and it will be unhealthy to go outside. our spare the air alert continues through tomorrow. then rain. on wednesday, some scattered showers, early in the morning. the rain tapers off thursday and comes back thursday night. heavy rain on friday. for the weekend, the rain will

end, chilly with highs near 60. >> shop small on "today," is sponsored by american express. small business saturday is november 24th. get up, get out and shop small. >> this morning we're going to kick off our week leading into small business saturday. last year, more than 100 million people shopped and dined locally for the occasion. the two business owners you're about to meet say they couldn't be prouder to be part of that movement. ♪ there's something sweet inside the doors of this store front. >> this is a cavalcade of confection. a circus of candy. a carousel of care mamel, if yo will. >> reporter: 11 years ago, brandon hodge brought a sugar rush to his austin, texas, neighborhood. >> i took a step back to see what the community needed, what might fit well with other shops without competing with them.

>> reporter: today, thousands of visiteder e visitors walk through the door every week. >> when folks walk into big top, they are hit with this visceral no, sstalgia that washes over t. candy is the great equalizer. it doesn't matter who you are, you have a favorite. >> reporter: big top candy is a favorite and 1 of 30 million small businesses in the country that employ half of all americans. >> it's a great spot that people love. >> candy is such a small thing. but the laughter, that smile, that one gets from the brief indulgence, is something that i hope people will carry out the door with them. ♪ >> reporter: there's nothing but laughter and smiles at this dell rapids, south dakota, single-screen movie theater. >> for a small town like this, the theater is the one place

that everyone in town gathers, that you go and you get that sense of community. >> reporter: for as long as you can remember, the owner says films have been a part of his family. >> my dad built our first theater, the roxy, in 1933. i grew up working in the theater, helping sweep up after matinees or delivering posters around town. i love the movie business. it's a lot of fun. people come in a good mood to be entertained. >> reporter: seven days a week, entertain it does. >> it gives us a place to go and see each other. >> we get to hang out with our friends and come to movies. >> reporter: a gathering place for people near and far. the theater has been an anchor on main street for nearly a century. >> you don't want to move to a town if it doesn't have a movie theater. it isn't a complete town. >> we have joined by the administrator of the small business administration, linda mcmahon. >> good to see you, too. >> the fact of the matter is

small businesses are the center, the glue, if you will, of so many communities across our country. >> they are. if you go in on small business saturday and you shop in your community and you get the coffee and you do all of the things, you're part of the community. you know, 68 cents of every dollar that's spent in a small business in the community, stays in the community. it supports the fire department. it supports real estate. it supports everything in the local community. >> what's the common struggle you've seen as you travel across the country for small businesses right now? >> small businesses, they struggle against bigger businesses. right now, we have a workforce shortage because unemployment is so low. small businesses are competing for that. we are trying to make sure that we are providing a bigger workforce to come into the small businesses. >> is it true -- i've seen the fact that even though there's huge companies that will remain nameless, in a sense, it's helped small businesses because people want to have a personal

connection with whom they're buying. >> it's so great. i walk into a local shop in my hometown and they say, good morning, linda, how are you doing? you know that scarf you were looking at, we have another one coming in. they know who you are. how are the kids? now, they are wondering how my grandchildren are. you don't get that sense if you're not shopping in the small business. if you're supporting them, they're supporting the community. and it's really a great thing to do. i urge everybody. >> all right. happy thanksgiving. >> same to you. coming up next, martha stewart is in the kitchen showing us how to prepare the perfect turkey this thanksgiving and stay safe while doing it. firs

[ horn honks ] rolling stone raves green book is hugely entertaining. what experience do you have? public relations. [ laughing ] audience everywhere are cheering. i don't think i've ever met anyone with your appetite. yeah, right. [ laughing ]

♪thisi'm gonna let it shine. ♪ it's energy saving time, ♪ i'm gonna reduce mine. ♪ californians all align ♪ to let our great state shine. ♪ let it shine, ♪ the power's ours to let it shine! ♪ this morning on "today food" a new report from the cdc is causing concern. there's been 164 reported cases

of salmonella across 35 states linked to raw turkey. plus, a recent recall of jeeno ground turkey products. if anyone knows turkey without getting sick, it's this cowoman martha stewart. >> i've never gotten sick cooking a turkey. there's some simple steps that people should pay attention to. wash your hands frequently. the sushi chef is always washing his hands. soap. wipe up turkey juices. turkeys are juicy when they're just thawed and roasted. >> don't use a cloth? >> no. it makes it more difficult. also, if you like -- i think it's not a bad idea, use rubber gloves. the nice latex surgeons gloves.

buy a box of these. it helps a lot, keeping yourself nice and clean. sterilize your working area. it's keeping it cleaner. a little bleach or white vinegar in about a gallon of water. and then, wipe it up. >> what about rinsing the turkey? >> i do rinse my turkey. 68% of americans, after a survey, rinse their turkeys. if you have a chosen tfrozen tuu rinse it. i put a little vinegar in a tub of water and i go like this. they're advising not to rinse it. i don't know the reasoning. we've been advised. >> how about thousaawing the tu? >> thaw it in the original bag it comes in. if you have a fresh turkey, keep it really cold, in the coldest part of your refrigerator and keep it covered in your refrigerator. >> thaw inside the refrigerator.

>> it will take about two days to thaw a turkey. put it in the refrigerator on tuesday, for putting in the oven on thursday. i always work -- instead of working on a cutting board, i work on a piece of parchment paper. >> why? >> your board doesn't have to be sanitized or scrubbed. >> use a board for cutting your vegetables, chopping your stuffing vegetables and everything, your bread, on another board. i prefer acrylic cutting boards to wood. >> we're up to tip eight here. >> this is the done turkey. roast in a heavy-duty pan. those very floppy, aluminum pans. i went to the grocery store last night, everyone was buying aluminum disposables. buy one of these. >> did you correct them? pull them aside? >> i did. >> of course you did.

>> just get yourself a roasting pan with a rack in it. those don't have racks. they can flop and you can drop the turkey on the way to the table. garnish beautifully. and always, the thermometer. you can have instant read thermometer. put it down into the stuffing, into the center, and into the thickest part of the thigh. 165 degrees. >> really quickly, stuffing. a lot of folks like to take the stuffing into the bird. >> i do that because i like to dig in there afterwards. that's my snack. but don't stuff the -- you stuff the cold turkey with cold stuffing on thanksgiving morning. some people put it in the oven the night before -- in the turkey the night before. you don't want to do that. and leftovers are really, really good. after three days -- >> throw them out. martha stewart, always good to have you. happy thanksgiving.

>> more information on turkey prep safety, today.com/food. all of the tips are there. michael buble is back, up next. he's on a mission spreading love and performing live. first, this is "today" on

the citi concert series on "today," is proudly presented to you by citi. >> michael buble is about to sing and we cannot contain ourselves any longer. michael, we can hardly wait. >> i can't wait to do this with you guys. i can't believe you agreed that we were going to go on the road together, just like this. >> performing "i only have eyes for you" off his brand-new album, "love," here is michael buble.

♪ ♪ are the stars out tonight i don't care if it's cloudy or bright ♪ ♪ 'cause i only have eyes for you, dear ♪ ♪ now, the moon may be high but i can't see a thing in the sky ♪ ♪ 'cause i only have eyes for y you, hoda ♪ ♪ i don't know if we're in a garden ♪ ♪ or on a crowded avenue you are here, so am i ♪ ♪ maybe millions of people go by

but they all disappear from view ♪ ♪ and i only have eyes for you ♪ ♪ ♪ how can i live a day without you ♪ ♪ i need your love to see me through ♪ ♪ you're not here by my side maybe millions of people go by ♪

♪ but they all disappear from view ♪ ♪ and i only have eyes you know, i only have eyes ♪ ♪ only have eyes for you ♪ ♪ only have eyes for you only for you ♪ >> yes. yes. yes. yes. >> you sound like butter. that was unbelievable. >> beautiful. the new album is "love." you're going to be back on wednesday, with kathie lee and me. >> damn straight i'm going to be. >> we'll be back. this is "today" on nbc.

michael buble, it's been such a morning with you. thank you so much. >> you're going on the road and on tour. >> you better believe it. >> we have it on our website. >> al,i )m - -... a short time from now .. students at an orinda high good morn. it's 8:56. students at an aronda high school mourn a student killed at a weekend house fire. friend tell nbc bay area the victim is a sophomore at moronta

high school. all three people were injured including the firefighters. sources say the girl's parents were out of town. the cause is being investigated. classes are not in session this week but students plan to gather on campus to grieve together. we'll have a live report in our midday newscast. firefighters updated their program battling the butte fire, it is now 56% contained. the number of structures destroyed is nearly 16,000. the number of confirmed deaths stand at 77. all that smoky air is making another day bay area air quality. go to our website for more. stri.

kari dissects the new computer models overnight to get you ready. plus: our consumer team bags a solution for.. a bay area woman..whose designer purse wasn )t holding up as promised. tomorrow morning from 4:30 to 7.

>> announcer: live from studio 6a, this is "today." good morning, everybody. hope you had a great weekend, i'm al here along with craig, jenna and our good pal jill martin. >> good morning. >> do you have some "steals & deals" for us? >> no "steals & deals." you are our special steal and deal after last night, congratulations. >> i appreciate that. you know, it feels so early, but this is thanksgiving week. >> how? >> it's crazy. >> it was just the summer and all of a sudden we have to get our turkeys ready? >> it's time. >> do you realize we are all our parents, that's the stuff our parents would