live local news update. >> and stick around for our midday show coming up for you at 11:00. don't miss out. thanks for joining us this morning. >> thanks for having us. good morning four more years? >> i stand before you to officially launch my campaign for a second term. >> president trump formally kicks off his re-election bid with a 76-minute speech with his favorite hit. >> border security a hoax the great hoax crooked hillary clinton. >> the base goes wild. is this the path to re-election? stunning exit. acting defense secretary patrick shanahan abruptly stepping aside after an explosive report about domestic violence in his family. the military once again without a leader at a critical time. rocket attack. exxonmobil evacuates personnel

from iraq this morning after an assault on its headquarters there. iranian-backed militia being blamed overnight, the new evidence navy officials say proves iran wa behind the tanker attacks. we're live with the very latest. those stories, plus more storms the entire eastern half of the country facing yet another day of heavy rain and flash flooding al's forecast straight ahead safety first the historic changes coming to two major league parks after a string of scary incidents involving fans and rock star. >> i can't believe i just did that >> the 10-year-old who just became the youngest person ever to scale yosemite's el capitan she's right here to tell that story. today, wednesday, june 19th, 2019 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from

studio 1a in rockefeller plaza good morning, everybody. welcome to "today. thank you for being with us on a wednesday morning. it is not every day we have rock royalty right in our studio. >> it's true. >> it is selah schneiter she is the youngest person ever to climb el capita yosemite's famous peak. she's incredible she's going to tell us how she did it. >> the 10-year-old in the studio with us. her parents here, as well. we'll just say, not to give away too much, but it is in her blood. >> yes. >> we'll get to that in a moment >> destiny, you might say. let's get to the top story the president had his first 2020 campaign rally, and it opened a lot like his run in 2016 in terms of themes. promises of american greatness, attacks on some familiar rivals. we've got two reports. we'll start with nbc white house correspondent peter alexander, who is in orlando where th rally was last night hi, peter. good morning >> reporter: hey, savannah and craig. good morning to you. in many ways, it is as if president trump's 2016 campaign never ended. the president not really trying

to persuade new voters to join him but trying to super charge his loyal base that's the 2020 strategy last night, airing the same grievances against the same perceived enemies that propelled him to the white house. >> i stand before you to officially launch my campaign for a second term as president of the united states >> reporter: president trump, in front of a capacity crowd, kicking off his 2020 campaign with familiar themes >> we're draining the swamp. >> reporter: targeting the media, the democrats, and the establishment. >> they tried to take away your dignity and your destiny, but we will never let them do that, will we? >> reporter: for the formal kick-off, a photo of the trump/pence ticket with the trump children smiling from the sidelines. the major difference from 2016, the presidential seal on the podium a new topic to focus on, the russia investigation.

>> we went through the greatest witch hunt in political history. >> reporter: the president again attacking his last opponent, mentioning hillary clinton at least seven times. >> crooked hillary clinton and the dnc. just in case hillary clinton lost. she thought that hillary clinton, crooked hillary was going to win. when hillary clinton said, the free pass they gave to hillary. hillary used the word "deplorables." hillary clinton made a mistake with that speech. >> reporter: taking brief swipes at possible 2020 rivals. >> our radical democratic opponents are driven by hatred, prejudice, and rage. they want to destroy you. they want to destroy our country as we know it. >> reporter: name checking bernie sanders and joe biden. >> crazy bernie sanders. sleepy joe. >> reporter: both candidates topping the president in a new poll of florida voters. biden leading by 9%, sanders by 6%. democrats looking to avoid some mistakes from clinton's 2016 campaign, targeting key

battleground states. >> i plan on campaigning the south, and i believe we can win texas and florida, if you look at the polling data now. >> peter, you were there last night. the crowd seemed to love the speech. what was the atmosphere? >> reporter: yeah, they definitely did. it was about 20,000 people in the arena. there wasn't a lot of new material last night. certainly the same old grudges. we reported on the president's frustration with polls recently, certainly polls not in his favor. he quizzed the crowd, whether they preferred the theme, make america great again or keep america great. these were the people who helped get him to the white house in 2016, and he is counting on them to help him do it again. >> peter, while we have you here, yesterday, the president was asked about that new warning, the i.c.e. agents are going to deport millions of undocumented immigrants starting next week. have we learned any more about the president's plan? >> reporter: yeah, the president

yesterday at the white house was pressed on the fact that many immigration officials say they were caught off guard by his announcement. certainly an announcement of deporting millions of undocumented immigrants, something of that type of a large-scale. the president again doubled down, insisting this is going to happen beginning next week. again, he didn't offer specifics on it. immigration officials tell us that it is logistically impossible and politically explosive. for now, we wait and see. craig and savannah? >> peter alexander for us in orlando. thank you. breaking overnight, a new source of tension in the middle east. a rocket strike near the iraq headquarters of u.s. oil giant exxonmobil. this as the u.s. reveals new evidence of iran's alleged involvement in those attacks on oil tankers in the region. nbc's chief global correspondent bill neely has more. bill, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, guys. the u.s. is building its case against iran this morning with

new evidence that it's shown to nbc news here in the gulf. the president appears to be playing down the significance of the attacks on those oil tankers as minor. meanwhile, in iraq this morning, a rocket attack on workers evacuated from a u.s. oil company. at the u.s. base on the persian gulf, fragments of mines and the magnets used to attach them. made by iran, says the u.s., to attack oil tankers last week. >> the mine that was used does bear a striking resemblance to that which has been publicly displayed in the iranian military parades. >> reporter: more proof, say u.s. officials, of iranian guilt. to add to the photograph and the video that show iranian revolutionary guards next to the damaged ship. president trump is now playing down the attacks, telling "time" magazine, so far, it's been very minor. he said it was questionable

whether he'd take military action to keep the gulf shipping lanes open. going to war to prevent iran getting nuclear weapons, certainly, he said. secretary of state mike pompeo met u.s. military commanders and says america's aim is to defend and deter. >> we are there to deter aggression. president trump does not want war, and we will continue to communicate that message while doing the things that are necessary to protect american interests in the region. >> reporter: this morning, exxonmobil says it is evacuating 20 workers from iraq after a rocket landed at its headquarters there. iranian-backed militia is being blamed by some iraqi military officials. all this as another 1,000 american troops are being sent to the middle east to convince iran the u.s. is serious. all this as another 1,000 american troops are being sent to the middle east to convince

iran the u.s. is serious. iran's president says it, too, doesn't want war. but he doesn't control the country or the militias in the region. it is a crisis with no clear way out. this morning, iran's president said he will not negotiate with the u.s. under pressure. not ruling out talks all together. those american oil workers that were evacuated, just this morning, many of them had just returned after being evacuated from the same facility last month. so very tense times here, guys. craig? >> bill neely for us in qatar, thank you. now to a major shake-up at the pentagon. acting secretary of defense patrick shanahan stepping down and withdrawing from the consideration to take over the post on a permanent basis after newly surfaced reports of domestic violence in his family's past. nbc correspondent kristen welker has the story on this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to

you. president trump is facing mounting questions about the sudden departure of his acting defense secretary. the president is aiming to quell concerns about any instability in the agency and has vowed to name a permanent replacement soon. still, it comes at a critical moment with major foreign policy challenges from iran, iraq, and north korea. this morning, a sudden shakeup inside the defense department, after patrick shanahan told president trump he's withdrawing his nomination for secretary of defense. >> difficult time for pat, but he is going to take a little time off for family service. >> reporter: shanahan, a former boeing executive, saying in a statement, continuing in the confirmation process would force my three children to relive a traumatic chapter in our family's life. their safety and well-being is my highest priority. that comes as "usa today" reports the fbi background investigation was looking into a violent domestic dispute from 2010 between shanahan and his then-wife, kimberly, which both

claim to police they had been punched by the other. shanahan told "usa today" i never laid a hand on my then wife. in 2011, the "washington post" reports the couple's then 17-year-old son, william, used a baseball bat to brutally beat his mother, leaving her unconscious with a fractured skull. two weeks later, according to the paper, shanahan sent his ex-wife's brother a memo, arguing his son acted in self-defense, writing, will's mother harassed him for nearly three hours before the incident. but shanahan now telling the "post" in a new interview. >> i have never believed will's attack on his mother was an act of self-defense or in any way justified. i don't believe violence is appropriate ever. >> reporter: the post releasing portions of the interview. >> bad things can happen to good families. >> reporter: the president saying he just learned of the incidents monday. >> this is something that came up over the last short period of time. >> reporter: now, some democrats

say they were caught off guard, >> i feel that there was possibly a deliberate concealment here. >> reporter: the president is tapping army secretary mark esper to serve as acting defense secretary, his third pentagon chief in six months. >> kristen, it is not just defense secretary. there is a number of vacancies in senior leadership in the administration. can you tell us about that? >> reporter: that's right, savannah. look, there are actually more than a dozen top positions in the trump administration. you can see some here on your screen that are either vacant or only have someone serving in an acting capacity. now, that includes critical positions like the dhs secretary, the fema director, faa administrator, and even the chief of staff at the white house. the president says he likes to have people in acting roles because it gives him more flexibility. it also has the potential effect of not really having someone who is truly in charge in key areas of government. the question is, could that create instability, as the

president navigates foreign policy challenges, like the one bill was talking about, and also what he has called a crisis at the border. savannah and craig? >> kristen welker at the white house, thank you. at home, the threat of severe weather is expanding. nearly the entire eastern half of this country is bracing for more storms and flooding rain. mr. roker is tracking all of it for us. how are we looking? >> good morning. thanks for getting that first weather from us nationally. you can see, this is hail. kansas, folks are parked under overpasses to protect themselves. there's flooding going on. guess what? we're going to see more of this, and it is just going to keep going because we have a blocking system there. right now, we have flash flood warnings out from nebraska into kansas, on into missouri. we've got also flash flood watches for 41 million people through the midwest. we are looking at a lot of heavy rain. why? we're getting this block, this greenland block.

there is a big area of high pressure over greenland. that blocks the movement of storms. we've got this canadian low that's pumping in cooler air from canada. with the jet stream stuck where it is, nothing is moving. we're looking at this stormy weather pattern that just sits here along the jet stream and continues to push moisture across and along it. right now, we don't see that breaking up until early next week. if you're going to be traveling today, it is going to be a mess, especially out at the airports. low clouds, fog in new york city, showers. charlotte, scattered showers. dallas and cincinnati, delays. on the roads, a real mess. we're looking at rainfall amounts anywhere from two to three inches. locally, we could see upwards of three inches to five inches through the midwest and into the northeast. savannah? >> al, thank you. now to false reports of an active shooter that active shooter that triggered chaos and confusion at honolulu's airport yesterday and led to major flight delays, too. thousands of outbound passengers had to be evacuated and then rescreened after two laptops overheated in somebody's carry-on luggage at a security checkpoint

the computer started to smoke, apparently make noise that resembled gunshots to those who heard it that sent people ducking under chairs and fleeing in all directions to seek safety. several people suffered minor injuries in that melee now to the high profile war crimes trial of a decorated navy s.e.a.l. accused of murdering a captured isis fighter in iraq. miguel almaguer has the latest on this one. good morning to you. >> good morning. special operations chief edward gallagher is accused of serious war crimes prosecutors say he went rogue, killing an isis detainee and opening fire on a young girl and elderly man. he says it is from disgruntled co-workers looking to get even >> reporter: in a battle for his own freedom prosecutors painted gallagher as a cold-blooded killer the first witness to testify, a navy s.e.a.l. who served with gallagher, saying he watched the

officer begin to medically treat an injured detainee. when he left and returned, the isis fighter was no longer alive. in court, prosecutors showed photos of a dead teenager including one with gallagher holding his head in one hand and a knife in the other, allegedly texts friends, i got a good story when i get back. i got him with my hunting knife. the 40-year-old veteran and his attorney denying all charges >> this is not a murder. this is a mutiny this is a group of young, disgruntled sailors that didn't like being told that they were cowards. they decided to conspire to take down the chief >> reporter: now facing life in prison, while in mosul, iraq, in 2017, gallagher is also accused of shooting at two unarmed civilians -- a school-aged girl and an elderly man -- from a sniper's nest. gallagher's wife standing by his side >> the truth has always been our best defense we said from day one that these allegations are shameless. >> reporter: the case could be difficult to prove for the prosecution.

they have little physical evidence, no body, weapons, or dna. relying on witnesses, it was members of gallagher's own platoon who reported him >> each one of these witnesses is going to come in and tell their own individual story we're going to have to go through each one of them, expose each one of them for lying. >> reporter: no stranger to a battlefield, today in courtroom, edward gallagher is facing a different kind of fight for his life >> miguel, we know that this is a military court, not a civilian courtroom. what do we know then about the makeup of the jury >> craig, because this is a military court, it is comprised of seven service members, including a navy s.e.a.l chief gallagher's peers will ultimately decide if he's innocent or guilty we should add, this could be a very big day in court, with the navy s.e.a.l. who says he witnessed the stabbing set to testify today, craig. >> we will, of course, continue to follow this closely miguel, thank you. a british research submarine

has made a significant discovery on its very first mission, but that is perhaps the least memorable thing about it as you may recall, back in 2016, british researchers asked the public's help in naming the ship people came up with the name boaty mcboatface >> oh, boaty mcboatface. >> and now, boaty mcboatface made an important discovery. officials vetoed the choice and decided to name this smaller submarine instead of the ship boaty mcboatface the most important thing, boatty mcboatface found a significant link between antarctic winds and rising sea temperatures. the data is going to help experts better predict how climate change will impact rising sea levels. again, it is named boaty mcboatface, which makes me laugh. >> you like saying boaty mcboatface. >> i know. >> who doesn't >> boaty mcboatface. >> it has climate change it is the best of both worlds. >> i knew you'd like it, al. >> thank you unfortunately, we do have

some severe weather to talk about. let's go into this a little more in depth 10 states, 26 million people from texas all the way to indiana, tennessee, parts of mississippi, and alabama hail, can't rule out tornadoes tomorrow afternoon into the evening, we have from the northeast into the plains, i should say the southeast and then the plains on friday. a lot of severe weather as we move right on into the weekend that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. r lady's on tv again. she's not a baker. she wears that apron to sell insurance. nobody knows why. she's the progressive insurance lady. they cover pets if your owner gets into a car accident. covers us with what? you got me. [ scoffs ] she's an insurance lady. and i suppose this baker sells insurance, too? progressive protects your pets like you do. you can see "the secret life of pets 2" only in theaters. good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. live look outside at the golden

gate bridge covered in fog right now and even drizzling at times. we're going to see more of that throughout the morning and that keeps those temperatures cooler. we'll reach into the mid 60s there but mid 70s in santa rosa and mid 90s today. inland areas mostly reaching into the 80s with san jose up to 82 degrees. slightly cooler tomorrow and then our temperatures go back up as we head into our first weekend of summer. >> boaty mcboatface. it's good clean fun, al. >> it is >> thank you so much still to come, historic safety changes heading to two major league ballparks in the wake of injuries to fans question this morning, should the rest of the league follow suit also, the 10-year-old girl who just made history. she is the youngest person to ever scale yosemite's iconic el capitan. there she is she's with us exclusively along she's with us exclusively along with her parents the nature of a virus is to change. move. mutate.

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sometimes within 24 hours. before you send your teen to college... make sure you help protect them. talk to your teen's doctor... about meningitis b vaccination. we have breaking news in san mateo county this morning. investigators investigating a second homicide this morning that could be connected to the deaths of a taxi cab driver. pete joins us at the scene with the very latest. >> good morning. we know the san mateo sheriff's office arrested a suspect in a nearby homicide and we want to see if that is connected to the death of the taxi cab driver along skyline boulevard. now that is the 32-year-old from p pacifica. he told his family he would be

home in a couple of hours. around 11:00 p.m. a sheriff's deputy found his dead body near his cab along skyline boulevard between sweat and reids roost roads. and investigations continue. >> thank you. now let's switch gears and talk about the weather. it's a cool start to our morning. going to be a cooler day as well. >> clouds. temperatures in the upper 50s in the south bay and heading into the low 80s in san jose. we'll have hot temperatures in the inland valleys reaching the upper 80s while san francisco stays in the 60s this afternoon. our temperature trend will be going up and a hot commute as well. >> the crash north 101 at the peninsula cleared. north 101 recovering. that's for the bay shore freeway. no more slowing across the san

mateo bridge on the decline. we'll have another update for you in about half an hour. we'll see you then.

♪ always going to be another mountain ♪ we are back at 7:30 on wednesday morning, the 19th of june, 2019 history making moment. selah schneiter, 10-year-old, conquering one of the most brutal challenges, yosemite's el capitan. she's here to tell us the story. >> we can see her off camera now, smiling from ear to ear she looks at herself climbing that thing i'd be smiling and quite proud she's here for an exclusive, live interview plus, we have a little surprise for you. don't want to give away too much though little surprise. >> exactly let's get right to the headlines of the morning. president formally kicking off his re-election bid last night in front of a packed house in orlando

>> i stand before you to officially launch my campaign for a second term as president of the united states >> the president spoke for well over an hour, targeted some favorite folks, the media, the democrats, and the russia investigation, brought up his 2016 opponent hillary clinton at least seven times, and took brief swipes at his possible 2020 rivals. united nations human rights investigator is calling for a criminal probe into the possible role of saudi prince mohammed bin salman in the killing of "the washington post journalist jamal khashoggi in her report this morning, the investigator says no conclusion is made as to guilt. the only conclusion made is that there is credible evidence meriting further investigation she says she obtained abscess to -- access to a recording of khashoggi's killing and dismemberment last october inside the saudi consulate ins i st

-- in istanbul. 11 people are on trial for the crime in saudi arabia. one of the largest drug busts in u.s. history. more than 16 tons of cocaine were seized at a philadelphia shipping yard yesterday. the containers were packed full of drugs and valued at $1 billion. investigators believe the ship was loaded with drugs after leaving its last port of call in the bahamas. two major league baseball teams are announcing plans for significant safety changes to better protect fans from foul balls. this comes after several frightening incidents. nbc's gabe gutierrez is outside one of those parks, guaranteed rate field, the home, of course, to the chicago white sox gabe, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. this town is going wild over the cross town classic between the cubs and white sox matchup at wrigley field, but it is the ballpark behind me where fans will soon see a change that some say is long overdue. it's a moment that shocked the

sport. cubs outfielder almora junior smacking a foul ball into the stands, hitting a 4-year-old girl the child's father rushing her from the stands. almora shaken on the field and needed to be consoled. >> this one hurts. >> it's frightening. >> reporter: now, two big league teams are announcing they're extending safety netting to protect fans. >> nobody should go home with bumps, bruises, or even worse. whatever they have to do to take care of that, i'm glad they're taking procedures. >> reporter: in 2015, major league baseball recommended teams extend their netting dugout to dugout all 30 teams did so by 2018. now, the chicago white sox are moving theirs all the way to the foul pole in the outfield. the texas rangers will move their net a bit farther into the outfield, raising the question, will other teams be next >> we have to make sure we protect everybody. >> reporter: that line drive was just the latest incident

last month, this 11-year-old was hit by a foul ball during a nationals game >> i put my glove up to try to catch it, but it went past it and hit me in the nose i went into shock immediately. >> reporter: last year, a 79-year-old woman was killed by a foul ball at dodgers stadium in 2017, another young girl was hit in the face during a yankees game. >> they're going to get help for the person that was struck by the baseball >> reporter: the new, extended netting may prevent fans from making memorable catches like these. >> a snag here in the stands with a child >> wow >> reporter: some players think the sacrifice is worth it to keep fans safe. >> both foul posts is pretty aggressive, in my opinion, but you don't want anyone to be hurt it will probably be foul posts for every team. >> reporter: the white sox haven't announced when they'll make the change. only that it will happen as soon as possible. reached out to major league baseball to find out if the league will recommend every team do this. so far, the league has not commented.

savannah, craig, and al, back to you. >> there's gabe for us there in chicago. similar thing happened in hockey 15, 16 years ago, i think 2002 a little girl, 13, hit by a puck and dies shortly thereafter, they install all this netting in the nhl. at the time, people complained it'd ruin the views, blah, blah, blah now, it is the norm. you have to wonder if major league baseball will follow suit. >> maybe they will in japan in baseball, they have more netting. >> that's right. >> whistles get blown when a ball veers off into the stands >> yeah. >> we'll see hopefully this isn't the end let's get a check of the weather. you have a dapper outfit this morning that requires a comment. >> trying to play it cool. in fact, trying to match the weather because it has been cool, as well. we've had no 90 degree temperatures in 2019 so far. most of the midwest and the northeast not getting those 90 degree readings. how far behind are we? 14 degrees behind getting the first 90 in kansas city. 11 in chicago. seven days, detroit. 24 days, new york.

so far, the hottest day so far this year from oklahoma into the upper 80s. same for chicago, detroit, new york city. no 90s yet the problem has been this blocking pattern we've been seeing over and over again below average temperatures again in cheyenne. bismarck, milwaukee, kansas city as we continue to see those cool temperatures tomorrow from chicago to boise, finally temperatures w >> we've had some 90s and thankfully we're not going to see a lot of those today. here's a live look outside in dublin this morning. starting out hazey. skies are starting to clear in the inland areas and mostly 80s today. concord reaching 87. oakland today 73. we'll keep it cool in half moon bay in the low 60s today and as we head through the forecast, we

do have warmer weather ahead. >> al, thank you still ahead this morning, the mounting death and illnesses of american tourists in the dominican republic we'll hear from one mother who claims officials there are lying about what happened to her son. also ahead, the u.s. border town opening its arms to migrants what cynthia mcfadden discovered when she traveled there with actress and save the children volunteer jennifer garner. plus, is your partner ruining your sleep from different wakeup times to the temperature, the changes that some of us could make so that our partners get more rest. first, as mentioned, the youngest climber ever to climb the nose of yosemite's el capitan. that remarkable 10-year-old is here, along with her proud parents. her father is her climbing partner, and they have a great story to tell about how this all came about, right after this join t-mobile. 1. do you like netflix? sure you do. that's why it's on us. 2. unlimited data.

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parents about this in a moment, but first her historic journey >> reporter: at yosemite national park, this is how most take in el capitan's awesome beauty this was 10-year-old sela selah schneiter's breathtaking view >> it's steep, isn't it? >> yeah, super steep >> reporter: last week, this little powerhouse became the youngest person on record to reach the summit towering 3,000 feet high, conquering el cap is no easy feat, even for climbers twice selah's age. >> just being there was incredible just thinking about that whole experience was really moving >> reporter: for decades, many thought the peak was unclimbable. el capitan's complexity has proven deadly. but pitch by pitch, selah was all smiles on her five-day assent into the record books. >> close to home >> good. >> reporter: her dad mike by her

side, recording every step >> super proud of her, just to see how big her heart was and how strong she was >> reporter: you could say selah was born to reach these heights, with parents devoted to the sport. selah was climbing before she could walk. >> our motto was, how do you eat an elephant? small bites. we were just trying to do, you know, one day at a time, one move at a time, one pitch at a time >> reporter: she's been moving up ever since. >> last bolt and anchor. >> reporter: her path to the top, a year in the making. all for this moment. >> that's your first happy cry >> yeah. i just can't believe i just did that >> reporter: proving for this young girl, the sky is the limit. >> selah, we can't believe you did it either. she's here along with her parents, mike and joy. good morning. >> good morning. >> selah, when you watch that back, what goes through your mind how do you feel? >> i don't know. a lot. >> well, what was it like in that moment when you got to the top?

>> really overwhelming really emotional. >> what was the hardest part of all of it? i mean, minus the 3,000 feet and all. >> probably getting down because you're carrying everything and because you're really tired. >> how did this idea come up, selah, to climb el cap i know your parents are both climbers, but when did you think, maybe i'd like to try this >> well, last year, my dad wanted me to do it, but then i didn't want to do it i thought i would do it this year >> dad, let me turn to you here for a moment mike, i would imagine there was probably some concern. she's just 10 years old. how did you -- how did you get to the point where you're like, this is a good idea? >> yeah, i mean, she talked about it really for a number of years, and we started hatching a plan if we're going to do this, you need to do a series of steps, like goals to get there.

i said, well, if we can kind of get to that point where we feel like we're ready, we can give it a go, you know she did. she did great preparing for it, training for it. i really felt like, okay, i think maybe we have a chance not a 100% chance but just a chance. >> to summit. >> yeah, go give it a shot we can always come down if it wasn't working i felt comfortable enough that we'd be safe enough because we had plenty of backups in place had a great friend with us, mark regier, who helped us along the way. it was really, really great. >> this brings me to mom, joy. i mean, what did you think of this idea? i know you're a climber yourself, but were you nervous was it easy for you to say, okay, guys, you can do this? >> i would say i was concerned for her endurance. she's so little. i know how much work it is to get up a big wall. it is not just going up 3,000 feet it's hauling and jugging and sleeping and exposure to the elements being baked in the sun it is just a lot of

energy-sapping experience. i was worried about her getting really tired and wanting to turn back but i knew that they would turn back if they needed to i knew that mike would, you know -- if anyone, mike is the person who would keep her safe up there. >> selah, you get to the top and want one thing, apparently what's the one thing you craved when you got to the top of el cap? >> pizza. >> i guess there are no pizza places on the top of el cap though, right? >> no. >> you got it when you came down >> we were planning to go to the pizza deck when we went down, and we still did, but i was really looking forward to it. >> i bet that was the best pizza you ever had. >> yeah. >> what was it like up there what were the views like what was it like to climb this huge mountain? >> i think the best thing was sunset. >> i bet it was. not many people have seen it have you ever heard of this climber, alex honnold? >> yeah.

>> he climbed el cap he did this climb without ropes. there was a documentary, "free solo." he had a message for you, if you look right over there. we'll play it for you. >> hey, selah, nice work on el cap. pretty impressive. i got to watch you a little bit from the meadow. i got to see you through a telescope. it was pretty incredible to see you up there well done. >> how cool is that? >> oh, my gosh >> alex honnold was watching you. he is a legend. >> oh, my gosh. >> you think you'd want to do more climbs in the future? >> uh-huh. >> you do? >> yeah. >> you have three other children selah is the oldest. do we have climbing in their blood, too >> they love it. they're constantly climbing. we have a climbing wall in our garage, and they're just constantly on there. >> i should mention, we're almost out of time, but you two fell in love on el capitan. >> we did. >> tell us about that. >> 15 years ago, i was living in my volkswagen van, traveling around the country, climbing i met these guys mark regier, who was on the trip, and mike, and another guy.

they invited me to climb el cap with them. over a few days, we fell in love mike gave me a peck on the cheek on the top >> now it's full circle. >> yeah. >> mark officiated our wedding less than a year later. >> that's your mountain. >> yeah. it's really special to us. >> selah, congratulations. you're amazing. >> come back after the next climb, okay? >> okay. ahead this morning, jenna getting a first look at a big, new expansion down at dollywood. she's with dolly herself first, these messages. so recently my son's band was signed by a record label. a record deal? unbelievable. whenever we're about to get on a stage

for a huge audience, i always give my dad like a facetime kinda moment before we do our thing. you see the crowd, you see the emotion. you know, he has that experience for the first time with me, and that's really important to me. i created a rockstar. (both laughing) (vo) the network more people rely on, gives you more like iphone xr with select ipads for as low as $30 a month. that's verizon. it's like yoga... for your tastebuds. ommmmmmmmmmmmm new two good greek lowfat yogurt. slow-strained down to 2 grams of sugar. do good by you. ♪ ♪

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carson daly is here. exclusive access with jennifer garner on save the children's first humanitarian mission inside the u.s. >> first, your local news. forbidden forest and join hagrid to encounter the rarest of magical creature, in the epic new addition to the wizarding world of harry potter. only at universal orlando resort. stay at a universal hotel with three epic theme parks outside your door. packages start from just $89 per person, per night. what sore muscles? what with advpounding head? .. advil is... relief that's fast. strength that lasts. you'll ask... what pain? with advil.

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astrazeneca may be able to help. good wednesday morning. at 7:56 as you head out the door in walnut creek it's all clear and sunny but we see the clouds reaching into the inland areas. we'll keep it cooler today. we'll see the highs reaching into the 80s today and it starts out nice and cool with lower 60s. some of our inland valleys reaching the upper 80s but it will be hot reaching 96 degrees. meantime san francisco staying cool in the mid 60s and we'll all have a few degrees of a cool down heading into tomorrow and heating up this weekend. let's check in with mike for an update on the commute. >> we have a problem in freemont. you can't exit. you have to use the parkway as

an alternate because of the crash investigation. i'm told it may last three or four hours. this is a huge problem for folks traveling across county. 680 connects to 880 via the auto mall. meanwhile, everywhere north of there, a smooth drive toward the bay bridge. back to you. >> more breaking news in. another possible shooting in the south bay. the driver found a bullet hole in his vehicle after arriving home. the new information comes after a 12-year-old girl was hit by shattered glass after a bullet went through her and her mother's vehicle. this was the near the 101 interchange in san jose. the young girl was hit by shattered glass. they were not hit by the bullets thankfully though. we'll continue to follow this and have more on midday as well. another update in half an hour.

>> what had to one south bay woman? our consumer investigator is on the case. >> plus your morning forecast and commute to you can get your day started right. >> join us tomorrow. 4:30 to 7:00.

it's 8:00 on "today." familiar themes. >> we're draining the swamp. crooked hillary clinton. the greatest witch hunt in political history. >> new polls showing the president trailing democrats in a key state. we're live with the latest. plus, hope at the border. >> it's what we do, or they would be out there on the streets, trying to find their own way. >> we take you inside the small new mexico town opening to thousands of migrants crossing the border, and the people making it happen. >> one of the best things i've

done as a firefighter in all my career. >> including a hollywood star doing her part. >> you get to see the beauty of kids in the worst circumstances. and superstar duet. ♪ gonna spend the weekend in the deep end ♪ >> garth brooks and blake shelton teaming up for a new single. could this be the song of the summer? we'll take a look. wednesday, june 19th, 2019. ♪ hi to our family and friends in ohio. >> virginia. >> and rhode island. >> taking the "today" show off my bucket list. >> celebrating connie's 60th birthday. >> today! ♪ high, high hopes for living ♪ shooting for the stars when i couldn't make a killing ♪ >> good morning to our friends. >> in st. paul, minnesota. >> good morning, savannah and craig. it is toby from austin, texas. have a great day. >> from dallas, texas. >> here for graham's birthday. >> everybody back home in

athens, georgia. >> go dogs! hi, everybody. good morning. welcome back to "today." wednesday morning. nice to have you along with us. i liked that video. >> special hello to our friend toby. good morning to you. send us a shoutout, guys. if you can't make it down to the plaza, you can still post a message on twitter or instagram. use the hashtag my today plaza and you could be toby. >> i'm glad you mentioned the plaza. tomorrow is a special day right here. it is the 25th anniversary of this. studio 1a. we reopened our window to the world back in 1994. the whole idea was to give a better way to connect with people who stop by and peer in that window. each and every one is a part of our show, from special events to summer concerts to the annual halloween extravaganza. the plaza is part of this show. >> it is magical. we'd like to extend an invitation to join us tomorrow morning, as we celebrate studio 1a in a huge way. we're going to look back at some of our favorite moments.

we're also going to mix in a few surprises. "today" show style. if you're in the area, come down to the plaza and hang out with us. >> we'd love that. let's get to your news at 8:00. president trump kicking off his re-election campaign last night, touching on familiar themes, taking aim at favorite targets. nbc white house correspondent peter alexander joins us from orlando where the president spoke last night. hi, peter. good morning. >> reporter: hey, savannah and craig. good morning to you. in many ways, it is like the president's 2016 campaign never ended here in the crucial battleground state of florida. not a lot of new material from president trump last night. he did tout the strength of the economy. there were those familiar themes again, bashing the media, the establishment, and the democrats. our radical democrat opponents are driven by hatred, prejudice, and rage. they want to destroy you. they want to destroy our country

as we know it. >> reporter: notably, president trump barely mentioned some of his potential 2020 democratic rivals, joe biden and bernie sanders, but he did repeatedly attack his 2016 opponent, hillary clinton. it appears his 2020 strategy is focused not so much on trying to persuade new voters on joining him but to supercharge his loyal base. a capacity crowd there last night. new this morning, the rnc, republican national committee, reports within the last 24 hours, the president helped raise more than $24 million to help his re-election effort. that's the latest from here. back to you. >> peter, thank you. reminder, the first democratic debate is next wednesday and thursday nights in miami. it will air here on nbc as well as msnbc and telemundo. i'll be one of the moderators with lester holt, chuck todd, jose diaz-balart and rachel maddow. hope hicks is in the hot seat today on capitol hill. hicks is the first senior administration official mentioned in special counsel

robert mueller's report to testify before congress. her name appears nearly 200 times in mueller's report. house democrats will try to press her about potential obstruction of justice by the president. her testimony will be behind closed doors, but a transcript will be made public. the mystery is deepening in the dominican republic where the fbi is now assisting the investigation in the string of american tourist deaths under strange circumstances. morgan chesky joins us from the dr's capital santo domingo. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. you can really start to feel that growing concern here in the dr, from tourists and members of the government. that's who we plan to hear from in a few hours. they scheduled a press conference, saying they'll shed new light on these growing american deaths. this morning, another family sharing their heartbreak. >> i wake up in the night, and i go in the room. my husband has to come in and

get me because i'm just crying. >> reporter: annette weddington says her 55-year-old son terrence richmond died last august while vacationing in the dominican republ in the dominican republic >> told me he was hiking and fell and had a heart attack. this is what they told me. i did not buy that >> reporter: she says her son was a fit high school history teacher and jogger, who taught girls gymnastics she thinks dominican authorities are hiding something. >> we don't really know what is going on there it's something seriousnew jersen >> reporter: the count stands at ten americans who died in the dr in the last 18 months. just last week, a 55-year-old new jersey man, joseph allen, was found dead in his hotel room his brother says he was healthy. >> i do think something is off, and i think it needs to be investigated >> reporter: dominican officials say a preliminary autopsy found allen died of a heart attack a toxicology report is pending the autopsy shows no trauma. the state department saying nearly 3 million americans visit

the dominican republic each year, adding, we have not seen an uptick in the number of u.s. citizen deaths reported to the department dominican tourism officials insist the island is the safest destination in latin america and the caribbean. back in the u.s., family members whose loved ones went for a vacation in paradise and never came home are still begging for answers. >> they can't keep killing people over there like this. i don't think this is going to be the end of it they need to stop tourists from going over there. >> reporter: we are seeing increasing communication between the u.s. government and dominican authorities. we're told that a closed door meeting was had with the u.s. ambassador and the head of dominican tourism security savannah, craig? >> thank you we'll be interested in what happens today. >> hopefully we learn more after the news conference. how about a boost? >> it is time for a boost. this is lovely when his stepdaughter sophia was

in middle school, brian left an inspirational note on her door every morning. while she was home from college for father's day, she surprised him with a gift that brought him to tears. >> happy father's day! six years. >> love you. >> love you, too >> look at that. i hope you can see it. she held on to those notes for six years. there they are isn't that incredible? >> wow >> i see a tear in craig's eye. >> nope. it is the allergies. they kick in >> got dusty in here, did it more ahead on this wednesday morning. including jenna's trip to dollywood with the one and only dolly parton herself. first, nbc news exclusive this morning >> get to see the beauty of kids in the worst of circumstances. >> actress jennifer garner work with the save the children organization, taking cynthia mcfadden to a small town in new mexico addressing the border crisis in a really personal way. first, these messages.

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we're back with we're back with an nbc news exclusive. federal officials say they are reaching a breaking point at the border with more than 500,000 migrants crossing illegally just since january. >> during that same period, they received 100,000 applications for asylum the situation is creating a real problem for a number of border towns. nbc's senior investigative correspondent cynthia mcfadden has this exclusive for us this morning. >> good morning. immigration officials say there is no room to house the asylum seekers in federal facilities. in a change of policy, the federal government is now leaning hard on a few small border towns >> reporter: from up here, deming, new mexico, could be any small border town in america when it was founded over 100 years ago, there were hopes the railroad would turn it into a new chicago. that didn't pan out. instead, this town of 14,000 people, clustered 30 miles north of the mexican border, has a

poverty level twice the national average and sky high unemployment >> this is an old world war ii hangar the city brought over fire trucks, and we washed it out it became the intake center. >> reporter: chris brice wears a lot of hats in deming. he's the warden, assistant county manager, and since mother's day weekend, the incident commander in charge of processing and caring for a steady stream of migrants dropped off, some might say dumped here, by the federal government how many people have come through deming in the last month? >> 6,700. >> reporter: the first group of 200, they're all families awaiting asylum hearings, were left in front of the local mcdonald's by federal patrol officers as the federal facilities in el paso were completely overrun mothers, fathers and small children with no money, no food, and no idea where they were. the people of deming quickly

rallied. father manuel ibara was woken up by a knock on the door by a family in tears, asking if they could spend the night that night, 22 people stayed soon there were 85 peop hle seem ave opened their homes, their hearts, their wallets, their pantries. >> yes, closets. >> reporter: lots of clothes being donated. >> yes, yes. in the middle of our limitations, we are so blessed. >> reporter: this shelter is a way station on their journey to get to their sponsors, mostly family, who are already living in the united states immigration rules require they live with their sponsors until their court dates, usually a year or more away, as there is a major backlog of about 900,000 asylum cases how much money are you spending a day? >> anywhere from $15,000 to $17,000 a day. that's everybody's salaries, fuel back and forth, that's everything this is, you know, the poorest

city in the state, and one of the poorest states in the country. >> reporter: wow. >> we can do it, anybody can do it. >> reporter: we talked to the folks from the fire department >> the first day, chief and i got called out to come out we just came by ourselves, thinking we can knock this out we saw the amount of people, and we were like, oh then we called back and had everybody come out and help us. >> reporter: they all came they all stayed. do you feel proud that you and your community are doing this? >> one of the best things i've done as a firefighter in all my career absolutely >> reporter: yes >> absolutely. >> reporter: about a quarter mile down the road, the shelter itself this is where the town holds its beloved annual county fair this is the first time network cameras have been allowed inside this shelter or any other like it it's important to note, this is not a federally run detention center

it is a humanitarian shelter these families -- we have agreed not to show their faces due to security concerns -- say they have fled their home countries in fear for their lives. many spent over two months getting here from honduras or guatemala. like betsy who came with her husband and two kids what is the situation in honduras why did you feel you had to leave? >> translator: we left because my family was under threat by drug traffickers they killed my brother we had to run for our lives. >> reporter: asylum plea >> translator: i don't want my children killed. >> reporter: the only smile on betsy's face came when i asked about a little area set aside in the shelter. a child-friendly space, created by save the children this little space represents a very big first the first time in their 100 year history, they tell us, that save the children has responded to a humanitarian crisis right here inside the u.s

barbara amorati ran a space like this in afghanistan. >> it tugs at your heart strings. >> reporter: on this day, a special visitor. save the children board member and volunteer, jennifer garner. >> kids don't care if you've been in movies. >> they have no idea they don't care i can't speak spanish. >> reporter: though she's working on it. reading to the kids in beginner's spanish >> rhinoceros. i get to see the beauty of kids in the worst of circumstances. they've gone without baths, without food, without medical care, and they're here, happy to listen to me butcher "goodnight moon," because they're children. >> reporter: explain the expertise that save the children brings to this we're in a child-safe space. >> we are. save the children brings the trained staff with the child protection and child safeguarding lens to ensure that children have an opportunity to

both socialize, to be children, to feel relaxed. >> imagine what the kids have been through on their way to this facility. this is the best thing that's happened to them in a really, really long time >> reporter: in their two weeks here, save the children is already making a huge mark you know, there's a lot to learn from the folks of deming. >> there is. >> absolutely. >> there's so much compassion and good. >> this is the flip side of america. when you see, you know, the piece that is so heartbreaking, and you see the arguments go on and on, and we have the privilege to come here as save the children and see like this silver lining of the people who are giving everything. >> reporter: while the rest of the country seems fixated on the politics of the border, the folks here have set that aside >> we don't even discuss the politics over here i mean, it's this. it's what we do, or they would

be out there on the street, trying to find their own way that's unacceptable to everybody. >> well, just last week, the governor of new mexico sued the federal government, demanding reimbursement for the money her state is spending on the shelter. meanwhile, border patrol tells us the releases in deming are a, quote, last resort, and they said there is no time line for when it may end. >> so the city is just kind of coming in and saying, all right, we can't have them on the street we have to do something. they're being funded entirely just by the good will of people in that community? >> and the state the state kicked in, as well the federal government has washed its hands of this saying, we're overwhelmed. >> save the children also assessing, as well they're not just overseeing the process but assessing the kids that come in what are they looking for? >> many things of course, trauma.

imagine what these kids have already been through, right? one of the kids we -- i mean, they threatened to dismember her 2-year-old, right? there's a lot of stress before they even get there. so they're looking for trauma in ways they can intervene. super important, they're making sure the children are with their real parents some unsavory people steal or buy children so they can be a family unit, so they have a better chance of getting in the country. >> i'm glad you're shining a light on it. thank you so much. if you're interested in helping save the children with their work, there is more information on our website. >> absolutely. they could use the help. >> today.com thank you. >> cynthia, thank you. mr. roker. >> quick check of what's beginning on right now you can see that this is source one. okay we have a lot of wet weather making its way from iowa all the way down to texas. flash flood watches up for 41 million people this system moves through, we have a moderate risk of flooding from central indiana and illinois all the way into ohio and also a risk into the northeast, as well, today. tomorrow, shifts into the northeast, where we'll be looking from the ohio river valley into new england with heavy rain rainfall amounts from 2 to 3 inches locally good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we have a cloudy and a drizzly

start in san francisco. we're going to see just a little bit of sun today, if any at all, as our temperatures reach into the mid-60s while the inland areas will be hot once again, but it will be cooler than it was yesterday, with san jose reaching 82 and some upper 80s in the inland valleys. we all will have a few degrees cooler in our temperature forecast tomorrow, but as we head into the weekend, it's going to heat up into the upper 80s inland while san francisco stays in the 60s. savannah >> al, thank you happy to have jenna join us for carson's pop start. >> jbh, appreciate you. >> of course i appreciate you. >> garth brooks and blake shelton are releasing a new song called "dive bar." it is bound to be a competitor for song of the summer here's a little listen ♪ gonna spend the weekend in th deep end ♪ ♪ water's fine, y'all should just come on in ♪

♪ deep end of a dive bar >> song is going to be on garth's upcoming album, no word when it'll be released it'll be his first album since 2016 i forgot to mention blake shelton's birthday yesterday. >> happy birthday, blake. >> did you text him? >> is that on television >> no. >> it was blake's birthday yesterday. >> i spoke to him. >> you are a good friend. you just forgot to mention it here >> happy birthday, pal. you got a chance to sit down with dolly parton to talk expansion at dollywood you couldn't leave without asking dolly a few questions about reading and open book, your digital series. let's take a clip of that. >> i spend so much time reading. i must read 50 books a year. people say, when do you have time to read i wake up in the middle of the night. i read myself to sleep i don't watch tv much. i prefer to read. >> if you were stranded on a desert island, what book would you take with you? >> i better take the bible if i'm stranded on an island, i may not get off of there, and i

might want to do some cramming >> how about that? of course, pick the bible. 100% watch the episode of open book at today.com for that. how was hanging out with dolly >> my ultimate idol. i love her she's donated 100 million books because her dad couldn't read. she wanted to make sure kids have access to books in their home. >> her goddaughter is miley cyrus. >> i knew that >> fun fact. >> fun to hang out with both of them, right? >> she's your soul sister. >> she did a version of "jolene. >> yeah. >> my favorite dolly quote is i don't take offense to being called a dumb blonde because i'm not dumb and i'm not a blonde. i can relate, can you? >> yes just ahead, some ways to sleep better when you're not alone in bed whether it is a partner with different habits or kids and pets who won't leave you alone perhaps. jill's steals and deals will make your morning routine more enjoyable and efficient. she's got good stuff

that's after your local news good morning to you. 8:26. i'm marcus washington. police are getting more information about a possible homicide perhaps linked to one the day before. we now know a man was found stabbed near skyline boulevard around 11:00 last night. he died from his injuries. a short time later they found who is believed to be a suspect in a vehicle which was driving towards the victim and investigators. the suspect who was in that car was not hit but taken to the hospital after suffering lacerations to his arm. at the time this all happened, investigators were searching the area for another incident. this is a taxi driver.

he was stabbed to death late monday night. investigators are looking into a possible connection. we will have an update in our midday newscast at 11:00. right now let's get a look at that commute for you. mike? >> in fremont we have the ongoing issue, the mission boulevard south on ramp is still closed in both directions on 680, a crash in both directions. andretti, another crash blocks a number of lanes. you may have to stay on your right as you pass the 884 exit. back to you. we'll have another local update for you coming up in 30 minutes.

♪ i want something just like this ♪ we are back, 8:30 now on a wednesday morning, june 19th, 2019 ♪ something just like this >> good looking crowd. boys and girls, t-minus 48 hours until the next big concert we have a big one this friday. the chainsmokers >> oh, my gosh. >> love them. >> chainsmokers will be doing the honors, and they're bringing

guests. >> i'm sure they'll bring bb rexha, the whole crew. >> do you know that or are you guessing >> i know. >> carson is flexing his music chops right there. >> it just happens. >> i want to introduce you to somebody in the crowd. jamison, where are you hi where are you from >> clearwater, florida. >> name is jamison. >> yes. >> i hear you like music. >> yes. >> can you play music? do you sing, instrument? >> i sing, and i play piano. >> what is your favorite song to play >> right now, i'm playing the cantina band from "star wars." >> the "star wars" bar song? >> yeah. >> that's amazing. da-da-da-da, that one? >> yes. >> do you watch "the voice"? >> yes. >> have you ever met carson daly >> no. >> do you want to meet carson? >> yeah. >> blake isn't here. adam quit. i'm the best here.

how old are you? >> 12. >> only a few more years "the voice kids" is out there. do you audition? >> i do recitals >> keep up the good work hope to see you on the "voice. maybe you can be a coach they're chopping like flies. love to have you >> thanks to have you here "star wars" bar song, that's incredible >> we'll save this video you'll perform one day on the plaza. coming up in a few minutes, a summer sleep survival guide for couples. this is some must-hear information at my house. what you should do if you like to blast the ac but your partner thinks that it is freezing what if one is a snorer and the other is a light sleeper we're about to get expert help. >> i hope our spouses aren't watching then jill martin's steals and deals will help revamp your morning routine. opposite of upgrading your phone to the latest model.

the new trend is downgrading on purpose. a minimalist phone mario armstrong is there to tell us all about it. >> flip phone. >> going the other way. third hour of "today," we have a look at new traditions in our series "modern marriage. like an alternative to the wedding reception. and the couple with a prenup to protect their emotions >> oh, that's fascinating. >> whoa. let's get a check of the weather. >> first -- >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by honey nut cheerios good goes round. >> and let's take a look at what you've got for the first day of summer arriving on friday here we go first, we take a look at the future radar that's not what we're supposed to be looking at, but there you have it. there it is. first day of summer. it's going to be hot and humid down through texas, we have some

severe storms making their way from the plains all the way into good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. a lot of clouds over the south bay and extending over toward the coast. we'll see some clearing for the inland areas while the fog lingers in san francisco. at half moon bay keeping those temperatures in the 60s. in the inland valleys, we're heading into the 80s, even a few low 90s today. napa today reaching 80 degrees, with san jose reaching 82. we'll all cool off a few more degrees tomorrow, then heat up in time for the weekend. the valley will still be in the 80s with san francisco staying in the 60s. re you an early bird but your partner may be a night owl? dr. michael bruce is here. he's going to test our sleep compatibility. we're going to play a game with these dry erase boards and also these dry erase boards and also get tips to get more rest.

...6, 7, 8 these dry erase boards and also get tips to get more rest. ♪ ♪ ♪ big dreams start with small steps... ...but dedication can get you there. so just start small... start saving.

easily set, track and control your goals right from the chase mobile® app. ♪ ♪ chase. make more of what's yours®.

>> announcer: this portion of "today" is brought to you by biktarvy we're back with our summer sleep survival guide according to the national sleep foundation, nearly one in four married couples actually sleep in separate beds a la lucy and ricky. many are calling it a sleep divorce. here to help us solve the common bedtime conflicts, dr. bruce wow. >> ricky and lucy, lovey and thurston do you think it is bad, if you sleep in a different bed >> i don't necessarily think it is bad, but it can lead to levels of lack of intimacy it can lead to some strains in the relationship as long as you're okay with it, it's fine. i have some couples who sleep separately during the week but together on the weekend. >> okay. >> that way, they can kind of go to work, do their thing, have that going, then be able to -- >> that's weird.

siri and i sleep in the same bed, but she builds a wall with pillows. it's like two different beds. >> building a pillow wall is good if you have a bed partner that snores. we'll get to that in a second. >> i have the wall, for sure. >> absolutely. >> first thing is, everybody was supposed to write down their wakeup times and their partner's. >> show them to everybody. >> okay. >> there's a pretty big disparity. not as much with jenna there is a pretty big disparity with everybody. >> noon for siri >> so not true >> living the life >> what do we do >> that's why you have the wall in your bed. >> what do we do when we get up at one time and partner gets up at another time? you all get up super duper early. what can you do? number one, get dressed in another room to try to be quiet. they make alarm clocks that vibrate as opposed to making a sound. if you're getting up at 3:00 in the morning and you don't want to disrupt your partner, there

are little ones. you can put them inside your pillow case. >> i'd be afraid i'd sleep through it. >> most people are worried about it, but these work quite well. if you go to bed at different times, say you go to bed earlier than partners do, think about it, use sleep gear maybe eye shades, ear plugs, something like that, while they're out and about. >> i'm getting angry thinking about this i'm getting mad. >> this isn't helpful for me. >> i think the spouse could watch television on the couch. >> absolutely. >> then we fall asleep on the couch and get yelled at for that. >> what if he wants to spend quality time with his wife in >> asking for a friend >> asking for a friend >> find a weekend for that. >> here's what you do, let's say your partner wants to go to bed earlier than you do. you can hang out with them, let them fall asleep, then do whatever you want to do. i fall asleep much later than my wife does, so we'll hang out together first we might watch a show, then i read or do something else and come back. >> respectful and sensitive. >> kind. >> yeah.

>> if you're going to read, use a book light as opposed to a bedside table lamp >> big tv. lots of people want a big tv with a lot of light emitting through the entire -- >> you are talking directly to mike >> he's not watching >> he'll see the segment though. >> television helps a lot of people fall asleep it is not the best for sleep, but many people can't turn off their brain at night having the television on while listening to the tv is not necessarily a bad thing. 95% of televisions have timers in the software where it can automatically turn off later in the evening. >> what about snoring? that is a huge one. >> snoring is a big deal the pillow wall is an excellent idea. >> probably why she built it. >> tell yourself that. >> i tell people to decongest for better rest. any level of congestion you have in your nasal or in the back of your throat will have an effect on snoring use a saline spray before bed. make sure your sheets are clean, and use allergy-free detergent. >> does bourbon before bed help? >> the booze definitely not good for snoring.

>> oh. >> it definitely accentuates the snoring. >> what was your question, carson >> same thing. >> surprise, surprise. >> what about temperature? >> it is the biggest battle that every couple has. >> right. >> you have an official guide. >> i have an official guide. >> should we write the temperature we like? >> how you like it, and how your partner likes it. >> hager versus hager. >> this is what i'd like it at doesn't get that cold. >> you're a couple months pregnant, right? >> more than a couple. largely. >> wow >> i won't put it down to that >> you want to hang meat. >> meat locker room here actually, you guys are perfect within the range 68 to 72 turns out to be the perfect range in terms of having a cool environment for sleep remember, our sleep schedule follows our core body temperature schedule. >> what if one wants it cold and the other doesn't, or vice versa? >> couple things you can do. for the warm person, they can have extra covers, put on socks. interestingly, if you like it cool, take your socks off and

put your feet out from under the covers notice how when you're hot at night, you stick your foot out from the covers, everything feels better it is because there is no hair on the bottom of your feet and you dissipate heat faster. >> i stick the leg out and call it air-conditioning. >> it is >> very helpful. >> happy to do it. >> i wish the spouses were here to hear this >> now that you can rest better at night, how about improving your morning routine jill is ready with a special steals and deals that will have you excited to get out of bed in the morning. >> carson can't go home. >> this is "today" on nbc. >> i want america to know the story. story.

we're back 8:44 special edition of steals and deals. time to rise, shine, and save. >> love to save. "today" lifestyle contributor jill martin joins us with exclusive discounts on items to revamp our morning routines and start our day off right. >> now that we can sleep better.

that was fascinating. >> right >> you're about to get married. >> yes about to get married we both sleep at 68 degrees with no pillow fort >> match made in heaven. >> let's start your morning routine right. i'm very into this electric toothbrush retail is $129 tao clean. you pointed out something. you need counter space for this because it is wide 40,000 brush strokes per minute. >> looks like a rocket ship. >> it definitely will get -- >> is that more than the other one? >> it is more than, i guess, a regular that you'd do. >> feels like a rocket ship. >> two cleaning modes. it charges, protects, and sanitizes. you flip it over, and that's how it sanitizes i'm super into that. black, rose, gold, and silver. $129 the deal, $39. 70% off. you could keep it underneath you don't need to charge it every day. keep this on top. >> there you go. that's a good idea. >> the rose gold is chic.

>> erbaviva body care. you have two choices, awaken, lemon grass and rose, supposed to be simulating, and then the other option is relax with lavender restores the equilibrium you get the body wash, the lotion, the sunscreen, and the deodorant. it is cool to revamp the morning routine, start new the deal is $39. 64% off. >> that's a good deal. >> love a good blow-dryer. >> the retail, $99 now, this company says it will dry your hair in half the time to a traditional hair dryer. >> have you tried it >> i have. i have to be honest, i use a different hair dryer because i started with the curl. i curl my hair it does do, from the traditional one i used to do, half the time. i test all the products. >> also pretty >> yeah. retail, $99. the deal, $36. 64% off.

>> wow >> tell us about this. i love makeup. >> this is really good as you're revamping your morning routine you should replenish anything with a brush every three to six months because of the bacteria >> i have eye shadow from the '80s in my cabinet. >> i know. >> it's blue >> that's back now, so that works out. anything with a brush, i'm saying you know, bacteria accumulates. >> you don't have to get rid of this, you get a new brush. >> oh, okay. >> what i love about this though, you can really revamp your whole routine it has all these colors. three sets to choose from. four pieces each it is spelled out on today.com the retail, $100 to $102 deal, $28. up to 73% off. good deal on a major brand. >> colors look good on everybody. >> neutral colors. major juicer dishwasher safe. >> wow >> put it in

easy proof that's the pulp on one side, the juice on the other that's all you have to do. it is foolproof. >> wait, what? >> it is not coming out -- oh, it is coming out. >> whoa. >> oh, so the juice -- how interesting. it's at the same time. it is juicing and processing >> yup. >> wow. >> isn't that great? >> you could use this as a garnish later in your day, right? >> if i had any idea how to use garnish or even cook, that would be a good idea this is awesome. >> put this in a burger and kids would never know the healthy stuff was in it. >> i love that. >> we have 30 seconds. >> $325. deal, $130 60% off. last one we have the electric yoga fitness wear $56 to $116. you can see all styles on today.com. $11 to $19 is the deal up to 88% off. this is the first time doing the bottles. super popular. you see them around the office different patterns and colors. stays hot up to 12 hours and

cold up to 24. $13.50 is the deal really awesome. >> screaming deal. >> the products, electric toothbrushes, body sets. hair dryers if from instyle. the cosmetics. the kulinar juicer electric yoga wear and s'well bottle. >> you started our day right >> just so you know, "today" will make a small share of revenue from your purchases. >> thank you, jill carson, what you got >> coming up, mark armstrong is here, exploring the rise of the anti-smartphone. talking about the basic mobile devices. they're small and easy and simplify your life we'll break it down. first, this is "today" on nbc. t. - hey, mike.

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smartphones, we take them to work, take them to the gym, even to bed can all that tech take a toll? consider this, the average person checks their device 52 times a day, and 60% of 18 to 34-year-olds admit to smartphone overuse. enter what some people are calling the minimalist phone it is a stripped down device with just the basics you can make calls, you can text, get directions, and listen to music they're becoming very popular. sales are up 5%. people search for ways to disconnect here with a closer look is our tech expert mario armstrong, host of "wake up and level up" podcast. these phones are tiny. >> super small. >> are these replacing smartphones, or are they companions >> great question. i'll let you hold this and see how small and light it is. like a credit card. >> barely feels like it is a real thing. >> this is the point two categories some call them minimalist phones that means you have no screen or a reduced screen on the phone, and maybe just calls and maybe texts. then you have companion phones,

like this palm phone, this almost acts like a mini phone. >> this can do a little more. >> internet, gps, texting, phone calls, and everything. it is much, much smaller. >> if you're checking your screen 75 times a day and gets this phone, does it cut it down to 20 times a day? >> the idea for both of these is to reduce the amount of times you're grabbing your phone or distractions it is not getting to the root of the problem. the root of the problem is you're the one grabbing the device having a smaller device or device with limited features will make you hopefully check it less often. >> let's go to the wall and put it up. what are benefits to cutting back on screen time? >> off the bat, you'll reduce anxiety. especially if you're doing the comparison thing, looking at people's highlight reels or if you're getting notifications all the time it'll reduce anxiety and improve your mood. for me, it's made me more present, a better husband, a better dad i can be more present and in the moment when i'm off my main device >> are you on the big one? you have to be, right, for your job? >> well, everybody has to be, but then there are times when i temporarily want to be off of that big one and not look at the big screen, or not carry it. if i go to the gym, out to eat

with my family, i'll take the small phone. what do i need the big one for >> do you need two phone numbers? >> most will be a companion, so you can use the same number with an existing plan, or it can be a stand alone phone. >> let's take another walk down the aisle. when choosing a secondary phone, what are things you want to include to make sure the transaction is successful? >> think about what are your goals? what do you want to get off the grid for do you want to reduce email usage, off the internet, on instagram too much you know best what you need to cut back on. number two, battery life all the phones have different amounts of battery life. that'll be important whether or not gps or texting is important to you, or if you just want to make and receive calls those are criteria you want to use. >> are any of the smaller phones with less options, are they good choices for kids entering the cell phone world >> i'll show one for sure. relay is one we have. >> let's go over

we have a minute left. >> relay has no screen at all. one-touch button it is a smartphone and gps tracker. it is great to track your kids, and it operates like a walkie-talkie. there is one button, and you can talk or have headphones if you want a private conversation. put that in your kid's pocket and track them. >> what are other phones >> life mode switch here will shut off all notifications, which is great you have light phones. >> this is the real step down from an iphone. >> this is a real step down from an iphone. then you have the nokia 3310, only $59 you can do calls, and it has a camera, as well. no internet. >> all right this simple, basic one this is like a business card. >> size of a business card, just makes and receives calls it can store up to nine numbers. most people don't remember the numbers anymore. >> some people don't know their number anymore always a good time guys, over to you. mario, thank you so much we want to mention something tied to the 2020 presidential race first democratic debate next week nbc is bringing back election confessions. do you remember this >> oh, yeah. >> you have feelings on the candidates, the issues, the

state of the nation, you can take part anonymously. you can go to election confessions.com. we hope folks participate at the same level this time around. just a few minutes away from the third hour of "today." howie mandel in the house. >> yes >> talk to howie >> also in the fourth hour >> we have a surprise guest. we can't tell you who, but the person will be here at 10:00. >> give us a hint. >> who da hoda the hint is the person is funny. >> first, your local news. good morning. 8:56, i'm marcus washington. san jose deputies are finding a second homicide. he died from his injuries. a short time later they found who is believed to be the suspect.

the deputy who fired had an oncoming vehicle driving toward investigators. he was not hit, but suffered lacerations to his arm. police were searching the area where a taxi cab driver was stabbed to death late monday night. investigators are looking into a possible connection. we will van have an update duri our midday forecast. another possible shooting along the highway in the south bay last night. this happened while the driver was traveling on southbound 17 to southbound 85. the driver found a bullet hole in his vehicle after arriving home. this new information comes after a 12-year-old girl was hit by shattered glass after a bullet went into her mother's vehicle in san jose. and the picket lines are being hit due to a dispute with

the transit union. imagine a phone bill error worth $1500. >> chris gamora is on the case. join us so you can get your day started right. >> join us tomorrow, 4:30 to 7:00.

live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> good morning, everyone. welcome to the third hour of "today." i'm dylan here with al, craig, sheinelle is on assignment, interviewing former secretary of state condoleezza rice, right now. >> playing golf. >> i taught her to golf, but i don't know if she's good enough. >> condoleezza rice is playing golf. >> not sheinelle. now, two people i've never seen in the same room together. gadi schwartz. >> they're the same person. >> clark kent and superman. >> jacob soboroff. they're here today. this is my cup of tea, ri