times along the bridges for san mateo and the bay bridge. >> okay, good to note. that's what's happening "today in the bay." we're going to be back at 7:25 with a live local news update. >> we have the midday show you don't want to miss at 11:00. have a great wednesday. good morning good morning dems divided. >> you don't know that. >> i do. i wrote the damn bill. >> things get heated in a hurry. the progressives and the moderates clash in a contentious democratic showdown. >> you are playing into donald trump's hand. >> this morning, which candidates gained momentum which ones lost ground what we should expect when front runner joe biden takes center stage tonight. breaking news. north korea launches a new round of missiles, the second weapons test in less than a week what kim jong-un is up to and the white house's response straight ahead. face-to-face a woman accusing a top pentagon nominee of sexual assault makes

her explosive allegation at his confirmation hearing >> i was just devastated as a human being. and i was scared >> the nominee with a forceful denial. >> nothing happened, ever. >> will this derail his confirmation we're live on capitol hill. those stories plus - italian murder mystery what we're learning about the violent past of an american teen accused of killing a police officer in italy. base brawl. >> here we go. >> ugly scene in cincinnati overnight as the benches clear. >> they have to separate these two teams somehow. >> suspensions are sure to follow. plus, life-saving catch. the moment a toddler falls from a sixth floor balcony and is caught by onlookers in the right place at the right time. today, wednesday, july 31st, 2019. >> announcer: from nbc news,

this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza morning, everybody welcome to "today. nice to have you with us on a wednesday morning. we're at the halfway point of the democratic debate. 20 candidates. you have to split it up into two nights. >> different last night than what we saw in miami a few weeks ago. >> it's the top story. this heated opening night to the democratic debate in detroit it exposes key differences between the candidates on stage. we'll break it all down this morning. we'll start with nbc's kristen welker who is in detroit for us. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: hey, savannah, good morning to you tonight is round two of the democratic debates when ten more candidates take the stage here in battleground michigan if last night was any indication, tonight will also be a battle for the heart and soul of the democratic party. this morning, a clear divide, as moderates and liberals clashed over the direction of the democratic party and who can beat president trump >> folks, we have a choice we can go down the road that

senator sanders and senator warren want to take us, which is with bad policies like medicare for all, free everything, and impossible promises that will turn off independent voters and get trump re-elected. >> i don't understand why anybody goes to all the trouble of running for president of the united states just to talk about what we really can't do and shouldn't fight for. >> the moderates trying to make the case that progressive senators elizabeth warren and bernie sanders are too extreme >> so, again, i think if we're going to force americans to make radical changes, they're not going to go along -- throw your hands up, but you haven't -- >> reporter: the sharpest disagreements over the medicare for all plan backed by warren and sanders which expands the government-run program from 65 and older to all citizens and lawful permanent citizens. >> why do we have to be the party of taking something away from people? >> we are the democrats.

we are not about trying to take away health care from anyone that's what the republicans are trying to do >> reporter: ohio congressman tim ryan pressing sanders on whether his plan would be better than union health care plans. >> you don't know that, bernie >> i do. i wrote the damn bill. >> reporter: there were heated moments on immigration. >> i expected people who come here to follow our laws, and we reserve the right to criminally prosecute them. >> reporter: to gun control. when steve bullock, who didn't qualify for the first debate, struck a personal note >> 11-year-old nephew, jeremy, shot and killed on a playground. we need to start looking at this as a public health issue, not a

political issue. >> reporter: in the crowded field, many candidates hoping for a breakout moment. author marianne williamson got one. >> if you think this will be the taste this president is bringing up in this country, i'm afraid the democrats are going to see very dark days. >> reporter: also on display, the generational divide. 37-year-old buttigieg arguing age doesn't matter. >> we can have great presidents at any age what i will say is we need the kind of vision that will win. >> reporter: all the candidates making the case they are the most electable. >> the reason we are going to beat trump and beat him badly is he is a fraud and a phony, and we're going to expose him for what he is. >> i get it. there's a lot at stake and people are scared. but we can't choose a candidate we don't believe in just because we're too scared to do anything else

>> reporter: now, e caate who wasn't mentioned last night, the front runner, former vice president joe biden. he's going to be on stage tonight. he'll have a bit of a rematch with senator kamala harris after she landed a few punches against him during the first round of debates. will he have a stronger performance tonight? we'll know in just a few hours savannah and willie? >> kristen, thank you very much. let's turn to our nbc news political analyst former senator claire mccaskill of missouri it was kind of the debate the party has been having. it actually came out on the stage. the moderates, the pragmatists, verse the progressives what did you think last night? >> overall, it was good for our party. first of all, i think a lot of people watching the debate finally figured out that bernie and elizabeth's plan means no more insurance at work no choice. i think what the moderates did last night is point out that we can do better on health care it's the number one issue. we can do better on health care without taking away people's choices. so i thought that contrast, overall, got our party back to a little bit -- still left of

center, but a little closer to center which, for electability, you can't underestimate how important that is. >> i'll ask you a question when you served in the united states senate, some of the candidates went at it in a backhanded way, but can medicare for all, the program proposed by sanders and warren, pass through the united states senate >> i think people need to remember, the 60 vote margin in the senate is stopping all kinds of crazy town right now in the senate the fact that the republicans have to have 60 is really a safeguard for the values that my party cares about. that 60 margin is not going away assume the democrats take the senate, they're not getting 60 votes. does anybody think we're going to take away everyone's private

insurance with a 60-vote margin in the senate? there is a disconnect between the inspirational and the realistic. >> that's one of the huge debates going on within the party right now. >> it is. >> let's also talk about the candidates who in your mind had a standout night? who is seeming to fall by the wayside? >> elizabeth is good at this she knows how to debate. she's very good at taking complex problems and simplifying them that can also be a double-edged sword. she had a good night she and bernie made a decision not to go after each other they're going to try to corral all the very, very left votes in the party. i thought, frankly, that governor bullock and mayor pete had pretty good nights i think governor bullock did a good job introducing himself he's from a very red state he's won in a very red state that's music to the ears of democrats across the country i thought they both did well. >> let's turn the corner and look ahead to tonight. the front runner, joe biden, comfortable margin in most polls. kamala harris will be on stage

next to him again night as she was in miami what do you expect to see tonight? >> i expect kamala will talk about her plan for health care which involves choice, not doing away with private insurance. i expect that joe biden will be more prepared to pivot and punch, as we say in the debate world. >> if he isn't >> i think it is a problem for him. his delivery is important tonight. he's got to come from a position of strength. if he's strong enough to hold this nomination, he needs to show it on the stage tonight. >> senator mccaskill, always good to get your perspective thank you very much. now a new act of defiance from north korea the second launch of missiles in less than a week chief foreign correspondent richard engel joins us with now with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, willie this is what north korea does when it is angry it is clear north korea's leader, kim jong-un, is frustrated that his last meeting with president trump did not yield the results he was hoping for. north korea fired a new pair of short-range missiles overnight, the second launch in a week. the missiles flew about 150 miles toward japan, but u.s. officials say they dropped in the sea and were never a danger. but why? just a month ago president trump and north korea's leader kim

jong-un met for a friendship summit the president even symbolically crossing into north korea. back then, all the talk was about reducing tensions. >> stepping across that line was a great honor. >> reporter: since then, there have been issues the border summit was supposed to restart negotiation negotiation which north korea hopes will lead to lifting sanctions. but the talks haven't started yet, and with the launches, north korea is showing it is losing patience. secretary of state pompeo said the talks should get under way soon. >> we'd like those to be started before too long. >> reporter: the u.s. military announced it will resume military exercises with south korea in august, exercises president trump had promised to stop and which north korea claims are a dress rehearsal for an invasion. the u.s. military says it is monitoring the situation south korea called the latest launches unhelpful. back to you. >> richard engel, thank you very

much. president trump is launching new attacks on elijah cummings hallie jackson has more on that story this morning good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this is another escalation by the president who, in a new interview this morning, is brushing off criticism he's racist, arguing that word has been thrown around so often, it's effectively watered down. president trump defiant and digging in on the divisive attacks against congressman elijah cummings and the city of baltimore in a new c-span interview. >> when elijah cummings calls you a racist, your reaction is what >> the word is overused. it is a disgrace i'm the least racist person there is in the world, as far as i'm concerned. >> reporter: for him, no strategy to the attack, he says, and no apology. >> no strategy it is simple, people living in baltimore are very happy that i'm bringing out the fact that it is like living in hell.

>> reporter: it's the fourth straight day of escalating insults, criticized as racist by the president's opponents, and during a speech in jamestown the demonstrator, a democratic state legislator elijah cummings, mostly quiet so far, confronted the acting head of homeland security over conditions at that time border and issued subpoenas for top trump administration officials, like the attorney general and chief of staff why are you so angry about the city is it because you subpoenaed -- >> i'm not angry i'm telling you the facts. >> reporter: the president is focusing instead on the praise he insists he's getting. without naming names, describing the calls he received thanking him. >> all of the things i've done for african-americans, of all of the things like criminal justice reform, like opportunities, i think i do very well with the african-americans. >> reporter: but he's not doing well with most african-american

voters, with his support sitting at just 6% a new poll also shows full half of all voters, 51%, believe the president is racist. >> they use it almost when they run out of things to criticize you. they say, he's a racist. he's a racist. but with me, they have a hard time getting away with it. they don't get away with it. >> reporter: as for congressman cummings, he's mostly stayed out of the spotlight since the president's attacks started. in a tweet he said he'll do what he is duty-bound to do, help constituents live their best lives and serve as a check on the executive branch. >> hallie, thank you. now to tense moments at a confirmation hearing the man tapped by the president to be the vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. he and his accuser appeared on capitol hill kasie hunt has the story. >> reporter: this morning. president trump's pick to be the

second highest ranking military officer in the country facing explosive allegations from an officer under his command. >> bottom line is, he lied about sexually assaulting me he did it. he did it multiple times there was corroborating evidence >> reporter: army colonel kathryn spletstoser didn't tell anyone general hyten sexually assaulted her until he was nominated to be the joint chief of staff. >> i want to say these allegations are false. >> reporter: spletstoser worked as a top aide, sitting feet behind him at the confirmation hearing, putting focus on the military's struggle to address the persistent problem of sexual assault within the ranks she revealed her identity in the "new york times" over the weekend, describing in graphic detail his unwanted kissing, touching, and rubbing against her. >> somebody who almost had been

been raped that evening -- i was just devastated as a human being. and i was scared >> reporter: the air force's office of special investigations reviewed her allegation. raped that evening -- i was just devastated as a human being. i was scared >> reporter: the air force's office of special investigations reviewed her allegation. they couldn't substantiate her claim and hyten was never referred for court-martial mcsally, who revealed her allegation of being assaulted in uniform, said in this case, she believes the general >> these are false allegations, and he is innocent of these charges. >> what do you say to his accuser? >> i pray she finds the peace that she is looking for, but you cannot do it by destroying another person >> reporter: spletstoser and hyten testified behind closed doors at the senate armed

services committee before the confirmation now, she wants a chance to make her case in public with his adamant denial -- >> did that incident happen, general? >> that never happened >> reporter: -- general hyten seems on track to be confirmed by the senate this fall. for "today," kasie hunt, nbc news, the capitol. we have a lot more to get to this morning, including the wild base brawl that broke out in cincinnati last night. happened in a game between the reds and the pittsburgh pirates. >> and now there's some serious chirping coming from the pirates dugout garrett is on his way to the dugout, and here we go oh garrett goes in there punching this is not a good scene at all. >> that is reds pitcher amir garrett, single-handedly taking on half of the pirates team. backup eventually arrives. chaos erupting on the field. players throwing punches, pushing, shoving the managers got into the fray, as you can see what started it, a pitch got a little too close to a reds' player's head. a feud has been simmering all season suspensions and fines will be

announced in the coming days this goes back to inside pitching back in april, but i love baseball, but the thing where you throw at people as payback, you have to get rid of it. >> it is not good for the sport. let's get a check of the weather. good morning >> we're looking at 31 people at risk for severe weather. already seeing storms in parts of central pennsylvania. damaging winds, isolated hail and we could also see an isolated tornado as well what's causing it? it's the front that's coming down bringing storms this afternoon along i-95 to norfolk and further south. by tomorrow, it clears and then slowly but surely, cooler drier air filters in more showers and thunderstorms in the southeast looking at three to four inches locally in some spots from south of boston all the way down to notville boston, new york, d.c., possible delays

pittsburgh and knottsville looking at tough road conditions from bangor to richmond and boston to cleveland on i-90. we're going to get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're starting to see some clouds reaching across the bay area, and with a cool start we will see it clearing out for a pleasant afternoon. temperatures in san francisco reaching the mid-60s. the north bay tops out in the lower 80s. our inland forecast with some of

our warmer spots will see the highs up to about 86 degrees, slightly cooler tomorrow, then warming up for the weekend. we'll see those temperatures peaking on sunday, inland valleys up to 91 degrees. t's yo >> that's your latest weather. guys >> al, thank you. just ahead, overnight developments in that case of two u.s. teens arrested in the murder of a police officer in italy. what we're learning this morning about one suspect's alleged violent history with fight clubs. plus, a new controversy tied to college admissions. you will not believe what some families are doing to get financial aid for their children

just ahead, an extraordinary group. survivors of shark attacks are here to share their stories. then a special treat if you're among the millions binge-watching the new season of "queer eye." the fab five is stopping by live with some big surprises, too, after your local news and weather. e is get to kohl's...

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good morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia. a lot of hard questions this morning in fairfield where authorities found twin newborns near a shopping center dumpster. only one of those twins survived. someone called 911 about 4:00 p.m. yesterday. police say there was no sign of the mother at the time. officers later found the woman they believe to be the mother. she was lying on a nearby sidewalk. others in the area say the woman is homeless and dealing with mental health issues. police plan to allow that woman a chance to get proper medical care before determining if she should be criminally charged. the other baby is being cared for. let's get a look at the forecast right now kari.

z>> we'll see it giving way int the afternoon to allow for more sunshine and the breezy winds coming inland will cool us down keeping the south bay in the upper 70s, but we will have some upper 80s in parts of the east bay, with ukiah topping out at 90 degrees today. for the inland areas, we continue on with some seasonable weather through at least the end of the week but it will warm up slightly for saturday and sunday. no extreme heat in the forecast over the next seven day, while san francisco stays cool with highs in the upper 60s. let's head over to vianey for a update on the commute. >> it's certainly busy. check out the south bay 101 northbound, definitely starting to show a slowdown. i have an update on that crash in san francisco that i told you about earlier along northbound 101 at grand avenue. good news, the roadway is now clear and looks like all of that residual traffic is finally starting to clear out. the bridge drive times slowing down westbound 580 toward the richmond bridge looking at 14 minutes. westbound 80 toward the bay

bridge 16 minutes and a live look right now at a busy bay bridge toll plaza. back to you. >> all right, we'll be back with another local news update in half an hour. we'll see you then. every day, visionaries are creating the future. so, every day, we put our latest technology and unrivaled network to work. the united states postal service makes more e-commerce deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country.

7:30 7:30 now on this last day of july, 2019. the summer flying by. a big crowd out on our plaza. we will step outside and join them in just a moment. >> good morning, everybody. nice to have you along. here are the headlines of the morning. night one of the democratic debates in detroit is for the record books. the growing divide between moderate and liberal candidates is very much apparent. ten democrats squared off on issues from immigration to health care. the moderates challenging senators bernie sanders and elizabeth warren on their medicare for all plan. >> medicare for all is comprehensive. it covers all health care needs for senior citizens, it will

include dental care, hearing aids and eyeglasses. >> you don't know that, bernie. >> i do. i wrote the damn bill. >> opponents for the medicare for all proposal say workers won't support losing their private health plans to a government-managed system. >> elizabeth warren said the notion that democrats are taking away coverage is a republican talking point. ten more candidates will take the stage tonight. a cardi b concert last night in indianapolis was cancelled due to a security threat. police say that the singer and her manager cancelled the show after receiving an unverified threat to the artist. the public was never in harm's way. a makeup concert scheduled for september. refunds are being offered for those who can't make it to the new date. now to heartstopping video that shows a 3-year-old boy clinging to the edge of a sixth floor wabalcony in southwest

china. the boy is holding on. neighbors gathered below and hold out a blanket. the boy loses his grip, plunges to the ground, but fell straight into the blanket. he was taken to the hospital. amazingly, he was uninjured. >> goodness. >> you can almost hear the sighs of relief from here. >> takes your breath away. this morning, we're learning about the alleged violent past of one of two american teens jailed in rome for the murder of an italian police officer. "nbc nightly news" senior international correspondent keir simmons has the latest. >> reporter: good morning. finnegan elder broke down in tears when he was told the police officer had died. his friend, hjorth, reacting in disbelief, saying, really? dead? that's according to the italian prosecutor's latest news conference. back home in california, news emerging overnight that may become a factor in the trial the two boys face. new insight into the past of an american teen, pictured here on his social media high school football page, now accused of

killing an italian police officer. 19-year-old finnegan elder, in an italian jail, took part in organized fight nights in a san francisco park while in high school. his uncle said the fight nights apparently resulted in many injuries. and he tells ap, one fight between two boys in a public place resulted in a serious injury. san francisco police telling the "associated press," at 2:30 a.m. on october 30th, 2016, they were called to a hospital where a 16-year-old boy was reported in surgery following an aggravated assault. elder's uncle saying the young men squared off in a mutual challenge. unfortunately, the other boy tripped and fell backwards during the fight, injuring his head accidentally. the incident was tragic and unfortunate but did not involve drugs or weapons. elder, who was a juvenile, does not have a criminal record, according to his uncle.

italian prosecutors now releasing a picture of the knife allegedly used in the murder of just-married italian police officer mario cerciello rega, showing a 7-inch blade. cc-tv claiming to show the events that led to the killing. a drug deal gone wrong, and two men running from the scene. the video, unverified by nbc news. 18-year-old gabriel natale hjorth also arrested. a picture of a teen blindfolded in custody casting a shadow on the case, italian officials admit. italy is outraged. officer rega's funeral in the same church this week where his wedding took place. a key question is, did the teens know he was a police officer? >> keir, you've given us one of the questions authorities are looking at. what other questions are they asking this morning? >> there will be many key

issues, of course, willie. first of all, were the two teens involved? now, the italian prosecutor alleges they have confessed. then there is going to be the crucial question of what they are telling police individually. there are reports that they are blaming each other. hjorth may argue he didn't know his friend had a knife. his legal team reportedly already saying he can't be responsible for the actions of a friend. the families do appear to be preparing for a long legal battle this morning. elder's family telling nbc news, they're preparing to travel to rome and saying they've changed lawyers, while offering sincere condolences to the family of the police officers. >> keir simmons, thank you very much. 7:35. let's get another check from mr. roker. what's shaking? >> guys, the front that is going to bring a lot of heavy showers and thunderstorms also going to bring cooler air. you can see the front now setting up through western pa, new york, down into southern ohio. as it pushes through, it brings the showers and thunderstorms. ahead of it, you can see heat indexes in the low to mid 90s from charlotte to boston. behind it, cooler air. detroit, chicago, cincinnati, pittsburgh, st. louis, all below normal temperatures.

as we move into tomorrow, the cooler air makes its way to binghamton, d.c. south of the front, warmer than average for atlanta, columbia, and raleigh. by the time we get to the latter part of the week and moving on into the weekend, we're actually going to see temperatures that are really just about seasonable with low 80s into omaha. milwaukee in the low 80s. roanoke, the same thing. all in all, not that bad. that's what' good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. san jose starts out the day with clouds in reno, and we have clouds during the morning hours, it's going to be a nice day. helps keep our temperatures down. we're only seeing a high of 79 degrees and for the east bay valleys we will still reach into the upper 80s today. napa and santa rosa a high of 81 degrees. san francisco staying in the mid-60s. going through the forecast we have a lot of low 80s in the valleys and low 90s, while san

francisco continues on with morning fog and highs in the 60s. nk you so much coming up, we're going to sit down with five shark attack survivors and hear their stories about their roads to recovery and their message for anybody headed to the water. also ahead this morning, "queer eye's" fab 5. they'll be here to talk about the hit show's new season. plus, we have a big surprise for them. two big ways for fans of "friends" to celebrate the beloved sitcom's 25th anniversary. would you give up custody of your own children so they qualify for college financial aid? what we learned about a new way some parents are exploiting the system, right after this jamie, are there any interesting photos from your trip? ouch, okay. huh, boring, boring, you don't need to see that. oh, here we go. can you believe my client steig had never heard of a home and auto bundle or that renters could bundle? wait, you're a lawyer? only licensed in stockholm. what is happening? jamie: anyway, game show, kumite,

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>> some parents who do have the financial means to help pay for their child's education have discovered a way to pin the burden on other taxpayers. that's the allegation. nbc's ron mott has the details on it. ron, good morning. >> good morning. this is another eye-opener, and critics say it can rob more deserving students of much-needed financial aid. federal and state officials tell nbc news they are now digging deeper this morning, another controversy brewing on college campuses this one is perfectly legal. families, many of them with six-figure incomes, go to court to give up custody of their child so they can qualify for need-based financial aid so you have a tip? >> yes. >> reporter: more than 40 instances of just that were found in one illinois county alone since the start of last year parents transferring guardianship of their child to someone of lesser means. >> the parents, guardian, the minor, they sign affidavits, and the judge can look at it if it checks all the boxes, they have to say it is in the minor's best interest, and it's done.

>> reporter: some of the families using the tactic living the good life. million-dollar homes in some cases and kids still getting financial aid aimed at students further down the economic ladder that has one vermont parent up in arms, what she calls, caught in the middle trap. >> it's a slap in the face when you see these people who sounds like they can afford college are going about it, you know, through these loopholes that are very unethical >> reporter: nbc news contacted two illinois lawfirms who handled most of the cases cited. one attorney wrote, financial aid should be about the students parents generally have no legal obligation to pay for a college education. if they won't, where does that leave the child? advocates of the legal maneuver say unlike the college admissions scandal, these

students were fairly accepted into college and are looking for a way to pay for it. >> this is a scam. >> reporter: critics, like this new york city based college counselor, say while it may be legal, someone gets cheated. >> these are limited funds to help the least privileged among us they are really taking that opportunity away from these people in a pretty despicable way. >> reporter: the u.s. department of education says those who break the rules should be held accoun mpbltsz we are interrupting the "today" show to bring you breaking news in the bay area. there is a report of a fire close to sfo. >> right now we want to look at the pictures as you can see the thick cloud of smoke there, as it billows up from that area. we're not sure what that building is, but we are working to find out. there have been a lot of tweets online, a lot of people saying they see this smoke, taking pictures of this. as of right now we're not

hearing of any threats to people in that area but of course this is early in this situation. we just saw the thick cloud of smoke and we went in to gear. >> there are concerns it could be close to the united airlines maintenance facility that is close to the airport. there are unconfirmed reports of that right now. we're working to bring you the latest information, but you can see in the center of your screen with the live pictures right now, all of the thick black smoke that was coming out. these are some of the tweets people were witnessing. some people were even onboard planes they could take out of the pictures of their windows. >> some people getting close you see from kevin stewart he was taking a picture of the thick cloud of smoke. we don't see any flames right now, but still a very scary situation potentially dangerous situation in that area. again, this is a fire or some type of incident going on. we see a thick cloud of smoke this is yenear sfo.

we're working to get information on what this is, maybe what caused this thick cloud of smoke that we're seeing. >> we're finding out right now san mateo fire is sending aid to that area to fight whatever this fire is, should it be at a building or whatnot. we're trying to determine what exactly is on fire but it is considered a san francisco area, san mateo offering their services. >> they have just confirmed that this is the united maintenance facility. they are near sfo, that has something going on there. we see the thick cloud of black smoke coming from that facility just now. but we have confirmed that this is at the united maintenance facility. this is near sfo right now. as you're looking at these pictures coming from different people, people were tweeting about this from different areas. you saw some of the pictures from airplanes, some pictures from people possibly driving nearby, but you can see just how thick that smoke is coming from that area, and right now, you

can see to the left, if you look there, you can see the water spraying there on whatever is burning at this moment. you were just saying san mateo fire already rushing to that scene, but where this fire is coming from, we don't actually know. you can see there water spraying on to whatever is burning in that area right now. this could be a big concern for people in that area. >> that's right. so avoid that area. we don't know of any street closures at this time. we've lost our nbc bay area sky ranger, we've launched our nbc bay area sky ranger to give you a closer look at what they're up against. we'll continue to follow this story throughout the morning for you. >> right now, we do know flights are not affected by what's going on here but we have confirmed that this is some type of incident, fire going on at the united maintenance facility, this is near sfo right now, and we're working to see. we do see that they are spraying some water onto that area, but you can see, look to the left of

the smoke and spraying onto the affected area. >> we'll continue to follow it once again. no flights affected. this is smoke that was seen close to sfo. we have confirmed that it's happening at the united maintenance facilities near the airport this morning. people are reportedly seeing it from inside their planes, as they were getting ready to take off. it just happened a few minutes ago, and we took these live pictures from that area. we're hoping to launch nbc bay area sky ranger as well to give you an overhead visual. >> as you know, the make-out of that area this is north of the terminals. sffd and mutual aid responders are on the scene right now. this is a map of the area. you could see the make-out of it and what is surrounding that area right now. we're get nothing word of word s and checking to see maybe what caused this fire.

we are going to keep checking back at this time. we haven't heard any information about road closures or any evacuations in that area right now. certainly we're keeping our ears to the ground trying to find out what is happening but right now, air traffic not affected by this, but this is some type of fire or incident at the united maintenance facility. this is north of the terminals there at sfo. san francisco fire department there on the scene, as well as mutual aid responding, trying to get this fire under control and you can see there to the left of that smoke, that's where they're spraying the water on to whatever is burning in that area. >> exactly, and you know, it was pretty thick black smoke earlier so we're trying to watch and see what is going on there. this is a look at some of the tweets that we've been seeing online, so many people saw this out of their plane window there. a big plume of smoke rising. the skies are pretty clear which is why we're hopefully able to

launch our chopper in that area. looks like the plumes of smoke going straight up. not a lot of reports. we'll check with meteorologist kari hall of wind in that area, but it is at that maintenance facility, which is more of an industrial type area. so we don't believe that homes and whatnot, structures could be threatened at this time but taking a wider kind of angle here of what we're seeing here, the thick blplume of smoke. this is united hub for sfo, but no flights delayed that we know of at this time. >> we spoke with sfo spokesperson, they said no flights affect ed no traffic affected. firefighter, are on the scene. it was much thicker and darker just moments ago, but we did see the spew of water there on to that area but the good news is no reports of injuries or flights being affected or traffic in that area. it seems that things may be

under control at this time but this was a fire at the united airlines maintenance facility. these are tweets as you can see this person tweeting that, you can see different angles across the city there, where people are taking pictures of the smoke that they saw that was happening at that moment. this one from a plane someone seeing that. you can see the different angles and perspective of what people were seeing with this smoke in the area. certainly alarming and to some people not exactly knowing what's going on with that. >> but we should add, this is a structure fire. it's a building fire. there is no planes affected so far, not believed to be an airplane, though it is near sfo this morning, just to make sure that people know. united airlines maintenance facility is very close there but these are some of the twitter photos were coming out earlier and you see how thick and dark the smoke was just moments ago. >> kevin stewart saying fire has broken out at united airlines maintenance facilities at sfo. he had a grip on what was going on at the time as he sent this

tweet out and just coming from that angle you can see how thick that smoke is, but if we look at the live shot that we have right now, you can see that that is, the cloud of smoke isn't that thick but look how much it spread in the air there, almost like a cloudy day, but that is smoke coming from the fire there at the united maintenance facility north of the terminal at sfo. no flights have been affected. traffic around that area has not been affected at this time, but we do know that san francisco fire department there at the scene, getting things under control. there was water spewing that we could see from the live shot. i don't see that at this time anymore, but certainly there are crews on the scene trying to get things under control but again, no air traffic affected, no airplanes affected. traffic around that area not affected at this time, but certainly causing some concern this morning, as we saw that thick cloud of smoke spewing from the building there, this was the united maintenance facility north of the terminal there at sfo. >> exactly. so we're working to find out

just what exactly started the fire, how it was ignited. we're not hearing of reports of it spreading so far. we know that fire crews are on the scene attempting to put this out right now. certainly a visual that you'll see across the bay area especially up along the peninsula this morning, that thick cloud of smoke. you see the plane going by right now, that is yet another indication that flights are normal as scheduled so far this morning as well. not associated with any planes or any flights so far, just the maintenance facility that is north of the terminal. >> i think the promising sign that we see there is what you see right now, as you are looking live, at the pictures there at the fire at the united maintenance facility. the smoke is not as thick as it was earlier, certainly not as dark as it was earlier. we did see crews get there quickly when we saw fire spew ig onto that area.

you can see a truck going by in that area, so you know that things are for the most part going on as normal there at sfo. we did speak with a spokesperson. they told us firefighters are on the scene. no traffic is affected. flights are not affected by what was going on, the fire at the united maintenance facility, north of the terminals at sfo. it wasn't there at the area where you see the planes and the passengers and things. so that's a good sign to keep people safe in the area. >> it's far north of the terminal on north mcfor alleged roa mcdonald road, the facilities are large and expansive. no threat to the airport as well. it's a visual for all the people that are taking off this morning. a lot of people took to twitter quickly to take pictures of the plume of smoke this morning. so we're continuing to watch this fire at the maintenance facility united maintenance facility near the airport at

sfo, trying to determine what exactly was on fire. we don't know of any injuries as of yet or if they're able to contain this fire. >> you can see smoke there, people tweeting out smoke cloud from a fire going on near san francisco airport. you see there. that a promising look there as we look at the live shot now. this is live pictures from where the fire was happening, from a distance there. the fire at the united maintenance facility north of the terminals there at sfo. >> looks like the south airport boulevard off of, in san francisco. but they have several buildings, kind of expansive there, so you can see from the map as we close in a little bit exactly where it is, north of the terminals this morning. so near sfo. flights not impacted. that's the good news. firefighters trying to get a handle. >> good news for people flying out this morning. as we know sfo is a busy

airport, international airport for people going and coming at all times of the day. >> exactly. so of course always check ahead, especially in the bay area, when the fog is lingering as well. but we're not hearing of any reports of delays thus far. we're talking about the smoke that's seen in the air. it was the straight column that went up and outward. no reports of winds in the area. let's check the forecast right now meteorologist kari hall. >> and as we look at the plume of smoke we can see it come up and flatten out. the top of the inversion layer where the air pushes back down is at about 2,000 feet right now. that's the reason why we are seeing it come up and then spread out in either direction. so it can't go up much farther from here, and that's also where, if we had fog right now, where that would be developing as well. in terms of the wind, we have a very light wind coming in at about seven miles per hour at the airport. we can see the direction of the wind coming in from the north and west. as we go throughout the day, we're still going to see some cool temperatures there, skies

starting to clear and for the inland areas, expect high temperatures to reach into the low to mid 80s. and let's get a check on the roads now from vianey. >> a lot of folks are wondering whether that fire is affecting your traffic. according to chp, we're not seeing any traffic being affected. take a look at our speed sensors here, you can see we just got that typical morning slowdown in our commute along northbound 101 and southbound 101. i checked out the peninsula drive times. southbound 101 to highway 92, 12 minutes. no major impacts as far as that fire near sfo. >> thank you very much. that is that fire confirmed near united airlines maintenance facility that we're monitoring this morning. what you should know is that flights are not impacted at this time. of course, check ahead. >> we also can tell you that traffic around that area not affected, and we're going to continue to monitor this. we will have another local update coming up for you right here on nbc bay area in 30 minutes.

it's 8:00 on "today." it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, divided they stand. >> impossible promises that will turn off independent voters and get trump re-elected >> i don't understand why anybody goes to all the trouble of running for president of the united states just to talk about what we really can't do and shouldn't fight for. >> democratic differences taking center stage during night one of the debate. >> you don't know that, bernie. >> i wrote the damn bill. >> what were the big moments, and what should voters look for tonight? we're live in detroit.

plus, stories of survival. >> i remember thinking, this is not the end for me. >> we'll meet five incredible shark attack survivors who fought for their lives. >> it was kind of a blur of whitewater and fins thrashing. >> they're here to talk about how life has changed and what you should know before heading into the water and the "friends" zone ahead of the show's 25th anniversary, new products are released, borrowing from the iconic '90s style. we'll show you what's for sale today, wednesday, july 31, 2019. >> hi to my mom in minnesota. >> happy birthday, grandma. >> good morning, ohio. >> iowa. >> our family vacation. >> from louisville, kentucky ♪ high, high hopes ♪ high, high hopes for living >> here from dallas, texas, celebrating my 21st birthday >> from virginia ♪ high, high hopes for living morning, everybody welcome back it is wednesday morning and a

good one here. we have a lot of reasons to celebrate. she loves the fab five the fab five are here. the whole crew we'll chat with them in a few. >> a lot of excitement in the building they've got a lot of good for a lot of people. we'll surprise them this morning. let's get to the news at 8:00 health care and immigration were in the spotlight as democratic debates got under way. also, the divide between progressive and more moderate candidates nbc's kristen welker is in detroit with the key moments from the showdown. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. round two of the democratic debates gets under way here in michigan in a few hours. you can expect more fireworks. it comes on the heels of that epic clash between candidates over the future of their party this morning, a clear divide, as

moderates and liberals clashed over the direction of the democratic party and who can beat president trump >> folks, we have a choice we can go down the road that senator sanders and senator warren want to take us, with bad policies like medicare for all, free everything, and impossible promises that will turn off independent voters and get trump re-elected. >> i don't understand why anybody goes to all the trouble of running for president of the united states just to talk about what we really can't do and shouldn't fight for. >> reporter: the moderates trying to make the case that progressive senators elizabeth warren and bernie sanders are too extreme. >> so, again, i think if we're going to force americans to make these radical changes, they're not going to go along. throw your hands up, but you'll have -- >> reporter: some of the sharpest disagreements over the medicare for all plan backed by warren and sanders that expands the government-run health care program for americans 65 and older to all u.s. citizens and lawful permanent residents it would eliminate private insurance for some 150 million

americans. >> why do we have to be the party of taking something away from people? >> no, we are the democrats. we are not about trying to take away health care from anyone that's what the republicans are trying to do >> reporter: ohio congressman tim ryan pressing sanders on whether his plan would be better than union health care plans >> you don't know that, bernie >> i do. i wrote the damn bill. >> reporter: there were also heated moments on other key issues, from immigration to gun control. when montana governor, steve bullock, who didn't qualify for the first debate, struck a personal note. >> had an 11-year-old nephew, jeremy, shot and killed on a playground we need to start looking at this as a public health issue, not a political issue. >> reporter: in the crowded field, many candidates hoping for a breakout moment. author marianne williamson may have gotten one.

>> if you think the wonkiness is going to deal with what this president is bringing up in this country, i'm afraid the democrats will see some very dark days. >> reporter: all candidates making the case they are the most electable. >> the reason we are going to defeat trump is he is a fraud and phony, and we're going to expose him for what he is. >> reporter: now, not mentioned last night, the front runner, joe biden. he will be on stage tonight. he will have a bit of a rematch with senator kamala harris who, of course, landed a few punches against him during the first round of debates a lot of pressure on biden tonight to deliver a stronger performance. savannah >> kristen welker, thank you very much. also this morning, we are learning more about the 19-year-old gunman behind sunday's mass shooting at a food festival in california officials say one unanswered question remains why did he do it nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer joins us with more on that investigation good morning. >> reporter: willie, good morning.

the fbi says it'll take a few more days to process the scene behind me, but they now believe the suspect was working alone, that there was no accomplice as mentioned, they still don't have a motive. that's something they are clearly working on this morning, the fbi describes santino legan, the gunman who killed three and wounded more than a dozen, as a loner investigators retracing his steps before the rampage surveillance video shows the suspect before the shooting spree shopping on his own. inside his car, a second weapon, a shotgun, was recovered [ gunshots ] >> reporter: today, still no motive >> we have to get into the computers, the towers, the thumb drives, the phone, to get a holistic picture >> reporter: scrubbing his social media for leads, investigators say it is too early to tell if hate or racis fueled the shooting. >> when i found out it was santino, i was blown away, shocked. >> reporter: hightower worked with the gunman, calling him polite and hard working. >> he was really nice.

sweet. like i would never expect anything like this from him. >> reporter: survivors describe a much more sinister 19-year-old, as he reloaded, this father tried confronting him. >> i started running towards him. i got about halfway, 10 feet out, i guess, and he picked the clip up and looked at me and said, no >> reporter: with funerals for the victims planned in the coming days, the youngest to die was 6-year-old stephen romero. the oldest, 25-year-old trevor irby keyla salazar was just 13 when she was shot down next to family. >> our beautiful children that really cared for other people. >> reporter: for the victims, a motive, answers will never ease their loss another senseless mass shooting. this time, taking the youngest of lives when the gunman began to open fire, a band was playing on stage nearby a member of that band told the

"associated press" that someone yelled to the gunman, why are you doing this he, quote, answered, because i'm really angry willie >> we're thinking about the families thank you. a shakeup for the u.s. women national soccer team the coach is stepping down after leading her squad to the world cup title earlier this month jill ellis said for her and her family, the timing is right to move on. she's the only head coach to win back to back titles. she also coached the team to the championship once the five-game tour victory is finished, she'll stay on for another year as an ambassador. >> leave on a high >> exactly morning boost? >> little girl named lily never gave up hope of seeing her cat freddie, though he had been missing for a year when her parents got a call the cat had been found, they decided to surprise their girl when she

came home from school. >> uncover your eyes he's back. >> is that freddie >> it's freddie! >> i mean, is that just adorable turns out, freddie had run away during a visit to grandma's house through an open window the cat had an implanted microchip. when somebody found him and took him to the vet, they were able to find his family that's how we got that beautiful reunion. >> welcome home, freddie. ahead, has it been 25 years since the premiere of "friends"? we have fun ways for you to celebrate that anniversary that's in pop start. then a brave group with one thing in common. they each have survived a shark attack their stories and what they want you to take away from their encounters, right after this she's doing it again. no cover-up spray here. it's the irresistibly fresh scent of febreze air effects. [harsh aerosol spray] cheaper aerosols can cover up odors, buryiodors in a flowery fog. switch to febreze air effects! febreze eliminates even the toughest odors from the air.

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we are back at 8:12 to continue our shark week on "today" series, in partnership with discovery channel's popular annual event. >> in 2018, the u.s. had the largest number of unprovoked shark attacks in the world still, experts say the chances of becoming a victim is just 1 in nearly 12 million this morning, we're joined by people who know what it is like to be that one in the statistic. we'll talk to them in a moment first, a little more on their stories. >> we have a shark attack.

>> keane webre hayes was lobster diving off the coast of southern california when he felt something tackle him. >> ripped everything on the top, and it also got his cheek. >> reporter: the teenager lost half his blood and received 1,000 stitches. >> i think he's a miracle. >> reporter: tiffany johnson was on a snorkeling excursion with her husband in the bahamas. >> it felt like i had bumped into something when i turned, i was face-to-face with a shark. >> reporter: the mother of three lost her right arm during the attack >> i remember thinking, this is not the end for me >> hi, we're on the beach. we have a shark bite here. >> reporter: austin reed was surfing in north carolina last month when he was pulled off his board. >> i saw the shark in a frenzy with all the blood in the water. >> reporter: jonathan hernandez was spear fishing in the bahamas when he was hit from behind. >> i looked in the water, and i

could see my calf was hanging and gushing blood into the water. >> reporter: the experienced diver said it all happened fast. >> it was a blur of whitewater, fins, and thrashing. >> reporter: lola pollina, was in waist-deep water off fire island >> i saw something next to me. i ran out to my mom, and my leg was bloody. >> reporter: this was the state's first shark attack in 70 years. now, they've all come together to share their stories of survival >> keane, tiffany, austin, jonathan, and lola are with us now. hi, everybody. nice to have you here. what has it been like being together this morning? it is so unusual, to have an experience like this with a shark, and now you've gotten to meet each other. how does it feel to meet others? >> great. >> feels really good. >> does it feel like there's a little bond? >> yeah. >> definitely. >> nobody really gets bit by a shark, so it is great to have people who know what it is like. >> for some of you, i mean, this

just happened this summer. jonathan, i mean, right, just about a month or two ago. >> six weeks. >> how are you doing in. >> getting there. >> your scar is still healing. >> it's a slow process, but it gets better each day >> you, as well, austin. >> yeah. >> this is just within the last month or so ago. >> it was a month. >> how are you doing >> doing good. it's healing pretty good i can walk now i was able to get back in the water. just this week, i think, tuesday. >> that's what we heard, you were already back in the water. >> yeah. >> where did you go back in the water? >> i went back to the spot i got bit. >> the same spot >> yeah. >> why did you do that >> i thought it was the best way to, i guess, get closure originally, i was going to go to a different beach to surf, but i thought that would have been cheating myself kind of. i thought i just wanted to go head on, straight back to the spot i can take on my fear of getting back in the water. >> some of you haven't got back

in the water because you're still healing, and some, i imagine, tiffany, it might be difficult to do that. >> mm-hmm. yeah, i have gone back in the water only because i'm trying to use wisdom i haven't had any issues with ptsd or depression, and i don't want to introduce any. i'm trying to use god's wisdom in that. >> be careful with yourself. >> yeah. you have young ones, so it is not just me. >> you lost your right arm i read about your story. you have such an incredible perspective. >> thank you. >> of grace. what has it been like to go through this, to lose the function of your arm, and have these little kids you're trying to raise, too? >> i mean, it's not been easy. it is a new normal i'm establishing so thankful that god has given me the peace and hope and strength in this i wouldn't be able to do it without him. so just being able to figure out what this looks like, you know, and being a mom of three, they don't let me rest.

>> yeah. >> which is good i mean, i have to keep moving. >> lola, you were, last summer, doing what a lot of us do. you were standing out in the surf off fire island here in new york >> yeah. >> what do you remember about that moment? >> i remember at first i didn't feel anything, until i actually saw it it was just like, whoa i didn't know what it was until i got out. i saw, like, everything that had happened it's like, you don't expect that until you actually see it and it actually happens. >> you didn't see a shark coming you didn't see a fin, any of those things. >> no. i only saw it after it happened. >> what about you, jonathan, did you have a similar, out of nowhere experience >> same situation. never saw it coming. got hit from behind. just felt the immense impact no pain. >> you're an experienced boater. >> no pain >> no pain >> a lot of you said that. >> you felt the impact. >> is that because you're in shock? what have you been told about that >> no idea. >> adrenaline is part of it. >> yeah. you don't feel it. it's so quick. >> yeah. >> after it happens, it's like, that's when it starts happening. that's when you start feeling it. >> keane, what did you think when you were bitten

what was your instinct, what had happened to you? >> i was coming up from a dive i felt shaking, getting hit. i was like, it's my friend trying to scare me that was my first time, so he knew i was nervous i look at my arm, and it's all bloody and stuff i was like, that's crazy definitely not noah. i just swam to a kayak after i got bit, i was definitely, you know, in survival mode, just get to the kayak and survive. >> you had 1,000 stitches. >> yeah, i did. >> i heard you lost half your blood. >> yeah. a little more than that. normally, your hemoglobin, your blood level, you're at 12, and you die at 3 when i got to the hospital, i was at 4 >> wow. >> very close to death >> i mean, it is one thing to recover physically, which all of you appear to be doing beautifully, but emotionally, it is different this is a shot tiffany, you talked about not

feeling ptsd, but you talked about fear. >> i'm like, i need to get out now. i don't feel right there's other times where i feel perfectly fine i'm like, all right, we're good. especially if you have friends around you, it makes it so much easier they can calm you down it's just great. >> as we said, jonathan, in the piece setting up our interview here, statistically, the odds are you won't be bitten by a shark if you are an average person you were one of the statistics what would you tell people you're an experienced fisherman. you all love the water, i trust. what would you tell people in the ocean this summer? >> be prepared have the right medical stuff whether on the boat or the beach. tourniquet is the single biggest thing that saved me life $20, $30, fits in your pocket. simple piece of equipment that

essentially bleeding out is the biggest fear. >> right. >> how do you -- >> be prepared. >> how do you all feel about sharks >> i'm fine with them. >> yeah. >> they get a bad rep. >> definitely. >> we are this their territory >> yeah. >> they're animals they're unpredictable. >> yeah. >> well, you all are very brave. we're grateful for you coming and sharing your stories i think people learn a lot about what happened but also about recovery and healing. >> yeah. >> absolutely. >> thanks, guys. glad to see you doing so well. >> thank you. let's turn and get a check of the weather with al hey, al? >> thanks so much. as we look out west, high pressure, a big upper level ridge of high pressure is dominating out there this is gong to help bring up that moisture from the gulf of mexico and california. we're seeing a lot of wet weather. 8 million people under flash flood watches and warnings the heavy shower and thunderstorm activity is firing up while it is fairly localized, we could be looking at some places that pick up 3 to -- 1 to 2 inches per hour. that can cause flash flooding in those gullies there.

in the east, 31 million people at risk for strong storms. already as the front gets ready to pull through, we'll be lookin good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. live look outside in san jose as the sun comes out. we are going to have a beautiful day ahead with some comfortable temperatures. we're going to see those highs up to 79 degrees, also 79 in palo alto. in oakland expect a high of 72 and 81 in napa. we'll be as warm as the low 80s through the end of the week. 90s in the forecast with our highs peaking at 91 on this sunday. >> and that's your latest weather. sweet willie >> al, thank you very much jenna is here, meaning it is time for pop start. >> thank you, sweet willie. >> sweet sheinelle. >> i kind of like it. >> there can be other things sweet willie isn't bad. >> i'll take it. >> shall we pop start? >> yeah.

>> first up, dwayne johnson. the mega-star is set to headline this week's movie release "fast and furious, hobbs and shaw. while it looks like serious action from start to finish, behind the scenes, johnson's costar roman rains had an issue with one of the stunts >> both of us are supposed to take our clubs over our heads, throw, poof. they say, a lot of people around no need to throw the club. i pretend to throw my club, and i hear, oh, my god i turn around, the cameraman is knocked out. joe was like, whoa the club nailed the cameraman, bang >> i haven't stopped apologizing. insisting, no, no, i'm okay. >> our photographers don't have to worry about that. we're not throwing things around here. the 90210 reboot, with the show nearing the premiere, the stars are opening up about the memory of their friend and co-star luke perry who suffered a fatal stroke in march. >> he was a big personality and took up a lot of space he took up a lot of space in this group

i think that we all feel the vacancy left by his absence. >> it is very difficult. i do know that he is with us i see, you know, little messages all the time from him, and his energy is here. >> the highly anticipated reboot premieres next week. have you wanted to frolic around the fountain from the opening credits of "friends" you'll be able to thanks to a "friends" 25th anniversary pop-up here in new york. you'll be able to lounge in central perk and check out their apartment and furniture. speaking of furniture, pottery barn is getting in on the mania, releasing items inspired by the show the coffee table phoebe hated, you can get it for $1100. >> wow. >> who would have thought we'd be talking about this show 25 years after we first visited the set? >> is it kind of a shock that the show has been so successful? what do you think? >> it is amazing i think we're taken aback by it.

to us, down here, it seems we're a theater group. we're a really tight ensemble. >> matt, what were you doing before you landed this role? >> i was on every cancelled show that george clooney wasn't on. >> well, the rest is history to stay up to date on all the "friends" news, head to today.com. >> good throwback. daly click is relatable, in a way. our video this morning is heartbreaking. you come home from a long day at work you have a six pack, wanting to relax. watch what happens. >> oh, no. >> the case completely collapses. the night got a whole lot messier. this poor guy stands there for a second shoulders slumped. it's the worst you're about to kick up your feet, then you run into a moment like this. this security camera caught it people think it is funny he stands there. you recognize at that moment, there's a lot of cleanup to happen.

>> i feel that's happened to willie has it >> there's a lot about me, that my heart sinks watching that >> i feel that's happened to me with boxed wine. >> it happened to me. >> i tried to sop it up. >> sparkling water. >> save it. >> the box never breaks. >> actually, it can break. >> a box of wine >> it can. >> only with savannah. >> it's not as sturdy as you think. >> you broke the bag inside? >> oh, the nozzle. >> right. >> understood. >> good click, sheinelle thank you very much. al, where are you? >> i'm upstairs. we have a huge half hour coming up with the cast of "queer eye." oh, we have bobby flay and michael symon. we have the cast of "queer eye." we have the guy who needs the hair the most in the chair michael symon. bobby flay maria shriver. there's so much coming up in this half hour everybody feeling good missed a spot right there. all right. we've got all this coming up in the next half hour first, your local news and weather.

and a good morning to you. it's 8:26. i'm marcus washington. breaking news this morning, a live look from nbc bay area sky ranger flying over the aftermath of a fire near sfo. firefighters told us it is out. it was burning at the united airlines maintenance operations center. this is away from terminals. we also hear the fire was on the fifth floor. here's how it looked from our ground camera about 30 minutes before. we could see that thick column of smoke. firefighters say there are no injuries. we spoke with an airport spokesperson who say those operations at the airport are normal, and that the airport flights are not impacted. we still don't know how the fire started, but we have a crew

there headed to the scene. we'll get the latest for you coming up on "midday." how about the traffic around the area where the fire was? >> that is a great question. they are reporting no delays because of fire in sfo, but i am seeing delays around the peninsula. this is a typical morning pattern for a wednesday, and we haven't seen delays as a result of that fire at sfo, but i want to give you peninsula drive times. highway 102, you're looking at about a half hour right now. we'll have another update in 30 minutes. we are here to discuss jessie's online time.

and out of respect, we will let you make the first offer. thirty minutes. thirty minutes?

objection! overruled. one hour. sweeten the deal by doing the dishes and i'll consider it. i wouldn't do it. i hate the dishes. one hour with the tablet, you walk the dog and do the dishes. if you insist. congratulations. only xfinity xfi lets you take control of your family's online time. that's simple, easy, awesome. xfinity xfi gives you the speed, coverage and control you need. manage your wifi network from anywhere when you download the xfi app today. the brewpub chicken new hwith grilled chicken,. crispy smokehouse bacon, and fresh avocado. the new buffalo chicken with frank's redhot wings sauce. or the tangy barbecue chicken with chipotle mayo. the new hot chicken trio at togo's. how far would you go for a togo?

we're back. 8:30. we're back 8:30 wednesday morning, the 31st of july, 2019 great crowd out on our plaza >> so many folks out this morning. >> nice day. i'm looking for a girl scout troop. >> there they are. >> from laurel, maryland yes? okay i'm looking -- nice to see you guys >> hi. >> are you from maryland >> yes >> you're here with your girl scout troop?

>> yes, i am. >> is there a logan anywhere are you logan? >> yes. >> i heard you had one thing you really wanted to do here today what is that >> hug jenna >> you want to hug jenna she's about to have her baby. >> i know. >> you came just in time jenna, this is logan >> thank you for wanting to hug me i wanted to hug you. how did you know >> i don't know. >> so cute. >> thank you for coming to visit me >> thank you >> you want to stay for the 10:00? can y'all? maybe they can maybe they can't if you can, logan, you're always invited. >> you can come on inside. >> do you want to? >> for the 10:00, y'all stay we have concerts we have willie geist >> i think it's a yes. >> wow. >> that willie geist got her logan says yes what do you have to say about willie geist good >> he's great. >> he's great. >> terrific. >> thank you, guys, for coming girl scouts forever. >> cutis we'll see them inside. >> we love our girl scouts coming up, have we mentioned our excitement that the fab five from "queer eye" is here they'll be sharing their inspiring transformations, and we have a little something

planned for them, as well. >> we have two grill masters with two takes on steak. we have bobby flay and michael symon with a barbecue competition going on on the third hour of "today," we're kicking off a new series on women's wellness with maria shriver. she'll introduce us to a groundbreaking virtual clinic that could be the future of health care. plus, we have a packed fourth hour including country singer justin moore and "stranger things" maya hawke >> fun. >> and the girl scout troops. >> logan and her friends coming in >> and, of course, sweet willie geist. >> let's get a check of the weather. flood threat continues in the southwest. severe storms pushing into the northeast and the great lakes. also into new england. as we move into tomorrow, less humid through the great lakes into the northeast florida storms developing. a flood threat in the mid mississippi river valley

sunshine out west. that's what's going on around the country. whoa here good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. lots of sunshine now across the south bay as we start out with some cool temperatures. it's going to be a really nice day. and not as windy, especially for the inland valleys with our temperatures in concord reaching 86 degrees. napa to 81 and 90 in ukiah while san francisco reaches the mid-60s today. we will continue on with some 80s in the forecast throughout the end of the week, and slightly warmer for the weekend, low 90s saturday and sunday. i'm here with the "queer eye" guys. can we make it the fab six for a moment >> yes, of course. >> a guy can dream, right? all right. much more with the fab five in a moment first, this is "today" on nbc.

five fabulous guys four seasons three emmys. two years. one massive hit show "queer eye" on netflix is back for another season featuring a new batch of inspiring transformations, including their first ever hero who uses a wheelchair >> oh, man, i got a mirror i can look at myself. >> i put your bathroom mirror at an angle so you can finally see yourself >> it did not dawn on me you could mathematically do this. >> before in the footprint it was, we couldn't we expanded this to double the size it was. >> oh, man this gives me so much independence >> so cool the fab five are all here. jonathan van ness, tan france, bobby berk, karamo brown, and antoni porowski. great to see you. >> thanks for having us. >> six more emmy nominations as you enter season four. >> seven. >> he has one of his own.

>> seven total for the group >> yeah. >> can you believe how, in a short time, this show has hit such a nerve with the culture? >> the answer is no. >> no. >> how are you handling it just over a year of this. >> day by day. >> together. >> yeah. >> the beauty of it as a group, we have support for each other, which is really nice any time we get overwhelmed or feel we're in a constant state of shock, we can turn to the other and be like, you feel this way, as well, right? great. let's process it >> we did have the, are you coping okay, because it is intense. >> we still do. >> crying. >> holding each other softly. >> yeah. >> who would have thought? of course, we all remember the original show, and you do a reboot of something like this. i mean, most people aren't going to think it is going to be an even bigger hit. you made it your own you made it so special i think it has so much heart >> thanks. i like to believe that -- we like to believe it is a different show the concept is the same, five guys, but other than that, we're

a very, very different show. there's so much emotion with this version that wasn't allowed with the original version. there's a lot more visibility where we can talk about things that impact our day-to-day lives. >> the original show, they were gay superheros we're people, and we want people to realize we're like everyone else and want to help everyone, like everyone else. >> at times, it can be dark to a lot of people. this brings light and love you talk about make betters, not makeovers. you call everybody a hero. what is it about the show, karamo, that hit such a nerve? >> exactly that. we let people know they're not alone in what they're feeling. i think so many times, people are sitting in their homes and they feel like no one else is going through this as a parent, as a student, they're like, no one is experiencing what i am we're saying, you're not alone here are tips to help you to get through your day. >> the new season is out have there been any particular people you've met that have really touched you

>> i think the clip you showed, wesley, was a big one for all of us it was our first disabled hero we were proud to be working with him. we learned so much we're learning more after the show just his brightness, his kindness, and how he gives back made us really want to give to him. he was a big one for me. >> i think deanna was an important episode, as well, sharing the immigrant story. hopefully we get to do more of those. there's so many experiences. that was one that touched me. >> you try to go into the heartland, which is really great. >> i think kind of surmising, it's like there's so much -- it is a dark time in the country, and there are so many people experiencing so much suffering and looking for an area where we can connect and be heard and have that moment of human interaction. where you might not be, you know, politically coming from the same place i know for the episode where we

went to my hometown, i think that the conversations of that inspired in my hometown, there were editorials in the paper there were people upset over us coming to my hometown and having five lgbtq people coming into the public school. i think it really has made long-lasting changes and important conversations in a town that went to trump in over 2-1. it is such an opportunity to bring people together. there is such a rare opportunity to do that these days. >> do you get a chance to catch up with people who have been on the show and see how they're doing? >> we keep up with all of them on social media. >> we're filming in philly, and jess from season three is there. we hang out all the time. >> instagram makes it easier. >> there are throwback pictures that were posted of some of you guys. >> yeah. >> i think we can throw it up. oh, yeah >> i feel like me and antoni look alike in this picture i thought i was you actually.

>> yeah. >> tyra banks clearly taught me how to smeyes. >> you can see i was inspired by tyra >> it is fun to look back. as willie said, what is cool is the bond that you have with some of the people who have been on the show actually, there's somebody i know you really, really touched, who wanted to come and say hello here today >> nice. >> he's here it's wesley. >> oh! >> love you. >> your hair looks so good >> you look so good. >> handsome, my friend what's going on? >> i knew it >> i love it >> hi. >> you look so handsome. oh, my goodness. look at these pants and everything >> you look great. >> wesley. >> we need to introduce everybody. this is wesley he met the guys this season. wesley, you've been in recovery from a gunshot wound i know you're doing a lot

better what did this interaction mean to you >> oh, man >> he's not doing a lot better he's thriving. >> yes, he is. >> this was an amazing experience i mean, actually, i'm blown away to see you guys. it was amazing i mean, everything about it. every little bit changed my life it's helping me with what i'm doing today. >> oh, my gosh so excited >> you have done the hard part >> i'm trying. >> he said it first, it wasn't me >> amazing, the response on social media to wesley, of like people who have never understood what someone who is living with a disability goes through, to see it also, like your kindness, like he met with the person who shot him. that conversation allowed a dialogue on social media that i have never seen in my life, of forgiveness, of people saying, let's try to have real conversations. brother, you are changing things.

>> the world has fallen in love with wesley. it's been so beautiful >> i fell in love with the world. >> yes, you heard that correctly. when he came out, the first thing the guys said was, your hair looks so good. >> honey, this hard part decision, i'm obsessed i didn't see it on instagram when did you get it? >> it was for you. it was for you, all right? >> it's real good. >> man, it was you you got me there >> did i >> yeah. >> it was a year ago. >> you got me in the fashion sense, right >> i got you that. >> are you excited to do laundry? >> i wash every day, and i cook every day. >> oh! >> i don't even buy food i just cook at home. >> wesley, we're so happy you're here we'll let you guys catch up. we're going to see you guys again in a little bit. currently filming season five in philadelphia >> we knew you'd like this one >> "queer eye" is there for the bingeing on netflix. as i said, guys, stick around and be part of the tasting table if you want to

yes? al we have bobby flay, michael symon out here the same steak, two different ways one quick barbecue tip. >> i think it is important for the people to get a hot side and cool side for the grill. sear it and move it over. >> bobby >> whether it's steak, burger or fish, flip it once try not to over-grill. >> there you have it we have more advice from bobby and michael. same steak, two ways, a whole lot of folks eating. first, this is "today" on nbc. t. first, this is "today" on nbc. i mean, if you haven't thought about switching to geico,

frankly, you're missing out. uh... the mobile app makes it easy to manage your policy, even way out here. your marshmallow's... get digital id cards, emergency roadside service, even file a... whoa. whoa. whoa. whoa. whoa. whoa! oops, that cheeky little thing got away from me. my bad. geico. it's easy to manage your policy whenever, wherever. can i trouble you for another marshmallow? all right. good morning this morning on today food, we're getting our grill on we have two of the best in the biz. long-time chef frenemies, bobby flay and michael symon, turning up the heat with their food

network show, barbecue brawl sounds violent flay versus symon. they'll be battling it out to see who is the ultimate grill master good morning we're joined by antoni. >> antoni. >> when you looked yourself, blueberries, blackberries, you thought, wow. >> i never thought of putting it on steak i love it. >> what is the concept of your show >> concept is basically, michael and i are the coaches of some barbecue experts who have very heavy artillery in that division so he has a team i have a team. it all goes down >> him and i have been best friends for a long, long time, but we've never competed against each other on tv this is the first time we're going at it. >> let's get started skirt steak two different ways. >> exactly right. >> we'll start with michael. >> okay. >> why do you like skirt steak >> it is not a very expensive cut in the world of beef, but it packs -- >> the world of beef >> -- as much flavor as

anything give me skirt steak other tenderloin every day >> how are you doing it? >> simple rub. a little bit of smoked chipotle, cumin, coriander, and sea salt whisk those together liberally, put those on the steak. now, if you had the time, you could do this the night before and really let that kind of settle in. it is delicious if you just do it as is, too. little drizzle of olive oil. >> season aggressively. >> the meat does not come seasoned, as everyone knows. you have to kind of hit it real good on both sides i have a hot side of the grill, and i'm going to take those steaks and put them on the hottest side to start. >> yeah. >> i'll move them over. >> how long on each side >> it is a thin cut, so three minutes a side. >> do you agree? >> it's so fast. >> very quick. >> salad >> simple dressing a little bit of lime zest, fresh garlic, jalapeno i took out the ribs and the seeds but you could leave them lime juice

i do one part lime juice, two parts extra virgin olive oil i'm visualizing it pinch of salt. whisk that together. this is the vinaigrette for the corn salad also, the important thing, bobby puts a lot of flavor in the food, so we want the extra bump of flavor. i take half of this and put it in a separate bowl when the steak comes off the grill -- >> you want it to rest, right? >> yes i let it rest in the marinade. >> yeah. fresh garlic on there. >> absorb the lime, the juice, and all those things then we put it together. the corn, the berries, scallions, cilantro. mix it together, and this tops the steak. >> right all the berries are fresh. the corn is coming out of the peel >> this is all the peak of summer as you know, corn and blackberries are delicious together. >> slice that up. >> yup. >> let's ask our tasters we have the fab five >> beautiful >> four now. >> so good >> yummy >> how is the cilantro,

jonathan >> he's eating around it >> we have a cilantro hater. >> i would have taken it out for you. >> i tried to convert him, but it's not happening >> bobby, what are you up to >> i'm also making steak i don't know what michael said, but i love skirt steak it's what i want even over a new york steak or filet mignon. >> why >> wonderful flavor and you can get a fantastic crust on it. that's key make sure you leave it on the very hot grill on one side so it gets very, very crusty so you have the contrast in texture i'm going to serve it with a jalapeno pesto very quickly, we take so jalapenos, grill them, and we cover them with plastic wrap we steam them so we get the chopped jalapeno here. >> okay. >> pesto, we have cilantro, basil, jalapeno, classic pesto ingredients. parmesan cheese, garlic, pine nuts we give it a whirl in the food processor.

we emulsify it with the e then you have a beautiful pesto. it is not spicy but has a bite to it. >> you were going to say something, savannah? >> i love you put that together. >> a lot of oil. we're noticing how much oil. >> extra virgin olive oil is good for you. >> good fat. >> anyway, quick tip on how to get the pit out of on avocado. use the back end of the knife and pull it out. don't do this. go like this just go like this and drop it. >> yeah. >> i make squares right into the shell itself. >> right. >> i take the avocado and make a salad. avocado, corn, tomatoes, and then some red onions some vinegar, olive oil. >> herbs. >> i love a big piece of red onion. >> salad, very, very simple. >> the key to this is to slice

this against the grain you see the grain running this way, so you slice against it then you will get a tender piece of skirt steak. >> what do you think >> so many people don't know that, against the grain. >> enjoying it. >> love it >> hands up, who likes michael's better >> which one is michael's? >> who likes bobby's better? >> i don't know. >> the one with the avocado. >> i like bobby's. >> thank you, savannah. >> cilantro and basil together is brilliant. >> it is too spicy. >> spicy >> thank you, willie >> we have to make a decision. >> worked out well michael symon and bobby flay, the fab five, everybody, thank you so much. get these recipes, head to today.com/food remember, the premiere of "barbecue brawl" food network tomorrow night >> oh, new show. >> michael and bobby are back on the fourth hour to cook more delicious dishes first, this is "today" on nbc. delicious dishes. first, this is "today" on

here's one you guys will like. show me making it. oh! i got one. the best of amy poehler. amy, maybe we could use the voice remote to search for something that you're not in. show me parks and rec. from netflix to prime video to live tv, xfinity lets you find your favorites

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thank you to bobby and michael. don't look at me like that >> you didn't vote for me. >> i did. >> fab five, thank you so much they're coming back. >> they're coming back in the fourth hour with willie. >> this group stays together. >> we're going to sit here for an hour until it starts. >> as always, we have a lot more stories at today.com/allday. including where you can get freebies did you know it is national avocado day? >> oh, look at that. >> we love avocado also, a tax break for back to school shopping. next on the third hour of "today," one of the most decorated athletes in history, track and field supersta allyson felix. we love her. we'll find out if we'll see her at the tokyo olympics.

we'll heat up with derks bentley and cool it down with the leading ladies of frozen the stranger things star whose parents are hollywood royalty. it's all coming up in week good morning. 8:56. i'm marcus washington. a live look at sfo where firefighters have now put out a fire burning at the united airlines maintenance operations center. here's how it looked from nbc bay area sky ranger. firefighters say that fire started in an air-conditioning unit on the fifth floor and no one was hurt. it was burning in a building

away from those terminals. we also had a look here from our ground camera. this is from about an hour ago when we could see that thick column of smoke. an airport spokesperson says that flight operations were never affected. happening now our bob riddell is headed to the airport. he'll have a live report in our midday newscast. a heartbreaking discovery in fairfield that's been hard for many people to make sense of. authorities yesterday discovered twin newborns near a shopping center dumpster. sadly, one of those twins did not survivor. the woman they believe to be the mother was later found nearby. the latest in the live report coming up for you at "midday." people who ran for themselves at the gilroy garlic festival are finally getting their personal belongings in cars left near the crime scene. [beeping]

[woman on pa] introducing togo's new hot chicken trio. the new brewpub chicken with grilled chicken, bacon, and fresh avocado. the hot buffalo chicken with frank's redhot wings sauce. and the tangy barbecue. the new hot chicken trio at togo's. how far would you go for a togo? [woman on pa]

live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> i'm al along with sheinelle. we have two of our favorite guest hosts in. >> third hour "today" cousins. >> cousins? >> we like that. >> we have maria shriver and jill martin hanging in here. >>see you. >> you, too. >> dylan and craig are on vacation this week. did you happen to watch any of the democratic debate? >> i did. >> the what? >> the democratic debate. >> yeah, i watched it until 10:30. two and a half hours, it was long. >> i fell asleep, sadly. >> it is hard to watch. we were talking about