diva now. >> she has a wardrobe person and now will need an agent. call uncle marcus. we'll take care of that. >> thank you, bella, for waking up early. thank you all for waking up early. >> we need to refocus on slowing the spread. >> a new outbreak infecting dozens of college students. this miles-long line for testing in california, and new restrictions being put in place coast to coast for the holiday weekend. our live interview with the surgeon general of the united states, next. behind bars. the woman accused of recruiting girls for jeffrey epstein, ghislaine maxwell, arrested at a remote luxury mansion in new hampshire.

this morning, the disturbing charges she faces. >> in some cases maxwell participated in the abuse and how epstein's accusers are reacting to the news, including an interview with a woman who says maxwell recruited her. breaking overnight, under pressure, the washington redskins facing pressure to rebrand, including from fedex, the sponsor whose name is on its field, and nike pulls redskins merchandise from its website. what's the team's next move? remembering an icon. >> good morning. this is "today" in new york. >> we'll celebrate the life of broadcasting legend hugh downs, television's most familiar face for six decades, including his time here on "today." all that, plus a fourth like no other. from new ways of celebrating to how the weather is going to be, america's plans to mark independence day in this new normal, today, friday, july 3rd, 2020. >> announcer: from nbc news,

this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hi, everybody, good morning. welcome to "today." it's good to have you with us on a friday morning. hoda has got the morning off. a lot of people are getting ready to celebrate the fourth of july, craig, but it's not going to be like the ones we're used to. >> no, america's birthday will be a little different this year. so many of those fourth of july celebrations, those fireworks shows cancelled all over the country because of the skyrocketing number of coronavirus cases, savannah. >> yes. and there has been a dramatic rise. look at this. a month ago the u.s. averaged around 20,000 cases per day but that has jumped to well above 40,000 just over the past week. and the nation reached another record high yesterday, more than 56,000 new covid cases. we're going to talk about the spike, the plans to deal with it with the surgeon general, a live interview in just a moment from

now. let's begin with nbc's kerry sanders who's in florida. cases have reached a troubling new milestone there. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. we're looking at the empty beaches from here at anglin's fishing pier. usually there would be crowds watching the sunrise but beaches are closed mostly across south florida. fireworks cancelled this weekend. the only explosions are in the numbers of new coronavirus cases. as you just noted, nationwide a new single day record, more than 62,000 positive tests. this fourth of july weekend parades and fireworks cancelled because of coronavirus. parks, beaches and boat ramps are closed too. >> the day we're supposed to be celebrating our independence, it seems like more and more of it is being taken away from us. >> reporter: health officials hoping this is not a repeat of our last big holiday weekend. >> we did see a surge in cases after memorial day. we're hoping that that does not happen during the fourth of july weekend. >> reporter: the u.s. setting another record on thursday,

53,000 new coronavirus cases, including 30 states with numbers trending in the wrong direction. an outbreak at the university of washington infecting more than 170 students living in and around greek row. the school's interfraternity council now asking frats to stop all social events after they reportedly threw parties without masks. and in arizona, hospitals overwhelmed by cases, getting 152 extra health care workers. in texas, a new order, mandatory masks in any county with 20 cases or more. >> covid-19 is not going away. in fact, it's getting worse. >> reporter: restrictions on beaches in texas not going over well with everyone. >> there's a lot of people, a lot of families like to come out here on the beach and just celebrate. it's kind of sad now that we're not allowed too. >> reporter: here in florida where some of the most popular beaches are closed, a growing

understanding of why. >> it's so important to stay home right now so you can go out later and people stop dying. >> reporter: against the backdrop of the pandemic, president trump preparing to celebrate independence day with two big events, including tonight's fireworks display at mt. rushmore, the first in a decade. 7,500 people have been awarded lottery tickets for tonight's show. while masks will be available, they won't be required. many doctors fear if this weekend is a full-on celebration across the country, another spike is all but guaranteed. >> the biggest concern that i have is that we're going to see more patients. we're going to see more people that have been exposed. >> reporter: unable to overcome covid-19 is florida's now youngest victim, 11-year-old dacon wembley. changing up to once again trying to get a handle on the spread of

all this, there is now a curfew that will go into effect in miami-dade county beginning tonight at 10:00 p.m. savannah. >> i'll pick it up there for you, kerry. kerry sanders for us there in florida. we are joined now by dr. jerome adams, the surgeon general of these united states. general adams, good morning to you, sir. thanks for your time. >> good morning. >> as we just mentioned there in kerry's story, the president of the united states hosting two large gatherings, one at mt. rushmore, the other in washington, d.c., where a few thousand folks are expected. masks not going to be required at either event. we know based on cdc guidance that large gatherings presents the biggest problem right now. if a loved one came to you, dr. adams, and said should i go to one of those events, what would you advise? >> well, thank you so much for that question, craig. as we go into this fourth of july weekend, it's important that everyone remembers my surgeon general's prescription for staying safe from

coronavirus. number one, know your risk. we know people who are older and people who have chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure are at higher risk for coronavirus. if you're at higher risk, you should consider staying at home. number two, understand your circumstances. are you in a community where spread is going up or going down? are you going to a place where you can social distance or not? are you going to a place that's outside or inside? outside is lower risk than inside for coronavirus. and number three. >> not to interrupt you, but we know large gatherings presents the biggest risk right now. would you advise someone to go to a large gathering, yes or no? >> well, craig, it's not a yes or no. every single person has to make up their own mind. there are people going to beaches, going to barbecues, going to different environments and they have to look at their individual risk. as you mentioned, cdc says larger gatherings are a higher risk. you have to take that into account again with whether or not you're at risk, whether you live with someone who is vulnerable and then you have to

take measures to stay safe. the most important thing i would say to people is if you do go out to a gathering or in public, please wear a face covering. as we talk about fourth of july, and independence is important to understand, that if we all wear these, we will actually have more independence and more freedom because more places will be able to stay open and we'll have less spread of the disease. >> dr. adams, one of the chief criticisms of the administration so far has been this mixed messaging as it relates to large gatherings and as it relates to that mask that you just held up. this morning and earlier this week you were practically pleading with people to wear these masks in public. but this is what you said back in early march, a reminder. >> one of the things they shouldn't be doing, the general public, is going out and buying masks. it actually does not help. it's not been proven to be effective in preventing spread of coronavirus amongst the general public. >> all right. that's three months ago. what prompted the change of heart? >> well, as i said many times, craig, and i'm glad you asked me

the question, but it really does hurt when we share outdated information. it's important for people to understand that we now know 40% to 50% of cases of coronavirus are spread asymptomatically and that's different than any other coronavirus we've experienced before, which means you could have no symptoms, no cough, no fever, and still be someone who's spreading the disease. we know that many of the new cases are being spread in much younger people and that's why we now encourage everyone to wear a face covering or a mask so that you can prevent asymptomatic spread. if you want college football in the fall, young people, please wear a face covering. if you want prom next year, please wear a face covering. it can prevent asymptomatic spread and help us overcome this virus. >> or if you just want grandma or grandpa to stay alive as well. but here's the thing, requiring and encouraging are entirely different. why not require folks who are going to be on the national mall to wear those face masks? why not require people who are

going to be at mt. rushmore to wear those masks, if we know that wearing them literally saves lives? >> well, that's a great question. we will support governors and local officials with their decision-making. they know their people best. here's the challenge, if you make something mandatory, particularly for the younger age groups we're talking about, many of them will rebel and do the exact opposite. i think it's more important from a health perspective that we help people understand why these are important and that we help them understand how they benefit from wearing them, which is why i talk about prom and homecoming and college football and college basketball. if people understand why they're doing it, they'll be more likely to comply. if it's mandatory, they'll only do it when someone is watching. while i'm not against anyone who has a mandate, i think the most important from a health communications point of view is helping people understand how they benefit and why they should do this. >> dr. jerome adams, the surgeon general, dr. adams, thank you. >> covid stops with us. wear a face covering this

weekend. >> savannah. >> all right, good advice. now to some breaking news overnight. the nfl's washington redskins facing new pressure from some of the team's biggest sponsors to change its controversial name. nbc's geoff bennett joins us with the very latest on this. geoff, good morning. >> reporter: hey, savannah, good morning. the fight over the team name has gone on for decades, but what's new, what's different this time is the intense pressure from big brands during this national moment of reckoning over racial issues. now fedex, the team's top sponsor which owns the naming rights to the stadium, now says the team name is offensive and it's got to go. this morning, one of the original nfl teams under mounting pressure to change its controversial name. the washington redskins, facing a new corporate and political push to scrap its name widely viewed as a racial slur against native americans. fedex, which owns the naming rights for the team's home stadium requesting that the name

given to the team in 1933 become a thing of the past. in a one-sentence statement, the delivery giant writing we have communicated to the team in washington our request that they change the team name. ad week magazine reporting that investment firms and shareholders worth $620 billion have requested that fedex as well as nike and pepsi all terminate their ties with the franchise unless owner daniel snyder makes the change. overnight nike appearing to remove all of the team's merchandise from its online store. the washington team, which plays its home games in landover, maryland, not far from washington, d.c., has been eyeing a potential relocation back to the district. but this week several lawmakers telling "the washington post" that any move to d.c. would require a name change. arizona congressman raul grijalva saying, quote, you either step into this century or you don't. it's up to the owner of the team

to do that. snyder, who bought the franchise in 1999, has long resisted calls to alter the name, claiming it honors native american heritage, even telling "usa today" in 2013, quote, we'll never change the name, it's that simple, never. you can use caps. several teams have faced similar pushback like baseball's cleveland indians who changed their logo amid a growing movement to confront racial inequality, including the removal of confederate statues. many hope a pro football team will be the next to act. now, we should say we reached out to the nfl, to nike, to the washington football team. so far no response. now, the team points out that in recent weeks it removed from its official team material the name of its founding owner, who happened to be a segregationist. there are critics who say that's good but not enough. now is the time to change the time as well.

savannah. >> all right, geoff bennett, thank you very much. craig. >> savannah, here's the thing. we do better when we know better. in 2020 i think we all know that groups of people should not be mascots. so it will be interesting to see how the team handles this. >> when you see that -- yeah, i was going to say when you see that kind of corporate pressure, that seems to get folks' attention. >> let us turn now to those tributes that are pouring in for our former colleague, an icon in our industry, hugh downs, who died at the age of 99. >> well, he was a legend, craig, of course a familiar face on television for more than 60 years, and nine of them as the anchor of the "today" show. as you mentioned, he died at the age of 99. anne thompson now with a look back. >> reporter: hugh downs was the man america woke up to during the turbulent '60s. >> the president of the united states is dead.

>> reporter: from the "today" anchor desk, he calmly guided the nation through the shocking assassinations of president john f. kennedy and civil rights leader dr. martin luther king jr. >> dr. martin luther king, civil rights leader, nobel prize winner and apostle of nonviolence died violently last night in memphis, tennessee. >> reporter: on "today's" 50th anniversary in 2002, downs told katie couric where he was especially proud of his interview with dr. king. >> that was an in-depth thing that showed me he was working for the human race, not just the black race. >> reporter: born in ohio, downs started his career in radio, but tv is where he would make his mark. >> the nbc television network presents the jack parr show. >> reporter: his big break coming in 1957, helping to launch "the tonight show" with jack parr as the announcer and guest host. soon he was also hosting the game show "concentration." >> first the news. >> reporter: he changed his wake-up time in 1962, joining

"today." you might even recognize his first producer, who would soon sit next to him. >> barbara walters here this morning and i'm hugh downs. >> reporter: downs and barbara walters reminisced about their legendary partnership on "today's" 60th anniversary in 2012. >> she actually wrote and produced the segment that welcomed me onto the program. >> i like to pretend that i made him a star. but the truth is eventually it was hugh who took me from behind the scenes to in front of the camera. >> reporter: together they witnessed history firsthand. >> we had a chance to see the world and show world and show people who tuned in what all was going on. >> reporter: downs left "today" in 1971. >> hugh downs. >> reporter: he would later anchor the newsmagazine "20/20" for two decades, mostly alongside walters, in a reunion of their successful "today" pairing. downs spent 75 years with his late wife ruth. they had two children. >> i would like it if people remembered me as being fair and

enjoying what i did and being honest with the audience. >> reporter: for "today," anne thompson, nbc news, new york. >> wow. just ahead we'll hear from hugh downs in his own words on his time here at "today" and the importance of the stories he covered. craig, when i was a young reporter in my 20s, i had a chance to interview him. he was retired actually. i drove about three hours to meet him because he was such a legend in our industry and he was so kind and everything you'd hope that he would be. >> yes, he was. a legend indeed. we'll have more on hugh downs in just a moment as you mentioned. let's turn now -- let's turn to the weather, the all-important holiday forecast. dylan in for al once again. what's the word, dylan? how are we looking for tomorrow? >> hey, good morning, guys. we're actually looking really good for tomorrow. ironically there's not that many fireworks celebrations happening across the country. we are going to see temperatures

warm well up into the upper 80s and lower 90s, oppressive heat a little farther south. the best chance of seeing storms on saturday throughout the day would be along the gulf coast stretching down into florida. but elsewhere we're looking at hot and dry weather in the southwest. in the northeast lots of sunshine. so for that all-important fireworks forecast in new york city at 9:00, it looks great. partly cloudy, 77. like i said, most areas across the country will be seeing partly cloudy skies except along the gulf coast and those will be scattered showers and storms, not a total washout. we could also see some of those showers and storms through the northern plains. then on sunday same story. most areas that will see the scattered storms on saturday will see them again on sunday. otherwise it is hot and humid still through the midwest and the northeast. temperatures close to 90. it will feel even warmer. out west it's a little cooler than average, highs along in the coast in the upper 60s. that's a look at the weather across the country, we'll get to your forecast in the next 30 seconds.

(yo) ♪ you're my family. ♪ good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's take a live look outside in the south bay where we're going to have some very nice and seasonable weather today. our highs reach into the low 80s with mid-80s for some warmer spots in the inland valleys and along the coast low to mid-60s for today. our inland temperatures will stay warm even heating up a little bit more for tomorrow on the fourth of july and then we'll stay in the 80s going into next week. >> and that's your latest forecast guys, back to you. >> all right, dylan, thank you. >> and that's your latest forecast guys, back to you. >> all right, dylan, thank you. just ahead, inside the

dramatic arrest of the woman who prosecutors say groomed girls for jeffrey epstein. how she was finally tracked down to a mansion in new hampshire. and just ahead, craig, we're going to speak with a woman who says she was personally recruited by ghislaine maxwell her reaction to the arrest and what she hopes happens next. first, this is "today" on nbc. for the sweaty faces, and the hidden smiles. the foggy glasses, and the sore ears. the determined looks, and the muffled laughs. a simple piece of fabric makes a big statement: i care. let's all do our part to slow the spread. wear a mask. learn more at covid19.ca.gov.

an added reason to celebrate the fourth, why holiday sales will be bigger than ever this weekend, after your local news your taste. so quick and easy. just download the target app today. ...and we've upgraded her with a sonic shield and holographic-mapping drones. impressive. there is one more thing. ah... jake from state farm. here's the deal - with the drive safe and save app you'll save up to 30% for being a safe driver,

and get a discount just for signing up. well played, jake from state farm. as usual. when you want the real deal - like a good neighbor, state farm is there.® c'mon pizza's here. whoa! is that shaq? this is my new pizza the shaq-a-roni and it's bigger than pizza because for every shaq-a-roni sold, $1 is donated to the papa john's foundation for building community. if there was a place papa that kept you...ation vibrant outdoorsy mischevious restored zen sparkly cheeky... ( clears throat) disciplined dapper prepped smart hopeful brave and safe? well, there is, and always has been. walgreens. everyone's place, for healthy and safe.

proof i can fight moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. proof i can fight psoriatic arthritis... ...with humira. proof of less joint pain... ...and clearer skin in psa. humira targets and blocks a source of inflammation that contributes to joint pain and irreversible damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions,

and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. humira is proven to help stop further joint damage. want more proof? ask your rheumatologist about humira citrate-free. if you can't afford your medicine, abbvie may be able to help. you are. cause frosted mini wheats are made to fill people up. and they have 10 layers of wheat and seven vitamins and minerals. just one bowl and you're good till lunch. just one bowl ♪ ♪

now is the time to support the places you love. spend 10 dollars or more at a participating small business and get 5 dollars back, up to 10 times with american express. enroll now at shopsmall.com. good morning to you am it's 7:26. i'm kris sanchez working from home, and we are talking about what you're probably talking about this weekend, what is and what is not off limits for the fourth of july holiday. >> reporter: i'm cierra johnson. many beaches including this one closing both parking lots and their actual beach to keep covid-19 at bay. so what can you do instead? a spokesperson recommends having a dance party with your family or holding a small gathering with those you've been sheltering in place with. >> reporter: i'm jackie ward in discovery bay where health

officials are issuing warnings for those who may want to come out and enjoy the water on the delta for the holiday weekend reminding people to still wear a mask and even out on the water maintain social distance and wear a mask as best you can. and that weather looks gorgeous for the fourth of july holiday, kari. we do have some nice weather. we're looking at mist and drizzle in san francisco. all clear for inland areas. and in san jose a high of 81 degrees. mid-80s for the inland east bay. oakland will reach 72 degrees. as we go into our holiday weekend heating up slightly but a nice holiday weekend headed our way with sunshine, breezy winds. we have to be careful as you enjoy time with your family. temperatures will come up to 70 degrees with more sunshine

tomorrow. kris? >> perfect weather for hanging out in the backyard. we will have more local news in just a half hour coming up at 7:56. [upbeat music] ♪ today was the day that i put everything in perspective. ♪

♪ i fell asleep but when i woke up. ♪ (boy) hi, do you want to share my sandwich? (vo) good feeds our connections. good feeds us all. hormel natural choice lunch meats.

7:30 now, it's 7:30 now, it's friday morning, 3rd of july, 2020 isn't that a beauty sight in lauderdale by the sea in florida. beaches will not be full there, craig, of course, as florida is among the states dealing with this rise in coronavirus cases. >> yeah, in fact that's where we start our 7:30 headlines on this friday morning, savannah the coronavirus virus putting a bit of a damper on holiday another celebrations

parades and fireworks shows cancelled from coast to coast because the united states set another record on thursday 53,000 new cases, including 30 states with numbers trending in the wrong direction now. in seattle, an outbreak at the university of washington more than 170 students living in or around greek row testing positive officials there are now asking fraternities to stop all social events meanwhile in texas, masks will now be mandatory in any county with 20 cases or more, savannah. >> and now, craig, to a wild scene at a massachusetts gas station. this happened in quincy yesterday. surveillance video tells the story. you start seeing that white foam shooting down from the gas station canopy some customers were there at the time filling up. police say the fire suppression system malfunctioned three people complained of breathing problems they were evaluated by paramedics but we're told nobody was seriously injured. we're getting our first look inside that nba bubble down in orlando.

the league releasing these photos of the practice courts. those courts are now being installed inside a giant ballroom at disney world each team shipped their own floors to orlando, so these are the surfaces that they're used to playing on. training camps will start next week real games set to get under way on july 30th >> wow, fascinating picture. now to this stunning development in the jeffrey epstein case his long-time friend and associate, ghislaine maxwell, is behind bars this morning accused of recruiting girls for him. her arrest coming almost one year to the day since his arrest for sex trafficking. nbc's stephanie gosk is outside the metropolitan correctional center in new york city. stephanie, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. ever since jeffrey epstein took his life at this jailhouse last august, his accusers worried they wouldn't see justice. and now with ghislaine maxwell behind bars, many of them say they are a step closer this morning the long-time confidant of jeffrey epstein, 58-year-old british socialite ghislaine maxwell, is now in custody, charged by new york federal prosecutors with helping

the late financier abuse minors. >> maxwell played a critical role in helping epstein to identify, befriend and groom minor victims for abuse. in some cases, maxwell participated in the abuse herself. >> reporter: the charges include alleged crimes from the mid-'90s involving three minors, one of them a 14-year-old girl. >> maxwell enticed minor girls, got them to trust her, then delivered them into the trap that she and epstein had set for them. >> reporter: the indictment unsealed thursday alleges that maxwell lured victims to engage in sex acts at epstein's homes in new york, florida, and new mexico >> it's just such a good day, it really is. i never thought this day was going to come, really i didn't. >> reporter: jennifer said she was raped by epstein when she was 15 she is currently suing maxwell for facilitating the abuse. >> she was enabling him. she was one of the co-conspirators.

she might have been just equally as bad as he was, if not even world series. -- worse >> reporter: maxwell, the daughter of british media baron robert maxwell has long denied any involvement with epstein's alleged crimes epstein himself was charged with sex trafficking last summer but died by suicide in his new york city jail cell following his trial. virginia roberts said she was abused by epstein for years, told savannah he and maxwell used intimidation to keep victims silent. >> how is it that you didn't feel like you could go away? >> jeffrey and ghislaine's way of keeping us under his thumb, under his rule, under their control, were invisible chains and it was that constant we own the police, you can't run, you can't tell anybody, we'll never be held accountable for this. >> reporter: now prosecutors

describe maxwell as an extreme flight risk who intentionally avoided detection, including living in this sprawling million dollar property in rural new hampshire and switching her phone number this morning her accusers are hoping for justice >> this arrest probably, i think, represents, you know, a new -- a completely new beginning, you know, for justice for all the survivors. >> reporter: maxwell faces up to 35 years in jail if she is convicted. her attorney has declined to comment. there is a possibility that she could end up in this same jailhouse where epstein was held as for the case, investigators and prosecutors say it is not closed savannah, back to you. >> all right, stephanie, thank you. and joining us now is chauntae davies she was 21 years old when she first met ghislaine maxwell who introduced her to jeffrey epstein who she says later raped her. good morning what was it like when this news came that ghislaine maxwell had been arrested and charged? >> you know, it's eerily reminiscent of what happened a year ago when jeffrey was

arrested a lot of emotions i think for all of us behind it. for me, i'm still kind of -- i think i'm a little bit still in shock. it's really hard for me to process and to go through all the emotions that i already went through when jeffrey was arrested and then when he died and then everything that's happened since then. it's just been quite a roller coaster. >> i know it's really complex because of the role that so many women have said ghislaine maxwell played in their interactions with jeffrey epstein. can you kind of explain that dynamic? why that feels so complex? >> again, i can't speak for anybody else but myself, but for me, she just really seemed to

care about me and my future and for me that was a really big deal because i didn't have that sort of female role model in my life at that time i was really searching for that she was very charismatic, very poised and educated and so there was all these things that i really admired so yeah, it's -- it's -- there's a lot of mixed emotion trying to remind myself that, you know, someone capable of the things that she's being accused of isn't someone who actually really cared about me, you know. so that's still something i'm grappling with. >> for people who aren't as familiar with your story, can

you explain ghislaine maxwell was involved people might think was she a bit player, was she someone on the sidelines? how was she involved in what happened to you? >> well, ghislaine -- i was initially introduced to ghislaine and she's who introduced me to jeffrey epstein, and she continued to play a role in that i thought they were a couple and -- i mean -- i don't want to say too, much right now, but it just -- she manipulated the situation or they manipulated the situation in a way where she made you feel like she was like a family member in a way. >> before i let you go, what does it mean to you, what will it mean to others to have her be

held accountable in a court of law after all this time? i would love to see her take some responsibility and just own up to what she's done. that would be a huge deal to me. again, i'm still trying to wrap my brain around her behind bars. there's part of me that, you know, justice has already failed us a few times before in this situation, so i'm kind of just waiting for the other shoe to drop. i hope i hope it doesn't. i hope that -- i hope that everyone involved is punished in whatever form that means. >> chauntae davies, i show appreciate you being with us, getting up early where you are and sharing your thoughts. it's really important to hear from you thank you. >> thank you for having me >> we want to turn now to julie k. brown, an investigative journalist for "the miami

herald" whose reporting broke the epstein scandal wide open. julie, good morning to you i know a lot of accusers, survivors, thought what took so long was ghislaine maxwell, according to authorities, actively hiding out? >> i think she was hiding more from the media probably than anything else. i mean she had this big luxurious home that she reportedly bought up in new hampshire and so it's hard for me to believe that she really felt that she needed to hide out because you don't buy a million dollar home anywhere like that if you think that you're -- you know, she would have been in london, she would have been hiding somewhere overseas. i think she just -- this caught her by surprise. i think that just like jeffrey, she probably thought that they were never going to arrest her >> for people who aren't as

familiar with the facts of these allegations as you are, you've talked to dozens of accusers over the years, can you put into words how key ghislaine maxwell is i just keep thinking some people might think she's on the sidelines a little bit and that's not the story that accusers tell. >> no. she was a key figure in this if you think of this as sort of an organized crime unit, she was like a capo. she was at the very top she was at the very top of this organization some people could say that jeffrey probably couldn't havehe trained everyb done what he did without her she controlled the schedule, she trained everybody. i mean this was a whole operation. and she wasn't alone, there were other people in the organization that helped her. there were -- you know, there were pilots that flew planes, there were women who -- in new york, you know, he had employees in new york. she oversaw a lot of his employees and helped put this whole network in place for him to abuse all these young girls >> and then real quickly, there's always a possibility when someone is arrested and charged that they could then decide to cooperate with

prosecutors. normally that happens when there's a so-called bigger fish, somebody else that the prosecutors are looking to get do you think there's a possibility that she could provide cooperation? >> i absolutely think that there's a possibility. and i think that it's also a possibility that the authorities are looking not just at the people that ran the operation but also at the prosecutors who had the case in 2007 and 2008 who basically dropped the ball there are some public corruption prosecutors attached to this case from everything i hear, that's not an accident, they're looking at all aspects of what happened prosecutors in florida had done their job way here of course, you know, if these prosecutors in florida had done their job way back in 2007, then we wouldn't be sitting here right now. >> julie k. brown of "the miami herald" did reporting on the

case julie, thank you very much it's 7:42, craig, i'm send it to you. >> we've got a lot more ahead this friday morning, including new details on that shocking story that some college students are actually throwing parties to see who gets the coronavirus first. first, these messages. ve diarrh. while the leading competitor does nothing to kill the bacteria, pepto® diarrhea gets to the source, killing the bad bacteria. so, try pepto® diarrhea, and remember to have it on hand every time you travel. also try pepto®-bismol liquicaps for on-the-go relief.

investing your time... matters just as much as investing your money. honey. securian financial offers solutions that give you the confidence to make every moment count. [sfx] mnemonic (vo) purina one. imagine a visibly healthier pet in 28 days. natural ingredients... in powerful combinations. for radiant coats, sparkling eyes. purina one. one visibly healthy pet. and see what protein-rich purina one true instinct can do. come on in, we're open. ♪ all we do is hand you the bag. simple. done. we adapt and we change. you know, you just figure it out. we've just been finding a way to keep on pushing. ♪

matthew tweeted, 'bring a wait bhit it, charlie!ji.' ♪ matthew, say's to bring it back. ♪ ♪ the five-dollar footlong. ♪ better choice for matthew. ♪ it's back sandwich emoji. now in the subway® app, get five-dollar footlongs when you buy two. (vo) ...especially when your easilyg distracted teenager has the car.

at subaru, we're taking on distracted driving... ...with sensors that alert you when your eyes are off the road. the subaru forester. the safest forester ever. new colgate optic white renewal removes ten years of yellow stains. that's like all the way back to 2010. do the dougie! remove ten years of yellow stains with new colgate optic white renewal. and welcome and welcome back as we head into this holiday weekend, everyone has got their eyes on the skies, dylan dreyer.

>> well, they what's the word? >> well, they certainly do and the word actually looks pretty good going into the weekend. we have a few areas where we could see some thunderstorms today. one of those is up across the northern plains and also in the northeast. now, it's a slight -- really just a marginal risk of stronger storms, but the storms that do pop up could cause winds up to 60 miles per hour. we could see some small hail and torrential downpours too it's this frontal system coming in from a weird direction, it's coming in from the northeast so we call it a back door cold front and that's why that could trigger some storms, especially across long island, connecticut and into parts of new york and western massachusetts this afternoon. those die out for saturday, but that stalled front down south will continue to bring some more showers and gusty thunderstorms too from the midwest right down into the gulf coast, down into florida as well. we could see a couple more inches of rain you know, these storms do have the potential of producing 1 to 3 inches of rain per hour, so when you add that all up we could see 2 to 3, 4 inches of

rain in some areas, which has been a very soggy area this week as well. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's take a live look outside as we get this friday morning started checking out what's happening in the east bay and walnut creek. a nice, clear, and sunny start with temperatures in the low to mid-80s. along the coastline in the 60s as the fog returns there. as we look at our inland forecast it will get slightly hotter in time for the fourth of july and some more near normal temperatures into the start of next week. >> and that's your latest forecast. craig and savannah, back to you. >> and that's your latest forecast craig and savannah, back to you. >> all right, dylan, thank you just ahead, the sales worth celebrating this holiday weekend. where you'll find the best bargains as retailers are going all out for your business this holiday.

first, these messages. now is the time to support the places you love. spend 10 dollars or more at a participating small business and get 5 dollars back, up to 10 times with american express. enroll now at shopsmall.com. well, you see here... there's a photo of you and there's a photo of your mommy and then there's a picture of me. but before our story it goes way, way, way back with your great, great, great grandparents. see this handsome man, his name is william. william fell in love with rose and they had a kid. his name was charles and charles met martha... isn't she pretty? yeah. to give you the protein you need with less of the sugar you don't.

[grunting noise] i'll take that. woohoo! 30 grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar. ensure max protein. with nutrients to support immune health. ensure max protein. contactless delivery tarright to your door,very- designed for your day. so you can work out, join in, and game on. just download the target app and try it today. because i trust their quality they were the first to have a vitamin verified by usp... ...an independent organization that sets strict quality and purity standards nature made, the #1 pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand america, we want to help you get back to it. the #1 pharmacist recommended

and here's how. with the ford promise. visit your ford dealer. finance a new, certified pre-owned or used vehicle through ford credit and if you lose your job, you can return it for up to one year from the day you bought it. you can also get 0% apr financing for 72 months across the ford lineup. let us help get you, back to it. with the ford promise. new color from sherwin-william. stop in or order online for curbside pick up, and get 30% off paints and stains, july 2-6. for all your painting needs, ask sherwin-williams. ...to soccer practices... ...and new adventures. you hope the more you give the less they'll miss. but even if your teen was vaccinated against meningitis in the past... they may be missing vaccination for meningitis b. let's help protect them together.

because missing menb vaccination could mean missing out on a whole lot more. ask your doctor if your teen is missing meningitis b vaccination. coming up, how did hot dogs become such a coming up, how did hot dogs become such a big part of the fourth of july harry smith heads to coney island, perfect place to find out. also charlie puth live with a special performance of his brands new hit that's after your local news right now, there are over a million walmart associates doing their best to keep our nation going. because despite everything that's changed, one thing hasn't and that's our devotion to you and our communities. our priority will always be to keep you and our associates safe, while making sure you can still get the essentials you need. ♪

and ask your doctor about biktarvy. biktarvy is a complete, one-pill, once-a-day treatment used for h-i-v in certain adults. it's not a cure, but with one small pill, biktarvy fights h-i-v to help you get to and stay undetectable. that's when the amount of virus is so low it cannot be measured by a lab test. research shows people who take h-i-v treatment every day and get to and stay undetectable can no longer transmit h-i-v through sex. serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare, life-threatening side effects include a buildup of lactic acid and liver problems. do not take biktarvy if you take dofetilide or rifampin. tell your doctor about all the medicines and supplements you take, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. if you have hepatitis b, do not stop taking biktarvy without talking to your doctor. common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. if you're living with hiv, keep loving who you are. and ask your doctor if biktarvy is right for you.

alright, let's roll. alright, here we go. ♪ ready to roll sound. action! [doorbell rings] pizza's here. it's pizza time. hello, how are you? woah, is that shaq? hello? how are you little princess? what are you doing in a box? i'm a board member and a store owner of papa john's and this is my brand new pizza the shaq-a-roni. just by ordering the shaq-a-roni $1 from each pizza is donated to papa john's foundation to support communities, covid relief, the fight against racial injustice, boys and girls club of america, and general community involvement. thanks for the pizza, thanks for coming to visit us, shaq-a-roni in the house you guys smiling? i love you new colgate optic white renewal removes ten years of yellow stains.

that's like all the way back to 2010. do the dougie! remove ten years of yellow stains with new colgate optic white renewal. capital one knows life doesn't update you about your credit card. so meet eno...the capital one assistant that looks out for charges that might surprise you and helps you fix them. what's in your wallet? that uh, "fifteen minutes andcould save you 15%ain? or more on car insurance." i think we're gonna swap over to "over seventy-five years of savings and service." what, we're just gonna swap over? yep. pump the breaks on this, swap it over to that. pump the breaks, and, uh, swap over? that's right. instead of all this that i've already-? yeah. what are we gonna do with these? keep it at your desk, and save it for next time. geico. over 75 years of savings and service.

good morning to you. it is 7:56. i am kris sanchez. here is what's happening now. >> reporter: i'm cierra johnson at pacifica beach. this holiday weekend is going to look a little different, closing both parking lots and their actual beach to keep covid-19 at bay. so what can you do instead? a spokesperson with marin county recommends having a dance party with your family or holding a small gathering with those you've been sheltering in place with. good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. the stock market closed today, but we're still thinking about yesterday's jobs report which was phenomenal. that is calling into question whether or not there will be another stimulus. many republicans saying with the growth of jobs a second stimulus would not be necessary. president trump continues to push for one. several bay area beaches are

closed outright but even if they were open, kari, those conditions are pretty rough. yeah, we're going to have some rip currents and long period swells so it's not even good for surfers out there for the weekend. as we look at temperatures in the low 60s along the coastline for some of the inland areas we're looking at highs in the mid-80s. one way to celebrate at home will be danville's virtual parade happening online. we have the details on nbcbayarea.com. we have some really nice weather maybe if you want to take that computer outside. as we take a look at our forecast for all of the bay area for the inland areas we're in the mid-80s today, low 90s tomorrow, and then once again in san francisco and along the coast we have some 60s. we come up to 70 degrees tomorrow with more sunshine just in time for the fourth of july. a really great weekend across the bay area, kris. all right. thank you so much. we have more local news coming up for you in just a half hour. i hope you have a great day.

it's 8:00 on it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, holiday on hold. as america begins its fourth of july celebrations, parts of the country shutting down the festivities. beaches closed, fireworks cancelled, officials worried about a resurgence as coronavirus cases soar. >> we did see a surge in cases after memorial day. we're hoping that that does not happen during the fourth of july weekend. >> we're live with the latest. plus america's pastime. harry smith takes us to coney island for a special story about the ultimate summer delicacy.

>> so you guys decide to go into the hot dog business. what do your family and friends say? >> every single person laughed at us. >> they said we were a couple of croutons short of a caesar salad. >> and charlie puth will join us talking about his new music and collaborating with elton john. then he'll treat us to a special music to kick off your weekend, "today," july 3rd, 2020. >> we're the grimes family from cincinnati, ohio. >> we are wishing everyone a happy fourth of july from new orleans. >> happy birthday fourth of july. >> we miss you, megan! >> hi, i'm from baltimore, maryland, and today is my 7th birthday. woo-hoo! >> woo-hoo! >> what a little cutie. yeah, she's a firecracker. good morning, everybody, welcome back to "today." it is friday morning, holiday for a lot of folks before tomorrow's fourth of july celebration. so a special hello if you're just waking up, hoda has the

morning off, craig is in the studio, i'm working from home. we've got a great "today" plaza, don't we? >> yes, we do on this friday morning. there they are. there's the virtual plaza from all over america on her birthday eve. we're going to -- we're actually going to do something a little special with one of those families coming up in just a few minutes, savannah. >> all right, look forward to that. we're also planning a big week for you next week on "today" as more americans start to consider flying again. we'll give you a behind-the-scenes look at what one major airline is doing to make in-flight air quality safer. also, i went to princeton university in new jersey to get a new perspective on this growing push to rename buildings and remove statues and rename certain monuments, memorials that honor parts of america's checkered past. it's a somewhat complicated issue that we're dealing with

right now in this country. we'll talk about that on monday as well. >> all right, craig. but for the moment let's get right to the news here at 8:00. americans are being urged to stay home this holiday weekend, as new cases of coronavirus hit a one-day record of 56,000 yesterday. nearly one-fifth of those are cases in florida. kerry sanders joins us now with three things to watch. he's in florida this morning. hi, kerry, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, savannah. this will be a fourth of july unlike any other. we're going to have muted celebrations across the country. beaches here in south florida are closed. as we look around to other parts of the country, fireworks in many cities have been cancelled, beach bars and indoor restaurant eating in many places now off limits. this, as you noted, we just hit another single day record. in fact updated numbers now, close to 62,000 positive tests. earlier here on "today" craig spoke to the surgeon general, jerome adams, and asked him if

it would holiday weekend. >> every single person has to make up their own mind. there are going to be people going to beaches, going to barbecues, going to different environments. they have to look at their individual risk. the most important thing i would say to people is if you do go out to a gathering or in public, please wear a face covering. >> reporter: in texas today, some health officials say it was slow in coming but there is now a mandatory mask wearing when out in public. this as in miami-dade county, they have now established a curfew that begins at 10:00 p.m. tonight. craig. >> kerry sanders for us there in florida. kerry, thank you. with traditional fourth of july celebrations cancelled in many cities, this year public health officials are concerned about the lack of safety measures at private events, and that includes what officials call reckless behavior at parties near the university of alabama. nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer has more on this.

good morning. >> reporter: authorities say even outdoor gatherings can be risky if groups aren't wearing masks and practicing social distancing. it's a message for some that's only hitting home after it's too late. crowded pool parties, alcohol flowing freely, barely a mask in sight. whether at public venues or backyard barbecues, authorities say these are the conditions that fuel community spread. in tuscaloosa, alabama, a rash of new infections among young adults, prompting alarm from local officials. >> we had seen over the last few weeks parties going on in the county where students or kids would come in with known positives. >> reporter: as improbable as it sounds, officials say they have received reports of parties where positive tests are celebrated. >> these kids are having parties and they're putting money in a pot and they're purposely trying to get covid from the person who has covid. and apparently whoever gets

covid first gets the pot. >> reporter: the university of alabama says it's not been able to identify any students who participated in such activities. it's not just college kids holding parties. >> cheers again to an incredible 75 years. >> reporter: in the nation's capital, wealthy socialite ashley taylor bronczek hosted a soiree at her home. she was later diagnosed with covid-19, along with some of her guests. there's no reason to believe she knew she was ill that night, the paper writes, nor is it clear how or when she contracted the virus. she did not respond to nbc's request for comment. >> please, please cooperate. i am speaking especially to the younger adults now. >> reporter: in new york's rockland county, a large party hosted by an infected person has led to at least eight other cases. those individuals refusing to cooperate with contact tracers

working to identify others at risk. >> i am now forced by these circumstances to send subpoenas to the individuals who are required to cooperate with us. >> reporter: on the eve of independence day, for some no holiday. health officials desperately working to flatten the infection curve again. as the pandemic continues to spread among young people, health officials say large gatherings are becoming even more risky. the message, stay home as much as possible. savannah. >> all right, miguel, thank you. there is new pressure this morning on the washington redskins to change the team's name. owner dan snyder has resisted calls for years to make that change, insisting that it honors native american heritage. but now one of the team's biggest corporate sponsors, fedex, is asking for that name to be dropped. fedex owns the naming rights for the team's stadium. and ad week magazine is reporting that investors in companies like nike and pepsi are calling on the companies to sever ties with the team unless

it changes the name. 8:07 now. miss guthrie, it feels like it might be a good time for a boost. >> yes, we've got to get the boost in. let me make sure i have my papers in front of me here. during her coronavirus lockdown, 8-year-old talula made friends with tim. tim is deaf so he started teaching her a sign language greeting. after several weeks of this she surprised him one morning by getting it just right. good morning, have a good day. talula looks forward to learning more. she's always asking her mom if she's done any online shopping because she wants him to come and pay a visit. aig, we'llor talula and a win

for mom. >> yeah, exactly. coming up next, craig, we'll celebrate the career and legacy of the legendary hugh downs. the pivotal moments he guided the country through in his own words on this show, right after this now is the time to support the places you love. spend 10 dollars or more at a participating small business and get 5 dollars back, up to 10 times with american express. enroll now at shopsmall.com. i am totally blind. and non-24 can make me show up too early... or too late. or make me feel like i'm not really "there." talk to your doctor, and call 844-234-2424.

you are. cause frosted mini wheats are made to fill people up. and they have 10 layers of wheat and seven vitamins and minerals. just one bowl and you're good till lunch. yeah, i'm married. you'd do that for me? really? yeah, i'd like that. who are you talking to? ...uh, it's jake from state farm. sounds like a really good deal. jake from state farm at 3 in the morning!? who is this? it's jake from state farm. what are you wearing, jake from state farm? ...uh...khakis.

hey, do they ever ask you what you're wearing? uh... yeah. ...red sweater, button down shirt... like a good neighbor, state farm is there. ♪ five dollar. ♪ five dollar footlong. ♪ piled high with veggies. they're back. any footlong is a $5 footlong when you buys two in the subway® app. subway. eat fresh. that's like getting two desserts! wait... do we have to thank our moms twice? i don't know... breyers combines 100% grade a milk and cream with real oreo cookies. better starts with breyers. milk and cream with real oreo cookies. i mean i came here i didn't know anyone. i was still kind of missing my family and stuff back home.

i guess she felt it and she would just come and snuggle up on the side of me and she really kept me going. pepper is family so i feed her blue. you need a hair smoother. get fructis sleek & shine with moroccan argan oil. hair is super sleek even in 97% humidity. no parabens. fructis sleek & shine. by garnier, naturally! these women love the scents in thisit smells amazingart exhibit luxurious but what are the smelling? wait, it's suave? wow! it's bodywash. no it's not. i can't believe this is suave. can i take this home? suave body wash. fragrances as beautiful as premium body wash brands. we are back on this friday morning with a n we are back on this friday morning with a new tribute to legendary broadcaster and former colleague as well, hugh downs, savannah. >> yeah, he was a near constant

on television for six decades, including nine years as the anchor of "today." so this morning we're looking back at his time here through his own words. >> here are the top news stories. my first allegiance is to that person tuned in. i anchored the show at a time that a lot was happening the president of the united states is dead and it's a much saddened nation and world that greets this day. all through the long night and the greatest and most solemn wake in history, more than 200,000 people filed through the great rotunda to gaze upon his coffin it was kind of a shock wave that also is numbing. i was kind of numb myself about it i didn't know just what was the best way to turn, except to stay on the air, to do what you could to inform people of what was going on, and that's what we

wound up doing dr. martin luther king, civil rights leader, nobel prize winner and apostle of nonviolence died violently last night in memphis, tennessee. when i interviewed dr. martin luther king jr., i realized in a very short time that he was not working for the black race, he was working for the human race there's something in human nature among some humans that cannot stand that kind of goodness, and they feel it has to be rubbed out and i felt that way about king there was kind of a sense of alarm of what's going on they're just killing off important people it kind of woke people up in awa way that they wouldn't otherwise have been awakened i was broadcasting, i'm glad i was part of "today" in the '60s, which were a turbulent time worldwide. people were upset about things and they were doing things about them that's a very important time to

be broadcasting. i began anchoring in 1962. at the time barbara was in effect my producer she actually wrote and produced the segment that welcomed me onto the program i remember saying why not barbara walters? they said she's a writer i said, yeah, but she's bright and good looking i think she'd do well on the air. the rest is history. good morning, it's "today" in romania. we're right at the wall in berlin it showed "today" was expanding itself to the world and we had a chance to see the world and show people who tuned in what all was going on well, the ginza is our location. >> i'm hugh here in tokyo. >> i don't know how you sum up nine years of pleasure and of friendship

this is the only way i know. >> i'm hugh downs. it's quite possible to celebrate the 100th anniversary, yes, because that format is probably -- probably immortal in some way if you're doing what a medium can do in the way of serving people maybe my great grandson can be a part of that i would like it if people remembered me as being fair, enjoying what i did, and being honest with the audience. i was striving constantly to live up to that. if i'm remembered that way, i'll be very happy. >> so nice to hear it from honest with the audience i was striving constantly to live up to that. if i'm remembered that way, i'll be very happy. >> so nice to hear it from him and hear his own words and him reflecting on his time on "today." he had such a warmth about him and a goodness, it's no wonder people tuned in to him for six decades on television, almost a whole decade here on "today." >> he will undoubtedly be remembered the way that he

wanted here's the thing and he alluded to it there in that story, but his tenure at the show, the '60s, the early '70s, such a chaotic time in our country and here was this steady, this calming voice reassuring us every morning. so he will be missed our thoughts are with his family this morning >> definitely. we'll take a turn now and get a check of the weather from dylan >> hi, who's standing by. hi, dylan. good morning >> hi, good morning again, guys. and you know what? tomorrow is the fourth of july lots of fireworks going off, including here in new york city, and craig and i hosting the macy's fourth of july fireworks spectacular. craig, i haven't seen you since december, so i'm really looking forward to getting to see you tomorrow night, and the weather looks fantastic. partly cloudy, temperatures in the mid to upper 70s in most of the country if there were fireworks going off, it would be a nice night for that but let's take a look at the heat wave that's going on. we're taking you all the way up

to siberia where a couple of days ago the temperature was 92 degrees. the average is 52. temperatures are running 20 to 30 degrees above average for this time of year, so it's taking a hit also across our country here, we do have temperatures well above average by 10 to 20 degrees. it will feel like it's even warmer, well above 100 in little rock today, rock today, nashville will feel like 95. we're looking at upper 90s for a good portion of the country and that will continue sunday, monday, tuesday, temperatures will remain in the 90s so well above average as we go into next week >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a live look outside in san francisco, low clouds and some mist and drizzle to start out on this friday morning. we are going to see it clearing out, but temperatures stay cool as that fog lingers near the coast. for the inland areas, we'll see comfortable weather with a nice ocean breeze. temperatures reaching into the

low to mid-80s. going into tomorrow, it does warm up slightly in time for the fourth of july, but going into next week, we're looking at more seasonable weather for the valleys. and >> and that macy's fourth of july fireworks spectacular kicks off on nbc tomorrow night at 8:00/7:00 central right here on nbc. savannah >> all right, dylan, we'll be watching speaking to the fourth, we want to turn to today's consumer because there are plenty of great sales to celebrate stephanie ruhle joins us with where to find the best holiday deals. stephanie, good morning. we're used to it where retailers put on sales around a holiday but they're particularly good this year. >> absolutely, savannah. because of covid, so many stores have so much extra supply so think about it, department stores, many that are finally open now have a ton of inventory that they have got to move

so if you feel comfortable shopping in person, just make sure you've got a good mask. if you don't, there are still lots of really good online sales to get, but you've got to remember these aren't seasonal sales, it's fourth of july sales, so it's only a day or two. if you're in the market for something, get out there today because things are going to go quickly. >> so what are the best things to buy what are the best deals to be found? >> all right, so let's go around the horn because there's a lot we can start with the big things, appliances you can go best buy, lowe's, they have got 40% off. i'm talking your biggest appliances your refrigerators, your washers, your driers, your dishwashers. home depot, talk about big, the more appliances you buy, the more you can save. if you buy six appliances, you can save up to $600. i'm not sure if you want to have all that gear showing up at your house in the next couple of weeks but that's pretty big savings. from inside, you can go outside. this is a big positive, because now that we are spending more

time outside, it's good to know you can get some really good deals on hiking and camping equipment. rei offering 55% if you're not a camper, head over to walmart. pool equipment, patio furniture, really big deals because a lot of us are going to be staying close to home, but it's good if you can be outside and really good if you can get some deals >> next, everybody's favorite, clothing. >> huge, huge deals on clothing. american eagle, old navy up to 60% off because they have got to sell their spring and summer merchandise, savannah. so many of us have been home wearing the same sweat pants every day for the last four months, that would be me, or we might need a bigger size, that would also be me so it's a really good time to buy. they have to clear inventory because they have to get their back-to-school stuff out and i would say last home. people have done a lot of renovations over the last few months i'm guessing in your inbox right now you've already got online flyers from the likes of overstock, wayfair, but today is

a really good day to click on those links. they have up to 70% off. i'm talking rugs, mattresses, all sorts of furniture macy's too so while we've been home, we've been doing a lot of work well, now if you saved, this is a good time that you might want to buy it's great to get out t oh, i want to make one more point to you all of these big stores are awesome and it's great to get out there and get these savings. but this is a really important time to remember, savannah, shop local our small stores have been shut down such a long amount of time, they have been hit hard by this pandemic if you can go out, make your way to your local main street, see what shops are open and see if you can help your local retailer >> and are these kinds of like those black friday sales, stephanie, where it's limited quantities and all that so you've got to jump on it >> not so much black friday, because normally when it's black friday, you see those stores sort of stock up on certain merchandise and put them on sale

right now they're really just trying to clear stuff out. this has been quite a few months where things are getting dusty on the shelves. >> all right, stephanie, really good advice. thank you so much. if you want to find out more about these holiday sales, you can go to today.com/shop craig? >> all right just ahead here on a friday morning, our guy, harry smith, taking us to coney island to celebrate another fourth of july staple, that symbol of summer, the hot dog. we'll do that and also talk to music star charlie puth. there's charlie, up early. charlie will share a special performance of his newest hit as well but first, your local news

good morning. 8:26. i'm marcus washington. in california, the number of covid-19 infections is rising. now more than 240,000 cases here in the state. and more than 6,000 deaths. here in the bay area, there are more than 750 new cases reported just yesterday. plus, the city of danville is expanding its street closure program to make room for more outdoor dining. the town counsel gave the thumbs up to keep it up during the pandemic. other cities like palo alto and san jose have similar closures. head over to our website nbc bay area.com for a list of all of those closures. let's get a look at the forecast for you. and today shaping up to be a nice one out there for us, kari.

>> we have some weather we absolutely cannot complain about. we are going to have very seasonable high temperatures with some low 80s in the south bay. for the north bay, reaching up to to 88 degrees in clearlake. temperatures staying in the 60s. we have some virtual events to enjoy with the family tomorrow including the danville virtual parade at 10:00 in the morning. check out the details on nbc bay area.com and for the rest of the bay area, we're going to warm up just slightly. >> thanks, kari. we'll have another local news update coming up for you in 30 minutes.

you asked for 'em, so tiny tacos are back for good.

grab a box of 15 or try them loaded. get 'em now with no contact delivery. grab a box of 15 or try them loaded. when we closed our wynn committed instantly to keeping all 15,000 team members on-board. we then focused our five-star level of service to all who needed it. we made improvements to people's lives. we strove to be better and we made people happy. this closure may have temporarily taken us out of wynn and encore, but it couldn't take the wynn and encore out of us. and now, we are proud to welcome you back.

we're we're back it's 8:30 friday morning, the 3rd of july, 2020. crank it up, we've got a fun half hour ahead. charlie puth will help us ring in the holiday weekend. >> yeah, he is charlie, of course, our citi music series guest on this friday morning there he is. oh, i like the shirt too, charlie. we're going to talk to charlie about his hits, including what it was like to recently work with a legitimate icon, a legend, sir elton john himself

on some new music. and then charlie will have a special performance of that catchy new song that just dropped as well, savannah. >> looking forward to that hi, charlie. then a little bit later harry smith will share some hot dog history in honor of the fourth's favorite snack. where else could he be coney island he's out there by his grill, but he went to coney island to get all the secrets so we'll see harry in a little bit. >> we're not going to stop there. here's what we have for you next week check this out mandy moore, multi talented star charlie sandberg, charlize theron and the one and only tom theron and the one and only tom hanks. tom hanks. this will be his first tv interview since his cov hanks. tom hanks. this will be his first tv interview since his covid diagnosis too, right >> yeah, it will be so lots to look forward to next week. we've got a good week for you. but we've got a great crowd ready to rock. after our cross-country tour celebrating different cities in america, we decided to keep it going one more day families from sea to shining sea and there are their shining

faces. we've got l.a., cincinnati, new orleans, charleston and more i'm looking for the boldware family in fairview, texas. there you are. mom, nadia, she's got two kids, julianna and anderson. i know you've got a special shoutout you wanted to give today. are you there, nadia can you hear me? >> we're celebrating my grandparents' 66th wedding anniversary. >> oh, cuties, there they are. i heard grandparents' 66th wedding anniversary. >> oh, cuties, there they are. i heard you, 65 years. he served in the army. he was a police officer and obviously we want to say thank you for his service. what do they mean to you

>> they are the world to me. they were the core of our family and they have always served their community and worked really hard and always wanted the best for their children and their grandchildren. >> well, look at you you've got to be some of their best work, some of their proudest accomplishments right there on screen. happy fourth of july to you and thanks for being with us and being part of the plaza.morning. >> g >> thank you >> savannah, what do you say we go to chesapeake beach, maryland looking for the powell family. there are the powells. >> hi. >> good morning, good morning. >> good morning. >> so here's the thing, apparently tomorrow isn't just america's birthday, debbie, you and your twin daughters, all three of you have birthdays on the fourth of july, is that right? >> yes, we do. >> and you've got twins. this is brianna. >> karina is not able to be with us. >> she is on us. >> she is on assignment with the navy. >> yep. >> you think that she's not able to be with us. but oh, no, oh, no, she's here she filmed a little message. here's your daughter on her

birthday eve. >> hi, "today" show, this is ensign karina powell i wanted to wish my mom and my twin a very happy birthday up in maryland i miss you both, i love you, and happy birthday fourth of july, everyone. >> happy fourth of july. >> oh, my god, thank you >> and thank you, karina, for your service as well savannah >> well, we got it all this morning on the plaza we've got tears of joy, we've got laughter, anniversaries, birthdays. let's give everyone one last look and say thank you for joining us and representing the best of this country i hope you have a wonderful fourth of july weekend with all the ones you love around you you can sign up and be part of the virtual crowd. head to today.com/mytodayplaza

all the details are there. now let's get a check of the holiday forecast with dylan. what you got >> well, we've got a good amount of sunshine as we continue through the weekend, although we will see a couple of thunderstorms pop up from time to time right through the middle of the country, especially the plains where we could see severe weather. in the northeast it's fine but you'll see thunderstorms fire up later on today some of those could be strong with gusty winds and small hail. oppressive heat continues down south that lasts through the fourth of july, lasts through sunday, monday, tuesday. we are going to see it stick around for a while with your feels-like temperature up around 100 degrees. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we check out our seven-day forecast. we're going to have some nice weather for today. some of our inland areas reaching into the mid-80s. up to 90 degrees tomorrow in time for the fourth of july. some of our valleys will have some comfortably warm weather. as we go into next week, we're coming down just a few degrees for san francisco.

expect fog, mist and drizzle to linger for a little bit today but more sunshine tomorrow as we reach 70 degrees and some more 60s as we go into early next week. >> announcer: the citi music series on "today" is proudly >> announcer: the citi music series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi >> now to our citi music series. we have a very special guest with us this morning ladies and gentlemen, charlie puth his songs have been streaming -- >> hi, guys. ♪

>> -- well over 7 billion times, including his newest hit charlie is going to have a special performance of that for us in just a few moments but first he's joining us live from los angeles got up really early, charlie, so thanks for doing that. >> anything for you guys. >> so here's the thing, you dropped another song as well about life in quarantine we're going to play a little snippet and then we'll talk about it here's your quarantine song. ♪ it looks like you're staying pretty creative in quarantine. it's not slowing you down a whole lot. how are you holding up >> i'm -- i'm good that was filmed at the very beginning of lockdown and it was at my parents' place i was just watching tv i didn't expect to make a song that night but i did, and at some point in the video if you go on my instagram and watch it, you see me annoying my parents i love the creative energy that comes out during quarantine. >> so you're holed up with your parents and you're drinking out of a cookie monster mug, i just realized that. >> you know, it's so early, i didn't even realize that it's my favorite mug >> you also recently just teamed up with a fellow named sir elton john how did that come to be? what did you guys work on? >> you know, he just emailed me,

which is pretty cool it's pretty cool seeing elton john pop up on your phone. we're neighbor, and we met at a restaurant in l.a. this was back in december. and he said, yeah, let's write then i didn't expect him to hit me up, you know, the week after. we're neighbors, i should use your studio. and the first song that we wrote -- he said to me something really interesting he said, you know, charlie, i write music when lyrics are given to me, and you write lyrics after, which is true. so we write very differently but he said let's take a crack at it anyway he sat down and played the entire 3:03 song that is done, people will hear it song he played it in one take with the piano part and i wrote the lyrics we did it in reverse, not song of 2020. i was checking it out this

usually how i work. >> let's talk about "girlfriend," the first solo song of 2020 i was checking it out this morning. like pretty much everything else you do, quite catchy what's the story behind it, charlie? there are some folks who are starting to read something into this. >> it's just -- i've never -- i've never written such a simpls song and it's very hard to say that as a sentence what the lyric is, baby, would you ever want to be my girlfriend. it's much easier to say when there's chords and drums and melody behind it yeah, i just used it as a tool to help people ask that question, i suppose. which is my media trained answer. >> clearly is there a charlie puth girlfriend right now are we looking >> there's no -- someone keeps calling me there's no charlie puth girlfriend, no. >> who's that calling you, charlie? >> i don't know.

i'm using my friend's computer and they picked the most opportune time to continuously call during my interview with the "today" show. >> charlie puth, we always enjoy you. we so enjoyed having you last year on the plaza. hopefully you can come back soon and do it again. thank you. in just a few moments, charlie's performance of that aforementioned "girlfriend." he's going to do that for us but first, this is "today" on nbc.

this home is equipped with gig speed internet from xfinity. there's this game-time internetting room. so fun. and then there's this work-from-home internetting room. finally, the open-concept internetting room. this is not an open house. but your front door was open, so technically it is. get gig speeds and the most wifi coverage from xfinity. now that's simple, easy, awesome. enhance your online experience with even faster speed. choose from a range of fast, reliable options, up to a gig. click or call to learn more.

welcome back craig, loved your interview with charlie puth sorry i kept calling during his interview, i hope that wasn't disruptive. >> i figured it was you. so we just heard him speak how about we hear him sing, special performance of his newest hit, "girlfriend. ladies and gentlemen, once again, charlie puth. ♪ ♪ tired of this conversation ♪ we didn't come all this way ♪ to touch a little, kiss a little ♪

♪ all night long ♪ you wanna hear me say it ♪ i know i kept you waiting ♪ just a little, just a little ♪ all night long ♪ can't stop till you're lying right here next to me ♪ ♪ i should stop but i think i'l do it anyway ♪ ♪ baby, would you ever want to be my girlfriend ♪ ♪ i don't wanna play no games ♪ this is more than just a phase ♪ ♪ baby, would you ever want to be my girlfriend ♪ ♪ if you want it, let me know ♪ we could make this official ♪ don't we look perfect baby ♪ let's take this further baby ♪ just a little, just a little ♪ all night long ♪ if i was your boyfriend ♪ i'd be giving you all my time ♪ ♪ not just a little, just a little ♪

♪ all night long ♪ can't stop till you're lying right here next to me ♪ ♪ i should stop ♪ but i think i'll do it anyway ♪ ♪ baby, would you ever want to be my girlfriend ♪ ♪ i don't wanna play no games ♪ this is more than just a phase ♪ ♪ baby, would you ever want to be my girlfriend ♪ ♪ if you want it let me know ♪ we could make this official ♪ hold on, you're making me ♪ hold on you're making me ♪ my girlfriend ♪ hold on you're making me you♪ ♪ my girlfriend ♪ ♪ hold on you're making me ♪ my girlfriend ♪ i can't stop ♪ know i should stop

♪ but i had to do it anyway ♪ i had to do it anyway ♪ i had to do it anyway ♪ i had to do it anyway ♪ baby, would you ever wannabe my girlfriend ♪ ♪ i don't wanna play no games ♪ this is more than just a phase ♪ ♪ baby, would you ever wannabe my girlfriend ♪ ♪ if you want it let me know ♪ we could make this official ♪ hold on, you're making me ♪ hold on, you're making me ♪ hold on, you're making me ma♪ ♪ hold on, you're ♪ hold on, you're making me ♪ my girlfriend >> well, there's your ear worm for the holiday weekend, savannah guthrie. >> just added it to my playlist. >> i saw you doing it too actually. >> yeah, he sounds good. coming up next, one american icon in search of another.

harry smith taking us to coney island and how hot dogs became such a beloved symbol of summer. yeah, you're an icon first, this is "day" on nbc. [upbeat music] ♪ today was the day that i put everything in perspective. ♪

♪ i fell asleep but when i woke up. ♪ (boy) hi, do you want to share my sandwich? (vo) good feeds our connections. good feeds us all. hormel natural choice lunch meats.

8:48 now and one of our absolutely favorite series here at the show, mr. smith goes to, savannah >> over the holiday weekend, americans are expected to eat 150 million hot dogs so, harry, this time you went to coney island, the iconic boardwalk where they're bringing back the original recipe tell us about it. >> it's kind of amazing. wherever you go in this country people have serious arguments about hot dogs you've got chicago dogs, you've got dodger dogs. depends on where you are in the country how it's prepared. cincinnati dogs. but we decided to go to the original source, and the dog doesn't have the name you think

it might in its heyday, coney island was a seaside shangri-la fun seekers would take an express to the beach for a express to the beach for a nickel while there, delight in a local delicacy, the hot dog. >> charles feltman is known as the inventor of the hot dog. he was the first person to put the sausage on an elongated bun. >> michael quinn and his brother, joe, started feltman's of coney island in 2015. >> so you guys decide to go into the hot dog business and what did your family and friends say? >> every single person laughed at it. >> our parents said we were a couple of croutons short of a caesar salad. >> once there were three brothers, brooklyn born and bred they dreamed of going into business together. >> the dream came down at 9/11 when jimmy lost his life at the world trade center. >> i was a senior and ended up

doing two tours in iraq and a tour in afghanistan. it wasn't until i got out of the military where we reignited this conversation about starting this company. >> the dogs, based on charles feltman's original recipe, are flying off the shelves. >> did america really need another hot dog company? >> i think it does during the pandemic when all the shelves were cleared, a lot of the tofu hot dogs remained on the shelves, right >> reporter: that the modest meat has become a must-have is no mystery, says joe. >> i think it was a comfort factor families with young kids you're able to buy a pack of our hot dogs and that feeds you two nights on $5. >> reporter: the humble hot dog, symbol of summer, best friend of baseball and the backbone of the backyard barbecue is having a moment across the country in colorado, customers crave mike's coneys. >> the hot dog is making a major comeback in america.

do you know why? >> a hot dog is just a symbol of simpler, happy times. >> reporter: the proprietor says his pop-up sells out most every stop hot dogs, he insists, are good for you. >> you know, they're not considered a health food, it's a happy food but i think that happiness is the important part of being healthy. >> reporter: true hot dog happiness, though, says mike, cannot be achieved if a certain condiment is requested. >> first of all, if someone wants to put ketchup on one of my coneys, i don't say anything. i just give them a stare like you've got to be kidding they can ruin the hot dog on their own but i will not do it won't do it. >> reporter: back in brooklyn, the brothers quinn agree. >> taking a bite out of history. >> reporter: accompanied only by feltman's apple cider vinegar mustard. >> there must be something good about this, because it's 11:30 in the morning and i'm eating this like it's the last food on earth. wow, this is good.

>> reporter: brother jimmy they know is smiling. so just to be clear, nathan's came much later. nathan worked at feltman's and he came up with his hot dog which is still so popular today. my question for you is what do you put on your hot dog, kids? >> not ketchup. >> i'm with him. i don't do ketchup no, i don't think you need -- a good hot dog doesn't need it a little mustard is nice. >> a little mustard is nice. but i'm a brat guy love a brat. sorry. we'll be doing brats this weekend. >> you're bringing a brat to a story about hot dogs harry, that's crazy. >> i'm into truth telling. this is about the truth. i'm not going to make up my love for hot dogs when in fact my heart belongs to bratwurst. >> happy fourth. >> it's a song. >> happy fourth, harry. >> that really took a turn i

wasn't expecting >> have a great holiday, kids. >> you too, buddy. >> you too this cheeseburger is the best! it's about to get bester baby! ♪ menutaur! make it a double, yeah!

nice mane! try my $5.99 southwest cheddar cheeseburger combo and make it a double for a buck more. order now with no contact delivery. and the hidden smiles. the foggy glasses, and the sore ears. the determined looks, and the muffled laughs. a simple piece of fabric makes a big statement: i care. let's all do our part to slow the spread. wear a mask. learn more at covid19.ca.gov.

that just that just about does it for us this morning. we do want to tell you about an exciting interview that we're going to have for you on "sunday today," savannah. >> looking forward to it charlize theron will join us next week. before she does, she joined willie for their sunday sitdown. they had an extended conversation about her new movie "the old guard" and hollywood's future in the age of coronavirus. you can catch that full interview with her on "sunday today. just ahead on the third hour we'll talk to mike tirico about the return of sports then on hoda and jenna, how to throw a fun and festive celebration for the fourth of july do you have big plans, s.g.? >> yes i'm going to watch you and dylan on the nbc special

of course i am watch the fireworks from the comfort of my couch. >> happy fourth, my friend. >> you too >> but first, your local news. good morning. it's 8:56. i'm marcus washington. anyone looking to escape the shelter in place this fourth of july weekend, wear your mask. especially if you are going to be boating on the delta and discovery bay. a live report at midday on precautions to ebsure the public safety on and off the water. why not celebrate at home? that's the recommendation from several bay area counties as they try to slow the spread of

covid-19. some beaches have closed their parking lots also reminding people to social distance. happening now, in some cities like pacifica, all beaches and those parking lots have been closed off to the public. we'll have a live report at midday and look at what's off limits. a neighborhood in the east bay getting creative. fremonts's annual parade got cancelled so they're planning the porch parade. and many fourth of july events have gone viral. we've put a guide together online so you can enjoy the holiday weekend while staying safe at home. head to nbcbayarea.com/fourth of july for that list. our next update coming up for you in an hour. businesses are starting to bounce back.

but what if you could do better than that? like adapt. discover. deliver, in new ways, to new customers. what if you could come back stronger? faster. better. at comcast business, we want to help you not just bounce back, but bounce forward. and now, with one of our best offers ever, we're committed to helping you do just that. get a powerful and reliable internet and voice solution for only $29.95 a month for three months. call or go online today.

live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> and a good friday morning, everyone welcome to the third hour of "today." it's july 3rd. craig melvin here in studio 1a sheinelle and diylan continue to work from home al has his last day of vacation. dylan, are you ready for the big show tomorrow night? >> i absolutely am, i cannot wait you and i are going to be part of this year's macy's fourth of july fireworks spectacular the show is a little different from years past but it is going to be just as fun, just as special. the show begins tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. eastern right