all right. >> the sun is up. hope you get a chance to enjoy your weekend. that will do it for us this morning. >> the "today" show starts now and we will be back in 30 minutes with pomore live, local news. good morning. good morning. grim prediction. the new research showing nearly 300,000 coronavirus deaths in the u.s. by the end of the year. just ahead, the one thing health officials say can be done right now to change that fate. decision day. governor andrew cuomo set to reveal if new york schools will reopen. including the nation's largest school district. millions of parents across the nation waiting for word in their areas. and the superintendent in tennessee who says he's faced threats for keeping schools closed. >> i've got to do the right

thing for the students and staff members here. >> and just ahead, why the student who is shot these imaages of packed hallways got suspended. joe biden under fire after this racially loaded comment. >> unlike the african-american community with no exceptions, the latino community is a diverse community. >> president trump calling it insulting. how biden is trying to explain this morning. shots fired. the attorney general of new york takes action to dissolve the nra accusing its leaders of fraud. >> operated as a breeding ground for greed, abuse, and brazen illegality.he very latest. socially unacceptable. prince harry takes on social media giants. his powerful indictment overnight of fear, anger, and

misinformation online. those stories, plus going the distance. >> fly ball deep toward right field. >> the baseball star who had opted out of the season for health reasons comes back in grand fashion. >> i love it. >> and the celebration is six feet apart. "today," friday, august 7th, 2020. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning, everybody. welcome to "today." it is friday. we're here. hoda's getting a jump on the weekend. good morning. >> yeah. good to see you, my friend. good to see nick markakis back on the field as well. >> he decided maybe i will play ball. i think it's because he had that game winner in him. >> we'll have more on that and the socially distanced celebration as well. we've got a lot happening on this friday morning including we've now learned 66 nfl players have chosen to sit out the season over concerns about the

coronavirus. just ahead, we're going to have one player's powerful message to fans who are bothered by that decision. speaking of decisions, a big one is coming later this morning on the fate of schools in new york state. that includes new york city, the largest school district in the nation. more than a million students. stephanie gosk has more on that. but first as the nation surpasses a new record of deaths, tom costello has a story this morning. >> reporter: already a horrific death toll, but the university of washington which has a pretty accurate track record for modeling where we're going, that track record, that organization is now talking about a death toll. by the end of the year, listen to this, that would exceed the american combat deaths in world war i, korea, vietnam, all the persian gulf wars combined. but there is something we can do. this morning a grim new

nearly 300,000 deaths in the u.s. before the new year according to a research center at the university of washington. almost double the deaths we've seen since march. however, experts say if nearly everyone wears masks now, almost 70,000 lives could be saved. >> if every individual wearing a mask is putting the brakes on transmission by 40%, that starts to add up. >> reporter: coming as the nation's death toll from the virus surged past 160,000 on thursday. one of the latest victims? a 7-year-old boy who no underlying conditions. the youngest to die from the virus in the state of georgia. in ohio, governor mike dewine taking a test in order to be cleared. initially tested positive. >> you can contract it even when being careful. >> reporter: then hours later

getting negative results in a second test. in the country's first covid-19 epicenter, new york, check points for travelers coming from advisory states are up and running with mixed reaction. >> i think it is a terrible idea and the reason for that is just the traffic in new york is already a mess. >> i wish every state was doing this. >> reporter: dr. deborah birx in a private call with officials is now pointing to nine other major cities including chicago, boston, and detroit and california's central valley warning they could be in trouble as numbers continue to rise. the nation's capital also on the list. as president trump declared without any evidence thursday a vaccine could be ready by election day. >> i'm optimistic that it'll be probably be around that date. >> reporter: dr. anthony fauci predicting, though, it may take a little bit longer. >> my projection which is only a projection is that somewhere

effective vaccine. >> tom, you mentioned what new york is doing cracking down on domestic travel. what's the latest now about traveling abroad? >> reporter: so the united states is now lifting its travel advisory for americans to travel abroad. however, that doesn't mean you're going to get in. because the eu, canada, japan, australia, new zealand, a lot of south america, the bahamas not allowing americans in because this is right now one of the biggest and worst hot zones in the world. >> tom costello leading us off. thank you. now to the urgent debate over schools. several cities across the country are facing a critical decision point for their fall plans including the nation's largest public school system here in new york. this as fallout grows after images of a packed hallway in georgia right there. stephanie gosk has all the latest on that

good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. so later on today governor cuomo will decide whether or not a school like physically reopen in septemberme country, plans are in place. kids are even in class and the fight how to do it safely is only escalating. this morning a 15-year-old from georgia's north palding high school can't go back to class and it's not because of the virus. >> my punishment was five days of out of school suspension. >> reporter: because hanna waters posted these images shared and shared again. students appear packed into the hallways masks are recommended at her school but are not mandatory in a statement to nbc news, the school district says they are aware of the issues and are gathering the facts of this situation and will address the situation in accordance with district policies and regulations. >> whether you go in person or virtually, you're always going to have somebody upset with you. >> reporter: while tennessee superintendent dr. ray is facing angry backlash from some because

he decided to keep school doors shut and limit sports. >> i've got to do the right thing for the students and staff members here >> reporter: that's when he started getting threats. >> i've seen messages on social media. then i received an email message threatening me, threatening my family no one's going to determine even threats are going to keep me from keeping my students safe. >> reporter: with no national guidelines, each state and district has a different plan. leaving parents unsettled. in new york the governor says he will decide today whether or not to reopen schools. based in large part on the numbers. >> we're not going to open any school unless the viral transmission rate says we have the virus under control. >> reporter: the governor also points out that it's not just ta that they have to have buy in by

teachers and parents pointing out if a teacher doesn't show up, you don't have a class. >> all right steph, thank you by the bay, we're going to have more on the school debate on the third hour including a live interview with the head of florida's largest teachers union. we move now to the race for the white house. joe biden under fire for comments he made about race. it comes as the white house and democrats remain at a stand still over a coronavirus stimulus package peter alexander is following all these angles this morning. good morning >> reporter: good morning to you. the former vice president joe biden overnight tried to clean up comments he made comparing differing viewpoints within the african-american and latino communities. president trump had quickly seized on those comments as a new barrage of attacking on ter these comments he d god. made during a video conference with black and latino engage with cuba. >> what you all know but most

people don't know, unlike the african-american community with notable exceptions, the latino community is incredibly diverse community with incredibly different attitudes about different things >> reporter: president trump immediately pouncing on the former vice president. >> i just watched the clip and joe biden this morning totally disparaged and insulted the black community. what he said is incredible i don't know what's going on with him >> reporter: biden tweeting late thursday, in no way did i mean to suggest the african-american community is a monolith, not by identity, not on issues, not at all. adding, i will never stop fighting for the african-american community it comes as the president is sharpening his attacks against biden saying this in the battleground state of ohio >> he's following the radical left agenda. he's against god he's against guns. he's against energy, our kind of energy >> reporter: biden the practicing catholic slammed the

president as an insecure bully writing in a statement, for president trump to attack my faith is shameful. it's beneath the office he holds and it's beneath the dignity the american people so rightly respect and deserve from their leaders. meantime, talks between the white house and democratic leaders over a coronavirus relief package are on the verge of collapse after a three-hour meeting yesterday. at issue, the size of the bill democrats pushing for a large scale package. the white house aiming for something smaller and shorter term >> there's a handful of very big issues that we are still very far apart. >> we're very far apart. it's most unfortunate. >> reporter: the key issues yet to be resolved include the emergency unemployment benefits that expired a week ago for tens of millions of americans the president has floated the idea that he's prepared to take

executive actions on some of those issues as soon as today. but it's still unclear what he can legally do no commitment so far from either side to meet today the president is not even here he's at his new jersey golf club with fund raisers scheduled. >> there's also new news on the tiktok front tell us about it >> reporter: president trump issued a pair of executive orders one that would ban tiktok from operating in the u.s. if it is not sold by its chinese-owned parent company within the next 45 days. it warns that the app could allow china to access personal information of americans microsoft as we've reported has been in talks to buy tiktok and said last week it would complete those discussions by the middle of next month. >> all right thank you very much. lot more to get to this friday morning including the explosion in beirut, lebanon protests against government officials broke out there overnight. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel has the latest

richard, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the death toll has gone up again. it's now over 150. the lebanese government is scrambling to lay blame for this explosion and has arrested 16 port officials as there are growing calls. instantly made the u.n. 300,000 people homeless. moments of heroism and solidarity too american survivor becca hovland was deeply impressed how the lebanese have been pulling together >> the dust hardly settled and all of the lebanese people are on the streets bringing their own brooms, handing out food, handing out water. donating clothes, donating blood. >> reporter: yesterday we saw this person entering the delivery room. her husband capturing the moment on a cell phone when the blast

hit. >> nurses and doctors were on the ground i was looking around to check where's my wife. because all the ceiling was down i was afraid that she might hit or the baby was hit. she was all covered with blood >> reporter: the mother and baby are doing well >> sound asleep. >> reporter: rescue teams are scouring through debris. dozens remain missing. funerals are now widespread. and in the emotion and grief, covid-19 precautions have fallen by the wayside lebanon was already facing its worst economic crisis in decades.

when french president emmanuel macron visited yesterday, he was mobbed by protesters denouncing their government's corruption and ineptitude a government that left 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate impounded from a foreign cargo ship taking it to africa sitting in unsafe conditions in the middle of the city for six years. despite repeated warnings and pleas to remove it and overnight, a plane load of u.s. aid arrived the u.s. has pledged $17 million in medicine, food, and financial support for lebanon. many countries have said they are willing to help out. >> richard engel for us there. thank you. now to the battle that's erupted between the nra and the attorney general of new york she has announced a lawsuit that aims to dissolve that powerful organization as she accused its top leaders of using millions of nra funds for their personal use. also accused of tax fraud. gabe gutierrez has the latest on this gabe, good morning

>> reporter: savannah, good morning. new york's attorney general is calling for the removal of wayne lapierre he says bring it on. this morning the national rifle association is under fire facing a sweeping lawsuit from new york's attorney general. >> my office filed a lawsuit against the national rifle association to dissolve the organization in its entirety for years of self-dealing and illegal conduct that violate new york's charities law and undermine its own mission. >> reporter: latitia james accuses four of the nra's top leaders of taking $64 million over the nonprofit to serve as their personal piggy bank. it claims wayne lapierre spent more than $500,000 on eight trips to the bahamas, more than $3 million on luxury car services, and that he obtained a post-employment contract valued at $17 million without the

board's approval in response, lapierre and the nra vowed to fight saying this is an unconstitutional premeditated attack aiming to destroy the nra. and we will confront it and prevail. the group filed its own lawsuit and accused new york's attorney general, a democrat, of a power grab trying to score political points ahead of the 2020 election how is this not political? >> i don't think politics has anything to do with it the nra, its board, its officers, its directors have an obligation and duty to its donors unfortunately, they failed in that responsibility. as a result of that, the nra is operating in a deficit >> reporter: the new york-based nra, one of the nation's most powerful lobbying groups spent more than $54 million during the 2016 election cycle. and last month endorsed president trump for a second term >> that's a very terrible thing

beautiful life. >> reporter: again, this is a civil lawsuit that could take years to play out, but the attorney general here in new york says t that just happened i think the nra should move to texas and lead a very good and beautiful life >> reporter: again, this is a civil lawsuit that could take years to play out, but the attorney general here in new york says that this is an ongoing investigation and that she would refer any evidence of criminal wrong doing to the manhattan district attorney's office >> thank you how about we get to excitement in baseball overnight? nick markakis made quite the dramatic return to the diamond thursday >> don't put it past him fly ball deep toward right field. that ball is going to go nick markakis walks us off on the first pitch! >> and the empty stadium goes for that we say good morning to mr. roker. hey, al. wild markakis with that walkoff home run leading them to the win over >> hey good morning, guys our weekend's starting off a little wet here in the east. we've got a flash flood watch the blue jays. now for 24 million people. and this system is going to be it came during his first game just hanging around. basically we are talking about a back in action he had opted out of the 2020

season over coronavirus concerns but he changed his mind recently and braves fans are thankful stationary front that he did. areas of flash flooding possible >> i love it's like bring it in. today. that'll go right on into tomorrow with scattered storms for parts of the east coast stretching from florida all the way up into the northeast with some areas seeing hourly rates up to an inch or more we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds for small prices, you can build big dreams. spend less, get way more. shop everything home at wayfair today. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we see the fog over san

francisco right now, we go into the next couple of hours and some sunshine expected today even along the coastline. for our inland areas that means warmer temperatures as we reach up to 89 degrees in antioch today. 85 in san jose. going into the next several days our weekend inland temperatures will be heating up into the 90s. >> and that's your latest weather. >> thanks, al. coming up next, nfl players choosing to sit out the season because of the pandemic forced to defend their choices to upset fans we're going to hear from them about making that decision we'll also here from mike tirico plus this morning, joe biden set to soon make his vice presidential announcement. and why the running mate is so vital to a campaign. but first this is "today" 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.

just ahead, prince harry's impassioned plea overnight to change social media. why he says the online world is dividing us and what we can do to make it better. >> but first a check of your local news and weather and these messages 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. ijoin tscore savings andet kepdeals in store and online.e. plus, help target support your community. enjoy exclusives just for you, at no cost to you. join target circle for free today. verizon knows how to build unlimited right. you start with the network jd power has named the most awarded for network quality 25 times in a row. then, give people more plans to mix and match, so you only pay for what you need. verizon's unlimited plan is so reasonable, they can stay on for the rest of their lives.

include the best in entertainment and offer it all starting at $35. plus, $700 off our best phones when you switch. because everyone deserves the best. the is unlimited built right. only on verizon. and eating the small bits of cheese stuck to a mcdonald's wrapper... is the right way... to start-a-morning. ♪ ba da ba ba ba wouldn't iprotected if there was a place that kept you... to start-a-morning. playful covered fueled ...and safe? well, there is, and always has been. walgreens. everyone's place, for healthy and safe. a very good morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia. here's a look at today's top stories including a decision by antioch school leaders

generating controversy. >> reporter: i'm sharon katsuda. after a week of student protests the antioch school board made a controversial decision. antioch school board voted last night, 3-2, to accept a federal grant that would bring six reforce officers onto school campuses. school district $750,000 over matching funds add up to over $3 million in the three-year period. many students who protested said they would rather see more counselors on campus. and we need to take to you contra costa county to update this deadly crash on highway 4. you see eastbound slowing because of a crash and a big rig involved with a hazmat spill. as a result we have two of your right lanes still blocked. there's a little recovery as speeds recover, we have one additional lane open in the last few minutes. the rest of the bay, laura, is clear because it's friday. all right. we're hoping for a nice forecast

this friday. let's check in with kari. we will haveice weather for today but starting to warm up with our inland areas in the upper 80s. by the weekend expect some mid-90s as we are going to see our valley temperatures reaching up to 95 degrees on sunday. still hot early next week while san francisco and the coastal areas will stay in the 60s from today through the next several days. laura? all right. thanks so much. we'll be back with another local news update in half an hour.

not to be confused for the country sharks. we're going to look at whether our behavior is leading them closer to the coast. >> when i see kerry in a scuba suit, it's like he's in his natural environment. let us start this half hour with your 7:30 headlines. as the u.s. passes 160,000 coronavirus deaths, experts are unveiling a grim new projection. according to the latest model from a research center at the university of washington, the u.s. could reach nearly 300,000 deaths before the new year. but officials say if nearly everyone started wearing masks right now, almost 70,000 lives could be saved. >> if every individual is wearing a mask is putting the brakes on transmission by 40%,

that starts to add up. >> meanwhilevisory against trav internationally. however, most of the world has been shut off to american tourists because of the high bu. he has come to know many over the years. along with essays he wrote about each of them. and yes, he painted their portraits as well. >> he's become quite the prolific painter, hasn't he? now back to the coronavirus and the closer look at the impact on the national football league.

the nfl. players were given the option to opt out of the 2020 season. that window just closed and 66 players exercised their right to sit out the year. sam brock is in miami with details and what all of this means for the season. good morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning. as a percentage of the league, the number of opt out is tiny. it's like 2%. but symbolically it is huge. whether players are sitting out because of health or family reasons, a sharp reminder there are bigger concerns right now than just football. this morning an nfl world in flux with the field of play shrinking. even veteran players who are returning do so with trepidation. >> we don't know how it's going to hit home. >> reporter: the cornerback tre'davious white house tweeting crazy that me choosing my family comes with fans attacking me. adding his grandfather passed

away from covid-19. you understand now? white ultimately understanding to play but 66 of his peers will not. representing about 2.3% of the league the nfl telling nbc news in a statement these are personal decisions that each player is making we respect those decisions and look forward to seeing those players back on the field next season the sacrifices of staying home, substantial. does this make us understand that athletes have real world problems and real world concerns about their family >> i think it's humanized all of us athletes, this will be the endeavor that for many of these athletes, this will be the endeavor that they are the most successful in in their lives. these are very difficult decisions. >> reporter: one player ready to return to the field, new tampa bay bucs quarterback tom brady >> i put a lot of energy into making sure i'm feeling good but mentally i think that's been the thing that's, you know, obviously has its challenges >> reporter: his former team, the patriots, hit the hardest

from the opt outs with eight players sitting out the season including three-time super bowl champ dont'a hightower as teams try and rally back with a month until the season starts, there remain major questio >> there's a long way to go, a full month of ebb and flow with the nfl before we have an idea of what football might look like if it's going to be played at all come september >> so sam, another big question that's looming ahead of this season, fans whether we are going to see fans in the stands for any of these games. what do we know about that >> reporter: craig, so much of this is contingent about what the laws are in those specifica franchises are comfortable with. we know in new york no fans in states and also what the franchises are comfortable with. we know in new york no fans in the stadiums for the foreseeable future you think about some of the iconic football stadiums out there. lambeau field in green bay, the packers announcing there are not going to be fans there for the first two home games but try to get them back at some point in

the season and in vegas, no fans for the season in sin city >> all right sam brock there for us in miami. sam, thank you man. >> you got more on this in the third hour too >> we do in fact, we're going to be talking to the new vice president of the washington football team. she is really blazing a trail for the women in the broadcasting booth we're going to talk to her coming up in a few minutes and then coming up, joe biden soon poised to announce his running mate we look at the critical role of a vice presidential nominee in an election right after this

♪ everyday it's a-getting closer ♪ ♪ going faster than a rollercoaster ♪ ♪ love like yours will surely come my way ♪ ♪ a-hey, a-hey-hey ♪ (music playing) ♪ love like yours will surely come my way ♪ (vo)♪ make the pat your new playground. nature valley crunchy granola bars... made with whole grains that pack a crunch wherever you are. this wget $10 kohl's cash for every $50 spent. earn it on everything! like fitbit. spend it on anything! like converse. plus, take an extra 15% off... shark vacuums! plus, save on your back-to-school purchase.

plus, store drive up. kohl's and eating the small bits of cheese stuck to a mcdonald's wrapper... is the right way... to start-a-morning. ♪ ba da ba ba ba 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. ♪ what?! ♪ whatever you have at home, knorr sides can turn nutritious veggies into mouthwatering meals. ♪

veggies taste amazing with knorr. veggies taste amazing your bank can be virtually any place you are. you can deposit checks from here. and you can see your transactions and check your balance from here. and pay bills from here. because your bank isn't just one place. it's virtually any place you are. just download and use the chase mobile app. visit chase.com/mobile. 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 re o ja 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. set... glow! discover the indulgent new dove glowing shower collection... infused with mango and almond butter.

reveal radiant glowing skin. i had moderate-to-severes rheumatoid arthritis. i've always been the ringleader had a zest for life. flash forward, then ra kept me from the important things. and what my doctor said surprised me. she said my joint pain could mean permanent joint damage. and enbrel helps relieve joint pain, and helps stop that joint damage. ask about enbrel so you can get back to being your true self. enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common. or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure

or if you have persistent fever, bruising, bleeding or paleness. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. visit enbrel.com to see how your joint damage could progress. enbrel fda approved for over 20 years. we are back. 7:40 on this friday morning with "in-depth today. the election 88 days away and joe biden is preparing to make one of the most consequential choices of his campaign. >> that's right. his pick for a raining mate. he's already said it would be a woman. andrea mitchell is exploring the short list this morning and of course the importance of the role andrea, good morning >> reporter: good morning. if elected joe biden will be 78 years old when he takes office meaning his vice president must be a governing partner and possibly a future president

herself. it's a decision that carries both risk and reward, something biden knows very well having gone through the same process with barack obama. after months of speculation, joe biden is poised to make his high stakes big >> every one of the women we've interviewed is qualified and i've narrowed it down. you'll find out shortly. >> reporter: biden's short list according to sources familiar with the search, his former rival senator kamala harris, his one-time colleague former national security adviser susan rice, and michigan governor gretchen whitmer the campaign vetting women from a variety of backgrounds history shows running mates can be political assets. a role biden has played before in 2008 barack obama, a washington newcomer, chose the veteran senator to ease concerns about his own inexperience >> he's an expert on foreign policy whose heart and values are firmly rooted in the middle class. >> reporter: in 1960 another

rising star john f. kennedy put lyndon johnson on the ticket the texan helping jfk win southern voters. >> i think he can play a role as vice president more influential than others. >> reporter: in 1980, uniting the party after a primary. >> i am recommending that george bush be nominated for vice president. >> reporter: in 1992, bill clinton picked al gore both reinforcing the change. >> the man standing beside me today has what it takes to lead this nation from the day we take office >> reporter: still some candidates have famously backfired. in 1972, george mcgovern under pressure chose senator thomas eagleton without vetting him he was forced to drop out after only 18 days amid revelations he had been hospitalized for depression and treated we electroshock therapy decades

earlier. walter mondale tried to jump start his campaign with a historic choice of a vice president for president. vice president for president. geraldine ferraro. >> i looked for the best vice president and i geraldine ferraro. >> i looked for the best vice president and i found her in geri >> reporter: but she was forced to defend her finances and her husband's business practices. >> at no time did i violate any trust that was placed in me by my constituents. >> reporter: in 2008 john mccain picked an untested governor whom he barely knew for the ticket. >> governor sarah palin of the great state of alaska. >> reporter: sarah palin had a successful rollout firing up

conservatives, but she stumbled in interviews raising questions about her knowledge and experience when asked by katie couric what newspaper she read >> i've read most of them again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media >> but what ones specifically? i'm curious. >> all of them any of them. >> andrea, what are some of the factors guiding biden's decision it's always a consequential one. and how soon with we expect it you usually break the story. >> reporter: well, we certainly hope to. clearly joe biden wants someone who will be a joe biden just as he was to barack obama loyal, ready to take over if needed he is looking very closely at two black finalists. kamala harris and susan rice he also likes gretchen whitmer, especially the way she's been handling the pandemic. and i'm told tammy duckworth who is a great military story there is in the mix. biden has wanted to hold

in-person interviews that is complicated by the pandemic some advisers say they need a strong campaigner to add excitement that would be kamala harris. others say go with someone you trust, someone with experience in gover, we've got you on speed dial, andrea thank you very much. appreciate it. let us turn to the weather for this weekend especially. al, how are we looking for the weekend? >> well, you know, we're going to take a look at that in just a bit. isaias is causing so much trouble. we thought we'd take another look at the tropics. right now there's an 85% of above normal season. now, the national hurricane center issued this outlook 13 to 19 named storms in may however, now in august, they have upped that to 19 to 25 storms 7 to 11 of them becoming hurricanes three to six major hurricanes. why? we're seeing the african monsoon season being very active a lot of storms emerging off th

these storms. but that h africa coast plus low wind shear. that normally would tear up these storms but that hasn't happened then you add to that water temperatures that are running 5 to 10 degrees above average and you have a really active hurricane season nine named storms so far this year that equals 2005 when we had katrina, ran out of alphabetical names and had to go to the greek alphabet for today, heavy rain on the east coast severe storms in the plains. hot and humid down to texas. a fire risk up through the western plains and sunshine for the pacific northwest all the way down to good friday morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's take a look at our high temperatures today. it's going to be a little bit warmer compared to yesterday. still our coastal temperatures will reach into the low 60s and expect more sunshine today as you head across the bay, we're looking at some low 70s for highs, mid-70s for oakland and

some upper 80s today for the interior valleys. our inland forecast for the valleys will mostly be in the 80s today. then we're going to see the highs reaching into the 90s this weekend. >> that's your latest weather. >> thank you so much still ahead, prince harry taking on social media why he says some of the most popular platforms are creating a crisis that needs to be addressed right now. his message just ahead but first these messages i wanted to be able to provide a space for people, to spread the love and to support our community. at this point, people's livelihoods are at risk. what can we do to support each other? there's no room for competition. we're so much stronger than if we were to stand on our own. ♪ than if we were to stand on our own.

active, ambitious dailies delicious easy, fantastic lively and quick probiotics inside trust the taste vital vibe yummy yogurt zany or zen from a to z, your gut is where it all begins start with activia i felt like i was justs little constantly cleaning up his hair. then, i got my paws on the swiffer sweeper... it's a game changer! these heavy duty dry cloths pick up a crazy amount of hair. this is all you. we stopped cleaning and started swiffering. balanced nutrition for strength and energy. whoo-hoo! great tasting ensure with 9 grams of protein, 27 vitamins and minerals, and nutrients to support immune health. and nutrients to verizon knows how to build unlimited right. you start with the network jd power has named the most awarded for network quality 25 times in a row. then, give people more plans to mix and match, so you only pay for what you need. verizon's unlimited plan is so reasonable, they can stay on for the rest of their lives.

include the best in entertainment and offer it all starting at $35. plus, $700 off our best phones when you switch. because everyone deserves the best. the is unlimited built right. only on verizon. 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. yes. neutrogena® ultra sheer. superior protection helps prevent early skin aging and skin cancer with a clean feel. it's the one. the best for your skin. ultra sheer. neutrogena®. introducing new best foods drizzle sauce crave-worthy flavors you can drizzle, dip and dress to make home the best restaurant around new drizzle sauces from best foods we're on the side of food. new drizzle sauces from best foods

i have the power to lower my blood sugar and a1c. because i can still make my own insulin. and trulicity activates my body to release it like it's supposed to. once-weekly trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. it's not insulin. it starts acting from the first dose. and it lowers risk of heart attack, stroke, or death in people with known heart disease or multiple risk factors. trulicity isn't for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. don't take trulicity if you're allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. stop trulicity and call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, changes in vision, or diabetic retinopathy. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. taking trulicity with sulfonylurea or insulin raises low blood sugar risk. side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, belly pain, and decreased appetite, which lead to dehydration and may worsen kidney problems. we're committed to helping ensure trulicity is available and affordable. learn more at trulicity.com.

i'm an associate here at amazon. step onto the blue line, sir. this device is giving us an accurate temperature check. you're good to go. i have to take care of my coworkers. i have a son, and he said, "one day i'm gonna be like you, i'm gonna help people." you're good to go, ma'am. i hope so. this is my passion. if i can take of everyone who is sick out there, i would do it in a heartbeat. okay. day made. okay day made dylan dreyer, we have not seen you in the studio since december >> i had a baby. he's 7 months old now.or wld wo? >> it's great to have you here >> i have those first day ofit' without all this on. so i'll do "pop start" for you >> good. >> we've also got kerry sanders getting up close and personal

with some sharks as he does. >> looking forward to that and we've got our great guest for our citi summer music series there he is. luke bryan he's going to join us live he's also going to perform his newest number one hit. but first your local news. ♪ ♪ whistling [ indistinguishable muffled words ] pre-order now and get up to $150 samsung credit. ♪ ♪

however you go back, we've got your back. ♪ nall dogs descend from wolves, or the age, and for thousands of years they've shared a love for meat. blue wilderness is made to satisfy that desire. feed the wolf that lives inside your dog with blue wilderness. 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? removes ten years ofoptic yellow stains. that might surprise you and helps you fix them.

that's like all the way back to 2010. they're jeans. they're leggings. they're jeggings! whoa! remove ten years of yellow stains with new colgate optic white renewal. set... glow! discover the indulgent new dove glowing shower collection... infused with mango and almond butter. reveal radiant glowing skin. and eating the small bits of cheese stuck to a mcdonald's wrapper... is the right way... to start-a-morning. ♪ ba da ba ba ba ...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. good morning to you. it is 7:56. i'm laura garcia. here is a look at what's happening now. >> reporter: i'm bob redell. in just a few hours the santa clara district attorney's office will have the result of a grand jury probe. sources tell nbc bay area the investigation centers on whether or not sheriff laurie smith awarded concealed weapons permits to people who donated to her re-election campaign.

>> reporter: i'm sharon katsuda. after a week of student protests, the antioch school board made a controversial decision. antioch school board voted last night 3-2 to accept a federal grant that would bring six resource officers onto school campuses. the grant is for the city and school district matching funds add up to over $3 million in that three-year period. many students who protested said they would rather see more counselors on campus. sun up over the bay area this morning. kari has a look at our temperatures for today. laura, that fog is peeling back from san francisco. we're seeing that happening a lot sooner than we have the past few days. a clearing sky and a beautiful afternoon but it will start to turn up with those temperatures reaching into the upper 80s for much of the inland east bay and the north bay we're as hot as 95 degrees today in ukiah.

clear lake, 93. san jose will reach into the mid-80s. oakland, a high of 75 today and generally in the upper 80s. we'll see some low 90s tomorrow. that warming trend continues on sunday with some mid-90s and then gradually coming down next week for san francisco we'll see temperatures mostly in the upper 60s. back to you, laura. all right. sounds good. thanks so much, kari. thank you for joining us as well. the "today" show is coming up next. have a great day.

it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, sounding the alarm. a warning from health officials that 300,000 americans could die

unless changes are made. >> if everyone wearing a mask puts the brakes on transmission by 40%, that starts to add up. >> as new yorkers wait on a major decision on whether the largest school district will reopen plus unfriended. prince harry pens a blistering op-ed accusing social media giants of fostering an environment of hatred and misinformation just ahead, what he's saying needs to change. and pour some margaritas. ♪ one margarita, two margarita, three margarita ♪ >> luke bryan joins us to give a special performance to kick off the weekend. "today," friday, august 7th, 2020 ♪ >> we're celebrating my 51st birthday on the "today" show >> we'd like to wish our daughter a happy 17th birthday on the "today" show. ♪

>> hi. we're from cincinnati, ohio, and we're hunting, fishing, and loving the "today" show. >> we're from york, pennsylvania, and we love luke bryan! ♪ >> there's a reason we got all those luke bryan fans on our virtual plaza. he's here and he's going to be singing for us in a little bit hoda's off this morning. >> picked a bad morning, didn't she? >> she did normally she would love this situation. but now craig and i get the interview. we've got luke bryan superfans right there in our virtual plaza. we are looking forward to that he'll be with us in the next half hour or so. we want to mention something really special we're doing next week it's called "coronavirus and the classroom. >> here and across the platforms of nbc news, we want to explore

the host of issues and there are a slew of them but the issues surrounding the new school year, safety for in-school learning ways to improve online classes and much more. our experts will walk your family through all of the tips, all of the solutions that you'll need to navigate what is going to be a complicated year >> it's basically all we talk about. we're talking about. we have so many questions. so we're really kind of bringing everything we've got to bear on this we'll cover it all next week we hope you'll be with us. meantime, coronavirus tops our news at 8:00 an alarming new estimate warning the deaths by coronavirus could double in months tom costello joins us with three things to watch today. good morning >> reporter: good morning. so this new prediction is coming from the university of washington and it's a dire one at that. the death toll could hit nearly 300,000, it says, by the end of the year 300,000. public health experts say the only way to change that is

through urgent changes in public behavior, especially wearing masks and social distancing. by the way, the death toll has already surpassed 160,000 just since february meanwhile, new yorkers are anxious to hear what the governor has to say today. andrew cuomo is set to announce what will happen to new york state schools, especially new york city schools which of course is the biggest district in the country cuomo with a cautionary note >> we're not going to open any school unless the viral transmission rate says we have the virus under control. >> reporter: meanwhile this morning we can give you an update on the situation, the talks between the white house and capitol hill on that stimulus bill. the coronavirus stimulus bill. it was really on the verge of collapse after a three-hour marathon session yesterday at issue, the size of the bill democrats pushing for a large scale package for the unemployed the republicans want something smaller and short-term the benefits expired a week ago. the president has floated the

idea that he's prepared to take some sort of executive action. but exactly what that would include and whether that would be legal really is still up in the air. back to you. >> a lot of moving pieces this morning. thank you. president trump has issued an executive order that would ban the social media app tiktok from the united states it takes effect in 45 days unless tiktok's chinese parent company sells its u.s. operations to an american buyer. the president claims that tiktok poses a national security risk he says it spreads misinformation and makes users' private data available to china's communist government tiktok has been talking to microsoft about a possible sale. take a look at this next video. it captures a dramatic moment in turkey a man waiting for a bus nearly gets flattened by it he's standing on a narrow strip of pavement.

the man does not catch the full impact he had a leg injury, but what an image. we don't know why that driver lost control >> that's the news how about a little boost >> okay. hoda's off so i'll do it quarantine, of course, has made us appreciate the bond between kids and grandparents. so just watch how these kids react to seeing their grandparents after a long lockdown separation. >> grandma grandma! yes! >> didn't matter that it was raining. no they headed out the door to hug grandma and grandpa for the first time in months >> go on get some love. >> that's the love so many families are still waiting for i know my family is. so happy to see that >> good friday boost coming up next, our resident shark expert is in his wet suit and ready to rock. kerry sanders dove in with

researchers. he's actually studying how our world is colliding with their world. a firsthand look at the changing habits of so-called city sharks. right after this ...with rinvoq. rinvoq a once-daily pill... ...can dramatically improve symptoms... rinvoq helps tame pain, stiffness, swelling. test reduce ra fatigue. that's rinvoq relief. with ra, your overactive immune system attacks your joints. rinvoq regulates it to help stop the attack. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious infections and blood clots, sometimes fatal, have occurred... ...as have certain cancers, including lymphoma, and tears in the stomach or intestines, and changes in lab results. your doctor should monitor your bloodwork. tell your doctor about any infections... and if you are or may become pregnant while taking rinvoq.

take on ra talk to your rheumatologist about rinvoq relief. rinvoq. make it your mission. if you can't afford your medicine, abbvie may be able to help. take an extra 25% off. top active brands... if you can't afford your medicine, including women's under armour! get nike shoes for the family - $48.75 and under... and save on levis for the family! plus, get kohl's cash. plus, store drive up. kohl's she's driven by a primal desire for meat. a lynx in the wild and your cat. for a lynx this need is satisfied by what the wild provides. for your cat it's meat rich blue wilderness. because your cat is wild inside.

removes ten years ofoptic yellow stains. that's like all the way back to 2010. what's that? it's a shake weight. it's a weight you shake. remove ten years of yellow stains with new colgate optic white renewal. ♪(man) hoot! (man) during the commercials i like to dance.. because i'm in love... with my heart. (bee) great taste heart healthy. (vo) and try new cinnamon cheerios made with real cinnamon. these fudge brownie m&m's are really fyes they are. to put a fudge brownie center in an m&m's is... genius! i know. i was going to say hard! why won't you... ughhhh... ahhh! why won't you go in... new fudge brownie m&m's. and eating the small bits of cheese stuck to a mcdonald's wrapper... is the right way... to start-a-morning. ♪ ba da ba ba ba to start-a-morning. verizon knows how to build unlimited right.

you start with the network jd power has named the most awarded for network quality 25 times in a row. then, give people more plans to mix and match, so you only pay for what you need. verizon's unlimited plan is so reasonable, they can stay on for the rest of their lives. include the best in entertainment and offer it all starting at $35. plus, $700 off our best phones when you switch. because everyone deserves the best. the is unlimited built right. only on verizon. join tscore savings andet pdeals in store and online.e. plus, help target support your community. enjoy exclusives just for you, at no cost to you. join target circle for free today.

♪ we're back we're back shark watch. we're going to bring you ground breaking stories and compelling insight into the mysterious world of sharks. we all love sharks, don't we >> yeah. this morning we're looking at how sharks live, how we interact with them, and how they make their way along our coasts five beaches on cape cod was shut down because of great white sightings. kerry sanders spent some time with sharks, up close and personal with sharks as well how'd it go? >> reporter: it was an amazing experience and i positioned myself here this morning in st. petersburg where you see the

city is right on the water 40% of us in this country live along our nation's coastline so what researchers wanted to know and we joined them as they are looking into this is what impact that sort of urbanization has on the sharks that are in the water. sharks that you may not see but are certainly right there. miami with more than 2.5 million people and one of the busiest ports and waterways. we don't necessarily think of sharks so close to the city, but they are >> absolutely. i mean, where there's salt water, there's a chance of seeing a shark >> how's she's doing >> we're about to get a blood sample >> reporter: they are studying city sharks. how urbanization affects sharks swimming along our coastlines. >> the new normal is big cities, coastlines, urbanization and i think we're missing a lot

about the ecology of animal ifs we don't really focus on, you know, how these animals are responding to human pressures. >> reporter: what about the big city >> sharks try to avoid people and they certainly don't like the disturbance of human activityharks and we find that they do come in close and they come right up to the shoreline how are they dealing with some of the threats from coastal urbanization like poor water quality or noise and chemical pollution. >> reporter: we joined the shark black tip sharks, nurse sharks they are using the city. research team as they tagged sharks along the coastline as part of their ongoing study. >> i thought we would see pretty much no shark activity here. but we're finding across the beaches we've been tracking

which are full of sharks great hammerheads, black nose, black tip sharks, nurse sharks they are using the city. >> reporter: the scientists collect data from the sharks to study their movement, behavior, and health >> these nurse sharks stayed for a long period of time. >> we didn't really find any effect of the boat traffic on shark behavior in fact, seemed like on days with the highest boat activity like holidays like july 4 or during weekends, the sharks' habitat use was pretty much the same as it was during weekdays or times there was no boat activity >> reporter: so it's like an interstate and the sharks are just fine with it. >> it might be because they're just so used to it so i think the next part of it is to go to areas that are let's react >> reporter: the study looking at what happens above and its j just off the coast of miami. effect below in the ocean. i joined the doctor on a dive

just off the coast of miami. >> an airplane flying over miami at night and it was lit up by city lights. it made me think about how there's really nowhere where an animal could escape the urbanization >> reporter: so sharks in the city at night, this is all lit up are those lights drawing sharks, scaring sharks away? any impact >> i think that basically the lights might attract bait fish which attract bigger fish which attract sharks that are out hunting for those fish >> reporter: and the study also looks at the impact of pollution. >> i mean, there's all types of stuff down here. when there's a hurricane, more and more stuff blows in here lawn chairs, toaster ovens i mean, you name it. when there's a hurricane, more and more stuff blows in here that provides artificial habitats for them. the nurse sharks here are actually doing really well they seem to be off in better physical condition than nurse sharks in more pristine areas. which is also surprising to us >> reporter: researchers are

hoping soon they'll have a clearer idea of what impacts we're making living on top of their coastal habitats sharks in the city >> most of the world's population lives near a coast. so it's important to study how animals are responding and whether, you know, this kind of urbanization affects the behavior and health of these animals and making sure they can coexist. >> kerry, wow. that was fascinating here's a question. once they finish this study, what -- how do they plan to use the findings >> reporter: well, i think perhaps the most interesting thing to us is that they have hydrophones out with those tags that they can hear where the sharks are following them. and that will help us because we all live along the coast we all go swimming and if we see there is a cluster of sharks continually going to one spot, it may be a place we

want to stay out of the water. >> yes and what else are they -- we saw them tagging the sharks. what else are they doing to study them >> reporter: well, actually, they're taking the blood of the sharks they look whether they're pregn, what they do with that blood is look for impacts from the urban environment in the environment where the sharks are are there heavy metals, toxins that somehow our pollution is getting into their environment and just one sort of anomaly that the shark experts say that is giving them a window into the activity of sharks is because of coronavirus, cities are quieter, there's less activity. so they're actually building a baseline for when we all get back to the world that we want to see, how actually that impact of heavy urbanization and noise and light is affecting them. because they have this hopefully very small window of when things are quiet. >> yeah. it's a good research scenario. unexpectedly kerry, thank you >> and you got to swim with sharks again for work. you are living right >> and craig, what's your

shtick how do you stay safe from sharks >> stay on the land. don't go in the water. >> i'm with you. margaritaville >> i'm fine with that. we are going to have more of our "shark watch" ahead in the third hour he's fearless in the ring but not so much in the water mike tyson is going to tell us about facing his fear of -- you guessed it -- sharks. >> really? didn't see that one coming mr. roker who is afraid of nothing. good morning except for a sandwich relay which he conquered yesterday we're going to look at that coming up. but let's also look at what's going on right now let's check out our radar satellite. we are looking at some pretty heavy showers and thunderstorms. part of a stationary front and so we've got a flash flood watch up for 24 million people temperatures today toasty stretching from central california through texas the central plains and on into

the gulf and florida cooler in the pacific northwest, the northeast as well. places where we'll see some showers. all the way down to southern california heavy rain making its way into the mid-atlantic hot and humid through texas. and look for severe storms making their way through the northern plains. that's w >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's take a live look outside in san jose. we're enjoying sunshine, and it's going to be a really nice friday. it will be slightly warmer this afternoon, reaching into the mid-80s. 84 in palo alto. oakland will see 75 degrees and a high of 82 in napa. san francisco will be in the mid-60s. going into the weekend, some of our hottest temperatures will reach into the mid-90s peaking on sunday and cooling down next week. >> that's your latest weather. guys >> thank you so much time for "pop start. carson's off we brought in a ringer

dylan dreyer >> we can say that after we'll see how this goes. been a while first up, prince harry is speaking out this morning in a new essay. he blasts social media platforms staying they cause division and morning. now he's calling for reform. joe fryer is in los angeles with all the details. joe, good morning. pen to demand change in the form of a more compassionate digital world. he says some social media platforms are sowing hate and spreading misinformation and companies must use their power to help solve this crisis. prince harry lashing out against social media criticizing online platforms. company," the prince writes the digital landscape is unwell. describing a crisis of hate, a crisis of health, and a crisis of truth in a new online essay for "fast company," the prince writes the digital landscape is unwell.

describing a crisis of hate, a crisis of health, and a crisis of truth many of us love and enjoy social media, harry says, but warns the cost is high every time you click, they learn more about you adding, in this ever-changing digital world, we are the product. harry says he and wife meghan markle are calling on business leaders urging them to leverage their advertising power and demand change. we have to remodel the architecture of our online community in a way defined more by compassion and by truth rather than misinformation he listed hundreds of companies to pause on facebook during the month of july hoping to send a message. meghan who has been a target across social media recently talked about it at the girl up summit >> your generation is often referred to as the digital generation you understand the online power has the power to support as much as it does to harm >> reporter: this as they continue to battle with the

press for their privacy. earlier this week a british judge ruled that meghan can keep the name of five friends secret in her lawsuit against a british tabloid which published excerpts of letters written to her couple after separating from the royal family, th father harry's essay the latest in a new chapter for the high-profile couple after separating from the royal family, they're more frequently using their voi other can be more powerful >> reporter: in the essay, harry also says this is a challenge that cannot wait for new laws or policies which is why he says he and meghan are calling on companies with business and advertising models that are tied to online spaces to consider how they can help make change and start that process now dylan? >> thanks, joe they're always doing good and always speaking up for others. next up, it is new music

friday this morning we've got two new singles from some huge country stars. we are going to start with tim mcgraw he just released a new track from his upcoming album "here on earth. it's called "good taste in women. take a listen. ♪ but i got good taste in women ♪ ♪ looking at you just looking a me ♪ ♪ got everybody thinking i'm high class living ♪ ♪ i got good taste in women >> man, i like that. tim mcgraw in my mind can do no wrong. >> good taste in woman faith hill. >> no going wrong there. and we've got another new country release this morning from one of our favorites darius rucker this one called "beers and sunshine." he said it's all about finding the silver lining in life. before we play it, we have to

warn you this song may want you to take off the rest of the day. ♪ everybody in a world gone crazy ♪ ♪ don't know how to fix it but think maybe ♪ ♪ turn on the good times ♪ turn off the tv ♪ the only b.s. i need is beers and sunshine ♪ ♪ oh beers and sunshine >> so he could sing turn off the tv except for the "today" show that didn't have the same ring >> craig, you've got your connections there. >> you're buddies. >> i was actually listening on the way in, that's going to be the song of the summer >> it's good >> a little late in the summer, but it's fantastic >> will we see you on stage singing with him >> probably not. he said after the first time never again. and finally, "a league of their own" is getting a tv reboot they have picked up a full season after shooting a pilot episode months ago a newly released image teasing

some of the actors in the show including abby jacobson. this is described as a fresh approach a set of characters as they make their way in the baseball league and we can all hope this new series keeps the humor of the original film. >> you stink >> hey how did you do that? >> there's no crying there's no crying in baseball! you're going to lose >> hey how did you do that? >> there's no crying there's no crying in baseball! >> i mean, big shoes to fill >> i was going to say. hard to beat the original. but it'll be fun >> that's a great idea that's a great idea. straight ahead, more country music. we're going to go back to country. luke bryan's with us there he is. there's luke up early luke just dropped a brand new album today. it is already filled with number one hits

he's going to perform one of those hits just for us also spend some time catching up as well after your local news. good morning to you. 8:26. i'm kris sanchez. a surprise from the man who leads san jose high school, 19 of them. he's stepping down at the end of the year. he talked with us earlier this week in a story about pandemic

safety measures. he is a superintendent of the east side union high school district. has 22,000 students. the tweet yesterday he announced he will step down at the end of the year. he's giving notice now to allow time for a smooth transition. and we want to get a look at our forecast because the weekend is upon us, kari. our last weekend before school starts, you and i. >> yeah, and so we're going to have some warm weather. it's going to feel like summer. we need to find a pool because our temperatures are going to heat up as the fog continues to clear away from san francisco. and the inland areas, a lot of our valleys, are going to be hotter starting today. reaching into the upper 80s. we're going to see those highs in the mid-90s farther to the north. meanwhile, oakland will reach 75 degrees. 85 in san jose. and some upper 60s for san francisco. and by the weekend, we're looking at highs in the 90s, even up to 95 degrees on sunday, which is when our temperatures

peak. along the coastline, it's staying in the 60s. more local news coming up for you in a half hour. hope you're having a good morning. [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.

we're bark. 8:30 o we're bark 8:30 on this friday morning. we sure do have that friday feeling. if you want to friday feeling as well, want to kick start your weekend, stick around. >> that's right. luke bryan is with us live

big day for him. he's releasing his newest album. look at that smile that's my i got a new album coming out smile yeah we're excited. he's going to perform one of his many, many number one hits we're super psyched for that >> quick mention about who we've got next week on "today. orlando bloom is going to star us he's starring in the movie "retaliation" and critics are calling his performance a career best which is saying a lot we're going to chat with him about that and of course there's a baby on the way. we'll find out how he and katy perry are getting ready for that dylan, since this is your morning back, i'm sure you've heard about the virtual plaza. >> i've been excited to stand in front of the big board here and say good morning to our my "today" plaza fans joining us today we meet the families from all across the country joining us live this morning. look at those smiles i love it.

>> the big board is fired up by the way, you know what today is, guys believe it or not, it's national twins day. and we happen to have an adorable set of twins in our virtual crowd. i'm looking for aidan and madison. where are you? okay there they are with mom and grandma down in baltimore. aidan and madison, what else are you celebrating this month >> our birthday. >> how old >> we're feeling great because we're turning 8. >> i love it >> mom, how are we going to celebrate? >> how are we going to celebrate? >> we're having a parade -- a virtual parade and we're going to williamsburg. >> well done and you guys came to play this morning too.

happy birthday good to see both of you. >> thank you, thank you, thank you. >> enjoy your ninth year >> eight is great. i love it. we've got to find holly sonders. she's in pa with her dad bill. good morning >> hi. >> molly, i understand you're 14 and you love luke bryan. >> yes, i do >> when did you become a fan >> well, i first started going to country music concerts when i was about 7 and shortly after i was introduced to luke bryan so i've been a fan since i was about 7. >> how many concerts you been to >> five. >> wow you are -- it's official you're a super fan. what would you say to him if you could say anything >> i would probably ask him for a hug and probably ask him howe. >> you know, that's a good question. luke, he gets his teeth so white >> you know, that's a good question luke, how do you get your teeth so white and what would you say to molly since you're joining us live

right now. >> hey, molly. >> hi. >> everybody wants to know -- >> how do you get your teeth white? >> i just brush them, with, like aqua fresh like, it happens >> well, you've got a real fan there, luke. i'm sure you're looking forward to getting back out on the road so molly can come and watch you again. >> yeah. hey, molly nice to meet you guys. so you've been to five of my concerts >> yes >> i love that i know you know >> well, you're about to see one more because luke's going to perform. i know you know he's got a new record he's going to perform one of his songs. so molly, thank you so much for being with us. and we've heard that meeting luke would make your entire life so i hope this suffices. next time you meet, though, you can get that hug >> thank you >> now she can breathe >> exactly so sweet holly, thank you so much, bill, for getting up early and luke we'll see in a little bit. don't forget you can sign up and join the virtual crowd fun on

today.com/mytodayplaza >> have a good weekend >> let's show everyone one more time >> there they are. yeah i see the cashes i see jasmine. i can't get their names down there's colemans browns >> good morning. >> okay. awesome. well, i don't get to do this too often -- >> uh-oh >> i'm going to toss to the weather. you asked me what the forecast was and i didn't know. al, that's all on you. but before we get to that, how'd rokerthon the great sandwich relay turn out >> it was an incredible day on "today," "today all day" on peacock.

we had some of the biggest names in the game. the goal, breaking a guinness world record on sandwich makes raising money for feeding america and the world central kitchen. and guess what, after five long hours, i am very proud to say we broke the record with a certificate to prove it. and we also raised over $15,000 for those two great organizations. feeding america and world central kitchen. so that was really exciting. and it was cool, my boy nick ended it he was the last chef making a blt. >> good sandwich too >> yeah. apple doesn't fall far >> yeah. it was not too bad that's a classic all right. let's see if we've got a classic weekend for you. we start with today. we're looking at heavy rain in the mid-atlantic states. also a fire risk out wet hot and humid through texas. we move into saturday and we're going to see more severe storms in the plains. we're also looking at beautiful weather for the west coast

and then as we move into sunday, you can see that we are looking at a beautiful day, nice day sunny skies. a heat wave, though, as we get our way into texas and sunshine out west that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall as we take a look at our 7-day forecast. our inland valleys will reach into the upper 80s today but even hotter tomorrow. then our temperatures will peak on sunday as we reach into the mid-90s. and it's still going to be a hot start to next week with some low 90s. checking out san francisco and our coastal areas, look for highs mostly in the upper 60s today and more sunshine as we go into the next several days. thank you. up next, harry smith will join us. harry's got a really important story to share

you spoke. we listened. tiny tacos are back for good! grab a box of 15 or try them loaded. get 'em now with no contact delivery.

it has been 75 years since the u.s. dropped atomic bombs on hiroshima and nagasaki, japan. >> it would bring world war ii to an end but also usher in an age of nuclear fears that still happen today >> that's right. harry smith spoke to an american survivor good morning >> reporter: quite a story it is think about this 75 years ago these two extraordinary weapons and we're going to set the context of how this all came to be and hear from a hibakusha, a survivor of the bombing. for the americans, the war on the pacific had been a costly yet successful campaign. >> in august of 1945, japan had clearly been beaten. american and ally forces could

take any position they wished in the pacific if they were willing to accept the casualties >> reporter: dr. rob satino is head of the world war ii museum in new orleans >> one side had clearly been beaten and yet the violence seems to be ratcheting up. getting worse and worse as the allies have really now approached japan's doorstep. >> smashing at japan's home island >> reporter: the u.s. had a choice an invasion of japan requiring a million troops or a top secret weapon the japanese were given an ultimatum. surrender or suffer dire conseqctue of the bombing. a single plane carrying a single bomb takes off and drops that bomb over hiroshima. and killed 50,000 to 60,000 to 70,000 people. we are now into a new era. >> reporter: perhaps 100,000

people incinerated in seconds. >> there was a lot of commotion. people were saying there was a b-29 comes towards hiroshima >> reporter: american howard kukita was living with his grandparents near hiroshima's ground zero. >> so my older brother kenny and i climbed on top of a roof to watch a vapor trail. thankfully my grandmother smarter than us told us to get off the roof. >> reporter: an act that saved off the roof >> reporter: an act that saved their lives. >> i didn't hear the boom, i was knocked out instantaneously. when i came to which i'm sure a structure was on top of me. and things a were a number of minutes later, a structure was on top of me and things are beginning to burn around me. >> reporter: somehow howard, his brother, and grandmother survived >> this is not an ordinary bomb,

but it was something much bigger everything was burning >> reporter: they saw things no person should witness. >> there were already a number of people that were dead along the roadside people were burned, suffering, begging for a drink of water some of the injuries so severe that, for example, people were burned, their skin was dripping from their body. and some of the people actually had broken limbs protruding. when we came back after the surrender, we came back to the same area and the whole city was completely flat. it was really devastating to see. >> reporter: do you feel lucky to be alive? >> you know, if we stayed on that roof when the bomb exploded, i would not be speaking to you right now.

so yes, i feel extremely lucky >> reporter: howard and his brother lost their hair to radiation from the bomb, but tens of thousands not killed immediately that day would die in the weeks to come >> that's my grandfather he would die two years after that with cancer >> reporter: howard is a hibakusha. that's japanese for an explosion affected person. >> the message would be that we understand the misery and terror that it caused >> reporter: in a world now armed with more than 10,000 nuclear weapons, what the hibakusha feel is simple. >> somebody's going to make a mistake and push that one button which may cause other buttons to be pushed. the world we know today will be gone >> reporter: howard says that as a child, he had nightmares for many, many years and then they just seemed to dissipate. his brother, however, who was also a hibakusha has never been able to talk about what happened that day and the hibakusha have one desire that there never be another person who would be called hibakusha again.

>> wow it makes sense it's unspeakable harry, he has a lot of courage to tell that story thank you very much. a good reminder 75 years later >> stark warning let us switch gears on this friday morning when we come back, we're going to chat with luke bryan. we're going to talk to luke. and then after that conversation, a special performance from the country music star but first this is "today." look at those white teeth. this is "today" on nbc

we're back on this friday morning. our guest this mo we're back on this friday morning. our guest this morning country superstar luke bryan >> he's on just a regular rotation on my play list that's for sure. he's sold more than 12 million albums, got 13 billion streams of which i'm responsible for 1 billion. and he's got 25 number one hits. today luke's out with his seventh studio album "born here live here die here" and it

features three of those number ones luke, tell me how this works you release the album today but you already have three number one hits >> well, it's been an interesting album release. i certainly have never done one all virtually, but we were originally going to put the album out in april with everything going on around the -- obviously with covid, it just was not the time to be putting an album out so we just delayed the releases margarita" out so it's been pretty amazing. i can certainly say i will probably never release an album with three number ones before the thing ever comes out so it's like, hey. it's already been a success. hopefully. >> yeah. not a bad way to do it >> luke, i was watching one of the videos last night.

"build me a daddy. and at the end of it, there's that -- i don't want to ruin it for folks. but there's a great guest appearance at the end of the video. what was the impetus for that song where'd that come from >> well, the beauty of country music is we are able to talk about so many things in the so boy who whole scheme of life and that song is about a little boy who loses his dad. and just hearing it spoken from a child, you know, telling someone could you build me a daddy. i think it makes -- it just makes you reflect and think. and certainly when -- you know,

any time i've ever played that song for anybody, just seeing the emotion that it affects people you know, it's just a great, well-written song that talks about dealing with loss. it was a song that was so sad, i almost didn't put it on the album. but then after seeing how it affected people, i had to put it on the album i'm so glad i did. >> it's a great track. >> and real quick, what have you been doing during the pandemic hunting, fishing every day >> hunting, fishing every day. i grew a sweet corn patch. that's me and the boys fishing we've been checking off some bucket lists there's the old -- oh, the dreaded corn patch there >> yeah. i heard it's multiple acres. not like everyone else's kitchen garden luke, thank you so much. when we come back, we're grabbing our glasses because luke is serving up a special performance of "one margarita. i like it. luke, thank you. but first this is "today" on nbc.

tara, did you know geico is now offering an extra 15% credit on car and motorcycle policies? >>wow...ok! that's 15% on top of what geico could already save you. so what are you waiting for? idina menzel to sing your own theme song? ♪ tara, tara, look at her go with a fresh cup of joe. ♪ gettin' down to work early! ♪ following her dreams into taxidermy! oh, it's...tax attorney. ♪ i read that wrong, oh yeeaaaah! geico. save an extra 15 percent when you switch by october 7th. ♪ give it up for tara! california's economic challenges are deepening. frontline workers stretched too thin. our nurses and medical professionals in a battle to save lives. our schools, in a struggle to safely reopen,

needing money for masks and ppe, and to ensure social distancing. and the costs to our economy, to our state budget? mounting every day. we need to provide revenues now, to solve the problems we know are coming. >> announcer >> announcer: the citi music series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi >> we had so much fun talking to

luke bryan but now let's hear him sing. >> performing his current number one hit, one of them at least, "one margarita" from his latest album "born here live here die ♪ everybody here ain't from here ♪ ♪ but we're here doing here." once again, luke bryan ♪ ♪ everybody here ain't from here ♪ ♪ but we're here doing our thing ♪ ♪ letting go a little ♪ little by little ♪ sipping on a frozen drink ♪ tiki bars pouring all weekend ♪ ♪ clouds ain't leaking no rain ♪ two pieces shaking, white cap breaking ♪ ♪ we ain't feeling no pain goee ♪ it goes like one margarita tw margarita three margarita shot ♪ ♪ don't worry about tomorrow, leave all your sorrow out here on the floating dock ♪ ♪ when that sun lays down, we'l

be on our way ♪ ♪ one more barefoot be on our way ♪ ♪ one more barefoot round ♪ one more last chance to say ♪ hey senorita, don't you think we need a salt and a buffett bu song ♪ ♪ one margarita, two margarita, three margarita we'll be gone ♪ ♪ ice blue skies, shades on the eyes ♪ ♪ to tuck the blood shot away ♪ hair of the dog shouldn't take long song ♪ ♪ one margarita, two margarita, three margarita we'll be gone ♪ ♪ ice blue skies, shades on the eyes ♪ ♪ to tuck the blood shot away ♪ hair of the dog shouldn't tak long ♪ ♪ but who cares we got all day ♪ palm trees leaning, sunburn screaming ♪ ♪ but we'll be all right ♪ after one margarita, two margarita, three margarita, shot ♪ ♪ don't worry about tomorrow leave all your sorrow out herer leave all your sorrow out here on the floating dock ♪ ♪ when that sun lays down, we'll be on our way ♪ ♪ on the floating dock ♪

♪ when that sun lays down, we'l be on our way ♪ ♪ one more barefoot round ♪ one more last chance to say ♪ hey senorita, don't you think we need a salt and a marley song ♪ ♪ one margarita, two margarita, three margarita ♪ ♪ we'll be gone ♪ we'll be gone ♪ tiki bars tikin pouring all weekend ♪ ♪ clouds ain't leaking no rain ♪ two pieces shaking, white cap weekend ♪ ♪ clouds ain't breaking ♪ ♪ we ain't feeling no pain ♪ it goes like one margarita, two margarita, three margarita,♪ ♪ it goes like one margarita, two margarita, three margarita, shot ♪ ♪ don't worry about tomorrow ♪ leave all your sorrow out here on the floating dock ♪ ♪ when that sun lays down, shot ♪ ♪ don't worry about tomorrow ♪ leave all your sorrow out her on the floating dock ♪ ♪ when that sun lays down, we'l

be on our way ♪ ♪ one more barefoot round, one more last chance to say ♪ ♪ hey senorita don't you think we need a salt and a chesney song ♪ ♪ one margarita, two margarita, three margarita ♪ ♪ we'll be gone ♪ we'll be gone ♪ we'll be gone >> that's why it's a number one hit. >> i'm ready for a margarita >> i know. it's friday, fri-yay as craig says you want the album you can pick it up >> you'll listen to it on repeat >> i will be up next on the third hour of "today," we'll talk to mike tyson about his discovery channel shark week kickoff don't want to miss that. >> it's tyson versus the shark, right? >> i put my money on tyson but first your local news and weather.

good morning to you. 8:56. i'm kris sanchez. oakland police are investigating a deadly quadruple shooting that happened around 10:00 last night on fairfax avenue and high street. this is video posted by a neighbor to the citizen app. one man died there. another in critical can and two other victims suffered nonlife-threatening injuries. police are not give anything information about possible leads or what might have led to that shooting. continuing our coronavirus coverage, a grim new milestone as we were sleeping last night. the state now surpassed 10,000 deaths. that is on top of at least 540,000 confirmed infections. happening now, more accurate case count is still being hampered by glitches in the state's reporting system. this as bay area businesses sit in limbo with every county on the state watch list. an update in our midday news including details on the testing

efforts. also coming up, santa clara county's district attorney is announcing findings in a grand jury probe believed to be tied to concealed weapons permits handed out by the sheriff's office. our investigative unit has been looking into the same story for years. head to our home page for a closer look at what the d.a. is investigating.

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." craig melvin here in studio 1a. for the first time in months,

i'm not alone. >> hello! >> look who's back. >> it's nice to be back. it's weird. it's very quiet in here. i couldn't find any of my shoes and realized because they're in a closet locked because i left in december for maternity leave. those are all sheinelle's shoes. so sheinelle, if you're