much, mike. thank you for joining us, as well. good morning good morning. blistering attack. former president obama uses his speech at the democratic national convention to take direct aim at president trump, accusing him of running the country like a reality show. >> donald trump hasn't grown into the job because he can't. the consequences of that failure are severe. >> and urging people to start planning their vote now. >> do not let them take away your power. do not let them take away your democracy. >> kamala harris also setting her sights on the president after accepting her historic

vice presidential nomination. >> donald trump's failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods. >> president trump's response? >> they did a good job, i wouldn't be here. >> as joe biden prepares for his moment in the national spotlight. surrounded by flames. overnight, dramatic, new images from california's front lines. hundreds of wildfires now raging across the state. >> w worst fire e i've ever r b ththrough. wewe've been t through a l lot fires. >> a firsthand look at the devastation and the struggle to gain control. classroom concerns. >> only when it's safe. >> teachers from coast to coast protesting the reopening of schools. many threatening to strike without coronavirus safety measures in place. while new outbreaks force colleges and universities to make drastic changes to their back-to-school plans. breaking news. one of vladimir putin's most vocal critics now hospitalized in grave condition.

was the russian opposition leader the victim of an alleged poison attack? a live report ahead. breaking news, suspended. a long-time announcer from the cincinnati reds pulled from the broadcast booth mid-game after using a homophobic slur on air. just ahead, the team's apology to the entire lgbtq community. today, thursday, august 20th, 2020. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody. welcome to "today." so happy you are joining us bright and early on this thursday morning. bright and early for you, too. >> happy thursday, everybody. we've got a busy one for you.

first of all, across the country, we expect to see many more scenes like this today. maybe you saw it in your community. teachers protesting the reopening of in-person classes. we're going to have a full report of that ahead. plus, we are live on the front lines of those devastating wildfires in california. take a look at the damage, just from one of them. a home destroyed, car burned out. miguel almaguer will be there for us live. first, the democratic national convention wraps up tonight with the biggest speech of joe biden's political life, as he formally accepts his party nomination for president. last night, it was the man he served under, former president obama, letting loose, labeling donald trump as a threat to democracy. >> savannah is going to break down the night with our team of analysts in a moment. first, nbc's kristen welker is in delaware, where joe biden will speech from later tonight. hey, kristen. good morning. >> reporter: hey, hoda and savannah. good morning to both of you. it is the highest of stakes for joe biden, as he gets set to deliver his acceptance speech here in wilmington, delaware, in

just a few hours. it comes after senator kamala harris made history overnight, becoming the first black and asian-american woman to become a vice presidential nominee. but it was perhaps former president barack obama who made the biggest waves, breaking with tradition to unleash that scathing attack against his successor, and he did it all in philadelphia, the birthplace of the nation's democracy. former president barack obama unleashing his most scathing attack yet against mr. trump. >> that's what's at stake right now. our democracy. >> reporter: the former president making his case for why he believes president trump has failed the country. >> donald trump hasn't grown into the job, because he can't. >> reporter: calling the president self-absorbed and unfit for office. >> he has shown no interest in putting in the work. no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one

more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves. >> reporter: and he laid out why he believes his vice president of eight years has what it takes to lead. >> he made me a better president, and he's got the character and the experience to make us a better country. >> reporter: his words coming as senator kamala harris made history overnight. >> i accept your nomination for vice president. >> reporter: becoming the first woman of color on a major party ticket. the former california attorney general wasted no time prosecuting the case against president trump. >> donald trump's failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods. we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons. >> reporter: harris adding, the president has failed in his handling of covid and in this moment of racial strife. >> let's be clear, there is no vaccine for racism.

we have got to do the work. >> reporter: the night was filled with other history-making women in the party. the first female house speaker, nancy pelosi. gabrielle giffords, who survived a 2011 shooting in her home state of arizona. >> words once came easily. today, i struggle to speak, but i have not lost my voice. >> reporter: elizabeth warren and the country's first woman to seize the mantle of her party's presidential nomination, hillary clinton. >> for four years, people have told me, "i didn't realize how dangerous he was. i wish i could do it all over, or worse, i should have voted." look, this can't be another would have, should have, could have election. >> reporter: with president trump's increased attacks on mail-in voting, this is president obama's warning. >> do not let them take away your power. do not let them take away your democracy. make a plan right now for how you are going to get involved

and vote. >> reporter: president trump watching all of this closely from the white house, tweeting in the middle of former president obama's speech, quote, he spied on my campaign. despite the fact that there is no evidence of that. >> kristen, thank you very much. we are joined now by two of our nbc news political analysts. editor of the "national review" and claire mccaskill, former democratic senator. let's talk about kamala harris first. she made history, accepting the vice president nomination. what was the most important thing she accomplished that's night? >> i think telling her story. it's very important, i think, this ticket reflects america, and i think she wanted everyone to know that hers is an american story.

the daughter of immigrants. the video that introduced her, with her step-children and her sister. i think she did a great job last night, making sure the american people know who she is and where she came from and why she's so prepared to do this job. >> let me ask you, rich, i always wonder how many voters are truly up for grabs anymore, because so many in this country are locked in their corners. but for those voters who are up for grabs, was kamala harris persuasive, appealing? >> well, i think it was a good introduction of her personal story. i don't think these ever really make a big difference, unless they mess it up. by that important standard, she didn't. it's not an easy assignment. it's not easy to give what was a stem-winding convention speech -- clearly what it was written as -- to an empty room.

she managed to do it. >> president obama on that same metric, rich. do you think what he did was persuasive? it was certainly unprecedented, in terms of a former president going after a current president in such stark terms. >> yeah. this will be a memorable speech because we've never heard one president talk in public about another president the way barack obama did last night. my basic take, though, about this week is democrats really don't get much from attacking donald trump. it's very hard to say anything that people haven't heard over and over again and aren't already aware of. so, for me, the main mission for democrats is to fill in the blanks on joe biden and to make the case concretely for his policy program. so what obama said about working with biden was helpful, but i really think the most effective speech in political terms this week so far was jill biden, making the case for joe as a person. the case for his concrete agenda i don't think has been there very much at all. it's all been extractions.

he's going to unite us, empathize with us, rather than making the case why his policies are actually going to make people's lives better. >> let me ask you, senator mccaskill, what you thought of president obama's speech. to me, it seemed one part take down of trump, one part build up in validation of his vice president, joe biden, and those biographical details that rich lowry talked about, and, like, ten parts pleading with america to save the democracy. literally, save the democracy itself. >> first, i got to disagree with my friend, rich. the current president is the one who has broken norms by attacking president obama with childish names and lies for years now. so that's the norm that's been broken here. you know, i think yesterday was really a contrast, savannah. we had the president of the united states whining about whether people can wear his hats to work, while president obama gave a towering and sobering speech about protecting this

democracy. i think it resonated. i think it was an extremely effective -- the way it was delivered, i think it'll make a difference. >> a democrat and a republican, and you don't agree. can't believe it. rich and claire, you always keep it nice and classy. thanks so much. good to have your perspectives. we will have live coverage of the final night of the democratic national convention tonight at 10:00 eastern/7:00 pacific on nbc with joe biden accepting the nomination and his speech. another breaking story overnight. craig has that. >> good morning. a key russian opposition leader and a critic of vladimir putin is in a hospital this morning, and his aides believe he was poisoned. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel was covering the unrest in nearby belarus when that story broke. richard, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. here in minsk, the demonstrators, women in white, are gearing up for mass

demonstrations this weekend. you can hear passing cars honking in solidarity. next door in russia, one of putin's fearest critics may have been poisoned and is on a ventilator. alexei navalny, russia's most prominent opponent of the kremlin and anti-corruption campaigner, was taken off a plane from siberia overnight. in a video shot inside the plane, medical assistants rushed to the back, where someone, apparently navalny, seems to be moaning in pain. in a series of tweets, his spokeswoman said navalny suddenly and dramatically fell ill after drinking hot tea. she wrote, he was apparently poisoned by an unknown toxin and was unconscious in a hospital. a photograph shows navalny drinking before the flight. it is unclear if this was the suspected poison.

navalny kept up his criticism, in particular of a recent constitutional change that could extend putin's 20-year rule to 2036. navalny wouldn't be the first putin critic to fall ill or die under hard-to-prove circumstances. opposition politician boris nemtsov was shot on a bridge. journalist politkovskaya was shot entering her building. activist vladimir kara-murza was poisoned twice and survived. former kgb whistleblower alexander litvinenko died from poisoned tea. sergei skripal and yulia, a father and daughter, were poisoned with a nerve agent and died. -- survived. these harsh rules may be on the rise as russia and its allies struggle with covid and the economic strain from low oil prices. in neighboring belarus, when the president in power for 26 years and backed by putin was accused

of stealing elections nearly two weeks ago, protests broke out. the leader unleashed police to arrest thousands of demonstrators. this protester told me this morning he was beaten and put in stress positions for five days. >> one guy was on my back, making a selfie. >> reporter: they were having fun with it? >> yeah, fun. >> reporter: a doctor confirmed navalny is in serious condition, stable in a coma. he wouldn't confirm poisoning, but he wouldn't rule it out either. >> richard engel for us, thank you so much. we do have a lot more to get to, including those devastating wildfires in california. the battle growing more desperate by the hour. check out this map. hundreds, hundreds are burning all across the state, and soaring temperatures are making the work of firefighters even more difficult. nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer is at the scene of one of those fires.

miguel, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. 350 wildfires are burning across california. in fact, some are in such close proximity, they're grouped together in what is known as a complex fire. one of those complex fires tore through this neighborhood behind me, leaving behind a large swath of destruction. overnight, another onslaught from an ever-expanding inferno. in vacaville, city of 100,000, forced to evacuate. firefighters losing ground to these relentless flames now fear the worst. >> i'm going to have two confirmed burn patients. we're still searching the area for a potential additional five. >> reporter: a full-fledged air attack in a desperate race to save homes and lives. as flames rip across hillsides, highways becoming treacherous escape routes. >> worst fire i've ever been

through. we've been through a lot of fires. >> reporter: many of the fires exploding with no warning, leaving residents little time to escape. the fire is burning so erratically in some areas, crews can't even get to homes. this one will be a total loss. hit by more than 10,000 lightning strikes in three days during a brutal heat wave, california is in a state of emergency. >> we are experiencing fires, the likes of which we haven't seen in many, many years. >> reporter: fires are raging over 100-mile stretch, from napa's wine country to the santa cruz mountains. the san francisco bay area smothered by some of the worst air quality on the planet. >> reported pictures of embers actually falling the size of a chocolate chip cookie, being basically thrown 10 miles in front of this, causing spot fires. >> reporter: southern california, similar conditions. iconic joshua trees ablaze in the desert. firefighters pushed to their limits. now dealing with the loss of one of their own. a fatal chopper crash on the

front lines, which sparked another fire. >> most of the fire that the crash site caused has burned into the hill's fire. it is still dangerous for rescuers to get up there. >> reporter: devastating losses to lives and property, with no relief in sight. today's forecast calls for another brutal day on the front lines. some of these spot fires are starting miles away from one another. a tough day ahead. >> miguel almaguer for us. thank you. let's get more on that heat and the rest of the forecast from the man we call the birthday boy. >> birthday boy. >> good morning. happy birthday >> thank you thank you, guys. thank you. you know, the other thing about these wildfires, they're being

hampered in a sense by coronavirus. a lot of the volunteer firefighters come out of the prisons. those prisons are locked down. so the regular firefighters are stretched thin they're not getting the relief they normally get. this early season fire threat is unusual. the weekend thunderstorms, this is early for this time of year autumn is typically the wildfire peak season across california. it is going to be a rough wildfire season. rare locations, areas burning have little or no recent fire activity or history. that means there's plenty of fuel for these fires to burn you look at that outlook, stretching from bakersfield to idaho, the potential for rapid-fire spread today to tomorrow heat combined with a lightning risk from california all the way to the rockies and up into the plains for the threat of fires plus, 30 million people under a heat warning for today big dome of high pressure pushing the jet stream up to the north, so we've got records possible from santa maria all the way to grand junction down to el paso by friday, guys, this stretcheh frfrom los angngeles all t the chicicago with m more recordrds likely we're going to get to your local

forecast coming up in the nextxt 30 seconds find the world is new, again. at chevy we'e'd like to take you there. now during the chevy open road sales event, get up to 15% of msrp cash back on select 2020 models. that's over fifty-seven hundred dollars cash back on this equinox. it's's time to find new roads, again. good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a live look in san francisco, fog is back here and that will help cool it off for the coastal areas today, but really not much help for the inland areas and we've also seen some very unhealthy air quality. now that continues today as these wildfires will still be burning around the bay area. anywhere from san francisco to the east bay on southward. we can see rapidly changing air

quality. hour, could we have two tropical systems in the gulf of mexico at the same time? we'll take a look at that, coming up. >> al, thank you. coming up, a stunner from the sport of baseball. popular broadcaster suspended mid-game last night after he used an anti-gay slur on air his apology, and how the team and players are reacting, just ahead. plus, we are live from florida, atlantic university, one of the schools trying to move forward with in-person classes. with coronavirus outbreaks already popping up on other campuses, can that be done safely we'll hear from students first, this is "today" on nbc. awesome internet.

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just ahead, imagine being stranded far off the trail in this vast national forest, injured and alone for nearly two weeks, and then a stranger comes to your rescue not once but twice. >> that remarkable rescue story after your local news.

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♪ love e like yoursrs will sury comeme my way ♪ a very good morning to you, 7:26, i'm laura garcia. breaking this morning, expanding wildfires on opposite ends of the bay area. >> i'm kris sanchez in scotts valley in the czu complex. they're getting their briefing and the fire exploded in size overnight 48 acres and counting and firefighters because of the visibility they can't get an aerial view of how big the fire truly is. weknow homes were destroyed in bonny doon overnight and 25,000 people are still under evacuation orders. the sheriff says they're going to be aggressive enforcing those. if you are asked to leave, you should. i'm cierra johnson in solano

county we have confirmed from pg&e that one of the workers have died here in vacaville helping firefighters in this blaze. we have also learned that there were 175 structures destroyed from this fire and another 50 structures have been damaged. and the air quality is so bad across the bay area and the heat will continue. let's check the forecast with kari. >> we'll feel that heat for the inland areas at times the air quality changing due to the slight shift in the winds. as we look at our high temperatures up to 80 in oakland and 73 in san francisco and mid 90s for the interior valleys. we're still going to be hot here, but it won't be in the triple digits. we're still looking at highs that will reach into the 90s in the next saervel day several da. we'll have some slight cooling thanks to the return of some fog for the early morning hours.

laura? >> thank you very much. thank you for joining us. i'll be back with another local news update in half an hour. hope to see you then. have a good morning. [upbeat music] ♪ today was the day that i put everything in perspective. ♪

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we're back it's 7:30. it's thursday morning. that's a look at the chase center in wilmington, delaware, where, later tonight, joe biden will deliver his acceptance speech during the final night of the virtual democratic national convention next week, it's the republican's turn. >> wonder where you'll be tonight. >> i know. >> any guesses >> yes, exactly. >> that same spot. >> this is where i sleep i'll put a little cot right here >> all right we'll get to your 7:30 headlines this morning a big settlement in a longstanding legal battle in the state of michigan. the state is set to pay $600 million to victims of the flint water crisis details of the deal will be released later this week an attorney involved in the negotiations told the

"associated press" that flint residents blame lead-tainted drinking water for multiple health issues, including rashes and hair loss. that is after the city switched its water source to save money six years ago and then failed to treat it properly. a controversy brewing here in new york, as the budget-strapped city is preparing to lay off hundreds of workers who were essential in responding to the coronavirus crisis new york's emergency medical services union says lives are at risk if the city does, in fact, cut 400 emts and paramedics. mayor bill de blasio said the city may need to lay off 2,200 employees as it grapples with the budget crisis set up by the pandemic emergency workers responded to a record call volume this spring, peaking at 6,500 calls every day. check this out an amazing catch of the day that combines space travel with a little fishing and baseball.

here it is elon musk's spacex company saves money by reusing rocket parts. musk posted this drone video of a spacex boat on tuesday, getting ready to snare up a holder parachuting back to earth. you see the boat speeds up to get right under it, then uses its netting like a giant glove to make that perfect, cosmic catch. >> to which hoda and i say, huh? >> looks really difficult. >> yeah. >> looks really hard >> whatever that was, yeah tricky now to that surreal series of events that unfolded overnight during an already really unusual season for baseball >> yeah. a broadcaster for the cincinnati reds was suspended during the game, after he was caught using an anti-gay slur on a hot microphone during a game against the kansas city royals nbc's gabe gutierrez has details on that. gabe, good morning >> reporter: craig, good

morning. thom brennaman has been calling reds games since 2006. he has been a play by play announcer more than 30 years what he said overnight that was caught on a hot mic quickly went viral. this morning, an offensive comment captured on tape, leading to the immediate suspension of a major league announcer. cincinnati reds broadcaster thom brennaman caught uttering an anti-gay slur wednesday night. >> [ bleep ] capitals of the world. >> reporter: brennaman coming back from the commercial break, seemingly unaware he was on the air, started plugging a reds pregame show after the homophobic comments. >> "reds live" pregame show presented by saint claire roofing. >> reporter: the play by play announcer apologizing. >> i made a comment earlier tonight that i guess went out over the air that i am deeply ashamed of if i have hurt anyone out there, i can't tell you how much i saym so very, very sorry. from the bottom of my heart, i'm so very, very sorry.

>> reporter: pausing mid-apology to call a home run >> i pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith -- and there is a drive into deep left field by castellanos that will be a home run. that'll make it a 4-0 ball game. i don't know if i'll be putting on this headset again. i don't know if it is going to >> reporter: by night's end, the team be for the reds. i don't know if it'll be for my bosses at fox. >> reporter: by night's end, the team announcing brennaman was suspended effective immediately, with a further decision in the coming days. the team releasing a statement that says, in part, the cincinnati reds organization is devastated by the horrific, homophobic remark. we share our sincerest apologies to the lgbtq plus community. >> gabe, as you mentioned there, brennaman has been a constant presence with the reds for decades. his father, a broadcasting legend, as well, with the team

how is the reds, that community, how are they responding to this? >> reporter: yeah, craig, his father, marty brennaman, had been with the reds a very long time legendary, hall of fame broadcaster. overnight, he told the "cincinnati inquirer" the comments were not reflective of his son's character. also, several other players for the reds also tweeted their support overnight for the lgbtq community, craig. >> gabe gutierrez, thank you. guys, just ahead, as more students return to campus, we're taking an inside look at the struggle facing colleges nationwide to control the virus. >> do students feel safe on campus do they trust each other to follow the rules and slow the spread we have an eye-opening conversation with students on one campus, right after this (vo) through our love promise, subaru and our retailers are proud d to be replplanting 500,000 trtrees...

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back to campus. >> nbc's sam brock joins us now from florida, atlantic university, with some of the adjustments being made hey, sam >> reporter: guys, good morning. florida atlantic university has some 30,000 students that are going to be starting class on monday, but 80% of the instruction is going to be online instead of swag, students are getting sanitizer and face masks. schools right now are doing whatever they can to avoid more covid closures the annual college tradition, lugging bags into dorms, and emotional good-byes, this year colored by covid-19. do you think this college experiment can work right now? >> if everyone does their park, then yeah. >> a lot of kids my age just don't think it is going to affect them as much, and they're like, "okay, worst-case scenario, i quarantine and get over it. >> reporter: as 3,500 students move in at florida atlantic

university, with masks and a myriad of rules on safety, the shock waves nationwide are still sinking in >> everyone is scared. across the board, everyone is scared and frightened about having to interact in person. >> reporter: high-profile schools like unc chapel hill, michigan state, and notre dame, either pushing pause on in-person classes or telling students not to come to campus >> the spike in cases is very serious, and we must take serious steps to address it. >> reporter: notre dame confirms at least 222 cases of coronavirus, noting, our contact-tracing indicates that most infections are coming from off-campus gatherings. huge crowds of students by night and by day, raising eyebrows, and some administrators believe causing clusters of covid. while colleges try to manage the virus on and off campus. when you see the images of partying going on in other parts of the country, are you worried that could happen in miami >> of course i'm worried. >> reporter: at the university of miami, all students must be tested before being allowed on

campus fill out a symptom checker app daily, based on cdc guidelines, and expect to be held accountable. >> we will sanction any student who violates the rule. because, in this case, they're not just putting their own education and health at risk, but that of everybody else >> reporter: at florida atlantic university, chief administrative officer stacy volnick says they'll take swift action with any outbreak. >> as soon as you see an area on campus we might classify as a hot spot, a particular residence hall, a department, to really intervene quickly, remove those individuals that are contacts or presenting with symptoms, and take care of that right away >> sam, you've been covering the challenges of going back to college. i mean, it's a big decision for colleges to say, "you know what,

we're not going to do any more in-person classes. how do they make that decision >> reporter: hoda, it is a difficult tipping point. administrators generally tell me once they can no longer identify individual cases and be able to track and contact trace all the people they've come into contact with, that's when you need a change. at florida atlantic, they have some 100 plus sick rooms for change at florida atlantic, they have some 100 plus sick rooms for students who are presumptive positive but hasn't gotten test results back keeping them out of the general population the end of the day, it is what students are doing off campus that might be the determining factor craig, savannah, hoda, back to you. >> sam brock, thank you. 7:43, feels like a good time to take another turn for the weather. hey, mr. roker >> hey, guys we have an active hurricane season, no question about it we now have a tropical depression number 13 900 miles north of the leeward islands. it is moving north/northwest at 12 miles per hour. we also have invest area 97-l. if that became a tropical system, it'd be marco. this would be laura. we have this bermuda high, big stretch of high pressure, and that will keep the steering currents, keeping this moving westward so we put the models into

motion, and you can see as we get into monday, we've got this low pressure, this pressure moving into miami, or even into the gulf, and this second invest area into the gulf, as well. last time we had two concurrent tropical systems in the gulf, june of 1959 could happen early next week fire threat continues out west with record highs. isolated flood threats into the southeast. gorgeous day in the northeast, new england, great lakes good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. we look at the clouds that return to san francisco and slightly better air quality for san jose as the smoke from those wildfires get pushed off towards the east. as we go into today, the drifting smoke will still be a problem as our temperatures reach into the low to mid 8990s

for the inland areas and 95 for antioch while clear lake will reach 90 degree. as we go through the forecast, our temperatures stay in the 90s over the next few days. >> and i hate to turn my back to you guys, but i can't move this arm so i have to use this one. just so you know. >> oh, no. >> oh, al. >> birthday and your arm hurts you know what? we're going to try to cheer you up. >> i can still use the mouth to blow, baby, all those candles. >> a lot of candles. >> al, thank you so much craig. coming up next, guys, one of the most unbelievable rescue stories i think we've ever heard. a man was stranded for weeks, injured in a forest, and then saved by chance by a family of strangers. that's not all they're going to tell us all about itit, right afafter this .....steering g life at 1010 a. yoyou're prepapared for ththis.

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the santa fe family >> i heard somebody way, way off trail. >> reporter: like when john utsey was hiking with his two kids and heard a strange voice. >> i listened and thought it was another hiker yelling, playing they yelled again. i yelled, "do you need help? i heard, "yes," very faintly, so far away. >> reporter: down steep terrain, they found a hiker stranded 14 days out of food, he had a filtered water bottle to drink from the stream when you saw him, how bad of shape was he in? >> he couldn't stand he was delirious i tried talking to him, and he was having a hard time even answering simple questions >> reporter: utsey and his kids hiked miles to the trail head where there was cell service, gave the fire department his gps location after eight hours of looking, the rescue team could not find him. >> we were kind of searching for a needle in the haystack because

we didn't know exactly where he was located. >> worried about him all night, you know i was talking to my wife, like, "i don't think that guy would have left. >> reporter: utsey, a retired marine, went back, found the how happy was he to see you? man, called 911 again, and led rescuers to the spot how happy was he to see you? >> pretty happy. we gave him a blanket, food, iv, hiked him down the trail. >> reporter: if you and your kids had not heard him and found him, what do you think would have happened? >> i don't think he had more than a couple of days left so far off trail, the slope is so steep, i don't think anybody would have found him >> reporter: officials have not released the stranded hiker's name, but we know that he was taken to the hospital for treatment. captain garcia says because of the pandemic, the forest is incredibly busy as people escape

to the outdoors. they are seeing more calls than usual this summer. experts are urging folks, come prepared make sure someone knows where you are and when you're due back >> wow >> good luck plays in there, too, joe thank you. just ahead this morning, vicky nguyen has an important update on masks. you'll want to see it before reaching for yours this morning. >> the wildly popular gators, those things, in some cases, they may actually be worse than wearing no mask at all we'll have that after your local news we'll haveve that for r you aft yourur local newews. it's kohl's friends & family sale! take an extra 20% off!

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a very good morning to you. 7:56. i'm laura garcia. here's what's happening now. >> good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew and got the first-time jobless claims as we do every thursday showing 1.1 million of our friends and neighbors applied for unemployment claims last week. more than expected but generally consistent with the numbers that we've been seeing in this pandemic and recession. i'm bob redell in san jose where we're getting a view of one of the several fires burning at part of the scu lightning complex. a series of fires that quadrupled over the past 36 hours and now 102,000 acres and only 5% containment. there are evacuation orders and warnings in effect. you can go to our website at nbcbayarea.com. and all that smoke and ash

from all these fires really creating some poor breathing conditions out there. kari has a look at our forecast, as well. >> now we're seeing that fog rolling in to san francisco, which will trap some of that smoke, as well, create some smoggy conditions over the city. as we look at more improved air quality for the south bay as we see the drift of smoke now pushing off towards the east and that will be an issue as we go throughout today. really bad for the inland east bay with concord seeing those numbers with the air quality right now at unhealthy for this point. reaching into the low to mid 90s as we go into this afternoon. the coastal areas will have a little bit of a cooling breeze with highs in the 60s and 70s. and as we go into the forecast, we are going to see those temperatures staying in the 90s over the next few days. laura? >> all right, thank you very much. another local news update is coming up in about half an hour. see you at 11:00.

it's 8:00 on it's it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, unprecedented attack. former president obama takes the stage on night three of the democratic convention, with a scathing rebuke of his successor. >> donald trump hasn't grown into the job because he can't. and the consequences of that failure are severe. >> as kamala harris makes history. >> i accept your nomination for vice president. >> we're live with the latest. plus, class dismissed? >> only when it's safe. >> as schools struggle to control coronavirus clusters, teachers from coast to coast are

speaking out. >> would i give anything to go back into the building? yes. but not at the expense of somebody getting hurt. >> why some are saying more needs to be done to reopen safely. and a look at the common face coverings some experts say is zero percent effective at preventing the spread of the virus. oh baby. we throw a surprise baby shower for three incredible moms who faced unimaginable challenges during their pregnancies. >> oh, look, mommy. >> the unforgettable celebration you won't want to miss, today, thursday, august 20th, 2020. ♪ rain on me >> amelia is turning one today. >> we're celebrating on "today." >> hi, i am celebrating my 8th birthday the whole entire month.

i'm on the "today" show! ♪ rain on me >> from ann arbor, michigan, we're getting married tomorrow. >> celebrating on "today." >> pandemic love. >> we love it. >> love it. >> welcome back, guys. welcome to "today." we're so happy you're joining us. maybe you're getting up a little later than usual. you can still dvr us. we are on at 7:00. good morning. >> that's right. be kind, rewind. >> we've been here for a while. good to see you. >> catch you up on everything. >> ahead, we have a celebration that's twice as nice for one of our my today plaza families expecting twins. who is it? well, we're going to help them with a big gender reveal. >> i love it when we do that. by the way, you've got to see this kid we're going to introduce you to tomorrow on "today." 10-year-old golf sensation, even dresses like tiger, by the way. perez lives right near augusta which is, of course, home of the masters. it looks like he taught our own blayne alexander how to putt, almost. she got some lessons. he knows what he is doing. he started playing at the age of 2. now, he is one of the top junior golfers in the world. he's going to join us live with his parents tomorrow. we're excited about that. >> that'll be fun.

let's get to your news at 8:00. joe biden becomes president trump's challenger for the white house tonight. last night, it was kamala harris and former president barack obama who sounded the democratic battle cry. nbc white house correspondent kristen welker has the three things to watch in politics today. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: hi, savannah. good morning to you. it was a historic night at the democratic national convention. senator kamala harris became the first woman of color to accept her party's nomination for vice president. she's also a former california attorney general, and she wasted no time prosecuting the case against president trump. >> right now, we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons. joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose. >> reporter: some of the biggest

moments of the night came from former president barack obama, who broke with tradition and took aim at his successor. typically, presidents do not do that. but we saw some of our sharpest attacks yet from president obama against president trump. take a listen. >> i never accepted that my successor would embrace my vision, or continue my policies. i did hope, for the sake of our country, that donald trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously. that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care. but he never did. >> reporter: finally, the third time is a charm for joe biden. after two failed bids for the white house, tonight, he will accept his party's nomination

for president. >> kristen, thank you. stay up with me. we'll have complete coverage of the democratic convention's final night, 10:00 p.m. eastern, 7:00 pacific on nbc. next week, the republican national convention gets under way monday night. fresh concerns across the country over the new school year. coronavirus fears are leading to teacher protests and growing threats of safety strikes in schools without certain precautions in place. nbc's anne thompson is at one of the 1,700 public schools here in new york. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. here in new york, home to some 1.1 million students, classrooms are set to reopen in three weeks. but with the coronavirus still raging in parts of the u.s., teachers, students, and parents don't think that going back into buildings is necessarily the

only when it's safe. >> reporter: as teachers across the country protest for a safe return to the classroom. >> this is not about not wanting to tea best idea. this morning, a very real civics lesson >> only when it's safe only when it's safe. >> reporter: as teachers across the country protest for a safe return to the classroom. >> this is not about not wanting to teach i'm a teacher. that's what i do it's about wanting everybody to be safe. >> reporter: many teachers and students are uneasy about going back to school with the coronavirus still unchecked. in oklahoma, teacher nancy shivley deciding health risks aren't worth it. she's resigning after more than 40 years. >> i love teaching i love the kids. i'm worried about them >> reporter: even in connecticut, where the positivity rate is under 1%, there's fear. >> i can't go back to school because it is not a safe place for me or my family. >> reporter: in new york city, teachers in the nation's largest school district now threatening to strike. >> we have promised the teachers and the parents of new york city that we would stand and fight if we felt a school was unsafe. that is a promise we are going to keep. >> reporter: the union's safety

demands include testing for the 750,000 students and adults expected to go back to school buildings september 10th mayor bill de blasio downplaying the strike threat. >> they can play any games they want it is not legal. >> what do we do >> reporter: on the steps of the massachusetts statehouse, teachers demanded an online start to the school year >> would i give anything to go back into the building yes. but not at the expense of somebody getting hurt. >> reporter: a recent poll commissioned by the massachusetts teachers association found 90% of parents were concerned their children could catch the virus if schools opened as scheduled. what can quell those fears >> when the state can actually prove that the buildings are safe to return to, we have rapid and regular testing, and when the virus is fully under control

in the state >> only when it's safe. >> reporter: now, adding to those concerns, a new study from massachusetts general hospital showing that children can be silent spreaders of covid. of 192 children, 49 kids tested positive for the virus, and they found that in their air ways, they had higher levels of the virus than adults hospitalized in intensive care. hoda >> interesting also, and a little news from the department of health and human services that could change the they've issued an emergency directive, allowing pharmacists in all 50 states to administer childh way that kids get other vaccines, too. what can you tell us >> reporter: that's right. they've issued an emergency directive, allowing pharmacists in all 50 states to administer childhood vaccines that's because during the months of march and april, they saw a precipitous drop in childhood , frankly, kept their kids away from doctor's offices that were open because they were afraid of vaccines, as doctor's offices closed and parents, quite frankly, kept their kids away from doctor's offices that were open because they were afraid of catching the virus hoda >> anne thompson for us at ps6 in new york city

thanks. that's the news. i feel a boost coming on. >> if you want to dance, man, you'll love this one two georgia teachers wanted to help students release their anxiety about the new school year you know what they did they combined remote learning tips with a burst of school spirit check it out ♪ brand-new year and i'm locked in i'm number one on your top ten ♪ ♪ ms. williams, popping new school year dropping ♪ no covid-19, don't worry about a thing no stopping ♪ >> they're good. >> teacher and cheerleading coach audrey williams. that's her squad at monroe high school she and her colleague, callie evans, remixed the song by jack harlow, added rhymes, virtual learning, coronavirus safety you know what they're doing? they're keeping up the morale during these challenging times. >> that's impressive had to take hours to put together, i'd think.

way to go. >> coming up next, what type of mask are you grabbing when you head out the door? it makes a big difference. pay attention because we're about to show you exactly why. >> good morning. i'm vicky nguyen you may have seen a lot of people wearing the face gators, stretchy and comfortable how effective are they at preventing the spread of covid-19 i'll show you. i'll show you. plus, a simple trick you can do jim, couould you uh kick ththe tires? ohoh yes. cacan you chanange the color insiside the carar? oh sure. how about t blue? that's's more cyanan but. jump in ththe back seaeat, jim.m. act like e my kids. hohow much lononger? -exaxactly how t they sound. it's got massagining seats totoo, righ? ohoh yeahhhhh.h. -oh yeyeahhhhh. visit thee mercrcedes-benz z summer evet or shop ononline at participipating dealalers. geget 0% apr financncing up to o 36 monthss on selelect new anand cecertified prpre-owned momo. ♪ new schoolol year,s, whateverer that mean♪ns ♪ from the s sporty chicic to t the stem ststar♪ ♪ gogo show off f your 'fif, lelet's raisise the ♪arr

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>> she's here with some interesting news on gators we've been teasing it all morning. what do you have >> these gators are stretchy and popular. researchers from duke university tested a common gator, and found wearing it as a single layer of fabric may be worse than no face covering at all. how is that possible we investigate >> reporter: with so many face coverings to choose from, researchers at duke university wanted to know which ones actually work to prevent the spread of covid-19 >> start. >> reporter: they asked people to talk into a specially designed box to test different fabrics and masks. >> we had people say, "stay healthy, people," five times you can just start seeing the particles growing and growing in the box. >> reporter: watch what happens to the droplets from a single sentence. >> stay healthy, people. >> reporter: researchers say the n-95 mask, which should be reserved for health care workers, captured all the

droplets cloth masks and disposable masks were 80% to 90% effective. bandanas caught 50%. the gator they tested, 0% effective. that's right, zero droplets easily passed through the thin material of the gator, and researchers say those droplets were split into many more smaller ones. >> this might be a problem if the articles carry disease and they stay in the air longer, the smaller they are >> reporter: that gives them more of a chance to be inhaled by someone else and perhaps infect someone else. >> that's right. >> reporter: dr. westman says the study used a single layer gator made of 92% polyester and 8% spandex he acknowledges not all gators are the same >> the single layer, stretchy things you can see through, we don't think they're doing much more research needs to be done on this. clearly, the gator and the bandana did not block the particles as well as the cotton, the surgical, the n-95. >> reporter: to protect yourself and others from contracting

coronavirus, the cdc recommends a basic face covering over your nose and mouth it can be as simple as a disposable mask, or if it is a cloth mask, make sure it has two layers scientists say you can check to see how effective your mask or face covering is with a simple trick. light a candle and see if you can blow it out wearing the face covering i definitely can't do it with this two-layer cotton mask i cannot what about with this single layer gator? i'll hold the candle the same distance whoa, super easy it went right out. let's see what happens when i double up the fabric of the gator. now, i've got two layers with two layers, i can stillblo. what's your message to folks who are wearing these and thinking they're doing the job? >> just make sure it is a dou

blow it out if i try what's your message to folks who are wearing these and thinking they're doing the job? >> just make sure it is a double layer. we think that's better than the single layer my best advice would be to get a mask that works. >> reporter: as we showed you in this demonstration in june, masks are effective in capturing droplets that contain bacteria and possibly coronavirus when i coughed wearing three different face coverings, no bacteria grew on these petri dishes look what happened when i coughed without a mask plenty of bacterial growth >> it's gross every time, isn't it researchers say it is alout material gators are usually made of a thin, single layer, and they're designed the protect your neck and face from the sun or to keep you warm in the winter we got some online they're very common. they're stretchy, but they are not really made to block the spread of germs, hoda. >> i thought the candle test was super cool are there other ways you can test to see if your mask is effective? >> another simple test, literally hold up your face covering outside in daylight or to a light the more light that comes through, the less protection it offers. >> okay. big question, kids are going back to school a lot of schools are requiring

masks. kids love the gators and other things what -- kids who want something comfy? >> they want something comfortable, and masks can be comfortable. it is making sure they fit experiment with different ones we use this on my girls, and it works and stays in place you have this going over the head, and one down at the neck they don't -- it doesn't bother them at all. what we did is got them used to it we put them on during screen time that is a good hack for parents. when your kids are watching a movie, practice right now. a lot of schools are going to require the mask all day in class. >> what about the paper ones for kids think they're all right? >> they're fine if they fit and not falling down. >> the fda has just approved a new mask we have it on set. >> yes very cool. >> what do you think of this guy? >> this is called the clear mask it's the first one, according to the company, that has been cleared by the fda for both surgical use as well as use by consumers. we have the consumer version let's put it on. hold it flat like this pull it over your head check this out, this was developed by a deaf woman who

had trouble -- keep going and pull it down so this is on your chin you got it, hoda perfect. we're talking. it's not fogging up. i can see you. look, if you're a teacher and you're teaching reading, kids need to see your face, you're working with deaf or hard of hearing students, this is fantastic. they come in boxes they're about $3 each. it is a great donation, i think, for your school, if you think you need one doesn't fog it. >> it doesn't fog up >> totally comfy the other thing, too, is i feel i'm wearing worse since everyone is wearing masks i can't hear anymore this is great. >> great solution. >> for more information, we'll get it from vicky online let's switch gears and go to mr. roker with the weather hey, al. >> i think that is brilliant wow, that is so terrific we've been covering climate heat waves today than 50 years ago.

in change now our friends at climate central have been crunching the numbers. so far, 74% from the united states, folks are seeing longer heat waves today than 50 years ago. in fact, for example, let's look at miami typical 90 plus streak back in 1970 was eight days. today, about 25 days san antonio, 95 plus streak, about 13 days in 1970. today, we're talking streaks, on average, of 35 days of 95 plus or more. for today, we've got an excessive heat warning from the southwest into the rockies 30 million people being impacted these temperatures today, record-setting heat from santa maria, palm springs, el paso tomorrow, above average heat from los angeles, minneapolis, all the way to chicago that's what's going on around >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we take a live look outside in san jose. we are seeing still some smoke in the air in the distance, and at times we'll see drifts of smoke coming in. our temperatures today will reach up to 87 degrees, but some

mid-90s for the south county and to the inland east bay. for the north bay, still looking at warm weather there. we will have a slight cooldown for the coastal areas. as we go through the seven-day forecast, temperatures continue in the low to mid-90s. >> and that is your latest weather. gang >> we're going to send you one of these new masks, by the way. >> it's really cool. carson daly joining us now, >> and that is your latest weather. gang >> we're going to send you one of these new masks, by the way. >> it's really cool. carson daly joining us now, mr. roker, because -- ♪ happy birthday to you happy birthday to you ♪ >> hard to sing in this. >> i have to take this off. >> hi, buddy. ♪ happy birthday >> we have a special delivery for you, good sir. >> thank you, pal. come on in >> come on in, bud. >> look at these ♪ happy birthday to you >> nick. >> we understand you have a favorite bakery up there, so we wanted to -- those are your morning glory muffins. >> yes is this from pie-conic >> yes we spared no expense. >> well, thank you very much. >> are you 1 are you 2? are you 3?

>> how does 66 feel, buddy >> not as goofy as seeing my son out of the picture >> i know. he's so tall >> wow, al, happy birthday, honey. we love you. are you 4? >> we only have four hours. >> how does 66 feel, buddy >> not as goofy as seeing my son out of the picture >> i know. he's so tall >> wow, al, happy birthday, honey. we love you. >> thanks, guys. >> appreciate it carson, take us to "pop start. >> when did nick become 6'8" when did that happen he's like dino from the "flintstones" with his head out of the sunroof. >> i'm telling you. >> my gosh. >> it is crazy. >> uncle al, happy birthday to you. it is crazy. and my daughter, london, by the way, not 66 today, but she's 6 you share the same did you want moana pajamas, as well, al >> yes you're welcome >> you're welcome. that's right, she's maui today

we have a lot to get to in "pop start. happy birthday, uncle al graphics department sleeping so well today he had a smile on his face while he was asleep. i'm letting him sleep. the movie mogul tyler perry has many credits to his name, but he's known for madea the stage play coming to tv. when jimmy fallon asked perry how madea would be handling the pandemic, here's what he had to say. >> let's talk about madea's farewell play. >> yes. >> we talked about this. even doing the voice, how would madea handle quarantine? >> well, babe, i've been wearing my maskeses. i have one here, two here. all my maskeses are all over she can't say masks. maskseses. >> we might have to get tyler one of the new masks you and vicky showed off, some of the clear ones for the next film we have another item today

in "pop start. savannah, with your bff, drew barrymore. this is a two-fer for drew the first one, "snl" cast members, chloe fineman, known for her spot-on impressions. some we've highlighted on "pop start" before. for example, here is her laura dern impression. >> the babysitter? i will not, not be rich. >> wow. >> now, chloe's drew barrymore impression is going viral, because drew reposted it on instagram. >> hey, it is week 100 million 7 of quarantine, but i am so excited. i have big news. this is a product that i recently discovered. it is a game-changer

water. >> well, there good morning. i'm chris chmura. breaking overnight. fires expanding overnight. the scu complex fire has burned more than 100,000 acres. this morning from a vantage point in san jose, you could see flames burning over the ridge on the top of mt. hamilton. cal fire has not posted any new evacuation orders. pg&e worker has died in the wildfire burning in solano near vacaville. that worker was helping first responders. since yesterday, the fires there have destroyed at least 175 structures. firefighters say the czu complex fire in the santa cruz mountains destroyed homes overnight in bonnie dune.

evacuation orders remain in place there. 25,000 people have been told to leave. the weather is critical here. kari, will the firefighters get a break at all from the heat today? >> we are seeing a break in the humidity. higher humidity as fog rolls into san francisco. before the inland areas, it's still going to be hot today. only coastal areas will have a bit of a cooldown as we see upper 60s and low 60s along the coast. we're going to see 90s for inland areas. hot again this afternoon, chris. >> kari, thank you. we'll watch carefully your forecast. we'll have another local update in half an hour. now back to the "today" show.

it's not going away. covid-19. more than ever, california needs rapid coronavirus testing. robust contact tracing. support for community health clinics. masks and ppe for those saving lives... for teachers and school personnel educating students. these heroes are doing their jobs. now government must do theirs. keep working through a special session

to combat this crisis right now and provide the revenues to solve the problems we know are coming. we're back. it's 8:30. it's 8:30. our sunshiney corner of the world. we want you to stick around because we have a really sweet story ahead from, who else, ms. hoda, who gave three moms who, frankly, are grateful to be alive. they had newborns, battled coronavirus, and you we're going to give them a little love, little celebration they deserve. >> what these moms went through is unimaginable.

they were all in comas to see them today -- >> they were all in comas? >> wait until you see their stories. we tried to give them a little love. >> a little baby shower. >> yup. also ahead this morning, it is easy being green when jill martin is doing the research for you. she found eco-friendly products to incorporate into your routine from workout gear to kitchen items. where you can find them at big discounts. on the "3rd hour of today," a consumer confidential that could save you a lot of money. we're talking, in some cases, thousands of dollars with so many colleges and universities going virtual, now could be the perfect time to negotiate your college tuition yes, that is possible, and we will tell you how to do it. we're counting down the hours until tomorrow tim mcgraw is going to be with us live. >> we cannot wait. we're going to chat with the country legend about his new

album, and we'll chat with him about that moment. that was his album release party with his wife, faith, and his kids we showed you that yesterday it'll be a blast we can't wait to speak with him. he's going to perform for us. >> can't wait. a friday concert. it is that time. some say it's the best time of the morning when we put these beautiful faces up on our screen, and we savor it. take a good look we miss our plaza, and this is the next best thing. good morning to everybody who woke up with us. i want to zoom in on casey and kyle in naples, florida. where are you? let's see you. >> hi. >> now, look, that looks like a big family i've got to say, you have your son, miles, there, cutie you have your whole extended family this family is about to get a little bigger, right >> yes, yeah by two >> so you're expecting twins congratulations. >> thank you >> now, you guys know if you're having a boy or girl do the people behind you know yet what the gender is of the twins? >> no. >> no. and none of our family watching. they'll be really shocked. >> that's what i was thinking. let's reveal it right now.

can we do a gender reveal? >> yes >> all right here we go, guys >> it's a boy. >> and a girl! >> wow >> a boy and a girl. how sweet. >> oh, wow that was cool. >> a little something for everybody. oh, miles. you know what, my 3-year-old can't stand balloons, either, buddy. i know >> they're scary >> don't worry you know what? it's awesome. >> congratulations >> congratulations, you guys that's great news. >> way to go. >> let's go back. >> poor miles. >> just how charlie is with balloons. >> we're going to say hello and happy birthday to jasmine with the bell family, turning 8 today. brook and blade getting married tomorrow latonya and david on your 15th anniversary. holiday family, twins jarvis and marvis, turning 40

the leavey family, amelia's 1st birthday >> by the way, miles has exited. >> miles is done. >> miles has peaced out. >> bye. >> mama, there they are, so cute >> they're back. >> congratulations. >> that was fun, guys. thank you. >> so cute >> of course, by the way, if you'd like to join us on the virtual plaza, all you have to do is go to today.com/mytodayplaza, and you could get in on the fun, as well miles, sorry sorry, miles mr. roker, how about another check of the weather, sir? >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by walgreens. >> all right let's look at your weekend, see what we have shaping up. we start with tomorrow it is going to be a soaking stormy day through the southeast. record highs out west. we're looking at strong storms around the great lakes moving into saturday, more showers and storms in the mid-atlantic, back through the ohio river valley. sunny and hot out west with record highs sunday, sunday, scattered storms move into the northeast, the

mid-atlantic states. wet down to the south. record highs continue for the western third of the country that's what's going on around the country. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we take a look at our high temperatures for today, it will be slightly cooler for the inland areas and bay. for the valley, it's still going to be hot. at least we're not seeing highs over 100 but we're still talking about mid-90s here today. as we go through the seven-day forecast, we are going to continue into the 90s. smoke and air quality will be the major issues. we try to get more containment on the wildfires burning around the bay area. weather. savannah >> all right, al thank you so much. just ahead, hoda, we've been waiting for it sharing a really special celebration. >> so excited. three expectant moms were in the hospital they were fighting coronavirus while most moms were having baby showers, these guys couldn't have any of that we didn't want them to miss out

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it is 8:38 now on this thursday morning. on ongoing series "with you today. we've been celebrating milestones that experienced a few changes during the pandemic, from graduations to birthdays, even a wedding, as well. >> that's right. next on our list, a surprise baby shower. except, like everything this year, this one is a little different. >> sure was. you're about to meet three women who already gave birth to their babies, but as they did it, they were gravely ill in the hospital with coronavirus it's the story of not one, not two, but three miracle moms. ♪ >> reporter: for expecting mothers getting ready for a new baby, it can be an exciting and joyful time. >> i was very excited. i was planning everything.

>> baby was extremely active and i felt him all the time. >> everything was perfect. maybe feeling unreal, but it was perfect. >> reporter: james from south carolina cappers from cincinnati, ohio. and castleduck from new jersey all excited about their pregnancies earlier this year. then covid-19 entered their lives. first, as a whisper. >> i noticed that i had this weird cough that i didn't have before. >> i had a low grade temperature. >> every time i would try to eat or anything, sleep, the cough just would interrupt everything. >> reporter: then, as a terrifying roar, just as covid was taking hold of her body, shaquila gave birth to her baby girl two weeks early she watched the nurses wheel out her baby before slipping into a coma. >> thinking it might be the last time i see her i thought about it, and i prayed, and i told them, you know, "go ahead and take her."

sorry. >> reporter: rosia was five months pregnant when she tested positive for covid she got very sick, very fast before being intubated, she was asked a chilling question. >> they had asked me if i had to choose between my life or my daughter's life, who would i choose >> reporter: three weeks later, rosio woke up to a nurse telling her shocking news. >> hey, you gave birth to a beautiful baby, and she was showing me a picture of the baby i could see, but it was blurry everything was blurry. >> reporter: alicia also has no memory of giving birth. >> dropped me off at the er. eight hours later, i was on a ventilator >> reporter: she would be on oxygen support for the next 33 days, delivering son lathe by c-section while in a coma.

>> when i finally woke up and came to it, i saw the scar i was, like, what happened they also told me the story that when i delivered, i shed a big crocodile tear and smiled. i think it just really tells the power of the subconscious. >> reporter: since their deliveries, all three moms have had miraculous recoveries. shaquila is back at home with baby aubrey, thriving at four months rosio is feeling stronger every day, awaiting baby victoria's return home from the nicu. alicia, in a coma months ago, is back at home, gracefully juggling work at her law firm and motherhood with baby lathe. >> hi. >> oh, my gosh this is so exciting. >> reporter: on this day, they have to juggle one more thing. a call from me where is rosio >> hello. >> how is victoria doing tell me. >> she's doing okay.

getting a trach on the 19th.trae she'll be home after that. >> she's brave like her mama alicia, how is your little man doing? tell me. >> he's doing well he's now 14 pounds, so he's great. >> alicia, i thought you said, i thought i heard you say he is 14 pounds. >> correct >> whoa! >> yes. >> big boy, huh? >> yeah. >> shaquila, first-time mom. >> yes. >> how is that little darling doing? how is she how is aubrey? >> great yes, ma'am she is doing awesome she's so sassy >> i got to tell you, you guys, what you all have been through is beyond. i mean, i'm looking at not just -- i'm looking at survivors, but beyond. i think you guys missed out on a

lot of things that new moms get. we thought, what a shame they didn't get a baby shower but then we thought, maybe we can fix that so when we hang up our little conversation, and you guys go outside of your homes, there will be a little package out front. >> reporter: the folks at pampers sent each mom a box of surprises. >> aubrey. oh, look, aubrey >> so excited. >> this is darling >> oh, look, mommy >> reporter: the best of all, a year's worth of diapers and wipes. >> thank you >> reporter: these courageous women may have had to miss the celebration of giving birth, but in the end, they got the best

gift of all, the gift of life. >> thank you, hoda >> thank you, hoda thank you, pampers, so much. >> it is a blessing to me and my family, and i just want to say thank you. thank you and thank you again. >> oh, my gosh the thanks go to them. they lifted everyone's spirits aren't they amazing? think about childbirth and imagine that moment. we want to give a little extra love, if we can, to -- extra love and prayers to baby victoria we want her to be home with her mama as soon as possible >> yeah. >> she was the little girl getting the trach on the 19th. >> still in the nicu. >> exactly what we needed. thank you for lifting our spirits. jill martin is going to help us think green, with bargains on products for your home that won't harm the environment 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. >> announcer: think green today is sponsored by cascade. cascade platinum, the number one recommended brand in north america. >> we're back. 8:46 now

encouraging you to think green today. >> yeah. our lifestyle contributor, jill martin, is taking a look at companies focusing on sustainability she joins us if home with great deals on green products. hi, jill good morning >> good morning. today, i'm sharing the stories behind four sustainable companies that are committed to helping our planet in creative ways and, of course, we'll be offering some special savings. all right. let's start with the gold company. this is a brooklyn-born wellness brand powered by superfoods. trinity realized there was a gap between health store products and expensive, all natural products, so she created gold to make wellness more affordable. the products are cruelty-free with no added sugars, no artificial ingredients, and are keto and vegan friendly. beyonce and kardashians are a fan. she was the youngest black woman to launch a line with the retail team

we made the latte blends find out more on our site. for "today" viewers, we're offering a discount of 20% off using the discount code "todayshow." next up, i have a brand i've been using at socially distanced barbecues. this is great. it is called bamboo. it was founded by jeff delkin and rachel speck, who left their corporate careers to create products that give people an alternative to plastic, bringing non-toxic, renewable resources into your home bamboo makes the only brand of cooking tools to carry the usda certified organic seal we have a variety of the products here. many i said i use. the plates, the sporks, a spoon and a fork, serving boards, cooking and serving utensils discount site wide using the code "ecotoday."

now, this is a sustainable active wear brand founded by a husband and wife duo veterans of the fashion industry, they came up with the idea when she could kind a brand to buy they created polyester from recycled water bottles, and the leggings were born they're made with materials that would otherwise clog landfills they use water bottles that are crushed into tiny pieces and spun into yarn the leggings are made from 25 recycled water bottles fans include eva longoria and kerry washington we have more on the site, offering 15% off using the code account gftoday15. last up, these are really beautiful. angela roy, the company was founded by another husband/wife team angela and roy lee created accessories at an approachable price.

angela had a lifelong love for fashion and appreciated luxury of designer goods. many worked through sourcing leather by harming animals these are premium, non-animal materials. two straps, great organization you can take the strap off and make it a clutch just for our "today" viewers, we're offering a deal of $50 off the bag, retailing for $195, using the code "thinkgreentoday." from athleisure wear to kitchen gadgets, these eco-friendly products help make green choices part of your everyday life from my backyard, i'll send it back to you. >> jill, thank you it is easy to find these deals on green products. go to today.com/shop we are back in a moment. we are back in a moment. this is "todod

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call 1 1.877.only.y.att welcome back we've done a lot of celebrating this half hour not over yet time for the birthday boy to do

some birthdays >> i'm on a smucker's jar? oh, no, there are other people let's get the smucker's jars going. give them a spin i love this. we don't do it enough. first up, happy 100th, 102nd birthday to ines wetherton of union city, california i love the hat, too. you're looking for a warm meal, head over to inez's house. cory ann wright, a busy lady celebrating 100 years. rumor has it, corean is an undercover comedian. happy 100th to esther fine, retired teacher from massachusetts. becker of rockaway beach, new york, i used to live there she's 100, married to the love

of her life for 55 years the biggest yankees fan you'll ever meet. ms. edith daly, 100 years. proud grandma from silver spring, maryland she's got 26 grandkids every christmas, she sews matching pajamas for each and every one of them. last but not least, happy 100th birthday to lucille azzaretto, a baker from lakewood, new jersey. according to anonymous sources she recollects makes the best cream puffs you will ever taste. from one birthday boy to other birthday boys and girls. >> al, we love you happy birthday, honey. >> thanks, guys. >> we want to wish the very best to a beloved, long-time member of the "today" show family. >> oh, if there were a smucker's jar for people that were just the heart and soul of this place, there would be one for david nasier he spent 45 years with nbc, and over 35 for "today"'s senior production there is a good chance if we were on the road, david was with us

nine olympics, super bowls, the kentucky derby, hurricanes, inaugurations, you name it after all that traveling, it is time for david to finally sleep in, relax at home with his wife, leslie david, we love you so much i know we all have so many good memories of being on the road. >> always right here, too. >> yeah. >> unflappable. >> i know. >> he is the good news is, the good news is, our loss is the gaming industry's gain. they are all these casinos now he'll be able to hit >> that's right. >> well said >> thank you, al >> roker is still obviously on the shoulder medicine, by the way. >> what's funny, he is watching right now and laughing al, you're the best. >> definitely is. >> we'll miss you, dave. coming up later on "hoda and jenna," two celebrity moms on an important mission. we'll catch up with alicia keys and jonah hill's mom. >> that's cool first, "3rd hour of today," we're going to show you how to negotiate the cost of your kid's

college tuition. >> is there a starbucks nearby this location? just for old time's sake, my friend. >> first, your local news. >> we love you >> love you. good morning. it's 8:56 a.m. i'm chris chmura. while we slept, the fire surrounding the san francisco bay area did not. cal fire says the scu complex fire grew to more than 137,000 acres overnight. this just in from them a couple of minutes ago. this morning we could say see flames burning over the ridge at

the top of mt. hamilton above san jose. so far, no word on additional evacuation orders. 5% containment there. as the wildfire burning in solano county in vacaville. a pg&e worker has died while assisting. it's destroyed at least 175 structures since yesterday. and the szu complex fire destroyed homes in bonnie dune overnight. 25,000 people are now under evacuation orders. happening now, bay area wide, more than 200,000 acres have burned since sunday's lightning storms. firefighters are stretched thin. we'll have live team coverage ahead in our midday newscast which is expanded by half an hour. and kari hall is tracking the weather, too. slightly cooler conditions are on tap today. get updates any time on our website. have a good day.

live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the "3rd hour of today." >> good thursday morning. welcome to the "3rd hour of today," august 20th, 2020. craig melvin in studio 1a, along side dylan dreyer. sheinelle is working from home, and so is al roker, but, al, it's a special day. >> yay. >> happy 66th. we didn't want to forget your birthday here. >> wow. oh, my gosh. >> we enlisted some help. >> hi! >> hello. >> happy birthday. >> everything. >> oh, there's deborah! >> hi, deborah. >> we've zoomed in the camera. you have to bend down, budd