fire, if they say leave, definitely leave. that really helps with firefighters fight as well as saving your life. we're going to continue to bring you the updates throughout the day here on nbc bay area. thanks for joining us here. have a good morning. this this is our moment. this is our mission. >> good morning. joe biden accepts the democratic presidential nomination. >> we can and will overcome this season of darkness. >> and makes his case for a change in the white house. >>haracter is on the ballot. compassion is on the ballot. decency, science, democracy. they're all on the ballot. >> calling this election a battle for the soul of the nation. so did his message wrapping up the democratic convention resonate with voters? we're live with the very latest. breaking overnight. deadly infernoes.

those raging wildfires in california take a turn for the worst. >> we have not seen fires burn like this for many, many years. >> tens of thousands ordered to evacuate. hundreds of thousands told to be ready to do the same. >> honestly, our resources are stretched very far. >> air quality now the worst in the world. and dangerous to breathe. we're live on the front lines. out on bail. new deails emerge about the arrest of the president's one-time top strategist, steve bannon. his capture on a chinese billionaire's yacht after being accused of a border wall scheme. just ahead, what bannon is saying about the case, and president trump's reaction to the arrest. poison plot? one of vladimir putin's most vocal critics still in a coma this morning after a suspected poisoning attack. and it wouldn't be the first time. what we're learning about a potential attempt on his life

last year and the kremlin's new denial overnight. day in the life. our exclusive look at what students at one college now dealing with the coronavirus outbreak are facing. inside the new contact tracing being used to keep tabs on their every move. all that, plus call your mama. because country superstar tim mcgraw is joining us live to celebrate his brand-new album, today, friday, august 21st, 2020. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody. welcome to "today." so happy you're joining us on this friday morning. savannah taking a much deserved morning off. she worked early. she worked late. but somehow, i know she's

bumming. because when tim mcgraw is dropping an album on the show, i know she kind of wishes she could be here for today. >> looking forward to that. that conversation and that mini concert coming up in just a bit. a lot happening on this friday morning, including out west, those devastating wildfires. we want you to take a look at this dramatic time lapse video. it shows one fire's rapid advance in northern california, eventually consuming some of the very cameras that are used to monitor the fire danger. firefighters have a new concern this morning now. high winds. we're going to dig into that in just a bit. then, lori loughlin and her husband are set to learn their fate in the college admissions scandal. that's happening later today. we're going to have the latest in a live report. >> we do start this morning with the race for the white house. and that convention speech from joe biden, four decades in the making. >> after formally accepting the democratic nomination, mr. biden laid out his vision for the country to voters of both parties.

we'll talk about what mr. biden had to say in a moment with the democratic governor of new york, andrew cuomo. >> what do you say we start with kristen welker? she's in delaware where biden spoke last night. hey, kristen. good morning. >> hey, hoda and craig. good morning to both of you. after two failed presidential bids and a hard-fought primary, joe biden formally accepted his party's nomination. and overnight, this virtual convention started to feel like the real thing. take a look at this. more than 150 cars lined up behind where i am right now outside the venue where biden was speaking to watch on a big screen. they were honking at every applause line. then, the entire ticket came outside to greet the crowd. a night capped off by fireworks and a show of force. the democratic ticket now official. joe biden and kamala harris capping an historic convention with biden grasping the prize that has eluded him for more

than three decades. >> i accept this nomination for president of the united states of america. >> biden delivering the most consequential speech of his career, a blunt but optimistic message that included a withering attack on president trump without ever mentioning him by name. >> the current president has cloaked america in darkness for much too long. i'll be an ally of the light, not the darkness. it's time for us, for we the people, to come together. >> biden saying america is facing four major crises. the pandemic, the economic downturn, racial strife, and climate change. calling the november election life-changing. >> this will determine what america is going to look like for a long, long time. character is on the ballot. compassion is on the ballot. decency, science, democracy.

they're all on the ballot. >> but making it clear the fight against covid would be his most urgent task, laying out a plan to combat it, from rapid testing to a national mask mandate. >> we'll take the muzzle off our experts so the public gets the information they need and deserve, honest, unvarnished truth. they can handle it. >> biden also speaking directly to families impacted by covid, drawing on his own grief, the deaths of his first wife and daughter in 1972 and the loss of his eldest son beau in 2015. >> i have some idea how it feels to lose someone you love. i know that deep black hole that opens up in the middle of your chest and you feel like you're being sucked into it. your loved one may have left this earth, but they'll never leave your heart. >> biden accused the president of making the country less secure. >> the days of cozying up to dictators is over. under president biden, america will not turn a blind eye to russian bounties on the heads of american soldiers. nor will i put up with foreign

interference in our most sacred democratic exercise, voting. >> biden also saying the nation has to change. in the wake of the death of george floyd and other black americans. >> will we be the generation that finally wipes out the stain of racism from our national character? >> closing out the night with this urgent call to action. >> this is our mission. history be able to say that the end of this chapter of american darkness began here tonight, as love and hope and light join in the battle for the soul of the nation. and this is a battle we will win and we'll do it together. >> now, typically, nominees hit the road and start traveling to battleground states in the wake of their conventions. don't expect that this year. the biden campaign believes that this virtual campaigning is working. so expect that to continue in the near term. meanwhile, watching it all

closely from the white house, president trump, he tweeted last night during the convention, quote, in 47 years, joe biden did none of the things of which he now speaks. he will never change. just words. president trump will have a chance to make his argument for four more years when the republican national convention gets under way on monday. craig. >> all right, kristen welker starting us off. kristen, thank you. >> we're joined now by one of the speakers featured at the democratic convention this week, new york governor andrew cuomo. governor, always good to have you. thanks for your time this morning. >> good to be with you, craig. thank you. >> last night capping off a week of democrats making their case. a week filled with stark warnings. last night, talking about the battle for the soul of nation. we know he loves a crowd. had to do it virtually. how do you think he did? did he stick the landing? >> oh, yeah. i think he did a great job. look, first, as someone who has been before an audience in a situation like that, it's hard without an audience.

there's no energy, no give and take. so i think he did an extraordinary job. and what i like about it is i know joe biden many years. that was joe biden. that was not a speechwriter. that was no one putting words in his mouth. those words came from his heart and his soul. and i thought he captured it very well. this is not a complex election. let's be honest. these are two very stark choices. and they are about character. and they are about the soul of the nation. and they are light and dark and unification and division. and lifting us up and taking us down. that's what this is about, this election. facing covid and handling this beast after six months. >> vice president biden laying out his plan to respond to the pandemic on thursday night. let's turn to the fight against coronavirus in new york. 13 straight days, if i'm not mistaken, with a positivity rate of less than 1%. schools set to open in new york city, especially, the largest school district in the country. schools set to open in a few

weeks. it's the largest school district in this country, outside chicago, l.a., houston, who decided to go all virtual. how confident are you that new york city schools are ready to reopen? >> well, look, it is -- first, fingers crossed on all of this, but we have gone from the highest infection rate in the united states to the lowest infection rate, as you know. if there's any state that can reopen schools, it's us. we did a record number of tests yesterday, about 100,000 tests. we test way more than any other state, and we're down at a 0.7 infection rate. we have been reopening for 14 weeks, craig, and our infection rate actually went down. so you can handle this beast, right? if you're serious about it. on schools, we have the infection rate that says you can open schools. it then becomes a question of school district by school district, and it's how you do it. sure, you can.

it's how. it's like when we reopen the economy. you have to be smart. you have to have protocols in place. and we're working that through school district by school district, and what i have said from day one is if the parents aren't happy and confident, and if the teachers aren't confident, then you don't have a school district reopening because you can't open a school district without parents and teachers. and we're working through that now. and we'll make different decisions in different districts. but from my point of view, as long as they're safe and smart, whatever local district wants to do, our infection rate is low right now. >> if you had school aged children in new york city, would you send them to a new york city public school? >> well, they're still working out what the plan would be. i would have a lot of questions. parents do have a lot of questions. this is a risky proposition, no matter how you do it, craig, let's be honest. you're bringing a lot of people into a congregant setting. do you have the testing, the tracing, the social distance

requirements? how are you going to handle it? we have seen schools open. we have seen colleges open and get into trouble in one week. so there's a lot of questions to answer before. but that's the dialogue we're having now. and again, if it's not a smart plan, then it shouldn't happen. and we have 700 school districts. i'm sure we're going to have 700 different answers in new york. >> governor, yesterday, you signed this bill expanding and protecting mail-in voting throughout new york city. as you know, governor, the president has continued to rail against mail-in voting, says it's rife with fraud. what do you say to folks who are watching and listening who are concerned about the idea of mail-in voting? >> yeah, i don't get this rife with fraud. i think this is a setup.

i think the president is frankly anticipating losing on election day. and then we're going to hear him say, oh, there was fraud in the election. the president is very good at always establishing a conspiracy. i think that's the conspiracy he's setting. we do -- we do things through the mail in this country. we pay bills through the mail. we operate through the mail. i think mail-in voting makes tremendous sense, especially now. i don't want people on lines on election day when we fought so hard to get this virus under control. so we're making it easy to do mail-in voting. we have now ten days of voting, so you can vote mail in a ballot within ten days. and we also have covid, fear of covid as a legal reason for an absentee ballot. i think that makes the most amount of sense. >> new york governor andrew cuomo, enjoy your weekend. >> thanks. you, too, buddy. >> the democrats had their say. next week, it's the republicans'

turn in the spotlight. nbc news will bring you live primetime coverage of the republican national convention starting on monday at 10:00 p.m. eastern. >> meantime, we're learning more this morning about the arrest of president trump's former adviser and chief strategist, steve bannon. he's been indicted on fraud charges over a private fund-raiser to build a border wall. this morning, the president distancing himself from his one-time top aide. nbc's gabe gutierrez is at the federal courthouse in manhattan. good morning. >> good morning. steve bannon left his courthouse as defiant as ever after pleading not guilty. he's the latest former trump insider facing legal troubles. this morning, steve bannon, once a top aide to president trump, is out on $5 million bail after being indicted on federal fraud charges. prosecutors say the 66-year-old along with three others raised more than $25 million in a crowd

funding campaign they said would go entirely to build sections of the southern border wall. >> it's all to support president trump and what president trump is trying to do, to get a physical barrier on the southern border. >> bannon is accused of taking nearly $1 million of that campaign to fund his own lavish lifestyle. he was arrested off the coast of connecticut aboard a 150-foot yacht he does not own where he was drinking coffee and reading a book. also charged, a 38-year-old air force veteran and triple amputee from florida. he's accused of taking more than $350,000 in donations, spending it on home renovations, boat payments. even cosmetic surgery. bannon was a former chief strategist at the white house and one of the architects of president trump's 2016 campaign. >> while i feel very badly, i haven't been dealing with him for a long period of time. i know nothing about the project other than when i read about it, i didn't like it. >> the longtime ally kris kobach said the president said the

project has my blessing, and you can tell the media that. >> i didn't know that. i didn't know about bannon's involvement. >> bannon is just the latest close trump associate to face criminal charges. among them, former campaign chairman paul manafort, longtime adviser roger stone, former national security adviser michael flynn, former campaign deputy chairman rick gates. former foreign policy adviser george papadopoulos, and former fixer michael cohen. the biden campaign pounced. >> donald trump has run the most corrupt administration in american history. >> also separately on thursday, a federal judge blocked president trump's latest attempt to prevent a manhattan district attorney from getting his tax returns. the president calling it a fishing expedition, but all that legal maneuvering means the case likely won't be resolved before the november election. hoda. >> gabe gutierrez for us in lower manhattan, thank you. a lot more to get to, including the deadly wildfires raging across california.

officials are calling it a historic event, and they're struggling to gain control. this morning, tens of thousands of people are now under evacuation orders. nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer is in napa county for us. miguel, good morning. >> craig, good morning. the news turned grim overnight. at least six people have been killed in these fires. police are blocking local roads, keeping people from the flames. 20 major wildfires are burning. tens of thousands of people are evacuated and the damage is still being measured. these are the walls of flames fueled by bone-dry conditions, leaving entire neighborhoods in ruin. >> i have never seen anything like it. and it only took a few minutes to get here. >> not far from napa valley, exhausted teams have been facing

impossible conditions. >> we don't have time to get out in front of it and do actually perimeter control. just life safety and evacuations. >> exploding again overnight, flames leaped over an eight-lane freeway. forcing tens of thousands to flee as new spot fires ignite with fury. overnight, students and staff at the sprawling campus of uc santa cruz forced to evacuate. some homeowners racing to save their property. authorities now confirming multiple fatalities. for the last several hours, it's been a cat and mouse game with firefighters trying to catch up with hot embers that are traveling through the air for miles. they're losing home after home. a heroic stand by crews helped save the 132-year-old lick observatory atop mt. hamilton, but historic structure and its telescopes may still be in danger. while even those far from the front lines may be at risk from

the smoke, as northern california endures another day of hazardous air. >> we will see increase in rates of heart attacks and strokes on days like today. this is a severe health problem. >> nasa's satellites captured this enormous smoke plume stretching nearly 600 miles. and in the smoke-filled skies near fresno, the firefight claimed the life of mike fournier, a veteran helicopter pilot and beloved father. >> i love you. like i said, i'll continue to make you proud. >> this morning, families coping with sudden loss as an entire region braces for the uncertainty this new day may bring. this morning, officials are concerned they may find more bodies as they continue to fight back these fires but there is some good news. the weather conditions are expected to improve this weekend, and firefighters need all the help they can get. craig.

>> all right. your heart has to go out to the family of the helicopter pilot as well. miguel, thank you. >> what do you say we bring in al roker? he ended on good news. weather may be looking up. >> it may be, but in the long run, we're still looking at a very dire situation as we take and show you what's happening as far as our weather today. and this is, we're also looking at climate change with this. right now, we have 82 active fires. nearly 1 million acres are burning at this hour. but the wildfire season in the west, since 1970 because of climate change, it's now 105 longer, three times as many large fires, six times as many acres burned than 1970, and this gets worse. we're going to see excessive heat today for 18 million people in the southwest. but it does get better as we get to the weeeekend. wewe'll get toto your locacal ft coming u up in the next 30 seconds.

. good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a live look outside in san francisco it's foggy, but also trapping in some of the smoke from the nearby wildfires. so unhealthy air quality continues today. as we look at our temperatures we'll reach into the low 70s in san francisco. but for the north bay we're still looking at some hot temperatures and highs in low 90s, 90s in the inland east bay while san jose today will reach into the upper 80s. and we'll have a look at our seven-day forecast coming up in about six minutes. >> guys, coming up in the next half hour, we're guys, coming up in the next half hour, we're looking at the possibility of two hurricanes in

the gulf at the same time. something that's never happened before. >> all right, al roker. al, thank you. coming up, richard engel joins us with stunning new details on that suspected poisoning of a high-profile critic of vladimir putin. what made him a potential target and other reported attempts on his life. also, it's sentencing day for lori loughlin and her husband in the college admissions scandal, and there's a big unknown in the case, the coronavirus. we'll explain the connection. but first, this is "today" on nbc. 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.

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still ahead, a story all parents need to see. >> yeah, the question is, what is it like to be on campus during a pandemic? we have a day in the life with a freshman at oklahoma state to find out. an exclusive look at how studenents are beieing trackede.

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howevever you go b back walmlmart's got t your back. ♪ >> a very good morning to you, it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia, our breaking news coverage, of course continues about all fires which have once again proven deadly. >> reporter: i'm cierra johnson in healdsburg in sonoma county, all week we've been telling you how dangerous this fire, and it can turn deadly. four people have been killed, three in napa, another in solano county. folks are on warning about evacuations. the winds are making it difficult for the crews to knock down those fires, consuming

several homes, and several stutters here in this town. >> reporter: bob redell in the city of morgan hill, parts of which are under an evacuation warning. the scu complex fire is burning beyond the eastern foothills there. that's an area people will be keeping an eye on to make sure the flames never come over the ridge and down the slopes into the town. that's why evacuation warnings are in effect. if you want to see if your address is part of that area, log onto our website at nbcbayarea.com. the smoke and conditions continue, so does the heat, kari. >> yeah, we are going to see those hot inland temperatures with highs reaching into the mid-90s, our seven-day forecast keeps some 90s in the forecast but may also add some humidity in the mix by early next week. that's something we'll be watching for the coastal areas and san francisco, expect highs in the low 70s. once the fog clears we'll get a

little bit of sunshine but still that smoke, laura. >> thank you very much. we'll be back with another local news update for you in half an hour. lilily everyonone in the house isis online anand i can't get enouough bandh to vidideo chat wiwith my booko. trtry 1 gig ininternet with at&t t fiber. yoyou get morere bandwidthh and hbhbo max inclcluded. so, evereryone staysys entertai. so i canan just watctch the sw insteaead of readiding the bo? you knowow, if you t turn onon your subtbtitles... thatat's almomost readingn. get 1 1 gig internrnet with at fifiber for $49.99a a month fa yeyear.

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three, two, one. let's have three, two, one. let's have a parade. >> okay, guys. this is happening. 7:30. we have good news on this friday morning. the country's biggest traditions, one of them, the macy's thanksgiving parade, we understand at this moment, it will go on. of course, they're going to make some changes to make sure everyone is safe. it's not quite clear how it plans to reimagine the parade. >> yeah. >> they did it on the fourth of july, but they say stay tuned. it is such a fun tradition. we love doing it every year. and when we heard that news, because they canceled the rose

parade and i was bummed. >> canceled the rockettes. >> but macy's goes on. >> can't have thanksgiving without the parade. let's start with your 7:30 headlines. on the day joe biden was accepting the democratic nomination, president trump went on the attack at a rally in biden's original hometown of scranton, pennsylvania. >> if you want a vision of your life under biden presidency, think of the smoldering ruins in minneapolis, the violent anarchy of portland, the blood-stained sidewalks of chicago, and imagine the mayhem coming to your town. >> the president flew back to washington after that speech, where he's expected to host a funeral service today for his brother, robert trump, who died last weekend at the age of 71. dr. anthony fauci is home this morning and said to be doing well after minor surgery. the nation's top infectious disease expert had a polyp removed from his vocal cords on thursday.

such a polyp often develops after a prolonged strain on the vocal cords, but they say it's not a sign of cancer. the 79-year-old has spent months talking and talking about the pandemic as part of the white house coronavirus task force. check this one out. a giant teddy bear nearly had the stuffing knocked out of him last night at the oakland a's game. since there are no fans allowed, the bear was seated among the cardboard cutouts on the third base line. he was slow to react to the fastball, hoda kotb. >> he got hit right in the keister. >> fear not, kids. fear not. that bear shook it off like a big leaguer. stuck around to enjoy the rest of the game. also looked like the bear may have had a few beers before. >> he took it, though. now to a story making headlines around the world. the suspected poisoning of a fierce critic of russian president vladimir putin. as he fights for his life in the hospital, new details are emerging this morning about just what happened. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engle

joins us with those details. richard, good morning. >> there is dispute over moving navalny. his family wants to transfer him to europe for treatment, but there have been conflicting statements from russian doctors and officials who first said that he's not stable enough to move, that the toxin in his system could present a danger to others, and then they said they found no evidence of poisoning at all. russian officials deny poisoning alexei navalny and even wished him well, but his aides and family don't believe it. he has too many enemies in russia to count. for years, navalny has made highly produced name and shame anticorruption videos, often flying drones over the mansions of russian oligarchs to expose what he says is their vast ill-gotten wealth. no one in putin's inner circle has been immune, including putin himself.

navalny, his lawyer says, was already poisoned in police custody last year. another time, he had a green dye thrown in his face. it left him temporarily stained, and he said, it nearly blinded him. this time, his spokeswoman says navalny may have had a poison slipped into his tea. it's unclear if that's what he's drinking in his photograph before boarding a flight from siberia to moscow. navalny quickly became ill midflight, moaning in agony, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing. navalny rushed to a hospital. when asked, president trump had little to say about putin's most effective and relentless critic. >> we haven't seen it yet. we're looking at it, and mike is going to be reporting to me soon. >> president trump's critics pounced. >> we have heard nothing from pompeo. we have heard nothing from, you know, the white house. and it is a demonstration of the moral bankruptcy, but also the clear and present danger that

the trump administration poses to our freedoms, to our values. >> navalny supporters accuse russian officials are stalling tactics, of trying to keep navalny in the country as long as possible until there's no evidence anymore of what they say is poison in his body. >> our chief foreign correspondent richard engle there, richard, thank you. meantime, today marks a major chapter in the ongoing college admissions scandal. two of the biggest names charged in the case, lori loughlin and her husband, are being sentenced. nbc's joe fryer is in los angeles with what we can expect. >> good morning, hoda. it's been over a year since lori loughlin and her husband were arrested and charged in connection to the massive admissions scandal. now months after their guilty pleas, the couple will face a judge today, virtually, to learn their sentences. it's a landmark day in the high-profile college admissions scandal. actress lori loughlin and her

husband mossimo giannulli await their fates. in a sentencing file this week, federal prosecutors urge the judge to accept plea deals that call for two months behind bars for loughlin and five months for giannulli, and community service for giannulli and a fine for loughlin. after fighting the charges for more than a year, the couple each pleaded guilty in may to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, falsely admitting their daughters as crew athletes to get them into the university of southern california. the prosecutor's memo calls giannulli the more active participant, he confronted his daughter's high school counselor.

to prevent the scheme from being discovered. brazenly lying about his daughters' athletic abilities. prosecutors argue loughlin took a less active role but was none the less fully complicit, saying that evidence points to the former "full house" star coaching her daughter not to say too much to her high school's legitimate college counselor. the couple's daughters have not been charged with any crimes stemming from the probe. because of the pandemic, loughlin and giannulli will appear separately via video conference. one major unknown heading into today's sentencing hearings could ongoing coronavirus concerns shorten or even eliminate potential prison time? >> if i'm representing these defendants, i'm going to look over their medical history very closely to see if i should advise the court of any pre-existing condition that could threaten their health or safety while they are incarcerated. >> felicity, have you prepared yourself for your sentence? >> several other parents tied to the scandal have already gone to prison, including actress felicity huffman who pleaded guilty last year, serving 11 days. now a pivotal day for loughlin and giannulli, far from the

glitz and glamour of hollywood. >> joe, if they do get prison time, where will they serve that? >> first and foremost today, the judge must decide if he's accepting these plea deals. if he does, experts tell us that loughlin and giannulli would likely serve time in a minimum security facility here in their home state of california just like felicity huffman. >> joe, thank you. up next, stick around. we have an exclusive look at some technology that just might save the school year. good morning. i'm morgan chesky. campuses all over the country have been shutting down due to covid-19 outbreaks. one of the most recent right here at oklahoma state university. but instead of closing, officials here are launching a new high-tech contact tracing program they say will keep in-person classes all semester long.

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this morning, we're back, 7:42, with coronavirus and the classroom. the crisis facing colleges and universities >> outbreaks and images like these of packed parties have forced a number of schools to cancel in-person classes it underscores the difficulty to get students to comply with safety precautions could new contact tracing technology be the answer morgan chesky is at oklahoma state university this morning with a "today" exclusive morgan, good morning >> reporter: yeah, craig, hoda, good morning to you. this is pretty cool. first week of classes just wrapping up here at oklahoma state, but already, you have an entire sorority house under quarantine after more than 20 members tested positive for covid-19 now, the school's rolling out those regular safety precautions, but they're really belting big on this high-tech contact tracing program, and we got a chance to see how it all works. this morning, colleges and universities changing course nationwide halting in-person classes after covid outbreaks and scenes of packed parties like this at

villanova, university of north georgia, and this scene near oklahoma state university, just before school started. over the weekend, an off campus sorority house quarantined, with 23 members testing positive. the school is hoping to keep more than 23,000 students safe with a high-tech solution to contact tracing. something that uses everything from course attendance to card swipes to campus purchases to most importantly wi-fi on the students' phones when they set foot on campus to see how this technology works, we followed jared moore for a day in the life of a college freshman leaving his fraternity house, jared heads towards campus first stop, the student union. to buy a snack >> the way to start the day. >> reporter: then it's off to class. >> just starting class we're all socially distancing. >> reporter: afterwards, a quick stop at the library. a short break at a pet therapy

event. >> otis, shake >> good boy. >> reporter: finally lunchtime, where jared goes off campus. then an afternoon gym sesh, before heading back to his fraternity house >> got some guys hanging out >> what's up, jared? >> reporter: the next day, a look behind the high-tech technology >> dr. christy hawkins oversees the contact tracing technology >> what we can see, of course, are the buildings he was in. those are the ones highlighted in orange. you can also see the possible contact locations. >> reporter: with more than 5,000 wi-fi hot spots around campus, hawkins says they can know exactly where a sick student may have been. >> what this basically tells us is the buildings he was in for at least 15 minutes throughout the day. >> reporter: and specifically where in those buildings he was. >> and where in those buildings. >> reporter: so if i go into the library, you're not only going to be able to say i was on the first floor, but i was on this side of the building on the

first floor. >> yes >> reporter: when it comes to off campus - >> we would not be able to track that this is limited to on campus activity >> reporter: as for having their activity tracked, students have mixed feelings >> it feels like, you know, we're kind of being spied on but not really >> if it helps us with covid and keeps everybody safe from the harmful effects of it, i'm all for it >> reporter: the university's president stressing the information gathered is private. >> we have lots of information on everybody on our campus, but we don't distribute it, we don't share it with everybody. >> reporter: to already have 20 members of an osu fraternity testing positive, a quarantine, do you feel prepared >> it worked the way it was supposed to work everybody was tested and they were negative, but somebody came

in who was positive. >> reporter: for students, educators, and university leaders, navigating this pandemic may be the toughest class yet. another big part of campus life is, of course, sports. oklahoma state part of the big 12 conference. as of right now, their football season is intact the university president telling me there will be no tailgating this year. fans will have to wear masks and as far as fans in the stands, they're still working that out hoda, craig, back to you >> all right, fascinating look there, morgan chesky morgan, thank you. what do you say we turn our attention now to the weather our pal, al roker. hey, al. >> hey, guys this hurricane season is shaping up to be one for the record books. we're right now watching all these hurricane watches and warnings from st. kitts, puerto rico, on into the bahamas. tropical storm watches we're tracking the tropicals we have tropical depression 13 and 14 each of them making their way to the east at about -- moving west-northwest, i should say, at about 12 to 21 miles per hour. here's the plots look what happens tuesday

morning. we have two category-1 storms in the gulf and you can see the cone of uncertainty brings one could be laura or marco, depending on which one goes first, and then we've got something threatening anywhere from new orleans to houston, and then watch what happens wednesday morning. only a 450-mile difference between these two systems. and the cones overlap right over louisiana. a little town named chauvin, about 70 miles southwest of new orleans. new orleans, you're going to be part of this, houston, as well as we watch the category-1 or strong tropical storm. either way, by wednesday morning, we have a mess in the gulf coast we are talking about rainfall amounts, 2 to 3 inches, 5 inches, all the way to the gulf coast, but locally, we could be looking at 10 inches of rain by the time we get into wednesday that's what's going on around the country. here's what' good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a live look outside in dublin, still covered with smoke right now, as we continue

to track those fires across the bay area. and our temperatures inland will be quite warm, still back into the low to mid-90s today in the interior valleys while along the coastline it's been nice to see the fog returning and the cooling we had there, as we look at our inland areas, still warm throughout the weekend but by the end of the weekend we could be tracking another surge in higher humidity. has never happened before. we have two hurricanes in the gulf at the same time. it could be unprecedented. we'll keep an eye on it. an update coming up at 8:00. >> all right, al, thank you. like al, tens of millions of americans are now working from home, and many may never go back to the office. >> tom costello spoke with an amazon executive who believes that is not a good thing you'll want to hear what he had to say but t first, thehese messag. neutrogegena® hydroro boost. the numberer 1 hyaluroronic acidid moisturizizer

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good morning to you, it is 7:56, i'm laura garcia, breaking news and happening now the bay area is out of control with wildfires. >> reporter: i'm cierra johnson in healdsburg, we've been telling you how dangerous this fire and now we're warning you this fire can, in fact, turn deadly. cal fire has said four people have been killed, three in napa, another in solano county. here in healdsburg, folks are being warned about evacuations because of the high winds, which persist today. it's making it difficult for crews to knock down the fires, consuming several homes and several structures here in this town. >> reporter: i'm kris sanchez with the latest on the czu

complex fire. it's now at 50,000 acres. the evacuations are massive. more than 56,000 people are forced from their homes, that includes the evacuation, a mandatory one, of uc santa cruz. students and faculty were ordered off campus and told not to expect to return for at least two weeks. we also know that cal fire had to divert firefighters for three rescues of people who did not heed the order to get out. >> and the smoky skies because of the fire and the warm temperatures continue as well, kari? >> yes, you can see the brownish tint to the sky, live look outside in san jose. definitely limit your time outside. we'll see our temperatures in the south bay reaching into the upper 80s. we'll see low 90s for concord and parts of the north bay, reaching back into the low 90s through the seven-day forecast. no changes here. 90s into next week. laura? >> yeah, that smoke is considered to be the worst in

the world right now. be careful, try to limit your time outdoors. another update in half an hour. hi. we're e glad you c came i.

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at a a time thatat works s for you. now thatat's simple,e, easy, , awesome. ask. s shop. discocover at yor locacal xfinity y store todaday. coming up, making his case >> i accept this nomination for president of the united states of america >> joe biden delivers his acceptance speech at the democratic convention. >> character is on the ballot. compassion is on the ballot. decency, science, democracy. they're all on the ballot. >> we will break down his message to voters and comments about president trump. plus, coronavirus and the classroom. teachers from coast to coast demanding stricter safety regulations as communitiesrs wen

the long-term effects of working from struggle to resume in-class learning >> how am i going to socially distance with 5 and 6-year-olds? >> while employers weigh in on the long-term effects of working from home. >> what we lose is our spontaneous connections. people walk by that i may not work on my floor, but i can get quick answers or solve problems. and time for tim ♪ shotgun riding down a two-lan road ♪ ♪ driving around >> country music superstar tim mcgraw joins us to talk about his new album. the grammy winner helps us kick off the weekend with a can't-miss performance, today, friday, august 21st, 2020. >> hi. we're the carlins. >> and we're the "today" show's biggest fans from mccomb, michigan >> i'm celebrating my 30th

birthday with my "today" show friends. >> i'm tiffany >> i'm jeannie >> we're sisters from chicago. >> and we love tim mcgraw! >> oh, yes, we love him right back, too. welcome back by the way, it's friday morning. savannah, she's got a day off. she earned it. she's been working early and late we're happy y'all got up i know some of you guys just did right now. it's 8:00. it's time for the first cup of coffee i got news for you you missed an hour of the "today" show already, but you can catch it on dvr in case you want to catch up >> set that dvr. tim mcgraw, by the way, coming up in a few minutes. you're a huge tim mcgraw fan i have always enjoyed tim. he's got such a great spirit about him. our my "today" plaza, many of them huge tim mcgraw fans. >> and he may have a surprise for somebody on that big board who knows? who knows? >> a little tease. we'll get to that in a moment. but we start this friday morning with your news at 8:00 starting with the race for the white house. joe biden formally accepting the democratic nomination thursday night, making his case for a change in the country's

leadership nbc white house correspondent kristen welker was there she's got the three things to watch. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: hi, craig good morning to you. well, the first big thing that we're watching, that history making night that you just mentioned, joe biden formally grasping the prize that has eluded him for more than three decades. formally accepting his party's nomination for president and delivering the most consequential speech of his entire career, sharply rebuking president trump without mentioning him by name and making the case for himself. >> the current president has cloaked america in darkness for much too long. too much anger, too much fear, too much division. here and now, i give you my word, if you entrust me with the presidency, i will draw on the best of us, not the worst. >> reporter: president trump

will have the chance to make the case for himself and refute biden when the republican national convention gets under way on monday. meanwhile, there were some emotional moments last night, including around the issue of stuttering, as you know, biden has talked about the fact that he struggled with stuttering as a child. well, we heard from a young boy in new hampshire, brayden harrington, who talked about how joe biden helped him take a listen. >> hi, my name is brayden harrington, and i'm 13 years old. and without joe biden, i wouldn't be talking to you today. >> now, biden met harrington in new hampshire recently typically, nominees hit the road and start campaigning in battleground states. don't expect that. the campaign feels very confident about virtual campaigning, and they expect that to continue in the near term craig. >> kristen welker in delaware. kristen, thank you as kristen mentioned, the republican national convention is next week from florida. nbc news will have live primetime coverage starting monday night

now to the latest on the coronavirus. and the ongoing debate over the reopening of schools this morning, safety concerns are prompting more teacher protests from coast to coast nbc's anne thompson has the latest on this hey, anne. good morning >> reporter: good morning, hoda. there's growing pressure on teachers this morning to go back to the classroom the trump administration has named teachers essential workers during this pandemic president trump wants schools to reopen, but more and more teachers are saying not until it's safe. in worcester, massachusetts, teachers taking to the streets they're demanding more of a say in that city's school reopening plans. and angry they must deliver remote lessons from classrooms they worry aren't safe >> the biggest issue that we have is that educator voice is not being used in decision making >> keep schools closed >> reporter: there's mistrust among detroit's public school

teachers too they overwhelmingly authorized a potential safety strike, working only remotely if their covid concerns are not met faced with the threat of a strike in the nation's largest school district, new york city mayor bill de blasio offered a new safety plan. >> here is a pledge. >> reporter: promising ppe supplies for 30 days in every school better ventilation, and free covid tests for students and staff at city-run sites. >> if it's not safe, we won't reopen >> reporter: the mayor reminding teachers they're public servants >> show up and serve people. that's what our constituents depend on. >> reporter: elementary school teacher christine joseph wants to teach in person, but she's worried. >> how am i going to socially distance with 5- and 6-year-olds? >> and how will you get them to wear a mask? >> that's a good question. >> reporter: this is what the first day of school looked like at lucerne valley elementary near los angeles sneeze guards at desks sanitizing stations in every

classroom, and plenty of visual reminders to ease anxious parents. >> i'll see how it goes. if i see anything that i'm not okay with, well, my kid ain't coming back. >> reporter: in vermont, the concern is a potential shortage of substitute teachers south burlington high school principal patrick burke is turning to college students, inspired by his daughter >> repo >> i think they have the skills. i think they have the knowledge and the empathy. and i think they can do it you know, i have a lot of faith in young people. >> reporter: back here in new york, the city is the only one of the nation's nine largest districts to open at least it plans to open, with an in-person option the first day of school here is september 10th hoda >> all right, anne thompson for us again, thanks, anne. >> news is covered how about a little boost

>> i got a boost for you i got a boost for you. there's a young woman who decide today add a little fun to everyone's day with a hop, a skip, and a jump she gets out her chalk she draws a hopscotch course on a busy sidewalk in san francisco. check out what happens young and old, everyone in between, some people hopping one direction. some people go the other way a few kind of race through the course some are real careful. people with dogs on leashes. >> i love it >> people carrying boxes and look, because you're as young as you feel, there's a lady coming up who hops through the course with a cane >> there she is. >> go, go, go. >> who doesn't love a hopscotch. >> draw some people? >> you would have folks who stop and jump. up next, if you have ever picked up a golf club, stick around. even if you haven't, this is such a cool a community hopscotch. >> that would be a good trendy thing to do, people drawing hopscotch. >> i think we should draw one right here >> draw some people? >> you would have folks who stop and jump up next, if you have ever picked up a golf club, stick around even if you haven't, this is

such a cool story. we're going to introduce you to 10-year-old xeve perez he was born to play the sport. one of the best young golfers in the world, and we're delighted that xeveve and his s parents, s prproud parentnts, are witith u. that's rigight after t this. so r roll up thohose sleeve. and d help heal l your skin from w within withth dupixent.t. dupipixent is ththe first treatmenent of its k kind that c continuouslsly treats moderatete-to-severere eczema, oror atopic dedermatitis,, even b between flalare ups. dupipixent is a a biologic, and nonot a cream m or steroidi. many peoplple taking d dupixent saw clclear oror almost clclear skin,, anand, had sigignificantlyy less i itch. don't ususe if you'r're allerc to dupupixent. seririous allergrgic reactioions can n occur, inclcluding anapaphylaxis, which is s severe. tell y your doctoror about newew or wororsening eyeye problems,s, such as s eye pain or visioion changes,s, or a p parasitic i infectio. if youou take asththma medici, don'n't change o or stop thm withouout talkingg to youour doctor.. soso help healal your skinn from w within, and talklk to your e eczema specialistst about dupupixent.

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we're back 8:16, with an incredible, incredible story to share. it happens to be a golf story, so that's why, of course, carson daly is involved hey, carson. >> what's up, buddy? >> hi, guys. good morning hey, good morning, craig you guys are going to love this kid. 10-year-old xeve perez he's got a big swing packed into a small frame, and he's taking the golf world by storm. he's with us live. you saw his parents. they'll talk to us in a minute first, i'm jealous he gave a little playing lesson

to blayne alexander. blayne, how did it go? >> carson, good morning to you xeve has a lot of patience, so that went well for the lesson. very much appreciate his instruction. you know, xeve perez picked up a golf club when he was just 18 months old he's been swinging them ever since. he's got a life-size cutout of tiger woods in his home, but he's well on his way to becoming a legend in his own right, and it's even more impressive when you learn what he's overcome to get here so one hole in, how are we feeling? >> confident, i'm not nervous, everything is feeling nice and cool >> it only takes a few seconds to realize xeve perez is nowhere near your typical 10-year-old. how much do you practice >> every day out here. >> every day >> every day maybe on christmas, it's like a christmas break or a little birthday break >> standing at just 4'10", he swings with the big boys and bo dominates. >> that's really good. dominates. >> that's really good. >> he's already racked up more than 300 wins, top ranked in the 12 through 14 age group, even though he's only 10.

>> breaking really downhill. >> yeah, i think so. >> at just 18 months, he started learning from his dad, butat quickly outgrew him. >> do you beat him >> yes >> all the time? >> yes >> he was so positive. he was so motivated. he was so confident in himself at a very young age. >> xeve won his first tournament at age 3 >> check out the ball position and see where you're lining up >> that's where he caught the eye of his coach, former professional golfer chip deason. >> he walked around like a tour player the first day i met him, he takes his hat off, shakes me hand and says i'm xeve perez i'm going to win the masters >> it's no wonder he's got that comparison literally staring him in the face. >> who's your favorite player? >> tiger woods >> period? >> period.

no one else. i have my tiger woods outfit on. everything is tiger. my shoes are even tiger. >> and around his home course near augusta, he's already a legend >> how are you hitting >> pretty good >> have fun. >> thank you >> even more remarkable when you consider he's already beat the odds born premature at just 20 weeks, barely three pounds. at first, doctors didn't expect him to survive >> they told us to be prepared to have a baby with special needs based on tests and stuff they did, but he was special in other ways >> before each hole, a special routine. >> i pray every day. baby jesus, please bless me with the strength and courage to do good today and hopefully have a good match amen >> so far, works every time. >> every day, he amazes us he's always surprising us on the tournament or on the practice. but just being who he is >> he's never satisfied with anything always wanting to get better as long as he has that drive, the sky is the limit

>> and guys, i've got to say, the only thing better than watching him play was just spending time with him he's just got the sweetest personality and so much energy for the game and for the people around him i have to say i was very grateful for his lessons you know, more reflection on the student than the teacher that i never actually made it in the hole so xeve told me he wants to play augusta national at age 16 so i'm thinking masters 2026, watch out. i do not put it past him, guys >> we're with you all the way, blayne that was an awesome piece. the best part, xeve and his parents, miguel and christine. they're with us from their home in georgia i see tiger's joining us, too. guys, good morning it's great to see you. xeve, when did you start beating your dad at golf how old were you >> i think i started when i was like 3 1/2 >> is that - >> no. i started beating him when i was 3. >> 3 years old >> 3 years old

i was just thinking, xeve, i know you beat your dad at 3. we have a golfer on our staff, too. his name is carson daly. carson, i have a feeling xeve might be able to take you, too >> oh, i heard you say that in the commercial break my money is on xeve as well. xeve, what a great story, buddy. your swing looks so good you know, if you jumped in the car right now, xeve, from your house, and go down 20 minutes, you end up at the greatest place on earth, augusta national golf club what would it mean for you to play at augusta? >> it would be a dream come true i mean, i have been trying to -- in 2026, i want to go to the masters and play and be the youngest to play there but i'm just praying every day that my dream will come true to play there >> well, i pray to baby jesus before every round for a hole in one, and it has not happened

yet, but i still pray. >> miguel, christine, it's part of xeve's story that i find the most remarkable is here was a kid, who as you said, miguel, doctors weren't so sure. and look at him now. how proud are you? >> it's surreal to me. not only the golfer but the good son and good gentleman that he has grown up to be i didn't think that -- we got three beautiful older daughters, and xeve was our youngest. and we didn't think we were going to have another kid because the girls were all in high school when we had xeve so to be here right now and going through this journey with him, it's like a dream it doesn't look real to me >> well, christine, i see you dabbing your tears as you're listening to your son and you're listening to your husband. when i heard in the piece that xeve took his hat off, walked up, shook the hand, how did you raise a kid like this? >> it doesn't come from us, i think.

it comes from himself. miguel and i, we teach him, but he watches the golf movies since he was little. when he sees like bagger vance, the greatest game, he looks at that as that is the example that you're supposed to be as a golfer, as a true gentleman. >> to be a consummate gentlemanw is part of being a golfer. so he lives it and that's how you're supposed to be, that's how you're supposed to act always >> amen. wow. >> yeah. this is a great, great story, guys when i was 13, i played with a 10-year-old tiger woods in southern california. i have seen this story before. this one looks really familiar we're going to keep our eye on you, xeve. mom, dad, thank you guys so much and xeve, your buddy tiger played well yesterday. 3 under 68, four shots off the lead in boston we'll watch him in action this

afternoon on the golf channel. it is the northern trust, the first event in the fedex cup playoffs that starts at 3:00 p.m. eastern. xeve, best of luck to you and the family >> we're saving this tape. we're going to play it back ten years from now thank you. >> thank you >> wow >> that was amazing. >> favorite story of the morning. mr. roker is standing by what are we looking at here, al? >> quick look at the national forecast we'll show you, we have heavy rain through the mid-atlantic, southeastern atlantic states warm and sunny in the plains gorgeous weather in the northeast. record highs out west. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we take a live look outside in san francisco. we've seen the fog returning but also poor air quality. it's trapping in some of that smoke as well. as we look at our high temperature for today, we're looking at a high of 81 in oakland. and 94 in antioch.

92 in clearlake and san francisco in the low 70s. for the south bay, we're looking at highs in the upper 80s. palo alto, 86. we'll take a look at our seven-day forecast coming up in about a minute. >> guys. >> all right, al thank you. straight ahead, how about a little friday fun? how about a little tim mcgraw? we'll talk about his amazing new album, hit after hit and get this, tim is going to perform for us and he grew a mustache so much to talk about. >> looks a little different. >> after your local news

good morning to you. 8:26. i'm marcus washington. our breaking news surrounding out-of-control fires burning across the bay area. five deaths now being tied to the lnu complex fire burning in the north bay. authorities say the bodies of three people were found yesterday in napa county. another person was found in soleano county. the number of structures destroyed now in the hundreds. people in morgan hill and gilroy are being warned they have to evacuate if the scu complex fire keeps advancing into the south bay. the fires now threatening 20,000 structures. and students at uc santa cruz have been told to evacuate from

the czu compleex fire. firefighters there this morning saying that fire likely destroying hundreds of homes but the official number is now at 50 structures. let's get a look at the forecast for you. meteorologist kari hall looking at the temperatures we'll experience. still a warm one out there for us. >> yeah, we do still have hot temperatures for the inland areas. highs in the 90s. through our seven-day forecast, still 90s continuing for the interior valleys but we may also add in humidity while san francisco will stay in the low 70s. >> thanks, kari. we'll have another local news update coming up in 30 minutes. - - [narrator]r] did you just reweward yourseself

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8:30 on this friday morning. august 21st, 2020. and we have the perfect way to roll into the weekend. we got tim mcgraw. >> it's album release day for tim, and we're thrilled, beyond thrilled he's going to chat with us he's going to sing for us. he's going to spend part of the morning with us. speaking of music, the boys from bts have blown their fans away the overnight release of

dynamite there's a sneak peek right there. carson is going to check out the new video in just a few minutes on pop start he's also got big news about the group that involves us as well >> who, us okay >> yes >> coming up in just a few minutes on the third hour of "today," al is going to share his recent trip to tennessee a remarkable story of uncle nearest. he's actually the guy who taught jack daniel how to make whiskey. al turned me on to this whiskey a few months ago >> a drinky story. >> also a great story on the guy. >> what do you say we say hello to our friyay my today plaza crowd. you're looking so good we're happy you're with us the big board is up. i am looking for the horton family in minnesota. where are the hortons? okay i see you, kim i see you, jim i see your whole brood you have kids, you have grandkids. kim, first of all, we know you spent 30-plus years as a pediatric nurse. you have said you spent the same amount of time watching us we're beyond your t-shirt says more it says always be humble and kind

how long have you been a tim mcgraw fan >> about 30 years as well. >> tell me, what is it about him that you're crazy about? >> the messages on his songs i would love to have my family carry those messages through be humble and kind call your mama >> how about if we call tim mcgraw and ask him to come in and say hi to you? what do you think? tim, there's your people >> hi, guys. how are you? >> hi, tim >> oh, my gosh >> hi, tim >> nice to see you i like your shirts >> thanks. >> thank you for all your hard work over the last 30 years. that's pretty incredible you're a special person. it takes a special heart to do what you do. and we really appreciate you >> well, you're welcome. i appreciate that. thank you. there's many of us out there it's not -- it's a group

>> absolutely. absolutely well, hopefully we'll see you out on the road again some day soon when we get back out there, and i can meet you in person >> that would be great >> love it >> all right but guys, in the meantime, tim, he's got some free tickets to give you there's a live stream event. he's got an album release thing tonight. do you want free tickets >> absolutely. we would love to have you tune in and watch it's going to be a lot of fun. you know, we're trying to do something a little different introducing the new album. we spent a lot of time playing music in our living room this time, we want to try to do something that has some good production and adds some value to what we're doing, i guess, in a way. and it's almost like doing a tv special in a lot of ways a lot of work that's going into it and a lot of people putting a lot of work into it. i hope you enjoy it. >> tim, you're amazing i feel like we're watching a facetime between the hortons and

tim mcgraw anyway, y'all. thank you guys tim, we'll see you in a little bit. thank you, guys. thanks, hortons. gorgeous family. >> enjoy the concert tonight let's bring the board back up let's bring it back full so we can celebrate the carlin family in michigan. i see you, carlins we have the skidmores in chicago. celebrating sarah's 30th we have the mcmcmichaels down in hotlanta in the atl. the dennis family celebrating cc's first birthday. hello, dennis family, and i see a 21-year survivor of breast cancer as well good to see all of you by the way, don't forget you can sign up. you can be part of this fun, this virtual fun my today plaza today.com/mytodayplaza >> what do you say we swing it over to mr. roker, get a check of the weather hey, al. >> let's take a look at your weekend, see what's happening. we're starting off tomorrow showers and storms throughout the mid-atlantic, throughout the gulf coast record heat, sunny and hot in the pacific northwest. sunday, sunday, it will be cooler

we're going to be watching the tropics for those twin barreled storms we'll keep an eye on that. unseasonably hot out into the pacific northwest and the western plains, and the heat continues through the southwest. and we've got on sunday the indy 500 delayed, but still not forgotten. we're going to be enjoying this one. sunny skies. chance for an afternoon thunderstorm 86 degrees on sunday >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's take a look at our high temperatures for today. we're going to see our inland valleys reaching into the mid-90s. san jose reaching 87 degrees and 73 in san francisco. our north bay high temperatures reaching as warm as 94 today in santa rosa. we are going to continue with 90s in the inland areas as we go into the weekend. but by sunday night to monday we may have a higher surge in humidity. something we'll be watching over the next few days. >> that's your latest weather. don't forget, don't miss the indy 500 this weekend.

my nemesis, mike tirico, hosting our coverage along with danica patrick. first woman ever to lead the indy 500 all starts sunday, 1:00 p.m., right here on nbc. carson >> sounds good, uncle al thanks so much coming up next on "popstart," a brand-new sneak peek at the return of "the crown" and what's revealed in the new teaser we just saw it's got fans going wild >> but first, this is "today" on nb c.

welcome back carson daly standing by ready to go with a friday morning edition of "popstarts" from the west coast, and graphics are up take it away, good star. >> graphics up on a friday i got management working today so this is good. this is going to go perfectly well let's begin. here we go first up, "the crown." the hit netflix show has finally revealed season four is going to premiere in a few months, and

with the reveal of the street, they released a new teaser trailer giving us a look at new faces including margaret thatcher and a young diana take a look. >> something as important as the monarchy simply cannot be allowed to fail. >> so there is a shot right there. you can see it, guys the internet going nuts with that shot of the wedding dress it is relative newcomer emma corrin going to be playing diana in this season, which will take place in 1979. it will cover diana through 1979 through 1990 last week, we told you elizabeth debicki will be playing diana in later seasons. also, gillian anderson will be

playing margaret thatcher. that's cool. season four, reminder, marks olivia colman's final season as queen elizabeth. >> next up, is it too early in the morning for bts? of course, it's not. never too early. the k-pop mega group releasing their first ever english language track, called "dynamite. featuring a fun throw-back vibe. a theme reflected in the music video which also dropped overnight. here you go. ♪ ♪ light it up like dynamite >> dynamite. there's bts, guys. what do you think? it's got a good vibe, right? kind of throwback. >> probably number one already >> right oh, when it broke the youtube record, i think -- i forgot the

number, but it was 10 million views in 20 minutes. 20 minutes >> what? >> now it's over 50 million. yeah, 10 million views in 20 minutes, which is incredible if you want more bts, tune in on monday because the group is going to be here to talk about "dynamite" and a whole lot more. looking forward to bts on monday here on the show very cool. finally, been trying to get to this story all week, but for time, it somehow hasn't made it. selena gomez has this cooking show that everybody is enjoying. it's called "selena and chef." here she's joined by chef roy choy to make some really amazing looking tacos. selena was so impressed by the finished product she called her best friend to show off the taco much to the surprise of roy and his young daughter watch this >> oh, my god. what is that >> it's a -- >> korean barbecue texas breakfast taco >> the grandparents are here >> how are you >> if you don't send me the recipe, we're going to have

words. i want to be served that >> this is taylor. do you know my friend taylor >> taylor swift, right hey, taylor. >> this is my best friend, taylor >> i'm roy this is kalen. kalen is freaking out right now. >> isn't that great? just calling my buddy taylor roy's daughter is having an outer body experience. >> that's funny. >> that's awesome. >> roy is already the coolest chef in the world. now he's the coolest dad the show is good i enjoy it, i know you all watch food shows it's called "selena and chef." it's on hbo max. you can watch it today that will do it. >> i love that her grandparents were at her house, too very cool vibe there >> a maxed out "popstart." have a good weekend. coming up next, two words. >> thank you, you, too >> tim mcgraw. one of our favorites we have been waiting all week to catch up with tim. he's got a new album it's called "here on earth." today is drop day. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're bac music series here on "today.

we could not ask for a better guest, the one, the only tim mcgraw >> doesn't just saying his name make you happy tim has a new album today. it's his first solo album in five years it's called "here on earth." he'll play a song off it can't wait for that in just a bit. first, let's see what he's been up to. tim, good morning. how are you? >> i'm good. how are you guys >> well, great one thing i know you have been up to is growing a mustache. okay, is faith thumbs up or is faith thumbs down? >> i think she likes it. the problem is i have been trying to grow it since i was 18, and it's finally filled in a little bit >> finally had its moment. we're so excited about the album. when i was reading the note that said it's your first solo album in five years, it kind of struck me so are you having all the feels this morning as you release this album? >> yeah, you know, it's one of those things where the buildup and the anticipation of putting something out and giving it to the world to hear is pretty exciting, and then when it

finally does, you hold your breath a little bit and say well, there it goes. i hope at least somebody likes it as much as i enjoyed doing it >> it's kind of bumming me out how many good songs there are on this thing literally, i have them right now and i have been playing them in the commercial breaks. damn sure do hallelujahville. here on earth. the sheryl crow one. one after the next what i loved that you did, tim, you didn't have a big album release party because you couldn't so you had a little surprise album release party at your house. which was amazing. tell us about that moment. >> yeah, i mean, i was -- i had to go to the office and do a bunch of, you know, when you have an album out, you have to sign a bunch of things to send out. so they had a lot of things set out for me i went up there and nobody was there, so i went in and signed a bunch of stuff while i was gone, faith had all this set up to surprise me because we had all our daughters in town for about three or four weeks.

we were sort of all hanging out at the house, just having fun. i walked in and faith had this set up the turntables set up and the lights to surprise me. we had never, ever done that before in our entire careers, had any kind of listening party, especially with just the family. i think it's the first time my girls ever listened to my musicl all the way through. >> i take it it got the approval of the whole fam and faith >> we had a great time that night. it was a lot of fun. i'm no bts dancer. that's the closest i'll get to k-pop dancer for you right there. >> your song "i called mama" is so touching. it's weird my mom, i hadn't seen her in five months and she just came this past week to be here. it was such a moving moment. i was thinking when i was hearing that song what your mom must have felt like when you played it for her. so what did betty think? >> she loved it. you know, early on, when i first got the song, made me tear up just listening to it then i tried to play it for faith to let hehear it, and i sang it to her when i got to the chorus, i guess, to the hook line, i fell

apart. i couldn't sing it just one of those things that hits you really emotionally. i sent it to mom after it was done i sent her the artwork, first. the cool thing is i got to use the artwork, a picture of her from the artwork, a picture of her from high school i think it was right before she found out about me because i sort of ruined her senior year i have been trying to make up for it my entire life. the first thing she said, does this mean i'm a movie star i texted her back, mom, you have always been a movie star to her. >> we can't wait to hear you perform that song. we're going to take a break, and when we come back, you'll share a special performance of the first hit off that album called "i called mama." many more hits ahead, but first, love you, tim." on nbc >>

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you by citi. >> how great how great is tim mcgraw? one of those guys who makes you feel good by being in his presence and we're not done with him just yet. >> i like the mustache, too. performing the hit "i called mama" off his brand-new album "here on earth." ladies and gentlemen, tim mcgraw ♪ i got a call from a friend f ♪ it's the news no one ever wants to hear ♪ about a friend ♪ ♪ it's the news no one ever wants to hear ♪ ♪ it hit me like a punch it too my breath ♪ ♪ he was just getting into his best

best years ♪ ♪ yeah something like that will shake you up wake you up ♪ ♪ so i stopped off at a texaco ♪ so i stopped off at a bought a slim jim and a coke ♪ ♪ parked out by the water just ♪ grabbed my guitar from the back seat wrote a song just to watch that river flow ♪ ♪ grabbed my guitar from the back seat wrote a song just for me ♪ ♪ and i sung it for the blue sk and a couple live oak trees ♪ ♪ i thought of home grabbed my phone from my pocket ♪ ♪ and i called mama ♪ it rang a couple times and sh picked up ♪ ♪ i can always hear her smile c ♪ i just called to tell you that i loved you ♪

♪ i was missing you and dad and home when i call ♪ ♪ i just called to tell you tha i loved you ♪ ♪ i was missing you and dad and home that's all ♪ ♪ i got to really thinking this morning about what's important ♪ ♪ so i stopped off at a texaco bought a slim jim and a coke ♪ ♪ i parked out by the water jus to watch that river flow ♪ ♪ grabbed my guitar from the back seat wrote a song just for me ♪ ♪ and i sung it for the blue sk and a couple live oak trees ♪ ♪ i thought of home grabbed my phone from my pocket ♪ ♪ and i called mama ♪ and from now on i ain't gonna

wait so long ♪ ♪ to stop off at a texaco buy a watch that river flow ♪ slim jim and a coke ♪ ♪ park out by the water just to watch that river flow ♪ ♪ grab my guitar from the back ♪ and think of home grab my phone from my pocket ♪ seat write a song just for me ♪ ♪ sing it for the blue sky and couple live oak trees ♪ ♪ and think of home grab my phone from my pocket ♪ ♪ instead of saying tomorrow i' ♪ and i call mama gonna and i call mama ♪ ♪ and i call mama >> tim mcgraw.

tim mcgraw >> come on >> brings it every time. >> i guarantee you in this moment, phones are ringing >> you have been playing the album all morning and it does sound like there are a lot of hits on it tim, thank you we have more tim third hour, fourth hours of "today" coming up. more tim mcgraw. >> first, a look at your local news and weather have a great weekend, guys bye-bye.

good morning to you. 8:56. i'm marcus washington. our breaking news involves those out-of-control fires burning across the bay area. at least five deaths are now associated with the lnu complex fire in the north bay. bodies of three people were found yesterday in napa county. another person was found in solano county. the number of structures

destroyed there is now in the hundreds. people in morgan hill and gilroy are being warned that they have to evacuate if the scu complex fire keeps advancing into the south bay. the fire there stretching 20,000 -- or is threatening 20,000 structures. meantime, students at uc santa cruz have been told to evacuate from czu complex fire. firefighters say those fires have likely destroyed hundreds of homes. the official number is currently about 50 structures. happening now for you, crews monitoring all three of these bay area fire systems. we'll have live team coverage during our midday newscast. meteorologist kari hall is tracking those conditions. you can head over to our twitter feed to find out where we're posting the latest on those evacuations. you can have more in an hour.

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live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> and good morning, and welcome to the third hour of "today" on this friday, august 21st. i'm dylan here in studio 1-a with craig right here. al and sheinelle continue to work from home. and we have a jam-packed show for you today, including more with country superstar tim mcgraw. is that song in your head right now? we just heard this incredible performance. i called mama, and he's going on the record with us, talking about his inspirations, his wife, and his first solo album in five years. so you don't want to miss that. >> i know. absolutely. also, i