those changes come on tuesday, so we will keep track of that. that will do it for us. the "today" is next. good morning. breaking news. trapped. dozens of campers stranded by a explosive wild fire in california. rescue operations in dangerous conditions underway overnight. >> prepare for evacuation. >> while crews in other parts of the state race to save lives and homes from fast-moving flames. we're there with them live on the front lines. two months to go. with the clock ticking, the presidential race heats up. president trump and joe biden battling over the economy, the military. >> when it comes to veterans,

he's down right un-american. >> and the politics behind a coronavirus vaccine. >> we may have a vaccine bef >> where it stands as it enters the home stretch. unprecedented pledge. this morning nine of the world's top drug makers joining forces vowing to deliver that vaccine only when it's safe. so when will that be and who will get it first? the ceo of pfizer joins us live for an exclusive interview. one-on-one. michael cohen, president trump's former lawyer, speaking first to nbc news as his bombshell book about the president is released. >> the actions that i was performing for my boss were morally wrong. >> what he's saying this morning about the president's behavior behind closed doors. those stories plus $15

million putt. >> and dti a dominating performance. "today," tuesday, september 8th, 2020. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, everybody. welcome to "today." 7:00 a.m. on the west coast. so happy to be back after the long holiday weekend. >> it feels like back on campus. mr. roker is here. >> i prefer to think of myself as the principal, okay? no running in the halls! >> we're happy to have you back in the studio, al. >> we really are. we'll catch up with you in a moment. a lot going on this morning including the start of the post labor day push to the election. yes, it's on. the president hits the campaign trail in florida and north carolina today. and joe biden is setting his

sights on the battleground michigan. that's tomorrow. we'll have the very latest just ahead with eight weeks to go until election day. plus, there is a new flash point in that race. a potential coronavirus vaccine. and now drug companies are teaming up to ensure the delivery of one that's both safe and effective. pfizer ceo will talk to savannah about that in an exclusive live interview. but let's begin on the west coast. that dangerous situation unfolding in california. take a look at the map this morning. 28 major wild fires now raging across the state. >> indeed. overnight one of them trapped another camp -- group of campers in the sierra national forest and that led to a major rescue operation. so for the very latest on this, we're going to bring in nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer. he is live in fresno where families are being air lifted to safety just this morning. miguel, what can you tell us? >> reporter: hoda, very fluid morning, just a short time ago

we were pushed back from the flight line behind me because the california national guard is currently conducting air rescue operations. we're told this hour 35 people have been pulled out of the fire zone. unfortunately we're told one person did die from a heart attack before they could be rescued. officials are doing all they can to pull out all of those people who are still trapped and the rescues at this hour are on going. overovernight, flames from the deadly creek fire raging in california and forcing rescue teams into action to save dozens of people trapped in the sierra national forest where over 100,000 acres have now been tomped over the last four days. national guard chopper pilots using night vision to pluck trapped campers from the inferno. this morning, we spoke to one of the rescued campers. >> how scary was this? >> it was pretty scary. yeah. something that you probably never want to go through.

>> just waiting for help? >> exactly. we're up there for quite a while just waiting for some kind of relief, some kind of help. >> prepare for evacuation. >> reporter: the fire also sparking last-minute evacuations. residents in its path forced to drive through a tunnel of fire. >> it felt like a movie. it was a living nightmare. >> reporter: gabriella made this heart-stopping escape from the flames. park rangers realized she only had minutes to get to the safety. >> she told ne in the 21 years of being a ranger, i have never seen it this bad. you need to leave now. >> reporter: in the small town of big creek, a race to save essential structures. crews trying to stop the blaze from reaching electric equipment. but it was too late for so many who call this home. >> the fire spread fast.

the winds were strong. >> reporter: we were the middle of fire fight. the conditions on the front line here are intense. you can see crews trying to do everything they cannot to save this home but others nearby. >> satellite images show the creek fire exploding in just hours. the smoke visible from space. the poor air quality impacting millions. the golden state red hot. dozens of fires torching a record 2 million acres, including this blaze near san bernardino, ignited by a gender reveal party. it's not the first time one has gone wrong. this 2017 reveal in arizona caused $8 million in damage. >> start packing up! >> reporter: this morning, flames moving faster than crews. the fear even more will be lost. back here at the air base, you can likely here that chinook helicopter getting ready to take off. the situation here remains very fluid as they continue to make

more rescue efforts. we should tell you about this wild fire. it has now torched 135,000 acres. it's not slowing down. as a matter of fact, it is now growing in all directions. savannah? >> miguel almaguer on our breaking news out west. it's clear that emergency crews are being pushed to the absolute brink. just consider this the, fires burning right now in california include the second, third and fourth largest fires in the state's history. we want to turn now to captain jason sanchez with the california national guard. captain, good morning to you. i know you have been working all night long along with your crews to rescue the campers and hikers. what's the status of the rescue effort at this hour? >> so, we've had three rescue operations return. we've -- which includes 35 individuals from the lake edison area. we currently have one -- one helicopter in route back to fresno with additional evacuees. >> do you have any idea of

whether you've found everyone that you're looking for? do you think there may be more people stranded that you're not aware of? >> i definitely think that's possible. we have multiple locations. but at this time, we're at the lake edison location. and we're getting everybody out of that location. >> have you heard from your rescuers how these campers and hikers are doing, how they're holding up? we just heard from one of them in the piece. what a harrowing experience just waiting there, hoping that help will come. >> we have a little bit. and we heard the gratitude especially our pilots have discussed the gratitude they hear from the evacuees who are just thankful to be back home, be out of danger's way. and they're just glad to be back. >> the conditions have been so difficult. particularly for flying, given the smoke, the visibility issues. what has this challenge been like? >> it's been very challenging for the pilots.

the pilots have -- they attempted yesterday to get to some of the evacuation locations, but they were unable to because of visibility was so bad because of the thick smoke. luckily this evening conditions were a little more favorable so the pilots were able to use night vision and access locations to rescue those evacuees. >> captain jason sanchez, public information officer for the california national guard. we're so grateful for your work and appreciate you giving us an update this morning on the rescue efforts. best of luck. thank you. >> thank you. and al will have a lot more on today's fire danger, that extreme heat everybody is feeling on the west coast just ahead. but first let's go to politics. the prospect of a coronavirus vaccine is taking center stage in the presidential race as we now enter the two-month sprint to election day. nbc's geoff bennett at the white house this morning. hi, geoff, good morning. >> good morning. the timeline for a coronavirus

vaccine is now a major flash point in the race for the white house. president trump and democratic nominee joe biden agree on the need for a vaccine as soon as possible, but the 2020 contenders are clashing over just how much the president can be trusted to deliver. >> reporter: this morning, president trump making a not so suddenle prediction. >> we'll have a vaccine very soon. maybe even before a very special date. you know what date i'm talking about. >> reporter: linking a possible coronavirus vaccine to an election. health experts calling it a long shot. joe biden calling it irresponsible. >> one of the problems is he's playing with politics. i'm worried if we do have a really good vaccine, people will be reluctant to take it. >> reporter: but asked whether he would take a vaccine produced under the um biden said yes. >> if i could get a vaccine tomorrow, i would do it. if it cost me the election, i would do it. we need a vaccine and we need it now. >> reporter: his running mate kamala harris taking a sharper word.

>> i would not trust his word. i would trust the word of public health scientists but not donald trump. >> okay. let's disparage the vaccine. that's so bad for this country. that's so bad for the world to even say that. >> reporter: meantime, the president still facing fallout from a controversial report in "the atlantic" that cited unnamed sources who said the president had referred to service members as losers and suckers. >> who would say a thing like that? only an animal would say a thing like that. there's nobody that has more respect for not only our military but for people that gave their lives in the military. i'm not saying the military's in love with me. the soldiers are. the top people in the pentagon probably aren't because they want to do nothing but fight wars so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy. >> reporter: joe biden calling the president's reported comments un-american. >> sorry if i'm coming close to losing my temper. the simple truth is, if that's how you talk about our veterans,

you have no business being president of the united states of america. >> reporter: but back to the vaccine timeline. here's a quick fact check about the head of the trump administration own vaccine development efforts says a vaccine could be available before the end of the year for certain high risk groups but that immunizing the entire u.s. population would take until the middle of 2021 and that is a best-case scenario. savannah? >> geoff another hot topic in washington this morning. you have been covering the postal service issues. now the postal service head louis dejoy facing possibly an investigation, has to do with campaign contributions. what more can you tell us? >> reporter: "the washington post" first reported that postmaster general louis dejoy allegedly pressured employees at his former company to donate to republican candidates and that dejoy later reimbursed those employees through bonuses. now, such an arrangement would be illegal. and dejoy is already under fire and under investigation by

congress for his policy changes at the postal service that have caused delivery delays and service slowdowns ahead of the election. yesterday president trump was asked about this at a press conferen and dejoy as a, quote, very honest guy. but when the president was asked if dejoy should lose his job if a campaign finance scheme is uncovered, the president said yes. if it's proven he did something wrong. savannah? >> geoff, thank you. in the meantime, nearly two dozen protesters were arrested in seattle. police say the large crowd blocked traffic as it marched and once it got to the police union building some threw rocks, bottles and homemade explosives at the officers. police shared a photo of a molotov cocktail that was recovered from the scene. you see it there. 22 protesters face a list of charges. no officers were injured in the incident. it is 7:13 on the west coast. we'll turn back to politics now. craig joins us with another big

story, a big interview. lester holt has that has connections to the president. craig, good morntoou. what do you got? >> good morning to you. the highly anticipated new memoir from president trump's former personal lawyer michael cohen is out today. that book casts the president in cohen's words as a master manipulator. cohen who pled guilty to federal charges including tax evasion and lying to congress is currently serving the remainder of his sentence under home confinement. nbc's lester holt talked to michael cohen exclusively. lester, good morning to you. >> reporter: craig, good morning to you. michael cohen says he's full of regrets from his 12 years working as trump's lawyer and self-described spokesman, thug, and pit bull. he says he was an active participant in trump's rise. a man he now seems eager to take down. >> i describe mr. trump as a cult leader. and i was in this cult. while i was in the cult, i was really refusing to acknowledge

that the actions that i was performing for my boss were morally wrong. >> reporter: in his memoir "disloyal" michael cohen says he wants others to see the donald trump he knew. you call trump a racist. were you a witness to any moments that you thought he was exhibiting racism or used a racial slur. >> unfortunately all too many times. we had one right after nelson mandela passed away and i talk about this in the book, asked me if i had known of any country run by a black that's not an s-hole. i said, how about america? he gave me the proverbial eff you. >> reporter: among the charges he pled guilty to were federal campaign finance violations with stormy daniels he says to protect donald trump. he also says he was expected to deny mr. trump's alleged affairs to melania trump. >> and i would lie to her at the sort of request of for the

benefit of mr. trump, my boss. i knew what he want med to say. >> reporter: you would tell her nothing happened? >> and i would tell her nothing happened and the whole story is not accurate. and i have a document from the individual stating that it didn't happen. but the one thing i can tell you about our first lady melania trump, she knew i was lying the whole time. but she had enough class not to call me out on it. >> reporter: the white house has blasted cohen's book as fan fiction saying cohen readily admits to lying routinely but expects people to believe him now so he can make money from book sales. it's unfortunate that the media is exploiting this sad and desperate man to attack president trump. >> so i made my mistakes and owned them publicly. i cannot make anybody believe me. >> reporter: cohen believes some of mr. trump's behavior could one day land him in prison. have you seen donald trump's tax returns? >> only from afar. laid out on a table in a conference room. >> reporter: manhattan's

district attorney is currently before a federal appeals court trying to get president trump's tax returns as it examines among other things whether bank or tax fraud occurred. >> you said he would have cfo allen weisselberg and me concoct the highest possible number inflating the valuation of building and golf courses by using the absolute most optimistic comparable properties. >> one of the reasons we were doing it is because mr. trump wanted to be higher in the forbes 500 list. and the way to do that, he would just come up with a number. i'm worth $8 billion. i'm worth $10 billion. our job was to take the assets and figure how you're going to back that $10 billion number that he wants to be. >> reporter: new york federal prosecutors acknowledge cohen did provide information to law enforcement including the special counsel's office. but also noted that cohen's description of those efforts is overstated in some respects and incomplete in others.

so does that diminish your credibility, the fact even prosecutors weren't sure they got the full thing? >> i'm not sure it diminishes anything. considering, i believe, about 18 investigations were open i provided. including the need for his tax returns. >> reporter: cohen knows readers will question the validity of many of his claims, but he wants us to believe this. >> donald trump will do anything and everything within which to win. and i believe that includes manipulating the ballots. i believe that he would even go so far as to start a war in order to prevent himself from being removed from office. >> reporter: and cohen refuses or says he can't say whether he is a witness in any current investigation and he tells me that he pled guilty only because he says prosecutors were threatening to indict his wife. he says he has just to make that choice, craig.

>> lester, thank you so much. we know you'll have more of that exclusive conversation with michael cohen tonight on "nbc nightly news." >> thank you. we got a sneak preview, but here he is in all his glory. mr. roker. and a big heat wave out west. >> unfortunately wish we had better news from the folks suffering from wild fires. we have more than 2 million acres burned, a new state record. the second, third, and fourth largest fires ever are burning right now. because of climate change, five times more area burning since 1972. wildfire season is two to three months longer. and unfortunately, 39 million people are under red flag warnings into wednesday from seattle all the way down to phoenix. we've also got critical fire dangers through phoenix and las vegas. strong winds. rapid fire spread and unfortunately we've got santa ana winds that are going to start firing up today into tomorrow.

with wind warnings, with gusts up to 60 miles per hour. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. ♪ you going all the way milk ♪ milky hi, milky hey ♪ i hope you have a milky day ♪ live your best life milk. ♪ you out this world, milky way ♪ ♪ put you on the spot milk ♪ question: got milk? show us what you got. hashtag got milk. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's take a live look outside where it's just smoky this morning as we take a live look outside in san jose. our air quality will remain unhealthy even with the high wind gusts we'll see today especially in the north bay, and our temperatures heat up once weather. guys again reaching into the over 100 >> al's just cracking us up. degrees for the inland east bay all your old material feels new. >> all my material is old. as well as the far north bay

down to morgan hill. >> but it feels new. so our temperatures hot at least >> new to us, babe. >> thank you and still ahead this for morning, this is really unprecedented. a group of the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies have come together this morning even as they're competing to make a coronavirus vaccine. we're going to talk about their new pledge vowing to follow the science, not politics. we've got an exclusive live interview with pfizer's ceo. plus with two months until the election, growing concerns over how your votes will be counted. could what we hear on election night be very different from the official results tom costello will kick off our new "vote watch" series. but first this is "today" on

join us early to share words of wisdom from her beloved grandparents she's honoring them with a new book filled with their touching letters and lessons that shaped her life and we think everyone should hear them this morning but first your local news. njectn

for severe eosinophilic asthma. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your doctor about nucala at home. find your nunormal with nucala. and eating the small bits of cheese stuck to a mcdonald's wrapper... is the right way... to start-a-morning. ♪ ba da ba ba ba to start-a-morning. metastatic breast cancer is relentless, but i'm relentless too. because every day matters. and having more of them is possible with verzenio, the only one of its kind proven to help you live significantly longer when taken with fulvestrant, regardless of menopausal status. and it's the only one of its kind you can take every day.

verzenio + fulvestrant is approved for women with hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer whose disease has progressed after hormonal treatment. diarrhea is common, may be severe, or cause dehydration or infection. at first sign of diarrhea, call your doctor, start an anti-diarrheal, and drink fluids. before taking verzenio, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection. verzenio may cause low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infection that can lead to death. life-threatening inflammation of the lungs can occur. talk to your doctor if you have new or worsening trouble breathing, cough, mptoms include tiredness, appetite loss, stomach pain, and bleeding or bruicls that cad to death have occurred. tell your doctor if you have pain or swelling in your arms or legs, shortness of breath, chest pain and rapid breathing or heart rate, or if you are pregnant or nursing. every day matters. and i want more of them. ask your doctor about everyday verzenio.

well, good morning. it is 7:26. i'm scott mcgrew. here are tedoday's top stories including dramatic rescues in fresno county. >> reporter: i'm bob redell with breaking news. the army national guard out of fresno has rescued 35 people who are trapped by the creek fire that's burning in the sierra national forest. people trapped at china peak and vermilion, we believe 15 people are still stuck in that fire zone. the surprise is the national guard wasn't thinking they were going to be able to go back in until after sunrise but conditions did improve overnight. >> reporter: i'm cierra johnson in downtown calistoga. all morning we've been in communication with pg&e and can confirm that everyone that was scheduled to have theirng why t lights are on in downtown calistoga it's because they had a micro grid that would have

power for 600 customers. for those without power, what's next? pg&e says they will work to check out some of the de-energized lines and work to have the power restored within 12 daylight hours. let's bring in kari hall. kari, because of the high winds is why they're shutting down the power lines. >> yes, that and we will have very low humidity. we're starting out this morning with terrible air quality across much of the bay area. as we walk out the door. and looking at those wind speeds we are seeing high wind gusts especially in the north bay where the winds have been at about 30 to 35 miles per hour. as we go into today that red flag warning continues meaning very high winds and low humidity could spread fires rapidly. scott? thanks, kari. more local news in half an hour and on nbcbayarea.com.

♪ what a win for serena williams. >> and there it is. you think she was feeling that intensity? serena keeping the quest alive at the u.s. open. she's seeking history. a record-tying 24th grand slam singles title. she won her match yesterday. she has advanced to the quarter finals. so it is on for serena. by the way, she also last week had her 100th win at arthur ashe stadium. that's the most of any player. i think she beat evertt's record. >> i may have watched a little bit of tennis over my vacation. >> did you see the part where her daughter was screaming mommy? mommy? >> of course. >> the other talk, of course, of the tournament over the weekend, the disqualification of the top-ranked man. novak djokovic. here is what happened.

the joker, as he is known, hits a line judge in the throat with the ball, in addition to forfeiting that prize money of $250,000, djokovic now fined $10,000 for not attending a mandatory press conference after he was ejected as well. he said it was an accident. >> frustrated. let's go to a quick check of other 7:30 headlines. we're going to start in california where dozens of wildfires are burning out of control across the state. flames from the deadly creek fire are raging northeast of fresno. rescue teams called in to save dozens of campers trapped in the sierra national forest. 135,000 acres have burned there over the last four days. california's governor declaring a state of emergency in some of the hardest-hit areas. a court in saudi arabia issued final verdicts yesterday for eight people involved in the murder of washington post journalist jamal khashoggi. he was murdered in 2018.

five people were sentenced to 20 years in prison. three others received shorter sentences. the cia found that the crown prince likely ordered that assassination. but the crown prince has denied that claim. turning to golf now, it was a good holiday weekend for dustin johnson. the 36-year-old managed to hold off a late charge by a pair of opponents to win the tour championship and secure that highly coveted fedex cup. >> and dustin johnson has it. he's got his fedex cup title. >> in addition to the title, a cool 15 million bucks. johnson won't have long to celebrate, though. the u.s. open starts in nine days. by the way, you can watch all four days of that right here on nbc. and now we turn to our series on the search for solutions this morning. a major development in the race to produce a coronavirus vaccine and something unprecedented. some of the country's well-known drug makers now presenting a

united front saying they will not rush out a vaccine without proper testing and approval. we're going to talk about that pledge exclusively with the ceo of pfizer. but stephanie gosk has the details this morning. stephanie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. these are some of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world. they are typically fierce competitors but they are coming together with what they call an historic pledge to shore up the race to develop a vaccine for covid-19 now powered fwik public confidence and a covid-19 vaccine at a time when public confidence is looking shakier and shakier the closer these companies get to an approval the race to develop a vaccine for covid-19 now powered by an unprecedented joint pledge this morning the ceos of nine pharmaceutical companies including astrazeneca, johnson & johnson, and pfizer say they will commit to high ethical standards and sound scientific principles as they work toward developing a vaccine the statement includes a pledge

to always make the safety and well being of vaccinated individuals our top priority and to only submit a vaccine for approval or emergency authorization after demonstrating safety and efficacy to a phase three clinical study that is designed and conducted to meet requirements of expert regulatory authorities the hope that this pledge will ensure public confidence in the process. and confidence could be faltering. a usa today poll of voters found two-thirds say they won't get a coronavirus vaccine as soon as it comes out one in four sa while in a controversial move last week, the cdc asked states to prepare for a large scale distribution of a vaccine by november 1st two days before the election part of what the administration has dubbed operation warp speed to make sure a vaccine is approved and reaches as many people as quickly as possible. the president has repeatedly said a vaccine could be ready by

this fall. >> this could have taken two or three years. and instead, it's going to be done in a very short period of time could even have it during the month of october >> reporter: others have tempered those expectations. dr. anthony fauci predicting approval would come by the end of the year. >> is it possible that it could be before then and the answer is yes. i think it's unlikely, but i think it's possible. >> reporter: so there are currently nine phase three trials underway. three of them here in the united states thousands of people have volunteered. some get the placebo some get the vaccine the fda said for a vaccine to be proven effective, at least 50% of the people have to be protected from the virus >> back to you >> all right thank you so much. with us now exclusively with pfizer chief executive officer albert bourla. good morning to you. it's obviously extraordinary to see nine major pharmaceutical companies come together like this at the height of their

competition over a vaccine and say and promise we will not rush it we will make sure science comes first, not politics. what prompted this >> first of all, thank you for having me here the only rival here is the virus and the time to get the vaccine to this. it is an unprecedented moment. it's an historic pledge. nine vaccine makers are coming out saying they will stand with science. and the world is looking to science right now in particular to vaccine to make sure that we will bring us to the end of this pandemic however, with increasing public concerns about the processes that we are would be used to evaluate these vaccines, we saw it as critical

to come out and reiterate our commitment we will develop our products, our vaccines using the highest ethical standards. and the most scientific processes. >> sorry to interrupt, but i just want to ask because yesterday the president said we are going to have a vaccine very soon maybe even before a very special day which was an allusion to election day how concerned are you about a comment like that? >> i do not want to comment on what the president says. to this day, we are saying we will only submit for authorization when we have evidence of safety and efficacy that are coming from a well-designed safety standard. >> you have said, i believe you've told investors, that pfizer could know as soon as october if one of its vaccine candidates is safe and effective. others in the administration, the vaccine chief has said he sees a very low chance of a vaccine by election day.

dr. fauci said it's unlikely although possible that you could know about efficacy and safety by october so where does this stand for you? >> for our vaccines, our phase three is progressing very well we have already included 25,000 patients when it's out depends on mult v but right now our best case of course, this only prediction. it is 60% chances in our best case we will have an answer by the end of october >> i was going to say. so that would be an answer to whether it's safe and effective, not an approval. not shots in the arm in october. >> absolutely, yes absolutely, yes. it is going to be if it is safe and effective. >> before i let you go, we put up a poll number i'm sure you've seen these a quarter of americans say they don't want to get the vaccine ever another poll out said that 65

people thought that a vaccine in this year would be rushed. people have trust issues they've got trust issues with the government and frankly they have trust issues with pharmaceutical companies what would you want to say to them this morning? >> i understand their concerns i understand their concerns because there is so much confusion during this covid crisis no one knows whom to believe and what to believe. hour, they need to know, that one, we are making medicines for 171 years in pfizer. we were founded in brooklyn 171 years ago. and we plan to honor our history and to only bring to the world a vaccine that has been proven safe and effective also i want to tell them that their decision -- they need to understand will not affect only their lives. which at the end of the day it is their judgment. but it will affect the lives of

others because if they don't vaccinate, they will become the weak link that allows the virus to replicate. >> the stakes could not be higher, sir. thank you to you and your scientists who are working hard for a vaccine along with the other pharmaceutical companies we're looking for good news as fast as possible but as safely as possible, too mr. bourla, thank you. appreciate it. >> thank you very much 7:40 now >> up next, tom costello is going to explore the election year traditions that are going out the window and why you shouldn't really expect official results on election night. it's kicking off our new vote watch series with two months to go that's right after this. rovide , and is the onlyrovide , approved medication to reduce inflammation on and below the surface of the intestine in uc. you, getting on that flight? back off, uc. stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb.

tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. rpls, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. lasting remission can start with stelara®. if you've been financially impacted by covid-19, janssen may be able to help. impressive. there is one more thing. ah... jake from state farm. here's the deal-with the drive safe & save app you'll save up to 30% for being a safe driver. like a good neighbor, state farm is there.® ♪ ♪ because i trust their quality. vitamins, ♪ they were the first to be verified by usp, an independent organization that sets strict quality and purity standards.

nature made. the #1 pharmacist-recommended vitamin and supplement brand. no calories, no sweeteners, all smiles, bubly sparkling water, crack a smile. she offered you a homemade cookie. so when she said your trade in was worth 12 thousand dollars, you believed her. but was it a lie? the cookie? the offer? next time start with carmax and get a custom offer good for 7 days. the way it should be. carmax. i'm a delivery operations manager in san diego, california. we were one of the first stations to pilot a fleet of electric vehicles. we're striving to deliver a package with zero emissions into the air. i feel really proud of the impact that has on the environment. we have two daughters and i want to do everything i can to protect the environment

so hopefully they can have a great future. we're back now it is 7:43 with our new series "vote watch. with election day two short different than years past. millions are expected to take advantage of mail-in voting. >> tom costello has a look at

what that could mean for the voting and counting process as well hey, tom >> reporter: good morning to you. state officials are preparing for a very big increase in the amount of mailed-in absentee ballots. over the weekend north carolina became the first state to start sending out thousands of ballots. but we do not have in this country universal voting it is all state by state and the rules vary state by state. that will affect how and when and where you vote and how soon we learn the results >> reporter: in a presidential campaign unlike any other election night is also expected to be much different this year >> nbc news is able to project the re-election of ronald wilson reagan >> reporter: a tradition for decades --african-american has broken the barrier as old as the republic >> reporter: election night projections are usually made as soon as the polls close. >> secretary clinton has

conceded to donald trump >> reporter: but this fall concerns over covid-19 will up end out americans vote millions expected to vote by mail north carolina started sending out the first ballots of this cycle over the weekend >> typically we would be responding to about 30,000 requests at this time. and we're well over 600,000. >> reporter: and rules for processing all of those ballots vary state by state. 13 can verify. 11 other states including battleground states of michigan and pennsylvania can't start that process until election day. and three, maryland, massachusetts, and mississippi are required to wait to validate ballots until the polls actually close. all of that cod certainty at let initially about who the winner there are some early indications that how americans vote is divided along party lines. according to a recent nbc news/"wall street journal" poll,

supporters of joe biden are more likely to vote by mail than supporters of president trump. and now hawk fish, a democratic data analysis firm founded by michael bloomberg is forecasting a possible red mirage where president trump is significantly ahead on election night before all the mail-in votes many of them blue are counted. but the top election official in north carolina which can start processing before election day is confident that they will be able to quickly count all of their ballots. >> by the close of polls on election night, we may already have the results of about 80% of our ballots. >> reporter: and experts remind everyone election night results are preliminary and never official >> it's the job of other objective observers to lay out the scenarios to the public to say this is a matter of vote counting just part of the process there's nothing sneaky going on here >> reporter: and with more ways to cast a ballot, voter participation could dramatically increase colorado adopted universal vote

by mail in 2013. >> we saw an increase of 9% when in colorado when we adopted vote by mail. and evenly among republicans and democrats. >> reporter: and election officials insist while the results could be slower than in previous years, the process should work. >> there may be a need for some patience this year, but it'll get done and it'll get done right. >> reporter: so asked about the red mirage theory, the trump campaign says it is unsubstantiated and a conspiracy theory insisting the president wants a fair and free election and everybody to vote. however, he has suggested repeatedly that mail-in voting is ripe for fraud. election officials say that simply is not true there is no evidence of widespread fraud associated with mail-in voting it is also important that all of us start to plan how we're going to vote right now. election officials are urging

you find out are you registered. make sure you're registered for more information nbc news has a special section called plan your vote with information about how you can go about doing that guys, back to you. >> all right tom costello, thank you. kicking off our vote watch series >> and a truck backing up there in washington, too thank you. let's get a check of the weather. >> one young nick roker registering to vote for the first time very excited to vote >> oh, wow >> excited about that. also not so excited about some of this snow we're talking about. i mean, this is montana. the rockies right now looking at major snow including denver which could see 10 inches of snow take a look. we've got winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings from wyoming all the way down into new mexico we're talking about some places out of the foothills of denver could see 10 inches or more. it moves through pretty quickly. let's not get ahead of ourselves. we have fall to talk about the fall temperature outlook is in warmer than average temperatures expected for the entire united states and because of climate change, we've seen since

1970 95% of the u.s. seeing an increase in fall temperatures. the growing season now is two weeks longer you think that's great more food. but also means awful allergies longer growing seaso means longer allergy season. and badder bugs because higher numbers of mosquito numbers have increased. between the temperatures of 50 to 95. so a warmer fall it's not a good thing. little ankle biters. get them out of here badder bugs, baby. that good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a live look outside in san jose, air quality really unhealthy for you out there. and we're still looking at hot temperatures for this afternoon with highs reaching 95 in san jose. 92 palo alto. 91 in oakland. we will see those highs over 100 degrees for the tri-valley, inland east bay, and the far north bay. as we go through the next couple

of days, fire danger a concern. >> and that is your latest weather. guys >> thank you, al just ahead, what all parents need to know about the new flu shot guidelines for kids dr. torres joins us to break down the recommendations being revealed just this morning but first these messages ♪ a-hey, a-hey-hey [music playing] come my way ♪ ♪ this feeling watch me while i break the ceiling ♪ ♪ yeah i do it right cuz i'm a diamond... ♪ did you know that you can shop online with a virtual consultant?

ask about special financing with the diamond credit card. aswith acetaminophenctionng fights pain in two ways. advil targets pain at the source... ...while acetaminophen blocks pain signals. the future of pain relief is here. new advil dual action. brushing only reaches 25% of your mouth. listerine® cleans virtually 100%. helping to prevent gum disease and bad breath. never settle for 25%. always go for 100. bring out the bold™ and eating the small bits of cheese stuck to a mcdonald's wrapper... is the right way... to start-a-morning. ♪ ba da ba ba ba we're good. yeah, i think we're good here. why do we offer so many active safety features on our chevy suvs? oh yeah. call us when you get there, ok? ready, freddie because we're not just engineers.

slowly. >>i'm going slow. you got it. we have families too. ♪ get 15% of msrp cash back on most 2020 equinox models. that's over fifty-seven hundred dollars cash back on this equinox. find new roads at your local chevy dealer. stand up to moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and take. it. on... ...with rinvoq. rinvoq a once-daily pill... ...can dramatically improve symptoms... rinvoq helps tame pain, stiffness, swelling. and for some... rinvoq can even significantly reduce ra fatigue. that's rinvoq relief. with ra, your overactive immune system attacks your joints. rinvoq regulates it to help stop the attack. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious infections and blood clots, sometimes fatal, have occurred... ...as have certain cancers, including lymphoma, and tears in the stomach or intestines, and changes in lab results. your doctor should monitor your bloodwork.

tell your doctor about any infections... and if you are or may become pregnant while taking rinvoq. take on ra talk to your rheumatologist about rinvoq relief. rinvoq. make it your mission. just ahead, jenna's personal love letter to her grandparents and their words of wisdom she's passing down to her own children >> but first a check of your local news and weather care about them and that we're going above and beyond for them in all the details. the "a" in chick-fil-a is "a smile". i want to give the guest a little encouragement- maybe just a little joke that makes them laugh when they come through the drive-thru. we can stay six feet apart and have the best air high-five.

it's a badge of armor of care of respect. because it means you fight for the safety of those you love. when you come into walgreens you get a flu shot that's right for you... and them you become a flu fighter. do your part and defend your crew against the flu. ♪ walgreens ♪ eve♪ going faster than a closerollercoaster ♪ ♪ love like yours will surely come my way ♪

♪ a-hey, a-hey-hey [music playing] ♪ love like yours will surely come my way ♪ (mom vo) we got a subaru to give him some ato reconnect and be together. and once we did that, we realized his greatest adventure is just beginning. (avo male) welcome to the most adventurous outback ever. the all-new 2020 subaru outback. go where love takes you. (avo female) get 0% apr financing for 63 months on the 2020 subaru outback and other select models. well, good morning, everyone. 7:56. i'm scott mcgrew. breaking and happening right now reopenings are on hold in marin

county. >> reporter: i'm sharon katsuda with a quick update from the marin county health department. the county health department says it will have to delay its former plan to move to tier two which would have loosened restrictions for many businesses in the county including opening up to indoor dining and movie theaters. they're saying the state wants to review the data, and they'll have an update by late they are week. >> reporter: i'm cierra johnson in downtown calistoga. all morning we've been in communication with pg&e and we can confirm that everyone that was scheduled to have their power shut off it's completed. if you're wondering why the lights are on in downtown calistoga, they've had a micro grid that would restore power for as many as 600 customers. for those without power, what's next? pg&e says they're going to work to check out some of the de-energized lines and work to have the power restored within 12 daylight hours.

some good news, thanks, cierra. let's go over to kari and check your weather. we're still going to have very smoky conditions today. look at the air quality that we're seeing over san francisco right now. and you combine that with the fact that we continue a high fire danger for today as we will have a red flag warning for all of these areas shaded in red as we are going to see high wind gusts as well as very low humidity and some more hot weather for today. it's going to be slightly lower compared to yesterday but we're still talking about highs over 100 degrees for the east bay and north bay. mid-90s for the south bay. we will continue the high winds throughout early tomorrow. scott? all right, kari, thank you. we'll have more news coming up in half an hour. we'll see you then. california phones offers free specialized phones... like cordless phones.

- ( phone ringing ) - big button, and volume-enhanced phones. get details on this state program. visit right now or call during business hours.

and accessoriesphones for your mobile phone. like this device to increase volume on your cell phone. - ( phone ringing ) - get details on this state program visit right now or call during business hours.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, breaking overnight, trapped. rescuers race to save dozens of campers stuck in the california wildfires. >> we're going to keep working tirelessly throughout the night until we get as many people out as we can. >> firefighters working around the clock to battle the blazes amid a new round of dangerous evacuations. >> it felt like a movie. it was a living nightmare. >> we're live with the very latest. plus, 'tis the season. as kids head back to school during a pan dem, new guidelines on the flu shot. what parents need to know. and legacy of letters. jenna shares her grandparents' love of writing as she looks back at some of her favorite memories. >> they wrote just to say i'm thinking about you. >> how she's keeping that family tradition alive. >> dearest mila and poppy, this is a letter about motherhood. >> "today," tuesday, september

8th, 2020. ♪ >> we're wishing a happy 3rd birthday. >> we're the erics from sioux city, iowa. celebrating our 7th anniversary on "today" show. ♪ >> from the east coast in new york city -- >> to the west coast of california, we're celebrating 50 years of friendship on "today." >> cute. >> happy day. happy day for them. welcome back. it's a tuesday morning. we're happy you're starting off the day with us. you may be waking up later these days. i don't know. with school starting, maybe back on an old schedule. we do have another hour that happened. it was real good. >> you can rewind it. don't you love technology? >> by the way, we've got a busy half hour ahead. and also tomorrow on "today," something we've been anxious about here.

vicky nguyen, she took the masks off our faces to test them for germs. she's going to be give us the results live tomorrow. spoiler alert. they were dirty. >> my vote is s.g.'s is the worse. i don't know why. i don't know why i think it. >> i gave her a clean one. i bet you it's the dirtiest. so we're all going to learn something from that. let's get to the news at 8:00. there has been no letup on news overnight. in the fire situation in california, the battle is on to save lives. homes threatened by those california wildfires. nbc's national correspondent miguel almaguer joins us with the latest on this breaking news. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, a fluid morning here at the california national guard as air teams here have made dozenins of rescues. we're told up to 50 to 100 campers have been trapped by this fire. this fire is massive. 135,000 acres.

blowing in and growing in every direction. officials say they are concerned that people who were trapped need to get off that mountain in the next 24 hours because they've been in these dangerous conditions and while their life is not under immediate threat, they do need to get to safety. a short time ago, we spoke to one of the evacuees. here is what that evacuee had to say. how scary was this? >> it was pretty scary, yeah. something that you probably never want to go through. >> reporter: just waiting for help. >> exactly. we were up there for quite a while just waiting for some kind of relief, some kind of help. >> reporter: that man was trapped with his family for four days. oftentimes sleeping in their cars but now headed home. people are still up on the mountain. officials say they're working to bring everyone down as the fire grows. certainly dangerous and precarious situations for firefighters who are on the front lines doing all they can, not only to beat back the flames

but to reunite these families. savannah, back to you. >> miguel almaguer, thank you very much. the coronavirus pandemic is about to collide with another complicated health challenge. we're talking about flu season. this morning, the american academy of pediatrics is releasing its annual recommendations for kids. and that vaccine, nbc news medical correspondent dr. john torres joins us to break it all down. obviously there's news out this morning. what is it, dr. john? >> hoda, that's exactly what they're talking about right now is the possibility of what some experts are dubbing the twindemic, we have covid here right now. we're coming into flu season. this could be a bad flu season. they want everybody, especially children to be prepared for it. children 6 months and above get the flu shot. it's important they start getting it now. they get it before the end of october. that's the time frame because we want to make sure they have it before the flu starts. you can get the vaccine or the nasal spray this year.

they both should be equally effective. but getting by the end of october is important because it does take a couple weeks to activate in your body. we want to be prepared when the flu season gets here because we're fighting those two viruses. we want to make sure you're best protected from the flu gives you a better chance against the covid. >> besides kids, what other high risk kids should get this vaccine this year? >> children are a priority here because we know in the past we had some issues last year was unfortunately tied a record high for non-pandemic year wi for non-pandemic year with 188 children dieing from the flu don't want to repeat that obviously. but on top of that people 6 and older, those with underlying illnesses, covid-19, same type of risk factors and pregnant women. you want to get it as well if you're not in a risk factor because you don't want to bring flu home much like you don't want to bring covid home important to protect everybody, home. >> thank you, sir. >> you bet. 8:06 time for a boost.

>> you'll going to laugh hope you're ready. when your kid, there aren't many things than baking cookies with your grandma, except 2-year-old cade likes to sample all the ingredients as soon as grandma adds them to the mixing bowl check it out >> hi. >> eating butter a stick of butter. all right. what's next? after the sugar. it has to be packed in there put it in. don't eat the brown sugar. oh, my gosh, no. >> wait. watch this one she cracks the egg no, no he ate the egg, the flour, the butter makes a good batch of cookies. >> that kid was eating like a stick of butter? >> yeah. and he grabbed the egg literally. there's a lot going on >> i was with him on the butter,

but the egg is a bridge too far. that's cute. coming up next, jenna paying tribute to her beloved grandparents how their life lessons and very special letters are shaping the way she's raising her own children that's the story after this. ♪ everyday it's a-getting closer♪ ♪ going faster than a rollercoaster ♪ ♪ love like yours will surely come my way ♪ ♪ a-hey, a-hey-hey [music playing] ♪ love like yours will surely come my way ♪ and eating the small bits of cheese stuck to a mcdonald's wrapper... is the right way... to start-a-morning. ♪ ba da ba ba ba she offered you a homemade cookie. so when she said your trade in was worth 12 thousand dollars,

you believed her. but was it a lie? the cookie? the offer? next time start with carmax and get a custom offer good for 7 days. the way it should be. carmax. the way it should be. hey allergy muddlers... achoo! ...do your sneezes turn heads? try zyrtec... ...it starts working hard at hour one... and works twice as hard when you take it again the next day. zyrtec muddle no more. [♪] life is band sometimes odors can sneak up on you. for a convenient life hack. try febreze unstopables fabric refresher. with 2 times the scent power of regular febreze, unstopables fabric finds, neutralizes and eliminates tough odors trapped in hard-to-wash fabrics, like couches or smelly sports equipment; leaving an irresistibly fresh scent. and for a tropical burst of freshness, try new paradise scent. stop sneaky odors from lingering in your home, with febreze unstopables.

no calories, no sweeteners, all smiles, bubly sparkling water, crack a smile. and your health is key to that. centrum supports your body with vitamin c and zinc to help maintain your immune system today and into the new tomorrow. centrum. and into the new tomorrow. ♪ ♪ ♪

because i work with a lot... of dust and dirt. just washing... the dirt and the grime off... and just bringing you... back...to you. you see the glow? that's a dove bar. dove cleans effectively, cares beautifully.

you see the glow? that's a dove bar. louie stop. sorry. it's fine. blue does have pretty good ingredients. like what? oh... there's huh. why, what's in beneful? but blue costs a lot more. not really. i've fed beneful. blue's less than 45 cents more a day. ok louie... we'll switch to blue! i'm a verizon engineer and i'm part of the team building 5g ultra wideband. it's already available in parts of select cities

and it's rolling out in cities around the country. 25x faster than today's 4g networks. it's the fastest 5g in the world. this is 5g built right. (vo) outside your window, the wild is still wiand warm. and full of wonder. outside your window, the wild is waiting. don't forget to bring a snack. nature valley. we are better outside. but some can't do it alone. they need help to stay home... ...and stay safe. they need us and we need you. home instead. apply today. to give you the protein you need with less of the sugar you don't.

[grunting noise] i'll take that. woohoo! 30 grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar. ensure max protein. with nutrients to support immune health. to deliver your packages. and the peace of mind of knowing that important things like your prescriptions, and ballots, are on their way. every day, all across america, we'll keep delivering for you. what?! ♪ whatever you have at home, knorr sides can turn nutritious veggies into mouthwatering meals. ♪ veggies taste amazing with knorr. veggies taste amazing i have the power to lower my blood sugar and a1c. because i can still make my own insulin. my body to release it like it's supposed to. once-weekly trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. it's not insulin. it starts acting from the first dose. and it lowers risk of heart attack, stroke, or death in people with known heart disease or multiple risk factors.

trulicity isn't for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. don't take trulicity if you're allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. stop trulicity and call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, changes in vision, or diabetic retinopathy. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. taking trulicity with sulfonylurea or insulin raises low blood sugar risk. side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, belly pain, and decreased appetite, which lead to dehydration and may worsen kidney problems. we're committed to helping ensure trulicity is available and affordable. learn more at trulicity.com. ask sherwin-williams. we're offering curbside pickup. order online and pick up paint and supplies without leaving your car. and this is country crock. we start with farm-grown ingredients,

slow-churned right here in the middle of the country. ♪ which is fitting, because we've been at the middle of tables for generations. ♪ that is, until someone at the end needs a little more on their biscuits. no matter where your table is, pull up a chair and bring the country in. ♪ jenna bush hager joins us for a very special story involving her family >> she is paying tribute to her grandparents in her new book it's called "everything beautiful in its time. general sna jenna, this is beautiful. and i would like to issue a six-tissue warning for the following story. >> thank you, guys my beloved grandparents taught me respect and kindness.

in a single year, i lost three of them. in that year, i reflected on their love which gave me such comfort. here is my love letter to them filled with devotion and some of my fondest memories. ♪ my grandfather president george h.w. bush lived a life of passion and meaning. >> an endless enduring dream and a thousand points of light >> reporter: at his funeral in the national cathedral, we gathered to say good-bye >> the best father a son or daughter could have. >> reporter: the cathedral, a sacred place for our country, is also special for our family. >> death will be no more >> reporter: i spoke from the same pulpit my father spoke from when he spoke to the nation just three days after september 11th. >> come before god to pray for the missing and the dead >> reporter: it was a moment of prayer for all of those that we'd lost and for our country

that was hurting >> we are here in the middle hour of our grief. >> reporter: he knew he couldn't look at his father, because if he did, he would burst into tears. all the former presidents were there. and president clinton, there's a protocol to how they sat, actually got up to move so my dad could sit next to his father and they held hands. it just made me feel so comforted that of course a father and son even though they share this job can still hold hands in a moment of sadness >> you're a good girl. you're one of my blessings >> reporter: we will always remember my grandmother. first lady barbara bush as the enforcer with her 17 children and 8 great grandchildren, she had a typed

page of house rules behind every door with house rules to live by teaching us respect. and on a recent birthday, i reached out to her dear ganny, today is my birthday you know that, of course you were always so good about marking every holiday, every special occasion now that you're gone, i feel your absence most strongly on these days when once there was a letter from you, now there is a void. pa and grammy, a builder and homemaker. there midland, texas jeanette and herald welch. i'm named after jenna who i lost in this same period. she was an extraordinary force in my life she never graduated from college, but she never stopped learning she was a naturalist she had a rock collection that barbara and i would study. and she taught us every constellation in the sky

all of my grandparents were prolific letter writers they wrote about their love and heart breaks they wrote about books they read they wrote just to say i'm thinking about you i am continuing that tradition this is a toast i wrote to my sister on the night of her wedding with our grandpa sitting between us i want to toast my beautiful, closest barbara on the night of her wedding. tonight guided by the ocean, the sound track of our childhood, you married sweet craig. there is one person we are missing tonight whose seat is impossible to fill who would be beaming with pride and that is our ganny. she would be thrilled by this wedding. dearest mila and poppy, this a letter about motherhood. it is my mama who taught me how to be a mom, but it is you, my darlings, who are teaching me what it means to be a mom. when i hold you at night singing the same songs your grammy sang to me, i am filled with

unconditional love and i think about my strong mama and my grandmas and the women that came before and i am so grateful you are mine just like those moments dancing years ago feet in rhythm to my mama's step, i'm following her lead again and i'm going to dance with the two of you as often as i can love, mama it's a family tradition to walk afdinner to the gate at my grandparents' house in maine i thought about my grandparents entering heaven's gates. and here were our gates. i touched the cold metal and turned around. now what asked poppy it was her first trip. she didn't quite understand there was no purpose beyond spending a moment together after a meal getting a little exercise before until it's your time to enter the gates of heaven and join those in your family who have died, you walk to the gates and

walk back. you hope that the sky is clear so you can see the moon glowing over the ocean and you hope to always walk with those you love by your side ♪ >> that was seven tissues. you said six it was seven >> so the book is titled after a verse in ecclesiastes that i read at my grandmother's funeral, 3:11. my grandmother's, jenna. it says everything is beautiful in its time. even grief is beautiful in some ways because it means you loved the people enough to miss them and to care. >> boy, you got the letter writing gene you got it all from your beautiful grand parents and family what a tribute >> just the walk up to the gate grandpa was -- it was the last summer of his life and my dad said who wants to walk to the gate that's what he used to say my grandpa

and he said, i do. and of course he wasn't walking then he was in a wheelchair but we were even surprised by that so we pushed him all the way there. >> okay, jenna thank you. we needed that all right. "everything beautiful in its time" is available today jenna will have more tissues on the fourth hour. >> so please hydrate >> exactly al, let's get a check of the weather. >> all right, guys that was beautiful and as we look right now at these fires, just horrible action going on from seattle all the way to phoenix we've got 39 million people impacted by red flag warnings. we've got critical fire dangers because of strong winds, rapid fires spread from portland all the way into the southwest we'll watch that carefully today. for today also heavy snow. 7 to 10 inches of snow in and around the denver area >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall as we take a look at our smokey

conditions that we have over san jose right now. we're going to continue with unhealthy air quality here and across the bay area. you want to limit your time outside as we deal with hot temperatures today. it's still reaching into the mid-90s for the south bay and triple digits for the inland east bay. going through the seven-day forecast, our main concern over the next 24 hours will be the high fire danger, gusty winds and those hot temperatures. >> and don't forget check us out having a great time on the radio as well. sirius xm channel 108. >> all right, mr. roker. thank you. >> after we compose ourselves. >> i know. >> get it together >> it's like get it together for "pop start." goodness gracious. i'll be carson daly today. or i'll just be me how about that first up, we are sending a big congratulations to our friend kathie lee and the entire gifford family her son cody has finally tied the knot

sharing this gorgeous photo of cody and erica god gave us a glorious day to celebrate this glorious couple so grateful. erica posted one to her instagram captioning happily ever after the newlyweds were engaged in may of last year this wedding was kept small and intimate nonetheless it has been a busy year for the gifford family as kathie's daughter cassidy was married in a private ceremony in june with a bigger celebration planned for when it's safe to do so. kathy said with both kids married, she's quote, the happiest mom in the world. i can hear her saying mama >> oh, yes cody is over the moon too. had some communication with him. >> we love weddings. and babies next up, tom cruise is back to jumping off crazy things for our entertainment. he's been known to do insane stunts for the "mission impossible" series for the last movie alone, he performed a real halo jump and hung off a flying helicopter and we know one of the stunts he's doing for the seventh film. okay

we're going to set the scene here production on the movie has resumed with a director posting this photo to instagram writing, mi7 day one. it shows a huge ramp on a norwegian mountain top this can only mean one thing tell me he's not jumping off that thing some kind of way. new video from nrk shows crews yep. speeding down on the motorcycle and then launching himself off the cliff. a helicopter following him for an incredible shot in the movie. another angle shows him fly off the cliff and then open a parachute. to glide down to safety. >> you only do one take for that, right. >> are you kidding >> no room for error >> that was day one of shooting. talk about easing back into production >> wow cool >> so there you have it. >> thank you straight ahead, looky who we have aly raisman's in the house we're going to get her take on

good morning. 8:26. i'm kris sanchez. breaking news this morning. some marin county businesses have to put their plans on hold a little longer. state health leaders delayed the county's planned move into the second tier of reopening. marin will instead remain in tier one considered the most restrictive level. the state also plans to conduct further review but it affects schools as well as businesses. also, north bay communities are waking up in the dark as part of pg&e's planned power shutoff. they are due to fire danger and could extend into tomorrow night and this affected 23,000 customers in napa and sonoma counties. let's go to meteorologist kari hall. you know how long this is going to last. >> yeah, we've seen those high winds already picking up in parts of the north bay as we take a look at our current wind gusts. you may not feel it so much in the valleys but those mountains are getting some of those gusts, especially once again in the north bay. so this is where we have the red

flag warnings in effect due to that high wind and also the very low humidity. any fires can spread very rapidly. it's going to be hot with our inland temperatures in the upper 90s. kris? >> more local news coming up in just a half hour. we hope you're having a great morning. california phones offers free specialized phones... like cordless phones, - (phone ringing) get detailsn, on this state program.hones.

call or visit hi. what's on your mind?in. can you help keep these guys protected online? easy. connect to the xfi gateway. what about wireless data options for the family? you can customize and save. what about internet speeds that can keep up with my gaming? let's hook you up with the fastest internet from xfinity. and now with our stores reopening, we're putting healthy practices in place. come visit a store today. stop in or book an appointment online at a time that works for you. now that's simple, easy, awesome. ask. shop. discover at your local xfinity store today.

and accessoriesphones for your mobile phone. like this device to increase volume on your cell phone. - ( phone ringing ) - get details on this state program call or visit

♪ they're playing our song, hoda it's tuesday morning, september 8th, 2020. 8:30 it's back to school. lots to look forward to this half hour. we're in a good mood just blame it on our juice you know >> there you go. >> lizzo makes us happy. >> we're catching up with aly raisman, the olympic gold medalist she's got advice for athletes in the delayed tokyo games. and we'll chat with her push to >> yeah. i'm excited about this i got to set down with u.n. secretary general to talk about the surprising connection between the pandemic and the environment. and just ahead, why he hopes it

will lead to a greener future. then on the third hour, going one on one with the legendary jane fonda talking about her new fight against the climate crisis and tomorrow on "today," a guy who always gives us a boost. jay shetty he's got a way of saying exactly what we need to hear and now he's got a highly anticipated new book to inspire us we're going to talk to him about how to think like a monk of course he was a monk and he's going to teach us how to all be monks as well. all right. before we get to that and check in with our happy my "today" plaza which we'll say hello to them in a few. but there's a sneak preview. let's get a check of the weather. >> all right let's show you what we have. the tropics still a big deal we have had a very active season earliest storms on record. it goes all the way down toward the end. from number 10 to number 17 including rene, all earliest storms on record we've only got four named storms left this season after wilfred, we go to the

greek alphabet that's right so right now we've got paulette and rene they're going to be fish storms. they don't affect any land masses however, we are watching two systems that have a 30% chance just near bermuda and another one coming off the african coast. these two systems will bear watching as you see in those development zones. southeastern u.s. could be affected later on this week. that's what's going on around >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's take a live look outside in dublin where it's very smoy as we start out. and we are going to have unhealthy air quality throughout today. we're also looking at still some hot weather with highs reaching over 100 degrees in the inland areas. and then for the next several days, we'll see our temperatures remaining hot, but the main concern for today will be those high winds and the fire danger that will continue into early tomorrow. mid-90s in the forecast and slightly cooler by the end of the week. >> that's your latest weather.

hoda up next, one of our favorite olympians. aly raisman. she knows a thing or two about performing under pressure. now she is sharing her winning strategy for managing stress strategy for managing stress but first this is "today" on rush to work, grab a drink, hurry home. - [cell phone beeps] - stop! don't be on your phone. let someone else take the wheel. make a little eye contact. make a plan. it's a busy world out there. we're all in it together. go safely, california.

put it in gear and take off., next thing you know, the phone is in your hand! stop!

we should be holding the wheel, not holding the phone. it's a busy world out there. and we're all in it together. go safely, california. we are back with big olympic news the ioc just announced now the 2021 tokyo games will go on with or without covid so for all those hopeful athletes out there, the countdown is on. now with us is aly raisman while she won't be competing in tokyo, she is still training in a way. she's emphasizing her mental exercises. she's promoting positive health. aly, good morning. with this news this morning that the olympic games are going on as they say with or without covid, a lot of athletes uh-oh. >> we're good. >> you know what it's the joys of working from home >> yeah.

exactly. >> simone biles said they were training they were getting ready for tokyo 2020 they had that delay. it put them off a little bit what advice do you have for athletes who now know this is the date >> so i think it's really important for athletes to prioritize their mental health you know, i can't imagine how devastating this is for the athletes, the families, the coaches who have put so much in. and everyone else involved in the olympic games. but i also want to acknowledge the importance of prioritizing athlete safety you know, i hope by the time the summer comes around, that we're going to be in a much better place with this pandemic it's been just absolutely so far reaching and so devastating. >> i want to get to your -- the mental health aspect of this which is something you're here to talk about. i want to get this take. i was thinking about you this morning. you know, ally's been in gymnastics since she's 2 she went to a couple of olympic games.

she's won tons of medals your life has been so structured based on gymnastics since the time you can remember. and now that structure isn't there anymore. so i was just curious, like, how do you find you in this moment >> that's a really good question it's been really interesting for me because i really struggled with finding the joy of working out. i've done it, obviously, my whole life as you said from a very, very young age and it was so intense, the training, that i -- you know, i really struggled a lot with ptsd, you know, in the last couple of years. and i think it's kind of like i almost associate that with working out. so it's been a little bit of a struggle for me. so i think just like really prioritizing my mental health and the passion. it's hard for me to go from training some days seven hours a day being in the best shape of my life being able to not go for a ten-minute run i was so exhausted and i couldn't do it it was a big adjustment for me

practicing self-compassion and, you know, i'm really partnering with sanbelo. i'm excited about using the app on my phone. they have these check-ins you can do do them daily, weekly, monthly i can continue to take steps forward. >> you're a paid spokesman for that app and you swear by it you talked about how therapy is such an important part of everything i've been with you through the beginning. i know all the highest moments in your life and all the most difficult moments in your life, too, some very public. your mind? >> that's a good question. i also just have learned the importance of advocating for myself you know, i also just want to take a moment of i always

advocate to be interviewed by you because you make me feel so comfortable. i genuinely feel like you care and support me that makes things better every time i do a live interview like this, i get really anxious. i'm nervous i'm going to, you know, by accident say the wrong thing. it's live tv i have good intentions, but it's super nerve-racking. i think the -- i would say, like, it's hard to put into words how much it's impacted me, the trauma and the ptsd of it. where it's really -- it's translated into different parts of my life where i think that one of the things i've struggled with the most of coming to terms with the sexual abuse is struggling to really trust my gut. you know, really believing myself when i feel like something is wrong like i need to ask somebody else hey, i feel like this is weird is this right? really working on in therapy trusting myself.

but i feel like the abuse kind of took away that trust in myself which i'm really struggling to get that back. but i'm working on it. and i've learned that the best thing to do is to ask for help and communicate with people. because then people can help me. i know so many others are struggling whether or not they're survivors. there are so many people that are so triggered right now for so many reasons. and so i just want to talk about mental health because i don't want people to feel alone. and healing isn't one size fits all. >> i think mental health is such an important thing you're not only healing yourself you've been healing others they've called you like the mom or grand mom on the olympic team because you were caring for everyone just back to this app for our final question so some people aren't comfortable seeking therapy. you know, they feel like it's got a stigma attached to it. what do you think? >> you know, i totally understand the fear of doing therapy.

sanbelo is incredible. you can find it in the app store because there's so many things you can do and my best advice is, if you're intimidated to work on your mental health which is totally normal and it's intimidating for me even sometimes i find my hardest days are the hardest days for me to actually get myself to do it when those are the days i need it most. so my best advice is if you're afraid, just try to commit to doing -- going on the app maybe once -- for one minute a day one minute is better than nothing. or go for a walk in nature for one minute and just take that time for yourself do something that brings you joy, brings you calm you know, maybe focus on your breathing for one minute on the sanbelo app there's so many options you can do daily check ins one of my favorite things about the app is there is this alert that comes up on my phone every day that says how are you feeling? and it's a reminder for me to check in with how i'm feeling. you can do guided journeys, meditation scans.

guided meditation that we're putting up on the app that i'm very, very excited about so i'm going to be sharing certain tools that have really helped me as well. >> all right aly, it's so good to see you i love seeing your face. >> so good to see you as well. >> can't wait until you can come here in person one of these days and sit in the chair next to me and savannah >> thank you. >> thank you, aly. >> thank you, guys coming up, al's conversation with u.n. secretary general on the potential silv whatever stereotype you're gonna try . . .

. . . to put on me about having hiv isn't gonna fit. that's for sure. my name is zach and i'm on biktarvy. biktarvy is a complete, one-pill, once-a-day treatment . . . . . . used for hiv in certain adults. it's not a cure but with one small . . . . . . pill, biktarvy fights hiv . . . . . . to help you get to and stay undetectable. that's when the amount of virus is so low it cannot be measured by a lab test. serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare, life-threatening side effects include a build-up of lactic acid and liver problems. do not take biktarvy if you take dofetilide or rifampin. tell your doctor about all the medicines and supplements you take, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding . . . . . . or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. without talking to your doctor. common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. if you're living with hiv . . . . . . keep loving who you are. and ask your doctor if biktarvy is right for you.

we are back. 8:44 now with some valuable lessons that have been learned about the world around us during this pandemic. mr. roker has this one. hey, al. >> with our collaboration with covering climate now, we spoke to u.n. secretary general ahead of next week's 75th session of the general assembly

when the world went into lockdown last spring, a brief and beautiful transformation took place animals appearing in locations they hadn't been seen in years mountains and skylines revealed after decades of shrouded in pollution. and a remarkable hopeful drop in greenhouse gas emissions the single largest contributing factor to climate change this silver lining, however, quickly faded as countries started opening up but one thing became crystal clear. society can enact change and quickly. in a year unlike any other, the united nations secretary general gives the world direction on recovery, rebuilding, and a dire warning if action isn't taken now. mr. secretary general, you've been very direct in your messaging talking to countries saying they not only have to consider including greenercily

stimulus the two you link very closely. why has that become such a mission? >> i believe that we are facing dramatic challenge with covid-19 but this terrible challenge that has caused so much suffering and devastating impacts on societies is an opportunity. we need to rebuild we need to invest massively rebuilding we can either rebuild as it was which is a huge mistake because of the fragilities of the world. or we can remore inclusive and sustainable economy and society. and so that is why we've been recommending to have massive investments in green technologies, in green industries, in green energy. >> when you talk about investing in green jobs, what are you talking about? >> we need to have climate justice. which means to invest in green energy, create three times more jobs than to invest in fossil

fuel energy. but at the same time let's have social and economic measures addressing the needs of the people that is impacted by the transformation in society, namely climate action and make their jobs be no longer existent in the economy >> you know, covid and climate have really kind of stripped away the differences in societies. where do you see us right now as a society? >> what is dramatic is one of the fragilities that was so clearly on the line by covid-19 is the fragility that comes out of inequality. inequalities in income and weal blsinequalities we need to the extent possible to eliminate them or at least to have equity and justice in the way you invest our resources

when rebuilding our economies. >> paris climate accord. november 4th, the united states is scheduled to pull out what does that do to a global effort to reduce those emissions? >> well, we need united states contribution to climate action and i think it's important to say even if the u.s. government has decided to leave the paris climate action and i'm very optimistic that this dynamic demonstration by the american society and the american business community will compensate for the lack of political commitment that exists at the present moment. >> we always look to our youth are you more optimistic because of this generation that's coming up >> yes i think it's our best hope that generation that's coming up and that understood are ready and we see in many ways around the

world. that either we are united or we'll be doomed. >> u.n. secretary general antonio guterres also tomorrow the meteorological association and the u.n. are going to release their state of the climate report tomorrow. findings expected to be fairly grim with 2020 on track to be our hottest year on the planet ever >> that was a fascinating conversation good to hear he's optimistic thank you. >> al, thank you very much we're going to be back in a moment with our crowd plaza. t first this is "todaybu why " do i love being a doctor at kaiser permanente? my only job is to take great care of my patients. i'm empowered to do what's right for you. our digital records mean your medical history is in one place, so i can give you great care. your primary care doctor, your specialists... it's great! we all work together as one team. our integrated approach to health care helps my patients live longer, healthier lives. i don't just practice here, i'm a patient, too. i wouldn't trust my family's health care to anyone else.

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

we're back it's 8:51. we cannot wait one more minute because the "today" plaza is in the house and so is roker. >> oh, baby! i'm so excited >> they are your people! >> my people >> all right here

spartanburg, south carolina. you're in the house. we got is it jacori, shania, hanna, abby, evy, sophie who wrote into us? can we hear you? are you unmuted? >> oh. uh-oh. >> i think you might be muted. >> uh-oh they're muted. there you go button there you go >> hello >> uh-oh >> we gotch ya >> they're holding a magazine of craig. >> a technical glitch. >> okay. everybody moving forward, cattle drive! go >> have you got any advice other than how to unmute the tv? >> i was going to say that's my advice wear your masks. stay away from the fraternity houses >> there you go. >> love y'all. >> have a great year >> i think we got the message. have a great school year you love craig >> we love it. >> we wish craig was more like that >> silent. >> okay. we have a lot of cuteness on our plaza.

let's get the board back up. we've got dakota turning 3 today. >> oh. >> in colorado it's a seventh anniversary we've got the deweys in arkansas this morning ryan celebrating his 30th birthday with his fiance andrew. guys, we would love you to get in here. all you got to do is unmute and write us at today.com/mytodayplaza we would love to say hello to all of you >> yes, lydia and adam, looking good y'all look great in the house. al, how's it feel? >> feels good. looks great. >> you're here let's spin those jars. >> oh. i'm sorry. my mic's on now. let's bring in the famous smuckers jars. morristown, tennessee. she's a gardener there she is she has lived in the same house for over 75 years. tony campos is from orange, california this world traveler celebrating

101 years. he served his country during world war ii we salute you for your service, sir. happy 102nd birthday to jean houseman of atlanta, georgia she says the secret of longevity is staying active. and nel woodward can play music by ear she's a talented pianist i use my hands and gordon shultz is married to the love of his life for nearly and happy birthday to jean korosh from new york here is a fun fact jean's mom was mentioned on the "today" show by willard when she turned 100 now it's jean's turn willard would be wishing you a happy birthday if you were here. >> they got good genes in that family >> yeah. >> jean and gene yes. i love it. >> i love it when a plan comes together up next, third hour. everyone's back for the third hour as well >> yes, sir.

>> we're going to spend some time with grammy winner curtis jackson. we're going to talk to the rapper and tv producer about the new "power" spinoff. >> and hoda & jenna, mary j. blige is with us also jenna has more on her book that i cannot wait >> get your tissues out right now. but first a check of your local news and weather >> bye-bye, plaza!

it's 8:56. breaking this morning, cmunitien of pg&e's planned power shutoff. it's because of high fire danger because of the wind and could extend into tomorrow night. this will affect up to 23,000 customers in napa and sonoma county. some businesses are putting plans on hold to reopen. they delayed the county move to the second tier of reopening and instead marin will remain in the most restructive first tier. the state plans to conduct further review later this week. santsa clara county also was

hoping to move into less restrictive tier today. we're following the story to see if they got the green light. we'll have a live report in the midday newscast. you can also watch our twitter feed for updates. bay area fire danger remains high. overnight new evacuation orders went into effect in sonoma county after a flare up involving the wallbridge fire part of the lnu complex fire. meteorologist kari hall is tracking the conditions and will have the full forecast in the midday news. dramatic rescues out of fresno county where people were trapped by the fast-moving creek fire. more on that on our home page.

we love our new home. there's so much space. we have a guestroom now. but, we have aunts. you're slouching again, ted.

expired, expired... expired. thanks, aunt bonnie. it's a lot of house. i hope you can keep it clean. at least geico makes bundling our home and car insurance easy. which helps us save a lot of money oh, teddy. did you get my friend request? uh, i'll have to check. (doorbell ringing) aunt joni's here! for bundling made easy, go to geico.com. hello?

live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. this is the third hour of "today." >> and a good tuesday morning. welcome to the third hour of "today." i'm craig melvin. >> i'm sheinelle jones. >> i'm al roker. >> and i'm dylan dreyer. guess what. we are all back together. >> look at that. >> the four of us haven't been here since december when i left for maternity leave. and then the world fell apart. >> wow. >> this is nice. >> i missed you guys. >> it feels right. >> we are going to properly catch up a little bit later this hour. also coming up, bona fide nfl superstar j.j.