cooling. 92 will get very crowded through hills. keep that in mind. >> there you go. well, it's friday. have a great weekend. that's it for us. a live look for you right now. you can see the bay bridge and the golden gate bridge. beautiful shot. dueling town halls president trump and joe biden make their cases to voters and viewers, going head-to-head but not face-to-face on the economy, each other and the coronavirus >> we have done an amazing job and it's rounding the corner. >> it is the presidential responsibility to lead, and he didn't do that. >> the president not clearing up questions surrounding his own testing. >> and you don't know if you took a test the day of the debate. >> possibly i did, possibly i didn't >> while the former vice president says he will eventually clear up his position on packing the supreme court

>> they do have a right to know where i stand and they have a right to know where i stand before they vote. >> just ahead the night's biggest takeaways and the impact on the race with just 18 days to go. second wave, cases of the coronavirus here in the u.s. soared to above 8 million. hospitals once again running out of beds. an outbreak forcing this nursing home to evacuate just ahead, the states seeing the biggest spikes, and growing concerns over the new surge in europe, where the virus is storming back, forcing countries to reimpose harsh restrictions. scrambling. >> we've got to put first things first. >> more covid outbreaks impacting both the nfl and college football some of the weekend's biggest games, called off. >> we don't think it's appropriate that we try to play the game. >> teams now being threatened with fines for violating protocols. are major changes needed in order to keep the seasons on track? all that, plus staying alive.

>> in the air, center field, he's watching. this is back and it's gone >> a dramatic walk-off home run saves the houston astros from elimination. >> carlos correa has just forced a game six. >> as the atlanta braves move one game away from the world series. >> here's the relay and not in time >> today, friday, october 16th, 2020 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza hey, everybody, welcome to "today." it is friday we're reminding you it's a friday morning, thanks for watching savannah, you had a late night, welcome back >> happy friday! tgif just back from miami and happy to be home. >> we do have a lot to talk about. we are going to get to the presidential race in just a moment but also happening today, that

alarming surge in coronavirus cases worldwide. >> yeah, here in the u.s. we've now passed 8 million cases since the start of the pandemic. yesterday saw the most cases in a single day since july, led by daily records recorded in michigan, missouri, north dakota and ohio we're going to have the very latest on the surge just ahead. >> but we are going to begin with the race for the white house. just 18 days to go until the election those competing town halls with the candidates nbc's hallie jackson is in miami to get your decision 2020 coverage started hey, hallie, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning to you those candidate town halls aired at the same time but couldn't have felt more different for president trump, who's waking up here in south florida ahead of a day of campaigning, it was fast paced and wide ranging. one of his last big opportunities to reach a lot of voters before election day he barely talked at all about joe biden, but he did address everything, from covid to conspiracy theories. >> take a look at spain and france. >> reporter: the president pressed about his health, his

taxes, and the bogus conspiracy theory he's refusing to denounce, qanon. >> it is this theory that democrats are a satanic pedophile ring and that you are the savior of that now, can you just once and for all state that that is completely not true? disavow qanon in its entirety? >> i know nothing about qanon. >> i just told you. >> you told me, but what you tell me doesn't necessarily make it fact, i hate to say that. i know nothing about it. i do know they are very much against pedophilia. >> but there's not a satanic pedophile cult run by -- >> i don't know that. >> you don't know that >> no, i don't know that. >> you just this week -- okay, just this week -- >> why are you asking me about antifa, about the radical left why aren't you asking joe biden about -- questions about -- why

doesn't he condemn antifa? >> because you're here with me. >> so cute. >> president trump also defending retweeting to his 90 million followers another conspiracy about the death of osama bin laden. >> that was a retweet. that was an opinion of somebody and that was a retweet i'll put it out there. people can decide for themself. >> i don't get that. you're the president you're not like someone's crazy uncle who can retweet whatever. >> reporter: president trump also taking questions from voters on a variety of issues. >> how are you going to get the united states back on track both in terms of the economy and the pandemic if roe v. wade is ultimately overturned in the future, what protections would be put in place or kept for where the mother's life is in jeopardy in relation to high-risk pregnancies? if you are elected to a second term, do you expect to pursue your previous efforts to cut the

daca program after contracting covid-19 yourself, has your opinion changed on the importance of mask wearing >> no, because i was okay with the masks. i was good with it, but i've heard many different stories on masks. >> reporter: on the coronavirus, the white house has not said when the president's last negative test was before his covid diagnosis two weeks ago. >> just to button it up, do you take a test every single day >> no, no, but i take a lot of tests. >> and you don't know if you took a test the day of the debate >> possibly i didn't, possibly i did. the doctor has very accurate infopmation. >> reporter: president trump defending his record and his finances after an explosive "new york times" investigation say his tax returns show he's personally responsible for $421 million in loans. >> are you confirming that, yes, you do owe some $400 million >> what i'm saying is that it's a tiny percentage of my net worth. >> that sounds like yes. >> reporter: as for election day, president trump is now finally committing to a peaceful

transfer of power after refusing to do just that for weeks. but it came after he again tried to question the legitimacy of the election, despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud. hoda. >> all right, hallie jackson for us in miami. hallie, thank you. and as voters were talking with president trump in miami, joe biden was in philadelphia fielding questions from voters at a town hall of his own. nbc's senior washington correspondent andrea mitchell joins us with more on that story. hi, andrea, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah in his town hall joe biden was happy to talk about policy details and draw contrasts with the president from everything from the pandemic, to the economy, to climate change with their last head-to-head face-off a week away, joe biden saying on nbc he believes president trump will take a coronavirus test before that debate. >> yes i believe he will do that. look, i'm going to abide by what the commission rules call for. i was prepared to debate him remotely, which was supposed to happen, and he said he wouldn't do that.

>> reporter: biden slamming the president for his handling of the pandemic, including mr. trump repeatedly mocking him for wearing a mask. >> when a president doesn't wear a mask or makes fun of folks like me when i was wearing a mask for a long time, then people say, well, it mustn't be that important. >> reporter: the former vice president also committing to take a vaccine if one is approved. >> the body of scientists say that this is what is ready to be done and it's been tested, it's gone through the three phases, yes, i would take it and i'd encourage people to take it. >> reporter: a woman who voted for trump in 2016 asking biden about his now controversial crime bill. >> what's your view on the crime bill that you wrote in 1994, which showed prejudice against minorities where do you stand today on that >> well, first of all, things have changed drastically that crime bill when voted, the black caucus voted for it, every black mayor supported it across the board. the crime bill itself did not have mandatory sentences except

for two things it had three strikes and you're out, which i voted against in the crime bill, but it had a lot of other things in it that turned out to be both bad and good. >> reporter: biden still refusing to clearly tell voters whether he would pack the supreme court. >> they do have a right to know where i stand and they have a right to know where i stand before they vote. >> so you'll come out with a clear position before election day? >> yes depending on how they handle this. >> reporter: and what if he loses? what does that say about america today? >> well, it could say that i'm a lousy candidate and i didn't do a good job but i think -- i hope that it doesn't say that we are as racially, ethnically and religiously at odds with one another as it appears the >> reporter: biden clearly enjoying the town hall format. put on his mask and stayed long after it was over to take even more questions from the

audience his next big test, of course, the final debate with president trump next week. savannah. >> andrea, thank you very much. craig joins us now with more president wants us to be. >> reporter: biden clearly enjoying the town hall format. put on his mask and stayed long after it was over to take even more questions from the audience his next big test, of course, the final debate with president trump next week. savannah. >> andrea, thank you very much. craig joins us now with more on both town halls >> good morning to both of you as we just heard there lots to unpack on this friday morning. to do that let's bring in nbc political analyst and former democratic senator claire mccaskill and rich lowry, editor of "the national review. good morning to both of you. senator, i'll start with you two candidates, 1,200 miles apart roughly, perhaps, an apt metaphor for where our politics are right now in this country. any hearts and minds changed in either town hall last night? >> i'm not sure. i think most people watched the candidate they were supporting if there were undecided voters that watched both, i think they saw quite a startling contrast i think the president's performance stood out for everything he doesn't know he doesn't have a plan for health care to protect pre-existing conditions.

he doesn't know if he owes $421 million to foreign banks he doesn't know whether he took a test as the rules required on the day of the last debate he doesn't even know what qanon is, even though his supporters show up with those t-shirts and those signs at every single one of his rallies it was, frankly, you know, once again, showed that the president has a very tortured relationship with the truth >> rich, one of the things that i found striking in the trump town hall, how little the president mentioned joe biden. he didn't really seem to go after the vice president directly as much as he has in the past what were your takeaways from both of the town halls >> i agree with that it really goes to a key paradox and dynamic of this race the trump town hall much better tv you understand why this guy was a tv star before he was president of the united states, he's just a very compelling figure and usually in presidential politics, in any political race, you want to be the more compelling figure, but in this case you don't

he doesn't want the race to be a referendum about him but inevitably it is all about him so biden on abc was detailed, but also dull and meandering there's nothing really of interest there or to get your hooks into and i think that's one of the key problems for this president and his re-election campaign. >> rich, to claire's point there, last night the president talking about qanon at first saying he didn't know what it was and then admitting he knew a little bit about what they stood for. two weeks ago the proud boys the president seems to continue to have difficulty just full stop denouncing fringe white supremacy groups why is that? why does he have such a hard time doing that? is there political calculation there? >> well, i think he's repeatedly denounced white supremacy. what we saw last night is completely irresponsible where he wouldn't denounce qanon, this

poisonous conspiracy theory. i think the reason is that he knows a lot of these people like him and support him and he doesn't want to do anything to alienate anyone on his side, even if they're beholden to a crazy theory so that was not a great moment >> senator mccaskill, this idea of court packing, adding seats to the supreme court to tilt the balance of power, we've talked about this over the past few weeks. vice president biden has gotten the question a few times senator kamala harris has gotten the question a few times they haven't figured out how to answer the question. last night mr. biden said promising an answer before the election but after the senate votes. what's the thinking here what's the strategy? >> well, first of all, it's a tough question second of all, i think joe biden has mixed emotions about it. he said over and over again he's not a fan of court packing it's happened various times in our history when one party has gotten carried away or there has been some kind of gross

imbalance. and i think he's trying to wait to see what the american people think of the idea that for the first time in history, the senate is blowing up every rule they have to ram through a nominee that's main views are out of step with most americans. >> next debate -- >> it's not a tough question it's not a tough question. this would be one of the most radical measures in american history. the supreme court has been nine since the 1860s. fdr at the height of his power tried to pack the court, was rebuked by congress. so he should just be able to give a straight answer and he won't. he showed a little more leg last night and said he'll actually do the american people a favor of telling them whether or not he's going to support this before the election, which is certainly nice, but the past -- if you're going to be a candidate of norms in our institutions, your answer on this has to be no, i will not destroy the legitimacy of the supreme court. he just refuses to do that. >> rich, we are six days away

from the final debate. as you know, president trump trailing in just about every national poll that's reliable, trailing in most of the battleground state polls as well what does the president need to do on thursday to try and close the gap with mr. biden >> well, he needs to shake up the race he needs to have a strong and aggressive performance but nothing like the first time, which again made it all about him and was repellent to a lot of people. and get this race -- get the race closer and hope that the polls are wrong. >> and senator mccaskill, what does the vice president need to do to get the race closer? >> i think he needs to do exactly what he's doing right now. by the way, if america makes up their mind on which candidate supports the norms and institutions of the presidency, i don't think this race will be close. i think joe biden would win in a landslide. >> senator mccaskill, rich lowry, enjoy the weekend thank you both. >> thank you very much >> savannah, hoda, over to you guys. 7:15 now, time for a check of the forecast. how's the weekend shaping up >> depending on where you are, it's going to be pretty darn

nice right now we've got wet weather making its way into the northeast thanks to a cold front that's going to bring heavy rain through tomorrow up into new england and parts of the mid-atlantic states but then clears out quickly we've also got behind that front 65 million people under some sort of frost advisory, freeze watch or freeze warning, much cooler air coming in look at these temperatures today. buffalo only 53, chicago 4 degrees cooler, dallas even down to 71. and then you move out west and it is hot. i mean we're talking heat advisory, heat warnings for 29 million people from santa rosa all the way down to san diego. and in fact we could see records from tucson, phoenix, escondido, lancaster, all the way up to eureka that's right we'll get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. (squirrel noises) ♪ ♪

(fake squirrel noise) (squirrel noise) (fake squirrel noise) jif peanut butter. it's that jif'ing good you'd dress up like a squirrel for it. and we still have that red flag warning in effect, but it will expire at 11:00 a.m. on tap for today another hot afternoon. microclimate highs could be near record breaking yet again. daily highs in san jose in the 90s, in through concord 96. around the coastline we saw some 80s in the forecast. warm this morning when you are outside at any point. the winds begin to diminish in the afternoon. >> and that is your latest weather. the winter outlook coming up in the next half hour. >> winter? >> oh, boy >> did someone say winter?

thank you. coming up, the chaotic football weekend ahead as the nfl and major colleges confront new cases of the coronavirus among them, one of the game's most successful coaches. will it take major changes to carry this season over the goal line >> and then an inside look at one battleground state with a tale of two very different economies. we are in arizona talking with voters, some thriving, some struggling how that is shape get way they te vo proposition 16 takes on discrimination. some women make as little as 42% of what a man makes. voting yes on prop 16 helps us fix that. it's supported by leaders like kamala harris and opposed by those who have always opposed equality. we either fall from grace or we rise. together. proposition 16 provides equal opportunities, levelling the playing field for all of us. vote yes on prop 16.

i'm voting 'yes' on prop 19. nineteen limits taxes on seniors. it limits property tax on people like me. nineteen limits taxes on wildfire victims. it says so right here. if 19 passes, seniors can move closer to family or medical care. i looked at moving but i can't afford the taxes. will you help california's most vulnerable? vote 'yes' on prop 19. about the covid-19 virus. it's real. it's dangerous. and we do know how to keep you and your loved ones safe. wear a mask. wash your hands. stay six feet apart. we can do this. if we do it together.

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(daughter vo) yes! (four girls vo) the polls! voted! (grandma vo) go out and vote! it's so important! (man at poll vo) woo! (grandma vo) it's the most important thing you can do! good morning. it's 7:26. i'm marcus washington. here are the top stories including the lingering bay area power shutoffs. >> reporter: in san francisco right now power has been restored for 10,000 customers in the bay area. this following the psps that began on wednesday. pg&e saying that the outage wasn't as widespread as they thought it would be with only 41,000 customers impacted as opposed to the 53,000 they initially expected. we're expecting to hear an update later this morning. >> reporter: i'm bob redell in livermore.

a record number of californians have voted early already by mail or these drop boxes like this one outside livermore city hall. the secretary of state says four years ago only 450,000 had been returned. right now over 2.1 million. you can see over half a million were returned here in the bay area. contra costa county has the highest rate of return so far. santa clara county the lowest. we'll have another update but first we want to talk about the forecast with vianey arana in for kari this morning. vianey? good morning. i have a lot of viewers say when i stepped out this morning i thought the heater was on outside, and that's because 70s and 80s on the map. in fact, we had 80s at 4:30 in the morning at half moon bay. believe it or not we're still at 81 degrees and expecting a hot afternoon. get all those early outdoor

exercises done out in because we'll be in the nine, near record-breaking heat. we cool off by next week. marcus? >> thanks, vianey. another local news update in 30 minutes. (garage door opening) it is my father's love... it is his passion- it is his fault he didn't lock the garage. don't even think about it! been there, done that. with liftmaster® powered by myq®, know what's happening in your garage- from anywhere.

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♪ ohhh yeahhh! just connect your myq® app to key. ♪ ohhh yeahhh! get free in-garage delivery with myq® and key by amazon. we are back, 7:30. some good news on this friday morning. you know this guy? that ring-tailed lemur? i actually haven't been following lemur news but he's back where he belongs after he was stolen from the san francisco zoo. a family noticed him near a local church. they called police and officers contained him until zoo officials could get there, so that's the latest on the lemur story. >> he's in good health and that's very important. >> was that a thing this week? >> we weren't focused there. >> what kind of dark soul steals

a lemur? who jacks a lemur? some good news to start your friday. now to your 7:30 headlines this morning. the number of coronavirus cases climbing from coast to coast. the united states hitting an ominous benchmark. there are now more than 8 million confirmed cases. thursday seeing the most cases in a single day since july. it was led by daily records recorded in michigan, missouri, north dakota and ohio. in wisconsin, a new field hospital is now open at the state fairgrounds. in illinois, 50 people had to be evacuated from a nursing home. >> in the meantime former new jersey governor chris christie is urging americans to wear masks, warning people that the coronavirus is, quote, something to take very seriously. christie said he spent seven days in intensive care being treated for covid-19. he was one of a number of people with ties to the white house and also in the president's debate prep who tested positive for the virus around the same time as

the president. christie says he has now recovered but says he was wrong not to wear a mask during various trips to the white house. what do you say we turn to baseball now. a dramatic walk-off home run that keeps the houston astros alive in the playoffs. >> in the air, center field, he's watching. this is back and it's gone! it's a walk-off home run. >> bye-bye. carlos correa with the solo shot in the bottom of the ninth lifting the astros to the win. the rays still lead 3-2. game six tonight. meantime, the atlanta braves just one win away from a trip to the world series after the braves beat the dodgers 10-2 on thursday. game five of that series, tonight. good sports on tonight. how about we turn from baseball to football for a moment here and that sport's growing covid crisis. new outbreaks and cases are taking an even larger toll on

college football and the nfl, shutting down facilities and putting some big games on hold this weekend. nbc's morgan chesky joins us with the latest on this one. he's in arlington, texas. morgan, good morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning to you. that cautious optimism that kicked off the season is being replaced by a bit of a covid reality check. players, coaches and now entire teams are being sidelined as a result of this virus. with a growing number of games being postponed, there's rising questions about the season before some schools even start. this morning from college to the pros, covid-19 forcing football to rewrite its virus playbook. >> i talked to the team after practice today, all by zoom. >> reporter: alabama head coach nick saban keeping a virtual eye on the crimson tide. the 68-year-old legend testing positive, but in good condition. >> at this point i'm completely asymptomatic, feel fine. >> reporter: while saban may have to watch his team from quarantine, others won't even get a chance to step on the field.

the university of cincinnati postponing its upcoming matchup with tulsa after multiple cases of covid. while in florida, 21 players on the florida gators testing positive. >> we've reached a point where we don't think it's appropriate that we try to play the game this weekend. >> reporter: florida's weekend matchup with lsu now on hold. >> i mean you have to go safety first but i'm disappointed. >> could we start seeing conferences discontinue their season altogether? >> there's a pause, you reexpect protocols, try to adjust as best you can and go forward in a safe and smart way. if you can't, you've got a next-level decision to make. >> reporter: this as the pac-12 and big ten conferences gear up to begin their delayed season. in the nfl, the atlanta falcons announcing another positive case, the same day patriots quarterback cam newton was cleared to play. >> we learn things every day. we continue to try to take steps to put everybody's safety at the very top of the list.

>> reporter: the nfl says there's no evidence the virus has been transmitted from one team to another during a game. but the league says they're also encouraging players, coaches and staff to get the flu vaccine on top of existing covid protocols. anyone with flu-like symptoms will be sidelined until tested for covid-19. no word yet on whether colleges will follow suit. >> the ultimate goal is to keep the players safe, keep the staff safe, make sure everybody can make it out of this covid-19 season. >> reporter: a battle off the field, to keep student athletes and coaches safe on it. >> and i think football is now trying to find a way, as basketball and hockey did, to get to the finish line, end their season. >> reporter: and this morning both the pac-12 and big ten conferences say they will not be allowing fans in the stands when they resume play over the next three weeks. other conferences are allowing fans have them in limited attendance, requiring masks and implementing or trying to social

distance. >> the s.e.c. is considering some hefty punishments for teams who break covid protocols, is that right? >> reporter: yeah, they certainly are. the s.e.c. commissioner not messing around, saying that they'll consider individual suspensions and up to $100,000 fine for the school if the coach is seen not wearing a mask during the game, as everyone at least tries to play during this pandemic. hoda. >> all right, morgan chesky, morgan, thank you. coming up next, a tale of two economies in the battleground state of arizona. and with just 18 days to go, it's left many voters still undecided. >> we'll take a closer look on why some businesses there are doing better than ever, but many families are faced with unprecedented needs and the potential impact on the election right after this. humira targets and blocks a source of inflammation

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october 16th through 19th get 40% off paints and stains, and bring color home. with sale prices starting at $23.09. shop in store, or order online for curbside pickup. we're back at we're back at 7:40 with decision 2020. the economy front and center at both town halls. >> the central question on the mind of voters this election and previous elections as well, are they better off today than they were four years ago. >> in my home state which is a battleground this year, arizona, jo ling kent traveled there for a closer look. >> good morning, everybody across the country we're seeing

this economy work for some people and not for others. nowhere is that more prevalent an phoenix, arizona. on one you have a job growth and the other is major job cuts leaving many families struggling to pay their bills the big question now with voters saying the economy is their number one issue, how will this influence who they pick at the polls. it's the question that comes up every election are you better off now than four years ago? >> i'm having my best year ever. >> i was better off four years ago. now everything is going downhill. >> reporter: phoenix and the battleground state of arizona looks a lot like the rest of the country, the tale of two economies.

unemployment doubling, while housing prices skyrocketed 50% it's this split that could be the deciding factor in how arizona votes. >> i had never been in this situation. like how are we going to pay for our bills? >> reporter: a medical assistant and her family considered themselves middle class, always able to provide for their two girls, 17 and 2. but when covid hit, she and her husband lost most of their hours at work, their income slashed in half, causing them to fall behind on rent and utilities feeding her family meant turning to a food bank for the very first time. >> i feel useless for my family financially, you know. it's hard to know that you're about to get evicted or your car gets taken away. >> reporter: she is a registered independent and says she's still undecided. >> i did not hear anything about how they're going to take care of american people, you know there's people dying out there nobody is really doing anything about it. >> reporter: right now the debate in washington over how to help people like calvina is stalled. >> it's most unfortunate and we will have a stimulus bill. >> i think we need another rescue package but because of the pending election we simply weren't able to get together.

>> reporter: a real estate agent has been thriving. >> how are you doing now versus four years ago >> oh, we are definitely better off. >> reporter: phoenix is experiencing its hottest housing market in over a decade, brand new homes selling as fast as they're built. >> this is a very hot home it literally had six offers in a day. >> reporter: with interest rates at record lows and people able to work from anywhere, thousands of new buyers from across the country are flooding the market. and kim says with the republican policies is like lower taxes and regulations helping her business, she's voting for president trump again. >> with the current economy and how things are going, it does give us a lot of confidence to continue down that road. >> reporter: but when it comes to the economy, president trump's major lead in the polls is sliding back in may, he led biden by 12 points now they're tied among registered voters. and many who are doing well have a different take on trump. >> yeah, i mean we're supporting biden. >> reporter: married couple

bobby rogers and steven miller just sold their house after two years, making a 25% profit and their careers in software and interior design are on fire. >> i think our hustle and drive is definitely a big reason why we're in the position we're in donald trump inherited a really good economy, very low unemployment rate and i'm quite concerned if donald trump stays in the white house that we could be headed into a very deep recession. >> reporter: a city divided, economically and politically, as election day draws closer. now, we want to thank the arizona nonprofit wildfire for helping us with our story. it is important to note that arizona has gone to republicans for every presidential election in the last 50 years except 1996. so the par city attracting many middle-class and working class voters, but with the changing demographics and with so many people struggling to make ends

meet, it is increasingly purple. >> it's a battleground this year what are the polls showing >> yeah, so the latest monmouth university poll out yesterday shows biden ahead by six points there in arizona of course this is reflecting his larger lead among the state's latino electorate and gains among some senior voters as well, savannah. >> an interesting look, thank you so much. appreciate it. it feels like fall just started but here we are, mr. roker, taking a look at the winter outlook >> that's right. out west they're going into the winter for a drought for much of the country. 39% of the u.s. is in drought. this is the most we've seen since 2013 and the winter outlook from the national weather service shows not a lot of great news as far as that's concerned. the storm track shifts north during a la nina which we are in right now and that means dry conditions will across the southern tier of states. the northern states will be seeing more rain and snow from seattle all the way into the midwest. and as far as temperatures are concerned, cooler than average up through the plains into the northwest, but much of the country will be warmer than usual. that's what's going on around

and of course like al was talking about much of california is in a drought and that certainly doesn't help when we're dealing with high fire danger which is what we've been seeing the past two days and is the reason the red flag warning was issued. now overall today much better conditions when it comes to the winds. temperatures will be pretty hot. oakland at 73. san jose, 63. here is a look at the 24 hour temperature change. 27 degrees warmer in half moon bay compared to yesterday. hoda. >> all right, al, thank you so much. still ahead, guys, a discussion taking place at dinner tables around the country right now. what to do for the holidays. should you try to get the family together for thanksgiving? vicky nguyen sharing some great advice so you can make the safest decision for your family and your health. but first, these messages.

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this morning, including we've got a fun way, ryan tedder joining us live and he'll perform with his band one republic. >> he has some brand new music, a new song dropped this morning. he's been quite prolific also "today" food loves football cooking up some great gameday treats there she is first, though, your local news not at capital one. you can open a checking account in just 5 minutes. that's right, 5 minutes. plus, the checking and savings accounts have no fees or minimums because that... is how it should be. and you can do your banking right here at a capital one café. or from anywhere with the top-rated capital one app.

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and a good morning to you. 7:56 for you right now. marcus washington and here's what's happening. >> reporter: i'm cierra johnson in san francisco. good news for the folks at the san francisco zoo. the lemur was found at a preschool in daly city. right now they're still unsure who stole the lemur but good news the lemur is safe and sound with the folks at the zoo. >> reporter: i'm kris sanchez here at levi's stadium where the 49ers will take on the l.a. rams on sunday in prime time. and the question is, will jimmy g be able to say feels good baby about that ankle injury that pestered him early in the season. garoppolo did practice this week which is the only way shanahan can tell whether to start jimmy

g. claim the best spot on the couch and watch live here on nbc bay area. our coverage starts at 4:00 in the afternoon. >> the place to be. let's get a look at the forecast, vianey. and good morning. i hope your place to be has ac because we're going to need it today. a great shot of san francisco. we have clear skies, no clouds in sight. look at your daytime highs. is it really october? when you look at these temperatures it doesn't feel like it. we're in the 80s and will climb into the upper 80s around the coastline as well. normally people go to the coast loin line to get relife. not so much today. another local news update in 30 minutes. i didn't choose this job because it was easy.

but i can't say i expected this. to fight these fires, we need funding - plain and simple. for this crisis, and for the next one. prop 15 closes tax loopholes so rich corporations pay their fair share of taxes. so firefighters like me, have what we need to do the job,

and to do it right. the big corporations want to keep their tax loopholes. it's what they do. well, i do what i do. if you'ld like to help, join me and vote yes on prop 15. it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, dueling town halls. president trump pressed on issues ranging from coronavirus to conspiracy. >> that was a retweet. that was an opinion of somebody and that was a retweet i'll put it out there. people can decide for themselves. >> you're the president. you're not like someone's crazy uncle who can retweet whatever. >> joe biden asked about where he stands on packing the supreme court. >> they do have a right to know where i stand and they'll have a right to know where i stand before they vote. >> we're live with your full roundup. plus home for the holidays what you need to know about staying safe before packing your bags just ahead we'll help you

navigate those family celebrations and live from new york, our one-on-one with "saturday night live's" creator lorne michaels what he's revealing about a season unlike any other as snl marks a milestone. >> was there ever any chance, lorne, that you wouldn't ever start back in this studio? >> it was all i talked about all summer is i need an audience. >> today on friday, october 16th, 2020. >> from our neck of the woods in miami, florida we're the birthday girls, live on the "today" show. >> i'm from brewster, virginia, and i'm celebrating my 10th birthday on "today"! >> we're grace and andrew from chicago, illinois. and this weekend we're getting married! >> happy wedding weekend to you love birds welcome back to "today" on this friday morning

if you're just grabbing that first cup of coffee or that second one, hopefully you remember to set your dvr for 7:00 it's waiting for you. that first hour was a good one and it is waiting for you. >> or your fifth cup of coffee, right? you've got a really important story coming up next week. >> yeah, the pandemic, we've got about this, it hasn't been easy for a lot of parents but for families with kids of special needs, the challenge is even greater we'll hear from some of them and really shine a light on their needs. >> look forward to that. why don't we get straight to our news at 8:00 those dueling town halls last night with just 18 days to go until election day president trump and former vice president biden each making their case to the voters nbc's white house correspondent hallie jackson is in miami with a closer look. good morning, hallie. >> reporter: hi, hoda, good morning to you those town halls really showcasing the differences for both candidates in both style and substance in what amounts to one of their last big

opportunities to reach a lot of voters before election day two candidates, two town halls, two very different viewpoints. the biden campaign this morning blasting the president's refusal to denounce the qanon conspiracy theory. >> i know nothing about qanon. >> i just told you. >> you told me, but what you tell me doesn't necessarily make it fact, i hate to say that. i know nothing about it. i do know they are very much against pedophilia. >> reporter: last night's dueling prime time events scheduled after the president backed out of what was initially set to be a virtual debate once he was diagnosed with the coronavirus. the president pressed by savannah about the first debate and when he was tested. >> just to button it up, do you take a test every single day >> no, no, but i take a lot of tests. >> and you don't know if you took a test the day of the debate >> possibly i did, possibly i didn't but you know the doctor has very accurate information. >> reporter: the pandemic also a focus for democratic nominee joe biden. in his own town hall moderated by abc news george

stephanopolous asked whether he would accept a vaccine under the trump administration. >> if the body of scientists say that this is what is ready to be done and it's been tested, it's gone through the three phases, yes, i would take it and encourage people to take it. >> reporter: biden also addressing a potential vaccine mandate. >> how would you enforce that? >> well, you couldn't. that's the problem. just like you can't mandate a mask but you can say, you can go to every governor and get them all in a room, all 50 of them as president and say ask people to wear the mask. >> reporter: the former vice president also once again declining to say whether he would expand the nation's highest court if he wins >> so you'll come out with a clear position before election day? >> yes, depending on how they handle this. >> reporter: with just 18 days until election day, the candidates closing in on their closing arguments. president trump making his case for four more years. >> because i've done a great job. we have the strongest economy in the world. we closed it up. we are coming around the corner. the vaccines are coming out

soon and our economy is strong. >> reporter: biden, for his part, asked what it would say e >> i h about the country if he lost >> i hope that it doesn't say that we are as racially, ethnically and religiously at odds with one another as it appears the president wants us to be. >> reporter: president trump and joe biden have one chance left to go face-to-face and it appears they are both ready to go next week at the next and last presidential debate that's thursday night in nashville. hoda, back to you. >> all right, hallie jackson for us there in miami. thanks. to capitol hill. the senate judiciary committee announced it will vote next thursday on its recommendation for the open supreme court seat. that timeline paving the way for the entire senate to vote on judge amy coney barrett's nomination before the november 3rd election senate republican leader mitch mcconnell says he has the votes right now to confirm barrett

confirmation hearings concluded yesterday with testimony from some of the judge's former colleagues as well as advocates for the affordable care act. a scary scene in washington state thursday as a small plane crash landed in a shopping center parking lot right on top of a car check this out thankfully no one was seriously hurt there was no one in the car. the pilot was taken to the hospital as a precaution police say that the plane somehow lost power after taking off from a nearby airfield. it's 8:06. boost time. >> all right, you guys, working in the office can kind of be a little too quiet sometimes you know how that goes so one worker decided to pump it up pump up the music and pull his colleagues out from behind the plexiglass take a look. ♪ ♪ everybody dance now ♪ everybody dance now >> oh, my god. you better kill it you better kill it

show me something! ♪ >> keep it going, keep it going. >> gladly. >> that's the cabbage patch. >> yeah, it is you can tell he's done that a few hundred times too. >> doesn't that song make everyone want to dance, though >> everybody by the way, on cue, that co-worker cranking up the music, hats off to him now. i think we should all crank that up this weekend. >> i agree can we request it right now from our audio technician >> can he turn around that fast? >> maybe for a future tease. coming up next, we'll help you navigate the tricky, tricky waters of the 2020 holiday season. >> good morning. what are the dos and don'ts for celebrating the holidays this year during a pandemic i'm vicky nguyen, all you need to know before you sit down to a meal with your family this year. that's next on "today. eliminate who you are not first, and you're going to find yourself where you need to be. ♪ the race is never over.

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♪ 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 ♪ ♪ ♪ >> what? what come on, let's get up. the cabbage patch. just kidding. you know what happens when i have only had two hours of sleep. >> great done and well done by the audio, by the way. >> vicky, doesn't that get you in the holiday mood?

>> definitely. that is like a christmas song in my book. >> speaking of the holidays, lots of folks starting to finalize those plans. >> really 2020 has brought on so many changes as we head into the holiday season, the pull of family and togetherness will only get stronger for us. but with some adjusting, we certainly can still enjoy some of that holiday cheer. we just really have to keep our friends and families safe. here are a few tips and ways to do that. there's no place like home for the holidays, the time of year for those moments shared with friends and family from near and far. but the coronavirus is still out there, with pockets of infection on the rise from coast to coast. dr. anthony fauci is warning that the best holiday gift you can give is being careful when planning gatherings. >> we really have to be careful this time, and each individual family evaluate the risk/benefit of doing that, particularly when you have people coming in from

out of town who may have been on airplanes, in airports that just come into the house. >> the cdc says the best way to protect yourself and others is to just stay home. have a small dinner with just the people in your household the agency says you increase your risk when inviting others if you want to have people over, keep your celebration outside and make sure that it's small, with just family and friends in your community experts say people should get tested before seeing elderly family members and quarantine until you get the results. and don't forget the key precautions, wear masks, watch your distance, and wash hands often. if you're the one hitting the road, travel locally if you're heading to a celebration, the cdc says the lowest risk would be a short car trip without any stops and just try to ride with people in your immediate household if that's possible. the 2020 holiday season may be up like any other, but dr. fauci also said this week that a vaccine should be widely available by april that could be just in time for another holiday, easter.

>> okay. >> vick, we have a lot of questions about this we heard dr. fauci and he was telling people to think long and hard before they decide to go see family members so before you pack your bags, before you head out, what is it you should be thinking about >> this holiday more than ever you really want to talk to your family and set some expectations and ground rules how many families are getting together where are we all staying what do we feel about wearing masks? this one i think is really important. are we all going to quarantine for two weeks before we come and converge in one place for a gathering. are we avoiding friends and trying to reduce the coronavirus risk by limiting contact with outside people. >> a lot of families will get tested before they meet. is that a good idea? >> it is a good idea and it's not foolproof obviously, so you don't want to rely solely on those tests. >> what about flying or driving, because that's obviously one way you're going to get there. is there one that's better than the other? >> you want to be especially careful if you have to travel a great distance if you're flying, make sure you

wear your mask when you get on the plane consider putting on eye protection, a face shield. carry sanitizer when you can't wash your hands and distance yourself in the airport. it's not the airplane and the cabin air, it's in the airports with other people. if you're traveling by car, try to minimize the number of stops you're making. pack that water, that food if you have to stop for gas, consider having hand sanitizer wipes so you can wash your hands. >> and if you are going to do it like socially distant, if you're going to be home and zooming, are there ways to make it feel special? >> the good news is there's less cleanup because we'll be apart one thing i really like is having a virtual cocktail hour or hors d'oeuvre hour. or maybe you send out a recipe and everybody makes the same thing and you can make a mocktail and you can have a little get together before the

big meal, toast each other and focus on what you have to do. it's a great way to feel connected even though you're apart. >> you mentioned dr. john torres, let's bring him into the conversation dr. john, we know everyone is encouraged if they can have an outdoor gathering, have an outdoor gathering if you can but if you live in a colder climate you really can't do thanksgiving outside. what's the cdc tell us about keeping indoor gatherings safe >> you're right, craig i'm in colorado right now and it's 25 degrees outside. nobody could go out and have a gathering. this year holidays will be a little different but it doesn't mean they can't be fun and it can't be exciting. a couple of things to think about, if you can't be outside, be inside but open a window. turn the heater on but try to get fresh air moving across the house so you can dilute the virus out and limit the number of people coming this year don't tell the ones you're not inviting them but the ones you invite say we're limiting the numbers. instead of going to every single holiday, pick the one that's most important to you and make that the special one and minimize contact when people come into the house. typically we hug and we kiss because it's the holiday season.

don't do that this year. for thanksgiving, you saw vicky's thanksgiving layout there. typically people get the turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy. this year have somebody serve everybody so they clean their hands, they're the only ones touching the utensils. there's individual condiments for people enthusiastic about the six-foot rule if people are outside your household, six feet wearing masks will be important. obviously take it off when you eat but you want to keep safe. that's the biggest thing, especially for people that might be more vulnerable, the elderly and those with existing medical conditions. >> dr. john, to hoda's question here, is the simplest solution here, is the simplest solution to just make sure everyone gets tested before they show up >> testing is, as vicky said, a good idea in some cases to make sure people aren't sick, especially if you don't know

what they have been doing the last couple of weeks, but testing itself does not mean that you have a free pass to not wear a mask or social distance even if you test negative, you still need to follow these rules so testing might be a good idea to add on. if people are positive, they definitely should not come even if they're negative, they should still follow all the rules, craig. >> dr. john, a couple of days ago first lady melania trump revealed that part of her treatment for covid-19 is taking vitamins is that part of what folks suffering with coronavirus, is that something they should be doing to boost their immune system >> you know, craig, as a doctor we get this question all the time about vitamins. vitamins are important to keep you healthy and your immune system healthy what they don't do is cure coronavirus or prevent coronavirus unless you've had them build up in your system for a long period of time. so taking them a short term period to help, the best thing is to eat well itch your levels are low, vitamin d might be something you can take, but otherwise just eat healthy. >> dr. john, thank you, sir.

vicky nguyen, thank you as well. thank you for participating in the dance party as well. let's get a check of the weather from al. >> all right, guys we're talking holidays and yet it is still hurricane season it's kind of hard to believe, but we have had at least one u.s. landfall of a system each month since may, from bertha all the way down to delta in october. and as we look at the tropics right now, we've got two areas of development we're watching. a 30% chance of formation in one area out in the atlanta, the other down in the caribbean. we watch the development zones, fairly wide in the atlantic. the other is hanging out down to the caribbean, that will remain to be seen we also look at what's happening today. cold front bringing heavy rain from the mid-atlantic all the way to the northeast behind that front, we've got a fall feel from the plains all the way on up into the great lakes, some showers in the pacific northwest. record highs continuing in the southwest all the way into northern california. that's what's going on around >> and we are still under a red flag warning but just a few

hours away from that expiring which, as of now, is 11:00 a.m. san francisco, great shot there. clear conditions. and it's going to be a hot day. heat advisory will be in effect through 9:00 p.m. talking 80s and 90s. we started off pretty warm and that's going to be on track for later this afternoon. expect to see decreasing winds after 10:00 a.m. which is a good sign heading into the weekend with cooler weather next week. >> and that is your latest weather. hoda. all right, al, it is time for popstart carson is working from home this morning. we miss you, carson, but what you got? >> hi, guys, good morning, savannah, great job last night it's good to see you all i'd like to thank in advance the graphics department for getting up this morning. graphics department for breakfast, you know what he just had for breakfast? >> what? >> two sausage links. >> okay. >> sounds delicious. >> that's it we have to work on that balance. maybe get an egg in there. here we go, guys, popstart happy friday, everybody.

lots to cover today. this is a great show, the fifth season of the nbc drama. it premieres in just a couple of weeks. this morning we can exclusively reveal the new trailer as fans know last season ended with a big blowup between brothers randall and kevin it was called one of the darkest moments in the show's history. the new trailer teases the next chapter for the family and a possible reconciling for the two brothers >> my fiancee has morning sickness. >> you'll need to explain your use of the word fiancee. >> for all i know today isn't even my birthday >> i'll never really know what happened that day. >> the world is a brilliant >> this pain is not forever. >> nothing is forever. >> except us

>> see, i mean all things can be good between the brothers. season five of "this is us" premieres october 27th of course we're proud to say right here on nbc, what a great show. next up, david letterman a few weeks back we showed you the trailer for season three of his show, "my next guest needs no introduction. one of those guests being superstar lizzo. this morning we're lucky enough on popstart to have the exclusive clip from that episode. lizzo attempting to teach dave how to play the flute until he gives up and tries his own way >> you got this. >> geez, i'm winded. >> welcome to my world. >> let's try something like this >> oh. >> there's got to be something in there how did you do that? >> and then they went on to do a little duet together lizzo and david letterman,

that's going to be season three of "my next guest needs no introduction." >> did he have anything in his hands? >> no. >> it sounds like a peace pipe or something. >> that's what they do in indiana. >> and dave looks -- he looks lost in the woods already and i'm sure that's the thing. >> you almost got it >> thank you thank you. thank you. next up on popstart, "saturday night live." hard to believe the show hit a major milestone. this month marks 45 years on the air. for the iconic sketch comedy show. of course it all started with creator and executive producer lorne michaels he's been at the helm for more than half of his own life. after wrapping last season with remote shows, lorne invited willie geist for an exclusive look at how they are producing shows at a time we could all use a good laugh. >> live from new york, it's saturday night >> in a time when almost

everything seems out of place, "saturday night live" is right where it belongs >> say what you will about 2020, but it's got moves >> was there ever any chance, lorne, thank you wouldn't start this season back in this studio? >> i think it was all i talked about all summer and leading up to it was i need an audience because we're taking big swings and they're hard jokes, when you don't hear any sound, it throws the timing off the thing that the audience does is it's the plug that makes the circuit work. >> what are the challenges are coming back into this space under these circumstances? >> well, i think first and foremost it's just the protocols, the safety protocols. you wear your mask all the time. the cast wears them up until the red light goes on and take them off. there's fewer audience. >> president trump, two minutes. >> i'm going to do ten. >> even before the pandemic hit, michaels was anticipating a busy 2020

>> let's do this i'm holding my bladder, let's get at her. >> we had that debate. on thursday night, friday, when the president tested positive, it all changed and it was being rewritten i don't think the final version of it got to dress rehearsal. >> i imagine your writers after four years of this have a little bit gotten used to it knowing that what you go in at the table read wednesday is probably going to change. >> most often we don't even attempt it until friday. fortunately, the cast are good at it and can adapt. >> looking real good, mike, keep it up. >> i know you're not terribly haughty about your show but do you think it's important for snl to be here in these times when people are not feeling great >> i do. i think it's our job and that's what we do >> and you can catch the entire interview this weekend on "sunday today" with willie

geist. and of course catch "saturday night live" tomorrow justin bieber is the musical guest and so we will all be tuning in for that. and martha stewart was on the show a couple of days talk about the golden rules for baking a cake. she had some awesome cakes in her kitchen. there was lemon curd, a chocolate mile high cake martha even said she hoped somebody would help her eat all those delicious treats after the show, as she finished toasting the cake on instagram, her hopes were answered. you can just barely hear her phone ring in the background >> so beautiful. the meringue on the meringue lemon cake so delicious. oh, please get that. >> did you hear that ring right there? the question is who's that calling martha while she's on instagram? none other than richard gere martha said the phone call was from my neighbor, richard gere

he wanted the chocolate caramel mile high cake we took it over to him and his family after the show. richard, we hope you enjoyed that cake. we didn't get any in our studio, but some of the perks of being martha stewart's neighbor right there. that's your popstart for friday. carson, thank you. good morning. it's 8:26. i'm chris chmura. today pg&e crews are in the process of restoring power to some areas where electric service was shut off during the red flag alert. oakland's montclair district has had its power restored. north bay, however, is a different story. that's where most outages remain. they expect to have all power restored later today. as for the red flag alert, let's get an update from vianey arana. good morning. >> good morning. and the good news is that it's still on track to expire at 11:00 a.m. i'm noticing in the models the wind significantly diminished after 10:00 a.m.

30s, 20s to 15 to 20-mile-per-hour range when it comes to the wind speed. still dry and still hot. if it feels warm out there early on, it was, and it will continue to warm up. 80s and 90s, even around the coastline, areas like half moon bay 86. when we started at 4:30 in the morning, half moon bay was at 82 degrees. we'll see the wind shift heading into the weekend. a little bit of a cooldown but a red flag warning still on track to expire at 11:00 a.m. chris? >> vianey, thank you. if weather conditions change, our weather team will be the first to let you know. i'll have another local news update in half an hour. first, back to the "today" show in new york. when you take a look at her record,

it all begins to un-ravel.

ann ravel's no reformer, she's backed by big corporations who've poured hundreds of thousands into her campaign. and she opposes ballot measures to make the economy more fair for working people. only dave cortese is endorsed by the california democratic party. he's helping us battle the pandemic with a science-based approach. and expanding health services and child care to those in need. for state senate, democrat dave cortese.

8:30, guys we made it, babe, we made it tgif look at our friday crowd joining us on our plaza. let that sink in it is friday, you've got a weekend ahead of you and we can't wait to share a little time with them in a bit. >> some happy faces, and i would not post everybody dance now. a little message to the control room. in a minute we are going to catch up with ryan tedder, a great songwriter but he loves that song. he's one of the most influential people in music. he's an absolute prodigy his band onerepublic will give us a special performance of their brand new song good morning, ryan. >> good morning. >> i love the airstream, that's

very cool. >> thank you. >> who's ready for some great eating that goes along with sunday night football? oh, yeah, our good buddy alex is in the house she'll take our gameday snacks to the next level, including crab dip and truffled cheesy popcorn. >> looking forward to that coming up in a few minutes on the third hour, this new series that's getting great reviews ethan hawke and david diggs will join us. >> just seeing him as frederick douglass. speaking of stars, we've got a week packed with them next week we are talking gwen stefani, nicole kidman, chelsea handler, and that's just a few.

mr. roker, you have a check of the weather? >> let's check it out. looking ahead to your weekend starting tomorrow, we've got morning heavy rain up into new england, sunny and nice from the mid-atlantic states down into the gulf the fire danger continues out west with mountain snows that continue on sunday, sunday much colder as you make your way through the upper mississippi river valley, from new england down to florida looking pretty darn good and the southwestern >> and heat will once again be in our forecast for today. we've got that heat advisory in effect. the red flag warning will expire at 11:00 a.m. clear skies. a lot of sunshine. look at your daytime highs. 80s and 90s in today's forecast. definitely doesn't feel like october around here over the next several days. good news, though. we're going to see diminishing winds heading into, i would say, about the 10:00, 11:00 a.m. hour which will put us in a better predicament when it comes to the elevated fire danger. all right, here it comes get ready for it we've been living for this all week it's an all-california sunday

night football night in america. the rams come blasting in to levi's stadium we're all wearing dad jeans. that's right it's clear, it's warm, it's 78 degrees, it's sunday night football night in america. i've got jeans on right now. hoda >> all right, guys ♪ ♪ everybody dance now s.g., you had a late night why don't you start your weekend off 30 minutes early. >> oh, thank you thank you, guys so much. i love you i'm going to go to bed. >> have a little dance-off. >> no, no. >> they're playing your song. >> they are playing my song, i love it. >> nighty night. >> see you monday. my bed is where i'm about to go live. >> enjoy your weekend. coming up next, we are excited to chat with the one,

the only one republic's ryan

♪ ♪ >> we are back it is 8:35 we are back with one of the most prolific and successful song writers in the world, a fellow named ryan tedder. >> also happens to be an all-around great guy he's written far too many hits for us to list he's got that awesome band onerepublic. for some of the biggest stars, the jonas brothers, beyonce, adele, onerepublic is out with a new song called "wild life" from the movie "clouds. we'll talk about that in a minute ryan, good morning you're in an airstream where are you? >> i am in a 1963 airstream i converted some years ago it follows me around on tour i produce all kind of albums and records in this thing.

and during quarantine, this has been my mobile studio. most projects i'm involved in on zoom, it's all done right here. >> we know you're a workaholic i've heard you've written more songs in the last six months than you have in the last three years. you've been a busy guy. >> that is true. that is true, yeah i just -- everything from cardi b "black pink" and ariana grande's new stuff coming. i was in with jesse j. the last two days who is melting my brain with how good she can sing and one republic ideal with tragedy, that's how ideal with it. i just dive in what can i do to stay busy i'm trying not to watch too much news and just make as much music as possible. >> ryan, i was listening to the new track upstairs like pretty much everything you do now, it's fantastic but i know it's based on the movie, but it also speaks to sort of where we are right now in this country and in our society. walk me -- not to give away too much but walk me through the

process of writing this one. >> i co-wrote this with one of the guys in my band, brent, after watching the movie "clouds. he passed away at age 18 he got cancer at 12, had like 20 surgeries. and every single day is a blessing every single day is a gift we're not promised another moment i've had enough experiences in my life to realize that. what covid has done for me and i think for so many people is it's all about carpe diem seize the day. you've got one wild life, one run around the sun seize it, do it, don't put it off. stop talking about stuff, go do it that's really what this song is about, just seizing it. >> you're speaking our language and i think you're speaking carson daly's language he's listening in and you know

he wants to speak to you. >> i love carson. >> there he is hi, buddy. good to see you, my friend you're one of the most sought after singer, songwriter, producers this the last 20 years. we've talked about your resume so much on the show, but you talk about the pandemic. i just wonder how you manage your own mental status and sort of just do a little mental health check-in. where are you at with that >> i have about one day every two or three weeks, i think like a lot of people, probably like you guys we're very lucky that we get to work during this time period and create things. i've created a number of things since this thing started but probably once every two to three weeks i just have a day, man. i have -- no matter everything could be going great, i have that fog i can't shake where do all these zooms add up do all of the things i'm trying to get going or that i am doing,

like i had my first country number one this year and -- with thomas rhett and john pardy. and i was like celebrating in the airstream and i was like the song is number one, and i was like, there is nobody here. i was like, should i crack a beer, but it is 9:00 in the morning, but i feel like i should celebrate. i've been so blessed to be around my kids and my wife as much as i have because i've been on tour for 13 years, you know i've gotten involved in other things helped launch a hand sanitizer company which is the craziest thing. i hate hand sanitizer, it's all sticky and nasty so we got involved and launched a brand there as well. so i've been just staying busy, man. >> you've got your hands in lots of things, ryan. we're excited to talk to you about "wild life" but we're more excited to hear you sing it. we'll hear onerepublic perform for us can't wait i need a smaller house that's close to my son, but that's tough to do on a fixed income. i'd be hit with a tax penalty for moving to another county,

so i'm voting 'yes' on prop 19. it limits property taxes and lets seniors transfer their home's current tax base to another home that's closer to family or medical care. being closer to family is important to me. how about you? voting 'yes' on prop 19.

>> announcer: the citi music series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi. >> well, we just had a great conversation with onerepublic's ryan tedder. now we're lucky because we get to actually hear his band perform. >> yes, we do. here they are with "wild life" from the "clouds" soundtrack onerepublic, take it away. ♪ i'm staring at these sudden waterfalls ♪ ♪ tears that don't make sense t me at all ♪ ♪ this life's what happens when you're making plans ♪ ♪ don't know what happens next or where i stand ♪ wild ♪ wanna live this wild life wil

every day ♪ ♪ wanna say the things people ♪ i'll never say ♪ ♪ i'll take all the love and al the pain ♪ ♪ wanna live this wild life wil today today ♪ ♪ oh ♪ give me all your love and all your pain ♪ ♪ gonna live this wild life wil

today ♪ ♪ i'm staring at these faded signs ahead ♪ ♪ but all these turns just fill me up with dread ♪ ♪ but life's what happens when you're making plans ♪ ♪ dive or step right in but please don't stand ♪ ♪ wanna live this wild life wil every day ♪ ♪ wanna say the things people never say ♪ ♪ i'll take all the love and al the pain ♪

♪ wanna live this wild life wil today ♪ ♪ oh ♪ give me all your love and all your pain ♪ ♪ gonna live this wild life wil today ♪ ♪ gonna live this wild life wil today ♪ >> our thanks again to ryan tedder and onerepublic again, "wild life" out right now. look for the band's new album coming out next year. >> we did some jamming

just ahead we'll do some eating. food network superstar, alex standing by to lay out her perfect menu for watching -- give is to us one more time, roker. >> sunday night football night in america. >> including a special crowd hit with a kick. this is "today" on nbc (garage door opening) it is my father's love... it is his passion- it is his fault he didn't lock the garage. don't even think about it! been there, done that. with liftmaster® powered by myq®, know what's happening in your garage- from anywhere.

you can take a day off fromy worrying about your packages. ♪ ohhh yeahhh! just connect your myq® app to key. ♪ ohhh yeahhh! get free in-garage delivery with myq® and key by amazon. so it's friday, you know what that means it's time for "today" loves football. >> sunday night's matchup on nbc features the l.a. rams heading a few hours north to take on the san francisco 49ers. of course we cannot watch the game without some snacks. >> can't do it that's why we drafted alex guarnaschelli, author of "cook with me" to create a few gameday treats, and she is up early in california alex, good to see you. >> hi, alex. >> i am up early this is the earliest i've ever

touched crab meat in my career good morning >> good morning. >> so what are we making i see you've got the crab dip. >> oh, yeah. so i have the crab dip i made some, so it's all ready serving it with those classic salty american crackers and lemon wedges on the side it's super easy to put together. i've got some cream cheese, my favorite american ingredient, with just a little red pepper flakes, a little cayenne and a little dash of hot sauce all really american flavors that we love. football season is just that time when we want to feel our culture pervading what we're eating a little worcestershire and then some cooked scallions, garlic and shallots this is not a date night snack, people if you're secure in your marriage, this is what we're

having >> and then the crab meat goes in is that what's next? >> yeah. so we mix all this together and then just literally add that crab meat in i know crab can be expensive, but it goes a long way just not even a pound mixed in here with all these flavors. then you just literally bake this in the oven. >> so it's a hot dish. >> for example, i like putting it in these little dishes and then baking it little by little. like oh, i just stopped by with a little warm crab dip and half an hour later, another one. >> so how long do you cook that for, alex? how long do you put it in the oven >> so i -- since the crab is already cooked and everything else, just until it gets warm, about 20 to 25 minutes at 350. >> what do you serve that with, alex >> just some lemon wedges to squeeze on top if you like that little burst of lemon like when you eat shrimp cocktail or oysters. and then those good ole salty american crackers. just dunk it and dip it.

>> i love a good crab dip. we've got the crab dip covered what about the popcorn here? the popcorn is a nod to the rams, right? >> exactly so i just -- if you don't have a popper and just pop popcorn, use a deep pot and the popcorn is less likely to burn. just cover and pop it in hot oil. here's what we're really talking about. i put my -- i start by putting my popped popcorn out on a platter so you can season it really well. and we are putting that dreaded ingredient on top. it's so good at home a tiny little bit of truffle oil. >> love truffle oil on anything. mmm. >> and then my other little trick, which is out of my new cookbook, i grate some parmesan cheese and let it get dry and flaky. it gets this little -- i don't know what. >> i love to see and hear alex talk about it. >> exactly

>> i know. people are like we just want you to talk about food nothing else, please stop. i'm the bob ross of the food world. okay and then because the popcorn is spread out, whatever you put on top of it goes all over, right it's not just toppings on top and that's just a really important little thing when you put the toppings on and the popcorn is already in the bowl, you mow through that top layer and then the under layer is like -- >> like bland, you're right. what about us? alex taking care of the whole bowl. >> alex, thank you. >> we appreciate it. that looks delicious we wish you were here so badly you don't even know. >> me too. >> and more importantly that we had your food here. >> exactly. >> you can get the recipes at today.com/food be sure to catch the rams/49ers sunday night here on nbc.

>> you almost went into it give it a try. come on. >> no, i'm not you football night in america! >> yes yes! >> nailed it. >> and you even, boom, got the revert. we've got a little time left let's say hello to that crowd on my "today" plaza i'm looking for devon and james from lexington, south carolina show yourselves. >> hi! >> adorable. >> hi, guys. >> it's good to see you. i want to know what you're celebrating. how many years of marriage. >> we celebrated 32 years of marriage on yesterday and today we're celebrating 39 years together >> oh, man. >> you must have been 12 >> devon, tell us about -- you've got some words of wisdom that you swear by. what's that? >> well, people ask how do you

all make it last well, what we do is we don't sweat the small stuff. we let it flow like water under the bridge. >> let it flow by the way, guys, i know you really want to come out here to the plaza and we want you to come here one day soon, so when we turn the lights back on outside, please come and celebrate with us, okay? we love you. >> we will >> nice sign. >> can we look at the rest of the beautiful plaza. let's see our folks out there. zorielle is turning 16 where are you, sweet girl? we see you danielle has a birthday. you go, girl >> i'm in miami elouise in georgia, in houston, texas happy 10th, kiddos. where is little jack turning 12 years old. there you are. and craig and ky we didn't forget you, first anniversary in foster city, california.

that's a beautiful big board, y'all. thanks for hanging with us have a great weekend. a friendly reminder, our week of get cooking with wrapping up today with top chefs nasha airington. tune in on our streaming channel on peacock or today.com/allday. have a great weekend, guys third and fourth hour straight ahead. our big board is looking good. >> have a good weekend, guys good morning. it's 8:56. i'm chris chmura. part of san francisco's lemur mystery is solved. the stolen lemur is now safely back in zookeepers hands. police and animal control were called to a daley city preschool yesterday where a child spotted the lemur in the tree and told the teacher who called police.

the reunion is not case closed. cops are still looking for two people who took him from his enclosure late wednesday. cierra johnson is following developments in the search for the thieves. she'll have a live report in our midday newscast at 11:00 a.m. we have the full back story on our website. also at midday, the latest on power shutoffs still impacting thousands around the bay area. pg&e expects to have full power restored by noon. our red flag warning some end two hours from now. are you kidding me? for years, the residential burden has gone up. while the corporate burden has gone down. prop 15 reverses that. it closes corporate loopholes and invests in schools, small business, and firefighters. and when the big corporations pay more, your tax bill goes down. that's right. a savings of a hundred twenty-one dollars a year for the average home. give homeowners a break. vote yes on 15.

proposition 16 takes some women make as little as 42% of what a man makes. voting yes on prop 16 helps us fix that. it's supported by leaders like kamala harris and opposed by those who have always opposed equality. we either fall from grace or we rise. together. proposition 16 provides equal opportunities, levelling the playing field for all of us. vote yes on prop 16. plus- why you might have some difficulties finding a new "family friend" for the holidays. today in the bay. monday from 4:30 to 7. happening today.. artists from all over the country and even the bay area

live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> good morning, everybody, welcome to the third hour of today. i am al, along with dylan, craig, sheinelle. it is friyay. >> happy friyay. >> you know what made my night even longer? they were milling the street outside my apartment from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. all night long. >> is that legal? aren't there rules? >> there should be rules, yes. so i did not get an ounce of sleep. >> we've got