>> we leave you with a live look outside of the debate area at belmont university in nashville where we'll see president trump and joe biden debate tonight. you can see it right here on nbc bay area. thanks for making us a part of your morning. "today" show is next. good morning. breaking overnight, foreign interference. national security officials announce russia and iran are actively working to influence the u.s. election. >> they hope it'll cause confusion, sow chaos, and undermine your confidence in american democracy. >> iran accused of threatening and intimidating american voters. >> we are not going to tolerate foreign interference in our elections. >> this morning, what u.s. officials say they'll do to make sure every vote counts. 12 days to go.

president trump sounding confident at a rally in north carolina overnight. >> bum-bum-bum. they're getting a little nervous over there, you know? >> while former president obama makes the case against him. >> this is not a reality show. this is reality. and the rest of us have had to live with the consequences of him proving himself incapable of taking the job seriously. >> and tonight, the final debate. the president and joe biden set to make one last pitch to a national audience. we're there live. distressing trend. coronavirus cases on the rise in nearly 75% of the country. as the cdc changes the guidelines on what defines close contact. just ahead, why you should track your time with people down to the minute, and the potential impact on the reopening of schools, stores, and offices. rudy giuliani versus borat. the former mayor of new york

seen in what appears to be a compromising position in sacha baron cohen's new video. this morning, giuliani's claim that the video is a complete fabrication. those stories, plus country's finest. carrie underwood takes home the top prize at the cmt music awards. >> i feel so loved this evening, so thank you guys so much. >> we have the night's other big winners and unforgettable performances. ♪ i get to be what she wants tonight ♪ >> today, thursday, october 22nd, 2020. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, everybody. welcome to "today." so happy you are joining us on this thursday morning. fun cmt awards. hats off to carrie underwood. >> again. >> drinking alone, that's her

song. >> the big winner. i can relate. first and foremost, the announcement from the nation's top intelligence officials from the trump administration, that both russia and iran are attempting to compromise the election by obtaining voter registration data, and they say iran has used that information already to intimidate u.s. voters, including with a fake email going out to voters. >> meantime, the stage is set at belmont university in nashville, tennessee, for tonight's second and final debate between president trump and joe biden. >> and this morning on capitol hill, judge amy coney barrett, the president's pick for the supreme court, expected to move one step closer to being confirmed. today, her nomination expected to be passed on to a full senate vote next week. >> this comes with 12 days left

for the race to the white house. we have every angle covered. we'll start with nbc justice correspondent pete williams and the new warning about election interference. hey, pete. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. the u.s. intelligence community says both iran and russia obtained some information about registered voters, but that, so far, only iran has actually done anything with the data. it's now blamed for sending threatening emails that claim to be coming from a far-right group here at home. as voters in florida and several other states lined up for early voting, some received threatening messages in their email inboxes. the sender appeared to be a far-right group known as the proud boys, known to support president trump. you will vote for president trump on election day, or we will come after you, the messages said, and urged recipients to change party registration to republican. but the director of national intelligence says the real senders were in iran. >> we have already seen iran sending spoofed emails designed to intimidate voters, incite social unrest, and damage

president trump. >> reporter: it isn't just iran who got its hands on voter data, so did russia, in a repeat from the last presidential election. >> although we have not seen the same actions from russia, we are aware that they have obtained some voter information just as they did in 2016. >> reporter: president trump said wednesday night both iran and china want him to lose. >> the first call i'll get after we win, the first call i'll get will be from iran, saying, "let's make a deal." >> reporter: a florida man, jason vogel, says he got one of those messages. he says he worried it could have an effect. >> my biggest concern is it is going to alienate voters, potentially keep some people home. erode their ability to vote. >> reporter: election security officials say just because the iranians and russians managed to get voter data doesn't mean they've hacked into registration databases because much of that information is publicly available anyway. a law enforcement official

declined to say who in iran actually carried out the fake email operation, but said they appeared to be acting at the direction of the iranian government. the u.s. acted quickly to get the word out, urging voters to be reassured the election system is secure. >> you should be confident that your vote counts. early, unverified claims to the contrary should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism. >> reporter: the white house says president trump has directed law enforcement, defense, and intelligence ages to monitor any attempts to interfere in the election, so it says this disclosure about iran and russia shows those efforts are working. savannah? >> pete, thank you. let's bring in nbc national security analyst jeremy bash, who served as chief of staff at both the pentagon and cia. jeremy, good morning. what strikes you about iran's actions here? how concerning is this? >> well, iran is not a very sophisticated cyber actor, savannah, but the broader concern is more sophisticated

actors, like russia, if they get their hands on voter information, as pete noted, the information is fairly widely availabl available, a more sophisticated actor would bombard voters with disinformation. >> iran is trying to hurt president trump is what the director of national intelligence, director ratcliffe said, or is it to be an effort to make a mess of everything and sow chaos? >> i think everyone wants to sow doubt in a signature american election, but what ratcliffe said is accurate the emails went to democratic voters and said, "don't come to the polls. i don't understand how that somehow damages donald trump that appears to damage joe biden. >> there's so much focus on iran because those were the emails that were sent just yesterday. scary emails purporting to be from the proud boys. but it was interesting, the fbi

and intelligence community also says russia is actively interfering right now. what do you think russia is up to did they reveal anything there >> well, russia has a lot of mechanisms to try to attack the election first of all, they could engage in propaganda on social media and elsewhere as they did in 2016 the other thing is a hack and dump operation this week, 50 former intelligence officials, many of whom i worked with, including republicans, including career official, wrote a letter saying they believe that this effort to provide dirt on hunter biden to the "new york post" by rudy giuliani appears to be and has all the hallmarks of a russian disinformation campaign. that's the concern we have to be thinking about. >> maybe this is a naive question, but will being outed like this by the u.s. authorities do anything to deter iran, russia, and perhaps china? >> i think it helps. i think it is very critical that someone like director wray, who is clearly non-partisan and has

a lot of credibility was there, and he said that our vote is not being undermined people should still go to the polls. i think it is important to do that but at the end of the day, whoever is the next president, whether it's trump or biden, they're going to have to impose costs on the foreign actors. after 2016, savannah, it was open season. russia paid no price and, in fact, i would argue they got rewarded. >> the administration moved quickly to get this out there publicly jeremy, thank you. appreciate it. >> thank you election interference is sure to be a topic of discussion tonight during the presidential debate president trump and joe biden squaring off in nashville. it is their final face-off of the campaign nbc's peter alexander joins us from inside the debate hall at belmont university in nashville, tennessee. hey, peter good morning >> reporter: hoda, good morning to you you're right, tonight is the final face-off between donald trump and joe biden here in nashville. really the sequel to that chaotic debate debacle three weeks ago. there are changes since last time let's take you down to the stage and show you this.

they've put up two pieces of plexiglass between the lecterns for the candidates we'll find out if the campaigns agree to keep it there and to try to limit interruptions, the microphone will be muted of one candidate and then the other at the beginning of each segment this evening. prosecuting the case against president trump on wednesday, his predecessor, barack obama. with joe biden off the trail preparing for tonight's final debate, it was president trump versus former president obama on wednesday. >> i am back here tonight to ask you to deliver the white housefn and i said, huh, that's good news or bad news, tell for joe biden and kamala harris. >> president obama is campaigning for sleepy joe biden, and i said, ha, that's good news or bad news, tell me are you saying it's good or bad? i guess it's bad no, it's good. there was nobody that campaigned harder for crooked hillary clinton than obama, right? >> reporter: president trump consistently trailing in national polls but making gains in some swing states, projecting confidence in north carolina, a crucial battleground.

>> this election is a choice between a trump super recovery or a biden steep depression. >> reporter: the president, in front of a packed crowd with few masks visible, insisting the crisis will soon pass. >> that pandemic is rounding the corner they hate it when i say it all you hear is, "covid, covid, covid, covid, covid, covid, covid, covid." that's all they put on because they want to scare the hell out of everyone. >> reporter: barack obama in pennsylvania, a state donald trump won in 2016, but where biden now leads by 10 points in a new cnn poll. >> joe's not going to screw up testing. he's not going to call scientists idiots. he's not going to host a super spreader event at the white house. >> reporter: the former president hosting a drive-in rally in philadelphia, his first in-person campaign pitch for his former vice president. >> i'm asking you to believe in

joe's ability and kamala's ability to lead this country out of these dark times. and help us build it back better. >> reporter: delivering a blistering indictment of president trump and republicans. >> where is this great plan to replace obamacare? they've had ten years to do it there is no plan >> reporter: obama also seizing on new reporting by "the new york times," revealing president trump's business interests in china where he's linked to a bank account >> can you imagine if i had had a secret chinese bank account when i was running for re-election? you think fox news might have been a little concerned about that they would have called me beijing berry. >> all right the debate is tonight, peter what are you hearing from both campaigns about strategy >> reporter: savannah, president trump's advisers say they hope he will be more controlled and less combative not only those personal attacks, but really a bigger focus on his personal accomplishments as president.

making an affirmative case for why he deserves four more years, to try to win over some of the few remaining undecided voters out there. as for joe biden's team, his aides tell me they don't want him to take the bait, to try to not let the president get under his skin if he attacks his family, to remind people out there that this conversation is about american families. to make the case he'd return stability and civility to the white house after a turbulent tenure during the trump years. >> peter, thank you. reminder, nbc news will bring you live coverage of tonight's final presidential debate. 8:00 eastern/5:00 pacific. now, let's turn to the coronavirus. cases continuing to rise at an alarming rate across the u.s., and the cdc has issued new guidance on close contact situations after a study revealed the amount of time people spend near each other, down to the minute, can raise or reduce the risk of infection nbc's national correspondent miguel almaguer is up on all those details. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: hey, savannah, good morning.

let's start with that new study. it could have an impact on americans as they try to return to their offices like this one, wearing a mask inside and social distancing from your coworkers being common protocols in places where you can. in shared spaces, the cdc says you need to limit your exposure to people you don't live with down to the minute as the u.s. climbs into a third surge of covid cases, a new cdc report is now expanding the definition of a close contact. someone who spends a total of 15 minutes with an infected person within 6 feet. the new guidance, which comes as more americans return to crowded venues, says short and non-consecutive exposures to persons confirmed to have covid-19 led to transmission, so keep your distance always wear a mask limit your time of exposure. >> imposing an artificial time limit of 15 minutes is probably not correct, and that infection

and exposure and successful infection can happen in a shorter period of time >> reporter: the new guidelines come as new outbreaks are tied to so-called super spreader events in minnesota, at least 20 salvation army employees contracted the virus during a conference dozens tested positive after church events in maine and north carolina icu nurses are working marathon shifts >> it's very real. i mean, we've watched lots of patients die from this. >> reporter: with covid deaths on the rise in more than two dozen states, the governor in utah calls his state one of the worst hot spots in the world in ohio, hospitalizations are at record highs doctors in hot spots say small gatherings are also fueling the spread. >> a wedding, a funeral, or even a gathering of eight or ten friends, where these are people you trust, so the social distancing and the masking kind of go away

it's a little more of the hugs, and that's how covid spreads. >> reporter: with a race under way to find a vaccine, health officials in brazil say a participant in the oxford university astrazeneca trial has died in unconfirmed reporting, brazilian media say the participant was a 28-year-old doctor who died of covid-19 complications after working with infected patients. it's believed he received a placebo, not the candidate vaccine. sobering news as the deadly virus still explodes across the globe. and we should note that trial in brazil has been put on hold. in the u.s., astrazeneca and oxford phase three trials began early september but was put on hold also a few days later >> miguel, thank you. we have a lot more to get to, including possible steps toward accountability for purdue pharma, one of the makers behind oxycontin. the justice department reached a settlement with the company, but

there has been backlash to the deal correspondent kate snow has the latest good morning >> reporter: good morning, hoda. the department of justice touted this settlement as a breakthrough with perdue agreeing that the government can claim $8 billion from the company, but the reality is purdue is in bankruptcy court, which means the u.s. government will have to get in line with other creditors. some state attorneys general think purdue will never pay up this morning, new outrage directed at purdue pharma and its super wealthy owners from the sackler family pursue would plead guilty to federal charges related to its roll in pushing the powerful painkiller oxycontin, which earned the company more than $35

billion. the government is seeking billions in fines, penalties, and damages, but a key part of the agreement involves restructuring the company. the sacklers out. >> the agreed resolution, if approved by the court, will require that the company be dissolved and no longer exist in its present form. >> reporter: the new company would be allowed to continue selling oxycontin with future profits going to the government to help fight the opioid crisis. the attorney general of massachusetts says that makes no sense. >> the idea that our department of justice all of a sudden wants to become a drug company, that they want to get a share of future profits of a lethal drug that has hurt and poisoned so many families, it's just wrong. >> reporter: the company says it deeply regrets and accepts responsibility for its misconduct the sackler family agreeing to pay $225 million directly to the government, saying in a statement, they acted ethically and lawfully sackler family members could still face criminal charges. >> part of the issue here is they resolved the civil case with the sacklers, where they only required them to pay out f. >> reporter: since 1999, opioids

have killed more than 450, $225 million of a fortune. >> reporter: since 1999, opioids have killed more than 450,000 americans. in the settlement, purdue admits it did not stop oxycontin from being diverted from pharmacies and doctors, and it paid doctors to write more prescriptions. tony's son was prescribed oxycontin after a sports injury. he died of an opioid overdose in 2014. >> somebody has to pay for the deaths and the crime they've committed. this is a crime. crimes involve people going to jail >> reporter: he's glad purdue is taking some responsibility but says it's not enough >> the rest of my life, the rest of a lot of other parents' lives are never going to be the same, so why should the sacklers have a life that's the same for them? >> reporter: there have been so many lawsuits against purdue by states, cities, and thousands of families who hoped to receive some compensation. i've met children who were born to mothers who were abusing pills, and those families wanted a seat at the table, too it is unclear exactly how much

money individuals and local governments will ever see. it's up to a bankruptcy court judge now to approve this massive settlement the department of justice says all of the creditors agree that any money purdue has should go toward preventing abuse and treatment for those addicted guys >> all right, kate snow for us with that story. kate, thank you. it is 20 minutes after the hour on the dot. we have dylan in for al this morning. hi. >> hi, guys. nice to see you. it is going to be nice and mild here in the northeast, but not so the case out across the northern plains. we have winter weather alerts in effect winter storm warnings. winter weather advisories for 4 million people the cold air is in place, and the snow is falling. we could see snowfall rates of an inch per hour it is going to accumulate on the ground out ahead of it where it is warmer, we do have the chance of stronger storms, including areas like chicago, especially overnight and into tomorrow morning. this will bring us some rain for the east coast as we go into the end of the week and start of the weekend. look at this, we could see up to

4 to 8 inches of snow, especially across central minnesota. that's a look at the weather across the country we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds llenged. these remarkable dogs will never slow you down. in fact, they're probably wondering if you can keep up with them. subaru loves all pets. so we're asking you to please consider adopting an underdog. and join us in celebrating all dogs on our second annual national make a dog's day. subaru. more than a car company. good morning i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're under a red flag warning for the north bay and we are still looking at the high winds in our upper elevations and all of these areas shaded in red. we are also seeing that including the santa cruz mountains, as well as the east bay. overall we are on a cooling trend as we see our temperatures today reaching into the low 80s

and upper 70s tomorrow and then mid 70s by saturday and by sunday our inland valleys will only reach into the upper 60s. >> and that's your >> and that's your latest forecast >> dilly-dilly, thank you. coming up, tough questions facing former new york city mayor rudy giuliani this morning. what he is saying about his involvement in what appears to be a compromising scene in the new "borat" movie. plus, potentially good news if you're concerned about flying tom costello shows us what one study revealed about the covid risk on planes after spreading live virus on high-touch live virus on high-touch surfaces they all endorse yes on prop 25. to end unfair, unjust, discriminatory money bail.

governor gavin newsom and van jones. they're voting yes on 25. the western center on law and poverty. the dolores huerta foundation. californians for safety and justice. and the california democratic party. they all agree that the size of your wallet shouldn't determine whether or not you're in jail. so, vote yes on prop 25. but i can't say i expected this. because it was easy. whether or not you're in jail. 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. still ahead, the winners and unforgettable performances last night at the cmt music awards, including carrie underwood extending one impressive winning streak. >> girl, we'll have that and more coming up after a look at

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a lot of people have died needlessly, and there's nothing more frustrating than feeling like you're fighting against someone who should have your back. we are not going to stamp this out unless we have a change of leadership. ff pac is responsible for the content of this ad. good morning, 7:56. i'm laura garcia. here is a look at our top stories including new jobless numbers. >> good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. 787,000 americans filed for first-time jobless claims last week. that is a lot of people, but it is, in fact, the lowest weekly number since the beginning of the pandemic shut down in march. >> i'm bob redell in dublin, the bay area most of it under a red flag warning and wind gusts expected to be 35 to 40 miles an hour through the upper elevations. low humidity and as a result, pg&e has shut off power for thousands of customers.

about a 00 here in the east bay and a couple hundred in the south bay. the majority over 3,400 in the north bay. again, precaution to prevent wildfires. beautiful sunrise out there and we're hoping a cool down coming our way eventually will help with our high fire danger, kari. >> yeah. but we are still going to have our high winds and low humidity and that's what makes the fire danger threat high. we are looking at a major cool down over the next couple days and the gusty winds will continue as we make it cooler and we're also going to see at times those mountain gusts up to 50 miles per hour. in a lot of oour valleys today, we're looking at highs that will reach into the low 80s today. some upper 70s for the inner bay and low 70s for san francisco going throughout the forecast we'll continue to watch out for that fire danger as we cool down into the upper 60s by the end of the weekend. laura? >> all right, thanks so much. we'll be back with another

local news update for you in half an hour. hope to see you then. in the meantime, enjoy your thursday morning.

and while i think you should vote for me -- >> but really you should vote for me. >> -- there are some things we both agree on. >> we can debate issues without degrading each other's character. >> we can disagree without hating each other. >> win or lose -- >> isn't that refreshing i mean, it gives you an exhale, kind of like me show the beach scene sometimes at this time makes you feel good. >> namaste moment there. >> it is a political ad. republican spencer cox and democrat chris peterson. they're running against each other to be utah's governor. republican and a democrat. that's what they did they came together for an ad to just say, "let's respect each

other and be civil." >> i must have watched that ad about ten times. every time, it makes you feel a little better. check it out we'll have them both on in a little bit. >> on live we'll talk to them about that. craig is off this morning, and it is time to get to your 7:30 headlines. the supreme court blocked a lower court ruling that would have allowed curb-side voting in alabama. yesterday's vote was 5-3, with the liberal judges dissenting. the option put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic would have allowed voters to hand their ballots to poll workers outside polling places, but alabama secretary of state says allowing curb-side voting would pose safety concerns and could compromise ballot secrecy. a wildfire raging in northern colorado blew up on wednesday, forcing all residents in the town of grand lake to evacuate the so-called east troublesome fire started a little more than a week ago and grew by an estimated 5,000 acres on wednesday. firefighters, helicopters were

grounded due to strong winds and massive plumes of smoke. the fire burned 30,000 acres already, and it is 10% contained. we turn now to baseball. the world series tied up at one game a piece. >> fifth inning, still looking for their first hit. that's well hit into left. back at the wall, and it's gone! >> his second home run of the night with brandon lowe. dodgers would mount a comeback late in the game, but tampa holds on to win it, 6-4. game three is tomorrow night >> sounds good. now to a story that is getting a lot of attention this morning. former new york city mayor rudy giuliani appears to be the latest politician pranked by comedian sacha baron cohen, after video from the new "borat" movie was released kathy park has details on this hey, kathy. >> reporter: hoda, good morning to you the fictional reporter from kazakhstan is back in the u.s.

this time around, rudy giuliani is caught in one of his pranks there is a scene in a hotel room that's getting a lot of attention, and the former new york city mayor said he did nothing inappropriate. sacha baron cohen is back. with his signature style of political satire >> i brought the girl for you. >> reporter: over the years, politicians on both sides of the aisle have fallen prey to baron cohen's pranks bernie sanders to dick cheney. now in the sequel to his 2006 movie, the fictitious journalist, borat, returns to america in a year that's been stranger than fiction. >> what is more dangerous, this virus or the democrat? >> democrats >> democrats >> reporter: ahead of the film's release tomorrow on amazon prime video, a scene featuring rudy giuliani is already making headlines. nbc news has obtained and seen an advanced copy of the movie.

the scene in question shows giuliani after an interview in a hotel room with a 24-year-old actress playing borat's teenage daughter he was pretending to be a tv reporter. >> my daddy is the smartest person in the whole wide world. >> reporter: giuliani appears to take off his microphone and then lays down on the bed and puts his hands in his pants for a few seconds. the whole thing recorded by what seemed to be hidden cameras. in character and wearing women's lingerie, the comedian bursts into the bedroom yelling, "she's 15 she's too old for you. a confused giuliani asks what's happening and abruptly leaves. beyond what's seen in the movie, nbc news does not know what happened before or after the filmed incident. some are questioning the editing of the clip. giuliani has not responded to a request for comment, but in a tweet, the former mayor calls the video a complete fabrication.

adding, at no time before, during, or after the interview was i ever inappropriate sacha baron cohen implies otherwise, he is a stone cold liar giuliani spoke to wabc radio on wednesday. >> i'm tucking my shirt in i assure you, that's all i was doing. this is a hit job. >> reporter: shortly after the scene was filmed back in july, giuliani said he reported the bizarre incident to police he also told the "new york post," quote, i only later realized it must have been sacha baron cohen. i thought about all the people he previously fooled, and i felt good about myself because he didn't get me. at the time, he also added that he was a fan of the "borat" movie. hoda >> boy, this is a weird one, kathy. was there anyone else caught in borat's stunts in the sequel >> reporter: yeah, hoda. giuliani isn't the only one. actually in the trailer, you see borat crashing back in february

the cpac, the conservative political action conference. on the stage at the time was vice president mike pence. he appeared to be pretty stunned at the time, as well >> kathy park, thank you coming up next, a new look at your safety while flying these days tom costello showing us what was discovered in a first of its find study, by spreading live virus throughout a plane what happened? we'll tell you right after this. 'r when we come together a family-led business with 260,000 people working together. employing more hourly workers and assembling more vehicles in america than any other automaker. we were built in america that's why we build for america balanced nutrition for strength and energy.

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nbc's tom costello is at reagan national this morning. we've seen research indicating the virus may not spread as easily on a plane as some may have feared. >> reporter: that's right. we heard from the airlines we've seen research from them, from the military, from the aircraft manufacturers working with independent researchers, as well all of them looking at this issue. now, this new research involves spreading a live virus throughout a plane on board an empty 737, researchers in full protective gear spread live virus droplets on high-touch surfaces from the seats and seat backs to tray tables, the galley, lavatory and cockpit the virus is not harmful to humans but more contagious than covid. >> we can kill it effectively using the tools we provided in the airline environment on board. >> reporter: researchers tested the same products airlines

already use. applying chemical disinfectants, using an electro-static sprayer, uv light wand, and a micro coating. a professor led the study. results, all four airline techniques work on their own, killing the virus and making the plane virus free how safe should people feel traveling today? >> using the products available today, it is safe. it's going to be better because we proved it my confidence is based on proving that it really works in a real plane we have that >> reporter: with passenger volume still down 65% and tens of thousands of employees furloughed, airlines have been trying to reassure passengers the risk of contracting covid while flying is very low insisting the air flow inside a plane washes out airborne particles, including viruses sucking the air through hepa filters similar to those used in

operating rooms, removing more than 99% of particles. on board air is mixed with fresh, outside air military research partnered with united airlines conducting 300 tests on mannequins, masked and unmasked each test released 180 million air particles, equivalent to thousands of coughs. fewer than 1% of the particles made their way into another passenger's breathing zone with masks on 99.97% were filtered out of the cabin within six minutes infectious disease experts remain cautious. >> environmental clean-up is absolutely important, and i'm very glad the airlines are doing but it doesn't mean we shouldn't take our personal responsibilities we need to use facial coverings to protect ourselves and others. >> tom, it's fascinating to see that there's also some research about the effectiveness of masks on

planes >> reporter: yeah, that's right. this is coming from new research from the "journal of travel medicine." since airlines started requiring masks, there have been zero super spreader events. they specifically looked at people who were flying on flights between dubai and hong kong that is an eight-hour flight looked at a three-week period. they know of 59 people who were positive for covid, but there were no other passengers, none of the other 2,000 passengers got sick everybody was wearing a mask by the way, one other note, southwest airlines moments ago making an announcement, december 1st, southwest airlines will start selling the middle seat. guys >> okay, tom i know they hadn't been for distancing purposes. thank you very much. appreciate it. 7:44 let's switch gears. dylan looks dazzling in white, joining us with the weather. >> thank you you're so kind thank you. we have temperatures all over the place across the map and across the country look at this, we have the cold air that's helping to support some of that snow across the northern plains. temperatures only in the 20s and

lower 30s. on the other side of that front, we have 82 in kansas city. 85 in st. louis. that's 20 degrees above average for highs today. this warm air continues to jump into areas like indiana, also west virginia and ohio temperatures running about 15 degrees above average. back behind that front, we're looking at a high of only 29 degrees in rapid city on friday. this cold air is coming to the east coast it will arrive over the weekend. in the meantime, enjoy what's out there. on saturday, we'll drop down 57. on sunday in pittsburgh, 60 degrees. richmond, you get a little cooler on sunday with high of 64 back to 73 on monday new york, 57 on sunday, but good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're still under that red flag warning that will continue for today, especially for the north bay hills. east bay hills, as well. santa cruz mountains. this is where we may have some high wind gusts even though we may not be feeling it as much in

a lot of our valleys for today. but cooler air is arriving today. highs will reach into the low 80s and then we'll drop it back to the 70s for the weekend. even some upper 60s for the inland valleys by this sunday. >> >> and that's your latest forecast back to you guys. >> thanks, dylan. new this morning, how people are reacting to the historic endorsement of same-sex civil unions from pope francis first, these messages. maybe it'y of you alone. or one with him... or them. it could feel like magic. or it might just warm your heart. your next memory is out there, it's just waiting to be made. to new memories. hilton and our family of hotels.

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to help show that human nature is greater than nature. like a good neighbor, state farm is there.® i can't. there's never been more divisiveness in this country. it's frightening and sad. that was trump's whole thing, you know, take the politics out of it and run it like one of his businesses. i know people were looking for that kind of change, but it's not working. you know, we've only gotten more in debt, we have this virus now out of control, people out of work, no healthcare.

how is that helping people? we need someone that knows what they're doing, and i think it's biden. i know he will listen to the experts. that's what we need. i trust him 100% to get this under control. he has the capability to bring us back together. i'm joe biden, and i approve this message. he has the capability to bring us back together. it's time to take with best friends all along the sun is out. it's beautiful. turn up your favorite song! and head out for the open road to drive the whole day long. goldfish crackers. the snack that smiles back. however, there is one thing you can be certain of.

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only on "the upper hands." good morning to you. it's 7:56. i'm laura garcia. here's a look at what is happening now. >> i'm kris sanchez. the fbi says those are actually coming from iran and from russia. what you need to know is that no one can know how you actually vote unless you tell them because ballots are secret in the u.s. in california it's unlikely you'll get one of those e-mails because they targeted swing states. too late to influence a lot of voters because a lot of ballots are in. more than a million in california and 43 across the u.s. to limit your risk, use two-step verification for your e-mail and social media. i'm bob redell in dublin. the bay area, most of it under a red flag warning. wind gusts expected to be 35 to 40 miles an hour. the upper elevations and low humidity. and as a result, pg&e has shut

off power for thousands of customers. about 500 here in the east bay over a couple hundred in the south bay and the majority over 3,400 in the north bay. again as a precaution to prevent wildfires. quick look at the forecast with kari. >> and we are going to have to deal with that red flag warning through the next 24 hours and then we'll have some cooler air moving in. also some breezy conditions for the weekend but we will catch some relief from the warm weather we've had over the past couple weeks. laura? >> all right. thank you so much. thank you for joining us, as well. another local news update coming up in half an hour. have a great thursday morning.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, breaking overnight, the fbi announces iran and russia are working to interfere in the u.s. election. >> these actions are desperate attempts by desperate adversaries. >> this morning, we'll have the latest on what this all means in the final days of the race, as both candidates gear up for tonight's final presidential debate. plus, party crashers. we will talk live to the candidates in this campaign video gone viral. >> win or lose in utah, we work together, so let's show the country that there is a better way.

>> how their message of unity is resonating so strongly in a country that is so divided. and all about country. cmts kick off social distancing style. ♪ she gets what we wants and i get to be what we wants tonight ♪ >> we'll have your round-up of the top performances and biggest winners. >> thank you, fans, so much for voting. >> today, thursday, october 22nd, 2020. ♪ i was searching for happiness ♪ >> from duke. >> to students across the world. >> keep up the good work. >> huge shoutout to our mom. >> who watches the "today" show every day. >> we know you're watching! >> elementary school. >> fourth grade. >> fifth grade. >> sixth grade. >> loves the "today" show! >> hey, manning elementary. good to see you. welcome back. it is thursday morning. we want to say good morning to everybody. we see you reaching for the

second cup of coffee, just getting started. craig is off this morning. >> put a little cream in it this morning. you earned it. >> yeah. >> if you've been thinking of getting your holiday shopping started, apparently, we all should have started yesterday. >> we're late. >> tomorrow on "today," we're preparing you for what some are calling shipaggedon. ship apocalypse. i don't know. >> with many shopping online, millions of packages may not reach their destinations in time. vicky nguyen will be here with everything we need to know to avoid that. >> i'm starting to feel a little stress, but vicky nguyen has good ideas. now, we don't have to be stressed. let's get to the news at 8:00. 12 days until presidential election. foreign efforts to interfere and even threaten american voting have reached an alarming new level. peter alexander is on the story this morning with the three things to watch in politics today. peter, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good

morning to you. national security experts are accusing iran of sending threatening emails to voters in florida and other states. they appear to have come from the far-right group the proud boys, but officials adding iran and russia acquired voter information that can be used to undermine the upcoming election. they spoke out quickly, they say, to get the word out and reassure american voters that the u.s. election system is safe and secure. as for tonight's debate here in nashville, it is the final face-off between president trump and joe biden. there are changes since the last go-around. right now on the stage, two pieces of plexiglass separate the lecterns for the two candidates. to try to limit interruptions, the debate commission will be muting the microphone of one candidate, then the other at the top of each of the segments. today, senate republicans on the judiciary committee are expected to vote to move along the nomination of amy coney barrett to become the next supreme court justice. the democrats on that committee say they'll be boycotting

today's vote because they don't want to lend any more credibility or legitimacy to this process. just 12 days before the election. still, it is likely that barrett will be confirmed by the full senate to the court next week. savannah? >> peter alexander, thank you very much. nbc news will bring you tonight's debate live. coverage begins at 8:00 eastern/5:00 pacific. catholics and others are reacting to the words by pope francis, backing civil unions r same-sex couples. while seen as a positive step by many, his comments are stirring up controversy and a little confusion. anne thompson has more >> reporter: this morning, pope francis shaking up the catholic church, supporting same-sex civil unions in the new documentary. the pope says what we have to create is a civil union law. that way, they are legally covered. i stood up for that. words welcomed by father jim martin, an advocate for lgbtq catholics. >> it is a huge step forward historically

he had said something like this before when he was archbishop of buenos aires, but it is quite another thing to say it as pope. and to say it so publicly and clearly in the documentary. >> reporter: the catholic church calls homo sexuality disordered. bishop tobin asking for clarification. writing, the pope's words clearly contradicts longstanding teaching of the church it cannot support the acceptance of objectively immoral relationships. the documentary director says the pope was not talking about church doctrine. >> don't try to change the doctrine of the church he was talking that the people should not be discriminated. >> reporter: in the film, francis says, homosexuals have a right to be part of the family they are children of god and have a right to a family nobody should be thrown out or made miserable because of it >> this is him being a pastor and recognizing a pastoral need for people who have been

marginalized in the church for decades, for centuries. >> reporter: is he opening the door to gay marriage in the church >> the pope is not opening up the door to gay marriage being celebrated in a mass, but he is opening up the door to people being approving of same-sex civil unions >> reporter: and courting controversy in an already divided church for "today," anne thompson, nbc news in other news, after six months aboard the international space station, an american astronaut and two russian colleagues returned safely to earth this morning the capsule made a desert landing in kazakhstan. chris cassidy, former navy s.e.a.l., commanded the mission. they had check-ups at the landing site 196 days in orbit seems like a long stretch, but cassidy says the team is so busy, there's only mondays and fridays, and it is a big blur of time in between. if you're going to get out of

town, i think 2020 was the year to do it, right? >> exactly guys, we have the news covered at 8:06. how about a morning boost for you? okay, kids sometimes do really funny things in serious moments that just crack everybody up watch what this little girl does when a priest raises his hand tg give her a blessing. [ laughter ] >> that's a high five for the father. the priest got a kick out of it, was laughing everyone in the background, the line was laughing. mom was trying to keep her hand down. >> down low, too slow. that was cute. i love that. ahead, a political ad that everybody can support. >> equally dedicated to the american values of democracy, liberty, and justice for all people >> we just have different opinions on how to achieve those ideals. >> those are the guys running to win the seat for utah's governor there they are, standing united in an ad, in a call for civility and decency in our politics. we're happy because both of them are going to join us live right after this

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we are back. 8:11 you're going to like this story. we have a political message that is going viral, and it is going viral for all the right reasons. >> going viral is a good thing here in an arena that is often divisive, it offers a glimmer of hope the opposing candidates running to become utah's next governor appear together in a series of ads calling for civility in politics. >> all right in less than one day, their message has been viewed by millions of people take a look. >> i'm chris peterson. >> i'm spencer cox >> we are currently in the final days of campaigning against each other to be your next governor. >> and while i think you should vote for me. >> but really you should vote for me. >> there are some things we both agree on. >> we can debate issues without degrading each other's character. >> we can disagree without hating each other. >> and win or lose, in utah, we work together. >> so let's show the country that there's a better way. >> my name is chris peterson. >> and i'm spencer cox. >> and we approve this message

>> we all do lieutenant governor spencer cox, republican chris peterson, democrat, are with us now. gentlemen, good morning. good to have you with us >> good morning. >> good morning. >> well, i'll start with you, lieutenant governor cox, have you been surprised at the reaction this has received >> well, we thought maybe it would get a little bit of attention, but certainly not this much attention. you know, there's a couple ways to look at this. it's really sad that saying we should treat each other with kindness and decency goes viral, but at the same time, it's really restored my faith in the american people. that people are hungering for decency. they're tired of the divisiveness i'm certainly hopeful that means there are better things to come in politics. >> mr. peterson, i was trying to think, when was the last time i saw two people from opposing parties just even joking around together, enjoying each other's company? to watch you guys on that ad was completely refreshing.

so whose idea was it how did it come to be? >> well, we've been talking throughout the campaign. i think we commiserated a bit before our debates and whatnot i think maybe the initial idea was probably from spencer. as we started to come together, i think it just gelled we put it together quite quickly, and i'm really excited that it's something that is helping people feel some comfort. it's not that we don't have disagreements. we really do but the truth is, i think we both genuinely like each other spencer is a great guy we have to remember we all have to get along after the elections. >> mr. peterson, did you know lieutenant governor cox before you guys have some chemistry i don't know apparently politics is your thing, but i think a tv show you guys really click. but anyway, did you have a relationship that you were kind of building from that enabled you to keep your race so civil >> no, no. i think we're both just trying to be good guys.

we didn't know each other before, you know, i jumped into politics i knew who he was. i don't think he knew who i am you know, look, we're just trying to focus on the issues and have a civil campaign and let the public decide. that's what our democracy is supposed to be about we count up all the votes, all the votes, then we have an election, and afterwards, we move forward together. that's what our country is supposed to be about i'm committed to that. >> lieutenant governor, if you end up winning this one, and they say you're way ahead, if you end up winning, is there room for mr. peterson somewhere in your administration >> so i mentioned this actually in our debate, that if he wins, that i would hope that i would have an opportunity to work with him, and that if i win, we would have an opportunity to work together on issues that are important to him so, yeah, there are opportunities for us to work together again, just like chris said, that's the foundation of our democracy.

it's what we do. especially in the worst of times, those are the times when we really should be coming together that hasn't happened this past year, and we're hoping that utah can show a better way. >> thanks for lighting the way with that radical message, guys. best of luck to you on november 3rd. appreciate it. >> we appreciate it. >> thank you >> thank you >> that was the first political story we've done in a long time where i feel good at the end >> everyone enjoys it. >> real good. let's get a check of the weather from dylan. >> refreshing. i love that. we are still tracking the tropics. we've got a big storm just to the east of bermuda. this is hurricane epsilon. it was the fourth major hurricane of the 2020 season it is now down to a category 2 it is still very well-defined, but the good news is, while it'll come closer to bermuda, it'll stay well to the east. however, it is going to be close enough to produce some dangerous rip currents and also rough surf, as well. that also goes for the east coast, too with warmer temperatures in the forecast the next couple of days, if you are headed to the

beaches, keep that in mind dangerous rip currents today and tomorrow because of that storm system we also have to talk about the wire weather outlook we have some concern down south, but once again out in california, central and northern california where conditions are very dry winds could gust up to 45 miles per hour that could help to spread some fires once they develop. we also have the heavy snow across the northern plains 4 to 8 inches of snow possible along the cold front itself where it is warmer, we could see severe >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a look at our high temperatures for today, we are going to see a high of 85 in concord, as well as napa. those are the warmest temperatures we'll have because we'll see mostly 70s and even upper 60s along the coastline. as we go into today, we're still watching out for that red flag warning for all of these areas above 1,000 feet as we are looking at some mountain wind gusts, not so much in the valleys but this could spread

fires quickly as we transition to cooler temperatures. >> that's your latest forecast savannah >> dylan, thank you. carson is back jenna is here. reese's. come on, everybody. no debate. >> wait a did you do your bracket-wee yet? >> i haven't but i know the winner reese's. come on, everybody no debate. >> wait a minute, you got to sit down and chat with chelsea handler. she's doing stand-up again. >> yeah, she is. he has a whole new hbo max special called "evolution. i first met chelsea when i was a guest on her show. we became friends in an instant. she's self-deprecating, wildly funny, and as we're aware, often shocking she also has one of the biggest hearts around. >> reporter: for seven seasons, chelsea handler starred in her popular, late-night show "chelsea lately. >> you're not their mother, you're dating. >> reporter: shared her bold take on everything from pop culture to relationships to politics she's the best-selling author of half a dozen books on her life,

her antics, and her philosophies, with titles such as "are you there, vodka, it's me, chelsea. shocking and charming her way into stardom and the audience's hearts including my own we may have to address the fact we call each other sissy. >> we're sisters you're sister. i call all the people in my life who are sisters sissy. when i met you and your sister, we bonded over the fact we were so happy to have sisters in our life. >> reporter: now, she's back on stage with an hbo max special called "chelsea handler evolution," a deeply personal and deeply funny take on dating, love, and her frequent visits to therapy. >> tricky time i figured it was time to go to a real therapist he said, i think you lack empathy. >> reporter: it's been six years since your last special. why did we have to wait so long? this special is called evolution. talk to me about how you've evolved in the last year

>> i was able to put it down in a book, and then i thought, if i could turn this into a stand-up show, that'd make me interested in going back to stand-up. if i could take this narrative of going into therapy, of realizing i had, like, you know, a total attitude problem, i thought, oh, i'm just great. i'm honest, and i tell people the truth. what is everybody's problem? therapy, to me, was one of the most ridiculously funny, embarrassing, humiliating experiences that you drive to and go to repeatedly, just to pay somebody to tell you what's wrong with you which is a great transaction so i was like, i have to tell this story on stage. it is all the things i love to share, which is the ultimate personal story >> reporter: this special, "evolution," is really beautiful, and there is a poignant moment where you talk about losing your brother. why did you feel like you needed to go there? >> i wanted to do it in an authentic way and be honest about my experience. a lot of my anger came from, you know, my brother dying when i was 9 and never resolving that i was just a little girl

so it was important for me to, like, tell that story on stage and kind of take that moment and play with it in the form of stand-up we had a great little relationship, you know it was so fun because he was the oldest and i was the youngest. we were like bookends. he was the biggest imprint of my young years. >> reporter: what was it like to stand on that stage for the first time since the pandemic? >> well, it was great to, a, accomplish something during the pandemic, because i just wanted to get this special out before the election it was just relevant to this time we picked this outdoor venue, and it's a city skyline of new york that i was looking at performing to. which was beautiful. the audience was socially distanced and wore masks i wanted to bring something to the table during this really dark time that we're all in. you know, i wanted to bring laughter and joy >> reporter: she reliably doesn't hold back from sharing her feelings for new york's governor andrew cuomo. while you were staring at the skyline, were you fantasizing

about governor cuomo seven months into the pandemic, do you still have a thing for him? >> i had strong sexual feelings about him. when he came on the scene, he looked like the incredible hulk also you know, the big italian gorilla. i wanted to flatten my curve, then i wanted to flatten his curve. yes, i was very sexually attracted to him >> reporter: has he reached out to you though? >> i had an exchange or two with him, yeah. >> reporter: could there be a late i think the man is single. >> is he single? i think he is single there has not been a date, no, no jenna, i'd tell you. >> reporter: i know. have you gotten any social distance dating? >> if be you're not interested in the guy, you can be like, i'm social distancing. but i'm on the hunt. >> reporter: i was looking at your instagram, and you posted about 50 cent. i'm like, she's reliving these good days. we have to find her a new man.

>> i'm hanging on to the past, girl >> reporter: sissy, i miss you, and this special is going to make people laugh and fill them with joy at a time i think we need it the most. >> okay. i'll see you next time, sissy. love you >> love you. >> i know. she's -- >> are we a little jealous we thought we were sissies. >> you all are, too, but nobody can take chelsea's place i'm just kidding. >> what's cool about you and her together, i know chelsea has made -- poked fun at your dad on occasion. >> did she i'm just kidding >> but you guys are still pals regardless. >> i asked her about that. i said, like, how important is civil discourse, loving somebody even though you may not agree on everything >> yes. >> i think we post things that, you know, are opinions and we don't make room for people that think differently. she's like, you're my sissy. we may not agree on everything, but we agree on what matters the most we take care of each other that we like each other. anyway, she is very funny, and

her new special, "evolution," is available on hbo to stream right now. she might have gotten in a twitter war with fifty since this happened. >> yes. >> we'll leave that to twitter, right? >> exactly. >> you might have an updated piece on this tomorrow, jenna. we have a big half hour ahead, including day two you thought day one of steals and deals was good with chic throws, well, we have more of that. and also the halloween candy bracket-ween. >> don't forget that air fryer in steals and deals. >> first, check of your local news and weather

good morning. 8:26. i'm marcus washington. the man accuse of stealing a lemur from a zoo is scheduled to be in court in the hour. he's expected to enter a plea tied to property theft charges in marin county. san rafael police arrested him a few days after the lemur was recovered. this is on the grounds of a daley city preschool. investigators tied him to the theft based on evidence recovered in the property theft arrest. let's get a look at the forecast for you on this thursday. meteorologist kari hall has been tracking that. >> and marcus, i've been watching those wind gusts

especially around the bay area. a bit more gusty in san francisco. for the most part it's been anywhere from 15 to 20 miles per hour. but the upper elevations is what we're really watching. as our temperatures today continue to cool off. we're looking at highs that will reach into the low 80s for the south bay. upper 70s for oakland and as we go into the next 24 hours, we're watching out for the potential of any fire starts or rapidly spreading fires. as we cool off for the weekend, we'll see our inland valleys reaching into the upper 60s. we'll have another local news update coming up in 30 minutes.

>> reporter: good morning. 22nd of october. did you know, but i'll tell you again, it is national make a dog's day. >> oh! >> encouraging people to adopt even the hardest to adopt shelter dogs my today plaza is getting into the spirit filled with families who have done just that we're going to meet them and their adorable little pups coming up. >> so sweet. >> find a pound puppy. >> the sweetest. also ahead, jill martin is back with a new batch of bargains for day two our tenth anniversary.

we are celebrating steals and deals. >> i cannot wait for that. plus, we're going to take the next step in a fierce debate that broke out on the show yesterday. more important than health care or immigration, which halloween candy ranks at the top of the list we'll break it down. >> this is going to be a knockdown. did you fill out the bracket >> jenna said resee's for the win. they were out in my first round. >> they had a bad match-up. >> twix is tough >> we all weigh in >> we'll have a real bracketology, like march madness, to see which candy prevails obviously, it'll be the payday dylan, how about -- >> payday? they were also out in my first round. >> oh, payday got butterfinger's tough first round. >> the weather. let's take a look at what you can expect going to the weekend. tomorrow is friday after all it is going to be really chilly across the northern plains temperatures 20 degrees below average. wet through the middle of the country with some heavier

downpours with some of the storms the frontal system fizzles out as it moves eastward we're not going to see a ton of rain saturday, but it's out there. scattered showers and colder temperatures is what you'll notice especially back through areas like chicago. on sunday, the cold air and the snow continues across parts of the northern plains and upper midwest. we're looking at more snow, more wind heavy rain on the eastern side of that. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's look at our seven-day forecast for the unland valleys. slightly cooler with some of our warmest spots only reaching up to 81 degrees. then tomorrow that cooling trend continues but we're also looking at gusty winds and high fire danger for our bay area hills. as we go into the weekend, we'll continue to see that cool-off happening. by sunday, only reaching into the upper 60s and warming up gradually for early next week.

>> and that's your latest forecast because i don't like peanut butter and chocolate this is where the -- >> what? >> we're shocked. >> we don't know who you are. >> i don't know if we can be friends. >> oh, my gosh. >> just peanut butter in the pisces. >> we're going to get to the bottom of it. >> you need to be swabbed for that maybe your taste buds. >> two great tastes coming together >> of course. >> you probably weren't born when the ad was on in the '70s dylan, thank you. coming up next, another round of our greatest hits from the first ten years of steals and deals. jill is ready to reveal this morning's new batch of savings oh, arthey big savingse 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. traffic and air pollution will be even worse after the pandemic. that's why we support measure rr to keep caltrain running. which is at risk of shutdown because of the crisis. to keep millions of cars off our roads, to reduce air pollution and fight climate change. and measure rr helps essential workers like me get to work and keep our communities healthy. relieve traffic. reduce pollution. rescue caltrain. [all] yes on measure rr.

back at 8:35 the celebrations just keep on coming. day two of our tenth anniversary edition of steals and deals. >> jill martin is back to share even more of her greatest hits the best bargains from the last ten years.

>> be sure to scan the qr code at the bottom left of your screen >> by dylan. >> right by dilly-dilly. if you want instant access to the deals. jill, take it away. >> hi there. i finally have a reason to put on leather pants, sparkly earrings, and heels. we are back again for day two of our steals and deals greatest hits we're celebrating our tenth anniversary with some of your favorites from ten years of shopping together. all right. let's start with what i'm wearing, which is always popular. the luxury cashmere wrap scarf the retail is $698. the business is built on craftsmanship and timeless design the company is offering three of their best-selling cashmere wrap styles we featured throughout the years with a chic update for the holiday season the first option is an elegant oversized cashmere wrap, perfect for any occasion the second choice is the wrap scarf with luxurious leather fringe i wear that in the ivory all the time

the third is this poncho oversized in solid or like this, in the color block stripe design one size fits most it comes in these gorgeous colors huge celebrity favorite. the retail, $698 deal, $89. that's 87% off in honor of our tenth anniversary. next up, something you always love, the swell bottles choice between the 17 ounce and the 25 ounce retail, $35 to $45 you have the choice of the two bottles. if you don't know about this brand, it is so cool, literally. it keeps liquids cool for over 36 hours and hot over 18you, can get this, one person, just one of you, can displace 167 plastic bottles in a year by using this instead of the disposable ones. 25 ounce holds an entire bottle of wine. retail, $35 to $45

the deal, $14 to $18 in these fun patterns and colors. great gift 60% off. this goes really fast, so i wanted to bring it back. the fabulous blow dry kit. retail, $96. this set, again, goes really fast if you want to get it now, they're offering the shampoo, conditioner, the color wow speed dry, and the coconut cocktail spray, which smells delicious. what is great, it moisturizes and nourishes your blow dry. this is a brand i used for years and is a celebrity favorite. the retail on this is $96. the deal, $40 for the entire set. that is 58% off. next up, in-styler seven-time smart drier $139.99. this sold out in minutes last time we featured it. it features advanced technology for shorter drier time, while creating frizz-free and healthier, shinier hair. who more can you ask more? this is super cool, it features

a hands-free auto pause mode when you pick it up, it goes on. when you put it down, it goes off. so just easy breezy. the retail, $139.99. the deal, $56. that's 60% off something i've used to clean my skin, the orbital facial brush. retail, $149 now, the tao facial brush features bristles in spinning motion and gets in to clean your skin i use this with drugstore soap in the morning and night comes with a base charging station. four beautiful colors. it is pretty on your vanity or wherever you keep it retail, $149 the deal, $39. 74% off. something for everyone, a super cool gift to stock up on the extreme time bejewelled and animal print collection of

the wireless earbuds. $79.99 two to three hours of talk time or music choose from jewel tone colors or animal prints. again, this makes a super cool gift retail, $79.99 the deal is $18. 77% off. that wraps up our tenth anniversary greatest hits. hope these small investments over the years have brought happiness into your home and life i know they have to mine and my family here's the stealing and dealing for ten more years i'll send it back to you in the studio for a wrap of up. >> we're going to wrap up in a cozy, chic throw we got on steals and deals yesterday, jill let's go through the deals one more time. the luxury cashmere scarf. the swell bottles. the blow dry kit from color wow. >> good deal. >> in-styler smart dryer. >> turns off. >> you set it down, and it turns off. the orbital facial brush no one saw the $39 price tag coming the wireless ear buds from extreme -- >> practically giving them away. >> find them at today.com/deals. we love you, jill. nobody works harder. we adore you so much love for steals and

deals. coming up is "pop start" and the most important story of the day. we need your help if you're watching at home deciding which halloween candy reigns supreme footnote, it is not mounds 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.

according to the watches, it is time for "pop start. >> only thing that matters around here is candy we'll bang through the earlier segments of "pop start." it was a big night in country music. biggest names for the cmt awards carrie underwood yet again the biggest winner video of the year and female video of the year for "drinking alone. carrie thanking her fans. >> this is really all about you guys especially because we, again, haven't been together, but i just feel so loved this evening. so thank you guys so much. >> another big win went to pals

blake shelton and again stefani, collaborative video of the year for "no one but you. gwen stefani shocked she won an award for country music. >> oh, my gosh absolutely unbelievable. first of all, thank you, gwen stefani. >> thank you my gosh, i can't believe, a country music -- this is like, what is happening in my life >> there goes the grammy out the window put the cmt award there. >> yes. >> luke bryan also a big winner for male video of the year award for "one margarita." and dan and shay won, as well and also performing. ♪ ♪ i know i know i know >> those are two of the best voices in music. dan and shay -- >> beautiful. >> -- it is a clinic, that song in particular.

cool outdoor performance by our friends, little big town closing out the show with their song. hoda's anthem. >> oh, their song, wine, beer, whiskey. hit it ♪ the wine, the beer, the whiskey they always get me ♪ >> oh, man that was so cool. >> people don't know, that's hoda's house they have a big wine, beer, whiskey neon sign. >> is it bad i taught hailey that song? >> not at all. fun to see how they're creative with the award shows congrats to them. smoky and the bandit the latest classic movie to be revived for the 21st century instead of the remake of the 1977 film, starred burt reynolds and sally field in a high-speed chase, it is a tv show seth macfarlane's production company is producing it, with minds behind "pineapple

express. and "eastbound and down" a funny show. the real question is if they can recapture the chemistry burt and sally had. >> go, girl, go. >> i'm going i'm going. i got the metal to the pedal and the thing to the floor and -- >> ha, ha, ha. >> smoky the bandit, anybody >> oh, yeah. >> too young excited that's coming back, no >> until you like peanut butter and chocolate -- >> you'll hold it against me. we all have candy on the mind during yesterday's show, it got heated on the floor. both in commercial breaks and on tv we're supposed to be focusing on other things we talked about our favorite candies. uncle al throwing out the peppermint patties should be in it, as well. that was hotly debated on that one. and what is the best halloween candy? we need your help. we are launching our "today" candy bracket-ween this is the time of the year we do a segment where we put "ween"

on the end we've taken 16 of the top candies and lined them up. list includes, yes, uncle al, peppermint patties and three musketeers how about this, milky way got the draw of snickers. >> that's not fair. >> twizzlers and starburst 100 brand versus baby ruth payday versus butterfinger today.com/food place your votes we'll reveal the winner of the best candy next week. all you have to do is vote, and we have our brackets here. as i mentioned before, the way this bracket is, it is like the east and the west. all the talent is in the west, unfortunately. you have, like, york peppermint patties coming out of the east, and they were up against broccoli, so they moved on >> what are the rules? >> there are no rules. >> okay. >> the rules are you fill it best. out. >> peanut butter and chocolate are the best. >> i have 100 grand winning it all. >> what is it? >> greatest candy on earth. >> what is it in >> rice. >> caramel chocolate.

all the factors that make up a great candy. >> take 5 on there >> i brought my take 5s for you. >> really, you did >> my goodness. >> take the bracket twix versus resee's peanut butter. all the right ingredients in there. the crunch, caramel, it's all here in the take 5 >> i love take 5. >> even with the peanut butter and chocolate qualms. >> i didn't give it away we shouldn't say. >> sure we can. >> we're in commercial >> we are? >> yeah. >> but, wait, will it influence the vote >> i doubt it. >> we should not influence the vote >> they don't want us to tell. it is better not to tell >> you're not here tomorrow. >> it's not mounds or almond joy. just ahead -- >> never been so focused on any segment. we're with you do it monday. >> just ahead, we are highlighting one of the brightest spots of the pandemic. pet adoptions. they are soaring

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>> announcer: finding forever >> announcer: finding forever homes for dogs was created by "today" with our sponsor, subaru, who is proud to establish october 22nd as national make a dog's day. >> we are back, and we are shining light on something special that's come out of the pandemic the number of dogs being adopted across the country has soared. some shelters are even reporting they now have waiting lists. >> that's a good thing we're taking a closer look at the growing trend this morning on national make a dog's day segment sponsored by subaru. kerry sanders met up with a family who adopted a dog, inspired by one you'll remember. miracle is back. >> get the ball. go get it. he's very active he loves to play with the ball and run around the yard. >> reporter: louis and frank recently adopted a dog, brody, after their beloved 14-year-old dog, buddy, also a rescue, died

this summer. how hard was that, to have this member of the family, then -- >> don't ask >> it was very, very hard. >> very hard >> it was hard it was very hard >> we just saw how devastated they were, and we knew we had to do something about it. >> reporter: their daughter, leslie, lives down the street from the batey family, who adopted the dog, miracle, last year look at you, so big now. how you doing, miracle you may remember miracle he remarkably survived more than three weeks under the rubble following hurricane dorian in the bahamas. dehydrated and weighing just 16 pounds, today miracle is a healthy, rambunctious 42 pounds, living his best life surrounded by love. >> i'm so glad he is part of our family i'm grateful every day. >> reporter: the bateys took leslie to the same shelter that rescued miracle to find a dog for her parents. brody was the one.

makes you happy? >> very, very much so. i'm happy to be able to be a part of his life, too. >> he's comfortable and loving that's what frank needs. >> reporter: frank suffers from dementia frank, what are you feeling there, holding brody >> very, very, very good. >> reporter: who is getting more out of this, you or brody? >> i think both of them. he's really a good companion, yeah loves to give kisses >> reporter: during the pandemic, dog adoptions have soared those furry friends keeping us company. the old line is, who rescued who? almost feels like it applies here. >> completely. it makes me so happy that i was able to be a part of it. it's the greatest thing. sit, good boy. >> reporter: brody and miracle, two dogs giving their forever families a new leash on life >> i think dogs in general just bring unconditional love

they just want to love you >> reporter: and isn't that what we all want, just to be loved. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, waxahachie, florida. >> new leash on life we worked with our sponsor, subaru, to create a my today plaza in honor of national make a dog's day. we have great families and great dogs up there. you guys have all adopted dogs during the pandemic. we say thank you to all of you for that let's put up michael in atlanta. they have aria guys, that is named after "game of thrones," i imagine >> yes. >> 2 1/2-year-old lab pit mix from your local shelter. what was it like to bring aria home >> we decided we were going to bring her home as soon as we heard her story. she had been in the shelter for 411 days >> wow. >> she had untreated heartworm disease for over a year. we knew she was a part of our

family before we met her purpose was to bring her home. ever since she's been with us, she's like this all the time she just wants to be with us it's all she wants she just feels so grateful that she's not alone anymore. we feel like we rescued her, but she rescued us, as well. >> that's well said. thank you, michael so great. >> beautiful let's put the big board back up and say hi to the other folks who are there. we have stu and chrissy. they have remy there we have katrina and alex where is pilot we see you >> what's up, pilot? >> sarah and mike with jade and cooper >> hi, cooper. >> ilene and miriam with kai the hand family with teddy and vinnie and a big shoutout to all of you guys. >> the dogs are loving the segment. they've been getting pet the last 45 minutes straight. >> i know, beautiful >> so cute >> awesome

>> thanks, guys. >> hopefully it's contagious people watching can pick up a dog. >> sweeties. >> what do you have coming up? >> william shatner is joining us he has a new blues album out, if you can believe it. >> love it. >> talk to him about that. >> coming up on "hoda and jenna," we're doing a taste of travel thing we're traveling the world virtually. we're heading to hong kong and eating dumplings it is going to be good. >> i love that a lot ahead. first, a check of your local news, your weather, and these messages have a great day, everybody. >> bye, everybody! good morning. 8:56. i'm marcus washington. pg&e customers waking up in the dark thanks to a new round of the power shutoffs. the outages are impacting the bay but hundreds of homes are also without pour elsewhere do the the return of high power danger. red flag warnings are supposed

to taper off. they're supposed to have the power restored tonight. bob redell is taking a look at the outages. meteorologist kari hall is keeping an eye on the conditions. we'll have live team coverage at midday. you can also get the latest from the top of our home page. the senate judiciary approved the nomination for amy coney barrett in the supreme court. democrats boycotted the vote. from our twitter feed link to more details including what's next. more local weather in an hour. a. while he, accused of stealing $5. the stanford rapist could afford bail; got out the same day. the senior citizen could not; forced to wait in jail nearly a year. voting yes on prop 25 ends this failed system, replacing it with one based on public safety. because the size of your wallet shouldn't determine whether or not you're in jail. vote yes on prop 25 to end money bail.

vote yes on prop 25 who's sujoe biden.rop 15? biden says, "every kid deserves a quality education and every family deserves to live in a safe, healthy community. that's why i support prop. 15." vote yes. schools and communities first is responsible for the contents of this ad. who'sgovernor gavin newsom.

the governor says prop 15 is, "fair, phased-in, and long overdue reform", that "will exempt small businesses and residential property owners." join governor newsom. vote yes on 15. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the "3rd hour of today." >> good morning. welcome to the "3rd hour of today. then there were two. i'm sheinelle here with dylan. al and craig are both off this morning. certainly well deserved. we're doing the black and white thing today. >> it was funny. i saw her, and it was like my skirt is probably a little short for sitting. >> mine too. >> oh, yours is, too this is fantastic. >> tuck. our director lets you know when we need to tuck. we have a great show for you this morning we're going to catch up with william shatner. talk "star trek," of course, and find out about his latest musical project. singing the blues.