moving very smoothly and slowing through union city and if you are traveling south out of oakland, you can get through that slow ddown. it's thursday, if we can get through this. >> keep warm out there. that will do it for us. a live look for you san francisco. have a great morning. good mor covid crackdowns with cases soaring to new records, cities across america forced to bring back tough restrictions >> losing money hurts, but money can be replaced. losing a loved one hurts forever. >> new york limiting gatherings in homes to just ten people. two weeks to thanksgiving, as a new wave of outbreaks sweeps across the country with new concerns the crisis will only deepen republican reality check

a key gop senator breaks from the president over transition briefings, vowing to intervene on behalf of president-elect joe biden. >> there's nothing wrong with vice president biden getting the briefings to be able to prepare himself and so that he can be ready. >> just ahead, what's next in the transition, as the president-elect forges ahead and names the man who will lead his white house staff. braking overnight, eta arrives again. the powerful storm makes its second landfall in florida another round of damaging wind and heavy rain, causing new damage and more flooding we'll have a live report on the flood alerts now posted up and down the east coast. one and done the very first caribbean cruise since the pandemic began halted after a passenger tests positive what it could mean for the already hard-hit industry moving forward. those stories, plus, together again

♪ wild child the stars of country music step out for the cmas the industry's biggest night of the year. >> it is going to be music that brings us out of this. that is the one thing that is going to save the entire world >> the best moments and biggest performances from the socially distanced celebration. ♪ when you done somebody wrong >> today, thursday, november 12th, 2020 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza >> welcome to "today." so happy that you are joining us it is a very, very busy thursday morning. >> seems like we say that every day, because you know what, it's true every day there's so much news to cover. >> we have a lot happening today, including a hand recount of ballots just ordered in georgia. a state where joe biden leads by

some 14,000 votes. one that's set to hold two runoffs that will determine the future of the u.s. senate. we'll have the very latest there. >> we have a live interview ahead with new jersey's governor, phil murray, on a morning where new restrictions are imposed across his state and the state of new york. let's start with the record-shattering surge in coronavirus cases nationwide. >> the numbers are stunning. more than 144,000 were reported yesterday. that's a new daily record, and that pushes the total since election day to nearly 1 million. over time, take a look at this, the nation has seen more than 9,000 deaths due to the virus. nbc's stephanie gosk joins us now with the very latest steph, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. you know, new york state was hit the hardest at the start of this pandemic, recently, it's been able to keep case numbers and hospitalizations at bay, until now. a new set of dramatic guidelines have been announced that show just how concerned state health

officials are becoming new york, the center of the outbreak this spring, is now teetering on another deadly explosion of the virus, with cases rising, as weather and holidays are about to begin. governor cuomo announced new covid rules wednesday aimed at stopping the spread. indoor gatherings, even in private homes, must be capped at ten people a new 10:00 p.m. curfew for bars, restaurants, and gyms, which are already operating at reduced capacity >> losing money hurts, but money can be replaced. losing a loved one hurts forever. right? >> reporter: as winter weather is set to force more people indoors, state officials are trying to prevent a second wave of infections and a return to the dark days of march and april, with a possible vaccine on the horizon in neighboring new jersey, where the positivity rate is double

that of new york, similar restrictions go into effect today. >> even if they used to stay open until 11:00 or 12:00, the extra hour sometimes is critical, especially on the weekends. >> reporter: across the country, new signs of the growing coronavirus problem on university campuses. syracuse university suspending all in-person activities, other than attending classes maryland university is now the latest school to suspend its football activities. with eight student-athletes testing positive within the last week their game this saturday is just one of seven college football games to be canceled this weekend. while some states in the country are passing grim milestones, texas is the first state to have more than 1 million confirmed cases of covid-19. el paso was forced to use outdoor morgues in tractor trailers to house the surging number of patients who have died the death toll in the state, nearly 20,000. >> we have seen, also, pulmonary complications, scarring, and

decreased pulmonary capacity. >> reporter: in massachusetts, governor baker announced makeshift field hospitals are needed for the second time this year, as regular hospitals there reach capacity with the typically brutal new england winter just about to begin. here in new york city, there are roughly 1,000 cases a day. those are numbers they haven't seen since may as the positivity rate inches up close to 3%, that's a level that mayor bill de blasio has said, if the city reaches, he will close down schools for in-person learning savannah >> stephanie, thank you so much. we're joined by new jersey's governor, phil murphy. good morning to you. >> good morning. thanks for having me. >> as you well know, new jersey was one of the hardest hit states early in the outbreak how concerned are you that your state, this region, is at a tipping point right now? >> i would say very concerned, savannah our numbers have gone up dramatically whether it's new cases,

hospitalizations, our positivity rate, everything is going in the wrong direction. as you well know, we paid an enormous toll. our folks came together and did an extraordinary job, but this second wave is, without question, upon us, which is why we're taking the steps we're taking today. >> what do you attribute this uptick to? is it simply the cooler temperatures, or do you think people are, for lack of a better way of looking at it, kind of suffering from covid fatigue, kind of letting down their guard a little bit >> yeah, i think it's both clearly, the colder weather means we're doing more of our lives inside the virus wants us to do that, unfortunately. but there's no question, this fatigue. there's also no question the vaccine news is real, so this is not a forever and for always we've got sort of four to six months, it seems to us, to sprint through this, to push back on that fatigue, and that's what we have to plead with people to do right now don't let your hair down, even when you're in your own home,

even when you're celebrating holidays with your loved ones. >> you've ordered those new restrictions we just talked about in the piece, including the closing of indoor dining starting at 10:00. can you explain the rational for that restriction >> what we were seeing happen, not in every case, savannah, but in too many cases, restaurants were morphing as the night went on, not in name but substance into clubs, lounges. people were letting their guard down, particularly in and around bars we had a lot of bartenders come back testing covid-19. we said, you can't have indoor seating after 10:00. take-out and delivery, no problem. inside as the night wears on, there was a particular trend of folks just letting their guard down, which we cannot allow. >> you've said this is not a lockdown, you're just tweaking at the edges, the parameters here

nobody wants a lockdown. nobody wants to go back to that place, but if we are at a tipping point, as you say, is it enough should more be done to kind of hold off what might be coming? >> we will see i mean, as i mentioned at the outset, a lot of the transmission is in private settings so where we can enforce compliance, in restaurants, in bars, intersport -- interstate sports, which is another area that we're prohibiting, we will take those steps as it relates to your private setting, we just have to plead with people to not let their guard down, to keep their gatherings as small as possible, and to keep fighting this. >> disturbingly, the positivity rate of tests coming back from energy energy -- new jersey is on the rise, and so it is on the

rise. it is not just more testing, but more people getting sick what is your red line, the number or metric you're using to determine whether more serious steps need to be taken >> you're absolutely right in terms of your premise. we are testing among the highest per capita of any state, but our positivity rates are up dramatically it is both community spread and more testing i would say there's not one single red line, savannah. but the numbers are going in a direction -- you know, we have 3,000 to 3,800 cases a day our peak was 4,300 in the spring we have 1,500 people in the hospital peak was 8,300 sadly, with the heaviest of hearts, we keep losing people. i'd say there's no one red line, but we're getting into a neighborhood that is extremely concerning. >> and in the few seconds i have left, there were rumors flying around new jersey yesterday that schools were closing down and going to go all virtual. can you clear that up? >> yeah, that's not the case at least one of our kids was happy to see that, but that's not the case that's something that could happen, but at the moment, back

to school two months in has worked quite well. so far, so good. >> new jersey's governor, phil murphy, thanks for your time this morning, sir. appreciate it. >> thanks for having me. now to the latest on the presidential race. a number of republicans are starting to sound the alarm on the trump administration's refusal to give president-elect joe biden national security briefings. we have two reports. we're going to start with nbc's kristen welker kristen, republicans publicly seem to be in lock step with the president, but are we starting to see a few cracks in that? >> reporter: we are, hoda. we're starting to see a growing number of republicans, cracks if you will, break with president trump, and making it clear they believe the results of this election are final the latest, karl rove, writing in a "wall street journal" op-ed about the president's claims of fraud, quote, the president's efforts are unlikely to move a single state from mr. biden's column, and certainly, they're

not enough to change the final outcome. now, the other flash point, the fact that the trump administration is withholding key transition funds from president-elect biden and also intelligence briefings overnight, the republican senator from oklahoma, james langford, saying he'll intervene if necessary take a listen. >> there is nothing wrong with vice president biden getting the briefings to be able to prepare himself, and so that he can be ready. if that's not occurring by friday, i will step in, as well, to be able to push and say, "this needs to occur." >> reporter: we've also learned that even though president-elect biden has spoken to eight foreign leaders, including three overnight, the state department is withholding some messages from foreign officials from the president-elect and that is getting a lot of attention. but biden is moving forward with his transition in fact, late yesterday, naming his chief of staff, tapping a

long-time aide and ally, ron klain. someone who actually served as his chief of staff when he was in the obama administration. hoda >> kristen, do you know what the trump administration's next move may be or what their best path is forward >> reporter: hoda, i can tell you about some of the conversations going on behind the scenes we know that some of the president's own advisers believe that this situation is not tenable and it's not sustainable. so they are urging him to find an off-ramp. what is that going to look like? well, they believe it is unlikely he will ever concede, but you may see the president come out at some point and say, "look, while we can't trust these final results, we're also not going to try to contest them." i think you're going to see pressure mounting on him to make that statement sooner rather than later, because you have a lot of republicans inside and outside of the white house who worry that the president is hurting his own legacy, and also hurting the republican party at a critical moment. remember, there are those two runoff races in georgia, hoda. >> kristen welker for us, thank

you. >> and speaking of georgia, where nine days after the election, a full recount of ballots by hand has been ordered, let's go to blayne alexander, in atlanta for us good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. election day is well behind us, but here in georgia, it could be days before we know who won this state. that's because we are headed for a full hand recount. now, with the results on the presidential race still too close to call, president-elect joe biden is in the lead here in georgia. nbc news has projected that even without the state of georgia, the president-elect has already secured enough electoral votes to win the election. still, the state's top election official says that this recount is necessary to ensure confidence in the results. this morning, in georgia, election day is stretching well into election month. georgia secretary of state brad raffensperger announcing a recount of all 5 million ballots by hand to verify the results of

the presidential race, where president-elect joe biden is ahead by 14,000 votes. the recount not likely to change the lead, officials say, but rather bring confidence in the results. >> we have all worked hard to bring fair and accurate counts to ensure the will of the voters is reflected in the final count. >> reporter: while raffensperger repeatedly said he's seen no evidence of widespread voter fraud, he is coming under pressure from some in his own party. the trump campaign demanding a recount. is this a response from the demands of the trump campaign? >> no, it is a response to state law that requires us to do a statewide audit. so that's what we're doing. >> reporter: also piling on, georgia's two republican senators, kelly loeffler and david perdue in a scathing statement demanding the secretary of state resign, accusing him, without evidence, of failing to deliver honest and transparent elections. raffensperger made it clear he is going nowhere, instead, firing back, as a republican, i am concerned about republicans keeping the u.s. senate, he

wrote. a clear jab at the two lawmakers, both facing critical january runoffs in two separate races that will determine whether party controls the u.s. senate for republicans, it's all hands on deck. >> this is literally, you know, the showdown of all showdowns in terms of politics and what it means. we don't want to win one of them we want to win both of them. we need to win both of them. >> reporter: democrats, ossoff and warnock, banking on momentum from biden winning the election and the changing tide in georgia. >> this is hard work we've been on the ground for years, registering hundreds of thousands of new voters in this state, trying to give people a voice. >> reporter: now, earlier there, you saw senator marco rubio in town, campaigning for his two republican colleagues. next week, pence will also be in georgia to do the same thing on the democratic side, we understand the group fair fight, founded by stacey abrams, raised more than $10 million for the

two democratic senate candidates as for the recount and when that will be completed, the secretary tells me that he is confident it will be wrapped up by november 20th savannah >> blayne, thank you very much. another major story this morning, tropical storm eta. right now, it is lashing florida with heavy rain and strong winds. flood alerts posted up and down the east coast we have dylan standing by with the very latest. first, let us check in with nbc's sam brock. he is in st. pete for us hey, sam good morning >> reporter: hoda, good morning. we're still seeing some sideways rain under normal circumstances, you'd be looking at beach behind me right now, where there is currently waves. you might be wondering, isn't tropical storm eta what just hit the florida keys the answer is yes. we are now in day 13 of this storm that hit florida for a second time. this is just the sixth time in recorded history, guys, we're seeing a november storm in the gulf this morning, waves thrashing florida's coastline in a season that has seen hurricane after

hurricane. overnight, heavy rainfall and storm surge smacking yet another gulf coast state >> didn't really hear much about it until it was here. >> reporter: in a tampa community, an effort to distribute sandbags to keep eta's waters at bay. >> do everything we can to prepare the family it's florida normal for us. >> reporter: this father and son soaking up the calm before the storm along the swelling seawall in st. petersburg. >> came out to play this afternoon. >> reporter: tropical storm eta's extended life made four landfalls, forming last month and first striking as a category 4 in nicaragua hopscotching through cuba, the florida keys, and now its final return north of tampa. police in sarasota wading through drenched streets, in a region that, amazingly, hadn't been touched yet by historic storms. >> we are in the city doing everything we can to keep all

our residents informed and ensure everyone is safe. >> reporter: from tampa south and along the coast, a rocky reminder of what wind and storm surge can do eta is not done. moisture associated with this storm is actually going to be affecting states like georgia, virginia, and the carolinas. there's going to be dangerous flood risk for the rest of the day. between texas and maine, there's 3,600 miles of coastline almost all of it had been touched by storm activity this year, except for a 200 mile stretch in florida much of that gap is closed with eta. back to you. >> sam brock in st. petersburg, thank you. >> let's bring dylan into this, in for al. what a hurricane season, and it isn't done. >> it isn't. we're going to be watching this storm, as sam mentioned, as it moves to the carolinas it's a weakening tropical storm and will move to the north/northeast. heavy rain, most of it, is over the water, although this will spin back towards georgia, into

the carolinas. combined with a cold front as the storm mainly stays offshore. it's the combination of the moisture from eta with this cold front that could end up producing several inches of rain so we have flash flood watches and flash flood warnings in effect in red there, where the heaviest of the rain is. that's where we're seeing the potential for flash flooding right now. that's a look at the weather across the country we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds (teen) mom... it happened again. (vo) add some thrill to your wish list. at the season of audi sales event. good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a look at our high temperatures for today, we are going to see our highs reaching

into the low 60s. chilly start and we are looking at nice, mild weather for today. and then as we go through the forecast some spotty showers moving in especially as we head towards the late tomorrow night into early saturday morning and then sunshine and milder weather on sunday. back to you guys. >> thank you, dylan. >> thank you so much coming up, a passenger aboard the first cruise to return to sailing in the caribbean tests positive for covid-19 we're going to get the very latest from people who are on that now halted ship plus, the race for a vaccine. >> normally, a vaccine development takes anywhere from five, if not ten years now, we are trying to put it all together in a very rapid manner. >> we will take you inside a testing site for johnson & johnson's trial. a firsthand look at what could set its vaccine apart from the rest (garage door opening) it is my father's love... it is his passion-

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still ahead, the clock is ticking. >> with christmas eve six weeks from today, can you believe it, we'll check out the holiday season's hottest toys. a head start on what to grab before they sell out first, your local news, your weather, and these messages. ♪ ♪ ♪

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because i trust their quality. vitamins, so this is no time to wait. they were the first to be verified by usp, an independent organization that sets strict quality and purity standards. nature made. the #1 pharmacist-recommended vitamin and supplement brand. a very good morning to you. 7:26. i'm laura garcia. here is a look at today's top stories including new concerns about reopening bay area schools. >> i'm kris sanchez in san jose where special education teachers are providing more safety, training guidance and allow more people to work at home whenever possible part of a larger conversation about reopening schools and cases surging in the bay area by 61% over the last few weeks, it is a conversation that is becoming increasingly difficult. i'm bob redell in san ramon

and in contra costa county. covid-19 going up and back into the red tier and tomorrow enacting more restrictions. th joe biden suggesting and dr. michael osterholm suggests the government could pass a relief package to cover people and the local governments. let's check the forecast. it's cold out there. >> yeah, that will wake you up. we have some really cold temperatures around the bay area. and at least we will have a nice and comfortable afternoon. temperatures reaching into the low 60s today. also more 60s tomorrow with some rain moving in during the afternoon to evening hours and it's out of here by saturday morning. saturday afternoon and sunday are looking really nice and will be tracking more rain set to

move in by early next week with some foggy rain chances starting next tuesday. laura. >> all right, good to know. thanks so much, kari. thank you for in joining uss well. back with another local news update in half an hour.

♪ back now, 7:30, with something that will hopefully make you smile you are looking live it looks a little tired right now, but that is going to be the beautiful, famed, rockefeller center christmas tree. later today, it'll let its hair down 75-foot tall norway spruce will begin its trip from upstate new york to right outside our window, right there. we have a little place for you, tree. >> we've been waiting for you. don't you love these signs of the holidays our tree is coming our thanksgiving day parade is happening. >> the tree lighting is happening. >> lighting happening. >> we'll get a holiday shopping

segment coming up next hour. >> getting you ready. >> tis the season. >> we have a lot coming up this half hour, starting with your headlines at 7:30. a shelter in place order is in effect in houston this morning due to the a huge recycling plant fire the fire did start yesterday, sending a message plume of smoke into the air officials say anybody with respiratory issues living within 1/2 mile of the facility should stay inside their homes and keep windows closed. hazmat teams are monitoring the air quality. the cause of that fire is under investigation. tiktok is turning to the federal courts in an effort to stave off a u.s. ban of the company. the chinese-owned business has until today to sell-off operations under an executive order signed by president trump. this morning, the popular video sharing app is asking for more time tiktok has offered to put its u.s. operations under the oversight of two american companies, oracle and walmart. it's still waiting for formal response to the proposal most of you know what it is

like to be led astray by those gps mapping services, but an amazon delivery driver may have us all beat. it happened at a golf course in oxford, michigan the road you see there is not for cars and trucks. it's a path for golf carts the driver said, that's where his gps led him. you can see, well, he got stuck under the tunnel eventually, a tow truck came and pulled the truck free. >> no judgment if my gps says, turn left off this cliff into the ravine below, i'm like, it said turn left let's go the cruise industry was hard hit by the pandemic, it's been dealt another blow a passenger aboard the very first ship to sail in the caribbean in months has now tested positive for the virus. nbc's kerry sanders joins us with details hi, kerry. good morning >> reporter: good morning, savannah yeah, this is the last thing the cruise line industry needed. as you said, this is the first ship to set sail in the caribbean, and now a passenger, at least one, has come down with

coronavirus. this despite the fact the cruise line thought they'd created a safety bubble, protecting both passengers and crew. the sea dream i is the first cruise ship to sail the caribbean since the start of the coronavirus pandemic back in march. since leaving the port of barbados on saturday, at least one passenger on the luxury liner has reportedly tested positive for covid on wednesday, the ship's captain asking passengers and non-essential crew to isolate in their cabins after a passenger reported feeling sick. >> request all of you to return to your stations >> reporter: gene sloan, a reporter for the website the 53 passengers and 63 crew on lockdown. >> there is a chance that i have this thing, because i have been walking around near these people on board.

>> reporter: he says that the passengers were tested twice before boarding. >> every passenger had to be tested before even flying to barbados where the cruise started and getting on the ship within three days, and then tested again at the pier >> reporter: the sea dream i also implemented other safety measures, like requiring social distancing, cleaning the ship with hospital-grade disinfectant, and shuttling passengers to empty beaches to prevent contact with anyone outside the ship's bubble. however, sloan says passengers were not required to wear masks until two days into the trip >> worry about it now. people saw pictures on social media that people were on this cruise ship not wearing masks, and i think they got some pressure >> reporter: nbc news has reached out to the ship's parent company, sea dream yacht club, for comment but have not heard back the cruise line has previously said it was confident in its safety precautions, after a successful summer season in norway that resulted in zero positive cases it's just the latest blow to the

industry, which has lost billions of dollars after the cdc issued a no sail order following coronavirus outbreaks on several ships >> i think that they need to look very, very carefully at exactly what their protocols are and whether there turns out to be a small outbreak, or whether it's just the one individual and they're able to contain it >> reporter: the passengers had at least three shore excursions during this trip, but the passengers say they were distant from everybody, walking empty beaches, snorkeling. right now, the ship is in port in barbados. health officials have everybody sequestered in their state rooms. guys >> kerry, the cdc has some new guidelines when it comes to cruise ships what do you know >> reporter: yeah, well, the cdc is establishing some very strict protocols for the u.s.-based ships that will be leaving from ports like this one right here

it includes some strict guidelines that will actually be put through a test before passengers go on they'll run some simulations with pseudo passengers, basically crew members, and none of that will begin until 2021. guys >> kerry sanders for us there, thank you, kerry just ahead, we're going to stay on this subject we have an inside look this morning at the vaccine trials for johnson & johnson's vaccine candidate, which would be given in just one dose why that could be so important in the fight against covid, right after this behold the new icing-glazed apple fritter.

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squo back, 7:40, searching for solutions. one of the potential coronavirus vaccines being developed. >> johnson & johnson resumed its phase three trial after it was briefly halted last month. gabe gutierrez is in minneapolis with this story. good morning >> reporter: hoda, good morning. there's already been a huge surge in volunteers here keep in mind, these separate pfizer vaccine trials that announced encouraging data earlier this week, it's just one of many vaccine trials around the world. now, unlike that trial, which would require two doses potentially, this johnson & johnson version might require only one with many icus in the midwest stretched to their limits -- >> i think it's only going to get worse. >> reporter: -- this morning, renewed hope that help may finally be on the way. in minnesota, this is the only

clinical trial site for johnson & johnson's trial vaccine. >> we will have around 20 patients. >> reporter: this is the room participants are briefed. >> normally, a vaccine development takes anywhere from 5 if not 10 years. now, we are trying to put it all together in a very rapid manner. >> reporter: this week, more than two dozen volunteers have been vaccinated here more than 2,700 others have registered online. worldwide, the goal is to enroll 60,000 volunteers. like darrell martin. he's doing it, in part, because his 98-year-old mother, catherine, died of covid a month ago. >> she was a loving and giving person, and i think she would have appreciated the opportunity to do something. >> reporter: using a disabled common cold virus, proven safe in previous vaccines for zika, hiv, and ebola, scientists insert one of the coronavirus spikes and then inject it. the spike protein is then synthesized, and the body creates an immune response to it

essentially, the vaccine fakes out the coronavirus. >> for us, this is probably one of the most important trials we have conducted at allina health. as far as research and vaccines go, probably one of the most important trials of the century. >> reporter: back in late march, j&j announced on "today" the vaccine was in the works. >> we have a candidate that has a high degree of probability of being successful. >> reporter: last month, the trial was paused briefly after a participant got sick >> we were not alarmed by that exactly how it was supposed to work when they analyzed the data, they found that was not related to the vaccine at all, and we got the green signal to go ahead. >> reporter: days ago, pfizer announced early data showed its vaccine candidate was 90% effective. j&j's version is not that far along, but researchers say it's possible, if all goes well and it's approved, it could start rolling out to the public by early next year.

>> is this a competition >> it is a competition between the companies. for me, the competition is with the virus, which i think is a mortal enemy. >> what are some of the other differences between the johnson & johnson vaccine and some of the others in trial right now? >> reporter: in addition to the number of doses, savannah, the johnson & johnson version could potentially be stored at a much higher temperature than pfizer's that is significant, as these vaccines are distributed to millions of people around the world, especially in remote areas, savannah. >> could be a big deal in terms of logistics, as you mentioned, getting these out to the public. thank you very much for the update appreciate it. what do you say we get another check of the weather from ms. dylan. >> i like that idea. thanks we are going to see a lot of rain in the northeast this morning, but that's going to start to wind down then all eyes will be focused on the southeast. virginia, north and south carolina, where we have a cold front producing rain as it is, but we have the added moisture coming from tropical storm eta

that's created a lot of moisture in the atmosphere. when you get the downpours, we could see rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour. this will continue to move eastward later today by friday, it's all gone we do have a very big threat of flooding and flash flooding because we could see about 5 to 8 inches of rainfall through the day today. again, it's very tropical in nature, so that's why we could see it really just accumulate very quickly after that cold front moves through, we will notice a fall-like feel in fact, a secondary cold front will drop temperatures down into the 20s and low 30s. below freezing in the northern pl . good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall, we'll see our temperatures reaching into the low 60s. up to 63 degrees in livermore and low 60s, as well, for the north bay. with a lot of sunshine in the forecast today. as we go into tomorrow, we'll start to see our clouds increasing and some afternoon showers moving in.

mostly during the afternoon to early morning hours on saturday we'll see some off and on rain. then heading into sunday it's clear and sunny and more rain expected early next week. still ahead, with growing covid concerns and the much colder temperatures to come, how can we all stay safe but also still say social >> yeah, we want to do that. vicky nguyen is going to teach us to winterize our friendships. bundle up. first, these messages.

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just ahead, car with us for pop start, and we are interested in one of the morning's topics keir simmons scoring a sit-down with the cast of "the crown. what they're telling him about the new season >> nice. i had a chance to chat with one of our favorites, you and me we like our vince vaughn his new movie, "freaky," and perhaps a sequel for one of his biggest hits, "wedding crashes." is there a chance? i'll be a spoiler, yes, there's a chance first, your local news and weather. ♪ steps outside, or puts it on snooze ♪ ♪ he just do whatever he do ♪ou ee ou ♪ ♪ou ee ou ♪ hello hello hello ♪ ♪ hello hello hello

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a very good morning to you. 7:56 i'm laura garcia. here's a look at what's happening now. >> i'm cierra johnson in san francisco as the creation of these vaccines continue to move forward, many state and local agencies are trying to figure out how and where they would store them. right now, according to the "sacramento bee" uc davis has freezers and are looking to acquire more. according to the "bee" sutter health also has freezers. enough to store 15,000 to 30,000 doses of the vaccine. good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. today was supposed to be the deadline for tiktok to sell itself to an american company or shut down. now, a judge has blocked that deadline and the tiktok employees say they're having trouble reaching government regulators to talk more about

it. they say it seems like government regulators have lost interest. let's get a look at the forecast right now with meteorologist kari hall. my kids are starting distance learning in the other room. i don't know if recess is going to be outside, though. it's cold. >> they're having a lot of fun for school to be starting. let's get a look at the cool weather we're starting out with this morning. we're having a beautiful sunrise over san francisco. and it is a little too chilly now to head outside, but as we go into the rest of today, we're going to see our temperatures warming up into the low 60s so it's going to be a nice outdoors day. we're going to see some showers moving in by tomorrow afternoon. and it wraps up by early saturday morning, but sunday is looking dry. highs in the upper 60s and i'll have some more rain in the forecast for early next week starting on tuesday. so, a lot to watch out for here. but overall looking pretty nice, laura. >> all right, let's all do some

planning. thanks, kari. thank you for joining us, as well. another local news update is in half an hour. (garage door opening) the 1966 e-type roadster... my father spent 3 years restoring this car... it is his love... it is his passion- it is his fault he didn't lock the garage. don't even think about it! uhhh...hi, dad!

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just connect your myq® app to key. ♪ ohhh yeahhh! get free in-garage delivery with myq® and key by amazon. ♪ bow! bow! ♪ chicka-chickahh! it's 8:00 on "today. coming u it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, covid crackdown. cases explode across the country as several states announce tighter restrictions ahead of the holidays. >> bars, restaurants should be closed at 10:00. if the lights are on and people are drinking, they get a summons. >> just ahead, how you can socialize safely moving into colder weather. plus, trending toys. with christmas shopping well under way, we're live with the reveal of the season's hottest toys. and country music's biggest night.

♪ ain't a crack in the foundation baby ♪ >> we will have a roundup of the top performances and big winners at the cma awards. >> thank you, country music. this means the world. thank you. >> today, thursday, november 12th, 2020. ♪ that's just what i do >> watching the "today" show from canton, ohio. yay! >> watching the "today" show from atlanta, georgia. >> it's my birthday. >> it's my birthday. ♪ that's how we do it >> good morning from attleboro, massachusetts. today is -- >> my birthday. >> me, too. >> me, three. >> we're turning 7! >> we got some high production value on some of these birthday wishes. you guys, welcome in. it's thursday morning. we are so happy that you're starting your day with us. remember, if you want to sleep in, or maybe you rolled over, getting your coffee from your

keurig, we've been on for an hour. you can catch it on dvr. >> we just woke up, too. no, just kidding but you can set the dvr. ahead, we have the hottest holiday toys, and tomorrow, the early start to black friday deals. they're rolling out early this year, and we'll tell you where to find them. let's get to your news at 8:00. the u.s. recorded its highest one-day total ever for coronavirus cases on wednesday, and now new restrictions are going to disrupt daily life even in the northeast, where many thought the worst was over. stephanie gosk joins us now with the very latest. steph, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. you know, the state of new york has been able to keep cases and hospitalizations at bay until just recently. now, there are new guidelines that show just how concerned state health officials have become. governor andrew cuomo announcing all bars, restaurants, and gyms have to close at 10:00 p.m. those are places that have shown to be hot spots. also, he has said indoor

gatherings have to be limited to ten people or less. the same kind of restrictions are going into place in new jersey, that is seeing positivity rates twice that the state of new york. across the country, we are seeing states pass these grim milestones, including texas, which passed 1 million cases in that state. hard-hit el paso has had to bring in tractor trailers as morgues. in the state of massachusetts, the governor there has announced they'll have to use field hospitals potentially for the second time because their regular hospitals are filling up. and we are seeing these growing numbers affect day to day life, including on college campuses. here in new york and upstate new york, syracuse university, they announced that only classes will be held, no other in-person activities. all in all, you're seeing these numbers start to have this effect.

even here in new york city, there are 1,000 cases roughly per day. that's not -- those are numbers they haven't seen since may. and the mayor of the city said if the positivity rate here passes 3%, he will shut down schools for in-person learning. hoda? >> all right. stephanie gosk for us. thank you. on this subject of covid, two more people who attended an election night watch party at the white house have now been diagnosed with the virus. that brings the total from that event to at least five people. the new cases are white house political director brian jack and healy baumgardner, who now works in finance, as a guest of rudy giuliani. earlier cases were mark meadows the chief of staff and urban and housing secretary ben carson. president-elect joe biden is moving ahead with his transition plans, naming a key member to his team. while he still doesn't have the president's cooperation, he is getting help from some republicans on the subject of national security briefings. nbc white house correspondent kristen welker joins us from wilmington, delaware. kristen, good morning.

>> reporter: hi, savannah. good morning to you. a growing number of republicans inside and outside of the trump administration are making it clear they believe these election results are final. privately, some trump aides saying this current situation is not sustainable. we're hearing from top republicans publicly, karl rove, among them, in an op-ed in the "wall street journal" overnight, responding to the president's legal threats and claims of fraud. writing, the president's efforts are unlikely to move a single state from mr. biden's column, and certainly they're not enough to change the final outcome. now, the other flashpoint here, what you mentioned, savannah, the fact the trump administration is withholding critical funds, as well as intelligence briefings from president-elect biden. oklahoma's republican senator, james langford, saying he will intervene if necessary. take a listen. >> there's nothing wrong with vice president biden getting the briefings to be able to prepare himself, and so that he can be ready.

if that's not occurring by friday, i will step in, as well, and push him to say, "this needs to occur." >> reporter: we've also learned that even though biden has spoken to eight foreign leaders, including three overnight, the state department is withholding some messages from some foreign officials. but biden is moving forward with his transition, and late yesterday, he named his chief of staff, his first big appointment, tapping ron klain. this is a long-time aide and ally to biden. in fact, he served as biden's chief of staff during the obama administration. savannah? >> kristen welker in wilmington, thank you. tropical storm eta made landfall in florida for a second time overnight. it came ashore north of tampa with heavy rains, strong winds, strong enough to damage buildings and even bring down some power lines. neighbors formed sandbag brigades in desperate attempts to hold back the floodwaters. streets were also impassable in sarasota, which until now has been spared of the tropical storms and hurricanes.

that's the news. how about a boost? >> nobody opens a present these days without recording the reaction, but nobody nearly captures a scene as adorable as this one. >> get your birthday present. >> what's this? >> what's in there? let's open it. >> the birthday boy quickly goes from amazement to an uncontrollable fit of giggles. who could blame him? check him out. [ laughter ] >> take it out >> come on >> cutest. >> i think it is going to be great. come on, a perfect match you have besties already, right there. >> puppies and babies. that's a super boost right there. by the way, hats off to the parents who have a little baby like that and just got a puppy. >> i can't believe they did it. >> super people. super mom and dad.

ahead your guide to staying safe and social as the temperature drops. >> good morning. fire pit like this could be the key to extending your time outside with your pod. i'm vicky nguyen up next, we'll have tips on how to winterize your social life, while keeping your covid risk low. that's next on "today. nope. ♪ here. ♪ when the middle of nowhere, is somewhere. the all new chevy trailblazer. making life's journey, just better. the all new chevy trailblazer. getwith contactlessour list, shopping at target. from same day delivery to free drive up. quick and easy contactless shopping all season at target.

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mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your doctor about nucala at home. find your nunormal with nucala. we are back. carson joins us. we've got today's consumer >> mm-hmm. >> that's right. this morning, we are helping you winterize your friendships amid the record-setting surge of coronavirus cases. >> yeah. nbc's investigative and consumer correspondent vicky nguyen joins us you'll help us lower the risk. we can socialize outside even when it's colder. >> with thanksgiving around the corner, we're trying to find ways to safely get together. how can we keep seeing friends as it gets colder? it starts with your pod or quaren-team, who are following

guidelines and wearing masks we are embracing the outdoors even when it's cold. >> reporter: winter is coming, but it doesn't mean you have to hibernate. think like a norwegian and embrace the free air life and living our best lives outdoors, even when temperatures drop. friends could be the key to getting through the winter blues, especially during a pandemic >> loneliness, if you look at it, is one of the biggest health risk factors. >> reporter: dr. sue varma is a board certified psychiatrist. >> as we head into the colder months, we want to make sure we have the opportunity to connect. it's really important for your mental health, to decrease the chance of depression, anxiety, of social isolation, that a lot of people feel. >> reporter: with a little planning, we can keep socializing safely through the winter we're in sparta, new jersey, and we'll show you how to keep spirits high while keeping coronavirus risk low we're at the home of greg, alta, and kylie. hi, guys.

>> hi. >> hey. >> reporter: the big key when entertaining is to keep things outdoors make things cozy with an outdoor heater or a fire pit set out plenty of sanitizer and wipes to keep hands and surfaces clean. >> get to see your friends haven't seen them in a while, right? >> reporter: if possible, have guests use an outdoor path to avoid going through the house. that's jamie, joe, and claire, part of the pod. >> hi, guys. >> reporter: air hugs. keep the greeting contact free like an air hug. no handshakes or kisses. how about masks? doctors say keep them on unless you're eating or drinking. it's an extra layer of protection bonus, masks keep your face warm when it's cold out doctors say kids 2 and up should wear masks if they're in school, they're exposed to more people and germs. when entertaining, don't forget your garage. add lights, keep the door open, and it could be a great space to hang out with air circulation. you can use your driveway as a

gathering space. consider setting up a tent like this it'll provide protection from rain or snow plus, the open sides means you'll have great air circulation. to keep kids warm outdoors, get them moving. here's a creative way to keep the kids distanced while having a great time a game of noodle tag whoever is tapped with the noodle is out. >> got ya. ♪ >> reporter: or bust a move with a dance party. and when nature calls, make sure you designate one bathroom for guests to use. set out plenty of soap and paper towels so they don't have to use a shared hand towel. for snacks, use individual bags. this way, no one is sharing a bowl and spreading germs if you have a grill, take advantage. cook outside when it's time to eat -- >> rib >> yes, please. >> reporter: -- it's safest to designate one server alta she's the only one handling the utensils no cross-contamination. >> we have mustard. >> reporter: now we're eating and drinking with masks off, it

is best to sit with your own family keep space between households. dress in layers so you are ready when the temperatures drop at night. hand warmers can keep you nice and toasty at night. >> getting warm. >> reporter: for a real treat, an outdoor dessert bar for tea or hot chocolate, have hot water available for your guests don't forget to use some disinfectant wipes to clean the handle another fun outside activity, s'mores. >> this part is so fun >> reporter: set up a projector for kids to watch a movie, while parents have some adult time provide plenty of blankets for each family. you don't have to go to norway to enjoy the free air life, just open your mind to outdoor fun, even in the cold >> we were being extra careful, keeping masks on except when eating or drinking if you are with member of your pod, they're local and you've been seeing them, doctors say taking off your mask is lower risk, especially if you are outside.

of course, if anyone is feeling sick, stay home. >> free loose leaf >> it's norwegian. >> a lot of people have pods, like sometimes just neighbors, but can you have as big of a pod if you want if you have a lot of people in your circle? >> the smaller the pod, the lower the risk the more people you add, the more risk. as dr. john torres likes to say, any time you invite someone over, it is inviting all the people they've been with over the last two weeks make sure you check with your local laws some areas are restricting the number of people who can gather, as well. >> what if you're eating and drinking constantly? >> you can have your mask down, carson that's your secret weapon. >> thank you >> i can relate to that. thank you. let's go to dylan for a check of the weather is it going to be cold >> the northern plains, upper midwest, it certainly is it'll also be wet across parts of the southeast we have a tropical storm eta still moving through northern florida, and you can see some of the heavier rain is out over the atlantic it's going to wrap back around, combined with the cold front,

and we are going to see a lot of rain across the carolinas. november landfalls of hurricanes since 1850 16 landfalling tropical storms and five hurricanes. most occur across the west coast of florida this november, we have had the two landfalls, actually the same storm, eta hit the florida keys and up near cedar key overnight. we are certainly seeing the trend continue however, now the big concern is for that heavier rain across the southeast, where we could see as much as 8 inches in some areas across northern california -- or northern north car >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a look at our high temperatures for today, expect it to reach into the low 60s. and we're going to get some sunshine after this very chilly start. as we go into the day tomorrow, we're looking at an increase in clouds as a new storm system approaches. it's going to bring in some rain for the afternoon and moving out by early saturday morning. by sunday, we're looking at

sunshine and slightly warmer temperatures and rain chances back in the forecast by the middle of next week. on the radio our sirius xm channel 108. >> dylan, thank you. mr. daly, we need some "pop start. >> we have an hour worth of "pop start. right to it, cma awards, big night for country music went on amid the pandemic. there were a couple hiccups. while there was a red carpet and gathering in nashville, there were fewer attendees, all at socially distanced tables. a number of performers had to pull out at the last minute because of covid concerns, including lady a and rascal flatts eric church was named entertainer of the year, striking a hopeful note in his speech. >> i think, i believe this, i really believe this, it is going to be music that brings us out of this. that is the one thing that is going to save the entire world politicians are about division

music is about unity >> vaccines are a close second maren morris took home three awards, including female vocalist of the year and song of the year for "bones" which she performed. ♪ ain't a crack in the foundation ♪ ♪ and we stay put and the house don't fall when the bones are good ♪ >> love maren morris. >> love that. >> beautiful. >> had a first child recently. >> she has a great song called "dear hate." it is another great one. >> this was a good moment, too dan and shay won vocal duo of the year put on the performance we were watching justin bieber came out and did it "10,000 hours" they did at justin's wedding earlier this year watch some of that ♪ i might never get there but i'm gonna try if it's 10,000

hours or the rest of my life ♪ ♪ i'm gonna love you oh, i'm gonna love you ♪ ♪ oh, yeah >> yeah, download that one, savannah. >> love it >> beautiful >> special moment came when country music hall of famer charlie pride accepted the cma lifetime achievement award and then he was joined by jimmy allen for a performance of "kiss an angel good morning. ♪ you have to kiss an angel goo morning let her know you think about her when you're gone ♪ ♪ kiss an angel good morning an love her like the devil when you get back home ♪ next up, dolly parton, speaking of angels she's the latest guest star to sit down with oprah winfrey for her apple tv plus series, "the oprah conversation." dolly talking about what she's had to do in her life to get to

where she is now. >> do you think you've had to make sacrifices, being dolly parton have there been sacrifices or more rewards >> no, i've made sacrifices, but i think, like i say, i believe that i know what i'm supposed to do but you have to make the sacrifice, you know? since i had no kids, and my husband was pretty independent, i had freedom. so i think a big part of my whole success is the fact that i was free to work i didn't have children because i believe that god didn't mean for me to have kids. so everybody's kids could be mine, so i could do things like the imagination library. if i hadn't have had the freedom to work, i wouldn't have done all the things i have done and wouldn't be in position to do all the things i'm doing now. >> leave it to oprah how to revolutionize how to shoot an interview during coronavirus.

they figured out how to match the background in coronavirus. incredible, right? >> like a good conversation, too. >> dolly parton premieres tomorrow on apple tv plus. and dolly is joining us next week looking forward to that. steve kornacki made "pop start. he's hit rock star status. for anybody who didn't see steve's election coverage last week, it was something to behold as the coverage turned into days and days, and steve's tireless analysis at the big board started to get noticed by basically everybody. people online, including some of the nicknames going out there, chart throb among them celebs like chrissy teigen even -- why are you laughing >> it's cute >> turning photo collages of steve into lock screens. talking to savannah sellers, on nbc news now, steve reacts to the fame and he reveals how long he slept after two overnight stints and multiple days the of coverage. >> did you know how much the internet loves you >> news to me, there were things like this happening. >> steve, you were twitter's

boyfriend. >> i'm not sure what that means, but okay >> so when you were here, would you just sleep on the couch? ever >> not a couch but my desk i kind of closed my eyes. >> you weren't in a bed for days >> yeah, no. when i got home on saturday, i slept for 15 1/2 hours >> sound familiar? >> it does >> another really fun note, guy, once it was discovered steve kornacki's khakis are from the gap, they say sales skyrocketed at the gap the clothing brand confirmed -- >> he's like kate middleton, a royal. >> 90% increase in khaki sales as one twitter user put it, if the gap doesn't rename these the kornacki khaki, they are really missing out. >> agreed. >> right. >> also one of the nicest guys we work with. >> good person. >> he's adorable. >> 100%. "the crown," season four of the critically acclaimed show returns this weekend keir simmons had the chance to sit down with the cast to talk about the most anticipated season yet >> the thing i love about "the crown" is that it's not a fairy

tale it really is actually about how miserable it is to be a member of the royal family. the duke of edinburg was furious. diana was miserable. charles is miserable is that kind of what you take away from it, i guess? is that why it's more interesting? >> we're all here to serve one person there's only one person who really matters, the queen. >> there's that great scene between you and josh, where you are, obviously, diana, and josh is charles you're just so incapable of just kind of connecting. >> if i may say, you both look very much in love. >> oh, yes absolutely >> whatever in love means. >> you've got two people who find it very difficult to connect. >> even prince harry has complained about the challenges of being a member of the royal family that's kind of what "the crown" is about, right? >> they're human beings expected

to behave not like human beings. we, so many people expect certain things from them, which i think are unreasonable. >> where do i fit in >> you fit in because you're my wife >> one of the things i think americans find so fascinating about the royals, and about "the crown," this mystery of english class. you know, margaret thatcher is prime minister, but -- >> we are the same age, after all, really, just six months between us >> oh? and who is the senior? >> i am. >> so she was conscience of how she sounded and came across to the public. >> any concerns about running into a member of the royal family in the future >> i'd be quite nervous. it'd be like running into an ex at a party. >> i haven't seen "the crown." who does keir play [ laughter ]

>> you can watch the whole interview with the cast of "the crown" tomorrow in our third hour. >> funny >> thank you, carson. ahead, a chat with vince vaughn on playing a teenage girl, and the funny way he's adjusted to life in hollywood during the pandemic. plus, on our holiday gift guide, the hottest toys of the season where you can find them right good morning. it's 8:26. i'm marcus washington. the cal bears football team now awaiting word if they'll be able to kick off the season on saturday. if not it would mean a second straight canceled game. a lot of the players have been under a two-week quarantine since a defensive lineman tested positive. last weekend's season opener against washington was canceled. the team hoped to have some clarity yesterday about saturday's game against arizona state. at least eight college games this weekend have already been canceled or postponed. let's get a look at the forecast for you. meteorologist kari hall has been tracking those for us. kari? >> marcus, we've had such a

chilly start to the day. and it's going to be a nice afternoon reaching into the low 60s with sunshine. tomorrow we'll start to see some clouds moving in and some off and on rain possible as we head through saturday morning. sunday is all sunny and highs in the upper 60s. and then we'll be tracking more rain by the middle of next week. by tuesday and wednesday we'll see more showers moving in while san francisco actually warmer over the next few days going from the upper 50s today to some scattered showers and highs reaching into the low 60s as we go into the weekend. so a lot of changes here but still a pretty good forecast, marcus. we'll have another local news update coming up for you in 30 minutes. i'll see you then.

it is 8:30 now friday eve, otherwise known as thursday, november 12th, 2020. look at those happy faces. my today plaza is filling up we're going to check in with them in a few. >> look forward to that. speaking of smiling faces, guys, ahead, i'll share my chat with vince vaughn. we love when he has a new movie out. this is what he told us about "freaky. he plays a teenage girl, weirdly.

we'll talk about that. also, the chances of "wedding crashers" having a sequel, and why you won't find him on social media. we've looked he's not there. also coming up, i don't want to incite panic, but you know what's six weeks from today? >> don't say christmas. >> christmas eve >> wow. >> don't worry we'll help you get ready with the holiday gift guide we'll focus on the kids, because we never focus on the kids, with a round-up of the season's most in-demand toys mr. melvin, good morning. >> what's up, guys good to see you. before i get to the "3rd hour" tease, which we talked about hoda's new haircut >> it is not a cut >> it's a pony. >> it's called lazy. >> so cute. >> scrunchies are back. >> they never went out >> i like that >> thank you, craig. >> i like your thursday look coming up in a few minutes on "3rd hour of today," two stars from a new holiday romcom. kristen stewart and dan levy they're going to join us to chat about "happiest season,"

savannah. tomorrow on "today," we catch up with mandy moore about the latest drama on her hit show "this is us. and she's got brand-new music, too. right now, dylan, how about a check of the weather >> yes, we're inching closer to the weekend, so let's look at what you can expect. it looks like it is going to clear out across the southeast, down through florida, too, where you've been dealing with days of rain sunny and a little cool back through the midwest. temperatures only in the low 30s and some 40s a big storm moving into the pacific northwest. lots of rain and mountain snow, too. that'll continue into saturday more stronger storms redevelop through the midwest on saturday, as well. it's a chilly start in the northeast. if you're up and about early, brace yourself for that. on sunday, the rain is going to move back in first in the interior northeast, then eventually along the coast later in the day on sunday looks mild through texas temperatures in the 70s, lots of sunshine we're looking at yet another storm to affect >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall.

as we take a look at our temperatures for the next several days, we're going to have some mild temperatures and some rain moving in by tomorrow afternoon into the evening. it looks to move out by saturday morning and then sunday is looking nice. highs in the upper 60s and sunny. and we'll also have a better chance of some heavier rain early next week into tuesday as well as wednesday. for san francisco, expect highs in the upper 50s today. feeling a little bit milder for the weekend. nd that's your late forecast >> all right >> dylan, thank you. just ahead, a conversation with vince vaughn on his new movie called "freaky." picking up the mindset and mannerisms of a teenage girl adjusting to life in quarantine. (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. welcome back over the years, vince vaughn made us laugh in countless comedies, from "swingers" to "wedding crashers. >> he was my boyfriend in "swingers. hoda, you got to catch up with him about a different role.

>> in a twisted, new movie called "freaky," vince plays a serial killer, okay, whose body is accidentally swapped with one of his targets, who happens to be a teenage girl. so there's mayhem and hilarity take a look. >> i know this is crazy, okay, there's a lot of voices competing. you see my friends, they're on my side, okay? this is clearly not me have you seen me stressed like that i mean, i like a lot of what he is doing with it, but the point is you've never seen me dress like that, right do you like that doesn't matter i'm giving you a lot of information, and you literally just woke up you look great. >> by the way, vince, come on, you play a great teenage girl. >> look, thank you thank you. nice to see you. good morning. >> it's great to see you i want to talk about "freaky" in a second i have to confess something to you though i hope you don't mind. i have a couple things you're in my other category. you're my other crush. i'm talking to you, and i'm excited.

>> that's very flattering. the crush can be very mutual, so nice to see you. >> well, this movie is hilarious, and also a little gory, a little dark. you had to get into the mode of a teenage girl now, i think your daughter is, what, 9? is that right? >> it's a little early, yeah, she's 9. >> who did you draw from to get it just right? >> you know, my nieces are close to that age, thankfully. it'd be a little odd to be hanging around and studying teenage girls that you didn't know i spent some time looking at their mannerisms and what have you. then the fun of this process was you sort of build two different characters catherine newton, my co-star, is terrific so i kind of worked with her a lot, as well we'd kind of share ideas and come up with physicalities and, you know, for both the killer and for the girl sort of build the characters up together. >> what was your go-to what always worked or always got a laugh when you were doing it >> gosh, you know, it was less

about kind of just doing one thing physical the writer/director, michael kennedy is the writer, and chris lannon, who directed and wrote, as well, set up the character in the beginning. there's a lot of scenes with your mom, a boy you have a crush on, so there was a lot of kind of different dynamics going on it was more about being engaged in each scene and kind of listening than it was about, you know, physically repeating behaviors. >> i hope rate the room is watching this right now, because i'm digging your background. where are you? >> i am just in my office. so what's going to happen here in a minute, this is like "little house on the prairie" at my house i don't know how other people do it each of my kids have a couple friends that come over, and we do kind of learning from 8:00 to 12:00. i either go to the tree house, which was built for the kids, or i go to this office. i did not overly design my backdrop, but it does feel a little like there is a fireplace and maybe there's a log cabin

vibe to this. >> i think they're probably going to ask for a few flowers you probably have an 80% or 90%. with a little greenery, think you'll nail it i've been reading about "wedding crashers" and you and owen wilson talking about another one. is that a possibility? is it real >> i've never done a sequel to a lot of the movies. they came to me with a very good idea, and it felt like, you know, versus just doing a sequel to do one, we made sure the story made sense this made me laugh it is much more of a reality than it was, and something we're starting to drive on >> well, you've been, obviously, happily married for years. you have two beautiful kids. i went clickety-clacking on instagram, because that's when i get to find out and see more about you and your life. i was like, what is his latest tweet? what is his instagram post

you have nothing, zero. >> no. i've never been a big social media person i have a lot of friends who enjoy it, but, yeah, i never really engaged in social media all that much. you know, i've had a great life. my wife is terrific. i'm fortunate. kids are great we've been having a lot of fun so i have no complaints. very happy, feel very blessed. >> did you decide not to do social media because you just don't dig it, or because you have a life that you're actually living >> yeah, i don't know. maybe it's my age. i just never got into -- i felt i didn't have something to say every day or give people advice. i don't know i just sort of felt like it just wasn't something i was kind of drawn to so i never really got into it. although, you know, i do -- i have, you know, gotten tweets shared that are funny, or people stay in touch and see stuff. i have nothing against it. i just never really got it. >> got it. vince, we're excited thank you for being with us. "freaky" is from our sister

company, universal, and hits theaters on friday the 13th. that's some timing, vince. thank you so much. >> great to see you. good morning to you. >> good morning to you i like how you said his background looked like mike brady's. >> an architect in the 1970s. >> yeah. >> he is the perfect person of walking the line of genuinely being scared in one scene, and genuinely laughing in the next. >> awkward horror. >> "freaky" out on friday. i like that. next, if you've been too busy to think about holiday shopping, yeah, we get it. now is the time to get started, say the experts. we're going to clue you in on the hottest toys of the season it's not easy now with this pandemic. second harvest makes me really really happy. meatballs, mexican rice, chicken enchiladas, and mole. for almost twenty years. *speaking in spanish

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>> that's our rockefeller center tree it was just put on a truck to make the historic pilgrimage right here to manhattan. i can tell you, for those of us that come to work every day here, the sight -- and for people even at home -- the sight of that tree up will bring great amounts of hope. >> yes. >> it really will. we can't wait. >> excited. >> we're saving a spot for it. speaking of the holidays, if you're looking for the best of the best when it comes to the season's hot toys, we have you covered. stephanie oppenheim does this for us every year. "today" contributor, co-founder of toy portfolio stephanie, i've got my pen and paper out. i'm going to make a list and check it twice should folks really be thinking about this seems early for some, six weeks until christmas eve. we have to get on it >> yes, absolutely with shortages and delays on delivery, you want to shop now if there is a must-have for your child, i'd recommend buying it right now. >> we want to get to all the toys, but just real quick, how'd

you narrow it down to the group you have on the table? why are these the hottest? >> we look at all of the toys that are introduced every year, and we put it through the test with looking to see if toys do what they say they'll do we have toy testers give us input. the best of them make our platinum list. these are just a few of the dozens of toys we have on our platinum list this year. check it out we break it down by age and also there are toys for every budget, as well. one of the trends we found this year were classic toys with a new twist. this is a great train set from happy. construction railway the box becomes part of the train situation. part of the pretend setting. you've ever played with trains, you know having some -- an elevated train is really key watch, this train can go all the way down, then mom and dad love it because it all goes back in the box. >> brilliant. >> remote controlled cars are another classic toy. they've been around a long time. we've all had them

i love this one from spin master the control is easy enough for a 5-year-old to operate. they can make it work. they can do tricks with it. >> wow. >> what parents are going to love, you can see in the video, is it has super soft folk wheels on it. it's not going to make any little brother cry if they get rolled over. it's not going to damage your walls, paint, your furniture it's a win-win for everyone. >> what about lego, anything god from lego? >> i have to say, you know i love my lego this is one of the coolest kits we have reviewed ever. this is their space set. look how it breaks away. it's so amazing. the rocket comes off you can take off the booster rockets. then it has the mission control. i love the photojournalist here. she has -- i'll show the gantry breaking away. it has the astronaut and photojournalist with her camera.

it even has a tramway to take your astronauts to the rocket, and it has women and men working in nasa and that is the way et should be, right >> is that for ages 2 to 47 plus >> you know, that's a great point with building sets you want to start with beginner sets if you have a young builder, if you want to do it together, that's great but you want to build their sense of confidence with what they're building my recommendation is buy small and build that love of building, rather than watching you and feeling frustrated >> take us to pokemon. >> oh, my goodness this is what i call a sentimental toy for a new generation of parents who grew up with pokemon. mattel has their new mega construct construct set. pikachu. you have a more advanced set for older builders again, matching where your kids are. this is a really big set for 10 and up

you really want to hit where your kids are. now, one of the hottest toys of the year, and i know you guys love your "star wars" as much as i do, is from hasbro this is the "mandalorian's" child, otherwise known as baby yoda super adorable again, this is on anyone's list -- >> it's on carson's list >> how old are you, carson >> 47, yeah. i want it. >> this is a must-have, and this is going to go quickly with deliveries, i would act on this today >> animatronic it looks lifelike. >> yeah, it has a lot of yoda sounds it does, as well. it has the force it can do things, you know it opens eyes. >> of course it has the force. >> it has the force. >> of course. >> like my children do at home. >> we have a minute, steph make your own water globes that sounded good. >> i love water globes this is from creativity for kids i love craft kits this time of year it comes with three, so your child can make one, give two as gifts. super fun. creativity for kids. from mineware, this is the dig

it kit so you can really chisel away. it's a safe one. yoda has a lot to say about that you can use the chisels here you put water on it so it doesn't have a safety issue with flying pieces. that's another great craft kit for a budding geologist. puzzles for the pandemic have been super big you know, we always have puzzles on our list. so many this year. i love this one from eeboo it's the planet earth. i love the message beautiful art. they did it for 100 pieces and also did it in 1,000-piece set again, find your family sweet spot for puzzles you want your kids involved. it's a great way to disconnect everyone is on remote learning and zoom calls, so puzzles are more important, as a way to spend some time together now, guys, i have so many great games on our list this year, but i always try to find one fun review

this is antlers. antler game from amazon i found. i thought we could do this together, but we're not together so i have my elf on the side helping me the idea -- oh, my goodness, look what i did. i caught it. the idea is to -- >> it catches. >> like ring toss. >> oh. >> you want to catch as many as you can. >> that's cool. >> then you can play it in teams. it's $12 thank you, david it's a super fun game. there's so many good choices on our list i wish you all the best and happy holidays. >> sitting here thinking how i can attach gears to that thing full list there. they're all good, classics with a twist, including the child get your hands on the holiday toys go to today.com/shop thank you, stephanie we're back in a moment (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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get an insurance quote at usaa.com/quote 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. hi, dylan. how are you? >> great how you doing? >> good to see you, 7 plus feet away we have more to celebrate with

our my today plaza crowd let's say hello and good morning to everybody tonye and her family in windsor mill let me read you a little bit of the submission. i need some help celebrating my hero here. who is that? >> my dad, right here. he's turning 70, and he was in nigeria during the pandemic. we couldn't reach him. i'm so glad that the borders opened and he's back home with me, and we can celebrate his 70th birthday. he is wonderful. he's been my backbone, my rock, and he is wonderful. thank you so much for helping me celebrate this i wanted to let you know that you are his favorite people. hoda and craig and all i know he's not here, and dylan and savannah you make his morning every morning.

>> so sweet. >> that's great. >> t-shirts are awesome. took me 70 years to look this good >> my hubby is a legend. i need that for my wife. >> happy birthday. >> awesome. >> thank you, happy 70th you do look good. >> we have a lot to celebrate. let's get the big board up one more time. antoine turning 13 vicky and george in ohio matilda's 1st birthday we have the family in michigan triplets turning 7 today. >> looking good. >> plus, big sis there, too. >> whole family down there. >> yeah. >> all right kids, we have a little time. shall we celebrate some birthdays? what do you have, dylan? >> few more birthdays. this time, they're 100 years old. first up, a happy 100th birthday to ida, a world-traveler from toms river, new jersey she was married to the love of her life more than 60 years. sister marie paula holdman of the bronx says there are two secrets to longevity, staying

curious and being student every day of life. good advice. marge is from florida. this proud grandma is 100 years old. ask her what her greatest joy in life is, she'll probably say her family, but everyone knows it's scratch-off tickets. here, here jim butts is 100 years old this world war ii veteran is from hemet, california says that the secret to longevity is eating one to two pieces opie everyday. salute you for your service. dominic perrini is celebrating 100 years, from my hometown. he retired as a fire lieutenant after 33 years thank you for your service there. and last but certainly not least, happy 100th to marie pantera. this active lady is from orchard park, new york 7 grand kids, 17 great grand kids, and 3 great great grand kids happy birthday. >> wowza cool.

>> a lot to celebrate. >> what's on the third hour? >> prince charles is venturing into fashion >> oh. >> we're going to have the story behind a special clothing line. >> later on "hoda and jenna," jenna sits down with demi lovato nice interview yesterday can't wait to hear about that. we'll that more and more after the local news one last look at the big board beautiful people. >> bye, everybody. good morning to you. it's 8:56. i'm marcus washington. as soon as today, california should reach 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases. through yesterday it was just below that threshold. provided recent case rates hold we'll shoot past that by nightfall. confirmed cases around the state and in the bay area of surging.

it comes as bay area health leaders warn this latest surge may lead to a spike in patients that overwhelm hospitals. one ucsf doctor says hospitals have stockpiled drugs for patients and safety equipment for staff. but the cases rising across the country, supplies may start to dwindle. happening now, while bay area health leaders juggling reopening rollbacks with the return of more kids to school, hopes are growing a vaccine may be nearly at hand. on our midday news, we'll cover developments from all angles including the growing concerns among some teachers schools may be rushing to reopen the classrooms. also, investors soured with the latest employment data. more than 700,000 americans filed first-time jobless claims last week. another 7 million filed for continuing claims. the dow down about 100 points. scott mcgrew is crunching those numbers and will have more for us during our midday newscast. see you then. come experience floor and decor's

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live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the "3rd hour of today." >> good morning. welcome to the "3rd hour of today" on this thursday, november 12th. i'm sheinelle here with dylan, craig as you see there. actually, you can't really tell, if i didn't tell you. >> craig is itsitting right nt to me. >> his basement looks like studio 1a. al is taking tyke ofe ining tim. we have a great show, including fashion royalty, literally. this is an exclusive look at prince charles' new venture. a clothing line with a purpose. i'm wondering what clothes