all right, thank you very much. and thank you for joining us as well. the "today" show is up next. >> a live look at petaluma. a beautiful sunrise as we wait for the rain. we'll see you at midday. hitting the brakes. more states impose tougher restrictions ahead of thanksgiving to stop the unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases from coast to coast. >> we are now moving backwards, not forwards. >> the mounting crisis prompting new lockdowns, travel restrictions, mask mandates, and this massive line for testing in los angeles. we'll have the very latest, and new details on the vaccine rollout plan. dire consequences. >> more people may die if we don't coordinate. >> president-elect biden sounds the alarm over the trump

administration's refusal to aid his transition and the impact it could have as the nation battles the pandemic. breaking overnight, catastrophic. hurricane iota tears across nicaragua as a powerful category 4, ripping roofs off buildings, toppling trees and causing widespread flooding. just ahead, the damage and where this dangerous storm is headed next. home away from home. >> dragon spacex, capture confirmed. >> overnight four astronauts arrive safely for their six-month stay on the international space station, leading to cheers on the ground -- >> welcome to the iss. >> and hugs high above. all that, plus big demand for small turkeys. the holiday dilemma facing millions of families downsizing their gatherings this year. and roker's recovery. al joins us live for the first

time since his cancer surgery with some very good news to share. today, tuesday, november 17th, 2020. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, guys, welcome to "today." it's a tuesday morning, and boy is it a good tuesday morning. didn't you love hearing that? >> the sunshine is already out, al roker good news. he's going to be with us a little later on. we'll talk to him and his doctor about his recovery. look, here he is walking five miles around central park even after surgery. that's our al. >> that's our al. cannot wait to speak with al. we are going to start with new restrictions being implemented to try to stop that alarming spread of covid cases. >> they're happening from coast to coast. in california where cases have doubled in just ten days, the governor there pulled the

emergency brake on reopening. in cities like los angeles that means indoor settings like dining rooms, gyms and movie theaters must now close to the public. >> in iowa, a new mask mandate takes effect today, while in chicago, a sweeping stay-at-home advisory. residents urged to only leave their home for work, for school and for essential needs. >> and in philadelphia, there are new limits on restaurants and gyms, including a ban on indoor dining. >> we have complete coverage on all of this. we'll start with nbc's sam brock who's in miami where those rollbacks are happening all across america. hey, sam. >> reporter: hoda, savannah, good morning. mayors and governors dropping the hammer on restrictions they hope will save lives. the president-elect is urging a smooth transition to prevent more fatalities. the testing center behind me will be opening in a little while. we'll see long lines here and all over the u.s. as infection rates are rising, in some places dramatically. communities across the country besieged by covid this morning

are moving backwards. more than a dozen states watching deaths from the virus climb 75% in two weeks. this as the president-elect warns conditions will only get worse without a peaceful transfer. >> more people may die if we don't coordinate. if we have to wait until january 20th to start that planning, it puts us behind, over a month, month and a half. >> reporter: on the state level, leaders trying to pick up the slack. >> it actually took my breath away. we are in the midst of the worst weeks of this pandemic. >> reporter: michigan's governor clamping down on bars, restaurants and everyday life, as california moves almost every county into its highest risk tier. >> this is simply the fastest increase california has seen. >> reporter: new mexico and oregon have launched multi-week shutdowns or freezes, which some have openly defied. one local oregon commissioner posting my family will celebrate thanksgiving with as many family and friends as i can find. governor brown is wrong to order

otherwise. that declaration leveled against a portrait of pain. in el paso, volunteer inmates carry bodies to mobile morgues, and new numbers reveal more than a million kids have already been infected. >> we've never seen this kind of community spread of a disease in children since before we had vaccines for things like measles and polio. >> reporter: families young and old. >> i'm sorry. >> reporter: heaving in heartache. evonia and emily lost their father to covid in florida where restrictions are few and far between. >> be grateful that you have not been touched by this monster of covid. one day we will go back to a normal life but those people who have been affected will never go back to a normal life. >> reporter: and as many families grieve right now, others just want to know where their loved ones can go for care. according to the covid tracking project, the number of hospitalizations for covid-19 is now at 73,000.

that is markedly higher than it was record levels at the end of last week, pushing hospitals and health care systems right now to the brink. hoda, back to you. >> sam brock for us in miami. sam, thank you. that's the bad news. let's get to some good news on the vaccine front after moderna announced its vaccine candidate is nearly 95% effective. the question on everybody's minds now is how long will it take for it to get to the public? nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer has that part of the story. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. the cdc advisory team is getting together to make determinations about the vaccine. officials say the virus numbers are exploding all across the nation, but finally, some good signs of hope. this morning, two vaccines ahead of schedule and more effective than scientists ever thought they would be. moderna and pfizer could roll out 70 million doses worldwide in the coming weeks. >> these are early days. this is about as good as one

could hope to see. >> reporter: both vaccines require two doses. here in the u.s. officials say a little more than 20 million people could get their first shot before the end of the year. here's what we know so far. while states will decide how to roll out the vaccine, the national academy of medicine makes these recommendations. phase 1a includes high-risk americans like health care workers and first responders, and there's currently not enough doses for them. phase 1b covers those with underlying medical conditions and seniors living in group settings like nursing homes. phase 2 covers critical workers like those in the food supply system, teachers, and those over 65. phase three includes most young adults and children. phase four protects everyone else. both vaccines need fda emergency authorization. details and dates remain unclear. moderna's vaccine, for example, was not tested on children.

questions also remain over vaccinating pregnant women and infants. this morning what could be america's best shot at a return to life as we once knew it. the u.s. government hopes to distribute the vaccine free of charge to americans across the country. they may be able to get them at drug stores, savannah. >> thank you. let's bring in the dean at brown university school of public health. good morning. i do want to talk to you about this good news on the vaccine front. unfortunately, we are seeing from coast to coast a lot of states having to go backwards, implement some of these lockdown measures. we're not seeing and i don't think we will see this national one size fits all lockdown, but are states doing the right thing right now? >> good morning, and thank you for having me on. some states are. i was really pleased to see the governor of michigan lay out what i thought was a very sensible plan. i think california is moving in the right direction. you don't need a national

lockdown. what you need is targeted focused efforts on the things that we know really are spreading the disease. and it's good to see some states doing it and i wish other states would follow suit quickly. waiting is not a good strategy at this point. everybody needs to move fast. >> there's this feeling of helplessness because every single day the numbers just get worse. i mean, the positivity rate is going up, hospitalizations are going up, the deaths are going up. and it just feels like this forest fire that's raging out of control. is it just masks, that's it? masks and social distancing, that's all we can do? >> yeah, so first of all, we should not find ourselves in this position. like we're ten months into this pandemic. everybody knew this was coming. again, our federal government just didn't prepare in the last couple of months. it has decided to completely check out and that's why the whole country is aflame. certainly masks are going to help. certainly avoiding indoor gatherings, including, unfortunately, larger family gatherings at thanksgiving and

the holidays. and then i still think there's a lot more we can be doing on testing. the testing system is getting strained. we've got to make that better for people so we can figure out who is infected and who is not. >> can we just talk for a moment and get to brass tacks on thanksgiving. public health experts are saying don't do thanksgiving with your extended family, stay in your own household. and anecdotally i know a lot of families that are like we'll just have grandma and grandpa, brother and sister, we'll get tested, we can make it okay. is that right? can you make it okay? what is your fear about what's going to happen after thanksgiving if a lot well-meaning good-hearted people think i'll just tweak at the edges, i won't be irresponsible, i'm just going to tweak at the edges a little bit >> look, i totally understand the sentiment and thanksgiving is a holiday that we tend to, our family really enjoys and we tend to have an extended family gathering. we're not doing it this year because i don't know how to

tweak it enough to make it safe. and my elderly parents, for instance, who i usually see on thanksgiving, we're not going to see them because i want them around in 2021 and i can't figure out how to make it safe for them and for our family so i just think at this point we're so close to a vaccine rollout, this is not the time to start making bad choices. >> let's talk about the vaccines they do look really, really promising. both of them over-90% effective, at least in this early data, what is the implication of that, that kind of success in a vaccine? >> first of all, it is terrific news it's better than i was expecting and i love to be wrong in this direction when it turns out even better than i was expecting. what it means is that once vaccines are widely rolled out, late winter, early spring, it will make a dramatic difference on this pandemic look, it won't completely go away, but it will be so much better than it is now that we'll be able to get much of our lives back. >> we've just got to hang on thank you very much. we really appreciate it. thank you.

>> thank you earlier we heard president-elect biden warning about his ability to manage the pandemic, given the trump administration's refusal to help the transition of power. so how is he handling those road blocks nbc white house correspondent kristen welker has the latest. good morning. >> hoda, good morning to you president-elect joe biden will put the focus on national security today he's going to meet with diplomatic and defense experts it comes as the trump administration still refuses to acknowledge biden as president-elect, depriving him of critical briefings. so his moves today aimt turning up the pressure on president trump to concede the election and move on president-elect joe biden is venting his frustration with president trump's refusal to concede the election, depriving him of critical resources and briefings, including on covid-19

>> i find this more embarrassing for the country than debilitating for my ability to get started. >> reporter: it follows president trump's comments over the weekend, tweeting that biden won the election, then trying to walk that back the president-elect trying to increase pressure on congressional republicans, who have not yet urged the president to concede >> i will work with you. i understand a lot of your reluctance because of the way the president operates if it has to wait until january 20th to get -- actually become operational, that's a shame, but maybe that's the only way to get it done. >> reporter: still, there are new cracks emerging in the president's wall of support. with his own national security advisor, robert o'brien, acknowledging biden as the winner in remarks made last week and released monday. >> look, if the biden/harris ticket is determined to be the winner, and obviously things look that way now, we'll have a very professional transition from the national security council. >> reporter: it all comes amid

stunning allegations by georgia's republican secretary of state, brad raffensperger who told the "washington post" he had been pressured by fellow republicans, including south carolina senator lindsey graham, to question the validity of absentee ballots he said it's all in an effort to reverse president trump's loss in georgia he said he and his family are even getting death threats over it on monday nbc news asked him why he's calling out members of his own party. >> well, when people are out there making bold-faced lies you just have to call it out with facts. >> reporter: graham has denied that he applied pressure to georgia's secretary of state. >> i wanted to find out how you verify mail-in ballots in the future and that was the extent of the conversation >> reporter: now for his part president-elect biden is expected to make some key staffing announcements today, including congressman cedric richmond, who is expected to play a key advisory role inside the west wing.

>> all right, kristen. i know you've got some reporting this morning about how president-elect biden is looking at his administration and possible investigations into president trump. what have you learned? >> reporter: that's right, savannah well, despite some pressure from democrats, we are told according to five people familiar with the matter that president-elect biden does not want his administration to be consumed by investigations into president trump, into his predecessor. having said that, we're also told it is critical for biden to strike a tone that his department of justice is going to be independent from his white house, so don't expect him to weigh in or to push federal investigators into investigating someone or not investigating someone. savannah. >> kristen, thank you very much. appreciate it. meantime, savannah, this morning did you feel a chill in the air? it's happening it is happening. fall is heading our way. dylan is in for al this morning. hey, dylan. >> we made it pretty far without really cold temperatures but you are going to feel it the next

couple of days today high temperatures in detroit stuck in the 30s chicago 41 degrees minneapolis 35 so we're a little bit below average, but watch what happens tomorrow morning that's when temperatures are going to be really, really cold and windy too. boston will feel like 20 new york city, it feels like 20. remember these numbers 28 is what your windchill will be in washington, d.c. cleveland will feel like 24. even raleigh will feel like 31 degrees. high temperatures during the afternoon because of the winds will still feel like we're in the 20s in the northeast it will only feel like 4 in saranac lake, 19 in scranton as we go through friday into saturday and sunday, we'll notice temperatures warm up a bit. so we had a cold front that's trying to move through we're seeing northwest wind produce lake-effect snow off lake ontario and lake erie here's the warmer air, the 60s that will get to the east coast eventually, it just takes to the weekend to get here. if you're missing the warm temperatures, in the southwest we could see some record highs that's a look across the country, we'll get to your local

forecast in the next 30 seconds. and how she sets aside those pieces she knows are so "you." the small details are a big reason to come back and shop your favorite small businesses. we know them. we love them. so let's go shop small. with american express. ♪ ♪ good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we are waiting for some rain that will be spreading across the bay area for today, much-needed showers, first approaching the north bay as well as some very cool temperatures and some gusty winds. we are seeing some rain moving into ukiah. we'll be tracking that on storm ranger today. as we go through the forecast off and on rain today that will continue into early tomorrow. then the rest of the forecast is cool and dry with high temperatures reaching into the 60s.

>> and that's your latest forecast back to you guys. >> dylan, you look so cute today. >> you are adorable. >> thank you >> we can't handle you. >> we can't handle your cuteness. coming up, we are going to focus on your family's thanksgiving plans, including how colleges are handling the upcoming break some schools telling kids to go home and stay home others urging them to stay on campus. plus what you can do if the covid surge has you rethinking your travel plans. tom costello will walk us through the options if you've already booked your flights and your hotels, you may need to cancel give you my world ♪

♪ how can i, when you won't take it from me ♪

♪ you can go your own way xfinity mobile's fast nationwide 5g network meets the first iphone with 5g. get the new iphone 12 on xfinity mobile. and right now get $250 off. learn more at an xfinity store today. coming up, a face we can't wait to see. >> our beloved al is going to join us for the first time since his surgery. he'll have an update on his recovery it's good news and his doctor is going to answer some questions that everybody really needs to know about prostate cancer, and that is the reason why al has shared his journey publicly, so we'll do that. first, let's get a check of your

local news and weather i joined amazon because i wanted to change education and i am impatient. amazon gives me the resources to change the world at a pace that i want to change it. ♪ we provide students stem scholarships and teachers with support. ♪ i'm a fighter and i'm fighting for all students. ♪ ♪ so this aveeno® moisturizer goes beyond just soothing sensitive skin? exactly jen! calm + restore oat gel is formulated with prebiotic oat. and strengthens skin's moisture barrier. uh! i love it! aveeno® healthy. it's our nature.™

you earn unlimited double miles on every purchase every day. objection! my credit card doesn't earn double miles on every purchase. i object to your objection! with the capital one venture card, you earn unlimited double miles on every purchase. and may it please the court, earn 100,000 bonus miles when you spend 20,000 dollars in your first year. i'll allow it. no further questions, your honor. well, just one. what's in your wallet?® ...crunchy oat clusters with a hotouch of honey...ombine... ...plump, juicy raisins... ...and tasty fiber... ...into one delicious cereal? it took a lot of branstorming. get it? kellogg's raisin bran crunch. two scoops of delicious.

♪ ♪ life's more fun with a dog. and doglife is more fun with milk-bone. ♪ ♪ removes ten years of yellow stains. optic white renewal that's like all the way back to 2010. what's that? it's a shake weight. it's a weight you shake. remove ten years of yellow stains with colgate optic white renewal. but some can't do it alone. they need help to stay home... ...and stay safe. they need us and we need you. home instead. apply today.

smells more amazing than ever. flings now so their laundry home instead. isn't that the dog's towel? hey, me towel su towel. more gain scent plus oxi boost and febreze in every gain fling. now, braava jet mops right where you need it with an adjustable precision jet spray and an advanced pad system. and offers personalized cleaning suggestions unique to your home. braava jet m6 and the irobot home app. only from irobot. toni(doorbell rings)ting crab cakes with spicy aioli. braava jet m6 and the irobot home app. thank you. can we be besties, simone biles? i guess? yessss! should we dismount now?

turns into magic hour. flan brings abuela closer. and a good deal means a great deal. than rheumatoid arthritis. when considering another treatment, ask about xeljanz... a pill for adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis when methotrexate has not helped enough. xeljanz can help relieve joint pain and swelling, stiffness, and helps stop further joint damage, even without methotrexate. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections. before and during treatment, your doctor should check for infections, like tb and do blood tests. tell your doctor if you've had hepatitis b or c, have flu-like symptoms, or are prone to infections. serious, sometimes fatal infections, cancers including lymphoma, and blood clots have happened. taking a higher than recommended dose of xeljanz for ra may increase risk of death. tears in the stomach or intestines

and serious allergic reactions have happened. don't let another morning go by without asking your doctor about the pill first prescribed for ra more than seven years ago. xeljanz. good morning. 7:26. six bay area counties all headed back into the purple tier meaning the highest level of covid restrictions. san francisco, san mateo and marin are in the red tier. so here's a little cheat sheet showing you which businesses must move everything outdoors in the purple tier. it includes restaurants, wineries, and gyms. on the right businesses that can operate indoors at reduced capacity including retail shops and salons. head to our home page for more. in the meantime moving into the bay area, some rain. kari is tracking it all.

we are going to see the showers moving from north to south. we'll be tracking it with storm ranger as it moves closer to northern sonoma county and then once again it fills in as it spreads across much of the rest of the bay area. as we take a look at the time line here we are at 10:00 seeing the rain pretty much covering the north bay and starting to move into napa shortly thereafter. san francisco will see the rain at 1:00 this afternoon into oakland as well as into the east bay and then going into the rest of the afternoon the heaviest rain starts to break up in just a bit and becomes more scattered and then the south bay into the evening as high winds will continue as well as much cooler temperatures. we may still see some spotty showers by early tomorrow morning.

cool temperatures. dry weather by the end of the week and highs in the low 60s. laura? thanks so much. we'll be back with another local news update in half an hour.

>> docking sequence is complete. welcome to the iss resilience. >> back at 7:30, that's the overnight excitement in the spacex dragon capsule arriving to the international space station. honey, we're home. after a 27-hour flight that started in florida. >> yeah, and a short time later the four-person crew, they got to head aboard this is a magic moment they're going to be together the next six months. there better be a lot of love around they greeted crew mates with hugs that floater right there is baby

yoda along for the ride. >> watch, here it comes. in the corner. >> okay. i love that. a little passenger a little castaway. let's get to your headlines here at 7:30 hurricane iota barrelled into central america overnight, a category 4 storm coming ashore on nicaragua's caribbean coast, just 15 miles from where hurricane eta hit two weeks ago. officials are warning the 1-2 punch with high winds and heavy rainfall is saturating the soil and creating conditions for dangerous landslides and even more flooding. this is the first time on record that two major hurricanes made landfall in nicaragua in the very same season. as the coronavirus has swept through the country, a new generation is flocking into the health and sciences. public health programs across the country are seeing a big surge in enrollment and applications on average universities had a 20% increase in students who are applying to master's programs this fall. by the way, the demand has been

so high that some programs are actually extending their application deadlines. and in monday night football, an exciting start to the second half of the vikings/bears matchup. take a look. >> to start the third quarter. >> bailey puts it in the air cordarrelle patterson waiting for a big return, five yards deep out of the end zone running down the sideline. patterson as seven for his career, looking for eight. down the sideline! gets the touchdown >> cordarrelle patterson returning the kickoff 104 yards. this is his eighth kickoff return for a td tying the nfl career record. but that was really only one of the bright spots for chicago, whose quarterback, nick foles, was injured in the 19-13 loss to minnesota, unfortunately for him. a touching note by adam thielen, wore a tribute to alex trebek on his cleats featuring a drawing

of trebek and the words "we will miss you, alex." >> he touched so many people. with thanksgiving fast approaching colleges are trying to figure out how to handle the holidays safely. there are concerns about students possibly traveling home and spreading the virus and questions about what to do when the holiday is over. nbc's stephanie gosk has more. hey, steph, good morning. >> reporter: hey, hoda, good morning. i'm outside a mandatory testing center here at nyu students at this school have been told if they go home for thanksgiving, they should probably stay because if they come back, they'll be facing a two-week quarantine and there are only ten days left to the semester that's just one school's approach to one of the most difficult covid dilemmas so far, what to do about thanksgiving. there seem to be as many plans to manage the thanksgiving holiday as there are schools coming up with them. from changing the semester calendar to going all remote after the holiday, to mandating tests before students leave. >> if a student comes to you

today and asks for advice on what to do for thanksgiving, what's the first thing that you say to that student? >> my advice would be to stay right here we love you, we'll take care of you. there's no need to go traveling right now. >> reporter: the fear that students will bring covid home without knowing they have it >> the only thing i'm concerned about is when i get there, i will be seeing my grandparents, and they are high risk, so that concerns me just a little bit. >> reporter: and there's a chance students bring the virus back to campus. >> i'm just -- i'm not comfortable taking a plane at this point in time. >> reporter: colleges and universities have been regular targets for covid. "the new york times" tracking covid on campuses found more than 250,000 cases and 80 deaths since last spring. scenes like this one worry administrators and health officials, a massive celebration after notre dame won a big game. the school is mandating students get tested before returning home for the break. among a number of schools taking that step. if the tests come back positive,

students will be told to stay. >> we want to make sure as you're sending students home, you're not adding to community spread so this is just a smart sensible policy. >> reporter: the american college health association has offered schools guidelines, discourage students from traveling home altogether, quarantine procedures are needed for students who travel back to campus anyone feeling ill should self-isolate and delay travel. some schools like syracuse and emory are ending their in-person semesters early. at boston university they are promising to get a bunch of turkeys and make it as nice as possible. >> we want to be good neighbors, good people in the society, and we want our students to also stay healthy. >> reporter: even if that means thanksgiving dinner to go in the dorm room. >> and, steph, testing obviously is super important, but it all comes down to resources, doesn't it >> reporter: yeah, it really does nyu has this testing facility here but not all schools have access to this

the worry is that a student who may be asymptomatic will still go home, won't be able to get a test, and possibly infect their family, hoda >> he had great advice like stay at school and we'll take care of you. coming up next, a lot of folks probably have a sinking feeling, should i or should i not. whether you've got a kid in college or just wanted to visit family, asking yourself is it too late to cancel those travel plans you have and could you still get a refund tom costello has everything you need to know if you need to make a change, right after this because my body can still make its own insulin. and trulicity activates my body to release it, lowering my blood sugar from the first dose. once-weekly trulicity responds when my body needs it, 24/7. trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. it's not insulin. it isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take trulicity if you're allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2.

stop trulicity and call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, changes in vision, or diabetic retinopathy. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. taking trulicity with sulfonylurea or insulin raises low blood sugar risk. side effects include indigestion, fatigue, belly pain, decreased appetite, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting which can lead to dehydration and may worsen kidney problems. i have it within me to lower my a1c. ask your doctor about trulicity. it's time sleep numbermate sleep360 smart bed.on the can it help with snoring? i've never heard snoring. exactly. no problem, and done. and now, during the ultimate sleep number event, save 50% on the sleep number 360® limited edition smart bed. only for a limited time. 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.

when your underarmso your are cared for? ♪ it shows! our new dove advanced care formula is effective... and kind to skin, leaving underarms cared for and you... more confident and carefree. no uh uh, no way come on, no no n-n-n-no-no only discover has no annual fee on any card.

she offered you a homemade cookie. so when she said your trade in was worth 12 thousand dollars, you believed her. but was it a lie? the cookie? the offer? next time start with carmax and get a custom offer good for 7 days. the way it should be. carmax. because i trust their quality. the wayvitamins,d be. 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. did you know that 70% of the on your clothes are invisible? try new tide pods hygienic clean heavy duty. see the difference, after being washed with tide hygienic clean. for a deep clean, try tide hygienic clean! if it's got to be clean, it's got to be tide. but with walmart's low prices, you still know how to do it up. and keep costs down. let's end the year enjoying more. ♪ you are all i need baby baby to get by ♪

everything changes. and if you have to travel for care, like sam did? home can change, too. but, along with your donations, mcdonald's has helped ronald mcdonald house charities keep families like sam's together for more than 40 years. so that not everything changes for sam with cancer. or for his brother liam, without. ♪ today. this morning a situation a lot of families are talking about. >> a lot of folks are starting to rethink those holiday travel plans with the thanksgiving holiday just nine days away and unfortunately coronavirus cases skyrocketing from coast to coast. so what happens if you've already bought your plane ticket or made your hotel reservation, what can you do? tom costello spoke to some

experts who's got some good answers for us this morning. hi, tom, good morning. >> hi, ladies, good morning. so the hotel and lodging association now says that 72% of americans are going to stay home, not travel over thanksgiving 69% staying home over the christmas holiday. but if you've already bought your ticket, what do you do? some people are now wrestling with that. should they go or heed the advice, stay safe and stay home. for many americans, thanksgiving tradition consists of family, turkey and travel. but now a surge of coronavirus nationwide has officials urging people to reconsider their travel plans >> people really should not travel for these holidays. >> things are getting worse and so those initial plans that you made several months ago, even several weeks ago, they may need to change. >> reporter: if you've already bought your plane ticket, the are waiving ticket change fees but cancelling your nonrefundable ticket doesn't mean you'll get your money back. instead, american, united,

delta, jetblue, southwest and alaska will give you a credit voucher. that voucher could be good for 12 to 24 months depending on the airline and when you bought the ticket, but the airlines will hold on to your money. >> airlines definitely need cash right now. not everyone uses a voucher. people forget about them, people don't use them it's all-around better for airlines to hold on to your money. >> reporter: the biggest airlines which have lost more than $20 billion the past two quarters have been looking to the traditional holiday rush to help their business. southwest the latest airline to stop blocking middle seats starting december 1st, making room for more passengers according to a recent survey, travelers are most concerned about air travel, specifically catching covid from other passengers while flying. for those looking to cancel hotel reservations along with their flights, experts say flexible change and cancellation policies are now offered by most major chains for new and existing bookings. >> and we are really excited to spend time together. >> reporter: liz and her family

haven't seen her in-laws since last christmas she cancelled their travel plans on monday. >> i know that my children want to hug their grandparents and have -- not have to have these fears around them. i was getting increasingly worried, so i actually feel relieved now knowing that i'm not taking this risk. >> reporter: a difficult decision, but one she says is worth it to protect the ones she loves. >> tom, for those still considering traveling, walk through some of the risk factors that they should take into account and how they could keep themselves safe. >> reporter: yeah, so we talked to the experts and kind of put up a checklist here, so let's talk through these as you make this decision. number one, are you going to be visiting anybody with a vulnerability or are you vulnerable in other words, anybody who's older or may have pre-existing conditions, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, any of those factors that could put you at an increased risk of having covid or contracting covid are you coming from, driving through or going to a hot spot think about that that's a lot of hot spots.

from, through or to. and if so, you may have to quarantine when you arrive, according to local county health officials, and you may have to take a test. so consider all of those factors as you're going through this decision are you driving or are you flying listen, they both carry risks, right? if you're driving, you're safe and contained inside a vehicle but you're going to have to make stops chances are along the way, so think through how you make those stops, the restroom break, whatever if you're flying, listen, being on a plane most studies indicate is pretty safe, but you have to go through an airport, maybe get on a parking tram or some sort of a subway in order to get to your rental car. all of those are tighter spaces and the risk increases in those spaces and lastly, consider your group size if you're going to go to family in the south and everybody can sit outside and have a big turkey dinner outside barbecue style, great if you're in the northeast, though, is it going to be more difficult when you're inside and it's colder to maintain six feet of separation?

chances are it will be so all of those factors play into this decision about whether it makes sense to make the trip at all or cry uncle and decide you'll do it next year. >> i know, it's really heart wrenching because these are emotional decisions as much as they are practical ones and the pull of family is so strong. tom, thank you very much, appreciate it. all right. we've got 7:45 miss dylan dreyer, check of the weather? >> good morning again. you know, we just showed you some of the video out of the nicaragua area where hurricane iota hit last night as a category 4 storm, just 15 miles south of where a category 4 storm hit in early november. this is the 30th named storm this season, the most storms we've ever had in a season was back in 2005 when we had 28 storms so this latest storm was the strongest hurricane of the 2020 season it is the latest category 5 hurricane on record and we've also -- it's the sixth

consecutive storm to undergo rapid intensification. the storm is now a category 1 as it moves across nicaragua and central america. winds are still at 85 miles per hour the storm total is 20 to 30 inches, so really just a devastating storm to impact this area we are already watching yet another storm too. there is a 40% chance in the next five days that as thi disturbance moves into some ideal conditions, it could also strengthen into perhaps a named storm. that storm now would be kappa. we have good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a look at the incoming rain for the bay area, we are going to see those showers spreading in and we'll be tracking it with storm ranger as it right now approaches the far northern sonoma coast and we're going to see it spreading from north to south for today. as we go through our forecast some of that heavy rain and high winds will continue bringing in much cooler temperatures. by tomorrow we still have

lingering light showers but the rest of the week will be drying out as the 60s will stay. t's yo forecast >> okay, thank you, dylan. coming up next, a problem we are not used to seeing at thanksgiving it's a growing demand for small turkeys. kerry sanders of course is on the case right after this. [cheering and waving] ♪ [hip hop holiday music plays] ♪ ah, ah! woo! hold on a sec, hold on, hold on, hold on! [gulping water] girl, we didn't even make it to the chorus! woo! that's a lotta dancing, ya'll. ohhh! [laughing] thought it was over! ohhh! turns into magic hour. flan brings abuela closer. and a good deal means a great deal.

when panhe doesn't justs mmake a pizza. he uses fresh, clean ingredients to make a masterpiece. taste our delicious new flatbread pizzas today. panera. ♪ ♪ (people greeting one another) it's being in his chair again. not your kitchen's. the buzz of the clippers... in his expert hands. how he remembers exactly how much to take off the top. and perfects a fade that had all but faded away. the small details are a big reason to come back and shop your favorite small businesses. we know them. we love them. so let's go shop small. with american express. to show up... ...for the sweet. the hectic. the tender.

the tense. and the fiery. but for many, migraine keeps them... ...from saying... ..."i am here." we aim to change that... ...with... ...aimovig, a preventive treatment... ... for migraine in adults. one dose... ...once a month... ...is proven to reduce monthly migraine days. for some, by half or more. don't take aimovig if you're allergic to it. allergic reactions like rash or swelling can happen hours to days after use. severe constipation can happen. sometimes with serious complications. high blood pressure can happen or worsen with aimovig. common side effects include injection site reactions and constipation. it doesn't matter what each day brings. so long as you can say... ... i am here. aim... ...to be there more. talk to your doctor about aimovig. ♪ have your attention. [sound fx: bing] ♪ pull up a seat begin the lesson ♪ ♪ ba da bum, lets go mmm, sorry ♪ i got that, ♪ you got that,

♪ we got that ♪ boom ♪ we got that only at target. it's black friday now. this week save on electronics, family apparel, tvs and more. this week only, with new deals every week. it's black friday, now. at target. thanksgiving just over a week away of course as we've also mentioned, health officials are urging people to pass on that big traditional large family gathering. >> and that has actually led to a weird dilemma. there's a run on small turkeys nbc's kerry sanders has more on this hey, kerry. >> reporter: hey, guys well, if you're trying to follow the rules and have fewer people at your table, say about four or five people, then meeting that requirement will be, as you just noted, a challenge finding smaller turkeys is turning into a real uphill

battle if you go to the grocery store now, you'll discover most of those small turkeys have already >> i saw on your website that they're all out of stock been gobbled up. >> i was interested in ordering a small turkey, but i saw on your website that they're all out of stock, so i just wanted to check >> we might have some more available next week. >> reporter: you're pretty much sold out >> pretty much sold out. >> reporter: at crazy heart ranch in florida, their small heritage turkeys are in high demand this thanksgiving with the pandemic surging and families opting for smaller, safer gatherings >> i have way more hens than i have toms so we have more smaller turkeys. >> reporter: because the hens are just smaller to begin with >> they're about eight pounds is their average. >> reporter: americans consume on average 40 million turkeys each thanksgiving, turkeys typically weighing 14 to 18 pounds and even larger, 20 pounds and over. >> normally we have upwards of 35 to 40 people. this year it's going to look a little bit different with just the four of us.

>> reporter: according to butterball, the number of consumers who plan to celebrate with just immediate family has jumped from 21% to 31% and finding that right-sized bird may be a challenge. >> the size is still, i think, the great unknown. i think it's going to vary from family to family what their needs are, what their gatherings are. if it's a three, four-person family. >> reporter: turkey farmers anticipating more demand for smaller birds have made changes, like slowing feed to limit growth and harvesting earlier for a smaller bird and many grocery chains are increasing small bone-in and boneless turkey breasts to complement the traditional large turkey options. >> with the heritage turkeys, sometimes i tell people to think of it more like a big chicken. probably the most important thing is don't cook it too long and don't stuff it. >> reporter: don't stuff it? >> right because the stuffing will prolong the cooking time these birds are a little leaner and you don't want to dry your bird out. >> all right, so kerry, small

turkeys mean cheaper prices, is that what it means >> reporter: not really. because there has been a demand/supply issue, there's actually according to texas a&m about 19% fewer turkeys there and so the prices are a little bit higher but if you shop around, grocery stores love to do these deals, you can get turkeys as low as 29 cents a pound up to $4.99 a pound and then the heritage organic turkeys can run up to $11 a pound. if you're from the city, you probably don't know this, i'm going to whisper out here. gobble, gobble there you go, they respond gobble, gobble >> i think they're scared of you. >> they know what you're talking about, you're talking about how much a pound they cost, kerry. you should have done that in the other room thank you so much, kerry let's bring in carson. i know he's going to have a big turkey at his house even for his little family. carson, good morning >> good morning, guys. a lot of turkeys in that frame

right there. coming up this morning, i was lucky enough to get a chance to talk with wolfgang van halen, who is opening up in an incredibly loving tribute to his dad, legendary guitarist eddie van halen. i hope you'll stick around for my conversation with wolf. first, a check of your local news and weather annie, want to say 'hi' to grandma? hi, sweetheart! ♪ music playi♪g sorry, mom. she's doing her thing. [laughing] i can see that. ♪ music playi♪g this one right there. - this one here? - yeah! aw, look at that face!

this year, we're all discovering new ways of giving. i love you. i love you, too. that's why eligible-enrolled citi credit cards customers can earn 5% back on up to $500 of online purchases. for people with heart failure taking entresto, it may lead to a world of possibilities. entresto helped people stay alive and out of the hospital. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto. but with walmart's low prices, you still know how to do it up. and keep costs down. let's end the year enjoying more. ♪ you are all i need baby baby to get by ♪

a very good morning to you. it is 7:56. i'm laura garcia. happening now six bay area counties, santa clara, alameda, contra costa, solano, napa and sonoma all headed back into the purple tier meaning the highest level of covid restrictions. san francisco, san mateo and marin are in the red tier. here's a little cheat sheet showing you which businesses must move everything outdoors in the purple tier. it includes restaurants, wineries, gyms. on the right businesses that can operate indoors at reduced capacity including retail shops and salons. you can head to our home page for more. also happening now wet weather moving into the bay area. some much-needed rain headed our way, kari. yeah. we're going to see that spreading across the bay area today, but it's coming along

with some high winds as we transition from some very warm weather to cooler weather. we're already starting to see that rain. very spotty right now moving into ukiah and approaching santa rosa as well as parts of coastal marin county. this will continue to move from the north bay into the rest of the bay area by later today. and some of the heaviest downpours will start to kind of break up and become more scattered. we're also looking at some rain today with some pretty decent rainfall totals mostly anywhere from a quarter to half an inch of rain, maybe higher tomorrow as we have lingering showers into early tomorrow afternoon before this system winds down and moves out. it leaves behind some cool temperatures. we're looking at highs that will reach up to 60 degrees today and low 60s for tomorrow. thursday throughout the weekend we're looking at some dry weather but notice how chilly it's going to be especially for those morning hours as we drop back to the upper 30s in san francisco. we're in the upper 50s for the next several days. laura? all right.

maybe that's why the gardener is getting an early start today. come experience the grand opening

of floor and decor's newest location in the east bay area! our expansive store is fully equipped with safe distancing guides, so you can browse our wide aisles and be amazed with our even wider selection. or easily order online, and pick up all the products you need

for your flooring project curbside! so come discover the perfect floor at the perfect price in whatever way is perfect for you. floor and decor, now open in san leandro for safe in-store shopping and curbside pickup. also open in milpitas and burlingame. it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, cracking down new restrictions coast to coast as officials work to stop the spread of covid-19 >> if we do this right, our businesses will recover faster because the epidemic wave will subside sooner. >> this morning with cases surging, what we're learning about the vaccine rollout plan we'll break it all down. plus roker report. we will check in with al for the first time since his prostate cancer surgery the good news he can't wait to share with you straight ahead. then paying tribute. carson's candid conversation with eddie van halen's son how wolfgang is using his music

to honor his dad >> what do you want to make sure that your dad knows at this time and period in your life if he was listening. >> i'm going to keep going because i know that's what he wanted just to keep going. >> just ahead, what he hopes van halen fans will take away from his debut song. and having a holly dolly day. we will catch up with the one and only dolly parton about her new music, her new book, and new movie, as the entertainment icon joins us live. today, tuesday, november 17th, 2020 ♪ >> we're celebrating our daughter grace's 2nd birthday here on "today." thanks for making it super special. >> we are the collins, and the twins love the "today" show. >> hey, hoda and savannah. help me give a shoutout to my fellow nurses at duke university hospital. >> we'll do that >> duke university, we say hey,

it's good to see you back with us on a tuesday morning. by the way, sometimes we have perfect timing on this show. this is one of those days. they are at this moment putting the star atop the rockefeller center christmas tree. isn't that cool? >> that will get you in the spirit it's all happening by the way, the star is approximately 900 pounds and it's covered in 3 million swarovski crystals we'll stand under it and hope a few fall off meanwhile we have a really important story tomorrow for every family we have a first look at the pandemic's impact on the mental health of teens. we'll hear from some of the kids who took part in this research and find out what the past few months have been like for them and how we can all surround them and help them. the coronavirus begin our news cities and states are going to drastic action to slow the surge and president-elect joe biden is warning that transition delays will only make things worse. nbc's sam brock joins us from

miami with the three things we need to watch. hey, sam, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. right now we have seen a tripling of daily infections in the united states just in the last few weeks as you look over my shoulder right now, you see all the folks at miami beach going to get tested the united states on monday recorded 172,000 new infections. 13,000 plus in california. that is a record as the president-elect, joe biden, warning right now if there's not a cooperative and peaceful transfer of power, there could be fatal consequences >> more people may die if we don't coordinate if we have to wait until january 20th to start that planning, it puts us behind over a month, month and a half. >> reporter: with the federal government resisting any sort of national mandates, we are seeing state and city leaders filling that void with a wave of new restrictions oregon and new mexico right in the middle now of a two-week-long freeze or virtual lockdown in philadelphia, the mayor of that city has banned gatherings

indoors and outdoors, public and private, ahead of the thanksgiving day holiday all of this coming with a fresh reminder of what's at stake. the american academy of pediatrics finding that over a million children have contracted covid-19 about 10% of that coming in a one-week span ending november 12th we spoke with the president of the organization who said in her three decades of experience in the medical field, she has never seen anything like this. hoda and savannah, back to you. >> sam brock for us in miami sam, thank you. now to more on that transition and its impact across washington, nbc's chief white house correspondent hallie jackson joins us with the latest hi, hallie, good morning. >> reporter: hey, savannah, good morning. listen, there are some things that the incoming biden team can do on their own like hold informal conversations with people at key agencies but there's a whole lot of other things that they need official transition cooperation to do, everything from homeland security exercises to getting the official government email addresses. experts say there's no topic that makes the need for a

speedier transition more clear and more urgent than the pandemic a closer look this morning at a turbulent transition and how the slow transfer of power is affecting key departments, starting with health and human services tapped to help manage the covid crisis as the pandemic gets worse. >> we can't wait until the end of january you know, 200,000 people are going to die between now and the inauguration. >> reporter: multiple experts say the cdc is the branch most affected by the delayed transition, and as a vaccine is eventually distributed would have a direct line of contact with state and local public health departments nationwide. former hhs secretary kathleen sebelius. >> the lack of communication will mean that they're really operating in the dark, and that's very dangerous. >> reporter: at the state department, former officials say the lack of coordination could raise the risk of sending mixed or misleading messages to foreign partners the biggest concern, national security, with an estimated 150 openings that will need to be filled

a slow transition might delay the necessary background checks for those staffers new pressure building now on the president from even his former chief of staff to allow president-elect biden to receive a critical daily briefing that lays out potential threats >> there's no reason not to be giving former vice president biden and senator harris the intelligence briefings that any incoming president and vice president would have. >> reporter: with the justice department transition, similar concerns one person close to the process pointing to fears the incoming doj team could get blindsided last minute with a major arrest or announcement. now former first lady michelle obama is calling out president trump for not respecting the results of the election and calling on him to encourage a smooth transition. she writes in a new instagram post, even after president trump, quote, spread racist lies about my husband that put my family in danger, she had to find the strength and maturity to put her anger aside back in 2008, it was her husband

transitioning into power mid-crisis during the great recession. now, it's joe biden doing the same mid-pandemic. >> transitions are always important when the handover of power goes from one president to another, but it feels like it's especially important right now in the middle of a crisis. how does that change things? >> very important for there to be a transition where people can climb the learning curve a little bit before they get into office because bad things could happen literally on day one. >> reporter: as for that warning from the president-elect that more people may die if there's not better coordination during this transition, a white house spokesperson called those remarks irresponsible, pointing to what they say is coordination between the federal government and state and local officials on that savannah. >> hallie, thank you very much. you may not remember this, but march madness is four months away the ncaa is already making plans to hold the entire 2021 men's basketball tournament in one metropolitan area. officials say that limiting travel can reduce exposure to

the coronavirus, so they're in talks with indianapolis to host the tournament the site was already scheduled for the final four there's no decision yet on whether spectators will be allowed to watch. >> that's the news, let's do a boost. >> let's get it going. a great way to bond with a child and boost their self-confidence is to let them help with big grownup chores they don't get much bigger than this one dad somehow managed to get his jeep stuck in a ditch, but no worries because his preschooler is going to use his toy car to tow him out. the little guy puts his pedal down, a few tugs on that towing strap and mission accomplished memories made. aaa is taking notes, how did he do it. >> that little boy is probably like 3 he'll remember that forever. coming up next, a sight for sore eyes. our wonderful -- >> yes, yes! >> he is looking better than ever good morning, gorgeous

he's putting us all to shame walking 5 miles a day, just had his surgery. we've got some great news on how al is doing. can't wait to catch up with you, friend, right after this right now. doctor but if you're experiencing irregular heartbeat, heart racing, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue or light-headedness, don't wait to contact your doctor. because these symptoms could be signs of a serious condition like atrial fibrillation. which could make you about five times more likely to have a stroke. your symptoms could mean something serious, so this is no time to wait. talk to a doctor, by phone, online, or in-person. with sweet potato fries. eating a falafel wrap so this is no time to wait. (doorbell rings) thanks! splitsies? ♪ oooh...you meant the food, didn't you? it's time sleep numbermate sleep360 smart bed.on the can it help with snoring? i've never heard snoring. exactly.

no problem, and done. and now, during the ultimate sleep number event, save 50% on the sleep number 360® limited edition smart bed. only for a limited time. ♪ keep it together 'til this work call wraps ♪ ♪ sip that smooth roast and try your best not to snap ♪ ♪ the best part of wakin' up is folgers in your cup ♪ because i work with a lot... of dust and dirt. just washing... the dirt and the grime off... and just bringing you... back...to you. you see the glow? that's a dove bar. dove cleans effectively, cares beautifully. you see the glow? that's a dove bar. (people greeting one another)

the same. the usual. the what you don't even have to say because they already know it. your go-to small businesses are relying on you to come back and shop small again. and again. and again. we know them. we love them. so let's go shop small. with american express. nature made helps you win the night. our extended release melatonin helps you fall asleep

and stay asleep. nature made. the #1 pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand. you can't fake the goodness the crunch of real almonds. how chocolatey chunks taste in cold milk. we keep it real. because you can't fake... delicious. kellogg's special k. he was the last cage...and i opened up >> out. they say, do you believe in love at first sight? yes, when it comes to a dog. it was love at first sight. mo is family so i feed him blue.

♪ ♪ ♪ only at target. it's black friday now. this week save on electronics, family apparel, tvs and more. this week only, with new deals every week. it's black friday, now. at target. we're back, 8:13. it's been a little more we're back, 8:13 it's been a little more than a week since al announced his diagnosis of prostate cancer last week he underwent surgery. >> we have an update guess who's going to give it to us the man himself, al. first of all, your smiling face makes us feel so good.

how are you doing? >> oh, i'm doing -- i'm doing great, the better for seeing you two, let me tell you and to be with you, it really is special. walking around, the number of people who have just given me a thumbs up, way to go, hope you're doing well has meant all the world to me. i just went to the doctor yesterday and i got some good news it's hard to believe it was just a little over a week ago i had to announce some life-changing news >> i didn't physically feel any different, but i was different because i knew that i've got cancer i had been diagnosed with prostate cancer after a routinea physical spotted an elevated psa or prostate specific antigen, an early detection screening tool

a biopsy finding i had a more aggressive form of prostate cancer fortunately we caught it early. >> the cancer appears somewhat limited or confined to the prostate because it's more aggressive, we wanted to treat it we settled on removing the prostate. >> last monday i checked int memorial sloan kettering's josie robinson surgery center to have my prostate and several lymph nodes removed. it was a five-hour surgery and i'm told it went well. i was back home with debra and nick is very next day. the day after that i was back out and walking. >> make sure you get your prostate checked get that psa test. >> my cancer surgeon, dr. vincent laudone telling us the initial results look helpful >> the prognosis based on how the surgery went and based on his pathology report, everything looks very favorable we would say that al has no evidence of any cancer, but we will continue to monitor him for

several years. >> and the outpouring of love and support that i have received from all of you, including the prayers, have been truly heartening and this thanksgiving, i'm really thankful for all of you one thing i would not be thankful for, if i never see another picture of me again, it's like running the gamut there. serious al, happy al, crazy al. >> adorable al. >> oh, thank you one in nine men will get diagnosed with prostate cancer for african-american men it's even stronger. we're 50% more likely to be diagnosed with it and two and a half times more likely to die from it. so getting checked and getting checked early, starting if you're african-american male, after 40 is really important, guys. >> well, you have really helped that message get out there it's so important. al, how do you feel? you're so upbeat i couldn't believe it. there you are walking in the rain.

>> hello. >> a day after your surgery. you're so inspiring. but, you know, this was -- this came out of nowhere. how do you feel and how are you feeling about the future >> i feel good you know, if i could just -- i keep forgetting because the technology has gotten so good, they did it with a robot i felt much better after the surgery than i did with any of my joint replacements so i didn't feel like i had major surgery but i have this swelling around my stomach so clothes don't fit quite right and i'm very vain so i feel like the very vain so i feel like the michelin man >> sweat pants it means you can have sweat pants, right >> they're back. >> there you go. >> al, it must have been -- my mom was first like what happened to al, what happened to al, she's asking me all single day i said it's all great news but when you actually heard the news, which is what we heard from your surgeon, that it looks like the margins are clear because that's like the big exhale

tell me about that moment when you learned that it wasn't anywhere but there >> well, i was with deborah and nick it was like -- it was this great relief look, we're not out of the woods as we'll hear from dr. laudone, but for a first start, this is terrific this is terrific news. but i'm going to be up for, as a lot of people who deal and live with cancer, up for lifelong testing to make sure this doesn't come back. >> i'm glad you mentioned your doctor because he's with us now. dr. vincent laudone from vincent memorial cancer center, can we just say thank you thank you for taking such good care of our precious friend, al, who we think is a national treasure i'm sure you do now too now that you know him so what is -- his prognosis sounds really, really good, so what does he need to know going forward and what would the message that you want to share with others because al has been courageous letting everyone know

about this because he does want to help others. >> yes i mean as we all know, al is a great guy and he was also a great patient. as you saw, he was doing all the things that he could to help himself get better i think he really just wants to get back to work because i think he misses all of you but al's surgery went well as you heard in the tape, his pathology -- when we do cancer surgery, all the tissue that we remove goes down to the pathologist where it gets looked at so we have a better idea of the true nature and extent of the cancer and in al's case, things seem confined to the prostate so that gives him an excellent prognosis. but still we need to continue to monitor him. and so he is up for lifelong monitoring to make sure the cancer doesn't come back. >> dr. laudone, thank you. did you realize how many people love you, man? >> i truly didn't. you don't hear about this until you're dead. so it's kind of a moot point and by the way, i just want to give a shoutout to the folks at

the josie robertson surgery center where i had the surgery done and my nurses danielle and will and nicollet, they were just terrific. dr. laudone's nurse, ann, is a living leprechaun on earth she's got this great irish lilt. >> if we weren't in a pandemic i know we'd see all those people at al's christmas party. he always makes friends everywhere he goes doctor, thank you. by the way, carson is with us, al, and i know he wants to give you some love too. >> hey, dude. >> i do, uncle al, it's so good to see you, buddy. i'm so glad that you're doing well first of all, dr. laudone needs his own podcast with that voice if he doesn't already have one. >> i know, he's terrific. >> he is terrific, but you're terrific, al, because you were brave to do this on the air. you could have, you know, it's a personal choice, but think of the millions of people that you're helping when i started talking about mental health on the "today" show i didn't mean to do it.

now everywhere i go, people want to talk to me about it and say thank you for doing it on live tv. you've literally saved millions of lives and you are a super hero >> well, i appreciate that, buddy. can't wait to see you and see all of you back in person. i hope next monday and then we've got the big thanksgiving day parade. that's what everybody has been asking, is there going to be a thanksgiving day parade. we're telling them yes, but it will be different. but it's happening my only question is will i find butter >> will the butter man come back >> we're glad you're better, al. thank you so much. we love you. we'll see you next week. >> thanks, guys. now to something that will make you feel right at home, al. miss dylan with the weather. >> hey, al, i know we'll talk to you again in the third hour, i'm not being rude by not chiming in you know i called you yesterday, i'm thinking about you and so happy to hear you're doing well and to see that smile. >> no worries. >> but i guess i'll do the weather since you're not here. we are going to see a good amount of snow across parts of the great lakes, off of lake

erie and lake ontario all because of the cold air. temperatures running below average. there is warmer air waiting in the wings that's going to try to move in in time for the weekend. we also have a big storm moving into the pacific nor good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's take a look at the rain moving in to the north bay right now. we're seeing a pretty good, steady rain moving through ukiah and getting ready to approach other parts of the north bay with light showers moving into santa rosa. we are going to see at time some pockets of heavy rain. then we'll be off and on as it spreads across the bay area today and still lingering showers for tomorrow. but then the rest of the week is cool and dry as the sunshine returns. we keep the cool temperatures. >> and that's your latest forecast >> thank you popstart time, carson. what do you have in the popstart oven >> hi, guys, lots in the oven today.

first up, shawn mendes and justin bieber, two of pop's biggest names there, are coming together for a new release this week fans are absolutely freaking out about it too mendez and bieber posting a short video to their socials last night teasing the release of their new collaboration that's being called "monster." it will be released this friday. it's been longer rumored and now we're finally going to get to hear that. in an exclusive clip this morning, shawn mendes talks about apple music's zane lowe about working with bieber and what "monster" is actually all about. >> i called him and i said i have this song it's really kind of going there, you know we go there. it's about how society can put celebrities up on a pedestal and watch them fall. and it seems to be this entertainment thing. it feels like one of the most special songs i've ever wrote. >> that's a good interview there if you're a man of shawn mendes. the full interview airs today at 1:00 p.m. on apple music 1. next up, we have exciting news for the next season of "the voice. here we go, we're excited to

announce that nick jonas is making his return to the show as a coach in season 20 nick will be joined by blake, john and kelly if this video is any indication, nick is ready to win. >> who's the new coach >> i have no idea. do you know who it is? >> i am totally in the dark. >> whoa! >> i've been living and breathing "the voice" since season 18. little do these coaches know, i've grown stronger by the day the newbie has now become the master >> it's nick jonas, he's back. what are you doing, buddy, taking a nap >> a warrior never sleeps. >> my god, he's so cute when he's scary. >> that's a good one. >> i said it a million times, what makes a great coach on "the voice" is a great person and nick is a great addition to our family season 20 of "the voice" is

going to premiere in early 2021. a little more popstart for you. yeah, maybe, maybe not all right. gwen stefani and ryan tedder are getting together and releasing some new christmas music they have done that. it's called "here this christmas. gwen performs on the track which was written and produced by ryan tedder this morning we have an exclusive look ♪ don't need presents under the tree ♪ ♪ don't need snow and carolling ♪ i don't need a lot of wishes ♪ ♪ i just need you here at christmas ♪ >> there you go. "here this christmas" is featured on the reissue of gwen's holiday album and will be featured on the countdown to

christmas, which my sister will be watching, for sure. we'll be hearing much more of that and guys, our sidesgiving bracket, you'll see the vote a billion people voted yesterday. >> a billion we'll check it out at the end of the show. our music is about to get brighter because the legendary dolly parton is with u good morning to you. 8:26. i'm marcus washington. a live look for you at the skies over sfo where the rain is making its way to the bay area. meteorologist kari hall is here tracking how soon it will arrive and from the looks of those clouds, kari, very soon. >> yeah, we're already seeing that rain in parts of the north bay. we're tracking it with stormranger, our mobile doppler radar. it's not too far from the shot over sfo. as we look at what's going on now, the rain moving through ukiah as well as parts of central sonoma county right now. some light rain to begin, but it will get heavier as we'll see it spreading from north to south. we take you through early in the afternoon when we start to see some more of those heavier

pockets of rain getting ready to approach san francisco and moving down to half moon bay as well as oakland. and we'll see the off and on rain continue through this evening. we're going to see also still some high winds picking up as we transition from some warm air to some very chilly temperatures. in between we've got all of this rain that's going to be moving through and will soak up every drop of it as we are in a very extreme drought right now. we need this rain. but the rest of the forecast is looking dry as we go back to some cool temperatures. we'll see that through the rest of the week, marcus. >> thanks, kari. i'll have another local news update coming up in 30 minutes. i'll see you then. give you my world ♪

♪ how can i, when you won't take it from me ♪ ♪ you can go your own way xfinity mobile's fast nationwide 5g network meets the first iphone with 5g. get the new iphone 12 on xfinity mobile. and right now get $250 off. learn more at an xfinity store today.

we're back, 8:30 tuesday morning. look at those beautiful faces. it's the 17th of november, 2020. just ahead we've got birthdays, we've got anniversaries, we've got happy folks and a lot to smile about with our my today plaza crowd. >> we look forward to visiting with them. also, carson, we've been waiting for this conversation, a real touching one you have to share >> yeah, thanks, hoda, that's right.

i had a chance to talk with wolfgang van halen, the son of late guitar icon eddie van halen. wolf really opened up about their bond following his father's famous footsteps, what that's been like for him as he explores putting out some of his own music. he's got a really powerful tribute to eddie we'll have more on that coming up. >> i'll have to get the tissues out for that one. also ahead, we have a live interview with one of our all-time favorites well, everyone's all-time favorite dolly parton she's ready for the holidays. >> hi! >> she's got a new album, a new netflix movie, she's the queen of christmas we cannot wait to chat with dolly in just a few. >> the christmas tree is up, she's ready to go. savannah, we've got a story i think you'll like in our third hour sheinelle worked up a sweat with three generations of the women behind jazzercise. you still know those moves, don't you? >> i love jazzercise. >> you were an instructor, let's be real. and we do have a lot more to look forward to tomorrow on today.

let's get ready to laugh melissa mccarthy has a hilarious new movie coming out it's just in time for you to enjoy with your family over thanksgiving >> dylan, let's get a check of that weather >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by target bring more to every moment for less >> and today we are going to see a good amount of rain in the pacific northwest. we've got all that moisture coming in off the pacific ocean there. you can see it just streaming in we've got heavy rain along the coast of washington, oregon, northwestern california and the higher elevations eventually we'll see that transform into some snow. we could see a couple of feet of snow possible as moisture comes in in waves here that will last through wednesday. there you see another one waiting in the wings going into thursday so again, we could see as much as a foot or more of snow, up to 3 feet possible in the highest elevations in the sierra nevada mountain range elsewhere across the country, actually a lot of sunshine besides some snow off the great lakes because of the cold air.

it is chilly up and down the east coast with temperatures below average but tomorrow morning we'll start off the day with temperatures only in the single digits and some teens and even colder windchills >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're still seeing the rain to the north, and we're going to see it rolling from north to south as we go into today. really great to see these downpours coming in through parts of the north bay. there will be pockets of heavy rain and we'll once again see that moving across the bay area for today and even some spotty showers for tomorrow. the rest of the forecast dries out now that the cool temperatures are here. they'll stay into the weekend. and we'll see those morning lows dropping back into the upper 30s. forecast carson >> all right, thank you. gotcha, dylan, appreciate it coming up next, guys, we've been teasing it the late great eddie van halen through the eyes of his son, wolfgang.

>> while he was an icon to so many people he was my dad, he was incredibly loving and my best friend. >> my deeply personal conversation with wolf on the recent loss of his dad and using his debut solo song to honor his father also some breaking news about that very song looking forward to sharing that with you you're constantly on the go, on the clock, and on your way. hang on a second. what's the rush? know the speed limit, go the speed limit, and slow the fast down. go safely, california. still the big move. just more moving. still singing. just more in tune. still the gangs all here. just less "are we there yet?" the chevy family of suvs. making life's journey just better. now during the chevy cyber sales event, use $500 cyber cash on most suv models... to get $5,250 total cash allowance on most

2020 equinox models. visit chevycybersalesevent.com today.

2020 equinox models. take a quick break,ite, jump on a quick call. next time you take a quick trip, how about this? take a second, take your time, and slow the fast down. go safely, california. welcome back. the world lost a the world lost a rock 'n' roll legend last month. eddie van halen, who co-founde the band that bore his name. >> his son wolfgang just released a debut single, a tribute to his dad carson, you had a chance to sit down with wolf's first tv interview since losing his dad. >> yeah. i really enjoyed it. "rolling stone" called eddie van hailen a musical mastermind. the apple doesn't fall far wolf is incredibly talented.

wolf's solo band has a sound all his own, and his new single "distance" is profoundly personal, really good, and of course dedicated to his beloved father to the world, eddie van halen was a rock 'n' roll legend to wolf van halen, first and foremost, he was a loving dad. van halen was married to actress valerie bertinelli they divorced after 26 years and their son, wolfgang, who joined his dad's band playing bass has now forged his own musical path. >> first of all, your mom is royalty at the "today" show. she's like family. we love her so much. the world loves your dad i'm excited about the single you're putting out and i want to talk about it, but first let me just check in with you, bro. how are you handling everything? >> it's -- you know, it's really tough. some days are better than others.

>> who's been your support >> my wonderful girlfriend andrea has been the best my mother especially some days it's just really hard to get out of bed. >> in october, the legendary guitarist lost his battle with cancer at 65 his son, wolf, posting he was the best father i could ever ask for. every moment i've shared with him on and off stage was a gift. >> it doesn't seem like the pain is ever really going to go away. you just figure out how to carry it better. >> i felt that pain and still do for a long time. it took a little daylight. eventually i got to a place i hope you get to where you sort of realize that the degree of pain is a sign of degree of love like that's how much love was there because that much love caused that much pain. >> not surprising, music is in his dna. wolf van halen has been writing and playing for over a decade, but is just releasing his first single now. >> every single thing you hear, instrument, vocals, i wrote everything

all you're hearing is me. >> that's 100% you. >> yeah. >> you're playing drums, you're playing bass, you're playing guitar. >> yeah. >> hi, everybody. >> i love you. >> "distance" is a tribute to eddie van halen. wolf says it was written while his father was still alive but speaks to the pain of losing someone you love ♪ no matter what the distance is ♪ ♪ i will be with you >> what grabbed me about this song is the lyrics you say i'm so happy ♪ i'm so happy >> and you're saying i'm so happy, dad, that you're in a better place and then you pivot immediately to i'm so nervous. i'm so nervous because i don't know how to live this life without you. those lyrics are so raw and so honest. >> it's tough. a lot of crying. while he was this icon to so many people, he was still my dad

and he was incredibly loving and he was my best friend in many ways >> and the music video includes never-before-seen home movies of the tight father duo, from cuddling in pjs to jamming onstage. >> i know the first reaction people are probably going to have is, wow, this is a little soon i think when people realize that this is just an honest tribute to my father, any money that i would have made is going to my dad's favorite charity, mr. holland's opus that makes sure underprivileged students can get instruments and play music. >> i can't imagine why anybody would question that. the song is literally a love letter to your dad. >> his single is out now but his band's first record will come out in the spring. >> how much did you have to negotiate what van halen's fans will think of the sound? >> i hope they will go into it with an open mind and they don't expect to hear van halen 2

while van halen is my last name, i'm not trying to be my dad. my dad was my dad, and it's really important for me to be myself. >> i'm so happy to have you as my son. >> perhaps one of the most moving moments in the music video, an actual voice mail eddie left his son, wolf. >> i'm so proud of you and i love you so much. >> what do you want to make sure that your dad knows at this time and period in your life if he was listening? >> that i'm going to keep going. that's what he would have wanted, just to keep going >> i love you. >> it's really such a love story. there's probably this feeling for most people that rock stars are absent parents this was the antithesis of that. this was a story of one of the most incredible loving bonds between a father and his son and the song "distance" that wolf did and he plays everything on it, he had a chance to play it for his dad while he was battling cancer and his dad loved it he said that's my favorite song ever of all time so it gives us great joy to know his dad heard it the breaking news i wanted to share this morning, if you look

at the itunes chart, the overall chart, you'll see chris stapleton at three, billie eilish at two and wolf van halen at number one. it's the number one song and he commented late last night, he wrote, i wish you were here to see this, pop, and thank you to everybody. touching story there, guys. >> such a tender soul. carson, you are the perfect person to speak to him because i know you talk from the heart and it was really lovely to share that thank you so much. >> thank you, carson >> you've got it, guys and shout out to valerie, too. >> i'm picturing valerie watching that, too >> they did a great job parenting that kid. >> dolly parton, need we say more she's got music, movies, she's got a book

today's ways of working may work differently tomorrow. but you can work out anything with comcast business. get fast, reliable, and secure internet on the nation's largest gig speed network. flexible tools - like wi-fi you control. voice solutions that connect you from anywhere. and expert advice here, here, or even here. be fast. be flexible. bounce forward with comcast business. get started with a powerful internet and voice solution for just $64.90 a month. plus, for a limited time, ask how to get a $500 prepaid card when you upgrade. switch today.

well, we know that 2020 hasn't been the easiest of years for folks, but we also know how to make it just get a little bit

better, because dolly parton is here with us to spread her light. >> we love when she does this. she's with us live she's got a new book out it's called "song teller, my life in lyrics." she's got a new holiday album "a holly dolly christmas. that's not all and her latest netflix movie, dolly parton's christmas on the square debbie allen choreographed it. it's like a fun musical on netflix. dolly, we're so happy to see you. i was just thinking, dolly, some people may be putting their feet up right about now no, no, no, you've got a book, you've got a movie, you've got a cd you don't stop are you -- is this like a creative time for you? >> well, actually i have had time to do a lot of stuff. everybody else has been kind of locked in. i don't have children or grandchildren i have to home school, so i think i've got to be busy to be creative so i know everybody will have a different kind of christmas this

year so i thought this would be a good time for me to put some fun stuff out for people and to enjoy it myself, so we're having a holly dolly christmas this year. >> we really are walking down memory lane i got to see a copy of your book "song teller." it is so cool. it's a coffee table book, it's pictures and words it's just a beautiful tribute to your life in music every time i read this stat, i just can't believe it, that you've written 3,000 songs in your life. and you've only recorded 450 of them >> well, i've got -- i write all the time, so people ask me how many i have and i say i've got thousands, i don't have any idea i've got 3,000 songs and maybe three good ones is basically when i say when i talk about that but i've been doing this all my life a lot of people are interested in how you write songs so this book just talks about where i was at the time emotionally, what made me write the songs, and, you know, just the stories behind it. it was really very involved.

it took several days to do it. it's out on audio also with my voice. but it just talks about my life in song and i'm a songwriter and a story teller, so song teller seemed to be the right name for it. >> we're looking at baby pictures of you and it's so much fun to see tell me if this is true. we heard that elvis heard one of your famous songs "i will always love you." he heard it and he said or his people said, dolly, we want to record that song, and you said no is that true >> well, it was a little more involved than that he actually had it worked up and they already was planning to do it in nashville the next morning. and so i had been told they were doing it i was so excited and the night before colonel tom parker, his manager, called and said you know, we don't record any songs with elvis unless we have publishing or at least half the publishing at that time that was my most important song and it broke my heart because it had nothing to do with elvis. i'm sure he was as disappointed

as i was, but i couldn't let them have the publishing on it so i had to say no to that but i always wished i had heard elvis sing it. but he did love the song and i was appreciative of that. >> i love reading about how you come up with songs, how you get to these stories, the backstory. and i read that you think that "jolene" and "i will always love you" could have been written on the same day a good day, i might add. >> a great day >> yeah, i would say so. actually we think that because when we were looking through all of my old cassettes trying to put those out on hard drives and just save them before they got destroyed, both those songs were on the same cassette usually since i write so often, if it wasn't the same day, it was during that period of time, no more than a week probably but both those songs were on the same album, the "jolene" album because i did write them around the same time, but i did not know that they were written at the same time.

so that was a good -- that was a good night if they were written the same night or the same week, yeah >> dolly, you've got a new cd out. you've got tons of duets some with your family, i love that your brother is on one of them one of them is with a brother of ours, jimmy fallon we're excited. is it true you may be singing that song for us around christmastime? >> yes, i'm actually singing with jimmy, i think, on the rockefeller -- do you have that on your network? the rockefeller show >> yes, we do. >> anyway, i'm doing the video with him on that i love him to death. so i think he did a wonderful job. i did have a lot of other artists on it. like you said, my brother, randy, i wrote a song called "you are my christmas. he was our christmas baby. i had billy ray cyrus, miley cyrus, willie nelson, michael buble. we had all kinds of wonderful people on this holly dolly christmas album. we were all looking for something to do while we were locked down.

we would send it to their studio and they'd sing them part and we got it all put together. hopefully it's going to be a fun christmas. we've tried to add a little more fun to this year. >> you know, one segment on the "today" show is not enough for you. we're going to see you again and talk about the tv, the netflix special which is super fun i want to mention your book "song teller" is out today the album "a holly dolly christmas" also available right now. and the netflix movie "christmas on the square" starts streaming november 22nd. dolly will stick around because we have all this to talk about and more. >> she'll be back on the third hour and on the fourth hour with me and jenna. >> she'll probably write a song in between. >> i probably will i know you'll be sick of me. i'm sick of me but i'll see you anyway. >> w who is usaa made for? it's made for this guy a veteran who honorably served and it's made for her she's serving now we made it for all branches and all ranks whether they served one tour or made a career of it. we also made usaa for military spouses and their kids

usaa is easy to work with and can save you money on auto, home and renters insurance. become a member today. get an insurance quote at usaa.com/quote usaa. what you're made of we're made for get an insurance quote at usaa.com/quote we have the power to harness abundant wind and solar energy, but it's not available all day long. use less from 4 to 9 pm and we can protect california for generations to come.

cgrand openinge flooin san leandro! safely shop our wide aisles and be amazed with our even wider selection. discover the perfect floor at the perfect price in whatever way is perfect for you. floor and decor's newest location is now open. also open in milpitas and burlingame. it is time to say hello to our my today plaza crowd there they are in all their adorableness

let's zoom in because lovely marion and keith in york, p.a., there they are, today is a special day for you guys what's going on? >> today is our 30th wedding anniversary. >> wow >> you know, it's funny, because i looked at you during the commercial and i thought no way do they have a 30th wedding anniversary because y'all look so young and gorgeous. >> thank you >> you really are drop dead beautiful. what's the highlight of all these decades together >> well, first of all, we put god first in our marriage. >> yes, we do. >> and we keep the communication open and my husband is very patient. >> patience. >> all good. >> and you're both hot, so let's just say that, as cute as you can be >> all right, let's put our big board back up and say hey to our other folks. where are the hayes family from burtonsville, maryland hey, ella, are you turning 1

>> hi, hoda and savannah >> i see little ella the family from toledo, harper is turning 2 and where are the schwartzes where are my people up there we see you, the schwartz family in orlando we want to say thanks to all you guys for waking up everybody looks terrific you can join my today plaza and hang with us, today.com/mytodayplaza. >> i love it >> yes >> happy everything, everybody. now let's go back to carson. we need an update on what is possibly the most important story of the day, the sidesgiving bracket challenge. carson, what's happening >> yeah, well, brussel sprouts broke my bracket that's what's happening. round two is up now. we're asking the viewers to pick the best thanksgiving side dishes as a reminder, gravy gets the pass how else are you going to eat that dry turkey? turkey also gets a pass. business out of the way, let's take a look at the elite eight there were a few upsets here

yesterday. mashed potatoes destroyed sweet potato casserole, 74% of the vote it now goes up against -- which may be the current favorite, stuffing i have thoughts on stuffing. we should have golden buzzered stuffing through to the end but it's water under the bridge now. >> golden buzzered >> stuffing crushed cornbread, 89% of the vote. mac and cheese defeated creamed corn it will take on green bean casserole and undoubtedly win that matchup. >> i don't know. >> glazed carrots creamed the creamed spinach and now it's carrots versus cranberry sauce brussel sprouts, by the way, guys, brussel sprouts are having a moment they beat collard greens that was the first bracket i had busted right there 76% of the vote. and buttered roll took down biscuits >> biscuits are out? >> it's kind of tough. a roll is a little lighter >> it's not tough. they're biscuits. >> if you're at home and want to

get in on the action round two, just go to today.com -- our whole today food vertical was down for eight hours yesterday, so many people were voting for this so we apologize for any inconvenience. >> carson, thank you sorry about brussel sprouts ruining your bracket. >> i'm excited for this. we were all just bent overlooking at the camera. >> i could have taken the over on that. >> what's coming up next >> we've got a holiday hot list. one of a kind gifts for everyone in your family. >> and dolly parton will be back, after your local news. good morning. it's 8:56. i'm marcus washington. happening now for you, a live look at the skies in san francisco. live look at the golden gate bridge. see the skies above. the clouds are coming in. meteorologist kari hall is here tracking how soon we could see that rain in the bay area. >> yeah, we're seeing it in parts of the north bay as we continue to track the rain

moving through on storm ranger. that's our mobile doppler radar. track it, too, at the nbc bay area app. we get a look at all the rain covering marin and sonoma counties, moving toward lake and mend seeno counties now. we'll continue to see this moving through the rest of the bay area today with much-needed showers. we'll be tracking that even through tomorrow, marcus. >> thanks, kari. we'll have another local news and weather update for you coming up in an hour. i'm looking at your mri. your shoulder seems to be healing nicely. i'm sorry baby... i don't want you to play with that... (singing) twinkle, twinkle little star. how i wonder what you are... how are you doing? schedule a video visit with your doctor. kaiser permanente. thrive. but you can work out anything wowith comcast business.w. get fast, reliable, and secure internet on the nation's largest gig speed network. flexible tools - like wi-fi you control. voice solutions that connect you from anywhere. and expert advice here, here, or even here. be fast. be flexible. bounce forward with comcast business.

get started with a powerful internet and voice solution for just $64.90 a month. plus, for a limited time, ask how to get a $500 prepaid card when you upgrade. switch today.

there's no bad time to start at amazon... ♪ i like the flexibility. it also allows for picking up shifts. safety comes first, speed comes second. safety. safety. safety. we're making sure that somebody is getting their very important items. it makes me very happy. ♪

>> announcer: live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> good morning and welcome to the third hour of "today," i am dylan here with just sheinelle. craig is off, al is home recovering. we cannot wait because we have a special treat for you this morning. we are going to check in with al himself. i talked to him yesterday, he's doing good. we just talked to him in the earlier hours. he's doing fantastic. he has great news to share and we can't wait to share that. >> i cannot tell you guys how active al has been behind the scenes. this man is doing more now than he was doing before, if that's even possible. also ahead we are catching up with the one and only dolly