highs in the 80s. mike, how is the commute rolling? >> still slow for 84 because of the crash coming out of livermore approaching 680. that's it. okay. not time to go just yet. but it is now. >> have a good morning. we'll see you back here at 7:25. good morning rocket man richard branson makes history, the first billionaire to fly his own plane in space and moments after the launch, sits down with us, sort of our exclusive just ahead as the battle of the billionaires heads to hyperspace. troubling trend. new covid numbers here in the u.s. show the delta variant spreading like wildfire. >> this is the worst strain of

the virus we have seen throughout the whole pandemic, by far it is way, way, way more contagious >> and it's hitting younger adults the hardest this morning the urgent warning to health officials to the unvaccinated and the new guidelines for school children as we head into the fall rare uprising. protester flood the streets in cuba where the pandemic has leds we're live with the very to urgent shortages of food and medicine. the biggest anti-government demonstration there in decades with solidarity protests now spring up here in the u.s. we're live with the very latest. new reality. as olympic athletes arrive in tokyo ahead of the games, a state of emergency and new covid restrictions >> i'm having difficulty it's very hard being out here. it's very hard staying focused because we are quarantined and we can't go nowhere. >> our live report from tokyo with just 11 days to go. those stories, plus ciao bella.

italy boots england in a dramatic shoot-out to win the euro cup setting off celebrations around the globe. leaving england fans red, white and green with envy today, monday, july 12, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news,dion this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza >> and good morning, everybody welcome to "today." nice to have you with us on a monday morning reunited and it feels so good. looking good hoda, you're looking rested and ready. >> you do, too, except for my fingernails which i chewed off watching that soccer game. i don't even have a dog in the hunt >> i do.

i have a brother-in-law who is italian so my nails are gone, too, and they were celebrating all night long lots to get to on a busy monday morning, including that extreme weather on both coasts this morning. nearly 30 million under flash flood watches from the midwest through to the northeast >> while out west they are dealing with record high temperatures some areas 5 to 10 degrees above average. al will be in later with the forecast, coming up. and in the meantime, there are new numbers showing an increase in covid cases across the u.s. now up 16% as that highly contagious delta variant continues to spread and spread fast we're live with a look at the newest hot spots and what the cdc is saying about school guidelines but we are going to begin with that historic space flight and billionaire sir richard branson making history his company, virgin galactic launching him and five other crew members from a new mexican desert to the edge of space, just over 53 miles high. >> our tom costello has been following this so-called battle of the space billionaires.

he joins us from new mexico with more and an exclusive sitdown. hi, tom, good morning. >> reporter: hey, guys, good morning. spectacular day, beautiful day and great success. sir richard branson now officially the first name in the new chapter in a new book about space travel for everyday he americans, they hope, anyway he and virgin galactic soaring 53 miles up with the military and nasa saying, in fact, is the edge of space. and branson is hoping it opens the door for a whole new journey in space travel. >> release, release, release >> reporter: this morning, the space race between billionaires has a winner >> that is a full duration burn, folks. we are headed to space >> reporter: blasting off 46,000 feet above the new mexico desert on sunday at speeds over 2,300 miles per hour

sir richard branson and a crew of five others aboard unit spaceship soaring to the edge of space. >> welcome to space unity 22 >> reporter: the journey, 17 years in the making and a life long dream for branson >> i was once a child with a dream looking up to the stars. now i'm an adult in a spaceship. >> reporter: their flight reaching 53.5 miles high affording the crew roughly four minutes of weightlessness and a truly out of this world view before descending and returning home >> it's a complete experience for a lifetime and now i'm looking down at a beautiful spaceport. >> reporter: more than an hour after takeoff. >> and there is full stop. >> a moment to rejoice >> a perfect landing >> reporter: followed by triumphant celebration back on earth. we spoke exclusively with branson and his children, holly and sam. >> sir richard, congratulations. how are you? >> oh, i will come down with a

bump soon. >> did it live up to your expectations and your hopes? >> i've always dreamt about what it would be like to be in space looking back at this incredible earth. it's impossible to describe just how magnificent it is. >> reporter: the entrepreneu adding a new title to his resume, civilian astronaut and he has the hardware to prove it. >> show us the wings you worked hard for these. >> i'm afraid nobody will ever be able to take them away. once an astronaut, always an astronaut. >> reporter: his excitemen uncontainable. for branson's family, it was nerves that were sky high. >> i don't think i would be a good son if i wasn't worried >> it was fundamental they were going to come back, but it's hard >> i only did it to make sure she loved me >> reporter: virgin galactic's full passenger test flight comes just nine days before jeff bezos is expected to climb inside his blue origin rocket

the amazon founder congratulating his competitor saying can't wait to join the club >> i hope he has a extraordinary experience as we do >> things are looking great. >> reporter: now a new goal, cutting down that $250,000 price tag for a ride doing so could allow everyone to see the world from this new perspective. >> for the next generation of dreamers, if we can do this, just imagine what you can do yay! >> reporter: so if you can't afford the $250,000 price tag, virgin galactic announcing that it is partnering up with a platform called amaze, a fund-raising platform and launching a sweepstakes. two tickets to the edge of space and he will take you himself on a tour through the entire operation on the ground and launch you up to the edge of space. kind of fun, guys. back to you.

>> tom, you mentioned jeff bezos, obviously, also planning to go to space what more do we know about that flight and the timeline? >> reporter: yes, so blue origin, jeff bezos, set to take off on july 20th they're still waiting for faa approval for that flight virgin got approval two weeks before their flight. i'm told they could get that approval very soon in the next couple of days >> all right we'll be watching. tom, thank you very much let's move now to the coronavirus and some concerning trends with the delta variant becoming the dominant strain in the u.s. we're starting to see covid cases and hospitalizations rising once again. nbc's sam brock joins us now with more from miami hey, sam, good morning >> reporter: hoda, good morning. look, the seven-day average right now for covid cases is up 16% nationally as so many families are getting ready to send their kids back to school within about a month that is here in florida. the weekly uptick is 48% with unvaccinated parts of the country under siege right now

from the delta variant this morning, warning signs are flashing for the more transmissible delta variant which makes up more than half of the country's new covid infections, permeating pockets already vulnerable from low vaccination rates. >> this is the worst strain of the virus we have seen throughout the whole pandemic, by far it is way, way, way more contagious >> reporter: fain a matter of hours, representatives from pfizer will meet with the nation's top health officials to discuss the need for a possible third booster shot so far, the cdc says there's no evidence that americans should get one after 6 to 12 months at the moment, those declining to get their first or second shots have catalyzed an alarming uptick in trends new infections have risen 16% week over week with the brunt o wave >> we are seeing disturbingly young people in the hospital we are seeing pregnant women in

the hospital who we could have protected not only themselves, but also their unborn baby >> reporter: in south carolina, the governor has asked the health department there not to go door to door to increase vaccination rates. while at the cpac conference in dallas over the weekend, cheers. >> and it isn't happening, right? there's a -- >> reporter: when a speaker pointed out the lagging vaccine numbers, something dr. fauci called horrifying. >> is it possible that people are a little scared, a little nervous and the more facts they hear, they don't hear evidence, what they hear is you're a dummy for not getting this >> you know, you have a point there and that's the reason, john, where what's going on right now is getting trusted messages in the community to outreach to people >> reporter: in 14 states, less than 40% of the population is fully vaccinated with alabama, mississippi and arkansas ranking lowest. it all comes as the cdc says

schools should prioritize in-person learning, giving the green light to fully vaccinated students and teachers to ditch their masks. although california will still require face coverings for everyone >> i don't want to wear my mask any more, but i'm used to it >> reporter: right now there is across the country to get as many kids vaccinated as possible before the school year. this as the cdc is reporting that less than a third of 12 to 15-year-olds have received at least one shot and it's important to note this is the week to get your kids vaccinated or start that process. if you start the school year by the middle to end of august, time is right now. back to you. >> sam, thank you. coronavirus concerns have also played a huge part in the growing unrest in cuba. thousands of protesters taking to the streets there demanding food and medicine. the biggest anti-government demonstrations there in decades. nbc's morgan radford joins us with more on that. morgan, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning.

that's right, thousands took to the streets in cuba in a striking anti-government protest that was truly unprecedented. police clashed with protesters who called for freedom after what has been a perfect storm. now in these countrywide protests, they're calling for food, for medicine and for freedom. now they're calling for food, medicine and freedom. an unprecedented display of anger and frustration in the streets of cuba on sunday. thousands of anti-government rallies in large cities and small towns across the island of 11 million people. citizens calling for an end to the decades old communist dictatorship. protesting the island's dire economic conditions. food shortages and the slow pace of covid-19 vaccinations. in one area of havana, protesters clashing with police. elsewhere, they chanted repressors at riot police.

cubans angry over oppression of civil liberties and the handling of the pandemic amid what many are describing as the country's worst economic crisis in decades. the cuban president blaming the united states for the unrest and calling on supporters to take back the streets during a nationally televised speech sunday afternoon. [speaking foreign language] social media still relatively new in cuba helping to fuel the demonstrations. the #soscuba taking off on twitter and shared by celebrities. here in the u.s., solidarity protests spilling into the streets of miami and other cities across the country. >> everyone in cuba is go out on the street, everybody in cuba, they are asking for the freedoms. >> reporter: u.s. officials expressing support for the cuban protesters. and a member of the u.s. state department tweeting, we stand by the cuban people's right for peaceful assembly. we call for calm and condemn any violence. to make matters worse, the government cut off the internet in cuba yesterday and this, of course, made it harder for the international community and those living in more remote

parts of the island to really know what was happening. so right now, there seems to be more optimism in miami than in havana. on the ground in cuba there are mixed emotions. sources say they're hopeful this could be the beginning of the end and with enough international attention and pressure, it's possible things could change back to you guys >> morgan, thank you very much craig now joins us with the latest on the mounting political crisis in haiti. >> yeah, from cuba to haiti now. good morning senior fbi and homeland security teams are now on the ground in haiti. they're helping with the investigation into the assassination of that country's president. nbc's gabe gutierrez has been following this story what's the latest, gabe? >> craig, good morning overnight, haitian authorities announced the arrest of a third suspect with ties to the u.s., calling him one of the intellectual authors of the attack five other suspects are still on the run amid a spiraling political crisis that the u.s. is closely watching. this morning in haiti, urgent

calls for help there's been escalating unrest in the wake of president jovenel moise's assassination. officials in the interim government pleading with the u.s. to send troops. the white house says there are no plans to send in the american military, but now senior fbi and homeland security officials are on the ground, assisting with the investigation. >> i think that's really where our energies are best applied right now in helping them get their arms around investigating this incident and figuring out who is culpable, who is responsible and how best to hold them accountable going forward >> reporter: the former haitian prime minister is calling on the international community to do more >> this is an opportunity to help haiti get to the bottom of this to solve this problem and find those killers because until we do, there will never be peace in haiti. >> reporter: the fbi joining an international team of investigators also looking into the stunning murder. >> everybody back up, stand

down >> reporter: authorities say the killers posed as u.s. drug enforcement agents while storming the president's home. the nation's police chief now says at least 29 people were involved and 24 have been arrested or killed, including 18 colombians and three men with american ties. overnight, haiti's police chief said a haitian born doctor living in florida was arrested, calling him a central suspect in the investigation and suggesting he was planning to install himself as the next president. a relative of another one of the accused says he can't believe it >> he never get in trouble with nobody he's a good guy. he's a good boy. >> reporter: haiti's first lady is in a miami hospital recovering from several gunshot wounds her voice, believed to be on an audio recording posted to her official twitter account weekend saying she's very much alive thanks to god. haiti is under threat on

multiple fronts, the political crisis, but also it's the only country in the western hemisphere that has not begun its covid vaccine rollout yet. the u.s. is now promising to send vaccine doses, as well, guys >> the poorest country in the western hemisphere gabe, thanks as always let's get our first check of the weather. al is working from home this morning. hey, al. >> reporter: hey, guys, good morning. and here in the northeast and mid-atlantic states, a real soggy mess into new england. we have 27 million people stretching from cleveland into new england who are going to be impacted by these flood watches as waves of rain just continue to wash across the area. we've got a threat of severe weather down in florida. also the northeast, the ohio river valley, as well. and that stretches right on into tomorrow afternoon and evening good news is, tornado threat is low, but damaging winds. this frontal system will sag to the south. heavy rain and severe storm potential will continue right on through tomorrow with scattered

showers and thunderstorms, heavn rain some places picking up to 5 inches of rain. and out west, we've got 19 million people impacted by heat advisories that heat dome continues over the west the good news is, things will start to break after today with temperatures in the triple digits from boise to phoenix out to fresno and palm springs you can see this week temperatures start to moderate albuquerque, denver. however, phoenix, vegas and palm springs all will continue to see triple digit temperatures into the middle of next week -- of this week, i should say. that's what's going on we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds (music) (music)

good monday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's look at these high temperatures today. we are going to see a wide range in temperatures, but overall cooler with some upper 50s in half moon bay and some mid 80s for the inland east bay, and low 80s for santa rosa. we are going to see our temperatures staying in the low 80s throughout much of the week as we are enjoying some of these milder temperatures. we've also had a cooldown near the coast. as the fog returns, not as much sunshine as we had over the weekend. >> reporter: it is really good to see you guys once again savannah and hoda, i brought a little welcome back present. >> what? oh, the aperol spritz. >> al gave us a little education in the drink of summer, which .

we'll get to a little later. lot we all sat down at scotto's in new york and had a little taste of that. >> his drink of summer, by the way. >> i love it bring to tokyo, al coming up, we're going to talk tokyo. first olympians beginning to arrive there in japan and they are speaking out because there are new restrictions they're facing we have a live report, including what happened with that major upset for u.s. basketball. >> oh, that was a bad one. plus, a terrifying mission, but for a great cause. tagging pregnant tiger sharks to unlock a mystery that could make them and humans safer in the water. but first, thiis "today" on s

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with your parents. here are a few tips to stay safe. know how to get in touch with your family. write down phone numbers for your parents, siblings and neighbors. pick a place to meet your family if you are not together and can't go home. remind your parents to pack an emergency supply kit. making a plan might feel like homework, but it will help you and your family stay safe during an emergency. still ahead, out with our "today" show family and without a mask >> what we raised a glass to after your local news. aha! old customers. new customers. families. businesses. in-laws. law firms.

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♪ nothing is everything ♪ ♪ your whole team can see your upper thigh ♪ ♪ pour that smooth roast and aim that camera up high ♪ ♪ the best part of wakin' up is folgers in your cup ♪ good morning to you. 7:26. i'm laura garcia. we've got the top stories including a silicon valley giant roping its offices to workers. >> reporter: i'm in mountainview where many google employees are heading back to the office after more than a year. this is a big step as google prepares to require most workers to return to the office at least three days a week starting in september. for now, google won't require workers to be vaccinated, but those who provide proof can remove their masks in the office. the company says unvaccinated employees or those who don't provide verification will need to wear masks in the office and

get a weekly covid test. good morning, i'm in san francisco. the drugmaker pfizer is expected to meet with some of the nation's top health officials to discuss the possibility of a booster or a third shot. right now the cdc and the fda both agree that individuals that are fully vaccinated do not need a booster, but pfizer's research is showing that a third shot increases immunity by five or tenfold. we'll have that information as it becomes available. let's look at the microclimate forecast with meteorologist kari hall this monday morning. how we looking? >> yeah. it's been so nice to have the cooler air returning to the bay area. and for much of the rest of the week we're just looking at highs in the mid 80s for our microclimates, and a lot of 60s near the coast. the fog is back, so that means mist and drizzle for those early morning hours, and some peeks of sunshine for the rest of today. and we're going to also see some of the temperatures, wide ranging across the bay area.

we are still watching those triple digits farther to the north in spots like clearlake. laura? >> thank you so much. i'll be back with another local news update in about a half hour. featuring fresh artisan bread,

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♪ hot in the city ♪ back now at 7:30 it's a monday morning, july 12, 2021 that's a live look at new york city. tonight something called manhattanhenge will be taking place. >> well, that doesn't roll off the tongue, but it is pretty cool this is what it is you're looking at it it's when the setting sun lines up perfectly with the street grid of new york city. there are only a few days a year when it happens. isn't it pretty? >> cameras out you guys. >> watch the sunset. it's made for instagram. >> you're right. exactly. >> we're going to see a lot of that tomorrow on the insta,

you're right let's get right to our 7:30 headlines. denver officials are reassuring the public this morning that the major league all-star baseball game will be safe and secure it comes after friday's arrest of four people on gun charges in a hotel just blocks away from the baseball stadium at a news conference yesterday, denver's police chief did not discuss a motive in the case but he did discuss that there was no, quote, ongoing threat to the public former president donald trump was the big winner in a straw poll at the conservative political action poll in dallas over the weekend the poll results revealed yesterday show 70% of the survey takers would vote for the former president if the 2024 republican primary were held today. florida governor ron desantis came in second with just 21% everyone else received 1% or less now to a story that will have video game enthusiasts rummaging through their own

collection an unopened copy of nintendo's super mario 64 just sold at auction for $1.5 million that is an all-time record for a single video game, according to heritage auction there are fewer than five know sealed copies of the game in such incredible condition. no word yet on who made that winning bid. 1.5 million. >> wow, that's a chunk of change let's turn now to tokyo where the olympic athletes are touching down with 11 days to go before the opening ceremony. tom llamas is in tokyo with some new restrictions and covid concerns hey, tom, good morning >> reporter: hey, hoda, good morning to you many athletes arriving here may feel like they've entered a time machine going back a year ago when cities across the globe were in intense lockdowns because of the pandemic. here, they're going to be tested

every day. they're going to have to wear masks pretty much everywhere and it's an added challenge where they strive to prove mentally and physically they're the best athletes in the world. tokyo now under a state of emergency and olympians feeling it as soon as they land from apps that track their every move travel is limited to the olympic village and known locations. no trips to outside restaurants or tourist trips are allowed u.s. boxer keyshawn davis describing it this way >> i'm not going to sugar coat it it's very hard being out here. it's very hard staying focused because we are quarantining and we can't go nowhere. >> reporter: but with all the restrictions in place, olympic athletes are not required to be vaccinated >> i didn't want to put anything in my body that i didn't know how i would potentially react to as an athlete on a daily level -- >> reporter: team usa's michae

andrew competing in eight events saying he's not vaccinate and had doesn't plan on it in the future >> all of us have been through strict protocol. >> reporter: tokyo's new covid restrictions including no fans have serbian tennis star novak djokovic thinking twice about competing. fresh off his victory at wimbledon, djokovic is on track to be the first man to ever win a golden slam, a grand slam plus a gold medal >> my plan was always to go to olympic games, but right now i'm a little bit divided it's kind of 50/50 because of what i heard in the last couple days >> talented collection >> reporter: for some events, the competition is already heating up on the basketball court, over the weekend team usa suffering a stunning loss to nigeria in its

first olympic warm-up exhibition game >> and met up top by achua what a block >> reporter: kevin durant getting stuffed at the rim b precious achua, one of seven nba pros playing for nigeria the american team stacked with nba stars. >> none of us have ever played with each other so we're just trying to figure it out. we know we don't have three or four weeks or whatever it may be, but i think this is good for us and we're going to learn a lot from film. just regroup >> so, tom, we know that there is a ban on fans you mentioned that at the olympic venues but now tokyo is actually expanding that >> reporter: yeah. we've just learned this a few moments ago. there was some hope other venues outside of tokyo would allow spectators but now we're learning that they're going to ban fans as well so that ban seems to be spread throughout the country, hoda >> tom llamas for us in tokyo. we'll all be joining us there in a few weeks. thank you, tom coming up next, for shark week we will take a look at one big mystery.

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we are back with shark week on "today" and an eye opening look at the life cycle of these apex predators, including the mystery of just where they are born >> nbc's kerry sanders joins us now with the truly unbelievable measures that researchers are going to to try and keep folks safe kerry, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning. it's one of the biggest mysteries in shark science, where are the ocean's top predators giving birth it's not as if biologists could simply put a tag on a fin of a shark because that would transmit where they're going, not where they're giving birth but this morning, it is a mystery solved we'll tell you in a moment where the tiger sharks are giving birth, but first, how they figured it out the ocean's most feared predators, sharks, responsible for 19 attacks on humans just this year.

while fin tags reveal where sharks travel, there's one question that has vexed marine biologists >> the ultimate goal, holy grail of sort of shark science is understanding where moms are giving birth >> reporter: dr. james silakowski chose to study one of the ocean's most aggressive sharks, the tiger shark. like all science, he told me it begins with a hypothesis >> there could be a hot spot where tiger sharks are going and the babies are dispersing from that finding out where this is could not only help save humans, but sharks as well >> save us, humans, because we might end up swimming where the sharks are >> where these big moms are coming in, right >> reporter: scientists from discovery shark week went in search of pregnant sharks. rather than hook and drag a shark to the surface in hopes it might be pregnant, these scientists documented a first, in-water ultrasounds on tiger

remember, sharks remember, sharks are not tame. >> it's terrifying it was absolutely terrifying >> and tiger sharks are known to attack humans. >> tiger sharks are one of the top three, i guess, man eaters so it's really scary getting in the water when you think that in the back of your mind. >> i'm scared. >> reporter: after finding a pregnant tiger, and even seeing the teeth of the unborn pups -- >> this shark is pregnant! >> reporter: an in-water tri worthy of the world's most accomplished mission, inserting the transmitter, again, discovery shark week transmitters covered that never before achieved procedure. >> it was a struggle from the very beginning and it all came down to the need to really push the science to the next level. >> reporter: the chaotic moments

of science in action, made safer by accomplished shark handler jaymon martinlli >> were you ever scared down there? >> i was never scared. >> i can't believe you put your hands on the snout and redirected a 12-foot tiger shark. >> it's not that hard to do, but once you do it, you realize that kind of putting your hand there, it just calms them as long as you're calm. >> reporter: once the transmitter was inserted, the teams waited and waited and waited >> does that device that looks like an egg in any way hurt the mother shark or the babies >> that's the beauty of all this there's nothing on it. it's not sharp so it just sits there like this little object that mom is carrying around with her and she doesn't even know it >> reporter: four months of waiting, and then the transmitter pinged it worked just as they hoped dr. silakowski showed us how it worked at odyssey aquarium in arizona. >> the tag is inside the uterus. it sits in there with the mom's pups

until she's ready to give birth. when she gives birth, the pups come out and this tag, when it comes out, gives us the exact location of where she gave birth. >> reporter: a tiger shark nursing ground that until now was unknown, discovered. the mystery finally solved so where is this all going on? well, not really too far just a distance from where i am because sharks travel thousands of miles off the coast of south carolina in folly beach so if you're there, the advice from the experts is perhaps -- and, craig, you're from south carolina >> yeah. >> reporter: keep your distance. give a little distance to the sharks especially in spring when they're giving birth there's a lot more information about this on discovery shark week, a program called "mother

sha shark. it's incredible. this is an incredible break through all from that piece of technology that popped to the service and revealed information. >> folly beach is a popular i'm not surprised the tiger sharks are going there to have their kids >> thank you, kerry. >> thank you, kerry. >> that's pretty amazing we're coming up on 7:45. mr. roker, what have you got for the weather? >> i think the other hint might be if you hear - ♪ baby shark, do, do, do, do ♪ i didn't want to disappoint. anyway, out west, besides the heat, the drought is a huge problem. 95% of the west is in drought. last year, it was half that, less than half that. 40%. that's impacted the wildfire season. its driest statewide rainfall for california in 126 years. that's impacted the wildfire season last year was a new all-time record well, this year, 2021 is off to a faster start than last year, more than two times the acreage is burned so far this year to the same date as last year so we are watching that very, very closely

flood threat here in the northeast. if we could shift some of that rain out to the west, that would be great severe storms down through florida. hot and dry in the pacific northwest. record highs in the west and into the southwest that's what's going on around good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. the good thing is that we are seeing a shift in those temperatures. it will be cooler today as we get the wind coming in from the west and bringing in some deeper fog, as well as higher humidity. we're going to see those highs today reaching into the low to mid 80s. that continues throughout the week. san francisco staying in the 60s today. we're going to see that fog, mist, and drizzle through the morning hours with some peeks of sunshine. it will be on repeat continuing into the weekend. >> reporter: and that is your latest weather guys >> al, thank you just ahead, italy fans celebrating a thrilling victory over england penalty kicks in the european soccer championship. >> they're probably still in r

underdog story if you have moderate to severe psoriasis, celebrating this morning molly hunter in rome with the underdog story that has crowds around the world still cheering. that's right after these messages otezla is not a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. ♪ ♪ otezla. show more of you. ♪ ♪ new meow mix tasty layers. a swirl of two paté flavors

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we are back with the sports story everybody is going to be talking about this morning italian soccer fans around the world and savannah guthrie still celebrating after italy defeated england in the finals of the euro cup >> molly hunter is in rome where those fans certainly got what they were waiting for. hey, molly >> reporter: thrilling is right, guys, and there ain't no party like an italian party. this morning, a joy across the country, across the world is still going strong take a look. overnight in italy, pandaemonium, celebrations spilling into the streets after the country's soccer team won the euro cup beating england in are going nu a dramatic final match italy won this one and the streets are going nuts >> score. >> scores for england. >> reporter: in the first half,

england started strong, scoring less than two minutes into the game, the fastest score ever in a euro final england's home crowd couldn't get enough but italy tied it up in the second half. >> around dangerously. >> reporter: the match then tied after regulation, extra and overtime, eventually coming down to nail-biting penalty kicks italy's goalkeeper stopping england's final shot to secure the victory. >> and he does it and italy are champions of europe. >> reporter: from california to the coliseum, italy's fans across the world were overjoyed. celebrations in the streets of san diego, new york's little italy, filled with fans. but in england, devastation.iol

team drought in major tournaments. >> lost for words. >> reporter: prince george and his parents in the crowd cheering on their team, also sharing in england's heartache >> and it means that italy are champions of europe. >> reporter: but for italy, it's rede redemption the typically strong national team didn't even qualify for the last world cup in 2018, but came back this year to prove they're a team of champions. now in the name of journalism, guys, i headed out to the streets last night to check out the celebrations it was a crazy night, still going on this morning. i'll send it back to you >> looked pretty bonkers, molly. >> thank you, molly. >> and savannah, you have a relative who was -- >> yeah, my sister's husband, they're there in italy she's been sending me videos all time of italians jumping into the water, celebrating and they're partying their heads off. having fun go, italy. still ahead, a blast from the past makes his way to

"america's got talent. this is coming up after a look at your local news and weather for the russell rate on my insurance. do you mean surprisingly great rates from state farm? i don't believe in accepting help. but i'll make an exception. here's the deal russell, there's no special rate. these prices are for everyone. with the oak and the eagle as witness, consider us square. i made that from memory, i know your face that well. when you want the real deal... like a good neighbor, state farm is there. when you want the real deal... ♪ 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 ♪ ♪ ♪

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cynthia suarez. cfo. mvp. get the card built for business. by american express. a very good monday morning to you. it is 7:56 right now. i'm laura garcia. here's what's happening now -- >> reporter: the california independence system operator has declared a flex alert for later today. not because of the high heat which is something we typically see but rather because of a wildfire. a wildfire that is burning in oregon. the so-called bootleg fire that is burning in the super part of the state has compromised transmission lines crucial to our power supply in the golden state. that put a strain on our electrical grid. that flex alert is issued for between 4:00 this afternoon and 9:00 tonight. the iso is asking you to set your thermostat to 78 or higher if your health permits. avoid using major appliances like a washing machine or

dishwasher and turn off all unnecessary lights. good morning, i'm in san francisco. the drugmaker pfizer is expected to meet with some of the nation's top health officials to discuss the possi of a booster or a third shot. right now the cdc and the fda both agree that individuals that are fully vaccinated do not need a booster, but pfizer's research is showing that a third shot increases immunity by five or tenfold. we'll have the information as it becomes available. let's look at our forecast for today with meteorologist kari hall. >> good morning. we are going to see some cooler temperatures for our inland areas, reaching into the mid 80s today. and this is what we will see all throughout the week. early clouds, afternoon sunshine. and a nice little breeze. while we are going to stay in with the fog, for the most part of the day in san francisco, our highs here in the low 60s, we'll see peeks of sunshine for the afternoon, and still in this weather pattern over the next seven days.

laura? >> all right. thank you. thank you for joining us, as well. i'll be back with another update in a half hour. here are the two battling to the line and allyson felix... simone manuel's above her trying to fight on, and above simone... getting an opportunity to show her stuff. nonstop, displayed at the highest performance level... finding something and the us takes gold! ♪ dream on ♪

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we don't just work at recology, we own it, creating opportunity and a better planet. now, that's making a difference. it's 8:00 on today> billion launches into a it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, reaching for the stars. >> release, release, release >> billionaire richard branson, what will this mean for the future of civilian astronauts? we're live with the latest military exit. the morning, the top commander in afghanistan officially steps down what does that mean for extremists on the ground our report on the elite afghan unit fighting the taliban, just ahead. plus, together again

>> our "today" family reunited at one on of our favorite restaurants to talk about some of the lessons learned over the past year and to celebrate summer join us for a lunch date you won't want to miss and "saturday night fever. why the foo fighters' surprising new project has everybody staying alive today monday, july 12, 2021 >> good morning, "today" show, we're three generations of "today" show fans. today we're celebrating ava's high school graduation and 18th birthday >> congratulations and welcome to adulthood >> hi, i'm maddie. i live in arlington, virginia. this is my sixth birthday. >> we're the snow family from elizabethtown, pennsylvania. >> and we love getting our morning started with a hot cup

of coffee and the "today" show ♪ ♪ look at that >> good morning, everybody welcome back to "today." holdin fort in th cutis in our open and cutis in our plaza. hi, everybody. i'm working from home today. craig and hoda holding down the fort in the studio hi, guys >> little by little, that plaza is getting bigger and bigger >> it's getting bigger, it's catching on again. we're going to get to your news at 8:00 lots to get to and we'll start with that historic flight to the edge of space. billionaire richard branson along with five others soaring more than 50 miles above the earth in the virgin galactic nbc's tom costello spoke exclusively to branson and his family he joins us from new mexico where that launch took place tom, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. beautiful sunrise here and a great day to celebrate for richard branson of virgin galactic as you mentioned, 53 miles high. that is, in fact, according to

nasa and the military the edge of space it all went absolutely perfectly as they literally lit the rocket from 46,000 feet and it skyrocketed right up to 53 miles high branson fulfilling a lifelong dream. once he got back on the ground, he and his kids sat down with me for an interview. >> how does it feel to be back on the ground as an astronaut? >> i've had a lot of experiences. this is definitely the most incredible experience of all. and i'm really looking forward to them experiencing and i'm looking forward to people watching this program experiencing it. and i will come down to earth in a minute, but at the moment, i'll still up in space. >> reporter: sam and holly branson admitted they were a bit nervous watching dad go up on another one of his adventures. by the way, he has skirted death by his own count 75 times over

the course of his 71 years on this planet. he wants to encourage everybody to take advantage of this opportunity. the price tag right now is pretty steep, $250,000, but he expects that eventually that price will come down and. in the meantime, he's partnering up with this online program called amaze to essentially offer for the chance for two tickets for anybody to go to space. so amaze and virgin galactic partnering up. two tickets to space if you're interested. by the way, we think that's going to start next year, january '22 or a little later. savannah, back to you. >> tom, i am amused. you said richard branson's 75 years on this planet. on this planet and beyond, you have to add now. you. 70, not 75. >> okay. 70 years on this planet and beyond. got it. okay. thanks, tom. all right, guys. let's turn now to afghanistan where there are renewed concerns about that country becoming a real breeding ground for

terrorism as u.s. troops withdrawal. richard engle is in kabul this morning for us. richard, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. another milestone today. the commanding general here, general scott miller, sending his long tour of duty handing over responsibility. but there are questions about what the u.s. is leaving behind. the taliban are gaining ground and could this country once again become a safe haven for international terrorists? as the u.s. military winds down operations, the top american general handing over this morning to a new leader with a far more hands off mission. the taliban are closing in on kabul. as u.s.-trained afghan military forces put up half hearted resistance or surrender outright. so is the united states heading right back to where it started? the u.s. invaded afghanistan

taliban were in power and they hosted osama bin laden whose group al qaeda was responsible for 9/11. now one military unit is fighting hard to prevent future bin ladens from taking hold, the elite afghan commandos. i recently saw them in action attack ago taliban safe house. >> what about foreign fighters, extremists, terrorists? we understand that they are starting to come back in once again. >> these people who are coming to create trouble and problems s for the world, for the future as they did in 9/11 >> even worse than 9/11, i am e telling you. >> reporter: fauzia is a member of the parliament and a negotiator with the taliban. extremists tried to assassinate her twice. >> you have been in war and in war people don't distribute sweets they kill each other so do you think those who have been killed, they will not go for revenge and hostilities?

they will. >> reporter: i put that question to a former taliban leader who knew bin laden >> will afghanistan once again become a base for international the taliban signed a peace deal with the united states and a main point is that the taliban will not allow any terrorist groups to operate in afghanistan, he says adding there will be more guarantees once the taliban are in power >> reporter: it was interesting talking to him and understanding his perspective on things. and he still is in close ties with the taliban leadership. what he's hoping for is that as u.s. troops leave, the taliban takes over and that it will be the taliban's responsibility to keep groups like al qaeda and isis out and he wants the united states, militarily, to help the taliban do that. >> we'll have to see what happens there. richard, thanks.

meanwhile, pope francis appeared in public on sunday for the first time since undergoin intestinal surgery last week the 84-year-old pope stepping out to lead his weekly prayer before hundreds of those well wishers below. pope francis, who had part of his colon removed back on july 4th thanked the crowd for all the prayers for his recovery and then the vatican saying this morning that he is expected to stay in the hospital for a few more days. >> and he probably celebrated that win by italy, too how about a morning boost? >> a determined 4-year-old girl proving once again no matter what obstacles face you, you should never give up take a look. a little girl from massachusetts was in a roller-skating race with a bunch of older girls. she stumbled out of the gate you know what she did? she got up look what happened she takes off like a rocket. before you know it, she's in the lead she held on. she won. that just proves one thing if you fall, you get up. dad was right again.

man, she was so excited, she -- >> love her. >> and that was a hard fall, too. >> she did not stop. >> i you love her. >> love her look, love her skates, love her speed, love her sass, the whole thing. awesome. coming up next, our second annual summer get together we'll call it the aperol spritz get together this year we eat, drink and look back on a year like any other. >> why don't you come along, join us at the table but first, these messages. that rewards rashida where her spending is trending. just ask overly confident diy rashida rashida: wait, was this the right wall? or last minute gift shopping rashida rashida: i'm putting a bow on it! wow. even sneaking away for a vacay rashida. rashida: shhh! i've earned this? from home improvement, drugstores, select travel and more earn 5% cash back that automatically adjusts to your top eligible spend category, up to $500 spent each billing cycle. new meow mix tasty layers.

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we are back with summer on "today." carson is here we didn't know it, but the last time we started a tradition and we did it right smack in the middle of the pandemic >> most of us were obviously working remotely because of social distancing. we hadn't seen each other in person at that point for months until we reunited to check in on how we were all doing. >> it's been exactly a year since that reunion and we decided let's get together again and reflect on our experiences ♪ >> guys, let's raise a glass >> yes to summer. >> to all of us. >> to one foot away. >> being together. >> cheers. >> no masks. >> reporter: it's hard to believe that just one year ago,

this would not have been possible >> can i have some of the lobster salad? >> crispy polenta? >> this is a veggie option, but it's fried to i'm going to say yes. >> reporter: sitting inside restaurant eating, drinking and being merry with friends who are family seemed a long way away. >> there we go, uncle al >> but then, three months ago, we got vaccinated and our community started opening back up >> i knew things were better when i could sit on your lap >> when they let us sit next to each other >> i've always said that >> and once we started moving closer, we're like, look at us, we're on top of each other >> outside the work space, your daughter's wedding and folks were sweating and dancing and singing. >> everybody was vaccinated. having you guys there meant the world. it was like a coming out party >> it was. >> it was terrific and i was happy to -- pay for it >> so one of the other big, big changes, remember, we were talking about a year ago from right now. when literally there was literally -- there was occasionally a nurse walking by. that's all you saw outside >> there was a time when it was

just you and our camera operator, mason, and no one else >> but fast forward to now, you guys, we look outside, cold play was on the plaza >> i don't think we'll take these things for granted any more, seeing people who come to the plaza or having music out there or even the people that we work with. when they started adding back our camera operators, the sound guys, the floor director >> makeup and hair >> the props folks >> yeah, hair and makeup, let's light a candle raise a glass, hair and makeup >> everybody said amen >> you know what i do miss i do miss seeing veil and charlie. watching them pop up, literally, it was so calming and i felt so at home. i still remember - >> calming for you i'm like, excuse me, mr. defense secretary -- >> i don't know how you pulled that off >> and by the way, the graphics department >> jack daly >> jack needs an agent he gets stopped now and --

>> what? >> yeah. oh, you're the kid who holds the sign people -- >> recognize the arms. >> he's like, look, it's me. that's me. >> how did it feel when you came back to the studio >> it felt great and i don't know about you guys, but i started to harbor a little bit of guilt i love my kids so much i felt bad because it came at the cost of a pandemic i was so selfishly happy to be home with my kids because i travel so much but i didn't move to new york to stay at home and work from home. i moved to be with my colleagues and to be in an environment that excites me and lucky enough to do every day >> how did dell and sibby do >> they were moving and the day before yesterday we were going through some papers. and at the beginning of the pandemic, it was suggested that you have kids write letters to cope with how they're feeling. dell wrote a letter and he said -- i forget who it was to but it was dear blah blah, please make the pandemic go

away please have people stop dying and getting sick and just puddles because we started to forget. just a year ago, how scary it was for kids especially. we would not have probably gotten through the pandemic had it not been for my wife. >> she got covid, right? >> she did she got covid. and let me tell you, we took -- took it very seriously we had to sequester her in the room >> siri got a false positive during the had whole thing i was on the phone with the doctor, who is going to raise my children >> how about yours >> it's so funny how they look back at pictures and wonder why we didn't have a mask on before. and we still worry about our kids they're not vaccinated they're little and they're running around but haley got so used to it. now we leave and she's like, mom, do you have a phone do you have a mask >> that's what they say. it's incredible how they roll with it. they get used to the mask. the day the cdc said if you're vaccinated, you don't have to wear a mask outdoors i picked up veil at the bus stop with no mask she comes down and she's like,

mom, where is your mask? put it on. she's got a job at the cdc waiting for her. >> i think everybody is coming out and just feeling good like, you know, we've come through something and we're still going through it by god, thanks to a whole lot of people we're able to live like america. >> yeah. talk about appreciating the things you never even thought twice about in your life like walking to the store with your kid without a mask on or going to the beach or get in the car, getting on a plane. >> like this >> needing breath mints again. >> yes >> we're back, baby. >> we're back. >> cheers to being back. >> cheers. >> cheers. >> wow >> man >> by the way, that is a -- what a blast that was >> it was fun. >> and the fried polenta killed at scotto's into their we want to thank our friends at scotto's we nudged into their lunch rush. it was an amazing day. j.k. long did an incredible job.

>> jen and that crew, by the way. if you want to see more, you can stream our full conversation on today all day. again, that's today.com/allday whole thing. >> i got red wine. >> that was -- by the way, delicious, al. >> roker, what's in the spritz again? >> it's aperol, prosecco, a slice of orange and in honor of italy winning the cup, the euro cup, it's part of what the italians called apertivo, where you have these great drinks and little nibbles it's very civilized. >> he's so cultured, that roker. isn't he >> he is >> no. he just likes to drink >> yeah, and there's that. >> can we get a forecast >> something i learned during

the pandemic anyway, let's take a look. it has been hot and june before prove it 72.6 degrees was our average temperature in the united states hottest june in 127 years. of records, 8 states had their number one hottest june on record out west and in new england, as well for today, afternoon highs are going to continue to scorc out west into texas and the southwest, we're looking at 90s. in the mid-atlantic states all the way down the florida we have heavy rain developing in the northeast. heavy showers down through southern florida and that rain extends back into texas. record highs will continue out west hot and dry in the pacific northwest. it will finally start to moderate as we get toward the latter part of this week flood threats in the northeast into the mid-atlantic. with severe storms down in florida. good morning. i am meteorologist kari hall. we look at inland temperatures the next seven days, feeling cooler as we get a stronger ocean breeze.

that's going to bring back natural air conditioning. we're look at highs in the mid-80s for many inland spots. as we're going to see more of the same through the rest of the week. no major changes here. san francisco in the mid-60s, fog, a little afternoon sunshine, but we're going to see steady weather patterns continue. boy, it's been a long time since i've been able to say this time for the best part of the morning. popstart >> thank you we'll start with the foo fighters the soon to be hall of famers just released a first look at their disco project. that's right, disco. the band will temporarily go by the name the deejees for their lineup of bee gees covered on their upcoming item "hail satin. sunday, revealing a look at the deejees performance of "you should be dancing.

♪ ♪ you should be dancing, yeah ♪ ♪ dancing, yeah ♪ >> got a good post pandemic vibe, the disco thing. the album, "hail satin" is out this saturday, july 17th next up, "america's got talent," the show saw a familiar face of the audition show. when the one and only michael winslow, aka police academy's larvelle jones brought back this special talent >> what are you in for >> stop that! >> i'll show you >> damn it stop that! >> that's right. winslow shared that he decided to step away from acting in order to raise his children following the passing of his wife but his time away from the spotlight doesn't seem to have dulled his skill set at all.

take a look at his audition here >> when i was growing up, i lived next to an active runway my father was in the air force so that meant every few seconds -- best part of the radio, you know any part of the song doesn't matter where it is, you know that song rock and roll. ♪♪ ♪ >> wow >> and you can catch the full episode of "america's got talent" tomorrow night right here on nbc. >> he's got talent >> he's got it, for sure carson, thank you. still ahead, the beloved local weather man who has his whole community rallying around him for support as he goes through a health crisis without missing a beat we've got that story

but first, your local news good morning. firefighters are not saying what sparked a fire at a vacant restaurant in the east bay. it started on willow pass road around 2:30. no one was injured. we got an update from concord police. all lanes of willow pass road are open again after being closed over to interstate 680. get a look at the forecast. meteorologist kari hall has a look at what we can expect. kari?

>> temperatures are cooling down. we're going to see much more fog throughout the morning in san francisco. low visibility here across golden gate bridge. the drizzle, you may have to turn on the windshield wipers. high temperatures reach into the upper 50s in half moon bay. compare it to upper 80s and 90 degrees in morgan hill. it is providing cooling for spots like san jose as we look at highs in the upper 70s here. temperatures for the most part reach into the low to mid-80s in the next several days, while san francisco will keep 60s and fog in the forecast. marcus? >> thanks, kari. another local news update in 30 minutes. see you back here then.

what if you could push a button and less carbon would be put into the air. if there were a button that would breathe cleaner air,ergy,

and even take on climate change... would you press it? back now, it is -- oh, i love this song it's 8:30, a monday morning, july 12, 2021. >> what is it? >> it's by -- what's his name? >> i don't know. >> i love that song. >> i do love this song

>> tell us >> walker hayes. we just had him on the other day. anyway, coming up, an exclusive look at a riveting's authors by what they call the behind the scenes expose on facebook's rise. we sat down with the book's authors by what they call the ugly truth facebook is responding this morning. also ahead, a truly inspiring story, how a beloved local meteorologist down i louisiana is finding out just how many hearts he has touched in his community and then we're excited to whip up a traditional southern fish fry along with some delicious veggie sides the tasty meal based on the new children's book "jelly fries," a fish for dinner. >> al? >> and then -- >> i'm sorry somebody was -- hello? coming up --

>> yeah, you're on television. >> on the third hour of "today" -- >> i'm sorry guys, i don't have any script. nobody told me oh, okay we've got more shark week coming up in just a few minutes on the third hour. we'll get some scripts for al. and the great william shatner is going to join us, as well mr. shatner is going to talk about diving with predators. by the way, william shatner dove with those sharks at the age of 90, just fyi >> that's incredible and tomorrow, with the tokyo games beginning next friday, we'll introduce you to 12 olympic swimmers ready to make their olympic debut. they're all still teenagers. sheinelle is going to talk to them about their dreams for the game >> and you can join us on our streaming channel today all day 24 hours a day text that key phrase to 34183 for all of our new content and watch it go to today.com. there are so many ways >> four hours of "today" is just not enough mr. roker, how about another

check of the weather but first -- >> today's weather is brought to you by asydra. let's take a look at your week ahead we start off with today and boy, oh, boy, burning hot out west. severe storms down through the gulf as we move into the midweek period, we are looking at more wet weather in the northeast severe storms in the central plains monsoonal moisture in the southwest. not as hot in the pacific northwest. and then on friday, we're looking at hot and humid conditions returning along the east coast rounds of storms moving through ohio river valley. and unfortunately, dry lightning strikes in the southwest which may ignite some wildfires. that's what's going on aroun good morning. temperatures in the mid-80s for inland valleys. a nice cool down for us. going through the week, not looking at major changes. getting cooler on thursday. we see deeper fog near the coast and westerly wind transporting

cool air to inland valleys. san francisco is looking at 60s throughout the week. there will be mist and drizzle through the morning hours. we should see peeks of sunshine here and there. >> and that is your latest weather. i've got my script he brought me down my script now. >> by the way, we're so happy to see nick roker for a million reasons. not that we're not happy to see him every day. he and your lovely wife, deborah, finished a four-mile race, al >> that's right. you guys did that four-mile race >> yes >> for achilles international. it was hope and possibility and nick smoked it he did a great job and the day before, he took part in a 2 1/2 mile relay that ran from north carolina all the way to new york city he did the leg along the west side highway there so my boy had quite the -- he was run, nick, run >> we love you, nick that's awesome

>> deborah finished too. they said awesome job. >> thank you >> nick wasn't the only start. that marathon, by the way, it looks like jon stewart was there beside you guys? >> jon stewart, tiki barber and a whole bunch of folks running together for achilles international. >> all right >> al, awesome congrats again >> deborah said nick beat her, too. nick was fast. >> he did by about almost four minutes. a little more than four minutes. you were smoking, right? >> smoking, yeah >> bravo, nick >> thanks, guys. all right, guys. just ahead, an exclusive look at just ahead, an exclusive look at a ok that examines the ibons this guy here is busy working on our state's recovery.

you see he lives in california and by vacationing in california which means every fruity skewer is like another sweet nail in the rebuilding of our economy. ing all californians. is like another sweet nail keep your vacation here and help our state get back to work. and please travel responsibly.

oroweat small slice. i wonder if this has the same quality ingredients as the original whole grains bread? great question, dad. and it does. it has all the same nutritious deliciousness as the original slice but only a little bit smaller. just like timmy here. my name's lucas. it sure is bobby. we are back with a new book about facebook and its leader, mark zuckerberg coming out tomorrow and it makes powerful claims about the company's influence and repeated mistakes. >> nbc's technology

correspondent jacob ward got an exclusive look inside the book he sat down with its author. he joins us now outside facebook headquarters in menlow park, california hey, jake, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. in their explosive new book, the authors go deep inside facebook, a company that they say is bent on growth at all costs and a company that has ignored years of warnings that what it has built is divisive and even dangerous. to its nearly 3 billion users, facebook's mantra is to connect people but a new book suggests the truth is much more ugly. >> what is an ugly truth about facebook >> in order to keep growing in the way that facebook has grown, people are going to continue to get hurt >> these award winning investigative reporters for "the new york times" in their new

book tell the inside story o facebook between the 2016 and 2020 elections >> we had over 400 people, mostly employees currently there or who have left who have confided in us what they think are very, very troubling patterns within the company. >> reporter: they say most of their sources. >> reporter: anonymous because they feared retribution from facebook and they say the founder, mark zuckerberg, believed in growth at any cost. take donald trump, whose inflammatory speech and false claims violated facebook's guidelines, but kept users engaged. >> trump had 30 million followers. he was driving people daily. >> reporter: so they say the company allowed him to remain, creating a no fact checking fo politicians policy because such posts were news worthy zuckerberg placating the president in person at the white house. >> he asked his advisers to give him something that he could offer to trump and that was the data that shows that trump had the highest engagement of any other politician in the world. that little piece of data made trump very happy >> reporter: facebook counters

that zuckerberg routinely meets with world leaders like any ceo. >> i love you and it's freezing out here >> reporter: it was only after the capitol riots on january 6th and trump's speech that facebook banned him for two years >> this was a criminal enterprise >> reporter: but the book claims when facebook's own research showed promoting more good news on the site caused people to spend less time there, it decided against making changes that would hurt its bottom line. >> they need you spending as much time as possible on facebook if that means showing you news that's bad for the world, that's what they're going to show you >> we've asked numerous times for a copy of the book and were unable to get a copy of it >> reporter: robert trainer is facebook's head of public affairs. he denies the company relies on bad news to keep us engaged. >> it is not in facebook's interest to push our users to negative content >> a lot of people complain about how divisive our world has become do you think facebook bears any responsibility for that?

>> what we've seen on our platform is the world coming closer and individuals building community. >> reporter: these authors say facebook profits from our attention and endangers everyone >> even if you don't use facebook, viral rumors, conspiracies, misinformation are formed there you can see how being part of a group where everyone is pushing the same piece of misinformation might make it seem true. >> reporter: now, facebook told us that from the expecerpts the company has seen so far, the book cherry picks facts and interviews with disgruntled individuals to tell a false narrative. that's something the authors emphatically deny. as for donald trump, he's now suing, facebook, twitter and google demanding that they restore his social media accounts legal experts say he'll have an uphill battle and the company has had no comment about the lawsuit. guys >> interesting thank you very much. >> thanks, jake. coming up next, guys, we're

going to meet a local weather man battling something he never saw coming how he's inspiring viewers with how he's inspiring viewers with a new grass looks great, zeus! hey could you maybe trim the hydrangea too? sure thing, kevin.

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we are back now with an inspiring story that's close to our hearts >> louisiana meteorologist ben terry has a true calling, forecasting the weather. but he now has found a new mission, sharing a battle he hopes will save lives. morgan chesky has more >> your first alert forecast with meteorologist ben terry >> reporter: turn on a tv in southwest louisiana and you'll be hard pressed to find a face more familiar than ben terry >> for a lot of us, we heard the thunderstorms this afternoon >> reporter: but lately ben has been broadcasting from a different venue, swapping a lake charles tv studio -- >> good afternoon to you >> reporter: -- for a houston, texas, hotel room.

where ben is in the midst of a personal storm he never saw coming daily hospital visits where he's undergoing radiation treatment for colon cancer all without skipping a forecast. >> a lot of folks getting treated would take a little time that would be the last thing you want >> yeah. i lly would be for me, because i'm not somebody that gives up. >> reporter: ben's tenacity goes back even further than his current challenge. in august of 2020, ben was broadcasting 24/7, warning residents hurricane laura was headed their way >> go west as far as you can and hope you have somewhere to come back to. >> reporter: news that literally struck home. not only was the news station damaged, by ben's own home was destroyed by the category 4 storm. >> i don't want people to feel sorry for me in the sense, yeah, i lost my home, but so did a lot of other people. >> reporter: storm damage to his doctor's office, then covid restrictions delayed ben's

routine colonoscopy until thanksgiving that's when he received the dreaded diagnosis, a tumor >> when you hear the doctor say cancer -- >> yes >> -- how did that hit you >> you know, when you're told you have cancer, you know, it's a life changing thing. >> reporter: having weathered hurricane laura together, ben decided to share his news with the viewers. >> i made the announcement on facebook i have to be in houston every day, monday through friday, for radiation treatments for the cancer >> i would say within minutes, i started getting like hundreds of comments on my facebook post i mean, it was overwhelming. >> reporter: and that's when a familiar face on tv turned into family for many folks here one viewer even started a t-shirt charity and a gofundme to raise money to help with ben's medical costs. >> i said i've got to use this opportunity now to get on and tell people don't put off screenings >> our prayers are with you. know that all of us here at kplc are behind you >> absolutely. >> you lose your house to a hurricane. you get a diagnosis you never saw coming and yet you've still got a smile.

>> i would say it would have been a lot easier to give up if i didn't have the support of my viewers. i know that all of these people are rooting for me to get better >> reporter: for "today," morgan chesky, nbc news >> wow, ben terry. we're going to remember him for a long time. >> go, ben, go. in that hospital where he's getting treatment, that's one of the best in america, so he's in good shape there just ahead, taste of the south. this chef says a traditional fish fry is actually an easy meal for parents to whip up and it's perfect for a summer it's perfect for a summer evening. [baby crying] i got it. i got it. ♪ ♪ give grandma kisses. mwah.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ getting some help with the little one, from her biggest fan. some real face time. just an amtrak away.

can and this morning on today, food this morning on today, food easy recipes for parents and families in full spring. many families head to the south for warm weather, fun and food >> chef jen hill booker is known for making southern cuisine with a french accent.

in her first children's book "jelly fries, a fish for dinner" she plays delicious homage to some of those summers she spent in the south with meals that went along with them >> chef jennifer hill booker joins us now from new orleans where she's also apparently celebrating a special occasion happy birthday ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ >> jen, what is it about you -- >> thank you, thank you. >> what is it about the south that you think draws so many folks like yourself there every summer >> well, i would have to say, of course, family, friends, fond memories and excellent food. so that's what takes me to the south every year >> you're in new orleans you've spend a lot of time in the delta. and your book is sort of -- it's an homage to the place and to the food there tell us a little bit about the book >> sure thing.

so the book is based on my memories, my daughter's memories, through the lens of her catfish. >> i don't want to spoil what happens at the end of the book i'm not going to say what happens at the end of the book but at the end of the book is a recipe that everybody can share in, jen. tell us about fried fish and where you would start with this one. >> sure. this is, as you said, super easy, weekday meal i use catfish because it's my favorite, but you can use really any fish seasoned cornmeal, a little paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. roll the fish in the cornmeal. drop it in the hot oil since we're in the mississippi area, louisiana, i'm using lard, but definitely you can use vegetable oil. >> that's what makes it good >> lard makes everything good.

>> is there a trick to making sure your oil is the right temp and all that? >> honestly, if you're a newby cook, i would say get a thermometer. you want it 350, 375 if you're an experienced cook like myself, you just sprinkle a little cornmeal in the hot oil if it sizzles and browns, it floats, it's hot >> you've got a cast iron skillet there, jen is that what you recommend >> yes i love cast iron because it cooks evenly it stays hot consistently. and honestly, it gets a crisp coating to whatever you're deep frying so i always go cast iron >> what is your oil of choice? what are you using today >> today i'm actually using lard >> hey, jen, my grandma used to say you fry the filet until it floats is that -- >> yes >> that's how you know it's done >> absolutely. you fry it until it floats and i always do a turn halfway

through. so these filets, i'll cook them about four minutes, turn them over, once they start to float on the oil and brown around the edge, they're ready. >> you got your fish ready is there anything that goes along with >> i love coleslaw with my fried fish i make a dressing. mayo, some apple cider vinegar, a little sugar, not too much, and then, of course, some salt and pepper i pour it on shredded cabbage and carrots, a little onion and give the a nice toss i think a sweet, tart crunch goes with that nice fried fish >> you know what else you can do put that on the fish, between some white bread -- >> there you go. >> yummy >> excellent yep, and this is -- not to give away the book, but these are

recipes and meals that jelly makes with her grandma in "jelly fries a fish for dinner. >> just real quick, what part of the delta did you grow up in >> well, we're up in a little teenie town called charleston between batesville and grenada >> thank you, jen. yummy. >> jen's recipes, today many come/food and for the book, it's >> sounds yummy. >> jen's recipes, today.com/food and for the book, it's today.com/shop >> really cute book. now we've got some first birthdays to celebrate, right? >> that's right. we're going to spin those smuckers jars. we'll see all the cutis turning 1-year-old first up, happy first birthday to oliver avalos in kentwood, michigan if he's not reading, he's trying to keep up with his three older brothers emma campbell is from springfield, missouri, her favorite word to say is mama happy first birthday to madeleine moscow, a dancing machine from hatboro,

pennsylvania, loves to sing nursery rhymes all around the house. arya delaney is from virginia. falls asleep every night to the song "what a wonderful world." next up, owen marra from fairmont, west virginia. likes to go on long walks with his mom. next, happy first birth da to benjamin glass from houston, texas. if there's an olympic sport for crawling, benjamin would win gold if you've got a loved one turning 1 or 100, let us know. today.com/celebrate. coming up, we've got john stamos he's got something new for all you true crime fans. >> in the third hour, a summer cleaning guide to make your life easier. and check out our new podcast.

that's right, folks, we're a podcast. download "today" at apple or spotify or subscribe and listen wherever you get your podcasts back after your local news happy monday good morning. it is 8:56. i am marcus washington. google welcomes back workers, starting with en to th headquarters. if workers have proof of vaccination, they're not required to wear a mask. google plans to reopen some

cafeterias, relaunch private shuttle buses. some employees are opting to work from home permanently. but the company wants workers to return three days a week starting in september. link to more details now at the top of the home page. california's power grid operators are issuing a flex alert. people statewide told to conserve power. the alert takes effect at 4:00 p.m. and lasts five hours. this has nothing to do with extreme heat. it is tied to a wildfire in oregon that destroyed power lines connected to california. bob redell has a report on the midday newscast. the san jose mayor is leading with president biden on the tragedy of the rail yard mass shooting. a weather update in an hour.

delicia: this is where all our recycling is sorted -- 1.2 million pounds every day, helping to make san francisco the greenest big city in america. but that's not all you'll find here. there are hundreds of good-paying jobs, with most new workers hired from bayview-hunter's point. we don't just work at recology, we own it, creating opportunity and a better planet. now, that's making a difference.

live from studio 1a in rock fell er plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> welcome to this third hour of "today." jill mart yan is significant in on this monday morning always good to have you. >> good morning. good morning, al. >> and we've got a lot to talk about. >> vicky wynn is standing by. in a few moments, she's going to break down all of those there, your money. it's funny because during the pandemic, a lot of folks