better news. >> it's the nimitz. >> all right. that's what's happening today in the back. we'll be back at 7:25 with live local news. much more ahead during our midday newscast. join us then. more ahead for you today. good morning breaking overnight, afghanistan falls. a catastrophe for its people and a debacle for the biden administration a triumphant taliban, storming and seizing total control of the country. americans evacuated from the embassy by helicopter, scenes echoing the darkest final days of vietnam the military scrambling even more u.s. troops over the weekend in a last-minute effort to get out

chaos at the kabul airport as afghans are now desperate to flea the president at camp david standing by his decision but under fire for a botched withdrawal >> this is going to be a stain on this president and his presidency >> just ahead, we'll go one-on-one with the president's national security adviser on the administration's plans and missteps and after 20 years and thousands of lives lost, what might the future hold? could the country once again become a safe haven for terrorists and what about women and girls now facing a brilliant taliban regime richard engle is on the ground in kabul help for haiti, teams rushing in the devastating earthquake over the weekend. the death toll rising to nearly 1,300 people thousands more missing and injured as state of emergency declared we are there, live one-two punch, the south bracing for tropical storm fred's imminent arrival, flooding rains and high winds expected across the region and right behind it, grace on a

path towards the gulf. dy jute outbreak of covid on a cruise ship since the industry's return more than two dozen sick on a boat that left from texas. cases until they saw them on the news >> i actually was not notified by the carnival ship at all. i saw it on social media first >> we will have the latest on that plus, school supply shortage the struggles facing families coast to coast as kids head back to class everything you need to know to find what you need and save. and making papi proud. muhammad ali's grandson makes his successful debut in professional boxing. >> tko victory for the grandson of the g.o.a.t >> what he is saying to us this morning about carrying on the icon's legacy and a touching tribute to him in the ring >> my custom trunks weren't ready, but it turned out perfectly.

>> today monday, august 16th, 2021 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb in studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hi, everybody. good morning welcome to "today" on a monday morning. we're glad you're along with us. we're real glad you're back, hoda >> it is so good to be back. we have a busy news morning. a lot of developments from afghanistan and a lot to get you caught up. >> u.s. forces evacuated all staff from the u.s. embassy was a desperate scene unfolds at the kabul airport. president biden is ordering an additional 1,000 troops to aid in those efforts of evacuating americans. >> this comes after the taliban stormed into kabul, seizing control of the country's capital in the final stop in their stunning and rapid takeover. meantime, the president of

afghanistan has fled the country with images emerging with immigrants. >> and we have complete coverage for you from afghanistan and the white house including our interview with president biden's national security adviser, jake sullivan but let's get started with richard engle who is on the ground for us in kabul this morning. richard, good morning to you >> reporter: good morning, savannah i am now very near the kabul international airport and all morning we've been hearing sporadic gunfire just a few moments ago, i watched one of those american transport planes take off, even amid the gunfire and what is unfolding here are scenes of utter desperation as afghans are rushing in, trying to get out of this country they don't want to be left behind it has become one of the symbols of the chaotic withdrawal and what the u.s. is leaving behind here in afghanistan. afghans are thronging to kabul's airport, desperate to get on planes and leave the country at

any cost they're scaling the airport's walls this morning, rushing in there's no screening, no security checks, just force of numbers. when they do manage to push aboard planes, they're so crowded, pilots won't take off and no one agrees to disembark it's all happening just a few hundred yards from the military side of kabul airport, now separated by a row of barbed wire from the civilian side in chaos. the military side is where the u.s. is staging an elaborate evacuation of american diplomates from the embassy. but even here, afghans manage to push through, willing to cling on to an aircraft as it took off, rather than stay in afghanistan. afghans say the americans are only focused on getting u.s. citizens out along with some interpreters, although tens oftl have no u.s. visas so they, too, are left to the

taliban. the militants took control of kabul yesterday. we watched them move in. kabul is falling now we've just left our office, our longtime home in afghanistan, and we're head to go a safer location, we hope a safer location already we've seen some gunmen look like taliban on the streets and all of the government check points, all the police, all the soldiers, they're gone now the taliban are out in full force. they took over the presidential palace afghanistan's president fled the country. the taliban have set up checkpoints across the afghan capital, and their islamist rule is already coming back this was a popular beauty salon, styling women's hair and makeup. the taliban banned salons along with education for women and girls. so when the taliban came back, now they've painted over the beauty shop. people here know what the taliban want they know what the taliban expect we watched a man tear up the

beauty parlor sign in line with the taliban's wishes the taliban don't just control kabul but the whole country and all the weapons the u.s. bought for the afghan army. there are reports of atrocities including abductions, rape and executions the militants are much stronger now than 20 years ago when the u.s. drove them from power when they sheltered osama bin laden now the taliban are back as the u.s. leaves afghanistan gripped by panic and run by extremists the taliban have been taking pot shots at the u.s. transport planes as they leave, and many are drawing comparisons to the u.s. evacuation from saigon. >> richard engle in kabul, stay safe we'll be back with you thank you. the chaotic scenes in afghanistan have quickly become the biden administration's biggest foreign policy challenge. they're scrambling to contain

the fallout. peter alexander is picking up that part of the story hey, peter good morning >> reporter: as this crisis unfolds, president biden remains at camp david conferring with his advisers he has not spoken publicly about afghanistan since last tuesday and the white house is now evaluating that americans want to hear from him the president now facing mounting criticism as you've heard, both about his decision to withdraw u.s. troops and the chaotic way this is all playing out. president biden this morning facing a catastrophic failure of u.s. foreign policy. our only glimpse of the president in the last 24 hours, this white house photo showing him seated alone at camp david, consulting by video conference with national security advisers, including vice president kamala harris despite the president's promise that the withdrawal of american troops would be responsible, deliberate and safe, the biden administration is now trying to explain why the u.s. was so

caught off guard by the stunning speed of the taliban takeover, pointing to the collapse of afghan security forces >> unfortunately, tragically, they have not been able to defend the country and i think that explains why this has moved as quickly as it's moved >> reporter: that acknowledgement coming despite the u.s. spending $87 billion over 20 years to train afghan military forces. this morning, the chorus of criticism is growing >> this is going to be a stain on this president and his presidency and i think he's going to have blood on his hands for what they did. >> reporter: even the president's allies demanding answers. >> this is an intelligence failure. we underestimated the taliban and overestimated the resolve of the afghan army. >> reporter: president biden in a statement this weekend writing one more year or five more years of u.s. military presence would not have made a difference if the afghan military cannot or will not hold its own country.

still, he's likely to be haunted by these comments from last month. >> the likelihood there's going to be a taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely >> reporter: even before the catastrophic collapse, officials worried a taliban takeover could allow al qaeda to rebuild and consolidate, creating security concerns well beyond the afghan border for those who served and sacrificed in america's longest war like staff sergeant sheamus fenesee, anger and sadness >> it feels like not only a betrayal of what our soldiers have bled for, the way in which we're pulling out is something that is disgraceful. >> reporter: the pentagon has warned each of the last four presidents that a situation like this could happen when the u.s. left afghanistan but president biden will now go down in history as the commander in chief presiding when america's longest war came to such an abrupt and devastating end. savannah >> peter, thank you.

joining us now also from the white house president biden's national security adviser jake sullivan mr. sullivan, good morning to you. thanks for being with us >> thanks for having me. >> let's talk about the status of the evacuation going on at this hour. how many evacuees are left to go when do you expect this to be completed? >> well, first, savannah, i want to salute the skill and professionalism of the u.s. military who has now completed the drawdown of the u.s. embassy compound in kabul. all u.s. diplomates and civilian personnel have been removed from that facility and we're down to a very small civilian presence at the airport that is organizing an effort to ensure that we get out remaininn american citizens as well as afghans at risk, and we are in the process of trying to fully secure the airport and execute that set of evacuation flights which will proceed over the coming days. >> mr. sullivan, friends and foes alike are calling this withdrawal a fiasco, a debacle, and it is one that apparently the administration did not fully

appreciate or see coming let me play you some of what the president himself has said in the last six weeks or so >> the likelihood that there will be a tally been overrunning everything and running the country is highly unlikely >> do you see any parallel between here and what happened in vietnam >> none whatsoever zero there will be no situation where you see people being lifted off the roomfin the embassy to the united states from afghanistan >> and yet that is exactly what we have seen the last few days how do you explain getting this so wrong >> to be fair, the helicopter has been the mode of transport from our embassy to the airport for the last 20 years. >> but it's not a helicopter it's not the mechanism it's the last minute scramble. you know that. it's the last-minute scramble when the assurances from the president himself were this was not what we were going to see.

>> it is certainly the case that the speed with which cities fell was much greater than anyone anticipated, including the afghans, including many of the analysts who looked hard at this problem. and part of the reason for that, savannah, is because at the end of the day, despite the fact that we spent 20 years and tens of billions of dollars to get the best equipment, the best training, and the best capacity to the afghan national security forces, we could not give them the will they decided they would not fight for kabul or the country and that opened the door - >> and that may or may not be the u.s.'s fault, yes. >> taliban to be able to -- i'm sorry, to complete the thought, that opened the door to the taliban to come into kabul very rapidly. we -- >> i guess the question is why, though, did the administration not know that? that's the critical question facing the president why did he assume that there would be this will to fight?

why was he saying, regaling reporters with how well equipped and better equipped the afghan forces were if in the end they had no will to fight shouldn't we have known that >> well, what the president kept saying over and over again was that it was not inevitable kabul would fall and it was not inevitable. there was the capacity to stand up and resist. that capacity didn't happen. now, the president prepared for every possible contingency, including this one the reason that there are u.s. forces at the airport effectuating a successful drawdown of our embassy, securing the airport to get other people out is because the president prepositioned those forces, thousands of them in the gulf, so they could be moved in rapidly in the event that there was a rapid collapse >> isn't this a worst-case scenario >> as soon as that started happening last week, he started moving people in actually, savannah, i think the worst-case scenario for the united states would be a circumstance in which we were adding back in thousands and thousands of troops to fight and die in a civil war in

afghanistan when the afghan army wasn't prepared to fight itself. that was the alternative choice joe biden faced. and what we learned over the course of the last two weeks is if we had we had stayed one more year, five more years or ten more years, no amount of training, equipping or money or lives lost by the united states was going to put the afghan army in a position to be able to sustain that country on its own. so the president had bad choices. and the choice he made, which was to bring u.s. forces home, to get us out the of that civil war, to get our diplomates out of the embassy, and to ultimately ask the afghans to step up and fight for themselves, it is heartbreaking to see what is happening in kabul, but the president had to make the best possible choice he could and he stands by that decision >> there is no easy answer in afghanistan, no question about that but i guess the issue now before

you is why this withdrawal was not better executed. why the last-minute scramble to get americans out of the embassy? why haven't those afghan civilians who supported our troops over the last 20 years, why are they still waiting, hoping to get out of 24 country? n saturday, you added another thousand troops. nothing about this seems like it's part of the plan. >> well, first, savannah, i think it's important to recognize that the main element of our drawdown was completed in july we were left with a small footprint of forces at the international airport in kabul so what is facing us today is actually the evacuation of the embassy and civilians, and that is something that happens during the context of civil conflict. we were intending to keep an embassy in kabul after our military drawdown. so this is not the end of our military drawdown. this is the end of our civilian drawdown

and we had to flow forces back in, as one does in any one of these evacuation-type operations where you have to remove civilians from an embassy and citizens from the country. and we had a plan in place to do that and we are executing that >> and finally, the taliban is notoriously vicious, particularly to women and girls, and there have already been reports of surrendering soldiers being executed and taliban commanders demanding unmarried women and girls be handed over are you aware of such atrocities and what is the u.s. prepared to do about it? >> savannah, every policy decision that we take, no matter how big or how small, has human consequences and we are aware of that and it is heartbreaking to see what is happening in afghanistan right now. we will do everything in our power from the point of view of economic, diplomatic and taliban accountable to live up to its international obligations.

but the alternative that we face to physically protect people in afghanistan was to put american men and women in large numbers back in harm's way, fighting and dieing in a civil war that its own forces wouldn't fight in that the president wasn't prepared to do he is prepared to martial the international community about this issue he cares passionately about these human rights questions and we will stay focused on them in the period ahead that was not a reason for the united states to enter a third decade of war in the middle of an internal conflict in another country. >> jake sullivan, national security adviser at the white house. i know it's a busy time. appreciate your time this morning, sir thank you. >> thank you moving now to another crisis we're following closely, the devastating earthquake in haiti. tom llamas is in for craig for that story >> good morning to you the frantic search for survivors is now entering its third day. overnight, the death toll soaring to some 1,300 people with thousands more injured. stem is expected to add to the

misery t nbc's gabe gutierrez is in port-au-prince this morning. haiti can't seem to catch a break. >> reporter: tom, good morning the u.s. coast guard is preparing to load up supplies and medical personnel and head to some of the hardest hit regions. then they'll transport some critically wounded patients back here to port-au-prince we should warn you, some of the images you're about to see are tough to watch, but haiti's prime minister has declared a state of emergency after one of the most powerful earthquakes this country has ever seen this morning, a country in crisis people tearing through rubble to find any signs of life after a monstrous 7.2 magnitude earthquake on saturday devastated southwest haiti the death toll now soaring to nearly 1,300 with more than 5,000 people hurt, many seriously.

>> people just started screaming everywhere, on the streets and just out of panic and fear >> reporter: the massive square slapping buildings across haiti's southern peninsula, triggering landslides that cut off access to some smaller communities. families who lost their homes are now sleeping on nearby soccer fields. hospitals already pushed to the brink by the covid pandemic set up triage centers outside. people in desperate need of aid evacuated by air to port-au-prince an international effort to help is now under way, the u.s. sending a 65-person search and rescue team from virginia. the u.s. coast guard is helping to air lift the injured. overall, how significant is the devastation in that part of the island >> it's a pretty significant scope of damage, a substantial amount of work to be done.

>> reporter: this is the latest devastation for a country that has never fully recovered from an earthquake in 2010. that killed 300,000 people haiti is also dealing with political chaos sparked by the brazen assassination of its president last month, and now tropical storm grace is scheduled to hit haiti by tomorrow, bringing punishing rain that could lead to flash flooding and new mudslides, yet another blow to a country in crisis now, this earthquake was, is tha actually more powerful than the one in 2010 that killed 250,000 people but the difference was that its epicenter was in the southwestern part of the country, a much more rural area. now there are new concerns that tropical depresseion grace could bring torrential rain and the potential for more mudslides further complicating these search and rescue efforts. tom. >> gabe, thank you let's turn to dylan this morning. we were talking about grace and fred >> fred impacting florida, but

right now, grace is not a strong storm, but it has the ability to produce up to 10 to 15 inches of rain as it passes south of haiti. that will lead to mudslides and it's coming on the heels of that earthquake a very potential dangerous situation with the rain we're expecting there. also quickly want to point out tropical storm fred, the heaviest rain is now about to move through panama city the big bend of florida could end up with up to 12 inches of rain in parts of alabama and mississippi could end up with 6 to 8 inches of rain. that's a look at the weather across the country we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds in fact, subaru has won most trusted brand for more consecutive years than any other brand. no wonder kelley blue book also picked subaru as their best overall brand. once again. it's easy to love a brand you can trust. it's easy to love a subaru.

good monday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. take a look at the smoky sunrise we have over the south bay right now and our air quality moderate but we should see some improvements in our air quality today. we go from an orange sky to a blue sky this afternoon as our temperatures head up towards the low 80s. mid 90s for livermore, low 90s for concord and martinez and some low to mid 80s for parts of the north bay. going through the forecast watching our fire danger especially by the middle of the week. >> and that's your latest and that's your latest forecast >> dylan, thank you. just ahead, new covid concerns and safety rules for cruises after dozens of cases are reported on a single carnival ship. and wait until you see how passengers learned about that outbreak kerry sanders joins us live with the latest plus, the shortage of back to school supplies to school supplies vicky wynnas a closer look at h

♪ ♪ i've got nothing to eat. nothing. [crying] hold on, i can do something. ♪turning nothing into something♪ ♪i turned nothing into something♪ it's amazing what you can do with nothing, and a little best foods. good morning. it's 7:26. i'm kris sanchez. here are today's top stories including possible power shutoffs looming in parts of the bay area. >> i'm bob redell, pg&e says it might have to shut off power to dmers napa, solano, sonoma and 13 other counties up north because of concerns of high winds and wildfire danger. the public safety power shutoff would happen tomorrow and affect about 39,000 customers, 27,000 of whom are located in butte and shasta counties and extremely small number of customers in napa, solano and sonoma counties would be impacted. good morning. i'm cierra johnson in san

francisco today, the first day of classes for more than 50,000 students in the san francisco unified school district. this school year will look different. here's what you need to know. all employees must be fully vaccinated starting september 7th or face weekly testing. the district is considering a vaccine mandate for students 12 and up and all students must self-screen for covid symptoms and masks will be required at all times during the day. and kids in el cerrito going back to school today. >> they are. it's going to be nice to start off. looking hazy but our temperatures in the upper 50s, do need a jacket for the start of the day. pick-up time make sure the name is on the tag because they probably won't be wearing the jacket and excited about that first day, our inland areas will reach into the low 90s. we are going to watch out for that fire danger as we head towards tuesday into wednesday. warm temperatures for our inland areas through the end of the week while san francisco will continue to see highs here in the upper 60s. kris? >> thanks, kari. we have more local news in just

a half hour. hope you're off to a good start to this monday morning. this couple is working hard

on our state's recovery. you see, they live in california and keeping their vacation in california supports our small businesses and communities. which means that beautiful baby gherkin atop this charcuterie masterpiece is like another brick in the rebuilding of our economy. job well done friends. calling all californians. keep your vacation here and help our state get back to work. and please travel responsibly.

we're back at 7:30 on a monday we're back at 7:30 on a monday morning, the 16th day of august, 2021, the start of a new workweek as we show you our view outside our little window on the world. nice to be back with everybody >> good to be here and we'll begin this half hour with the cruise industry returning in choppy walters this morning. >> a ship that departed from texas is now dealing with covid outbreak some passengers learned about the cases by checking social

>> reporter: good morning, guys. carnival cruise ship "vista" was that cruise lie sting positive 26 are crew members. one passenger. all of the tests being revealed while at sea this is a major setback for the industry this morning, trouble on the high seas. 27 covid cases on board the carnival cruise ship "vista" uncovered on day four of an eight-day cruise u.s. health officials and carnival did not release the number of positive covid cases instead, it was revealed by the government of the liege. the outbreak discovered shortly before the ship docked there 26 quarantined crew members and 1 passenger, some showing symptoms, other asymptomatic 26-year-old alyssa mangum, who

was on the "vista" with her boyfriend says she first heard of the outbreak online >> i actually was not notified by the carnival ship at all until i saw it on social media first when they finally told us what was going on. everyone just kept going on with their vacation, but i think everyone started wearing their masks a little bit more. >> reporter: on saturday, the vista returned to galveston, texas, some passengers unfazed and others were quarantined. >> it was amazing. it was fantastic one of the best cruises i've ever taken >> the cruise line staff, servers, and everybody did a fantastic job always wearing their mask and making us feel safe >> complicating carnival's evolving protocols, all 27 who tested positive were vaccinated. since the outbreak, new passengers on carnival, regardless of vaccination status, must also show proof of a negative covid test. carnival says passengers who cannot get vaccinated because of their age or health reasons may

still cruise, but they'll have to pay a $150 unvaccinated fee for testing. the cruise ship industry started sailing again from u.s. ports in june the outbreak on the "vista," the largest on board a passenger ship since that return >> even as they restart sailing here in the united states, they're still fighting for survival it's crucial that they're able to keep covid off their ships, implement new policies to make it less of a risk going forward. >> reporter: carnival writing in a statement in part that its stringent health protocols on board exceeds cdc guidelines, adding our procedures are designed to manage and mitigate any situation. the cdc now requires 95% of all passengers to be vaccinated. carnival reports it exceeded that requirement on the "vista," with 96.5% of passengers and 99.98% of crew members with shots.

as for those who were tested positive, according to carnival cruise lines, those crew members who were put in quarantine as of saturday had been cleared by medical staff to return to work. hoda >> kerry sanders for us there, thank you. coming up next, vicky wynn is going to help your family if you're finding school supply in short supply. >> good morning. from browser extension toes second hand marketplaces for kids' clothes, back to school season is here i'm vicky ngyuen l that treats pe 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.

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different. students getting ready to get back to the books again across the country, but parents are bracing to shell out more money this year. experts say if you haven't started shopping, now is the time to start. this morning, i'm going show you how to get what you need and save more than 60% on some items. back to school shopping is anything but typical this year >> i feel like it was oempling >> i was taking whatever was available. >> i found myself having to shop in the boy's section because the girls' section was completely cleared out. >> reporter: parents across the country sounding off about their back to school shopping woes >> i was surprised how much money i had to spend >> reporter: according to the national retail federation, families are planning to spend an average of almost $850 on school items, nearly $60 more than last year >> it is more ex editor at global data. he says product shortages and

fewer discounts. what are some of the items where you anticipate some shortages that might be harder to find >> backpacks, sneakers, apparel, technology products like laptops and things like desks. >> why is there a rush on apparel this year? >> consumers did not buy lots of clothes last year for kids and now they're going back to school >> reporter: if you want the best prices and selection, shop around and shop early. that's exactly what my team did. backpacks were all picked over at this store in new jersey, but five miles away, we found backpacks fully stocked. why is it we won't see the same type of sales we normally do >> we often see discounts and sales to stimulate demand and clear down stock retailers don't need to do that this year because demand is very, very high. >> reporter: how do you save money? first, install a free browser extension like honey you can track the price history of an item

take a look at this tablet i know it's down to $120 now that's $30 cheaper than it was just a month ago so this is a good time to buy. honey looks for discount codes at more than 40,000 retailers it supports also, check the resale market. we found lunch boxes and craft supplies on facebook marketplace and a whole bunch of laptops and tablets deeply discounted on swapa, a marketplace for gently used tech. and check out websites like threadup for gently used clothes. mercari, find great deals on second hand clothes. and one of the easiest tools to use right here on google shop. type in the specific item you're looking for. the more details, the better the brand, the color google will do the searching for you and allow you to compare prices for where to buy. tips to help you find everything on your list and save money. now, if you do find yourself shopping last minute, try

expanding your search. for example, if you need backpacks, go beyond the big box stores and the department stores try the smaller stores in your area another good spot, sporting goods stores >> that google button, shoppingd i've never pushed it >> i might have pushed it before >> dylan dreyer has a check off your forecast and the weather. >> good morning, guys. a pretty bad situation in the pacific northwest where the smoke is really creating some bad air quality, especially across montana through idaho, through wyoming, oregon, and washington where we have so many fires burning and the threat continues for today. and the smoke will be extremely thick. so if anyone has respiratory issues, stay inside as much as you can today. the smoke will start to travel towards the east and into kansas, too. so we have those same conditions it's very, very dry. very low humidity and temperatures are exceptionally hot.

rapid city, south dakota, 100 degrees. casper, wyoming, 93. jackson, 88. so we're still running about 15 to 25 degrees above average. but we will get some relief. look at jackson. we go from 86 on tuesday down to 69 degrees on thursday medford, oregon, stays very hot. las vegas drops from 107 on tuesday down to 100 on thursday and we're still looking for the heat to continue in sioux falls for another couple of days before it does drop into the upper 80s. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we do have a lot of smoke moving across the bay area right now. we should see some clearing for the afternoon into the evening hours, but it's with our valley temperatures towards 92ick up by winds will increase our fire danger between tuesday night and wednesday. we have upper 80s in the interior valleys with san francisco's temperatures continuing to reach into the

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the legendary muhammad ali made his pro boxing debut just over 60 years ago over the weekend, his grandson continues the family legacy and did the exact same thing >> this is such a greater story. joe fryer has more on the new pro boxer who has the sports world buzzing. good morning >> good morning. this is an impressive young man, to see the least nico ali walsh faced a lot of pressure but the 21-year-old college student lived up to expectations and the ali family name as he made his pro boxing debut. like grandfather, like grandson. with nico ali walsh's saturday night debut, the third generation of muhammad ali's family joined the ranks of pro boxing, giving the hard rock crowd in oklahoma a chance to chant this - >> ali ali!

>> with ali-walsh defeating his opponent in the first round by technical knockout >> tko victory for the grandson of the g.o.a.t >> it absolutely -- it's like a euphoric feeling right now >> reporter: nico's grandfather, or papi, as he called him, debuted in 1960 launching his legendary career >> i am the greatest >> reporter: and muhammad ali's daughter leila is considered one of the greatest female boxers. >> the pressure was immense. i'm glad everything worked out the way it did the greatest night of my life. >> reporter: he wore his grandfather's trunks in the ring because his weren't ready. >> i wasn't planning on wearing them, but it just happened the world made it so i had to. but i was kicking myself in the head that my custom trunks weren't ready, but it turned out perfectly. >> after the win, he struck a familiar pose. >> my goal is to continue the legacy, not just the legacy of a great man, a great fighter, but

a grandfather. >> reporter: the grandson of the greatest now packing his own punch. nico is a college student studying business, entrepreneurship and film. he told us his next pro fight officially has a date. he's set to enter the ring again on october 23rd. nico told me his trunks will be ready that time. he won't be wearing his grandfather's. those are retired. >> but those are good luck and straight ahead this morning, a formerly conjoined twin makes history again becoming a mom in the very same hospital where she was born. we're going to meet her new bundle of joy. and coming up on popstart, how do you follow up with a surprising gold medal win at the olympics we'll show you what suni lee is up to after your local news. rinvoq a once-daily pill can dramatically improve symptoms... rinvoq helps tame pain, stiffness, swelling.

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good morning. it's 7:56. i'm kris sanchez. here's what's happening now. good morning. i'm cierra johnson in san francisco. today is the first day of classes for more than 50,000 students in the san francisco unified school district. the school year is going to look a little different. here's what you need to know. all employees must be fully vaccinated starting september 7th or face weekly testing. the district is considering a vaccine mandate for students 12 and up and all must self-screen for covid symptoms and masks will be required at all times during the day. i'm bob redell. pg&e says it might have to shut off power to customers in napa, solano, sonoma and 13 other counties up north because of concerns of high winds and wildfire danger. the shutoff would happen

tomorrow night and affect about 39,000 customers. 27,000 are located in butte and shasta counties and a small number of commerce nest napa, solano and sonoma counties would be impacted. >> we are watching the forecast because the kids are going back to school today. >> they are. in san francisco it's about time to head out the door. starting out with temperatures in the mid 50s. all the clouds and fog over right now, but we will see some clearing but staying hazy today, temperatures in the mid 60s and our inland temperatures reach up to the low 90s today. kris? >> thank you, kari. we have more local news coming up for you in about a half hour and hope you're off to a good start for this week and this morning. do be safe out there.

it's it's 8:00 on today coming up, complete control. overnight, the taliban takes kabul, storming the presidential palace president biden feeling the political pressure >> the president prepared for every possible contingency, including this one >> so what happens next? we're live with the latest then, covid concerns with cases on the rise, the battle over vaccine and mask mandates take center stage this morning, we'll break down the easy ways you can show proof of vaccination with just your phone.

plus, defying the odds the medical scienctist of a formerly conjoined twin as she became a mom in the same hospital that allowed her to list her own life. >> i think it's important that people see we're still doing good and living our best life. >> just ahead, her new bundle of joy. incredible tribute and new york state of mind broadway stars team up for an incredible tribute as the city prepares to take the stage once again. ♪ i'm in a new york state of mind ♪♪ mind ♪ >> today, monday, august 16th, 2021 >> good morning from the "today" show's biggest fan i'm natalie in san diego, california, and i love to wake up and watch the "today" show every day. >> hi, "today" show. we are the easter seals academy in little rock, arkansas, and we can't mask our excitement for

the first day of school. >> hey, "today" show, all the way from mexico. we're e celebrating our pop's 57th birthday. >> he, everybody good morning welcome back to "today." it's monday morning. we have a new song playing the dj got some new records over the weekend. >> we have tom in for craig, hoda back from vacation. >> the gang is all here. the news at 8:00 we'll start with afghanistan the taliban seized control of kabul. the u.s. military evacuating americans amid seas of panic and chaos there. nbc's correspondent richard engle is there with the latest good morning >> reporter: good morning. i'm now outside the kabul airport, and the taliban are taking pot shots at the american planes and helicopters as they leave, as they continue the evacuation of u.s. embassy

personnel and thousands of afghan civilians desperate to leave this country have rushed into the airport and many are comparing it to the u.s. withdrawal from saigon, only worse afghans are thronging to kabul's airports, desperate to get on planes and leave the country at any cost they're scaling the airport's walls this morning, rushing in there's no screening, no security checks, just force of numbers. when they do manage to push aboard planes, they're so crowded, pilots won't take off and no one agrees to disembark it's all happening just a few hundred yards from the military side of kabul airport, now the military side is where the separated by a row of barbed wire from the civilian side, in chaos. the military side is where the u.s. is staging an elaborate evacuation of american diplomates from the embassy. but even here, afghans manage to push through, willing to cling on to an aircraft as it took off, rather than stay in

afghanistan. kabul yesterday. we watched them move in. kabul is falling now we've just left our office, our longtime home in afghanistan, and we're head to go a hopefully safer location the militants are much stronger now than 20 years ago. >> the taliban, according to the u.n., is still on good terms with al qaeda. why is this not going to be a national security threat again >> we face a terrorist threat in yemen, in somalia, in west africa and yes, we are going to have to contend with the possible risk of terrorism in afghanistan, but it is one of many places and we cannot put thousands or tens of thousands of u.s. troops in all of those places >> reporter: all u.s. embassy personnel have been evacuated from the embassy compound which is in kabul and brought here to the airport where the evacuation is taking place, even amid this rush on the airport as afghans

try to leave >> richard engle on the ground for us in kabul, thank you search and rescue teams are still racing to find survivors after saturday's devastating earthquake in haiti that left some 1,300 people dead, thousands more hurt. the 7.2 magnitude quake flattened buildings across haiti's southern peninsula, triggered landslides that cut off access to some communities tropical depression grace is expected to reach haiti tonight bringing potential heavy rain and flooding and even more landslides the u.s. has now seen its highest number of covid cases in six months, an increase driven by the rampant delta variant some southern states overrun by more cases than ever before, pushing hospitals and health care workers to the brink. sam brock is in miami with more. sam, good morning. >> tom, good morning since the beginning of july, the u.s. has seen an increase of 700% of covid cases.

and this tug of war that's going on right now, tom, for mask mandates in school now moves to miami-dade county, the nation's fourth largest school population, where classes are going to begin in a matter of days health experts are going to decide whether or not to defy governor desantis. with the nation squarely in the grip of the delta surge, new fears the worst may be yet to come >> i will be surprised if we don't cross 200,000 cases a day in the next couple of weeks. >> reporter: across the country, cases have jumped nearly 20% week over week with covid hospitalizations creeping up 26.5%. oregon's situation so desperate, they're planning to deploy hundreds of national guard members at hospitals while in florida, the variant is preying on younger adults. those 20 to 39 now comprise the masking in the classroom remains a bone of contention with florida's largest school district, miami-dade, set to make a decision this week.

>> these masks are not a symbol of anything other than prevention and protection. to politicize this is, quite frankly, hitting a new low >> reporter: several counties in georgia as well as a few schools in mississippi have already been forced to suspend in-person learning due to outbreaks. a clash in the country's approach to covid playing out in neighboring states hundreds cram the oklahoma capital hallways to protest mask and vaccine mandates while some parents in ft. worth, texas, staged a mock funeral calling on the school board to reinstate stwo major counties the mask mandate overnight, the state's supreme court blocking two major counties from requiring students to wear masks. the dallas school district firing back in a tweet, we still require masks, be warn, on school property.wi be the firstd

employees that want to go to indoor venues like restaurants and bars or even outdoor concerts as well tom, back to you >> sam brock, thank you. and turning to sports now, bad news for tennis great roger federer. the 20-time grand slam champion will miss the u.s. open and will be sidelined for at least several months he announced the news yesterday on instagram, says he needs a third operation on his right knee, a procedure he says will leave him with a glimmer of hope that he can return to competition. >> are you okay? >> i'm fine. >> is that why you're wearing black today? >> dark day for fed nation, but hopefully he'll be back. time for our boost there was a bride getting married in florida she thought her parents could not attend the wedding because they lived in brazil watch this, it's her reaction when they surprised her on her big day.

♪ >> so that's a good groom there. he secretly arranged for the parents to fly in as a wedding gift the bride overwhelmed, hugging it was tearful i think that moment eclipsed the i-dos. >> yes >> can you imagine look at her holding her mom. >> even the dog wanted in on it, too. coming up next, we have a touching update on a remarkable story we have followed for years. a woman who was born as a conjoined twin now giving birth to a baby of her own >> we'll hear from the happy new mom and the doctor who has been there for every step of the family's remarkable journey, right after this here's the deal parker, state farm offers everyone surprisingly great rates. yeh, right. pepperoni pocketz, atomic brownie, cuckoo crustiez... there's no promo. just great rates. and a side of ranch. you're the man, man. when you want the real deal...like a good neighbor,

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it's 8:15. and an incredible life in the chapter of a young woman nbc news has been following for years. >> more than two decades ago, conjoined twins charity and cathleen lincoln underwent conjoined twins separation surgery they're now all grown up and one of them has welcomed a baby girl of her own in the same hospital where she and her sister were m. >> when they were born at the university of washington medical born >> erin mclaughlin has more on this beautiful, full circle moment >> reporter: when they were born at the university of washington medical center in seattle, charity and her sister, kathleen, made national news 21 years later, charity is once again making history, giving birth to a baby girl of her own.

baby alora is making her official debut on our air. her first moments of life captured on camera, something that is now a family rite of passage. the arrival of this baby girl is a medical triumph twice over charity lincoln and her twin sister, kathleen, were born at the same hospital 21 years ago they defied the odds by surviving. their arrival made headlines the conjoined sisters were attached from breastbone to pelvis each with one leg and a third fused leg. they also shared several internal organs. >> i just didn't see how they could both survive >> "dateline" crews followed along in those early days. >> night-night >> reporter: there for the sweet moments. >> there she goes again, the pacifier bandit. >> reporter: --and the scary

ones when the girls were just 7 months old, a team of nearly 30 doctors, nurses and support staff performed a difficult and dangerous surgery to separate and put them back together >> this is probably about as complex as it is difficult as anything we do or have done. >> they're separated >> reporter: the 31-hour surgery was a success, led by a then 42-year-old dr. john waldhausen, who stayed in touch with the twins ever since he was one of charity's first phone calls when she found out she was expecting. she says he's her hero what does he mean to you >> he's been with me through a lot. >> reporter: did you ever think all those years ago that you would see charity one day give birth to her own baby? >> when you're involved with an operation like that, you're really hoping that you can create a whole lifetime for somebody and then to see this happening, it really comes full circle. so this is a great day for all of us. >> reporter: it's emotional for you. >> it is

it is. >> reporter: when she told you that she was pregnant, did you have any concerns? >> i didn't know if her uterus was going to allow her to carry a child. i didn't know if her abdominal wall reconstruction was going to allow her abdomen to expand in such a way that a baby could grow >> reporter: dr. waldhausen called on his colleague and friend dr. edith chang to oversee charity's high-risk pregnancy and delivery >> i think my concerns are is she asterisk for preterm labor and what would that look like? >> feeling excited a little bit nervous we're super grateful to be in such good hands throughout this whole process and we feel really safe and confident that everything is going to work out. >> reporter: you're going to be a mom today. at nearly 34 weeks, a team of 21 performed this caesarean section and cared for baby alora >> is this a miracle >> i wouldn't call it a miracle.

i would call it a medical triumph. >> charity's case really is the full obstetrical circle. this howling girl this morning at almost 34 weeks, that is a true triumph to get this baby to almost term. this baby is healthy >> it feels like full circle, you know, since my mom had us here and everything. >> reporter: now that baby girl has a baby girl of her own >> god has really blessed me with all the doctors in my life and everything i think it is important that people see that we're still doing good and living the best life we can. >> reporter: and, guys, as you can see, baby alora was taken into the nicu after birth and given some supplemental oxygen, but doctors say both mom and baby are happy and healthy guys >> incredible. >> beautiful >> what an incredible journey and a great story. erin, thank you so much for that let's get a check of the weather. >> let's do it because it is busy we have some monsoonal moisture

in the southwest that will likely lead to some flooding take a look at tropical storm fred real quick, though, i want to show you some of the flood alerts that we have for parts of the southwest. 9 million people could see some torrential downpours we could see as much as about 2 to 3 inches of rain. that could lead to flash flooding because the ground is dry. but there is tropical storm fred it is going to bring perhaps up to 12 inches of rain through the parts of the big bend of florida and into the coast of alabama and mississippi. we could end up with several inches of rain and then it's going work its way up into the tennessee river valley a little bit unsettled into that area today in the northeast, lots of sunshine temperatures in the 80s. and we will see some storms in the middle of the country as temperatures are going to remain good monday morning. i am meteorologist kari hall. we are still dealing with air quality concerns and smokey start to our monday morning. it should clear up later today with a very strong westerly wind picking up, but our inland area is still headed for the low 90s.

a little cooler tomorrow, but breezy winds also increase our fire danger, especially between tuesday night and early wednesday morning. mostly upper 80s for the end of the week into the weekend for the valleys, while san francisco continues with highs in the upper 60s. and that's your latest forecast sorry, i was moving on >> i know. you've got more to do, girl. popstart >> carson is missing out a hefty popstart for you this morning. let's start with elton john following his last week's release, he surprised beach side diners with a live performance of the new track it happened at the waterside the rocketman himself stepped up to the deejay booth and took the mic. watch this ♪ cold, cold heart ♪

♪ looking better, baby ♪ >> what would you even do if that happened? >> break out >> look at the deejay. book a reservation at a waterfront restaurant in cannes, france that's why we're messing up. let's switch to a new york state of mind. stars of stage and screen have teamed up for a special performance of the 1976 billy joel classic it was filmed across each of new york city's five boroughs and the video comes from the nyc's effort to encourage the recovery from the pandemic. they all led their voice to the project. here's a peek. ♪ comes down to reality and that's fine with me because i let it slide ♪ ♪ i don't care if i live in china town ♪riverside ♪

♪ ♪ or riverside ♪ ♪ i don't have any reason i've left them all behind ♪ ♪ behind ♪ ♪ i'm in a new york state of mind ♪ >> i want it >> i get it. >> how do we get it? >> that's a good question. you can watch it on youtube and it's also just hitting up all those famous spots across new york city. and you just saw alexa ray, billy joel's daughter, belting out her dad's famous song. and, of course, right around the corner in the fall is the grand reopening of broadway so we're all super excited for that next up, suni lee, one of our favorite breakout stars from the tokyo games. but now that the olympics are over, the 18-year-old gold medal winning gymnast is off to start her next chapter what is that college. over the weekend, suni took to social media to share this sweet pic from the grounds of auburn university captioning the photo with the school's battle cry,

war eagle. >> oh, my. >> as the resident mom for this whole thing -- >> i'm helping her move in >> but wow, can you imagine how. next up, tim mcgraw popular she's going to be? >> she said she wasn't expecting to win the golds medal and this was her plan after the olympics. next up, tim mcgraw cast a pretty special costar in his latest music video his 19-year-old daughter, audrey tim saying on social media that he couldn't be more thrilled to have her join him. watch this ♪ singing along where the green grass grows ♪ ♪ she's fixing her lips in the drop down mirror that pretty little thing made it hard to steer ♪ ♪ never going to get her out of there there's too many memories ♪ >> wow >> tim shared that before booking audrey >> do you approve as a dad

>> i don't know about that one >> he did say he wanted to yell cut, but it was just a little peck and he did run it by faith, of course >> of course >> the big boss in the house finally, kristen chenoweth sat down with hoda for the most recent episode of "quoted by." she shared her favorite quote by late author and former wife of senator john edwards elizabeth edwards. >> she stood in the storm and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails. and i thought, that's what we have to do in life and of all women to say that, of course, she went through a lot of stuff, i think. but even in the good times, you still have to adjust your sails. >> boy, that is totally her mantra she spent so much of her career, like nothing was a gimme she was one of those people who had to keep going with the winds of change. >> cool. such a great conversation. and i love the outfit change

>> you know what i was wearing the same thing it's clear over and over and over >> well, it looks good make sure you catch that full conversation over on today.com it's a good one. >> good popstart, dylan. still ahead, harry smith will be here to take us to a steak lover's dream in vermont, the fancy stuff. but first, you good morning to you. it is 8:26. governor gavin newsom will be back in the bay area, urging people to vote no on the recall election. his vote no action continued. 46 candidates are running against the governor, most of them republicans. today is the official deadline for counties to mail out ballots. you may have received yours. drop boxes are supposed to be available in let's get a look at the forecast. meteorologist kari hall is tracking that. >> we have a smoky start to the

day, a live look outside in san jose. we are concerned about air quality, should see improvements this afternoon. high temperatures head for the low 80s. high of 72 in oakland, 92 in martinez, 87 in santa rosa, inland temperatures in the low 90s in some of the hottest spots. tomorrow, wind picks up during the evening into early wednesday morning, increasing the fire danger. we have to watch out for that, especially with that dry offshore wind. marcus? >> thanks, kari. another local news update coming up in 30 minutes. i will see you back here then.

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last week, jimmy had many guests and big fun this week, michael keaton and common in stoud owe, and octavia spencer and heidi klum tonight, melissa mccarthy. new "fallon. >> anybody out there 8:30 now and hoda and i are bringing up the rear because we've got this whole crowd other here it's so fun to have everybody here it's a monday morning. >> by the way, i love that we're outside. i missed the week outside last week and it's good to see everybody. welcome. we're happy to see you guys.

good to see you. guys, we've got a great story coming about a woman who went from being adopted by a cattle rancher, how she found >> what do i have? is that where we are >> yeah. we're talking fitness with stef. >> she says cardio alone won't cut it strength training is very important, as well so we'll talk to her and dylan. >> do you want to know what is coming up in the third hour? >> yes >> this is easy. kelsey grammer we're going to drill him on this "frazier" reboot >> octavia spencer will be here. >> and i'm going to be here for the third hour >> in case everybody is wondering what happens when the prompter goes out, you've just seen it. >> can we at least show everybody.

we have such a beautiful crowd give everyone a nice look. they've been waiting outside all morning. and come down here because these guys have been here since the very beginning, right here in this corner. >> love it and dylan, have you got a check of the weather >> yes it's beautiful here in new york. we finally lost all that humidity as early as yesterday through the week, it will be very, very rainy, especially down through florida with tropical storm fred making its way on shore through alabama, mississippi, the panhandle of florida will likely see up to 8 to 12 inches of rain it's still unsettled through the east coast, as well. through the middle of the week, the heavy rain will make its way through the tennessee river valley, the appalachians, where we could end up with several inches of rain and potential for flashflooding. it will start to cool off a little bit out west. finally some rest from the extreme heat we finish off the week with some showers, up and down the east coast and more wet weather

good monday morning. i am meteorologist kari hall. you're stepping out the door to a really smoky sky. it will clear out through today. temperature for the inland valleys, warmest spots like brenlt wood and gilroy heat to the low 90s today and winds pick up tomorrow, just slightly cooler. we have increased fire danger, especially for the hills, between tuesday night and wednesday morning. temperature-wise in the upper 80s, with san francisco reaching into the upper 60s. >> and that's your >> and that's your latest forecast with more and more businesses requiring proof of vaccination, how can you keep your info safe stephanie ruhle is going to answer all of your qstionsue jason, did you know geico could save you hundreds on car insurance and a whole lot more? cool. so what are you waiting for? mckayla maroney to get your frisbee off the roof? i'll get it. ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ ♪ ♪ whoa.

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welcome back if you are heading out the door, you're probably searching for your keys, your wallet, your phone.

>> your brain. we are this morning. many of us have to remember the vaccine card a lot of restaurants and businesses and gyms are start to go require vaccination >> stef ruhle is here with easy ways to make sure you never forget >> good morning. what if i do, i walk into a restaurant and i don't have any vaccine card for me and it's required is there any recourse in that moment >> number one thing you need to do right now is find your card lots of us are going, my card? where is it? it's stressful you only have one. you might not want to carry it around so you can go old school. take photocopies of it, front and back you can use that you can do digital you can take a picture of it if you're worried about privacy concerns, on your iphone, click share and you can create a hidden album, if you have a google or a samsung phone, there are sort of locked folders but the number one thing to do make sure your doctor is aware of your vaccination status so if you lose that card, you can go back to the doctor's office and

say help me out. >> the doctor, not the pharmacy? >> well, no. if you are concerned, you can go back to the original place where you were vaccinated with your id, with the date of vaccination but what happens if you went to a convention center, you went to a pop-up, it doesn't exist you can go to the cdc's website and they can help you find the health department for your own state and you can give them your information and you can find it. that's why i just don't want you to lose it >> let's go simpler. savannah and i both did this there are apps you can go on, download your information and have like a little -- what do you call that thing? >> like the qr code. you can scan it right in so depending on what state you live in, if you're in new york, new jersey, california, our states have websites and apps so you can digitally prove it if you were vaccinated at a

walgreen's, cvs, they have apps. there are third-party sites. and you can scan it right in to the notes section on your phone. if you have an iphone, you can keep it there. and i think we covered it when i asked about losing -- because i actually did lose my vaccine card >> what did you do >> i went back to the dwayne reed and they filled it out for me and gave me another card as a courtesy but you're saying if you didn't have that situation, you can call the cdc >> you can go to the cdc or your health department. there is a risk of losing it a lot of people are laminating not their original card, right but if you laminate your original card and you get a booster, how are you going to put that on there? so make a copy and laminate that one. but the original one, you want to hang tight to it. that's important >> and what if you are concerned about people thinking it's a fake card and it's not authentic? we to have heard stories on that >> if you're going somewhere where you know you need to prove you're vaccinated and you're like my 15-year-old son, surely yours is going to end up in a

washing machine and it's crumbled up, treat your original like you would your passport and your license when you need to prove it, bring that and get one of those card holders. you don't throw your passport in the washing machine. treat your card like that. >> all right, stef, thank you so much >> at least your 16-year-old is washing his clothes. >> well, somebody is coming up next, where is the beef harry smith is going to take us to a special farm here in the u. to learn the surprisis.ng and there you have it— -woah. wireless on the most reliable network nationwide. wow! -big deal! ...we get unlimited for just $30 bucks. sweet, but mine has 5g included. relax people, my wireless is crushing it. that's because you all have xfinity mobile with your internet.

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and we are back with mr. smith goes to and we are back with "mr. smith goes to . . ." and this one might make you hungry. >> you might recognize the words wagyu beef and, harry, you found out what makes that so special >> so you three were in japan and one of the things that you didn't get to do was get shabu shabu. hot pot. amazing little strips of beef

that's comes from a wagyu cow, right? so that's spread around the united states and you can see it on a menu once in a while in the u.s. well, we went to one of the sources in a most beautiful place in vermont there has been ample rain this summer in southern vermont the pastures abundant with grass for grazing. >> this is one group of about 30 animals, 30 mamas and their babies >> wow they're beautiful animals. sheila started raising wagyu cattle in 2007 bred to pull carts up japanese mountains, the wagyu seem right at home here >> "wa" means from japan "gyu" means cow. so they have all japanese descended from about five plane loads that's came over in the 1990s. >> reporter: but as usual as it might seem to find a herd of

wagyu is sheila's own story. she studied economics at the university of chicago, had four children, and then became a physician, a pediatrician. but something happened in your life that precipitated you saying, i want to change what was that? >> there was it was pretty painful. i lost my husband suddenly in two seconds flat and that changed my life i thought, oh, my gosh, when is life going to start feeling better when am i going to start feeling better when i go to bed and get up it took a long time to get to figuring out how to move myself forward, at least a year it was a year later that i saw this farm. >> reporter: farm just up the hill from where she grew up in springfield. but with zero experience in the cattle business, building a herd was it own uphill climb. with challenges aplenty, it slowly grew from 10 to more than 200. then the pandemic hit. >> covid hit and our restaurants went dark. we had to survive.

and that was important to me we had five families on the hill that i was responsible for >> folks working here. >> folks working here. >> reporter: with restaurants closed, sheila made a pivot to e-commerce the demand was there all along orders come in daily here is why. wagyu 101. what is this >> grocery store bought here in town >> ribeye. >> ribeye. >> what is this one? >> that is half wagyu, half holstein it was a holestein dairy cow crossed with a wagyu sire. and you can see it's a little bit more marbled than that store bought steak >> and what is this guy right here >> that's the cat's meow that's wagyu beef born and raised here on this farm it's 100% full blood wagyu, no cross breeding >> the difference is the fat, the marbling, feathered through and omega rich the aroma from the grill was

almost more than we could handle finall tt. that's crazy it's juicy in a, like, super impactful flavorful way. i get what the craze is all about.njed the beef, no question, but came away even more impressed with sheila what do you think it is in you, the fortitude, whatever it is, the vision to say i'm going to keep going forward and make this happen >> i once had an instructor in medical school who told me, sheila, you have to find your passion and if you find your passion, you'll be happy in life ♪ keep your garden fair ♪ >> reporter: sheila told us in the morning she likes to come to the pasture and just watch the animals. and sometimes in the evening,

she sings to them. ♪ let no man steal your time ♪ >> love sheila >> wow >> you go to do this story and it's like you are an amazing person >> wow >> so cool >> that was crazy. >> and oh, by the way, first, that half and half, less expensive than the wagyu itself, but the american wagyu, if it's pure, is going to be very pricey, but still less expensive than the japanese import which is over $100 a pound >> what was the seasoning on there, salt and pepper >> if that talk about melts in your mouth >> thank you, harry. just ahead, meet your new personal trainer, a beginner's guide to strength training and why it's so important for your long-term health

we are back with today wellness and today's guide, beginner strength training >> it could have some long-term benefits, more than you realize. take a look. whether you're walking or running, biking or swimming, consistent exercise impacts losing weight. and now reserach suggests pumping iron may help keep the pounds off lifting weights for a total of 1 to 2 hours per week helps manage weight gain. researchers at iowa state university found that men and women who regularly include muscle strengthening exercises in their routine were 20% to 30% less likely to become overweight

than those who do not. our today.com fitness expert stephanie monsiuer joining us now from chicago last month, she led more than 16,000 of you in our start today facebook group fitness plan. now she's following it up with a new printable, 31-day strength training workout plan created just for us. stef, first of all, wow. you've got some friends with you. you are on fire on our facebook page we're so happy that you're helping us out but just talk -- sometimes people think of weights and i think you know what? i'm going to do some cardio so you feel like i'm getting a workout. weights i can put on the side. why is it important to do weight training >> that's a great question it's so important to do weight strength training because we need to add muscles to our bodies adding muscle mass helps us to burn calories, speed up the metabolism, it helps with joint flexibility, it helped to energize our bodies. and you can do this all, hoda, in 20 minutes a day. >> all right sold i mean, hoda is sold me, i'm still waiting. no, you've broken it down to the

three areas of the body. let's start with upper body and what it's like for a beginner. what weight level should you use? >> yeah. so if you're beginning, i recommend starting at 2 or 3 pound dumbbells. you can go all the way up to 5o" show viewers behind me here today. whew and they have been stepping it up with us in our facebook group start today each and every day so here i'm showing you the biceps curl. the next exercise is an overhead press. now, these are pretty basic moves, so i'm going to show you in detail two of the more complex moves. we're going to start with a tricep kickback. so feet are going to be as wide as the hips. abs in, lean forward just a little bit kick back with the weights and come back to center. this is working the area behind the arms that sometimes looks a little flabby when you're wearing a sleeveless dress or shirt. so the people in our group love this exercise.

>> stephanie, i know you're working out the lower body, as well do you need the weights or can you do your own thing? >> that's a great question wt se than just a basic squat. we have sara and ron doing a half squat so it's the same exact movement, except just halfway down the next exercise we have for you is a side lunge. this is our full move, but still beginner level if you're looking for ultra beginner, you want to follow ron and sara they're doing a side leg lift. working the glutes and the hamstrings >> if you're new to this kind of workout, how do you make sure you don't pull a muscle or damage your knees, your ankles

or just get hurt in general? >> yes, so you want to make sure that you're only moving to your maximum. so if you've got knee or joint issues, go halfway do the leg lifts do the half squats start low. those dumbbells, three pounds to start is what i recommend. finally, people are asking me questions all day long in our "start today" facebook group and i am personally answering any of your health and fitness questions. so if your knees are hurting a little bit, you're just getting back into the swing of things, we're just going to elevate and ice. for the most part, people are feeling great. they're losing weight. >> everybody is pumped up. get to the core. what do we want to do for that >> okay. so for core, we have a whole routine. i'll show you one. abs in tight hands behind the head. we're going to crisscross. this is standing bicycle abs, hoda i think you would like this one. opposite elbow towards opposite knee

>> stef, again, overall, how many minutes a day should you be doing this and how many days a week >> yeah. i exclusively designed this workout plan so that it's only 20 minutes a day we alternate between core and upper body, lower body, a 20 minute walk here and there. a daily workout plan but you're getting support and motivation from viewers across the country, like me. >> all right it's popular people are into it, stef thank you for the full 31-day plan and calendar. head to today.com and connect with the thousands of people showing on the plan in our today facebook group >> our third and fourth hours are straight ahead first, a check of your local news and weather

good morning. 8:56. i am marcus washington. young people across san francisco, heading back to the classroom first time since the pandemic took hold. all san francisco unified schools are reopening for in class learning. starting september 7th, all

employees will be required to be fully vaccinated or face weekly testing. students will be screened for covid each day, must wear masks at all times. contra costa schools are confirming new covid iens. they taugd at san ram own. half were elementary students that couldn't be vaccinated. much more at midday. california, did you know our homes share power? but when we try to stay cool in a heat wave our supply is pushed to the limit. but you have the power to keep us up and running! “i do?” yup, we all do! with flex alerts. they notify us when to shift our energy use

if our power supply is stretched. so from pre-cooling our homes, to using less energy from 4-9pm, together, let's flex our power to save our power. sign up for flex alerts today.

dear ms, from day one you've tried to define me. but i never invited you in. an infusion treatment that's 2-times-a-year. for adults with relapsing or primary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis, ocrevus is proven effective in reducing relapses in rms and slowing disability progression in rms and ppms. don't take ocrevus if you've had a life-threatening allergic reaction to it, or have hepatitis b. tell your doctor about vaccinations or if you've had hep b, as it could come back. a common side effect of ocrevus is infusion reactions, and some may require hospitalization. it can increase your risk of infections, which can be serious, and may decrease certain types of immunoglobulins. while pml was not reported in clinical trials, it could happen. an increased risk of cancer,

including breast cancer, may exist. sorry, ms. you don't get to control every part of me ms can't own us. ask your doctor about two-times-a-year ocrevus. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> good morning and welcome. it's the third hour of "today." it is monday, august 15th. al, sheinelle and craig, they're all off. it's going be like musical chairs at the anchor desk this week, but it's all people you know and love. with us this morning, tom llamas and jill martin. >> hello. >> how are you doing snch. >> good. i was saying to tom, we have never met before and we actually worked in miami at the same time. so when i saw him, i was like,