and wish her a very happy birthday. you can find her @cierra johnson. >> we love her. >> one of our great reporters. >> happy birthday. >> have a great day. thanks for joining us. the "today" show coming up next. ♪ good morning. breaking overnight, getting out. emergency flights resume in kabul just hours after scenes of chaos on the tarmac. the u.s. military racing to evacuate tens of thousands of americans and afghans while president biden, under fire, defends his decision to end america's longest war and blames the afghan government and military for the country's rapid collapse. >> it is wrong to order american troops to step up when afghanistan's own armed forces would not.

>> as the fallout grows here at home. >> we're less safe as a nation. the likelihood of an attack coming from afghanistan now is through the roof. >> this morning, the latest live from kabul. and our conversation with a retired general and former national security adviser who served for years in afghanistan. much-needed boost, u.s. health officials expected to recommend vaccine boosters for all americans. the rollout possible in a matter of weeks. just ahead, who is first in line and the potential timing of your next shot. torrential rain, fred soaking the south this morning after making landfall along florida's gulf coast while overnight grace restrengthens into a tropical storm and henry forms off the east coast. al is tracking the triple threat. emotional return, tennis star naomi osaka gets tearful in her first news conference since revealing her struggles with mental health. >> no. you're super good. >> we're going to take a quick

break. >> straight ahead, the question that led her to step away. why her agent who called the reporter who asked it a bully and his response overnight. all that, plus autopilot problems inside the new hicles.gation into tesla's is the feature putting your safety at rick? and gator-aid. the shocking moment an alligator pulls its handler into the tank at a kid's party and one of the dads dives in to save her. >> he's a hero. i couldn't have gotten luckier with the people that were around. >> the story behind the heroic move. today, tuesday, august 17th, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, gu mning with us.

>> a lot of breaking news overnight to tell you about, including covid boosters shots. nbc news has learned that the biden administration now supports every american getting a third booster shot 8 months after their second dose. we're going to be live with the latest on that and when those boosters could start to be administered. we are watching several storms, fred bringing heavy rain and wind to the south as it pushes inland, grace drenching haiti overnight and complicating that earthquake recovery effort there. and now there's a third storm named henri. he's gaining strength in the atlantic, and al has the full forecast, coming up. we're going to start in afghanistan where the flights have resumed after scenes like this, showing how desperate afghans are to flee that country, now under taliban control. >> and going viral, this image showing nearly 650 afghans crowded aboard an evacuation

site from kabul to qatar, one of the largest crowds ever flown in a c-17 military cargo plane. we've got every angle covered including our interview with retired army general h.r. mcmaster. but we begin in kabul with nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel. richard, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. the evacuation flights are coming in frequently now and you can sense there is urgency about them. they land, they're only on the ground a few minutes before they take off again. it is clear the u.s. wants to wrap this up as quickly as possible. kabul airport is back up and running. evacuation flights for u.s. embassy personnel and contractors in full swing. flights were stopped yesterday as tens of thousands of afghans stormed the runways, desperate to leave. clinging onto aircraft, trying not to be left behind as the americans pull out. u.s. troops found themselves overwhelmed as they tried to clear the airport, firing

warning shots. the pentagon says american troops killed two armed afghans, but some afghans were able to get out. on one flight so full it may have set a record for the number of people who can fit onto an american c-17. afghans are running from the taliban, now in full control, setting up checkpoints with the very weapons american taxpayers bought for the afghan army, which collapsed instead of fighting after the u.s. pulled out of bases and left them without air support. today, the taliban told afghans they have nothing to fear. the group called on civil servants to return to work, offered a non-specific general amnesty, and called on women to join their new government. but the taliban said they will always be guided by strict islamic sharia law as all beauty salons and advertisements and showing women are being painted over many afghans don't believe the

taliban's promises of tolerance. a translator for the u.s. military is one of thousands in hiding this morning. translators have been marked for death by the taliban hasib has no visa to the u.s. and no way of getting to the airport if he had one. we're not showing his face for his safety >> right now i am in kabul kabul is surrounded by the taliban. i am not safe here this is all the documents to prove that i was interpreter >> reporter: the taliban are trying to show they are an open, legitimate government ready to engage with the world. now, they have to prove it to a spectacle and frightened nation. the taliban offered to wor with the government that they just overthrew the question is, can they be believed hoda >> richard engle for uth thank you, richard taliban takeover, president biden once again defended his decision to withdraw u.s. troops and blamed much of the current crisis on the afghan government and military critics on both sides of the aisle are lining up and

demanding to know why the u.s. was not better prepared for this withdrawal chief white house correspondent peter alexander on duty this morning. peter, good morning to you >> reporter: good morning to you. president biden back at camp david after describing this pullout as hard and messy conceding his administration was caught off guard by the speed of the taliban takeover but he's arguing what is happening there in afghanistan only reinforces his decision to get out. still, his critics are furious that if the president was so clear eyed about the risk, why wasn't the u.s. better prepared? >> i am president of the united states of america. and the buck stops with me >> reporter: president biden breaking his silence amid the chaos in kabul the president expressing no regrets about his decision to withdraw the u.s. from the country after 20 years >> i stand squarely behind my decision after 20 years, i've learned the

hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw u.s. forces >> reporter: still, president biden admitted he was wrong to downplay the chances of a lightning fast taliban takeover, which just last month he called highly unlikely. >> there's going to be n circumstance where you see people being lifted off the room of the embassy of the united states from afghanistan. >> reporter: national security adviser jake sullivan speaking with savannah yesterday. >> how do you explain getting this so wrong? >> well, first, savannah, to be fair, the helicopter has been the mode of transport from our embassy to the airport for the last 20 years. >> but you know the point, it's not the helicopter it's not the mechanism no, no, it's the last-minute scramble you know that. >> it is certainly the case that the speed with which cities fell was much greater than anyone anticipated. >> reporter: the outrage has been both swift and bipartisan >> we're less safe as a nation the likelihood of an attack coming from afghanistan now is

through the roof intelligence committee, vowing to ask tough but necessary questions about why we weren't better prepared for a worst-case scenario the president focussing on his original reasons for withdrawal. >> american troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dieing in a war that afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves >> reporter: the situation als infuriating for veterans like matt zeller who served in afghanistan and is now desperately trying to help find a way out for afghan allies who assisted the u.s., accusing the biden administration of ignoring repeated warnings. >> we sent them plan after plan on how to evacuate these people. nobody listened to us. >> reporter: overnight, we're hearing for the first time from former president bush who first sent troops to afghanistan in 2001 after 9/11, 20 years ago. mr. bush called on the u.s. government to cut the red tape for afghans who helped us, insisting we have the, quote,

responsibility and the resources to secure safe passage for them now without bureaucratic delay hoda and savannah. >> peter, thank you. joining us now retired army general h.r. mcmaster, he was administrationity adviser during he also served in afghanistan and is now a senior fellow at stanford university's hoover institution. general, good morning to you >> good morning, savannah. >> it seems to me there are two issues here. let's take them one by one there is how the withdrawal was handled and then there's the issue of whether the united states should have withdrawn from afghanistan at all. so let's talk about what is happening right now, the execution of this withdrawal the president has acknowledged that they were surprised by how quickly the taliban took over. should they have been? >> no, they should not have been surprised, savannah. war is a contest of wills. we did everything we could, it seemed, across the last two administrations to deliver psychological blows to the afghans that landed, i think, even harder than the taliban's

physical blows landed on them, telling them that we're going to withdraw, making concessio after concession with the taliban, not even allowing the afghan government to participate in what became our ka pitlation agreement with the taliban forcing the afghanistan began government to release 5,000 of the some of the most heinous people on earth who immediately went back to terrorizing the afghan people. so it should not have come as a surprise at all, savannah. >> let's talk about the withdrawal, the larger issue your former boss, president trump, did negotiate an agreement with the taliban and agreed to leave in may of this year president biden agreed with president trump on that issue and has decided to withdraw u.s. troops and many americans support that position what do you say? >> well, savannah, it should come as no surprise that many americans support that position because we've had three presidents in a row say it's not worth it in afghanistan. and the american people never heard what they needed to hear

from presidential leaders acros, which is what is at stake in afghanistan and what is a sustainable strategy, a strategy that will deliver a favorable outcome at an acceptable cost. i believe the only time we had that kind of a strategy in place was at the beginning of the trump administration and then, of course, president trump, as president obama an president biden did prioritized the withdrawal over the aim in afghanistan and i believe that aim was worthy, to deny jihadist terrorists a safe haven that they could use to conduct attacks on the scale of 9/11, which we ought to remember was the most devastating terrorist attack in history. we should have learned from that but also from the withdrawal from iraq, as well it was then vice president biden who called president obama on the phone and said thank you for allowing me to end this war. the news flash today is wars

don't end when one party disengages our enemies have a say in the future course of events. what happened in iraq is al qaeda in iraq became isis and we know, despite our claims to the contrary by those who are deluding themselves, that the taliban is completel interconnected and intertwined with al qaeda and other terrorist groups >> one thing the biden administration now says is look, president trump negotiated this withdrawal with the taliban. we were stuck with it, and we agree in principle we wanted to withdraw but having a residual force of 3,500 troops was not an option there was no status quo option, in other words if we had just stayed this summer and kept a few thousand troops there, the taliban would have started firing again on u.s. troops and we would have been right back where we were. how do you respond to that argument they said status quo wasn't an option >> well, it was, obviously, an option i mean, the taliban violated this so-called agreement with them it was an agreement between us

and the taliban that was embarrassing it was basically if you don't fire on us, we will not take action against you and so we left kind of our afghan allies hanging. we did conduct some strikes during that period of time, savannah, but what is heartbreaking about this is we abonn -- abandoned our allies and we actually empowered the taliban on our way out the idea that we would have to adhere to an agreement that the taliban was breaking remember after we signed that capitulation agreement, the taliban intensified an assassination campaign killing journalists, killing any women political leaders and judges, bombing girls' schools, attacking a maternity hospital savannah, do we really think that the taliban was adhering to the agreement? of course they weren't and we've seen that in dramatic fashion now. so, of course, i think that's a -- it's a false claim, right, that we had no other option. >> the taliban has certainly shown who it is over and over

again. in the few seconds we have left, general, i just think about why we went to afghanistan in the first place. i think about the 20th anniversary of 9/11 upon us, i think about the threat from terrorists and al qaeda. how do you judge that threat coming from afghanistan now in just the few moments we havede disengages the al qaeda group and other jihadist terrorists, 20 of which are in the afghanistan/pakistan border are going to gain strength from this a victory for the islamic emirate of afghanistan is a victory for these terrorist groups i would say what we can do right now is provide a safe corridor and help get afghans out i haven't heard that there is a massive private sector effort waiting in the wings with charter flights, with pre-enrollments for afghan women students in universities in third countries.

we just need to get the airport open and force the taliban to provide a safe passage to get people out that should be our number one priority, i think, at this moment >> general h.r. mcmaster who served as national security adviser, thank you very much for your time. we really appreciate it. >> thank you, savannah moving now to another big story, major story overnight in the fight against the coronavirus, tom is in for craig this morning >> hey, guys, we are following a major headline we're learning booster shots could be right around the corner for all americans. a big development in an alarming covid surge that's overwhelming hospitals and creating issues for teachers and parents as the new school year begins sam brock joins us with more from miami sam, good morning. >> reporter: tom, guys, good morning. the nbc news i should say has confirmed overnight that the biden administration now supports a third shot for most americans. and we talk about that eight months after their second dose that could be available, guys, in september, pending fda approval all of that as schools

nationwide are in full swing many people already vaccinated for covid-19 can expect recommended third booster shot starting as soon as next month multiple sources familiar with discussions telling nbc news top biden health officials and medical experts are now coalescing around boosters for all americans. the time frame those who have already received the second dose of the pfizer or moderna vaccines would get a booster eight months later according to the "new york times," which broke the story overnight, that means the first boosters could go into arms mid to late september. last week in a conversation with craig, dr. anthony fauci hinte covid booster shots could be on the horizon. >> no vaccine, at least not within this category, is going to have an indefinite amount of protection there will be inevitably a time we have to give boosters. >> reporter: the goal will be

for nursing homes and health care workers first, then other americans. it's to slow the surging delta variant which has already sunk its teeth into the school year coast to coast, classrooms are coming back online >> all right are we ready >> reporter: as new figures from the american academy of pediatrics show why the stakes are so high. child cases climbed to 121,000 in the last week it's elevated from just the week before parents, like stephanie schwander, whose daughter starts kindergarten in miami next week say it's all about using good judgment and science as a north star >> i think, to the best of their ability, they should be taught to wear masks when it's necessary and right now it's necessary. >> reporter: miami appears poised to pass a mask requirement for schools as the subject continues to splinter communities. florida's governor has forbidden mandates, putting parents in a difficult spot >> a lot of us are stuck in the middle of it i don't like to be used as a go-between between the two

sides. >> reporter: there have been scares in florida already. one county, hillsboro has already quarantined more than 5,000 students within the first week of school as for that third shot, the "new york times" reporting this morning that we could be hearing from the biden administration on that later this week. guys, back to you. >> sam brock with the latest developments on covid, thank you for that al has his work cut out for him this morning three storms you're tracking in the tropics this morning >> that's right, guys. first of all, we have fred that is a tropical depression we have henri that is going to cause rain for bermuda that's about it. unfortunately, tropical storm grace causing heavy rain for our friends down in haiti. so we're going to be watching that closely right now, tropical depression fred is moving south-southwest -- i should say north-northeast at 14 miles per hour, 35-mile-per-hour winds we have tornado watches up right now for parts of central georgia. flash flood watches stretching all the way up into the virginias for 13 million people. and you can see heavy rain, upwards of 10 inches of rain

possible high risk of flooding near asheville, north carolina, and we're talking about that risk of tornados with this system. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds >> good tuesday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we take a look at our temperatures today it's going to be a little bit cooler compared to yesterday. especially for the inland is valleys as we head towards the mid to upper 80s this afternoon. 80 san jose, 75 palo alto andur

fire danger increases starting late tonight as the winds pick up. temperatures tomorrow head towards the upper 80s and slightly cooler in time for the weekend. san francisco will see highs in the upper 60s. >> >> and that's your latest weather. guys >> al, thank you still ahead, tennis star naomi osaka tearing up and stepping away in her first news conference since revealing her mental health struggles. why her team is calling one reporter a bully new reaction overnight plus, new concerns over tesla's autopilot feature afte a number of crashes with emergency vehicles an inside look at the federal investigation launched investigation launched but fit, this is "today" on rs

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from the very first touch, pampers, the #1 pediatrician recommended brand, helps keep baby's skin drier and healthier. so every touch will protect like the first. is. a very good tuesday morning to you. it is now 7:26. i'm laura garcia. here's a look at today's top stories including new details on the possibility of another covid booster shot. >> i'm bob redell. the federal government is expected to recommend a booster shot eight months after the second dose of your pfizer or moderna vaccine. they're collecting information as far as when they should recommend the j&j booster shot as the delta variant surges across the country and also over concerns that vaccines might wane in their effectiveness over time. good morning. i'm cierra johnson at sfo.

last night we were able to see some reunions between some family members and folks welcoming in folks from kabul, afghanistan, on the last commercial flight before the taliban shut down both the streets as well as the airport. we saw those reunions and also saw the other spectrum, folks here not wanting to show their faces as well as in little kabul and fremont where folks say they have not heard from their loved ones and not sure what's going on over the developing story that we will continue to keep close tabs on what's happening overseas. in the meantime check in with meteorologist kari hall. lots of kids heading back to school. >> about to step out in brentwood as you are stepping out for the drop-off time it's going to be in the upper 60s, start of the school day looks good, warm for this afternoon but not as hot as yesterday and the smoke clearing out for today, but the smoke comes back tomorrow as our fire danger increases and temperatures come up a few degrees. windy early tomorrow morning and we're watching that with more

updates throughout the day. >> all right. sounds good. thanks so much. thank you for joining us as well. another local news update coming up in half an hour. enjoy your morning.

we're back, 7:30, tuesday morning, 17th of august, 2021. that's our corner of the world. we're going to get outside in just a bit. let's get a check of your headlines at 7:30 beginning with the humanitarian crisis in haiti, triggered by that 7.2 earthquake on saturday. more than 1400 people have been killed and thousands more injured. making matters worse, overnight, tropical storm grace swept over the country raising more fears of flash flooding and mudslides and further complicating the recovery efforts there. at least 37,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed.ryre

in haiti now assisting in the recovery efforts. we have an important recall to tell you about this morning. the u.s. consumer product safety commission has announced a mandatory recall of 10 million zen and neo balls magnets. there are two reports of children who ingested those magnets and needed surgery to remove them. consumers should stop using them and contact the company zen magnets for a refund. and it's often referred to as the holy grail of sports cars and now it's officially the most valuable in the world. this wagner baseball card sold at auction yesterday for, get this, more than $6.5 million. there's only about 60 of the cards in existence. it was an all-time record. they were issued inside cigarette packs in 1909 and 1911. it breaks the $5 million for a mickey mantle rookie card. i'm still holding out hope that

my card will be what i can retire on. speaking of sports, something that got a lot of attention, and it happened during a news conference with tennis star naomi osaka. >> it was her first one since she withdrew from the french open. at one point, she broke down in tears and walked away. erin mclaughlin has the story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. naomi osaka took questions from reporters ahead of a tournament in ohio. she answered a few that talked about her mental health and what reporters could do better. one exchange brought her to tears. a young tennis star wiping away tears. naomi osaka overcome with emotions after interacting with a reporter. >> you're not crazy about dealing with us, especially in this format, yet you have a lot of outside interests that are served by having a media platform. i guess my question is how do you balance the two? >> when you say i'm not crazy

about dealing with you guys, what does that refer to? >> reporter: it started when a reporter from the "cincinnati inquirer" referred to past comments osaka made about her issue with the format of press conferences. moderator offering to move on when osaka paused mid answer. >> no, i'm actually very interested in that, like, point of view. so if you could repeat that, that would be awesome. >> reporter: the 23-year-old went on to finish the exchange. >> ever since i was younger, i've had a lot of media interest on me. >> reporter: but seconds later, she started to cry and left the room. after a short time, osaka returned to finish taking questions. naomi's agent later calling the reporter a bully, adding, his sole purpose was to intimidate. overnight, the reporter, paul doherty, writing in a column that he understands osaka's struggle. adding, she's very human and doesn't mind showing it. monday's press conference was osaka's first since she stunned

the world in may, refusing to speak to the media at the french open before quitting the tournament, and later withdrawing from wimbledon. osaka writing on social media that she suffered long bouts of depression and that she gets huge waves of anxiety before speaking to the press. osaka says her mental health struggles started in 2018 after she upset serena williams at the win at the u.s. open. a bittersweet victory she spoke about on "today." >> i felt a little sad because i wasn't sure if they were booing at me or if it wasn't the outcome they wanted. >> reporter: sparking a conversation about athletes and mental health that continued at the olympics. where, after issues early in the competition, simone biles opened up about the struggles many face. >> at the end of the day, we're not just athletes, we're human, too. >> naomi osaka doesn't like the format of these news conferences. did she say what she would prefer? >> reporter: that's right. she suggests athletes have the

option of a sick day rather than being fined for missing a post-match news conference. she also criticized their timing, pointing to news conferences that happen straight after losses where she's asked sensitive questions. she says it amplifies the loss and she feels it could be a friendlier experience. hoda. >> erin mclaughlin, thank you. coming up next, autopilot dangers, the string of crashes involving tesla's feature that has now triggered a new investigation. what all drivers need to know, after this capital one shopping instantly searches for available coupon codes and automatically applies them. just download it to your computer. whoa! you're my hero. yeah... i can tell. you like it? i look good in miniature. capital one shopping... it's kinda genious. (in s.l.j. voice) what's in your wallet? i don't say it like that, devin. the one thing every student needs for back to school

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vehicles of first responders >> tom costello covers transportation for us. tom, good morning. >> reporter: hi, guys, good morning. tesla has been under the microscope for years, bo that autopilot feature. and now, there's concern because apparently quite a few of these vehicles have been slamming into the back of emergency vehicles off to the side of a highway their emergency overhead lights flashing, even when the tesla vehicle was in that autopilot mode there morning, tesla technology is under new scrutiny. federal safety regulators now investigating at least 11 crashes involving tesla vehicles colliding into emergency vehicles while using autopilot or driver assist mode. in one crash last august, a driver using autopilot slammed into a sheriff's deputy's parked cruiser on the highway authorities say the driver was also watching a movie on his cell phone at the time

the national highway traffic safeinassessing the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist and enforce the driver's engagement. seven of the collisions caused 17 injuries and one death. the regulator says most crashes occurred after dark and often at scenes where first responders were using flashing lights, flares, illuminated arrow boards or road cones. the investigation will cover nearly 800,000 vehicles, including models from 2014 to this year. another driver involved in a crash with a parked police cruiser calls the probe appropriate, but still believes in the benefits of the technology >> it's not perfect, but it's better than human drivers. >> reporter: tesla did not respond to nbc news for comment, but ceo elon musk has long defended his company's safety record

tweeting in april, tesla autopilot engaged now ten times lower chance of accident than manual vehicle the company's vehicle manuals do note that autopilot requires active driver supervision and drivers are warned to keep their hands on the wheel and be prepared to take over. if a driver takes his hand off the wheels, the car immediately responds with visual and then audio warnings. but some safety experts believe that's not enough. >> i think if you're driving a tesla or not, you're affected by this clinical trial that they're essentially running on the u.s. roads. >> reporter: the federal government has looked into more than two dozen other tesla crashes, often involving drivers using autopilot. there's been dangerous behavior caught on camera like sleeping behind the wheel >> this guy was head between his legs, completely asleep. >> reporter: are we as a society ready for this technology? >> i don't think we are ready for this the technology is not ready to do this yet.

>> reporter: the ntsb has, for years, called for stronger safety mechanisms around autopilot. and even considering putting out a geofencing type of technology to limit exactly where autopilot can be used geographical the ntsb, of course, is the safety investigator, not the regulator. now the regulator is looking into this and that could take a year or so before this investigation is wrapped up. guys, back to you. >> interesting, tom, thank you very much. it is 7:43 mr. roker, you got a check off our weather? >> yeah. and unfortunately out west, the drought continues and we have really -- take a look at this. this evidence of this. this is lake meade and it's on the colorado river it was formed with the hoover dam. well, it is at its lowest levels ever so it is now a water emergency. 40 million people are supplied with this reservoir. so we are going to be watching this very closely as those water levels continue to drop. and the fire danger continues. dry thunderstorms in both idaho and montana but these red flag

warnings extend from california all the way to the dakotas and we've got a lot of heat to talk about. nothing really that is going to help everyone. all that smoke from the dixie fire, largest fire in the u.s. today. 579,000 acres burned and look at the smoke all the way from minneapolis to green bay. the heat continues out there today. temperature, billings, 97. bismarck, 103. 104 in rapid city. omaha, 84 degrees. tomorrow, those temperatures continue to move to the east above normal in marquette, minneapolis, fargo, chicago at 85 as we move into the latter part of the week, temperatures are going to be in the 80s and upper 80s from chicago, cincinnati, charlotte, all the way to washington, d.c. a little cooler in boston and still rather toasty. that's what' good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. taking a look at our temperatures today, we'll reach into the mid 80s and it's going to be a little bit cooler than we've had the past couple days. air quality will improve this afternoon but our winds will also increase tonight. we'll be watching out for a high fire danger between tonight and early tomorrow morning.

coming up slightly to the upper 80s but a slight cool down for the weekend. san francisco will see highs in the upper 60s and breezy winds and starting out with fog this morning. sunshine and improved air quality for this afternoon. >> and that is your latest weather. guys >> al, thank you coming up, some of the most dramatic video you've seen all day and maybe all week and all month. >> we'll meet the hero dad when an alligator attacked its handler at a kids' birthday party. it's all coming up and it has a happy ending >> thank you number one in reliability, 16 times in a row. most awarded for network quality, 27 times in a row. proving once again that nobody builds networks like verizon. that's why we're building 5g right, that's why there's only one best network.

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talking about a dramatic rescue caught on tape >> this happened at a children's birthday party in utah a large alligator attacked its handler and a bystander jumped in to help >> that's exactly what our nbc's kerry sanders would have done in the same situation good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. look, guys, an alligator's bite is more powerful than a lion's, which helps explain why this reptile handler says she's thankful to be alive after being attacked by an 8.5 foot long alligator. as you'll see in a moment, she's especially grateful for a bystander turned hero who decided to jump in and take on the alligator after she was attacked >> whoa. >> reporter: it was a terrifying encounter no one saw coming. an 8 1/2 foot american alligator attacking its handler during a children's birthday party in west valley city, utah 31-year-old lindsay bull's left hand in the gator's vice like

grip the 150-pound reptile, known as darth gator, would not let go. >> he really bit down and that's when i realized, okay, this is going to be serious. >> reporter: the powerful gator dragging her into the enclosure. then instinctively thrashing her violently in the water in what's called the death roll. >> we've got trouble >> reporter: that's when donnie wiseman, a father at the party with his stepson, quite literally jumped into action what were you thinking >> i knew that if i didn't get in there and hold him down, he was going to tear her arm off. >> reporter: teresa, donnie's newlywed wife, watched in disbelief as he fearlessly jumped on the gator's back >> it didn't surprise me a whole lot because that's just kind of the way he is, but i was tear -- terrified >> reporter: the 48-year-old construction worker turned gator wrestler held the animal down before it eventually loosened

its grip on lindsey's hand allowing her to narrowly escape. it was then just donnie versus the gator. donnie says lindsey's calm demeanor helped him remain focused. then, with only one chance to get it right, donnie made a clean get away lindsey, who luckily sustained only injured to her hand and wrist, says this encounter could have had a much different ending >> he's a hero for having done what he did. >> reporter: doctors say that lindsey should have a full recovery meantime, the reptil company says they're going to monitor darth gator's behavior, but they point out they cannot be trained this appears to be a gator simply following its wild instincts. guys >> wow >> that's real bravery, jumping onto an alligator's back >> remember when like a rabbit was a good thing at a birthday >> i know. >> just doing what darth vader

does coming up on "pop start," the legends heading into the country hall of fame, right after your local news. chromebooks are seriously easy to set up right out of the box. just sign in with your gmail and bam! all your files are right there. now get after it. cause you're good to go. switch to setting up the easy way. switch to chromebook [growling] [sfx: toaster ding] meet the 4-year-old who refused to wear pants this morning. why, andi? i'm a dinosaur.

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ask your doctor about ibrance. and a good morning to you. it is 7:56. i'm marcus washington. breaking news this morning, firefighters already stretched thin in northern california. they're battling a new fire east of sacramento that imploded the size overnight. the caldor fire is burning in el dorado county. the fire has tripled in size since yesterday and it is now at 7,000 acres with zero containment. video from overnight shows several structures have burned. there are also mandatory evacuation orders in effect for grizzly flats as well as happy valley. here's ha else is happening now. i'm bob redell. the federal government is expected to recommend a booster shot eight months after you receive the second dose of either your pfizer or moderna

vaccine. they're still collecting information as far as when they should recommend the j&j booster shot. the recommendations come as the delta variant surges across the country and also over concerns that the vaccines might wane in their effectiveness over time. we get a look at that forecast for you. how is it looking? >> looking good for us. improved air quality as we're starting out this morning as well as cooler temperatures headed towards the upper 70s and low 80s today and our fire danger increases between tonight and early tomorrow. marcus? >> thanks, kari. another local news update coming up in 30 minutes. i'll see you back here then.

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it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, over and out. emergency flights under way once again in afghanistan this morning after scenes like this, people flooding the tarmac, clinging on to a u.s. military plane as they try to escape. plus the new fears facing women and girls in the country as the taliban once again takes control. >> i am afraid of myself, my life and my freedom to work and my freedom to speak.

these are the things that i'm afraid of losing >> we are in afghanistan with the very latest. then, another shot health officials expected to recommend a booster for all americans by next month. so when should you get it? we'll break it all down. plus, the great resignation. our closer look at why a growing number of employees are calling it quits >> a lot of us feel like we can be more productive in a home office environment rather than in a physical office building. >> just ahead, why it may be the perfect time to make a career change and milestones we missed >> ali was in her senior year when the pandemic hit. that's not a really fun time to be missing school. >> we will introduce you to a remarkable high school graduate who did not get the celebration she deserved >> ali had planned a trip that she had been thinking about for at least a couple of years >> how we made sure she didn't

throw away her shot. today, tuesday, august 17th, 2021 ♪ >> good morning, "today" show. >> we're the will family from south carolina wishing everyone a safe and healthy school year >> it's my 13th birthday >> i can't believe we have a teenager in the house. >> happy birthday, deandra >> good morning from the force family >> and our new kindergartner evan >> have a great school year. let's do this! >> oh, man, happy for school to start. >> so cute >> we're back, guys, it's a tuesday morning. so happy that you're joining us. tom is with us craig is enjoying a little bit of time off. it's good to have you here >> great to be here. >> we have a busy morning. let's get right to our news at 8:00 kabul's airport has reopened and the pentagon is vowing to evacuate as many u.s. citizens and afghan allies as possible in the coming weeks meantime, there's growing concern the taliban will

reinstate its harsh restrictions on women and girls nbc's chief correspondent richard engle is in kabul with that part of the story good morning >> reporter: hoda, the biggest winners here are clearly the taliban. they say they were able to kick out the americans, they are now in full control of this country and the biggest losers are women and girls. this morning, uncertainty and fear are gripping afghanistan. with the taliban manning checkpoints throughout kabul, the streets of the capital are already being transformed. along with the lives of the country's women and girls. >> i am afraid of myself, my life and my freedom to work and my freedom to speak up these are the things that i'm afraid of losing >> reporter: in recent years, women in the country have been running businesses, attending universities, driving, even practicing yoga. there are freedoms many americans take for granted, but

which had been strictly prohibited by the taliban. girls were forbidden to get an education. women could not work in some cases, they could not leave their homes without a male relative escort. women accused of adultery could be publicly stoned to death. this women's rights activist explaining how the taliban lashed her mother because she removed her face covering to eat an ice cream cone. now afghan women desperate for help this, a voicemail from a woman still in the country to a human rights lawyer yesterday. >> they are coming from everywhere i see them right now please help us >> reporter: in april, former president bush told hoda he feared the u.s. withdrawal would once again jeopardize the lives and freedoms of afghan women >> and my first reaction was, wow, these girls are going to have real trouble with the taliban. >> do you think we should have held off on that decision? >> we'll see time will tell >> reporter: the taliban claimed to have evolved, and there have been no confirmed reports of

such extreme measures in recently seized areas. president biden says the u.s. will continue to advocate for afghan women through diplomacy, but without military backing, many here, including leaders, telling nbc's kelly cobiella that women may see the return to a grim, repressive era >> how do you see the future for women in afghanistan everyone i've spoken to about this gets emotional. everyone >> taliban are not afraid of the world superpowers. they have not afraid of the b-56 or b-52. they're afraid of the women. >> reporter: hoda, it is simply tragic to think about the future of women and girls in this country. i met so many over the years who were studying, who were going to music conservatories, who were dreaming about better futures, who were studying robotics many of them now simply want to leave the country but find they can't even do that >> richard engle for us, thank you.

americans who got their covid vaccinations early could soon be lining up for booster shots. and it will be happening just as parents and school officials are debating the best way to protect children who are returning t classrooms nbc's sam brock is on that story for us in coral gables, florida, with the latest. sam, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. look, this is a significant development certainly since we've been having conversations for weeks if not months now about whether a third booster shot would be necessary to protect yourself against covid-19 now sources telling us that the biden administration backed that sort of plan with a time frame here of eight months after the second dose is received with the first shot -- or the third shot, i should say, going into arms as early as september that is pending fda authorization. now, the "new york times" first broke this story they have laid out the prioritization as follows. nursing home residents first followed by health care workers and emergency workers in older population of americans and then the general population and it comes, savannah, as the delta variant right now is, of course, ravaging communities

across the country as you mentioned, parents are sending their kids back to school i'm in miami dade right now. there is full expectation that this county will pass a mandatory mask mandate with classes starting next week savannah, we have seen thousands of school kids quarantined already in other parts of florida one week into the school year savannah >> sam brock in florida for us thank you, sam we've covered the news now, hoda, you have the morning boost. >> do you know what makes the best birthday present? >> not an alligator. >> seeing a dear friend after years apart. see what happens when this woman, celebrating the big 5-0, is surprised by a friend from a long, long time ago. >> oh. ahh! >> oh. >> you know how long it's been since they saw each other? 14 years 14 years

life gets busy, you know, and sometimes you say i'll see you next year, i'll see you next year this was the year, the big 5-0 what a time. >> it looks like they're picking up right where they left off that's the mark of a good friend like no time has passed. how sweet. coming up next, it's being called the great resignation, a record number of people quitting or shifting careers, saying the pandemic has changed their priorities >> vicky nguyen is here with a closer look at what you should know if you're thinking about making that big jump, right after this 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.

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and we're back at 8:12 with our ongoing series, the future of work. >> this morning, we're taking a closer look at what some are calling the great resignation, people quitting or shifting careers in record number since the pandemic >> nbc's investigative and consumer correspondent vicky nguyen is here with more on this one. >> maybe you know some of these folks. a growing number of employees are calling it quits some don't want to return to the office others say the pandemic changed their priorities in many industries, the power dynamic has shifted. putting workers in the driver's seat this morning, where the jobs are and what you need to know before making that career move. >> reporter: lindsey gamar just started her new job as a product data analyst she now works mostly from home in arizona >> a lot of us feel we could be more productive in a home office environment rather than in a physical office building >> reporter: lindsey says in may, her previous company required staff to come in at least 50% of the time. many quit.

the extra work led lindsey to resign did you feel like the compan had a set of rules and it wasn't going to compromise? >> those were the rules. there wasn't going to be any compromise >> reporter: in a june survey by monster.com, 95% of worker considered changing jobs, the most common factor, burnout, followed by lack of job growth, which is what lindsey felt >> i kind of ran out of job to grow >> this is a job seeker's market >> reporter: vicky is a former recruiter at monster she says this is a great time to consider a new job or even a career change. recent labor statistics show nearly 4 million employees quit their jobs compare that to more than 9 million available jobs what are the hot industries right now? >> when you look at the jobs that are available, there's bank teller, pharmacy technician, so they're really everywhere. security guards, different industries all throughout the country. >> reporter: the top three industries with the most openings, education, health ser

services, followed by trade, transportation, and utilities. third, the professional and business services sector, including office temp work and accounting >> there are opportunities out there. so it's an awesome time to be looking. >> reporter: and they're not just quitting their jobs americans are pivoting their careers. 92% of workers surveyed were willing to change. selemi says don't worry if you've never worked in a particular industry. just be sure to highlight the skills you have that can transfer to any job. for example, customer service and hospitality can cross over to health care >> employers say when they're evaluating candidates for the right fit to hire, they're looking at resume, work experience, and interview presence and they don't really focus that much on the specific work experience, but it's really a good time to pivot >> reporter: when you are considering whether or not you want to leave your current job, what are some things to keep in mind >> you should consider a few things number one, flexibility. so where do you want to work do you want to work from home? do you want to work in an office or do you want a hybrid situation? when you're starting your job search, you can pursue

opportunities that provide you with what you want to be happy >> reporter: as for lindsey, she loves her new job. she says she hit the jackpot working for a company with a work from home first approach and growth opportunities plus, it didn't take long to get the offer. >> they called me within 24 hours to offer me the job. >> 24 hours after your interview? >> less than that, yes >> wow how did this process make you feel >> so i would say that the process did make me feel empowered because i felt like i, as the job seeker, kind of had the upper hand, that i was valuable and feeling valuable is empowering >> lindsey says that it can be daunting to put yourself out there, especially if you're switching careers. but start with small steps reach out for informational interviews, talk to the people in your network first and just remember, the grass is not always greener >> anecdotally, you hear so many people say they're looking to switch, they're trying to find new jobs we're seeing that, too

>> and know your skill set and be willing to put yourself out there if it's time for a change. >> thank you >> job seeker's market pretty cool. let's switch gears and get a check of the forecast. what you got >> we are talking abou tropical depression fred right now and it's making its way through the southeast. tornado watches are up for central and northern grand jury. -- georgia this system will be pushing east and to the north 13 million folks impacted with flood watches as the system rockets up through tomorrow on into thursday. heavy rain makes its way by thursday evening into th northeast and new england. some places down around asheville could see upwards of 10 inches of rain especially in the upper elevations of the mountains there. that's what's going on a good tuesday morning. i am meteorologist kari hall. look at temperatures. it will be slightly cooler compared to yesterday and the past couple days. 85 in livermore. we'll see upper 60s near the coast. that will continue for inland

areas later this evening, for hills and some upper elevations. watching for high fire danger as winds increase. slightly warmer, drier tomorrow. little cooler as winds calm down with highs in the mid-80s. >> i know what you're wondering right now. >> what? >> how do i get more "today" go to sirius/xm channel 108. today at 1:00, "off the rails" with yours truly and ms. dryer >> i like that show. now we're moving on to our next series, it's called milestones we missed because of the pandemic, a lot of people had to postpone important life events over the past 17 months or so >> so we put the call out to our viewers and we heard from nearly a thousand of you who missed out on weddings and graduations and birthday celebrations. one mom from texas wrote to us

about her remarkable daughter, e elly, and her missed milestone so we wanted to help >> reporter: lisa brody is proud of her daughter, elly, who graduated high school last year in the midst of the pandemic >> she is full of life she just loves life. she's determined >> reporter: lisa says elly, who has down syndrome, doesn't let her disability stand in her way. >> come on, baby >> reporter: she loves caring for her dogs, even started a small business with her mom. three dogs sparky, selling their home baked dog biscuits and she made these in honor of us. >> one, two, three >> reporter: she trains with her special olympics team. senior year of high school turned into a year of disappointments. >> elly was in her senior year when the pandemic hit. that's not a really fun time to be missing school. >> reporter: like most high school seniors who graduated during the pandemic, this rite of passage wasn't how they pictured it. a zoom graduation followed a month later by a socially distanced ceremony

>> only three family members were allowed to attend family members, teachers, friends, couldn't do that in person it was an emotional evening to finally have this moment in the middle of a pandemic >> reporter: elly's original prom was canceled, too, but this spring she was able to celebrate. >> this year when it was safe to gather, myself, a handful of teachers and parents were able to put together a new prom she and her boyfriend were voted the prom king and queen. with all of these milestones that we had planned, prom, graduation, graduation trip -- >> i want to go on a senior trip >> elly had planned a trip tha she had been thinking about for at least a couple of years wanting to go to new york city after graduation >> reporter: her senior trip to the big apple, a gift from her parents, also had to be canceled >> we said planned to make a visit to the statue of liberty, some broadway musicals.

"hamilton" is her absolute favorite everything is "hamilton" right now. >> the skylar sister song is a favorite and she knows all the moves. >> angelica. >> reporter: they had also planned to stop by our "today" plaza. >> we wanted, of course, to come out to the plaza because every morning, we sit and watch the "today" show while we're eating breakfast. so we absolutely wanted to make a trip >> reporter: so when we heard elly missed out on her big trip, we wanted to surprise elly and make her wish come true. >> now, you graduated high school, right, elly? >> yes >> you must be pretty proud of yourself >> thank you so much >> i know you had a big trip planned. >> yes >> where did you want to go? >> new york. >> do you think you might like to come if you got the chance? >> sure. >> okay. i think we have something that might get you in the mood to visit new york city there. and i have something, too.

to match you >> oh, my goodness >> what do you think about coming to new york city and coming to visit us on the "today" show would you like to do that? >> yes >> and make up for that lost senior trip? >> yes >> oh, my goodness >> lisa -- >> that's amazing. >> we would love it if you would come and be our guest. >> oh, yes >> what would that mean to you, lisa i mean, there's been so many milestones that have been missed >> it's something that she looked forward to for at least a couple years, so that is just amazing. >> i'm so glad what are some of the things you wanted to do when you were in new york >> i want to go see "hamilton. >> oh, "hamilton." what else? >> statue of liberty >> we're hitting everything here and you're going to come visit me at the "today" show, right? >> yes, i am >> i think we might have one other little surprise there waiting for you. >> reporter: "hamilton's"

creator, lin-manuel miranda, helped us pull off this next one. >> i heard you're a "hamilton" superfan, dancing to the music, and you were disappointed not to see it in new york city. so i have a surprised for you. open up that package you have there. yep, that one. i'll wait. we're reserving two seats for you and your mom to come and see "lamb ihamilton" in new york ciy in the fall. we are thrilled that with the help of the "today" show you're finally going to get to come to new york city for that senior trip >> oh, my god. >> i love it >> oh, my goodness >> you're coming to new york city you've got a date in the morning at the "today" show and you have a date at night to see "hamilton. >> oh, my goodness thank you so much. >> we can't wait to have you here and just make up for lost time >> you're going to go see

savannah and hoda and hamilton you're going to cry. >> thank you >> you're welcome, love. i'm so excited to meet you in person happy graduation, elly >> thank you so much >> thank you so much >> ready to go to new york >> yeah, let's do it let's go >> new york city, here you come. >> you guys are going to fall in love elly is coming, okay, and her mom is so impressive she has a huge heart for her birthday, she actually donated food to the local pantry she's always thinking about her community. she's a lovely young woman >> by the way, that was beautiful. that was beautiful i can't wait to see her. i can picture her on the plaza >> she's coming inside i already told her, i'm like i'm giving you the whole behind the scenes still ahead, calling all true crime junkies we're going to catch up with oscar winner octavia spencer and find out about the new season of her show it's called "truth be told." it is a winner we'll be back after a look at

your local news and weather.

good morning. 8:26. i am marcus washington. strong winds are expected in northern california. pg&e may cut off power to some to avoid greater fire risk. there are 18 counties that may be effected by the shutoff. as for the bay area outages, numbers are expected to be low compared to other areas.

you would have gotten an alert if you will be effected by that. winds are expected to pick up later tonight into early tomorrow, because we're getting a brisk westerly wind that will cool us off. highs in some of the warmest spots reach into the 80s. windy in the morning and dry. temperatures come up a few degrees intoed upper 80s. winds calm down the rest of the week. hopefully we can keep good air quality as highs reach into the 80s near the coast. upper 60s for san francisco. >> thanks, kari. another local news update in 30 minutes. i will meet you back here then.

ahhh. beautiful day in baltimore where most people probably know that geico could save them money on car insurance, right? you see the thing is geico, well, could help them save on boat insurance too. hey! okay...i'm ready to come in now. hello? i'm trying my best. seriously, i'm...i'm serious. request to come ashore. geico. saving people money on more than just car insurance.

morning, everybody it's 8:30, tuesday morning the 17th of august we're outside on our plaza just enjoying the crowd lots of folks here >> a little elton john and dua lipa >> we love outside >> happy to see everybody. >> lots of birthdays to celebrate. >> you know who is having a big moment right now >> what? >> "field of dreams," huge and it appears you soon will have a new way to enjoy its magic and those corn fields. we will explain in "popstart." plus we're going to spend some time with oscar winner octavia spencer. she has a new show out called

"truth by told." she'll talk about the antics with her co-star, kate hudson, and why octavia believes there is power in saying the word no >> but she said yes this morning. yes, i will get up early this morning and be with you. we love you, octavia and then the end of summer is a good time for a refresh, like get life a little more reorganized. i know i don't want to get organized, either i know >> we have to do it. >> baby cam. >> hi. >> i know. i feel the same way. but we're going to make it easy from the kitchen to your car, jen knows where to find everything we need to get in tip top shape. >> and later on the third hour, aly raiseman and singer kelsey ballerinai will explain why they're pairing up >> wow tomorrow, we're heading to camp craig, carson, and i took over as camp counselors. >> that was not a stretch for you. you already have a camp counselor. >> sometimes old school field games, they can be the most fun, a lot of fun let's get a check of the

weather. >> announcer: today's weathe you is brought to you by cinnamon toast crunch, blasted with cinnadust >> what a cutie. what's your name angela how are you? and she's got those teeth coming in very nice. all right. let's see what we have looking ahead for today. tropical rains down through the gulf coast, southeast, record highs in the northern plains, fire risk in the pacific northwest. for tomorrow, more wet weather making its way into th mid-atlantic and the northeast, as well, as remnants of fred makes its way toward us. monsoonal moisture continues in the southwest. sunny and unfortunately too warm along the west coast that's what's going on around good tuesday morning. i am meteorologist kari hall. temperatures today are slightly cooler for some of the warmest spots in the inland east bay, antioch and morgan hill. upper 80s tomorrow, after winds

pick up. looking at high fire danger between tonight and tomorrow morning. red flag warnings for bay area hills. we keep it cool in san francisco. clouds and fog. highs continue to reach in the upper 60s. >> i know. look >> we're all enjoying -- >> no. we want to be part of this family >> one is better looking than the next it's a good looking family wow. >> al, thank you so much just ahead, the music legends who just made it into the country music hall of fame that and more on "popstart." but first, this is "today" on

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. it's wireless so good, it keeps one upping itself. switch to xfinity mobile and save hundreds on your wireless bill. plus, save up to $400 when you purchase a new samsung phone or upgrade your existing phone. learn more at your local xfinity store today. we're back 8:35 dylan is in for carson and it is "popstart" time. >> let's get right to it and start off with "the field of dreams." hot off last week's game on that famous cornfield in iowa between

the new york yankees and red sox, peacock has announced a plan to begin a series based oren the iconic movie. it's set to reimagine the themes of family, baseball, iowa and the magic that made the 1989 kevin costner film a beloved classic. there's no release date yet, but for now, you can watch the original movie on nbc's streaming service, peacock, or watch harry smith's story. >> also on peacock >> exactly >> also on peacock next up, sandra bullock an channing tatum, the two actors just wrapped up filming on their come -- romcom it's called "the lost city of d. and they celebrated the last day of shooting with a splash. >> hopefully there's no cell phone in the pocket.

it looks like they had a pretty good time. the romcom couple. it hits theaters next april. next up, "the voice. the show is back next month for season 21. that's where carson has been and ahead of the big premiere, they've revealed who would who will be teaming up with the coaches as battle advisers here they are. >> camilla cabello is the battle adviser for team legend. >> jason aldean. >> hello, kelly. >> hey you were right, it's dierks bentley. whew wow. >> i'll take what he's drinking. >> i am so excited for everyone to meet my battle adviser and dear friend, kristen chenoweth i don't have words so incredible and i am so grateful and i love you so much. >> i love you more, baby >> cute. >> this is cool because this is a full circle moment for new coach ariana grande who first met, look at this picture. >> wow >> no, she did not >> yes

she was a little girl. she saw "wicked" on broadway and now they're working together how cool is that you can catch the coaches and, of course, carson on the season prehmiere of "the voice. september 20th right here on nbc. and finally, the country music hall of fame announced their newest lineup of inductees yesterday, making the class of 2021, mother/daughter duo naomi and wynonna judd can't believe they're not in it already. legendary singer, composer and pianist ray charles, and musicians pete drake and eddie bayers so the judds who first hit theak country when charges in 1984 , "mama he's crazy," have a collection of grammys, cma and acm awards for their decades of top ten hits. and although you may not think country when you hear ray charles, his 1962 album modern sounds of country and western music cemented his influence on the genre, so that makes sense and field guitarist pete drake and eddie bayer make up the touring musician category of

inductees. so shocking when you see that. it's like, wait, they're not in it >> my mom used to play that ray charles album. she had to get a second copy played it so much. she loved her some ray charles >> i love that just ahead, octavia spencer. another hall of famer. wait until you hear about the i'm morgan, and there's more to me than hiv. more love, more adventure, more community. but with my hiv treatment, there's not more medicines in my pill. i talked to my doctor and switched to fewer medicines with dovato. dovato is for some adults who are starting hiv-1 treatment or replacing their current hiv-1 regimen. with just 2 medicines in 1 pill, dovato i.. to help you reach and stay undetectable. research shows people who take

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♪♪ welcome back okay there is nothing, nothing that octavia spencer cannot do. now the oscar winner is putting her detective hat back on, a new season of "truth be told." >> she stars as poppy parnell. this morning, she's enlisted her childhood best friend played by kate hudson to solve the mysterious death of kate's husband. it's an investigation that puts their friendship to the ultimate test take a look. >> i put myself in a lot of danger last year

my father, too you know i have anxiety. >> joshua would do it if it were you. >> not - >> poppy, please, please >> seeking answers is never a straight line. i can't only find out what you want me to know. >> i don't care about that >> but i do. >> octavia spencer, good morning. good morning it looks like you and kate have acted together a thousand times looking at that single clip. was that the first time? >> it's our first time but, you know, it's easy to love kate i mean, we became close friends after her first day on set she's that loveable. >> i always love hearing about poppy parnell. investigative journalist i hear that you fancy yourself as a true crime expert and detective in your spare time >> in my spare time, i like to go snooping around

>> crime solver. but you you loved it before it was cool. >> i can't believe it has this much recognition now i've always loved true crime sadly, there's a real crime at the center of it, but i've always loved true crime. and i have to tell you both, i am not a journalist and i watch you every morning. so when i have to do my investigative journalisting, whatever you call it, i use you both >> that reminds me i was wondering, speaking of true crime, do you know about "dateline" hoda? did you know that hoda used to be a "dateline" correspondent? there she is she is getting the truth right there. >> girl, i am with you i can sniff it out do you know when there's a criminal in your midst >> yes and that's one of the reasons why i follow it because i just want to be able to, in my own

life, walk around and go, ah, that's a criminal. >> don't even try to pull one over on you. so we've got season two of "truth be told." it is great. with kate hudson, that's going to be awesome. what else have you got going on? i know you always have like 15 projects >> i am right now in boston filming a musical with ryan reynolds and will ferrell. >> oh, that's all. >> what? >> i'm learning to ice skate and sing and dance it's for apple it's a re-imagining of "a christmas carol. >> so you've got pipes, octavia? >> well, my pipes are kind of full so they're just kind of helping me, like, screw them back together and re-jigger them in a way that makes them sound decent >> are you enjoying? i think it's kind of cool. you said you're learning how to skate, relearning how to sing. do you like that part of your profession

>> i really do it's actually terrifying and so every time something terrifies me, i have to say yes because i know it will be a challenge. and if i overcome it, i feel like i've achieved something but it's also the people because i love shawn anders and john morris who wrote the script and shawn is directing we did "instant family" together it's just a wonderful day every day on set >> you know, octavia, i don't know if you remember this, but i was just thinking about -- and i bet it was like eight or nine years ago and it was after your first big breakout role. remember when we were at the golden globes and hung out a little bit >> yes >> and i was thinking about that you were so cool to even hang out with me. and now i look at everything that's happened to you and what a huge star you are. i don't know i just wanted to say that. how has that all been for you, this whole meteoric success? how is that working out? >> it's really strange because i

think, you know, my friends and family just see me as the person who cannot cook and who will wash dishes for a meal and i kind of like that. but i have to tell you, i really can't wait until we can get back into studio because i miss seeing you guys. i miss interacting with people it's really interesting. >> you're one of our absolute favorites, octavia we miss you. and real quick before we let you go, one of the things you've always championed in hollywood which we both admired is you stand up for what you deserve when it comes to equal pay and this is something that you've been kind of beating that drum and you'll walk away from projects that don't pay you what you think you deserve. >> absolutely. i think it's -- we're well past the time of not having pay equity and, you know, sometimes you

have to say no and a lot of times people take that no as a final answer instead of coming up on the price. but everyone will say, oh, we love you and i'm thinking, love is not going to send my nieces and nephews and god children to college. so -- >> well, a little more love along with the check >> yes >> show your love. >> show me your love in the zeros. >> octavia, thank you so much. >> thank you >> "truth be told" returns thi friday on apple tv plus. >> and i can't wait to see that new project, too coming up next, the best selling products to start your school year or organize your family life. including a way to make your pantry so pretty, you might have >> is that right >> is that right

emergency planning for kids. we can't predict when an emergency will happen. so that's why it's important to make a plan 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.

when it comes to flooring, i'm hard to please. so, i go to floor & decor where they don't just know the difference between products, they live for it. from american hardwood to spanish porcelain to italian marble, i'm looking for inspiration from every part of the world. so, when it comes to discovering every imaginable tile, wood, laminate or stone without compromising my design, one aisle doesn't cut it. i need an entire store. now, i've got one. explore floor & decor in person or online at flooranddecor.com we are back with "today" best sellers >> a lot of people are returning to the office and kids return to school it is a perfect time to get

yourself organized >> the shop today team have selected the best products to help you do exactly that if you see something you like, get out the senmartphone, open h camera, scan the qr code, and you'll have instant access >> have you been with jen before in person? >> i don't think we've seen each other for -- it's been a long time >> it's been a year and a half >> we're so happy to see you >> much better lighting than in my attic at home >> let's get started well, let's get started. >> so let's start with something that a lot of us need. we wear eyeglasses with masks, it gets steamy, gets foggy. this is an eyeglass cleaner. it is the same technology that it is the same technology that nasa astronauts use. >> what are you talking about? i need it fast >> it doesn't use any solution or anything. just wipe, wipe, wipe. and it's so easy and portable, comes in fun colors. >> you don't have to swap out the -- >> no. >> it will clean over like 500 times. >> wow

>> and, again, nasa uses this technology it's legit >> an sg favorite right here >> i love this thing people laughed at me i put this on my instagram and i was like this is a game changer. i'm a timer cube not just for kids. it use it for myself, i'm going to give myself a break for 20 minutes. flip it over to whatever time you want to allow yourself to do whatever the task is and when that time is up, it beeps. it let's you keep your phone out of the room. screen-free, chill time, or you have to get cleaning done, give yourself 30 minutes. don't want to be distracted by your phone turn it over to 30 minutes, it beeps, you're done i use this probably 20 times a day. >> i really like it. i think it would be good for setting it for the kids on screens. 20 minutes, that's it. or 20 seconds. >> yeah. >> then they throw it at you, throw it at your head. >> let's organize our kitchen, shall we >> these are so smart. if you want to get back into meal prep or cooking healthy, these are baking dish dividers

put it on the sheet pan, and you divide up things you're cooking. you can just reach in and takel touching each other, this makes it so if there are allergies or? this is amazing. >> it's so smart, right? >> put your timer cube for the different timers no >> this is a roker favorite. he says he saw it at the hampton inn. >> right you can make your pantry feel like a wonderful hotel this is like an instagram made me do it product i'm so happy i did these are pantry organizing cereal dispensers. i also use it for dog food anything that's dry. >> roker is in >> don't get those confused. >> come on in, al. >> have your coffee. i love that it dispenses one ounce each time. so if you want to make them more self-sufficient with their breakfast, give it three spins and they'll have the cereal.

otherwise, i come down and lucky charms are on the floor. >> cute. >> smart thingnes like a purse t mess obsessed with this trunk organizer. put it in for kids' sports equipment, your shoes, chargers, if you're working from the car, working on the go. cleaning things, a flashlight, this one in particular i love because it has a no slip mat on it so it's not going to rummage around on your trunk and it has straps so you can secure it. everything is safe and it's all in there even if you stop short, like i tend to do >> smart, smart. bring us home. >> and then the last thing you need in your car, you want to be truly prepared, get yourself a first aid kit. i love this one because it's cute and it has everything in it there's all different sizes for kids to store in their backpack. you can get a smaller one. it has bandages, ointment. all the things you need to make sure you're like a super prepared person. one-stop shop. >> okay. all right. >> love it

>> jen, thank you so much. these were fun if you want to buy these best sellers, scan the qr code you see on your screen or go to today.com/shop a reminder, amazon does have a an affiliate relationship with the "today" show so if you buy a product from our website, amazon pays "today" a small commission. birthday time, babe. >> we have some lovely folks to meet spin those jars. first up, happy 100th birthday to eliza jane bender, a fashionable lady from pachuta, mississippi. she wears her sunday hat and her high heels wherever she goes you go, girl henrietta venables davenport, florida proud mom, also 100. longevity is the love of learning happy 100th birthday to jack eichers of salt lake city, utah. still goes to work every day to keep that mind sharp paul bartlett of boston, mass, 100. served our country during world war ii we salute you for your service,

sir. hello and happy birthday to irma heyer of chicago, illinois active lady at 100 her secret, just keep moving i like that. and happy 105th birthday to saul beck hard worker right here in new york city. saul is a member of the frozen food industry hall of fame still publishes his own magazine, "frozen food digest. >> i love that >> i love that >> that's fantastic. pretty cool. coming up on the third hour, nfl hall of famer brett favre. >> and on hoda and jenna, special performance from music stars. >> and don't forget to check out those deals. >> we're back after your local news

good morning. 8:56. i am marcus washington. santa clara county sheriff lori smith scheduled to have a press conference to respond to calls for her resignation. the mayor says smith should step

down in the wake of multiple use of force incidents at the county jail. taxpayer doll ard paid for ongoing civil rights allegation. indictments against two of her aides and campaign fund raisers. happening now, that's scheduled to get under way within the hour. kris sanchez is following it. more midday. we are also posting more on our twitter feed. 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. but parents like it to, like a lot. they go bonkers. (wuaahh) totally boom it's an adventure. (sound of playing) you know ,you have to keep an eye on them. you got to let them explore and figure things out for themselves. so hurry up (screams) they're not gonna stay this way forever. kick off your kidifornia vacation at visitcalifornia.com cases of delta variant continue to spike, so does the need for testing. what san francisco is doing for rising demands. and back to school for thousands. next steps to protect them.

live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> good morning, everybody. welcome to the third hour of "today." i'm al along with dylan, tom llamas is joining us. sheinelle and craig take a little time off. it's great having you guys here. >> great to be here. >> and you're in a special suit today. >> this is the suit i wore for courtney's wedding. >> and i get to see it up close and personal because i never sit this close to you on this show because we took out the two middle people. >> that sounds kind