accordingly. avoid the area here for everybody's safety. will have more updates for you when we have a live local news cut-in. >> that will be at 7:25. the "today" show in next. good morning breaking news. new chaos in kabul overnight warnings of a potential terror attack bring emergency evacuations to a halt. potential terror attack bring emergency evacuations to a halt. americans now ordered to leave so what does this all mean for the airport immediately. the frantic race so what does this all mean for t before the frantic race to get them out before the deadline now, just we're liveit five days away?h overwhelmed. we're live with the very latest. hospitals pushed to the brink by overwhelmed.e covid surge a hospitals pushed to the brink by the covid surge and the >> people are fighting for their unvaccinated. >> people are fighting for their lives and it could have been ad prevented. it could have been prevented.

>> more than 615,000 new cases >> m in the u.s. this week alone..s.. a record day where infections, a record day where infections, hospitalizations, and deaths in florida. hospitalizations inside the battle raging on the florida. front lines as major companies across the country push to get the vaccine or face the inside, the battle raging on the front li consequences. no relief. ac brutally hot temperatures vacci cons shattering records and ief. brutally hot temperatures shattering records and expanding. now nearly 70 million people expanding.et to swelter ag now nearly 70 million people ai? coast to coast set to swelter again today. forecast. so when can we expect a break? one step closer? a victory for co al's got your full forecast. nv one step closer? a victory for convicted killer scot peterson in his quest for scot peterson in h new trial. for a new trial. what the judge is what the judge is saying about a new trial. the high-profile case. those stories, plus -- what the judge is saying about the high-profile case. taking a hike.lus -- taking the summer surge causing major r problems all along the appalachian trail. problems all along the >> getting loved to death. appalachian trail. >> it's getting loved to death. and -- oh, baby! and, the intense reaction to that new

lawsuit over one of "the" most the intense re iconic album covers ever. one ot iconic album covers ever why some say 30 years later why some say 30 years later still chasing the cash nirvana's "nevermind" infant is still chasing the cash.he "today," thursday, august 26th, "today," august 26, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news, >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah this is "today" with savannah gn guthrie and hoda kotb from d hom studio 1a in rockefeller plaza studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning.ome to "t this thursday morning. th thank you so much for starting s your day off with us. mo savannah and hoda have the rnin morning off. >> good morning to you there is a l >> good morning to you. spots here and there is a lot to cover in hot spots here and around the world today. in fact, take a look at this in fact, take a look at this.ng another day of extre much of the country coping withe another day of extreme >> record-setting highs expected in parts of the northeast later today. mr. roker is standing by with that full forecast straight ahead. temperatures. >> record-setting highs are expected in parts of the northeast later today. mr. roker is standing by with n that full forecast straight ahead. a grim >> meantime in florida, a grim folestone. the state breaking a single day record for covid cases comes asm more companies including ies

including airlines put pressure on workers to ge airlines put pressure on workerd to get vaccinated.m kerr we'll get more from kerry from hart sanders in hard-hit florida. fl and we begin with we start with afghanistan. and the state department says 1,500 americans remain stranded. this as that new security threat overnight adds to the chaos and crisis at the kabul airport. we have two reports this morning starting with nbc's kelly o'donnell live at the white house. kelly o., good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, craig. a significant development happening right now. officials tell me that president biden has just been briefed on an explosion at kabul airport near one of the key gates. officials have been hud nlg the west wing. word came to us from the pentagon with a tweet that confirms this blast, saying there are no reports on injuries yet. this comes as the u.s. was warning americans to stay clear of the airport gates out of fear for this kind of presumed terror

attack. this morning the kabul effort with fears of a terror attack. u.s. officials urge those waiting at the airport gates to clear the area with this message -- be aware of surroundings at all times, especially in large crowds. it's unclear where they can go with the taliban in control of check points and many crowds remaining gathered at the airport. vice president harris traveling in vietnam today says despite threats, the operation is focused. >> our highest priority right now is evacuating american citizens, evacuating afghans who worked with us, and afghans who are at risk with a priority around women and children. >> reporter: the risk of an attack is part of the pressure for the biden administration to keep its august 31st deadline to withdraw troops and complete the airlift. after more than a week of evacuations, secretary of state

antony blinken finally made public the number of americans at risk. 4,500 already evacuated. officials in contact with another 500 americans waiting to leave, but officials are looking for as many as 1,000 others who could be u.s. citizens. >> for the remaining roughly 1,000 contacts that we had who may be americans seeking to leave afghanistan, we're aggressively reaching out to them multiple times a day. >> reporter: the u.s. is relying on taliban cooperation to get americans and afghan allies out of the country with time shrinking before the tuesday deadline. a breaking development. there has been an explosion at kabul airport. these are live images from our cameras in kabul. no reports on injuries at this time. we lch more as things develop. >> kelly o'donnell from the white house, thank you.

meantime a closer look what the evacuees are saying on their journey out of afghanistan and leader. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engle spoke to him in a television exclusive. richard is in doha, good morning. >> reporter: we just arrived from doha in kabul one of the main transit hubs. qatar has helped to evacuate about 40,000 afghans. now in kabul, the race is on with only a few days left. at kabul airport this morning, these may be among the last afghans getting out. the united states and partners from around the world are scrambling to take out thousands more afghans by tuesday. but soon the foreign troops will have to be evacuating themselves, too. so the window is closing for afghans to get on flights. and not everyone will make it. last night i spoke to the taliban's spokesman and senior official. he arrived with an armed entourage. he's been doing interviews by phone and hiding for years.

this is one of this first-ever one-on-one face-to-face interviews. >> the united states is evacuating, and it is taking out americans who worked with u.s. forces, but not everyone is going to be able to make it out. will you let those people leave in the future? can you guarantee their safety? >> translator: we don't want our countrymen to go to america. whatever they have done in the past we have given them amnesty. we need young, educated professionals for our nation, but if they want to leave, it's their choice. >> reporter: what would you say to women, afghan women, who are terrified? >> translator: they are sisters. we must show them respect. they should not be frightened. the taliban are humans and from this country. they have fought for their country. women should be proud of us, not scared. >> reporter: there are already reports of taliban fighters taking young women, unmarried women, as brides, forced brides. there have been reports of people going into homes.

>> translator: this is propaganda from the old regime. we have no evidence of a single case. >> reporter: this war started when osama bin laden, the guest of the taliban, organized 9/11 attacks. can you guarantee that this country will never again be a base for terrorism? >> translator: when osama bin laden became an issue for americans, he was in afghanistan although there was no proof he was involved. now we have given promises that afghan soil won't be used against anyone. >> you still don't think that osama bin laden carried out 9/11? >> there is no evidence. even after 20 years of war we have no proof he was involved. >> reporter: it sounds like even now after all of this you're accepting no responsibility? >> translator: there was no justification for this war. it was excuse for war. >> reporter: how are you feeling right now, after 20 years, the americans are leaving? >> the withdrawal is almost finished. these are our happiest moments.

>> reporter: after the interview we made our way to the airport. inside the airport the evacuations are moving along, but the mood is somber. these are afghans who don't take the taliban at their word. escaping while they still can. getting out is the first step in the process. then they come to countries like qatar or germany, where they are processed and that can be extremely lengthy. state department officials say they have seen many, many people arrive. not a lot of correct documentation. >> richard, thank you. turning now to the battle against the covid surge. new infections continue to skyrocket in this country. nearly 170,000 wednesday alone, and now bolstered by the full approval of the pfizer shot, major corporations applying new pressure on many employees to get vaccinated, among the latest, delta air lines. kerry sanders is in florida where hospitalizations and

deaths are higher now than at any other point in this pandemic in florida. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: craig, not only has the hospitalization rate tripled here in florida in the last month, one in five deaths in hospitals here with covid is happening right here in florida. it's one reason private industry is now trying to get people to get vaccinated. in fact, delta air lines now trying to entice it. 74,000 employees, to get vaccinated, and if they don't, those unvaccinated employees will get hit right in their wallets. with coronavirus cases surging this morning delta air lines is the latest corporation to put pressure on its employees to get vaccinated delta's ceo ed bastian in a memo wednesday announcing unvaccinated employees will face strict, new requirements, including weekly covid testing, and the unvaccinated will also

get hit with a $200 monthly health care surcharge, the fee to cover the estimated $50,000 cost per patient for covid hospitalization. bastian writing, "it's necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company." is what delta is doing with this pandemic much the way companies say, if you're a smoker, you're going to have to pay an additional monthly fee for your health insurance at our company? >> that's a great comparison smokers have in the past been charged more now some companies are charging unvaccinated more because they are imposing costs. >> reporter: a welcome private industry decision for some airline passengers in miami. >> i feel a lot more safer. >> reporter: other passengers fear what it could mean beyond delta air lines. >> it sets a really terrible precedent for what the future holds. >> reporter: still, delta is stopping short of imposing a vaccine mandate, unlike some of

its competitors. united airlines requiring its u.s. employees to be vaccinated by september 27th. and frontier airlines, by october 1st. cvs health, deloitte and disney joining a long list of corporations adding or expanding vaccine requirements the fda's full approval of the pfizer vaccine on monday prompting a growing number of unvaccinated americans to get their shots. >> i thought other people are coming out just fine with the vaccine. >> so, kerry, you mentioned a record number of hospitalizations in florida. troubling, also seeing that trend nationwide now what's the latest on that? >> reporter: yeah, craig nationwide, we're seeing about 100,000 covid patients in hospitals. it's especially concerning to the hospitals that are running in their icus at 80% and all coming at a time where we're now

seeing the highest levels of children with covid, the highest levels since they began tracking those numbers. craig? >> so many parts of country appears to be moving backwards kerry sanders there in florida by the way, in our next hour, shining a light on another concern, the alarming rise of pregnant women getting seriously ill with the virus coming up in the next hour. first, a lot more to get to. we welcome in tom llamas. >> good morning. the late summer heat baking the country from coast to coast and it's getting dangerous we've seen records fall in several states here in the northeast, the brutal temps could peak today. al is standing by with the forecast first, nbc's kathy park joins us from coney island in brooklyn. hey, kathy >> reporter: hey, tom. good morning to you on the beach. it might be a great place to find some relief, but even coney island is under a heat advisory. millions across the country sweating it out once again as the heat wave stretches into another day. this morning, more sweltering summer heat.

it's sweeping the nation high temperatures blanketing the middle of the country and scorching both coasts. new york city set to be under an air quality alert later today, while boston will be baking in the 90s. >> it's really hot outside >> reporter: in the last 24 hours, record highs stretching from florida to maine. some schools sending students home the heat and covid, a bad combination. >> we want them to wear a masks. and it is uncomfortable when it's this hot. >> the only thing in the classroom are fans we can't use them. >> reporter: the midwest, desperate for relief after days of stifling care and humidity. >> a reality thing the heat. we're dealing with it. >> reporter: detroit opening cooling centers to help residents stay safe. officials urging people and pets to stay inside out west, wildfires still burning with two new fires breaking out late wednesday. the southwest is scorching, too.

some of the hottest temperatures in the country arizona could see 115 degrees today. from coast to coast, high heat is lasting later into the year with climate change only intensifying. and the heat wave should be taken very seriously, because historically, heat is the number one cause of weather-related deaths in the country, and according to the cdc, approximately 600 people die tom? >> yeah. it is no joke. kathy, thank you. guys, 115 in arizona going to be hot here, too. who asked for the ac outside >> interesting in arizona, a dry heat. >> still, at that point, it's heat. >> let's bring in a guy who knows when all is going to end mr. roker, what's the word >> guys, unfortunately, we don't see an end for a good portion of the country, but from california to new england, 69 million people under heat advisories or heat warnings, and for parts of the country, it's not going to break into the weekend

before today, look at this feels-like triple digits, tulsa, kansas city, cincinnati, nashville, down to montgomery, jackson. here in new york it's going to feel like almost 100 degrees tomorrow, that heat continues. so does the high humidity down across the gulf. all the way into new york and back into the midwest. we do see a break as a front pushes through cooler conditions into next week for portland, new york, buffalo still in the 80s seasonal temperatures but still warm we're going to continue to keep an eye on that out west continuing to see the wildfire season going crazy. 92 large wild fires out there. 2.68 million acres burned so far, and because of climate change, as kathy park mentioned, we are seeing more fires now starting to move further south because of the dryness, the heat and the wind, on average, since the 1970s, we're seeing in central oregon 14 days more of wildfire season. central nevada 55 days almost two months in southeastern california and

southeast colorado 51 days more of fire danger warnings than they've had since the 1970s. so climate change still having a big impact and we're not even done yet we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. through the 12th house. (woman in van) set your intentions. (man sitting) crystals up. (woman) full moon bath ritual. cleanse and find your magic. ♪let it go (huh, huh)♪ ♪let it go (word, word, 88)♪ ♪let it go (let it go)♪ good morning. i am meteorologist, kari hall. as we look over the south bay, looking hazy but air quality will be good for much of the south bay as well as the coastline, but still moderate

for the north bay and east bay. we are going to s for a morning workout, get it in early. napa heading towards 87 degrees and low 80s for san jose. r. craig, threatening to bring in a seersucker. i might try that in another way and then -- >> okay. friday? >> ♪ sweet adeline ♪♪ >> i don't know. we'll stay when we come back on a thursday morning a bit of a turn and going inside convicted murderer scot peterson's return to court amid his push for a new trial. natalie morales has the latest on what a judge has now decided and more on the new evidence peterson's sister-in-law says will prove he did not kill his pregnant wife laci.

and facing one of the country's most beloved faces a look at appalachian trail explosion in popularity and the toll about all of that added traffic. sam brock is there live, but

still have this one, court still have this one, court case. a lot of folks talking. >> bizarre 30 years later nirvana's "nevermind" baby grown up and suing the band over his iconic cover photo. carson has details and reaction coming up in "pop start. but first, your local news. make it plain. extra ketchup, but no pickles. actually, pickles. one vanilla cone. and a sweet tea. hot chocolate. your largest coffee. i'm gonna need like-- ten egg mcmuffins please! one hamburger happy meal. make that two. make that three. -no pickles! a sprite and what else? oh and one more thing. 10 pieces mcnuggets, barbecue sauce. you've been loyal. we want to reward that. introducing mymcdonald's rewards. now, every order earns points redeemable

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good morning. it's 7:26. i am marcus washington. a long night for hundreds of people in downtown san jose. kris, it sounds like people that live in the area need to be plan on being out even longer. >> reporter: yeah, this is not the news they were hoping for. the folks evacuated from the neighborhood are going to have to stay out until at least noon. that evacuation order was expanded by the length of time and number of homes. now we know the fire department

added 15 more homes to the evacuation order for about 340 homes and businesses in total. this is a neighborhood not far from the sap center, and district nine in the city of san jose. a third party contractor ruptured a gas line and that's the reason for all of this, so do remain out of the area if you can. now it's time to get a look at the microclimate forecast for you. meteorologist, kari hall, has a look at the numbers. >> we are waking up this morning to a hazy sky. it's going to be a warmer afternoon for inland areas, headed up towards the upper 80s, and we are going to seat return of smoke for the weekend reaching up to 99 degrees on saturday. we will see the temperatures gradually cooling off next week while san francisco will see temperatures reaching into the mid-60s today, and low 70s for the weekend.

air quality will remain a concern. marcus? >> thanks, kari. we will have another local news update coming up for you in 30 minutes. see you back here then.

this is an nbc news special report. >> we are coming on the air with breaking news from afghanistan. an explosion at the kabul airport where thousands of people are still attempting to evacuate the country. the pentagon confirmed the blast. no word yet on injuries. the blast coming just hours after a security alert from the u.s. state department warning an attack could be imminent and telling americans to stay away from the airport. let's bring in nbc's courtney kube at the pentagon. what can you tell us? >> we have very little details about what happened on the ground other than there was at least one explosion.

now it's centered around the abby gate on the southeast side of the kabul airport. this is an area that before the taliban took over, a little over a week ago, there was a very western area. there's a well-known hotel right nearby. it's within walking distance of that gate called the barn hotel. americans have been gathering there to try to make their way into the airport through that abby gate. what we are trying to find out from u.s. military and defense sources and officials right now is, were there any casualties? in addition to the people who have been going through the gates in recent days, there also have been large crowds gathering outside of those gates, and particularly at the abby gate. many of those are afghan -- people are who trying to get on the evaukd flights and get out of the country. in addition to the civilians on the outside of the gate, there are u.s. military personnel who have been on the inside of that gate.

they've been checking in people, trying to get through. they've been securing that area and that perimeter. and there also have been u.s. state department consular officials who are helping with names, helping the military know who it is that can enter through that gate. again, what we're trying to find out is the extent of any casualties with this explosion or explosions. who were the casualties, and was the perimeter breached in this explosion? one of the big concerns in recent days san attack by isis. and this was one of the scenarios u.s. officials were very concerned about. in these crowds they were worried that isis would be able to infiltrate in, potentially with a suicide bomber, a vehicle-borne explosive device that would not only kill potentially scores of people there but could potentially breach the airport perimeter and open it up for additional people to get through. >> such a scary time for families there and here in the states. courtney, thank you.

gleets tropical moistu . let's go to richard engel who was in kabul yesterday and spoke face-to-face with taliban officials. >> there may have been a bomb in a sewage drain. that there may have been casualties, still unconfirmed reports whof those casualties were. the barron hotel and area around it is an area where afghans, some of them with special visas, some of them afghan americans, some vips, it was considered a place where people could go, they could muster and then get shuttled into the airport. that area is primarily british and american forces. but no word on casualties yet there has been some sort of explosion. the taliban are in control of

the -- something they've been trying to prevent, something the u.s. had been warning would happen. will it slow down the evacuations is a major question. that's going to depend on casualties, and if there are any casualties to american personnel or to people who need to be medevac'd from the scene. >> that's exactly what i was going to ask you. what happens next? and can you put this into perspective for people watching. you've been there on the ground. it's such a tense time for the families there and here waiting for the relatives to come. >> it is -- the clock is ticking now. that is cliche, but right now it is true because while tuesday may be the deadline, the u.s. is -- and the taliban are really trying to limit the number of people flooding in because every new person who comes on the base is a person they have to evacuate. they also have to evacuate themselves. when i was on the base this morning, i saw streams and streams of afghans walking in

single file lines heading toward, not american aircraft only, but aircraft from sweden, australia, great britain, new zealand, all over the world are taking off and landing at the airfield. qatar, of course. qatar evacuated about 40,000. and the taliban wants this to continue, and they don't want attacks to happen, which seems to have happened just now with this bombing by the barron or this explosion by the barron hotel, by that gate. >> so much anxiety. richard engel, thank you. let's go to kelly o'donnell at the white house where the president is monitoring the situation. kelly, what are you hearing? >> officials tell me the president is right now in the situation room with his national security team. i can also tell you the pentagon spokesman says the kabul airport blast has resulted in an unknown number of casualties. they'll continue to update us. it's important to look at this warning about what has transpired today. the u.s. and partners have been saying there was a stream of

intelligence that they deemed very credible. now borne out by events of potential for a terror attack. that was influencing the president's decision-making on the timeline for the evacuations and withdrawals. wanting to get out by august 31st in part to not have any difficulty and breakdown of communication with the taliban but also concerned about the amount of time on the ground being a greater risk for any kind of a terror strike. we don't know what group is behind this yet or the scope of what has happened with today's blast. the president has been briefed on contingency plans and said this could be an issue where it would extend the u.s. presence if evacuations were interrupted by something like a blast at the airport. >> kelly o'donnell in washington, thank you. you can find much more right now on nbcnews.com and msnbc. we'll return most of you now to more of "today "today." i'm sheinelle sheinelle? >> natalie, thank you.

all right, guys. up next, with so many people taking advantage of the great outdoors in the pandemic, the appalachian trail has never been more popular >> all >> beloved foot baths. sam brock hitting a trail for a firsthand look, right after this s a once-monthly add-on injection for severe eosinophilic asthma. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection-site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your doctor about nucala. find your nunormal with nucala. for people who could use a lift new neutrogena® rapid firming. a triple-lift serum with pure collagen. 92% saw visibly firmer skin in just 4 weeks.

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beauty with benefits. it's time to switch to t-mobile. right now, pay zero costs when you do! keep your number and keep your phone - - we'll even pay it off! only at t-mobile. the leader in 5g. we are back with in-depth today. this morning, a surprising we are back with in-depth today. the appalachian trail too s. during the pandemic, threcalls of people rushing to enjoy them. not every visitor abides by the motto leave no trace prompting worries about the future of thousands of popular. people rushing to enjoy them not every visitor abides by the motto leave no trace prompting worries about the future of thousands of miles of land. >> our guy sam brock strapped on those hiking boots and hits the appalachian trail in northern georgia for us sam, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, guys. you can't see. actually wearing my timberlands.

show you in a second the great outdoors has nerve her greater appeal standing on a section of the appalachian trail, near woody gap in georgia you see why so many want to get outside during the pandemic. this is a vision of paradise, but a bump, guys, right now in day hikers and casual campers is starting to wear down this natural wonder. plunged in the middle of perfect serenity, the appalachian trail's rolling hills and lush layers of foliage you find a phenomenon. >> we're outdoor people anyway, but now we're seeking only outdoor activities >> reporter: parking lots full of people and a crush of visitors from georgia -- >> used to be my go-to spot. park up there. go hiking. now -- you know, half of atlanta's parked up there. >> reporter: to maine and the mid-atlantic chris brunson and his team manage a 32-mile stretch from famed harbor's ferry west virginia south to virginia. >> trash pick-up is a problem these days that i have never

seen in the 30 years i've been working on this trail, and i find sleeping bags, tents, tarps, cooking gear, food in packets. >> reporter: it's a footprint, widening figuratively and literally with some pathways doubling in size this is where you hit the road >> exactly and in maine, ultimate destination is about 2,000 mimes that way. >> just a couple jumps and a skip >> exactly a few weeks. few weeks. >> you want to get out there. >> let's go! >> reporter: for perspective, we enlisted an expert don converse of the georgia appalachian trail club has been caring for the state's 78 miles for decades. >> this is, what four feet or so in some places highly eroded. >> reporter: he says it's not the few hundred people who hike the whole 2,000-mile stretch or through-hikers that are eroding the land but the countless casual day-goers. >> it's getting loved to death it's like the national parks are. thus the need for constant

maintenance. it's the pristine nature of it. >> reporter: a similar congestion crisis has already gripped the grand canyon and arches national park in utah with nature serving as a refuge for those coping with covid. >> nature and just the trail itself is really healing. >> reporter: melissa rand works in health care and is 1,300 miles into her journey alone, although she's hardly lacked for company. >> solo hiker it is kind of scary, but i never have been alone, because there's so many people hiking the trail. >> reporter: kayla bess cultivating a following on social media from his own amazing appalachian trek he had this to say about the explosion of fellow hikers. >> make sure you follow the lead note trace guidelines. be a good human about it >> reporter: all right that's the motto, sam. sort of a catch-22 we want people to go outside because of the pandemic. kids on the tablets, want them out at well.

what solutions are discussed to eases the issue of overcrowding? >> reporter: so, tom, one of the issues is that national parks across the country have started implementing reservation systems, capping the number of cars you can have. the issue with the appalachian trail, not one park or a couple of entrances it's 2,100 miles long. they may have to get creative here and i'd add a new record that just broke harvey sutton is a 5-year-old kid who ended up doing this entire 2,100-mile trek in 209 days, and that happened as a new trail name, little man back to you guys >> definitely the little man pretty cool! >> harvey! >> thank you for that. time for another check of the weather. mr. roker? >> there are a lot of fantastic national parks around the country that aren't the big name for example, a few miles from here there's teh jamaican

national wildlife refuge you wouldn't even think you were in new york city think of the lesser-known parks that are just as spectacular what's going on, unfortunately not at spectacular the hurricane season's three investigation areas. the one we're most concerned about is the one that is to the west of the lesser antilles. we'll be watching the development zone over the next five days into the gulf, but the gulf of mexico, the water temperature, 80 to 90 degrees especially along the coast with water temperatures in upper 80s and this system possibly developing by late sunday, early monday the american model, european model both bring it onshore somewhere between new orleans and houston. look at those global models. there's a very good possibility we could see landfall with a significant system somewhere between houston and new orleans. we are going to be watching that over the next several days the intensification of it, rapid intensification, is what we're

most worried with. heat and humidity throughout the central part of the country. northeast, severe storms and in the plains sunn good morning. i am meteorologist, kari hall, looking at your temperatures. it will be ten degrees warmer compared to yesterday and some of the inland spots reaching in the low 90s. for tomorrow into the weekend, as our temperatures heat up it's going to be more smoky as our air quality deteriorates with more smoke coming in. san francisco will see temperatures reach into the 70s and will also, once again, have more smoke. test weather. guys >> thank you, al. still ahead, a new covid alarm sounded from the front lines over a major spike in hospitalizations of pregnant women. so why are they so at risk, and what do they need to know about the vaccines we'll answer your questions, but first, these messages.

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>> radio tejay, k-rock in l.a. when i hear it a big story coming up on "pop start. we'll have it for you. one of the most recognizable album covers of all-time there it is. the question, why is that baby on the cover of the album suing the band now 30 years later? perhaps irony. the baby chasing that money -- maybe not. people talking about it. we'll have the full story in "pop start" after your local news. news lactaid is 100% real milk, just without the lactose. so you can enjoy it even if you're sensitive to dairy. so anyone who says lactaid isn't real milk is also saying mabel here isn't a real cow. and she really hates that.

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good morning. it's 7:56. i'm marcus washington. here's what people are talking about. >> i am kris sanchez in a san jose neighborhood that remains under an evacuation order because of a pg&e gas line break. right now the order has been expanded to at least the noon hour and including 15 more homes. this is a ten-block area in the area of the sap center, the shark tank and the rose garden neighborhood. it's time to get a look at the microclimbut weather for

you. >> still looking hazy this morning, and air quality at the surface is actually pretty good for the south bay as well as the coast. still moderate for the santa clara valley going into the afternoon. we are going to see a georgia good day. much of the rest of the bay area headed to the 90s for our hottest spots tomorrow and into the weekend. >> we will have another update coming up in 30 minutes. meet you back here then.

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crime, wildfires. [sfx: bear roar] gavin, you've failed. we have to immediately cut taxes twenty-five percent. fix housing and homelessness. and make life in california affordable again. i'm a businessman, the only cpa running. shouldn't we choose ability this time? do you think john cox will be a better governor than gavin newsom? [sfx: bear roar] does a bear sh*t in the woods?

it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, final push. a security threat at the kabul airport overnight complicating efforts to get americans out of afghanistan. and our exclusive conversation with a top taliban leader making headlines for these comments -- >> you still don't think that osama bin laden carried out 9/11 >> translator: there is no evidence even after 20 years of war, we have no proof he was involved. >> we're live with the latest. pregnancy and the pandemic what's behind the recent spike in pregnant women hospitalized with covid

we'll talk to a doctor leading an icu in hard-hit florida, plus what health officials are urging all pregnant women to do to protect themselves. plus -- ♪ the rock band nirvana 30 years after releasing their hit album "nevermind," the famous cover landing the band in trouble this morning as social media weighs in. "today," thursday, august 26, 2021. ♪ i just want to go back ♪ >> from portland, oregon. >> it's our first time in new york. >> for my 40th birthday. >> and together again. in new york city. >> good morning from san francisco. i'm nicole and this is rufus and we love waking up with "today" every day. >> from california. >> celebrating 70th birthday. >> shout-out to my nine

grandchildren in -- >> point pleasant, new jersey. >> good morning from academy high school orientation. we are so excited to kick off this school year. >> all: happy back to school! [ cheers and applause ] >> hope my kids are that excited next week going back to school. welcome back. thank you for joining us on "today" on this thursday morning. savannah and hoda have the week off. kids getting ready to go back. >> a lot of kids are already back in certain parts of the country. we want to tell you next week more of our ongoing series "kids under pressure." it's a look at how kids are faring in the pandemic and challenges they're facing. >> a great idea. we'll introduce you to a high school coach. a lot trained to spot mental health issues to help the young athletes off the field. kate snow has that story for us next week. right now, your news at 8:00. first up, a new terror threat overnight escalating anxiety for some 1,500 americans still stuck in afghanistan.

military officials fear that a terrorist attack on kabul airport, the main evacuation point, could be imminent. afghan civilians who assisted the united states also desperate to leave fearing reprisals from the taliban. last night nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel had a rare face-to-face sitdown interview with the taliban spokesman and top senior official who arrived with an armed entourage. >> when osama bin laden, guest of the taliban, organized 9/11 attacks, can you guarantee that this country will never again be a base for terrorism? >> translator: when osama bin laden became an issue for the americans, he was in afghanistan, although there was no proof he was involved. now we have given promises that afghan soil won't be used against anyone. >> you still don't think that osama bin laden carried out 9/11? >> translator: there is no evidence. even after 20 years of war we have no proof he was involved. >> so it sounds like even now,

after all of this, you're accepting no responsibility? >> translator: there was no justification for this war. it was excuse for war. >> how are you feeling right now after 20 years? the americans are leaving. >> >> translator: withdrawal is almost finished. these are our happiest moments. >> the taliban leader also insisted afghan women who endure canned harsh treatment under taliban in the past have nothing to fear. >> and thousands of americans and many more afghans still stranded, the struggle to get them out grows more urgent by the day, and agonizing waits for relatives here in the u.s. nbc's gabe gutierrez joins us from virginia where some of the evacuees are being housed. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: sheinelle, good morning. the governor here says thousands of afghans have already arrived in virginia, some of them being housed at the dulles expo center behind me before they are transferred to military bases across the country.

we just saw some buses roll out this morning. across the u.s., desperate family members are urgently trying to rush other relatives out of kabul. the frenzied escape from kabul now landing on america's doorstep. this morning afghans in the u.s. are increasingly worried about their relatives left behind. >> there is an emptiness we cannot describe and it's just that. >> reporter: among those stuck in afghanistan, 24 california students who went there to visit their families. so far at least four made it out. >> there's a concerted effort to bring everybody home, but because of safety and not congregating everybody in one place, i don't any it's going to happen all at once. >> i can get people inside the base if they're u.s. citizens. >> reporter: for this man in virginia, the last few days have been agonizing. >> it is a matter of life and death. i have instagram and all of these -- 99 messages.

>> reporter: minute by minute, call after call, a flurry of frantic texts and videos from relatives and strangers still in afghanistan. [ speaking in foreign language ] as he tries to get them out safely under the radar by offering advice and directions. >> speaking to taliban and speaking to security guards and speaking to everyone. i do not even know these people, but i want to make sure these people get into the base. >> repor >> reporter: how many family members have you gotten out? >> my immediate family, 17 >> reporter: 17 immediate family members? >> yes. >> reporter: how many people total? >> 68. >> reporter: in just a few days. >> in just a few days. >> reporter: nbc news spoke to other families across the u.s. too worried to talk publicly about their relatives' harrowing escape for fear of taliban reprisals. >> we're concerned that evacuations are going to end, and she's not going to be able to leave >> reporter: seema from orlando says her aunt left in may to visit her daughter in afghanistan and is still

trapped. >> taliban, told can't travel without a male she's given different excuses. >> reporter: later president biden is scheduled to meet virtually with governors who have raised their hands to help resettle vulnerable afghans across the country sheinelle. >> gabe, thank you. we're also talking weather this morning nearly 70 million americans are waking up to heat warnings and advisories late summer temps soaring from the pacific coast all the way to new england and humidity making the air quality unhealthy. some schools sent students home, saying it's too uncomfortable to wear a mask right now in the class. al, what are you looking at? this is serious. >> and it's going to continue right into the weekend coast to coast, almost 70 million people new england, heat advisories, heat warnings and we expect the feels-like temperatures to be in the triple digits from the southwest to the northeast for today as we get into next

week, and into the weekend, we are going to be seeing a little bit of a break in the northeast with a front pushing through, but in the meantime, temperatures still very warm, and we've got severe weather to talk about big storm system we're looking at a severe threat throughout much of the midwest and the upper plains today into tomorrow bringing anywhere from one to three inches of rain and a threat of tornadoes as well can't be ruled out so we're going to continue to keep an eye on this. guys >> all right thank you, al. we've covered the news craig, give us the "morning boost. >> we're going with a themed boost this morning, because, as mentioned today is national dog day. it's meant to raise awareness of all the wonderful dogs waiting to be rescued, and also a day to celebrate how many dogs enrich our lives. so let's salute bolt this is bolt, a siberian husky that was just a puppy when its military mom went overseas nine months later, check out bolt's reaction when his owner came home to houston.

>> okay! [ laughter ] yeah i missed you i missed you >> oh, so sweet. >> u.s. army sergeant jasmine delgado was worried bolt would not recognize her. the sergeant was wrong that wagging tail shows she had nothing to worry about. >> bolt was a puppy when she left that's amazing. >> so great. a lot more ahead this morning including what doctors want everyone to know with more pregnant women hospitalized with severe covid that's right after this.

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introducing mymcdonald's rewards. now, every order earns points redeemable for free mcdonald's. we're back now with more on the coronavirus and a new alarm being sounded by doctors and other health officials as well. >> hospitals ae facing a troubling surge in pregnant women becoming severely ill. nbc's stephanie gosk joins us with more. >> reporter: this is scary the issue particularly worrisome in the south where doctors tell nbc news they have never seen this many pregnant women in their icus. it's an alarming trend of putting expectant parents on notice nbc news spoke to doctors in several states who reported a spike in covid hospitalizations among pregnant women, seeing double and in some cases triple the number nearly all of the patients are unvaccinated. >> last few weeks of pregnancy is very hard to breathe. your body immunity changes

during pregnancy so combining these two things it makes it very difficult to deal with a situation like covid. >> reporter: dr. sunil kumar leads the icu at broward health medical center in florida. his unit usually sees four to five pregnant women a year now he says they see that many in a week. and although it's unclear if unborn babies can contract covid in the womb, once they are delivered, babies are often separated from mothers who are too sick to hold them. how tough is that conversation when you tell a mother who just gave birth that she can't hold her baby because she's too sick with covid >> it's hard it's extremely hard. >> reporter: cdc data shows one in four pregnant women have been vaccinated during their pregnancy. it was only this summer agencies issued recommendations that pregnant women get vaccinated, previously just saying encouraged because pregnant women didn't take part in the

early trials now data shows the vaccine is safe. >> it's very, very clear it is safe in pregnant women. >> reporter: the cdc says 131 pregnant women have died of covid complications and more than 200 have lost their pregnancy. haley richardson was a nurse from alabama pregnant with her second child she and her unborn daughter passed away last week, less than a month after testing positive for covid. her best friend says richardson hadn't gotten vaccinated because of the lack of research at the time regarding impact on pregnancy. doctors report pregnant women are more likely to be put on ventilators and other machines to support critical organs like the heart and lungs. a recent study found pregnant women who get covid are 40% more likely to deliver prematurely. i'm sure there are many people who are pregnant and already vaccinated with concerns, the doctor says their risk of severe illness is much lower, but he

suggests they really should wear masks and avoid those crowded areas. >> thank you, stephanie. joining us to talk more about covid's risk to pregnant women is an associate professor of obstetrics at nyu thank you for coming in. >> good morning. >> so many watching this morning concerned. can we step back a bit and talk a bit why pregnant women are at such risk for covid and what are those risks? >> yeah. absolutely so in general, pregnant women are a more vulnerable population of patients. they're more likely to be immunocompromised. they're more vulnerable to infection and disease, which is why every season we vaccinate our pregnant women in a routine season against flu, for example, or give other vaccines in pregnancy. it's really important,because this population is so vulnerable we treat them with extra care. so having a covid vaccine really arms and protects them against severe disease. >> separate fact from fiction here, because there's a lot of stuff, a lot of wacky stuff on social media

this idea about, you know, ibf treatments, infertility and these vaccines affecting those things what do we know about that >> there is no evidence that the covid vaccine affects fertility, increases your rates of any complications like miscarriages. one we often get asked about you know, difficulty getting pregnant or having other complications. and even in pregnancy, the fda has a registry and the cdc -- excuse me, has a registry and actually track those who are pregnant and have gotten the vaccine and there's no increase adverse events in that group. >> what about for so many viewers nursing and breastfeeding? >> absolutely. nursing, breastfeeding postpartum, they should all get vaccinated no increase in maternal or infant risk. it's really, really important to protect the most vulnerable. the reason we're seeing so many pregnant women in hospitals right now is because there are so many are unvaccinated

95% of people hospitalized now are unvaccinated. >> what about premature birth? any correlation between the vaccination and giving birth prematurely? >> no. there is no data that supports any increase in adverse events that's how we talk about it. in maternal or fetal complications in women who have had the covid vaccine. people should get vaccinated. >> 20 seconds. say i come to you and say, i'm pregnant i read all the stuff on the internet i'm afraid of putting something in my body if i just wear my mask, stay away from people, rather not put something in my body i'm still afraid people have said that i know what do you say? >> i know people are afraid. honestly, people should fear covid and not the vaccine. very simply, you should be afraid of the disease and not the vaccine. there is no data that says that the vaccine increases any risks in pregnancy or postpartum, and in lactating or pregnant women all of our big groups now are in full support on this

they've all come down very strongly for vaccine in pregnancy. we want to protect our vulnerable. >> the fact we have so many pregnant women in icus is why we're talking about this this morning. so thank you. switching gears. mr. roker standing by with mother check of the weather. >> satellite view. we have a lot of showers and thunderstorms down through florida. severe storms firing up today in the upper midwest later today. afternoon highs, talking heat and humidity it will be feeling like triple digits from the southwest all the way to the northeast, to new england, severe storms in northern plains. sunny and hot up and down the west coast where they do not need it. that's what' good morning. i am meteorologist kari hall. taking a look at our temperatures, we're going to be still a little cool for the coastline with some upper 60s for san francisco. as you make your way inland, this is where temperatures are heating up today. we're going to see highs in the upper 80s in the north bay,

santa rosa to napa. low 80s for the south bay, upper 80s for morgan hill. 92 in livermore. with inland temperatures heating up for the next several days, we are headed to upper 90s for the weekend. weather. best -- time -- of the morning >> yes [ cheers and applause the crowd goes wild. >> because the teleprompter says, "go wild, everybody, go wild!" thunder and lightning. "pop start," the band nirvana being brought to court over the cover art of their best-selling album by the person who famously is featured front and center. ♪ >> reporter: it's the album with cover art nearly as famous as its hit song. ♪ come as you are ♪ >> nirvana's "never mind" grunge rock bands second studio album one of the second best of all-time certified diamond three

times. but now, nearly 30 years after its release, "nevermind" at the center of a legal battle ♪ spencer eldon, the man featured naked on the cover as an infant, now suing the band over alleged child sexual exploitation. a lawsuit filed in a los angeles federal court stating nirvana m pornography depicting spencer in a sexually provocative manner to gain notoriety and drive sales and media atengts. it goes on to say neither spencer or legal guardians signed a release authorizing release of any images of spencer or his likeness. he's seeking $150,000 in damages from each of the 15 defendants, which includes surviving band members, and courtney love as executor of kurt cobain's estate in 2016, el done talked about how being on the cover has

affected him in later years. >> i went to a baseball game, opening day at the dodgers, looking out at all the people and had a moment, man, like all of these people have seen my baby penis >> reporter: that same year he recreated the album's cover to mark the 20th anniversary. a tattoo, "nevermind" displayed across his chest but in 2016, eldon telling "gq australia," i didn't have a choice being on the cover. asked back then why the change of heart, he told "gq," a few months ago i was reaching out to nirvana to be a part of my art show and they referred me to managers and lawyers why am i still on their cover if i'm not that big of a deal the lawsuit lighting up social media with one user tweeting, this is a pathetic cash grab leave kurt in peace. another wrote, i think cobain could appreciate the glorious irony of the baby chasing the dollar suing him. well, this will be one to keep

an eye on. i don't know how it's going to end up, the lawsuit's going to proceed. for those wondering, in the lawsuit, they state, and i quote, "spencer never received compensation for being on the al come cover." >> and to define sexual exploitation, that particular photo -- what sort of nature -- >> there's nuance. >> weird, he celebrated it on other anniversaries and now is suing? the irony of the baby chasing. i think kurt when he initially made his album cover it was sort of a statement about capitalism, and it is a little ironic here we are 30 years later with a lawsuit on it. we eel keep an eye on it next up on "pop start," ryan reynolds married to blake lively nearly nine years and marks her

birthday on instagram. unlike many of us usually does with very unflattering pictures of blake there's one. birthday's the 25th. posted that in 2019. this year, reynolds marked her special day by not marking it at all and reposted at tiktok made by none other than mariah carey, my favorite thing that ever happened on august 25th. here's a look at ryan's hick tok d duet ♪ ooh, baby, i'm so into you ♪ all that goes through my mind ♪ but it's just a sweet, sweet memory, baby ♪ >> ryan commenting still recovering from that side eye. there we go. "modern family," recently sharing exciting news with his over 2 million instagram followers that he's engaged. sharing this picture with his

fiancee. caption said, she'd have her people call my people. tons of people sending in congratulations. the internet being the place it is, some questioned the couple's age difference responding to this clever photo shopping an image of himself and lindsay saying i look too old as a 49-year-old man engaged to my almost 42-year-old fiancee, adding she can't help she looks so great at 42 and i apparently look like her granddad i fixed it for everyone. congratulations to both of them. >> there you go. and reese witherspoon doting mom of three loves her kids. frequently posts photos with them on social media her latest post does not feature any of them at all because the school year started. reese captioning this video. when the kids go back to school and you have the house to

yourself. ♪ won't stop, won't stop the beat, go ♪ >> eating the cake and -- >> kids are gone. dancing around the house i'm sure that's common for a lot of moms. >> going nuts. common for a lot of moms out there. a lot of smiling parents. >> lots of parents. >> that is your "pop start." >> good stuff. straight ahead, are you noticing women wearing these dresses everywhere >> yes. >> what makes the exercise dress, what it's called, one of the hottest fashion trends our style expert has all of the answers and things you can buy right after your local news.

good morning. 8:26. i am marcus washington. firefighters this morning are battling a new wildfire about 30 miles east of stockton. it is burning in calaveras county. it prompted a slew of evacuations when it started. it is 10% contained and flames burned 700 acres. schools in the area will be closed today. schools are also closed again today in tahoe area as firefighters try to hold ground on advancing caldor fire.

containment is 12% this morning. flames destroyed at least 600 structures. time to look at the forecast for you. meteorologist kari hall is tracking that. of course, you have to think about that, air quality out there. >> yeah, more smoke will be coming into the bay area. look at temperatures, heating up for inland valleys, reaching into the low 90s, upper 90s for the weekend, with spots reaching over 100 degrees. by middle of the week, cools off the san francisco keeps milder weather, highs in the upper 60s and low 70s and we'll have concerns of smoke. >> thanks so much. we have another local news update in 30 minutes. see you back here then.

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♪ ♪ ♪ well well well, what have we here? ♪ ♪ a magical place... that's lookin' to get scared! ♪ ♪ with bats...and ghouls... and cars in disguise. ♪ ♪ i've cast quite a spell now... ♪

♪ you won't believe your eyes! ♪ (laughter) the spell is cast. halloween time is back with spook-tacular experiences in disneyland and disney california adventure parks! ♪ oh, we're back now 8:30 with music to get you moving on this thursday morning. music to get you ready for tomorrow morning as well which j balvin is an international superstar -- >> so big. so excited this is going to be awesome. we'll take things to a new level, the man himself join us on the plaza he'll put on an amazing concert. so many heaters this summer. i don't know what he's going to play. >> heaters got the heaters. >> whoa! >> he's outside. meantime, this half hour, remarkable rise of the exercise

dress. we're not calling it that's what it's called. it works whether working from home, heading back to the office, stepping out with friends. stylist melissa garcia is here, walking you through the hottest styles and where you can find them and a ten-day popup restaurant at the tennis tournament speck thing off that menu. easy, cool, a summer dish you can make looking forward to that. a little pasta, tomato sauce, chicken. break it down with alex in a bit. and later on in "3rd hour today. the hilarious molly shannon joining us live on the plaza and talking about how she prepared her latest role as a talk show host and the unusual connection molly and i share. >> oh! >> that's a teaser. >> he's got a connection with everybody. >> that is true. >> but when you're this old -- >> your best connection is always with the weather. >> that's true let's connect right now, if we can.

we're looking ahead to the weekend. friday, stifling humidity! we got the heater -- the heater going. j balvin fire danger out west strong storms in the plains. wet weather in the gulf. heat wave continues in the mid-section of the country unsettled weather in the north east and new england sunny and dry western third of the country then sunday -- sunday! -- a tropical threat along the gulf, to be tropical storm ida. august heat continues through the ohio and mississippi river valley into the northeast. hot and dry out west that's what's going on around good morning. i am meteorologist kari hall. a hazy start over the south bay, but air quality will be good for parts of the south bay into santa clara valley. coastal areas seeing good air quality today. this will be improvement over what we have ahead in the forecast as temperatures heat up. we'll see more smoke coming in. valley temperatures are headed to the upper 90s for the

weekend. by monday, we're in the low 90s, cooling off by wednesday. san francisco seeing highs in the low 70s. our latest weather don't forget, this weekend the nascar cup series closes its regular season on the high banks of daytona catch all the action saturday night, 7:00 eastern only on nbc. and for a refresher on last year's nascar champion, chase elliott, check out the documentary "chase" streaming now on peacock. >> wrapping up the regular season this weekend, starting the playoffs next weekend in darlington under the lights. when we come back, though, an important story why are so many indigenous women going missing right here in america? andrea canning is standing by to shine a ght on a hidden crisisli

we are back with a special week-long nbc news serious "the vanished" we are back with a special week-long nbc news serious "the

vanished" focusing on missing and murdered indigenous women. >> such an important story "dateline" reporter is with us. >> looking into this about acom important to raise awareness about them this is an ongoing tragedy, a crisis, if you want to call it that we followed one woman who has taken things into her own hands searching for the missing herself and one day her mission became personal. >> this is backbreaking. this is, you living and breathing this >> constantly. >> reporter: for the last 12 years, lissa yellowbird has been fighting what she calls an epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women according to department of justice findings, 4 out of 5 native american women have experienced violence in their lifetime >> this is 2021. we're demanding our rights to be heard. >> reporter: it was back in 2016 when this crisis hit home for lissa.

her niece, carla yellowbird, went missing in north dakota she got a tip that carla was last seen with three men lissa posted the men's names to social media >> you get a call from a blocked number. >> yes. >> who is it >> suna. >> suna guy, reportedly one of the men seen with her niece. he called lissa multiple times and pleszed pressed for answers. >> be honest with me i'm done playing >> reporter: finally after days of back and forth, suna admitted that carla was dead. he said she'd been shot but insisted he didn't pull the trigger. did he explain to you the motive >> the intention was to rob her. it didn't go as planned. >> reporter: one of the other men set the shooting was accidental, but all three pleaded guilty to murder-related charges and the sent to prison other families are often left

without answers. >> this is a crisis happening in our country since colonization. >> i, deborah haaland. >> reporter: the appoint of deborah holland, secretary of the interior, a native american herself, has given many a reason for hope. >> i'm grateful we're seeing some action on it right now. >> reporter: though the fight for missing and murdered indigenous women is finally getting noticed, lissa says her battle will go on. are you going to keep fighting keep searching >> for sure. most definitely. i don't -- i don't want another family to ever feel like how we felt >> reporter: and i just want to say a personal thank you to carla yellowbird's family for letting us into their world. they're proud and they're private and want her daughter's life to mean something and to shine a slight on this crisis. >> already doing that. >> startling four of five indigenous women experienced violence

>> in our special, we'll talk about more statistics that are just staggering. you can't believe it when you hear some of these numbers >> four out of five! >> this community has not gotten a great deal of coverage in any form or fashion. >> what is so inspiration that is deb haaland new secretary of the interior. native american, as we said, she cares about this crisis and making it a top priority. >> great. >> reporter: she pulled herself off food stamps, single mom, first native american in a presidential cabinet i asked how did she did it she said, i just worked harder than everyone else incredible i was in awe of this woman. >> thank you you can see "dateline's" full report at 10:00 eastern, 9:00 central tomorrow right here on nbc. >> going to do a lot of good. take a turn just ahead to the summer's big trend when it comes to fashion the exercise dress melissa garcia knows where to find the top styles that people are raving about we'll have it for you, but

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this morning on "today" style, taking the streets by storm. we're talking about the exercise dress. easy to wear piece that works for parties, lunch dates, errands and everything in between. you see it here. style expert melissa garcia scoured the internet and found five of the best-selling exercise dresses for all of you. goodor tnio you. >> good morning. so good to see you. >> so good to see you in-person. why do you think this exercise dress is so popular right now? what is it >> okay. we have all come off of a long year and a half being very comfortable and do not want to sacrifice comfort. we don't want to get into tight jeans right away. >> right. >> this is a great way to still stay comfortable, because the fabric is inherently comfortable. it's moisture wicking fabric and the a-line silhouette is elevated

>> first model on the runway beautiful, by the way. tell us about this one >> she's wearing a dress from outdoovor esic this sort of kicked off the whole trend. this is probably, if i can say it, the dress of the summer. everyone across the country is wearing exercise dresses i love this one. great adjustable straps. it also has, women are loving this -- they have, if you can show us -- shorts. >> a win. >> put your phone. put a tennis ball. whatever you want. which is great super comfortable. good looking great athleisure-wear style with cross body bag and great sneakers >> tom llamas, his mom is wearing these dresses. everyone's wearing these. >> the next one. how about this one >> i love this one from reformation. the dress is great again, athleisure wear-style moisture wicking material. super comfortable, easy to wear. this one's actually made of recycled plastic bottles great for the environment, too has tons of stripes and also

really works so well styled it here a little bit more casually for this, wear it out for brunch [ut a a button down around it. sneakers again and it works. >> it works. >> great extra small through 3x. >> what about cost pricey or not too bad? >> this one is great this is under $40. if you want to try the trend, don't want to spend a ton of money, this is a great one this went viral over tiktok. people going crazy over this one. comes in tons of colors, lots of sizes as well. a perfect way to wear it for anything, biking, hiking, walking, running tennis, clearly, but super comfortable easy to wear has those biker shorts, again, underneath gives you a little bit of space to put your belongings. >> love it and you don't have to play tennis >> yes workout, do we all workout >> 100% athleisure but stepping it up a bit. how about this one >> what's great about the trend

is the summer, when it's super hot, it doesn't show sweat marks. this goes into the fall. styled it with a cross sweatshirt allowing to you still see the a-line silhouette. >> pointed to me, i know, i know so comfy it works. >> this one from amazon. detachable shorts. great for going to the bathroom. sometimes it's not easy to take your entire outfit off when you have to go. >> i love that i love it, i love it how about this one a little camo. >> from old navy. >> super cute. >> i love this camo detail is a fun on-trend, a little edgy. great against a transition into fall we love the fall colors. great adjustable straps, moisture wicking material and styled it a little more elevated popped on a denim jacket, sure most women have, a great sandal. you can wear it from walking and through is this one on and you look like you're ready for lunch. >> melissa why you're a style

it put a jean jacket with all of these, sneakers, dress it up or down, if you will. thank you, melissa. >> thank you. >> for all of these exercise dresses and more you can head to today.com/shop can i tell you something they sell out fast if you want one, a friend tried to order yesterday don't wait go ahead and get it. just ahead, we are making two dishes that celebrate summer produce in our perfect for dinner tonight that's in a bit. that's in a bit. but first, this is "today" on is your family ready for an emergency? you can prepare by mapping out two ways to escape your home, creating a supply kit, and including your whole family in practice drills. for help creating an emergency plan, visit safetyactioncenter.pge.com

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plus, ask how to get a prepaid card up to $500. call or go online today to learn more. comcast business. powering possibilities. a little preparation will make you and your family safer in an emergency. a week's worth of food and water, radio, flashlight, batteries and first aid kit are a good start to learn more, visit safetyactioncenter.pge.com and we're back with "today food," easy and budget friendly recipes for the end of summer and back-to-school routines looming in front of us. we have simple solutions for dinner. >> yeah. actually a really simple one our good friend alex guarnaschelli is here. she's about to open a new restaurant so good to have you back, alex back in person, in the flesh and haven't seen you in a couple

years. this morning we're going to make a little chicken dish. >> right start with the chicken breasts, butterfly it, slit it in half so it's thinner and you get your bang for your buck you know what i'm saying >> how do you do that? >> best way to do, take a chicken and literally, they say, butterfly, cut it in half and open it up into two halves like a butterfly. then you pund it out which is good. not going to the gym, getting half the chicken we sear it in hot oil on each side a little salad, bitter greens. >> right. >> with a little mustard dressing you're like, oh, what happened here >> right >> and sprinkled a little salt on it? is that it >> i like when chicken tastes like chicken >> right, right. >> people are always dipping it in sour cream and whatever else.

stop >> do you pronounce the "d"? >> you say the d >> 42%, yes, sort of in the middle 58%, no. >> a lot of great tomatoes out right now? >> yes so our next dish -- these are dishes you get at my -- never had -- i feel like i have a posse. >> you do! >> lot of cooks in the chicken >> everybody, line up. okay >> so tomatoes cut in half cut a little in boiling water until we can peel the skin off right? then we just -- look at this looks almost -- >> beautiful. >> summer tomatoes drop that -- al, will you put the rice wine vinegar and olive oil right in there tomato, shallots, garlic, it's red pepper flakes, like a vinaigrette, vegan. oregano, a little sugar. no dairy in here what we do is cook this, let it stew a little bit.

we blend it and toss the pasta in the sauce i saved a little pasta water >> oh. you stave pals ta water from cook the pasta to loosen that up >> the tomatoes i noticed are not red. do they have a different flavor? >> these are lower acid tomatoes i loved saying that. you sound like you did something unusual. all you did is buy a tomato and you're like, i was up all night. so beautiful and a great, mild taste. >> mild, okay, yeah? >> this dish can be vegan easily, which i love just vegetarian. drop spicy brown sausage on there, if you want, al do you know what i mean? >> yeah. a little parmesan. >> can you swap out the pasta? >> absolutely. you could do beans, for example. any number of things, or just use this yellow tomato sauce to make a vegetable lasagna, which is vegetables. >> i love how creamy it tastes. >> it's very creamy because of that rice wine vinegar and olive oil blended almost like a

vinaigrette. the blender, blending everything, making it smooth, that's that magic. are you adding more -- >> got to ask. i watch "chopped" every day. getting it on the plate or not seasoning a full plate at all and it tastes terrible >> the answer is yes no under pressure, looks easy put the ingredients on even if it's bless your heart or whatever -- >> get it on the plate. >> we tried. we did our best. when you leave those ingredients off eventually it catches up with you like taxes. >> thank you. >> got to pay them. >> oftentimes we make dishes on this show. i try to go home and replicate and this is a dish i feel even i could probably pull this off. >> you make it look so easy. >> simple. >> it's really simple. you cook everything together you see it it's beautiful you blend it that's it. >> could you make this sauce ahead and freeze it? >> oh, my god.

you can keep this in the freezer, pint, quart containers defrost it, use it let it sit in the fridge i put a little olive oil over it so it keeps longer it keeps the air. >> i want to grab one for tom. >> these three guys, they took all the cheese. >> sorry chef alex guarnaschelli, thank you. best of luck >> thank you >> find her recipes on our website, today.com/food. and celebrate a few birthdays. right, al. we're waiting. let's spin the smucker's jar smucker's on top of the pasta. fantastic! yummy! i try. first up, happy 103rd birthday to dorothy c., artist from santa rosa, california her secret, chocolate. katherine boast from little rock, arkansas, 100. love having long phone conversations with family and friends.

happy birthday, 100, for terry, a dog lover. perfect for international dog day. after a stint in the army she went on to own 23 lumber companies. it's the wood that makes it good mary of cumberland, rhode island, celebrating 100 years teaching science in the local school district 30 years leon mccraw from baytown, texas. avid sports fan is 100 and married to his teenage sweetheart, for, get this, nearly 80 years. amazing. last, not least, happy 105th birthday to ms. dorothy nelms, proud grandma from texas asked about her secret to longevity she says, quote, i ain't got time to be mad at nobody great advice. and this is our favorite part of the show, it's back, carson daly. >> if you want highlights from

all four hours of "today," extended interviews, a peek behind the curtain at studio 1a, check out "today in 30." catch it and other shows on demand all day stream@today.com. >> favorite part of the show now that it's back >> missed it so much. >> you guys have to come see me at the u.s. open what to can do, standing there. >> got tickets to go with you? >> yeah, yeah. got you covered. coming up on hoda and jenna, a mailbox of surprises thanks to social media. coming up on "3rd hour today," celebrating international dog day with a little expert help from a vet >> molly shannon >> absolutely. >> secret connection between me and molly! >> announcer: "today" is now a podcast available every morning. listen wherever you get your podcasts. podcasts

. good morning. it is 8:56. marcus washington. evacuation orders for hundreds of people from a gas leak that closed a ten block area in downtown san jose.

pg&e says a contract crew struck an 8 inch line. 325 homes and businesses are evacuated. they hoped to have it tapped by midnight. with everyone back in homes at 8:00 this morning, but that was not the case. work is expected to continue until noon. there was talk of even more homes that would have to be evacuated, depending on what repair work entitled. the community center is open as a way of shelter. happening now, kris sanchez is at the scenario and will have more on the midday forecast.

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live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the "3rd hour of today". >> good morning, and welcome to the "3rd hour of today." you can -- >> a little -- >> go ahead. >> a little tepid. bring it up. thank you! there you go. >> and we're not normally outside and people polite and not se whether they're supposed to or not. sometimes you get a little, whoo -- anyway, we're so happy you're here with us this morning on this thursday. with al and craig and dylan has the day off. a great hour and day ahead.

you know what