>> all right. thank you. that is what's happening "today in the bay" on this kind of sleepy labor day morning. >> yeah. >> we have more live local news coming up for you. >> thanks so much for joining us this morning on this labor day. the last unofficial day of summer. the "today" show is next. >> that looks like summer. good morning picking up the pieces. millions from the northeast to louisiana still reeling in the wake of hurricane ida. >> there's not a person on this bayou that's not suffering. >> entire neighborhoods still underwater hundreds of thousands still witht power. and this gut-wrenching new video from the night of the storm revealing police officers diving into a flooded new york city apartment in a desperate attempt to save a family. inside the ongoing rescues, recovery, and your holiday forecast just ahead.

breaking overnight, held hostage. the taliban reportedly preventing planes carrying evacuees, including americans, from leaving afghanistan. we're live with the very latest. expiration day. millions of americans set to lose unemployment benefits as federal funds meant to ease the pandemic's toll come to an end today. so where do they turn now for help? and how can the nation's economy bounce back with the delta variant fueling another slowdown? we'll go one-on-one with the secretary of labor. new mystery. a prominent attorney recovering after being shot in the head nearly three months after the double murder of his wife and son. a case that is still unsolved. so is there a connection? what the family and police are saying. the nfl season gets ready to kick off this week. tom brady reveals his own battle with covid just after that

infamous super bowl parade. and remembering willard scott. >> i think he's going for my earpiece. >> with a larger than life heart and unmatched passion, he spent decades making the world smile here on "today," and leading the tributes to willard's remarkable life, the man who called him a second father. >> i don't do this for everybody. >> al joins us as we celebrate our beloved uncle willie. today, monday, september 6th, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning and welcome to today. thank you for joining us on this labor day, monday morning, i'm sheinelle jones alongside tom llamas. savannah, craig and hoda are off this morning.

>> pretty much everybody. >> we were just talking about willard scott. what an icon, what a legend. he had spent more than 40 years from this broadcast, and i'm so excited we'll hear from al later in the show. >> i heard from so many people, different ages from all over the country, people who didn't know him personally and they all felt impacted by his warmth, so we'll get a tribute that he deserves a little later. but we begin on this labor day with the weather. tens of millions are still coping with ida's devastation after its historic hits that stretched from the south to new england. we have two reports for you starting with gabe gutierrez who's in manville, new jersey, where damage is everywhere. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: sheinelle, good morning. right now people are beginning the painful process of trying to clean up this massive mess. block after block of ruined belongings out on the street as people clean out their flooded basements. tomorrow president biden is scheduled to tour some of the destruction here.

across the northeast, communities reeling from ida's aftermath. at least 51 people have died from the unprecedented flooding and destruction caused by last week's historic storm. this new video from the nypd shows officers frantically trying to reach a flooded basement, with rising water and live electricity. they had to wait for specialized rescue teams. when they got there, they found three people had already drowned. in hard-hit new jersey, the search resumes for four people still missing, including two college students who witnesses say were swept up in the rushing water. >> pray for them, please. everybody pray for them. >> reporter: with at least 27 people dead in new jersey alone, ida's remnants are the second deadliest storm in the state's history. it could also be among the costliest. >> water came right to the edge. >> reporter: your entire basement was under water. >> if it came up a little bit more, that meant everything. >> reporter: in manville, new jersey, it took richard 11 hours

to return to his home to check on it. did you expect this much water? >> no. nobody did. >> reporter: for his wife, kelly, the escape was harrowing. >> i'm here with the two kids and the dog. the water just kept getting higher and higher. >> and we have no idea what will happen to our house. >> reporter: these are the anxious moments when her family evacuated. look at how high the water was. >> thank god for neighbors with boats. >> reporter: that neighbor, mark mendersky. how many people did you rescue? >> i didn't keep track but i'd say a good eight families on my block alone. >> reporter: this neighborhood has seen floods before but not like this. >> we were watching people get picked off their roofs by helicopters. it was like something out of a movie. >> reporter: clearly this cleanup will take quite a while. there's damage pretty much everywhere you turn. new jersey has gotten more rain in several hours last week than it normally gets in a month or two. the president has approved a

federal disaster declaration for several counties here. sheinelle. >> the damage is heartbreaking. thank you, gabe. also this morning ida's toll in the south is growing. more than a week after it crashed ashore as a major cat 4 hurricane, the death toll rose in louisiana over the weekend and more than half a million homes are still without power. vaughn hillyard is in new orleans for us this morning. vaughn, good morning. >> reporter: tom, good morning. eight days in and some homes in the state are still surrounded by water, and power is not expected to be fully restored across the state until the end of september. the state's largest electricity provider said the damage caused boy this storm was greater than katrina, ike, and delta and zeta combined. this morning across the south residents are reeling from ida's devastation. >> this is terrible, man. it's just so hard. >> reporter: at least 17 deaths now blamed on the storm in louisiana, mississippi, and alabama. louisiana's governor warning the

death toll could rise. >> typically it isn't the direct impact of the storm that kills the most people. it's post-storm activities. >> reporter: while battling intense heat and humidity, hundreds of thousands in the region are still without power. louisiana's largest electricity provider saying for some power might not return until the end of september. many are also facing food, water, and gas shortages. >> we don't have any lights. we don't have any, you know, drinkable water. the hardest part is trying to get to the stores and get food for my family. >> reporter: and now seven nursing homes in louisiana are being shut down by the state after they evacuated residents into a single unfit warehouse ahead of the storm. of some 800 relocated seniors, seven have now died and five of the deaths have been classified as storm-related fatalities. >> there were on mattresses on floors and a couple of no air conditioning. >> reporter: in lafitte where there are still feet of standing

water, residents are shaken to the core. >> it's all my neighbors. i love these people. these people are all my family and they're all suffering, they're all suffering. there's not a person on this bayou that's not suffering. >> reporter: painfully slow signs of progress in a long and challenging road to recovery. >> i've done this over and over again. this is the worst i've ever seen. >> reporter: here in new orleans, with the blazing temperatures and lack of power, the city is offering buses to shelters in northern louisiana and neighboring states. officials are hoping, though, that by wednesday power will be restored across the city. tom? >> we hope so. all right, vaughn, thank you for that. now to that breaking news from afghanistan overnight, reports the taliban is now stopping evacuation flights from leaving the country with some americans on those planes. nbc's meagan fitzgerald joins us with the details. meagan, good morning. >> reporter: sheinelle, good

morning to you. as the taliban continues to tighten its grip in the country, there's growing concern that as each day passes the chances of those still left behind getting out are diminishing. this morning, the taliban claiming they have taken over the last free part of afghanistan as desperation inside the country mounts. the taliban says they captured panjshir province, the last place in the country to fall. resistance fighters on the ground deny the claim, and nbc has not confirmed it. while some americans along with many afghans who assisted the united states are still stranded in the country after the u.s. military left last week. hundreds have been waiting for days for these charter flights to take off from the northern city. this weekend republican congressman michael mccall claiming some americans are being held there. >> we had six airplanes at the

airport with american citizens on them as i speak, also with these interpreters. and the taliban is holding them hostage for demands right now. >> reporter: the taliban confirming it has stopped the planes from leaving, claiming the airport is not active. the white house saying it is not aware of a hostage situation and the u.s. state department not confirming americans are onboard the planes. the state department adding it understands the concerns of those who want to get americans and afghan allies out, but noting "we do not have personnel on the ground. we do not have air assets in the country. we do not control the airspace." >> nobody is moving, and things are getting more and more tense and pressurized. >> reporter: u.s. aid worker marina lagree teaches young girls how to be leaders through mountaineering. dozens of her students and staff are stranded at the airport. >> these are planes full of innocent people, children, women activists. they need to be let go. our government knows the right levers to pull to convince people inside the taliban to do the right thing and let these

planes fly. >> reporter: a situation rapidly deteriorating as those most at risk fear they'll never get out. secretary of state blinken is expected to arrive in doha later this morning. the state department says if it's appropriate for him to engage with senior taliban officials, he'll do so, but right now there's no plans that are scheduled. sheinelle. >> all right, thank you. turning to the battle against covid and grim new milestones. over the holiday weekend the u.s. has now surpassed 40 million cases and 650,000 deaths, this as tens of millions of americans travel for labor day despite some warnings from the cdc. guad venegas has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, tom. well, those numbers are astounding. here's a little perspective. covid has forced 1,000 schools across 35 states to close this year and that number is only expected to grow as more kids become infected.

this morning as americans look ahead to the fall, questions about when many adults can take a covid booster shot, while children under 12 facing a new school year are still unable to be vaccinated at all, as the covid case count continues to rise. a staggering 40 million infections in the u.s., and with covid deaths rising in 48 states, the country has now surpassed 650,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic as the highly contagious delta variant drives the latest surge. the white house is preparing to extend its booster timeline, while the third shot for some of those fully vaccinated with pfizer and moderna was expected to be available in two weeks, regulators now warn moderna likely won't make that deadline after the company's booster data was found to be inadequate. the biden administration adamant on waiting for approval. >> no one is going to get boosters until the fda says

they're approved, until the cdc advisory committee makes a recommendation. >> reporter: this as the number of kids infected with the virus is on the rise. a new report from the american academy of pediatrics and the children's hospital association found children make up one in five new covid cases. and between late june and mid-august, numbers from the cdc show hospitalization rates for kids and teens increased fivefold. >> we know certainly more children are getting infected and, therefore, more are getting hospitalized. >> reporter: covid put then 4-year-old lincoln in the hospital for a week last march. >> i don't feel so good. >> i know you don't feel so good. >> reporter: his mother, ana, stayed at his bedside as his condition worsened. >> i remember the moments that he said, mom, i just don't feel good. i don't think i'm going to go home. that's the thing that nobody wants to hear their 4-year-old say. >> reporter: luckily, lincoln's

condition improved, but he would have to spend three more weeks on oxygen. >> i just think that people need to know that this is possible. >> reporter: as for that possible approval delay for moderna's booster doses, dr. fauci said if there is one, it could take a few more weeks, but the white house says once they do get the approval, they'll be ready to roll out those third shots within hours. sheinelle. >> guad, thank you. now to covid's impact on the economy. extended federal unemployment benefits put in place at the height of the pandemic expire today for millions of americans, this on the heels of friday's lackluster jobs report which was nearly half a million jobs lower than estimates. so what does this all mean for american families and the overall economy moving forward? labor secretary marty walsh joins us now on this labor day morning. secretary walsh, good morning to you. thank you for your time. >> good morning and thank you for having me this morning. i just want to wish everyone in the country a happy labor day. >> thank you.

well, we'll get to those job numbers in just a moment, but let's start with the federal unemployment assistance expiring today. that money has certainly been a lifeline for millions of families the last year and a half. what happens to them now? >> yeah, and thank god we had it in the beginning of the pandemic because people would have gone through a lot more devastation during this pandemic. what we have done now is we're looking at -- this was a bill that was voted on by congress, the american rescue plan. today was the day that the extension will end. we have allowed governors across the country, if they need to, to -- and rescue plan money to extending the unemployment benefit in their state if they need to. the rate is different all across the country. so it really is how do we continue to get the economy back and running. the problem we have is we have a delta variant that unfortunately is not working with us. we're seeing numbers in certain parts of the country high so we have to keep an eye on what's going on moving forward. >> let's unpack that.

a growing number of schools are going virtual again because of the delta variant. what's the solution in your opinion for families who can't afford to do both, work from home or go back to work and also pay for child care? what do they do? >> we'll have to watch and reassess where we are as we move forward over the next couple of weeks. the one thing about this pandemic, when the pandemic began i was the mayor of the city of boston. we had to shut down the city, basically shut down schools and businesses. as we started to move forward, we were seeing some kind of light at the end of the tunnel. when president biden got sworn in as president, he came up with a very aggressive vaccine program. we were able to get 70% of americans vaccinated. we were able to do a lot moving our economy forward, add 4.5 million jobs since he took office. over the last month, the month of august has changed the way -- changed the perspective of where we are with the pandemic. so we're going to have to take this week by week to see how we move forward.

lots of parents will have a very difficult time if in fact schools do not open in person. and i think that's one of the things that we were hoping for. as schools reopened, people getting vaccinated, the two fears that kept people out of the workforce the most was, one, lack of good child care, which includes schools, and the second is their own personal health. so we'll have to monitor this very closely. i know the president, the white house and cdc are monitoring this very closely. >> let me squeeze in one more question here. i want to get to those job numbers. optimistic analysts suggest that this summer's covid surge has slowed growth. is that what you're seeing? should we expect a rough few months if these trends continue? i think a lot of people want to know if there's a light, if you will, at the end of the tunnel. >> i think there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it's upon all of us to make sure we're vaccinated, keeping each other safe and watching out for our own personal health with the pandemic. i think we need to really continue to get people vaccinated.

there's still parts of this country that large numbers of people aren't vaccinated and we're seeing the largest hits of delta variant there. also in those areas we're seeing hospitals overrun with people and some concern. so i think definitely there is a light in the tunnel, it's just a matter of us continuing to move forward. >> i don't want to make you say a yes or no answer, but do you think we can get back to pre-pandemic levels within the next year or so? >> i would hope so. again, the pandemic, the virus is very unpredictable. i think we can get pretty close to it. i think a lot of people are hoping by the end of this year we'll be there. i'm not sure that's going to be the case, but again, we're dealing with a pandemic. i think that listening to what the science says, listening to what the experts say, we'll get through this together. >> we sure hope so. u.s. labor secretary marty walsh, thank you for your time on this labor day. >> thank you. happy labor day to everyone. speaking of labor day, time for a first check of the weather on this holiday morning. dylan, up here in the northeast we had a mixed bag this weekend. >> yeah, yesterday was a little

showery. we had a cold front moving through that made us feel like fall is right around the corner. here's that cold front that will bring some spotty showers to the carolinas, and it will exit southern new jersey. back behind it the humidity is gone, temperatures in the upper 70s and lower 80s. 84 in d.c., 81 in new york. but it's really out west where the temperature story is a big deal because 14 million people are under heat watches. we could see afternoon high temperatures at 115 degrees, even death valley could get up to 120 degrees. the heat is going to stick around. unfortunately, the heat with the lack of humidity and the very dry conditions with no rain in sight, that is going to help spread wildfires, especially across parts of the eastern rockies as we go into once again today and tomorrow and beyond. that's a look at the weather across the country. we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds.

from home improvement, drugstores, select travel and more earn 5% cash back that automatically adjusts to your top eligible spend category, up to $500 spent each billing cycle. >> and we are under a microclimate weather alert alert because of the spare the air alert that remains in effect. 60 degrees in livermore. it is going to be a warm afternoon yet again. 58 in walnut creek, but take a look at what we're expecting. this will remain in place through tonight. expect to see possible areas of unhealthy air quality especially for the santa clara valley and the east bay as well. daytime highs will be in the 80s, 90s and even triple digits. and that's your latest forecast. >> all right, dylan, thanks so much for that. coming up, a new twist tied to a mysterious case in south carolina you may have heard about this.

a prominent attorney shot and now in the hospital nearly three months after the unsolved double murder of his wife and son the latest on both investigations just ahead. plus a surprise revelation from tom brady remember his run at the super bowl parade? well, apparently he caught covid just a short time later. what he's saying about that and his concerns about the virus just days before the new nfl season kicks off. first, this is "today" on

still ahead, al joins us to remember and celebrate the amazing life of willard scott. >> it's all coming up after your local news has always been about. so as your business changes, we're changing with it. with e-commerce that runs at the speed of now. next day and two-day shipping nationwide. same day shipping across town. returns right from the doorstep, and deliveries seven days a week. it's a whole new world out there. let's not keep it waiting.

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>> i'm bob redell in dublin where the bay area air quality management district has declared another spare the air day not just for the east bay but for the entire bay area because it's going to be hot today. the car pollution is up and also you've got the smoke from those firefighters, especially the caldor fire which by the way firefighters there have now achieved 44% containment. >> all right. we wanted to take a look at our weather forecast. we know that's been a factor for firefighters. >> they had calming winds that helped in the fight against the fire and a live look in san francisco but over the golden gate bridge in the city probably getting more clearing but the fog around the coastline and through the bridge. your forecasted highs as bob said another hot day across the bay area. 80s and 90s down through the south bay. livermore 100 degrees. concord in three portions of antioch also in the triple digits, so keep that in, limit

outdoor exposure and it's dry out there. we're going to remain in this heat for the next several days. >> not my favorite. more local news in a half hour. we will see you then. this couple is working hard

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back at 7:30 let's take this in with an ocean view from myrtle beach, south carolina, on this monday morning, labor day, september 6, 2021 to me it's pretty crowded for this hour of the morning. >> and it's early. getting in the last days of summer >> people all over the country are heading to beaches, lakes and pools to enjoy the unofficial end of summer we'll get dylan's forecast in just a bit. first a reminder about an exclusive live interview we'll have for you tomorrow, monica lewinsky sitting down with savannah right here in studio 1a. >> her story is back in the headlines with this week's premiere of a new series and

monica is one of the producers she'll open up about that experience and bringing her story to the small screen tomorrow, only on "today." >> we look forward to that now let's get to your headlines. in florida a man wearing body armor shot and killed four people, including a mother and 3-month-old baby it happened at a home in lake land about 30 miles east of tampa when police responded to the scene. the suspect engaged in a shootout with officers eventually he was taken into custody. officials say the suspect is a former marine who likely targeted his victims at random and appeared to be suffering from mental health issues. tens of thousands of people who fled south lake tahoe are being allowed back home this morning as crews make progress against a massive wildfire evacuation orders for the resort city were downgraded yesterday to warnings. some 22,000 people were forced to flee last week as the caldor fire approached the area on the california/nevada border but officials say easing winds reduced the threat in recent days

the fire is now 44% contained. a long-standing hotel at atlanta's airport came crashing down yesterday with the help of 1,300 pounds of dynamite take a look. the 14-story sheraton hotel closed back in 2017. the property was purchased by the city officials say the land will now be used as part of an airport expansion project. also this morning, we have an update on a mysterious case from south carolina we've been following for months. >> this is such a wild story the unsolved double murder of a prominent attorney's wife and son is making new headlines after he was shot over the weekend. catie beck joins us with the very latest. catie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, tom this case has been gripping the state for months first the wife and son of prominent attorney alex murdaugh discovered dead on the family property now alex murdaugh himself is recovering after a stunning twist in this disturbing

mystery. a shocking new twist this morning in the case of a high-profile family at the center of an unsolved murder mystery. prominent south carolina attorney alex murdaugh is now recovering after being shot this weekend. it's the latest in a string of disturbing events coming just three months after the double murder of murdaugh's wife and son. many in the area closely following the case the family is legendary in south carolina, with its members previously serving as the region's top prosecutor for generations. on saturday murdaugh pulled his car over to change a flat tire, according to a family friend, when a pickup truck drove by, turned around and approached again. seconds later, someone inside opened fire. authorities say murdaugh called 911 and was treated for a superficial gunshot wound to the head south carolina police are still investigating the june murder of

his wife and son >> my wife and my son -- >> are they in a vehicle >> no, ma'am, they're on the ground out at my kennel. >> reporter: alex murdaugh came home to his estate on june 7th to discover his wife, maggie, and their son, paul, fatally shot near the dog kennels on their family property. alex murdaugh's brother speaking out shortly after the murders. >> the person that did this is out there. >> reporter: the murdaugh family has offered a $100,000 reward for information. still, no arrests have been made. >> he is presumed innocent. >> reporter: at the time of his death, 22-year-old paul murdaugh had pleaded not guilty and was awaiting trial on three charges of boating under the influence related to a 2019 crash that left a 19-year-old woman dead. the family's power in the state sparked questions about whether alex intervened in the boat crash case to protect his son, claims the family denies after the murders, the charges were dropped

now as alex recovers in a savannah hospital, murdaugh's attorney tells nbc news it makes you wonder what the hell is going on adding, it seems like someone is gunning for the family now, at this point, police are not saying any information about potential suspects or arrests in the case, just that the investigation is ongoing as for alex murdaugh, family members say he is expected to recover, but he's asking for privacy at this very difficult time tom. >> catie beck for us with that new twist in this case thank you. up next, inside the chernobyl disaster, the site of the worst nuclear accident ever. and the new safety concerns 35 years later. nbc's kelly cobiella is there. first, these messages. cut tender marinated steak. and top it off with melted cheese. welp, guess they need another ad. the eat fresh refresh™ at subway®. it's too much new to fit in one commerc- i'm jacob emrani. subway® has so much new,

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we're back at "in-depth today" this morning. an eye-opening look at the worst nuclear accident the world has ever seen, chernobyl. >> it happened more than 35 years ago, but the effects are still being felt, highlighted by new safety concerns at the site. kelly cobiella is there. kelly? >> reporter: guys, good morning. yeah, this is a ghost town it's been literally frozen in time for 3 1/2 decades now but it is still very much an active disaster zone in the deserted towns near chernobyl, nature is taking over, but now there's a renewed focus on this nuclear catastrophe. the only signs of life are thrill-seeking tourists and me? a lot of radiation? their geiger counters. >> reporter: that was the max. what does that mean? a lot of radiation >> a lot

definitely we are taking a risk. >> reporter: the 1986 accident at the soviet plant is long considered the world's worst-ever nuclear disaster. >> that soviet nuclear disaster is probably the worst in history. >> reporter: thousands died in its aftermath. the chilling tragedy portrayed in an award-winning hbo series >> the core exploded. >> reporter: most of the nuclear fuel is still inside the destroyed plant, mixed with sand and debris, some of it in strange lava-like clumps now covered by a massive steel dome. that's the new confinement cover. scientists say deep in the ruins some of that fuel is still burning. the fuel is damaged, he tells me, it's chaotic and can't be fully controlled they say it appears to be stable, smoldering instead of white hot. and while an explosion is extremely unlikely, experts admit it can't be ruled out. is there no risk or is it still

a possibility? >> you can't rule it out because we don't understand completely the situation of the nuclear material inside that room, the amount of water and its configuration. >> reporter: he lives in the contamination zone and grows his own vegetables. are you worried about radiation? he told me he's not worried about the accident site either, convinced the steel cover will contain the radiation. so are scientists. but in the world's worst nuclear disaster zone, the risk of another accident, no matter how small, can't be ignored. and there's another concern underneath that dome the structure originally built to contain the disaster is very unstable and if it falls, it would kick up 30 tons of radioactive dust underneath the dome, contaminating all of the high-tech equipment. the goal is to have that structure safely down if all goes well by next year guys. >> kelly, thank you.

let's switch gears to something a little more uplifting than nuclear disaster. we'll get a check of the holiday forecast from dylan. hey, dylan. >> we'll try, but we are still talking about the hurricane season here. we have hurricane larry, a category 3 hurricane, out over the atlantic right now it is going to approach bermuda but should take a turn to the northeast. winds are at 120 miles per hour, most likely maintaining its strength as a cat 3, downgrading to a category 2 by the time it approaches bermuda i want to show you this becaus folks still at the beaches, keep in mind rough surf is likely and dangerous rip currents from basically southeastern massachusetts down through south carolina invest 91-l is the other storm that we're watching, only a 30% chance of becoming a named storm. however, no matter what this storm does, it is still expected to bring quite a lot of rain to hard-hit parts of the gulf coast, especially down near new orleans, through the panhandle of florida and mobile, alabama, where we could see up to 4 inches of rain wednesday night and

>> it is 7:43. a spare the air alert is in place. walnut creek, expect to see perz of hazy skies through the afternoon. temperatures for today a closer look at your forecast we've got 90s up through napa, upper 90s and triple digits through the interior valleys and upper 80s and 90s down through the south bay, san jose, with a high of 90 degrees. cloudy at sometimes, closer look at your seven-day forecast for san francisco, expect to see cooling heading into next weekend. >> and that's your latest forecast. >> all right, dylan, thanks for that. up next, what nfl superstar tom brady is revealing about his battle with covid plus the challenges of keeping fans and players safe during thursday's big kickoff. first, these local messages. first, these local messages. so, your health lives longer. this is just slow-mo karate?

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we are back we are back with a headline-making revelation from one of the nfl's biggest stars just days before the new season begins. >> this is some serious news here legendary quarterback tom brady says shortly after his record-setting super bowl win, he contracted the coronavirus. here's nbc's anne thompson. >> reporter: tom brady, the nfl's winningest quarterback, beat the kansas city chiefs to take the super bowl title in february then he beat covid the buccaneers' 44-year-old leader confirmed to the "tampa bay times" that he had the coronavirus shortly after that packed championship boat parade

in florida, where brady memorably tossed the lombardi trophy across the waters and left, feeling no pain. now focused on thursday's opening game against the dallas cowboys and his pursuit of an eighth championship ring, brady is worried about the virus, telling the paper he thinks it will be challenging this year. "i actually think it's going to play more of a factor this year than last year, just because of the way what we're doing now and what the stadium is going to look like and what the travel is going to look like and the people in the building and the fans." at raymond james stadium, home of the bucs, face coverings are recommended for both the unvaccinated and fully vaccinated indoors, though not required brady added, "it's not like last year, although we're getting tested like last year. i definitely think guys are going to be out at different points and we've just got to deal with it." >> we're 100% vaccinated, our entire organization.

all the players, all the coaches, everybody. >> reporter: last week the bucs joined the atlanta falcons to become the nfl's second fully vaccinated team. that includes brady, though he has not publicly said so yet this morning at least one bucs player is still on the covid reserve list the league says it is confident in its protocols and it will be prepared to adapt our policies and procedures based on the latest conditions and in consultation with the medical experts. as the season kicks off, the nfl says 93% of its players are vaccinated, but covid still may be its most elusive opponent for "today," anne thompson, nbc news. >> he brought up a good point that i was just mentioning to a family member yesterday. a lot of us are worrying that this time around it could be worse only because i feel like people have -- they have fatigue about the masks. >> college, nfl, everywhere you go people are ready for it to be like it used to be. >> and maybe you let your guard down a little bit.

>> we have to be careful. >> was it white claws or tequila? >> i just love that video. back to football as for this nfl season, you can catch the home opener between the tampa bay buccaneers and dallas cowboys thursday at 7:00 p.m. eastern. we've got a special announcement tied to the nfl's return, plus al will join us to celebrate the life and legacy of our dear friend, willard scott first, your local news ♪♪ oh, just one. jake from state farm, it's the least i can do. you really did me a solid with that “maya markdown” on my insurance. here's the deal maya, state farm offers everyone surprisingly great rates. right. no really. there's no markdowns, just great rates. pull around back in 20 minutes. i'll hook you up with the good parts. when you want the real deal... like a good neighbor. state farm is there.

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good morning. happy labor day. it is 7:56. i'm kris sanchez. here's what's happening now. i'm bob redell in dublin where the bay area air quality management district has declared another spare the air day not just for the east bay but for the entire bay area because it's going to be hot today. the car pollution is up and also you've got the smoke from those wildfires, especially the caldor fire which by the way firefighters there have now achieved 44 pr -- percent ent containment. >> we are under a microclimate weather alert because of the spare the air that's in effect and it's going to be really hot today, conditions remain extremely dry throughout the entire bay area. take a look at the daytime highs for this afternoon, 90s to the

north bay, 80s and low 90s to the south bay but also triple digits into the interior. we've got some clouds and fog hanging out around the coastline right now in san francisco but when is our air quality expected to get better? over the next seven days it's going to remain pretty warm but an increase in cloud cover hopefully getting some better air quality by tomorrow afternoon and then we get some cooling heading into next weekend. the relief from the heat isn't really going to come for the next several days, but at least we'll hopefully get help when it comes to the air quality and also expect to see a little bit more cloud cover even in through portions of the interior valley as well. kris, back to you. >> thank you. as you head out if you're using mass transit check the schedule. it might be a holiday or sunday schedule.

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it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, ida's aftermath. >> it was like something out of a movie. >> what's next in the slow and difficult recovery from the storm, as devastating new video emerges of attempted rescues this morning, police still searching for the missing with the death toll now topping 50 people in the northeast alone. >> please pray for them. >> we have a live report from hard-hit new jersey. legal battle companies take a stand against the restrictive new abortion law in texas as some prominent

republicans speak out against the legislation. >> i'm pro life, but what i don't like to see is this idea of every citizen being able to tattle. >> will bans and restrictions spread to even more states the latest still ahead. plus box office blowout. "shang-chi and the legend of the ten rings" shattering the pre-pandemic box office record for the holiday weekend. >> is this what you wanted >> why this is a huge deal for hollywood. and remembering willard. ♪ i'm singing to my jane while standing in the rain ♪ >> we look back at the life and legacy of "today" icon willard scott. how he helped america wake up with a smile for four decades. >> love you. >> with tributes pouring in from his co-anchors, admirers and fans today, monday, september 6,

2021 >> wishing grandma and grandpa happy 50th anniversary back in omaha, nebraska. >> hi, woodstock, illinois >> happy 66th birthday >> back in oklahoma city. >> we're the jones at lake freeman. we're celebrating labor day with our grandchildren. >> happy labor day >> yeah. >> welcome back on this monday morning of labor day weekend thank you for starting your holiday with us, even if you have a small family, hopefully you can have a good day today. >> if you're together, that's what matters. >> absolutely. coming up tomorrow, a u.s. broadcast exclusive. andrea constand, whose allegations of sexual assault led to bill cosby's 2018 conviction, speaking out for the first time about that conviction being overturned and cosby's release from prison. >> her reaction in a wide-ranging conversation with kate snow tomorrow morning only on "today." now let's get to your news

at 8:00. hurricane ida may be long gone, but the storm's impact is still being felt from power outages in the south to the rising death toll in the northeast. nbc's gabe gutierrez joins us from new jersey with the very latest gabe, good morning. >> reporter: sheinelle, good morning. stunned residents are still trying to clean up this massive mess there's block after block of ruined belongings. they're now out on the street as people try to clean up their flooded basements. residents here have told me harrowing stories of having to be rescued from the rising water. across the northeast, at least 51 people have died. take a look at this video from the nypd showing officers desperately trying to save a family trapped in a flooded basement they had to wait for a specialized rescue team because of the live electricity and the rising water sadly, three people died there now, in the south, meantime, 17

deaths are being blamed on the storm in louisiana, mississippi, and alabama. hundreds of thousands of people in that region are still without power. meanwhile, here in new jersey, the president has declared a federal disaster declaration for several counties president biden is set to tour some of this destruction tomorrow sheinelle. >> all right, gabe, thank you. now to the latest on that new texas abortion law that encourages ordinary citizens to help enforce it. private companies are starting to use their leverage to oppose the law and support those who face punishment. senior washington correspondent hallie jackson has a closer look hallie, good morning. >> reporter: hey, tom, good morning to you you know, you're now seeing some legal relief funds created by a handful of well-known companies to help women and others in texas, all part of the now days-long backlash against this state's restrictive new abortion law. taking a stand this morning against the new texas abortion law. godaddy, a website hosting service, cutting service for the owner of an anti-abortion

website that allows people to report anonymous tips on suspected abortions. it comes as lyft and uber announce they will cover legal fees for any driver sued under the new law and online dating services bumble and match, both women-led and headquartered in texas, are pledging to support workers and their dependents by creating relief funds to access abortion services. the texas attorney general defending the law despite the backlash. >> all texas is trying to do is protect the unborn we have a right, i think, to do that. >> reporter: the new state law bans abortion after about six weeks and gives a $10,000 incentive to private citizens who successfully sue anyone who provides an abortion or helps a patient get one. some in the gop say they're uncomfortable with that kind of enforcement mechanism. >> me, i'm pro life. but what i don't like to see is this idea of every citizen being able to tattle. >> this bill in texas seems to be a little bit extreme with this problem of bounties for

people that turn in somebody that drove someone to an abortion clinic. >> reporter: all of it as more republicans in red states signal they'll consider using texas as a blueprint to craft their own abortion laws. the white house now gearing up for a fight. >> we're going to do everything we can to try to remedy that situation for people in texas. it is just a cruel and destructive law on the rights o talked about are women. >> reporter: keep in mind that while those businesses that we just talked about that you just heard are speaking up, you've got a whole lot of other companies choosing not to. it's a much more limited, much less vocal response than what we saw, for example, on a different controversial texas bill on restricting voting access. tom. >> that's a good point, hallie thank you for that. a wild weekend of college football was capped off last night with an overtime thriller in tallahassee, florida. >> does he have the luck of the irish?

he does! >> ninth ranked notre dame a 41-yard field goal in overtime the irish topped florida state 41-38, and if this weekend was any indication of how this season is going to go, college football fans are in for an exciting fall. >> we had a rough saturday at our house. >> who were you rooting for again? >> the 'canes. they played alabama. alabama ranked number one and are clearly the best team in the country. tough game but it's a long season >> for your fans, i'll give you a boost. >> how did you do? >> i don't know how northwestern did. sorry. go, cats >> here's the morning boost. go for it. >> a lot of teenagers might roll their eyes if their dad got caught up in the middle of dinner to play with the band at the restaurant but this dad which you'll see here ends up stealing the show look at this ♪ ♪ >> i love it

pretty impressive. tiktok user jessica was so proud of her dad she's trying to convince him to start making his own tiktok videos. jessica was not embarrassed by her dad, she thinks he's quite spectacular. >> to jump in with mariachis takes a lot of guts. very talented. >> dad was able to meet the moment on that one. >> for sure. we have a lot more ahead, including our tribute to a beloved and iconic member of the "today" family, willard scott, a man who brought smiles to faces all around the world and was like a second father to al he'll join us live to celebrate willard's wonderful life it's a e you can make. otezla is not a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression.

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and free premium delivery. ends labor day. welcome back this morning the entire "today" family and millions of willard scott fans are mourning the loss of a true legend. >> in a word, he was iconic, using his larger-than-life personality to light up the television screen every morning for decades. >> willard died peacefully on saturday at the age of 87 surrounded by his family of course all of us loved him, no more than al, who considered willard a mentor and second father al will join us to share his memories coming up in just a moment but first a look back on willard's amazing life and career >> weather can be pretty bland on a day-to-day basis. and so what you do is you add a little schtick to it. >> he was joy and laughter personified. >> good morning, willie. ♪ i'm singing to my jane while standing in the rain ♪

>> every morning he gave us the weather and a smile. >> i don't do this for everybody. let's just see something here. >> the nation first met willard scott on "today" in 1980. >> i'm tom brokaw with jane pauley the newest member, old uncle willard. >> he was best known for celebrating the birthdays of viewers turning the golden age of 100, their images appearing on smuckers jelly jars. >> margaret mc, a very independent lady, 100 years old. >> willard came to "today" from nbc station wrc in washington, where he was the weatherman. >> and sunshine will come in here sometime. >> born in 1934 in alexandria, virginia, an only child, scott began his broadcasting career in 1950 and helped create the popular joy boys radio program willard played bozo the clown and was even the first ronald

mcdonald ♪ a hamburger happy clown ♪ no gimmick was too much for him. he dressed up as everyone from boy george to carmen miranda willard loved all creatures, big and small. >> i think he's going for my ear piece. i love you >> and the big names loved him too. >> can you believe this? >> i came by to see if you want to jog with me today. >> i'm ready. >> willard even got a smooch from first lady barbara bush during the 1989 inaugural parade. >> how about that? i've been kissed by the best. >> after traveling the world on "today" -- >> and we are somewhere out in the saudi desert this is spectacular. >> in 2015 we celebrated willard's retirement after 65 years with nbc >> you have been my second dad and i could not -- i would not be here without you. i love you so much >> well, i appreciate that are you going to buy me dinner >> i'm going to buy you dinner. >> i'm going to be fading off

into the sunset after 130 years at nbc and i'm going over yonder. >> where's yonder? >> over yonder. >> scott was married to his wife, mary, from 1959 until she died in 2002 they had two daughters together. he is survived by his wife of seven years, paris >> it happened yesterday. >> jane pauley, who was willard's co-anchor for years, memorializing him on sunday. katie couric writing, "willard, you didn't make it to the front of the smucker's jar, but you changed so many lives for the better." our al roker, who took over for willard on "today," putting it best "willard was a man of his times, the ultimate broadcaster there will never be anyone quite like him." and al is joining us now good morning to you, al. >> hey, good morning, guys >> why don't you tell us how -- you know, you talk to us behind the scenes about how much willard meant to you as almost a father figure. how are you feeling this morning, and what did he mean to

you? >> well, look, when you first hear something like this, your first reaction is sadness, is loss but then you start thinking about the man and what he meant to so many people, and you start -- i start thinking about his career and all the things he did and the goals he set and the paths he blazed. and you can't help but feel good i first met him in 1977. i was a young weather guy at channel 5 in washington. he was the biggest thing in washington, d.c. and he reached out and took me under his wing took me to dinner that first night and we became fast friends. and he was always very generous. that's the thing about willard, unlike a lot of people in this business, you know, he could have easily kept me at arm's length, somebody that could be a competitor but he was generous and just

what you saw was what you got. who he was on camera was who he was off camera and i'm -- i'm the better for it and so are a lot of other people >> hey, al, you know, like so many who have watched him, his charisma just oozed through the screen i feel like i've met him but i've actually never had the opportunity to meet him. can you just tell us a bit about what he was like off camera? >> what was great was willard had this gregarious sense of humor. if you went to dinner with willard at a restaurant, you had dinner with the whole restaurant people came up to him -- and here's the -- he had -- while he had an ego, like we all do in this business, you know, you saw in the beginning he had those -- he was always wearing a toupee as soon as he got off the air, he threw it in a desk drawer and walked off i remember one time when nbc had the little debacle with this specially designed "n" that

ended up being a disaster. he had it pasted on top of his head underneath his toupee pulled it off and said to the president of nbc news, julian goodman, hey, julian goodman, this one's for you by the end of a dinner with willard, he had lipstick marks all over his head. women came up, they'd kiss him on the forehead, they'd kiss him on the top of his head the guy was just -- he was exactly who you thought he was. >> al, what you do, what willard did, it's a science, it's an art. what was it about willard, because truth be told he came over to the "today" show and actually helped the "today" show with the ratings because people loved to watch him it may look like he's a clown of sorts and making us laugh, but that takes talent. >> actually, he said, look, my act was i played a buffoon but he didn't really he was always self-deprecating the fact is, look, we all have -- we all give the same news, we give the same weather why do you watch a certain

channel? because of the people who deliver you the information you're getting and people -- nobody had ever seen anybody like willard before i knew who he was because i was there in washington, d.c and i knew that he was going to take the country by storm. and at first there were those who were a little put off by him, but boy, just by the dint of his personality, of the strength of his love of people, he brought people to him and i've got to tell you, he was a man of his time. when radio was still big, he created a team, he and ed walker, his college roommate at american university, they created the joy boys and dominated washington radio then he was a staff announcer at wrc. he was ronald mcdonald and bozo the clown. he filled in for the weather guy who got sick one night at wrc and washington went nuts for him. that became his gig.

and then when we -- when the "today" show was in a little trouble, they tapped him a lot of people thought, who is this guy and let me tell you, it's almost like people -- when they heard michael keaton was going to be batman, and he was the greatest batman ever. willard scott became america's weatherman and the greatest weatherman ever. >> i love that so good. and what people don't see and i know we'll talk more about it tomorrow was his passion for giving back. he was such a generous -- >> that's right. and with those 100-year-olds, he did so much behind the scenes for senior citizens. he was a real philanthropist he was a great guy he was a terrific broadcaster. but most importantly, he was a wonderful father to his two girls, a great grandfather, a loving husband to mary and then to paris and i think that he would say was his greatest legacy. >> a great friend too. >> and you too, al thank you, al. and again, we'll have another special tribute to willard tomorrow because there are a lot of folks from the "today" family

who want to celebrate him. too many to count, as a matter of fact. we're giving you a hug, al, we'll see you soon. >> i'll see you tomorrow, guys. >> all right. right now dylan, take it away, in honor of willard, right? >> i know, right those are shoes you cannot fill. let's take a look at what's going on across the country. we do have that cold front that's going to bring a couple of spotty showers to the southeast today. it's also bringing much more comfortable weather to parts of the great lakes and to the northeast where it will be very pleasant today in the 70s and 80s. so we are going to see a pretty it is labor day. we are under a spare the air alert because of unhealthy air quality we could see at times in the bay area. let's talk about daytime highs. i want you to prepare for a hot day, if you live in inland areas. around the bay and peninsula, expect some 70s in the forecast, but we have upper 80s and low 90s in the south bay.

the seven-day forecast for san francisco, 70s through tuesday. increase in cloud cover for wednesday. >> and that's your latest forecast. and that's your latest forecast. >> okay, dylan, double duty. popstart, right? >> thank you very much for that. let's start off with the football season because it's almost under way this morning we are happy to share a first look at the nfl's new kickoff campaign after a 2020 season that saw fans and players kept apart, the new "we run as one" campaign celebrates football culture and the tight bonds between teams and their loyal fan bases. take a look. >> today, nothing else matters as long as those are beside you and behind you, you've got my back who's got my back? >> i got your back. >> who's got my back >> i got your back. >> who's got my back >> we got your back. >> who's got my back >> we got your back. >> who's got my back >> who's got my back

>> we got your back. >> i like it, i like it. >> that fires you up >> there you go. head to today.com to see the full version if you want to get pumped up. as we mentioned earlier, mark your calendars the new season kicks off right here on nbc and peacock this thursday at 7:00 eastern the dallas cowboys traveling to tampa to face the defending super bowl champion buccaneers. >> i love that. >> we also wanted to highlight a brand-new series we are launching with our friends at nbc sports called once in a lifetime with nbc hosting both the 2022 winter olympics and super bowl lvi in just a few short months, mind you, this new series will bring you amazing stories from communities across the country every monday following sunday night football we are going to kick off our week one with an inspiring story about how coaches in los angeles are working with the rams to draw kids out of difficult backgrounds and inspire them through football. >> that's so cool.

i love that. next up, did you see this? mark hamill is best known for his role as luke skywalker but he's also gained quite the following on twitter due to his witty remarks and fan interaction. the latest reason he's gone viral is probably the most ridiculous overnight a twitter user sent him a dare saying you could just tweet mark hamill and you'll get thousands of likes hamill did just that and he became instantly a trending topic. the tweet currently has more than 500,000 likes on twitter. that's funny because other actors tried to do the same thing tweeting their own name but they also just tweeted mark hamill. >> that's funny. that's good. and finally, it was a big weekend in the entertainment world. movie theaters got a much-needed boost thanks to marvel's "shang-chi and the legend of the

ten rings. the film is the first asian-led superhero movie and shattered the all-time labor day record at the box office previously held by 2007's "halloween" that made $30 million at the box office. this raked in more than $71 million over the weekend it's one of the biggest opening of the covid era that wasn't the only record broken this weekend. drake also dropped his latest album and fans couldn't get enough titled "certified lover boy" the long-awaited album has broken the record for spotify's most streamed album in a single day kanye west held the record in 2021 with his album but drake wasn't having any of that so the rivalry continued. he posted a picture of a billboard highlighting his new record. >> and it's good i've listened to a couple of tracks it's really, really good. >> i got your back

maybe before we start the show we'll start doing that >> straight ahead, we have the labor day sales you want including free airpods first, your local news good morning. it is 8:26. i am marcus washington. one person is in custody this morning after a deadly crash on interstate 80. it happened near the 580 interchange. one person died when they collided head on. they say the other driver tried to run from the scene but officers caught up with him. they closed all eastbound lanes several hours. not saying if the driver arrested was the driver going the wrong way or if they have been impaired at the time of the accident. a look at the forecast.

vianey arana looking at that. >> a hot day in interior valleys, looking to get away from the heat, it will be warm in the bay. 73 in san francisco. clouds at times. we have fog, we are on the coastline. temperatures in the 90s for san jose. triple digits for antioch. we are very dry out there. over the next seven days, cloud cover increases. if looking for cooling, expect that into next weekend. marcus, back to you. >> thanks. we have another local update in 30 minutes. see you back here then.

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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 tonight on jimmy, an all-star broadway tribute. tonight on nbc first, your local news.n back on the plaza now at 8:30 on this labor day monday morning. we have a really great crowd here that braved the rain. thanks for coming out, guys. >> remember when i said blah blah blah on instagram yep. thank you guys for coming. that is true so we have a good show for you coming up.

jackie post is here with a round-up of the day's best sales, whether you need appliances, a wardrobe refresh and much more. plus our friend, matt, is making a stew with brisket he said it's perfect for today's cookout and you can use the leftovers to make a meal easy all week long. >> leftover brisket is always good the next day. coming up on the third hour, what's better than lin-manuel miranda? >> how about his mom >> yes, you win! you've got an interview with her coming up in the third hour. >> let's get a check of the weather from dylan. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by sleep number proven quality sleep is life-changing sleep. let's take a look at what you can expect this week most of the weather across the country is quiet today, although there's a couple of spotty showers in the northeast temperatures nice and pleasant in the northern tier although down south it will stay hot and humid all week long, up around

100 degrees. hazy with the smoke out west and still that fire danger because there's no rain in sight look at that, even as we get towards the end of the week we won't see a whole lot going on temperatures fantastic in the 70s, across the great lakes and the northeast, still hot down south. out west we'll see slightly cooler temperatures that should help firefighters in that part of the country and we are still under a spare the air alert for today. 62 degrees in walnut creek. we are expecting hot temperatures. here's a closer look at the forecasted highs. for this afternoon, we have 90s up to the north bay. triple digits for interior valleys, 90s to the south bay. we are expecting to see changes in the next seven days. here's a closer look at the forecast. 70s remain, increase in cloud cover by tuesday through next weekend. >> and that's your latest forecast. >> thank you, dylan. my favorite part is when the

folks are behind you and that's your latest forecast. >> thank you, dylan. my favorite part is when the folks are behind you there was somebody just talking, she was trying to get around your head. hi, mom. we got you in this morning >> tell me, i would have moved still ahead this morning, this is a good one a powerful warning on a danger that can be found and purchased online that all parents and young adults need to see we'll get to that in just a moment first, thiis "today" on nbc. s can you see my wall of smiles? when i first started using genesys technology i was kind of embarrased at all the love and attention i got from my customers. people are so moved by how much i understand about them. they start including me in their lives. that's helen and her friends. i arranged a wellness retreat for them. look at those ladies. such wisdom. mmm. but it's really genesys that helps me

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look at a growing epidemic in this country teens and young adults are buying pills without their knowledge contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. >> a tiny amount, just the amount of two grains of salt could be fatal natalie morales sat down with a group of young men and women who lost loved ones because of this. natalie, good morning. >> good morning. the young men and women we spoke with represent just a few of the thousands of families who have

been devastated because of inadvertent fentanyl poisoning, and they're sharing their stories to spread the message if it didn't come from a pharmacy, don't take the pill. flooded by hundreds of thousands of black market fentanyl pills, the u.s. is in on ongoing crisis as of august 2021, at least 70,000 deaths over just one year were caused by what the cdc calls synthetic opioid overdoses, including thousands of teens and young adults. >> two weeks before my sister passed away, i heard about a friend of mine at my school that passed away from it. i said wow, that's crazy then it happened to my sister. then a guy i dated, then my friend's brother and it keeps going on. >> sky, sam, gisele and michael are all grieving young lives lost to fentanyl pills they didn't intend to take. sky's 20-year-old sister, alexandra, passed away just

before christmas in 2019. >> so that day was the worst day of my family's life. for me, i would feel bad bringing my sadness up to my parents because i know they're just as sad as i am, so i never really talked about it but it's really hard to get through. >> sam's 17-year-old brother, zach, passed away in december 2020. >> he thought he was getting some kind of just prescription pain killer, like an oxy or percocet, but he didn't get that. >> reporter: michael and gisele's dear friend died in november 2020. he would have been away at college, but like so many others, the pandemic kept him at home. >> with this lockdown, i'm sure it strained his mind and he was trying to find himself actually. >> reporter: i had gotten to know him too over the years while reporting on the class of 2020 and saw a caring and thoughtful young boy turn into a bright and deep young man who talked about wanting to make a difference in the world. >> for now i'm just living in the moment and taking my life

one step at a time >> i never in a million years -- he was like the last person i thought would die, you know. >> reporter: the dea says as many as one in four pills being sold on the black market as oxycontin, percocet or xanax are counterfeit with a potentially lethal amount of fentanyl, and they look identical to the real thing. >> the dealers may not even know which is real and not. >> reporter: to this generation, pills have become normalized and incredibly easy to find on social media. is it just want oxy, buy it here >> basically it's super casual they'll post a picture and say this is the prices hit 'em up. >> it's that easy. >> delivered to your house where you think your kid is most safe. >> reporter: when they describe fentanyl poisoning, immediately it's categorized as, oh, he died of an overdose why is that wrong? >> when you hear the word overdose, it brings other things to mind that aren't the case here this is not the case of someone taking too much of a drug.

this is the case of someone being poisoned it was just the same as if he was going to drink some water and it had cyanide in it. >> part of the problem, michael jarvis says, is a lack of education, the old just say no approach doesn't cut it anymore. >> there needs to be a more effective and honest drug education. honestly, it should be a class considering how prevalent it is. >> it's so prevalent it's completely changed the dangers that our generation has faced. it's something that's easy to take advantage of because awareness isn't out there. as a result, there's so many victims out there who have no idea what they're getting into >> reporter: while teens often hide their drug use from parents, experts, including the young people we interviewed, say an open and honest conversation with your kids can make a big difference they say sit down and show them examples of fentanyl pills and their consequences also, learn the language that kids are using on social media with emojis and codes often used

for drugs. and also, parents, advocate for drug education courses in your kids' schools, similar to sex education. the teens we spoke with all said while they were aware of the dangers, they didn't know how real the problem was until it happened to their family and friends. guys >> it happens in the worst way all right, natalie, thank you. those conversations are so critical. >> and it's worth having with your kids. we're going to take a turn just ahead and focus on something a lot of people will be doing today, grabbing those labor day sales. jackie post will tell us where to find the biggest and best deals to save you money. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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and welcome back labor day, unfortunately, is the unoffical end of summer but one thing to ease the pain, massive sales across the board. >> yahoo! contributing editor is

here with the best deals to shop along, point your smartphone camera at the qr code below tom and just shop away >> right down there. >> there you go. >> let's start with these. i asked you what these boxes were i guess i underestimated how many people are getting mattresses delivered to home. >> labor day is such a great time to buy mattresses because there are tons of sales. up to 15% off all their mattresses at allswell what's so cool about these is they come in a box, a cute box, but they're hybrid so they're part memory foam and part individually wrapped coils normally they're 675, you can get a queen for $574. >> they're so light. >> and then, guys, feel their gel-cooling pillow so normally it's $40 $30 today. >> this is for people who like firm pillows

it's a little firm. >> it's got memory foam in it and it's pretty comfy, i think >> she says you find it hard to buy online because you don't trust how soft they'll be. >> this is the mellani sheet set. best-selling on amazon 274,000 ratings. this is a one-day sale 20% off. normally a queen size is 32, you can get it around 26 it is microfiber so it feels silky. 45 different colors and patterns this is great, they come in twin xl for kids in the dorms, the entire set. >> and they're soft. >> really, really soft. >> let's talk about appliances. >> yes, okay so macy's is making sure that we're all going to be cooking well this fall so if you don't have that instant pot yet -- >> i don't >> yes this is like nine little, what do you call them, accessories in one. normally it's $119 this one is just -- it is, i think, oh, gosh, $85

so that's really exciting. and then also these really fun air fryers this is great if you want to cook healthy normally $99, you can get them for $58 at macy's. >> with the fall coming up, that's great. >> love a good vacuum. >> oh, my gosh bed, bath & beyond, guys, they have the dyson animal v8, $50 off. >> look at this. >> this is a cordless stick vacuum i broke down and splurged on this it is a game-changer $50 off. i've had my eye on this too. this is that bladeless fan that dyson has. >> oh. >> so cool $100 off and it's also an air purifier >> does it cool the space? >> yes it's $299 which is a great deal at bed, bath & beyond. >> okay. >> but if you want to do even less work. >> okay. >> you might want a robot -- >> let the robot do it for you. >> mopping and vacuuming so great so these are at best buy

$50 off the roomba and $50 off the brava. this is the irobot mop this is a big deal because a lot of their sales are done and they are controlled by a cell phone, guys so remotely -- >> sit on the couch back in my living room. >> about a minute left. >> kids and dogs love these too. >> tom was excited about this deal from apple. they have educational pricing. so on their imacs for students and professors and also k through 12 teachers, if you buy one of their eligible priced products, you get a free pair of airpods. >> that's a great deal that's huge. >> i washed mine in the washing machine. >> $100 off from an air mac pro. >> only for students >> this is full disclosure opportunities. >> revlon, so this is a volumizer brush and so it's just

$38, normally $54. also drybar is having a 20% off on their heating tool. the brush crush just $47 and for the fashionistas, bobble bar. okay, their number one best-selling product, the little stacking rings, tons of celebs from julia roberts, but these stacking rings are normally $20, down to $16. lastly, clothing for the entire family madewell, extra 30% off. stuff you can wear now these jeans are so popular normally $135. $52. and old navy, i mean for the whole family, guys, you know, up to 60% off select items. so, so many great deals. >> the mannequin is taller than

me thank you. i'm excited to dress for fall now. >> i love it. >> sweater weather >> you can find these deals and more by the qr code and heading to today.com/shop. just so you know, "today" gets a commission for purchases made through the qr code or the links on our website. up next, it wouldn't be a holiday without a feast. we have a simple recipe for brisket plus all kinds of ideas with what to do leftovers. ♪ ♪ have you seen those small bowl---? oh! careful with the... (dishes break) sorry, mrs. c! excuse me, could we-- ♪ ♪ excuse me, i was wondering could we-- ? bedroom! finding the right person for the job isn't always easy... ...but when you have an insurance question,

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holiday edition of "today" food. you can celebrate. there you go that's right when it's time to eat, why not it's labor day, the unofficial end of summer, which means tomorrow it is back to the grind. >> i wish we had smell-o-vision because it smells amazing right here here to help you with your menu is matt abdoo, the executive chef and owner of pig's beach in brooklyn. >> good morning, guys.

thanks for having me >> there are giant things like this >> look at that hunk of meat he was like thank you. >> totally distracted. >> i see this and i get intimidated. you say we shouldn't. >> it's a big piece of meat, a big investment if you're going to buy one but it shouldn't be at the end of the day it's something anybody can do when you're doing a brisket, there's a couple of things that's important to do you have to trim it to have it be ready to get in your smoker or oven or grill so you do want to take off some of the fat one of the best ways to do that is to do a line cut on this side and you can see where the fat meets the meat and you're trimming off the fat on the top side of the brisket. >> how much do you leave >> about a quarter inch on top but honestly more is better. if you have bald spots of meat, they will get dry on you the next thing you do is turn this big chunk of meat around. there's the flat and the point

the point is that fatty part, the fat is the lean part. the fat is the lean part. in between the two is this big chunk of fat here we'll wedge cut in between and pull that out because that's not going to render properly in the cooking process. the last bit, we'll turn it over and see this big chunk of fat right here we'll take this and cut it right off. this knife is not as sharp as it should be but it's sharp enough. it's important that you want to use a boning knife like this something that's smaller that you have a lot more control over. >> let's talk about seasoning. >> what i love to do is take some plain old yellow mustard. this can be vegetable oil or anything you want. this is going to help for the nice, crispy exterior and also help for the seasoning to stick to it. so we'll give a nice little smear of mustard all over it and a good seasoning of kosher salt. brisket is all about the black pepper we want to really crust this in black pepper have our smoker preheated to 250 to 275 degrees this will take 10 to 12 hours to cook >> that's pretty simple.

>> it will stall at 155 which means it will get to 155 degrees and not continue to cook we'll wrap it in butcher paper,d put it back in the smoker and let it cook until an internal temperature of -- yes, that's the best part. >> this spray that you're using here. >> throughout the process i like to hit it with a little spritz it can be anything in there. we have some apple juice, a little worcestershire. ensure the brisket is wrapped. the first four hours give it a spritz then we'll separate the flat from the point and you'll have this beautiful-looking juicy meat >> are you kidding look at that. >> that's what we want >> and that's what we've been waiting for. >> the great thing about brisket, it's delicious the day of eating just as meat put it on a bun with pickles and some sauce then we made this incredible brisket tacos with green salsa verde. >> do we have time to get to the vegetables

>> come on over. >> with meat you've got to have veggies. i love taking whatever your favorite veggies are, a nice chef knife i like to cut an eggplant. >> what is the secret for eggplant i'm intimidated a little bit >> cook it on hot heat, nice grill marks on it. we have italian marinade >> on the grill? >> on the grill. put them 2 to 3 minutes a side and flip it over, you'll have beautiful grill marks. with leftover veggies make a veggie pasta salad or veggie lasagna. make a ricotta filling layer up all those veggies and make it lasagna style with your favorite marinara sauce. >> do you put anything on the grill before the vegetables? >> i like to hit it with a little nonstick spray just to help them not stick and you have all these incredible delicious things last but not least, if you're having brisket tacos why not an orange margarita

a little orange juice. >> i've got to knock the edge off. >> this one has tequila? >> that one does have. >> thank you >> this is delicious. >> matt, thank you >> that's great. >> it's great being here, guys happy birthday labor day, everybody. >> happy birthday labor day. >> can you talk or do you want me to talk >> you're coming back for the fourth hour, right there's a master class on grilling the perfect steak so if brisket is not enough for you. of course you can find these recipes at today.com/food. and we'll see you on the fourth hour. >> a master class on how to grill the perfect steak. we have some birthdays to celebrate. >> we have some special a happ first birthday to harriet l birthdays today so let's spin around that smucker's jar. we are going to wish a happy first birthday to harriet len on with ellicott city, maryland no matter what gift harriet gets, she's going to love them because her favorite part is th

box they come in, of course. next is maverick erstine from abbeville, south carolina. watch out for this speed racer he likes to get behind the wheel of a golf cart and pretend to drive. adam balstead is turning 1 rumor has it she gives the warmest hugs and sweetest kisses happy birthday to valai who has mastered the art of waving good-bye and playing with daddy. now at atlanta, georgia, get the music ready for denny green. he loves to dance. happy birthday first birthday to hugo from durwood, maryland. he loves being outside and playing with his brother. good morning, it is 8:56. marcus washington. the bridge fire started yesterday, a little after noon under forest hill bridge near the auburn state recreation

area. this morning, they said it burned 300 acres. evacuation orders for about 500 people. the fire is 5% contained. no reports of homes destroyed. happening now, another spare the air alert in effect today across the bay area. a lot of it due to unhealthy air blowing in from nearby wildfires. bob redell has the report midday. and al every single day, we're all getting a little bit better. we're better cooks... better neighbors... hi. i've got this until you get back. better parents... and better friends. no! no! that's why comcast works around the clock constantly improving america's largest gig-speed broadband network. and just doubled the capacity here. how do things look on your end? -perfect! because we're building a better network every single day. [ sfx: ping ping beep beep bloop bloop ] lisa looks l

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>> announcer: from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> and good morning. welcome to this third hour of "today." this is monday, september 6th. it is labor day. >> september 6th can i give a quick shoutout to my nephew, jake? just turned 9 out in oregon. i haven't seen himn way too long, but happy birthday, jake. >> jake sounds like a cool kid if your name is jake and you're 9, you're a cool kid. >> i'm craig, this is sheinelle, this is dylan. if it's labor day, obviously al is not working whether you're enjoying date off or