walking, taking the bus. good luck kids. >> we'll be back at 7:25 with another look at your local forecast and weather. >> that's right. join us for nbc bay area news midday at 11:00 a.m. have a great day. try to keep cool. good morning. it's wednesday and we're talking politics. liz cheney going down to defeat in wyoming. >> and she'll be right here with us in an exclusive live interview. it is wednesday, august 17 and this is "today." ousted -- liz cheney loses big iner home state. wyoming voters going all-in with the opponent hand-picked by former president trump. >> his clear and unwavering support from the beginning

propelled us to victory tonight. >> cheney doubling down on the fight. >> i will do whatever it takes to ensure donald trump is never again anywhere near the oval office. >> where does she go from here, and does it include her own run for president? our one-on-one live. high and dry -- the drastic measures just announced to deal with that historic drought plaguing the west. and in the east, a wild scene caught on camera. this massive waterspout spinning off the florida coast. the dramatic new images and al's full forecast. new travel trouble. passengers facing even more delays and canceled flights. just ahead, the airport seeing the worst of it this week and what's being done to cope with alarming staff shortages. all of that plus not seeing red. inside the tomato shortage driving up prices on everything from pizza and pasta sauce to pasta and saw. and moon shot. returning america to the lunar surface for the first time in 50 years. >> i want to walk on the surface of the moon.

>> the most powerful rocket nasa has ever built and the giant leap it represents. "today," wednesday, august 17, 2022. >> announcer: from nbc news this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning, be everybody. welcome to "today." it's a busy wednesday morning and we are glad to have you with us. >> let's get right to it. congresswoman liz cheney's defeat in the primary is a race defined by her criticism of the former president. >> a look at the results this hour. harriet hageman, the challenger chosen by donald trump personally, overwhelming his top republican foe on capitol hill, the vice chair of the house january 6th committee, among

other things. >> but cheney came out swinging in her concession speech, broadening her criticism of trump, comparing herself to abraham lincoln with hints of a presidential run in 2024. >> congresswoman cheney is our live guest this morning. this is an exclusive interview. we'll get to it in a moment. first senior washington correspondent hallie jackson with more on last night's primary results. hallie, good morning. >> reporter: the message from wyoming voters couldn't be more clear in this blow-out loss for liz cheney who was defeated by nearly 40 points, but she is looking beyond the state to the national stage for what's next and already making moves today to follow through on her pledge to stop donald trump no matter what it takes. political payback this morning for former president trump with his most outspoken republican critic wyoming congresswoman liz cheney losing her house seat but insisting her fight is just starting. >> now the real work begins. >> reporter: invoking abraham lincoln and possibly hinting at

her own future plans. >> the great and original champion of our party, abraham lincoln, was defeated in elections for the senate and the house before he won the most important election of all. >> reporter: cheney's opponent, harriet hageman, winning easily and thanking mr. trump for his endorsement. >> his clear and unwavering support from the very beginning propelled us to victory tonight. >> reporter: congresswoman cheney infuriating mr. trump and his supporters in the conservative state by voting to impeach him after the january 6th riot. and now leading the committee investigation into his actions. overnight the former president calling cheney's defeat a referendum on the committee and writing, liz cheney should be ashamed of herself now she can finally disappear into the depths of political oblivion cheney's loss part of the reshaping of the republican party. of the ten house republicans who voted to impeach mr. trump cheney is now the fourth to lose a primary to somebody he backed. another four have retired leaving only two advancing to the general election in november while mr. trump's grip on the gop seems as strong as ever, he's facing increasing pressure

in the investigation of his handling of classified materials at mar-a-lago. "the new york times" reporting the fbi has interviewed top trump white house witnesses including former white house counsel pat cipollone and his deputy according to three sources familiar with the matter, nbc news has not confirmed that report and a federal judge is set to decide tomorrow whether to unseal the affidavit that would lay out the reasons why the fbi searched the estate. the government does not want it released saying it involves highly classified materials and highly sensitive information about witnesses. media outlets, including nbc news, argue it should be made public mr. trump and some of his allies want it released, too. overnight cheney also condemning the former president and republicans who have ramped up rhetoric against the fbi in the wake of the search >> donald trump knows that voicing these conspiracies will provoke violence and threats of violence this happened on january 6th, and it's now happening again it is entirely foreseeable that the violence will escalate further.

>> reporter: and congresswoman cheney is not wasting any time this morning with her team already filing paperwork today to create a political action committee that she will lead, and she's keeping the lincoln theme going with the name of the group, the great task. it's a reference to the last line of the gettysburg address and a nod to the challenge ahead of trying to keep former president trump from power savannah >> hallie, thank you we want to welcome in congresswoman liz cheney joining us exclusively from jackson, wyoming. congresswoman, good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah, good to be with you >> about last night, you lost by approximately 37 points, a greater margin than even polls had predicted. and i'm remembering back to when we had an interview back in may 2021 when you lost your leadership position. i said they are coming after you. president trump wants to go to wyoming and take you on in the primary.

and you said, bring it on. they did and here we are and you lost how do you feel about that now what's your response today >> well, look, i think, as we talked about before, i won my primary by 73 percentage points two years ago. the path to that same victory would have been very easy. it was clear how that path would go but that path would have required that i accept, that i embrace, that i perpetuate the big lie. and i've been very clear at every moment since january 6th that there are some things that have got to be above politics, that there's no political office that's more important than the principles that we take an oath to defend, and i believe that donald trump continues to pose a very grave threat and risk to our republic, and i think that defeating him is going to require a broad and united front of republicans, democrats and independents and that's what i intend to be part of >> back a moment to your race.

we all know the old adage all politics is local and in focus groups and interviews with reporters many wyoming voters said you lost your way you went washington and were focused too much on trump and not the issues they cared about. one poll showed 61% said you weren't focused on wyoming issues was that the issue did you have the wrong focus >> no, look, i'm very proud of everything that i accomplished, that we accomplished together with the voters of wyoming over the last nearly six years. but it became very clear after donald trump attacked the capitol, sent a mob to attack the capitol, refused to accept the results of the election, refused to tell his supporters to leave the capitol when the assault was under way, that this was a threat that we've never faced before he crossed a line that couldn't be crossed and as a nation you don't get

the opportunity to debate and discuss any other issue. if you simply turn your head away from that kind of a fundamental threat on our republic >> in point of fact, republican leader kevin mccarthy did consider this a referendum on your work on january 6th president trump, former president trump, last night said it was a complete rebuke of that work and you have said in the past you thought the voters o wyoming fundamentally understood how important that fidelity to the constitution was did you get that wrong do people see it differently in the republican party >> look, i think what we have seen, not just in wyoming but across the country, is that donald trump has betrayed republican voters. he's lied to them. those who support him have lied to them. and they're using people's patriotism against them. they're preying on people's patriotism kevin mccarthy made his decision a few weeks after january 6th knowing what he knew about donald trump's role in the assault on the capitol when he went to mar-a-lago and said we're going to welcome him back into the party to me that's indefensible. this is a great, a special, exceptional nation, and we need leaders who have reverence to our constitution, are faithful

to our constitution, and will do what's required to abide by our oath no matter whether it's politically convenient kevin mccarthy does not fit that bill but i know that there are millions and millions of americans across this country, again, regardless of their party affiliation, who know that there's something more important than partisan politics and who know we all have to stand together if we want to defend this republic. >> the former president said last night you're now headed to political oblivion you said this fight is just beginning. you've even launched a political organization already so let's just be straight about it are you considering running for president yourself >> well, what i'm going to do, savannah, is spend the next several months completing my work in congress obviously completing my work representing the people of wyoming. we have a tremendous amount of work left to do on the january 6th committee.

and also, though, i'm going to be making sure that people all around this country understand the stakes of what we're facing, understand the extent to which we've now got one major political party, my party, which has really become a cult of personality. and we've got to get this party back to a place where we're embracing the values and the principles on which it was founded and talking about fundamental issues of civics, fundamental issues of what does it mean to be a constitutional republic >> congresswoman, you didn't answer me yes or no. >> i will do whatever it takes to keep donald trump out of the oval office. >> you didn't say yes or no, and that's fine if you are thinking about it but are you thinking about running for president? >> that's a decision that i'm going to make in the coming months, savannah i'm not going to make any announcements this morning, but it is something that i'm thinking about and i'll make a decision in the coming months. >> let's go back to the primary season it's almost over now and 64% of the republicans who

have won their primaries are election deniers that is your red line. that is who is coming to congress if republicans prevail and get control of congress. given that state of affairs, do you think it would be better for the country if democrats retained control >> i don't think that anybody in any political party should support election deniers that's true here in wyoming and it's true all across the country. it's simply too dangerous to elect somebody as governor who will refuse to certify votes unless it meets their own political preference to elect people as secretaries of state who will refuse to count votes, count legitimate votes, to elect members of congress who refuse to accept the outcome of the last election so i think that is a red line. i don't think anybody should be supporting those people. republicans shouldn't be supporting them. i also think it was wrong for democrats to support peter myers' opponent in michigan, for democrats to play a game of elevating an election denier in the hopes they could defeat that person in the general.

i think we all have to recognize how dangerous it is to elect people who don't fundamentally believe in upholding our constitutional process >> well, let me try it one more time house speaker nancy pelosi says she fears for our very democracy if republicans win in november do you >> i think we have to make sure that we are fighting against every single election denier the election deniers right now are republicans, and i think that it shouldn't matter what party you are, nobody should be voting for those people, supporting them or backing them. >> you are now the latest house republican who had crossed party lines and voted to impeach president trump to not be retaining your seat. only two have won in their primaries. people talk about the battle for the soul of the republican party. you have said there's a time for choosing whether we're loyal to the constitution or loyal to

trump and we must choose has that choice been made by republicans fundamentally? >> look, i think the republican party today is in very bad shape, and i think that we have a tremendous amount of work to do i think it could take several election cycles. but the country has got to have a republican party that's actually based on substance, based on principles, based on a belief in limited government and low taxes and a strong national defense, a belief that the family has got to be the center of our community and of our lives. those are the principles i believe in that's what the party used to stand for. and we've got to get the party back to that a party that has instead embraced donald trump, embraced his cult of personality, is looking the other way as he continues to do things like put out the names of fbi agents.

just in the last few days when he knows that our law enforcement is the target of violence, put out the lies that he has put out in the last few days about what happened in the search warrant execution at mar-a-lago every republican, every american should reject those. and i certainly know there are millions of republicans and americans across this country who will >> and finally in the moments we have, word on the street was you and your team were in an editorial likened to obi-wan kenobi, if you strike me down now, i will be stronger in death. is that how you see it you are stronger in political death this morning >> well, i don't see it as death this morning my kids certainly appreciate that analogy they've been running the youtube around the house i think we have a tremendous amount of work to do and certainly i am absolutely going to continue this battle. i think it's the most important thing i've ever been involved in

and i think it's certainly the most important thing, challenge, our nation has faced in recent history and maybe since the civil war. and it's one that we must win. >> congresswoman liz cheney, thank you for your time early this morning in wyoming. appreciate it. >> thanks, savannah. great to be with you >> i especially loved the "star wars" reference at the end >> you don't get to have a "star wars" reference too much in politics you have to take them where you get them. >> craig has joined the table now, 7:17, talking about the struggles with the airline industry welcome back >> good to be back good morning good morning to you as well. once again the summer season has been marked by months of widespread flight cancellations and disruptions and, unfortunately for passengers coast to coast, it's a trend that is going to continue. we're going to get to al's forecast in just a moment if you are on the go today. first stephanie gosk is at new york's laguardia airport

steph, good morning to you >> reporter: hey, good morning, craig. air travel is on a knife edge and we've really seen that this week with cancellations and delays although the airlines have cut back on the number of flights, and that's improved the situation somewhat, it is clear from this week that there is a lot still to be ironed out in the country's busiest airspace -- >> cleared for takeoff >> reporter: -- thousands and thousands of flights come and go every day, meaning even the slightest snag in the system -- >> we will try to get you a reroute. >> reporter: -- can bring major effects. >> you lose it in atlanta, you lose it in dallas, you lose it in iowa city you lose it everywhere >> reporter: on monday the federal aviation authority warned of hours long delays at its new york city hubs, laguardia, jfk and newark. citing staffing issues including

a shortage of air traffic controllers. and while the faa announced hours later the ground delays out of jfk and newark had been lifted, cause for concern is still in the air >> by the beginning of 2022, there were more than 1,000 less certified professional controllers and more than 1,500 less on board throughout our facilities, a number that has declined in the past 11 years. >> reporter: the faa recently announced it received more than 57,000 applications for its open air traffic controller positions and were on target to meet their yearly hiring goal but delta ceo ed bastion says air traffic control is one facet of an airline ecosystem facing an uphill climb. >> tsa insecurity have had challenges our vendors and our concourses have had challenges, but we're making a lot of progress >> reporter: with passenger totals consistently approaching prepandemic levels, the busy summer season has been turning up the heat on the entire airline industry exposing problems with staffing, scheduling and the handling of bad weather. travelers are frustrated and running out of patience. >> look at the line.

i mean, welcome to 2022, i guess. >> reporter: and as sum are winds down some industry leaders say unless big changes are made upcoming holiday travel could be anything but merry >> we're going to see the same results, cancellations and delays, when it's the worst time possible when you need to get to see family or carry on business. >> reporter: on that note, american airlines has announced that it is scheduling 31,000 fewer flights in november and that represents about 16% of its total flights in the month if you are looking to book that thanksgiving ticket, you probably should do it now, guys. >> solid advice there, steph thank you. 7:19 when people are traveling, they're always concerned about the weather. mr. roker, what do you have on tap? >> if you are looking out your window off destin, florida, that's what you saw. >> wow >> waterspout. it didn't cause any damage lightning around it, though. this is a very unstable air mass and it will continue like that today. but, as you can see, pretty impressive stuff we're watching more showers and thunderstorms making their way through the mid-mississippi river valley today pushing from

texas, oklahoma, all the way on into parts of arkansas we do have a risk of some severe weather stretching from orlando all the way to shreveport later today. low risk for tornadoes and hail. but isolated wind gusts will be a problem. heavy rain down from houston, new orleans, mobile, all the way into jacksonville, we're talking anywhere from 1 to about 2 inches of rain the rest of the country record highs in the pacific northwest the strong storms a big story down through the southeast we're going to get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. we'll have your forecast in the next 30 seconds. ! (nurse) wait... did you say verizon for just $30? (mom) it's their best unlimited price ever. (cool guy) $30...that's awesome. (dad) yeah, and it's from the most reliable 5g network in america. (woman) for $30 a line, i'm switching now. (mom) yeah, it's easy and you get $960 when you switch the whole family. (geek) wow... i've got to let my buddies know. (geek friend) we're already here! (vo) the network you want. the price you love. only from verizon. good wednesday morning.

i'm kari hall. happy first day of school for all of the school districts coming back online today. in san francisco, starting school off with light rain as you step out the door. pickup time, upper 60s, we're seeing the monsoon showers move through fairly quickly through parts of the bay area, also for parts of the east weather. guys >> all right, al, thank you. coming up, tom costello is taking us inside the may injure rollout for nasa it's happening as we speak to move a landmark mission to the moon one step closer hey, tom >> that's the "artemis" rocket after a slow crawl out to the pad at the kennedy space center this is nasa's return ride to the moon if you're a nasa geek or a space

geek, you are about to geek out with this story, and we're going to talk about when americans and humans will be back on the lunar surface. >> geeking out is kind of a theme this morning and we're here for it. also ahead, do you enjoy sauce on your pasta and pizza? >> yes. >> how about ketchup with your fries? >> yes >> in other words, are you a human being? >> yes. >> that key ingredient, tomatoes, very hard to find. tomatoes, very hard to find. what is driving californians have a choice

between two initiatives on sports betting. prop 27 generates hundreds of millions every year to permanently fund getting people off the streets a prop 26? not a dime to solve homelessness prop 27 has strong protections to prevent minors from betting. prop 26? no protections for minors. prop 27 helps every tribe, including disadvantaged tribes. prop 26? nothing for disadvantaged tribes vote yes on 27.

still ahead, we are celebrating the new school year. >> indeed. we will meet remarkable teachers and show how you can get help.

covid-19 moves fast, and now you can too by asking your healthcare provider if an oral treatment is right for you. oral treatments can be taken at home and must be taken within 5 days from when symptoms first appear. if you have symptoms of covid-19, even if they're mild don't wait, get tested quickly. if you test positive and are at high risk for severe disease, act fast ask if an oral treatment is right for you. covid-19 moves fast and now you can too. the citi custom cash℠ card automatically adjusts to earn you more cash back in your top eligible spend category. hi. ♪♪ you don't have to keep tabs on rotating categories... this is the only rotating i care about.

... or activate anything to earn. your cash back automatically adjusts for you. can i get a cucumber water? earn 5% cash back that automatically adjusts to your top eligible spend category, up to $500 spent each billing cycle with the citi custom cash℠ card. i love it... [voice vibrating] a very good wednesday morning to you. it's 7:26 right now. i'm laura garcia. here's the top stories. teachers in demand as more children head back to school. >> in san francisco, tens of thousands of students and their teachers are headed back to school today. every classroom will be staffed with credentialed teachers who are normally in leadership and curriculum enrolled, despite concern that the district was

100 staff short, that number is now down to 60. there's a flex alert for 4:00 this afternoon until 9:00 tonight over concerns that today's hot weather could stress our electrical grid as more and more people crank up the ac. during this flex alert, you are asked to turn off unnecessary lights, avoid using major appliances and set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher. let's look at the temperatures with meteorologist kari hall. >> the numbers are coming down but it won't feel cooler thanks to monsoon moisture and scattered showers moving through the bay area. we'll have a chance of this over the next 14 hours. in parts of the bay area, we'll watch out for this as we have the potential for rain and lightning that could start some wildfires across the region. we'll continue to monitor that. temperature-wise, headed up to 88 degrees in san jose.

98 in livermore and 90 in novato. san francisco will be in the low 70s. make sure you keep getting those updates and checking back in with us for more. >> definitely. i'll be back in about a hf alho

♪ back now 7:30. we have a big wednesday morning coming your way. we're celebrating. we're celebrating this new school year. check out these kids in florida. they're ready. they're eager. they're excited to learn we'll tell you why when we introduce you to their incredible teacher i love a pep rally >> i was about to say i am here for this pep rally

you will not believe what that teacher and others are doing to make sure the kids have their supplies they need they go above and beyond and we're going to show you how all of us can pitch in >> qr code action, quick >> one click i love it. >> in just a few minutes to your headlines. president biden signed the massive so-called inflation reduction act yesterday. he called it one of the most significant laws in u.s. history. it's designed to raise about $700 billion mostly through corporate tax heights and prescription drug savings and more than half that money is intended for climate change and health provisions. not a single republican voted for the bill critics say it will lead to bigger government and a larger deficit. americans will soon be able to buy hearing aids over the counter without a doctor's exam or a prescription. the fda cleared the way yesterday for people with mild to moderate hearing loss to buy the device online or in retail stores that could happen as early as october. the relatively high cost of hearing aids is not covered by basic medicare health experts say untreated hearing loss can add to depression and cognitive decline

in older people. a group of kayakers enjoyed a rare and majestic sight while paddling on the hudson river in new york city. checthk oisut they spotted several dolphins. >> wow >> jumping above the waves there. the dolphins stayed with the kayakers frolicking alongside them for about an hour they were eventually scared away by the sounds of several passing motor boats. >> did you say the hudson river? >> hudson river. >> dolphins in the hudson? >> dolphins in the city. >> of all the things in the hudson river, dolphins about the best thing in the hudson >> exactly, wow. an exciting story breaking overnight. nasa's newest and biggest rocket ever rolled out to the launch pad in florida in preparation for its moon shot in over two weeks. >> a live shot, a live look at "artemis" this morning it will one day carry humans back to the lunar surface, first an uncrewed flight test around it >> nbc's tom costello covers space. tom, you spent a lot of time the past few weeks at mission control. they're pumped up. >> reporter: they're excited the potential astronauts who might be chosen going with them are excited.

nasa's international partners are a big part of this they're excited to be part of human lunar missions in the future and the first part of that return trip to the moon is set for the end of this month. now at launch pad 39b at the kennedy space center, be the most powerful rocket nasa has ever built the "artemis" rocket named after the greek god's twin sister of apollo preparing for nasa's first human mission to the moon since "apollo 17" in 1972. >> we're going to mars and we're going back to the moon in order to learn to live, to work, to survive. how do you keep humans alive in those hostile conditions >> reporter: but first this critical test flight set for august 29th. the "artemis" rocket will carry the orion capsule speeding to a 42-day mission to orbit the moon if the test flight goes well,

humans could be on a lunar orbit flight within two years. then a moon landing in 2025 or '26. and a lot has changed in the 50 years since humans were last there. it may look just like the old "apollo" space capsule but orion is bigger. instead of three astronauts, "orion" carries four there's room for a toilet. that matters when you're spending days in cramped quarters eventually "orion" will dock with a new space station that will orbit the moon. astronauts will descend to the lunar surface in a newly designed lunar lander. >> we will send a diverse crew, the first woman, the first person of color and international astronauts a much more divert population reflective of how we are today >> reporter: and virtually every astronaut is hoping they're chosen to go captain victor glove spent 168 days on the space station. >> i wanted to walk on and work on the surface of the moon all astronauts want to do the

mission. now that going to the moon is becoming a part of the mission set, i think we're all really excited that's a reality >> reporter: eventually just like "apollo" "orion" will land in the pacific ocean no astronauts involved in this test flight but nasa is putting four female and male dummies loaded with sensors onboard to monitor the flight's impact and effects on the human body for future astronauts. "orion's" orbit as close as 60 miles above the moon and 280,000 miles away from earth, the furthest any human spacecraft has traveled guys >> tom, when humans do wind up going back to the moon, you said they will head to one of the coldest spots on the moon. why would they do that >> reporter: nasa is targeting a landing zone on the moon's south pole because they believe

there's water ice there and that can be used to power future missions to mars and help sustain a moon colony. so water a key ingredient to what they're targeting as they go back. >> all right, tom costello tom, thank you >> reporter: you bet. >> pretty cool guys, coming up, much-needed help for sleep-deprived teenagers. we're going to head to california this is the first state to push school start times later in the morning how kids and parents are adjusting and the other states now considering doing the exact same thing first, though, where is the sauce? sam brock, are we facing a tomato shortage now? >> reporter: we are definitely feeling saucy this morning, craig. when you think of all the products and the foods you love the most in the world, the odds of there being a tomato product attached to it pretty good whether it's pasta sauce or tomato sauce and the greatest invention in the history of mankind, pizza these things are already more expensive right now. the worst drought california has seen in 1,200 years is putting the squeeze on pizza and pasta even more. what suppliers are seeing right now after this break

eye this mo. is my eye twitching? you don't have to choose a spending category or remember to opt in. sir? what happened? your cash back automatically adjusts for you. wonderful. earn 5% cash back that automatically adjusts to your top eligible spend category up to $500 spent each billing cycle with the citi custom cash℠ card. ♪♪ ♪ ♪ (sherwin-williams jingle) ♪ find it ♪ ♪ try it ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ try it ♪ ♪ paint it ♪ ♪ love it, love it, ♪ ♪ l-l-l-l love it ♪ ♪ love it ♪ ♪ ♪ (sherwin-williams jingle) ♪ love it ♪ meow mix tasty layers crunchy and meaty textures with a mouth-watering gravy coating. meow mix tasty layers. the only one cats ask for by name.

i was taking my antidepressant daily, but i would still put up a brave face to hide feeling depressed. my depression made me feel like i was stuck on autopilot. then i saw something that got me thinking. i'm still feeling depressed. what do you think about adding rexulti? it could help. when taken with an antidepressant, rexulti was proven to reduce depression symptoms an extra 62% compared to the antidepressant alone. so, you can stay on your current treatment and keep moving forward. rexulti can cause serious side effects. elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. antidepressants may increase suicidal thoughts and worsen depression in those under 25. call your doctor about fever, stiff muscles, and confusion, which could be life-threatening, or uncontrollable muscle movements, which may be permanent. increased cholesterol; weight gain; high blood sugar; decreased white blood cells; unusual urges;

dizziness on standing; seizures; trouble swallowing may occur. when depression sets you back, keep moving forward. make an appointment to talk to your doctor about adding rexulti to your antidepressant. (vo) is she tired? sad? mad? bored? i mean, she kind of always looks bored. make an appointment to talk to your doctor hungry. the answer was hungry. yoplait. real good. real fruit. real smooth. life... doesn't stop for diabetes.

be ready for every moment, with glucerna. it's the number one doctor recommended brand that is scientifically designed to help manage your blood sugar. live every moment. glucerna. (nanci) gemma's my show dog...she's a canine athlete. live every moment. i really wanted to feed a high quality dog food when i found the blue buffalo it just fit. i know that she has a good coat, good energy over all and i would do anything to make sure that she's the best dog she can be. [acoustic soul music throughout] [acoustic soul music throughout] [acoustic soul music throughout] [acoustic soul music throughout] [acoustic soul music throughout] we got the house! you did!

pods handles the driving. pack at your pace. store your things until you're ready. then we deliver to your new home - across town or across the country. pods, your personal moving and storage team. ♪ ♪ with low prices and great deals, back to school's easy. that's totally target. "consumer confidential." our series this time of the morning, we explore things that can take a toll on your family's budget >> soaring inflation, a historic drought in the west combining to take a big bite, perhaps a spoon, out of a very important crop, tomatoes >> say it ain't so the impact being felt at dinner

tables, being felt at restaurants all over the country. sam brock joining us now with the details. sam, and then they came for our tomatoes >> reporter: i mean, what's next, guys honestly is there no sacred cow in all of this you're talking about tomatoes. obviously a beloved vegetable. there's no short list of thing where the tomato is the main ingredient ketchup, salsa, soup, spaghetti sauce. all of these things are already more expensive because of rising fuel and labor costs now you also have california's deepening drought. the man who orders the ingredients here at this pizzeria said he could not find tomatoes two weeks ago that was a first restaurants and supermarkets large, ripe tomatoes are there for the taking but be warned these fan favorites won't come

cheap as california battles its worst drought in over 1,000 years. >> we had to try to stretch water further than we probably should have. >> reporter: scary for a state responsible for as much as a quarter of the global supply of processed tomatoes with wells drying up and water at a premium, farmers are seeing a big dip in production. bob estimates his tomato crops in northern california are down 10% so far this season >> the united states consumer will see an increase in the price as this crop hits the shelf. or the restaurant or wherever it's going >> reporter: as on top of the current sticker shock driven by inflation. ketchup price have is already jumped nearly 23%. salsa is 13% higher than a year ago. tomato paste up 16%. and tomato sauce, 17%. sauce that's essential to any pizza, including the new york-style slices served in miami. of all the ingredients you have to buy, what are the most expensive? >> cheese and tomatoes >> reporter: xavier or x-man, the guy ordering ingredients while trying to keep a slice of

cheese under $5 and a pepperoni slice at $5.25 then something happened this month that shocked him >> i can find no tomato sauce on the market when i call to place an order, they say, well, i'm going to search to see from different places, but i don't have any tomato sauce >> reporter: that situation has been resolved for now, but it's a scary thought for pizza lovers >> i work nonstop so pizza is a pretty regular thing that i eat every single week, probably three times a week, right. >> i think tomatoes are super ingrained in not just our culture but all the other cultures that are here >> reporter: but beloved as they may be, the popular tomato is now ripe for inflation >> sam, any idea how much more expensive tomato products could get? >> reporter: craig, so a lot of

this will depend upon what happens for the rest of the tomato harvest right now farmers are seeing production cost increases in the range of 20% to 25%. so that's a reasonable expectation on top of the fact as we've reported already that these products are outpacing what grocery store inflation is like, 13% year over year so you can just tack it on top of that. it is really right now testing our love affair with continuation like pizza and pasta. i know the price is still pretty high for that. a lot of people cannot do without that we'll find out in real time in the coming months. >> sam brock for us in florida, thank you, sam mr. roker. >> i think it's time to start our own victory gardens, get things going by the way, who doesn't like a nice aurora borealis the sun will help us out this is the sun yesterday. nasa solar dynamics observatory and we have seen this massive active sun spot, solar flares, sending particles towards the earth. as that happens we could see this zone right here, the northern tier of states, the southern extent of the aurora

borealis, the peak of the storms will be expected tonight after midnight now cloud cover, though, around minneapolis, chicago, but you should be able to see, if you look away from any lights, city lights, you might be able to catch a little peek. it could be cool as far as the heat is concerned, 22 million people from seattle all the way down to bakersfield, heat advisories, heat warnings look at these temperatures record highs are likely from billings boise, 102 degrees sacramento 105 fresno, 106. but you come here to the east, st. louis, below average temperatures raleigh, 84. nice and comfortable jackson, 84 degrees. little rock about eight degrees below average. temperatures seasonably warm right into the weekend for chicago you'll be in the upper 70s to low 80s mid-80s in cleveland bost

. good wednesday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. monsoon moisture bringing spotty showers. we're seeing it move from north to south fairly quickly. watch out for that chance of lightning. there's a fairly heavy downpour over alameda and that may be moving over to oakland in the next couple of minutes. today, with high humidity, some google victory garden. >> which we just did >> wildly popular during world war i and world war ii >> that's right. >> thank you for teaching us >> we always learn something al, thank you. just ahead, our first look at a powerful new documentary on thlee ndgeary sidney poitier, his importance in hollywood and far beyond right after this. to home improvement, so he earns more on a new doggy door.

extra large. with the bank of america customized cash rewards card, you just can't stop getting rewarded. allergies don't have to be scary. spraying flonase daily stops c your body fromrewards card, overreacting to allergens all season long. psst! psst! flonase all good. ["only wanna be with you" by hootie & the blowfish] discover is accepted at 99% of places in the u.s. ["only wanna be with you" by hootie & the blowfish] flowers are fighters. discover is accepted at 99% of pthat's why the.s. alzheimer's association walk to end alzheimer's is full of them. because flowers find a way to break through.

just like we will. join the fight at alz.org/walk my mom says that breyers is made with real milk. [cow mooing] i think i can hear the mooing. [girls laugh] breyers natural vanilla is made with 100% grade-a milk and cream and only sustainably farmed vanilla. better starts with breyers. ♪today, my friend, you did it...you did it...♪ today, you took centrum and took one more step towards taking charge of your health. centrum gives you 100% of the daily value of key nutrients. so every day, you can say, ♪you did it!♪ with centrum (vo) with every generation, the subaru forester has been a leader in crash safety. working to undo the impact a crash can have on your life. which has led the forester to even be able to detect danger and stop itself. the subaru forester has earned the i-i-h-s top safety pick plus, nine times.

more than honda cr-v and toyota rav4, combined. love. it's what makes subaru, subaru. hmm that's great. you're great! i'm here to save you. i'm good. cool. i think we should see other people. you know if you could just let your hair down. a little bit down! no no no no no. no no no! you're so far away, can't hear ya! the home with dunkin' is where you want to be. is dad posting a farewell to his favorite college freshman? nope, he's switching his choice cash back category to gas. the road to college can be emotional.

but also... rewarding. [ding] with the bank of america customized cash rewards card, you just can't stop getting rewarded. carson joins the table it's that time of day we're taking a first look at a powerful documentary, carson this one we were going to wait for "pop start." >> we have to do this one earlier. it's too important next month apple tv is releasing "sidney," produced by oprah, tracking the legendary sidney poitier's rise in hollywood and his lasting impact take a look. >> put black people in positions where they can have the career behind the camera. >> he came to this earth to move it, to change it, to shake it. >> you think of yourself as a colored man. i think of myself as a man >> that's the summary of him

i love him so much >> my life has had more than a few wonderful indescribable and i have lived them. turns. and i have lived them. >> can't wait to see that. that looks great >> chills. >> i don't know a lot about sidney poitier's life other than what he accomplished breaking the color barriers, winning academy awards >> he was such a civil rights leader and the epitome of dignity. one of the greatest moments was to have lunch with he and his wife >> wow >> a few years ago behind the scenes and in front of the camera everything he did was with dignity, with pride, and just brought everything he could to bear on anything he did. >> wow >> it's just unbelievable. >> oprah produced it you have denzel washington in

it >> halle berry >> it's going to be good >> what a story to tell. he died in '94 an interesting life. >> full life. >> can't wait to watch it. it looks really great. >> next month. coming up, we didn't make it in "pop start" yesterday but saved it for today kelly clarkson we love our kellyoke

(nanci) gemma's my show dog...she's a canine athlete. i really wanted to feed a high quality dog food when i found the blue buffalo it just fit. i know that she has a good coat, good energy over all and i would do anything to make sure that she's the best dog she can be. i'll remember that chapter of my life forever. we laughed, we cried, we protected that progressive home & auto bundle day and night. we were all of us dazzling... like knights sworn to protect our kingdom. we knew it wouldn't last forever, but... that's what made it special -- you know we'll be back tomorrow, right? yeah, but it'll never be today again. -[ groaning ] -just get on the bus, flo! life's kinda unpredictable. like when your groceries arrive the moment you remember everything you forgot. [dog barks]

or when your kids says... there's a bake sale at school tomorrow. tomorrrow, tomorrow? or when you discover art-cuterie is a thing you have to try. like now. or when you could go to the store but you also need to walk the dog, pack the lunches, and uhhh... oh yeah take the kids to school. you have children! for anything today brings, fresh groceries and more. free same day delivery. walmart plus meow mix tasty layers crunchy and meaty textures with a mouth-watering gravy coating. meow mix tasty layers. the only one cats ask for by name. the citi custom cash℠ card automatically adjusts to earn you more cash back in your top eligible spend category. hi. ♪♪ you don't have to keep tabs on rotating categories... this is the only rotating i care about. ... or activate anything to earn. your cash back automatically adjusts for you. can i get a cucumber water? earn 5% cash back that automatically adjusts to your top eligible spend category,

up to $500 spent each billing cycle with the citi custom cash℠ card. i love it... [voice vibrating] a very good wednesday morning to you. it's 7:56 right now. i'm laura garcia. here's a look at what's happening now. good morning. i'm scott mcgrew. elon musk said in a tweet he would buy manchester united and then said it was just a joke. musk earlier this year said he would buy coca-cola to put the cocaine back in. he said he would buy twitter. that one was said to be real. twitter is holding him to it. but he's not buying man u, or so he says. >> let's check on the temperatures with kari. >> a lot of our major school districts are heading back to school today.

some of them might need the umbrella stepping out the door. one heavy downpour over west oakland and for parts of the north bay from sonoma to catalina. even though these numbers look lower, because of the humidity it will feel just as hot as it did yesterday. we're watching out for a chance of isolated lightning. that could increase our fire danger in parts of the north bay later today. the rest of the forecast is looking getter with lower humidity and by sunday it's going to start to feel a little bit more comfortable. that doesn't last long. >> thanks so much. thank you for joining us as well. i'll be back with another local news updatin a half hour. e e californians have a choice

between two initiatives on sports betting. prop 27 generates hundreds of millions every year to permanently fund getting people off the streets a prop 26? not a dime to solve homelessness prop 27 has strong protections to prevent minors from betting. prop 26? no protections for minors. prop 27 helps every tribe, including disadvantaged tribes. prop 26? nothing for disadvantaged tribes vote yes on 27.

♪ ♪ well well well, what have we here? a magical place... that's lookin' to get scared! with bats... and ghouls ... and cars in disguise. (laugh) 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! (laughter)

it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, trumped >> this primary election is over, but now the real work begins >> little payback as congresswoman liz cheney loses her primary election to the trump-backed candidate speaking out this morning in a "today" exclusive. >> i think the republican party today is in very bad shape, and i think that we have a tremendous amount of work to do. i think it could take several pd

what's next. a full report straight ahead plus, back to school from later start times -- >> i think it's way better >> to teachers giving their all. >> how much money are you spending out of your own pocket? >> gosh, in a given year it could be $1,500 to $2,300. >> we have a full hour dedicated to the start of school what you should know and how you can help just ahead. and tell me more ♪ summer loving had me a blast ♪ ♪ summer loving happened so fast ♪ >> cold play and natalie imbruglia coming together to honor olivia newton-john the "grease" classic on this wednesday morning, august 17, 2022 >> we're on a girls trip >> from newport news, virginia

>> for gabby's sweet 16. >> what's up, new orleans.ina. >> a shout out to our students >> visiting from st. louis because today is our anniversary. >> a family vacation in gary, north carolina >> to my mom and great-grandma who turns 103 today. happy birthday, gigi >> okay. that's even better than the smucker's jar right there. good morning welcome back to "today." it is good to have you with us smack dab in the middle of the week, in the middle of august, too. >> halfway there to the news at 8:00. a resounding defeat overnight for republican congressman liz cheney, the vocal trump critic lost to a candidate backed by the former president in our exclusive interview liz cheney confirmed she is, in

fact, thinking about a run for the white house herself. nbc senior washington correspondent hallie jackson with the latest. hallie, good morning >> reporter: it was a newsy interview and it is a blow-out loss for liz cheney who lost to harriet hageman by nearly 40 points, a big defeat cheney is already looking beyond concession speech cheney arguing the real work begins now and invoking abraham lincoln pointing out he was defeated in congressional races before winning the most important election of all. that to many sounded like a possible hint about cheney's plans come 2024 which, of course, savannah asked her exclusively on the "today" show early this morning >> are you thinking about running for president? >> that's a decision that i'm going to make in the coming months, savannah i'm not going to make any announcements this morning it is something i'm thinking about and i will make a decision in the coming months >> it is political payback after cheney, one of trump's biggest

gop critics, voted for his impeachment and is now helping to lead the january 6 committee investigation into the attack on the capitol. overnight you saw mr. trump calling cheney's defeat a referendum on that committee suggesting she can now disappear, he says, into the depths of political oblivion cheney's team has already filed to create a political action committee today and her primary was not the only one we've been watching overnight in another test of the former president's power on his party republican senator lisa murkowski, a trump critic, hoping to hold on to her seat in alaska she was one of the projected winners advancing to the general election in november in that state's house special election in which former alaska governor sarah palin is running, we will not know the results on that one for days. a lot of politics this morning, savannah

>> hallie, thank you very much a new report is raising more questions about the mysterious death of a pilot who fell from a plane last month as it was coming in from an emergency landing. in its preliminary findings the ntsb says 23-year-old charles cook became upset, apologized and told his co-pilot he felt sick before stepping out of the plane in midair. he had apparently been flying the approach when the plane touched down between skydiving runs damaging the landing gear he was able to land near raleigh, north carolina. a player has been fined and suspended for one game after an unusual moment while he was running the bases. do you remember this >> his phone comes out of his pocket now that's a first >> that's a cell phone it flew out of infielder rodolfo castro's pocket. the 23-year-old said he was sorry. it was an honest mistake major league baseball has been cracking down on any technology on the field after the houston astros cheating scandal. >> to be clear, castro's iphone slipping out of his back pocket

compared to what the astros did -- >> a little different. >> i hope he had a good phone case that's tough can we get a boost >> here is one for all you pet lovers one man learned the hard way that when you teach a puppy a new trick there's no forgetting it check it out he wanted his dog to give him a hug. all is going well. the pup is getting bigger. what happens when the dog gets a little older nothing could go wrong the dog is so excited, he got so big the hugs turned into a whole knockout >> it's a love tap >> exactly coming up here, we all know beyonce has been making history with her new album just ahead we will tell you something pretty remarkable her sister solange is pulling off. >> first, should your child's school day get off to a later start? erin mclaughlin with a groundbreaking move happening in california tell us about it, erin >> reporter: we are looking at the growing crisis of

sleep-deprived teens and the unprecedented step california is taking to combat this problem, and it starts right here at school i'll have more on that after the the less they'll miss. but even if your teen was vaccinated against meningitis in the past they may be missing vaccination for meningitis b. although uncommon, up to 1 in 5 survivors of meningitis will have long term consequences. now as you're thinking about all the vaccines your teen might need make sure you ask your doctor if your teen is missing meningitis b vaccination. and now please welcome ana montoya. ♪ hello there, fellow students... the citi custom cash℠ card automatically adjusts to earn you more cash back in your top eligible

spend category, like select travel. great, that was my third red-eye this month. is my eye twitching? you don't have to choose a spending category or remember to opt in. sir? what happened? your cash back automatically adjusts for you. wonderful. earn 5% cash back that automatically adjusts to your top eligible spend category up to $500 spent each billing cycle with the citi custom cash℠ card. ♪♪ [growling] [sfx: toaster ding] meet the 4-year-old who refused to wear pants this morning. why, andi? i'm a dinosaur. won't wear pants, will eat eggo waffles. get your wins where you can when you l'eggo with eggo. ♪♪

♪ free to feel ♪ experience the perfectly balanced rich flavors of lindt excellence. by the lindt master chocolatier. ♪♪ how did kellogg's combine crunchy oat clusters with a touch of honey... plump, juicy raisins and tasty fiber into one delicious cereal? it took a lot of bran-storming. get it? kellogg's raisin bran crunch. two scoops of delicious. here's to real flavors... real meals. real good. all of knorr's high quality pasta and rice sides are now made with no artificial flavors or preservatives. knorr. taste for good. does your plug-in fade too fast? try febreze fade defy plug. are now made with no artificial flavors or preservatives. it has built-in technology to digitally control how much scent is released to smell first day fresh for 50 days. la la la la la. meow mix tasty layers

crunchy and meaty textures with a mouth-watering gravy coating. meow mix tasty layers. the only one cats ask for by name. ♪ ♪ the thing that's different about a vrbo vacation home. you always have the whole place to yourself. no stranger at the dinner table making things awkward. or in another room taking up space. it's just you and your people. because why would you ever share your vacation home with someone you wouldn't share your vacation with. ♪ ♪ meet google pixel 6a a smarter phone for a smarter price powered by the google tensor chip so your camera can see in the dark with night sight fix your photos with magic eraser photograph all skin tones accurately with real tone and last up to 72 hours with extreme battery saver

it's all you want in a phone. google pixel 6a switch it up, and get the all new google pixel 6a. we got the house! swiyou did!p, pods handles the driving. pack at your pace. store your things until you're ready. then we deliver to your new home - across town or across the country. pods, your personal moving and storage team. when it's hot outside your car is like a sauna steaming up lingering odors. febreze car vent clips stop hot car stench with up to 30 days of freshness. get relief with febreze. ♪ ♪ with low prices and great deals, back to school's easy. that's totally target. meow mix tasty layers

crunchy and meaty textures with a mouth-watering gravy coating. meow mix tasty layers. the only one cats ask for by name. so, you're 45. that's the perfect age to see some old friends, explore new worlds, and to start screening for colon cancer. yep. with colon cancer rising in adults under 50, the american cancer society recommends starting to screen earlier, at age 45. i'm cologuard, a noninvasive way to screen at home, on your schedule. and i find 92% of colon cancers. i'm for people 45+ at average risk for colon cancer, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider if cologuard is right for you. [sfx: ding] [message] hey babe, meet us at the bottom of the trail. oh, man. hey! open up! the redesigned chevy silverado. with a sophisticated, high-tech interior...

open the door! it's easy to forget it's a truck. ♪♪ - thanks. - nice truck! it was. find new style. find new roads. we're we're back coming up on 8:13 kicking off today's back to school supply drive. kids are returning to classrooms nationwide and the cost of supplies is soaring. this morning we want to help >> yes according to adoptaclassroom.org teachers spent on average $750 of their own money on classroom materials. that was the highest amount ever >> and here is what teachers are facing this year the cost of pencils up 40% since 2020 a ream of paper rising nearly 60%. >> and while some teachers do get a supply budget, 95% of those teachers say it's not enough to meet their students'

needs. that is precisely why today we are teaming up with adoptaclassroom.org. carson will explain how we can all help. >> it's easy adoptaclassroom.org helps nationwide for the next hour you will see this qr code at the bottom of your screen. scan it. it will take you to our website where you can learn more about ways you can help support adoptaclassroom.org and head directly to today.com. here is a quick look at donations and what they can provide for students as you'll see just a little bit after donation can go a long way. for $5 you get 35 pencils, 25 crayons, glue sticks larger donations means more supplies hoda >> all important carson, we have more on that just ahead let's focus on another big back-to-school issue and we are talking about sleep. >> that's because parents know how tough it can be to get tweens and teenagers to bet at a decent hour and, of course, studies show not getting enough rest can severely impact their bodies and their brains as well. >> erin mclaughlin has been looking into this.

she joins us from a high school in california, a state taking an unprecedented step this year to get kids more of that sleep they need hi, erin morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah that's right california is now the first state in the nation to require most high schools and middle schools to delay their school start times. they're doing it right here at san gabriel high experts say it's an important step to combatting a growing health crisis of sleep deprived teens. it's the first week of school in san bernardino, california and 17-year-old josiah reyes gets to sleep in an extra hour thanks to a new mandate in the golden state requiring most middle schools to start no earlier than 8:00 a.m. and high schools at 8:30. all to help students get more sleep. >> i think it's way better just being able to wake up a little later, getting even that hour makes a difference because i still go to bed around the same time.

>> reporter: do you feel more rested >> i feel way more rested, yeah. >> reporter: his school, summit high, used to start at 7:30. now with that extra hour, josiah even has time to eat breakfast, giving him a needed boost in his ap classes before they changed your school start time, problems thinking, functioning? >> it was a routine wanting to fall asleep in second period because by second period i was already done i'm out. >> reporter: he's not alone. today 70% of teens are sleep deprived and while social media may poke fun at the problem, it's no joke studies link it to everything from lower grades to higher risks for obesity, depression, and suicidal thoughts. >> this is a public health issue. >> reporter: advocate lisa lewis helped petition for later school start times in california. in her new book "the sleep deprived teen" she documents three decades of research showing how it helps teens >> when schools shift to later

start times, attendance goes up. tardies and absences go down grades go up it boosts their emotional resiliency >> reporter: though the american academy of pediatrics recommends teens get between 8 to 10 hours of sleep, changes in their circadian rhythms prevent them from becoming sleepy before 11:00 p.m. >> they are not biologically able to even if you were to -- they had to go to bed at 9:00, chances are they're going to lay there and stare at the ceiling >> reporter: what would you say to critics, if school starts later, kids will just stay up later? >> research shows they do stay up slightly later but they more than make up for it with the additional sleep they're able to gain >> reporter: high school senior says it has helped her be more attentive including in cheer practice and on her drive home when schools went to later start times drowsy driving accidents

among teens dropped by 70% >> i have more sleep i am able to pay attention to what everyone else is doing around me. >> reporter: you feel more alert? >> yes >> reporter: and safer >> yes >> reporter: her mom, ashley, says it's improved their relationship >> she's waking up a lot friendlier in the morning. she's not cranky i'm able to interact with her more >> reporter: why do schools start so early in the 1950s most started around 9:00 a.m in the '70s districts had to consolidate bus routes and stagger the start times for elementary, middle and high schools. >> oftentimes they put the older kids in that earliest timeslot thinking, oh, well teens should be best able to handle that. now we know having a later start time is what is recommended for them >> reporter: nationwide new york, new jersey and massachusetts are also considering mandates for later school start times these teens say the change is long overdue could you use more sleep >> all the time. all the time i could use more

sleep. but i think i'm getting enough sleep, which is good >> erin, it is so interesting to see what the science is telling us about the teenage brain and whether they can even fall asleep if they wanted to if you're a parent and you want your kid to get more sleep, how can you help >> reporter: well, there are some things you can do to help first, make sure they're not overscheduled either before or after school really limit those activities. make sleep a priority. remember, teenagers need anywhere from 8 to 10 hours of sleep. finally, this might be a tough one, have them put away all electronic devices at least an hour before bed. that includes cell phones and video games. guys >> absolutely. >> that's a good move. a really good move >> you might have a big fight, but worth it >> it's worth it >> erin, thank you as promised we're going to get more of our back-to-school supply drive just ahead.

mr. roker, how about a check of the weather? >> you also can turn your wi-fi off before you go to bed looking at strong storms firing up. they will be coming through the lower mississippi river valley that's where we have a risk of severe weather, strong storms stretching from down into the panhandle of florida heavy rain again, that monsoonal moisture in the southwest, record highs in the pacific good wednesday morning. i'm kari hall. that monsoon moisture is move into the bay area, giving us some spotty showers. in the east bay we're seeing rain moving toward berkeley and richmond. in napa county, temperatures head for 84 degrees. even though some of these the best time of the morning starts

>> you know what puts my kids to sleep? when i tell them stories about my childhood i just start talking about me. got to go to bed now, dad. to "pop start. solange making history in new york city. solange will make a score for the new york ballet. her music will be performed by the ballet orchestra and a soloist at the fall fashion gala in september before it heads to lincoln center october 31st she was a backup dancer for big sister and solange wrote she is very excited about the project that is so cool. next up coldplay, the chart-topping band teamed up with natalie imbruglia for a touching tribute to honor her fellow aussie, olivia newton-john. take a look. ♪ summer loving happened so

fast ♪ ♪ summer loving happened so fast ♪ ♪ i met a girl crazy for me ♪ ♪ i met a boy cute as could be ♪ ♪ summer days drifting away hot summer night ♪ ♪ tell me more tell me more ♪ ♪ did you get very far ♪ ♪ tell me more tell me more ♪ ♪ does he have a car ♪ >> i wish we had one more camera on that. earlier in the show natalie imbruglia also performed her rendition of her 1990s hit "torn. savannah sung at many karaoke restaurants in the '90s. she shared what it was like to share the stage with coldplay. that was wembley stadium, by the way. quoting olivia newton-john natalie wrote, have to believe we are magic next up, selena gomez back for season four of her hbo max

cooking show, a series that started out as a pandemic passion project for her in 2020. the actress turned amateur chef wraps up good recipes with the help of different celebrity chefs. in our pop star exclusive, not everybody has this we have a sneak peek at the season premiere. selena finds out the language barrier doesn't translate so well over zoom [ speaking foreign language ]. >> yes >> do you have a lever >> a lever yes. >> show me what you have show me what you have. i don't see very well. it is very small >> what is that? >> i don't know what to do >> look at the dog the dog is confused. >> you can catch the premiere this thursday on hbo max next up catherine zeta-jones, netflix released a first look at

the a-list actress in her role playing morticia addams. alongside her co-stars, isaac and jenna ortega as creepy kids pugsley and wednesday. if it will live up to its predecessors, tim burton is producing and directing it a match made in spooky heavens good things for the eight episode series as it is set to stream this fall and finally the kelly clarkson show, our buddy is known for the beginning -- she won an emmy and maybe in large due to her kellyoke songs. she knows how to sing a million songs. here is a look ♪ ♪ searching for real love ♪ >> oh, gosh. >> i once asked kelly, you sing so many songs in kellyoke, how many songs do you know her answer was all of them ♪ searching for real love ♪

>> oh, gosh. >> i once asked >> all of them >> i believe it. >> all songs yesterday kelly announced that leading up to the show season four premiere next month they're bringing kellyoke on the road. she will hop on the tour bus across the country looking for all-star singers to duet with her, making stops in dallas and chicago and l.a. and next week kelly is going to actually be right here with the bus on our "today" show plaza we're going to catch up with her. we're going to check in on the big search maybe you want to come down and be a part. if you can't make it to the plaza or one of the other kellyoke bus stops we mentioned, she is looking out for folks on tiktok use the #kellyokesearch. >> that's amazing. pick you to go and sing a duet with her amazing. >> incredible. still ahead this morning, we'll be live in schools in florida and texas. we're about to launch a big, and

we mean big, back-to-school supply drive >> meet some inspiring teachers. cool pep rallies find out how you can help classrooms across the country. but first your local news and weather. country. but first your local news and weather. good morning. we are tracking some breaking news. a big rig crash. mike is getting word of what's happening. >> it's all the way up in contra costa county. southbound 680 basically functionally shut down. folks coming down across 680 are going to be stopped where there's a jackknifed big rig,

six vehicles total have to be cleared from the road. you can't get on that section of 680. you can take surface streets through martinez. the bigger route is up. 780 and over the bridge. southbound 680 is shut down coming in toward pacheco. and we're seeing some rain here in the weather department. we've seen some showers moving through parts of the bay area. if you have the nbc bay area app, it will give you alerts as rain approaches your lotion. weca'l

♪ hi hey, everybody, welcome to "today." it is a wednesday morning. so happy you are here. 8:30 what a plaza, you-all. good morning good to see you. >> good crowd.

>> and it's gabby's birthday just ahead in this half hour we will introduce you to some amazing teachers in our back-to-school supply drive. >> we are so excited about this. first, we'll take to you florida. kerry sanders is there he met a tampa-area teacher who does everything she can to cut her own personal budget. why? she wants more money to help her students, students in need oh, they're fired up really touched and inspired by their story. >> so after florida we will take to you austin, texas that is where we find jacob soboroff who will introduce us to an art teacher taking on several roles. when he leaves that campus he heads to another job to pay for art supplies you will love the inspiring mr. t and everything he is doing for kids and his unmatched school spirit and we're going to keep it a little bit of a secret for now, but we do want to say and tease for you at home we have some big surprises in store for both of

their teachers and schools coming up. >> that's so exciting. first ahead on the "3rd hour of today" the dramatic new role in "breaking" based on a real-life bank heist the reason for the heist is something kind of incredible >> guys, are you ready to feel the burn >> yes >> what are we doing >> tomorrow on "today" -- >> oh, gosh. >> jazzercise. it's sweeping the nation and coming to the plaza. it's sweeping the nation it is a fitness craze. it has evolved from the '80s roots we all remember. we have a group of jazzercisers. sheinelle and i are lacing up our leg warmers, getting in our leotards -- >> you were a former jazzercise instructor >> aerobics. i never graduated to jazzercise. that was like harvard. >> i can't wait. >> start grapevining right now mr. roker, the weather >> i like to do listening exercises. >> chill

>> a little sway let's show you what's going on as far as your weather for the weekend. summer beauty for the northeast. hot in the interior sections might be some flooding in the southwest, the gulf coast looking a little wet on saturday a few storms down through the southeast and down around the gulf. more heavy rain as you get into southwest, hot and dry in the pacific northwest. and then on sunday, sunday, mild highs in the plains. hot and dry out west heavy rain down to the lower plains and look for some showers around the great lakes that's what's going on around the country. good morning. i'm meteorologist ckari hall. i'm seeing some lightning strikes to our south around monterey. we could possibly see that move

into the bay area. we're concerned about that because it could start some new wildfires. keeping an eye on that as temperatures head for the upper 80s you look like a happy tree >> thank you, mr. bob roth that was a great impression. >> thank you al, thank you. up next kerry sanders standing by with a remarkable teacher really going the extra mile for her students down in florida hi, kerry. >> reporter: good morning. absolutely i'll have one of those teachers and we're going to meet one of those teachers that is very memorable. she represents so many teachers and maybe the achievement right now is also we got everybody quiet here just for a moment coming up, you're going to see a pep rally with a lot of pep rally with a lot of excitement as we continue on californians have a choice between two initiatives on sports betting.

prop 27 generates hundreds of millions every year to permanently fund getting people off the streets a prop 26? not a dime to solve homelessness prop 27 has strong protections to prevent minors from betting. prop 26? no protections for minors. prop 27 helps every tribe, including disadvantaged tribes. prop 26? nothing for disadvantaged tribes vote yes on 27.

we are back devoting our morning to today's back to school school supply drive and the inspiring stories of dedicated teachers who only want >> to help with the soaring cost of supplies we've teamed up with adoptaclassroom.org. carson, take it away >> if you are watching and want to give, we are making it as easy as possible scan our qr code it will take you to our website and ways can you help support adoptaclassroom.org or go directly to today.com. >> carson, we'll do that now let's meet some of these incredible teachers and kids, and they could really use the support. jacob soboroff is standing by in austin, texas. first to kerry sanders just outside tampa, florida, at eisenhower middle school kerry, good morning. [ cheers and applause >> reporter: it's a wave of excitement out here so of course

at a pep rally like this you have to have a drum and a band and today what we're doing we're celebrating those teachers who dig deep into their pockets. and among them a teacher we met here, miss suhay >> take a deep breath. breathe in let it out okay we've got this >> reporter: the eighth graders at eisenhower middle school are ready to take on american literature. >> a marker, a pencil and a pen and you get to pick your choice. >> reporter: their teacher is determined to make it their best year yet that means getting kids the school supplies they need for her reading and writing classes. >> it makes me feel like i'm ready and prepared for school. >> reporter: there's also some fun incentives >> some teachers, they don't

give us, like, the binders and stuff. >> reporter: or ice cream? >> or the popsicles to motivate us to be better. >> reporter: does it work? >> yeah. >> reporter: how much money are you spending out of your own pocket >> gosh, in a given year it could be $1,500 to $2,300. >> reporter: miss suhay is not alone. according to adoptaclassroom.org across the countries teachers are spending $750. classroom cost have is soared due to inflation pencils, for instance, are up 40%. and so miss suhay has taken in a roommate to cut costs. >> i'm in my 40s so i already lived the dorm room in college with roommates >> reporter: despite the financial hurdles, she always finds the money to put her students first she uses therapy animals in her classroom and runs a garden club all on her own dime. in order to save she scrounges you have these pencils here. what if you're out what do you do >> i go to the court yard.

>> reporter: the court yard? >> somehow the kids seem to accidentally drop their pencils. i will go out there and try to beat other teachers for pencils. it's like the running of the bulls out there. >> reporter: many teachers face some opting not to return. but miss suhay says this is her passion. >> we are here to support you. we are here to help you with your skills. >> reporter: helping kids learn, your determined to make a difference >> seeing the smiles on the kids' faces, seeing kids 5, 10, 15 years later and they remember you as their teacher in their classroom, that's why you do it. >> reporter: every kid remembers one teacher. i get the sense you are that one teacher. >> they remember me in one way or another >> reporter: and i'm curious, 21 years now of teaching, what is it that keeps you going?

>> clearly it's the kids here. they're our next generation. us teachers, we're here for you. we love you and we know you will reach your dreams. >> reporter: wonderful your story and the story of many teachers is inspiring and we shared your story with the folks from pepsi and so we're going to show you something. but first we need to do a little bit after surprise here. let's get a drum roll. okay and then we see a parting of the waters here. and, as we told pepsi stronger together about -- [ cheers and applause there's so much noise in here i hope you can hear me we told them about miss suhay's story and they wanted to help out the entire school here look at the hugging going on and what they've done they have a bunch of supplies here so this is -- oh, look, you're crying this is $10,000 in supplies for the whole school from pepsi stronger together.

and things like rulers, crayons. come over here because there's something else i wanted to show you further down here. we heard that you needed a laminating machine because the one you had was broken you're laughing because you know it a couple laminating machines here give us a sense what this means to you and the school. >> wow this is all for the kids this is awesome! this is all for them, so thank you. this right here just starts the year off how we need it and a fresh start. thank you. thank you. thank you. >> reporter: we're going to go over here, as you're looking at some of the stuff, and we see the kids coming through here getting some colored pencils, some scissors. they are loading up their bags pretty good morning. there we go. some excitement. so, guys, this is a really important moment, and it's something that i think people can stop and realize that despite everything, the economy is rough right now, and being able to help students especially as they start the school year is really significant because, as you've said before, this is the

next generation this is our future >> this is our next generation and we have to value and love them >> reporter: can we say thank you for everything you do and all the teachers like you. just remarkable. thank you. >> you are welcome >> reporter: a smile and a little bit of tears kind of tell the story. >> thank you >> that's awesome. >> all of her emotions coming out and this is for her kids getting supplies that's what's filling her up >> thousands of teachers like that >> and don't forget you can make a difference for teachers just like her and their students. all you have to do is scan the qr code and give a little bit for those supplies >> a little bit goes a long ways >> we're not done, folks we are not done. up next our fun morning of school surprises rolls on. jacob soboroff is in texas with -- >> which one is jacob? >> reporter: i can't tell.

i could not be more excited to introduce you not to the purple cougar head but the man under it take it off, mr. t this is fred tabares, a legend here in austin, texas. he's an art teacher. he has 12 classes, 400 students. the man is going above and beyond the call of duty every single day like teachers alm across this country. we're going to tell you more and how to get involved coming up. i can't wait to tell you all about it >> we already love mr. t e.is will be a good on

8:46 our back-to-school supply drive rolls on if you want to learn ways to help don't forget the qr code is at the bottom of the screen. >> let us bring in nbc's jacob soboroff who is at small middle school in austin, texas, with a teacher, mr. t, who is going all out to support his school and the students hey, jake, good morning. >> reporter: morning, hoda he is an absolute legend and this is mr. t in a nutshell this

is a sketch book, something you might pick up at the local store. the reality is it is not just a creative way for kids to make their own in mr. t's class but a way when teachers are struggling all across the country to save money as teachers are thinking outside the box all over this nation >> most of the stuff is old but we make it work. >> reporter: this is mr. fred tabares supply room. a stick of glue, it's almost out. he's been an art teacher here for 15 years the kids call him mr. t. with 12 classes and nearly 400 students a year, mr. t has to work with what he's got. something his colleagues understand, too. austin, texas, is one of the least affordable cities in the country. nearly a third of all students at small middle school are economically disadvantaged how much are you spending out of pocket on your students? >> it wouldn't be strange for me to run to the local big box store and buy off the shelves. >> reporter: out of your own pocket

>> out of my own pocket. >> reporter: you are spending at least several hundred dollars. >> at least. what do you do i want my students to go home and say i made this. >> reporter: why don't you ask the parents to pony up the money? >> before the pandemic it wouldn't be out of the question to ask for $5. >> reporter: the pandemic changed things >> we didn't want to assume a student was living at home with two parents who had a job apiece >> reporter: to help afford the extra supplies mr. t works part time as a restaurant dishwasher, and he's not the only one at the school with a second job >> it helps me be financially secure that i don't have to worry about if i need to buy a box of permanent markers in a pinch. there have been times i've taken kids to art contests, and i want to buy them breakfast because some of those kids might not have access to those things. >> reporter: but it's not just money mr. t puts into his students, it's the time, too, like that time he fed a goat vegetables with his mouth to

fundraise for the entire school. >> reporter: you're a football coach. you're a deejay at dances. you're basically school spirit personified. how did you become that? >> i think when you're a teacher, you try to step up in roles that need to be filled instead of paying $400 for a deejay, i could give up three or four hours of my night and do that >> reporter: it's not uncommon to see mr. t on campus well after school hours and while some teachers across the country are facing burnout or even opting out, mr. t says this is his passion and he does it for the love of his students. these are your kids. >> these are our kids, too this is that village everyone talks about that it takes to raise your kid >> reporter: so, you guys, let me just talk to mr. t for a second you are a legend and we are so inspired by you and you work so

hard here. i can see it in your eyes. you have three classes today alone starting at 8:15 you will be teaching these kids i know what drives you in part it's your girlfriend danielle who is also a teacher, and you talked to me about her and about how she pushes you and how you push each other. what's the message you have for her and teachers all across the country this morning who are watching you who are also struggling in similar times? >> well, if they're in the classroom right now they already know what i would tell them, keep going and we do. it's one of those things that it's kind of -- it's built in to us and if we don't pick it up on our first day on the profession, it's one of those we pick up from our peers keep going we're doing great. we're going to get better. >> reporter: listen to this man, listen, no way to say thank you. there's no chance it's enough but come with me i want to show you something, mr. t. i know it's early here i know school hasn't started oh, wait a minute, what are you doing here

this is just the beginning how are you doing? [ cheers and applause it sounds like -- is that the sound of the band playing, mr. t? >> i think that is the sound of the band >> reporter: i haven't been to a middle school in a while, but it sure does sound like a band. look at these guys what's up, you guys? mr. t, they're here all for you, and that's not even it we're not done yet come on, guys. the goats, which one this is the one you pick open those up. check this out, mr. t. it's for you, man. take a look at this. these are our friends from pepsico and the foundation they were so excited by you, so inspired by you. listen up, they heard about the long list of jobs mr. t has whether it's the dishwasher, the goat feeder with his own mouth, dressing up for fun raisers, getting in the dunk tank, all of that stuff, they want to help

you with your mission specifically by giving $10,000 worth of school supplies to here at small middle school because of you, mr. t. give it up for mr. t >> thank you >> reporter: it is not often you meet a man like you that inspires so many people. take a look at some of this stuff. we have glue sticks, markers, all the stuff we talked about inside the supply room kids get hungry, they like snacks from time to time anything you want to say to the people across the country watching right now >> thank you all for my fellow colleagues across the country, keep doing what we're doing. they need us here and we'll keep plugging away. >> reporter: we're proud of you. we'll send it back to you. >> mr. t, tell him how much we love him, please. >> that was awesome. that was great >> we're going to check in with jacob and mr. t in the third hour >> i could watch mr. t all day i'm here for it.

i like the sign mr. t for president. >> the first thing that gets cut in school. >> art he is the g.o.a.t. literally and figuratively it's easy if you would like to support teachers just like mr. t. can you scan the qr code or head to today.com please do that we encourage to you do so. thank you to jacob we're back in a moment first this is "todayon nbc "

♪ (vo) the subaru crosstrek. dog tested. dog approved. californians have a choice between two initiatives on sports betting. prop 27 generates hundreds of millions every year to permanently fund

getting people off the streets a prop 26? not a dime to solve homelessness prop 27 has strong protections to prevent minors from betting. prop 26? no protections for minors. prop 27 helps every tribe, including disadvantaged tribes. prop 26? nothing for disadvantaged tribes vote yes on 27. stories there on the teachers. there are plenty of other hard-working teachers that need your help. another quick reminder if you can scan that qr code, if you've been inspired by what you've seen today to help support adoptaschool.org or you can head to today.com and, by the way, so far this qr code is working especially in the last few minutes. we understand we've raised nearly $10,000 >> wow

>> you guys have done that at home >> amazing >> we encourage to you do it >> $10,000 let's keep it going. we'll put the qr code up you can go on our website. $5 counts for a lot. >> pencils, glue sticks. >> there you go. we have a lot more on the third and fourth hours including kathie lee gifford is back today. >> that's right. and, by the way, hold up those magazines you've got look who is on the cover oh, my gosh. >> "people" magazine, three beautiful cover girls. >> see you guys. >> we're back after your local news good morn you. i'm marcus washington. today's heat should be a little less but the flex alert for california's power grid is being issued due to concerns that the grid may be overloaded with

people using cooling units. it lasts from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. >> this is why 680 is closed southbound, this double trailer jackknife. we have crews on scene. there's at least a small fuel spill. this is affecting the northbound side as well. both directions jam up just both directions jam up just north of highway 4.

tile, wood, stone, laminate and vinyl. this hardwood is beautiful. both directions jam up just north of highway 4. this vinyl is durable. and this tile? so affordable! but when it comes to everything our family needs... this one is...perfect. now this store is the real deal. at floor and decor, there's ev pricing on quality in-stock products and on-trend styles, you can really bring your living room to life. discover floor and decor today!

this morning on the "3rd hour of today" moon shot. nasa's biggest, newest rocket ever almost ready to launch hoping to bring humans back to the moon. we're going to have the very latest on the exciting test flight. then, summer spending. we've got a big year financial checkup to make sure you're hitting your money goals.1a on w movie businessed on a remarkable true story. and we're going to go