francisco is going to be in the 60s for the weekend, and quite a bit of slowing for the south bay, pushing northbound on all these typical commute routes, getting down to the south bay. a problem for the nimitz south 880 right around maori. several cars involved in a crash still working there today show just moments away. however, for more local news, stay with today in the bay. we stream on roku, pluto and other platforms. live at 8:00. new york times bestselling author laura dave joins us live to discuss her upcoming stop in the bay area. and that's what's happening today in the bay. the today show show starts just moments away. that's right. but we're going to leave you with a live look at the coliseum in oakland. the gates are open. fans streaming in early for the last game. there good thursday morning. millions across the south facing a major hurricane threat, set to roar ashore in a matter of hours. it is september the 26th.

this is "today." collision course. helene gaining strength as it bears down on the florida panhandle, set to strike potentially as a catastrophic category 4 storm. tens of thousands ordered to flee quickly, running out of time. >> a mandatory evacuation has been ordered. please leave this area. >> schools and airports shut down across the region. a live report and of course, al's full forecast, as he tracks that path. breaking overnight, indicted! new york mayor eric adams facing criminal charges. an historic case following a months-long federal corruption investigation. the mayor proclaiming his innocence. >> for months, leaks and rumors have been aimed at me in an attempt to undermine my credibility and paint me as guilty. >> and pushing back against calls to resign. so what happens next? we're live with the very latest. crisis mode. the u.s. pressing for an immediate cease-fire as new fighting rages on in lebanon.

but israel rejecting the deal overnight and preparing for a possible ground invasion. we're live on the ground in beirut. "money matters," the battle over the economy taking center stage in the race for the white house. vice president harris laying out her vision. >> i'm not mad at anybody for being rich, but they should pay their fair share. >> former president trump saying, it's too little, too late. >> so if she has a plan, she should stop grand standing and do it. just do it. >> a full report from the campaign trail with just 40 days to go. in court. the suspect in the idaho college murders case set to make his first appearance in a boise courtroom today, facing a new judge with key questions yet to be answered about his case and the trial. all that plus, "today" exclusive. princess kate's brother speaking out. >> how is she doing? >> she's doing okay. >> what james middleton is saying about his sister's road to recovery, and what's helped him through the health

challenges in his own life. and ready for her close-up! >> she's this ways. >> our one on one with the most adorable star on the planet. moodang. how the hottest hippo in the world is adjusting to her newfound fame while breaking the internet. today, thursday, september 26th, 2024. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good tuesday morning. welcome to "today." glad you're with us. you can't help but smile when you see that moo deng. >> i said she was cute adjacent. i'm fully in with moo deng now. she speaks. she opened her mouth for the first time. world exclusive right here. >> all right. a one on one which we'll have in just a little bit. >> you will have to smile after this. >> you got to. let's get to our top story. the looming threat of hurricane helene.

the storm barreling toward florida, now expected to strike there as a major category 3 or 4 storm, after slamming parts of cuba and mexico. >> we got a live look at the conditions this morning in key west. take a look, a storm surge warning already in effect there. officials are pleading with the locals, just evacuate and that time is running out to do just that. >> as for timing, landfall is expected later tonight, between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. fema preparing for a multi-state event, with tropical storm warnings now stretching into parts of alabama and up to western north carolina. al has the updated track in just a moment. we are going to start with nbc's tom llamas, who's south of tallahassee. hey, tom, good morning. >> hey, hoda, good morning to you. the conditions starting to get uglier and uglier where we are right now. the rain is picking up. the wind is getting stronger. it's only going to get more intense over the next 4 hours.

if the forecast sticks, that track sticks, hurricane helene will come right through here, appalachia bay. if that is the case, this will be the most powerful hurricane to hit this area since the 1840s. now, regardless, whether it's a category 3 or a category 4, it's a monster storm that's going cause a lot of damage. and they're predicting and forecasting a 15 to 20-foot storm surge. to give you an idea, that's almost to the top of that palm tree. and the national hurricane center has described that only one way, unsurvivable. >> reporter: in florida this morning, it's a race against time. >> the eye of the storm is coming in this region. >> reporter: residents making final preparations, bracing for hurricane helene. the monster storm strengthening overnight, picking up steam in the warm gulf waters as it races towards the coast. helene already slamming popular vacation destinations in mexico, like cancun. the hurricane could potentially intensify to a category 4 when it reaches florida with

sustained winds near 130 miles per hour. and tallahassee, the state's capital, could get hit the hardest. >> we are prepared. we are 100% prepared. and we will respond. nonetheless, this is going to be a catastrophic storm that's going to have severe damage. >> reporter: some areas along florida's west coast expecting the storm surge to potentially reach up to 20 feet. >> a mandatory evacuation has been ordered. please leave this area. >> reporter: at sea, cruise ships in the gulf being diverted to avoid the storm. >> so it's storming a little bit. >> reporter: hillary patterson and her family stuck aboard the carnival "paradise," with at least an extra day or two at sea, patterson is worried about her home in port st. joe, right in helene's path. the same home devastated in 2018 by hurricane michael. are >> you've got a lot of people o that are -- we've got a free fuf day on the water.un day on the water. they are so excited, and then you've got people like u and then you've got people like really need to get us that really need to get homee because our, you know, homes ars in the path of the hurricane. >> reporter: air travel not much better.n the

path of the hurricane. >> reporter: air travel not much with all flights grounded at better with all flights grounded tampa international airport today, while first responders at are preparing for potential ta today emergencies.while fi >> we could expect anything fro emergencies. >> we can expect anything from swift water and flooded area swift water and flooded area rescues to structural collapse. rescues to structural collapse. >> reporter: but they're also >> reporter: but they're also sending out this urgen sending out this urgent message. >> emergency respond >> emergency responders will not be able to help you until the et be able to help you threat passes.unti you will essentially be on your threat passes. you will essentially be on your hone. own. own. >> reporter: >> reporter: so this morning, s we're in panacea, about 30 miles south of tallahassee, obviously we're about 30 right on the water. this area is under an evacuatios order. s we are not going to be here th tallahassee, obviously under water. this area is under evacuat during the storm.ion order. we're not going to anyone out here probably will not be able to survive this storm if they try to stay out r. anyone out here probably will not be able to survive the storm here. if they try to stay out here. but there's major concern in there's major concern where we becaus we will be in tallahassee because of these live oak trees that dot that dot the entire state capital. the entire state capitol. they're worried the trees they're worried those trees wil going to come down leading t come down, leading to a much o mu more difficult recovery effort,l and trying to get to people as effort. there's also two well if they need to be rescued. there's two major universities universities in tallahassee, fs in tallahassee, fsu and floridad a&m. this hurricane formed really fast. f

students weren't able to get loa out. now both universities have shelters there for those students to take refugee. hoda? >> tom llamas for us there in panacea, florida. thanks, tom. >> let's get right over to al and see the track of this storm. guys, here is the deal. on the latest on our system here, tropical storm helene, it is a category 2 storm. we have tornado watches already going on. some tornado warnings. it's 320 miles southwest of tampa, 100 mile-per-hour winds, moving northeast at 12 miles per hour. tropical storm warnings from the carolinas all the way down to key west. hurricane warnings south central georgia all the way into the big bend area of florida. this makes its way in as a category 3, possibly a 4 tonight between 8 and 11:00 p.m. with this storm, almost 500 miles wide, tropical storm force winds, 60 miles per hour out from the center of hurricane force winds. the storm surge, the big problem. some places 10 to 20 feet along that big bend area.

the large area of this shallow water of the continental shelf, there's not that much depth to it. so when you get these strong winds pushing in, that allows all this water to pile up from apalac apalachicola, cedar key and tampa. strong winds, cedar key could see gusts of 100 miles per hour into tonight on into early tomorrow morning. the system continues as a category 1 storm, augusta 60, 50 in atlanta. massive airport delays, airport closures as well. trees coming down, major damage along i-75. power outages from knoxville, tennessee, down to tallahassee, as far as widespread power outannals and flooding rainfall. we're talking about a high risk from asheville to atlanta, tallahassee, also montgomery, tupelo, memphis, major flood event. we're expecting some places could pick up to 20 inches of rain with life threatening river and flash flooding.

this is a major flood event that will occur in through the appalachians and we're looking at heavy rain from nashville, tupelo, mississippi, knoxville, atlanta, albany, georgia, panama city up and down causing massive airport delays, road closures and flooding. this is going to be an event we're going to continue to track right through the weekend. wi guys, back to you.th this right weekend, the effects o >> all right, al.f this, we'll check back with you a guys. >> all right, al, we'll little later. thanks. now to a major story check back in with you breaking overnight right here i. now to a major story new york, mayor eric adams breaking right here in new york, mayor eric indicted, following a federal following a federal investigation and facing growing call investigation and facing growing calls to step down. the specific charges expected to be made public as soon as this morning. and as you can see, there's a large police presence outside of gracie mansion, that's the mayor's official residence. let's bring in nbc's senior legal correspondent laura jarrett. tell us what's happening. >> nbc news can report that fbi went to gracie mansion early this morning with a search warrant.

exactly what they were looking for after mayor adams was indicted still an open question. what is clear, prosecutors are moving very swiftly. >> i know i'm innocent. >> reporter: this morning, embattled new york city mayor eric adams denying wrongdoing, as he vows to fight for his job and against any criminal charges. >> i will fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and my spirit. >> reporter: the democrat expected to face federal charges in new york as soon as today, according to two sources familiar with the matter. the precise charges are unknown, as the indictment remains sealed, but wnbc reports a long-running federal corruption investigation, has raised questions about whether adam's mayoral campaign received illegal donations from the turkish government. in a video statement overnight, adams defiant. >> make no mistake, you elected me to lead this city. and lead it, i will. >> reporter: the indictment marks a staggering turn for the former police captain turned

politician. for months, his administration has been operating under a cloud of investigation, subpoenas, and scrutiny, that led to multiple high-level resignations, including the city's police commissioner and school's chancellor, amid multiple federal probes. the fbi searched the brooklyn home of adam's top fund-raiser last november. the first sign federal authorities were looking into connections between the adams' campaign and turkey's government. at the time, multiple sources told wnbc that turkish officials were seeking help in expediting the approval of a new diplomatic building, despite safety concerns. days later, fbi agents stopped adams leaving an event in manhattan, seizing his cell phones and ipad. still, the mayor dug in, claiming he did nothing wrong and had no knowledge of any improper fund-raising. saying just this week -- >> i'm stepping up, not stepping down. >> reporter: but some high-profile new york democrats calling on adams to resign, even before the indictment news broke.

>> i think for the best of the city, it would be best for mayor adams to step down. >> now, the u.s. attorney's office declined to comment about any charges but is planning on holding a press conference today. as for alex spear row, attorney for mayor adams he blasted the raid on mayor adams' home this morning saying it was about, quote, creating a spectacle. they sent a dozen agents to pick up a phone when we would have happily turned it in. he has not been arrested and looks forward to his day in court, flast the lawyer. now the mayor maintains his innocence and shown no signs of resigning. but if he did the public advocate would step in as interim mayor until a special election and also an option for the governor to try to force him out. that's a complicated process that simply hasn't been can done in modern times. governor hochul's office says . >> and she she is monitoring this h situation. hoda?asn't said whether >> thank you, laura. she would or wouldn't. let's move to escalating let tensions the middle east.o escag tensions in the middle east. israel preparing its troops for

a possible ground offensive in a possible ground offensiv lebanon after this week's air e lebanon after this strikes on hezbollah targets but the u.s. is pushing both sides to accept an immediate 21-day cease-fire. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel joins us. he is right there in beirut. hey, richard, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, hoda. well, hope springs eternal. so far, there is no progress whatsoever on that cease-fire. in fact, just the opposite, with the u.n. secretary general warning that lebanon is on the brink. after a week of intense israeli air strikes and an air israeli threat of a ground invasion into lebanon, this morning, a diplomatic push is underway. with talk of a cease-fire that is as fragile as it is temporary. the leader of israel's opposition posted on "x" this morning that israel should accept today a seven-day cease-fire, but prime minister

netanyahu's office quickly shot that down, saying in part, the news about a cease-fire is incorrect. the prime minister instructed the idf to continue fighting with full force. president biden and france are pushing for a deal at the united nations. >> you can see we've put out a statement for a 21 day cease-fire along the israeli/lebanese border. it's important that this war does not widen. >> reporter: israel has dealt hezbollah significant blows over the past several weeks. targeting the group's communication systems and its leaders. and yesterday, israel's chief of staff said the military is preparing for a ground invasion to devastate hezbollah inside lebanon. hezbollah fired dozens of rockets at israel overnight, many landing in the sea. the united nations says nearly

100,000 lebanese have already fled areas under israeli attack. many are crowding into schools. 30-year-old nirvine who declined to give her last name claims she came to beirut with 21 members of her family, including her two young children. she's saying that she has a message for the american people that they should listen, they should see the children and that they should speak to their government and act, because they saw what happened in gaza, and they don't want the same thing to happen here. >> reporter: but few in lebanon have much confidence that diplomacy will work. the problem with the cease-fire is that two sides are talking past each other. israel demands that hezbollah pull back from the israeli border, while hezbollah insists that israel must stop its war in gaza. and neither side is showing any sign of compromise. hoda? >> richard engel for us there in beirut. richard, thanks.

craig joins us now. we turn to politics. good morning. >> savannah, hoda, good morning. good morning to you, as well. vice president harris speaking out in her first high-profile one-on-one interview since becoming the democratic nominee, while former president trump took aim at his rival's campaign from the battleground state of north carolina. nbc's chief white house correspondent, peter alexander, joins us now with the very latest on this. peter, good morning. >> reporter: craig, good morning to you. we have just learned that tomorrow vice president harris is going to return to the border, her first trip there in more than three years. an issue that remains a vulnerability for her. another, the economy. though polls do show harris is cutting into trump's advantage on that issue. on wednesday, looking to put more meat on the bones of her proposals, as former president trump blames her for inflation following the pandemic. vice president harris in battleground pennsylvania drilling down on her vision for the economy in her first one-on-one national tv interview since becoming the democratic nominee. speaking with msnbc's stephanie ruhle. >> and i'm not mad at anybody

for being rich, but they should pay their fair share. >> reporter: on the campaign trail, pushing her economic policy, vice president harris slammed former president trump as a friend of billionaires, not hard-working americans. >> he's only interested in making life better for himself and people like himself. the wealthiest of americans. >> reporter: polls show most likely voters still believe trump is better equipped to handle the economy. trump in north carolina blasting harris, saying prices remain way too high. >> kamala goes to work every day in the white house, families are suffering now, so if she has a plan, she should stop grandstanding and do it. just do it. >> reporter: responding to calls for more policy specifics, the harris campaign released an 80-page economic blueprint wednesday, including child tax credits and housing payments. harris was asked how she would pay for those elements. >> if you can't raise corporate taxes or if gop takes control of the senate, where do you get the

money to do that? do you still go forward with those plans and borrow? >> but we're going to have to raise corporate taxes and we're going to have to raise -- we're going to have to make sure that the biggest corporations and billionaires pay their fair share. >> reporter: trump also targeting the biden/harris foreign policy ahead of harris and president biden's scheduled visit with ukraine's president today, criticizing volodymyr zelenskyy for his handling of the war. >> those cities are gone. they're gone. and we continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refuses to make a deal. zelenskyy. you have a country that has been obliterated. not possible to be rebuilt. >> reporter: and here at the white house today, zelenskyy is expected to present his so-called victory plan for the war. a meeting between trump and ukraine's president will not be happening today. asked by nbc news why, a source familiar with the matter pointed to zelenskyy's interview last

weekend in which he called trump's running mate, jd vance, too radical for his opposition to additional military aid to ukraine. craig? >> all right. our chief white house correspondent, peter alexander, thank you. 7:19. big story of the day is the weather. al's getting a look at it. >> that's right. besides all of that weather we're dealing with, helene down in the southeast. we've got a few showers here in the northeast. beautiful weather, great lakes into the plains, record warmth in the southwest, and it's a gorgeous day up and down the west coast. we're going to get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. can get iphone 16 pro on us. when you trade in any phone in any condition. only on verizon.

and that's your latest whether. guys? >> all right, al. thank you. coming up, today's important hearing in the idaho college murders case. the new judge facing critical questions that need to be answered ahead of the highly-anticipated trial. we'll have the very latest. also ahead, an emotional and exclusive interview with princess kate's brother on the challenges they've both faced and what's helping them during these difficult days. a message of hope he's sharing now with us. nbc.first, this is "today" on

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coming up, we're going to take you behind the scenes with one of the hottest stars on the planet right now. we're talking about moodeng. what makes this tiny hippo such a huge hit with folks all around the world, after your local news. otezla is the #1 prescribed pill to treat plaque psoriasis. ned? otezla can help you get clearer skin, and reduce itching and flaking. with no routine blood tests required. doctors have been prescribing otezla for over a decade. otezla is also approved to treat psoriatic arthritis. don't use otezla if you're allergic to it. serious allergic reactions can happen. otezla may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. some people taking otezla had depression, suicidal thoughts, or weight loss. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. audience: ohhh...

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and today, it's all about the a's final home game at the coliseum on bob redell. we're here at the oakland coliseum. the gates were supposed to open at 8:00 this morning for the final a's game here at the coliseum, but the people here, they just opened the gates at 7:00 because there are so many fans already lined up since 5:00 this morning. again for what is expected to be a sellout crowd today. the only sellout crowd that we're aware of this season as the a's play their final game here at the coliseum before the team moves to sacramento for three seasons. while their new stadium is being built in las vegas. aaron brooks. well, check out what happened after last night's game at the coliseum. fans lining up to receive scoops of dirt from a groundskeeper who was putting it into bags and water bottles for fans to keep. in other cases, there was video showing fans ripping out coliseum seats, which they did not get to keep. oakland police tell us they have more than 100 officers stationed at tonight's

game. all right. what would the weather hold for today and tonight's game? it's going to be a really nice day. temperatures in oakland headed for the upper seconds. it will be right at about 70 degrees at first pitch. and throughout the game, much of the inland areas. it will be a little bit warmer today compared to yesterday. and that warming trend continues into tomorrow, with the valleys headed for the upper 80s 90s and even close to 100 degrees. laura. oh my summer is hanging on! don't forget to join us for our today in the bay live streaming newscast at 8 a.m. new york times bestselling author laura dave joins us to discuss her upcoming stop in the bay area. join us on roku, amazon fire tv, or

the city hall insiders have a formula: grow the system, exploit the system. take mark farrell's record. after receiving the largest ethics fine in city history for breaking campaign laws. mark authorized a commission almost every year he was in office. he was even caught taking donations from people he would then appoint to commissions, including a felon convicted of bribery. san francisco's challenges demand urgency, not more of the same failed insiders. ♪ keeping a close eye this morning on this part of the country. panacea, florida. conditions deteriorating there

and all across florida, as this dangerous storm, helene, approaches. it's expected to make landfall later tonight, as a major hurricane. people are really bracing there. al, of course, will have the very latest, coming up. >> exactly. we've got a lot to get to in this half hour. we're going to start with a key court hearing. >> later today, the suspect in the idaho college murders case will make his first appearance in a boise courtroom after that venue change was granted for the high-profile trial. nbc's liz koits joins us now with the very latest. liz, good morning. >> reporter: hey, craig, hey, guys good morning to all of you. yeah, this is not only a new trial venue but an entirely new judge now who is going to be presiding over this case. that judge now has to answer several critical questions including whether the prosecution can seek the death penalty and even whether bryan kohberger will be allowed to wear in court. today, bryan kohberger is set to make his first appearance inside the boise courtroom, where he'll stand trial facing quadruple murder charges.

the 29-year-old is accused of killing four university of idaho students in 202. kaylee goncalves, madison mogen, xana kernodle and ethan chapin. nearly two weeks ago, kohberger was seen in this nbc news exclusive video being transported from latau county where the murders took place to a jail in boise where the sheriff's office says he's being held in a single cell and cannot interact with other inmates. this after a judge sided with kohberger's attorneys and ruled to move the trial venue out of the tight knit community of moscow. idaho's former attorney general who is not involved in the case, saying ada county where boise is located offers a bigger andl les impacted jury pool. >> what is really important, though, is the fact that we were somewhat geographically removed from the scene of the crime and the shock and sensation. >> reporter: the new judge, the

honorable steven hippler, an experienced trial judge on the bench for more than a decade, has said boise is well equipped to handle high-profile cases. >> we have big trials here all the time. >> reporter: hippler already facing big questions. the prosecution says they intend to seek the death penalty if kohberger is found guilty. while kohberger's team says it should be off the table. meantime, a gofundme county set up on behalf of the goncalves family to help offset the cost of attending the trial hours away from their home has already raised more than $35,000. >> we're going fight this all the way through, every moment, every second. we're going to have someone there. we're not going to be pushed out of this courtroom, no matter where you take it. >> liz, what else potentially could we learn at today's hearing? >> savannah, today is essentially a reset for the trial. this is a new courtroom, a new judge, and so a new calendar and rules will need to be set. the judge could determine a new start date for the trial. and he may also decide on what kohberger should be allowed to wear.

his attorneys have requested that he be allowed to continue to wear street clothes in court, instead of an orange jumpsuit. that's something the family of kaylee goncalves have been opposed to, but his lawyers argue is necessary. to avoid prejudice. savannah? >> liz, keep an eye on it. thank you. a lot more to get to on a thursday morning, including the visit to the home of a worldwide superstar, moo deng, the hippo. >> oh, yeah, janis mackey frayer got a one-on-one. she had her visit and got to see what those chubby pink cheeks look like up close. we'll have that and more. but first, these messages. ♪ the #1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists and allergists, that helps heal your child's skin from within. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. ask your child's eczema

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we are back. 7:38 now with one of the most beloved creatures in the world right now. >> we're in the moo deng clan. we've shined a light on the adorable baby hippo quickly become the internet's favorite animal. this morning we're taking you behind the scenes with the star herself, breaking her silence. >> indeed. nbc's janis mackey frayer paid a visit to the zoo in thailand. she joins us now with exclusive details. hey, girl. >> reporter: hey, good morning. and for anyone who's been anywhere near the internet lately, she needs no introduction. not only is moo deng the glossiest attraction at the zoo here in thailand, but the superstar status of this tiny pygmy hippo is going truly global. she's quickly become an internet

sensation. these days, moo deng, the baby pygmy hippopotamus seems to be everywhere. >> she is so adorable. >> reporter: across social media and websites, the meme of the moment. so we're in thailand. >> she's this way. seeking out this unlikely superstar flesh. all of it. the rolls, the cheeks. what do you like about it? >> she's cute. >> she's cute, yeah. >> most of the time i just see them on the internet, it makes me a little bit, like, oh, it's unreal that i get to see them with my own very eyes. >> reporter: to see the curvy it girl who at 2 months old, has become the call sign for a world needing distraction and finding it. cute, moist, and unbothered. whether she walks, eats, plays around, anything moo deng does gets a reaction. moo deng fever started just after she was born, when the zoo uploaded the first images of her to instagram. safe to say, the world went wild

for the sassy, slippery baby, whose name means bouncing pig or pork patty. her keeper is the human behind her star power, and can't keep up with demand for more. moo deng is not more tired by this, the one who's tired is here, he says. do you think she realizes how popular she is? moo deng may not know, he says, but her mom may be surprised as before it was quiet. here at the zoo, attendance has swelled to over 10,000 visitors on some days. people can't get enough, and they keep coming! thais and tourists of all ages. it's a boom for the zoo. can i get a t-shirt? out of stock. and officials say for conservation efforts, too, with pygmy hippos considered an endangered species. cameras offer a 24/7 live stream, but we watched moo deng do her thing for real, as she

lumbered, slept, found a cool corner, and slept some more. >> so cute. very cute. >> reporter: and we saw that between those viral antics making her famous, this is the one thing moo deng wants most, to be close to her mom, jonah. never waddling away for more than a minute. just a little girl, still new to the world, and unaware of how much it adores her. now, moo deng is not the first famous animal on the internet, but she is next level popular. that adorable face is now a registered trademark at the zoo. so we can look forward to more moo deng merchandise, fan pages, and fame to come after nap time, of course. guys, back to you. >> i love her. janis, did you love her in person just as much? >> reporter: i loved her in person, i wanted to reach out and grab those cheeks to squeeze them just once and have my fingers slip off of them. she was really adorable.

and the way she was staying close to her mom, it was like, you know, that's her natural habitat. so that was really nice to see, too. >> come on, the rolls. the endless rolls. are our favorites. >> she's just a hunk of slippery love. i love it. janis, thank you. >> speaking of a hunk of slippery love -- >> okay -- >> wow? really? really? >> i love you. >> i love you, too. unfortunately we don't the news we have to talk about hurricane helene. this just in, is now a category 2 hurricane. and the tornado watches are now up, we always talk about this. we have tornado warnings now to the east of marco island. the other big problem we're worried about, storm surge. some places, anywhere from 6 to 10 feet to 10 to 20 feet along that big bend. even near tampa, we're talking anywhere from 8 to 12 feet of storm surge, especially at high tide.

you can see these areas at risk. high tide at 8:57. low tide, 6:18, but later tonight, that high tide may coincide with its passage. storm surge warnings. already, already this is with the storm not even close. st. petersburg, a storm surge of 2 feet. east bay 1.8 feet. you get to that big bend area, cedar key, high tide at 11:35 tonight. that's a bad time for this, because we expect it to make landfall somewhere between 8:00 and 11:00 p.m. storm surge of 9:00 feet. that's 25 miles inland. what about that storm surge? it's that wall of water that gets pushed in by the wind and that storm surge is at its deadliest threat when you have a hurricane like helene approaching.

>> that is your latest weather. guys? >> thank you. >> thanks, al. still ahead, we're going to take you to a school that's trying to revolutionize the way students learn by going all in on ai. they've done away with traditional teachers. how it works and the apparent success it's already showing. we'll do that and of course, hoda's can't-miss morning boost. >> we're going to need it after this. no teachers? >> but first, these messages. >> wait, huh? s a vaccine used to prevent lower respiratory disease from rsv in people 60 years and older. rsv can be serious for those over 60, including those with asthma, diabetes, copd and certain other conditions.

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girls' day out is a good day out. live in the moment. ask your doctor about otezla. ♪ we're back with sheinelle. we know that music. the 50th season premiere of "snl" just two weeks away. >> yes. we're excited about that. >> the host is gene smart. the first promo is out paying homage to the show's legacy while still managing to irritate the host. >> nice to see you, welcome, and thanks for joining us live. >> here we are, "snl," season 50. >> what show is this? >> it's nbc saturday night, it's my favorite show. >> 50 years of hosts. >> excuse me! >> 50 years of laughs. >> first, you must stop the bleed. >> 50 years of memories. >> live from new york, it's

saturday night! >> and now, it is my turn. >> this is how you exit a door in my neighborhood. >> who is it?! >> you're not actually going to show a clip from every season -- >> get me a drink and make it a double -- >> you cut me off and that's kind of rude -- >> stop it! stop it! knock it off already, all right?! geez! can we make this a little bit more about me? anyway, as i was saying, i'm very pleased to be hosting -- oh, come on! >> well done. i love that. >> well done. >> i'm excited! >> and jelly roll, by the way, is going to be the musical guest for the first show as well. can you imagine the cameos they'll have this season. >> can you imagine jelly roll singing "lose control." that's our new song. >> the whole season will be amazing. >> looking forward to it. how about a boost? >> i've got a boost for you. over the years, we've showed you plenty of military reunions in which a service member returns home and surprised someone the person loves. this time, it's the other way around. u.s. navy. she arrived back in virginia

after a nine-month deployment at season. sea. what she did not know is that her dad, who lives in atlanta, made the trip up to norfolk to surprise her. [ crying ] >> i'm jealous! i didn't get tears! >> when madison was home last year, her dad couldn't get off work to see her. so that's why this one mattered a little bit more. you can see just how much this means. >> these boosts -- >> ah! >> what would we do without them? coming up, a "today" exclusive. a rare and a very personal interview with princess kate brother's james, sharing his story for the first time and an update on how his sister is doing. but first, your local news.

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(leslie) cheerios are his love language.y adjusts (buzz) well, yeah. they can help lower cholesterol. (angela) ok. i love it. (phyllis) my love language is portuguese. i don't understand it, but i love how it makes me feel. dry skin is sensitive skin, too. and it's natural. treat it that way. aveeno® daily moisture with prebiotic oat is proven to moisturize dry skin all day. you'll love our formula for face, too. aveeno® type 2 diabetes? discover the ozempic® tri-zone. ♪ ♪ i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. i'm lowering my risk. adults lost up to 14 pounds. i lost some weight. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer,

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here at the coliseum, but the people here, they just opened the gates at 7:00 because there are so many fans already lined up since 5:00 this morning. again, for what is expected to be a sellout crowd today. the only sellout crowd that we're aware of this season as the a's play their final game here at the coliseum before the team moves to sacramento for three seasons. while their new stadium is being built in las vegas. thanks a lot, bob. let's get a look at our forecast for today with meteorologist kari hall. they've got some great weather for that last game there in oakland. it will start out cloudy this morning. we'll see temperatures right at about 70 for first pitch headed for the upper 70s. warmer air for the inland valleys with upper 80s today and it gets even hotter for tomorrow. we'll start to see a lot more 90s on the map, and even close to 100 degrees for spots like concord and fairfield. and in oakland it will be in the mid 80s with mid 90s for much of the north bay. back to you. thank you kerry.

make sure to join us for today in the bay live streaming newscast. starting in just minutes. join us on roku, pluto and other streaming platforms. we'll have more coverage on the

some say it's impossible to fix san francisco. they also said you couldn't escape from alcatraz. but watch me do both. other candidates want to tear down san francisco, but i'll build on what's already great to make it even better. with expanded rent control, new homes for the middle class community policing to reduce crime,

and an inspector general to root out corruption. let's get to work. paid for by aaron peskin for mayor 2024. financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org ♪ it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, race against time. florida residents bracing for hurricane helene.

>> there is no reason to stay home if you need to evacuate. please listen to the mandatory evacuation orders. >> expected to make landfall today as a potentially major category 4 storm. and of course, al is tracking it live. and caught on camera, the frightening moment a dog is snatched up by a coyote. the owner managing to rescue her pet just in time. the full story, straight ahead. then, opening up. our exclusive interview with princess kate's brother, james middleton. >> i like the metaphor of climbing a mountain, but something we've done as a family all of our lives, and you have to respect a mountain. you can't just take it on naively. sharing his health story. plus, an update on his sister. all that straight ahead. all of that, and we're live at the people's choice country awards. with a sneak peek at the big show. your first look as the stars are

set to shine in nashville, today, thursday 26th, 2024. >> from pennsylvania, i'm turning 70 today. >> here with my girls! >> because mom's hoda's biggest fan! >> shout-out to our gentlemen's school. >> at the university of missouri. >> go, tigers! >> here from cornelius, north carolina. >> san clemente, california. >> callousville, montana. >> and euless, texas! ♪ >> celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. >> on a mother/daughter trip from california. >> and rhode island! >> hello from arkansas. >> from dallas, texas. >> we watch the "today" show every day. >> we love you, savannah and hoda! >> we love you right back. welcome back. we so appreciate you being with us. it was a little drizzly outside.

but we've got a full crowd. we can't wait to go out, give you some hugs and say, hey. >> this crowd brought the sunshine. coming up later on "today" tomorrow, taylor swift, a little known actress, she's doing well. she's preparing for the final leg of her eras tour. so what you need to know to protect yourself from ticket scammers. vicky nguyen is sitting down with a ticketmaster executive, first major interview after a major data breach exposed all of that personal customer data. she's going to find out how it happened, how they're protecting concertgoers, how you can protect yourself. >> people interested in that story. let's get to our news at 8:00, guys. we're going to begin with the monster storm gaining strength this morning in the gulf of mexico. hurricane helene expected to make landfall in florida tonight. speeds right now, wind speeds, more than 120 miles an hour, along with a massive storm surge. this, by the way, a live picture from key west, florida. the waves are crashing into the famous southern-most point. that's the buoy there. let's get right to al roker and get a check of where this thing's headed.

>> the latest update from the national hurricane center. with it is now a category 2 storm, 325 miles southwest of tampa. 100-mile-per-hour winds. it's moving northeast at 12. as we always talk about, especially on the eastern side of these storms, we have to worry about tornadoes. tornado watches now from much of florida until 8:00 at night. we've even got some tornado warnings popping up. we've also got tropical storm warnings all the way to south carolina, down to key west, but hurricane warnings from the big bend area into southwestern georgia. that's how strong this storm is going to be. and of course, the storm surge, that wall of water, anywhere from 10 to 20 feet along that big bend area. here comes the storm. could make landfall as a 3, possibly a 4. we're going to be watching that closely. but the category is not going to matter. it is just going to be devastating. 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. tonight. it has a massive force of wind, tropical storm force winds go out, 500 miles from the center. and about 60 to 70 miles of hurricane force winds.

cedar key could see wind gusts of 100-mile-per-hour. 120-mile-per-hour wind gusts in tallahassee. we're taking historic damage. but this thing is going to cause problems as we get into tomorrow. for atlanta wind gusts of 80 miles per hour. expect either airports closed or massive delays. augusta, 65-mile-per-hour winds. and of course, that's going to mean power outages, trees coming down. a lot of damage. all the way from atlanta, down to tallahassee. and of course, flooding, life-threatening river and flash flooding. high risk from asheville to atlanta, also down to tallahassee, we're talking about anywhere from 10 to 20 inches of rain, especially down in the panhandle. and into parts of central georgia. guys? >> al, thank. we'll check back, of course. and in the meantime, some good news from capitol hill this morning. congress overwhelmingly passed a stopgap funding bill to prevent a government shutdown. this package was negotiated by the house speaker mike johnson and top democrats, bipartisan. it funds the government at current levels through december 20th. it would also provide $231 million in additional money for the secret service in the wake

of two attempts to assassinate former president donald trump. the bill does not include a proposal, however, demanded by trump that would require people nationwide to show proof of citizenship to register to vote. there are new troubles for the embattled secret service this morning. an agent placed on leave accused of sexually assaulting one of the vice president's staffers. nbc's ryan nobles is in washington with more on this. ryan, good morning. >> hey, craig, good morning. and this new scandal comes at a time when the agency is under intense scrutiny over its handling of two different assassination attempts on former president donald trump. it is leading for members of the service to clean house. >> reporter: the united states secret service once again at the center of controversy. two sources telling nbc news that an agent has been put on leave after being accused of assaulting a staffer for vice president kamala harris. the agent accused of groping the

staffer without her consent after a night of drinking during an advanced planning trip in already under intense scrutiny after two different assassination attempts of former president trump. melissa randazo says the agency is overtaxed during this election season. >> it's like trying to fix a plane while you're still flying it. >> reporter: in 2014, three agents were sent back to the united states after a night of drinking in amsterdam ahead of a trip by former president obama. and in 2012, the agency was rocked by an international sex scandal. eight agents lost their jobs bringing prostitutes back to their hotel rooms in colombia. randazo says these incidents impact thousands of diligent agents. >> when i worked there and something like this happened, it was incredibly frustrating and demoralizing, but that never stopped the commitment that the agents and professional staff and support staff bring every single day. >> reporter: now after those assassination attempts, the widespread problems, leading lawmakers to call for an overhaul of the agency's leadership.

>> there has to be new blood coming from the outside, that gives the hard-working skill, the secret service agents the leadership they need and deserve. >> meanwhile, the increased security posture by the secret service is forcing the campaigns to adjust their plans. the trump team was informed that the agency could not provide the necessary manpower and assets to keep the former president safe at an outdoor rally this weekend. that event will now happen at t dramatic video from los angeles. motley cruz and tommy lee and his wife getting quite the scare when a coyote appeared in their backyard and tried to snatch one of their dogs. >> ahh! oh! so happy ending, spoiler alert, you can see it there, the coyote did grab the 10-year-old dog named nina, running away with it, brittany caught up with the animal and took the dog right out of its mouth. thankfully nina didn't have any deep wounds. brittany says she loves those dogs and would do anything to

save them. tommy and brittany both say it's a strong reminder to be on high alert for wild animals at all hours of the day. >> she's an amazing mama bear. >> she sure is. >> go, britney. coming up, big news from reese witherspoon on the "legally blonde" series and how to get your shot at the leading role. definitely stick around for "popstart." but first, a rare and exclusive interview with princess kate brother's james on their special bond, how she's doing, and a meaningful project that's helping him shine a light on an issue that's close to his heart. kelly cobiella will share that story with us right after this. to discover, and take on the wild with you. blue wilderness. stay wild. available with grains or grain free.

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have an increased risk of death. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. done settling? ask your rheumatologist for rinvoq. and take back what's yours. abbvie could help you save. we are back. 8:12 now with a "today" exclusive. >> james middleton, princess kate's brother, has written a touching new memoir, focusing on his mental health journey and where he found help when where he found help when he needed it the most. >> nbc's kelly cobiella sat down with him and joins us from kensington palace. >> reporter: james middleton told me he never courted celebrity, but even says that prince william helped his family, tried to shield them from the intense scrutiny that comes when your sister marries into the royal family. and that scrutiny came at a

really tough time for him. he credits his best friend, a four-legged friend, for saving him. >> up, up. mabel, up. >> reporter: this is james middleton's happy place. >> are you ready? >> that is some gang. are you ready for a walk? yeah, walk? time for you to jump in, too.do. >> far f >> out of the way, dog. >> far from the spotlight, in the quiet english countryside, where he and his sisters, katherine and pippa grew up. >> come on, heel in. here. it was always my dream to move back. >> always surrounded by heel in. >> it's a gorgeous spot. >> very lucky to spend time here. it was always my dream to move back. >> always surrounded by his furry pack. princess kate's youngest brother opening up about his life's story in his new book, "meet ella," writing about his struggles with dyslexia and clinical depression how his beloved dog, ella, pulled him

out of his darkest moment. you dive right into it at the very beginning, you talk about the moment you say ella saved your life. >> i scared myself in that moment. ella's eyes were constantly looking at me were that sense of reassurance, that there was a reason to still be here. and it was just breaking a very downward -- a very sort of quick downward spiral. >> reporter: in a "today" exclusive interview, telling us how he found healing with his best friend. >> i would look at ella and say something to her that i have never said out loud before, and when you hear yourself saying it, you can start to make sense of some of the things. >> reporter: ella died last year. >> but ella had passed away. it was more than just an ending, it was an ending of that chapter of my life. >> reporter: for james, it still isn't easy to talk about. >> i think she was sensing that i was perhaps in a little bit of an agitated state. so -- good girl. >> you think she just sensed your emotions there? >> i think dogs have this

amazing way of being able to understand us. >> reporter: the cocker spaniel stayed by his side during milestone moments, like his sister kate's wedding to the future king in 2011. his dog giving him the courage to speak on a world stage. >> your sister marrying prince william, you were asked to do a reading. >> we all were aware that it was a royal wedding and perhaps not maybe as big as it was. >> reporter: james says he would practice his readings on ella. >> i think that she was there with her sort of paws over her ears like, not this again. >> reporter: later gifting one of her puppies, lupo, to the new royal couple. writing about his shared love for canines with the late queen, revealing intimate details of the middleton's private, close-knit family time. william has been in our lives for so long, he feels like our older brother. and the anticipation ahead of william and kate's engagement announcement. i walk with ella to the park, savoring the secret knowledge.

i thought, how lucky william was. opening up about their support. what role did they play? >> katherine and william had both been involved in mental health charities and works, of which i got help from. so they were fantastic bridge for the family for me to be able to translate how i was feeling. >> reporter: his oldest sister, helping him heal. >> the whole process has brought us closer. >> reporter: this year, supporting her after her cancer diagnosis. >> catherine, how is she doing? >> she's doing okay. it's not for me to share on her behalf, you know, how everything is going, but she's getting all the right support and focus that she needs. and like anything, it takes time to process. >> reporter: james sharing a picture with sister, kate, in a moving post earlier this year. we have climbed many mountains together. as a family, we will climb this

one with you, too. >> i like the sort of metaphor of climbing a mountain, but something we have done as a family all of our lives, and you have to respect a mountain. >> reporter: and james told me that he wrote the book in part to preserve all of those memories for his son, who turns 1 in just a few weeks, and also, he says, he hopes to help people who might be going through something similar. the book is out today. guys? >> kelly, thank you very much. all right, 17 minutes after the hour. let's get a check of the weather. >> of course, we've been talking about helene down through the southeast, but also some showers here in the northeast. beautiful day. great lakes into the plains. record warmth making its way through the southwest and rockies. and a gorgeous day along the west coast. that's what's going on around the country. here'shat's happening in you wr

and that's your latest weather. guys? >> al, normally, we would do pop start right now, but we have jenna and sheinelle here as our beloved hoda has some news she'll share with everybody right now. >> i do. i have some news. so i was doing the math and i realized that i have spent 26 years at nbc. >> okay, just -- >> cool. be cool. be cool. 26 years at nbc, 16 years on the 10, and 7 years with you. and i just turned 60. about tha

like, what does that decade mean, what does it hold and what's it going to have for me. and i realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new. and i think i realized, this was so crazy, but remember our 60th birthday that we had outside. it was so -- like, i can see it. and i remember standing outside, looking at this beautiful bunch of people with all of these gorgeous signs, and i thought, like, this is what the top of the wave feels like for me. and i thought, it can't get better. and i decided that this is -- this is the right time for me to kind of move on and then i thought about, obviously, i had my kiddos late in life, and i was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that i have. i feel like we only have a finite amount of time.

and so with all of that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world, because i just -- just today i was looking at my phone and all of you guys are holding my kids. and i was like, oh, my gosh, i kept looking at them. all the pictures. but anyway, i'm not -- i'm going to be here through the first of the year and stay in the nbc family, but it's kind of a big deal for me, so. sorry. i wasn't -- i seriously -- i've been practicing so i wouldn't cry, but, anyway, i did. >> there's no way there wasn't going to be tears. >> hoda. we love you so much. and when you look around and see these tears, they're love. you are so loved. and honestly, i don't think any one of us can imagine -- we don't want to imagine that place without you. so it's complicated, because we love you so much and we don't want you to ever go. but also, i just want to say, i

am so proud of my friend. you have guts. for someone to leave at the top of their game, to leave something that's wonderful, that you love. >> i do love. >> where it's easy and comfortable and beautiful and fun. but saying, i dream even bigger for myself. the great unknown. you have so much guts. you inspire me. i love you. >> i love you too. >> and it's not over. because i'm going to be showing up at your house, like, the stalker you are. i'll be there on your doorstep. and we are your friends. >> forever. >> forever. >> y'all, this means so much to me. i don't know what to say except for you don't leave family. so, i'm going to be haunting you in your lives for a long, long time. >> and i think the one thing that people know for sure about this group is we are family. and i'm telling you, hoda has a relationship with every single

person on this couch in her own way. so i think we're all kind of wrestling with it inside, but we also know what a dynamic mom you are and presence you are and your whole movement with wellness, you are going to change the world. and we know it. >> kill it. >> we know it. >> you are the best. >> so we're still here. >> i have never known anyone like you. i've known for forever. >> i know. i remember when i had -- when i got sick, i remember the first person who walked into my hospital room was you. walked into your hospital room was her. >> and never left. actually became a doctor. >> and i do want to say because my favorite part of us is us. but my other favorite part of this place, i'm looking at everybody, joseph and davey and everybody and megan, everybody who is here in the studio and holly and i see marion and everybody. matt. and so, it's a lot. and also, i was just thinking about all those guys outside. that's our favorite part of the day. >> yeah.

>> it's like, so any way. i'm going to get a lot of hugs and you're going to think i'm totally weird for the last several months but i'm going to get my fill. >> people have to know. she's not leaving the nbc family. she's not. she'll always be here and be a part of us. and you will see her. and we will see her, right? >> yes. yes. >> you told me that, right? >> say it outloud. >> i am part of the nbc family, for sure. >> now we can hold on to it. >> that little red light when it goes off, they're different people, you know. we've worked with all of those people before. you're the opposite. when that little red light goes off, you are exactly like people see you in the morning. just the biggest heart. and it's -- you've been the heart of the show for a long time. there's no replacing that. >> you are our sunshine. you are. >> and a north star. >> we love you. >> i love you, guys, too. >> we love you enough to let you go shine and run after your

dreams and go find this next chapter. >> look after those babies. >> we frankly can't wait to see what you do. >> yeah. >> i love you. >> we'll be here waiting for you. >> all right. we're back after your local news.

if it's gorgeous you want... look for the grit. because it's the pros who are out there...

pulling together dozens of projects a year. and they know where remarkable is always in stock. at floor & decor. ♪ and it's getting kind of hard ♪ >> we're back! we are back! it is 8:30.

face-to-face with a happy crowd on the plaza. and if you listen closely, you can hear one of hoda's favorite songs. >> it's coming. >> tomorrow, we're going to have an amazing concert here on the plaza. ten-time grammy winner, chris stapleton is going to grace us with that incredible voice. chris stapleton live tomorrow on the plaza. should be a heck of a time. >> over to you, hoda. by the way, i just had a >> can we give a round of applause to hoda? [ applause ] >> you are so loved. so loved. >> thank you, guys. thanks for coming today. in the meantime, imagine this. a classroom where every student gets a personalized lesson plan. the catch is, you do not get a teacher. we're going to take you to a school that's focused on learning with artificial intelligence. and it does seem to be working,

some say. gadsy schwartz will show a firsthand look on how. also ahead, who's hungry? and who needs a drink? anyone need a drink? >> okay, here's my lash. >> one of my -- >> she's holding her lash. >> "today" loves football. >> eww! wait, i seriously -- wait -- this is sisterhood, when the other one holds the other's lash. that is disgusting! please take that -- >> it's not gis gusting. >> yes, it is. >> now you're going to -- >> but first, it is your last chance to take part in our start "today" virtual event. it's coming up tonight. and it's all about how to meal plan. we're trying to make your lives a little easier. you can join online and learn how to make budget-friendly meals for yourself or your entire family. to purchase a ticket, scan that qr code on the screen or head to today.com/starttoday. >> all right. mr. roker? >> i wasn't sure where you were going. >> you got nothing. we got nothing. >> do you want to hold a lash while you that? >> i don't want to hold a lash.

that's okay. we have nice folks here from society for human resource management. our good buddy johnny taylor comes in and talks with us on the third hour. good to see all of these folks here. meantime, look at your weekend. see what we got. flooding likely, mid-mississippi ohio river valleys into the southeastern atlantic. record heat out west on friday. midwest warmth. then on saturday, sunny and cool in the northeast, mid-atlantic. records continue out west. sunday, sunday, we're looking at a beautiful day in the northeast, unsettled in the upper ohio river valley and out west, warm-to-sizzling in the southwest. that's what's going on around good thursday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. today it will be a little bit warmer than it was yesterday. and we are starting on a warming trend once again. it will be in the upper 80s for parts of the east bay, as well as for the far north bay and 95 for some of those warmer spots in the inland valleys, and it will still be a

warmer than normal weekend with highs near 90 degrees. but then it gets hotter again with temperatures peaking on tuesday. fo weather. >> all right. dylan is on the road. she's in nashville. she's getting a special honor. she's presenting at tonight's people's choice country awards. dylan, we're so proud of you. hi, honey. >> hey, guys! i am presenting on stage at the grand ole opry. i have been a country music fan since i was a little girl, so this is just -- this is just wild! shania twain is hosting the event, and what's really cool about the people's choice country awards is that it's just that, it's the people's choice. all of the winners tonight were chosen by the fans. so let's take a look at who's in the lead. we've got zach brian with a whopping 19 nominations. beyonce, off the success of

"cowboy carter," she has 17 nominations, and kacey musgraves has 50 nominations. we are just going to see so much activity on the stage tonight. and i get to present lady a's performance alongside scotty mccreery, who actually just become a member of the opry this year. it's going to be a wild night. >> yeah, it is! can't wait! >> so excited for you. >> she'll have more in the third hour. >> you look beautiful. have so much fun! >> have the best time, dylan! >> you'll be amazing. >> that would be a pinch-me moment. >> it is, for sure. you can catch the "people's choice country awards" tonight 8/7 central here on nbc and also streaming on peacock. up next, a pioneering new approach to learning. gadi schwartz will share his visit to a school where artificial intelligence is re-shaping the classroom experience. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

welcome back. this morning on ai revolution, a school in texas that's revolutionizing the way students learn by going all-in on artificial intelligence. >> its leaders are using the technology to educate students without the help of a traditional teacher. hey, gadi. >> reporter: hey, guys, good morning. a school with no homework, no teachers, and just two hours of instructional time. sounds like a student's fantasy, right? well, this one school in austin says it is possible if you leave all the teaching to an ai tutor. and you might be surprised by the results. >> reporter: this probably isn't what comes to mind when you think of an average school day. kids breathing fire, climbing a rock wall, and even learning the art of grilling. but for students at the alpha

school in austin, texas, this is no field day. here, k-12th graders are proudly cutting classes, spending just two hours a day learning math, science, reading, and writing, all with the help of an ai tutor and without a single teacher. >> morning launch time. >> reporter: mackenzie price is the cofounder of alpha school and its two-hour learning program. >> this is a school without teachers. >> we have no teachers at our schools. can you believe that? >> the educators are a suite of ai-powered apps that gamify lessons, monitor progress, and with the help of eye tracking, keep tabs on students' attention span. >> who's teaching you? >> i think the app is teaching me, but i'm also teaching myself. >> reporter: all as adult guides, many of which have never been teachers, look on without interfering with their robot counterparts. >> are you comfortable having guides in the classroom that don't necessarily know the core curriculum? >> it's okay that our guides aren't experts in physics or

math or whatever they're doing. they're experts in their students. >> it almost sounds like the guides here are told, you're here to lead the kids to ai. >> our guides are not allowed to teach. they are coaching students to become self-driven learners. >> reporter: price says that the ai tutor personalizes lessons for each student, allowing them to learn class material in half the time, and according to data from alpha, score in the 90th percentile on standardized tests in most grade levels. >> this one's a little unusual. >> reporter: it all comes as students nationwide grapple with ai's role. while some critics say it's too soon to know if the tech having a positive effect in classrooms, one study found that generative ai tutors can inhibit learning if students become too reliant on the tool. >> how do you make sure that the ai is teaching kids is doing what it's supposed to be doing? >> we have a lot of guardrails in place to make sure that kids are not dealing with some of the issues that come with what we hear about with ai.

>> reporter: still, at alpha, where tuition costs $40,000 a year, academics are just the beginning. >> this is called our check chart. >> reporter: each student must complete a long list of tasks before they can level up, including things like run a mile without stopping, solve a rubik's cube, and even -- >> independently put together a piece of ikea furniture. >> reporter: all in an effort to teach life skills and promote passion projects. >> welcome to the alpha school airbnb. >> reporter: like this group of sixth graders who are running a real airbnb. >> how old are you? >> i'm 11. >> you're 11. >> yeah. >> and how much money did you guys make with this airbnb? >> we have $10,000 of confirmed bookings. >> reporter: over at alpha high school -- >> you made an app. >> i developed an app. >> reporter: 16-year-olds elle and sloan are getting ready to pitch an ai-enabled app that gives dating advice. >> i want to ask my crush out to prom in front of all of her friends. is that a good idea? >> it really depends on her personality.

>> so you've been learning from ai, and now you're building your own ai? >> yes. >> reporter: a full-circle experience putting these ai academics in a class of their own. yeah, a lot to take in there. and as a parent, i was a little sketched out seeing those little kids locked into their laptops with their headphones on. we used to have sustained silent reading back in the day. this is way beyond that, these are gamified interactive apps, so the kids are given full attention and price says they only do that for two hours a day. they break those up into the 20-minute intervals. the rest is spent in the workshops, collaborating with others, learning life skills, doing workshops. on the day we visited, some of the high school students were going through this rejection workshop, where they would pitch strangers on the street their passion projects. ai, not so great at teaching how to get rejected, but something we humans are still pretty good at. i guess. >> fair. >> we are. >> all right, gadi. >> thank you, gadi. >> we've got to figure out how to strike a balance.

>> i was just going to say, and we need to figure it out, guys. i feel like we talk about it everyday. >> you can't freak out about technology, but don't have to give ourselves over to it, either. yay, humans! elizabeth haskell is here with the ultimate game day menu for sunday night's battle between the ravens and the bills. and wait until you see the creative twist she's put on the beloved buer. burgt

♪ all right. we're back. "today" food loves football, ahead of a big sunday night game right here on nbc. the buffalo bills taking on the baltimore ravens. a matchup you do not want to miss. here with some small bites for that big matchup, our friend, elizabeth haskell, who picked a heck of a morning to pop into studio 1a. >> and now we'll just go to buffalo chicken bites. tough act to follow. >> the ladies have their rose, we have our beer. what are we starting with? >> let's talk about this.

as far as i'm concerned, tailgate recipes, you have to be able to hold it in one hand, hold a drink in the other, and still have a conversation. and these fit that bill. this is a buffalo chicken bite. i'm telling you, the dip on its own is amazing. so i have cream cheese, i've got some ranch, a little bit of ranch dressing. we've got our hot sauce. our buffalo sauce. green onions. and then we've got cheddar cheese. we have monterrey jack cheese. and our chicken, okay? >> a little pepper. >> a little pepper. a little garlic powder. now, we're going to heat this up, mix it up, and that's it for this, okay? >> that's it. >> just get it all nice and melty and good, and here we go. and then, this is something that people have been doing forever, and i've never tried it. it's a long time coming. you can buy these up at the grocery store, any grocery store. lord, i can get them at the pigly wiggly down in mississippi which means you can get them

anywhere. >> do you remember wynn dixie? >> we know wynn dixey. >> and pigly wiggly. >> put it in the wonton cup and we'll bake them. >> you've got that drink in one hand, your buffalo chicken bite. >> aren't they good? >> they really are! >> we want to bake these until they're super crisp. >> about 15 minutes. >> or if you want to make a big casserole of it, serve it casserole of it, serve it with your chips. >> so this is a fun little thing. so one of my favorite recipes in my book is a pimento cheese tator tot burger. so we tuck the tater tots under the bun on top of the pimento cheese. this is a riff on this, miniature style. what i did, this is a good hack. we'll go ahead and layer this into our pan. we have our hamburger meat,

exactly. and now watch. i'm going to cut it into little squares. tater tot size. who doesn't love a tater tot is what i want to know. >> everyone loves a tater tot. >> you want this skillet hot. al, how hot do we want it? >> hotter than the hinges of hell. >> there we go. >> so there we go. you want to cook this on both sides. make sure they taste really good. here we go. our burgers are cooked. bring them over here. now we'll assemble. listen, you can make this whatever you want. i did a little buffalo sauce, which is fantastic. same thing. ranch and a little bit more of the buffalo. >> okay. >> put that on. i hov a little blue cheese. but you could do pimento cheese, american, whatever you want. >> whatever your heart desires. >> look at these sweet picks that katie found for me. >> those are cute. >> now that is darling. >> one bite. still got your -- where is my beer. you got your beer in your hand. hold my beer.

and then you can have your little bite and that's it. >> elizabeth, that's good. >> and this way you get this done ahead of time. that way you're going to get to enjoy the game. you're not going to be in the kitchen sweating while everybody else is having fun. >> so good. >> who do you like the ravens or bills? >> i like the ole miss rebels. i'm just kidding. the bills are going to do its. that quarterback, he is a doll. >> josh allen? >> oh, he is a cute -- don't y'all think he's darling? he is hotter than the hinges of hell. >> also pretty good quarterback as well. elizabeth, thank you. >> oh my gosh, thank you y'all. >> find her recipes today.com/food. be sure to check out that really handsome quarterback on sunday night, the bills, the ravens. you have a noise -- that's the raven? >> no, no, it's a buffalo. no, it's a buffalo. >> the buffalo? >> we're back in a moment.

♪ we're just eating our feelings. >> and drinking them. >> can you do the birthdays? >> all right. first up, happy 100th birthday to miss martha devaughn of moorestown, new jersey. an educator and mom to three sons, loves sunday dinners and puzzles. betty birchbaum is 100 and can't go a day without eating sweet potatoes. happy 100th birthday to ford worthy of raleigh, north carolina. his secret to longevity, he can connect with anyone. happy 101th birthday to george james murphy, a world war ii vet from sonoma, california, who loves to fish, nap, and spend time with family. i want to ask him which is his favorite. we salute you for your service. alice abendroth is 100. she enjoys gardening, volunteering. and happy 100th birthday to

barbara condon of marshfield, massachusetts. her secret to longevity, never stop moving. and i love this lady, a miller lite draft. there you go. i'll drink to that. love that. >> not too late for you to change your mind. we could just say it was a joke. >> is it april 1st. >> cheers! love, y'all. love you all so much. >> we love you so much. >> come on, girl. love you, too. >> much celebration to come. >> indeed. >> just ahead in a few moments, on the third hour, the stars of that new netflix series that everyone is talking about on the menendez brothers, they'll be here, including oscar-winner javier bardem. and later on the fourth hour, we're catching up with the real housewives of new york city, see what's happening at 10. but first, your local news and weather. and thank you. thank you.

good morning. it's 856. i'm ginger conejero saab. firefighters don't yet know what caused an early morning fire. at the site of a now closed seafood restaurant in downtown san jose. it happened on second street and san salvador. no one was injured. today will no doubt be an emotional one for oakland a's fans. the last home game at the coliseum begins a little after 12:30 p.m. that's just after lunch. fans last night lined up by the field following the game. that's where a groundskeeper filled bottles and bags with dirt for keepsakes. today, police are planning a large presence come game time. our bob redell is at the coliseum and have a live report at midday. you can also head to our

the city hall insiders have a formula: grow the system, exploit the system. take mark farrell's record. after receiving the largest ethics fine in city history for breaking campaign laws. mark authorized a commission almost every year he was in office. he was even caught taking donations from people he would then appoint to commissions, including a felon convicted of bribery. san francisco's challenges demand urgency, not more of the same failed insiders.

this morning on the third hour of "today," bracing for impact. hurricane helene gaining strength, barreling toward the coast