of the north bay, we're starting out with some showers, patchy fog elsewhere. and as we go throughout the day, a mix of sun and clouds, highs only in the low 60s. and we'll see a lot of dry weather. but every now and then some spotty sprinkles. and we talked about the traffic alert ongoing for eastbound 80 through fairfield. but southbound 680. that alert cleared in good recovery for the tri-valley. the south bay commute is building now. well, the today show just moments away, but for more local news, stay with today in the bay. we stream on roku, pluto and other platforms. live at 8:00 a new announcement from the warriors who want to stick around for that. no, you're not joining the team? not yet. not yet. all right, give me another year. stand by. folks. got to work on some things. all right, look, that's what's happening here on today in the bay. today's show coming up next, we'll be back here with a hi there. good thursday morning.

president-elect trump already causing a stir in the nation's capital. >> courting controversy with his choices for some of the biggest roles in government. it's november the 14th. this is "today." polarizing picks -- president-elect trump taps florida congressman matt gaetz for attorney general, his most controversial pick yet. reaction pouring in from both sides of the aisle. >> this feels like a red alert moment for democracy. >> the president's entitled to have the people that they wants in key positions. >> while his choice for the nation's top intelligence job also creating waves in washington. just ahead, the confirmation battles ahead and an inside look at trump's oval office one-on-one with president biden. on alert -- heightened security in paris ahead of today's soccer match between france and israel amid a wave of anti-semitic attacks across europe. we're there live. growing outbreak -- e. coli cases linked to mcdonald's

quarter pounders now nearly doubling, detected in at least 14 states. just ahead, the new message from health officials and the fast food giant. trouble in the tropics -- a new system brewing in the caribbean expected to become a tropical storm today, where it's heading and the potential threat it could pose to the u.s. mainland. safety check -- those nasa astronauts stranded in space for six months and counting speaking out to address concerns about their health. >> i think there's some rumors around outside there that i'm losing weight. >> what they want you to know about how they're doing. all that, plus, back on the slopes. olympic legend lindsey vonn. >> lindsey vonn into the lead by more than a half second. >> revealing this morning she is coming out of retirement and rejoining the u.s. ski team. so is she eyeing a historic olympic return?

we'll hear from her. and "wicked" awesome. >> hello! >> ariana grande and cynthia erivo casting their spells on our special screening of the highly anticipated movie before opening up about its impact on their lives. >> this has been such a long journey for both of us. just a huge dream come true. >> we needed these roles more than they needed us in certain ways. >> inside their magical roles and friendship as we count down to the movie event of the year. "today" thursday, november 14, 2024. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning. good to see you. welcome to "today." we're happy you're with us on this thursday morning. we've been waiting for this movie to come out. we got that sneak peek. >> i still have chills --

chills. we talked to cynthia and ariana after a private screening with our "today" show staff. we surprised them when cynthia and ariana walked out -- >> this is awesome. >> this is "today" show staff. they cannot believe their eyes. we have seen this movie. we have been changed for good. >> yes, for good. >> we'll tell you all about it. meantime, we are keeping our eye on what could be a major november storm. this system is expected to become tropical storm sara later today, could be headed for the gulf in the coming days. the full forecast in just a bit. we do start with the trump transition and some good news for the president-elect. nbc news now projecting republicans will maintain control of the house, holding on to a narrow majority. >> that news came as trump met with president biden at the white house yesterday. this was his first trip back to the white house since leaving in 2021. >> his controversial cabinet picks making the most headlines

this morning, including florida congressman matt gaetz for attorney general. now if confirmed, he would run the agency that investigated him for sex trafficking, a case ultimately closed last year without charges, and gaetz denies any wrongdoing. we have it covered and will start with our legal correspondent. laura jarrett. laura, good morning. >> hoda and savannah, good morning. of all the president-elect's choices so far, this one landing like a grenade. gaetz, a well-known combative defender of mr. trump, an attorney by training, but one with no experience as a government prosecutor or a judge, now tapped to lead the nation's premiere law enforcement agency, the very same one he lambasted for years, all setting up a rocky path to his confirmation. this morning questions swirling over whether republican congressman matt gaetz, one of capitol hill's most vocal critics of the justice department, can get confirmed to lead it. >> i don't think it's a serious nomination for the attorney general. >> praised by the president-elect as a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney,

writing, gaetz will, quote, rout the injustice as trump has faced multiple investigations, even musing at one point prosecutors should be thrown in jail and saying this when asked if he would use the justice system to go after perceived political enemies. >> look, when this election is over, based on what they've done, i would have every right to go after them. >> gaetz often serving as an attack dog for mr. trump. >> it will do great damage well beyond our time in public service. we either get this government , abolis back or we defund and get rid of, abolish the fbi, cdc, atf, doj -- every last one of them if they do not come to heel. >> and saying this back in 2020. >> maybe i should serve as attorney general of the united states.

if necessary, i'd fire every little [ bleep ] kicker at the j. edgar hoover building. >> reporter: reaction to the nomination scathing. multiple current and former senior officials left speechless, calling it insane, unbelievable, and one saying he is the least qualified person ever nominated for a position in the department of justice. some officials raising concerns about the would-be top lawyer for the country having been the subject of a years long federal investigation for alleged sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. the prosecutors ultimately closed the case without charges and gaetz consistently maintained his innocence. >> i have not had a relationship with a 17-year-old. that is totally false. >> reporter: a bipartisan investigation into his conduct by the house ethics committee had been ongoing, though gaetz's speedy resignation from congress yesterday means that investigation comes to an immediate halt. gaetz, frequently clashing with members of his own party, leading a successful charge to

oust house speaker kevin mccarthy. >> i would hope there wouldn't be another matt gaetz in the republican party. at the end of the day, he probably shouldn't be on the streets. >> laura, this is provocative. and, look, we're used to president-elect trump doing things that are provocative, but this is something that republicans and democrats are openly aghast at. >> the concerns and criticisms of him are bipartisan. they cross party lines, many pointing to this morning the fact that the house ethics committee was set to vote actually on releasing the findings from that report this friday, and so many are questioning the timing of the fact that he resigned just yesterday -- >> because he hasn't been confirmed yet, so to resign a few hours later -- >> it takes jurisdiction away from it. "the washington post" saying the findings were to come out and now they may not come out at all. the senate, the judiciary committee will be part of this confirmation process, should be able to get the underlying findings from that report. >> there's a lot of reporting out there that president-elect

trump, if he chose to, could adjourn congress by virtue of an obscure constitutional provision and get them out of it. >> we're in uncharted territory and that is certainly on the table. >> laura, thank you. that pick isn't the only one under the microscope after the president-elect and president biden met one-on-one in the oval office. nbc's chief white house correspondent peter alexander joins us with more. good morning. >> reporter: the white house described that meeting as cordial and substantive. even before trump landed back in florida he rolled out more of those polarizing picks, perhaps testing the limits of his power here, including tulsi gabbard, he selected as director of national intelligence, to oversee the entire intelligence community that trump has long viewed as one of his greatest adversaries within government. ♪ god bless america ♪ >> reporter: president-elect trump returning to mar-a-lago singing "god bless america" with

billionaire elon musk at his side. his new choice for national intelligence is already facing scrutiny. tulsi gabbard, a military veteran, who was once a democratic congresswoman and trump critic. >> it's important that our commander in chief have a military mind-set. that military mind-set doesn't mean you walk around looking tough, making idle threats. >> reporter: gabbard has since endorsed trump and changed parties. in the role, she would be privy to the nation's most closely guarded secrets and be the president's main adviser on intelligence matters. gabbard questioned many of the intelligence community. she secretly met with bashar al assad in 2017, blamed the u.s. and nato for russia's invasion of ukraine in 2022 and shared russian claims about ukraine that have been discredited by lawmakers.

democratic congresswoman abigail spanberger, a former cia officer, writing, not only is she ill-prepared and unqualified, but she traffics in conspiracy theories and cozies up to dictators like bashar al assad and vladimir putin. all of it after the president-elect capped his comeback at the white house at the invitation of president biden. biden vowing a smooth transition. >> we can make sure you're accommodated with what you need. we're going to get a chance to talk about some of that today. welcome. >> thank you. >> politics is tough and in many cases it's not a very nice world but it is a nice world today, and i appreciate it very much, a transition that's so smooth, it'll be as smooth as it can get. >> reporter: trump telling "the new york post" he and biden discussed the ware in ukraine and the conflict in the middle east adding, i wanted to know his views on where we are and what he thinks. >> peter, this comes as republicans in the senate just elected their new leader, john

thune. we talked about how important the senate is right now in terms of its role to advise and consent and say yes or no to trump nominations. what does this all mean? >> reporter: it's a good question, savannah. south dakota senator john thune will be the new leader since mitch mcconnell held that position for nearly two decades. thune beat out texas senator john cornyn and florida senator rick scott, viewed as the maga favorite. thune even rejected trump's false election claims in 2020 but notably has worked to build his relationship with the president-elect. just this week he appeared open to trump's demand the senate make, what he called, recess appointments for some cabinet picks that would avoid a senate vote on some of them entirely. for the conversation we've been having, trump's latest polarizing picture will put it on thune and senate republicans to make sure those choices, who some republicans have expressed

serious doubts about, go a step too far. savannah? >> peter alexander at the white house, thank you. meantime, security is being increased around paris for today's soccer match between france and israel. authorities on high alert in the wake of last week's outbreak of anti-semitic violence against israeli soccer fans in amsterdam. nbc's kelly cobiella is there with the very latest. kelly, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning to you. the french president, manuel macron, is set to attend this match in a show of solidarity along with some 20,000 fans. this morning the paris police chief calling this game high risk. this morning paris is on high alert between the face-off of the soccer teams. tensions soaring after violence around a soccer game in amsterdam last week and anti-semitic attacks in the days after. before that game, footage showed israeli fans attacking people, chanting anti-arab slogans, and

tearing a palestinian flag. later, groups of rioters seeking out and attacking israelis throughout the city. and over the weekend, a masked mob attacking a tram. nearly 300 were arrested in the dutch capital last night, many for ignoring police orders to disperse. in paris, 4,000 french police officers will be deployed around the national stadium and across the city. >> at the moment everything is fine. we are feeling safe. >> reporter: overnight pro-palestinian and left-wing jewish groups took to the streets in largely peaceful protests. >> there's no other way than peace. >> reporter: some calling for a ceasefire deal as a new video was released of an israeli hostage held in gaza. pleading with israelis not to forget the hostages. president biden meeting with the families of american hostages yesterday and discussing their plight in his meeting with president-elect trump. seven american citizens are

still held in gaza. >> we have asked the president and his senior staff as well as the incoming administration to begin work immediately together, arm in arm. >> reporter: back here in paris, a pro-palestinian group announced this morning they want to hold a demonstration, a protest, against this game later today. the paris police chief said it will go ahead but the demonstrators will be kept away from the neighborhoods around the stadium, adding that there is no specific threat against this game tonight. hoda? >> kelly cobiella for us in paris, thanks. much more to cover. we welcome in craig. >> good morning. good morning to you as well. we're following an update from the cdc on that e. coli outbreak linked to onions served on those mcdonald's popular quarterpounders. the number of people who have gotten sick nearly doubling now. nbc's senior business correspondent christine romans is here with details. good morning. >> reporter: fewer than 50 cases

of e. coli were first reported, remember, back in october. now that number has shot up to more than 100, 104 nationwide, including one death now in colorado. weeks later many of the victims of the outbreak are still dealing with the aftermath. this morning mcdonald's dealing with ongoing fallout from that deadly e. coli outbreak. the cdc releasing new details on the rising number of cases tied to the iconic fast food chain, saying a total of 104 customers have now been sickened across 14 states. 34 have been hospitalized, four developed serious kidney issues. one person has died. the agency citing the company's fresh slivered onions as the source of the outbreak. mcdonald's stopped selling the quarterpounder in affected states but it is now back on the menu. in montana alone, 19 people have suffered from the illness. one billings woman sued the company after contracting the disease. according to court documents, she suffered abdominal pain,

nausea and a loss of appetite. mcdonald's is not commenting on the ongoing lawsuit but telling nbc news, hearing reports like this is devastating to us. we know that people and families have been significantly impacted, and the well-being of our customers is deeply important to us. attorney bill marler is representing that case as well as 23 other families nationwide that were sickened. >> nobody would wish this on their worst enemy. this is a serious outbreak. >> reporter: one of his youngest clients, 1-year-old logan west. >> she started having diarrhea and vomiting and just really not feeling well. it was really scary. >> reporter: nicole west says her daughter, who has a pre-existing medical condition, was hospitalized after just a few bites of her dad's quarterpounder, made the playful toddler lethargic and unrecognizable. >> you kind of put like a blind trust in these restaurants that the food they provide you will be of quality and not make you sick. it can go from just a little minor thing to being very serious very fast.

>> reporter: nicole west says her husband was also sickened from the burger. thankfully they are doing better. the cdc says it's likely many more were sickened but it doesn't appear to be a food safety concern anymore in mcdonald's restaurants. they're doing the math, tracing all these cases. the agency said some people may have eaten the tainted food at airports and traveled to other states before their illness started, so there's 14 states where there have been illnesses, some probably got it in one state and traveled home. >> keep us posted. this extreme weather hitting both sides of the country, the northeast as dry as it has been in 120 years. numerous wildfires continue to burn across the region. new jersey issued a drought warning yesterday. the governor there asking residents to take steps to conserve water. in the meantime, out west in california a powerful dust storm causing a huge pile-up on a highway north of fresno, about

20 cars involved. several people taken to the hospital with minor injuries though. meantime, late trouble brewing in the tropics this morning. "weekend today's" angie lassman is in for al. welcome. good to be with you. we do have rain people think might help us with that fire weather. this will focus in the gulf states down to the coast. it moves farther to the east. the mid-atlantic, you'll see help with that drought but, unfortunately, new york to boston, you just don't get that rain. it's going to stay dry. we see another system spin on in leaving some rain across parts of new england. this is going to increase those rains. this is going to be problematic as we get into tomorrow where we see the fire weather ramp up. we'll see the low relative humidity in place, increasing winds. if you live from boston to bridgeport and down to philadelphia this is something you're going to have to contend with. unfortunately, no rain in the long term sight either. that's a look at the weather across the country. we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds.

theme pak our universe will never be the same mia? oh, youve got to see this epic universe, only at universal orlando resort and that's a look at your forecast. guys? >> all right, angie. thank you so much. coming up, those two

astronauts stuck in space since june are speaking out and addressing concerns about their health. emilie ikeda is following that story. >> good morning to you. a weeklong mission, now months long, for those two astronauts aboard the problem plagued starliner. nasa trying to shut down rumors their health could be in jeopardy. coming up, an update from the international space station. >> emilie, thank you. ahead, huge news from skiing legend lindsey vonn this morning announcing her return to the slopes five years after retiring. could we see her at the olympics once again? what lindsey is saying.

we have a wicked good surprise. >> we got our staff together for a special screening. and then the stars stopped by, shocked our audience and "today" show staffers. we had a great interview. lots of news in there. after your local news.

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a look at our top stories, including the san mateo county sheriff fighting to keep her job. i'm bob redell, the san mateo county board of supervisors is officially calling on the san mateo county sheriff to resign over an alleged racist and homophobic culture in her department. the board also accuses sheriff christina corpus of being in a romantic relationship with her chief of staff, who the board was going to fire until the sheriff walked into the board meeting last night and made a surprise announcement to promote him to assistant sheriff. the sheriff says that this inquiry into her was politically motivated, one sided and filled with lies. students in the bay area and elsewhere this morning are marking a key moment in the civil rights movement. today is ruby bridges walk to school day. on this day in 1960, six year old ruby bridges was the first african american student to desegregate her all white new

orleans school. federal marshals had to escort her as she faced an angry and racist white mob walking into the school for the first time. a group of fifth grade students in south san francisco actually started the commemoration event back in 2017. nice to see it continue. hopefully it will be warm enough for those kids out there. yeah, they do need to bundle up. and you also need to be extra careful around those school zones. slow it down this morning and we are going to see some spotty showers, mainly in the north bay. king tides coming back. that means those higher than normal tides and chilly mornings ahead. laura. thank you. kari. and don't forget to join us for our today in the bay live streaming newscast at 8 a.m. in response to covid and crime, we'll talk with the leader of a group now working to help women and morityin

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like christmas ♪ 7:30. isn't that pretty? >> yeah, it is. the rockefeller plaza christmas tree getting ready for the big lighting coming up on wednesday, december 4, we put a ring on it. >> yeah, we did. >> it's a big one, too. >> we look forward to that. >> what did you call it, a glow-up? >> she's in the scaffolding middle school awkward phase. we have a busy half hour ahead. the story we've been following for months, those two nasa astronauts who have been stuck for more than 150 days and counting on the international space station. >> there are concerns about their health that are being raised now and nasa and those astronauts are now speaking out to address those concerns. nbc's emilie ikeda here with more on this. >> reporter: good morning to you. ever since us earthlings learned the two astronauts' mission to space would last much longer interest in their well-being. suni williams and butch wilmore

are speaking out to reassure the public they're doing just fine. this morning nasa, trying to put an end to concerns over the health of two astronauts stranded in space now more than 150 days longer than planned. >> i think there are some rumors around outside there that i'm losing weight and stuff. >> reporter: recent images of suni williams and butch wilmore prompting questions about possible weight loss and the status of their health, but williams saying this week she weighs the same as she did at launch. explaining how zero gravity can impact their appearance in space. >> i think things shift around quite a bit. you probably heard of a fluid shift where folks in space, their heads look a little bit bigger because the fluid evens out along the body. >> reporter: nasa's chief medical officer says crew health is monitored by dedicated flight surgeons on earth, and they have an individual diet and fitness regime to ensure they remain healthy. >> i'm going to get on our treadmill here.

>> reporter: that includes running, biking and lifting. wilmore, a former football star for tennessee tech, telling his alma mater -- >> we work out two and a half hours every day, every single day. it's great to stay in shape. >> reporter: a former astronaut mike massimino says exercise in space is important to make up for the lack of physical stress on the body while experiencing weightlessness. >> floating from one space to the other and there's no load, that we would call forces, on your body or your muscles or bone, and we need that stuff to remain healthy. especially when you come back to earth. >> reporter: williams and wilmore's return to earth has been significantly delayed after helium leaks and thruster issues emerged on boeing's starliner back in june. they were only expected to stay in space for roughly a week, but now will fly home in a different capsule with a spacex crew nine mission in february. this morning the space agency reassuring its astronauts onboard the international space

station right now are in good health. >> i mean, the whole thing is just so wild. they have a few months to go. i guess they're coming back in february. what will they be doing between now and then? >> there's a difference between a few weeks to a matter of months. these are experienced astronauts, between the two of them they have already been in space for a combined number of more than 500 days. right now nasa says they're doing a whole host of things, including analyzing that problem plagued starliner, keeping up maintenance on the international space station and doing research, the impact of being in weightlessness and zero gravity on the body which is pretty interesting. >> keep us posted. >> thank you. still ahead this morning, a thursday morning treat. grammy-winning superstar gwen stefani will perform live in our studio. here is a question, is lindsey vonn eyeing a comeback? stephanie gosk with news out this morning from the legendary skier herself. that's coming up right after this.

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new york times" she wants to race again, even setting her sights on global competition, and she's been testing out a knee replacement on the slopes since this summer. while it's not a done deal, and she has a long way to go, the goal, she says, is to compete again. five years after retiring from the sport that made her a household name and taken by surprise with the strength of a new knee, 40-year-old skiing legend lindsey vonn says she wants to race again and will start training with the u.s. ski team on friday. >> come on! >> reporter: the three-time olympic medalist tells "the new york times" she has logged 15 days of on snow race training in europe and new zealand since august, telling the paper, i'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself because i have quite a few hoops to jump through. adding, obviously i wouldn't be doing this if i didn't hope to be racing. i have aspirations. i love to go fast. how fast can i go? i don't know. my goal, she says, is to enjoy

this, and hopefully that road takes me to world cup races. the last time the world saw vonn ski in the winter olympics was back in 2018 when she won bronze in the women's downhill, becoming the oldest female olympic medalist in alpine skiing at the age of 33. despite that incredible achievement, vonn telling "today" she saw the writing on the wall. >> i don't want this to be my last olympics, but i don't think my body will be able to hold up for very much longer. >> reporter: a year later one of the most decorated female skiers of all time retired after the 2019 world championships, citing extensive injuries, writing on instagram, my body is broken beyond repair and it isn't letting me have the final season i dreamed of and telling hoda -- >> it's been my whole life since i was 2 1/2. you know, i hope that i've done something in my career that's more meaningful than 82 wins, and i hope that the mountains remember me. >> reporter: vonn's road back to the slopes hasn't been easy.

opening up in her 2022 autobiography "rise: my story." >> i've had my struggles. obviously i've crashed many times in my career. i've come back from many, many injuries, but i also had personal struggles. >> reporter: along with the death of her mother in 2022 from als. >> she was always incredibly positive, and i try to have that same outlook and approach to life. >> reporter: that positive attitude and resilience on display in recent years, showing her hard work on social media to get back in the game. >> push! up, up, up, come on, go! >> reporter: vonn back on the mountain in august posting, so excited to ski again. >> you never, ever count lindsey vonn out. so what has she been up to over the last couple of years? >> you may remember she carried the torch for the paris games. she was inducted in the colorado winter sports hall of fame, and she is on the board for the 2034 winter games in salt lake city. but she's obviously been dedicated to this comeback.

>> she is such a hard worker. competition is in her veins. if anyone can do it -- >> it's lindsey. >> that girl. >> let's go, lindsey! let's go! let's get another check of the weather. angie lassman is in for al. hurricane season far from over. just a reminder here as we look at this next system that's brewing in parts of the caribbean, tropical depression 19 with winds 35 miles per hour. it's going to interact with central america. it is moving west right now at 15 miles per hour, so no surprise that we have these tropical warnings up for areas there. we'll see heavy rain, some landslides possible with interactions across that area here as we get into the next couple of days. we have a couple things we're going to note that will make a difference with how this plays out for the united states potentially down the line. let's take a look at some of those options or scenarios, we should call them a. potential the system interacts more with land, so if it takes a farther western track, that means that it is kept from strengthening. if it works farther to the east

and spends more time over these really warm caribbean waters, that means we could potentially be watching this interact with the gulf coast as we get through the next couple of days. it will have time to strengthen. we still have a lot of uncertainty with this system, but it will be something we will and that's a look at your forecast. guys, back to you. >> angie, thank you. hoda has her morning boost on the way, plus a couple of movie stars right here, oh, right behind us, donna kelce and jenna

bush hager in her first role, the exclusive debut of the long-awaited trailer "a chiefs love story." there they are. >> "wicked" who? right after this. ersonal. there are stories of strength. every day is different, not one day is the same. hard work. it's not about being afraid of the disease, it's about learning how to overcome it. and heartbreak. when she passed away, it was because of diabetes. but no matter your diabetes story, we fight for you and to find a cure. join us at diabetes dot org. merry christmas thank you (♪♪) it's that moment it's a gift it's so fluffy when a wish becomes true. a present for me? a person feels seen. i just thought god forbid something happens to that one i knew you'd like that, that's your color and to be seen

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(silence) pop-tarts. crazy good. welcome back. look who has joined the party. we have carson on this end of the couch and over here one of america's favorite duos, donna kelce and jenna bush hager. >> donna and jenna, like the new --

>> it's a new thing. like laverne and shirley. >> what are you doing at 10:00 every day? >> jenna and donna have new roles in hallmark's highly anticipated christmas movie, "a chiefs love story." good morning. >> we have something special. we have an exclusive movie announcement. it is time and i'm sure you've been waiting to debut the official trailer. what do you think, donna, should we count down? >> yeah, i think it's exciting. >> ready? three, two, one, roll the tape. >> ladies and gentlemen, please turn your attention to midfield. >> from hallmark and the nfl -- >> the kansas city chiefs. >> holy cow. >> we are finalists for the fan of the year award. >> comes a love story that's a real christmas game changer. >> oh, yeah, i know who you are. >> you do? we only get to the super bowl if someone in the family wears the

hat on christmas. do you not believe me? >> i need to see some of that christmas magic for myself. okay, that's pretty good. you didn't have a hat. >> no, but we were talking about it. >> on november 30th -- >> we can all see there's something between you and derrick. why do you keep fighting it? >> it's not like he was hanging out with us for fun. >> tis the season. >> let's go chiefs. >> to let fate call the plays. >> trust me on this one. >> guys, we kind of need the field now. ♪ it's christmastime ♪ >> whoa, what? >> i can't believe we made the trailer. >> i know. that's really wild. >> we should just say both of our parts are brief. >> that's true. >> no spoilers. >> what's your role? >> i am a manager of a barbecue restaurant. >> oh. >> so you don't play yourself? >> no. >> you're acting. >> and, jenna, what's your role? >> i play a sports journalist, so i, too, am acting. i called craig's wife, lindsay, for inspiration. >> was that really andy reid?

>> yes, it was. >> there are other chiefs players in it, too, right? >> i think his wife is on there, also. >> have you caught the acting bug now? are we going to see you in other things? >> probably not. there is one other movie coming out like a week ahead of time, more of a philly kind of a spin on it, it's called "christmas on call." >> you're in that, too? you're in two christmas movies? >> mm-hmm. both on hallmark. >> this is good. >> i heard you were in "gladiator 2." >> no, that was definitely trav. >> travis is getting the acting bug, though. >> he's having so much fun. >> he's hosting a game show. >> he's also in that ryan murphy show. >> right. >> isn't he? >> yes, yes. grotesquery. >> did taylor ask about any of us? is taylor going to watch our love story? >> i don't know! that's a good question.

>> let's ask her to. >> you can catch "holiday touchdown" on the hallmark channel. donna will be back to do some baking. a magical time at the screening of "wicked" and savannah and hoda's must-see conversation with ariana grande and cynthia erivo after your local news. st-see conversation with ariana grande and cynthia erivo after your local news. we know life happens. constantly opening the fridge? we're on it. (♪♪) relax even if your kid's getting impatient. (boom) we've got it covered. doing a lot of dishes? we've made it smoother. (♪♪) everything we do is for one reason — you. hey sweaty! sweetie. you good? someone stole my old spice antiperspirant. now i'm smelling like perspirant!

i did, for its 24/7 sweat protection. you did this to my pits. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ some like them toasted. eat em how you like them. pop-tarts. crazy good. ♪ oh, if you want to view paradise ♪ ♪ simply look around and view it ♪ ♪ anything you want, do it ♪ ♪ want to change the world ♪ ♪ there's nothing to it ♪ ♪ there is no life i know ♪ ♪ to compare with your imagination ♪ ♪ take a look and you'll see ♪ ♪ into your imagination ♪ (vo) welcome to old el paso, where stand 'n stuff shells never topple, no matter how rowdy your game night. where we celebrate tex-mex mondays, taco tuesdays, and fajita fridays.

where there ain't nothing weak about weeknights. go on, get yourself some in old el paso. your hair can grow 590 miles over your lifetime. it's in your nature to grow. nature's bounty helps you grow thicker fuller hair with just one capsule a day. you are bountiful, it's in your nature. how do i keep my protection against covid-19 up to date? with a covid shot this season. you can get your covid-19 shot when getting your flu shot, if you're due for both, as recommended by the cdc. ask your healthcare provider and book at vaxassist.com when we started feeding bogie the farmer's dog, he lost so much weight. pre-portioned packs makes it really easy to keep him lean and healthy.

in the morning, he flies up the stairs and hops up on my bed. in the past, he would not have been able to do any of those things. some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking allstate first. okay, let's get going. can everybody see that? like you know to check your desktop first, before sharing your screen. ahh..that is not. uhh, oh no. no no no. i don't know how that got in there. no. that, uhh. yeah, checking first is smart. okay, uhh. everybody get out. so check allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. you're in good hands with allstate. is 756 right now. i'm laura garcia. and i'm marcus washington. happening now, san francisco transit leaders are facing an economic crisis. i'm

ginger conejero saab in san francisco. the chronicle is reporting potential big cuts for sfmta to cut into the hundreds of millions of dollars in deficit that is estimated to begin in 2026. now, some of the ideas that are floating around include suspending cable car service, doing the same thing with muni's historic f market streetcar line, and drastically cutting service on some bus and light rail lines. now, ridership has reached a post pandemic high in september, but that still falls short of 2019 levels. let's get a look at the forecast for this thursday morning with meteorologist kari hall. some of us starting out with some wet weather, mainly in the north bay, but definitely cloudy and cool elsewhere across the bay. and we are going to see some waves of showers continuing to move through sonoma and napa counties and then it spreads across the rest of the bay area by the early afternoon. we'll be watching this as our highs. only head for the low 60s. back to

you. thanks so much, kari. make sure to join us for today in the bay live streaming newscast, starting in just minutes at 8 a.m. the event happening tonight? sure to make women and minority entrepreneurs in the east bay successful. you can watch on roku, pluto and other streaming platforms inclung nbc bay area,di

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it's 8:00 on "today. it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, controversial choice, new reaction this morning to president-elect trump tapping florida congressman matt gaetz for attorney general. >> this feels like a red alert moment for democracy. >> the presidents are led to have people that they want in these key positions. >> following his historic meeting with president biden at the white house. we're live with the latest. and the truth is out there. inside the latest congressional hearing on ufos. >> what the american people need to know is that the u.s. military and intelligence community are seeing a huge amount of visual and other information. >> why some experts are saying, we are not alone. a live report straight ahead. plus, "wicked" good. we're celebrating "wicked" with two of its biggest stars. >> this has been such a long journey for both of us. just a huge dream.

>> this feels like the perfect balance between that manifestation and dreaming but also the magic is real, too. >> our magical viewing party. ♪ and two on two sitdown you do not want to miss, "today," thursday, november 14, 2024. ♪ >> from louisiana. >> today i'm 50. >> hi to our five grandkids -- >> back in iowa. >> visiting from kansas city, missouri. >> mountain brook, alabama. >> chandler, arizona. >> chicago, illinois. >> and redwood falls, minnesota. ♪ >> family trip from philly to the "today" show. >> from tucson, arizona! >> celebrating our 50th we're c. >> i'm turning 80!

♪♪ >> good looking right there. let's go say happy 80th and say hey to everybody in just a little bit. anniversary. >> today we're celebrating mom. >> i'm turning 80! ♪ >> good looking right there. let's go say happy 80th and say hey to everybody in just a little bit. we're so happy you are here. it is a cool thursday morning, a crisp thursday morning in midtown manhattan. we're happy you came to see us. right to our news at 8:00. we'll start with the trump transition. the president-elect causing a stir in the nation's capital with some controversial cabinet picks. this as mr. trump met with president biden for the first time in the oval office. nbc's peter alexander is there at the white house with the latest. peter, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. president-elect trump making a pair of polarizing picks and this morning some republicans expressing serious concerns, there are real questions whether trump's pick for attorney general, matt gaetz, can get confirmed by the senate. gaetz is the florida congressman, a trump loyalist, and one of the most vocal critics of the very justice department he would oversee, a department trump, of course, has long railed against. gaetz, notably, was the subject of a years long federal

investigation for alleged sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. prosecutors ultimately closed the case without charges. gaetz maintains his innocence. trump's pick for national intelligence is former democratic congresswoman turned trump ally tulsi gabbard who is coming under scrutiny. she would oversee 18 intelligence agencies. critics note that she has no background in intelligence and has publicly questioned many of the intelligence community's assessments. it all comes within hours of that meeting here at the white house. president biden welcoming president-elect trump to the oval office, both leaders, hoda, promising a smooth transition. >> all right, peter alexander for us at the white house. peter, thank you. newly released surveillance video shows the moment a ballot box was set on fire in portland, oregon, last month. the video shows the suspect's vehicle pull up. a pair of security guards approach but then quickly turn away. it's not clear why. if you watch closely, you can

see the suspect light what appears to be a fuse and then place the device on the ballot box. the container smolders and then eventually the device goes off. the fbi is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest. well, it's a question a lot of folks have been asking for decades, is there intelligent alien life, and, if so, has the government been covering it up? that was actually the focus of a hearing yesterday by a house overtight committee. nbc's capitol hill correspondent ryan nobles joins us from washington with the latest on this ongoing debate, and there were some surprises in the hearing yesterday, ryan. >> reporter: yeah, that's right, craig. yesterday's hearing, ex-government and military officials suggested that may be the case, that there are intelligent beings that live off of the planet. witness testimony included a range of stories related to ufos and uaps, which stands for unidentified anomalous phenomenon.

one former navy admiral said he had confirmation of them in 2015 when he remembers getting an email from u.s. fleet force command. the video showed a flying object by a navy aircraft doing exercises, noting that there were several near mid-air collisions. the next day he said the email mysteriously disappeared from his and others accounts. no explanation was ever provided from another defense department official, and they claim the u.s. and its adversaries were hiding away uap technologies. take a listen to what he had to say. >> let me be clear. uap are real. advanced technologies not made by our government or any other government are monitoring sensitive military installations around the globe. i believe we are in the midst of a multidecade secretive arms race, one funded by misallocated taxpayer dollars and hidden from our elected representatives and oversight bodies. >> reporter: now this witness urged the new trump administration to have more

transparency saying that he believes americans can handle the truth. we've reached out to the pentagon for comment but we've not heard back. craig? >> so many questions. thank you, ryan. thank you. 8:06, the news covered. a little boost, a family from tennessee wanted to help their patriarch, bill webb, issue in his 80th birthday in style. the grandkids dressed up like their papaw, as they call him, from different eras of his life. one by one they surprised him with a big reveal during his birthday celebration. >> that's great. >> an elementary school quartet -- >> i'm fraternity papaw. >> i'm papaw at the beach. >> i'm papaw when he got married. >> i'm papaw as a young dad. >> i'm working papaw. >> that's awesome. >> kenzi, the only granddaughter, says they go all out for the birthdays and says papaw literally is the best

grandfather ever. can you imagine? >> that's a genius idea. >> i love that idea. i think a lot of people will copy that idea. so sweet. up next, inside our sneak peek at "wicked." it included a joyful surprise from the stars themselves, a special conversation with ariana grande and cynthia erivo. just ahead, how they say the film and their friendship have changed their lives in amazing ways. right after this. with rapid relief at 4 weeks. tremfya blocks a key source of inflammation. at one year, many people experienced remission... with rapid relief at 4 weeks.

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(female vo) get special low rates on a new subaru outback for a limited time. ♪♪ ♪ hit it! ♪ ♪ (“it takes two” by rob base and dj e-z rock.) ♪ how will earning unlimited cash back make you feel? [card reader beeps] ♪♪ well, a little like this. ♪♪ and like this. ♪♪ it takes two to feel the joy. [card reader beeps] earn unlimited 2% cash back. 1% when you buy, and 1% as you pay with the citi double cash® card. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ hit it! ♪ ♪♪ welcome back. guys, we're so excited to share this magical afternoon with the "wicked" stars cynthia erivo and ariana grande. they moved us to tears and the ugly kind of crying in a special screening of the film and our interview with them.

>> you do not want to miss this. a lot of surprises just ahead. first, a check of the weather from angie lassman, who is in for al. hi, everybody. we have nice conditions happening in the middle of the country. mild, looking for 60s, 70s, the farther south you go. a bit of rain from the mid-atlantic up to the great lakes and out west another storm system that will add additional snow for folks there. that's look at the weather a >> and that's a look at your forecast. guys, back to you. >> angie, thank you. thank you. now to more of "wicked" week

here on "today." >> the countdown is on to next friday's highly anticipated release. but, first, we got to take part in this crazy surprise featuring the stars of the film, cynthia erivo and ariana grande. >> we took the staff to a special advanced screening of "wicked." but they did not know two very special witches would arrive at the venue. >> not savannah and hoda. >> to brew up an unforgettable moment. ♪ >> one thing about our "today" show staff, we love surprises. >> let's go! >> we asked our producing team to put on their best glinda pink or elphaba green. of the hugely anticipated movie musical "wicked." >> we're ready. >> and, boy, did they deliver. what they didn't know is we had a little something up our

sleeves for a little later. >> where are my witches? should we roll it? >> roll it! >> we settled in to let the magic of oz cast a spell on us. ♪ we laughed, we cried, we clapped, and we smiled constantly. "wicked" takes you somewhere over the rainbow of emotions. and as the closing credits rolled in front of our tear-streaked faces, it was time to wave our magic wands and welcome the stars of the movie, ariana grande and cynthia erivo. >> i'm so glad you're all here. >> how does it feel to see the reaction? >> we're just so grateful. it feels surreal. we love the pink and green, by

the way. thank you for letting us impose. >> could you teach us the hand dance? >> it starts here -- >> and while waiting for cameras to roll, we imposed on them to teach us that dance from a scene so special, we won't soon recover. >> this is where you do a little twinkle and then this thing with the elbow. >> you keep doing the wrong arm. >> i have to find something to write with your elbow. >> really? >> yes. >> you know what i love? savannah, what do we love? >> we love you. >> first of all, our makeup has been cried off. >> i know. >> it was one of those moments for us when you think about a movie it was way beyond what we ever expected. >> has anyone yet cried through their entire interview with you guys? we might just do it. >> we might be the ones. >> we've had a couple. we've definitely cried through interviews. >> yes, we're sorry, much to the annoyance of many. >> it just happens. >> it's a beautiful feeling, too. >> it's been such a long journey for both of us, just a huge

dream come true. >> also, we're seeing people's reactions for the first time, so having someone come into the room and tell us what it did for them -- >> yeah. >> after it being our secret for literally three years, is tremendous. >> oh, this is the thing we set out to do is happening with people. >> pink goes good with green. >> people love "wicked." and you have held this treasure and actually discovered new things. what does that mean to you? >> i think the thing that was most important to us all along was finding that balance between honoring the source material while also, in a way, forgetting it and bringing our own new truth to it, because we are also those "wicked" fans. so it's been so beloved by so many for so many years. getting to know these women as well as we got to know each other. >> and, also, the thing we're very grateful for is those wonderful fans, as people start

to see it, are just embracing all the new things that we've brought to it, which is not an easy thing to do when you love something as is for so long to sort of accept the new things that might come in. >> certain things, i think, are destiny. when you were 10 years old, i know you went and you saw "wicked" and you talked to kristen chenoweth, there's a beautiful picture of the two of you. to go fast forward from your 10-year-old self to this moment, you were living that destiny. you were living what you were meant to be doing. >> i do feel very present and grateful. and -- i'm good. i'm good. this time i'm good. i'm good. but the thing is, you know, this has been, like, really a destiny for the two of us. we've loved it our whole lives. and i think we needed these roles more than they needed us in certain ways. it just feels like the perfect balance between that manifestation and dreaming but

also the magic is real, too. >> come with me. >> what? >> to meet the wizard. >> and the magic in this friendship is clearly evident on screen and off. >> you know what's palpable between you guys, which is my favorite thing about this whole interview, it's how you guys are together. you have matching tattoos. >> and it's not just one tattoo. these two have committed. >> we have for good here and our poppies here. >> i think i can show you my hat. >> broom and hat. >> wow. oh, my word. >> and then we have a secret one. >> yes. >> what's the secret one? >> it's a secret. >> it's a secret. >> you meant it. we got it. >> we should get matching tattoos. >> that could be a thing. we can do it. we'll take a page from you. >> the thing about "wicked," above all, it's a love story. and i see this love story right here. >> and we did have a very real

conversation at the very beginning about taking care of each other and if something is up, tell me. >> talk to me. >> and i can hold some of that for you and vice versa. we wanted to just -- >> be there for each other. >> be healthy and honest and present. >> your voices are incredibly insane. >> thank you. >> is there a song when you just see each other that up just enjoy singing together? which one? >> "i'm every woman." >> we haven't done it for anyone yet. >> we were singing together and it sounded nice. >> can i have one second of it? ♪ because i'm every woman every woman ♪ ♪ it's all in me it's all in me ♪ >> that was all right. >> it was all right. >> okay. it wasn't all right. wow. that was beautiful.

>> it's done. it's beautiful. it's a work of art. >> your turn. >> we just want to say that was the ride of a lifetime watching that movie, so thank you guys so, so much. >> thank you. we love you. >> i love you guys. thank you so much. ♪ >> let's go! >> it was incredible. we just have to thank ariana grande and cynthia erivo for giving us such a beautiful memory and our staff, too. "wicked" from our sister company universal pictures, opens friday, november 22nd. we are not paid to say this, it is incredible. >> it is better than i think all of us thought it could possibly be. >> it is a bona fide true hollywood blockbuster film, and all i could think about -- i told cynthia i had never seen "wicked" the play, there's value all over the screen for families. it is worth every single penny. >> it's beautiful, funny,

heartfelt, touching, amazing. >> tomorrow we will have a parade of "wicked" stars. we have the charismatic jeff goldblum. he was great. >> now listen, this is normally the best time of the morning, we turn to "pop start." however, miss hoda has some news to share. >> i can't do anymore new news. all i wanted to let you guys know is we knew that the -- my last day was coming, so now we actually have the date. so the date is going to be after the new year, january 10th. it's a friday. >> it's your last day? >> yes. that will be our party day. >> okay. >> so we're going to throw a party together. so when one goes -- >> i just want to say that we will spend a week celebrating you. as you mentioned, we have a lot to celebrate. though you are irreplaceable, we are so excited about the news in our "today" family and that is the person sitting right next to me, our dear friend and

talented, wonderful, hard-working, most worthy of this, craig melvin, is the new anchor of the "today" show. >> let's go! >> and let me just say that the staff, the larger staff found out this morning, and people broke into applause. this is the one of the most popular decisions nbc news has ever made. >> yes. >> congratulations. >> i am beyond excited and grateful, and i just, you know, i've had a lot of conversations yesterday with a lot of people who mean a lot to me, and i just wanted -- you know, i want to obviously thank nbc and the folks here who have deemed me worthy. but i have to start by thanking the man upstairs. thanking my lord above and his son jesus, and i've enjoyed just a lifetime of blessings, and this is the latest in a long line of blessings, and i talked to mom and dad yesterday. i'm thankful that, you know, they're still young enough and healthy enough to be able to see this and enjoy the fruits of

their labor, and you all know my back story. my mother's mother was an elementary school custodian, and my fher's moer had to take care of five kids, so she ran numbers and ran liquor for a long time and ended up in prison. my dad was born in prison. that didn't define him. he overcame addictions in his life. my mom at one point picks up a second job to sacrifice and provide for our family, and so i'm grateful to them. my wife, lindsay, who has endured 13 years of me. and god bless her. and even before that, she was a long for the beginning of the professional journey. i talked to her this morning. she's traveling. and we had a nice moment, and i'm just so thankful for her and dealing with years of -- you know what this job is. it's a lot of long days and short nights, and she's been there for me from the beginning. and my kids, who make me proud

every day. i love them and this place. people see us on tv every morning, what they don't see are the folks behind these cameras and downstairs. we have the best team in television news. i'm honored to be a part of that. >> craig, you were made for this job. you were literally made for this job. you are that kind of good. you have all the things that this job needs. you are the right person for it. we're all saying it, but there's actually someone else who wants to say it. we have a special guest who is joining us by zoom. >> live and direct. >> who is there? >> hello, guys. how are you? >> my guy! >> well, you know, i always go back -- and, hoda, you were there for this -- we were having lunch with craig in pyeongchang

during the winter olympics in south korea and craig had some doubts and he was thinking and we both said, this is it. you're here. and you've got it all. and i knew that this day would come. i've watched you grow. i've seen you as a journalist, but, more importantly, i've seen you as a dad, as a son, all the things that make you who you are. i am so proud and so happy for you right now. because you are so worthy of this. and i'm just -- i almost don't have the words. >> i love you. i love you. thank you. >> well, we love you. >> we know you really well. i got you this. i knew that you would cry. >> by the way, i held it. >> you did. i know. i just wanted you to have that. >> i need it. >> i know we have to hit the affiliate break. i want people to know, i didn't have sisters, but you are the sisters that i never knew that i needed.

>> or wanted. >> you, too, al. >> that's why i'm wearing pink. >> it means a lot to hear this from you. you've been the heart of this place for a long time. you helped save the show. >> yes. >> you helped save. saved the show. >> you all say that. >> and to be able to sit next to someone i knew was smart for years and all of a sudden you start working with her, wait a minute. she's funny, too. >> got all the things. >> and libby, naz and mike and caeser and thank you for the opportunity. al roker, thank you. i'll try not to screw it up. >> we love you. >> i have no doubt you are going to be great. >> a big round of applause. all right.

been here before? or haven't been here at all? your next favorite thing about this place is waiting to be discovered. did you know you can do this? ... pretty cool, right? ... and you don't want to miss that.

you can also ride this ... and then race on over to do this... and before you leave? you definitely wanna see that.

the wonderful wizard of oz, summons you to the emerald city. ♪

♪ thank you. >> how about that? 8:30, thursday morning, and that's our new co-anchor of today, craig melvin. we are so excited as he greets the nation out here on our plaza. >> it is craig melvin, y'all! >> thank you. thank you so much. thank you. >> he's going to hug and kiss every single person out there. >> as he should. >> oh, they're chanting, craig, craig, craig, craig, craig, craig, craig.

come on over here, buddy. >> i held it together for a while. >> way to go, baby. >> we're so excited. >> there's a lot coming up, not only great news for our friend, craig melvin. are you going to take her giant office? can i have your office? >> she has a bathroom. >> our buddy gwen stefani is walking around because she has a brand new solo record coming out tomorrow. a little taste of the record called "bouquet." we'll chat with gwen and get a great performance. looking forward to that. the legendary ken burns, the award winning filmmaker, trying something new in his latest project. first his new haircut, and, secondly, he is talking about leonardo da vinci and what drew him to that. and mama kelce is back. her sons say her dinner rolls are the must have during a holiday feast. she's about to teach the rest of us how to make them. and coming up in the "3rd hour," i'm not leaving, we'll help you declutter the specific

steps you can take to reduce that junk mail and texts from your inbox, your mailbox and your phones as well. >> can i say we're holding each other like "the wizard of oz," dorothy the scarecrow. coming up tomorrow on "today," elle mcpherson is sharing stories from her live and career and will be here live. now a check for the weather. hi, angie. >> i'm grabbing a quick cup of coffee, warming myself up. it looks pretty good. let's look at the middle of the country where we have good news, mild, perfect for outdoor activities on friday. temperatures in the 60s across parts of the southeast. we'll still deal with the fire risk with some elevated winds and pleasantly mild conditions remain as we get into your saturday. windy and dry across new england. temperatures in the upper 60s for the southeast. some snow showers to contend with across the rockies and temperatures into the mid-50s. a little cool there for the

great lakes. by the time we wrap up the weekend, we'll gear up for a significant storm out west, but those nice, pleasant gorgeous sunday skies will stay with us here as we get into the second half of your weekend. upper 70s along the gulf coast. a few showers and thunderstorms that we'll watch tracking across parts of texas, oklahoma, and mild conditions lasting across the midwest. good. thursday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we are seeing more clouds coming in. cool temperatures and the north bay. seeing a wave of some spotty showers that continues to move through. wedding the roads before you're heading out the door for your morning. and we're going to see the showers making its way across much of the rest of the bay area by late morning into the early afternoon, and then we should see some clearing by later today, but still some light, slight rain chances in the f >> and that's a look at your forecast. back to you.

thank you so much. let's celebrate 50 years with j.t. and linda behind us. the iconic filmmaker ken burns is here doing something he has never done before. he'll tell us all about it. first this is "today" on nbc. it is inevitable. chloe! hey dad. they will grow up. [cheering] silly face, ready? discover who they are. [playing music] what they want from this world. and how they will make it better. and while parenting has changed, how much you care has not. that's why instagram is introducing teen accounts.

automatic protections for who can contact them and the content they can see. ♪♪

the love keeps flowing out for craig melvin. craig, congratulations. welcome back. celebrated filmmaker ken burns is known for his award-winning documentaries on everything from baseball to our national parks to the civil war, but there is something about his new film, his first that is not an american topic. take a look. >> there are certain supreme figures in the life of our civilization who fascinate us because they seem to belong to

two worlds at once. and leonardo is supreme among all of that kind. >> leonardo da vinci explores the life and work of the 15th century italian artist whose achievements in art, science, technology still influence and inspire, so, ken, this is a departure. you always tell the story -- >> i wasn't going to do this and people kept saying -- so walter isaacson, a biographer of him, he was at dinner and pushing leonardo. i was working on benjamin franklin. i said i only do american topics. i walked out of the dinner and called my daughter and we've collaborated together on the central park 5 and muhammad ali, have tons of stuff in the future. why not? i thought this old dog can learn some new tricks. i'm so glad they uprooted themselves and went to florence for a year with my grandkids, and much there if not more their film. this is a guy who knew everything there was to know.

he's not just the greatest painter with the most famous painting, but he's the greatest scientist of the age, a botanist, about the flight of birds. he knows the ancients but has questioned their wisdom from ancient greece. he's also taking in influences in the renaissance from all over and he is -- he's somebody who knows everything -- >> he's all the things. >> and he's the most curious person i ever met. how could you not want to do that? it enspirits you in the best way. >> it's interesting how doctors even today still look to him. what is he teaching them? >> he was curious about everything, the entire human project. he questions the universe is what the filmmaker is. his drawings of the feet of anatomy, the muscular system, the circulatory system, how the heart works, is still relevant today. we interviewed not just historians and biographers but theater directors and surgeons

because he made a model of a heart that took 450 years and mris to prove that everything he had about the chambers were actually true. >> was he superduper smart or superduper educated? >> no, he was born out of wedlock so he was denied a traditional education in the universities of the time, which was the saving grace. nature, creation became his greatest teacher and by the end of his life, he knows more than any scholar in any different field. >> wow, we have to get to the mona lisa. if you ask what's one piece of art you know, that's what they will say. >> well, this is a kind of interesting situation where pop culture is sort of obscured our ability to understand this is the most famous painting. it also may be the greatest painting because what he was able to do was paint not only people in three dimensions in ways that had never been done before but he wanted to know the intentions of their mind, what they're thinking, feeling, suffering, what they're joyful about, and if you look at her, that smile which we make jokes

of, the mustache on it, it's really about the whole human project is engaged in that smile. it's the meaning of humanity. and now it's -- we sort of lost -- it's like george washington, working the history of the american revolution. he's drowned in sort of misunderstanding. she is, too, and now we have an opportunity to say we can see her as a painting, and you can see the living person. one critic at the time said i think i see her heart beating in her neck, in her pulse, the blood flowing. >> let me say what you just did, you sold that documentary. if you weren't interested in him before, you are today. >> the next one is a nine-part series on you. we are going to miss you. >> i will miss you, too. i love you. the two-part film "leonardo da vinci" airs monday and tuesday on pbs. >> i love that. who is ready for a special performance from gwen stefani. you're here. >> three-time grammy winner will treat us with a song off her new treat us with a song off her new solo album. we are grocery outlet and we are your bargain bliss market

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>> announcer: the citi concert series on "today" is proudly sponsored by citi. ♪ who could forget gwen stefani rocking our plaza in 2009. of course fans have been going crazy for her music much longer. >> the coach on "the voice" is back with her fifth solo album "bouquet" and gwen will perform. people will think you've gone country, you're married to blake, everybody has gone country. it was recorded in nashville but in theory this record, really, is yacht rock. >> well, i mean -- >> what? >> that was so good, by the way. >> true or false? >> it's true i went country. i got blake, yeah. fully country, not musically, but he's my husband so i guess i

went country. i think, no, this record is inspired by '70s music, in the back of the station wagon going to church. all that music that was there back in the day when i was a little girl. i think it's also a blend of just me and just i wanted to make it kind of genreless because that would be more true to who i am right now. i don't even know. i was just trying to make songs that expressed myself. you know what i'm saying? >> it's been seven years since you did your last solo album. to get back and be writing again, is that like flexing a muscle you know you have or was it hard, intimidating? >> i have this inner voice. you need to do it. nobody was waiting or trying to get me to do it. i was just kind of like, i want to do this, but it felt like i'm going to get my hair done, do i have time? should i make that time for myself? it felt like that to do art. the life is so busy.

but i just kept going in the studio, and i think i went around a bunch of cul-de-sacs trying to chase the past. maybe you could do reggae and just trying to find myself. it wasn't until i wrote the song it wasn't until i wrote the song "purple irises" that blake ended up hopping on, okay, i found it. here it is. it was just a really -- it was very artistic because i had to really fight for it in my own self. you know what i'm saying? i think that made me want it really bad. it made it feel like the beginning again, because nobody was like, come on, we need it. you know what i mean? i need it. and now that it's here and it's done, it just feels like -- it's hard to describe it. it feels euphoric and to be able to share it now. you were talking about the last time i saw you, i wasn't married to blake, and i started writing when we got engaged and then it's kind of like a love story to him, basically, the record. >> it's a bouquet ready to

blossom. what are you going to sing for us? >> this is kind of a sad song called swallow my tears. >> take it away. take it away, gwen. ♪ ♪ ♪ the past keeps chasing me around ♪ ♪ i thought i lost it but then it found me ♪ ♪ like it always does dragging me back to who i was ♪ ♪ and i'm running i'm running ♪ ♪ but not from you ♪ ♪ i stay one step ahead of the pain ♪ ♪ i keep an umbrella when there's no rain ♪ ♪ i got my guard up when there's no war ♪ ♪ don't know what i'm fighting for ♪

♪ give me a second i need to swallow my tears ♪ ♪ i promise, i promise, i promise i want you here ♪ ♪ i want you here ♪ ♪ but first let me swallow my tears ♪ ♪ looking for god, i'm praying, kneeling ♪ ♪ had to go and do some healing ♪ ♪ sorry i was ghosting you but when was i supposed to do ♪ ♪ i'm running, i'm running but not from you ♪ ♪ i stay one step ahead of the pain ♪ ♪ i keep an umbrella when there's no rain ♪ ♪ i got my guard up when there's no war ♪ ♪ don't know what i'm fighting for ♪ ♪ give me a second i need to

swallow my tears ♪ ♪ i promise, i promise, i promise i want you here ♪ ♪ i want you here ♪ here we go. here we go. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ oh, give me a second i need to swallow my tears ♪ ♪ i promise, i promise, i promise i want you here ♪ ♪ i want you here i want you here ♪ ♪ i want you here i want you here ♪ ♪ i want you here i want you here ♪ ♪ i need you here ♪ ♪ i promise, i promise, i promise ♪ ♪ i promise, i promise, i promise ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ >> tt's how you do it! thank you to the band. gwen stefani, the album is out tomorrow. say hi to grandpa for us. that was amazing. >> i'm going to join the band, good? >> yes, you look perfect. >> gwen, congratulations on "bouquet." craig, over to you. wait, there's more. as promised, mama kelce is back. she's going to make her family favorite dinner rolls with a twist, perfect for thanksgiving. we're going to do that and get our hands dirty? let's do it.

we are back with "today food" and with america's most beloved football mom, the one

and only donna kelce. we should put you on the payroll here, i feel like, it's every few weeks now. she's one of our favorite guests and, of course, also the mother of nfl icons, travis kelce and jason kelce. but this morning mama kelce sharing the holiday recipe that those boys crave the most, her go-to that pleases the crowd every thanksgiving. you can get it by scanning the qr code at the bottom. donna, good morning. >> how are you doing? >> i'm great. >> oh, this is good. >> having a decent day. >> these are very easy and i have done these wiof my grandchildren, so it's kind of cool. >> what are they called? >> mama kelce's crescent rolls. this was a 1969 winner of the pillsbury bakeoff contest. >> okay. >> and so it's called crescent roll magic marshmallow puffs. you can find it on pillsbury.com. they're real easy. you can do this with your

children. flour, cinnamon, sugar. >> all-purpose flour? >> yes. put that in there. take a marshmallow. would you like to do one with me? we do this. >> put the marshmallow in the butter. >> melted butter, put it in the cinnamon sugar mixture and then you start at the short end of the crescent roll. >> this is simple. >> it is. you just roll them up like this. >> i can see why your grandkids love this. what's the word over there, ladies and gentlemen? >> it's great. >> and then you kind of put all the sides together, dip it in the butter. >> again? >> and put it right in the tin. you need to use muffin tins on this.really, really fun and then you do the glaze. it gets a little sticky. but they're really, really fun and then you do the glaze. sorry, powdered sugar glaze. powdered sugar, milk -- >> regular whole milk?

>> vanilla. get this going, do this. >> what happens to the marshmallow? >> it gets clear. it gets clear. >> you don't bite in and there's a big marshmallow, it goes into the crescent roll. >> that's magical. >> you can try it, craig. you'll like it. >> mama kelce, do you serve this for dessert or -- >> i bring it for thanksgiving and christmas and it's just kind of a fun addition to any holiday dinner. i've also made them just for sitting around watching television, too. >> it could be a breakfast roll. >> it's really fun. >> like a coffee cake. >> how long do you bake it? >> at 375 for 12 to 15 minutes, so it doesn't take long. >> oh! you're right, the marshmallow -- >> it's gone. >> really good. what else do you cook with your grandkids? >> i'm sorry?

>> what else do you cook? >> with 5 and 3 and 1 it's not a lot. >> what are you doing for thanksgiving? >> i am going to be at a football game. travis is playing the day after thanksgiving. >> that's right. >> football is always the holidays. football is family. >> are they doing thanksgiving -- a big dinner or -- >> not that anything is planned. i think we're just going to be at the football game, so we're doing that. >> has taylor had one of these crescent rolls yet? >> i don't think so. >> but you would give her some? >> absolutely. >> are we going to see her at thanksgiving? >> i don't think so. she's kind of busy right now. still has her tour to do. >> come back anytime. >> thanks, mama kelce. >> and thank you as well. to get this recipe today.com/food. we are back with our third and fourth hours, more of mama kelce's rolls after your local news.

elevate your game day spread. all season "today" takes you inside the game. would like. got is 8:56 a.m. marcus washington a make or break moment at hand in the trial of nima momeni yesterday, he took the stand in his own defense. while he is accused of murdering tech ceo bob lee in san francisco. he told his version of the moments leading up to and following the deadly stabbing about a year and a half ago. he says that the two took drugs in the car and when they got out of the car, it was lee who pulled the murder weapon from his own jacket and lunged at maher. nima momeni also testified that he drove from the scene because he had not realized that lee had been stabbed repeatedly. he als claims that he only found out lee died the next day. happening now. prosecutors are getting set to resume their

cross-examination at midday. our gi