download the nbc bay area app. it's streaming our shows 24/7 and it's free, available for all of your smart devices. and check that out. those conditions right now as we look at the south bay starting to build up right now for those northbound routes, that's it. but dry roads in the south bay. but look at our live camera up there in san rafael. we're seeing sprinkles on the lens and kari is talking about those changes. make sure those wipers are in good condition. you're going to need them over the next few days. no kidding. don't want to find out while you're in the car needing them. today's show just moments away. for more local news and rain coverage, stay today in the bay. we stream on roku, pluto and other platforms live at 8:00. get ready to start those engines. we're going to take you live to las vegas for the final preparations underway for formula one racing. great. i'm ready to go like this. that's why i ♪ good wednesday morning.

the trump transition is rolling on with more high-profile picks and a looming showdown today on capitol hill. it's november 20th, this is "today." doubling down. president-elect trump standing by his controversial pick of matt gaetz for attorney general. the former congressman heading to capitol hill today where the house ethics committee meets to consider whether it should be publicly released. we'll have the very latest and the new trump pick making waves overnight. major escalation. ukraine firing american made missiles into russia for the first time and now the u.s. agreeing to supply forces with land mine, this as vladimir putin issues a new nuclear warning to both countries. we'll have the very latest. caught on camera. [ explosion ] dramatic new video of a deadly house explosion in ohio. inside the investigation now under way and what officials are saying about another powerful

blast that leveled a home and damaged buildings in michigan. extreme weather. the pacific northwest slammed by a deadly bomb cyclone overnight, hurricane-force winds knocking out power to nearly 700,000 customers. drivers caught off guard in the darkness by downed lines. >> oh, my god. >> we'll have the forecast including the storms set to deliver much-needed rain to the drought-stricken northeast. push for freedom. susan smith, the south carolina mother serving a life sentence for druning her own children, set to face a parole board for the first time. this morning craig's exclusive interview with her ex-husband. >> you don't think she's been rehabilitated. >> i don't think she will ever be rehabilitated. to me she's never been really sorry for what she did. >> why he says 30 years behind bars is not enough.

all that plus not funny. jaylen on injured in an alarming accident plunging 60 feet down a hill. >> broke my wrist. lost a nail on a finger and i'm all black and blue. >> just ahead, how the comedy icon remarkably got back on stage just hours later. and gracias, rafa. [ applause ] >> tennis legend rafael nadal receives a standing ovation as his incredible career comes to an end overnight. the emotional farewell from fans that was all love. today, wednesday, november 20, 2024. from nbc news, this is "today" with saf vannah guthrie and hoda kotb. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today."

nice to have you on a wednesday morning. the tennis legend, adios to rafa nadal. there was a dry eye. we'll get to that in a little bit, meantime, just look at this sunrise in new york because, we should let you know that in a little bit some badly needed rain, some clouds will roll through here and we kind of need that rain. we have ongoing wildfire outbreaks and that's expected to hit the region. >> the rain will be welcome around here. also the west coast facing severe rain and extreme winds from what's called a bomb cyclone. opposite story on the opposite coast. that system has caused massive power outages and major damage overnight. we have a live report there and your full forecast in just a bit. >> let us start with the trump transition and a field trip of sorts. the president-elect in texas yesterday attending a spacex launch with elon musk who he's tapped to lead the government efficiency department. >> trump has also named some new

high-profile candidates, linda mcmahon, a former world wrestling entertainment executive and wife of vince mcmahon and former talk show host dr. mehmet oz. the president fighting for his controversial choice for attorney general, former congressman matt gaetz. much to unpack. nbc's peter alexander at his post at the white house. peter, good morning. >> good morning. on some of those highest profile picks this is where the rubber meets the road. vice president j.d. vance is expected to meet today with lawmakers on capitol hill alongside matt gaetz and defense secretary pete hegseth, both of whom are facing republican resistance and it all comes as the president elect is making new picks including dr. oz to run one of the government's biggest bureaucracies. overnight president-elect trump tapping linda mcmahon to lead the department of education which he's vowed to shut down. >> one of the things i'll be

doing very early in my administration, closing the department of education and sending all education and education worker needs back to the states. mcmahon who served in trump's first administration is a former world wrestling entertainment executive. it comes as trump is tanding by his embattled attorney general former congressman matt gaetz offering this one-word answer when asked if he was reconsidering the pick. >> no. >> the house ethics committee will meet to weigh the report on gaetz. the alleged sexual misconduct and illicit drug use that gaetz vehemently denies. mike johnson opposes the report's release. senate republicans want to see it. >> i would like to see the committees do their full job. there needs to be legitimate vetting. >> an unidentified hacker was able to gain access to a file gaining civil lawsuit depositions of two women who have made allegations against

gaetz according to a source familiar with the matter and an email obtained by nbc news, though it is unclear whether that file has been released. the source says the file includes damaging testimony including that of a woman who alleges she had sex with gaetz when she was 17, and the testimony of a second woman who said she witnessed the 2017 encounter. a representative for gaetz did not respond to nbc news' request for comment. trump also picked dr. mehmet oz to head the centers for medicare and medicaid services that oversees the affordable care act. the longtime talk show host, physician and failed senate candidate was tapped by trump. oz facing criticism would work alongside hhs pick robert f. kennedy, jr. >> so, peter, gaetz is facing that pushback. what are the prospects, the next steps. other cabinet nominees have also faced controversy and eyebrow-raising headlines. >> gaetz obviously has been the focus of so much of this

conversation. another pick, pete hegseth was announced with at best, limited vetting and he'll face tough questioning including his past public statements like his statement that women should not serve in combat. the current defense secretary lloyd austin overnight telling my colleague courtney kube that women have made the military better and stronger. the real question here, savannah, is how senate republicans will reject trump's pick and if the nominees face the risk of not being confirmed. trump's team is eyeing a workaround. one of his top deputies, steven miller telling fox news yes, the president-elect trump will use recess appointments if necessary and that would allow them to serve for two years without being confirmed by the senate. >> peter, thank you. let's turn now to several developments in russia's war with ukraine being closely watched all around the world. for the first time ukrainian

forces have launched u.s.-made long-range missiles on targets inside russia. this comes as vladimir putin sends a new nuclear warning to the west. nbc chief foreign correspondent keir simmons joins us this morning. >> the former russian president dmitry medvedev writing on x that nato could be targeted with weapons of mass destruction. he's made these warnings before, but clearly we are again in a moment where the confrontation between nato and russia is escalating. this morning a serious warning to u.s. embassy staff in kyiv just days after russia launched its largest air strikes on ukraine in months. the u.s. embassy closing its doors and telling employees to shelter in place saying it has specific information of a potential, significant air attack in the city today. overnight ukraine's grinding land battle with russia will be

bolstered by more u.s. arms. the biden administration approving the supply of land mines, a controversial weapon. it's another major u.s. policy shift after the white house allowed ukraine to use long-range missiles inside of russia, a move president biden long resisted. ukraine quickly firing six u.s. missiles across the russian border for the first time. moscow saying it intercepted five of the missiles and firing back with a message unmistakably directed at ukraine and the u.s. saying it may now use nuclear weapons if attacked by a non-nuclear country allied with a nuclear state. russia's foreign minister at the g20 summit in brazil. >> we are strongly in favor of not allowing nuclear war to happen. >> courtney kube speaking with defense secretary lloyd austin at a summit in laos. >> i don't see an indication

that there is an imminent intent to use nuclear weapons. >> president zelenskyy asked last night by fox news what would happen if the new trump administration cuts funding to ukraine. >> then they will cut, and i think we will lose. of course, anyway, we will stay. we will fight. >> now supplying land mines to ukraine suggests the determination to hold the battle lines until president-elect trump arrives. ukraine, hoda, has always insisted it will not do a deal without the return of its territory by russia. >> keir simmons for us on that. keir, thank you. here at home, communities in michigan and ohio are picking up the pieces after being rocked by powerful home explosions and one of them was deadly. sam brock is following that for us. good morning. >> good morning. multiple blasts in two different midwest towns sending meeses of debris flying through neighborhoods and shaking up homes down the street.

outside of cincinnati, two people were killed and another injured and a late-night search for two people unaccounted for ending with the news they were okay and not home when their condo building went up in flames around dinner time. this morning, two communities reeling after major home explosions in the midwest. stunning video showing one blast near cincinnati leaving two dead, a man and a woman. >> smoke showing. the house is gone. >> one injured. a witness describing that victim as a heating and air repairman saying she saw him covered in soot at the scene. >> he's, like, bent over with his hands on his knees like trying to get a breath and stuff. his face was dirty and i got closer and i asked are you okay and his whole hair was singed. >> authorities are investigating the incident that sent shock waves through that neighborhood. in the aftermath, fires burning and debris scattered and also a similar scene of devastation in

a small township outside of detroit where at least four buildings were damaged after a blast in one home caused by gas, officials say. >> i see this blinding, flashing light and then a sonic boom and then i saw that building going out and everything coming in through the side of mine. >> drone video reveals a major fire raging and emergency crews responding as cleanup begins and both communities recovered after those dramatic work explosions. >> we'll work with the sheriff's department in order to get some sort of relief effort together for these people. >> while the cause of that blast outside of cincinnati is still under investigation, the building and the complex in michigan is being called a potential gas explosion. according to fire officials two people in their 70s suffered critical injuries and are hospitalized. we don't have an update right now. authorities have opened to the roughly 20 people that are displaced. communities coming together in situations like this.

sam, we have a lot to get to, including a historic race to put humans back on the moon. it took place yesterday with the latest launch of spacex's most powerful rocket, the mission to evaluate performance and safety. nbc's jesse kirsch has that for us. hey, jesse, good morning. >> hey, hoda, good morning. this was starship's sixth test flight and you might remember the test catch where the super heavy booster returned and that did not happen this time. spacex did collect data as to attempts to stretch the human space exploration. this morning another roaring spacex liftoff is in the books. the company launching starship from south texas tuesday afternoon propelled by its most powerful rocket. >> it is doing great so far! >> yet the spacecraft pushed to the limit to see how it would do with challenges like

successfully restarting its engines in space and repositioning itself before splashdown in the indian ocean. >> what a great reorientation by starship. >> unlike last month's eye-popping booster landing and catch. >> we are no go for tower catch. >> spacex determined this time around the super heavy booster would not be able to return to the launchpad safely. the company diverting the booster to a water landing. despite that, former nasa astronaut leroy chao called it a success. >> it's not that it failed. they don't have it completely nailed down. >> watching tuesday's launch from the ground, president-elect donald trump next to spacex's ceo elon musk who has been tapped to lead the co-department of government efficiency. mr. trump recently becoming a supporter of musk's space ventures. >> we want to reach mars before the end of my term. >> that mission to mars a years'

long focus for musk. is that science fiction or a glimpse into the future? >> the starship and the super heavy booster has been under development for ten years and it's pretty amazing how far they've come. >> and, of course, we'll be looking for more catches with those chop stick arms at the launch tower because the goal of starship is a reusable system. hoda? >> jesse kirsch for us in miami. jesse, thank you. we have severe weather to talk about. welcoming craig, good morning. >> savannah, hold da, good morn to you as well. hundreds of thousands customers are without power as a bomb cyclone slams that region, damaging rain and snow impacting people up and down the coast, but some of the developing storms here in the east could actually be good news when it comes to wildfires and the historic drought we've been dealing with. we'll get to the full forecast in just a minute and dylan is standing by with that.

steve patterson joins us from eureka, california. good morning. >> reporter: it's been generated by two separate weather events. you have the bomb cyclone meeting with an atmospheric river creating this dangerous one-two punch wreaking havoc across the northwest. overnight, hurricane-force winds packing powerful gusts up to 80 miles an hour, wreaking havoc across the northwest. the so-called bomb cyclone taking aim late tuesday. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: knocking out power to more than half a million people in california, washington and oregon. >> this is my street. it's literally fully dark. >> reporter: fire and rescue teams in washington clearing downed power lines and trees. one woman killed when a large tree fell on her home. and another a tree fell on thei

significant precipitation to trailer. atmospheric river when a large plume hit the coast. the storm system, one of the strongest to hit the west coast in decades is expected to last through friday. >> we have flashlights, batteries, water, canned goods, you know, i'm all stocked up because who knows, right? these are small roads and anything can happen. >> and with the sustained rainfall and the riding snow totals the worries from officials are twofold. it is the extreme possibility of mudslides and of course, flooding. craig? >> steve patterson for us in california. steve, thank you. let's get more on the forecast. dylan is in for al this morning. finally rain in the northeast and too much in the northwest. >> exactly. there's a lot going on on both coasts. let's first take you to the east coast where we have had such issues with the drought recently and the fire danger.

the rain is about to move in. it will slide in through the east coast as we go into this afternoon and this evening. we'll see heavy rain take over tonight into early tomorrow morning. this develops into an area of low pressure that meanders through friday and on the back side of it we could see enough cold air wrap in and the higher higher elevations. we're looking at one to three inches of rain and that will certainly help with fire conditions and maybe not so much with the drought and it's a start with one to three inches is good news. in the appalachian we could see six to nine, maybe even 12 inches of snow. now on the west coast, a lot of terms to throw at you here. we have this bomb cyclone when the center of a storm drops 24 millibars in 24 hours it's called bombogenesis and creates a cyclone. it is very intense, so intense that as it wraps around this area of low pressure it draws in

this atmospheric river of moisture. this is basically moisture coming in off the pacific ocean and it dumps it this time around northern california and southwestern oregon. if we were to put this on a scale, we would call this extreme to exceptional. we are going to see several inches of rain, perhaps even feet of rain in some areas, up to 15 inches expected along the coast and as far as the mountains are concerned we can see two to three feet of snow in the higher elevations. so there's a lot going on. that's a look at the weather across the country. we'll get to your local forecast we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. ♪ what the world needs now ♪ ♪ is love, sweet love ♪

storm coming in. the atmospheric river that is continuing to target the north bay with high winds and heavy rain. we may see some of those scattered showers making it from san francisco to the peninsula, as well as the east bay, but much of the rest of the bay area may not see much in the way of wet weather today, as it continues to rain throughout the sgroo and that's your latest forecast. >> all right. thank you, dylan. >> coming up, today's final good-bye to liam payne, the music star being laid to rest surrounded by loved ones and his former one direction bandmates. a cass e that shocked the nation. susan smith who drowned her kids

in a lake facing a parole board for the first time today. we'll have that and an interview we'll have that and an interview with smith's ex-husband who is 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. ♪♪

coming up, a hollywood legend live in studio 1a. we're talking about richard geer. >> his first major tv role in years and a pretty woman improvised.

spoons? they're out. panera's new ciabatta dippers are in. each melty sandwich, paired with a perfect portion of soup, is made to dip. go for the french dipper or spicy chicken dipper - no spoon necessary when your sandwich is built to do the dipping. only at panera, 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! ♪ ♪♪ our floors don't stay clean very long. that's why i love my swiffer wet. i pop on a pad and get a mop-like clean floor in just one swipe. wow! and for hair, try swiffer dry cloths. the fluffy cloths pick up hair like a magnet. swiffer. you'll love it or your money back. 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 oh, you nailed it! is to be loved thanks mom give the gifts that show you get them. welcome to your walmart.

good wednesday morning. it is 726. i'm laura garcia. our top story this morning, our microclimate weather alert and the arrival of an extended storm. i'm ginger conejero saab in mill valley, where you still have a small window to grab some sandbags and prepare for the upcoming storm. other parts of the bay area, however, are already starting to see some of that rainfall, and they have been preparing in past days, including closing schools for the day in sonoma county. two schools, montgomery elementary and fort ross, are closed because they anticipate severe weather. a wind advisory and flood watch are also in effect. so let's talk about this storm hitting the bay area with meteorologist kari hall. and the biggest impact has been over the north bay. while we are starting to see some spotty light showers from san francisco over toward parts of contra costa county, we are looking at the heaviest rain moving through marin and sonoma counties at this hour. the bright reds and yellows indicate that most intense rainfall and

this atmospheric river will continue to affect the north bay. with that flood watch in effect. areas south and east will have much lower rainfall totals, and you may not see much rain, if at all for today, but it's really going to start to pick up and eventually push farther to the south over the next couple of days, still affecting us as we go into friday, as well as the weekend off and on, showers and possibly a new storm moving into the bay area starting on sunday. laura. thanks, kari. don't forget to join us for our today in the bay live streaming newscast at 8:00. we'll have more storm coverage and give you a taste of one of the world's largest car races happening this weekend in las vegas. join us on roku, amazon fire tv, and streaming platforms including nbcbayarea.com. have a great morning

♪♪

♪♪ ultimately, just didn't have the level that he needed on the day. look at this now, these seats, everyone inside this place show their appreciation for one of the greatest players this sport has ever seen. >> that's a beautiful sendoff. back now. 7:30. rafael nadal, one of the greatest tennis stars of all time has played his final match of his stored career. that crowd paying tribute to the 22-time grand slam winner after his home country spain lost its davis cup match to the netherlands. nadal to that standing o is saying i was a kid who followed his dreams, worked as hard as possible to be where i am today. i am very lucky to have the life i have because of tennis. >> it's written all over his face, isn't it? >> sure is. >> everything, pride, emotion. >> what a career. >> in the meantime here on a wednesday. we have a lot of news to get to, and we'll start with an update

on the story that we've been following closely. >> one direction star liam payne is being laid to rest one month after his sudden death. megan fitzgerald joins us with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the funeral for liam payne just wrapped up, but moments ago we saw an emotional embrace between simon cowell and his parents at church here. we saw his body being brought up, his casket being brought up church followed by his devastated parents we also saw all four members of one direction, his band coming to the church this morning along with his girlfriend. family members in this community, fans in this community tell us that this church is incredibly important to them and they are honored to send him off. ♪♪ ♪♪ seems to me that when i die ♪ >> this morning, a final

farewell for pop superstar liam payne. the 31-year-old left a huge mark on music as a member of the widely popular boy band one direction. ♪♪ ♪ the story of my life ♪ >> family members and friends saying their good-byes in a private funeral service just outside of london including one direction bandmates. along with celebrities like x factor simon cowell who first discovered payne on the hit show. ♪♪ >> payne's family asking for privacy after his tragic and untimely death as fans take to social media to encourage each other to respect their wishes. >> we are allowed to grieve, but we are not going to go to his funeral. >> but for some, being here is a sense of closure. >> he was young. he had so much more to give. the young singer falling to his death from a third-floor hotel balcony in buenos aires, argentina last month. since then three people have

been charged in connection with his death after toxicology tests show cothain and an antidepressant in his blood. his devastated father flying to buenos aires tracing his son's final steps and stopping at a vigil outside of a hotel where emotional fans gathered to grieve. fans releasing a statement saying liam wasn't only an artist, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a partner adding we love you, liam, now and forever. ♪♪ ♪♪ >> a life cut short. liam payne will now live on with his music. ♪ and live beyond ♪ >> payne is survived by his girlfriend kate cassidy along with his parents, his two older sisters and his son 7-year-old baird. anyone who has been following him knows his son is his greatest achievement. back to you. >> all right, meghan.

sad day there. thank you very much. coming up, guys with thanksgiving eight days away. it's time to shop, christine romans will be here to break down the new numbers revealing just how much this year's feast will cost. also, new attention on the infamous susan smith case, the south carolina mother who drowned her own young sons. she's up for parole for the first time this morning our exclusive and emotional conversation with the boy' father david and what he's saying about his ex-wife's push for freedom and the painful wounds it's reopening. we'll have that right after this. ounding 21-day odor control. at the tidy cats innovation lab, we've got your back. tidy cats lightweight! ♪ i lo-ove it! ♪

♪ ahhahhhhahah ahhhhhh ♪ that's my line. ♪ ahhahhhhahah ahhhhhh ♪ there's no place like target to shop everything wicked. [parchment paper crinkling] ♪[jazz music]♪ [parchment paper crinkling] ♪♪ [girl laughs] [muffled chatter] nothing tastes as good as that first bite... and it just got better. get a 10 piece chicken mcnuggets© for just... $1. make this christmas the year you go all-in on joy. at balsam hill, celebrate with one of our beautifullly crafted, life-like trees. for a limited time during our black friday sale, save up to 50% off plus free shipping. and start making memories at balsamhill.com these are the moments that make up the story of your life. but, as you get older, your risk of missing those moments because of severe flu, covid-19, or rsv increases. vaccines help you avoid that.

so, get this season's vaccines because your presence makes all the difference. risk less. do more. get started at vaccines.gov ♪ sleigh bells ring ♪ ♪ are you listening? ♪ ♪ in the lane ♪ ♪ snow is glistening ♪ ♪ to sing a love song ♪ ♪ while we stroll along ♪ ♪ old navy is a winter wonderland ♪ (vo) what does it mean to be rich? maybe rich is less about♪ reaching a magic number... and more about discovering magic. (vo) janice is eating progresso minestrone soup

with hearty beans and thick cut vegetables, ready in minutes. so she can finish writing her memoir that's really going to ruffle a few feathers. (janice) mmmm. (vo) when you make it progresso, you've made it. sofia vergara: in this family, we don't fight over the bill. we just take care of it. families never receive a bill from st. jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food. join our st. jude family. we need you. please donate now. when you choose organic valley dairy,

you're helping to protect over 400,000 acres of pristine organic farmland from toxic pesticides. because land that supports all this, is land that can support us all. organic valley, protecting where your food comes from. ♪♪ [children playing] easy guys. easy. hey guys, come on, time to eat. time to eat. ♪♪ i don't want this. i want corndogs! [children chanting] corndogs! corndogs! corndogs! ♪♪ i need another corndog! ♪ i lo-ove it! ♪ ♪ ahhahhhhahah ahhhhhh ♪ that's my line. ♪ ahhahhhhahah ahhhhhh ♪ there's no place like target to shop everything wicked.

♪♪ ♪ we are back, 7:39 with "in-depth." an infamous case that shocked the nation 30 years ago being thrust back into the spotlight. >> susan smith is serving a life sentence for drowning her two children in a south carolina lake, but today for the first time she's asking a parole board to release her from prison. craig, you spoke with her ex-husband who of course, lost so much. >> david smith had his sons michael and alex taken from him 30 years ago. the pain of their loss has never left him. now, david smith is stepping forward to try to stop their killer from ever going free. it's october 1994 and a desperate search for two young boys has gripped the nation. >> i want to say to my babies that your mama loves you so much. >> their mother, susan smith claims she's been carjacked and

her sons michael and alex taken by a black man. the boys' father david smith sticking by his wife's side just like much of the country, but it's all a lie. after nine days of searching, susan smith confesses to buckling her boys into the family car and driving it into a lake. susan smith is convicted for their deaths and sentenced to 30 years in prison. now three decades later, smith is up for parole and for the first time since her trial, she will hear her ex-husband david speak out to oppose her release. >> your ex-wife is going to face a parole board and you're going to be there. what do you plan to say? >> they can't let her out. 30 years is just not enough. this wasn't an accident. she deliberately killed michael and alex. >> you don't think she's been rehabilitated. >> i don't think she'll be rehabilitated. to me she's never been really sorry for what she did. >> susan smith's incarceration has been troubled.

in 2000 she was transferred to a new prison after having sex with two guards. she's also been disciplined for drug use. in 2015 she wrote to a local newspaper reporter saying, quote, i am not the monster soss society thinks i am. something went very wrong that night. i was a good mother and i love my boys. >> i never denied that she was a great mother up until the moment that she killed them. >> no signs? >> no signs that she would ever hurt them. that's why i believed her the whole nine days. i never doubted her. >> david's emotions turned dark during susan's trial. >> as you sat there during the trial what was going through your mind? >> i used to sit there and look at the back of her head and then look at where the bailiffs were and think about killing her. how quick could i get to her? could i get to her before that officer reaches me? >> you wanted her dead?

>> i did. >> david smith has remarried and is a father again, but he's never forgotten michael and alex. >> usually it's a song that i hear, not any particular song, just different songs, and it just makes me remember how much i miss them. how i wish i could tell them i miss you so much. his anguish, he says, would be greater if susan is released. >> if she does get paroled, do you worry that she's a threat to society? >> what scares me is that she would get out and then running into her somewhere. >> why does that worry you? >> i don't want to see her. i don't want to ever have to face her. craig, god gives us free will, and that was her choice that night.

nobody else's choice. nobody made it for her. she made the choice for michael and alex. >> have you forgiven her? >> of course. it doesn't make the pain any less. i had to forgive her and to move on to move on with my life i had to forgive her because it was going to eat me up if i didn't. >> it's not an easy time for david smith. a lot of painful thoughts have resurfaced, but he's taken heart in all of the folks who still remember michael and alex and honor their memories. we should point out we did reach out to susan smith's attorney and they declined to comment to our story, and i talked to a legal expert and it is highly unlikely that she gets paroled, but the david smith that we saw there has come a long, long way in 30 years. he spent time talking about some of the darker moments in the wake of his sons' deaths, and he nearly took his own life a couple of times, and he credits his new wife tiffany for helping

him through it. >> that grief could never go away. of course, not. thank you, craig. extraordinary. let's go over to dylan who has got a check of the weather. >> good morning, guys. we do have a lot going on and the storm that will make its way into the east coast bringing much-needed rain. we have the storm affected the west coast that will bring up to a foot or more of rain to parts of california and two to three feet of snow in the mountains. we also have blizzard conditions across parts of north dakota. we'll see snowy and windy conditions into western north bay. elsewhere, it's spotty light showers from the peninsula over toward the east bay. but storm ranger tracking the really heavy rainfall across marin county, southern sonoma and into napa county. it's going to continue throughout today, while in other areas we're not expecting much wet weather. it's

going to be cloudy as this atmosp >> and that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you. coming up, a very black and blue jay leno speaking after a 60-foot fall and what he says happened to him. how he managed to perform just hours later. we'll have that from jay and a super special "morning boost," today after these messages. >> we need a good boost.

now you can have any coffee drink you crave at home with the ninja luxe café. go from bean to almost any brew with three machines in one. rich & smooth espresso... child's play. drip coffee... up to a travel mugs worth. rapid cold brew... way faster than the drive through. plus you get microfoam that's so luxurious. it's like sipping a cashmere cappuccino. anything they can brew, you can brew too, with the ninja luxe café. lets just get a closer look

mom? nina, wait [elevator swoosh] [spell blast] [screams] five immersive worlds [lightning strikes] one amazing theme park our universe will never be the same mia? oh, youve got to see this epic universe, only at universal orlando resort (bill) when we started blue buffalo, we made a promise to our boy blue - epic universe, that we would create the best pet food we possibly could, made with the finest natural ingredients and none of the things you find in many other pet foods. we call it the true blue promise and it's our commitment to feed your pet just like we would feed blue. it's what makes blue buffalo unlike other pet food companies... ...which have many different brands with different standards. we have one standard —the one inspired by our boy blue, for the wellbeing of your dog or cat. because like you, we love them like family, too. the virus that causes shingles is sleeping...

in 99% of people over 50. it's lying dormant, waiting... and could reactivate. shingles strikes as a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks. and it could wake at any time. think you're not at risk for shingles? it's time to wake up. because shingles could wake up in you. if you're over 50, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about shingles prevention. awkward question... is there going to be anything left... —left over? —yeah. oh, absolutely. (inner monologue) my kids don't know what they want. you know who knows what she wants? me! i want a massage, in amalfi, from someone named giancarlo. and i didn't live in that shoebox for years. not just— with empower, we get all of our financial questions answered. so you don't have to worry. i guess i'll get the caviar... just kidding. join 18 million americans and take control of your financial future with a real time dashboard and real live conversations. empower. what's next.

we are back and smiling because carson's here. >> hello, guys. good morning, everybody. jay leno is opening up about a remarkable comedy show that he was age to pull off just hours after a terrifying fall. sheinelle has that story. >> good morning to you guys. the longtime "tonight show" host is downplaying what happened with his usual sense of humor and fans are concerned after leno appeared with injuries this week, the latest in a string of accidents for him. this morning jay leno revealing he's had a major accident. the legendary comedian showing up for his latest performance with an eye patch, broken wrist and a very bruised face, telling "inside edition" he recently took a serious tumble down a hill. >> i'm a little beat up. >> oh, my gosh. i fell 60 feet. boom, boom, boom. >> one of the rocks he hit entered his eye.

>> you hit a rock on your face. >> i hit a bunch of rocks, 60 feet. >> what happened here? >> broke my wrist. i'm all black and blue. >> just last year leno was involved in a motorcycle accident that resulted in a shattered collarbone, two broke 18 ribs and two cracked kneecaps. at the time saying he was knocked atop an indian motorcycle, that accident happened just two months after leno was severely burned when a fire erupted in his garage while he was working on a vintage car. leno telling hoda about the terrifying incident. >> suddenly, boom, i got a face full of gaft and then the pilot light jumped and my face caught on fire. leno spending more than a week at a burn center including hours in a hyperbaric chamber, but still keeping his perspective. >> this is so remarkable to me. >> yes, it is. you know something? in the real world this happens

to people every single day. if you work with your hands people work with their hands get injured every single day. >> and even after his most recent fall, leno going on with his show just hours later, the iconic showman not wanting to disappoint his fans. >> can you imagine? guys, leno was treated at a hospital after he got back to los angeles from that show, but as you saw, he says he's okay and always ready to just keep performing. >> he's got a threshold of pain. when i interviewed him after that fire he said he was at home with his wife that night before going to the hospital. we just hope that everything is going okay for jay. >> yeah. >> the show must go on, he really does get in there. >> all right, guys. coming up, lauren sanchez will join us for an exclusive live interview and she's got an inspiring announcement about how she and fiance jeff bezos are giving back this holiday season, ack this holiday season, but first, a quick look at your local news.

get... coal? (puppy crying) (excited screaming) and with coal in the family, mom and dad used chewy to get everything delivered in time for the holidays. at prices everyone feels jolly about. (♪♪) for low prices and fast shipping. for holidays with pets, there's chewy. (vo) welcome to the cheerios obstacle course. (travis kelce) you were right there.and fast shipping. (jason kelce) embarrassing. (travis kelce) yeah it is but i got the honey nut cheerios choo choo train. (vo) win the day with the kelce's favorite cereals. experience the art of high pressure brewed coffee and espresso with the l'or barista system. enjoy richer, bolder flavors complete with velvet smooth crema. for a satisfying moment unlike any other. do your dry eyes still feel gritty, rough,

or tired? with miebo, eyes can feel ♪ miebo ohh yeah ♪ miebo is the only prescription dry eye drop that forms a protective layer for the number one cause of dry eye: too much tear evaporation. for relief that's ♪ miebo ohh yeah ♪ remove contact lenses before using miebo. wait at least 30 minutes before putting them back in. eye redness and blurred vision may occur. what does treating dry eye differently feel like? ♪ miebo ohh yeah ♪ for relief that feels ♪ miebo ohh yeah ♪ ask your eye doctor about prescription miebo. ♪["dedicated to the one i love" by shirelles]♪ ♪♪ nothing tastes as good as that first bite. so... get a 10 piece chicken mcnuggets© for just... $1. ♪ (“it takes two” by rob base and dj e-z rock.) ♪ ♪ hit it! ♪ ♪♪ it takes two to feel the joy.

earn unlimited 2% cash back. 1% when you buy, and 1% as you pay with the citi double cash® card. (luke) that's why we do it, marci. (marci) it really makes all the effort worth it.you buy, gathering the most in-depth info, making a clean, new homes-dot-com that improves home-shopping, creating a better way for people to... (luke) ...people to find the perfect home to build their lives. (marci) are you okay? (luke) no, it's... it's the dust-based allergy. oh, there's another one! (marci) that's why we do it. isn't it... got a lot of dust in your... (luke) it's so dusty. (marci) yeah. (vo) homes-dot-com. we've done your home work. you'll love this! centrum silver is clinically proven to support memory in older adults. so you can keep saying, you mastered it!

you fixed it! you nailed it! you did it! with centrum silver, clinically proven to support memory in older adults. ooh we are back! what're we doin' tonight? well... the dog stole your arm... again? ...and the humans are shopping with... rakuten. what's rakuten? it's cash back at your favorite stores. so it's like shopping the sales? better... it's cash back on top of sales. what?! i didn't know you could stack savings. girl, you can stack anything. look at us! look at us! oh shhh shh... don't look at us. don't look at us. rakuten. phew that was close! i'm marcus washington, and i'm laura garcia. happening now. we are in a microclimate weather alert. you can see our storm ranger active this morning atop mount bruno. also a live look at

other spots across the bay area where an atmospheric river will bring rain over the coming hours and days. meteorologist kari hall of course, tracking those conditions for us. kari. we are seeing the north bay in line for the heaviest rainfall. the atmospheric river targeting those areas. but being drawn in by this very powerful area of low pressure. that bomb cyclone that you may have been hearing about. a rapidly intensifying storm system off the coast of the pacific northwest. while we are getting all of the heavy rain from areas north of the golden gate bridge, we are at times going to see that rain moving into san francisco and parts of the east bay. but look at how bright those colors are that we're picking up from stormranger as we are getting the most intense rainfall over the north bay that will continue throughout the day, and very few breaks in the activity. while as you look at spots like danville, livermore, san jose, we're not seeing any rain at all. for the most part, today is just going to stay cloudy and we'll continue to watch those impacts

in the north bay. back to you. all right. thanks, kari. and make sure you watch our today in the bay live streaming newscast starting in just minutes at 8 a.m. live team coverage on the incoming storm. also a small taste of one of the world's biggest races. this is a car race is happening this weekend in vegas

♪

♪ it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, making moves. president-elect trump standing by his controversial administration picks while adding some new names to the list, tapping linda mcmahon overnight to lead the department of education. we are live in washington. then talking turkey. >> hold on, okay? let's just all think. [ laughter ] >> with thanksgiving fast approaching, new numbers just out revealing just how much the holiday feast will cost you this year. we'll break it all down. >> and lauren sanchez live. the journalist and philanthropist is here to talk about her wedding plans with jeff bezos, her upcoming trip to space and the special way she's giving back. all that, plus richard gere here to talk about his action-packed thriller. >> whatever it takes, make it possible. >> bowen yang also in 1a on his wicked new role. >> and death becomes her hits the stage.

♪ and i like what i see ♪ >> all that and more today wednesday, november 20, 2024. ♪ ♪ >> on a bucket list trip to the "today" show. >> celebrating stacy's 60th! >> sisters trip from lawrence county, tennessee. >> friends for 50 years! >> here to meet hoda. >> from olie, virginia. >> visiting "today" from orlando, florida. >> missouri. >> buffalo, new york! ♪ ♪ >> from iowa. >> today i turn 70! >> from sepulveda, oklahoma. >> my first time in new york! >> been watching today for 20 years. >> and it's mom's first trip to the plaza. >> on a trip from st. louis, missouri. >> welcoming our first baby! >> oh! >> baby news! >> love that. welcome back to "today." so much good news out on our

plaza, happy to have you along with us on a wednesday morning. >> we are, indeed. guys, tomorrow is one of those mornings we look forward to all year. we go so big when it comes to thanksgiving preps. we bring in all these superstar chefs, the foodies always led by the queen herself, martha stewart. >> that was from when we actually named her queen of thanksgiving right there. >> yeah. >> so with one week to go, martha's going to be here along with nearly two dozen chefs from all over the country for our throwback thanksgiving. we will serve up some classic recipes this year, classic recipes with a new twist, plenty of time for you to get inspired for your own feast. don't miss it, tomorrow on "today". >> my mom's broccoli casserole with cheese whiz and spinach? >> yes! >> we begin with the trump transition. the president-elect making some more high-profile picks while fighting for his controversial choice of matt gaetz for attorney general.

nbc's peter alexander is in washington with the very latest. good morning. >> off to a record fast pace for picks. president-elect trump naming retired executive linda mcmahon as his education secretary. trump planned to shut down the education department and that would require congress' approval. we should note the teachers' largest union is calling for the senate to reject mcmahon's nomination. for more than 160 million americans, osz has no experience running a large government bureaucracy and he is the latest in trump's trend of picking tv personalities to lead federal agencies, and today, as you know, vice president-elect j.d. vance is expected to head to capitol hill to meet with lawmakers alongside embattled attorney general pick matt gaetz and pete hegseth up for defense secretary, both of hume are facing some republican

resistance just yesterday. trump was asked about matt gaetz and whether he would reconsider that pick. his answer very simply was no. sufficient nah? no. >> peter alexander, thank you. >> comcast, the parent company of nbc universal announcing a major shake-up in some of its key assets. nbc's business correspondent brian chung joins us with this. what do we know? >> just moment ago comcast announcing it will spin off key cable brands into a new, separate and publicly traded company. those include some of nbc universal's tv brands people might recognize like msnbc, nbc, e! the sci-fi channel and oxygen. nbc news and telemundo in addition to the streaming service peacock will remain under comcast, nbc sports as well as bravo which has a strong presence on peacock will also remain under the comcast umbrella. in an email sent to employees this morning, comcast president

mike cavanaugh rights in part it will inject energy and renewed focus in the new company and future nbc universal adding the company and nbc universal are set off to play offense in a complex and evolving media landscape and comcast estimates that timeline will take about a year, guys. >> so all of your shows will be in the same spots and we're just doing reshuffling here. >> business stuff. meanwhile, thanksgiving just eight days away now, and that means it's time to start thinking about heading to the supermarket with all eyes on consumer prices and inflation. how much of a bite will that turkey and other ingredients take out of your budget? here with new numbers out just this morning nbc business correspondent christine romans. let's talk turkey, bottom line, cheaper this year than last year? >> i don't know about the cheese whiz, but turkey will be cheaper and that's driving things.

the american farm bureau did the calculation and found 58 bucks for a party of ten to feed ten people from the american farm bureau. that's about $5.80 a person and you dig in the numbers turkey is 6% cheaper this year. pumpkin pie mix is down. whole milk, look at whole milk down a lot and sweet potatoes. what will cost you more is the stuffing, the dinner rolls and fresh cranberries and that's the overview. still, two years down of lower prices for turkey, the meal, but it is still more expensive than it was in 2019. >> not on your list, cheese whiz. do some research on that one. other ways we can save on thanksgiving? >> you look at some of these, aldi, amazon fresh, walmart, target, they all have package offers right now that are really, really cheap. $20 for four people. they have different ingredients which is why they're different here. aldi has a $47 meal for ten people and the experts tell us if you shop for store brands you could save overall for the meal

another $17 if you shop for store brands. look around, there are also the wholesale clubs and a lot of places are still doing their free turkey, if you buy a certain number of groceries you get the turkey for free. a lot of deals out there. the stores know that you're very inflation weary and so they're trying to get you in the door. >> amy joe loves an aldi's. >> thank you. we have a boost and it's a good one. >> this is a fun one. we came across this new, brand-new music video on instagram. it comes from a "today" viewer who decided to write a little song about our show. here's a sneak peek. ♪ 7:00 a. until 11:00 ♪ block ♪ turning on for the block ♪ ♪ spend some time with savannah and hoda, and the crew ♪ ♪ i'm ready for 30 rock ♪

>> we have a new theme song. >> it's so cute. that is rob shifman. he said at a time when there's so much uncertainty in the world the folks at the "today" show start it off with genuine hope and positivity. >> it's a bop, it's a beat. >> he's got a great voice. >> he mentions everyone. okay. >> we have to find that guy. >> he's amazing. >> we'll be on the hunt for him see if we can track him down. >> we've never had a theme song. >> you know what? it's very cool. >> all right. >> still ahead, a beloved, animated franchise brought to life on "pop start" we'll have a first look at the live action, "how to train your dragon,". >> but first, lauren sanchez and we'll talk about her wedding to amazon's jeff bezos and her trip to space. it's all happening right after it's all happening right after this.

and other fetching finds made to make the holidays for any hard to shop for person on your list. when you want up to 60% off gifts that say i get you, etsy has it. [car horn] i'm the team mascot, and boy, am i running late. but i've got lead in my foot and spirit in my fingers. [cheering] [car rev] ha, ha, what a hit! and if you don't have the right auto insurance coverage, the cost to cover that... might tank your season. ♪♪ so get allstate, save money on auto insurance and be protected from mayhem, like me. [whoo] [cheering]

spoons? they're out. panera's new ciabatta dippers are in. each melty sandwich, paired with a perfect portion of soup, is made to dip. go for the french dipper or spicy chicken dipper - no spoon necessary when your sandwich is built to do the dipping. only at panera, for a limited time. small businesses in the southeast were devastated by hurricanes milton and helene. but this small business saturday, november 30th, you can help. every time you use an eligible amex card to shop small at select small businesses, amex will donate one dollar to hurricane recovery efforts. (♪♪) helping small business communities make a comeback. that's the powerful backing of american express. (vo) litterback. when cat litters are so heavy it hurts. if you suffer from litterback, try tidy cats lightweight! now with astounding 21-day odor control. at the tidy cats innovation lab, we've got your back.

tidy cats lightweight! ♪ ♪ ♪ (vo) whether your phone's broken or old, we've got you. with verizon, anyone can trade in any phone, any condition. and get iphone 16 pro with apple intelligence, on us. and, ipad and apple watch series 10, all three on us. that's up to $2,000 in value. only on verizon. your parents have given you some amazing gifts, but what about the inherited ones? celebrate them with ancestrydna. the simple test that shows your deep family roots from your mom's side and your dad's side, with some serious detail. ♪♪ trace the journeys and history that shaped who you are today, and see the traits they passed down. your connections to the past are all waiting. see just how gifted you are for only $39.

♪♪ ["the glory of love" plays] giving. [♪ you've got to give a little ♪] [♪ take a little ♪] giving without expecting something in return. ♪ giving that's possible through the power of dell ai with intel. so those who receive can find the joy of giving back. ♪ [♪ that's the glory of love. ♪]

♪ ♪ we are back. 8:13 with emmy-winning journalist, helicopter pilot and philanthropist lauren sanchez. >> she's the vice chair of the bezos earth fund. she's worked alongside her fiance amazon founder jeff bezos to fight climate change, and she's here with an exclusive announcement about their latest effort to address the problem of homelessness here in the u.s. lauren, it is so nice to have you here. >> it is so incredible to be here. what a great space. i was just telling you i'm a little nervous. i'm not used to being on this side. >> we don't believe it. >> you were a longtime television anchor. >> yes. >> you're a pro. >> but i love it. it is so exciting. >> it's fun to have you here and you bring good news. >> i am totally excited to announce this. jeff and i just awarded $110 million to 40 grantees that are

helping combat homelessness, and you know, you think of the word homelessness and what is that? it's for temporary homelessness and these are for families that are experiencing temporary homelessness. there was this gentleman named ron. he's providing for his family. his wife got cancer and she, unfortunately, passed away and he lost his job, he lost his house. he was sleeping in a car with his 4-year-old daughter, and -- excuse me, not genesis, they knocked on his window and they're, like, do you need help? and they provided him with shelter that night, and then he was able to get back on his feet. all of these things and now he has a home that he's living in and that's what it is. it's bringing dignity back to these folks. >> you guys with these funds you're going to existing organizations that you vetted and you like. >> extremely vetted. the great thing about it is it's no strings attached. >> yes. >> so they get the money and they get to use it immediately.

i went to a shelter recently in l.a., as well, and let me tell you, they're so excited because what they get to do is they get to find more rooms for these families, and i looked at these rooms that they provide and they're beautiful. the walls are painted. they have toys for the kids. they have incredible sheets and then they have attorneys that are there, and i always say when someone is experiencing something like this and, like, a domestic abuse case they're not alling at 12:00 in the afternoon, it's 2:00 in the morning and these people are working tirelessly to help them. i have never been more proud of something as walking as walking into a shelter and seeing not just the people that they're helping, but the people that are helping these people, do you know what i mean? they're so prideful and they take so much pride in what they're doing. >> i think what you're doing is incredible. >> i am so impressed by you. i was watching you on your book tour. you have a children's book out. i didn't know this part of your life, but i was so fascinated by it.

you said all your life you thought you were dumb until one teacher at a community college said to you, no, sweetie, you're not dumb. you don't know how to spell. you were dyslexic all this time and you carried that with you. i see this tender part of you, and i'm thinking that's where that started. >> it was really -- a tough time in my life growing up. as a little girl and they just put you in the back of the room and they just kind of push you along, and i did. i just thought i was dumb, and this one teacher, at community college, and she looked at me and she said that and she changed my life, and it's kind of like these programs. you just need one person -- just one person that looks at you and be, like, you're going to be okay. you're going to make a difference and i'm going to help you and she did. she really changed my life and i became a journalist because of her. i never thought, you know, this girl who could barely read. like, i was the girl in class that when they called on me to

read i'd start sweating, i'd freak out and i'd try to read it before and hopefully i didn't have to read out loud, and then i started reading out loud for a living. literally changed my life, and that's the whole point of the book. it's about this little fly who is bad at school and kind of wanders and gets stuck in a space capsule and then sees this incredible earth and comes back. >> thank you for the segway because -- >> oh, good. >> you are going to space. >> you are going to go on a blue origin flight. we want to know who is in your girl pack and why are we not in? >> i'm not announcing who they are, and i always say this. they're all explorers. so when we think of women, a lot of times we don't think of them as explorers. we think of magellan and jacques cousteau. >> curious. >> yes. >> one time jeff told me that, you know, you're an explorer and i was, like, what? he goes you're a pilot, you like to see the world, and i never thought of myself as an explorer

and when he said why don't you take an incredible group of women up, and i was, like, i'm picking all explorers so they can come back and tell their story about how going to space changes them. >> what does he say about his trip to space? >> it completely changed -- okay. so this is what's interesting. he says it's not obviously the overview effect had a big impact on him, and he said right before he went to space his whole family was there greeting him, and he said it's easy to know if you love someone. it's really sometimes -- you don't know how much people love you, and he's, like, and his family just saying and they're, like, you know, they thought maybe we're saying good-bye, and yeah -- >> profound. it was very impactful for him. >> wow. that's the moment. >> how's wedding planning? >> ahh! >> is it fun? >> so you asked. >> of course. >> how could we not? >> with the book tour. we talked about the book tour and making these grantees has

taken up a lot of my time and the holidays. >> you'll get to it. >> i'm getting to it right now. very excited about it. thinking about the dress, i have to say. >> how fun is that? >> i do have a pinterest. i'm just like every other bride. >> cool! >> i do have a pinterest board. i never thought at 54 -- i'm going to be 55 that i'd be an author, that i'd be getting married. life is just beginning. when i was 20 i thought, oh, my gosh, life is over at 50. let me tell you, it is not, ladies. it is not over. it is just beginning. >> you are preaching to the choir. >> that's amazing. it just gets better and better, and i always say, women say what is it like turning 50? it's just the beginning. >> awesome. lauren, thank you. we really appreciate it. >> i'm not nervous anymore. >> see? >> thank you so much. you can just stay for the next of the seven-hour show. >> dylan, over to you. >> i love it! so great! we have pretty nasty weather

coming in across the country and the specific storm will bring over a foot of rain to parts of northwestern california and maybe more when it comes to snow, up to three feet of snow in the mountain ranges. we have blizzard conditions in the north and plains and through the appalachian, this will move eastward through the day and eventually hitting the east and that's your latest forecast. >> i enjoyed that.

>> it was fun. >> what? >> that was the best part -- >> when they were talking about the last day. >> pop start! >> the best part of the morning. >> the movie has become a broadway musical opening, and joe friar is to my left. good morning, joe. >> it was about a decade ago, one of the show's stars megan hilte thought if there was one movie you could make a musical, without hesitation, she said "death becomes her,"ers. >> later, here we are and megan is one of the stars. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> "death becomes her" is alive again and this time on a broadway stage. ♪ i like what i see ♪ >> it's inspired by the movie.

♪ i see me ♪ >> which centers on two friends turned enemies who take a potion granting them eternal life. >> bottoms up. >> goldie hahn's character is played by jennifer smard while meryl streep's role is filled by megan hilty. >> you two get to play frenemies. >> we get to. >> we get to play frenemies. >> caught in the middle, christopher siebert stepping into bruce willis' shoes. >> well, you girls are dead. >> here i am, bruce willis. it's like looking in a mirror, isn't it? >> the woman who sells them the potion -- >> i have a secret you would die for. >> that part goes to destiny's child star michelle williams. >> you do this every night? >> every night. >> she showed me how she creeps below the stage to a lift. >> slow turn. >> which i got to test drive. >> you're a pro, man! let's switch jobs!

[ laughter ] >> i think i heard you have a friend who this might be their favorite movie? >> kelly rowland, like, knows every line of this show. >> i love that. >> she don't care about what i'm doing in the show. [ laughter ] she wants to know is the hole in her stomach going to be there? >> without giving too much away, away -- >> this is the dress pre-hole. >> this is before i get shot. >> the movie magic does transfer to the stage in its own campy way. >> help me! >> the iconic staircase is here, too. >> you pushed me down the stairs. >> fabulous. >> truth is, "death becomes her" is having a moment from adele's halloween costume to a sabrina carpenter video. >> people can come in, check their worries at the door and escape, and you will actually have the best time. >> and you truly will. we asked the stars if they would

take a potion to stay young and live forever. >> michelle and jennifer said yes, meghan and christopher said, no, thanks. it's produced by universal sister company and it opens the at the la fontaine theater in new york. >> it's just about everything and it is a good time. >> you could be an extra. >> i think that was my audition. the staircase, that's impressive. joe, thanks for that. appreciate it. next up, "how to train your dragon" with the beloved animated movie revealing a sneak peek at gerard butler's return to the role he voiced in the larger than life toothless dragon. >> i can't kill dragons. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> but you will! ♪ ♪ >> i'm a viking! i'm a viking! ♪

♪ ♪ >> "how to train a dragon" hits theaters in june. finally, jimmy fallon last night he announced a new collaboration with designer alex mill releasing a new line of pajamas, think, called p. jimmys. here they are. we can all go to bed now. a portion will go to an organization that gives kids kids living with serious illnesses. >> these are cute! >> hoda. >> thank you, carson. >> fantastic! >> jimmys. >> very cute! >> i love this!

♪

♪ hey! [ cheering ] ♪ hoda, we're back! we're back at 8:30! 8:30! it's a wednesday morning, just two weeks now -- across the street. look when's here! snl superstar bowen yang, hoda, kotb. >> love that guy. >> a scene stealer. >> whenever bowen shows up on the screen during the movie "wicked" you will laugh before he opens his mouth. he's having so much fun on snl, and he'll talk about the 50th and what might be in store. >> bowen yang is having quite the moment, quite the moment. >> we have another star outside, hoda. i lost my microphone. richard gere, where are you? [ cheering ] >> with gerard from props. >> gerard! gerard! >> oh, my gosh -- listen,

richard is beloved and he has an award-winning career and a "today" show favorite. >> i think george is more handsome than richard gere. >> i love it. >> style expert melissa garcia, mellisal show us fashionable holiday looks that are festive from headband to toe. >> but first it's wednesday, and you know what that means. a brand-you in episode of "making space" with hoda. find it by scanning the qr code. your guest this week the remarkable goldie hawn who opens up about protecting her harness. >> my spirit was my life force. >> yeah. >> that wasn't anything i was going to give up. my happiness would be nothing that i would give up for. no man, no thing, no nothing, and it was as if somebody stole that from me, they're out because that's a gift, and i -- i try to protect it. >> and she has protected it. that's what she does. she talks about all of the kind

of bumps that she had along the road during her career which a lot were surprising to me, and i hadn't heard them before, and she hangs on to the happiness with both hands. >> i'm always inspired. >> be sure to catch "making space space" with hoda kotb wherever you get your podcasts. >> a quick caffeine fix with the coffee cart. i just want to point out that we have a couple of storms on both coasts. we also have some heavier rain approaching the west coast of florida, too. wind and snow up across north dakota moving into minnesota as we go through the day. that storm will make conditions deteriorate out in california and into southwestern oregon, too. the rain through the great lakes will move eastward going into tomorrow. we'll see rain and heavy, wet snow about one to three inches of rain, much-needed rain expected for parts of the northeast and new england. the rain and wet snow will start to accumulate back to the great lakes into indiana and ohio,

too, and heavy flooding, mud sl we can see the heavy rain moving through the bay area as this atmospheric river continues, mainly for the north bay. the rest of the area south of the golden gate bridge is not going to see much in the way of wet weather, but there will be times of rain, some high winds, and then eventually that atmospheric river is going to start to push southward, affecting parts of the peninsula, the east bay and south bay by the end of the week and the weekend, there will andu and that's your latest forecast. >> all right, dylan. thank you. coming up next, hollywood icon richard gere on his legendary role taking on a first on tv and so much more, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ ♪net ♪ ♪ ♪ so what happened after he climbed up the tower and rescued her? >> she rescues him right back. >> remember that quirky movie? it caught on. >> i forget. a famous scene from the beloved "pretty woman." richard gere himself is here, he needs no introduction. he's a golden globe winner, a movie career spanning decades. we have never seen him take on a major tv series role until now. he stars in a new political thriller called "the agency" and plays the cia london station chief. here is a first look. >> belarus, so far nothing special. it's early days, but for now we are seeing it very much as a local problem? jim, we both know there's no s.

>> richard such thing as a local problem in belarus. >> richard gere, good morning. did you just -- >> oh, sorry. but that's what i did in the piece. >> you just did an obscene gesture on this family morning show. >> no -- i'm bleeping you. >> you know, cher was on here doing an f-bomb yesterday. i don't know what's happening. >> no, no, no. >> that's what the clip was. >> that's what the clip was, but we cut that part out. >> it didn't make any sense without that. >> okay. that was the first time you've seen that, though. >> i haven't seen anything. no, this is the first i've seen it. >> why is that? you're going to go to the premiere tomorrow night. >> i am. >> do you not like to watch your work? >> i -- i don't like looking in the mirror, to tell you the truth. i don't seeing myself very much -- >> really? >> if i were you i'd look in the mirror all the time. >> i think in general, actors are not really keen on looking at themselves.

>> tell me about "the agency," because it looks like a really awesome thriller, far-flung spy kind of series. >> you know what? it came from a french series and look at this lovely lady out here. hello. >> she's waving at you. >> she didn't see you flip the bird a few minutes ago. >> my hand did that. i have no control. >> i know. it was muscle memory. so it was called "the bureau," it was a french show -- >> a wonderful show. five, six or seven years or something like that. it was a date night, me and my wife watching that. so when they approached me to do this i was, like, oh, i haven't done that before, but i love the show. very well written and set in london, and the london office of the cia controls europe, the middle east, africa. it's a big office, probably the

biggest outside of langley. so the swipt cript with a wonde cast and michael fastbender, it's really about him and jeffrey wright and me. >> dominic west is in there. >> dominic west is terrific. also -- god, what's his name? hugh bonneville. >> from "downton abby". >> and we shot it like a movie. >> we talk about tv, this is not our grandfather's tv. this tv are like movies. >> it's all movie directors, movie actors and the schedule is like a movie schedule you will. >> yeah. >> it feels the same to me. >> you know, it's almost the 35th anniversary of "pretty woman" to all of you celebrating. >> when this came up yesterday, i'd forgotten. >> i did not know of your musical past. >> by the way, it's really nice seeing you. i haven't seen you in a long time, and i always really liked

you and so i'm very happy to be sitting with you again. >> you know what? you're so nice because i was thinking the same about you this morning. i was, like, i love richard gere. he's one of our favorite guests around here. we even prepared a montage of past appearances. do you want to see it? >> are you kidding? >> no. do you want to see it? >> it's cold, it's frigid, wherever you are it will be good and bad at the same time. >> sunday! >> savannah, is this the way the segment goes? i throw to you and you guys read the paper on television. >> this segment, i find it to be very interesting. >> holding you hostage, apparently. come on, richard! >> here for two hours! >> i -- do you remember that? we made you do 800 teases. >> i wouldn't leave. no, i was late i think is what happened that morning and i came right out of bed from the hotel, and i ran over here, and i was still in this crazy state. >> oh, we were on.

>> you did the weather and you did sunday, sunday. >> we read the paper for a while and hung out. >> i have fond, fond memories. i was going to say about "pretty woman" you improvised that piano scene. i had no idea of this musical background you have. >> it came from gary marshall is really the heart and soul of that movie. it comes from him. he's the director and all of the jokes are from him. julia and i would go -- this good, but do you have another one and he'd come up with ten jokes like this. yeah, let me try that one, and we'd do that one. >> but gary was -- my character needed some help just to make it a little more interesting, and more in-depth. what are you doing here in the total, and i said i'm an actor so i'm always in hotels. i'm jet lagged and i found a piano and no one's there, it's the guy sweeping the floor and me. >> he said let's do something

with that. we just made a scene. >> and you composed the piece. >> i just improvised. >> people expect me to be able to play that again and i don't know. >> you were just riffing. >> just played. yeah. >> and the rest is history. >> so good to see you. >> this is too short. i want to talk to you more. i know it's not allowed, but -- >> we'll do it without the cameras. >> get the newspaper. >> let's hang out. do you want to do more teases? we can do weather and maybe a cooking segment. >> i have another show to do. >> i'm sorry. >> and you're moving to spain. >> you, your wife and little ones are moving to spain. >> my wife is spanish and we're going there for her family, her friends, her culture and the kids are bilingual so it's really going to be great for them. >> and then you'll become bilingual hopefully. >> perfect. yeah. you come to spain and we'll do the whole show in spanish. >> i would love to. challenge accepted.

>> who do we talk to? >> you're the boss. >> i am not the boss. thank you so much. it looks incredible. everyone says it's terrific. i haven't seen it. >> "the agency" you will see it tomorrow night the premier and it premiers on -- >> up next, melissa garcia is here and we have festive looks to take you through the holiday

we are grocery outlet and we are your bargain bliss market what is bargain bliss? prices are too high, but grocery outlet has the name brands you love for way way less. that's bargain bliss. this thanksgiving budgets are stretched tight, so we are giving you a little extra help this season.

$3.99 for a jennie-o 14 to 16 lb. turkey. when you spend $35. head to your neighborhood grocery outlet today because this offer is available only while supplies last. with the holiday season upon us, we have a shop this list full of elevated fashion and accessories to get you ready for the festive parties and family gatherings. style expert melissa garcia is here to help make us shine. all of the products are from target or target. you can shop by scanning the qr

code in the bottom of the screen. melissa, good morning. >> good morning. >> you look fantastic. >> thank you so much. >> outerwear. >> we'll start with outerwear. everything today is 70 and under. affordable price points. i fell in love with this jacket. a double-breasted jacket. it has satin lapel, fully lined and incredible quality. this is the perfect holiday coat. clearly, you can dress it down with jeans and wear this over your dresses and suits for your holiday season. this is a must. it comes in extra extra small to 4x. really great. >> speaking of dresses. >> target did this in the summer. women went crazy over this and now they made a winter version. so this is the winter holiday version and it has a longer sleeve. it's really well fitting, no zippers, no snaps and no buttons. it just goes over your head, super comfortable. dress this up with earrings. >> soft, too. >> super soft. dress it down. it has pockets which women love. >> this is my favorite so far.

>> i have a sweater like this. >> lindsay, this might be coming home. >> statement sweaters are great because if you don't love pops of color, you don't love bling, texture is a really good way to add some elevated style to your outfits. this is a great sweater. it comes in extra extra small through 4x and it comes in multiple colors and we paired it with a great, textured pant. >> this is a heavy weight satin. >> i like the pleats. >> it's a really nice, pleated pant. great length and for women, we can wear it with a flat or a heel. >> accessories. >> women need the perfect shoe. >> oh, i know. i've heard, girl. >> they have a nice kitten heel. so these you can wear all day at the office and wear them out to holiday party, dinner, drinks and you'll still be comfortable, and it's only a 1 1/2" heel and lots of sizes, 5 1/2 to 12 and certainly something for everyone and it goes with everything.

>> it's a kitten heel. >> look at you. you better pull that one out one day. >> i'm a sucker for a headband. >> these are amazing. about $10 from target. embellished and you can transform your entire outfit. if you can wear a basic black outfit, pop on a festive headband and the whole look is completely transformed and an affordable option, a lot of bang for your buck. >> well done, melissa garcia. >> everything under 70 bucks. >> under $70. >> scan the qr code or visit today.com/shop the list and "today" does make a commission on things purchased through the link.

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.

♪ honeybaked, how it glistens. ♪ ♪ mac and cheese, so delicious. ♪ ♪ sweet potato souffle. ♪ ♪ ham and turkey, hooray. ♪ ♪ feasting on some honeybaked all day. ♪ every bite is a celebration with the honey baked ham company. i just think that a lot of people might rather hear about the titanic, you know?

>> oh, my god. okay. wow. fine. you want to do this? let's do this. first of all, you came to where i live and you hit me! [ laughter ] >> we're back with bowen yang, the emmy nominee has been making us laugh for seven seasons on snl. he chats all things pop culture as the co-host of his hit podcast and you can see bowen on the big screen in "wicked." he's a sharp-witted student and there might be one classmate who can leave him speechless. take a look. ♪ ♪ >> here often? >> can i ask you? >> anything. anything you want. >> just to move out of the way. >> yeah. >> bowen. >> hello! >> everything's happening right now with you. >> what's going on? >> what's going on? can i ask? is this the chair that cher sat in? >> that is cher's chair.

>> wait, is this for real? >> 100. no, she sat right here. it may have been this one, maybe we switched them. she's amazing. >> that was incredible. >> but can we talk about you for a second? >> sure. >> me, savannah, and i was sitting in between those two ladies, whenever you popped up on the screen we just, like, burst out laughing. you stole the scenes. tell us about how you wound up in this cast? >> i just was friends with john, the director, and i facetimed him one day when they announced he was the director, and i said can i please be, at least, like a flying monkey or a guard at emerald city and he said we'll work something out. >> bye. >> bye. he totally shrugged me off and suddenly i'm in it. it's crazy. >> you are on snl and you can't be shooting movies while doing snl. however, you have a fairy godmother who helped you. tell me what happened there.

>> my fairy godmother is three years younger than me and it's ariana. >> ariana called up lorne and within reason, he said you can't miss shows. i am so sorry. i totally get it. i mourned that loss. >> she called him. >> and they have such a beautiful relationship with each other and i can't believe it happened. >> where was all this shot? >> this was all in london, i just got back there yesterday. i was flying back and forth, until we invent teleportation, jet lag will always get us. >> the lines just land, every one lands. >> some of these lines are ad libbed and -- >> yes. >> which one? just give me one. >> gosh, there's one where i say she needs a pastry. i was, like -- she needs a pastry! i don't know, do they have pastries in oz? >> i don't know. >> you'll know when you see

it -- you see a line, i don't see color. >> that was -- >> ugh! >> this was epic. they're selling merch everywhere, people are dressing up. this is a whole to do. >> it's wild! we felt like we were shooting a student film. it was so intimate and cozy. >> was it really? >> yes. you never know when you're making something, you never know how this is going to be received, but we were so happy with the response. >> i am so, so happy for you. >> snl is turning 50. >> yes. >> the 50th. >> it's big. >> it's big. what's happening with that? >> we really don't know what's going on. there will be the special in february. a big concert on friday night and on saturday it will be standing room only and no plus ones. no plus ones except alec baldwin because he has so many kids and that's the only one. >> that's the only one. do you, like, pause for a second

in the middle of this whole flurry of "wicked," of snl and your podcast and all of these things happening and ask yourself how did this happen? how am i here? and do you take time to take it in. >> no, i really don't except just now when you were asking me during the break. this is crazy. my first appearance on the show was with matt when we were starting the podcast and now here we are and it's really, really surreal. >> by the way, quickly, how is the podcast going with meg rogers? >> it's great. it's wonderful. we are always so happy to honor you, jenna and the show every year at the culture awards. come next time, please! >> i know, we didn't show up. >> can we still win even if i'm not there? >> yes, you're always a winner. >> bowen, you will come back and visit with me and jenna in the fourth hour and we are happy that you came and congratulations on everything, man. you're hitting it. >> thank you. >> "wicked" from our sister company universal pictures hits theaters on friday and we are back after our local news, and i

love you, too. >> love you! i'm meteorologist kari hall. we are under a microclimate weather alert as we track this very powerful storm moving into the bay area. the north bay has been the area that we've mainly been focused on for the heaviest rainfall. although we are starting to see some rain moving into san francisco, parts of the peninsula, into the east bay. we're seeing the bright yellows and reds showing the most intense rainfall moving through marin, napa and sonoma counties. and that will be the case as we go throughout the day. off and on. rain will continue and the impact of flooding as well as high wind will continue to add up as this atmospheric river stays over the bay area for the next few days. get the latest on

e nbcth b