lower protections for workers, lower protections for the environment. that kind of agreement would obviously exclude u.s. workers and businesses and access to those markets. so for all those reasons, i believe that tpp is a plus for america's economy, america's workers, american jobs. i think not moving forward with undermine our position across the region and our ability to shake the rules of global trade in a way that reflects our interest and our values. finally, our cooperation with apec has been critical to our historic progress fighting climate change. bringing the paris agreement into force, agreeing to limit aviation emissions, phasing out dangerous hsc, fossil fuels and countries made new commitments doubling our renewable energy over the next two decades. so as i wrap up my last summit

and likely my last foreign trip as president, i could not be more proud of the progress that we've made together. obviously the work is never done. given the prosperity and security we seek for not only the united states but our allies and our partners, i continue to believe that america will have a vital role to play in creating and sustaining a strong, enduring leadership role in the asia-pacific. so with that, let me take some questions and i'll start with darlene supperville, ap. >> thank you, mr. president. you've been telling world leaders this week that president-elect trump is unlikely to govern in the divisive way that he campaigned. i'm wondering how can you be so certain of that given that the first group of people he's chosen for top national security

and law enforcement positions hold the same views he espoused as a candidate. second, to follow up on your meeting earlier today with president putin, did you discuss with him russia's alleged meddling in the u.s. election? are you concerned the kind of involvement we saw in this year's campaign will be the new normal going forward in future u.s. elections? >> well, that i have said to world leaders is the same thing i've said in a number of press conferences, which is the president-elect now has to put together a team and put forward specifics about how he intends to govern. he hasn't had a full opportunity to do that yet, so people should take a wait and see approach in how much his policy proposals once in the white house, won he is sworn in matches up with some

of the rhetoric of his campaign. my simple point is that you can't assume that the language of campaigning matches up with the specifics of governing legislation, regulations and foreign policy. i can't be sure of anything. i think like everyone else, we'll have to wait and see. but as i've said before, once you're in the oval office, once you begin interacting with world leaders, once you see the complexities of the issues, that has a way of shaping your thinking, in some cases modifying your thinking because you recognize this solemn responsibility not only to the american people but the solemn

responsibility that america has as the largest, most powerful country in the world. i can't guarantee that the president-elect won't pursue the positions that he's taken, but what i can guarantee is that reality will force him to adjust how he approaches many of these issues. that's just the way this office wor works. i've said before, if these issues were easy, if ensuring prosperity, jobs, security, good foreign relying wall street other countries, if all that was

simple, then it would have been done by every previous president. i'm a pretty good presidential historian. i've looked at my 43 predecessors. seems like for all of them, even the best ones, that you end up confronting realities that you didn't anticipate. i think the same will happen here an that's a good thing. that's an important thing. with respect to president putin, i didn't have a meeting. we talked briefly while we were in between sessions, and the conversation i had with him was consistent with the conversations i've had with him over the previous several months, indicating to him that we are still deeply concerned about the blood shed and chaos

that's being sewn by cob assistant bombing attacks by assad and the russian military against populations in aleppo and the need for us to arrive first at some sort of humanitarian cease-fire and begin moving towards a political transition of some sort. and i talked to him about ukraine and the needs for us to get done. i instructed him to encourage his negotiators to work with our selves, france, germany, ukraine to see if we can get that done before my term is up. as usual, it was a candid and courteous meeting but very clear about the strong differences we have on policy. the issues of the elections did not come up, because that's

behind us and i was focused in this brief discussion on moving forward. i had already made very clear to him our concerns around cyber attacks generally, as well as specific concerns we had surrounding the dnc hack. i don't think this will be the norm. but as i've said before, the concern i have has less to do with any particular misinformation or propaganda that's being put out by any particular party and a greater concern about the general misinformation from all kinds of sources, domestic, foreign, on social media that make it very

difficult to voters -- for voters to figure out what's true and what's not. let me put it this way, i think if we have a strong, accurate, and responsible press, and we have a strong civic culture and an engaged citizenry, then various attempts to meddle in elections won't mean much. if generally we've got elections that aren't focused on issues and are full of fake news and false information and distractions, then the issue is not going to be what's happening from the outside, the issue is going to be what are we doing to our selves from the inside.

the good news is, that's something we have control over. gardner harris. >> mr. president, thanks so much for holding this press conference. if you had hotels, real estate and other businesses distributed around the world prior to becoming president, would you have thought it appropriate to sell them off and put the cash proceeds in a blind trust, or is it okay for the president of the united states to be personally vulnerable to the policy decisions of the foreign leaders he meets and in the foreign policy decisions he makes as president? and also, just briefly, what's your complaint about how the nsa and cyber command have done their job and are you considering firing admiral mike rogers? >> that was a rhetorical question that first one. >> i'm hoping you'll give some sense of -- >> rather than comment on

hypotheticals, let me say specifically what i did. obviously my assets were significantly smaller than some other presidents or president-elects, but we made a decision to liquidate assets that might raise questions about how it would influence policy. i basically had our accountant put all our money in treasury bills. the yields, by the way, have not been massive over the course of the last eight years. just because it simplified my life. i did not have to worry about the complexities of whether a decision i made might even inadvertently benefit me.

that's consistent with the broader approach we've taken throughout my administration, which is to not just meet the letter of the law but to go well beyond the letter to the spirit of the law. not just for me but for the people in the white house and in our leadership positions. we have established a whole set of rules, norms, play books that keep us far away from the line. early on in the administration, there would be questions about could a staff person go to this conference, or what should they do about this gift that was provided. i think it was maybe our first

general counsel who was responsible for setting up our guidelines and rules inside the white house that said, if it sounds like it would fun, then you can't do it. that's a general test. if it sounds like something you would enjoy or appreciate, no-go. and as a consequence, and i'll knock on some wood here, because we've got two months left, i'm extremely proud of the fact that over eight years we have not had the kinds of scandals that have plagued other administrations. and when i met with the president-elect, i suggested to him that having a strong white house counsel that could provide clear guide posts and rules would benefit him and benefit his team, because it would eliminate a lot of ambiguity.

i think it will be up to him to make determinations about how he wants to approach it. i know what works for us. i know it served the american people well. because i had made a promise to the american people that i would not fall into some of the familiar habits of washington, that i wanted a new kind of politics, this was one indicator. at the end of eight years, i think i can say to the american people, i delivered on that commitment. with respect to cyber, the nsa, admiral rogers is a terrific patriot and has served this country well in a number of positions. i generally don't comment on personnel matters here. i can say generally that we've spent a lot of time over the last several years looking at how we can organize our cyber

efforts to keep pace with how rapidly the environment is changing. you know, increasingly our critical infrastructure, government data, financial systems are vulnerable to attack. both state and nonstate actors are getting better and better at it, and it is becoming more and more rapid. and it is inevitable that we're going to have to modernize and update not just the tools we use to defend those assets and the american people, but also how we organize it. it is true that we are exploring a range of options in terms of how we organize the mission that

currently exists. >> good evening, and thank you, mr. president. earlier this year, former president george w. bush said he warned he would be the last republican president. now republicans have won the white house, control the house and senate, two-thirds of state legislates, 34 governorships and shallow democratic bench behind you. are you worried you could be the last democratic president for a while? secondly, speaking of your predecessor, he made sure to offer essentially no public criticism of you during your time in office. will you equally withhold public criticism for president trump even if he attempts to dismantle much of what you've accomplished? >> well, no, i'm not worried about being the last democratic president, not even for a while.

and i say that not being cute. the democratic nominee won the popular vote. obviously this was an extremely competitive race. i would expect that future races will be competitive as well. i certainly think it's true that politics in america right now are a little up for grabs. some of the old alignments within both parties, democrat and republican, are being reshaped. although the results of this election involved some of the specifics of the candidates and aren't going to be duplicated in every subsequent election, democrats do have to do some thinking about how do we make

sure that the message we have is received effectively and results in winning elections. this is something i've been wrestling with throughout my presidency. when you look at the proposals i put forward, they garner majority support. the majority believes in raising the minimum wage. the majority believes in common sense gun safety rules. the majority believes in investing to rebuild our infrastructure and create jobs. the majority believes in making sure that people aren't going bankrupt when they get sick. the majority agrees with all the individual components of obama care. i think there was a gallup poll this week subsequent to the election that showed that the general public has a more favorable view of democrats than republicans.

and as i noted, my approval ratings are quite high. and yet, what's been true during the course of my eight years is that does not always translate -- in fact, too often it hasn't translated into working majorities, either at the state level or federal level. now some of that is just the nature of our system and geography. as long as wyoming gets the same number of senators as california, there's going to be some tilt towards republicans when it comes to congressional races. the fact that a lot of democratic voters are bunched up in big cities and a lot of republican voters are spread out across geography gives them an

advantage when it comes to congressional races. some of it is just political bad luck. for example, i came in as an economy was in free fall. although we took the right steps to save the economy, in my midterm election 2010, people couldn't yet see the recovery. not surprisingly the president's party got punished. we lost control of a lot of not just congressional seats but gubernatorial seats and state legislative seats. that happened to be the year the census is done and you start doing redistricting and those republicans took advantage of political gerrymandering to lock in majorities even though in numerous subsequent elections democrats have actually cast more votes or more votes have been cast for democratic congressional candidates than republican. yet you end up having large republican majorities.

there's just some structural problems that we have to deal with. but look, you can't make excuses about the rules. that's the deal and we've got to do better. i think doing better, as i said, involves us working at the grassroots, not ceding territory. going out into areas where right now we might not stand a chance of winning but we're building up a cadre of young talent. we're making arguments. we're persuading. we're talking about the things that matter to ordinary people day to day and trying to avoid some of the constant distractions that fill up people's twitter accounts. and if we do that, i'm confident that we'll be back on track.

i don't think there has to be a complete overhaul here. i think there does have to be better organization, a smarter message. and one message i do have for democrats is that a strategy that's just microtargeting particular discreet groups in a democratic coalition sometimes will win you elections but it's not going to win you the broad mandate that you need. ultimately the more we can talk about what we have in common as a nation and speak to a broad set of values, a vision that speaks to everybody and not just one group at a time, the better off we're going to be. i think that's part of the reason why i was able to get

elected twice is that i always tried to make sure that not only in proposals but also in message, that i was speaking to everybody. you had a second part to your question? [ inaudible ]. >> i said before, president bush could not have been more gracious to me when i came in. my intending is certainly for the next two months just finish my job. and then after that to take michelle on vacation, get some rest, spend time with my girls and do some writing, do some thinking. so i want to be respectful of the office and give the president-elect and opportunity

to put forward his platform and his arguments without somebody popping off in every instance. as an american citizen who cares deeply about our country, if there are issues that have less to do with the specifics of some legislative proposal or battle, but go to core questions about our values and our ideals, and if i think that it's necessary or helpful for me to defend those ideals, then i'll examine it when it comes. but what i do know is that i have to take michelle on vacation.

juliette. >> thanks, mr. president. given what you just said about the strong differences that you and president putin have on the future of syria and the conflict there, can you talk a little about how you see that unfolding at the beginning of your tenure, the beginning of donald trump's. islamic state in eastern syria and western iraq, we may be allowing a permanent al qaeda safe haven around aleppo. on alep okay, can you say to what extent you think the united states has fulfilled its responsibility to protect in that instance? in terms of finishing your job, which you just mentioned, last week you exercised your executive authority on multiple front, oil and gas, leasing rules, public lands as well as issuing a five-year leasing plan

banning drilling in the antarctic and atlantic. many republicans say you should hold off finalizing rules as you're heading out the door because they oppose them and will overrule them when they hold legislative branch next year. what do you say to that question? >> on the second question, these are the same republicans who suggested they didn't need to confirm a supreme court justice when i was nine months out until the next election. i think their general approach seems to be that probably two days after my re-election i should stop until the next election. i don't think that's what the constitution calls for. the regulations that we have issued are ones we've been working on for a very long time.

they have been subject to extensive public notice and comment and everybody has been out there. these are not things we've been surprising people with. they are well considered, the right thing to do, part of my task of finishing my work. i recognize when the new administration comes in and a new congress comes in, that they will have the option of trying to undo some of those rules and regulations that we put in place. that's their prerogative. that's part of how democracy works. but i feel very strongly these are the right things to do and i'm going to make sure i do them. with respect to syria, as i said i think even on this trip in a previous press conference, i am not optimistic about the short-term prospects in syria.

once russia and iran made a decision to back assad in a brutal air campaign and essentially a pacification of aleppo, regardless of the civilian casualties, children being killed, schools or hospitals being destroyed, then it was very hard to see a way in which even a trained and committed moderate opposition could hold its ground for long periods of time. and the issue that obviously

i've wrestled with for the last five years, how involved should the united states be, what are legal constraints in such involvement, what are moral obligations, what are strategic interests, those haven't changed. i continue to believe that we did not have a legal basis for military intervention there, that it would have been a strategic mistake given the work we still had to do in iraq, the isil campaign, ongoing operat n operations in afghanistan that we have worked tirelessly to arrive at political transition of some sort and that could alleviate the suffering and provide humanitarian access. and we will continue to do that work all the way until the last

day that me and john kerry and others have the authority to speak for the united states government. but ultimately it takes two, or in this case four or six or eight to tango. and we're just not getting help or interest from those parties that are supporting assad, and assad as a consequence has been emboldened. look, this is a man who has decided that destroying his country, turning it to rubble and seeing its population scattered or killed was worth it for him to cling to power, when he had the option to peacefully engage in a transition that could have kept the country intact. that's his mentality. that's not a mentality we

support. that's a mentality that the russians and iranians have been willing to support. but at this stage we're going to need to have a change in how all parties think about this in order for us to end the situation there. now our ability to go after isil, i think, can be sustained. there's no doubt there will continue to be extremist forces in and around syria because it's going to be in chaos for quite sometime. there will be elements in iraq, just as there have been elements in afghanistan even after the taliban were swept out, even after we killed bin laden. but i think we can effectively

reduce the risk and take their key external operators off the field. the thing i'm probably most concerned about is making sure that even as we do that, u.s. policy, u.s. statements, u.s. positions don't further radicalize muslims around the world or alienate or potentially radicalize law abiding muslims who are living in europe or the united states. and that's why i think it's important for us to think those are our key allies in this fight, not enemies. mike. >> thank you, mr. president. this final foreign trip of your

presidency is obviously playing out in very different circumstances than you might have expected, a very different transition is under way than one you might have envisioned. given that, i wonder if you intentionally sought to approach this trip reflecting more on the powers and influence of the presidency on the world stage so that you might be able to offer the kind of counsel to your successor he has said he hopes to draw upon. also on a political note you talked obvious during your re-election campaign about this fever that had consumed the republican party, an effective strategy to block you even if there were issues with common ground. what is your advice to democrats who see that kind of strategy as the same kind of path taking back power republicans employed. related to that, what would your advice be to house democrats whether or not to re-elect nancy pelosi as the party leader in the house? >> i'll work in reverse.

i think nancy pelosi is an outstanding and historic political leader. so much of what we accomplished was accomplished because of her smarts, her tenacity, her legislative skill and i don't normally meddle with pumping votes, certainly on my way out the door i shouldn't meddle here, but i cannot speak highly enough of nancy pelosi. she combines strong progressive values with just extraordinary political skill. she does stuff that's tough, not just stuff that's easy. she's done stuff that's unpopular in her own base

because it's the right thing to do for the american people. i think she's a remarkable leader. with respect to democrats and republicans and how democrats should deal with a new administration, i think you give them a hearing. i certainly don't want them to do what mitch mcconnell did when i was elected, meet the day of and say our sole objective is to not cooperate with them on anything, even if the country is about to go into a depression, so that we can gain seats in the midterms and ultimately defeat them. that's not why the american people send us to washington to play those games. so that's not my advice to democrats. my advice to democrats is know what you care about and what you stand for and fight for your

principles even if it's a hard fight. if there are areas where the new administration is doing something that's going to be good for the american people, find a way to work with them. if you think it's going to be a problem, then say so and make the argument. the touch stone is what's good for the american people. and that's worked for me. it means that at the end of the day and at the end of eight years i can look back and say that i consistently did what i thought was best. doesn't mean you don't make mistakes but it means you're being true to your oath and the commitments you made to the people who elected you.

in terms of reflecting on the u.s. presidency as i've been traveling, i think the main reflection i have and the main advice that i give to the incoming president is the united states really is an indispensable nation in our world order. i say that as somebody who has gone out of his way to express respect for every country and its people and to consistently acknowledge that the many of the challenges we face are not challenges america can solve on its own. but what i also know is that the basic framework of the world

order coming out of world war ii and then on through the end of the cold war was shaped by a set of ideals and principles that have worked for the vast majority of people, not just america but around the world. the notion of democracy and rule of law and a free press and independent judiciary and open markets and a social welfare state to moderate some of the sharp edges of capitalism. and you know, lifting up issues of human rights and investing in public health and development not just within our own borders

but elsewhere in the world. and working with multi-lateral institutions like the united nations. making sure we're upholding international norms and rules. that's what's made the modern world. and there have been times where we our selves have not observed some of these norms as well as we should and have been accused of hypocrisy here in latin america. there have been times when countries felt disrespected and on occasion had cause for that. there are times where we haven't observed these values in our own country and have fallen short of our ideals, but that basic structure is the reason why the world is much wealthier, much more secure. and yes, less violent, better

educated, more tolerant than it was 50 years ago. and that requires constant work. it doesn't just happen on its own. i've said this in europe. i've said it in places where there's this pushback against this modern order. but you take an example like europe, before this order was imposed, we had two world wars in the span of 30 years. in the second one 60 million people were killed. not half a million, not a million, but 60 million. entire continents in rubble. in places like the asia-pacific, before that order existed, you routinely saw famines of millions of people.

not just concerns about low wages but people dying because they didn't have any food or drinking water or died of cholera or simple diseases if somebody had some penicillin. what i would say would be that we all share responsibilities for improving that order and maintaining it and making sure it's more inclusive and delivers greater hope and prosperity for more corners of the world. we all have responsibilities, every nation, in respecting the dignity and worth of their citizens and america can't do it all for everybody else.

there are limits to our reach into other countries if they are determined to oppress their people or not provide girls education or siphon off development funds into swiss bank accounts because they are corrupt, we're not going to be able to handle every problem. but the american president and the united states of america, if we're not on the side of what's right, if we're not making the argument and fighting for it, even if sometimes we're not able to deliver it 100% everywhere, then it collapses. there's nobody to fill the void. there really isn't. there are other very important countries, like a china, where if it weren't for china's

cooperation we couldn't have gotten the paris agreement done. but china is not the one who was going around organizing 200 nations to sign on to a paris agreement, or putting together the paper and the policy outlines and conceptual framework. russia is a very significant military power. but they are not worrying right now about how to rebuild after a hurricane in haiti. we are. as i said before, that's a burden that we should carry proudly. and i would hope that not just the 45th president of the united states but every president of the united states understands that that's not only a burden but it's an extraordinary

privilege. if you have a chance to do that right, then you should seize it. all right? thank you, everybody. [ applause ] >> president barack obama imlima, peru, 6:43 p.m. we're here in new york city at msnbc world headquarters watching as president obama on his final foreign trip as u.s. president of the united states -- as president of the united states. he's giving his final address before we believe him heading to air force one and taking that seven hour or so trip back to washington, d.c. you can see the press there. they were gathered, not all being able to ask questions but certainly president obama spending the better part of an hour covering many, many topics,

following the president is nbc's ron allen. ron, he really did cover many, many topics. but i guess if there was one thing we can take away from this are sort of these broad brush strokes of his perspective on the world, his perspective of what america means to the world and the relationship that the world has with various countries, especially the united states. >> exactly, richard. the final answer was a broad sweeping statement about the need and importance of american leadership in the world and the role the president of the united states especially plays in leading the world and upholding democratic values and creating prosperity and solving crisis throughout the world. you're right. he covered a lot of ground, a lot of very tough questions particularly about the new incoming administration of donald trump. the president again refused to be critical of donald trump. he was asked about top level appointments that happened already that have gotten a lot

of attention. the president again saying as he has over the past few days during this foreign trip to give the president-elect some time. he's not going to make judgments immediately and that he's going to give some space to see if, in fact, some of the things on the campaign trail and the policies he talked about actually come to fruition. the president said there is a mediating, a heavy pull that the office itself has that moderates people's views. essentially they confront reality, the case of his 43 predessors and the case for donald trump when he comes into office. he says he cannot guarantee what a president trump will or will not do. an interesting question about assets and whether essentially president-elect trump should put his real estate holdings in a blind trust. president said much different case when i came to office. we basically tried to steer clear of any conflicts. one of the things he's very proud of, during his eight years in office, there have been no scandals. >> ron allen, thank you so much.

live in lima, peru, traveling with the president. we were just watching a 50 minute news conference with president obama. now back to regular programming. aaa says nearly 5,000 people die on u.s. roads each year in accidents like this. drivers who are less alert react more slowly and even fall asleep. >> drowsy driving are just as dangerous as drunk driving. both impair your ability to multi-task which is important to driving. >> could our need to keep going be putting lives in danger. a taxi owner catches his employee nodding off for just a second.

could this have been avoided? true or false? caffeinated beverages and energy drinks will keep you awake while driving. the answer is false. >> caffeine may be a short fix, but the best thing you can do is plan ahead, get that good sleep before you start driving or find an alternative like a ride share or friend to drive for you. >> experts say tired drivers experience something called microsleeps. most of us call it spacing out. no amount of caffeine can stop it. monday morning in union town, pennsylvania, co-workers casey and kevin are out on a delivery when they spot a white suv driving erratically. >> still swerving. all along the road. >> my first initial thoughts that i had was that i hope that she's not under the influence of anything. and if she is, i hope she pulls over. i actually got my phone out and started recording because it just made me really nervous and i wanted to get it on camera in

case anything bad happened. >> i don't know if they're drunk or what's going on. >> i actually had kevin, which was the driver, i told him to make the phone call to call 911. >> you notice a car repeatedly swerving. you've already called 911. your next step should be to, a, pass the car so that you can alert oncoming drivers up ahead. b, get close enough to signal the driver with a honk or flashing lights. or c, slow down and follow at a distance. >> we were trying to honk the horn at her, but she was in her own little zone. and she was nonresponsive to anybody. and other cars were honking their horns at her and she was just driving, trying to get to her destination, i guess. >> option b is the wrong decision. at best, it won't work. at worst -- >> by getting closer to that vehicle, you risk the chance of them doing something that you're

not able to react in time to and yourself getting in an accident. >> the suv stops at a light. it seems like the perfect chance to pull ahead and alert other drivers. but if you choose a, you never -- pass the driver, you're flirting with disaster. experts say you never want to pass someone driving erratically. they could make a sudden move and crash into you. >> the most important thing if you do see an erratic driver is to just keep that distance. >> the correct answer is, c, slow down and stay back. the farther the better. >> this erratic driver hits close to 50 miles per hour. the car veers into the opposite lane forcing a truck onto the shoulder. then the driver slows down and hits the left turn signal. casey and kevin finally think they're out of danger. >> i knew it was coming. >> are you okay?

>> i'm fine. i'm fine. i'm fine. >> my adrenaline was pumping so fast and so much that i didn't feel anything, and the only thing i could think of was to get out of the truck and make sure everybody else was okay. >> turns out the erratic driver had just come off the overnight shift. casey and kevin are both treated for whiplash and the other driver survived with undisclosed injuries. experts offer these tips to stop drowsy driving. don't drive if you're tired. pull off and take a nap or have another plan to get home. if you see a driver acting erratically, call 911 immediately. keep a safe distance between yourself and other vehicles. >> if you're tired and driving, first and foremost, you shouldn't drive. the consequences are going be dire. >> for anybody who is on the road and they feel like they're tired in any way, shape, or

form, stop and re-evaluate your situation because you're not only putting your life in jeopardy but you're also putting other people's lives in jeopardy. >> it knew it was coming. think fast. your next split second decision may be the most explosive yet. . a body without proper foot support can mean pain. the dr. scholl's kiosk maps your feet and recommends our custom fit orthotic to stabilize your foundation and relieve lower-back, knee or foot pain from being on your feet. find your nearest kiosk at drscholls.com. also available from dr. scholl's: heavy duty support for lower back pain, lightens the impact of every step.

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so-called hover boards are the newest way to scoot around the neighborhood. but this popular gadget is literally exploding across the country. the consumer products safety commission recorded at least 60 hover board fires between november 2015 and july 2016. they all have one thing in common. >> everything uses lithium ion battery because they can take a charge. they don't really build up a memory to a charge.

>> true or false? lithium ion batteries need a full 100% charge to work properly. the answer is false and here's why. traditional batteries die a little bit every time you use them. and if the charge drops below 50%, you might as well just throw them away because they're not going to recover. lithium ion batteries use the same amount of energy whether you have 80% or 10% power and you don't have to fully recharge them every time. just get what you need and go. but longer battery life comes with risks because the liquid inside the batteries is highly flammable. in china, a woman's smartphone explodes while she's charging the battery. and in this kentucky gas station, a man's e-cigarette catches fire in his pocket. the problem is the batteries can overheat, then detonate shooting potentially dangerous debris in all directions.

thankfully not all lithium ion batteries are created equal and consumers can protect themselves by looking for the underwriters laboratory or ul label. they've tested lithium ion batteries and created safety standards for thousands of products, and they post the results on their website. so if they haven't tested it, you shouldn't buy the product. even a ul label doesn't guarantee a product is safe. in september 2016, samsung voluntarily recalled the galaxy note 7 after lithium ion batteries caught fire for some users. timothy, a self-described gadget guy, is about to have his own dangerously charged encounter right outside his front door. >> hover board is on fire. what is going on, dude? it was such a small fire at the time. i thought when it happened, when it was going on, i thought i can get this myself. >> i would suggest you call 911 in case anything happens because it could spread.

>> your battery powered device is on fire. your first step is to call 911, but what should you do next? a, use a fire extinguisher. b, pour water on it. or c, smother it with baking soda. >> when the fire happened, i panicked. i yelled for my mom. we tried to smother it with baking soda. as soon as i put the baking soda on it, it sounded like it just ignited it. >> baking soda is a common way to stop a grease fire in your kitchen, but it is not even the best way. our experts recommend you stop that fire with a lid. c is the wrong option. suddenly the situation escalates with dangerous consequences. >> in the video we only see that one shoot out, but i found like four or five batteries scattered.

>> when you're dealing with flammable liquids under pressure, you have no idea what's going to happen. it can go this way. it can go that way. it can explode. it can just off gas. there's all kinds of things that can happen. >> when the battery started shooting out of it, one shot out and it shot directly over the top of my sneakers and it burned my shoes. like melted them. >> timothy grabs water and pours it onto the hover board. it works. the fire is out, but was that really the best decision? >> water is not a good idea because you're dealing with electronics. if you get water on it, then you're going to be dealing with possibly getting shocked. >> after calling 911, your next step should be to grab a fire extinguisher. >> that's why the extinguisher is there, for civilians to actually use them. >> i didn't know what to do, i didn't know what was going on. i just thought fire, water. >> the fire is out, but timothy is staring at an unstable situation, so he doesn't have

any time to waste. your lithium battery device is damaged beyond repair. how do you dispose of it? do you, a, take it to a recycling center, b, call the fire department, or c, return it to the store or the manufacturer? >> these are electronics. we don't just throw electronics away. they have to be disposed of properly. >> notify the seller but don't send it back. in fact, don't handle it at all, as the device could reignite. the correct answer is, b, call the fire department. >> unless you're trained how to handle such a fire and know exactly what you're dealing with, i would let someone that actually knows what they're doing deal with it. >> but if you do find yourself battling an exploding battery, experts offer the following tips to minimize the damage. call 911. use your fire extinguisher. give it to the fire department for safe disposal. before you buy a device, look for the ul label.

it means the product has passed strict u.s. inspections. advances in battery technology make it easier than ever to communicate, travel, and grab a quick nicotine fix. but experts want you to be aware of the dangers and mindful of your personal safety xxxx life can turn terrifying in an instant. you're locked in a high-speed battle with a raging driver. >> he's like next to me at 100 miles per hour. >> a deadly tornado takes aim at your house. >> we are in it! >> an avalanche of humanity threatens to bury you alive. even ordinary routines can become struggles to stay alive. survival is not a game. but you do need a game plan. you've got multiple options, but only seconds to choose. what will be your split second decision?