good morning. breaking news. discharged. those two american ebola patients, kent brantly and nancy have been released from the hospital. nbc news has learned brantly wimorning. failed rescue attempt inside the operation to save james foley who was brutally executed by isis as details emerge that his captors pressed the u.s. for a $100 million ransom. late summer sizzle. temperatures soaring into the 90s from the deep south to minnesota. ushering in a threat of dangerous storms. and baby boom. a week after savannah revealed vale to the world, we have more happy news, this time from carson.

we'll talk to him about his new bundle of joy today, thursday, august 21st, 2014. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> and good morning. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. i'm matt lauer alongside tamron hall, al roker and natalie morales. savannah enjoying time with vale. and carson has welcomed little london rose into the world. how cute is that? i think a lot of people expected this to happen last week. it was a little late. london rose goes right into second grade, which is fantastic. anyway, congratulations. we're going to hear from carson a little later on. >> very exciting. meanwhile, let's get right to this breaking news. the two americans who contracted the ebola virus being discharged. a news conference scheduled for later this morning.

nbc's gabe gutierrez is in atlanta. this is really good news, gabe. good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning. after an emotional journey, this is the day dr. kent brantly, his family and well wishers from around the world have been waiting for. he'll told that he will walk out of this hospital later today. and as for the other american ebola patient, nancy writfol, they'll update us on her. he surprised the world by walking into emory university hospital after being diagnosed with ebola in liberia. health officials made the controversial decision to bring him back to the u.s. >> experts both contain the virus and maintain the safety of both the patients in the hospital as well as the general public. >> reporter: three days later, another american missionary, a

nurse, was transferred to emory. the two have been in opposite rooms of the hospital's isolation unit, staffed 24/7. their families able to visit but separated by glass. last week nancy's husband said despite the odds, his wife's health was improving. >> she's getting stronger and she tells me that she is feeling better. >> reporter: meanwhile in africa, the world health organization says the ebola outbreak has no end in sight. the latest figures show almost 2,500 people have now been diagnosed with the virus, and officials say the death toll is at least 1,350. an increase of hundreds in just the past few days. but dr. brantly's recovery is certain to give other patients and doctors renewed hope. at that news conference later today, dr. brantly is expected to speak but take no questions. as for nancy, doctors plan to update on the status of her discharge. >> by the way, hats off to the folks at emory university hospital who did such a great job taking care of them.

gabe, thank you. new revelations are emerging this morning tied to the execution of american james foley by isis militants. we've learned the group tried to secure a massive ransom. and the u.s. military attempted a top-secret rescue mission. nbc's chief foreign t chard eng in turkey along the syrian border. richard, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, tamron. isis is still holding dozens of foreign hostages for ransom and political pressure. and now we're learning new details about a failed u.s. military operation to free james foley earlier this summer. isis, the group that executed american reporter james foley, is still holding dozens of foreign hostages for ransom and political pressure. the pentagon said at least one attempt was recently made to rescue foley and the others. officials say special operations forces in helicopters with air

cover from u.s. fighter jets swarmed the compound in syria and were immediately engaged by enemy forces. after a fierce gun battle that killed isis fighters, the americans determined the hostages were not at the location and left. with a senior official saying one american helicopter pilot suffered a minor wound when the helicopter came under enemy fire. the official says there were no other american casualties. the mission didn't work. it was a risky proposition from the start. isis controls huge parts of syria and iraq. it's all hostile territory. the last voice reporter james foley heard was of his executioner. >> citizen of your country. >> reporter: with what sounded to many like a british accent. british authorities are scrambling to identify him. president obama spoke for the need for justice. >> the united states of america will continue to do what we must do to protect our people. we will be vigilant, and we will

be relentless. >> reporter: james foley's mother said her son bravely endured two years of captivity until the end. >> we are just very proud of jimmy, and we are praying for the strength to love like he did. >> reporter: she's praying for another american journalist, steven sotloff. isis is threatening to execute him, too, unless washington stops air strikes on the militants in iraq. sources here in turkey tell us that isis made repeated multimillion-dollar ransom demands to free james foley. they were even asking for hundreds of thousands of dollars just for proof of life videos, but the u.s., unlike some european countries, as a rule, doesn't pay. matt? >> richard engel in turkey this morning. richard, thank you very much. evan coleman is an nbc terrorism analyst. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> let's start where richard ended off. they said this was about air strikes in iraq. turns out they've demanded

hundreds of millions of dollars in ransom. we don't pay. some european countries do pay. does the fact that they pay complicate the situation when an american is held captive? >> absolutely. the question is about whether or not they even expected to get paid a ransom or whether this was simply a way of convincing the europeans to pay more. in other words, if you don't pay, this is what's going to happen. that's exactly what we've seen in north africa. when the europeans have paid ransom, these groups have been executed britains and americans to try to force the europeans to pay more. >> the isis militants dmapded an end to the air strikes. the president launched 14 air strikes in iraq just yesterday which immediately makes you think about the fate of steve sotlo sotloff, the other american being held. how colicating is that as a or like to do everyth to save mr. sotloff's life. on the other hand, he is with a group of individuals who are extremely unpredictable and most likely have already made their decision about what they're going to do. i don't think this is directly relevant about whether we continue air strikes or not.

these folks are looking for a confrontation with the united states. >> and in terms of another possible rescue mission, now that it's been released to the public that we attempted back in july, does it make another attempt impossible? >> look, these folks have been looking for something like this now. but it's another question about why are we not involved in syria? why are we not striking isis's headquarters if we're launching secret missions to free hostages, why aren't we expanding the conflict there? there's a worry, of course, about destabilizing syria, but there's no doubt this is where isis is based out of and where their resources are. >> there's also a worry, evan, based on the accent that we heard from that isis militant a british accent, and some people are saying are they going into western countries recruiting people, training them and then sending them back to attack western interests? a >> and it's absolutely true. there are countries where individuals have returned from syria, carried out terrorist attacks in the name of isis and even called back to isis

commanders back in syria looking for advice on how to produce explosive devices they can set up in europe. that's already happened. there's hard evidence. and we've seen in the last few weeks young american guys from orange county, a 20-year-old board a flight and tell fbi agents his intelligent was to go to isis. and if they ask him to, to kill americans. >> evan coleman, always, thanks for your perspective. appreciate it. >> thank you very much. let's go to natalie with overnight developments in that ongoing unrest in ferguson, missouri. >> good morning, everyone. it was another night of protests in ferguson, missouri, wednesday, but far fewer arrests. this as a grand jury begins hearing evidence in the shooting death of 18-year-old michael brown. nbc's craig melvin is in ferguson. craig, good morning. >> reporter: natalie, good morning to you. for the second straight night, ferguson was relatively quiet. just six arrests last night. that's far fewer than the more than 70 arrests we saw here on monday night. the riots that consumed the city

seem to have subsided for now. overnight, the smallest, quietest crowd of protesters since it all started marched and chanted past a dwindling police presence. >> tonight was a very good night in ferguson. >> reporter: at one night, dodging thunderstorms but no tear gas or rubber bullets. the federal response many of the protesters have been demanding arrived wednesday in the form of attorney general eric holder. holder made several stops in a st. louis area meeting with officers, students and community leaders. >> my hope is that that will have -- give people some degree of confidence that the appropriate things are being done by the federal government. >> reporter: holder also met with the parents of michael brown. the 18-year-old whose shooting death sparked the nearly two weeks of sometimes violent protests. >> hands up. don't shoot. >> reporter: protesters and police were both present outside the courthouse where a grand jury investigation into that shooting started wednesday. but authorities stress it could

take weeks to determine if officer darren wilson will face criminal charges. >> the people are angry, they're frustrated, and they want answers. >> reporter: meanwhile, another officer in ferguson was relieved of duty and suspended indefinitely after pointing a semiautomatic assault rifle in the face of a peaceful protester and screaming threats tuesday night. >> i will [ bleep ] kill you. get back! get back! >> reporter: more evidence that all eyes are on the officers, their actions now constantly on camera. meanwhile, nbc news has learned that the ferguson police department was hit with two federal lawsuits wednesday related to a wrongful death case back in 2011. a family claiming that police wrongfully killed a man using a taser. natalie? >> craig melvin in ferguson, missouri, thank you, craig. the islamic militant group hamas says three of its senior military leaders have been killed in an air strike in the gaza strip.

israeli aircraft have carried out more than 100 strikes in gaza since the cease-fire was broken on tuesday. and palestinians launched rockets at israel. egyptian negotiators said they'll continue to try and broker a long-term cease-fire even though both the delegations have left cairo. bank of america has reached a record $17 billion settlement with federal and state authorities. the settlement revolves the investigation into bank of america's role in the sale of mortgage-backed securities before the 2008 financial crisis. it is the largest settlement arising from the economic meltdown which saw millions of americans lose their homes to foreclosure. officials say the bank will pay $10 billion in cash and provide consumer relief. a million dollars worth of marijuana goes sky high after a huge drug bust near houston. the pot was growing in some fields near a prison. sheriff's deputies cut the plants, and a chopper was then called in to carry them out

bundle by bundle. police almost had the suspected growers, but the two men ran off into the woods. and most adorable video of the day, here's a whale of a tale a couple of kids aren't going to forget any time soon. take a look. but wait. and one more time. video shot at the mystic aquarium in connecticut. one of the beluga whales clearly having fun with the kids, keeping them on their toes playing peekaboo. you can see why they're so popular at aquariums. they're sociable and very intelligent. and the kids obviously loving every minute of that. i've got to go to the mystic aquarium to see the beluga. >> wouldn't that be funny if that's not a window but a mirror? the whale was just bored. >> that is phenomenal. >> what's going on up there? >> cobwebs in there. >> mr. roker, how about a check of the weather? >> unfortunately, we've got more hot weather to talk about.

dangerous heat. big upper-level high-pressure system pushing way up to the north. we've got heat advisories in effect from texas all the way to the south carolina coast. on into the ohio river valley as well. the feels-like temperatures, the temperature once you combine the humidity and the temperature is going to feel like 103 in memphis. 104 in charleston. st. louis, 105. friday, more of the same. 101 in dallas. and galveston, 105 in charleston. and on saturday, the heat continues feeling like 103 in memphis. atlanta, 102. this is very, very dangerous heat. so please, make sure you take care, limit your time outdoors. lots of water, decaffeinated beverages, nonalcoholic beverages, lightweight, loose-fitting clothing. don't blame me. that's the way it works. >> we blame you. >> check on your elderly neighbors and never leave your kids or pets in this kind of heat. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds.

♪ ♪ hi, i'm meteorologist brittney shipp. as we head into the rest of today we're going to see cloudy conditions. temperatures ranging from 80 to 85 degrees. as we get to the afternoon we will see showers an isolated storms that will mainly be ahead into your evening showers. a cooler look at temperatures. take a look at your friday, 77 degrees, more showers expected. that sets up for a fall-like weekend on saturday.

and sunday we stay in the high 70s. you guys really turned when i said nonalcoholic beverages. >> i was fine with it. >> margaritas, daiquiris, come on. >> but in moderation. >> good side of the table, bad side of the table. >> we'll examine that later. thank you very much, al. former virginia governor bob mcdonnell is expected back on the stand in his corruption trial about the state of his marriage. and the man who befriended -- or who befriended his wife. our peter alexander is at the courthouse in richmond. good morning, peter. >> reporter: tamron, good morning to you. this is the moment that we have been waiting for, on the stand in the first few hours that he was there, bob mcdonnell began distancing himself from his wife. legal experts say what the 71st governor of the state says and most importantly whether the jurors believe them will go a long way in determining whether or not he and his wife go to federal prison. facing a crush of cameras, bob mcdonnell is finally taking center stage. the former virginia governor

defending accusations that he traded the prestige of his office for personal gain. in the form of lavish gifts, luxury vacations, even a ride behind the wheel of a ferrari. all thanks to wealthy businessman johnny williams looking to promote his line of dietary supplements. my administration did nothing for them other than give them access to government, he said. and saying they couldn't have conspired because their marriage was so badly broken. he said he was running on adrenaline. she was yelling about something, he said. it clearly exhibited some of the stress of what lay ahead for her role as first lady. that fight after a congratulatory call from president obama. it reveals a new window into the former couple's relationship turning to his sister, maureen, who shares the same name as his wife. being many dodge ib zrooed two sides to her sister-in-law. one she said was very sweet, very tender. the other, very manipulative, very unpredictable and

deceptive. and the governor's sister said maureen once texted her to meet before she had to return to what she called that prison mansion. a close adviser detailed seeing evidence of the crush maureen mcdonnell, a former washington redskins cheerleader, had on williams, the businessman. they appeared to be fond of each other, she said. it was kind of flirty. it was very, very, very friendly. as uncomfortable and as unflattering as so much of the testimony is, legal experts say it could actually be helping the mcdonnells' case. they say for jurors it may be difficult to convict either of the mcdonnells if they can convince those jurors that what governor mcdonnell knew was nothing of what his wife was actually doing, accepting those gifts. some of the most dramatic testimony, tamron, is expected today. governor mcdonnell is expected to testify about his frayed relationship with his own wife. >> all right. peter alexander, thank you very much, peter. so we know savannah is enjoying time at home with little vale. and carson's getting used now to

his own little bundle of joy. willie's got more on that. >> time for our weekly segment, a today show baby. come on into carson's orange room. we got an e-mail. the subject line was "the daily baby has left the orange room." it was from carson and his beautiful fiancee announcing the news that london rose daly, 8 pounds, 11 ounces, 22 inches is happy and healthy. i've got him right here in this nifty facetime. carson, good morning, buddy. >> hey, guys. good morning. thank you. thank you very much. >> how's siri? how's baby? >> they're right here. they're doing very well. you can say hello. >> hey, guys. >> hi, siri. >> incredible. we thought this was going to happen on saturday. and it didn't. we went home. it was a long couple days of waiting, but finally yesterday, which was actually a pretty slow day as well, until i got a call

with the kids at the house, and it was siri going, come on! come on! it's happening right now! and like a movie, i sped to the hospital and they were literally waiting for me to get there. and we had our beautiful baby girl. and all is miraculous. >> she is absolutely beautiful. carson, tell us about the name. i love it. london rose. >> oh, thank you. well, we've got jackson james and etta jones, so we were trying to fit something that matched there. rose was my grandma's name. etta was siri's grandma's name, so we have a lot of family history in the names. we weren't sure. even when little london came out, we were still throwing around our last-minute short list. and london rose daly was the one. >> congratulations, carson. give our love to siri and to new baby london rose. we love you guys, and we'll see you back here soon. >> bye-bye. >> there she is. >> we miss you! >> so sweet. >> bye, guys. have fun. >> congratulations again. how great.

>> she picked a great day to be born. >> yeah, she did. great birthday. >> a "today" show birthday. well, coming up, what a crowd. 34,000 people showed up to see 13-year-old sensation mo'ne davis pitch at the little league world series. we'll show you how she did. and why the animal rights group peta is buying up stock in seaworld. but first this is "today" on nbc. every story is a journey, and this journey will keep you on the edge of your seat all summer long during the emirates airline us open series. don't miss your chance to see some of the top players in the world battle it out to see who's best. 5 weeks. 8 tournaments. 8 cities. which champion will prevail, which new hero will emerge? this is your chance to find out. for complete tv listings go to emiratesusopenseries.com

coming up, sleeping in separate beds, is it the best thing for your marriage? and baby got class. one family's ♪

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great. discover for yourself why more people find their perfect car at carmax. carmax. start here. >> announcer: "nbc10 news" starts now. good morning. i'm tracy davidson. let's get your "first alert" forecast from meteorologist brittney shipp. britney. good morning, we're seeing a mild start to the afternoon. as we head through the afternoon, thunder showers and thunderstorms. that's going to linger. most clouds will continue to develop heading into the relevant of your morning and afternoon. for reading, 67 degrees. 69 in philadelphia as you're heading out the door. a little cooler at the atlantic city airport. 64. today we will see temperatures warming to 84 degrees. close to average but cooler conditions on the way. tracy. >> before you ride to work, there's an accident you should know about, jillian mele is watching that.

where is it? >> it's 76 and you can see skyforce 10 live over the scene. police have this scene completely blocked off because of that accident ahead. on 76, let's take you out to penndot camera and show you what the highway is looking like. you can see the heavy volume at 76 eastbound. your drive time is almost 30 minutes in both directions between the blue route and the vine. tonight, philadelphia's taney dragons will look to beat back. las vegas beat taney 8-1. tonight, the dragons take on the team from illinois. that team also lost to las vegas. first pitch at 7:30. you can count on nbc10 bring you all the action live from williamsport as the taney dragons take the field in the little league world series. we're back with another local update in 25 minutes. i'm tracy davidson. now back to the "today" show. thanks for watching.

7:30 now on a thursday morning. it's the 21st of august, 2014. here's a really pretty morning in fort myers, florida. and you can share your morning photos with us using t the #todaysunrise. by the way, the music in the background, a good reminder that country sensation hunter hayes will be live on our concert stage tomorrow morning in our 8:30 half hour. come on down. meantime, here's what's making headlines. dr. kent brantly and nancy writebol, the two americans who contracted ebola in africa and were rushed to the u.s. force treatment have been cleared for release from emory university hospital. a news conference being held this morning. we've learned that brantly will be there, then walk out of the hospital. the u.s. is moving ahead with more air strikes on isis militants in iraq following the

murder of american journalist james foley. and we've now learned that a secret mission to rescue foley and other u.s. hostages was attempted earlier in the summer, but it failed. and evacuation orders have now been lifted as crews fight a raging wildfire northeast of bakersfield, california. although officials say the fire has been stopped, the danger remains. it's already destroyed eight homes and ten other buildings. and coming up, have we become a nation of work martyrs? according to a recent study, 40% of americans don't take all the vacation they're entitled to, but we found one boss who actually pays his employees to completely unplug during their time off. >> sounds like a really good idea. it's important. let's begin this half hour with the star of this year's little league world series, mo'ne davis. she was back on the mound last night once again striking out the boys, although the result, probably not what she had hoped for. nbc's katy tur was there.

good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, it was such a good and success spentful game last night. although it wasn't quite the outcome they wanted, mo'ne still performed valiantly, especially when you consider the eyes of the nation were all on her. at the packed stadium last night, all eyes were on a 13-year-old girl with a history-making fastball. >> mo'ne davis. >> reporter: from the cover of "sports illustrated" to round-the-clock media coverage, this year's tournament has been all about mo'ne. and if she was nervous before game time, she didn't show it. warming up and signing autographs like a pro. >> go in calm and confident. so that's how i'm going to go into the game. >> reporter: but right off the bat, a run for las vegas. and mo'ne's confidence clearly shaken. >> all right. take a breath. >> you can just feel the fight in mo'ne davis.

>> reporter: still, she fought through it. >> called strike three! >> reporter: she said she came out here to strike boys out. and 34,000 people including these guys right here came out here to see her do just that. in 2 1/2 innings, she struck out 6. mo'ne is just the 18th girl to play in the little league world series. back in 1989, nbc featured the first girl to get a hit on this hallowed field, 12-year-old victoria brucker. >> i just swing. >> reporter: 25 years later, and mo'ne is inspiring a whole new generation. >> girl power. >> reporter: and while the taney dragons may have lost, a lot of fans feel like they've already won. >> it doesn't matter that they lost. they still played as hard as they could. >> reporter: but not to worry. the taney dragons and mo'ne are not out quite yet. they play tonight against chicago. the winner of that game moves on to saturday where they'll have

to beat las vegas to make it to the world series on sunday. cross your fingers, matt. >> yep. no, we will. you know what, a lot of attention on taney and mo'ne davis, but we have to give credit where credit is due. two kids in little leagues, i've seen a lot of games and a lot of teams. that las vegas team, they are really, really good. >> you know i've been obsessed with their pitcher. he's, like, 6 foote and he's 13. >> yeah. >> what is in the water in nevada? drink a little around here, grow up taller. >> okay. >> the kid brings it. let's check in with a 60-year-old. >> thank you. from 16 to 60. thank you very much. all right. >> you hit yourself a little hard there, didn't you. >> that felt good. let's show you what's going on. we've been talking about this ring of fire, the heat down south. it's pushing storms up and over all this. and so we are looking at some severe weather today in the midwest and the plains.

they're already firing up. minnesota, omaha, on into chicago. going to be some airport delays out of this thing. and during the afternoon, as the low pressure moves to the east and pushes this warm front up to the north, more storms will fire up. into friday morning, a lot of rain. anywhere from two to three inches from montana all the way into the great lakes. and we continue on into the east. some areas picking up to three to five inches of rain in central ohio on into the east coast. that's what's going on around hi, i'm "first alert" meteorologist brittney shipp. as we head into the rest of today we're going to see cloudy skies, warm conditions. temperatures range between 82 and 85 degrees and heading into the afternoon, we will see the possibility of showers even isolated storms that will mainly be as we head into your evening hours. a cooler look at temperatures. take a look at your friday, 77 degrees, more showers expected. that sets up for a fall-like weekend on saturday. and sunday we stay in the high

70s. and that's your latest weather. seaworld is back in the headlines this morning. one of its biggest critics is actually buying into the company. and the park is making a move that will permanently change a key element to their killer whale shows. nbc's joe fryer has the latest. good morning. >> good morning, tamron. peta, the animal rights group that's long opposed seaworld's captivity of orcas is now buying up stock in seaworld. it's an attempt to put pressure on the embattled company. this comes as seaworld itself announced it is dropping its appeal of a ruling that bans trainers from performing in the water with the killer whales ever again. >> reporter: from now on, this is what you can expect to see at one of seaworld's biggest draws. trainers beside the pool, not inside the pool. in a filing with the s.e.c., the company says we have elected to not pursue further appeal of a federal citation which kept trainers from swimming with or

riding on killer whales during shows. last week seaworld ceo told nbc news his company has invested $70 million in safety upgrades since the death of a trainer in orlando four years ago. >> we certainly did make changes. you know, it forced us to really stop and look at everything we do. we stopped and focused on how we train trainers, how we train whales. >> reporter: the trainer's death was highlighted in "blackfish," a documentary aargues orcas should not be kept in captivity. facing negative publicity, the stock tanked last week, and now one of its biggest critics, peta, is for the second time buying shares of the company's stock. enough now to propose resolutions and submit questions at shareholder meetings. >> peta's not taking over seaworld. what it's doing is leveraging the power of its name and its celebrities' name. >> reporter: in june actress jessica biel entered a question on behalf of peta, asking seaworld when it would move the orcas to pens at sea. something the company does not plan to do.

>> you know, it's our responsibility to keep the debate alive. and we will do that until seaworld changes its model and gets rid of its captive animals. >> seaworld says that despite peta's claims its animals are well cared for and their health is a responsibility, the company takes seriously, seaworld just announced plans to build new habitats for its killer whales nearly twice as large as their current environments. tamron? >> thank you very much, joe. take a deep breath and say this. coming up, why you should no longer feel guilty if you relieve yourself in the ocean. >> i never feel guilty. >> i never felt guilty. >> so proud. >> big moment in tv news. and next, no vacation nation? why americans are leaving more than 400 million days of paid vacay on the table every year. and the boss who pays his employees extra to completely unplug right after this. s, the worlds most entertaining device with a color...

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♪ you can ring my bell [ male announcer ] sometimes you just need to spice things up. ring my bell. ring my bell. [ male announcer ] new oscar mayer deli fresh bold. made with 100% turkey breast and real cajun spices. [ male announcer ] hurry in for labor day deals. get 10-30% off major appliances $399 or more at lowe's. 7:43. as summer comes to an end, here's a question for the room. will you use all of your vacation days this summer? >> if we're lucky. >> turns out americans are terrible at taking time off. a lot of people refuse to do it or can't unplug from the home office when they're away. well, nbc's tom costello's been hard at work on that. tom, good morning. >> good morning.

how often have you heard somebody in the office boast about not taking all of their vacation or working on the laptop while they're supposed to be taking time off? americans love to dream about vacations, but we're not always so good at actually taking one. ♪ >> reporter: right about now, heading off to work, the beach, the sand, the sun, it all sounds so good. but remarkably, america has become a no-vacation nation. 40% of us don't take all of our hard-earned time. >> i definitely do not take all of my vacation. one of the reasons is just feeling a need to be at work. >> reporter: all of those unused vacation days, they add up to 430 million days each year. >> americans are work martyrs. they think if they take vacation, they're going to be seen as a slacker and the opposite is true. >> reporter: and if we don't disconnect, experts say we don't recharge. at full contact, a tech company in denver, employees are rewarded for taking their time off as long as they follow a few simple rules.

no e-mail, no phones, no checking in with the office. if you can handle that, the company will give you 7,500 bucks. not a bad gig. >> the first rule is that you have to go on vacation to get the money. the second rule is that you must disconnect entirely from devices. and the third rule is that you cannot work while on vacation. >> reporter: so why do so many americans refuse to relax? it turns out many people worry they'd return to a mountain of work or feel like no one else can do the work while they're away. one-third said they can't afford a vacation, and still others don't want to be seen as replaceable. but we all benefit from time away. the u.s. travel association which would love for everyone to travel more says if we all took our vacation days and traveled, it could mean a $67 billion boost to the economy. more jobs for others. >> i think america gains. it's more productivity. it helps the economy. people shop.

they'll go to home depot. it creates jobs. >> reporter: back in denver, bart decided on his company's new vacation policy when he was photographed checking his cell phone while on vacation at the egyptian pyramids. >> and i sort of saw that picture, and i realized, you know, i have to make a change in my own life. it's sort of ridiculous, like this is way too connected. >> yeah, nobody around here has that problem, right? the survey found that managers are big offenders. they all talk about the need for their employees to take time off. yet nearly half said they answer e-mails on vacation. and only one-third of senior managers say they fully unplug from work while they're away. guys? >> it's hard. very hard to unplug. >> that picture of the guy at the pyramids. even the camel looked up and said, "really?" "you're really doing this?" >> be in the moment. >> it's hump day. >> i knew it. i knew it. i did so. because i was going to do it!

>> terrible. willie. >> i can't be a part of this, guys. i cannot be. i cannot endorse that joke, matt. i cannot. >> thank you. >> so we put this question to our viewers on facebook. how many vacation days do you use? every last one? what's vacation? or some of them? let's see. survey says -- 60% say they use every last day of vacation. >> good. >> only 19% say some of them. let's look at some of the responses. from amy on facebook, she uses every single one of. it's so important, she writes, to be rested and refreshed from time to time. makes you a better employee. jennifer, though, takes a different view. "the work just piles up while i'm gone. so you spend the week prior trying to get ahead and the two weeks after trying to catch up." and this one, rosemary says "on our wedding night, my husband got about 25 calls and texts from work! are you kidding me?" on their wedding night. keep the responses coming. #orangeroom. >> man. willie, thank you very much.

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what's your favorite all-time mtv video? here are your choices beginning with matt. he likes robert palmer's -- >> no, no, no. >> "simply irresistible." >> "wind beneath my wings" with bette midler. >> i think i can see why you like this video so much. there it is. fantastic. janet jackson, "rhythm nation" goes to tamron hall. great call. >> that is an outstanding video, right? so good. >> i love that pick. natalie, somebody had to pick it. "thriller." >> yes. >> clearly the greatest of all time, right? >> it sets the bar. >> absolutely. al, i love your choice. lionel richie, "dancing on the ceiling." takes you right back to the '80s, doesn't it? mine's a little bit of a downer. this is "hurt" from johnny cash. a beautiful piece of filmmaking and a great song as well. keep your responses coming. #orangeroom. want to hear your favorite music video of all time. >> willie, thank you so much. coming up, how to stay healthy at 60 and beyond.

al takes you along on his birthday checkup. and the best dog for your home. if your kids are begging you for a puppy, what you need to do in terms of research before you take the plunge. >> have a puppy party? >> we're having a little puppy party. it's our annual clearance event, it only happens once a year. super fun. of course you can get a great deal. hold on. 0% apr financing on a bunch of models. annual and it's right now. they're having fun. you can get all kinds of deals. come on down. yeah, you better hurry in. you tell'em jan sent you. during toyota's annual clearance event, get 0% apr financing for 60 months on a 2014.5 camry. offer ends september 2nd. for great deals on other toyota's, visit toyota.com thanks jan. ooh i got it. toyota, let's go places.

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>> announcer: "nbc10 news" starts now. 12k3w4r good morning, i'm tracy davidson. let's get the "first alert" forecast from meteorologist brittney shipp. >> good morning. increasing clouds as we head into this thursday. we'll see a chance of showers, even isolated thunderstorms but temperatures will stay warm. we're checking out a few clouds over the center city skyline. a closer look at radar shows we're seeing a little bit of shower activity popping up but most of the showers are combined to williamsport right now. we'll see a chance of showers even for the little league world series game. the taney dragons take on illinois. as we head through rest of today, we do expect to see a chance of showers in the afternoon. temperatures at 69 degrees for philadelphia 72 all right. 69 in pottstown. 70 in allentown, tracy. >> if you want to upgrade your

ride to what's happening on fix, jillian mele has the traffic. >> that's right. delays are getting worse on 76. you see the police activity. the girard off-ramp from 76 eastbound is closed because of an accident. you can see it's jammed solid in both directions. huge delays on fix eastbound across the board. 40 minutes your drive time eastbound from the blue route to the vine. you can see in that other, montgomery drive, 10 miles per hour. this morning, opening statements are scheduled to begin in the trial of a woman charged with kidnapping a 5-year-old girl from her school. christina regusters has been in jail since her arrest last year. she's also charged with sexually assaulting the girl from being taken from her elementary school. prosecutors say the video dressed in garb.

we're back with an update in 20 minutes. i'm tracy davidson. back to the "today" show.

♪ it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, childless by choice. >> you know, i've gotten everything from you're selfish for not wanting children, you're not carrying on your bloodline. >> inside one woman's controversial decision and why she's part of a growing trend. ready for 60. yeah, baby. >> then, taking charge of your health. al takes us along on his birthday checkup and shares what everyone needs to know as they age. ♪ because i'm happy and the dog days are here. we've got important advice on picking the right pet for your family. today, thursday, august 21st, 2014. ♪

>> the hiatt family vacation begins with "today"! >> hello, virginia! >> chicago loves "today"! >> good morning, cleveland! ♪ party till the break of dawn >> just married on saturday! >> al, come give me a hug! >> it's 8:00 now on a thursday morning. it's the 21st day of august, 2014. we've got a big crowd out on the plaza today on a really pretty day in new york city. and by the way, we are ready for some puppy cuteness in our 8:30 half hour. >> yes. but we just had baby cuteness. baby dallas was over. and al and i were taking a picture with him. his dad could not get the camera going. >> way to call him out. >> he's adorable. >> did it work? did you get it? >> dad blew it already? we're going to get that again.

by the way, the song in the background is your throwback thursday song. >> yes. "hey, mr. deejay." they were my roomies in college at temple university. renee and jean. they were my homies. >> that's very cool. >> isn't that cool? a live concert right here on our plaza from one of the hottest names in country music right now tomorrow on "today." hunter hayes will be here. >> love him. let's go inside. natalie's standing by at the desk. she has all the top stories of the day. lots of news. >> certainly is. good morning once again. two american aid workers infected with ebola have been cleared to leave the hospital. one of them, dr. kent brantly getting out today. nbc's gabe gutierrez is in atlanta. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: natalie, good morning. a highly anticipated day here at emory, nearly three weeks after arriving here, dr. kent brantly is expected to walk out of this hospital today. and doctors here plan to update us later this morning on the

status of nancy writebol's discharge. now, they were both diagnosed with ebola last month while working as missionaries in liberia. dr. brantly shocked the world by managing to walk into the isolation unit here in atlanta. nancy writebol, a nurse, was transferred here a few days later. and in recent days, her family had been saying that she had been improving. and again, doctors at a news conference later this morning will update us on the status of her discharge. as for brantly, he's expected to speak at that news conference but take no questions. natalie? >> gabe gutierrez in atlanta for us, thank you, gabe. new details are emerging about a failed american effort to rescue journalist james foley and other hostages held by isis. officials say u.s. special operations forces and helicopters swarmed a compound and had a fierce gun battle with isis fighters, but the americans determined that the hostages were not there and left. officials say isis had also tried to ransom foley for millions of dollars. on wednesday president obama

said that despite foley's execution, he will not scale back u.s. military strikes against isis. a grand jury in ferguson, missouri, has started hearing evidence in the fatal police shooting of unarmed teenager michael brown. officials say it could take weeks to determine if officer darren wilson will face criminal charges. overnight, the streets of ferguson were the quietest they've been since the shooting. on wednesday, attorney general eric holder made several stops in ferguson and met with brown's parents. much of the country has been spared from extreme heat this summer, but that will not be the case today in parts of the south and the midwest. nbc's kerry sanders is in memphis. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, natalie. forecasters say it's going to hit 96 degrees here in memphis. and in ten states, it's going to be a heat advisory because it's going to feel up to 104 degrees in kansas, missouri, illinois, indiana, kentucky, texas, florida, georgia, alabama and south carolina. st. louis is forecast to have

eight straight days of this heat wave to prepare for that weather. fortunately for folks who live in philadelphia, boston, new york, the heat wave will not extend into that area. forecasters say the highs will probably hit in the upper 70s. remember, if you're out in the heat, drink water, not soda pop. wear cotton, not polyester. it will help you feel a little bit cooler. make sure you're in the shade where it's 10 to 15 degrees cooler. and if you take your phone out and you say i'm checking the temperature and it feels a lot remember with aer, remember the national weather service takes its temperature readings in the shade. and of course, don't forget your pets. one last little tip, natalie, eating ice cream does cool you down. but interestingly, eating spicy food causes you to perspire a little bit, and that perspi perspiration actually lowers your body temperature even better. so i'm in memphis. tangy, spicy barbecue, i think i've got a mission today. >> you've got our blessing. eat all the barbecue you can handle. take care. well, for all of our fear of sharks, maybe it's another fish that we should be worried about.

take a look at this video that's gone viral. it shows fishermen trying to reel in a four-foot shark off the gulf coast of florida. suddenly you see there a giant grouper emerges from the deep sea and then swallows that shark up. oh, my goodness, in one gulp. now, this is not unheard of. giant groupers can grow to weigh more than 800 pounds, but they are critically endangered. wow! i feel sorry for that shark. 8:06 right now. let's get another check on the weather with al. >> wow! all right. watch out for grouper. let's show you what we have going on out there for today. our pick city going to be philadelphia. nbc 10. showers and thunderstorms today. tomorrow, on into saturday. and as we look into what's happening currently, minneapolis, showers and thunderstorms throughout the morning. afternoon hours, a chance of thunderstorms as well with temperatures in the upper 80s. you can see that activity going to continue right on into this hi, i'm first alert

meteorologist brittney shipp. as we had head into the rest of today, cloudy skies, warchl conditions and temperatures range between 82 and 85 degrees and heading into the afternoon, we will see the possibility of showers, even isolated storms that will mainly be as we head into your evening hours and then cooler temperatures. take a look at friday, 77 degrees. more showers expected. that sets us up for fall-like weekend on saturday and sunday we stay in the high 70s. and that's your latest weather. >> thanks, al. >> thank you very much. coming up, one couple's tribute to the start of the new school year. this is one you probably wish your family had created. plus, why is there a stigma of being childless by choice? one woman who made the decision shares her frustration. and as our celebration of al's 60th birthday rolls on, the health check everybody needs to have a little bit later in life. but first, these messages. ♪ [ dog barks ]

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back now, 8:13 with "what'sn myth a standing gd unthinkable. but a blogger and author says you should definitely sleep apart from your mate. in "sleeping part not falling apart," jennifer adams says this is really healthy and lists the top five reasons. number five, different schedules. for example, one partner has to wake up really early. number four, noises coming from the bathroom. number three, disagreements over bedroom temperature. number two, distractions from the tv and technology. smartphones, tablets, things like that. what do you think the number one reason to sleep apart from your mate is? >> snoring.

>> want a second-guess? snoring, exactly right. on our facebook page, we asked you is sleeping apart healthy for your relationship? 59% of you say no. 41% say yes. >> interesting. whatever works for a couple, you know. >> you can't underestimate the need for a good night's sleep. >> get a bigger bed. so let's say you're at the beach and you're out swimming in the ocean, having a great time when nature calls. what do you do? be honest. tell us. you know you do. a lot of people will just kneel down and go straight in, push guilt aside. but is there actually anything wrong with peeing in the ocea were wondering. the american chemical society, their verdict is no, there's nothing wrong. they say it's absolutely okay to go in the ocean. yes! the organization says urine -- because you do feel guilty. and you look around. i do anyway. anyway, 95% say it's okay.

for the record, it's not okay to pee in the pool. >> and don't go swimming next to tamron. move away a few feet. >> when you see tamron kneeling down in the ocean. >> don't you scream at those people, but then one time you see them, and they're just wading. we all know what you're doing. >> and you're, like, scattered kids. >> also what natalie's doing. >> i'm being completely honest. >> okay. speaking of being completely honest, there's a controversial fashion accessory that's the subject of a top story on today.com. matthew mcconaughey, you know one of the most stylish men in hollywood, does he have enough power, though, to bring back the fanny pack? well, mcconaughey was spotted at a baseball game over the weekend wearing the bag and was called out by a reporter. he was honest about it, and he explained here's the right way to wear it.

>> i'm not afraid of the fanny pack. instead of stuffing it in your pocket. you've got to kind of put it on the side to make it look a little -- not as nerdy, but still, practicality wins out. i'm not afraid of it. >> when you've got kids, fanny packs are very useful. even he admitted it may be another decade before this trend comes back. although matt and al and willie. al, you shouldn't wear it to the front. to the side. >> isn't it called the fanny pack for a reason? >> never, ever. >> although i will say designers have brought the fanny pack back, or they've tried. it hasn't quite worked out. >> i will say matthew mcconaughey when he's out in that setting with t-shirt and jeans, but when he's here, he's one of the best dressed guests we've ever had. >> he looks good in a fanny pack. up next, childless by

choice. why although it's a growing trend, a woman's decision not to have children still remains relentlessly and publicly scrutinized. nbc's halle jackson has more on the choice to go child free. ♪ >> reporter: fashion designer bree doesn't like to pin herself down with just one label. >> i'm also an author and i'm also an inspirational woman. and i'm also a sister. and i'm also a cat lady. and i'm also -- i'm all of these things. >> reporter: but one thing she's not is a mother. and that's by choice. two years ago just before she turned 30, she had surgery to prevent pregnancy permanently. >> it's not about being alone.

don't think for myself, i don't want that responsibility in my life. >> reporter: she says she's felt that way since high school. back then she faced backlash. now she still does. >> i've gotten everything from "you're selfish for not wanting children. your childhood must have been terrible if you don't want to have children." >> reporter: she says men who make the decision not to have children don't face the same stigma. >> i think we have to allow as a society a woman to have power over her body. and trust a woman to make those choices for herself. >> reporter: sealy is not alone. recently the number of women without kids has gone up with nearly one in five american women ending her child-bearing years without a child. lately, celebrities like cameron diaz and chelsea handler have highlighted what it means to be childless by choice. >> i don't ever want to have kids. and i don't like when people tell you that you're going to change your mind about it. >> reporter: sealy's choice was to make her decision permanent. but she says she struggled for years to find a doctor who would

perform the surgery. >> if they've known their patient long enough or if they don't know them well enough, they'll be hesitant to recommend a permanent procedure. >> reporter: this doctor says the surgery is more complicated than a man's va secosectomy. >> in the future a woman might change her mind. once you tie your tubes, the chances of getting pregnant again through your own tubes is very difficult. >> reporter: bree knows she made the right decision for herself and hopes more women are accepted for whatever choice they make. zl >> to be fair, women are judged. if you have children, you're judged. if you have none, you're judged. there's not really any happy medium where a woman's not going to be judged on some decision she makes in her life. >> reporter: she believes she opted out of motherhood but not womanhood. >> and so my goal is not necessarily for women to define themselves or put themselves in a box but to really look inside and figure out what that inspiration is for them so that they can take that and share it

with the world around them. >> reporter: for "today," halle jackson, nbc news, los angeles. >> very interesting. bree recently shared more of the story on the huffington post, by the way. >> being a mother is such an important decision you should not be pressured into by society. it doesn't make any sense. more now of our special series "60 rocks" with al roker as he celebrates a milestone birthday. >> by the time we reach 60, you'd like to think you're comfortable in your own skin. in fact, most people my age feel pretty good. our new "today survey," found 61% of folks say they're in good health. but no matter how you feel, it's still important to see your doctor. our survey also found that 59% of folks in their 60s get a medical exam once a year. my checkup, we enlisted the help of a few experts including nbc's chief medical editor, dr. nancy snyderman. >> reporter: is there really any stuff that you should be looking at? >> yeah, look. you're turning 60. >>ite. >> you're african-american. you've dealt with obesity in the

past. >> dr. t. >> reporter: dr. nancy took me to see nbc's chief medical doctor. let's face it, guys can be stubborn. research shows we're 24% less likely than women to regularly visit our doctors. when you go to see your doctor for your 60th, what should you be expecting? >> some of the routine things that you might have seen before. so blood pressure, weight. you'll likely have your blood done. what your doctor decides to do depends on you and your risk factors. >> reporter: i've also got to be concerned about diabetes. african-american guys have almost double the risk of white men. it's also recommended that men my age get a one-time screening for hepatitis c. at 60 years old, am i done with getting shots? >> unfortunately not. flu shot every year pretty much for everybody now. a tetanus booster is one that a lot of people miss. you feed it every ten years. the one that's specific to age 60 is the shingles cceporter: as get shingles each year, and half of us are over 60.

what is shingles? >> shingles is a reactivation of chicken pox. >> what are the symptoms? >> it starts out at terrible pain. you don't know what it is. then it breaks out into a rash. >> reporter: then let's talk about the good times. colonoscopy. when you got it at 50, it's time to go once again. and a prostate exam which matt and i were lucky enough to do live. >> i think you're in good shape. >> ready for 60. yeah, baby! but any doctor will tell you that physical activity is critical to a healthy life as we age. and yet only one in four people 65 or older say they exercise on a regular basis. last year we went to new york's hospital for special surgery where they use cutting-edge technology to diagnose my joint pain. we showed up again to talk to dr. jordan metzl. here it is. i'm turning 60. i don't want to slow down. >> the main thing is keeping your muscles strong. strong muscles mean your joints are seeing less loading force and means less aches and pains. >> at 60, what do you need to

know when you come into a gym for the first time? >> the thing i like to tell people, the best kind of strengthening involves body weight and lightweights. >> reporter: so with that in mind, we met up with exercise physiologist. >> if you like the gym, that's great. there's plenty of ways to get stronger. >> we began with the squat. >> it's how you do it. as we get older, form is really key. and making sure the joint is aligned right. >> and the benefit of this? >> the benefit is if you watch, all those muscles are involved. your hips are driving you forward. your thighs are working. your calves are working. >> reporter: next, step-ups for leg strength and side steps with rubber tubing to build up my hips. >> do this for let's say 30 seconds. are you feeling your hips? >> yeah, i am. for balance and core strength, a little marching on a stability ball. and finally to work out any

stiffness -- >> oh, god! a foam roller! the foam roller! even a few minutes can help improve mobility. is that the mistake people make? doctor, it hurts when i do that. well, then don't do that. instead of not doing anything, find the alternative. >> find a way. there's always a way to strengthen muscles. >> exercise is not only good for your health, but doctors also say making appointments can be a life-saver. if you're in the habit of putting it off, don't. make an appointment around your birthday. being 60 can be vibrant and fun as long as you get ahead of any preventable health problems and you stay active. >> i think a good mental attitude as well. sometimes you'll meet people -- and i'm guilty of this sometimes -- you get out of a chair and you go uh! like this. you don't really need to do that. you kind of talk yourself into being out of shape or getting old. and it's not such a good thing. >> important to exercise the brain, challenge yourself new things. they always say try to learn something new every day. >> every single day.

good idea. tomorrow, the non-retirement retirement at 60 and beyond. interesting. and coming up, how to pick the perfect puppy for your family. we've got a bunch of cute little puppies about to make their way into our studio. we're going to tell you what you need to do researchwise before you bring one home to your family.

good morning, i'm tracy davidson. rain is in the forecast. let's get the details from meteorologist brittney shipp. >> we're already seeing light showers in parts of the poconos and as we head through the rest of your morning and afternoon, clouds will continue to increase and warm and humid day with a chance of showers and even isolated thunderstorms. here's a closer look at the showers moving through the poconos. right now all a part of a larger system that drops us down into the 70s by tomorrow and the weekend, but today between 82 and 85 degrees. first alert reporter jillian mele following an accident and a backup on 76. >> you got that right. 76 eastbound the girard avenue off ramp is still blocked off as

a result of this accident. you can see crews out there blocking this ramp and also see traffic very slow getting by that off ramp for girard avenue. going to take you about an hour to make your way 76 eastbound from the blue route down to the vine. this is 422. eastbound is heavy and then westbound, check it out, a huge delay over here because of construction that was set up and penndot trying to get more details about this construction project. tracy? happening today in philadelphia, two adults will go on trial after a 6-year-old girl showed up at school with maren with. hunter is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. her daughter took several packets and opened one of the packet. the officers arrested the girl's mother at the school. i'm tracy davidson, another local update in 25 minutes. see you then.

♪ you are the one i want ♪ honey we are back now, 8:30 on a thursday morning, 21st day of august, 2014. thanks to these people for stopping by this morning. we appreciate it. and the music you hear in the background can only mean one thing. olivia newton-john. >> absolutely. that's right. and natalie became a pink lady over the weekend, performing on stage with the star of "grease." how was it? ♪ >> -- come true. >> was the microphone on?

>> i was going to say for the audience. not sure it's so amazing. you'll get to see that coming up next hour. >> get out the earplugs, with all due respect. >> come on! >> i've got to watch this. tomorrow on "today," one of country's biggest young star, hunter hayes will be right here on our plaza hitting the summer concert stage. that will be a big deal with a big crowd. >> man, he's so good. ahead in this half hour, is this the new kale? hottest new health food trend. we are going to taste some new drinks. >> okay. all right. plus, puppy love. a segment i've been waiting for all morning. and we've got some important pointers if you're thinking of bringing home a new little pet. aww. they're really going at it in there. >> love it. first, though, seth meyers wore a lot of hats, "snl" writer, anchor of "weekend update" and currently host of "late night with seth meyers."

next week he's taking on a new challenge. >> you should know i'm hosting the emmys so i have a lot of tv props in there. do you watch "game of thrones"? >> seth made it through airport security. and when he got to l.a., he helped roll out the red carpet. >> you've never seen a carpet roll out before, it's really something. >> reporter: and after the awards are handed out monday night right here on nbc, seth and about 4,000 guests including winners, nominees and presenters will head over to the governor's ball, a first stop for emmy night parties. catch the emmys on monday night right here on nbc. and by the way, al is going to be live in l.a. monday morning on "today" with an exclusive interview, and he'll have seth meyers as well. and tuesday, carson will join him in hollywood for a full wrap of tv's big night. >> very nice. let's get a check on the forecast. >> all right. let's see what we have for you starting with today. i should say tomorrow. looking ahead to your weekend, wet weather in the northeast, mid-atlantic states. sunshine along the west coast.

look for rain along the mid-atlantic coast. and then for saturday, as we head into the weekend, more rain in the mid-atlantic into the ohio river valley. rain in the western great lakes. out west it's going to stay steamy. gorgeous day in los angeles. 75. but the heat continues in the plains. sunday, sunday! look for more heat in the plains. texas on into the mid-mississippi river valley. upper 70s in the pacific northwest. 103 in las vegas on sunday. that's hi, i'm first alert meteorologist brittney shipp. as we head into the rest of today, we'll see cloudy skies and warm conditions and temperatures range between 82 and 85 degrees and heading into the afternoon we'll see the possibility of showers and even isolated storms that will mainly be as we head into your evening hours. and then take a look at friday. 77 degrees and more showers expected and that sets us up for a following weekend on saturday and sunday we stay in the high 70s.

and that's your latest weather. tamron? >> al, thank you very much. in the '70s it was tofu and bean sprouts. wheat germ and soy also had a stay. and kale has been the health food rage in recent years. but nbc's kelly cobiella has the new health trend, vinegar. >> mmm, sounds good, doesn't it? can't wait to try, right? that's right. it's not just for your salad anymore. people are actually drinking it and boasting all kinds of health benefits. the thought of it is enough to make you queasy. a big gulp of fermented fruit juice to start your day. heidi klum, miranda kerr and megan fox have been drinking vinegar for years. they say it helps them maintain their glow and trim figure. and it's catching on. at the rawduck in east london -- >> i think i'm going to try one of your drinking vinegars. >> reporter: they cooked up a whole menu based on vinegar and

pickled food. >> i love the vinegary taste of things. i find it can break through sort of the richness of foods. i keep hearing about their probiotics. >> it's good for your skin. >> reporter: rory mckroy makes the drinks themselves. it takes unpasteurized, unfiltered apple cider vinegar, the cloudy kind. >> it's still inside which is basically the culture inside. it's all the good enzymes. >> reporter: the romans used it 2,000 years ago. h hippocrates prescribed it in small doses. >> it can affect your blood sugar level. >> taking apple cider vinegar is a great way to fight off colds, keep your immune system running. >> reporter: but can you stomach it? the apple vinegar is really harsh.

raspberry. a little chewy. strawberry. wow! black cherry. sounds good. it's actually pretty tasty. i could drink a glass of this. i'm not going to, but i could. ooh. at rawduck, they don't stop with the drink. do you do fermented food, too? >> we do. >> reporter: sauerkraut and kimchi, fermented korean cabbage. >> if you got ready for the take on the food you're about to eat and helps digest and absorbs the newt yeutrients a lot better. >> reporter: it can be quite volatile. >> it's like children, they do need a bit of burping. i think these are probably the smelliest. >> reporter: it smells spicy. not for the fainthearted, but when the payoff could be a glowing new you, bring it on. if you're in a hurry to lose weight, don't gulp it down by the bottle. it's a little tough to take. a couple of spoonfuls in water

will do the trick. and guys, lucky you, we found some drinking vinegar in new york. so you guys need to drink to your health. >> what do you have? pomegranate. >> they sell the bottles for about $15. >> this is delicious, actually. >> drink on't drink it straight. always mix it with soda. >> it's very bitter. >> it is. >> mine is honey. i like it. the ginger one tastes like ginger ale. but i get your point about sipping it a little. taking a huge gulp may not be the right thing in the beginning. >> yeah, go slowly and be advised, you might have a little burping action. >> all right. thank you. >> yes! bonus! >> buried the lead there, kel. so nice to have you at nbc. great to have you here. >> the first thing you say. thank you very much. well, coming up, is it that time already? we're going to show you the hottest shoe trends for the

fall. and up next, what to look for when you're picking out a puppy. it may cause you to purpose a little bit. this is "today" on nbc. >> blame the dog.

"today's pets" is brought to you by petarmor plus igr.no get be rewarding and better yet, it can stop alta begging from your kids. but it also comes with challenges. knowing what to look for when choosing a puppy can help make sure you have the right companion for a long time. andrea arden is an animal pet expert. andrea, good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning. >> your friends here, good to see them. let's talk about the facts here. about 4 million dogs end up in shelters every year, and there are some real reasons behind those numbers. >> yeah, it's believed that about 20 prosecute 6to 60% of t are surrendered.

that shows people aren't taking the time to educate themselves. >> by the way, those aren't always older dogs. i think there are a lot of puppies as well. >> tons of puppies, tons of purebreds. we're going to talk a little bit about some of the things you need to think about when choosing a dog for your family. >> what's the most important piece of research? >> i think the most important thing you need to consider is the temperament of the dog. >> right. >> so for example, we have ryder here who's a toy aussie. this is a relatively new and popular type of dog. they've been downsized from australian shepherds. they are deliciously cute, adorable little, tiny dogs, but i need to make sure that no matter how small a dog is, you consider their temperament. >> let's be honest, size does matter. >> absolutely. >> you have to make sure that the dog you're getting is not going to outgrow your house. >> absolutely. >> these two are really going at it here. >> yeah, they're being a little crazy. >> that's okay. you have to make sure you do research on how big that dog's going to grow. >> yes, absolutely. one of the things that i worry about is something which is we call a popularity trend.

for example, french bulldogs right now are super popular. if you go on instagram, there's all these accounts -- crazy -- there's all these accounts for french bulldogs. >> okay, okay. >> actually, that makes a really good point. hold on one second. i do want to say something about labradors. this is probably one of the most popular breeds in america. they're lovely dogs, can be wonderful companion dogs. i think sometimes people think they're push button and ready to go. they tend to be very high energy and they deserve an education. they deserve training. you don't think you're going to bring home a lab that's known as a family dog. >> you should be prepared to go through the training process because it makes the long-term experience all that much better. >> absolutely. i think sometimes people forget that you really are becoming a puppy parent. and part of that is educating your dog, how to train them, teaching them to be social, to have good manners, that sort of thing. >> what about cost over the lifetime of a dog? does the size of the dog play into that as well? >> absolutely. and i'm going to have bruno come

over here. bruno is a beautiful gray newfoundland. they can grow to be about 100 to 150 pounds. and i think sometimes when they're puppies, they're cute, they forget the cost differential between a puppy like bruno and ryder who's tiny can be a lot just regarding food. so yes. >> you just mentioned temperament again. other breeds that are super kid friendly would be what? >> you know, i'm afraid to say that because i think that's what oftentimes gets people into trouble. >> no generalization? >> there are generalizations that ring true. i said some of them, but i think rather than saying to yourself that breed is going to be good for my dog, stay to yourself i'm going to narrow it down to a few breeds or mixes. look at the history of the dogs and get the sense of what they were bred for and then meet individual dogs and choose the right one for me. >> i'm got a great dog named jules. it can be the most rewarding experience. it's wonderful. but do your homework. thank you so much. appreciate it. >> and thanks for taking care of beasley. >> you know what? i was called to action. i answered the call.

you can catch animal planet's "too cute" saturday nights 8:00 p.m. eastern. up next, the hottest fall fashion trends. we're talking about shoes. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:46 with "today's style," this morning, shoes for fall. it's hard to believe we are nearing the end of summer. whether or not you're ready for the chillier weather, the stores are filling up with the cold weather styles. and chassis post has the insight on the trends to keep your best foot forward. good to see you. >> good morning. >> i have on white heels, so i guess i have to dump these. >> white shoes, believe it or not, are awesome after labor day. >> because they're closed toe? >> because they're closed toe. we're seeing tons of white on the runway. you don't have to throw those amazing shoes out. >> styles.

and men's styles very popular. >> menswear, the boys are back in town. >> i love this. >> here we have morgan showing us how it's done. we have her in a lace-up oxford. and so this is a great alternative to sort of the uber feminine ballet flat. these are by sole society, just $59. and notice they're black and white. >> love it. >> you really can do white after labor day. we paired it with a fun little flirty skirt. these are awesome with anything. a jean on the weekends. love it with the skirt. but you can wear it with a trouser and also a blazer. >> i noticed brianna in a lot of the menswear style. >> the new take on the penny ,$24. >> fabulous. >> a high heel loafer. love the menui here. and of course the smoking flipper. i hear you have a pair of these. >> i love these. they are so cool. >> aren't they fun? instead of the insignia, we've got sort of pop references. these are just $17. >> beautiful. we're going to take our spin and let's look at the next trend.

let's spin it. >> i love it. it's like the ultimate rotating shoe closet. >> imagine walking into your closet and seeing this. for you we're looking at our boots. what's hot this fall? >> she's wearing sort of the trend of the season. and is the booty. aren't these amazing? >> but those are open toe. >> these are open toe. and the great news about that is we transition with a pair of tights. we are loving tights with open toe. and these have a couple trends, lace-up and also, you know, they've got the peep toe, as you mentioned. and these are by zahra, $59. she looks incredible. >> right now my mother is saying get those for me, tamron. >> a couple of boot trends is the over the knee boot. anything you wear them with, it i have goes them a little downtown edge. >> we saw it last fall. >> it's back. doc martens and grunge are back for the little ones. aren't they funny? and this season instead of, you know, the classic new pump, try the classic sort of cut-out

booty, so elongating and a new take on that. >> and these with tights, too, for example? >> yep. >> love it. >> and to transition. and these are $79. >> let's spin it and see our next trend. here we go. >> now, this is right up your alley, tamron, because it's a statement shoe is the big trend. and so, you know, we say don't be afraid to go bold and let your feet do the talking this season. >> okay. >> so here we have rashem in a fall floral. they're huge not just for spring and summer. >> that's interesting, florals for the fall. >> yes. and what you want to look out for is sort of a dark floral. and that just means with a darker background. and so it's really about florals with attitude this fall. >> and she has attitude. the pants rolled up. >> right? and when you have a major shoe like this, you can go really easy. a little black dress or little navy jumpsuit is the perfect option. another way to make a statement is animal print. why not a little catitude. we love these little slides from target, just $24.

or you know, just like you've got the bejeweled on your white pumps, bling. why not wear it on your shoes? >> when you go bling in your shoes, should you go basic in the outfit or does it matter? >> yeah, i think it's a good idea to sort of balance that out. you don't have to wear as much jewelry. and the color of the season, full-color cobalt. >> i love that. >> isn't that fun? >> you've got us all hooked up for fall. ladies, you look beautiful. thank you. we are back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. it's all about blue.

♪ we know they look ridiculous ♪ that's why no one will dance with us ♪ ♪ we're wearing christmas j jammies ♪ remember this a couple of months ago we introduced you to the holderness family? they made this adorable holiday video that celebrated their christmas jammies. the north carolina family is back. this time with a new video for back to school. ♪ baby i'm going to miss ya ♪ so let me kiss ya ♪ but then go home and try it ♪ it's so quiet ♪ fellas ♪ yeah ♪ fellas ♪ yeah ♪ did mom make a healthy lunch ♪ make it make it make that healthy lunch ♪ ♪ baby got class >> that is dedicated to the teachers who take care of their kids. and this is clearly a family with a lot of free time on their hands. the entire video on today.com.

good for them. >> the family that has gun together. >> and they are talented. >> good production. >> where did they get the bus? they rented a bus. >> congratulations for carson. stephanie sending carson daly a big congrats on the news of their new baby girl. love the name london rose. carrie tweets, congrats on the birth of your daughter. too cute. shawna tweets, looks like carson may have a bff. she's beautiful. a lot of congratulations on london rose, carson and siri's new baby. >> and some great names. vale and london rose. let's get some birthday wishes from willard. >> down on the farm in the summertime. a nice place to have a birthday party. and lou leonard agrees. beautiful lady from bakersfield, california. a wonderful woman. she sews, cooks and knows how to

qui quilt. happy birthday. william reed smith. three names. 100 years old today. n norcross, georgia. nice town. and he built four playhouses. his four playhouses are features in "better homes & gardens." take a look, if you will, herbert and katherine russell. and they are 75 years married. love each other very much. and they are from bath, new york state. and courage, love and devotion. i love it. onetha elliott. i don't know that name. 100 years old from sandy island, south carolina. she has a lovable and witty personality, and everybody loves her. now back to the great state of new york. >> willard, thanks very much. by the way, fun in the next hour, an audience participation hour. we'll show you what you're going to need to do. take both fingers like this and then put them in your ears. >> stop it! not nice. >> because you're going to be singing with olivia newton-john. >> yes! yes!

>> those puppies upstairs. >> you were a pink lady. >> pink lady. she invited me to come out to vegas with her. and she was so wonderful and lovely. >> you got the moves. >> it was really fun. we had a great time. >> and we get to see your jacket? do you have your jacket? >> my pink lady jacket. i'm officially a pink lady. >> that should

good morning, i'm tracy davidson. let's get your first alert forecast from meteorologist brittney shipp. >> we eare seeing scattered showers in the pocono as we head to the afternoon and evening we will maintain a chance of showers and even isolated thunderstorms. here's a live look right now at philadelphia and a coastal look at our radar shows our coastal

showers and our temperatures warming into the low 80s, but dropped down into the high 70s by tomorrow. we'll stay that way into the weekend. opening statements are scheduled to begin this morning in the trial of the woman charged with kidnapping a 5-year-old girl from her school in philadelphia. christina rugusta has been in jail since last year. accused of kidnapping that girl and sexually assaulting her after taking her. prosecutors say she was caught on video caught on muslim garb to pose as the child's mom. taney dragons take the field again tonight. the dragons are looking to bounce back from last night's loss to las vegas and tonight they could be facing elimination. mo'ne davis who was great in his last two starts was roughed up against las vegas last night. gave up two-run homer in the second inning had a chance to

come back in the fifth but the pitching got the job done as the dragons lost 8-1. count on nbc 10 to bring you all the action today as the taney dragons are still in the running for the little league world series championship. another local update in 25 minutes. you can always get the latest news, weather and updates about taney on nbc10.com. i'm tracy davidson. have a great day.

from nbc news, this is "today's take" with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to "today" on a beautiful thursday morning here in new york city. it is august 21st, 2014. i'm willie ang with al, natalie and tamron. i will tell you, it's not a 60th birthday on the show, it's a baby. >> lately. >> last week we met baby vale. and now carson and his fiancee, siri, have a new baby daughter born last night. london rose daly arrived at 6:11 p.m. 8 pounds, 11 pounds. >> she's a big girl. >> a big girl, 22 inches long. rose, by the way, is carson's

grandmother's name. >> love that. >> i love that name. >> savannah just tweeted a minute ago. she writes "we are so glad you're here, london rose. much love to carson daly and siri. vale can't wait to play. #girls." >> i love seeing etta and jack all excited about their little sister. you know they're going to be good siblings. >> she picked a great day to be born. >> al roker's birthday. >> oh, my gosh. >> al roker's birthday. >> carson says he's taken the kids home to kind of chill out because they thought things were slowing down and delayed. and then he got a call. >> get back. >> rushed back to the hospital and he says that they were literally waiting for him. >> hold on. hold on. >> get back in there. >> did you have that with any of your kids? you go to the hospital, we went once and they send you home. as soon as you get home, it all happens. >> yeah. go and get it done. >> isn't that beautiful? >> the tribute to a family member.

my mother's maternal mother's name. >> carson said earlier, etta also a family name as well for their other grandmother. super sweet. look how happy. >> they're a great family. great parents. you see them around their kids, they're so kid. they're the best. >> siri's on maternity leave, who's doing the voice on the iphone? >> ha, ha, ha. you've been waiting for that, haven't you? we did get a tweet from someone, her name is siri? yes. >> congratulations, guys. we're so happy for you. can't wait to meet london rose. >> cannot wait. more exciting news regarding the two americans who were treated for ebola. the two american patients being treated have been cleared for release from the hospital. yeah, this is great news. dr. kent brantly and nancy writebol have been at emory university hospital for almost three weeks. they were diagnosed with ebola while working as missionaries. they were flown to the u.s. for treatment. according to our own dr. nancy

snyderman, it's the first time this serum has been used on humans. and now they have been cleared to go home. obviously, people are wondering what this means globally now that you have some 1300 people who have died as a result of this latest ebola outbreak. but this certainly should give medical professionals, researchers some hope seeing the progress with these two people. >> they kind of put themselves up as guinea pigs to further knowledge. so hats off to them. >> unfortunately getting that serum is not so easy. we've reported that there have been shortages on that. so hopefully they start stepping up production somehow and can get what they need there to africa. >> how about the job emory university hospital does. three weeks ago, what are you doing? >> don't bring them here. >> and now they're walking out of the hospital. big credit to them. >> absolutely. this next one is -- yeah. i don't even know where -- >> do you smell desperation? >> we found -- well, al pointed

this out to us earlier. >> yeah. >> i guess this video has gone viral. >> my kids told me about it. >> this new song "anaconda." and it's causing a lot of controversy. just when you think you saw all on video, you haven't seen it all apparently. >> we're about to see it. >> you only see about 17 seconds that we could actually show you on morning television. >> because the rest you cannot. >> night television. >> take a look. ♪ ♪ he was getting some coin ♪ shootout with the law but he lived in a palace ♪ ♪ alexander mcqueen ♪ he was keeping my stylish ♪ that's real real real >> so i think you get the point there. but it goes on and on. >> i mean, she's twerking, she's gyrating, there are other dancers. >> well, the lyrics, too, are horrible. i mean, these are young kids, i think, still, you know, they

like this music. and they look at her as a pop star, you know, a rap star. and it's just -- it's horrifying. >> it almost seems like nicki minaj has gotten desperate and feels like she needs to do something to get her crown back. >> right. >> from others, iggy azalea and all these other girls that she thinks are honing in on her turf. geez louise. >> she's so talented. she does not need to do that. >> she doesn't need that. >> tamron's not saying anything. nothing to say. >> nothing? >> for once in my life to those who think i talk too much, nothing. >> nothing. >> wow. >> 20 million youtube views already. >> amazing. >> so it's working. >> i guess it is. okay. >> just tell me and then i'll tell them. >> you know what we should do? we should get you on a conference call and see what you think about it. >> this is a nice way to segue. people are able to do these conference calls different places. they don't have to be at their

desk. there's a new survey about where you are when you do these conference calls. 65% do it at work. >> or do other work. >> do other work while they're on the conference call. 55% eat or cook. i have done that. >> i've done that. i do that all the time. >> here's one, 47 are doing it while they're in the restroom. >> in the restroom? like putting your makeup on? >> so if you hear an echo. >> what do you mean? combing your hair? >> you could be. >> i think they meant on the can. yeah. >> but you press the mute button. >> i expect that from him. >> vintage. you're coming back now. >> i'm out of my nicki minaj. >> you're back. >> we've all done this, though, right? you put it on mute. >> yeah. do other things. uh-huh. uh-huh. >> oh, yeah. what do you think of this, willie? >> i didn't get anything out of that guy. >> mute.

>> and then you're afraid you mix it up. >> make sure you hit it and you look over and over. okay, let me double check. hello? hello? you hear me? oh, they don't hear me. >> she's back. she's back! tamron's back. >> i'm out of my nicki minaj coma. i'm back. okay. now you have to take me back. i'm visually seeing that video. >> because we've got some great videos. this is palate cleanser for the mind and soul after the "anaconda" video. this is the nicki minaj sorbet that we need to cleanse. anti-nicki minaj. mystic aquarium in connecticut. the beluga whales are there. they see three children. three children see the beluga whale. then the magic happens. >> mikey, look.

>> wait. >> i could watch this all day. >> it's the best. and then when it goes up to the top, he looks back at them like i've still got my eyes on you. >> like gotch your nose. how amazing is that? i've got my eye on you. >> i see you. >> i've got side eye. >> mystic aquarium is great, by the way. >> it's so fantastic. >> we take long drives to the mystic aquarium. >> not to mention the pizza. >> there is a real mystic pizza? >> from the movie. >> they've got tall ships there. >> fantastic. we should do the whole show from mystic, connecticut.

>> we want to meet the beluga. >> then to mystic. great pizza. >> then we'll go to the manta ray aquarium which is spectacular. >> do they have good pizza? >> i don't know. they have good tuna. >> that's not right. >> monterey. tuna canning. >> oh, i thought you were going to go to the aquarium. >> no! no! what's wrong with you? >> he's got "anaconda" and nicki minaj brain. farmers' almanac, they're spri predicting a super cold winter for much of the nation. much of the northeast going to get more snow than normal. it doesn't matter. >> why do we do it every year? >> because it's a piece of americana that i think -- >> wrong. >> is it always wrong? >> is there science that goes into this? >> but you know what? i love it. it's a great piece of americana,

and i'm glad it's still around. >> it's like punxsutawney phil. >> he annoys me. i'm done with him. >> our road trip has shortened. all right. let's take a check of the weather. but first -- greek.ay's the greek taste-off is on, and the taste of yoplait greek blueberry. take the taste-off for yourself. >> all right. so we've got this big dome of high pressure. we've got storms riding up over it, but underneath it, we've got the heat to talk about. dangerous heat. we've also got the midwest storms that are firing up with minneapolis all the way to chicago, probably going to be some airport delays during the day today. heavy rain out of this. we've got the risk of strong storms from minneapolis, des moines, chicago, into columbus. we'll be watching this all day. rainfall amounts anywhere from

two to four inches. there could be some flash flooding as well. anywhere from bismarck, minneapolis, green bay all the way into western new york and parts of new jersey as well. we're also looking at strong storms and a lot of heat during the day today. dangerous heat. that's w first alert meteorologist brittney shipp. as we head into the rest of today, cloudy skies, warm conditions and temperatures range between 82 and 85 degrees and heading into the afternoon, we will see the possibility of showers even isolated storms that will mainly be as we head into your evening hours and then cooler temperatures. take a look at friday, 77 degrees and more showers expected, that sets us up for fall-like weekend on saturday and sunday we stay in the high 70s. and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks. good news, we're going to talk more about your 60th birthday. 60 by the numbers now that al has marked the milestone, we're going to look at the important health information he and you

ought to know about like why is the number 126 so important? >> the number of pizzas i've eaten. >> at mystic pizza. eaten. >> at mystic pizza. >> still got it's the yoplait greek taste-off and we're asking this sports town which blueberry greek yogurt is their champion. it's the bottom of the 9th, who's it going to be? get your greek yogurt here! can i ask you a question? which one tastes the best? a tastes better. a. i love. lift it up and see what the winner is. who is it? no way. it's yoplait! i knew it! do you want to see which one yoplait greek beat? chobani. hoorah! yoplait greek wins again. take the taste-off for yourself. go boston! everything life throws my way. except for frown lines. those i'm throwing back. olay total effects nourishing vitamins and seven beautiful benefits in one. for younger-looking skin. olay. your best beautiful. i will never choose between uv protection and beauty again. new olay total effects

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for the moisture you need and the volume you want. so you can enjoy moisture with 95% more volume. dove oxygen moisture. taking care of your health is important at any age, but as we get older, you really need to take all of those numbers into concern. you want to see your doctor more regularly and not put things off which is a philosophy al lives by. >> from blood pressure to blood sugar, dr. rodriguez is here with important numbers to know for all of us who are 60 or older as we approach that all-important decade. dr. rodriguez, good to see you. >> good to see you. >> you, too. thanks for having me. >> we start with blood pressure. you had your blood pressure taken. let's take a loo look. >> reporter: when it comes to our health, especially guys, i

think we put that on the back burner. >> 118 over 75. >> is that good? >> perfect. >> reporter: you wouldn't reschedule your kid's pediatrician appointment. why would you cheat yourself on that workout or that doctor's appointment? >> dr. rodriguez joining us, as we said. so let's start first with the blood pressure. al seems to be in really good number. 119 over 76. >> that's the blood pressure of a 20-year-old, al. >> fantastic. >> that is fantastic. >> i feel bad for the 20-year-old. >> what we need to know, though, is 150 over 90. >> high. for anybody over 60, anything above 150 over 90 is something that should be treated. recently they increased this because people were being treated a little bit too soon and the medication was causing more danger actually than the blood pressure. >> yeah. >> but this is super important because high blood pressure can lead to strokes, heart disease, kidney failure. so it's a good one. >> you should be checking it how often? >> well, you should be checking it at least twice a year. you can go to any pharmacy and

have it checked. >> and you can also genetically, though -- even at my heaviest, i never had blood pressure checked. >> correct. and a lot of people think that you can cure blood pressure just by losing weight. 80% of the time you can, but sometimes you cannot. so check it and make sure you do something about it. >> very important and interesting in a "today" survey, we found 47% of people in their 60s said they had high blood pressure. >> absolutely. >> you need to be on top of this. >> this next number, 90, flu shots. >> this one is really important and kind of alarming as far as i'm concerned. in the united states, anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 people die of the flu every year. of those people, 90% are over the age of 65. >> wow. >> i mean, that's a huge number. so getting a flu shot, and now is the time to start getting it, is super important. so if you're a little older and younger, those are the two really high groups that get it. >> this month or next time. >> absolutely. it's never too late. >> moving on to the number 126. and here we're talking about blood sugar, right? >> correct.

>> so how often should you check it, and what does 126 tell us? >> 126, you go to your doctor and they check it. if it's above 126, that, by definition, is diabetes. all right. 80 million americans have diabetes. that can cause things as kidney problems, more heart attacks, impotence. that usually gets the men to have it checked. >> what's the range you should be in? >> anything under 100 is normal. anything between 100 and 125 is pre-diabetes. 126 or above is diabetes. >> next number is 1 every 10, and we're talking about colonoscopy. >> something very dear and near to my heart because i'm a g.i. doctor. >> every ten years. >> you should get a colonoscopy at 50. if everything is normal every year, then you need to do one every ten years. >> i did one at 50. i did one last year. >> congratulations. >> you're ahead of the game. >> now, let me tell you something. if you have blood in your stool, if you have any other symptoms, this may need to be sooner than ten years.

but if everything is normal, every ten years. >> number 30. when it comes to hearing loss. >> correct. listen up. all right. 30% of everyone over 60 to 65 has hearing loss. and that sounds trivial, but it affect your job, emergencies, and now there's so many good things. >> and your quality of life. >> absolutely. you don't have to -- >> and only one out of five people get hearing aids. >> correct. and now they have such great hearing aids that don't even show. so there's no reason not to hear. >> dr. jorge rodriguez, as always, thank you. great information. next, get you caught up on all the news you need before you walk out the door. and a special camp teaching kids all the right moves for a brighter future after this. the activia challenge! there's nothing like leaving home feeling attractive. but too many times i feel bloated, gassy, uncomfortable with gurgling. nothing seems to feel right! and yet another pile of clothes on my bed. so i'm taking the activia challenge.

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ask your doctor about once-a-day xarelto®. no regular blood monitoring; no known dietary restrictions. for information and savings options download the xarelto® patient center app, call 1-888-xarelto, or visit goxarelto.com taking a look at the headlines, another data breach to tell you about. some customers of the u.p.s. store may have had their credit and debit card information exposed by a computer virus. the shipping company says information including names, card numbers and e-mail addresses could be at risk. u.p.s. says 51 store affected by the breach. bank of america has reached a record $17 billion settlement

with federal and state authorities. the settlement resolves the investigation into b of a's role in the sale of mortgage-backed securities before the 2008 financial crisis. it is the largest settlement arising from the economic meltdown which saw millions of americans lose their homes. officials say the bank will pay $10 billion in cash and provide $7 billion in consumer relief. a growing number of americans are having trouble making their car payments. the number of loan defaults and delinquent loans surged between the months of april and june. that's according to the credit reporting agency experian. experts say the trend is being driven by loans granted to borrows with spotty credit histories. the average monthly payment is now $474. and take a look at this larger-than-life rubber duck making quite a splash as it sailed into the harbor near los angeles there. the duck's imposing yellow presence could be seen making its way through the channel to kick off the tall ships festival. the rubber duck will be moored

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and take home a second entrée free! buy one, take one starting at just $12.99. good morning, everyone. i'm chris cato. 9:26 on your thursday. let's get your first alert forecast with meteorologist brittney shipp. >> we're already starting to see our clouds increasing through the area. poconos mostly cloudy skies and we're also seeing mostly cloudy skies in reading, 72 degrees there. in philadelphia, 74 as we head into the rest of today, we'll continue to see a chance of scattered showers, even isolated thunderstorms. temperatures will warm to the low to mid-80s. tonight, philadelphia taney dragons will keep little league championship dreams alive. they lost last night to las vegas. tonight the dragons is taking on a team from chicago. that team also lost to las

vegas. first pitch is set for 7:30 tonight. you can count on nbc 10 to bring you live coverage today as the dragons try to avoid elimination. again, first pitch at 7:30. from our delaware bureau this morning giving a tour of new improvements to the sussex county airport. the airporunway was expanded to feet and trees were approved near the runway and lighting and pavement stripping was added. real quick, we have to make a correction to a story we ran earlier this morning. we reported a story about this man christopher white facing child endangerment charges. earlier this morning we incorrectly showed the photo of a different christopher white, who is not involved in this case. we'll have another update you for you in 25 minutes. remember, you can always get the latest news and weather on nbc10.com. i'm chris cato, now we go back

to "today" show. have a great day.

welcome back to "today" on this thursday morning from our cam. it's august 21st, 2014. i'm willie along with al, natalie and tamron. >> bang, bang. >> now you're on team nicki all of a sudden. >> no. >> you've got to pick a side here. >> no, i still like the song. >> "bang bang" he likes. >> it's three women doingsong g she'doing the song, but she's not going to have her -- >> that song makes her niece faint. she's trying to get me to bring her, and i can't. >> aunt tamron not going to bring her? >> she has school, man. got to go to school. >> so you never cut school for a concert? >> no. are you kidding me? >> i'm just asking. >> my dad was in the military.

my mother is a southern -- i would have been dragged out of that place where i was hiding from school. no, i was a chicken as a kid. >> okay. >> i was a chicken except for that time -- >> what happened? >> nothing. i'll tell you later. but for clarification for people, you like nicki minaj, some of her work. >> well, her earlier work. >> this song -- >> she's just lost her mind on this song. >> and other things. >> "bang bang." >> yeah. >> you don't appreciate this "anaconda" video. she's better than that is what you're saying. >> yes. she's talented and she's got a lot going for her. she doesn't need to do that. >> fair enough. >> did we end the discussion? >> als ice bucket challenge. we've seen a lot of good ones. president bush did it yesterday. there have been some not-so-good ones. it's time we looked at the bloopers. >> three, two. >> ooh.

>> oh! >> okay, here we go. >> these aren't real, are they? >> what are you doing? >> oh, man! >> that would really hurt. >> oh! >> ow! >> oh, geez. >> a sympathetic laugh. >> that last laugh was just maniacal. >> evil. >> wow. >> how about the whole cooler thrown at you. >> how did that happen? >> as len berman would say, nobody got hurt, but i think a lot of people got hurt. >> tom bergeron was there for all of those. >> how did the whole cooler slip from her hands? >> i don't know, just threw it on him. >> those things are heavy. i was going to have george and lucy do it, but they couldn't lift it. >> oh, gosh. >> a heavy bucket.

>> how about a check of the weather? you're going to need a bucket to cool off down south, right, al? my segue. >> i need a theme song. we started with "bang bang." >> every great superhero has a theme song. >> i'm not a superhero. ♪ there you go. that's the song. thank you very much. look ahead to your weekend. i love it when a plan comes together for your weather. we've got wet weather in the northeast and the ohio river valley tomorrow. rain from the plains into the southwest. west coast looking gorgeous. plenty of sunshine. on saturday, more rain in the ohio river valley into the mid-atlantic states. we're looking at the plains and the southeast. again, record-setting temperatures. 70s along the west coast. sunday, sunday! we've got a gorgeous day here in the northeast and new england, mid-atlantic states. more rain in the mid-mississippi river valley on into florida. we've got more showers in the northern mississippi river valley and look at the sunshine out west. temperatures will be nice and moderate right along the coast. that's what's going on around

hi, i'm first alert meteorologist brittney shipp. as we head into the rest of today, cloudy skies, warm conditions and temperatures range between 82 and 85 degrees and heading into the afternoon, we will see the possibility of showers, even isolated storms that will mainly be as we head into your evening hours. and then cooler temperatures. take a look at friday. 77 degrees. more showers expected and that sets us up for fall-like weekend on saturday and sunday we stay in the high 70s. and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks a lot. now to our series "hope to it," and giving some deserving young people a chance to shine. >> it's called ali camp run by a world-famous company credited with pioneering modern american dance. >> it's the performance off the stage that makes them unique. >> reporter: these kids can dance from pops and locks to

arabesque, to moves to frenetic moves, a kind of training any young dancer would envy. but these students are learning much more than counts and choreography. >> it goes beyond dance. it really is about giving these young people something to hope for, giving them a voice where perhaps they otherwise wouldn't have that voice. >> reporter: it's all part of a six-week program serving hundreds of kids ages 11 to 14 in 9 cities across the country. each student facing personal challenges off the dance floor. >> we have children that are in foster families. we have children that are living in shelters. we have children that are dealing with a loss of a parent. we have children who are trying to figure out where they fit in. >> reporter: for 11-year-old jalen, the camp is a welcome relief from the struggles of a broken home. >> it's actually helping me a lot with what i've been through in life.

and when i dance, it gives me the opportunity to let out my emotions. >> reporter: camp director and former professional dancer nasha thomas smith sees herself in the students. >> i grew up raised by a single mother in the projects in queens. i feel it's my duty to be here for these young people. they've been told that they can't. they can't have. they can't do. they can't be. and my question is why. why can't you? yes, you can. >> reporter: in addition to daily sessions in -- >> hip-hop. >> >>jazz. >>ye wtingasses and share perso struggles. >> coming from the child of a teen parent, it's not as bad as you think. ignore all those terrible names that people are calling because they don't understand. >> so what if you're different? that is how you make friends because your y're unique in you own way. >> put your mind to it. >> reporter: learning a sense of compassion and self-confidence. >> my friends, i see like all the hard things that they've

went through, and then that helps me think of how i'm not the only one. i'm not the different one. >> reporter: it's that camaraderie that translates to the stage when each camp culminates in a final perfo performan performance. >> i just don't want to trip and fall because we've worked so hard. and i give it up to you guys. you guys make me cry. >> we love you. >> reporter: in front of a packed house of family and friends. >> very excited. >> it's a great experience. >> it's a space that really is made for growing. >> reporter: giving some special kids the chance to take to the stage. >> at the end of the day, they're just kids, you know. and they want to have fun and they want to make friends and they want to learn. and that's what the program is about. >> so the camp is completely free for the families of the kids. they rely on public and private donations. for manager information about all the alvin ailey arts in education program, head to today.com. we applaud them for that effort. these kids are beautiful and

they deserve that opportunity. >> if you're ever coming to new york and you have the chance to see alvin ailey perform, wow! it will take your breath away. it's one of the best things going. next, natalie gives las vegas a taste of her trademark singing chops. >> it will never be the same. >> when she hits the stage with olivia newton-john. how exciting is this. we'll show you how it went right after this.

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newton-john invited our own natalie to take the stage with her at the flamingo hotel in vegas. >> in her show "summer nights," olivia performs a medley of her greatest hits. >> but there was one song she reserved just for natalie. >> yes. this is the stuff of dreams i'm talking here. i'm a child of the '80s, so it was the thrill of a lifetime to be a pink lady for the night singing along with olivia newton-john in front of a live audience. ♪ ever since i was a little girl, i've been a huge fan of olivia newton-john. "grease," "xanadu," "let's get physical," they were the sound track of my generation. if you could go back in time and tell that 8-year-old little girl that someday you're going to be performing with olivia newt newton-john, i would have said you must be dreaming. but guess what? here i am in vegas, and i'm not dreaming! olivia, here i come! >> hello, hello! >> i can't believe it! >> you made it! >> i made it!

this is a dream come true. >> have you been warming up your voice? >> no, no. 35 years since "grease" came out. >> can you believe it? >> i know. does it seem like it was 35 years ago that your life changed forever? >> you know, there's no way i could have possibly dreamt that people would still be loving this movie now. >> to be a pink lady, what do i need to do? >> you just need to get a bit of attitude. >> a little rizzo. >> rid zzo'ed out a little bit. >> are you going to teach me the ropes? >> let's do it. let's go. >> i can't believe i'm doing this! oh, my gosh. >> this is our new pink lady. welcome. >> are you sure you want to hand me a microphone? ♪ uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh ♪ ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more >> my gosh, my own dressing room. look at the star. good luck to our own bad sandy.

here's to making your lifelong dream come true. love, your biggest fans, al, willie and tamron. now i've got to go get 'em. i've got to knock 'em dead. it's starting. this is it! the moment i've been waiting for. i'm very nervous. >> two months ago i was on the "today" show. and one of the girls on the "today" show told me that she wanted to be a pink lady. and i'm so excited to invite natalie morales to the stage to be a pink lady for tonight! here she comes. >> oh, my gosh! >> i'm going to give you a jacket, too. hold on. ♪ summer days drifting away ♪ to off to the summer nights ♪ well, well, well ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more ♪ was it love at first sight ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more ♪ did she put up a fight ♪ we made out under the dock

♪ summer heat ♪ summer nights ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more ♪ how much dough did he spend ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more ♪ could she get me a friend ♪ those summer nights ♪ tell me more ♪ tell me more ♪ yeah >> yeah! >> i'm officially a pink lady now. >> wow! we're officially deaf. >> let's talk about that last high note. >> that was beautiful. >> that one move. by the way, i've got to thank olivia newton-john and her whole band. they're fantastic. what a great show. and by the way, "summer nights" has been extended through the beginning of january, and she's

there throughout the month of august. >> at the flamingo, right? >> at the flamingo in vegas. it is so much fun. it's like reliving your youth all over again. >> when you looked out at the audience and you were singing and dancing with olivia newton-john -- >> i didn't even see the audience. i'm thinking i'm that 8-year-old girl and i'm singing with my idol, and she is better than ever. >> she's good. >> she's incredible. the show was so wonderful. >> well done. >> thank you. you've got to follow now. vegas for you, willie. >> it ain't that. >> "hangover." natalie won't be performing at the vmas, but we know who will. you should. we'll tell you how to jump start the weekend with the best entertainment after this. look at that. look that the. >> mm-hmm. ♪ tell me more ♪ tell

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so i'm taking the activia challenge. eating activia twice a day for four weeks may help reduce the frequency of minor digestive issues like bloating, gas, discomfort and rumbling. when your tummy smiles, things just feel right! join me and take the activia challenge. it works or it's free. ♪ dannon! it is thursday, which means it's time for your weekend jump starter. if you're looking for something to download, watch or read, we've got a few fun ideas for you. >> a correspondent for "entertainment weekly" is with us. >> thanks for having me. >> taylor swift, first single called "shake it off." and the video is generating some controversy. >> that's right. so she released the video on tuesday. it has over 20 million views on youtube. a lot of people are loving it but there's also been backlash. taylor is seen shaking her

tinge, wearing gold chains. people are saying she's taking on cultural inappropriations that are better left to the black community. getting a little bit of heat, but the song is heating up on the billboard chart and itunes. whether you love it or hate it, that's the song you're going to be hearing this weekend. >> some say like miley cyrus, twerking. >> exactly. those are kind of negative actions. a lot of people are saying don't do that. you're a white girl. do your thing. leave that type of stereotype alone. >> let's move on to the mtv "video music awards." they take place on sunday. taylor swift will be there performing "shake it off." a lot of people are talking about the opening number. >> i'm so excited. so this sunday at 9:00 p.m., "bang bang" is going to be performed live for the first time ever. you've got nicki minaj, arianna grande, jessie j. we don't know what the core f choreography is going to look like. right after they perform their music video is going to go up live on mtv.com.

you're going to get a little bit of a doubleheader. and beyonce's going to be there, too. and there's a lot of buzz about beyonce performing because she could perform old hits or preview new music. or in either case, she could do something that could acknowledge the divorce rumors with jay-z. so it's going to be big. and she was also nominated artist of the night. >> that's cool. >> let's move on to apps. fan cred. >> so this is really cool. it's available on apple devices and also web. you'll get it on android in october. but what it is is like a combination of instagram, twitter and facebook, in that it allows sports fans to talk to each other about their favorite teams. the more you interact, the more points you get, the more cred you receive. and i was playing around with it with my husband yesterday. and in our house, we're all about the minnesota gophers. there isn't much of a following here in new york. but with fan cred, we can see what's going on at home and get to live the sports games and

experiences through other fans. >> let's get one last summer read in before we hit labor day. "we are not ourselves" by matthew thomas. >> this book is beautiful. it's from a former high school english teacher. >> he came from my high school. >> exactly. it's a beautiful epic about an iri irish-american family and how they try to achieve the american dream and the emotional costs. i can't put it down. >> from "entertainment weekly." thank you so much. we're back in a moment. first, this is "to

coming up next, kathie lee and hoda catch up with donnie osmond. >> and "ambush makeover." >> and danny

good morning, everyone. i'm chris cato. 9:56 and rain on the way for later today. let's get your forecast with meteorologist brittney shipp. >> showers moving into the poconos and as we head to the rest of the afternoon and evening, more showers expected and the possibility of a few thunderstorms throughout our area. a few clouds moved into the center city skyline and as we take a closer look on our radar, we are seeing a few spotty showers near the poconos. as we head into the rest of

today, warm conditions expected, humid, as well. temperatures pushing into the mid-80s and by etomorrow we drop down to the 70s and stay there straight through the weekend. some startling new video to show you now. police are asking for your help in identifying a suspect in an explosion at a restaurant in north philadelphia. look at this, investigators just released this. shows a teenager that walks into the oriental kitchen takeout on north 18th street last night. he places an explosive device in the wall and then you see what happened there. it blew up. damaged the restaurant, but thankfully no one was hurt. well, in about 9:30 hours look at our countdown clock here. taney dragons are taking the field this time playing a team from illinois. loser goes home. first pitch set for 7:30 tonight. last night mo'ne was, left a lot of runners on base and pitching staff shut them down and dragons lost 8-1 and, again, the

elimination game is tonight at 7:30. i'm chris cato. we'll be back with another update in half hour. until then, have a great thursday.

♪ from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hello, everybody. we're so happy you're here with us today. we have a very, very, very special guest with us today. >> mm-hm. >> we love him. our donny osmond is here. >> he is here. >> the same day as lou. >> i'll be right there. >> i knew he was right there. >> and i've got the chance to know her a little bit over the years and she is his wife of 36 years, debbie. can you believe it? he look like he's still 30. >> she does too. >> 36 of years today. >> 36 years today. >> their anniversary.

>> thauchk you for spending your anniversary with us. >> can i give way the news too. >> what's the news? >> what we just found out. >> no, we're going to tell you. >> okay, fine, be like that. >> we are going to give away so much news. there is so much news on kim and kanye's wedding. . >> remember when it was you? remember when it was you on every magazine? >> oh, i remember that. >> they are calling it kim's dream wedding. but that was the last one. right there. that dress is her old dress. my favorite is "in touch." how can you get better than this? wedding from hell. she is trying to squeeze into her wedding dress. >> i don't think that's her rear end. >> maybe it's an artist's rendering. >> my favorite things. >> look. kris drunk all day. kanye throws a fit and walks out. bruce's new look humiliates kim and khloe's men crash the wedding. there's no wedding yet.

>> so, good. >> see, i would buy this one. this is the one i would pick up. i would buy that one. >> she went to twitter yesterday clearing up many of the rumors. >> her impending wedding to kanye -- >> she says the reports are false. they are not married yet and photos released of her wedding dress are also false. >> they aren't filming the wedding for tv. they are filming everything leading up to it and everything after. >> they will only release photos of the ceremony, not videotape. >> and the there won't be 1600 people. that's incorrect. but we didn't hear anything about the pre-nup. i heard a lot of that brewing. >> they should both get a pre-nup. they both have a lot of money. >> right. >> all right. >> the only one who so far seems to have it right is us. it just says cat down to crazy wedding. >> there were reports they were in l.a. getting a marriage

license. but i think you need to get a marriage license where you're getting married. they are supposedly getting married in france. kris did call me the other day and we talked for quite a while. i guess congratulations are in order, she is married. kris said, she lives in my house, i would know if they were married. >> people were asking, when kim and kanye were on vogue, how well would that magazine sell. there was early speculation it was a blockbuster selling half a million copies. but according to the new york post it didn't sell all that well. it sold half of that, 250,000 copies. but compared to beyonce's it wasn't a lot. >> she is leading cover lady so far with 355,000. than mrs. obama with 269. >> and vogue told nbc, they called us back -- >> well, they didn't call us behe they called somebody. >> they said they don't comment

on sales figures. >> neil patrick harris is on the cover of rolling stone. >> oh my god. >> wow! >> wow! >> anyway -- >> everyone is always naked on rolling stone. julia louis-dreyfus was -- >> they are not really naked. he talks about coming out and says that -- >> we don't have that one -- >> we don't have that one, okay. he said coming out helped his career rather than hurt it. he has a huge straight guy following because he played that barney guy all those years on "how i met your mother." he is a terrific actor. he can play anyone. >> by the way, if someone else would have done the exact cover with the top hat covering the strategic part, a lot of people would have been, oh, my god, what are they doing. but because it is neil patrick harris, it is so cute. he can do no wrong.

>> certain people get away with it. just loveable. >> yes. >> and he is among them. and oprah winfrey, by the way, she has her own network and all that stuff, own, you wonder, how did someone start out. what was someone like in the beginning before they were oprah. she has an audition tape that was somehow released on youtube. this is own's youtube channel so they did release it. it is an audition for her trying out if are a chicago show in 1983. check it out. >> my name is oprah win try. oprah, o-p-r-a-h, harpo spelled backwards. my folks didn't particularly like harpo marks. bedidn't seen have a television set for years. i was originally named from the bible, first chapter of the 14th verse but no one knew how to spell in my home, so that's why i ended up being oprah. >> her voice is different. >> yes. >> very interesting to hear, right? >> even her delivery.

>> i wonder how old she was then. >> well, 1983, they say. i remember pretty well because i started working with regis in 1985. and so oprah was doing her chicago show and one day -- regis an i were local at the same in new york and it was an hour and a half show, monday through friday. they came us to and said, you guys mind giving up half of -- one-third of your show, half an hour because there is a new woman in chicago that's just this -- >> named oprah. >> we said, yeah. >> you made room for oprah. >> no, no. they said they were going to take it from us, but it was nice of them to ask. about a year later, it was syndicated. i think a year before that she was in baltimore. that's what my mother remembers. >> there was a great story where she wanted to relax her hair and it fell out. back then when relaxers --

>> has yours ever -- >> fallen, out, no. but i have put some heavy duty chemicals up in there. and i would risk the consequences. >> so your boyfriend is in the news. >> no. >> your boyfriend in your head. hugh jackman. >> i just love him. >> he decided to do something different to promote x-men days of the future past. sew decided to interview his younger self. >> right. >> you'll get it when you watch. take a look. >> it will sound narcissistic to even ask this, but who is the biggest star in the year 2014? well, hugh, i know you will find this hard to believe, really hard to believe. you are by far and away the biggest star ever, ever, to actually be in motion pictures. >> oh, really? so i've become a huge jackman. >> hugh, you're awesome. i don't know if that's egotistical to say that, but thank you. keep up the good work and keep moisturizing, whatever it is you're doing.

>> and that's why i love the man. he can so make fun of himself. >> he is so terrific. >> adorable. his interview with yahoo! uk. okay, he's all good. >> there is something cute. there is a couple who wanted to get married. and they met on the set of a music video. so they both shared music in common. they were trying to think up their vows. they decided they were stuck so they collaborated together and decided to write a song. michael and carissa alvarado. let's take a look at their wedding. ♪ ♪ ♪

>> sweet. >> it's donnie and marie. oh, my gosh. and here is the good news, too. >> they are adorable. >> they scored a record deal. with public records. >> and they are going to set up on 28-city tour in the u.s. this summer. >> good for them. >> that was awesome. >> speaking of adorable. >> i've got one, i got a hot donny osmond song. >> i was just listening to a donnie and marie song, but this is what i chose today. this one is by pharrell and miley together. it is called, not come get it, babe. "come get it bay." >> ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ come get it, bay ♪ come get it, bay ♪ come get it, bay

>> wow. >> here it comes. >> you got to like it. ♪ hey. >> you know it's going to be a hit, right? they need something to rhyme with crush. >> who is that? >> pharrell. pharrell an miley cyrus. >> i love it. >> yes. >> that's a smash. >> if it is pharrell, i love it anyway. >> your motorcycle. >> really? >> yes. >> oh, come on. >> you got to lose -- >> ♪ because girl i like you, hey ♪ >> go stay in your corner.

>> all righty. coming up, is your dog talented? >> you sent in crazy pet videos and we will see them. >> and a day with donny osmond. >> right after this. ♪ cereal and milk ♪ k -- e -- double -- l -- o-- double good ♪ ♪ protein to help you rebuild like you should ♪ ♪ great tasting grains to help you recharge ♪ ♪ put a spring in your step ♪ so you keep livin' large ♪ milk and cereal ♪ cereal cereal ♪ milk and cereal cereal cereal .... make your morning shine with delicious kellogg's cereal and milk. it has protein to help you rebuild, and grains to help you recharge. kellogg's cereal and milk. see you at breakfast.

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♪ little bit country >>. ♪ no come on and get it, baby >> he's been in the spotlight since he was 5 years old, performing along side his famous siblings. later becoming a teen idol to millions of fans. >> but the onstage chemistry donny has with his sister, marie, that has kept fans wanting more for 50 years. the two will celebrate their 1,000th show together in vegas. which by the way, has been voted the best show in town, for the last three years. >> it is really pretty remarkable. won't you supposed to stay there for six days first? >> six weeks at the flamingo in 2008. here we are in our sixth year. i was talking to my manager and we were trying to figure out, what are we going to do for the 1,000th show. and he said, let's plan the 2,000th show. >> i know it was hard for marie. she was doing the talk show back and forth in l.a. and sleeping

on the couch. >> and winning "dancing with the stars" while doing that at the same time. >> of course you did. >> you just rubbed that in marie's face. >> she doesn't win. >> we know she didn't. you did well. you broke your knee and something else. >> my neck. that was before. but i still won. still got it. >> still got it, baby. >> what is it about your shows that you think resonates even now? you have been around forever. >> hoda, i don't know. i would like to think it was talent. >> we all know that hugh jackman got all of that. >> true. what does he know. but we just leave it all on stage. we work really, really hard. and the show changes and evolves all the time. people think is that stale dialogue, is that written for you? she'll throw me a zing, i'll throw her one. sometimes it works. you got to go for it. that's why people keep coming back and want to see the show. we're so fortunate.

especially in the entertainment capital of the world. >> and talking to each other, still liking one another. >> let's don't go that far. >> you guys have reinvented yourselves. a lot of people who stayed exactly in their lane, their whole life, wouldn't attract a new viewers that you guys have with new music and stuff. >> hoda, it's important. you can't rest on your laurels. i'm working on my 60th album out in. >> i thought how is that possible? >> i took songs that affected me and influenced me over the 50 years. >> like what? >> michael jackson's "ben." it was written for me. >> michael jackson's bad apple. it was written for the jacksons. it switched. i said, let's get michael to sing it. his number one solo record. >> a little bitter. >> no, no, no. but that -- peter gabriel song, elton john song, every song has a story behind not just me singing a great song, but there is a story behind why a paul mccartney --

♪ the long and winding road >> but that was music. >> great music. ♪ come on and get it baby >> that was my own fault. i should not set you up for that. >> people have questions for you. at this point in his life, is donny a little more country or a little more rock 'n' roll. >> rock 'n' roll, baby. >> do you still wear purple socks every now and then? >> perfect case of ocd. next question. >> what annoys you the most about marie? >> this show isn't long enough. we have a competition going about twitter. who can get the most twitter followers. follow me on twitter. @donnyosmond. >> how many do you have? couple hundred thousand or something like that. i need to get some more. follow me @donnyosmond. >> how many does marie have? >> two. >> are we going to bring debbie out? >> debbie, come join us. >> it is their anniversary. >> come on, sweetheart, please.

everybody wants to see donny's beautiful wife. >> you sit down here. >> see? 36 years. >> 36 years. >> you know what's really interesting? she's not just my wife now, she's my business partner. we started donny osmond home home furnishings. we had no idea it would take off. it went from zero to 60 overnight. you're the only person who has done an interview with us in our home. we made a promise with each other that nobody would do an interview in our home. >> such a bad experience, you said never again. >> $20, i needed the 20 bucks. >> it sounds so funny when i did it, at our house, over our fireplace there is a picture of me, a painting, holding cody. over their fireplace is jesus and a lamb. there's the difference right there. >> congratulations on 36 years. >> broadway or go to dinner? >> i don't know. what are we doing? >> i don't know what we're doing. do you have a suggestion.

>> go see "a gentleman's guide to love and murder." it is hysterical. there is lots of good stuff, but that one. >> thank you for the good recommendation. when the new album comes out, come back. >> absolutely. >> put some good music on there. ♪ we're gonna get it baby ♪ get it baby >> time to give frozen's princess a run for her money. >> sick of it. >> what? >>. ♪ best day of my life my budget used to be a real downer,

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♪hey! i found a happy space somewhere to call our own♪ ♪a happy little place and it all starts with you♪ ♪whoa-oh-oh-oh, all this goodness...♪ after-school snacking should be fun and nutritious which is why we put whole grains first in every general mills big g cereal what matters most should always come first general mills. look for the "g," it means goodness first. >> webtastics. time for webtastic where we dig up the next video you'll want to share with all of your friends. >> this one is by two college students at point loma nazarene university in san diego. they did a parody of the song, do you want to build a snowman from the movie frozen for a school contest.

>> olivia mowry created this with her friend. they wrote and sang the lyrics. >> starbucks. ♪ i need some caffeine in my veins ♪ ♪ i'm sure i'm about to go insane ♪ ♪ it gets a little lonely all the studying ♪ ♪ do you want to go to starbucks ♪ ♪ it doesn't have to be a starbucks ♪ >> i don't really like coffee. ♪ okay bye >> cute. they won the school's contest and within a couple of weeks this video went viral. good for them. she's got a good musical theater voice. >> she hasn't seen "frozen" before she made this mini film but janae was a fan. she composed the parody. they want to be a director and composer. >> all the best to both of them.

>> don't go anywhere, we're asking lou, plus "ambush makeovers." >> lou after your local news. moms know that no two mouths are the same. that's why there's a listerine® product for every mouth. one to clean your whole mouth. one for those hard to reach places. one to protect kids mouths from cavities. even one to freshen breath on-the-go. with over 100 years of innovation in oral care... there's a listerine® product for every mouth in your house. for cleaner, healthier mouths go beyond brushing alone. listerine®. power to your mouth ™. we dip it and shake itrld's best seven times. we hand bread it seven times. we rock it seven times. why all of the sevens? because it's a lucky number? jack pot. ♪ with new jolly rancher filled gummy bites? not today.

bites. little greatness. in pampers cruisers. they adapt at the waist, legs and bottom, with up to 12 hours of protection for all the freedom to just play. pampers. curing a yeast infection relieving the itch.... can happen instantly. vagisil max strength anti-itch wipes relieve itch and odor instantly as they cleanse. so why wait to feel comfortable? trust vagisil. the number one wipe for itch. good morning, everyone. i'm chris cato. 10:26 and the rain is starting to arrive in the area. let's check the forecast now with meteorologist brittney

shipp. brittney. >> good morning scattered showers in the poconos. we are seeing clouds increasing along the city skyline there. as we head into the rest thompk, we are bog to see clouds continuing to increase. temperatures right now mild at 78 degrees in philadelphia. 71 in pottstown, 67 in mount pocono. for your thursday, showers and storms expected, 84 degrees today. take a look at the cooling trend as we head into friday and the weekend. opening statements that were scheduled for this morning have now been pushed back to 1:00 this afternoon in the trial of the woman charged with kidnapping a five-year-old girl from her school. christina is also accused of sexually assaulting that girl after taking her from bryant elementary school in philadelphia last february. prosecutors say she's the woman in this video from the school. they say she dressed in muslim attire to pose as the child's mother. the girl was found the next day at a playground in upper darby. the countdown continues in nine hours.

first pitch against illinois at 7:30 p.m. las vegas beat taney last night 8-1, roughing up osasvegavis.enight on a can you count on n0 bri you lieragayss tr toee championship hopes alive. if they win they get a rematch on friday a full hours of news in 30 minutes. you can always get latest news and weather on nbc10.com. i'm chris cato. have a great thursday.

we're back with more of "today" on this thirsty thursday, which means it is time for "ambush makeovers." >> two lucky ladies found shelter from the rain in the hands of our crack makeover team. "today" contributor and stylist to the stars louis licari and "today" contributor and contributing editor for "people style watch" and author jill martin. >> hi, guys. >> a little damp out there. >> a few sprinkles. at this point, what the hey. >> we have a mother's day theme today. >> good. we like themes. we're into themes. okay. our first lucky lady is cindy raymond, 40 years old from alberta, canada. cindy is a substitute teacher with three young kids of her own, leah, matthew and lucas. she has never colored her hair and doesn't wear makeup. this is her first trip away from home, ever, and she couldn't be more excited to see the reactions of her husband and

kids when she gets back. let's take a listen to her story. >> well, it is pouring, so everyone needs a makeover. but this is very special. bffs for 25 years. i love this little picture. so why do you want this for cindy? >> this is cindy's first trip away from home. it has been 12 years. she has three kids and rarely does anything for herself. a great treat for her. >> a nice gift for mother's day. what do you think? >> i'm overwhelmed. but i'm excited. >> okay. >> thank you. >> how exciting. cindy is here with her best friend kelly. hi, kelly. please keep your blindfold on for a minute. here is cindy's before picture. all right. cindy, let's see the new you. >> whoa. >> wow. are you ready? >> take off your blindfold, kelly. >> oh, my gosh. >> are you ready? >> yes. >> spin right around with your vogue new haircut.

>> put your glasses on. yeah. spin right around. look at camera 12. tell us about the hair. >> it is you. >> you look great. >> it is a dream come true. this is a great haircut, keeping her hair -- keeping it -- some length but great body. i softly highlighted her hair. she lives in a place where she can't color her hair that often, she can maintain it every three or four months. the highlights are warm, not ashy. so it looks young. >> what do you think, kelly? >> gorgeous. >> jill, that's the perfect dress. i'm sorry. perfect. >> darling. >> she picked it out because her son's favorite color is yellow. so this is so sweet. maggie london, we added a thicker belt because look at this little waistband. >> you look really great. >> congratulations.

>> go join your friend. >> our second lady is lisa rockwell, 53 from new orleans. >> new orleans! >> mother of seven kids. ages 14 through 28. she says having kids kept her too busy to really pamper herself. she still rocks a scrunchy almost daily. nothing wrong with that, baby. she's thrilled for a glamorous new look, no scrunchy included. let's listen to her story. >> we shocked you when you were raising the roof, though, when we picked you. so you seem excited. >> i am excited. i just can't believe this is happening. it is just a thrill. and it is a thrill to be here and we're celebrating my friend's 50th birthday, and my seven kids are back at home and my husband too. and so i'm just really, really excited. >> seven kids. so you deserve this. >> well, i'm excited. i'm excited. >> you deserve it. >> thank you very much. >> she's here with her dear

friends, april, ann and margy. now let's take a look at her before. there is lisa before. let's bring out the new lisa rockwell. keep your blindfolds on, ladies. >> oh, my gosh. >> all righty. >> all right, take it off. >> oh, my gosh. >> beautiful. >> turn around. take a look. >> you look beautiful. >> you look so -- >> i love it when everybody's happy. >> oh. >> we didn't do anything. louis, tell us what you did to her hair. >> what i did is i corrected a very common mistake, i softened her hair color. she was covering a few grays and progressively darker and darker. this is much more appropriate for her coloring.

this haircut gave her the volume and of course this all completed with the makeup. >> ladies, please, please get it together. >> new orleans girls everywhere. tell us about the dress. >> she looks totally different. this is cynthia and soma intimates smoothed her out. >> that is nice. >> come back out, cindy. >> jill, as usual -- >> we'll celebrate national pet week with funny dog videos you sent us. you'll like them. first, these messages. [ julie ] the wrinkle cream graveyard. if it doesn't work fast... you're on to the next thing. clinically proven neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it targets fine lines and wrinkles with the fastest retinol formula available.

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all right, time to fix all the problems around the house when we ask lou. >> "today" contributor and host of the syndicated show "house smarts" lou manfredini is here to answer some of the repair questions you have about your home that you sent into us. >> first question, lou, hi, comes from terry. my older hot water heater is making a loud gurgle and popping noises when i use hot water. is this dangerous? could the bottom fall out? how often should i replace the water heater? >> with water heaters, what is important, when it starts to make those sounds, depending on the age, it is probably a good idea to consider replacing it because the average life of a water heater in the u.s. is about ten years. the way you can know is there is

a little guide here, a little stamp, that has the serial number. most of them have a manufacturer's date, this particular one is 2006. then you see that serial number that is to the left, that long geln 06. many don't have the manufacture date, but the last two numbers are the year it was built. this is '06. if it is snap, crackle and popping, better to get it fixed while it doesn't leak, because then it is tuesday morning and you have no hot water and you have to spend twice as much money to have a plumber come out and do it. >> are they under warranty? >> most manufacturers have a warranty of about five years or so. but, remember, it is a manufacturer's warranty on the product, so they'll say, well, hoda, you had this thing for ten years, you spent a thousand dollars, we're going to prorate that over ten years, here is your 100 bucks. still got to get it replaced. >> still 100 bucks. >> susan asks this question. i want to paint -- spray paint my patio furniture. my husband insists we have to use a brush. is there a spray product i can convince him to use?

>> looks like there is. >> i can't spray this on the air because we're in a closed-in area and we have all these hot lights. i really like this product by rustoleum, a universal hammered finish. if you look closely at this light switch, we applied this. there is actually glass beads in the paint. and when you spray it, what you want to do, if it is metal, take a sanding sponge like this, do a little bit of prep work to prepare it. if there is any rust or anything like that, get it as smooth and clean as possible. the beauty part about this is now with spray paints you can spray any angle. so it used to be to hold it like this. the chair would be difficult. and so this universal spray and now they have these triggers on there, much easier to use. when you're spraying, you go left to right or top to bottom. you pull, spray, release. pull, spray, release. don't get drips. >> oh. >> and do light coats.

this stuff looks great, comes in a bunch of different colors and finishes and really holds up well. >> fabulous. >> good people. >> last one, nancy asks this. i have six-panel closet doors and room doors that need to be repainted. what do i have to do to prep the door and what do i have to do to prep the trim around the door and what kind of paint should i use? >> 90% of a good paint job is preparation. the paint part is easy. with the six panel doors, what you want to spend a lot of time on is the detail in the trim work that surrounds it. the sanding sponges. i just did this a little bit, this is a preprimed door. you want to get all of the debris and the gook that gets in those corners and get this as smooth as possible. we don't have to go crazy here. then if you prime it with a product like this bin primer, this, you're going to take -- you're going to work the areas first this is a very watery primer when it goes on. so you have to be careful about how you put it on. it will drip. and you got to pay attention that it doesn't gather there and leave you big drips. when that drys, once that drys,

then you hit it one more time with sandpaper to knock it down and get it smooth and then a paint and primer in one like this valspar product is a heavy bodied paint. you'll do the same thing around the corners. look how nice it brightens up like that and work those areas around, do the squares first, then finish the strokes evenly all the way around, the same goes with your trim. two coats of a paint and primer. it is going to look fantastic. >> thank you, lou. >> only lou has all that information. >> he certainly does. >> if you have questions for lou, go to klgandhoda.com, click on the connect button and maybe he'll answer them next week. >> maybe not, too. a mom with a big family and even bigger heart. >> inspiring >> we're celebrating mothers who inspire us every day. coming up right after this. el b, uncomfortable with gurgling.b, nothing seems to feel right! and yet another pile of clothes on my bed.

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hope i get this right, epidermolysis, or eb. you'll meet her in a moment. first, here is a look at katie's story. >> my name is katie troop and i'm a mother of six beautiful children. my husband rob and i both come from large families and we also wanted a large family. after six years of marriage, with no luck conceiving, we decided to create our family through adoption. we found an agency and set up a consultation, but two weeks later a friend connected us to another agency we hadn't even applied to. they had a baby with eb. a very rare disorder that causes the skin to be extremely fragile and blister after even the mildest trauma. we immediately went to see him. i took one look at him and i knew he was mine. we watched hiss dressings get changed and it was horrifying to see, but the voice in the back of my head kept saying it's okay, you can do this.

this baby was our zach. and after 11 years, thousands of dressing changes, dozens of surgeries, and countless sleepless nights, it is absolutely okay. the first few years of zach's life were very rough. but just before he went to kindergarten, we decided being an only child was not a good thing for zach. and our family did not seem complete. so we were blessed with the adoption of our sweet elizabeth and a few years later charlie. but i still felt like i was missing someone. a friend in the eb community knew of two sisters and even though at the time i just wasn't capable of taking two, i knew i had to try to bring jade and ellie home. just last week, we adopted their younger brother who also has eb. life is crazy, but there is nothing better than a house full of kids that are happy and joyful. >> oh, my gosh. wow. >> hello. >> katie troop is with us with another great mom, jamie silver. jamie's son also has eb. jackson, he's over there, cute as can be.

>> jamie and her husband alex started the jackson gabriel silver foundation. they raised more than $2.5 million toward eb research. hi, ladies. >> welcome. happy mother's day. >> thank you. >> wow. by the way, this is incredible. when you adopted originally, that was interesting and fulfilling and to adopt other kids with eb, why did you decide to do that? >> it was a miracle we found him and he found us. we knew we wanted to have more children eventually. and just god's hands came together and found these beautiful children for us. >> tell us, it is rare, but is it forever? this condition? is it curable? >> so eb is a genetic from skin condition. you're born with it. you'll have it for the rest of your life? >> is it manageable? there is wound care we do for our children every day. they're in a lot of pain. and for us, i think, one of the hardest parts is that in order to care for our children, we need -- we need to inflict some more pain.

painful bath and bandage changes everyday. so currently that is the way we care for our children. but we're working really hard, the jackson gabriel silver foundation to advance treatments and cures. >> is it strangely easier with more kids who have it because you're used to it and you know how to do it. >> we're an eb family. it affects every aspect of our lives and means there is a lot of things we can't do and a lot of things we can do. so since there are already so many things we can't do, we might as well bring everybody else in and do that too. >> you want every child to have a childhood and so much of childhood is running around and being active and how do you teach your child to be comfortable in their own skin when they know they're going to get hurt if they fall and -- >> we don't feel like we have to teach them to be kids.

they know and they want to do it our job is to run defense and be there to pick them back up. >> oh, my gosh. well, jamie and katie, we know you have been terrific moms with kids with eb and it can be a huge challenge. we decided to pamper you guys a little. so you get some gift certificates where you can use at 20,000 locations. you get spa treatments, travel, yoga and more. and we couldn't forget about the kids. we heard jackson is into legos. >> where is jackson? hi. >> the hottest models for him and katie and the company store giving all your kids the softest bedding and adorable bath towels for your little ones and beanbags for your oldest kids and all being shipped to your house. >> thank you for everything you're doing. >> thank you for having us. >> have a wonderful mother's day. >> happy mother's day. >> nice to meet you, jackson. >> all right. okay. >> to learn more about eb and the jackson gabriel silver foundation, head to klgandhoda.com. >> we'll be right back with more.

it is national pet week and to celebrate we asked you to send us fun videos of your pets doing cool tricks. >> and you did. >> we put a bunch of them together for you all to enjoy. take a look. >> and sit. >> oh, my gosh. >> speak, speak. >> hop up. >> oh. >> roll. wait, roll. >> oh, oh, my god! >> yea. >> oh, wow. >> i love this. the cat opens the door. >> oh, my gosh.

♪ thanks, everybody. >> tomorrow from the sitcom "alice," linda lavin. >> and how to deal with the annoying neighbors in a nice way. >> and tips for getting enough sleep with all the daylight we've got. >> have an awesome thirsty thursday. >> bye, efb. everybody. have a good one. . everybody. have a good one. everybody. have a good one. everybody. have a good one.

. we have breaking news in the ebola outbreak. two americans who contracted the deadly virus have been discharged from an atlanta hospital. taking a live look from emory university where a news conference is set to begin at any minute now. dr. kent brantly walked into the hospital on his own earlier this month. the aid organization says dr. brantly has now recovered from the ebola virus. he is expected to make a statement. he and nancy wrightbol contracted it working in liberia. both given an experimental drug.