tv Today NBC September 19, 2015 7:00am-8:01am EDT
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good morning. breaking overnight. we got him. authorities in arizona arrest a 21-year-old man they say is responsible for several of the terrifying highway sniper attacks. the suspect seen on facebook firing a gun taken down in front of stunned witnesses at a walmart. we are live. caught on camera. a wild police officer chase with suspects in a gun runner. we have the latest on the condition of the officers. at it again. the county clerk in kentucky who went to jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples now in trouble again. and where are they now.
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a tv moment that captivated the nation. >> the thing that is heart breaking is there is a 6-year-old child that has been in this balloon. >> turns out that child was home the entire time. his parents accused of staging a hoax ending up in jail. where is the family now? they will tell us live when they join us today, saturday, september 19th, 2015. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" live from studio 1a from rockefeller plaza. >> good morning. i'm erica hill. >> i'm craig melvin and dylan dreyer is here with sheinelle jones. balloon boy is now a young man. there he is right there. >> the entire heene family with us. mom and dad and all three kids. when we followed this, we were glued to the tv and the days
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followed. we are looking forward to catching up with them and hearing about where everybody is now. >> was it all a hoax? it doesn't seem like six years ago. >> so true. we will have that coming up. the top story is the arrest overnight of suspect in a string of shootings along arizona's i-10. police catching up with him after a three-week investigation. nbc's gadi schwartz is in arizona this morning. gadi, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, erica. the arrest happened in front of this walmart where the suspect shopping with his young son. the suspect had been followed for a while. they followed him throughout the day and finally the s.w.a.t. team moved in. after a three-week manhunt in phoenix, a s.w.a.t. takedown at walmart. >> they tackled him ten feet inside the automatic doors and within two minutes, they had him cuffed and basically walking him
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out. >> reporter: police arrested the man they think was terrorizing i-10 by shooting at cars and trucks speeding down the highway. >> we made an arrest. >> reporter: the initial announcement in the form of a tweet from the governor saying we got him. investigators releasing very little about what led them to the 21-year-old leslie allen merritt jr., a local landscaper. ballistic evidence from the gun matches the first four of the shootings. >> the subject is in custody because of the weapon he owned is forensically linked to the crimes. >> reporter: in video posted on what seems to be his facebook page is merritt's gun. and robert mcdonald missed being struck. >> i came 24 inches from losing my life. >> reporter: with the arrest, police are still on the lookout. investigators say ballistics
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connect the suspect to 4 of the 11 highway shootings in phoenix. that means there could be copycats still out there this morning. police still asking the public for their help. and tomorrow the suspect is expected in court to face several felony charges, including negligent discharge of a firearm and criminal damage to property and assault. we heard this earlier called domestic terrorism. it is still too early for that charge. erica, back to you. thank you, gadi. >> now to the race for the white house. democrats and republicans alike slam donald trump for something he did not say this week. he skipped a major gop event last night in south carolina just about 24 hours after he failed to challenge comments made about president obama. nbc's kristen waelker is live a the white house with more. >> reporter: good morning,
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craig. could this be the issue that burst the trump balloon after the comments of the president and muslims go unchecked. meanwhile other candidates are back on trail for a busy weekend of campaigning. ten gop hopefuls descending on south carolina friday night. donald trump was a no show. canceling last minute. trump's campaign said he wasn't there because he was closing a business deal. this came on the heels of the moment at the new hampshire town hall thursday. >> we have a problem in this country. it's called muslims. we know our current president is one. you know he's not even an american. birth certificate, man. >> reporter: trump was immediately slammed from all sides for failing to correct the false claims about president obama who is christian and american. >> if someone brought that up at a town hall meeting of mine, i
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would say let's clear it up for the audience. >> i was appalled and calling on him and anyone else seeking the highest office of the land to start behaving like a president. >> reporter: still trump's poll numbers have surged. >> no one can make money betting on trump's future. there is a feeling he may be topping out. that doesn't mean he may be dropping. >> reporter: the flop could create avoid for other candidates to step in. including carly fiorina who had a strong showing at the gop debate. she flexed her muscles friday night. >> how hypocritical of hillary clinton to be running on her record of protecting women's rights. >> reporter: meanwhile the heat is on for democratic frontrunner hillary clinton. with the e-mail issue looming, she will stump in new hampshire today where she is fighting for first place with bernie sanders. a group of party fund-raisers on
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friday began circulating a letter to encourage vice president joe biden to run. it is an indication there is jitters within the party of hillary clinton's candidacy. craig. >> kristen welker at the white house. thank you. a county clerk in kentucky is coming under fire again this morning for removing her name from marriage licenses. she is refusing to issue to same-sex couples. kim davis did this after order by the judge not to interfere with the documents. janet shamlian has more. >> i don't want to be in the spotlight. >> reporter: this morning, kim davis is back in the spotlight after returning to her job this week saying she won't issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but won't stop deputies from doing so. >> any marriage license issued by my office will not be issued
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by me. >> reporter: a judge ordered davis should not interfere with issuing of licenses to eligible couples. >> the judge's order was emphatic. >> reporter: and deputy clerk brian mason says davis may have violated the order by making modifications. including deleting her name and all mention to rowan county. the changes may have quote raised to the level of interference against the court's orders. davis' attorney downplays the issue and kim davis said her name and title would not appear on the forms. later that day, the governor said the forms were valid. in a separate filing, the american civil liberties union called into question the licenses. saying they create an unconstitutional two-tier system of marriage licenses issued in kentucky. davis was jailed five days for
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refusing to issue marriage licenses. for "today," janet shamlian, nbc news. a story developing overnight where the migrant crisis is getting worse. >> sheinelle has the story. >> the hungarian military is calling up troops after a train carrying 1,000 migrants crossed the border. and another child refugee has died after her boat sank off the coast. and rioting has broken out at a refugee shelter. and a georgia police officer shot after a showdown with suspected gun runners. police tried to pull over the suspect's car on friday, they crashed into a gas station, jumped out and fired shots at the officer. that music is coming from the car of another driver passing by who caught the shootout on camera. the suspects were arrested and the officer is out of the
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hospital. the archbishop of boston is offering to bury baby doe. the girl's death is gaining national attention. the toddler was identified as bella bond. bella's mother and her mother's boyfriend are under arrest and blaming each other for the killing. to washington where president obama has tapped a long time pentagon official to be the army secretary. if confirmed, eric fanning would be the first openly gay in military service. the lead investigator in the bowe bergdahl case, says the army sergeant should not go to prison for walking away from his post six year ago. one testified that he was treated worse than any american p.o.w. since the vietnam war. he was swapped for five taliban
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commanders held at guantanamo bay. tiger woods says he is out for the rest of the year. he underwent another back surgery in arizona on thursday. and finally, channelling your inner pirate will get you a doughnut or two at krispy kreme today. anyone who talks like a pirate will get one of the famous glazed doughnuts for free. if you go into the store dressed like a pirate, that will get you a dozen on the house. i have to say, before you run in, you have to look at the krispy kreme web site. you have to wear three things on the list. it is easy stuff. >> we have a wardrobe department here. >> how annoying is it to work at krispy kreme today. >> it will get old. >> dylan, give us a forecast in pirate talk. >> do i get a dozen doughnuts? >> arrrgh.
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we have strong storms to talk about. we have to take this seriously. let's look at video in hildale, kansas. this is on the east coast of kansas outside st. louis, missouri. funnel cloud developing from the storms. one minor injury reported from a camp site in that area. several homes and buildings damaged. really strong storms yesterday. i don't think we will have that threat today. the cold front as it moves east is really fizzling out. pockets of heavy rain through buffalo and erie, pennsylvania and northwestern ohio with the downpours. they do include lightning. stay inside while the storms pass through. the temperatures will still be 5 to 15 degrees above average. the front moves through and we sag back into the good morning, i'm first alert brittney shipp. we have a foggy start to the morning, and after that, warm and humid conditions expected.
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our temperatures will range between 84 and 87 degrees. winds from the southwest, 5 -10 miles per hour. seven day forecast shows we drop from the 80s down to the 70s just in time for all the tailgating. a beautiful day tomorrow as well. temperatures in the 70s next week, and fall starts wednesday. and that's your latest forecast. >> thank you, dylan. pope francis is high in the sky jetting his way to cuba. at the capital of havana, anticipation is building for his visit. historic trip to bring him to the united states for the first time as pontiff. nbc's anne thompson with the preview of what's in store. >> reporter: for pope francis, this is a trip of firsts. first visit to u.s. and cuba. he starts in cuba. the third pope to visit in 17
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years, there is special interest in the son of latin america. once officially an athiest union. now pope francis is already living up to his twitter handle. it means bridge builder. hospitals events at the vatican and easing the roles of the cold war foes. the pope lands in washington on tuesday. wednesday he makes from serra of california a saint. on thursday, francis becomes the first pope to address a joint session of congress. he visits ground zero in new york on friday and saturday goes to philadelphia. all along, francis is expected to inspire americans as well as challenge them. he is critical of capitalism, the economic backbone of america. >> is the pope coming to scold
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americans for the way they live? >> no, he may call on americans to live up to our founding ideals. he will challenge americans. he will not be scolding americans. >> he has been accused of being a communist. that is not true. >> reporter: his desire to reach out will give headaches to the secret service in charge of his security. it is what francis and the people want. >> a one-on-one papacy. that is something we never had before in rome. >> reporter: now coming to the united states. for "today," anne thompson, nbc news, rome. >> it will be a big week. >> yes, it will. up next, a look at the biggest headlines from the raging wildfires out west and the devastating flooding in utah. and matt's interview with the woman who helped two convicts escape from prison. but first this is "today" on nbc. (plays throughout)
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we are back with "the download" on this saturday. our chance to look at the week's biggest headlines. >> our way to remind you of the stories everyone was talking about this week. >> fast moving flames. scorching close to 150,000 acres in northern california and destroying nearly 1,000 homes. >> this was winnie's home saturday night. this is what it looks like today. >> normally i can't fight. >> from a wall of flames to walls of water in utah. >> oh, my goodness. it went over the fence. >> two vehicles filled with three families. 16 people disappearing. >> 12 people confirmed dead. flash floods killed six people hiking in nearby zion national park. fight night at the republican debate in california. donald trump lashing out once again. >> i never attacked him on his
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looks and believe me. there's plenty of subject matter. >> and getting hit himself. >> donald trump's face said it all as carly fiorina responded to comments about hers. >> donald trump said the following about you, quote, look at that face. would anyone vote for that. >> i think women all over this country heard very clearly what mr. trump said. >> in an emotional interview with matt lauer, joyce mitchell explained why she helped two killers break out of an upstate new york prison. >> i didn't feel like my husband loved me anymore. it was me. i guess i was going through depression. i guess they saw my weakness. >> you were looking for something. you were looking for attention. >> yes, they're attention made me feel good. >> a frightening scene caught on camera. a train slams into a school bus minutes after the kids escaped. >> the two-section bus got stuck on the railroad tracks in germany after the driver did not
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make a sharp enough turn. the driver evacuated all of the students. one passenger suffered minor injuries. trouble in texas. 14-year-old ahmed mohamed hand cuffed after bringing a clock to school. >> i went to show my teacher. in my perspective, it didn't look like a bomb. >> it lit up the internet. even president obama issued this invitation. cool clock, ahmed. want to bring it to the white house? this is a story that savannah pitched that she did not want to read. >> this next headline had our team giggling. >> you look up at the sky and you may be seeing a shooting star? it may be the result of an astronaut going number two. >> and speaking of bathroom humor. a jeopardy contestant.
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>> mr. reynolds changed his name to turd ferguson. >> nope. sorry. >> that woman has become an internet hero for getting alex trebek just to say turd ferguson. could you imagine your own you've gotta make better choices, jane! farewell, cookie dough ice cream. what's that you're drinking? it's trop50. it's fine. it tastes delicious and has 50% less calories. with this taste? no way. give me fifty squats. but... it can't taste this good... read the label. ...and have 50% less calories? exactly, now you drop... and give me the 50. trop50. tastes so good you won't believe it has 50% less calories. how muwe saved today? think >>a lot.
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>> dense fogs in the area, so be careful leaving the house and drooii in driving within the next few hours. this this is one of the best spots right now, and the visibility for other parts of the region, 0 in dover, melville, and mount holly, and in atlantic city as well. be careful leaving the house and driving in those areas. close to the philadelphia, we're down to 2.5 million visibility, patchy fog, but along the shoreline, we are seeing the foggiest conditions. current temperatures in the high 60s in philadelphia, mild start, temperatures warming to 86 today. >> thank you. happening right now, drivers are in for more traffic closures as we and approach the world meeting of faemilies and the pap papal's visit. the city is in the process of closing off the mile long parkway connecting the art museum with the area around city
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hall. traffic diverts on to north 24th street or fairmount avenue. officials are putting notices on neighborhood cars letting owners know about the closures and parking restrictions. cars in the area without an exemption need to move tomorrow night by 6:00 p.m. or face being towed. i'm rosemary connors. now back to ""today."
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the country could not turn away six years ago with the thought that a young boy was trapped inside. he was never in there. the family came under fire when they said they made it up as a publicity stunt. we will talk to them about what happened since then. the heene family. they are excited to be here. >> that gives you a clue. meanwhile, outside on the plaza on this saturday morning, september 19th, 2015. we have quite the good crowd. very excited to be here on the last weekend of summer. fall starts on wednesday. >> 5:00 a.m.
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>> equinox? >> autumnal equinox. here is what is making headlines today. one person in custody with a series of shootings that terrorized drivers on i-10 in phoenix. police arrested leslie allen merritt jr. saying ballistic evident matched the shootings of the first four shootings. and kim davis says she won't issue same-sex marriage licenses could be in trouble again. she removed her name from the licenses in what is in direct order from the court. and pope francis set to arrive from cuba in hours. it is the beginning of a week long visit to cuba and the united states. his stops here will take him to washington, d.c. and philadelphia and new york city. a lot to get to, but let's start with the big budget movie in theaters right now getting
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attention. "everest" tells the story of the tale on the world's largest mountain. one woman is speaking out. sheinelle. >> sandy hill, known as sandy pittman was in the disaster. she is talking about how she was portrayed in the book that led to the movie. the movie "everest" has the makings of the blockbuster. a host of fascinating characters and plenty of drama. >> it is a blizzard on top of the world. >> the events made headlines 20 years ago on may 10th, 1996, climbers from two expeditions started the ascent on mt. ever est when a storm hit.
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it is portrayed from the book "into thin air." sandy hill was portrayed as a diva socialite who paid her way to the summit. she was completing her goal to become the second american woman to ascent all seven summits. >> i have been training all year. >> she brought an espresso machine on the climb and carried to the summit by a sherpa. she was stated as quote i was an easy target and they had a vested interest. >> sandy hill has been unfairly characterized. she was ideal client. she was in shape. strong. >> reporter: the 1996 disaster may go down as one of the most storied expeditions, but it is not the deadliest. in 2014, 16 people died in an
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avalanche on mt. everest. this year, 18 people died in avalanches. >> it doesn't matter what happens, people will always try to climb everest. >> hill also told the post she suffered from post traumatic stress from the disaster and still mourns the loss of her climbing guide featured in the film. >> those stories are so captivating. no matter how people are introduced to the mountain and what it takes to get there. >> greater respect for them, too. >> absolutely. dylan dreyer outside with another check of the last forecast of summer. >> it is actually going to feel like summer. i'm distracted by a sign full of shoes. we know sarah jessica parker has shoes. do you have the matching pair?
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>> yes. i did actually buy two. i bought a right and a left. >> what size? not my size. out west, we do need things to be cooler. it is actually going to start heating up again. temperatures 5 to 10 degrees above average. san francisco up to 80 on sunday. vegas back up to 100. southern california is back up over 100. it will start to get hotter and not a lot of rain until next week as the remnants of the tropical system brings rain to that part of the country. a couple of showers and storms. they are heavy through northern ohio and into western new york. those will fizzle out east. it will drag in cooler temperatures. 60s to the midwest and 60s and good morning, i'm first alert meteorologist brittney shipp with a foggy start to the morning, and after that, warm and humid conditions expected. temperatures range between 84
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and 87 degrees, winds from the southwest at 3 miles per hour. we drop from the 70s from the 80s just in time for tailgating, a beautiful day tomorrow as well. temperatures in the 7 s for the start of next week, and fall starts wednesday and that's your latest forecast. guys. >> dylan, thank you. up next, where are they now? the infamous balloon boy and his family and what they heard from the whole thing and whether they have any regrets about the incident. and maybe play the drums? and maybe play the drums? listen up team, and maybe play the drums? i brought in some protein to help rearrange the fridge and get us energized! i'm new ensure active high protein. i help you recharge with nutritious energy and strength to keep you active. come on pear, it's only a half gallon.
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the family that became well associated with what was known as the balloon boy incident. the heene family is in the studio and we will talk with them in just a moment. first, a look back at their story. >> this thing is really motoring along. >> it was richard heene's latest invention. flying saucer broke loose from his backyard. for two hours, the nation chased the helium balloon on live tv. curiosity soon turned to panic. >> a 6-year-old child has been in this balloon. >> reporter: a parents' worst nightmare. richard and mayumi heene claimed their boy was trapped in the balloon. the balloon soon began to lose helium and landed in an open field. rescuers rushed to the scene. >> no sign of falcon heene. >> where was balloon boy? safe at home in the attic the entire time.
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>> why were you in the attic? >> i was scared. >> what were you scared of, falcon? >> my dad yelling at me. >> reporter: later that night, the family appeared on cnn and their story began to unravel. >> we did this for a show. >> that comment leading plenty to wonder whether it was all a hoax. the family previously peered on abc's "wife swap" and speculation the balloon may have been richard heene's attempt of landing his own reality tv show. >> one said it was for a tv show. >> in the end, the couple was sentenced to jail time for false reporting and attempting to influence a public official in the greatest balloon ride that never was. >> so richard, falcon, bradley, rio and mayumi are here. nice to have you here. >> yes. >> it has been six years, almost. it is hard to believe. you look at the kids and they clearly have grown up. falcon, you are not 6 anymore. richard and mayumi, this is
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serious. you both did time in jail and pled guilty and maintained this was not a hoax. clear it up. why plead guilty? >> the threat of deportation of my wife was eminent. when that came on the table, i had to take the deal that they proposed to me. my attorney said, richard, it is a 90-day stay. that was a long time for me, but it really went by quickly. >> you understood at the time people thought it was a hoax. you apparently shopped a reality show. and theme songs on the internet. when people come to you and say clearly this was a hoax. how do you answer that? >> it is not a hoax. it is what i do. i invent. we are trying to keep it on the lowdown in the backyard. we didn't want our neighbors seeing us build it. it was a test. when it took off, it became what it did. >> anything you wish you did differently as you look back now? >> no, no.
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we live a policy in our life where you don't live on regrets. you become a victim. victims cannot help themselves. we live a life for a reason. >> the boys have a band. when you talk about learning lessons, falcon, what is it like for you? you were 6. people did not know you as falcon heene. they knew you as balloon boy. that thrust you into the spotlight. what did this event do for you as a kid? >> it did make us move on. not just like that, but then we moved on to now we evolved to a band. that's better. >> how did that bring your family together? what did it change for you if you don't live in regret? >> what happened is we discovered how important your kids are. imagine losing one. that is what hit us hard. we became much closer.
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we would spend more time with the kids. i had a goal when he turned 50, i would pay attention to the kids. that goal has been moved up by three years. >> you were able to do that? >> i said the heck with it. what do you want to do and they said they wanted to be in a band. guitar, drums and bass and lead vocals. >> how is the band going? >> awesome. we have "american chili." >> any balloons in the musical? >> no. >> rock orchestra. >> do people bring this up? you actually moved and live in a different part of the country. does it come up? >> once and a while it will come up. they will go hey, you are that guy. johnny vegas came up to us. we were at a supermarket. a clerk said they were talking about you. >> my more balloons built?
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>> not like that. >> all right. nice to have you here. glad are you doing well. thanks for coming in. >> thank you. >> we will send it to dylan who is with "today's" plaza fan of the day. >> we have this mike. it is nice. i forget names. mike, mike and mike. you are with the drill team. direct us to commercial. >> up next, a trip inside your other than personal plane. >> after these messages. flonase allergy relief nasal spray. this changes everything. flonase is the 24 hour relief that outperforms the #1 non-drowsy allergy pill. when we breathe in allergens, our bodies react by over-producing six key inflammatory substances that cause our symptoms. most allergy pills only control one substance, flonase controls six. and six is greater than one. so go ahead, inhale life,
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listerine® total care. one bottle, six benefits. power to your mouth™. and for kids starting at age six, listerine® smart rinse delivers extra cavity protection after brushing. welcome back to "today" on saturday morning. if you are noticing craig is missing, it is because he found his own fancy plane on the plaza. >> i wish. >> is this yours?
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>> maybe one day. we fly domestic. super rich fly private. and some want to make them more approachable. they see a future where you and i are soaring through the sky in a plane like this. could flying a plane become as common as driving a car? >> if you like the outdoors, this gives you a front row like imax theater. >> reporter: meet the icon a-5. >> you get to see what you want on your terms and explore the planet in the visceral way. >> reporter: you store it in your garage and officials say they teach you how to fly it in two weeks. for the ceo founder and fighter
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pilot, it is about democratizing aviation. >> we bring planes to the people. we consider this freedom and adventure. >> reporter: the a-5 can fly as fast as 110 miles an hour and climb as high as 15,000 feet. while icon wants to bring flying to the public, the plane is not cheap. it costs about $200,000 and the sport pilot license runs another $10,000. despite the price, sales are taking off. 1,500 orders and deposits are on the books. one has shipped out. if you order one today, expect delivery in 2019. >> automobile takes about five or six years to bring to market. airplanes take seven to ten years. >> reporter: among those on the wait list, eric schmidt and
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jetblue chairman jeff peterson. >> this is a game changer, especially if they can produce it in the quality and volume that they are planning. >> reporter: aviation experts are bullish for a few reasons. a cockpit that looks like a video game display and it is fuel efficient. you can go 400 miles on one tank and an parachute for the entire plane. >> the pilot actions are the cause of about 3/4 of aviation accidents. icon's challenge is to stamp out that impulsive behavior through education. >> reporter: transforming how we fly won't happen fast, but icon hopes to be at the frontier. >> one day, we humans will move in three dimensions. this is the beginning of that process. this is how we get there. we get there by getting more people engaged in aviation.
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>> i want one. >> let's go in on one. >> 2019. we have time to save up. >> we could get in on one. >> the hope is that as they produce more, the costs come down. $200,000 is a lot of money, but 10 or 15 years from now? >> i like the parachute for the whole plane. >> cool. craig, thanks. we're back in a moment. but first this is "today" on nbc.
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for this and more great chili recipes, visit bushbeans.com. . good morning, just ahead on nbc news today, preparing for the pope. new road closures in the heart of philadelphia are in effect this morning, and towing in center city starts tomorrow. details ahead in a live report. in arizona, there's finally a break in the case that scared the phoenix area for weeks, but police are telling drivers to the no let their guards down yet. >> warmer conditions today, but tracking changes tomorrow. what's in store for your eagles forecast? i'll go all the details coming up. counting down to the showdown between the birds boys. eagles host dallas tomorrow here at the link. we'll show you where there's a pep rally later on today.
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nbc 10 news starts now. right now, today, pope francis has left the vatican as he's en route to cuba for his first stop on a trip that will bring him to the u.s. on tuesday and to philadelphia next weekend. in the meantime, crews are busy transforming the ben franklin parkway for the world meeting of families and the papal mass. how it affects traffic this morning. you'll need the shorts again for another day as warm weather hangs on, but conditions cool tomorrow just in time for the eagles showdown. this is nbc 10 news today, i'm rosemary connors, before 8:00 on this saturday, and brittney shipp is tracking changes in the forecast and fog. >> that's right.
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dense fog in parts of the area. you want to be careful if you plan on headed out soon along the shore or south jersey. we're concerned in melville, mount holly, toms river, dover, atlantic city, dense fog, visibility 0, and philadelphia at 5 miles visibility, .25 in wilmington, and .50 elsewhere. taking it easy over the next couple hours as it takes awhile for the fog to burn off. current temperatures, close to 70 degrees in. mild start to the morning. 63 degrees in melville, 64 in wildwood, and 62 at atlantic city airport. your city planner shows temperaturing warming up as we head into the afternoon and in the 80s by 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. 83, and today's high is 86. tracking more
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