? dunkin' iced, oh, yeah, in the summertime ? ? livin' in a dunkin' paradise ? good morning. breaking news. an emirates airline jet cashes fire as it comes in for an emergency landing in dubai. 300 people on board all escape with their lives before that plane explodes i an investigation into what happened now under way. cash deal? a new report this morning the obama administration paid iran nearly half a billion dollars, just as four americans detained in tehran were released. was it all part of a secret negotiation? did the american government go against its own policy? this morning, how the white house is responding. office politics. donald trump and president obama take direct aim at each other's

>> i think he's the worst president maybe in the history of our country. >> i think the republican nominee is unfit. >> the president earlier in the day with his harshest words yet. >> it has to be more than what you say. this is not somebody i can support for president of the united states. >> as trump tries to dig out of yet another controversy over what he said about women and sexual harassment. and who will it be? it's one of the greatest honors given to an american athlete -- carrying the flag opening olympic ceremony. we know who it is. and we'll have the big reveal "today," wednesday, august 3rd, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," countdown to rio, with matt lauer live from rio de

guthrie, live from rockefeller plaza. welcome to another little bit edition of "today," wednesday morning, crunch time here in rio, the openings ceremony at the olympic games now just two days away. it is our third morning here on copacabana beach. a little bit cloudy today, but a lot going on, including the women's soccer team gets into action today. and how about that news -- we'll reveal who the u.s. flag bearer will be. always one of the biggest moments of the olympic games. that j this morning. an emirates jet airliner catching fire while making an emergency landing in dubai. it happened this morning. straight to tamron with the very latest. good morning. that plane, a boeing 777, was arriving in dubai from india. there were thr300 passengers an crew on board. witnesses say the plane skidded as it hit the tarmac and burst into flames, coming to rest on its right wing with heavy smoke pouring out of one side.

says all passengers are safe. emirates airlines blaming this on a mechanical failure at this point, savannah. >> glad to hear everybody's okay. now we move to politics and the heated words in the race for the white house between the current president and the man who wants to replace him, donald trump. president obama labeling trump "woefully unprepared" for the oval office. nbc's hallie jackson has this covered for us in jacksonville, florida for us this morning. hallie, good morning >> reporter: hi, savannah. yeah, that and so much more, as this morning we start with yet again a phrase we have heard in this campaign before -- nearly unprecedented. on the one hand, on the republican side, you have the top republican on the ticket refusing to endorse the top republican in congress, and for the democrats, president obama at the white house unleashing his harshest attack yet. >> i think the republican

>> the fact that he doesn't appear to have basic knowledge around critical issues means that he's woefully unprepared to do this job. mitt romney, john mccain were wrong on certain policy issues, but i never thought that they couldn't do the job. there has to come a point at which you say, somebody who makes those kinds of statements doesn't have the judgment, the temperament, the understanding to occupy the most powerful position in the world. >> reporter: trump firing back tuesday night. >> i think he's the worst president maybe in the history of our country. >> reporter: that back-and-forthcoming as the gop civil war seems to be back, too. paul ryan's office saying he never asked for donald trump's endorsement. trump stunningly not giving him

tells "the washington post." if that sounds familiar, it should. >> i'm not there right now. >> reporter: it's what ryan said about trump back in may, stoking speculation now of possible payback after it took ryan weeks to endorse trump. ryan's office says he's confident, regardless, in a victory in his re-election bid tuesday. but the house speaker is not the only republican heavyweight trump's not sure he'll support. senator john mccain has his own tough fight coming up in arizona. >> i'm only thinking about it. of john mccain and i just hate the way our veterans have been treated by john and other people. >> reporter: that coming just a day after mccain criticized trump for his comments about two gold star parents. khizr khan, the father of a fallen soldier, again taking aim overnight, this time for this moment at a virginia rally. >> he handed me his purple heart. i always wanted to get the

>> you know what you should have done? and listen to me, and i want his surrogates to listen to me. you should have pinned that back to that veteran's chest and should have hugged him and thanked him. >> reporter: no laughing matter, as the nominee saves his jokes for his rallies. interrupted by a crying baby -- >> don't worry about that baby. i love babies. >> actually, i was only kidding. you can get the baby out here. >> reporter: democrats, crying foul. >> sometimes you wonder who the baby is. >> reporter: and it's not just questions of unity within the republican party with the "wall street journal" reporting this morning, former president george w. bush took aim at trump in a private fund-raiser hitting his isolationism. it's also the unity within trump's own campaign. our colleague at cnbc, john harwood, reporting that an ally of trump's top aide says staff is "suicidal." and now trump is pushing back

tweeting today there's never been greater unity within his own team adding, "beat crooked h." another issue that's surfaced in the presidential race, sexual harassment. this morning, both donald trump and his son, eric, are facing scrutiny for their comments referring to women who have been targeted in the workplace. nbc's katy tur is at trump tower following that story. katy, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. the campaign wants donald trump to focus on hillary clinton but hi everything else keep coming back to haunt him, including what he would tell a woman if she was sexually harassed. now the family, including ivanka, is trying to play clean-up. donald trump is fighting for the female vote. now dispatching daughter ivanka to make the hard sell. >> he's incorrectly portrayed often by the media. my father's incredibly warm and compassionate and loyal and funny. and anyone who knows him knows

portrayed. >> reporter: a new nbc news/survey monkey online poll shows trump is in trouble. his appeal to women, over half of the electorate, isn't improving. trump, in a hole and digging deeper, after defending former fox news executive roger ailes, accused of sexually harassing anchor gretchen carlson, and others. >> i can tell you that some of the women that are complaining, i know how much he's helped them. >> reporter: trump told usa "today," if daughter sexually harassed, i would like to think she had aide find another career or find another company. when asked if the victim should leave, trump told "the washington post," if she was being harassed, would you want to say? on cbs, son eric trump tried to clarify. >> what he's saying is ivanka is a strong, powerful woman. she wouldn't allow herself to be objected to it. >> reporter: that prompted more backlash.

carlson. jane harman spoke with msnbc's thomas roberts. >> well, as saying someone's a strong and powerful woman and she could walk away doesn't apply to most women in a workplace. >> reporter: in her book, "the trump card," ivanka wrote about the discomfort women can feel in the workplace admitting she overcompensated by covering up. there was nothing about my appearance to suggest that i was a confident young woman, she wrote. last night, she told fox news she understands. general, regardless, sexual or otherwise, is totally inexcusable. if it transpires, it needs to be reported and it needs to be dealt with. >> reporter: but are ivanka's words enough to convince voters her dad gets it, too. even trump's strongest voting bloc, white men, is starting to crack. the campaign is long made them a priority but now signs that this growing list of controversies is

savannah? >> katy tur, thank you. another major story this morning, a stunning new report tagged to january's release of americans who were detained in iran. now there is word that the u.s. sent $400 million cash to iran on the same day those hostages were freed. nbc's kelly cobiella has more on this story this morning. kelly, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. that's right. new controversy over that iran deal struck earlier this year. the "wall street journal" citing u.s. and congressional staff reporting this morning that the u.s. made a secret airlift of cash in to iran the very weekend the deal was finalized. after decades of animosity, a nuclear deal and a hostage release on the same day. among those coming home, "washington post" reporter jason rezai rezaian. what wasn't seen, an airlift of

settlement over a failed arms deal with the shah of iran toppled during the revolution in 1979. president obama hailed the event as a breakthrough. >> new clear deal, implemented. american families reunited. the third piece of this work that we got done this weekend involved the united states and iran resolving a financial dispute that dated back more than three the payment reportedly i palates of bills on an unmarked cargo plane. and about the timing. senator tom cotton with be fiercely opposed to the iran nuclear deal, accused the government of paying for hostages. the white house replying, the negotiations over the settlement of an outstanding claim were completely separate from the discussions about returning our american citizens home." and there is still more to be

settlement. meantime, the u.s. is investigating the arrest of at least two iranian-americans in iran. and donald trump already weighing in on this in a tweet calling secretary of state hillary clinton incompetent. "our incompetent secretary of state hillary clinton was the one to started the thalks to now back here, the growing zika crisis in the u.s. a new case is now being reported in miami and the head of the cdc says mosquitos carrying the cyrsi virus are harding to wipe out than originally thought. kerry sanders has more. >> reporter: this morning miami-dade county had planned to put a plane up to mist to square about a ten-square mile area but

four inches in two hours which would dilute any insecticide. so for the moment that flight is on hold. overnight, rain. bad news for the zika battle in south florida. the spraying going on day and night, now less effective killing mosquitos. and worse, the rain creating puddles where mosquitos breed. the latest count -- one new case of mosquito transmitted infection bringing the total number to 15. experts now encouraging repellants like deet for everyone here. >> deet should basically be the new perfume for miami. >> it has put our practice almost in panic. >> reporter: dr. rebecca martin martinez, an ob-gyn, sees pregnant women every day who are frightened because zika is linked to horrifying birth defects. >> i many am absolutely terrified. >> reporter: patients like lindsay, 22 weeks along, she worries constantly.

the moment i lay down for bed. it just never stops. >> we've never faced a situation like this. in the 30 years that i've been practicing. >> reporter: the virus is spread when a person is bitten about i a mosquito with zika and gets infected. that person travels out of the area, gets bitten again, infecting that mosquito, which then bites someone else. the virus can also be spread through sex and possibly blood transfusions. according to the cdc, zika carrying mosquitos can live in about half the country. officials are trying to stay ahead of the outbreak. >> it's going to get worse before it gets better? >> we're doing everything in our power to make sure it doesn't get worse. >> reporter: as government teams here are trying to get a handle on the zika mosquitos, businesses are also taking things into their own hands. just a short distance from where i am at the wynwood yard, they decided to lock the gates. it is a popular outdoor gathering spot.

jetblue has announced that anybody who had plans to travel here because of the cdc warning can now get a waiver on rebooking fees if they planned a vacation here. savannah? >> kerry sanders, thank you so much. the u.s. has opened a new front in the war against isis. air strikes launched from the "uu."uss wasp" hit near the coa city fof the president described the strikes as necessary to keep militants from getting a further foothold in libya. three employees at a florida walmart have been charged with manslaughter for restraining a suspected shoplifter who passed out and then died. a medical examiner ruled that 64-year-old kenneth wisha humanitarian died from affix sp due to rerestraint.

he had $350 worth of stolen dvds in a shopping cart. he cried out he couldn't breathe while workers pinned him down the ground face down for ten minutes. according to authorities, he was also punched. now let us turn to rio and matt who is holding down the fort at the olympics. >> hey, savannah, great to see you. we are seeing a lot of preparations for the 2016 olympic games, with the clock racing towards friday's opening cereny venues are ready. for example, behind me on copacabana beach is the beach volleyball venue. when i got here saturday morning, that was noing but raw scaffolding. they've now covered it in that famous olympic draping. they say it is ready to go. and they are also putting in to place new security measures as team usa's athletes are getting their first taste of this city. nbc's peter alexander is at olympic park this morning. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, matt, good

be competing today, including team usa looking for its fourth consecutive gold facing off tonight against new zealand. also the torch is now finally arriving in rio, on board a yacht steered by brazilian medalists to thick security. here in rio, security forces now to you fortifying the city's two most iconic sites, christ the redeemer and sugarloaf mountain. for the first time deploying metal detectors machines to search visitors. the brazilian military taking charge promising a safe olympic games. just hours after touching down with his teammates, michael phelps, the most decorated ohio olympian ever, heading into what he says will be his last olympics, taking his first laps at the aquatic center. barely 48 hours to the opening ceremony, the teams are settling in to the athletes' village. >> whether you are a fencer or michael phelps, you want to be in the village.

olympic experience. >> reporter: nbc news invited inside. >> no matter what country you are from or what sport you do, everybody's here for that common denominator which is sport. >> reporter: making themselves at home, the new fierce five, decked out in matching t-shirts and playing around at practice. this athletes's village is really a small city. 31 brand-new buildings, 18,000 athletes and team members at its peak. despite some problems in the run-up, clogged even a small fire, nobody here is complaining. >> it is awesome, really, really beautiful. it is a really good energy here. >> basketball? >> no, rowing. >> you're huge! >> i am. >> reporter: the largest flag of the village, the russians, and still looming large, fate of their team. in the wake of a doping scandal more than 100 russian athletes already banned. a final decision due before the opening ceremony. that means some russian athletes already here may be heading

leading the u.s. delegation, john kerry, the secretary of state, practicing just in case. most striking from our tour in the athletes village, the fact that the u.s. building is the only building without any patriotic bunting, no flags whatsoever. for security reasons. for years, the u.s. olympic committee has made it that way installing that policy that no patriotic symbols are flown. the only other country that follows that same precaution -- israel. matt? >> all right, by the way, the first olympic eventually tkicks off today. women's soccer. team usa, of course, is the three-time reigning olympic champ. we're going to hear from its stars coming up. and we'll also catch up with nbc's bob costas, get his take on these games. and a reminder, i'll be hosting nbc coverage of the opening ceremony along with meredith vieira and hoda kotb.

can't wait. let's bring in al for our first check of the weather. >> stay on that rio theme. look at what we can expect as we get into the first weekend of the games out there in rio de janeiro. it is looking fantastic. temperatures will be in the low to mid 80s with plenty of sunshine. and as we look closer to home, we're talking about a lot of heat today from tulsa all the way to montgomery. 16 million people at risk today and tomorrow for heat indices that will reach over ? we're going to get to what makes a woman feel beautiful? it's about her presence. a radiance that shines, deep inside. a "je ne sais quoi"... a youthful aura. advanced g?nifique by lanc?me. every serum drop infuses youthful radiance throughout the skin. patented until 2029. advanced g?nifique. lanc?me. receive a free 7-piece gift. only at macy's,

>> bri: good morning, everybody. i'm meteorologist bri eggers in for chris lambert this morning. after we get the locally dense fog to burn off in the next hour or two, we're in for plenty of sunshine. that sunshine around not just for today but through the end of this work week. picture-perfect weather for us. not only do we get the sunshine back, but also temperatures enter the low 80s for highs this afternoon. light sea breeze keeping the immediate coastline in the upper 70s to near 80. and a look at the 7 on 7 scattered showers and >> that's your latest weather. savannah? >> all right, al, thank you so much. just ahead, are those new credit cards good or bad for consumers and businesses? we're going to go inside the great chip debate. from rio, that burning question -- who will the u.s. choose as its flag bearer for

it is an enor in mous honor. we get to reveal the pick exclusively. but first, this is "today" on

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buy a car. dr. whiskers won't pounce. nobody will. ? ? >> this is 7news now. >> sarah: good wednesday morning, everybody. it is 7:26. take a live look at boston. it was foggy this morning, but now, bri, it looks clear and nice out there. >> bri: yeah, sarah.

through the morning. cool temperatures to start. some of us in the mid to upper 50s. we warm up quickly into this afternoon, back in the 80s. sunshine with us, as well. a quick look at your 7 on 7 forecast showing summer into the weekend. >> sarah: crews are investigating a serious accident involving a police cruiser and a molt cycle. this was the scene just after 1:00 a.m. there was visible damage to the cruiser. no word yet on any injuries. police are searching for man believed to have robbed two stores in billerica. officers say the man had a knife when he store last night. they believe the same person also robbed a liquor store. investigators may release surveillance video from both stores later on today. we're back in 25 minutes with another update. for all those pokers, prodders, shuckers and sniffers,

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wednesday morning. it is august 3rd, 2016. matt is ahead of us again. it is 8:30 for our friends there in rio de janeiro where the olympic ceremony is just two days i'm going to start harassing you for details tomorrow, matt. >> you know that i am not a good leaker, as they say. i've seen the rehearsal for the opening ceremony once. i'll see it again tonight. but i think it is better and i think you would agree if you're surprised on friday night. >> that's true. but could you just give me an adjective to describe it? >> no. >> okay. >> long. long. >> all right. i'll check in again tomorrow on that one. a look at the headlines this morning.

airport. an emirates airline jet arriving from india with 300 people on board erupted in fire and smoke after making an emergency landing. remarkably, everybody on board was evacuated safely. here at home, heavy rain has triggered dangerous flooding across the country. several streets have been closed in virginia beach, virginia. a similar scene in phoenix last night with several cars stranded on flooded roads there. and, the white house held a state dinner honoring singapore's prime minister and this is the 12th for president and mrs. obama. the first lady wowed in an ivory gown from designer brandon maxwell. got a thumbs up from the president. he toasted 50 years of good relations between singaporend a the u.s. because he is separated his 55th birthday today, diplomacy dictated the invited guests sing "happy birthday" to the president. matt, you are going to reveal who is the flag bearer. >> yeah, this is really one of

game run-up, who gets to carry the american flag into the opening ceremony. this time on friday night, this is something that's voted on by the athletes. they choose one of their own. it's an incredible honor. and we can tell you now that this year marching into that stadium it will be michael phelps carrying the american flag for team usa. the five-time olympian, most decorated olympian of all time. he's got 22 are gold. after london, he said he was done. he was tired of swimming. he, of course, had that much talked about arrest for du ti, checked into rehab, got out, pulled himself back together, got back into the pool and here he has the honor of a lifetime, carrying the american flag into the opening ceremony. we'll talk to michael phelps live next hour.

little of what he said to me in the months leading up to these games. >> i'm having fun again. and this is something that i haven't had in a really long time. so it's just like i'm just going -- i'm going out and enjoying myself every day i get back in the water. i feel like a high school kid again. . >> let's bring in nbc's bob costas. best guy who's ever covered olympics in any time period. this is your 11th time as the prime time host. >> yeah. it is. but a tip of the cap to the late great jim if i'm even in the same conversation, i'm good with it. >> if i'm in your presence, give it to you. first of all, talk about this news. michael phelps, he was done after london. didn't want to swim anymore. ends up with this honor. what does it mean? >> by achievement, he could have deserved this honor a couple of olympics ago. but i think he'll appreciate it and understand it much better now because of the reasons you alluded to. i've had the same conversations with him. he is at an entirely different point in his life. he's reconciled with his father. he's happier.

he'll really appreciate this experience. he's the right guy. >> i was thinking about you this morning as we move on on subjects. it seems before every olympic games where we're together we talk about before the games open all the negativity. beijing, it was about pollution and human rights. sochi, it was about corruption and the threat of terrorism. there were issues in london. we've seen loaundry list of negative headlines here in rio. put it in perspective. >> it is the longest list. i think that's what distinguishes it, ifha right word. i've never seen an olympic with such an array of potential issues. and some of them may in fact impact these games. but we have our fingers crossed because we know that if everything pans out, we've got a beautiful and picturesque setting. >> one of the big headlines was about the russian doping scandal. the head of the ioc spoke out yesterday defending the decision not to ban the entire team. how do you think the ioc has handled this? >> he previously though said it was an unprecedented level of

and these weren't individual instances. we've seen them, including u.s. athletes. this was a sophisticated state-run doping system which not only administered performance enhancing drugs, but then right under the nose of the ioc, if its own olympics in sochi, covered up the results with some sort of cloak and dagger thing and passing samples through a hole in the wall. i mean it's almost spy versus spy from "mad" magazine or the ioc. i would have preferred to see the entire delegation banned but to allow individual athletes if they passed a certain test or credibility, then march under the olympic flag. i think that would have sent a better message. >> so many names here we know. phelps. give me the name of someone we don't know now but we will know by the end of these games? >> we sort of know this guy, but the decathlon isn't in the minds

it is sort of like the h heavyweight champion. everyone used to know who the heavyweight champion of the world was. now it is kind of off the public radar. ashton eaton is the defending decathlon champion from portland, oregon. no one has won in non-boycotted olympics back-to-back decathlons since bob mathias of the united states in 1948 and 1952. think of the days of dan that manner, the decathlon really meant something. it was the world's greatest all-around athlete. if ashton eaton does it for the second time in a row, think he becomes a household name. >> how are you feeling? >> good. >> no, i mean it, how are you feeling? all right? >> oh, yeah. >> you okay? >> i think. i think. yeah. i think. >> go get in your hotel room and do nothing. >> when matt is willing to be this close, you know i'm okay.

>> i love the way you just back out of there. we'll catch up with the women's soccer team as they get set for their first match of the day. watch michael phelps carry that flag into the stadium friday night, 7:30 eastern and pacific, here an nbc. savannah, that's great news. >> absolutely. thank you so much, plamatt. obviously bob has a clean bill of health if you are willing to stand that close to him. let's get a check of the weather from mr. ke >> bob and matt there until thursday. all right. we've got monsoonal moisture coming up out of mexico around out of the gulf causing some problems for our friends in the southwest. we'll be watching these showers and thunderstorms firing up, could be more flash flooding. the reason for that, we could get a lot of rain in a very short period of time. some areas three inches-plus, or more. gusty winds. potential for dust storms, those haboobs to develop. we are also looking for heavy

coast from northern florida all the way into the carolinas. we could see anywhere from three to five inches of rain in some spots. also have an enhanced risk of strong storms up into the northern plains today. out west, going to be gorgeous. 67 in san francisco. 82 in portland. and again here in the northeast, we've got a nice day shaping up as well. >> bri: good morning, everybody. i'm meteorologist bri eggers in for chris lambert this morning. after we get the locally dense fog to burn off in the next hour or two, we're in for plenty of that sunshine around not just for today but through the end of this work week. picture-perfect weather for us. not only do we get the sunshine back, but also temperatures enter the low 80s for highs this afternoon. light sea breeze keeping the immediate coastline in the upper 70s to near 80. and a look at the 7 on 7 forecast, just showing some scattered showers and >> don't forget, you can always get that weather when you need is on the weather channel. >> al, thank you so much. coming up, what do you do

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we are back now with growing frustrations among shoppers and retailers over those chip-enabled credit cards. we have more on this.

retailers were given a deadline of october 1st of last year to change over their systems from those swipe cards to chip cards or they'd be held liable for credit card fraud at their stores. but today, less than half of stores are using the chip card readers. so are these cards really worth the extra time they take at checkout and how much extra security do they really provide? for many shoppers in stores, the road from swipe cards to chip cards has been a bumpy ride. >> it takes forever. it takes so just swipe, sign and leave. with the chip reader you have to sit there and wait. >> i've left it in there and it starts beeping in me. >> only some places have it. you never know if you're supposed to insert it or not. pretty annoying. >> reporter: chip-enabled cards were brought to market because they are harder to counterfeit. the industry says fake cards account tore nearly half of all fraud. >> thieves at this point do not know how to counterfeit the chip that's on your card.

counterfeit cards at the brick and mortar store. >> reporter: visa says fraud is down 35% at stores with chip readers but thieves can still use your cards online to rack up big charges. >> it would cost just this restaurant alone anywhere between $11,000 and $18,000. >> reporter: that's is sticking with swipe readers for now. she says with chip readers, processing checks would take three times as long. >> at that point i'm losing a lot of revenue because customers aren't going to wait. >> reporter: the chip is causing delays in checkout lines, too. >> i've seen people put the card in wrong way, multiple errors, taking it out too soon. it definitely is costing time at checkout, there is no doubt about it. >> reporter: retailers blame the credit card industry for slowing

readers months ago but can't use them, they are still waiting for the credit card companies to approve their installations. >> this has been hard for everybody involved. consumers, merchants. it's been a very complex and i think a lot harder to implement than everybody originally thought. critics point out that chip cards here still aren't safe enough, while most cards in the u.s. only require that signature at checkout. some european countries mandate cards where you type in your p.i.n. so if a card gets lost or stolen it is unusab u.s. says p.i.n.s are too costly and troublesome for consumers. experts telling us it will be several years before we see all stores fully adapted to that chip technology. >> jo, thank you so much. coming up, the stunt involving a flaming arrow that went incredibly wrong on "america's got talent." plus, did instagram just

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we're back. 7:51. a new chapter in the social media wars. dylan has it in the orange room. >> more things to learn, too. instagram announced some major changes on tuesday. now in addition to sharing those one-off eye catching photos you're used to, people can share a series of videos in what they call story istories. you can see the follow on top. then you can see their stories. if you check through they're full of fun texts and filters throughout. instagram couldn't help but notice it looks very similar to snapchat. adam tweets, hey, instagram, don't wannabe the first to tell you but snapchat already does that. lewis says i'm a new fan of the new infalogo.

like instagram deserves aulg the credit for bringing filters to the forefront, this isn't about who invented something, this is about a format and how you take it to a network and put your own spin on it. so i'm going to put my own spin on it. i've never tried snapchat so this should be interesting. we are going to take some of these pictures. follow us on our instagram page and see how this turns out. no guarantees here. >> on-the-job training here. >> don't worry, it's pretty easy. you should just go online to read the comments. the instagram fans are just -- >> it is like the hatfields and mccoys. dylan, thank you. just ahead, your dentist helps you to do it every day but is flossing just a waste of time? plus, hoda's going to join us here on the set. if we can only pull her away from her new friends here in rio. what are you doing? >> oh, my gosh! how often does that happen?

caught them. we're having fun fishing with the boys out here. not sure what kind of fish they are. meantime, let's go to commercial break while i finish untangling myself from this next guy's when people ask me what it's like myself from this next guy's pole. to win an olympic medal, i tell them, "you already know." the medals you've earned are all around you. your bronze. your silver. your gold. liberty mutual is proud to insure every team usa medal won in rio, just like we protect the medals you've earned in life. liberty stands with you. liberty mutual insurance.

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>> this is 7news now. >> sarah: good morning. it's 7:57. let's send it over the bri eggers with more on your forecast. >> afternoon for sure. a couple spots with some fog that wants to linger, specifically along the norwood area. it is quickly moving out. visibility is getting better as we move into mid-morning. picture-perfect this afternoon. 75 to 83 for your high. sarah? >> sarah: now for a look at your top stories. police are investigating a serious accident involving a police cruiser and a motorcycle. this was the scene just after 1:00 a.m. you can see visible damage to the cruiser. no word yet on any injuries.

saying good-bye to a seven-year-old boy who drowned at a beach in south boston last tuesday. a wake will be held this afternoon for kyzr willis. the young boy was found in the water at carson beach after he wandered off from his group at the city-run summer day camp last week. we're back in 25 minutes with another update. introducing dunkin's new cold brew coffee, steeped slowly in cold water for small batches with an ultra-smooth, full-bodied flavor. he craft of cold brew today and keep on.

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? it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, truth decay. has your dentist been wrong about flossing all these years? new questions now being raised. so, is it really worth the time then, ready for rio. before team usa takes to the field today, we'll talk to the stars of the women's soccer team as they go for their record fourth straight gold medal. >> the dna of this team is just passionate and strong and it's competitive, and it will always be there. and the long and short of it -- america's best gymnast sizes up some of her team usa teammates "today," wednesday,

>> go team usa! woo! >> all the way from texas! woo! >> it's my birthday! >> we're back for our 19th birthday! >> woo! >> all woo! >> we just got engaged! woo! savannah on the plaza with a night crowd. we are here on copacabana beach with a nice crowd as well. hoda's joined us from our fishing trip. look what she's brought along, guys? >> i got into -- look. look close. it is an olympic torch.

there's a guy back there in our massive crowd who's staying with a host family. and they had the privilege of running with the torch for part of the olympic torch run. and the deal is, when you light a flame, you get to keep this torch. they remove the gas can and it is your kind of your souvenir. >> i have one from london. it is one of my favorite keepsakes. >> how awesome! >> that's very cool. >> that's some keepsake. don't give it back, >> bye! >> just put it in your pocket. opening ceremony is the only thing we're looking forward to on friday. we're also throwing a party of our own right here in new york. country superstar blake shelton taking over our plaza. watch out, hoda. i got blake all to myself. very excited about that. but let's start this half-hour with a check of the morning's top stories. tamron is in studio 1a. good morning, everyone. and emirates airlines jetliner

morning. the plane, a boeing 777, was arriving from india. there were 300 passengers, including six americans and crew on board. the aircraft skidded on landing and exploded into flames. remarkably, the airline says all passengers are safe. emirates airlines blames a mechanical failure for the crash. donald trump tweeted today that there is great unity in his campaign, adding "perhaps greater than ever before." but the republican presidential candidate is turning two powerful party members refusing to endorse speaker paul ryan and senator john mccain in their upcoming primaries. on tuesday, president obama declared trump not fit for office and he criticized republican leaders who would support him. >> the question i think that they have to ask themselves is, if you are repeatedly having to say in very strong terms that

unacceptable, why are you still endorsing him? and add another prominent republican now voting for hillary clinton, hewlett-packard ceo meg whitman wrote on facebook donald trump's demagoguery has undermined the fabric of our national character. today's "wall street journal" is reporting that the obama administration sent a secret plane load of cash to iran back in january. the delivery coincided with the negotiated release of by iran. the white house denies any quid pro quo calling it part of a payback over a 1970s arms deal. about 35 homes and a campground have been evacuated because of a wildfire that broke out late tuesday in the napa area in california. the fire quickly spread to more than 1,700 acres of dry brush. officials said it was 0% contained overnight despite the efforts of about 500

enjoy a day at the beach? these bear cubs, and their mom, took a delightful dip in lake tahoe monday. other visitors kept a safe distance. smart of them. after splashing around, the bears headed back to the woods, but not before sinking their toes in the sand. interesting sight there. i was at the beach this weekend and deer, a family of deer, walked out. >> really? >> yeah. i was on staten island. they just walked out. little fawn and everything. isn't that something? >> you can't go under a buck. but there you go. >> just like a little file comes right out. tamron, thank you so much. coming up next, a must for your mouth or just a waste of time? just revealed flaws with flossing. plus, a radical new way to cut down on traffic. but is this massive elevated bus really for real? just go right over the traffic. al, i thought you were going

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poor foster kid black immigrant cancer patient small muslim the only label that matters is olympian. we're back, 8:11, with a new report that throws everything you thought you knew about flossing into question. nbc's morgan radford is here with that story. >> guys, good morning. after recent survey found more than a quarter of american adults lie to their dentists about how often they floss. but really, should they be feeling guilty about telling

in fact, you may not even need to floss every single day. we've listened to dentists tell us to floss daily for decades. >> floss gently up and down. >> reporter: a common practice only 40% of americans say they do. >> it's important to floss your teeth. that's what your dentist says, right? >> reporter: but for millions, it is a habit they regularly blush off. >> do you floss? >> no. >> you don't floss? why not? >> not very often. i have three kids. i can barely brush my teeth. >> i just don't have the >> that's what saliva's for. >> reporter: but now a new report from the associated press says after reviewing 25 studies, it found little evidence that flossing is actually effective. the report comes after the government suddenly removed its recommendation to floss daily from its latest dietary guidelines. acknowledging to the ap that it hadn't properly researched the effectiveness of what experts have long considered an essential tool in preventive dental care. >> what they're saying is that

duration, they need to be more thorough. >> reporter: does this mean we can toss the floss? one study found that more than one-third of americans would rather wash dirty dishes or clean the toilet than get tied up with flossing. what would you rather do besides flossing? >> a lot of things. most anything. >> reporter: but the american dental association says -- not so fast. it stands by its claim saying flossing prevents plaque, gum >> the bad bacteria can get into your blood stream and cause problems elsewhere. >> experts say what's the harm in flossing? it is low risk and it is affordable. but if you're still on the fence about flossing, dentists say make sure you go big with brushing. brush for two minutes twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, make sure you clean between your teeth once a day. you have to make sure you check in with your dentist regularly. >> i'm big on brushing. >> you got to get in with the

out! >> after corn on the cob? >> well, or popcorn. let's change the subject. >> i'm sure you don't like this. but first -- >> announcer: "today's" weather is brought to you by dove hair. perfectly nourished hair, plus more. >> allrightee. let's check out what's going on in the tropics. we almost have a hurricane. not earl. got love that name, earl. it is like a tropical storm that's driving a pickup. i like it. 265 miles east-southeast of belize, 65-mile-per-hour winds, moving west at 14 miles per hour. if you are thinking of heading to mexico over the next several days, you're going to want to watch this. it may become a weak tropical hurricane, then deteriorate but causing rain and wind along the

coming up on friday in rio, the opening ceremonies. opening night, 72 degrees. our pals, matt, meredith and hoda hosting. >> bri: good morning, everybody. i'm meteorologist bri eggers in for chris lambert this morning. after we get the locally dense fog to burn off in the next hour or two, we're in for plenty of sunshine. that sunshine around not just for today but through the end of this work week. picture-perfect weather for us. not only do enter the low 80s for highs this afternoon. light sea breeze keeping the immediate coastline in the upper 70s to near 80. and a look at the 7 on 7 forecast, just showing some scattered showers and and that's your latest weather. all right, al. thank you so much. it is that time of the morning. "trending" time. obviously a lot goes into choosing a baby name. of course, dylan, you are

>> i have a short list. >> don't tell anyone! especially your parents. okay. just a little tip from me to you. but what happens if you name the baby and then you regret your choice. the question is, is it ever too late to change your mind? one mom actually told this story to today.com. she had a friend in the uk named ottaly. then she realized she only liked it when said in the accent. currently the americanized ottolie didn't really ring as well. after three months old she changed her daughter's name. she asked her husband and he was like, yeah, do what you want. i'm not psyched about it either and they named her margot, which is beautiful. >> my grandfather's -- my name, maggie mae. my mother said, no way.

>> wait. you were born maggie mae. >> maggie mae. >> by the way, i love that name. >> but it was after my great grandmother. my mother said, no, it's tamron. so i have friends who actually call me maggie mae hall. >> maggie mae hall, msnbc! >> so it's not deejay cookies. that's not your real name. getting stuck in a traffic jam can obviously be extremely frustrating. we all know that. check out what engineers in china did to get around it. or should i say over it. here's their solution. a transit elevated bus. that's right, everybody. just roll right over the traffic. it can carry up to 300 passengers. yeah. see how it is going? it goes right over the cars. the thing over it is the bus. the traffic just flows underneath.

drive. we'll see if it catches on. >> that's brilliant. >> so is pouring rain. you just make sure you stay under the bus. >> that's the one example of getting thrown under the bus that's good. >> that's actually a positive! >> that's fantastic. >> matt and hoda are in rio for us. >> we are. we got a photo, guys, that seems to be going viral. this is gymnast simone biles. you know her, she's 4'8" tall. this photo of herself standing ck volleyball player david lee. he stands a full two feet taller at 6'8". this got us thinking, which doesn't happen very often. simone is the shortest olympian but david lee is the no the tallest. >> that honor goes to two basketball players at 6'11". the oldest olympian is the equestrian phillip dutton at 52.

table tennis player. he is the first olympic athlete born in the 2000s. most decorated female sprinter, allyson felix, she's got six medals. the most decorated male olympian of all time -- that's a layup. michael phelps, 22 medals, 18 of them gold. he was just named flag bearer. very exciting. we'll talk to him in our next hour. >> is there going to be a quiz on let's do "pop start." >> let's get started with america's got talent and the shockingly close call on stage. comedy daredevil ryan stock is known for his death defying stunts. he was on stage with his assistant, amber lynn, when things took a turn for the worse. watch this. amber lynn missed the target mark, hitting his neck. >> oh! oh!

howie urged him to see the show's medical tech. he tweeted later reassuring everyone he is okay. >> what the? >> i know. now to dustin hoffman. mr. hoffman took different approach. one twitter user put together a string of photos showing how the actor pokes fun at the paparazzi. hiding behind poles and trees. >> dustin hoffman, one of the all-time favorite guests here on the "today" show. we love dustin hoffman. >> doesn't he always send pizza to the crew? >> he sends muffins. he's amazing. he's given the crew massages. it is unbelievable. >> let's get him back on! please. finally, a moving on to chris hemsworth now. the actor shared an instagram video of some behind-the-scenes stunt practice with his trainer propering that even thor can

>> a big spin. i'll do one first. okay? >> yeah. >> do the same stunt. nice, open. >> i didn't stick the landing. >> such a good sport. for more "pop start" stories, head to "today's" facebook page. >> cute. back down to mat they are in rio. >> announcer: "today's" olympic start is sponsored by kellogg's. what gets you started. on "today's" olympic start, those special moments that capture the spirit and the heart of the olympic games. so with rio's opening ceremony now two days away, we're opening up the vault. >> this is good. on this date 24 years ago in barcelona, a young british

his hamstring half-way through the quarterfinals. >> but he refused to give up. he got up and finished the race. then something extraordinary happened. his father came out of the stands and helped his father. then with the crowd roaring, his father let him go so he could cross the finish line by himself. >> i would like to make a request for kleenexes. that's beautiful. all right, so what moments will come to define rio? begins today with six women's soccer matches. >> team usa's seeking its fourth straight gold medal and another big piece of history. and natty has their story. >> reporter: get ready to believe again. fresh off lifting last year's women's world cup, the u.s. women's national team is looking to grab a different kind of gold this summer. their goal, to become the first team in history to follow up a world cup victory with an

>> we've always had a target on our back. but you win a world cup and now everybody wants to take down the world champions. >> reporter: leading the team, co-captain carli lloyd. before scoring three goals in 16 minutes in last year's cup final, lloyd also netted the gold clinching game winners for the u.s. in both 2008 and 2012. >> what a goal by carli lloyd! >> reporter: and she's ready to do the same in rio. >> i have to keep continuing to very unpredictable out on the pitch. and that's going to be the game plan and i'm up for every challenge. >> reporter: goalkeeper hope solo is back for her fourth olympics after taking home a gold with the u.s. in each of the previous three. >> each time it gets sweeter. it's almost like this sick addiction. as an athlete, you want to compete and you want to compete again and again and again. at a higher level.

>> reporter: but a few of the team's legends won't be on the field like abby wambach, lauren holiday and christie rampone. of the 18 players on the rio squad, 11 are first-time olympians, led by 18-year-old mallory pugh. and teammate crystal dunn. >> for hasn't seen me play, tenacious, i'm pretty quick and i love the game and i think my love for the game comes out on the field. >> reporter: they are hoping to be this summer's break-out stars, like defender judy johnston achieved in 2015. >> the dna of this team is just passionate and it's drive and it's competitive and it will always be be there. being one of the younger ones you feel that and you want to be a part of it instantly. >> these new players bring a new twist. i think it's been great to see the blend of the players.

different style in how we play. and i think it's been exciting to watch. >> i now officially feel very old being 34. i'm like one of the first ones down at breakfast now. but it's -- some of the young ones are keeping us veteran players young with some of their new hip, cool stuff. >> reporter: so whether the fourth time around, or the first, the aim is still the same -- carrying red, white and blue with gold yet again. >> this is another challenge for us, another gold. at the end of the day, we don't walk in to 20 minutes like we're playing for silver. >> again, the u.s. women's soccer team begins their quest for gold today against new zealand. you can watch it at 6:00 p.m. eastern on nbc sports network. coming up, the man of the morning, michael phelps, who was just revealed as the u.s. flag bearer for the opening ceremony will join us live to talk about that honor. but first, on a wednesday morning, your local news and

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>> this is 7news now. >> sarah: good wednesday morning, everybody. 8:27. it's supposed to be a beautiful day. let's send it over the bri eggers with more on your forecast. >> bri: a cool and foggy start. we're warming up those temperatures quite nicely. sunny afternoon. back into the low 80s for most of us as we head into this afternoon. a beautiful summer rolls on through the end of the work week. sarah? >> sarah: crews are investigating a curious accident involving a police cruiser and a motorcycle. this was the scene on slade street just after 1:00 a.m. it there was visible damage to the cruiser. no word yet on any injuries. police are searching for man they believe robbed two stores in billerica. officers say the man had a knife when he robbed aing convenience store last night.

investigators may release surveillance footage from both stores later on today. a salem man is behind bars this morning accused of murdering his wife. police say douglas steeves walked into their station and admitted to strangling his wife. detectives found her body at his home. steeves and his wife were recently going through a divorce. he'll be back in court later this month. "today in new england" returns

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[snoring.] take the roar out of snore. yet another innovation only at a sleep number store. it's 8:30. it's wednesday morning, it is the 3rd of august, 2016. what a gorgeous week we have here in rockefeller plaza and a gorgeous crowd. it is nice and cool. almost a little fall-like out here. >> but not quite. just a touch. by the way, i am so thrilled, we have a living legend coming up. today is his 90th birthday. we're talking tony bennett. he is going to reveal the secret

>> love the photograph you tweeted out this morning. it plus, super speedy hair styles. hit snooze on your alarm tomorrow because we have one-minute looks -- one minute? >> one minute they say. each look. >> without sahaving our head. >> by the way, fruit never tasted so sweet. we are using farm fresh blur berries this morning and making two mouthwatering desserts. tt something really big in rio. >> we certainly are, savannah. we're catching up with the most decorated olympian of all time, michael phelps. as you know, big news for him this morning. >> yeah. he is about to compete in his fifth olympics but on this friday he is going to do something he has never done before. we don't say that very often. he is going to carry the american flag in the opening ceremony. it is going to be pretty spectacular. but first, al has a check of the weather. >> we just about had a wardrobe malfunction here --

wow! hello! >> i have a pineapple. we can make a smoothie. >> that's one heck of a fruit salad. whoa, hello. reminds me, i got to renew my easy pass. let's show you what's going on for today. wet weather through the gulf coast, southeast, monsoonal moisture continues in the southwest. slight risk of strong storms tomorrow in the northern plains. we w southeast, into the mid mississippi and ohio river valleys, beautiful in the pacific northwest. we are looking ahead to rio as the games really get going >> bri: good morning, everybody. i'm meteorologist bri eggers in for chris lambert this morning. after we get the locally dense fog to burn off in the next hour or two, we're in for plenty of sunshine. that sunshine around not just for today but through the end of

not only do we get the sunshine back, but also temperatures enter the low 80s for highs this afternoon. light sea breeze keeping the immediate coastline in the upper 70s to near 80. and a look at the 7 on 7 forecast, just showing some scattered showers and zbln and that's your latest weather. get the weather any time, go to weather channel on cable. oh, dylan. >> announcer: defying labels on "today" is sponsored by mini. saluting u.s. olympians who defy labels. oh, thank you, al. we are working with our sponsor, mini, to recognize people who are defying labels. our viewers are sharing how they are surpassing expectations on their way to achieving their goals. jamie writes, i will be running my first marathon six weeks before my 56th birthday, seven years after losing 100 pounds. good for her!

fibrosis. we never could have imagined how well he is doing and he is defying labels every single day. good for him as well. keep sharing the ways you or someone you know is odds using the #defylabels. this morning on our special series, "living legends," al caught up with an absolute icon. >> he is a new york fixture. i love tony bennett. he has been performing for the better today he celebrates his 90th birthday. we caught up with tony. he told me he cannot wait to see what his future holds. ? >> he invented bebop, a form of jazz. ? for once in my life i have someone who needs me ? >> reporter: tony bennett, one of the most iconic voices to

>> i can't give you anything but love. >> reporter: his music nominated for 33 grammys, over a career that spans close to 70 years. ? the best is yet to come come the day you're mine ? >> there is a certain timelessness to your music. >> yeah. i search for quality all the time. i always find intelligent songs to sing. i don't try and get a hit song. i just want a song that's good that if you listen to it ten years from now, it won't sound old-fashioned or dated. ? just the way you look tonight ? >> "today" on his 90th birthday, toe in i says he's got more to give. if somebody had told you at 20 that in 70 years, you'd still be a huge star, probably more popular than ever, what would you have told them?

but i'm -- my doctor keeps telling me, there's not a thing wrong with you. just keep going at it. >> is that the secret? i guess for some people, the idea of retiring is what they dream about. but you're still going strong. you're probably busier than you've ever been? >> i'm always sold out throughout the world. wherever i play. and it's beautiful. >> so it never dawned on you to pack it in and say, i'll just stop singing, i'll go in the bark and paint and call it a day. >> i don't feel that way at all. in fact, i feel like i have so much more to learn yet. ? oh it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing ? >> reporter: collaboration with pop artists like lady gaga, michael bouble and carrie underwood. ? it had to be you ?

decade alone, making him as popular as ever. >> who out there right now would you looic like to perform with? anybody you listen to that you'd love to record with them? >> i'd like to do something again with lady gaga. she is a terrific talent. but i like that beyonce. she's terrific. yeah. she's got a lot on ball. >> queen b and tony b. if you had to write it down, tony, what would be your recipe for a long, healthy life? >> i believe in the fact that it's a gift to be alive. i love the fact that i'm blessed to be on earth. and i love my whole life. i love what i do. >> what would you like your legacy to be? >> that i made people feel good. it's a great adventure.

? i love you ? >> sounds better than he ever has. >> his voice is so strong. >> it's amazing. the fact that he wants to do something with beyonce is so fantastic. >> she seems good. >> true. in december he'll take part in a two-hour special on nbc featuring music's biggest names. >> i think he's got the secret to life. y. >> so happy. thank you, al. let's send it over to matt and hoda. >> all right, savannah. we broke the news this nonmorni michael phelps, most decorated olympian ever, has been named the flag bearer the a the olympic ceremony. we'll talk to him in a moment. but first this is "today" on

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it is 8:40. when it comes to hair, braids, curls and color are all the rage this summer. if you can spare just 60 seconds or less, you can pull off the season's hotettes looks. here to show us how, beauty expert and "today" style expert. do you have a bottom line for how to make your hair look decent? >> it is all about that effortless look. you don't want to have to spend time. you want to be in the sun, at the beach. don't spend time on it. it is really not that hard. >> if you try to too perfect, it is going to fall apart. >> it is not that trendy to be that perfect. >> good. we've got three models here with some looks that you can do in under 60 seconds. you're showing us the wet rope braid. >> exactly. >> that's the before picture. >> all we're going to do is -- is there a timer? >> i think they're going to put a timer on. otherwise i'm timing in my head. >> all right. all we're doing is -- she basically got back from the pool, her hair is wet.

pony which is also super in friend right now. get it nice up there tight. once you do that, focus on that braid aspect which is really if, like you said. create a rope kind of texture. all we're doing is really just creating that rope right here. >> it is not a true braid. you're twisting it around. >> it is like evolution of the braid. it isn wet, it is so quick and easy. no need to put product in the hair. embrace the wetness. >> you did it in under a minute. very impressed. very cute. great. thank you so much. now miss malia. she's going to do the piled-up pony. >> great for curly hair. all we're going to do is really get all that hair and we want to focus it to one side of the head, like a side pony.

it is all about rocking the pony to the side, more to the side it is, the better. other thing that's really in right now is bangs. we're going to sort of undo these curls that she has in front of her face and like really create this like bang in front of it and really play with the textures of her hair. it is beautiful and embrace it. it is all about effortless looking. if you let these go -- >> you want to be high on the head though, right? >> they high on the head. get it off your neck. >> super cute. it helps to be gorgeous, miss malia. now we have whitney. >> whitney's going to do a wavy side twist. whitney's look is really great. really start up here. all you are doing is twisting. take it all the way back as far as you want. kind of create it -- >> does she start with kind of damp hair?

got -- like after the beach. she has the sea salt in her hair, just embracing that. take some bobby pins and secure it into place. super easy. it is a great way to go from beach to nice owl. she has -- >> scl yyou just do the back an this hang down? >> yeah. >> that's really cool. very, very cute. last, but not least. >> i'm going to show you one of slicked back and chic. i could because i'm lazy. sometimes i'm a day out without washing it. take gel or hairspray, whichever you prefer, rub it through my hear just like this. and if your hair's already oily, even better. kind of just take that and go like this. it is a really chic look for -- >> kind of the wet look. >> kind of. but it is very like -- there's something really elegant about

having all these gorgeous models is definitely helpful. thank you so much. she'll stig around and show us some more styles using knots instead of braids. watch it live on today style's facebook page right now. just ahead, we'll head back to rio with an exclusive live interview with michael phelps. but first, there is "today" on nbc. capital one believes your bank should work for you, not the other way around.

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welcome back to rio. this is a very, very exciting moment. you know michael phelps as the global face of swimming, the most decorated olympian of all time. >> just this morning, we revealed that michael's fellow athletes had selected him to carry the american flag in to the opening ceremony for team usa. michael joins us now exclusively from the athletes village. michael, congratulations. how did you find out the news?

i guess right when i got out of the pool yesterday afternoon. lindsey, one of our team staff members, came up to me and told me that i had gotten the -- i guess the vote to carry the flag. and i think i said to her, i think that was the biggest smile that i've had on my face in a really long time. so obviously a huge honor and something i'm looking forward to. >> michael,ut perspective for us. you have been to the mountaintop, most decorated olympian of all time. you've done it all. we're thinking, like what hasn't michael phelps done. well, it is carry the u.s. flag. as you said, you were voted on by the athletes. this wasn't something given to you by the press or by anybody else. what does that feel like in the

>> michael, we apparently have lost you. can you hear us now? we're zbrg to take a break. we'll try and reconnect with michael. >> don't go anywhere, michael. we're coming back. introducing dunkin's new cold brew coffee, steeped slowly in cold water for small batches with an ultra-smooth, full-bodied flavor. discover the craft of cold brew today and keep on. america runs on dunkin'. ? i feel too young to be this old. i just want to be her mom, not her full-time job. i'm the boss of me, but sometimes i need a little help. if you or a loved one has masshealth, call commonwealth care alliance to find out about senior care options.

? yeah, in the summti ? livin' in a dunkin' paradise ? what are you doing? papi, i'm making sure cuppy doesn't burn. ? dunkin' iced, oh, yeah, in the summertime ?

fingers crossed we've cleared up our connection with plikle flems. we'll continue that interview. >> michael, it's hoda. what is it going to feel like walking flu that stadium carrying that flag? >> i mean not to laugh -- i'm sorry. no! >> it's in and out. the amazing thing here, this is only about t 15 miles from us. >> i'll tell you what. i'm going to run over there right now. do i have time? >> it's a very difficult thing technically. we'll be spending. >> now i get you. >> oh, he hears us now. michael, you hear us now? >> he's on the phone! >> i do have you. i can hear you on the phone! >> what's it going to feel like walking into the stadium carrying that flag? >> i mean i would say there's

emotions. just through sort of all of the experiences thattive's had, myself personally, on the olympic level. and then just the feeling of being able to represent your country, and to be able to kind of lead your country into the village. it's a huge honor to me and, you know, as swimmers, we don't really think that we have this opportunity. but, yeah, i guess the oppo dream come true and one that i will remember for the rest of my life. >> we're going to be hosting that opening ceremony. when you walk in the stadium, make a right, come up the stairs, carry that flag right into the broadcast booth. >> we'll give you a big hug from us. double dog dare you. >> congratulations, michael. way to go.

>> all right. we'll talk more to michael in the days to come. let's go back to savannah in new york. >> okay, can you hear me now, matt and hoda? hello? hello? >> yes, we can. we've got it. we're going to turn now to "today food." all of this week we're cooking with our favorite farmer's market ingredients. we're going to transform farm fresh blur b desserts. we have tasters downstairs. >> this one is our blueberry crumble bars. tastes kind of like pie but without all the work. we've got our crumb part and our blueberry mixture. we have sugar, flour, baking powder, a little bit of salt. whisk that together. then i'm going to add in some butter. this is just like what you do when you -- >> room temp.

nice flakiness. i'm going to use these forks and mash these in. if you have a pastry cutter, you can save a lot of time. add in your egg and water. once you get this nice crumble, nice crumbs there, you are almost done with this recipe. i'm going to add half of this into our prepared pan. >> looks like greased wax paper. >> i kn i'm going to press that in. once you get that down, leave about half for the top. here we have our blueberry filling. our sugar, a little lime juice. this is going to bring out that beautiful flavor. i'm going to add in a little flour to thicken in, some vanilla, and a little bit of cinnamon. this really brightens it, too. so delicious. once you get everything mixed in, we toss that in. yeah.

>> we're going to cook it. then you're going to put the crumbs right on top. you're going to bake this for about 40 minutes. 30, 40 minutes. until it is beautiful and golden on top. >> what do you think, guys? >> phenomenal. >> so easy, too. >> just like pie without all the work. >> i love it. so now we've got our blueberry cheesecake, ice cream. this is no churn. you're going to create a blueberries. then add some lime juice and some sugar. once this cooks down and you get it nice and thick and this beautiful syrup, you start on the mixture. cream cheese, some condensed milk and some vanilla. whip all of that together until it is nice and fluffy. then you're going to fold in some whipped cream. that's going to really lighten it up. then you're going to get in those blueberries, of course, that blueberry syrup that you bring to room temperature.

layer it. >> it looks gorgeous. i'm taking a bite. tasters, what do you think? >> i can't stop with the ice cream. >> it tastes like frozen cheesecake! >> it's amazing. >> it's absolutely beautiful. thank you so much. you want to get these recipes for all this week's farmer market inspired dishes, check out today.com/food. back after your local news.

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two stores robbed. a man on the run for his crimes in billerica. donald trump holding back from supporting two hig high-profile republicans. and in rio. sunshine is back today. highs in the 80s.

breaking news, an emergency in dubai when flames en gulf a plane on runway. the search for a suspect on the way after armed robberies carried out in billerica. the first of its kind in boston. we take you inside the medical marijuana dispensary set to >> this is 7 news in new england. >> sarah: good morning, i am a tsar. send it over to bri eggers with more on your probing. >> meteorologist: the fog situation has much improved. low clouds in norwood. other than that we are in for sunshine this afternoon and temperatures are already responding to that bright sunshine. mid- to upper 60s away from boston. 70 in the metro area right now. and again the sunshine coming