hemisphere. thankfully, it hit in a sparsely populated area, no deaths reported, and it is weakening rapidly this morning, but it's not over yet. texas already dealing with massive flooding, now bracing for another round from patricia. we're live. political roller coaster. hillary clinton riding high after her benghazi testimony. >> i had my whole team come over to my house, and we sat around eating indian food and drinking wine and beer. >> as jeb bush hunkers down in texas this weekend, his campaign struggling. and donald trump lashes out at a rising ben carson. >> we informed ben, but he was sleeping. prison attack. colorado movie theater shooter james holmes jumped behind bars. this morning, the inside story. and royal flush! >> royals win the pennant! >> the kansas city royals knocking off the toronto blue jays in the american league championship series, thrilling their fans.

and that, of course, means the world series is set as the royals prepare to face off with the new york mets, today, saturday, october 24th, 2015. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and welcome to "today" on this saturday morning. i'm erica hill. >> and i'm jeff rossen. happy to be here with you and alongside sheinelle jones and dylan dreyer. and you're tracking the top story this morning, this massive hurricane. we have our team fanned out across the country, both here and in mexico. category 5 storm hitting overnight, the eye narrowly missing the resort area of puerto vallarta, where tens of thousands of americans were believed to be before the storm made landfall. >> and while it is too early to tell just how widespread the destruction is, sunlight will help us with that. here's what we do know at this hour. patricia weakened to a category 1 hurricane early this morning with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour.

it is expected to turn into a tropical depression as it crosses mexico's mountains. now, incredibly at this hour, no reports of any deaths. and just over the mexican border, much of texas, as we know, is under a flood watch with what's left of patricia, the concern there that it will bring, of course, even more rain to a state that has already been pounded. >> our correspondents are on the ground in mexico and texas on storm watch. want to begin with nbc's joe fryer in ecstapa, south of where hurricane patricia made a direct hit. joe, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, jeff. hurricane patricia has weakened considerably with many breathing a sigh of relief up and down the coast, but the mexican government is warning people to not let their guard down as this history-making storm moves through the country. with the grace of a sledgehammer, hurricane patricia reached land, winds swirling at 165 miles an hour.

hunkered down in hotels showcase the driving rain, swelling seas and turbulent winds. damage reports quickly surfaced. washed-out roads, toppled trees and uprooted highway signs. some of the most dramatic video comes from manzanillo, a resort destination about 50 miles from where the hurricane first made impact. while the most violent part of the storm appeared to hit sparsely populated areas, it was still a wild ride for tourists stuck in the popular beach town, puerto vallarta. >> we have our water, we have our food, we're going to be in meditation and sending prayers for the area. >> reporter: hurricane patricia is not just strong, the storm is huge, spanning a 170-mile stretch of mexico's popular coastline. more than 7 million people in this storm's path. stunning images from space show patricia's size, while images from inside the storm show patricia's violent fury. hurricane hunters flew through the eye, collecting valuable data right before patricia

at one point, winds had reached 200 miles an hour, the strongest storm ever measured in the western hemisphere. even though it weakened a little, patricia is still the strongest hurricane to ever touch down on mexico's pacific coast. the extent of damage, especially in isolated areas, won't be known until later today when crews can assess everything in the daylight. overnight, mexico's president said that the first reports indicate that the extent of damage is less than expected so far for a storm of this magnitude. jeff and erica? certainly could have been so much worse. we'll check back in with joe later. >> we will. joining us by phone is diana park-alfred, an american in puerto vallarta this morning. diana, good morning. >> good morning. >> so, give us a sense. we know you were evacuated from your hotel yesterday, but then actually back there by 9:30 last night, as i understand it. what's the damage like that you can see, both at the hotel and

on that ride back from town? >> so, we expected the worst, and everybody at the hotel evacuated us early in the morning. they were supposed to keep us in the ballroom. however, local police authorities had been ordered to send us out, so we had to evacuate to the nearby university, and the damage was very minimal, very surprisingly. we feel very blessed. but in about 11 hours, we were able to head back on the buses back to the resort. and the damage -- i mean, it's pitch black out here, but there's not a wind blowing in the palm trees right now. >> how do you feel it was all handled? you're an american. i know you've watched reports of different storms of varying magnitudes affecting the u.s. but as you're dealing with the response there in mexico, how do you think it was handled? >> so, i think that the staff of the hotel, they were very helpful. we were very impressed with

everybody. a little bit of confusion, obviously, so the mood was excited and scared and nervous, and they did a very good job of facilitating everything. it was unbelievable, though, how the u.s. is getting so many different reports and stories, and we're getting texts from family and phone calls, and we were just anticipating the worst. so, i'm not sure how that correspondence happened, and everyone's saying it's the worst, it's the worst, and we actually got lots of rain but not too bad of any of the 200-mile-an-hour. >> so, dodging a bullet there. it did move a little bit and didn't end up hitting puerta vallarta, as you mentioned. you mentioned how wonderful the staff had been at the hotel. had they talked at all about their families or locally, if they were able to check in with some of their loved ones and let you know the sense that they got >> yes. so, i mean, they gave us updates as often as they could while, you know, serving food. and the general manager of the

hotel shared with us that he was away from his family. his son was still at the hotel. they were making sure that everything was okay here so that we could get back. so, they did always ask for us to pray for the people who got hit hard. from what we understood it was manzanillo. so, we were very blind out there, working on whatever we could, getting updates, but we felt pretty sheltered from there. >> well, glad to hear that everyone who was in your immediate vicinity doing well and that the folks there who live there year-round are doing okay, too. diana park-alford, thanks for your time. >> thank you. >> good to see she's okay. this morning. residents in texas are dealing with what forecasters are calling life-threatening flooding. overnight, police have been rescuing stranded vehicles and telling drivers to get off the roads, find a parking lot and even sleep in their cars. as hurricane patricia is going to turn things from bad to even worse.

nbc's janet shamlian live in dallas with the very latest. janet, good morning. >> reporter: jeff, good morning to you. we are getting hit by another band of heavy rain right now, 16 inches in the town of corsicana last night. it shut down a portion of interstate 45 for a while, impacted thousands of people who are traveling through the city's two airports, and now we are awaiting for what's next. and despite the warnings for people not to drive through the water, rescuers' lives were put in dangers last night by people insisting, or at least try inging to do it. heavy rain and flash flooding soaking cities across texas. this is corsicana, about an hour south of dallas, where high water shut down interstate 45. around the city, rescue after rescue. >> i was pretty much holding around her waist and then holding on to the metal on the bridge, and then just trying not to let go. >> i have a female and her 3-year-old daughter, she's advising that the water is up to her vehicle.

and eastern parts of the state, a deluge. some motorists ignoring the warnings, ateamtempting to drive through the rising water. >> you can see how the rain just never stops. >> reporter: the system hobbled air travel. more than 500 flights canceled at love field and dfw airports with a ripple effect across the country. as much as 10 inches of rain. texas has been dry for months, so it's not all bad news. >> here in dallas, they've had more rain in the past day than they've picked up since july 4th. the drought came roaring back late summer, so this is a big help for the farmers and lowers the fire danger. >> reporter: but this morning, a second, perhaps more dangerous threat -- the remnants of hurricane patricia could deliver flooding in southeast texas and along the coast. houston has gone to a level 1 alert. >> it is a dangerous event. we will have a lot of rain in a very short period of time. >> reporter: a hard-hit region now bracing for what could be round two. so, what happens now? well, this system is supposed to be moving out.

and the focus moves to southeast texas, places like houston. while patricia has been downgraded to a category 1, it still could bring flooding to the coast and to cities like houston and beaumont, because it takes nothing at all for it to flood there. we'll be watching it from there, guys, back to you. >> all right, be safe there. janet shamlian, thanks. dylan is back now with more of a forecast for patricia and what it could mean for the folks in texas, as janet was giving us little bit of a preview there. >> yeah, keep in mind, since this was the third strongest storm ever on earth, it has a lot of moisture with it. so, even though the storm is weakening as far as winds are concerned, it still has a lot of moisture, and that's going to run into texas. now that the storm, though, has made landfall, and it's moving over the mountainous terrain of mexico, winds have now dropped to 75 miles per hour. it's picked up forward speed, it's moving northeast at 21 miles per hour. and as this area of low pressure continues to get closer to southern texas, that's when we're going to see heavy bands of rain today, through the morning on sunday, then eventually it moves off into louisiana, where we could see some flooding in low-lying areas as well.

the rain that's moving through texas right now is all associated with a stalled front. that's from dallas to waco, austin. in some areas, we've already picked up more than a foot of rain, so we do have flash flood watches in red. we have actually warnings in red, flash flood watches in the greener color there, because of the torrential downpours that will be reinforced once the remnants of patricia make their way eastward. so, we could end up with as much as an additional 7 to 10 inches of rain in some areas. coastal flooding will be an issue as well as that water gets pushed onshore, so we could see some concerns right along the coast as well. jeff? >> all right, dylan dreyer, thank you so much. now to our other big story, the race for the white house. hillary clinton trying to keep the momentum going after what political analysts say was a very good week for her, while on the republican side, donald trump is on the attack yet again against another rival, as jeb bush is searching for answers. we have two reports on this busy morning. we begin with ron allen, who's covering hillary clinton.

ron, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you, jeff. that test is in iowa, a huge democratic party gathering later tonight, the jefferson jackson dinner, where the candidates will try to pack the room with supporters and make a huge political statement, as hillary clinton tries to build on what some are saying could be a huge step forward for her campaign. >> hello, everybody! >> reporter: in virginia, hillary clinton enjoying what looked like a victory lap after leaping several huge hurdles. that congressional hearing about the attack in benghazi, libya, that left four americans dead. >> i've lost more sleep than all of you put together. >> reporter: that after vice president biden decided not to challenge the former secretary of state. two other competitors have dropped out, and an endorsement friday from the union that represents government workers. all following what many say was a strong showing by clinton at that first democratic debate. >> it's great to be here with you. >> reporter: last night in an exclusive interview on msnbc, rachel maddow asked clinton what she did after that marathon benghazi hearing, some 11 hours

on the hot seat, more than 300 questions. >> i had my whole team come over to my house, and we sat around eating indian food and drinking wine and beer. >> reporter: but today, no kicking back, as clinton returns to iowa, where the last time she ran for president, clinton lost a lead in the polls and ended up losing to barack obama in the first state where voters actually voted. history that bernie sanders, now in a tight race with clinton in iowa, hopes to repeat. last night, sanders trying to get some momentum going at a so-called "feel the burn" rally. >> if we win here in iowa, and i think we've got a good chance to do it, and if we win in new hampshire, and i think we've got a good chance to do that, we have a road to victory. >> reporter: and for clinton, benghazi still is not over, with the fbi probing whether classified information was mishandled during the investigation. and another challenge for clinton, polls like a recent nbc news/"wall street journal"

asked gave clinton high marks for honesty and trust. jeff, erica? >> ron allen, thanks. turning now to florida, where republican contender donald trump lashed out at a rally in florida overnight amid new polls that say he's losing his lead to ben carson, this as jeb bush's campaign begins to show cracks with a reboot and a staff shake-up. and there is word he's hunkering down with his brother and father in houston this weekend. jacksonville, florida, this morning. that's where trump is holding another campaign event today. hallie, good morning. side. >> reporter: yeah, definitely a busy morning, erica. today we're seeing donald trump taking the gloves off against ben carson. and today we're also getting some new reaction from team carson about all this. at his rally in miami, we saw donald trump, despite repeated interruptions by protesters, press on with this speech in which he talked about not just ben carson, but about his poll numbers specifically in iowa, where carson appears to be surging.

couple new polls, including the bloomberg/"des moines register" poll showing carson up about nine percentage points over trump. trump took aim not just at carson, but at the polls, too. listen. >> i don't believe those polls, by the way, because both of those pollsters do not like me. we have a breaking story, donald trump has fallen to second place behind ben carson. we informed ben, but he was sleeping. right? it's super. he's super low. super low energy. we need -- >> reporter: well, today the carson team is responding. a top campaign aide telling me that dr. carson was not just awake but wide awake when the announced. low energy, of course, is an insult that we've heard before from donald trump against jeb bush, and now bush himself is

he's on a kind of course correction, cutting salaries, shifting around staff and resources, a sign that his campaign is acknowledging that the strategy used so far simply isn't working. and it puts some pressure on bush at next week's debate. that's turning into a real make-or-break moment for him. he's got to show that he can move the needle. in the days ahead of that debate, erica and jeff, we've learned that he will be holding some private efforts with supporters in texas, and he's getting some presidential star power, too. his brother and father, the former presidents bush, will be joining him. guys? >> hallie jackson for us this morning. hallie, thank you. turning now to new clues in the hunt for the gunman in that deadly shooting at tennessee state university. >> good morning. police have released newly analyzed footage of the attack at tennessee state university that left one person dead and two wounded. the video from university surveillance cameras shows two people opening fire outside the campus center. police are still searching for some of those involved. they say it's not known if the person killed was one of those shooting.

been sparked by a dispute over a dice game. there are new accusations against bill cosby, as two more women come forward with claims of sexual assault or misconduct by the star. the attorney for the two said that she has also been contacted by even more women prepared to come forward. the two women joined more than 50 who have come forward so far with allegations dating back to the 1960s. bill cosby has denied previous allegations and has never been criminally charged. prison authorities are reporting an attack on colorado theater gunman james holmes. according to a corrections department spokesman, holmes was assaulted by fellow inmate mark daniels while the two were being penitentiary. no injuries were reported in the attack. holmes was sentenced to multiple life terms for the massacre at an aurora, colorado, theater wounded. and in major league baseball, it will be the kansas city royals taking the american league spot in the upcoming world series.

jays 4-3 before a hometown crowd to seal the deal in game six of the american league championship. kansas city will now face the mets, hosting the new york team in the first game of the world series on tuesday. guys? >> i remember when i was a kid, 1986, being in my living room with my parents. i grew up on long island. it was a big moment when the mets were in. so, sorry, kansas city, but let's go mets! >> i'm watching kansas city. so i'd be like, wait, wait, wait! >> that's good. it will make for a nice rivalry. >> there you go. >> a friendly rivalry at "today." thanks. dylan's got a further check of yes. we are looking at cooler temperatures to start working into the middle of the country. there's a cold front moving in, the same front that's been causing all the heavy rain recently in texas, and then with patricia moving in, we are looking at more heavy rain. we could even see some scattered showers around the great lakes,

behind that front. >> and that's your latest forecast. >> all right, dylan, thanks. still to come on "today," catching you up on the week in news, from oscar pistorius leaving prison to that shocking video of a driving smashing into a motorcycle, and a big week for fans. 30 years after the movie became a cult classic, we've got a look at all of it and a few more

nbc. back now on a saturday morning with "the download," our chance to take a look back at

>> here's a recap quickly of the headlines that grabbed our attention this week. a week to remember in washington. hillary clinton on the hot seat, testifying about benghazi. >> you know, i would imagine i've thought more about what together. i've lost more sleep than all of you put together. >> the former secretary of state trying to keep her cool over an issue that's dogged her presidential campaign. while potential rival, vice president joe biden, announced he's not running. >> i believe we're out of time, the time necessary to mount a winning campaign for the nomination. >> and congressman paul ryan finally threw his hat in the ring, but for house speaker. >> my greatest worry is the consequence of not stepping up, of some day having my own kids ask me, when the stakes were so high, why didn't you do all you could do? in south africa, oscar pistorius walked out of prison

and into house arrest. >> he'll serve the last four years of a five-year sentence at his uncle's house. >> he will go to work, he will come home, he won't have access to guns. back home, road rage turned deadly in albuquerque, new mexico. a 4-year-old girl shot and killed. >> lilly was shot in the head as her father drove her home from school. >> if i would have let her move her seat over six inches. six inches. and in ft. worth, texas, a jaw-dropping video. >> the driver of a car that veered into a motorcycle on a texas roadway, sending its two riders tumbling, has now been charged. >> you hit them! >> i don't care. in denver, a passenger pleaded guilty for trying to catch his flight in a very unusual way. >> this man missed his plane, so obviously, he decided to burst through an airport emergency

stop the plane. strike three called! >> flying high. the new york mets, as they clinch their bid to the world series. >> they haven't been to the world series since 2000, and the mets are on their way back. >> the win spoiling a "back to the future" prediction made 30 years ago this week. >> wait a minute. cubs win world series. >> the cast joined us to celebrate the movie's anniversary. >> what lines do people recite to you all the time, christopher? >> oh, "where we're going --." >> we don't need roads. >> and finally, another classic making waves this week, "star wars" out with a new trailer from "the force awakens." >> the force, it's calling to you. >> are you going to see "star wars"? >> oh, you know, i hadn't thought about it. i'm sure i will.

yet? did you wake up and --

friends back now on this saturday morning, october 24th, 2015, with images for you of hurricane patricia in mexico.

it is now weakening. patricia's weakened to a category 1 storm. authorities warned tourists and residents, though, they are not out of the woods yet. there is still a threat of killer mudslides. the storm's remnants are also making their way toward texas, so a lot of people really focused on that. at this point, though, no reports of death, which is very, very good news. we begin our coverage with nbc's joe fryer, who's on the ground in ixcapa, mexico, just south of where the hurricane made a direct hit. joe, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, erica. the storm has weakened considerably. overnight, mexico's president saying the first reports seem to indicate that the damage is not as extensive as many might have feared or expected with a storm of this magnitude. still, we really won't know the full extent of the damage until daybreak, when crews can get out and take a look, especially in isolated, low-lying areas, and there are a number of those up and down this coast. when the hurricane made landfall, winds were 165 miles an hour.

still, it was less than the 200-mile-an-hour storm that had been measured earlier in the day. the storm made landfall about 50 miles north-northwest of manzanillo. the strongest part of the storm appeared to hit sparsely populated areas. still, lots of damage reported. we're hearing about downed trees, flooding and landslides. hurricane-force winds covered 35 miles of the coast, but in the popular tourist town of puerto vallarta, where many were unable to evacuate, there is a lot of relief. people there were bracing for the worst, but so far, no major damage reported there. still, this storm is not over, and this morning, mexico's government is urging people not to let down their guard as this system continues to move through the country, a history-making storm. erica? >> joe fryer for us this morning. joe, thank dylan is out on the plaza with another check of the weather. good morning. >> the weather moving through texas is really a cold front moving through the area.

patricia will move through later today, or at least the remnants of it. the cold front is cooling things down through parts of the midwest and into the northeast as well. we are seeing a whole blank map there but you can tell by those blue arrows on the right side of those boxes that those are below-average temperatures, and that's exactly what we're going to see. if we look -- there, they popped on! we've got temperatures, highs only in the 50s today in new york. it should be about 58 degrees back through the midwest. temperatures will be above average through nashville, into memphis, where we're in the 70s, but then it will cool off, especially as we go into tomorrow. we are looking for this front to trigger a couple of showers and storms, especially through the eastern great lakes, stretching into the northeast on sunday, but they fizzle out a lot as they move eastward. today, though, the focus will be down through texas. and then as we go into sunday, the heaviest of the rain will start to move into louisiana with some areas picking up an additional 5 to up to 10 inches of rain. and keep in mind, parts of

have already picked up 18 inches and we have a special guest out on the plaza. this is julie nelson, one of our favorite anchors from nbc's kare 11 in minneapolis. today is make a difference day. >> hi, dylan. we're excited to be here today to get the word out about this wonderful day. millions of people are waking up getting ready to serve their communities for make a difference day. it was started by tegna and gwinnett, which own television stations and newspapers across the country. it's a way to give back to the

communities we serve, but it's grown into the single largest day of service in the country. so, different things going on around the country. in minneapolis/st. paul, good morning, kare 11 viewers, lots of folks are waking up to serve the homeless. the nbc affiliate in phoenix, kpnx, they're partnering with a local non-profit to help students who speak english as a second language navigate the college loan and application process. and the station in grand rapids are spear heading a bone marrow drive. so, all kinds of things going on around the country and it's not too late to get involved. >> i was just going to ask, if i or anybody else wants to volunteer. >> it's fabulous. go to makeadifferenceday.com, type in your zip code and you can find out what's going on in your community. a heartfelt thanks to the millions out there today making their community a better place to live. so, thanks for the time to promote it. >> thanks so much for being here, thank you for all you're doing, thank you to all the volunteers who are helping so many people in need across the country. it really is a wonderful day, make a difference day. >> fabulous. thank you, dylan. >> good stuff. >> dylan, thanks. up next, controversy over a

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walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy. welcome back to "today" on a saturday morning at 38 minutes past the hour. this morning, for the first time in decades, more than 3,300 hunters will be out in florida looking to kill black bears, and it's legal. state officials say the controversial hunt is needed to reduce an overpopulation of aggressive bears. but as nbc's kerry sanders reports, critics say it's not helping, it's just a slaughter. >> reporter: the gunfire and the crossbow arrows this morning are aimed at florida's black bears. up to 320 bears in the crosshairs, because wildlife officials say too many now wander from the wilderness into populated neighborhoods. >> oh, he's got a bag of food! >> reporter: in some cases, trapping residents in their homes. >> oh, my gosh, he's huge.

to bear attacks. >> i saw this large bear charging at me. >> reporter: terry frana spoke to nbc news last year after being confronted by five bears at her orlando area home. >> and then she opened her jaw and clamped down on to my head. i could just hear her teeth marks going through my scalp. >> reporter: florida game officials say with an estimated 3,000 bears now in the state, a hunt is the best and quickest solution to the overpopulation problem. critics who pushed for trapping and then relocating bears, in court. >> it's more than a hunt. slaughter. we need to restore their habitat first before we can draw a many bears. >> reporter: bears were first lured to the neighborhoods by rotting garbage. now they're accustomed, say some

that's been left out, like at the feeding stations set up by deer hunters, spots bear hunters can use today. >> i'll look you in the eye and i'll tell you, i kill ducks, i kill deer, i'll kill a bear, if i get a chance. but also, when i go to the grocery store, somebody killed that steak. >> reporter: those with permits say today's hunt will include male bears, which have been known to cannibalize cubs when they're stressed. >> when there's an overpopulation, the male bears will kill the cubs. >> reporter: so, do you believe, then, by killing the bears, you're saving the bears? >> you are saving a lot of cubs. >> reporter: a controversial hunt for florida's black bears that two decades ago here were nearing extinction. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, longwood, florida. up next, why actress kate winslet insists on keeping it real, demanding her photos not be retouched, as teen star zendaya puts a fashion magazine on blast for the very same

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back now on a saturday morning. feels like the perfect time for a little "trending," does it >> yeah. >> first up this morning, google has a new feature called fright-geist. it tracks the most popular costumes. so, if you want to make sure you're on trend or if you want to be a little different. this is what you want to avoid. the feature pulls google trends to get the top costume searches nationally and in a city near you. what are this year's most popular costumes? >> what are they, erica? >> you're in luck, kids, here bego! the dc comics character harley quinn is number one.

"batman" comics and also a main character in next year's "suicide squad" movie. so, these people really ahead of the curve. rounding out the top five costumes, star wars, a superhero, pirate and batman. overall, it seems like a superhero, comic book trend this halloween. >> seems like the same costumes have been popular for years, the superhero, star wars. >> they've got staying power. >> all right. have you heard the term hangry before? >> i've never heard of hangry before. >> your children don't get hangry? >> now that i know what it is. >> i was like, my children -- >> you've never seen dylan just before the show. >> my husband's like, you need to eat something. >> yeah. hangry, it's sort of when you're so hungry, it makes you just downright angry. turns out, you have biology to blame for this. according to scientists at the university of sydfof -- you're off the hook. it is a survival mechanism that may have been genetically passed down from our ancestors. your great grandfather was hangry.

>> he might have been a caveman and had this issue when he was hungry. >> in prehistoric times, if you let other people eat your food and you were polite about it, there was a chance you wouldn't eat. so, the more aggressive people had a survival advantage. the study also found that hunger is a signal the brain needs for more fuel, and if your brain doesn't have enough of it, well, that makes you cranky. >> understandable. >> there we go. >> yeah. >> totally agree. >> hangry. >> so, the next time i tell you house, eat it. >> yeah. finally, what's a "trending" segment without that sweet, little aww moment? who doesn't love to play air guitar to their favorite song? well, it's not just the air guitar. check out this adorable baby who is now being called an air piano prodigy. >> wow. >> seriously. >> that's mozart. >> that's some good editing. i like that. >> wait, editing? >> i mean, like, to the muc. i mean,t's -- >> but mean,he reay dng it.

>>hatame fit, the pia musior the -- that's my queson,ase st tapping the tab le cute muc. >> oh, i thought tusic w playg, so h was actuay on beat >> iuess they added it,ut -- >> whater, he scute. he adable. andhe's looki at sothing -- >> h look li, exced a turninnow grmy-wninginge adel out wi her fstlbum in year anwhilateinswilet sing nootohing. >> we all knowdele sentans intorenz yesterd with the releef her new son "hello" fr her upcoming albu"25," but it aost didn't haen. eaking t bbc radio 2, adele admitted she struggled writing this album, thinng she'd dry up, if you will, even considered rerement. i think i sak for fans everywhere when i say we're certainly glad she didn't throw inhe towel. and speaking of fans, i less

releas someone created a mash-upf her song "hello" with lionel richie's song "hello." hello for >> i love it. kate winslet now. she's taking a stand for herself and the next generation. kate is a spokesmodel for lorel cosmetics and she just had it written into her contract that her image cannot be retouched in any way. she told "e!" news she needs to set an example. this is on the heels of zendaya speaking out after her cover spread was photo-shopped, posting on instagram the retouched photo on the left and then the original on the right, saying she was shocked. look at this. and these are "the things that create the unrealistic ideals of beauty that we have." the magazine has since removed the pictures, but a lot of actresses saying they don't want to be retouched anymore. >> love it.

halleen. take a loo at her previo outrageous costumes. by the looks of things, she won't disappoint either. she gave fans a sneak peek of her costume for her halloween party, showing two men attaching prosthetics to the supermodel before fitting enter had a gold gown. any ideas? some speculate heidi is going to remake kim kardashian's infamous break the internet spread, here you go. but all the supermodel will say is "this year's costume is sort of a male's fantasy." >> oh, lord. >> sorry, when you -- >> there you go. >> into my monitor, i'm like, heidi klum. >> she doesn't even need the costume. she can just go as heidi klum, right? >> just go as heidi klum, yeah, that's true. just ahead, we'll take you back to mexico. we'll get you a live update on hurricane patricia. also, we'll let you know what people in nearby texas can

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ahead on "today," yet another death on the field for a high school football player. is there a way to prevent these tragedies? plus, the manhunt for a modern-day bonnie and clyde wanted for robbing banks up and down the east coast.

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thank you! (bell rings... yet again) (announcer) this halloween, whether it's a little fun or full-on festive, petsmart helps you celebrate your way!

. >> good morning, it is 8:00, these are some of the stories we

are watching. patricia weakens to a tropical storm. it slams into popular tourist destinations, so far, no reports of deaths. many areas are still in danger of killer mud slides. it is expected to drench parts of texas. a flash flood watch is in effect for several places. the royals clinched in game six of the american league championship series, a lot of excited baseball fans in new york and kansas city. saturday, october 24th, 2015. good morning, and welcome back to "today." >> come back any time.

>> always good to have you back. a lot to get to this morning. the top story is patricia, we begin in mexico. south of where it made a direct hit. good morning. >> good morning, hurricane patricia strengthened, and this morning, it is weakening quickly, a sigh of relieve for many up and down the pacific coast here. still, mexico's president is saying that first reports indicate that damage is not as expense -- extensive as many may have feared for a storm of this magnitude. they are urging caution. we don't know the full impact, until we get a look at things in daylight, in low lying areas along the coast. teams are ready for rescue missions if that becomes necessary. the hurricane made landfall

early flds night. a strong, category 5 storm. the largest storm to make land in mexico history. it did weaken from the 200 mile an hour winds that were measured. the storm made landfall 50 miles northwest, the town, it hit sparsely populated areas. washed out roads, making it hard to get around. a lot of cancelled flitds, making it hard to get in and out of the area, the popular tourist towns, porta valarta, mexico's president is urging everyone to be extremely cautious and not let their guard down, there is a potential for flood, mud slides, and other things soerveted with

a storm of this magnitude. >> dylan is tracking the storm in texas. >> tp went from 49 miles an hour to 200 miles an hour. it is moving over the mountains of mexico. we knew it would happen. it is down to a tropical storm, winds of 50 miles an hour, it is racing and it is the moisture from this system that will affect texas. the rain so far has been associated with a cold front. look at the rain we have already seen so far in texas. some areas picked up 18 inches of rain south of dallas. most of this state is under a flash flood watch. warnings, because of the high water, the torrential downpours, the additional rain has nowhere to go. we are looking at the threat of

cars under water, is a major concern. this area this area of low pressure, it will have moved into louisiana. because we have been dealing with rain for several days now, and already up to nearly 18 inches of rain, we will likely see more flooding. waco, san antonio, and the southeast coast could end up with rains of four inches that could fall in an hour. a prison attack. yes. fellow inmate is described as having assaulted james homes, authorities say it happened when

holmes is serving a life sentence for each person gunned down at an attack at a movie theater. >> the top deck came down, crushing cars below. search and rescue dogs have been used to find anybody who might have been in the garage. the area has been inundated by rain, no cause has been given for the collapse. a woman found frozen to death in los angeles. the body of a 24-year-old manager was found locked inside one of the chambers. police say she may have been operating the machine, it is used to use the body, only for two to four minutes, the temperature can reach 240 degrees. >> a video showing a female

inmate being maced in what they say was unprovoked attack. guards were doing a check, when one of the guards sprayed her in the face. seven guards have been put on review. in georgia, twin sisters applied for permit, because their pictures, and names, and ages, the dmv said they would be blocked. the dmv called to say the girl ks get their permits without the wait. very excited. i was about to say, at that age, every second counts.

>> >>re looking at a cooldown country. we should drop from 70s down into the 60s, so not a major cooldown cooldown. we will see scattered showers and storms around chicago and through the great lakes. that will move east into tomorrow. the heavy rain we'll see today in texas moves east into louisiana tomorrow as well with up to 5 or 6 inches of rain expected in louisiana on sunday. the showers in the northeast should fizzle out, but you will

and temperatures dro >> and that's your latest forecast. >> thanks, dylan. in chicago this morning, another high school football team is in mourning after one of its players died this week after an apparent injury during a game. the tragedy is raising new questions about the sport and its equipment. nbc's john yang has more. >> reporter: another community is mourning the loss of a high school football player gone too soon. in chicago today, they're remembering 17-year-old andre high school. you know. he just walked around smiling, nice to talk to. >> reporter: smith went down on the field during the last play of the game thursday night. many students didn't know anything was wrong. they say they saw him take a hit and then walk off the field and later collapse. he died friday morning. smith is the seventh high school

football player to die this season either during or immediately after a game, and we're only halfway through. that may seem like a lot, but on average, 12 high school players die each year from injuries sustained directly or indirectly on the football field. >> the number's still the same. it's not decreasing. it's staying the same. so, obviously, we're missing something. >> reporter: many say the key to preventing these kinds of tragedies is better gear. >> football is a game of physics, and right now, i'm telling you, the equipment we collision. you're asking the human body to to do. >> reporter: that's one reason many schools are now debating the future of their football programs. back in chicago, an autopsy's expected later today. for "today," john yang, nbc news, chicago. a manhunt is under way right now for a couple being called the modern-day bonnie and clyde. they're suspected in a bank robbery spree up and down the

east coast. nbc's kristen dahlgren in massachusetts, where it all began. kristen, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, jeff. well, police tell us this is the car dealership where jenny carrier worked and where they believe she stole the getaway car. since then, police say the couple has robbed at least four banks, the last robbery more than a week ago now, so they're worried the next heist could come at any time. >> i'm really concerned about the desperation that they're feeling right now and that somebody could get in the middle of that and get hurt. >> reporter: police in ludlow, massachusetts, were the first on the trail of married couple joseph and jenny carrier, after the 37-year-olds allegedly made off with more than $4,300 from the local country bank inside this supermarket on september 28th. >> it appears as though the female drops off her husband. he walks in, nonchalantly walks up to the teller, asks for money, implies that he has a weapon, and he asks for a certain amount of cash and he walks out as easily as he walks in. >> reporter: it's a pattern they

say they have now seen four times. joseph captured on surveillance video in the same pink shirt. on october 9th in west sadsbury, pennsylvania, police say they got $730 from a bank inside a walmart. three days later in palm coast, florida, $500 from a wells fargo. and october 16th, an unknown sum taken from a bank in aberdeen, maryland. >> we feel they're back in this area, up in the northeast. >> reporter: but police warn, this story is far from a romantic crime spree. >> these two individuals are deeply troubled people who have a serious heroin addiction. it's turned them from these law-abiding citizens to multistate bank robbers. >> reporter: they worry the addiction could make them desperate, warning the public to look out for their chocolate brown buick encore with a distinguishing characteristic, seven dogs inside. >> it's a very distinct breed called the brussels griffon. they're rather small dogs. >> reporter: so, obviously, they need to be letting those dogs out somewhere along the way, but

they're warning people, if you spot them, don't try to approach, just call authorities. and police say they would like this to end peacefully. they recognize that the carriers need to answer for what they've done, but they say they are also addicts who desperately need help, jeff. so much. up next, we're going to lighten it up a bit with "pets on parade." you can't light it up any more than that. we'll be right back. dylan dreyer saying hi to this dog and it just started barking at dylan. some of the hottest costumes from instagram, joining us in just a moment. but first -- the citi double cash card comes in very handy with cash back twice on purchases. earn once when you buy, and again as you pay. that's cash back now, and cash back again later. it's cash back d\j vu. the citi double cash card. the only card that lets you earn cash back twice on every purchase with 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay.

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when the weather starts turning cooler and the air is nice and crisp, i know that fall has finally arrived. and with it, all the flavors of the season. fall is all about bringing people together around delicious food. and each recipe brings as much enjoyment as the company. low prices on everything you need to make every meal more memorable. walmart. this morning on "today's pets," halloween. we know it's just one week away. americans are expected to spend

$350 million this year dressing up their furry friends in costume, which got us thinking. >> that's it? >> that's all. >> yeah, that's it. we're joined by dog and lifestyle expert kimberly schlegel whitman and some instagram celebrity pets. these are famous pets, and they're here to show us the latest styles without breaking the bank. good morning to you. >> that's right, good morning! this is so fun. >> yeah. >> what a fun time of year, and we have to get the entire family in on the action. so, we have some models here today. >> bring on the dogs, yeah. >> come on, manny. this is manny, the friend chienchie. it's like he's stepping out of "jurassic park." >> i love watching from the side because the little legs move. >> i know. he's a triceratops. >> i think he's sniffing the other dogs. >> that's what they do, right? >> wow. >> so, it's -- i know, all of the costumes are on sale for less than $10. so it's exciting. i know.

she is dressed up like a dragon, and this attached by velcro, so it's easy to get on them. >> where do you buy these, by the way? >> these are at petsmart. >> got it. >> on sale at petsmart. thank you so much. >> we have some summer-themed costumes as well. harness. so, if your dog, like cookie here, doesn't want the whole, big costume on, this gives them a lot more range of motion. and look at her. she's really making it look like it's surfing. >> she is. >> i love it. and then there is not a more classic dog costume than a hot dog, right? i mean, it's so great and also invokes summer. and if you press the button on there, the mustard will light up. look at that. >> that's cute. >> isn't that fun? >> we're lowering the lights for the glow in the dark effect. >> then it's safe trick or treating. >> that's right. >> not all of us have dogs. you have assortments for the nondog lovers? >> that's true, cats can get in on the action, too. thank you so much. >> thank you. bye, guys! >> bye, guys. and we have knox here dressed as a unicorn with a princess riding. >> so cute. >> isn't that great? >> i love it.

>> and it's a harness also. so, it's nice and easy to get on them. and i think she looks quite pleased in there, right? >> yeah, quite happy. >> then, of course, we can't leave the guinea pigs out, can we? >> no. >> so, on sale for $3, we've got a pilgrim and a pumpkin. so, you can keep the pilgrim -- >> you should get those. they're only $3. >> you should get those, that's right. >> you buy a guinea pig for your kids, then. >> funny. i'll give them to the rossen kids for their guinea pig. so, nobody is left out. the costumes are a lot of fun. for some pets, though, hall keen westbound stress halloween can be very stressful. >> over here. >> this is a thunder shirt? >> yes, and it's meant to be a hug for your dog. it's wonderful because you put it on them and it makes them feel more safe and secure. it's great during a thunderstorm, but also velcro. it's also wonderful for these crazy times, every holiday coming up. >> constant doorbell ringing. >> lots of excitement. and also, you want to keep them safe when trick or treating. it's getting dark earlier. if you'll press the button on

the leash or collar there. >> here it is, here. >> it has a flashing mode also. >> i can see the collar's lit up. >> there it is, yep. >> if you're taking your dog out with you trick treating, then you can really make sure that they're seen. and of course, we all know it's fall when the pumpkin spice latte comes out? well, we can't leave the dogs out of that either. so, we have a giant monster-sized one, then we have a pumpkin latte over there, filled with all kinds of pumpkin spices. >> they're actually pumpkin spiced? >> they're flavored that way. >> is it 5 bucks when i buy it? >> it is, actually. >> do the dogs actually know, or are they happy for the treat? >> i like to think it's both. >> i'll get them home and ask jake. >> i want to be hugged in this. it's very comfortable fabric. >> they should make these for us, too, right? and they have sprays to make the kiddies and pets feel more comfortable. >> kimberly, thank you. once again, you can find all of these costumes at petsmart. by the way, next saturday is, of course, halloween. >> it is. >> please bring your kids down to the plaza in their costumes. you bring your kids in costume, we promise to dress up, too.

this is "today" on nbc.

>> thanks. that does it for "today" on this saturday morning. they all wear coats. you wore half a coat. tomorrow on "today," why you know the rules. eggs and sausage. hotcakes and butter. morning fare right? well mcdonald's has thrown away those rules and opened a new world of possibilities. now, you're free to start enjoying the breakfast you love any time you wish. no way. yes way. introducing mcdonald's new all day breakfast menu. once, you changed how you ate breakfast. it's time to start changing when.

thank you so much. did you say honey? hey, try some? mmm that is tasty. is it real? of course... are you? nope animated you know i'm always looking for real honey for honey nut cheerios well you've come to the right place. great, mind if i have another taste? not at all mmm you're all right bud? never better i don't know if he likes that.

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good morning and thanks for starting your day with us on saturday. w'e'll get right to megan for a first

thanks megan... this morning..get a sneak peek into the top-secret personal beeswax journal of junie- b jones. where you can relive your first day of first grade ... when you can catch the loveable character in action. and meet this big, bundle of energy. find out if she lives us to her nickname "polly perfect". plus all the fun events the animal rescue league has in store this holiday season. why not try something new and cook with kale. coming up, learn how the greener for you....from our fareway expert. and we head over to the meredith test kitchen to talk beans. why they aren't just for chili ... and where you can find your new favorite fall recipes. the planting season is winding down, but there's still time to spruce up your backyard.. this morning, earl may answers your

and football friday is back. but for some it's an end of a season...which high schools came out as the winners and losers. all that, plus the day's top starts in just a few

skies are cloudy this morning over central iowa. temperatures are cool in the 50s and winds are breezy from the northwest. through the day, skies will