thanks to the quick thinking and bravery of three americans on this train, no one was killed. a gunman with an automatic weapon opened fire on a packed train. it could have been carnage, but only two were injured thanks to three brave americans, two of them u.s. military service members. national guardsman seen here in the middle and his air force friend spencer stone moved first. >> i saw a guy entering the train with an ak and a handgun and i just looked over at spencer and said, let's go, go. spencer got to the guy first. grabbed the guy by the neck and i grabbed the handgun, got the threw it. feet. >> the train stopped in the

french town of arah, the gunman taken away in bare feet is now in french custody. the french mayor handed out medals for bravery and president obama hailed their, quote, heroic actions. >> in the aftermath, we saw that a man's throat had been slit and he was bleeding profusely and spencer, who has some paramedic training, just clogged up his neck so he wouldn't die because he was losing a lot of blood. >> another attack that could have had a different ending. >> he leaves here a young man on an excursion and he comes back a france's national hero. still wrapping my head around that. >> spencer stone, his friend is still in the hospital this morning. he's expected to recover and so is the french-american passenger e he helped to save.

just in the past few minutes, the french interior minister has spoken out saying they are not ready to identify the suspect, but they believe he may be a 26-year-old o' 26 26-year-old moroccoen origin. >> kelly, thank you. there was a similarly scary scene, this one in new york city on friday when a a gunman walked into a federal building and opened fire. a security guard was killed in that attack. the armed man, a 68-year-old veteran, started shooting when e he got near the metal detector. no one else was injured. authorities are now trying to figure out what may have sparked his shooting spree. out west exhausted fire crews remain on the front line this is morning. a growing wildfire there showing no signs of letting up. the national guard has been called in. volunteers from around the country also showing up to help in that fight.

guy schwartz has more this morning. >> firefighters are dealing with another fire growing to 400,000 acres and the winds were so bad yesterday they still don't know how many homes were burned. crews are exhausted. they have faced unrelenting winds and have lost ground forced to watch some homes burn. in central washington, some acuees are at their breaking point. >> so tired. >> at the same evacuation center, wayne twists a ring on his finger. today was supposed to be his wedding day. >> we had to call it off, unfortunately, because everybody that was supposed to be there was getting evacuated. >> reporter: super tankers

sweeping low, helicopters making regular drops. the fire so bad the state is asking for volunteers with experience using heavy equipment. over 3,000 have responded like this full-time lawyer answering the call with his own fire truck. >> i bought the truck two days ago, drove it back the same day and we have been fighting fire ever since. >> reporter: while the fires push forward, the investigation continues into three firefighters were killed by flames after their truck went off an embankment on wednesday. a moment of silence during a town hall meeting. >> it's an honor to read their names. we hold their families in our hearts. >> reporter: richard wheeler's mother says he died doing what he loved. >> it was in his blood and in his heart and he loved it. it was his passion and he followed through with his passion.

he lived every day with love and joy. >> reporter: one of the surviving crew members had had 60% of his body burned. he did come out of surgery successfully, but he's still in critical condition. >> gadi, thank you. now to the atlantic, hurricane danny is packing winds of 100 miles per hour. this morning we have an exclusionive look inside the storm. scientists tracking danny by flying through the middle of it. we joined the hurricane hunters in barbados this morning. jacob, a long trip, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, peter. this hurricane surprised even meteorologists. during our ten-hour flight, danny intensified to a category 3, which was not in the forecast. later weakening o to a category 2. as we discovered ourselves, the fiercest part of the storm is

just outside the eye. the journey began. under clear skies and after a meticulous plan, 600 miles offshore, hurricane danny right no is the world's fearest storm. hurricane hunters r were flying right through the middle. satellites can track movements in size but for more accurate data, the hunters sample the storms directly. >> the data is showing that the storm is stronger than we predicted. the wind speeds were about 125 miles an hour and at the surface were 115 miles an hour make. ing hurricane danny a category 3. >> this is why we put airplanes into. hurricanes because this gives us the best picture of really what's going on. >> reporter: meteorologist ian sears is the quarterback of an elite team of pilots, scientists and engineers.

>> most avoid the weather, but we seek it out and find the root. >> reporter: a former navy aviator, this is his first hurricane. >> did they tell you to go right into the bad weather in the naef navy? >> no. >> you didn't crash the plane. >> we're having this it conversation, so i must have done all right. >> reporter: weather sensors are critical to the mission. measuring factors like wind speed, direction, humidity and ocean temperature. predicting nature's most destructive and costly storms, a successful first flight into hurricane danny, a clear picture of a monster. the hurricane hunters will fly into the hurricane every 12 hours through monday morning as the storm could intensify or weaken unpredictably as we saw. no watches or warnings are in effect right now, but some are

expected later today. peter? >> jacob, thank you. i did that during hurricane irene. they had a padded ceiling because it could be so jarring moving inside. >> dylan is tracking hurricane danny as well. should we be worried at this point about danny making landfall? >> it is most likely going to make landfall, but the good news is the storm itself should weaken before it does so. here is hurricane danny. it's a a small storm. winds extend 15 miles out from the center of the storm. small storms strengthen but also weaken very quickly. it's now a category 2 at 100 mile per hour winds. it's moving on this west/northwest past at 10 miles per hour. it's going o to move into an environment where dry air gets wrapped in and winds in the upper levels rip it apart. that's why it should downgrade to a tropical storm taz makes landfall on sunday in the leeward islands and e eventually puerto rico by monday.

we're still looking for squally rains and chance of wind gusts. puerto rico could use the tropical rains. we have to keep an eye out for mud slides. >> thank you so much. republican presidential candidate donald trump stirring up a political storm. a day after he held a huge rally at a football stadium in alabama. while he didn't draw as many supporters as his campaign expected, trump still managed to excite the faithful. katy tur was among the crowd in alabama. >> reporter: donald trump taking the stage to a sea of supporters. hitting jeb bush and hillary clinton right out of the gate. >> i don't know she's going to make it to the gate. trump or bush. >> reporter: along with his push to change the 14th amendment, getting rid of a a law giving citizenship to babies of undocumented immigrants. >> you can do something with it and you can do something fast. >> reporter: while he didn't get the 40,000 turnout this football stadium could hold or the

campaign had hoped for, instead about half that, it was the biggest republican rally by far this political season. >> unbelievable! >> reporter: the curious braving 90 degree heat and air so thick you could cut it with a knife waiting for hours to see the man in the front of the republican party. >> also drove from mississippi to get here. >> he's not afraid of anybody. >> he's going to eventually kick them all to the right. >> reporter: trump arriving in his 757 but he left with less punch. standing up a room full of reporters awaiting his scheduled news conference. >> if it rains i'll take off my hat and prove. >> reporter: if anyone needed a sign he was rattling the establishment, all they had to do was look up to the sky where a banner plane read "trump for higher taxes, jeb for president."

katy tur, nbc news, mobile, alabama. major jitters on wall street. the worst week for the index since 2011. it's putting renewed focus on china. what could it mean for retirement savings? we're breaking it all down for you. help make sense of all of this. we see what's happening on wall street. that translates into retirement savings. why are we talking about the chinese economy's impact on the dow? >> in the last 15 years, more and more american companies have been doing business in china and it's become an increasingly large part of their overall business. for instance, apple, the biggest company in the u.s. economy does a quarter of its sales in china. and china itself is among the top two economies in the world. so it's of huge concern to the way we think about the overall stock market and companies here

at home are affected by global had winds. >> now we can piece together why china is impacting it here. if you're looking at this at your 401(k) and thought it took a dip there, it's a little scary. how should we be reacting? do we need to be freaked out? >> not necessarily. this is not even among the top o 20 drops of all time. that's not a comfortable thing, but we haven't had a drop of this magnitude in. four years. there's been a lot of experts thinking the market was ready for something like this. it's tripled since the financial crisis. if you have been in stocks, you have been a big winner in the stock market. if you feel so inclined to call your financial adviser, maybe rotate into some health care companies, consumer brand companies because they will pay you a dividend and you'll be making money if the stock price goes down. it's never a good idea to have a knee jerk reaction to have one day in trading invest for. the long-term, keep the

portfolio diversified and hunker down. >> it's the ebb and the flow, thank you. there's a possible break in a standoff between north and south korea. >> good morning, high level talks are reportedly underway this morning between south korea and north korea. the two sides met at a truce village. this comes after north korea set a deadline today for south korea to stop broadcasting what it calls propaganda at the border. the south said the broadcasts would continue unl the north accepted responsibility for land mine attacks that wounded two south korean soldiers. newly released documents in an investigation suggests the incident may not have come as a complete surprise to the epa. the associated press is reporting the epa was aware of the potential for catastrophic blow out at an abandoned mine, one that could release large volumes of waste water laced with toxic heavy metals.

3 million gallons of waste water were released. a violent scene in charlotte, north carolina, following a mistrial in the shooting of a black man. one person was arrested after a scuffle with police while other demonstrators took to the streets with baseball bats. the case involved a white officer and former college football player. the jury dead locked friday after days of deliberations. nba great michael jordan is speaking out after scoring a huge victory on a different court. a a jury ordered a supermarket chain to pay jordan $9 million for using his name in a 2009 steak ad without his permission a after the verdict he said the case was never about the money. >> it's my name, i worked hard for it for 30-some years. i'm not going to let someone take it. >> he will donate the money to charities in chicago.

and finally, talk about getting the ball rolling. a giant 250-red ball was sent flying through the streets after a storm knocked the traveling art installation loose. museum staff members were able to capture it before anyone was injured injured. the ball was patched and it's on display in toledo until monday. >> it's locked down now. >> i want to see michael jordan dunk that. >> thank you. a check of the forecast with dylan. . >> we have another tropical system we're watching near hawaii. it's a depression right now. it is expected to strengthen into a possibly category 2 hurricane and take the northeast turn toward hawaii. that's something we'll watch next week. today we are watching for a chance of stronger storms near minnesota and western iowa. also scattered showers across the gulf coast states.

lower humidity and in the northwest, we have air quality alerts alerts. the good news is the winds will start to die down a bit. that helps with spreading the fires. now w thanks dylan. good morning everyone. lots of sunshine. you can see clouds off to the east. hamptons and montog you have cloudiness and showers later on today. otherwise, it's a beautiful start to the weekend. 69 degrees and refreshing. low humidity today and a high temperature of 86. lots of sunshine. it's pleasant for everyone except eastern long island today. the mugginess is back with a few scattered showers and storms. that's your latest forecast. >> still to come, we'll look back at the week in news from a surprise announcement that oscar pistorius would not be walking out of prison this week to a massive gas explosion in washington. first, this is "today" on nbc.

>> wildfires burning out of control in the west. dozens destroying communities and the ultimate. nightmare. >> three firefighters involved in a vehicle accident. they survived the crash but not the flames. >> these are three heroes protecting small towns. >> the first hurricane of the year, hurricane danny, is churning in the atlantic. >> it's a category 1 storm, but it should weaken to a tropical storm. >> the building collapsed. >> tragedy averted at a motel 6

in washington state. >> it was a close call tuesday night for guests, evacuated minutes before a gas explosion washington. >> the motel's manager now being hailed as a hero. >> this could have caused major pandemonium pandemonium. >> i'm jared the subway guy. >> a stunning admission from jared vogel pleading guilty to sex with minors charges. >> this is about using wealth, status and secrecy to illegally exploit children. >> overseas in south africa, the blade runner is still behind bars days after prison officials promised to release him. >> oscar pistorius was sentenced to five years in prison for shooting and killing his model girlfriend reeva steenkamp. so far he's served ten months, but prison officials decided to let him serve under house arrest instead.

hours before his release, south africa's minister of justice saying the parole board had no right to release him. another closely watched trial that of o a former prep student accused of assaulting a classmate. >>. he's pleaded not guilty to sexual assault and other charges. he says it was consensual. the girl was sexually assaulted on campus part of a tradition known as senior salute where older students ask out younger ones before graduation. on the campaign trail, marco rubio decided to show off his football skills during a stop in iowa. >> it was all going so beautifully until this unfortunate incident. tweets were quick to follow. the campaign really spiraling out of control. espn had senator rubio saying

the pass wasn't terrible to him he responded the qb always gets the blame. >> and schools back in session for many kids but one boy wasn't so happy when a reporter asked him about it. >> are you going to miss your mom? >> no. >> no? don't cry. >> how sweet is that? >> the good news is his mom was just off cram camera and gave him a hug afterwards. that's going to be me. i'm going to be crying. >> mr. alexander, you're back in 90 mioptes. >> when i was little, i was that kid. if my mom left the house, i walked around with her picture sprayed with her perfume. i was devastated when she left. i can relate. >> i have the same morning. i have my 3-year-old goes to preschool for the first time and my oldest goes to kindergarten for the first time all in the

same morning. i'lo just melt. >> sick haircut though. >> still to come on "today," don't mess with this next teen. how he was able to t 26 minutes after 7:00 on

this saturday morning. a nice cool 69 degrees as we take a look at lower manhattan. in the news, investigators looking for a motive in a deadly shooting at a federal building in manhattan. agurts swanh his home in new jersey looking for anythingifhat might explain what was behind yesterday's gun fire. downing walked into the building and shot security guard arissa at close range and killed himself. and we now know what caused a massive explosion at jfk high school in the bronx. investigators say it was set off by a contractor checking a gas leonak. it injured three workers and caused extensive damage. raphael is here with the forecast. >> low humidity. feels great. temperatures in the 50s north and wese of town. back to 86. beautiful start to the weekend. only exception eastern long island. maybe a few showers.

overnight tonight 69sfor lour slow and the humidity creeps on ck and tomorrow is a bit more muggy. not a wash out. 82 dreds for your high temperature. >> sounds good. thank you. see you back here on weekend today in new york.

we're back on this serurday morning, august 22nd, 2015. have you ever been to times square? there are lots of interesting people walking around. the mayor is thinking about putting a stop to sree of that interestingness. especially if by interesting you an topless women and cartoon characters that are looking for tips tips. we'll have more on this coming up. . it was a topic that sent things over the edge. .

outside here in studio 1a, we have a a great group of pe pople out there. >> you may have noticed if you have been with us since the top of the hour, our studio looks a little different. we're actually on the second floor because we're doing a lintttle work on studio 1a. we all need a refresher for back to school. you'll see our set looking a little different. >> it's a little cozier. >> this is hoda's territory so there might be some wine. >> in the meantime, in this half hour, you'll be introduced to some of the toughest women arp.ou who are also history makers this morning adding army ranger to their resume. but they won't be allowed into coat. wetll look at why. there's a lot of ups and downs to dating, but it can't be difficult.

we're going to talk to a pair of couples about how they we i successfully able to find love online, coming up. we begin the half hour with a teen whoehopese o strola robbery in his home. he and his siblings were there ring it all. it was caugh on video and the teso's dad now calling his son a hero. >> reporter: two suspects didn't see the notice the security camera is watching their every move. one man knocked on the front door wondering if anybody was inside. turns out 14-year-old and w ma shson was home with his two younger siblings. e kids did not reck ognize the man out front so didn't open the door. but a few minttes later the suspects found their own way in. >> they were able to push the glass in and put their hand in and unlock the door and that was it. >> reporter: the kid's dad was not home at the time but had preppeh for a a situati gr just like this. >> this is the closet e wmkhid in.

>> reporter:uandw also brought a couple items into that closet. >> i had a rifle, a cell phone to call 911. i was prepared for it. >> reporter: as one suspect positioned their car outside the house to load it up with stolen goods, the second opened that closet door. >> he sees me with my rifle in my hand nd takes off running. >> reporter: the suspect is hauline out one last item before they raced away. seconds later police arrived. >> it makes my stomach unsettled just watching it. >> reporter: he's gratefuo his kids are okay stressing he has rifle. >> my son handled everything perfectly. absolutely perfectly. he is a hero. ten minutes after it began. for "today," joe fryer, nbc news. >> our director just got in my veuwore cameras at their house than in my studio. >> there were like 14 security cameras. dylan is outside on the forecast.

>> was this true you want to do the weather? >> yeah. >> do you know what's going on today? >> no. >> first, let's look up at the sky. the sun is out so that's good. >> it's pretty early, i'm tired and it's sunny. >> low humidity, we could throw all that stuff in. it's going to be a nice day in the northeast. back through the upper midwest, we have a cold front that's going to trigger some storms later on this afternoon. the area in orange including minneapolis, that's where we isolated tornado is possible. this afternoon and evening. out. showers. it's hot in texa b temperatures above 100 degrees. it is going to be very smokey in the pacific northwest, but again, the winds should ease. that should help with t

thanks ,ylan. good morning everyone. storm tracker nice and quiet. high pressure in control. clouds off eastern of the island. 69 in the city. 50s north and west of town. low humidity. lots of sunshine. a great day to get outside. 86 for your high. tomorrow the humidity is back. and that's your latest forecast. guys? >> dylan, thanks a lot. just ahead the women making history becoming the first females ever to graduate from the army's elite ranger school. first, these z messages. imagine - she won't have to remember passwords. or obsess about se rity. she'll log in with her smile. he'll have his very own personal assistant. and this guy won't just surf the web. he'll touch it. scribble on it. and share it. because these kids will grow up with windows 10.

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>> now while the women are technically still barred from serving in combat roles on the battlefield, many will tell you those lines can be pretty murky. on friday the military police officer and shay became the first female soldiers to earn the coveted ranger badge. enduring 62 days of intense training testing their mental and physical toughness. more than half of those who begin ranger training don't make it through. many of them washing out in just the first few days. >> i was thinking really of future generations of women that i would like them to have that opportunity so i had that pressure on myself. >>ym it's definitely awesome to be part of the history. >> while they will wear the ranger badge, neither is eligible to apply for the regimen because it's a combat unit but there's no question

these women are qualified to serve in any situation. >> they can serve on my side any me. i know i can trust them and hope they can trust me. >> the fact is that women have been inacombat for a long, long time. we just haven't recognized the fact yet. >> officially the ban o women in combat roles was listed in 2013, but special forces jobs remain closed. changes could come in january. until then, they will return to a post they held before ranger school. >> i just came here to try to be a better leader and improve myself and i feel like i did that. for other women who have the same goal in mind, keep that goal in mind. >> e we all know how tough this is. they started with 6400 sol -- 400 women in their class.

there will be three women possibly. >> 37 years ald, a mom as well. >> hopefully we'll be learning more about her. coming up next, how two couples who searched for love online found their happily ever afte it's just a summer thing yeah, it was just a summer thing double it up this summer with a hot deal from mcdonald's. (music) the $2.50 double combo... (music) ...a mouth-watering double cheeseburger and small fries for just $2.50. it's just a summer thing (music) 3 delicious just got doubled this summer at mcdonald's. (music) me lld you, and you and me. no matter how they tossed the dice. it had to be. the only one for me is you. and you for me. so happy together! now there' s a rewards program that lets you earn points at one place and use them at another.

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we're back with our series summer of secrets. an exploration of digital dating. online dating has come under fire from the hack of ashley madison, vanity fair calling tind tinder a dating apocalypse. but some have helped others find love.

>> it's good to be here. and that's exactly right. all of this bad press, but despite all the controversy, digital dating is growing and also changing facts. it's from older websites like match.com o to new apps for every niche you could imagine. dna profiles or wingman for travelers on the next plane out of town. what's actually working? we asked the experts and a few couples. >> it's kind of sad the anticipation and excitement of meeting somebody. it kind of lose a little bit of that. you can sit on your couch and swipe left or right. >> but it's mobile dating apps that have the $2.2 billion digital dating industry bursting into the mainstream. online dating has been around for awhile. sites like match.com started in the mid-'90s require daters to fill out detailed personal profiles. that's how tim met mike. they went from match.com to a

first date in the park to getting engaged. >> why did the old school by today's standards approach appeal to you? >> people in the dot com world are committed to what they are looking for because they are putting the more time instead of just swiping left or right. >> daters on apps like tinder where it's all about the photo. one digital dating expert says the move towards a more transactional dating culture has male roots. >> when you look at the current landscape can, where does that come from? >> the '90s when the gay community was using the internet to find each other. the women's interest didn't even begin to get represented in online dating until the mid-to late '90s. some say there's plenty of commitment to be found if you're looking. two met on coffee meets bagel, which has con strapts back into mobile dating.

>> tinder where you can swipe all day. the website we went on one one person a day. you have time to sit there and like this person. >> it worked for jana and ben. their wedding is in a few days. >> if you're in it for the right reasons and looking to truly be with somebody whether you're on coffee meets bagel or match.com, you're going to find that person. >> okay cupid points out that the changes in dating technology cuts both ways. >> you can go through a thousand people with tinder. match.com, a site where you browse with a a little more information, that increased information also makes it easier to judge and dismiss people. >> site or app, the couples that made it work say it's all about what you're looking for. >> another key part o to that is having patience. we live in a world where everything is immediate and it

doesn't always happen that way. >> there are plenty of nay sayers, but interestingly, we didn't find a lot of data to support the bad press digital dating is getting. in fact, look at this. a 2012 study from stanford found no difference in the quality of relationships starting online. it's always hard to date in any age. >> that's why the first date is coffee. >> peter takes it slow. >> thank you, nice to see you. we appreciate it. just ahead, one couple's attempt to get their in-laws to stop when they were going to have a baby. the hilarious results in the orange room. but first, this is "today" on nbc. i'm going to share a photo of my eggo waffle when it pops up. that's so interesting honey because i'm going to share a photo of my eggo waffle when it pops up.

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months early and weighed only three pounds. this is the view i had of her in the nicu. my tip to you is speak into the opening so your baby can hear you better. you can quit. talk with your doctor. for more help call 1-866-ny-quits we are back on a saturday morning with a question. anybody out there who has kids, you may remember what it's like. the million times your friends and family are like, so you have

been together for awhile. when are you going to have a baby? >> the way i remember that happening was as soon as you got engaged, it's not when is the wedding. everybody breathe. one couple had had a funny way to get them to stop asking them. dylan is in our makeshift orange room. >> we know you're in the orange room because you have oranges. >> and i wore an orangey dress. if there's a story i can relate to, it's this one. meet matt and abbi and their puppy. the cutest little thing. theyed decided to get people to stop asking questions about baby by doing a newborn photo shoot with their dog. it's perfect, a mix of a golden retriever and a poodle. it's a genius idea of their photographer friend who posted the images to her facebook account. she said it was a light hearted poke at couple who is do newborn shoots. you know the ones i'm talking

about. the feet popping out at the bottom of the sheets there. the infant over the shoulder pose. the burrito baby, the woeful look at the baby carriage. i love this shot. this could be my favorite. so i decided to take a page out of their book and say this to everyone. not yet. not happening yet. i'll let you know when it does. >> that was a good one. >> i will say everything you just named, i liked during the commercial break. the same thing, absolutely. the e toes. >> i like that. still to come on "today," a crackdown on topless women and pan handling life-s did you know that meeting your daily protein needs actually helps to support your muscle health? boost high protein nutritional drink can help you get the protein you need. each serving has 15 grams of protein to help maintain muscle, plus 26 vitamins and minerals including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones.

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brooklyn bridge. it is 59 degrees. i'm carrie berry. a new york state lieu maker has a way to end the debate over topless performers in times square. he's proposing legislation to prevent toplessness in both men and women. anywhere except beaches. other lawmakers say there may be other solutions. with the heat and mugginess we have a perfect solution. momma bear and five cubs in new jersey. it was all caught on camera. the pool is shot, kiddos. >> adorable. >> it's cute. >> the mugginess is gone today. it is a fantastic muggy free day. lots of sunshine and a beautiful day. eastern long island a few clouds and showers. jersey shore is your best bet. tomorrow we change it up. the humidity is back. scattered storms, more clouds. today is the better half of the weekend. not a wash out.

don't cancel your plans. we could have a few pop up showers and storms and the mugginess stays with us. >> join us for weekend today in new york at 8:30. a little bit earlier this morning. produce pete with us. right now headed back to weekend today. have a great morning.

good morning, it's 8:00 and here are some of the stories we're watching. american heroes, three americans including two u.s. service members are among the men being thanked by france this morning for taking down a gunman on a crowded train making its way to paris. the gunman is in custody z as french officials try to figure out why he opened fire. breaking point, all hands on deck in washington state where the wildfires are keeping crews busy around the clock. residents nearby growing weary as they watch their homes burn in front of their eyes. and times square crackdown,

new york city's mayor vowing to go after the topless women and cartoon characters looking to hit up tourists for cash. he's in for a big fight, "today," august 22nd, 2015. >> good morning, and welcome back to "today" on a saturday morning. our crowd out here, we want to hear you guys right now. >> they are really well behaved. >> they are enjoy ing ing a saturday morning. good morning, i'm peter alexander alongside erika hill and dylan dreyer. >> i always have to thank dylan for the nice weather. >> i appreciate that. >> we have a lot to get to in this half hour. we want to get you caught up on the headlines. we have more on the american heroes speaking out after that attack on a a train making its way to france.

>> good morning, as those two american service members are being. hailed heroes, new details about the suspect in the french train attack. kelli cobiella is in france. >> they are not ready to identify the gunman, but the attacker was armed with an automatic rifle and nine magazines along with a handgun and a knife. he was only able to fire the handgun. the attacker is now in police custody and being questioned in france. investigators believe he got on board the train from amsterdam to paris in brussels. it began as the train was moving. three americans, two of them military service members, disarmed the attacker. a british businessman helped to tie him up. spencer stone tackled the gunman first. he's being treated in a french hospital for cuts. another passenger was also

said he was injured by a stray bullet. both are expected to recover. the gunman is believed to be a 26-year-old who had lived in spain and france and may have travelled to syria. authorities are investigating a deadly shooting that briefly sparked terror fears in new york. a lone gunman walked into. a federal building on friday fatally shooting a security guard before killing himself with a gunshot wound to the head. it's home to an immigration court. police say the shooter is a 68-year-old army veteran, but the motive remains unclear. out west air quality concerns from the deadly wildfires are stretching to nevada as officials in washington state order more towns to evacuate overnight with more than 5,000 homes in danger. gadi schwartz is on the front lines this morning. >> reporter: good morning, it was a rough day for firefighters. an explosive day of growth, more than 400,000 acres have now

burned in these fires. and for the most part, yesterday was about falling back and protecting structures. there was some ground lost. we understand that homes have burned. it's unclear how many homes had burned just because the winds were so strong. down in town, evacuees having a very rough time. we have seen a level of resilience from some of those e evacuees. one man was supposed to get married today and now they are worried about getting through the next few days. out and bought a fire truck, if you can imagine, with his own money. he brought it back and has been the state put out a call to volunteers. they saw a response, a huge response of about 3,000 people. now they are clarifying saying they are looking for people in particular that have a fire

fighting experience and specifically looking for people with experience operating heavy machinery. >> so many want to help, thank you. apple says it's standing behind dr. dre following allegations of his abuse against women. dre apologized saying he regrets what he did. he started a rap group. dre became an executive at apple after the company bought his head foehn company beats last year for $3 billion. an incredible night for mike. fires. he pitched a second no-hitter in nine days leading the astros to a 3-0 victory over the dodgers. he was mobbed by his teammates near the mound and later doused with lemonade and foot powder while talking to reporters. this was his first ever major league complete game. and it's a big day for tiger woods.

he returns to the pga tour later today topping the lead leaderboard for the first time in two years. he shared the second round lead with a rookie. now back to erika and peter. >> i'm wondering about the foot powder and lemonade. is that a tradition? >> let's check out the forecast. it's beautiful here this morning. >> the humidity is gone. it will build next week, but in the meantime, we have a nice area of high pressure. it's bringing in winds from the norts.est. it's a nice wind direction to lower the humidity. temperatures around 87 later on this afternoon in new york. mid- to upper 80s through atlanta atlanta. a little cooler through the western great lakes and midwest. by tomorrow highs will only be in the 70s. 74 degrees in des moines. it comes with this cold front that's going to trigger a couple storms. they could be severe later on this afternoon. look for large hail, wind gusts near 70 miles per hour and an isolated tornado.

we're going to see the front move to the east. it weakens a bit, but we'll see a chance of showers and storms from the great lakes area stretching back down into arkansas and even stretching into southeastern oklahoma. something to keep an thanks, dylan. good morning everyone. lots of sunshine. feels good outside. low humidity and a beautiful start from the hudson valley out across long island. we could see more cloudiness like the hamptons and mon torks tog. high temperature of 86. comfortable heat and low humidity today. gets muggy tomorrow. storms continue monday. i love this sign over here. you got up at 3:00 a.m. just to see erika. can you imagine if she was off today? >> i wouldn't do that to you. you made my day, thank you.

>> we saw her live. >> if you ever made the trip to new york, there's a good chance one of your stops has been here at times square. it's obviously known for the colorful characters who want pictures with tourists. lately those characters have included topless women and the mayor now says enough already. kristen dahlgren is here with more on this. >> good morning, guys. you can imagine the new york papers having a field day with this one. but the situation is so serious the mayor has formed a task force led by the police commissioner to call for the whole plaza to be dug up and returned to street traffic. often called the cross roads of the world, new york's mayor now says some characters aren't welcome in times square. >> it's wrong. it's wrong. >> reporter: the mayor upset over topless women who pose with tourists.

as well as costume characters who have been known to get in fights or harass tourists for tips. >> i have seen them berate men who didn't give them $20 each. >> reporter: the mayor thinks it's gotten so bad he formed a task force and is looking into ways to curb the activity including tearing up the pedestrian ie slands altogether. even as construction to build them continues. in a statement the times square advertising coalition president says after six years and $40 million spent by the city constructing the plazas, it would be a terrible mistake to eliminate them. sandy was the first female performer to go topless. >> after so many people came out, i need. ed a gimmick to make some money. that's why i went topless. >> reporter: while it isn't illegal to go topless, for some it's too much. >> i don't think it's

appropriate to be out in the streets streets. >> reporter: for others -- >> it's an expression of art. >> reporter: one suggested requiring men like the naked cowboy to cover up too to avoid legal challenges. while other performers are just getting caught in the middle while trying to make a living. >> do whatever they want to dress. >> now it's worth noting when we went down to times square yesterday, most of the topless women were nowhere to be seen. they haven't been around as much after all the attention. the mayor expects the task force to provide options to him by october 1st. first time in my life i went around asking where can i find some topless women. >> i like the guy sitting on his couch with his girlfriend who says it's an expression of art. is that just you on tv? not okay. let's send it inside to dylan. >> good morning, everyone. we have brought one family in from outside.

you guys are from pittsburgh. it was your idea to take a trip to new york city. did you think you would make it into our studio orange room here? >> oh, no. >> now you're going to help me go through this. we're talking about life hacks for that do-it-yourselfer at home. the first one is how frustrating is it when you can't find the end of the tape. you're turning it around and pull it. look how ease z si it is now. we stuck a paper clip on to the end that's the same size as the tape. when you rip it off, put it back so you don't end up with the same problem you started with. the next one, we all hammer nailed into the wall. i can help you not smashing your finger. you take a paper clip and put the nail in like had that. then you hold that up against the wall. i don't think my dad would agree with this one. and then we finally got the last one here.

this is what to do with your leftover toilet paper rolls. a perfect way to keep your wrapping paper rolls. sometimes you put the tape and it rips. so if you pop this on here it keeps it nice and neat. that's your tips. now i'll let you guys take us to break. >> still to come on hollywood's highest paid actors, we'll tell you who tops the list. but first, these messages. sami has no idea why her coat is so shiny; buddy doesn't know why he's full of energy; but mom and dad know that they're feeding them the complete nutrition of natural balance . now available at petsmart! we're always looking to bring you the very best in pet nutrition. with natural balance , part of our family of natural foods, you can give your pets premium quality ingredients. introducing natural balance at petsmart. save up to 10% on dry and wet food! fill your pet with love. petsmart . inspired by pets.

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we don't need that many bags. eat some more pasta. certainly. low prices. every day. on everything. for whatever you put your heart into. we are back on a saturday morning. it's time for a little trending. so first you may remember a couple weeks ago we talked about this it video posted by a couple who announced their pregnancy. that went viral. then we learned they lost their baby. they are back in the headlines.

speaking out reports that sam had an account on ashley madison shs the dating website for people seeking affairs. the couple took to youtube to address the rumors. >> i did make the account two years ago. this was brought to my wife's attention. she has forgiven me. i never met with a single person face to face through that website. i never had an affair with anybody ever. >> i have forgiven sam and stand behind him. >> i feel like is it okay? i looked into affairs but i didn't meet anybody. that's hollow. >> it's a common answer. so many people are using that as a response. >> it's interesting. a lot of interesting conversations in a number of households around the country. >> how many people use their real credit card? some use prepaid cards. >> some people were smart about it. >> honestly, but it's true. some people are just stupid. they figure they are never going to get.

caught. maybe you shouldn't cheat. that's another conversation for another day. and we're back. this is going to put a a smile on your face. from san francisco where a police officer was visiting a 5-year-old cancer patient when he was challenged to an epic dance battle and here's what happened. >> point that toe. >> that's what i call being a good sport. that was very cool. >> that was a good one. >> i love how kids show their moves. >> you have to end with a point. >> finally for you this morning, a little shameless pandering, if you will. what's cuter than a baby panda?

how about lots of baby pandas sleeping in baskets. they were at a chinese breeding center on friday. so since it was a little rough off the top in trending, we thought we would end with a little awe. >> when everybody was asking when are you going to have babies, they took a picture of three little pandas. >> did you hear about this story? jimmy fallon, it's hard to believe, he can't catch a break. another boo-boo right now. >> it has been a tough summer for jimmy fallon. you remember earlier in the summer he tripped and injured his finger. now just two months after that incident, he suffered another setback. this time a chipped tooth. he posted a selfie from the dentist's chair and says chipped front tooth trying to open a scar tissue repair gel for

recovering finger injury. >> hope he gets better. >> careful bha you say about jimmy fallon. >> he's funny. but a little clumsy. >> forbes just released its annual world's highest paid actresses list. can you guess who topped the list? coming in third is melissa mccarthy with $23 million. second is scarlet johansson with $35.5 million. and highest is jennifer lawrence who brought in $52 million. however, the list has sparked controversy in hollywood. the top 18 highest paid actresses earned a combined $281 million while the magazine's list of highest paid male actors earned a combined $941 million. that's a $660 million difference. up next, a generation for one of tv's most iconic dances has been e revealed.

everyone knows "the carlton." alfonso recently shared where he got the inspiration for. the dance. it wasn't originally part of the script because all the script said was dance. so he turned to the bruce springsteen video dancing in the dark. and the carl on to was born. isn't that funny? >> it should be the bruce. >> maybe we should rename it starting this it morning. let's get that trending. >> he had a little spin in his. >> you can work that out during the break. we're bang in a moment. first, this is "today" on nbc.

that's going to do it for us on this abbreviated saturday morning. >> tomorrow right here on "today," we have a good day plan planned for you.

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what we're learning about the man who pulled the trigger. >> i'm sheldon dutez live with mo a on what relatives think the gunman shooting. >> plus did they prevent. >> and we got some suninshine outside right now. we're tracking a storm off o the east. long island, does that mean you're going to see rain. we'll take a look at your forecast and explain comlyg up. >> all right. good morning. today in new york your saturday edition coming your way next.

live, from studio 3c in rockefeller center, this is today in new york. >> outside the federal building in soho and this heart breaking scene. family members break down after they learn that their loved one, a security guard there was killed. plus new details about the gunman.

>> and held as heroes, three americans take down a gunman on a train to amsterdam and this morning telling us about it. >> and nearly 400,000 of acres land scorched out west. a state of emergency declared as more residents forced to leave their homes. good morning and welcome back to today in new york on this saturday morning. i'm pat battle. >> and i'm consider ree berry. good to have you with us. >> it is indeed. raphael is in the weather center and today today is going to be primo. >> nice change from the mugginess we've had. long island going to see more clouds. those clouds are going to wrap around more pressure. increasing clouds in the forecast and it's a little unsettled for tomorrow. slightly unsettled. not a wash out. notice where the clouds are across the hamptons and montogue.

looking good from new york city down to jersey shore. beautiful sunshine to start your day and it's nice and cool and refreshing. 70 degrees and we have 50s and 60s north and west of town. 86 today. it's hot, yes but the humidity is low. it's comfortable. we'll talk about the full forecast including a little bit of unsettled weather coming your way. >> thank you, raphael. and now to a deadly shooting at a soho federal building. heart breaking scene. family members collapsing grief stricken after learning their loved one, a security guard working there to keep others safe would not be returning home. the gunman identified as 68-year-old kevin downing. he was inside the federal build building in soho. news 4 brings us more.

>> when there's a shooting you got to run. >> chaos in eoho. shots fired send ing people running. the police said sit down because there's an active shooter. >> just after 5:00 p.m. friday, kevin downing, a veteran and fohirmer federal employee walked through these doors. >> as he approached the metal detector he pulled out a gun and shot the security officer at close range. >> the senior guard, a manhattan resident off the clock at 4:00 p.m. decided to stick around for extra duty and help out was killed. downing then continued walking. >> he made it through the security area after he shot the security officer.

he went down the hallway and counted another employee in the exbuilding and then he turned around and shot himself. >> secretary of homeland security jay johnson rushed to the building. >> i express my condolences to the family if i have the opportunity to do so. i wanted to be here and check in the employees here and be with those employees in the face of thp tragedy. wney had two handguns and both are being tracked now. police sayathe's no apparent links to terrorism. today in new york. >> that investigation now moves to new jersey.

that is where the gunman lived.