the good morning. obstruction of justice? a memo from james comey details president trump asking the then fbi director to drop the michael flynn investigation telling him, quote, i hope you can let this go. john mccain blasting the administration's scandal, comparing them to the nixon white house. >> it's of water gate size and scale. >> other republicans calling for an investigation. democrats calling for an impeachment. >> deadly and destructive. a tornado outbreak from texas to wisconsin. at least two people are dead. dozens more injured. this neigho

looking like a war zone this morning. more violent storms on the way. stupid human tricks. >> guys, we've just made it to the top. this is incredible. >> two teens to the top of the golden gate bridge and then dangle by their fingertips. the shocking video part of a dangerous new trend that could land two would be and foolish daredevils behind bars. and extra credit. high school students in the criminal technology class agree to be pepper sprayed by their teacher. quickly regretting it. [ screaming ] the realize life lesson that may have gotten a little too real. "today," wednesday may 17th, 2017. >> from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning.

morning. i would have had to have done pretty poorly on my last the test to get that kind of extra credit. >> i think that's pushing it a bit far for an a. >> we'll have more on that later. we'll go to washington for our top story. the bomb shell memo by then fbi director james comey claiming president trump asked him to shut down an investigation into michael flynn. >> a source telling us this is part of a paper trail that comey built to document what he believed was the white house's attempt to derail the fbi's investigation into alleged ties to russia. >> they are demanding the fbi turn over everything they have in communication between the president and mr. comey. this isn't the only scandal facing the white house. we have coverage beginning with peter alexander. peter, take it away.

white house is lurching from one crisis to another. the this one an e-mail from comey. now as you noted nbc news as kept this paper trail of memos inside the fbi. documenting the president's stunning request a day after former national security adviser michael flynn was fired. >> mounting backlash this morning on capitol hill after the latest allegation to hit the trump white house. >> the country is being tested in unprecedented ways. >> enough is enough. congress really needs to get to the bottom of this. >> reporter: democrats pouncing after it was learned james comey detailed in a memo how the president asked him to president to back away from the fbi investigation into michael flynn. multiple sources with first-hand ked

news, it says president trump told comey, i hope you can see your way clear to letting this go to letting flynn go. "the new york times" that broke the story reporting mr. trump praised flynn as a good guy. comments the president echoed in an interview last week with lester holt. >> this man has served for many years. he's a general. in my opinion, he's a very good person. >> reporter: a u.s. official says the trump comey conversation happened inside the oval office after a counterterrorism briefing. the president asked comey to stay behind as the vice president, attorney general and others left the room. late tuesday the jason chaffetz demanding the fbi turn over all summeries and recordings of discussions between mr. trump and mr. comey by one week from today. >> on the surface, that seems like an extraordinary use

investigation being done by the fbi. >> reporter: the white house disputing the accounts. in a statement saying in part, the president has never asked mr. comey or anyone else to end any investigation. the white house also pointing out a comment by the acting fbi director at a senate hearing last week. asked whether comey's firing has impacted their work. >> the work of the men and women of the fbi continues despite any changes in circumstances, any decisions. so there has been no effort to impede our investigation to date. >> reporter: still several democrats are blasting the reported comments as an obstruction of justice. john mccain in an interview saying the growing trump saga is ba bad for the country. >> i think we've seen this before. i think it's reaching a point where it's of water gate size and scale. >> reporter: while lindsey graham says he wants to hear

>> if mr. comey is alleging the president did something inappropriate, it's an open committee to come tell us about it. i don't want to read a memo. i want to hear it from him. >> reporter: this morning white house aides are questioning why if it is true comey didn't report this conversation immediately. a close friend of comey says the former fbi director was disturbed by trump's suggestion about flynn but didn't feel compelled to resign. instead he thought he could manage the situation and continue to operation without notifying rank and file. peter, thank you. >> we have a lot to unpack. let us start with pete williams. pete, good morning to you. now we know that members of congress want to see the memos. it is in their power to subpoena them. is it likely that's what's going to happen? >> it's in their power to subpoena them. as for whether it's obstruction, les

the white house insists, assume the way comey describes the conversation is what happened. it sounds like what you'd think is an attempt to impede the investigation. but the legal experts disagree about whether it's obstruction. it requires proving the president knew he was doing something wrong, and it could be he didn't realize how inappropriate this was. second, apparently just two people in the room. so it's one man's word against the other, but an fbi director's notes would be credible. the fbi controls the custody of the memo. investigators in congress or justice may want to first get the comey memo. they want to see it and enten interview mr. comey himself and maybe even the president. some legal experts even if the president did what the memo says, it might not be obstruction because all federal employees who work for the president, he can tell them what to do, ti

political issue for congress. >> thank you. of course, word of this memo came has the white house was defending itself over claims that the president revealed class if ied information to russia. andrea mitchel has that part of the story. >> right now the white house is in turmoil. battling controversies. this as the president is gearing up for his first overseas trip where he'll have meetings with nato and travel to israel, a key ally now at the center of the controversy surrounding classified intelligence that he unexpectedly shared with the russians. and we learned the president did talk with prime minister netanyahu about all of this on tuesday. as donald trump prepares for his first visit to israel as president, three u.s. officials tell nbc news the it was israel who provided sensitive intelligence about isis. intelligence mr. trump s

with russia's foreign minister last week without israel's permission. in a statement israel's ambassador to the u.s. is trying to tamp down the uproar saying they have full activity in their intelligence sharing relationship with the united states. the president says he has no regrets. >> we had a great meeting with the foreign minister. >> but his team is struggling to deal with another self-inflicted wound. sending mcmaster to try to stop the bleeding. >> the statement was appropriate with the conversation and with the expectations of our intelligence partners. >> reporter: we are told they disagree and worry the president's conversation compromised a key source and while what the president did is not illegal. some members of his party are in disbelief. >> the handling of classified information is a critical thing. >> if it's accurate, it's concerning. >> reporter: and the latest controversy is putting some foreign allies on edge. british offial

but theresa may is deflecting. >> it's not up to me what president trump says to anybody he's meeting and talking to. >>. >> reporter: the germans are unhappy about how he treated angela merkel in march. now they are furious about him sharing secrets with russia. for years, intelligence sharing has been important. the fear now, allies won't want to share intelligence because they won't trust the president of the united states to keep secrets. at the end of the week when the president goes on his overseas trip starting with an arab summit, he goes to israel and rome, attends a nato meeting and a g7 summit in italy. according to a new report in foreign policy magazine, nato members are scrambling to tailor the meeting to the president for his short attention span. and we are with

nicole. and from d.c. chuck todd. good morning to all of you. let me start with you, as pete says there's a high hurdle to get over before you can start talking about obstruction of justice. however, if you combine the words the president used with director comey, i hope you can see clear to end this, two weeks earlier, i want your loyal thety, and a day after the second meet, comey is fired, are you getting closer? >> you are. this memo is the most legally significant thing we've seen since trump became president. alone, the it's not obstruction but taken together with the other pressure and the possible reasons behind the firing which need probably a full investigation is the kind of thing together would amount to obstruction. >> people are saying if he's sitting on the memo. if it

he have a duty to reveal it to somebody? >> probably not. the fbi is more responsible tact would be to say i'm memorializing this for this reason. the president gets the benefit of the doubt in that time. he got it. adding to other information now, it is a memo on file. the president is learning an important lesson. james comey have a cross the ts, dot the is kind of guy. all you have to do is look at him and know this is a guy who takes notes and keeps them. he's not a guy you try to outmaneuver. >> when you have angered presidents of both parties, you sort of stand on a different ground in a political context. and what james comey learned, he probably learned from his bush administration. in his mind, he's always on the side of angels. he always takes notes, and to come out of a fight with the fbi and the cia winning is near impossible for a

has declared open war -- >> you fire him and criticize him, and now his friends are leaking this memo. >> i think that the way this wechbt down, this goes back to being a bad winner and bad firer. he fired him, and then he taunted him. and so at every turn, trump seems to tempt his own fate by picking fights with people who are already out there. >> there are two ways to go. we talked about legal. let's talk about the political side. this raises over to congress how serious are you about this? are they going to let james comey testify? he says he will, but he wants it to be public. where does congress go? >> i think there's different barriers at the break in different ways. i think one of the barriers has broken. you now have republicans this week talking about an independent commission or

special counsel. that was a conversation they didn't want to have last week. but democrats moved the conversation to impeachment this week. republicans are saying we'll go to special counsel. the point is everything is shifting. the ground is shifting on capitol hill. so yes, you're going to be hearings. i think we know the summer. it's the summer of comey. i think after all this is going on at the end of the day, as pete pointed out earlier, this is a political decision for congress, and when republicans, when mitch mcconnell and paul ryan decide their majorities are at stake and the party could go down with trump, that's when they'll separate. i don't think they're there yet. i think that's what these hearings are about. >> nicole, we have to remember we don't have a director of the fbi right now. we have an acting director. and the search is onto find a replacement. does donald trump have credibility right now to name a new director of the fbi? >> well,

to take himself out of that process. one removed himself from consideration. i talked to a couple of folks who interviewed and other jobs at doj, and there's a lot of angst about heading down to main doj right now. >> can i ask one for question of our lawyer. i have a former criminal law professor saying the president is making what she called a beautiful case against himself. and he needs a lawyer. do you agree he needs to have somebody who says to him, hey, the things you are saying have legal significance now, and you need to watch out? >> yes, and at a minimum, what we've seen in the sally yates issue is that the white house counsel is now involved in this deeply. he probably needs private counsel and needs to understand it would be best for him personally as well as independent law enforcement to comment less about all of this. >> all right. chuck, nicole, and ari, thank you. now

deadly and devastating tornadoes. at least 26 in five states from texas to wisconsin. entire neighborhoods wiped out. jac jacob rascon is checking out the damage. >> reporter: good morning. nine tornadoes in oklahoma alone. the most destructive here in elk city where every street in this neighborhood looks something like this. it was all part of a severe weather system that brought big problems from texas all the way up through wisconsin. the debris scattered for miles after taking a direct hit from a tornado in elk city, oklahoma. >> we were in the cellar, and we kept hearing the rain and the hail, and then our ears popped, and we thought that wasn't good. >> reporter: one person kill and more than two dozen injured. some 100 homes damaged or demolished. one woman had to be rescued from

>> i am live at my house. there is nothing left. >> reporter: a reality many residents understand could have easily been much worse without the alarms. >> we had the sirens alerting people of this at least 30 minutes before the storm. that was a positive thing. it gave people an opportunity to take shelter. >> reporter: driving conditions treacherous. motorists dodging hail. this pickup truck losing control. hard to see in real speed, but shocking in slow motion. in a town in wisconsin, another neighborhood devastated by a twister. tearing apart a mobile home community and killing at least one person. winds up to 80 miles per hour, tossing this tractor-trailer. >> it looks like the it's moving east northeast it's a significant tornado right now. >> reporter: the storm system that started in texas plains produced as many as 27 tornadoes that also tore through parts of oklahoma, kansas, nebraska, and wi

reminder of mother nature's fury in the heart of tornado alley. many of the streets here are still impassable. a lot of residents say they were only able to survive the storm, they say, because they were riding it out in their storm shelters. as you might imagine, the cleanup is only just beginning. matt, savannah, al. >> jacob, thank you. >> al, what do we expect today? >> we have the next 48 hours where we have severe weather. in fact, tomorrow even more severe weather than today. strong storms from theup of michigan down to texas. dallas as well. right now the bulls eye today, much of iowa. 9 million people at risk. best chance for tornadoes there. we look for the scattered activity to make its way through the midwest this afternoon into this evening, and this with the greatest risk tonight in the upper midwest. and then tomorrow take a look at this.

risk. this is a very strong risk of storms. 26 million people at risk. tornadoes possible. as the afternoon moves on tomorrow into friday, you'll see the storms from omaha all the way down to dallas, and heavy rain anywhere from three to five inches stretching from great falls, minnesota all the way down to wichita and oklahoma city. we'll get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds.

it's a beautiful day out. temperatures in the low to mid 60s across the area. 64 in arlington. 62 in gaithersburg and rockville. afternoon highs at or above the record. the record today is 92. our forecast here in washington is 93. equally as warm tomorrow but the record for tomorrow is 96. that should be safe. thunderstorms on friday will cool us down just on time for the weekend. that's your latest weather. >> thank you. still ahead, do all laptops need to be banned from the cabin in certain flights? the debate and what it could mean for you. >> and startling video two teens dangling from the golden gate bridge and the hot water they could be in this morning. first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, high school coming up,

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walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy. good morning. >> in the news this morning, we want to show you video from fairfax county fire of firefighters battling a house fire. the home is on spring oak court. we know two people have been hurt. we'll update you in the nbc washington app. montgomery police are looking at whether two robberies are connected. robbers with guns burst into a 7 7/11 on frederick. and then another one over a mile away. let's check on your commute with melissa mollet.

beltway okay right now. you can see delays. inbound 395 slow. you can see after seminary, we is v a crash slowing things down quite a bit. eastbound 32 back in maryland here after 95 crash now blocking the right shoulder. >> thank you. we'll have a quick break and check your forecast next.

sunny outside. temperatures 64 in bethesda. lots of sunshine today, and toasty warm. we'll be in the upper 80s to near 90 as early as this afternoon. highs in the low 90s for most. tomorrow not any cooler at all. highs again tomorrow upper 80s and low 90s across the area. thunderstorms come our way friday afternoon. by the time we get to the weekend, temperatures will be

only in the mid 70s for highs saturday and sunday. >> chuck, thank you. another local news update in about 25 minutes. >> for now, back to the "today" show after this short break. have a great day.

♪ 7:30. wednesday morning. the 17th of may, 2017. there's a happy crowd on the plaza. we have beautiful weather as we enjoy the six days of spring in new york city before we go straight to summer. >> wait a second. are we whining now? you whined last week when it was too cold, and now it's about to get warm. >> you're with me. summer is over. >> some people on the plaza brought you guys cookies. isn't that sweet? i went out this morning and they said look. >> that is so nice. >> al, yours is in here too. >> very talented. >> plaza cookies. perfect. inside, let's look at the

tornadoes stretching from the texas plains up to wisconsin. at least one person was killed east of minneapolis where a mobile home park was levelled. another tornado was part of a subdivision in elk city, oklahoma, and at least one person was killed there. and protesters in washington d.c., nine people were hurt. two arrested. the protests came on the same day turkey's president met with president trump at the white house. some say the body guards were involved in the scuffle. and the republican chairman of the house oversight committee is demanding the fbi turn over all documents about communications between president trump and former fbi director james comey. this after a memo written by comey back in february was leaked claiming the president asked him to shut down an investigation into former national security adviser michael flynn. the white house saying that's not a truthful or accurate portrayal of

peter alexander joins us. >> reporter: good morning. let's reset things. the white house again on this day trying to fend off now a series of crises this morning. the latest word is we've been talking act word of the memo by james comey. multiple sources with first-hand knowledge of the memo confirming to nbc news that comey wrote in february that president trump asked him to back off any investigation of former national security adviser michael flynn. the memo read in part, i hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting flynn go. it was written after a private conversation between the two men in the oval office the day after mr. trump fired mr. flynn. we are told in the oval office at the time initially reince priebus and others before the president asked them to leave and spoke to comey one on one. as you noted the white house is responding saying this isn't truthful or accurate. they insist that president trump has never asked comey oron

to end any investigation. republicans as we've discussed, dismayed by the reports. but be clear, this is not the end of this. this morning nbc news is also learning that comey didn't just keep one memo but many memos. in fact, keeping a memo after nearly every phone call and every in person conversation he had with trump since the president took office. >> they're calling it a paper trail. peter, thank you. now to what could be the biggest change to the way we fly in more than a decade. this morning u.s. and european officials are meeting in belgium to discuss a potential plan to ban laptops and other personal electronics on certain flights. this after intelligence has revealed a potential isis plot to smuggle explosives onto commercial planes with laptops. tom costello has more on this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. homeland security secretary kelly briefed the europeans by phone on this last week. but they requested in person

meeting is underway in brussels. the bottom line? if you are traveling round trip to europe on the return leg, be prepared to check any personal electronics larger than a cell phone. just weeks before the summer travel season kicks off, a major security upgrade coming soon. homeland security set to prohibit passengers from carrying any electronic device larger than a cell phone on board flights leaving europe for the u.s. laptops, tablets, e-readers and dvd players would have to be checked with luggage where w more screening than on flight bags. >> there's a threat. we're aware al qaeda and isis have developed sophisticated fek neeks over the years. >> reporter: terrorists have used explosives to blow a hole in a plane and down a jet over egypt. thew

similar rule already in place for flights coming from ten airports in the middle east and north africa, 50 flights a day. passengers required to check their laptops but expanding the order would affect as many as 429 flights and 105,000 passengers each day. both adults and kids relying on the plane's inflight entertainment system during 7 to 12 hour flights. no using your laptop during flights. >> it would affect me. i like to do my work. >> the it's small. you're compacted. you already have the discomfort, and sort of having your electronic with you helps you sort of ease off the pain of the flight. >> reporter: in a statement the u.s. travel association says if there is a legitimate terror threat, the flying public needs to take it seriously, and adjust to the new protocols has best they can.

all these batteries could end up in the luggage hole, a potentially serious fire risk. >> an expanded ban is really a huge impact and one the tsa takes seriously. but that just ill traits how serious this threat is. >> reporter: still to be worked out, how to handle the laptops that maybe people forget to put in their luggage. they show up at the counter, the airlines may have to consider putting them into a special container an putting the cob stainer in the cargo hold. a lot of details still to be worked out. complicated and a hot issue. tom, thank you. let us get another check of the weather from mr. roker. >> speaking of hot, we are talking about some hot temperatures. for example, first 90 degree readings of the year, we have summer like highs. average first 90 degree reading, recall live, may

we may see that today. portland, cool at 76. new york city coming close. baltimore, raleigh, cleveland, and louisville. tomorrow hotter. portland, tomorrow a high of 89 degrees. louisville 86. cleveland, 85. it will be toasty. record highs the eastern third of the country. severe storms in the northern mississippi river valley down to texas, and it's not quite spring yet in the rockies and part of the cascades and the bitter root. we're talking snow, and some of it could be 6 to 12 inches in the mountains. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in our neck of the woods. >> we are quite the opposite. we have near record highs. today 64 degrees currently in the district. plenty of sunshine. it's going to help warm us up fast. 62 gaithersburg. 61 dulles. 66 in clinton. for today 93 for a high the temperature. that could be record

heat across much of the area. that south wind is going to help with that. tomorrow we're still in the 90s. we go into friday. we're in the upper 80s. cooler for the weekend. >> don't forget to check that weather any time. you can go to the weather channel on cable. >> thank you. coming up the desperate search for four americans after their small plane disappears over the infamous bermuda triangle. we are live with developments. first, dangerous selfies. the trend that has people breaking laws and going to extremes for the ultimate shots, right after this. ♪ ♪

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it's 7:42. we're back with a new warning on a dangerous trend that has turned deadly in some cases. >> people are going to extremes to capture daring videos and sharing them online. the latest case on top of the one of the world's most famous landmarks. here's miguel almaguer. >> the breathtaking stunt. >> we just made it to the top. this is incredible to be honest. >> reporter: was as dangerous as stupid. two climbers said to be tarngs trespassing and skalging the golden gate bridge, dangling atop the structure with no safety equipment or regard for the lives of commuters below. >> i know they would be upset or something, but we're just two kids. we just had a little fun. >> reporter: nbc news is not identifying the

the california highway patrol calls them two performs somersaults and at time never grip the cables another example of social media risk takers going over the edge. the internet is plasters with pictures meant to make a moment last nearly becoming a last moment. in april, a sacramento woman taking this a selfie lost her footing plunging 60 feet to the trail below. >> you can stand right here and take a beautiful picture. you don't have to stand on the cat walk under the bridge to take that picture. >> reporter: in some cases high risk is being taken to new heights. at least 127 selfie related deaths have been recorded worldwide. some are lucky to survive. from these teens

central park falling through thin ice gathering for a selfie, to those daredevils in california risking more than their own lives. >> fortunately, they did not harm any motorists below them. they would have landed on someone below them. >> reporter: worried, many are missing the big picture of a scene like this. this morning police are urging restraint for those who risk their lives for a killer view. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. >> where to start with something like that? >> taking the story home to my kids and talking about another thing this weekend. i'm very busy. up next, was it worth it? why a group of high schoolers volunteered to be pepper sprayed. sheinelle is in the orange room with that story right after this. how did you get out of that plane? am i -- dead? you are alive because of what you brought on that plane. but what you have released...

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(becky) i started smoking when i now i have end-stage copd. my tip is; if you keep smoking, your freedom may only go as far as your oxygen tube. (announcer) you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit-now. [ cheers and applause ] >> would you will be willingly blasted with pepper spray in some high schoolers did that thing. who knows if they regretted it. >> the it's a controversial teaching the technique. the video going viral. and it definitely has people talking. the video shows students at a high school in ohio lined up against a wall as an instructor begins to spray them. one by one, he goes down the line blasting the teens in the face with pepper spray.

as the police officer stands by. the exercise part of a criminal science technology class. students signed up willingly getting extra credit for being sprayed. as for their parents? they signed a waiver sent by the chief of police that reads in part, each student will have the option. it will cause irritation and a burning sensation to the eyes and nasal area for approximately 30 minutes to one hour. this is a controlled and safe experience for the students, and is completely voluntary. [ screaming ] >> that question of safety now front and center as the video of an experiment gone wrong goes viral. >> the video has been viewed thousands of times sparking mixed reaction online. one post reads no one should go through this. while another writes

it is important to understand what you are doing to others, how long it takes the spray to set in, what their behavior will be like. we reached out to the school superintendent and the police department for comment. we have not yet heard back. >> remember when for extra credit you got star burst from the teacher? >> maybe clean the back board or something? i know. >> sheinelle, thanks. just ahead, is apple getting into the pizza business? the story behind the surprising new innovation. and then miley cyrus will join us live. first, your local news and weather.

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hi guys. in the desert.be here. at the mall. on the mountain. at school. at the beach. in the big easy. yeah. yeah. today i want to show you guys the next-gen chevy equinox. what do you think? that's pretty. pretty sexy. it's all-wheel drive. look at that. it looks aggressive. but not overbearing. it's not too big. not too small. it looks like it can go off-roading. but at the same time, it looks like a car you can take to a nice event. you can dress it up or dress it down. seems like the perfect car for anybody. i would take it anywhere. i want one. i love it. she's a bad mama jama. chevy stepped their game up. ♪

7:56 is your time. good morning to you. we want to check in on melissa mollet and find out more about your commute in your traffic. >> crash on the beltway, inner loop before 7. it's on the right shoulder. seeing delays through that area. all the way from 95 up to the american legion bridge. northbound 95, before 216, crash in the right center lane. 15 as braddock, a crash there as well. >> we'll take a quick break and check your forecast next. stay with us.

zbljtsds gool temperatures heating up today. sunny skies throughout the morning, we'll be in the 70s shortly. then the 80s. then around 90 by 2:00 p.m. topping out 93 degrees near record heat today. tomorrow in the 90s. storms friday. cooler for the weekend. >> another local news update in 25 minutes. for now, back to the "today" show after this short break.

it's 8:00 on today. coming up, white house under siege. democrats and republicans calling into an investigation into president trump and what he may have said to james comey about the michael flynn investigation. >> enough is enough. congress needs to get to the bottom of this. >> i think it's reaching a point where it's of water gate size, and scale. >> as calls for comey to testify grow louder. >> i don't want to read a memo. i want to hear from him. >> we're live at the white house. >> plus missing in the bermuda triangle. the search for a mother, two children, and pilot intensifies this morning after their plane vanishes to

join in to help find that family. ♪ >> and a very miley morning. miley cyrus stops by the studio for an appearance you won't forget. today, wednesday, may 17th, 2017. ♪ ♪ hey, ratford university. wake us up. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> sorry we woke you up, but you look good this morning. >> we got cookies from new orleans. >> cookies for matt, savannah, al, and haley. thanks, hay dis. >> what are you celebrating? >> i'm celebrating my 50th on "today." >> happy birthday, johnny. >> what are you guys celebrating? >> my 21st birthday. >> what are you doing in new york city?

>> we're on a road trip. >> we're back now. 8:00 on a wednesday morning. it's the 17th of may, 2017. it is a sensational day out on the plaza. and by the way, we just mentioned miley cyrus joining us. not performing today. something different, but she will be back next friday to play for us here. >> that's going to be big. >> we have so much to talk about on the music department. our next big concert, new kids monday, zac brown band on tuesday. friday, mary j. bliblije. >> and then rascal flats on monday. we have a bangup concert series this year. >> we

love your sirius living legends. you have a great one today. >> quincy jones. 27 grammys. he's had the number one hit in three consecutive decades. he's amazing. >> we'll have al's conversation with quincy coming up in a little while. >> let's look at the morning top stories. here's a news at 8:00. i'm kristen welker at the white house. president trump under a cloud of controversy after a new allegation. according to a memo written by former fbi director james comey, the president urged comey to drop the investigation into ousted national security adviser michael flynn. multiple sources with first-hand knowledge of that memo confirm to nbc news it says president trump told comey, quote, i hope you can see your way clear to letting this into, to letting flynn go. the memo documenting the conversation came a day after comey was fire

a fierce backlash on capitol hill jason chaffetz demanding the fbi turn all over memos and notes, and john mccain making this stunning comment. >> i think we've seen this movie before. i think it's reaching a point where it's of water gate size and scale. >> reporter: republican lawmakers also expressing concern over this week's other crisis, president trump revealing classified information to the russian foreign minister during a meeting last week. nbc confirmed the source of that information was israel. the associated press is reporting this morning that president putin says he's willing to hand over to congress records of trump's talks with the foreign minister. no reaction yet from the white house. all right. christen, thank you. in other news, chelsea manning was released overnight in kansas after serving seven years for her 35 year sentence for leaking classd

to wikileaks. president obama granted her clemency during his final days in office. nbc's blake mccoy is there. blake, good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning. manning released here in the dead of night with no fanfare according to a u.s. army official. serving just seven years of a 35-year sentence. president obama in one of his more controversial final acts commuted the remainder of the sentence saying he believed that 35 years was disproportionate to what other leakers received, and he felt justice was served. manning came out as a transgender woman and her attorneys say she's had a tough time in prison, even attempting suicide twice. her attorneys have been hush about manning's immediate future plans only saying she'll continue to appeal her conviction. about $140,000 has been raised to help manning start a new life. and we're told that while that appeal go forward, manning will remain a member of the military

pay. >> all right. blake, thank you. a search for a private plane that vanished over the bermuda triangle. a mother, her two children and a friend at the controls. so far no sign of survivors. kerry sanders is in miami. >> reporter: the challenge this morning is finding not only the survivors out there but the coast guard has to find two survivors who are young, very young. just three and four years old. the coast guard cutter webber deployed from miami beach this morning is positioned in the atlanta off the bahamas. search teams now joined by the air force with all eyes focussed on an area about 15 miles off the coast of an island. they spotted a debris field. >> we had reports of components of

>> reporter: overnight mechanics who worked on the missing plane confirmed the debris is a match. missing 52-year-old nathan who was piloting the plane, his friend, 40-year-old jennifer and her two small children, only three and four years old. the family featured on a show in 2015. the last time anyone saw them, all four climbed into this private plane. the pilot, a one time member of the coast guard kpil ri at the controls. their plane left puerto rico at 11:08 monday. destination in florida. two hours 22 minutes into the flight at an altitude of 24,000 feet, the plane disappeared from radar. >> reporter: the search falls in the area of the fabled bermuda triangle. made famous when five navy

it was long believed navigational instruments would not engage properly in the bermuda triangle leading to crashes and sinking. the search area falls inside what's known as the bermuda triangle. is that an issue? >> the coast guard don't take myth into consideration. we're focussed on the mission at hand which is doing everything we can to find or locate these individuals. >> reporter: the coast guard says this morning this is still a search and rescue mission. there are some favorable conditions for surviving at sea. temperatures of the waters in the low 80s and the sea state is relatively calm. devastated family members hopes against hope that there may be survivors clinging to debris or maybe even washing up on shore of one of the islands. back to you. >> kerry, thank you. and just ahead, radical new approach in the war on drugs. we'll take you to the na

first site where addict are allowed to get high. and then on trending, how apple could be about to change the way you eat pizza. first, these messages. people who rely on us every day to deliver their dreams. they're handing us more than mail. they're handing us their business. and while we make more e-commerce deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country we never forget... that your business is our business. the united states postal service. priority: you ♪ lergies with nasal congestion? find fast relief behind the counter with claritin-d. [ upbeat music ]

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you'll be amazed what happens when you pu♪ your red nose on. you help ensure that children in the u.s. and around the world are safe, healthy and educated. this red nose day, swing by walgreens and get your noses on to help end child poverty. walgreens. at the corner of happy and healthy. > good time to trend. >> we're going to start with apple's latest innovation. it's not a laptop or gadget. it is a pizza box. yes. apple's head of food s

box. this is the traditional on this table. this is the new one. hold. and now new. the patented apple box has a design that elevates the pie so the moisture does not get trapped and it allows steam to escape. our friends gave us a peek at apple's head quarters. while they were there, they were discovered the pizza patent. >> not to mention you can't fit these in a trash can. the it's the most annoying thing. so thank you. i have a question. texting in a movie theater? okay or not okay? >> once it starts, not okay. >> a man from texas is now suing his date because she would not stop texting during "guardians of the galaxy". >> she's asking for the cost of the 3-d movie ticket.

it was a first date from hell. he asked her to stop. she refused. he suggested she text outside, and she did, but she never came back. how about this. the film's director even chimed in on twitter. he said why stop at suing? she conserves jail time. oh, yeah. >> so the is the movie bad or was he just a bad date? >> i think the movie is okay. if you travel abroad, you tend to notice things about other countries. did you ever stop to think about what people who come from other countries think about the united states? what they might find unusual or strange? a recent red it thread asked foreign visitors that. here's what they thought was strange about the united states. number one, the giant portion sizes. you go to europe or other places -- >> i'm sorry. i can't talk. i'm eating pizza. >> number two, the vast number of drive throughs that we have in this country. apparently we also have a huge

country. as compared to other countries. >> really? >> that's what they noticed. and finally, the gap between toilet stall doors. european bathrooms feature a full door. it goes top to bottom. people from other countries did not get that big space at the bottom of door. you know why the it's there. >> so you can see if anyone is in there. you look under. is that our live bathroom? >> it is? >> it's the lady's room. >> it is. >> there's a lock. >> sheinelle, pop start? >> are you finished? all right. let's begin with michael jackson. the first trailer for the was released. it's titled "searching for neverland" and focuses on his final years of life. >> he just wants to be mike, a

>> raising these kids alone is the hardest thing i've ever had to do. >> there are good people in the world and there are bad people. i'll always protect you. >> reporter: michael jackson is played by his well known impersonator. the trailer shows intense conversations between dr. conrad murray and investigators. and miley cyrus. jimmy fallon was in the middle of his monologue when miley stopped by for a surprise visit. >> hey, guys. i'm sorry to interrupt you, jimmy. but i just want to let you and the audience know that tomorrow i'm going to be popping up on a bunch of different nbc shows here in new york to promote my brand new single "malibu". because what better place to talk about malibu than in new york city? >> in fact, miley will be appearing on several nbc shows throughout the day as part of an nbc ov

i wonder where she'll pop up next. maybe we should ask the control room. guys, any ideas? >> that was a great segment. cut to camera three. i'd like a nice closeup on al. great job, everybody. you guys are looking great. matt, i saw you eating the pizza. you got to share some with me. >> i'll bring you a slice. you like pizza? >> come on. of course i do. >> can you also tell people when you'll be here next week? >> i believe i'll be here with my family for the "today" concert series. i'll be performing "malibu". can we roll that clip? >> she's natural. >> i got all the control now. >> looks good, miley. >> thank you, guys. >> pop up and get some pizza, miley. we'll see you in a couple minutes. >> thanks for having me. >> once again, miley will be back for a live concert one week from friday. check

roker. >> another thing foreigners notice is we walk while we eat pizza. that's one of the things new yorkers do. looking at the showers and thunderstorms. some of them will fire up strongly. we're watching a risk of strong storms. an enhanced risk for much of iowa. that's later this afternoon into this evening. tomorrow a moderate risk from central oklahoma into central kansas. 26 million people at risk for tornadoes, and some of them could be strong. a widespread area of 1 to 3 inches of rain. we could see upwards of five inches in some spots. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> a nice morning outside. it's already getting plenty warm. 70 front royal in winchester. 68 by the bay in annapolis. most areas upper 80s and low 90s. record at national airport today is 92. forecasting 93. the record out of dulles is only

being broken. tomorrow, again, in the 90s. maybe an isolated thunderstorm tomorrow. our next best chance for rain comes friday afternoon and evening. we should be dry and cooler for the weekend. >> that's your latest weather. all right. thank you very much. we'll turn to our special ongoing series we call under cover. this week we're focusing on battling addiction. >> ronan pharaoh is here looking at stories tied to the war on drugs. you don't always see them on the headlines. >> we're really at a turning point in the terps of how america addresses drugs and addiction. jeff sessions ordered harsher sentences for drug offenders. some states and cities are pushing back with approaches that emphasize treatment rather than criminalization. ameri america's opioid epidemic is killing more and more people.

the sheriff of seattle and surrounding king county someone dies from an opioid overdose every 36 hours. officials are about to try a new response. >> take the problem off the streets and put it in a safe environment. >> reporter: he's talking about safe injection sites where they can inject under medical supervision. >> they don't overdose, or if they do, there's treatment, and they can talk to people about their treatment options. >> reporter: there's a task force to look at the crisis. they're looking at the recommendation to open the first two safe injection sites in the country. tell me your reaction when you first heard it? >> my reaction was are you kidding me? the it's a terrible idea. >> reporter: what changed your idea? >> the war on drugs. it didn't work. what are we going to do differently? >> reporter: the war on drugs kicked off by president nixon in the 1970s started a trend of tough laws that lock up drug offend

drug crimes than violent crimes. and spending on drug control has increased but addiction rates have have a stayed constant. >> we're starting to look at addiction as a health problem. >> reporter: dr. jeffrey was part of the task force. some people will find this concept crazy. >> we're considering this as a public health crisis. it makes sense from a public health perspective. >> reporter: he says safe injection sites from worked elsewhere. here in vancouver, officials opened a safe injection site. every day 700 users come in, get clean needles and shoot their drug. more than 4,000 people have overdosed. not one as died. >> this is a before and after picture of me. this is when i was actively using drugs. and this is me now. >> reporter: guy says he came her thousands of times and

i was on this floor right here. a nurse through her interventions brought me back to life. it was after that that i made the decision to seek treatment options and change my life. >> reporter: today he's four and a half years sober and happily married with two kids and a full-time job. >> when i was ready, they were here to help me. compassion is the one of the greatest gifts of the world. >> reporter: some experts say they are working. a doctor wrote the case for supervised injection facilities in the new england journal of medicine. >> we have promising evidence from other sites in other countries that show this is a piece of the broader strategy. >> reporter: many people think this is a bad idea. >> what happens is you bring more addicts to your location. >> reporter: gretchen taylor, is a member of a neighborhood safety alliance. for her, this is personal. >> i'm the parent of an adult ongoing heroin user. >> reporter: what do you say to

my child and i think this might save them? >> i want that to be true. and the truth is, i don't believe that is true. >> reporter: a new bill introduced in washington senate seeks to ban the safe injection site. . >> what they've done in canada is basically legalize heroin use. the it's a deadly idea. >> reporter: and with jeff sessions pushing a tough law enforcement approach on drugs, there are questions about how the federal government will react. the controlled substances act prevents places like this. could you be in the position of asking your officers to enforce illegal activitys? >> i'm not going to let our efforts locally be dictated by what the federal government may or may not do. >> reporter: our attorney general is less about public health approaches. >> i think that's ahu

mistake. is it going to work? i don't know, but it's better than doing nothing. that's what we've done for too long, nothing but try to put people in jail. it doesn't work. >> reporter: the department of justice did not comment on this story. it's likely to be on the radar soon. there are safe injection sites being considered in multiple states. new york recently appropriated funds as well to study if we should have one here. >> this could get a debate going. i think there are a lot of different sides to whether or not this is a good idea. >> it works for saving lives but the broader impact on the community these go into is yet to be decided. >> and there's some people that can't get their mind around it. >> this is the crux of the war debate. the administration has a tougher criminalized approach. people say that's right. other people say you mitigate the downside. >> what's tomorrow? >> this is another big controversial one.

centers using marin to get people off of heroin and harsher opiates. >> we have doozys this week. thank you. >> just ahead, we'll check in with our puppy with a purpose. charlie is going to show off one of his newest skills. the it's very cool. first, your local news and a check on your local forecast.

good morning. right now let's get a check on your first 4 traffic with melissa mollet. >> hi. taking a look at the beltway. a couple of different problems. inner loop here after pennsylvania avenue, you can see this crash blocking the two right lanes. we have delays there. also inner loop before coalsville, broken down vehicle in the second lane from the right. southbound 270 after democracy, one vehicle causing slow down. >> we'll get a check on the forecast when we come back. stay with us.

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of 1.5 million dollars in prizes and freeplay®. this is monumental. temperatures mid to upper 60s. even low 70s out there. it will be a sizzler of an afternoon. highs today potentially at or above records up into the low 90s around downtown as

showers. cooler weather and in the 70s this weekend. >> another update in 25 minutes.

♪ it is it is 8:30 now. it's a wednesday morning. may 17th. another pretty day here in manhattan. >> the prompter says thursday, and i wanted it to be thursday, but it's wednesday. >> coming up, this little guy, our puppy with a purpose, charlie will show off new skills. eventually he's going to help one of our nation's wounded warriors. we are so proud of him. he's a great dog. >> also al roker is going to catch up with 27-time grammy winner quincy jones. he'll talk about his legendary career. >> and we're finding out how to

make this restaurant favorite with chef michael wright. in our own kitchen. >> who's on our plaza? >> the fabulous star of "unbreakab "unbreakable". >> what's in the bag? >> it the first time i've seen hoda since she's had her baby. i have a baby present for you that you might want to open on camera. >> on camera? >> tell us about season three while we're waiting. >> wait a minute. >> speaking of which. >> there's one more. >> that is adorable. >> i knew it. i always loved your daughter. she has very good taste. >> who's better than you? >> thank you, jane. how is it? how is kimmy doing? >> season three comes

friday. you can binge everything or take your time in one day. and we're thrilled about. it's a fun-filled mad cap season. >> you have some great camos. >> amazing people. lau laura dern, tina fey. amazing people, and ellie kemper and others. >> you know jane has been on the show a lot because roker walks up to her and goes the crackster. >> and she answered. >> we're familiar now. >> come on. >> we love having you here. >> i love seeing you guys. and now i'm going to sing a little song. "america it's the "today" show and we'll see you after a break ♪

streaming this friday on net flick. it's produced by our sister company, universal television. >> think of a disclaimer. >> let's get a check on the weather. "today's" weather is brought to you by walgreens. get your red nose today only at walgreens to help end child poverty. and by the way, the crackster will be back at 9:00. you got a song for us as you leave? ♪ i love you al roker ♪ yes yes yes i do . >> all right. >> this is the end of my career. bye. >> i'm so proud to have been part of it in fact let's show you starting today. record highs the eastern half of the country. severe storms down to the texas. look for snow in the pacific northwest. along the coast it will be pretty nice. for tomorrow severe storms into western new york, western pennsylvania. a storm outbre

to the central plains. snow continues as we make our way into the saw tooth, the bitter root and cascades. sunshine along the west coast. good morning. we are off to a mild start. 66 in district. 68 dulles. 71 in warrington. if you're eating outside, lunchtime, around 83 degrees. later this afternoon, 93 for a high temperature. sunny skies. it will be hot today. near record highs. hot tomorrow. low 90s. storms come friday afternoon. that cools us down for the weekend. we're looking at the 70s and staying dry. >> don't forget, get that weather any time you need it. check out our friends at the weather channel on table. all right. al, thank you. these days we are more tethered to our smart phones. our recent poll showed almost 60% of americans che

work e-mail outside of work hours. >> it turns out responding to work e-mails 24 /7 is bad for business. making people more stressed, distracted and less productive. now some companies are stepping in forcing their employees to unplug. here's nbc's jolene kent. >> reporter: we're tied to our texts. it's hard to put our heads up and connect with the real world. >> i am on my phone a lot. it's how society has trained us to be. >> reporter: the average american is spending 90 minutes a day on their phones. nearly 24 23 days of the year surfing and texting. the average worker sends 122 e-mails daily. now businesses and governments are stepping in to unplug for us. in january the french government adopted a new law that gives employees the right to disconnect from work e-mails. after the day is done. >> life isn't about work. >> reporter: and some american

almost mandatory. >> be a person. get some rest. don't work to live. live to work. >> reporter: marina heard about unplugging while reading an article on her phone. and shared it with her boss. >> i was missing out on the experience of rocking my sweet sleepy one-year-old. >> reporter: it prompted her company to start a one-month contest with employees. monitoring themselves to stay off of smart devices after 6:00 p.m. on week days and all weekend to spend more time with family. the prize? a day off to unplug. >> the challenge has provide have had structure to do a lot of things that i think we all knew we needed to be doing. >> reporter: at a consulting firm in philadelphia, ditching work e-mail on nights and weekends is company policy. called zzz-mail. no sending e-mails between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. during the week or on saturday or sunday. the policy is in the fourth year, and the compa

says it's a success. >> if something is urgent, call or text. >> reporter: why did you decide to make this a human resources policy? >> we want our employees to live a healthy c well-rounded life. and i believe that will create a better well-rounded more successful company. >> reporter: and how does it affect your bottom line? >> it helps it. that's the crazy secret. >> reporter: by how much? >> it's long term sustainable. every year we grow profits. >> 75% of health care costs in the states are stress-related, and preventable. >> reporter: a media mogul founded thrive global to help companies set digital boundaries. >> it's hard but doable. don't do everything overnight. set small achievable goals. >> reporter: employees say steppi stepping off the constant e-mails is life changing. americans turning in the

for some real life face time. for "today," jolene kent, nbc news, philadelphia. >> sign me up. >> i like that. >> i'm getting a little better. >> really? >> a little bit better at disconnecting. it's hard, but i am. >> 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.? >> find your happy place. >> if i'm snoring, i'm not texting. up next, al's eye opening conversation with an icon in the music industry, quincy jones. they talk about everything from working with michael jackson to the motto he now lives by. first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ we're back, we're back. al recently spent time with a real legend, quincy jones. >> you talk about music history. if you've rocked out to a song on the radio in the last 70 years, chances are pretty good quincy jones had something

the secret he told me is all in the song. ♪ >> the grammy, when you talk about a gold collection. that's pretty good. >> i feel like i'm just getting started. yeah, i do. >> 84-year-old quincy jones has had his fingerprints on seven decades of songs garnering him 79 grammy nominations and 27 wins. >> music is a freaky little thing. it's the same 12 notes for 710 years. >> reporter: the musical legend collaborating with artists from arena franklin, ray charles, frank si gnaw tra and michael jackson the tell me about thriller. did you know how good it was? >> you

we went through 800 songs to get nine. >> reporter: 800 songs? >> 800. >> reporter: thriller would become the most successful album of all time. >> to realize the power of the song, the song is almost more important than the artist. the great song can make the worst singer in the world a star. a bad song can't be saved by the three greatest singers in the world. i learned that 50 years ago. >> reporter: jackson and jones imagine the chart topping single "we are the world". what was it like having all that talent in the room at one time? >> it could be a nightmare, but we has an amazingly diverse group of people. when they saw each other, i didn't need to say leave the egos at the do

they got it. >> reporter: a huge event in your life, at 74 as you two brain aneurysms. >> i thought i was going to die. they said the good news is you lived. the bad news is you have another one on the other side. we have to go back in in two months. >> reporter: how did it change your life? >> it makes you realize how to appreciate life. >> reporter: is that your motto? >> my motto is empty the cup, every time it comes back twice as full. >> reporter: like "the color purple". the here's a movie you wrote the score for. >> people say who does he think he is? he'll have $5.5 director to direct his first movie. he must be crazy. he did it for $84,000. he did. we were like brothers. >> reporter: after the aneurysm, you gave up the trumpet. you become the first african american male to be a record executi

what's your advice to young folk coming up in this business? >> work. work. >> reporter: how have your priorities change? >> every decade a different human being. in your 20s, you know everything. you get to your 30s, and wow, i was stupid. and you get a chance to make a lot of mistakes. >> reporter: are you still learning in your eightys? >> absolutely, every day, man. >> fascinating. >> good words of wisdom. >> you go back to the video of "we are the world". that could be an ego nightmare, everybody said the it was the power of his personal theity th kept it moving in the right direction. >> he hasn't slowed down. he opened up a jazz

he's about nurturing young artists. >> great interview. >> you see everything, you remember, what a life. >> you said the house was kind of nice? >> just a little. >> we all laugh. >> what was it like? >> unbelievable. coming up, chef michael white here sharing his secret for the ultimate steak and potatoes dish. first this is "today" on nbc. cl steak frites. first, this narrator: "the time is always right to do what is right. ralph northam. army doctor during the gulf war. volunteer director of a pediatric hospice. progressive democrat. in the senate, he passed the smoking ban in restaurants,

and stood up to the nra. as lieutenant governor, dr. northam is fighting to expand access to affordable healthcare. ralph northam believes in making progress every day. and he won't let donald trump stop us.

all right. it's chef's choice week where some of our favorite chefs cook their favorite dishes. today michael white is sharing a great recipe for his delicious steak fritte. let's talk about dreeingredient. >> it's grilled steaks. we're making a f

we have thyme, mush rooms, pepper corn. >> boneless strip steaks? >> yes. these happen to be prime, but any kind of steaks. choice would be the better one. we're going to season and grill. we're grilling on a pan here in the house. make sure to have the fan on. with the warmer weather coming up, we'll took outside. we'll cook on each side and allow them to rest. >> you have cutup tenderloin as well. >> yes. that's going to help develop the base sauce we have cooking right here. >> we have the trim from top round or scraps from the beef. we're going to take and turn that down. we're going to have a little bit of garlic and shallots. we have a little bit of oil. we're going to go in with shallots and mushrooms. this is actually, again, the flavor enhancer. >> would you call this a

>> a little bit of liquid. we're going to brown this off. we'll make a stock and reduce it. we'll cook it four to five hours, very slowly. we'll deglaze. we're making the foundation for our sauce. >> do you ever go to the supermarket. there's a section where they have stock on the shelves. >> right. >> could you do that if you didn't have the time? >> what's going to happen is a little bit of the stock is okay, but if you could buy a little bit of reduced veal stock, it gives viscosity. this has been cooking. it's reduced down. we'll turn the flame up. we'll strain it. what you're left with is this sauce right here. >> as we take this shot, i want to say we have our tasting table downstairs. we've had pizza this morning and now to steak friftte. >> this is how we make the sauce and finish it. bring it back to temperature. we

peppercorns are inside. we'll go over here. we're going to make the foundation for benaise. >> is it hard to make? >> it didn't. it's a warm mayonnaise. the it's part of hollandaise. we're going to bring this down, boiling, reduce it. there's a little bit of vinegar when it comes down. drizzle in here. bring it down. we're passing it and left with what we have right here. >> explain why do you put it in another bowl with ice? >> we're going to apply it here to a traditional hollandaise sauce. traditionally it sounds complicated but it isn't. stand back. i almost

all joking aside, this is running. seriously -- >> seriously, i will stand back. >> now we have the butter. this is just a faster way of doing it. >> the traditional method is a double boiler, water. if you have the temperature of the butter, it's oall on the recipe online. you can emulsify without having a double boiler. >> you have herbs here. >> exactly. we're going to finish with a little bit of thyme and parsley, a little bit of tarragon. that's what we do. we -- >> i don't want to put them on the spot downstairs, but guys, which sauce do you like? >> i'm a steak guy. doesn't need it. >> everybody is leaning toward the

>> fritte is great for bernaise. it's not guard for the waistline. >> it's fantastic. michael, thank you. guys, nice done. you handled your roles well. >> thank you. >> and all these recipes are on "today."com/food. they sound complicated. it works out well when you follow along on the website. we're back in a moment. cheers to "today" on nbc. on nbc. in my future, i'm twice as likely to have a stroke. i'm at higher risk for depression. i'm 26% more likely to develop an irregular heartbeat. i have a 65% higher chance of developing diabetes.

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we're back. >> you're right where you need to be with "today" puppy and our music superstar who happens to be in the house. >> i heard there was a puppy. the if there's a puppy here, i'm here. >> that's charlie. he's been working with us. he's here with his puppy raiser. charlie has a new skill. >> he does. service dogs can help in a variety of different ways. and sometimes the combination of ways. charlie could be a service dog that helps with hearing dog tasks as well. we introduced him to the mechanics of alerting to a sound, getting the handler's attention. who may have experienced the loss of hearing and taking the person to the sound. it could be life saving with a smoke a

call. let's see how this goes. i'm calling someone's phone that is over in the studio. >> charlie's phone. >> charlie's phone. >> calling charlie. >> you got to give me his number. >> all right. let's see if we get anything. it says calling mobile. >> our wireless isn't the greatest in here. >> is the ringer on over there? >> it is, but it's still calling mobile. >> okay. >> come on. moving around. can you hear me now? >> charlie? >> we can just talk about what it looks like. >> no. >> what if i stand over there and go bring. christine, is your ringer on? >> check the phone. >> we need you back in the control room. >> it's on silent. >> i have a missed call from matt lauer. let's try it again. >> okay. right now it's going to work. charlie is waiting.

>> where is it, buddy? where is it? that's it. good boy. >> yay. >> good boy, charlie. >> that's really cool. >> hello? did you see that? >> wow. that was worth the wait. >> it was. miley, we'll see you next week, and everybody, we're going to continue this on facebook live. this is a news 4 today newsbreak. 8:56 is your time on this wednesday morning, may 17, 2017. right now we want to check on your commute with melissa mollet and your first 4 traffic. >> hi. two things to think about here on the beltway this morning. outer loop before river disabled vehicle on the shoulder. inner loop after pennsylvania, crash on the shoulder as well. that is looking a bit better than it was. army navy

crash reported there in arlington this morning. a live look 270 northbound, southbound at montrose through rockville, no problem. "tom went to washington to take on the insurance companies and the credit card companies and the wall street banks... that's what tom perriello is about." progressive causes have been my life's work. i'm tom perriello...

i led non-profits to battle climate change, poverty and president bush's attacks on civil rights. now i'm running for governor to reduce economic inequality. because together, we really can build a virginia that works for everyone.

already up to 70 degrees. sunny skies, and that sunshine is going to heat us up. the high temperature, 93. plenty of sun through the afternoon. friday thunderstorms and the weekend will be cooler. following breaking news right now. u.s. senator collapsed during a race in d.c. he was taken away in the ambulance. check the latest in our app.

this morning on "today's" take, we're putting on the fix. tony goldwyn, and then secrets from "unbreakable" and moves to help you shape up by the start of summer. it's all coming up right now. >> from nbc news, this is "today's" take live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to "today," wednesday morning, may 17stth, 2017. we're listening to "thinking about you". our co-host is "scandal" star tony

good to have you here. >> can we dig in? >> yes. >> "scandal", i think we should show everybody a sneak peek of the season finale because we're givers and then we'll chat. >> why am i here? >> because this is the fun part. >> authorized access to every street cam. we've tracking the where abouts. >> remember when we used to hate the patriot act? >> since when does the director of security make house calls? >> since we found out there was a top monster. >> i thought it was off the books. >> i'm not even here. i'm playing cards with my parents. >> how are you doing? >> last time i talked to my mother, she made it clear how she felt about me. this was not personal. we're just steppingstones on her way to a paycheck. >> all right. >> and you dt

>> i directed it, the second hour. >> that's big. >> wow. >> it actually is a huge episode. lots of crazy stuff happens. >> as if things crazy things haven't happened already. >> well, yeah. >> and you're going to top that? >> i think we will, actually. this is really nuts. and at the end of it, we'll know who is next president of the united states is on "scandal". >> yeah. talk about art imitating life. they announced "scandal" will be ending after next season. how does that feel? >> sad. we're all bittersweet about it. shonda always said this would never be a show that runs eight or ten years. she wants to go out strong. she last week called us up and said we need to talk, and she said i've decided that we're going to wrap it up after the next year. >> i don't know how i feel. i know it's not all about me, bu

>> it's about how. >> i can speak for all the gladiators. first of all, if we talk about the ending, i don't know if olivia should end up with fitz. >> what? >> no, really. >> she thinks you should end up with her. >> well, there's that. >> well, i am olivia, but i'm torn on how -- she says she already knows how it's going to end? >> shonda says that. >> either you're together or not. do you want to end up with olivia? >> yeah. i see things very much from fitz' point of view. i think they're meant to be together. and i know some of -- i have friends out there who agree with me. >> i think so, but i feel like that would be too -- >> maybe. >> okay. let's say next season happens. and the show gets even bigger. i mean, the numbers go there. would they come back to shonda and say, you know, i know you wanted to end it now, but --

whether shonda would agree, i don't know. not in my wheel house. >> when carrey washington tweeted me after the bit -- the bit, well, here it is. >> forgive me. i love you. >> please, please, stop. you're getting my hopes up. just stop. >> i can't stop. i won't. olivia. >> listen, i'm not a toy that you can just play with when you're bored or lonely. i'm not the girl the guy gets at the end of the movie. i'm not a fancy. if you want me, earn me. until then, we are done. >> that was good. >> wow. >> i was like did that happen? >> that typifies my relationship with carrie. >> she said this is fantastic. well done. that guy you're acting with would have been a bit

>> i think carrie, you ought to come on the show and do a scene with me. >> there you go. okay? >> let's bring this up a little bit. >> i can outfitz fitz. i can spits with fitz. >> okay. >> kudos to the whole cast. you guys have changed the game. i can't think of any other way to say it. even the character of olivia pope, so many of us wanted to be here. people wanted to dress like olivia pope. >> she's become iconic. >> and now you're the president. wherever you go -- >> well, not really, sheinelle. >> yes, you are. >> always will be. >> that makes our producer, your secret service. you're in big trouble. >> can we do secrets from the set? >> i think we have to. we have a little game. one of gavin's games. we want you to spill secrets from the set. jerry will bring on the popcorn box full of questions written by o

>> i'm ready. i don't promise anything, but here we go. this says have you ever used your presidential privilege in real life? >> you honestly think i would reveal that? that would make me look so bad, but the answer is yes. >> what did you do? >> i'm not going to tell you that. >> all right. >> god, i have a family, al. next one is you voiced disney's tarzan. if the opportunity came up to do "the loin cloth" would you take it? no. . i was happy with an animated tarzan, because his level of fitness is something i couldn't touch. keep it going? >> yeah. >> this is like eating popcorn. >> without the calories. >> what's the one thing you've already stolen or will steal

from the oval office of the "scandal" set. i haven't stolen anything yet. i've been thinking about this. this sounds really dumb. there's a battle ship on my desk. it would be hard to steal. but i thought that would be really cool. >> you should take the whole desk. >> the whole desk? >> with the battle ship. they wouldn't notice the battle ship is missing. >> maybe i can get them to give it to me. >> it is a replica, though, right? i'm saying is it a replica. >> you don't need it all the time. >> oh, my god. i'm talking about the design. the set design. >> that version is so much better. >> i give up. do we have one more? >> all right. when was the last time you watched "ghost" and did you cry? >> i

remember how many years ago, six or seven years ago. my youngest child, tess, my younger daughter, had actually never sat through the whole movie. she's like i've seen some of it. i was like you're going to watch this movie. we watched it, and i did cry, yes. >> a good movie. >> it is. >> you sat and watched together? >> and more importantly, she did. >> all right. that was good. i hope you get your battle ship. >> that's right. >> i hope secret service doesn't come after you for the real desk. >> you know what i meant. anyway -- >> jerry "seinfeld," we love him. apparently okay with jokes. since you have a finale coming up in a year, he likes jokes about how the "seinfeld" finale left a little to be desired n. s he was recently asked about julia

at the finale. >> he said i like a good joke. i don't care. you have a finale next year. do you feel pressure? >> it's not on me. i don't. but i think there is pressure. i guess the way i feel about it personally, there's some shows nail it on the finale. but other ones take a lot of heat, and if you look at the entirety of the show, i remember there was criticism of the "sopranos" finale. it was one of the greatest works on television. i try not to put too much weight on that. >> do you leave it with a question or finality? will it will vague? they just walk off into the sunset? >> maybe. that's a question that's above my pay grade. >> shonda, give us a call. >> coming up, and

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need any more proof than that? neutrogena. and we're back with more of "today's "today's" take. >> during the commercial break we were surrounding him. >> swarming him. >> i backed away now. >> i gave away nothing. >> he's like a vault. we didn't have to wait long to find out who is next year's oscar host. jimmy kimmel will be returning to the stage. i thought he did a great job last year. >> it was fantastic. >> he got a little overshadowed by the best picture announcement controversy. i think everybody thinks it's a good idea. >> i think it was the right balance of being funny. you dig on people, but it doesn't mean. >> that's the cool thing about jimmy. he has an edge to him all the time of irony, and yet, he's not

because when it gets mean, all of a sudden everyone is uncomfortable, and it's mean spirited. when it's too soft, it's kind of boring. >> we like it a little edgy. >> we like it. we have spoken. so do you go to starbucks and preorder? do you use the mobile app? >> i just heard about this. i will be now. >> i've never done it. i've seen it but i didn't know people used it. >> i guess if you're in line, somebody goes up and gets their coffee, they mobile ordered ahead, and starbucks says they're expecting it to reach $38 billion by 2020. >> i believe it. so my thing is when you get in line and you're ready for your coffee, you have to wait even longer. >> i'm wondering -- >> isn't it shorter? people in line have to wait because so many people are ordering. >> kind of like tsa pre. does it slow things up? >> on travel, i would have it

for those of us who travel a lot, it's made it so much better. >> for sure. the only other thing about starbucks, is i guess with coffee people tend to have the same thing. sometimes when i go into a restaurant, i don't want to predecide. >> and then if you change your mind. >> and i think that's key. there are people who are no stal j nostalgic. and then you lose it and look at a menu and go what do i want? >> when you get behind that person, you're like -- >> get my cheese burger. >> move it along. >> what do you have? what's good today? i know. >> except for that unicorn frappuccino. >> do they still have it? >> did you ever try it? >> it's colors that don't exist in nature, and it tasted very odd. >> it was a hit for some. >> for some. >> which is why you have a

some don't. how ant the weather. >> let's see if you like the weather. we're worried about severe weather today into tomorrow. an outbreak of tornadoes yesterday. today we're looking at strong stoshls, especially in iowa today. that's the best shot at tornadoes. tomorrow we have a moderate risk of severe weather stretching from central oklahoma into central kansas. 26 million people at risk. we could see more strong tornadoes. damaging winds, and hail, and a lot of rain stretching from the dakotas down into texas and as far east as theup of michigan. we could see anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of rain. here's what's happening in our neck of the woods. good morning. temperatures are starting to warm up. much of the area in the low 70s. as we go through the afternoon, plenty of sunshine helping to warm things up. lunchtime 83 degrees. around happy hour, 93 degrees. that could be a record high temperature in some areas. and even as we get close to

to 90. we'll pardon me overnight around 70. 92 tomorrow. storms return friday afternoon. that cools us down for the weekend. mid 70s but staying nice and dry. that is your latest weather. up next, the countdown to memorial day is on. our summer shapeup contestants are ready to find out if they lost any weight this week. plus joy and obi sharing their food and fitness tips for you coming up next. sharing tips for you. >> i have relatives that are following them. [woman] so beautiful. [man] beautiful just like you. [woman] oh, why thank you. [burke] and we covered it, november sixth, two-thousand-nine. talk to farmers. we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪

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now, for our summer shape-up now for our summer shakeup. we have "today" nutritionist joy bauer, and obi. >> following the program are three amazing viewers. lisa, a busy mother of three has been on joy's diet plan. reuben a dad and cop is getting buff on the exercise plan, and charlene a new mom from maryland has been on both joy's and obi's plan. >> all right. let's see how you did this week. i was telling joy, i have relatives watching. this is relatable. people want to know can i eat and not work out. >> you are going to be blown away. lisa was 185 pounds. after two weeks following just my diet plan -- >> you didn't work out? just diet. >> just diet. >> lisa is down a total

pounds. just 14 days. >> great job. >> that is amazing. >> unbelievable. >> how do you feel? are you hungry? >> so happy. i feel fine. i've been making the recipes. they're ease is to make. it's been great. >> how hard has it been? what's been the hardest thing? >> one of the hardest thing was going out to eat. i went to the olive garden. i love the olive garden. we were going there with some friends. i was afraid because i love the bread sticks, and they're so good. who doesn't love the bread sticks. unlimited bred sticks, salad. but i was able to do it. i was able to make healthy choices. they have a lot of healthy options, portion control. i told the waitress to bring the salad plain. it was great. >> reuben, you're a busy guy. >> reuben started at 283 pounds. after two weeks of just

a total of 8 pounds. >> i love it. >> and how have you found it, reuben? you're a busy guy. you have a busy schedule. you work 4 p.m. to midnight? >> yeah. >> do you have kids? >> two kids. >> you're a busy working dad. >> real busy. >> do you find it hard? i find it hard to make the time to workout. >> the plan is nice and short. you can find time during the day. i found two friends in the afternoon that on my days off when i could do it with them, we go to the park. we started training. it's good. it works out. >> buddy workouts are helpful. >> charlene, here we go. >> she has the toughest task because she's following my diet and obi's exercise plan. she was 277 pounds after she first weighed in. after two weeks on the exercise and diet plan,

ten full pounds. >> yes. >> you can take your bow. >> how do you feel? >> i feel great. i feel a difference. and as both of them mentioned, finding the time to work out because of the plan makes it easy. 15 minute increments and do it. eating out was my challenge, looking at the menu and finding wonderful, good options was a little bit of a challenge, but i've made it through. >> you guys have exceeded my expectations. you're making me look like i know what i'm talking about. >> what i the tell the ladies about eating out, and reuben, after this experiment is over, it's not where you eat it. it's what you eat. they're learning. >> we'll help with that next. coming up, joy will show you how to eat out without ruining your diet, and obi has the

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good morning. 9:26 on this wednesday, may 17th. we're following breaking news out of southeast d.c. right in and out. republican senator thom tillis of north carolina collapsed during a three-mile race this morning. according to associated press, he was given cpr by bystanders before being taken away in an ambulance. he was running in the acli capital challenge. more breaking news this morning as well. chopper 4 was over this water main break in maryland. it created a sink hole. no one was inside the car. no injuries reported here. right now main street is closed between rogers and kline avenues. we'll have a look at your forecast next.

me to listen carefully. i'm ralph northam,aught and when survivors of the virginia tech shooting asked me to support an assault weapons ban and close the gun show loophole, i took on the fight. i saw what those weapons can do as an army doctor during the gulf war. now, i'm listening carefully to donald trump, and i think he's a narcissistic maniac. whatever you call him, we're not letting him bring his hate into virginia.

good morning. we're warming up. 70 degrees right sunny skies. right now sunny skies through the afternoon. 93 for a high today. tomorrow 92. still dry. storms return friday afternoon. still near 90.

we actually cool down into the mid 70s. >> get the latest news and weather any time in the nbc washington app. another update in 25 minutes. vo: at dominion, we have a long history of providing reliable energy and that'll never change. what is changing, is our name to dominion energy. it's a reflection of our commitment to energy innovation and renewable sources like solar, wind... and cleaner energy like natural gas. and we'll continue to innovate, upgrade technology, protect our environment and serve our communities. dominion energy. more than a new name, a new way of seeing energy.

♪ bac back now with our summer shapeup challenge to get us fit by memorial day. we have obi and joy. they're guiding our three viewers. lisa who is on joy's diet plan, and reuben on the exercise plan, and charlene is doing both. we'll start with obi with exercises and things to do this week. >> i'll show you the first exercise. we'll do suicide. it's like a cardioboot camp move. you start here and move from one cone to the next. i want reuben and charlene to do them behind me. do them like a dance. 15 seconds, 20 seconds in your living room. you got space in your living

a basic move like that. >> how many times? >> three or four sets 15 seconds. do it at your own pace. that's the first one. second exercise is body squats. women quantity the booty. legs shoulder width apart. go 90 degrees just like this. body squats. just go like this if you have bad knees. if you don't, go deep. take your time. 12 seconds to 15 seconds. three to four sets. >> how many times a week? >> lee or four times a weeg. reuben and charlene do them four or five times a week. that's why they're dropping weight. >> she has lost ten pounds and he has eight pounds. you're not doing the diet. you stay over here. you talked about the fact of eating out. a little bit of a challenge?

>> a little bit. >> i'm going to put you guys to the test. it is tricky. it's not where you eat but what you eat. we'll play a game over here. we'll start with appetizers. i'm going to show you three options and you'll pick what you think is the most slimming selection. most slimming. here we go. the first i want to come to appetize appetizers, the salad with s vinaigrette, a shrimp cocktail or the minestrone soup. >> i would say shrimp. >> i say soup. >> salad? >> why are we whispering? we're afraid to say. >> i would say the soup. >> the first thing to point out, these are all terrific options. they all bring a lot of health to the table. but when it comes to the skinniest, it's going to be the shrimp cocktail. >> you were

>> what made you think of that? >> this is a pure protein and even dunked in the cocktail sauce, this is going to weigh under 200 calories. the minestrone size is variable, and with the salad, the dressing. main course. grilled chicken with grilled vegetables will always win, but let's be trickier here. are you going to go for the whole grain pause have a prim avera, or for the turkey burger on a bun with sweet potato fries or the sirloin steak with a baked potato and butter? >> that's a hard one. >> you threw in butter. >> what's it going to be? >> i'm going to do the middle, the turkey burger. >> i'm doing the first one. >> first one. >>

probably. >> and you would be two for two. yes. >> that's why he's president. >> yeah. >> sirloin steak is a super lean cut of steak and also filet mignon is another great option. the baked potato is not that large, and there's only one pad of butter. that's one teaspoon, and i either choose the teaspoon or butter or sour cream. this clocks in at about 500 calories. the other two? more than 1,000 calories. >> i never would have picked that. >> sweet potato fries? >> last one. >> cocktails. what's the most slimming cocktail? is it going to be a glass of wine or a 12-ounce beer, or a gin and tonic? >> glass of wine. >> i'm going with the win

>> i'm going with the gin and tonic. whatever the calorie is -- >> we got him this time. it's a glass of wine. and here's a really good tip. when it comes to wine, always choose red. it's more bull bodied. and you will sip it slower than white. >> thank you. it was fantastic. all right. we'll see you guys next week. just ahead to facebo-- up next, a sneak peek at "unbreakable ". we'll get the scoop right after this. you help ensure that children in the u.s. and around the world are safe, healthy and educated. this red nose day, swing by walgreens and get your noses on

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>> okay. i said i came here to apologize, but ever since that kiss, i can't stop thinking about you. >> you're both crazy. i'm a married woman. but if i were to take a lover, you're both exactly my type. how could i ever choose? dance for me. >> so great on this show. >> you are so sweet, and i'll pay you later. we've worked together years ago. i'm happy to be reunited. >> i didn't know that. >> we did a play together. >> we were young lovers. >> we were. >> look at both of you now. >> by the way, looking at the clips from you q, you have not changed. >> i got some hair conditioner. >> and a baby. >> and baby. i have a six-year-old son. can you believe it? i know. >> isn't it the best? >> it's the sweetest. he's the

there's my sweet guy hamming up up on the red carpet. >> my son, that was his first suit. we went to his first opening. we get to the end and somebody says can we get a solo shot of your mom, and he goes yes, but can i have a solo shot as well. >> first season, every year, it seems like each season it's a little more out there. so has season three -- >> i think so. i think what's unique is that it staz a stark underbelly but the humor gets higher. it's an unusual tone for a show. i have to say i am so thankful to our loyal fans. with this netflix situation, they have to wait so long for a new season. i'm

and anticipating. >> it's a show, i find myself binge watching it. i save it up, because i stayed up way too late watching it. >> you guys also have the amazing guest stars. >> we do. we're so lucky. >> and there's more to come this season? >> yes. laura, josh, ray leota, tina fey. we have some of the old "30-rock" kids. a lot of people come back. >> i'm fascinated by you don't know in advance or how far in advance do you know the script? >> we get them less than a week out. >> and you guys do the same thing we do. your table read is the first time you all read it together. >> it's my favorite thing. >> we do the same thing. >> you have major twists. it comes from the

and we read them. it's such an unusual experience for us, because the actors are trying to perform it as their characters, but they're also elated and showing their excitement for what material they're getting. >> cool. >> even on "30 -rock". it was one of my favorite times once every two weeks. >> like our show. it's still warm. it's unbelievable. that's right. it is so good to see you. as we called her earlier, the cra crackster. "unbreakable kimmy schmidt" streams this friday on netflix. right now we're at 70 degrees. sunny skies across the area. we'll go through the afternoon and quickly heat up. 73 frederick. 68 in quantico. 77 in l

temperature 93 degrees. we'll be near records or breaking records in many areas across the region. expect the sunshine to continue. tomorrow low 90s. storms friday. the weekend looks dry and quite a bit cooler in the mid 70s. latest weather. up next, jane and tony's next role? judging. that's right. they're going to be the judges of the ultimate cook off. head to head for super salads perfect for summer. with our summer salads, perfect for summer. it's not a quick fix. it's my decision to make beauty last.

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we've been holding the ultimate cookoff. we've had viewers compete for the best breakfast and appetizer. now let us talk about salads. >> i like that one. >> look who i have. our special sous chef miley cyrus. >> a little salad tossing in the morning. my style. >> styling. >> a mom of two is with us and a military spouse. she's going to take a thai salad. and we also have robin from connecticut. a busy mom of four including ten-year-old triplets. grows her own vegetables. she's going to make an avocado corn and bacon salad. this is an all star segment. we've never had a cooking segment bigger than this. miley, you're the guest sous chef helping out. you're a vegan. >> i'm not great at

meat, but all right. >> kylie? >> we're going to add the ingredients to go into the bowl once you mix everything together. some of the ingredients are cilantro and lime. some salt. fish sauce. a little bit of msg. some toasted rice. some ground chili peppers. lemon grass, green onion and lime. cook the steak. once the it's cooked, add it into the bowl with the tripe. it's honeycomb tripe. the my culture, it's something we eat, but you can omit it. >> miley, do you want to stir? >> all right. here we go. >> just mix it together. >> how am i doing? >> good. >> add the spices

and then some lime. and some fish sauce. it's not made out of fish, is it? >> once that's mixed together, add the vegetables and make sure it's totally combined. and that's your dish. >> wow. >> our judges are tasting. guys? >> how did i do? >> we'll be with you in a minute. >> all right in fact let's come down to robin. miley, you go over here. robin, what are you making? >> i'm making an avocado bacon cilantro and fresh corn salad. you can totally eliminate the bacon if you don't want meat. there's also mexican cheese, and if you don't like that, that's close to parmesan cheese, or eliminate cheese. >> i like it. basically i'll have lettuce. >> avocado. >> and we also have some avocado oil t

lime juice, cumin, and salt. >> that's the dressing? >> that's the dressing you whisk up. can you whisk this? >> please. >> thank you. >> a pinch of salt. put in cumin. >> how much? >> just a big pinch. >> there you go. whisk away. >> and in the meantime, you've got corn from -- could you use frozen corn. >> >> it's not as good. it's not as fresh. fresh corn on the grill, a little charred. it tastes delicious. >> sounds good. >> some chopped cilantro. some chopped up avocado, the cheese, chopped red pepper and tomatoes halved. >> a colorful salad. >> it is. >> do you want to toss this? >> all right. yes, i do. all right. >> al, would you like to pore the dressing in? >> i would. >> we need to start a restaurant.

miley and al. >> i like it. >> coming to new york. >> that would be perfect. >> and then some lettuce. toss that. >> and mound it up into a bowl and let everybody go. >> exactly. >> it looks great. >> let's check in with our judges to see what they think. >> well, this is kind of tough. both are great. >> i love bacon on anything. >> yes. i guess we're feeling that the thai beef salad is so unusual, and with the mint leaves and stuff like that, i think we're -- right? are we leaning toward the -- >> con dwragratulationcongratul. >> they're both delicious. >> the judges have spoken. you're our winner. you're going home with a william sonoma nonstick ten-piece cook wear set. there it is. it's guaran

crack or break down. and robin, for you we have a william sonoma high performance blender. >> thank you. >> miley, you were a fantastic sous chef. >> thank you. >> judges, thank you. we appreciate that. we're back in a moment, first this has "today" on nbc.

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three three words. best segment ever. >> all right in we want to thank to tony and jane and miley. and you'll be back next week somebody. >> yeah, the concert series. >> up next, hoda and kathie lee after your local news and weather. have a good day. after local news and weather.

9:57 is your time on this wednesday, may 17th, 2017. good morning. we're following breaking news right now out of d.c. according to the associated press, republican senator thom tillis of north carolina collapsed during a three-mile race this morning. the 57-year-old was running in the acli capital challenge. he posted a video on twitter just minutes ago saying he is doing okay. >> now let's check your forecast

>> the it's starting to warm up. as we go through the afternoon, 93 for a high the temperature. that's a record high in parts of the area. sunny skies today. as we go into tomorrow, another low 90 degree day. 92 for your thursday. maybe an isolated afternoon thunderstorm. the real rain chance is friday near 90. afternoon storms into the weekend. that's going to end up cooling us down. we'll have a cold granted move through. mid 70s saturday and sunday. we look dry but a temperature change. coming up, we'll have the latest on senator tom the tillitillihom tillis.

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♪ >> from nbc news, this is "today." with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> all right, everybody. hump day, hunk day. wines day wednesday, all those things. so much going on. may 17th. that's "boom clap". >> listen. ♪ >> that's a song. what a nice surprise. another great show. we'll get up close and personal to ray leota. he has a big weekend coming up. he's going to tell us about it. we're going to sniff him