tuesday, isolated chances. >> hot and humid. welcome to summer in washington. we're going to be back in 25 good morning. breaking news -- shooting spree. [ gunfire ] panic and pandemonium after gunshots are fired at a concert inside a club in little rock, arkansas. at least 17 shot and even more injured in the stampede that followed. that as we learn new details about the gunman behind that deadly hospital shooting in new york city. did the former doctor hint of what was to come in an e-mail sent to a new york city newspaper hours before the attack? we'll bring you the latest live. caught on camera. a fiery plane crash in southern california on to one of the nation's busiest highways. only one vehicle struck, and amazingly, no commuters hurt.

to the hospital, but miraculously survive. ♪ and broadway dreams. we'll meet some of the nation's most talented theatrical teens who are embarking on an opportunity of a lifetime. today, saturday, july 1st, 2017. ♪ >> it's my 10th birthday. >> it's my 50th birthday. [ cheers ] >> kansas city loves today. >> i'm celebrating my graduation from nursing school. >> congratulations! >> hello from texas! hey, y'all. >> fire department in the house. >> the "today" show! [ cheers ] ♪ good morning, welcome back to "today" on a saturday

morning. one of my favorite parts to "today," a lot of folks outside. >> the fourth of july weekend, a lot of eyes on the skies. >> it looks mostly okay. we'll take it. >> we'll get the full forecast in a moment. right now we'll get to the top story -- a mass shooting overnight inside a nightclub in little rock, arkansas. police say a dispute led to the shooting. let's go to morgan radford. she's following the new developments. morning an? >> reporter: that's right. we've been following the story since it happened, breaking news. we found out the shooting occurred inside the power lounge club in little rock. this video, watch this, posted to facebook. apparently it captures the terrifying moments when shots rang out. [ gunfire ] police say you can hear the shots there. [ gunfire ] those were the shots you just heard ringing out inside the cl club. about 17 people were wounded, and that was after a dispute in the club. the band finesse 2 times listed as performing last night. one victim

condition just now upgraded to stable. other people agome of them tram chaos, simply trying to escape. the youngest victim is just 16 years old. police say they do not believe this was an act of terror. the shooting was an awful reminder of the orlando pulse nightclub massacre where you remember 49 people were killed just over a year ago. >> true. so sad. thank you. meanwhile, investigators this morning are combing the scene of that deadly shooting at a hospital here in new york city. this as we learn more about the gunman and the job loss that apparently triggered his rampage. nbc's stephanie gosk is live outside the hospital in the bronx. good morning. >> reporter: craig, we are getting a much clearer picture of this alleged shooter. dr. henry bello was hired here at this hospital in 2014 and then forced to resign just six months later. he was arrested a number of times on multiple charges including sexual abuse and

y about -- but no one here at bronx-lebanon was prepared for what he box office to do. >> person with a long gun -- >> reporter: new details on the deadly shooting rampage at a new york city hospital friday. a massive police and fire-fighting response on scene. bronx-lebanon hospital on lockdown. >> we have a confirmed active shooter. shots fired at the location. >> several people have been shot on the 16th and 17th floors by a lone gunman armed with an assault rifle. >> reporter: emergency responders inside and on the roof, going room to room looking for a suspect. >> i'm going to give you an update on the shooter. he is a male black with a white doctor's coat on. >> reporter: the shooter has been identified as 45-year-old henry bello, a former employee e hospital. the doctor has a long rap sheet including sex abuse and unlawful surveillance. a man claiming to be bello sent an e-mail to the new york "daily news" hours before the attack

hospital because of accusations he'd been rude to a nurse, then "threatened a colleague." the man claiming to be bello wrote "they were bogus complaints." according to a senior nypd official, bello asked for a specific doctor. when that person was not available, he began shooting randomly. then -- >> during the incident, the hospital's fire alarm system activated. apparently due to the suspect's attempt to set himself on fire. >> reporter: officials say the sprinkler system doused the flames before causing damage to the massive 1,000-bed hospital. an hour after the shooting began, terrified witnesses began filing out. >> scary. i thought i could be like what happened in orlando, killed in the bathroom. >> reporter: in all, there were seven victims. a female doctor was killed. five other hospital staff are in critical condition, including doctors, residents, and medical students. one patient is stable. >> officers encountered the male suspect lying on the floor dead of an apparent selfli

>> reporter: no first responders were injured in the attack. >> god bless our first responders. they put the safety of their fellow new yorkers first. >> reporter: a number of those injured hospital workers are still undergoing surgeries this morning. law enforcement says that dr. bello was firing an ar-15. that is a powerful semiautomatic weapon. police in the city sometimes refer to it as a weapon of war. craig? >> stephanie gosk for us this morning. thanks. two people are recovering today after a crash landing at a small plane on one of america's busiest highways. take a look at this video. it shows the fiery crash on southern california's 405 freeway. the pilot reported trouble after taking off from john wayne airport friday. he clipped a pickup truck, hit the roadway. as you see here, the plane burst into flames. the pilot and passenger were rushed to the hospital in serious condition. no one on the ground was hurt. one of the founder behind the disastrous fire festival is

morning. federal agents arrested billy mcfarland friday. mcfarland is accused of scheming to defraud investors out of millions of dollars through his website. mcfarland's suspicious actions came to light after the fire festival fiasco earlier this year. it was supposed to be a star-studded, glamorous, beach, camping, musical event in the bahamas. when people arrived, the festival was in total disarray. mcfarrand and his partner, ja rule, face murder charges. now to an amazing story of survival in denver. a light rail train demolished this car friday morning. the driver was pulled safely from the wreckage. the woman driving was in "the only survivable space left in the car." >> wow. >> there was a minor injury on the train, and the car driver was described by rescuers as doing well. milwaukee basebal

in the spotlight for an ugly incident. umpire joe west was hit in the head by a baseball apparently thrown from the stands. the game between the brewers and the marlins was stopped for about seven minutes while the umpires talked with security. at this point, the team is not saying if the culprit was found. meanwhile, west was okay to continue. milwaukee players and fans lashed out on social media at whoever threw the ball. >> absolutely. let's go to dylan now. she has another check of the weather. dylan? >> hey, guys. good morning. we are going to see very nice weather even though it's humid out here. isn't it? it? it's really sticky in new york. we are going to see improvements. temperatures will start to cool off a bit. it's going to take some time. we're looking at this cold front that will trigger showers and storms especially upstate new york. ahead of the front 80s and 90s behind it, only 70s and 80s. toledo, ohio, 82 degrees today. sunday a hot one, too, east coast lower 90s.

80s across the rest of that area. we're looking at temperatures to cool back down into the 70s across new england as we get to the middle of next week and 80s in raleigh by the time we get to wednesday. again, we have to keep an eye out for isolated storms in upstate new york and strong storms through northern texas right now. that's a look at the weather across the country, now a peek out your window. >> those temperatures right around 90 for daytime highs. in fact, it's going to feel closer to 100 at times by this afternoon. speaking of this afternoon, any time after 1:00 to 7:00 tonight some scattered showers and thunderstorms. some of those storms could be on the strong side. heavy downpours, pretty gusty winds out there. so that will be something we're watching for this afternoon. the threat will be done by 7:00, isolated chance of showers and thunderstorms sunday through >> we have a pretty little lady turning 10 years old. do you feel any different? >> no. >> not even a little bit? where are you

>> st. louis. >> nice to have you here. you here with your family? >> dad. >> dad. >> awesome. have a wonderful birthday. guys? >> all right. thank you. >> doesn't feel any different. cute. still ahead this morning, we are going to see if our taste buds are strong enough to tell the difference between a plant-based burger and a beef burger. >> good. plus, is our favorite superstar adele giving up live performing? why her fans are fearing the worst. that's right after these messages. summer took a hit this morning when frankie popped the alligator floaty. plus, the snacks and drinks are gone, people. and one of us used up all the sunscreen! i wonder who... . we're gonna need some reinforcements...quick. copy that. walgreens makes it easy when summer needs a little help. your summer base camp is just around the corner so you can get in, out and back to those summer shenanigans. walgreens. at the corner of happy & healthy®. now with card, buy one, get one 50 percent off sunscreen. turns out things aren't always take guinea pigs.ey are.

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but the whole "care-and-nurturing" part? that idea... ...we borrowed from the experts. blue diamond almond breeze. the best almonds make the best almondmilk. did any bag of dog or buy cat food at petsmart we give a meal to a pet in need? help us reach our goal of donating more than 60 million meals so hungry pets across the country get to eat. buy any bag, we give a meal to a pet in need. petsmart - for the love of pets. we are back on a saturday morning, and it is time to trends. craig, you have this one. >> i'll have it. you guys like burgers? >> too much. >> who doesn't, right? for nonmeat eaters, options for a meatless burger, they've been pretty limited. that's apparently changing. burger fi, a chain with 100 locations across the country, will offer a plant-based burger that they say actually looks and tastes like thel

it's made from proteins derived from peas, believe it or not, and other plants. no cholesterol and even oozes grease, it bleeds on the grill a little for you. >> peas? what's the grease made out of? >> it's plant-based grease, too. burger was developed by a company call beyond meat. i took a tour a couple of years ago as they were developing their meatless burger. beyond meat products, they've been on the shelves at whole foods and other supermarkets the past year. monday is going to be the first time that the burger is going to be offered as a restaurant menu item in eight locations. they'll start in eight locations. ladies -- >> we'll give it a try. >> this is the exclusive first taste -- >> is it meatless? >> one of these is the burger that dylan dreyer typically enjoys. the other is a plant-based substitute. >> i mean, you can tell already -- >> can you? >> yes. by the look of it. >> can you really? >> yes. >> a different color. >> it's pink. >> it is dripping -- it is

just for -- pardon me as i talk with my mouth full. it's not just for vegetarians, it's also for folks who are health conscious. >> i like the fact that it's soy free, gluten free, no gmos. you don't have to worry about that. i will say if you didn't tell me, i had my eyes closed, i wouldn't really know. >> i didn't tell you which one. >> no, we can tell by looking. >> i don't know if you should assume that one. >> here's the deal -- i think that for it not being meat -- >> this is meat. >> it might be as good as it's going to get. >> that's meat? >> that's meat. that's meat. >> that is meat. that's meat. and the other one -- >> i think this might be the closest you can get so far. >> i've been eating these off and on for six months. they've become a regular staple in the fridge. >> are they healthy? >> yes. you've got 20 grams of protein. saw at the commercial -- 20 grams of protein. against e again, no close -- again, no cholesterol, no transfats. >> i have an issue eat something that's supposed to look like something else. >> if it's peas,

be? >> can you do "pop start" with your mouth full? >> are you good? >> here you go. here's your napkin. my god, you eat like my 3-year-old. >> pea juice -- >> plant-based grease all over me. all right. >> go for it. >> i'll stick to the prompter. okay. i ate a raw onion. >> i can tell, too. no garlic. we have big news from adele to start off "pop start" for you. the singer has been forced to cancel the final two soldout shows of her tour, revealing she's damaged her vocal cords. in an emotional post on social media, she said in part, "on medical advice, i simply am unable to perform over the weekend. to say i'm heartbroken would be a complete understatement." then in true adele fashion, the 29-year-old added, "i am so desperate to do them that i've even considered miming." no word yet if she'll reschedule the shows. i know fans sure hope so -- especially considering that adele recently hinted that this cobe

wishing her the best. ♪ moving on, bee hive, i hope you're watching. we may finally know what jay-z and beyonce named their twins. they've filed papers to trademark the names roomy carter and sir carter are. the docs are filed by the same company that filed for a blue ivy trademark. just saying. this comes hours after jay-z dropped his 13th solo studio album, "444," come is getting rave reviews. yes, they're back and bearing it all. you guys are judging me -- giving a look into his life including his marriage with beyonce, revealing this through his lyrics. get ready -- i'm going to rap, too -- if my children knew, i don't know what i would do. if they ain't look at me the same, i probably would die with all the shame. and you did what to who? you did that for blue? how did i do? >> no, that's -- that's good. i heard that actually yesterday,

caught my attention. >> i sounded just like -- >> dylan rapping caught my attention. [ laughter ] >> the 47-year-old also references the now-infamous elevator fight with solange. she calls out kanye west, as well. and "becky with the good hair" from -- from the album, she's in there, too. not cool enough to read this. >> that's okay. >> that's not true. >> i got rap -- >> i took too long on that one, sorry. >> it was good. ahead, we'll go to an animal shelter that's working to make no-kill shelters the wave of the future. how they are leading by example. that's up next. first, this is "today" on nbc. let's have some more burgers. >> i'll take this one.

we're back on a saturday morning with an inspiring story about an organization on a mission to save all homeless pets around the country. >> earlier this year, best frie a

its first adoption center and did it right here in the heart of new york city. >> it is a great spot. it marks the new beginning for the sanctuary that's hoping to encourage all shelters nationwide to be no-kill by 2025. i visited to see how they plan on achieving that goal. [ barking ] you've seen the old-fashioned animal shelter -- downtrodden cats and dogs held in tiny cages, hoping for a home. the ones who aren't adopted euthanized. the numbers are staggering. 5,500 dogs and cats put to sleep every day in u.s. shelters. but could that sad reality be changing? the people behind best friends animal society of new york city hope so. they've opened a brand-new state-of-the-art adoption center helping local pets find forever homes. elizabeth jensen is the society's executive director. >> we want to make sure that any animal that's got a shot to get a home gets that shot. [ applause ] >> she and h

shelter across the country to become no-kill by 2025. first step, leading by example. she took me for a behind-the-scenes look at the state-of-the-art center. this facility here, this is brand new. >> yes. >> in new york. >> uh-huh. >> tell me what makes it so special. >> we purposely put this here in soho in new york city because we wanted it to be where the people are. best friends looks at people as the solution. >> first up, the cats. >> everybody in here is up for adoption. >> meet 6-week-old moose. what a cutie. the younger kittens are the most at risk. they need to be fed every two hours, and many shelters just don't have the planpower to do it -- manpower to do it. is. >> once we get moose to eight weeks, he will be one of the most adoptable animals out there. >> every animal who comes here has a home for life. hi, can you sit? >> best friends makes a lifetime commitment to all of our animals. if for any reason mooss

times and weren't able to take care of moose, moose comes back to best friends. it's part of the agreement with the adoption. [ barking ] >> next up, the dogs. aw. hi, buddy. >> first adoption -- >> patrick and rachel gibbons adopted chewy when best friends first opened. for families who haven't adopted before, why do you think it's important to raise awareness about how great adoption can be? >> this is our first time adopting. and it's just been an amaking experience. we know -- amazing experience. we know chewy had a rough first half of his life. but he's going to have a really strong second half and couldn't be a better fit in our family. we're excited. >> he was so cute. you may be asking how they can afford such swanky digs. it's 100% provided for by donations and grants. so how does best friends hope to inspire the no-kill movement? first they want to shift attitudes about animal that's come from shelters. then educate people on how to take care of their pets, that many end up in shelters simply because a family

them anymore. want to stop that before it happens. >> i didn't realize the numbers were so high. 5,500 a day in this stagger? >> it is staggering and makes you so sad. the dogs just want a home. >> that was good. still ahead, a look at the awards show known as the tonys for teens. how the big broadway dreams of a small few are coming through with a shot at stardom on broadway. and fun, fast, and frugal do-it-yourself decorations to get yoursel did you know when you buy any bag of dog or cat food at petsmart we give a meal to a pet in need?

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>> announcer: this is a "news 4 today" newsbreak. good morning, time is 8:26 saturday july 1st. i'm meagan fitzgerald. we're following several stories. let's get a check of your headline. in d.c., fire investigators trying to figure out what caused a row house to catch fire and spread to a neighboring home. one firefighter was hurt and taken to the hospital with minor injuries. it happened u street northwest after midnight. officials say the flames broke out on a roof deck. no one else was hurt. funeral services will also get under way for a beloved football coach and teacher who was killed on the beltway. leonard schultz taught at james

secure a boat for the back of a pickup truck on the side of the road last saturday. his nephew was critically hurt. funeral services began at 10:00 a.m. this morning at vienna presbyterian church. this morning you are waking up to new laws both in virginia and maryland. one of the laws raises minimum wage in maryland to $8.25 to $9.25. another law could cost you $100 for driving too slow in virginia. you can find out all about these new changes in our nbc washington app. and

all right. our holiday weekend is getting under way, so what's the weather going to look like? turn to lauryn ricketts. good morning, lauryn. >> good morning. we've got a big warm-up headed our way. temperatures in the 70s right now. take them to around 90 degrees but we've got humidity so feel closer to 100 degrees during midafternoon. speaking of afternoon from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m., i know it's long range but we will have scattered showers and thunderstorms bringing damaging winds, also heavy downpours. about 3:00 scooting through the area. they are gone by 7:00. looking good through the evening. again, muggy conditions, breezy with scattered shower

storms all the way through tuesday with lower humidity. >> all right. thank you very much, lauryn. we're back on this warm holiday weekend, saturday, july 1st. july 1st already, 2017. we have a beautiful crowd joining us out here for our early fourth of july party on the plaza. >> yeah. this is -- there's someone who wants to be a female meteorologist -- >> i know. i was going to talk to her in a sec. you stole my thunder. >> sorry. that was a tease. another tease. we have a lot coming up, including some kids hoping to make the broadway dream through traveling from across the country for a shot at stardom on the great white way. we're going to take you to the jimmy awards. and then we'll take you behind the wheel of a monster truck and meet the women switching gears on a male-dominated sport. and are you planning to host a party this july 4th weekend? we

i'm telling you, with cute, do-it-yourself decor ideas that are fun, fast, and i'll just say frug frugal. plus, barbequed chicken that will wow guests at your party. then, the chef from my favorite restaurant, westport. good guy. before we go, lots of folks want to know what the weather's looking like. >> yes, we are going to get to that. remember the wellthiest cities? we have another. "women's health" has the 15w-e-l-l thiest cities for your personal well-being. next, we're showing st. petersburg, florida. i partnered with "women's health" to give my thoughts on the best time to travel there. for st. petersburg, i'd recommend visiting from january to may, and september to november. lots of months there. they've got the beautiful beaches, plenty of water sports. you can bike around the city. and the weather is great. a little hot in the summertime. for the full list of wellthiest cities and tips for visiting,

"women's health." now to the weat so we're going to put up a graphic and let you talk us through it. first start with how warm. >> very hot, humid. >> let's talk about saturday? >> it's supposed to be a little rainy around new york city. >> yeah. >> but -- >> humid in the midwest. >> west looks nice. now move to sunday. >> severe storms in the south and louisiana. summertime heat out west. >> now move to monday. >> in the midwest severe thunderstorms. >> let's get to the fourth of july forecast. >> and we've got -- >> some rain, a little around midwest and south. >> beautiful across new england and hot in the northwest. >> yeah. >> thank you so much. that was awesome. she's on her way to becoming a meteoris

across the country, now here is a peek out your window. >> we've got warming up today. hot temperatures. temperatures right around 90 feeling closer to 100 at times. scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms. any time after 1:00 to 7:00. going to be breezy out there. not looking too bad for fourth of july. temperatures today, though, right around 90. as i said, breezy, hot, and muggy out there. storms should be out by 7:00. watch for heavy downpours and damaging winds. some of those storms >> i'll let you do the weather the next half hour. >> she was impressive. i was looking at the map thinking i don't know what i would do. that was very good. for those who love to sing, those who love to dance and act, as well, hoping to one day perform in the world's biggest theatrical stage, broadway is the ultimate dream. >> but the journey there is tough. for many living in rural communities across the u.s., sometimes it can feel out of reach. >> there's one competition. it's known as the tonys for teens, that attracts tens of thousands of students vying for g

stage. it's called the jimmy awards. it's a once in a lifetime opportunity for these kids to shine and be seen. ♪ if they could see me now ♪ i'm not throwing away my shot ♪ >> broadway, the ultimate dream for aspiring performers. a mecca in the middle of man handle. the dream begins for most far away in places like iowa where high school students like marisa and seamus are looking to be found. >> typically when people think iowa, they don't think theater. they think of farming and cornfields. >> 16-year-old marisa lives in des moines, a soon-to-be high school senior. >> i see this as my calling because when i'm on stage, it just feels like home. like i belong. >> more than three hours away to the east, there is 18-year-old seamus, a recent high school grad. >> for me to's always been second nature to hop up on

stage. ♪ if you to walk away from that, i don't know what i'd do with myself. >> hey! >> we caught up with marisa and seamus at their state final. a win here could take them to this year's national high school musical theater awards in new york city. >> if i went to new york, wow, that would be great. >> one, two, three -- >> first, rehearsals. >> to move on to the next level would be, you know, just crazy. >> then, showtime -- ♪ and success. >> marisa spawn! [ applause ] >> this is an awesome honor! >> i'm still kind of in shock right now. >> next stop, nationals in new york city. also known as the jimmy awards. ♪ the program consists of nine days of rehearsals and private coaching culminating with the students' debut on a broadway stage. more than 50,000 students competed in 37

only 74 made it here. [ applause ] what's your mindset going into this final competition? >> i'm just, you know, kind of dropping all the worries and remembering that we're performing in front of a soldout house. >> i'm not nervous at all. just because it's going to be so much fun. >> it is magic, isn't it? >> it is absolutely magic. and the amount of talent that these kids have will just make your heart spin. >> and the host for this evening's program -- ben platte, recent tony award winner for "dear evan hansen." i found out that mondays are your only day off now. >> yes, indeed. >> yet you're here. >> i kng of nowhere i'd rather be. i came to the jimmy awards last year, it blew my face off. these kids are inspiring, and it reminds me of why i like to do this in the first place. >> the red carpet, the opening number -- ♪ -- and a host of colorful performances would bring the theater to life. ♪ alon

the spotlight. f top honors went to students from florida, sophia deller and tony marino. marisa and seamus felt like winners all the same. ♪ >> performing on a broadway stage was everything i hoped that it would be and more. >> it's such an incredible environment. the rush and the magic. >> once in a lifetime opportunity. >> a dream come true. [ applause ] >> you know, this story hits close to home for me. my mom teaches music theater. so there are so many places in a lot of smaller cities around the country, and they're only dreaming of getting to broadway. to have an opportunity like that, a moment on stage, is pretty special. >> pretty cool. >> great. neat program. >> good story. next, we'll take you behind the wheel of a monster truck and introduce you to the women switching gears on a sport historically dominated by men. first, these messages. thank you so much. thank you! so we're a go? yes! we got a yes!

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we're back on a saturday morning. kid behind me said, "move, move, i can't see." can you see now? >> yeah. >> good. >> you're in the way. here's a look behind the wheel of an action-packed sport that's drawing in some big crowds. >> while it's a sport often dominated by males, more and more women are switching gears and steering monster trucks these days. >> nbc's kerry sanders got to meet one of these women and experience the ride of his life at the monster jam. >> reporter: it's loud, fast, unpredictable, and the fans love it. >> our biggest fans are kids. some of those kids are 85 years old. >> reporter: that's tom meets. his truck, m

>> that's exactly what i feel like when i'm on the track. >> reporter: a veteran driver in a sport that first found its footing in the mud in the 1970s. >> this is monster jam! >> reporter: these days on any given weekend there's a monster truck jam in as many as ten cities, up to 50,000 fans at each venue, and sometimes behind the wheel, maybe not who you'd expect. >> we have your two-speed powerglide transmission. bring it back to the merlin 540 big block -- >> reporter: 27 yield brianna mahan. >> that sucker has to turn -- >> reporter: one of only 14 female drivers on a circuit with more than 90 male drivers. her truck, scooby doo. >> you know, this is definitely a male-dominated sport. the women are taking over. >> reporter: brianna first climbed on a motor bike when she was about 2 years old. a natural segue, she says, to this world where sometimes a wrong acceleration at the wrong moment leads to -- oops --

cage. >> sometimes, you know, things? go wrong. it's a live vent. >> reporter: ruh-ro. >> right. you go with the flow. >> reporter: with that advice, an invitation. or shall we call it a challenge? >> i think you've got what it takes. ♪ >> reporter: first a lesson. this toggle switch turns the back wheels? both the front and back wheels steer the truck. if i turn right, it's right, and toggle switch right, the back wheels go right. >> you got it. >> hard one -- >> reporter: whoa! losing control! >> good luck, buddy. >> reporter: i don't know why i'm doing this, but i am. here we go -- whoa! whoa! whoa! whoa! whoa! take two. all right. go ahead. [ bleep ]

i feel at one moment frightened, the other moment exhilarated. >> great job. ♪ [ laughter [ laughter ] >> reporter: with the greatest job in the world -- whoo -- for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, new orleans. >> we heard kerry squeal like a girl. >> we did. and you know what, we had -- >> had to bleep it. >> we had to bleep it. it's been a while. a truck and good times. coming up, fun, fast, and frugal, do-it-yourself decorations to get yourself in the party mood this july 4th weekend. first, this is "today" on nbc. [ cheers ]

this morning on "today's" "take away" july 4th weekend is upon us. that comes with parties, parties, and more parties. if you're entertaining and need inspiration when it comes to day

meet design and entertaining expert francesco bellato. he has fast, fun, and cool diy ideas. consider this your cheatsheet to throwing a red, white, and beautiful weekend -- >> i get it. clever, clever. >> i want to set the stage here. >> okay. >> he is about to do, what, under $10 in under 10 minutes. is that right? >> 100%. under $10, under 10 minutes. get the kids involved. the first thing, always think about how you're going to welcome your guests. >> the front door. come to your house -- >> boom. literally was at michael's crafts the other day, walking through, trying to unleash my inner maker pulling things. i'm like, i'm going to frame some flags with ribbon. >> great idea. >> these are set in a set of two. added stars. great on the back of a tree, a back yard, window. fast, fun, frugal, easy. just glue it on, and there you go. >> i love, it under $10. you could buy it for $50 or $60 -- >> sell it on ebay afterwards. >>etsy. how about this? >> so every season, we always want to switch out our pillows de

sometimes for the holiday, it gets expensive. >> throw pillows can be expensive. >> they can be expensive. i found these bandanas there, as well. and i made covers for over -- >> no, you made these? >> i made them, once again -- this actually took five minutes, under $10. no sew. i'll show you in a bit how we made them. it's a great way to do it. they look great as covers for chairs. >> what a great idea. >> thanks. yeah. >> and later in the kids' room, if the kids have blue and orange, fun colors. >> store easily. >> i thought you wering so th ththis -- were sewing this. >> i don't sew. the easiest thing is to find iron-on adhesive. do your bandanas front to front. and i'll pull this back a little. rip off a little. you don't even need scissors which is so great. you want to put this there. throw this on top. and then you just want to iron it. >> iron it together. >> iron it together. >> that simple? >> it's that simple. within three minutes, you're done. you have this. what you want to do is take it, ready? >> and stick it in -- >> do it inside out. >> yes! almost like a seam. >> like a

>> that looks professional. >> well -- >> you know what -- >> i try. >> i have so many old pillows i could cover, too. i wouldn't need to buy new pillows. >> pretty good, right? >> a great idea. inside out. >> tuck the bottom of it. >> ten minutes under $10. what about drinks to keep them cool? >> frozen water balloons. a great presentation. the kids can play with them after -- >> don't throw them -- >> after they've melted they're fun toys. great way to have that and not worry about replenishing the ice. the water stays cool and emits some of the humidity. >> cute. cute. >> speaking of the table, in setting these here, a ribbon runner. a couple of runs of ribbon over a white tablecloth. you have a runner. make sure to find great principal downloads. >> personalize, look -- >> how great. and yeah, there's downloads on events and today.com. you'll find the information. >> you win. but this. >> easy, man. easy. >> you made this happen. for these cute ideas, head to today.com. up next, cheers. >> cheers. >> we are grilling a great

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>> simple, brine your chicken first. it can be done in your apartment or outside on the grill. garlic cooked in water with salt, sugar. make a nice brine. >> what does it do, by the way? >> i like to pour it over -- careful -- over the chicken. it cools in the brine, and it takes the fat out of the skin. imparts flavor with the salt and sugar. tenderizes it. you have the beautiful garlic that you can set aside and use later. it's really delicious. that salt flavor. then you really want to get the brine for three hours. let it dry. you have the barbecue sauce, all your ingredient here with all of your back strap molasses, cherry vinegar, heirloom tomatoes. i love a nice coating first. >> in the barbecue sauce, ingredients? >> lots of spices. smoked paprika, cayenne, fennel pollen, ground

cinnamon. the garlic that we had here in the -- in the brine, too. >> you're sauces before you cook it, too. >> i am. >> why is that? >> i like little bit of sauce. get it nice and glazed because you've taken the skin and taken fat away. you can really get nice crispness to it. let it keep cooking away. and i'm a big fan of basting and basting and basting your chicken as it's going. you get that real nice, crispy, sweet, kind of spicy lift to it. all right. >> that looks good. skin down always, skin down always? >> start with your skin down so you render out the fat. get it crispy and marinating and grilling up. >> there's the finished product. what's the verdicts, ladies? >> i'm going to tattle tale on sheinelle because she's not eating the skin -- >> the meat is so flavorful. >> -- that's the best part. >> so juici. >> so good. >> how do you get the skin so crispy? >> that's the brine. it takes it and leeches out the fat andry

of the water or the brine. skin side down is super important. >> can i say this potato salad is amazing? >> so good. >> we'll get to that potato salad in a moment. >> yum. >> what do we have here? >> i like -- the trick for potato salad or snack is onion butter. no butter, just a phrase -- red onion or spanish onion, olive oil, salt and pepper. wrap it, put it in the oven for an hour. let it cook until it's super tender. come over and get the pulp out. >> i like that. >> chop it up. a little extra seasoning. herbs and flowers from our garden, we like to do. and you're set. take that onion butter, and i like to add that as a nice, savory component to the potato salad. >> ah. >> most important part for me on the potato salad -- cold, salted water. and a yellow skin, yellow fleshed potato, a fingerling or yukon gold. gives you the nice sweetness and starch from the potato. cook it from the cold water out so it doesn't overcook on the outside. >> and this is something you can make ahead of time, too. >> absolutely. you don't want

these done, you can do them the day before. let them cool. slice then as you like. i'm a big fan of pretty much a mayonnaise-style potato salad. if not thickening mayonnaise with potatoes. i like chives, scallions, tarragon, parsley, your favorite mayonnaise. make it your own. sherry vinegar. dijon mustard. >> beautiful presentation. >> there's a little heat in this. >> a little bit -- a little yogurt. >> there's a little spice in the potato salad. >> spice in the potato salad. >> i use a little cayenne pepper. a little bit of ground fennel. mustard might go a long way, as well. >> really good. >> you like it? >> very good. >> thank you very much. >> my pleasure. >> thank you for coming in. happy fourth of july to you. >> thank you. >> if you'd like to get this recipe and more recipes, it's today.com/food. >> all right. that does it for us on this saturday morning. tomorrow on "sunday today," willie sits down with country star maran morris. >> and enjoy the rest of your day, and have a wonderful weekend. >> so good! >> i know! [ cheers ]

[ applause ed. >> announcer: "news 4 today" begins with breaking news. that breaking news coming out of arkansas this morning. good saturday morning. i'm david culver. >> good morning to you. i'm meagan fitzge.

desk this morning. >> meagan and david, more than a dozen people shot early this morning in arkansas. there are no fatalities but a lot of gunfire. listen to this video and you'll understand why the outcome us sum -- is simply amazing. >> we'll continue to follow that, check in with you with some of that video. smoke, flames and a firefighter hurt. the dangerous situation in northwest d.c. that forced a family out of their home. >> you've got temperatures out there warming up rather quickly. already at 80 degrees at this point. we will see temperatures rise to right around 90 as we head into the afternoon. so again, it is going to be a little on the warm side out there. as with go through the day. we've got scattered showers and

well, so we're doing to be talking about those. that's all going to be coming up in just a few minutes. from schools to police and a lot of other changes to it will you about. the new local laws now in effect that you have to follow. all that and the key travel tums and added security you'll see on this long holiday weekend. >> plus goi tong

>> announcer: "news 4 today

begins with breaking news. that breaking news, 17 people shot. right now on "news 4 today," nightclub vialence in little rock, arkansas and what police are now uncovering in the daylight. close are to home, a firefighter hurt una rooftop blaze. the d.c. row house up in flames and the family now without a home. this holiday weekend, get ready for it, you are going to be feeling the heat and humidity. we've got storm team 4 tracking a major warm-up and when showers might dampen your backyard plans. at 9:00 if you're just waking up on this saturday, we are following breaking news out of little rock, arkansas. >> let's get straight to news 4's derrick ward live for us. good morning, derrick. >> this is wild. more than a dozen people shot in little rock, arkansas. no one was killed. if you listen to the audio from video shot inside the club, you'll understand why this outcome is simply amazing.