good morning. banished. president trump's chief strategist, steve bannon, firing back at the media already saying the trump presidency he fought for is over already. his exit just the latest in a string of high-profile departures within the wte house. what's next for president trump, and could his former top adviser turn fire on him? we're live with the latest. breaking overnight, police officers under fire. a string of attacks against officers nationwide. in florida one police officer killed, another gravely wounded in what police are calling a possible ambush.

president trump tweeting condolences overnight. now the investigation into what happened. terror cell in spain. new arrests tied to the attacks in barcelona and cambrils. police looking for at least one man who may have been the driver of the van that barrelled through barcelona killing and injuring scores. this as we learn more about the california man who was killed as he celebrated his first wedding anniversary. all that, plus boston prepares for tens of thousands who are expected at a so-called free speech rally. a seattle seahawks player gets support from a teammate after he chooses to sit during the national anthem. ♪ i've got a blank space and taylor swift goes dark. the singer's social media account a blank space with rumors flying that she might be ready to drop a new album today, saturday, august 19th, 2017. from nbc news, this is "today" live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza.

♪ and welcome to "today" on this saturday morning. i'm craig melvin. >> i'm sheinelle jones. dylan dreyer is here, as well. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> this has become a bit of a familiar ritual here, getting up on a saturday morning with yet another top trump administration official gone. >> true. sean spicer, reince priebus, and new steve bannon ousted on friday. >> president trump's former top strategist, steve bannon, speaking overnight about his ouster from the white house. bannon vowing to go to war for the president's agenda and against his enemies in the west wing. nbc's kelly o'donnell is in new jersey with more. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, craig. one of the president's most powerful advisers from the campaign to the west wing is not going quietly. steve bannon is vowing publicly to "crush the opposition." the decision to oust bannon came from the new chief of staff, john kelly, and it's a sign of his authority.

the post-stooeve bannon era begins. president trump did not comment about the dismissal of his chief strategist. bannon leaves the white house but not the battlefield. already back to his former world at the conservative media outlet breitbart, named executive chairman. and already speaking out. bannon bluntly told "the weekly standard" "the trump presidency that we fought for and won is over." this image captures the exodus. all the advisors from this early group now gone. bannon, the hard-line nationalist, economic populist, lost his power struggle within to more moderate voices with whom he had sparred. bannon also said of his return to breitbart, "now i'm free. i've got my hands back on my weapons." critics including many democrats blasted bannon as an alt-right leader who gave a bigger platform to white nna

anger. wall street reacted when news of his exit broke with traders cheering. >> bannon is said to have submitted his resignation. [ cheers ] >> reporter: tuesday president trump defended bannon but later agreed he should go. >> he is not a racist. i can tell you that. >> reporter: republican congressman peter king wanted bannon out. >> now it's up to the president and john kelly, new chief of staff, to show the white house can run on the chain of command and in an orderly way. >> reporter: the white house released its own photos and music-backed video from inside the president's camp david meetings friday with his national security team, making the absence of steve bannon all the more obvious. two more unrelated separations from the white house, billionaire investor carl icahn, has said that the president has agreed that he will no loenger e advising president trump based on criticism that he was doing so well also running his business. an t

council is leaving the president with some artistic flair. in a letter explaining their decision, the first letter of each paragraph spelled out the word "resist" which has become a battle cry for democrats and the left against president trump. >> kelly o'donnell, thank you. elise jordan is an msnbc political analyst and former top adviser to the rand paul campaign. and jonathan swann is a national political reporter for axios. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> jonathan, i'll start with you. there are a lot of competing narratives as to how this went down with steve bannon. what are you hearing? was this a good breakup or a bad on one? >> about as bad as breakups can get. there's a reason president trump didn't give steve bannon a warm stairwell -- warm fare well. president trump can't stand steve bannon.

said bannon was a leaker, saying who does this guy think he is, resents the narrative that donald trump has seen that bannon was the architect of his election victory. donald trump has been complaining about a book called "devil's bargain" which some close to trump call a biography of steve bannon. trump can't stand bannon. yes, this was a kelly decision, but it was also a donald trump decision. >> we heard from kelly o. that bannon immediately goes on the offense, making provocative comments about the trump presidency, that they fought for over, vowing now to go to war, his words. what is this war going to look like, this war that steve bannon is promising? >> my understanding from talking to a number of sources familiar with breitbart is that the mercer family, billionaire new york hedge fund mogul, bob

mercer who already funds breitbart will reinvest, probably quite heavily. breitbart will continue what it's been doing, a multi-front war, attacking republicans on capitol hill. i suspect they'll engage in a campaign to remove the speaker of the house paul ryan and will turn their fire on bannon's enemies inside the white house. the "globalists" that bannon has been fighting on the inside. he's going to keep fighting them on the outside. it's people like jared and ivanka, gary cohn, the top economic adviser, h.r. mcmaster, the national security adviser, dina powell, the deputy. what they are probably going do is also hold donald trump's feet to the fire when it comes to the big policy fights in september. you're going to have a debt yielding fight and a government funding fight. they're going to demand that -- that donald trump sign a bill that has money for the border wall. that's going to be a really hot fight in washington. >> there's so much talk about bannon this morning. let's pull back a bit. n

why does all of this matter from a policy standpoint and an optics standpoint? >> well, you look at how donald trump came into the white house in a black swann event. and steve bannon was really the force behind a lot of ideas that donald trump already had in his heart but helped donald trump market those ideas, gain more widespread appeal, and it went shaky from the very beginning. you know, you look at how the executive order about the -- the so-called muslim ban, how that was rolled out, and steve bannon, that was his first big initiative. while steve bannon certainly achieved renown for being the top strategist, he doesn't have that many successes to add to his lendinger for -- ledger for his time in the white house. you look at how many other congressional failures there were. looking at his six months, there wasn't really that much that

did. the question now is how destructive of a force is he going to be outside of the white house. >> with regards to the president's legislative agenda, going back to what jonathan said, elise, what does all of this mean for that when congress returns? >> as jonathan pointed out, the huge question is the debt ceiling and how much of a fight will there be raising the debt ceiling past $19 trillion which the secretary of the treasury, mnuchin, said we can pay all of our bills until the end of september, but congress has to vote and approve to raise the limit. that's going to be a huge fight because they're going to -- there's going to be the nationalist faction that really wants funding for the border wall. but are you really going to see a republican congress put their votes behind a border wall in raising -- in raising the debt ceiling? so it's going to be interesting, the liaison with the freedom caucus which bannon did have support among, how this proceeds. >> good discussion. thank you.

>> thank you. we'll get to breaking news overnight. police officers under attack in several states. sadly, one of the attacks was a deadly one. nbc's anne thompson is following the developments. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, craig. the shootings were in florida and pennsylvania. president trump weighing in early this morning, expressing his condolences. and now police are trying to figure out what was behind all of this violence. overnight, a string of attacks against police officers in florida and pennsylvania. >> breaks my heart to have to speak to you tonight about another accepsenseless tragedy. >> reporter: in florida, two officers responding to reports of a suspicious person. n an area known -- person in an area known for drug activity when they appeared to be ambushed. >> i can inform you that officer matthew baxter has succumbed to his injuries tonight. sergeant sam howard is in grave, critical condition. and the pos

good. >> reporter: the president tweeted about the shooting early saturday, "my thoughts and prayers are with the kissimmee police and their loved ones. we are with you." in a separate incident in jacksonville, florida -- >> we see five or six cops speeding down just like real fast. and then like two ambulances come down, and we don't know what's going on. >> reporter: two officers were shot while responding to an attempted suicide call. >> as the officers approached the house and attempted to enter one of the doorways, the suspect began shooting through the door at the officers. the suspect advanced on the officers and exited the house. >> reporter: police shot and killed the suspect. one officer is in critical condition. the other remains in stable condition. and in pennsylvania, two state troopers were shot outside of a grocery store, but both are expected to be okay. the suspect dead. both suspects in the jacksonville and pennsylvania cases are dead. police say they have caught three people in connection with the kissimmee case,

still looking for one more. craig? >> anne thompson for us. thank you. in spain there were new arrests overnight tied to the terror attacks in barcelona and cambrils. police say they are still looking for at least one more person. nbc's kristen dahlgren is in barcelona. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. we are learning from the spanish government this morning, they say they believe this terror cell has been disbanded. authorities say not all suspects are in custody. this morning, a massive manhunt is underway. in a town north of barcelona, more arrests. the crowd yelling "murderer" as one suspect is taken by police. four men are now in custody, allegedly linked to two attacks that left 14 dead and more than 100 injured. five other suspected terrorists killed, shot by police in the seaside dotown of cambrils. among the

police believe rented the van that plowed through barcelona's la rambla thursday. this morning, spanish authorities are still on the hunt for another man. spanish media reporting he could be the driver of that van in what police now believe was plan b. authorities say they think the men were planning a much bigger attack using explosives until a house where they were stockpiling propane and butane exploded wednesday night. among the dead in barcelona, american jared tucker. celebrating his first anniversary with wife heidi. back home in california, his father still in shock. >> i don't know how you feel -- i'm not angry necessarily. you know, more importantly, i just don't understand it. it's just hand to order how anything like -- just hard to understand how anything like that could happen. >> reporter: another family safely back in the states. they were just ten feet from where the van jumped the curb on to

lives hoping that we got away and that nothing was going to happen. >> reporter: as memorials grow along the pedestrian walkway, there is sadness and solidarity. the crowd chanting "i am not afraid." the popular tourist destination as crowded as ever amid haunting reminders of all that was lost. so still a good showing by the crowds here. to give you some idea, this is still a crowd on edge. there was a point where a mass of people began running and screaming, and the police rushed to our south -- it was a false alarm. that just gives you some idea that people here are very aware there is still a terrorist on the loose. guys? >> you can certainly understand. that thank you. in boston today, tens of thousands are expected to come out on both sides for rallies over freedom of speech from white nationalist to the counterprotesters who want to fight against their message of hate.

a heavy police presence to prevent a repeat of charlottesville. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you. in fact, this is expected to be the largest rally since charlottesville. this is a so-called free speech rally. they've insight a series of -- invited a series of white nationalists to take the stage. that's also why boston's police department says they expect to see more than 20,000 counterprotesters coming right here to say that boston doesn't stand for bigotry. just one week after a white supremacist rally in charlottesville turned violent leaving one woman dead, more demonstrations are popping up across the country. >> we are the people, too! >> reporter: from durham, north carolina, where hundreds took to the streets protesting bigotry to boston where police are setting up barricades ahead of today's so-called free speech rally which invited several white nationalists, leave something residents on edge. >> i just hope nobody gets hurt. i

of me that wants to sabotage it. but i'm just going to stay away. >> reporter: boston's rally is expected to be the biggest since charlottesville. its organizers claim this one isn't about white nationalism. it's about having the right to express your views, even if it is offensive. >> the speakers that we have booked are very much in keeping with our message of trying to bring people together around our core values of free speech. >> reporter: but just blocks away, several groups are organizing a counterprotest. they say that hate, even under the guise of free speech, has no place in boston. why protest? what about those who say you can't convince the other side? >> why sit and do nothing would be my response. we're not going to like what each side has to say. >> reporter: neither side willing to back down. four other cities across the country are holding counterrallies today which is why boston officials are pleading for peace. >> we don't respond hate with hate. >> reporter: and residents are taking a

that there's 20,000 people who think hate's a bad idea. >> reporter: to be clear, there were four other free speech rallies scheduled across the country today, but those all got scrapped after things in charlottesville turned violent. that's why boston police say they're going through people's bags, monitoring social media to make sure that this remains a safe space. back to you. >> we hope and pray it is peaceful there. thank you. now to other stories making headlines this morning. two suspects in the fatal stabbing of a 26-year-old man were extradited to chicago from california overnight to face first-degree murder charges. one suspect was a northwestern university professor. the other an employee at oxford university. investigators say one of the suspects had a personal relationship with the victim. a los angeles judge on friday rejected a request by the woman who was raped by roman polanski four decades ago to dismiss that case against the fugitive director. samantha gymer was just 13 at th

of sentencing in 1978. the woman says she has forgiven polanski and just wants to move on with her life. and seahawks' defensive end michael bennett sat during the national anthem in seattle for the second straight preseason game. his decision to sit was in response to the violence in charlottesville. a teammate laying his hands on bennett's shoulder. dylan dreyer here. we had storms. >> did you see the lightning supported him, britt with a hand on his shoulder. >> we have flooding reported on a train station, in long island, new york, pouring over the sidewalk there. we also had a family rescued in farmingdale, new york, an elderly couple stuck in their car with 3 feet of water surrounding that car. luckily, they got out with no injuries. we will see another round of

widespread, maybe isolated pop-up storms. in ceased activity across the great lakes today. all with this unsettled air across the northeast. very humid combined with the cold front moving eastward that could trigger isolated storms. we're not looking at widespread storms. we have heavy rain along the gulfcoast today adding to the several inches of rain we've been seeing the last several weeks. it could lead to minor troubles but not too much to affect your saturday. here's a peek out your window. >> we won't see storms today, maybe a pop-up shower, that's about it. the humidity lower as the frontal system passed through our area last night. 77 in washington d.c., 68 in gaithersburg, 77 in manassas. enjoy it because by the time we are at

that's your latest forecast. >> we'll get more on the big eclipse coming up monday. >> i'm excited. >> i can nerd out if you want to me. >> i'm sure you will. coming up, the debate over confederate statutes in the country. should they be taken down? we'll catch you up on big stories this week including a moment when a man struggles to stay afloat in raging water. crazy video there. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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time for "the download," our look back at the week that was. the political fallout from charlottesville dominated most of the conversation, but there were plenty of other headlines. >> from the ongoing back and forth from the u.s. and north korea and a victory in court for taylor swift, just some of the stories you may have missed.

between the united states and north korea. >> we'll take it out. >> the u.s. warning it is prepared to use military force against the rogue nation should it choose to launch ballistic missiles toward guam. mexican drug kingpin el chapo appeared in federal court asking for a judge to dismiss his public defender so that he could hire mob boss john gotti's former lawyer instead. >> the bottom line is that joaquin guzman is not going to be afforded a fair trial. and that's what we're here for. >> the judge made no promises, aware that the government may seize any compensation claiming it as drug money. a nationwide frenzy. millions counting down to monday's historic eclipse. >> got to do it. >> apparently everybody wants to see it. >> it's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. >> it's the first solar eclipse to cross the united states from coast to coast in almost a century. a dangerous week in hollywood. tom cruise

of a building while shooting a "mission impossible" sequel. the movie star breaking his ankle. [ siren ] then tragedy struck a vancouver set of "deadpool 2" after a stuntwoman was killed in a horrific crash. witnesses say she appeared to lose control of her motorcycle which went barreling into a building across the street. victory in court for taylor swift against a former radio deejay after the jury in her high-profile groping trial ruled unanimously in her favor. >> the case hinged on this 2013 photo in which swift says david mueller groped her under her skirt. >> she was very confident on the stand. you heard about a lawyer badgering a witness -- this of the first time i've seen a witness badger a lawyer. >> to have her standing up for women around the world is really cool. >> the jury awarding swift a symbolic dollar. >> it is of immeasurable value. some of the week's most memorable moments caught on camera. a fiery crash in kansas when a

burst into flames. the driver survived with only minor injuries. a dramatic river rescue in alaska when a 64-year-old kayaker struggled to stay afloat in the raging waters. a man linked in after him and helped bring him to safety. [ cheers ] and a brazen jewelry heist in broad daylight. six robbers, one of them armed with a sledgehammer, sped away from this london jewelry store leaving shop owners stunned. ah! >> and a courageous dad in ireland conquered his fear of heights by crawling to the edge of a cliff to catch a glimpse of the atlantic ocean. that was a neat story. we have these adorable puppies. i'm going to tell you why. still to come, why these adorable puppies are here on set. also, taylor swift goes dark on the

good morning. i'm angie goff. it is "clear the shelters" day! take a look at the humane rescue alliance on 3rd street northwest. you can see sheena par vay working with all the feels and cuddles. she is working on the shelters with us, one of many participating. adoption fees are being waived today to help all the animals new forever homes and wendy rieger and you can see live sheena here with a look how you can adopt,

washington app with more details. how precious is that. today your last day to buy those back to school items tax-free in the state of maryland. clothes or shoes costing $100 or less qualify so does your first $40 of a backpack purchase. your forecast is coming up next. stay with us.

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sheena parveen eeee lauryn, the frizz factor not as bad as yesterday. >> not too bad. we'll feel a little humidity today not as oppressive. sun is up and temperature will top out in the mid 80s by the time we head to the noon hour. today and tomorrow we're looking at the humidity looking for the solar eclipse. make sure you have the glasses on, 2:42 is

saturday and sunday dry, next chance of rain on we are back on this saturday morning, august 19th, 2017. that's a look at our control room. everyone working hard. >> are they? are they all working hard? here's a look at what's making headlines on this saturday morning -- president trump's former chief strategist steve bannon already has a new job. he's back at the conservative media outlet breitbart. bannon spoke out overnight about his departure from the white house saying, "the trump presidency that we fought for and won is over." three shootings in florida and pennsylvania are under investigation this morning after one officer was killed and several others hurt. in kissimmee, florida, police say the officers may have been ambushed when responding to a call about possible drug activity. police say one suspect is still at large in tha

and yankees superstar derek jeter is a dad. jeter and his wife hannah welcomed a baby girl on thursday. the couple naming that bundle of joy bella rain. >> beautiful name. also this morning, the debate over confederate statutes around the country -- statues around the country rages on. a debate last week when the events in charlottesville turned tragic. there are hundreds of questions about what to do with them that's drawing strong reaction on both sides. nbc's maya rodriguez is in charlottesville with more on that. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, chanel. here in charlottesville, the mayor is asking state lawmakers to step in and help them remove the statue of robert e. lee. it comes as other communities with similar monuments grapple with the issue. a 21st century battle over a civil war ledge see. from baltimore -- [ applause ] -- to lexington, kentucky, to durham, north carolina. [ chrs

cities this week in controversy after the proposal of statues from public spaces. after the plan to remove the robert e. lee statue, a comment after the violent protest. >> everything changed. shook me to my core. i think the statues have become touchstones for terrorism. >> reporter: the number of confederate statues around the country -- there are nearly 700 still standing, erected mostly between 1890 and 1920. >> it was a period when white supremacy reigned. sovereign governments, cities, states, put up monuments to reflect what they thought of as the past glory of the confederacy. >> reporter: according to a new poll taken this week, 62% of those surveyed think confederate statues should stay, while 27% say they should be removed. president trump tweeting this week, "sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and

feelings on the issue strong on both sides. >> the statue as well as any other resemblances of racism need to be taken down. why would we want someone else's feelings to be crushed like that with this statue being in place? >> reporter: the fate of this statue is tied up in a lawsuit. there's a court hearing about the lawsuit set for the end of the month. chanel? >> maya, thank you. dylan dreyer is back with another check o you. dylan dreyer is back with another talk of the forecast. are we talking eclipse yet? >> i figured because your eyes are kind of bright. >> i know. i'm ex-sirt. the eclipse is cool but if it's cloudy you might not see it. it gets a little tricky around the country and the coast of south carolina. let's start with newport, oregon, morning clouds, the path of

morning pacific time. casper, wyoming. and 12:54 central time here. in north platte. carbondale, illinois, 1:20, looks partly cloudy, that should be salvageable. the same thing for nashville and columbia, south carolina, and charleston is where you're looking for the best chance of scattered showers. keep that in mind if you go out and about but still look for it. for the most part the weather is pretty quiet across the country today. that's a look the the weather across the country, here's a peek out your window. >> it's 77 in d.c., a lot of areas in the 60s and lower 70s.

because we have the sunshine out there as we go through the afternoon and also the humidity just a touch lower. the humidity comes pouring back in on monday solar eclipse day as dylan just said. it will be hot >> that's your latest forecast. >> thank you. still ahead, getting all the back-to-school supplies your kids need without breaking the bank. we'll show you how you can get everything for under $20. plus, much more on the eclipse. don't worry, dylan. everything you need to know from protecting your eyes to homeowners in the eclipse zone making big bucks. >> come on. making big bucks. >> the moment you realize you have a one person vanity but a 4 person family. at lowe's, we have the latest styles and trends to fit your budget.

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my dad called them up and asked for "the jennifer garner card" which is such a dad thing to do. after he gave his name the woman from capital one said "mr. garner, are you related to jennifer?" kind of joking with him. and my dad was so proud to tell her, "as a matter of fact, she is my middle daughter". so now dad has the venture card, he's earning his double miles, and he made a friend at the company. can i say it? go ahead! what's in your wallet? nice job dad. this morning, we have just two days from that total solar eclipse, and the question is -- are you ready? >> there's a lot to think about from the sky-high prices you'll have to pay for lodging, if you want to see it up close, to making sure youav

eyewear. >> today national investigative correspondent jeff rossen has it all from lyman, south carolina. >> reporter: this morning we have you fully covered on all things eclipse. first want to say this -- if you live in one of these cities and towns right in the eclipse path, you are cashing in. people are charging crazy amounts of money, they're even renting out their back yards because hotels are sold out, for tourists to camp out. this tent, for example, in this back yard, they'll give you the tent for $320 to camp out with your family. people are even making money by selling those special solar eclipse glasses you need. and by the way, speaking of the glasses, you need to use these to watch the eclipse safely. experts say there are counter fits out there now. how are you supposed to know if yours are safe? this morning, we have you covered to keep you're family safe. on monday a rare solar eclipse visible from oregon to south carolina. but don't look up just yet without approved eclipse sunglasses like

you can actually go blind. that's why officials are sounding the alarm that counterfeiters are selling eclipse glasses that look real and claim to be safe but won't protect when you staring at the sun. so how can you tell a safe pair from a potentially dangerous fake? we're at ics laboratories in ohio. what can we do when buying these glasses to make sure they're safe? >> somewhere on the speck tax tele's going to say meets the iso 123-12 standard. >> reporter: i see it, 123-12-12, look for that. look for the name of the manufacturer? >> right. >> reporter: we have an approved list on today.com, so you can go there, compare that and what else? >> some of them would appear dark enough, but they're not. there are going to be filters that are so light that you could see something like your hand clearly defined, normal lighting conditions. >> reporter: i shouldn't be able to see my hand in front of my own face? >> absolutely not. c

>> reporter: this is good. i can't see my hand in front of my face. now that your eyes are safe, you'll need a place to watch the eclipse. along the path, hotel prices are spiking. because demand is high, they're allowed to do it. check out this room in greenville, south carolina. it's an embassy suites. goes for $259 per night now. during the eclipse, goes for $799 a night. more than three times the price. think that's high? over in nashville, my producer, annika, found an even bigger spike. >> i just checked into this marriott. the price right now, $368. for the eclipse, it skyrockets to $978 a night. >> reporter: even regular homeowners are printing money. renting out their houses for big cash on airbnb. like here in south carolina. take a look at this house. three bedrooms, two baths. it's a nice house. normal sized house, not a mansion by any stretch. guess how much the

$950. these are the homeowners who want a pretty big bank october this. chandler and lauren. that's a lot of money. >> it is. >> reporter: why that high? >> greenville is a popular place, and all the hotels booked up. we decided to give it a shot. >> reporter: what are you going to use the money for? i want to know what people are going to use the money for? >> we have dreams of a ten-year anniversary trip. >> this is the anniversary fund. >> reporter: good luck. >> thank you. >> reporter: hope someone doesn't trash the place. by the way, a lot of people have been asking me is this price gounging. the answer is no. price gouging is illegal and only happens during a state of emergency. if there's a hurricane or tornado that blows into a city or town, then gas stations raise their prices, hotels raise their prices, that's price gouging. here, this is just the law of supply and demand. it's capitalism, the free market, and it's allowed. back to you. >> jeff rossen clearing it up for us. so on monday,

the path of totality, what is this? >> a cool buzzword. it's basically we are right in it, the entire united states through that line has the best changes of seeing the sun totally obscured by the moon. >> wow. >> i thought it was interesting you said -- i told dylan, you squint -- she said you don't feel the damage. that's why it's important. >> no, a lot of damage because people think you can squint but you can't. >> we have you covered monday if you can't make it out to see the eclipse. nbc news and msnbc, live coverage all day starting here on "today" with al who will be live, of course, in that zone of totality. >> and for everything you need to know ahead of the eclipse, head to -- excuse me -- nbcnews.com. what's coming up next? we have puppies. what else do i need to say? we'll explain why these guys are here coming up right after these me before fibromyalgia, i was a doer. i was active. then the chronic, widespread pain drained my energy. my doctor said moving more

she also prescribed lyrica. fibromyalgia is thought to be the result of overactive nerves. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. woman: for some, lyrica can significantly relieve fibromyalgia pain and improve function, so i feel better. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or blurry vision. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. with less pain, i can be more active. ask your doctor about lyrica.

ithat's why i use excedrin. hold because of a headache. it has two pain fighters plus an amplifier and for some, headache relief starts in just 15 minutes.

moments gained with excedrin. this timyou haveis turn. 4.3 minutes to yourself. this calls for a taste of cheesecake. new philadelphia cheesecake cups. rich, creamy cheesecake with real strawberries. find them with the refrigerated desserts. we are back with new friends. ♪ who let the dogs out >> dylan is here to tell us what these furry and friendly guys are doing here. >> i have cassidy here in my arms. she is sweet as can be. they are here to help us spread the word about a great cause. today marks the third annual clear the shelters pet adoption campaign sponsored by nbc and telemundo-owned stations. hundreds of shelters across the country are waiving or reducing their adoption fees today. to date, clear the shelters has matched families with more than 70,000 pets. by the way, these puppies that we're

the little shelter animal rescue and adoption center in hunting ton, new york. they are all up for adoption. so if you can get this one away from me. for more information on this event including a list of participating shelters, head to our website, today.com. say hey, cassidy. say hey. >> cassidy has already been adopted. guarantee it. >> how bosco would feel about that. >> true. >> this is belle. precious. >> she is precious. thank you. still to come, it's a story that's dull, boring, and bland. we promise you will like it. >> okay. >> we'll hear back in a moment. first, this is "today" on nbc. >> hay hi to america so somebody will take you ho me

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we are back on a saturday morning with a story that just screams boring. >> it's also a little dull and kind of bland. >> so why are we making you watch?

well, it's time nbc's kelly cobiella explains. >> reporter: in the hills of central scotland, jaw-dropping views. it's stunning up here. >> absolutely. >> reporter: a past that dates back to the iron age with a living history lesson. >> living up in the hills -- >> reporter: did you think it was interesting or dull? >> interesting. aleppo, guys. and the -- hi, guys. and the friendliest red deer around. you could call this place delightful, stupendous, splendid. they call it dull. dull, scotland. population, 84. not counting the chickens. lovely chicken. hen whisperer hillary weeder has been a dull person for decades. >> if ever i feel down a little, as one does occasionally, all dial is ask dull people in for drinks, and we're all happy again. >> reporter: 4,500 miles away across the atlantic,

boring, oregon, with a hometown brew and these days bagpipes. ♪ a few years ago a dull woman riding through boring decided being dull and boring together might be exciting. ♪ now they're sister communities, and every august they celebrate boring and dull day in oregon. >> boring and dull, it's a darn good idea. we have a lot of fun with it. and frankly, it's brought a lot of notoriety. >> reporter: and an official scottish tartan designed by lifelong dull person james pringle. >> we have beige, brown, and gray. it wasn't the prettiest tartan. we went for the red, white, and blue to celebrate. >> reporter: just when you thought dull and boring couldn't get any better -- you're the mayor of where? >> bland shire. >> reporter: theshire of bland in far away australia joined the club. >> the real australia is like

the real scotland is like dull. >> reporter: what do you think about this whole dull/bland/boring thing? >> i think it makes people happy. doesn't worry us. we're still dull. >> reporter: and proud of it. for "today," kelly cobiella, nbc news, dull. >> dull. >> i love it. >> so do i. >> so many people in public, where they going with this? it was worth it. still to come, bannon banished. president trump's top strategist out. what now? plus, what life could have looked like for jennifer aniston and husband justin thoreau if they'd met 20 years ago on the set of "friends." first, these messages. ♪ it's time for the biggest sale of the year with the new sleep number 360 smart bed. it senses your every move and automatically adjusts on both sides to keep you effortlessly comfortable. and snoring.... does your bed do that? the new 360 smart bed is part of our biggest sale of the year where all beds are on sale.

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you're about to see the humane rescue ally ant. that's sheena parveen holding one of the many little animals up for adoption. all adoption fees are being waived as part of "clear the shelters." sheena will join us, along with wendy rieger. she will chat about how you can best find a new friend and all the friends in "clear the shelters." #cleartheshelters, if you're taking part. and another day to get your kids vaccinated for the new school year, greenbelt, temple hills and hyattsville. you can visit from 11:00 this morning to 3:00 this afternoon. find a full list of our clinics

a really nice start to your saturday morning. lauryn ricketts, thinking humidity isn't that bad? >> no a little lower than yesterday. yesterday down right oppressive. warming up through the 70s and topping out to 90 degrees today, maybe a passing sprinkle. for the most part we will remain dry. temperatures in the upper 80s,

monday and more on the solar eclipse. david. >> you, me, good morning. banished. president trump's former chief strategist steve bannon speaking out overnight about his exit from the white house. his departure just the latest in a string within the trump administration. this morning why he says the trump presidency he fought for is over already. breaking overnight, police officers under fire. one officer is killed, several others injured in at least three separate shootings in two states. the investigations now moving forward as president trump tweets his condolences. ♪ i've got a blank space baby and taylor swift goes dark. the pop superstar clears out all of her social media accounts and her website overnight as the speculation swirls about what she has planned next.