♪ good morning. family feud. president trump mending fences with the senate republican leader, sort of, as senator john mccain takes a new swipe. half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems. >> and the president makes a bold, false claim about how past presidents treated families of fallen soldiers. >> most of them didn't make calls. a lot of them didn't make calls. >> what the former presidents are saying about that, including one top official who called it a flat-out lie. the clock is ticking. the former hostage held for five years reveals why he and his wife had four children while in the hands of a terror gro

answer to the question so many are asking. tackling the issue. nfl players and owners set to meet today to discuss those controversial national anthem protests. will the league try to force players to stand, or can a compromise be reached? all that, plus florida declares an unusual state of emergency over a planned speech. an intentional crash on a racetrack? leads to a dangerous brawl. a tasing and arrests. and morning exclusive. chip and joanna gains will be here, live, to explain why they're leaving their hit show, "fixer upper," today, tuesday, october 17th, 2017. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza.

it's tuesday morning, and we're glad to have you with us this morning. >> it's a busy tuesday morning. we have a lot to get to, starting with president trump sounding off on a number of issues that are facing his administration. >> he's also igniting a new controversy with former presidents and gold star families. we've got two reports, and we'll start with nbc's chief white house correspondent, hallie jackson, who is on the hill for us this morning. hi, halley, good morning. >> reporter: today the president may have even more to talk about at another news conference after that surprise show of solidarity with mitch mcconnell in the rose garden. it seemed meant partly to show there is no family feud inside the republican party. but now new comments from one of the senate's most familiar faces make for a real rebuke of the president at a time when the gop needs every lawmaker it can get to get something done. overnight, one of the president's frequent foes, firing a thinly veiled shot. senator john mccain, after accepting the prestigious liberty medal award from

without mentioning president trump by name, condemned people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems. >> to fear the world we have organized and led for three quarters of a century, to abandon the ideals we have advanced around the globe. to refuse the obligations of international leadership and our duty to remain the last best hope of earth for the sake of some half-baked, spurious nationalism -- >> reporter: senator mccain going on to call that nationalism unpatriotic. it comes as the gop faces civil war with the president picking both sides. at the white house monday, a tale of two photo ops. >> my relationship with this gentleman is outstanding. has been outstanding. >> reporter: president trump side by side at times hand-in-hand with senate majority leader, mitch mcconnell, at an impromptu press conference, a show of solidarity. >> we have the same agenda. we've been friends and acquaintances for a long time. co

have reported, we are together totally on this agenda to move america forward. >> we're fighting for the same thing. we're fighting for lower taxes, big tax cuts. the biggest tax cuts in the history of our nation. >> reporter: but just hours earlier, a more frustrated tone. >> i have great relationships with actually many senators. but in particular, with most republican senators. but we're not getting the job done. and i'm not going to blame myself. i'll be honest. they are not getting the job done. >> reporter: that white house whiplash also extending to the president's former top strategist, steve bannon, calling for a season of war against the republican establishment. >> we're going to win, and they're going to lose. >> reporter: the president at first seeming to endorse that. >> i can understand where steve bannon is coming from, and i can understand, to be honest with you, john, i can understand where a lot of people are coming from. >> reporter: later suggesting he would steer steve bannon away from targeting republican incumbents. >> steve is doiha

some of the people he may be looking at, i'm going to see if we talk him out of that, because frankly, they're great people. >> reporter: mitch mcconnell firing back, suggesting steve bannon's picks won't have broad appeal. >> my goal is to keep us in the majority. you have to nominate people who can actually win, because winners make policy and losers go home. >> reporter: president trump and the senate majority leader trying to turn the page on past legislative failures. optimistic tax reform will turn out differently, as both work to get it across the finish line. >> i really believe that we have a very good chance, and i think mitch feels the same way, of getting the taxes done. hopefully fairly long before the end of the year. >> the goal is to get it done this calendar year. >> reporter: so that side by side appearance coming, of course, after months of president trump tweeting about mitch mcconnell and specifically the inability of lawmakers here on capitol hill to do something on, for example, health care. you hear them sound a little more optimistic on tax reform.

president trump and the republican party when it comes to legislative action. but don't forget, there's still that national emergency on an opioid crisis. the president promised more than two months ago. he's now hinting at a major announcement on that next week. savannah? >> all right, hallie jackson on capitol hill starting us off. thank you. as we mentioned, the president is taking heat for something else he said in that rose garden appearance. a false claim that most former presidents did not call the families of fallen service members. and this morning, officials and some of those families are firing back. nbc national correspondent, peter alexander, is at the white house, with that part of the story. peter, take it away. >> reporter: hey, matt, good morning to you. it, of course, is one of the president's gravest obligations, contacting the families of fallen service members. but for president trump, that sober responsibility was the source of an apparent swipe at his predecessors, defending his delay in responding to recent army green beret deaths in niger. president trump deflected before we pressed him on it.

president trump responding to questions about why he had not commented yet on the deaths of four u.s. soldiers in niger, nearly two weeks ago. >> i actually wrote letters individually to the soldiers we're talking about. and they're going to be going out. >> reporter: the president saying he would call the families this week, adding this claim. that his bred predecessors did call families of fallen service members. >> if you look at president obama and other presidents, most of them didn't make calls. a lot of them didn't make calls. i like to call when it's appropriate, when i think i'm able to do it. >> reporter: nbc news pressing him on that. >> earlier you said that president obama never called the families of fallen soldiers. how can you make that claim? >> no, no. i was told that he didn't often. and a lot of presidents don't. they write letters. >> you were told that based on what? >> excuse me, peter. i do a combination of both. sometimes it's a very difficult thing to do. but i do a combination

president obama i think probably did sometimes, and maybe sometimes he didn't. i don't know. that's what i was told. >> reporter: the president's assertion igniting a firestorm of criticism. overnight, former attorney general, eric holder tweeting, stop the damn lying. you're the president. i went to dover air force base with 44 and saw him comfort the families of both the fallen military and dea. president obama's former deputy chief of staff immediately blasting president trump on twitter. tearing into his claim as an expletive lie. a spokesperson for former president george w. bush says he wrote all the families of the fallen during his presidency. and called or met with hundreds, if not thousands. one woman whose brother was killed in iraq says, quote, president bush listened while i screamed at him and then held me as i sobbed. press secretary sarah huckabee sanders later defending president trump saying he wasn't criticizing his

adding, former presidents, such as their bosses called each family of the fallen are mistaken. press secretary sara sanders said like past president, president trump has called, sent a letter or met with families of the fallen since taking office. as for the four green berets, i asked the white house again this morning whether the president's letters have been maeld or calls to the families made but so far no new update. >> peter alexander at the white house. thank you very much. now we go to florida, where governor rick scott has declared a state of emergency ahead of a speech by a white nationalist leader. it's planned at the university of florida. the governor says that order will free up resources to prepare for possible violence in response to the speech by richard spencer on thursday in gainesville. spencer is the person who helped to organize the august rally in charlottesville, virginia, that led to violent street clashes with counter protesters. in a video

of florida president, kent fox, told students to stay away, deny spencer attention and ignore his, quote, message of hate. fox said he was required by law to allow spencer to speak. also this morning, though, there is more to get to, including those catastrophic wildfires in california. they're now being blamed for yet another death. this as some evacuees are being allowed to return home to see if they actually still have a home. nbc's joe fryer is in santa rosa, once again, for us. joe, good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning. firefighters say they are making progress and hope some of these major fires will be fully contained by week's end. but for this region, the recovery process is just beginning. the fires tearing through northern california have taken another life, a contract firefighter driving a water tanker that overturned on a steep roadway. it's a tragic set back in a battle now entering its ninth day. >> we're not out of harm's way yet. but we begin to get an upper hand o

authorities are still investigating 88 reports of missing people, a list that has been whittled down from hundreds. search teams are looking for some of the missing at burned out homes. >> the longer the time goes out, the more that gets a little bit more sensitive. >> reporter: the hope is that many are simply out of touch. >> i don't have a best guess where they are, we're trying to find them. >> reporter: the national guard is helping with the search for victims, and in the process, salvaging valuables that will be returned to their rightful owners. over a week has passed since the fires erupted. body camera footage from that night show's sonoma county fire sergeant getting people to safety as embers rain down. >> i look back, and i don't know how we didn't catch fire. we're not wearing protective clothing. we were getting hit with those embers. >> our house is burning! no! >> reporter: in neighborhoods decimated by fire, it's hard to know what the future holds. >> find some clothes. >> reporter: they lost their house, and they're not alone. park says about 20%

at their school are now homeless. >> i mean, we can find places, but we don't want to drive 40, 45 minutes. we have kids in school, we have all of their activities. it doesn't make sense. >> reporter: yet beneath the smoke, you'll find a thick layer of kindness. >> let's have you walk the parallel bars again. >> reporter: she is getting new prosthetics after her old ones were robbed by the fire. >> with my legs i feel powerful. >> reporter: a gift donated by hanger clinic and associates. >> i hope they truly know how much they have given back to a little girl that all she wants to do is walk again. >> reporter: this morning, 40,000 people are still evacuated, and those in the hardest hit neighborhoods may not be able to return for days or even weeks. no one can go home until the neighborhoods are safe, and utilities are restored. matt and savannah? >> joe fryer in santa rosa, thanks. now to a new interview with a former hostage of taliban linked extremists. just days after being released. that hostage now explaining why he and his wife had chin

nbc's kelly cobiella with more on that. kelly, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. joshua boyle described just horrific conditions in captivity, being shuffled between three different prisons, violence and beatings. and now he's explaining why he and his wife brought children into that world. this morning, new answers to a question many people had about former hostages joshua boyle, caitlyn coleman and the children they had in captivity. boyle telling the ap in a written exchange, when it came to having more kids, they decided, quote, hey, let's make the best of this and at least go home with a larger start on our dream family. boyle's american wife, caitlyn coleman, was already pregnant when they went backpacking in afghanistan and were abducted five years ago. as hostages with, quote, a lot of time on their hands, they decided to try for more children. we always wanted as many as possible, and we didn't want to waste time, h

adding kait's in her 30s, the clock is ticking. honestly, we always planned to have a family of five, ten, twelve children. we're irish. h ha ha. they revealed they had killed an infant daughter and raped his wife during the years they were held. >> the stupidity and evil was eclipsed only by the stupidity and evil of authorizing the murder of my infant daughter and the subsequent rape of my wife. >> reporter: boyle told nbc news exclusively, the family lived in an underground dungeon, just 66 square feet, dripping water. their food and beds covered in mold. the family now adjusting to life out of captivity. boyle saying his three sons have reached the first true home they have ever known. adding that one of his boys has started raiding the fir

refrigerator of his life. boyle also said their children are now 4, 2 and somewhere around 6 months old. he said the children were asking whether each new airport they were in was their new home. as they were traveling back to canada last week. matt, savannah? >> breaks your heart. kelly, thank you very much. in other news, we're expecting new developments today tied to national anthem protests before nfl games that have led to heated debates nationwide. the issue is taking center stage at the fall meeting of league owners, taking place here in new york. nbc's ron mott is there. ron, good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, matt, good morning. you know, these nfl owners' meetings don't usually attract widespread media attention but today's gathering is different as owners and players try to find some common ground over what's become a thorny, touchy topic. and, of course, that's the national anthem. in a few hours, nfl players and owners sitting down to discuss standing up for the national anthem, an issue that

largely overshadowed football itself this season. ♪ at today's regularly scheduled owners' meeting players and union leaders will aim to reach consensus on how the league should tackle ongoing national anthem protests and the social issues important to players. >> the goal is to try to solve the anthem issue once and for all. not with an he'dic, not with a mandate, but with some sort of an offer to the players. a platform, separate from the anthem. >> reporter: president trump took aim at the nfl last month, prompting large demonstrations beyond the handful of players who had been quietly kneeling. >> wouldn't you love to see one of these nfl owners when somebody disrespects our flag to say get that son of a bitch off the field right now? he's fired. he's fired! >> reporter: mr. trump has kept the issue alive with tweets and comments discussing the protests again on monday. >> when you go down and take a knee or any other way, you're

sitting, essentially, for our great national anthem. you're disrespecting our flag, and you're disrespecting our country. >> reporter: colin kaepernick, who last season initiated the protests against racial inequality and police brutality this week filed a grievance, accusing the league of colluding to keep him out of the game since he became a free agent. in an open letter to fellow players, l.a. chargers' russell okung defended the protests. as's message has now been d distorted, we as players have a responsibility to come together and respond collectively. richmond, a democrat from new orleans and head of the cbc, sent a letter to roger goodell, nfl commissioner, saying the issue is not black patriotism but racial inequality and brutality and stand with players, trying to call attention to that. guys? >> okay, ron. just a couple blocks from us

al is here with a first check of our weather. downright chilly this morning. >> it's a little brisk! you're not alone in the northeast. in fact, 32 million people are under some sort of freeze from boston, buffalo, latrobe. look at manassas, 35 degrees. lewisb 31 degrees. it's going to stay chilly in the northe look what's going on in the las vegas, five degrees above averag chicag 8 degrees above averag wednes all that warm air minnealouis, normal as we head into the later part mid 70s new york city. upper 70s as you get into coming up in the n

good morning. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist a clear sky and chilly start mid 30s across parts of northern virgin mid to upper 30s from northern maryla city. it's in the low to mid 40s. temper the rest of the day, should be in the mid 50s aftern highs today up around the next couple days, a big time warmin is on the way next >> that is your latest weathe al, thank you very much. coming up, the widening criminal invest into harvey

an in the wake of damaging one. but first, this is "today"

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and they'll see their first underwear pampers easy ups, an easy way to underwear tuesda october 17th, 2017. good m to you. in the news this morning, a gilles gaining in the race he still behind democrat ralph northh to 44%. news transportation reporter since july, cameras on the inner and outer loop near suitland

you ha to slow down there. now let's check your traffic good morning, jack. >> good morning. in springfield, 395 southbound, that does remain closed. an overright crash. very to to upright the tracto author scene. hopefu they'll have

this morning. certai chilly enough. 35 in manassas, 33 in warrenton, 47 in arlington. 37 in gaithersburg

aftern high around 62. still mid to upperçó 60s tomorr 70s weekend. >> all right, more news in 25

we're back now. 7:30 on this tuesday morning. a chilly one here in new york city. >> it really is. let's get right to the headlines of the morning. we'll start with president trump. >> we're fighting for lower taxes, big tax cuts. >> white house whiplash. president trump embracing senate majority leader, mitch mcconnell, in a rose garden address just hours after trashing what the senate has accomplished during his presidency. >> we're not getting the job done. and i'm not going to blame myself. i'll be honest. they are not getting the job done. search and rescue. crews race to find the nearly 100 people still missing in northern california as the deadliest wildfires in that state's history burn for the ninth straight day. >> we're not out of harm's way yet. but w

hand on this. cell phone video captures the moment a plane successfully lands in ireland amid gale force winds as a rare hurricane whips up heavy damage on the british isles. gentlemen, cool your engines. a rivalry on the racetrack takes a nasty turn when one driver rams his car on to the hood of another. instigating a brawl and forcing police to step in with a taser. and judge and jury. >> back on the track. judge! >> yankee star aaron judge does it on the field and at the plate. >> driven in the air to left! >> launching a three-run homer to help propel new york against the houston astros. today, october 17th, 2017.

>> tlauer yankee segment. several new developments in the harvey weinstein scandal. here in new york, a criminal investigation is widening, while in hollywood, another major organization has revoked weinstein's membership. nbc's kristin dahlgren is here with the latest on that. good morning to you. >> good morning, guys. news of the expanding investigation comes just before what's expected to be an explosive board meeting of the weinstein company. today a showdown between harvey and his brother bob, where harvey's future with the company could be decided. this morning, harvey weinstein's future hanging in the balance. the board of his own company meeting today to decide his fate. weinstein expected to listen in by speakerphone. >> in his mind, this is a last chance to fight. and i don't think we're going to see him go down without a fight. >> reporter: a senior law enforcement official tells nbc news, the nypd is looking into two credible sexual assault allegations made against weinstein that date back more th

>> in the absence of a rape kit or something like that or an eyewitness, you're looking for corroboration. >> reporter: nbc news has also learned the nypd referred three other calls about weinstein's alleged inappropriate behavior outside of the nypd jurisdiction. more than 40 women have now made accusations against harvey weinstein, ranging from sexual harassment to assault to rape. weinstein's spokesperson has said any allegations of nonconsensual sex are unequivocally denied by mr. weinstein. sara ann massey says her interview to be a nanny for the film producer's children in 2008 took an unexpected turn. >> he pulled me in for a very tight, overly long hug, which, be again, i will note, he was in his underwear. so i felt incredibly uncomfortable. and during that, he told me he loved me. >> reporter: on monday, the producers' guild of america voted unanimously

weinstein. saying in part, sexual harassment of any type is completely unacceptable. this is a systemic and pervasive problem, requiring immediate, industrywide action. the pga creating an anti sexual harassment task force in response. >> it's going to be much more tough for people like harvey who have allegedly sexually harassed women to get away with this. >> reporter: the hash tag "me too" becoming a rallying cry after actor alyssa milano encouraged others to speak out. stars like gabrielle union and lady gaga joining other voices. >> you are greater than what's happened to you. >> you are loved and deserving of love. >> reporter: so other victims don't feel alone. >> hash tag me too. >> hash tag me too. >> me too. >> now twitter tells us, more than half a million tweets with the hash tag me too have been sent out. as for the weinstein company's board meeting today, weinstein is expected to challenge his

he owns about a 20% stake in the company, but so does his brother, bob, who has openly condemned harvey, guys. >> all right. kristen, thank you very much. let's turn it over to al at the weather maps. you have florida behind you. >> yes, starting you. >> we're starting in florida. we have heavy rain coming in in days. thanks cold front. isolat heavy rain causing floodi possib especi around the east coast, florida, some places a flash flood watch in effect. there are rounds of rain in the pacifi gusty winds, flood potential and, in fact, we're looking for cascad two to five inches and right around seattle, twoun that's what's goin on around

well, no rain in our foreca we have plenty of sunshine today. temper will be in the low here's live look outside. a sun right now. no cover either. temper in the 40s. 47 degrees currently. as go through the afternoon, now some spots are even in the but as we go throughout the day. a first-hand look at what companies are now doing to prevent the next major hack attack. then the music superstar joining the cast of a highly anticipated sequel. plus, chip and joanna gaines will be here. this is their first interview together since announcing the end of "fixer upper". >> and sir richard branson

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♪ ♪ give extra. get extra. we're back. 7:41. we've got our ongoing series, today's hacking of america. this morning, a cyber security war game that has very high stakes for all of us. >> companies are now sending their top pros into mock attacks to learn how to throw up defenses and plot strategy. nbc's tom costello is back from the ibm cyber security command center near boston. hey, tom. >> hi, guys, good morning. this all takes on even more urgency, given the hacks over the past few months. companies and all of us stand to lose a fortune, even face ruin, if hackers gain access to these systems. so now they're turning corporate cyber security

very real battle. the list of hacked brand names seems to grow by the day. equifax, yahoo! linkedin, jpmorgan, home depot, sony, target, even the nsa. you have no, bane and ox. you've never heard of bane and ox, because it's not real. it's a fictitious international company created by ibm to put a class of cyber security pros through a simulated hack. within seconds, they're under attack. >> you guys might want to go take a look at this. a whole slew of financial records mixed in with a bunch of authentic patient data. >> reporter: patient records, financial documents, even compromising ceo e-mails have leaked. >> folks are getting stuck in the elevators. >> reporter: and the building itself seems to be under attack. >> this is not a technical discussion. you have employees stuck in an elevator. this is now a business continuity strategy. it is no longer an i.t. strategy. >> around the clock, ibm and other leading securityir

hackers and foil their attacks. >> on any given day, our watch floors and our centers around the world will see upwards of 30 to 35 billion security events. >> reporter: billion with a "b." going through a simulated attack today, 25 banks and financial institutions, including mastercard. >> we are trying to prevent breaches. we are trying to prevent people from stealing information about our customers, our shareholders. >> bane & ox has become the latest victim of a cyberattack. >> reporter: within seconds, word of the breach is out. twitter blows up. the company's stock is sinking and customers are furious. the immediate pressing concern is determining the origin of the attack. is it coming from overseas? or is it an internal attack? >> hey, folks. tim from fbi boston. >> reporter: for an added touch of authenticity, a real fbi agent shows up. >> we found some ip addresses that come back to bane &

charge of fbi boston. what are your concerns about targets in the united states right now? could it be power systems, power grids, water supply systems and dams? >> i can tell you, all of them. lieu beiyou look at -- it can b the financial sector, energy sector, the health care sector. we all have to work together to be able to, you know, harden those aspects, be able to quickly share information. >> reporter: the latest advice for everyday americans, use a password vault to safeguard all of your passwords. use multistep authentications. when a website asks for your mother's maiden name or favorite color, use fake answers so a hacker can't find the answers in your online profiles. and avoid ever sharing your social security number. the next hack could be only a click away. sharing information is what this is all about, between companies, the fbi, overseas authorities. now, the cyber class has to determine who is hacking the company, and then take steps to stop the intrusi.

culprit is, so the future teams don't know the answer. but it's not always the obvious actor. guys, back to you. >> fascinating. >> fascinating program to sit in on. wouldn't it be? >> yeah. tom, thank you. dylan, what's going on in the orange room? >> well, guys, lock 'em up. what mcdonald's is testing out to keep the call just came in. it's another missing woman. be careful. [ gasp ] we don't know what we're dealing with. [ gasp ] from executive producer martin scorsese. he calls himself "the snowman killer". he's completely insane. based on the terrifying best-seller. [ distorted voice ] mister policeman, i gave you all the clues. [ distorted voice ] by the time you read this, i will have built a new snowman. the snowman. rated r. 40 million americans are waking up to a gillette shave. and at our factory in boston, 1,200 workers are starting their day building on over a hundred years of heritage,

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the orange room again. and you're talking phones and eating. >> yes, i am. so mcdonald's customers will notice something a little different when they walk into singapore's marine cove location. the fast food giant installed lockers for people to store their mobile devices during meal times. as part of the company's phone's off, fun on campaign, it's meant to encourage people to step out of their virtual worlds and start talking at the table. so the concept has already gotten people talking online. matthew writes, omg, i'm so in love with this idea. i hope more places get the idea and install them. gena writes, yes, we're all yearning to go back to some degree when life was simple. this is a good first step. it will be really interesting to see if it worse. regardless of the support online, there have been some photos posted of the lockers completely empty. jared writes, will you ever see one phone in the box. we asked on twitter, should phones be banned from restaurant tables?

decision here. 57% say no, 43% say yes. at this point, mcdonald's is just testing out lockers at that single location before deciding whether to expand to your outlets. i think if you put some chargers in these boxes, people will be more likely to put their phones in them. >> that's a good idea! i like the idea of having the phone-free dinner but not a ban. >> do you allow phones at your table at home? >> generally no. >> not usually. >> nice. thank you very much. just ahead, a donor controversy. what's preventing a father from giving his own son a life-saving kidney? then a morning exclusive. why are chip and joanna gaines leaving their hit show?

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tuesda october 17th, 2017. good m to you. we want to get right to wtop's taylor for a look at your commute and first 4 traffi jack, good morning. >> good morning. montgo county on falls road tough part is right now all the follow police direction. live shot on the hov lanes vdot there. rail riders, expect delays to glenmo

ralpand as a doctor, nobody ever asked if i'm a democrat or republican. they just want my help. so if donald trump is helping virginia i'll work with him. but donald trump proposed cutting virginia's school funding, rolling back our clean air and water protections, and taking away health care from thousands of virginians. as a candidate for governor,

od up to donald trump on all of it. ed gillespie refuses to stand up to him at all.

it is chilly out there. 30s on the map. 37 gaithersburg 38 dulles. 37 manassas. distri degrees. 41 in clinton. today we have the early frost same thing overnight tonight aftern we do see a warmup as we go >> all right. thank you.

♪ it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, emotional plea. >> i don't know. i just keep praying about it. >> a 2-year-old boy born without kidneys on the verge of getting a life-saving transplant. so what's preventing his own father, a perfect donor match, from undergoing the surgery. >> that's all i ever wanted, was a son. and i finally got him, and he is in this situation. >> this morning, the unbelievable story. plus, living their best life. >> their type of happiness is that day-to-day joy. >> we check in on the next two stops in our tour of the happiest places on earth, and they couldn't be more different. so what's the secret? and chip and joanna gaines

>> the couple joins us in studio 1a to talk about family, fame and the future. after deciding to end their wildly popular show, "fixer upper." our exclusive live conversation today, tuesday, october 17th, 2017. ♪ someone is supposed to be in school today but instead how come you're here? >> because i'm celebrating my 10th birthday. >> we're on a girls' trip from -- >> canada! >> we have an announcement to make! >> we're just married from california! ♪ >> what are you doing here today? >> celebrating my birthday on the "today" show. >> good morning from grand rapids, michigan! >> how many years have you been watching the "today" show? >> 30 years. >> what's your favorite part? >> oh, all of you.

good morning, everybody. welcome back to "today." nice to have you with us. it's a tuesday morning. >> i'm excited about you talking to chip and joanna gaines. they came here about five minutes ago, renovated the orange room already. some things they fixed up. >> needed a little tlc, they say. we'll talk to them in a moment. let's start with your news, 8:00, lots going on. the president facing new fallout this morning after making controversial remarks about his predecessors in office. those remarks came during an event showcasing party unity. as senator john mccain takes a shot of his own, as well. nbc white house correspondent, kristen welker, joins us with all of those headlines. good morning. >> reporter: hi, savannah. good morning to you. the president will put the focus on foreign policy today, meeting with the prime minister of greece. it comes as he's trying to reboot his domestic agenda and trade relationship with his own party, but overnight, as you say, while accepting an award in philadelphia, republican senator john mccain seemed to take aim at mr. trump, underscoring the deep tensions that remain.

president trump, without mentioning him by name. >> to fear the world we have organized and led for three quarters of a century, to abandon the ideals we have advanced around the globe. to refuse the obligations of international leadership and our duty to remain the last best hope of earth for the sake of some half-baked, spurious nationalism -- >> reporter: the comments coming just moments after accepting the prestigious liberty medal award from former vice president, joe biden. and after a rose garden reset earlier in the day. after months of strain between the president and the senate's top republican. >> and he can do that -- >> reporter: the president making this proclamation during an impromptu news conference. >> my relationship with this gentleman is outstanding. has been outstanding. >> reporter: president trump and senate majority leader, mitch mcconnell, both striking a united front, looking for victories on tax reform and health care. >> i want to underscore what the

we've been friends and acquaintances for a long time. >> reporter: but there were also mixed messages. at one moment, the president indicating he's not on board with his former top adviser, steve bannon's war against the establishment, while standing next to mcconnell. >> some of the people he may be looking at, i'm going to see if i can talk him out of that. >> reporter: earlier in the day, a very different tone. >> i'll tell you what, i know the republican senators. most of them are really, really great people that want to work hard. but you've got a few people that really disappointed us. they really, really disappointed us. so i can understand fully how steve bannon feels. >> reporter: in the rose garden, mr. trump saving his sharpest words for democrats, including his former rival. >> is she going to run? i hope. hillary, please run again. >> reporter: the president also sparked a backlash when asked about the deaths of four american soldiers in niger, claiming his brpredecessors nev called the families of fallen

soldiers. >> president obama and other presidents, most of them didn't make calls, a lot of them didn't make calls. >> reporter: later, backing off that false claim. >> president obama, i think probably did sometimes and maybe sometimes he didn't. i don't know. that's what i was told. >> reporter: a spokesperson for former president obama firing back, telling nbc news president trump's claim is wrong. president obama engaged families of the fallen and wounded warriors throughout his presidency through calls, letters and visits. mr. trump will have a chance to weigh in on all of this when he holds a joint news conference with the leader of greece later today, savannah. >> kristen welker at the white house. thank you. also on monday, president trump addressed a report surrounding his controversial drug czar nominee, representative tom moreno. a "60 minutes" report reveals that moreno supported a bill that prevented agents from cracking down on some of the big phrma firms behind the distribution of addictive opioids that have led to an ep

report and take it seriously. this country, and frankly, the world, has a drug problem. the world has a drug problem. but we have it, and we're going to do something about it. >> senate minority leader, chuck schumer among the voices calling on the president to withdraw that nomination. representative moreno had no comment. this morning we are hearing an emotional plea from the parents of a 2-year-old boy who needs a kidney transplant. his father is a perfect donor match. but a hospital in georgia has postponed the surgery after the father violated his parole. nbc's katie beck with the story. >> reporter: this morning, carmela burgess is fighting for her son, aj's life. >> mama! >> reporter: he's just 2 years old. >> i don't know. i just keep praying about it. >> reporter: born without kidneys, the toddler is in desperate need of a life-changing transplant. and there is one man who is a perfect donor match. his father, anthony dickerson. >> that's all i ever wanted, was a son. and i finally got

and he's in this situation. >> reporter: their situation? now capturing national attention after the father-to-son surgery was delayed by the hospital. the family believes because of dickerson's criminal past. >> they're playing with my son's life. that's what i feel like they're doing. >> reporter: dickerson's rap sheet includes at least 15 trips to jail for charges including theft and forgery. with an organ donation plan already in progress, dickerson was recently rearrested for violating his probation. the jail granted him an early release so he could donate his kidney to aj on october 3rd. but dickerson missed pre-op testing and blood work because he was in jail, and was not released until the day before the scheduled surgery. >> they got our hopes up, and him -- he's been on dialysis for going on three years. >> reporter: the hospital then sent the family a letter that the family provided to nbc news. saying the surgery would be pushed back until dickerson could prove he cpl

that letter reading in part, we will reevaluate mr. dickerson in january 2018 after receipt of this completed documentation. citing privacy laws, emory university medical center says it cannot share specific information about its patients. but in a statement to nbc news, the hospital explains. emory health care is committed to the highest quality of care for its patients. adding, guidelines for organi transplant are designed to maximize success for recipients and minimize risk for donors. transplant decisions are made based on many medical, social and psychological factors. reasons that are hard for aj's mother to accept. >> okay, dad has violated parole. but our son is not healthy. and he won't be healthy until he gets a kidney. >> reporter: a mother worried her son is being delayed getting the surgery he needs. for "today,"

news, atlanta. >> want to talk now about major changes coming to pet stores in california. starting in 2019, they will no longer be allowed to sell pets from so-called puppy mills. all dogs, cats and rabbits must come from shelters, rescue groups or adoption centers. violators could be find. 36 cities have laws against mass-breeding operations. but california is the first state they hope to inspire other states to do the same. >> all right. 8:09. something we call "hoda's morning boost." >> some guys like to go big when asking that important question. for nick cannon, that meant getting his pilot license. and then he told his girlfriend karen, look out the window when they flew over farmfields in north texas. take a look. >> oh, my god! >> i love you so much. >> are you kidding me? >> and first time i saw you, i knew

one. and i want you to be mine forever. will you marry me, baby? >> yes. yes, yes, yes! . >> first karen didn't realize the message in the field was for her. she was like, wow, look how cool. someone is doing something nice for their girlfriend down below. it ended up to be for karen. congrats to the happy couple. >> i like how she goes for the hug and then it's like keep your hands on the wheel. lots more ahead this morning, including chip and joanna gaines. the last season of "fixer upper" and what's next for them. and the music legend set to sing in the "mama mea" sequel. and the always interesting and outsboen sir richard branson is here. we'll find out about a scam that almost cost him millions. first, let's see what meggen kelly has. >> and

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about this. are you surprised at the reaction? >> well, you know, i knew my mom was going to be upset. when she found out, she has got this little bunko crew she runs with, and she said they asked her to leave. >> like, you're out. >> so that was a bit sad. >> i mean, people love this show. they love you. and they do not seem ready to let it go. >> you know, i think on that side, i get that. because i think it's just -- we've kind of all grown together. i feel like with the audience, they have come along side with us. on the other side, it's like there is so much encouragement. even though it was sad, it was also they get it. we have this young growing family. and i just think that was one of the biggest reasons why we wanted it. >> you write about it in your book, chip. it looks like fun and it's fun for us to watch. this is hard work, reality tv. take people into that. what is this -- to pull off a show like this, what's actually

>> nobody knows when you get into something like this, from our perspective. obviously, somebody knows. but when we got into this, you know, because i'm an idiot, i thought this was like a get rich quick scheme. so i was like, sweet. they think we could work about eight hours a month, and supposedly you end up with all these riches when this is all said and done. unfortunately, it's not quite that easy. and the emotion and the amount of energy that it takes to kind of pour something like this together. and who knows? i can't speak on anybody else's behalf. but i know for jo and i, we wanted it to be the real deal, authentic, legit, sincere. and i think that's why people were drawn to it. >> yeah. immediately people are like, that can't be the real reason. so people are starting to say, oh, it's something else. i'll let you take it on. >> sure. >> some people said, okay, something is going on in the relationship. >> sure. >> and that's why the show ended, to which you say? >> yeah. i mean, you know, look, i'll give them a little credence. there is always what's next. and for us, the most important thing in the world is

relationship, followed very quickly by these four beautiful kids. and we didn't want to push it, red line it, for so long that we woke up and realized, we are at a point of no return. so we wanted to take a step back and focus on the thing that was absolutely the most important thing to us in the world, which is jo and i's relationship. and it's funny. people in our inner circle, i tell them, we're as healthy as we've ever been. i just didn't want to continue pushing this envelope to the fullest extent. and i'm -- you know, we're really thankful we have the opportunity to sort of step back and take a break. >> would you do it again? >> in a heartbeat. >> would you do another show, maybe down the road? >> who knows. >> yeah? >> we're so excited about this break. but would we go back and do this again? absolutely. in a heartbeat. it was a joy. it was a pleasure. all the things that you know about it. i mean, it introduced us to kansas. and, you know, a lot of folks in new york don't know about us yet. and so we're hoping that maybe the show makes it further northeast. but in

we're huge. >> you know, chip just wrote the book. and it's actually full of life lessons. and you're a big risk-taker and i think people find it inspiring. but joanna, when you met chip, fair to say, he was a bit of a fixer upper. >> she was the one who took the original big risk, right? >> yeah. but, you know, for me, i get firsthand experience of what it's like to have this guy by my side to really push me to my dreams. i think this is what this book is. just like get past fear and failure and go for your dreams. and i feel like in the beginning i was the winter filed of that. so right off the bat, he was the one that encouraged me. if there is something you want to do, get after it. >> what is your best advice to people? because a lot of people have fear, but maybe for good reason, because you don't want to take a dumb risk. good to take risks. you don't want to take a dumb risk. >> for me, i have this glass half full kind of mentality. and i think even the dumb risks end up paying off to some extent. you know, it's like, the things you learn through those bad decisions, somf

to me now, looking backwards, had i not made these grave mistakes. you know, i wouldn't have made it where i am. >> what's the dumbest thing you ever did? since the book title just invites that question. oh, joanna, you can also answer. >> i'll let him answer. >> i'm nervous. i think when the cameras are rolling, i feel like to some extent -- like, this is a good example. when the cameras are here, and they're on big daddy, i refer to myself in my own mind. i -- i feel like it's daring me to do something that's a little bit outside the envelope. and so i just think that because of the way that whole thing came together, it certainly allowed for -- there was never a dull moment. >> there were moments you're like, oh, why did i do that on tv? you ever want to run over and give a big kiss to matt lauer on the cheek? he's just right over there. >> that's it. thank you, thank you. >> if you want to do something! >> you big hunk of man candy. >> it's so cute. chip and joanna, thank you so much. you'll never rt

regret it. the book is called "capital gaines." richard branson is over there. everyone gets a kiss! final season of "fixer upper" on hgtv. we move over to al. he's kissable too. >> hey, chip. come on. anyway, take a look. we have air quality alerts out west, even though the fires n the western two-thirds, eastern flood watches through central florid here's what's happ >> good morning. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist bright it is in the noid upper 30s. closer 50 degrees once you upper 50s at lunch time. aftern highs in the upper50

62 washington. 62 in frederick, maryland. if you need it a little warmer, if you're heading out, don't forget, you can take us with you. check usso out on siriusxm, hom of the hoda show and don and maz show. time for what's trending today. let's talk driverless cars. we're well on the road to seeing these in the future. i think it's safe to say, and raise your hand, are you a little nervous? >> absolutely. >> why? because? >> you ever have a computer go down? >> what happens if something goes wrong, right? researchers from the university of balona in italy thought about this and have come up with a question. what if there was something called the ethical knob that could be installed in your driverless car. it would give you control of the computer in that car, and who it protects in case of an accident. so as i run through these different settings, think about being in

for example, a pedestrian walks out in front of the car. first, you would have the altruistic mode, which would protect the lives of others over yourself. in other words, the car would react in a way that would protect others before it protects you in the car. on the opposite end of the knob is the egoistic mode. this preference would protect you and who is in the car with you over that pedestrian. and for those who can't decide, there's the impartial mode. that would give equal protection to all parties involved. so how would you set your knob? >> so you get in the car and you have to, like -- >> flip a switch. >> i can't even think of a radio station. this is very complicated. >> i can't make decisions. i would be right in the middle. >> i think if my kids were on board, i would want to choose the thing that protects our car. >> the egoistic mode. >> it could be rebranded. but to protect my kids. >> you over others. >> that's the only time. i think i would always pick the middle and let the fates decide. >> i'm always worried the car is

going -- save myself car. to heck with you. >> what do you think? >> i don't know. i think i would be afraid to put it anywhere. because i feel like if i did protect the family and swerve off or something, and hurt somebody else, i don't think i could put my head on the pillow and sleep. i would think, oh, my god -- >> impartial. >> impartial. >> savannah, would it be different if you're driving alone versus if you're driving with your children? would you set it to something different? >> i'm with you. i would set it -- i like the rebranding. i would go egoistic mode. >> if you were alone, i would put it in the middle. >> you always stop and think whether every driver on the road had theirs set, and you figure i've got to protect myself too? >> listen, this is why we should just drive our own cars. >> hands on the wheel, baby. there you go. all right. >> dylan, you've got some "popstart" for us? >> yes. first, news about an upcoming movie sequel, "mama mia." it was announced back i

returning for the sequel, including meryl streep. but one surprising new addition. cher! >> oh, wow! >> cher revealed on twitter, just went through two dance numbers and everyone was great. and she posted this image of her own shoes. and details about what character cher will be playing still under wraps. they will go back and forth in time to show how relationships have shaped over the years. up next, kate middleton making a surprise appearance on monday to the crowd's delight. the duchess joined prince william and harry at paddington station where they met paddington bear himself. katie had fun, taking a moment to dance with the bear right on the train's platform. she was not expected to attend the event, as she has been battling acute morning sickness from her pregnancy. and we are so happy to see she is out and about. and finally, nicole kidman defending her celebratory kids at the emmys. if you recall, nicole's co star in "big little

for the role and on his way to the stage stopped to hug and kiss nicole but the kiss raised eyebrows. she was confronted about the kiss, and here's what she had to say. >> i did kiss him. you've got to understand, i did everything with al. i'm like, you know, that -- >> we saw it! [ laughter ] >> i'm backing off. i've got -- an amazing supportive, gorgeous husband who i love more than anything in the world. and i gave alex a congratulatory kiss, and he's like a -- a mannequin. >> yes. [ laughter ] >> what? >> wait, what? >> a little flustered after being put on the spot. as she said, the kiss was truly innocent. and that's your "popstar." >> all right. how about a "daly click." >> robby and kirsten knocked their pregnancy announcement out of the park, thanks to help from a major star. take a look. >> they're having a

the couple sat next to bill murray last week at wrigley field. the dad-to-be on instagram saying bill murray, thank you for making my parents cry. >> he's cute. >> huge fan. just ahead, what an avocado salesman and multimillionaire have in common that could make you happier. and a man who always has a lot to share, sir richard branson, after your local news and weather.

good morning, everybody. 8:26 often this tuesday, october 17 venlg. >> good morning. we had a crash in the main lanes 270 southbound after falls road. it took away two right lanes. be through the area, please 16 venlg street, silver spring, me, near sudly road, we have a we have a lot of equipmen on

30s an 40s to get your tuesday starte aftern highs in the upper 50s and lo 60s across the

likely have another >> thank you, chuck. get the latest news and wea

♪ we're back now. 8:30 on a tuesday morning. it's the 17th day of october. 2017. you know, it's cold out here. and you know who is cold? >> who? >> joanna gaines has got to be cold. she and chip are out here saying hi to some of their fans. >> they said they like this temperature, though. >> they do? >> yes. all right, guys, we have a huge crowd again today. we are on a roll with our crowd. by the way, your pants rock. savannah guthrie's pants rock. all right. so we have -- we felt a little bad. we have a young lady here skipping school. she is celebrating her 10th birthday. abby, we didn't want you to get this trouble so we wrote you

note, please excuse abby for missing school she was busy celebrating her birthday on the "today" show. to make it official. okay? >> thank you! >> all right, that's abby. >> she is so going to detention. no question about it. >> super cute. coming up, sir richard branson is here. he's lived an amazing life, so much so, he's out with his second autobiography or memoir, whatever you want to call it. we're going to talk to him about his family, his empire. and he has a fascinating story about a con game that nearly cost him millions of dollars. >> wow. then, is there a secret recipe for a happy life? we're going to travel to two very different places today. they are among the happiest on earth. we're going to find out what they know that we don't. >> all right. and coming up, i hope your family is going to love the combination we're cooking up this morning. >> yummy! >> it's a chicken

lasagne. >> bam! >> what chef is making that? >> i don't know. he's not that good. we'll see how it turns out. >> first check of the weather? >> we'll see what we've got going on. going to show you for today some high easter two-thirds of the countr plenty of sunshine and and then mild breezes near the above average temperatures heavy into the plenty sunshine through the gulf. that's what's going on around here's what's happ morning. it is still pretty chilly outsid things starting to warm up a bit with plenty of sunshine in today'forecast. we still have areas in the 30s though dulles 41. 43 degrees in quant he could. 62 degrees for an high this

you need it. check out our pals at the weather channel on cable. mr. lauer! >> mr. roker, thank you very much. i'm here with sir richard branson, best known as the founder of the virgin group, and the guy who is trying to make commercial space travel a reality. he's out with his second autobiography. its attention-grabbing title, "finding my virginity." welcome back. i want to get to the book in a second. but we saw images of you not long ago as the hurricanes roared through the caribbean and virgin islands. you have a home there. what's the status? >> a lot of the caribbean has been completely devastated. including necker island. and we've all had to try to help the caribbean stand back on its feet. and i've just come from washington, met the world bank, imf, and what we're trying to do is get the resources to try

get people -- get people up and running again. >> can i ask you why you rode the storm out on that island? you say this storm reached category 7. why were you there? you were in your wine cellar. why didn't you get off the island? >> we had our staff there and i felt it was important to be there with them. we have a lot of wildlife animals, flamingos, limas. they need to be looked after, as well. and but we were unlike a lot of other people in the caribbean. you know, we had a concrete bunker. they were in wooden houses. on to the book. you -- this is the second time you've done that. i think the first autobiography covered the years up until 1998. this takes us from that point on. you're a notetaker. in your daily life, you sit down and you write notes at meetings, after meetings. did those notes come into -- become very handy when writing this? >> absolutely essential. i actually can't understand how people can run companies or run departments and not -- you know, when

don't write it down, it's going to disappear. >> you write about risk-taking. and i think what's astonishing, and you actually list these. you say there are about 75 times in your life where you had experiences and got into situations that could have cost you your life. i mean, really dicey things like hot air balloon accidents and sailboats crashing on to coral reefs and a biking accident. why do you take these risks? why do you keep taking them? >> i'm a great believer in saying yes. and i find that life is that much richer if you -- if somebody says you could be the first to cross the atlantic in a hot air balloon, i don't want to watch somebody else do it. or if somebody says let's go around the world in a balloon or let's go around the world in a boat, i want to be there doing it. >> yeah, but you're also a father and a husband and a grandfather. do you ever feel guilty -- >> yes. >> you do? >> but my kids and are now doing it to me. my son just climbed the matterhorn. we now do big

and i think as a family, we feel that, you know, live life to its full, and do extraordinary things. it makes for a good read in the book, as well. >> it really does. didn't your wife one time say to you you can keep taking the risks as long as that island is in my name? >> she's no fool. >> i like her. i really do. you also at the end of this book write some -- include some letters. one you wrote to your wife, i think, right before one of those balloon trips. some others to your children. are you getting -- and we've talked a lot over the years, and you never have liked the word "legacy." but are you getting to the stage of your life, sir richard, where you're thinking more about it personally and professionally? >> well, fortunately, my parents both in the '90s -- so i'm hoping there will be a third book one day. i'm an optimist, as well. look, i think all of us need to lead our lives so we can be -- when we're on our death bed, can be proud of the lives we lead. and i'm determined whenha

happens, i -- i can feel i can bow out gracefully. >> i want to end on this story we've been kind of teasing throughout the morning. you posted this on a blog this morning. this is a fascinating story. i consider you to be an incredibly savvy guy. and you nearly got conned out of millions of dollars recently. just give me the basics of this. >> yeah. i got a call from the minister of defense in england, who i know. and he sounded like the minister of defense. and he said that the british diplomat had been kidnapped, and they were not legally allowed -- the government wasn't allowed to put up the money. so they had gone to a number of businessmen to see whether we would put up the money. >> and they would pay you back. the british government would find a way to pay you back. >> and they said they needed $5 million from me. now, fortunately, i had managed to work out that it was a con. but then subsequently, when i was in the british virgin islands, i think the same man phoned somebody, pte

slight english accent or whatever, and he said i was stuck on the island and needing some money to help the local people and could he put up $2 million. and he's a delightful american businessman. he does not want to be -- his name doesn't want to be known, but he put up the $2 million. and that's the last he's seen of it. and i think what this says is that, you know, we can afford -- businessmen can afford maybe to lose $2 million. but there are millions of people being conned every day now. i mean, these -- the -- it's frightening. i've come across a cleaning lady on necker island who got conned out of a few hundred pounds through a scam. somebody who works in a bar near necker island, who got conned out of $1,000. and i think the police need to turn their attention to this, much more, say, than the war on drugs. they n t

get on top of it. >> well, again, buyer beware. it's a good cautionary tale coming from someone like you. sir richard, nice to see you. a pleasure. and the book again is called "finding my virginity." next, where are the happiest people on earth and what are their secrets? cynthia mcfadden and her worldwide search for answers. first, on a tuesday morning, this is "today" on nbc.

. and we are back with day two of our special series, "secrets to happiness." >> how can two vastly different countries produce some of the happiest people on the planet? nbc's cynthia mcfadden is back with the answer. some hand gestures. >> it would be hard to imagine two more different places than free-wheeling costa rica and legally rigid singapore. yet both are amo t

places on earth. come along as we try to find out their secrets. ♪ what does a dancing avocado salesman with just a few dollars in his pocket -- have in common with a multimillionaire cruising around in a $500,000 sports car? >> it's like a rocket. >> exactly. that's right. >> reporter: each lives in the country with its own express lane to happiness. in denmark, "national geographic" explorer dan beautyner showed us why the wealthy country consistently tops happiness surveys. short work weeks, social support, even bike lanes, are all part of their happiness recipe. are you saying that one-size-fits-all? that everybody can be happy in the same way? >> you want to enjoy life day-to-day. you want to look back on your life and be proud of it. and you want to live a purpose-driven life. and there are different triggers to optimize each of those different kinds of happiness. >> reporter: to prove it, he

>> their type of happiness is that day-to-day joy. as a rule, the richer a society is, the happier they are. but costa rica isn't all that rich yet by most measurements, they're happier than americans. >> reporter: he introduces us to triny who earns a living scrubbing toilets and then heads straight to church. >> i asked her on a scale of 1 to 10, how happy you are. she says a 10. >> religious people tend to be happier. she was able to relinquish the worries and stresses of her life over to something bigger. >> reporter: costa ricans also know how to have a good time. at this market in the city, fun is often instigated by the avocado salesman. >> they put a huge priority on socializing. they will never stay an extra hour at work when there is a good party happening elsewhere. >> but being this carefree would never fly in the happiest place in asia.

where drug crimes are punishable by death. and even selling chewing gum is a crime. singapore? >> yes. >> reporter: is one of the happiest places in the world? >> don't you love it? >> reporter: i'm totally surprised. >> they have the lowest stress and worry in their daily life this year. usually there is a tradeoff between freedom and security. in singapore, you have that security. >> reporter: singaporeans are incredibly ambitious, too. douglas fu set out to create the starbucks of sushi when he was just 26. today, his sake sushi conveyor belts are in 200 restaurants in ten countries. and he's just getting started. >> and we want to bring it everywhere, to the rest of the world. >> reporter: he says long hours and hard work are what make him happy. a 9 out of 10. >> if you could trademark that laugh, it would be better than sushi. >> reporter: this is a place where people tend to look back on their lives and are satisfied with it. this is the type of happiness that appea

rewarded for their hard work. >> reporter: but butner finds that kind of drive is about a lot more than just buying expensive stuff and exotic cars. >> you work hard largely for the benefit of your family. >> yes. all of us do. we want to put food on our table for the family and make sure the kids go to a good school. and when that happens, you're happy. >> reporter: what about that costa rican avocado salesman who grew up dirt poor and dropped out of school? why is he so happy? >> a few years ago, he was down to $8 in his pocket. he gets a phone call from his friend who said, you just won the national lottery! >> reporter: nearly 100,000 u.s. dollars. >> when he got to the market, it erupted in cheers because it completely changed his life. >> reporter: but there's a twist. >> within one year he gave it all away. he gave it to his mother. there was a beggar in the market he saw every day. he gave it all away. and i asked him, i mean, aren't you sad that you blew

money? he said absolutely not. i'm still a 9 out of 10. he got happier by making others happy. >> there you go. dan butner says in his new book if you move a happy person in singapore to costa rica or vice versa, they might very well be miserable. every happy place has its own special sauce. one size does not fit all. >> wow. but there are lessons to be learned, for sure, that generosity is amazing. >> it really is. >> cool. >> that was great. >> really cool. all right. tomorrow we are sticking closer to home. we're going to have the big reveal. we can't wait for this one. the happiest city in the united states. >> top five. >> top five. >> okay. coming up next, three words that make me happy. chicken parmesan lasagne. it's a crowd-pleaser. first, this is "today" on nbc. >> crowd-pleaser!

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that their attacker is still out there. ♪ thank you mark herring, for taking this seriously, and for making this a priority, for all of the victims out there. mark: i'm mark herring, candidate for attorney general, and i sponsored this ad. so we're back with a special

edition of "today food." nbc universal, our parent company invested in buzzfeed. this morning we make a dish that has crowd-pleaser written all over it. as seen in video, we're going to pull together a chicken parmesan lasagne. it's kind of like the frankenstein of comfort foods. we're putting it all together. so here's our grid. we've got chicken, lasagne, cheeses, eggs, all that together. so you're going to take some boneless chicken breast. >> did the chef cancel? [ laughter ] >> that's it. i locked him up. >> this is what you came up with? >> so anyway, you're going to take this chicken breast and slice it in half. and then you're going to take three of these and do this. and then you're going to pound it flat and you can get your butcher to do it or you can do it yourself, because, let's face it, we all have a lot -- >> watch your fingers! >> and pound that down. pound it nice and flat. all right. so there you go. now you're going to salt, a little pepper. both sides.

dredge. you're going to start with flour. all right? >> i like how you do, al. >> me too. no messing around. >> yes. >> and then you dip it in a nice egg mixture and then some seasoned bread crumbs. and then you put them into some nice hot oil. >> you like that cast iron pan? >> i love the cast iron skillet. you can make anything you need in a cast iron skillet. >> what i always say. >> our basically going -- >> yeah. you're going to cook this through both sides, about four minutes a side, okay? now, while that's cooking, you're going to make up your stuffing for the lasagne. you take some ricotta cheese. you're going to put in a little egg. and you're going to beat that together. and that's going to be part of your mix that you're going to use for the layering. now, once you've cooked up your chicken cutlets, you're going to -- now, the recipe calls for one jar of marinara sauce. i say use two. use two. because you're basically going to be u

the lasagne noodles. you're not going to boil these ahead of time. so you put sauce on the bottom first so it doesn't stick. then you're going to put your lasagne noodles in. just fit them in there. then you're going to take your chicken cutlets. >> look at that. >> but you cooked that chicken all the way. >> cooked it all the way through. >> it doesn't get dry when you do -- >> no, because it's going to -- the sauce is going to moisten it up. now take some of your ricotta mixture. spread that over. then you take your cheeses. we've got your parmesan and your mozzarella. as jgiada would say. >> so this is a diet dish. >> absolutely. and then you put some of your sauce on. smear that in. and then you're going to keep repeating this. keep layering it up. >> al, how much does that dish weigh? >> this dish weighs about 12,000 calories.

and you're going to keep layering. and then when you finish, you're going to put on some more mozzarella. and some more parmesan. you're going to put the -- you're going to put foil on this. then you're going to bake it at 350 for about 45 to 60 minutes. the last ten minutes take the foil off, put a little more cheese on. a little more -- >> brown it like that. >> look at that! >> what i like to do is just -- put it on the broiler for just a little bit, just to brown it up. and then when you finish, garnish it with a little basil and there you go. >> do you remember the world-famous spaghetti pie? >> so good. >> teetering. teetering off the top. this may be better. >> wow! >> this is really amazing. >> one of our favorite things. >> head to today.com/food and today food and tasty launching a fast and easy family meals challenge. we know cooking for a busy family can be tough without simple crowd-pleasing recipes. we're looking for your best breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes, all separate, that are

everybody's taste buds. submit yours at today.com/foodclub, and it just might get turned into a new tasty video. we are back! but first, this is "today" on nbc. >> what a now he looks me square in the eye, and, i swear he says, "welcome to navy federal credit union." whoa friendly alert! i got a great auto rate outta that guy. now i have a wonderful hybrid. slate blue. crème interior.

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welcome back, everyone. time to run across the street with some chicken parmesan lasagne with meg inklely. >> one of the things we're talking about, is it worth it. what substitutions could you make to make it just a little healthier for you. our nutritionist is here. and olympic gold medalist, shawn johnson east, flexing her muscles as an adventure capitalist. we'll take you behind the scenes. see you at 9:00. >> did you really just say what substitutions we could make to chicken parmesan lasagne? >> might not be allowed to fry that chicken, lauer.

>> megyn, thank you. mu much more coming up, right after these messages. anothe right now we want to check on how are the roads looking, jack? >> good morning. 395 southbound, ramp to 644 the tractor-trailer has been pu back the road. it is heavily damaged.

outer loop, prince george's county after 202, bus broke down. in pri wa

we are slowly starting to warm up. still chilly out. 50 washington. 41 in clinton. cool, sunny through the aftern but tomorrow morning, we could frost. a litt warmer in the aftern 69. >> thank you. get the latest news and weather

♪ this morning on "megyn kelly today." she walked down the aisle in the massively popular movie, "my big fat greek wedding. "n " and shawn johnson east, flexing muscles and iesting money as cnbc's adventure cap californiaists. and what could be better than apple cider, pumpkin and maple gingerbread? how about the same fall flavors you love with fewer calories. all that and more, right now. [ cheers and applause ] >> hi, welcome, everybody. hi. so good to see you.