good morning. paying r-e-s-p-e-c-t. overnight, tributes pouring in after the passing of aretha franklin. ♪ you make me feel like a natural woman ♪ the world coming together tohe celebrat queen of soul. this morning, the legend'sng impact felt by millions of omns and se of the nation's biggest stars. breaking news. overnight, police recover the bodies of two young girls missing in colorado, their father appearing in court for the first time since reportedly confessing to murdering them and their mother. >> why did you kill y wrife and two children? >> a grieving family, and investigators left searching for

answers and a motive. banding together. 12 of the nation's mt decorated intelligence officers slam president trump for revoking the security clearance of former cia director john brennan. the former officials taking on the president overnight, but will it stop him from doing it again? wee live at the white house. those stories, plus, shame and sorrow. pope francis finally breaks his silence on that predator priest andal in pennsylvania. what he is now saying to thousands of victims. "today" exclusive -- >> stop,wait. >> new video of the tense moments before that frightening push that injured a washington state teenager. >> should i just go? >> just go! just go! you promised you would do it. free college tuition? the bold, new move byiv a major unersity that has people wondering, where do i ugply? today, at 17th, 2018.nc >> annou: from nbc news,

this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, everybody. welcome to thank you for joining us on this friday morning. craig is in for savannah, and we're hereind of witheavy hearts. >> yeah. >> but also, we're feeling full, because we' thinking about aretha franklin. "rock steady" in the makeup room this morning. >> your favorite. there are very few artists whose music manages to transcend so much -- race, class, geography. a testament to that, aretha franklin on just about every -- >> every -- >> -- cover. >> we cannot find a paper where she is not on the cover. "the st," "usa today" -- >> "washington post" as well. >> she's got the cover of "wall street journal," one after another. this is just a tribute to arethn fran you're right, the way she transcended. she is our top story. we begin with tributes flooding in for aretha franklin., fa fellow stars, world leaders all paying their

respects to the queen of soul. nbc's ron mott is in herwn homef detroit this morning. hey, ron. good morning. >> reporter: hey, hoda good morning to you. aretha franklin's family says she died a aftattle with pancreatic cancer, and in their words, this is one of the darkest moments of their lives. and while certainly grieving with them, this city a a world of fans are celebrating her life. ♪ r-e-s-p-e-c-t, find out what it means to me ♪ >> thisrning, fans, friends and fellow artists are giving aretha franklin the respect she ng about. overnight, ariana grande paying tribute through song on "the tonight show." she paved the way for so many of us, usher tweeted, as did sir paul mccartney, diana ross and countless other icons, bette midler, sir rod stewart, barbra streisand, along with the next generation of stars, jinelle monae and to name a few.

"our heavenly father has chosen one of the most prolific voices to join the heavenly choir," while former president obama said "area helped define the american experience. in her voice, we couldeel our history." apollo'sng tribute from famed marquee to her star along the hollywood walk of fame. born in memphis, 1942, but detroit was home. >> i love her so. she was just ours. >> reporter: her minister father, franklin, moved her family here at 4 and it was at d his church where her leg began. ♪ a va? she embraced the title. >> a blues brother? >> reporter: herurn as an actress in the 198 "blues brothers" blew many ay. ♪ you'd better think, think about what you're trying to do to me ♪ >> her music had some magic to it because it just went and swept everybody. >> reporter: gospel her

unfotida.on ♪ riding on the freeway >> reporter: pop, rock and soul, crowning achievements. the life of any par where her music plays -- ♪ never silenced, even now. ♪ i will lay me down >> reporter: funeral services are pending for aretha franklin. a woman as synonyms with the motor city as gm, ford, and chrysler. roll for this city nearly six decades with that awesome voice. hoda, craig? >> that w a beautiful tribute, ron, and we want you guys to know that we're going tt highliore of aretha's career and a lot of memorable moments. she was on "today" so often, we think she should have had a dressing room. performed out here many, many times. we'lllso talk to jennifer lopez. yesterday she opened up about what the queen of soul meant for her. we'll shear from j. lo in jt a bit. also this morning, new

developments in that disturbing murder case in thcolorado. man charged with killing his pregnant wife and two young daughters appearing in court as investigators recover the bodies and search for a motive. we'llghet some in from one of the lead detectives in the lacy peterson case in just a mome. but first, nbc news national correspondent miguel almaguer has theery latest. miguel, good morning to you. >> reporter: craig, good morning. is quiet, suburban home where investigators believe the suspect killed his wife and two young children. it's believed all of their bodies have now been recovered. earlier this week, search dogs were here at this home as investators try toigure out what happened exactly in the home behind me. >> reporter: seen for the first time as a murder spt, chris watts in court emotionless, facing charges of killing his family. the victims, hisregnant wife shanann watts and daughters 3-year-old celeste and 4-year-oldbella. >> my daddy is a hero. >> they were the happiest kids ever. b

she wasn to be a mom. >> reporter: after playing the grieving husband and father for three days -- >> i just want them home so orb. >> repr: -- local media reportsay watts led investigators to where he dumped his wife's body, an isolated teld at oil and gas company where he workedutside denver. >> we have been able to recover a body thate're quite certain is shanannwatts' body. we have strong reason to believe that we know where the bodies of the children are, and recovery efforts are in process. >> reporter: watts is said to have confessed to the murders. no motive has been released. worsts is absolutely the possible outcome that any of us could imagine. >> reporter: what investigators do know is shanann was dropped off at home 2:00 a.m. monday morning after a business trip.he husband says he left work around 5:00 a.m. in tween, watts said he and

his wife had an emotionaler cotion. detectives have not released how shanann wasurred or when he allegedly killed his children but say all three were kille at home. >> he was definitely interested in the kids and very doting. a little shy, but other than that, he was a really good guy. >> reporter: with a community and family in mourning, shanann's brother says his sister was pregnant with a boy, nico, writing on - faceboo "i'm so distraught and in shock. my blood is boiling, and the pain and anger and sadness i have in my amheart." hery now making their way to coloro to say good-bye to a mother and her two ildren. >> i love you. >> reporter: allegedly killed by the person who was supposed to protect them. investigators say the girls' bodies were discovere not far from their mother's body. the suspect will be back in court next week craig and hoda, back to you

guys. >> miguel, thank you. we are joined by retired detective john buehler. he investigated the murder of lacy peterson, which gripped the nation some 16 years ago. mr. oobuehler,morning to you. i want to play some sound from chris watts. is is watts talking about his family before confessing, reportedly confessing to the murder. take a listen. >> i'm just hoping right now that she somewheresafe, and maybe she's just, she's there, but right now, it's justlike, if she's vanished, like, i want her back so bad. i wst those k back so bad. last night, i wanted that knock on the door. i wanod see those kids run in, just barrel rush me, just give me a hug and knock me on the ground >> what do you see there, atjoh? o you hear there, or perhaps as important, what don't you see, what don't you hear from chris watts? >> well, he gives statement that seems on the surface to be very sincere, and it's what u'd expect to hear but for somebody who's done this for a while and other detectives would

probably see the se thing, and a lot of your viewers would say the same thing. he's very flat.'t he doeave any emotion. he's saying the right things, but there's nothing convincingo it. it's like it's an act that he's putting on and he's not a very good actor. >> talk about just getting into the bra somebody like that, who reportedly confessed to these murders. we see a lot of horble stori where a husband killsis wife. but this is different. this is a wife and two beautiful children. you've studded a lot of murders. take us inside that. >> you can kind of get it when a guy gets into a fight in a parking lot in a war and he's liquored up and kills somebody. you can kind of get it in a domestic violence situation osere a guy kills his wife because he it or the wife kills the husband because she's a victim of domestic violence. you can get that stuff. but this is chilling, because not only did he kill her, he killed celeste and bella, and that's pretty stuff, especially if you're a parent. you can't think of too many things that are sweeter and more

innocent than a child. and for him to be able to transition from killing the imther to then killing the children, it puts on a different scale. i think a lot of people make a stake to try to figure out why people do what they do. you have to kind of take intac unt, a guy like this is different than us. and to r it's so foreign to our world because we'd never do anything like that. >> retired detective joh buehler, it's a hard one on so many levels. john, thank you. >> thank you. breaking overnight, a he line-making admonishment of president trump. 12 former senior intelligence officers issuing a joint statement slamming the president for revok clearance of former cia director and vocal trump critic john brennan. nbc national correspondent peter alexander is at the white house with this story. hey, peter, good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. former cia director bob gates adding his name to that letter overnight. makes nearly every former cia director and deputy director, democts and republicans now signing on to what amounts to a blistering rebuke of the president's

decision to yank john brennan's security clearance. they wre, among other things, "you don't have to agree with what brennan says, and again, t all of us do, to agree with his right to say it." to be clear, the white house has not shown any evidence that na br a strong critic of the president, is a threat to national security, fueling their fierce complaint that it's an act of political ngeance. overnight, 12 former senior intelligence officials releasing a joint statement blasting president trump for revoking former cia director john brennan's security clearance, callin it ill-considered and unpreced fted. themer officials telling the president that his actions against brennan have nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech. it comes after brennan fir back in "the new york times," accusing the president of trying to silence others who might dare to challenge him, arguing "mr. trump's claims of no collusion are in a word hogwash." brennan now getting backup from

the commander of the osama bin laden raid, navy admiral william mcraven in a "washington pos op ed defending brennan as a man of unparalleled integrity, saying "i would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well." >> is it appropriate for you to punish your critics? >> reporter: the president ignoring que hions aboutis decision thursday afternoon.n meanwhile,nother presidential firestorm, there are new clips revealing part o a conversation between omarosa manigault newman and the president's daughter-in-law, eric trump's wife, lara, a campaign aide, offering manigault newman a lucrative job on the trump campaign after she was fired by the white house. >> we are talking about like 15k a month -- >> reporter: a john maniglt wman says had no real responsibilities. >> sometimes come to new york for an occasiona meeting, but i would love if you could, you know, occionally go tohese speaking engagements and that sort of thing for us. >> reporter: lara trump also referring toes a "new york t article published a day earlier that includes comments bywm

manigault indicating that as the only african-american woman working in the white house, she had seen things that upset her and had a story to tell. >> sounds a little like, obviously, that there are some things that you've got in the backocket to pullout. clearly, if you come on board the campaign, like, we can't have we got to -- >> oh, god no. >> reporter: saying the clips are in >> she made it clear that if i joined this campaign, that i would have to be quiet. to buy iss an attempt my silence, to censor me. >> trump train! >> reporter: lara trump insisting those discussions about a campaign job took place in numerous phone calls over the course of several weeks, calling manigault newman's actions aal betrayy a woman the trump family had welcomed as a trusted friend and confidante, adding, "i hope it's all worth it for you, omarosa, because some things you just can't put a price on."

>> you all know him as the president. friendhim as a >> reporter: the president retweeting a video of his former aide previously praising him, "t writing, nks for the kind words, omarosa." >> and peter, we hear there's an update on another note. president trump was talling about a ry parade. >> reporter: yeah, hoda, that's riovt. that consial military parade ordered by the president, originally scheduled for this veterans day, will be delayed until at least 2019. that's according to the pentagon. they didn't give a reason for the bankrupt change. the white house reached out this morning, is not commenting. you reme asked for this parade after reveling in the french bastille day celebration. this came hours after cnbc reported the estimated cost has soared to $92 million, way above initial estimates. the american legion, by the way, the nation's largest rtime veterans group, weighing in overnight, arguing themoarade y would be much better spent caring for veterans and their families. hoda and craig? >> all right, peter alexander at the white house. peter, thank you.

meanwhile, the vatican is finally respondingo that scathing grand jury report exposing the abuse of children at the handsf hundreds of catholic priests across pennsylvania. nbc's b anne thompson hasn following that story for us all week. anne, good morning to you. >> good morning, craig. good morning, hoda. the vatican says there are two words that express its reaction to the litany of crimes laid out in tt nearly 900-page report. they are shame and sorrow, crimes the vatican acknowledges can shake the faith of believers. after two days of silence, the vatican delivering a message to the pennsylvania abuse victims from pope francis. >> holy father, as shown in chile, wants to put the victi first, make sure they know he is on their . >> reporter: against the men who did things the vatican says were criminal and morally reprehensible. >> treas to be accountability, not only for the abusers, but also for those who permitted the abuse. >> reporter: t extent of the

depravity uncovered by arand jury is staggering -- fondling, rape, and physical abuse perpetrated by 300 predator priests onorehan 1,000 child and teenage victims over a 70-year period. >> pope francis can take whatn happenedhe past, learn from it, and move forward. i definitely feel the sorrow for affectedren that were by the scandal. >> reporter: one of the alleged victims, james filusac. >> the pope's r failed this victim and many others yet again. >> reporter: after years of revelations involving priests violating young people, survivor groups want me than words. atmere words are insulting this point. it is time for the pope to start removing culpable bishops. >> reporter: the problem is not just the leaders in pennsylvania. olegations that the former powerful cardina washington, theodore mccarrick, abused boys,

seminarians, and young priests, have catholics asking how could he rise to a become prince of the church? this morning, the u.s. conference of b catholichops promising answers with a full investigation led by the vatican along with a group of predominantly laypeople. pennsylvania's attorney general is now responding to the vatican's remarks, writingn a statement, "i appreciate the validation of our work in pennsylvania and the expression of remorse on behalf ofope francis. i hope that under the holy father's leadership the church w will embrace and support the grand jury's recommendations." we'll see. >> yeah, we haven't heard the last of the story, obviously, anne. thank you. we're going to head over to check of for a fir the weather. good morning, guys. thank you for getting your first weher from us. we're looking in the eastern third of the country for showers and thunderstorms, little rock, minneapolis, moving into cleveland later toly. we watch this whole area push further to the east as this frontal system slowly makes its way towards the eastern

seaboard, bringing showers and thunderstorms from boston, new york, washington, d.c., willmeee action, as will atlanta. and then moving into tomorrow, the storm lingering. the frontal sys lmgers along the coast with an isolated flood threat. there's also going to be problems on the roads and in the air.ra today, airl delays from new york city, philly, d.c., charlotte and miami. m saturday,e storms for new york city, soelays in d.c., atlanta, miami and tampa. otinfall amounts not going to take a to cause any flooding. flash flooding from oklahoma city to birmingham. one to two inches. moving into the northeast, we're seeing more of the same. because we have such low expectations for flash flood guidance,nywhere from a half an inch to an inch per hour could cause problems. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds.

good morning. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. a lot of haze and humidity in place for your fday morning and for the rest of your friday. it's going to be a very hot and humid daytoy. temperatures are already way up into the 70s around the area. highs today up near 94 degrees. radar shows a few showers northern maryland and the shenandoah valley now. that's going to fade away, but more chances of thunderstorms coming in between about 5:00 and 9:00 this evening. again, today's high 94 degrees. >> that's your latest weather. craig? uncle al, thank you. justah d, exclusive, new video interest from that frightening bridge-shoving incident. moments leading up to the push, moments you have not seen yet.

plus, our special tribute to th queen of soul. aretha franklin's many appearances here in studio . she's like family here. first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪ but fir

still ahead, a fun friday morning concert live on the plaza. wee got country star cole swindell. >> first your local news just listen. (vo) there's so much we want to sw her. we needed a car that would last long enough to see it all. (avo) subaru outback. 98% are still on the road after 10 years. come on mom, let's go! (avo) right now, get 0% apr financing on the 2018 subaru outback. starttake an extra 20% off!es friends & family sale save on vans s starting at $55.99

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go with the one that's here to help life go right. state farm. hi, good morning, it is 7:26 on this friday, august 17th. i'm erika gonzalez. >> and i'm aaron gilchrist. in the news this morning, the queen of soul is gone, and today the national portrait gallery will add aretha franklin's portrait to the inmemoriam space on the first floor. the lithographic poster was designed by milton glazer. franklin passed away yesterday after battling cancer. four months after the devastating floods, ellicott city will have a party main street. back in may, ellicott city's main streete experienced sever flooding that left a lot of hedamage. it w second time in two years main street was destroyed by flooding. the block party begins at 6:00 tonight. all righ now let's check on the morning commute with melissa. >> good morning. alexandria outer loop near

eisenhower avenue connector, crash on the left shoulder. that one just popped up. take a look at the delays, northbound ho305. lanes on the 14th street bridge, we have a crash. seeing real slowdownsthere. east capitol street after southern avenue, left lane getting by the accident there. eun? sorry, erika. >> that's okay! thanks, melissa. we'll check your forecast next. stay with us.

good morning, everybody. hopefully, your friday's off to a good start. temperaturesre i the 70s now. 78 in washington, 77 in quantico. not much rain on radar just yet, but there will be an opportunity for more thunderstorms to fire up later on in the daytoday. afternoon highs today will be a warm one, in the low to mid-90sd heat is up close to 100 degrees this afternoon. a little bit cooler over the weekend, but there remains a rain chance for both your saturday and sunday.

no total t,washut be ready for a rain drop at just about any time. >> thank you, chuck. another local news update in 25 mi ntes. >> forow, it's back to the "today" show aft there's more t life than the climb. there's the view. there's more t you've gotta stop and look around a little.rs come. shed life's thein asheville. you'asheville.top and look around a little.rs discery, inside and out.

we are back now, 7:30 ony this fri morning, august 17th, 2018. and we do have an important interview comin up on monday that we are anxious to tell you about. >> yeah, our budd carson, sat down with nba star kevin love, and they had a candi conversation about men and mental health. as you know, carson's been very open about ling with xiety. earlier this year, love revealed his own struggle with panic attacks as well. something he said led to a string of similar admissions from other high-profile athletes and stars, something he says his then teammate lebron james saw coming. >> what did it mean when lebron, i think,di said on social after that article, he shouted you out and gave you some dlov? wh that mean to you? >> he did. it was a special moment for me,

because we sat towards the end of the bus, kind of said hey, do you have a moment? he stopped me and said, you know, he shook my hand, looked me in my ele, said youd a lot of people today, it's important. and that was super powerful for b, because you know, not only is he thet athlete in the world, best basketball player in the world, but his influence in having my back with that was super important to me. >> he did hel a lot of people. and carson, in turn, has helped a lot of people himself in dealing with it. >> we're going to keep the conversation going on monday. >> yeah, we'll have that on monday morning. >> exclusive interview right here on "today." let's go to a check of today's headlin now. new information on that tragic murder case in colorado. 33-year-old chris watts appeared in court for the first timeur ay. he's accused of killing his pregnant wife and their two young ildren. officials believe they have recovered all three bodies now. local media reports say watts led investigators to where he dumped his wife's body, an isolated field at the oil and

gas company where he once worked. watts is said to have confessed to the murders. so far, no motive. a newly released video showo a fire ado, the one that killed a firefighter as he was helpinge residents evacu in northern california. he funnel of fire and smoke engulfed jeremy stoke last month on the edge of redding. the massive twister was roughly 1,000 feet in diameter and reached speeds tp 165 miles an hour. the carr fire, which is more than 70% ntained, has destroyed nearly 1,10 h and killed eight people. some exciting news this morning for medical students at new york university. the school is picking up their tuition bill.u nytudents reacted to the announcement thursday with cheers and applause. rising tuition has been phing ctors into higher-paying fields, leading to a shortage of researchers and primary care physicians. school officials say there's a debt.imperative to reduc

tuition had been set at about $55,000 for the coming ye. st medical students will still pay for their room and their d, bout students excited, and i would imagine lots of parents. >> i would imagine. >>d. more exci >> you are right. we're going to move to an exclusive update on that frightening bridge-shoving incident in washington state that we've been llowing. this morning, we have a new look at what happened just before that push. nbc's joe fryer has more on this. hey, joe, good morning.he >> reporter: there. good morning. this new video gives us a fuller picture of what led up to jordan holgerson being pushed off that 60-foot bridge.is sh recovering from multiple serious injuries, but doctors sayckhe's it could have been much, much worse. >> it's already recording. you've got to go. >> stop. opwait. st >> reporter: this morning for the first time, we're seeing the run-up to this shocking moment. >> ready? >> when a friend pushed 16-year-old jordan holgorsen off this six-story bridge in

washington, the fall leaving the teen badly injured. just moments befo, off camera, her friend, 18-year-old taylor smith, can be heardepeatedly encouraging jordan, who appears terrified, to jump. >> two, one, go! go! >> do i just go? >> just go! you promised you would do it. jordan, go. i'm going to push you. >> no. sh you can see taylor in the video. was getting kind of irritated or something with her because she wasn't jumping. i mean, she probably stood on the bridge for about 15 minutes. >> reporter: two other friends, colby maza and brady vance, were on thebridge, too. brady had already taken the plunge. >> that's all i wanted was her not to get hurt so i was telling her she didn't have to do it. >> reporter: but taylor keeps urging. er to ju >> i don't care. i'd jump in there to save you if anything happens. >> reporter: it's from this very not that aumber of people actually climb over the wraden ing on to this part of the bridge and t jnump into the river down below.

you can seehere are rocks on both sides. >> ah! >> jordan, i got just go. >> reporter: taylor doesn't let up. >> stop talking! stop talking! >> reporter: until, with n warning -- >> two -- >> you say no -- >> ready? >> reporter: taylor told u repeatedly over the phone and in texts that she did not intend t hurt jordan and she has apologized, but the day of the incident, taylor texted with jordan's tn brother -- "did she jump or get above pushed," he asks. "i was there," taylorresponds, "but didn't see what ."happened >> i don't feel the need to talk to her anymore. >> reporter: jordan is recovering at home withix broken ribs, two punctured lungs and a variety of other painful injuries. us>> it was a hard ph and it was a very dumb thing to do. >> so, joe, what happens to taylor smith now? >> reporter: well, she could be in trouble. the clark county major cri unit completed its investigation

of the incident. prosecutors say later today they will announce whether she'll face any charges. guys? >> all right. we'll continue to follow.r joe fr for us there. te, thank you. we are goingo switch gears. everybody's wonderi about the weekend and the weather. >> that's right. >> what's it looking like? >> we've got heat and humidity through a good portion of the country, but there is some relief coming, and that's good news. but fory, to we continue to have air temperatus and humidity combining for a heat index of 104 in dallas, 1 new orleans, triple digits in memphis, jacksonville, into miami, ymid-90s in nk city. tomorrow it continues from houston, nashville, raleigh, all the way down to orlando. but as that front moves through, look at this, much coer! some relief for new york city. temperatures will be in the upper 70s to low 80s next week, acd-80s in myrtle birmingham will be in the mid-to-upper 80s. even galveston in the upper 80sr whichhis time of year, that's pretty darn good. that's what's going on around the country. here's what' good morning. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist

chuck bell. if you like it hazy,ho and humid, today is custom tailored just for you.a ot of humidity outside this morning. temperatures are already in the steamy mid-to-upper 70s. afternoon temperatures today will peak in the low to mid-90s. heat indexes today up close to 100. radar shows one or two lonesome showers for now. likely to have a round of stronger showers this afternoon into this evening and hit-and-miss rain chances throughout your weekend. a that's your latest weather. >> thank you. in the wakdg of that bri collapse in italy, an eye-opening new "rossen reports" this morning. juhe how safe are t bridges that we cross every single day? plus, more carbs, less protein? the surprising, new findings on what to cut and what to add to your diet if you are interestedg in losin weight. then, a first look and listen to new music from janet ickson, her firstn years. >> oh, i can't wait for that. eg> but first, we will honor the life andy of aretha

franklin. jennifer lopez will talk to us about her. plus, the fun times we shared with aretha right here in studio 1a, countless time♪ after this. ♪ metastatic breast cancer is relentless, but i'm relentless too. mbc doesn't take a day off, and neither will i. and i treat my mbc with new everyday verzenio- the only one of its kind that can be taken every day. in fact, verzenio is a cdk4 & 6 inhibitor for postmenopausal women with hr+, her2- mbc, approved, with hormonal therapy, as an everyday treatment for a relentless disease. verzenio + an ai is proven to help women have significantly more time without disease progression, and more than half of women saw their tumors shrink vs an ai. diarrhea is common, may be severe, and may cause dehydration or infection. before taking verzenio, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection. verzenio may cause low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infection that can lead to death. serious liver problems can occur.

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and get 35% off paints and stains. visit your neighborhood sherwin-williams store today. that's the same thing i want to do with you. it's an emotional thing to watch your child grow up and especially get behind the wheel. i want to keep you know, stacking up the memories and the miles and the years. he's gonna get mine but i'm gonna get a new one! oh yeah! he's gonna get mine but i'm gonna get a new one! when it's time for your old chevy truck to become their new chevy truck, there's truck month. get 10 or 14 percent below msrp on 2018 silverado pickups when you finance with gm financial. plus, during truck month make no monthly payments for 90 days. find new roads at your local chevy dealer. ♪ we are back on this friday morning withome of just a handful of the tributes here pouring in to aretha franklin. the covers of "the new yorker," and her hometown paper,it the "detree press" as well. >> can we just pause for one

second? because this is aretha singing "amazing grace." just one second. ♪ ♪ ♪ how sweet the sound >> wow. >> okay.ta >> whatever she was on, she took you to church. >> right? >> your hair is literally standing up. >> i know, it really is! well, she got her start in churchit and it'sng that we have that song. she was a regular guest here, guys. we loved her. she came here over the years. she cooked with al. she spoke with all of us. as the world remembers and honors the queen of soul, we wanted to celebrate our time with her here in studio 1a. ♪ th queen of soul, aretha gsanklin, with 18 grammys to her name and 45 son on the top 40

charts, never lost sight of what was important -- the music. >> it was my first love, and it's a constant. it's always there. >> does it change? >> no. it is fun, but more than fun, it's a love forme. >> reporter: during her six-decade career, aretha became aamiliar face around studio 1a. >> you were named one of michigan's naturalreurces? >> no, my voice was declared a natural resource by thetate of michigan. >> okay. ♪ r-e-s-p-e-c-t, find out what it means to me ♪ >> it was a resource she used to change the world. >> it evolved to an anthem of a sort. but when my sister and i were working o it, no, had no idea that it woulbecome the anthem that it did become. >> with us, she was always happy to discuss the role faith played in her music. >> the gospel is alws withme. that's my background. those are my roots. so, regardless to what i'm singing, i think you'rto always goinear some of that.

♪ you make me feel like a natural woman ♪ aretha revealed hidden fsights into her music. >> do you have aorite song from this new album? >> well, i melody. it's the feeling. it's the lyric is something that we all can relate to, whether it's male or female. it just -- i look forward to singing it in concert all the time. it just wears me out. i really love that. ♪ >> the singer's soulful sound filled our concert stage many times. ♪ angels we heard on high >>t her artistry did not stop there. let's talk about this fish dish. >> theueen of soul waslso the queen of the kitchen in her householven surprising al

with her recipe for rainbow trout al men dean. >> i like garlic saltnd a little cayenne pepper. that's too hot. >> i'll turn that down hilittle >> i you guys are trying to -- >> we're trying to make trout almendine flombay. welcome! >> thank you. >> always counted on to spread holiday cheer and bring some sass o the se >> well, we're all sinners, aren't we? >> oh, no, no,ak no, spe grour self. speak for yourself, darling. >> oh, really? >> speak foryourself. >> whenever aretha stopped by, she always received praise, this time from music mogul and collaborator clive davis. >> anything you do with the history, "rolling stone" called her the greatest singer of all >> tell me more! >> aretha showed us time and time again, she lived as she d sang, out lnd to her own beat. >> a minute and a hahalf, is

all we have? >> that's all we've got! we've got to see how it ends. >> well, tell nbc to extend the time! i've got to finish this>> recip e have aretha franklin. give us some r-e-s-p-e-c-t. >> absolutely! ♪ just a little bit, just a >>ttle bit ♪ aretha, you have our respect, now and always. there are certain musicians when they ss, we think about michael jackson and prince -- >> yes. >> and now aretha so many musicians were just talking about what she meant to them. and by chnece, i hap to be interviewing jennifer lopez yesterday, and here's what she had to say about the queen of soul. >> she's so impactful on so many people's careers in life. >> yeah. >> what did s mean to you? >> she was the pinnacle of what it was to be a singer who sang with feeling, had range, grit, soul. h everything abo voice was just, just amazing. i read how she had said it was a gift from god and she was just using her gift to the best of her abilities a that that made her happy. it just resonated with me,

because it's like what all entertainers feel. you're just using what god gave you and trying to do the bestou thatan with that, because you realize it is a gift. i>>acted so many, didn't she? >> yeah. thank goodness she gave that gift to us. we are back on a friday morning right after these messages. ♪ think about whau're trying to do to me ♪ and then the people go inside. do you understand charlie? mom? yeah? can i have a peanut butter sandwich? yeah, you sure can. can charlie have one, too? charlie can have one too. ♪ ♪ and one for charlie. (gasp) look mom! charlie took a bite. (with full mouth) unbelievable. feed his imagination, with the fresh roasted peanut taste he loves. where there's jif, there's love. starttake an extra 20% off! friends & family sale with the fresh roasted peanut taste he loves. save on lc lauren conrad denim - $29.59 new balance shoes ar$55.99

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7:56 os your time this friday, august 17th. i'm erika gonzalez. and we begin wh a check of the roads with "first 4 traffic" and melissa mollet this morning. >> good morning, erika.t 14th str bridge inbound, still have that crash there, so still seeing delays as you're headed into town. delays northbound and southbound on bw parkway, crashes in laurel, southbound after 198he blocking left lane. eastbound bay bridge, so outbound there, left lane blocked by a crash. you can see that delay as well if you're headed to the beach. >> all right,nk tyou, ma'am. speaking of a beach forecast, let's check that next, coming up.

it is a hazy and humid start to your friday. no rain around the city just yet. we are still watching a few showers across parts of the shenandoah valley, falling apart as they come east of the blue avdge. we will a high chance for rain later today, though. some of those storms could be a little on the strong side. today's high a sizzling 94 with heat indexes near 100. 60% chance of showers on your saturday and a lower chance for rain on your sunday. >> thanks, chuck. we'l have another update in 25 minutes.

it is 8:00 ontoday. coming up, breaking overnight, investigators recover the bodies da that pregnant colorado mother and her two younhters. >> this is absolutely the worst possible outcome that any of us could imagine. >> the suspect, their husnd and father, appearing in court fore the first time sinchis reported confession. we are live with the latest. plus, to carb or not to carb? what a surprising, new study is how many about jus carbs you should be eating to lose weight. and making his way to the plaza -- ♪ making my way, making my way to you ♪ country singer cole swindell is kicking off your weekend with a live summer concert you do not want tomiss, today, friday,

gust 17th, 2018. ♪ >> we're here to see cole swindell! >> i'm here to see colefo swindl r the third time! >> from wisconsin -- s >> to see colendell! >> whoo! ♪ >> woke up at 2:30 a.m. to come to the plaza! >> been all over the country to see cole more than 100 times! >> we love our husbands, but -- >> we're here to see cole! >> andelcome back totoday" on this friday morning. a l of great things happening. we've got craig, who's in for savannah. cole swindell is a great singer, but what makes him a great guy that since we've been sitting in here, since 6:30 or , he's been out with the fans, loving them, hugging them, saying hi to

them, taking pictures with them, and he puts on a heck of a concert. >> we will be out there in just a bit. but first, your news at 8:00. police in colorado say their worst fears have bee realized after finding the bodies of a pregnant woman and her two young daughters. meanwhile, the husband accused of killing his own family has made his first courtappearance. nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer is outside the watts family home.ni miguel, good m. >> reporter: craig, good morning. this quiet suburbaome outside denver is where police say the suspect killed his wifend t young children, their bodies discovered not far away. seen for the first time as a murder suspect, chris watts in court emotionless, facing charges of killing his family. >> hi! >> reporter: the victims, his pregnant wife, shanann watts, and their daughters, 3-year-old celeste and 4-year-old bella. >> my daddy is a hero. reporter: they were the

happiest kids ever. she was born to be a>>mom. eporter: local media reports say watts led investigators to where he dumd h wife's body, an isolated field at the oil and gas company where he worked outside denver. >> we have been able to recover a bodyre that we' quite certain is shanann watts' body. we have strong reason to believe that we know where the bodies of the children are. >> reporter:datts is s to have confessed to the murders. no motive has been released. >> we defended him on social media. we really had no idea. >> reporter: with a community and family in morning, shanann's brother says his sister was pregnant with a boy, nico, writing on facebook, o"i'm distraught and in shock. my blood is boiling, and the pain and anger and sadness i have in my heart." her family now making their way to colorado to say good-bye to a

mother and her two children, allegedly killed by the person who was supposed to protect em. after his first court appearance yesterday, the suspect is expected back in court next week. crarg? >> it's a story, miguel. miguel, thank you. there is new fallout this p morning ovesident trump's decision to revoke the security clearance of formerir ciator john brennan, who's a vocal trump critic. overnight, a den former top intelligence officials released a statement calling the esident's action and threats against others an attempt to stifle free speech. they labeled it ill-consider and unprecedented. in addition, the architect of ad the osama bin raid defended brennan as a man of unparalleled integrity. retired admiral william mccraven says hnwould consider it honor if the president would take away his security clearance as well. i aortant programming note now. this sunday on "dateline," an in-depth look at the epidemic of homelessness affecting 500,000

americans. we're going to take you on an eye-opening tour of the epicenter, skid row i los geles. here's a clip. >> when you lost that first apartment, where did you? >> we ended up in our car and moteling it. >>lleporter: and you were s going to work every day. >> i was hiding it from everybody. and it was hard, sometimes trying to sleep with an 18-month-old in the back seat of a car. because my fears and anxiety was leading me to think that if i just die, my family can get the life insurance andt use t to find a home. that's how bad i felt at the time. >> and here's the thing, she actually worked at a homel shelter and ended up homeless herself. i spent the last few months goin back and forth to los angeles because there's no city in this country where the crisis is worse. more than 55,000 people in the second largest city in this country living in homelessness, many of them on the streets. eo, we wanted to go out and find out how got there, so we

spent some time on skid row, but we also spent a lot of time talking to the angels who are lifting people off the streets. >> yeah, wow. >> they have ced their lives through a variety of ways to helping people in homelessness. and it's story that hits close to home. my maternal grandfather spent the better part of the last years of his life in and out of a homeless shelter. so, i've always, you know, since i started in journalism, i've do a lot of stories about homelessness because it'sme ing that hits close to home. >> well, you just listen to that one woman you interviewed,sand you but by the grace of god, it could be any of us. >> yes, there go i. it's called "city of angels," a special hour of "dateline" this sunday night, 7:00 eastern/6:00 central. >> all right, we've got the news covering. w about a littl "morning boost"? >> yes! a boost. the school year's offo a terrific start in pendleton, kentucky. you kw how teachers dip into their own pockets for school supplies? well, an anonymous donor gave every singl teacher, 143 of them, a $100 bill to help them

out. >> they just said that we were going to get a $100 bill. and as soon as that was confirmed, again, i was just so surprised by the act of kindness. >> the wom who donated the money said she wanted to show teachers that people out there have their backs. so, imagine if someone randomly handed you a $100 bill. that's what happened to those teachers, 143 of them. good for that anonymous donor. >> i love the boost. always comes at the right time. much mor ahead this friday morning. bring on the bread? >> yep! >> the new findings about carbs that could change the way you diet. first, growing concerns ovey the s of bridges here in the united ates in the wake of that collapse in italy. a "rossen reports" warning you need to see before hitting the roads today. okay... what about here? yup. here? yup. t t for us? it sure is. gimme, gimme. what about here? here too, kyle. and here sir robert from state farm?

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we're back with new "rossen reports" you'll want to see before heading out this morning. >> justays after that deadly bridge collapse in italy, we've got a new warning about faulty bridges here in the united use s that you probably every day. "tod" national investigative herrespondent jeff rossen joins us now from iconic brooklyn bridge with more. jeff, what's the good word? >> repheter: yeah, guys, good morning. i wish the word was better, because you see what happens in italy and it makes you wonder here in america, can tha happen here? and engineers say the answer is yes. so often, these bjudges collapse like in italy without any warning. they have hidden failures deep them that you just can't see when you're driving overe,hem. for examou mentioned, i'm here at the foot of the iconic brooklyn bridge in new york city, a this bridge, this huge, popular bridge with millions of car i deemed structurally deficient. so many of them are across the country, and you'd never know in it. ust a moment, we're going to show you an easy way from home right now to check your locals brido see which bridges areur

structally deficient. but first, what it looks like up close. this week, terror caught on camera in italy. this popular bridge collapsing, killing dozens, trapping others under e debris and bble, rescuers pullingurvivors out of the wreckage. the cause now under investigation, but what's left, a haunting image we all fear. ridges are s out, crumbling here, too, from florid to georgia, michigan to utah. >> oh, my word! what happened? >> reporter: where chunks of a bridge smashed through this airport shuttle with passengers inside, crushing the hood of the car. >> another six or eight inches, you might have been talking to me today. >> reporter: america's infrastructure is fallingapart. according to the u.s. department oftransportation, 47,619 bridges are in poor condition. >> this is a national issue.

ca fu dllnin 50 states. >> rorter: in 2016, i checked out one of the bad bridges for myself. right now i'm standing on the arlington memorial bridge here in d.c. we are getting rare access down inside the bridge, and this one is so bad, in such critical condition, they're making me wear these gloves because all the ld paint is stripping off. and they're going to make me wear a hard hat, because believe it or not, concrete chunks fall off this bri >> you can see why we're so concerned. >> rep ter: charles borders is in charge of this bridge for th national parrvice. look at this up here. this is the roadway, and there's metal lit off of it.ng right >> and over here, look at this beam. this is holding up the roadway, too. we've got all thison ccrete is gone, totally decayedaway. look at this flange right he, paper thin. leftis all that's >> reporter: this is what's holding up the roadway? this is where thears are going. you can feel the cars right above us. this beam is holding the bridge up. >> reporter: but what we see next is even more disturbing.

>> this is the support for the entire bridge, just completely rusting away. look at this, jeff, completely gone. >> reporter: you can put your hand right through that. >> yeah, all o this, rusting from the inside out. >> repor r: years later, this bridge still isn't fixed. repairs fin slated to start in the fall. but industry experts say getting funding takes too long. >> the nation needs to step up md makeore investments in its infrastructure. we shouldn't have to wait for a bridge collapsco in another try or for a midterm election to get going. >> reporter: the government is spending billions of dollars on infrastrture repair to fix these bridges, but the infrastructure is so old, it's ha to keep up. should mention, the department of transportation telling nbc news last night that just because a bridg is in poor condition doesn't mean it's unsafe for the public. let me repeat that. the government says that just because a bridge is innd poor ion doesn't make it unsafe. as a driver, that wasn't very comforting to me, guys, so we got back to them and said, what

does that even mean? clarify that. how isathat not if it's in poor condition? they never got back to us. by the way, t if you want check local bridges in your area, we have a cool map on our website, today.com/rossenreports. you can actually check state by state and it will drill down right into your neighborhood where the structurally deficient bridges are. >> a right, head to the website. jeff rossen at the brooklyn bridge. thanks. now to some inspiring tories if you've ever fac adversity. dylan is in the orange room with this. >> hey! this is a great story. author saeed jones asked authors and performers to share setbackf in using #shareyourrejections, and it kicked off quite the conversation online. co-founder of "the huffington post" arianna huffington tweets "my second book was rejected by 36 publishers. iter 25 rejections, i was broke and walkedo a bank and asked for a loan. as they say, 38th time is a charm." writer lauren morelli posts "i was rejected from thearr brothers tv workshop three years in a row.

the next year i got staffed on "orange is the new black." alias says "iot fired from a movie theater because i skipped a shift to go on an audition. the role i got was in a movie that then played in the same theater." how cool is that? anddarah tweets "i decoupage all of my rejections onto a offee table in my office as reminder to keep trying." >> that's good. >> and "a guy i went on a few dates with stopped seeing me so he could focus on his career. five years later hetias audiing for one of my films." success inspired many online. i will say, after aninterview at the bs affiliate in lincoln, nebraska, which was held at mcdonald's, for whate gr reason, up the nerve to call two aeks later, i want to know where i sta they were like, we hired somebody already hs ago. >> i drove to 27 different television stations and got rejected 27 different times, like different affiliates around the country, until a guy named

stan ndroni in greenville, mississippi, hired me on number 28. so, i think whatever -- you've justot to keep going, man, keep going. >> i had an agent, i was working rn cleveland and wanted to get in a big market and he said, i don't see you in a major market and six months later a go job at wnbc. >> and look at you now! >> al roker. mr. melvin? >> oh, gosh, too many. wmean, it's been a long time. >> long andding road? >> it's taken a long time to get here. >> well, we're happy that y are here. ms. dylan, you have some "pop start"? >> yes, full of music today. first up, ariana grande, we mentioned earlier she perfoed on "the tonight show" last night performing "natural woman," a tribute to aretha franklin, but the pop star had reason toce brate. her fourth album "sweetener" was released overnight and is alreadyhe number one album on itunes. >> wow. >> grande sat down with jimmy fallon to talk about the album and as well as what her grandma nona thinks of her fiance.

>> nona loves him. nona's like, oh, peter -- well, the first time they facetimed, she called him david. she's like, oh, david! she's like, yeah, nice italian y, huh? and he was like, well, i'm only 20%, but i could be more if you want. >> that's great. >> she's like, oh, eno, i'd l to see you do your stand-up. i was like, nona, relax. i was like, nona d >> what he say, sure? >> he was like, i don't know, it's pretty dirty, na. she w like, i like it -- i was like, nobodia. >> we love nona. >> she's soood at impressions, too. i love watching her do that. ok, next up, janet jackson. the music icon also released new music overnight called "made for now." the song features daddy yankee, who many of you know from his hit "despacito." here's a look.

♪ made for now ♪ look around, we're made for now, not tomorrow ♪ ♪ made for now, look around, we're made for now ♪ >> okay, we're hooked. >> yeah! >> wow! >> jackson and daddy yankee will first perform "made for now" tonight on jimmy fallon. >> song of the summer! oh, summer's almost over. >> and watching her dance! she has a lot to see. >> amazing. >> she's also the headliner for the upcoming global citizen festival here in new york city on september 29th. so, a big year forjanet. finally, dave matthews. the singer and his band, they've been performin more than 20 years, most recently treleasingheir ninth studio album back in june. but it's a videof dave before the fame that has p talking. in an old, resurfeoacedpl video see -- >> oh, wow! >> -- a young, very young dave matthews performing a blockbuster music in memphis, tennessee. take a look.

♪ ♪ when i'm walking by a woman ♪ >> nice to watch that. performing live, recded in august of 1994, just a month before dave matthews band released their debut album "under the table and dreaming." the video was reposted on ok face and no surprise, it already has more than 400,000 views. >> pretty cool. >> he's here, blockbuster's gone. ha! sweet revenge, dave! >> we'll get a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you bytarget. expect more, pay less. let's look at what's y. happening to fire danger in the pacific northwest. severe storms in the east, also strong storms in the mid-mississippi river valley.

time for your state fair forecast! let's head on out to idaho! boise, you've got a blue ribbon for it. 80s,ratures in the upper some showers in douglas, wyoming, for their fair. des moines, iowa,unny skies, thunderstorms and 88. then we've got a blue ribbon in springfield, il beautiful weather. louisville's state fair saturday, some problems. and in indiinapolis, ana, a blue ribbon day. a little on the wet side for the west virginia state fair, and i maine, showers on saturday but vermont looking good on saturday. that's a look at what's happening around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. good morning, everybody. it is a hazy sunshine outside this morning around the d.c. metro area. have aew rain drops out near i-81. current temperatures are in the steamy 70s sw. you ca this little area of rain here out towards north of stanton and harrisonburg, falling apart on the far western end of ointerstate 66 there by the blue ridge. higher rain chances come to the d.c. metro area later on this afternoon. could be one storms

the strong side. today's high 94. highs in the 80s over the weekend. >> and that is you lat weather. hoda. >> all right, al, thanks. now your health this morning, a new way to think about carbs. >> the hottest diets these days seem to be the low-carb or no-carb diets, right? but a newhe study suggests may not be the best, they may not be the healthiest ways to lose the weight. >> we have the expert in, dr. roshni raj, "today" contributor from langone medical, here to help us sort it out. >> yes. >> hi,here raj. >> hello. >> for starters, everyone likes the low-ca and no-carb, on things like atkins, and they are seeing the weight drop. so, they're thinking i found the rosetta stone. >> right. we're talking not really about weight loss per se, but longevity and mortality rates. and this is a large study that compared low-carb, moderate carb consumption and high-carb. and it actually found that the moderate, so about 50% of your calories coming from carbohtrates is the b for

your overall health and for your overall life span and longevity. ngso, we're tal about things like heart disease, cancer, strokes, all of these causes of h seem to be reduced if you have a moderate, not a low-carb intake. now, why ithat? that's because most of the people that are on the low-carb diet are hoplacing carbs with unhealthy things. >> ah. >> particularly animal fat and animal protein. >> fat, right. what we're learning from this study, and really, most of the studies coming out now, the plant-based diethe best thing to do. >> so, it's all about replacing those carbs. >> correct. >> so, let's talk about what we have here and why these options, some of them are really good, some of them not so much. >> rights. so, when we're talking about what's not so good, those animal-based fats and proteins, we have the steak here. >> the steak. it's the best-looking plate. >> it really does look the best, i agree, but this is for the special occasion. you do not want to have the animal fats and proteins often. even the white rice. it's a carb, but it's a refined carb, a that's not what y want. what you do want are those fruits and vegetables. so, we have t berries, which tre amazing, full of

anti-oxidants, nts, the spinach. and the heaty fat, so avocado, anlnuts. you really to have those almost on a daily basis because they're so good for you. then the whole grains, the whole wheat. >> let's talk about the bread. what's the right bread if you want to kind of manage your carb intake, wheat, multigrain or -- >> i make sure it says whole grain. whole wheat is a type of whole grain, butou could also have oats, barley, other whole grains, but you really want it to be10 whole grain. and again, avocado, healthy fat. that doesn't mean you can he ten avocados a day and not gain weight. everything in moderation, but on your plate, at least lf, maybe more, is plant-based. >> quickly, my wife watches you're not saying i can't ever have a steak. >> no. craig's wife, he can have it once iil a special occasions. >> like on tuesday. a well, yeah, once or twi month, let's say. >> dr. raj, thank you. >> thank yia. >> we appr it. we're going to send it over to mr. roker. hey, look who i've got! yes, lies and gentlemen, get ready! we've got us some cole swindell!

are you ready? >> i'm ready. >> newlbum ready? >> hey,t' out today. >> okay! itca coming up after your lo news and weather. good morning, everybody. 8:26 now on this friday, august 17th. i'mgiaron hrist. right now let's get a check on the morning commute. melissa mollet is in4 "firs traffic." >> good morning. taking a look at the roads, outer loop near new hampshire avenue, an issue at colesville, so a slowdown top of the beltway, not terrible. arlington, southbound gw parkway at washington boulevard, a crash is blocking ts left lane t morning. as we zoom out a bit, you can see the beltway and the main rout a into town out of town overall looking pretty good. >> all right, melissa, thank you. we will have a look at your forecast when we come back. stay with us.

good morning, everybody. it is a very hid stao your friday. temperatures are in the mid-to-upper 70s already. a couple rain drops out here where 66 and 81 meet out near the blueridge. that will dry up, but more rain chances develop later today. some of those could be on the strong side, so stay with nbc washington here for the rest of the day.

today a steamy 94. pretty high chances for rain but no s this weekend total washouts. >> thank you, chuck. you can get the latest news and weather in the nbc washington app.

♪ 8:30 on a friday morning. our crowd is raringo go because we have the one, the only cole swindell. his first "today" sw concert outside, guys. we are pumped up! we are sod. exci >> so excited. >> can't believe it. unbelievable. new album out. >> we'll talkdo all about it. ou have a moment for us? >> there's a guy that just screamed up at me. he's like, man, i'm from cole

swindell's chapter! >> different chapter. >> difrent chapter, but same paternity. >> sigma ki. >> where are you i school? >> university of new haven, west haven, connecticut. >> and you had a request for us. >> yeah. i was wondering if cole could sign my flag. >> absolutery. >> well, it just so happens that i have a pen here. >> of course you do. youe w sigma ki? >> absolutely. >> oh, my god! >> sounds like hoda kotb spent time in that ihouse. >>as actually a sigma ki little sister. >>re ly? >> yeah. you knew we connected. >> i could have guessed that. oh, perfect! >> awesome. >> awesome. awesome. >> what's your name, buddy? >>r. pe >> peter. all right, thank you for waking up early. >> ihink they just did the secret handshake. don't tell anybody. >> w didn't show it. >> before the music, mr. roker, quick check of the weekend weather? all right, on saturday it's looking a lite on the wet s in the east coast, hot and dry

out west. some strong storms in the midplains. then for sunday, sunday! all right, craig did it along with us. lingering rain in the east. we've got some heavy rain continuing in the si mid-missi river valley, plenty of sunshine and warmth in the pacific northwest stretching all the way down into the nguthwest. that's what's gn around the country. here's what's happen our friday morning is off to a very steamy start. temperatures are in the mid-to-upper 70s already. afternoon highs today will be up d-90s. low to and this little patch of rain out here in the blue ridge right now is falling apart as i gets closer to the city, so not much of a rain chance for now. rain chances do increase rather dramatically later on in the day. a 60% chance of some thunderstorms around here later today. imary threat time for some storms between 5:00 this afternoon and 8:00 this evening. >> announcer: citi concert series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi. >> this is a huge day forr

country sta cole swindell and for us. he's dropping a new album. it's calle "all ofit." it kicks off his new tour in st. louis tonight. but first, he is rockin' new york city live on our plaza. can you evenis believe thi happening? come on! >> hey, album release day, not a place i rather be than right here in new york with all of you. >> before we get to this concert, here is what yw need to knoout cole. ♪ baby, you ain't worth the whiskey ♪ cole swindell has quickly become one of country's bigge superstars he's toured with t best in thee business, l dierks bentleyke and lubryan. you could say everying cole touches turns to gold. since his 2014 debut, his two albums topped the country charts. ♪ that's how i wanna see you girl ♪ he shattered records when his first seven singles all hit number one. ♪ i wish i could see your face,

u should be here ♪ and as a songwriter, cole's resume is just aspr essive. e's written ten number one singles, including songs for luke bryan and florida georg line. ♪ baby this is how today cole releas his highly anticipated ohird album, "allf it," and we are thrledo have cole swindell on our plaza for our "citi srtmer con series." and here he is, ladies and gentlemen, colswindell! ♪ ♪ i don't care that you done me wrong 'cause i've already moved on ♪ ♪ i d't care what his name is, girl it is what it is ♪ ♪ and i won't waste a dime or

the bartender's time ♪ buzz over catch a the thought of us ♪ ♪ but'll drink to a country song, to another long workweek gone ♪ ♪ and i'll raise my glass to the long lost buddy i ain'tonna see ♪ ♪ i might stay for one more round or i might close this place down ♪ ♪ but don't think for a second i'm out to drown your memory ♪ ♪ baby you ain't worth the whiskey ♪fe how are you ing this morning, new york? ♪ ♪ it don't matter what your friends say, ha ♪ ♪ they neverik l me anyway ♪ so if they see me drunk in this bar ♪ ♪ it ain't over a broken heart

♪ 'cause i'm drinking to a country song ♪ ♪ and to another long workweek gone ♪ ♪ and i'm raising my glass to long lost buddy i ain't♪ seen ♪ i might stay for one more round or i might close this place down ♪ ♪ but don't think for a second i'm out to drown your memory ♪ ab♪you ain't worth the whiskey ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ cheers to a good country song ♪ ♪ and to another long workweek gone ♪ ♪ yeah, i'my raising m glass to

those saving our as overseas ♪ ♪ i might stay for one more round ♪ ♪ hell, i might close this place down ♪ second n't think for i'm out to drown your memory ♪ ♪ no, don't think for one second i'm out to drown your memory ♪ ♪ baby, you ain't worth the whiskey ♪ ♪ no ♪ yeah, baby, you ain't worth the whiskey ♪ i thank all our men and women for allowing us to live in this free cntry right here. thank you so much! >> we have more cole swindell coming up, but first, this is

"today" on -- >> nbc! ♪

♪ we are back on our citi summer concert stage with multiplatinum singer and our good pal, country star cole swindell! >> as we mentned, his new album, "all of it" out today. you're crushing it! >> man, i just glad to have a third album. seems like just yesterday the first one came out. >> the first seven singles went number one, right? >> yeah. that's a pretty good start to a career, thanks to all these afans. y'all amazing. thank you so much. >> you know what, cole, there are a lot of things to love about you.i love your humility. i love the way you are. but you seem right now in this moment to be kind of in shock, like thiis all happening. tell us what's going tgh you. >> look, you can see the chills on my arms right now. this is all -- like i said, i get to do what i love. and music's always been a big part o mylife.

so, getting to be here in new york getting to debut the album, it's amazing. i'm glad to be. here >> i'm glad to be here with you. n how is this different t the other two albums? >> we took the same approach. i've always -- i lov to write songs, but the best song wins. so, all 12 songs i think could hit the radio at any time. i'm proud of all of them. and all of the songwriters that were a part of this album, thank y'all so much for letting mese record t songs and the ones i wrote as well. >> you used to open for people. now you're a headliner. you're going to st. louis? is that the first stop on the train? >> yeah, we're leaving from right here heading to st. louis tonight, kicking off my all of it club tour.be we're going t playing the whole album live, the whole album. i've never done that, so it's going to be cool. >> cole, what are you going to sing for us now? >> well, my lead single from my third album, that's what we're going to do right now. this one's called "break up in the end." >> "break up in the end," cole swindell!

♪ ♪ i still walk in that bnk a little d♪ ♪ i still ask you what you're drinking, what's youname ♪ ♪ i still kiss you by the shuffleboard ♪ ♪ a last call 2 a.m., even though we break up in the end ♪ ♪ i'll introduce you t my mom and dad ♪ ♪ say i think i love her when you leave that room ♪ their till not take advice when i say you're moving in ♪ ♪ even though we break up in the end ♪ ♪ even if i knewou'd behe one that got away ♪

s♪ i'dll go back and get you ♪ ♪ even if i knew you'd be my best and worst mistake ♪ith you ♪ ♪ over and over, againnd again ♪ ♪ even though we break up in the end ♪ y favorite play song in your car ♪ ♪ let you love me to it till it felt like ours ♪ ♪ now all i hear is you i , but i'd still let you ruin it ♪ ♪ even though we break up in the end ♪ ♪ and even if i knew you'd be the one that got away ♪ ♪ i'd still go back and get you ♪

♪ and even if i knew you'd be my best and worst mistake ♪ ♪ girl, i'd still make it with you ♪ ♪ over and over,in a and again ♪ ♪ even though we break up in the end ♪ ♪ ♪ you've just hadanne too tonight ♪ ♪ you're just calling 'cause you're lonely, that's okay ♪ ♪ but you know if you come over, i can't not let you in ♪ ♪ven though we'll break up in

the end ♪ ♪ i'd do it over and over, again and again ♪ ♪ even though we break up in the end ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you so much. >> we're not breaking up just yet. cole swindell still has one more song to go, but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

♪ welcome back to "today" on a friday morning and our citi summer concert from country star now performing his hit "let me see you, girl ♪ . >> let's go! >> all right, we're going to end this thing with a party.

y'all ready to go? ♪'v got a good-looking crowd for this early out here. how are you feeling? let's do it. ♪ ♪ yeah,ou got every guy in ♪here spinning around, spilling their beer ♪ ♪ i bet you came out to have a good time ♪ ♪ what you say you leave your friends with mine ♪ ♪ oh, oh, oh, yeah, they'll be all right ♪ ♪ oh, oh, oh, yeah, i just wanna see ou shine♪ ♪ girl you're tearing that dance floor up ♪ ♪ let me see you do it in thebe of my truck ♪ ♪ you sure know how to shake it all right ♪ ♪ let me see you do it in the tennessee moonlight ♪ ♪ whoa, baby let's go down a little road ♪ ♪ nobody else knows,ust me and you parked on the edge ♪ ♪ of the world, that's how i wanna see you girl ♪ i want to see you all having some fun!

it's friday! ♪ ♪so, what you think about taking that chance ♪ ♪ taking that ride, taking my hand ♪ ♪ kicking this crowd, ditching this club ♪ ♪ this night's been waiting on us ♪ ♪ oh, oh, oh, let's see your best moves ♪ ♪ oh, oh, oh, yeah, g till i us where we're getting to ♪ ♪ girl, you're tearing that dance floor up♪ ♪ let me see you do it in the bed of my truck ♪ ♪ you sur t know how shake it all right ♪ ♪ let me see you do it in the tennessee moonlight ♪ ♪ whoa, baby let's go, down a little roade nobody els knows ♪ ♪ just me and you park on the edge of the world ♪ho ♪ that's i wanna see you girl ♪ ♪ ♪ i can see you getting my

tailgate rockin' ♪ ♪ moving your hips like wind cotton ♪ what y'all say we get new york rockin' right here? everybody wave your hands! ♪ oh, that's a beautiful sight. hey, bring the beat back. ♪ well, come on with me girl ♪ ♪ girl you're tearing that dance floor up ♪ ♪ let me see you do it in the bed of my truck ♪ you sure know how to shake it all right ♪ do it in the tennessee moon light ♪ ♪ whoa, baby let's go a down li kttnolews ♪ r♪ just me and you park on the edge of the orld ♪ ♪ that's how i wanna see you girl ♪ ♪ yeah, come on, let me see you girl ♪ ♪ well, come on, come on, come on, let me see you girl ♪

oh ♪ oh, a special happy birthday to my boy, rich, right here, man. thank you all so ch for coming t this morning! i hope you're digging the new album, "all of it." it's out tay. >> cole swindell, thank you, sir! and again, that new album, "all it," out today. we are back in a moment. but nbc!t, this is "today" o ♪ ♪ down a little road nobodylse knows ♪ ♪

♪ of course, that's what cole swindell is doing, spending time with fans on the plaza. it was a great conce that's how start the weekend in a godd but first, speaking of good mood, it's birthday time,! ba >> ooh, baby. bring on the jars of smucker's. we'll show you who's celebrating this morning. first up, say hi to charles of

parkville, maryland. a busy grandpa celebrating 100 years, received the bronze star for bravery in world war s. weute you, sir. coming up next, ruthie mae mre of illinois! this early riser at 100. love that hat! she lovespo wake at 4:00 in the morning and complete her daily exercise routine. >> wow! >> nice! happy birthday to harris miller, proud artist, golfer from virginia. made his hometown proud by painting a mural of the area. and frances isebrating 100 years. mr. herb of jacksonville, enorida, is 101, stays active by heading to thes courts or golf course. difference between him and me, he actually plays! happy 105th birthday to this avid reader from lincoln, michigan. helen anstead worked as a teacher for 31 years.

>> willie's ahead on the weekend and dylan, you'll be here, too. yes, i'll be here this weekend. >> what's coming up? >> ireland is coming to baltimore. e guinness factory has opened its first brewery in more than 60 years here in the united states. it's in maryland. an inside you on tour. plus, i learn the art of the perfect pour. i may or may not have hit my head there, but we'll let you know how it's done. >> ad a couplepints, too. >> i sure did. >> brave of you to take that on. well done. and coming up on "sunday today," a tribute to aretha franklin, and my guest, tris o'dowd,he irish-born actor who brok through in "bridesmaids" and stars with ray romano now in the tv series "get shorty." >> which is great. >> it's a great series. he's one of those guys you vibe with right away. a he's fun charming. it's a great conversation coming up on sunday. >> all right, everybody. hope you all have a great weekend. >> you know what, you're worth the whiskey. >> oh, thank you! >> had two s. >> yes, more than two.

megyn kelly is straight ahead after your local news. ♪ >> hi, good morning. it's 8:56 on this friday, august 17th. i'm erika gonzalez. right now let's get a check of your morning commute with "first 4 traffic's" melissa mollet. in arlington, g.w. parkwa crash blocking the left lap this morning. downtown right now, southbound 14th street at pennsylvania avenue, two left lanes are gettingasy the and a pretty picture beachbound bay

bridge it is beautiful and nice and clear on the bay bri >> let's hope it stays that way. we'll get a check of your forecast coming up next. does your business internet provider promise a lot? let's see whdelivers more. comcast business gives you gig-speed in more places. the others don't. we offer up to 6 hours of 4g wireless network backup. everyone else, no way. we let calls from any of your devices come from your business number. them, not so much. we let you keep an eye on your business from anywhere. the others? nope! get internet on our gig-speed network and add voice and tv for $34.90 more per month. call or go online today.

good morning, everybo y. it's going hazy, hot, and humid today. temperatures as we're coming up on 9:00 are already in the upper 70s and low 80s. radar continuing to show a fading batch of rain showers coming through the winchester area right now. those will dry up before they reachashington this morning, but a 60% chance of thunderstorms later on today and a 60% chance of showers again on your saturday. y all right, thank you, chuck. and remember tha can get the latest news and weather updates any time at our nbc washington app.

good morning, everybody. welcome to the show. i'm megyn ke'ry. sure you've heard the news by now, aretha franklin, the queen of, soul died thursday at 76 years old. she was an inspiration to so icon eople and a cultural for decades. joining me now to talk about her life and her music ander impact on our country, please help me welcome our pel regulars nbc's own stephanie gosk and craig melvi along with amy holmes from "in principle." before we get started, here is b lookack at frliklin's . ♪