ood morning. changing test. good morning. changing his story. president trump says he did know about those payments made by his former attorney michael cohen to a playmate and a porn star but denies they were illegal and warning the e nation don'tn think of impeachment. >> if i ever got impeached i think t market would crash. i think everyone would be very poor. >> breaking overnight, a sideline. ohio state head coach urban meyer out for the first three games of the season. he and his boss spended over their handling of meft domestic assa but is this a slap on the wrist for one of the biggest in

college football? remembering mollie tibbitts, the murdered college student's brother speaking out publicly for the first time. >> what me her so special is she was so outgoing, so loving, so passionate. >> her accused killer now headed back toourt ashe case lands squarely in the middle of the nation's debate over immigration. those stories plus trouble in paradise. a monster hurricane bearing down on hawaii. the biggest storm to hit there in thr decades. to the rescue, reports that jennifer garner steps in and brings ex-beno affleck rehab. the latest with the star's ongoing battle with sobriety. and out of the blue. the lucky tourists in alaska who got more than their money's worth courtesy of a giant whale.k august 23rd, 2018 >> announcer: from nbc news,

this is naoday" with savan guthrie and hoda kotb. i from studio 1a in rockefeller plaz >> welcome to "today". thank you for joining us. that's going to wake you up, that video. >> your whale watching experience might be a little different, but that was incredible. >> it seemed like they were looking out to seatho another on was way out there and look what came calling. we're going to begin with the mounting pressure on the president. he is fighting back denying any wrongdoing despite michael cohen directly implicating him and warning americans that -- and congress against impeachment. we have it a covered beginning with kristen welker. od morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the president seemss defiant as ever tweeting no collusion,u witch but struggling to answer questions surrounding the lel drama.

this morning with legal pressure mounting president trump is on defense tweeting the only thin that i have done wrong is to win an election that was expected to be wonoky croed hillary clinton. in a new interview on fox news blasting hisne former att michael cohen. >> you can say something badt abonald trump and you'll go down to two years or three years which is the deal he made. in all fairness to him, most people are going to do that. and i've seen it many times. i've had many friends involved in this stuff. it's called flipping and it almost ought to be illegal. >> reporter: speaking out about those hush money payments cohen. >> did you know about the payments? >> later on i knew. c they didn'e out of the campaign. they came from me. >> reporter: but in april mr. trumpelling a different story. >> did you know about the payments to stormy daniels?he do you know he got the money? >> no, i don't know. >> reporter: the president also insisting the payments which cohen pleaded guilty to making at mr. trump's direction were

lega >> they didn't come out of the campaign. and that's big. but it's not even a campaign violation. >> reporter: and when pressed -- >> now he's saying you thadi cted him to make these payments. >> he made the deal. he made the deals. by the way, he pled to twoun that aren't a crime which nobody understands. i watched a number of shows. sometimes you get some prettyon good informay watching shows. those two aren't a crime. >> reporter: the white house repeating the same line of defense. >> he did nhing wrong. there are no charges against him. >> reporter: the president also praising had you now convict former campaign chairman paul manafort as a brave man. he was found guilty this week of fraud and financial crimes. but mr. trump dodging a question about whether he'll pardon manafort. >> i would say what he did, some of the charges they threw against him, every consultant, every lobbyist in washington probably does. >> reporter: on capitol hill republicans already fearing they'll lose critical seats in

the midterms had mixed reactions. >> i don't think i've witnessed anything like i've witnessed over the last year and a half. a >> i don't see evidence that the president knew the committed these crimes. >> in the swing state of florida, many of the trump faithful standing strong. >> paul manafort isn't donald trump. ie mean, didn't do that for trump. he did it for himself. so that doesn't affect m or affect how i feel about trump. >> so far i'm with the president because i think that he' turning things around and i think we're in a better direction. >> reporter: according to a new "wall street journal" report, the father of michael cohen liged his son not to protect his formers about t cohen he did not survive the holocaust to have his name sullied by president trump. we reached for comment but no response. >> the president was saying a lot me in that fox interview just a few moments ago. he talked also about

impeachment. what did he say about that. >> some of the president's allies have expressed concerns abouthm impet. we've rarely heard the president address it. today he weighed in with this remarkable exchange. take a look. >> i guess it's somhing like high crimes. i don't know how you can impeach somebody who's done a great job. if i ever got impeacd, i think the market would crash. i think everybody would be very poor. >> reporter: so a bit of a stern warning. as we have seen mr. trump's support among his base is still steadfast. you saw that with the voters in florida. he's planning to cpaign in at least 15 states after labor day. >> kristen, thank you. that one two punch against two of the president's closerest advise are his democrats thinking about their strategies aheadf the midterms. hallie jackson on that part of the story. now here on capitol hil

mocrats are focusing on the culture of corruption that republicans have created and makium the at that they should press pause on the confirmation process for the id prt's pick to be on the supreme court. on capol hilut thoemseoc dtsra convictions for president trump's former advisers, b there is one word some won't say at all. >> will you be pushing for impeachment? >> listen, we're too early in the process to be using these words. >> reporter: not pushi for the president to be impeached. >> certainly i think impeachment talk is something thats not something we should be engaging he right now. >> but embracing argument that donald trump's not draining the swamp. justaking it worse. >> i believe that the future of our republic is very much in the balance. i believe the future of our democracy is very much in the balance. >> reporter: democrats think that's part of a winning message just two months ahead of the dterms. that the gop is not standing up

to corruptio as leader nancy pelosi writes to her colleagues. unr president trump washington has become a cesspool of self-enrichment, secret money and blindness. there's also another on the tabl >> the fact that the president is an unindicted co-conspirator, i am cceling -- i will be canceling my appointment with judge cavanaugh. d >> democratsanding a delay in the confirmation hearing for president trump's supreme court pick. >> i think we need to push a pause button and let this play out. >> what iant right now is for us when it comes to cavanaugh to wait until this -- to wait until this mueller probe is done before we move forward. >> it is unseemly for the president of the united states to be picking a supreme court justice who could soon be effectively a juror in a case

involving the president himself. >>eporter: the reality che from republicans, not going to happen. >> this a desperate and pathetic attempt by democrats to obstruct a very highly qualified nominee. th hearing date has been set for september 4th and judge cavanaugh will be there. >> reporter: as for that talk about impeachment, you may start to aear moreut it after the november midterms if democrats do end uptr taking back c of the house. right now some more progressive candidates aretl running p based on this, but there's a risk that could backfire. that would fire up republicans just as much, if not more so than democrats. >> thank you. we do have a lot more to get to including breaking news out of columbus ohio where coach urban meyer is waking up to a three-game suspension over his handling of domestic abuse charges against a top assistant. craig is here with details and some controversy associated with this. >> ladies, good morning to you.

tiat independent group leading the invtion says they interviewed 40 witnesses and reviewed morehan 60,000 e-mails and 10,000 text messages. coach meyer and athletic director gene smith wer both suspended. the reaction from buckeye nation and beyond, swift. some saying it's merely a slap on the wrist o for o college's most successful coaches. >> i know the impact the last adthree weeks have on this lovetitution that i i am deeply sorry. >> urban meyer, legendary hea coach seen and heard for the first time in nearly a moh. >> i want to apologize to buckeye nation. i followed my heart and not my head. at each juncture i gave zach smith the benefit of the doubt. >> the coach who's been on paid leave since augustst now sidelined for the first three games of the season and will loseix seeks of pay. at the center of the investigation and his

suspension, meyer's handling of domestic vau domestic assault claims against zach smith?i in 2015 a r later apologized for that answer andit ad he did know about the allegations but, quote, always followedroper reporting protocols. in wednesday night's news conference, he went further. >> my role is to set a goodex ple. in this instant i did not live up to the university's standards. >> the suspension comes after the result of a 14-day independent investigation the matter were officially released highlighting a pattern of troubling behavior b zach smith. the scandal blew up weeks ago when zach smith's e wife courtney said smith assaulted her multiple ti she says she shared photos of her injuries with urban meyer's wife shelley.

>> she was going to have to tell urban. iaid fine. you should tell urban. >> coach meyer fired zach smith last month. smith who has never been charged with domestic t abuse talked espn earlier this month. he says he never hit his wife and defends his formerboss. >> if he loses his job, it's flat wrong. >> zach smith's attorney released a statement after wednesday night's dision that reads vengeance against courtney smith's ex-husband resulted in collateral damage to urban meyer, gene smith and t ohio state university. many ohio state fans defending the university's decision but hers saying the punishment and meyer don't go far enough.me r's first game back would be on september 22nd. that's when the buckeyes take on tula. ohio state ranked number five by the associated press. eome are also pulling out the first half of buckeye season is not the toughest competition. if there was a time to be without youread coach, some

might say that would be it. >> meyer apologized to the buckeye nation. did he mention the victim at all in his statement? >> he didt. not until asked about her by a reporter did he mention her. >> did ae say anythinut her? >> not until asked about her. >>kay. all right. we turn now to iowa where a vigil was held for mollie tibbitts. her brother speaking out as his sister's murder stokes the blame ofon immigra nbc ron mott is in brooklyn iowa with the story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the brother of mollie saying they're trying to get used to their new normal without mollie. she disappeared on an evening jog and the man accused of killing her appeared in court yesterday. he showed very little emotion as a judge advised him of his overnight tears and tributes for

21-year-old mollie tibbitts. her brother jake speaking for the family for the first time publicly since her accused killer's arrest. >> from our family, from her friends, from the community of brooklyn, we thank you from the bottom of our heart. she was incredible. we are going to miss her dearly. >> at the university of iowa where mollie would have been a sophomore, a vigil in her >> she can rest easily. there are so many out there who love he >> prayers in her hometown. hos earlier the man accused in her murder in cour 24-year-ol immigrant cristhian rivera listening to the proceedings through an interet saying he understands the charge against hi first degree murder, his bond $5 million. at the small family owned dairy farm where he worked, the father/son team wun it say they used a government system to assess his eligibility and

everything checked out. ast hat we learned in the 24 hours is that our employee was not who he said he was. >> reporter: authorities have id he was an undocumentedan immi from mexico something quickly picked up by the president and hiser suppo >> mol lie tibbitts is now permanently separated from her mily. a person came in from mexico illegally and killed her. >> rivera's attorney saying his client is in fact in the u.s. legally blasting the president as sad and sorry trump in a court filing saying it hurtsclis nt's chances for a fair trial. >> we're urging the court tot prevhe cameras from coming in here which possibly could show some sort of bias or prejudice and get it into this nglitical controversy. >> reporter: a y life taken too soon. now the latest focus of a divisive national debate. er

>> cristhian r did not waive his right to a preliminary hearing so a judge ordered him back to court next friday, august 31st. there was an autopsy conducted yesterday but results are pending. back to you. >> how does the community feel? obviously they're just in shock and mourning at the loss of ie mo but it's also become part of the political conversation because the accused is an undocument ted immigrant although i know his lawyer says different. >> those put off by what the president had to say were adamant and voiced their displeasure t sayingy thought it was wrong to inject politics at aime of tragedy. those who support the president's sentiments were a little more shy about it all but eventually said yes, they find it troublesome there may bele peere who should not be authorized to be here. >> ron, thank you very much. there's growing backlash against verizon this morning. the company has admitted it slowedeshe wir data speeds

of california firefighters as they battled the largest fire in state history. firefighters in santa clara unty say theirata was throttled by verizon earlier this summer despite telling the company they were the midst of an emergcy. fire officials say the slowing had ann impact their ability to provide emergency services. verizon says it happened because the fairdepartment's plan allowed for limited use of high speed wireless data. the company says it does lift data caps in emergencies and this was a customer support mistake. >> i'd say it was. we a going to switch gears. get the latest on a hurricane bearingn dow on hawaii. al's got that. >> this is the strongest in about 30 years. we're looking and you can see g their wayands mak into the big island. 235 miles south/soutt . it's moving northwest at 7 miles per hour. you look at the track, you see

it is moving fairly quickly to the north with 130 mile per hour winds by this time tonight. we're looking at it to continue to track to the north but then on friy morning as it becomes a category 2 is makes a turn to the west thanks to the steering currents. here are the impacts we're looking at. even without a direct hit, we're talking aboutloodingains. talking about isolated rainfall totals of 30 inches or more. overflowing rivers, mud slides and rklides. also talking about damaging wins. structural damage to buildings and homes. downed power outages. peak wind gustsf up to 75 miles per hour. as far as storm surge, it's not going tbe thatbad. however we could have up to 20 foot waves along the south shore of the big island so we're going to be watching this extremely close. we've got a team in hawaii. as condi warrant, we'll bring that to you. 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. clear skies, sub shine andwe comfortablher outside today. tic temperatures have fallen into the 50s and 60s. bay water temperatures are in the 80s going to be a perfect day to be outside. today if you're one of the many going to the baseball game, the nats and the phillies at 1:00 this afternoon. temperatures in the upper 70s and w 80s. nice warming trend and dry all

the way t throu weekend. that's your latest weather. coming up, breaking hisnc si the young actor who says he assaulted him reveals why he shared his story. >> back and better than ever, simone biles returns from her gymnastics break to make history once again and she will be with us live. an exclusive interview just ea d. this is "today" on nbc.

gen

still ahead, murde . retill ahead, mollie tibbitts the latest female jogger to be a victim of violence. many women are h wondering do i stay safe. we've got tips on how to protect yourself. reports thatff benck has entered rehab. the role jennifer garnerrt rely played in helping get him there. first your local news and weather.

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our furry friends will have their day, but today is all yours. take on today and every day with aarp. good morning, 7:26 right now on this thursday, august 23rd. i'm aaron t.gilchr d.c. police confirm a man was shot and killed marking the 100th murder this year. police are now searching for four suspects. at this time last year there had been 73 homicides. vdot is fixing a bottleneck. th good news i three new lanes are being added to a six mile stretch of 95 in the fredericksburg area. the bad news is that it's not set to be finished until 2022. when it is finished the expansion will bring relief to a lot of commuters.

melissa has a look at our commute this morning. >> before braddock road looking a lot better. we're still slow because of the earlier crash, the delays still hangg around but looetter than it did. on the belt way slow in the otherypicalspots, up top and down by rowo wilson bridge. >> thanks melissa. we'll get a check of your forecast coming up next.

there's a lovely northwest breeze fraveraging 10 to 15 mil per hour t g a great day to be outside. afternoon highs will only be in the low 80s. another cool comfortable day coming your way for tomormpw. atures in the 50s and '60s again friday. dry weather all the way throu

the weekend. >> chuck, thank you. another local news update in about 25 minutes. >> for now back to "the today show" after this break. welcome guys! hi! you are gonna love the neighborhood! it's totally wired for fios. is that a good thing? good? fiber-optics can move crazy amounts of data at even crazier speeds. and fios is a 100% fiber-optic network, so you can stream, game, and watch 4k shows all at once. kid's right about that! see! we are gonna have so much fun here. 100% fiber-optic network.

100% phenomenal. get the fastest speeds available for the best price with the fios gigabit connection. and it's kind of a victory run for simone > it's kind of a victory run for simone biles. im this is spectacular. >> se biles, you are amazing. it's 7:30 thursday morng, 23rd of august, 2018. we thought you just liked to set someone who j does it the best. she crushed it at the u.s. gymnastics championship in every single event. and because of that -- >> beam, check, unevenba rs, check, check, and check. >> she made history as you can see. she's got a powerful message, too, while doing it. simone biles is going to sit and chat withus.

it's coming up a little later. >> and she took nine months off which is unpress decedented in gymnastics. let's start with a check of today' headline the white house insisting president trump has done nothing wrong in connection with the legal woes of his former personal attorney michael cohen. cohen ple guilty to campaign finance allegations. in a new interview the president said hush money to two women who alleged affairs is not a mpaign violation because the money did not come from campaign funds. >> did you know about theym ts? >> later on i knew. later on. they didn't come out of the campaign. they came fromne. >> april you might remember president trump told a different storytelling reporters on air aboutone he did not know those payments. >> and air force sergeant hho ga life to protect other american service members was honored on wednesday. president trump awarded a medal of honorsl posthum to air force sergeant john chapman.

chapman's widow accepted the medal. the 36-year-old was killed backa in 2002 duriire fight in afghanistan. the battle was captured by drone footage. >> in his final act of supreme n courage, j gave his life for his fellow warriors. through his extraordinary sacrifice, john helped save more than 20 americanerce members, some of whom are here day. >>hapman becomes the first air force airman to receive the medal of honor in nearly 50 years. a group ofst tou got more than their money's worth during lip cent whale watching alaska. take a look. >> the group was off the coast of pleasant island looki for humpback whales and tha is what they found. despitekeeing soa from head

to toe, they were thrilled to see the mighty mammal up close and personal. >> that whale knew what he was doin i'll give them a show. let's turn to some new details about tho shocking sexual assault allegations abo ia argento, a harvey weinstein a accuser who became a leader of the me too movement. >> the young man who says argento assaulted him when he was just 17 years old is speaki he's saying he feared doing so until now. hi. good morning. >> good morning, guys. a lot of people talking about this one. this morning it has turned into a he said/she said. jimmy ben nnett breaking his s l silence on the assault claims saying he was too ashamed and afraid to open up. in statement he writes i was under age when the event took

place. i tried to seek justice i a way that made sense to me at the time. bennett referring to the nearly $400,000 settlement he sought fr argento as first reported by "the new york times" sunday. the two first met on the set of a 2004 film in which bennett played argento's son, their alled sexual encounter happening nine years later in 2013. according to a notice of intent to sue cited by the "times". bennett now 22 saying at the time i belied there was a stigma to being in the situation as a male. i didn't think people would understand the event that took place from the eyes of a teenage boy. while argento has denied allegations of a sexual relationship with bennett, she id however acknowledge t settlement funded by her then boyfriend the late anthony bourdain. these text messages obtained by tmz seem to tell a different story. nbc news has not verified the

messages which the website says were exchanged between argento and an unidentified friender discussing relationship. in one message argento writes i had sex with him. it felt weird. i didn't know he was a minor until the sha down. another makes an taechl attempt justify the ageifference ading when i was 17 i was with a 33-year-old man for years. argento has yet to comment on these text messages further flippinghehe script on actress who helped lead the way for major change in hollywood and beyond. >> thereave been so many developments, she released a statement denying it, then these te messages and pictures came out. is asia argento saying anything rther now? >> no new comment from the actress yet but in light of the claims argento has dropped out of an upcoming appearance scheduled this november has released say statement saying

argento has backed out of the event due to the volatile nature of the accusations surrounding her. we're going to switch gears and get a check of the weather from mr. roker. hey, al. >> thanks so much. we're watching some stron storms now starting to fire up from ne into kansas,in m their way into missouri. so for today we have a ris for damaging winds through the dakotas all the way into ginebraska. da wind, large hail. can't rule out an isolated tomorrow that moves to the east stre from ross rochester all the way down tominnesota. lots of sunshine. had some showers this morning in theea northeast. off lower humidity. comfortable temperatures those severe storms making their way from the plains. thgs finally cool off in the pacific northwest. that's what's going on around the country.

here's what's happening in your neck of thwoods. things are cooling off around here. it is 66 degrees outside. sunny, low humidity. breezy northwest wind and that will hold the afternoon temperatures below normal. 61 ins. manas winchester is 57 degrees right now. that's one of the coolerro spot. h your thursday, sunny, low humidity. by the afternoon a high of 82 degrees. mid 80s tomorrow. saturday then we're near 90 as we g into sunday. that is your latest weather. coming up next, me of good thing. the big sequel to "crazy rich asians" that is already in the works. >> the pasta pass that made care loading e and cheaper. then we've got some cool back-to-school products you wish you had. >> first simone biles is going to join us live for an exclusive inte aiew just daysfter making a clean sweep, mthing history at

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what's in your wallet? nongenemodi... nongen... oh, triscuit! is non-genetically modified. nongenemodiscuit. triscuit is non-gmo project verified. triscuit. make 'scuit happen. i am also not genetically-modified. ♪ ♪ give extra. get extra. welcome back. this morning we're in for a treat bause we're about to speak with o friend simone bis, the most decorated gymnast in history. this weekend she cemented her names in the record books once again. >> yes she did. simone won the all-title at the

championship becoming the only woman to win f that titlee times. amazing. >> and what's more, she's won all four individual events too. no biggie. anyway, simone joins us from her gym in spring, texas. yay simone. way to go, girl. first of all -- >> thank you. >> you took nine months off. you said you had butterflies, you didn't know if you could calm yourself, and you stepped out on that mat or that beam and you just nail today over and over again. how did you prepare for this moment? >> a lot of training in the gym. a lot of pressure sets. help, that'soach's how i did it. >> simone, i want to talk to you about what you're wearing this rning and what you were wearing when you crush today over the weekend. that color teal. accident.t an that's by design. explain why that color is so significant to you. >> the color teal is for sexual

abuse survivors and i think it's very specl, so i g to wear it this morning and i also got to wear it the day two of compition for all o us to unite and for me to support all of them. >> you wearllt of course it's so important. but you also just did so well. mean, i was reading actually an article that the team coordinator said it was asshocking. it actually shocking that you're even better than you were two years ago andhat you won each of these events. the way i understand it is usually people are good at one or two, not all four. simone, are you houman? ioi guess that's the quen? >> i am human, butt get tha question all the time. sometimes what i i do, don't feel human. . don't feel normal, but we make it norm >> there were a couple of cool tweets that i loved. first of all,w i fol your mom nelly who is always tweeting you. we love her. let me read her tweet.

it says -- where is it. can you all read it. >> praying that the lor continues to guide you. just be the best simone. and then your boyfriend tweeted i'm not crying, you're crying. basically there's a l of lov for you. talk to us a little bit about this cute man in your >> yes. i do have the most amazing boyfriend. we've been datin for over a year now. he's great. he actually got to come out to boston to support m so i couldn't ask for a better boyfriend. >> simone, you're clearly working veryard. it's paying off. are you having some fun as well? what are y doing in your down time? how are you kicking back? i actually have a lot of fun. i try not to focus too much on the gym whenever i'm outside of the gym. before boston we went to the beach and went to galveston and i like to hangh out w my girlfriends and go dancing or go bowling. even last night we went to

dinner and then we had a taco tuesday girl's night. i like to have a lot of fun outside m. >> she is human. >> do you still have the zac efron cut out? what happened tohat? >> so he used to terrify me in my room because every time i would walk in i used to think somebody i was my room, so he got hidden in the closet. >> i'm sure stacey is about that. >> just real quick, tokyo, 2020, you're there, right? >> yes. hopefully if everything goes as planned, that is the goal. >> you'll be there. >> we love you. thanks, simone. we'll see you soon. >> thank you, guys. >> i think she's my favorite o olympian. >> she is awesome. >> she really is. >> so grounded. and norm >> glad she's having fun too. coming up we're going to shift gears. ben affleck reportedly headi to rehab a getting help from his estranged wife jen fnifer

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7:56 is yourni time. good m to you. let's get right to the roads with melissa. >> taking a look a your first 4 traffic, in alexandria outer loop connector crash there on the right side this morning. as we zoom north, laurel westbound 1 before 197 single lane gets by the crash. 270 southbound in the main lanes there, a little bit slow because of volume. we will get a check ofstour foreoming up next. stay with us.

good morning. s a beautifulrt to your thursday. look at these temperatures, mid to low 60s. a by theernoon only 82. sunny, low humidity. breezy northwest wind. tomorrow will be much of the same. 84 for friday. the weekend looks gorgeous. sunday near 90. a little more humid. look at n wtk. the 90s and the humidity both return. summer's back next week. we'll have another update for you in about 25 minutes. for now it's back to "the today show" after this.

coming u it's 8:00min "today". cong up, playing defense. president trump not backing down saying he is not guilty of criminal activity after legal scandals rocked his former attorneynd campaign chair. >> that's not even a campaign violation.o >> so where republicans and democrs go from herend what does this mean for the midterm elections? we're live at the white house. plus jen to the rescue. ben affleck has reportedly headed bac toehab for the third time with help from his ex, jennifer garner. crazier and richer. the hit rom com movie of the summer is planning to reunite for a sequel. who will we see back on the big ,creen? today thursd august 23rd,

2018 >> from georgia. >> for my 75th >> today i'm turning 1 >> celebrating our anniversary from evanston indiana. >> we're the jacksons. >> from richmond virginia. >> family. vacation >> from montgomery alabama. >> hi to my best friend lauren in charleston south carolina. >> my student in portland oregon. >> and my mom in minnesota. >> we ve the best looking crowd. welcome back to "today". we love you being here with us on thursday morning or as we like to call it friday eve. >> and vacation eve for someone we know. >> we are ghtng to get r to your news. president trump insisted overnight he has nothing to fear from the bruising legal takedown of two former associates. however, he is changing a key part of his story.

nbc white house corspondent kristen welker joins us now with the very latestn this. >> despite those shifting narratives,he president is digging in tweeting in all caps after midnight, no collusion, rigged witch hdt. n a new interview with fox news weighing in on everything from his former confidants turned convicts t the possibility of impeachment. this morning the president is coming out swinging. in a new interview on fox news, blasting his former attney michael cohen. >> you can say something badtr about donalp and you'll go down to two years or three years, which is the deal hema , in all fairness to him, most people are going to do that. i've seen it many times. i've had many friends involved in this stuff. it's called flipping and ot almoht to be illegal. >> reporter: speaking out about those hush money payments by cohen. >> did you know about the payments? >> later on i knew. later on. they didn't come out of the campaign. they came from me. >> reporter: but in april mr.

trump telling a different story. >> did you know about the $130,000 payment to stormy daniels? do you know where h tgot the mone make that payment? >> no, i don't know. >> reporter: the president alsop insisting theayments which cohen pleaded guilty to making at mr. trump's direction were legan' >> they d come out of the campaign. that's big. but they weren't -- that's not even a campaign violation. >> reporter: and when pressed. >> now he's saying you dregtire him to m these payments. >> he made the deal. he made the deals. by the way, he pled to two which that aren't a crime nobody understands. i watched a number of shows. pretty s you get some good information by watching shows. those two counts aren't even crime. >> reporter: on wednesday the hewhite house repeating tame line of defense. >> he did nothing w he did nothing wrong. there are no charges against him. >> the president also praisin his now convicted former campaign chairman paul manafort as a braveman. he was found guilty this week of

fraud and financial crimes, but mr. trump dodging a question about whether he'll pardon manafort. would say what he did, some of the charges they threw against him, eve consultant, every lobbyist in washington probably does. >> when asked aut the possibility of impeachment, offering this remarkable response. >> i don't know how you can impeach somebody who's done a great job. i'll tell you what, if i ever got impeached, i think the market would crash. i think everybody would b very poor. >> a little bitwa of ing there from the president. what are lawmakers saying about thcr? des are largely staying away from the tic of impeachment. republicans are divided. but the president's base remains as strong as ever. in fact, he' planning to campaign in at least 15 states after labor day. >>risten at th white house. thanks. the trade war between the u.s. and china escated overnight. new tariffs on $16 billion of imports from each side.. the u.s started charging extra

25% tariffs on chinese imports ranging from chemicals and semi conductors to electrical scooters. china hit bk with new tariffs on american fuel, cars, and medical equipment. this dispute betweenhe world's two largest economies has the potentialo raise consumer prices and rattle world markets. ohio state univsity has suspended its legendary head football coach urban meyer for the first tee games. meyer led the buckeyes to the national title in the 2014 season. his suspension grew out of his f domestic violence claims against former assistant coach zach smith. meyer initiallywi denied k about the abuse allegations. e later acknowledged that did know and apologized for not doing more. athletic directo s geneth was also suspended. emergency shelters are open and supermarkets runni low on supplies as hurricane lane bears down on hawaii. this could be the most powerful

than to hit hawaii in more two decades. heavy rains have already started drenching the big island and winds are picking up overnight. e storm is expected to cause large swells and damaging suffer. a team from fema arrived overnight from california. the agency says it is ready to deliver barges full of food and water andther necessities. we got the news covered. get your first big girl haircut. sometimes that does take a lot of courage. butt sure pays off if you like the results as much as this 5-year-old girl in toronto did. check out what she had to say. you know what's the great thing about showing hair? >> tell me. >> when you walk around and you have long hair, it gets caught in something and you have to pull it and it hurtsyou. but when you have short hair, it doesn't lially, , get all messy and, like, and get caught on something.

>> and shee goes on.d she s it makes her feel happy as if she's eating ice cream and popcorn. but we did a wanted to people at home, if you have a video that you might make a cool morning boost, send to us. how about that? go to our website today.com and maybe yideo will end up right here. >> i like that. >> that's ind of cool. >> i've been saying that about short hair for, like, three decades. l>> you should f good like ice cream and pizza. > much more ahead including the hollywood event that humbled simon cowell. >> plus an important story for all of us female joggers. what y need tonow to stay safe. jenna will show us how right after these messages. all the cars. old cars? yes. new cars? oh, yeah. sports cars? indeed. a big ol' boat-like car? permission to come aboard! what about a car that's all (makes awkward car noises) hgnnnn-nn-nn-nnnn-ayy-ayyy i don't see why not. what about, let's say... oh, i don't know, a purple van with a painting of a wizard just shooting lightning

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following this. >> he's been in and out of rehab on two different occasions. family and friends are hoping this time will be his last. a hollywood heavyweht apparently getting help. with multiple reports actor ben affleck entered rehab for alcohol addiction. an anonymous source telling our sister network "e! news" the push to get affleck to enter a s eatment facily after jennifer garner waphotographed arriving at his home on wednesday. garner seemed v ibly shaken just days after his break up. garner has always been one of s biggest supporters. married in 2005 the couple had three children before splitting up in 2015. affleck most recently spotted around town with shawna sexton.

garner saw a photo of affleck carrying a box reportedly filled with beer and liquor. garner's focus remains on their children. is she happy about him hanging out with a young playboy mod sne --l? mo certainly not. what she ultimately cares about his sobriety. garner has had a strong stint with alcohol addiction. the justice league star finishing another rehab visit in march, 2017. posting on facebook and thanking garner for her help. writing i'm lucky to have the love of my family and friends including my co parent as i've done the work i've set out to do. these theteps being taken with positive recovery. affleck is again taking his next step toward a healthier future. >> jennife garn ser clearier is

trying to help her ex. we'll see if she'll play a critical part of his next chapter. >> great to hear he is getting help. >> she's extraordinary to co to help him. he's the fatherf her kids. >> thank, kristen. chanelle is in the f orange ro carson. she's got good news for pasta lovers. >> prepare yourself. today at 2:00 p.m. eastern olive garden's never ending pasta pass goes on sale. last year 22,000 passes sold out in one second. this year tngy are g bigger than ever. they're not only offering their traditiona deal which is eight weeks of unlimited pasta for $100, there e 23,000 of those. new this year is the annual pa. that's 52 weeks of unlimited carb tha yat's less than $1 a day for pasta allr long. there are 1,000 of the annual

passes. social media users have their eye on the prize. omg, one good for a whole year i can't think straight. nicole says my brain says heck yeah but my body says please no. this one writes for the love of your taste buds -- i'm not ready. no, you do not need olive garden'sou all can eat pasta pass. we asked would you spent $300 for unlimited pasta. 79% say no. 21 say yes. i have a feeling, as you guys pasta -- y eating the >> are you talking, chanelle? >> i keep hearing forks clanking. at 2:00 today -- >> loo at this bowl. >> the pasta pas -- are you kidding me? >> jenna and i just did a lady and the tramp thing. >> the scary thing is craig and i did it too. >> what about the garlic bread? all y can eat garlic bread?

>> if you would like some i'm sure. don't you think it's enough. >> this could very well put s.ive garden out of busin jerry, could you bring the big bowl? >>t's unlimited. >> $300 for all the pasta you can eat in a year? >> yougolso have t to the restaurant. >> of course. >> the trick is you have to leave the restaurant. >> now you see why it's a hit. >> we're going to start with simon cowell. they're still eating. the television producer -- craig, out of my shot.or the r producer received a star on the hollywood walk of fame yesterday. cowell is thein master behind many successful shows including american idol. he became known a the harsh judge, never b afraid brutally honest. kelly clarkso spoke in cowell's honor and was quick to defend his mean reputation. take a look. >>ranted i was the only one he was never mean to.

i'm still waiting. but no, he was never mean to me. but it was more the thing that i never found it being mean. i always fou iteing constructive. there's no friend in this industry, especially in the industry in the spotlight. it's not a friend to have a yes person around you. it's a friend to have you somebody that actually gives you their truth. that's the thing thathi everyone can thank you for. >> that was good. after clarksonlpoke cowave a speech of his own showing a softer side when he took the time to recognize his parents and his son eric. >> oneo thing i was a thinking about today was who would have got the biggest kick out of this and it was my mom and dad. they're not here but i have feeling they're looking down. now i can look over to my son eric and say maybe one day you'll get one of these as well. >> that was sweet.

>> his 4-year-old son. >> yesterday it was also announced that cowell will be returning as a judge on nbc's "america'sot talent" in aar multi-ye deal. up next, the craze surrounding crazy rich asians is only growing. it won the box office last weekend and brought in $40 miion of ticket sales thanks to the success, part two is already in the works. yesterday warners broth announced they plan to move forward with a sequel and will be based on the second book in the series. no potenti release date was announced but all around great news for the history making film. in other news, savannah guthrie and hoda kotb are gracing the cover of parent magazine. >> we look at each other like did we do >> you guys talk about what it's like working with each oer. savannah reflected back on the

time they first shared. they shared an office more than ars ago and she said, quote, we discovered that we're both messes and we both love powder coffee mate. i also noticed hoda's purse is like mine. it's like carrying a trash bag ound. i was like, i understand. like how i q you can find the issue on news stands thind . >> congratulations. >> will you all sign our>> copy? would you sign my bottle of coffee mate. >> we're going to have so much coffee mate here. >> we need it. >> da, new you join youtube show "cold cuts". and they talk about other things too. everything from haley joy to being there for each other. you also shared a story about when you almost gave up pursuing a television career. let's look at a clip. >> i was in my mom's car driving

around tryin j to get a and i wasn't going to come home until i had something. on rejection 26 i rememberedki th i'd picked the wrong profession, i messed up, it was a m. i looked around and there was a sign that said news center 15. said oh my god, let me go get rejected at news center 15. i remember this little short guy walked up and goes how are you doing? i'm stan. i'm the news director. i was sports director yesterday and i got promoted. i go my name's hoda. >> hilda, come onin, let's go watch your tape and he watched the worst resume tape. he looked at m and said hilda, i like what i see. i was crying. >> thank goodness for stan. >> and that hair. >> watch the full episode. >> you're doing a great job.

>> i hadom special sauce, like adyo. >> what it was the po tatato chips on top. >> go on the youtube channel, today show youtube channel it's right there. >> and you have a bunch ofem >> yeah. >> you can also download the today app.ic paars 66866 and it will all be there on your phone. can i show a adorable photo really quick? look at this. jenna, you just shared this sweet photo of this with your grandfather. how was your trip? >> that's sot. sw it was great. i loved it. i dreamed of being back there. >> look how huge your family is. >> i kno >> i guess i didn't realize when that wide shocame out. and you were all together. >> we played in a pickle ball tournament. ill say i came inecd.

>> al, take it away. >> today's weather is brought t you b sleep number. meet the new sleep number 360 smart bed that knows, senses, and adjusts to you. experience today only at a sleep number>> store. he latest on hurricane lane, category 4 now 230 miles away, 130 mile per hour winds. the track of this system will keep itffshore. make no mistake, it can still have devastating effects through thend wee for the hawaiian island chain with waves of up t. 20 f rainfall could be up to 30 inches in some spots. the rest of the country, we' looking -- got toall besbuy, huh? our prices are insane. we're looking at right now -- that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your

neck of the woods. little calmer here in teshington where the sun is shining. mperatures are still in the comfortable 60s this morning. it's going to be a perfect afternoon to be outside. daytime highs will be in the low 80s. in you'reeaded to the nationals and phillies, it's at 1:05. northwest winds f you', if youe looking for something to complain about, we'll be a little bit breezy. getting hot by monday of nextwe . between now and then, no rain. >> that's the latestweather. thank you, al. now we'll move to an important convsation in the wake of the murder of the college student mollie tibbitts. whilesappeared last month she was out jogging in iowa. >> it's the latestg in a l line of violent crime whose have happened against women out for a run and never returne that got us all thinking how do you protect yourself if you love running but you obviously want to stay safe. jenna looked int that for us. >> running is a great way to stay in shape. the problem ist' for many a solo sport often done with

headphones on and sometimes in unfamiliar places. all women who left for a jog and never returne home. >> she was a phenomenal individual. and so we are saddened for the family. >> their tragic and all too familiar stories have sparked concerns about safety. especially since more than half of runne prefer to jog alone. >> perhaps women are more of a target, but it can happen to anybody. >> 30% of women surveyed by runners world in 2016 said they've been followed by someone in a car, on foot, or on a bike while running. nearly 60% of women under 30 said they experience harassment runs. >> take your hands. puthem around the neck of that person. >> i met up with former secret service agent edie to talk running safety. >> people running, going out for a run, is that something they dned to be worried about? >> you sho be worried, but

you should be proactive. where am i going for my run. is itheomewhere wre it's heavily populated like this area here s there public there. a if it's night, is the area well lit. she says you should always tell someone where you're going and how long you'll be gone. shelso recommends tracking apps like find my friends to share location information. >> i listen to music. i need music. is that dangerous? >> when you're listening to music, you need to be running and doing this. what's going on around me, who's around me, is something coming up behedd me. >> i aor tips about that too. >> if you are attacked, i want you to thinkt you w to be quick and fierce and violent when you strike a peuon. yo be my target. >> here weo. g i come at you from the front. >> one thing i can do hands break your hold. that's one. sile easy steps. >> another option. >> in, down, kneestrike, bolt, run. >> if someone approaches from behind. >> i can use my head to come back andrash you in your face.

so when i strike that, the back of my head is role strong. it's going to hit you in your nose and that's going to lyre really hurt. >> the same condition done with the rear. and with the feet. >> striking somebody at the top of the foot. >> some moves are actuallco ter intuitive. >> let me grab you. go ahead. what do you want to do? >> go like this. >> how hard does my grip feel? >> tight. >> come in. st in. my grip? looser. twist and go. >> the most important tip she emphasizes, sittional awareness. >> it's being proactive. we talked about reactive moves. but really being safe is everything you do indv ace. to avoid putting yourself in vulnerable places. you want to minimize the risk. >> so that was obviously brief lesson in self defense. she suggests everyone take a ass so they're prepared if anything happens. pepper spray, personal alarms are also great safety options. she points out you can also use your keys to protect yourself.

the main thing is if you feel uncomfortable, if it's dark and nobody is there, don't run. >> jenna, thank you. coming up, back tl sch prugts you'll wish you had as a kid after your local news. good morning,. everybo 8:26 on this thursday, august 23 let's start with the commute. traffic now first alert a major problem in prince george's county. inter loop shut down. this is a box truck versus tractor trailer. we are closed inter loop at forestville road. p anotheblem up top, inter loop at new hampshire avenue, one lane getti by a crash there. >> melissa thank you. stick around. a look at today's forecast ico ng up right after this. labor day is just around the corner.

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limited time only. you deserve a better place to sit on your day off. havertys life looks good nothing to worry about in the forecastoday. temperatures are still in the lower toid 60s. our average high is 86. int areas today will stay the upper 70s and low 80s. not even really a cloud to be

und in the sky today. fridayory again for your and the weekend looks just as nice. >> chuck, thank you you get the latest news and weather anytime. open the nbc washington app. does your business internet provider promise a lot? let's see who delivers more. si comcast ss 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.

mo goodrn morning,verybody. it's 8:30. it's thursday morning, august 23rd, 2018. such a pretty day out on our plaza. almost feels like fall in the area. a lot and actress puts on of concert for us. you know it's going to be a good one. >> she is amazing. >> i'm looking for dia. here she is. you're diana? >> i am. w> you are so special. do you k why?

>> well, i think so. >> i think it's because it's your birthday. you were born on the day the "today show" premiered in 1952.y we actuaave a shot of the show. you probably weren't watching because you were just being born. but have you been a viewer of "the today show" too. >> i have. ever since i can remember. >> you and your sisters here from where? >> st. louis. >> you're special for a lot of reasons, but this is only a four hour show so we can't get all of them. >> thanks for coming to see us. coming up, some n products making life a little easier for you and your ks this back to school season. better backpacks, smarter sneakers, ls more. look at them. they're adoerabrable too. >> get your girls ready. we have two california style recipes to help you soak up the final days of h.summer.

>> y when you get the grill going on a nice summer day, you might you're living your best life. we hear that phrase a lot. we say it a lot. what does it mean to be happy? how do you achieve it? >> we are going to explore that all next week. it's a special series we are calling happiness today. we're going to talk about the results coming upext week it's going to be fun. >> my answer is al roker makes us all happy. >> here's two happy people over here. 50 years ago they got married. >> nice to see you guys. you wore your mets jersey for howany days in a row? >> for 1,021 consecutiveheday. >> andwind's blowing down this way. i can attest to that. 's true. we're very proud. let's show you what's going on right nowour weekend out look. gorgeous weather in the northeast.

ghsevere storms thrhe great lakes tomorrow. monsoon storms through the southwest. saturday a weekend winter in the northeast and new england. august heat in texas. cool and cloudy in the pacific northwest. sunday warming up in the mid mississippi and upper mississippi river valleys. some showers moving in pennsylvania new york and wet weather down through the gulf. here's what's happening in your neck of theoo. good morning. a gorgeous start to the day. 67 degrees. sunny nice northwest wind. it's going to be a little breezy. it will helpy temperatures s below normal. rest of the area about the mid 60s for the most part. we go through thursday, low humidity and sunny by lunchtime. 77 by then. through the afternoon high of only 82. tomorrow in the mid 80s.he over weekend nice and dry. plenty of sun but hottest day will be on sunday. >> don't forget you can always take us with you when you head ou the door.

go to today sirius xm channel 108. you can listen for free in your car or download the app. >> all right, al. thank you so much. turningig to ay anticipated trip for pope francis. he is heading to ireland lat this week. but one of the most devoutly catholic nations in the world may not be most welcoming place. >> he's arriving in the wake of that bombshell grand juryeport out o pennsylvania which accused priests of abusing thousands of children over seven decades. >> it's only the second time the pope has ever visited ireland nd the world will be closely watching for his message. and how that message is received. ayc ann thompson has a preview. >> reporter: this be the best metaphor for the catholic church in ireland. a church in ruin brought to its knees by an inside job of abuse, secrecy and intolerance. >> trust broken is trust finished. you never restore the trust.

>> brian darcy is a priest and r surv of clerical sexual abuse. >> people hato make up their own mind about their own status. they discovered that the roof didn't fall indi when they >> the church's once iron clad grip on i rirish society is allt gone with the idea they drilled into their heads. >> the irish woman was, married reproductive and domestic. if you were outside of that, you wereo be punished. >> here on this site once stood a home for unwed mothers run by the church. underneath a horrifying discovery, a mass gra of human remains ranging in age from 35 weeks to 3 years. revelations provoking visceral anger. ever-faithful ireland now increasingly secular. the world's first nation to legalize same sex marriage by popular vote along with overturning bans on contraception, divorce, and jusa

this abortion leaving the church behind politically a spiritually. >> for two centuries in ireland we've had the authority that controlled people with the total emasis on laws and rules. now we need to get free of all of that and get back to the gospel of love. >> today's ireland is not the tion pope john paul ii saw when he visited in 1979. pope francisom to a country where it's closer to 35% going to mass. in dublin as low as single digits. bernard sees it from his souvenir store. >> they still he thefaith, but i think their faith is directed to god now. >> not the priest. >>riot thet. >> the faithful still exist, but they are an aging flaw. >> what we need to do as a church is to open our arms to

young people, show them that we care about them and shohem that we love them exactly the way they are. >> to become relevant again is the challenge facingli d archbishop dermott martin. >> the church is ireland will prosper, but it will be a very different church. >> and not just another relic of ireland's past. for today, ann thompson, nbc news dublin. >> just theenerations have heartbreak and sadness. it's -- when you see it's happening -- it's a global problem. >> not just ireland. it would seem as i the catholic church is at a cross road. >> absolutely. we're going toe have l coverage of the pope's trip to ireland. that starts tomorrow right on "today". coming up we're going to move in a different direction. i keep telling you, gu it's almost fall. we've got back to school products. parents and kids are going to love it. don't you loveo back school shopping? we're going to do it.

first this is "today" on nbc. (birds chirping, a running brook,) ahh. the new deer park sparkling is made with real spring water. ♪ it's so refreshing and delicious, you don't need slo-mo models to sell it. real spring water, real fruit flavors

and refreshing bubbles. just what's refreshingly real. ♪ ♪ start the day with the chicken you love. get the feeling of chick-fil-a, for breakfast. ♪

thisorning on better assics today, i that will make back to school easier. jill has the scoop otrthe must items for kids of all ages. hi, jen. >> hello. we are talking back to school. we hate to do it already. let's start with lunches. this is a big one. you've got an inno -- >> this is a lunch boxhat makes the mornings easier and days easier. pop it in the freeze take it out and put lunch inside. >> your sandwich, y everything is fine. you don't have to put a cold pack in there. sheez a these are adorable and they're ashable. >> these arereusable. ssically plastic baggies and

they're leak pro if you put strawberries in the bag iwon't leak o the computer. there's different colors. you canne has colors, color code their snacks. put them in the dish washer and use them the next day. >> if we want to recycle, what's another good wopoption. >> these are bees wax. they're reusable. you put your sandwich inside. you wrap it up. and then when you're going to eat something else,fo especiall kids at school tables, this becomes a place mat. >> tt's adorable. >> sandwich inside. when you're done, bring it home. rinse it off with cold water and pack your sandwheh again next day. >> if you want to write a cute v note, y got an idea. >> they make l thesech box notes that are scratch off. throw this in their lunch >> it's a lottery ticket. they scratch it off. >> they can scratch it off when

they're having their lunch. >> take us to our models. who do we have here? >> this is my daughter alexa and our friend niya. >> backpacks, i know one thing with a lot of kids and backpack, they're heavy. >> this is a company called thomas. they're super lightweight. laptop cases. what i love, machineab wa. so that's a big help. and they are super lightweight, so noeavy boo are really going to weigh you down. and they've got rfid blocking wtechnology. t is that? >> if you have a computer in there or somethinghat dueo identity theft, it protects it and you can custoze it with patches. you move them around. if you want toeep them on permanently, blow dry it. they'll stay on. do you like this one? >> theer sneakare adorable too. >> these are amazing. something called play. they've got sneakers that really

mold to a child's foot. they're always comfortable. and the styles are really smart. so for example, the os that alexa has on have velcro snaps. bon these thek collapses so you can wire as a slide or shoe and still be able t runaround. they've got great transaction. >> the cuteness factor is off e chain. thanks, you guys. so if we want to diy a couple of cthings, what we do? >> if you want to make all your notebooks and books feel like tur own, these are so smart. we foundm on amazon. great value. it's decorative tape with little decals. all you do is almos like a pen on paper and you have these cute little decals. there's all different themes. you can put it on book coverse and m everything custom. >>xp inesive i would imagine.

>> inspeexpensive. this is the last notebook you will need. you take your notebook, write in it. you can then scan it so it goes into the cloud so you keep all your notes organized and wipe it down. there we go. >> wait a minute. i don understand. you write your notes, tute a picture,t on the cloud and use it again? >> you never need another tebook. whi wipe approximate down. also you can organize your notes. you can have dilferent for each class. >> a lot of this is good for grown ups. i innt's for kids. >> it's great for grown ups too. >> this is so genius. for kids going to college, this called the laundry egg. >> who wants to carry that around. >> this has 720 washes. it's so smart. there's different scents. instead ofng lug the laundry, a big thing of detergent. >> is this detergent?

>> yes. you put it in the wash. 720 >> is it price sy? >> it's not. $14.99. >> let's walk fwhback in front the kids. they're the whole point. o find out more about these products head to today.com/shop. some cooking california summer feet coming up.t fiis is "today" on nbc.

back now, 8:47 as savannah's been reminding us all morning, summer is almost over and that means time withll our g is almost over. let's use it while we can. gabby, author of what's gabby cooking, she's got some great grill including a vestreet corn pizza and her

dad's barbecue chicken recipe. they both sound delicious. this is your first time on the show. it is. . >> thanks for coming in. >> thanks for having me. >> let's srt with chicken. this is from your dad. what's thetory? >> we grew up in arizona and the weekend my dad would make the barbecue chicken. it reminds me of him he learned from my mom's dad. >> a family recipe. >> it is. we have a chicken, any chicken from theou store. if can, put it on a plate and leave in t in thin the frid overnight to dry it out. when you're done with that is correct pat it down and get all the moistur off of it. >> we want that bird as dry as possible. >> yes. and then the next day magically we are going toeason it with paprika, garlic salt, sal and pepper and get it all over the bird. >> that's the secret. can you overseason thed? b >> i mean, use your best judgment but i don't think so. you would just burn the spices.

perfect. >> doe rub it in. >> i'll rub it in because you're not wearing gloves. >> perfect. that looks great. we're just going to take this over to the grill. and then it's going to go breast side down. let's see if i can do tous wi messing anything up. >> how hot is the grill? >> about medium highnd heat then over indirect heat. so then over he we just have a bird that we are going to baste with the same seasonings that we had on it and some melted butter. >> we jus add butter to that same spices. >> yes. this reall locks in the flavor and gets it extra delicious. we'll flip it and then magically -- >> do we flip it morehan onc >> i like to flip it once after a half hour and then 15 minutes later. >> constantlbaste. >> start basting after 30 minutes. >> al rocker is down there.

what's the verdict? >> ver moist and perfect. >> tastes like my childhood. >> then we're serving it with salsa verde. if you were going to carve i c you woul off the legs first and then carve the breast. >> a whole bird is intimidating but you make it look easy. >> thank you. i'm not going to t to carve that. >> this is one of my favorite recipes from my cook book. i grew up in arizona. we went down to mexico all the time and would have mexican street rn. >> savannah is >> im ason. school? >> foot hills. >> nice. >> we're going to olive oil this and throw some garlic on there. >> how much gar >> all of . >> we're a friends here. >> we'll salt and pepper it.oi we're this instead of a red sauce. >> with the doe, is this premade

doe? >> yeah. the recipe is i theook call for premade doe. you could make it on your own if you wanted to. i'm all about takingcu a sho from the store. >> me and you both. this is regular old mozzarella. >> yes. and then you want to put some corn on there. this is sauted corn on. you can also put roasted corn. this i call done. you put too many ingredients on a pizza? >> yes. you don't want to load ip and make it too heavy. you want -- we've put a flour of corn meal under this. you can i slide around. then this is going to come right over to the grill. moment of trying. >> you're using a pizza stone. >> i mean, i'm so proud of myself. >> do you have to use the stone or can it go directly on the grill? >> if you're going to put the start, you have to put it on the pizza stone. however if you want to do it just on the grill, you could put the doe on and part bake it,

take it off,ut all the toppings on and finish it. >> what's the verdict down there? >> we can't stop. >> i love the pza so much. >> we'll just take a bite. know it'sext thing we gone. >> not only is it delicious, you did a great job. i'm not just saying thatecause you're from tucson. you should come back again. >> i would love to. >> we're garnishing it like mexican street corn, little chilied powder, pepper flakes. >> here we g there's a lime juice. and then i'll slice some r >> second cook book, what's it called? >> what's going to be cking every day california food. >> you were great. this is your first time on the show. >> yeah. >> you hit a home run. thank you so much. by the way, to get these recipes, head to today.com. they cut up the whole time,

gabby. >> what do you think? >> that's really good. >> would i l to you? >> we are backn i moment. but first this is "today" on nbc.

i cannot believe how delicious this meal is. >> we haven't stopped eating. >> i'm not kidding. jbh and i are going to be doing the fourth hour. we have the cast of the jersey shore. what else do wave? >> we also have an amazing performance by a.j. m achell. >> wha show. awesome. >> first megyn kelly today, ar, s talking all about to faceeel it and how it and more.

. >>ni good m. it's 8:56 on thursday. i'm erica gonzalez. we start with a check of the road. >> right now first 4 traic alert in prince george's county, inter loop before allentown, we are shut down. we have the 7 mile backup headed towards this problem here this morning. two overturned vehicles. efbig crash there.

inter loope allentown, the lanes are blocked. righ now those backups all the way to central avenue. inter loop after new hampshire avenue is very slow as well. your weather coming up.

good thursday morning. it's going to be a beautiful day. 82 degre for a high. tomorrow morning we'll be about the mid to low 60s. some suburbs could be the upper 50s. gorgeous weather for friday. by sunda we'll be near 90. next week the 90swi retur humid condition. >> remember you get news and updates anytime with our nbc washington app.

> good morning, everyone ask welcome to the show. i'm megyn kelly. we have a lot to get to this morning. here to help me break down what's making the rounds today, nbc's own savannah guthrie and creeg melvin! [ and applause ] hi! >> i like that. >> i wanted to do like a -- >> hi, guys. what do we do? >> savannahnd i missed our weekly time together yesterday. so this is like -- savenge day. we just text each other every