good morning. breaking caovernight, hurri lane slams hawaii. the massive storm lashing the island with nearly 2 feet of rain, dangerous winds and bri bringing per outages, mudslides and flooding. residents forced to evacuate and it's only just begun. we're there live and al is tracking it all. turning on trump. the publisher of "the national enquirer," a one-time ally who pushed trumpga propanda hard during the campaign, now granted immunity to testify against the president, telling prosecutors the nitty gritty of trump's payments to the playmate and the porn star. this morning, why the president's legal troubles may be getting deeper as a newroet ofcutors take a look. saying good-bye. the family of mollie tibbetts

set to lay thet iowa stud rest this weekend, police learning new details about how exactly she died. those stories, plus, on the sidelines. surprising, new numbers reveal kids from coast to coast are choosi not to play football. wh it could mean for the future of america's mt p sport. best-ca a source close to ben affleck speaks out about how and bhy he headedack to rehab. and meet the sprintern. the nbc news intern taking the internet by storm after giving her all to breaking news andhe making rest of us all feel a little lazy, ty,s fridaugust 24th, 2018. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> and good morning, everybody. welcom " today." nice to have you with us on a friday morning. i have craig here while hoda has

time off. we need the instant replay. >> we do. >> because there should be an olympic event for this. running out of the courthouse. that's our nbc intern, kathy simian, who really was moving fast when she was trying to alert the other reporters there what the manafort verdict was earlier this week. >> that 20-year-old's going to join us in just a bit. she's taking the internet byor >> she is! going to trade in her heels for running shoes. she's fast. but we start in hawaii, a rare occurrence there. rescues have already begun as hurricane lane barrels across the islands, in some places dumping almost 2 feet of rain i onday. residents and tourists there bracing for what officials are calling aife-threatening impact from this massive stckm. we're tg it all this morning. nbc news national correspondent miguel almaguer is in oahu for us thismorning. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning. this is the relative calm t betwee storm. the worst of lane is actually set to hit oahu later on tonight, but for the past 24

hours, much of the hsaiian islaas been getting hit with relentless rain and wind. bracing for the worst, part of the hawaiian islands already taking a lashing from lane, the hurricane unleashing 145-mile-an-hour winds, swirling closer to islands like oahu. >> hawaii is going to be impacted by hurricane lane. e question is how bad. >> reporter: the massive category 3 storm releasing a torrent, almost 2 feet of rain so far pounding the big island, submerging cars and swamping rosoways. me rescued from their flooded homes while hundreds of others u are fillingp shelters. authorits say this is a rare, life-threatening st residents racing to stockpile supplies as the governor warns there could be no access to or water for two weeks. propane tanks, batteries, and generators in short supply, potentially the strongest storm

to hit in quarter century. lane so powerful, even a near missould be catastrophic. >> i'm fering damag for house. >> reporter: images from space show lane'sy m massive reach. vacationers trying to enjoy a piece ofle paradise w they can. >> we know we're going to get rain. you can't forecast what the weather's going to like when you book a year in advanc >> reporter: hurricanes in hawaii are rare. the last made landfall 25 years ago, killing six, leaving behind billions in damage. today, lane creeping across the pacific as it continues to threaten paradise. lane is only mov 7g at about miles an hour. one of the big problems is, it's going to linger along the islands for so long. again, the concern here is not the wind, it's the rain. we're in areak now, but we're expecting those heavy rains to arrive here in just a few hours. guys, back to you. >> all right,di miguel l us off. thank you.

>> al's tracking the storm, of course. and word a short time ago that there's now another complicating factor here, mr. roker? >> that's right, guys. this just in. we've got now, not only do we have lane, but we've gothis investigation area, 95c. this is a system that's trying to get itself together. what this means is there's more moisture now availab f tod into this whole system. so, we're going to be looking at prably even higher rainfall amounts. category 3, m 160es south of kona, 120-mile-per-hour winds. and now it's actually slowed down even a little bit more, only moving north at 5 miles per hour. here's the track of the system. you don't have to have an actual landfall to have major problems. this morning around 8:0 it gets downgraded maybe to a category 2. it continues on to the north. by this evening, it's down to a one with 90-mile-per-hour winds. the winds themselves only abo 40 milesn the outside of that storm, butighe bst problem is going to be the rain. here are the impacts that we're looking for.

already we've seen 10 to 25 inches of rain. we could see scattered amounts of 36 inches, overflowing idvers, mud and rockslides. again, the winds not the big factor, but it's going to cause downed trees, widespread power outages,sing elevated surfaces to see the strongest winds. what we're most worried about, of course, is also the heavy besides the rain, we could see wave amounts 10 to 20 feet high. and guys, that can cause major beach erosion and damage for buildings right along the shoreline. it's still a dangerous storm, i ans not even close to being done yet. back to you. >> we'll check back with you in a bit, al. thank you. turning now to the bombshell in the michael cohen investigation. the publisher of "the national enquirer," a close friend of president trump, granted immunity. now he's sharing new information with prosecutors about those secret hush money payments to al mate and a porn star that the president has admitted making just days before the 2016 election. we've got these new developments

covered. we'll start with nbc news chief white house correspondent hallie jackson. good morning. >> good mornnng, sa. seems there's a new twist to this whole story every day. this morning n exceptio "the new york times" is now reporting overnight the manhattan district attorney's office is considering criminal charges against the trump organization, though no decision's been made yet. it's all part of the casein invo the president's former longtime lawyer as we're lening another confidante of the president, a publisher whose paper backed the president aam d his opponent during 2016, is involved in this case, too. a pro trump tabloid for months before the election, its headlines hyping a win, itsbl her a longtime friend of donald trump's. now he's the one all over the news. >> we're a talkingut david pecker. >> david pecker. >> david pecker was granted immunity. >> reporter: david pecker sharing what he knows money payments made in 2016 and who may have been involved in king them.

granted immunity by federal prosecutors, according to sources familiar with the artter. >> wha you doing to get ready for prison, mr. cohen? >> reporter: it's part of the fed's case against michael hen, the president's former lawyer who pleaded guilty this week to illegal campaign violations for payin w offen to keep quiet about alleged affairs with the president. "the enquirer's" cozy relad onship with donump dates back years, well before he decided to run for office. >> "the national enquir" did a poll that's unbelievable, that says i win. >> reporter: in 2013, donald trump praised pecker as his pick to run "time" magazine, tweeting "he'd make it exciting." and during the 2016 election, cker and the paper reportedly dught rights toamaging stories about the then candidate, then never published, like the story of one of the women who says she had sex with donald t mp years ago, something he's denied. it's a practice known as catch and kill. pecker even kept documents t relate hush money payments and other potentially negative information locked up in a not-so-secret safe in his

office. according to the "associated press," citing people familiarw the arrangement. in an audio recording released by cohen's lawyer earlier this summer -- >> i need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend david. >> reporter: cohen t appearso refer to pecker and the payments in a conversation with the president. >> you never kw where that mpany -- you never know where he's going to be -- >> maybe he gets -- >> correct. i'm all over that. >> reporter: in apri president trump denied knowing about the hush money. >> did you know about the $130,000 payment to stormy daniels? >> no. >> reporter: then, this week -- >> did you know about the payments? >> later on i knew, later on.>> and hallie, as you mentioned earlier, now michael cohen has pleaded guilty, but now the manhattan district attorney's office, which is a differe office than the federal prosecutor, is reportedly considering charges against the trump organization. what moru say about that? >> yeah, on the state level there, which y know there's a distinction, "the new york times" is saying the district

attorney's office in manhattan is considering going after crimal charges against the organization and two senior company officials in connection wi these hus money payments by cohen, citing two officials with knowledge of the but both officials tell the paper this is still in the early stages. the prosecutors hee not m a decision yet. so, why does that distinction between federal and state matter? remember, the president does not have the power to pardon people or corporate entities who have en convicted of state crimes. i've just heard back from an attorney for the trump w organizati declined to comment on this story, savannah. >> lots of moving pieces, hallie, thank you. now to an escalating battle between president trump and his own attorney general, jeff sessions. sessioci not m words as he fights back at the president after months of criticism. nbc's kristen welker's at the white house with more on that. kristen, good morning to teyou. >> rep hi, craig. good morning to you. well, the feud between the president and attorney general jeff sessions is escalating this morning. in a new, fiery tweet, mr. trump is lashing out yet again, this

time sarcastically quoting sessions' statement f wm thursdaych said the justice department "will not be improperly influenced by political considerations." mr. trp adding to that this morning, "jeff, this is great, whatveryone wants. so look into all of the corruption on the otherside," adding in a second tweet, "come on, jeff, you can do it, the country is waiting." but sessions seems to be making it clear, he won't be bullied. thismorning, asserting his independence, attorney generalo jeff ses is firing back at president trump after this latest jab on fox news. >> i put in an attorney general that never took control of the justice department, jeff sessions. never took controlef the just department. >> reporter: in his firmest response yet, sessions writing "i took control of the department of justice the day i was sworn in," declaring "w defiantly, le i am attorney general, the actions of the department of justice will not be improperly influenced by political consideratio sessions spotted briefly at the white house after a preplanned

meeting with mr. trump and other top officials on thursday. sources familiar with the matter telling nbc news their tensions didn't come up. still, for months the president had lashed out at theentire agency, accusing officials at doj of being democrats out to get him. >> i always put justice now with quotes. it's a yvery, v sad day. >> reporter: sessions became the first senator to endorse candidate trump. >> i am pleased to endorse donald trump. >> reporter: but things turned contentious quickly after sessions recused himself from the russia investigation, citing his prominent role in the campaign. since then, the president has unleashed a barrage of tweets calling sessions everything from beleaguered to scared stiff. on capitol hill, while some republican senators warned the president -- >> it would be a very,ve , very bad idea to fire the attorney general because he's a executing his job as political hack. >> reporter: others who once

supported sessions signaled they'd be willing to consider a successor. >> after the election, i think there will be some serious discussions aut aew attorney general. >> reporter: the battle with sessions is brewing amid mounting questions about whether the president is planning tois pardon former campaign chair, paul manafort, who is now a convicted felon. rudy giuliani telling nbc news, the president discussed the possibility of pardons in w generalh his legal team earlier this summer and all agreed he shouldn't do any while the special counsel investigation is under way. kristen, what are your sources telling you about whether the president is actually goingo fire jeff sessions? >> reporter: well, craig, i've been talking to administration officials who tl mehere's just no indication the president is planning to fire sessions right now. having said that, the shift in tonerom some top republicans could be key. lawmakers likeat ss lindsey graham and chuck grassley, who once said there wasn't enough time in the year to go through such an intense confirmation process, are now saying, well,

it just might be possiblean you heard graham there expressing a willingness to consider it, although he did stress that those serious discussions he talked about, about py ential new attor general, would only happen after the critical midterm election. so, the timg heres also key. for his part, president trump heads to ohio forty state p dinner later today, where we may hear more from him about all of this, craig and savannah. >> all right, kristen welker from the white house, thank you. meantime, republican congressman duncan hunter and his wife, margaret, pleaded not guilty thursday.re allegations they illegally usedampaign fundsor personally expenses. they're accused of using over $250,000 t finance their own family vacations, golf ngs, school tuition and theater tickets. well, hunter seemed to point the finger at his wife on thursday, saying s's the one that handled the money. >> she handled my finances throughout my arentire mil career, and that continued as i'm in congress because i'm gone five days a week, home for two. and she was also the campaign manager.

so, whatever she did, that will be looked at, o, i'm sure, but i didn't do it. i didn't spend any money illegally. i did not use campaign money. >> well, hunter says the charges are politically motivat and without merit. thursday hepp voluntarily ste down, though, from three committee assignments in the house. urning now to the death of 20-year-old student mollie tibbetts. thetate medical examiner's releasing new information about how she died as her family prepares to lay her to rest this weekend, thiar as thetment of homeland security weighs in on the immigration status of thu ect. nbc's ron mott has the latest on a case that has captured this country's atntion. >> reporter: this morning, new details about how 20-year-old mollie tibbetts died, ath killi has shocked her small iowa hometown. tseliminary autopsy resul list multipleieharp force is as the cause o her death. 24-year-old cristhian bahena rivera is charged withgr first- murder. authorities say he's an undocumented immigrant from sdxico.

on th, homeland security issued a statement saying in part, "we have found no record in our systems indicatin he has any lawful immigration status." rivera's attorney origilly said h client was here legally, but he hasn't provided hard evidence to back thatup. >> reporter: what proof do you have to present to the american people that he is here legally? >> well, the proof would be he's en in the community for seven years, working 12 hours a day, 7 days a we , without anyissues. he's been accepted into the community. he's filed his tax returns. >> reporter: arguing rivera's immigration status shouldn'tnt factor the case. >> the process, even in the constitution, says that if you're here in a noncitizen, you have the right for equal protection under the law. >> repor r: this woman didn't want us to reveal her name but says her niece was a classmate of mollie's and shared a child with eerivera, both s in court on wednesday. according to the woman, rivera's ex-girlfriend is in disbelief.

"she's heartbroken. she can't believe it," she says, explaining rivera was a calm person who never caused problems and enjoyed spending time with his daughter. rivera behind bars as llie's family and friends plan to say good-bye at her funeral this sunday. for "" ron mott, nbc news, brooklyn, iowa. >> meanwhilf some members mollie tibbetts' family say they do not want her death to be used for political leverage. tibbetts' aunt, billie jo calderwood told cnn "i don't want mollie's memory to g lost amongst politics. it's not about race. it's about people joining together to do good." >> all right, 7:17. that is the news for now. we've got the weather, which is ws this morning, with hawaii. >> that's right. besides hawaii, we have otherti ty across the country. heavy rain in the southwest, gully-washers there. it's going to be a gorgeous day in the northeast andat mintic states. more rain, though, for our friends down in florida. we're looking at a beautiful day along the west coast.

let's get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 good morning. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. bright sunshine and a crystal clear sky overhead. temperatures are in the mid-50s in the suburbs this morning all over suburban maryland as nell thern virginia. a little bit warmer inside the city and by the bay. 65ow at national airport but 55 at dulles. your forecast for today is a beauty! sunshine from start to finish. sun's not down until 7:50 this evening.

today's high 84. tomorrow's high 85. 89 on sunday. no rain in sight. >> and that's your latest weather. >> what's a gully-washer? >> basically out inhw the sot you've got these washes. savannah knows about them. theye dry most of the time, but you get a heavy amount of rain, they literally wash itr out, gully, and it washes it out. >> and you've got to be careful. we played in tho washes, but not when it's raining. >> i love when you teach us. there you go. >> thank you, al. coming up, an everyday battle what a source close to ben affleck is saying this morning about why h chose to goo rehab and what led up to that decision. also ahead, a "today" iv exclus surprising, new numbers just out this morning. kids across the country choosin t to play football. what it means for america's mosr populasport. but first, this is "today" on nbc. irst, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, would you let your 8-year-old walk the family alone?

why o mom's controversial decision got her in troubleith thorities. we'll hear from her. and we have lively crowd waiting foroanelle monae t take over the plaza for a live performance! should be a good one. first, your local news. "airline purchases". think about all the double miles you could be earning... (loud) holy moley that's a lot of miles!!! shhhhh! ♪ what's in your wallet? shhhhh! milk and fresh cream, and only sustainably farmed vanilla. it's made with fresh cream... sugar... and milk!

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so, next time don't half-wash it. downy and it's done. gd morning, everybody. 7:26 now on this friday, august 24th. i'm aarongi hrist. >> and i'm erika gonzalez. developing this morning, c montgomenty officials investigating a deadly pedestrian crash. it's the second time in a weekt at a pedestrian has been killed along georgia avenue in wheaton. we're told that a man who has not been identified was killed. metro says it is ahead of schedule with a 45-day shutdown along the red line. for the last few weeks, that shutdown has closed the rhode island avenue and brookland stations for majorre irs. riders still have to wait unty eaeptember for the station to reopen. let's check the morning commute now. lissa mollet has your "first 4 traffic." an alert, a fatal pedestrian crash and closure because of

that. georgia avenu closed between university and veers mill. if you travel southbound georgia, take veers mill instead. inbound 66 near 50, we are very 66.w inbound allow extra time, an eight-mile backup at this point this >>rning. guys? ll right, melissa, thank you. a check your forecast coming up after this

temperatures running in the mid-to-upper 50s in mos suburbs this morning. it will be a bright and sunny day pretty much all day long. t hiay about 84 degrees. good weather for the redskins and the broncos game tonight if you're headed d to fedex field. game-time temperatures will be in the 70s. beand if you are h-bound for the weekend, it's going to be a perfect weekend at the coast. and if you're heading to mountains, it will be nice there, too. forecast for your saturday here at home, sunshine and 85 degrees. >> all right, good to see, chuck. thank you very much. we will have another local news

upda for you inbout 25 minutes. >> but for now, the "today" show's coming up after this

♪ [ cheersnd applause ] we're back! 7:30 friday morning, concert day. to have a good crowd out there, waiting for some great music. we've got craiginside. hoda's getting some time off, and it will be a beautiful concert out there in just a few. >> yeah, great morning for a concert. looking forward to janelle monae. yeah. she puts on a really good show. let's start with today's headlines. hurricane lane is lashing hawaii this morning with high winds a torrential rain. it's causing flash floods, landslides, and raging surf. nearly 2 feet of rain has fallen on parts of the big island and evacuations are under way on seions of molokai and maui. residents reporting widespread power outages, but thankfully no reports of injuries because of

the storm. msu's gymnastics coach is the lest charged in the wake of the abu scandal around larry nassar. kathy klagis denied knowledge of nasser's sexual abuse prior to 2016, according to prosecutors.s witnesay they reported abuse to the coach dating back 20 years. nassar's accused of abusing hundreds of women and girls. in february, he was sentenced to decades in prison after pleading guiltyyo sexua assaulting nine victims. a oregon man has been sentenced to 130 dayn jail for taunting a bison in e national park, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct. 55-year-old raymond reinke was arrested after this video surfaced of him waving his arms and running towards that osbiso. ecutors charged him with disturbing wilife in the park and also carrying an open container of alcohol in his

vehicle. lt hoorah trip before he wer enteredenlcohol treatm turning to new challenges for holwood star ben affleck. the oscar-winner checking back into rehab for alcohol a source close to him confirms to nbc news, saying he did so willingly. nbc's stephanie gosk hasll been ing this for us. steph, good morning. >> guys, good morning. this morning, ben affleck, who has entertained us on screen as an actor, screenwriter, and director for more than 20 years, is back in the headlines, this time for his personal struggle with alcohol. this morning, a hollywood a-lister is seeki help. ben affleck confirmed to be back in rehab following struggles with alcohol addiction. a source close to affleck saying, "one crucial aspect of ben's recovery is for him able to seek help when he feels as though he is not in control, when his ongoing treatment and meetings with sober coaches aren quite enough," adding, "the best-case scenario is for him to seek help, h which has done willingly, and for that, we

are all very grateful and hopeful." >> ben and jen together! >> reporter: the oscar-winner's soon-to-be ex-wife, jennifer garner, said to be a driving force behind his latest trip to rehab. >> if you don't have a support system that's going to be there to help support you, because you can't do everything alone, then it's really a tougher hill to climb. >> reporter: aording to tmz, photos that surfaced earlier in the week of affleck box reportedly filled with bottles of aohol alarmed garner, who is t mother of his three children. stepping in to help, garner was photographed at affleck's home on wednesday and is believed to have driven the 46-year-old to a treatment facility. affleck, who recently split from his girlfriend, "snl" producer lindsey shookis, andedas spott the last several days with a 22-year-old playboy model, has spent me than two decades in the spotlight, soaring to stardom when "good will nting" hit theaters in 1997. >> you know what the best part of my day is? for about ten seconds, from when getll up to the curb when i to your door.

>> reporter: co-writing the academy award-winning screenplay with longtime friend matt damon. four years later, affleck for alcoholb addiction for the first time before getting more treatmt last year. f a decorated career full hollywood blockbusters, affleck's next role, getting healthy. >> they're there to inspect themselveshend knowelves and really look at what the trigger was and what the triggers could be and to beet ae to themselves up for success when they leave. ioned, benas you me affleck has been in rehab before. has he talked about his battle with addiction? >> you ow, the last time he got out in march of 2017, he was very open about it o facebook page. he wrote, "i have completed treatment for alcohol indiction, some i've dealt with in the past and will continue to confront." he wrote, "i want to live life to the fullest and be t best father i can be. i want my t kidso know there is no shame in getting help when you need it." and it soundee like he it again, guys. >> good to hear that he's getting it. stephanie, thank you. >> thank you. let's get a check of the weather

from al. as we look at what's happening in the midwest, we've got a prettyom goodex of showers and thunderstorms pushing their way towards ch ago. probably some airport delays, especially there for this arly afternoonhe hours. part of a system that's moving in the east, rounds of rain for the miest, the plains. look for travel delays to tomorrow oday into morning. and then as we get through the day, it will continue to make its way to t east, bringing some showers, quick showers through the northeast into new england. a risk for a few thunderstorms. aviest rain centered right now through central wisconsin all theay down into illinois with anywhere from 1 to 2 isolated amounts of 4 inches of rain. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happenin good friday morning. temperatures are in the 50s for many of our suburbs. a really comfortable start this morning. 55s and leesburg, 59 in clinton, 65 degrees in washington. as we go through your friday, l sunn humidity, temperatures right around the mid-80s for a daytime high. if you'reheeading to beach

this weekend, gorgeous weather there as well. today pretty perfect, upp 70s across the week and sunny, highs around 80 degrees. and then wll be in the 90s and humid as we go into next week. >> that is you latest weather. savannah? >> al, thanks. as you well know, it's been one year since hur caneharvey. jeff rossen has gone back to keep helping the victims. sie that storm, there's still much work to do. he's got some surprises in stors for fown there. also ahead, how young is too young to walk the dog alone? te mom can't believe that a neighbor called police on her 8-year-old. it'sin spark quite the controversy. and then,sos. cher delights her fans,g dropp a surprise abba cover. but next, why kids are making a difficult decision to leave a sport they love. but first, these messages. . i'm emma and i'm claire. and we're the salmon sisters. we run our business from the boat. it's a really small space.is ew surface go is the perfect size. ♪

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he's been acting re and more like his dad. come on, guys! jump in! the water's fine! tom pritchard. how we doin'? hi, there. tom pritchard. can we get a round of jalapeño poppers for me and the boys, please? i've been saving a loof money with progressive lately, so... progressive can't protect you from becoming your parents. but werotect your home and auto when you bundle with us. we're back, 7:41. sheinelle joins the tablg. >> good mo >> football remains the most-watched sport inathe united es by far, but the number of kidsig playingschool football, turns out, is on a sharp decline. >> an nbc news elusive this morning. north carolina a high school was the latest to shut down its varsity program because of a lack of student athletes. hiso, what does all mean for the future of the game? we went to a place many call the heartland of the sport to nd out. friday night just outsi

austin. this is high school football, >> on third and goal from the onso wat is into the end zone! touchdown west lake! >> but nbc new can report data just released this morning indicates high school football is losing players all across the country, year after year, even in a place like this. waster southern undds the love of the game in these parts. he grew up in a family where everybody plays football. playing for powerhse southlake carroll high school outside dallas, walker received a brutal hit freshman year, leaving him dazed. >> i sat up, and i was s aing starittle bit. and i just felt like something was off, like this wasn't just like a norma hit. >> headaches and trouble sleeping turned into sluggishness in the classroom, but it was a concussion test at th doctor's office that really got his parents' attention. >> when you sit t there and doctor's doing the test, and he's having a hard time repeating back basic numbers, i'

mean,s certainly putting us as a parent sitting there saying this just got al. >> after family discussion, walker decided to switch from lacrosseto data obtained by nbc news shows that since participation in football peaked in 2009-2010, it has dropped 7% nationwide, this while participation of all other sports has increased by 7%. among the states with the biggest declines, ohio, north carolina, and illinois. what's behind it? ue when the concussion i really took the eye of the public a number of years ago, we started to see a decline in participation in youth football laograms. >> somebody did d war on the game of football about eight years ago. >> former dallas cowboy star running back daryl johnston knows a few things about hard knocks. he believes some people have used increased awareness and publicity of head injuries and cteo malign the game. >> football has never been safer

than it is rig now, so much safer than it was when i played. the equipment's better, the rules are better. >> set, hut! >> not far from dallas cowboys at&t stadium, youth programs are eling it, too. coaches say far fewer kids are coming out, but it's not all about the fear of injury. kids just have more sports to choose from. >> some of those are just declining numbers, they're going to other sports's because the more opportunities that parents have the option t go take their kids to. >> butrsor pla like walker heuthern, making decision to leave the game he loves in the heartland of the sport os a person that many seem to be taking on. >> is it really worth the risk? and forus, it wasn't. it wasn't worth the risk for us, and fortunately, he was sightful enough to make the decision on hi >> and that's a conversation that a lot of parents are having aroundw.his country right >> what about you guys? >> you know, we've had the conversation, my wife and i, and no, no. we've already decided that our

son won't -- >> becau of thi or because there are other sports? like the parents were saying, they have so many autions. >> b of this, you know? is it worth the risk? >> it's prd. i grew in a high school from kansas where friday night ball was everything you rushed home to see the scores of the other high school teams, you know? so, it's hard to believe that there will be a day that perhaps it won't be as popular, but you can kind of understand why parents are saying, you know what, there are other options. >> yeah. >> well, if they get our is athlet i don't think it will come up. >> that won't ever be an issue. >> but chess ub, watcht! >> let me tell you, that debate team, yeah. oming up,ossen to the rescue. we're headed to houston one year after hurricane harvey. jeff rossen is checking in on the familie still recovering, and he had some big surprises in store for them, too. us. it's what this country is made of. but right now, our bond is fraying.

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coming up, chrissy teigen and john legend's daughter, luna, opening up about her boy troubles in the most adorable way. and take a l at the crowd out on thelaza on this fine friday morning. we're all excited because janelle monaes here. can't wait to hear her live. but first, your local news. but a to most people, i look like... ...most people.

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7:56 now on this friday, august 24th. good morning, everybody. i'm aaron gilchrist. melissat right to mollet with our "first 4 traffic." >> good morning. an alert in wheaton, georgia avenue shut down northbound and southbound between university and vers mill. take versha mill around problem. centreville 66 at 29, still delays from an earlierh. cr and alexandria, northbound route 1 at north kings highway, crash >> all right, melissa, thank you. we'll have a check on your forecast after a quick bre. there is a place where everyone is a member of the board

and shareholders are known for sharing. where coins don't make change people do where wealth is measured by the number of lives touched and the size of a check is powerless against the size of a heart. in this place we call home paying it back doesn't come in the form of an iou it comes from asking what can i do?

good friday morning. comfortable temperatures as you' about toalk outside. 55 leesburg, 65 in washington, 59 in manassas andto cl but later today, 84 for a daytime high. sunny, low humidi. 85 tomorrow, near 90 on sunday. now, your whole week is going tr be but by sunday, the humidity starts to rise a bit. next week, though, the 90s do return. so does the humidity. it's going to feel like summer again. and we are watching for some rain as we approach labor day weekend. unfortunately. we'l w update that as get closer. >> sheena, thank you. another local news update in about 25 minutes. now back to the "today" show after a shor

it's 80 on "today." coming up, bracing for lane. overnight, residents in hawaii hit by massive flooding and strong winds as a category 3ic hurrane heads toward the island. the worst of the storm getting dangerously >>closer. hawaii is going to be impacted by hurricane lane. the question is how bad. l >> we're theree with the latest. plus, barking up the wrong tree? a chicape motheraking out after a neighbor called police on her 8-year-old daughter for walking the family dog alone. >> it was an obvious alse report. it was obviously not true that i was neglecting my kid. >> the phone call now sparking a growing debate. just how young is too young? ♪ electric lady and electric lady on the plaza. pop staranelle mon kicking off your weekend with a live

summer concert you do not want to miss,y, toda friday, august 24th, 2018. ♪ >> kicking off friday with janelle monae onoo "today," ! >> hi, grandma and grandpa! >> in johnstown, ohio. >> celebrangrt my hday with my husband -- >> and janelle monae! >> whoo! ♪ >> here with my best friend! >> twin sisters! >> with my three beautiful girls. >> and my lovely wife -- >> to see janelle monae! >> whoo! >> okay, that is the crowd ready for a great concert, and they're going to get onen just a few. thanks for being with us bright and early friday morning. h craig'e while hoda has the day off. good morning, everybody. >> i always eoy fridays here, and this is one of the reasons why. the plaza filled with fans,

including al roker. >> oh, yeah! >> he has made his way reout. >> you ready, janelle? >> what? i'm always ready. what's up, new york? yeah! >> whoo! >> can you show me a little bit? can i be aackup dancer? > you've got to, ah, ah, ah, ah. >> here we go. i'm going to practice this. >> you got it. >> get ready for the concngt. >> i'm go step down and let you take over. >> you know, we almost wore the same thing this morning, so that's good. >> we sure did. >> please, don't step down. >> i likeit. please, don't step down. >> a little appetizer, but the main event in just a little bit. >>et let's to your news at 8:00. hurricane lane hitng the beach, slamming hawaii's big island with dangerous winds and heavy rain rarely en in hawaii nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer i on oahu this morning with the latest. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: hey, savannah, good morning. we're in a bit of a break here in waikiki before lane hits oahu, but we know that over the last 24 hours, lane has been

hammering much of the hawaiian islands. on the bigsland in hilo, they have seen localized flooding, des, they seen muds have seen really horrific rain there, about 24 inches in 24 nhours. that'snch of rain every hour on that island. and lane is just getting it's expected to sweep across this area for the next several days a lingeringng the hawaiian coastline. we know the governor has said that hundreds of people are already seeking shelters, they're recommending everybody have two weeks of food and water when lane does hit this area. as you mentioned, a major hurricane has not made landfall in hawaii in 25ye ars, and that's the big concern here. here on oahu, the l say thate is approaching here. we should begin to see heavy rains over the next sever hours, savannah. >> all right, miguel, stay safe out there. appreciate it. also thi morning, allyes are on pope francis as he heads to ireland this weekend for a key visit. the catholic churchal in the u.s. and beyond, and catholics around the world are

ready to hear what the pope has to say about em. nbc news chief global correspondent bill neely is in dublin with more. bill, good morning.or >> rr: yeah, good morning, craig. pope francis will be flyg in here tomorrow into the eye of another storm because ireland sits right at the center of the child sex abuse s ndals that, as you say, have rocked the church worldwide. it is the first papal visit here in nearly 40 years, and many catholics here and in america are determined that this is the ye the church must change. his smiling face is everywhere. ireland is preparing to welcome pope francis with flags, but not everyone, because this is a country traumatized by scandals of child sexual abuse by priests, covered up by the catholic church. >> they were the earthquakes that completely shattered the oundation of the catholic church. >> reporter: this week, the pope

asked catholics everywhere to pray for his visit. days after the church was rocd by t release of the pennsylvania grand jury report. it detailed abuse over decades of hundreds of children bys. prie >> above all, this is a wake-up call for everyone about thef importancee issue of sex abuse. >> reporter: the pope in a letter this week called the abuse a crime. in ireland, some are critical. >> there was absolutely not one single cncrete proposalhat letter as to how he intended t ge of the evil of sexual abuse. >> all words, no actions? >> all words, no actions. >> youngeoe of ireland, i love you. >> reporter: the last pope in eland was seen by halfhe population. kallum o'gorman was there. >> a year and a half later i was raped by a catholic priest. >> he will be listening for a apology. >> the pope just needs to tell

the truth, that the vatican directed a deliberate cover-up of the rape and abuse of children. ter: even ireland's prime minister will urge the pope tomorrow to reform the church, not just to apologize. >> because words are not enough. apologies sometimes are not enou. >> wordsre never enough, but if they're not followed up with actions, it's evene. wo they then become meaningless. >> reporter: ireland was once one of the most catholic countries on earth. not anymore. this weekend, pope francis will again confront the church's dark past in one small part of a catholic world in crisis. andhe church i the u.s. now faces more scrutiny. missouri's attorney general announced its own investigation yesterday. illinois may follow suit. here, yes, hundreds of thousands of people will turn out to see the pope, but it's a visit very dark clouds, indeed. craig? >> bill neely for us in andubli you. one of the nation's largest

supermarket companies says it is phasing outsingle-use plastic bags, hoping to help the environment. kroger owns more than 2,700 stores under its own name, also chains that include ralph's, qfc and pick save. the phase-out will start in seattle and will take about six years to complete. kroger says it's in response to growing concerns expressed by cust aers. californeady has a statewide ban on those single-use plastic bags. americans use an estimated 380 billion of those bags every year. hoda's gone. who will do the "boost"? >> i'll do it. >> yes! >> i'll take it >> you're the man for the job. on the football field, pretty hard to get one past texas longhorns' jamarcus durst. at a team meeting on thursday, ne walk senior was giving a talk about his recent humanitarian trip to jamaica when a man impacted by his missiour surprised with the news that his final year of schon would be scholarship. >> before i go, i want to say a big shout-out to my boy and the

scholarship money. i have done well -- >> look at that. hisoeammates rushing t mob him and celebrate, moving s.rst to tear he thanked them for being there to supportim when so many others had written him off. that's a boost. >> that will give you some chills right there. >> that's a boost. t keep thosues handy, by the way. we have another tear-jerker from lin-manuel miranda. >> then, jeff rossen is in houston with something special on the anniversary of hurricane harvey. hi, jeff. good morning. >>d eporter: hey, guys, g morning. i was here just after the storm touring the devastation, teaming up with the united way to help families in need. we are back for a progress report. plus, these families who have still beenhe out of homes a year later. we have a big surprise for all of them. three big surpriseis coming up orning. ♪

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hey justin, think fast! what?! every time! i get lucky every once in a while. we're back, 8:11. we've got a special etion of "rossen to the rescue." it's been one year hurricane harvey devastated houston and surrounding areas, and you may recall that jf at that time and his team launched a massive charity drive to help nvictims get back their feet. >> now jeff is back to help out once again. good to see you buere, y. >> reporter: good to see you guys. yeah, i was here a year ago, and the vastation, of course, was -- well, this was a monster bstorm. hard tieve it's been a full year. and as there have been so many other tragedies natural disasters that have gone on, you maybe have moved on with your life, people here are still ehffering, including all of

these familiesd me, who have gathered today. many of them stilln haven't b able to get inside of their own homes. but don't fret, we have some surprises for them this morning, some big surprises, from what's inside of these bins to what's inside of this big truck.id they have no. plus, for one family, what's inside that house. s the emotionaprises in just a moment. but first a look how houston is doing today. one year ago, the nightmare rolling in. hurricane haey, a monster, lamming the houston area with heavy rain for days, drowning tire neighborho homeowners rescued from their houses by boat. 160,000 homes and binesses damaged here alone,sshousands ho. the"rossen reports" team sprang into action after the storm. hi, there! jeff rossen from nbc's "today" show. >> reporter: assembling a ha nationwide cty drive.

>> is that the kind of stuff you're looking for? >> this is rfantastic. >>eporter: generous people across the country pitching in. adults -- >> thanks for giving me the opportunity. >> reporter: even kids. >> all right, bng up your donations, whatever you have. >> reporter: donating toys and school sup ies to thestorm's youngest ctims. >> how does this make you guys feel to help? >> really good. >> great! >> i feels great! >> reporter: delivering it all to the victims in houston. >> you can see we have a lot of volunteers here. we have three trucks full ofem >> reporter: live on "today." >> look at this pile. and it goes back like this. i'm told this is just about 50%, only half of what we've collected across the country. >> reporter: it's been a year, and i am back in the neighborhoods here and driving around, i will tell you, i was here a year ago. this entire community was completely under water. i mean, it's actually surreal to be driving around here now. ople had gut their homes. everything was out on the front lawns. but now it looks lik a regular neighborhood now. people have moved back in. everything looks great. it's actually heartwarming t

see. but there's still so much work to do. just blocks away, homes are still unlivable, like thistaone. ke a look at allri this deb still out in the front yard. and when you come inside the house -- and i want you to be t'careful here because i kind of dangerous -- this is what it looks like. they had to gut the entire home. and i can't stress enough, it has been a full year and things look like this. look ove at where theitchen was. i mean, there was so much water damage, so much moldn the walls, they had to actually rip the insulation out. but when you come to the backyard, you get a real picture of how devastating the storm was. look at this. right along thehouse, that's the water line. that's how high the water was during the storm, several feet up, so strong, so powerful, it rotted right to the deck. >> we've completed over 600 homes thus far withoa of 1,000, but that is theip of the iceberg. there's so many homes, especially i this area. about 79% of the homes were flooded. we've got a lg journey. >> reporter: how long? >> three to fiveyears.

>> reporter: now, volunteers helping to rebuild new houses for their neighbors, painting walls, landscapingyards,nd removing debris. we are back now one year later teaming up with the united way once aga surprise some of these families in desperate need. these are the families, just some of them, that ha gathered here this morning because they want a surprise. they've had a very, very tough year and our hearts do go out to all of you. so, are you guys ready for the surprises? >> yeah! [ cheers and appla >> reporter: the rescue united way home care kits. we have kitchen supplies -- and this is just some of it -- cleaning supplies. i mean, pot holders, because you're going to cook again, right? that's the hope. but that's just the beginning. this is mattress mack, a famous guy here in houston.

you run a galleryre furni store. you have brought this truck out. se have a surprise for t folks. >> we want to thank the united way, the "today" show for being here, and most of all, these brave houstonians who have braved the year. >> what are you doing for them? >> we're going y to award with a $10,000 house- >> $10,000 per family! but there's more, right? >> 0,0. >> $10,000 -- >> oh, my god! >> reporter: $10,000 per family in accessories andf. st >> okay. >> okay. and in addition to that, idi on to that, during gallery furniture's labor day sale, you get free accessgoies, you're g to get $3,600 in free accessories, too! >> $13,000er family. that!e i love that. and now i want to come here for our final surprise. this one may be my favorite. this is jamie. you haven't been in your storm since the storm. >> no, i haven't. >> reporter: this is yome behind you, and volunteers have worked on this home day and

night, and you're about to walk in here and see the finished product. so, l's walk on in. your whole family is here. >> thank you! thank you, jesus! >> reporter: it is ready for you to live in again. >> oh! >> reporter: your whole family is here. >> oh, thank you, jesus! thank you! thank you! thank you, jesus! thank you. thank you. >> reporter: i want to show you. look at these floors. brand-new . floori >> yes! yes. >> reporter: brand-new everything. >> yes. >> reporter: from the volunteers that have worked so hard. >> ye yes. >> reporter: of course. i'm so happy you're getting back. >> thank you so much! >> reporter:hat does this mean? >> this means everything. thank you so much. >> yes. >> rep yter: we're so happy can come back. what a hellish year it's en. what a hellish year it's been for you. >> it has been. >> reporter: i know. well, you'rck you're back! the family is back! >> thank you! thank you! >> reporter: guys, we're going to be he all day. i know we could watch this all day. we'llto send this bacou.

but this is so heartwarming to be here in person. >> unbelievable. >> thank you! thank you! >> jeff, thanks for that. >> she's just counting her blessings, and she's incredible. >> thank you, jesus is what she said. >>lovely. >> $13,000 also in new furniture -- >> i love the guy from the store. he's got some oprah in him, like you get $13,000 -- >> plus, reverend jeff took us to church! needed that this morning. iate to take a turn to what's going on out in hawaii, but we have to let you know, we've got an invest area there, plus we've got hurricane lane, still a category 3, 120-mile-per-hour winds. unfortunately, it's moving slow, north at 5 miles per hour the track of the storm will keep heavy rain moving across the hawaiian island chain. we've already seen 20 inches o rain. some areas could see up to 36 inches, waves of 10 to 20 feet, so we still hav long way to go before this is all over. that's what's going on around the country. good morning. i'm storm team 4 metkrologist chbell, and here in the washington area, the skies are

clear, temperatures still in the 50s for most of the suburbs, and it's going to be a bright and sunny day start to finish toda m e your plans to get outside and enjoy it, if you can. high tem going to be into the low and mid-80s. it's 68 now in washington, 59 still in manassas. as i mentioned, low 80s for highs abtoday. t 84 downtown, low 80s in the suburbs. it will be a perfect nighfor some football. if you're headed to fedex field, the broncos and redskins kick it off at 7:30 right here on nbc 4. >> e'craig? >> head to the orange room now. our friend, sheinelle jones, we're talkingbout a viral star on our hands, one of our own. >> i'm excited about this one. en the paul manafort verdict was handed down tuesday, there were no cameras or cell phones allowed in the courtroom, so that breaking news had to be delivered to the media the old-fashioned way, by foot. so, we saw several people sprinting out of the courtroom, but yes,t was the stride of nbc news intern cassie simian that captured people's attention, turning her into a

viral sensation overnight. and guys, she is joing us thi morning from washington. good morning to you, cassie! >> good morning, guys! thank inu so much for h me. >> i will tell you, i found out this is your last day as an intern. what a day. you're on the "today" show this morning. >> i know, right? what a last day! >> congratulations. >> it's been crazy. >> take me back to that moment. ere's nothing worse than running when you're nervous. i think about when you're trying to catch a flight like that, and this was breaking news. what were you thinking? >> um, trying not to fall, i gues honestly, in my mind, i was just worried about getting outsideng and dy job, and i had no idea it was caught on camera until the "ap" photographer came up to me afterwards. and i thought i was just going to have a cool instagram photo. >> oh, no. >> i didn't think it was going to go viral. >> are you surpred with all of the attention you're getting? >> yes. oh, my gosh, it's been so overwhelming. very cool, but definitely overwhelming. we're used to being on the other side of the a cameraing the questions, not being the story. > i noticed you wore flat

sandals that day. a lot of people on twitter thought you were barefoot. when you woke up thatmorning, did you put the flats on, did you plan on the sprint you were going to have? >> honestly, . >> i was thinking about the weather and i was thinking about what was going to be comfortable because thereas a lot of sitting and waiting around. >> true. >> so, i had no idea thengerdict was go come that day, but thankfully, i wore those shoes. they're going to be retired. i'm keeping them forever. but yeah,efinitely really cool. >> you can bronze them. >> thank you. >> cassie, congratulations on a job wel. do you will remember this internship, i'm sure, for the rest of your days. temple should be proud. you're a temple student in philly? >> yes, temple. >> and what a last day, my goodness. >> i know. >> thank you, cassie. guys? >> last day as an>> intern. i know. >> i would hope someone inside the building is, you >> ask her to stay. >> i'm sure they will. >> she h the best tweet, "go, blue dress, go." >> you should have run over here. >> exactly. take off my heels. >> sheinelle, thank you. cassie, thank you aswell.

to today's talker now.as and this h a lot of parents up in arms. an 8-year-old girl walking her dog around the block alone seemed innocenth until a neighbor actually called police. we were talking about this yesterday. >> oh, yeah,ngeverybody's tal about this one. this morning, that girl's mom is defending her action. c's kristen dahlgren following it. hey, kristen. good morning. >> good morning, guys. ah, the law on when you can leave a child alone varies by state and is often open to interpretation, but as we're seeing this morning, mhay people very strong opinions on th. an 8-year-old walking her dog in a quietub chicagob now causing an uproar. >> she was gone for about five minutes, and theext thing i know, the police are at the door. >> reporter: corey widen let her daughter take the family puppy out for a walk around the block. less than an hour later, police were at the widens' door. >> i said, is there a oblem? and ssaid, well, how old is she? i said she's 8 1/2. she said,okay, we got a report of an unattended 5-year-old.

and i said oh, well, that's not my daughter. mine's 8 1/2, and you know, that wasorthat. >> repr: from there, she says it got worse. two a daysfter the police found nothing wrong, the state's department of children andmi fa services contacted the family. cory believes the same anonymous neblhbor was respe. >> it was an obvious false report. it was obviously not true that i was neglected my kids. you can see it when you w ok throug door. uld have felt they s pursued charges against person who filed two false complaints. >> reporter: the ordeal has sparked a divided debate. onli, one user writing "when we were kids, we ran around the neighborhood for hours every night without any supervision. it was called aying. now it's against the law for a kid to walk her dog? insane but others are opting for precaution, writing, "gd, she's too young to walk the dog alone." the question hows young too young? >> is there a magic age for when you can leave your kids alone? >> the main thing that we have

to bear in mind is we are training our kids from early on to be independent adults. picking out their own clothes by age 4, walking the dog byge 8 or 9, these are appropriate things for them to do in a safe place, arund y home or neighborhood. >> reporter: it's an issue that's caused controversy in the past. in 2014, a south carolina mom was charged with a felony for letting her then 9-year-old play in a park while she worked nearby. it took two years forrg c to be dropped. the laws on leaving kids alone vary by state and can be vague. in illinois, children under 14 can't be left without supervision for an unreasonable riod of time. this summer, utah became the first state to pass a so-calged free r parenting law, where well-cared-for children can go to school, the playground, or stay in the car alone if they're mature enough. for cory widen, the issue is clear-cut.

>> even if you're not 100% on board with your child walking around the block, most people are confident that a mom who stays at home with her kids, who's devoted their life to them has gotood enough judgment to decide when her child is ready or not ready to do that. >> all right, so, dcfs cleared her of any neglect, but they say they really do have to investigate all calls that come because sometimes there are kids who do need help. >> well, if parents got in trouble for allowing their 8-year-olds to do tngs unsupervised, my parents would still be in prison. >> exactly. >> they would still be in prison. >> yeah, i mean, yeah. maybe it's -- i don't know why the neighbor called. maybe they thought she looked smaller than she was, thought she was a 5-year-old or something. >> right. and all of the doctors are saying it is a secase-by- basis. while states are trying to legislate, a parent needs tid know their and what they're ready for, and it is about giving them some independence. . >> interesting discussi >> thank you, kristen. let us go over to al, who just hanging out with janelle a mona morning. >> that's right! going.e is, ready to get it's the dirty computer tour,

right? >> dirty computer it is. that's right. and you're going to be kicking it off here? >> yep, right here in new york! what's ! >> yeah! janelle monae -- >> dirty computer! good morning, everybody. 8:26 now on this friday, august 24th.m i'aron gilchrist. let's get right to melissa mollet with a look atur "first 4 traffic." >> good morning. update on this situation, that fatal pedestrian crash in wheaton. georgia avenue between veirs mill, outbound lanes are getting by. our loop before rockville pike, crashes on the shoulder and some delays. northbound 270 at buckeystown, crash. follow police direction. may have a closure there for a little while. aaron? >> melissa, thank you. we'll check on your forecast afr a quick break. ay w.

good morning, everybody. it's going to be a friday to be outside today. temperatures in the low 80s around the city. if you're planning to go to the beach for the weekend, today, tomorrow andunday all completely void of any cloud cover. temperatures in the 70s and low 80s. and if you sticking around town this weekend, 85 on saturday, 89 on sunday

heat and humidity of summer return next week. >> chuck, you can get the latest news and weather any time in the nbc washington app.

♪ 8:30 now. it is a friday morning. we are so happy to have a great crowd out on our plaza. 's the 24th of august 2018. beautiful day out here, and we are ready toet going. singer janelle monae is here, and she is just about ready to take this stage rht here. >> o look at that! >> hi. >> look at you! >> how are you? >> good morning! >> who's your little friend? oh, there he is. >> he's a part of the team. >> everything. >> hi, thank you. good morning. y'all so up. y'all had me up way early this morning. know, it's early. >> i'm going to talk to somebody o out that. >> janelle's goingrform some of her hits and also tell us about her new album, new film, and a lot more.

>> sheinelle isomewhere in the crowd. >> janelle and sheinelle. >> can i introduce you? good morning! >> oh, there she is. >> c i introduce you to two special people? we have zaria and her mom, shelby. everybody give it up for them. i understand you're a big-time janelle monae fan. she's obviously right behind you. what does seeing hermine to you today? i know it's your first time. >> it means so much. she is so amazing. ere's gorgeous. she represents hing, love, just black girl magic, everything. >> yes! >> and one more thing, can i just say, wait, she's right behind you. >> hi. >> mom is holding's -- she facetiming with dad, wpl's ed right now. >> y'all are so cute. >> hi, dad! you're on the "today" show! thank you for your service! >> thank you for your >> and janelle, is there anything youant to y? >> yes, thank you so much for your service. >> have your moment, my friend. >> and you are the cutest thing! i love your hair! hi, mom, hi, dad! i love y'all. give me a hug.

so beautiful. >> watch it on the stage. >> look at that. >> say hi to your dad. thank u for your service, dad. we'll dedicate this performance to you and everybodyerving our country. >> aw. >> all right? >> okay. that's awesome. sweetie, you can stay on up here. we're going to get right hereew with your bestie, janelle. we're going to have a concert in a minute. let's get a check of the weather from al. >> hi, dad. you' going to help me do the weather, there you go. okay, it's time for state fair forecast. let's show you what's going on. and in alaska -- we've got a state fair in alaska! we love that. a little rain. salem, oregon, looking pretty good. o,boise, id blue ribbon for you. moving across the state, colorado state fair looking great. grand island, nebraska, not so great on sunday. and you can see we've also got syracuse, also there in mary.nd and kentuc

looking pretty good in maryland especially. there's your forecast. i wish, dad, you could say that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the service. well, good friday morning. temperatures in some spots are still in the 50s.na as, gaithersburg, frederick 59, 68 degrees in washington. as we go through your friday, gorgeous day again, sunny, low humidity, upper 70 by lunchtime topping out around 84 this goafternoon. eous weekend to go to the beach, one of the last weekends this summer and it looks good degreeshs around 80 with plenty of sun. no rain in the weekend forecast. next week, we're back in the 90s and ve humid. >> announc: the citi concert series on "today" is proudly presented to you by ci. >> well we are so excited because janelle is just about to take over this stage, but first, let' look at how this multitalented, award-winning artist got here. ♪ she's a musical power player

whose hits include "pink," "tight rope," and "make me feel." ♪ that's just the way you make me fee♪ >> great art comes when we're able to all come together with our differences, wrever we're from. >> a gifted songwriter, anelle monae released her first ep at just 21. her deblue album "the arch android" soared up the charts and eerned monae hirst grammy nomination. "the electric lady," her follow-up, highlighted moineye s alter ego, cindy mayweather, a futuristic, time-traveling robot, and featured erykah badu and prince on the album. >> i love evolving, and i will never be one thing to any one person. >> beyond music, modeling, and establishing her own music label, wonderland monae also acts. >> you know my rules, it's all love and all pride in thise. >> playing notable roles in films like "moonlight" and "hidden figures."

>> i'm not goingo entertain the impossible. >> reporter: in "dirty computer," her latest album, monae takes on race and gender with her songs. >> i created a very honest and vulnerable body of work. >> she shares a raw and personal journey, one of struggling, persevering, and ultimately, living out loud, proudly on her own terms. >> we've just got to remind them girls and women that there's nothing you can't do. t ands morning, we're ready for the award-winning janelle monae to live it up on our citi concert stage.t, all riadies and gentlemen, performing "make me feel," here's janelle monae. ♪ ♪ baby don't make mell spe it out forya ♪ ♪ all of the feelings that i got for ya ♪

♪ can't be bexplained, i can try for ya, oo ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ baby, don't make me spell it out for ya ♪ ♪ you keep on asking me the same questions, why ♪ ♪ and second guessing all my intentions ♪ ♪ should know by the way i use my, compressio ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ that you've got the answers to my confessions ♪ ♪ it's like i'm powerful with a little bit of tender ♪ ♪ an emotional sexual bender ♪ mess me up, yeah, but no one does it better ♪ ♪ thereer nothing bett that's just the way you make me feel ♪ ♪ that's just the way you make me feel, uh huh ♪ ♪ so real, so good, so unreal, uh huh, that's just the way you make me el ♪ ♪ that's just the wayak you

me feel ♪ ♪ you know i love it, so please don't stop it ♪ ♪ you got me rightere in your jean pocket ♪ ♪ laying your body on shag carpet, ooh ♪ ♪ you know i love it so pase don't stop it, ah, ah ♪ ♪ it's like i'm powerful with a little bit of tender ♪ ♪ an emotional sexual bender ♪ mess me , yeah, but no one does it better ♪ ♪ there's nothing better, that's just the way you make me feel ♪ ♪ that's just the way you make me feel, uh huh ♪ ♪ s good, so good, so real, uh huh ♪ ♪ that's just t way you make me hoel,♪ ♪ that's just the way you make me feel, ow t ♪ ♪t's just the way that i feel, now baby, good god, i

can't help it now, hey ♪ ♪ that's just the way that i feel, yeah ♪ ♪ please, i can't help it owerful with a little b of tender ♪ ♪ an emotional sexual bender ♪ mess me up, yeah, but no one does it bette ♪ there's nothing better, damn ♪ that's just the way you make me feel, whoo ♪ ♪ that's just the way you make me feel, you make me feel, oh ♪ ♪ so real,o good, yeah, so, so, so, uh, so, so, oh ♪ ♪ that's just the way you make me feel ♪ ♪ baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, uh ♪ ow, i got this feeling, baby, by, i got this eling, whoo ♪ ♪ said, baby, baby, i got this

feeling, ah ♪ ♪ said, baby, baby, got this feeling, whoo ♪ ♪ that's just the way y make me feel ♪ >> i love you. >> janelle monae, jus getting started on a friday morning. this is "today" on nbc. ♪ e

we ack enjoying a concert from the very talented janelle monae. not only is an energetic performer -- we saw that already -- she's also an accomplished actress. she stars in "welcome to marn" later this year. >> and she was in "hidden figures," "moonlight" as well, fantastic film. she's out with her third studio album "dirty computer." it comes with o its narrative film. and if that wasn't enough, the tour has started as well. >> yes! >> summer tour, performmog next h as well at this year's global citizen festival, central

park here in new yorcity. >> she also can change clothes really fast. that was impressive. >> wardrobe change. >> i am a part-time magician. thank you all. >> yes, you are. >> so, the album came out in april. what's it been like sharing this particular vision with the world?is because thiomething i read, you said this has been inside you for some time, this particular album. >> oh,yeah. i had the concept, the title, everything before i put out my first album. it's been incredible. like, touring and going t see so many people from around the world. it's like a church community, you know? i wrote this albumro a very personal state, but it wasn't just about me, it was about those who have been pushed to the margins of society because ofho they love, because of where they come from, what class they're from, because of the o colo their skin. and so, what i wanted to do was to create something that felt communal, that felt like there was a place for esus,te if we're a part of the lgcoqia

unity, which i'm a part of. i'm a black woman as well. i grew up toworking-class parents as well, who were janitors, trashmen. i wanted to focus on tho ople. i didn't want to focus on the abusers of power with this bum, but those who needed to be celebrated most. >> that is a statement. the album speaks loud. there's a film that accompanies it. and we talked about how multitalented you are. you have a movie coming up with steve carell. >> yes. >> are you excited about at? >> "welcome to marwin." i am so excited about that. i think that story touched my i read a way that when the script for "moonlight" and his is afigures," story that needed to be told. and with"dirty computer," i think it was important to continue to tell our stories and narratives, because they're g erased. it's important that weeontinue to a part of the project to highlight untold stories that need to be told. >> what have you got coming up for us? what are you singing next? >> ioing to do something new. >> okay. >> we have never done this on teayvision. >> it's called "i got the juice."

>> i like that. and this is the celebrationty part for "d computer," so i need y'all to be dancing and partying, you know? okay. here we go. >> we've got to get out of the ♪ >> hey, come on, new york! i got the juice!ou ♪ ye so damn electric, you, you know you got that juice ♪ ♪ you k you got that juice ♪ you know you got it ♪ now squeeze all that passionfruit ♪ ♪ ain't no one fresher than youn ain't no fresher ♪ ♪ and if they try to break it, you say, down, love ♪ ♪ down, love, you're number one, don't you doubt it ♪ ♪ down, love, down, love, stop

♪ i got the juice, hey, i'm the chaser, don't need a mixer ♪ ♪ i got the juice,baby, i'm the plug in the filter ♪ ♪ i got the juice ♪ hes many damn tim i got to tell ya, i got the juice ♪ ♪baby, i got the juice, here we go ♪ ♪ down love, don't think about it, down,on love, d think about it ♪ ♪ you'r number one, and don't you down it ♪ ♪ go on girl and useha sauce, if you don't, that's your loss ♪ ♪ if you don't, then tha s your loss♪ ♪ turn it up, don't turn it off ♪ ♪ everybody looking in your cup, you know they want to drink it up ♪ ♪ you know they want to drink it, and if they try to take it you say♪ ♪ down, love, don't think about it, down love, you're number one, down, love ♪ ♪ and don't you doubt it ♪ down, ve, down, love, stop, now shine ♪ ♪ i got the juice, i'm the chaser, don't need the♪ mixer

♪ i got the juice, baby, i'm the plug and the filter ♪ ♪ i got the juice ♪ how many damn times i got to tell ya ♪ ♪ i got the juice, baby, i got the juice ♪ ♪ hold my mike ♪ ♪ it's a freak, freak scene, wet, wet dream in it ♪ ♪ waking up like we ain't in it ♪ ♪ me in your jeans in it yellow in pee in it oh no i mean me in it know it ain't lean in it ♪ ♪ butt's got little kink in it kind of like you wantagh drink it ♪ ♪ got a little cream in it but i feel like being in it ♪ ♪ work me up like caffeine, dripping like extra large bth top is too small, let me wipe you off look inside, i can't wait to get you hom ♪ ♪ these cup holders are small, can't believe what's in it, tastes like a good time, my ring was foggy in my business, short

turn, memory fried -- ♪ hold on, turn down the music. have we got dirty computers out herehis morning? i said are there dirty computers out here this morning? who got the juice then? i see some people out here who look like they got the juice. ♪ oh, you got the juice? come onst e. oh, y'all got the juice! okay. i see a igfandroid r there. now, when y'all come on stage, i want you to be on your dirtiest behavior! e, two, three, let's go! ♪ hey, you got the juice, baby, all right ♪ ♪ ah, you got the juice ♪ you got the juice, you got the usice ♪ ♪ sing it w, here we go

d i got the juice, i'm the chaser, don't n the mixer ♪ >> the dance party continues when we come back. janelle monae performing what might be her most famous song live. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

janelle monae is a final song for us this morning, her smash hit "tight rope." ♪ whoa, another day, i take your pain away ♪ ♪ some people talya about like they know all about ya ♪ ♪ when you get down they d bt ya and when you tip it on the scene ♪ ♪ they talk about it 'cause they can't tip on the scene ♪

♪ they just talk about it, talk about it ♪ ♪ when you get elevated, they love it or hate it ♪ ♪ you dance up on them haters, getting funky on the scene ♪ ♪ they jump around you, trying to take all of your dreams because you can't allow it ♪ ♪ 'cause baby whether you're high or low, whether you're high or yw,'ve got to tip on the tight rope, tip on the tight rope ♪ ♪ baby, whether you're high remember low, wheer you're high remember low, you've got to tip on the tight rope, let me see you do the tight rope ♪ ♪ i said you can't get too high, you can't get toolow, because if you get too high, ooh, you're surely below ♪ ♪ horn, blow yeah! ♪ now, now, now, now, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ ♪ you've got to keep your balance, you've got tta on the scene if you know what i mean ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] ♪ i said one more tim for the tight rope ♪ ♪ one more time one more, one more, one more time ♪ ♪ one more otime, more time,

one more time, ha ♪ ♪ one more time, one more time ♪ ♪ tight rope, ha, oh, yeah wh s! thank youo much, new york! thank you, "today" show! "dirty computers." ♪ha >> andnk you, janelle monae! what a performance! wow! we're back i a moment. this is "today" on nbc. ♪

i wan t i want to get me cape. let's look at what's coming up tomorrow. meet the college student who got the opportunity of a lifetime orrning with the mars candy company, tomw on "saturday "sday." >> then on day today," willie sits down with country supersr jason aldean, who was on stage during the las vegas massacre. on out how he's doi "sunday today." >> you probably already have a gig. >> i do. >> but enough about your sa. good morning. it's 8:56 on this friday, august 24th i'm erika gonzalez. let's get a check of the roads with4 rs "fitrt afc's" georgia avenue between veirs mill and university, a lane shut down with a fatal pedestrian crash. northbound lanes are getting by. frederick, y buckies pike,

crash on the shoulder. bad a crash in the left lane with delays after . inner loop and outer loop of the beltway, no big problems. headed to the beach? take me was he! y nice and clear on the ba bridge. >> speaking of bridge, your forecast is next. we'll give you a hint, it's look. you're still out there chasing what matpors,

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68 degrees gaithersburg, 72 now in washington. as we go through the day, near 80 by lunchtime, 8 for a high. low humidity, lots of sun, and at the usbeach, perfect this weekend. highs around 80 degrees. sunshine across the board. we stay dryf for most next week, but then we'll be in the 90s with more humidity. have a great wee r. which means one more day you n't have to sit here. here or here. havertys labor day sale means you can sit here. here or here. and get free financing for 5 years now through monday. you deserve a better place to sit on your day off.ks

havertys life lood [ cheers and applause ] good morning, everyone. welcome to the sho i'm megyn kelly. it's been a busy week. and there's a lot making the rounds today. here to help me break it down, best-selling author, harlan coben isere. and joe levi. welcome, guys. we're starting with -- it's summertime. so we've been about the shark attacks. apparently there has been an actual rise in alligator attacks. this week a gator bit a woman who was in a lake in the tampa area of florida. she fought back are wased at the hospital and was released, which is a miracle. t days earlier, be an alligator attacked and killed woman in south carolina.