good morning. breaking overnight. state of rtergency. pas of the gulf coast now under a hurricane watch. a dangerous storm that's already flooded new orleans. >> we're just completely stranded here. >> bearing down thismorning. al tells us where it's going and when it could hit. >> immigrationcrackdown. a new record those raids set to target thousands of undocumented migrantscross the country will happen this weekend, and the 's w nbcne n ews exclusive on allege sexual assault at a border detention center. the latest in a live report. >> devastating mix-up. an outraged couple sues after they claim a fertility clinic e giving birth to their baby.

>> nobody should meet their baby >> the lobby of ate ho theartbio th e takeaway for all coupleso struggling t conceive. >> also, alex acosta defends thh deal made with jeffrey epstein, but the local prosecutor says he has it all wrong. >> mystery t at vatican. a girl's mysterious sa diearance 30 years ago that led investigators this morning to open a tomb. >> and bye-bye beetle. the last rolls off the production line and it's the end of an era.ul today, jy 11th, 2019. >> from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> morning, everybody. welcome to "today." nice to have you with us on a thursday morning. those images we're seeing out of

the gulf coast are staggering. >> our friends in new orleans are being walloped by what could it soon could be the first hurricane of the season. the dangerous flooding, the problems the storm system is causing, you can see it right there. first, millions in the sou are keeping a close eye on track of this storm, and so is mr. roker. hey, al, good morning. >> let's show you what we're looking at. this system is starting to develop. it's a potential tropical system. hasn't been named yet, but it would be barry. it's moving west at 5 miles per hour. 100% chance of formation. he's are the warnings you've got. first, the track. saturday morning, early morning, it's just off the central louisiana coastline. makes landfall some time during the day on saturdays a category 1 storm and continues up into the mississippi river valley. but in the meantime, untilhat happens, right now, flash flood watches. as you can see, we already have

flooding in the area. it's just going to get worse. we also have tropical storm watches. we have storm surge forecasts through saturday night. 3 to 6 feet of storm surge possible because the system could go to the east,o the west of new orleans, and that puts new orleans into that area where we see the heavy rain. infact, anywhere from 10 to 20 inches of rain possible out of this system as ites mak its way in. so we're going to be watching this quake very closely. it hasn't formed yet. ateast not been named yet, but in the meantime, we don't even need that to cause major problems. this is going to be a very serious situation. craig. >> we'e com back to you in a few minutes. as al mentioned, that storm already causing massive flooding in new orleans and other parts of the t south wherere are new concerns over what could come. kerry sanders is in new orleans. good morning. >> good morning, craig. after listening to al, emergency

managers have been stressing to folks to please take this seriously and use today as a day toprepare. so residents can expect long lines at grocery stores and as e ey get supplies, maybe s lines to get gas as they're filling their cars up. but the best advice right now is to keep a close watch on your favorite weather app. with the severe storm barrelian towards ld this morning, millions of people along the gulf coast are bracing for impact. that storm is expected to strengthen into the season's first hurricane.ou and it cld potentially make landfall by this weekend. >> already, there's flash flooding and tornado warnings in the new orleans area. >>multiple water spouts forming off the coast of louisiana. >>whoa. what the heck? whoa. >> rain and foding from the intense storm system already wreaking havoc.re >> we' just completely stranded here. >> in new orleans, the first bands of rain landing wednesday,

turnin roads into rivers. cars stalled on city streets. >> i'm stuck, stranded out here. i don't know wha, to man. >> not taking any chances, louisiana's governor, whoadas alre declared a state of emergency. >> it's going to be a big storm, a significant rain and storm surge event. >> texas preparing today for a second day of relentless rain. >> beginri prepa to know exactly where it is you will be going to in the event you have to evacuate. >> in florida, shelters now being readied. officials urging residents in the panhandle to be readyor the largest storm since hurricane michael. which caused billions in damage last year. >> it's best to just get in the habit of being prepared. >> residents taking advantage of the calm before the storm. here in new orleans, there's almost a $1 billion pumping system that is designed to

prevent that sort of flooding wa just much of that water is dumped right into lake pontchartrain, which you see behind me. because the m's been soh rain this year, water levels are high, giving some concern about how this system will work. savannah, craig. >> kerry sanders for us in new orleans. thank you. a lot of headlines out of the white house, including late word the president will hold a news conference today. there's also turmoil surrounding the nominee for vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. hallie jackson is on duty. let's start with the president sayingng he's goi to have a news conference having to do with the citizenship question. >> a controversial question, and i'm told t msning by an administration official that president trump is expected to reveal what executive action he will take to try g to that question on the census. the question, course, ask about citizenship, but opponents worry it could mean an undercount of the immigration population, and the supreme trump uled against the administration at least temporarily on that. now, the president wants to

continue the legal fight. ut's been hinting at this for days, b this will certainly face chall all but guaranteed to head back to the courts. the census is in the process of getting printed. it's still a question of how effective any executive act n could. he plans to hold the news confrps after a social mediahe summit at white house that is also getting a lot of attention for the invite list. a number of more right-wing conspiracy theory type personalities have binvited including bill mitchell. this event could legitimize further people who take to the internet, social media accounts, to harass, to troll, to release disinformation toward politicians and other high-profile figures, savann. >> there's also another story in washington that appears to be making a lot of news. this air force vice chairman, air force general nominated for the vice chair, the joint chiefs there, accused of sexual misconduct. what more can you tell us about

that? >> let's lay out what the situation is. generajohn hyten, who i 2017 and 2018 was accused of unwanted sexual contact. this is now newly surfaced allegations here, accused of kissing, hugging, rubbing up against another senior military office who was asked not to be named. the woman talked to the associated press and said, quote, my life was ruined by this, after she claimed he tried to derail her career. she describes one instance on a business career when ehao rubbed himself on her. when she asked him to stop, he asked if she would report him. she said no. he is aat decor air force general. he was nominated in april, and an airce forspokeswoman said a comprehensive investigation has been conducted into the accusations, found insufficient evidence to find misconduct on the part of general hyten who cooperatti. the investion on multiple levels lasted for months and none of these allegations were corroborated. there are som members of senate, elizabeth warren and

tammy duckworth, who have wanted to know more about the investigations, concerned he received preferential treatment, perhaps, becse of his ranknd pending nomination, craig. >> a lot of moving pieces there at the white house, thank you so much. >> also this morning, a new report the government raids on migrant families thatere called off last month are back on. there's also fallout this morning over our exclusive nbcn report that revealed alleged sexu assault at a border facility in arizona. gabe gutierrez has the latest on that story for us there in texas. gabe,d morning. >> craig, good morning. for days, immigration advocates have told nbc news they were preparing for a mass round-up to begin as early as sunday. now, "the new york times" is reporting that i.c.e. is preparing for that as sill. the prent had imposed a two-week deadline for congress to change asylum laws. well, that hasn't happened. this morning, "the new york times" is reporting that ti nawide arrests of undocumented families are scheduled to begin sunday.

according to two current and one former homeland security official who spoke with the paper, details about the raids are still influx, but will be conducted by immigration and customs enforcement over multiple days in at least ten mar cities. the targets, at least 2,000 immigrants whoave been ordered deported. an i.c.e. spokesman told the agency would not comment on enforcement operations. last month, the president said he was delaying the round-up of undocumented imgrjts. at the time, he blamed the delay on democrats, but two homeland security officials told nbc news, it was delayed duz to media leaks and some resistance wins the administration. last week, the president said the raids would begin fairly soon. y> i don't call them raids. i say the ce in illegally and we're bringing them out illegally. all this comes amid more scrutiny in a detention center in yuma, arizona. detailing alleged mistreatment of migrant children in custodye

lawmakers on both sides of the aisle weighing in. >> the top people at ocbpught to be fired now. w>> i at that yuma detention facility, and theyere doing the very bt they could under terrible morcumstances. the allegations at the facility, a teenage girl told a government caseas worker she w sexually assaulted by an officer. the department of homeland security says the allegations do not align with common practice at our facilities and will be fully investigated. >> also on capitol hill, a guatemalan mother telling congress her 1-year-old daughter died just weeks after being released from a u.s. detention facility because of neglect and mistreatment. the emot tnaltimony bringing alexandria ocasio-cortez to ar te >> so gabe, if and when this i.c.e. round-up does happen, what do we know about where these families will be held if they're arrested together? >> according to "the new york times," they'll be held in family detention centers inxa te and pennsylvania, but

possibly due topace msmitation, some may be held in hotel roo while their travel documents are prepared. there have always been logistical questions since talk of deportatio happened. what happened if there's an undocumented parent but the child is an american citizen. what happens to that child? those questions are still being >> thank you. now to embattled labor secretary alexander acosta, faced with calls to held a news conference to defend his role in a decade-old plea deal for jeffrey epicene. now he's accused of giving a, quote, completely wrong version of the story. we'll talk to ari melber about that but first, kristen welker with the story. >> labor secretary alex acosta not apologizing and not bacsng down a he defended his role in the jeffrey epstein case over a decade ago, but this morning, the finger pointing has with the former state prosecutor who handled that investigation

accusing acosta of rewriting history. vice president mike pence pressed on whether embattled labor secretary alex acosta still has tf confidence o the trump admivestration. >> member of our cabin serves at the pleasure of the president. >> it comes just hours after acosta defended a sex crime plea deal he helped broker for billionaire jeffreyin epste in 2008 while serving as u.s. attorney in florida. acosta insisting epstein would not have served any time in jail if his office had not stepped in. >> simply put, the state attorney's office was rdy to let epstein walk free, no jail >> but overnight, the former palm beach state attorney firing back, calling acosta's recollection completely wrong. writing in part, if mr. acosta was truly concerned with the state's case and felt he had to rescue the matter, he would h e moved forward with the 53-page

indictment that his own office drafted. he added, mr. acosta should not be allowed to rewrite history. but acosta argued given the evidence at the time,o going t court wouldce. the 2008 agreement allowed epstein toav d federal prosecution in exchange for pleading guilty to state charges, including prostitution from a minor. epein was sentenced to 13 months in anjail. d forced to register as a sex offender. critics have slammed the agreement as a sweetheart deal. on monday, epstein pleaded not guilty to new sex trafficking charges involving underaged girls. all this as a new epstein accuser has come forward. jennifer telling savannah epstein raped her when she was just 15d. >>ef ein r yea you? >> yeah, he raped me. forcefully raped me. what hurts even more so is if i wasn't afraid to come forward

sooner, then maybe he wouldn't have done it torlther gi >> acosta acknowledging the impact of that interview and those new allegations. >> based on additional legations i saw this morning, there are multiple jurisdictions, whether federal or state, that he's going to have to answer to. >> now, she says she never repoed the alleged crime to authorities because she was scared. she is not part of any criminal case against epstein but has a told new york state court she plans to file a civil case against him next month. nbc news has asked epstein's attorney for comment multiple times but they have not sponded. in prior discussions with her lawyers, epstein's lawyers have challenged her credibility. >> kristen, thank you. nbc news legal analyst ari melber joins us now. i know you were watching the acosta news conference yesterday, as we were. t's just sift through what some of he said. what do you make of this legal argument that he made yesterday that it would have been a roll

of the dice to take that to trial? >> it may have been a tough case to win, at least completely, and there were some anonymous accusers who, according to the material we have, said they didn't want to come out at the time. savannah's interview s aks to that as well. but the press conference took someone who was the top prosecutor, the most important federal prosecutor, and made it sound like he was powerless and it was everyone else's fault. that doesn't sound right bause that's not really how it works. >> it'snt ieresting because he's saying the palm beach, the local bthorities essentially had dropped thel and so his office swoops in and gets this plea deal and makes sure he's registered at a sex offender and spends some time in jail. but if he wanted to come in and take control o the investigation, why wouldn't he have brought federal charges. he was sitting on a 53-page draft inctment. >>exactly, he makes it sound like he came in and wanted to get this job done. but the whole reason there is a controvey is because he didn't get the job done. they didn't file the charges.

they didn't put the maximum c ht thld have. it may be the whole thing was a bluff. that's basically what this comes down to, him saying don't belie the other people and don't believe our own writings at the time. we couldn't really the case. case, couldn't win the you might not have had such a big indictment in the first place. >> this was ten years ago, and acosta said it was a different time. it would have been common practice for the women to be attacked aerwell by lawy what do you make of that? >> the short answer is while it's true things have shifted a lot, i think everyone realizes s this, thias still a case about preying on children. and i'm not so sure that the me too movement, which isel larg not exclusively, but largely about contact between adults, really applies. i think he's trying to invoke something that people have vaguely heard about and say, oh, things were different back then. if you have evidence y and have multiple accounts that involve children, those are pretty strong cases usually in front of juries even in the

quote/unquote orange days. >> all right, ari, thank you. >> let's go backo al in los angeles. he has the rest of our forecast. good morning, again. >> good morning, guys. and as you can see, we have sunny, hot weather out here in the west, with temperatures getting up into the 90s in some parts of the pacific northwest. heat advisories down through the gulf. strong storms in the plains and looking at severe weather. going to look at this in detail in the nextalf hour in the northeast. maybe some airport delays and oroblems there as well. we're going t get to your local forecast coming up in the . thos? they're breathable underwear from fruit of the om. [gasp] what are those? guys... they're breathable underwear from fruit of the loom. yes, they have these tiny holes to let the air through, can yohelp me? wa wa weewoo look at those. can you feel this? [blowing] wa wturn around for me.ose. seriously? yeah. slow...slow...slower...slower is that yoay. i don't thshould get that dress. it doesn't fit. stay cool with breathable underwear from fruit of the loom.

good morning. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. a steamy, humid morning outside, and a possibility of some strong to severe thunderstorms across the area for today. we are under the outlook for risk for severe weather today. also, we have a flash flood watch thatoes up at 2:00 this afternoon. w til 2:00 a.m. tomor morning. future weather brings the possib thu development, but on to the i-95 corridor between about 5:00 and 8:00 today. stay weather alert, and use your nbc washington app for push alerts for sever weather. >> all right, al, thank you so much. just ahead, a shocking fertility clinic mix-up involving three families, after a woman gave birth to other couples' babies. we'll have the latest on this nd lawsuit, a important information for anyboco idering ivf. >> also ahead, a cryptic clue in a decades old coldase that has investigators opening up tombs at the vatican this but first, this is "today" on nb the vatican this

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play it cool and escape hetburn fast with new tums chewy bites cooling sensation. ♪ tum tum tum tums this is a news 4 "tod" news bre. >> 7:26 is your time now on this thursday, july 11th, 2019. i'm eun yang. >> i'm aaron gilchrist. in our headlinesto now, y, the montgomery county school board will look at lowering requirements for substitute teachers from bachelor's degree to an associated degree or 60 college credits. >> now, to a first 4 traffic alert. commuters that use canal road in northwest will need to find an alternate route. crews are fixing a sinkhole from monday's record rainfall. let's get to jack taylor and your first four traffic. good morning,ck.

>> good morning. that closure is in effect, canal road coming inbound, you find yourself detoured off reservoir. unfortunately, this will be closed until further notice. you'll find a lot of extra volume on arizona and mcarthur. also, crews will deal with the crash at kennilworth avenue. all your travel lanes are open, just there to look at. back to you. >> jack, thanks. a check on your fo

good morning. there is a slight risk for severe thunderstorms this afternoon, and the possibility of some heavy rain, so a flash flood watch is in effect for this afternoon and for evening as well. future weather brings the possibility of strong to severe storms rig through the heart of the metro area between about 4:00 and 7:00 this evening. so stay weather alert today. you have our nbc washington app

pushing out severe weather alerts as needed. good news is once we get past e get back to quiet we >> all right, chuck, thank you. another local news update in about 25 minutes. now, .

it's 7:30, thursday morning, july1th, 2019. we have a great plaza crowd. and they're g ang to get good show today. we have a huge steals and deals in our 8:30 half hour, and then battle of the burgers. >> burger battle. >> yeah, everyone here picked their favorite burger, and may the best burger win. >> sounds like you're confident in your burger. >> it's a classic. >> i'm looking forward to that. >> first on this thursday morning, a check of today's headlines. parts of gulf coast are bracing for a possible hurricane, the first of the season. a potential tropical cyclone is land. closer to it could become a hurricane by late tomorrow. the storm presents even more trouble for parts of southwest

louisiana. flash floods walloped new orleans yesterday, dumping nearly 10 inches of rain in parts of the met area in just three hours. officials worry the mississippi dangerouslyraise to high levels. al will be back with the latest on the storm's path in a few minute. >> nuh-uh onthoescalating ten n the middle east. in the strait o hormuz. a senior u.s. official said the iranian boats were trying to push the tankner to territorial waters. iran denies the incident. it's the latest in series of disputes involving iran in and around the strait of hormuz. >> take a look a this dash for cash on a highway northf atlanta. turns out an armored truck's doors swing open. money spills ou drivers pull over to join in a cash grab.

itodds up t about $175,000. police in georgia are urging a few bucks to turn it in.ed up reminding them that it is illegal to keep it. good luc with that. >> i know, i'm like, i don't know if i would pass that test. >> this morning, new details about a rea disturbing story. an embryo mixup thatappened at a fertility clinic. one couple had two babies and those babies actually belonged to t other sets of parents. now, one of the couples is detailing the ordeal and going after the fertility clinic they trusted with everything. nbc's senior national correspondent kate snow is here with this story. it breaks myt. hear >> it really does. this couple says they faced a hell when they learned afterfailing to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization, they had a son, it's just that tmeone else gave birth him. now they're suing the fertility center, saying they robbed them of the chance to bring their own

baby tintohe world. for a couple in california, it drem of a bigger family turning into a nightmare when their fertility clinic gave them unbelievable news. >> sheaid a woman gave birth to twins and one is yours. >> they say a mixup at a prominent fertility clinic in l.a. led to their embryo being implanted in a new york woman. at woman gave biro two boys in march. their son and a boy belonging to an unidentified third couple. >> ihe wasn't t for his birth. i did not carry him. i didn't feel him kick inside of me. >> the distraught parents not able to meet their baby boy until he was six weeks old. >> nobody should meet their baby in the o lobbyf a hotel. >> anna and her husband are now suing theclinic, accusing them of medical malpractice and negligence. the nepl an american, also filing a similar lawsuit against cha, saying they were ecstatic when hey discovered they were pregnant, thought they were

having two girls and later were shocked when the woman gave birth to boys that did not appear to be of asian descent. >> none of this should have happened to none of us. >> thete fertility cen has made no statements and did not respond to nbc's request for comment. ivf is a bming industry with demand doubling between 2007 and 2017. 00re than 78,0 babies born as a result in 2017 alone. but the industry remains largely unregulated with no single government agey overseeing fertility centers or requiring disclosures and rules that would prevent errors liketh e. >> cha was not required, apparently, to report it to anybody. >> experts recommend parents looking to go through ivf process shop around for clinics, learn abouty' procedures the considering, and make sure labs are accredited by the college of american pathologists. as for the munukians, they're irankful to be able to now hold their son in the arms. >> he's amazing. we love him. i mean, you know, he'sours.

he's been ours since day one. >> the new york i coupletially wanted to keep the babies that that woman carried, but they did eventually return both babies their biological parents. they say in their suit they have never been told what happened tl their origina two biological embryos that should have been implanted. >> we just heard from that one couple, but when you think about the mom who carried two babies that didn't turn out to be her own and had to give them up. >> it's horrible all around. >> how often do this happen?e >> more than you would think, unfortunately. we were talking to experts about this yesterday. they say from switched embryos to having maybe like a sperm donor who turns out not to be an your husb that's does happen. a lot of times it's not caught. it was caught in this case because the babies looked soer dit from the woman who gave birth to them. ethnically. >> if you're considering ivf or

maybe you have an embryo frozen in a clinic, i mean, what do you do? >> that's what everybody wants to know. so, the experts say ask a lot of questions. ask about the background of the center you're working with. doing the work.ople who a you can ask whether they have masters degrees, what their history is in working in the field. you can ask about quality controls. how do ther the embryos, how do they keep track of the embryos? if they're writing information, that's handwritten, that's not good, it should be digital. it should have like a bar code something like that to track the reproductive materials. and then also, make sure that not everything is kept in the same place, because remember last year, we were talkie about tanks that went bad last year at fertility clinics. you don't want all of your embryos in one >> it would seem there's little to no government regulation, but are theen cters being held responsible by anyone? >> the deal is it's this patchwork. we have tried, i have made many calls tur try to fig out who

regulates what. it's like state agencies, federal agencies, professional and accreditation groune but not single agency. that's the problem holding everybody accountable. laers say the only recourse they have is to file a suit. >> i had ivf with my second baby. i know, when you go through that process, your whole hopes are entrusted to a clinic, and it is heart wrenching to see how that turned out in this case. >> it is. >> kate, thank you. continuelo to f it for us. >> 7:37 now. let us get another check of the forecast. for that, we go out west. mr. roker, what are we looking at? >> in the northeast, rough weather. we have 24 million people under flash flood watches for later tothis afternoon in this evening. you can already see a frontal system pushing in. that bringing in more rain. here's whate look aturing the day, this thing we're talking about, seven states and a very number of people, 25 millionpeople, we're not

looking at tornadoes, but damaging wind, hail, and heavy rain as the front pushes in. stronger storms will be in the afternoon. the threat goes from new york all t t way down kentucky, and some of this rain could be heavy at times. we're talking anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of rain coming down at a pretty quick clip. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. i'm storm team 4 meteorolobell. the d.c. metro area is included in t f flashod watch that starts at 2:00. at 2:00, you can see thunderstorms developing, and louden county, that line of potentially severe storms reaching the i-95 corridor and the capitol beltway between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m today. a quick inch or two inches of rain is a possibility. so that's the reason our flash flood threat is elevated today. >> guys, coming up at 8:00, an update nrom theational hurricane center. the latest on that tropical system threatening the gulf.

back to you. >> all right, al, thank you, sir. coming up, new details on the sudden death of young disney star cameron boyce as his parents open up about whatha ened for the first time. >> also ahea hoda issuing a challenge to all of ushis morning to dance or donatet' anher cause near and dear . >> and then the very last vw beetle marking the end of an er a. for cars and pop culture fans as well. >> a decades long search for a sz amming teenager that led investigators to the vatican where they're live with a tip that sparked a new search in a tomb on this very day, rig.

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answers has led to a cemetery at the vatican. today's senior international correspondent keir simmons is there. good morning. >> hey, craig. hey, savannah. good morning to yo i want to show you what we mean when we say the search for this missing teen has reached the heart of the vatican this morning. behind me, through these columns, you can see pieces square. many of you will recognize it. savannah, you and i have reported from it many times. many people will have been on vacation here. come with me past the columns. there, you can see the world famous ba'slica. behind that building where the cemetery is located where they began searching for this little girl, and what they found is even more of a my behind the walls of the vatican this morning, the search for answers in the edisappearancf a 15-year-old girl. emmanuellea, nearly four d her brother driven through the

gates past waiting reporters. this, an anxious day for him, he says. side the holy city, a tiny cemetery where today two tombs were exhumed. piece by piece, the historic crypts opened as her brother looked on. an anonymous tip told them to search where an angel islo oking. the graveyar but in the past few hours, the mystery epened. no bodies were found, not even the remains ofhose who were upposed to be buried in the tomb. >> how are you feeling? >>relieved, he says, but the family once again left without answers, and with s many questions. she disappeared without a trace 36 years ago. the daughter of a vatican bank employee, the family always insisted somebody knew something. the case gripped italy, a movie watched t the mystery

by many. among the conspiracy theories, the teenager was kidnapped in a plot to secure the release of a man who shot pope john paul ii. in rome, on the streets where she was last seen backn 1983, you can reace her final steps after a music lesson. she left the music school and bus.to catch a that was the last know sighting of her. many of the buildings have changed, but hermi fa's hope for justice once again, unanswered. once again, these events playing out behind the walls of the vatican there, walking distance from popefrancis' residence, and so many questions now. why were the two princes who were supposed to be buried in this tomb, why were their bodies apparently not there, and where is this missing little girl, ke for us, keir, thank you. coming up ne, a memorable

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awards. bud sanock presented them with the best team award. then alex morgan team home the trophy for best female athlete. >> they weren't the only ones honored. rob mendez, a california high scol football coach, born without arms. born without legs. celebrated for his determination. he got t v jimmy award for perseverance. >> i made it thisfar, who says i can't go 'sfurther. that my message tonight. who says i can't? nobody. yeah! >> wow. >> yeah. >>inspiration. jimmy v. himself would be proud of that, also, new orleans star drew brees and his three sons captured a lot of attention. the trio clearly fans of nba's top draft pick, zion williamson, who also got drafted to new orleans basketball t all wore t jackets with the white shirts and pants.

that's the same combo he was rocking. h >> new orleans a lot to celebrate and cheer about right now. zion williamson, drew brees playing in the same city. >> yeah. t >> going be good. >> should be. >> all right, just ahead, we have a teblockbus summer blowout edition of steals and deals that you can't afford to miss. >> that's right. twice as many. plus adorable images from a su public appearance from oyal baby archie. his firstlook. first, your local news no, it's my teeth. your teeth hurt? sensitivity. i shoulsee my sensitive lately.th have been ry well 80% of sensitivity starts at the gum line, so treat sensitivity at the source. new crest gum and sensitivity starts treating y,nsitivity immediatel at the gum line, for relief within days and wraps your teeth in sensitivity protection. ohh your teeth? no, it's brain freeze! this is his family,

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this is a news 4 today news break. >> 7:56 is your time now. it's thursday, july 11th, 2019. good morning, everyone. yang.un a heads-up. commuters that use canal road will need to find an alternate route. crews are fixing a sinkhole that resulted frommonday's record breaking rainfall. the latest on the situation and the rest of the commute, let's check in with jack taylor and f yourst 4 traffic. hi, jack. >> good morning. w thankfully have gotten the word out, it's not that bad. canal is closed between reservoir and foxhall. arizona avenue and mrthur being dealt with pretty well right now, but be aware. 95 in vginia going southbound, you're slow between centerport parkway and 17. th right lane is closed so the lanes have shifted to t left.

it's caused a delay. >> we'll check your forecast .

good morning. it is the storm team 4 weather alert y. flash flood watch for this afternoon and evening as a line of what could be severe thunderstorms drop a quick 1 to 2 inches of rain just in time for the evening commute. we're already in the upper 70s. afternoon highs today will be around 90 degrees before the thunderstorms bubble up later on in the day. there's your high, 90 degrees for today. back to sunshine for tomorrow with a high >> thank you. another local news update for you in 25 minutes. now, back t the "today" after this short break.

it's 8:00. coming up, gaining strength. a dangerous storm barreling toward the gulfoast and causing major problems. >> i'm stuck, sted o here. i dot know what to do. >> residents preparing for what could be the first hurricane of the season. >> then speaking out. the parents of cameron boyce open up about the death of their son. this morning, their emotional meage for his fans and what you need to know about epilepsy. >> plus, royal play date. meghan markle steps out with archie with a little help from s cousin. evthe special ent that brought the whole family together. today, thursday, j.y 11th, 2019

>> girl sc hts from thert of the south. >> we're from buffalo, new york. >> hi to my sister and brother. >> in oklahoma. >> we're on "today." >> howdy to our friends and family. >> from texas. >> we're besties c40ebrating our anniv. lcome, congratulations. happy day. thursday morning, nice to have you along with us on our plaza. >> goo lookingcrowd. good looking weather as well. even if you can't come physically, you can always participate. there it is, the hashtag at the bottom of your scree #mytodayplaza. record a short video, put it on twitter, instagram, snapchat. >> let's get tos the n at 8:00. millions of folks along the gulf coarse under a emergencywatch. >> kerry sanders has made his

way to new orleans. flooding has already started there. kerry, good morning. >> good morning, craig and savannah. hurricane hunters airborne right now, flying into the weather system, which is about 200 miles south-southeast of new orleans right now. this right now is not a hurricane. inct, it's not even a named storm. but forecasts say it could become and develop into a category hurricane by saturday. if that happens, it would be named barre thtreet flooding here in new orleans yesterday, sort of an early warning sign to the who may have forgotten how quickly things may change. seven inches of rain led to extensive flooding in the french while new orleans is in the impact zone, it's also an area of concern as far east as the nhandle, as far west as houston. a lot of eyes and attention on what is develong. ergey magersayg ts a is good day to get your

groceries, to get your supplies, and fill your car up before we see what is going to develop here, potentially impacting a good portion of the gulf coast. craig, savannah. >> waters rising behind you. kerry sanders in new orleans for us. >> migraine patients who an't getting relief from their current medications may have a new option on the horizon. researchers say 20% of patients who use a new drug were i pain-freen two hours, and many others got some relief. this drug is different from other new migraine treatments because it's takenly oral it's not injected, and it treats migraines after they have already started. the drug is awaiting fda approval. >> an zoarizona man was not seriously hurt, but h was arrested after a huge cactus plant went through the windshield on his car. the guy was driving across a highway median near tucson yesterday, hit the cactus. large piece broke off, piercing the center of his windshield.

>> wow. >> the man was charged with driving under the influence. >> i grew up in tucson,zo ari. i never saw anyt like that. >> let's get to your boost. we enjoyed the videos of people playing peekaboo with babies or cats. here's one that's different. wisconsin dairy farmer jason was washing his hands when he noticed a cow watching him through the window. he started playing peekaboo, and the cow was there for it. the game went on long enough for mom, his wife, toet out the camera and record the whole thing. >> i have never seeno peekabo with a cow. coming up on this thursday morning, who's ready to dance or donate? hoda is keeping busy on maternity leave with a special video challenge for us and f you as well. she's still dancindancing. >> first, the parents of cameron boyce talking for the first timt since his deh, and they have a powerful message for his fans. we'll hear from them r.

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jessie. what a heart breaking story this is >> heart wrenching. boyce's death sent shockwaves across social media. his fans and their families stunned to hear the jg actor had suddenly passed away. now his parents arepening up out what happened, describing cameron as the rock of their family. this morning, cameron boyce's parents speaking out about losing their beloved son. libby and victor boyce telling "people" magazine he was the very definition of human kindness and a light that will forever shine as hispirit lives on in all who knew and ved him. his parents adding there are no words to describe how moved we are by the tremendous outpouring of love and pport. boyce, who was just 20 years old, was found unresponsive in his california home on saturday. his famy saying he died in his sleep. now telling "people" his tragic seizure as due to a a result of an ongoing medical condition. and that condition was epilepsy.

adding,re we still trying to navigate our way through this extremely heart-wrenching team. boyce's father posted this photo of cameron on instagram last night with the caption, my son, just hours before he was snatched from our lives. epilepsy, a disorder of the nerve cell activity in t brain, currently affects nearly 3.5 million americans according to the cdc. >> so, this thing will make me say what i rllfeel? toung star w best known for his role as carlos in the descendants franise, and on the disney show jessie. >> you should see me move on the dance floor. >> boyce was alsono k for his advocacy, raising awareness about the global wat crisis. and last year, he was honored with an award for his humanitarian work. >> whatou leave should be bigger tha and i really believe that. >> news of his death caused a

outpouring on social media. his grown-ups co-star, actor adam sandler writing too young, too sweet, too funny. loved thatkid. one of his disney co-stars. dove cameron, getting emotional while remembering cameron on asstagram. >> cameron w one of my favorite people in the world. good-bye, my dear, dear friend and brother. >> and former first lady michelle obama posting she was lucky enough to know boyce. writing, not only did he have incredible talent, but also an incredible heart. >> you'll see h inspiring and im cctful we really be when we stand together. >> boyce's parents also telling "people" the pain we haveen red and are continuing to endure is indescribable. but we're making every effort to move forward and insure that cameron's legacy and all that he stood for is honored. he is our shooting star. cameron was set to appear in several upcoming projects including a third installment of

the descendants coming out next month. >> so beloved. >> yeah, cameron was on the descendants, i have three smallb kids fans of the disneynd channel, a this young man, of course, we're stuck in the room watching the stuff and consume ituite abit. he was incredible talented, and that descendants made for tv franchise did incredibly well. i had to explain to my 10-year-old son, i read this news and me and my wife were so taken aback by it and so sad for the family. i had to explain it to my kids because he was very much in their universe. o>> let's try t figure out more about epipsy and what may have happened here. for that, we turn to nbc's medical contributor, dr. arnatae az we know that epilepsy is serious. i did not know how often it can turnly dead how often are we talking about and how does it happen? >> they say the risk of dying from epilepsy is 1.5 to 3 times the general population.

think about accidental drownings or chokings or hitting your head, but there's an entity that's called sudden unexpected death in epilepsy that is responsible for about 1 in 1,000 deaths. and honestly, to the epilepsy foundation, it's considered the most common reason of seizure related death. as the name implies, it happens ousually in the middle the night. that's one of the major risk factors aell as having uncontrolled seizures, but it's unexpected and unexplained by accident or another cause. >> if you're livg with epilepsy, is there -- you say, middle of the night, that is terrifying because how do you guard against ithe but are things you can do to reduce the risk? >> yes, and the main risk is having seizures. the main thing is to control your seizures. make sure you're sreligiou about taking your medications. you want to avoid triggers. you want to avoid excess alhol. if your medicines are not controlling your seizures, you

need to adjust the medicines, avoid sleep deprivation, and it's good to have the adults around you in your life trained in first aid so if it does happen, it could be life saving. >> on that point, i read from the cdc, people think of a seizures epilepsy as the violent shaking, the dropping, but there's 30 different types of seizures. how important is seizure recognition for people who have mebody epileptic in their lives? >> that's incredibly important, and also to hit home the point, again, that it's what are called generalized seizures, grand mal seizures, at the greatest risk afor having this occur, if a seizure is lasting more thannd five m you're witnessing it, you should call 911. >> dr. natalie, useful information. thank du so much. morgan, thank you saz well. >> al is out in los angeles with a check of the weather and his eye on a big storm. >> that's right, this is the latest from t national hurricane center. it's still not been nam yet, but we can get a lot of damage even if it dowin't.

s at 35 miles per hour. moving west at 5 miles per hour. 115 south-southeast of the mouth of the mississippi river. and here's tm syste coming in just before saturday around 1:00 a.m., it comes in. you can notice, it's to the west of new orleans. that's not great news for new orleans because that puts them in the quadrant where the most damage could happen. and in fact, theac imp torrential rain and flooding, numerous roads closed, the upwards y be breached, of 20 inches of rain possible with this. storm surge, 3 to 6 feet, major being erosion. strong rip currents, and destructive winds. the highest winds to the west of new orleans, but considerable roof damage, large areas with power outages. already, the mississippi river has been stressed because it has be very rainy year to date. heavy rainfall this weekend, increasing those levels furtorr. st surge raising rivers to near record heights. look at this, talking about a record that was at 21.3 feet.

20 feet is where the levees will get topped, and that's very ssible coming up this weekend. so we're going to continue to track this all weekend long. that's what's going on around the coun wy. here'st's happening in your neck of the wooos. >> gmorning. it's a storm team 4 weather alert day here as well. a risk for strong to severe thunderstorms today. also a risk for flash flood underneath some of those storms. a quick 1 to 2 inches of rain on already saturated ground could ngally cause some troubles. storms are goi to fire up between 2:00 and 3:00 to the west of town and roll right on to the i-95 corridor in time f e afternoon commute. temperature wise, we're already in the upper 70s. today's high temperature up near 90 degrees before it gets very stormy.>> and that is your latest weather. guys. >> all right, mr. roker. thank you very much. carson is here. jbh is here. >> we're all here. >> i raised you a sheinelle. >> you know what that means. pop start.

>> contain your lacitement, es and gentlemen. first up baby's day out for the duke and duchess of sussex's son ttle archie. thank goodness sheinelle jones to my right has all the details. >> i'm so honored. the newest roy j was bornt a few months ago and we have only seen him a couple times. but proud mama meghan took him out to see his dad play polo yesterday. royal baby archie out and about with his parents. mom meghan markle was all smiles as she snuggled herow 2-month-old. mother and son out to watch prince harry play g polo,oing head to head against his brother for a charity match. it was a family affair. duchess kate was also there to support her husband, prince william, with their three children. prince pgeorge,ncess louis.te, and prince kate was busy runningfter year-old louis and making an impromptu picnic for all three.

maybe showing meghan what life might be like once archie gets moving. archie's cousi seemed delighted at his antdices. louis even attempting to blow him a kiss. this is at least the second outing for archie this week. days ago, he was at windsor castle for his christening, although it was a much more private event. the susxs onlyreleased two photos of the ceremony, unlike kate and william's ceremony. harry and meghan also took the unprecedented step of keeping the identity of the godparents secret. >> it is an event. eventually, the godparents should be published in documents, so we'll find out eventually. some people thought it seemed a bit unnecessarily >> new mom meghan has been on maternity leave, but has recently staed appearing more frequently. her first royalngagement was to attend the queen's annual parade, marking her official birthday.

known as trooping the color. and she made a surprise appearance with prince harry at baseball gameue in london between the boston red sox and new york styankees. juast week, she attended wimbledon to support her close friend serena williams, but the appaarance sed controversy when meghan's bodyguards asked some fans not to take photos, even selfies of themself orfore photos of the tennis match. >>ld how cou she he privacy on court one with the photographers there, cameras a rolling, thousands of spectators in the crowd. >> yesterday, the only thing meghan so have on her mind was cuddling her baby and cheering on her husband. the duke and duchess ofussex are trying to make archie's life as private as possible so it's nice when we get a glimpse. as for their next public ce appear we can confirm they're attending the london premiere of "theng lion ki this weekend, and beyonce is supposed to be in attendance. perhaps music ro will meet

real life royalty once again. >> i missed something in that. >> rerack it. >> start turning in to dateli. >> felt like lester holt. i didn't tee it up. >> i'm here. >> thank you. up next, all the stars came out for amazon music's prime day concert he new yk last night. it wasos hd by jane lynch. do you kno siza. closing out the show, taylort. swif she performed some of her o hits as well as some of the new music on herupcoming album. however, it was this moment that got a lot of fans talking. here it is. >> just think, while you have been getti down about the liars and dirty, dirty the world, you could have been getting down to this. >> now, those, of course, are lyrics from her song, shake it off. >> craig knew. >> this was swift's first performance since the public feud beten her a scooter

braun, so fans believe those words were directed at him. sheeed to put a little extraph emasis on it. you can watch it on demand on prime video. >> and finally, last nights, seth rogen sat down wit jimmy kimmel to talk about his latest fi "the lion king." which also stars billy eichner, donald glover, and beyonce. the entire cast attended the world premiere for the film on tuesday night. kimmel asked rogan if he got a chance tot beyonce? >> did you spoke to her at all? >> i did. i saw her she came up to me. and i wasn't going to go up to her. mostly for fear that last time i did try to approach her what at the grammys about 11 years ago, and her security knocked me so hard that i spilled my drink all over myself. i know, it was terrible. i was wary of going near here because i look like someone who you would want to keep away from beyo

>> he went on to say beyonce did approach him at the premiere and joked his beard got caught in some of h sequins. lion kg hits the theaters on july 9th. >> roker, by the way, he saw it and said seth rogen, scene stealer. >> roker is so world wise. he'slready seen the lion king. of course. >> he's interviewing paul mccarthny. we cannot keep up with him. >> he knows when it rains. >> i know. >> look at him. >> he knows we're talking about him. >> he's always watching. >> he's exhausted from absolutely killing i >> he wears gsses in 280 different colors. >> he's perfect. >> and he still matches the map. >> he's rfect. >> look at him. >> do we have time for the daily -- >> quickly, the internet loves a good viral challenge, from the recent kicking bottle caps which

i don't quite derstand, to the ice bucket challenge. this morning, a new challenge for a great ca caused dance or donate. a creation of lily tartikoff. she hased dedicatherself to a great cause, the fight against cancer, since her husband's death from that disease 22 years ago. her goal is to raise money for the united cancer fr it. the idea simple, record a video showing off your best dance moves for 15 seconds and challenge three other people to dance or nate. hopefully you're all just donating anyway. the cause is near and dea to our own hoda kotb, and she has jumped onboard to help launchth . >> so excited to be part of this dance or donate challenge. it's all about fightingnc caer, so i'm gng to dedicate this to my good friend little leah stills, who battled cancer and won and is thriving w. my three challengers are, number one, guthrie. okay, savannah guthrie, you. nnifer lopez, you're

challenged, and thomas erex. ou ready? i think you'll lik get ready. ride the horse. read ♪ ♪ gonna take my horse to the road gonna ride until i can't no more ♪y >> onl hoda can pull that off. if i did a dance like that for 15 seconds, you would punch the tv. she looks amazing. fun fu fun. >> she's like 25. su wearing jorts. >> a jebe it. >> and her hair is tswinging. irt air horse, she's whipping that a horse into submison. >> but wait, you forgot to say -- >> i have to dance or donate. maybe i'll do both. >> okay. >> when are you going to do it? >> i don't know. >> are you a good dancer?

>> i'm not a goodancer, but i ve a patented side clap. >> a long 15 seconds. >> now is the time, right? >> do you want to do it with me? >> no. >> i'm not dancing now. >> what do you mean? >> record it. >> we're going to do it now. you'll record it and pick three people. craig, what's the over and under that savannah picks rer federer as one of her three? >> that's such a good idea. >> she's hoping he'll do it shirtless. >> cane tease it you'll do it tomorrow? >> no. i need to plan it. >> challenge jenna. >> no. we're gone off -- >> i'm going to write a ch >> incredible. >> we're going to do this. >> use the #danceordonate. and go to today.com where we have so much more.

>> maybe an aerobics dance. you have do do a real dance. >> that was a real dance. so rude. >> it was really -- it meant a lot to us. >> steals and deals. >> and we're going to battle it this is a news 4 "today" news break. >> good morning, everybody. 8: now onhis thursday, july 11th. i'm aaron gilchrist. let's get to wtop's jack taylor with a look at our. >> hey, aaron. canal road, story all morning, unfortunately closed betwe servoir and foxhall. a sinkhole that opened up from monday's flooding. took that long for everybody to realize. it is blocked. it will be for a white. gw parkway, arizona avenue, and mcarthur boulevard running a of extra volume. two troubles in maryland. baltimore parkway, the right lane is getting by. an accident between 190 and 197 on the shoulder, but debris was on the road.ll >> we' have a look at your forecast.

thunderstms are expected between 4:00 and 8:00 today. some of them could be severe with damaging winds, and also, some brief periods of very heavy rain. our flash flood threat is high. the flash flood watch is up for later on this afternoon. as theses storm come rolling on through here. during the evening commute. keep thatind mind as well. could be a long, slow ride home. your five-day forecast. stormy today. hot and humid tomorrow, but dry for your weekend plans. >> all right, thank you.

you can get the latest news and eather any time in the nbc washington app. for now, back to new york and mo of .

it is 8:30 on a thursday morning. it is july 11th. it is 2019. and what a good looking crowd. got some girl scouts here. we have some birthday celebrators. you guys hyepy, excited? ? mr. daly, you have a crowd moment? >> hello, there. nice to see you. we have a camera around here? you're already here.

hello. good to see you. how are you? jill martin's steals or deals, awesome segment coming up. look. it's the heart and soul of laredo, texas. in the house. south texas is here. how are you guys? >> we love newyork. >> good to see you. everybody has the al roker glasses. >> we love al. >> we all love al. >> the problem is al is here. al is in l.a. but al is here, right there. tv you see him on the screen? >> love >> we love you. from laredo, texas. >> he's sending his love right back. we hope you guys -- we hope you guys have a goodime here. are you enjoying new york? >> yes, sir. the best. >> love the frames, love the colors. th. all right, guys. back over to you. >> all right. carson, thank you. carson just gave us a

priew. jill is having a summer blowout steals and deals filled with for summer ou nee fun at the pool, the beach, the backyard. >> plus, are you ready to lose? i think i'm going to win. are you ready for a big burger battle? each of us will build a burger, to our experts are going decide which one is the best. you know you're very confident, some might say overconfident. >> i'm confident in myburger. >> what's your specialty? >> i have a secret ingredient which will stay secret until our burger battle. >> okay. >> say that eight times, craig melvin. >> also looking forward to morrow, maggie rogers is going to be here for a live summer concert. >> come on back. >> you shod come on back. >> coming up, by the way, a few minutes in the third hour of "today," female entrepreneurs who are thriving. shark tank star barbara corcoran is going to share how she's helping women succeed in business. before we get to all of that,n, once agai mr. roker, a.l. from

l.a. today's weather is brought to you by target, at the store or to your door. target run >> and as we take a look at what's happening around the country, severe storms making their way along the east coast. we have been watching that tropical threat in the gulf. heat advisories in the lower mississippi river valley. some strong srms in the plains. sunny and hot in the west. as we move to tomorrow, the heat continues in t. west the strong storms in the plains as well. barry most likely it will be named a tropical storm. that's what's going onnand the country. >> it is hy and humid outside this morning. still plenty of sunshine for now, we are watching for a chance for strong to severe storms later on into the afternoon. even flash flood watches up from 2:00 this afternoon until 2:00 fridaymorning. our future weather model brings the chance for strong to severe storms onlt the i-95 corridor just inime for the afternoon

commute. keep that in mind. it could be a slow ride home. hot and humid and dry for y >> that is your latest weather. savannah. >> all right, al, thank you so mitch. >> just ahead, we'll get to jill martin and her steals and deals bargains. first, this istoda did you know comcast business goes bond fast with a gig-speed nwork. complete internet reliability. advanced voice solutions.

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all right. we're back on the plaza. we have a special edition of steals and deals. we call it the summer bleeout. jill martin isou here with de the deals this morning. a top ten of her ultimate summer essentials. a blowout and a blow-up. we blow up the raft. >> this just says insta fun.i ove all of these. it comes in a set. the pool candy floats. the retail is $85. you get abu le. let's concentrate. pat, hat, and the night shirt right behind me. tell me this is a norwall, which

is a type of whale. this is one set. >> i would have thought it was a unicorn. >> i know. i lookedt up. you have the norwall, the llama, orhe unicorn. a set of four. you have the big float, the little float that holds -- >> how cute is that. >> the drink float or the carson float. >> that's funny. >> a beach ball. >> and a noodle. so the retail is $85. the deal is $29.66. >> for four floats. that's so cute. >> coo >> okay, thede unater camera. that's a cool idea. >> i feel like this is also a carson thing. this is underwater and on land. thiss awesome because the retail, $199.95. it not only goes underwater, but you can use it on land. it also links to an app on your phone so you can make it so the pictures will show up. >> i love that. >> isn't that amazing?th becaus there's no fuss. and it comes with all of thu. really get the directions,

the camera, and it takes great pictures. >> that's fun. >> retail, $199.95. the deal, $59. 70% off. >> a screaming deal, jill. what's this? oh, blankets. >> this is awesome, and christine, our producer, was just in italy and said she h brought it w her. this is also great for travel. the retail, $49. here's the deal. it comes in a littl bag. and then it opens t a two-person almost like towel. but you could throw it in the machine. it's thin, not like a blanket. it feels like a sheet but thicker. >> a beach sheet, but it's resistant to the sand. it won't stick. it's water resistant. this is really awesome for a th beach, it packs flat. the retail, $49. the deal, $19. >> that's cute. they should make a whole outfit in this. the cooler b >> the cooler bag is great because it comes with bluetooth

speakers in it and holds 24 cans. >> what? >> the cooler speakers, the retail $69.99. you see all of the different patterns. they're clearly on todahecom, and t speakers link right up to an iphone. >> do they sound good, too? >> sounds great, andl can fil the beach with music. retail, $69.99. the deal, $24. that's 66% off. shades.ve to hav >> right. >> we need our sunnies still. >> this is the mark by andrew marc. >> they look good on you. shocked.lways act so >> these aviators are a good shape for you. the retail is $75. we're selling a few styles here, but with a dl like this, it'sigate to go online and pick something you wouldn't normally pick. risk.e >> and i don't believe in one shaped face for one pair of sunglasses. it's what you like. the retail, $75. the deal, $21. 72% off. >> that's a good one. okay. now, what's th? >> this is our neon crew behind

us. this is the seasoning set. this is real mojito, i'm telling you. retail, $50 to $53. here's what's cool. it's for everyar p of your meal. so the steak is seasoned with the seasoning. and then the drinks,here's a drink seasoning. and then a dessert seasoning. you could give to somebody as a house warming gift to cook every of the meal. the retail is $50 to $53. the deal, $19.99. up to 62%. >> and four spices. you can go on today.com to find exactlyt chis in which. this is pink lemonade cane sugar. it spells it out, and there are cipes too. >> all right. >> moving on. the dishes and serveware. $129 to $169. what's great about this is you're sort of done if you want to get everything in terms of serving. you fee it, it's plastic. >> but it looks ynice. >> get three-piece servings

and it's really awesome because it won't break. really gloood looking. and different patterns. we're oronlyhowing a few. the deal, $39. up to 77% off. >> go to today.com, you can figure out what you get in each set. >> napkins. t expensive,se napkins, the retail is $38. this is a great de machine. ur of them, washable. you can match them up to the plates. we're only showing a few here, tebut different pats and styles on today.com. it's nice when you have a dinner party, to use nice >> a set of four, how much? >> the retail is $38. the deal, $14. 68% off. >> i love a good candle. is this an outdoo outdoor. it's a retail of $76. a set of two. these are designer candles. >> they always glue them down. i like these. >> they're great and they're

stylish. you could use them as an art piece in your bathroom or in any guestroom. the tail$76. the deal, $27. 64% off. and this is great to just keep in the house for gifts. >> this is fun. a little hammock. >> yes. we're wearing dresses so we're not going to get in, but trust us, it works. the hammock, you can carry the hammock, retail, $108. it comes in this bag and expands to a hammock. come to say, it does not with the stand. >> that was my question. >> but you can link it up to two trees. you can link it up to stands if you're at beach. really, be bsafe,ut the details are on today.com, and it comes in this tiny bag so it's great to tral with. the retail, $108. the deal, $43. one to take to the beach. let's go through the deals because there's just so many of them. weav te the olpo camera, the beach sheets, the cools, the sunglasses from

marc by andrew rc, serveware, napk candles, and hammocks. >> and you can find all of these deals and more on today.com/deals, and just so you know, "today" will make a small share of revenue from your purchase. >> thank you so much. with my friends over here, we're making burgers. it's a battle. an epic battle of the burgers. who has the best burger and buns on this set? we'll find out. but first, this is "today" on >> did you ask for buns?

>> it's going to get gdoo today's food, finallyam time, ladies and gentlemen. all morning long, we have been talking about our burger battle here. we're ready to go head-to-head.

each of us have assembled what we think is the perfect burger, the perfect topic and side dishes. we're going to drop it off with our judges. they're ready to roll. before weat het our food stns, there'. >> all right. >> chef, there you go. this is mine. savannah, craig. >> adorable. >> all right, perfec >> savan is off. >> that's right. >> let's report back to our stations. thanks very much. >> vote for savannah. >> i don't think you should persuade the judges. >> what do you look for in a good burger? >> m preference is first and foremost, start off with really good meat. whatever that blend may be, something that's really good, really fresh, really high quality. then the right bun. the bun has to be the right ratio, not too thick, not t a little sweetness. >> what about you?

>> i want bacon on it. i want some avocado on it. >> -oh. i see where this is going. >> and i love good size. i mean great size. >> so savannah, let's start with >> it's simple, but it's a classic. the bacon cheese burger. what i like to do is put my delicious patty right on the bun. i put some great cheese. you can do gooder old aman. i like a white american cheese, but i didn't specify. bacon, can't go wrong. then get some avocado. can i give you a pro tip? salt your avocadtl a l salt on there to really nail it. now here, this is a delicious burger. but you may be asking yourself, self, why doese she h two sides? and i'll tell you why. because you take these -- oh, yes you do. n sweeping theation right now. this i >> that's a move right there. that's a move. >> what do you >>think? that's a gamble that could have paid

>> i think it feels a little bit like a desperate last-minute move. >> digging it. >> they like it. >> you're doing well. >> take yourburger. ch like myself, it's a simple burger. a simple guy, a simple burger. patty, brioche bun. lettuce, tomato. >> brioche. >> and your cheese is fancy. >> pepper jack. i like it. >> simple? >> it's still simple. a little bacon. always have to add bacon. aittle bacon there. i like the cross my bacon like that. a little lettuce. a little tomato, little ketchup. here's the thing, i think the side is just as important ashe burger. so hand cut fries, a little kanjen seasoning. ever been to bojangles? >> of course. >> best fries in the world. >> this morning. >> i trio replicate the recipe. so cajun seasoning on the fries, simple burger. boom, there you have it. not fancy, but i like to think

it's tasty. >> i love the heat of the pepper jack. >> i respect your philosophy about size because i feel the same way, a these are epic. >> jenna? >> do we have any texans in the i'm making a special texas burger that we used to make back in the day, myn chilies, but fi start with queso, which is texas word for delicious. have a little queso here, and i like to put itn both sides of the bun. >> wow. >> queso on everything. >> i think, who doesn't like queso on e >> there were some people who said they did. >> now guacamole. you may think this is too much. no, guacamole on the top of your burger. mylw guacamole as has just a little bit of red onion, and then tomato. and then if you like spice, nowu if don't -- >> bring it, lady, bring it. >> she likes the spice.

>> you put a couple jalapenos. right? >> there it is. >> on top. now, i serve it always with some quac and tortilla chips. >>erary texas, very jenna. >> you're speaking my language. >> queso an everything, you can't go wrong. >> alejandra, does the burger and queso work together? >> it's magic. it keeps i moist. it's saucy messy. >>'ll end it i know that these gastropubs got really pop with these niche burgers. i'm harkening back to a much simpler time. >> please. >> i'm harkeningo back the iser isd fashioned bud my side, ketchup going down, erican cheese. this is the american blt burger. bacon, lettuce, and tomato. we'll put it on top. my side is a pickle. got somvocado on the side if you want that, and a cold beer. guys, all american burger. >> like your style.

>> i als io have to say, a gd pickle is always a great side component. >> i think the pickle makes it. i seem to be missi the side of beer. >> yeah, what happened there? >> only craig -- >> craig iercepted it. >> there you go. >> so we heard from the judges. >> wait, did they vote? >> i'm giving them a minute for their palate. we want to knowhat you think after watching. you can vote for your favorite at today.com/food. we're going to reveal t resultsmorrow. >> oh, tomorrow. >> yeah, we'll give the viewers a night to really think about maybe theant to make these y. things tonight. >> texans, i hear you. >> we'll have the online vote tomorrow, but for now, we turn back to the chefs. ejandra, matt, do you have a clear winner? >> we don't want to skew the online results. >> go ahead and skew it. >> that's okay >> but we do seem to have a

favorite amongst the two of us. >> jenna, i gotta love the texas buy er. >> oh, m. >> jenna bush hager. the first everle burger > we'll never hear the end of this. >> you deserve it. you deserve it. >> thank you. thank you. >> vote online. >> i want me beer . >> i'm sorry. >> thank you to our ju hes. ate, go to the site an. i would rather have the popular people vote. he>> i want t popular vote, too. >> we're back in a moment. this is "today" nb krrnbc. happy grilling. [ up-tempo music plays ] man: we don't just play music in d.c.

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andh we're back wit the end of an era. volkswagen has rolled the last beetle off the assembly line. it happened yesterday. i might cry. >>w.wo >> in one form or another, that iconic car has been on the world's roads for 81 years.

gaining massive popularity, especially in the '60s here in the united states. you think it's going to stick? it went away once before and came back. >> like a great prize fighter, it came back for the encore. >> rerember the he movie, the love bug. >> did you ever play punch buggy when you were little? >> i sll do. > remember the convertible beetle? i wanted that so bad. look at it. >> of course. iconic. >> netflix will buy it and put it back. exactly. >> by the way, we have a lot for you still coming u at today.com/allday. including, if you haven't seen this video yet, trust me, make it a part of your day. it's an unbelievable way that a high school, the entire school honored one of their graduates who has autism. it will reinstate your faith in humanity. >> and also, the castf "american pie" reuniting. i can't believe it's been 20 years. >> how is that possible >> how is that possible?

>> man. just a few minutes away, a third hour of "today." childhood friends who turned a passion for cooking into a full-blown business. a on the fourth hour of "today," we reveal two lucky ladies who get awesome ambush makeovers. >> congratulations on your burger. >> we'll see what the viewer rr thi is a news 4 "today" news break. >> 8:56 is your time now on this thursday, july 11th, 2019. good morning, everyone. i'll eun yang. let's get right to wtop's jack taylor for a check of your commute and your first 4 .raffic. >> thanks good morning, we have beenith t. g w inal canal road still closed due to o sink on canal road. a lot of overflow on the gw

parkway, and en mcarthur. also, it is time, crews will work on e beltway outer loop from the overnight crash. you may lose a lane or two, but for non everything is the shoulder, but that will change potentially through the midday. >> thank you. we'll take a break now and check your forecast when we cous

morning, everybody. a storm team 4 weather alert day. a chance for strong to severe thunderstorms right into the d.c. metro area inime for the evening commute. have a weather eye to the sky. have your app downloaded and ready to ge. temperures near 80 degrees already across the area, near 90 today. very stormy today. quieter, less rain threats

live from rockefeller mazpl, this is the third hour of "today." >> we have some ofrd our thi hour cousins. jill martin, willie geist sitting with us. good morning to you. >> al is out in california. >> dylan is in a golf tournament. >> that's right. she's doing pretty well. >> celebri golf. yes. she'll be talking to the celebrities and she'll bring thatshou tomorrow. s having fun and working at the same time. >> she had a heck of a round. >> she did. >> i saw her card and also -- >> best round ever.