morning. hot mess. that record-breaking heat wave gives way to a rash of intensive thunderstorms. the flood gates >> chaos at airports as cancellations and delays pile up. on the rods, traffic snarls. power outages by the teps of thousands, and it's not over wet. 're live with the very latest. all e on mueller. 24 hours to go until the former special cnsel takes center stage on capitol hill. >> maybe i'll see a little bit of it. >> what are the stakes for the t most anticip testimony in a generation? the biggest protest yet in puerto rico. hundreds of thousands o people taking to the streets, but the

governor digging in this morning. >> plus, ole miss murder mystery. the desperate search for a killer in a college town. >> home sick. the suste that j voted to let students take mental health days to miss school.nd a tokyo 2020. it's one year from the summerpi olymcs from new sports to beloved stars, the road to olympic glory starts today, tuesday, july 23rd, . >> from nbc news, this is "today," with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb. live from studio1a in ro rockefr plaza. >> hi, everybody. welcome to "today." nice to have you with us on a tuesday morning. nice to have you with us, willie. one year from today, we'll be in tokyo. >> i came on the right day. we'll be getting ready for tokyo one yeartw out with of the new oly sports.

skateboarding and rock climbing. we'll meet some past olympic ampions and some olympic hopefuls. >> you think there's olympic skateboarding or snowboarding in the rain? we have a rainy plaza, but we're hoping to show some of the sports off. >> shaun white also here with a announcement. >> let's get right to the weather, though. the deadly heat wave has broken, but now we have the rain. you can seeurit, of co, the east coast hit hard by severe thunderstorms, flash flooding. the wet wer causing serious traffic problems from the roads to the ai orts. we'll get to al's forecast in a moment first, morgan radford withe weary travelers. you got caught up in all of this. >> that's right, savannah. good morning. some pretty created dangerous conditions, both on the ground and in the air. like others, i just happened to be traveling yesterday,nd it took one diverted plane, two separate flights, and an d impromptu roarip just to get me back in new york. these storms came in fast, they

came in furious, and dumped tons of rain, leaving chaos in their wake. severe s arms sweepingoss the east coast. >> oh, man. ma >> it's a geyser. >> creating travel nightmares in the region toughout the ght. in the tristate area, more than 200,000 homes without power. most of them in new jersey. torrential downpours causing serious flooding in the new york metro area. bringing traffic onaj one m highway to a complete stop during the evening e.commut new york cit riders inundated by unexpected indoor waterfalls, while this normally bustling street in brooklyn loed more like a river. one new yorker bravely walking through flood waters up to her thighs. at airports, delayed and canceled piled up. some passengers stranded on the tarm and in the terminals. while others were stuck in the air. er>> we're vy frustrated, tired,

ano we want to g home. >> around craig melvin, surrounded by frustrated fliers at new jersey international airport after his own flight was delayed more than five hours and my own flight from atlanta to laguardia was diverted and sent back after more than two hours in the r. people are now on their phones, trying to reschedule their flights, waiting in line, calling their lovedones, letting them know they may not beble to get home as planned. a region recovering from days of extreme heat, now suffering from even more unpredictable weather. much of those flood waters have since receded, but there are still hundreds of flights that have either been delayed orhi canceled w is why airlines are asking passengers if they're traveling this morning to check in with them before they head to the airport. >> again, hot mess. i think that's a meteorological term. >> speaking of meteorological terms, al is here with a lk at the forecast. how is it looking out there?

>> not that great right now. unfortunately, if you're traveling by roa or air, you're going to have problems. flash flood watches and warnings from knoxville to the northeast and new england. you can see the heavy raine ove ew york area, moving up into boston and there's more back to the west. why? we have this frontal systemoo bringing ther air, but it's also developing low pressure along it, so the slow movingnt bringing rain. a severe threat into the carolinas late tonight into tomorrow. ine front pushes into the southeast, bring heavy rain down into florida. and there's a tropical depression just off florida's eastcoast. 40 miles east-northeast of west palm beach. winds at 35 miles per hour. it'sauoing to gett up in the cold front pushing to the south, that's going to tear it apart, maybe bringing more rain to the carolinas. that's where our heaviest rain is going to be through wednesday. anywhere from 2 to 4 inches, but locally could be more from t virginia allhe way down to florida. willie and savannah. there forery ugly out

a lot of people. we'll have more on the severe weather later this morning. >> we turn now to washington and nse high-stake testimony of former special c robert mueller, only 24 hours away. fmocrats will schedule a practice session prepare for the long anticipated hearing. while the president says he will be watching some of it along with mlions of others. white house correspondent kristen welker has the lettest. kristen, good morning. >> good morning to you. it is high stakes on boa sides of pvenue with mueller's testimony looming. democrats on the house judiciary cooited t hold a prep session later this afternoon. democrats on the intel committee has been preparing. the white house and the president's team are bracing for impact as the justice department issues a blunt warning to robert aeller. he may be reluctant witness, but in 24 hours. robert mueller will be in the hot seat. this morning, new details about his testimony. a mueller spokesman tells nbc

news the former special counsel will deliver an opening statement and then offer his entire 448-page report as his full statement f the record. the justice department citing public interest. >> we chose those words carefully and the work speaks for itself. and t report is my testimony. i would not provide information beyond that which is already public in any appearance before congress. >> president trump striking a defiant note ahead of mueller's highly antated appearance. >> the report was written. it said no collusion. the report was itten. and the attorney general based on the report was easily able to nd there was no obstruction. thernos no ing. they're wasting their time. >> and after saying he won't watch mueller, the president now sialing he may tune in. >> i'm not going to be watching,

probably. maybe i'll see a little bit. i'm not going to bin watch mueller because you can't take all those bites out of the apple. >> the investigation found insufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy betweenrump campaign and russia, which interfered in the 2016 election. but mueller notably didot make a determination about whether the president obstructed justice and he said he followed justice department policy that forbids indicting a sitting esident. >> kristen, this is, as we know, a 400-page report. you're talking about a few hours of testimony. do lawmakers know wh specifically they want to ask mueller about? >> well, savannah, they have s questions. amony questions, they're going to ask whether mueller believesrump could be indicted if he weren't president. why mueller never forced the president to sit for an interview, and whyidn't mueller talk to donald trump jr., who of course, attended that infamous trump towerg

meetinuring the campaign. republicans will likely try to drill down on when exactly mueller determined there was not penough evidence tove a conspiracy between the trump campaign and russia. all over five hours of testimony. savannah and rillie. >> allt, kristen welker, thank you. and nbc news will provide live coverage of the mueller hearing. me, lesten holt, and chuck todd starting tomorrow at 8:15 eastern time right here on nbc. >> we turn now to the enormous rotests in puerto rico that paralyzed the streets of san juan with hundreds of thousands of people there calling for the governor to resign in the face ofwing andal. gabe gutierrez iju in san for us. good morning. >> good morning. this was the largest demonstration here in puerto rico by far. came as the embattled governor gave his first interview since rve crisis began. an inteiew that may have added morehe fuel to the fir. overnight, the chorus in puerto rico demanding the governor's

resiation grew even louder. police once again lobbing tear gas to break up the crowds. >> the protesters convged here on the streets of old san juan right in front of the governor's mansion like theyeave for mor than a week, but this day was differ it was the largest demonstration by far. hundreds of thousands o people from across the island brought san juan to a standstill. >> there has been corruption, and we need a. change and we need the governor to resign. >> protesters here included pop star in new york, demonstrators at grand central terminal didinot ricardo rossello's announcement he would not seek re-election next year was enough. >> everything that was said, i assume responsibility for, i apologize for it. >> on fox news, he reiterated he wouldesotn immediately, though he struggled to explain orw he would stay in office. >> govern, you're not able to

give me the name of one person in puerto rico who supports you continuing as governor, is that correct? >> i can. so the mayor, for example. >> but the mayor of san sebastian tells nbc news he actually does not support the governor. the political crisis has exploded nearly 900 pages of a private group chat between rossello and several closere ais we leaked and published. the messages include personal attacks on rival politicians, anti-gay slurs and even jokes about the dead after hurricane maria. >> that's why i'm here, to represent all of the people that were lost. >> this woman says her sick father died in the chaotic days after the storm. >> you can't imagine. agine. >> for her, and so many others here, this is about much more thanat private many of the protesters here see this as anger boiling over afteh they call years of government corruption here in puerto rico. local lawmakers are already

talking a ut possibly impeaching the governor, but even if he did resign, there is no clear successor. the person who would have been next in line resigned when the chats became public. savannah and willie. >> those are decades ofat frustrn pouring into the streets there. mugabe, thank you so . >> breaking news out of london this morning. there's a new prime minister for britain, notsa necesly a new direction, though. power will remain in the conservative power, echoing a global trend.ri bos johnson will take over from theresa may. bill neely has the latest from 10 downingstreet. good morning. >> good morning, savannah. boris johnson is the new prime minister, at least he will be tomorrow. president trump calls him a friend. to most brits, he's known simply as boris, and tomorrow, he'll walk through the door and become britain's new prime minister. in the last few minutes, he defeated his rival. his herits a crisis in party and in a deeply divided country. >> therefore, can give notice

that boris johnson is elected. >> ambition fulfilled. boris johnson elected this morning by his party, meeting the queen tomorrow to be confirmed prime . but johns is a divisive figure, seen by many as britain's donald trump. long brash, fond of anti-immigrant rhetoric, he's spent his career twisting the truth, and a new yorker. >> you were born in new york. >> i was born in new york. >> president trump often braising him. >> boris johnson i think would be a great prime minister. >> thougso johnn, when mayor of london, wasn't too k dona t trump. >> ihink he's portraying a quite stupefying ignorance that makes him frankly unfit to hold the office of president of the united states. >> all changed by this year. >> i've got a good relationship with the whi house, the united states is, has been, will be for the foreseeable future our

number one political military friend and partner. >> outgoing prime minister theresa may had an awkwardit relationship donald trump. johnson, like the president, is an unpredictable maverick. though few politicians have ever been seenike is. stuck on a zip line during then loon olympics. >> get me a ladder. >> but nothing seemed to get in his way. he was cheerleader in chief fort brex to get britain out of the european union. >> seize this chance and make this our moment to stand tall in the world. >> now, he has to deliver. he'sed pledg that do or die, britain will leave europe by november. johnson, who cultivates an untidylook, inherits a mess. he'll need all his charm to put it right and unite his country. >> so bill, the man who cultivates an untidy mess, as you said right hthere, h an integ relationship wit

president trump, who praised boris johnson in the past. what kind of relationship should we expect between the time-out gogforward? >> well, probably a good one, but the first thing boris johnson wants from donald trumpt is ade deal. and he'll probably try to fly to the u.s. as sn as he can to do that. no question,e is a friend of the u.s. but on some issues, for example, iran, britain a the u.s. don't se eye, and he inherits a huge set of problems. number one. number two, he has no electoral mandate from the british public, and number three, he hasn't got a lot of time to convince them. back to you. >> we'll be watching. bill, thank you verymuch. also this mornin fate of the 9/11ms victi compensation bill now in the hands of the senate. the legislation would provide health care for those who hel dd ins and weeks after the september 11th terror attacks. but the entire process to solidify the funding has notn been a easy one. kasie hunt is in washington with the latest on what to expect from today's vote. good morning. >> willie, good morning to you.

there have been months of uncertainty for these 9/11 first responders who are now fighting for their health. and politics may finally be getting out of the way. a vote to guarantee them health care for life is set for a vote in the se later today. all eyes on capitol hill this morning. as the senate holds aal fin vote he a bill that would provide lifelong m to t first responders andrs survivo of the september 11th terror attacks. a unanimous yes would renew the victim compensation fund forei t more decades. helping those suffering from 9/11 related illnesses. advocates making one last plea to lawm wers. >>re very hopeful that it will go through. it should go through. it's the right thing to do. >> rand pnel was o of two republican senator delaying last week's procedural vote, temporily blocking the extension of the fund. >> any new program that's going to have the longevity of 70, 80

years, sho bule com jon stt, a . longtime advocate for 91 responders slamming senator paul for his opposition. >> pardon me if i'm not impressed in any way by rand paul's fiscay responsibil virtue signaling. >> stewart expressing outrage after delivering an impassioned speech before congres last month. >> your indifference cost these men and women their most valuable commodity, time. >> the comedian then sharing the national spotlight with luis alvarez, the orretired new y police detective fighting for his fellow first responders asgh he also fou for his life. >> you made me come down here the day before my 69th round of chemo. >>in alvarez los his battle with stage 4 cancer just weeks later. an illness he believes resulted from his work at ground zero for three months. these funds are needed more than

ever. two more retired new york yirefighters d just last week from 9/11-related cancers. if the bill passes thesenate, it's going to head to president trump's desk for his signature. >> all right, thank you very much. >> 7:18. let's go right to al, get the rest of the weather. >> let's show you what we've got going on.e again, w have that wet weather here in the southeast, and in the mid-atlantic states, and even into new england, but outs we gorgeous weather. the front has cleared. drier air, cooler air, and plenty of sunshine. strong storms firing up in the westernplains. wet weather down through the southwest and along the west coast we're looking at gorgeous stuff. we'll get to your local foreccot ng up in the next 30 se

good morning. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. rain moving into the d.c. metro be ready for the morning commute all the way to the afternoon as well. no heavy ranl, no severe weather. no thunderstorms to worry about. pockets of light to moderate rain will be with us for much of the day. temperatures in the upper 60s t7 around now. with the clouds and rain, we'll stay in the s today. the heat wave is officially done. we'll goun back toine and low humidity tomorrow. >> that's your latest weather. >> tnk you. coming up, a murder mystery in mississippi. the desperate search this ntrning to find the killer of a 21-year-old stu at ole miss. >> plus, the radical move being made to keep students safe at school by giving them mental health d off. the push by one state that could

have an impact across the country, but first, this is "t.

we have a big morning plannedlan our p. we're kicking off our planned on our plaza. we're kicki off our one year to tokyo countdown. >> we have a list of hopefuls getting ready to go for gold. >> we'll meet them and say hello to shaun white after your loca. o say is wow ♪ ♪ make you're jaw drop drop say oh my drop drodrop ♪ ♪ make u say oh my god my drop drop ♪ u♪ make you're jaw drop say o♪ ♪ and you never felt this type of emotion ♪ ♪ make you're jaw drop drop say oh my drop drop drop ♪u ♪ make say oh my god my drop drop ♪ ♪ make you're jaw drop make u say oh my god ♪ i was inspired by nature's finest ingrednts

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to find 92% of colon cancers. you can always count on me to know where to look. , i found them! i can do this test now ask your doctor if cologuard is right for you. covered by medicare and most major insurers this is a news 4 "today" news. >> good morning. 7:26 on this tuesday, july 23rd, 2019. i' adam tuss. >> i'm jummy olabanji. two major crashes causing problems on the soltway. one p is dead following a single-car crash. chopper 4 flew over the scenemo this rning. it happened on the outer loop between university boulevard. >> meanwhile, a tractor trailer jackknifed on the beltway. you can see the big rig spilled the es of mail across highway and shoulder. etat a mess. now let's g to melissa mollet with more on the traffic issues. >> lots of different problems. brand-new issue, outer loop at

new hampshire. other one clear. nowe have a disabled vehicle adding to the delays. outer loop at georgia, disabled vehicle there, and c chevyse after connecticut, that left shoulder is the only thing getting by the tractor trailer you just saw. rest of the beltway is looking good. top of the beltway is a mess. if you want to avoid that, the itc is aid good . northbound 270 at 109, tractor trailer blocking the right side. .> a check of yourorecast

good morning, everybody. he heat wave is officially over. today posite of wrerd. instead of hazy,hot, andhumid, we have cool, cloudy, and rainy. it's going to be off and on periods of rain for much of your tuesday. and s aresult, way cooler. we're only in the upper 60s to around 70 now. we'll stay in the low and mid 70 for our afternoon high temperatures today with off and

on showers probably right up until about sunset this evening. back to sunshine and low humidity tomorrow. >> all right, chuck, thank you. another local news update coming up in 25 minutes. >> for now, back to the "today" show we're the slowskys. we like drip coffee, layovers- -and waiting on hold. on fancy technologfor help. what we don't like is relyingy snail mail! we were invited to a y2k party... uh, didn't that happen, like, 20 years ago? oh, look, karolyn, we've got a mathematician on our hands!

check it out! now you can schedule a callback or reschedule an appointment, even on nights and weekends. today's xfinity service. simple. easy. awesome. i'd rather not. ♪ 7:30 7:30, tuesday morning, july 23rd, 2019. take a lack at these faces u.thletes in the , and of the they're hoping to become olympic athletes and represent our country in tokyo when the games kick off one yr from today. >> one year out, we can't wait to meet e athletes, while aew of our guests already have medals around their necks and lot of them. wel get a chanco see some of the new sports added to the tokyo 2020 games as well. >> we have a o rock wall there, skateboarding. >> you're going to be creative. >> we'llet out there in a few. let's get to the headlines, and yep, the weather at the top for

us. hundreds of thousands of people left without power overnight after the severe thunderstorms swept across the east coast. left a mess, too. torrential downpours caused major flooding in the new yorko metr area, bringing traffic on one highway to a stop in the evening commute. that's a normally bustling street in brooklyn looking more like a river. in the meantime, air travelers did not fare well at all. hundreds of flights delayed or canceled. wh can we expect today? al will be here in a few with the forecast. >> president trump and congressional lead struck a bipartisan budget deal to suspend the debt limit for two years and would provide more money for defense and to protect spending on domestic .programs it would also increase funding to combat the opioid epidviic and pro an additional $2.5 billion for the 2020 census. the houat and the sen have yet to vote on the deal, but that could happen by end of the week. >> it is exactly what you do not want to see when you're at the beach, a dorsal fin sticking out

of the water just a few feet offshore. this video shot by a family vacationing in cocoa beach, florida. they saw a pair of sharks swimming in shallow water. they say they have been coming to this beach for 30 years, have never seen a shark this close to shore. >> now to the growing mystery surrounding the death of a mississippi college student. her body discovered near a lake not far from her school. leaving her classmates stunned and her family reeling. joe fryer is hern with more o the investigation. joe, good morning. >> good morning, guys. the sheriff's department is remaining pretty tight-lipped about what happened to ally kosti but they say foul play is apparent. this morning, we're learning details about the ole miss college student's final hours as her family and friends remember the beloved girl. >> a deputy on patrol found the body of 21-year-old ally kostial near a lake. the discovery stunning those who live nearby. >> i can't imagi what's the parents are going through right no and their family.

it's just very devastating. >> authorities close to the case tell nbc affiliate wlbt that kostial was last seen friday night outside a bar near the university of mississippi where sheas taking summer classes. the same sources also say her body was found by the lake the next morning with multiple gunshot wounds. the area, a popular destination for students at ole miss, is about 20 miles away. >> that's what's even more shocking about all of this. could be anyone. >> those close to kostial want w ans. >> just hard for me because all i can thing about when i see her face is what she went through, ngtt she was inthki w hait'she s really, really hard. >> kostial grew up in st. louis her fatherconfirmed the news on facebook, writing, saturday afternoon we were visited by police who communicated to usth our beautiful dear alexandria kostial was the victim of a homicide ole miss's chancellor said we

are truly saddened. ally was a valued member on our camp comublmunity. >> one student writing she was the brightest light and always had a smile on her face. she truly was a ray of sunshine. >> another w praying justice is served soon and god wraps his arms around the kostial fami while investigators call this a case of full play, students are nervous and hoping to find out what happened to their classmate. >> oxford is a place you feel like you know everybody, you trust everybody. right now, it doesn't feel like that. >> joe, you mentioned authorit been pretty tight lipped which is understandable. >> the sheriff's department says it is following several leads but ty're releasing very little information because they don't want to hurt the investigation. as for the kostial family, ally's fher said his daughter was sweet, she was harmless. they're anxiously awaiting more information from investigators. >> thinking about the this morning. joe fryer, thanks so much. let us turn to al with a check of the forecast, and we

have beenha wonderings on tap for today. >> the good news is when we showed you the map like this last week,ee were looking at a lot of red. now look at now. the blue, new york city high today, 75. ten degrees below average. cincinnati, 81. that's 6 degrees cooler than normal. atlanta, 79 degrees. 11 degrees below average. by wednesday, the cooler weather makes its way in the southeast. we always have to put in savannah, 83 degrees. minus 9 where it should be 87 in new orleans, that's 4 degrees cooler. the good news is, though, if you like heat, we have it for you coming back. temperatures getting up into the upper 80s for detroit, st. louis by 90 on saturday. 88 in raleigh. saturday in biladelphia.de negrw yo wilsl be flirting with 90 as well, so the heat will be making a return, but nowhere near as hot as it was this weekend. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck o the woods. >> good morning, i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. tracking rain coming out of central and southern virginia,

coming into northern virginia, e d.c. metro area and suburban maryland as well. near 100% chance of rain for all of us today. slightly lower chances way up around the pennsylvania bord, but all around the city today, cool, cloudy, and rainy. the upper t 66 around 70 now, and with the clouds and rain for much of the afternoon, we'll i. sunshine and l >> savannah. >> thank you so much. coming up, a surprising solution to a growing proble f students whoght for the right to take mental health days off from school tell v us theery personal reasons why they think it's soimportant. >> then, as we count down to tokyo 2020, three-time olympic ldedal snowboarding shaun white shares a big announcement with us. that e ulcerative colitis or crohn's, your plans can change in minutes. your head nts to do one thing, but your gut says, "not today." if your current treatment isn't rking,

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thisorning on in-depth today, new aekz to support t mental health of kids in school. the o state ofregon is making a big change to help students who ar with more. >> studies show more than 1n nd 5 kids i country suffer from a mental health condition. now oregon is doing something pretty radical, allowing students to take excused days off from schl for mental health reasons. kids arellowed to tak sick days from school if there physically ill. now, students in oregon will be able to take mentalealth days too, thanks tote new sta law. >> mental illness can affect anyone, no matter how they look on the outside. >> kaley and derrick lobbied state lawmakers for the bill as seniors this winter along with other students. >> i doak on theause for a personal reason, first off,

because so many of my close frhnds struggled wit depression. there were times when i saw them at school when they really shoun't have been there. it would have been much better for tm to take a day off. >> under the oregon law, a certain number of w daysl be dismissed. >> i can attest this is long overdue. >> derrick told lawmakers this would have made a huge differ him. >> i'm being marked absent, unexcused, can't make up assignments because i don't have the willpower to go to school today, and there'ste no sys set in place to help me. >> these students inspired iny part b the activism they say after the school shootings in parkland, florida. >> it was a great example of students having to take their own issues into their own hands. it's our generation. it's our dutto help. >> oregon has one of the highest rates of teen suicide in the country. it's the second leading cause of de th for 10 34-year-olds in that state.

nationally, suicide is at a 50-year high. mental health often is forgotten in schools. we're very comfortal with broken arms and broken legs but we're not comfortable with depression. >> oregon mom carol lost her son ben to suicide last fall. >> the stigma around suicide has to change. >> the new state l has received backlash, some believing kids will take advantage, but these students say changes like these are needed to start a conversation around mental health. >> children are already missing school for mental health reasons. the think is they're lying about it, they're doing the old pretending they had a fever or they're sick orr a headache o something. >> our biggest goal is making sure that everyone knows that mental health is just as valid as physical health. interesting ch an idea. in the state of oregon, how many mental health days will kids ge >> under oregon state law, you can take up to five excused

absence days in three months -- in a three-monthri , but school districts are all going to have the ability to reframe it for their own district and what they think is appropriate, so it will be district by district. >> there are other states that have done this. >> udh pas a similar law last year, and just recently, florida mandated that schools give ss mental health classes starting in the sixth grade so students will learn hot to identify signs and symptoms of mental illness, find resources if they're battlg anxiety or depression, and support other peers. >> getting rid of the stigma seems to behe biggest part. >> just being able to say i need a mental health day is a big deal. >> all right. kate, thank you so much. coming up, we're in a tokyo state of minh athlete hoping to compete at the olympic games there next summer, and another treat. japanese traditions will be front and center. we're one year away from tokyo. we have it all after. sara, could you come in here.

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this is a news 4 today ne good morning. 7:56 is yourtume on this tuesday, july 23rd. i'm jummy olabanji. we have a lot to talkbout this morning. a tractor trailer jackknifed on the inner loop after connecticut avenue. chheper fure threw over t scene this morning. ou can see a big rig spilled bundles of mail across the highway and shoulder. let's get to melissa mollet. she has more on the morning mess. >> it's still here. here are the backups because of the inner loop at connecticut avenue. you're slow for mile morning. outer lp approaching theame area also slow. rest of the beltway is looking okay. northbound 270 before 109, overturned tractor trailer and fuel spill. 85 near oland road, all lanes shut down there,nd adams town and connecticut avenue near nebraska, vehicle fire reported in d.c. >> thank you.

a check of your forecast is co.

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rain across most of the area. this rain is continuing to move basically up the i-95 rridor. aoggy finish to the morning commute. pretty steady light rain until at least lunch time and the early afternoon. temperatures only in the0s mid 6 to around 70 downtown. long ashe clouds and raindopes hang around, we'll stay in the 70s allda day to the rain disappears tonight.e we'll back to dry weather. tomorrow, sunshine, low humidity. get the latest forecast through our nbc washington yoapp. can also find and follow me on my social media pages. weekend forecast, friday, saturday, sunday looks awesome, and the weather right here at home will also be spectacular for th

♪ i >> t' it's8:00 on "today." coming up, getting rdy >> welcome toky to >> the 2020 summer olympic games just one year away. tokyo preparing to host the w world, andt will be the biggest olympics ever. a record number of at. and tokyo goes extreme with exciting new sports being added for the very first time. ad this morning, we're celebrating wit olympic sized celebration that setches all the way from japan to right here on our pl where a host of olympic champions hopefuls are showing off their ready to take home gold in

japan. >>'m super excited. i'm here in the gai trning, and tokyo will be here before ha ♪ wtever it takes >> ready for tokyo 2020. >> he guys. i'm at the gym traianng. i w to say, this is so exciting because we're one year out of tokyo, and it's going to be cra >> and good morning, everyb welcome back to "today." it's tuesday morning, and they're playing our song. it's aalcipe t okyoy. 2020. and these are some of the best athletes in this country who e have theirs on olympic glory. >> as you can see, we have some olympic hopefuls out there doing their thing on the plaza, rock climbing and skateboarding, two of the sports making their olympic debuts in tokyo. >> we'll catch up with some

wh oitf we know, he's used to tsnow, bue's got a big announcement coming up about possibly a 2020 olympic appearance. but let's get to your ews at 8:00, and those severe thunderstorms overnight triggered flash flooding, power outages and travel delays all along the east let's get.ut to nbc's morgan radford at laguardia airport, and there have been a lot of troubles there. morgan, good morning. >> good morning. that's right. thes fongh sli mt to just keep growing. we're already at more50 than flight delays. 200 cancellations. and that's all across thestates. ds, of course, is afterteaysni of extreme heat in this area turned t the other side and then we saw severe thunderstorms and flash flooding. i was one of p thoseple who was traveling into new york last night and my flight got redirected midair after traveling for two hours from atlanta to new york. of course, for people who were in the new york area those

flash floods meant that you were walking through waters as high as their thighs. they were sating come and trickle into the subway line. in new jersey, we saw about 200,000 people who were without power. this has created intense chaos at places like here at new york's laguardia airport. that's why a lot of airports are asking passengers to checkth in wiheir airlines with ample time in case their flights have been delayed or canceled. meanwhile, a lot of flash flood warnings have been lifted earlier this morning for the tristate area. as the flood waters continue we're hoping for clearing skies and better transportation days. >> we sure are. thank you. >> it's not just the tristate area, of course, across the country, extreme heat was followed up by severe thunderstorms. al, when can we expect things to get a little more normal from here? >> about 24 hours, everything will be backo usual. we're looking at still some flash flood watches stretching from the appalachians all the way into the northeast.

25 million people ilfected. stl have a few flash flood warnings out here, too, but this is pushing to the east. new england, you'll have to hou two. slow moving front, then it sags to the south. a threat in the carolin later this afternoon. by tomorrow, the front pushes to the southeast. heavy rain threat for florida. we're watching this tropical wedepression. on't expect it to o sco ame weaken, in fact, get caught up the cold gront pushis iing to the south, maybe bringin showers along the coast. in the meantime, the heaviest rain is downcarolinas, upwards inches then th>> thank you.racig for another day, ofas mve hundreds ofpl thousands of peo took to the streets of san juanb yesterday,locking the city's highway. police eventually had to use

tear gas to break up the cloud. protests came one day after ricardo rossello said he would not run for re-election but won't step down as governor uf the. territory. he's been under fire over leaked private chats filled with provanity, anti-gay anmments, jokes about death caused by hurricane maria. >> americans may not be getting the message that a takingirin to prevent a heart attack or stroke is no longer recommended for most people. researchers at harvard foundat th up to 40 million healthy americans still follow the aspirin routine. if years, dtors had recommended doing so, but recent studies find any benefit usually don't outweigh the increased risk of stomach bleeding and other side effects. new guidelines only recommend aspirin for those who have alrey had a heart attack or stroke, and for those diagnosed with heart disease. >> the chicago white sox have become the first maj league baseball team to extend protective netting all the way to the foul ball poles. it was installedeahile the tm was away for the all-star break

ing a road trip and used d yesterday's game. ballparks have come under screased pressure to add more protection aftereveral fans have been injured this season by foul balls. the washington nationals are al set to debut extended netting, but their ghaeam weather. >> and savannah, you have a borning boost. >> new fgca mmpak.inrien is but that also it's over, the good-byes can be a ecially hard. different school than the other kids, so on the last day of camp, the other kids let him h >> hug. >> got to feel good. a little group hugo send him on his way. >> i'm smiling because i experienced this literallyer yesty. i picked up my daughter from camp and there was heavy sobbing. >> thateans they had good time at camp. >> and theexll be back n year. >> coming up, shaun white with no snow in sight, so what is he doing here?

the three-time olympic gold snowboarder has some big news as we celebrate fheal countdown to the tokyo olympics. >> we'll meet a couple young hot shots who hope to belimbing the wall there when rock climbing makes its debut on the olympicrstage. ouook at tokyo after these . well it nally ppened, zaary. somebody burned down my she shed. your shed was struck by lightning. is my she shed covered by state farm? your she shed's covered, cheryl. that's wonderful news. home insurance trusted by more people than any other. ate farm.

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welcome back to our countdown to the 2020 olympic games in tokyo. one year from now. >> we cannot wait, b as usual, se way ahead of us. he's alrea been to tokyo for a preview. how the it looking? >> great for me, not so great for my wife. well, maybe. tokyo is getting ready to welcome the world for the games of t 32nd olympiad in japan's capita city of more than 9 million, set to put on quite a show. in a city that seems eternally on time, wre tradition meets echnology, they're as good a ready for the olympics. >> welcome to tokyo. >> welcome to tokyo.

>> we say welcome back. tokyo heldulhod the games in 19 the first in asia. now, that olympic stadium has been demolished and rebuilt for this secon of three asian olympic games in a row. and history will be made again next record 339 medal events a3 sports will include five new events, including three that target a younger, more extreme audience. surfing, olympic rock climbing, and skateboarding will make their debut in t. the olympics is just a year away. will you win gold? >> yes. >> of course, swimming and w gymnasill once again take center stage, withmericans leading the way. s> this has been her destiny. >> this i a giant stadium. this isn't san francisco. >> americans national park is this country's favorite sport. >> olympicg baseball is like this, you guys are in for a treat. >> while this will be the boxing

venue. renewal, recycling, combining old and new. this arena neatly symbolizes the hopes of 2020. it is the tokyo home of japan's historic national sport. >> that's right, sumo wrestling. watch out for the premiere of olympickarate, too. at tokyo, they're predicting a gold medal. which will be made from old e k electrontokyo's newest btechnology wille on display, got anything you need help lifting? .here's some camera gear. oh, yeah. this time of year, tokyo gets hot. going to be like holding an olympics in new orleans. >> i have never bn to new orleans, so -- >> it's hot. in the summer, it's hot. and humid. >> this time next summer, the

games of the 32nd olympiad will be getting under way, as the olympic spotlight once again . see you in tokyo. you totally blend. >> i know, right? i completely fit in. >> couldn't tell. >> tol with those high temperatures, japan is using some high-tec but of course, brought back some swage to with the high temperatures. more old fashioned. >> very cool. >> cute. >> these are great. >> thank you. >> fans from tokyo 2020. t se are nice. okay. >> looks like we're going to need those. pretty hot over there. much.ank you so >> all right, well, the man who will be leading our coverage of the 2020 olympic games for nbc sports, mr. mike tirico, is already in there, in position, checking it out. mike, good morning. >> good morning, vannah. willie. . >> big fan. i know o first all, it's nighttime

there, so that's always going to be fun because we're kind of reversing our schedules. is tokyo ready? >> i think so. i got here earlier this morning, savannah and willie, and got to tour ound, see some of the venues the bus million people with the olympics going on aroundg it, butone are on their way to being done. i think this city will be more than ready and will do a great b handling over the 11,000 athletes that we see at the summer olympics. >> mike, you made the hop over from northern ireland from the british open. watched some great golf. now you're there in tokyo with the excitement of new sports, two returning, three entirely new. we'll look at some of them including ateboarding this morning. what's the feel about the new events? >> well, i think there i a connection to japan. and the baseball and softball e usare and s japan in matchups during the olympics,ig b but ka, as keir ndmentioned, a then the

other sports. surfing and skateboarding. i think it's great in general for the you of america, the youth of the world. these are the spopas that are in by 16 to 25 to 35-year-olds so why not see them on the highest level in the biggest sporting event in the world? i the olympics continues to grow the young audience and the participation of the youth of the world. i think that will be highlighted in some of these events. >> it's n. it keeps the olympics relevant, of course. we also love to keep our eyes on big, big stars. what a n the bigames we should be looking out for? look at as usual, we the pool and look atrymnastics he u.s. you have katie ledecky, who had all the success we he seen in rio and started the successful run in london. s side, y, for the me in terms of the swimming, there's no michael phelps, but kaleb drhal is a name to watch, dominant at the world championships two years ago. he's off to a good start.

we're not saying phelps but he could be the big star for america. and gymnastics, you mentioned a chance to be the first woman to repeat as the all-around championship since the 1968 olympics and do it back to back. she and ledecky have the chance to become the all-time winners in terms of gold medals for american women athleelths. a lot of stuff on the line with athletes wll enjoy watchish compete one more time. >> and then the athletes who require one name. i'll give you three, you telle when we'll see them. tiger, lebron, serena. tiger, it will be tough. he has to fin the health and his form. to see him lead this next players for and serena, w know when serena wants something, she goes and gets it. she wants one more shot at olympic gold. so i say 2 out of 3 ain't bad would be a good connection, but let's be greedy. let's go for all three. >> we want dream, teamsd

speaking women's soccer team coming off its world cup win, but it's not so easy to go in there and try to get gold. >> exactly, savannah. that's the uniquenes of the women's soccer. the cycle goes world cup, and the next year, the olympics. you know with man rapinoe and alex morgan and all the great t emotion we saw last month, they're going to continue together in all likelihood. great chance toee them do a double, and women's basketball for the u.s. has been so dominant of late. the dominant really than men's basketball. the women of team usa figuring to be one of t huge headlines that will make tokyo memorable. >> we're happy tou r bringing t fanfare. get it? you can't see me. i'm doing your joke. >> you nde? we ustand each other. >> thank you, mike. great to see you. >> l weather. you might need this. you want to borrow my fan? >> i have one right here. that's it.bl

we're dou fanning. look at that. that's how it works. >> yes. >> they're going to need this -- excuse me, let me move that chair for you. they're going to need this in europe. look at these temperatures. pas by thursday, 107 degrees. 96 in geneva. florence will be in tripledujts ght through, and naples, well., in the 90s as you're going to see, again, plenty of sunshine out west, and we're looking at a lot of wet weather into the southeast. that's what's going on around the country. here's what'n happening i your amog, ve dymoryrn eing.bo these are continuing to track northeastbound towards the d.c. metro area. the heaviest and steadiest of the rain will be on the south side of town, over the river into parts of southern maryland. keep the umbrella handy. temperaturesnly in the 6 t0so ms with the clouds and rain arouto.

we get sunshine with low humidityhi the rea one y out on the plaza is sponsored by xfinity. this is beyond -fi. this is x-fi. >> and now, back to our celebration o tokyo 2020. one year away today. the games going extreme, adding skatoardingtis. a an it's bound to draw attention in more ways than one, especially because of the methree-ti olympic champion snowboarding who also happens to skateboard, shaun white. we'll talk tohaun in a moment. first, more about shaun in one of the newest olympic sports. >> you got it. you can find them grinding on curbs. railingssks down steep and performing daring tricks midair. and now, skateboardersave more street cred than ever because they're coming t the 2020 tokyo olympic games. the w debutill have four medal

events. men's and women's park, whereet athl perform in a dome-shaped bowl and men's and women's str t on stairs, curbs, and rails. scoring is based on factors leo creative tricks. there's one olympic star who's own. olbeympic champion and snowboding icon shaun white. >> it would mean the world to me ar compete in skating. >> last ye, the 32-year-old said it would de aream come true. >> i assumed at some point in my lifetimeoaskatebing would get into the olympics, but i'm happl physically and mentally capable of actually gompeting and pursuing thatoal and dream. >> shaun white, one more hit. >> white knows a thing or two t a complishing lofty goals. he won the half pipe gd at the olympics in 2006, 2010, and 2018. but the double threat is also a five-time x-games medalist inrt veal skateboarding. white started boarding when high

was just 6 yearsold. so prolific that famed skateboarding tony hawk discovered him a year later. now, the question is, will white dominate the dome like he has the slop? >> we're here with three-time olympic gold medalist shaun white. good morning. >> thanks for having me. >> we're not in our snow clothes. >> it's nice, and it spped raining fous. >> we have been teasing all morning about a big announcement. what do you have to tell us? >> i'm really excited, the fact skateboarding is in the olympics. i saw what happened to snowboarding. i thinks amazing. i have b watching the competition and got inspired. i've been doing a lot of skating myself, and i thought it would be amazing to compete at the world championships in brazil in september. at's the big one. >> shaun white will be at the world championships skateboarding. >> i will. >> what's the plan? you see how that goes and make a decision about tokyo? >> it's such a decision. i have been having so much fun just skating around.

ooti s waters, compete and see what happens? after that, i'll probably mak a. >> that would be a huge feat, t lsummooking sporty. >> we have folks in the was hoping to introduce you to. where is the carson family? i see you're wearing youriv unsity of arizona gear. are you from tucson? >> yes. >> tucson? >> yes. >> and howouong are y all here? >> five days. >> well, i love your red, white, and blue so much, i thought you needed more red, white, and oblue. what dou think about that? >> sure. >> so, a little team usa gear to go with your u of a thank you for coming. carson family from tucson. bear down. and coming up in this half hour, we'll introduce you t more of the tradition and taste of tokyo. as we start to prep forur olympic journey.

>> cannot wait. also, meet the athletes who hope to compete in tokyo .2020 some have been on team usa before. they have the medalso prove it. for others, they're making their first run at olympic t ck climbing phenomesy. hoping to go for gold as wellton o, including one 17-year-old who started her passion literally just a few blocks from us right here on the rocks in central pa. she'll show us how it's done. and rumor has it nat is going to herself.climbing wall >> i got my high heeled platform rock climbing shoes on. can you tell, standing next to you gu it's crazy. >> we had to put our best athlete on the case. >> the rest of us will be sitting cheering you on. let's get a check of the weather. the rain stopped. >> let's show you what we have. first, let's at tokyo weather. so usually, late july, early august, the average high is e90. th average heat index, 98. in fact, the last time they had, 1964, they moved it to october,

it was so hot and they didn't have a lot of air conditioning. july record highs, 104. right now, 75, partly cloudy. not much of a heat index, and the wind out of the ou east-seast at 7. as we look at the rest of our weather, you're going to see a beautiful day today as you head out west. that's what's going on around the country.t' here's wha happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. at ho, it kill be the complete opposite of the weather for the last 12 days. it will not be stiflingly hot. s noere weather to worry about. cool, comfortable, and rainy. soaking r lightain across most of northern virginia continues to travel into rmaryland. mon today in southern maryland than northern maryland where the rain is starting to taper off a bit. after today's raindrops, we go right back to sunshine for the rest of then week and o into the weekend. 90 degree weather returns next week. >> that's your latest weather. savannah. all right, al. thank you. our gold medal worthy morning continues with this group of athletes vying for a

spot on team usa. listen carefully because you'll hear a lot more of these names. with .us, u.s soccer stars ali krieger and ashland harris, o fresh their world cup win. gold medal winning diver david boud. jordan burroughs, and hallen morales. >> plus, volleyball player fulueke, rugby player nigha tapper, and last but not least, six time medal winni shotgun shooter, kim rhode. good morning to you all. >> you all are getting us very excited about tokyo. you just came back from the world cup. are you still on cloud nine? >> absolutely.ha it's trd to gear up for the olympics when we just finished the world cup. >> the way schedule works, it's that one-two punch. how do you get yourself emotionally ready to go for it again? >> you don't take a to breathe. you just keep pushing on. >> how are you liking the io compet when you go to the olympic

stage, you have seen some of these competitors. you have been in the olympics before. how is it different? >> same typevef le you're on the highest stage again, but obviously, you're fighting for a bigger team with other sports, which is also u exciting for and gives us extra motivation to want to succeed. i think that's a little different. but at the same levelce of soc that we have seen in the world cup. the highest stage for us again. so right now, wre back training and then we prepare for the olym ycs. >> then have to make the team, right? >> we still have to qualify. so that's our focus right now before we think too far ahead. >> yeah. we'll be watching for you guys. david, you're getting out, diving again. you actually changed your discipline. tell me about that. >> yeah, so i did three ympics, now i'm on three meter. one year out, i think every single one of us, you heart pounds, you get b nervou at

witched of the day, i events. but we all have the same mentality. we have a dream to accomplish and we want to represent team usa welop and hully we do that a year from now. >> you do have the olympic experience. that has to count because you t it's like to perform at that level with all that pressure. but you had an injury. is that one of the reasons why you switched discipli is? >>ike to think it wasn't that, but i did suffer a and a ion about a yea half ago. rewired some things a little bit, but i look back and look at my er, i wanted to do tokyo olympics. and e ecially because i have three little ones at home and my inspired.you get you get excited to be able to show your kids and your wife and work hard for them. >> jordan, you're one of the big stars of london 2012. you won the gold medal there. you said you didn't do as well as you wanted to in rio. >> i got a lot of perspective from rio de janeiro.

i have been on both sides of the podium. so going from being olympic gold oing home n 2012 to empty handed with no hardware in 2016, i think my perspective has shifted to i love the branding. i love crewaing aness for myself, and i love everything that surrounds the olympic games, but i also want to perform at my best. >> i think you're a great example of what you all have gone through, this commitment to getting on thean medal st you talked about missing your son's first steps in training and all those things. talk about that, what you give up to chase that dream. >> i try not to call them sacrifices. i try to call them choices because it's something i decided to do on my own. so for me, i get my most purpose when i'm in the wrestling room, when i'm in competition. when i walk into an arena and feel the buzz of walking through the tunnel with the smoke and hear my name called over the loud speaker and goirf out to m at my best. the best thing i have been blessed with to do in this world is wrest at my highest level. so i love my kids, but i also want to embody -- i love them, right?

i love them, but also, for me to be my best and be the best father i can be, i have to live a purposeful and driv een lifestyle. for me, that means competing. >> we're running out of time, but for you guys to be here and be wh the other athletes, does it motivate you even more, and realize you're one year away from your goal? >> absolutely. >> yeah, really exciting. >> very exciting. we're happy to have you here. >> we cannotchait to wat all of you compete one year from now. good luck with your s we head toward those games. >> alex and tashimyoin me here. two more olympic hopefuls aiming to scale the heights on our hopefully d w rock climbingl here in the plaza. hope you're going to strike gold in one year in tokyo. first, this is "today" right year from

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sponsored by toyota. prd partner of team usa. toyota. let's >> never too early to get the excitement going here. we are onero year away fthe ing ceremony. 2020 summeric oly in tokyo. also, five new sports that are making their olympic debut. >> you take a look at the wall behind tus. nk you can figure out which one of those sports is. about to speak to two of the today.t names in climbing first, natalie, you got a closer look at this really challenging sport. >> it really is challeng the olympic motto is faster, stronger, higher. in tokyo, there will be a new gold. to olympic up. climbing will be making its olympic debut with athletes competing in all three climbing disciplines and the best combined all around scores bringing home the ha there's speed, a sprint straight up a 50 foot wall i just

seconds. sure to be an instant hit with spec. then lead or sport climbing. another 50-foot wall, but with incline andold challenges that make it far more difficulle and athtes seeing how far up they can get in six an bouldering, a much smaller 13-foot wall, but this one without any ropes or harness. it's more like solving aal ment nge with a four-minute clock ticking. one of america's best chances to edal is new york city native ashima who first started climbing as a toddler in central park. she spoke with "today" just beforelimbing was announced at an event. >> climbing is almost like solving a puzzle. you have to think about how you're going to move to each hold. >> and climbing trail blazer ex johnson, the first woman to climb many of america's most challenging assents. she is a five-time national

champion winning her first adult title at just 13 years old. just two of theki athletes loo to make the most important assent of their careers to top of the olympic medal stand. these two talented ladies are giving me a lesson in just a few minutes here. >> we're also joined by alex johnson and ashima shahishi. both are first olympic athletes in history to take home medals . climbing there's three disciplines for rock climbing. >> bouldering, lead climbing, and speed. >> so boulderings sortf your specialty. how will you broaden your skill set to win gold? do you learn the oer two re? >> for me, bouldering and speed are the ones i focus most on. but since speed is part of it all, i have to grind and learn a totally new discipline. >> alex, i think you said it's

g like if a marathoner was taking on a 100-yard sprint. how does ite your training strategy going into tokyo? >> it changes it pretty significantly. whereas beforee could specialize in one discipline and hone our skills, we have to spread our skills out to the three disciplines, and before this, i don't think either of us have done speed as a discipline. bouldering and lead are more marathon or the mi, and speed is 100 meter dash. >> you took time away from competing to coach. now you'r competing. do you think it gives you an edge? >> i think seeing a different perspective has helped a lot, and traing with the kids i coach also helps a lot. they're a lot younger so was them.g to keep up with >> as mma, youed to tokyo about a year ago, you started training there. how hasin the traing been? let me chalk up. >> how was the training in tokyo? >> in tokyo, the japanese team is really upn their game, too.

and traing there haseen good because getting rdy with the humidity and everything. >> come on over, ladies. >> chalk is important because of the wet wall today. do you think i should start here? >> blue and black is your best easiest.se they're the >> so we're just -- and this is rd. these holes are not easy. >> that next one is pretty good. >> awesome. >> andhen if you can -- perfect. you're a natural. >> no, this is about as high as i'm going, guys. i don't see anot help! >> can you prop your left foot up? >> no. > natalie, you're father tha carson and i would have gotten. >> i'm just trying to find, where is the real grip? >> you guys will be all right. >> we hope to see you both in

tokyo in a year. savannah? >> and up next, we'll have a true taste of tokyo, plus some of the traditions we getse to when we go to japan next year. first, this is "today" o - you're heading to moose creek

for aunt trudy's 97th birthday party. - atah, it's definitely a fl. - [man in safety vest] they said you'll never make it. the kids are too wild, and the car's seen too many miles. (tire iron clanging)) the kids are too wild, and - (woman sighingng on.ny miles. - but you know you'll get there because you have aaa. - okay, thanks so much. we'll see you soon. - and when your tire goes flat, we change it, and when you need a jump, we jump to it.ou so yan rest assured that the country's most highly-recommended roadside assistance won't let anything come between you and the family event of the year. p.s., happy birthday, trudy. sorry about the cake. aaa, go ahead. ye. you goahyyeah?omework? hey, give me a kiss. nouncer: what's the role of a car company? [ kisses ]no anuncer: to take your kids to and from school? don't forget your science proje. announcer: we think it can be something bigger. everybody take your seats.

announcer: this suer, volkswagen is supporting america's teachers. announcer: visit your vw dealer to learn how you can join in. announcer: now during the volkswagen drive bigger event, get a $1,000 purchase bonus on 2019 jetta, tiguan, and select atlas models. we are back now one year to the 2020 olympic games in tokyo. one of the many things we love about going the olympics is getting to kw theity itself, and we're getting to fall in love with tokyo. >> that's right. the lture, traditions, and of course, the food that made japan a top global destination. >> here to give us a small taste of all of it is japanese travel and culture writer candice kumai. we have a lot to g it',sto rea important to you, the olympics being in tokyo in 2020. >> my mother and father met in rtokyo. my fatas in the u.s. navy, my mother was a japanese

teacher. they taught me everything i need to know about being japanese-american. so this is like an homage to my lineage and the u.s. as well. >> westerners know thiscimodo. we see them, but we might not tradition behind t hemono. wh m doe ts itn in japanese culture? >> this particular one was given to my mother by my grandmother when she left japan.it absolutely gorgeous. there's touches of gold, intricate details. they date back thousands of years, so everyone from regular people every day wea a kimono, but now it's used for celebratory weddings, ceremonies, grad mtions. itns everything to us. >> so beautiful d so nice of you to bring this. and some of the oth traditions, these dolls. >> you might see them, they're definitely the adversity aik this is l you fill in the left eye of the doll, and you make a wishal or go and when it comes true, you fill

in the other eye. al's wish already came >> okay, do i dot it? >> yes, you did it. perfect, savannah. >>hen when myish comes true, you fill in the other eye. >> yes. >> setting intentions. >> absolutely. the japanese like to say, fdol seven times, stand up eight. we're a culture which means you always do your best. >> what's withg cat? >> you see this at the japanese sushi bar. this translates to lucky or beckoning cat. it mns you're looking for happiness or love. the left hand means you're looking for gold or fortune. >> what if both hands are up? >> you want it all. >> tell us abouttradition, the wish tree. >> this is from a festival, what we love is we put wishes on here. and we wish for this love story for two people to have good weather when they get to meet one time a year on 7/7.

so this is sely for july 7th.e you can mak wish and tie it eeon your tr. my mom wanted you to know she made you origami cranes also. oumom says y can make anything look fabulous. so making sure that you make a wish for whatever y want, for lots of love, good fortune. want.er you >> gold. >> here we go. >> food. tell us about this. >> sushi we kno in japanese history, about a preservation method before refrigeration. try something new in tokyo when hit up tokyo. sushi bars. these are noodles 101. udon, a flour noodle that's chewy and thic a rite of passage. food. my maurother is from the mecca ramen. you can make it with pork, also with miso broth. this is the dlbuckwheat noo

which is the healthy one of the bunch. >> soeba can be eing either cold or hot, which is why you should try cold noodles in japan as well as hot. it's going t be hot this summer, next summer. >> you like the sake hot or cold? >> i love it cold. it is not traditionally drunk hot in japan. we like it room temperature or cold. and higher quality sake in my opinion is not drunk hot. so try to look for cold, and also, the craft beer that we love in japan is high quality japanese. love their beer. >> so this ice cre is very american. in japanese culture, it's full of lima beans andsw tened. and we also have this, which is also found all over japan. delicious meat on a stick. sake plus beer, either way, in japan, we don't drink them together, though.

so the sake bomb is very american. they say that american soldiers actually brought that to japan. >> of course. >> i hope you come to tokyo with us and bring your mom, too. >> thank you. >> cheers. ♪ limu emu & doug

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>> the third hour, we have cynthia ariba. >> great. looking forward to that. >> fourth hour after the third hour, happens everything day like that. we'l see you i tokyo. >> good luck > >> this is a news 4 today news >> good morning. 56 is your time on this tuesday, july 23rd. we want to get right to melissa with first 4 traffic. she has a check of the roadways. >> first 4 traffic alert morning.ng here this inner loop at connecticut avenue, an overturned tractor trailer with mail across the roadway. look the back ups. the top of the bteltway is a a mess, inner loop and outer loop

er problem an ear near new hampshire avenue. now we have rain in the mix. all the green showing you where it's raining.hb nortnd 270, i have a friend sitting in this. overturned tractor trailer and few spilled. she's been sitting there for hour. >> we'll get a check of your forecast coming up n.

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good morning, everybody. we're stin dealing with r east of the mountains, but the drier air is just back to our west. it's going to take a long time for it to get here. most of us will deal with raindrops for the remainder of the daylight hours, at least. rain will be over by early tomorrow morning, we go back t sunshine. for today, cloudy and rainy. highs in the low to mid 70s. back to sunshine tomorrow with highs in the low to mid 80s and fu it i ed to chevy. we switched to chevy. we switched to chevy. for dependability. for technology. for the muscle. and just look at it. adios, lexus. bye, bye, ford. we switched to chevy. and i couldn't be happier. see for yourself why people are switching at the chevy all-star open house. or add another chevy toour driveway. current gm owners can get over $5,100 below msrp on this equinox. new roads at your local chevy dealer.

live from studioro 1a in efeller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> good morning, everybody. welcome to our third hour of "today." i'm al. we have dylan. sheinelle is on vacation. craig is somewhere between newark airport and the west coast. >> somewhere. >> he got stuck. we have jacob soboroff k andr simmons joining us. >> good to see you. >> we have the memo about the suit, also. >> every day. >> the blue. >> never individual. >> craig was going on assignment. he left. he had a 3:00 flight out of newark. heas delayed almost eight hours. >> goodness. >> he didn't take off until 11:30. >> is that his video? >> that's his. >> that's brutal. >> all the airports