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Good Friday morning and it's going to be a very hot one for millions of Americans. A record setting warmup underway. It is June 5th. This is today. Soak it up. Temperatures soaring into the 90s, even approaching triple digits up and down the East Coast. That blast of heat set to stretch through the weekend. We'll have your full forecast, including the areas on high alert for severe storms. In the spotlight, Russia's Vladimir Putin delivering a major address this morning while facing new pressure to end the years's long war with Ukraine. We're live inside Russia with the very latest.
Step two, President Trump announces yet another controversial construction project in the nation's capital. This time, a walkway between the Lincoln Memorial and Ptoic River. They want to call it the Trump prominade, but I don't know if I want to do that. But it's going to be beautiful. Why he says it's necessary and the other moves by the White House to remake the president's cabinet. New twist. The just released NTSB report on that United plane that clipped the light pole on a New Jersey highway, sending it smashing into a truck. What the investigation is now revealing about multiple warnings to the pilot about flying too low and too slow.
Today exclusive her case transfix the nation with two high-profile trials ending in her acquitt for murder. This morning, Karen Reed joins us in studio 1A for her first live network interview on her life over the last year and the stunning new allegations that she's making against police in a major lawsuit. Those stories, plus time honored. This project is truly unique. An inside look at the special capsule being created for America's 250th anniversary. Filled with treasures from sea to shining sea, including one of our own, a gold medal from the Winter Olympics.
How it's being preserved for the next 250 years. And Lizo live. Their Grammy winner celebrating the release of her new album with a fun concert on our plaza that will have you heading into the weekend feeling today, Friday, June 5th, 2026. From NBC News, this is Today with Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin from Studio 1A in Rockefeller Plaza. And a very good morning to you. Welcome to today. Thank you so much for starting your Friday with us. Starting your weekend with us. Laura Jared in for Savannah who's getting a head start on her weekend. Are you ready for Lizo? Always ready. The crowd is ready, too. We got some new music. We got a little bit of a vintage Lizo sound. A little 70s and 80s.
It's going to be fun. Just dropped a new album a few hours ago. So, we'll talk to Lizo and hang out with that crowd in just a bit. Also ahead, a Today exclusive this morning. Karen Reed is in our studio for her first live network interview since she was acquitted one year ago for the murder of her police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe. She's now filed a new sweeping lawsuit accusing police in Massachusetts of fostering a culture of bias and corruption. We're going to talk to her more about that and a lot more coming up in just a bit.
Should be a pretty fascinating conversation. First though, we are following some breaking news out of Washington this morning where a short time ago, Senate Republicans pushed through a bill to fund the president's immigration crackdown. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin delivering a highly anticipated speech this morning amid intense pressure over Russia's struggling economy and the years long war with Ukraine. We'll have a live report from inside St. Petersburg. But we do begin here at home with those record high temperatures for a huge part of the country ahead of some severe storms that will impact your weekend. Dylan is in for Al. She's tracking all of it. She's going to start us off this morning. Good morning, Dylan.
Good morning, guys. We do have some heat. And if you've been waiting for a pattern like this, if you've been waiting for the warmer temperatures, here it is. The jetream well up to the north. The area of high pressure just sweeping in those southerntherly winds. And that means we will see above average temperatures. tying records, record-breaking temperatures as we go into the weekend. So, today in New York, 89 degrees. We'll match that up into Albany. Pittsburgh, 90 degrees for a high temperature. That's 12 degrees above average. If you want warmer, just wait till tomorrow. We're going to see even warmer highs make their way up into the Northeast. Highs getting into the
90s. DC about 94 degrees. Norfol, Virginia 96°. So, this is the heat you want to limit your time outdoors during the middle of the day. Maybe find an AC somewhere, maybe jump into a pool. We are going to see those really warm temperatures, but it doesn't come with all that much humidity. So, a dry heat, I guess we can call it. It's not going to be stifling out there. Eerie, Pennsylvania, will drop back down into the 70s for Sunday and Monday before we warm back into the mid 80s as we go into Tuesday. Cincinnati stays on the hot side, mid to upper 80s. Philly, we go from 90s Sunday to 80 Monday and then nice and comfortable 82 degrees for Tuesday. Now, we also have the chance of
some isolated spots of severe storms tomorrow in this area from Ohio through Pennsylvania into New York and into parts of New England. We could see wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour, some larger hail. Tornado risk is low, but still keep an eye out for some of those storms, guys. To the Middle East, we go now where overnight attacks by Israel are fueling new concerns about the push for peace between the US and Iran. NBC's Richard Engel is in Tel Aviv for us with the very latest on that. Richard, good morning. Good morning, Craig. New concerns at a minimum. Hopes that a US brokered ceasefire deal in Lebanon uh that they would bring a wider peace agreement to the Middle East are fading after that
Lebanon deal collapsed as soon as it began. The latest US brokered ceasefire in Lebanon didn't last a day with columns of smoke rising from tire in South Lebanon from new Israeli strikes. It's a setback to President Trump's efforts to achieve a peace deal in the region. Trump remaining optimistic yesterday. I think progress is made. That's been going on for a long time. The Iranianbacked militia Hezbollah rejected the new ceasefire, calling it a surrender. The deal was unlikely to ever work. Israel agreed to stop shooting if Hezbollah stopped fighting and left southern Lebanon. Hezbollah says it will
stop fighting if Israeli troops pull out of Lebanon, which Israel says it won't do. It's a bad sign for a deal with Iran to open the Straight of Hormuz, end the war, and lower gas prices. Iran's Revolutionary Guard yesterday repeated its position that no peace deal in Lebanon means no peace deal with Iran. President Trump says Iran will make concessions. As far as Iran's concerned, you're going to find out what the deal is, but the main parts of the deal is they can't have a nuclear weapon. And Trump said he might escalate the war against Iran if more American troops are killed.
We're going to see if we're going to win one way or the other. We're going to win on paper or we're going to win military. Iran is once again proposing a framework to reopen the straight of Hormuz with Iran itself having a great deal of authority. The strait being controlled by regional governments with Oman in particular playing a role. It's a framework the Trump administration has previously rejected. Craig, our chief foreign correspondent, Richard Engel for us there. Richard, thank you.
Meanwhile, here at home, President Trump has scored a victory overnight on Capitol Hill. Republicans in the Senate passing a bill to fund ICE and border patrol for the remainder of the president's term. NBC's Garrett Hake is at the White House for us. Garrett, good morning. Hey, Laura. Good morning. Republicans muscled this bill through the Senate overnight after weeks of work and some significant push back to some of the president's personal projects, including a billion dollars for security of his White House ballroom, which ended up on the cutting room floor. Now, the legislation will head back to the House, which should send it to the president's desk within a matter of weeks. All while the president himself is focusing on
construction projects here in DC, including a major new one. Just hours ago, a key vote in Washington bill as amended is passed. After an all-night session on Capitol Hill, Senate Republicans narrowly passing a bill to back President Trump's immigration agenda, funding ICE and Border Patrol for the rest of his term. They're great. ICE Border Patrol, they're very, you know, the patriots. All Democrats and one Republican voting against it. The debate has caused a partial shutdown for months in Washington. Democrats criticizing recent ICE controversies, including the deaths of two protesters amid Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown.
Instead of shooting Americans dead in the street, the federal government could cut a $1,300 check to every household in America. And while the bill is a victory for the president, Senate Republicans push back on some of his priorities, including a $1.8 billion fund for allies he claims have been targeted by the government and a request for a billion dollars in security upgrades for his White House ballroom. Trump has demolished the east wing of the White House to build the ballroom. Part of his push to remake the nation's capital, unveiling another major construction project on Thursday, a planned pedestrian bridge he says will stretch from the Lincoln Memorial to the Ptoac River. They want to call it the
Trump prominade, but I don't know if I want to do that. But it's going to be beautiful. It's a beautiful project. The president also posting that renovations to the nearby reflecting pool are quote rounding the final turn. But there's growing controversy about another project, that so-called triumphal arch, a 250 ft structure between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, which it would tower above. The National Capital Planning Commission made up largely of presidential allies advancing the arch plan, even as members heard an outpouring of fierce criticism from the public. No one needs this arch. It's inappropriate, unnecessary, insulting. While the Arch project appears to be moving forward, the president's effort to rename the Kennedy Center after
himself now appears truly all but over. The senator's lawyers yesterday directed staff there to remove the Trump name from all their signage, their websites, even their email signatures. And the Donald J. Trump name in those big gold letters must also be removed from the cent's exterior wall by next Friday to comply with the judge's order. Laura Garrett Hey, thank you. And a quick programming note for you here. Our Kristen Welker sitting down with President Trump. You can see her exclusive interview this Sunday on Meet the Press. Lots more to get to here on a Friday morning, including new developments in that United Airlines flight that struck a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike last month. We're
now learning the co-pilot warned the captain that he was flying too low and too slow, but the captain did not react in time. NBC senior correspondent Tom Costello covers aviation. He has the very latest on this. Tom, good morning. Hey Craig, good morning. That's right. It was the end of a long flight in an older 767. The wind was gusting. Their air speed was up and then it was down as they aimed for runway 29 right over the Jersey Turnpike. It sounded and felt like an explosion to the driver of a tractor trailer on the Jersey Turnpike, but the United plane flying overhead had hit a 15t light pole that then came crashing down on the truck. The driver suffering minor
injuries. If this airplane would have been a little bit lower and hit a large bus or something like that, well then there could have been additional injuries and fatalities. Now, a preliminary NTSB report says as the plane was coming in for a landing in gusty winds. The first officer warned the veteran captain, "Hey, you are slow." Then moments later, you're still slow and a little low. The captain told investigators he looked outside and I thought we were low, but the warning came seconds before landing. That's when he heard a thump. Flight attendants reported a loud bang. New NTSB photos show the deep gash to the belly of the
plane and the tire. No one on the plane was injured. The day after the accident, transportation secretary Duffy speculated the gusty winds may have played a role. Obviously, there was uh issues with uh a couple of vehicles on the roadway. Uh and what could have happened is there was gusty winds. On this graph, the line shows what the plane's descent slope should have been, while the red line shows its actual descent. Pilots on approach look to a runway's red and white landing or papy lights like these. So, you want two reds over two white, you're all right, is how that uh poem goes. So, it's red over red, you're
dead. White over white, you're too high. The NTSB report says the United crew would have seen four reds. Thankfully, the plane and everyone on board landed safely. Yes. So, runway 29 is known as a shorter runway at Newark, and the report suggests a pilot was trying to give himself as much runway as possible on landing. The NTSB says United has since reminded his pilots not to undersshoot a runway. Craig, so Tom, while I have you, while we're learning more about what happened there on the New Jersey Turnpike, we're also watching another major plane incident involving several injuries this time.
What more can you tell us about that? Well, this was a Lufanza Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Frankfurt preparing to leave for LAX. The airline says the nose gear suddenly just collapsed, retracted while sitting at the gate. No passengers were on board, but several crew members and ground staff were injured. Passengers moved to a different plane. The question is going to be how did this nose gear suddenly retract? Really unheard of there at Frankfurt. Never seen anything like that. All right, Tom Castella for us. Tom, thank you. Well, there is some good news for drivers as we head into the weekend here. Gas prices are now falling. The national average for a gallon of regular, now sitting at 422. That's down
17 cents from one week ago, and it's down about 26 cents from a month ago. Encouraging news for anyone hitting the road this summer. However, experts warn due to uncertainty in the straight of Hormuz and the season's increased demand for gas, do not expect any big drops in the near future. We'll take what we can get. Yeah, we Yes, we will. Uh, back to the weather now. Time for another check. Dylan in for Al. What are we looking at now? Well, folks might be headed to the beach for the East Coast. We've got nice warm temperatures, upper 80s, lower 90s up and down the East Coast with lots of sunshine, some isolated severe storms
possible across the Great Lakes. That flood risk continues down through Texas where it will continue to rain at times and the ground is saturated. So, that could lead to some flooding. Out west, it is still sunny and dry, but that fire risk increases a bit breezy, too. That's look at the weather across the country. We'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. Ah, welcome back. 7:30 on a Friday morning. Check it out. C Daily that plaza packed live concert from fourtime Grammy winning superstar Lizo.
Yeah, that third album finally out. It took four years. In fact, she was here the last time the album came out. So, her fans have been waiting and we got Lizo back on the plaza. We're looking forward to celebrating with her in the next half hour. some favorite tradition for her to come back. Yeah, she's the best. But first, we have a lot of news to get to in this half hour, starting with an update in a legal saga that has captured the nation's attention. One year ago, a jury acquitted Karen Reed of the murder of her police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe. And now, now Reed has filed a sweeping new lawsuit accusing Massachusetts State and Canton police of creating and tolerating a
culture of bias and corruption for years. We are going to sit down with Karen Reed and her attorneys in just a moment. But first, a closer look at this new lawsuit and a warning. Some of the language you are about to hear is disturbing and offensive. Nearly one year after Karen Reed walked out of court a free woman, she's waging her own legal battle this morning against the police departments she says framed her for the murder of her boyfriend, police officer John O'Keefe. You know what you did? You know what you've done. The 46-year-old filing a scathing new civil suit against Massachusetts State Police, and the town of Canton, laying out a litany of racist messages her attorneys say were exchanged between the
lead investigator on Reed's case, Michael Proctor, and former Canton police sergeant Shawn Good. Take your time. I saw was involved, so I wouldn't rush if you're working. Let them die. Most of the messages unrelated to Reed, but according to the complaint, their crude nature expose a culture of bias and corruption. You want a filthy pig that you just do dirty things to. Reed's history with Proctor and others in law enforcement stretching back years. She's a whack job. Her attorneys have long maintained, but have yet to prove that O'Keefee was killed at a house party after a night of heavy drinking with fellow officers back in 2022, who then tried to cover it up by falsely accusing Reed of hitting
O'Keefe with her SUV, leaving him to die in the snow. This case should be over right now. Done. Because there was no collision. A jury ultimately acquitted Reed last summer of seconddegree murder after her first trial ended with a hung jury. Proctor, meanwhile, was fired for his misconduct. His lawyer dismissing the newly revealed messages from his personal life as having no bearing whatsoever on the investigation of Karen Reed. Sergeant Good also off the force, resigning this week after he was placed on leave for alleged misconduct. It's unclear if that leave was connected to Reed, but Massachusetts State Police call their messages quote abhorrent, adding in a statement, "They do not
reflect the AY's values." Yet, the allegations of police corruption at the heart of Reed's defense struck a chord for many of her supporters who often gathered outside the courthouse, with many more following online. Never in my entire life have I been more invested in a court case. Even an auction of her SUV, attracting intense interest until it was sold. It all comes as the former financial analyst fins off other legal wos, including a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the O'Keefe family. But Karen Reed has vowed to keep fighting to vindicate her innocence. There's more evidence and there's more of a story to tell. Now, NBC News has reached out to Sha Good, but has not yet
heard back. The town of Canton, meantime, says it refutes any broadstroke characterizations about the people who serve in that department. And joining us now is Karen Reed along with her two attorneys, Alan Jackson and Charles Waters. Good morning, everyone. Karen, let's start with you because we really haven't heard from you much and seen you really at all since the jury's not guilty verdict. First, just why file this lawsuit now? You already have one lawsuit in the queue. Why do this now? This was always our plan that I had to save my own life first. I can't do anything if I'm not free. And I had to fight for my freedom for years. And I knew as it unfolded, I was never going to be able to just forget that this
happened to me, that I was wronged in this way. I couldn't just go back to life as it was. I have to continue fighting for justice. The acquitt is deserved, but the wrongs have not been completely writed. They've been happening along the way, but I always knew this was going to happen if I could get the help legally to do this. Let's talk about that for a moment, Alan, because again, as we just saw in Laura's story there, Sergeant Goodsman fired, Lieutenant Proctor fired. They're they're both gone. The uh the departments have said that there was wrongdoing. They've admitted that from a legal standpoint. What do you precisely want to see happen here that has not already happened?
Well, it's it's a civil case. Uh so the remedy is it the law speaks in dollars but that's not what the ultimate goal is here. The ultimate goal is to ensure that we bring to the light uh the institutional biases, the institutional corruption that permeates uh the Massachusetts law enforcement uh system. That's what this lawsuit's going to do ultimately. There's not you can't what Karen wants you cannot write on a check which is exposure. uh exposure of the corruption that is the DNA of the Massachusetts State Police of the Canton Police Department, which is evidenced by these two individuals in their text messages. They were in a position where they could, they felt comfortable within their own family, the
family of law enforcement, to send these vile text messages, to send these vile uh voicemails uh that are uh reflective of a deeper problem in the culture. That's what we want to expose. But to be clear, we're seeking money. At the end of the day, that's this that's what the civil law requires. Yeah. Charles, I want to bring you in here because you guys have always maintained she was framed, right? that's been your entire theory from the beginning here, but what evidence have you actually amassed over the past four years now? What evidence do you have to support that claim? Well, I mean, I think that uh Allen uh during the criminal cases uh let the whole world see the evidence that she had. But I think first and foremost,
you look at the injuries that John O'Keefe suffered, and that to me is the key. Those were injuries from the back of his head. He died from injuries to the back of his head, some riged lead surface. But you've had that for a while now, right? That's Well, that's but the question was what evidence is. And you start there. And when you start there and you realize that the medical examiner, for example, testified at the criminal trial that these injuries that he had were inconsistent with a car strike. So, you start there and then you say, "What else could have happened?" And then you look at the house. And then you look at the people that were in the house. And there are reged ledged riged surfaces in the
house. There are relationships that John O'Keeffe had with people in that house that were difficult relationships. And there's a lot of evidence that we've uncovered and that we're going to still uncover in this civil case. Karen, let me come back to you for a moment here because since the two trials, like what has life been like for you? I know you lost your house, you lost your car. Are you working right now? No, I'm not working. I still don't have my license. Um, and I'm back working on the case and you know, we've brought in civil lawyers, but this case is so comprehensive that we need all hands on deck. I mean, I'm working on the case
every day and I don't know that I really ever took time off and I don't know that I felt like I wanted to take time off. I want this to be over, but it's not done yet. I ju I want to because we saw the throngs of supporters who would show up at that courthouse who clearly uh believed just as the jurors did. But you have to know that when you walk down the street, there are lots of people who look at Karen Reed and who think, "Oh, there's that woman that got away with killing her ex-boyfriend who was a cop." How do you go through life knowing that there are lots of people who, despite what the jury said, still think you did
it and you got away with it? I've not had any evidence that there's lots of people who feel that way. I mean, I have lived um more low-key in the last year. I've just struggled to not have the adrenaline that I had during trial. But I have no interactions no matter where I go. the grocery store, a restaurant, Newberry Street in Boston, any hotel or restaurant I eat at. Um I don't pay for meals. I get discounts everywhere. My parents get help taking grocery store. I don't have interactions that I have not seen lots of people. I haven't seen one. The support isn't relegated to what you saw at the courthouse. It's throughout Massachusetts. And it happens when I travel from one person who not one. Well, there were people.
Have you been on the internet? I mean, have you looked at any of the Oh, yes. Yeah, I've seen tweets. I have not interacted with anyone. And yes, there were people there were pink shirts and there was maybe for every 50 pink shirts, there was someone in a blue shirt who had many of them ties to people on the other side of this case. John, let's talk about John for a second, Karen, because you dated for two years. You got so close with his family, his nieces, his nephews. You went on vacation together, right? This is somebody that you loved. And yet, I think for a lot of people, somehow he gets lost sometimes in this conversation.
Well, he's not lost. He's the reason we're doing this. I think Yeah. I think people sometimes wonder, are you doing this for John or are we trying to go after institutional corruption? Are we trying to get you money damages? What is the goal? John was the victim of this institutional corruption and we're the voice for John and I have lived nearly daily John's final moments and what happened to him? What was on his phone? What was the temperature of his phone? what was his interactions that I had experienced prior to his death with members um of the family that lived in that house. And this all revolves around John. Uh I can speak about my personal memories with John and his family can speak to them as well. Uh, but I implore any one of
John's family or friends to point to any moment that I wasn't loving or caring with John and his adopted niece and nephew. And what was he like? John was very easy easygoing and kind of shy, quiet. Um, and he just liked to watch Boston sports and drink a few beers. And um, he was funny. He had a really good sense of humor. Um, and he was very dutiful to his niece and nephew. I mean, he did everything. They were involved in anything they wanted to be involved in. And he tried incredibly hard with them and gave up his bachelorhood, changed his trajectory on the Boston Police Department to care for them. So, he was incredibly sacrificial.
We know you're fighting the civil suit that's been filed by his family, but if you could talk to his family today, what would you say to him? I don't have anything to say to his family. I interacted with them for several years. John and I had actually dated a long time ago when we were in our early 20s and I was caring and I believe generous with them with my time and we did spend a lot of time together and um they experienced who I am and they know who I am. Beyond the civil suit, what comes next for Karen Reed? What are you going to do for the rest of your life? I don't think we're done discussing law enforcement, corruption, what's wrong with Massachusetts. Where else is it? So, let's say you win the civil suit.
Then what comes next for you personally? Personally, I'd like to keep talking about what I've experienced. I haven't really been free enough, especially with all these lawsuits, to say all that I've experienced. And I think it would be a waste for me to just disappear and go live on an island. Although I would like to do that. Well, we hope that you will come back. We have a lot more that we want to discuss with you as this case continues. Karen, Allan, Charles, thank you all. Thanks for your time. Thank you. Uh, Mr. Dailyaly. All right, guys. Thanks so much. So, how do you sum up 250 years of our nation's history into a single time capsule? That's the question that's at the heart
of a massive project honoring America's birthday and bringing out the best in all of us. Our firsthand look at what's being preserved for the next 250 years. But first, these messages. We are back. 7:47. A live look there. The Jersey Shore, Cape May to be specific. Folks, it is a great day to head to that beach or a lot of other beaches here along the East Coast. and New Jerseys own Dylan Drier is back with another check of the very apparent pride of Jersey as we're playing like Bon Joy. I don't think I'm the pride of New Jersey here, but that'd be a good karaoke song for you.
I don't know if I can I don't I can't do karaoke period, but uh let's take a look at what's going on weatherwise. We've got some stormy weather back through the Midwest. You can see the heavier rain moving into south northeastern Missouri, out of uh Iowa, and also moving into western Illinois. These storms are producing some heavier rain. You've got the cloud to ground lightning. You'll hear it. We may get some gusty winds out of it, too. And we are going to continue to see those move eastward as we continue through the day. So, the best chance of seeing those gusty winds, the larger hair will be back in this yellow area here. And then the east coast.
Enjoy that beach day. We're looking at highs today up into the 90s. That's look at the weather across the country. Now, here's a peek out your window and that's your latest forecast. I take it back. I do love karaoke. I We had to clarify. What just changed? You hated it a second ago. I'm not good at it, but I do and she doesn't enjoy it. She's right. Well, that Bonjobi song is a good one. We need a sneak peek. We got a good one for you today on a Friday. We're gearing up for this epic tale to play out on the big screen. Roll it.
My dad is coming home. Bringing vengeance. Bringing it all. Let's go. Yeah. Looks so good every time. Well, yesterday tickets went on sale for The Odyssey in IMAX to very, very high demand. Very high. AMC theaters registered an hour wait time just to get to the website. Users on Fandango also had difficulty logging on to purchase tickets. And guys, get this. Seats are now being sold on eBay with whopping prices and even hitting $1,000. Reselling movie tickets. Yep. Lot more pop start coming up. Uh, including an Elmo controversy. Oh, no. We're going to tell you why. His not again. His innocent post about the NBA Finals has got some fans of the Knicks roasting our little red.
We're not involved this time, D. No, we're not involved. Not at all. But first, these messages. It's 8:00 on Today. Coming up, the heat is on. Temperatures soaring this morning, marking a hot start for the weekend. Highs well above average up and down the east coast. We'll have your full forecast. Then shocking tragedy. Actor James Handy known for his work in blockbusters like Top Gun Maverick and Jumanji. Coming up, stabbed to death in Los Angeles. New details on how his alleged killer, his girlfriend's own son, placed a stunning call to 911. That story just ahead. And history in the making. Our inside look at the time capsule celebrating America 250.
You know how to preserve really important things. And I would say in addition to really important things, really unique things. From ancient art to Olympic gold. Our sneak peek straight ahead. All that plus Taylor's new toy store. Why Elmo has Nick's fans seeing Red and Lizo's back. Ready to rock our plaza with a concert you do not want to miss. Today, Friday, June 5th, 2026. Kick it off the weekend. It's our anniversary. Married 50 years today. HI TO MY SON. WE love you. Celebrating my birthday with Lizo travel to the day to see Lizo from INDIANA West Virginia Georgia.
It's my dream come true to see Lizo at the Today Show. Oh yes. Welcome back to today on this Friday morning. So happy that you've decided to start your weekend with us. So happy all those smiling people have descended on the plaza for Lizo Lord Jared and Laura in for Savannah this morning. They're fired up. It's a beautiful day. Can't wait to get out there and hear some new music. Yes, the countdown is on. And looking ahead, we have a huge lineup of stars for you next week. That's right. Oscar winner Matt Damon, Eve Houston, Amy Adams, Josh O' Conor, the legendary Robert Dairo, and Disclosure Day star Emily Blunt as well.
Cannot wait to see all of them right here in Studio 1A next week. Right now though, let's turn to your news at 8:00. And we are going to begin with those record high temperatures. Millions of Americans getting ready for a few days of super heat, especially here along the East Coast. Let's get right to Dylan. She's in for Al for the very latest. How warm we talking? Well, it's going to feel like summer. We're looking at upper 80s, lower 90s. You know what? Not all that humid, though. So, that'll make it feel a bit better. But, we do have some air quality alerts scattered across the Midwest into
the Northeast, too. Those ozone levels are a little high. So, if you do suffer from respiratory illnesses, you'll want to limit your time outdoors during the hottest part of the day. And it is going to be hot. We've got potential record-breaking heat from the Mid-Atlantic right up into New England. Even uh back through Michigan, we could see some isolated tying or record-breaking high temperatures. As we look through the next couple of days though, today, tomorrow, 88 degrees in Elmmyra, in New York City, 89, 91. Boston, even into the mid to upper 80s. Baltimore, lower 90s. And we'll continue that through Sunday in Baltimore and drop off a bit for Monday and Tuesday. In New York, we'll cool off a touch for Monday in the 70s, but we're right back
into the lower 80s going into next week. Now, we do have a threat of some severe storms tomorrow. Damaging wind gusts and larger hail. the biggest threats, but you'll also see the lightning and the heavier rain that comes with it that extends from Ohio right up into parts of New England. Laura. All right, Dylan, thank you. Some sad news to report from Hollywood this morning. Actor James Handy, who most recently appeared in Top Gun Maverick, was stabbed to death in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Now, police say the suspect himself placed the call to 911 saying he had just stabbed the actor. When officers arrived at the scene there, they found Handy unconscious. They say the suspect is his girlfriend's son,
44year-old Michael Gledill. It's unclear what led to the stabbing. Handy appeared in TV shows such as Law and Order and NYPD Blue and movies like Arachnophobia and Jumanji. James Handy was 81 years old. A warning this morning. Artificial intelligence company Anthropic is calling for a global slowdown on AI development, saying that systems are now advancing so fast they may soon be able to improve themselves without any input from humans. Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark says it is important that people keep control over AI systems as they get more powerful and have a broader impact on society. He says in order for a slowdown to work though, AI companies in
multiple countries would all have to agree to pause at the same time. That was the news. How about a little morning boost, Craig? All right. No Jes, but I'll I'll try to make her proud of you. We are now less than a week away from the World Cup making its way right here to the US. And everyone's so excited that now we've got a double boost for you this morning. Let's start with these kids. these kids in Hoboken, New Jersey, who have a rather unique predictions about who's gonna win. Who do you think's gonna win the World Cup?
The Rangers. New York. Jersey City. Mets. The Knicks. The Mets. Go Mets. Going to win the World Cup. Wow. These kids are as bad as I am about this team. Or they're just loyal New York sports fans. Yes. They just have nicks on the brain like we all do right now. All right. Well, no matter who claims the crown, one dad is already a winner, racking up a million views. Million views in counting right now for his excitement to be a World Cup volunteer, showing off all the merch for his gig. So, if you uh if you see him at his station at the Newark airport, be sure to give that guy away. That is fashion show at home.
A lot of World Cup swag there. I know they're doing it upright. It's good. All right. What do we say we get a little look ahead at our pop star? What you working on, Carson? All right, guys. You know, we've been chatting about this all week, the sort of drama and mystery over Taylor Swift's involvement in the upcoming Toy Story 5. Well, her new song did officially drop overnight. And we will check it out in Pop Start. All right. Of course, we will. Plus, a ton of things that makes our nation so special now being preserved for future generations. From Olympic gold and
ancient art to student projects and presidential letters. Emilia Ketta is going to share a look inside a one-of-a-kind America 250 time capsule before it gets buried away. We'll do that right after this. We are back now at 8:13 with something special to mark America's 250th anniversary. Yeah, some of the planners behind this year's celebrations are assembling a time capsule that will be buried away for the next 250 years. Really cool idea. NBC care. She actually paid a visit to the lab where it's all happening. You even got to put something inside.
Yes, I did. This was such a cool opportunity. And to see the behind the scenes of it all was really neat. Experts say something like this has never been successfully done before in America. But that didn't deter a team of engineers from building a one-tonon vessel holding art, writings, and momentos from every state to capture the essence of America from sea to shining sea. Designing, measuring, and welding. This project is truly unique. A team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, one of the nation's oldest physical science labs, is building something to stand the test of time.
A time capsule, marking America's 250th birthday. Once completed, engineer Mike Burrill says the vessel, weighing a ton, will be buried 10 to 15 feet underground outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia on July 4th. The institute leaning on its experience preserving the Bill of Rights, Constitution and Declaration of Independence. You know how to preserve really important things. And I would say in addition to really important things, really unique things. So when you are burying something for hundreds of years, what are some of the challenges in that? The number one killer of time capsules is water. And so every part of this time capsule design has taken water into consideration.
What do we see? It's what is believed to have turned most of this time capsule recently unearthed at West Point after 200 years to silt. The box didn't quite meet expectations. Helping keep water, rodents, and tree roots out this time around will be a lot of layers. On top of the granite platform and pedestal is a bell jar and air bubble protecting the capsule holding document and artifact boxes. Project manager Tom Medma says what goes in those boxes also requires a meticulous process.
The Library of Congress needs to test the material to make sure that it's durable enough to not just survive itself, but not to negatively impact other things in the capsule. Every state and US territory will contribute items ranging from challenge coins to a piece of the right flyer to hand beaded art from Montana. So, they chose a native crow artist to do this bead work. There will be a crystal from the New Year's Eve ball drop and letters from every living president along with art from students across the country. So this is my painting. Anna Wang painted this as a fourth grader in Maryland. The theme was what does America mean to you? And when I
thought of the theme, I thought about how America has freedom. So I painted the Statue of Liberty that represents that. We even got the opportunity to add a momento ourselves courtesy of the International Olympic Committee and Team USA. A gold medal from the Winter Olympics. I have not ever had the privilege of touching holding. How cool is that? Yeah. To gift a gold medal to the people of the future. This is part of the fabric of our country, of the world. Special part of this year and in honor of the longtime tradition of pin trading. Here's one of my favorites. The men's and women's ice hockey teams won during the Olympics and
then the sled hockey team brought home gold in the parolympics. The United States takes the gold. All part of a message in a bottle for our great Times 8 grandchildren to uncover. I think a lot of people would describe today's times as divisive or strained. What do you hope the time capsule does for people today? I think that it's an incredible example of how this country can come together in a moment that is celebratory for many, commemorative for many, and fraught for many, but still believe in those foundational ideals. How cool is that, right? Did you see that today show pin that was on the medal there? So now a piece of the history.
I wish somebody did this 250 years ago so that we could open it up now. Yeah. Well, and part of the problem is like buring something underground for this long like there's water, there's all sorts of things. Like remember the time capsules you do as kids for instance? I always you dig it up and it's like destroyed like it's like cardboard melting. So this was really quite a scientific feat. It's pretty cool to see the behind and it gets you really excited once again for America's birthday. 250. Every time I see one of those stories I'm like, "Yeah, let's go." 250. Oh yeah. We're feeling amped up now. And before it's buried, by the way, um people will get the chance to actually see it. And in Philadelphia, it will be
paired with a new sculpture based on Benjamin Franklin's themed join or die. What did you put in it? Was it in the piece? I missed it. Gold medal. A gold medal. Not my own. And it's not an athletes. They had extras. I thought it' be what? Taylor Swift bracelet. Honestly, someone said that to me and I'm like, I should have put a friendship bracelet in. Yeah. Next time you're more than just Taylor Swift.
Glad you did. Feels like the medal should be there instead. I Yes. That deserves a place. That Have fun in the comments section. I love a great Friday for you with metal. I don't know. Thank you, Swifties. It's Craig. Oh, no. Thank you, M. A healthy Friday pop star. You guys ready? Well, let's just get right to it. We'll start. It's new music Friday. We'll kick things off with that highly anticipated track that we've been talking a lot about from Taylor Swift. The new song from Toy Story 5 titled I Knew It, I
Knew You. It's inspired by Jesse's story in the film. home. Taylor wrote and produced this one with her longtime collaborator Jackie Antonoff. Here you go. Standing there in the light of the window wearing that same smile. Man, it's been a while, but it Craig asks, "Is Taylor, is this sort of queuing up that maybe Taylor will do a country album after this?" Cuz this is, you know, little country going on there. Country's hot. We know that back to our roots. That's interesting. Maybe. I don't know the answer to that, but that's a good assumption.
Somewhere, I'm sure. Yeah. Next up, we've got a track on our new music Friday as we continue with Alex Warren. He broke out last year with his massive hit, Ordinary, and now he's working on his follow-up album. The first single's out this morning along with the new music the and video for the song Passenger. What about mine? Tell me I'm yours. Wonder what it feels like. There you go. Alex Warren. Funny. Ordinary. Such a down tempmpo song. It was such a big hit for him. He's got two singles out since then that are high energy, uptempo. Kind of sounds like summer jam material and surprising people. Really good stuff.
All right. And here's a good one to close out on for New Music Friday from our buddy Shabuzzi. This one's called Cowgirl and the music video features Summerhouse star Miller. the bar to say in the morning algar. I want to see you dance. That signature Shabuzzi sound, but it works every time. Every time I'm like, I love this. Yeah, it's so good. I know who that is. And it's fun. Stick with it. By the way, Shabuzzi is coming to our plaza on July 31st. Not to get ahead of Lizo, who will be coming to our plaza in about 10 minutes.
Next up, Taji P. Henson. The actress currently making her Broadway debut in Joe Turner's Come and Gone. The show's nominated for five Tony Awards. That ceremony hosted by Pink coming up by the way on Sunday. Later this month, Taraji is going to join our friend Kristen Welker for the very first Meet the Moment. It's a live event here in New York. The two are going to talk about Taraji's journey to becoming a Hollywood star as well as her work to expand access to mental health care. She's been doing a lot of work in that in underserved communities. Great work. the event being held at our venue sponsor, City Winery. Tickets are limited, so you can scan that QR code or head to meet the press.com to reserve your spot. That'll be a good
conversation there. Next up, NBA Finals game two tonight. We can stay up late finally, not pay the price tomorrow. It's the weekend. Now, while many are excited, there is one little guy who's facing some backlash. And it all started with this tweet from Elmo. Elmo hopes, I'll spare you the voice, both teams have fun. Well, not everybody gets a trophy on the internet, you know. People didn't appreciate Elmo's neutrality. One user writing, "This isn't the time for sportsmanship, Elmo. These treats ain't sesame. Love Fat Joe." No. Elmo's NYC roots did not help the problem with many wanting him to be loyal to his hometown. This user saying, "Elmo, come on. You're from the city. Put aside, man." Elmo apologized
last night with this tweet. Nicks, that last message. Nicks, that last message is covered. Yeah, there you go. Elmo, we should point out Elmo didn't mean to spur you on. We should point out there. There are a number of those messages that we could not share on morning television. Oh, I know. That were pretty funny. You said be so mean to Elmo. Nick's fans, man. Oh, it doesn't matter. It does not Next up, Kathern Han, the Emmy nominated actress, stopped by rapper Kid Cuy's podcast this week and brought up a highly debated topic.
I used to call them Reese's Pieces, but the Reese's Pieces. They are called Reese's Pieces. But isn't it spelled pieces? Reese's Pieces, right? I know, but we're saying Reese's Pieces, but I think it was Reese's pieces. Oh, I thought it was Reese's Pieces. Do you think I've always thought that. Do you think that's a Cleveland thing? Yeah, I think so. I think that's a Midwest thing.
Don't shame kids cutting because there's a lot of us going Yeah, I think I've said Reese's Pieces at some point, too. Reese's pieces. I think a lot of us do. Either way, they're delicious. Reese's, by the way, has Reese's Reese's. They've officially weighed in commenting on that post. If you say pieces, we're scared of you. You're right. That's crazy. Elmo also weighed in. With a middle finger emoji. Terrible. Lawyer. An Ivy Lee lawyer. I just wish we had some Reese's whatever they're called right here in front of us.
Reese's pieces. Reese's. Reese re. Wait, are you tripping on Reese's or PCs? Reese's. I don't know now. I don't even know which one it is. This should be a sh. You say pecan or pecan? Pecan. Okay, let's just leave it at that. Finally, guys, one more. Let's get out and see Lizo. Mindy Kaling will close up Pop Star today. Multi-talented star, the latest to sit down with our buddy Willie Guys for Sunday today. And during their conversation, she talked about her new series, Not Suitable for Work, her publishing imprint, and how she's helping usher the next generation into the industry. people.
Isn't it cool that you are in a position now in your career that you can help bring people along who maybe otherwise wouldn't have had a place to be seen. It's the best part of my job. When I started out, like I wasn't thinking about pulling other people up. I was like, I just want health insurance and to make enough money that I can prove to my parents it wasn't stupid to move to LA. And then after a while I realized like, oh, when you're the only person who does something, it means more than your sort of selfish interest for clout and fame and everything else. It's it means something to other people.
You can catch more of that conversation. Always a great one when you wake up Sunday today with our friend Willie Gist on the weekend. Enjoy that conversation. That'll do it, guys, for pop start. What do you say? Lizo's back show started. She is a fourtime Grammy winner. She's here. She's going to kick off music on our city concert stage and it all starts right after local news. Well, how about it guys? We've got a Lizo concert happening. If you think we're done, we are not. And someone's got a great sign out there about therapy. Which one? Yeah, Lizo's cheaper than therapy. That was You must see some good signs, Lizo.
That's the best sign yet. That's a good one this morning. You got choked up out there. I did. I wasn't kidding when I said I wrote this song for my fans. And I wrote it three years ago. And every time I was in the studio, I would get teared up cuz I was like, "One day I'm going to sing this on stage and they'll be able to feel how much I love them." They feel it. It feels great. Y'all feel it. Y'all feel it, right? They feel it. What does the rest of the day look like when you put out a big album like this?
Baby, I got something every five minutes. Yeah. I got to go. Yeah. Well, when you give birth to a new baby, you got to go out and promote the baby. I'm a mother. No drama. You need rest. If you're a mother, you That'll come. Okay. Yeah. Well, we're not done. There's more music coming up in the next hour, as well as a couple of our favorites from Mr. Show. We do. We got Bob Odenkirk coming up and David Cross. They've got this really cool new Adventure of a Lifetime movie they put together. And then Lizo's going to come in live in studio 1.
Hey, thanks for watching and don't forget you can catch the Today Show every morning on NBC or take today when you're on the go. Just follow the Today Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
