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good morning and welcome to "sunday today" on this may 19th. i'm willie geist. the 2024 presidential campaign is in full swing this weekend with less than six months until election day. this morning president biden is in georgia, a state he won narrowly last time around, where he will deliver the commencement address at the historically black morehouse college. meanwhile, on saturday, former president trump was in texas speaking at the national rifle association convention and picking up that group's endorsement. we'll have the latest in a pair of live reports and talk to kristen welker just ahead. plus, our "sunday focus" on the presidential debate this week after back and forth public challenges between president biden and former president trump. how will these ones be different? will they really matter in the end? then, our "sunday spotlight" on 50 years of "people" magazine at the center of american popular culture with famous covers, behind-the-scenes

stories and, of course, a roundup of the sexiest men alive. and later, a new "sunday sitdown" with one of the most in-demand actors in hollywood these days, glen powell, the long career that got a rocket boost from "top gun: maverick" and the box office smash "anyone but you" where he stars with sydney sweeney. >> you know, sydney and i want to get back in the trenches on the julia and george, these people that work together over and over again. >> a "sunday sitdown" with glen powell, plus, another "life well lived" later in the show. but let's begin with president biden and former president trump, both on the campaign trail this weekend as polling this week shows another air-tight election likely ahead. we have the story covered from all angles this morning beginning with nbc's aaron gilchrist at morehouse college in atlanta where president biden will deliver the commencement address a short time from now. aaron, good morning.

>> reporter: willie, good morning to you. president biden set to give his first of two commencement speeches this graduation season right here at morehouse college later this morning. a white house official telling me he's been prepping for this address for some time now, and the president's remarks will be directly and very deliberately aimed at the 400 plus black young men graduating today, not necessarily a national tv audience. now he intends to celebrate their milestone moment while also speaking to his own efforts to address economic, educational and civil rights effectively trying to regain softened support in the black community. this speech, we know, has drawn a lot of attention as protests over the war in gaza and biden's support of israel have enveloped college campuses around the country. we saw a small, peaceful demonstration on campus friday. students and faculty and white house officials that i've spoken to all agree that a demonstration is possible, but they fully expect it will not disrupt what they all see as a

special dignified moment for morehouse men and their families. now there have been social media posts calling for students to turn their backs on president biden while he speaks. one official telling me the image of potentially hundreds of black men turning their backs to a democratic president would be as damaging, if not more, than any verbal protest. willie? >> we will be watching as the president speaks at one of america's great institutions today. aaron gilchrist with the president in atlanta, thank you, aaron. former president trump, meanwhile, spoke at a gathering of the national rifle association on saturday accepting an endorsement from the gun rights organization in what could be his last campaign appearance before a verdict in the criminal hush money trial. nbc's priscilla thompson is in dallas with more. good morning. >> reporter: willie, good morning. former president donald trump proudly accepted that endorsement from the nra on that stage last night. he also rolled out his gun

owners for trump coalition telling gun owners no one has done more for them than he has. and, contrary to what research shows, he accused gun owners of not participating in the political process. >> gun owners don't vote. it's so crazy. they should be -- i would think that they would vote more than any other group of people, and it's just the opposite. they don't vote. >> reporter: during the 90-minute speech, he also repeated his common claim that gun owners are losing their rights, comparing it to his current legal struggles saying that as folks are trying to take away his rights, as he would say, and, of course, this was a rare opportunity for him to bring his message directly to voters, something we have seen far less of this campaign cycle as he has been tied up in a new york city courtroom during this ongoing criminal trial. and that is where he will be again on monday as

cross-examination of his former fixer, mike aim cohen, wraps up. no word yet on whether the defense plans to call any witnesses or whether the former president himself will take the stand as he has said that he would. and closing arguments could start as early as tuesday, and a verdict could come by the end of the week. willie? >> priscilla thompson in dallas this morning. priscilla, thank you very much. kristen welker is moderator of "meet the press." kristen, good morning. always great to see you. yes, testimony resumes tomorrow in the criminal hush money trial with michael cohen. the judge has signaled, could be ready for closing arguments as soon as tuesday, perhaps even a verdict this week. there's the legal side of it and then there's the fascinating political side of it, as you know, that parade of republicans, including house speaker mike johnson, showing up at the courthouse last week to show support for the former president. what is the sense of how all this may play into the campaign ahead? >> willie, good morning. it has been fascinating.

so far this legal battle, the hush money trial, unfolding in new york hasn't really shaken up the state of the race. the race has been very stagnant. we have former president trump leading in several key battleground states, some within the margin of error. he has a narrow lead nationally, but our february nbc news poll found that actually if trump were to be convicted that swaps and then biden has a very narrow lead. zooming out the takeaway this is a close race, and that takes mean to the fact these two candidates have now decided to debate. they are going to hold their first debate in june, in about six weeks from now, willie, the earliest debate in modern american history. they're circumventing the debate commission to do it, debating before the conventions. so this is significant. former president trump hoping to prove his case that biden is not ready for another four years. biden hoping to prove that trump, as he's been arguing, is

unfit to serve. but from biden's perspective, look, he wants to shake up this stagnant race. can he do it? we'll have to see, willie. >> we'll have more on those debates in just a moment and perhaps a verdict in new york this week. kristen, thank you so much. we, of course, will look for much more this morning on "meet the press" when kristen is joined by republican senator and trump vice presidential contender marco rubio of florida. also maryland's democratic governor, wes moore, and olympic swimming legend michael phelps. a top member of is ram's war cabinet and a rival of benjamin netanyahu is warning i will resign if the prime minister does not change course in gaza. benny gantz laid out his own six-point plan for the war claiming if it is not adopted, he will leave the cabinet in early june. the move comes as national security adviser jake sullivan is meeting with netanyahu in israel today. golf's second major championship of the year, the pga championship, will wrap up today after a wild week in

louisville. on saturday the world's top golfer, skol scottie scheffler a 2 over par, 73, just one day after he was arrested in a strange traffic stop outside of valhalla golf club. he is set to be arraigned on tuesday. scheffler is eight strokes off the lead held by xander schauffele and collin morikawa. the dallas mavericks are headed to the western conference finals after a dramatic victory over the top-seeded oklahoma city thunder last night. p.j. washington made two clutch free throws with two 1/2 seconds left in the game. and then intentionally missed the third shot to keep the clock running. the thunder's desperation heave at the buzzer was well off the mark. the mavs will face either denver or minnesota in the western conference finals. they play their game seven tonight with the knicks and pacers in a big game seven of their own at madison square garden this afternoon.

with just over two months until the summer's paris olympic games, simone biles has proven she still is the g.o.a.t. biles came out on top on a night when three olympic gymnastic champions faced off at the core hydration classic in connecticut. good morning. >> reporter: when simone stepped on the mat, she was competing in a sense against herself. the classic is a crucial stem on the road to paris. simone biles dominated. but gabby douglas didn't have the night she wanted. >> great way for her to start this competition. >> reporter: these gymnasts have something in common -- all-around olympic gold medalists. saturday night they made history competing against each other for the first time vying for a spot on team usa in paris. >> triple series, no problem.

>> reporter: a triumphant return for simone biles, who struggled in tokyo. she pulled out then from events to protect her mental health. but saturday -- >> ladies and gentlemen, that's how it's done. she's a champion for a reason. >> reporter: -- shining on the bars, she won her first meet of the season. >> i was just happy to be back out there, get through those nerves again, feel that adrenaline. >> gabby douglas back to make a run toward paris. >> reporter: it wasn't the comeback the gold medalist gabby douglas wanted. the 28-year-old struggled on the uneven bars, falling twice. she withdrew after the first rotation, this was her first elite competition since the 2016 olympics. suni lee who won gold in tokyo is back after doctors said she would never compete again due to kidney disease. on saturday proving them wrong

and winning the beam. >> this is the lee we expect to see in paris. >> and jones showed she is the strongest all-around gymnast next to biles, but all eyes were on biles, who holds the tightal of g.o.a.t. on and off the mat. >> in the sport, a lot of adversity you have to overcome. as soon as we're there cheering each other on, having confidence in each other's gymnastics, it's going to work. >> reporter: a pro, even helping her competitors handle pressure as they all push toward paris. and with only five coveted spots on team usa, the excitement is building. now it's time for everyone to gear up for the u.s. championships at the end of the month. then the olympic trials in june will determine who secures a spot in paris. willie? >> just an incredible collection of talent, and we

straight ahead, the highs and lows of the week, including the story behind the lucky fan who probably should play the lottery this week after he caught a pair of foul balls on consecutive pitches. and the first official portrait of king charles iii drawing mixed reaction and some tough, but fair, comparisons on social media. then, up next, our sunday focus on a pair of presidential debates set this week after the two leading candidates traded

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"sunday focus." >> reporter: the televised debate has been an american institution for half a century. john f. kennedy outshining a fading richard nixon. >> i think we can do better. >> reporter: catapulting the senator into the white house. >> there you go again. >> reporter: in 1980, ronald reagan, a former hollywood actor, re-energizing his campaign in a debate with jimmy carter just ten days before the election. >> debates elect presidents more often than we think. reagan's performance was so strong that the race moved from a near tie to almost a landslide for ronald reagan. >> reporter: and this week confirmation of a rematch between joe biden and republican nominee donald trump four years after the pair squared off in two bruising debates in the summer of 2020. >> the radical left -- >> will you shut up, man? >> reporter: biden commit to go a debate during an interview with howard stern. >> i don't know if you're going to debate your opponent.

>> i am somewhere. i don't know when. i'm happy to debate him. >> reporter: before officially throwing down the gauntlet on wednesday. >> donald trump lost two debates to me in 2020. since then he hasn't shown up for a debate. now he's acting like he wants to debate me again. make my day, pal. >> reporter: trump quick to accept writing on truth social, i am ready and willing to debate crooked joe at the two proposed times. as it stands, it will take part in two debates. the first june 27th, hosted by cnn. the second on september 10, hosted by abc. both debates sidestepping the presidential debate commission allowing biden and trump more control over the format. among the changes, the dates themselves. june's debate said to be the earliest in modern history held weeks before either candidate is officially nominated by their party. the first debate will be held without a live audience, a stipulation from the biden campaign. >> they wanted to deprive trump of an audience. they see him night after night at his rallies energized by his

crowd. they didn't want that. >> reporter: so what can americans expect from the latest round of debates? >> for president biden it's to remind americans of the chaos and tumult of donald trump. for donald trump it's an opportunity for him to say, look, this is an unsettled world right now. inflation is high. there are two wars. americans are unhappy and create a picture of nostalgia for his own time in office. >> reporter: but are americans listening? according to the pugh research center, only one in ten people say they have definitively made up their minds during or just after presidential debates. >> it might move the needle a point or two, and that could be enough in a couple key states to tip the balance in the election. >> reporter: until then, the debates are set and the rules are mostly established as two aging political heavyweights suit up for the fight of their lives. >> and vaughn joins me live. good morning. there is another wild card in play here. independent candidate bobby

kennedy jr. is hoping to qualify for those presidential debates. could he get on the stage, and how might that change things? >> reporter: willie, right now the answer is still unclear because the biden campaign has explicitly stipulated as part of its demands to trump no third-party candidate takes part ensuring it's a mano a mano. trump says they fear him winning the debate and adding the kennedy campaign did talk with cnn about meeting some of the qualification thresholds to appear on the stage. both sides fear they'll take votes away from them, but trump, april mid all this back and forth this week, said he would have, quote, no problem welcoming kennedy to the debate stage. we are now less than 40 days until that first debate in atlanta. willie? >> just over a month to go. getting going early this year. vaughn, thanks so much. we appreciate it. coming up next a "sunday sitdown" with glen powell on the new film he co-wrote and stars in while working with one of the most acclaimed directors in

hollywood. and the wisdom from denzel washington and tom cruise that has guided his success. and then, a life well lived. the grammy winning saxophone player who took up the instrument on the advice of a doctor and played on some of the most famous songs in the history of music. and, as we head to break, our photo of the week, a miniature poodle named sage standing tall onuesd as best in show at the westminster kennel club dog show in new york. the 3-year-old from houston becomes the first female dog to win the coveted title since 2020. out on top announcing this going year's will be the last of his year's will be the last of his 45 westminster dog show spring into savings this moving season with pods. save up to 25% now on moving and storage... and see why pods has been trusted with over 6 million moves. but don't wait, save up to 25% now.

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are asking a judge to reopen the sentencing for david depape. he's the man convicted of breaking into nancy pelosi's home and attacking her husband. on friday, a judge sentenced

apap to 30 years in prison, but prosecutors say depape wasn't given the opportunity to speak. law requires a judge ask the defendant if they want to speak during sentencing. the judge agreed with prosecutors and scheduled a new sentencing hearing for may 28th. depape still faces separate state charges. jury selection for that trial begins this coming week. drivers in the east bay may notice more traffic than usual this weekend. that's because part of southbound 680 in san ramon is closed through very early tomorrow morning. we want to show you where this is happening in the red section. it's two miles between el costa boulevard in san ramon and the six 8580 interchange in pleasanton. one northbound lane also is closed. it's all part of that ongoing project to repave. 680 caltrans crews are closing potholes, fixing deteriorated pavement. unlike other weekend closures we've seen, this one isn't a full closure. the two

right lanes of southbound 680 are staying open. alternate routes include 780 highway four, highway 24, caltrans says all lanes of 680 will be reopened by 4 a.m. tomorrow morning. all right, let's check in with cinthia pimentel for a look at our sunday microclimate forecast . good morning kira. good morning everyone. well, compared to yesterday, we're seeing some areas of some patchy clouds. but overall, off to a clear start down here in san jose over on towards walnut creek. just a little bit of those gloomy skies. but i see more sunshine coming into the picture in a few hours as we go on into san francisco. here's where some of the areas of those patchy clouds are hanging around. but it should start to clear out and actually give way to a very beautiful day in san francisco. what's the biggest event? of course, you've heard it all week long. we're preparing for bay to breakers. it starts at eight this morning. there's all kinds of road closures and stuff, but as far as the temperatures go, runners out there chilly. you know that san francisco weather, we're starting off in the 50s, but then by the middle of the

run, more of that sunshine. we can see the clouds clearing out and then if you plan to hang out in the city, temperatures will be in the 60s under mostly sunny skies. it will turn breezy, however, out there, out along the coastline, as far as we go inland. it's the last day of the cocoa county fair out in antioch, and here's where you can go if you're looking for definitely more of that sunshine and that feels like summer vibe out there. temperatures as we go throughout the morning, 50 to 60s to 70s by lunchtime and then into the afternoon 80. so you want to make sure that you're staying hydrated and wearing a lot of sunscreen. there are a lot more events that i have to get through, and of course, that 7-day forecast with some changes ahead, we're on that roller coaster once again, but i'll send it back to you, kira. all right. cynthia, thanks. coming up this morning on today in the bay, as cynthia just mentioned, the countdown to bay to breakers is on preparations underway. hundreds of runners getting ready for the big race this morning. we'll have that. plus all your top stories coming up at seven. we hope you join us in the meantime, enjoy sunday today with willie geist

i'm not going to announce my vp pick just yet. in many ways it will be determined by the winner of the jake paul/mike tyson fight. so i'll be watching that very closely. >> that is james austin johnson as former president trump on last night's season 49 finale of "saturday night live."

jake gyllenhaal hosted the show with musical guest sabrina carpenter. at this time two years ago glen powell's life was about to change with the release of "top gun: maverick." tom cruise convinced him to play the hotshot pilot hangman. "top gun" went on to make nearly a billion and a half dollars at the box office making powell a star around the world. then he and sydney sweeney teamed up for the romantic comedy "anyone but you," which did $220 million worth of business. powell arriving on hollywood's a-list after a long, steady career that began more than two decades ago with "spy kids 3d." glen and i got together in new york for a "sunday sitdown" where we were joined by his rescue puppy. i'm happy to see you but i'm

really here for brisket. >> i'm getting used to that this is the true wingman on every corner of the planet. >> glen powell knows a thing or two about being a wing man. >> good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. this is your savior speaking. >> that breakout performance as a swaggering fighter pilot in the 2022 summer blockbuster "top gun: maverick" sent powell's career into a steep climb. >> which one of you all has what it takes to follow me? >> now, the 35-year-old has landed in the film "hitman," a passion project he co-wrote, co-produced and stars in. >> how many of you think you know yourselves? >> your fingerprints are all over it from co-write to go co-producing to starring in it. does that change your experience as an actor in the movie? >> i did have a little bit of a moment of panic right before we started, and i was like, did i write something that i can't pull off? when you have a collaborator that you can talk with and get into the trenches with, none of

those conversations are scary. >> powell collaborated on "hitman" with a hero, famed director richard linkleiter from "dazed and confused" and "the before" trilogy. it must say where you've come that he said, i want you to be my peer on this. >> yes. >> i don't just want you to be in my film. let's write together. help me produce this. >> i get to be on set with richard on something we cooked up topgt and look at him eye to eye as a collaborator and friend. >> congrats, gary, you got promoted to contract killer. >> powell plays gary johnson, a college professor who moon lights for his local police department going undercover as a decoy hitman. the film is based loosely on the real gary johnson who powell discovered while reading an

article in "texas monthly magazine." what about it told you, oh, i think there's a movie in here? >> immediately, i was like this is a fascinating character. he would psycho analyze you and figure out what your fantasy of a hitman was. they called him the lawrence olivier of fake hitmen. he feels like he's embracing humanity in a way he can't when he's gary. and i started thinking about how we all do that. you go to a costume party. you put on a different outfit, a different personality comes out. that's what makes this movie really universal is people can look at us and assume one thing, but we all contain multitudes, all these different things that are exciting and things we want people to see and express. >> leading man success hardly has been overnight for powell who grew up in austin, texas, playing sports with an occasional acting gig mixed in. >> but i'm like, danger, dude. gosh. >> casting agents in hollywood

could not resist you after they saw tape of danger dude? i think that's really what put you over the top, right? >> why were you watching "danger dude"? >> digging deep. >> that's the most impressive journalism i've ever seen in my life. oh, fine. i did this internet safety video called the safe side where i played this character named danger dude, which is a napoleon dynamite knockoff. >> it was like an impersonation. >> we all get a start somewhere. i love that you bring it up. >> still a high school senior, powell made the natural leap from playing danger dude to appearing with denzel washington in the 2007 film "the great debaters." >> nonviolence is the mask civil disobedience wears to reveal its true face. >> he said, you should double down on yourself. give it a shot. >> if denzel washington tells you you're good at something, that's a good sign to keep going. >> especially a 17-year-old kid.

>> you were in high school. >> you owe me. you owe me. >> after a year of college, powell chased his dream to los angeles where the next decade or so was a slow burn of supporting roles in movies and on tv. "top gun" and "anyone but you" co-starring sydney sweeney made him a bona fide star. >> are you two -- >> getting to know each other in a respectful manner, one befitting a kind woman as your daughter. >> you guys come along, could you have imagined what it became? >> what i'm really proud of on "anyone but you" is sydney and i took a gamble that people would pay their $15, leave the house, get the sitter, whatever it means, to show up to the theater for a movie that's just about love. >> so how many rom-com scripts did you get the monday after opening weekend? whatever you want, please, please.

>> totally. sydney and i want to get back in the trenches together on all of it. it's like julia and george, matthew and kate, these people who work together over and over again. somebody you have a great creative partnership with and somebody you can really trust, you want to just keep doing that. there's no reason to do it any other way. >> so more coming from the two of you. >> yeah, my agent is going to hate me for saying this, but we are reading. it was fun. >> stupid but fun. >> well, that's the best kind. >> so you save the romantic comedy, thank you for that, and the year before that you saved theatrical movies altogether with "top gun: maverick." thank you for that as well. >> you're welcome. i am good, rooster. i'm very good. tom gave me this great advice when i was waffling on if i was going to do "top gun" at all. he was relentless. he invited me into the process, and that's how tom works. it's a team sport. it's a living, breathing organism where you're all contributing ideas, but, yeah,

that movie changed my life in so many ways but really it was a signal of a new chapter in my life and ownership over that new chapter. ♪♪ >> a new chapter for glen powell that has been worth the wait. >> you have to just continue to tell yourself that you're sort of the underdog in the story and eventually it's going to lead to a big gain. >> and makes where you're sitting right now all the sweeter. you hung in. >> i think that's really where i'm taking in the moment right now, i've always kept my head down, keep at it. now i get to sit down with people like you and talk about this in a way that's -- yeah, it's been really amazing and surreal. >> "hitman" will be in select theaters this friday, may 24th and on netflix june 7th. glen is the producer along with j.j. abrams of the stunning i max documentary the blue angels about the famed navy pilots in theaters now. and his big budget disaster movie "twisters" is out in july.

i told you he's in demand. our thanks to primo's in new york for hosting our conversation. don't forget to subscribe to the "sunday sitdown" podcast to hear the full extended interview with glen powell, much more in there. can you find that on apple podcasts or wherever you get yours. and next week on memorial day weekend, we kick off the summer with one of our favorites, darius rucker on his path from playing college bars to leading one of the biggest bands in the world and then finding chart-topping success again in country music. darius rucker next w

ahead on "sunday today," our highs and lows of the week including the story behind this driveway mural of a boat and one california man's clever way around a city ordinance. but up next, our "sunday spotlight" on the 50th anniversary of "people" magazine documenting a half century of american pop culture. [ doorbell rings ] you must be isaac. come on in. [ sighs ] here's my pride and joy. [ romantic music plays ] ♪♪ beautiful stair renovation, sir. and they're covered with your home and auto bundle with progressive, so you get round-the-clock protection. so, is gabby coming down? oh, she said she'll meet you at the prom.

alice loves the scent of gain so much, she wished there was a way to make it last longer. say hello to your fairy godmother alice and long-lasting gain scent beads. part of the irresistible scent collection from gain! the first issue of a new venture called "people" magazine was published 50 years ago. actress mia farrow starring at the time in the new movie "the great gatsby" graced the cover. the first of thousands of stars to smile out at america from newsstands, grocery store lines and online. nbc's joe fryer looks back at a half seven century of "people." >> reporter: for "people" magazine age isn't best measured in years but in issues, 2,600 of

them, some now plastering the walls of a new exhibit in new york. >> we tried to make sure we had a look at everything that we cover. royal, human interests, lives that have been lost. >> reporter: a celebration of 50 years of "people." the magazine debuted with a mission striving to give a nation exhausted by war and scandal something different. >> we cover extraordinary people doing ordinary things and ordinary people doing extraordinary things. >> reporter: mia farrow graced the first cover, a look replicated 40 years later by taylor swift. >> here's one, here's two, here's three. >> reporter: for celebrities with marathon careers like drew barrymore, "people" is like a photo album. >> that's my very first. >> and so many of them said their very first cover of "people," that was the moment you knew you had made it. >> reporter: the same could be said for michael j. fox.

>> a chronicler of my life in a sense. >> reporter: his first cover was in 1987. he returned 11 years later revealing to the world he had parkinson's disease. it's also where tina turner opened up for the first time about her abusive marriage. >> that gave so many other people courage to step forward and to get to a safe place. talking to "people" means can you have that ripple effect. >> reporter: it can't be easy to convince celebrities to be so personal about things. >> they feel more comfortable with us. >> reporter: the best-selling cover, the 9/11 issue. the person who has appeared on the most covers, princess diana, 59 times. but don't just judge the magazine by its cover, the images inside are important, too. i know "people" doesn't dwell on politics, but we have the carters, president george w. bush, the obamas. they are part of our pop culture, right? >> they absolutely are. our mission is to show them in a

way you don't typically see them. >> reporter: sometimes "people" shows stars in a way everyone sees them. >> when i tell people, they say who is going to be the next sexiest man alive. >> and you answer? >> if i told you, i would probably have to kill you. >> reporter: a tradition that started in 1985. we are reminded that sexy has many definitions. >> it's definitely not just about love and charisma. it's an incredible mix of men i would be more than happy to have a dinner party with. >> reporter: so iconic it's said to be one of the most requested items for time capsules something worth saving for people who need "people." joe fryer, nbc news, new york. >> joe, thank you. and happy big 5-0 to our friends at "people." we highlight another life well lived. i could name those who benefited over the last 50 years or so from the accompaniment of

saxophonist david sandborn but it's easier to say he played with just about all of them. ♪♪ that is sanborn and his famous alto sax opening the david bowie classic "young america." ♪♪ over the years sanborn played and toured with the likes of stevie wonder, the rolling stones, elton john, bruce springsteen -- ♪♪ -- james brown, miles davis, and james taylor. ♪ how sweet it is to be loved by you ♪ >> growing up in suburban st. louis, sanborn contracted polio at the age of 3. he suffered lifelong physical

injuries and was placed in an iron lung for a year. when sanborn was 11, a doctor recommended he take up the saxophone to strengthen his ailing lungs. the rest is music history. by 24, sanborn was playing woodstock as a member of the paul butterfield blues band. as a solo artist, he recorded 25 albums going gold eight times and platinum once, winning six grammys along the way. he even was a member for a time of the "saturday night live" band. david sanborn, an innovative and prolific master of the saxophone, died last sunday at home in terrytown, new york. he was 78 years old. ♪♪ welcome to the new petsmart treats rewards™ collect points with every purchase.

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it is time for the highs and lows of the week. our first high goes to the player of the week in major league baseball who happens to be a guy sitting in the stands at the left-field line in seattle, a fan named josh george

showed good hands and even better luck during the mariners' game against kansas city on monday. a nice grab here on a foul ball off the bat of seattle's josh rojas. going home with a nice game-used souvenir, now that's a good day at the old yard. but then, on the very next pitch, the impossible. >> again, straightened out a little bit more. into the corner. what have we got? he got both! he got them both! >> i mean, come on. george grabbing another foul ball next pitch, same hitter, same spot. unreal. as george became a viral star, the mariners invited him back to the ballpark to throw out two ceremonial first pitches. and who was his catcher? josh rojas, the mariner who sent those foul balls his way. >> when you catch two foul

balls, you have to throw two, get back there, josh, two ceremonial first pitches. he has the other in his back pocket. i think this might be the first time we've had one guy throw two pitches. >> i think you're right about that. >> george is with his grandpa at the game when he caught the foul balls and said they will be displayed prominently at grandpa's house. our first low to everybody suddenly becoming an art critic after the revem of first portrait of king charles iii on tuesday. acclaimed british artist jonathan yo spent years getting it just right. he had four sitings with charles dating back to his time as prince of wales. the portrait has been a bit divisive with one critic wondering if he had any colors in his palate other than fire engine red. i kind of like it actually. apparently the king is happy, too, but i do confess my first thought was one many people also

apparently had this week. king charles looks an awful lot like hans solo frozen in carbonite in "the return of the jedi." it is very close, right? our next high to one man's skirting of a city code in seaside, california. the fabulously named constable was informed by the city that the boat parked in his driveway needed to be hidden from public view or he would face a fine. so he put in a six-foot fence and then had his talented neighbor paint a photo realistic mural of that same 19-foot sea ranger right there on the fence. that is fully code compliant, folks. one member of the city council said, quote, i applaud the constituent's creative approach. translation, well played, sir. well played. our final low goes to taking a wrong turn on an evening stroll and finding yourself right in the middle of a major league soccer match.

a raccoon sauntered on the field in a game in philadelphia wednesday night. players from the philadelphia union and visiting new york city football club took a break as groundskeepers tried to corral the little striker. the raccoon almost scoring an own goal before finally being captured like a, forgive me, trash panda. >> three or four people around him and still the raccoon goes on. this is marvelous entertainment. >> at what point are we just rooting for him? >> go on, raccoon. nearly got away. don't hurt him. they got him. they got the raccoon! >> go on, raccoon. the raccoon was released back into the wild and even earned a nickname from the announcers in nickname from the announcers in the did you know... 80% of women are struggling with hair damage? just like i was. dryness and frizz could be damaged hair that can't retain moisture. new pantene miracle rescue deep conditioner, with first-of-its-kind melting pro-v pearls...

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we have more of your "sunday today" mug shots this week. starting across the top at the grand canyon in arizona where sisters susan and shirley are taking in one of the most breathtaking views on the planet. great shot. pat and bob were celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary by hiking with llamas at dakota ridge farm in boston. happy anniversary, guys. good morning to maria from del ray beach, florida, taking in the views in greece. looks like a great trip. congratulations to rebecca, graduating with her ph.d. in arts administration from the university of kentucky. well done, doctor. go cats. down along the bottom, claire, karen on a visit to atlantic, new jersey, one of the famed piers behind them. love it. how about this one, sisters

kelly, kerry and katie on safari in kenya with the wild elephants behind them there. i honestly cannot believe you brought the mugs out on safari. you are amazing. and check out this group in new orleans. longtime college friends kathy, linda, joanne, alicia and low ann. they lived in the same dorm and they get together every year to celebrate their friendship. i love that. cheers to you and smart to post the before picture before a night on bourbon street. you might see yourself next week and, remember, you can get that big old "sunday today" mug online at today.com/shop. a reminder you can stream "today" live every morning, including sundays, on peacock. thank you for spending part of your morning with us. we will see you right back here next week on "sunday today."

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♪♪ this sunday, up for debate. >> make my day, pal. >> president biden and donald trump agree to face off on a debate stage next month, the earliest general election debate in history. >> i just want to debate this guy. who will benefit more from the event and could a third party