here's nbc's hallie jackson. >> reporter: from a florida prison cell in careful cursive, one of the most notorious gangsters confesses he took the wrong road. whitey bulger writing, my life was wasted and spent foolishly, brought shame and suffering on my parents and siblings and will end soon. but bulger didn't mail this to the fbi or his victims' families. he sent the letter to three teenage girls. >> we were so shocked when we got the letter. it was huge. we didn't expect it to go this far at all. >> reporter: the friends had been working on a project at their boston area high school about leadership. instead of picking a president or ceo, they profiled bulger, a violent crime boss captured in california after more than 16 years on the run and convicted for his role in 11 murders. in his letter, bulger warned the teens not to look to him for advice, but he gave them some anyway. i know only one thing for sure. if you want to make crime pay, go to law school. >> to see him show remorse and to be despondent for us acknowledging him as a leader, i think that was the most interesting aspe

nbc's hallie jackson reports on what she did and what it means for the future of music. ♪ say can you believe it ♪ >> reporter: when taylor swift sings, her fans hang on every word. when she speaks, so does the music industry. the proof? apple's about-face as it gets ready to roll out its new service that will stream music online. >> we're making the first three months free. >> reporter: the company wasn't planning to pay artists for their music during that free trial. until swift released an open letter on tumblr, writing, "we don't ask you for free iphones. please don't ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation." less than 24 hours later apple changed its tune. >> she's 25. she made the biggest company in the world reverse course in 24 hours. >> that's astounding. >> reporter: last year she pulled her songs off the streaming site spotify because she says it didn't pay artists enough. >> her power is in her massive fan base, her very loud megaphone, which is her social media following, and the business smarts that she has by being a part owner in her own record compa

nbc's hallie jackson tells us more about it. >> reporter: looking at him today you'd never know mobius loop had measles a few months ago. too young to be vaccinated he was one of 147 patients who caught the virus during an outbreak that started in disneyland and spread to other states. >> i'm trying hard not to be angry, but it's very frustrating. he didn't need to get measles. this outbreak didn't need to happen. >> reporter: now to protect kids like mobius california lawmakers are sending a controversial mandatory vaccine bill to governor jerry brown's desk. if he signs it, it would give the state one of the strictest vaccine laws in the nation joining only mississippi and west virginia in requiring schoolkids to have vaccines unless they have a medical reason. no personal or even religious exemptions are allowed. that's infuriated opponents. >> taking the right away of parents to do what they think and believe is best for their children. >> reporter: what happens in california could have a ripple effect. >> trends do start in california. and i do think the rest of the country often

hallie jackson, nbc news, orlando. >>> we're back in a moment with a controversy involving donald trump, beautiful women and what many considered ugly remarks. >>> just nine days after he announced for president, donald dump is in the middle of a donald trump is in the middle of a firestorm after something he said while making the announcement. the fallout not just political but financial and donald trump seems to be thriving on the attention. katy tur has more. >> reporter: no stranger to controversy, donald trump is at it again, and he's not backing down. today threatening to tszyuny vision for dropping the miss usa pageant which it planned to air in spanish-speaking countries around the world next month. >> they have an ironclad contract to broadcast miss usa and miss universe. they have an ironclad, they can't just do this. >> reporter: univision, this country's biggest spanish language broadcaster said it was severing ties with the tycoon based on his racist remarks about mexican immigrants remarks he made while announcing his run for president last week. >> when mexico sends its p

nbc's hallie jackson has a closer look as part of our special series going to extremes. >> reporter: this morning instead of harvesting his asparagus, joe is ripping it out. why? >> because we don't have enough water for it. and we're very uncertain about what we're going to have next year. >> reporter: he's plowing under 155 acres, ironically on the same land president obama visited last spring. >> there's a huge demand for all this fresh produce. that's what i mentioned to the president. we produce healthy food that the first lady would like to see our children eating. >> reporter: california grows the most asparagus of any state. the most broccoli. lettuce. and strawberries, too. in all, nearly half our produce comes from here. but this year, growers will leave more than half a million acres unplanted. about 7% of farmland in a state that feeds the nation. but even the president can't make it rain. >> i think it's important that all of us take responsibility, because it's not just california. >> reporter: the drought could drive up food prices nationwide about 2%. but its costs ar

nbc's hallie jackson now on kicking the habit. >> reporter: at 10:00 p.m. bedtime's just beginning for danny fulton. tonight like every night he turns to his tablet, then his phone, some tv and the phone again. >> you watch 1:00 a.m. go and then 2:00 a.m. go and then 3:00 a.m. >> reporter: scrolling and squirming. >> i reach for the phone. that can start with a simple work e-mail or a skype message, and it may end with youtube videos or a wikipedia page. you just never know. >> reporter: after just four hours of sleep dan is up again for good. >> ended up dozing off about 3:00 a.m. >> reporter: he heads to work, functioning but barely. >> i'm addicted to the device at some point. >> reporter: why not put it in a drawer or in another room when you go to bed? >> i can't break free from it. >> reporter: experts say it's no coincidence 95% of us look at some kind of screen within an hour of bedtime and 85% have trouble falling asleep. >> with all the devices that we carry around, hold right next to our face and check our e-mails or watch movies or whatever it i

hallie jackson, nbc news los angeles. >>> when we come back here tonight, half off bananas, spaghetti at a third of the usual price. how this grocery store manages to offer such deep discounts every day. if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. isn't it time to let the real you shine through? introducing otezla apremilast. otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. some people who took otezla saw 75% clearer skin after 4 months. and otezla's prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't take otezla if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. otezla may increase the risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts, or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. side effects may include diarrhea nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you're pregnant or planning to be. ask your doctor ab

as hallie jackson reports, that can make relationships stronger. >> i'm her little sister. >> reporter: every night, nicola gets tucked in ready for sweet dreams but for her mom, bedtime is a nightmare. johanna is up for hours, her husband is not. snoring so loudly, you can hear him down the hall. >> i end up waking him up in the middle of the night. >> reporter: that made more miserable mornings, two kids, two jobs and tons of stress and this happily married couple found themselves fighting. >> the arguing would happen when we're not sleeping well. >> yes. >> yes. >> reporter: they needed a solution fast they found one in the guest room. accept -- separate beds. couples who sleep better. it's called sleep divorce, twice as popular now. >> if both partners are sleeping better, they are more likely to behave better in their intimate relationship. >> reporter: studies show people toss and turn more next to someone else but most of us would rather have the company anyway, plus, there is a stigma when you're not sleeping together you're not sleeping together. >> when people hear couples sl

hallie jackson in spokane for us. thank you. we should mention rachel dolezal will speak out in an exclusive live interview tomorrow morning on "today." >>> in upstate new york investigators now say they believe those two killers still on the loose had even more help than previously thought. today their alleged accomplice joyce mitchell was in court again. this time the former prison worker in shackles, bulletproof vest, and jailhouse stripes. tonight, was there a plot to kill her husband? nbc national correspondent miguel almaguer has the latest. >> reporter: shackled in a bulletproof vest and a jailhouse jumpsuit joyce mitchell looked frazzled as she faced a judge. >> i've gone over the charges with miss mitchell. >> reporter: the tailor sop supervisor accused of smuggling hacksaw blades and chisels to help escaped killers richard matt and david swet. >> joyce talked to him about her involvement during the last few days before she was arrested. >> reporter: mitchell's new attorney assigned to the case today says only she's ple

signed sealed, and delivered with love. >> that's good right there. >> reporter: hallie jackson, nbc news, bridal veil, organization. >> we'll be watching the mail for our invite. >>> that will do it for us on this wednesday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching, and good night. night. >>> lights camera access. ♪ >> what a difference. just call her cait. is a cosmetics deal already booked? i'm billy

demanding the industry shake it up. >> reporter: hallie jackson, nbc news berkeley california. >>> we're back in just a moment with a spectacular sight i'm caridee. i've had moderate to severe plaque psoriasis most of my life. but that hasn't stopped me from modeling. my doctor told me about stelara® it helps keep my skin clearer. with only 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses... ...stelara® helps me be in season. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections require hospitalization. before starting stelara® your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection have had cancer, or if you develop any new skin growths. do not take stelara® if you are allergic to stelara® or any of its ingredients. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare potentially fatal brain condition. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you

signed sealed, and delivered with love. >> that's good right there. >> reporter: hallie jackson, nbc news, bridal veil, organization. >> we'll be watching the mail for our invite. >>> that will do it for us on this wednesday night. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thank you for watching, and good night. >>> nbc bay area news starts now. >>> right now, 4:30 the superstars grooving in oakland. that's lebron james. the clock is ticking. >> the average tech worker now making more than $300,000. how these high salaries are el henning and hurting the bay area. >> >> and firefighters are call thing year's fire season catastrophic. thanks for being with us. i'm raj mathai. >> i'm janelle wang. this is a brush fire in antioch. we've seen several of these this year. michelle roberts is live where crews are getting ready for a potentially dangerous fire season. michelle? >> reporter: this is what they're up against this season. i'm told if i were standing in this spot last year this grass would be below my knees. but because we had some rain in the winter and spring this is the grass

celebrations are under way tonight, and nbc's hallie jackson has all the latest. >> reporter: from the stonewall inn in new york to san francisco's city hall celebrations decades in the making. but perhaps none as meaningful as these. same-sex marriage ceremonies in states where it was illegal before today. like in arkansas. >> spouses for life. >> reporter: and in texas where jack evans and george harris finally wed after 50 years together. >> we didn't want to rush into anything. but we're ready. >> reporter: the paperwork was not quite with the word "woman" still printed on the marriage license. >> the time has come and texas has finally caught. with history. love rules. >> reporter: social media lit up with profile pictures turning to rainbows and 33,000 tweets per minute at its peak. ellen degeneres writing simply "love won." and tim cook apple's openly gay ceo, calling it a victory for equality, perseverance and love. >> you wouldn't think that something so basic could take so long. >> reporter: two decades ago, only 27% of americans supported same-sex marriage. now 60% do. but t

our hally jackson explains. >> reporter: in a building the size of a postage stamp in a town not much bigger -- >> this is i think the only business here. >> reporter: -- business is booming at the third smallest post office in america. >> wedding invitations? >> yes. yes. we do. >> reporter: after all, it's wedding season and this is bridal veil. home to a particular postmark coveted by couples like christine and tyler who drove two hours to get two doves and two hearts on their wedding invitations. >> everybody pays attention to the little details. they kind of push them over the edge and make them that much more meaningful i think. >> reporter: soon-to-be brides also flock post offices in romance, arkansas bliss, new york and loveland colorado. but at bridal veil bridal mail is 95% of its business. would this post office exist if it weren't for the -- for the brides? >> i don't think so. luckily, there are plenty of brides. there is no shortage of brides, trust me. >> reporter: nearly 200,000 invitations a year come from as far as south korea and australia. >> they want the fairyta

our hally jackson has more. >> reporter: rachel dolezal announced today she will step down as president of spokane's naacp chapter saying "i will never stop fighting for human rights and will do everything in my power to help and assist whether it means stepping up or stepping down because this is not about me. it's about justice." but dolezal's 35550-word statement didn't contain the two words this activist wanted to see. i'm sorry. >> you may not copy my people's struggle my women's struggle and call them your own when that never happened to you. >> reporter: online reaction was swift and sharp. one person tweeting "but is she going to quit being black?" another, "there is nothing in her resignation that suggests she couldn't have simply told the truth." dolezal's story viral ever since her biological parents said the civil rights activist was born white. >> we just hope and pray that she will be successful in her pursuit to come into a more realistic and truthful way of living. >> reporter: so far dolezal has not offered an explanation, but that hasn't stopped what's become a nationa

>> reporter: for "today," hallie jackson, nbc news. >> we are joined by her parents. good morning. >> good morning. >> she teaches african studies. when do you think she started to identify as african-american? >> i think her identification with african-americans has been over 20 years, but her choice to represent herself visually as an african-american or be involved in their causes and now to be deceptive about what her ethnicity is those are two different things. that's what's changed. >> why do you think she for lack of a better word has changed her identity? >> well she sought to change her identity. of course that's not possible. i don't know why she's chosen to be deceptive about her true identity. >> mr. dolezel, a local reporter shows rachel and picture of you and was asked if this is your dad. did you know about that and how did that make you feel? >> well it isn't very warm when you see your daughter calling someone else dad when you know you are her birth father. >> when you saw the interview on tape as her parents, what did you think? >> we thought rachel

nbc's hally jackson has a look at farm lands that aren't being farmed. >> this morning instead of harvesting asper gus, joe is ripping it out. why? >> because we don't have enough water for it. and we are very uncertain about what we will have next year. >> he is plowing under 155 acres. ironically on the same land president obama visited last spring. >> there's a huge demand for all of this fresh produce. that's what i mentioned to the president. we produce healthy food that first lady would like to see our children eating. >> california grow he the most asparagus of any state. most broccoli lettuce and strawberries too. in all, nearly half of our produce comes from here. but this year growers will leave more than half million acres unplanted. about 7% of farm land in a state that feeds the nation. but even the president can't make it rain. >> i think it's important that all of us take responsibility. it is not just california. >> the drought could drive up food prices nationwide about 2%. butity its kost /* /* but its cost is much more for farm hands. >> food banks like this one in fresno

hallie jackson, nbc news. >> we're going to update the top story of the day, the boston shooting and terror suspect, police taking the unprecedented shep of showing community leaders in boston a tape of the deadly encounter after claims that the suspect was shot in the back. >>> usa freedom act now in effect, the government with reduced powers to monitor conversations. >> is the usa freedom act a victory for edward snowden? the pulse is up live now. we want to hear from you and we'll have your results with frances in the next hour. stay with us. my school reunion's coming fast. could be bad. could be a blast. can't find a single thing to wear. will they be looking at my hair? won't be the same without you bro. when it's go, go to the new choicehotels.com. the site with the right room, rewards and savings up to 20% when you book direct. choicehotels.com i knew instantly that this was...wow! it's crest hd. it's amazing. new crest hd gives you a 6x healthier mouth and 6x whiter teeth in just one week. it gets practically every detail. that's why it's called hd. try new crest pro-health

here's hallie jackson on kicking that habit. >> at 10:00 p.m. bedtime is just beginning for danny fulton. tonight like every night he turns to his tablet phone, tv and the phone again. >> you watch 1:00 a.m. go and then 2:00 a.m. go and 3:00 a.m. >> scrolling and squirming. >> i reach for the phone. it can start with a simple work e-mail or message and it may end with youtube video. >> after four hours of sleep he'll up again for good. >> ended up dozing off. >> i'm addicted to the device at some points. >> why not put it in a drawer or another room when you go to bed. >> i can't break free from it. >> 95% of us look at some kind of screen within an hour of bedtime and 85% have trouble falling asleep. >> with all of the devices that we carry around it is delaying what our brain interprets as sunset. >> they send a signal it's still daylight triggering a surge of energy and blocking what makes us sleepy. no wonder with the device on nearly every night stand one in three people sleeps less than six hours a day raising the risk for diabetes heart d

for today, hallie jackson, nbc news, los angeles. >> it has sparked that discussion. we talk about events and moment that's dominate the internet. over the last couple days, this has been topic one, two, and three. >> and a cultural tipping point, too. >> no question. we want to mention a new documentary called "i am cait" on july 26th at 9:00 eastern and pacific time. >> coming up next on trending, recognize sh guy? he's got to see the prank that channing tatum placed. >> and we'll introduce you to a remarkable couple brought together by a ground breaking surgery. carson? >> beautiful. and with the beautiful joan lunden, we have a lot of catching up to do with joan after these quick messages. we'll do that with joan after these quick messages. ♪ and you for me. ♪ ♪ so happy together! ♪ now there's a rewards program that lets you earn points at one place and use them at another. introducing plenti. ♪ ♪ ♪ when it comes to rewards there's plenti together. ♪ ♪ ♪ new dannon oikos triple zero is my go to protein snack. protein from yogurt? yeah, this gr

for "today," hallie jackson, nbc news, los angeles. >> it has sparked that discussion. we talk about moments that dominate the internet. over the last couple of days this has been topic one, two, and three. >> and a cultural tipping point too. >> no question. we want to mention the new documentary series "i am cait" premiered sunday july 26 at 9:00 eastern and pacific time. >>> coming up next on "trending," recognize this guy? you've got to see the prank that channing tatum just pulled on "magic mike" fans. >>> plus we'll introduce you a remarkable couple brought together by a ground breaking surgery. >>> i'm with the beautiful joan london cancer free one year after her diagnosis. we have a lot of catching up to do. we'll do that with j ♪ me and you, ♪ ♪ and you and me. ♪ ♪ no matter how they tossed the dice. ♪ ♪ it had to be. ♪ ♪ the only one for me is you. ♪ ♪ and you for me. ♪ ♪ so happy together! ♪ now there's a rewards program that lets you earn points at one place and use them at another. introducing plenti. ♪ ♪ ♪ when it comes to

for today, hallie jackson, nbc news san francisco. >>> we all feel like slackers don't we? >> but also as parents it takes a lot of guts to say okay i'm going to let you go because i think you got extraordinary talent because you are always afraid something going to be -- >> there's always something. when i dropped out of college to pursue this. >> while you are in school others are spasing in the field of their choice. >> we're going to sweeten up your summer with five ingredient desserts. one of them is nutella. >>> 8:45 . this morning on today's kitchen, quick and easy five ingredient desserts to sweeten up your summer. with us pastry chef and author of let them eat cake. good morning. welcome back. twice this week. >> twice. >> that's good. >> i have been sleeping here. >> that's all right. you brought dessert. that's important. >> yeah. >> i loved this when i was reading about it. when you open a cookbook and see a recipe with 55 ingredients you're intimidated. >> you are. especially in the summer time when you don't want to turn on the oven and have all the sweaty mes

for "today," hallie jackson, nbc news san francisco. >> we all feel like slackers don't we? >> as parents it takes guts to say, okay i will let you go because i think you have extraordinary talent because you are always afraid something will go wrong. >> there are jobs even for us in entertainment. when i started in radio i dropped out of college to start working. tech might be similar to that. >> while you are in schooler or some of the kids would be in school others are surpassing in the field of choice. >> makes sense for some kids for sure. up next we'll sweeten up summer with tasty five-ingredient desserts. one of them is nutella which i support. first, this is "today" on nbc. >>> 8:45 . this morning on today's kitchen, quick and easy five ingredient desserts to sweeten up your summer. with us pastry chef and author of let them eat cake. good morning. welcome back. twice this week. >> twice. >> that's good. >> i have been sleeping here. >> that's all right. you brought dessert. that's important. >> yeah. >> i loved this when i was reading about it. when you open a cookb

first, the latest from hallie jackson. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. many folks here in spokane just want to know why rachael dolezal did what she did. she's been expected to talk about it tonight before the abrupt change of plans less than 24 hours ago. we have learned local naacp leaders may still meet even without dolezal as fallout from the controversy intensifies. >> i was wondering if your dad really is an african-american man. >> that's a very -- i don't know what you're implying. >> reporter: this morning, more questions about when rachael dolezal may talk about why she's apparently been pretending to be black. >> i think she was only trying to match how she felt on the inside. >> reporter: angela works with dolezal in eastern washington university's africana studies program. >> if she feels there is injustice, boom, she'll be on it. if people perceive her as an angry black woman she finds that empowering. >> if you are living in an all-black community, you understand. >> reporter: dolezal's lectured on topics like african-american women and ha

hallie jackson has the story. >> reporter: in the age of the app, when convenience is king it's easier than ever to order a car to pick you up. why stop there? now get a personal evavalet to park your car, get a mechanic to give you an oil change, send groceries or drinks to your door even a doctor if you are dying for a house call. >> what ube r has done to the taxi industry and head it easy to get a car lots of companies are trying to do it for other industries. everyone wants to be uber for x. >> if your clothes aren't fitting well there is an app for that too. when you're a 6'8" pro basketball player it's not easy to find the perfect jacket off the rack. >> it's really hard to go to the store and find something you can really fit and feel like you are wearing it the right way. >> glen "big baby" davis doesn't have time to see a tailor in between games with the l.a. clippers so he's trying a service that bills itself as the uber for tailors. >> you want your clothes to feel you know just as good as you play. >> reporter: the taler sends a professional to your house to customize your

hallie jackson has this story for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this place would be perfect for a famous person stunningly beautiful, private, yet right in the heart of l.a. but the battle over who gets to buy and sell it sounds like the setup to a punch line. what do you get when the cross the catholic church a group of nuns and katy perry and lawyers. before she became one of the biggest pop superstars on the planet katy perry, the daughter of a pastor sang gospel releasing a christian allum. these nuns knew none of that. >> i didn't know who she was. i was concerned about the video the dark horse. >> that grammy performance part of the nuns' research an perry as they look to sell their 8-acre oasis appraised at $13 million thanks to its views and prime location in one of l.a.'s trendiest neighborhoods. katy perry met with the skeptical sisters this spring to convince them they should sell to her, a personal pitch followed by a private performance. >> what did she say? >> what was it? >> oh, happy day. ♪ oh, happy day ♪ >> and while that son