Transcripts For KNTV Today 20110111

>> thesame pacific storm that al was describing is bringing light scattered showers. you can see beautiful shot outside. good conditions this morning the commute is picking up over the bay bridge. scattered shower activity from san francisco north to santa rosa. that will be the case throughout today. showers more steady and the temperatures this morning more on the mild side in the 40s. have a great day. >> and that's your latest >> that's your latest weather. still ahead, michael douglas, his first television interview since undergoing cancer treatment. how he's doing and how his battle has changed his life. " ttle has changed hisis iay"tol but first this is "today onon hand sanitizers are essential, but the alcohol's drying. [ female announcer ] gold bond hand sanitizer kills germs without alcohol, then moisturizes. kills germs. loves your hands. just ahead, jersey shore star snooki on her new book. >> she's going to join us live in the studio after your local news. smoky eyes look amazing, but creating them? that's a whole different story. introducing new almay intense i-color smoky-i kit. first, sweep the smoky eye color across your lid. then add the crease- accentuating shade, and a highlight under your brow. only from almay. only for me. we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned a trip to vegas twice as fast! [ brays ] and since double miles add up fast, we can bring the whole gang. is caesar home? we get double miles every time we use our card, no matter what we're buying. thank you! thank you very much! [ garth ] it's hard to beat double miles! if anyone objects, let them speak now or forever hold their... 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[ female announcer ] roc® we keep our promises. >> good tuesday morning. 7:25. christina will look at the rainy forecast. >> a little sprinkly, but not bad. a lot of the moisture i will show you on your doppler radar, a lot of this is evaporating before making its way to the surface. we have light scattered showers pushing onshore in the santa rosa area this is really, really light activity that will intensify as we head throughout the afternoon. particularly this evening by 5:00 p.m. as you make your way home. the slick conditions. 45 degrees in hayward and a good deck of clouds keeping thingings mild. 25 degrees yesterday in santa rows a. 40 degrees today. as we head throughout the afternoon, row 50s and some cities that tend to get warmer will hit the mid 50s. scattered showers and overcast and clearing by tomorrow and 60 degrees >> tuesday morning very, very crowded out there. look at the toll plaza. the entire area filled in going past west grant avenue. the east shore is dipping in speeds as you approach. things are japing up. we will get a look at the maps. livermore looking slow. 23 machines and building as far as the length of time it takes you. a slow drive approaching the expressway. northbound 101 and 87. really jamming up northbound and the south bay commute. back to you. >> thank you very much, mike. wikileaks founder was back in a london kout house for an extradition hearing. we can tell you about a fire that happened in terrifying moments for people living in an apartment that caught fire. some were rescued off balconies and others jumped. it happened in belmont around 3:00 this morning. the fire was in the back of the unit spreading to the third floor. thanks for joining us. 7:30 now on a tuesday morning, january 11, 2011. that makes it 1/11/11. if you're a person who keeps track of that sort of thing. we have a small but enthusiastic crowd outside. many people are probably already battening down to hatches because we're expecting that storm that people down south have been experiencing to head up north. they're discussing snow in feet not inches. meanwhile inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer, alongside meredith viera. much more on the tragic shooting in tucson, arizona and the accused gunman jared loughner. >> we're going to hear from his college classmates, a college that loughner was eventually expelled from. also ahead on this morning, we're going to have an exclusive interview with michael douglas as the oscar winning actor opens up for the first time since undergoing treatment for throat cancer. he'll tell how you he's feeling now and what his future holds. and later on, we're going to meet a mother who has written a book about raising successful children in what she calls the chinese way. she tells them what activities to take part in. some say she's going too far. the latest on accused gunman jared loughner and how far and how fast his life spiraled out of control. mike tiabbi is in tucson. >> reporter: a lot of people have been puzzled and some frightened by loughner's increasingly erratic behavior. he never specifically threatened anyone with violence. the newly released police photo of jared lee loughner won't shock his former classmates and teachers at pima community college. in fact they're remembering a lot about loughner they would like to forget like the weird laugh at the most inappropriate times. ex-class mates of loughner say he shouted challenges not just confusing but frightening. >> during class i would write my themes on the board kind of like that and then i would look out the corner of my eye, it seemed like every instant, just wondering what he was going to do next. >> reporter: in fact college officials say loughner's disruptive behavior earned him five visits from the campus police and finally expulsion. there had been problems too offcampus, two arrests one for defacing a sign with graffiti, another for possession of drug paraphernalia. then rejection by the army when he tried to enlist, again because of his alleged drug use. there were more wild internet postings, little of it making sense. and in his backyard, investigators found what looks like a crude altar, a replica of a human skull and other ingredients reportedly used in ceremonies of the oak cult. >> the question is who was aware of that and if they were aware of it what did they do about it? >> reporter: at pima community college, campus president would not speak specifically about loughner, but what about any student who acted as he did, frightening but not specifically threatening violence. had the college done all it could have done? >> the answer to that would be yes. the college cannot be judged injury in an incident in which no threat has been made. >> reporter: so loughner was free. no criminal or official mental health record to keep him from buying his gun and his 200 rounds of ammunition leaving experts on mental health issues like our own dr. nancy snyderman to wonder again. >> we'll look back on this as yet one more time and one more awful case when so many people knew a powder keg was about to explode and no one intervened. >> reporter: the obvious question, what about loughner's parents, randy and amy loughner, they have been in seclusion since the shooting rampage. when a neighbor brought them their mail, he came out and said they are ill, they are devastated. they say they had in idea how deeply disturbed he had become. >> nbc analyst clint van zandt is a former fbi profiler. clint, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. >> as mike just pointed out, we're beginning to learn more about jared loughner, who this guy is, the erratic behavior in college, even his teacher said he didn't like to turn his back on the man because he was afraid maybe he would have a gun. those postings online, disturbing videos, but even knowing all of this, clint, is there anything anybody could have done to stop what happened? >> well, i think your statement when you started meredith, you talked about his life, perhaps his mind spiraling out of control, this is somebody who really lived in his own world. students would say he would be in the classroom and he would start laughing and there was nothing funny. these were thoughts, these were processes that were going on in his own mind that obviously only he was aware of and it looks like his own -- the only good friend he had may have been himself and the interaction that he had with himself. so as he spiraled, as he suffered all these losses, all these failures, and dwret maintained this focus on the congresswoman since at least 2007, his fear of the government, thinking the government's engaged in mind control, we may find out, just may find out that all of this negativity, all of his fears, wound up being focused on the congresswoman. >> he lived with his parents and yet they are quoted as saying they had no idea about the severity of his mental condition, even though i guess the school had contacted him when they initially suspendal him and said this son of yours needs a mental evaluation before he can come back to school. they are devastated. but how could they not know? how could they not see the signs? >> we have mass murders two or three times a year in the united states. we go through this who did it, why did they do it, how can we stop it, but in this particular case when there is family, when there are associates, we know the guy just didn't snap, we know that this was gradually built up and who knows our own children better than ourselves as parents. the issue is when the university police came, they delivered a letter, they said your son is basically kicked out of junior college, he cannot return without a mental health exam. and yet there's no evidence that exam took place. i mean did the parents encourage him to get it? realize, he's 22 years old. he makes his own decisions, but he was also living in their home. i think that's a challenge that many parents face today is how do we influence our children when they're making their own decisions. >> isn't that how the fbi found an envelope in a safe, with the words written on it, i planned ahead, my assassination and giffords that certainly suggests that this was something that was planned and not random. >> what's more important to me, meredith, they were found in a safe. what would you and i keep in a safe? we keep what's most important. we may keep irreplaceable family pictures or jewelry or cash. in his case, he kept a 2007 letter from the congresswoman and he kept these notes about what he was planning. as well the fbi suggested there was another note perhaps with some negative information concerning the congresswoman. so again, we have this focus that was taking place but he kept everything it appears related to her locked in this safe. so that was what was most important. that's what he could go back to and refer to and then close the door on that safe and lock it again, and know that no one could get access. >> but clint, does that suggest that it's politically motivated or basically had nothing to do with politics? >> i see nothing that suggests political motivation, meredith. we know that he was a registered independent, we know that he failed to vote in the last election and i have seen nothing in his writings, i have heard people describe him as liberal, as conservative, there's nothing in his writings and there's nothing that so far we know of in evidence that suggests that he was motivated by the media, talk show hosts, left, right, sarah palin, whoever it is, we have no information and again, we have two or three of these mass shootings every year. you and i, meredith, we are motivated for a lot of things, but to blame any one entity, ultimate -- the shooter at virginia tech who committed those terrible acts, he was ultimately responsible. everybody had a piece of this, they knew a little bit about him, but nobody assembled those pieces to show the picture of a mass murder. now let's switch gears and get a check of the weather from al. >> the storm system in the west is headed to the east and is going to cause some problems. this is what it did in omaha last night. caused lots of road delays. it's going the cause an even bigger problem in the northeast. take a look on our map, we have got the temperatures today, much below normal temperatures throughout the plains, teens and 20s, fairly chilly in the pacific northwest as well. the only w >> good morning to you. clear conditions right now and a smooth drive on the golden gate bridge. changings later today. showers spreading south right now. only seeing the scattered showers and very, very light in nature over the north bay. they will continue to spread south tote east and the south bay. by 5:00 p.m., slick conditions for the commute home. the whole thing clears out before we hit tomorrow morning. have a great tuesday >> that's your latest weather. meredith? al, thank you. up next, an exclusive interview with michael douglas, his first since undergoing cancer treatment. right after this. twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. 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i mean you went through a lot of chemotherapy, a lot of radiation, your voice sounds pretty strong. >> uh-huh. >> what are the other effects? >> the salivary ducts have been closed down as a result of the radiation, probably for at least a year or two. so your mouth is very dry, particularly affects you at night for sleeping. there's still a fatigue factor which will progressively go away, but that's about it. >> weight, do you have an appetite? can you eat? >> i'm eating like a pig. i lost about 32 pounds and i put about 12 back. but i got another 20, 25 to go. >> the day before that first radiation treatment or that first chemo therapy treatment, does the mind reel? do you sit and think of all the horror stories you have heard over the years. >> yeah, you do and you don't quite know what to expect with radiation five days a week for seven weeks and you find out about 2/3 of the way in as the sores in your mouth really get large and you can't swallow. >> how miserable was it? >> it was lousy, i wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. >> i was struck by something you said, there was an interview you gave recently to the hollywood reporter, you said, quote, cancer has shown me what family is. it has shown me a love that i never really knew existed. >> it's something that all cancer patients and survivors have gone through and i don't know if it's a combination of a physiological as well, but there's a new depth, you know, maybe it has to do with because it was life threatening. so all of a sudden, the affection from my family, from my friends and from my fans hit me at a much deeper level than i would have ever have imagined before. >> you have got two young children with katherine, dylan and karen. dillon is 10 and karen is 7 or 8. >> 8, yes. >> when you broke the news, what do they know? what don't they mow? >> i told them right at the beginning. >> it's a very scary word for a child. >> it's a very scary word. but i took them down to a couple of radiation treatments so they came into the room and they saw all the star wars going around and they saw them put the mask on your face, because they have to kind of bolt you down like hannibel lecteror something. so it made up for all those days when dad was lying on the couch and couldn't get up. we had a big celebration this last couple of days i found out the tumor's gone. >> let me ask you about another side of this. you have made a long career out of appearing in the public eye. and up on the big screen. you know the leading man, the sex symbol. there were -- don't shake your head. modesty. misplaced modesty. you had photographers following you around during this ordeal, talk to me about that, because there were some pictures that were taken that someone who has known you looked bad. >> people kept saying are you sure you're okay? and finally my father kirk, he came back to new york for ten days and came up to the apartment every day. to see me. because i think that some of these photographs and, you know, who knows if any of them are touched up to even add the macabre effect. >> you were gone. >> i was gone. >> i think he was even concerned. and, yeah, it was not a lot of fun. it's still not. they're there every day. >> this is not a social scandal, this is not a marital issue, this is life and death. >> the amount of paparazzi they have and these video cameras, you just can't do anything. and i resent the amount of imposition on our children too because it used to be at least that we tried to keep them out of that and they don't at all. but there is -- they were having -- there was sort of a macabre enjoyment, out of sort of watching me go down, for a while, i felt, by the paparazzi. >> life today, any restrictions placed on you right now? can you eat anything you want? can you work out? i heard a report that you were at the gym. >> i'm working out, i can eat anything i want. i'm getting my fingers ready for liberace. >> you allowed yourself to look that far down the road. >> absolutely. i think the odds are the tumor's gone and what i know about this particular type of cancer, that i've got it beat. >> it sounds cliche, but i don't know anybody who's been through cancer who hasn't said that it's changed them. so in what way has it changed you the most? >> it's put a timeline on my life. you know, we say -- i'm 66 now. you know, i'm fortunate, i've got a mother who's 88. she'll kill me, she may be 87. my father's 94. so you got to feel good about those genes, but it's definitely a third act so you're a little more conscious of your time and how you choose to spend it. >> and over the years, there's been a label attached to your name. you're most often introduced as oscar winner michael douglas and now there's a good chance there will be another label attached your name. you may be known as oscar winner and cancer survivor, michael douglas. >> from your lips to god's ears. >> and coming up we can perhaps wish him luck at the golden globes f globes. we're back right after this. t ig that i want to do completely on my own -- i like to discuss my ideas with someone. that's what i like about fidelity. they talked with me one on one, so we could come up with a plan that's right for me, and they worked with me to help me stay on track -- or sometimes, help me get on an even better one. woman: there you go, brian. thanks, guys. man: see ya. fidelity investments. turn here. m... acidic foods can cause a softening of the enamel. once you lose enamel, it's gone for good. pgenal whitening, helps protect against acid erosion but also helps bring back your teeth to their natural whiteness. that's why there's lubriderm® daily moisture. it contains the same nutrients naturally found in healthy skin. skin absorbs it better and it lasts for 24 hours. later gator. lubriderm. your moisture matched. how about a coastal soup and grilled shrimp salad combination? 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it's kind of interesting. coming up, two men and their wives they met overseas are going to open up about this. >> first let's go back inside where it's a lot warmer. and get a check of the news from natalie. >> good morning, meredith, matt and al. good morning, everyone. president obama will speak at a memorial service in tucson tomorrow for victims of saturday's shooting spree. jared loughner, the man charged in the shooting did not enter a plea at his first court appearance on monday. meantime doctors say critically wounded arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords is responding to basic commands and even gave a thumbs-up. winter weather in the southeast shut down cities and airports from atlanta to charlotte and is blamed for at least nine traffic deaths. one car spinning its wheels on ice eventually caught fire, but the driver was okay. the storm is now heading for the northeast. overseas a deadly flooding disaster is plaguing australia. nbc's michelle kosinski has been following the story from our london bureau. michelle, what's the latest? >> hi, natalie. seems like we've been hearing about this australian flooding for a while. we have. it started before christmas and now more pummeling thunderstorms dropped six inches of rain in a half hour creating this 26-foot high torrent and raising the death toll even higher. the wall of water was racing through toowoomba and queensland was described as looking, and for those unfortunate enough to be in its path, feeling like a tsunami. residents rescued from roofs. and from the rushing water itself. this couple narrowly escaped their car. vehicles of all kinds, even homes have been tossed through these streets and farm fields. >> oh, no! oh, no. >> reporter: the man had been clinging to a tree when he was almost hit by a floating van. but the muddy waters have been deadly for at least 20 people in this flood soaked region. more than 70 are missing. the peak of the flooding not expected until thursday. in one town, the entire population of 300 had to be air lifted to safety. officials say in this the worst flooding in a half century, the number of deaths is expected to rise. right now all of this water is racing towards brisbane, australia's third largest city, where they've already started some evacuations. natalie. >> nbc's michelle kosinski, thank you, michelle. former house majority leader tom delay was sentenced to three years in prison monday for funneling corporate donations to campaigns. he will remain free during his appeal. and air bags and shoulder seat belts maybe be coming to small planes and helicopters. federal safety officials are releasing a study today highlighting several cases in which they were critical to saving the pilot and passengers. sounds like a good idea. it's 8:04 right now, let's go back outside once again to see mr. roker. >> all right, thank you, natalie, and everybody's got hats on. this is the best hat yet. that's a hat. what's your name? >> maddie. >> maddie, where are you from? >> texas. >> you're right. >> where in texas? >> what? >> where in texas are you from? >> arlington. >> all right, there you go. grandma saying ft. worth. all right then. arguing with the little girl like that. let's check your weather and see what's happening. pick city today, st. louis, missouri, they're going to get more snow showers and temperatures in the upper 20s. here's the time line. double barrel low, one over the midwest, the other along the mid-atlantic coast, as we move through the night into tomorrow morning, you're going to see strong storms develop low pressure with heavy snow, we're talking wind gusts 40 to 50 miles an hour as we move into the day on wednesday, the heavy snow moves into boston with strong winds, winds of over 50 miles an hour. we're talking about snow in the midwest, anywhere from three to nine inches of snow. but the big snow is here in the northeast. new york city eight to 12, 12 to 18 in hartford, boston could see upwards of two feet of snow. philly, four to seven. washington, d.c., one to three inches. that's what's going on around we're talking about maybe a quarter of an inch of rain in the places that pick up the most precipitation throughout the day as low pressure pushes onshore. mild conditions this morning, we're in the 40s as opposed to the 20s we had yesterday. light scattered showers throughout the day, highs today only reaching low 50s. pretty good rainfall in the north bay right now. through the afternoon, showers spread southward. 53 later today in hayward. have a good one. and it's your birthday? what's your name? >> tasha. >> tasha. happy birthday. >> up next, shakespeare, salinger, snooki. we're going to talk to herutbo o her new novel. that's what they have in common right after this. i lost 50, 50 pounds. ♪ and i'm feeling good [ liz ] and weight watchers new pointsplus program gave me the edge to do it. ♪ it's a new day i can't believe i get to live my life in this body. i mean seriously... look what i'm wearing! ♪ and this old world is a new world ♪ ♪ and a bold world i'm feeling good, i'm feeling happy. 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>> a benny is like a new yorker going to the shore. >> i was told earlier they should not mention on morning tv by you. and finally, this one actually sounds like it could be dangerous. what is a wenus? >> it's not what you think it is. it's that part of your elbow that's crinkly. >> when you bend the elbow, it doesn't get all wrinkly. it only gets wrinkly when you straighten it out do i need to ask what happens to gia and bella? >> it's pretty much like the show, but you're reading it. >> it's 289 pages of jersey shore? >> exactly. >> how long did it take you to write this? >> it took me like three months just because we had the idea going before i went to the season that's airing now. and then i had to write i while i was doing the season. so it was pretty hard. but i got it done. >> you had a co-writer her name's valley frankle. snooki gets slammed in public snooki drinks for our sins. why do you think people judge you so harshly. is it fair? >> no, i don't think it's fair. but that's all they see on the show is us partying and having a good time. i'm not like that all the time. that's summertime, that's the time we let loose, like vacation time. >> but you acknowledge that you contributed to tim imagine. >> i'm not like that all the time. like right now, no. >> the debut of season three of this show was recently on mtv and it got the highest ratings for any show as part of any series on mtv. >> uh-huh. >> that's astonishing when you really think about it. what can people expect from this season? i mean i remember, i thought it was hard to watch, when you got punched. >> yeah, that sucked. >> by a guy. >> yeah. >> so is there more violence in season three? >> i would say this is the least amount of fighting we have ever done. like obviously not -- >> physical fighting or verbal fighting? >> physical. we try and stay away from that, but it's really hard. >> i know that you actually later in the season get arrested for disorderly conduct. what do you have to say about that first of all? >> well, obviously it's a lesson learned. you know, i don't regret it because it's a lesson learned pretty much. like i just need to watch my drinking when it comes to partying during the day in the summer. i'm definitely not going to do that anymore. >> do you have a drinking issue? >> no. i'm 23 years old. >> a lot of 23-year-olds have drinking issues. >> not for me. >> it's not a problem for you, you can stop it when you want to stop it? >> i only party like that during the summer. i'm not like that all year round. >> would you trade your dignity for a paycheck? >> i don't think she knows what she's talking about. obviously she doesn't know me. i only care about people that know me like my family and friends they know the real me. people can judge me, they can have their opinions about me good or bad, but not everyone's going to like me. so -- >> so you're not worried about this idea that you go out and you get drunk during the summer and party like that because it's good for the show, and not perhaps good for you as a young adult? >> i don't even look at it like that. i just look at it as me living my life and having a good time and i don't feel like i'm doing anything wrong. >> you saw the jersey shore would give you 15 minutes of fame. you obviously know it's given you more than 15 minutes. >> 15 minutes was lake a year ago. >> what do you want to make of this? what do you want to do with this? when you come back here in five years, nicole, what do you think we'll be talking about? >> hopefully my brand. i have my snooki slipper line, my jewelry line, my book, "a sure thing" and my clothing line. so hopefully i can still be known as a brand. >> you're taking it to the next step? >> yes. >> good to have you here, the book is called "a sure thing" and you can catch "jersey shore" thursdays on mtv. we're back right after this. couldn't wait to skate on that ice. what was i thinking? but i was still skating on thin ice with my cholesterol. anyone with high cholesterol may be at increased risk of heart attack. diet and exercise weren't enough for me. i stopped kidding myself. i've been eating healthier, exercising more and now i'm also taking lipitor. if you've been kidding yourself about high cholesterol, stop. lipitor is a cholesterol-lowering medication, fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. lipitor is backed by over 18 years of research. 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>> recently lulu rebelled and convinced her mother to let her cut back on playing the violin, but despite all the conflicts, she claims she is satisfied with her upbringing. >> if i changed anything, then i wouldn't be who i was so i wouldn't like that. >> reporter: "today" lulu spends more time perfecting her tennis game. sophia still plays piano but not as much. compromise that a once uncompromising chinese mother has embraced. >> i wish i hadn't been so harsh with them at times, but if i had to do it all over again, i would basically do the same things with small adjustments. >> one mother's journey in finding balance for raising smart kids. . >> and amy chu is with us now, her book is called "battle hymn of the tiger mother." this book is causing quite a controversy. so many comments on blogs all over the place, all over the web including our own "today" show facebook page. just some of the things people are saying about you, she's a monster, the way she raised her kids is outrageous, it's not the chinese or asian way. another person says kids need to be kids, at some point tiger mom, they're not robots. this is sad, where is to the love, the acceptance, children should be allowed to succeed and fail as both are great lessons. why do you think your philosophy is eliciting this kind of response and what do you say to that? >> well, it's so personal. meredith, first let me say i was raised myself by extremely strict but also extremely loving chinese immigrant parents. and to this day, i believe that they're having high expectations for me coupled with love, of course that comes first. but coupled with love was the greatest gift they could give me. so that's why i tried to raise my own two daughters the same way my parents raised me and the book is about many of the strengths i see in this kind of parenting. but it's also about my mistakes and making fun of myself and how i eventually had to pull back. so the book is absolutely not about my trying to tell other people how to parent or saying that the chinese way is better. i think there are many good ways to be a good parent. the book is really just about my on transformation as a mother. >> yeah, i think what's taken some people aback is some of the language you have used with your own daughters, you said when lulu was 7, you told her, quote, stop being lazy, self-indulgence and empathetic. and when sophomore fia was prac piano you said i'm going to -- when people hear that, that is belittling a child. what does that do to somebody's self-esteem? >> let me just quickly say, i'm using the term chinese parent very loosely, it's really a tough immigrant mentality. i no many chinese people who don't parent this way and i know mr. korean nigerian parents who do. there are some moments that i'm not so proud of. again part of the book is making fun of myself. but i think you ought to put things in context and my daughters are very close. and to be perfectly honest, i think there are many aspects of western parenting that some asian parents findorri hfy good morning. 8:26 right now. want to check the latest forecast. >> we've got showers. we've got showers this morning. but temperatures are not that bad. 43 degrees right now in oakland, 45 in hayward, and 49 degrees, a mild start, for gilroy. throughout the day, low pressure system passes to the north, dragging behind it a cold front that's going to leave us with light showers throughout the day today and high nz the low 50s. it's going to be a pretty nice day overall. only hiss or miss showers, very light in nature as we head throughout the afternoon and evening. that's when the bulk of the moisture comes through. overnight, we're expect being a good day of clearing and by tomorrow we'll start out with a.m. fog but we're going to end up right around 60 degrees. 62 degrees for your holiday weekend sunday. let's find out about traffic now. we're talking about the showers, that will affect your north bay drive. first of all, look at the time, 8:27, there's the slowdown through oakland, speeds below 40, many spots 30. 580 jammed. very slow in the avenues, the south bay also showing slowdowns northbound 101 as well as 280. a good slowdown here. there's the golden gate bridge. as we take a look at this, we'll take a break. ring ring ring ring progresso. hi. we love your weight watchers endorsed soups but my husband looks the way he did 20 years ago. well that's great. you haven't seen him... my other can is ringing. progresso. hey can you tell my wife to relax and enjoy the view? 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[ speaking spanish ] ♪ [ male announcer ] oldl paso stand 'ntuff taco shells. old el paso. feed your fiesta. san francisco's new interim mayor will be sworn in today. ed lee meets with the board of supervisors this afternoon and be formally sworn in at city hall. the administrator will become the first chinese-american mayor of san francisco. the 58-year-old lee has served as a director of the department of public works. we'll have another update for you in about a half hour. see you then. 8:30 now on a tuesday morning, the 11th day of january, 2011. rockefeller plaza with some hearty souls gathered for the calm before the storm. that storm is a potent one heading in our direction. i'm matt lauer, along with natalie morales and al roker. it will be a golden night at the golden globes for the social network. and you can find love in a lot of places, but would you ever consider a mail order spouse. we'll find out if it's becoming more popular. also another edition of jill's steals and deals. so a lot of things from the techies to the jewelry lovers. >> most important right now is the forecast. >> if you take a look at the map today, we have that double barrel snow system bringing snow to the great lakes and the ohio river valley. icy conditions along the mid-atlantic, wet weather, big storm moving into the pacific northwest. sunny through the southern tier states, tomorrow heavy snow, boston up into new england, some more snow through the upper ohio river valley, rain and snow in the pacific northwest, sunny and mild in southern california into the southwest with showers in extreme southern texas. good morngs to you. this is the sky over most of the bay area right now, indicating light showers on the way. we have light scattered showers in the north bay right now, they'll continue to spread south as a cold front makes its way onshore bringing us mild temps with all the cloud cover, light showers throughout the day and highs in the low 50s. right now for the most part, showers are pushing onshore into the north bay. san francisco getting a pretty good amount of moisture right now. that will continue for the next hour or so. have a great day. can men are turning to mail order brides. we're going to talk to a couple of them about their experience but fith"today" on and we're back now at 8:34. who says you can't buy love? the economy may be shaking, but at least one industry is booming, the mail order bride business. here's peter alexander. >> they're the poster girls for international match making, beautiful, exotic and for a growing number of men the american dream. an electrician in phoenix struggled to meet mrs. right. so with the help of an international dating agency, wallburg took his search overseas traveling over 4,000 miles to st. petersberg russia. >> i'm not getting any younger and there's things i want to do in my life and i want to share that with someone else, someone that's special. >> reporter: he met that special someone right away, their romantic first date, dina and a translator. that winter dina -- became dina wahlberg. exactly nine months later, baby ashley arrived. the number of mail order marriages in the u.s. has doubled in the last decade, with the weak economy only strengthening people's desire to find a partner, according to the latest issue of bloomberg business week. >> a lot of people are turning to mail order brides to find a more inexpensive way for long-term companionship. >> reporter: services from costa rica to the ukraine. john adams says his business is thriving, love may be priceless, but adam says for only $4,000 his package trips to europe and beyond are a bargain. >> it's one of the most affordable single vacations that you'll ever do. you'll meet as many people as possible while you're there. >> reporter: he met -- >> it's great. >> reporter: from russia for love. what's the best part of moving from russia to the u.s. for love? >> i was so lonely in russia. >> reporter: a young marriage proving that when it comes to love, we all speak the same language. for "today," peter alexander, nbc news, phoenix. >> john and tanya adams are with us with mark and ashley davis. why is business booming so much right now? why do you think this is weathering the financial storm? >> we have been doing this for 16 years now. if you go to love.com we have close to 40,000 profiles of well-educated, sincere, beautiful women who really wanted to meet someone and right now it's important that men are looking at what really is important and not just finances. >> we have two success stories right here on the couch. and i'm just going to be blunt and you know this. first you don't like the term mail order brides, do you? >> it's not right. >> why is it not right? >> it's a stigma, it's been around for years, you can't just put a woman in a box and bring her over and if you don't like her, send her back. you can go to all kinds of sites and they all have international profiles on them. but with aforeign affair, we specialize in how to do this right. >> the concept freaks some people out here. you know why, they see this as kind of a blending of exotic travel and prostitution, that's what they think. why are they wrong? >> this is so exciting to bring this up. because i had to deal with this when i first considered going overseas. i first became enamored with the people who engaged me with their sincerity. so when i looked at actually doing this, my friends are like, you're crazy, they just want to rip you off. and the criticism, i had to just get past it because the truth of the matter is, i was fascinated and engaged with now wanting to find a romantic relationship with somebody overseas. >> what is it from your side of this? i mean was that you could not find suitable partners in your home countries? what was it about the lure of an american man? did this kind of set up a catalog situation bother you? >> it's beautiful to find somebody and let me ask you a question. if you're from new york and you're looking for somebody from california, and it's about six hours flight, that's okay, right? it's different state, it's perfectly fine. if it's from new york, six hours to st. petersberg, what a difference it makes? >> john, let me ask you, did you not have luck finding someone here in the united states? >> i had relationships in the united states. i was in a seven-year relationship before tanya. i walked up to her table and i thought she was the most beautiful woman i had ever seen and she said, i'm just here to drink champagne. i gave her champagne. >> are these equal relationships? i think there's a misconception that these relationships are set up to give the men the upper hand. >> she's better educated than me. >> i have the upper hand. >> you're the upper hand in this relationship? anna, what about this idea, that by coming to this country with your wallet open, coming back to his country, that he's the one in charge. >> in the ukraine, i have plenty of dates, but i never could find a connection. when i met marc, it wasn't that i was desperate for an american, it was from all different countries, there were some russian guys, chinese guy guys german guys. we just want peace. >> the issue that we talked about this so many times because she dated younger guys who were handsome and thin and very attractive so why would she want to sign up with a marriage agency to come find somebody else, right? if it's not for money. >> i never heard that term. >> i appreciate you sharing your stories. >> thank you, matt. up next, meredith catches up with the cast of "social network". a different kind of social back at 8:43 as we count down to the golden globes, the social network is up for six awards. many are wondering just how good oscar will be. >> they're saying that we stole the facebook. >> i know what it says. >> did we? >> did we what. >> don't screw around with me. the letter says we could face legal action. >> no it says i could face legal action. >> this is from a lawyer, they must feel they have some grounds. >> the lawyer is their father's house counsel. >> i didn't use any of their code, i promise, i didn't use anything. >> the social network is out on dvd and blu-ray today. we're joined by three of the sfl film stars. good morning to all of you guys. i'm reading the "new york times" the other day, i come upon this ad, best picture of the year in all the media outlets. it's your body declaring it the best picture of the year. you haven't seen it yet, your mom told you about it? let me hand this over to you right now. the funny thing about this movie, aaron is i'm not on facebook, i don't care that much about facebook, i might not have even seen this movie but people told me it was a great film to see. and ultimately it's not about facebook per se. >> i'm not on facebook either. and when i signed up for this, i barely heard of facebook, i heard of it the way i heard of a carburetor. but it's set against the backdrop of this very modern adventure. it's about friendship, loyalty, betrayal, power, class. >> it's interesting because mark zuckerburg at first said he wasn't going to see the film. and then he did go, he took the whole staff with him and he said, you know, you got the sandals right, you got the t-shirts right, but the motivation, he claims th s he n did this to get the girl or to get into the right club. i know you said facts are subjective, but how much of the movie was grounded in fact? >> all of the movie was grounded in fact. i think mark has been an incredibly good sport about it. he took his whole staff to see the movie, the week that it came out, he donated $100 million to the newark school district. i don't think anybody would want a movie made about the things they did when they were 19 years old. if a movie would absolutely have to be made i would tell it only from my point of view and also including the point soft view of the people who were suing me and who hated me. and? movie is told from everybody's point of view. >> i'm not sure who i believe. which is the whole point. >> it's not who's telling the truth, who's right, who's good, who's bad. >> that first scene is what sucked me in is that mark zuckerburg is in that club and that dialogue is so crisp and so fast. the director had you do that scene 99 times, is that right? >> yeah, yeah, that's right, we all begged him for one more just to have an even number. and he refused. >> i just asked him that recently, and he said he has never used a first take in any of his films in the actual final product. but it was an exhilarating scene. aaron wrote this nine-page scene, which is for any part of a movie, especially the opening. so it was an exhilarating experience to shoot it. >> you play eduardo who many people say is the soul of the movie. without you it would not have a soul. >> i disagree. but that's very nice of those people and i kind of agree with them. no, no, no. i think jesse and i have already kind of stated it, i think a lot of the time, an individual will have -- i think that's a testament to the way aaron crafted the story. >> and you played the winklevoss twins, that was not an easy things to pull off. >> we had an amazing script to go off of to create these guys and we had an amazing director and it was a lot more technical than i thought it would be. it was lasers and lights and ear wigs. he and i worked together to create these two twins and he's the unsung hero of the film. he sort of was there for everything but had his head replaced. >> he did get a little part in the movie. >> he got a cameo. people go oh, yeah, i remember that guy. >> you do because that scene, i remember that scene very clearly. you guys were told they did not want impersonations of these real people . they wanted you to bring your own sensibilities to it. did you meet mark either before or after the fact? >> i have never met mark. i would really like to. but aaron crafted this incredible script and this character that was so full and rich they didn't feel like i was missing out on anything. >> you guys ever meet any of the real people? >> i met the twins. >> you did? >> right after we finisheded shooting. >> are you guys all going to the golden globes, i hope? >> oh, yeah. it's a great chance for us. we bathed. and we put on nice clothes. >> good luck to you guys. all the best to you. again the social network is out on dvd and blu-ray today. you can catch the 2011 golden globe awards live this sunday at 8:00 eastern, 5:00 pacific time. we're back with more of "today" on nbc. back now at 8:51 with a special series your life calling today. good to see you, welcome back. >> thank you, matt. she raised two sons who found their life calling a professional musician and an evangelical pastor, but susan had to make the long way home before she found her own. >> i remember going to idaho when i was just a tiny little girl. and riding in the back of a truck with a tarp over it and the whole family was in there. grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. >> three generations of migrant farm workers and everybody worked. >> i was working in the fields at age 4. >> reporter: but her parents found steady work in idaho where silvia started school. >> it was all right. i stuck out like a sore thumb. >> reporter: were you reminded? >> on a daily basis. i remember one girl in particular, she took me behind the classroom door and said you are not going to play with us anymore. and i'll never forget that. >> reporter: out of the pain she found confidence and a determination to excel. the pictures tell the story. not only fitting in, but standing out. her life seemed full of promise, but she was headed for trouble. >> silvia, what happened? >> i did not make very good choices needless to say. >> reporter: after two divorces, suffering depression and despair, silvia returned to the rio grande valley in texas where she was born. she rediscovered her faith, was happily remarried, but then she lost her job. >> i was devastated. and then i heard this little voice inside of me and i do believe the voice inside of me was god speaking to me and i just heard him say, you need to go back to school. finish what you started. >> reporter: it was a second chance. she enrolled in college, a two-year program in applied science in social work. >> i was not working. so i had all the time. 24/7. and boy, i gave it my all. >> reporter: and she got more than a degree. >> it was like therapy for me. i was starting to unravel some things in my life, there were a lot of tears in that class that but i did get an a. >> reporter: a certified substance abuse counselor, silvia specializes in teens that make bad choices. >> and what type of firearms did you have? >> reporter: in hidalgo county, texas, just across the border from mexico, in some neighborhoods drugs and violence are almost a way of life. >> reporter: some of the kids that i speak with were contemplating becomes gang members when they were 4 and 5 years old. this is what they see their dad, their grandpa doing, their uncles, their cousins, they're learning gang signs, they're abused e ed at a very young ag sell drugs. >> reporter: it doesn't take her long to establish a rapport. >> are you still hanging around kids who are smoking? >> a little bit. >> a little bit? run away in the other direction before i know it they're looking at me and they're leaning forward and they are interested in what i have to say. >> reporter: and it sounds like the story of her own life. >> inside each and every one of us, there is that potential, that is that ability, there is that gift that needs to be unwrapped and developed. >> reporter: whether you're 15 years old or 50. how do you define success? >> pouring yourself into what you have a passion for doing and basically changing the world one individual at a time. >> reporter: for silvia, a reinvention that's finishing what she started, pickling up where she left off at 18. she completed a two-year program two months early and had a job offer before she had a diploma. the reality check. if she hadn't been laid off from a previous job, she probably wouldn't have had the time or motivation to go back to school. as always, i hope you'll join us at noon eastern for a live web chat at aarp.org/jane. >> she's a fascinating lady, a second chance. just ahead, more on the controversial way to raise successful children the so-called chinese way after your local news. good morning. 8:56 right now. really enjoying christina as a new member of our team, but not the rain. >> i guess you can't win them all, can you? good morning. i'm enjoying your company as well. 44 degrees in san jose, 49 in gilroy. we're going to warm up, not that much, to around 51 degree nz redwood city, 51 in los gatos and 52 in santa cruz under a mostly cloudy sky and intermet interlight showers throughout the day. not a lot of rain but something that makes for a dreary tuesday. we're looking better wednesday, 60 degrees, patchy a.m. fog, cloudy conditions thursday into friday. as we head toward the holiday weekend, we're talk being bh temperature s in the 60s, 62 on sunday, 58 as we celebrate martin luker king jr. we're back after the break. shift your weight forward onto the left foot. take the right leg up, holding the inner arch of the foot... introducing instant action alerts, only from chase. left arm up... manage your account and help avoid overdrafts with a click of a button. just reply to the alert with how much you want to transfer. inhale, all the way up... so you always stay in balance. ...to crescent pose. chase what matters. just four more times. ♪ >> p. >> a san francisco nightclub is facing scrutiny after several fights broke out at the temple nightclub. the san francisco entertainment commission is scheduled to meet today to decide any action against that club. another local news update in half an hour. hope to see you then. have a great day. a 22% high school dropout rate and our hope leadership will bring real reform. this struck a nerve along party lines. robert fears politics will trump progress. time to take the gloves off before the pitch forks come off. envelo until the democrats change, californians are toast. robert is not alone. a teacher questions the logic in layoffs. all these glorious layoffs we've been enduring over the past two years should just cause the economy to soar. while roy says, put your money where your mouth is. i'd like to see eye license fee for lobbyists. join usorials.com.t itorials.com. back now with more on "today," a tuesday morning, back now with more of "today" on tuesday morning, 11th of january, 2011. nice morning to sit outside and bask in the sunlight because tomorrow morning at this time you will be standing o there probably ankle or shoe deep in snow. at least it's going to get worse than that. second major storm in about three weeks. >> that's right. >> inside studio 1a, matt lauer and al roker and tamron hall. the suspect in the tucson shooting jared loughner made a court appearance. this doctors say gabrielle giffords -- lester holt is following this from arizona for the past several days. >> also ahead on a lighter note, joey bower is back with our diet s.o.s., if you are one who wants to get by with the smallest amount of exercise she is going to have advice how you can incorporate regular activity in your daily routine. plus, the best food sources of vitamin d, which a lot of people say is very important this time of year. >> and from jewelry to electronics and the perfect little black dress, the popular steals and deals for today viewers and we met her earlier a mother whose book is raising a lot of eyebrows when it comes to parenting style. she calls it the chinese way. we're going to tell you why she is stirring a bit of controversy. a lot of people are talking about this on the internet. >> all right. first let's go over to the news desk. natalie is filling in while ann is off. >> good morning. the young man charged with shooting a congresswoman and 19 others saturday in tucson has started his journey through the legal system. nbc's lester holt is in tucson with the latest on the suspect and the victims. good morning, lester. >> reporter: natalie, good morning. arizonians try to concentrate thoughts on the victims the accused killer jared loughner got his first day in court where judge labeled him a danger to society. defiant, mocking. there is a lot to read in the first post-arrest photo of jared lee loughner. in a u.s. court house in phoenix, loughner looked straight ahead as the judge read the federal charges he faces. murder, attempted murder and the attempted assassination of a member of congress. his parents were not in court, a neighbor says they are in pain. >> they're hurting bad. it's a sad thing. ♪ >> memorials and tributes abound, from outside the hospital, to the school 9-year-old cries tina taylor green attended to the u.s. capitol where people lined up to show support for congresswoman giffords. president obama, who led a moment of silence in honor of the tucson victims will travel here tomorrow for a memorial service. some of those wounded in the attack are now out of the hospital, like army colonel bill badger grazed in the head. >> i felt this burning sensation in the back of my head. i went to the ground. >> reporter: dave bowman, a physician and his wife nancy, a nurse, were shopping in the safeway at the time of the attack. and along with other civilians, began treating and triaging victims. >> it started moving up towards the little girl where i could see she was getting good care so i directed my attention to her neighbor who was right beside her. and i saw that she had a gunshot wound in her chest. so i just put my hand over that gun shot wound. she was quite concerned about christina so she pulled out her phone, here with four gun shot wounds on her she pulls out her phone and dials christina's parents number and hands the phone to me to leave a message. the message machine picked up. i told her parents that christina was in an accident and was taken to unc. >> reporter: the bowmans knew christina wouldn't make it. they continued to monitor the news to make sure no others that they treated died. >> lester holt in tucson. thank you. rescuers are combing australia for nearly 60 people who are missing in the rising flood waters west of brisbane. at least nine have died in this recent flooding that has made queensland a disaster zone. treacherous weather slammed the usually sunny southeast monday grounding thousands of flights knocking out power and closing schools. more flights are expected to be delayed or canceled. emergencies declared in at least five states. in atlanta, this car tried to rev out of the snow, only then to catch fire. the driver, though, was able to escape unharmed. wikileaks founder julian ashangs was back in court fighting extradition to sweden for questioning on sex crime allegations. another hearing is set for next month. vice president joe biden is in afghanistan reviewing efforts to train afghan security forces before a gradual u.s. troop withdrawal begins in july. he also met with the afghan president hamid karzai. a judge approved psychiatric testing for the washington state woman who admitted burning her own face with acid as part of a hoax. the 28-year-old bethany originally told police a black woman threw acid on her. she is charged with theft for accepting money from people moved by her story. >> and archaeologists say they uncovered the oldest known winery in southern armenia near iran. it dates back 6,000 years and includes a wine press, grapevines and seeds. the discovery was made near the same spot where the oldest known leather shoe was discovered last year. >> it's now 6 minutes fast hour. a check of the weather with al. >> they also uncovered the remains of an ancient tv director by that winery. >> oh, ouch. >> let's take a look, show you what's happening. this is that big storm coming up the coast. plus we've got low pressure over the ohio river valley. that midwest low is going to transfer energy to the east coast and as it moves up the coast early tonight we're looking for the snow to develop into philadelphia, new york city, boston, we'll get into it by early tomorrow morning. winds will be 40 to 45 miles per hour, snow falling at a rate of one to three inches per hour. we're talking about upwards of two feet of snow in new england. boston, i should say chicago is going to look at six to 12 inches of snow over the next 24 hours. but the big winner, if you look at it that way, boston, 12 to 18, providence, har good morning to you, bay area. we're talking about maybe a couple hundredths of an inch in some spots today, maybe the places that receive the most precipitation will end up with a quarter of an inch. intermittent showers are going to be the case throughout the day, already moving onshore, pushing off to the northeast through places like richmond, valle vallejo, antioch. get ready for showers in the next 15 minutes. have a great tuesday. time now for time now for joy's sos.e ha >> time now for "joy's diet s.o.s.," we've got advice on how long you should exercise every day to the best sources of vitamin d. today nutritionist and registered dietitian joy bauer is answering questions. let's start. we're going to tammy in st. paul, minnesota. she's joining us live via skim. good morning. >> good morning. >> what's your question for joy? >> my question is this. i know that exercise is a key element in weight loss and weight maintenance success. i try to exercise every day. what's is reasonable for a daily basis and what kind is best? >> when it comes to losing weight and weight maintenance you want to do a combination of two exercise. the first is cardio and the second is strength training. cardio, that's the type that gets your heart pumping and it burns calories, like walking fast, jogging, swimming, dancing, jumping rope. some of those exercise equipments that they have at the gym or have them in the home, a bike, a treadmill, elliptical machine, you want to do cardio for at least 30 minutes, five days a week. when i tell people is aim to do it every day because life gets so hectic that usually by default you wind up doing it five days a week. the other type of exercise that is super important for weight loss and maintenance is strength training. that's because when you target the muscles and the strength of these muscles throughout your body, you're preserving the lean body mass and you're helping that body fat to exit. so those are things like crunches and push-ups and exercises like bicep curls. you only have to do these 15 minutes two to three times a week. you can latch it on to the cardio so you get it all over in one shot. if you're not sure how to do the strength training i tell people to meet with a trainer maybe once or twice and learn a routine that you can do on your own. you can also pick up a dvd and figure out as well. but five days a week, 30 minutes for the cardio, and strength training, two to three times a week for about 15 minutes. >> thanks a lot, tammy. let's go to the phones now. this is ethan from big rapids, michigan. good morning. what's your question? >> good morning. i was wondering, joy, i've heard that you're not supposed to eat fruit with other foods, you should eat it on an empty stomach and wait before you eat other foods. i was wondering if there is truth in this. if so, what do you recommend? >> first, there is absolutely no truth to this whatsoever. and i'm so glad you brought up this question. because this myth seems to circulate over and over again. >> food combinations. >> yeah. the truth is your digestive system is well equipped to jump in and digest any mix whether you eat them alone or together. so you could enjoy fruit solo or integrate with yogurt or salad or part of a meal. it's fine. >> thanks a lot, ethan. a viewer e-mail. this from joyce in napa, california. with all of the talk recently about vitamin d deficiency are there food sources besides milk i can eat during the winter? >> by far, the best food sources for vitamin d is your fatty fish. >> why is vitamin d important? >> vitamin d is important because it boosts your immune system, reduces the risk for certain cancers, it's great for heart health and unfortunately, so many people now are deficient. when you are exposed to the sun the sun helps skin to make vitamin d, a lot of us are slathering on sun screen and there aren't that many foods, you can see from the list. fatty fish, again by far is the best way to get your vitamin d. milk has some, but al, you have to drink six to eight glasses a day in order to get that d, so i tell people, if you're not a big fatty fish eater take a supplement. make sure your multivitamin has 100% or take a separate vitamin d supplement but it's that important. >> all right, joy. thanks a lot. still to come we've got the secret to raising successful kids. why one mother and author is coming under fire for her parenting style. up next, deep discounts for today's viewers in jill's steals and deals. after these messages. her sister tina, who i also helped do her first home loan. it was unbelievable how well it all fell together. kathy said, "well, let me give you rachel's number." easy. easy. easy. the whole loan process was simple and convenient! that's why i love quicken loans! 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[ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mix it up. you're going to like this all right, this morning on jill's steals and deals, back with more great discounts for you. whether you're looking for that perfect little black dress. jill martin is back with exclusive bargains for you. just a quick reminder for viewers at home how this works. >> as you're seeing the items because they go fast, log on to todayshow.com, there will be a code which will link you to the retailer's web society. we nor the "today" show website doesn't benefit from any of these retailers. >> this can be worn in 60 different ways or more. you can go from day to night, wearing flip-flops or heels, you see a lot of the different ways here. $325 the steals and deals price, $49 that's 85% off. they come in a range of sizes and also, if you're pregnant, you could wear it up to nine months pregnant. >> oh, yeah. >> because it really is a blend, it has spandex in it and it's great for travel because it doesn't writtenal. . >> how do you figure out how to wear it? >> you can be creative and even wrap it where it fits your body type best. >> for the techies, we always love these. this is a multidevice charging station. >> this is the i home multicharging station, all in one space saving solution. so you can charge your ipod, your i touch, your iphone. a kindle or a nook. originally $59.99 steals and deals price, $18. >> i have like a million gadgets on one plug. so this looks great. >> very organized. >> okay, over here, for the ladies, handbag s by olivia n. joy. >> this is huge celebrities. denise richards, kristen chenowe chenoweth. you have the hobo, you have the bag with the fringe and the messenger bag. they're $48 to $98 because we have three styles here. the steals and deals price, $19 that comes to 81% off. >> and it doesn't matter if you're getting the smaller one or the larger one, they're all $19. >> you see the detail, you have that french and the grommets and synthetic leather. >> let's move on over here. we always love these. and here is great mono grammed pieces that you have here by dan yell stevens. >> these are going to take two to three weeks to ship. you see the necklaces and the bracelets. >> very popular with celebrities. >> carrie underwood, drew barrymore, all fans. they're $78 and the steals and deals price $25. that's 68% off. so it's $25 whether you get the small disk, the big disk or the bracelet. >> and these are 14 caret gold plated, did you say? >> these are gold plated. i love this little pouch that they come with as well. >> very nice. okay, it's a good steal. all right. over here, now this is the luxury jewelry item of the day from balboa jewelry, real gold, real diamonds. >> 14 caret gold and diamonds. $330 to $460 each piece, the steals and deals price, $95. i just want to go over the sizes, the necklace and bracelet, 7 millimeters, with a 1.7 millimeter diamond. four millimeters with a 1.7 millimeter diamond. you were saying you're wearing a chunky necklace. >> you want a little sparkle in your ear. >> then again, just a very dainty look. all great for valentine's day, men, if you're watching. >> jill martin, as always, thanks so much. and the infitity dress, the i home multidevice charging statement, the handbags and the brushed gold jewelry by balboa jewelry. head to "today" show come for the promotion codes and websites. still ahead, comfort food without the calories? is that ? possible t fist these messages. hy skin. a long term struggle needs long term relief. eucerin calming creme. used every day, its triple ingredient formula is clinically proven to relieve dry, itchy skin, with 92% of people reporting improved overall skin condition over time. eucerin calming creme. and the gentle cleansing formula of calming body wash. calm, healthy skin starts with eucerin. but the nicoderm cq patch gradually steps you down off of nicotine in just three steps, doubling your chances for success. nicoderm cq. 3 steps, 10 weeks and you're free. ♪ ♪ maxwell house international. stop your world. ♪ [ bells jingling ] [ snorting ] [ gasps ] ♪ [ female announcer ] too many holiday treats? 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life beyond the finale. >> how was it to be the first one off? >> it was very difficult. i felt like i didn't learn enough. and the group of people i was with were wonderful. it felt like a family. we were all helping and supporting each over. but i felt like i wasn't there long enough but what was hardest for me is that i fell like i let my daughter down. i have arthritis and i really was working through the pain and the workouts are incredible. bob and jillian are fabulous. >> i hear you had an incident on the treadmill. >> after a couple of hours, my body just -- i blanked out. but it was a great experience. it's motivated me to go out and work at my own pace and at home and -- >> just trying to keep going. >> eating healthy, measuring foods. there's really no secrets. it's just making changes. >> and choices in life. >> by the way, the biggest loser airs tonight here at 8:00, 7:00 central here on nbc. back of your local news. with 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. in a medical study, 7 out of 10 stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin at 12 weeks. and 6 out of 10 patients had their plaque psoriasis rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. 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, or have had cancer. 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 or anyone in your house needs or has recently received a vaccine. with 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses, it's stelara®. good morning. time, 9:26. here's the forecast. >> it's raining but certainly not pouring out there. we're going to see a damp, dreary day, but lots of sunshine on tap for tomorrow. just one rainy day to get through. showers right now pushing into the east bay. we've got pretty good shoush activi shower activity between fremont and richmond. give yourself a little extra time. things looking pretty good this afternoon. we're in the 40s now, warming up to the low 50s today under intermittent rain showers. 52 the high in oakland, 52 for santa cruz and 51 yeses degreese city by the bay. holiday weekend look being nice. let's find out about the commute. you talked about it raining and no pouring, a little snoring probably over at the truck scales. look at it, a calm commute. low clouds hovering around the area, gray skies. go toing be wetter in the evening commute. travel times, the east bay starting to clear up heading into the south bay from 680, 880 heading north still slow, 280 itself heading slow. there is your corridor for the slowtion will. interesti interestingly, 101 not bad. the construction zone continues through the week from eastbound actually. a little southbound slowing through pat toe at toe. southbound through san mateo as well. that's your peninsula slowdown. a live look at the bay bridge toll plaza. there's a light backup. just about midparking lot for the slowdown. we may see a burst right around 10:00. more news right after this. san jose is look being for a new police chief after chief rob davis retired in november, but november knows who the candidates are. an open government advocates are asking city leaders to release candidate information, but the city manager says that confidentiality prevents her from naming anybody. a new san jose police chief could be named as early as next month. more news in half an hour. the "today" show continues in less than a minute. have a great day. we'll see you back here in a bit. california should be proud. we were the first to ban smoking on airplanes. the first to have smoke-free bars and restaurants. all while saving over $86 billion in health care costs... and over a million lives. we've done a good job. but even if you were born today, you'd still grow up in a world where tobacco kills more people... than aids, drugs, alcohol, murder and car crashes... combined. we have a lot more work to do. once we get into the red zone, we're a mortal lock. >> i don't care how you spin it, how you want to ice the cake, we're only 75% of the way there, and i'm having trouble breathing. >> that's vince vaughn and kevin danes about a man who discovers that his friends's wife is having an affair. those hilarious stars will be here to tell us all about it tomorrow on "today." those two together are hysterical. >> quite a duo. also coming up in this half hour, the mother who has the blogospheres buzzing, she uses extreme methods, like no play dates, no sleepovers, no tv. she's got a lot of critics as you can imagine. meredith spoke to her earlier and she's going to be back to finish her conversation coming up. >> with this snowstorm headed right in our direction. >> that's what i hear, somebody told me this. >> i better get on the internet. >> it's going to be a doozy. >> oh, my goodness. i better turn on the weather channel. >> natalie, don't feed into it. we have a fashion road map to help your transition between the seasons. perfect pieces to add to your wardrobe. >> i'm going to get my a scarf. and there's nothing better in the winter like comfort food like chicken pot pie. chef lala gives us the comfort without all the calories in "today's" kitchen. >> how much snow are we getting? >> i don't know, let see, go to the maps. l i'm so soy. we have a system moving into the pacific northwest in california and we have got two areas of low pressure in the ohio river valley and off the coast and that's going to bring the snow from new york up to boston, anywhere from 12 inches to two feet. we have got plenty of sunshine in the good morning to you. we're getting a break in the showers on the golden gate bridge right now. a good-looking drive through here. overcast conditions the case for today and light intermitt ent showers as we head throughout this afternoon, inkreeg creasing in intenti intensification through the afternoon. grab the umbrella, you'll needz a jacket as well but definitely not as cold adds it taz, 45 in hayward, 53 later on today. have a great one. and that's your latest weather. up next, the so-called chinese way to raise successful kids. ele mother and author why it works after these messages. out of you. uch i feel like i have to wind myself up just to get out of bed. then, well, i have to keep winding myself up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, trouble concentrating, the lack of energy. 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[ female announcer ] only roc® retinol correxion deep wrinkle night cream is clinically proven to give 10 years back to the look of skin. . . .. . . . . . a new book on how to raise successful children has a lot of people talking especially parents. it's called "battle hymn of the tiger mother." she introduces us to somewhat extreme parents methods, like no play dates, no sleepovers, no tv. she claims that it breeds highly successful children. everybody's very interested in this topic. just to reiterate, the philosophy behind your parenting? >> well, it's really driven by a belief that your children are capable of more than they think they are. so i think at its very best, i know jokes about as aside, i actually don't think that the chinese parenting model is about achievement. i think it's about helping your children to be the best they can be, which is usually better than they think. the way i experienced with my parents, you know being strict, having high expectations, they were saying to me i believe in you so much that i know you're going to be excellent and i'm going to be in the there in the trenches with you and i'm not going to let you give up. >> you took your dad to an awards assembly where you didn't place first and his reaction was -- >> i came in second in a history contest. someone won best all around student and afterwards my father said never, ever disgrace me like that again. when i tell my western friends this, they say oh, my god, that's horrible. i adore my father, he's my greatest source of strength. >> what was he saying when he said to that to you? >> he said i think you're the greatest. it didn't lower my self-esteem one bit. he's my greatest source of confidence. >> do you think that americans or western parents pay too much attention to self-esteem? >> it's not that. i think ironically, again i want to say love and understanding have to come first. there are -- that's what got me first whatever culture, but i think ironically, what i call the chinese approach may actually be better at promoting self-esteem and ultimately happiness than the more coddling western approach. at least for some kids. you could tell your child, oh, you're great, you're perfect all you want. but eventually they're going to have to go out into the real world and when they don't do so well in school or make the sports team they want or can't get the job they want, i think that's when your self-esteem really starts to fall. >> i'm trying to remember some of the words you used with your daughters, they were pretty harsh words. that's hard for a child, in my estimation, it's very difficult for a child to absorb and not fe feel bad about themselves. >> i see how people think that because you're viewing it from outside. you don't know the context. everything depends on there being a foundation of love and respect to start with. so those words can be hurtful in another context. but i will say to be perfectly honest, i know that a lot of asian parents are secretly shocked and horrified by many aspects of western parenting. what westerners allow their kids to do, teenage pregnancies, drug use. >> we don't actually condone that. >> there's a lot of leniency, the sort of play dates or sleepovers in the name of exploration, i once stumbled into a sleep over, you wouldn't want to know what they're doing. >> but it's allowing a kid to be a kid and to have fun and to be who they want to be not who you want them to be. >> you're so right. i -- insisting that we go on bike rides and water slides and take them to yankee games. but i think a lot of more traditional parents are very shocked by how much time westerners allow their kids to waste, hours on facebook and computer games and in some ways they poorly they prepare them for the future. it's a tough world out there. i want to say, it's funny that we're calling these values of hard work and striving for excellence and don't blame o others, don't give up. it's funny that we're calling them chinese values because i have always thought of them as american values. i think it's about reclaiming some aspects of traditional western parenting that maybe we have lost. >> your daughter lulu, she revoted against this, you were forcing her to play the violin for hours on end, she wanted to play tennis. it ended in a scene when you guys were in russia and she broke a glass. she was sending you a message about your parenting. >> i think in every culture, you got to know your child, but you have to listen. i retreated at a certain point when -- i'm a very different person at the beginning of the book than i am at tend of the book. it's a journey, it's a coming of age book as a mom. nothing was more important to me than i was not going to lose my daughter. so i pulled back, not entirely. but i do think that she made that right decision. i think she actually has abrb f this morning on "today's" style, pointing you in the right direction with a fashion road map for the spring. style expert stephanie greensfeld says you never can get lost on the path to the right style if you mix and match your pieces. i love this road map. anything made easier is fantastic. >> this is about answers, not advice. >> all right, the first sign on the road map is the roundabout. what does that mean? >> roundabout means something you can wear all year round. what's great here with this look is the timeliness of it. now is the time to shop for your classic pieces on sale. >> the roundabout items, surprise me. white jeans? >> let's dispel the myth that white is only for summer. what makes you look clean and lean, the black turtleneck, the white jeans, i love the trench coat, classic jackie o. celebrate your iconic women. >> and you can wear this look now? >> wear it now and the trench coat is $69, everything else is under $25 on sale. your all-year-round items on sale now and invest in great pieces. >> next on our road map is the one-way sign. and what does that mean? >> one-way means an item you would buy now or a look you can buy now and take it forward into spring. a one-way item here is the crochet dress, huge trend for spring. we have made it look wear now. we're told it's about to snow in the northeast and we have layered neutral types of shoes, a sweater, scarf, all in neutral tones, but that crochet dress, take it all off and you're set for spring. >> ditch everything, put on a nice pair of sexy sandals. >> very nice, you look great. next up on the road map is the crosswalk. this is taking a day look to night. we have the before picture of tiffany, the day look, before we show you the night look. and here we going day date. we took the day look, we threw a blazer over it. we took off her accesories. and we gave her a simple shoe. that's what it would look like in the day. >> clean and understandable. wear it to the office. we're always struggling for wear-to-work clothes. we put on our blazer, we pop on a red shoe. a great precursor to valentine's day. add some accessories and you can just throw it in your tote bag when you're going to the office. change your accessories, brighten up your black look with the shoes. you're ready for a great night on the town. >> when you have something after work and you want to kick it up a notch but you want to look appropriate. next on the road map is buckle up. that's always important if you ask me. >> and you're celebrating that today. >> there you have it, you look lovely. this is hazel and it's your birthday? she could wear this out tonight. >> we rock it very simply. it's all about proportion. in winter, don't feel you can have to look slumpy. this easy, cozy sweater, a ballet flat. you cinch it at your waist, helpful hint, wider belt if you're taller and broader. skinny belt if you're petite. buckling up is a great way to accentuate your waist. >> happy birthday to you, you look amazing. just follow the road to fashion. stephanie, it's great to see you. up next, all the flavor without all the fat. chef lala makes a comfort classic in today's kitchen, but first this is "today" on nbc. classic in today's kitchen, but first this is "today" on nbc. this morning on "today's" kitchen, a spicy spin on a comfort classic. chicken pot pie is just about as cozy as it gets. chef and lifestyle expert, chef lala, is here with a simpler version. nice to see you. this is kind of a meal that does double-duty. >> it is snowing here in new york, so you want that nice warm, cozy meal. it's actually raining in l.a. and i get it and we want to stay away from all that thick, creamy stuff. and we want to heal our body and what better way to do it than chicken soup? here's some quick and easy tips to help you stick to your new year's resolution. chicken soup, get the chicken, boil it. leave the bone in because that's where all the flavor is, but remove the skin. you're going to save 640 calories, 90 grams of fat per chicken. use stuff that heals your body like celery. potatoes have vitamin c. carrots have betaer c carotine. a little bit of chicken bouillon for flavor, some oregano and let it cook. >> how long do you let it cook for? >> i let it cook until the vegetables are tender. i do it about 40 minutes covered. >> so you cook the chicken and the vegetables at the same time? >> absolutely. being a mommy and once again the weather, you get snowed in or something, i like to do double-duty meals. we have this chicken soup that's already ready. >> with chicken, do you, like, shred the chicken? >> i do shred it for my son. i get a little fork and a knife. all right. so then the very next day, what i do is i get a little bit of onions and a little bit of garlic. if i don't feel like cooking, i get some onions and garlic going and it smells delicious and makes the house smell wonderful. >> we're making a chicken pot pie with the leftovers of chicken? >> absolutely. this is a next-day meal. a lot of people revert to ancient medicine used to say that this is a great way to heal with garlic and onion and that's why chicken soup is so good for you if you have a cold. tomatoes with licopene, antioxidants. i took some vegetables from the soup, diced them all up. adding that back in. peas because they're so much fun. >> great color. >> and jalapenos because we want to have that wonderful -- the goal here is to get all that mucous to thin out. >> mmm, enjoy your breakfast. >> i'm knocking him over now. it's the same affect as cough medicine. cough medicine gets things thinned out and cleaned out. and that's what we're trying to do here. the same effect without having to take medicine. chicken. >> shredded leftover chicken. >> and some cornstarch and water. >> they're coming from the back. >> this is the fun part. >> okay, fun part. >> natalie, come over here. we're going to put a little bit of the chicken pot pie and mix it together. we're going to add that to the top. all it is is phyllo dough, a little olive oil and basically a chicken pot pie. one more thing that i like to do at home, i remember you telling me that you love to drink hot drinks. hot drinks have a lot of hidden calories. this is just a cinnamon stick. you get that cinnamon and cinnamon is so good for you without all the extra calories. >> chef lala's recipes. coming up next, oscar-winning actress susan sarandon. recipes. coming up next, oscar winning actress susan sarandon. good morning once again, everybody. time is 9:56. we'll take a look at the forecast with christina. little rain coming through. >> we're getting a bit of a break, but that's going to be the story all day long. overcast skies, intermittent light showers, no washout by any means. this is something that could hamper your evening commute, when the bulk of the moisture comes through. as we zoom in, we just have a little cell pushing past richmond. most of the moisture is subsiding for a while. we'll get a nice break and then more showers this afternoon. 45 degrees in hayward, look being toward 52 later. mike, house's the traffic look being? you're talking about the low clouds hovering, this the san mat mateo bridge, peninsula not completely visible. map shows the traffic sensors. look at the southbound 101 approaching 92. over the last 15 minutes things have gotten very slow. no accidents reported but we do have a slow drive heading south into palo alto. no more metering lights. governor brown outlined his new budget, including deep cuts across the board and higher taxes. many schools will not get new funding but won't lose funding either. the budget slashes 12$12.5 billn in state spending. only k-12 education is spared. he wants to cut medical i cal by nearly $2 million, welfare to work programs would lose 1.5 million, the university of california and cal state system could face cuts of 500 million each. brown also expects voters to extend temporary tax cuts for five yeerz. they were set to expire in july. there is money for as many as 100,000 people who need a helping hand paying their rent. the oakland housing authority tells the oakland tribune they'll start taking applications at the end the month. you can sign up at the library or housing authority starting january 25th. families have to meet certain income requirements to be eligib eligible. more "today" show in a minute. kills germs. loves your hands. never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles in 3 days-- i can do that. 60 miles compared to what a cancer patient goes through is a walk in the park. from the moment i registered, people started immediately supporting me. we had an outpouring of-- of support. i wanted to do something bigger than myself. the 60 miles-- it makes a statement. i know i'm stronger than i was before, both mentally and physically. i walk with my sister. our relationship has gone to a whole new level because of training together. you meet the most wonderful, inspiring people. i knew that there was something really special about this event. when you accomplish those 60 miles, it's truly life-changing. it was three days of hope. of love. of empowerment. it was three days the way the world should be. here i am, second year in a row, and i'm already signed up for next year's. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, everybody. it's tuesday, booze-da january 11th, 2011. or if you look at it numerically, 1/11/11, which is just kind of -- >> it just happened at the beginning of the month. 1/01/11. we just had one of these! >> i know. only 13 days this century have been written with all the same digits. >> what do we have to wait for? 11/11/11. >> yes. >> who cares. some people put enormous importance to numerology and the study of numbers. in many, many cultures. did you know that, hoda woman? >> no, i didn't. but we don't care about that. i was walking from the gym to 30 rock and something was missing. the christmas tree. >> oh, my gosh! i hadn't even noticed. >> isn't it weird? >> yay. >> so they took the christmas tree down. that sparks that question when is it time to get rid of your christmas decorations because a lot of people keep theirs up long past when others think it is time to take them down. >> you may love it all year long but your neighbor may hate your blinking christmas lights going when it is armistice day or something. >> look at that. >> that's one of those way down in our neighborhood but i pass it all the time on the way to church. i started screaming at santa. i knew it was not nice on the way to church, screaming at santa and his reindeer on the roof. >> i do think some of the big plastic santas. i don't mind the lights. >> i don't mind white lights all winter long. it is the colored ones. >> from my apt you can see everybody's balcony. in new york you put your tree inside but everyone decorates their windows and whatnot. a lot of people still have lights up. in my old apartment i never, ever took my lights down. ever! they wrapped about me. >> when you were growing up, you never put the tree away. >> well, we liked our tree fully decorated. we moved it from one storage room out to the -- >> i know. let us know what you think. okay? now apparently we have a frozen bikini today. i don't know why but it's got champagne in it, orange juice and peach nectar. >> how is it? >> give it a shot. i gave it a shot. you've got three big interviews today, missy. i hope you had your wheaties today. susan sarandon, very accomplished, formidable wonderful woman. you've got reed alexander. >> he's that crazy 12-year-old cook. okay? like off the reservation. >> we adore limb. he is an absolute doll but you have to eat your wheaties when he's coming here. then you have -- >> we have snooki. >> the big meeting going on in there. i said hello, is the snookster in there? i think i insulted her by saying the snookster. i was trying to be nice. >> that show is crazy with the number of people who watch it. like 8 million people. not that many people are watching many shows. >> including this one! >> i mean it is astonishing how many people watch that show. >> i don't watch it because i told you, i have problems with the way human beings are portrayed. my daughter says, mom, snooki is the nice one. she's the only one that cares about anybody but herself. >> we're going to talk to her about meeting men and all that stuff. i was reminded -- sometimes you find yourself attracted to different kinds of people. >> yes, you do. >> okay, wait. this happened. i was still thinking about it yesterday. i was in the subway when i was going to work one day. this guy kind of looked like rocky balance boy balboa. he goes, "hey, i like your shape." >> hoda! >> i thought i can't believe he just said that. i went out with him. >> that is so sad. that's desperate. >> no. there's something about that kind of rough and tumble -- hoda woman! >> he goes so we're going out. i go, yeah. "i like your shape." that's what he said. i needed someone to say that. >> well, there's an interesting survey here that middle aged women apparently are loose. they are looser. women in their 40s are much more likely to go all the way on a first day than women in their 20s. which i found surprising. >> you think that's true? >> i don't know. you tell me. you're in your 40s. >> she's not in her 40s. >> some have even admitted they've had sexual relations with more than 20 partners. >> okay, that's gross. >> one of our producers said what's wrong with that? >> it was not me. thank you. >> we're not going to say who it was. >> that stuns me. >> let's just give her initials. >> who initials are jo ann la marca. no. imagine not remembering if you're a woman all your lovers. they're not really lovers, are they? >> you're talking to the wrong broad. i'm afraid of susan sarandon. >> why? >> because she's very smart, very accomplished. she's sitting there and has not cracked a smile yet. >> she will. she will. all right. musical chills. every thursday we have hoda with her play list. but there is a reason apparently hoda gets the goosebumps and stuff. it is from a song. scientists now say that your brain is actually reacting the exact same way as it would to delicious food or a psycho active drug like cocaine. >> what? >> yes. >> i do think music is chemical. i can be kind of in a funk and i'll put a song on and it completely changes -- >> really, hoda? hmm. really? ♪ dirty bit ♪ the club can't even handle me right now ♪ ♪ dirty bit ♪ hottie ♪ she's a hottie >> that is sad. >> ooh, i feel like that song. >> it's so good! ♪ you were born for leaving >> hello! i love that song! >> we are dancing in the studio. >> so now we know we have -- wait. is that what it looks like when we do that segment? >> yes. that's why joel asked us, have you ever watched yourselves? you should watch it more often. >> stop it. get ready, because there is a big snowstorm -- >> there's something very sad that happened along the way. >> what? >> walking here to work. somebody saw something and here it is. >> what? >> 50% off? wait! wait a second. was that for real? >> yes. that's what happens. there is a shelf life for books unless it is the bible or -- >> what else was on the table? can you show me it again? who else's book is on there? >> nobody. it's just yours, hoda. it is a special today. >> okay, that's mean. >> thank you, jim gaines. thank you. but wait, i came across something, too. one of our producers -- i don't remember who got this. somebody. was given a gift for christmas and apparently you have a football card. >> i know. >> you do? >> um-hmm. >> so anyway they sold these, these were actually on sale for all the wives of the famous giants players. it says kathie lee gifford, wife. how much was this thing? >> i don't know. but all that money -- >> 99 cents. >> all the money goes to charity. >> look at you with your hat on. very adorable. >> yes. there is a big snowstorm, you guys. to be prepared for. tomorrow the snowstorm that hit the south is going to come our way. they're talking lots. they've got plows on stand-by. mayor bloomberg says he's ready. >> i think he better be. the very talent, very busy susan sarandon is with us. and then, snooki. >> snackky traveled over bridges ned l welsit here. 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she likes showing off a little bit. let's talk -- she's bored at home. >> let's talk about a couple of things. when i think about you, i think about a lot of things. but goodwill ambassador is somehow in the top tier. tell us what you do. >> it depends. through the years, i prefer to do hands-on stuff rather than conferences and things like that. so in the early days of aids in sub-saharan africa i was sent to tanzania and i've been to india. this particular rebranding of me has to do with nutrition and agriculture and hunger throughout the world. so when the got milk campaign came along it seemed like a good match because 9 out of 10 americans are suffering from nutrition gap, a nutrient gap. and then when you think of the world and how many -- i think it's a child dies every six seconds of some malnourishment related issue. so it is something that can be addressed by learning really what to eat and taking one more glass of milk. you get calcium, potassium. >> you think people are unaware? that campaign's been around for a while. every time i see it i go, god, don't people know that's what you're supposed to do? >> we're focusing now on obesity but people can be eating a lot and not be eating properly or get nutrients they need. i think a lot of it is education. i realize now my kids when i was trying to take them off sugar or just like flour or something, you would think they were crack addicts. you know, what they went through to change their diet. but now they're all pretty much aware when they choose something, they don't eat great all the time, i'm sure, but they are aware of what they need to take into their bodies to stay healthy. so you have to make an effort. so education i think is really important. this program helps a lot to make people think about what they're doing. as moms really we're the ones that kind of do the shopping, get it in, make sure your kids know what's going on. >> how many children do you have? >> thousands. >> was this the first one who's getting married, right? your daughter? >> i have three but they have really intense personalities so they seem like more. she's getting married in the fall so a really great guy. >> you like him. >> oh, yeah. >> wouldn't that be the worst if you didn't like the guy? >> well, then she gets married another time. you know. you make mistakes, she'll fix it. but this guy is great. >> what about advice on marriage? a lot of people think you had a great long-term relationship but never tied the knot. do you give her advice? >> are you kidding? if she asks me, i give her advice. sometimes she asks me but i really don't try to -- i mean if something was happening where she was really in an abusive relationship or my boys, i try to make the boys understand. because there's still the double standard so guys aren't -- that don't have the social pressures that the girls have depending on what's going on. so i mean we talk a lot. i listen. i'm a good listener. >> are they politically active as well and interested the way you are? >> no. they have their own -- i mean they're really good people and they've been involved in different things that they've been interested in. but i think it's up to each person to find something that speaks to them and then to -- i mean they were very excited about obama. that was the first time that two of my kids voted. he was such a rock star that he just pulled them in. but they worked for certain things and certain charities and stuff but i think they've grown up in a household where sometimes that was really difficult for them. >> you hurt your foot. was it your foot last year in haiti? >> yeah. i was in haiti and i fell and i popped a joint so i had an operation eventually and -- that's really tricky when you get your foot operated on. i was on crutches for like two months. >> can you play ping-pong when you're on crutches? >> wheelchair. people are really good in wheelchairs. ping-pong -- you should come and play. you'd have a good time. i just invited snooki to come. >> she gets 50 grand and she'll be there. >> susan, very lovely. >> you guys are giving her 50 grand to be here? >> no, no, no. are you kidding? >> i was just inviting her to have a good time. you can drink, you can dance, you can play ping-pong. she doesn't have to make a public appearance. >> all right. thanks, susan. >> happy new year. >> thanks for bringing penny. >> bye, penny. up next, the little film with the big message. could it make its way to oscar? you decide. that's next. scott towels. their long-lasting rolls come in handy... for big jobs like this. nice. yeah, just watch... scott towels have unique ridges that soak up everyday spills -- even faster than bounty towels. - i had no idea. - it's cleanup done right. ( boy shouts, water squirts ) - welcome to my world. - thanks. do you know scott? scott towels are eanup, done right. takes care of 33 loads. tide stain release only handles 11. and clorox 2 gets rid of tough stains right before your eyes. clorox 2. find it next to the clorox bleach. ♪ [ pop ] right now at h&r block, and you could get it fast.s. just bring in your tax information... and get a refund anticipation check for up to $9,999. you pay nothing out of pocket... to get the maximum refund guaranteed. never settle for less than fast. call 1-800-hrblock... or visit hrblock.com to make an appointment. h&r block. never settle for less. ♪ [ continu ] a film puts into focus our nation's struggling education system while profiling five element a film puts into focus our nation's struggling education system while profiling five elementary and middle school students. >> andrew. gabriel gabriella. >> okay. that is one of the most heartbreaking and enlightening movies. >> both michelle and jeffrey were featured in this film created by academy award winning director david guggenheim. good to see you. thank you all so much for being here. >> when you watch just a scene from that film and you watch how a child's future hinges on just sort of the luck of the draw, it breaks your heart. do you guys think that this movie has changed people, michelle? >> i definitely think it has. one of the brilliant things that davis did was he put faces behind all of the numbers and all of the sort of rhetoric. right? he actually made us care about specific kids and made us understand that these are children's lives we're talking about. >> i was touched when you asked anthony's grandmother, i think, you know, about school and her son died from drugs. you put the camera right on his little face. he said my daddy died of doing drugs. oh, my gosh! we knew statistics but we need one story like that that moves us. right, davis? >> regular people, moms and dads just like us who sen our kids to school, they're really sick of the political rhetoric. they're sick of how the headlines run in the newspaper about education. they want action. they want change. they want a great teacher in front of them. if that's what you want, you want these two right here. because jeffrey and michelle have done more to give people a sense it's possible now. up in harlem. what jeffrey's doing for his kids, the entire neighborhood, he's given those kids a great school and a great chance. >> when you see this documentary you fall in love with jeffrey. right out of the gate, jeffrey, i saw you, i literally thought about quitting my job when it was over and joining you because there is some energy. is there a way to transfer what you guys are doing in your area to a nationwide deal? >> i think what michelle and i see is that we see these education reformers who have really been smothered by a system that has been so corrupt, it has so much power and so much money that people didn't dare speak up about this stuff! suddenly they say, oh, my god, she actually said these are lousy teachers. oh, my god, i can now speak up. we're seeing people really say, hey, this education thing is really important to this nation and we need to do something about it and we're going to put children first. >> it caused controversy though. teachers unions were very upset. you got a lot of backlash, didn't you? >> yes, we did. my boss paid with his job because the mayor of d.c. lost his election. the unions put a ton of money behind his challenger and i think it just showed that when you upset the status quo and begin to challenge these age-old practices that aren't good for kids but are good to adults you may get some push-back. >> they've got a new mayor and the same old terrible schools. >> davis, you put together an incredible documentary. you guys are stars in it but the kids are incredible. it is one of those things you have to go see this documentary. it is just one of those. >> it is going to win an academy award. all the best to you. thanmuch.oumuch. beautiful. beautiful film. beautheul. est in nutrition... just got better. even better nutrition -- high in vitamins d, e, and b12. a good source of vitamin a and b2. plus omega 3's. and, 25% less saturated fat than ordinary eggs. but there's one important ingredient that hasn't changed: better taste. better taste. better taste. yum! 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[ female announcer ] lactaid®. the original lactose-free milk. good morning once again. checking your forecast with christina. there are changes coming through as we speak. >> there certainly are. change is on the horizon. but the good news is we're getting a break from the rain right now. for the most part. we have a little activity pressing toward antioch, but overall we'll take a break. showers starting up again right around noon in the north bay, but i think the bulk of the moisture for henceforth is going to come into the south bay and hit the peninsula. 45 degrees in hayward right now, we're talking about temperatures in the low 50s later on. 52 in fremont and later as we head throughout the rest of the week, finally going to warm up to about 60 degrees. mike, any problems on the roadways? after the early morning we had rain in the north bay, things have been moving pretty smoothly toward the golden gate bridge. very pleasant view, a little blue. like you said, things coming in again south of the golden gate later on. we'll show you southbound still slow coming through san mateo, speeds northbound are fine, southbound in the 50s. this is the area where we'll see showers this afternoon and the evening commute. sunol, things are darker, low clouds watching there. but light so far. more news after this. a police dog helped catch a man suspected of robbing a bank. danville police say a 37-year-old man walk into a wells fargo and threatened to blow up the building unless he got money. a police dog followed the man's scent to a nearby apartment complex. officers used surveillance video and witnesses to identify the robber and found the missing cash and other evidence in the apartment. two women are recovering after fighting purse snatchers in mountain view. the women say they were walking back to their hotel when flooe men approached, tried to grab their purses. one of them were punched in the face. police found two men who matched the description given by the victims. however, the women couldn't positively identify them so they were released. thanks for joining us this morning. the "today" show will be coming up here next. we'll see you back here tomorrow morning. have a great day. we are back on this booze-day tuesday with more of "today" and a woman who in a very short time joined the distinction of joining madonna, cher and beyonce as one of the very few celebrities known by one name. >> she's the pint-sized reality star named snooki. she was the biggest little star of mtv's "jersey who are." self-proclaimed princess of poughkeepsie. others proclaimed her a berserk wind-up toy. from her signature poof to her signature tan. even president obama was talking about her. >> the following individual shall be excluded from the indoor tanning tax within this bill -- snooki and house minority leader john boehner. >> this new year's eve snooki starred in her own ball drop setting the stage for 2011. it could be her biggest year yet starting with last week's season three premier of "the jersey shore." it became mtv's highest rated telecast ever. and now snooki's fist-pumping her way into the literary world with her own novel. >> my cast mates are very surprised that i am an author because they didn't even know that i read books. for america and everybody to see that i'm writing a book, i feel like it is a big accomplishment for me. >> she's crazy. the book is called "a sure thing." nicole snooki, give us a fist pump on the book debut. >> so excited. >> first, we have to talk about your bump. because i'm not seeing your bump. it is on the book and it's not on your head. what's happening here? >> i feel like everyone's expecting me to wear the poof so i like to switch it up and like be different. >> that's so yesterday, right? that's so last year. >> not to say i'll never wear it again. >> what about the name snooki? your given name is not snooki. >> snooki's jersey shore. eventually jersey shore is going to end so hopefully everyone will remember me as nicole now instead of snooki. >> i think that's going to take a while. if ever. but this is the right road you're on. >> oh, yes. >> you're watching the piece and all your antics and falling down and all that stuff, you crack up. you laugh at yourself. >> i know. i never take myself seriously so i don't think anybody else should. i mean i just like to have fun and i'm silly. >> but people say you guys are bad role models for kids. >> but we're not trying to be role models for kids. we're just try to be ourselves and fun. i get mad even when people like under 18 watch our show because i'm like you shouldn't be watching our show. >> you want to have children some day. right? >> oh, hell yes. >> i'll take that as an affirmative. and what would you teach her about, you know, guys -- because i teach my daughter and all her friends. four words. he's not worth it. one day somebody's going to come along who is worth it and prove me wrong. but how do you parents feel about seeing you hook up with these different guys and all of that? i would be so crazed if you were my daughter. >> well obviously my dad doesn't really take it that well. he doesn't want to see his little baby girl hooking up with guys on telephone. but i think i'm old muff to make my own decisions. >> how old are you now? >> 23. >> okay. what does your mom say? >> my mom's very conservative. she's like not me at all. i don't know, she's proud of where i am right now but obviously she has some talks with me from time to time. >> now your book is a novel. >> yes. >> you wrote your book with a co-writer. >> right. >> and for people who haven't read it yet because it is brand-new, why don't we read a little. >> we're going to give you a little. >> a little mood music. hold on. >> it's too loud to talk. >> gia wasn't making a deep conversational and full connection. tonight was all about the three account ds, drinking, dancing and duh. are you from around here, she yelled? you've got a nice rack, screamed rocky in reply. wow. beautiful. >> snooki, that's poetry, baby. that's poetry. tell us about these characters. are they you? >> gia and isabella definitely is me and j lo. the scenarios that happen in the book aren't real. like it could happen on the shore. >> pretty much everything does. >> anything can happen on the shore. so yeah. >> but you're becoming a world brand. aren't you? what have you got now. the book, what? >> snooki slippers. >> the green ones you are wearing on the boardwalk? >> those were other slippers. the snooki slippers i wear in miami. now i have like leather print and stuff like that. >> but you did spend a little time in the can, right? >> yeah. >> how was that? >> four hours. >> how many? >> four. >> what happened there? you were drinking and falling down? >> yeah. you know i had a little too many margaritas and -- how many does it take for a person as tiny as you are? >> not a lot actually. i mean i'm really tiny so like i can have a drink, be like whoa! you know. a jail kind of sucked a little bit just because i'm tiny. i shouldn't be there. i'm too pretty for that. >> what? what did she say? >> is that what they told you while you were in there? >> no, i was thinking that. >> only ugly people go to prison? lindsay lohan went to prison. she's awefully pretty. >> never mind. >> that's snooki. >> i heard you and matt, i heard there was a little connect on your part with matt lauer. >> oh, yeah. he's actually really good looking. >> did that surprise you? is he too pretty for prison? >> he's really hot in person. yeah. >> i'm sure matt will be happy. >> you know what? you're a lot of fun, snooki. but start -- can i give you a little motherly advice? value yourself more. just give yourself away to just any jerk. okay? >> oh. gotcha. >> everybody's favorites -- well, kathie lee's favorite kid cook. reed alexander is here. but first these messages. 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[ laughter ] ♪ [ female announcer ] walk into a burst of fresh fragrance when you pass by. get motion activated glade sense and spray and release the magic. sc johnson, a family company. and release the magic. we always make time for just us cousins. like the other night at olive garden. hey susan, you gotta tell the aunt jessie story again. ok, ok. joe: love that story. come into olive garden for our two new scaloppini dishes. pan-seared chicken breasts in a lemon-herb glaze. or sauteed pork in a creamy white wine sauce. both served with asiago filled tortelloni. along with our unlimited fresh salad and warm breadsticks. this is like being back at the kids' table. [ laughter ] olive garden. when you're here, you're family. it is time for "today's style at and ways to revamp your wardrobe and barely touch your wallet. >> "glamour's" contributing editor is here. >> i love that this is on the cheap. >> every single project we'll show you is under 20 bucks. take what you already have in your closet and redress it up for the new year. >> let's start with winter coats. you can quickly make something -- >> absolutely. almost every woman has a basic black coat you wear season after season. it is a little boring. swap out the buttons. we bought these great pearl buttons for $2 each. eight of them, $16 for the whole project. it is kind of dressy. can you change up with any kind of button you want. we have a few to show. colors, metallics, anything. >> this is smart, too. we all have a little basic black skirt. if you want to make it look a little different. >> add a little trim around the hem line. doesn't even have to be black. go to your local fabric or craft store and buy a little bit of this trim. feathers, beads, sequins, anything. you don't even have to sew a single stitch. we took this great little glue which works as well as needle and thread. you can wash it, dry it. it is $6. you'll just run a little bit of line of glue right around the hem of the skirt. then press the trim on and then we've got -- >> look at danielle! >> really cute. sort of dresses up what you've lore got in your closet. >> absolutely. >> so a lot of us wear tights in the winter but they start to look the same after a while. >> exactly. i've got a drawer full of tights that i say i should wear these but i never too. especially with something that's lacey or textured, it is a little bit to cold to wear them in the middle of the country. double them up. take a pair of bright colored tights and put your lace tights on top of it. what you've got is this great look that's still going to keep you warm. >> wow! that's smart. >> sexy, sassy thing. instead of totally overaccessorizing, go with a gray dress, black dress. >> distressed jeans are still all the rage. are these ever going out? >> they're not. celebrities are wearing them. we have a great photo of nicole richie in a pair that i love. >> she looks good in anything. >> she knows how to put it together from top to bottom. >> she does. if you want the look of her jeans, a lot of times you'll bay $100, $200 for these in a store which is crazy. paying for something that's basically destroyed. we're going to take a pair of jeans you already have in your closet. i'll show you on this pair here. make a couple of little snips. you're going to cut a few little holes. >> careful where you put them. >> yes. before i made this pair i looked at a couple of pair online and made sure i was copying the holes the way they were. the way denim works is it has white threads that run this way and blue threads that run this way. start with the blue treads. put on some bad telephone, catch up on your "housewives." >> or "jersey shore." >> exactly. >> so cute. >> last, we're going to take last year's jewelry, turn it into something new. everyone has a bunch of beads, old pearls, things like that they have in their jewelry box. twist them all up, clasp them in the back and you have this great little statement necklace. >> thank you. coming up next, reed alexander's got our kitchen on fire. he's got fun food for kids after this. getting enough whole grain.'t but actually, it's easier than you think, because general mills big g line of cereals is america's number one source of whole grain at breakfast. there's whole grain in every box... ♪ ...from chex... to cheerios... to lucky charms. so you can get the whole grain you want with the taste you love. get started on the whole grain you're missing with your favorite big g cereals. make sure to look for the white check. with your favorite big g cereals. your favorites, in pieces. you can do this... get the ball, girl. hmmm, you can't do that. but you can do this. bengay pain relief + massage with penetrating nubs plus the powerful pain relief of bengay. love the nubs! time for "today's kitchen. ". >> when reed alexander isn't playing neville on nickelodeon, he can be found in the kitchen cooking kid-friendly healthy meals. then we're going to be tasting some of his great, great taste. we love you. >> we love you! you guys are awesome. >> the royal "we"? who are "we". >> we and the rest of your "today" show team. before we get cooking, we're all friends. right? >> what's the problem? >> i'm 16, i'm 12. >> i didn't say you were 12. >> i did. >> you seem 12. >> you're just a little short. that's all. >> 16 and proud! all right. >> because we're all such great friends we want to throw a great movie night. >> yes, we did! >> popcorn. we've got some great tricks. we'll start out making turkey cone tacos. >> stop it! >> i'm going to deliver. hoda, would you like to stir these onions for me, please? >> no. >> you add spices, break it up. kathie lee, would you mind opening up this vial for me? kitchen chemistry today. homemade mexican all-purpose taco seasoning. >> put the whole thing in there? >> yeah. there's salt, pepper, paprika, ps.s. powder, all those instant ththis i is so easy. let that saute for ten minutes. we've got some that's already made with no more brown in it. then you just throw in these beans. i love to use different kinds. black beans, red kidney beans -- if you're having friends over, you know what beans do. >> thank god you got a good movie to distract you. all right. then this is done. you just heat through. >> what? that's the whole story? >> it is so simple. right? >> let's do it! >> we take this filling and use a half-cup each. take six of these little tortillas, individual 100% whole grain. all i've done is toasted them in the oven about five or six minutes. i'm just spooning them right up into a cone shaped mold. top with anything you like. guac! i love guac. you can pick this up or eat it with a spoon. because that's crispy from the oven, it is really nicely edible. sort of makes this a little vessel. i want to show you my own healthy concession stand. >> it tastes good. did you taste? >> no, because we're being rushed. >> take a taste, please. i need the verdict. all your favorite toppings, i hope you guys love it. super simple recipe. >> so cute! >> thank you. you know what i think about it? i'm thrilled. i'm -- >> great. >> i'm so glad. if it is movie night you want something that's visually appealing just as great tasting as the food. this next recipe, minichicken parm meatballs. >> stop it! >> we got our turkey, you put three on a mini skewer. i love to share these recipes with you guys. >> we got to run, reed. say hi to everybody for us. honey, god bless you. we'll be back to find out your bad habits and hoda's too. but first, more of "today" on nbc. we are back with our special series called "sara on the streets." >> while many people struggle to keep their new year's resolutions, we thought it would be a good time to ask about bad habits. >> i thought it would be difficult to get people to open up and tell me about their bad habits. turns out being bad feels oh, so good. i asked shoppers which habits they can't, or won't, break. >> tailgating. >> thatky legally talk about? >> yes, legally. >> fine. chocolate. >> drinking diet coke. >> after four, five days my wife wants to kick my butt because i'm so moody. >> smoking. >> have you tried? >> no. >> why haven't you started yet? >> because i love smoking. it is a bad habit i cannot get rid of. >> definitely swearing. i have a dirty mouth. >> let me see your nails. >> i'm watching a movie, i love to go to the movies. >> some people need popcorn, you need your nails. >> yes. >> do you have any bad habits you want to break? >> no, no. >> sarsara, nice to see you. we've got a fun show tomorrow. faith hill is with us. and $10 dinners. go out and have a great booze-day, everybody. all the best. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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