Transcripts For KNTV Today 20110112

that serves -- and meet ben. john travolta and kelly preston share the first photo of their little miracle today, wednesday, share the first photo of their little miracle today, wednesday, january 12th, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today." it's 7:00 a.m. on the west coast on this wednesday. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm meredith vieira. parts of the pacific northwest were slammed by overnight snow. and just in time for the morning drive, things have changed over to sort of a dicey mix of rain and ice. >> meanwhile, here in the northeast, we are dealing with our own winter wallop. about 9 inches fell in central park, but take a look live at hartford, connecticut. still snowing there. parts of that state have been slammed by about 2 feet of snow. and as you can see, it is still coming down. up in boston, al has been outside for hours, where snow is falling at the rate of about an inch or two per hour with 30-mile-an-hour wind gusts. we'll get to his forecast for both coasts, straight ahead. also ahead, president obama travels to arizona today, to pay tribute to the victims of saturday's shooting. this as the office of congresswoman gabrielle giffords releases the first photos taken inside her hospital room. you can see her husband, mark, holding his wife's hand. giffords' doctors say she now has a 101% chance of surviving. good news. we'll talk to them coming up. and some problems we want to tell you about for that homeless man with the so-called golden voice who gained instant fame last week. we'll tell you why ted williams was detained and questioned by police in los angeles. but let us get right to these powerful storms in the east and the west. al roker is standing by in boston. al, good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning matt and meredith. we are here at boston common. and i'll tell you, earlier this morning, it was a heavy, wet snow. i mean, really dense. you'd pick it up, it would not go anywhere. but now -- it just drops. but now it's a fluffier, lighter snow. colder air starting to infiltrate into the upper atmosphere. that shows this storm is starting to intensify. snowfall amounts so far, and again, remember, this is a heavy, dense snow. hartford, connecticut, 15 inches. manchester, connecticut, almost 20 inches. 22 in milford. newton, connecticut, 27 inches of snow. these are heavy amounts. new york city go 9.1 inches. some parts of long island, 14 inches of snow. and now the storm is making its way up the coast. and the same storm that caused the big problems in the southeast, now causing problems in new england. everybody across the country saying, here we go again. parts of the south are still reeling from this week's rare blast of ice and snow. alabama, georgia, louisiana, and the carolinas called a state of emergency. roads became ice rinks. thousands of homes lost power. now the system that pummeled the south joins forces with another snowstorm that raced across the midwest tuesday. together, they're combining for a classic nor'easter that's pounding the east coast. the heavy snow has ended in philadelphia, but it stretches to here in boston, where blizzard conditions are expected. two weeks ago, the east coast was hammered with as much as 32 inches of snow. airports closed, holiday travelers stuck for days. new york city, paralyzed. overnight, advance crews have been trying to get an early jump on clearing the snow. >> in anticipation of the storm, you should know that our sanitation department has 365 salt spreaders and 1,700 plows ready. >> reporter: but it's bad news for air travelers. over 2,000 flights were canceled tuesday and there are many more today. >> and i'm just trying to drive out of here. and that looks like it's going to be hours. it's like a winter wonderland out there. you wonder if you'll make it. >> reporter: well, there's no wondering if you're going to get in or out of logan airport here in boston. it has canceled operations for the day today. the three new york airports will resume operation, hopefully, around noontime. if you're thinking, hey, i'm going to hop on an amtrak train to get either to new york or boston, not so fast. this heavy snow brought down a tree that brought down power lines that power the trains. you can see the snow right now moving almost sideways with 30-mile-per-hour winds. so it's rough. now out in the pacific -- let's, first of all, show you what we're looking for as far as some final accumulations. in the northeast, now look at the pacific northwest. we've got a lot of rain coming in here. started off as snow. now it's changing to an icy mix from seattle down to portland. then right along the coast, we're talking about rain all the way into oregon and california. rainfall amounts, they're going to be pretty good. we're talking 1 to 2 inches of rain between and seattle and portland, half-inch amounts generally throughout the area. and as you get into the mountains, we're talking anywhere from 5 to 24 inches of snow in some of the upper elevations so this is a powerful storm moving into the pacific northwest. again, we've got more snow here in new england, blizzard warnings up. schools are closed and it's going to last right throughout the day. back to you guys. >> all right. al roker in boston for us this morning. al, thanks so much. >> as al mentioned, parts of connecticut are really being hit hard as well. nbc's jeff rossen is in hartford. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, meredith. good morning to you. it's been snowing here for ten hours. no science of it letting up. in fact, it's still coming sideways a little bit. it's the wind that really hits your face, that's the problem. already here in hartford alone, 15 inches on the ground. more than a foot. and in some areas of the state, as al mentioned, close to 2 feet already. and they're going to go over that as the snow continues to go. you can see, this is not even a snowdrift i'm standing in here, this is exactly what has fallen so far. we're standing right in the area of some big intersections. this is the state capitol here in connecticut. and you can see as a police officer goes by, people keep getting stuck. the roads, even the main roads, aren't plowed yet, and the plows keep coming by. the problem is, the snow is coming down at a rate so fast, 2 to 4 inches an hour, they just can't keep up. the governor of connecticut actually held a news conference here just a couple of hours ago, has not declared a state of emergency, but has closed all the government offices, smartly so, because people can't get to work. told employees to stay home. the governor also made a plea, meredith, to all business owners in this state saying, tell your employees to stay home too. the airport, no commercial traffic in or out. schools are closed. it is an absolute mess here. and we can't get to our camera position here, but i'm looking at a driver who's actually out of his car right now, he just slid down the hill. it is treacherous, dangerous driving here, meredith? >> all right, jeff, you take care. thank you so much, jeff rossen in hartford for us this morning. much more on the storms throughout the day. let's go now to new details on that shooting rampage in arizona. investigators have removed more evidence from jared loughner's home and there are reports of an apparent altercation between loughner and his father on the very day of the shooting. we're also getting our first look at photos from inside congresswoman gabrielle giffords' hospital room. lester holt is in tucson with the latest on all of this. lester, good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning. let me start with that altercation or confrontation. the associated press reports that the sheriff is saying that the father of jared loughner saw his son getting something out of the trunk, a black bag. there was some question back and forth, loughner took off running into the desert. his father tried to chase him in a pickup truck. authorities want to know what was in that black bag, and it could shed some light on the investigation itself. loughner ultimately hopped in a cab and it took him to the shopping center where authorities believe he was intent on assassinating the congresswoman. in the home of jared loughner, the search for evidence has reportedly now produced a note that says, "die, [ expletive ]," what investigators believe was a reference to congresswoman giffords. meanwhile, the accused killer's family who has remained secluded since the massacre issued a statement late tuesday. "we don't understand why this happened," they wrote. "it may not make any difference, but we wish we could change the heinous events of saturday. we care very deeply about the victims and their families." as for the most prominent victim, this morning newly released photos taken on sunday show the husband of gabby giffords, astronaut mark kelly, at his wife's bedside, his hand clutching hers. her surgeon says the congresswoman, for now, is de defying the odds. >> she has no right to look this good, just given the type of the injury, so many people do so, so poorly after this type of penetrating injury to the brain. >> reporter: she's able to breathe unassisted and make small movements. but as for the future, an uncertain path. >> this is the frustrating thing about neurologic injuries, as for us as physicians, for the family, for the patient, it just comes at its own course over months and longer, sometimes. ♪ >> reporter: tucson is going through its own healing process. last night, a memorial for judge john roll. and arizona's governor making a late-day visit to an impromptu tribute outside the hospital where only a handful of victims remain. >> we'll get through it. we'll get through it. >> reporter: workers have been rushing to prepare the university of arizona's arena for tonight's public memorial, where president obama will speak. families of the victims are starting to share their stories publicly. the daughters of mavy stoddard, who was wounded in the attack, honoring their stepdad, dorwin stoddard, who gave his life, shielding their momentum. >> he heard the shots and covered my mom, with his own body, protected her and saved her. >> this is a beautiful way to say good-bye. >> reporter: still hospitalized is suzie heilman, who was shot while he stood holding the hand of her neighbor, 9-year-old christina green. christina, who was eager to learn about government, was killed. suzie's husband describes her wife's torment. >> what kind of things has she expressed? >> the eyes of the man who was doing it, which will be emblazed in her memory forever. the realization that, indeed, they were hit. her crying out, "christina, christina, let's run! let's run!" had her by the hand. and then her vivid memories of being on the ground, bleeding profusely, thinking she was dying. >> reporter: the heilmans are close friends with christina's parents. >> i can't imagine having the strength to deal with a situation like that with such grace. i already loved them, they're great people, but they're showing enormous strength in the face of this. this pain. >> reporter: this entire community showing great strength. it will honor the victims of the shooting at the memorial here at the university of arizona tonight. it will be the president and first lady who will be here along with former arizona governor and current homeland security secretary janet napolitano. we can also report that in washington, d.c., right now, the house of representatives, a resolution is being read, honoring the victims of the shooting. you can see house speaker boehner there reading that resolution, as the tragedy here continues to resonate across the country, and certainly in the halls of washington, d.c. matt? >> all right, lester, thank you very much. lester holt in tucson for us this morning. a little earlier this morning, we spoke to c.j. carmargin, the communications director for congresswoman giffords, and we began by asking him to react to the great news from giffords' doctor that she has a 101% chance of surviving. >> we were elated. the giffords family, and that's what we call ourselves in the congresswoman's office, we were elated. >> there have been some very emotional moments. we're seeing the first images coming from congresswoman giffords' hospital room, where her husband, mark, is holding her hand. it's a very tender photo. how is mark holding up? how is the family holding up? >> the family is holding up as well as can be expected under these circumstances. mark is strong, the congresswoman's parents are strong. her sister is strong. this is a time where the family, the congresswoman's family, us, who had the privilege of working for her, are really coming together. but it's a test. it's a trial. >> tell me about -- i think you were in the room with congresswoman giffords, in that hospital room, when she responded to a command and actually held up two fingers. and i know there's some question whether she was flashing a peace sign or a victory sign. what was it like? >> it was both. it was both. you know, to see the congresswoman fighting like that, that's giving us a lot of strength. and it's something that is -- gabby giffords is a fighter and she's an inspiration to us. that's why we work for her. all of us on her staff consider it a privilege to work for her. and to see her fighting back like that, it is so heartening. and you know, she is a reflection of her community. we see how this community is responding to this tragedy, and it's that same sort of fighting spirit that is so inspirational to all of us, who have been affected by this. and make no mistake, everyone has been affected by this. >> c.j., before i let you go, you talk about it being a family, this staff. and some of your family members i would like to talk about. ron barber and pam simon are still in the hospital. how are they doing? >> they are doing well. i spoke to ron yesterday. his family is going to make their first public statement today. pam is strong. she asked me about dark chocolate. we have an ongoing joke in our office. both are doing well, and that, too, is so important for us. >> and finally, gabe zimmerman, who lost his life in tragic shooting. he was the director of community outreach, 30 years old, engaged to be married, what would you like to say about gabe? >> gabe was a buddy. gabe was a friend. he was a trusted and loyal colleague. he was the face of the congresswoman throughout southeastern arizona, at many events that she couldn't attend. gabe's death will leave a gaping hole in our office, our hearts, and in this town. it's a tragic loss. >> c.j., our best to you, your staff, which you call a family, rightly so, and of course, to the family of all the victims as well. thank you for joining us this morning. >> thank you, matt. and now let's get a check of the other top stories of the morning. natalie morales is in for ann at the news desk. good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith and matt. in the wake of the arizona tragedy today, sarah palin answered critics who implied she and others fostered a political climate which may have contributed to the shootings. >> but, especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence that they purport to condemn. that is reprehensible. >> last spring palin targeted giffords' district on a map as one that should be taken back from democrats, even marking it with a crosshairs of a gun sight. today marks one year since the devastating earthquake that killed nearly a quarter million haitians and leveled much of the island. former president bill clinton is in haiti, reviewing the recovery efforts that he says has not progressed quickly enough. since the earthquake, the country has battled a sweeping cholera outbreak and political unrest. the catastrophic floods in australia that have killed 22 people since november are now surging toward the third largest city of brisbane. nbc's ian williams is there. ian, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. it's nighttime now here in brisbane, where thousands have been evacuated. many to centers like this, to escape a flood surge expected in the next few hours. already some 30 of brisbane's suburbs are under water. more than 20,000 homes are threatened. residents escaping today ahead of the flood surge. the military joining the search for those isolated or trapped. the bloated brisbane river, rising relentlessly, is expected to peak in the early hours of thursday morning. power has been cut off from large swaths of the city, including the vulnerable commercial center, which now resembles a ghost town. australia's prime minister visiting today told me the city is bracing for the worst. >> they are well prepared. they have good plans. and the people have a real fighting spirit. >> reporter: the waters are sweeping toward brisbane after devastating inland towns, where it was likened to an inland tsunami, killing at least 12 people with dozens still missing. it has at least stopped raining today, but too late to affect the floodwaters bearing down on this city, natalie. >> nbc's ian williams in brisbane. vice president joe biden is in pakistan with talks in islamabad with civilian and foreign leaders on forging a peaceful partnership. this as a suspected u.s. drone killed four taliban insurgents in pakistan's tribal region bordering afghanistan. david nelson, the last surviving member of television's nelson family died tuesday after a battle with colon cancer. david and his teen idol brother, ricky, starred with their parents in "the adventures of ozzie and harriet." david nelson was 74. michael jackson's physician at the time of his death has been ordered to stand trial for manslaughter in a los angeles court. dr. conrad murray also had his medical license revoked after a judge ruled that having him practice was a danger to public safety. murray returns to court later this month. and secretary of state hillary clinton took a surprise trip while on her surprise trip to yemen tuesday. as she waved good-bye to yemeni leaders and boarded her awaiting plane, as you see here, she takes a little slip there, spills, falls to the ground. she did get up, though, and she appears to be just fine. it is now 7:19 pacific time. you're up to date. let's turn it back to matt and meredith. >> years ago you could trip and fall and nobody would notice. >> maybe somebody got a still photo. now we show it on this program, early in the morning. >> over and over. >> that's right. >> she's good, though. >> natalie, thank you. let us head back to al in boston. he's got more on the national weather outlook. al? >> hey, chevy chase made a career out of making fun of gerald ford falling, so i guess we have a history of that, unfortunately. on, show you wha gsngoi as far as the country is concerned. and you'll see that basically whree' wwh looking at is a big storm system moving into the pacific northwest in the northwest corner. northeast corner of the couny,co we've got this big storm system that's causing blizzard warnings, up and down the new england coastline. going to drop anywhere from another 10 to 15 inches of snow. in between, things aren't too bad. we do have some lake-effect snow to talk about, the eastern side of the great lakes especially. chicago, see a little more snow as well. we've got plenty of sunshine through the gulf coast, but temperatures awfully chilly. high today in atlanta, only 31 degrees. 54 in tampa. 29 degrees and sunny skies in denver today. look for more clouds into the central plains, the northern plains as well, with bitterly cold temperatures. fargo today will only get up to 6 degrees. 69 and partly sunny in los angeles. boy, take a look at what we get. boy, a lot of snow coming down on the east coast. meanwhile we have fair conditions here and mild temperatures this morning. 48 degrees right now in hayward, turning over to 51 grows right around 9:00 a.m. as you take your lunch break, temperatures will rebound into the upper 50s. we're talking about 58 degrees at noon in san jose. as we round out the day, 63 degrees. hope you enjoy it. a little more rain on the way for the north bay tomorrow. your extending eis coming up in five minutes. >> snow's blowing sideways, now, meredith. and in fact, it's a lot lighter and almost granular than the heavy, dense snow we had earlier, which means things are getting colder in the upper atmosphere. meredith? >> all right, al, thank you very much. still ahead, troubles for the homeless man with the golden voice. why l.a. police briefly detained ted williams. that and much more, but first, this is "today" on nbc. just ahead, what was jared loughner really like? one of his close friends speaks out in an exclusive live interview. >> and on a much happier tee the first photo of john travolta and kelly preston's new baby ben. after your local news. ♪ that's when all the conditions are right for a good time ♪ [ male announcer ] advanced technology that helps provide cleaner air, cleaner water, and helps make all of us more energy efficient is something the whole world can get in step with. [ static ] ♪ i need a good time [ male announcer ] ecomagination from ge. it's technology that makes the world work. ♪ uh oh, sesame stir fry from lucky dynasty. oh, me too! but mine's lean cuisine, so no preservatives. [ female announcer ] lean cuisine has 90 dishes with no preservatives and quality ingredients like farm-picked broccoli and tender white meat chicken. lean cuisine. and tender white meat chicken. 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. [ bells jingling ] [ snorting ] [ gasps ] ♪ [ female announcer ] too many holiday treats? [ snorting ] ♪ take the special k challenge, with so many ways to lose up to six pounds in two weeks. what will you gain when you lose? get started at specialk.com. imagine what it can do to your skin. but dove isn't soap. it contains pure 1/4 moisturizing cream because, everyday moisture is the key to beautiful skin. and who knows moisture better than dove. good morning, everybody. 7:26. i'm brent cannon. checking your forecast with christina loren. we're starting to actually warm up. >> oh, yes. i like to bring good news to the table and that's exactly what i'm bringing. a warmup courtesy of all these clouds sitting above the bay area. what happened is sevrving as a blanket trapping in the daytime heat from yesterday so this morning we have temperatures in the upper 40s, whereas we were at 25 degrees in santa rosa at this time on monday. we are now at 45 degrees. high pressure holding strong. it's actually going to take all this cloud cover for the most part off to the north and we are expecting a little bit of shower activity tomorrow afternoon in the north bay but overall we'll stay dry in the east and the south bay. here are your temperatures right now. 47 in sunnyvale turning over to the low 60s across the board. now, without any fog, any problems on the roadways, mike? >> i think they're moving pretty smoothly. let's show you the backup at the toll plaza. the metering lights are on. the backup onto the berkeley curve and getting back past west grand avenue as well. the maps show you the approach. looking pretty smooth off 24. enclosing around university avenue but oakland won't see northbound slowing for about an hour. here's sunol southbound 680, slow approaching the area to livermore as well. after months of waiting, san bruno blast victims finally might be able to access money that's been donated after september's deadly pipeline explosion. 38 families whose homes are now gone will get $6,000. 17 homes with moderate damage will get about $4,000 each and homes with minor damage will be given $1,000 each. the city council could make that money available by the end of next week. more local news coming up in half an hour. the "today" show returns in less than two minutes. thanks for joining us this morning. see you back in a little bit. it is 7:30 now on this wednesday morning, january 12, 2011. a winter storm brushed by us overnight leaving a coating of snow in central park. but in the northeast, the snow is still coming down up to two feet especially in places likes hartford, connecticut. al will have the latest on the storm and the problems it is causing coming up. meanwhile inside studio 1a i'm meredith viera alongside matt lauer. >> we thought it would be a good time for a little bit of a refresher course on winter driving, what you should do and avoid doing if you're caught in a car slipping and sliding. plus much more on jared loughner, the 24-year-old arizona shooting suspect. one of his friends will speak out in an exclusive, live interview. we'll get a first look at the baby boy john travolta and kelly preston welcomed to the world back in november. we want to begin this half hour with ted williams, the homeless man who gained fame last week for his golden voice has hit a little bit of a bump along the road. williams was detained monday night after police responded to a disturbance at a hollywood hotel. lee cowan has details. >> reporter: he shot from homeless to household name overnight. >> you're listening to magic 98.9. >> reporter: the feel-good story that is ted williams and his velvet voice has a price. because while his newfound celebrity is afforded the recovering addict a second chance, it has also led him to face his demons in a very public way. >> do you acknowledge that you didn't step up as a father and a husband? >> yes, i do. >> reporter: his latest tv appearance was on dr. fill, who reunited him with family members william admits he traded for drugs and alcohol. >> i miss you. >> reporter: just a day after an emotional taping, williams got in an argument with that daughter. at this hollywood hotel. it got so heated, police were culled. charges were never filed and williams tells nbc news it was just a family dust up. but those who have been cheering his meteoric rise also worry that he's vulnerable, too much too soon they warn and his flaj jil recovery might break. >> the fame isn't going to be nearly as tough to sustain as the relationships with his family and his loved ones. >> reporter: william had a long rap sheet, heavier baggage that like his poverty won't lighten overnight. everyone seems to be careful that it's at a pace williams can handle. >> it's all been going, running, running, running and going forward and what's the next call and what's the next appearance. >> she's watched every detail of his new life unfold on tv. >> it's so tempting for people to just want to watch the very intimate and personal moments of a person's life and i just believe that not everything has to be out there for the world. >> you're watching late night with jimmy fallon. >> reporter: while his gift earned him a place in the spotlight, some say he'll only keep it if his personal weaknesses are dealt with first. >> you know you love it. >> for "today," lee cowan, nbc news. let's get the latest on the forecast, a snowy one for the northeast. al is in boston, hey, al. >> hey, thanks a lot, meredith. blizzard warnings for boston and the coastal new england area, the winds are gusting over 30 miles an hour, the snow is falling at a rate of about two inches per hour. wow, he's good. that's a serious runner. either that or somebody's chasing him, one or the other. anyway, let's show you what's going on, at least as far as the pacific northwest, they have had snow along the coast there, the good news for them, it's changed over to rain, there's a pretty good system bringing anywhere from an inch to an inch and a half per hour. rest of the country, we are looking at very, very unseasonably cold weather through the southeast, it continues, retarding the chance to get rid of all that ice that accumulated down there. we do have the snow here in new england and we're looking at cooler than normal temperatures, in fact frigid temperatures up a nice, mild start over the bay area. good morning to you. we're going to see mostly cloudy skies today, a few breaks of sunshine, but we're starting out so warm with temperatures in the 40s that i think we're going to reach the 60s today. 48 in san jose and right now it looks like we're going to stay a little more on the mild side along the peninsula as we head throughout this afternoon, but temperatures are going to end up in the upper 60s. 63 degrees in san jose today. warming up even more so as we head into your holiday weekend. have a great day. >> if we lose the signal, the reason for that, if you have satellite at home instead of cable, and the snow gets packed into the dish, you lose signal. to check the weather any time of the day or nigh, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. >> just throw it. >> thanks, al, very much. now more on accused arizona gunman jared loughner. mike tiabbi is in tucson with more. >> reporter: more and more of loughner's now former friends are talking about how and when he changed from someone who was odd and quirky to someone who's dark and dangerous. in fact it was well before saturday's shooting rampage that he basically left all his friends behind. jessica young and legal la chavez have been friends all their lives. in middle school they made another friend who loved music as they did, jared loughner. >> he was a sweet kid, genuine, funny, he would make jokes, he wasn't a loaner, he was tonight weird, nerdy outcast that everyone's portraying him to be. >> reporter: they made music together, even cutting a cd. then as often happens with teen friendships, things changed. loughner the didn't withdraw, he moved on. >> he wasn't some loaner that you would see sitting in the corner by himself. >> reporter: one of his best new friends was jack ofner who said he worried about his drug use marijuana and salvia. >> reporter: and then there were loughner's chosen cultural influences, reality bending films like donnie darko. and government conspiracy themed documentaries like "loose change". then suddenly last year, loughner started cutting off his closest friends, including zack >> basically he called or texted them and said, you know, i don't want anything to do with you. >> reporter: by the time loughner resumed classes at pima community college last spring, he had been rejected by the army when he tried to enlist and was over the top weird. he frightened some teachers and classmates with hiss outbursts. alex especially worried when loughner showed up with a whole new look. >> he shaved his head and he was wearing camouflaged pants. i said if there was a day that he was going to do anything, this would be the day. >> reporter: a descent into incomprehensible internet ram e ramblrambl ramblings and maybe even the oak cult. >> when i look back and i see this whole, you know, alternate view of reality that he was involving himself in the substance that she was using could have had a direct affect on why he did what he did. >> reporter: the associated press is reporting today that early last saturday, loughner's father saw him carrying a black bag and questioned him. when the son ran, the father chased him but didn't catch him in time. meredith? >> mike tiabbi, thanks very much. >> zane was a close friend of jared loughner's and he's joining us exclusively. what was your first reaction, zane, when you heard on saturday that your friend was a suspect in these terrible shootings in tucson? >> i was -- i was mortified. it was horrifying. i ended up sitting in my car for about four hours by myself. it's surreal. you don't really know what to do when something like that happens. >> you met jared in 2007, you were both seniors in high school. you really became friends the end of 2009 into 2010. how would you describe him? >> he was quirky, weird, but he's very intelligent. and, you know, our crowd, you know, we're a little different than we're very accepting and jared had a lot of really different ideas and views towards things. he was really into lucid dreaming and a lot of people found that to be awkward at that time and, you know, we tried always to accept that, like, between me and my friends. and it just -- yeah, i don't know how to describe it any better than that. >> so you saw it as quirky like a lot of kids might be quirky, but not dangerous? >> no, no, ma'am, jared was a really nice guy. the difference between the picture that is going around everywhere now, with the shaved head is that's not jared loughner, that's not my friend, that's a monster, that was a different person. yet again, not to be redundant, it's horrifying. it really is. >> i know you used to shoot at cans for target practice, he was good with a weapon, obviously he demonstrated that. but did you ever see signs of rage back then, the kind of guy that might use a gun. >> not a weapon. he was very intelligent. he could communicate what he was thinking. at that time when i knew him. but as months progressed, he started to spiral and he started to get really into isolated himself from what we would consider like reality, i guess, is the best way to put it. he started becoming more agitated, he got more frustrated if something was said that he didn't agree with, when at first jared was a very reaccept tiff person, he was always interested in hearing a new concept, a new idea, he would start yelling no, you're wrong. you're stupid, you have no idea what you're talking about. to just about anything and everything. and it just progressed and escalated from there. >> he had met congresswoman giffords in 2007 at an event similar to the one she was at last week. and after he asked a question, he was not satisfied with her answer. did he ever talk to you about that. >> yes, actually i remember that conversation. it only -- he only brought it up once and it never seemed like something that bothered him that much, but it did bother him. he felt that for some reason her being unable to answer his question and his question itself was strange and we let him know that and it was a difficult question to maybe even put into words to answer. but for some reason he felt like hiss representative unable to answer that question had failed him in some way, shape or form. and it really head hlet him dow personal level. i don't know how to put that. >> i know you have also said that he wasn't a political guy, into politics. why do you think he would have targeted her? >> honestly at this point, i don't know what jared was thinking. i cannot speculate on to what was going on in jared's mind, honestly, personally, having seen jared in march, i don't think jared really knew what he was thinking. i think jared just was trying to cause a reaction. jared was a sick individual, jared needed help and jared didn't get help. and this is what happened and now there's a 9-year-old girl that needs to be buried and there's a whole town who is grieving right now. and it's a terrible situation. it's horrible. >> and before i let you go, very quickly, his relationship with his parents, did you ever see anything in the dynamic there? >> they're all quiet people. jared's house wasn't a house like some of my friends where we would feel comfortable going and sitting in the living room and watching tv and, you know, the mom would bring out a sandwich or something for everybody. jared's house was not a place where it was comfortable to hang out really. >> all right, zane, thank you so much for your time this morning. >> you're more than welcome, ma'am, thank you. >> and still ahead, more on the winter storm that's pounding new england and the perils of winter driving, a lesson on how to avoid them right after this. ♪ [ indistinct shouting ] ♪ another day ♪ another dollar ♪ daylight comes [ dogs barking ] ♪ i'm on my way ♪ another day ♪ another dollar ♪ working my whole life away ♪ another day ♪ another dollar [ thinking ] hmm. i got all this off mcdonald's dollar menu. so amazing and just a buck each, so my turn. guess we'll just have to go look at window treatments. [ thinking ] the simple joy of being smart. ♪ i t enhe w tto dentist. he was poking around, he found the spots, and he said, "are those spots sensitive?" he recommended t tt i noticed it was working when i was drinking cold things and i wasn't even thinking about it. i never thought a toothpaste could fix that problem. to london starts with arthritis pain... and a choice. take tylenol now, and maybe up to 8 in a day. or...choose aleve and 2 pills for a day free of pain. enjoy the flight. it was a mystery to me. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and with less pain, i can do more of what matters to me. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior or any swelling or affected breathing, or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. we're back now at 7:46 as yet another winter storm slamming this region. each year snow and ice contributes to a mill car accidents and 14,000 deaths. tom costello is in washington this morning, he's got a bit of a refresher course. >> reporter: an awful lot of us have had practice driving on this stuff. we thought it was a good opportunity to go back and look at the dos and the don'ts, for that we return to the winter driving school out in colorado. my return trip to winter driving school wasn't supposed to go like this. >> that's a good example of everything not to do. >> that's my camera crew i almost took out. clearly it was time for a refresh. so under ice cold blue skies -- >> the surface is about eight inches of ice and snow. >> reporter: with steamboat mountain as the backdrop and after a quick drive from a stunt driver, it was my turn. lo the most common problem is losing control in a rear wheel skid. and i was soon reminded of the best way to avoid a skid. lift off of the accelerator, don't steer anymore. that is a good example. of everything not to do. >> reporter: i grew up driving on snow and ice and i still screwed up. >> most of us don't drive on this for six months at a time and then we jump back in to it with no preparation whatsoever. >> don't brake and steer at the same time and if you start a rear wheel skid, gently turn into the skid and then apply the gas. >> the secret is adjusting your speed before you take the corner. >> reporter: the next lesson is avoiding a front wheel skid, especially in a turn, too much skid can send you flying off the road. >> slow, slow, and we're going right off the edge of the road. >> reporter: avoiding a front end skid is keeping your speed down. once in the turn, slowly apply the gas. the next challenge is to come down this hill and avoid the track tis which is represented by these red cones and avoid the school was parked in the road. even as the brake grirps and -- >> you manned the mash the brake so hard, that it's almost as if you're trying to break the brake pedal off. >> break the brake and it could be bad news. >> you did everything right, you just did it too late. >> finally this third time was a charm, we missed the bus. lesson learned, slow down and brake early. if you have anti-lock brakes, apply solid pressure, even as the pedal pops back up. >> and if you don't have anti- lock brakes, you go back to the pumping technique, which is brake release, brake release. >> reporter: you know it also is all about speed. if you keep your speed down, of course it's so much easier to navigate the stuff. but matt, last night i came home and i couldn't get up on my street. it was covered in ice and i saw a neighbor driving his daughter around, taking the opportunity to teach his teenaged daughter to get out and learn to drive the stuff, slow and easy, might be a good opportunity when you have that chance in a safe environment. back to you. >> how's the emotional health of your camera crew right now? have they recovered from that? >> i had to buy them a round of refreshments after that. >> okay, got it. tom, thank you, we appreciate it. still ahead we're going to get our first glimpse of john travolta and kelly preston's baby boy ben. but first these messages. almost. it converts the car's braking force into electricity, so it's more efficient. so i thought... what if we put that same system onto one of these? [ people screaming ] who knows? we might be able to create the world's first self-sustaining amusement park. [ male announcer ] how would you use toyota technology to make a better world? learn how to share your ideas at toyota.com/ideasforgood. learn how to share your ideas nothing starts your day like honey roasted, honey bunches of oats. the perfect balance of crunchy flakes and clusters, with a kiss of golden honey. delicious. and the same calories per serving as special k original. so, try honey roasted, honey bunches of oats! heck try 'em all. how are those flat rate boxes working out? fabulous! they gave me this great idea. yea? we mail documents all over the country, so, what if there were priority mail flat rate... envelopes? yes! you could ship to any state... for a low flat rate? yes! a really low flat rate. like $4.95? yes! and it could look like a flat rate box... only flatter? like this? you...me...genius. genius. priority mail flat rate envelopes. just $4.95. only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 if you could use any atm, at any bank, tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 anywhere in the world... tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 without having to pay to access your own money. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 it'd be like every atm in the world was your atm. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 the schwab bank high yield investor checking® account. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 zero atm fees. a great interest rate. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 no minimums. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 and it's fdic-insured. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 the schwab bank high yield investor checking® account. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 the biggest thing in checking since checks. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 open an account at 1-800-4schwab or schwab.com. coming up, the son of jim and tammy fay baker speak out about the scandal that brought down his parents. >> we'll get to that after your local news and weather. 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®. how about a coastal soup and grilled shrimp salad combination at red lobster? or maybe skewers of tender, wood-grilled shrimp. or your choice of shrimp paired with wood-grilled chicken. all served with unlimited, freshly-baked cheddar bay biscuits. seafood lunches starting at just $6.99 that fit into your budget and your lunch hour. only at red lobster. ♪ well, it feels so good [ female announcer ] when you have a softer bath tissue, you can enjoy going more... while still using less. introducing new charmin ultra soft. new charmin ultra soft has an ultra-cushiony design that's soft and more absorbent. so you can use four times less versus the leading value brand. [ both ] ♪ soft to the touch... [ female announcer ] using less never felt so good. new charmin ultra soft. enjoy the go. good morning once again, everybody. the time now 7:56. i'm brent cannon. checking out the forecast with christina. every moment, every hour we get warmer and warmer today. >> oh, yeah. now that the sun is out, it's only going to go uphill from here. good morning to you. high pressure in control of our weather forecast. we do have a little system that's going to impact us as we head throughout the day today and tomorrow in particular. north bay could see a little bit of light scattered showers activity but what will happen is the system of low pressure will ride up and over that big strong ridge and for us it means we're going to nice and dry but mostly cloudy for today. but we're starting out nice and warm. 48 degrees in san jose relatively speaking, we were in the upper 20s earlier in the week so this is definitely a break from the bitter cold. 45 up in novato. later on today 60 degrees in oakland, 63 for san jose and this is just the beginning. take a look at what is to come. next few days. temperatures maxing out at 64 by tuesday. mike, how are you doing, happy birthday? >> for my birthday they gave me a lot of traffic to report. westbound highway 4 slows coming over love ridge and additional slowing through bay paint because of a disabled vehicle that was in lanes. it's moved to the shoulder but the slowing continues there. 680 really bogs down past 24 heading into danville where both directions are slow. southbound 680 al costa a crate in the roadway. funeral services will be held today for a mother and 3-year-old girl who died in an oakland apartment fire. that fire broke out december 30th in a four-unit apartment building on 82nd avenue and plymouth street. investigators say an overloaded extension cord may have started it. the 28-year-old woman and her daughter died in that fire. immigration officers will bring the father of the little girl to the funeral service today and then after that, he'll be deported to el salvador. he and another daughter are in the country illegally. now, the fate of the surviving girl has not yet been decided, but she could be deported as well. right now she is in the custody of child serves. more local news coming up in half an hour. the "today" show comes back in a minute and a half. thanks for joining us. we'll see you back here in a little bit. 8:00 now on this wednesday morning. the snow is not quite finished with us yet. here in new york, the sun has come up as the snow moves through, dumping about eight inches of snow in central park, and the total is much higher in other parts of the northeast, like connecticut and massachusetts. al's up in boston, we're going to check in with him in just a couple of minutes. >> also ahead, a question a lot of people have asked, was there anything that his parents could have done differently? on a much different note, the son of jim and tammy faye baker will join us this morning. he's going to tell us how his parents scandal impacted his life. i think he was 11 at the time it happened. he's written a new book about that and we'll be talking about to. plus vince vaughn and kevin james are here to tell us about their new movie. they're all set to go. >> the dilemma. >> i think they're going to have a fight. >> before we go any further, ann is off today. >> before we go any further -- >> we have a photo. >> john travolta and kelly press son's baby boy, all three on the cover of the latest issue of "people" magazine. eight pounds, three ounces, and very healthy. now let's go in, ann's off today, natalie's at the news desk with all the headlines. that snowstorm battered the northeast overnight dumping other than eight inches of snow on new york city before heading into new england. new york schools are open, however boston schools are closed. by dawn, airlines had already cancelled more than 1,500 flights. the family of tucson massacre suspect jared loughner has issued it's first statement saying they care deep by the the victims and their families. earlier today sarah palin answered critics who implied she and others fostered a political climate which may have contributed to the shooting. >> but especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding. journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood rival that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence that they purport to condemn. that is reprehensible. >> president obama in the moo meantime is attending a memorial in tucson for the five people killed and 13 people wounded. another accident is inevitable unless tough new rules are created for deepwater drilling with an independent federal agency to enforce them. a chicago man was convicted of murder last night in the videotaped beating of a high school honor s student. the 2007 killing of darian alberts -- employment ads in major newspapers were up 2% in november, following a similar rise in november. there are still five job seekers for every job opening. in its first executive order, california governor jerry brown is stripping 48,000 workers of their taxpayer funded cell phones. brown says the move will save his cash strapped state $20 million a year. and it was a sticky situation for an 8-year-old oklahoma boy who just couldn't turn down a good dare. rescue crews rushed to an oklahoma middle school to free the boy tottering on his tiptoes with his tongue stuck to a frozen pole. sounds like something out of a movie. once free, he blamed his brother for daring him to do that. i believe that's a double dog dare, right? it's now 8:04 right now. let's go to a al with a check of the weather in boston. >> natalie, it's a triple dog dare. >> it's a triple dog dare, don't do that while you're out there, al. >> i know of no danger of that, believe me. okay, well, as we tell you here in the northeast, it's a mess. boston logan airport, closed, cancelled all flights in and out. you're thinking i'll jump on the amtrak between here and boston. amtrak has suspended service because downed trees have knocked out power lines. our pick city is boston, blizzard warnings today and as we show you what's happening with this storm system, you can see that all the moisture, the snow is lifting up through long island, connecticut, on into new england, so we are still going to see for the next at least 12 hours, here in the northeast, blizzard warnings in effect for coastal new england, including boston on up into portland, we're looking for the snow to finally pull out late tonight, but behind it will be very strong winds, snowfall amounts, islip about ten to 15 inches of snow. 14 to 20 inches in bridgeport. and as we move to the north and east, you'll see boston, another 12 to 18 inches of snow. providence, another 10 to 14. and 12 total in up concord. well, here in concord right now, we're holding strong at 45 degrees. it's actually quite warm for this time of the morning, especially when you consider we were in the 20s at this time on monday morning. so this is going to lead to temperatures later on this afternoon in the 60s. 63 degrees today in san jose. about five to seven degrees above average. breaks of sunshine. mostly cloudy skies. tomorrow, maybe light scattered showers in the north bay. 61 degrees. mostly cloudy for the east and south bay. have a great day. >> all right, that's your latest weather, meredith. >> i'm going to take it, al, and coming up next, we're going to be playing a little catch with kevin james. that was right down the pike. we'll be back with much more right after these messages. okay. [ cellphone rings ] hey. you haven't left yet. no. i'm boarding now. what's up? um, would you mind doing it again? last time. [ engine turns over ] ooh. sweet. [ male announcer ] the all-new chevy cruze with the mychevrolet app. the remote-control car is finally here. well, now she's just playing with us. oh. [ horn honks ] that lets you eat six times a day? yeah, baby! try the slim-fast 3-2-1 plan. 3 snacks, 2 shakes or meal bars, and 1 balanced meal. slim fast. who has time to slim slowly? [ female announcer ] dry, itchy 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. ♪ express yourself ♪ ♪ express yourself ♪ ♪ oh, do it ♪ oh, do it ♪ express yourself ♪ hey [ female announcer ] coffee is like life. it's better when you add your flavor. coffee-mate, from nestle. [ son ] hi, mom. sorry i missed your call. [ sneezes ] call me. ♪ [ sneezes ] ♪ [ female announcer ] kleenex brand tissues are america's softest. [ sneezes ] no wonder people go out of their way to share them. [ sneezes ] ♪ [ coughs ] [ female announcer ] go to kleenex.com for more fun ways to share. kleenex tissues. softness worth sharing. [ female announcer ] go to kleenex.com for more fun ways to share. this is my band from the 80's, looker. hair and mascara, a lethal combo. i'm jon haber of alto music. my business is all about getting music into people's hands. and the plum card from american express open helps me do that. you name it, i can buy it. and the savings that we get from the early pay discount has given us money to reinvest back into our business and help quadruple our floor space. how can the plum card's trade terms get your business booming? booming is putting more music in more people's hands. with chili's new $6 lunch break. choose a salad or tasty soup. pair it with a texas toast half sandwich, like our southwestern blt with applewood smoked bacon. served with fries, it's big flavor for just 6 bucks! weekdays at chili's. 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. earlier this morning jared loughner's own friend said that he thought that jared loughner was a sick individual who needed help, help that never came. the question, why, how could this tragedy have been avoided? miguel, good morning. >> reporter: meredith, good morning, as some of the victims recover here at the hospital, we're hearing from the suspect's family for the first time, but even they say they have no answers. jared lee loughner's words are as chilling as his picture, die, expletive. law enforcement says that message was found on a note inside his home, an apparent reference to congresswoman gabrielle giffords. just before saturday's shooting, his parents say a confrontation took place between loughner and his father in their home. later that day, six would die, 13 more wounded in the shooting rampage. surrounded by a crush of media tuesday, loughner's parents released a statement. there are no words that can possibly express how we feel. we don't understand why this happened. but loughner's classmates at pima community college say even they saw warning signs. a student they called delusional who made others uncomfortable and was eventually asked to leave school. for some, the tragedy in tucson is another painful reminder of past shootings and missed warning signs. in 2007, 32 people were killed at virginia tech, labelled a loaner, his sister wrote, we have many unanswered questions as well. our family is so very sorry for my brother's unspeakable actions. it's a terrible tragedy for all of us. in 1999, 13 were murdered at columbine high school, gunman eric harris and dylan klebold had threatened fellow students. klebold's mother wrote the fact that i never saw a tragedy coming is still almost inconceivable to me. >> quite often we're in denial as to what it is that our children are capable of, especially when it comes to mayhem and murder. >> experts say in many cases, parents miss the signs or simply don't want to see them. investigators reportedly found this cult like shrine in the loughner's backyard. today in tucson, their son is the face of evil. police say they have been to the loughner's home in the past prior to the shooting, although they could not provide details. the loughner's family also released a statement saying they care very deeply about the victims and their family and this too is a difficult time for them. meredith? >> thank you very muchlt. and for more on what loughner's parents are going through right now, we turn to psychiatrist and today contributor dr. gail salts. good morning to you. so much speculation about what went on in that home with that family, and the dynamics, we don't know. but we do know this, they raised this boy from birth, 22 years old, get up one day and he's now accused of being a mass murder. what are they going through, this family. >> it's your worst nightmare, it's excruciating for a parent to see a child have anything happen to them. but for them to do something that the parent finds morally completely reprehensible is guilt inducing for the parent who thinks what did i do, is this a reflection of me? and there's a lot of discussion about whether or not mental illness is involved and that's also very, very upsetting for a parent. >> obviously because you hear that term mental illness and there's a stigma to that as well. >> it's very unfortunate that here we are in 2010 and people still don't understand that mental illness is an illness. there's a lot of shame attached to it. which is why to be perfectly honest people don't get the help earlier. for instance if that's what's going on in this young man, and people saw it in high school, that people feel they weren't able to say, boy, we're able to get you some help, we're really concerned about you and have that happen, because people feel it would be embarrassing, it would be insulting. the number of years between the on set of serious illness and diagnosis is nine years. >> where people could be getting help. >> and perhaps never get as six as they ultimately end up or something like this happening. >> there's questions, how could the parents not see these warnings signs? you call it the halo affect? >> we all have that halo affect in our children, you see them as perfect and quite wonderful, and especially the idea of mental illness is especially difficult. first of all we can attribute things to adolescent, oh, they're moody, they're private or they'll get through this. and we see things going on in our children and they never turn out like this. most severely mentally ill patients will never commit an act of violence like this and even ones who exhibit really very as people are commenting strange and bizarre behavior still don't go on to commit an act like this. so they say, i know something's going on, i don't know what it is, it's probably adolescence, unfortunately, because they either't dw konno'tecseorse bau shame they don't get their child in. >> we're back right after this. to our muscles are nerves d that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and less pain means i can do more with the ones i love. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior or any swelling or affected breathing, or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. 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. [ thinking ] hmm. i got all this off mcdonald's dollar menu. so amazing and just a buck each, so my turn. guess we'll just have to go look at window treatments. [ thinking ] the simple joy of being smart. ♪ delicious, real ingredients with no artificial flavors or preservatives. naturals from purina cat chow. share a better life. your favorites, in pieces. including your skin. [ female announcer ] now aveeno reinvents positively ageless. with shiitake complex, it's shown to visibly transform skin, helping repair the look of past damage and prevent future damage. positively ageless. only from aveeno. >> ( beeping ) ( beeping stops ) >> announcer: free is better. do your simple return for free with the federal free edition at turbotax.com. turbotax. the most trusted brand of tax software. au we're back now at 8:20. what would you do if you caught your best friend's wife cheating. that's the premise of the new movie "the dilemma." >> that pretty much sums it all up right there, that clip. >> that was a heck of a throe. >> that was a great throw. >> i wanted a fastball, you fought me off. >> i shook you off twice. you guys survived the storm of the century here in new york, congratulations. >> there was a lot of hype about it and it's more of a light flurry, isn't it? >> no, no, no there was a big storm. >> we need the hype. >> there's folks out there who are excited, they're not freezing. >> it's nice. >> so brian grazer has this idea for this movie, he basically thinks, okay, it's one of those water cooler topics, what would you do if you found out that your best friend's wife was cheating, comes to you and talks to you about it. dawning it do you know it's an open and shut case? >> the question isn't do you tell or don't you, the question is if there was a championship game he has to play the next night, so do you tell him before the game or after. >> so the question is when, not how? >> the question is on tilt, and they're not in a place to receive something and you know you kind of need to tell them, but payment, they have something that's going to happen very soon that is sort of life changing for them, are you doing them a favor by telling them before? >> i think it's a no-brainer. you have to tell your best friend, exactly, it's how you do it and the ripple affect that it will cause. >> you guys are in business together, you have a huge deal pending and so the idea is do you completely trash his world before that happens or do you wait until after and do it more gingerly? >> that's right, do you wait until after you get past the big meeting that everything is kind of on and then when you wait, how does that affect things and all that kind of stuff. >> it's all about you in the end. >> it's not all about me, it's all about dancing. >> we have the seen where you guys are hanging out with your significant others in the movie. and then there is some -- do you call it dancing? >> well, if you want to say inspirational. you can't teach that. i did that in one lesson. i was just very hungry at that point. >> what happens in this movie is you guys are playing guys who have known each other for 20 years? >> yeah, we're best friends. in re >> in reality, it's the first time you guys have ever worked together. so when they throw you together and say chemistry, instant chemistry. >> ron howard called us out, we had like three weeks before to get together. i have always known vince's work and i have met him a couple of times, but we really bonded when we went to chicago together. we really kind of clicked together. >> when you say you have three weeks in advance, are you sitting there reading a script for three weeks, or are you just hanging out? >> we're eating, we went to every place in chicago. >> that's a pretty good gig by the way, you live in chicago. >> i do, yeah. >> so you get to shoot in your hometown, you get to go home every night. >> it's an easy place in the summertime to get pooeople to ce together. >> you have your own two-man baby boom going. >> am i correct, another on the way. >> and you just had your first daughter? >> that's right. >> and what's her name? laughlin. >> so what's up for the rest of the day? snow angels in central park? what are we doing? >> i plan on building a snowman and then just -- i'm going to lunch. i'm just going to eat. >> when in new york. >> pizza will find its way into my life today somewhere. >> i can't see you building a snowman. by the way, your know snowman would be better, you're more of an engineer. you're the guy who would build a snowman and put the carrot in the wrong place. >> i would have to take my kids into the house screaming, something like that. >> what's next for you. >> working on a project where i have to actually get in shape and do a mixed martial arts movie. i really do. so i'm working on that hard now. and i got some time. >> and some pizza. >> i ate about six years before this project got off the ground. >> vince, what about you? >> i'm taking some time with my family. i'm going to spend some time with my wife and my new baby so i don't have anything in the works right now? >> is this the fastball or the slider? >> look at that, come on, 3/4 delivery. >> redi ibl >> vince vaughn and kevin james, we're back after your local news. good morning, everybody. time is 8:26. checking your morning forecast with christina. >> good morning to you. a mild morning for us here in the bay area. high pressure is going to keep things pretty nice today. we're talking about temperatures ending up in the 60s. starting out in the upper 40s. because we're starting out so warm, even under mostly cloudy skies, a few breaks of sunshine throughout the day today, we're still going to be add to able 10 to 15 degrees before we end up right around 60 degrees in the bay. rest of the week looks pretty good. we'll stay in the 60s and dry. >> christina, no 60s as far as the travel times. most of the approaches to the toll plaza, look at this live shot. you'll see how light it is at the bay bridge. almost no backup there. the metering lights are still on. we have a little more after this break coming up in just a moment. a hitchcock-like mystery is solved this morning. wildlife experts think they caused the mass death of several birds. you can see some of them on the road here. they made the conclusion they were killed by trucks after talking to witnesses. chp officers found more than 100 dead starlings south of geyserville on sunday. they fly in large numbers, so probably a big group went in front of a trk.uc local news in about half an hour. k. 8:30 now on this wednesday morning, the 12th of january, 2011. and you wouldn't know it by the looks of the rockefeller center, but we have just received nine inches of snow overnight. folks have made their way down to the plaza, i'm meredith viera here along with matt lauer and natalie morales. >> what are you doing out here? >> watching the snowball in your pocket. >> al is in the snow in boston, we're going to get his forecast in just a moment. also ahead, the come lance of the televangelist empire of jim and tammy fay baker. it was especially difficult for their 11-year-old son at the time jay. jay baker will join us this morning. he's written a book about his life. all right, plus filmmaker spike lee and his wife are here to tell us about a new children's book they wrote with a lofty goal, they're hoping to inspire children to change the world. again, we're talking about blizzard warnings here in boston and along the new england coast. schools are closed here in boston. we have also got the logan airport closed. amtrak suspended service because of a downed power line between new york and boston. so travel has been a little tricky. the governor has asked folks to stay off the roads here in massachusetts. as far as today's concern around the rest of the country, we are looking for rain in the mountains, sunshine in the plains, but brutally cold, in atlanta, a high of only 31 degrees today. rain continues in the pacific northwest. snow showers around the great lakes, we're looking at sunshine and mild conditi we have a pretty nice wednesday in our neck of the woods. good bhorng to you, bay area. you can see a little overcast with the cloud cover overnight. was able to trap in some of the heat from yesterday. so we're still in the upper 40s. 48 degrees in hayward today. 47 right now in sunnyvale. we're going to warm up to the 60s today. 58 in san francisco. and this warm dry trend continues all the way into this tuesday. 64. have a great day. >> and when you got weather like this, you want to check in with the weather channel, two, three, four times a day or you can go to weather.com online. one of the biggest scandals in the '80s was the very public fall from grace of televangelists jim and tammy faye baker. their son was just 11 at the time. "toda today she's known as an evangelical rock preacher. but here's his story. >> i want you to say held. >> jay baker grew up in a firestorm of controversy as his parents ministry collapsed and it was a long way to fall. >> we hope all the people we love so much will forgive us and help us. >> reporter: in 1989, jim baker was convicted on 24 counts of fraud, accused of bilking his followers and business partners out of $160 million. baker served five years of a 45-year prison sentence, the scandal including the shock news of the minister's affair with his secretary jessica hawn. >> they were so influential, it was something akin to oprah infused with a passion of faith. and the people who believed in the bakers would do anything and everything for them. >> a great big welcome for jim and tammy bakker. >> jim and tammy faye baker headed the ptl club. they raised $500,000 a day. ♪ >> tammy faye later divorced jim baker and remarried. she died of cancer in 2007. jay is now 35 years old and has a church of his own called revolution. >> i want to talk about traditions and how growing up, whenever i heard a church and it was like this was bad and this was wrong, i just kind of believed it. >> jay speaks at rallies around the country delivers a message of grace. and jay baker is out with a new book called "fall to grace." let's start with something right out of the book. my family set the standard for televised crackups, before o.j. on the interstate, before michael jackson dangled babies over balconies, before. >> what are your -- >> cameras, people camping out in front of our house. >> your parents because of what they did and your dad, it put the family through humiliation. and did your dad ever apologize to you for it? >> he's always said i'm so sorry that you guys, the kids had to go through this. i think there was a lot of people involved in the situation. >> you have said that you went through the school of hard knocks. >> yeah. >> and as a result had some tough times in your own life with alcohol and with drugs. how difficult did it get? and how much do you attribute to what your family went through? >> i think some of it was just normal rebellion. but also when you have everyone at school know what is you're going through, it's kind of like a way to cope with things. >> and at some point in your life, you managed to find what you describe as grace. >> yeah. >> what do you mean by grace and how did you find it? >> just this unconditional acceptance, accepting you're accepted, i found that through christ and through my readings of the bible, it seems like people are always saying you don't belong, or christians say you're bad or you're're wrong and you have to change. >> what i just said in that piece there, an evalngelical rok preacher. is that accurate. >> i talk about your dad, he served i believe five years in prison, got out, what's your relationship with your dad like today? >> we talk on the phone every now and then, and he has a ministry in missouri. >> every now and then not particularly close? >> we're close, but it's still like two awkward men, father and son trying to, you know, you talk about theology and different things like that, trying to be close. >> your mom as i mentioned passed away because of cancer in 2007. she came on this show a couple of times, you had a chance to talk to her. my impressions of her was that she was a very strong woman also with a great sense of humor. especially about herself. >> she knew how to laugh at herself, she was one of my best friends. >> what did you learn from her. >> to survive, to not allow other people's opinions to always control your life. follow your convictions. >> your life has in the been without controversy, you're a christian minister and you write about attending a drag queen event hosted by loophole in los angeles. after that you came out publicly as a gay affirming minister. what was the reaction in the christian community to that? >> i lost all my speaking engagements for a year. >> they disappeared. >> we lost all of our financial support in like one quick, just, it was gone. and so it was really tough. >> have you talked about it? >> no, not at all. >> i think you even say that your support of the gay community is in some ways carrying on the legacy of your mom? >> definitely. yeah, definitely. the gay community rally embraced my mother and loved her very much so i feel like i'm building on to that in a way. >> so did what happened years ago with ptl, it made you the person you are today i would imagine. >> it definitely made me stronger, i got to see a lot of the parts of the church that most people don't get to see. so i'm trying to live a transparent life and be honest with people so we don't have to see that type of thing in the church anymore. >> the book is "fall to grace." >> spike and tanya lewis lee on what they're doing to inspire the next generation to change 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. and this is a warm, fresh baked strawberry toaster strudel. we asked kids what they want... and we got a clear answer. the one kids want to eat. [ kids ] oooooooooooooh. toastestrudel. the one kids want to eat. [ kids ] oooooooooooooh. there'to oursong love more g there's thing we love more than listeningtour favorite. but our favorite thing. but our favorite thiising totin. ♪ we're the kids in arica ♪h,h, o an award winning filmmaker, she is a lawyer with her own production company. i it's called giant steps to change the world. good morning to you both. >> it's a snowy morning. >> but it is, it's nice out. you have written a few children's book, why another one and why now? >> i just think there aren't enough children's books out there and we really wanted to contribute something. and we wanted to do something that inspired young people and old peopleal. . >> and the message here is that everybody can take a step towards changing themselves and changing the world as a result. >> in a good and positive way. i think as parents, we want our children to feel like whatever they do on this earth, that they leave the world a better place than when they got here. >> and you gave the kids a good example of people who have done that, everyone from harriet tubman to mohammed ali, a real diverse group of race and gender. >> i think diversity is very important. i mean, i got the -- this country is changing, i think we'll have to come to terms with that and include everybody in this dream we're living. >> did anything in particular inspire you when you ever you were growing up? >> i think all of them did and continue to. certainly i wasn't growing up when barack obama came on the scene and i'm still inspired by our president. and i think to the point about the diversity, we're inspired by everybody, it doesn't matter what race or ethnicity or nationality they are. >> and i think that as an artist, to me, you have to be open to whatever comes, whether it's a movie, a film, an athlete. great works of art. just people, the guy you get the paper from in the morning. so we all have gifts, we just have to cultivate those gifts and also be given tubopportunito use those gifts in this world. >> also you say it doesn't take much to make a difference. i think that's the point of the book, i have to make this gigantic change, no, you don't. what eeg yo what's your next step going to be? >> i know a lot of people aren't familiar with dr. ben karstens. >> why put in someone that people would not necessarily know? >> everybody, you know, all the people in the spot light aren't necessarily the people that are doing the best things. >> sure. >> and a whole lot of people do great work and unfortunately go unrecognized. so when you give people some shine, then it's a good thing. >> and fame isn't the goal. we live in such a culture where everyone's trying to be famous. it's not about fame. >> that's key. because people ask me why did i become a soul maker and i because it's what i love to do. it's not because i want to be rich or famous or whatever, it's because this is what i want to do, this is what i love. so you also have to -- i have found that successful people, they have found what they love. >> right. >> and the goal was to make a ton of money, they're blessed enough to find what they love. >> besides follow your passion. >> i want to talk a little bit about what happened in arizona last week, because there's been so much discussion about discord in this country and the level of rhetoric and not saying that it was responsible what happened, but that it just adds to negativity in general. >> here's my take in it. i think that as filmmakers, as politicians, as artists, we have to understand that whatever we do, goes out in the universe and you should be aware of what you're doing. you shouldn't say well, i just did this and i had nothing to do with what happened. that's not the case. also the united states of america is the most violent country in the history of civilization. and we got to turn this around. these guns are out of hand. and i know they've got a very powerful lobby, but something has to be done about gun control in this country, that's my opinion. >> and i think words are powerful. but i will tell you i was really inspired by listening to the parents of the 9-year-old girl who unfortunately passed away. >> christina. >> yeah. i was so moved by them, because i was inspired about what they said about her. just in how much she thought about other people and we need to focus more on thinking about the good in other people as opposed to just ginning people up for change. >> little steps first though. >> little steps can turn into giant ones. >> you have to crawl before you can walk. >> spike and tonya, thank you so much. the book is "giant steps to change the world." still ahead, all that worrying about the kids, your job and everything else. but first this is "today" on nbc. back now at 8:49. a year ago today, an earthquake hit haiti. reconstruction had been slow. mara, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt, today has been declared a national day of mourning here with banks closed and government offices closed to commemorate the devastating tragedy. the challenges to rebuilding this city are enormous. that earthquake didn't last very long but it changed countless lives forever. this was the scene in port-au-prince one year ago today, hours after a devastating earthquake leveled parts of the city. and this is the scene today, virtually unchanged. the presidential palace still crumbled, piles of rubble just as they fell. these are tombs now, countless bodies still inside. an estimateded 8,900,000 continue living in tent cities. every now and then i cry, she says, i have nothing at all. my friends give me food. i don't even have scraps. the future looks bleak, they have nowhere to go. >> basically everyone who was still in our camp is here because they have no other opportunity. >> reporter: unlike last year, now they live with the threat of cholera, which has already claimed 3,651 lives. among those trying to rebuild their lives, new amputees. an estimated 2,000 people lost limbs crushed by falling debris. >>er single one of these represents a person? >> this is just a small percentage of a number of people in haiti that have limb loss. >> reporter: 3-year-old claudia romaine lost her mother and her leg just as he was learning to walk one year ago, now she takes her first steps with a prosthetic. marie lost her home, her husband and her leg. now she's walking again. like so many others reclaiming her life one step at a time. now this country could be facing even more turmoil in the coming weeks. the result of a disputed presidential election are expected soon and -- one more obstacle to reconstruction. >> mara, thank you very much. we're going to have more on the recovery in haiti, check out a special week long series on our sister website. thegrio.com. mome ie er nbc. ♪ let's go out to the dmv ♪ it's ok that we're number four hundred and three ♪ ♪ we'll find ourselves a comfy seat ♪ ♪ and watch some shows and stuff ♪ ♪ ♪ let's follow that lady with the laptop ♪ ♪ and watch day-time dramas at the bus stop ♪ [ male announcer ] now you can watch hit tv shows on your laptop and smartphone with at&t u-verse tv. now get up to $300 back in promotion cards. at&t. rethink possible. look at that, we had nine, ten inches of snow in central park. >> you would never knowa. . >> unbelievable. they scoop it up, they truck it out of here. it's like nothing ever happened. >> but that's better for you. it's to make your life easy. >> it's not for me, it's for you who could slip and trip on a cordless phone. >> there's the plows, hard at work. >> you got to wonder where all to the snow went. >> central park's going to be beautiful today. >> yes, yes. >> here's a smoebl and there's more. >> do you really want to keep doing this? do you realize how long the winter is? >> we'll be back after your local news. good morning, everybody. thanks for joining us. 8:56 right now. we've been talking about this long-awaited warm-up. >> it's here, but it's not all that warm just yet. 49 degrees in sunnyvale right now. santa cruz, 51 degrees. this time of year we usually end up right around 57 degrees. that's our average daytime high. but today, because we're starting out so warm, we're talking about temperatures above average. even with not that much sunshine making its way through the clouds. we're going to see mostly cloudy skies. but breaks of sunshine throughout the day. breaks of sunshine. 61 degrees in santa rosa. 60 in santa cruz. and 63 today in san jose. today's the one-year anniversary of the haiti earthquake. bay area students are reminding us all that that disaster is far from over. students traveled to haiti to deliver $10,000 in aid. and to help build a haitian school. one of those students will host a forum at evergreen valley high school tonight to talk about the challenges still ahead. rocket scientists! you gave us the space age... but your savings accounts are stuck in the stone age! earn more commodore with interestplus savings at capitalone.com. that's new school banking, baby! [ laughs ] instead of earning zilch, your savings will be earning three times the national average. three times more? roger that! go online and sign up at capitalone.com. what's in your wallet?! where to sputnik? [ chuckles ] look like fun. back with more of today on a wednesday morning, 12th day of january, 2011. the northeast getting hit hard with up to two feet of snow expected in parts of connecticut, parts of massachusetts as well. lots of flights canceled. if you don't have to travel, this is a good day to stay indoors here in midtown manhattan, significant snowfall as well. about 9 inches in central park. look, rockefeller plaza, christine, after hard work by the crew around here. >> making sure they have a clear path. very clear path. >> no lawsuits. inside studio 1a, matt lauer and natalie morales and sarah haines joining us. coming up financial advice. >> if it's wednesday it's money 911. your questions about the best ways to pay for college and whether there is a good time to tap into your 401(k) account besides retirement, of course. >> if money is among your worries or your job or child's grades, tips on how to control your ang zits and not let it interfere with your happiness. >> before we get to that, back to the snowstorm, we have it covered along the northeast. we're going to begin with al roker standing by in boston. still coming down there, al? >> yeah, matt. it's coming down about one to two inches per hour. the winds are steady 20 miles per hour. and this is a dense, hard, i mean a dense, wet snow. this is the stuff that really is a back breaker if you have to shovel. there is no fluffy snow here. and the problem with this is, it just really comes down and it stays. taking tree limbs down. knocked out amtrak service between boston and new york. tree limbs taking down a power line, the overhead power lines, the trains are suspended right now. this is our second storm in three weeks, and folks in new england and the northeast are saying, here we go again. parts of the south are still reeling from this week's rare blast of ice and snow. alabama, georgia, louisiana, and the carolinas, called a state of emergency. roads became ice rinks. thousands of homes lost power. now the system that pummeled the south joins forces with another snowstorm that raced across the midwest tuesday. together, they're combining for a classic noreaster that's pounding the east coast. the heavy snow has ended in philadelphia, but it stretches to here in boston where blizzard conditions are expected. two weeks ago, the east coast was hammered with as much as 32 inches of snow. airports closed, holiday travelers stopped for days. new york city paralyzed. overnight, advanced crews have been trying to get an early jump on clearing the snow. >> in anticipation of this storm, you should know that our sanitation department has 365 salt spreaders and 1700 plows ready. >> reporter: but it's bad news for air travelers. over 2,000 flights were canceled tuesday and there are many more today. >> i'm just trying to drive out of here, and that looks like it's going to be hours. it's like a winter wonderland out there. you wonder if you'll make it. >> reporter: you're not going to make it if you're flying in or out of logan airport. it is closed. operations canceled for the day. the new york airports don't open up until after noontime today. take a look. a look at the state capitol building here in boston. snowfall amounts, well right now, as you look on the radar you can see it is starting to pull away. it's just about cleared out. snowfall totals so far, nine inches in providence, and there goes the radar, the good news is, new york, your snow is over but new england you still got snow to deal with all the way up and down the coast, blizzard warnings are in effect. we're looking at blizzard warnings for the metro area. schools are closed. wind gusts of 40 to 45, 50 miles per hour. snowfall amounts we're talking about 10 to 18 inches of snow total for the boston area. islip 10 to 18 inches, bridgeport near 20 inches. up in concord, 7 to 12. albany, 8 to 16 inches of snow. syracuse about 6 to 10. more depending on how much lake effect they get. boston as we said 12 to 18. worcester, mass, almost 20 inches of snow. guys, it's over there for you in new york, but for the folks here in new england, they're just getting warmed up. >> yeah. al, can someone get that doorbell? >> reporter: somebody -- it started chiming about five minutes and it hasn't stopped. nice dance beat, isn't it? >> i'm laughing the whole time, al. it's unbelievable. the bell chimers made it into work. thank goodness. >> ask not for whom the bell tolls. okay. >> all right. thank you, al. let's get a check in now with nbc's jeff rossen in hartford, connecticut, where they're getting pretty much walloped as well. hey, jeff. >> hey, natalie. hope you don't laugh during my entire live shot. >> that depends, jeff. >> al, you were talking about all the snow totals, i was laughing. and so -- it's coming sideways here. that's the problem. al mentioned the wind. it is really gusting through. i'm standing in a snow bank right now. this is actually the amount of snow that's fallen in some spots in connecticut. already recorded 22 inches on the ground, and those same spots as i walk across the street here, by the way, this is the middle of, what, a work day, all government offices shut down here in connecticut today. the governor has not declared a state of emergency here yet, but has told everybody to stay home. asked local business leaders to tell their employees to stay home too. because these roads are incredibly dangerous. they're expecting over two feet of snow in certain locations just like in boston, where al is located, most, if not all, schools in this area are closed. we're in hartford where the public school system is closed, of course. bradley airport, the international airport, closed to commercial traffic as well. this is going to be a problem through the day. it is still snowing. there has been no let up yet, natalie. hope you're not laughing. >> not laughing. try to stay warm. thanks, jeff. here's sarah. >> thank you. parts of long island, new york, are also being hit hard. tracy strahan from wnbc is in huntington. tracy, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. the only reason you laugh at me is if i hook my hat off because, if you could see what this storm did to us out here today. we're at the long island railroad station where they received about 12 to 15 inches of snow. not a lot of action even though the snow has stopped. disabled trains are a problem out here. lot of cancellations into new york city. this is one of the nation's busiest commuter lines. nothing like the crippling christmas weekend blizzard that just brought this area to its knees. there's a lot of highways that are covered with snow and the streets as well. even though these plows were in position last night when it started, not a lot of black top to be seen and maybe not for a while. as folks start getting out the shovels and snow blowers. guys, back to you. >> tracy strahan, thank you very much. we get a check of the news. ann is off today. you have all the headlines. >> that's right. in the news, president obama heads to tucson, arizona, today to honor the victims of the mass shooting there this week. -- last week. doctors say congresswoman gabrielle giffords shot in the head, can now breathe on her own. this picture of her husband holding her hand was released by her staff. today marks one year since the devastating earthquake that killed nearly a quarter million haitians and leveled much of the island. former president bill clinton is in haiti reviewing the recovery efforts that he says has not progressed quickly enough. since the earthquake, haiti has battled a sweeping cholera outbreak and political unrest. australia's third largest city brisbane is under siege by floodwaters. the rising river won't crest until tomorrow. record flooding in australia has already claimed more than 20 lives. this morning, a step towards improving relations between north and south korea. the two nations restored an important cross boarder communication channel that was cut off last year after the sinking of a south korean warship blamed on the north. david nelson, the last surviving member of television's nelson family, died tuesday after a battle with colon cancer. david and his teen idol brother ricky, starred with their parents in the adventures of ozzy and harriet. he was 74. michael jackson's physician at the time of his death has been ordered to stand trial for manslauter in a los angeles court. dr. conrad murray had his medical license revoked after a judge ruled having a practice was a danger to public safety. he returns to court later this month. and she's cross eyed, gray haired and stays up all night but probably has more facebook friends than you. heidi, the possum, is germany's newest animal sensation. she's got her own youtube song. and more than 82,000 fans on facebook to prove it. and heidi fever is heating up ahead of her zoo debut in july. she's a cross oids cutie, i might add. the tail is disgusting. >> she's cute. >> a lot more facebook fans than all of us put together. >> that's true. >> back up to boston. al has another check of the forecast. al? >> that thing's freakin' me out! wow! i could have gone all day without seeing that. anyway, we have the snow coming down here in boston. let's show you what's going on as far as your forecast is concerned for toda w rew ae expecting to see a storm systemtu eavenlyal lifting up ad out of new england. we've got another storm system moving into the pacific northwest. brought snow to coastal sections of the northwest, changing over to rain today. we've got brutally cold conditions through the plains. unseasonably cold through the southeast where temperatures are going to be from 15 to 20 degrees below normal. clouds in the southwest. and again, we're looking at chilly conditions on into florida. 54 degrees in tampa today. that's what's going on around we are going to see temperatures warmer than normal today across the bay area. and this morning, a really light drive around the golden gate bridge. breaks of sunshine throughout the day will warm us up substantially. we're already starting out warm. 45 degrees right now in santa rosa, and novato. as we head through the afternoon, 60s. 63 degrees in san jose. the warm-up continues into this weekend. have a great day. that's your latest weather. natalie. >> al, thank you. this morning on today's money 911 we're helping our viewers with everything from withdrawing from your retirement account to saving for college. our package of experts today financial editor jean chatzky, author of "money 911" davidback, founder of "finish rich.com" and sharon epperson, a personal financial correspondent for cnbc and cnbc.com. good morning, guys. >> good morning. >> so many great questions as we always do. let's get to it. first up we have a viewer joining us on skype. connie from pittsburgh, pennsylvania. good morning, connie. >> good morning. >> what's your question for our lovely panel? >> my question is this. our twins are seniors in high school and will be adending college this fall. they will be taking out stafford loans for as much as they can. my husband and i will be squeezing our budget as much as we can and making up the difference with loans. we know not to take money out of our 401(k), but are we better off to cut back on the amounts that he puts in his 401(k), thus lowering our parent loans, or should we stay at the same rate and take out more in loans? we currently save at a rate of 15% and my husband's 52 and we own our own home. >> all right. connie, great question. i think one a lot of people have nowadays. you don't want your kids to be strapped with big debts already. >> we know the amount of student loans people have exceeds the credit card debt in this country right now. it is a big problem and a really good question and this is actually a viable strategy to think about soft pedalling your contributions for right now for the four years your kids are in school. i would make sure you know where you are in terms of meeting your own retirement goals before you make the decision. go to choose to save.org which is a great website, run the ballpark retirement estimator. 15% is a good rate of saving if those dollars are being matched at all, and then understand you can do half and half, you can just, you know, bring back the contributions a little bit. this is a fine thing to think about. >> all right. >> hope we got you an answer. >> thanks. >> michelle from tallahassee, an e-mail. she writes -- i have $85,000 in student loans already. currently i'm living off a small assistant ship and i'm looking for a part-time job. i haven't used my credit cards in over a year and i'm slowly paying them down. my question is it better for me to chip away at my credit cards or use the student loans i have to pay them sharon, you want to handle this one. sounds like she's in a lot of debt right now. >> underscores what jean was talking about. how much student loan is throughout. the credit card debt, what she's paying there in interest rate, is probably higher than her student loan debt. i would lower the credit card rate she's getting, perhaps try to consolidate those, look for low rate cards on bankrate.com and then i hate the idea of using student loan debt to pay off credit card debt if she has federal student loans it's likely that rate is significantly less than her credit card rate. if she has extra loan money she may do that and it may put her in better financial position. the fact remains these loans are supposed to be for education. that's not what she's supposed to use them for. also, you know, that student loans are tax deductible. that's something to consider. >> a lot of people don't realize, the student lenders are pretty vicious. i mean they will come after you and garnish your paychecks if you are unable to make those payments. the credit card companies won't do that. >> right. you have to make the timely payments. >> be careful. >> the other big thing in this economy everyone wants to see how they can get a leg up and getting a ph.d. is a great idea, what's she going to do once she graduates. that's something to think about before getting in all that debt and borrowing all that money. >> high-paying job. >> if she goes into the non-profit sector, there's a way to do a public loan forgiveness, perhaps, if not it's going to be hard to recoup that debt. >> another one from judy in michigan writes i divorced my husband two years ago and the divorce decree left the home in my ex-husband's name and mine. it gives my ex-husband five years to refinance get the home out of my name. he is four months behind on the mortgage which is negatively impacting my credit and credit rating. what can i do to prevent this from ruining my credit and restore my credit rating. >> it is a problem and go back to your divorce tomorrow and get back in court because he's got a responsibility based on the divorce decree, that he needs to stay current on those loans and you have legal rights. i mean unfortunately, you're going to have to call your toerp and actually go back to court and push him to pay these bills on time or take you off of the title and off of those loans. >> which is going to take a refinance which is difficult in and of itself. >> sounds like she has a battle there to fight on top of that. jean chatzky, david, sharon, as always thanks so much. our quick edition of "money 911." coming up next, ted williams the homeless man who shot to fame is briefly detained by los angeles police. we're going to tell you what happened. and then later if you're feeling anxious about work, money or your kids, don't worry, be happy. we'll have advice to help you control your anxiety. first these messages. advice to help you control your anxie anxiety. but first these messages. get in the car! come on! [ nathan ] lucky for me, my mom gets it. this highlander is so cool, i actually want to be seen in it. [ grunts ] even my mom likes it. and she's like, 37 years old! ♪ [ male announcer ] see the stylish new highlander at youtube.com/highlander. just joined? new year's resolution! we want a healthier lifestyle... so we can have more energy to do more stuff. healthy lifestyle? well, you should also start enjoying activia or activia light. activia, for us? sure, it's for people who want to feel good inside. when you feel good, you're more likely to get out there and enjoy life! mmm! mmm! i like this resolution. mm-hmm! here is the activia promise-- love how you feel or your money back! ♪ activia love how you feel or your money back! the difference between hiding my skin and showing it off? jergens ultra healing moisturizer. even my driest skin looks healthier, instantly. jergens is the difference between i'm here, and here i am. jergens®. the beautiful difference. so i mix together a packet of hidden valley ranch, 1 box of spinach, and 16 ounces of sour cream, and tonight everyone gets a taste of something special... ranch spinach dip. [ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mix it up. and six slices of kraft 2% milk natural cheese for a dollar or less equals 22 grams of delicious whole grain that are good for you and your wallet. when you can have triscuit, why snackrifice ? my old contacts would sometimes move and blur my vision. then my eye doctor told me about acuvue® oasys for astigmatism. he said it's the only lens of its kind designed to realign naturally with every blink so now, i'm seeing more clearly. [ male announcer ] learn more at acuvue.com. starting friday! get great savings on fall and winter apparel for the whole family. save up to 70% off original prices when you take an extra 30% off apparel and accessories for the whole family. better hurry! these savings won't last long. sears. or 100 calories? with yoplait delights, now you can finally have both. two indulgently rich layers of chocolate and raspberry yogurt... and only 100 calories. - need any help cleaning up? - nah, i think i'm pretty much... ( kids screaming, zipper ) 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 cleanup, done right. now to ted williams run in with the law, the ohio man who's smooth radio voice -- after he and his daughter reportedly got into a heated argument. more from lee cowan. >> reporter: he shot from homeless to household name overnight. >> you're listening to magic 98.9. >> reporter: the feel-good story that is ted williams and his velvet voice has a price. because while his newfound celebrity is afforded the recovering addict a second chance, it has also led him to face his demons in a very public way. >> do you acknowledge that you didn't step up as a father and a husband? >> yes, i do. >> reporter: his latest tv appearance was on dr. phil who reunited him with family members williams admits he traded for drugs and alcohol. >> i miss you. >> reporter: just a day after that emotional taping, williams got in an argument with that daughter. at this hollywood hotel. it got so heated, police were called. charges were never filed. and williams tells nbc news it was just a family dust up. but those who have been cheering his meteoric ride also think he's vulnerable, that it's too much too soon. >> is fame isn't going to be nearly as tough to sustain as the relationships with his family and loved ones. >> reporter: experts say that for all those who want to help, including the media like nbc news which has covered his rise to fame, everyone needs to be careful that it sets a pace that williams can handle. >> it's all about running and running and going forward and what's the next call and what's the next appearance. >> reporter: psychologist gail atkins met with williams off camera when hi first appeared on "today" and since then she's watched every new detail of his life unfold on tv. >> it's so tempting for people to want to watch the very intimate and special moments of a person's life and i just believe that not everything has to be out there for the world. >> you're watching late night with jimmy fallon. >> reporter: some say he'll only keep it if his personal weaknesses are dealt with first. >> you know you love it. >> reporter: for "today," lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> coming up, the newest baby gear for your bouncing bundle of joy. but first these messages. okay. [ cellphone rings ] hey. you haven't left yet. no. i'm boarding now. what's up? um, would you mind doing it again? last time. [ engine turns over ] ooh. sweet. [ male announcer ] the all-new chevy cruze with the mychevrolet app. the remote-control car is finally here. well, now she's just playing with us. oh. [ horn honks ] oh. your favorites, in pieces. ♪ [ pop ] right now at h&r block, and you could get it fast. 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. ♪ [ continues ] the moisturizer in other body washes sits on top of skin. only dove has nutriummoisture, which can nourish deep down. dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin. 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! challenge the need for such heavy measures with olay. new regenerist micro-sculpting serum for firmer skin in 5 days. pretty heavy lifting for such a lightweight. [ female announcer ] olay regenerist. still ahead, highway to keep your worries from controlling your life. we'll have some advice. >> plus the latest on the winter storm slamming the northeast. we're going to get a live report after your local news and weather. ♪ [ female announcer ] dry, itchy 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. and a lot of people when they get a denture they think the best way to clean it is by brushing it with toothpaste. toothpaste contains abrasives that scratch dentures leaving microscopic crevices where bacteria can grow and bacteria can cause bad breath. only polident is proven to clean without scratching and kills 99.9% of odor causing bacteria. i recommend using polident and soak every day. it's the right way to go. now with an improved microclean formula. good morning to you. it is 9:26 right now. looking pretty good. >> looking pretty good this morning, laura. ur dressed appropriately for the temperatures that we're experiencing right now. we've got 40s out there. high pressure in control. that's going to make for a pretty nice day today. but we are going to see some changes as we head through tomorrow, maybe some showers in the north bay. right now we're holding strong, in the upper 40s. we're going to max out today in the 60s. oh, yeah, 63 degrees in san jose. fair conditions shape up for this weekend. and dry weather holds on. >> yeah, you know, take a look at the roadways, because we have a couple issues. 24 there is a disabled vehicle. you'll find that activity going on. here in northbound 880, broadway, also a disabled vehicle. the real slowing jamming up around the coliseum. speeds down below 30 miles an hour. still a little slow through berkeley. another issue, eastbound 580 through castro valley, debris there. southbound 880 slows up a lot approaching 92. you... don't have a choice of getting breast cancer. i had no choice. that 3-day gave me that opportunity. and i can actually do something to help. 60 miles in 3 days-- i can do that. we can rid the world of this terrible disease... so that no mother... granddaughter... sister... daughter... mother... go through what my wife had to go through. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. after months of waiting, san bruno residents will be access money. after the deadly pipeline explosion. 38 families whose homes are now gone, will get $6,000. the 17 homes with just moderate damage will get $4,000 each. those with minor damage will be given $1,000 each. city council could make the money available by the end of the week. police are looking for two men who robbed a woman, setting her up through an online dating site. the 25-year-old woman thought she was meeting a date monday night. she drove to meet the date at a home in the meadowlands neighborhood. a man grabbed her by the hair and pulled her inside and they took her car. oregon license plate aag 0652, if you can help out. another local news update in half an hour. in your face, i change your bulb, i climbed your table, i own the gorge washington bridge. >> that r that is our fearless al roker climbing the george washington bridge that connects new jersey to new york. it's part of our have you ever series where al and i get up the nerve to conquer something that we always have wanted to do. you know how it ends. he changed the bulbs. coming up in this half hour, how to control your worries. that's right, whether you're worrying about paying your mortgage, paying for college or losing your job in this tough economy, we'll tell you how to keep all that anxiety from ruining your life. and we'll have all this year's newest baby gear to make life a little bit easier for parents. and the one and only patsy's restaurant here in new york. we have a couple of italian favorites. it smells amazing upstairs. >> now let's head up to mr. roker in boston with more on the winter storm. hi, al. >> i found somebody who knows how to get around, this is cynthia and take a look at what -- i saw cynthia snowshoeing here in boston common. is this something you do on a regular basis, cynthia? >> not typically every wednesday morning on the way to work. >> where do you work? >> american public television. >> american ptv. thank you so much. there's no business like snowshoe business. you got to love it. let's check your weather and see what's going on, it is coming down sideways here, snow falling at a rate of one to two inches per hour. but on the other side of the coast, you've got heavy rain, strong wind, started off as snow overnight, we have got brutally cold temperatures in the southeast. tomorrow the snow's over in new england. the winds will still be hanging around and it's going to be cold, but at least the sun will be out, more rain in the pacific northwest, more rain in the southeast. the sun's out, but it stays cold, so hard for all that ice to melt. good morning. as you can see, we're going to see a pretty dry day. and if you walked outside at all, you already know temperatures in the upper 40s, feel much more comfortable than where we started out in the week in the 20s. we're looking towards 60 degrees in the bay area this afternoon. the good news is, we don't have any more rain to look forward to on this extended forecast. 64 by tuesday. >> that's your latest weather, now let's say hello to the original snowbird, mr. willard scott down in ft. myers. >> perfect 80 degrees in flor a florida. 80 degrees. 40 degrees in the morning and 40 at night. get a 12-pound lobster and 25 bowls of clam chowder, it will be great. happy birthday from our friends at smucker's. and happy birthday to you, al. we have lovely inez harries, and venice shaw, identical twins. they attribute their longevity to have good faith and a good family. and stephen. fendick. harvey mason, greensboro, north carolina, 100 years old today. currently building a 42-foot boat to go sailing this summer. and jane riege electi erkriegel own and drives a stick shift. helene ashton, 100 years old today. shops in the mall, loves that and the biggest fan ""grey's anato anatomy" ever had. that's it, that's all. and back to the lovely and exciting natalie in new york. >> thank you, willard. coming up next, controlling your worries so they don't control you, we'll have that right after this. 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. [ female announcer ] lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. let's go! [ laughs ] if you have high cholesterol you may be at increased risk of heart attack and stroke. don't kid yourself. talk to your doctor about your risk and about lipitor. with aveeno nourish plus moisturize. active naturals wheat formulas target and help repair damage in just 3 washes. for softer, stronger... ... hair with life. [ female announcer ] visit aveeno.com to save on nourish plus. imagine what it can do to your skin. but dove isn't soap. it contains pure 1/4 moisturizing cream because, everyday moisture is the key to beautiful skin. and who knows moisture better than dove. because, everyday moisture is the key to beautiful skin. so we take time to sit down for lunch at olive garden and we enjoy catching up as much as we enjoy the meal... announcer: it's the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks lunch. only at olive garden. featuring four homemade soups. enjoy all you want for just $6.95. ♪ j-e-l-l-o ♪ j-e-l-l-o ♪ j-e-l-l-o [ child giggles ] [ bells jingling ] [ snorting ] [ gasps ] ♪ [ female announcer ] too many holiday treats? [ snorting ] ♪ take the special k challenge, with so many ways to lose up to six pounds in two weeks. what will you gain when you lose? get started at specialk.com. this way, everyone will know about all our great discounts. safe driver, online, homeowner's -- more discounts than ever before. and they still get great service. ♪ ow! [ disco music plays ] ♪ whoa, yeah is it just me, or is it getting funky in here, huh? get your groove on, y'all! catch you on the flip side! i'd tell him the sign's not finished, but it would just break his funky little heart. more discounts, more ways to save. now, that's progressive. call or click today. life's ups and downs can cause anxiety for anyone. dr. gail salt is a psychiatrist and a contributor to women's day. this is one of those words i feel like we overuse. i worry, they worry. what are you talking about? >> we're talking about what i like to call the what ifs. what if this stomach ache turns out to be an ulcer. what if my kid is late home from school and that means they have been kidnapped. we tend to worry about a lot of things but then carry them further than perhaps is even rational and it can suck the life out of a day. >> it can spiral out of control. >> it can spiral out of control, but even when it doesn't, it can interrupt your pleasure, can suck joy out of times, its can cause health problems, raise your blood pressure, give you stomach aches and back aches and stuff. >> are we born prone to worry? is it like a nature or nurture? >> it's both. there often is a genetic component to anxiety disorders but even worry or general anxiety. it does tend to run in families, but if you were born into a family of worriers, you have watched that, so you've been with a mom who's worrying and basically you pick that up, you identify with that parent and it tends to impact you, so yes, nurture also affects you being a worrier. >> you're talking about a four step action plan. so with all these what ifs, if you would take them and write them down, for two reasons, one is that when you list them, you find out how many times am i really worrying during the day? is it really all day long as it feels to me? or is it i have this worry in the morning, and i have this worry in the afternoon. so it can either be reassuring. at the same time by listing them. believe it or not, we call this technique self-observation. just doing it, diminishes the wor worry. >> when you make a list, it almost releases you of that obligation. >> it can have that feeling, but it definitely, making it con shurks a lot shus, a lot of our worry is not conscious. making it conscious diminishes it. >> next up is action plans. >> make a plan. so basically when you're worrying you tend to worry to the inth degree. what are your steps? i've got this worry, what can i actually do about it? a, b and c. did i do a, b and c? yes i did so from's nothing more i can do about it. >> and so basically if you know there's nothing else i can do, you can stop worrying. >> the next one is make a plan, after your action. >> you're making the plan, what can i do about it, what can i not do about it, and the important thing to remember is that there's a big mind body connection. when you get anxious, it comes into your body, your muscles get tense, you breathe fast and that makes your worries actually worse. so it's very cyclical. rel relax, do deep breathing, take a bubble bath, whatever you can do to reduce your worries. >> the latest gear for bringing upy after these [ female announcer ] every box of general mills big g cereals can help your kids' school get extra stuff. they're the only cereals with box tops for education. you can raise money for your kids' school. look for this logo... only on big g cereals. you can make a difference. every cereal box counts. with relief from dry, uncomfortable skin. only aveeno skin relief has an active naturals oat formula... to improve all five symptoms... of winter skin in just one day. discover the beauty and comfort of skin relief. only from aveeno. so i mix together a packet of hidden valley ranch, 1 box of spinach, and 16 ounces of sour cream, and tonight everyone gets a taste of something special... ranch spinach dip. [ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mix it up. ranch when we get together for the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks lunch at olive garden, it's so good, sometimes... we forget to talk. announcer: lunch at olive garden with our homemade soup, fresh salad, and warm breadsticks. enjoy all you want, for just $6.95. at olive garden. so why does this one cost so much less on hotwire.com? when hotels have unsold rooms they use hotwire hot rates to fill them, so you get ridiculously low prices, backed by our low price guarantee. ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e ♪ hotwire.com starting friday! get great savings on fall and winter apparel for the whole family. save up to 70% off original prices when you take an extra 30% off apparel and accessories for the whole family. better hurry! these savings won't last long. sears. guy ! guy ! check out my ritz cheese steak sliders. get more of my rockin' ritz game day recipes on facebook. activia has delicious news for dessert lovers. often, the best part of a meal is the dessert. but sometimes after a busy day and a big dinner... my system needs some tlc. now there's something that's just right. activia dessert. rich, silky, smooth yogurt with desserty flavors like strawberry cheesecake, blueberry cheesecake, and peach cobbler. and because it's activia, it helps regulate my digestive system. mmm. works for me. ♪ activia activia dessert. ♪ mmm. works for me. looks like it's time to stock up. so, save big at the petsmart stock up and save sale. right now, save 20% on our new line of gnc pets supplements for dogs and cats. at petsmart. most new parents want to spoil their new bundle of joy. the author of the baby bump, hundreds of secrets to surviving those nine long months. >> as a parent, you want to spoil your kids, you want to get all the gear, including the warmer and all the things you think you need. >> you travel with light weight gear. so focus on that, don't just get caught up in the excitement. >> you really don't know all that much. you brought some great products with you today. first beginning with this, with like a carrier, a moses basket. >> it's a baby bassinet. this is so easy, it takes ten seconds to set up. this pops open. you can have a little baby in here, you have to see the adorable little 6 week old kira. this pops down and it goes right in the bottom of this bag, you can throw all the baby clothes, throw it over your shoulder so it's a baby bag and bassinet all in one. >> over here we have got the latest breast pump. as you know, breast pumps, it can be very difficult to pump at work. >> exactly, this is what it is, natalie. you actually can record your baby's cry. >> that gets your laktation glands going. >> don't worry, baby, we'll get to you in a minute. >> and the latest in the video and the technology gear, this is to keep track of them? >> this is a great new baby touch. it's like smart phone technology to actually help you use the camera. you can zoom it, pan a room. so it's great. if you're going in a bigger house, lets see, video on, you can see that, if you're in a bigger home, this drops right on to your belt. you can go 400 feet. so you can go to the neighbors house even. >> so you can keep track of all your kids if you like. >> it's $295, it's a little bit more expensive. >> this is a great bouncy seat. >> this is an english company that just came from the u.s. this is sort of a bouncy seat on steroids, it has music cart triple digit tragedies you put in there. it rewards his interactivity. so this is $199. >> and he's really getting into this. he's taking aim for these little things. >> and it also has the vibrations that soothe your baby. >> all right, over here finally. mommy's right there. she likes her seat though, she did like it earlier. this is a 360 highchair. here's what i'm going to do. i'm going to take you out and look at this, you can just turn this. it's got a three-point harness, 20 get your baby out. and if you want to feed the baby, if you're cooking, it can be there. this is only $69. >> and it travels really well. >> if you want to go to grandmas, you don't want to take the highchair. >> we're going to give you back to mom. here you go. >> thank you, carly. great stuff as always. thanks to our little babies. the others are like that was nice. coming up next, we have got some classic italian cooking, but first this is "today" on nbc. >> in "today's" kitchen, classic italian cooking, sal scott is the executive chef and co-owner of the one and only patsy's here in manhattan. >> it's our only location on west 56th street. classic italian cooking. >> we know sinatra loved this. your great grandfather patsy started it in 1957. >> keeping the tradition alive. so you're going to make for us really traditional italian favorites. >> my grandparents are both from naples. so we're going to put some extra virgin olive oil. some chopped garlic. these mushrooms have been blanched already and cut up. put that in. >> just any mushrooms? >> these are just plain must mushrooms. you can put a little bit of veal, beef or pork if you like. >> what is blanching. >> blanching is just boiling the mushrooms for a few minutes. >> and it keeps the crispness to the vegetables, right? >> that will brown for a few minutes and then we have cabernet wine, which goes very nice. some beef broth and you watch your salt, it depends on how much you have in there. we have some chopped pump tom o tomatoes. >> you can do canned, right. >> this is actually canned. just season it with salt and pepper. salt and pepper, now you bring that to a boil, to a simmer and we have the almost finished product here, this has been cooking for a few minutes, just finish it off with a couple of pats of butter. you got to have some fat in there, of course there's the virgin olive oil as well and some parsley. fix that up real nice. you can put bass basil if you like. this is a nice, you know, about a pound of pasta, a good solid, big restaurant portions. >> what are you guys going to eat? >> we even serve it with tortelini. >> and this is a good side for that, tell me what you have here? >> we sauteed some garlic in oil. and we have the capers, olives, anchovies, pine nuts, you put that all in. this is a wonderful dish, we serve this a lot of times on christmas eve too because it doesn't have any meet in it. >> then you bake it a little bit? >> bake it with the toasted good morning to you. 9:56 right now. i want to check the forecast again with christina. >> i think you'll like these numbers, laura. take a look at what we have outside first of all. mostly clear conditions in the south bay. now let's take a look at those numbers. because our temperatures are creeping up slowly but surely. we are already at 55 degrees in santa cruz. not even 10:00 a.m. just yet. our daytime highs typically end up right around 57 degrees. so we could see above-average temperatures for the whole south bay today. 50 degrees in oakland turning over to the 60s as we head throughout this afternoon. a beautiful mild day, mostly cloudy. but hey, no fog to worry about. >> we do have to worry about this still, christina. still clearing, another one reported around the 880, 92 interchange. 580 still slow. the debris has cleared from that area. 880 slow past the coliseum. slowing down the east shore freeway approaching the toll plaza. the metering lights have been turned off because of this light volume of traffic. they're putting together a list of the most dangerous gang members. officers say it's good place work, but others say it amounts to racial profiling. the department has come up with a list of 40 of the city's most dangerous gang members. this after the city attorney, john russo, filed an injunction against alleged members of a street gang. one man we spoke to didn't want to show his face on camera, but he says he's on the list simply by association. >> i have no violence whatsoever. >> are you a gang many? >> i'm not a gang member. >> have you ever been a gang member? >> i've never been a gang member. everybody in oakland knows people. i'm not going to say i don't know people. >> last night members of the community packed a public safety meeting at city hall asking committee members to block that injunction. i'll have another local news update in about half an hour or so. switching to progressive could mean hundreds more in your wallet year after year. feed me! saving you money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. my second diagnosis-- i was told to go home, retire, and enjoy the time i had left. to say it was a shock is just a complete understatement. i mean, i don't think there are words. she had put up a really good fight, but it was her time. you... don't have a choice of getting breast cancer. i had no choice. i wanted to do something bigger than myself. that 3-day gave me that opportunity. and i can actually do something to help. i think it's a very bold thing to do. 60 miles in 3 days-- i can do that. i'm sure if it was 100 miles, we'd still walk it. it was a big statement for me of... (voice breaks) i'm alive. we can do this. we can do this. we can rid the world of this terrible disease... so that no mother... granddaughter... sister... daughter... mother... go through what my wife had to go through. this is more than just three days. this is a lifetime. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. captions paid for by nbc-universal television from nbc news this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, everybody, this 12th of joon, 2011. kathie lee is basking in the sun while willie geist and myself are holding down the fort. i don't know if you saw that plaza cam of rockefeller center. it looks like it didn't even rain. the truth is we had eight inches of snow? central park, but here at 30 rock they're so good about clearing the streets. before a flake falls, they're in there getting ready for it. >> you wouldn't have known it. nine inches in central park. get here 4:00, 4:30 in the morning every day. clean streets. they did a great job. obviously they got so much heat the city of new york last time we had a storm they were on top of it this time. >> i live probably 15 blocks from 30 rock, and i thought i was going to be walking to work so i had big boots on. i go outside and my car guy is like, hey. i get in. it was easy. >> you walked out to a beautiful morning. >> in other parts of the northeast, it's snowing pretty hard. in boston they're expecting more than a foot. i don't know -- boston is one of the places, connecticut is getting pounded. the fact that our intrepid producer team came up with which is shocking to me is there is snow today in 49 of the 50 states. >> i don't believe it. i think the staff made it up. >> no. they said there's snow in hawaii. >> not true. >> wait, wait, wait. in the high elevations of the mountains. >> that's cheating a little bit. >> the one state with no snow today according to the weather channel, so we'll blame them if it's not true, the weather channel is florida. >> that i believe. it's funny around here because of that last storm, people were like getting in their fallout shelters, canned goods and water for two weeks. we walk out and it's light drizzle. >> there something about going to the supermarket when a storm is coming. people line up. here's what people want. eggs and bread and water. >> how long do people think they're going to be in their homes? the worst storm in history, people were in their homes a couple of days. canned goods? that's like for years. >> here's what i think. if you've been in a fight with juror spouse and sometimes you're shut in with the cold weather and stuff, you tend to be closer and get in fights. there is a study that says it's actually better not to forgive your spouse right away. it's better to hold a grudge, and the reasoning is like if a child does something wrong, and you say honey, you're not supposed to walk in the house with their muddy shoes and they say i'm sorry, and they say okay. tomorrow odds are you walk into the house with muddy shoes on. they say if we do that to our husbands as well. >> how to put this heartfully. this is the dumb eps study. basically treat our marriages like it's preschool and you're talking to a couple of 2 year olds and hold them over their heads forever and make them resent. just get divorced. if it's that bad, call it quits. it's not worth it. >> here's the thing if i say to my spouse, honey, it's fine after something that really, really hurts my feelings, he may not realize how much it hurts. maybe if we let it live a little, a day or two. >> how long is a little, though? that's the question. >> i wouldn't go without clearing up for at least a day. i think a day is good. she knows you're still mad willie when you come home from work and she's still not speaking to you. >> do you go for the easy solution? flowers? >> no. flowers never work with me. >> what gets you? what turns you? >> if a guy apologizes and it's really sincere. there have been men in my life who were quick to say i'm sorry. i'm sorry. i'm sorry. and then they'd do it again and say they're sorry again. tha don't love. >> fink there's a pattern, obviously, you get tougher with it. holding it over somebody's head for a week that creates more tension and resentment. >> your wife did something that totally upset you. it really, really -- i don't know what it could have been. >> i just tell her instantly. do i. >> what if she says i'm sorry, honey. i don't mean that. >> then i go back and watch the tv. >> so we talk about germs light because everyone is purelling and we're inside a lot. they say one of the grimiest, most disgusts places on earth where there's the most bacteria in public are the atm machines. >> i read that. >> as bad as toilets, public toilets. >> come on! >> public toilets. >> you know where people's hands have been. come on. >> how are people using these atms? are they spitting on the keypad? how is that possible? it can't be that dirty. >> maybe they don't wash their hands. >> i prefer to ignore studies like this, because if you think about it you lock yourself in the apartment. >> what do you at a atm? >> i get in there and grind it in a little bit. >> i do a knuckle punch. i don't know why. >> a different part of my finger is like a toilet now. that's not better. that is not better. >> other gross parts of things. in the supermarket when you push the cart, that handle is full of ick. be careful of that. this is another one. if you're ever in a hotel, people always worry about the sheets and don't lay on top of the comforter because its gross. >> you seen those reports where they go in with black lights and there's god knows what all over the place. >> how about other people's cell phones? >> i try not too use other people's cell phones too often. >> they say they don't ever -- >> you could say this about everything anything touches in the world. george carlin had a great bit how we're turning into wimps and have no immunity or resistance to germs anymore. he said when they were a kid they went swimming in the harlem river and it was full of human waste and sludge and it built up his immunity and his general rapgs w rags was tough. >> there was a picture shocking in a new york subway. this is a bunch of people going without pants, and it's national pants-free today i guess was sunday. people dpoo that around the country. they went in with jackets and boxers or underwear like it's completely normal. >> you know what's funny? if you just moved to new york, in the '80s this is what the subway looked like. you would get on the subway with two guys with no pants on. >> the subway can be freaky. i was on once and there was a guy with a hood on sitting there smoking a cigarette. you know when you don't know if someone is crazy enough if you say something they'll kill you. he was smoking away, and nobody -- it was just like nothing was happening. >> you shouldn't ride the subway at certain hours of the night. i ride it at different hours. you can see things much, much more shocking than people without pants on. >> i was once on the subway platform, and there was one crazy person. i am the crazy magnet. they that can't be possible. he sneezed it out and it plopped out. that's it. there's the bullet. >> that's a hell of a party trick. if you can sneeze bullets, you have an act. you can take that on the road. >> you don't believe the thing about the snow in 49 states? >> that's not true. >> you don't believe the sneezing bullet story? >> i will say this weird tradition in new orleans on new year's eve, they fire guns in the air. those bullets are going to land somewhere, and sometimes it's in a guy's nostril. i think we should go with the streamers and poppers. >> i'm with you. okay. now, there's a lot of kids -- i don't know if you've noticed this, but sometimes gi to starbucks or something, and people aren't making eye contact anymore because they spend so much time looking down at blackberries and electronic devices that they don't have what we have right here. they don't have it. so there's a whole thing they're doing where they're taking 20-something-year-old kids and sending them to etiquette skill because they don't feel like they interact well and have good manners. >> sometimes i feel like i'm getting old whether i say things like this. you notice with new interns there's a weird discontentment like i don't work fridays. what do you mean? >> when did this happen? >> maybe it was my generation. if you walk into an entership if you want me to work 24 hours a day, i'll do it. i think they're narsism that goes with tweeting. there's not a human connection. >> you tweet a lot? >> not enough. a couple a week. i don't tweet. >> i think there's that whole deal about it. >> you think with the younger people with entitlement? >> yes. i asked an intern it to track down a jay smith in pennsylvania for a story i was working on. i say there's a lot of j smiths. call this part of the directory and you call this part. she said oh, no, i don't cold call. i said yes, you do. >> what? >> we have great interns on our show, but it's different in the last decade. >> a quick picture we love. john travolta and kelly preston had a baby. this is baby ben on the front cover of "people." there's the happy couple. i think he's 56 and she's 48, something like that. >> yeah. you're really happy for that. as a parent you're very worst nightmare, the thing that keeps you up at night is losing a child, which they did not too long ago. this is a blessing for them. >> it's a great picture. >> we have faith hill coming up. . we'll talk with faith right after this. tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. and celebrex is not a narcotic. when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain, you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, including celebrex, may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor about your medical history and find an arthritis treatment that works for you. ask your doctor about celebrex. and, go to celebrex.com to learn more about how you can move toward relief. celebrex. for a body in motion. abouwhen we get together for the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks lunch at olive garden, it's so good, sometimes... we forget to talk. announcer: lunch at olive garden with our homemade soup, fresh salad, and warm breadsticks. enjoy all you want, for just $6.95. at olive garden. >> ( beeping ) ( beeping stops ) >> announcer: free is better. do your simple return for free with the federal free edition at turbotax.com. turbotax. the most trusted brand of tax software. [ man ] each bottle of clorox 2 stain fighter & color booster 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. she has a wonderful and talented husband. >> she's using her voice to do good. >> it's so funny. i feel like i hear you all the time because on "sunday night football" we get to hear you. i think we have a little clip of that. ♪ all right sunday night where are you ♪ >> all day long. >> there's ray lewis. >> i know. >> you did this last year as well? >> yes. >> how much fun sna to do? >> it's so much fun. i love football. my husband thinks i'm the coolest chick ever now. >> are you working on new music, because we love all your stuff? >> yes. i'm working on my music and raising three girls. >> i don't know how you do it. when you think about your life, you have three kids and your husband and career. how do you manage to juggle it all? >> how does any mom manage to juggle it all? you just do. i don't know that there's a formula of doing it. you just have to kind of move forward and do the best you can. my priorities, everything comes after that really. you have to fall into place somehow. >> you guys seem to stay out of tabloidy -- you're so, so well-known. you've kept the lives of your children pretty normal. how do you manage to do that? >> i think living in nashville probably helps a great amount. it's such a incredible city to raise a family, to have a normal life and our kids to have a normal life. >> we love your music, because we just do. we're groupies. so we picked our favorite song. >> i went back to 1993. >> "wild one." >> crank it up. >> i like this. yeah. >> you love this one. >> what happened to you after this song came out? it kind of blew up for you, everything? >> yeah, it did. it got pretty busy. >> mine is and i love this. ♪ this kiss this kiss >> you have to sing it right now. i thought we were going to do the interview on treadmills? >> on friday we did a whole show on treadmills and ellipticals and stuff. seth rogen didn't want to get on the bike, but we made him. >> were you able to stay on the whole time? >> the whole time. at the very end we counted calories. kathie lee kicked my you know what. she said this is for all the menopausal women out there. she burned almost 500 calories on that thing. >> how long were you on? >> an hour. we took a little water break every now and then. >> it was a water break. we've got a new documentary film we want to talk about coming out in a second, but also you've done some music for the new movie "country strong" in which your husband acts as well. >> yeah, i did. i sang a track on -- for the album track. yeah. >> what do you think of the movie? i'm dying to see it by the way. >> it's great. >> you and gwyneth paltrow are pals. when does that start? >> she does an amazing job in the film, by the way. she's an ubbertalented young lady and very smart and came to nation stril and fell in love with the place. we welcomed her there. it was good. >> tell us about the documentary you're working on. >> tide loads of hope, which was born out of katrina, you know. i just was so impressed by just the practicality of -- the need for washing clothes after something, a natural disaster occurs. >> something so baveng. >> something so basic that we all kind of forget about. this documentary is actually to -- it focuses on tide going over to haiti. it's the one-year anniversary yesterday of the earthquake. they went over there and provided washers and dryers for the university hospital in haiti and also for an orphanage there. i don't know how they were able to do that. i mean, so many of them, but they made the decision this is a need, and we're going to figure out how to get over there and do it and we're going to make it happen. there's so many great stories like that, but i feel -- i champion what they've done. i've used tide all my life. still using tide. i use it it in my home, and as a mom, as a wife, a homemaker, i just felt it was such a practical necessity. >> i think it's really great you do all this great work, faith. >> a lot of people do great work, but people should go on to tide's facebook and check out the documentary. it's really informative. >> we look forward to. thanks for coming by. you're so sweet, by the way. >> oh. good to see you. >> i'm country strong, four years anyway. >> coming up next, the internet video you want to watch over and over again. >> and then we'll play a golden globe edition of "who knew?" i will give away hoda's half-priced biography, 50% off the bargain basement. first, these messages. a meal is the dessert. but sometimes after a busy day and a big dinner... my system needs some tlc. now there's something that's just right. activia dessert. rich, silky, smooth yogurt with desserty flavors like strawberry cheesecake, blueberry cheesecake, and peach cobbler. and because it's activia, it helps regulate my digestive system. mmm. works for me. ♪ activia activia dessert. no wonder people go out of their way to share them. [ sneezes ] go to kleenex.com for more fun ways to share. kleenex tissues. softness worth sharing. [ sneezes ] go to kleenex.com for more fun ways to share. lose those lines for up to a year! juvéderm® xc is the gel filler your doctor uses to instantly smooth out lines right here. temporary side effects include redness, pain, firmness, swelling, bumps, or risk of infection. ask your doctor about véderm® xc. and more. if you replace 3 tablespoons of sugar a day with splenda® you'll save 100 calories a day. that could help you lose up to 10 pounds in a year. that's how splenda® is sweet...and more. that could help you lose up to 10 by giving meyear. ginormous discounts with these: how can expedia save me even more on my hotel? unpublished rates. which means i get an even more rockin' hotel, for less. where you book matters. expedia. but we lost today. no, we didn't... ♪ we're the kids in america ♪ oh, oh, oh ♪ we're the kids in america ♪ oh, oh, oh ♪ we're the kids in america the smell of warm maple syrup. honeysuckle and rosemary. the smell of shaving cream. whatever scents fill your household, purina tidy cats scoop helps neutralize odors in multiple cat homes... giving you just what you need to keep your house smelling like it should. purina tidy cats scoop. keep your home smelling like home. we're back with webtastic. >> what if you were at a mall and realized you were in a wedding? >> a young couple surprised shoppers and tied the knot at the mall in boston. it's being dubbed as a flash mob wedding. here's a clip of the couple's big day. ♪ ain't no river high enough ♪ ain't no mountain high enough ♪ ♪ ain't notice river wide enough ♪ ♪ to keep me from getting to you babe ♪ ♪ ain't no mountain high enough ♪ ♪ to keep me from getting to you babe ♪ ♪ ain't no mountain high enough ♪ ♪ ain't no valley low enough ♪. >> it happens all the time in heaven, and someday it will begin to happen again on earth. by the power vested in me by the commonwealth of massachusetts, i pronounce you husband and wife. >> how sweet is that? >> how fun. >> the reception is at the food court. >> all righty. >> why not? >> i'm totally at the mall. >> let's do it. >> we're going to play a golden globe tradition of "who knew?" that's after your local news. ♪ [ pop ] right now at h&r block, you could get money. and you could get it fast. 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. ♪ [ continues ] the difference between hiding my skin and showing it off? jergens ultra healing moisturizer. even my driest skin looks healthier, instantly. jergens is the difference between i'm here, and here i am. jergens®. the beautiful difference. so we take time to sit down for lunch at olive garden and we enjoy catching up as much as we enjoy the meal... announcer: it's the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks lunch. only at olive garden. featuring four homemade soups. enjoy all you want for just $6.95. good morning to you. 10 clnl 26 right now. i'm lawyer yeah garcia-cannon with christina. the prath is looking good today. >> the numbers creep up. we have high pressure in control. as we head through this afternoon, temperatures right now in the oohs. 56 degrees in santa cruz. 53 degrees in san jose. we're going to turn over to the 60s later on. 63 degrees in san jose. it's really interesting, though, we weren't forecasting temperatures this warm as of yesterday. but because we started out so warm, temperaturewise, yeah, i think you're going to be really, really willing to get on outside as we head throughout the day. 59 degrees right now, the forecasted high. the further south you are, the more sunshine you're going to get. breaks of sunshine throughout the day. how is traffic looking? >> pretty good. good spacing out there. no one huddled together on the san mateo bridge. you can't really make out the peninsula hills. but not a problem for visibility. we continue up the peninsula, going into the golden gate bridge, nice flow of traffic. the north bay moving very pleasantly. the clouds hovering above the hilltops there. bay bridge, no backup, no metering lights. we have more news after that. today's the one-year anniversary of the haiti earthquake. bay area students are reminding us that the disaster is far from over. they traveled to haiti to deliver $10,000 in aid. and to help rebuild a haitian school. one of those students will host a forum at evergreen valley high school to discuss the challenges still ahead at 6:00 tonight. a bay area woman is climbing an east bay doctor touched her inappropriately. now 73-year-old earnest lee simms of oakland is charged with misdemeanor sexual battery. he practiced in alameda. the 28-year-old patient told police he touched her on december 29th when she went in for treatment. we'll have more on the case as we follow it in the news. thanks so much for joining us. the "today" show continues next. we're back on this wines day with more of "today" ready to play the golden globe's version of our weekly quiz game of "who knew?" willie is filling in for kathie lee. he's across the street and he will hand out $100 to those who answer the he questions correctly. this week in a special twist, the people who don't get it right get my book, which i think is mean, okay? the senior writer of newsweek is here to help me out. how are you? >> good. thanks. >> you ready? >> yes. >> let's go straight to willie geist. >> not just any copy of your book, but a discounted 50% off copy. >> you know what? that's mean. >> let's start right here. the sisters from baton rouge. our first question. which actor or actress holds the record for the most golden globe nominations. is it a, jack nicholson, b sandra bullock, c jack lemmon or d, meryl streep? >> d. >> correct. well-done. >> all right. so meryl streep. what's the record, by the way? >> since 1979 when she was nominated for "the deer hunter." her last one was last year for playing julia childs. >> i forget about that one. >> she's playing margaret thatcher next in a movie coming out next year. >> who is the youngest person ever to win a golden globe? haley joel osment, anna pack win, ricky schroeder, or dakota fanning? what do you got? >> a. >> sorry. you know what that means. we're looking for rick schroeder, 50% off copy of hoda's book. >> hey, hey, she's going to love that book. >> i'm terribly sorry. >> she's going to love it. the correct answer was ricky schroeder. >> he was in "the champ" and he won an award best new male star of the year, which they no longer have. he's a little kid. this year the boxing movie with a lot of nominations is "the fighter" with mark wahlberg. christian bale we will probably win. >> the next contestant hoping to avoid a copy of your book. which of the following actors mooned the crowd during the 1999 golden globes? who mooned the crowd? >> a. >> jack nicholson. >> that's correct. >> she didn't even hesitate. well-done. >> jack nicholson mooned the crowd? >> i was going to reenact it. jack won for "as good as it gets." jim carrey used to talk out of his but in ace ventura pet detective. jack nicholson gets on stage -- >> drops his trow? >> no. just bends over fully clothed. >> all right. that's weird. back across to willie. >> there may have been some champagne involved in that incident. how many glasses of champagne are poured through the evening at the golden globes? is it 1,000, 2,000, 7,000 or 9,000? >> we're going with 7,000. >> sorry. looking for 9,000. >> hey, hey, willie. don't act like it's such a bad prize they're getting, okay? >> there it is. >> let them know, willie, you too have a book out 50% off. >> whatever. all right. let's get the next one. wait, we're 9,000. >> one of the best moments is when elizabeth taylor went up to best picture and gladiator won. she looked like she had a couple of glasses of champagne that night. it's very unscripted. >> one more we have time for. >> who is hosting the 68th annual golden globe wards this year? is it jimmy fallon, james franco, ricky gervais and alec baldwin. >> c, c. >> no hesitation. that is the right answer. ricky gervais. >> he's so game show hosty. >> willie, excellent job out there. ricky is so skinny by the way. >> he is. 17 million watched last year. it was a big jump. >> look at his waist. it's a good one. this sunday the 68th annual golden globe awards live 8:00 eastern time on nbc. the son of a preacher man is here. we're going to talk with jim and tam tammy faye bakker's son right after. this with all the equipment you use to stay fit, you might want to try lifting one of these. in recent years we've added a unique natural sea salt to over 40 campbell's condensed soups. it helps us reduce sodium, but not flavor. so if you're ready to eat a little better, grab your spoon and do a few lifts. campbell's.® it's amazing what soup can do.™ woohoo! it's not the lighting, girlfriend. mnh-mnh. oh gosh! woo! it's this drab one-tone hair color, ick. yeah. let's szush it up. [ gigi ] try nice 'n easy with colorblend technology. in one simple step, get a blend of tones and highlights. so even in this lovely light, nice 'n easy comes to life with dimension. instead of drabulous... i love it! shhhhh. [ gigi ] ...you look fabulous with tones and highlights. nice 'n easy. your right color. no wonder people go out of their way to share them. [ sneezes ] go to kleenex.com for more fun ways to share. kleenex tissues. softness worth sharing. made with 100% natural whole-grain oats and loaded with real fruit. crisp, fresh red and green apples, sweet cranberries and golden raisins. be honest now -- when has good for you made you feel this good and been this delicious? introducing mcdonald's new fruit & maple oatmeal. freshly made for you. the simple joy of loving what's good for you. that's what we're made of. ♪ that's what we're made of. your favorites, in pieces. one of the biggest scandals of the 1980s was the very public fall from grace of televangelist jim bakker. >> in 1987 it came crashing down sending jim bakker to prison when their son jay was just 11. >> i want to say hi to tammy sue and tammy and doug. >> he grew up in a firestorm of controversy as their christian ministry collapsed. it was a long way to fall. >> we hope all the team we love so much will forgive us and help us. >> in 1989 jim bakker was convicted on 24 counts of fraud, accused of bilking his followers and business partners out of $160 million. he served five years of a 45-year prison sentence. the scandal included the shocking news of the minister's affair with church secretary jessica hahn. >> it's hard to imagine how powerful they had become in the 1980s. they were so influential, it was something akin to oprah infused with the passion of faith. the people who believed in the bakkers would do anything and everything for them. >> a great big welcome for jim and tammy faye bakker. >> they hosted the ptl club which raised $500,000 a day. tammy faye later divorced jim bakker and died of cancer in 2007. her last days were documented in her son's show one punk under god. >> you did it. >> jay is now 35 years old and has a church of his own calmed revolution. >> i want to talk about traditions and how growing up everybody heard in church it was bad and wrong and i believed it. >> he speaks to congregations and political rallies around the country delivering a message of grace. now jay has a new book called "fall to grace." jay, welcome. >> thank you for having me. >> there's an interesting quote in your book. my parents were the toast of the evangelical church and then they were just toast. you were 11 years old at the time. what kind of memories do you have of that periods of time? >> lots and lots of television cameras. i wasn't allowed to watch the tv. obviously, "saturday night live" gave us a hard time. >> yes, i understand that, jay. >> now you appreciate it. when you're a kid, you're like oh! it was a tough time to watch your parents suffer sxnt quite know what was going on and watch a lot of people who are paid and loved to be around your family and aum of a sudden they couldn't be aaround. >> you grew up in a theme park as you say as a child, at least in part. you went through drug and alcohol problems, and now you've come out of that with your own ministry. how did you do it? >> yeah. how did i do it? just searching for grace, you know. i kind of got tired of religion as religion as usual and legalism and judgmental religion. i read the bible for myself. when i found grace, basically that i was accepted. the hardest thing was accepting that i was accepted. >> i think what's interesting about your congregation is you take in people that may otherwise be discarded by society. that's important to how you work, right? >> yeah, it really is. some people say you're a punk teacher, but really it was punks who showed me the way. well, they were independent. they were going against the grain. i was attracted to that. they stood with me through that. so it's kind of -- it was a new way of doing things, and now i'm 35 so i'm not much of a punk rocker, but i still enjoy it. >> if you look at your hands, it says help me lord, and you said you got that right after your mom passed away. that must have had such a huge impact on your life. >> it was really tough. right after my mom passed away i held the song "help me lord" by johnny cash. that was the first song i heard, so it was a dedication to her to get it done. >> the book is inspiring. it's got some history, and it's got some of your future. we really, really appreciate it. good luck with the book. >> good to see you doing so well. >> thank you for having me. >> thank you. coming up next, how to turn dry winter skin buttery soft after this. [ female announcer ] now, give dry, damaged hair a whole new life! with aveeno nourish plus moisturize. active naturals wheat formulas target and help repair damage in just 3 washes. for softer, stronger... ... hair with life. [ female announcer ] visit aveeno.com to save on nourish plus. the moisturizer in other body washes sits on top of skin. only dove has nutriummoisture, which can nourish deep down. dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin. - definitely the one on the right. - yeah, are y-- - seriously, the clorox one. - oh, okay. the difference is obvious. for the whitest whites, use detergent, plus the advanced whitening formula of clorox bleach. >> ( beeping, beeping stops ) >> announcer: free is better. do your simple return for free with the federal free edition at turbotax.com. turbotax. the most trusted brand of tax software. never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 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 and asking me how they could help. you meet the most wonderful, inspiring people. when you accomplish those 60 miles, it's truly life-changing. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. if you live in a cold weather climate and it seems like most of us do this week, every year we hear about us experiencing the same thing. >> it's dry skin. the itchy, scratchy, scaly dry skin. how do you turn it baby soft? dr. francesca fresco knows exactly how. she's a dermatologist here in manhattan. >> on a morning like this we're dry and itchy. >> you try to think of the right things to do, and i know that humidity is a great thing. in new orleans everyone had great skin because it's always humid. there's something you can do. >> in apartments where we're putting up the heat, it's very dry. if you can, have a humidifier. if you can't have a humidifier, take a ceramic bowl and put it the radiator and fill it with water and let it evaporate into the air. ferns expire moisture into the air. >> what about showers? sometimes you take a hot, steamy shower. sometimes you get dried out after that. >> keep your shower short with warm and not hot water and immediately moisturize after coming out. they now make shower heads that reduce some minerals like chlorine in the water, and that makes your skin feel better and exfoliate. here we have a granular exfoliator. we have a brush to be used with it. gets all the dead skin off so the moisture penetrates. >> i have to ask quickly. can i pull out the gloves? can a guy wear the gloves? >> at home you can. not at work. >> each of our lucky ladies here has an issue with her skin. let's talk about libby first. >> he she has a problem with dry skin, so her pores clog easily. what she does is she uses cetafhil moisturizer, which is gentle. she found the garnier moisturizer and she can use an exfoal yant like the one here. it gets the dead skin off and removes clogs. >> let's move down to merrill. what do we call her issue? >> winter itch. >> that's a nice way of putting it. >> it's a mild form of eczema. she experiences it on her legs and arms. she uses a moisturizing body wash like the carress and a superhydrating moisturizer like advanced therapy. put it while the skin is damp. works better. she has aquaphor for her hands and feet. she wants a moisturizer that moisturizes and addresses aging as well. that's the triple oxygenated moisture. >> we have problem areas down here with cindy. >> she has accessory dryness. that refers to her hair, scalp, hands and fingernails. olive oil, when we all love and we have at home. >> cindy looks scared. olive oil. i'm with you. >> this particular olive oil she uses on her scalp and hair and can use it around the nail. she has the essie olive oil she uses on fingers and toes and a great lip balm. >> thanks. see what you learned? he wants the bliss gloves. >> you can have them. >> how to you feed your family for just $10. that's what she says. we'll find out after this. first, this is "today" on nbc. we're back with "today's kitchen." we're making dinner for four for just $10 she claims. >> it can be done. melissa is the host of "$10 dinners." >> do you promise? >> i make that promise every single week. here we are. people are starting to write me and say, you know what? i'm seeing a major reduction in my groernary bill, because every week i try to give not just a recipe but strategies for saving money. >> you put onions in and carrots. >> i have onions, carrots and celery. great way to get a lot of flavor. i took out browned country style pork ribs. >> that looks like more than $10. >> it should be, but it's not. you try to make a short rib. >> black market meat. >> yeah. so country style pork ribs. that's a great way to get a lot of flavor. i get a lot of flavor and tenderness. a little bit of onion, garlic, carrots and celery. a little bit of tomato paste. this is going to build a really flavorful braising. you want to saute it until it's nice and soft. deglaze the pan, which means add a little bit of liquid to bring it out. this is cider vinegar. >> we thought it was wine. >> super, super cheap. it would be boiling out anyway, hoda. >> look at that. >> that will be gone in a second. that's just some broth. a little bit of pepper flakes, a little bit of bay leaf. then what you do is place the ribs back into the pan, and then pour until they're covered halfway and stick them in the oven for an hour and a half. >> make some polenta. is this all one meal? >> this is all one meal. >> yes, it is. >> i'm inspired -- he makes the best polenta in the world. >> yours is better? >> no, it's not, but it's cheaper. >> you go, girl. >> i have to tell you something. he has line cooks to baby-sit his polenta. he told me to do one to seven ratio on my polenta. i start it in the pan. so i put mine after i put it into the pan, i put it into a slow cooker. that's my baby-sitter. >> we have about 20 seconds. >> you just add in a little bit of cream, a little bit of cheese, a little bit of butter and stir it up and serve it. >> this is a crock pot you're cooking it in? >> a slow cooker is what we call it on a national tv. >> okay. >> really easy. by the way, polenta also just corn bread. if you get -- it's hot. >> get involved. >> and then you layer on some of these. >> i'm going to serve willie. >> as you should. >> you have four little girls. do you make these meals for the family? >> i do. my oldest, happy birthday. >> thank you so much. thank you willie for filling in. tomorrow not to be upstaged jimmy fallon will co-host with me. see you tomorrow. me. see you tomorrow. join me and jimmy. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. [ female announcer ] important events can sneak up on you. oh, i am not ready. can i have a couple weeks? [ female announcer ] but with yoplait light's two week tune up, you could be ready. you could lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks when you replace breakfast and lunch with a fruit, grain, and yoplait light. betsy bets. you haven't changed a bit.

Related Keywords

Louisiana ,United States ,Alabama ,Australia ,New School ,California ,Mohammed Ali ,Ghazni ,Afghanistan ,Brisbane ,Queensland ,Syracuse ,New York ,Washington ,District Of Columbia ,Connecticut ,San Francisco ,Berkeley ,Worcester ,Massachusetts ,Arizona ,Castro Valley ,Hollywood ,El Salvador ,South Korea ,Los Angeles ,Chicago ,Illinois ,Haiti ,Brisbane River ,Rockefeller Center ,Tampa ,Florida ,Meadowlands ,Pennsylvania ,North Carolina ,Germany ,Missouri ,Oakland ,Texas ,Bradley Airport ,Atlanta ,Georgia ,Islamabad ,Pakistan ,Philadelphia ,Boston ,Virginia ,Oregon ,Harlem River ,Michigan ,London ,City Of ,United Kingdom ,Denver ,Colorado ,Danville ,Oklahoma ,San Bruno ,Valley Ranch ,Islip ,Ohio ,Yemen ,University Hospital ,Italy ,Hawaii ,Italian ,America ,Haitians ,Yemeni ,South Korean ,American ,Haitian ,Kevin James ,Gwyneth Paltrow ,Dylan Klebold ,Gabrielle Giffords ,Joe Biden ,David Nelson ,Inez Harries ,Tracy Strahan ,Jessica Hahn ,Jessica Hawn ,Donnie Darko ,Jerry Brown ,Tammy Bakker ,Margaret Thatcher ,Jared Loughner ,Ian Williams ,Harvey Mason ,Meredith Vieira ,George Carlin ,Vince Vaughn ,Redi Ibl Vince Vaughn ,Haley Joel ,Sharon Epperson ,Jay Smith ,Gabby Giffords ,Venice Shaw ,Christina ,Jack Nicholson ,John Travolta ,Seth Rogen ,Janet Napolitano ,Gerald Ford ,Lester Holt ,Michael Jackson ,Barack Obama ,Conrad Murray ,James Franco Ricky Gervais ,Lee Cowan ,Julia Childs ,Gail Atkins ,Willard Scott ,Jeff Rossen ,Kathie Lee Gifford ,Tammy Faye Bakker ,Lee Simms ,Rockefeller Plaza ,Jared Lee Loughner ,Ted Williams ,Darian Alberts ,Hillary Clinton ,Kelly Preston ,Pam Simon ,Tom Costello ,Jim Baker ,Tammy Faye Baker ,Meredith Viera ,Jimmy Fallon ,Jim Carrey ,Natalie Morales ,Gabe Zimmerman ,Jim Bakker ,Elizabeth Taylor ,Suzie Heilman ,Alec Baldwin ,Ricky Gervais ,Helene Ashton ,Matt Lauer ,Ma Melissa ,Ron Howard ,Ricky Schroeder ,Rick Schroeder ,Kathie Lee ,Jay Baker ,Eric Harris ,Al Roker ,Tammy Faye ,Christina Loren ,John Russo ,Meryl Streep ,Tammy Fay Baker ,Sarah Palin ,Sarah Haines ,Harriet David Nelson ,Willie Geist ,