Transcripts For KNTV Today 20110524

i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm matt lauer. what are we, 36 hours away from when the tornado struck? it's still stunning to see images like these left in the wake of that deadly tornado. just this morning, president obama announced his plans. he will be touring that devastation this weekend. >> this is already the deadliest single tornado in the united states since 1953. emergency officials expect to recover even more bodies in the coming days. at its peak, the twister had winds up to 198 miles per hour and measured three-quarters of a mile wide. >> at least 17 survivors were found alive in that rubble on monday, in spite of rain that hampered the search efforts. a new round of storms could complicate things more. al roker is in joplin. good morning. >> reporter: matt, meredith, yesterday, a record rainfall for the day. almost two inches of rain. talk about pouring salt on an open wound. a lot of the midwest including joplin, missouri, is under the gun for more severe storms, including tornadoes. this as the town of joplin starts to get back on its feet. it may get knocked down once again. no matter where you look, from above or from the ground, joplin is a city in ruins. >> it just goes on for miles. it doesn't look anything like it did. >> it's a massive tornado. massive destruction. >> reporter: the tornado that touched down here sunday was three-quarters of a mile wide, tracking a seven-mile-long path, with winds up to 198 miles per hour. mother nature came in with a fury. >> we thought we were taking our last breath every second. >> reporter: in less than ten minutes, countless lives were forever changed. at least 117 people lost with hundreds more injured. one of joplin's main hospitals heavily damaged. >> it was the scariest, most horrific thing i have ever seen. >> reporter: dr. ron smalling was on call as the tornado hit, blowing out windows and destroying their medical chopper. >> it looked like we were hit with a bomb. >> reporter: in just an hour and a half, the staff evacuated people from the ruined hospital. >> we went into combat mode. there were huge pieces of things obstructing us from getting patients out of rooms. >> reporter: in neighborhood after neighborhood, rescue teams are searching for survivors under the constant threat of more severe weather. despite the rain, at least 17 people were found alive. john degraaf is hoping his friend will be one of the lucky ones rescued. >> larry, my neighbor. he's 73. i don't know where he's at. i know he was home. >> reporter: firefighters and volunteers searched for larry but couldn't find him. kelly weaver returned from a family vacation to find that her grandmother had been killed by the tornado. seemingly in shock, weaver talked with brian williams. >> how old was she? >> 86. and she's vibrant, she's great, a phenomenal woman. >> how are you able to talk about it? >> it's surreal. i don't know what's going on in my mind. i'm out of my wits. >> reporter: joplin is simply a shell of itself, but the city's heart remains intact. >> our citizens are strong. joplin is a city of neighbors helping neighbors, and with this spirit, we will overcome this hardship. >> reporter: back with john degraaf, a lifelong resident, who is now one of joplin's many survivors, wondering if his life and beloved city will ever be the same. >> i don't know what i'm going to do. just take it one day at a time. that's all i can do. >> reporter: you're still alive. >> yes. >> sadly, we are looking at a really strong risk, a high risk of strong storms firing up again just west and south of here. as you take a look, you can see joplin is just on the edge of that but oklahoma city, tulsa, wichita all under the risk of strong storms today that may generate tornadoes. we are not looking at long-track tornadoes, but tornadoes nonetheless and joplin is on the edge of that. meredith? >> you wonder how much more people can take. al, thank you very much. we'll check in with you in a little bit. but right now, let's bring in the mayor of joplin along with craig fugate, administrator of the federal emergency management agency. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> mayor, over the past couple of days, your town was described as a war zone. the pictures bear that out. it's terrible destruction. do you feel at this point, are you confident you have the resources you need to handle this disaster? >> i think we do, meredith. we have had overwhelming support from agencies, both at the local, state and federal level. director fugate said he's visited with the white house. we have had pledges from virtually every level that we'll have the resources and support we need. >> let me bring you in, mr. fugate. you have spoken to the white house. what have they pledged to do for joplin? >> i spoke to the president this morning. yesterday, the president declared this a disaster area, adding it to the ongoing response in missouri to other tornadoes, which means people can apply to fema insurance by calling 1-800-621-fema. we're here for the long haul, not just for the response, as the mayor said. local and state officials have that. we are here to support them as we think about what it will take to recover and rebuild. >> there's been good news though. 17 people pulled out alive on monday. that's heartening, obviously, for folks there in joplin. where do you stand in terms of rescue and recovery? do you have any idea how many people are still unaccounted for? >> we don't have any idea how many are unaccounted for. i stopped at the emergency operations center this morning. most have gone home for rest after a long day yesterday. we'll get organized to search again. virtually every grid has been searched at least one time. several have been searched as many as three times. we'll continue the effort to find the folks we can and search and rescue throughout the majority of the day. at the end of today, we'll look and at some point we'll enter recovery mode. >> at this point, you still believe there could be people buried alive under the rubble? >> still believe there could be. we are searching areas of high concentrations of folks where we think we might have the best luck of finding people. we'll do that throughout the day. >> as al said, you could be facing more bad weather today. two responders were struck by lightning on monday. you have had heavy rain. how do you prepare for that? >> well, you just take it as it comes, meredith. this is not the first storm we have been through. we have been here before. you just take one day at a time. we'll recover and we will rebuild. >> mayor, as we said in al's piece, the people of joplin, they are neighbors who love their neighbors. everyone has been affected. what do you say to help them cope with the loss they have faced? >> i guess just take one day at a time. i was fortunate, i didn't have any family members or damage to my property. our hearts go out to the folks who have lost family members. the support of the community, not only our city proper, but all the surrounding communities that have come to help and the folks here to help. we have people who will take in complete strangers and help shelter them. that's the type of community this is. we're glad people do and we'll do anything we can to help them. >> finally, for those folks around the country looking at joplin, wanting to help, what specifically can they do, mr. fugate? >> well, the best thing to do is support your volunteer agencies. here in missouri, the governor's emergency management office has a place for people to support the volunteer agencies. give generously. again, there will be a lot of needs here. financial assistance is the best way through the volunteer organizations. >> i know how busy you are this morning. thanks for joining us. >> thank you. >> it's 7:09. here's matt. >> thank you. as we mentioned, remarkable stories of survival are starting to emerge from this historic tornado. kevin tibbles is also in joplin with details on that side of the story. kevin, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. well, the people of joplin were simply enjoying an afternoon. some were even celebrating their high school graduation when the skies closed in and many were caught just fighting to stay alive. the tornado that slammed into joplin, missouri, was massive, destructive and deadly. from out of the rubble come incredible tales of survival. >> it was the most frightening 15 seconds of our life. it was hell. it was hell. >> reporter: in this youtube video, you can't see the 20 people who crammed inside a convenience store cooler to escape the twister. [ screaming ] >> reporter: but you can hear their overwhelming sense of fear as it strikes. luckily, everyone survived. with much of joplin wiped away, some say it's a miracle anyone survived. >> the windows were blowing in. my surround on the bathroom shower was just waving. i thought we were going to be gone. the twister's path now comb through what's left of their homes, trying to salvage anything. >> a little bit would help us. >> reporter: the joplin high school took a direct hit. he and the other seniors all graduated on sunday and were on the way home when the sky turned black. >> i told them to pull the car into the driveway. we were engulfed in it. glass was busting. our car got demolished. >> reporter: a group of graduates gather around a friend's kitchen table to share survival stories. a celebration poster hang from the window. >> we were huddled together. >> ran to the basement. probably ten seconds later, we opened the cellar door. there were huge trees down everywhere. >> reporter: a massive tree helped them, anchoring them. >> a tree fell on the hood. we're lucky to be alive. >> reporter: the survivors of this awful storm share one simple but profound sentiment. >> at least we have each other. >> that's all that matters, isn't it? >> yeah. >> reporter: before this town can begin to come together to grieve and share stories, they must continue to bear the wrath of the weather and there is more expected here. matt? >> kevin tibbles in joplin, thank you very much. >> now a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from ann curry. >> good morning. also in the news, hundreds of flights are cancelled across europe today because of that volcano in iceland. more flight cancellations are expected from scandinavia to britain, where president obama is visiting. the ash forced the president to leave ireland early for london. the operator of the damaged fukushima nuclear power plant has confirmed suspicions that there were meltdowns at three of the reactors. most took place after the march 11 earthquake and tsunami. one reactor melted down as early as last week. >> nato warplanes pounded libya's capital city in what may be the heaviest air strike yet. the half-hour barrage struck the area around moammar gadhafi's massive residential compound. dna found on the clothes of the hotel maid who accused dominique strauss-kahn of assault matches that of the former imf chief. he's now charged with attempted rape and his lawyers say they will argue it was consensual. mildred baena, the woman widely reported as the mother of arnold schwarzenegger's child has hired a legal team. one gossip website says it has received a letter challenging a news group's unflattering report about her. melissa lee is at the cnbc new york stock exchange. she has more. what's up at the new york stock exchange? >> oil prices are bouncing. that could lift energy stocks and give supports to the markets which were down 1% across the board yesterday. meantime, amazon.com has a one-day 99-cent promotion of lady gaga "born this way." it was so popular it caused delays on the website. the same album can be downloaded from itunes for $15. perhaps it was worth the wait. >> thank you. the texas rangers played hard ball with former president bush when a foul ball got close to the president's head. the white sox catcher tried to protect him from the ball but he was way too late. the ball narrowly missed the ex-president. not so secret service. there you go. it's 7:14. back to matt and meredith. >> he didn't make much of an effort. he sat there. >> it was going after him. >> where's his glove? don't you go with a glove? >> he's good at dodging. remember the shoe? w was there a shoe? he dodged that. >> i'm sure he wants to hear about that again. ann, thank you very much. back out to al in joplin with a check of the rest of the weather. al? >> thank you so much. again, we have been talking about this high risk of strong storms. we'll tell you we are basically talking about a very concentrated area from oklahoma city, tulsa, wichita. strong storms from south central kansas into northern texas. a slight risk of strong storms extends from texas out to new england, including new york city, boston, washington, d.c., charlotte, memphis, st. louis, all the way up into new england for the strong storms. the rest of the country, we're expecting to see sunshine in the southwest. beautiful along the gulf coast. warm weather in the midatlantic states. we'll look at that. central plains into the western great lakes. nice weather there as well. central plains into the western great l good morning to you. it's cooler out there this morning than this time yesterday. you will probably need a jacket. something to take off later on today as the temperatures climb into the 70s. by noon, we are in the mid-60s in the city. the biggest difference is the added cloud cover. clouds increase as we head throughout the day today ahead of a system that's going to drop rain over the bay area between 4:00 a.m. and noontime. 69 degrees in oakland. 71 in fremont and 72 in san jose. what caused air flight 447 to plunge into the atlantic en route from rio to paris, killing all 228 people on board? michelle kosinski is in london with new details for us. good morning. >> reporter: hi, meredith. investigators around the world want to know what happened to this plane, one of the safest aircraft out there, that just seemed to disappear from the sky over the atlantic in june of 2009. for a long time, it's been ought the problem started when the speed sensors iced over in bad weather. now, from black box data, it looks like the recorders are confirming that. after two years of searching, two and a half miles beneath the atlantic surface, they are there in the grim, otherworldly field of debris. the so-called black boxes of air france 447 pulled into the light of day by the same institution that found the "titanic" with the most sophisticated deep water sonar. >> we have been waiting for a long time. more than 33 months. >> reporter: now according to sources familiar with the data, the captain of the airbus 330 wasn't in the cockpit when the trouble started, about four hours into the flight between rio and paris, entering a monster storm. he can be heard rushing in to try to help the two copilots save the plane. it's common for a captain to get rest in the sleeping compartment at that time. >>s that's a normal condition on a long flight like that. >> reporter: the newspaper says electronic sensors caused the auto pilot to disengage. the plane went into a sharp climb, stalled and fell from the sky, hitting the ocean intact on its belly and shattering. an explanation that's been awaited by families of the 228 people on board from 33 countries, including an american geologist and his wife. >> we do have the recorders that they are intact, that we have the data. that will let us unlock this mystery to put pieces together to understand it to make sure it doesn't happen again. >> reporter: it is still a question to what extent the pilots might have reacted incorrectly to the warnings bombarding them. first, was the computer making the situation worse? we expect more information this friday. airbus has started using sensors that resist freezing. >> thank you very much. it's 7:19. here's matt. president obama kicked off his first day of his visit to britain today and the rid carpet was rolled out for him and the first lady. nbc's stephanie gosk is at buckingham palace. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning matt. the president and first lady left moments ago from buckingham palace, they were here three hours. had had lunch, exchanged gifts with the queen and given an official welcoming from the queen as well. they are on their way now to westminster abbey, where they will be laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier. we have seen late of pomp and circumstance today. we will continue to see it throughout the day. and in a lot of ways, it is a symbol of the strong relationship between the uk and the united states. a state visit begins with a royal welcome. only two other u.s. presidents in the last century is have been given such an honor, george w. bush in 2003, woodrow wilson back in 1918. and now, president obama, along with the first lady, greeted by the queen's honor guard in the garden behind buckingham palace. the u.s. national anthem was played. ♪ a 41-gun salute echoed in background. the president and the duke of edinboro inspected the troops. the day includes every generation of the royal family. prince charles and camilla welcomed the president at the u.s. ambassador's residence this morning, a slight change of plans after the volcanic ash cloud from iceland forced the white house to change the itinerary and arrive here earlier than scheduled. at the palace, the president and first lady met the newlyweds, the duke and duchess of cambridge. william and kate just returned from their honeymoon in the seychelles. tonight, the q will be hosting a lavish state dinner for her american guests, a black tie event at the palace. the obamas have met the queen before. the first lady caused a stir in 2009 when she did this. the queen is not supposed to be embraced, however innocently. but there were no hard feelings. today, when the queen rescued her hat from a fierce wind, the president still felt comfortable enough to offer a reassuring hand. it isn't all pomp and circumstance on the president's second visit to the uk. there is work to be done as well. the president will be meeting with british prime minister david cameron this afternoon. on the table, libya and afghanistan. the british government has criticized the u.s. for not contributing more to nato's operation in libya. on afghanistan, obama is expected to ask cameron not to pull british troops out of the country too hastily. but then it will be back to buckingham palace. after tonight's dinner, the bonus of a state visit. the president and first lady get to spend the night. the queen gave president obama and the first lady tour of their digs for the night. the belgian suites, six rooms, only used in the most special of occasions. the last time they were used, matt, the wedding night of william and kate. >> that's right. as you just mentioned, they are just back from their honeymoon in the seychelles. stephanie, give me a sense of what happens after tonight, after obamas spend the night. what does the schedule hold in the near future? >> reporter: they will be here at least another day. they are going to meet with prime minister cameron and the leader of the labor party, ed miliband. they will vbing a barbecue at 10 downing street for the families of both american and british soldiers. and then they will head off to france, where the g8 summit will be held it is -- it will be their next step in this european tour this summer. >> all right. stephanie gosk, buckingham palace this morning. thank you very much. much more on a tuesday, but first, this is "today" on nbc. [ asst mgr ] what are you doing? fixing the name. it's fiber none. looks like one. well, i know. i put an "n" there. ah! fiber one honey clusters cereal! that's really good! it tastes good, so there can't be fiber in it! it's actually got about half a day's worth of fiber. [ asst mgr ] it says so right on the box. [ fiber seeker ] really? try it. [ mr. mehta ] honey, touch of brown sugar, crunchy clusters -- any cardboard? cardboard no, delicious yes. so where's the fiber? maybe it's in the honey clusters. [ male announcer ] fiber one. cardboard no, delicious yes. coming up, nearly three yearses after her daughter's murder the trial of casey anthony begins today. we'll have the latest in a live report. >> also, do you need a for a sl shower? why some patients are being needlessly air lifted after your local news. good morning to you. it is 7:26 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. this morning, we are learning more about the arrest of the suspect in the beating of giants fan bryan stow. the l.a. prosecutor's department is investigating a man arrested. the d.a.s office will decide weather or not to file charges against him. right now, he's held on $1 million bail. investigators are looking at associates of ramirez as they try to find two additional suspects. good morning to christina loren. >> good morning to you. we are going to see the reverse of yesterday. 45 degrees right now in santa rosa. 41 in navato. we are headed toward the 70s. 72 in gilroy. 72 in san jose. 73 up in santa rosa. we have a giants game at home tonight. at&t park at 7:15. bring a jacket if you are headed out there. mostly cloudy conditions. a bit of a breeze. 67 degrees. the rain moves in tomorrow morning. it should clear out by 2:00 p.m. i don't think we would see any of the rain in the east bay. let's check the drive now with mike. >> good morning. it's great news for the drive. it's going to keep the roadways dry for the commute. southbound 280 heading toward the 380 cut over to 101. we have a lot of slowing toward the 380 transition where we had an earlier accident. we have chp on the scene. this is about the time when the volume is starting to increase. heading toward the toll plaza, the east shore freeway, slowing about 50 miles per hour from san pablo to the berkeley kerve. highway 4 through bay point in pittsburg. a heavier volume now continuing through pittsburg. >> we'll check back with you in a half hour. the "today" show is back in less than two minutes. 7:30 on a tuesday morning, may 24, 2011. kind of a comfortable start to the day here in new york city. 58 degrees right now headed into the 80s this afternoon. muggy out there, i have to admit. you know, we'll take it. we have had a lot of rain over the last couple of days. inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer alongside meredith vieira. just ahead the long awaited opening statements from the casey anthony murder trial begin today, nearly three years after her daughter caylee's disappearance was first reported. we'll have a live report from the courthouse. >> and medevac flights can mean the difference between life or death. but there are medevac cases for a woman who spilled hot water on her case and a child who slipped in the shower. >> and teens and plastic surgery. what if your kid wanted to fix a cosmetic flaw so that he or she would stop getting picked on or bullied at school? ahead, a girl and her mother speak out about a controversial choice they are considering. >> let's begin with more on the long road to recovery in joplin, missouri, following sunday's deadly and devastating tornado. al, good morning once again. >> good morning. at least it's a sunny day this morning. rescue workers, volunteers get a break before the next round of storms come in. it's bn a tough month for missouri. first you had the flooding along the mississippi. then you had the tornado in st. louis. now this. joining me, the governor of missouri jay nixon. thanks for joining us. how have the folks of joplin, missouri, been coping? >> this is the deadliest action like this we have seen. we are trying to find more survivors. 17 people were saved yesterday. >> reporter: on the other hand, you had two police officers struck by lightning. this is a dangerous operation. what are the concerns now? >> completing the two sectors and finding folks. if not we'll be recovery mode. we'll make sure the community rebuilds. the number of death and devastation is significant. >> reporter: do you see the death toll may be going up some more? >> clearly it's on the way up. we added some through the night that will come through this morning. the number will move up. >> reporter: going forward it's a huge task. how do you start? >> today, hopefully if it stays sunny we'll get through searches by 2:00. hopefully rescues there. then if there are folks we have lost we want to make sure we get them out. then we befwgin the process of getting back basic services. cell towers were knocked down. >> we heard the president is come sunday. what will you say? >> he was shaken by the breadth of this. he expressed his complete support and confidence. we'll look forward to seeing him. >> director craig fugate of fema is here. he was here earlier this week doing earthquake. >> ironically, i gave a graduation speech where the shelter is for the red cross is 36 hours ago. it's a tremendous tragedy. >> governor nixon, thanks for joining us. got a really nice day ahead. the temperatures are going climb from the 50s into the 70s. 45 in santa rosa turning over to low to mid-70s later on today. mild in oakland and san francisco right on the water. upper 60s forecasted for you. 70s. this is the last day as we head through tomorrow temps evolve five to eight degrees on average. a little rain to get through tomorrow. thank you very much after almost three years casey anthony finally goeses on trial today. she stands accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter caylee. kerry sanders wanders w there we story first broke. he's at the courthouse this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. over the last three years there has been anxiety, sadness, tieas and now today the real lives courthouse drama moved into the final phase -- the trial. if casey anthony is convicted of murdering 2-year-old caylee, prosecutors say they will ask for the at the time penalty. she was 22 years old, a single motherer whose adorable daughter caylee disappeared june 2008. it would take 31 days before casey told anyone caylee was missing. casey told her mother a story that a nanny had taken the little girl and not returned. when cin tracked down the car casey was driving she was overcome by an odor. >> it smellses like there was a dead body in the damn car. >> reporter: that's a critical piece of evidence. an irresponsible young mother more interested in partying than accepting the duties of motherhood. as casey's story unravelled she said nothing publically. but her attorney jose baez says there ises an untold story. >> the truth will come out at trial should we get to that point. >> reporter: that point has come. legal experts say based on what they heard during jury selection it's likely baez will say that caylee died accidentally and the story of the nanny was a cover-up because casey feared how her father, a former deputy, and her mother would react. caylee's remains were found in the woods a five-minute walk from her house. across her jaw-bone, a piece of duct tape as if to suffocate the victim. in an interview george and cindy said they don't know how it leads back to their daughter. >> reporter: on the one hand you have lost your grand daughter. on the other hand, your daughter is accused of that murder. >> there is no fibers. there is no hair. there is no dna. there is no fingerprints of casey's or anyone in our family. >> reporter: prosecutors plan to rely on circumstantial evidence and science. some of the science has never before been admitted in any american courtroom. sealed cans with swatcheses of carpet from the trunk. cans that prosecutors want to open so jurors can smell the stench of death for themselves. >> if these jurors follow the oath the evidence has to convince them beyond a reasonable doubt. in a circumstantial case that's not an easy standard to meet. >> reporter: the jurorses, seven women and five men were chosen about a hundred miles from here and moved to orlando where the trial gets under way and is expected to last for the next eight weekses. matt? >> kerry sanders, thank you very much. savannah guthrie will use her background as a lawyers as co-host of our 9:00 hour. let's talk about the case. they will battle it out. forensic experts over the forensic evidence or lack thereof in this case. what do you think will have the big impact on the jury? >> no question casey's car is at the center of the case. in the trunk they showed hair that showed signs of decomposition. they say there is a stain that some say has an outline of a child. there is the so-called smell of death evidence. this is potentially powerful for the jury. >> is there a chance it could backfire? even though they talked to the jurors or potential jurors about the possibilitile of asking them to smell something unpleasant how do you think it will go over? >> it's a gamble. you wonder if it's necessary to go that far. they are talking about opening a tin can and letting the jurors smell this foul odor that was inside the car. the judge hasn't made it clear he'll let the evidence in. he said he doesn't want to turn jurors into witnesses, but why do the prosecutorses want to do it? they have cindy anthony saying the car smelled like death. >> in a recorded phone call. >> since it is so novel in terms of law you wonder if prosecutors get it in and it becomes an issue on appeal later for defense. >> the idea that the defense may say, wait, this was accidental death and casey was panicked over how her parents and everyone would react so she kept it a secret. in some ways you are admitting guilt that she had some involvement in the death. how do you explain the duct tape in an accidental death? >> risky strategy for the defense. the normal course would be to pick apart the prosecutor's evidence and say it's the prosecutors with the burden of proof here. to have her say it was an accident, number one, you're rite. it admits some level of culpability. maybe it's a strategy to avoid the death penalty, but it almost cries out for casey anthony to take the stand. who else can tell the story of this alleged accident and putting her on the stand ises risky for the defense. >> you can almost hear the prosecutor saying 31 days went by. here are pictures of this motherer partying, knowing her daughter was missing. it will be a tough hurdle for the defense to overcome. >> you wonderer if there is any explanation consistent with innocence that the jurors would buy. it's a gamble. >> thank you very much. we appreciate it. up next, why are patients being stuck with huge bills for medevac flights they don't even need? "today" investigateses after this. hi, this other store has these for 20 cents less. what?! -match it! -match it! -match it! -match it! -match it! -match it! -match it! -match it! -match it! -match it! -[ horn honks ] -match it! thank you, got it. i'lmatch that price right here. cool. [ male announcer ] we won't be beat. we have low prices every day. on everything, backed by our ad match guarantee. and then we have rollback prices that are even lower. like 1 gallon of spectracide bug stop, now only $4.50. save money. live better. walmart. like 1 gallon of spectracide bug stop, now only $4.50. as long as there's sun, you and your family can go have fun. because banana boat blocks up to 96% of harmful uva and uvb rays. so you can go, go, go, confident you're protected from sunburn and long-term skin damage. banana boat. we've got you covered. discover customersl are getting five percent cashback bonus at home improvement stores. it pays to switch, it pays to discover. now put it right above your eye. good. ♪ ♪ bringing heroes home for generations. just another reason chevy runs deep. chances are your soil is like this: compacted, drained of nutrients. it'll hold your plants but it'll also hold 'em back. the solution: miracle-gro garden soil. the perfect mix of rich, organic ingredients, and miracle-gro plant food. just mix it in. and turn bad soil into great soil. helps plants grow twice as big. instead of holding 'em back, they'll leap ahead. miracle-gro garden soil. and moisture control garden soil. this morning on "today investigates" the air medevac business. there is growing evidence that too often they are used for people who don't need them and the patients are stuck with the massive bills. tom costello has details. good morning. >> good morning. we are talking about the for-profit medevac choppers that stateses and citieses rely on to assist ground crews. it's a business, big money. whether the patient needs it or not. in horrific accidents and life-threatening emergencies when minutes matter they are the pilots and medics who save liveses and air lift patients to hospitals. 400,000 transported last year. amid countless storieses of lives saved, federal investigators and medical professionals have long been concerned about call-outs for nonlife threatening injuries and the bills that follow. >> i come in and fill the pot two-thirds full of water. >> reporter: in texas it was a kitchen accident that brought a medevac chopper to dana's house. >> the water splashed on me. boiling water. >> reporter: medics responded and called a private helicopter to air lift dana 40 mileses to dallas though a closer hospital was only 15 miles away. once at parkland, e.r. doctors released dana in two hours with pain medication for second degree leg burns. then the bill -- $17,492 for the chopper ride doctors said she never needed. the insurance covered just over $3400. >> my heart hit the floor. i mean, that's a huge bill fors us. >> reporter: why did firefighters call for a chopper if the condition wasn't life threatening? we asked the fire chief. >> we don't have anyone looking other our shoulder and telling us what's right or wrong. we have to make a gut reaction decision. >> reporter: air medical refused to comment but said it relies on the judgment of the partners in the field. yet the story isn't unique. outside of boston, oscar's 12-year-old daughter natalie slipped in the shower at summer camp. firefighters on scene called in a private chopperer but when natalie arrived at the hospital e was released and returned to camp within 24 hours. the bill, $16,335. >> it's a lot of money to us. it won't bankrupt us, but a lot of people it would. >> reporter: nationwide the number of medevac choppers has skyrocketed since 2002 when new medicare reimbursements made it a more profitable business, $2.5 billion annually. with 900 today compared to 377 in 2000. 85% are private providers. two years ago the ntsb held hearings into the high crash and fatality rates. among the concerns the number of unnecessary flights. a 2005 study found two-thirds of air lifted patients had injuries that were nonlife threatening and a 2009 arizona study found 43% of patients were discharged from thefrom ttal within 24 hours. tom judge is the director of life flight main and a highly regarded medevac veteran. >> we make tough choices for patients every hour of every day. the patients we serve have to be able to trust we are making decisions strictly based on the best possible outcome for them, not based on finance. not based on corporate interest. >> reporter: the air ambulance association points to a university of rochester study that found medevac choppers are used appropriately making trauma care more accessible to patients in remote areas and discharging them more quickly. and it insists profit incentives don't dictate flightses. emts call for the chopper. >> we don't call. these folks call us. it is our responsibility to provide care and service to the patient. >> reporter: deciding when to air lift and how much to charge can vary from state to state, city to city. the medevac association says choppers are in higher demand because there are fewer and more distant e.r.s and hospitals across the country. meredith? >> tom costello, thank you very much. up next, the man who predicted the end of the world speaks out after this. you know that comes with a private island. really? no. it comes with a hat. you see, airline credit cards promise flights for 25,000 miles, but... [ man ] there's never any seats for 25,000 miles. frustrating, isn't it? but that won't happen with the capital one venture card. you can book any airline anytime. hey, i just said that. after all, isn't traveling hard enough? ow. [ male announcer ] to get the flights you want, sign up for a venture card at capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? uh, it's okay. i've played a pilot before. his family knows what to expect. but what mike rowe doesn't know is that his parents have armed themselves with unquilted viva® towels. wow, for me? [ male announcer ] if viva can handle mike rowe's mess, just think what it can do in your home. grab a roll for yourself and grasp the unquilted difference. gotta get that bacon! bacon?! bacon! smokey bacon, meaty bacon, tasty bacon! bacon? ohh, la, la... oh, i say, is that bacon?! oh, good heavens! bacon! bacon! bacon! bacon! who wants a beggin' strip? meee! i'd get it myself but i don't have thumbs! yum, yum, yum, yum, yum... it's bacon!!! mmmmm...i love you. i love bacon. i love you. i love bacon. i love you. [ male announcer ] beggin' strips! made with real bacon. there's no time like beggin' time. [ dogs] bacon...bacon... bacon...bacon... back at 7:50 with the fallout from the failed rapture. a california preacherer has spoken for the first time since his predicted judgment day came and went. he said he was not wrong, just off by five months. nbc's george lewis is in los angeles with details. george, here we go again. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. pastor harold camping spent millions on bill boards and newspaper ads telling people around the world that the end was coming this past saturday at 6:00 p.m. now he's the butt of jokes and his followers, many of whom cashed in their life savings and took children out of school are demoralized and angry. >> i can tell you very candidly that when may 21 came and went it was a very difficult time for me. >> reporter: monday night pastor harold camping went on the radio to talk about his failed doomsday forecast. his explanation, saturday marked an invisible judgment. the real end comes in five months. >> god brought judgment day and it will continue right up until october 21, 2011. at that time the whole world will be destroyed. we have not been wrong about that at all. >> reporr: in maryland, gary balmer who prepared for the end to come saturday is angry. >> he never really did say anything about being wrong or what havoc he caused. >> reporter: for late night tv comics it's manna from heaven. >> when asked what happened, and this guy doesn't miss a beat. why didn't the world end? he said, it's a miracle! >> number three, at 89 i can't remember how to operate the toaster. number two, didn't everybody's world end when oprah was cancelled and number one, harold camping says, i'm [ bleep ] crazy. that's why. >> reporter: some s buy this paperf it's the last thing you do. on twitter there were comments like, this is my first rp temperature. i'm trying to figure out what to wear. people posted facebook pictures of empty clothing as though the occupants were swept up to heaven. given recent events -- tornados in joplin, missouri, and elsewhere, flooding along the mississippi, the tsunami in japan, it's easy to see why some might believe the end is near. >> there are a few people in camping's followers that gave up their retirement funds. they stood on street corners, alienated family. they have lost a lot. >> reporter: now they have been told to just wait five months. judgment day is coming. for many of them it may require a huge leap of faith. matt? >> george, thank you very much. up next, should teenses get plastic surgery to avoid bullying? i didn't understand it. 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 less pain means, i can feel better and do more of what matters. [ 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. ♪ [ male announcer ] doctors have been saying it forever. let's take a look. but they've never actually been able to do it like this. let's take a look. v-scan from ge healthcare. a pocket sized imaging device that will help change the way doctors see patients. that's better health for more people. [ female announcer ] nutri-grain -- one good decision... can lead to another. ♪ ♪ with real fruit, more of the whole grains your body needs, and a good source of fiber. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. good morning to you. it is 7:56 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. wake up california. that's the cry from people all over the bay area this morning as parents are passing tax extensions to save school budgets. they are gathering in san francisco this morning. we'll have more for you, coming up. >> a lot of them are going to be out in their p.j.s. hopefully you have the warm ones. it's chilly. 71 in fremont. not too hot, not too cold. tomorrow, the rain arrives. the temperatures will fall by five to seven degrees. let's check the traffic with mike. >> the red and yellow and green. a lot of heavy slowing through highway 4 westbound. pittsburg speeds below 40. no incidents, just a lot of traffic flow through the area. richmond, san pablo and the richland curve as well. slowdowns from pleasanton to fremont. the south bay and northbound drive slowing down. 101 up toward the airport, 280 and 85 an accident reported as you approach 85. back to you. >> as i mentioned, they have holding lots of rallies across the area today hoping to get tax expensions to save the schools. i want to check in with marla tellez. live in san francisco. lots of parents this morning are in their p.j.s. >> reporter: yeah, it's kind of hard to hear you. you can hear the cries. it's wake up california. the rally has begun on vaness and macalester. protests like this one happening throughout the bay area and up and down the state. you are looking add concerned parents. they are holding up signs, honk for education, support public education. they are protesting the cuts for education. they are hoping you will come down and sign a postcard. they are going to take the names straight to governor brown in sacramento, hoping to wake up california. >> thank you. i'll have another update for you in half hour. [ male announcer ] it was forged from the fires of imagination. sculpted by an unyielding passion for design. ♪ and tempered by 125 years of legendary performance. introducing the all-new 2012 cls from mercedes-benz. where the world's greatest automobiles take shape. mercedes-benz. the best or nothing. 8:00 now on this tuesday morning, the 24th of may 2011. if we can get the camera over to jack black who is joining us this morning. there he goes.jack's s sj!u#rrig fu panda 2" movie. po is the character he plays. just saw him in cannes.j/ talking about the movie, it premieres today here in new york city. going over to the theater in a little while, but not before he sits down and talks to us. >> this guy knows how tojb >> he's f fantatasticic. >> also ahead we're discussing the subject of teens and plastic surgery. say your son or daughter had a slightly larger nose than norm ol or maybe an ear that stuck out and they were getting teased or bullied about it at school. would you allow the teen to have plastic surgery to stop the teasing? why more parents seem to be saying yes. >> so many people said no. but it's more complicated when you look at issues kids can be dealing with emotionally and psychologically. >> right. >> let's go inside to ann and check up on the news headlines. >> in the news pushing past darkness and fatigue rescue teams pulled ten more survivors from the tornado debris in joplin, missouri, overnight, bringing the total number of people rescued to 17 people. there was a new risk of severe weather today in joplin where sunday's tornado claimed at least 116 lives and injured at least 600 others. for more on how to help head to todayshow.com. the white house says president obama will travel to missouri on sunday to assess the tornado damage there. the president and mrs. obama arrived overnight in london. they will spend the night in buckingham palace after lunch with the queen and a royal banquet. earlier the obamas met with prince william and his new bride. the coast guard has partially reopened a nine-mile stretch of the mississippi river at baton rouge. it was closed on friday after three barges sank in high water and fast currents. port officials say closing it cost the united states economy millions of dollars a day. meantime down river residents were ordered to evacuate their homes by this afternoon as high waters have yet to recede. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu will explain his own vision for peace with the palestinians. he rejected president obama's call for israel to give up territory and return to pre-1967 borders. the wall street journal is reporting that recordings from an air france jet that crashed off brazil lost speed and stalled while co-pilots were distracted by malfunctioning air speed sensors. it is reported the pilot wasn't in the cockpit at the time the emergency began to unfold. yahoo is about to roll out the long promised e-mail overhaul. the system promises to double its speed and compete with facebook and twitter. yahoo's 277 million free e-mail users will be switches over in the coming weeks. and for the first time ever a space shuttle was photographed up close while still docked with the international space station. the pictures were taken as the soyuz shuttle left to head for earth. now to al in joplin, missouri, with a check of the weather. hey, al. >> ann, thanks so much. this time yesterday we were watching impending dangerous weather moving in. it will move in again, but not until much later this afternoon. let's show you what's happening. we've got a strong risk of very strong storms. in fact, we now have a high risk of strong storms stretching from oklahoma city, wichita, tulsa. then surrounding that we've got a strong risk. joplin, part of the area and the slight risk stretches from texas all the way to new england. boston, from dallas, texas, to boston we have a risk of strong storms today. the rest of the country, we are looking at sunshine through the gulf coast. midatlantic states, temperatures will be toasty, up near 90 for washington, d.c. clouds in the pacific northwest. sunny through southern california, but cooler than usual. plenty of sunshine western great lake well, we are seeing a nice, clear day. the calm before the storm arrives tomorrow. this is going to bring us some pretty significant rain in the north bay. looking at a tenth or less for the peninsula and the south bay. east bay may not see anything. the front is expected to break apart before crossing through the entire bay area. 72 in gilroy today. timing of the rain looks like this. starting tomorrow 4:00 a.m. the front drops through, clearing, though, by about noon and then sunshine for thursday. and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you very much. up next, teens and plastic surgery. to save them from being bullied, is it a good idea? right after this. cash back with my credit card? love the idea. no hoops to jump through to get it? even better. not a big fan of hoops. that's why i have the bankamericard cash rewards credit card. we get 1% cash back on every purchase. there's no limit to the amount of cash back i can earn. and the rewards -- yes. won't expire. bankamericard cash rewards. 1% cash back. no hoops to jump through. nice and simple. just the way i like it. [ male announcer ] the refreshingly simple bankamericard cash rewards credit card. apply online or at a bank of america near you. bankamericard cash rewards credit card. as long as there's sun, you and your family can go have fun. because banana boat blocks up to 96% of harmful uva and uvb rays. so you can go, go, go, confident you're protected from sunburn and long-term skin damage. banana boat. we've got you covered. some constipation medications can take control of you. break free. with miralax. it's clinically proven to relieve constipation and soften stool with no harsh side effects. just gentle predictable relief. miralax. with being fed on. we demand k9 advantix ii. it not only kills fleas and ticks, it repels most ticks before they can attach and snack on us. frontline plus kills but doesn't repel. any tick that isn't repelled or killed may attach and make a meal of us. so let's put our paws down in protest. no fetching, no friendship till we all get k9 advantix ii. join us at poochprotest.com. [ male announcer ] ask your veterinarian about k9 advantix ii. i really didn't see it coming. i didn't realize i was drifting into the other lane. [ kim ] i was literally falling asleep at the wheel. it got my attention, telling me that i wasn't paying attention. i had no idea the guy in front of me had stopped short. but my car did. -my car did. -thankfully, my mercedes did. [ male announcer ] a world you can't predict... demands a car you can trust. the e-class. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. for exceptional offers you gotta try honey bunches of oats with almonds! it's got real, sliced california almonds with a third less sugar per serving than honey nut cheerios. wow! delicious! try honey bunches of oats with almonds! we search, browse, and shop from anywhere. we live in a social world. isn't time we had a social currency to match? membership reward points from american express. use them to get the things you love on amazom.com. the chief operating officer at a national tissue bank, when she decided to get her masters in health care administration. by choosing a university that connects working students to faculty who are also leaders in their fields, she was able to apply her studies to the real world, and help more people, much quicker. my name is diane wilson, i deliver the best gifts on earth, and i am a phoenix. [ male announcer ] university of phoenix is proud to sponsor education nation. because we believe an educated world is a better world. is proud to sponsor education nation. back now with a controversial way some teens and their parents are dealing with teasing and bullying -- plastic surgery. natalie morales has details on this. good morning. >> good morning. plastic surgery can be a way to stand out in a crowd, but to a kid being teased at school a nose job, liposuction or breast augmentation can be a way to blend in. >> they said i had a big nose. >> so what? i do, too. >> buck teeth. i had them fixed. i got thrown in a trash can. >> reporter: monday, lady gaga told the hosts of "the view" she was bullied because of her appearance. >> are you suggesting i get a nose job? >> reporter: on a recent episode of "glee," rachel considered plastic surgery to get in. in the real world 13-year-old aubrey is considering plastic surgery. >> i'm self-conscious about what i wear, how my hair looks. when you add in my ears, something i have no control over it makes me feel really bad. >> reporter: she says her protruding ear made her a target at school. >> this tip, instead of going back a little it sticks out. >> reporter: with their parents' blessing aubrey and brooke met with plastic surgeon robert anderson to consider having their ears pinned back. >> parents are realizing the emotional and psychological problems the children have. >> reporter: for teens, ear surgeries are the most common followed by nose reshaping and breast reduction. london woodward, the girl's mother had work done on her right ear when she was 20. she supports her girls' decision to consider plastic surgery now. >> she knows she can wait. she doesn't ever have to do it. >> reporter: how young is too young? according to the american society for aesthetic plastic surgery, ear surgeries are recommended for some kids as young as five or six. correction of the ears prior to the child entering school helps eliminate potential psychological trauma from the teasing of classmates. >> we want to make sure if something like this is done on a child it makes sense and really there are more positives than negatives. >> reporter: as for aubrey, she said she wants more time to decide whether to go through with plastic surgery. >> i think i can hold off a little longer because the teasing hasn't gotten too bad yet. but if it gets a little worse then i may have to go sooner than planned. >> ear surgery can be performed on patients as young as 5. many surgeons recommend kids wait until they reach physical maturity before undergoing surgeries involving the nose and breasts. >> thank you very much. janet taylor is a psychologist in private practice. first of all, i like aubrey's attitude. she's saying, i will take a wait and see approach to this. i won't rush into it. is that the way most teens deal with this situation or do they rush in more? >> here's the thing, matt. yes, she has a choice and should make sure she makes the right decision but bullying is intentional and doesn't just stop because you have had a self-acceptance is all about having the right perspective. as parents we have a critical role in helping kids develop that. >> as a doctor, sam, when a teen comes to you when they talk about the fact, i'm getting teased or bullied, your job is to deal with the physical side. how do you deal with it? what do you say to teens about the emotional side of it? >> it's an important question. the first thing is whether they are being pushed to do it by somebody, whether they are doing it for themselves or whether it is external or internal factors. the most common is the rhinoplasty procedure i see. at age 14 they want it. i want to make sure the parents aren't pushing them to do it. that they want to do it. that it will improve their appearance. it's not a small deformity. it has to be a major deformity that's affected them. >> often times we look at children and we see imperfections. i love my children for their imperfections. do you think the parent starts to communicate their own fears and that's what the child is reacting to? >> that's a faker toctfactor. no one is perfect. it gets back to the parents are the key link for bullying which is not, in my opinion, as related to plastic surgery procedures but parental love, acceptance and warmth can teach your kids to accept themselves which is a key factor of parenting. >> you mentioned rhinoplasty, female breast augmentation, male breast reduction, female breast reduction, liposuction. do you have a standard age in your office where you will say, okay, no. you are too young for that procedure? >> yes. for breast work, that should be done much older. for me, if something is in the middle of your face and it is a big, large deformity, that can be addressed for girls at age 14. for boys, as early as 15. they take a little longer to mature. breast work and things that are less obvious, i think that should wait. >> does surgery being performed on a teenager make that teenager more likely to come in for more surgeries later in life? >> not necessarily. they are in a vulnerable period in their life. a lot of external factors are affecting them. if you have a major deformity it adds stress to the situation. they are less able to focus on school. sometimes it's a combination of trauma to the nose where they can't breathe and also the aesthetic component. >> sam draws the right line there. if there is a major deformity, one thing. if you're looking for perfection that's a bad idea. >> plastic surgery isn't the be all and end all for a cure for self-esteem. it's the inside out. >> that's a good point. parents have to be involved with this. it's not just the surgery. it doesn't end with the surgery. bullying continues with other things if they don't address the factors involved in the good self-esteem. >> good information. thanks to you both. appreciate it. up next, kung fu pan da himself. we catch up with jack black who's in a rather unusual position. right after this. imagine living your life with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a non-narcotic treatment that's fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. cymbalta can help. introducing honey bunches of oats, raisin medley. there's nothing like it! the only cereal with 1, 2, 3 kinds of raisins and crunchy multigrain flakes. you gotta try new honey bunches of oats raisin medley. a tackle box, and ozark trail tent, and an air horn. come on, boys! let's go! let's get up! this is a fishing trip, not a sleeping trip. all right. that's what you ask for, you're gonna get this, huh? [ air horn blares ] aah! yeah, you're up now. [ male announcer ] only walmart has low prices every day on everything you need. backed by our ad match guarantee. save money. live better. walmart. you know what, tell me, what makes peter, peter ? well, i'm an avid catamaran sailor. i can my own homemade jam, apricot. and i really love my bank's raise your rate cd. i'm sorry, did you say you'd love a pay raise asap ? uh, actually, i said i love my bank's raise your rate cd. you spent 8 days lost at sea ? no, uh... you love watching your neighbors watch tv ? at ally, you'll love our raise your rate cd that offers a one-time rate increase if our current rates go up. ally. do you love your bank ? and today, we're re-inventing aspirin for pain relief. with new extra-strength bayer advanced aspirin. it has microparticles so it enters the bloodstream faster and rushes relief right to the site of your tough pain. ♪ in fact, it's clinically proven to relieve pain twice as fast. new bayer advanced aspirin. extra strength pain relief, twice as fast. let's do this. you're a little early! [ female announcer ] prepare to ace your dental check-up. fight plaque and gingivitis and invigorate your way to better check-ups. new crest pro-health invigorating clean rinse. [ male announcer ] savings and value is what toyota does best. after all, toyota's the most fuel-efficient full-line auto manufacturer in the industry. and we have the lowest ownership cost of any full-line car brand. and now take advantage of a great selection of new toyotas from the full-line auto manufacturer that has the longest lasting vehicles in america. plus, every new toyota comes with toyotacare, a complimentary maintenance plan with roadside assistance. we're #1 for a reason. come see for yourself. hurry in for the best selection. ♪ we are back with the return of po the panda. he's back for the second installment of "kung fu panda." po is living his dream as the dragon warrior, but this time he and the furious 5 must face a vi lane threatening china. good morning, jack. >> they are fabulous, too. >> and furious, both. just saw you in cannes. we were hobnobbing. >> we partied in cannes. >> we did. what was your favorite part of the trip? >> my interview with you. >> other than that. >> just walking around cannes is spectacular. it's gorgeous beaches and cool film makers everywhere. generally just a fun place to be. i don't have any specific crazy tales. >> i have my favorite part was the cabana boys. did you see them? >> no. what did they do? >> they'll do almost anything. >> what's happening? >> they fan you. they're lovely. >> oh, those guys. >> i was stressed out there. there you go. >> i should have stopped for that treatment. >> exactly. you missed it. but your movie is finally coming out this week which is exciting. you said one of the proudest moments of your career was finishing this film. you have done so many things. what is it about the film? >> it's just a great movie. it's a proud moment when you're part of something that feels like a classic. it has the feeling that it will outlive me. it will continue to entertain kids and families for years to come. >> there is something special about that, i'm sure. your dad, po's father, mr. ping is a goose. in this film po realizes he's adopted and wantses to find his biological parents. why now? >> it's one of the first unanswered questions. wait a minute, that goose can't be his dad. where are the pandas? this tells the back story. it gets pretty heavy, you know? >> very heavy actually. >> that was one of the things that attracted me to the script. it had a new dimension. it asked real questions about parents, families and what that's about. >> we were talking to angelina in cannes. she talked about the fact that dealing with adoption meant a lot to her because of her family dynamics. >> exactly. >> and what their kids have gone through as well. >> it's really funny and action packed. it has an emotional level the fist one didn't which blew me away when i saw it. >> you were in the plaza with po. you're not letting him indoors. i don't understand what that's about. >> well, me and po -- >> this is wrong. >> he's cool. we're cool. we have to have some separation though. he's a bear. he may look cuddly, but don't let him get too close. he takes all the attention, too. >> who's in the suit? do you have any idea? >> what do you mean? what suit? that's po. >> it's scary. you're po. you did martial arts for us in cannes. so we know you know that. >> a little bit. >> more of your personality in the bear? >> more of mine? >> how much of your personality is in po. >> 90%. i saved a little bit for other roles that i may play in the future. yeah. he's very much me. me when i was younger and looking up on my comedic idols, rock and roll idols. po is all about the kung fu idols. we are similar in that way. >> this may be typical in the booth. you start ad libbing lines, changing things. i understand angelina had to redo stuff because you changed lines. >> yeah, sorry. >> is that okay? >> i think she was okay with it, yeah. that's part of the fun of making these animated features. you get to go back, work on each joke, each thing over and over again. >> is it tedious? >> no. i love it. it's in some ways more fun than doing live action. when you're just focused on the voice you can get, you know, even more shiny and perfect than you would with a regularfilm. >> you have two little boys. sam is 4 and tom -- >> he turned 3 yesterday. >> yeah. >> tell us about the party. great party for a 3-year-old. you had a magician. >> we had a great party. the magician was a little bit too intense. he was doing magic tricks where stuff came out of his mouth and then he would give the thing to the kids and i was like, dude, what are you doing? did you brush your teeth at least? let me smell your breath. he was funny, but we crossed the line, i think. >> did the boys see the movie? >> yes. >> they had a special screening? >> we had a special screening. all the kids from sam's school came. >> thumbs up? >> they loved it. >> i'm not , lackksthan. jack black, thanks. "kung fu panda 2" opens in theaters this week. back after your local news. good tuesday morning the you. 8:26 right now. police say the baby stolen from the east bay home over the weekend was taken by a grandmother and the grandmother tried to pass her off as her own 2-week-old infant. the grandmother told neighbors she was pregnant before the abduction. investigators say the 58-year-old snuck into the son and daughter-in-law's house and kiss napped the 4-month-old as they slept taking the baby to southern california by bus and taxi. rudy says his mother suffers from mental problems. the infant is back with her parents safe andeabrk. k break. but we'll be back with a look at the forecast and the morning commute. [ sea gull squawking ] [ waves crashing ] [ gasps ] brrrr! [ giggles ] [ sea gull squawking ] malibu chicken, flame broiled steak, or half dozen jumbo shrimp, plus endless salad bar... starting at just $9.99! at sizzler. good morning to you. well, it is kind of cool out there this morning but it's clear nonetheless so grab a jacket and something to take off later on. we are expecting the 70s once again today. another gorgeous day across the bay. 69 degrees in oakland and 71 degrees in los gatos. as we head through tomorrow the rain arrives tomorrow morning. should clear out of here before we hit noon, 2:00 p.m. in the south bay. 70 degrees by thursday and when the sun comes back. let's check your drive with mike. >> do not cross the san mateo bridge. look at the map. jammed up. an accident just approaching the high-rise. it is slammed traffic back. let's get a live look at the camera from the toll plaza and it's basically stopped. so that is where you do not go. look to the south, dunbar bridge, that's the alternate. we'll end with this shot of the bay. >> thank you very much. i'll have another local news update for you in a half an hour. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. 8:30 now on a tuesday morning. it's the 24th of may, 2011. you're looking at some of the happy folks gathered in rockefeller plaza. happy, in part, because the rain seems to have blown out of here. we have a breezy sunny morning here in the heart of the city. i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. coming up, we're going to talk about how every parent wants the best for their kids. does that mean you should continue to support your children well into their adult years? this is becoming a necessity for families. does it actually help them or hurt them down the road? we'll talk about it. >> it's an important issue, especially with the economy. you want, as a parent, to do the best, but it's a struggle. also this morning we'll talk about that and and also, can you smell that? >> we're grilling. >> we are grilling for the memorial day get-together. a delicious recipe for surf and turf which is something for everybody off the grill. >> and speaking of the holiday weekend we'll kick it off in style. on friday we have the first summer concert of the series. rihanna will be here. the pop superstar will be entertaining the crowd friday morning. if you're a fan, come down and bring your best rihanna sign because judges will determine which the best signs are. the top ten win on-stage tickets to rihanna's "loud" concert courtesy of livenation. that's friday morning, rihanna on the plaza. >> that will be some concert. also, another big event here on nbc. the live two-hour season finale of "the biggest loser." it will be anybody's guess who will be crowned the winner, irene, jay, olivia or hannah. we have al son sweeney, the host joining us this morning. great to see you this morning. good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> give us a handicap on the contestants. first of all, olivia and hannah. how do you think they will do? >> first of all, it's awesome. they are sisters, the first set to make toyota the finalses. they are both amazing women. i love hannah and olivia. olivia is the older sister. she's won more challenges. she won a lot of weigh-ins. hannah won the final weigh-in. so she's got it in her. she can do it. the girls are set up to have a chance of winning this. >> i know america will pick either jay or irene. how do you see it turning out? >> that's a tough one. jay is the comeback kid. he was eliminated in the middle of the season and made it back on campus. he's a good guy and a hard worker. he has the weight to lose. he has the numbers. irene, we could have an all-girl final. that would be awesome for irene. she was the highest potential weight loss on campus. she beat everybody. she's a rock star. our silent ninja, everyone calls her on campus. she has it going for her, too. this season, it is anyone's game. >> there is so much inspiration we can take from this. thank you so much for giving us this. >> by the way, allison and i flew across country together. did you know she snores? >> matt! you weren't supposed to tell. >> al and i flew across country as well. >> the whole cabin. >> you made her go to sleep. that's the deal. >> ann and i had a party. we were living it up. >> allison, good luck. >> it was fun. >> people can catch the live season finale tonight at 8:00/7:00 central time on nbc. the winner will be here on today. we want to mention meredith had to leave early today. we'll see her tomorrow as well. let's get a check of the weather now from mr. roker in joplin, missouri. al, take it away. >> thanks, matt. again, the latest numbers, the death count 116. 600 injured. we expect the numbers to change. the good news is yesterday 17 people pulled from the rubble alive. they are hoping for repeat stories like that later today. let's show you what's going on weatherwise today. unfortunately we have a strong risk, a high risk of strong storms today. stretching in the plains states. we have a slight risk of strong storms from texas, nebraska, into new england. sunshine through the south and then from the south we have a strong storm moving to the east. a slight risk into the ohio river valley. sunshine and hot weather from texas. showers in the pacific no good morning to you. well, now that the sun is out our temperatures are warming nicely. we are at 55 degrees now in sunnyvale. headed towards the 70s for the most part. we'll see a couple upper 60s in oakland and san francisco right on the water. it will be a little bit cooler but 72 degrees in san jose. not too shabby. heading through tomorrow the rain arrives. looks like in the morning. we should see some clearing by the afternoon. 70 degrees the sun comes back out for your thursday. don't forget. you can get your weather any time you need it on weather channel on cable or weather.com online. any time you need willard scott we've got him for you, like right now. >> it won't be long. summertime vegetables from the garden. how sweet it is. happy birthday from smuckers. take a look, if you will, at gl glenna gett of keene, new hampshire. we have marshall reynolds of clinton, iowa. 102 years old. enjoys eating out, playing bridge. that's good for the mind, they tell me. never goes to see a doctor unlessle she has to. and dorothy musson of west windsor, new jersey. still walks to the dining room with her friends and beats them there usually. she loves the senior citizen center where she lives. howard buffington of towson, maryland. prides himself on outpacing his friends. he can walk and beat them every time. here is anna katz from livingston, new jersey. 100 years old today. loveses desserts and can't lea them alone. eat dessert first and you don't need as much food. joseph dewees from nashville, indiana. 100 years old today. loves square dancing and working on his farm. the secret to longevity, a daily dose of apple cider vinegar. i have heard it about a lot of people. that's all. back to new york. >> willard, thank you so much. coming up, why the baby boomer parents are having to support their adult children. that's coming up after this. first, this is "today" on nbc. twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. we are back at 8:39 with "today's money." according to a new forbes.com survey 60% of parents are providing some financial support to adult children and many adults say their children are worse off than they were a generation ago. sharon epperson, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> we know the economy has been tough. we have been covering it for a long time, but that startled me. 60% of baby boomers? >> we are in the throes of it now. we are looking at an employment rate for many adults far higher than for the average population. add to that the college debt burden many of the young people have. 24,000 on average. then on top of that, all the homes in foreclosure, if they were fortunate enough to get into a home they can't afford to keep it. >> now they may be living under the same roof as their baby boomer parents. we have a graphic of some ways parents are helping children with housing, living expenses, transportation costs, insurance coverage -- so important -- spending money, medical bills. we are talking about making ends meet. >> these are basic necessities they cannot provide for themselves. some of them may have a part-time job. they can't afford to pay rent or mortgage on a place. they can't afford to cover the health care expenses that are continuing to escalate. >> so many baby boomer parents found the time in their lives where they had to struggle. the last thing they had to do was watch their kids struggle as well. >> they raised their children a certain way. some believe this is how i should be living, but they don't realize how much their parents had to struggle. there is a good lesson to be learned that some children. >> we are not talking about parents paying all the freight. in some cases they are contributing to life under one roof. some are contributing to groceries, utilities, gas for the family car. some contribute nonfinancial help. 42%. cooking, cleaning, child care. what do the numbers say? >> they are setting up guidelines. set up the guidelines, boundaries, what expectations are for yourself and your child. if they are contributing groceries or rent, great. do what else they can to help around the house if they have no money. >> it's important to stick to guidelines so there aren't feelings of an months if i down the road. >> you can't say, well, they have a major expense. they bought a plane ticket they couldn't afford so i will help. if you have guidelines about the spending money, the amount they have to contribute, stick to your guns. >> and parents are making sacrifices. take a look at this. 30% have given up their privacy because they have kids living at home. 26% have taken on additional debt. 13% gave up taking a vacation. 7% delayed retirement to accommodate their adult children. >> the debt burden and the retirement are the ones that scare me. you want to help their child. who wouldn't want to. you don't want to put yourself in a situation where you have to move in with them eventually because you have no money for retirement and you have debt. >> sharon, thanks very much. appreciate it. >> my pleasure. >> still ahead, the apps that can help you save money on gas. we'll tell you about those. first, this is "today" on nbc. ...and i just got myself a new bass boat...what's new with you? ahh not much, got a new hat, might run for president...oh! and my new 3 taco combo. i'm serving up three awesomely delicious tacos, crispy golden fries, and an ice cold drink for only $3.49. wow, there is such a strong family resemblance! yeah, we all got nana box's nose (chuckles). >> announcer: today's be well, be healthy is brought to you by benefiber. a better you from the inside out. that's the beauty of benefiber. >> back now at 8:46. this morning on be well, be healthy, battling the childhood obesity epidemic. kristen welker visited a town where a dedicated teacher is putting in overtime to help kids slim down. >> reporter: a small town in rural washington state struggling with a big problem, obesity. as many as 31% of adults in this down are obese. that's just about as high as the national average. it's an issue doris door witnesses first hand. a fitness instructor at the local high school she realized something had to change after a painful conversation with one of her sdents four years ago. >> all of her friends were involved in activities and she wasn't because she was fat. >> reporter: after the discussion doris started an after-school exercise program, just for girls. >> make sure your palms are this way. >> reporter: the 56-year-old now volunteers her afternoons and students like jerilyn stevens, bike, jump and push themselves to the limits. >> what have you lost so far? >> 20 pounds. >> reporter: jerilyn's goal is to get healthy. >> most of my dad's family is diabetic. i don't want to be next. >> reporter: it's an uphill battle for the students. doris says poverty plays a big role. >> the kids eat what is put before them by their families. a lot of families get food from food banks. unfortunately in our society unhealthy foods are cheaper. >> reporter: all of this hard work is paying off. girls in the program have lost an average of 70 pounds each. that's making a big difference on the outside and inside. >> it feels really good. >> reporter: desiree used to be a size 13. now she's a 5. jerilyn was kpietd to wear her new prom dress after dropping a size. >> i can do it. i can lose the weight. i can eat the right foods, be healthy and also be more confident. >> reporter: the program has given 40 girls newfound confidence. it's so successful doris earned national recognition. >> i'm not the hero here. i was the facilitator. those girlsirlsave had to overce so much. >> reporter: her students would disagree. they say they owe everything to the woman they call their second mom. >> if it wasn't for her we wouldn't be healthier now. >> reporter: one woman helping girls getle healthy and get excited about their future. for "today," kristen welker, nbc news, washington. >> we cheer them on. coming up next, we're going to fire up the grill with matt's help. first, this is "today" on nbc. [ asst mgr ] what are you doing? fixing the name. it's fiber none. looks like one. well, i know. i put an "n" there. ah! fiber one honey clusters cereal! that's really good! it tastes good, so there can't be fiber in it! it's actually got about half a day's worth of fiber. [ asst mgr ] it says so right on the box. [ fiber seeker ] really? try it. [ mr. mehta ] honey, touch of brown sugar, crunchy clusters -- any cardboard? cardboard no, delicious yes. so where's the fiber? maybe it's in the honey clusters. [ male announcer ] fiber one. cardboard no, delicious yes. this morning on "tay's kitchen" we get back to the basics of grilling. how about saying no to burgers for a change and saying yes to surf and turf. chef robli is from gastro lounge and has his own catering company. happy almost memorial day. >> you bet. >> you like frank stelank steak >> i love it. >> you slice it first. why? >> it gives more space for marinades to soak in giving you something more flavorful. >> and cooking time is quick? >> yes. you're winning all around with that. >> you talk about marinating it. how thick are you cutting the slices? >> three-quarters of an inch and cut across the grain to make it more tender. >> starting with mustard? >> yes, a little bit of dijon. worceshershire sauce, soy sauce, nice and easy. fresh cracked black pepper, minced garlic. give it a whisk. >> and you will throw it in a ziploc bag after oil goes in. >> right. >> how long do you marinate? >> at least two hours but ideally overnight. >> put it in the refrigerator overnight? >> yes. you have the marinade like that. take your sliced steak. go right into the bag like that. >> then just pour it right in. >> super easy. anybody can do that. >> overnight it looks like this. since we are doing surf and turf let's talk about the prawns. different marinade. >> yes. we have lemon juice and zest. right into the bag. >> you like it tangy. >> yes. the lemon zest has more flavor than the juice does. little bit of olive oil. chopped garlic, sea salt and hot hungari hungarian p hungarian paprika. >> and you can go lighter. >> it's not that spicy. >> you keep the shells on the prawns? >> yes. split the back of the shell, pull out the vein. >> why is it important to get the air out? >> the more air you get out allows the marinade to actually touch the prawns. give it a shake. let them go for up to an hour. no more than an hour. >> here you like the steak to go overnight with as much marinade as possible. why less time with the prawns? >> the acid will cook the prawns. >> break it down. >> yeah. >> so after you have marinated it for an hour. >> take one. skewer them up. here are your skewers. soak them in water so they don't burn up on the grill. >> that's a good trick and people forget it. >> yes. go through the tail. super easy. right up to the head. >> there you go. pop those on the grill. >> yes. do these cook at the same temperature from the steak or -- >> you want it on a hot part of the grill. >> they cook very quickly. these are almost done. righthere on the grill. >> when you say "very quickly" how many minutes? >> two mints on ea -- minutes o side for the prawns. and we'll put on the steak as well. >> let's get into the age old debate. charcoal or gas? >> i'm a little of each. i like the gas to start my charcoal and then shut it off and go with charcoal. >> once the charcoal ignites you let it go on its own. >> yes. >> a couple minutes on each side. while those cook if you want to serve greens with that what do you suggest? >> this is a spring salad. you have asparagus, radishes which are in season now. we have arugala. lemon. simple salad in season. everything works. >> everyone's drooling. >> you take the meat off the grill and let it cool? >> let it rest for about five minutes or so. >> and you're ready to go. >> this is good. the crew is circling. thank you very much. >> thanks for having me. >> nice to have you here. we'll be right back with much more in just a couple of minutes on a tuesday morning right after these messages. 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. good morning to you. 8:56 right now. chevron is giving it one more try to upgrade the richmond oil refrin ri. they said they'll ask for permission to improve the facility which processes high sulfur crude oil. they want to scale back the project and drop efforts to produce california grade gasoline. they approved the original plans itck in 2008 but a judge blo it over environmental concerns. we'll have a look at the morning commute after this break. one f! and started earning loads of points. you got a weather balloon with points? yes i did. [ man ] points i could use for just about anything. ♪ ♪ there it is. [ man ] so i used mine to get a whole new perspective. ♪ [ male announcer ] the new citi thankyou premier card gives you more ways to earn points. what's your story? citi can help you write it. welcome back. it is 8:58. right to the live shot from the san mateo toll plaza. traffic was stopped and then moving and now stopped again westbound heading off of 880 to the peninsula because of an accident that's clearing right now. should be just about cleared from the flat section approaching the high-rise. backed up along the span across the water. the dumbarton bridge is your alternate. this is coming through oakland past the coliseum and the toll plaza. >> a lot of traffic out there. we'll have another local news update in a half hour for now. the "today" show continues next. our latest sed toirl states public schools face threats of more budget cuts. assembly bill 18 puts the spending power in the hands of the educators, not the legislators. a charter school director applauds the bill and adds, school districts spend upwards of $30,000 per student while only 45 minutes away in redwood city they're lucky to spend $5,200 per student. rory equate it is state of the classroom to a dollar star with totally trashed desks and christie says it's time for sacramento to step aside giving more fiscal responsibility to local school districts and simplifying the bureaucracy is a no brainer. perhaps our problem solvers in sacramento are hiding behind the complexity. time to open the books. we're hope to your comments. join us online. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> we're back now with more of "today" on a tuesday morning. the 24th of may, 2011. humid, soupy, not bad in new york city but there are a lot of people who have been out for a long time so we want to take the time to let them wave to the people back me. we appreciate you stopping by. inside i'm matt lauer a. al roker is in joplin, missouri. the town is struggling from the devastation of one of the deadliest tornados to hit the united states. at its peak that twister had winds up to 198 miles per hour. it ripped about a 6-mile-long path through the area. >> the death toll is well over 100, and emergency officials expect to recover more bodies in the coming days as the search will continue. but there is some good news because there have been miraculous stories of survivor pulled from the rubble. the search teams worked despite the darkness, despite the fatigue and pulled ten more people out just overnight. and they didn't have to keep going but they did and thank goodness they did. that brought to 17 people recovered yesterday. >> coming up we're going to go live to joplin for the latest on this. >> also ahead, switching gears, returning to gas prices, if you've been filling up at the pumps you know the average price now is more than $3.80 a gallon. we'll show you ways to save money. plus we have answers to your diet and nutrition questions from the best ways to get started on a weight loss plan to heart healthy snacks and dressing up that dinner salad. >> a lot to get to. back to al in joplin as he has been for the last 36 hours or so. good morning again. >> good morning, matt. the good news is the weather is clear for the searchers, the rescuers, the volunteers. yesterday we had record setting rainfall. almost two inches of rain in 24 hours. constant lightning. two police officers yesterday were struck by lightning, as they were performing rescues. and in fact, we've got a risk of very severe weather happening again, there is a possibility of tornados here in joplin again today, into tomorrow. and that would knock this city down just as it's trying to get back up on its feet. no matter where you look, from above, or from the ground, joplin is a city in ruins. >> it goes on for miles so it doesn't look anything like it did. >> it's a massive tornado. massive destruction. >> the tornado that touched down sunday was 3/4 mile wide tracking a seven-mile track with winds as high as 198 miles per hour. mother nature came in with a fury. >> we thought we were taking our last breath. >> in less than ten minutes countless lives forever changed. more than 116 people lost, with hundreds more injured. one of joplin's main hospitals heavily damaged. >> it was a scariest most horrific thing. >> cardiologist dr. smally was on call at st. john's medical center as the tornado hit blowing out windows and destroying their medical chopper. >> it looked like we were hit with a bomb. >> in an hour and a half the staff evacuated 183 patients from the ruined hospital. >> we went into like combat mode. there were huge pieces of things obstructing us from patients getting them out of the rooms. >> in neighborhood after neighborhood rescue teams are searching for survivors under the constant threat of severe weather. despite the rain at least 17 people were found alive. john is hoping that his friend will be one of the lucky ones rescued. >> we're missing a neighbor. >> larry, my neighbor, he's 73. i don't know where he's at. i know he was home. >> firefighters and volunteers searched for larry but couldn't find him. kelly returned from a family vacation to find her grandmother had been killed. seemingly in shock she talked with brian williams. >> that she'd always wear. >> how old was she? >> 86. vibrant, great. a phenomenal woman. >> how is it you're able to talk about this? >> it's just surreal. i don't know what's going on in my mind. i'm just out of my wits. >> joplin is simply a shell of itself. the city's heart remains intact. >> our citizens are strong. joplin is a city of neighbors helping neighbors and with this spirit, we will overcome this hardship. >> that's all that's left. >> back with john, a life long resident who is now one of joplin's many survivors, wondering if his life and beloved city will ever be the same. >> i don't know what i'm going to do. just take it one day at a time. that's all i can do. >> you're still alive. >> yes. >> and we have a high risk of strong storms today, just to the west here of joplin, parts of oklahoma, texas, on into kansas, we're looking at that and then there's a strong risk around that as well. so, really not a lot of great news for this area. joining me now is marsha o'connor. we noticed marsha going through her car with with with the help of a friend. marsha, you were in the hospital, you are a nurse here. you were here when the tornado struck. >> yes. >> what was it like? >> it was pretty horrible. it was really loud. it happened really fast and it seemed to last a few minutes or forever. you kept thinking it's going to stop and it kept rumbling on. >> then you got out, everything was okay. you've come backng to stop, and rumbling on. >> where was your car originally parked? >> about 60 feet that way. >> so it jumped all the way here. >> yeah. >> have you found anything salvageable out of it? >> well, by the end of the day i did remember that my purse was in there, so i did dig it out, and then there was no time to try to get anything else. i think we're getting some stuff out of there. >> all right. marcia, thank you. best of luck. >> thank you very much. >> all right. that's it. that's the latest from joplin, missouri. we'll have an update for you coming up in the next half hour. guys, back to you. >> thank you very much. we appreciate that. ann has the rest of the top stories of the day. >> i do, matt. that's right. in fact, also in the news hundreds of flights are canceled across europe today because of that erupting volcano in iceland. as that volcanic ash spreads across the continent, more flights cancellations are expected from scandinavia to britain where president obama is visiting the royal family. the ash already forced the president to leave ireland early for london. dna found on the clothes of the hotel maid who accused dominique strauss khan of assault reportedly matches that of the former imf chief. strauss-khan is charged with attempted rape, and his lawyers have suggested that they may argue that the encounter was inconsensual. flight recorders from an air france jet reportly claim the plane stalled while the pilots were distracted by faulty air speed upon monitors. all 228 people on board died in the accident two years ago. little monsters when googoo for gaga when amazon offered lady gaga's album for 99 cents on-line. so many fans jump odd the deal, that amazon's server stalled spurring a flurry of negative reviews of the service and possibly putting a snag in the on-line retailer's latest bid to compete with itunes. and if you are full of excuses for not hitting the gym, well let 100-year-old ray clark inspire you. proving that it's never too late to get into shape, clark signed up at the gym his grandson uses last year and is already surprising everyone and 100 isn't just clark's age. it's also the number of pounds he can lift on the crunch machine and the back press n machine. not bad for a man that only weighs 144 pounds himself. i think -- >> looking very fit there. >> yeah. >> that's great. >> way to go. >> nice story. >> all right. >> we're up-to-date. let's go back out to joplin, missouri. al. >> all right, guys. thanks so much. we want to show you that this risk area is pretty wide actually. we check it out. we'll show you the strong risk area. as you can see, we have the high risk, strong risk, but the slight risk extends all the way from texas into new england, so it's a pretty wide swath that is going to be bringing some thunderstorms, possibility of isolated tornadoes, hail, damaging winds, and torrential rain. rest of the country, weave got sunshine in the pacific northwest. we have showers -- i should say in the pacific northwest. we have sunshine western great lakes into the plains. gorgeous along the gulf coast. the heat is back on in the mid-atlantic states. all the way up in good morning to you. taking a live look at alcatraz. gorgeous morning. no fog to report at this time and no haze to report, either. we are going to see some changes throughout the afternoon. the clouds will increase ahead of the system is rainfall through tomorrow. tomorrow, probably not a great day for outdoor plans. 73 degrees for today, though. today a great day for plans in santa rosa. 72 degrees in san jose. the rain moves in tomorrow morning but should clear out here before the day is done. co " money aving gas tips. high gas prices may have you wondering if you can afford to hit the road this summer. the national average is $3.82 per gallon, a dollar more than a year ago. vera gibbons has advice on saving money at the pump. good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> in my town, $4.49 a gallon. are people looking at prices and saying, i'm staying home? is there evidence of that? >> they are not actually. prices have been coming down from the peak on may 11 when they were really close to $4. it is causing hardship. people are rethinking the budget. but we will be traveling. six of ten americans plan to take a summer vacation. 86% to hit the road, going to the parks, lake, beach. it kicks off with 35 million americans traveling 50 miles or more. >> a lot of people are trying to save money in this economy with gas prices. one way they are saving is not getting cars tuned up. >> that's a bad idea. get the car tuned up regularly to give you greater fuel efficiency. check the fluids, spark plugs, get your oil changed every few thousand miles. make sure the tires are properly inflated. that will boost fuel economy by about 3%. replacing clogged air filters, dirty air filters can improve fuel economy by 10%. doing something major to improve the maintenance of the car can improve it by 40%. don't skip the tune-up. >> and you want drivers to get app happy. what do you mean? >> there are a lot of apps to help you find which gas stations have the best prices on the route. that's what you want to do. prices vary by 10, 20, 30 cents, more than that just within a couple of blocks. gas buddy has a popular app available for all different phones. aaa has trip-tik, the mobile version of the travel planner. go ahead and download either one. we'll put the information on the website. >> good advice. you suggest that as drivers we can lose the amount of weight we are carrying. >> lose the weight. >> that makes a big difference? >> a huge difference. clean out the trunk, the cargo area. get rid of the excess weight. the excess 100 pounds reduces your fuel economy by 2%. loading on your roof, too, decreases fuel economy. avoid the roof rack. that decreases fuel economy by 5%. >> also, idling. is it better for the use of gas to stay in idle or turn on the car and start again. >> depends on how long. experts say don't idle for more than ten seconds. if you are at a fast food chain, looks like a long line. you are better off to park, turn the engine off and restart it again. same with the toll booth. in a long line, you're better off getting a pass to drive-thru. idling is expensive. in many cases turning the engine off and restarting. ten minutes of idling us as much fuel as driving for five miles. >> think about the air and the environment. >> that, too. >> your last tip this morning is reshuffling our credit cards. what do you mean? >> there are gas cards on the market that give you a rebate for gas purchases. if ever there was a time to consider getting one is to look into these. discover has the open road card with 2% back on the first $250 on purchases on combined gas and restaurant purchases. that's good. you can do it per billing period. capital one has the no hassle card. 2% back on gas and groceries. go to cardrating.com or lowcard.com. it's nice to get something back because you're spending on gas anyway. why not get a rebate? >> good information. coming up next, what are the best heart healthy snacks? we're going to answer that and your other diet and nutrition questions. later, jill's here again with her fun finds. personal gifts for dads and grads. that's coming up after these messages. [ man ] i've seen beautiful things. ♪ i've seen the sunrise paint the desert. witnessed snowfall on the first day of spring. ♪ but the most beautiful thing i've ever seen was the image on a screen that helped our doctor see my wife's cancer was treatable. [ male announcer ] ge technologies help doctors detect cancer early so they can save more lives. bringing better health to more people. ♪ [ female announcer ] nutri-grain -- one good decision... can lead to another. ♪ ♪ with real fruit, more of the whole grains your body needs, and a good source of fiber. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. but sometimes i wonder... what's left behind? [ female announcer ] new purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena naturals. removes 99% of dirt and toxins without dyes, parabens, or harsh sulfates. so skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] new from neutrogena naturals. this morning on be well, be healthy, joy's diet s.o.s., answers to your daily diet dilemmas. joy bauer has answers on everything from lean and tasty snacks to salad ideas. we have so many people who need your help. aisha from rochester, new york, joins us via skype. what's your question for joy? >> hi, joy. it was great meeting you at the american heart association the other week. >> oh. aisha is a heart transplant recipient. what an inspiration. hey. >> my question was as you know i'm a heart transplant recipient and an inspirational speaker so i'm always on the go. i'm trying to find heart healthy snacks that i can travel with. >> okay. great question. a lot ofeople have the same question. the first thing i will tell you is don't discredit fresh fruit. it's loaded with potassium and fiber, two key ingredients for party health. unsalted nuts are terrific. specifically, almonds, pistachio and walnuts have heart science behind them. sunflower seeds, edamame whether it's boiled or roasted. with an insulated bag you can have nonfat yogurt. the kals wrcalcium is great for and blood pressure. hummus and for something sweet go for dark chocolate. keep the portion about the size of a credit card. that's about an ounce. stick with brands that are at least 70% cacao. you're doing great. >> you look very healthy. >> keep in touch! >> all right. good old friends. >> yeah. >> we have a viewer e-mail coming to us from joan in fancy farm, kentucky. i'm a 55-year-old woman who is 100 pounds over weight. i want to eat healthier and i need to exercise but i have been a couch potato for a while. how do you suggest i get started? you get people all the time looking for inspiration and motivation. >> she's already taken the first step toward getting healthy. she wants to make a change. i will offer a few manageable, not too drastic changes that will give her effective results. the first is to stop eating fried foods from fried chicken to french fries. next, give up sugary beverages, specifically soda and sweetened tea and fruit juice. instead drink water and zero calorie seltzer. and incorporate produce with every meal. joan has to eat a fruit or vegetable with breakfast, lunch and dinner. if she does those three things and just walks five to ten minutes every day she'll see a significant drop on the scale and she'll feel a hundred times better. >> that will motivate her to keep going. you lose and want to see how much more you can lose. good luck, joan. >> good luck! >> you will join the joy fit club soon. >> i would love it. >> finally the last question is from janet on the phone in rock hills, south carolina. good morning. what's your question for joy? >> hi, joy. my husband and i have been doing well losing weight getting our cholesterol down. we enjoy eating salad for dinner but are getting bored with grilled chicken. do you have any ideas? >> there are lots of delicious ideas. have fun because anything workses on a salad. vary the protein from pork tender loin to black beans to seafood, even lean steak. work in chopped apples, mandarin oranges, grapefruit, toasted nuts and seeds. anything goes. visit a local farmer's market to see what's available in terms of seasonal produce. there are a lot of things you would probably not think of adding in. have fun. >> and stay light on dressing as well. >> and search online for great ideas. >> joy bauer. janet sh thanks for the question. joy, thank you as always. coming up, the best beauty products. some cosmetic awards winners. products. some cosmetic awards winners. first,se message ouncer ] have you met your skin twin? covergirl trublend has skin twin technology. other makeup can sit on the surface of your skin, so it looks like...makeup. but trublend has skin twin technology to actually merge with your skin. you get skin twin coverage that's perfectly true. and you're more perfectly you. [ female announcer ] plus, with trublend, you always get a perfect match. if you're a shade 1 here, you're a 1 here... and here. how easy breezy beautiful is that? trublend...from covergirl. he hangs here. because you don't see this everyday. (child) because we read the books . (man) and watched the movies . and now we're living it. because i can fly with harry. follow me! because now i can turn my brother back into a human being. (narrator) from unforgettable adventures, to the wizarding world of harry potter, only at universal orlando resort. julie: ... i don't feel there's something out there better than what i've got now. vo: so to show her what she's missing, we built a pc store in her house. julie: (gasp) employee: thanks for dropping in! julie: you've got to be kidding me! this isn't my house anymore! employee: have a little look around! julie: very nice! employee: this one is touchscreen. julie: i like that. so there is no tower anymore? wow! i admit i'm wrong on this account that there is a computer better than mine. vo: new pc in the house julie(to camera): i'm a pc and i'm gonna kill him. but when i take four pork chops and sprinkle on a packet of hidden valley ranch, i get something that's anything but traditional... ranch pork chops. [ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mix it up. [ female announcer ] new aveeno living color hair care. the first active naturals formulas with lupine botanicals help protect color from fading for up to 40 washes. now color stays vibrant... everyday. [ female announcer ] visit aveeno.com for a free sample of new living color. a singer from austin, texas, is the latest stand out on "the voice" and he took a big chance. >> he sang one of the coach's own songs. he took on cee lo green's hit "forget you" and it clearly paid off. good morning! >> good morning. >> great to have you here. i was just showing you on my ipod her this morning, i have -- i downloaded last week when you and ty competed in the duet. i went on itunes and downloaded you. it was so good together. >> what possessed you to sing the song knowing it's cee lo's song? >> it was risky, but i felt i needed to connect with the audience and the room and connect with the audience at home. this was my shot. i needed a really recognizable, popular song. that song is a mazing. >> you have a distinguishable quality. i think rolling stone magazine said you sang the d uet song like -- a bear? >> a bear who sings. >> you're cuddly though. >> i am. >> you were written about in rolling stone magazine. >> i know! it blew my mind. >> exactly. >> you're going to see how he does as it continues. "the voice" airs at 10:00/9:00 central time on nbc. we'll be right back after your ws ander [ woman ] welcome back jogging stroller. you've been stuck in the garage while i've been sneezing from the dust in here, and the pollen outside. but with 24-hour zyrtec®, i get prescription strength relief from my allergy symptoms. it's the brand allergists recommend most. ♪ lilly and i are back on the road again, where we belong. with zyrtec® i can love the air®. [ male announcer ] get up to $6 in savings on zyrtec® products at zyrtectv.com. good tuesday morning to you. 9:26 right now. palo alto city's budget concerns may force them to make cuts. reports say if the unions don't make concessions the city may have to shut down a fire station, get rid of an emergency rescue unit or let go more than a tenth of its police officers. city managers fiscal year budget counts on nearly $4.5 million in concessions of police and fire unions. in the meantime, palo alto police are looking at a case of vandalism that could be a hate crime. last friday morning someone painted a swastika on a car at parkside drive. it happened again the following night on josina avenue. investigators do think that the vandalism is directed -- they do not think it is directed at anyone in particular and don't have any suspects. suspects. quick q break but we'll be back with a look at the forecast and the commute. good morning to you. well, we are nice and clear right now but let me show you from space what's coming. this is a front on the way. making for cloudy conditions later on today. clear as a bell right now, our temps are headed into the 70s. upper 60s along the peninsula. 67 degrees in san francisco. 69 in oakland and 71 degrees today in los gatos. we have a ball game in town. at&t park, if you're headed there, bring a jacket. temperatures will be cool at 7:15. about 60 degrees, mostly cloudy and then temps drop like a rock. rain on the way tomorrow. >> things didn't change for an hour and a half and now a live look at san mateo toll plaza and things moving much more better. getting closer to 50 over the water. that's great in the westbound direction. it was completely stopped an hour ago and over the course of the hour, much of the time we have seen cars not moving at all. now clearing. cleared on the foster city side. the dumbarton bridge a good alternate. the live look shows you things backing up again after a second accident happened at the first area of the first 15 minutes ago. again slow to the coliseum, laura. >> thank you very much. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. ♪ that's the pop hit called "what's my name." her name is rihanna and she's a superstar by any measure. this is a happy song. she'll be bringing her voice to our plaza to kick off our summer concert season. it's already that time of year. come on by and see rihanna live friday -- this coming friday here on "today." >> it's going to be a huge crowd. hopefully the weather will be good by then. meanwhile in this half hour we'll talk about award winning beauty products from sunscreen to anti-aging creams, the cosmetic industry insiders are picking the best products on the market. they chose winners at both the mass market and luxury price points. >> i always get great ideas from carlotta. >> innovative products, too. >> and the former executive producer at "morning joe." at age 38 he suffered a brain aneurysm that could have killed him. he'll tell us about the experience and how it gave him a new perspective on life. he said if a person couldle learn the whole lesson from the experience without having to go through it, wouldn't it be great? then he realized he needed to write the book. >> it's a good read. i couldn't put it down and it's a small one. also ahead, it's giving season. jill martin has fabulous fun finds for personalized gifts for dads, grads and happy couples. something for everyone. seems like we're celebrating a lot in the month of june especially with graduation in may and june, weddings. >> there are lots of things coming up. meantime another busy guy this morning is al in joplin, missouri. he has another check of the weather. hey, al, what's the latest on the predictions of more tornadoes at least in the region? >> well, you know, we just got an update. joplin is now in the high risk area today into tomorrow. the risk area is actually just expanding eastward. 's not so much for winds so much as there is just a better chance of tornadoes unfortunately. so a lot of people concerned about that. we'll continue to obviously monitor that. as we look at the rest of the country's weather for today, we have a slight risk of bad weather stretching from texas into new england. so we're keeping an eye on that. clouds in the pacific northwest. sunny, beautiful weather through the gulf coast. 93 in miami. sunny and warm through the southwest. chillier than usual for los angeles. only 69 today. for tomorrow we look for the risk to make it east a little further. with a strong risk especially of rain in the pacific northwest tomorrow. sunny and mild in the northeast. going to be a nice one. sunny and hot through the gulf coast. we're keeping that word hot out of our forecast. as you can see here it is a gorgeous day in the city. clear conditions but they won't last long. we have a system of low pressure on the way. tonight across the bay area. our temperatures though should be pretty comfortable. we are expecting the 70s, mid-70s inland, upper 60s toward the coast. looking pretty good through tomorrow. that rain arrives early and seeing it clear out before about 2:00 p.m. making for a nice day on thursday, 70. and that's your latest weather. ann, natalie, back to you. >> thank you very much for your reporting this morning. coming up next from jeans to jewelry, some great personalized gift ideas. >> oh, no. that'swron jg.us wrong. >> right after this. >> i'm sorry i mentioned it. after this. and i've learned a lot from patients who use levemir flexpen. flexpen comes pre-filled with my long-acting insulin, and i dial the exact dose of insulin i need. my flexpen is discreet and doesn't need to be refrigerated. and flexpen goes wherever i go. levemir is a long-acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes. do not take if your blood sugar is too low. tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions, including if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. the most common side effect is low blood sugar. other possible side effects include reactions at the injection site. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions, such as body rash, trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat or sweating. ask your healthcare provider about levemir flexpen today. learn more about the different insulins available in flexpen at myflexpen.com. flexpen, insulin delivery that goes with you. even though i'm a great driver, and he's... not so much. well, for a driver like you, i would recommend our new snapshot discount. this little baby keeps track of your great driving habits, so you can save money. [sighs] amazing. it's like an extra bonus savings. [ cackling ] he's my ride home. how much can the snapshot discount save you? call or click today. introducing honey bunches of oats, raisin medley. there's nothing like it! the only cereal with 1, 2, 3 kinds of raisins and crunchy multigrain flakes. you gotta try new honey bunches of oats raisin medley. and olive garden's one of the few places we can take them where everyone's happy. try our new four cheese pastachettis. with grilled chicken breasts in a garlic cream sauce. or with grilled sausage. starting at just $9.95. only at olive garden. [ male announcer ] savings and value is what toyota does best. after all, toyota's the most fuel-efficient full-line auto manufacturer in the industry. and we have the lowest ownership cost of any full-line car brand. and now take advantage of a great selection of new toyotas from the full-line auto manufacturer that has the longest lasting vehicles in america. plus, every new toyota comes with toyotacare, a complimentary maintenance plan with roadside assistance. we're #1 for a reason. come see for yourself. hurry in for the best selection. ♪ this morning this morning on jill's fun finds, something special for everyone. this is a season of gifts galore. if you're looking to put an extra special touch on a gift for dad, grad or a bride, jill martin has cool personal items. the trend of going personal is expanding. let's start off with the denim. now you have jeans practically made for you. >> every woman should have a great pair of jeans but it's hard to find the perfect fit. levi's scanned 60,000 women's bodies to come up with five different types that fit almost every body type. they are under $100. you can go online and look at what works best for you. there are levi's bars around the country where they will custom-fit your jeans for under $100. >> amazing. that will fit just right. next, for those of you going into running or you want to walk around and look really cool and hip, you can get your sneakers personalized. >> you can get them personalized with your name. great for adults and kids, if you are messing up shoes, especially if luke and josh have different shoes running around. these are $115 on newbalance.com and you can pick laces to colors to what's on the back. a great gift. >> nike is doing it as well. that's a great trend. these are great tote bags for the beach. they can lug up to 500 pounds? >> right. starting at $24 from l.l. bean. they come with personalization. you have different names, initials. these are great to lug everything over the summer. >> great. now you can customize jewelry as well. you like it the way you like it and now you can get it that way. >> go on kendrascott.com. starting at $45, 20 stones, 20 silhouettes. this is just a shell of it. you can pick anything that goes in it. pick it online and they ship it to you. pick your favorite colors and if you are giving a gift, it's nice to pick what you know somebody likes. i like turquoise. >> or birthstones. personalized cards. always great to have the right card for the occasion. >> i'm a big fan of sending cards, not e-mails. go to cardsfortoday.com and you can sign your name online and put in everything by date. they stuff it, stamp it and send it. you personalize it. you never touch anything but the computer. the person gets an actual card, but it's as easy as e-mail. >> candles seems like an odd thing to personalize but you can do that. >> great gift and great scents. it's not smell-o-vision, but you have smelled it before. you put on the person's name. it's $60. just a beautiful gift. >> small writing. >> really a dainty candle. >> tell us about the wall back here. >> these are wall words starting at $10. you put them on the wall and they will not ruin the paint. >> it's great. >> your kids can have fun and feel like they are decorating their own room and being creative. >> artistic. >> wallwords.com. >> for the babies. >> look how cute they are for the babies. >> little pacifiers. >> great gift. also for a baby shower. >> this is great. mute button. cute. the wine carafe here. you have to have the glasses as well. you have to have the initials. >> pottery barn, $29. great gift for the table and a centerpiece as well. a set of six from $69.95 from williams-sonoma comes in clear or different colors. >> does it come with sangria? >> cheers, almost memorial day. then if you are looking to cover your chairs, these are great slip covers. if you have kids, these are from pottery barns with spills. these are great and machine washable. >> jill martin, thanks. great ideas. find out more in this week's us weekly magazine and on today.com. up next, how a hard-driving television news producer survived a brain aneurysm and got a new perspective on life. we'll talk with him after these messages. [ wind blowing ] ♪ [ female announcer ] when is it okay to lose the cover-up? ♪ when you can. take the special k challenge... and lose an inch from your waist in two weeks. so lose your cover-up, and show off your confidence. design your plan at specialk.com. design your plan your favorites, in pieces. is this a jowl? [ female announcer ] fight the forces of gravity. stay! new roc® multi correxion™ lift with protient® plus... skin looks lifted overnight. roc® multi correxion™. correct what ages you. what gravity? but when i take four pork chops and sprinkle on a packet of hidden valley ranch, i get something that's anything but traditional... ranch pork chops. [ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mix it up. we know chris licht as the we know chris licht around here as the producer of "morning joe" but many don't know he suffered a life-threatening brain aneurysm. he chronicled this journey in his book "what i learned when i almost died." notice i said first book. >> i like that. >> i'm bummed that you are the former producer now of "morning joe." but let's talk about you first and who you were before what you call "the event" happened. >> hard-driving, maniac producer, which is what everyone loves. but the big difference was i got that feeling in the pit of my stomach, with everything that happened on the show, outside the show, i took everything home with me, internalized it and had a lot of clutter in my brain. didn't realize it at the time. >> you were a blackberry guy, big time. >> absolutely. even when i was there i wasn't there. i was on the blackberry. i was obsessed. and just very much never in the moment of anything but work. >> i think in hearing the description, a lot of us recognize people we know, maybe even ourselves. in the book you write, "at one moment on one day, my brain went audible emitting a pop from deep within. not a loud one. more like a balloon that had been pricked in the distance." >> worst feeling i have ever felt. i was 38 when it happened a year ago. you know when you are 38 and you have never felt something that something is wrong. to say it was the worst headache of my life doesn't do it justice. it was a horrific feeling, like someone was squeezing my head as hard as they could. >> you're in the hospital, going through all of the tests. it's surprising how people you know will react when they know that you are sick. people you don't expect to care for you suddenly do. people you don't even know, maybe like a vice president. >> joe and mika were in washington. >> joe scar roar -- joe scarborough and mika brzezinski, how worked with on "morning joe." >> they rushed to the hospital and took control. started calling and one of the people, joe told me, called vice president biden because he went through something similar. he picked up the phone, called a doctor and said, get over and see my friend. i had never met him. i would have gotten the same level of care whether that happened or didn't happen, but without having family there, they became my family during this really, really emotional, scary time. >> mika took over. >> like a she mama. >> you write, "it would be nice if everyone could get the education i had gotten without having to really die." okay. so, educate us, chris. >> you raise the bar as to what matters. your family. that's your extended family. your family, friends, the people who just dropped everything and came to be with me was so important. it made me realize, you know, yeah, i love my wife. i had never seen her in a situation like this, just absolutely taking care of me. joe, mika, everybody just rising to the occasion. everything else declutters your brain because it doesn't matter. >> you say we are more loved than we realize. >> absolutely. i got notes from people that i have had rough battles with. you realize at the end of the day, this was not about anything other than human beings. a lot of the fights you fight about at work really don't matter. >> you have a smile in your eyes. you're talking about a near-death experience with a smile in your eyes. you say a few of us can pivot on a dime. it's still a work in progress and you put down the blackberry all the time. >> putting down the blackberry is a metaphor. as a producer, you have to have the blackberry, but it doesn't have to consume you. you can take note of something and fix it quickly if there is a problem, but it doesn't have to consume your soul. that's been the learning experience. >> this little position you now have, this little tiny job over at cbs news. >> i made them read the book first. >> you did? >> absolutely. david rhoads was one of the first person to read it. >> anyway, congratulations. you will be the vice president of programming at cbs news. i hope they know they are getting a treasure. >> thank you so much. >> well written, chris. >> thank you. more to come this morning, including the best beauty products from eye treatments to hair care. this year's award-winning cosmetics. first, this is "today" on nbc. [ woman ] everybody's looking for deals these days, and i'm not talking about saving a dollar off shampoo or two-for-one tacos or something. i'm talking about paying less -- every month. like this deal. [ female announcer ] call today and get the fastest internet for the price -- just $14.95 a month for 12 months with select services. no home phone service required. plus get access to the entire at&t national wi-fi network at no extra cost. [ woman ] with at&t, i'm surfing at hot spots all over town. ♪ i'm downloading music fast. and watching videos. cute! and the price is great. [ female announcer ] call and get the fastest internet for the price -- just $14.95 a month for 12 months with select services and a one-year price guarantee. no home phone service required. plus get access to the entire at&t national wi-fi network at no extra cost. [ woman ] i went looking for a deal, and at&t delivered. now, i just need to curb the shoe shopping. ♪ this morning on "today's beauty" the awards for 2011. over 4,000 women in the beauty industry vote on products to find the most innovative beauty aids on the market and award them with the stamp of approval. carlotta jacobson is the president of the group. you have been doing it for over six years, so let's get started. we want to talk anti-aging products. first we have the mass winner here. it's available at drug or grocery stores. >> right. this is the aveeno product. it's a recharger for the skin. what's unusual and interesting technology is it has bio minerals i it. it firms the skin. whole new technology. >> and it's a reasonable price at drugstores. good for that. next we have the prestige winner. also anti-aging targeted toward not just wrinkles but also if you have dark age spots. >> which are just as aging as wrinkles. it's as effective as a prescription product. yet it's gentle, nonirritating and every nine seconds. >> clinique is the prestige winner. >> correct. next we have eye treatments. you can see all the products on today.com. the eye treatments here, we have the winning cream. you say it stands out from the rest. why? >> it really has two effects. a long-term firming effect and just putting it on, it has a luminous powder in it so the lines are minimized. >> so instantly. we like that. moving to hair products, what seems to be the innovative trend is all about mousse. >> there are two products with mousse. one is fat foam, the first foam hair color. it's easy to use, colors every strand. >> permanent hair color? >> yes. >> oh, okay. so you brush it in. >> mix it up yourself. do it in minutes. >> excellent. >> the other is -- i will show you. if i can get it. >> there you go. >> it's a mouse that comes out of the brush. >> a giant brush. >> so you can put it on easily and it doesn't make your hair sticky or thick. it's a great product. i love it. >> wonderful. over to makeup. taking the prize for long lasting lipsticks, loreal paris infallible la rouge. >> finally a long lasting lipstick that doesn't dry your lips. look at the colors. it lasts ten hours. >> can't say more about that. amazing. over here with the eyes we have liquid liners. well, regular liners. >> but this does the same effect as a liquid liner. it really goes on deeply and intensely. it's easy to use. >> carlotta, we love when you come in. we see all the new and great things in the beauty world. >> look at you. i would listen to twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. good morning to you. 9:56 right now. police in menlo park are on the lookout this morning for two men that broke into a home and attacked a man in his late 80s. it was so violent the man is in the icu. the neighbors are outraged. they say he's a quiet man, world war ii veteran and the suspects broke into the home through a side door. >> ransacked the house. apparently, you know, looking for something but took nothing. took nothing. it's senseless. >> sunday's home invasion is late nest a string of crimes to hit the normally quiet and peaceful street. neighbors say other homes and cars have been broken into. they say it's time the form a neighborhood watch. right now, want to check the forecast with christina. >> good morning the you. we have clear conditions out there. but as you can see front's approaching this is going to bring rainfall tomorrow and mostly cloudy conditions after 3:00 p.m. 69 degrees today in oakland. 72 degrees today in santa cruz. about 3 degrees cooler than yesterday because of that added cloud cover. 72 degrees in gilroy. not too bad. we'll shave off even more tomorrow. about five degrees. as our temperatures fall back into the 60s for a couple of days. rain on the way. it looks like for the first part of the day on wednesday. now mike. >> maybe better tomorrow than today for the rain because we have had a series of accidents on 880. only just recovering on the northbound side after the second and third accident over last 45 minutes. happened and then cleared through downtown oakland. northbound side riddled all morning. traffic just starting to move again. back on the maps, slow through downtown and the east shore freeway. about a 25-minute drive down to the toll plaza. also southbound 880 from 238 down to the san mateo bridge, another accident clearing at 92 causing additional slowing but 92 is clearing in the last half hour. >> thank you, mike. we'll have another update in a half hour. the "today" show continues in about a minute. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hey, everybody. thanks for joining us onhis booze day tuesday. a miracle happened here in new york city. the sun has come out. >> it's shocking. >> no. it's gone again. i just turned around, it's gone. >> i'm starting to get that thing you have. what's it called? seasonal disorder -- >> affected. >> i didn't have s.a.d. until today. >> when we woke this up morning, i stayed in the city last night, you could not see outside your window. >> the fog was so low. we hear there is a sunny day coming up and rain again. >> we are not going to complain about the weather because of what other people are going through all over our country. it's unbelievable. our prayers are with everyone. i've never seen weather like this. it's incredible. >> it's really sad. the death toll is rising there. it's heartbreaking to watch. it really is. >> we want to make you smile today. >> this has been going on since yesterday's show. we introduced kathie lee's favorite thing. our facebook page exploded. they were all over a pair of white pants. >> i know. >> what makes these pants unique, they look and seem like leggings, but they are structured like pants. so they are not too clingy and they are stretchy. >> there is not a zipper, no buttons. easy on, easy off, baby. >> everyone is asking where you can get these pants because they are not easy to find. >> it's a canadian country. i bought them down at a store called the sandpiper in key largo. they also have stores in naples and marco island, florida. we are just going to -- they think they've got a lot of supply. sa sandpiper clothier.com. the capris are $114. they come in different styles. good luck, everybody. yesterday we had jimmy fallon. he gave each of us a present. we weren't allowed to open these books because he signed each of these to us. >> he wants more promotion today without having to be here. >> and we are going to give it to him. >> kathie lee -- he did it, you are my favorite, don't tell hoda, jimmy. we fall for it every single time. >> hoda, you're my favorite, don't tell kathie lee. love, jimmy. >> first time shame on us, second time shame on you, jimmy. he sent us flowers. >> i didn't get flowers. >> he sent you flowers? >> all is forgiven. >> he sent you flowers. >> nice ones, pink. >> did he? >> today is a big premiere -- did he really send you flowers? >> yes. i thought you got them, too. >> now i know the truth about the book. today is a big premiere. it's the premiere of "kung fu panda 2." >> we saw it yesterday. we went a screening. i hadn't seen the first one. cassidy said you're going to love it. >> jack black is too hysterical. >> he plays po, a panda bear. >> the premieres usually are at night, but in this case it's at 11:00. >> let's ask him why. hi, jack. >> hey! how you doing? >> good. is it rocking out there? >> no. i'm a little early. premiere starts in like an hour. i'm hoping some people show up. it's going to be lonely if i'm the only one at the premiere. i've got some fans over there. >> we are looking forward to speaking with you a little later in our hour. we wanted to let you know we loved the movie. >> thank you. >> we were somebobbing like bab. >> did jimmy fallon send you flowers? >> you know what? i'm upset. >> a couple of times. >> jack, will you send me flowers. >> i feel like i fumbled the ball. >> you sent something better, you sent po. po is here. we'll talk to new a few minutes. >> wow, that is a big boy. careful of the lights. >> po is a full-figured boy. >> can you come closer? >> don't trip. we are going to lose po. >> don't you love -- that is so cute. >> is that cuddly or what? >> your moves are so much better. okay. all right. do that thing do you with that left foot you trace this circle thing. can do you that? yeah, baby. oh, yes. i love it when a panda does that. do you have flat stanley there with you? i need flat stanley. everybody gets these flat stanley things. po, do you mind? this is for my dear little friend in massachusetts named kylee. thank you, po. have a good opening, okay? i hear you brought presents for us. >> later. >> don't give it away. >> thank you. nice talking to you. >> he's cute. >> just hogs the conversation though. >> he won't shut up. here, if you live in new york, you're not going to like this story. we are going to tell you. bed bugs are apparently running rampant. in new york city, it's going to be the worst spot for bed bugs of anywhere in the country. >> in the world, right? >> i don't know about the world. i know about our own country. >> bad enough in our country. >> philadelphia is number five in bed bug department. chicago's number four. detroit number three. cincinnati, number two. and the number one city where bed bugs are prevalent is new york city. >> good time to move to hawaii. >> it's because a lot of people pass through. they say bed bugs get in your wheelie bags sometimes. you bring them in and out of hotels. they are in some of the movie theaters. >> they breed like rabbits. just takes two bed bugs to make a bunch of babies. they're doing that in your bed. >> i start getting paranoids about stuffer like that. do you? >> most of the time i live in the country and not that they can't walk these could get there. my suitcase could certainly take them in, but i don't think about it that much. unlike our sweet tamsville who is paranoid about them. >> tammy is worried about germs and bugs and who touched it, who licked it. who did that to what. >> that's ironic considering tamsville's past. you know what i'm saying? maybe that's why she is so concerned. she's got good reason. whoa, now it makes sense. >> you're right. you're right. now i'm getting it. if you guys -- love you, tammy. if you guys were already for saturday night and the world ending, harold camping who said it was over, he hadn't spoken since the day he was wrong. he did speak out. what he said was actually the day the world was ending is postponed until october 21st. keep in mind a lot of people listen to him. they sold things, they pulled their kids out of school, did all that sort of stuff because this guy said it was the end of the world. >> the one thing they should have done that they didn't do? they should have read the bible. if the man is quoting the bible, the bible specifically says in matthew, jesus said, no man knows the hour or the day except the father, not even me. if jesus doesn't know how does harold camping? >> he said he knew. >> he doesn't know. shame on him for frightening so many people and using scripture to do it. that's not right. >> he's saying it's still five months away. we could have the same people- >> don't be stupid this time. false prophets in the world. that was wrong to do that to people. >> people were scared. most people laughed about it. >> a lot of people's faith has been damaged. don't put your faith in people. >> i think most people took it as a laughable joke, don't you think. some people took it seriously. >> i feel badly for them. they should have done their homework. >> now, again, we are starting our voice competition tomorrow. we have work. >> how many today, guys? >> three. >> okay. we're ready. ♪ over the rainbow ♪ blue birds fly ♪ birds fly over the rainbow why oh why can't i ♪ >>. ♪ i don't need to want you ♪ but i do ♪ he ought to know that by now ♪ >> is that it? that's it. okay. tomorrow we are going to start. again, the voice quality is different on tape. we'll bring three people in, listen, choose teams. i'm so excited about it. i am really excited. >> it's fun. >> you were busy last night. >> i stayed in the city last night. i don't often do it. it has to be a cause i truly believe in or an honor for someone i dearly love. my friend anna strasburg said our friend al pacino and bebe newworth would be honored last night at the actor's fund. it's been around over 100 years. it takes care of actors. actors who have fallen on hard times, actors who can no longer get work, singers, dancers, anybody in the entertainment world. they do great, great work. i sat with alec baldwin and sat an al's table. there i am. i wore a little orange frock. al was fashionably late looking like keith richards from "pirate of the caribbean." i stalled a little bit. so i told a couple of my al pacino stories. they went over well. there is this other cute story about me and al and oliver stone and two hookers, but darn, we're out of time. and we're out of time now, too. we are going back to the ziegfield theater where blackjack is on the carpet. how can expedia save me even more on my hotel? by giving me huge discounts on rooms hotels can't always fill. with unpublished rates. which means i get an even more rockin' hotel, for less. where you book matters. expedia. hello. hello. how are you? how are you? are you mocking me? are you mocking me? [ both ] well it sounded like you were... now that you're repeating... everything...that i say. ok. ok. [ both ] we made some progress yesterday. [ pen clicks ] click. check. [ pen clicks ] click. [ male announcer ] we take the time for our cheese to mature before we bake it into every delicious cracker because at cheez-it, real cheese matters. before we bake it into every delicious cracker 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. some people will do anything to make friends. funnyman jack black was on our plaza passing out pandas for his new film "kung fu panda 2." >> jack provides the voice for panda po. the furious five return to protect all of china from a new villain. >> it's a fun, terrific movie. jack is out at the red carpet at the zeigfield theater. >> see what you've done to these small children, they are skipping school to be there for this. >> are you talking to me? >> i say stay in school, kids, but isn't it summer break yet? >> can you hear him? you better do the interview. >> it's all over. >> it isn't all over. >> jack, tell us about your character. he sort of evolves from the first kung fu panda to this one. tell us about him. >> well now he is the dragon warrior. he is no longer fung fewaster in training. he's arrived and is working with the furious five to protect all of china from a new evil villain named shen, a peacock, which may not sound dangerous, but trust me, who is playing the peacock? >> i like that peacock. >> gary oldman. when it's gary oldman playing the peacock, you'll be scared, believe me. i think it's better than the first one, honestly. >> what is cool angelina jolie is in this. lucy liu is in this. lucy will be with you at the premiere? >> yes. she is coming to the premiere later. >> we are going to be going all over the world to promote. >> that has to be tough work going to cannes with dustin hoffman and angelina jolie. >> yeah. it's really hard. >> can you show us some of the moves? you actually practiced some of this. you have it down. >> want a little taste. i do have some kung fu. it looks like, you know, a grateful dance, but then -- hi! >> you're very nimble. >> wow! wait a second. >> that was serious kung fu. >> ah. >> excellent. >> we are in awe. >> hello? >> can you hear us? >> maybe i unplugged. >> of course you did. >> i can't hear you. i'm sure you're impressed. >> yes, we are. >> we are. we wish you the very best with the movie, bye, jack. love you. >> hopefully lucy will be with us in the studio tomorrow. >> the movie is a lot of fun. little boys are going to love it. >> i think it's a little violent for little, little kids. up next, sara finds out what it takes to be a starbucks barista. [train whistle blowing] we're here because we wanted to come as much as they did. (girl) it's really hogwarts! because i can fly with harry! because i love seeing him like this! (screaming) ahhhhh! (narrator) from unforgettable adventures to the wizarding world of harry potter, only at universal orlando resort. [ chanting ] do it! [ all cheering ] [ female announcer ] it's fun to get dirty when it's this easy to get clean. that's because clorox 2 stain fighter & color booster works better than detergent alone at removing the toughest stains. works better than detergent alone man: and all the pens are put down... woman: and everything there is to learn is learned. man: till the heroes retire and the monsters return to their dens... woman: and all the plots are wrapped up. man: till that day... boy: by hook or by crook... girl: by book or by nook... woman: i will read. we send our own sara to the city for odds job. >> i had a fantastic time with this one. did you know there are 182 starbucks on the island of manhattan alone and nearly 300 in all of new york city? well, i had the privilege of working at one in soho to see if i have what it takes to be a barista for the day. espressos, cappuccinos, grande, venti, tall, we live in a java nation. i was offered a crash course in coffee at starbucks. >> very nice to meet you. >> i got to dress the part. meet the staff and learn frapuccinos 101. this will be a special creation for hoda. first, the pump. hoda, i put a little extra in for you. then the blender. this is a hoda-ccino. the final step was my favorite whipped cream. i'm going to do an "h." >> if that is for hoda you shouldn't drink it. >> i'm not drinking, i'm cleaning it. i only lick the ones i know. i wouldn't lick a stranger's. after this the bar heated up. >> hit the two buttons. >> one, two. >> hurry. five. >> where does it go? three, four, five. >> we'll give you a discount. >> i'm never ordering that drink. that's punishment to you guys. how many are you ordering? nonx what? this one looks crazy. who is drinking that? >> that's my boss's. >> don't insult him but that's like day's worth of calories. >> greeting customers to meeting them. i was quickly moved to the register. welcome to starbucks, can i help you? i'm sorry, was it something i said? hi, welcome to starbucks. what's your name? >> you see, i had a slight problem with names. >> remember the name for the order. >> what was your name, ma'am? erin. that's what i was going to say. what was your name? andrew. i can do that part. andrew. your drink will come out at the end of the bar. andrew doesn't like me very much. what was your name? rudy with an "i" or a "y." do you know who kathie lee and hoda are? >> they like wine. >> they do. >> i like her. >> i even got although my trainer melissa, the sweet woman who told me not to lick the cup, gave me a b minus for sanitation reasons. i whipped up a drink for each of you. bring them on out. that's the hodaccino. >> this one is for kathie lee. >> i love a man on his knees. >> mine looks like it's been around for a couple of days. >> i have to ask you, were those customers angry? when you want your coffee, no one wants you to fool with them. >> they didn't want you to play. to remember what they ordered and their name and start to make it and send it down the line. people were like, yeah, it's a decaf coffee. >> i feel what's taking so long for the coffee? >> this is delicious. a friend of mine, my manicurist's daughter just started working as a barista. she had to study for a couple of weeks. you got the cram course. >> i only learned the hodaccino. that was only two drinks. i'm a good student. >> you were stressed, i could tell. >> it got really stressful. down the line, they were like, me on. >> thank you, honey. >> can't wait to see what you do next. what can we expect? pole dancing? >> we'll get fun ones in there. if if i go pole dancing, you're coming with. >> we have julie scardino and her furry friends. m: we have a pretty big family, and olive garden's one of the few places we can take them where everyone's happy. try our new four cheese pastachettis. with grilled chicken breasts in a garlic cream sauce. or with grilled sausage. starting at just $9.95. only at olive garden. to see what tommy left on her cloth hand towel. she found...7.2 dogs... [ barking ] 43 squirts of dad's shaving cream, 32 classmates, 347 newspapers, half a math book, and...12 frogs. [ ribbits ] after all, your hands are only as clean as the towel used to dry them. upgrade to kleenex hand towels for a clean, fresh towel every time. go to kleenex.com and see what could be on your hand towel. good tuesday morning to you. 10:26 right now. the antioch city council will hold a public hearing on ordinance for a moratorium on medical marijuana today. they unanimously approved a moratorium last week after learning that one opened without permits. the ban which includes mobile delivery services, warehouse-style grow operations and dispensariedispensaries. the moratorium could be extended to two years. a new area code is coming to santa clara county. county supervisors will take up the plan at a meeting. folks one area taking 408. the other in 669 over the puc with an overlay method allowing customers to keep the current area code givingea a new area ce to people signing up for new service. ♪ [ male announcer ] if you're ready to get more from your tv service than comcast can give, now's a great time to switch to at&t u-verse tv. make the switch! [ female announcer ] call to get at&t u-verse -- now with free hd -- for only $29 a month for six months. or get $300 back via promotion card with a qualifying u-verse bundle. [ male announcer ] u-verse tv lets you record up to four shows at once on a single dvr. and you can record and play back your shows from any room. plus with u-verse, you get dvr service and receiver included at no extra charge. [ female announcer ] call to get at&t u-verse -- now with free hd -- for only $29 a month for six months. or get $300 back via promotion card with a qualifying u-verse bundle. [ male announcer ] and former comcast customers prefer at&t u-verse tv picture quality. even upgrade to over 160 hd channels. that's more than comcast. [ female announcer ] at&t u-verse: tv like you've never seen before. twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. good morning to you. well, the sun is out. the temperatures are climbing. we are at 67 degrees in sunnyvale. 61 degrees in concord. everybody will get a taste of the 70s inland today. mild towards the coast. 67 degrees in san francisco. 69 degrees in oakland at 4:00 p.m. typically the warmest time of the day this time of year. we have rain on the way for form. not a lot but enough to make you want to stay indoors tomorrow. clearing tomorrow afternoon. plentiful sunshine and 70s on thursday. check the drive with mike. >> all right. note for folks tomorrow morning, might have a wet commute. this morning, so far things are moving smoothly. east shore freeway, a bit of slowi in slowing. high street, that still continues and we have things breaking up a bit out of san leandro. southbound, the golden gate bridge and really slow for 15 minutes. coming from the south tower to the toll plaza. off and on i saw bursts of backup here and may be doing a shift change and no instances reported coming into san francisco but a delay coming off the marin side. now backing up past the south tower there. a little slow. >> thank you for the update. thank you for joining us. we'll see you tomorrow morning starting at 4:30. have aat gre. gay d d we are back on this booze day tuesday. we've got furry little friends from seaworld and busch gardens. >> why don't we start with this guy? >> we have an endangered species here who is a big eater. >> how cute is he? >> he's from southeast asia. very endangered, not just because of habitat lost. he lost 90% of habitat lost. >> i like what i've got, but she is offering me something else. >> due to the illegal pet trade and hunting, believe it or not. >> poachers. >> yes. education is a big part of what seaworld tries to do. >> so cute. >> we support programs that try to help the locals and indigenous people to understand how valuable and adorable they are. >> he looks like one movie cousins. >> the cutest little thing you've ever seen. >> he really is. i'd love to hold him but you said he might -- >> pee. >> at any age he'll go anywhere. >> he'll get bigger? >> about 13 pounds full grown. very lean. these guys are the ones that actually actually swing from branch to branch. >> he's a swinger. that's his natural habitat. if that is destroyed he can't -- >> is he choking? what is that? >> that's a good sound. that's like, oh, yeah. >> okay. >> olive garden. all you can eat. >> does he have to leave? >> he has to go. >> he probably does. >> look at him. anything nearby. how about the card? >> how cute is he? >> do you need this for that? >> yeah. rescue rehab is also a big part of what we do. this is a great horned owl that was rescued about 30 years ago, believe it or not. of course our largest north american owl. it's the great horn. why are they called great horns? >> look at his neck. >> why are they called the great horn? >> it's like linda boyer in "the exorcist." >> 270 degrees. they are very soft. he is a very gentle owl. >> can i? okay. >> we do educational programs with him all the time. look how soft he is. >> he is soft. >> i guess that's when i saw the movie "the birds." they'll peck you to death. >> in the eye. >> let's get over that because they are great animals. he helps us educate the kids about the local wildlife. >> very sweet. >> we bring in the puffin. >> they were exterminated off the eastern coast. >> looks like a disney character. >> he'll go to you. >> there you go. puffin. >> he is named off an island. >> what is going on? >> go to aunt hoda. >> you can scoop him in the front here. >> it's like a blow dry. >> we have a great program for these guys. we also send keepers to the islands to help with the restoration work that is going on there. the puffinhas been restored to many islands thanks to projects like project puffin. he is misting on your hands. >> i don't think that's all he's doing. >> oh, my gosh! naughty, naughty, puffin. >> we will take him off. you can hand him to t.j. there. t.j. is one of our experts. we'll bring out another rescued animal. >> a little fox? >> it's so hard for people to understand all the messages that need to go along with conservation. he's like, i found a bird. that would be one of their natural prey. they also do eat fruit. i wonder if he would be interested in that. people don't realize that. this guy was also rescued about seven years ago. he, as well as all our ambassador animals, help get those messages of what people can do to help protect wildlife in their own backyard as well as supporting organizations in places which do this work. one great thing is people don't realize when they come to seaworld and busch gardens, part of their admission fee goes to the work we do. >> he's looking for beef. thanks so much. up next, competition. medical myth versus fact. [ sniffs ] ♪ bye! bye! ♪ hi. hey! hey! [ laughter ] ♪ [ female announcer ] walk into a burst of fresh fragrance when you pass by. get motion activated glade sense and spray and release the magic. sc johnson, a family company. but i learned that i don't have to use a vial and syringe as part of my daily routine anymore. my doctor showed me the novolog mix 70/30 flexpen. flexpen is discreet and comes pre-filled with my insulin. flexpen goes with me and doesn't need refrigeration. and it's covered by most insurance. if you're still using a vial and syringe, ask your healthcare provider about the benefits of flexpen. flexpen is a discreet, pre-filled, dial-a-dose insulin pen. you can dial the exact dose of insulin you need. and inject insulin by pressing a button. novolog mix 70/30 is an insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults with diabetes. do not inject if you do not plan to eat within 15 minutes to avoid low blood sugar. tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions, including if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. most common side effects include reactions at the injection site, weight gain, swelling of your hands and feet, and vision changes. other serious side effects include low blood sugar and low potassium in your blood. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions including body rash, trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat, sweating, or if you feel faint. flexpen is made by novo nordisk, a healthcare company committed to diabetes care for nearly 90 years. i've made flexpen part of my routine just like spending time with my family. ask your healthcare provider about novolog mix 70/30 flexpen today. learn more about the different insulins available in flexpen at myflexpen.com. flexpen. insulin delivery that goes with you. can sex make you look younger? >> works for you, hoda woman. >> does yoga before a hot date give you bad breath? >> how do i know? you know who does know robby caplowe. from "prevention." magazine. hi. >> how are you? >> we've got three minutes. let's do it. >> myth or fact. avoid eating yogurt before heading out for a hot date. it's known for causing bad breath. >> myth. >> it's a myth. in fact, the live bacteria in yogurt freshens your beth. it's a good thing to do. try greek. drinking eight glasses of water a day is essential for good health. that is a myth. we heard this for so many years. the truth of it is, we can get a lot of the water that we need from fresh fruits and vegetables and soups and coffee and tea. >> iced tea has tonsof water. >> exactly. >> but you get the caffeine which could dehydrate you. >> having sex three or more times per week can help you look younger. >> yes. >> this is a fact. >> perfect timing, hoda. >> there was a study done in scotland with couples in their mid 40s. in fact, those who had sex three or more times a week actually felt better, they looked less wrinkled and lined than those nonsex people that they were talking to. >> nonsexed people. >> eating off larger plates can help you lose weight. >> i'm going to go with true because this sounds ridiculous. >> this is a myth. >> oh, shoot. >> it's all about the size of your dinner plate. smart thing is to switch it out. those high caloric foods, start having them on the diner-sized plate. >> the dirtiest room in your home is most likely your kitchen. >> yeah. >> that is a fact. >> oh. >> we always think the bathroom. it's all the stuff that happens on the counters of your kitchen. just throw your kitchen responding into the microwave or into the dishwasher. >> last one. i have to tie hoda. >> carrying a pen in your purse can prevent you from getting sick. >> that makes no sense. >> that makes no sense so i'll say fact. >> it is a fact. you always think, door knobs, toilet seats. no. it's all those communal pens in the restaurants and doctor's office and banks. carry your own and use it. >> so you don't carry the germs. >> hoda won. >> is there a prize? >> no. >> there should be. >> you came with no gifts? >> next time. >> it's not our day. tomorrow is not looking good either. >> a picture is worth a thousand words. how to take the best vacation photos. ♪ call on me, brother ♪ when you need a hand ♪ we all need... brawny now comes with a money back guarantee. when you want a paper towel that can do it all, lean on me. ♪ when you need something strong ♪ brawny never lets you down. 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. so i took my heartburn pill and some antacids. we're having mexican tonight, so another pill then? unless we eat later, then pill later? if i get a snack now, pill now? skip the snack, pill later... late dinner, pill now? aghh i've got heartburn in my head. [ male announcer ] stop the madness. take prilosec otc for frequent heartburn. one pill a day. twenty-four hours. zero heartburn. no heartburn in the first place. great. [ male announcer ] use as directed for 14 days. it's time for "today's travel" and putting the focus on taking great family and vacation photos. >> memory cards give us more room for making mistakes. who wants to spend valuable time erasing photos when you should be taking them. travel photographer andy biggs has all the advice you need. welcome. >> thank you. >> what beautiful pictures you take. they are all behind us, but a lot of these are taken in africa, right? >> most of them, yeah. >> tell us about these photos. >> i travel around the world, primarily in africa. i'm seeking out fun, remote places to introduce my photography to the world. >> is this the masai tribe? >> yes. >> my friend eva goes there so often when she shows up in their town they go, mrs. moore. >> do you catch these at the exact moment? can a lay person do what you're doing? >> you have to know your subject and be patient. the best photography doesn't happen with drive-by shooting. sit and be patient. >> you're also, you've been there so often, you're not afraid of this environment. a lot of people for the first time are i better get that elephant and are too quick about it. >> you need to know your subjects though. >> let's talk about mistakes some people make. we have two examples of pictures the nichols and dean family took from lego land in california. what did they do wrong? >> try to figure out a way to get the light on both their faces and eyes. eyes are the connection to the viewer in the photograph. use a fill flash. >> what about this one? >> use a fill flash. it's all about light. the subject isn't the background, all that blownout sky. it's the three. >> you should never have the sun in back of you. >> you can. you need to use a reflector or flash to get the face illuminated. >> people think it's the camera. >> you don't. >> they have so many ones you just push the button. tell us about that. >> i've got three cameras here. the blue is a panasonic ts-10. this is a great camera for the beginner to throw in your purse or pocket. it's shock-proof and waterproof. >> flash goes off when it needs it? >> exactly. >> it's a dummy, for idiots camera. >> this is my camera, by the way. >> oh, sure. >> here is a sony. this is the smallest slr which means you can chan the lens on it. you can put it in a small purse or small pouch. >> who should have that type of camera? do you have to be a little bit of a pro? >> you want to be into photography more. investment is more, around $700 including a lens. >> look at the guy on the end. >> that's almost a paparazzi. >> that is the nikon, go for broke, shoot for the holy grail. that's what i use. >> is that the ones you took these pictures with? >> most of them. >> how much is that nikon? >> about $8,000. >> this is around $ 00. sony is around $700. >> okay. little variance here. >> sometimes with family photos, people take scenery pictures. on on family trips they take so many scenery pictures and leave the people out. >> everybody is standing there like the same group of dumb, you know. the same no matter what is in the background, eiffel tower, leaning tower of pisa. >> put them in the photographs. everybody knows what the eiffel tower looks like. most people who look at the photographs are your friends and family. >> i hate posed picture. i like the candid shots. >> act goofy. >> you take beautiful pictures. >> thanks so much. >> up next, if you want to lose your weight for your next photo op, we'll tell you about the healthy foods stopping you from getting to your goal. [ asst mgr ] what are you doing? fixing the name. it's fiber none. looks like one. well, i know. i put an "n" there. ah! fiber one honey clusters cereal! that's really good! it tastes good, so there can't be fiber in it! it's actually got about half a day's worth of fiber. [ asst mgr ] it says so right on the box. [ fiber seeker ] really? try it. [ mr. mehta ] honey, touch of brown sugar, crunchy clusters -- any cardboard? cardboard no, delicious yes. so where's the fiber? maybe it's in the honey clusters. [ male announcer ] fiber one. cardboard no, delicious yes. did you know so many foods that seem healthy actually are fat traps in disguise? >> registered dietatiician kerrs with us. >> pretzels you say are the equivalent of eating jelly beans. >> pretty much so. that's what i tell my clients. they are filled with calories with no nutritional value. you're not getting health benefits and you're not getting protein, healthy fat and fiber. >> plus added salt which might be bloating u. >> exactly. about 1/4 of the day's sodium. >> popcorn? >> popcorn. >> unsalted. >> you can add pepper in there. even a tiny parmesan cheese, but you get four grams of fiver in three cups, 100 calories and you're getting b vitamins in there. it's a whole grain. >> great thing about popcorn, you do have to chew it so you get that satisfaction. >> exactly. >> these look harmless and almost good when trying to cut down calories. >> the problem with artificial sweeteners, they are 100 to 700 times sweeter than sugar. you taste all this sweetness. your body expects calories to follow. when the calories don't follow, you go looking for it elsewhere. that's why people who load up on these packets are often the people that crave sweets after dinner. >> it's counterintuitive, isn't it? what about the truvia though? >> i say the lesser of the evils. the best option would be to go for either a little bit of the real thing, just a little bit, but there is 60 calories in one tablespoon. be careful there. the other option is flavoring with cinnamon or vanilla extract, no calories and natural. >> people go for the cereals to get fiber. you get a lot of sugar packed in there. >> this is one big old oxymoron. like taking broccoli and dunking it in sugar. you want to go for fiber cereals with more than eight grams of fiber and less than eight grams of sugar. look in the ingredient list and see no sugar. you see shredded wheats or the kashi. >> i love kashi stuff. >> i do, too. >> diet sodas. you say nay. >> you save calories in the moment. long term you're more likely to be overweight. people that drink diet soda are 41% more likely to be overweight than nonsoda drinkers. >> a friend of mine was quite a bit overweight. did nothing but the diet stuff. stopped and lost weight. >> ice cream versus frozen yogurt. >> frozen yogurt is not a better calories. there is more sugar. they are almost the same calories. go for the real thing once in a while when you need to satisfy that. >> chips. >> potatoes are a vegetable. the main ingredient is potatoes. they can be good for you. these aren't going to be worse than potato chips. >> we love this. >> homemade veggie chips, kale chips, sweet potato chips, the best. >> before we head, we are going to see jack black. he's been on the red carpet for the premiere of "kung fu panda 2." what are you doing? >> i was just chilling, listening to you guys talk about food. >> we have snacks for you. >> you're saying drink real soda, not diet soda and eat ice cream not frozen yogurt. got it! >> your premiere starts in five minutes. >> have a great time, jack. >> lucy lui will be with us tomorrow. today's voice competition starts tomorrow. show us your moves. show us. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com [ and i'm not talking looking for deals these days, about saving a dollar off shampoo or two-for-one tacos or something. i'm talking about paying less -- every month. like this deal. [ female announcer ] call today and get the fastest internet for the price -- just $14.95 a month for 12 months with select services. no home phone service required. plus get access to the entire at&t national wi-fi network at no extra cost. [ woman ] with at&t, i'm surfing at hot spots all over town. ♪ i'm downloading music fast. and watching videos. cute! and the price is great. [ female announcer ] call and get the fastest internet for the price -- just $14.95 a month for 12 months with select services and a one-year price guarantee. no home phone service required. plus get access to the entire at&t national wi-fi network at no extra cost. [ woman ] i went looking for a deal, and at&t delivered. now, i just need to curb the shoe shopping. ♪

Related Keywords

Sonoma ,Texas ,United States ,Redwood City ,California ,Buckingham Palace ,Westminster ,United Kingdom ,Brazil ,Santa Clara County ,San Francisco ,Mexico ,Arizona ,Richland ,Massachusetts ,Iowa ,Belgium ,Libya ,Cambridge ,Cambridgeshire ,Marco Island ,Florida ,Chicago ,Illinois ,Seychelles ,Miami ,Canada ,Japan ,Missouri ,Afghanistan ,San Leandro ,Philadelphia ,Pennsylvania ,Indiana ,Cincinnati ,Ohio ,London ,City Of ,Menlo Park ,Hungary ,New Jersey ,West Windsor ,New York ,Maryland ,France ,Hawaii ,Fremont ,Busch Gardens ,Alcatraz ,China ,Washington ,District Of Columbia ,Berkeley ,Iceland ,Parkside ,Kentucky ,South Carolina ,Sacramento ,Ireland ,Greece ,Rochester ,Lake Well ,New Hampshire ,Oakland ,Boston ,Mississippi ,Oklahoma ,Israel ,Nebraska ,Valley Ranch ,Phoenix ,Kansas ,La Rouge ,Basse Normandie ,Orlando ,Dallas ,Paris ,Rhôalpes ,Americans ,America ,Mexican ,Greek ,Scotland ,British ,Israeli ,Hungarian ,American ,Canadian ,Britain ,Belgian ,Chris Licht ,Janet Taylor ,Arnold Schwarzenegger ,Mike Rowe ,Vera Gibbons ,David Cameron ,Anna Strasburg ,Tom Costello ,Jay Nixon ,Glen Glenna ,Angelina Jolie ,Los Gatos ,Jimmy Fallon ,Dominique Strauss Kahn ,Savannah Guthrie ,Natalie Morales ,Howard Buffington ,Andy Biggs ,Gray Clark ,Gary Balmer ,Jill Martin ,Meredith Vieira ,Kristen Welker ,Benjamin Netanyahu ,Michelle Kosinski ,Dominique Strauss Khan ,Casey Anthony ,Marshall Reynolds ,Mika Brzezinski ,Alec Baldwin ,Lucy Liu ,Matt Lauer ,Craig Fugate ,Carlotta Jacobson ,Joe Scarborough ,Sharon Epperson ,Kerry Sanders ,Julie Scardino ,Anna Katz ,Kathie Lee ,Linda Boyer ,Woodrow Wilson ,Los Angeles ,Cindy Anthony ,Al Roker ,Keith Richards ,Gary Oldman ,Christina Loren ,David Rhoads ,Al Pacino ,Brian Williams ,Marla Tellez ,George W Bush ,Diane Wilson ,Willard Scott ,Moammar Gadhafi ,Dustin Hoffman ,Harry Potter ,Rockefeller Plaza ,Mildred Baena ,Robert Anderson ,Jose Baez ,