Transcripts For WBAL Today 20090806

good morning. how could he? police in pennsylvania learning more about the gunman who killed three women and injured nine others in that health club shooting rampage. and why he was filled with anger towards women. this morning, an exclusive interview with a sister of one of the victims. a third autopsy? michael jackson's family reportedly asking for that. to prove foul play may have killed the singer. this as new photos surface taken inside jackson's rented mention after his death. and flying high. congress poised to spend $200 million on corporate jets. two of them to be used to shuttle lawmakers. a brewing controversy on the hill "today," thursday, august a brewing controversy on the hill "today," thursday, august 6th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning, i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm lester holt, in for matt lauer this morning. police are revealing new details about that tragic shooting inside the la fitness health club near pittsburgh. once again we learned the killer telegraphed his intentions. >> george sodini belonged to that gym, had gone there at least two times during the day on wednesday. his online blog shows he plotted the attack for nearly a year. we're also learning more about the three women killed in that shooting, including 46-year-old heidi overmier, a single mother. an exclusive interview with her sister coming up just ahead. >> also ahead this morning, the latest in the murder case prosecutors are building against casey anthony, the florida mother accused of killing her toddler caylee. her parents and brother have been questioned under oath by prosecutors. we'll ask george and cindy anthony's attorney if they'll be forced to testify against their own daughter. >> and later, we'll call it the hit man hoax. police play along with a florida woman who they say tried to hire a hit man to kill her husband. turns out the hit man was actually an undercover cop. they let her think the plan was carried out and they caught her reaction on tape. well now she is behind bars. we're going to have more on that coming up. but we're going to begin with chilling new details on that gym shooting. nbc's mike taibbi is in bridgeville, pennsylvania, with the latest. mike, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. well, there are continuing questions about who knew or might have known what was coming in his revealing and rage-filled blog, george sodini certainly sounded enough alarms over the past year to get the cavalry on his case, if anybody had read that blog. the problem, law enforcement still hasn't come up with anybody who knew what sodini was writing and planning. 48-year-old george sodini worked as a law firm systems analyst and had a nice house in a quiet pittsburgh neighborhood. but neighbors say he'd been neglecting his house lately and that his behavior, like sitting for long stretches in his driveway, was disturbing. how long was he sitting there? >> i don't know. we took one pass -- >> reporter: not in a chair on the driveway? >> yeah, yeah, just strange fellow. >> he was kind of a reclusive person so i'm not sure that i would pick up on him looking troubled. i kind of always thought he was a little, you know, different. >> reporter: but none of his neighbors said they had a clue about what sodini had been thinking and writing since last september. that's when he first complained in a blog that he never married. listed his date of death, august 4th, 2009. and first wrote about his exit plan. in december, he wrote he had no girlfriend since 1984. complaining that 30 million women have rejected me. january 5th, every evening i am alone. and the next day he was supposedly ready to act, at first writing i can do this. but then, 8:45 p.m., i chickened out. i brought the loaded guns, everything. experts in criminal profiling say there's no question those blog entries reflected real intent. >> it's like a bank account where you -- most of us put money into a bank. he was putting deposits of rage, anger, frustration, sense of isolation, and all of this just built up and built up and built up over time. >> reporter: this past monday, it was clear that intent would soon become action. sodini wrote, tomorrow is the big day. maybe soon i will see god. what dozens of women saw tuesday night was a man dressed in black gym clothes who walked silently into their aerobics class, reached into a duffel bag for three of the four handguns he'd packed, and started shooting. >> he just had a lot of hatred in him, and he was hell-bent on committing this act. and there was nobody going to stop him. >> reporter: his victims, radiologist elizabeth betsy gannon, 49. 37-year-old physical therapist, jody billingsley, and 46-year-old single mom, heidi overmier. nine other women were injured by gunfire. three of them still listed in serious condition. all are expected to survive. lester? >> mike taibbi this morning. thank you. connie monick's sister heidi overmier is one of the women killed in that shooting. she is with us now exclusively. connie, good morning. thank you so much for coming on with us. we appreciate it. >> good morning. >> heidi's co-workers had noted that the minute they heard the shooting at la fitness they worried that she might be there. did you have the same concern? >> yes, i did. as soon as my brother had called and said that there was an incident there, i knew heidi had been just recently really gotten into this dance class that she had been at when the accident had occurred. >> and you know, we hear so many of these shootings in places that we wouldn't expect. when you heard about this, how do you process it? how do you process your own peace of mind? >> well, we just really were focusing on heidi. we weren't concerned at all, it was kind of a strangeness, we weren't concerned at all about the shooter or how it happened. we were just more focused on finding out what happened to heidi and resolving that. >> but then there's the frustration of knowing that the killer had plotted this for some time, had written about it on a blog. we don't know who, if anyone, read that blog. but does it frustrate you, make you angry that perhaps someone knew that this man was a ticking time bomb? >> it crossed our minds but our focus hasn't been on the shooter himself or anything. perhaps if he would have survived and we would have had to face criminal charges or something like that, it would be more of an issue, but at this time, my whole family's real issue was on focusing on heidi. and at first when it first happened, we just said who did this and they really didn't have a lot of information to tell us. but after that point, we were find of numb to that. and even, you know, watching the news reports, and watching, you know, talking about the blog and things like that, i don't know that any of us have even gone online to look at it. you know, we just want to kind of put that behind us, and try to focus more on the positives of heidi and our loss, and trying to deal with that, because, you know, that's kind of moot at this point. we can't go back and try to figure out why this man did this. >> heidi was a mom to a 15-year-old ian. how is ian doing? >> yes. ian's doing pretty well. we have a lot of family. a huge family. and yesterday, he had six or eight of his friends were here with him all day, and i think that's been a big comfort to him. i think, you know, it really hasn't set in yet. we're all kind of numb, and ian, his father came in from out of town last night so i think that's going to be a big comfort to him and a help to him to get through the next few days. >> i understand he was the architect of a facebook tribute to his mom. >> immediately. by the time we had gotten home from, you know, the incident, and the, you know, what happened the other night, he had come back and there were just hundreds of faceok entries in tribute to her. that his fen reaching out to aounts she was a terrific lady. connie moneck, thank you very much for joining us again. our deepest condolences to you and all your family. >> thank you. >> it is now coming up on 7:09. here's meredith. >> lester, thank you. now to the emotional homecoming of two journalists who spent 140 days imprisoned in north korea. nbc's chris jansing was at wednesday's ceremony and this morning she is outside laura ling's home in studio city, california. chris, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. it really was an extraordinary family reunion at the airport. and then laura ling came here, home, where she spent the afternoon with her husband, her sister, her best friend, and got a home-cooked meal from her mother, mary. in los angeles, not far from here, euna lee was home, as well, with her husband and her beautiful little daughter. in the hours since the journalists' release, we've been learning some surprising details about their time in north korea, as well as their unexpected homecoming. the scene at hangar 25 was one of unbridled joy. laura ling, raising her arms in a victorious salute, euna lee tearfully embracing her 4-year-old daughter hannah. both hugging and kissing their husbands for the first time in nearly five months. >> it was just, you know, the best thing in my life, to see her come down from the plane and on the steps was just -- it was amazing. >> reporter: it was also a stunning contrast to what laura ling describes as the most difficult and heart-wrenching time of their lives. >> 30 hours ago, euna lee and i were prisoners in north korea. we feared that at any moment we could be sent to a hard labor camp. >> reporter: through laura's sister lisa, details of 140 harrowing days of prisoners have begun to emerge. the isolation. >> they actually were kept apart most of the time. >> reporter: the unfamiliar diet. >> she's really, really anxious to have fresh fruit and fresh food. i mean, she was telling us about how there were rocks in her rice. >> reporter: and from laura herself, the shocking development tuesday, when she and euna were taken to a meeting. >> when we walked through the door, we saw standing before us president bill clinton. >> reporter: it was their boss at current tv, al gore, who asked bill clinton to make the trip. and on a boeing 737 loaned by a hollywood producer, he returned lee and ling to the comforts of home. >> laura, your mom's been making your special soup for two days now. >> my sister loves soup. so my mom, of course, woke up at 2:00 in the morning to make like three different kinds of soup for her. >> reporter: a very personal homecoming for two families, played out on a world stage. there are some big picture questions being asked here. critics saying that the united states should not be dealing with a dictator. also questions about whether this will open a long-term dialogue between the united states and north korea. but for the two journalists who last night got to sleep in their own beds for the first time in five months, they are just happy and grateful to be home. meredith? >> chris jansing, thank you very much. and just ahead we're going to take a look at the other reunion that took place on wednesday between bill clinton and al gore. it was like a flashback. >> yeah. the two of them together in a long time. >> smiling. it was good. >> first let's get a check of the rest of the top stories. we'll say hello to ann curry at the news desk. >> good morning to you both meredith and lester. good morning, everybody. in the news also this morning, today the popular cash for clunkers program is expected to get the money it needs to keep running. democrats and republicans reached agreement last night to pump $2 billion more into the program. that sends the measure to a vote in the full senate today. it already has been approved by the house and the president. the program ran through a billion dollars in its first four days, and will be broke by tomorrow if not extended. also today, later today, the senate is expected to approve sonia sotomayor as the first hispanic justice on the u.s. supreme court. former congressman william jefferson is facing now more than 20 years in prison after being convicted of bribery and money laundering. the case against the democrat from louisiana became notorious when investigators found $90,000 in cash in his freezer. in afghanistan, a roadside bomb killed 21 civilians on their way to a wedding on wednesday. women and children were among the dead. overseas markets are higher this morning and as for wall street, cnbc's trish regan is at the new york stock exchange. trish, new numbers are out today. >> good morning, ann. that's right. yes. new numbers, and these numbers have to do with the retail sector. basically we're looking at retail sales numbers for the month of july and they provide some insight into the health or lack thereof of the american consumer right now. now, overall, right across the board, ann, the expectation is for weakness. likely a decline of about 5% for july. now keep in mind, this is all coming just a day ahead of the all-important jobs report. the unemployment rate is expected to move higher from its current 9.5% level. and, ann, of course it makes sense here. this is really the problem the economy is facing. if americans are concerned about their jobs, they're not out there spending money. >> all right. trish regan this morning. thanks, trish. and finally now, new baby pictures from the san diego zoo, where giant panda bai yun gave birth wednesday to her fifth cub. a very vocal quarter pounder. officials won't know for weeks whether it's a boy or a girl, but aquoting a veterinarian, it was like, whoa, it's got a really good set of lungs. four ounces, and yep, that's right. about the size of a stick of butter. >> i get nervous when you call him a quarter pounder. >> yeah. >> it's so cute. >> very cute. >> so little. >> will get so big. >> giant panda? not now. >> okay, thank you, ann. now let's get a chehe >> it is reining in our neck of the woods. moderate shower activity. heavy on the eastern shore right now. we will remain intermittently in showers at least into the early afternoon hours. 81 today, mostly cloudy, 84 and that's your latest weather. lester? >> all right, al, thanks. now to washington, where congress has approved roughly $200 million for three lavish jets to be used by members of congress and other officials. nbc's kelly o'donnell has more on that. kelly, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. when congress passed the giant defense spending bill for next year it was easy to miss three planes. what's gotten a lot of attention is that the air force had asked for simply one gulfstream 550, the military version. but congress decided to add two more. and to request that they be based in the d.c. area. and to be available for use by, you guessed it, members of congress. now, what's gotten a lot of attention here, each of these cost about $65 million. you will often see your member of congress flying coach, going home to their home district, but sometimes when they take overseas trips, or very long distances, they use these private aircraft. this kind of plane can fly from washington all the way to asia, or all the way to the middle east. and it will take members of congress and other top officials in comfort. >> lester? >> would have escaped notice, except if we recall it was congress who got upset at the automakers when they came looking for money in washington for showing up in their private jets. so how will members of congress defend this? >> reporter: well, we all remember that, when they were taken to the wood shed, those auto executives, and then had to drive the next time they came to washington. part of the justification here is that there are security issues when you have top officials or members of congress traveling around the globe. and that these kinds of jets provide that. and from what we understand, part of the transparency is an issue here. there are no names associated with this for members of congress. but, these planes are built in georgia, and it appears there's one democrat, and one republican, who've expressed interest in theeing these jets be a part of the air force fleet. >> kelly o'donnell, thank you. once again here's meredith. >> lester, thank you. now to the other story coming from the release of u.s. journalists laura ling and euna lee. the reunion of former president bill clinton and his vice president al gore. nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell is in nairobi, kenya, where she is traveling with secretary of state hillary clinton. andrea, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. well, behind the drama of this week's event, there was another story. a political reunion of two former partners who had drifted apart. until now. >> laura ling and euna lee. >> reporter: it was an emotionally charged moment. a tearful family reunion for the two newly freed journalists. and for the men at the center of it, a very public reunion. >> we want to thank president bill clinton for undertaking this mission, and performing it so skillfully. >> reporter: and when laura ling, fighting back tears, acknowledged the former president -- >> we saw standing before us president bill clinton. >> reporter: so did his old friend al gore. in his statement, president obama thanked both men three times. >> all americans should be grateful to both former president clinton and vice president gore. for their extraordinary work. >> reporter: clinton and gore, back on the international spotlight again. a reminder to some of the different time, almost two decades ago, when the two campaigned across the nation. a boomer buddy team. but following clinton's admission of an affair, and impeachment in the tumultuous second term, all that changed. >> i don't think there was one particular point where it started but it was something that, you know, existed and at times festered over a period of years. >> reporter: gore blamed his defeat in the 2000 election on the former president. clinton attacked gore for pushing him into the background during the campaign. for years the two men went their separate ways. but when gore call clinton to ask for help to free the two american journalists, the former president didn't hesitate. >> there is a fraternal-like character to this relationship. they're like brothers who don't always get along, but at the end of the day they're still brothers. i don't see this as the case of these guys getting back together for a reunion tour in which it's going to be clinton/gore again. >> reporter: both are now international superstars. gore a nobel laureate. but the homecoming that they engineered together this week has to remain one of their best joint ventures. meredith? >> all right, andrea mitchell, thank you very much. it is 7:21. now here's lester. >> meredith, thanks. now to an unusual police sting caught on tape. the target, a young bride in florida who allegedly tried to hire a hit man to kill her husband. nbc's mark potter has the story. >> reporter: in a dramatic scene worthy of hollywood, but shot by police, a young newlywed returns home in boynton beach, florida, to find detectives and crime scene technicians there. when she's told her husband of only six months has been murdered she begins to sob, and she continues to sob uncontrollably, until she is led away to be eventually arrested. >> i didn't do anything. and i didn't plot anything. >> reporter: but police say 26-year-old dahlia dippolito did plot something, the murder of her husband, and actually hired someone she thought was a hit man. >> but the twist is that that man was an undercover boynton beach, police officer, who she hired to kill her husband. >> reporter: police say she offered to pay $4200 for the killing and provided photos of her husband and her house. >> we have her on surveillance video talking about wanting her husband dead and saying she's 5,000% sure that she wants this done. >> reporter: her husband, 38-year-old michael dipollito was alerted by police and was never harmed. >> technically, if it's 10:50, i should have been dead at like 9:00. so i'm an hour and a half on the good side, i guess. >> reporter: at the supposed crime scene where dahlia dippolito began to sob and sob, officers continued to play along. >> at that point she was brought to a vehicle and brought back here to the police department. where she came face-to-face with the man who shot her husband twice in the head. >> reporter: or so she thought, police say. before finally learning he was an officer, and she was charged with solicitation to commit first degree murder. the biggest question now for michael dippolito is why his wife would allegedly want him dead. >> just divorce me and take everything. i mean, that's the best way, right? >> reporter: much better it seems than waiting till death do us part. for "today," mark potter, nbc news, miami. >> and still ahead this morning, another case in florida we're talking about, the parents of casey anthony, the mother accused of murdering her toddler, speak with the prosecution. will they be forced to take the stand against their own daughter? we're going to ask the anthonys' they have alzheimer's and heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and they've heard that biomedical research offers hope -- that it could control, maybe even cure, their disease. senator barbara mikulski understands the importance of innovative biomedical research for patients, their families, and our economy here in maryland. call senator mikulski today. tell her thanks for protecting the promise of biomedical research and the maryland jobs it provides. it's not just the future. it's life. still ahead one of the women accused of attacking a man with crazy glue speaks out. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. baltimore county police say that a new crime program is helping them reduce crime rates. police use mapping and cross referencing to find correlations between high crime and traffic accidents. 15 hotspots at been identified so far, one in each police precinct. so far, they said the crimes of traffic accidents have significantly been reduced. traffic stops by officers are up 36%. officers said the results are promising for future numbers and will help save resources and money and lives. time for a check of the morning commute with traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. >> it is ugly out there. several accidents report, many of them from early this morning. southbound on the j.f.x., that is the big problem right now. all lanes temporarily blocked. tow truck on the scene there. delays pretty much top to bottom on the j.f.x. in the southbound direction. on the outer loop of perring, that is coming in to us. 33 miles per hour is the average speed. no. 97 at 100, and it accident. at liberty, things are fortunately improving a little bit. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> we have been tracking moderate to light shower activity. if it of starter activity around annapolis. your forecast for today, between 78 and 83 degrees. seven-day shows a warm up significantly by the weekend. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. traffic information. our next live since re/max first opened its doors back in 1973, we've helped millions of families buy or sell a home. through good times and bad, including five previous recessions, re/max agents have provided the kind of experience america relies on to get the job done. today, in the worst housing market most of us have ever seen, that experience is more important than ever. find out what re/max can do for you. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. 7:30 now on this thursday morning, august 6th, 2009. a nice crowd standing in the plaza. tomorrow we'll jam to the music of jason mraz when he joins our summer concert stage. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, i'm meredith vieira alongside lester holt, who is in for matt. and just ahead, michael jackson died six weeks ago. he is still not buried. still no toxicology report. but we are now learning the jackson family has been briefed on what it contains, and more on that, and also why jackson's mother reportedly wants a third autopsy. we'll have more on that in a moment. >> also ahead, a new twist to that strange case out of wisconsin. a group of women accused of attacking a man with krazy glue. that man has now been arrested. we'll tell you why and hear exclusively from one of his alleged attackers. and a quick programming note. monday on "today," an exclusive live interview with kate gosselin. the reality show star and mother of eight speaks out for the first time since her very public split with jon. we're going to hear what kate has to say when she joins us monday morning only on "today." but for now, significant new developments in the murder case against casey anthony. the florida mother charged with killing her toddler. we're going to speak with her parents' attorney in just a moment. but first nbc's kerry sanders has the very latest. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, meredith. over the past week, casey anthony's entire family has been questioned by prosecutors to give up evidence that may be used against her in her death penalty case. as you remember, casey anthony is charged with murdering her 2-year-old daughter caylee. >> the moment i first saw caylee marie -- >> reporter: the entire anthony family has remained silent since caylee's memorial service six months ago. but on wednesday, george anthony, casey's father, caylee's grandfather, opened up before being questioned by prosecutors. >> i'm just nervous. a year ago i never would have ventured i thought i'd be doing something like this. i was just the old, you know, george. i was just some guy who lived on hope spring drive. but unfortunately we got thrown into something that we have no control over. >> actually, i need to get through. >> reporter: casey's mother cindy and brother lee have also been deposed by prosecutors, putting them in the uncomfortable position of possibly pitting family against family. having to testify against casey. >> some days are a little bit easier than others. today is a hard day. hopefully i'll keep the emotions in check, and do the best i can. >> reporter: under florida law, casey's defense team has been allowed to sit in on the family's deposition. defense attorney jose baez has not revealed what the prosecutors are uncovering but he clearly has been given a glimpse of what facts the state considers powerful evidence against casey. >> this case isn't easy for anyone. least of which the family. >> reporter: caylee disappeared a year ago june. but her mother casey didn't tell anyone for 31 days. then, four months after the official search began, caylee's remains were discovered in the woods near her home. after the bones were positively identified, prosecutors announced this would be a death penalty case. if casey is convicted, they will argue she should be executed. so far, the case exceeds 8,000 pages of possible evidence. including recently released documents that reveal cindy, george and lee all refused to take lie detector tests. now, george, cindy and lee face the very strong possibility they will be forced to testify against casey. >> haven't seen casey, haven't talked to her. do i want to see her? do i want to talk to her? absolutely. but we'll see how that works out. >> reporter: were caylee to still be alive this weekend she would have turned 4 years old. her grandparents, cindy and george, tell nbc news that they will privately gather and mourn the loss. meredith? >> kerry sanders, thank you very much. brad conway is an attorney for george and cindy anthony. brad, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. >> you know, before giving his deposition yesterday george said that he was nervous. what were his concerns, brad? >> that this would be a repeat of the deposition that occurred back in april. >> and which deposition was that? was that for the civil case? >> that was the deposition in regard to the civil case, yes, meredith. >> and why would that be of concern to him, that it would be the same? >> you know, this is the difference between this and that deposition is this one was legitimate preparation for trial. that was a publicity stunt. >> well, did you get any insight, brad, i know you can't tell us what specifically was asked, but did it give you any insight into the kind of case that the prosecution is building up against george and cindy anthony's daughter casey? >> meredith, it was basically a recap of everything that's been said before. recapped their statements and their cooperation with law enforcement from the beginning. >> so nothing -- >> but i don't think it really shed any light. >> can you give us any idea, then, of what the prosecution asked? >> what type of mom caylee was, and the events between june and july when they discovered caylee was missing was their focus. >> did they ask questions about, i know there was right after caylee went missing, there was this whole question about the smell coming out much the trunk of the car, that cindy talked about, and george's concerns. did they get into that? those particular details? >> meredith, they did get into everything that was in their previous statements. so yes, that was included. >> what was the tone like in that room yesterday? >> it was very professional. very respectful. and very efficient. we got through yesterday. we don't have to come back. and everybody cooperated and did the best they could. and it was -- it was very successful. >> well the question now i guess is whether, because cindy actually was deposed last week. the question is whether these parents will be forced to testify against their daughter wince this trial takes place. do you believe that they will be forced to take the stand? >> yeah, i believe that they'll be taking the stand, and they've cooperated from 9 beginning in this investigation. they've told the truth from the beginning. they'll continue to tell the truth. and the love for their daughter is not going to interfere with that. >> all right, brad conway. we thank you very much for your time this morning. >> thank you, meredith. good morning. >> and now let's get a check of the weather from al in los angeles. >> "today's weather" is brought to you by >> the area of low pressure is already causing shower activity. most of it is concentrated to the east and south of baltimore. we will see showers and storms redeveloping throughout the early afternoon. clear and up to 81 degrees and that's your latest weather. lester? >> al, thanks. now to the latest in the michael jackson case. a month and a half after his death, still no official toxicology report. but some members of the jackson family believe foul play was involved, and now there's word they want to take another step to prove it. nbc's jeff rossen is in los angeles. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: all right, lester, good morning to you. there's only one way to prove foul play in this case, and that is the autopsy. the coroner did one. nine the jackson family launched another one with their own experts. the results are in. but it seems katherine jackson isn't satisfied and reportedly wants yet another autopsy. six weeks ago today it happened. >> nbc news has confirmed pop superstar michael jackson is dead. >> reporter: two autopsies later we still don't know exactly what killed him. but the jacksons may. they have michael's toxicology results. according to "the new york post," the results show jackson was loaded with prescription drugs. and his mother katherine isn't happy. she wants evidence proving homicide. and hopes a third autopsy will provide it. >> i think there is no point whatsoever in performing a third autopsy. and no tissues and body fluids actually remain for that kind of pristine testing. >> reporter: but the family wants someone to pay. la toya and joe have both said they suspect foul play. and katherine said this on fox news channel. >> i don't think he just died of natural causes or whatever. he's too young for that. but something happened. i don't know what it was. and i can't say. >> reporter: adding to the mystery, new photos emerging from inside jackson's holmby hills mansion. this picture of his bedroom from the "national enquirer" was reportedly taken just days after he died. post-it notes are still hanging. and then there's this photo of what appears to be a bloody blouse. the price tag still attached, reportedly hanging in another closet. unclear how the blood got there and why investigators didn't take it. the lapd wouldn't comment. we do know police are looking into several doctors, and are focusing on dr. conrad murray, jackson's personal physician. frank dileo is michael's longtime friend and manager. >> somebody should pay. somebody helped a person die. >> reporter: you hear all the stories about michael jackson using painkillers and you sort of conjure up these images of a drug addict. somebody who depended on medication. >> that's the way people make it appear. >> reporter: dileo said jackson denied using drugs when he asked him about it. are you surprised that you were so close to him and he had this separate life? >> and didn't recognize it? sure i am, absolutely. i'm hurt. but i didn't know what he was doing, if he was doing that at night. i want to know what happened, too. just like you. >> reporter: as we wait for the toxicology report, and possible criminal charges, we're also learning more this morning about plans for a michael jackson movie. you know that video of jackson rehearsing just before his death? you've seen it. well there's a lot more of it and columbia pictures is paying $50 million for the rights according to new court papers the michael jackson movie will actually be in theaters by december 31st. lester, they're rushing that into production. >> i guess we saw that coming. thank you very much. still ahead on "today," did she have a drug and alcohol problem and did her family go? the new questions involving the driver of a deadly wrongway crash. up next one of the women accused of attacking a man with krazy glue specifics out. her side of the story right after this. back at 7:44. now to the latest on the bizarre tale of alleged adultery and revenge that led to the arrest of four women in wisconsin. some of those women are now speaking out exclusively to nbc news. here's nbc's john yang. >> reporter: michelle belliveau is reluctant to talk, but sat down exclusively with nbc news to make clear just who she thinks is the victim in this case. >> if anybody is a victim in this, it's all the women that he's dated, and they gave their heart to him. and he broke their hearts. they fell in love with this man. >> reporter: this man is 36-year-old donessa davis, and in yet another bizarre twist, davis himself is now behind bars on allegations made by his estranged wife. >> those charges include child abuse, theft, harassment, and also unlawful use of a phone. >> reporter: belliveau is one of four women accused in a motel room confrontation with davis, who, the women say, was involved with three of 24e78. according to the criminal complaint, therese ziemann 34e9 him in the hotel room, tied him in the bed and blindfolded him on the pretense of giving him a massage. then the other women, including davis' estranged wife joined him. they taunted him, which one do you want more? who do you want to grow old with? he said the confrontation ended with his private parts glued to his leg. like the other three women, belliveau is charged with false impris imprisonment, a felony that could bring as much as six years in prison. unlike them, she never dated davis. >> since i was not romantically involved with them, i was just there for support for my sister. >> reporter: her sister ziemann faces additional charges of battery and fourth degree sexual assault, both misdemeanors. belliveau says her own role was limited. >> i stayed at the door and i just let them say what they wanted to say. and i wasn't even because it was none of my business. i never assaulted anybody. i never touched the man. >> reporter: another of the women, wendy sewell, tells nbc news she, too, did nothing wrong in that motel room. >> i stood there for a whole five minutes and only said a couple sentence to him, asking him i thought he loved me. i thought we were going to grow old together. >> reporter: she says what began as an effort to show davis how much he hurt her spiraled out of control. >> i'm pretty ashamed, embarrassed. i feel i have been the one who is actually the victim, after seeing how this story has taken a twist. >> reporter: the women are free on $200 bail, and are to appear in court again later this month. davis was scheduled to be formally charged in court on thursday. for "today," john yang, nbc news, chicago. and up next, the aquarium where you can get up close and personal with beluga whales. right after this. if you've aquarium and wished you could get a little bit closer to the marine life on the other side of the glass, then chicago's shedd aquarium has an attraction for you. and as nbc's kevin tibbles tells us, it's a whale of a good time. >> reporter: it's a close encounter of the smiley kind. chicago's shedd aquarium now offers a chance to get up close and very personal with their family of beluga whales. the curious can don a pair of hip waders, get a quick tutorial from the shedd's animal care staff, and after a thorough hand washing, tiptoe ever so gently into the frigid waters of the beg ewing ga habitat. it's really cold. 55 degrees may be cold for those without enough blubber, but for beluga's it's just right. >> what makes this such a unique experience for the people who come? >> what's your doing right now. being able to touch a whale. being able to see them up close. feel their breath. >> reporter: thanks. hmm. refreshingly fishy. belugas have been called the canaries of the sea for the music they make. and while there are about 100,000 living in the wild, beluga populations are threatened in some parts of the world. they are surprisingly sociable and smart. also gentle. who would have thought a 1,000 pound whale would have liked having her tongue tickled. this opportunity does come at a price, $200. which helps pay for conservation and research. the shedd also hopes each visitor leaves more aware of the natural world as a result of their whale encounters. ♪ beyond the sea >> people want to understand them better and this gives them that chance, really up-close opportunities they can't get anywhere else. but you learn so much about them and i think it touches people in a way that they never forget. >> reporter: as for jeffrey, the chance to touch a real, life, beluga was, well, indescribable. >> it's like a smushy -- >> reporter: like a smushy -- >> kind of -- >> reporter: in other words -- >> phenomenal. amazing. fantastic. life memory. >> reporter: and i'll second that. for "today," kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> they kind of look alike. >> we know what his christmas cards are going to look like. by the way, two of the shedd belugas are expecting babies. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time for a check of the morning commute. >> where do we begin? it is such a mess out there. the rain has a lot to do with it. and accident cleared until ford, and now a second accident at 28. watch for those delays from the beltway all the way down. outer loop at perring, we are dealing with an accident, seven miles per hour your speed there. we do have a problem on no. 795 at owings mills. a disabled vehicle could affect your right there. we have a closure of the right lane due to water main break repairs. 23 and it outer loop northeast side. we are looking at heavier delays just in the past few minutes on the west side. it looks like a of a disabled vehicle on the left lane or shoulder on the outer loop of liberty. things are looking a little bit better at fort mchenry. >> tracking showers at hd doppler. heavier path going to the eastern shore. it will be an unsettled the day. this is thanks to low pressure that is riding along the stalled front. 78 to 83. cooler than normal, for short. tomorrow, mostly sunny and 84. >> we should check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information how does jell-o sugar free pudding fit all that rich, chocolatey taste in 60 calories? ♪ ♪ oh, so delicious who cares? jell-o sugar free pudding. every diet needs a little wiggle room. 8:00 now on this thursday morning, august 6th, 2009. we are happy to be out in rockefeller plaza with so many fine folks. i am meredith vieira along with lester holt who is filling in for matt. coming up in this half hour, the latest on the deadly wrong-way crash in new york. the woman police say was high and drunk behind the wheel, believes other medical factors may have caused the crash. we'll have much more on that. a very sad story. >> then we're going to switch gears and talk about paula abdul and her decision to leave "american idol." was it about the money? probably ultimately it was. but what about the discrepancy between what the guys are making and what she was asking for. we're going to talk about that coming up. >> okay. also coming up tomorrow on "today," jason mraz brings his unique style to the plaza. he's going to take to our summer concert stage for a live concert. and before we get to the news a little birthday greeting for jimmy korgen. we love him. happy birthday to jimmy! >> happy birthday, jimmy. >> jimmy, you're 29? is he 29? >> 39. >> 39. 39. all right. >> out of focus is much better. >> let's go to the news desk. >> there! >> soft and fuzzy. speaking of that, ann is at the news desk. >> soft and fuzzy. okay, thanks a lot, meredith. good morning once again, everybody. in the news we're learning new details this morning about the gunman who opened fire inside a pennsylvania health club this week killing three women and himself. 48-year-old george sodini posted home video online showing him giving a tour of his house, and on the coffee table is a book entitled "how to date young women." police say he kept a blog on which he complained of being alone every evening and having no girlfriend since 1984. in one video he spoke directly to the camera. >> and there you go. one more day, and one more day turns into one more year. >> reporter: and in his blog he also listed his date of death as august 4th, 2009. the day of the gym shooting. and he wrote that he was planning a shooting attack in january, but said that he chickened out. today officials in afghanistan say a roadside bomb killed at least 21 people who were on their way to a wedding in -- on wednesday. women and children are among the dead. secretary of state hillary clinton placed flowers on the site of the 1998 u.s. embassy bombing in nairobi today in honor of the more than 200 people killed there by al qaeda. raging floodwaters in china have forced more than 100,000 people from their homes. soldiers were called in to help rescue people who were trapped. still, ten people died. today the full senate is expected to confirm sonia sotomayor as the nation's first hispanic u.s. supreme court justice. this morning at the white house, president obama meets with members of the senate finance committee to negotiate health care legislation. this, a day after traveling to indiana to discuss the economy. and while there the president spoke exclusively to nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd. >> it is wonderful to be here. >> reporter: president obama calm to elkhart county, a community with the nation's highest unemployment rate, seeking to jump-start this region's economy with federal money for electric car manufacturing. but the president also sought to reassure americans that he's not planning to raise taxes at all. responding to a question posted on msnbc.com. >> he says explain how raising taxes on anyone during a deep recession is going to help with the economy. >> he's right. normally you don't raise taxes in recession. which is why we haven't. and we've, instead, cut taxes. so we have not proposed a tax hike for the wealthy that would take effect in the middle of a recession. >> reporter: the president argued his economic recovery plan is designed to help banks and big businesses, as well as the average worker. >> it's our job to make sure that they know almost everything we're doing right now is designed to stabilize the economy, but also to make sure that ordinary people have some relief. >> reporter: on health care, president obama expressed some real frustration with me about talks with republicans. and, in fact, when congress comes back in september, he indicated he may change tactics and just try to do this on a party line vote. for "today," chuck todd, nbc news, elkhart, indiana. >> and now here's brian williams with what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." brian? >> hey, ann, good morning. and thanks. coming up tonight, gearing up for this new season of swine flu, with the school year approaching, vaccines still in the making, what about the caregivers? how are the hospitals preparing for a possible onslaught of cases? we'll have that for you tonight on "nightly news." ann, for now, back to you. >> all right, thanks a lot, brian. it is now 8:04. let's get a check of the weather from al in los angeles. >> we are going to be tested this weekend, but not so much so today. an area of low pressure along the front slowly sliding to the south. 84 tomorrow. that's your latest weather. lester? >> al, thanks very much. still to come our biggest phobias and how to control them. but up next the deadly wrong-way crash caused by a mother who was drunk and high at the time. the families of three victims say someone must have known. we'll have the latest coming up. not an option. s all prescription nsaid pain relievers, like celebrex, ibuprofen and naproxen, help treat arthritis pain and have some of the same warnings. but since individual results may vary, having options is important. prescription celebrex has been the option for millions of patients for 10 straight years. just one 200-mg celebrex (once a day,) can provide dependable, 24-hour relief for many with arthritis pain, stiffness and inflammation. based on the available data, the fda stated that for certain patients celebrex's benefits outweigh the risks. if you are worried about stomach upset, you should know, in clinical studies, a lower percentage of patients taking celebrex reported stomach discomfort versus prescription ibuprofen 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"today" national correspondent natalie morales is here with more. natalie, good morning. >> good morning, meredith. 36-year-old diane schuler killed herself, her 2-year-old daughter, three nieces, and three men in that crash. in a statement, her brother said he was shocked by the toxicology report. but the families of the three men in the suv schuler hit believe someone must have known something, and now they plan to sue. >> diane schuler had a blood alcohol content of 0.19%. the legal limit for intoxication in new york state is 0.08%. >> reporter: police say they recovered a broken vodka bottle inside the wrecked minivan. also, in schuler's body, high levels of a chemical found in marijuana, amounts so high experts can pinpoint her last use at 15 minutes to an hour before her death. >> she would have had difficulty with perception, with her judgment, with her memory. >> reporter: schuler left a family camping trip with her two kids and three nieces at the same time her husband left. he says she seemed fine to drive home. >> it is possible that she was able to fool everybody around her and people again, who have had chemical dependency for a long time, especially, become very skilled. >> reporter: on wednesday, lawyers for three of the victims in the other vehicle raised doubts about how schuler's family didn't know about her condition. >> i believe that there's a strong fragrance of criminality in this matter. it's inconceivable that nobody in the deceased driver's family was aware of the fact that she had a drinking problem or a drug problem. >> reporter: experts say it's possible to hide a serious drinking problem. >> people who may be addicted to substances, they hide that dependency. so if they are very serious drinkers or alcoholics, they may not do it in full view of family members. >> reporter: but schuler's brother, warren hance, whose three daughters were killed, released this statement through a family spokesman. >> this is the absolute last thing that we ever would have expected. we would never knowingly allow our daughters to travel with someone who might jeopardize their safety. >> reporter: schuler's husband, who has not commented since the release of the toxicology report, has now hired a prominent attorney. he's reportedly requesting a second autopsy. sources say he believes other factors, including diabetes or a possible stroke, may have caused her disorientation. the medical examiner's autopsy, though, found no medical explanation for the crash. meredith? >> natalie, thank you. dr. nancy synderman is nbc's chief medical editor. good morning. >> hi, meredith. >> let me start there with the husband saying he thinks something else caused this, either diabetes or she had a -- and might sent some sort of infection to her brain. is it possible something else was there that was missed? >> i would say it's not plausible. if you have a bad infection that leads to meningitis and you have a high fever and you're disoriented. at some point someone would have said, you don't look good, something's not right. i for awhile thought this might be some sort of diabetic imbalance of sugar. but, again, that stuff is easy to tell. you can just check a flood sugar from the fluids, the same fluids they checked for thc and alcohol. >> and finding this blood alcohol level that is twice the legal limit. is there any way, given that, that she could have acted normally? >> you can snooker people. and women, when they become alcoholics, like vodka because it's hard to smell. so it's possible that she was consuming without people seeing. but the problem is, when you live so closely with someone, you sort of get sucked into that behavior. sometimes it takes a friend who's the occasional drop-in to say, whoa, what's wrong? you are not acting normally. and in my line of business, a lot of times i find out people are closet drinkers and alcohol inks when an anesthesiologist finds out that it's hard to put them to sleep. or they're using more drug, more anesthetic than they would normally need. that could be one of the first warning signs. >> but in this particular case, the investigators say based on what they're seeing, they find the vodka bottle in the car, questions about whether or not she, in order to be smoking that marijuana, would have happened within 15 minutes to an hour before that accident. >> i think this is the hard thing for the family to accept. toxicology is science. the science doesn't lie. the numbers are real. those blood alcohol levels have been done for so many years now, and are considered so accurate that the number is the number. and thc, which is the chemical in pot, is also very, very easy to detect. so the fact that they can give a time line of 15 to 60 minutes that somewhere between 9:30 in the morning and when that crash happened, this stuff was consumed. and who drives around with a liter and a half of vodka in the car unless you're literally going from the liquor store to home? >> well, the investigation -- the investigators are saying essentially she was driving, drinking, and smoking pot as she was driving or during the course of that trip. so what was physically happening inside her body that caused the reaction that it did? >> well, increasingly chaotic behavio behavior. because she's now on two depressants, alcohol and marijuana. so, things like reaction time. thinking you're closer to someone or you want someone to move faster or slower on the freeway. being irrational like tossing that cell phone out the window. what makes boys really good at video games and driving sometimes is their reaction time is a little quicker than ours, and their sense of distance is somewhat better than ours. we take a microsecond longer to make a decision and we like to think we're more prudent. both of these drugs make that go away. the other thing is there's an enzyme in men's guts that we don't have enough of, so if you take a 150 pound man and a 150 pound woman, a man will always be able to out-drink a gal. so it's important for women to know that our levels of being able to handle these drugs are markedly less. but, you know, at the end of the day, i think this is going to come down to the raw science and that's what makes it so painful. >> all right, dr. nancy synderman, thank you very much. >> oh, it's awful. >> all right. and up next, really changing gears here, why did paula really leave "american idol"? 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"american idol" doesn't need a publicity stunt. 27 million people watch the show. it really doesn't. >> reporter: paula tweeted her fans good-bye. saying, with sadness in my heart, i decided not to return to idol. i'll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all, being a part of a show that i helped from day one become an international phenomenon. one of "idol's" original creators says it's the end of an era. >> when they come to talk about, you know, this phenomenon of "american idol," randy, paula and simon will always be the names closest. >> reporter: he told "ing ases hollywood" he may have an opening for a celebrity judge on his latest project, "so you think you can dance." >> i've asked her to come on the show. >> reporter: she's got the chops to judge dancing for sure. question is, will she be paid what she thinks her reality show star is worth? for "today," lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> ramin is with "newsweek" and ingela is with tv guide magazine. thanks so much for coming on. the numbers don't lie. $45 million for ryan seacrest and albeit that was to do some other projects along with "idol" and it looks like simon is going to hit the name number. what gives? >> ryan seacrest is going to make about $15 million a year, and simon cowell currently makes $36 million a year. paula abdul makes around $2 million. >> she was asking for $12 million. >> a 30% increase on $2 million when paula is such a big part of the show, i think she should have been paid as much as ryan, at least. >> is it possible that she just wasn't doing it -- i mean, that she wasn't as integral to the show as the rest of them? >> no. i think she absolutely was doing it for the show. and i think that the sort of public reaction that's come out of it is an indicator that it's almost like she was everybody's crazy aunt and you realize how much you miss her now that she's gone. >> her supporters say ryan seacrest good guy, ultimately he's just announcing. he's a judge, part of the conversation. the crazy aunt as you said. was there more behind the scenes going on here than just money, perhaps? >> i think personality is always a factor. perhaps she wasn't the most reliable. there were always stories about that. and she attracted a lot of attention, good and bad. but it wasn't enough of a factor to keep her off for the last eight years. i really do think it came down to money in the end. >> either of you think sexism might be at play here? >> maybe a little bit. maybe a little bit. >> says the guy. >> because they brought in another judge, cara dee gurddy and there was speculation she brought her in to push paula out perhaps and now paula's not coming back in >> did paula have a better season as a result of having kara there? >> i actually that the presence of kara made us realize how much we love paula. i think that the public's reaction to kara was extremely lukewarm and i don't think it's a fair tradeoff and i think the public's going to really feel that next season. >> do you think she was brought in as a signal that, listen, you need to step up the act or we've got your replacement? >> you think she did step up, if you watched last season, she was more coherent. he was more livid. she was late to work one day. there was one episode where she wasn't in her chair. but other than that she was pretty good. >> you know, you've got to pay me $12 million to be on time, right? >> exactly. you can be tardy. >> what about the fans? a lot of discussion right now, everyone's having this kind of discussion. but once the season begins and it's really all about the singers will anybody really care if paula abdul's on there or not? >> oh, most definitely. she's the one you sort of sit up -- >> but will you not watch because paula abdul's not in the chair? >> i won't be as excited. i don't think she'll be as good. >> how about you? >> we put a poll up on tvguidemagazine.com asking if they would watch without paula and 49% of people said they wouldn't. if they deliver on that, that's huge. any time you mess with the ingredients on the biggest show on tv you're taking a really huge gamble. >> the creator of one of the dancing shows is interested in paula abdul. nbc news -- not nbc news, nbc execs were asked about her and said we like her. will we see her again? >> absolutely. i don't think can you count her out. this one clearly has nine lives. we all counted her out when she was a laker girl andnd >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. still no word as to who shot a man in south baltimore last night. the 23-year-old victim was shot in the upper body just after 9:30 last night along ninth street near patapsco ave. he is listed in stable condition. no word on a possible motive. let's get a final check on the morning commute. >> at least be of good news report on the outer loop of perring. the accident is clear to me at all lanes blocked a minute ago. you are still dealing with a residual delays. eight miles per hour is the average speed leading up to that. there is a right lane closure to the water main break repairs. we're looking at pretty heavy red on the west side outer loop. eastbound 70 at the patapsco river bridge, an accident reported there. at owings mills, taking up the center lane there. 19 minutes is the outer loop west side to drive time. 12 minutes on southbound 95. starting to improve their. let's give you a live view outside. at liberty, that is the basic things towards edmondson. park heights, looking pretty good. and >> it has been a busy weather morning. moderate shut our activity around the eastern shore. low pressure developing along the front. it is good exiting into the atlantic. -- going to be exiting into the atlantic. keep the umbrella handy. high only getting up to about 81 degrees. tomorrow, mostly sunny, 84. 89 and saturday, 95 sunday. >> we will have another update at 8:55. 8:30 now on this thursday morning, august 6th, 2009. we have a fine crowd assembled here in rockefeller plaza. 24 hours from now, we'll be grooving to the music of acoustic rocker and hitmaker jason mraz. so if you're in the area, come on down. that's right we have jason tomorrow, we've got rap star flo rider. august 14th we've got natasha bedingfield here the following week. and then the "today" show starts to wrap up because we've got superstar mariah carey on the plaza friday august 28th. so mark your calendars. it's usually fun. it's not been too hot. sometimes it's been raining unfortunately but we've had fantastic crowds and really good musical acts, i think. >> when you think, it reminds you that the summer is winding down. we haven't even had it for long. >> time to go back to school. >> oh, quite whining. you know. >> feel good about this. >> coming up in the next half hour we're going to meet a woman who certainly isn't letting age slow her down. at 66 she spends her summer days sharing her love and teaching people how to water ski barefoot. >> what? >> that's what she does. >> i wonder if -- >> that's going to leave a mark. >> it looks like fun. >> coming up. >> anyway, later coming up -- >> a water skiing squirrel. >> coming up, what is your biggest phobia? >> what? >> snakes, going bald, nudity. >> snakes, going bald, nudity. what's your -- >> what's your biggest phobia? >> are you afraid of going bald? >> no. >> no. >> and you're afraid of being naked? are you afraid of snakes? >> yes. >> okay. snakes. >> dr. nancy synderman will be back to talk about the most common anxiety disorders and how to deal with them, more importantly. >> we are seeing showers develop around the area of low pressure. we will be tracking this throughout today. only up to about 81 at the airport. mostly sunny tomorrow, 84. that's your latest weather. now let's head out to washington, d.c. and say hello to mr. willard scott. >> hey, baby you're in show business. what is it out there, 1:00 in the morning? >> actually it's 5:35. >> time for breakfast. you look good in l.a., baby. you belong. >> thank you. >> do some voiceovers. make some money. you're not making enough money. it's been quiet in your career. happy birthday. i'll send you a jar of smucker's. who knows, make you feel good. take a look, as the wheel spins around. actually it's the jar. and we see behind the magic jar harold eadie. avon, connecticut. 100 years old. army vet, enjoys doing water colors. and he's very, very well-known for that up in his neighborhood. happy birthday. jane kreuttner of new york, new york, 100 years old. one of the first female loan officers in new york city. and she walks 45 blocks a day. look at that smile. healthy lady. we have kathryn bibbins of norfolk, virginia, 102 years old today. organized a bible study in her home, and attributes her longevity to having a plan. now you know, that's an idea. people joke about that but having a plan is the idea. harry madow from los angeles, california, maybe have breakfast with him. migrated from poland in the '30s where he learned english by studying fashion design. and knows every verse in the bible. how about that? now there's a man for you. gretchen mefford of grant, nebraska, next to robert e. lee, nebraska. we have 100 years old. makes dinner for groups as large as 30 different people, gretchen does. good bless her. and finally peter and philip bellico of infield, connecticut. both are 101. identical twins. both enjoy playing cards and participating in church activities. happy birthday to one, to all. and now lester, who is just 22 years old, a young fellow. >> actually i turned 23 this year, willard. coming up next, the guide dog's guide, the volunteers who help the puppies grow up to help humans. ain't that cute? this morning on "today's" pets, puppies with a purpose. an organization dedicated to raising guide dogs, and its the volunteers who help keep the day-to-day operations moving forward. our jill rappaport, a major animal lover herself, as we know, met a few of them. >> hi, meredith. we caught up with one amazing family whose lives revolve around their dogs. but not for the reasons you think. they're labs on a mission and making a major difference. >> come on. >> reporter: meet the yokes family. nicole, eric, 1-year-old owen, and their two 3 1/2-year-old yellow labs who are on call 24/7. >> good-bye. >> reporter: alex and al if i are breeding dogs. also known as studs. from guiding eyes for the blind. a new york-based organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of blind and visually impaired people. >> good girl. >> reporter: through well-bred, well-trained guide dogs like these two pooches. it is interesting because you're considered a foster home. but these dogs to you, they're your children. >> they are. we actually had the dogs first, before we had owen. so they were like our first children. it's a big risk. you sign a contract. they say the first year they retire them as breeding dogs they will go back to guiding eyes. that first year is very nerve-wracking. but we were confident. >> reporter: and that confidence paid off. three years later, alex and alphie are fully entrenched in their home and are very busy boys. should we clarify what busy means? >> we get calls that they're red die go on a date. we call them dates. they get escorted to the honeymoon suite. >> reporter: there really is a honeymoon suite? not exactly what you would expect it to look like, but it obviously does the trick. they have fathered almost 300 dogs. but the yokes' commitment is far more demanding than just the breeding aspect. three miles a day? rain, wind, sleet or snow these dogs must be walked that amount every single day no matter what? >> that's the toughest challenge, because i've had to taken upon that my duty. every morning at 4:30, 5:00 in the morning, alphie puts his nose up. three miles takes about an hour. it's tough. >> reporter: tough, but definitely worth it when you see the offspring. here's one of his son's nash, who has given a new lease on life for comedian brian fishler. >> it's been the best thing that's happened to me. i mean it's given me my life back. i never could have imagined that it would be this positive of an experience. >> reporter: you realize that these dogs, more than the companionship, they're the ticket to independence for these people, right? >> just giving us a greater sense of love. >> it just goes to show that the human spirit is still alive and kicking when you've got people that take time out of their lives, and basically dedicate their lives to training dogs like nash so people like me could live a normal lifestyle. >> we don't have all the money in the world but we have the time and the love. that's one of the reasons why i feel so close to this program. >> reporter: oh. we have two of alex's new sons, i have fresca, meredith is holding flash. and they are 9-week-old puppies and they are about to enter the puppy raising program. >> what is that? >> it's very interesting. one of the volunteer families literally takes these wonderful puppies for up to a year. and for one year they go through extensive training to make sure, i'll cover their ears -- >> most of them do? >> hopefully most of them do. but it's an unbelievable commitment. these dogs aren't born guide dogs. they're created by the incredible dedication of the families. >> well, it's a great story. thank you so much, jill. yeah. >> and you can find more information on our website todayshow.com. up next, what you can learn from the women's oldest competing barefoot water skier. her story is just ahead. back now at 8:44. this morning on today's "fountain of youth," it's a new msn web series showcasing stories of folks reinventing themselves and finding new joy in life. this morning a woman who's nicknamed the old lady. but this is no ordinary senior citizen. watch. >> my name is jeannie myers, i'm 66 years young. so wonderful. i feel like i have a new lease on life. >> reporter: she began her career teaching phys ed and went on to work as a college administrator for 18 years. >> i would take the hour i had for lunch and go rollerblading. even though you're in the office at the desk the majority of time i still found time to be active. i've always been active. i've always been a person that is involved in sports. my family has always been on or near the water. we grew up with boats. we grew up at a cottage right on a lake. >> here we go. >> reporter: at the age of 53, judy picked up a new hobby. >> we had a friend that she was barefoot water skied that we'd always watch these people in awe, and thought ooh, that would be cool. >> reporter: it's a hobby that changed her life. >> the first time you put your feet in that water, it's something you can't describe because you look around and you're actually walking on water. ♪ barefooting >> it truly gave me a new ambition, and a new goal. it made me realize that i didn't have to sit behind that desk anymore. >> reporter: with her academic career now behind her, from february to mid-may, judy volunteers at a florida shop that teaches barefoot water skiing. >> for this i get paid a great sum. i get to waterski all i want for free. >> reporter: and she's taking it to a whole new level. >> i am the woman's oldest competing barefoot water skier. i won a barefoot of the year award for the western region. i've won medals at tournaments. first and second places. life is too short to spend it doing something you do not 100% enjoy. i cannot imagine my life without skiing. >> reporter: and judy myers is here along with cnbc's sharon epperson. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> judy, i was giving you a hard time. i said you know they make these things called skis. this whole thing began as a lark and you told me you told the instructor you've got one shot to make me like this. >> absolutely. it's a friend. i said you've got one shot on me. the first two kind of fell on their rear ends so to speak and i went out and put my feet in the water and this is where i am now. >> were you looking for something unusual, something really out there that would challenge you? >> no, i just love the water. and i saw this and i thought, i just have to try that. >> and you were 53. so is this -- is it recreation. is it a new way to earn money? >> it's not a way to earn money. and it's more than recreation. it's actually a new lifestyle for me. it's really done a lot to change my life, and change who i am. >> sharon, that's something a lot of us are going to confront. you've got to turn a new leaf, new lifestyle. >> people are redefining aging. they're redefining what it means to retire. judy said she quit her job, she's doing something different. she's not saying she's in retirement. what does that really mean right now? a lot of them, they may be collecting their first social security checks starting now, but that doesn't mean they're retired. >> because people increasingly talk about what am i going to do when i'm retired? is working still part of -- maybe i won't be doing this job. but do we have to assume we're going to have to have some kind of occupation? >> aarp did a study recently, about 80% of boomers are planning to work in retirement, and yes, a lot of folks are going to have to do something because of financially they've been laid off perhaps from a job, they lost their retirement funds. there are reasons why they may have to do this. but there are also a lot of passions that they want to pursue, and this is the time they're able to do them. >> judy, does it make you feel young, doing something like that? >> it keeps you young. it doesn't make you feel younger, because i don't think i'm old. >> all right, good answer. good answer. but is it difficult? >> to some people they think it's difficult. to me i just thought it was fairly easy. there's a lot more things that are more difficult in barefoot water skiing than i do. but i'll get there one day. >> what kind of resources are out there? >> people need to look at what their skills, what their talents are, work values are, places to do self-assessments on line like printcareers.com. and a lot of people who want to do something like create a business, a lot of boomers are doing that now. the fba, small business administration has a ton of free resources for you. score.org is another great resource. and the thing that judy has done all of her life is to be active, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. that opens up opportunities for you that you cannot imagine. >> you are a role model. >> thank you. >> all right. >> judy myers, inspiration, indeed, and sharon epperson, good to have you both here. coming up next, meredith vieira. the cover girl. whoa. first this is "today" on nbc. the primary ingredients in a new movie opening tomorrow about cooking, blogging, and julia child. and it's called "julie & julia" and although he gives some parts four stars, our gene shalit says others are half booked. >> reporter: good morning and welcome to the "critic's corner." the incomparable meryl streep saw us through another dastardly portrayal of her half, the better half, of "julie and julia." writer/director nora ephron has whipped up concurrent stories of two women immersed in food. >> why don't i go to cooking school? bonjour! >> reporter: meryl streep is julia child. the spirited creative cook who turns eating into dining. >> you should have seen the way those men looked at me. but then they discovered i was fearless. >> reporter: eager to share her passion for french cooking, she sends forth a book of recipes that spur american women to make delicious dishes they had formally eschewed. >> when i was 8, my father's boss came to dinner and it was a really big deal. my mother made beef bourguignonne. but it wasn't boef bornen joan. it was julia's. >> reporter: in new york, julie powell, played by amy adams, a discontented young married who needs something to do, decides she's going to make all 524 recipes in one year. and each day, she blogs her results. this is briefly amusing. but her obsession and indifferent personality make us wish she'd get out of the way so we can get back to julia in paris, with her husband, the engaging stanley tucci. >> julia, you are the butter to my bread and the breath to my life. i love you, darling girl. happy valentine's day. >> reporter: if audiences, especially women, don't block to "julie & julia" to relish watching meryl streep cook up a storm, i'll eat my words. and that's the critics corner, where we're always cooking up something good for "today." >> bon appetit. >> more salt, please. >> that looks good. we've got something here you might find of more interest besides the puppies. we're all pretty interested in the puppys >> i know. >> the september -- >> what are you doing? >> oh, i'm just holding it. anyway the september issue of "good housekeeping" magazine features none other than meredith vieira. the cover story is this is what happy looks like. >> and tricia yearwood is goosing me there. >> look at these photos. they're so beautiful. >> it was very nice. >> each giving a perspective of 30s, 40s and 50s. you did people in their 30s, right? >> right, exactly. >> another country heard from. >> i'm a proud 55. i might not be so proud when i'm 56. >> no, no, it's great. and you have a lot of got advice in here in terms of talking to people who are in their 50s, or even in their 40s, about how to look at life. there's some good stuff in here i'm reading. >> don't sweat the small stuff. >> exactly. >> you get to that point. >> i like this one, i realized that even though i'm scared change is a good thing, no matter how old you are, you can try new things at a time when a lot of people are saying is risky at your age. >> i used to think that. >> it's a big deal. this is a big change in your life coming over here. >> it was. it was a big change. it was the right change. >> we agree. >> thank you very much. >> congratulations everybody on the cover. >> you've got a puppy as a prize. >> look at the effect i have on men. we'll be back after your local news.

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