secrets could be out, "today," tuesday, april 20th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm matt lauer. can you almost see the classified now, can't you? former apple employee seeks new job opportunity. that's a mess-up. that's not good. meanwhile, we've got new clouds of ash from this volcano in iceland. it is great to look at. these pictures are stunning, but, boy, it is a headache for thousands of stranded travelers. >> that's right. that new activity comes just as limited flights to some spots in europe were taking off for the first time in five days. so where is that new cloud headed and how many additional flights will it disrupt? we'll have the latest in just a moment. also ahead, goldman sachs has now hired president obama's former white house counsel for its defense against government allegations of fraud. some legal experts believe the case is weak and suggest the president is actually just using it to bolster his push for financial reform on wall street. we'll get into that in just a couple of minutes. plus, mom hair. what is it? do you have it? and if so, what can you do about it? we'll explain all of that. but let's begin on this tuesday morning with the latest on that volcano in iceland and the problems it's causing. nbc's chris jansing gets us started from iceland. chris, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you, matt. what's happening here isn't just changing day to day, it's changing hour to hour. and scientists are working virtually around the clock to analyze all the day todta that have been bringing in. yesterday a lot of the ash spewed over the countryside and what happened was extraordinarily high winds whipped it up, formed a new cloud, and that's what's moving toward great britain right now. suffice it to say, what we have here is an extremely volatile situation. it is showing its unpredictable and menacing power once again. the volcano shooting huge chunks of magma into the air like rockets, giant fireballs the size of an suv. the plume grew and got increasingly dark monday indicating that the volcano is strengthening and the intensity of ash increasing. a new ash cloud formed and started moving south and east toward great britain, just as airlines had hoped to increase the number of flights. >> it's very difficult to predict when the eruptions are going to stop. >> reporter: teams of volume n volcanologists continuing to test sites, but this is an inaccurate science. is it going to spew again? >> we don't know. we don't know. >> reporter: it is unnerving on the ground as well as in the sky is. as unpredictable as this volcano has been, some days spewing ash, some days none, it is contaminating everything with this volcanic debris. walls of ash again blanketed the countryside, blinding conditions, shut roads, turned normally pristine waterfalls dirty brown, and worried residents like chris, whose grandfather escaped a huge eruption nearly a century ago. she worries this would be more to come in this volcano-dense country. >> it's flooded. >> yes. i think that's what will happen again. >> reporter: while she and the traveling world wait, volume n volcanologists warn more eruptions can be possible. >> i hope it will stop next week or something. >> reporter: we node eed to givu a little perspective. the plume right now is only half the size it was on saturday but with the new cloud forming obviously with the potential to cause a lot of problems. i talked to a volcanologist a short time ago. he said we hope the worst is over but there is still the potential for more big explosions inside that volcano. >> chris jansing in iceland for us this morning, chris, thank you very much. here's meredith. the question now is where is that cloud headed. al is upstairs with more. >> good morning. here's the problem. the jet stream, the band of air 20,000 to 30,000 feet above the surface. today still coming across iceland. the core of the jet, strongest winds, are right over iceland and coming down across the atlantic and into the united kingdom and the heart of europe. then that second cloud, the one that's being blown up and off and into the air, it's not actually part of the eruption but coming out of the ground, off the ground. that's at around 10,000 feet. so aircraft that's flying at lower levels have to deal with that. as we get into saturday, we get more of a westerly flow and that may cut off the flow from iceland. that would be good news. if we start to see a reduction of the eruptions out of that volcano and this flow continues, we should have better news for folks in europe by the time we get to the weekend. meredith? >> al, thank you. despite the new cloud, limited flights into and out of europe have now resumed, including a handful here at the airport in frankfurt, germany. but airports remain shut down in london. nbc's dawna friesen is at heathrow airport with more. dawna, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. there was so much hope late yesterday that the ash would clear, that many of europe's airports would reopen. as you say, some have, but some have not, like heathrow. and as this second cloud of ash approaches, it was announced this morning that all of london's airports may remain closed for a sixth day. as europe began to emerge from the first volcanic cloud, limited air traffic resumed giving hope to millions of travelers stranded around the world. these passengers boarded a flight from frankfurt to o new york. >> i am so happy to be getting out of here. yes, i am. >> reporter: it's hoped 55% to 65% of flights over europe will go ahead today. ach airports in paris opened for a few flights this morning but the relief of the prospect of getting home was for some tempered with anxiety. >> i am a little afraid that -- i'm hopeful that the plane will take off and that it won't meet with any volcanic ash. >> reporter: there are confusing messages about how safe the skies are, how much volcanic ash is too much to allow planes to fly and some have questioned whether the restrictions are an overreaction. european authorities are adamant, they are not. a handful of flights left asian air hubs today for europe. spain has volunteered to be an emergency hub for overseas travelers trying to get home, organizing extra buses, trains and ferries to handle an expected rush of passengers. and a british navy ship has arrived in spain to give soldiers a lift home. they were stranded after finishing their tour of duty in afghanistan. two other navy ships are on their way to pick up marooned tourists. for families like the harmans, stuck in paris last night en route home to st. louis, their european vacation has doubled in price because of the delays. they made it to london overnight. >> you have to find a silver lining or you just sit down and cry. >> reporter: an adventure, yes, but one they wish would come to an end. >> i'm not happy about it. i'd rather be home, making up on my school. >> reporter: they're not alone. a 24-hour crisis line has been set up. >> we're able to provide under emergency situations small loans to individual or families if it becomes a serious enough where they're out of funds. >> reporter: and with no one sure exactly when the skies will clear, costs continue to mount. and what happens next depends on this second cloud of ash and where exactly it's headed. it's being closely monitored. in the meantime, airline schedules are constantly changing and the best advice to travelers is to check with your airline before you head to the airport. meredith? >> that's for sure. dawna friesen, thank you very much. let's get a check of the rest of the top stories this morning from ann at the news desk. good morning, everybody. this morning, another high-ranking al qaeda in iraq leader was killed in a joint u.s.-iraqi operation. this development comes a day after iraq's prime minister announced key al qaeda figured abu omaral baghdadi andal massry were killed in a weekend raid. the u.s. calling their deaths a potentially devastating blow to al qaeda. the unclassified defense department was sent to congress and released on monday. dorothy height died this morning. the leading woman who helped martin luther king jr. and others during the civil rights movement and an icon to all african-american women. she won the presidential medal of freedom in 1994. dorothy height was 98 years old. toyota is recalling thousands of 2010 lexus gx-460s to fix software and the electronics stability control systems. "consumer reports" issued a safety warning about the car last week. prob's pesident obama's preg a tough fight for democrats this november. he spoke last night at a california fund-raiser for senator barbara boxer. at one event he was heckled by protesters calling for the repeal of the don't ask, don't tell policy for gays in the military. the president says he's already asked congress to repeal it. police are looking for a motive this morning following a deadly shooting outside a knoxville, tennessee hospital. they say a gunman took a taxi to the hospital on monday, paid the driver to wait, then opened fire killing a woman and wounding two others before taking his own life. officials do not think the gunman knew the victims. a new study finds that one-third of u.s. teenagers with cell phones send more than 100 text messages a day. the study by the pew internet and american life project says that texting is now the main way that teens communicate, even more so than phone calls or talking face to face. so parents, take note if you want to talk to your kids. 7:11. let's go back to meredith, matt and al. >> how many texts do you send a day? >> i don't text. >> that's right. you don't even return e-mails. >> i do when i find them! i return e-mails but texts, i don't even know how to find them. >> you get a lot if. >> not a lot but probably 10, 15 a >> good morning, we are off ta quiet start. it is still chill and temperatures are in the 40's spotlight yesterday, we will rebound nicely. we will make it into the upper 60's. >> that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thanks very much. goldman sachs will announce its earnings today even as it steps up its defense against the government's fraud lawsuit. in fact, the wall street titan has now hired president obama's former white house council greg craig as an advisor. nbc's lisa myers has the latest on the story. lisa, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. some within goldman sachs and on wall street claim that the firm is being scapegoated and that the timing of the charges is political. that may be why the firm has turned to a skilled washington operator like greg craig. goldman sachs is mobilizing a vigorous counterattack with this e-mail to clients and a re-assuring voice mail for employees. ceo lloyd blankfein said the media generating by the charges is certainly uncomfortable but given the anger directed at financial services, not completely surprising. some wall street observers called the case weak and time to help president obama pass a financial reform bill. >> i believe that this is politically motivated. there is a raging debate in washington right now concerning wall street and i think that that's what motivated this action being commenced. >> reporter: a google search of the term "s.e.c." and "goldman sac sachs" yield a paid advertisement for barack obama.com. yet the white house and s.e.c. denies politics are involved. >> the s.e.c. is, by law, an independent agency. >> reporter: goldman is accused of knowingly defrauding investors by working with a prominent hedge fund to put together an investment designed to fail. among what experts see as damaging evidence, e-mails from the young goldman employee charged in the scheme. he wrote, "the whole building is about to collapse anytime now." >> the e-mails show that the goldman trader believed that these investments were going to explode. >> reporter: the hedge fund involved -- paulson and company -- is owned by billionaire john paulson who was not accused of wrongdoing. john paulson himself made $3.7 billion in 2007 by cashing in on the subprime collapse. and the next year paid $41 million for this beach estate in the hamptons. goldman sachs also emerged from the financial melt down with huge earnings, recently moving into this $2.1 billion headquarters with a 54,000 square foot gym. clearly the s.e.c. is trying to send a message here. it's been heavily criticized for sleeping through the financial meltdown, missing madoff and going too easy on banks of america. now by going after the most powerful firm on wall street been it's signaling a more aggressive efforts to hold firms accountable. >> lisa myers in washington this morning, lisa, thank you very much. goldman sachs -- let me introduce erin burnett and simon johnson who are here to talk about this story. goldman sachs just announced earnings this morning, $5.59 a share, significantly better than analysts had predicted. >> it certainly is and continued proof we're seeing recovery. citigroup, jpmorgan, all of them coming out, trading, doing well. a lot of these companies are trouncing expectations. >> i've read a lot about this lawsuit over the last couple of days, simon, as i know a lot of us have. either goldman sachs got caught rigging the system, or they're being targeted for doing something that may sound unpopular but is something that banks do all the time. where do you weigh in on this? >> i think all the banks are rigging the system, matt. >> doing it in an illegal way or doing it just in a way that doesn't sound right to the people on main street? >> well, doing it in a way that isn't right. but from a legal perspective, can you nail them on it? did you need new rules, new laws, are can we nail them under the existing laws. >> it sounds like simon's taking did they take advantage of a loophole or something not written into the law. where's the strength of the s.e.c.'s case in your opinion? >> it's interesting. these securities are so complicated. part of it is i think you're right, there was a lot of rigging of the system that went on. it wasn't just goldman, it was everybody else. the s.e.c. by taking on the big kahuna in the room, the bank that still has a reputation of being goldman sachs, this bank is a preeminent bank, they show in that that they think they have a strong case. it is a real question though, did goldman have an obligation to disclose information to one side of a trade. it all comes down to that. they say they did it right. the s.e.c. says they did it wrong. it's a he said/she said which means someone's going to have an e-mail that proves it one way or the other. >> earlier in your career you did work for goldman. >> i was a very junior banker there, yeah. >> getting more junior by the moment. >> exactly. >> let me read you something from the "new york times," "s.e.c. may face hurd until proving fraud." several experts on securities law say fraud cases thon one which focuses on context rather than content are generally more difficult to win because it can be hard to persuade a jury that the missing information might have led buyers to walk away. is this where this is going to fall? >> this is going to be a very tough case, legally and politically, matt. this bank is so big and so powerful, they have incredible clout in washington as you know. they treat their customers badly every day and get away with it because the customers somehow still think, oh, my goodness, we must do business. remember, they're too big to fail. on top of all this, they can say if you push the system too hard, you won't get an economic recovery. that's an incredible and dangerous hole the massive banks have. >> is it too much of a conspiracy theory to suggest part of this prosecution on the part of the s.e.c. is an attempt to bolster its reputation after a pretty dismal few years? >> i think that's a fair point. when you think about the timing of how the s.e.c. did this, goldman had no advance warning. usually when the s.e.c. is going to file a fraud case which is a significant charge, a high hurdle, they would give a little bit of warning. they didn't do that in this case and it came on the same day that someone came out with a report about the s.e.c. 151-page report saying, guess what? that ponzi scheme with allan stanford, you completely dropped the ball, s.e.c. that report came out the same day they charged goldman sachs. >> even if the s.e.c. loses they make their point which is we need financial reform, we need to break up the big banks, they've become way too powerful. if goldman ends up winning big and gloating about it, that's a big victory. >> the s.e.simon and erin, than very much. appreciate it from you both. get more of erin's advice on "street signs" weekdays at 2:00 p.m. eastern on cnbc. 19 after the hour. here's meredith. new details are emerging in the shocking murder of a principal in washington, d.c. could he have known his killer? nbc's norah o'donnell has the very latest. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. nbc news has learned that police are now looking very closely at brian betts' computer and cell phone records trying to figure out who murdered this star middle school principal. returning to shaw middle school for the first time since their beloved principal was killed, students are still coping with the loss of their hero. >> mr. betts was something like a father to me. >> reporter: he was known nationwide for turning around this troubled school. and at the very spot where he greeted his students every morning, now a memorial, a chilling reminder of the school's huge loss. >> personally, he was my own mentor, my second year, and he hired me and he led me through my first couple years. can't imagine the school without him. >> reporter: as betts' friends and colleagues greefd, investigators are now zeroing in on a killer. >> from the beginning investigators have had a feeling that this was not a case of random act. >> reporter: why is that? >> because the front door was unlocked. there was no sign of forced entry. and there was no ransack in the house. >> do you believe betts new the killer? >> that's a strong possibility. >> reporter: neighbors are on edge since the house has a horrific history. another double homicide eight years ago. but that murderer remains behind bars. >> you know, i don't know whether it's cursed or not. we do believe there is no relation to that event. >> reporter: betts' nissan xtera suv was found in southeast washington, a neighborhood known as a hotspot for crime. >> it didn't look like there was anything messed up on it. >> reporter: police say the car was not vandalized and don't believe it was taken on a joyride. >> we have a report that a man saw two subjects leaving the vehicle as it was parked friday afternoon, somewhere between noon and 3:00 p.m. >> reporter: now police are slowly piecing together this murder mystery. they put together a time line. they say the 42-year-old betts was last alive at 11:30 p.m. last wednesday night. then something terrible happened and he didn't show up here for work the next morning. meredith? >> norah o'donnell, thank you. just ahead, the florida teen set on fire allegedly by a group of classmates, mike brewer jr. speaks out for the first time in an exclusive live interview. but first, this is "today" on nbc. things are getting downright twisted at dunkin' donuts. hurry in for our new freshly baked bagel twists, available in delicious cheddar cheese or cinnamon raisin. here for a limited time. america runs on dunkin'. get swept up with the big chocolate taste of mocha iced coffee from dunkin' donuts. it's just another one of our delicious, refreshing iced coffee flavors -- grab one today! america runs on dunkin'. look in the glove box. 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[ laughter ] [ male announcer ] a consumers digest best buy. with a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. it takes you farther... and brings you closer. >> good morning everybody. i am stan stovall and the time is 7:26. >> plenty of problems to go around unfortunately. two of them are on the outer loop on the north side approaching loch ravfen. we are still looking at heavy delays back through and prior to 95 on the northeast side. another outer loop accident past liberty road has traffic down to 11 miles per hour. at baltimore street and utah st., watch for a truck -- crash. we also have a couple alsohafrord county accidents -- harford county accidents. watch for an accident at 197 and 295. this delay stretches back to prior to 95 on the northeast side. here is a lot of view of traffic in the white march march avenue -- area. that the latest on traffic. good morning. >> there are a few clouds out there and a cool start. 45 degrees in columbia. the forecast for today calls for a mix of sun and clouds and the clouds will thicken up this afternoon but it will stay dry. we will be able to make it into the upper 60's this afternoon. there is a good chance for rangers on wednesday. it will be off and on rain on wednesday and thursday looks decent before we set up another chance for rain started late friday ended to saturday. >> be sure to check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information this morning. we will be back at 7:55. morning, the 28th of april, 2010. our rolling spring break may have come to an end but we still have a large crowd out on the plaza. we've come to the conclusion, we just have a lot of truants as viewers. and a lot of them are here today. we love that. we'll go outside and say hi to them in a couple of minutes. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira. apple wanted a really great debut for next generation iphone, and boy did they get one. >> yeah, they certainly did. >> it is not the one they wanted though. everyone was waiting for what this phone was going to look like. apparently someone at apple left a top-secret prototype of that new phone in a bar and a blogger found it. we'll have more on that in just a few minutes. >> see, maybe they meant to leave it. >> could be a publicity stunt. also ahead, mom hair. once you have kids, most moms tell you vanity kind of goes out the window. but should you be forced to pull your hair back or cut most of it off? what that can mean for your identity and for your marriage. also, we all know that flying is not cheap. a lot of airlines charge fees for food and blankets and checked bags. but recently spirit airlines announced that it would start charging up to $45 for carry-on bags in the overhead compartments. that got a lot of people very angry. well, tomorrow on "today," the ceo of spirit airlines will explain that decision and we'll also talk to new york senator chuck shumer who has been very vocal about that kind of power. we'll begin this half-hour with the florida teenager who was burned by a group of florida ca classmates. we'll speak exclusively to mike brewer jr. and his family in a moment, but first here's kerry sanders. >> reporter: if you didn't know, you might never suspect. 15-year-old michael brewer was severely burned over 60% of his body. but outward appearances can be deceiving. doctors say the florida teenager still faces years of pain and medical attention. his life altered in an instant last october when he was surrounded by school classmates at an apartment complex off campus, doused in alcohol, and then lit on fire. authorities say it all came down to a disagreement over money owed for a video game. >> he's got scars that are as big as two and three-inch that protrude from his body that is scar tissue. you rub them down and you feel his elbows and his arms and his legs, it's awful. >> michael has undergone months of physical therapy in this room. sometimes excruciatingly painful. but he's also out in the public and smiling. as a guest at a recent miami heat game. and at a bake sale to help pay his medical bills where he personally thanked those who cared enough to help. >> i just want to say hi and thank you for all your prayers. >> reporter: the three teenagers accused of attempted murder and michael's burning are charged as adults. as for michael, those closest to him say he's looking forward, not back. >> he's not so fearful anymore that people will actually talk to him. >> reporter: a week ago michael reached out to josie ratley. like michael, both victims of teen violences with very serious consequences. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, miami. >> we are joined exclusively by michael brewer jr., along with his parents valerie and michael and his grandparents rene and norvin. good morning to you all. it is such a thrill, michael, to have you with us this morning. you have been through so much in the past six months. foreskin grafts you told me this morning. daily intensive physical therapy. how are you doing? how do you feel? >> i feel great. >> any pain at all? >> no. >> not even when you have to move your body or stretch? >> just one side of me. >> one side? i understand that you've actually gone back to some of your sports activity? >> yes. >> what are you doing? >> skateboard, basketball, baseball. riding bikes. >> you're not afraid of falling or -- >> no. i fall, i just get right back up, try again. >> mom, your heart must be like -- >> it's tough sometimes. >> i know when michael was attacked back in october, you came on the show and we spoke to you remote from the hospital and you said at the time, doctors weren't sure if he would survive. but you felt differently. you just knew your son was going to make it because you said he had a lot of determination. >> absolutely. >> and courage. >> yes. lot of courage, lot of determination and incredible will to live. >> there was so much pain that you had to endure though, michael. where did that determination come from looking back? >> i have no idea. >> none at all. >> no. >> just every day, just a great will to live? >> yeah. >> dad, when you see your son now, knowing what he's gone through, what goes through your mind? >> just happy that he's still here and i knew he was going to get through it, pull through it the way he did. but we thank god that he's still with me. i'm happy. >> i know when you moved back home, mike, when you got out of the hospital this summer, you didn't go back to your old house because you were scared. you moved in with your grandma and grandfather in a different town. finally tomorrow you are starting school again. are you excited about that? what are you feeling going back to school? >> i'm excited. can't wait. >> why is that? >> i kind of miss school. >> you do. >> yeah. >> what do you miss about it? >> friends and stuff. >> so it will be a whole new set of friends. >> yeah. >> when you start up again. i'm sure as a mom, it's wonderful to see your son going back to school. on the other hand, you won't be there to protect him again. and that's got to be a bit of a scary feeling. >> it is. very apprehensive. i know i have to cut the cord again? i've been very protective of him, not letting him get very far from me. i'm just fearful. but i know he's a strong young man. he's determined and i know the school will protect him and he needs to get back out into the world and start experiencing real life again. >> i know, mike, you wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you. i understand your hospital room was covered, letters from all over the world. right? >> yeah. i think that's the most thing that kept me alive, was all these prayers and believing in me. >> and rooting for you, pushing you to get better. rene, you have been very proactive in terms of guesting out there and talking to kids about violence in the schools and school bullying. what is the message you are trying to get across and why did you decide to do that? >> well, i think whenever anything like this happens to a family, you've got to taking it positive from it. if you don't, it means it was for nothing. i don't think that -- i don't think that mikey's suffering for all those months should be for nothing. and i think that we need to become better leaders, the grown-ups, the adults. i think that we are all in our own domain, our own leaders, and i think we have to stand up, be more respectful of each other and set a much better example for our children. >> you set a wonderful example, mike jr., when you see to see your friend josie in the hospital who was attacked, allegedly over a text message. was she aware that you were there and what did you say to her and her family? >> i hope she gets better and i hope i see her again. get stronger like i did every day. >> get stronger every day. yeah. >> if she doesn't stop believing in herself, she can do it. >> do you ever think about how strange it is, two kids from the same school. can you make sense of it? >> yeah, i can. yeah. this school is terrible. i don't know why i even went to the school. >> well, you're in a new school now and a safe place. want to end with you, norvin, when you look at your grandson now, is he a different kid having gone through it? >> yeah. >> in what way? >> i think he's a little more ca careful, if that can be possible. he sticks a little closer to home. lets you know if he's going someplace. easier to keep track of. >> i think they're going to be keeping track of you pretty tightly, for sure. mike jr., thank you so much. the entire brewer family, thank you for making the trip here to new york. be careful on the skateboard. makes me nervous, too. now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> announcer: "today's weather" is brought to you by all. new and improved all is packed with powerful stain lifters. it's all good. good morning. we got all of our friends here from march of dimes, march for babies. this weekend, right? >> yes. yes. this is the weekend. we want to invite everyone to come out to the march for babies this weekend. all moms with healthy babies come and register and march at babies.org or just come to k-mart. >> let's check your weather, see what's happening for you this morning. temperature departures anywhere from 5 to 12 degrees above normal out to the west. but through the southeast, little on the chilly side as we get some showers moving on through. highs today in the 60s in the northeast, 70s and 80s down through florida and the gulf coast, on into texas. 80s and 90s in the extreme southwest. >> beclouds will thicken up but we expect a high in the upper >> and some folks who are trying to get to paris but you couldn't make it. huh? >> they slowed us down. >> having a good time in new york? >> very good. >> there you go. let's go back inside to meredith. up next, is it becoming acceptable to walk away from your mortgage even if you can afford it? we'll debate that right after this. 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[ female announcer ] kids who don't eat breakfast may not be getting the nutrition they need to keep their bodies strong. a nutritious start to the day is essential. that's why carnation instant breakfast essentials supplies the nutrients of a balanced breakfast. so kids get the protein and calcium they need to help build strong muscles and healthy bones. ♪ carnation instant breakfast essentials. good nutrition from the start. and yes to a safe and naturally effective way to clean. for over twenty years we've poured our hearts into this movement and we're happy to see it's starting to catch on. seventh generation. protecting planet home. back now at 7:44. new figures show foreclosures in the u.s. are up about 35% from a year ago. a growing reason why are people who simply choose to walk away from their mortgages even when they can afford it. nbc's george lewis has more. >> reporter: chris and valerie shore are walking away from the condo they bought in folsom, california for $430,000. >> we weren't in any financial distress, but the value of the house had declined so precipitously that continuing to stay in the house and paying this inflated mortgage made no sense. >> he came home from work one day and he said, i think we need to stop making our mortgage payments. i said, have you totally lost your mind? >> reporter: experion says 18% of those who have defalled on their mortgages in the past year did it for strategic reasons and not because they're broke. it's called a strategic default, balking away from a home and enduring foreclosure out of frustration with a bad investment. >> you're probably looking at 8 to 12 years before you ever regain the equity. >> reporter: now there's even a service called you walk away, and for a $900 fee, it guides homeowners through foreclosure. one bit of advice -- don't feel guilty. >> people have this misperception that people who walk away are doing something unethical. and to me, they're making a good ethical decision because they're taking care of themselves and their family and it's a business decision. >> reporter: but of course, for most homeowners facing foreclosure, it is less a business decision than an inevitability. elaine cheney says she and her husband were running out of money. they had a variable rate mortgage on their southern california condo that rose along with the homeowner's fees. they found they could no longer make their payments. >> we have excellent credit. we always pay our bills and on time. >> reporter: did you feel guilty about it? >> definitely. >> reporter: as the epidemic of foreclosures continues, the mortgage bankers association urges people not to walk away if they don't have to. >> what does that do to other properties and the value of your neighborhood? the consequences are dire. >> reporter: and yet the association itself walked away from its headquarters building, arranging a short sale when it went underwater on its mortgage. while owning one's own home is still a large part of the american dream, many people who have walk away from their mortgages and are now renting say they found a certain peace of mind. the scheor's say their strategic default left them feeling a lot better. >> relieved and paying less for month for a larger home, which just confirms that this house is just not worth what we're paying. >> reporter: a feeling now shared by many in this country. for "today," george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. >> jean chatzky is "today's" financial editor. jean, good morning to you. let's do the moral and ethical thing first, people who say you made a deal, you have a commitment, you have a mortgage. it hurts your neighbors. >> that's an understandable argument but i think when you look at the business case, it is just as understandable to walk away from a bank to lent you more than you could afford on a property that was not as valuable as both of you thought. >> so if you can get past the moral and ethical side of this, what are the criteria? how do you know if you're a good candidate for walking away from your mortgage? >> the tipping point is usually when the value of the home drops to 75% or less of what you owe on that mortgage. if the value of the home is $300,000 and you owe $400,000, that's when people tend to walk. >> so if you have fallen below that 75% value criteria -- point, one of the questions you have to ask yourself next? >> how long will it take the mortgage market in my town to come back? in new york it is about 14 years. in detroit it's about 20. that's a very, very long time to wait. also, what's it going to do to my credit score? >> what is it going to do to your score? >> generally it will take your credit score down by 100 to 125 points. but this is a strategy default. what people do is take the extra money and they pay it down on their other debts. that brings their credit score back up. >> but they've also got moving and rental costs. don't think this is a free trade. >> no, no, this is not a free trade. you have to realize people who are doing this made a down payment, however small. they've been making their mortgage payments until this point. this is not a win-win for anybody. >> real quickly, there's a new program designed to get to these people before they have to make this decision? >> the lenders are actually hooking up with intermediaries who may come to some homeowners and say, look, if you stay in your house or if you satisfy the terms of this mortgage, we'll give you $50,000, $100,000, whatever the number happens to be. it may make staying more attractive. >> incentive to hang in there. jean chatzky, thanks as always. 7:49. up next, the secret prototype of apple's next iphone apparently found in a bar. prototype of apple's next iphone apparently found in a bar. details right after this. hase. so we earned a ski trip twice as fast. we get double miles every time we use our card. ( thuds ) i'll take this. ( crashing ) double miles add up quick. and all of those. so we brought the whole gang. one adult, one goat please. it's hard to beat double miles. everyone knows two is better than one. introducing the venture card from capital one... with double miles on every purchase every day. go to capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? oh, poor baby. fact: for over 25 years, in test after test, advil has been shown to be safe and effective when taken as directed. for relief you can trust, reach for advil. apple has no comment, but it appears that this phone that was found in a bar is the real deal, a prototype of their latest version. they're very, very secretive. somebody found this phone and sold it to a technology website for $5,000. >> it seems to be the real deal. it's got a minixm card, a front-wasting camera, back-facing camera. bigger battery. >> the real deal because according to gizmodo.com, they received a phone call from an apple executive asking for the phone back. >> i wonder what steve jobs is doing in germany. >> this is not good. somebody else needs a job. coming up, mom hair and if you have it. after your local news. ♪ ♪ you something about osteoporosis you don't already know. it runs in families - my mother has it, and now i have it. so even though i tried to keep my bones strong, it wasn't enough. now, once-monthly boniva is helping me do more. it didn't just stop my bone loss. boniva worked with my body to stop and reverse my bone loss. and studies show, after one year on boniva, nine out of ten women stopped and reversed theirs, too. (announcer) don't take boniva if you have low blood calcium, severe kidney disease, or can't sit or stand for at least one hour. follow dosing instructions carefully. stop taking boniva and tell your doctor if you have difficult or painful swallowing, chest pain or severe or continuing heartburn, as these may be signs of serious upper digestive problems. if jaw problems or severe bone, joint, and/or muscle pain develop, tell your doctor. you've got one body and one life, so don't wait. ask your doctor if boniva can help you stop losing and start reversing. (announcer) for a free trial offer call 1-800-4-boniva or visit boniva.com va va voom. now do it for your lashes. with maybelline new york's lash stilettos. the #1 lengthening mascaras. our longest lashes ever... choose original stiletto black... for staggering length... sleek and tapered. and now stiletto voluptuous red... for length with volume... lush and full each with that trademark black patent shine. it's hotter than ever. [ female announcer ] lash stiletto original and voluptuous the #1 lengthening mascaras. maybe she's born with it. ♪ maybe it's maybelline >> live, local, lay predict, this is wbal tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning, i am stan stovall and it is 7:56. >> several problem spots out there and two of them affecting the beltway traffic. an accident off to the site near lock raven. 50 miles per hour on southbound 95 coming out of the white marsh area -- 15 miles per hour. if you're going to travel and the city, watch for an accident on eastbound 32 at i-95. another crash westbound 100 approaching route to if you travel southbound on the baltimore-washington parkway approaching 197, there is an accident taking up the left lane. here is a live look outside at putty ave. that delay stretches back to prior to 95. we will switch over to a live view of the west side, inching along and is the light approaches 795 down 240. >> good morning. the traffic may be busy but the weather department is nice and quiet. just a few high clouds this morning and temperatures and the 40's. not as jill till as yesterday but you might want to take a light jacket. the forecast for today calls for a mix of sun and clouds and pleasant this afternoon with the high-temperature in the upper 60's. tomorrow will be cooler and the chance for a few rain showers and a chance for rain as we head into the weekend. >> be sure to check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information throughout the morning. we're back at 8:25. 8:00 now on this tuesday morning, april 20th, 2010. we have drawn quite a crowd on a bright and sunny morning here in rockefeller plaza. i'm meredith vieira, along with matt lauer and al roker. for a lot of women, stylish hair is the first thing that suffers. this morning we'll have a lively debate on mom hair and how to tell if you have it, and if you have it, what you should do about it. >> mom hair would be less than stylish hair? >> maybe, pulled back in a ponytail. you may cut it short. we're also looking for different ways to save money. clothing is very expensive. if you can make the clothes you have last longer, that would be a good way to save money. have you ever tried artificial sweetener on a stain? have you ever tried to use shampoo for ring around the collar? >> i have not! >> we'll give you great tips to make your clothes last longer. two for the price of one. not one, but both "american idol" contestants who were voted off last week. we'll ask them a question that i guess is on a lot of folks' minds -- what up with ryan seacrest's unusual behavior on the show? >> i love ryan. >> love the seacrest. >> he's a complete freak, but i love him. love him. first let's get a check of the top stories from ann curry. thanks, good morning, everybody. in the news, today yet more volcanic ash is hampering efforts to reopen airspace over europe and great britain. air traffic was just resuming on a limited basis after five days of parcalysis. while up to 60% of flights may go today, officials had hoped for more. millions of people have been grounded since the travel chaos began and the aviation industry says it's already lost $1 billion. iran voices new enthusiasm today for a nuclear fuel swap proposed by the u.n. to curb day ran's ability to make a knnucle bomb. on monday, an unclassified pentagon report says iran may be able within five years to build a missile that could reach the u.s. police are searching for a motive in a deadly shooting at a hospital in knoxville, tennessee on monday. investigators say that the gunman took a taxi to the hospital, then shot three women at least one fatally before taking his own life. a florida judge has removed himself from the casey anthony murder case. defense attorneys had filed a motion claiming the judge stan strikland revealed a bias against anthony in recent comments to a blogger. anthony has pleaded not guilty in the murder of her 2-year-old daughter caylee. a benchmark today for supreme court justice john paul stevens. he a is celebrating his 90th birthday, only the second justice to reach that age while on the court. justice stevens announced he will retire this summer. now here's brian williams with what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." >> hey, ann. coming up tonight on "nightly news," here's a first -- goats. entire herds of them, grazing at, of all places, google headquarters. it's somebody's idea of being green. we'll explain tonight on "nightly news." ann, back to you. >> that does need some explaining. 8:03. >> i have had my favorite comment of the year. okay? i said to this lady, i walked by, said aren't you cold? she says, no, i'm menopausal. >> i know you're sweating like crazy. i know, honey! i feel your pain. i know. >> that's sharing. i mean we're like family now. mr. roker has a check of the weather. all right. tmi! and this is just a -- i love this. what's your name? >> timothy. >> timothy, where you from? >> jacksonville. >> how old are you, timothy? >> 10. >> double digits. who's that? your baby brother. he doesn't have a name, does he? good to see you. very cute. let's check your weather. a jet stream, that band of air 20,000 feet above the earth's surface. you can see today, still coming across from iceland into europe and that's causing that ash plume to come right across. the good news, by saturday, we get more of a west to east flow, and that hopefully will cut off that ash coming over the european area. out west, big storm coming, lots of rain. mountain snows. hit-or-miss showers and thunderstorms in the central plains. wet weather making its way through the southeast where they need the rain. sunny and seasonal in the northeast. looking at plenty of sunshine through florida, although some >> good morning, we are off to a quiet start of this tuesday for the clouds will thicken up as we headed to this afternoon. the temperature will be nice and we expect a high in the upper where you guys from? >> st. louis, missouri. >> matt -- ahh! >> al, thank you very much. when we come back, what is mom hair? what do you do about it if you have it? what does it say about you? we'll talk about that right after this. ♪ presenting the new toyota avalon. it's one smooth ride. it has lots of space for you... and all your things. i got mine with voice activated navigation. so we can get to the city. [ male announcer ] there's no finer way to travel. the new toyota avalon... comfort is back. ♪ bring me a dream bye-bye. you be careful on your way home. -happy mother's day. -okay. bye-bye. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] this mother's day, give her something she can hold on to. a card. it's the biggest little thing you can do. for all active families. our advanced 2-in-1 power cleans tough stains like grass better than the leading oxi detergent and helps get your family's wash incredibly white and bright. try new all oxi-active. it's all good. (announcer) regular kool-aid. goes almost three times further than soda. kool aid. delivering more smiles per gallon. okay, we're going to get going right away. [ announcer ] he's never met an appendix he couldn't fix! the abdomen-ator dr. bob bergowitz! yeah, woo! [ announcer ] she's the queen of clean! the 2009 surgeon of the year, dr. nancy mendelsohn! 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[ crowd cheering ] ♪ nutri-grain -- one good decision... can lead to another. ♪ made with real fruit and now with more... of the whole grains your body needs. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. of the whole grains your body needs. ♪ [ female announcer ] discover black silk from folgers... ♪ with bold rich flavor that's exceptionally smooth. wake up to black silk. >> announcer: "today's moms" is brought toy by walmart. save money, live better. walmart. this morning, "today's moms," coming to terms with mom hair. becoming a mom can change your priorities and your relationships, and for many women like the ones we spoke with here in manhattan, it can change your hair. >> basically, i have like five minutes to get totally ready in the morning. so my hair is the last priority. >> i would suffer with pony tails. >> i loved having short hair. when he was a baby, it was so much easier. >> reporter: icons like carol brady and other tv moms used to almost exclusively sport short, easy dos. but celebrities have changed the expectations of what moms and their locks should look like. >> motherhood is a full-time job. if you work, putting yourself together in a way that you find attractive is one of the hardest things you can do. >> reporter: writer and mother of two, alex kaczynski, mused about cutting her hair short in her blog for "the new york times's" teen magazine. >> i used to joke i would shave my hair marine style. most of my male friends said, do not cut my hair. to which i thought, what, are we going to go on date? i'm married, i have two kids. men are very passionth about having long, flowing locks. i haven't entirely dismissed the idea, but for now we're sticking with this. >> we're joined by momlogic.com contributor, and a mom of two. on the surface, it seems like it is a frivolous conversation but it isn't. >> no. because moms are busy but we're also women so we want to look good. the decision is how can we do that and still have something easy that gives us time for ourselves. >> what happens to women when they have a child that makes them -- another thing, first i think it is the biggest life change a woman goes through. it is a time of big identity change. it is also a time to divert sexual energy for a while and put it toward nesting energy. very natural. >> is the change of hair sort of a statement that you're no longer sexually interested? >> well? it's not really that, it is just that you start finding that you don't have time for yourself. then it is not about what you think your partner wants, your husband wants -- >> what works for you. >> how are you going to survive through it. >> you may feel less attractive, but you say this is for me. i went to natural hair for seven years. >> tell us your story. this is yo >> i said i'm going to do something easy, i'm going natural. there is a lot of pressure to perm your hair, curl your hair. i said i'm going to work out and do what's best for me. >> a lot of people afterwards came up to you and said it was a brave thing to do. did you feel braev? >> i think as an african-american woman, going natural is. but yeah. my girls, you know what they said after i cut my hair off? "you always said you were going to do this." >> wendy, what's your story? >> always had long, blonde hair. i worked in television news. then i had a baby and before i knew it i had a short, dark haircut. in my case it was partly sending a message to the world, hey, i'm not just this babe news chick anymore, i'm a mom, i'm a serious woman. but i think in my case there was a little undiagnosed postpartum depression. hair is a big way to advertise to the world what's going on internally with us. second time around, kept the lo long blonde hair with a little zoloft. >> i think the bottom line is you have to do what works for you. whether you do your hair or don't do your hair, it indicates how you feel. pay attention so you can be not only the best mom with the best hair, but the best individual. >> in my case,dy it because my hair was such a mess. i thought if i cut my hair, i'll look cute. it don't work and i ended up grewing inmy hair back. >> light now right now in our c there is real pressure to and hot mom. this is a time where women shouldn't worry too much about being a victoria's secret super model. you're a postpartum mom. you should be sitting under a tree breast feeding. >> do you think your spouse should give you the okay? >> he should certainly weigh in and you should listen but it is up to you as a mom. we have to do what works for us as moms and stop feeling guilty about it and stop feeling like we have to just kind of pay attention to what everybody else says. >> keep in mind, he's going to have time in your long marriage with him where he's not sexually into it or his sexual energy is diverted in some way because of work or stress or middle age or late age. so you're going to -- mon nogam is about people working together in different stages. >> thank you both so much. up next, how to use artificial sweetening to make your clothes last longer. that and other tricks of the trade right after this. which makes it pretty clear whose standing out front. a consumers digest "best buy" two years running. chevy malibu. compare it to anyone and may the best car win. during the spring event, qualified lessees can get a low mileage lease on this new malibu ls for around $199 a month. call for details. see your local chevy dealer. because right now it's rollback time at walmart. which means thousands of rollbacks all over the store. it's another way to master your budget. and another great day for the savers. save money. live better. walmart. and another great day for the savers. [music, talking, laughing] what makes hershey's s'mores special? hershey's chocolate goodness that brings people together. ♪ ♪ hershey's makes it a s'more... you make it special. pure hershey's. and yes to a safe and naturally effective way to clean. for over twenty years we've poured our hearts into this movement and we're happy to see it's starting to catch on. seventh generation. protecting planet home. something funny happens when you cross over from land to sea. you beco a different person. ♪ are you ready? you taste foods you've never tried. ♪ i want to bang on the drum all day ♪ you swim with animals you've only seen in aquariums. and somewhere out on the high seas, you get your first water wedgie. ♪ i don't want to play ♪ i just want to bang on the drum all day ♪ [ ship horn blows ] we're back at 8:18. this morning we're kicking off a special series we're calling "today's tricks of the trade," all about how to make things last a little bit longer. consumer correspond and readers's digest contributor janice lieberman gets us started this morning by talking about your wardrobe. >> important to all of us. in today's economy, no one wants to spend a lot of money on clothing. so we asked the queen of clean how to keep your duds from dying. it seems like when it comes to taking care of clothing, teresa o'neal has been taken to the cleaners. >> i find we're always at the dry cleaners. >> reporter: and with a family of four, the laundry can pile up. >> i wash clothes, i try to care for them, but because i'm so biz sometimes i don't always take the time and the care. so i can use any help you can offer. >> we have the person for you. she'll fill you in on all the great ways to get your clothes to last. have you heard of heloise? a heloise house call just for you. first, a checklist of what every home must ve. like liquid washing detergent. >> have liquid. use it as a prespotter. ammonia. if you have laundry that's very oily, ammonia is a grease cutter. use it with no detergent. >> reporter: a microfiber cloth. >> you can use this as a clothes brush. gets the lint off. and for spotting. >> artificial sweetener? >> we're going to change this. you're at a restaurant and you get splattered with oil or salad dressing. anything that's oily. this is a very, very fine powder. pat it in and let it sit. it will start to absorb the oil. >> heloise had a conference with teresa's boys. >> laundry 101. >> reporter: teaching them how to sort. another tip -- >> take out of the drier when they're slightly damp. >> reporter: hand pressing an air drying can also take out wrinkles. >> doing this, you don't have to iron. that's more time to do housework. >> wow. >> whose bedspread this? >> this is mine. >> what are those little bleach spots there? >> that's a mistake. >> that's a mistake. >> heloise is here with help. use a felt tip marker that's as close as possible to the color where it is bleached out. it's close. i think so. it is great on jeans, too. >> reporter: last stop, the laundry room where shirts and ring around the collar were a concern for her husband. >> ring around the collar. ring around the collar. >> those dirty rings. >> reporter: heloise' advice? >> after you take your shower, put rubbing alcohol on a facial tissue and rub across the back of your next and that will take all of that off. for people who perspire a lot, you can put antipercent antiperspirant. >> reporter: now that they're no longer clothing clueless, teresa won't be taken to the cleaners anymore. >> so we've all been taking notes here in the studio. this is the shirt in question. this is the one that had the oily stains on it and heloise used the artificial sweetener. >> i totally love this trick! it came out completely with olive oil on there. now there is nothing there. if you're in a restaurant, there's always artificial sweetener available. you might have to do it a few times but it lifted. she did put it in the laundry after that and it did work. >> how did you feel about the shampooing, the ring around the collar. >> keep shampoo because it cuts down grease. or put the alcohol around your next and prevent it from the beginning. i love these tips. they're pennies! >> as we mentioned before, these are all good things because clothing is expensive. shoes are particularly expensive. you have a good tip for making boots last a little longer. >> heloise says roll up a newspaper, put it in and it will keep the shape. also sprinkle baking soda, that will absorb the smells and odors. i learned from a shoemaker, he said don't put it near a heat source. the next season it feels tight? that's because it's been near the heater and it shrinks. >> roll the newspaper up, stuff it down in there so it holds the shape. then when your shirts in particular come back from the dry cleaner, most of them come covered in that plastic sheet. heloise says, no -- the garments need to breathe. only leave six to eight inches on the top if you want to prevent dust from accumulating. but you don't want the chemicals, you don't want that smelling up your closet. air it out. only a little bit. cut it. i think these are great tips from heloise. >> janice, thank you very much. we'll have much more ahead, but first here's meredith. thank you, matt. more on that volcano erupting in iceland and a question -- how do you pronounce its name? the "daily show's" jon stewart had some fun with that last night. >> you know what i realized? volcano that's destroying our ability to travel through your by plane? i don't even know your name. >> this ef-yard-cool-glacier. >> eya, flaya -- >> glacier does. >> sounds like a beelt recoatle going backwards. >> like you took an alphabet, threw it up in the air and let the letters land where they would. >> volcano? i think i'll call you kevin. does anybody know the volcano's name? >> the name of the glacier is eyjafjallajoekul. >> boom! roker! that's how you get to the "today" show, baby. >> bravo! >> that was my first shot. then i never did it again. >> you only got it once, but that's all that matters. >> we had to move you. >> when you look at that name, on a piece of paper, it is just -- you stop. >> you just stop. but that's a typical name in iceland. >> how can you learn that language? >> i don't know. >> want to try it again? >> i like katla better. >> can you say it again? >> no. >> we don't know if it was right actually. you sounded convincing. >> it was close. it was close. i think i got a syllable or two off. >> jon stewart is never wrong. >> there you go. >> thank you. see if can pronounce this -- iv ivanka stops by after your local news and weather. >> live, local, late breaking, this is wbal tv 11 news and baltimore. >> it is 8:56 and let's get a check on traffic. >> it is kind of busy out there but the good news is the accident we had on the outer loop have been cleared. but one approaching loch raven is clear. 10 miles per hour is what we are down to approaching 95. 16 miles per hour at a southbound i-95 coming out of northeast and 10 miles per hour on the west side. the elder loop past liberty is gone. he spent 32 at i-95 has an accident and this one is gone. southbound to 95 approaching one of the 97, 35 miles per hour to get through the jfx. 23 miles per hour -- 23 minutes to get to that outer loop stretch and 23 on the inner loop from 95 towards 795. let's look at putty hill on the north side. things are still pretty congested at 40 west. here is a check on the forecast. >> the weather is nice and quiet. there are a few high clouds right now. temperatures are in the 40's and 50's. the forecast for today calls for a mix of sun and clouds and the clouds will thicken up this afternoon but no precipitation. high temperatures will be in the upper 60's. there's a chance for rain, off and on rain on wednesday with a high temperature of 63 and another good chance of rain for the weekend. >> thank you for joining us and we will have another update a 8:30 now on a tuesday morning, the 20th day of april, 2010. right now we've got some happy people on the plaza, and some of them are saying hi to the latest finalists voted off of "american idol." katie stevens and andrew garcia were victims of the dreaded double-elimination. >> i hate when that happens. >> i know. we'll catch up with them a little later on. by the way, one winner of "american idol" and the runner-up will be part of our summer concert series in the next couple of months. something to look forward to. find a complete list of our summer concert act on our website at todayshow.com. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer, along with meredith vieira, ann curry and al roker. what's coming up? legendary composer steven sondheim wrote the lyrics to some of broadway's classics. we'll hear from him. ivanka trump is also here. she is a very successful business person in her own right. of course she had a great leg up thanks to a very famous family. she's here to share some of the lessons she has learned along the way. joy bauer asks about soybeans really as good for you as people are saying and can you drink too much flavored water. i think the answer to that is probably yes. joy will get to the bottom of that. >> the key is flavored. >> exactly. now we want to say hello to andrea huff. she's the latest contest aant fm nbc's "biggest loser." you started with 298 pounds. what are you at? >> i'm 206. >> that's fantastic. >> much smaller. >> at the last weigh-in, you had lost three pounds, but the other contestants lost nothing, and yet you were voted off. why did that happen? >> sam's a great guy. super great encourager. and from a game standpoint, to keep the person who has hardly any weight to lose is a wise decision. great relationships with everyone in the house, but from a game point, it was a good decision to send me home. >> but it wasn't all bad this week because you did win a car. >> yeah. i thought we're going to run, we're going to do what we had to do but i felt i kept pulling the keys off, trying a million keys. finally the pink balloon was the winner and i got a car. >> meantime, when you left home, you walked the dog. now you can run with the dog. what's that like to have that experience? >> it feels so good. not only to be able to take your dog to -- take your dog out and go running. there's something satisfactory about it. it is kind of like taking your kids for a walk. there's something good about taking a dog out for a jog. >> you actually want to be a personal trainer. >> i do! >> talk about a transformation. wow! >> yeah. i love -- i've always loved helping people. to be able to pass it on, that's what it's all about. if you can't pass it on, then you probably shouldn't have started in the first place. >> frankly, i think you have more credibility. people understand it is possible to do it. you think have you a chance at that $100,000 at-home prize? >> i think i do. i think a lot of people have the chance but i'm going to fight as hard as i can from it. i hope i see everyone from the stage and say "thanks for the money." >> nice to have you here. good luck. >> thank you. >> you can see "biggest loser couples" tonight 8:00, 7:00 central right here on nbc. for today, we've got a lot of wet weather moving into the west coast, snow in the sierras, rain if the central plains. wet weather through the southeast. for tomorrow, showers in new england, mid-atlantic states seeing some rain. the western third of the country will be a mess. lots of rain, mountain snows. sunny and hot thr >> beclouds will thicken up but we expect a high in the upper >> and don't forget, you can check your weather any time of the day or night, weather channel on cable, weather.com online. this young lady is double digits. caitlin, happy birthday! >> very pretty headpiece there. speaking of pretty, up next, ivanka trump playing to win in business and i we're back now at 8:37 with ivanka trump. she's one of the judges on her father's reality show the celebrityaprentice, and has her own line of jewelry. her new book, "the trump card, playing to win in work and life." you in the book address what might be the easy criticism of you, that how can she write about success when she's the daughter of a billionaire, of course she's going to succeed. you come right out and say it is impossible to measure how much of an advantage that gave pea. >> i'll also acknowledge the fact that of course it gave me tremendous advantage in terms of access. but it was really up to me to capitalize on it. there are plenty of champs of children of privileged people who never accomplish anything. >> that's right. and you make it very clear that although you were from privilege, nothing was -- or most things were not handed to you on a silver platter. what were you forced to do at home? >> anything that any parent, grandparent would want to give to your children was never withheld from me, in terms of education, in terms of travel, in terms of things that would have a residual value and allow me to develop as a human being. but things that were purely superficial, the clothing, the allowance that was overly abundant, as many of my friends experienced, those were things that my parents were very diligent and very prudent about. making sure that it was reasonable and it was within the realm of what a 14, 15-year-old should have access to. >> as a young business woman, talk to me about opportunity and access. did your parents simply say, we'll introduce you to everybody we can to give you the best possibility of succeeding? or did they say, go out and carve your own path? >> one of the things i talk about quite a bit in the book and the importance of meeting people and networking. because i believe -- and i look at all the great deals my father's done over the course of his career. many of them originated through relationships and through a relationship that was stronger with him than one of his competitors that was looking at the same opportunity. i note some of the people who were my mentors, roger ales, tory bunrch. >> you said oftentimes the children of the very wealthy do not do all that well. i would imagine some just simply rebel, say i'll go counter to everything i was brought up with, and other simply have self-doubts, am i as good as my father or as my mother. why do you think you didn't fall into that trap? >> i think some of it is just i'm a naturally competitive and driven person. i think some of it was surroundings. i was brought up in. the household i grew up in. my parents are nothing if not driven and motivated to succeed. so i think it was a little bit nature, a little bit nurture. but you do see a lot of very intelligent people who were given the same platform that i was given, access to the finest schools, just culture, surroundings, network, ability to meet great people and to benefit from their knowledge. and yet they do nothing as if they're almost paralyzed by a fear of not livingp to their potential. and it lingers over them and it can either motivate you if you harness that and allow it to push you forward, or it can be a great hindrance to your development. >> your dad has had some very famous successes. but he's had some times when you didn't do so well. did he share the experience of that with you and what did you learn from the failures? >> i think for him, reflecting on those moments that were the greatest challenge for him in his business career and in his personal life and the ability to absorb that, to learn and move forward with that knowledge has made him a much better business person. in a time and in a climate where you see so many people within real estate repeating the same mistakes that they made in the early '90s. we're very fortunate as an organization because in 2004, my father said we're not buying anything else. the market no longer makes sense to me. and he learned that as a result of what he experienced in the early '90s and he didn't want to go back there. >> you're in your mid to later 20s right now. right? what would you say to the 21 year-olds or 22 year-olds who is coming out of college in a very difficult and uncertain economy? what is the best way they can distinguish themselves in this tough job market to get noticed? >> it used to be just about showing up. now you have to look at every interview with a level of professionalism that people just weren't used to before. they'd show up without doing their homework. i know, because i was a young employee at a non-trump company. >> you're also an employer. >> i'm also an employer of many young people. >> what's the biggest mistake people make when they come to you? what don't they do right? >> they don't know what they want. people are casting their net far too wide in this xlimt because they are looking for any opportunity. so they come into my office and don't tell me why their skill set or their interest fit the job position i'm looking for. they're going everywhere, trying every field and they're looking for whoever nibbles as opposed to really honing in and say this is what i'm good at, this is why i fit the position and this is what i aspire to do. i think that's an area that young people could very much improve. plus, just knowing the basics about the company, watching "the apprentice" isn't enough to know what we do at the trump organization given the amount of diversity with obviously the jewelry and the real estate and the entertainment. really understanding who you are meeting and what you bring to that organization. >> it seems like the sky is the limit for you. >> hopefully. >> good luck to you. >> thank you so much. >> congratulations on the book in paper book. come back and see us. >> matt, thank you. >> say hi to your family. >> will do. my father's watching. >> donald, hi. the book is called "the trump card." up next, broadway legend stephen sondheim. but first, this is "today" on nbc. we're back at 8:46. for nearly 60 years, stephen sondheim has written some of broadway's most memorable music. now in "sondheim on sondheim," it commemorates his career. nbc's anne thompson recently sat down with the legendary composer. >> reporter: stephen sondheim is the toast of broadway this spring. >> they are renaming the henry miller theater the seechb sotep sondheim theater. do you feel a little bit like tom sawyer watching -- watching my own funeral? absolutely. absolutely. it is gratifying, of course. >> reporter: a new show, "sondheim on sondheim" opens this week on broadway, starring stage veterans barbara cook. tom wolpatt and vanessa williams. ♪ >> reporter: the show features songs from throughout sondheim's career as well as interviews with the composer, what he calls a movie on stage. >> i think it is just personal enough, people say, my gosh, you're so personal out in public. i didn't find that very hard to do. >> reporter: in the show, sondheim pays tribute to his mentor, oscar hammer stein who rescued the teenager from an unhappy life with his divorced mother. >> he was a great man. he had a view of the world that just sounds like what he said himself, cock-eyed optimism. but it was deeply felt. >> reporter: it was hammerstein who convinced sondheim, then just 25, to take a job writing the lyrics for what would become a classic, "west side story." today looking back on some of what he wrote then, it makes him cringe. >> i mean i did, two kids from the street are singing "today is just the world with an address," i am thinking there's a writer there someplace. that's just a writer saying that with a capital "w." >> reporter: he re-invented musical theater with words and melodies unlike anything broadway had heard before. he's won more than a dozen tonys, a pulitzer prize. ♪ isn't it bliss ♪ don't you approve >> reporter: but only one song became a popular hit. >> the one song i've written that could be called a warhorse. it's been sung so many times, i'm sure there are people who go around saying if i hear that song one more time, i'm going to kill myself. >> reporter: what is it that has made that -- >> i have no idea. >> reporter: judy collins first recorded it. then frank sinatra. almost 1,000 recordings of the song now exist. catherine zeta-jones sings it in the current broadway revival. >> what is very clear and evident in sondheim's work is that you can take all the glitz and glamour away and it is predominantly just a great piece of writing and a great scoring. >> reporter: the magic he creates onstage does not come from magic off stage. >> that's the romantic idea, you sit in your benthouse overlooking new york at your piano. it's like any craft. it is just a lot of hard work, a lot of planning and a lot of time. >> reporter: the result? moments that can take your breath away. >> you can always tell the steven sondheim stanza. if he's written the music, you know in the first two bars. >> reporter: at 80, sondheim says he is working on two potential new shows, unconcerned about posterity. >> if nobody remembers me after the day i die, that's fine. as long as while i'm here people are listening to what i do. that's what counts. i like to tell stories that make people laugh, cry and have a good time. >> reporter: in the words of the composer himself, "stisn't it bliss." for "today," anne thompson, nbc news. up next, the two two weeks ago the "american idol" judges used the only save of the season, if you know what that meant. last week two contestants had to be eliminated, katie stevens and andrew garcia. good morning. >> good morning. >> double elimination. i just hate the whole name of that. did you guys see it coming? did you expect it? >> i mean i had done great the night before, but for some reason that whole day i thought i was going home. i just had this feeling. then when tim got saved, i kind of nodded my head. >> i didn't expect anything. i was just like, this show's crazy so i don't know if i'm going to stay or go. i was just like -- i was there, i was grateful for whatever happened. >> you know who's really bummed out about you not being there anymore? >> who. >> lee, your bromance there on the show. are you guys going to work together you think in the future? >> yes, for sure. >> you think you'll collaborate? >> yeah. we talked about it. >> you'll be back on the road together anyhow. >> yeah. >> was it one of those things where you say bye to them, like, "okay, i'll see you in a couple of weeks." >> you got to figure out between going to your senior prom or going on the "american idol" live tour. what are you going to do? >> decisions, decisions. no, i'm obviously going on tour. but my school wouldn't want it anyother way. they would rather me be going on tour and following my dreams. >> maybe you could ask someone to go on tour with you as a prom date. >> big mike wanted to be my prom date when i was getting all these prom offers, he's like, no, no, no, you're not going with anybody, you're going with me. so i asked him when we were there, mike, if i can't go to my prom, can you guys have like an "idol prom tour"? >> there you go. >> you guys will do your own albu albums. right? i know the judges on "idol" sometimes tell you what music you really should perform. are you going to listen to them? >> well, i got told rock, country, pop and mariachi. so i have a decision to make. no. but ultimately i'd like to put out a pop, r&b pop background, kelly clarkson type album. >> my style is acoustic. but i'll have full production on an album. whatever i do on an album you can just do it stripped downfy want, just play acoustic. my style is -- i don't really have a style. it is just like a pop/r&b. >> style is you. >> people were talking about ryan seacrest -- who we love. i have a bromance with ryan. but he was a little odd last week. >> he looked tired. >> he works a lot. >> he does. >> that happens to you sometimes because you work hard. >> you are -- you're going to get married, i understand? you popping the question. >> yeah. right now i'm planning on it. a little busy right now so i'm -- >> never too busy. >> good luck, guys. >> you seem happy. >> i'm really happy. >> congratulations. >> thanks, guys. quacks' live, local, leaping, this wbal tv 11 news in baltimore. >> it is 8:55. a local coaches charged with sexual abuse and police are searching for more of victims. he is accused of molesting one of his sons female friends. the 9-year-old girl told him about the abuse after being shown a video on molestation at school. police are looking at his role as a volunteer soccer coach assistant at st. ursula's and his participation in boys get activity spurte -- activities. lax it is very quiet on this tuesday. there is a little cloud cover and clouds will thicken as we go into the afternoon. we do not expect precipitation. temperatures will make it to the upper 60's later today which is close to average for this time of year. sunset is at 7:49. often on rain showers for thursday and it will be cooler with a high temperature near 63. it looks like a good chance of rain heading into the weekend >> thank you for joining us and we will have another update at 9:25.