crying baby with an open hand on the face. the flight attendant took matters into her own hands, took the baby away from the parents and went to the rear of the plane. police got involved. we'll tell you how it all ended up. >> that's a tough situation. >> did she do the right thing? that's the question. >> it's wednesday, so it's today's money 9-1-1. we have a lot of answers to your financial questions including tackling federal student loan debt. whether it is a good idea to consolidate with a private company. we'll talk about paying off your mortgage before retirement and how to handle debt if you owe hundreds of thousands of dollars. also ahead, skin solutions from tanning beds to drinking and smoking. we're going to tell you the ten things that can seriously damage your skin and what you can do to improve your complexion. >> okay. a lot to get to. ann is on assignment in pakistan this morning. natalie is at the news desks with the headlines. hi. >> good morning, matt and al and good morning, everyone. prosecutors are vowing to retry rod blagojevich after a chicago jury deadlocked tuesday on 23 of 24 counts he faced. he was convicted of one count of lying to federal agents. officials in pakistan say flood waters covering one-fifth of the country will not fully recede until the end of the month. the united nations says it's raised half of the money needed for initial flood relief efforts. anxious moments in china where flood waters swept several people away as others tried to save them. they were all eventually pulled out of the raging water. mazda is recalling cars because of power steering problems including mazda-3 models from 2007 to 2009 and maz mazda-5 models from 2007 and 2008. there have been about 33 complaints about steering problems including three crashes. a mid-air incident on a southwest airlines flight as a flight attendant took a 13-month-old girl from a mother after saying the woman slapped her child in the face. more from lee cowan. >> reporter: somewhere in the skies between dallas and albuquerque the crying began. but to one southwest flight attendant it wasn't the noise that was troubling. it was what she said the baby's mother was doing to stop it. according to a police report the flight attendant, beverly mccurly saw the mother strike the child with an open hand on the face. that's when police say the flight attendant took the child from the mother and walked to the rear of the aircraft. once there the flight attendant told police she noticed the little girl, just 13 months old, also had a black eye. troubling enough for southwest to call ahead and have police waiting for the parents on the ground. >> the local paramedics checked the child out, extensive interviews were conducted with flight crew, with the parents, with witnesses from the plane. >> reporter: the mother admitted to police while standing in the jetway that she did strike her child but didn't do anything wrong. "i popped her when she kicked me," she said, "and that was it." "the black eye," she explained, "was from a dog bite." no charges were filed and the family was allowed to board the next flight out. a tough call. >> i wouldn't want any harm to my child. at the same time i wouldn't want someone to necessarily say my discipline style is incorrect. >> it's really hard to criminalize bad parenting. >> reporter: experts say whether charges were filed or not the southwest flight attendant probably did the right thing. >> if you're deciding whether to report or not it's better to err on the side of what could be best for the children. >> reporter: just part of a flight crew's training. southwest said, our flight attendant offered to hold the baby to soothe the child. authorities were called only as a precaution. at 30,000 feet, taking control in the cabin is often priority number one. lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. it is now four minutes past the hour you are up to date now. let's get a check on the weather from al. >> thanks, natalie. let's see what's happening. we have strong storms firing up just south of atlantic city across through washington, down to knoxville, tennessee. some of the storms dropping lots of rain, isolated areas of hail. anywhere from one to two inches of rain. the rest of the country looking at beautiful weather out west. 73 in seattle. 80 in portland. 85 in los angeles. look for a risk of strong storms through minneapolis to iowa. we have showers from the southwest and also looking at hit-or-miss thunderstorms there and the remnants of tropical depression 5 causing problems for the lower gulf coast. >> it is going to be a slow commute today. good chance for rain, especially around baltimore city. temperatures upper seventies, and now today's money 9-1-1 where we offer advice for pressing financial questions. our team today jean chatzky and the author of "money 911." new to the panel, ceo of the financial assurance corporation. welcome. looking very sharp. and a personal finance expert. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> here we go. we have a question now. we're going to skype. holly from vernon, connecticut. good morning. >> good morning. >> what's your question for the panel? >> my husband and i are both successful professionals and as a result we have about $150,000 in student loan debt. we have consolidated our loans but we still have four payments every month, two federal and two private, which total about $1250. although we have good credit we feel we don't really have many options since they don't recommend that we consolidate private and federal student loans. i was wondering if there are options to decrease our overall student loan payment every month? >> a couple of things. they're right about that. you don't want to mix federal and private together because you lose some of the hardship provisions and should you hit hard times you may need those. what you want to look at are the private loans. they are most likely the more expensive of the two. you look at stretching out the payments on the federal loans and seeing if you can just hammer, whale on those private ones, bring the interest rates down and if your credit score is really excellent, close to 800 you may be able to bring it down. the only other alternative -- and i want to hear what these guys think about this as well is do you have equity in your home? do you have a substantial amount of equity in a home? holly? >> not enough. especially when we purchased our home two years ago it was right before the market started to come down. >> for anybody looking at that, that's the cheapest way to refinance a student loan these days. home equity loans. >> pay off the loan? >> if you can. you have to be careful. you don't want to go on some sort of bender, use the money unwisely. if you're very disciplined it can be decent. >> it does also remember if you declare bankruptcy you cannot get rid of the student loans ever whereas if you use equity in the home and you have enough and it's cheap, then that's the case if you fall on hard times you could take care of it. >> let's get to the phone now. i knew a gal from kalamazoo, michigan named ruthie. good morning. what's your question? >> caller: good morning. i'm 57 years old, retired with a pension. my husband joe is 58 and plans to retire in four to seven years. he currently contributes the maximum allowable amount into a 40 401-k account and we have no credit card debt. our mortgage is 3.75% and we have seven years remaining on the mortgage. my question is after all our monthly bills are paid we often have extra cash we'd like to do something with. is it better to put the extra money into an investment or savings or is it better to pay down on the principal of the mortgage? >> you guys are retiring very, very young. that's one thing that concerns me here. with a 5% interest rate you don't have to be in a huge rush to pay off the mortgage. you have a long stretch of retirement ahead of you. i would much rather you put the money to work and make it work hard for you in a real diversified portfolio. i know he has a retirement savings but you can open up another ira. i wouldn't worry about the mortgage and house. you will be free and clear shortly. >> and 5% only costs you 3.5 with taxes. >> invest it. >> and a happy life, ruthie, good for you. >> happy long life. >> good for you. now to a viewer e-mail. this was sent in anonymously from a viewer in montana. "my parents are in their 50s in debt to the irs for a total of $200,000. they have little savings and a lien on their home. we have talked about the ads on television for attorneys to consolidate debt. is there a way to have it reduced? >> they want to confirm first that the debt is theirs, that the total liability is their total liability. you know, the irs has been known to blunder a bit and perhaps bluff folks. once they confirm that, then i would encourage them to seek perhaps some abatement for the penalties, getting the penalties waived or reduced. often times a big debt like that has lots of penalties and interest. >> you can negotiate? >> they will put you on a payment plan and she asked specifically about the ads on tv. we can get rid of your debt, cut it in half. avoid them. be careful. >> let's go to skype with jennifer from ann arbor, michigan. good morning. >> good morning, al. >> what's your question for the panel? >> i was watching the "today" recently -- >> that's very, very good. >> i'm sorry. go ahead. >> i was watching "today" recently and it was recommended that people look into refinancing. now, i have looked into refinancing, but no one will actually take a look at us. we're upside down on the mortgage. due to the housing economy, but we are up to date on our bills. it seems to me that only the people who are not making their payments can actually refinance, or people who are first time home buyers can get the great rates. do you have any differing information that could help us? >> carmen? >> there is a little bit of a mix up. it's not refinancing you're talking about. refinancing is only for folks with equity in their home, and a lot of equity. at least 20% or more. basically buying your home again at a different rate. if you're under water you're talking about a loan modification. this is different. this is when the bank adjusts the terms of the loan, lowers your interest rate, lowers the monthly payment. you may pay more in the end or they extend the loan from 20 years to 30. you have to get help and it is true that loa lot of banks aren helping unless you fall behind. go to makinghomeaffordable.org and talk to a hud housing counselor to talk about your chances of a loan mod. >> lots of great advice. jennifer, good luck with the refinance or home modification. >> thank you so much. still ahead, getting your kids organized as they head back to school. we have tips for a productive school year. up next, ten things that are ruining your skin and how to protect yourself, right after these messages. well, max, first day... moh-ohm. -do you have your lunch? -yes. and you know where your classroom is? uh huh. mom, i can walk from here. what about your... mom, i got it. ♪ [ female announcer ] they're never too big for a little something sweet. kellogg's rice krispies treats. for a little something sweet. activia has delicious news for dessert lovers. often, the best part of a meal is the dessert. but sometimes after a busy day and a heavy greasy dinner... my system needs some tlc. now there is something new. introducing activia dessert. rich, silky, smooth yogurt with desserty flavors like strawberry cheesecake, blueberry cheesecake, and peach cobbler. and because it's activia, it helps regulate my digestive system. mmm. works for me. ♪ activia new activia dessert. 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[ female announcer ] maxwell house gives you a rich, full-flavored cup of coffee, so you can be good to the last drop. this morning on today's health, ten things ruining your skin. aging is inevitable, but you can slow down the pace. here are skin remedies is dr. susan taylor, dermatologist. good morning. >> good morning. >> we know the damage the sun can do. harvard medical school says it is still the biggest cause of damage to the skin. >> people don't realize exposure while driving in the car, while walking down the street is significant. the rule is you have to apply sunscreen every day and you have to apply it every two hours because it wears off after two hours. don't forget to use spf 30. no excuses. there is a sunscreen for everyone. if your skin is dry, you can use a moisturizing sunscreen. if it's oily, use gel. there are sprays, sticks. >> even sensitive skin, you name it. >> right. >> we know stress is a big skin-buster. what can we do to alleviate that? >> first of all, find out what's right for you. it might be yoga, exercise, meditation. so it's going to be different for everyone. what you have to realize is that when you're under stress the body releases neuropeptides. they can act on the skin making acne worse, eczema worse, psoriasis worse. also adrenaline is released causing blood vessels to constrict depriving the skin of oxygen and nutrients. >> everything flares up then. >> you need to relieve it. >> compounded with stress is lack of sleep. >> that's right. >> one other thing to do is trying to get more sleep. >> you need seven to eight hours of sleep. that's hard for many people. if you get six, try to add another 30 minutes. that's a real simple thing to do. what you have to realize is that stress can have profound effects on the skin. it can cause skin cells to reproduce abnormally. that could lead to precancers for example and shorten the life span of cells. >> 15, 30 minutes makes a big difference. >> goes a long way. >> okay. let's talk about dehydration. if you're drinking alcohol or if you're even washing your face with too much hot water, that can dehydrate the skin. >> or drying soaps or cleansers can dehydrate the skin. that can ruin your skin, so moisturize. there are many moisturizers available. this one has ceramides in it. those are lipids that help the skin hold onto water. apply moisturizer a couple times a day if your skin is dehydrated. and be mindful of the cleansers and soaps you're using. >> in the summer people don't like to moisturize because they think they will break out. what can you do? >> there are many moisturizers that are noncomedegenic. they won't break you out. >> i know people are addicted to lip balm and it turns out overuse is making your lips drier. >> it can, depending on the ingredients. there are ingredients or dyes that give it a bright color that can irritate the skin and produce extra dryness. if that's happening to you, look for a balm that just has petrolatum, think of it as vasoline. apply it several times a day. your lips will get better as opposed to drier. >> we know there is serious damage tanning salons can do. everyone recommend it is self-tanners, but often the application isn't easy. how do you keep from getting streaky. >> first of all, self-tanners have come a long way. they're terrific now. if you're applying one on your legs, shave beforehand to remove dead layers of cells. when you apply self-tanner it won't streak. you could even use a loofah sponge or buff-puff. >> ex-foal yat first. >> you could use a lotion and then the self-tanner goes on smoothly and evenly. >> for people with problem skin who break '02out a lot, they te to overuse products. >> it causes redness and irritation. the rule is select one product. use it for six to eight weeks. that's how long it takes to see improvement. if you don't see improvement after that time see a dermatologist. >> benzoperoxide and salycilic acid. >> don't combine them. >> and tobacco is terrible for your skin. >> smoke releases free radicals which damages your collagen and elastin in the skin. so stop smoking. you can't reverse all the damage. some of it you can. if you have deep wrinkles and folds and a sal low skin tone, go to your determine knormatold. there are things we can prescribe. >> thank you very much. still to come, keeping your kids organized as they head back to the classroom. first, these messages. 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[ whispering ] now with whole grain pasta. shh. here's what you should be watching: your cable bill, because you could be paying way too much. stop spending more for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for just $99.99 a month. and here's a special bonus: you'll also get the fios tv movie package -- 60 premium channels, including starz and showtime -- plus epix -- free for 12 months. and now there's no term contract required, if you don't love fios you can cancel at anytime with no early termination fee. fios gives you the best channel lineup, superior picture quality and more hd; plus internet rated #1 in satisfaction, speed and reliability. why keep paying for cable? get fios tv, internet and phone for just $99.99 a month. plus the fios tv movie package and epix, free for 12 months. with no term contract. call 1.877.797.fios. that's 1.877.797.3467. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's 1.877.797.3467. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. it's time for fios. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> we are off to a wet start, obviously. rain will stay with us off and on through this afternoon. i do expected to taper off late in the day. because of clouds and showers, most of the will stay in the 70's. ♪ you've got to like this guy, daughtry. an emmy-nominated band formed by chris daughtry after he was voted off "american idol" four years ago. he's never looked back. this friday on "today" they are all going to be here live, rocking the plaza. the summer series isn't over yet. next week, katy perry will be here to celebrate the debut of her new album "teenage dream." come on down. >> i wonder what she'll be wearing this time. meanwhile in this half hour it's back to school time. yeah! that means books, homework, projects and lots of after school activities. it's easy for your child, but not to mention parents sometimes to get overwhelmed. this morning we are going to have a lesson in organization to help your kids have a less stressful and more productive school year. >> that's a big thing. lila is going into 6th grade. it's about organization. there is a locker now, changing classes, wow. >> about when to do your homework and to have an area set up so they want to do homework. we'll get to that in a bit. >> one place you will want to be is today's kitchen for a classic recipe for crab cakes from two award winning james beard chefs who say the secret is to keep it simple. >> more crab. >> more crab! like more cowbell. you can't go wrong. i have a fever and only crab can cure it. let's take a look and see what's going on as far as your weather is concerned. checking out the weekend ahead. saturday we have sunshine up and down the east coast. [ cowbell ] >> thank you very much! wet weather on the gulf coast into the ohio river valley. sunday, more rain through new england down along the southeastern atlantic coast. [ natalie laughing ] >> she's crying. [ >> it is going to be a slow commute today. good chance for rain to start the day. it to taper off lewis morning and into the afternoon to and that's your latest weather. >> coming up next, how getting your kids organized now can lead to a better school year ahead after these messages. nouncer ] everyone deserves to be safe. that's why every new toyota comes with the star safety system standard. it's is a combination of five accident avoidance technologies. the star safety system is something that's standard on 100 percent of toyota vehicles. we always think of safety, even in the concept design of our vehicles. 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[ male announcer ] these medicines make you choose. pepcid® complete doesn't. it's fast acting and long lasting. pepcid® complete works now and works later. this morning on back to school today, the importance of being organized. after the first school bell rings your home will be flooded with homework, books, binders and projects. teaching kids to be organized now can lead to a more successful school year ahead. wendy welsh is a psychologist, mom of two and an expert for momlogic.com. what else, wendy? >> this is a big hurdle for parents to be organized and keep kids organized. >> there are so many bits and pieces with children. when a newborn comes to the house they bring 40 pounds of laundry. when it's school it's homework, clothes, art projects. >> really important to let them start off on a good foot for the school year. >> in order for the brain to learn, we need to have an organized environment. it helps us internally organize by organizing our environment. >> i can't concentrate unless everything is clean. >> i clean my desk before i work. >> exactly. that's what kids are doing as well. let's talk about basic tools starting off first with homework time and creating an atmosphere that's going to lead them to want to sit down at the table and do that. >> our homework is down here. what we have is they come in backpacks. these are great ones from lands end and l.l. bean. they have a pile of paperwork. first i pull out the stuff for me that needs to be signed, needs a check, a permission slip. i have file folders and one is always called mom. i take out my own first. i make sure their homework goes in files in their slots. when i hear later, "where's my homework" they know where it is. it's labeled and color coded. >> how often do you clean and throw away? >> ideally, every day. believe it or not, there are day of handouts you have to get back. signing the reading list or what have you. you have to go through the backpack every day. i know every mom doesn't especially if you have three kids at different schools and all kinds of stuff, but try. >> this is a battle in a lot of homes. the wardrobe wars. that's where we are over here. >> oh, yes. i have a prima donna drama queen entering 2nd grade. she changes four, five times and has tantrums if things aren't write. sunday we take out ziploc bags, label them monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday. everything from the shoes to underwear to socks. the full outfit is there and there are no changes allowed in the morning. that's the outfit. that keeps it from -- you know how suddenly it's p.e. day on wednesday and the uniform is in the wash? this helps. we negotiate. we have time on sunday. we negotiate and work through. >> also, keeping kids organized. a lot of it has to do with you keeping your calendar organized and their schedules together. >> we are all blackberry, iphone computer people. it's wonderful to have the schedule hidden away. kids can't take responsibility for their lives or reminding us what they need unless we have a visual reminder. there are great mom calendars out there. they come with color coded stickers with each kid and their schedule. i think getting kids in the habit of working through with you and this should be on the fridge. this makes it fun and at a glance you have a visual reference for the day without logging onto the kpurnd opening the program. -- computer and opening the program. the kids can count the days to the birthday party and remind you to get a present. >> i wish my kids would. half the time i'm running to the store. >> exactly. >> to keep them motivated what are other tools or things to keep them going. >> starting with younger children it's a matter of doing more for them and slowly falling back a little bit. i like to say if you do your job well, you have worked yourself out of a job as a mother. you're trying to train them. the older ones, give them responsibility. i give rewards, not allowance. you don't get paid for it being friday. i reward itunes songs. >> good songs. >> not explicit songs. that's the one my kids like. or video game time. >> wendy walsh, thank you. good advice. up next, classic crab cakes from maine right after these messages. love activia light? 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(announcer) it's more than just that great peanut taste, choosing jif is a simple way to show someone how much you care. we can't wait to get you home. i love you mom. i love you too. we'll see you soon. choosey moms, choose jif. to get more of the fiber you need every day, try fiberchoice. with the natural fiber found in fruits and vegetables and 33% more fiber per serving than benefiber. go to fiberchoice.com to get savings and rewards. ♪ sitting in the morning sun this morning in today's kitchen, a classic crowd pleaser -- crab cakes. mark and clark keep it simple by using fresh ingredients. they are chefs in maine. good to see you guys. you're not going to use that on me, are you? so we have fresh crab cakes. >> absolutely. you can buy the crab meat, but you can tear off the top of the crab, the knuckles and claws. clean out the gills, just like with soft shell crab. you don't want to eat that stuff. >> how many crabs do you need to make them? >> you probably need a dozen to get enough meat. >> so you clean it out, and you've got a big bowl of crab. yeah, that's what we're talking about. >> this is what you want. this is the good stuff. >> here, all done. we have been working on it for hours. >> all day. what goes into this? it's pretty simple. >> my thing, i believe -- and mark -- we love to put the fresh lemon juice right on here. using really fresh crab it brightens it up really nice. add that and we have bread crumbs that have been sauteed and not browned, as you can see. >> what do you saute them in? >> whole butter. >> you want to be careful buzz you don't want the crab to break up. >> a little bit. it won't hurt. you don't have to be super careful, but don't beat it into submission either. then a little bit of sour cream. well, a lot. >> okay. >> that's on the don't eat list, so we won't talk about it too much. a little bit of flour. you can always add more to make them form appropriately. but this is pretty good. >> do you throw in any salt or pepper? >> yeah. why don't you add a little bit of that? >> you can always use the nice kosher salt, sea salt. and a little bit of freshly ground pepper. i think these are going to form up. there we go. a little bit more flour. >> the flour is the binder? gets you the right consistency. >> you can put it all in, but less is more. >> definitely. >> i noticed you coat them before -- in a little flour? >> just a little bit of flour. >> there we go. takes a few minutes and these are beautiful. >> there we go. these are almost ready. >> thanks. >> now, we're going to make a nice tartar sauce? >> exactly. a remoulade which is perfect with crab cakes. >> that sounds better than tartar sauce. >> absolutely. you can make your own mayonnaise or buy an organic with olive oil and nice things in it. essentially you're adding shallots and chopped pickles, mustard. we add different things, a thai sricha chili paste. this is so easy especially if you buy the mayonnaise. it makes it even easier. we have a little bit of vinegar for a kick. we like a little kick in the crab cake. >> how's the crab season in maine? >> it's been really good this year. it's been a good season all around. lots of crabby tourists and nice tourists. just lots of them. it's been a great year. >> the weather has helped out this year. >> last year was a horrible -- >> hideous. we were all ready to shoot ourselves. it was the worst ever. it rained for 30 days in june. it was cloudy in july. everybody was afraid they lost all their money. that looks really good. i will stick my finger in and taste it. clark has crab cakes just about ready there. >> oh, man. this is pretty darn tasty. >> isn't it good? >> it is. >> you can use maine peketoe crab. >> that's fun to say. >> it really is. if you have the patient to pick them. they really are a pain. they're not that cute. they're cute to look at. >> so you put a little bit of the -- >> put the remoulade right on. >> or a lot of it. >> just dip it. >> pick them up and eat them. >> i didn't know it was finger food. >> it is now. >> oh, man. >> lots of crab meat. not much stuff to interfere. just enough to hold it in here. >> natalie will be here in a minute. >> does she like crab cakes? >> she does. we'll be right back, but first this is "today" on nbc. ♪ natalie's still on the cowbell. look who stopped by. >> we came to visit and have crab. >> i need this. >> yes. >> we are going to be talking about a lot of things. there are so many more teenagers, young girls getting botox. >> really? >> yeah. >> and girls as young as 8 getting bikini waxes. our facebook lit up like crazy. >> it's disturbing on many levels. >> botox, many of them are trying to beat the wrinkles or change the shape of their faces. >> what does an 8-year-old -- >> that's -- >> geez. >> also more coming up. >> we'll talk about that. >> and a movie called "lottery ticket." what would you do if you won $300 million? how would your life change? >> bye-bye! moving on. >> and much, much more of course. >> we'll see you in a little bit. >> who knew? >> and who knew? >> after your local news. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am tony pann. the rate will stay with us through the morning off and on. there could be minor flooding problems. the evening commute will be better. clyde temperatures today will stay in the 70's. as we had to the next [ male announcer ] are you watching cable? here's what you should be watching: your cable bill, because you could be paying way too much. stop spending more for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for just $99.99 a month. and here's a special bonus: you'll also get the fios tv movie package -- 60 premium channels, including starz and showtime -- plus epix -- free for 12 months. and now there's no term contract required, if you don't love fios you can cancel at anytime with no early termination fee. fios gives you the best channel lineup, superior picture quality and more hd; plus internet rated #1 in satisfaction, speed and reliability. why keep paying for cable? 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