Transcripts For WBAL Today 20100826

photo for their scrapbook "today," thursday, august 26th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. i'm ann curry. >> and i'm carl quintanilla. matt is on assignment. meredith has the morning off. it's great to be with you this morning. economy's been a big story all week long. now new home sales are painting an even bleaker picture of the real estate market and the overall economy. >> that's right, carl. sales of new homes dropped more than 12% nationwide in july to the lowest point ever recorded. that's much lower than expected. we're going to have more on this and what it means for you straight ahead. >> also ahead, we recently told you about one of the richest women in the country who has not been to her mansion in 20 years. she now lives exclusively at a new york hospital, and authorities have launched an investigation into two people handling her affairs. we'll get the latest on that mysterious story in a moment. >> it is a really mysterious story. plus we've got tiger woods going on record for the first time now about his divorce from elin nordegren after she spoke out about the split to "people" magazine. so we'll hear from him coming up. >> talk a little about the effect of divorce on kids, as well, with that story. and have you heard about this? >> i want to know about this. because it's crazy. >> it is a serious local news story about a home invasion in alabama. now a couple of guys in brooklyn have turned that story into a rap song, and it's a huge sensation on the web. a big hit on itunes, even. and coming up we're going to meet the guy behind it and find out what the song's unsuspecting start. that's him. he is a star. >> so let's begin with those new home sales figures that have a lot of economists concerned. we've got maria bartiromo joining us. there's been a lot of bad economic news. now with these new numbers on wednesday, they're telling us sales of newly built homes dropped to their lowest level since the government started tracking the numbers in 1963. and that on top of the fact that spending on big ticket items like cars and appliances fell to just 0.3% in july. so where is this economy heading, maria? >> right now we've got a very troubling situation. you would like to see a much better showing at this point in the recovery. but the bottom line is housing is missing in action. and there really isn't the urgency to buy a home right now. many people think that prices will continue to come down. and at the end of the day, it really is about unemployment. and that really is the issue. because when you're worried about your job, you're worried about your neighbor's job, of course you're not going to put new money down for a home, for a car, or other big ticket items. >> that said, what are leading economists saying about the big d.d., the double dip that people have been worrying about. are we now more likely based on this new data, and also, speak to the fact that one economist is actually using another "d" word and that's the word depression. >> yeah. he was on our air, actually, on cnbc just this week. most people i've spoken with are really not expecting a double-dip recession. but at the end of the day, and it doesn't really matter what you call it, right? it doesn't matter if you label it a recession, a depression, a slowdown, it's how you feel. and we feel depressed. and we are feeling like things are getting tougher. because they are. one of the issues is the fact that businesses are not adding new heads to the payroll. but why would they? they don't really see the support from policies coming out of washington to do so. they're worried about higher taxes. they're worried about higher health care expenses. until those worries subside and they feel that they actually can afford to add significant numbers in terms of new heads to the payroll, they won't do it. >> a lot of people are buying gold which has historically been a sign of panic. we've also got a big speech on friday from the fed chairman ben bernanke. what can he do? what can the government do now to sort of increase confidence, which is really a problem here? >> partly it takes time. we really did see a terrible recession. and we are still in it. so it is going to take time. we're probably going to see a tough 2011 frankly. as far as the fed, i don't think people necessarily want to see more stimulus. they would like to see lower spending. but we need to see confidence and demand come back to the consumer. and until unemployment turns around, we probably won't see that. so it really does once again go back to the jobs picture. >> maria bartiromo who really wants to give us some good news. work on that, will you? nice to have you here. thanks a lot, maria. you can catch maria on "closing bell" week days at 3:00 p.m. on cnbc. now here's carl. >> ann, thanks. now to the latest on the massive egg recall. and some news that might surprise you. many of the eggs tied to the farms involved in that nationwide salmonella outbreak could still end up in your kitchen in products like ice cream and mayonnaise. is there really cause for concern? dr. nancy synderman is nbc's chief medical editor. >> hi, carl. >> we were told to throw away the eggs that were recalled. >> right. >> now we're told that these things are going to show up in products we already buy. how are we supposed to feel about that? >> i think you have to remember that the things we're supposed to throw away are the tajted eggs. there's a line in the sand, that stuff is gone. the eggs and the farms that were producing the bad eggs are still making eggs. and what the government is now saying is, we will take those to a breaking plant, cracking plant, and literally crack open the egg and just use the insides. the insides have been pasteurized and that scientifically, we know, equivocally -- >> that's foolproof. >> will kill salmonella. and then the inside stuff becomes product like cakes, cookies, ice creams, et cetera. >> should people be alarmed? because we're not going to know which products have it. it's probably already in the food supply. >> no. look, the most important thing is not to be alarmed. once you pasteurize something it is safe. if you had purchased pasteurized eggs, but that's only ones that come in eggs that are in the grocery store, you're going to be okay. it's the unpasteurized stuff. while i understand that people are very skeptical of the fda, maybe untrusting of the u.s. government, and saying you've got to be kidding me, the reality is, the inside of the eggs, if they're completely cooked or pasteurized, are safe. >> if you've already bought the recalled eggs, can you cook them and will the salmonella then go away? >> you are probably going to be safe. but be prudent. because this has been a recall you're best to throw away the eggs that have been recalled. here's the problem. the fda just doesn't have a lot of chops. if you're a bad egg producer, i can come to you as the fda and say, carl, would you please be a good corporate citizen and get rid of the bad eggs. but i can't mandate you to do it. and that's what's really irritating people. it's almost like we need a reorganization of food. such that there's a food czar, a new food bureau, something that combines the usda, and the fda and puts them together and says look, we're going to protect the u.s. food supply. spinach, this, hamburger, peanut butter. at some point, the american public is going to say, we don't trust anybody. and, two, in countries with the resources that we have, we can't get food from the farm fields to the table? that is an egregious, egregious move. and why should americans trust that our food supply is okay? the stuff that they're going to do to fix these bad eggs, yes, we'll be okay. but i think it raises a much bigger problem than we have to address. >> a lot of cross currents in regulation in this country. >> congress has to step up to the plate. they can do this. but congress is going to have to, frankly, get some chops here. >> you feel strongly about this. >> it's ridiculous. why shouldn't you trust the food that's on your table? that's ridiculous. >> dr. nancy synderman. thank you. >> you're welcome, carl. >> once again here's ann. >> all right, thanks a lot, carl. now to another passing subject, that is politics. tuesday's republican senate primary in alaska is still too close to call. but this morning it looks like the candidate supported by sarah palin may have pulled off a big upset. we've got nbc's chief white house correspondent and political director chuck todd now joining us with the latest on this. chuck, good morning. >> good morning, ann. well, washington is still shell-shocked from the latest political upset. four time zones away, and while alaska's senator his is murkowski is still clinging to the hope of an eleventh hour victory by recount the message for both parties is clear, no one is safe from the wrath of voters in 2010. >> it ain't over until it's over. and there is much, much yet to be counted. >> reporter: senator murkowski, still confident and defiant wednesday, as she waited for the last several thousand votes to be counted in her hotly contested race with tea party backed challenger joe miller, who holds a slim lead. miller's candidacy was put on the political map thanks to a stamp of approval from sarah palin, who has a history of tension with murkowski's family. he ran on what is now becoming a familiar message of anti-washington anger. >> guess what? the federal government is broken. we need to get back into control here in this state. that's a message that carries to both parties. >> reporter: and that message included attacks on murkowski's record. most notably a message by palin. >> murkowski has voted with the democrats more than any republican up for reelection this year. >> reporter: murkowski ran on her record of eight years in the senate. >> lisa murkowski, making our voice heard in washington, fighting for alaska. >> reporter: a strategy that proved risky in the face of widespread anger at congress and the president. in arizona, the famously maverick republican john mccain was just as threatened as murkowski. but unlike her, he won by going negative early and aggressive. >> pork barrel spender, lobbyist, huckster. >> i'm john mccain and i approve this message. >> reporter: channeling voter anger is working down the ballot, as well. >> barack obama is the worst president in history. >> reporter: ben quail, son of former vice president dan quail came out ugly in a race in phoenix using the president as a punching bad. >> a short year and a half he has fundamentally changed our country for the worst. >> reporter: as for murkowski, she has no regrets on receiving advice she received to go more negative. >> it was good, it was positive, it was upbeat. there's been a suggestion in order to win in politics you've got to run a negative campaign. i don'tly alaskans want that. i don't think americans want that. we're faced with a campaign that we ran. >> reporter: of course, the alaska campaign was a bit of a grudge match between the murkowskis and the palins. murkowski told the daily beast that palin's facebook postings supporting joe miller went too far. quote, she did put a little dig in there about my family, she said, and all of a sudden became a little more personal. palin, by the way, was tweeting away this week, gloating a bit and she wrote, keeping fingers crossed, prayers upward but joe miller just tweeted, what's the moose hunting like in the beltway? by the way, ann, we're not going to know until after labor day who actually won this alaska republican primary. >> my goodness. well thanks for keeping us up to date on that. and also, chuck, you know, meantime the effort to legalize gay marriage in this country got a high profile republican endorser, isn't that right? >> it did. ken mehlman the former chairman of the republican national committee from 2005 to 2007, the man who guided the re-election for president george w. bush, went public and said that he was gay, and part of it is that he is going to become a more of a public face, public supporter for the efforts, particularly the efforts to rounding the -- the groups that are trying to get that proposition 8 out in california overturned. which, of course, now is a supreme court thing. he is going to headline some fund-raisers for that effort in the next few weeks. >> pretty brave move on his part. all right, chuck todd, thanks so much this morning. >> you got it. >> let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from natalie morales who is covering for ann over at the news desk. >> good morning to you, carl and ann. good morning, everyone. some more bad news this morning for pakistan. already devastated by the worst flooding in its history, floodwaters have broken through a levee and are now endangering three towns that were so far untouched by the flooding. this as tens of thousands of displaced pakistanis pour into refugee camps this morning looking for shelter, food and water. and concern is still growing over the spread of water-borne illnesses and disease. a surprise visit this morning to china by reclusive north korean leader kim jong-il. this is his second visit to china this year. and he's reportedly traveling with his son, who is believed to be his successor. president obama will visit troops at ft. bliss, texas, next tuesday. the same day he will address the nation on the end of combat operations in iraq. meantime insurgents continue to challenge iraqi security forces with six members of a sunni militia killed this morning. a spate of car bombings, suicide bombings and shootings left more than 60 people dead on wednesday. an honor student is charged with attempted murder and assault after allegedly stabbing a new york city cab driver in the neck. the victim said the suspect michael enwright asked him if he was a muslim and then slashed him. and some hopeful news for patients suffering from advanced melanoma. the life threatening form of skin cancer. a new experimental drug called plx-4032 targets a genetic mutation found in many patients and has successfully shrunk the tumors in 80% of the people who took the drug. however it's unclear how long the results will last. and it's back to court today in the rod blagojevich corruption case just days after a jury deadlocked on 23 of the 24 charges. prosecutors are taking the first step in a possible retrial, with the judge potentially setting a date today for a second trial. and take a look at this. german sportscaster was reporting on a soccer match when she was -- ouch, slammed in the head from behind. she seemed to be okay afterwards, but, that's probably going to leave a mark. especially if they continue to show it the way they did in our editing. now 7:15 right now, back over to ann, carl and -- >> occupational hazard, right? >> whoever kicked that ball, hit them with a vuvuzela. >> thanks a lot. >> and you know what, al's on his way to new orleans to cover the fifth anniversary of hurricane katrina, so is matt by the way, so stephanie abrams is here. >> good to >> good morning. we are off to a nice, quiet start this thursday. there is a friend coming through. we expect a dry day. mild this afternoon with a high temper >> ann, over to you. a few weeks back we brought you the story of a wealthy heiress whose lavish mansion sits empty. she's now living in a new york city hospital but some of her closest advisers are under investigation. nbc's jeff rossen is joining us with details on this. jeff, good morning. >> hi, ann, good morning to you. she's one of the richest women in america and one of the most secretive, too. hughgette clark is now 104 years old and lives like a recluse. now investigators want to know if her inner circle is stealing her money. who wouldn't be happy with just one mansion? huggette clark owns three, all perfectly manicured, all sit empty. this one in santa barbara hugs the california coast. its value over $100 million. her estate in connecticut worth over $20 million. it's empty. and she also owns the largest apartment on new york's prestigious fifth avenue. 42 rooms worth over $100 million. it's empty, too. according to msnbc.com, clark hasn't seen any of them in over 20 years. in fact, she's been living in seclusion here, inside a manhattan hospital room, surrounded by her french doll collection. clark's lifestyle is so mysterious, this is the last known picture ever taken of her. in 1930. today, at 104 years old, her personal worth is an estimated half a billion dollars. msnbc.com's investigative reporter. >> what we had was a feature story about an elderly woman with a lot of money, mysterious empty mansions. now we have an investigation. >> an investigation into these two men, her gate keepers and closest advisers. her lawyer, wally bach and her accountant irving kempsler, a convicted felon who in 2008 pled guilty to attempting to send pornography to teenage girls. since hugette clark never had any children, these two men reportedly control everything, including her fortune and the tightly guarded access to her hospital room. >> the manhattan district attorney is looking into how her finances have been handled and the actions of her attorney and her accountant, who control her wealth, and access to her in her hospital room. >> according to msnbc.com, wally bach quietly arranged to sell clark's rare stradivarius violin for $6 million. and her renoir painting for $23.5 million. now the website reports, the lawyer and the accountant are trying to sell her connecticut estate for $24 million. so where's the money going? >> an investigation doesn't necessarily mean there was any wrongdoing. but it does mean that the district attorneys are, at the least, a little suspicious. when you've got someone who is this age, who's this reclusive, with this few relatives, it can be difficult to figure out exactly what an accountant or a lawyer authorized to do or not do. >> reporter: msnbc.com reports for 104 years old, she is awake and alert. but it's unclear if she has a will. >> what we have here is a woman who secluded herself, in her apartment, and in a hospital room, and therefore has made herself vulnerable to being kept out of the loop. maybe she doesn't have all the information about what's been done with her money. >> reporter: money she inherited from her wealthy father. now with her mansions empty, no apparent heirs, and her handlers under investigation, hugette clark's life is as mysterious today as it was a century ago. one of the accusations here, that the lawyer and the accountant won't even let clark's own relatives visit her in the hospital. now, i spoke with the lawyer wally bach by phone, he denies any wrongdoing but won't comment on anything else. and we should also mention that we called the accountant but never heard back from him. >> all right, jeff, thanks so much. not the last we're going to hear from that i'm sure. coming up a family's well-timed self-portrait catches a thief in the act of robbing them. they're going to share their remarkable story coming up. just ahead, can you really get a condo for less than the price of some cars? just how the tough housing market could mean great deals for home buyers. >> i know some pretty expensive cars but that's still saying something. plus the news story turned rap song that's a huge hit online. 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[ female announcer ] kellogg's® wants to make kids happy one tummy at a time. because 9 out of 10 kids don't get the fiber they need, that's why froot loops® and apple jacks® have 3 grams of fiber in every yummy bowl. they're the cereals your kids love and the fiber their tummies love... which makes for a whole lotta happy. froot loops® and apple jacks, an oh-so-good source of fiber. kellogg's® makes fiber fun. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here is kim dacey and traffic pulse 11. >> we have a fire activity causing problems. shepard rose -- bird road is closed between a lawyer and curving road. in the city, police activity at connecticut avenue at sought the augusta avenue. accident at mount royal and north charles street. also a crash at quinn out and security boulevard. just south of the beltway on the northeast corner, it looks like some delays we are seeing earlier have dissipated. there is an accident on the right shoulder approaching 895. topside, a slow go on the heart -- on the ball from harford to perring parkway. >> things are pretty quiet right now. there is a front coming through this morning that will bring a little bit of cloud cover. all that has dissipated. we should wind up with a quiet day. 65 i columbia, 66 in westminster. there is a real touch of autumn into the weekend. today, a mixture of sunshine and clouds. average high temperature is 84. we will be right in that neighborhood this afternoon. sun set at 7:46. outstanding mother into the weekend. overnight low temperatures -- outstanding weather into the weekend. overnight the temperatures -- temperature near 88 on saturday and anyone on sunday. -- 91 on sunday. next chance of precipitation on wednesday of next week. a long stretch of dry weather. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. back 7:30 now on a thursday morning, august 26th, 2010. our crowd is basking in some nice weather outside our window on the world here in rockefeller plaz great to have them. you probably recognize the voice you're hearing because it's the bed intruder song. we're going to meet its star and find out what he thinks of his newfound fame just ahead. and speaking of singing sensations, katy perry is going to be here for a live concert on the plaza tomorrow here on "today." looking forward to that. inside studio 1a i'm ann curry along with carl quintanilla because matt is on assignment, going to new orleans, reporting from there tomorrow. also meredith has the morning off. >> great to be here. also ahead this morning, new details on lindsay lohan's early release from rehab following that brief time in jail. coming up, the tough conditions the judge has placed on that troubled actress. >> that's right. plus if you're looking to pick up some cheap real estate we'll tell you where you can get a condo for the price of a car. and coming up tomorrow here on "today," matt and al will be reporting live from new orleans as we approach this weekend's fifth anniversary of hurricane katrina. we're going to hear from former mayor ray nagin as well as the former head of fema, michael brown, and some of the musicians who contributed to the rebirth of the big easy. that's hurricane katrina, five years later, tomorrow here on "today." >> hard to believe it's been five years already. >> i know. >> let's begin this morning with a new jersey family who captured a man in the act of robbing them in a family photo. we're going to talk to them in a moment. but first, nbc's kevin tibbles has their story. >> reporter: for the myers family, it was supposed to be a fun getaway, complete with snapshots to cherish the memories. >> my husband is always taking lots of pictures of us. >> reporter: a trip to wisconsin to attend a friend's wedding. >> we flew in to milwaukee, and then the next day, we drove to madison. >> reporter: just think of the famous cheese, picturesque farmland, and not to be missed, the state capitol. but for every traveler, no matter how experienced, no matter where you are, even wisconsin, there's always that nagging fear of having your bag and all your money stolen. with their bag and kids in tow, the family eagerly awaited the reception. >> we were all dressed up, it was a great opportunity to have a family shot. >> reporter: john myers set the timer on his camera, and hustled in to frame. shortly after, they couldn't find john's bag. with their i.d.s, and $1,000 worth of stuff. >> all kinds of things were in our bag. it would have just ruined our whole trip. it was like the rental car keys, an ipad that's in there. >> reporter: and worst of all, the kids' toys. >> the first time in wisconsin and this happens to them. >> reporter: after a futile search they had an idea. >> then it occurred to him that maybe the person who took it would be captured in the shot that we just took. >> reporter: sure enough, there he was. the bandit. caught red-handed. police recognized and soon apprehended 59-year-old glen rambright of no known address who has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor theft. >> this is the dumpster or the trash can that everything was in. >> he stole it. he put it in the garbage. >> reporter: in the end, police recovered everything, including the bag. all in time for the miers to make the reception. now there's a photo for the scrapbook. for "today," kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. and the myers family is with us exclusively. good morning to all of you. john we should mention you're in seattle, you're on your way to a friend's wedding which is why you couldn't be here with us. but you were at another wedding in wisconsin when this actually happened. i wonder, what did you think the chances were that you would get your bag back because of that photo? and what did you think when you found out that this is actually captured on film? >> i thought the bag was gone, and then when i did notice the photo, i thought the only souvenir i'd have was the photo of the person who took it. i really didn't expect to get the bag back. even after first seeing the photo. >> i know hindsight is 20/20 and i'm not trying to put you on the spot. but this bag had your ipad, your wagate, it had cash, credit cards. how did you manage to let it get so far away from you? >> yeah, a lot of people have commented on this fact. when we first walked outside the building, i was taking pictures of the kids right next to my bag. and then, you know, as kids do, we drifted away a little bit, and then i noticed a low wall that i could rest my camera on to do a timer shot. so, we just kind of drifted over about 20 feet away, and then i set up the one shot, and just took that one picture, and, you know, we started to walk away, and i realized, oh, let me go just grab my bag and that's when i realized it was gone. >> when you found out that it was missing, i can imagine what my wife would have said to me. were there words exchanged? >> well, he asked me, do you have my bag? and i'm like, no! i don't have your bag. why would i have your bag. of course it was that kind of frustration of like oh, why did you leave it there? and you know, keep an eye on the bag. and now our whole vacation is ruined. >> you actually had some of your toys in that bag as well, right? you got those back from the police, right? do you remember which toys they were? no? what did you say to the police when they gave it back to you? do you remember? you're the man? thank you? >> thank you. >> that's usually a good response. i know, john, before i let you go, some on the web have been mentioning the blue suit you were wearing in this photo. which looks like something out of "dumb and dumber." are you going to bust that out again for the wedding you're at now? >> i'd like to point out that i'm wearing the same suit right now. and for all the people who didn't like it, this suit belonged to my father, and i was looking for a nice summerweight suit to wear to the wedding, and i love this suit. so -- >> obviously you're very passionate about it. although some on the internet felt differently. >> you know, it's good to be on the cutting edge with fashion. you don't want to be too safe. >> it's all cyclical. it all comes back. the myers family, thank you so much for your time. it's a great story. >> thank you. >> let's get a check of the weather now from stephanie abrams who is in for al. >> we have a couple who aren't celebrating a birthday. when is your birthday? >> july 15th. >> i thought that was quite clever. let's have a look at your weather forecast across the country and where we are going to see the nice weather is here in to the northeast. it's going to be hot, however, in the northwest. we could see record high temperatures with our highs 15 to 20 degrees above average. otherwise looking pretty good across the country. >> nice, quiet start this thursday. a mixture of sunshine and a few clouds this afternoon. the temperature will be very comfortable. maybe no birthday but there is a 40th anniversary. congratulations. ann, back to you. >> big congratulations to them. that's right. stephanie, thanks. lindsay lohan may now be out of jail and rehab but she's far from being able to do whatever she wants. a judge put strict conditions on her newfound freedom and steps that could land the troubled actress right back in jail. we've got nbc's lee cowan with the latest this morning. lee, good morning. >> reporter: hey, ann. the judge really here did what can only be described as putting lindsay lohan on a very short legal leash. she's got a very long list of dos and don'ts that are associated with this outpatient treatment program. but she still remains very much under the thumb of the court. on her first full day of freedom, lindsay lohan was back on the streets of los angeles, making a stop at the dmv, and dodging the paparazzi. >> how do you feel now that you're a free woman? >> reporter: after 23 days of rehab, lohan remains the ever-style be starlet. but to the eyes of the court she's still an addict on probation from a dui arrest in 2007. although a judge ruled that lohan could check out of her in-patient rehab early, lohan's attorney says the treatment of her client's addiction is actually just beginning. >> she'll be in a lot of therapy. it will be psychological therapy, as well as 12-step programs. >> reporter: for the next three months lohan's schedule is packed with mandatory appointments. beyond meeting with those 12-step counselors, psychotherapy sessions will be required at least four times a week. then, there's behavioral therapy. that's twice a week. and lohan has to submit to random drug and alcohol testing, too. and there is no room for error. >> if she flunks even one she goes to jail for 30 days. >> reporter: some sigh chiists worry fulfilling so many treatment requirements on an outpatient basis is for lohan too much, too early, to do all on her own. >> this is a woman who needs to be corralled, so to speak, and made to face her demons. >> reporter: but, lohan's attorney bristled at the suggestion that lohan needed further hospitalization. her own doctors, she said, were the ones who determined lohan was ready. >> they started fresh. their own fresh evaluations, put her through their own testing, made their own diagnosis, and recognized that there was no need for her to be there any longer. >> reporter: the question is, how can she avoid the pitfalls of her former life? the parties, the clubs, the paparazzi? bumps along the road to recovery that could push her to the breaking point again. >> lindsay has had an affinity for drama. so there is no reason to think that she is not going to find a way to consciously or unconsciously draw drama into her life. >> reporter: success means a new lindsay. one that's back to work and out of trouble. her next movie "the profile of porn star linda lovelace" could be the first real world test of an actress on the mend. >> she has changed. she's healthy. she's clear-headed. she is positive and looking forward. >> reporter: now lohan's going to remain on this supervised probation, ann, until at least november. and until that time, she's not allowed to leave los angeles, either. so any last-minute extravagant getaways are, for now, strictly off limits. ann? >> all right, lee cowan this morning. lee, thanks a lot. and coming up next, talk about a steal. where you could buy a condo for the price of a car. but first, these messages. with capital one's venture card, we get double miles on every purchase. echo! so we earned a trip to the grand canyon twice as fast. uh-oh. we get double miles every time we use our card. i'll take these. no matter what we're buying. plus the damages. and since double miles add up quick, we can bring the whole gang. it's hard to beat double miles. no, we ride them! 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[ male announcer ] chevy traverse. a consumers digest best buy. with a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. it seats eight comfortably -- not that it always has to. it seats eight comfortably -- have you tried honey bunches of oats yet? every spoonful is a little different. mmm. they got three kinds of flakes. this is delicious. it's the perfect combination of sweet and crispy. i love it. this is so good. this is great. the magic's in the mix. back at 7:43. miami is one of the ep centers of the nation's real estate collapse, but now condominium sales there are soaring thanks to some ridiculously low prices. nbc's michelle franzen is in miami to explain. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, carl. falling home prices, a jump in foreclosures and a backlog of inventory are helping drive these deals to the price some pay for a new car. we're not talking about the newly built luxury condos. but, instead, older, smaller units, at prices miami hasn't seen in decades. not far from famed south beach, the so-called american riviera, some prime real estate has suddenly become as affordable as, well, a luxury car. >> actually, you're looking at a one bedroom, one bath, about 750 square feet here. you can't beat it on miami beach. >> reporter: can't beat the price. this condo is listed for just under $50,000. $49,900. all this just blocks from the beach. plus for $500 a month in maintenance fees, high rise living. >> there's concierge, 24 hour security, valet parking. this is a full service building. >> reporter: and right on the bay. >> right on the bay. >> reporter: an odd twist to the real estate bust, investors and first-time home buyers are gobbling up foreclosed condos. >> if you're coming in all cash you can steal in this town. >> reporter: the founder of condo vultures realty says there are steals all across south florida. on the market, more than 68,000 properties, from miami and fort lauderdale, all the way to west palm beach. of those, more than 6,000 are priced under $50,000. in some buildings, condos have sold for as little as $30,000. >> thanks to the trouble assets relief program or t.a.r.p. or some of the money going to the banks to allow them to clean their portfolio. >> reporter: bargain basement prices for sellers whose banks lost big but where buyers may walk away with the deal of a decade. what sort of value did this space have before? >> the last sale was in 2006 for $160,000. >> reporter: and now? >> $49,900. >> reporter: a chance for investors to turn a profit. >> studio apartment one block from the sand. >> reporter: for first-time buyers with cash or good credit to own a slice of the american dream. miami style. and now that word is getting out there will be a small window of opportunity for some to cash in on that dream, because, carl, those prices for these condos just won't last. >> those are some incredible numbers, michelle. up next the song that's a hit online based on a real local news story. you'll meet the star of "the bed intruder song" right after this. 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[ female announcer ] one a day women's. no oil has flowed into the gulf for weeks, but it's just the beginning of our work. i'm iris cross. bp has taken full responsibility for the clean up in the gulf and that includes keeping you informed. my job is to listen to the shrimpers and fishermen, hotel and restaurant workers and find ways to help. that means working with communities. we have 19 centers in 4 states. we've made over 120,000 claims payments, more than $375 million. we've committed $20 billion to an independent claims fund to cover lost income until people impacted can get back to work. we'll keep looking for oil, cleaning it up if we find it and restoring the gulf coast. i was born in new orleans. my family still lives here. bp is gonna be here until the oil is gone and the people and businesses are back to normal... until we make this right. [ female announcer ] wisk is about to change the way you look at stains forever. discover the power of our stain spectrum technology in the new red bottle of wisk. in stores now! in the new red bottle of wisk. more youthful skin from day 1. a dramatic transformation by day 14. anew regimen starter kits... from avon. find the one for your age. it's a limited time offer. so call 1-800-for-avon now to find a representative today. if you've been on youtube or itunes recently, chances are you've heard what they're calling "the bed intruder song." >> that's right. it began as a serious news report and is now one of the hottest songs on the planet. here's nbc's maria schiavocampo. >> reporter: it began as a local news story. >> we have a rapist in lincoln park. >> reporter: but antoine dodson's unrestrained rant directed at his sister's rapist is now a global sensation. >> hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband because they're raping everybody out here. >> reporter: since being posted online last month millions have viewed dodson's no-holds-barred interview. >> you are really dumb, for real. >> reporter: later set to music, creating one of the most watched online videos ever. ♪ they're looking for we won't find it ♪ >> reporter: the music video has been viewed more than 16 million times online, and the song itself is at number 35 on the itunes chart. ahead of lady gaga, selling some 30,000 copies. dodson gets half of all profits. >> we did not expect this to happen the way that it did. >> reporter: brooklyn based musicians the gregory brothers created the song. >> he had all this energy and wit and musicalty. >> reporter: the video has catapulted dodson to web superstardom. >> i was like, yeah, i got a lot to say. because who in their right mind think that they can just come up in somebody else house. >> reporter: the overnight celebrity now has a personal website and is selling t-shirts with his catch phrases on them. despite their popularity, many argue dodson's online videos aren't very funny at all, as they perpetuate stereotypes of african-americans and make light of a serious crime. >> it was a sad beginning but it's a good ending. >> we don't want to be famous and celebrities for something that happened so serious to somebody. >> if antoine dodson were not beneficiary of what was happening, i think it would be a travesty. we would be laughing at someone of limited means, laughing at crime victims, and laughing at someone who isn't like us. >> reporter: still, dodson says he'll use his windfall to move his entire family some place safer. >> i hate that it happened this way. but a lot of good has came out. >> reporter: turning a bad situation into something to sing about. for "today," mara schiavocampo, nbc news, los angeles. >> man. 16 million times it's been viewview ed online. already ahead of lady gaga. number 35 on yew tunes. >> that's incredible. >> it's unbelievable. >> talk about finding creativity in a dark place but in a way that's going to pay off in a good way. >> good for antoine and his sister who can actually benefit from it. >> mean tiwhile you wonder what they're doing with our newscast. >> i don't think they're paying any attention to us, natalie. >> i think we give them plenty of material to parody, no matter what. >> anyway, what's coming up ahead? >> just ahead, tiger woods opens up about his divorce for the first time. >> that's right. but first here's your local news and weather. [ male announcer ] luxury seating for up to seven. the performance of a mercedes-benz. maybe you don't have to settle for a minivan. maybe you don't have to settle...period. introducing the newly-redesigned 2011 r-class. ♪ or use it to run across the planet. the fun, the fast, the solid glk. see your authorized dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here is kim dacey and traffic pulse 11. >> still got the fire activity in monkton. it shut down shepard wrote between troyer road and pershing road. report of an accident at about five ordered 43 and 95. police activity has shut down connecticut avenue between the inner have no, which is also closed between connecticut and adele. crashed at gwynn oak and security, beltway, and keith ave to southbound 95. a live look at i-95 north of the beltway in the northeast corner. you might see some delays from white marsh down to 895. accident on the right shoulder approaching 895. the risa logo on the outer loop. delays from belair the charles. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> we are off to a nice quiet start. cold front is kicking off a little bit of cloud cover. mid-to-upper-60's and in most locales. it will be pleasant this afternoon. a little bit on the warm side. that will change tonight. fifties and the suburbs for the first time since spring. we will keep a nice weather going into the weekend. upper 80s on saturday and sunday. humidity will be in the comfortable range. >> you will find updated news and traffic information 8:00 now on a thursday morning, august 26th, 2010. we have a great crowd enjoying part of the day here at rockefeller plaza. katy perry will be here tomorrow catch one of the world's biggest music stars live in concert here on "today" in our plaza tomorrow morning. >> the cd smells like cotton candy, right? >> i know. we actually got a copy of it. but it really does. >> we haven't listened to it but it does. >> she's all sweetness. and meantime i'm ann curry along with carl quintanilla this morning. and matt and al are in new orleans preparing for the fifth anniversary of katrina. we've got some special coverage in our broadcast tomorrow morning about that. and also just ahead here this morning we'll be talking about elin nordegren. she has had her say, and now, for the first time, tiger woods has opened up about the couple's divorce, and their children. so we're going to hear from him just ahead. >> that's right. also ahead, a very serious story about the shocking website that encouraged dangerous behavior in women, especially those with eating disorders. we're going to talk to four survivors speaking out about what's called internet assisted suicide. >> i've never even heard of these. dr. nancy synderman said they really kind of -- this is very serious for those of us with daughters. i know you have a daughter. i've got one, as well. >> plus on a much lighter note we're going to be checking on the hottest fall fashions for just $75 or less. before we get to all of that let's get to the news this morning. natalie morales is at the news desk. >> good morning again, ann and carl. good morning, everyone. those eggs contaminated with salmonella traced back to two forms in iowa are still being used and sold either as liquid eggs or added to other products such as ice cream or mayonnaise. health officials say americans shouldn't worry because the eggs are being pasteurized to rid them of any salmonella contamination. another troubling sign of the nation's struggling economy. new home sales fell more than 12% in july. the slowest pace since the government began keeping track in 1963. weak sales mean fewer jobs in the construction industry, which normally fuels an economic recovery. alaska's republican senate primary will be decided by absentee ballots. the incumbent lisa murkowski trails conservative lawyer joe miller by less than 1700 votes. miller has the backing of sarah palin, who says alaskans are ready for some new blood. the final result is not expected until after labor day. and speaking of labor day, more people are expected to travel over the holiday this year. aaa says more than 34 million americans are planning a trip about 50 miles from home. that's a 10% increase over last year. and some troubling new statistics on the number of people who drive drunk. the government estimates millions of americans have gotten behind the wheel in the past year after drinking. nbc's tom costello is in washington with more. tom, good morning. >> reporter: hi, natalie. yeah, in fact, the government believes 8% of all drivers have driven drunk at least once in the past 12 months. 8%. that's 17 million people. in arlington, texas, heartbreak. 27-year-old khalid abu shebon the father of a 9-month-old with another child on the way, killed instantly when the fedex truck he was driving was obliterated head-on. >> he's a father who is driving to support his family. he has a baby daughter. >> reporter: 29-year-old justin jones, a driver with a history of dui, is now facing intoxication manslaughter charges. just as new stats from the department of transportation show too many americans are drinking and driving. in a survey, 20% of those asked admitted that in the past year they've driven within two hours of drinking. two-thirds of those said they'd done so in the past 30 days. and 28% of the drinking drivers said they were usually drinking three days a week. >> the best decision you can make is if you choose to drink, find another way home. >> driver pull onto the shoulder, please. >> reporter: in fairfax county, virginia, officer pat nolan is always looking for duis. >> failure to maintain the lane, swerving, weaving, tailgating. >> reporter: the dangers of drunk driving were on full display in los angeles last december when two drivers, both allegedly drunk, caused two separate accidents. >> whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! >> reporter: nationwide police are looking for one number. 0.08. the legal definition of driving under the influence. the message from the nation's police departments is that they are going to be cracking down even harder over the labor day weekend, and if you're under 21, zero tolerance for any alcohol in your system. natalie, back to you. >> all right. good reminder. thanks so much tom costello. it is now 8:05. let's go back outside once again to stephanie. >> natalie, what are you going to major in? >> international studies. >> how did bailey get her name? >> from wkrp. >> wkrp what? >> okay. sorry. >> let's have a look at your weather here across the country and see where it's going to be nice and not so nice. atlanta is going to be a little on the warm side with some afternoon thunderstorms. 88 degrees. the rest of the country is absolutely very quiet with the exception of florida. that's where it will be stormy. >> there will be a little bit of cloud cover in a few places. but it should stay dry. is this afternoon. >> all right, ann, over to you. >> all right, stephanie, thanks so much. coming up on a serious topic, tiger woods speaking out for the very first time about his divorce, and the impact on his children. so we're going to hear from him coming up right after this. 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[ female announcer ] this is not a prescription. this is diane. diane, who has diabetes and a daughter who could use a little perspective. diane, who worked with her walgreens pharmacist to keep her blood-sugar numbers in check with a few changes to her diet. ♪ diane, who's showing her daughter the world's a bit bigger than 8th grade. expertise -- find it everywhere there's a walgreens. back now at 8:09 with some new details on tiger woods and elin nordegren's divorce. the golfer has now made his first public comments about the split. nbc's peter alexander is here with some details. peter, good morning. >> good morning to you. in essence, they were sport's first first couple. the world's greatest golfer, tiger woods and his beautiful wife elin nordegren. as we all know that all came to an end this week. now for the first time since the divorce was made official monday tiger's opened up about where they go from here. for the first time in nearly six years, tiger woods is returning to the golf course as a single man. still fresh in his mind the impact his infidelity had on his family and his now ex-wife, elin nordegren. >> i wish her the best in everything. you know, it is a sad time in our lives. and you know, we're looking, you know, forward to, you know, in our lives and how we can help our kids the best we be 30ly can. >> reporter: as bitter and sad as divorce can be, there is one thing both tiger and elin say they agree on, putting the best interests of their children, 3-year-old sam and 18-month-old charlie, first. >> we're trying to get your kids situated to, you know, our new living conditions and how that's going to be. and so that's where our focus is at right now. >> reporter: elin, a child of divorce herself, was just 7 when her parents split. the swedish-born 30-year-old told "people" magazine, i can imagine that having your parents stay happily together would be the ultimate best thing for the children. for that very reason, elin says she and tiger tried to reconcile for months. before she ultimately concluded, if there's no trust between the parents, it's better for the children that the parents split up. psychologists say divorce can have a significant impact on children. >> there may be some big problems for kids down the road, as they come to the realization that their parents are divorced, as they come to the realization that their parents live in separate homes, and that they're being shuttled back and forth. >> reporter: elin told "people" she tried to shield sam and charlie as much as possible. but, of course, she says they can feel something is going on. even though they're so young. though their marriage may be over, both elin and tiger say they'll remain partners when it comes to coparenting their young children. >> it's extremely important for them to act as a united front for their children now that they're divorced because the kids need to know that their parents will always be in place to help them through life, to always love them together. >> reporter: in those remarks tiger also took full responsibility for their divorce, saying my actions led us to this decision. and he acknowledged that the last nine months since his secret double life was revealed to the world have been, in his words, a lot more difficult than i was letting on. carl, by the way, he is back on the golf course beginning this morning for his first tournament as a newly single man. >> a lot of eyes still on him. thank you very much, peter alexander. a child and family psychiatrist joins us. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> tiger and elin have said -- tiger has said elin is a wonderful mother. i know that the two of us will do everything we can to help our children adjust to this new family situation. how important is it that the two of them put up a united front on this? >> it is vitally important. because if delay don't start in that united front place, they're not going to end in that united front place. it's very important for them to be a team, despite their differences. they need to put them aside. i think they're really doing a good job by putting it aside. he's owning his piece and moving forward. they do know the best interest of their children has to be number one. >> that's going to involve not bad-mouthing the other when the other's not around. >> absolutely. >> and being civil to each other when the other is around, right? >> absolutely. respect is all based on respect and caring for the other person. because you are affecting your children when you are attacking your ex. >> a lot of couples might hear that and go, that's just too hard. the wound is too fresh for me to pretend to be friends with my ex. >> well, i understand. you don't have to pretend. but you do need to do the work to heal that wound. >> elin, whose own parents are divorced, said she's sad about the loss of a family unit. can you really come back from that? can you be the person you would have been had they stayed together? >> no, you're not going to be that same person because you were with someone else. you're going to be different. this is a new chapter in your life. that's part of the process, accepting and mourning the loss of what was going to be. >> elin talks about the toll this has taken on herself. she said my immediate plan is for the kids and me to continue to adjust to our new situation. i'm going to continue to take classes. but my main focus is to try to give myself time to heal. how should she balance -- how should anyone balance their own well-being versus that of their kids? do you look out for yourself first or not? >> i'm a big believer of parenting begins with you. so, yes, you need to be a solid parent in order to raise solid children. so yes, i think it's very important not to put yourself first but to make sure that you are solid and whole. >> kids take this differently depending on how old they are. what is the difference between a child going through a divorce who's under 5, versus 11 to 15, versus an adolescent? >> i think it's important to remember that, even if a child is under 5, they're picking up that radar. they feel all that tension. so, be aware that they're aware of it. so keeping their life as structured and as similar as you can, sleeping, and eating, talking to them age appropriately, and letting them be able to get their feelings out is huge. because otherwise, that builds up and it's a pressure cooker. >> you make a point that ultimately, you need to as a parent come to the realization that just because someone may not have been a good spouse doesn't mean they're not a good parent. >> absolutely. can you still be a wonderful parent, just not getting along with your ex and work through it so that stuff does not get in the way to be a solid parent. >> some things to think about going through a situation like that. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> up next, websites that target young girls by promoting eating disorders. it's a warning to parents and teens. right after this. 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>> yeah, it's girls giving tips on how to starve other girls. it's internet assisted suicide. and if we do kill ourselves we're considered a martyr for doing it because we succeeded. >> and what's the big cause to be a martyr for? >> having self-will. >> so self-will to kill yourself slowly? >> you can call it freedom of speech if you want, but i don't think putting up something just because you can is okay. >> i was isolating myself so much from the real world that when i went on to these sites, it became like a companion to me. >> there are other girls who feel kind of like the same way i do, and they were giving like tips and tricks. >> dr. patricia is a psychiatrist with the national association of an reex yeah nervosa and associated disorders. >> because eating disorder patients are often isolated, and they don't get the support of these behaviors from good friends or parents, and they can go to this community. >> instead, these sites recruit teens from kansas to england, a dark community committed to fooling parents and loved ones, and preying on the lonely and isolated with the belief that only these distant strangers can understand their pain. >> if i had actually eaten something that day, i would go to these websites and remind myself they're doing it, so that means i can do it, too, and it would be better. >> often i would go to the google searchers and save them, look like this girl. >> dr. maria rago is trying to get these websites taken down. >> when you see a site you think of danger, what do you do as a professional? >> well, what you can do, helps people contact hope. every site has a host that originates. when you contact the host, we have found hosts are very accommodating in taking down offensive sites. >> a starting place in an ongoing battle for these young women and those who love them. and now what's the best thing to live for? >> life. >> family. friends. >> for myself for a change, not live for my eating disorder. and trying to please other people, but really live my life, and achieve my goals. like i'm finally able to get to a point where i'm proud of myself, and i want to see what else i can do in the future. >> these young women i spoke with are coming out of the other end of this therapy. healthy and strong. but, boy, they have seen the other dark side of the tunnel. but they are concerned. they want you to know that their concern is if we just talk about these websites we might drive more young people toward them. but in order to put out the sites and put an end to them doctors and parents need to be very aware of the fact that if girls talk about their weight and their body, you have to do some digging. and that's what i think we all have to listen to. over and over again these girls said i told my doctor i was thinking about my weight all the time and the doctor would say oh, no, no, you're normal, just don't worry about it. as parents we have to recognize, 81% of 10-year-olds think that they're overweight. and if 10-year-olds think that, and they know how to get to the web, and we know they do, there are tips out there, and they're frightening. >> as the mother of a 17-year-old girl, i'm stunned that this is the first i've actually ever heard of this. >> you would think a lot of parents would be very stunned. and you actually say that even though some of the images you used in that report were pretty shocking they're not even the worst you saw. >> they are not the worst. in fact we blocked some of the images because they were almost near-death pictures. and in the time that i sat down for a few hours with these girls, i logged on to a couple of sites. and in the few hours there was a girl from topeka, kansas, a girl from liverpool, england, showing their pictures, 13, 14-year-olds saying, i am trying to eat an apple today. if i cut it into 20 pieces and nibble all day long my mother will think i'm eating. and so -- there's encouragement from other girls, keep going, keep going. interestingly, the four girls that we talked to, many were first-born, very smart, feel the need to be in control, perfectionists, great grades. want to please. a lot of this is a deep psychiatric need to be perfect. >> that's a very interesting point. so what are parents to do? and what is the best thing that we can do to first of all make sure our girls are not looking at these kinds of sites and being encouraged to these sort of dangerous behaviors and also not only promoting this idea -- >> it sounds like when your kid is on the computer, because our kids are smarter than we are with getting on the computers. we just know that. you have to sort of know where your kids are. it starts earlier in kindergarten and preschool when you don't say to someone, you know, sweetie pie, you're a little chubby. or if a child says, i think i'm fat, you go, no you're not, you're perfectly healthy. we have to balance these obesity epidemic and the mental illness of anorexia. again and again i come to sit-down family dinners. we have to recognize that food is a way to bring ourselves to the table and have conversation. and when you tuck your child in bed at night, and i don't care if your child is 3 or 13, kids love to be tucked in. you sit down at the edge of the bed. when you as the adult are sitting there, and your child is lying down, it's a moment of quiet to say, how was your day? did you -- what did you eat today? how were the pressures? and you can have an intimate conversation. you may not be able to have other times. your kids want to talk. they don't know where to turn. >> bottom line is, acceptance, and -- and making our children feel that they're okay. >> and remember everything you see on the picture is already shopped. photo shopped. these are not real images. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. great to have you with us. i am sarah caldwell. let's look the morning commute with kim dacey. >> let's start in owings mills. red run boulevard and ballfield road, and the city, accident and belvedere and york road. 30 to encircle drive, crashed to watch for there. not boil and charles, an accident at security boulevard -- to broil and charles, and an accident at security boulevard. report of an accident in harford county, a firefighter 43 and 95. -- 543 and 95. pretty job from the outer loop topside of the beltway. -- could be jammed up from the outer loop topside of the beltway. disabled vehicle blocking one of the lanes. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> so far so good. we have a cold front through the area right now. it is only take up a little bit of cloud cover in a few spots. temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70's. 72 degrees downtown. forecast for today is a mixture of sunshine and a few clouds. high temperatures and the low- to-mid-80's. a little touch of autumn tonight. mostly clear. temperatures will drop back into the 50s for the first time since spring. seven-day forecast through the weekend. high-temperature near 82. it gets more on saturday and sunday. humidity should stay in the comfortable range. >> another update at 8:55. i get to sleep faster, stay asleep and wake refreshed. melt to sleep fast. unisom sleep melts. as a forrer supreme court justice he knows his way around the courtroom. on a thursday morning, the 26th of august, 2010. it is a rare site, the sun shining on rockefeller plaza. it's been terrible all this week until today. so we're really excited and we expect tomorrow morning pop superstar katy perry takes our summer concert stage. she's always a lot of fun. her new cd smells like cotton candy. it's a pretty rare thing. >> yeah, it's amazing. just like cotton candy, right, just out of the bag? >> right, exactly. anyway -- >> i'm sure it sounds just as good as it smells. >> exactly. i'm sure it does. we're going to find that out tomorrow morning. and meantime i'm here with carl quintanilla and natalie morales. just ahead, talking about friendship later in life. one of the things that happen with a lot of women is when they have children, when they begin their jobs, a lot of times your friendships come and go. but how do you maintain friendships when you move into your 50s. because, you know, having friends actually, research tells us, helps us live actually longer. there are a lot of reasons to maintain your friendships. so we're going to get down and talking about this with a bunch of women,icallying one of the chief women at "more" magazine. what else is coming up? >> if you're looking for something to do with the kids this weekend we're going to check out fun family projects that don't take too long. they don't cost very much money to put together. but you can give them a shot. you don't have to be a master carpenter and work on those with your kids, things they can do to help out, too. >> makes them feel good. >> until they get back to school, right? >> okay. also mark bittman one of our favorites is here. he's going to show us how to tackle some of your favorites. you know, inspired by the best restaurant in the world. >> you bet. >> look at that. that looks beautiful. you can do that at home, too, as he's going to show us. >> mark always makes -- >> shows how easy it is to do. >> also a quick reminder this morning on wednesday melissa and jeremy from missouri were chosen as this year's "today" wedding couple and we need your help in picking their wedding band. go to todayshow.com and also on our facebook page, facebook.com/todayshow. >> you can also text your vote to 622639. you can text 1 for brilliant earth. two for lane. three for diamond for our cure. and four or asprey. we're going to reveal your pick on the wings next wednesday. how do we even choose? >> we're excited about all of the choices. meantime we've got a great crowd out here this morning. stephanie is in for al this morning. >> we have monty from kentucky. did you paint the town blue there? >> monty from paintsville, kentucky. >> and what do you know about the cyrus family? >> direct my behind me. >> very proud. very proud. all right. let's have a look at the forecast for kentucky and the rest of the country, and there's some very nice weather, kentucky eastbound, really florida is where all the action will be located. otherwise it's hot in the northwest. record heat while we stale cool >> nice, quiet start this thursday. a mixture of sunshine and a few clouds this afternoon. the temperature will be very comfortable. >> and for your roller skating forecast, go to weather.com 24 hours a day. carl, roller derby team over here. >> very nice. put the skates on, stephanie. when we come back, the changing dynamics of friendship as we get older. but first, this is "today" on nbc. back now at 8:36 with our special series "50, living it, loving it." this morning the definition of friendship later in life. we've got leslie jane seymour, the editor in chief of "more" magazine. she recently wrote an article about this topic and she's joining us this morning along with one of her best friends, nancy. and also a clinical therapist at drexel university. good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> it's great to have you. >> so the dilemma is really i think every woman really can feel it, and whether they're 50 or younger with children that there are stages we go through. >> right. >> what happens to women and friendships over time? >> well, i think, you know, take good care of your friendships as you should. because the family gets in the way. i have, you know, two kids. but now i'm an empty nest so i finally was able to wake up and say, what happened to all those friendships? i like women, i like their friendships, i need them. but we forget, we're so busy with our work and our family and all these other things, it's the friend, who is 11:30 at night and you go, i should have called ann. >> i know. >> but you were able to call nancy and so there was something that was -- that kept you together as a group. and probably had to be an understanding about -- >> oh, yeah. >> we don't have time for each other. >> to be able to forgive. you know, didn't make that call at 11:00, i can say i understand. i fell asleep with my clothes on. because you all get tired with the crazy life. so why it's nice now, leslie is an empty nester, my daughter just graduated from college, and it gives you just a little more leeway to see each other again. >> right. >> and to be girlfriends almost like you haven't been since your 20s. it's sort of nice. >> one of the things that's helped me, is the friend who understands when i haven't talked to her for four weeks. >> yeah. >> and who can pick up that conversation. >> mm-hmm. >> as if we had not lost that time. those are the people we really want to hang onto. how do we do that? >> that's the thing. be forgiving and understand that your relationship is going to take twists and turns. leslie talked about the g-forces of life. if you can withstand that and maintain your friendship and be flexible and know that maybe you're not going to have the quantity time, but you'll have quality time. and then those ups and downs that you go through, you've got to be able to be there and not miss those communities because you can't say, you know what, later i'll be there for you when you're having that job loss issue or that relationship issue. take the time to be available, but know that that's going to change. the question is not, if it's going to change. the question is, when is it going to change and how do we adapt as friends, knowing that, hey, we're liver, we're not -- >> that's different. >> i think about seasonal is to know that there's reversals of fortunes. your life goes up or down whether it's personal or professional and that person, it's about you. it's not about your title. it's not about your -- >> just hang in there. >> i think you know some women take it way too personally. or you find out it was a business arrangement and they just sort of disappear when you lose your title and move on to something else. they really aren't interested anymore. or things, you know, as you get a little bit older things happen, you get divorced. and you know, the friend moves away, or the friend becomes vulnerable and doesn't want to show you that side. or, you know, they get ill. there are different things that happen. >> well, let's say how women who are in their 50s or all ages really, specifically targeting women in their 50s, who feel as though they lost good friends. maybe they didn't exactly keep up. maybe they feel a little guilty, sometimes we all feel like that about certain women in our lives. what's your best advice to, first of all, going back and retrieving, finding that person. it was a delicious friend who you, and you just wish you could have her back in your life. what would you do? >> i think you really just pick up the phone or get on your facebook and e-mail that person and see what happens. i've had a lot of good friends come back into my life, you know, now have time that i may not have had time for. who didn't have time for me, either. >> and you can say i'm sorry. i let that get away from me but i miss you. >> facebook has really become a solution for you. and one of the things i've done, just because i'm not good at making those dially phone calls to make almost rituals, i mean, every year i have a girlfriend weekend with seven women i met ten years ago, and we do it every single year. i've got another group which is nursery school parents from my daughter's nursery school years. and we get together every year in the fall. so i am having these annual outings as a way to kind of keep some friends going through your love. >> i want to start a book club. or some kind of a club, right? >> exactly, it's great. >> be open to the possibilities. be courageous to redefine yourself and define those friendships. once you move into that, even if that doesn't work out, don't take it personally. try again with someone else. what do you have to lose? >> one of the best bits of tips that i got from reading what you guys are doing is this idea of start acting like you're in your 20s again. >> yeah. >> that's dangerous advice. >> you know, pick up the phone. i mean it took me a long time to say i'm going to pick up the phone and call a friend and talk to them in a long time. feeling good, just like -- >> that's the point is, you know, women today are so accomplished. you know, we get so many things done, it can sort of be deliberate about making and being open to new friends we'll be happier and actually studies show that we'll actually live longer. leslie, nancy, thank you so much. great advice this morning. and coming up next, some building projects your family can enjoy together. but first this is "today" on nbc. this morning on "today's home" cool projects for the entire family from toys to furniture and more, the new book "this old house" fun family projects is filled with some terrific ideas. kelly o'connor is contributor to this old house magazine. kevin, great to have you. we have some helpers here, as well. to help us build some things. before we get started, whenever you're talking about projects, power tools and kids, what are the important lessons? >> simple answer, and that's safety. and there's a couple things to think about. eyes is something you want to have at all times. the other thing when you have power tools, don't be afraid of letting them use it, use it with them, and make sure they're unplugged when you're not using them. >> finally, these are projects you can do with your kids. >> not projects just for the kids. do it with them. get involved. make sure you're standing over and you'll be all set. >> we've got four different projects. we're going to start with the bird feeder. >> it may look like it's sort of store bought but it's actually made just out of pieces that come from the home center. this is the cap to a fence post here, and so just simple pieces that are made out, and right here in the center, to keep the seed right here, this is made out of a soda bottle right here. so we just cut a few things -- >> with an x-acto knife? >> scissors. >> taylor is helping us fill the feeder. fill it with bird seed, and the catch for the post, some wood, some places for the dirds to sit when they're eating and you put it up and hang it in a tree. >> a beginner project would you think? >> i think this is probably the first one you want to start with. do this with a 5-year-old. only $s 30, $35 worth of materials here. >> how long to do this? >> two hours. >> or in my case, two days. two hours? all right. okay let's move on to the stool. >> this is a simple one. it's really just three pieces of wood, it's very sturdy, though. we used some hardwood, an oak or a maple. two pieces on the bottom that are interlocked that make up the step stool and then the top and the fun thing she's doing, she's putting down some nonskid tape and turn it into a checker board. >> i like that. not using it for a stool, it's a checker board. >> it's going to take some abuse so you do want to use the harder wood. >> $30, $35 worth of materials. and again, you're going to use a saw and sander on this one. so a little more advanced. >> the painting, you can be really creative? the color, the design, even the design with the anti-stick tape. >> it's fun to paint. i don't know what your kids are like, but mine would never -- >> this is a little more complicated it looks like. >> this is probably -- well this is our second most complicated one right here. this is a toy chest. and we jazzed it up a little bit to look like a barn. and we've got the painter's tape in place so she can follow along, get the paint in just the right spot. a couple things about this, though, it comes with casters on the bottom. that's the way we designed it so you can roll it out of the way. and also the hinges are spring loaded for toy box. so that top is going to fall down slowly. >> do you don't get any fingers caught on a hard landing. >> absolutely. >> how much time, how much money? >> this one is probably about $95 worth of materials. used a birch veneer and you can spend about five hours or so making this one. >> really? would you recommend this for someone who knows their way around a shop or not? >> no, i think a 7-year-old or older would be fine with this one. again we've got some nailing, we've got some cutting. just, you know, lean over their shoulder. >> and for the really ambitious, right? we have amelia making -- looks like a professional mini golf course. >> check this out. miniature golf. this is a big one. these are separate panels, okay, so there's one panel here. two in the middle and one right there and it's just made out of pvc which is standard plumbing material right here. we've got boards and we put felt down for the grass, and amelia is making some of the hazards right here. this is a ton of fun. you can make it as big or as small as you want. >> you've a little loop de loop? >> yes. the ramp -- >> it's just like playing -- >> i'll take your word for it. >> you can take a mulligan on that if you want. >> this little ramp made out of a five gallon bucket. >> and you can be creative with the edges. >> absolutely. about $150 worth of material for each panel. five or seven hours to get this whole thing. you can just keep on going. >> fantastic. kevin o'connor, thank you so much. the book is "this old house: fun family projects." thanks a lot. >> my pleasure. >> when we come back, mark bittman shows us how to create recipes from the best restaurant in the world. this morning on "how to cook everything today," reinventing dishes from the number one restaurant in the world. mark bittman has been there. he's with "the new york times." of course, a columnist and author there on how to cook everything. and earlier this year he traveled to copenhagen, denmark, to check out a stoneware house turned restaurant called noma. with just 12 tables, it nabbed top honors at the best restaurant in the world for 2010. mark, good morning. >> hi, ann. >> now what makes noma the best restaurant in the world? >> well, it's a tough title. but there is a competition of sorts and it won this title. and what i can say is that it was really an amazing place. and the book and the restaurant sort of reflects time and place in nordic cuisine and it's very local, intense, northern european food with many strange and unusual and wonderful ingredients. and they've done this book called "time and place of nordic cuisine" and actually, you know, in cooking through it we found that you can do some of these things. they're wacky, they're odd and you have to make a substitution here and there but we have a couple things here that you can do. and they are amazing dishes. >> and sounds like fun, so let's get started. but the interesting thing is you actually adapt some of these recipes from the number one restaurant in the world? i mean that's kind of cheeky. >> well, we didn't make many changes. we couldn't find spruce leaves for example. this is a very lovely dish called onions and blueberries. >> now what is that? let's get started. >> okay. so these are white onions which are different from yellow onions but you can find them easily enough. you take a few of the center petals out just like that. >> they look like star petals. >> and you blanche them. cook them in boiling water for a minute or so. do the same things with some shallots and you peel the shallots in the same way, separate the leaves like that. the petals. >> petals, right. uh-huh. >> and then these will get cooked in a mixture of blueberry juice and vinegar with a little thyme in it. and that pickles them. like any other pickle you strain it, you cook it for a little while, you strain it, then you have to let it sit for a few days. so just do this. >> oh, that's nice. >> now you take your -- >> your petals. right. >> when you're ready to go, you take your onions -- >> two days later. here we are. >> in a little butter. meanwhile, you have -- each step takes you a little bit. you puree some blueberries. basically make a blueberry jam. you have your shallots that you pickled. >> right here. >> you make a rosemary parsley oil, and of course, at the restaurant they use spruce leaves, not rosemary leaves. >> how do you make a rosemary parsley oil? >> you cook some oil, blanch some barsly and mix it up. we have blueberry puree. you think i can't do this. >> i know you can do everything. i have so much faith in you, mark. >> you have your beautiful blue. look at the color. >> that's pretty. >> you take your little rosemary o oil. >> and then you create -- >> now you take your lovely sort of lightly poached onions. >> mm-hmm. nice. pretty. >> this one. >> oh, sorry. >> okay. >> no, no. >> might as well do it right, right? >> and now you take a little bit of a shallot. >> that is beautiful. this would be great for just like an opening presentation at your -- >> you know what, a salad or as a terrific dessert. it's just amazing. >> so that's a presentation. we're running out of time and i want to get to this other thing back here. the chocolate thing. >> this is -- sorry, guys. >> no, no, that's all right. >> tempered chocolate and basically you take some potato chips. coat them -- >> in chocolate. >> it's basically -- >> i love this. >> and you just put them there. and what are we sprinkling on top. >> sprikleing an us and fennel which is really unusual. >> here we go. >> those are great. >> hmm. >> oh, fantastic. >> unbelievable. >> a classic combination. mark bittman, thank you so much. >> hmm, good. >> more to come. we're back after your local news and weather. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. a suspected drug kingpin in baltimore city is in police custody. steve blackwell was targeted by the baltimore police department after a mass shooting at a backyard cookout last summer. it left a dozen people wounded, including a child and pregnant woman. he and two others are accused of conspiring to distribute heroin in baltimore and new york and the dominican republic. >> now let's take a look at the forecast with tony pann. >> things are pretty quiet for us this thursday. we have a front going by, but it will lot kick -- not kick up much in the way of weather. average high temperature at this time of year is 84. overnight tonight and tomorrow night, temperatures are going to drop into the fifties the first time this spring. 82 tomorrow. we will keep sunshine all weekend. nice on saturday and sunday. a little bit warmer, but the humidity will still be in the comfortable range. comfortable range. >> we will have another karen olson and biomarker strategies are pioneering a new approach to cancer research and diagnostics. governor o'malley and the biotech investment tax credit is a big reason biomarker strategies is one of america's top 20 startup companies. partnerships and tax credits for innovative businesses are exactly what our economy needs to grow. we're on the cutting edge of our industry, and thankfully we have a governor who listens and really gets what business needs to move ahead. martin o'malley. moving maryland forward.

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