behavior. and missoni madness, target releases a new line from the legendary italian fashion house, sending shoppers into a frenzy. demand so high the store's website crashed and target is apologizing and struggling to get back online today, apologizing and struggling to get back online today, wednesday, september 14th, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning, welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning, i'm matt lauer. >> and seem savannah guthrie, ann is on assignment in tehran. you've got to feel for the families of the hikers josh fattal and shane bauer. no it's being called into question by iran's powerful judiciary. >> and mahmoud ahmadinejad has no control over the judiciary. this is a similar situation to what happened before, when the other hiker, sarah fried was freed a year agoed. and a remarkable surgery to separate conjoined twins fused at the pelvis and the spine. it took doctors 13 hours in what's being called the most complex surgery in a hospital's history. coming up, we find out here doing in an exclusive live interview. and the incredible video on tuesday, good samaritans lifting a two-ton burning bmw off a man trapped underneath. the victim, expected to make a full recovery. coming up, we talk to some of the heroes of that dramatic rescue. we begin on wednesday, with the potential hurdle in the release of two american hikers jailed in tehran for two years now. ann is in tehran with the latest. ann, what's going on. good morning. >> that's a good question, matt, thanks so much. iran's judiciary today said the release of two american hikers quote was not imminent. but at the same time it did not deny that the two would soon be freed. this could actually be a power play by the judiciary and also there seems to be some confusion over the translation of the word "imminent." and all this is happening as nbc news is learning surprising new details about the behind-the-scenes negotiations that led up to this move. it was iraq's president, who personally negotiated the release when he was in iran last week. the iraqi embassy in iran tells nbc news. a spokesman also telling us it was families of shane bauer and josh fattal that requested the president of iraq get involved. the families got the first word that a deal was being made when they were told about president ahmadinejad's comments in our interview on "today." the families saying in a written statement, they are overvideoed, shane and josh's freedom means more to us than anything and it's a huge relief to read that they are going to be released. many americans want to know how it could be that iran could sentence the two young hikers, josh fattal and shane bauer, to eight years in prison for spying. what is the evidence against them? at first, that question drew a tough answer from iran's president. >> translator: they have very tough loss. we have the same last year in the country. >> then came a surprise. >> translator: we are also trying to make arrangements for their freedom. for the freedom of the other two. i think these two will be freed in a couple of days. >> in a couple of days? >> translator: in a couple of days. >> within hours after the president uttered these words, bail was set for the two young americans at half a million dollars each. >> unfortunately, is certain until josh and shane have actually left iranian air space. >> bauer and fattal, convicted by iran last month of illegally entering the country and spying for america, have already spent 775 days in prison. the question now is, what condition are they in? >> translator: these two people are having a very good condition here in prison. it's like staying in a hotel. >> an unusual description of conditions inside iran's notorious evin prison. bauer's fee iancee was taken into custody with them in 2009 and was released a year ago. her bail, half a million dollars, paid by an unknown party. on tuesday, secretary of state hillary clinton responded with cautious optimism. >> we obviously hope that we will see a positive outcome from what appears to be a decision by the government. >> welcome news, just ten days before president ahmadinejad is scheduled to address the united nations. and once again, appear on the world stage. >> well certainly one of the motivations likely is that as ahmadinejad comes to the united nations' general assembly next week or so, that he will have something positive to ride on. >> sources within iran's government tell nbc news the release is expected, still expected within the next coming days. the story is on the front page of the impending release of every newspaper in iran. and in some of the newspapers, the hikers are being called spies, and the question is being asked, why would iran release them now? matt, back to you. >> it's a tough story to follow. we thank you for your reporting on that and appreciate it very much. it's now six minutes after the hour. here's savannah. now to politics and the renewed firestorm over a controversial vaccine. during monday's republican presidential debate, congresswoman michele bachmann took a political swipe at governor rick perry, over a controversial amendment that would have required teenaged girls to get the hpv vaccine. >> she needed to get attention for her candidacy, and she did. the question is, did michele bachmann take atough attack line against rick perry too far. the subject is that hpv vaccine and bachmann's claims about dangerous side effects for young girls. this all began when michele bachmann scored a big debate moment. >> to have innocent little 12-year-old girls be forced to have a government injection through an executive order is just flat-out wrong. that should never be done. >> reporter: bachmann hit governor rick perry hard monday, over his 2007 order to vaccinate girls in texas against a very common sexually-transmitted virus called hpv which has been linked to deadly diseases like cervical cancer. >> this was about trying to stop a cancer. >> reporter: then bachmann made a startling claim about the vaccine tuesday on "today." the source was an unnamed mother she said she met at the debate. >> she said her little daughter took that vaccine, that injection and she suffered from mental retardation thereafter, it can have very dangerous side effects. >> reporter: the fallout was swift from medical experts who accused bachmann of irresponsibly provoking parents' fears about the vaccine. the experts said the drug, gardas gardasil, is safe and that bachmann is wrong. >> i feel it's the obligation of our elected officials to get reliable information before they make statements about vaccines, and certainly about vaccine safety. >> reporter: the centers for disease control says of 35 million doses, side effects mostly minor, were reported in about 19,000 cases. but no reports of mental retardation. and there's political fallout. rush limbaugh said bachmann tarnished her strong debate performance. >> that's jumping the shark. there's no evidence that the vaccine causes mental retardation. >> reporter: until her claim about retardation, bachmann had been on safe conservative ground. many conservatives oppose states requiring girls be vaccinated against hpv which is spread through sexual contact. >> it's not a disease that's transmitted through casual contact. we don't believe that it should be subject to the same kind of mandates that other childhood illnesses are. >> reporter: while governor perry did not respond directly to bachmann, he defended the value of the vaccine. >> this issue about gardasil, in making it available, was about saving people's lives. >> reporter: and asked about all of this, bachmann said that she's not a scientist, not a physician and she was simply reporting what had been told to her. and savannah bachmann said perry had been motivated to make the consecutive order because he had received campaign contributions from merck. and we found that perry's gubernatorial campaigns had actually received $28,500 from the drug company merck and they also hired his former chief of staff as one of their top lobbyists in texas. let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. natalie morales, at the news desk after a week in brazil. good morning, the president heads to north carolina today to drum up support for his $447 million jobs plan. the president spent tuesday in ohio pushing for the bill to be passed, asking lawmakers, quote, what on earth are we waiting for? a top obama strategist said the jobs package is not an ala carte menu and will not be passed in part. republicans scored an upset victory in the special election for former congressman anthony weiner's seat. bob turner has become the first republican in nine decades to win new york's historically democratic ninth congressional seat district. the marathon 20-hour assault on the u.s. embassy in kabul has now ended with all of the insurgent attackers dead. several suicide bombers, a barrage of rocket-propelled grenades and bullet fire were used to target the u.s. embassy, nato headquarters and several other buildings in kabul. amazingly, no nato or u.s. embassy employees were hurt in the attack. nbc news has learned this morning that al qaeda's new chief and key commanders are likely hiding in yemen or somalia after leaving south asia. ayman al zawahiri took over the terror network after the death of osama bin laden. a pakistani intelligence official told nbc that the information was gathered during recent al qaeda arrests. now to wall street, cnbc's melissa lee is at new york stock exchange. >> europe in focus once again. two of france's largest banks getting a credit rating downgrade from moody's this morning. this ahead of what could be a market-moving conference call later this morning with the french president, german chancellor, as well as greek prime minister. meantime here in the united states, yahoo's board is meeting to discuss what options it might have, including possibly selling itself to another company. just last week yahoo fired its ceo over the phone. shares are down 14%. >> melissa lee at the new york stock exchange, thank you. the attorney who helped get casey anthony acquitted of murder is now in aruba to be a consultant in the defense of gary jordano. the maryland businessman held in the disappearance of josie gardner. he can serve in an advisory role. and gumby has taken himself to the pokey. the man accused of trying to rob a convenience store dressed as the bendable green character turned himself in on tuesday, along with his alleged police. he even turned in his green suit when he waved the white flag, surrendering. is now 7:13, back to matt and savannah. they don't know to charge him with, criminal charges or if it's all a prank. but of course it's being taken pretty seriously, considering he claimed he had a gun. >> it is serious. i think it is a fashion crime at the very least. no? >> it's pretty awful, no >> we do expect a big change to come in at the end of the week. today it will feel like the summer. high temperatures in the mid-to- upper 80's. now though those good samaritans in utah being hailed as heroes for their daring rescue of a motorcyclist trapped beneath a burning car. we'll talk to some of the men in a moment. but first, nbc's george lewis has more on this amazing story. george, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. and college student named brandon wright, 21 years old, is in the hospital behind me, expected to make a full recovery this morning. this, after a group of ordinary citizens pulled him from beneath a flaming car. without them, he might have burned to death. moments after the car collided with wright's motorcycle, local 911 switchboards lit up. >> the motorcycle is spitting out fire and i don't know if it's going to explode or not. >> wright, a student at utah state university, is alive this morning because of the kindness of strangers. a group of people who rushed in to rescue him, as he was trapped under the car that hit his motorcycle, rupturing the gas tank. brandon was conscious as a small group of people tried unsuccessfully to lift the car. >> he said he remembers everything that happened. he remembers being under the car and spitting out blood and not being able to talk. >> reporter: finally, more rescuers arrived and disregarding the danger of fire or explosion, they tipped the car far enough so that brandon could be pulled to safety. >> it was only a matter of seconds, three to five seconds, before there were a dozen citizens there and had this car up on two wheels. i barely had enough time to react to the change of plans. >> everyone charged the vehicle, propped it up and got him out. >> you don't think too much about the adrenaline you have in your body, it's very high. >> before we pulled him out, i thought dead or alive, i don't want to sit her and watch this guy burn. >> reporter: police officers ordered the rescuers to back off as they rushed in to fight the fire. because the rescue was recorded on video by someone in a nearby office building, it's gotten international media attention. rescuer matt barney says he's uncomfortable with the hero treatment. >> it's second nature. if you see someone in trouble, you help them. >> reporter: brandon wright's uncle says his neef fphew has l and pelvis fractures but he'll come through just fine. >> reporter: brandon wright is doubly lucky he was wearing no motorcycle helmet, but did not sustain any head injuries. his uncle said his nephew will now become a major advocate for wearing helmets. >> derrick harper, mike johnson an and. cade, i'll start with you, i understand you were the first to notice the fire when you walked over to the scene, what went through your mind when you realized this was a terrible accident? >> you know, i wasn't quite knowing what was going on. but i was just trying to figure out where the driver of the motorcycle was. and as i stand there trying to understand where he was at, there's some people running around the car and later on, you notice he's underneath the car and my heart just dropped. i was sick. >> i can only imagine how you all felt in that moment. mike, we actually have video of you, as you approached the car. as you kind of surveyed that scene, did you think anyone could possibly have survived this accident? >> well, no. the truth is, i thought that we were just removing the car from a body. i just didn't think that the body should just burn with the car. and then the lady that got down on her belly and stared under there right in the flames. she hollered out that he's alive. and after she said that, everybody just converged on the car and lifted it. >> and derrick -- >> i don't know who she was, but that lady, she did a great service. >> well, everyone is so amazed, they see all of you basically running into danger. and derrick, i have to ask you, were you thinking this is a pretty scary situation. we ourselves could be hurt. >> you know, it really didn't pop in my head about that. it just didn't come, they needed some help. so i just ran around to kind of help out. >> mike, as the adrenaline kind of kick in at that moment? >> yeah, it really did. i mean there's so many people there trying to help and i, i was thinking last night. i don't think the same people that were there could lift that car and just walking up to it and lifting it when there was no kind of a need. i don't think it could have been done. adrenaline would have to be doing that. >> jade, how did you feel when you found out that the person under the car, brandon, is actually going it make a full recovery, according to his doctors. and you guys were part of saving his life. >> you know, it's just a miracle. i sat there and looked at him and i was sick. but i have been worried about him. and knowing that he's going to make a full recovery and he's going to be all right, i'm just glad we were there at the right time, in the right place. >> indeed, derrick harper, mike johnson and cade lundgren, we're all amazed at you. thank you for being with us. thank you. still ahead, did a medical condition cause casey anthony to tell so many lies? we'll have more of george and cindy anthony's first interview since their daughter was acquitted of murder. but first, this is "today" on nbc. that have earned the keurig brewed seal of approval. the keurig brewed seal is our commitment that the coffee inside will deliver a delicious cup of coffee every time. keurig brewed. look for the only mark of genuine keurig quality. just ahead, we'll talk exclusively to the mother of conjoined twins separated in a grueling surgery that took doctors 13 hours. plus if you go on target's website this morning, here's what you might see, it's all shut down. the new collects that brought down the target sheet, you can't do all the online shopping you were hoping to do. but, i have to support my family, so how do i go back to school? 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♪ [ male announcer ] in here, you're never away from home. it's the at&t network. and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time for a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> new accident on the topside in a dip in the area of loch raven boulevard. you are going to see delays back to the harrisburg expressway. checking the outer loop, you can see traffic is backed up approaching 95 all the way to opposite accident scene at loch raven. slow go from white marsh to the 895 split. this is backing up traffic on southbound 795. closures, storm-related, at granite road and lakeside boulevard and moores mill road. watch for closures in effect at severn. 295 southbound, looking at delays from 32 to 198. a quick live look outside, 95 and fort mchenry, backing up into the tunnel. harford, heavy outer loop delays. tony has a check on your forecast. >> nice start this wednesday. we have a little bit of fog earlier this morning. we don't expect any weather problems this morning. for -- 64 at the airport, 69 in annapolis, 71 downtown. temperatures will make it into the mid-to-upper 80's, complete with humidity. we will get through the day dry, but there could be a few thunderstorms developing tonight. then it cools off. overnight lows at -- low 70's saturday. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. back in 25 minutes with another live update. 7:0 now on a wednesday morning, the 14th day of 2011, got an enthusiastic crowd lining up on the plaza. another beautiful sunny morning here in the northeast. going up to the mid 80s before a big change in weather that al will tell you about in just a little while. meanwhile, inside the studio i'm matt lauer, alongside savannah guthrie while ann continues on assignment in iran. just ahead, more from george and cindy anthony's first interview since their daughter's murder trial. coming up, they open up about their daughter's lies and what happened when they finally confronted casey about caylee's disappearance. plus the frenzy caused at target about the opening of the new missoni line. is it worth all the fuss? we're going to get into that. and we want to let you know coming up on friday here on "today," we have an exclusive interview with charlie sheen. we talk to him about his family, where his career is headed, and what it was like earlier this year when his life got a little bit chaotic. take a look. >> it was like being shot out of a cannon, into another cannon. and then just shot out of that one. it was from one moment to the next, i didn't know what was going to happen. it was pretty exciting. and then the whole -- >> exciting or scary at times? >> both, yeah. but you know, i had the whole thing, i don't believe in fear and defeat is not an option. i had to live by those mottos, regardless of how i felt. >> you can see our exclusive interview with charlie sheen friday morning here on "today." we begin this half hour with the new interview with casey anthony's parents, nbc's kerry sanders has the latest. kerry, good morning to you. >> reporter: george and cindy anthony have not spoke ton their daughter since she walked free from jail. but now in a revealing interview shot here in los angeles, they open up about casey's lies and actions, divulging family secrets anywhere heard before. no longer on the stand and no longer in the courtroom, george and cindy spoke out for the first time since their daughter, casey's, trial. >> the last one i saw caylee with was casey. >> in an interview with dr. phil, the anthonys trace back to where they think things went wrong. when casey's lies began. back to when she hid her pregnancy from her parents for five months. >> do you think it odd that she hid that from you all until that far into the pregnancy. >> we asked her. >> reporter: they say the lies continued to pile on. perhaps sparked by a family crisis. >> cindy and i had separated for a few months. i just noticed her not being at the places she said she was going to be at. things never added up to me. >> reporter: the rift between casey and her parents deepened during the do you 6 separation because of george's secret gambling debts. >> everybody felt let down by their dad. and kind of betrayed. and the thing that hurt casey the most was that he wanted us to sell the house and split it up. that casey felt like he was kicking her and caylee out. >> my daughter has been missing for the last 31 days. >> reporter: for the first time, cindy revealed what happened when she finally confronted casey after not seeing her granddaughter for 31 days. >> i heard her telling lee that zanni had kidnapped caylee and she hadn't seen caylee for 31 days. my worst nightmare had just unfolded right in front of me. >> what did you say to casey? >> i don't know, i just screamed at her. i said what the hell are you talking about? i said what do you mean, you haven't seen caylee? i wanted to go choke her or hit her and i just went over there and i just punched the bed as hard as i could to get my anger out. >> reporter: three years later, cindy is still trying to figure it all out. >> looking back now, i'm almost wondering if she didn't develop post-postpartum schizophrenia or some type of issue after her pregnancy. >> reporter: and an even bigger bombshell. >> people don't know, she had a grand mal seizure after she came home for the very first time. >> reporter: cindy claims it was casey's second seizure. >> she had a seizure in november of 2007. her ex-fiance had casey taken to the hospital for a grand mal seizure. >> has she ever been evaluated? c.a.t. scans? >> at that time, she did. >> did the doctor find anything? >> not at that time. >> reporter: but doctors say grand mal seizures do not cause any erantic behavior. >> there shouldn't be any changes in their personality or behavior. >> reporter: but for the anthonys, continued questions with no answers. >> i don't know why she's having a seizure. does she have a brain tumor? were the seizures caused by stress? i don't know what happened. and that's what i want to find out down the road. >> reporter: neurologists say grand mal seizures in young people can be caused by a variety of problems in the brain. head injuries, prior history of infection as a child, even genetics. matt? >> kerry sanders in los angeles, thank you very much. i sat down with dr. phil mcgraw earlier this week. we started by watching a clip from his interview, where the anthonys talk about their daughter's state of mind after caylee's disappearance. >> what happened on june 16th. i don't know what happened to her. and was it so traumatic that her whole world went upside-down and it was easier for her to believe that caylee was with the nanny? to put it aside and go on with her life, because she couldn't face the tragedy. >> are you saying she went psychotic and lost contact with reality? >> possibly. i don't know that. but someing happened that day, that forever changed her behavior. >> analyze that a little bit for me. >> well, i think it's denial of the highest order. now understand, her sequence is, something happened to caylee, and therefore, she, casey, went off the deep end, as opposed to casey went off the deep end -- >> and did something to caylee. >> did you ask them point-blank, scale of one to ten, what are the chances in their belief system that casey anthony in fact killed her daughter? >> i did. and i talked to both of them. and with cindy, she came up with a number of things. she said, i think she's maybe had a brain tumor. and i said, well did you have her checked for that? well, yes. did you do mri, c.a.t. scan, x-rays, blood work? yes, yes, yes. did you find anything? well not then. but maybe something because she's had these grand mal seizures, we heard her talk about on day one. it's like i'm going to find some reason to say it was involuntary on her part, whatever it is she did. and so when i confront her with that, she comes up with, another excu excuse, another excuse and another excuse. >> we've got two people here in george and cindy. if you and i were to sit here and witness an event right in front of us, we could probably both recount it differently. we would see different things in that. so there are clearly differences in the way they view what happened. let's take a look at an example. and this concerns the much-talked-about shovel. take a look. >> there's speculation or evidence that was brought about by our neighbors said that casey had borrowed a shovel from him. if she did, i don't know. that was something that he stated in a statement that he gave to us. >> do you believe she borrowed a shovel? >> according to our next-door neighbor, that's the statement that he gave. >> i think she borrowed a shovel. >> what do you think she did with that shovel? >> i think she did what she said she did with it. you might laugh at this. but she needed to cut a piece of bamboo. and the shed was locked, once again. or maybe she used it to try to break into the shed and couldn't do it. i don't know. >> on your short list of explanations, you don't include the possibility that she used that shovel to dig a hole in the ground, in the woods, to bury her dead baby. >> how can the answer not be yes to that? yes, that's on the short list of possibilities? >> but, it was not. and her reasoning -- and this is what i mean, matt, when i say that i think this is just a mother's denial. she borrows a shovel the day that we know that, now know that her baby died. and we know that the baby was buried less than a mile from the house. and of course, she says well, the neighbor said he watched her the whole time and she never left, only had the shovel for an hour. the george said, wait a minute, he said he didn't see her the whole time. he didn't stand there and watch her with the shovel. she did what she did and brought it back after a while. it's beyond illogical to not say i have to consider that's a possibility. and i think that you'll see this pattern. was it a grand mal seizure, was it hormonal, was it a brain tumor. i think she was cutting down bamboo with a shovel. the most casual observer would say you must logically -- >> at least open your mind to the possibility. >> right. >> how do they feel about the verdict? do they both agree with it? >> they have very different views of the verdict. and the third show that we do, which comes up next monday, we talk about the trial, what happened in the courtroom in that moment. what happened when the verdict was read. and i tell you, it is, it is rev revelatory how each person felt about it. i think it will tell a lot about what's going on between george and cindy right now concerning this and where they would be if casey showed up on their front porch and said, i'm home, i need a place to stay. which could happen. >> we'll have more as you continue your interview with george and cindy anthony. thank you very much. you can see more of that interview today on dr. phil. check your local listings. let's get a check of the weather now from al roker. today's weather is brought to you by new coffee mate natural bliss. and good morning, everybody. you know, we've been talking about the wildfires down in texas. well they've got them in minnesota as well. the fires have been burning for the last week or so, struck by lightning strike and there's so much smoke, it's actually making its way as far as chicago. there are folks in suburban chicago who they think the fire is actual tli in their back yards because the smoke is so thick. let's show you what else is going on. tropical storm maria, right now 605 miles south-southwest of bermuda, 6 miles per hour winds. the path will bring it between booumd and the u.s. no big problems for us, rip currents and strong swells along the shoreline. we've got wet weather making its way through the mid mississippi and ohio river valleys, so moisture through the central rockies. plenty of sunshine, the pacific northwest. 67 degrees in seattle today. >> it is going to be another war midday. high temperatures in the mid-to- upper 80's. most of the she is a cutie, what's her name? >> her name is sydney. >> hi, sydney. and sydney can watch her weather day or night, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. matt? >> you're freaking me out, al. coming up next, we'll find out if your favorite restaurants make the grade when it comes to healthier food options. first, these messages. for the things we buy most. it's 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% on groceries. 3% on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. that's 1% cash back on oscar. ...tony. oscar! 2% back on whatever she'll eat. 3% back on filling up this baby. 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[ '80s dance music plays ] [ sighs ] [ male announcer ] choose taste. choose prego. back now at 7:45, this morning on eat this, not that, restaurant report cards, more and more chains have introduced low-calorie options to their menus. the author of "eat this not that" the no-diet weight solution. great to see you. your general report card on thousand hess restaurants are doing on incorporating more healthy choices inner that menus. >> four years in, the trend is towards eat this, away from not that. a lot of restaurants have healthier menu items. that said, they still have some side dishes, deserts, drinks and entrees that in some cases are a few meals' worth of calories. we might have to send a few restaurant ceos back a grade. >> we'll look at the major chains and we start with mcdonald's. >> give it a restaurant report card. what do you think it is? >> i'm guessing basically, if i think this is healthy food -- when i give this grade i want to say i love mcdonald's. i think in terms of healthiness, i would guess like d. >> it's actually a b plus. >> really? i'm happy to hear that. >> the clown is not that scarey. and here's why, what they've done in the last few years is they've made you get happy about the happy meal again. they have a lot of healthier options. right here, you have a 300-calorie egg mcmuffin. that's great. a quarter of that is 18 grams of protein right there. this is a mcdouble. this is only a few hundred calories. this is a third calories of a fish fillet at like denny's, that's a great healthy option and they also introduced oatlegoat oatmeal. mcdonald's is making all the right moves right now. >> let's move to olive garden. i think the grade i would give do olive garden. maybe like a c minus. >> there are some weeds in this garden. we gave it a d plus, in our "eat this not that" restaurant report card. they're high in sodium. their average pasta dish is 1,000 calories. in this case, a chicken parm, that's 1100 calories. the equivalent of eating a dozen rice krispies treat. the good news, all of these restaurants you can find healthy options. you need to get the venetian apricot chicken. only 400 calories. with a side of vegetables, it's great. >> let's move to red lobster, i'm going to say b plus red lopster. >> it's an a minus. this is the most improved crustacean award. red lobster used to have an f, four years ago when we started. they now have an a minus. here you have barbequed shrimp and scallops, only 490 calories. here you've got a rainbow trout with broccoli, 410 calories. a lot of low-calorie, high-protein options at red lobster. chick-fil-a, i'm going to give if a b. >> this is the chick-fil-a minus. >> you've been working on that line all day. >> what's great about them, they do not have a single sandwich that goes over 600 calories. here you've got a chicken club with the works. we're talking bacon and cheese and that's only like 400-some calories. here, same thing, you've got the chicken strips, which are better than they are at mcdonald's. >> but they're breaded. >> but really good, a lot of healthy options. everything kind of tastes like chicken. >> it's chick-fil-a. finally, we have chipotle. they use the white rice, i would think b plus. >> we're on the fence with chipotle. we gave them a c minus. one of the reasons they do a great job with fresh quality ingredients, and free-range meats. but if you give freddie or jason a hand-carved sword, they're still axe murderers. they have huge portions sizes. we have been begging them to reduce their portion sizes. this chicken burrito is over 1,000 calories. it's the equivalent of these 20 bagel bites from ore-ida. they do have healthy options, these crispy tacos, chigen tacos are only 550 calories. >> dave, thank you so much. the author of "eat this, not that." appreciate it. and still ahead, the uproar over a new line at target. that emptied out the stores and caused the company's website to crash. we'll talk to a target representative to find out when and if you'll be able to get in on these deals. but first, these messages. membership rewards points from american express. the social currency. you carry them around everywhere. yes i do, because cravings are everywhere. would you take a craving for me, cartwright? how would i -- exactly. 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[ female announcer ] the accufit digital system, exclusively at lenscrafters... is about 5 times more precise than manual measurement techniques. so you get vision that makes the world as clear as it can be. lenscrafrs. just ahead, a risky and successful 13-hour operation in tennessee to separate conjoined twins. coming up, their mother speaks out in an exclusive live interview. plus natalie talks to roger ebert about his controversial relationship with gene siskel. g. ♪ ...can lead to another. ♪ ♪ with real fruit, more of the whole grains your body needs, and a good source of fiber. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. nutri-grain can help you fresher less processed foods introducing freshpet recipes so fresh the only preservative we use is the fridge freshpet fresh food for fido are hidden in the contours of your teeth & tongue. introducing a breakthrough for aquafresh. new extreme clean pure breath action. its micro active foam penetrates those hard to reach places. and it now contains a mineral compound that captures and neutralizes bad breath odors giving you 80% cleaner, purer breath. for all the confidence of pure breath try new extreme clean pure breath action from aquafresh. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time for another check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> dealing with it a few new accidents since last check. inner loop topside approaching providence road, you can see the back up it is creating to the harrisburg expressway. if you are going to head out on perring parkway and joppa road, watch for crash. out of the delays for 95 to the accident scene. pulaski highway and rossville boulevard, watch for crash. if you are going to head out on the west side, watch for normal delays. 18 miles per hour on average from 795 to edmondson. continued closures and off the road and granite wrote david moores mill road and nicodemus still shut down. south -- past 50, at tracking an accident there. possible delays in the northbound direction just past 50. 95 and white marsh, almost at a standstill approaching white marsh to the beltway. on the beltway, we have the accident on the inner loop taking up the left lane at providence. tony has a check on your forecast. >> at least to the weather is nice and quiet. we have a fog earlier this morning. temperature started out in the upper 60s and low 70's. we will make it into the mid-to- upper-80's this afternoon, with humidity. there could be a few showers and thunderstorms tonight. 73 for the high tomorrow. showers in the morning. upper 60s on friday. >> back at 8:25 with another live up to it. -- live update th day of september, 2011. we've got a nice day here in new york. it's going up into the mid 80s, but a major change in store a little later in the week. al's going to talk about that. what's in store for you in your neck of the woods as well. i'm matt lauer, along with savannah guthrie. savannah is here, because ann curry is on assignment in iran. coming up in this half hour, we're going to talk about a rare, risky 13-hour surgery that was performed by doctors at a hospital in tennessee to separate conjoined twins. these little boys were born connected at the lower pelvis and lower spine. and this has been a successful operation. their mother will talk to us in an exclusive live interview. that's got to be one very happy lady. and we're going to talk about missoni madness at target. if you've seen people constantly refreshing their computers over the last couple of days. the designer line has come to the retailer target. it actually shut down the target website, drove people into the stores. the question today is, are they out of merchandise? can you still get in on the deal? we'll talk to a target representative coming up. >> we've got a way to score some of that, right? >> we did. and some of the best-dressed folks on "people"'s best and worst-dressed lists might be wearing missoni. who is looking great and not so great on that list. before we get to that, let's go inside, natalie is back at the news desk after a little time away, good morning. >> good morning, everyone, the bid to free two american hikers imprisoned in iran in spy charges has hit a snag. a day after iran's president told ann curry that shane bauer and josh fattal would be released within days, now iran's judiciary said it is still reviewing the case and that the reduce is quote not imminent. republican presidential hopeful, michele bachmann, is under fire for raising fears on this program tuesday. bachmann suggested a vaccine required for adolescent girls in texas can lead to mental retardation. medical experts say bachmann's claim was incorrect and irresponsible. and that the hpv vaccine fights a virus linked to cancer. even conservative commentator rush limbaugh said she went too far. congress holds a hearing today on a solar energy company, championed by the president, that went bust, potentially costing taxpayers a half billion dollars. nbc's senior investigative correspondent, lisa myers has more from washington. lisa, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, natalie. this company had been heralded as a success story of the stimulus program. so by any measure, its collapse is an embarrassment to the white house. today, new information suggests that the obama administration committed taxpayer money, despite repeated red flags about the company's viability. with great fanfare, the president himself visited the company, known as solindra, last year. >> it's here that companies like this are leading the way toward a brighter and more prosperous future. >> reporter: in 2009, the company received $535 million in federal loan guarantees to expand production of cutting-edge solar panels. part of the president's promise to create millions of so-called green jobs. last month, solyndra declared bankruptcy, laying off all 1100 workers. >> it's really hard times, you know. we all loved working here. >> reporter: the fbi raided company headquarters. investigating whether the government was misled. the company has said it's cooperating. >> the evidence seems to be pretty clear to even the nonlawyer types, that this smelled from the very get-go. that this was a really bad deal. >> reporter: house republican investigators have unearthed emails reviewed by nbc, which reveal repeated warnings by government staffers about the loan. this deal is not ready for prime time. then days before final approval, a warning that one model showed the project would run out of cash in september of 2011. which it did. another questioned the model the government was using. but said, given the time pressure we are under to sign off on solyndra, we don't have time to change the model. why the rush? the white house appeared to be pushing to meet political deadlines. so the vice president could announce final approval when he spoke at the ground-breaking for the new plant. >> it's important because these jobs are going to be permanent jobs. >> reporter: a key question -- were solyndra's political connections a big factor. he has denied that the company was discussed. a white house spokesman sass no political influence was involved here. that this was a worthy investment in a company many saw as promising. and he said, just because results were disappointing, we can't stop investing in new technologies critical in a global economy. natalie? >> lisa myers in washington, thank you. now for a look at what's trending today, our quick round-up of what has you talking online. target's website has crashed under the crush of demand for its new missoni fashion and housewares line. the designer goods were snapped up from target pop-up stores hours after they debuted, we'll have more on the missoni madness coming up. and reece witherspoon's fans are googling this picture of the star's face, she was banged up while hit by a car last week while jogging. she has a black eye, attending a birthday party. and pop idol justin bieber is online after he said he wears women's jeans, he said they fit better and what works, works. let's go back outside for al with a check of the weather. >> hey, i wear mom jeans, don't you? yeah, if they work, they go with it. you're a mom, nothing wrong with mom jeans. let's check it out see what's happening, pick city of the day, sioux city, gradual clearing, 58 degrees. we've got showers up through northern new england, hit-and-miss thunderstorms, we've got heat again through texas. they'll get a little cooldown. upper 60s through the pacific northwest. moving on to tomorrow, we've got rain in the northeast, mid-atlantic states. mild in the pacific northwest. and showers, along the central rockies. we've got cool and sunny conditions through the northern plains. into the central great lakes. and mid mississippi river vall >> it is going to feel like summer one more day. temperatures will climb into the mid- a per- that's your latest weather. matt? thanks very much, when we come back, we'll talk about the rush on missoni that caused target's website to crash. we'll tell you what you need to do to get the stuff you want, right after. you a 50% annual b! so you earn 50% more cash. according to research, everybody likes more cash. well, almost everybody... ♪ would you like 50% more cash? 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[ male announcer ] it's the at&t network. and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say. back now at 8:10, you've heard of black friday, well it was missoni madness for target on tuesday. the retailer partnered with the a legendary fashion house, to introduce a limited edition of appar apparel, accessories and home goods, and the item line was so popular, it quickly sold out at many stores and caused the company's website to crash. the company's vice president of communication is with us, a i long with "today" and "us weekly" contributor jill martin and angela kiley. i want to start with you, dusty. did you have any idea that this would be so popular, such that your entire website crashed? >> well, good morning, savannah. i think it's probably safe to say that target is having a missoni for target moment. we actually knew coming into it that there was a tremendous amount of buzz, it was featured in more than 40 magazines over the last month. and the online traffic has been simply incredible. whether it was people tweeting about bicycles or talking about the luggage, everyone wanted a little piece of la dolce vita. >> the question, dusty, is whether you have any stock left. are you going to replenish it? >> what i would say is sha inventories were based on previous designer collections and this was our largest collection to date. so your comparison to black friday is a good one. i think people came in, they shopped early. we had lines outside of our store, starting at the wee hours and people were logging on. so items will continue to trickle into stores. i would encourage people who are interested in still purchasing missoni for target, to check their target stores early and often. >> dusty. hold on a minute. i want to ask jill martin in new york, how do you explain this phenomenon? target has done these designer lines before. but i can't remember something like this. >> well, it's never been like this. and everyone was buzzing about it. celebrities to everyon in our office. because i think you see this on the red carpet. and everyone knows it when they see it. you see the zig-zag, the colors, the prints. so i think for most, it's unattainable, because it's $600, to $12,000. and then they made most items under $40. so you can get your hands on it, and even people who can afford the real thing, celebrities are tweeting about it. because you just want one piece. >> everybody loves a bargain. angela, i have to ask you, they did a pop-up store in new york. put the merchandise in and i guess you were first in line because you got all this stuff. what was the scene like? >> it was missoni mayhem. i actually had to wait four hours, a little more than four hours to even get to the front of the line. the line snaked around the whole avenue, other side streets. by the time i got in, the whole second floor was roped off. they ran out of merchandise up there. what few things were left, people were just grabbing, putting into their bags, boxes, whatever they could get their hands on. >> i should point out, that you, angela are wearing a missoni for target item. >> i am. >> jill, you are wearing the real designer high-end line. in terms of quality, jill, what is the difference? because in terms of looks, it's very similar. >> right, i mean natural fiber, synthetic material. obviously better quality dress. however they did not compromise the design. downstairs everyone was saying, which is the real, which is the fake. because when you look at them, i mean they really look fantastic. >> dusty. i have to ask you, i mean you can't be unhappy with all of this good press for target and all the excitement about the line. some people might look at this and say, well, wait a minute. should you have had more in stock? is this basically a publicity stunt? albeit one that appears to be working? >> well, the response has just really been unprecedented. it's incredible. you mentioned the pop-up store earlier. we actually doubled our inventory for that pop-up store. we hope to be open three days, we shut down in just six hours. so it truly is mayhem. people are really excited about this collection, because i think it's beautiful and it's at a great price. and if you didn't catch it this time, just wait. target always has something great in store. >> all right. dusty, she can't lose that opportunity. all right, jill martin, angela kiley, our producer, and dusty jenkins at target. appreciate it. coming up next, the successful 13-hour surgery to separate conjoined twins in tennessee. we'll talk to their mom exclusively right after this. major medical, boyyyy! 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[ male announcer ] university of phoenix is proud to sponsor education nation. because we believe an educated world is a better world. we're back now at 8:17 with the successful separation of a rare set of conjoined twins. 6-month-old jacob and joshua spates were born connected to the pelvis and lower spine. it took a team of doctors at le bonheur children's hospital in memphis, tennessee, 13 hours to separate them. their mom, adrian spates is with us, exclusively, along with dr. max langham, one of the doctors who performed the complicated surgery. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> adrian, let me start with you, this surgery was performed on august 29th. how are jacob and joshua doing today? >> they're doing well. joshua, he's been moved to the last floor, which is like the recovery floor before he comes home. jacob is still in icu. he has a couple of surgeries this morning. but overall, they're doing well. joshua is feeding, he's laying on his side and back. he's moving. he's interacting with everyone. he's doing well. and jacob is right behind his brother. he's doing well, too. >> you must be so happy about this. dr. langham, there's a term used to describe these twins. help me out here, is it pygopagus? >> pronounced pyopagus. >> what did they share internally? >> so, they were joined back to back at the pelvis. and their sacrums were joined, along with the lower, very lower part of their g.i. tract. that they had separate heads, chest, hearts. internal organs. and both twins had arms, legs, so they're really two very complete boys. just joined at the bottom. >> what would have been their prognosis for survival, had this surgery not been performed? >> well, unfortunately, jacob has a complex cardiac anomaly. and has hydrocephalus and a couple of other things, and we could not repair his heart because of the way they are put together. if they had not been separated sometime in the next year or two, they probably would have passed. >> so adrian, let's come back to you and talk about this decision process you have. these boys joined, and clearly, as the doctor just explained, there were incredible challenges facing them if they remained that way. and let's face it, this is a very complicated and risky surgery. so there is a chance they wouldn't make it through the surgery. how did you come to this decision? >> like dr. langham was saying, the boys are totally, they're two different boys. so you know, joshua, he's doing his own thing. and i really wanted him to be free, you know, able to do his own thing. like when i go visit him and feed him. he's like, his own little person. that was really the reason why i wanted to, them to go ahead and do the surgery. i just want them to do their own thing. so that's why i went ahead with the surgery. of course i was scared, of course i knew that this or that could have happened. but i just prayed and just stayed faithful and just basically i had a lot of people with me. so i think i'm overall happy with the decision that you know, with them being separated, i'm glad i made that decision. >> doctor, over the course of these 13 hours of surgery, what was the biggest challenge? >> well, the main part of the operation, the trickiest part of the operation was neurosurgical division of the lower spinal cord. and the pelvis. we had a terrific plastic surgery team design flaps in the incision, so we had good soft tissue coverage of it and we were able to make the boys new bottoms. the neurosurgical part of it is probably the trickiest part. >> and you talked about the fact that there's a heart condition with one of the little boys. the long-term prognosis for both, how would you explain that or describe that? >> well i think joshua is doing great. and hopefully will be up and going and have a pretty normal lifespan. jacob has hydrocephalus ouellet need to be treated. our surgery team here has high outputs that the treatment for the double outlet right ventricle condition will be successful. >> we'll keep both of them in our thoughts and prayers. congratulations to your team, doctor and adrian, congratulations to you as well. it must be great to hold your children. >> it is, it really is. >> you're welcome. now here's savannah. now let's swing on down to washington and our good friend, mr. willard scott. hey, willard. >> such new things from smucker's check them out on your grocery shelf. happy birthday from smuckers, to our birthday and anniversary buddies. two anniversaries today. anthony hahn, hehn, from roanoke, virginia, 100 years old today. and still lives independently with his 99-year-old wife. how about that? that's a blessing. that is a blessing. and lloyd reber, of rochester, new york. 105. a retired film producer who has produced hundreds of films over his lifetime and loved in the community. that's the truth. mary ellen robertson of arroyo grande, california, 105 years old today. used to be a teacher. she loves to travel. all over the world. lot of people just do that after they retire. naomi, what a beautiful name. naomi frost, kansas city, missouri, 104 years old today. enjoys cooking, and loves to try out new recipes. that's an adventuresome cook. bill and marie burden, of mount pleasant, michigan, 77 years they've been married. also it's bill's birthday. they still live in the same house that they started out in and they are crazy about each other. and we have lonnie and jesse mabrey of cookeville, tennessee. 80 years they have been married. and they live independently and both attribute their longevity to just plain loving each other. that's it, that's all. now, back to the big apple. >> willard, thanks. >> thanks, willard. >> we've got a couple of big and interesting interviews over the next couple of days. tomorrow on "today" we'll have an exclusive interview with siena miller, her first about being a victim of the phone-hacking scandal in britain. she talks very candidly about the toll she says it has taken on her life, her friendships and her career. and on friday, we've got charlie sheen, speaking out about the episode in his life that ended with him losing his job on one of the most successful sitcoms in television. matt sat down with him. we'll have that interview on friday. >> you get the sense after talking to charlie, that he has some regrets. there's no question about it. he even comes right out and says that when he was going through the heart of the feud with the sitcom, he thought they couldn't go on without him. that there's no way they could continue without him. and clearly, he knows that not to be the case right now. so we'll hear from him and siena miller tomorrow. just ahead, the best and worst-dressed celebrities in hollywood. but first, your local news and a check of your local weather. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a final check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> interesting commute out there. reports on the outer loop, dulaney valley road, there is the woman giving birth in her car. you can see the big delays that extended to approaching i-95. that is the reason for the outer loop delay. inner loop delays, six miles per hour at the worst part. that stretches from liberty to approaching providence. we have an accident taking up the left lanes. j.f.x. is filling up quickly from the beltway at all the way down. you travel on the west side, 13 miles per hour on the outer loop from 795 going down. offutt road m grant road, close at nicodemus. jarrettsville pike and manor road, downed tree. oft's give you a live view the delay spirit outer loop top side, coming towards us from approaching 95 towards the medical call we were talking about. here is what it looks like at providence. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. tony, is it a full moon or something? >> hopefully the people sitting in traffic hear it on the radio so they don't get mad. how can you get mad at that? the fog and we had earlier this morning it has burned up. summer-like day to day. high temperatures mid-to-upper 80's. chance for a shower or thunderstorm this evening. much cooler, sunshine friday and saturday, i debitors upper 60s to around 70. >> another update at 8:55. we are back now, 8:30 on a wednesday morning. 14th day of september, 2011. take a look at some of the nice people who have stopped by to say hi to us this morning. here on rockefeller plaza. from perth, australia and from hoboken, new jersey. all over the globe. that's right. >> alaska! >> i'm matt lauer, on the plaza, along with savannah guthrie. while ann is on assignment. al roker is here as well. natalie is back from brazil. the gang is almost all back. anyway, coming up in this half hour. you actually sit down with roger ebert. >> i think a lot of people know he's been a film critic for over 40 years, he's a remarkable person, he's just battled thyroid cancer, lost his jaw and his ability to speak and he's become a very outspoken, as well on the blog. so we'll try catching up with him and see how he's doing now. and he also had some controversy because recently, he tweeted following the death of "jackass" star as well. and "people" is out with its annual best and worst-dressed list. who made the cut. one guess, that's the best-dressed right there. beautiful. beautiful there. >> we'll show the worst, too. and later on in our kitchen -- two words -- butter and bacon. oh, yeah, chef eric repare will be cooking butter and bagen, get the defibrillator ready. before we get to that, let's bring in the very funny will arnett, back on prime in the new nbc comedy, "up all night." will, nice to see you. >> very nice to be here. on butter and bacon day. >> you waited for the butter convention. this is the idea, you've got what it's like for older people, who are first-time parents to see if they can keep the fun and romance in a relationship after the kids are born. >> that's very well said. not that much older. let's emphasize that. sure. some people -- some people are young. but, yeah, i think it's about people who have enjoyed an extended adolescence. who have decided to spend their 20s and 30s taking care of themselves and now they've got to take care of a baby. >> you know something about this. you're married to a comedian we all know and love, amy poehler, and you have two little ones at home. who actually changes the diapers in your household? >> boy, this is live, right? i would say that i'm more of like a support crew. but i do, i am there and i do, i have changed many diapers. >> you hand the wipes? is that what you do? >> i'm very good at that. >> is that more like you have the remote control and you say -- sweetie, you're doing great? >> that's support, right? no, i'm pretty hands on. and yeah, i've got two young guys under three. and so there's no real, the transition from my home life to my work life is pretty seamless. >> and you've got a terrific cast. you're working with christina applegate and maya rudolph, three of the funniest people working on tv today. >> i don't know who the third is, but i would say that, yeah, christina and maya are so funny. so amazing every day. both of them are just great at what they do. i just show up. >> you do more than that. we're looking forward to it. "up all night" premieres tonight at 10:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m. central on nbc. and next week, you can catch it at its regular time slot, wednesdays, 8:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. central. is that confusing? >> no, that's right. will arnett, thank you so much getting up >> it is going to be another war midday. high temperatures in the mid-to- upper 80's. most of the don't forget, get your weather any time of the day or night, or on the weather channel or weather.com. this handsome man you're standing next to me. four time emmy winner, mr. hank azaria, one of the stars of the new nbc show, "free agents." nice to see you. >> nice to be seen early in the morning. >> this is a show based on a bbc comedy of the same name. and you're a newly-divorced guy who still cries when he thinks about what's been going on. and you're trying to get through life. >> exactly right. he's a very sad man. he's just left his marriage and he's trying to start over again. he's hooked up with someone at work. which probably wasn't the smartest idea. and he doesn't realize he's crying. he's crying so much that it has to be pointed out to him. >> and one of the hold-overs from the bbc version is your boss. who in the bbc version is brutal. did they temper his role a little bit? >> we had to, he curses at such a high rate that only cable could embrace that level of foul-mouthedry. >> foul-mouthedry? >> yeah, it's a noun. but he use as lot of double entendre. he will often rate himself. figure out weird ways to say sexual things. >> we're looking forward to it. hank azaria, thanks so much, good seeing you. don't forget to catch the premiere of "free agents." >> did you memorize all that? >> no, i had it written down. >> i know it, but i have to know it. >> and thanks so much. savannah? thanks. and coming up next, roger ebert opens up to natalie about his battle with thyroid cancer and his relationship with gene siskel. but first, this is "today" on nbc. you said you'd get me on the field. i did get you on the field. you are brian orakpo all-pro linebacker, surely you can do better than this. come on sunshine. it's game time. squad's waiting. this is embarrassing brian. they've got me on the bottom of the pyramid. you know what else is embarrassing? paying too much for car insurance. geico. fifteen minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. back now at 8:38 with a personal look at the life of one of the best-known film critics of our time. roger ebert is out with a new autobiography and natalie sat down with him recently. >> good morning to you, matt. roger ebert's battle with thyroid cancer left him without his jaw and the ability to speak and eat. but he has not lost his voice as america's most beloved and prominent film critic and now blogger. in fact he's busier than ever with a new memoir called "life itself." >> at that moment i was thinking i don't like it. >> they were the famed duo that gave us the trademarked, thumb's up or thumb's down at "at the movies." >> initially, roger ebert and gene siskel were film critics. they were stars, their routine became legendary. >> we have to review the character on the screen, gene, not your theories about what these guys are like. >> but it came to a saddened when gene siskel died of cancer in 1999. three years later, ebert was diagnosed with thyroid and salivary gland cancer. the disease took his lower jaw and his ability to speak, eat and drink. >> top on my list is "citizen cane." now he speaks through alex, his computer-generated voice. we sat down to talk about his new memoir, "life itself." >> you did not know at the time that you had thyroid cancer, that you would never be able to speak again. as you began to realize that, what went through your mind? >> there was never a time when anyone told me i would never speak again. naturally, i felt awful. but i had to accept reality. >> a reality that included a new voice. and when ebert blogs, over 100 million people are reading. no surprise, last year, he was awarded a webby for person of the year. >> the conversations that you have with your readers online, writing your blogs, how much is that like sitting down at the dinner table with you, roger ebert? >> with facebook, twitter and the comments on my blog, i feel i'm involved in an actual conversation with me, the social media really are social. >> but his bluntness online took some heat this summer, after "jackass" star, ryan dunn's deadly crash. dunn had posted this photo of himself drinking before the accident. ebert tweeted -- friends don't let jackasses drink and drive. he later explained in his blog, i was probably too quick to tweet. but recently told us, the tweet was the truth. for ebert, honesty is the best policy. even when it's about his own appearance. >> you say the best thing that happened to you was when they showed a full-page photo of what you look like now in "esquire" magazine. why is that? >> well, this is what i look like, so there's no purpose in hiding it. what you see is what you get. >> your memories growing up are so descriptive about having root beers and frosty mugs with your father. >> i find that when i am actually writing, memories appear in my mind. >> vivid childhood memories, he writes i was born inside the movie of my life. he describes a good life. eating steakburgers at the steak and shake and chuckles candies at the movies. a childhood as american as a normal rockwell painting. >> i was always extroverted. now i am forced to live more within my mind. >> a beautiful day. >> ebert credits his wife of 20 years for encouraging him to keep going. he writes, she was like a wind pushing me back from the grave. >> chaz is a force of nature. when she decides on something, her determination is awesome. she knew i could still work as a film critic and she was right. she has done a great deal to make that possible. >> ebert still travels to film festivals, attends at least five screenings a week, and with his wife, chaz, produces "ebert presents at the movies." >> gene siskel, who you spent 23 years with, you two had a little bit of that love/hate relationship. >> it's thiler week on "siskel and ebert week at the movies." >> you said if you had a sitcom it would be called "best enemies." he really was like a brother to you. if he were alive today, what woe say to you now? >> he would have been wholehearted in my corner through the troubles. although as a way of life we shared a deep understanding of one another. he would also have continued to make jokes about me. well, at least you don't need a bookmark any more to find your chin. >> well, we saw roger walking in and they said, one of everything to go. >> you once asked your doctor to put coca-cola through your g-tube. why? >> i still have cokes once in a while. i like a caffeine. >> these guys, right? this is eventage. >> while ebert may be robbed of his ability to eat and drink, he still enjoys some guilty pleasures. two thumbs up. there's a beautiful passage in the book, really talks about how roger looks at life and ha he's been through. can you read that for me? >> we must try to contribute joy to the world. that is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. we must try. i didn't always know this, and i'm happy i lived long enough to find it out. >> i feel i'm lucky that i can still do what i love, and be of some use to people. it's a waste of time feeling sorry for yourself. because it doesn't change anything or help anything. you just have to keep on keeping on. >> and matt, one thing that roger ebert told me is that a lot of people say he's courageous for continuing to do and be busier than ever. but in fact, he says, that's not the case. because he continues to be the same person. he's just doing what he always did. don't call him courageous. >> a remarkable guy. >> he really is. so vibrant. thank you for that. up next on today's style, "people"'s best and worst-dressed list. [ female announcer ] this is steve and lynn, and they have a good question. can the aetna app make you healthier? well, that all depends on what you do with it. and there's an awful lot you can do with it. access your medical history, view claims, get reminders for mammograms, find in-network doctors, track your health goals... run with it. i got my cholesterol down. i lost five pounds. [ female announcer ] see for yourself, aetna.com aetna. know more. get better. back now at 8:47, this morning on today's style, which celebrities rule the red carpet this year and who were the fashion flops? "people" magazine's best and worst-dressed issue hits the newsstands on friday. always a popular one. "people" style and beauty editor is here with us. there's a science to this. how do you determine who makes the best-dressed list and who lands on the worst-dressed list? >> it's a process. we get hundreds of pictures a day of celebrities looking fantastic and looking otherwise. we sort them, put them aside. months go by and suddenly you've got files of great-looking and not so great-looking celebrities. >> and it's not just one picture. >> we're talking about consistency here, yeah, definitely. >> let's talk about someone who made the best-dressed list and who is consistently gorgeous. except for maybe gorgeous all the time and that's jennifer hudson. >> we're so excited about her here. we love what's going on now, she is just embracing these body-hugging silhouettes, she looks fantastic. she was a size 16 in 2010. she's a size six now and she's enjoying dressing. you can tell. she just looks wonderful. >> another all-star has got to be jennifer aniston who seems to know what works on her and she always looks perfect. >> she's the minimalist of the and she sticks to black, not a lot of things, not a lot of jewelry. she always looks just right. >> jessica alba is one you have on the list, this year was different, she was pregnant for most of the year and we saw her in maternity wear. >> she was our maternity clotheshorse. we love that she really didn't change. she wore the same things, leopard print and leather, animal print. she looked fantastic. >> do you put a premium on those who take risks in terms of their fashion? >> absolutely. i mean blake lively is our risk-taker and she pushes the envelope with her runway designs. >> let's talk about best-dressed couples. some might be surprised to see who landed on your list. katie perry and russell brand. >> we celebrate red-carpet royalty and you want to get the edginess, and i feel like they do that so well together. >> we've got a couple, a pair on the worst-dressed list. that probably won't surprise too many. we've got snooki and david arquette. why? >> snooki -- well, the eyewear, the fuzzy boots, the statement t's, it's all sort of a mishmosh. >> and you put cynthia nixon on, we probably just caught her on a bad day. >> and two of our very own made your chic at any age, ann curry and kathie lee gifford. >> they look so fresh in their vibrant colors. >> thank you so much. coming up next, a simple sauce with bacon to dress up your next fish dinner. but first, this this morning on today's kitchen, step by step, bacon butter sauce, all you need is a little bit of the flavor to turn a common striped bass into a really special dish. eric repair is the chef and owner of the newly-renovated lebe lebernadain restaurant. this is pretty easy. >> it's very easy and also it's fairly inexpensive when you think about it. cabbage is a common vegetable that comes in the fall. fairly inexpensive, it's delicious. >> you're using several different parts of the cabbage. the big leaves and the center part. >> exactly. you need to remove the outside leaves because they are a bit bitter and you keep some of them like the big ones, that will be blanched. when you go inside the cabbage. you take more leaves and then you can slice them and slice them like that it's very simple. you just with a nice, do a nice julienne. and that will be blanched. >> when you say blanche, how long do you actually put the cabbage in there before overcooking it? >> so blanche means putting it in boiling water, salted water for four or five minutes, until it becomes very tender, like this one, for instance. >> and then i'm putting the fish in the big leaf that i have in the beginning that has been blanched. we put it, we do a little package like that. >> are you seasoning the fish at all before you put it in there? >> you add the salt and pepper before. >> that will go in the oven? >> that will go in the oven so the cabbage doesn't get dry. it goes into the oven for 12 minutes. with a little bit of water like that. i have some bacon that is cooking and is getting crispy. you see in the pan -- you have all the bacon carmelizing, that will give the flavor to my sauce. now removing the bacon that is crunchy. and removing the fat. but -- >> but not scraping the fan too much. >> exactly. a little bit of chicken juice. a bit of white wine. like that. and then you emulsify it with a bit of butter. >> is there any way to mess this part up? i mean you're making it look easy. >> the liquid has to be hot, boiling and the butter has to be cold. and then it emulsifies together. you have some blanche cabbage that i have sliced before. some of the sauce goes on top of it like that. >> is it really that quick? >> like that. some of the sauce is here. i put some bacon back in the cabbage. then the fish is cooked. we are going to take the cabbage and put it in a ring mold. just for presentation, i mean if you don't have a ring mold, it's not a big deal. we just go like that. >> you could use an old cat food can? >> your cats are big. my cat, i have a small cat. >> right. >> the fish goes on top like that. >> and that only cooked for 12 minutes. what temperature? >> 400 degrees. >> and the remaining of the sauce like that, you see. we're going to pour it on top. just a little bit. and you have all the flavor of the bacon, without the fat. >> did you garnish that with a little extra bacon. >> look at that. a little bit of bacon on top. and -- >> again, i'm not insulting you, but when i read this, i thought this really is easy and the entire thing would take 15 minutes, start to finish. >> hello, how are you. >> you would like to serve it to natalie and al and you serve it with tomatoes? >> they still are in season in the fall. and the tiny potatoes are also in season. they've just got harvested a few weeks ago, actually. >> and they're very cute. >> and delicious, too. >> this looks fantastic. eric repair, good to see you. and we're going to get you through fall allergy season in just a moment. but first, this is "today." >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is a look at one of our top stories. with 52% of the vote, mayor stephanie rawlings-blake s lead to victory in the election at the podium, she thanked her supporters. she will face republican candidate offered griffin in the general election. >> now let's take a look at the forecast with tony pann. >> it is going to feel like summer today. temperatures in the mid-to-upper 80's, complete with humidity. by the time we get to the evening, a slight chance for a few thunderstorms. that should last off and on through tonight. showers possible through tomorrow morning breezy and cooler with the high near 73. lots of sunshine on friday and saturday. overnight lows in the 40's. >> we will have another weather update at 9:25. ♪ [ female announcer ] have you ever seen a glacier while sunbathing? 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