good morning. fired up. the debate over health care reform getting nastier, as more angry voters meet face-to-face with lawmakers. this morning, missouri senator claire mccaskill speaks out about her town hall meeting descended into this. hey, hey, hey! it's all sweet to you. could going on a mediterranean diet reduce your risk of alzheimer's disease by as much as 60%? the results of an important new study. and vancouver, heree come. the winter olympic games now just six months away. we'll take a look at our spectacular home away from home "today," wednesday, august 12th, spectacular home away from home "today," wednesday, august 12th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television i can't get enough of those horns. i love those horns. we're going. wednesday morning, i'm meredith vieira. >> somebody put something in your coffee this morning. you're fired up. i'm obviously not matt lauer. he's on assignment this morning. i'm ann curry. boy, meredith -- >> talk about fired up. >> emotions did not spill over at president obama's new meeting but boy did they elsewhere. >> people are angry and frustrated on both sides. in pennsylvania at least one man got in the face of democratic senator arlen specter. things actually got physical during an event held by missouri senator claire mccaskill. this morning she's going to talk about that in an exclusive live interview. >> also this morning, meredith, the latest on that outburst from secretary of state hillary clinton that has everyone talking. she declared my husband is not the secretary of state. i am. during a q&a session in africa after being mistakenly asked for former president bill clinton's opinion on a topic. what was behind her response? we're going to get into that this morning. >> and later kate gosselin and her wedding ring. as we saw during our exclusive interview this week she's still wearing it, despite the recent split with jon. she said she's doing that for a sake of the children. it is a tough decision for a lot of women when they separate from their husband. how do you know what is best for you and the kids? we're going to get into that. but we're going to begin wh the raging debate over health care reform playing out at town hall meetings coast to coast. chief white house correspondent chuck todd was at president obama's event on tuesday in new hampshire and he is back at the white house this morning. chuck, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. well, look,he president just held the first of what are going to be three town hall meetings this week that he holds. but of course, he escaped some of that public anger that we've seen. but crowds were not as well-behaved for various members of congress. in town hall meetings across the country, fear and anger have overwhelmed the health care debate. >> he has -- >> he -- >> you don't trust me? >> no! >> i don't know what else i can do. >> reporter: for senator claire mccaskill in missouri, some of the crowd got physical. >> hey, hey, hey! okay. ma'am. okay. we can do this. we can still have town hall meetings, right? >> reporter: but in portsmouth, new hampshire, tuesday, the president faced a far more friendly audience. >> i love you back, thank you. >> reporter: still, the president found himself spending much of his time defending his plan and pushing back against some of the wild accusations. >> the rumor that's been circulating a lot lately is this idea that somehow the house of representatives voted for death panels that will basically pull the plug on grandma. i am not in favor of that. >> reporter: and he said his request for e-mails from americans who disagree with him has been portrayed unfairly. >> suddenly, on some of these news outlets this is being portrayed as obama collecting an enemies list. now, come on, guys. >> reporter: pro-actively the president tried to turn his fire on insurance companies. >> i don't think government bureaucrats should be meddling, but i also don't think insurance company bureaucrats should be meddling. >> reporter: and unlike members of congress he faced only polite skepticism from a republican in the audience over a government-run health insurance plan. the so-called public option. >> the only thing that i have said is that having a public option in that menu would provide competition for insurance companies to keep them honest. >> reporter: the president pleaded for folks to talk to each other, not over each other. >> where we do disagree, let's disagree over things that are real. not these wild misrepresentations that bear no resemblance to anything that's actually been proposed. >> no government health care. >> reporter: outside the hall, the misrepresentation was on full display. >> i believe he is a socialistic ruler who is going to turn this country into socialism. >> reporter: but supporters say th don't mind the heated atmosphere. >> this is real good, because they're nervous. and i like that. >> reporter: now, there was one arrest outside of new hampshire yesterday, a 62-year-old man was arrested for sneaking into the auditorium. he was carrying a knife, and then they found out he had a loaded gun in his car. meredith? >> and despite that, chuck, i think a lot of people are wondering why the president's town hall meeting was so polite compared to the contentious ones elsewhere. and has people wondering, did the administration stack the deck with supporters in new hampshire? >> no. i got two words for you, the secret service. and here's what i mean by that. in order to get in, to get a techate for the president's town hall, you had to logon last week, you had to get and hope u got picked randomly. and i talked to plenty of people there. they seemed to participate in the process. there were detractors in the audience. but then you also have to remember, you have to submit your date of birth, your social security number, in order to be that close to the president. it's not like a member of congress where any tom, dick or harry can just walk in at the end of the day, kind of like a city council meeting. that isn't the way you do it at a presidential town hall. the combination of all of that. plus remember, the president's got a lot of security and there's still the office of the presidency. while nobody has a high opinion these days of senators and members of congress, with all due respect to senator mccaskill that will be on, we're seeing that there's still some decorum left when it comes to the office of the presidency. >> all right, chuck todd, thank you very much. it is 7:06, for more here's ann. >> meredith, thanks. senator claire mccaskill, the aforementioned is now with us exclusively. the missouri democrat held her own town hall forum on tuesday and it got a bit heated good morning miss -- madam senator. >> good morning, ann. >> both you and arlen specter had a pretty tough time yesterday. and as we just heard from chuck todd's reporting, you didn't have the secret service to protect you from -- from certain kinds of people in the crowd. instead you had everyone coming in to hear you at the town hall meeting which i'm sure you opened your arms to, but they shouted no when you asked if they trusted you. do you understand why? >> of course. first of all, there were a couple of tough moments. but it lasted two hours. and there were thousands of people there. it was terrific. i was proud of the people that showed up, and i don't take that personally. it's that they don't trust government right now. and it wasn't the majority of the audience. it was a huge chunk of them. but i get that distrust. there's a lot of cynicism out there, and it's important that i get out and listen to them. >> are you saying you were not surprised when they said no? >> no, i wasn't surprised. these are people that are very distrustful of government. they have a lot of pent-up frustration about what has happened over the last six months. because it's come fast and furious. we've had to make big, bold decisions in this economy. and i think that folks are listening to misinformation. you know, the internet's a great thing in terms of getting formion out. and the internet can also be a problem. because there's so many people, as the president said yesterday, that are just hearing things that just are flat-out wrong a not true. that's why these meetings are so important top to correct some of that misinformation. >> they asked a lot of questions about health care, and specifically health care for veterans and senior citizens. people became uncivil. i mean, we can't really sugar-coat this. one ripped a sign about rosa parks up. you were booed. you were cut off in mid speech. is this, in your view, honest fear and anger that we're seeing, not something that's cork straighted, and if so, has the president pushed health care reform too fast, senator? >> i don't think so. i mean, you know, when it's big and hard, congress has a tendency to kick the can down the road. and we can't afford to kick this can down the road. we need insurance reform for most of americans and they get that. i just think that there was just one little altercation that was between two people, where the passions flared for a minute. >> but -- let me interrupt you for a second, because also arlen specter also had a tough time and we also saw this also happen last week. so it's not being pushed down too fast, as you say, kicking the can down the road on health care. would you agree that -- that leaders in washington, like yourself, have not done a good enough job explaining it? because you are dealing with so much anger now. >> well, i think at's part of it. but you know, i'm from missouri, where we're evenly divided and i'm used to getting yelled at from the far left and the far right. in fact, it's not unusual for me to have demonstrations outside of my offices from both groups in different places in the state in the same day. so, but i really am lucky. because missouri represents the middle in so many ways. we're evenly divided. so that means i've got to listen to all sides, try to find that middle where we can compromise, do good things for the american people, in terms of securing stable insurance coverage, and hopefully do something about that massive deficit as it relates to health care costs. >> your 81-year-old mother was with you. what did she have to say about the outburst, senator? >> oh, she was -- it was hard for her. she's not used to people being that rude. there were some people that were very rude. frankly, i don't think they're very effective when they're rude. just because you're loud doesn't mean you're right. and i think it was hard for her. but, she wanted to be there, and afterwards she gave me a big hug and told me she was proud of me. that's always good to hear from your mom. >> i'm sure you really needed it at that point. thank you so much this morning. >> thank you, ann. >> it is now 7:10. once again here's meredith. >> and now to the other big political talker. secretary of state hillary clinton snapped at a student in africa after she thought she was being asked to give her husband's take on an international matter. nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell just returned from traveling with secretary clinton. andrea, good morning to you. >> well, good morning, meredith. hillary clinton did go where no secretary of state has ever gone before. into war-torn eastern congo. even though she is attracting attention for more domestic concerns. hillary clinton, surrounded by refugees in eastern congo. flying to the remote region on a small u.n. plane, despite security concerns from her aides. in the pastdecade, more than 5 million people have died here. half a million more forced from their homes. and hundreds of thousands of women and girls raped and mutilated. sometimes by the government's own forces. clinton is now on the last leg of what will be an almost two-week trip. nigeria today, after stops in congo, angola, south africa, and kenya. a diplomaticission that was overshadowed been day one by husband bill. and his dramatic rescue of two young journalists from north korea last week. >> we saw standing before us president bill clinton. >> reporter: longtime hillary watchers say that helped explain the secretary of state's angry outburst this week, when she thought a student was asking about her husband's views of a trade deal in the congo. >> you want me to tell you what my husband thinks? my husband is not the secretary of state. i am. so you ask my opinion, i will tell you my opinion. i'm not going to be channeling my husband. >> reporter: it turned out the translator got it wrong. the student was asking about president obama, not bill clinton. her reaction, friends say, partly -- >> i think what you saw on her face was yes, the tiredness that comes from 21,000 miles, 7 countries in 11 days, and the sheer agony of trying to solve what are very, very difficult problems that affect people's day-to-day lives. >> reporter: but the damage was done. unflattering tabloid headlines. for a woman until now enjoying some of the highest favorable ratings of her career. >> hillary clinton is not only expressing frustrations about being marriedo a very famous, maybe one of the most famous people in the world, maybe the most famous person in the world. but she's expressing some of the frustrations that women all over, even the most successful women have, as they gain and achieve. >> reporter: friends also point out that hillary clinton had been peppered by questions about her husband all week. adding to the frustration for a secretary of state, who has played second fiddle to her former rival, the president, only to then be outshone by an ex-president, her own husband. meredith? >> andrea mitchell. thank you very much. and as you were saying to me while we're watching that, the frustration is that the real story in africa is not getting out because we're paying so much attention to this. >> exactly, the real story is as andrea was talking about is there are so many women, there's no more dangerous place on earth on the drc, the democratic republic of congo because so many women are being brutally raped. it is so frustrating. let's get a check of the rest of the top stories from hoda kotb who is sitting in for me at the news desk. >> good morning, everybody. today u.s. marines launched a major operation in southern afghanistan to take back a town held by the taliban. they're battling to gain control of the area before next week's presidtial electn. newly released e-mails and transcripts of closed-door congressional testimony kate karl rove played a key role in the firing of at least one u.s. attorney in 2006. then white house counsel harriet miers told investigators that rove was, quote, very agitated about a u.s. attorney in new mexico and wanted something done about it. rove denies politics played any role in those firings. police in brazil are accusing the host of a reality tv crime show of ordering at least five murders to boost his ratings. police became suspicious when his show was always first at the scene of violent crime. a new study finds that colon cancer patients who take aspirin cut the risk of dying from the disease by 30%. and that aspirin can help keep colon cancer from coming back. the study is in the journal of the american cancer association. overseas markets are lower this morning. cnbc's melissa francis is at the new york stock exchange. all eyes today are on the fed. >> that's right. a fed meeting kicks off today with a decision and a statement tomorrow. almost no one expects the fed to raise rates right now but will be listening for language of an exit strategy and timing of when it mightaise rates. also begs the question if ben bernanke will be sticking around if his term ends in january. 70% of economists think president obama will reappoint ben bernanke. >> a lot to watch. melissa, thanks so much. about 1,000 people feared dead in taiwan's flooding have been found alive. some rescuers had to be rescued themselves after they were skept away by floodwaters. and there was a dramatic rescue tuesday after a small plane crashed off the coast of ireland. the pilot held onto one of the wings until help arrived. this morning, he is okay. it is now 15 minutes past 7:00. let's go back to meredith, ann and al. >> we're so glad that he's doing okay. >> how are you doing, hoda? >> i'm doing quite well, too. thank you. >> a little sore this morning? is there a reason you're not wearing shoes? >> she's barefoot. >> there's a reason. because i think when i'm on heels i'm out of the -- see, i'm up here. >> you're barefoot. >> i've got to be in the shot. >> you have such pretty feet. >> she's a tall one. >> exactly. >> i thought i was smelling bad chinese. >> oh! >> that is so not nice. >> hoda, you know what? it is sweet. >> nowt's ea feet. >>dookeykey. kleect'cht'ha ws happening. we're talking about some strong storms right now along the southeastern atlantic and mid-atlantic coast. some of these storms could produce gully washers. anywhere from one to two inches of rain. some areas in the carolinas could three three to five inches of rain. we're also watching the tropics. tropical depression number 2, which may become ana later today. ???????????????????????????????? a cloudy morning. good morning. we've had rain moving out of the mountains of west virginia into the shenandoah valley. a few keling. climbing into the mid 80s. may be a passing morning shower or afternoon thundershower. then tomorrow maybe an afternoon thundershower, partly sunny. rather humid. highs mid 80s. more of the same friday and again satuay. that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. and now to new research out today that eating a specific diet and keeping active cannot only be good for the body, but for the mind, as well. nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy synderman is here with some food for thought. dr. nancy, good morning. how cute. >> yes, very cute. first of all, what exactly does this study say and why is it so important? >> it's a cool study. it's looking at the mediterranean-type diet. this published in the journal of american medical association from columbia. what they did was follow about 1800 people in the new york area, with the average onset of age in the 70s and what they basically looked at was the diet and physical activity. and they found that people who combined those two could reduce the risk of alzheimer's by 60%. >> that's an amazing -- >> exactly. we've known about this diet for a long time. what these guys did that was different they hooked up diet with physical exercise and it's that combo which led to an extraordinary number. >> when you talk mediterranean diet, for those who may not know exactly what you're mean. we're basically looking at it. >> you and i know this ishe perfect diet. it's fish, olive oil, nuts, whole grains, fruits, what you don't see, you don't see red me. you don't see chicken. you don't see a lot of dairy. you don't see refined carbs and sugar. but this is everything that you need. >> when you read the statistic that one out of every eight baby boomers will develop alzheimer's are you saying based on this study that we can control now who does get it and who doesn't? >> i think we are increasingly knowing that you are born with a certain gene pool, and certainly with alzheimer's there's a genetic hit for a lot of people. >> i know for our family there is. >> these are the cards i was dealt when i was born. but increasingly, we may be able to trump some of those genes. we may be able to stop some of those genes from turning on. environment, environment, environment is, i think, going to show -- be a bigger, bigger role. so when you -- even if you don't like to go to the gym. it's about moving. and it's about eating smart stuff. and this is really the best. >> and it tastes good, too. switching gears for a second. the study about aspirin that shows that people diagnosed with colorectal cancer if they take aspirin, they reduce the risk of dying by half. >> by half. this is where my family history comes in. this is what i know we're going to get in our family. if you already take aspirin, and you get cancer, you reduce your risk of dying by 37%. if you even start aspirin after your diagnosis, you decrease it by over 50%. >> is there any theory as to why? >> there's an enzyme called cox-2. it causes inflammation. aspirin stops inflammation, turns this enzyme off. for something that costs a penny a pill, increasingly aspirin is an extraordinary wonder drug. not something to take, you know, without your doctor flowing, but i take one every day and i think most doctors 0 do. >> and important to know this is cancer that has not metastasized >> this is local cancer in the gut. nonetheless, aspirin, something that everybody for heart disease, cancer stroke, you have to ask your doctor, should i be taking this every day. >> all right, dr. nancy, thank you so much. >> you bet. >> have a carrot. >> i'm going to have a sandwich. >> it's 7:20. once again here's ann. >> all right, meredith, thanks. now still more new information in the michael jackson case, investigators have now served a las vegas pharmacy looking for prescriptions that may be tied to jackson's death and nbc's jeff rossen is in los angeles with details this morning. hey, jeff. >> rorter: hi, ann, good morning to you. police are trying to track the medication now from start to finish. from the pharmacy, to the doctor, all the way to michael jackson himself. now, law enforcement sources tell nbc news jackson's own cardiologist, dr. conrad murray, a name we've heard before, may have used this pharmacy as a supplier. federal drug agents and los angeles police moved in tuesday to a strip mall in las vegas. >> at this time we executed a state search warrant for documents. >> reporter: law enforcement sources tell nbc news they were looking for prescriptions, computer hard drives, any evidence linking five pharmacies to dr. conrad murray, michael jackson's personal physician. his home and offices have already been searched. >> obviously information was obtained that said, we better get to this pharmacy. there must be other records there that will help us in our case. >> reporter: the ap reports dr. murray purchased propofol from this pharmacy. the same anesthetic found inside jackson's home. law enforcement sources tell nbc news dr. murray administered propofol to jackson on the very day he died. >> if they can connect dr. murray to the propofol in nevada, connect him to the propofol in the house, it brings law enforcement one step closer to being able to prove a homicide against dr. murray. >> reporter: the cause of jackson's death has not been revealed. the toxicology report remains sealed. but court papers show dr. murray is the focus of the manslaughter investigation. this is the sixth warrant involving him. in houston police searched his office and storage unit where they confiscated 21 items, including e-mails from a yahoo! account, a forensic image of a business computer and vooims of two drugs. in las vegas police searched his office, his storage unit. >> this is the residence of dr. conrod murray. >> reporter: and his luxury home. they walked out with his hard drive, his samsung cell phone, a blackberry and his apple iphone. his lawyer wouldn't comment on this new pharmacy search, but maintains dr. murray never prescribed anything that should have killed jackson. >> you have the autopsy results, and the toxicology from those results being completed, and law enforcement is just being thorough doing the final search warrants. i think we're very close to decision on whether dr. murray or somebody else may be charged. >> reporter: as we've reported before, the autopsy is now complete. they know the cause and manner of death. but the lapd is keeping it private. we're told the los angeles d.a.'s office, ann, is being extra careful here. they want a mountain of evidence before they make any arrest, which could explain this delay. it's been seven weeks tomorrow, actually, since michael jackson died. >> all right jeff rossen, thank you so much this morning. and coming up next, he vanished at sea four years ago. but is olivianewton-john's former boyfriend still alive? the surprising new clues that have surfaced in this case. but first, this is "today" on nbc. çc7ag/g)f=fgygqgqha still to come, is it time for kate gosselin to take off her redding ring? we have a cloudy day in th nation's capital. 75 degrees, will the clouds mean rain? we'll find out shortly. it's 7:26, wednesday, august 12, 2009. good morning. i'm barbara harrison. senator carden will hold a town hall meeting at hagerstown community college. on monday the democrat was at towson state. the crowd got rowdy. demonstrators confronted each other. today's meeting begins at 1:00 p.m. police are asking for help solving the murder of a popular acupuncturist. the body of chung aw was found in her clinic. that was on july 24. police have this video that show as black vehicle, maybe an infinity, pulling up to the clinic. anyone with information is asked to call police. we'll have weather and traffic for you when we come back after a short break. wçc good morning. over the last couple hours watcng rain in the shenandoah valley heading northeast may move into the metro area and in the next couple of hours and perhaps thundershowers this afternoon. jerry, how's traffic? >> an accident 29 and maryland, the authorities in the process of clearing it. it's jammed from college park. >> tonight a new s 7:30 now on this wednesday morning, all 12th, 2009. happy crowd waving away out in rockefeller plaza. we're going to lead out to say hello to just a little while. meanwhile, inside studio 1a i'm meredith vieira alongside ann curry. matt on assignment. coming up, gucci, chanel, tiffanies. you maknow the brands but should an 8-year-old? >> we're going to hear from some parents, meredith, of a focus group, basically the study reveals that -- exactly what markets are doing to reach our kids to younger and younger audience. you might be surprised what brand names your kid may know about. >> also ahead, do you know what you're packing yet for vancouver? >> no, because it's six months away, meredith. but i think i should be thinking about it. >> long johns. six months away from the 2010 winter olympics in vancouver. coming up how the is, because the city has been spending a lot of time getting ready, and also preview of our home for the duration of the games. we've got grouse mountain. >> we go there every year as a family. it is stunning. i cannot wait to share that with you. also coming up tomorrow here on "today," we have an exclusive interview with brad pitt. and here's a sample. i'm looking at this here, and it's pretty good. it's got a -- there's a -- there's a nice rendering of you, i think. >> okay. >> right. well listen, you know, schwarzenegger is governor of california. al franken is now a senator. there's also a guy named ronald reagan. if chosen, would you run? >> so we're going to tell you what he had to say to that question. whether he would be interested in the job of being mayor. also we talked a lot about -- he said a lot of sweet things, meredith, about his family. he's clearly -- >> so that's nice. >> they are very private. they don't talk a lot about it. and you know, i respect that really. but he actually did say a few sweet, really sweet things. >> i look forward to that. that's tomorrow. but we're going to begin this half hour with new developments in the disappearance of olivia newton-john's former boyfriend. no one has seen him since he vanished back in 2005. now a private investigator believes he is very much alive. nbc's miguel almaguer has the story. >> reporter: patrick mcdermott was in the spotwhite when he started dating olivia newton-john. but he's still making headlines after mysteriously disappearing at sea four years ago. authorities presumed he's dead. but there have been multiple reported sightings in mexico from witnesses who say he's alive and well. now a mysterious fax has surfaced. just three paragraphs long, it claims mcdermott wants to be left alone. >> i believe that it is an authentic x, and i believe when we look back at it, i think it will be one of the pivotal turns in this case. >> reporter: philip klein received the fax, a private eye who continues to look for mcdermott, years after authorities have given up. in 2007, klein was hired by "dateline" to probe into the disappearance. mcdermott was a longme boyfriend to olivia newton-john. famous for her role in "greece." ♪ my heart is set on you >> reporter: and f her successful recording career. ♪ physical >> reporter: but just before his disappearance in 2005, the couple had broken up. plagued by financial problems, mcdermott boarded a large fishing boat for an overnight trip out of san pedro, california, but he never came home. the coast guard completed two investigations. both ruled he was lost out to sea. >> i firmly believe he's out there. myself, personally, i'm 100% sure. but as an investigator, you know, we always play the odds. >> reporter: and now comes a mysterious fax. asking the investigator to stop his search. in part it reads, pat has no ill will to anyone. let him live his life in peace. neither klein nor nbc news could authenticatehe fax or who sent it. as for olivia newton-john, she has since remarried and moved on. but this private investigator says he can't, not until he solves the mystery of what happened to patrick mcdermott. miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. >> nbc news analyst clint van zandt is a former fbi profiler. clint, good morning to you. >> hi, meredith. >> you know, you have said from the beginning that you believe that mcdermott did fake his own death. does this fax fit into what you understand about the case? >> well, i think it really does. if you take this fax as something that pat mcdermott would have sent, he basically says, hey, i've done nothing wrong, i've committed no crime. like greta garbo, i want to be left alone. and just let me move on with my life, leave me alone, i've created a new life. maybe with new people. i don't want to go back to my old life. so, if he feels that he's being hounded, and if he feels he's living someplace where he can't just get up and run away again, this may be consistent with what he would be thinking at this time. >> in other words he would feel that people are getting closer and closer to finding him. he's getting nervous? >> yeah, i think so. i think that could be the case. that could be the genesis of cranking this out. but you know, the reality is, you and i know, if you send something like this out, all you do is just re-ignite the fire that is going to help people continue to look for him. >> clint, if he is discovered, what are the criminal charges that could be brought against him if he's brought back to the u.s. from mexico? >> yeah, which is the good question. you know, he says in his fax, i've done nothing wrong. meredith, he may not have. if all he said was life is too tough, i've got financial challenges, i've got issues, my girlfriend broke up with me, the court issued an order saying that i have to pay child support, got all this coming down, i've had it, i'm going to move on, and he's done that, if he hasn't tried to defraud the life insurance, or if he hasn't cheated anybody else out of money, he's got a right as an adult simply to move on with his life. >> so the question is, if there were insurance fraud, i guess. how hard is it, clint, to fake your own death? >> you know, people watch "24" and they say oh, you know, they do it all the time. unless you're a member of the witness protection program, you've never experienced that, i've put people in that protection program before. and, meredith, you've got to drop your former name, you've got to drop your parents, you've got to, if you've got a former spouse and children, you've got to move on from them, new driver's license, new college diploma, you've got to have documentation to back it up. you have to remove your facebook page. all of this stuff has to go away, and meredith, if you make one mistake, if you screw up one time, the police are going to be there, and they're not going to be there under your old name, they're going to be there under your new name and they're going to take you to the judge who's going to look at both names, just like in the case of patrick mcdermott. he allegedly had two passports. one in the name of pat mcdermott, and one in his birth name, pat kim, that he's allegedly traveling on now. somebody's going to look at those two and say, sir, which one are you? but in his case, if he didn't do anything wrong, maybe he just has the right to drop out, go down to mexico, and live on a fishing boat. meredith? >> i guess i'll be back here tomorrow. not going to work out. darn. clint van zandt, thank you very much. >> we don't want you to escape? >> no, i was just kidding. >> let's get a check of the weather from al. >> thanks a lot, guys. we have got a real cutie here. what's your name? >> alyssa. >> that's my sister's name. where are you from? >> columbia. >> columbia, maryland? >> yes. >> good to see you. you here with mom or grandma? >> grandma. >> okay. you never know. you look like you could be her mom. very nice. good seeing you guys. let's check your weather. see what's going on. what a pretty girl. high plains heat. jet stream way up to the north. temperatures in the plains 90s minneasliporo ls.saltm ake, to minneapolis.sa even international falls, strong temperatures. look at those 90s all the way down into texas with the temperatures in the 100s. we've got 70s in the northeast. 80s along the coast.???ó???ó???? good morning. for us the heat wave is over. we have a cloud cover and we're seeing light rain in the shenandoah valley. a few sprinkles in charles county and a shower in southern anne arundel county moving to the north and the east. around the region we have temperatures in the low and mid 70s. 76 in washington, climbing to the mid 80s with a mostly cloudy day. may be a late morning shower or afternoon thundershower. humid and humid into the weekend. perhaps af that's your lest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. and still to come, the big discussion to come out of our exclusive interview with kate gosselin. if her relationship is ending, when should she take off her wedding ring? but up next, how brand savvy are your young children? what somarents we surprised to learn. and the marketing techniques. back now at 7:42. this morning we're wrapping up our special series "kids inc.," today's brand savvy 'tweens. on tuesday we give you an inside look at a focus group featuring kids between the ages of 8 and 12. but what the kids didn't know, their parents were watching. and what they saw surprised them. >> i was a little surprised that so many children were so brand conscious. >> i think they're being a little bit overwhelmed with the media. >> you can hear some music and when you think about a brand, raise your hand. >> whoa. >> here's the next one. >> that's right. >> it's amazing how much exposure they have and how they recognize things immediately. >> 3, 2, 1 -- >> the wii. >> wii, you hear that? >> how much influence marketing and branding has really taken over. >> kellogg's. >> and this? >> pepsi. >> and this, mtv. >> and this? nike. >> who knew this was gucci? you knew this? how can you see that? there's no logo. >> the "g." >> they knew who gucci was. and i didn't know that it was a gucci bag. >> abercrombie and fitch. >> there's their logo. no name. >> but you walk in and they have that picture. >> olivia pointed out to me when we went into abercrombie one day, mom, you can always tell it's amber cropby, because of the smell. of course, i wanted to run out of there. >> you associate a smell? >> you can. >> i can even smell it. >> you could smell it on those ones? >> the girls really knew their brands. and the way they knew them, because a lot of them didn't even say from commercials. so it was just, you know, from street scenes on magazines, things like that. >> there are people out there, their sole job to sell your kids on things so you can be sold on things. >> i don't know that you can really stop the train that's left the station. >> hmm, martin lindstrom is chairman of marketing and neuroscience company biology inc. and also the author of uy-ology" the truth and lies about why we buy. is there any evidence that this generation is more brand savvy than prior generations? >> absolutely. >> why? >> well, it's because they're exposed to so much stuff. >> they're targeted? >> they are totally targeted. you have to remember that 67% of all new cars bought in the family are decided by the kids at home. >> so then these companies want to get the kids on board, so to speak? >> they want to use them as a carrot to get the parents to buy a lot of other brands. >> and it's not just commercials. there's product placement all over now in movies, in tv shows. so it's rampant. so what is the best thing, what is the biggest culprit, rather, the best way for parents to stop exposing their kids to so much of it? >> well, i hate to tell you, ann, but switch off that television. number one. because you have to remember, today we know from the biology study that 50% of all the brand preferences kids have are made because of television. and it's not just a television commercial. it's from the food. it's also those innocent half-hour cartoons running. they are typically paid by the manufacturers to place them on air, free of charge, and one big ad to maybe buy more playing cards and action figures. >> so when your child is a year or two years old you're exposing them to things that may result in people being so knowledgeable at such a young age about brands. you also say that when you're shopping with kids and they're asking for the brand, you might want to distract them, try to give them something else to do. what other suggestions do you have? >> you have to remember when you walk into a retail store, you're giving them the key to temptation land. so what you have to do is to make sure you distract them by giving them a job. ask them to find the cheapest toothpaste. ask them to count the numbers of shampoos out there. and then give them a lesson about when you see those 50 shampoos, guess, what, there's not a lot of difference. ouu can buy the cheaper one, >> you also say you should delay your decision and also maybe give your children shopping allowance. i'm hopeful that this economy will make a lot of young people, and actually all of us, understand that we should be shopping smart and be careful. >> and i hope you're right. but i don't think it's going to be the case, unfortunately. but let's do the best to at least educate the kids. >> all right, martin, thank you so much. it's been revealing. and coming up next, how vancouver is preparing to welcome us and the world to the 2010 winter olympics. it's coming up right after this. this morning on our countdown to vancouver, six months to go. the 2010 winter clinton picks open on february 12th. and vancouver, canada, is getting ready to welcome the world, and us. engulfed by mountains and surrounded by water on three sides, vancouver is an outdoor enthusiast's dream city. >> such a variety of things to do. >> reporter: and while these days most vancouverites are still thinking about fun in the sun, olympic officials are focusing on hosting a global event in an ever-changing global economy. >> none of us, i think, thought that we would be at this time talking about budgets and finances and resources and making it all work. but that's just the reality. we got the vane us built on time and on budget a couple years ahead of the games and we're getting it done. >> reporter: also completed on time, canada line. a brand-new airport to city center subway system that will help transport over 100,000 passengers a day, when the city of 2.2 million people becomes a city closer to 3 million. while vancouver's olympic venues get their final shine, canada's athletes are polishing their skills. even though this will be its third, canada has never won gold while hosting the olympics. >> we set our goal to make sure we get some gold medals in 2010. we're going to have a few left over for everybody else. but we're going for the gold. >> reporter: vancouver's crown jewel, the richmond oval, has also been tested by some american skaters. >> canada's almost like a second home. and i just -- i love the energy that's here and really looking forward to competing here. >> reporter: just a few miles away there the oval, final touches are added to the athlete's village, which will be home to over 2,000 athletes. but what about the home of our own olympic dream? >> this is it. this is the grouse mountain alpine chalet. this is where you're going to start the show every day. this is your home base. >> reporter: grouse mountain, just 15 minutes from downtown vancouver is a local treasure, allowing year-round activities with urban convenience. in the summer, families gather here for outdoor entertainment, while thrill seekers dangle above miles of alpine rain forest. visitors can reach the summit by foot, or by riding the largest aerial tram in north america. and while these days the trails are full of hikers, make no mistake, in a few short months this becomes a winter playland, for skiers, skaters, and before long, our own crew. with miles of wooded trails at our fingertips, grouse mountain will offer a unique vantage point to report on the games and make some memories of our own. >> it's just a magical place. because you're so close to an amazing city, and yet you're in the wilderness at the same time. >> reporter: and at over 4,000 feet, the view from grouse is spectacular. overlooking a city ready for the world's attention and its moment in history. cannot wait. .> oh, so exting. >> can't wait to see what you and matt do in spandex. >> oh, no, we're going beyond that. a cloudy wednesday underay in the nation's capital. it's 7:56, 75 degrees, this wednesday, august 12, 2009. good morning. in the news at this hour, police in fairfax county think they may have caught a murder suspect on tape. the body of a 53-year-old, chung aw was found in annandale back on july 24th. police have surveillance video from a nearby restaurant that shows a black vehicle pulling up to the clinic and someone running up the driveway. police are trying to identify the vehicle and those inside. more troubles for metro. word that drugs may have caused an operator to make a dangerous mistake. the agency is investigating an incident last month in which a train was allowed to leave the yard with too many cars. the system can only handle eight cars. this train had ten wn it pulled up to the greenbelt station. we'll look at weather and traffic in a moment. ññ' with her son off to college, liz turned to target for great deals. like a twenty dollar comforter for his bed. a fridge for healthsnacks a reading lamp to study by and a cell phone to call home. so liz chose target showing off herollege smarts about savings target. expect more. pay less. good morning. we have a stalled front giving us clouds and cooler temperatures on this wednesday morning. one shower here south of annapolis that's over the bay now heading to the northeast heading toward kent island. we have the area of rain in the shenandoah valley, that's heading to the north and east as well. it may head into the metro area later this morning and maybe a passing thundershower this afternoon. mostly cloudy today with highs in the mid 80s. more of the same on thursday, friday and saturday. a chance of mainly afternoon passing thundershowers each day. now jerry, how's the traffic? >> tom, had an accident on the top side of the beltway at route 29, kohlsville road that cleared, backup begins near i-95. inner loop, some activity on the shoulder before new hampshire avenue. 395 is heavy but steady to and across the 14th street bridge. >> thank you. tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" we'll tell you about a new zero calorie sweetener hitting the shelves.xñ?ó 8:00 now on this wednesday mark, august 12th, 2009. we have stepped outside to say hey to some folks here. we have another wonderful crowd honoring us with their presence here on the plaza. >> lots and lots of lovely people. >> we have a lot of kids. >> a lot of them already. >> it's all good. i'm here with ann and al. matt, as we said before, is on assignment today and will be back tomorrow, i believe. just ahead when kate gosselin joined us for an exclusive interview this week she talked about why she is still wearing her wedding ring, despite the fact that she and john have separated. it is a tough decision that is faced by a lot of women who are going through divorce. how do you know when the time is right for you and your family? we're going to get into that. >> also coming up this morning, would you believe a car that gets 230 miles to the gallon? >> wow. >> get out. >> no, i'm not kidding. gm says it's got one. it's basically a new electric car. that's i think more miles per gallon than the tie oat to prius. >> it's the first car to get in triple digits. >> we don't know -- i think it's not coming out for a little while. >> next year. >> we're going to get to the bottom of that story. >> that's impressive. hopefully they're not lying. and speaking of lions, meredith and ann are going face-to-face with lions. >> where are you going to be? >> i'm going to be standing behind you. >> they're baby lions. >> you've got to join us. >> that's pretty cool. >> and really important story behind these lions, as well. >> was that a little fashion? >> oh, yes, what happened to you this morning? >> meredith wants me to talk about this. we want you to weigh in with what you thought. i actually got dressed this morning, at the last minute changed my -- >> you had this on which is a very pretty flower effect. >> certain -- >> men. >> -- bosses of our broadcast thought it was dopey. >> i wouldn't say dopey. >> thought the audience would be distracted by it. >> no? >> i like the button. >> no. >> no, the button's terrific. >> i think we should let the audience at home decide. they can call -- >> they can twitter. >> it's interesting. fashion is important and whether things distract. so there you go. >> what can you make of this? >> i can make a hat or a brooch or a pterodactyl. >> i think right there. >> what did you say? >> what did you say? i can't hear you. >> okay. >> contact don knapp. >> okay. >> actually, this is don knapp. >> isn't hoda -- >> isn't hoda waiting to do the news? >> hoda, what's going on in the world today? >> waiting patiently. good morning, guys. good morning, everybody. today more than a dozen lawmakers are holding town hall meetings on health care reform as the debate heats up around the country. on tuesday, a town hall with arlen specter got pretty heated when some constituents came face-to-face with the pennsylvania senator, expressing anger over any new legislation distrust in the government. in missouri, tensions were so high that some people got physical at a town hall with senator claire mccaskill. today, president obama and the first lady are hosting a white house reception for sonia sotomayor. sotomayor was sworn in over the weekend as the newest supreme court justice. recovery teams on the hudson river are recovering the last two victims and most of the small plane that collided with a sight-seeing helicopter last weekend. officials will examine the wreckage to try to find out what caused the collision that killed nine people. the president of costa rica has contracted the h1n1 virus, or swine flu. a statement says the 69-year-old suffers from asthma, and is at higher risk than most. he is quarantined at home, and he is on anti-flu medication. u.s. marines are launching a major assault today in southern afghanistan trying to gain control of a taliban stronghold ahead of next week's presidential elections. and as we said, general motors says one of its newest cars can get unheard of mileage. again, as al was pointing out, 230 miles per gallon. cnbc's phil lebeau is at the gm tech center in warren, michigan. phil, sounds too good to be true. >> it is an amazing story that's getting a lot of attention, hoda. this is the electric chevy volt that will usher in the era of triple digit fuel economy. listen to this. general motors believes this car will get 230 miles per gallon in city driving. it could be the new gold standard for fuel efficiency. gm claims its hybrid electric chevy volt will get an astounding 230 miles per gallon. >> we're very confident in that 230. to tell you the truth, we discounted it a little bit, because we hope that in the final verification i wouldn't b surprised to see it even a little bit higher than that. >> reporter: the rechargeable volt will run primarily on batteries with the first 40 miles being all electric. after that, a small gas engine kicks in, to help power the electric motor, a total of 300 miles before it needs to be recharged. >> 100 miles per gallon will get your attention, 200 mes per gallon you've got to pick your jaw up off the floor. if they show it's real, this changes the game for everybody that's building cars. >> reporter: proving the volt gets 230 miles per gallon in city driving will depend on the epa's fuel efficiency rules for hybrid electric vehicles. those rules are stillble finalized. using a preliminary formula from the government, however, gm is confident in the volt's mileage claims. but others are not so sure. >> there's nothing to compare it to, particularly without any kind of formula for finding out how they derived it. it's very nice. it's very good news. >> reporter: just a month out of bankruptcy, and in the midst of a terrible slump for the auto industry, gm needs some good news, and in a world where the average car gets 22 to 23 miles per gallon, a volt delivering ten times better fuel efficiency could be a game changer for gm. the volt is the start of a wave of electric vehicles coming in the next couple of years. ford, nissan, toyota, they all have electric vehicles that are coming out. hoda, the electric car is coming. >> wow. can't wait. all right, phil, thank you so much. and police in egg land are on the hunt for two men in connection with one of the country's biggest jewel heists. the pair walked into an upscale london jeweller, threatened the staff with handguns and getting away with $65 million in jewels. amateur video shows the rbers running out of the store briefly taking an employee hostage. she was unharmed. wow. it is now six minutes past 8:00. let's go back outside to meredith and ann. >> wow. >> six minutes past 8:00 that must mean al roker time. >> yay! >> it's absolutely crowd time. our crowd. where are you guys from? >> texas. >> all right, texas! going to be about 107 in laredo, today. >> yes. >> better here. say h to everybody back in laredo. >> i will. >> no, right now. >> hi, laredo. >> don't you say howdy? >> howdy! >>hat was pretty heartfelt. all right. let's check your weather. see what's happening. little rock, arkansas. kark, nbc 4, mostly sunny, 90 degrees. and it is -- we look ahead toward the weekend, much of the country looking pretty good. showers along the southeastern atlantic coast, also through the plains. also on sunday -- sunday! -- more rain through the southeast and mid-atlantic. rest of the country, warm in the northeast. great lakes. sunny an mild and sizzling in the southwest. that's what's going on -- oh, wait. you're 13 today? >> yeah. >> what's your name? >> nya. >> mom's pretty happy about that? >> grandma. >>???ó???ó???ó???????ó???ó?????ó cloudy and mild around the region this morng. it's going to be a cooler day. we're saying good-bye to the heat wave the last three days. a shower over the bay heading toward kent island and an area of lht rain in the shenandoah valley drifting to the north and east. may move into the washington metro area. temperatures ahead of that in the low and mid 70s. highs today in the low and mid 80s. mostly cloudy, could get a passing shower later this morning. maybe an aft and we just wanted to say hi. our wardrobe lady, donna richardson, her dad is here. how are you, sir? >> cleveland! >> all right, cleveland in the house. now let's head back over to ann. >> okay, al, thank you so much. coming up next, a tough decision that a lot of women,n whe i te gosselin make, when is the right time to take off your wedding ring and tell your children that it's really over? one coffee with room, one large mocha latte. medium macchiato, light hot chocolate hold the whip, and two espressos. make one a double. she's fiber focuse i have two cappuccinos, one coffee with room, one large mocha latte, a medium macchiato, a light hot chocolate, hold the whip, and two espressos, one with a double shot. gonna take more than coffee to stay this focused. stay full and focused through the morning... with a breakfast of kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® cereal; an excellent source of fiber that helps you avoid... the distraction of mid-morning hunger. no thanks, i'm good. yep! 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a little bit of everything. >> you know, each piece kind of came at a different time. i knew i wanted a jacket but i would have no clue where to get a jacket. i mean, and if i did go buy a jacket i'd have to go to five or six different stores. and i'm not going to go to five or six different stores to look for a jacket. same thing with pants. if i wanted red pants. i don't know where to go for a pair. literally, where am i going to find a pair? >> reporter: but how would she do with my friend josh? i put herhree easy steps to the challenge back in new york. one, go to a computer. >> hello. >> reporter: two, have a 12-minute that with a trunk club rep about what you wear and what you'd like to wear. >> what three words would she use to describe your personality? >> she'd probably say funny, -- >> reporter: take a few measurements. >> oh! >> reporter: best to have someone else do that. and three, sit back and wait for your clothes to come in. the trunk club does the rest. it takes about a week for the delivery. not individually wrapped, mind you, instead the clothes are packed in outfits for the guy who doesn't want to have to think. you try it on, you model around for the trunk club rep. and voil your wawardrobe. so what used to be the dreaded, drag your man to shop for clothes, is now drag your mouth to the truk club website and embrace your virtual fashion makeover. problem solved. well, almost. >> all right, two more very cool things about this company. everything you don't like you just return, no charge. and if you don't have a web cam, the trunk club sends you one for free. >> so cute. and so is josh. this costs a little more money. >> but they're doing all the work for you. you have to do nothing. there's no thinking involved. >> what about what happens when things don't fit you? >> you return it and they send you more clothes a couple weeks later. and they g it until you're happy, and then you walk out of yo place well-dressed, life is good. >> do they have one of those for women? >> they're thinking about it. i walked in, i said we obviously need one of these for women. >> thank you. now here's meredith. >> i love that, ann, thank you. let's swing it on down to washington, and check in with our good friend willard scott. hey, willard. >> good morning. it is always a pleasure to be a part of this magnificent show. especially to share my birthday salutes to you and all the folks out in tvlandrd. al nd the jajas am trhe ja r. tintm ou spin that jar. so p utbodyn a spi sva,itne neva buckgtwainshon, north carolina. 103. lives independently and playing theno pon for t three different arges and sings hymns. how about thathi am,im hnd hymn. go orva gordon of siscwi n.kn as owon scwisin. known as babe becau he bysc baby. enjoys watching lawrence welk. me, too. still on oklahoma public le.vion the reruns and keeps up withli the news. c.ich i'm nbc. edith h scr-l.leaghrelmo hragl.lvania. .a3.h, nnsylv 10pe secret to longevity is laughter and music. takes no medicine, and refuses . ew ewkn i could say that.d an d anwewe have majorisou e e. caramel vaey, california. 10 yea rsold. set up an armed forces school in kentucky and designed a seal that attbuste longevitysrg pr h lyabasly ltlk ae ocstin the company.oc ynpaul e, had an aunt named pauline once, paulyn ndlacove do,ralo , lovend8.10 8.10 took her when she was cyid r en she was sh he6.10wi a her wish her a very happy birthday. alverta allen. 8:26 is our time right now. good day to take your boat out on the water. 75 degrees right now. we'll get the forecast coming up. good morning. i'm joe krebs on this wednesday, the 12th day of august. in the news today, veterinarians downgraded the condition of a dog found discarded in a dumpster in southeast. we told you about trooper on monday. she had been beaten and left to die, still her vets told us they were hopeful she would recover. now they say trooper is acting lethargically. the wounds on her face do not seem to be healing. trooper's prognosis is listed as guarded. if she gets better the humane society hopes she could be rehabilitated and adopted. we'll come back and look at weather and traffic. ♪ till now - ♪ i always got by on my own - ( audience cheering ) ♪ i never really cared ♪ until i met you... a1 makes the burger king steakhouse burger sing. good morning. cloudy and cooler, in the low and mid 70s. we have showers in the shenandoah valley about to cross the blue ridge, maybe moving to washington in the next two or the hours. later on this afternoon may be a passing thundershower. mostly cloudy today with highs in the mid 80s. more of the same for thursday, fr ay and saturday. remaining humid. jerry, how's traffic? >> a live look on the beltway south of town. the outer loop typically heavy. the lanes are open for you. elsewhere, top side of the beltway earlier accident outer loop at 29 has been cleared. >> thank you. tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" the new zero calorie sweetener hitting the store shelves. now back to the "today" show after we take a short break. 8:30 now on this wednesday morning, august 12th, 2009. we have got a couple of stars adding some bliss to the plaza. that is eric bana and rachel mcadams, stars of the new movie "the time traveler's wife." she'll join us in just a minute. >> this movie, my daughter wants to see it, she's 16. i wanto see it. it's so romantic. >> an author. >> coming up, actually, beyond them, as if that wasn't enough -- >> another sweet topic. we're going to be talking with martha stewart about what she should be doing and actually talking about planting them, picking them. they're ripe for picking this time of the year. basically what do you do with it when you get them? >> you eat them. >> i know, but -- >> great ideas that martha has. she's going to explore all that for us. >> very nice. and check out what's waiting for ann and meredith right now in our studio. >> oh. >> which one? >> oh, yeah. >> hey now. >> okay. i guess we know where meredith's going. anyway, we're going to meet that remarkable creature and the lion, as well. a man who spent six months in africa living among the lions. >> also on friday we've got a big concert out here. we have flo rida. i love him. i love that song low. ♪ >> it's very good. >> the rapping hoda. >> so good. >> loving the shoes, by the way. >> before we get to all of that we need to get a check of the weather. >> okay. let's do that for you. show you for toda the rapping weather, we've got slight risk of strong storms along the mid-atlantic coast into the southeast. rain in the pacific northwest. going to be cooler. we've got hot weather out in the southwest. record highs tomorrow in the plains. warm in the northeast w good morning. lostto clyudy and cooler today. we have a stalled front over the region now and a cloudy start. there is the view of the washington monument. a live picture at this hour. where you see the blue we're getting light rain in the shenandoah valley, crossing the blue ridge and moving into rappahannock county and that's going to continue moving to the north and the east heading to the metro area perhaps in two or three hours. and temperatures around the region the low and mid 70s. 76 in washington now, highs today in the mid 80s, may be a passing afternoon thundershowe and that's your latest weather. >> coming up, martha stewart in the house, talking to us about what we should do with berries. cnmo= announcer: during the autobahn for all event, you can get great lease deals. i love it! i just want to know it's the right move. me? thirteen days in the future. you get a deal on the car you always wanted. scheduled maintenance is included, it's all good. what's the future like? you love your new jetta. and the suit? you like it? no...i love it! this morning on "mar today on today" it's all about berries. martha stewart has given us delicious desserts featuring strawberries, raspberries and blackberries from her "everyday food" magazine. >> good morning. >> is this the perfect time to be picking berries? >> oh, my gosh my garden is full of berries. i think i have around 10,000 square feet of rries. rrcuts, gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries. i've been picking blueberries every single day. they're full of antioxidants, vitamin "c," vitamin "e." they're very, very good for you. >> you're an expert. how do you know to get the sweetest ones? >> taste them at a farm stand. buy them from the farm stand, too. right now they're in season. they're beautiful view berries, wonderful raspberries. currants are almost over locally. pick them, taste one. nobody is going to scream at you. >> you've always taught me that bigger is better, that is not true. >> not necessarily. not necessarily. a strawberry, when you get a fresh strawberry you want to make sure that that is red through and through. >> oh. >> real red. really red. >> okay. >> and sweet. >> so let's get to stuff. >> there are things we can do with the berries. this blackberry puff. >> these are the little puffs that you can make out of store-bought puff pastry. >> oh, okay. >> so you can buy the puff pastry. you have a sheet there. what you want to do is cut -- >> it's cold. >> it is cold. cut this in half lengthwise, okay and just use your rotary cutter from end to end. >> oh. >> you're doing great, meredith. >> my goodness. okay, here and if you have -- >> watch me. watch. there you. >> you didn't even use a ruler. >> no ruler, straight edge. not little miss perfect. good cook. practice. >> oh. >> okay. >> and then you cut these in half again this way. keep them chilled. put them on a parchment paper, okay. you can put one of those. yeah, that's good. put it here. bake it at 450 degrees. >> for how long? >> it just takes a few minutes. maybe 12 minutes. >> this turns into that? >> it certainly does. >> oh, my gosh. >> it's puff pastry. >> did you cut yourself? >> oh, no -- i don't know what that is. >> i think you dipped into the berries. >> then you just gently -- >> you gently separate this into two puffs, okay? and then the bottom part -- >> that was easy. >> softened mascarpone cheese. this is from italy, from the longbury region. it is double or triple creme. it's rich. it's all triple creme. triple fat, my dear. but really -- >> and it's all natural. >> it is natural. >> it's natural. >> so you put that on. >> and then you put some of those beautiful blackberries, three cups of blackberries, squashed with about half a cup of sugar. >>s that enough or a little more? >> no, just like that. cover it over, serve it like that on it. >> oh, my gosh. and you can even put a little ice cream. >> okay. >> i'm on detox, i can't. >> i'm not on detox. >> oh, good. >> that's boring. detox. >> icing would be good with this, but you've got another idea. >> this is a pound cake, like your own homemade ice cream cake. why go buy an ice cream cake that you don't know what's in it, really, when you have a beautiful pound cake you can make or buy. put it in a plastic-lined -- >> why do you do that? >> easier to extract. >> okay. >> and just sprinkle a few raspberries on the cake. then softened ice cream. and then you can then use homemade ice cream or good quality store-bought ice cream. >> and it can be whatever flavor you want, too. >> yes, and you put this right in here and it all squashes. >> come on, you're good at this. >> come on, meredith. >> you're a good cook. >> i want you to gain confidence. >> i want to go back with the lions. >> okay. >> so you put that. >> the lion? >> did i do okay? >> yes, that's perfect. >> you just want me out of here. >> then do it again. okay? >> so more ice cream and then top it with, we're just rushing you. and then when you chill it. put it back in the freezer and look. look at the beautiful cake. >> that's beautiful. >> you used too much in the first layer. >> but we gethe idea. >> like that. >> and you sprinkle -- >> and what did julia say? >> it's a good thing. >> no, you say it's a good thing. >> when it's out of sight you can sort of do that. >> and you can sprinkle some powder. >> yes. and slice it. >> strawberry tart. look at this. >> come on, meredith. >> your own little strawberry tart. >> what's underneath that? >> that is also like a very light cream, cream cheese. okay mixed with sugar. this is called a raspberry meringue. you can't have that, either? >> no. quite temping me. >> oh, my gosh, take that. >> little pieces of store-bought meringue crushed up with raspberries and whipped cheap. is that good? >> that's great. >> what's great about it -- is this washed? >> no you don't have to wash them. >> berries? >> no. >> if they come from the farm you don't have to wash them. >> are they yours? >> no, these are not mine but they come from an organic farm. >> you do have to wash them when you get them in the store. >> wash them right when you're going to eat them. don't wash a whole bunch before because it gets all and crummy. >> right. >> they know a lot. >> i think you need a hug. >> it's okay. >> then up next, the stars of "the time traveler's wife." rr>ú> torr "owny" otodas i brought to yous by palm pre. thinking ahead. it's a beautiful thing. >> we're back now at 8:43 with the tale of love that transcends time the new film "the time traveler's wife," based on the best-selling novel, stars rachel mcadams and eric bana. and now take a look. >> will you marry me? no. i didn't mean that. i -- >> rachel and eric, good morning. >> that was a killer of a scene. i mean -- well, yeah, so -- >> joking. >> making a joke. but the point is that it really does stretch it and it makes it very romantic when you finally do say yes. and let's explain to people what this is about. because it really is about, i think, a lot of women and men may not have found their significant other think well maybe he or she was born at a different time. kind of almost talks about the timelessness of love, and this connection. you two, you were a big fan of rachel's before she was -- before you actually did the movie. and you say that he was one of the most generous actors you've ever worked with. you created a nice dialogue. tell us about the movie. >> well, mean, it's definitely a love story. it's about, you know, two people who meet under really extraordinary circumstances, and how they try to make that work over a lifetime. >> and, in fact, the first time we see you you're very young in the movie? >> yes. i meet him when i'm 6. and he already is married to me in the future. >> i get to travel back in time, and i get to each time i go back in time i always visit claire, as she's growing up. so it's also about how much you impart, how much you don't impart to the person. >> so that must have been very interesting for your character. because you're sort of trying to sort of play a guy who not only as you just descbed, trying to think what to impart but also is going through those changes themself. that must have been very interesting. >> that's right. there were a couple of moments where rachel's character is actually more aware of what's occurring than i am. and i know that sounds quite confusing. but they're two guys who are madly in love and that's essentially the story that we're following. >> and they're teaching each other about each other, you know. because i have more insight about him and he has some about me. and we kind of, you know, give each other insight on what we're -- who we are and who we're going to become. >> and sometimes it got confusing. you got confused in terms of where we -- where you were because you had so much to master. is that right? >> yeah. i mean it was weird. the first time we met in our lives i think that being actors was actually good preparation for the part. because we're so used to shooting films out of sequence and doing things out of order, that was actually, worked really well for us in this movie because that's how it felt. >> oftentimes i think, i imagine -- but you really used your own parents' experience as a marriage to kind of help you model your character of claire. is that right? >> yeah. i mean, you know, we both, our parents are still together, and you know, very, very much in love. so, you know, when i was asking myself, could this woman, you know, stay in this this long, i think, you know, because she is in love with him, and he's a choice that she's made, i mean i've seen my parents do that for, you know, 30-some odd years now. so i had a good example. >> yeah, i can see you get emotional even thinking about it. so what did you learn doing this part about the depth of love? about what is possible between people? did it teach you anything? does it teach us the viewers anything? >> people in movies have more patience. >> anybody else would have gotten divorced by then? >> right, yeah, exactly. no, i think it's that they persevere, and you know, they do. they choose each other at the end of the day. you know. >> i think that there's something about this message that's really important now. you know, i think when so many people across the world are having so many difficulties and so many pains, love is what you have to come back down to and what you want to feel will always be there, even despite all of that. what do you want to say to that? >> no, i agree. at the core issue are two people who are just dying to be together and the time travel is the thing that wrenches them apart. so it's a great mechanism that the original author used in the book, and i think it's very powerful. >> how is it working with rachel, if you don't mind my asking? >> she can dash in. she's just fantastic. and i, you know, expected that. i heard great things about her and just loved her work and was one of the reasons that i wanted to do the film. she was 50 tached before i was. she was just the best to work with. >> one of the things that toughest i would think when you're suddenly cast together you don't know how it's going to be. but it's very clear from the clips i've seen tt there was a real connection. you two really were able to transcend and be these parts. >> well, i mean, when i heard that eric was going to do it, that just made perfect sense to me, having read the book. you know, you have all these ideas in your mind of these characters, but it just made perfect sense to me. like the light bulb went off. so i think, you know, that being right for the character was the beginning. but then he's just such a joy to work with, and you know, and so much fun. and you know, kept, you know, in the heavier moments kept everything light. and, you know, fun to come to work with him. >> we enjoy what we do. >> well, i think it's going to show on the film. i cannot wait to see it. my 16-year-old daughter cannot wait to see it. you've got us. congratulations. >> thank you. >> good luck with the movie. pleasure to speak to both of you, and "the time traveler's wife" opens on friday. and coming up next, that lion. what is it doing in our studio? and why is meredith so excited hmmm... well... naaa... yeah! calculating for getaway. ♪ find your way to a perfect destination at busch gardens... and water country usa... where family-fun surrounds you... and world-class rides astound. start at buschgardens.com. it's the all new sesame street forest of fun... at busch gardens in williamsburg. with four family-friendly rides... and everyone's sesame street friends. ( elmo giggles ) ♪ big and small! there's fun for all! ♪ we are back at 8:51. large predators expert dave salmoni traveled deep into the african bush to spend six months alone with lions facing elimination. his focus is in animal planet's "into the pride." it wasn't just pepper spray. it was a big cane. what do you have to keep in mind? you're with this pride of lions. and they're not friendly. they're aggressive. all you've got is a crook and pepper spray. >> they're the most aggressive lions i've ever worked with. that crook is something i learned when i first started working with these animals. i learned how to defend myself with that. >> why does that work, though? it's just a stick. >> what it does do initially makes you look really, really big. when i wave that around, when i get charged, stand my ground, start to sound aggressive, i change all the behavior and to a lion he's watching everything i do. that says oh, he's getting aggressive. gives the same warning signs like what we would recognize when they're whipping their tail and growling. makes you look way, way bigger. and when it gets to a point of physical contact, there's a number of things i can do with that crook. >> when i first heard about you doing this, dave, i thought you were crazy. >> i think the jury's still out with that. >> but you are, a zoologist, you have training, and so -- but you wanted to use this training for this purpose why? what was the reason? >> the purpose of this show, basically these lions were all lions at a national park. and a gentleman who owns this park took them all in and said listen, i can save these guys. basically give them a better home. so once he brought them in, they still remained super aggressive. so now they were threateng the lives of his staff and those around him. there would be no one else to take these aggressive lions. he called me up and said i need these lions to learn to trust people. >> otherwise they might have to be put down. >> they were definitely, definitely going to kill somebody. not you. put this on your lap. >> on that note we're going to give her -- >> this one is well used to people. i'm going to watch it. if she starts to get bitey. she's got claws but she won't hurt you. >> how do you know when she's bitey. >> her body posture will change. >> grab that bottle there. tip itp so she doesn't have any air. >> let me ask you about brutus, who was the male in the ride. he was fine with you until you got off that bike of yours. right? and then it got very dicey. >> the male is where i always start. they're the ones in charge of protection. they're the ones that will tell the rest of the pride, this guy's okay or this guy isn't okay. so at first it was a lot of, you know, dealing with him. but i actually became friends with him very quickly. you see the footage where he starts to be aggressive with me there. he was like that when he was around the cubs and the girls. what would happen is, he'd be asleep and everything would be fine. when the girls would get nervous because i was close to the cubs -- >> he would respond. >> girls would be like, hey, go get that guy. like a good soldier he'd wake up and come straight forward. >> one of the cubs, right, where he gets a little curious and dave almost dies? >> yeah. and we realized very early on in this project that those moms were so protective of those cubs. more so than normal wild lions. and the closer i would get to the cubs, the most life threatening was for me. shizle not knowing that was like, hey, i'm cool with you. he was learning from my behavior that i was a nice normal guy, so he'd get more and more curious. which is great. bu moms would get super protective. >> it's been quite a few months since you came back. how are they doing? >> they're doing very well. the project a huge success. these lions were saved from destruction. they're happy, healthy lions. >> that's fantastic. >> what do you do to calm them? there was a real risk -- >> training in the gym every single day. my training program is based on what do i do if i get attacked? and it's also, i spent a lot of time as a captive trainer. i've been in situations where i've had to defend myself. and once you know you can plan for the worst-case scenario. i had a paramedic. i had a plan for if these lions attacked me. can you go out and do that stuf >> >> dave, thank you so much. you did a great job. shepherd was the lion. "into the wild" premieres tonight. our time right now is 8:55, 76 degrees out there. some clouds above us with a lot of sunshine getting through as well. we're going to find out what kind of a day we're going to have. pretty hazy out there. we'll talk to tom kierein coming up. i'm joe krebs on this wednesday, the 12th of august. in the news there may be a round of if you afur lows in maryland. they would likely have a b igger impact on state employees with higher salaries we're told. during the last fiscal years ste employees took at least days. the state is tginry to cut 70$4 million from the state budget by labor day. the white house is holding reception for the newest u.s. supreme court justice. president obama plays host to sonya sotomayor. she is the third woman to serve on the high court in u.s. history. she was confirmed last week and sworn in on saturday. we'll take a break now and come back and look at weather and our traffic. anncr: hot fudge brownie meets cool, creamy ice cream. new edwards singles a la modes. individually packaged, ready from your microwave in less than a minute. edwards singles. share one with someone you love. or not. and rancher's reserve beef, guaranteed tender 100% of the time. at safeway, we now promise something new. something big. a commitment... to thousands of new everyday low prices. so you can get what you want. when you want it. at the price you need. today... and tomorrow. that's our promise. that's ingredients for life. safeway. female announcer: from jennifer, while supplies last, this luxurious microfiber sofa and chair for just $399. our most dramatic offer ever: both pieces, just $399. while supplies last. from jennifer: you don't have to spend a lot to have good taste. good morning. it's mostly cloudy, temperatures in the mid 60s. we have showers in the shenandoah valley crossing the blue ridge. should be moving into the metro area over the next few hours and temperatures reaching the low to mid 80s. may abpassing shower this morning or afternoon thundershower. thursday, may be an afternoon thundershower, tomorrow, otherwise humid in the mid 80s. jerry, how's traffic? >> good morning to you. had a couple of problems kettle worth avenue. look at that jam-up. it's backed up, bw parkway and route 50, very, very slow at this hour. elsewhere, 395, remains heavy but relatively steady across the inbound side of the 14th street bridge. >> thanks. tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" the new zero calorie sweetener hitting the store shelves. now back to the "today" show after we take a short break.iy>ñ and we're back now with more on this wednesday morning, august 12th, 2009. summer is really flying by. that doesn't matter to our crowd. they're waving to their friends and family at home, always so grateful that they've chosen to stop here alongside al roker and also sarah gore. a beautiful day. i've got to just point out this baby. >> oh, my gosh. >> come on in here so you can get up close. >> there you go there is your moment. okay, what else is coming up in this half hour. >> well, coming up -- that's a beauty. two months old, my gosh. coming up, well, you know, a lot of people struggling right now with financial problems. we've got our "today's money 911." anything from what to do if you bought your house at the height of the market, what are you going to do with it? a lot of people struggling with credit card problems right now, from people's cards being canceled to all of a sudden their rates getting jacked up. we're gogo quiz our panel of experts for some best advice. >> okay. also coming up this morning, anybody who follows up the tv show flipper you may want to pay attention. the man who started helped, in fact, couraged the development of that tv show has had a change of heart. and he -- because of him, there's now a documentary that's getting a lot of buzz out there called "the tow." we're going to talk to the man -- that -- we're not talking to that man. that's the man we're talking about. the trainer who started ts idea. we're also going to go to the guy, the national geographic filmmaker who shot this documentary. it will blow your mind what's happening to dolphins in this country. and in the world, actually. >> i'm almost afraid to see that, actually. and if you are a michael jackson fan, you're going to want to get your hands on this. just before his death, michael jackson was working on the only licensed and endorsed book that was approved by his family. the jackson estate chronicling his life. the book doesn't come out until december. but we have a preview today. >> meantime we've got hoda kotb inside. having a check of the weather -- >> the news. >> here's the weather. >> ann, i have this. >> you know, when you wake up like that, hoda, we become hypnotized. >> go hoda. >> town hall meetings in montana and colorado are next on president obama's agenda this week as he defends his proposed health care overhaul. at a gathering in new hampshire tuesday he urged the crowd to ignore critics who he said try to scare and mislead. but he did not face any of the angry outbursts that have disrupted meetings held by other democrats in recent days. u.s. marines launched a major campaign today to uproot the taliban from a key town in southern afghanistan. their push comes one week before 56 began elections, which the taliban has vowed to disrupt. a politician who hosts the popular tv crime show in brazil is acced of having drug dealers murdered so hisameras could be first on the scene. he calls the accusations absurd. a prayer service takes place in new york today for victims of saturday's midair collision between a small plane and a sightseeing helicopter. the last of nine bodies were recovered tuesday from the hudson river along with a large section of the plane. a new study showsspirin can keep colon cancer from returning, and sharply reduce a patient's risk of dying from the disease. colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in america, behind lung cancer. about 1,000 people who were feared dead in taiwan flooding have been found alive. some rescuers had to be rescued themselves, after they were swept away by floodwaters. todayhe federal reserve wraps up its two-day meeting in washington with a decision on interest rates. it is expected to leave rates unchanged. ma mailbox.sie can come home to the postal service is out with new stamps celebrating television's golden age, including dragnet, the ed sullivan show, lassie and i love lucy. nothing widescreen or hi def, just plain old black and white classics. i love that episode. it is now four minutes past the hour. let's turn to al roker for a check of the weather. >> the best part of the lassie stamp is, hoda, you lick it, it licks you back.>> oh. oh. >> an>>ay,ywle st' take a look, show you what's going on for "today." we've got a lot of wet weather working its way through the mid-atlantic states, central plains. rainfall amounts, we're talking about some areas picking up one. and we're also watching the tropics right now. we've got tropical depression number 2 just barely holding itself together. but this wave coming off the african coast. look at the size of that thing. that's the one we're really watching. tropical depression 2's track brings it out into the atlantic early monday morning. still a lot of space a stalled front giving us clouds and cooler temperatures after our three-day heat wave. we have on radar light rain now crossing the blue ridge heading to the north and the east, now coming out of rap a han a county into fauquier county and moving into the metro area in a couple of hours as light rain is possible. right now we're in the mid to upper 70s, 78 in washington, highs in the mid 80s. maybe an afternoon thundershower. and more of the same thursday into saturday. and now on "today's" wednesday's "today's money 911," your half hour dedicated to helping you solve your financial problems, from dealing with real estate debt to life insurance issues our expert panel has all the answers. jean chatzky's "today's" financial editor. david bach is the founder of finishrich.com and sharon epperson is a personal finance correspondent for cnbc. we've got sarah gore over at dean & deluca fielding questions from the crowd. good morning, everybody. >> good morning. >> all right, here we go. let's get started. to the phones first, awake bright and early in red bluff, california, stephanie mckenzie. what's your question? >> good morning. my question is, my husband and i bought three rentals during the real estate boom, and they're paying the payments for themselves right now, but two are financed on interest-only loans and the other is on a 30-year fixed. the one loan has a first and second on it is a 5-1 a.r.m. and will begin adjusting in october next year. our plan was to keep two of the rentals for retirement and sell the one with the first and second on it to have a nestegg. however the values have dropped 30% d now we can't sell any of them. they're starting to bury us with the taxes, the insurance, what would happen to our credit if we short sale that one and give us some breathing room? >> jean, what can they do? sound like they're really in over their heads. >> here's what people often don't understand about the short sale. if you want to short sell your property you actually need your lender to buy it -- >> what is a short sale? >> a short sale is when you sell your property for less than you owe on the mortgage. and you agree to that and the bank agrees to that. and because you've been making your payments, stephanie, chances are your bank is not going to agree to that. and so what i would do is leave the property on the market at this point. look for other areas in your budget where, perhaps, you could find some additional relief. and think about how much of a loss you could actually take on that property in order to just get yourself out and give yourself a clean start. >> all right. good luck, stephanie. >> thank you. >> okay. now let's go to rhode island. we're going to go to skype, and we've got carrie with a question. what's your question for your panel? >> hello. i own two family investment properties and live in a condo with my husband. we're thinking about selling our condo to live in one of the investment properties for a couple of years to pay it off and then move to a single family. is this a wise choice since we will then be collecting rent and no mortgage to wte it off for one house and still have a mortgage on the second? how will that affect us? >> carrie, before you go any further, is it just you and your husband or do you guys have kids? >> one on the way. >> oh, congratulations. >> okay. >> david what do you think? >> well, my first question to you would be what do you want? do you want to reduce your overhead? are you looking to reduce your mortgages? are you looking to have less tenants? what's your goal? >> we're looking to reduce our overhead. >> okay. >> so if you're looking to reduce your overhead the idea of selling your property and moving to one of the rental properties will help you do that. here's the key thing. you made a question which is why -- against tax reduction because you're going into a rental property. yes, you can still can get a tax reduction. can you turn that property into an owner offset property and get the mortgage so you can pay the deduction. the other is you can simply use that property and rental property like you are, even though you're going to be one of the renters in that property, you also get tax deductions. you're able to write off as an investor, you can write off basically everything. you're able to take against the income that's coming in from that property on your schedule-e you're able to deduct the interest payments, the maintenance, all the property management. so you still have a great tax break. so if the goal is reduce your overhead, i say yes, go for it. see if you can sell the property you have right now at a good price and meet with an accountant to figure out what's the best tax strategy. my guess is you can accomplish both of those goals together. >> all right, carrie. of course the extra money will be going to diapers. >> stop it, stop it! >> diapers come first. >> absolutely. >> anyway, let's take a look. we've got an e-mail question from phyllis. she writes i suspect my husband and i may be overinsured. we're both retired military, have no kids. we both have jobs that offer us life insurance as a benefit. in addition we carry whole life and term life insurance. his total insurance value $1.1 million. mine $725,000. total debt on two properties, less than $225,000. should we drop some of the coverage, and if so, which one? >> well, they definitely have a lot of life insurance and that's a good thing. but they may not want to count the employer life insurance that they have. that's not portable. that's not something that they can take with them. so i don't know how much of that is in the total. but the amount of debt they have on the two properties is only $225,000. so they have plenty, it appears to cover that. one of the things that they may want to think about in reducing their insurance is to perhaps get rid of the term life. i know term life is cheaper. but because their debt is long-term debt, they may want to have that whole life, which they'll have for their entire life, to cover that. but really what they need to do is talk to a certified financial planner who specializes in life insurance planning. and you can find one at naspa.org or spanet.org. that's a good place to look. also insurance agent, an independent insurance agent may be one they want to try to find, as well, to talk to them. >> you know, it's interesting. with your employer coverage, a lot of people don't know that you can actually sometimes take that with you. you have to talk to the insurer when you leave that job. but rticularly if you have some sort of a health issue and you don't think you'll get coverage otherwise, taking along that policy is really good and often reasonably priced idea. >> is it portable? one of the things, they call port it over you actually get a lower-cost insurance because you're still able to keep it at the price you paid. >> you can do -- sometimes you n and sometimes you can't. >> you have to ask the question. >> ask questions. let's head across the street, sarah gore, what's your question from the crowd? >> thanks, al. i'm with amanda. she's got a question about buying a car which i'm curious about. >> is buying a new car ever a good investment? >> it's a very good question, because i just got a car so i'm curious. >> buying a car is not an investment at all. you think about a car and the minute you drive it off the lot the price of that car depreciates somewhat. it's not worth what it was ten minutes ago. and so it's not an investment, it's a purchase. and the least expensive way to buy a car in general is to buy used. and just drive it in io the ground. but no, this is not a stock or a bond or a house or something that can potentially go u in value. >> what about leasing? >> leasing a car you're not buying. you're just essentially pore bowing that car, and renting it. paying for the months that you use it. >> is it cheaper? >> it can be cheaper on a monthly basis to lease a car if you're one of those people who is dead-set on getting something new every three to four years. >> the real key here is when you drive the brand-new car off the lot it drops in value literally 30%. you buy a car two years off the lease or two years off being brand new because that car will go down by 50% and you're going to get a much better deal. >> you really want to think about what fits into your budget for transportation. not what the fanciest car is, really what fits into your budget and go from there. that's how you choose a car. >> and also take into account the upkeep, insurance. >> absolutely. what it's going to cost you to maintain. >> all right we're going to take a break. when we come back, do mortgage companies really want to help you save your home from foreclosure? and then later the ten rules for serving food at your next party. one of them, don't throw it at people. whoa, that's a first. 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in other words, how much bang am i going to get for my health care buck? are my costs going to go up? is the quality of care going to go down? >> okay. >> you want to take this one? >> i don't think anybody knows. >> that's the problem. right now, we don't know. i mean, what the argument that the government is making in trying to change health care is that by getting more competition in to the marketplace, whether they do it with a public plan or without a public plan, consumers will benefit from the fact that insurers are supposed to compete with each other and that more people will be forced to buy coverage, so costs for each individual is supposed to come down. that's the best-case scenario. >> we have to repeat what we know for a fact is the cost of insurance keeps going up. i just went through my insurance policy coming up in a month, just cost another 15%. what we know is if we don't do something, it's going up. it's been going up. and it's going to keep going up until we do something. >> the best part did the bebait is people are now focused on their health care. what does it really cost me? how is it going to save me money? a lot of times people just go to the doctor and don't really think about it. you really need to think about the cost. that's a good part of t debate. >> we'll be talking about this for awhile to come. an e-mail from natalie in utah -- jean? >> i wouldn't cancel the card, because canceling the card is going to affect your credit rating. we talk about that all the time, and it will reduce your credit score. what i would do is jt try to pay off that $8,000 as quickly as you possibly can, and then, if you need to carry a balance, make sure you're carrying a balance on the least expensive card in your wallet. but this is happening every day. there's so many people who have done nothing wrong. >> okay. well, we'll see what happens with that. all right let's head back across the street to sarah. >> hi, al. i'm standing here with joan and she has a question about paying for college. joan, what's your question? >> well, i just started college in the fall and i'd like to know if there's a cap on student loans. >> all right. >> all right. so jean, you want to take this one? >> sharon. >> congratulations to your son on starting his freshman year, and there is a cap when you look at the stafford loan. you can pay $5500, $6500, $7500, depending on the year that they're in school. the overall limit is best 31,000. that's the stafford loan. the perkins loan, there's a need base there, it's $5500 with a cap of $27,500. and if you have a parent plus loan or a student plus loan that is f the entire amount of attendance, minus whatever the financial aid is, so that will basically pay. they're not going to pay you more than the cost of attendance. but that's something to think about. >> another e-mail question -- david? >> there is. but i think here's one thing that we almost never see on this show. you may not need to actually switch to a fixed right now. here's why. a lot of adjustable rate mortgages are adjusting at the lowest rates we've ever seen. because many of the mortgages are tied to a rate called live wire. i have friends mortgages adjusting to 3%, 3.5%. first check and see what does the mortgage adjust to. what's the index, and then go back to your lender and see if they will refinance to a fixed rate. because if you have been making your mortgage payments on time, the fact that you've been bankrupt two years ago doesn't mean that they won't refinance your loan. it comes down to how much equity is in the home and have you been making mortgage payments on time. >> jean chatzky, david bach, sharon epperson, thank you so much. if you want more financial questions check out todayshow.com. we'll try to answer as many as we can in the coming weeks. still to come, antonio sab auto jr. looking for a little love with a little help from his italian mama. good luck antonio. but first -- >> what's going on? >> what's with the hat. ressive , apples to apples, against other top compies, to help you get the best price. how do you do that? with a touch of this button. can i try that? 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"tomorrow on today" is brought to you by palm pre. taking a hand. it's a beautiful thing. >> and we have a preview of what's coming up tomorrow here on "today." we have an exclusive interview with brad pitt. he's talking about his effort to help new orleans and also about his wife. >> and running for mayor. >> well. plus budget cruises. get away from the high seas that won't have a high price tag. and from bedroom to board room. does a happy sex life make you more productive at work. >> what? >> i read about that. we will tell you tomorrow on "today." >> very good question, al. >> you did a lot of work today. >> what's coming up? >> still to come today, healthy cooking expert chef la la is here to get you ready for your next party. >> are you cooking with her? >> i am cooking with her. >> everybody say la la. >> she's making a chicken recipe. to plus things up. we took out their peanuts... wd ubeusbeding almonds to pwould be a plus. we'd be better off with less sugar. we traded milk chocolate... for the delicious taste of dark chocolate. also a plus. then we added 35% of your daily fiber... plus antioxidants, vitamin e, and zinc. ♪ fiberplus bars from kellogg. fiberplus so much more. fiberplus bars from kellogg. could be home to bacteria. but, lysol disinfectant spray can also be used on soft surfaces to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria. lysol. disinfect to protect. 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[ steam hisses ] why use more when you can use less? bring it. with bounty. the thick quicker picker-upper. d try bounty napkins. now with new prints. good morning. welcome. i'm barbara harrison. it is 9:26 on this 12th of august, 2009. let's see what kind of day it's going to be. tom? >> cloudy and cooler, the heat wave is ov. good morning. we look at the radar we're seeing a few light sprinkles in southern loudoun county, the panhandle of west virginia and in the shenandoah valley around the blue ridge these light sprinkles heading to the north and the east may move to the metro area in an hour or so. later on this afternoon might have a passing thundershower, in the mid 80s, humid. and more of the same on thursday, friday, and saturday. a small chance each day of mainly afternoon passing showers or thundershowers. highs in the mid 80s. >> thank you, tom. we'll be back. ñ good morning. let's head out and see how the commute's going. so far so good. traffic winding down quite nicely. the only concern the outer loop of the beltway from 270 to the american legion bridge. south of town to the wilson bridge moving okay. no late issues, 66 north it to the capital beltway travel lanes are open. >> thank you, jerry. >> i want to see this through. i also know that this works. and i know that this is the future. it means something to me. so that's not -- not a big act. i'm actually i get antsy when i can't get down here. >> so what has hollywood mega star brad pitt so antsy? you'll find out in the exclusive interview tomorrow here on "today." >> like the hat. >> he has great fashion choices. every time i go down to interview i'm i don't know what i'm going to look because of -- and before that he was kind of wearing a germanic -- because you know he prepares for movies. he's actually a movie star. >> that's one of the things >> i heard that. >> he can wear anything, though, if you ask me. >> and you're not alone. okay, so what else. i'm ann curry with al roker, hoda kotb and also sara gore who is joining us while natalie is off. you've got a project coming up, michael jackson project? more information about the michael jackson project? >> a preview. michael's death gaves a chance to be reminded of an epic career. he's also being condensed into a book. this is something you just don't slip onto the book shelf. as you might imagine, it weighs in at 38 pounds. >> really? >> michael was working on this just days before his death and it's got some pretty amazing technology along with it, as well. >> hmm. >> sounds interesting. >> if you are health conscious, chef la la is in the house and she's got healthy recipes you can whip up for your next party. >> would you guys be surprised to know that dolphins are hunted illegally around the world? >> yes. >> you'd be surprised to know that. actually there's a revealing new look, a documentary at a secret industry involving the capture of dolphins. some of them for dolphin meat. >> wow. >> and we're going to find sought some more about that. and sara what have you got coming up on the horizon? >> i've got some exciting news. i'm starting a new show in september, airs september 14th called lx new york and it's a daily live entinement and lifestyle show. what goes on in new york. and we're hoping to cover it all. it's going to be a 5:00 party every day. from 5:00 to 6:00. and my co-host will be michael flocker. >> be careful how you say his name. that could be a career ender. starts the 14th. ends the 15th. >> i just like saying it. >> you say thatvery single day, one of these days, anyway, let's get a check of the weather before we hurt ourselves. >> didn't ben stiller do that movie? meet the flockers? anyway, let's take a look. show you what's going on as far as your weather is concerned. for today, we've got rain in the northeast. we've got some showers in the pacific northwest. thunderstorms along the southeastern atlantic coast. and then for tomorrow, the heat is on. record highs in the plains. wet weather in the southwest. showers in the pacific northwest. speaking of hot weather, the sun, the sand,he salt, water this time of year can do so many things to your skin. so we want to make sure you take care of that. so don't -- we've got a special online series coming up, and that's online series is online. and it's called onli -- ski care science tcdo,om skincarescience.msnbc.com. skincarescience.msnbc.com. >> that's good. >> there you go. óóó]]]]ó good morning. we have a cloud cover over washington skyline, this live view, there's the jefferson memorial. no rain yet but on radar we do have where you see these patches of blue, light rain in loudoun county and around the blue ridge and shenandoah valley, tending to dry as they head to the north and the east. mperatures around the region low and mid to upper 70s. now 78 in washington, highs in the mid 80s. might have a passing light sprinkle this morning or afternoon thundershower. oh! look at me dancing. i'm dancing, dancing, dancing. yes. >> with a broadway star. >> yes, i am. >> and she's singing. >> oh, my goodness! >> dancing, daing! >> you may not be bound for broadway. >> i don't think. in fact i ended up on broadway. she kind of slingshot me. >> anyway, coming up we've got still moremorning,, morning, including a sneak peek behind the covers of a michael jackson project. fact: life today calls for more than an ordinary wipe. that's why there's lysol dual action disinfecting wipes. they go beyond ordinary wipes because they have two different sides. a scrubbing side with powerful built in fibers that easily lifts tough messes and a wiping side that cleans and kills 99.9% of germs. lysol dual action disinfecting wipes. lysol. disinfect to protect. there's the other stuff. ♪ and then there's kraft macaroni & cheese. ♪ kraft has more cheese than those other guys. no wonder they call it the cheesiest! waking up to breakfast delicious. now, we're making it more affordable. with five one-dollar-off coupons... in specially marked boxes of cereal. wake up to breakfast... on kellogg's. the best to you each morning. so i always have totino's pizza rolls. big pizza taste in a bite size roll that my kids can't resist. plus i get two bonus box tops for their school. totino's pizza rolls. the pizza way to snack. we're caring for your sensitive skin. from top to bottom! (announcer) with new aloe & e visit cottonelleinstitute.com. to check your own sensititivity profile. wellbeing. we're all striving for it. purina cat chow helps you nuture it in your cat... with a full family of excellent nutrition... and helpful resources. ♪ purina cat chow. share a better life. this morning we have a first look at a book authorized by the michael jackson estate. it's a project that michael had personally been working on just days before his death. it's called "the official michael jacks opus." carl fowler is the publisher and joins us now. >> good morning. >> this is a massive book. tell me how did this thing -- it's not going to be released until december. but how did it come about? >> well, we -- really it's more than a book. it's the ultimate testament to everything about michael jackson. his life as a entertainer, performer, singer. we met with him back in april, and we showed him a couple of opuses that we'd previously published in the area of sports. >> right. >> and he took to it straight away. in the very first meeting. >> now, we should say this is a mock-up right now. it has not been published. >> that's right. >> it's coming out in december. but why do you think now? why did he decide he wanted to do something like this now? >> i think that -- up think over the years a lot of obviously huge amount has been written about michael jackson, both visual, and editorial. and i think one of the things that fascinated michael jacks when we sat down with him from a creative point of view is to tell the story maybe in a way that it's never been told before. and that's the challenge we set. and i think the emotional side of michael really bought into that. and i think he saw this as an opportunity to really tell that in a way it's never been told before. >> ironically your team met with him just three days before his death. in talking with your team, did they notic anything about his demeanor or his health, anything that might have given him some sort of concern? >> he looked happy, fine. you know, in those days before we were talking about how we could create the content and how the star was going to come back. so there was no signs at all. he was very much, you know, happy and enthused about this. >> this final publication is going to have images that we've never seen before. what sort of things can we expect? >> well, you'll be just to wait until december. but, you know, we've got -- >> don't play coy with me, carl. >> i have to. we've got 20 people working full-time right now just on the research. just on the photography. i mean, the key thing about this size and scale is that this is really going to show off both pictures that have been seen and others that haven't been seen in a way that they really never come off the page. and also with this scale we're able to show pictures that maybe have before been heavily cropped where we canell that story differently. >> it's a sense it's almost a high definition version. and you've got some amazing technology. >> yes. >> involved in this. explain this. >> this is something, again, this has never been done in publishing before so this will be the first book, if you will. this is called augmented reality. opus augmented reality. and if i can just show you here, this is i photograph that we -- it's come from the archives. this will probably find its way into the open pus >> sure. >> let me show you this. this is a very easy printout of e photograph, on a card. there's nothing special about at. >> okay. >> and just show you. >> oh, wow. >> around here, if you put it -- >> and you hear the audio, too? >> that's right. >> so what this does, this links traditional media, if you will, paper, a book, with 21st century technology. so when you register your opus. you go to michaeljacksonopus.com at regular intervals -- >> you can stand and danceith it. >> you could do that. >> i won't do that. >> if you give me a couple of minutes i might do my moonwalk. >> you want him to do the moonwalk? nobody obviously did. >> okay. >> but again the key thing about this is it's never been done before, it's unprecedented and it's something that michael really bought into. >> ken fowler. again the book is "the michael jackson opus." thank you. that's fantastic. otcoming unext the surprising secret industry of dolphins. otcoming unext the surprising secret industry of dolphins. right after these messages. hey mom. i just got your package. great. yea, mom you're the best. i thought you would like it. so, how are your classes, are you enjoying them? 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(announcer) new neutrogena total skin renewal. it's clinically tested to help undo the look of a year's worth of skin aging in just one we. do-overs do exist. (announcer) total skin renewal neutrogena. it was in the 1960s that dolphin trainer rick ovary captured five dolphins to play the title character flipper. now he regrets it. though dolphins continue to fascinate and entertain rick has been on a lifelong mission to halt their capture putting the spotlight on a small japanese town he says has a shocking secret. 's all in a new documentary called "the cove." >> it's a dolphin's worse nightmare right there. hundreds of thousands of dolphins have died there. you see the signs, keep out, danger. there are fishermen walking around these hills with knives. this is a national park. the fishermen told me they said if the world finds out what goes on here, they'll be shut down. >> lou -- i practiced this -- known for his photographs in national geographic is the director of "the cove" how lou -- lou good morning. lewis. it was jacques cousteau who first said people protect what they love. rick fell in love with dolphins. he had a difference sense, a change of heart. this documentary is beautiful, but it's also dramatic. inhowing a very -- very painful thing. a cove in japan, where there's actually slaughter of -- of dolphins. how difficult was it for you to get in? >> oh, well, you know, i was told it was going to be impossible. i had to set up a sort of oceans eleven team to kind of penetrate the secret cove. but basically friends of mine from all different walks of life. the joke on the set was we're all professionals. just not at this. world champion prediver, can go down to 300 feet on one breath of air, she set up underwater cameras. >> you brought infrared cameras. you brought in, you know, a drone, a helicopter. high-tech sound devices. >> industrial light magic helped us craft these fake rocks to hide the cameras in. yeah, it was very dangerous. and you know, but it's, you know, the story is, you know, more of a love story thriller. you know, we went in there to help rick try to find out what's going on. so we could help stop this. >>ou know, one of your teammates said that he didn't think you really fully knew what you were getting into. >> i didn't. but -- >> what did you get into? >> well, an epic thriller. you know, it was said the other day we created the best spy movie ever made, except it's real. it's a film that is not $10 and a box ofpopcorn. you go to this movie, you have a chance at saving tens of thousands of lives, the most intelligent animals on the planet. and you might have a chance of saving some human beings, too. >> you say that more than 20,000 dolphins are being basically wiped out every year. on a yearly basis in this cove, according to your documentary, they're being killed. and we s video of this, where they're being killed for -- for dolphin -- and you say the japanese people don't even know what's happening there. >> yeah. >> how do you know that? >> well, because it's -- the cove is a secret cove. it's an -- it's amazing. you go through this town, and it's -- everything about the town shows they love dolphins. signs in english, we love dolphins. dolphin statues. every dolphin and porpoise and whale known to man. theiddle of this town is a national park that even japanese people can't get into. it's a national fortress. >> you say this meat has mercury in it. dangerous levels of mercury. but on top of that you say some of these dolphins are being taken away and used for aquariums. and -- and, this has gotten a response. obviously there's a lot of concern about this. one of the response comes from the alliance of marine mammal parks and aquariums which basically says none of the 600 dolphins in our 45 accredited marine life parks, aquariums and zoo was aacquired from this fishery. is that true? >> it's a lie. >> you're saying that they're lying? >> dr. jay sweeney who is the founder, the biggest dolphin trafficker in the country, you know, in most of the dolphins, he started the sea alliance. but they came from originally from the dolphin drives. >> you've also opened up a die log. you've got people standing, giving you standing ovations at sundance and small theaters that this is opening. what is your hope that will happen here? >> the japanese have called outside pressure creating inside pressure for change. this is a win-win for both the dolphins and the japanese people it's 5,000 times more tic than japanese law allows. so, you're saving the lives of these animals, and the japanese people. it's a win-win. you know, the movie is very hopeful. you know, at the end of the day, you realize that these, you know, one person is make a difference and a couple like-minded people can change the world. that's why people are applauding this film. >> louis, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> good luck to you. the movie again is called "the cove." coming up next chef la la is ♪ the art of getting dirty. the art of getting clean. new powerfully formulated wisk®... is better on tough mud stains than tide total care. wisk®. powerfully clean. perfectly priced. this morning in "today's" kitchen, hot chef la la is back. this time with a party menu that's easy to make and it's good for you. la la is a nutritionist and healthy lifestyle expert who has cooked for many a celebrity. good morning. >> good morning. how are you? >> i'm doing great. so, you know, you throw a lot of parties and there are a lot of things that you can do to flow a party that are big mistakes. how do you throw a simple party. >> i don't know mistakes. but the are certain techniques i've learned throughout the years that make my life easier. especially when i have people over. so i don't have to be working the whole time. i can eat and enjoy the party, too. >> that's the whole thing when you're cooking the whole time and you guests aren't having a good time. >> making some chicken and a relatively inexpensive recipe, also, because you don't have to use a million different ingredients. i hate when i have to goo the supermarket, $800 later i'm feeding four people. >> and you're using the thighs. >> i took the skin off so i'm saving myself 600 calories, and 82 grams of fat per chicken. >> really good deaf lon pan, using olive oil. i have all the flavors. so we're going to add some tomato sauce, some barbecue sauce. and some orange juice. >> ooh give it a little sweetness, i like that. >> and this alsoabilities as a tenderizer. using a little garlic powder. a little bit of onion powder, oregano. >> i'm keeping up with you. >> and a little bottle of hot sauce. whatever you prefer. >> so a lot of hot sauce? >> oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. >> okay. >> you've got this. two spicy women in the kitchen, right? so oranges go in there. >> this is a recipe you've done for a lot of people. >> right. let's see, i did a party at a private concert and the jonas brothers were there. so this is a good one. >> all right. cover it up. you put it in the oven in case you want to clean up and get ready, or you can leave it on the stovetop for about 45 minutes. >> what's this? rice? >> this is rice. we're going to just a little bit of olive oil, and very, very important to wash your rice. >> wash your rice. >> very, very good. get rid of the starch. >> and some chicken stock for flavor. >> all of it? >> olive it. >> is it done yet? >> not yet. >> okay. >> 30 seconds. >> this. >> mix it in. >> 25. >> come on. >> back here. >> al, you can't hurry! >> 20 seconds. >> you can't hurry a woman up. come on. >> okay, so good chicken wings. we've got cloudy skies above us in the nation's capital. folks getting out and enjoying the day anyway. it's a mild 78 degrees at 9:56. good morning on this wednesday, august 12, 2009, i'm barbara harrison. in the news, police are asking for help in solving the 34urd of a popular acupuncturist in fairfax county. the body of chen ah was found. now police have this video it shows a black vehicle, maybe an infinity, pulling up to the clinic. any with information is asked to call police. maryland senator benjamin cardin will hold a town hall meeting in hagerstown community college at 1:00 p.m. today. on monday the democrat was at towson state university where th gcrdowotd pretty rowdy. there may nd rou a of furloughs in maryland. the state isryin rg to closebue have ageolig bigt snteta ste employees of bger yearstear y t asle twourlough days. let's look at the weather. tokierein, good morning. >> we have a stalled front giving us clouds this morning as well as the cooler temperatures. the heat wave is over. and right now as we look at radar we get a few sprinkles in northern loudoun county and west virginia, the shenandoah valley. they are tending to dry out heading to the north and the east. later on there is a chance of a passing afternoon thundershower, otherwise mostly cloudy with highs in the mid 80s. and humid all the way into the weekend. tomorrow may be a passing afternoon thundershower, otherwise partly sunny but in the mid 80s. re of the same friday and saturday. here is a look at sunday, monday and tuesday. partly cloudy, just a small chance of an isolated thundershower, mainly in the afternoon. and highs in the 80s. jerry, good morning. how is the late morning traffic? >> good morning. prince george's county authorities on the scene of an accident at the outer loop of the beltway at route 50 in maryland, authorities holding up traffic while they try to get the accident vehicles out of the roadway so the outer loop of the beltway is completely closed down. we'll keep you updated. back to you. >> tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" a zero calorie sweetener hitting the store shelves. oh, hi! welcome back to progressive.com! how's that car insurance? great! just bought a house... and you just heard progressive offers homeowner's insurance. yeah! i also heard i could save a bundle -- because progressive already insures your car. yeah, and i like -- one-stop shopping! right. i know! anything else i should know? yes -- make sure you stay away from shag carpeting. getting your auto and home insurance call or click today. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hi, everybody, it's wednesday, it's august 12th. almost halfway through august already. almost the end of the summer. >> and halfway to the weekend. >> you must be exhausted. you've already in your fourth hour of television. >> matt went away on assignment, so ann became matt, and then i became ann. it was like a little game how it all worked out. >> i love the way you go from happy hour to hoda to "dateline" hoda. you do it better than anybody, my darling. you had a chance to prove that this morning. you got called out a little bit. >> i didn't know they called you out early in the show. i thought it was all very serious. >> let's go to the videotape. >> feet a little sore this morning. or -- >> she's barefoot in the newsroom. >> hoda always does that. >> there's a reason. because i think when i'm on heels, i'm out of the -- see, i'm up here. >> got to go barefoot. >> i've got to be in the flats. >> you have such pretty feet. >> she's a tall one. >> exactly. >> i thought i was smelling bad chinese. >> oh. >> oh! >> that is not nice. so not nice. >> i think he's come to make up. >> no, i haven't come to make up. >> that is rude! >> of course it's rude. oh, yeah, you're never rude. >> absolutely not. >> absolutely not. you know -- >> not to hoda. to the chinese food. >> on the "today" show, we like to -- >> it's ruder. >> that's right. chinese food all across america is writing in. >> i know. i know. you offended everybody that likes chinese food. >> no, i didn't. look, if you've ever had bad chinese in your kitchen, you know it's not great. >> because you hate to throw any of it away because it's so delicious. >> no, actually, i don't like leftovers. >> never? >> no. i tried. den ra always fishes it out. oh, what's wrong with it? >> i do the same thing. i like chinese food the next day. >> i don't mind it cold. >> and pizza, too. >> this is really scintillating. >> who invited you anyway? >> i'm trying to make nice with hoda. >> thank you, al. >> hoda knows i love her. >> you came in to promote your know morning show "wake up with al." >> 6:00 a.m. eastern time on the weather channel. with stephanie abrams. i was not going to mention that whatsoever. >> is that the one where the ratings are up 50%? >> yes, that's the one. >> because so many people are watching the show. >> in fact they're coming off of benders and watching. eating chinese food. >> there you go. you'll take anybody you can get. >> we're number one with drunks and insomniacs. >> hey! >> that's -- i'm actually on the way in. that's the people who watch ours. >> there you go, baby. >> thank you, al. >> whoo! >> al roker, ladies and gentlemen. >> al roker in a drive-by. thank you, al. >> thank you. >> all right. now yesterday, or day before yesterday, kathie lee and i saw "the time traveler's wife," and we are going to have two of the actors from that show on our show. >> and two of the most beautiful actors -- >> rachel mcadams, she was terrific in the movie. >> she's one of my favorite young actresses. and eric bana cannot give a bad performance. >> got me thinking, we're not going to give the movie away. but there are some questions that come up in it and one of them is would you like to know the future? would you like to know five years from now,f pretend you won the lottery. or would you like to know if you are divorce or lose a loved one? >> i'd only like to know the good news. with all of life there's ebb and flow and ups and downs and curves in the road that you thought was going to be nice and straight. remember that first line in "bella" that i loved so much? you heard eduardo's voice say, if you want to make god laugh, tell him your plans. because there's another part to that, too. says if you want to make him cry, try to make them come true. it's interesting. >> because i think unless i could alter the events that were upcoming -- >> you can't even keep your bra from showing, much less alter events in your life. >> if i could alter events -- would you just keep your eyes away. up here. >> i'm just saying. i'm here to protect you, hoda. >> you can't see. it's just your angle. they can't see. it's from your angle. >> i'm taking an eyeful anyway. go ahead. >> if i could change the event i think i might. i'd want to know. if i couldn't do anything about it -- >> but see he can't in this movie. >> right. but that's one of those questions. >> yeah. and also i think if i knew something bad was coming. they always say live life to the fullest. i think i'd be counting down the days until -- >> and if you really knew it was going to be horrendous something you'd shoot yourself now. >> that's never good. >> no, that's not a good -- how about just live your life to the fullest right now. >> we should ask our facebook people, would you want to know good or bad if something was going to come up in your life? that's why people go to psychics. that's why they want to know the future. >>ould you want to know if antonio sabato was going to be on today. >> yes? >> yes. >> we have only gorgeous people on today. >> yes. we do. >> not yet, antonio. sit down, darling. always -- oh, my gosh, can we get the camera on this? hello, two gorgeous men saying hello. >> yes, look at that. >> they don't care. >> excuse us. between al roker and you guys. >> they're not even listening. >> we're ten feet from them. >> so my mommy is on oday. we tried to keep it a secret. >> there was no attempt to keep it a secret. >> no, i invited her to come last week and spend the weekend with us. she said well there has been some talk about me maybe cooking on the show for your birthday. i said mom, that was supposed to be a secret. >> so joanie is here today. and she's going to play who knew. obviously with joanie and we'll be dissecting your life. >> yes. >> are you looking forward to that? >> yes. but i'm worried for her. >> why. >> she started to klien the other day that she was getting a sty on her eye. she has rhode island on her eye, poor baby. i want her to sit like this and talk to you because she's one of the most beautiful women you've ever seen in her life. but this thing has turned out to be a whopper. >> no one would have noticed. >> i wanted her to wear sunglasses. she's so beautiful. >> you aren't even going to see it. people won't notice it. >> i really feel bad for her. anything that happens to people you love, you usually say, i wish it were me instead. >> mm-hmm. >> i don't wish it were me, instead. no. >> so bad. >> have you ever had like pinkeye? >> yes. >> oh, my gosh, you feel like igor. >> it is a horrible feeling. you know what's worse than that? >> what? >> i hop they did not spend a lot of money on this survey. this is a survey that says -- not that one. the one about men. men are more active -- more apt to have a one-night stand. more likely to jump into the sack for a one-night stand than women. and they don't care about anything. >> it has nothing to do with looks. >> nothing with looks. nothing. >> we sort of polled our crew here. >> saved a lot of money and told you that. >> the answer is men like one-night stands more than women. that's what we've learned. >> yes. >> from the survey. >> who are they having the one-night stands with, then? >> right. all these women who are denying. women just probably deny having it. >> you think? >> don't you think? men brag and women are embarrassed. >> they also do that at their jobs apparently. >> there is a thing about we don't, women in general, don't brag enough about ourselves. and we also don't value ourselves enough. they did i guess it was a survey and they asked women and men what they thought their bosses would think of them. men always overestimated what they thought their bosses were going to say and women always underestimated. >> yet again another research we hope they didn't spend a lot of money on. >> the thing about that is men really are good about going to the boss and saying look what i did -- >> yeah, well they've been trained to be assertive. we've been trained to be modest and lady-like. >> we're also trained, if we work hard, surely they'll notice what we're doing. because that's how you want to be. actually when i watch someone brag i kind of cringe. oh, that is awful. >> until they get what they want. >> you think it ever would have worked like in jeffrey mcguire to see a woman going, show me the money! >> that's a little unlady-like. >> it is. >> they're asking do we create our own glass ceiling. we're sort of putting ourselves down. >> i think that sometimes women can be women's worst enemies. i mean there's a lot of jealousy that goes on. i think that's what people sense works with the two of us. is that underneath the teasing and all of that, there's a genuine friendship and a real competitiveness, but not in each other's expense i want you to shine like crazy, as long as you don't shine -- >> i knew that was coming. >> all right. >> let's go to miss sara. >> what's going on? >> sara, new 'do. >> what's going on here? >> something new. >> laura got bored. about the future. knowing the future. hillary wrote in it would take out the element of surprise, so no way. karen wrote in if you know what will happen, what happens to the fun of finding yourself. so no. >> and seated next to her is our dear donna's dad. >> hello. >> we love having donna. >> we have so many guests in the studio. but up next we have rachel mcadams and eric ba. and then w me antonio meet atonio sabato. >> three of thestioo mo gorgeou people on the planet on our s a sofa. in 2003 readers could not put down "the time traveler's wife." the good news is, if reading a book is not in your immediate future, starting friday you'll be able to catch the love story in a thee remember near you. >> that's right. the movie stars eric bana as henry, a man who lives in the past, present and future. and rachel mcadams is claire, the woman who's loved henry ever since she was a little girl. take a look at when they catch up with one another. >> would you like to have dinner with me? and i'll explain. henry, we've been planning this dinner for a long time. >> we have? >> so, is that yes, then, to dinner? >> okay. >> well, rachel and eric, good to see you. >> nice to see you. >> that was a great scene, by the way. >> i love that scene. >> you are great actors but when you first layyes on him, you're not saying anything. i was totally in. you got that feeling of, could it be him? i thought it was a brilliant -- that scene was brilliant. really draws you in right away. >> oh, thanks. yeah, it's a very key, you know, scene ithe book and the fil and we had talked about it a lot beforehand in rehearsals. we spent about two weeks together. so we had a little bit of prep time, yeah. >> because it seems like as an actress it would be one that you would want to move along. and why it works so well is that you don't. you really -- and you really take your time in that scene we showed earlier today, as well, when he asked you to marry him. you know, you really -- >> it was great because it's the one point where claire knows more about our future together than i do. so i'm -- i'm meeting her for the first time, but she's known me, you know, all through her life because i go back in time to visit her. and so it's one of the points from which she has the upper hand. >> now, was getting rid of -- well, losing the accent for the movie. >> much less the clothes. >> you lose everything for this movie. >> how were both of those things, actually? >> it's more comfortable losing the accent, i must say. losing the clothes, quite a lot more preparation. no, it doesn't. i had to do it. i was outvoted by the director and by rachel. >> uh-huh. but the cute thing about it is you're not just like naked in a bathroom by yourself. you're naked in fields. you're naked in city streets. you're naked -- >> i've been around. >> did you do a lot of working out before this role? >> hell no. i'm a librarian. no prayer. >> rachel, what about the chemistry between you two? was that just one of those things that just worked out right on set? >> yeah, i think we were just really lucky with that. i was so excited that eric was going to do the film. i thought he was so perfect for henry. but you never know how it's going to go. >> chemistry works in a petri dish but you can't -- >> anywhere else you can't count on it. >> really nothing you can do about it either. >> it's like you either have it or you don't. sometimes you can have it in real life a it doesn't work on-screen. so you still have to kind of work at it on-screen, even if you are getting along well. >> that's got to be one of the worst experiences, though, to have your firstay on a shoot you know it's supposed to last three months and just not happening. does that ever happen to either one of you? >> actually -- >> it has happened? >> i had the odd thing where on your very first day of shooting, y're having to kiss someone, like you're madly in love, and you think -- i have had that, which is slightly unusual. we didn't have that. >> i just had this with patrick wilson -- >> you get all the hotties. >> i want to be rachel mcadams. >> and it was very, you know, okay, one, two, three, kiss and you don't know each other at all. and it's slightly uncomfortable. >> i lost track of how many times they kiss in this movie. >> but it's romantic, also. >> it's very sweet. >> we don't see that enough. we see a lot of sexual kissing. but we don't zero mans as much. it's a very romantic movie. >> did you guys read the movie before or no? >> we both did. rachel was attached before i was. so she was the expert. i just went to her when i had questions. >> and i'd go through my little book and my notes. >> is it true to the book? will readers say, ah, this is just what i remembered? or do they change it up a little bit? >> well, i mean it's like 400, 500-page book. so it's, you know, definitely distilled down. there are a few characters left out. but i mean, the core of the book, which is, you know, their relationship, is definitely the focus of the film. >> and in every film there's somebody that is in charge of continuity. that's the person who has to make sure that everybody matches from the last time. i wouldn't have wanted to be the person who is in charge of continuity on this film. >> i know. >> the continuity lady. >> it's a great movie. >> take it to see it with somebody you love. "the time traveler's wife" opens in theaters this friday. >> and when we come back, we have antonioa sbato niojur. sab. he's looking for love. >> he came meet hoda. >> oh, for god's sake. this happens every time. someone who is physically fit and athletic, someone who can go the distance with me. 110%. even if the distance means climbing this particular mountain. >> oh, come on. antonio sabato junior -- >> in high heels. >> and he's doing hit on his new vh1 reality show called "my antonio." >> because at 36, the italian heartthrob, and a father of two, is ready to commit. >> allegedly. >> to one special woman. here's the catch. it's called "my antonio" is his mother has to approve. and nobody's good enough for her, antonio. >> not really, yeah. you're right about that. >> let's talk about the pool of women that we saw. >> yes. >> describe that group, if you will, of women. >> oh, we have girls from 21 to 41, and they're from backgrounds all over the country. and you know, i mean, we got everything. >> you're seriously looking to marry one of these women? >> i was. yeah, i am, period. on a show like this i was very skeptical, obviously. i said out of all these girls there might be one, s i said, that's a pretty good average. >> i think it's hard for people to understand, or wrap their head around is that you could get any woman you want, and why, you know -- or is that not true? >> well the thing is what i'm looking for is a partner. i'm not looking just for a night stand. so that's different. >> well, then you just -- >> that's the research -- >> i've been fortunate enough that i have two beautiful children, and i've been, you know, i had two amazing relationships. but in the last four, five years i've been single. >> for most of these reality shows that try to hook people up don't end up being successful. we've seen a lot of those shows, the bachelor. >> it's hard, either way. i think relationships are hard, and to find the person is hard no matter what. but this show has class, it's got integrity. it's got me. it's got my mother. >> i love the mother aspect of it. that brings in a -- >> i told the producers, i said listen, if i don't like someone from the get-go or she's rude to my mother or me, she's going to have to go. so we can't just wait for the elimination. and that's what happens. >> so some of them didn't last longer than the first episode. >> some of them didn't even last two minutes. >> really? so wait -- >> they'll know who they are. >> how does the elimination -- >> look at that. >> oh, i thought you had -- >> where's your mom? >> that's her? >> whoa, mom! >> mom is an italian bombshell. >> does your mom gri these women? who's her role in the whole deal? >> you know, i think -- i thought it would be interesting to have my mother have conversations with these girls and see if they have anything in common whatsoever. because my mom has been around the world. she knows about life. she's from prague, the czech republic. >> she's aeautiful woman. >> she's amazing. so i think it brings a different aspect to the show. >> how do they get voted och? i just decide? >> it could be a challenge. could be something they said. it could be something they didn't say. >> but ultimately does your mom make the decision? >> i make the decision. >> i would hope so. >> you're 36. >> 37, actually. >> 37. >> it helps. it helps. it's interesting to see these conversations with my mother. i think they're hysterical. >> are these women heartbroken when they get sort of, kicked off, are there tears? >> there's tears. you know, i myself had moments where i was like crying a lot. and for certain things that happened on the show. i mean, everything goes on. >> what did you learn about yourself in this process? >> i'm a better person because of it. i mean, i learned that i care about people. and there was some souls on the show i was trying to help. >> not necessarily marry though. >> no. >> i know you can't give it away. >> no. but you said it has a happy ending. >> well, i'm smiling right now. it's all good. no matter what happened i think that the show is -- it takes it to another level. i think it's a lot smarter than all the other shows. it's the most expensive vh1 has ever done. >> it looks expensive. >> wish you good luck with it. >> and bring the lady and your mom back. >> i will. my pleasure. >> thank you. >> all right, up next, bring in the comforts of home to your college student's dorm room. >> all right. plus, it's kathie lee's turn. we've got her moment joanie. she's -- lookt joanie. wave, joanie. and smile. we're going to learn all kinds of secrets about kathie lee. >> oh, please. >> your mother's giving up the secrets. >> she needs to be like antonio. i'm barbara harrison. coming up, more outbursts than anger over health care. ben cardin gets ready to face the crowds this afternoon. a mountain rescue caught on tape. hear from a park police officer how they pulled it off. we're seeing cooler temperatures. tom will let you know how long these temperatures will stick around. join us in a little over a half ♪ the art of getting dirty. the art of getting clean. new powerfully formulated wisk®... is better on tough mud stains than tide total care. wisk®. powerfully clean. perfectly priced. oh yea, well for 6 months, customers get all three: fios tv, internet and phone for just $79.99 a month. oh, all right, see... you're just moving your fingers, aren't you? i gotta cut my nails. (announcer) now get three amazing fios services for the price of two. tv, internet, and phone for only... for the first 6 months. it all adds up to one incredible deal from fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v unlike cable, fios brings 100% fiber optics straight to your home, for razor sharp tv, america's top rated internet-- now even faster, and crystal clear phone service. all for just... for 6 months. it's like getting 3 services for the price of 2. that's a $180 savings over six months for the best in home entertainment. don't miss this unbeatable value 3 great services, for the price of 2. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v this if fios. this is big. we're back on these wednesday with more of "today" and our "who knew?" quiz show. touche, today in celebration of her upcoming birthday on sunday we're testing your knowledge about our own kathie lee gifford. kathie lee is across the street at dean & deluca. she's ready to hand out $100 to the winners who answer the quiz question correctly. and to those who don't, they get her cd. he to help me fact check we were trying to find the best possible expert on kathie lee's life. she found her mother joanie. we're so glad you're here. >> love it. >> you're going to keep us honest on kathie lee? >> absolutely. i'm going to do my best. >> the secrets are about to come out. let's take it waay. >> all griahty.ht our first ylovel with her two doubters from long beach. which of the following is not one of kath leet's favorite foods? wine, hot dogs or pickles? >> i would say pickles. >> i love pickles. and i'm often fond of wine. >> thank you. >> all right, joanie. so the correct answer is -- >> pickles are her favorite food. >> oh. and hot dogs -- why doesn't she like hot dogs? >> i have no idea. she has issues. you know that. with me, too. ck yeah, ivknow. ba across. >> all righty. okay this lovy family is from taa. which of the following was my first national tv show. name that tune, live with regis and kathie lee or golden girls. >> name that tune. >> that's right. >> thank you. >> so joanie -- >> mom, do not tell them the year. don't you dare. >> she said don't tell them the year. go ahead, what was the year? i'm just saying, she's not here. >> okay. >> it's okay. >> so did she love doing that? >> she did. she loved just being out front and center. she always loved that. >> she does? that's so weird. >> i know. >> i would have never guessed that. i'm just saying.ieka.th >> thon y >> don't youe.ard dar > >> which club was i kicked out of? the delta delta delta, the new york junior league, or girl scout brownies. >> i'm going to go with girl scout brownies. >> and you would be right. i was. >> how does a woman get kicked -- girl get kicked out of the brownies? >> well, knowing her, she probably would not go in camp. she probably would not go and clean the latrines. >> uh-huh. >> and the other part would be maybe that she tried to control everything. >> wait, wait. this one clear, kathie lee is controlling? >> just a tad. >> huh. >> oh. >> joanie -- >> tell me you haven't noticed. >> didth get that close-up of th sthyetyt? >> back away. back away. >> number four, where was i born, paris, texas, paris france or paris, ohio, miss montreal? >> i would go with -- >> i hope you're not bending over with that. >> where? >> you're wrong. i was born in no, no, france. but that's all right. you're going to love my new record. everyone loves it. >> kathie lee was born in france. >> in paris. >> what were you guys doing there? >> american hospital in paris. my husband was eisenhower's comma. and guess who was above me? >> who? >> the room above me and i wasn't getting much attention. gary cooper was there having a hernia operation. >> you're kidding? >> and all the nurses wanted to go see him. and i wanted to go see him, too. >> i bet you d.di ad. right back across to kath. >> all right. what gift did my parents give to me for my high school graduation. a new car, a trip to israel, 12 pairs of spanks. >> oh, i would say a new car. >> no. these people haven't read my book! all right. >> so what you did give her was a trip to israel. >> she and i went together. it was so exciting. >> she talks about that being one of her favorite gifts she's ever received. >> oh, fascinating land. wonderful. >> joanie you are absolutely the best. any other little tidbits? you want to put your shades on for kath? >> check out your mom. >> she has some shades on. >> so movie star. >> she is. she's a rock star. >> thank you, mom. >> thank you, joanie. >> thank you, hoda. >> love you, dear. >> don't go anywhere. >> oh. >> all right, coming up, wait. you're going to -- >> i'm not surprised. >> don't leave me yet. we're back with dorm room decorating 101 and maximizing a tiny space. >> whether you've got a freshman about to lve for college or a senior who is moving into an off-campus apartment you want your baby to have the comforts of home. i don't. so we've enlisted frank fontana, host of hgtv's design on a dime. it's good to see you again. >> good to see you again. >> budget is the key word here. a lot of kids don't have the money to deck out their dorm room. >> whether it's your home or your dorm room it's about combining two elements, function and style on a budget. >> right. >> to make your dorm room feel more like home, you make it personalized. little mementos from home. i came up with a project that i think you guys would love. really simple. using some resigeled cork, an old mirror frame and paint and a stencil. >> what are we doing? >> we're making a message board. you'll see what ultimately it's going to look like. >> that's adorable. >> we've got yours kathie, don't worry. >> i didn't say a thing. >> we're going to trace out and cut the oval out using the back of the mirror itself. >> okay. that's the exact size. >> this is smart. you want to save this when you take your mirror apart. this is what you look like. use your paint to paint it. i look the liberty of already doing one. you've got your color on here. we used deep magenta to match our room stock market. i couldn't kind the "k" i was looking for you. so i made my own. so this is very special. >> wow. >> used some stencil paper, trace it out. >> and then basically we just reveal just like this. >> i love stenciling. i don't know, you just feel really good. >> it's so easy. >> so you made a little bit of a miss. >> this spot in particular is supposed to be a little messy. >> oh, right. on purpose. >> then you get your frame and kind of wrap it up just like that and ultimately looks like this. >> and do you put this on the back of it for strength? >> i recommend some spray glue. because it is a little flimsy. once you do that, it works really well. >> and it's going to stick. >> great. >> and frank when you look over here, we're looking at that sort of wall hanging. describe that. tell us what that is. >> this is actually from ikea, a wall panel that you can typically use for window coverings. but there's two ways you could do it. as an option for color, instead of painting, because a lot of dorm rooms don't allow painting. so the second thing you could do -- >> does that come like that? >> you put these little hangers, comes top and bottom and comes in the strips. and you cut it to custom size. >> does it come in other scenes or that's the one you get? >> there's a scene behind you we're going to get to in a second. >> okay. >> and also, if you are roommates. >> oh! enough already. >> enough already. >> i tried that before. it didn't work out. >> that's a great option for a divider. >> we could try that on the set. >> oh. >> hoda with a funny. >> i'm just saying, it could work. >> so this -- >> so the next biggest issue is storage and space in the dorm room. we're talking about 200 square feet of space. >> get this and a potty and that's about it. >> what you want to do is look for furniture that has ample storage underneath. >> don't waste an inch. >> another thing you want to do is closed storage. this is a work space that folds right up. >> that's also a great desk with lots of room. >> i don't know one teenager that's going to keep it neat like that. >> that's the great thing you shove the mess up, flip it up and run. >> this is a smart idea for storage. you took these little expensive tables. >> these are ikea tables that are almost $8 right now. you stack them up, put an "l" bracket. because if you can't go out because of limited space, you've got to go up. then you have a printer with some inexpensive -- kodak makes the cheapest printer ink out there. so it's worth getting the printer. >> we just have 20 seconds. >> this is the boy's room. you like this desk. >> masculine colors. my favorite desk. >> check this out. opens up, you've got workspace and laptop space all in one. >> where's the work space? >> workspace goes back on top. laptop inside. >> thank you so much. coming up exn what your favorite drink is doing to your waistline. >> tell me about it. (announcer) now skating...jim perdue. there's no skating around the fact that my perdue perfect portions fresh chicken breasts are perfec each piece come individually wrapped, so you can cook what you need and easily store what you don't. and they're perfectly sized to cook quickly and evenly in only 10 minutes. it's the perfect answer to your dinner routine. (announcer) perdue perfect portions. also in a variety of all natural seasonings. with the summertime comes many tempting thirst quenchers from soda to smoothies to sangria. >> but what are those doing your diet? madelyn fernstrom is here to break it all down with a quiz. >> we love our quizzes. >> love it. >> how are you? >> today we're going to have some summer drinks. you know the drill. you're just going to buzz when you know the answer. so we're going to start with some alcoholic drinks. d fst we have a glass of sangria with ice and then we have a large glass of beer. which one has fewer calories. kathie lee? >> the beer. >> no. >> ooh. >> i thought it was a lite beer. >> okay. 120 calories for the sangria, 130 for the beer. >> how much? >> 120. it's all beuse it's got fruit and some ice. so you got a good savings. >> as long as you stick to one. >> next everyone's favorite. we have a wine spritzer and a frozen margarita. how many wine spritzers does it take to equal this 16 ounce -- i was going to give you a choice, two, four or six. >> i was going to say the biggest six. >> six. you're right. >> we have how many like 700 calories in a margarita? >> these 600 calories in this. >> how many? >> 300 in this frozen margarita. 50 in a sprinter. because it's only half wine and half club soda. >> you can't put 7-up or anything. >> i'm not a complete moron. >> we're now going to go some nonalcoholic summer drinks. a large vanilla milk shake. how much fat is in this shake? is it the same as a small, large, or extra large french fries? >> extra large. >> extra large, you're right. it's 30 grams of fat. >> but that's unbelievable. >> 30? >> you can make it with -- >> that's half your fat in a day. we have another milk shake question. we have the calori in that milk shake, is it 600, 800, or 1,000. >> 1,000. >> 800. >> 00, you are right. >> i'm just saying. >> there you go. >> i've gotten two and you've gotten one. but let's continue. >> as long as we're not keeping score. we have a large 32 ounce sowed. >> get your hand off the buzzer. >> she's cheating. >> we're talking sugar. how many packets of sugar is in this whole soda, 15, 22 or 28 -- >> kathie lee. >> 28. >> it's 22. >> what happens when you get in first. >> 22 packets of sugar. >> what is , 22? >> 28. >> who cares? >> next are the smoothies. we all love them, full of nutrients. but what about as a calorie choice. does this 16 ounce smoothie have more than 250 calories or less than 250? >> more. >> definitely more. >> the woman -- >> and now our winner is -- >> it's hoda. >> 4-1. >> 3-1. >> 4! >> anyway. because you are both winners and you're such good sports we have a prize you'll actually like. >> i don't want -- >> oh, i do. >> i'll take your question. >> thank you. >> wow. >> you talk about these. >> sparkling wine. >> you also learn something. i think that the thing, the margarita caloes, that's unbelievable. >> people have no idea. and i didn't realize that it was, you know, a glass of wine that big would be 100 calories. >> a glass of wine would be more but you can water it down with club soda. there's ways to save with summer drinks. still enjoy yourself. >> i didn't know sangria was so -- >> i didn't, either. >> madeleine, thank you so much. >> you're welcome. >> you can read more about the summer drinks on madelyn's blag by going to klgandhoda.com and visit our ivillage community. >> up next, how to make meals for the king of the castle, your pet, your dog. >> dog dishes. explain. oh yea, well for 6 months, customers get all three: fios tv, internet and phone for just $79.99 a month. oh, all right, see... you're just moving your fingers, aren't you? i gotta cut my nails. (announcer) now get three amazing fios services for the price of two. tv, internet, and phone for only... for the first 6 months. it all adds up to one incredible deal from fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v unlike cable, fios brings 100% fiber optics straight to your home, for razor sharp tv, america's top rated internet-- now even faster, and crystal clear phone service. all for just... for 6 months. it's like getting 3 services for the price of 2. that's a $180 savings over six months for the best in home entertainment. don't miss this unbeatable value 3 great services, for the price of 2. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v this if fios. this is big. okay, most people wnt their family to eat healthy. >> and if you have a dog you know he's just as much a part of your family as anybody else. amy stevens has quick and healthy recipes for your pet from her cookbook called "cooking 4 canines." >> nice to see you. >> what kind of dog do you have? >> i actually have a greyhound mix. >> you're going to make treats? >> yes. >> for dogs that humans can eat, as well? >> yeah, absolutely. actually, all the ingredients that we use are all natural, they're organic, whole grain. they're all human grade. so most of the ingredients you can actually find in your very own kitchen. a lot of them you can find in your local grocer. they're easy. >> they're all good for dogs? >> specific things dogs cannot have at all? >> absolutely. we actually have every single recipe in the cookbook is vet approved. >> okay, good. so we're making a popsicle. >> a pupsicle. >> it's a cute name. we've got four cups of yogurt in here. >> plain yogurt? >> all-natural. it's nonfat. so you just want to be responsible. here we've got honey. >> okay. >> i'm so shocked that this would be okay with vets. >> yeah, basically dogs can eat pretty much anything that people can. so as long as they're all-natural and wholesome and healthy for us. >> is this peanut butter? >> two tablespoons. >> no surprise to my dog. >> peanut butter is a big favorite. >> okay. and this is organic baby food. so this is strawberry banana flavor. >> oh, this looks good. >> and both strawberries and bananas are good. >> i'd eat this pupsickle. >> and then you just put it on. >> and blend it for a couple seconds. >> nobody else is helping. >> how do you do it? >> is that good enough? >> okay. that should be perfect. >> okay. >> and we pour it into ice cubes. >> okay. get this thing off. >> there we go. >> i hope everyone is enjoying the segment. i'll be working. don't mind me. >> put this in. and these usually go in for half an hour, just enough to get firm. >> sorry! >> hoda! >> you get the idea. >> so when they're done, they look like this. >> oh, those are cute. >> yeah. >> those are adorable. >> okay. >> you're right. they're great. >> look at your control freak. >> i'm going to help you my friend. >> so pop them in the freezer for half an hour, let them get firm for the dogs to eat. >> and what other? >> we've got cheesy barking biscuits. >> what are these? >> they are bacon and cheddar. and we've got whole wheat flour. these are natural. they're excited. they want to eat. >> they want a treat. >> this is turkey mutt loaf. >> stop it. >> turkey mutt loaf. >> what's in the mutt loaf. >> it's actually lean ground turkey meat, zucchini in there. you can add in carrots and things like that. >> why would you want to bake all this for your dog? >> well first of all the dogs themselves, when you're pulling out a warm cookie sheet full of cookies, or something out of the oven or the freezer, it's a great way to treat your dog and also make sure that you're staying healthy. so they get their junk food without actually realizing it. >> we're going to do a quick taste test with our three dogs. >> a few seconds. >> okay. >> go for it. >> okay, here. i'll put it down. >> here you go. >> okay, ready? >> what are they eating? >> is this a mutt loaf? >> they've got mutt loaf in there. >> what are they liking? >> everything. >> oh, my gosh. >> what is it? >> the mutt loaf. >> the mutt loaf. >> all right we've gotgo everybody. tomorrow our "ambush makeover." >> and the kardashians. hi, may i help you? we're shopping for car insurance, and our friends said we should start here. good friends -- we compare our progressive direct rates, apples to apples, against other top companies, to help you get the best price. how do you do that? with a touch of this button. can i try that? 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