"the today show" is next, life edition from vancouver. we'll see you monday. >> bye. good morning. the gold standard. south korea's kim yu-na shatters the world record and wins the gold medal in ladies' figure skating. >> the coronation is cete. long live the queen. >> and while they did not make the podium, americans mirai nagasu and rachael flatt both turned in the best performances of their careers, and they're joining us along with all these fellow members of team usa to celebrate our final day in vancouver, today, friday, february 26th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this friday morning, our last here at vancouver's grouse mountain. i'm meredith vieira along with ann curry and al roker. and can we just soak in this picture here? these are some of the finest athletes in the world, part of team usa, who got up at 4:00 a.m. to be with us. we salute you all. we're so proud of you all. we can't wait to talk to you all. this is great. >> it really is. >> and what a day, huh? a little bit of snow here on grouse mountain, but this is nothing compared to what they're having back in new york. fortunately, matt did make it back in time. he beat the storm by just a little bit. i want to take a look at rockefeller plaza, a blanket of snow this morning. in central park, a record 9.4 inches has fallen, shattering a 126-year-old record, and al, it's still snowing there this morning. >> that's right. this is a deadly storm, meredith. two people have been killed so far, one killed by a falling tree branch. some spots could pick up more than a foot and a half by the end of the day. and this is not the light, fluffy kind. in fact, it is wet, it's heavy, it is hard to drive in, it is dangerous. this is a live picture from bergen county, new jersey. you can take a look at what drivers are facing. another major concern, high winds. there are probably going to be a lot of power outages today as well. i'm going to have a lot more on the storm, when it will end and what you can expect for the weekend. >> all right. and also, you know, because this is our final morning here at grouse, we are now, as you just mentioned, meredith, going out in style, because we have some of team usa's biggest medal winners with us this morning. they've all come back for one morilov fest. actually, maybe a snowball fight, right, guys? >> exactly. uh-oh, we're in trouble! >> and we're grateful for that. and what a winter games it has been for them, meredith, because the u.s. now has 32 medals, the most ever won at a winter games on foreign soil. germany is in second with 26 and norway is in third with 19. >> and as you said, we're going to be talking to our american athletes throughout the morning as well as canada's joannie rochette, who delivered another emotional skate last night to win the bronze medal in ladies' figure skating, just four days after her mother's tragic death. she is the pride of canada. very emotional night. just ahead, rochette will speak out in a live interview about her bittersweet week. but we're going to begin with that powerful storm that is slamming the northeast this morning. nbc's rehema ellis is in new york's central park. rehema, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. it is beautiful here in central park, but this nasty weather is creating treacherous conditions. it's a case of here we go again across the northeast. >> i'm sick of the snow. this weather's horrible. >> we haven't seen this much snow around here in quite some time. >> reporter: the slow-moving winter storm with high winds is expected to dump more than a foot of snow in areas of pennsylvania, new york, new jersey and parts of new england. >> plows haven't been able to get a break. the snow's just coming down so fast that they can't keep up with it. >> reporter: in new york city, one man was killed when heav wet snow toppled a tree branch in central park. hundreds of flights were canceled at east coast airports. >> unfortunately, the weather has stopped by flight and we're hoping to reschedule. >> reporter: in philadelphia, highway workers are on overtime again in this record-breaking winter. >> it's amazing. right now we're right in line with buffalo and syracuse, so i guess we're competing with them for the record this season. >> reporter: upstate new york is getting hammered. in ft. covington, crews worked to clear an ice jam that's getting worse as snow comes down and temperatures plunge. >> it started snowing here in binghamton new york before sunrise on thursday morning. overnight we have snowfall rates of one to two inches an hour, and that, combined with strong, gusty winds, led to power outages. >> reporter: while winter blast may be fun for some, it feels more like punishment for people who had enough. >> it always seems tougher when you get to march and you can see spring right over the horizon. >> reporter: people may be glad to see march come and leave the snow madness behind. we should mention, it's so bad that mayor bloomberg in new york city has canceled school for 1 million students today. that's only the fourth time it's happened in six years. ann? >> all right, rehema ellis. thank you so much. we've got the weather channel's chris warren standing by now in doylestown, pennsylvania. that's about 35 miles north of philadelphia. chris, good morning to you. >> reporter: and good morning to you, ann. we really saw things pick up overnight. now, yesterday, throughout the entire day, even though it was snowing all day long, these streets were bare and wet. so, people here that went to bed early woke up with a much different scene, and you can see all the snow out here. and areas north of re, northern pennsylvania, into new york, much, much hard or worse. so people trying to get into the northeast will have an extremely difficult time flying in. also seeing extensiveower outages in locations farther north. schools have been delayed. and people here on the east coast definitely sick of this winter weather. it has been a banner year, a banner season, one that is going to go down in the history books as one of the worst winters in a long time, especially through the mid-atlantic, including the philadelphia area. and it's not over yet. we're still going to see these gusty winds through the morning, and to go along with the blowing snow, we have snow drifts like we have back here, and that's something that travelers, ann, are going to have to deal with. back to you. >> all right, chris warren, thank you so much. we've got al roker standing by now with more on this. al, how long is this slow-moving storm supposed to hang around? >> well, right on through tomorrow, ann, and early on into sunday. as we take a look at some of the accumulations we've gotten almost, harriman, new york, almost two feet of snow, goshen, new york, close to that, binghamton, 16. new york city has picked up 9 inches, probably well over 10 inches. you can see the wrap-around as this system brings in moisture from the atlantic, it mixes in with that cold air. so, we're continuing to see the snow. wind's going to be a big problem as well, as winds gust over 35 miles per hour. this intense low right around new york city starts to move out, and as it does, but it's a slow mover. that's the problem. it's going to ctinue to weaken as it moves ouhe snow. snowfall amounts over the next 24 hours, here's what we're loneray, three to six inches, but in new york city, we could see up to nine more inches of snow. northern new england could pick up up to a foot more of snow, and in the mountains of west virginia, they could see up to 12 more inches of snow. that's your latest. we're going to see more snow for the next 24 hours. ann? >> all right, thank you so much, al. now to the snow and ice here in vancouver. and thursday was the most anticipated night of these olympic winter games, and it belonged to a 19-year-old from south korea. >> triple lutz and a triple toe loop! >> reporter: the queen reigned supreme. >> double axel, triple toe loop. >> reporter: t biggest star in her home country of south korea, kim yu-na, shined bright on the olympic stage. skating a perfect long program. >> oh, my goodness, this is glorious. it's one of the greatest olympic performances i have ever seen. >> it was the first time that i cried after my performance, so i was a little surprised that i was crying. i did what i wanted to do, and i did it clean short and clean long and it was the first time for me, so i was really happy. >> reporter: happy to set a new world record. >> she has earned 150. >> that's the best ever. 228.56. >> reporter: a sport currently dominated by asians, mao asada of japan also made history. >> yeah! >> first woman in history to do three triple axels in a competition ever! >> reporter: despite a few flaws, asada took home the silver. and just days after losing her mother, canadian joannie rochette won the hearts of the world and also a bronze medal. >> the thing i'm the most proud of is i could step on that ice and be tough, because that's what my mom taught me all of her life. >> bronze medalist representing canada, joannie rochette. >> reporter: during the medals ceremony, rochette gave what could be the most memorable image of these games. >> triple lutz, double toe, double toe. >> reporter: the americans didn't disappoint, either. mirai nagasu finished fourth and her teammate, rachael flatt, placed seventh. >> wow. >> here she goes again, attacking this mountainside. >> reporter: also on thursday, in 18th place at the start, american julia mancuso had a strong run in the giant slalom to finish eighth. >> she's got to feel pretty good about that. >> this is going to be for the first time in nordic combined, the united states wins a gold and they're going to add a silver as well. >> reporter: team usa can also feel good about the american men in the nordic combined. >> to finish one, two is awesome. >> reporter: johnny spillane took silver and bill demong, who had been selected as the u.s. flag bearer in the closing ceremony, won gold. the u.s. hadever won a medal in the event before these games and now has four. >> five twists, three flips. he needs a 121.35 to take the lead. >> reporter: team usa also added a medal in the aerials after this jump by jeret "speedy" peterson. >> i'm not sure if that's a category 5 hurricane, but that was pretty nice! >> reporter: the american nailed his signature move to take silver. it was also a silver for the u.s. women's hockey team, who lost to canada. and perhaps we should note that the canadian women's hockey team has apologized overnight after being seen drinking beer and smoking cigars on the olympic ice for nearly 30 minutes. as for what to watch for today, apolo ohno has two chances to medal in short track's 500-meter race and the team relay. and lindsey vonn is back in action in the slalom, her fifth and final event. and the men's hockey semifins are today. team usa takes on finland and canada plays slovakia. meredith? >> back to women's skating, we're going to bring in scott hamilton, who won gold in 1984, is now a figure skating analyst for nbc sports. scott, good morning to you. >> hey. >> i know. that's how ann and natalie and i feel. we were all there last night for the women' figure skating. blown away by the fact -- i mean, everybody basically brought their "a" game. >> it delivered on every level. i mean, on excellence, on history, on emotion -- >> emotion, yeah. >> on new stars rising. and the american women just turning in such amazing performances. it was just -- i'm exhausted. you know, we always sit down in front of -- and i look at tom and sandra, i look at them and i go, i've got nothing. and after last night, i got nothing. it was amazing. >> that said, kim yu-na, who won gold, from south korea -- is it fair to say that she's in a league in all her own, and could that have been, could we have seen basically one of the best performances in skating history? >> well, you know, you hope that every olympic four years it goes up a notch and up a notch and up a notch, but with her, it kind of went up into the stratosphere. >> yeah. >> you know, just everything about her skating, everything about the way that she performs, her personaly on the ice, her technical expertise, and just the way that she just kind of rises above everything and distances herself from the field as she has done over the last 18 months. it was phenomenal to see her be able to deliver. >> this is for herself, right? >> yes. and every time she steps on the ice, tom hammond goes "and a new world record!" but there was a rivalry for a while between she and mao and all of a sudden, mao's going, you look so anis small in the distance. it's incredible. >> and she never gets emotional, but she cried. >> it was a release. second place would have been a loss. it wouldn't have been winning a silver medal, it would have been a huge loss for her. and the expectations in south korea, where she's the biggest celebrity, the biggest star -- >> queen yu-na. >> there is no second place. for her to come in second here would have been a devastation, i think. and she wanted it. it's not that she expected it. she doesn't have that kind of ego. she wanted it so badly and she trained so hard for it. so, for her to get through it, it was a release. >> mao asada wanted it enough. she won silver. she wanted it enough to do two triple axels. when has that happened? >> never. never. her idol is midori ito, who tried two triple axels and landed one of them, the last one in her program. so, for mao to go out there after, right after yu-na skated and to do both triple axels and to get credit for both of them is history. and she -- that's her victory. i mean, her victory is a silver medal, but it's also to be the only woman in the history of figure skating to do three triple axels in one competition. >> but the emotion of the night belongs to joannie rochette, who took to the ice, the canadian skater whose mom died on sunday. she made the decision to go out there and skate. i don't think there was a dry eye in the house when she finished. standing ovation. >> ll, everyone, everyone just, you know, just hugged her in their living rooms. >> yes. >> everyone just took her story and absorbed it. everyone, you know, really, i felt that everyone i've talked to just -- this is who they were praying for, and i found myself at the end of th lt minute and a half of her program just saying, please, god, help her through this. and it was so beautiful and it was so emotional and she was so prepared. and for her to, you know, lose her best friend and the most important person in her life and to go out and win an olympic medal, i mean, that kind of represents the olympic spirit like no other performance i've seen in these games. >> s kissed heavenward at the end of her performance. >> all i could think was it was for you. >> and rachael flatt and mirai naga nagasu, we're looking at two superstars to come, future superstars? >> you know, i was -- it was just great to see rachael step out on the ice and just smile throughout her performance, and then mirai, after joannie's emotional skate to just go out and lay it down. >> she came in fourth. >> she goes, "i want to be the future." well, this is the olympic games, you might be the now. >> for someone who's got nothing, you had a lot to say. scott hamilton. >> i'm a shell. you know, this olympic games, in every single discipline delivered. the pairs, the men, the dance, the ladies. every single discipline, it was just the most special olympics. this is my sixth one i've called. this by far was the most memorable. >> and we're going to have the american skaters in just a little bit and also joannie as well. scott hamilton, thank you so much. >> oh, thank you. thank you. >> now let's get a check of the day's top stories from amy robach, who's sitting in for me in new york. >> that's right. good morning, everyone. so, what's next for health care reform after a seven-hour summit between president obama and bipartisan lawmakers failed to produce any results? nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd is in washington with more. chuck, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, amy. well, after a marathon bipartisan health care summit, both sides came out in the same place they went in. >> we cannot have another year-long debate about this. >> reporter: and with that, president obama made clear he is willing toress ahead with his health care plan, even if it means doing it without republican support, believing that's what the country wants. >> i do think that they want a vote. i think most americans think that a majority vote makes sense. >> reporter: all day long, the president played moderator, chiding participants to get off their talking points. >> we are not making campaign speeches right now. >> reporter: but he had little success. >> i think we're very -- we're very close on this. >> what we simply want to do is start over. >> we are actually quite close. >> we ought to start over. >> reporter: at times, it got tense. >> a proposal that you supported in the united states senate. >> john -- >> and christmas. >> can i just -- >> can i finish, please? >> we're not campaigning here. the election's over. >> i'm reminded that every day. >> reporter: after seven hours of debate, leaders from both parties made it clear that little had changed. >> frankly, i was discouraged by the outcome. i do not believe there will be any republican support for this 2,700-page bill. >> time is of the essence. the american people waited five decades for this. it's time we do something, and we're going to do it. >> reporter: the newest deadline now to get some form of health care passed through congress and on the president's desk for a signature is now easter. so, basically, by the end of march. the house still has to find the votes for the democrats to pass the senate bill. then they have to do these fixes through what's called reconciliation. it could be a messy time on capitol hill, amy. >> all right. chuck todd in washington, thank you. this morning also in washington, vice president joe biden is unveiling new rules to help protect american workers' retirement accounts. and an ethics panel has found that new york congressman charles rangel knowingly accepted caribbean trips from a corporation in violation of house rules. rangel says he was unaware of the corporate financing and should not be held responsible for mistakes by his staff. this morning in kabul, multiple suicide bombings left at least 17 people dead, mainly indian nationals. more than 30 others were wounded. a massive fire erupted this morning in an oceanfront hotel in new hampshire, quickly spreading down an entire block of buildings. no injuries have been reported. and a sad end to the search for missing "growing pains" actor andrew koenig. after conducting their own search, friends found his body in a wooded area in vancouver thursday. koenig's father said his son took his own life. the 41-year-old was visiting friends in vancouver. it is 7:19 now. let's head back out to al. >> all right, thanks a lot, amy. let's take a look. again, a lot of snow here in grouse, a lot of snow in the northeast. and as far as the pacific northwest, things are not going to be changing. big, powerful storm is going to be coming onshore, bringing rain and snow from vancouver all the way down into central california. we're twe go morning, we still have those strong gusts of wind and at this hour we're getting some snow showers and flurries on the radar and in prince george's countys, and anne arundel counties, and north and east of baltimore. now around the region, we have these winds that are continuing to gust 40 to 50 miles an hour. and that will be the story the rest of the day with passing snow showers and flurries and highs reaching th and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thank you. coming up on thursday, it was a terrific day for billy demong, the u.s. nordic combine athlete won not one, but two medals, including the first-ever gold for an american in his sport. he was named the flag bearer for the u.s. team in sunday's closing ceremony. oh, and by the way, we might want to mention, he also got engaged last night. >> wow! >> billy, good morning. congratulations. >> thank you very much. >> it's great to have you. we should take this thing one at a time. first of all, tell us about the competition and your reaction to winning. >> well, i don't know if you remember, but when we were here a couple weeks ago, we talked about what a team we were and how we worked together, and yesterday was an exemplary performance in that regard. we started the day on a high note with johnny and i jumping into contention and then went out with a game plan to race together to go one, two. and in the race we went back and forth and back and forth and ended up going one, two, while teammate todd lodwick kind of held the rest of the world at bay about 45 seconds behind us. so, that was the beginning to a really long, fantastic day. >> and you made history in this event. americans have never medaled and now you've got four. >> yep. pretty crazy, and you know, i think we're still trying to grasp all that we've done in the last couple weeks, but it started with johnny's silver medal in the first event, and we just kind of kept going and going. >> and you were given a high honor by your teammates. you are going to be the flag bearer for team usa. >> yeah, that's what i heard. >> for the closing ceremonies. you must be very proud. >> you know, i think that's almost a little bit more of an honor to me than this in tha it was chosen by my peers, by the athletes that i've grown up around in these winter sports, and i'm a little nervous i'll trip, but i'm pretty psyched about it. >> if that wasn't enough for you to tear up, as you're doing now, you also made a major decision, actually a proposal last night. >> i did. >> want to tell us the details? >> about five minutes before -- you want to come out here, katie? >> oh, she's here! oh, hello. >> what's your name? >> hi. >> what's your name, dear? >> katie. >> welcome! how'd he do it? >> well, he called me up to the stage at the ski team house and just got down on one knee and proposed. >> oh, my. no one will probably ever get a proposal quite like that. >> that's right. from the olympic rings to an engagement. >> it better be gold. >> luckily, she said yes. >> i didn't know how she'd do it, but johnny gave me the thumbs up, and that thing had been wearing a hole in my backpack all day yesterday, so -- >> oh, wow. >> those are from me. >> congratulations. >> all right, okay. thank you so much. >> on the gold and the wedding to come. we have a lot more coming up. more on the storm and also julia mancuso will be joining us as well, right after your local news and weather. let's take another look at the medal count. usa is in the lead, followed by germany and then norway. >> that's right. by the way, coming up, we've got joannie rochette in her first live interview with us this morning about her amazing performance last night. >> and more on the big storm hitting the northeast. luke: moving my mind and my hands at world record speed. i'm luke myers. if you want to be incredible, eat incredible. announcer: eggs. incredible energy for body and mind. (guitar music) good morning, everyone, it's 7:26, on this friday, february 26, 2010. in the news for today, strong winds have taken down power lines and trees around town. live wires started a house fire in northwest washington. this is the scene on carolina place. the windy weather also forced the washington monument to close. this happens every time the winds reach 35 miles an hour and above so it will stay closed for good morning, winds are gusting over 40 miles an hour, we also have some bands of snow in our eastern suburbs, northern anne arundel and howard county and a few flurries in montgomery county. a few more passing snow showers and very strong winds will diminish by tonight. jerry, how's the traffic? >> police continue to direct traffic where there's just one of many traffic light issues throughout the area. the wind continues to be a problem so hang on tight, no accidents on the interstates at the moment. >> monday morning on news4 today, it sounds like a dream, can you reay lose weight without lifting a finger. the secrets of drinking 7:30 now on this friday morning, february 26th, 2010. our last morning here at grouse mountain in vancouver, and we are going out in style, joined by a whole host of medal winners from team usa. we're going to visit with all of them just ahead. i'm meredith vieira along with ann curry and al roker. matt has the morning off. he got back to new york safe and sound. guys, one of the athletes that we're going to be talking to is julia mancuso. she won two silver medals here in vancouver to go along with a gold four years ago, and that is the most ever won by an american woman at the olympics. she's going to speak out about that wonderful accomplishment and also set the record straight when it comes to her relationship with her teammate, lindsey vonn. >> it will be great to see her. there she is now. also ahead this morning, we've got the canadian skier who touched the hearts of people all around the world. we're talking about joannie rochette. she won bronze last night, just four days after her mother died of a heart attack. this morning she's going to be joining us for her first live television interview about that -- since that tragic death. but we're going to go back to new york and check in on the snowstorm with rehema ellis, who is in new york's central park. rehema, good morning to you once again. >> reporter: good morning, once again, meredith. it is a very slow-moving, long-lasting storm that's been blamed for at least two deaths here in central park. all throughout parts of pennsylvania, new york, new jerseynd parts of new england people are struggling to get around in this storm. the roads are covered and slick and it's very slow going with thousands of power outages and schools have been closed. it's no better at the area airports, where hundreds of flights have been canceled or delayed. so, folks are finding that they're getting nowhere fast this morning, even in new york city. for only the fourth time in six years, the mayor has canceled school for 1 million students because the conditions out here are so bad. meredith? >> all right, rehema ellis, thank you so much. we get more on the storm now from al. al? >> that's right. it's a slow mover, so we're looking for effects of this storm throughout the northeast over the next 24 hours, where we could pick up anywhere from four to nine inches of snow. and as we take a look, show you the temperature deficits. look at this, we're talking 10 to 15 degrees below normal in florida, texas, also into the mountains of west virginia. normal conditions out in the pacific northwest for the day, temperatures are going to be in the 20s throuout the great lakes, only 60s down in florida, 60s and 70s in the southwest. today on the weather map, you've got big low pressure system, that one starting to move away. that's the big storm system. gale force winds. heavy rain moves into the pacific northwest with strong winds. we're l good morning, we are dealing with some very strong winds, winds have been gusting over 50 miles an hour around the region this morning, causing these scattered power outages, also we're getting light to moderate snow in parts of prince george's county, ann arundel county, and this is going to persist throughout the rest of the day, the peak gusts have been around to 40, 45 closer to a washington but higher gusts probably to our that's your latest weather. ann? al, thanks. now to new video taken moments before wednesday's tragic death of a seaworld trainer. in a moment, we'll talk to the head trainer at the now closed park here in canada where tilly the killer whale was also involved in the death of a trainer. but first, we've got nbc's kerry sanders at seaworld with the latest on this story. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, ann. animal behavior experts are looking at many theories as to why this happened, including the possibility that this bull orca's hormones were silently raging, making his normal behavior unpredictable. veteran orca trainer dawn brancheau just minutes before her death. a tourist camera recording her playful moments with the killer whale, tilikum. minutes before the orca attacked, the tourist stopped recording. witnesses say tilikum swung around and snagged the trainer's long ponytail, pulling her under the water. >> he grabbed her by the head, and you know, very hard thrust, shwent down and i screamed and she screamed and then i started yelling to the other trainer because he wasn't looking. i said "he just took her down. he took her down!" >> reporter: tilikum has a history of aggression. in 1991 at an aquarium in british columbia, tilikum and a group of whales killed their ainer. the aquarium closed after that. tilikum was sold to seaworld, but a former trainer says it was not his understanding the whales would be used in shows. >> they were not to be performance animals. they were just to be displayed, primarily breeding animals. >> reporter: seaworld disputes this claim but confirms the orca has sired 13 calves since they bought him. tilikum also was involved in the 1999 death of a man, who it's believed jumped into the tank while the park was closed. with tilikum's known dangers, should this killer whale, the largest one in captivity ever have been near humans? >> the confinement and removal from habitat drives whales a little crazy. >> reporter: the trainer dawn had spent half her life with the whales at seaworld. peter alexander was the first non professional to swim with seaworld's killer whales in more than a decade. >> the trainers explained to me that they were exotic marine animals that were conditioned to work with humans but made it very clear they were still killer whales. >> reporter: shows like these since the 1960s are credited with raising the awareness of whales. because of awareness in the u.s., killer whales can no longer be captured in the wild like in the '70s, but that's driven up their value today to more than $2 million. as for tilikum, while sectioned off from the other killer whales at moment, trainers believe he'll eventually resume his role in the shows. the killer whale shows here in orlando and at seaworld in california have been canceled as seaworld officials say they're reviewing and rewriting all the rules. ann? >> all right, kerry sanders, thank you so much. and joining us now is steve huxter, who you just saw in kerry's story. he was among the first people to train tilly at the now closed seaworld of the pacific in british columbia. good morning. let me start by asking you, it was at sealand of the pacific where tilly was involved in the first of three deaths. you have said that tilly would have been blooded. what do you mean by that? >> i'm sorry. would you repeat that question? >> you have said that -- >> said he would have been what? >> said he would have been blooded. blooded after the event. b-l-o-o-d-e-d, blooded. >> blooded. >> yeah, did you say that? is that not correct information? >> no, i'm sorry, that's not something i would have said, no. >> okay, then let me move on. let me hov move on. there was video in kerry's piece about dawn brancheau so close to tilly just before her death. in fact, there are photographs of her in the water with tilly. when seaworld came forward to take tilly, what was your understanding about how he was to be used? >> in my conversations with the training staff at seaworld at the time was that tilikum and the other two orcas were not to be performing animals, that primarily they would be part of the breeding program and on display to some extent. >> i see, but not -- but was there an understanding that they were not supposed to be used with humans in the water? >> i wasn't privy to the negotiations between the ownership of sealand of pacific and the seaworld folks. conversations were primarily with the staff and the senior training staff from seaworld, and their feeling was that it would be in the best interests of the park to have them just as breeding program animals, display animals, but not perform the animals. the intent was never to get into the water with them because they had not been acclimated to having humans in the water with them. >> so, we got this statement from seaworld about that, and about what you said earlier about that. seaworld says "he is wrong. steve huxter was not involved," as you just said you weren't, "in the discussions related to seaworld's procurement of tilikum. yes, as the male tilikum was bred with many of our females, however, whether or not tilikum would play a role in shows was never discussed with sealand's staff." are you surprised by that? what's your reaction? >> i'm somewhat surprised, but at the same time, i recognize it's been a long time since i've seen tilikum. the seaworld folks are bar none the best in the world at marine mammal management. there's just no doubt about it. their conditioning efforts over the years, they could have acclimated tilikum to having humans in the water and he could have been very successful at that. this incident could have been motivated by any number of reasons for tilikum. i have a lot of empathy for the seaworld staff and the grief that they're going through right now. >> theories about what may have happened range from tilly being stressed out to the idea that orcas are really too smart to have done what tilly did without premeditati premeditation. given your experience, what do you think happened? >> it's difficult to say without knowing tilikum and having not observed him for many years now. you know, the type of behavior that's been described to me, what i've witnessed on videos, it seems to be more excited play behavior, a premeditated act like that from a killer whale is -- i have to question that. i can't say that would be the case at all. as far as, you know, him being stressed out, the staff at seaworld would have been very aware of that. you know, they watch for that kind of thing. their idea and their goal is to have nothing but happy animals, and that's simply their process of training. >> all right. well, steve huxter, thank you so much for giving us your perspective. i'm sure this is a very sad bit of news for you, given how closely you worked with tilikum. thank you. >> it is. thank you. and coming up next, the most successful female u.s. skier in olympic history, julia mancuso on her silver medal wins and h relationship with lindsey vonn. that's coming up right after this. [ female announcer ] when you're depressed, what matters to you? nothing. you don't enjoy things the way you used to. you're sad. you have no energy. maybe you feel guilty or anxious, changes in weight, sleep, and appetite, and the aches and pains. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a prescription medication that treats many symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or ifou have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. ask your doctor about cymbalta. depression hurts. cymbalta can help. what are you really buying? a shiny coat of paint? a list of features? what about the strength of the steel? the integrity of its design... or how it responds... in extreme situations? the deeper you look, the more you see the real differences. and the more you understand what it means to own a mercedes-benz. the c-class. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for special offers through mercedes-benz financial. ♪ and i was so tender to the touch-- but i didn't know why. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia. and then he recommended lyrica... fibromyalgia is thought to be the result of over-active nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is fda-approved to help relieve the unique pain of fibromyalgia. so now, i'm learning what a day is like with less pain. lyrica is not for everyone. tell your doctor about any serious allergic reaction that causes swelling or affects breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. lyrica may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a very small number of people. some of the most common side effects of lyrica are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs, and feet. do not drink alcohol while taking lyrica. you should not drive or operate machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. could your pain be caused by fibromyalgia? ask your doctor about lyrica today. and welcome back to vancouver. to call the winter games a succesfor the u.s. alpine ski team would be an understatement. team usa has won eight medals so far, including two silvers by julia mancuso. add them to her gold in torino, and she is the most decorated female olympic skier in u.s. history. julia, good morning and congratulations. >> thanks, meredith. >> most decorated female skier in u.s. history. have you taken the time to let that soak in? >> it's actually been a long two weeks, so i think when i go home and see my friends and family, and maybe get to see my gold medal again, it will soak in, and i'm just so excited, even, with these two silver medals. it's been awesome. >> yeah, and you had suffered some injuries over the past two years. you weren't convinced you would medal here in the first place, so two medals is really something. >> yeah, it's been amazing. i rehabbed from my back injury and came into these games just prepared to fight and give all that i have, and it's been really incredible to come out with two medals. >> wednesday was a really tough day for you, the giant slalom competition where you won the gold in torino. you were waved off the course after your teammate, lindsey vonn, had fallen. you had to go back and run the race over again, and some say that put you at a terrible disadvantage. you finished in 18th. you were very emotional after that. talk to me about where that emotion was coming from, what was behind it. >> well, it's just, for me going out there and defending my gold medal, i want the best chance to go and do that, and i've been skiing really well, and to know that the opportunity was taken away by just something unlucky, it was in some ways heartbreaking. i just knew i had to stay positive and go out and do the best i can, but always, deep down, you know that there's a little bit of a disadvantage going into it, and having to ski the course almost the whole way down and go back, i was exhausted. so, just coming down after the run, i was -- i mean, just kind of heartbroken. >> yeah. and afterwards, there were all these reports about a rift between you and lindsey vonn, and you finally went on your facebook and you posted this. you said, "save the drama for your mama." so, clear it up for us. what is the relationship between the two of you? >> well, you know, me and lindsey were out there both competing to be on top of that podium, and it's friendly rivalry, and we're out there competing with everyone else. so, just the fact that i think she crashed in front of me and i had to go ski again, that kind of brought everything together, but of course, it wasn't lindsey's fault, and i'm just proud of our ski team. we're doing an awesome job and it's great to see lindsey dominate the way she is on the ski tour, and i'm proud to be up there on the podium with her. >> and nice to see the focus on the team as a whole as well? >> yeah, it's awesome. i mean, just everyone skiing so well in these olympics. it's been so great to experience it and share every experience with all the girls and the guys, too. >> and when you go home, big party, i hope? >> yeah, big party. >> all right. take care and thank you so much. >> thanks, meredith. >> congratulations. >> thank you. >> well deserved. julia mancuso. and still ahead, the secret weapon of julia's male counterparts on team usa. but first, these messages. a little encouragement changes everything. molly es muy muy intelligente. and right now, hallmark's got a whole new way to do it. new gifts and cards to cheer on kids of all ages. come in and pick up a free card today. nine to choose from. only at your hallmark gold crown store. well, i'm kinda sick. are you gonna go in there coughing or you going in a man? it's what you want. it's what everybody wants. (announcer) halls. a pep talk every drop. [ crowd cheering ] ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] relentlessly striving to be better is what separates the winners from the runners up. being the best means never settling. at fidelity, we give you everything you need to lp you be a more successful investor. at fidelity, we give you everything you need my ride is here. yeah, i got to go. ♪ [ engine revving ] ♪ he said he was a professional student. no. of life. [ ughing ] i'm so sorry. single lane ahead. i'll be in that lane. [ male announcer ] the chevy malibu. a consumer's digesbest buy with a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. you can depend on it so people can depend on you. >> announcer: "today's olympic moment" is brought to you by coca-cola. this morning on "today's olympic moment," the golden girl. south korea's kim yu-na isn't just the best figure skater in the world. this 19-year-old is also south korea's biggest celebrity by far. so, she came into vancouver with the weight of a nation's expectations riding firmly on her shoulders. in first place at the start of last night's free skate, with everything on the line, kim yu-na rose to the occasion. >> o my goodness, this is glorious. it's one of the greatest olympic performances i have ever seen. >> the coronation is complete. long live the queen! >> reporter: her final score, unprecedented. >> she destroyed the old record! >> reporter: the three skaters after her knew she couldn't be beat. kim's coach, former olympian brian orser, always told her that no one could beat her if she skated with joy and happiness. and amid tears of celebration and relief, those emotions were certainly on display last night for all the world to see. truly magic. and just ahead, joannie rochette will be here to talk about winning an olympic medal just four days after her mom's death. >> she was beautiful on the ice last night. we were all holding our breath for her. plus, we're also going to celebrate the vancouver winter games by catching up with a whole host of medals from team usa. that's coming up after your local news. that's why toyota engineers have rigorously tested the solutions for our recalls and our dealers are repairing up to 50,000 vehles a day with confidence. we're working to restore your faith in our company by providing you with safe, reliable vehicles, like we have for over 50 years. for more information, please visit toyota.com. hey, frank. hey, dad. check out these... calculators. cool...checklists. videos. articles. worksheets. tips. strategies. they got tools. tools? [ male announcer ] one website to help you... save a little money. make a plan. stay on budget. put some money in the bank. this will help me... get your act together. ohh! yea. stay on top of bills. have some breathing room. reduce taxes. this is how we can... get ahead of it. [ male announcer ] get started at bankofamerica.com/solutions perfect! ♪ [ male announcer ] say hello to the can-doers. ♪ the budget masters. the knockout artists who are finding more ways to spread their dollar further. to bolder color in less time. say hello to newer ideas and lowered prices, enabling more people... to turn more saving into more doing. that's the power of the home depot. try behr premium plus ultra, it's paint and primer all in one, and rated number one. (announcer) not just sinus headache... ahhhh! but pressure... and congestion. introducing sudafed pe® triple action™. for more complete relief from the sinus triple threat. sudafed pe® triple action™. more complete relief. [ slap! ] ♪ [ slap! ] ♪ [ slap! slap! slap! slap! slap! ] [ slap! slap! slap! slap! slap! slap! ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum ta tum tum tums [ male announcer ] fights heartburn fast. well, i'm kinda sick. are you gonna go in there coughing or you going in a man? it's what you want. it's what everybody wants. (announcer) halls. a pep talk in every drop. 7:5 is your time now, you're taking a live look at reagan national airport where there could be delays and the weather. we'll have your forecast after the news. good morning, everyone, in the news for today, this morning's windy weather is prompting some school districts to take action to ensure students' and staff safety. school also hold all classes inside the school building. starting this weekend, you're going to have to start paying a little more to ride metro. a temporary fare hike starts on sunday. every train and bus ride will cost you an extra ten cents. this imeant to close metro's $40 million budget gap. the transit agency has also proposed another permanent fare hike that could take place after july. we'll take a good morning, on the radar we're still seeing some light snow from prince george's county to anne arundel county. now the latest wind gusts have been around to 40 to 45 miles an hour right around washington, higher gusts farther west and north. temperatures right now are hovering right near the freezing mark and will climb into the upper 30s later on today. perhaps a few passing snow showers or flurries with some strong gusty winds that will gradually diminish overnight tonight. highs mid 40. how's the traffic now, jerry? >> we have had problems all over the area with traffic problems malfunctioning. we're told those are coming back online but it's jammed out of arlington across the bridge this morning. not a pleasant commute. let's head over and see how we're goi we're. >> jerry, thank you, moshd morning on news4 today, it unds like a dream, can you really lose weight without lifting a finger. the secrets of sleeping 8:00 now on this friy morning, february 26th, 2010. take a look outside our home back in new york. it is a snowy morning on rockefeller plaza. and snow is still coming down here at grouse mountain, our home for the winter games. al's going to have much more on the storm back in the states in a moment. meanwhile, we have moved inside, because we're smart, to be around the very comfy fire. >> actually, because i whined a lot. >> whatever it took, it worked. >> also because we weren't that smart at the very beginning. >> exactly. we are joined by medal-winning members of team usa, like evan ice che lysacek, the women's hockey team, many others. we're going to talk to them all just ahead. i'm meredith vieira along with al roker, ann curry and natalie morales. also ahead, perhaps the most touching story to come out of the games, canadian joannie rochette. >> that's right. four days after the tragic and sudden death of her mother, joannie rochette won the bronze medal after skating another brilliant performance. that's right. let's cheer for her with a happy heart. this morning she's here to talk about her experience and what happened in that bittersweet moment. and that really was the news -- >> oh, my gosh. >> everybody cheering for her, rooting for her. >> standing ovation in the end. >> it was so great to be there and to be a part of that. >> absolutely. and on a much lighter note, when we get back to new york, we are going to reunite some of television's greatest families. if you're a couch potato like me, you're going to love this one. like the bradfords from "eight is enough" led by dick van patten. everyone's favorite family who sang, "the partidge family," and all the gossip and laughs you can handle from the gang at "227." that's "great tv families reunited" all next week only on "today." >> all right, but now natalie has a check of the olympic news. nat? thursday, of course, a day of a lot of excitement, thanks to a lot of these guys behind us, with team usa picking up medals in the nordic combined, men's aerials and women's ice hockey as well as the conclusion of the winter games' most anticipated event, ladies' figure skating. gold fit for a queen. south korea's kim yu-na, nicknamed queen yu-na, accepting her country's first ever medal in figure skating, an accomplishment that brought tears to her eyes. >> it was the first time that i cry after my performance, so i was a little surprised. >> reporter: japan's mao asada won silver in a performance where she landed two triple axels. >> yeah! >> reporter: combined with the one she landed in the short program, asada became the first woman in history to do three triple axels in the same competition. and then there was canadian skater joannie rochette, whose bronze medal-winning performance came just four days after her mother died of a heart attack. >> the thing i'm the most proud of is that i could step on that ice and be tough, because that's what my mom taught me all of her life. >> rorter: americans mirai nagasu finished fourth and rachael flatt seventh. adding to the u.s. medal count on thursday, bill demong won gold in the nordic combined and johnny spillane the silver. in the men's aerials final, jeret "speedy" peterson also won silver. and in women's ice hockey, the third consecutive gold medal win for canada with the u.s. taking the silver. julia mancuso was back on the giant slalom thursday, one day after a disappointing run that left her in 18th place. she finished thursday in eighth but still leaves vancouver with two silver medals. today it's a double dose of short track speed skating star apolo ohno. he'll go for gold in the men's 500-meter competition, followed by the 5000-meter relay. also today, lindsey vonn expected to ski in the women's slalom finals despite her broken finger from wednesday. and the u.s. men's hockey team plays finland with the winner then advancing to the gold medal game. meredith. >> still a lot to get to. >> i know. exciting. >> now let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from amy robach, who is back in new york. hey, ame. >> good morning, amy. >> hey, everyone. record snowfall and as much as 60-mile-an-hour winds are creating blizzard conditions today across most of the northeast. more than 1,000 flights have already been canceled. nbc's rehema ellis is in central park. rehema, what's it like now? >> reporter: it is very pretty out here, amy, but we should also tell you, it is also dangerous. at least three deaths have been blamed on the storm so far. one happened here in central park, a downed tree limb killed a man. the roads are slick and slippery all throughout the area, parts of pennsylvania, new york, new jersey and parts of new england. thousands of power outages, schools closed. and as you point out, if you're trying to fly out of here, the northeast or someplace else, good luck. it is slow going everywhere. amy? >> all right, nbc's rehema ellis in snowy central park. meantime, coastal flood warnings have been issued for much of new england. heavy rainfall washed away part of a parking lot thursday in providence, rhode island, leaving cars to dangle from what was left of the blacktop. democrats are signaling that they are ready to go it alone on health care reform after failing to achieve a breakthrough at thursday's bipartisan summit. democrats are now hoping to pass a bill before easter and the start of midterm campaigning. republicans urged the president to start over. and a final divorce hearing today should dissolve the 20-year marriage of south carolina governor mark sanford and his wife jenny. the divorce proceedings in charleston are being televised. jenny sanford filed for divorce in december after the governor publicly confessed to an extramarital affair. it is coming up on 8:06. let's head back now to meredith, ann and al. >> all right, amy, thank you very much. you, sir, are having a very busy day. >> absolutely. and not as busy as the folks who are running the snow plows throughout the northeast. >> yeah. >> in fact, we're going to lk live right now, passaic county, new jersey, a live dash cam. you can see the roads barely plowed. new york city now at 16.9 inches of snow in central park already. >> that's amazing. >> we may top out at 20 inches of snow before this thing is all over. >> oh, boy. >> here's what's going on. we'll show you, snowfall amounts already over 26 inches of snow in tuxedo, new york. wantage, new jersey, 20 inches, newark over 13 inches of snow and it keeps coming down. on the radar, you can see as this system wraps around and the moisture pin-wheels in from of the ocn, gets into the cold air and the snow just keeps falling. here's the storm system. it's an intense low right over new york city. it is going to slowly make its way toward new england as the intense low finally starts to break down. we'll see the winds start to move down, but right now, winds are gusting in some areas 30 to 40 miles per hour. snowfall amounts, we're talking about another six to nine inches of snow as far west as cleveland, as far south as elkins, west virginia, and up good morning, that is the storm that's whipping us with wind and snow. right now local radar showing a band of snow into howard county and northern anne arundel county. we have had some passing flurries else where and the latest wind gusts at reagan national 47. and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thanks. coming up next, we've got joannie rochette. she has won the bronze medal just four days after her mother's tragic death. she'll be talking to us live, coming up after this. right now you can get a great deal on any volkswagen. well, the tiguan's great. mm. and the routan has everything we're looking for. plus, every volkswagen includes no-charge, scheduled, care-free maintenance. so, what's this punchdub days about? you know, where you punch someone in the arm every time you see a volkswagen. red one! [ baby crying ] test drive? [ male announcer ] with great deals on all 13 models, it's a whole new volkswagen. and a whole new game. ♪ so i couldn't always do what i wanted to do. but five minutes ago, i took symbicort, and symbicort is already helping significantly improve my lung function. so, today, i've noticed a significant difference in my breathing. and i'm doing more of what i want to do. so we're clear -- it doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. my doctor said symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. my copd often meant i had to wait to do what i wanted to do. now i take symbicort, and it's significantly impves my lung function, starting within five minutes. symbicort has made a significant difference in my breathing. now more of my want-tos are can-dos. as your doctor about symbicort today. i got my first prescription free. call or go online to learn more. [ male announcer ] if you cannot afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. blend it. sprinkle it. sweet! [ male announcer ] glled. filled. chilled. sweet! [ female announcer ] just about anywhere you use sugar you can use splenda® no calorie sweetener. more ways than you ever imagined. [ male announcer ] flakes. shakes. cakes. sweet! [ female announcer ] splenda® starts with sugar. tastes like sugar. but it's not sugar. it's... [ male announcer ] savory. crunchy. yummy. sweet! [ female announcer ] splenda®. america's favorite no calorie sweetener. welcome back to vancouver. without question, one of the most emotional moments of these winter games came on tuesday when canadian figure skater joannie rochette took to the ice two days after her mom died of a heart attack. she managed to hold in her emotions and delivered a stellar performance. last night, she did it again and won the bronze medal. joannie rochette is here along with her coach. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> first of all, our deepest sympathies to you and your family at the loss of your mom, but you also have inspired so many people with the courage and the grace you have shown this past week. i was there last night. you skated so beautifully. what was going through your mind as you performed? >> the was a lot going through my mind before and after i performed, but my goal was to try and go out there and not let the emotion get to me too much. so, i just tried to be in my bubble like someone going to war, and i'm a very confident person. that came from my mother -- >> very confident? >> competitive. >> competitive from your mother. >> sorry, my accent. yeah, i think that really helped me, because when i got in practice, the same day that i heard the news, i was on the ice with all those girls, and it really put me to where i belong. and i love to compete and i love the intensity of it, and it was good. it was the best thing for me to do. i felt alive and it was the best thing for me to do to compete. >> you know when your momassed away, she came here -- she's probably your biggest fan -- she came here to watch you skate and died of a heart attack on sunday. you had to make a decision, a tough one, do i go on or don't i. what made you decide that it was the right thing to do some. >> well, i just decided right away when i heard the news, i was still shocked. i went to the hospital. i saw her body. that's when i told everyone at ski canada i would skate. and i think just the fact i said it, it was like no turning back, i had to do it. there was some moments, though, i went through lots of ups and downs. there were some momts where i just wanted to go home, take the first plane and see my family and friends at home. >> what kept you from doing that? >> but i knew that that's what my mom would want me to do, to compete, because this is my dream. and in ten years from now, i know that if i wouldn't have skated here, i would have regrets. so that's why i did it. >> i read a quote from your mom from an interview she gave last january. she said she always told you to skate for yourself, for your pleasure, but i get the sense that last night you were skating for your mom. >> yes. i always wanted to make my mom proud. my mom was my biggest fan and my biggest confidante, but also my biggest critic. she would come and watch me train and help me get to that higher level every week since i'm young, she's a part of it. and to go out there yesterday, i did feel like she was there helping me out, because i had not much energy, not much sleep in me, and some of the jumps that i don't know how i could land them, and i'm sure that, yeah, she was there with me. >> i've got to tell you, the crowd was on its feet, as you know, and not a dry eye in the audience. a lot of tears last night and all these people here so supportive of you, the canadians in particular, for your marvelous performance. what does their support mean to you? >> well, i'm very thankful to all of the letters i received. i received so many messages from people, not only from canada, but around the world. and that means a lot to me. it's not easy to go into a situation, to live a situation like that under the public, under olympic pressure, but to receive that much support, that much love at the same time really helped me get on the ice and give my best, just leave everything out there. >> and coach, are you surprised she did as well as she did? >> not at all. >> yeah. >> she's a fighter, and as soon as she heard the news, it was a lot of pain, but at the same time, each practice she was fighting to achieve her goal and she did it. i'm so proud of her. >> and your mom is looking down and smiling. >> i hope so. i'm sure she is. >> joannie, thank you so much. such a pleasure to have you here. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. >> thank you. [ lighting a match ] ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you've wanted to quit smoking so ma times, but those days came and went and the cigarettes remained. ♪ today's a new day. talk to your doctor about prescription treatment options and support. and this time, make it your time. look in the glove box. [ children laughg ] suitcase? huh? ♪ where do gummy bears hide? under the seat. look! yeah! [ telephone rings ] [ male announcer ] the all new chevy equinox. [ man ] guess who? dad! [ man ] enjoy the trip! okay, daddy! [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] a consumer's digest best buy. with up to 600 highway miles on a tank of gas. it takes you farther and brings you closer. we are back with an olympic edition of "the friday wh" as we catch up with some of the a usa's biggest stars, like jeret "speedy" peterson who landed his hurricane last night to win silver in men's aerials. >> scheduled to do a hurricane, three flips, five twists. he needs a 325 to take the lead. oh, he sticks it down! i'm not sure if that's a category 5 hurricane, but that was pretty nice! >> oh, speedy peterson is here along with his teammate, a longtime friend, emily cook. good morning -- great morning to you both, right? >> it's an amazing morning. >> how did it feel to land that, speedy? >> oh, it was an amazing experience. this entire olympics has been amazing for me. i couldn't ask for anything better. >> silver medalist there. and i know going into the practice, you were having a hard time landing the hurricane. what made you decide to go for it in the end? >> that's just my personality. i hit my head pretty good in training and i just had to get up there and try it again. >> all or nothing for you. emily, as we mentioned, you've been great friends. i've been following you since this summer when i trained with you guys. what was it like to be there to witness that? >> it was amazing. i mean, speedy jumped so well and he's worked so hard to get here and i was excited to be a part of it and be able to experience it with him. >> you guys are longtime friends and i know it's great to see you both here sharing the love. and thanks so much for giving so much to cheer for. meredith, over to you. >> all right, natalie, thank you very much. i'm here with members of the silver medal-winning u.s. women's hockey team. ladies, good morning and congratulations to all of you. i know it was a very tough match and i know how much you wanted to win it. it was canada's night. what happened, angela? >> just one of those days, you know. unfortunately, in the olympics you get one shot at it, and it just didn't happen for us tonight, but we're so proud of ourselves for giving it our all and really doing everything we could over the past four years to put our self in the best position to win. >> and what did you think about the canadian audience? they were cheering for you, too, and at one point there was a chant of "usa." >> yeah, it's great when you have that sportsmanship, and obviously, the whole game they were cheering for canada, i can assure you that, but in the end it was nice when we received our silver medals. we got a nice ovation from the canadian fans. >> this rivalry between the usa and canada, is it the real deal? in four years are you going to come back and really get them? >> i mean, that's a while from now, but yeah. it's an intense rivalry and it's fun to play. they bring out the best in us, and i think the same goes for them. but i had a great time with all these girls. it's something that i enjoyed and will always remember. >> and on a different note, erika, we have tape of what you really do in the locker room. i want to ask you about this. what is really going on? can w show that tape quickly, guys? ♪ all the single ladies >> yeah, is this how you warm up? >> yeah, that's embarrassing. probably the most embarrassing moment, thank you. but yeah, we just like to loosen up in the locker room, just have a good time. we just like to have fun. >> well, it worked. you had fun and you fought hard on the ice and we're so proud of all of you. congratulations on the silver medal. >> thank you. >> now let's go over to al. >> you know, meredith does the same thing in the dressing room every morning. coming into these games, no american had won a medal in the nordic combined, but team usa won four. we're joined by billy demong and johnny spillane. good morning, how are you doing? >> good morning, al. >> billy, after now your fourt olympics, and you come out with a gold and a silver. how are you feeling right now? >> i'm feeling pretty good. it's settling in a little bit, but you know, it's beyond our expectations. and we're really, really happy. >> johnny, when you walked over here, you were clanking. you've got three silver medals. you are mr. medal right here. when you do something like this, has it sunk in yet? >> oh, i think it will in a couple of weeks, but right now it's just been an amazing experience to be up here this whole time and to kind of be, you know, on our game and to kind of achieve what we have, it's really been fun. >> and you truly do represent a team. this team has achieved something in 86 years that no u.s. nordic team has ever achieved. what does that feel like to be part of history? >> you know, i mean, johnny started us off two weeks ago, and we know that when the iron's hot, we've got to go. and we managed to do it in the team event, which is probably the biggest goal for this team, because it shows the depth to be able to put four guys together, and then, you know, yesterday johnny and i went out and raced together, and it was like back and forth and back and forth and how are you feeling? okay, you go, me go. >> congratulations on not only being the team leader to carry the flag in the closing ceremonies, but your engagement last night. >> thank you. >> congratulations. ann? >> all right, al, thank you so much. guess what? i'm joined by the stars of the u.s. olympic figure skating team! we've got mirai nagasu and rachael flatt, who were both out standing last night. we've got evan lysacek, who, of course, won a gold medal. we've also got meryl davis and arlie white who won silver in ice dancing. good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> let's start first with you, mir mirai, because last night you performed after kim, after mao, after joannie, and yet you were so composed. we were all amazed at your performance. what was going through your mind? >> well, outside i tried to keep myself calm and cool looking, but inside i was freaking out. and you know, well, i just went out there and went i'm the end and i'd better finish with a plus. >> well, you did, and you did not look like you were freaking out at all. and rachael, this is your first olympics. i also just found out you were just accepted to stanford. you're having a good year. >> yeah. it's been wonderful. just been incredibly exciting and a bunch of wonderful opportunities are popping up. so, it's been great. >> and in fact, you're going to be back in four years, aren't you? >> yep, hopefully. >> i bet you are. evan, are you getting used to wearing that lovely necklace around your neck? >> well, my neck is getting used to the weight of it, but the title i'm not getting used to yet. >> oh, get used to it dude, right? >> it's hard. it's not sinking in. i thought going back to l.a. for a couple days and seeing my friends would make it sink in, but it's just been an amazing week for me and i'm going to miss this. >> and meryl and charlie, congratulations to the two of you. >> thank you. >> any thoughts about the silver? >> we're just thrilled. we've had the time of our lives. >> well, we're thrilled for you. let's go now to meredith. >> ann, thank you. much more to come, but first, stunning images of our athletes courtesy of getty images. ♪ our time right now, 32 degrees, freezing out there, clouds as well, and a whole lot of wind. we'll get the forecast from meteorologist tom kiron coming up. i'm joe krebs. in the news for today, arlington police say that a suspected drunk driver slammed into a police cruiser and then got into another crash before officers were able to catch up with them. police say the officers were on 16th street when the car barreled into them. the officers received minor injuries. winds are nearly 50 miles an hour this morning, we have had some persistent bands of snow. we could get another inch or two before the day south with more passing snow showers and gusty winds. how's the traffic. live look. 3895 northbound jammed. word of an accident on the eastbound freeway near main avenue. one more stop along 270, wind whipped this morning, checking reports of an accident right here for falls road. be careful. >> monday morning on ns4 today, it sounds like a dream, can you really lose weight 8:30 now on this friday morning, the 26th of february 2010. day 15 of the xxi olympic winter games and our last day here in vancouver. we cannot say enough about the truly wonderful people here at grouse and the folks who got up each morning to be with us at 4:00. i'm meredith vieira along with ann curry, al roker and natalie morales. matt, perhaps playing in the snow this morning in new york. i don't know whether he is or isn't. we're going to have more on that storm that is headed, well, it's in the east, but we don't know it's headed. >> it's hammering the east. >> okay, it's hammering the east. >> and i do know where it's headed. it's all good if we're all together. >> that's right. >> in fact, we haven't hit some new heights here, our olympic team did, but we got to hit some new heights here at grouse mountain. >> oh, yeah. >> we'll tell you what we're talking about later on. >> all right. also, ever wonder what the athletes do in their down time while here in vancouver? well, we're going to take you inside a place where team usa goes to relax and hang out with friends and family. >> first, a reminder about this wizarding world of harry potter. have you heard aboutthis? >> i have. >> universal orlando resort is having a contest, and what we need to know is why your child's classroom is extraordinary and why their entire class should win a trip to this spring's opening celebration. and for all the details, you can logon to our website at todayshow.com. i mentioned we can't say enough about the fine folks who are here every morning, but i didn't say thank you, so thanks! on behalf of all of us. and thank you, al, for being al. >> well, thank you. >> yes. >> i have no other choice. hey, you know what, the weather is so bad -- >> yeah, yeah. >> -- in the northeast, kathie lee had to forego her limo and actually get on public transportation -- >> oh, geez. >> can you believe it? we got a picture of kathie lee on metro-north. >> no. >> my gosh! >> oh, my -- >> that's attractive! >> that's a storm. >> look it. wow. the people -- you notice there's nobody around her. they all moved to opposite ends of the car. >> i'm surprised that train is moving this morning. >> well, you know, that's the great thing about the railroad, they keep moving. >> they keep moving, yeah. no matter what. >> so, kathie lee will be there in the fourth hour of "today." >> no one else will, but -- >> unfortunately. >> hey, hey, hey! >> i just -- we kid because we love! let's check your weather, see what's going on. of course, in the northeast, it is a mess. for the weekend we've got some leftover snow and wind in the northeast, thanks to that storm. midsection of the country beautiful, plenty of sunshine, little on the chilly side. wet weather ang the west coast as another big storm moves in. sunday, sunday, we're looking at more windy conditions in the northeast, some rain working its way through the southwest, s well, good morning, these strong gusty winds have been with out overnight and continued into this morning, as we look into the radar, we also accompanying those winds have some bands of snow from northeastern montgomery county into howard county, anne a run dell and prince george's county. there certainly could be some area where is it's going to be rather slick. once again, another picture, another look at kathie lee gifford on the train. >> aww. >> why are you doing this? >> she has our sympathy. >> i love the look,though. >> she obviously had her picture taken. >> you didn't see the pictures of us coming in this morning, which is a good thing. >> exactly. >> you know, let's take the train home. it's a beautiful train ride across canada. >> it would just take us about two weeks. >> that's great. that's fun. >> but that's great! >> we'll call the president of the company and make sure he'll let us do that. all right, up next, natalie tells us what olympians do in their down time. first, this is "today" on nbc. you know, we have traveled all around the city of vancouver an british columbia while we were here at the winter games, but it was right here at grouse mountain where we happened to find an attraction that gave us a whole new perspective to our home away from home. ♪ >> reporter: nearly 4,000 feet above the city of vancouver, sunrise at grouse peak is truly remarkable. and these memorable vistas just got a little more spectacular thanks to the eye of the wind. this mountain landmark stands 200 feet tall, weighs 458,000 pounds and has the capability to offset 25% of this ski resort's energy consumption. it's also the only wind turbine in the world that allows visitors up top. hey, guys, guys, guys, i found a great view, something we haven't seen, a different way to see vancouver. >> a better view than what we have? >> better view than what we have, and i've got us some neat transportation. come on. >> okay. check it out. >> and here's our transportation. >> you arranged this? >> i did. >> boy, you think of everything, al. ♪ >> it's a fun ride, isn't it? >> it's beautiful. >> look at that. >> and you know it's only 332 steps up. >> that's not too bad. >> steps? >> yeah. >> there's not an elevator? >> no. yeah, there is. >> come on in. >> wow. this is tiny, huh? ♪ >> second floor, lingerie, death-defying views. >> amazing. >> wow. >> hi,ow are you guys? >> my name is cassandra. >> hi. >> just over here we have the bridge, we have the downtown court. >> we're moving. >> oh. >> right over that way there we have the mountain range, mt. baker, washington on the far side there. >> that is really beautiful. >> see that? that's cypress mountain over there. >> where? >> see the ski runs over there? >> oh, yeah. ♪ >> look, look, look, look, look! >> wow. >> oh, my goodness. >> whoa! >> it's like something out of a james bond movie. >> it does. it does. >> you guys want to take a look down. >> okay. >> oh! oh, that's freaky! >> all right, meredith, meredith, you're cutting o the circulation in my hand here. >> wow! >> you know, we could land right on our snowmobiles from here. >> to -- >> the eye of the wind. >> the eye of the wind. >> cheers. >> vancouver olympics. >> nice tour, al. >> i don't know how you top this. ♪ >> that was pretty cool. >> so cool. >> it really is. >> and didn't they say the eye of the wind basically creates about a fourth of the power necessary to run grouse mountain? >> exactly. >> that's right, or 400 homes in the area. >> pretty amazing. >> it's just the start. >> it's important for the future. >> and why it rotates -- >> to catch the wind. to catch the wind. >> it's an amazing view. >> it really is. and when we come back, the things you need to bring back from vancouver. we'll have that and more. >> like us! bring us back! >> exactly right. and welcome back to our final morning here at grouse mountain. and of course, we could not leave vancouver without stocking up on some must-have souvenirs. lxtv's george olyphant has put together the key things you can't leave vancouver without having. welcome to vancouver, george. >> thank you very much. >> it's nice to see you. >> nice to see you. >> you realize veryuickly it rains a lot. >> rains a lot. snows up here agrouse mountain, snows up on whistler. >> so you need an umbrella. >> got to get a sturdy one, but a stylish one because you'll use it all the time. the umbrella shop, walk in there, it is a feast of color for your eyes. >> and not your boring umbrella, not the typical black umbrella. >> no. mine's black, but it's got the skyline of vancouver on it, of course. i need to bring this home, you know, remember my time here, but they have all different colors, as you can see, rainbow, blues, thai patterns, paisleys. >> they're very cool. >> very cool. and of course, while here, you can't forget -- it's impossible to -- forget to get olympic garb, whether pins, hats. >> right. we all know the red mittens. i have one on here. >> i have sent them to everye i work with. everyone's got the red mittens. so yeah, you've got to get the olympic garb and you have to get something with the nunchaku, the symbol of the games. >> absolutely. what do you have over here? this is more serious stuff here. >> this is more serious stuff, first nation art. you've got carvings. they did so many beautiful carvings of killer whales, bears, humming birds. you've got to get something to remember your time. >> i almost bought a totem pole and i was like, what am i going to do with it, but this would be a nice alternative. >> you do. vancouver lends itself to anyone with a canvas or a camera. it's such a beautiful place, you know? >> truly beautiful. >> but it also lends itself to anyone who's athletic, who wants to be healthy. hence, we have our yoga wear right here. >> can you move a little further over that way? >> all the way! >> then they can see. good. >> yes, ski. we have hiking, all this stuff came from lululemon athletica, which is a store which started right here in vancouver. so obviously, it's always good to support the local businesses. >> and the people here are really into living healthy. >> you've got to be. i mean, you've been here for the last t weeks. i've been here for a month. running, ga, just getting out and enjoying the outdoors here. that's what vancouver's all about. >> and because you do all that exercise, you can eat, which leads us to the last souvenir, which is food, which i love. >> can you eat. the food here is delicious. obviously, it's the pacific northwest, so you've got to get yourself some fresh salmon. you can also -- because what is the leaf that is o the canadian flag? the maple leaf. >> so maple syrup. >> maple syrup. then the candy here has just been out of this world. i am a candy connoisseur. i've been eating tons of candy, but the best thing i have had is the nanymo bar. >> don't tempt me. >> it is from the island of vancouver from the town of the naimo. ask any vancouverite, am i right? you want one before you leave. >> all right, give me that. oh, is oh, henry from here? >> the oh, henry, the wonder bar, all of the bars are amazing. if you're a junk food junkie like myself, you'll enjoy yourself in vancouver. >> george oliphant, thank you so much. i've got that on my teeth. >> don't worry, i'll eat one right now. just ahead, more on the winter storm that's slamming a big chunk of the east coast. welcome back to vancouver, where we've met a lot of olympic athletes. in fact, many of them are here this morning at grouse mountain. so, what do they do when they're not training and competing and hanging around with us? well, natalie found out. >> that's right. you know, there are more than 300 u.s. athletes and coaches here in vancouver, so proctor & gamble set up a special place to give them and their families a place to get together, to share meals, even do their laundry, and well, just chill. ♪ >> reporter: personal pictures of athletes decorate the walls to make them feel at home. and this home is for sharing meals, bonding with other american atetes, and yes, even celebrating. so, naturally, i wanted a tour. hi. >> hello. >> how are you? >> i'm good. >> hey, guys! >> reporter: at 24 years old, kacey bellamy is a first-time olympian, playing hockey on the u.s. team. her parents, mora and robert from westfield, massachusetts, watched rinkside with help from proctor & gamble's thanks mom program, set up to defray costs so that families can see their loved ones compete in person. what was that like to raise a family of hockey kids? >> well, it was a little crazy. it was a lot of fun. a lot of courage, you know, that they had 200,000 miles on them. >> as a parent, you know, you dream about this. >> reporter: first olympics. tell me about some of the emotions you're feeling, kasey. >> opening ceremonies is definitely when i caught my parents up inhe stands. i'm not such a crier, but that made me cry. >> reporter: and i hear you're 26 years married, but this is ur first vacation. >> yeah. he sacrificed so much because he did work so many hours, and he allowed me to stay home and take the kids to hockey. >> reporter: and from one skater to another. this right here is the area where evan lysacek's mom watched him win his gold medal. she was too nervous to see it in person. this right here n dubbed the golden couch. on to my favorite room. hi, ladies! this right here is jenny potter. she also plays hockey for team usa. good luck! >> thank you. >> reporter: go get them. and over here, rachael flatt's mom jody getting the beauty treatment. >> rachael's been here several times and this is my second chance to be up here. so, it's been great. >> reporter: see who's hging out here. it's noelle. noelle pikus-pace, skeleton racer, olympian and a mom. who's this young lady? >> this is lacy. >> reporter: hi, lacy. can you blow a kiss to the camera? mwah. so cute. and as you can see, it's been a great place for the families of the athletes to go and just bond th the other athletes as well. so, it's been a really nice home away from home for them. >> yeah, because it's been a long trek for them as well to get to this point. >> exactly. >> a real big support. >> we want to take a moment now to say a big thank you to robert scott and the eagle spirit gallery for providing all of the artwork that you've seen all week here. >> really astounding. >> inside of this lodge. it's absolutely beautiful stuff. >> just gorgeous. >> it's the work of the first nations artists. i think they've really brought a lot of life, and i think authenticity. >> and a real sense of the artistry of this region, which is immense. >> we also want to thank our runners who have been out here at grouse mounin. these kids are just terrific. we would not get -- >> look at them. look at them! how can we go wrong? >> they have earned that title, runner, because that's all they do is run with scripts to help us out constantly. >> in and out, in and out. >> in the snow. >> no matter what we ask them to do, they've got that same cheery smile on their face. >> yes. >> they're young, they're fresh. i hate them. >> they're happy. >> and some of them actually have not graduated from college, so they're looking for jobs, maybe, pretty soon. so keep an eye on those young people. i think they'll do very well. >> when we complain about our hours, we have nothing to complain about. >> that's right. >> no. >> because they're doing the overnight overnight hours. >> and always, as you said, with a smile on their face. >> absolutely. >> thank you, guys! >> thank you. >> we love you. >> a little something extra in the paycheck, ge, okay? >> yeah. >> it seems hard to believe that our time in vancouver is coming to an end, but this is the last day for us. >> that's right. >> hard to believe. >> i know. >> we've been having a great time, a lot of fun. here at the xxi winter olympic games, we've seen it all, really. we've seen spills, chills, thrills, not to mention moments that made our hearts stop and also took our breath away and also inspired us as well. >> let's take a look. ♪ ♪ >> nodar kumaritashvili. ♪ >> woo! yes! >> alexander bilodeau has won gold! >> double gold! >> shani davis pushing it until the end, and he's got another gold medal! ♪ >> the skate and the moment means much more than the competition. >> whoa! he hit something. ♪ ♪ >> and it is going to be -- no! korea wipes out! unbelievable! >> lindsey vonn! >> yes! ♪ >> evan lysacek with the skate of his life. ♪ >> whoa! and there it is! >> yeah! >> speedy peterson. >> oh! he sits it down! >> remarkable stuff by miller! ♪ >> bode miller in bronze position. bode miller, two in the super-g. >> bode miller has the gold! >> there is the new world record for the short program. >> destroyed the old record! ♪ our tile right now is 8:56 and we have some cold temperatures out there this morning, a lot of wind as well, we'll take a look at the south side in just a bit and get our forecast coming up. good morning, i'm joe krebs in the news4 today, all of our local airports are experiencing flight cancellations and delays because of the snow we're seeing in the northeast part of the country. this is a live look at reagan national airport. if you're heading north, you do need to check with the airline to make sure your flight's still on. you will have to start paying extra ten cents to ride metro. this is meant to help close metro's $40 million budget gap. the transit agency has also proposed another permanent fare hike that could take place after july. we'll come back and take we have wind driven snow here in prince george's, anne arendell and howard and for instance georprince george's co. >> an accident downtown on 395 northbound. we're seeing delays now coming up from the pentagon. one more stop along i-270, it appears that the accident after falls road has been moved on over to shoulder. >> it sounds like a dream. can you really lose weight without lifting a finger. the secrets of sleeping yourself skinny monday mo back now with more of "today" on this friday morning, february 26th, 2010. as you can see, a snowy day back on the east coast. nearly 17 inches in new york and it is still coming down. we're going to have the latest on the storm in al's forecast in just a moment. meanwhile, it is day 15 of the olympic winter games here in vancouver, actually, our last day at grouse mountain. i'm meredith vieira along with ann curry, al roker and natalie morales. matt, lucky dog, off today. >> and he made it home, right? >> he did. >> i know. in the snow. >> and our executive producer jim bell got out as well. >> i know, but we are here and we'r glad. >> very glad. just ahead this half hour, the breathtaking beauty, grace and artistry of the ladies' figure skating final led by gold medal-winner kim yu-na of south korea and also canadian joannie rochette, who won bronze even though she mourned the death of her mother. we're going to have the highlights from a beautiful competition. we were lucky enough, al, to see it with the three of us, and we were all really in awe. >> absolutely. >> a-plus, as you mentioned, performance by everyone, really. >> absolutely. >> yeah, thanks for sharing a ticket. anyway. you know, i had a great time watching in my room. >> ladies' night. >> we didn't know you wanted to go. >> oh, yeah, why would i want to go to that? plus, we've had great time here in vancouver. >> whoa, sour grapes! time to go home, roker. >> that's right, it's getting ugly now. you know, if you want to come to vancouver, we'll tell you how to get here and plan your own gold medal vacation. >> okay. >> it is a gorgeous part of the country. >> you know what we did afterwards? >> what did you do? >> nothing. >> okay, also, we're going to introduce you to the unlikely person who's being credited for bode miller's winning many medals here at the vancoer games. >> okay. >> but first, you want to list the olympic action, annie? >> there was a lot of action, as you know. thursday was the most anticipated night of the olympic games and it belonged to a 19-year-old from south korea. >> triple lutz and a triple toe loop! reporter: the queen reigned supreme. >> double axel, triple toe loop. >> reporter: the biggest star in her home country of south korea, kim yu-na shined bright on the olympic stage. >> yeah! >> reporter: skating a perfect long program. >> oh, my goodness. this is glorious. it's one of the greatest ompic performances i have ever seen. >> it was the first time that i cry after my performance, so i was a little surprised that i was crying. i did what i wanted to do and i did a clean short and clean long, and it was the first time for me. so, i was really happy. >> reporter: happy t set a new world record. >> she has earned 150. >> that's the best ever. 228.56. >> reporter: a sport currently dominated by asians, mao asada of japan also made history. >> yeah! >> first woman in history to do three triple axels in a competition ever. >> reporter: despite a few flaws, asada took home the silver. and just days after losing her mother, canadian joannie rochette won the hearts of the world and also a bronze medal. >> the thing i'm the most proud of is i could step on that ice and be tough, because that's what my mom taught me all of her life. >> bronze medalist representing canada, joannie rochette! >> reporter: during the medals ceremony, rochette gave what could be the most memorable image of these games. >> triple lutz, double toe, double toe. >> reporter: the americans didn't disappoint, either. mirai nagasu finished fourth and her teammate, rachael flatt, placed seventh. >> wow. >> here she goes again, attacking this mountainside. >> reporter: also on thursday, in 18th place at the start, american julia mancuso had a strong run in the giant slalom to finish eighth. >> she's got to feel pretty good about that. >> this is going to be it, for the first time in nordic combined, the united states wins a gold and they're going to add a silver as well. >> reporter: team usa can also feel good about the american men in the nordic combined. >> to finish one, two is awesome. >> reporter: johnny spillane took silver and bill demong, selected as the u.s. flag bearer in the closing ceremony, won gold. the u.s. had never won a medal in the event before these games and now has four. >> five twists, three flips. he needs a 121.35 to take the lead. >> reporter: team usa also added a medal in aerials after this jump by jeret "speedy" peterson. >> i'm not sure if that's a category 5 hurricane, but that was pretty nice! >> reporter: the american nailed his signature move to take silver. it was also a silver for the u.s. women's hockey team, who lost to canada. and we have to know that the canadian women's hockey team apologized overnight after being seen drinking beer and smoking cigars on the olympic ice for nearly 30 minutes. as for what to watch for today, apolo ohno has two chances to medal in short track's 500-meter race and the team relay. lindsey vonn is back in action in the slalom. and the men's hockey semifinals are today with team usa taking on finland. now let's get to some closing thoughts on the figure skating competition from the 1992 gold medalist and "today" special correspondent kristi yam gutchcc gucci, who now joins us. what a night last night. have we ever in the history of skating seen this number of a-plus, top performances from so many? >> well, not in the recent future. i haven't seen all the olympics, but last night was absolutely special. the top eight girls pretty much all skated clean routines. we didn't see falls. and you know, that's such an incredible level to see here at the olympics. >> you know, last night we were able to go, meredith, natalie and i. and you know, i got to see watching kim yu-na what you've been talking about ever since we started talking to you about these games. there's a kind of magic when she's on the ice. >> there is, and she has got pretty much the whole package, as you can see. the speed that she has on the ice and the jumps were so solid. she skated with incredible confidence and calm last night, considering how much pressure was on her, but you know, her overall skating and the way she lights up the ice is definitely something special. >> you know, we probably should mention, she got the highest score ever awarded in a combined skate, and even before she discovered that she had gotten that score, she started to sob a bit, which was unlike her, she even said so herself. >> i think just -- you know, she's been so composed the whole two weeks here, and as you can see, oh, here's one of her jumps that just soars in the air. i mean, it's just, her athletic ability is just amazing. but i think to see her show some emotion after being so composed and staying calm throughout, you know, was wonderful. i mean, history is made. thfirst medal for south korea in figure skating, and it's gold. so, good for her. i mean, she really conquered a lot. >> mao asada also made history, landing two triple axels, which was a first. >> mm-hmm, first in olympic competition a woman lands two triple axels in a single routine and done beautifully. i mean, these jumps gained her upwards of 20 points alone the first 30 seconds of her routine. >> meantime, we were all just so moved by joannie rochette winning not only performing so well, but winning bronze. was it difficult to hold back the tears for you, knowing what she had to face to do that performance, the courage needed to muster it? >> oh, the courage i think is beyond what any of us can ever imagine, ann. she really was focused, so solid, and the maturity and the artistry that she has on the ice puts her in a category above. so, so proud of her. i know she is looking up after her performance, and no doubt, getting approval and getting that pride from up above. so, just wonderful to see. she's so strong in that performance. >> all right. and mirai nagasu and rachael flatt did so well. it's like our team usa's going to be in good shape in four years. kristi yamaguchi, thank you so much. >> thank you, ann. >> always so great. you've been so great during these games. coming up, now we've got a check of the morning's other top stories from amy robach, who's filling in for me at the news desk in new york. amy, good morning. >> hey, good morning, ann. good morning, everyone. at least three deaths are blamed on this winter storm that has closed hundreds of schools and grounded more than 1,000 flights today across the rtheast, and it's not over yet. weather channel meteorologist chris warren is in doylestown, pennsylvania. chris, any improvements out there? >> reporter: not much. the wind isn't as strong as it was earlier, but you look behind me and you see all of this snow. i'm about 35 miles north of philadelphia where they received about four inches of snow. to the north in manhattan, 16.9 inches of snow in central park. now, you head up into the mountains outside of albany, about southwest of albany, 2 1/2 feet. keep in mind, the heaviest snow is over throughout much of the mid-atlantic and the northeast. however, through the rest of today and into tonight we could see an additional one to six inches from philadelphia to boston. amy, back to you. >> all right, chris warren in doylestown, pennsylvania. thank you. well, the taliban is claiming responsibility for suicide bombings today in afghanistan's capital that killed at least 17 people, including indian government officials. more than 30 people were wounded. a georgia woman who crashed her toyota into a neighbor's house thursday is claiming her car kept accelerating even after she hit the brakes. no one was seriously injured, but police are testing her 2009 corolla for mechanical problems. seaworld has canceled its killer whale shows indefinitely at all of its parks while officials review safety measures therfollowing the deadly attack wednesday on a veteran trainer in orlando. a tourist videotaped trainer dawn brancheau playing with the 12,000-pound whale just moments before it pulled her into the water. officials in dubai say a massive aquarium inside one of the world's largest shopping malls has been sealed now after it began leaking on thursday. you see this amateur video, looking at people scrambling as water gushes from that tank which holds more than 30,000 fish and sea animals, including shks. it is coming up at 11 minutes past the hour. let's head back now to al. >> all right, thanks a lot, amy. and we're here with the tieie ski club, kids ages 6 to 14. they ski here at grouse mountain. are you enjoying the snow? >> yeah! >> future olympians in this group, i am sure. let's check the weather. this big storm in the northeast causing major, major problems. in fact, snowfall totals, 26 inches in tuxedo, new york, wantage, new jersey, 20 inches of snow. central park, if we get anothe inches, one of the snowiest snowstorms ever. and the moisture is pin-wheeling in from the ocean. i-84 in new york is closed along a 30-mile stretch from gosn and poughkeepsie. we're looking at a big, big problem. this low pressure area is starting to work its way toward new england. it will weaken, but in the meantime, it's bringing in the snow, bringing in winds of over 30 miles per hour. power outages for 250,000 people between new jersey, maine and massachusetts. snowfall amounts anywhere from 10 to 12 inches of snow in the new york area. we could see up to more than a foot of of good morning, that storm is whipping us with winds this morning, we have had gusts over 50 miles an hour. also we're getting some bands of snow from that storm this far south. from prince johns county and calvert and anne arundel and howard county. right now temperatures are in the low to mid 30s, 34 at washington. more passing snow showers and perhaps some flurries with very strong windshroughout the rest of the day, and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you very much. up next, if the winter games have tempted you to come to vancouver, what you need to know if you are planning a visit. mmmmmm. mmmmmm. wow! you have got to be kidding me. 80 calories? 80 calories! light & fit is so creamy and irresistibly delicious, it's hard to believe it has 80 calories versus 100 in th other leading brand. do you always eat like that? i love light & fit. light & fit. irresistible taste. fewer calories. now save money with our new super saver four packs. four cups at a great low price. and so does new air wick imotion. it's the only continuous air freshener with the smart motion sensor that sees activity and automatically adjusts fragrance to give you freshness where life happens. new air wick imotion. air wick, its good to be home. so my old contact lenses would sometimes move out of place and blur my vision. my eye doctor said there's great news for people with astigmatism. acuvue oasys for astigmatism. they work with the way my eyes move and blink, which helps them stay in place. and this is the only lens of its kind made with hydraclear plus. i'm seeing more clearly, crisply, comfortably, all day long. now life doesn't have to be a blur. [ male announcer ] for a free trial pair certificate, go to getacuvue.com. acuvue oasys for astigmatism. something funny happens when you cross over from land to sea. you beco a different person. ♪ are you ready? you taste foods you've never tried. ♪ i want to bang on the drum all day ♪ you swim with animals you've only seen in aquariums. and somewhere out on the high seas, you get your first water wedgie. ♪ i don't want to play ♪ i just want to bang on the drum all day ♪ [ ship horn blows ] to get more of the fiber you need every day, try fiberchoice. with the natural fiber found in fruits and vegetables and 33% more fiber per serving than benefiber. fiberchoice, the smart choice for the most fiber. welcome back to vancouver, a jewel of a city we've gotten to know pretty well over the past two-plus weeks. so, what do you need to know if you're planning a trip here? clara newell is a local travel expert. clara, good morning. >> good morning. >> we've fallen in love with this city. >> it sounds like it. >> over and over again. when's the best time to come here, because we've really lucked out with the weather. >> you've lucked out with the weather. the best time is october, november. the best time is probably from may into mid-june and again after labor day to the end of october. >> beautiful summers here, i've been told. >> there are. fantastic. >> winter sports here and great summer things to do as well. getting here, i know there are a lot of nonstop flights available, right? >> there are a lot of nonstops and they're affordable. i looked at prices from los angeles, about $199 return, right through until the end of september. and from new york city about $379. >> okay. so, just plan ahead. let's talk about accommodations. as in any big city, lots of choices and affordable options as well. >> yes, from campgrounds to five-star luxury. looking at the time periods, a good three-star, you can get low season about $85. a four-star, high season about $178, and everything in between. >> you've got some suggestions. sandman hotel, three stars, about $85 to $124. >> yes, and those are all downtown locations with pools, which is important for a lot of families >> oh, yeah, absolutely. speaking of families, great place to come for families. a lot of activities. >> there are. >> let's start with stanley park, one of our favorite places. >> it's amazing. >> we're in the cycle club here, meredith, ann, al. i just got into it yesterday. >> stanley park is our number one recreational facility here. people year round go to this 1,000-acre park surrounded with almost a nine-kilometer sea wall. people bike it, jog it, all year round. >> it's like central park. >> it is. >> plus an aquarium. >> plus an aquarium, which is great for kids. there's a beluga show and a dolphin show daily. and you can get the kids down and dirty in a little interactive area as well. >> and a lot of biking, kayaking, all of that as we mentioned. >> that's right. we live with the pacific ocean at our doorstep. three local mountains that are 30 minutes from downtown vancouver. >> this being one of them. >> yes. >> which is gorgeous. >>his being one of them. and we have old-growth forests which make for the best hiking around. >> and if you're here for the day, you can take day trips. the gang went to victoria island. i've been to whistler a couple of times. both not far away. >> both great day trips. the "today" show took the seapla seaplane, which is spectacular. it's also the quickest way, about 30 minutes in each direction, but $300 roundtrip for that. most people choose the ferry, which is an hour and a half in each direction. >> right. >> about $15 to walk on or you can take your vehicle. and once you're there, it's our capital city. there's so much to see and do. >> gorgeous. and whistler about two hours away and an amazing place for winter sports. >> it is. >> and mountain biking during the summertime. >> yes. people come from all during the year. >> claire newell, thank you very much. and much more at todayshow.com. and much more to come here on our final morning at grouse mountain in vancouver right after this. - ( rope snaps ) - ( piano clangs ) - ( crass ) - glad forceflex trash bags are so strong, one bag is all you need to pick up the pieces from even your biggest disasters. - ( doorbell rings ) - where do you want the piano? for stretchable strength get glad forceflex. code orange. when the fever is high enough to be a code orange, you need children's motrin. the brand pediatricians recommend most... to bring high fever down fast. children's motrin. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you've wanted to quit smoking so many times, but those days came and went and the cigarettes remained. ♪ today's a new day. talk to your doctor about prescription treatment options and support. and this time, make it your time. advisor:... ms. davis, this is onstar. i've received a signal you've been in a crash... i'm contacting emergency services... 911 dispatch:...onstar reporting a front end crash... n wakefield road... chevy malibu... fire/ems:...air bags depyed... ...injuries reported... advisor: ma'am, help is on the way...ok. and i'll stay on the line with you until they get there. automatic crash response. built into 15 chevy models. [ female announcer ] say hello to the gerber generation. they have some big news to share. the nutrition children get in the first five years, can affect their health forever. think about that. together, we can create a healthier generation. and it all starts...with you. [ giggle ] [ female announcer ] welcome to the gerber generation. [ baby giggle ] ♪ with hazelnuts. isn't this how calcium should taste? eating well has never been so craveable. with quaker dark chocolate mocha hazelnut cafe squares. isn't this how whole grains should taste? eating well has never been so craveable with quaker caramel baked rice snacks. ♪ welcome back to vancouver. to compete at the olympic level, athletes have to dig deep, but it doesn't hurt to get some encouragement. nbc's peter alexander found the man behind the motivation for the u.s. men's ski team. peter, good morning to you. >> meredith, good morning to you. this guy just absolutely cracks me up. you're going to love him. his name is pete lavitt. he's a critical member of the u.s. ski team. his job is motivatg the racers so they can let their skis do the talking. if you've seen the american men charging down the slopes, you've undoubtedly heard that voice. >> come on, bode! it's up to you right now! that he this thing, come on! let's go, bode miller! >> reporter: pete lavin is a giant presence with a small nickname. 6'4", 275 and you're baby huey. >> i guess so, you know. it's the softer side of me that brings that out. >> reporter: baby huey is now a prerace fixture at the top of each course. >> go, come on! >> you definitely hear him after a while. it's cool to have him up there. it's a little extra motivation. >> reporter: it's his job to rev the guys up before they head down. >> come on! hammer down! we're loud, brash americans. we want to own the place and take over, part of that program. my goal is to get them fired up and in the right frame of mind to go out and do what's really challenging stuff. >> reporter: lavin works as a landscapes contractor back home in truckee, california, but in 2003, his friend and former alpine ski racer daron rahlves invited him to a legendary race. >> they gave me credentials, doctor's coat to look official, so i was dr. huey in the start house. like, come on, daron, dragged me all the way over here to watch you win this thing. it'sime to put out and win it. >> reporter: rahlves did win and right then, huey's legend was born. everyone needs a motivation. the bronze medalist in the super-g, what's he need to hear? >> a little bit of a shoulder rub and calm him down a hair. come on. do it, man. no problem. >> reporter: profanity? >> ted ligety. >> reporter: he likes a bomb dropped. >> he wants it dropped, you know, to the floor. what can i say? if he's putting in the request box, got to go with it. >> kick [ bleep ]! come on! [ bleep ] >> reporter: whatever baby huey is doing, it's working. the u.s. men's alpine -- >> come on, peter, wrap this thing! wrap it like you know what you're doing! >> reporter: the best performance at the olympic games ever -- >> come on! wrap this thing like you mean it! let's get it! >> reporter: they work for the ski racers, but clearly, it scared the heck out of me. by the way, if you're wondering, it is said by all the athletes from all of the countries that baby huey has single-handedly changed the atmosphere in that start house. now a lot of other countries, meredith, are bringing their own motivators to the start gate. but you can imagine there's only one baby huey. yeah. >> thanks. >> best stand-up you've ever done, peter. much more coming up. >> announcer: "today's medal count" is brought to you by edward jones. join the nearly 7 million investors who know face time and think time make a difference. my eyes water. but with new zyrtec® liquid gels, i get allergy relief at liquid speed. that's the fast, powerful relief of zyrtec®, now in a liquid gel. zyrtec® is the fastest 24-hour allergy medicine. it works on my worst symptoms so i'm ready by the time we get to the first hole. and that's good because the competition's steep today. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air.™ can you believe how fast kids grow these days?use the competition's steep today. and since 90% of bone strength is developed before adulthood... it's so important that they get enough calcium every day. that's why there's new danonino. danonino! unlike leading kids yogurts, danonino has twice the calcium of milk, ounce per ounce, with vitamin d. so it's power packed for healthy growth. and its rich creamy taste is... yummy! so they can start building strong bones today... for stronger bodies tomorrow. new danonino from dannon. power packed to help build strong bones. 9:26 is your time now, a live look at the nation's capital, gusty winds throughout the area. tom will have your forecast after the news. it's friday february 267, 2010. in the news today, a suspected drunk driver was involved in an overnight hit and run with a police cruiser in arlington. police say the officer was stuck when the car barreled into him. the driver got into another accident a short time later. police do have a man in custody. a temporary fare hike happens this weekend. every train and bus ride will cost you an extra ten cents. it will stay in place until july 1. the transit agency has also proposed another term permanent some persistent wind driven light snow in parts of fairfax and montgomery, leaving a brief trace on the ground there, could get another inch or two later on. temperatures now are in the low to mid 30s. temperatures a s a how's the traffic, jerry? >> tom, sorry to say the traffic lights just went out again at new york avenue and play tan'sburg boulevard. headed for downtown, 395 looking much better, the earlier accident on eastbound freeway, now apparently has been moved out of the roadway, so the delays are easy. >>mont morning on news4 today, sounds like a dream, can you host: could switching to geico really save you 15% or more on car insurance? host: is ed "too tall" jones too tall? nurse: i'm just gonna guesstimate. vo: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more. the international olympic committee has the honor of announcing that the xxii olympic winter games in 2014 are awarded to the city of sochi. >> you just heard it. once the vancouver winter games wrap up on sunday, sochi, russia, is up next for the world's winter athletes in 2014, and the people there were overjoyed, as you can tell, when they received the news. we thought on our last morning in vancouver we would tell you more about the next winter games. sochis located in southwestern russia along the black sea. it's home to about 330,000 people. many more will be there for the olympics. from massive peaks of the snow-capped mountains, it looks like the perfect venue for winter sports of all types. >> that's right. >> we already have our caversca >> and the people of sochi have already been hard at work building venues and a resort infrastructure. we're told in an environmentally responsible manner. and so, that's terrific news. and i do think that you look splend splendid. >> i think we all do. >> i think these will be the equivalent of the canada mittens. >> maybe. >> we're sporting the new trend already. >> but it's not over yet here, though, right? >> no, no! one more day. in fact, sochi may be the next olympic winter games, but the next olympics -- >> games. >> right. >> are 2012, the summer games. to get us in the mood for that, as you look live at london right now, we are going to get our taste buds in training for the summer games. because as with you all know, we like to eat. >> yeah, and it's all about us, ultimately. >> yes, yes. >> but first, look who's here, lester holt! >> yay, lester holt! >> i didn't get a scarf. >> here, here, here. >> it's okay. let's take a look. we've got a live picture, central park, where officially 16.9 inches of snow. we'll probably pick up a few more inches before it's all over. and then as you take a look, binghamton, new york, where it has been snowing like crazy, and it continues to come down. here's what we've got as far as your weekend is concerned. we are looking around the country. that's the snowstorm finally moves out. that's the good news. we will be left with snow showers in new england. a lot of wet weather, though, moving into the pacific northwest and central and southern california. sunny skies in the midsection. and then sunday, sunday, we're looking at more leftover snow showers in new in new engl good morning, the big story for us has been those strong winds have been gusting over 50 miles an hour this morning and also we have had some bands of light snow coming in from that storm. heading off to the south and east. mostly in maryland and the district, into eastern fairfax county, leaving a little bit of a trace of accumulation and we're in e low to mid 30s. more wind around with winds up to 50 miles an hour, maybe a few more snow showers as all right, al, thank you very much. lots of snow back east, but also lots of snow here. some of us have done some skiing. yesterday we tried something, the ladies here, we have never done before, snowshoeing. >> that's right. you get on the snowshoes and you basically go out on trails and we ended up really finding so much snow that we started running in our snowshoes. >> snow jogging. >> but unfortunately, some of us -- >> there we go. there's meredith on the run. >> natalie. >> there we go. >> and then some of our other friends sliding down the mountain. >> it was really fun. >> it was so much fun. it's not that easy to do, but once you get the hangf that, it's a lot of fun. >> beautiful. >> and what's great is you get to go in places where you can't necessarily walk. >> exactly. >> because the snow is too deep. you get on the snowshoes and you can walk basically on top of the snow and you get into these beautiful eddies, just beautiful areas. >> there are people who run in snowshoes, they have races. >> competitive -- >> i mean competitively. >> this weekend here at grouse mountain, they're hosting the world snowshoe competition in fact. >> i don't know if lester will be here. >> you can try for that. >> you really should. >> we recommend it. >> but the mountains here are beautiful for snowshoeing. if you get a chance, highly recommend it. >> it's very peaceful, too. we were not very peaceful. >> i'm still upset about that snow ball that hit me in the face. >> there's more, sister, where that came from. we've got to go, but when we come back, london is hosting the next olympics, as al pointed out. so, we are, of course, going to taste a little bit of the fine food of jolly old england, right after this. >> all righty, cherrio! a little too expensive. with progressive, you get the "name your price" option, so we build a policy to fit your budget. wow! the price gun. ♪ ah! wish we had this. we'd just tell people what to pay. yeah, we're the only ones that do. i love your insurance! bill? tom? hey! it's an office party! the freedom to name your price. only from progressive. call or click today. would we eat better? [ rewinding ] at hellmann's, we search for the best sources to make our mayonnaise. we use eggs, vinegar and oil rich in omega 3. ♪ for the quality that could only be hellmann's. hellmann's. it's time for real. and, now introducing hellmann's light. it's made with 100% cage free eggs. you'll never have to call them to the dinner table twice and i was so tender to the touch-- but i didn't know why. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia. and then he recommended lyrica... fibromyalgia is thought to be the result of over-active nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is fda-approved to help relieve the unique pain of fibromyalgia. so now, i'm learning what a day is like with less pain. lyrica is not for everyone. tell your doctor about any serious allergic reaction that causes swelling or affects breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. lyrica may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a very small number of people. some of the most common side effects of lyrica are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs, and feet. do not drink alcohol while taking lyrica. you should not drive or operate machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. could your pain be caused by fibromyalgia? ask your doctor about lyrica today. [ male announcer ] you're surrounded by fabrics all day. ♪ wouldn't softer feel better? try ultra downy. it softens fibers better than detergent alone, for a deep-down softness. and ultra downy april fresh has more than double the softening ingredients than the leading value brand's original fresh. ♪ and softer feels better. get more. feel more. ♪ we haven't even left vancouver, but we're already setting our sights on london, the host city for the 2012 summer games, which are now 882 days away, but who's counting? here to wet our appetite for jolly old england is warren garrity, executive chef at west here in vancouver. chef warren, good to see you. >> nice to be here. thank you very much. >> london had a reputation for not having great food, but that has changed in the last decade, hasn't it? >> dramatically. there's a collection of the greatest cfs in the world in london. fantastic projects in and around the british isles and as welcoming over from europe. so, yeah, really high-quality food. >> what's the difference between the restaurant scene in london and here? >> the difference. i guess, you know, here we're very, very seasonal, we're really looking at local produce all the time. maybe london's a little bit more eclectic in the different styles of food. >> a lot of international food, too. indian food. >> like vancouver, yeah. >> we've asked you to bridge both worlds here, and you're making a dish typical of both places, actually. >> we're doing fish and chips. >> we've fallen in love with fish and chips. >> starting with the fish, which is? >> we're using halibut. we're in bc so we'll use halibut to deep-fry it. >> what do you normally use in london? >> cod, haddock, flakes. >> anything white, flaky, right? >> absolutely. we're using halibut here. and we've got simple batter. this is all-purpose flour -- >> club soda. >> and club soda. >> why the club soda? >> keeps it nice and light, so when we fry it, it comes up nice and crispy. >> and you're not even measuring it, you're just sort of -- >> that's how the chefs have it. you just -- >> no need to measure. you just go. >> but you want it to be like that. >> you have to be careful not to add toomuch. you want to make this paste here. this is how you get your smoothness. >> okay. >> once you incorporate all your flour, then you can adjust your consistency. >> that's pretty simple. >> then you dip the fish in that? >> exactly. so, we get that to the right consistency. >> do you let it soak for a while or -- >> this one because i'm using the club soda and i want the fizz from it, i'm going to use this straight away. >> that came out very nice. >> crispy? >> oh, very crispy. very crispy. then we take a little piece of our halibut. this is just seasoned flour. just -- >> seasoned with salt and pepper, whatever you want, maybe some red pepper if you want a little bit of it? >> exactly. then you pop it in the batter. >> nice. >> each side. shake off the excess. you don't want too much of that. then drop that into your oil for about six minutes. >> what kind of oil do you use? >> i use canola oil. >> and add more spices to it? >> the trick is the homemade tartar sauce. >> we're running out of time. quickly. >> what we're going to do is grate some egg in there. >> oh. >> this is the addition to it. this is tartar at the same time. >> while you're grating that, warren, these fries, they're triple fried? >> they're triple fried -- well, triple cooked. so they're cooked in water first to soften them, and then we've blanched them in oil to form a skin. >> wow. >> then we turn the oil up to 180 degrees and then we cook them to get that really crispy -- >> oh, look at that tartar sauce. >> that's amazing. >> we are good to go. >> and there's the fish and chips. >> with wild watercress. >> how is it, natalie? >> i'm trying the fries, which are really good. >> we'll see you later. still ahead, we'll have a look back at some of the fun we've had in vancouver. but a great company will learn from them. that's why toyota engineers have rigorously tested the solutions for our recalls and our dealers are repairing up to 50,000 vehicles a day with confidence. we're working to restore your faith in our company by providing you with safe, reliable vehicles, like we have for over 50 years. for more information, please visit toyota.com. you take these gas relievers once you have gas, bloating, and you have to find a new yoga class. [ clears throat ] you only need these if you forgot to take beano. never again, never again. take beano before, an there will be no gas. ♪ a little encouragement changes everything. molly es muy muy intelligente. and right now, hallmark's got a whole new way to do it. new gifts and cards to cheer on kids of all ages. come in and pick up a free card today. nine to choose from. only at your hallmark gold crown store. ( sneezing ) i didn't take zicam cold remedy... but i did. can you do it by 3:00 ? yes, i can-- how about 2:00 ? hmm... get over your cold faster. hmm... mmmmmm. mmmmmm. mmmmmm. mmmmmm. wow! you have got to be kidding me. 80 calories? 80 calories! light & fit is so creamy and irresistibly delicious, it's hard to believe it has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. do you always eat like that? i love light & fit. light & fit. irresistible taste. fewer calories. now save money with our new super saver four packs. four cups at a great low price. and we all get dirty. try new and improved all with more cleaning ingredients. all's trusted stainlifters help get your wash incredibly clean. and costs up to 40% less than the leading brand. it's all good. and welcome back on our final morning here in vancouver. well, you probably remember this guy from the opening ceremony, canadian slam poet shane koyzen. his poem "we are more" impressed the crowd atbc place and us as well, so much so that we decided to give him the last word on the winter games. shane is here along with guitarist dan mangan. guys, take it away. ♪ oh, fortune, bring fortune to spare ♪ ♪ time's passing, we're worsing for wear ♪ >> once upon a time, we as the world figure skated on thin ice, believed that each slice of life was served with something sweet on the side and failure was never nearly as important as the fact that we tried, that in the war against frailty and limitation, we supplied the determination it takes to make ideas and goals the parents of possibility. every nation is a member of this family, not just one branch on one tree, but a force whose roots make up a dynasty. so when i call you sis or bro, it's not lightly. and when i ask you to remember, that's because the future isn't what it used to be. so remember now how once upon a time we went the distance once more. ♪ oh, chances, oh, forces of luck, time is heavy, but we are ready enough ♪ >> let us remember all the moments that were and were not, but to point to something we can get and what we can get is what we got, because all we have are the times between the moments we connect each dot, so live and remember. let no one say we'll be done by times past. the memories we are massing will stand as testament that somehow, we've bent minds around the concept that we see others within ourselves, tt some knowledge can be found on bookshelves, so who we are has no bearing on how we appear. look directly into every mirror, realize our reflection is the first sentence to a story and our story starts -- >> we were here. >> canadian slam poet shane koyzan and guitarist, what a great job. terrific. >> that was wonderful. >> thank you, guys! >> that was wonderful. >> what a great way for us to go out as well. we've come full circle. thank you, guys. we'll be back well, this is it, folks. this is our last day at grouse mountain. it's come to an end. but we've brought back cameron hughes. >> woo! >> mr. hockey. >> thank you to everybody. we've got to head for the tram now. there are so many people to thank for this wonderful experience. >> that's right. >> beginning with the athletes who made this olympics what it is. >> also the fine folks in vancouver who welcomed us into their home and made it our home away from home. >> that's right. >> also -- we also want to thank everyone here at grouse mountain, including president stewart mclaughlin and general manager michael cameron. >> thank you. we have to mention the kitchen staff who's been amazing. >> thank you. >> we want to thank the operations -- >> everybody. >> thank you so much. >> thank you! >> bye, guys! >> all righty. we love vancouver! >> here we go. we've got to get to the tram. >> we've got a tram to catch, guys. >> so, we got here. the tram should be right here. >> it's time to go, guys. >> here we go. >> okay, here we go! >> bye, everybody! bye, everybody! >> thank you! we love vancouver. >> thank you! >> thank you for having us! >> we've got to go. >> hoda and kathie lee are standing by back in new york. >> we've had a wonderful time. here we go, into the tram! let's go! >> bye, vancouver! >> we love you! >> bye! ♪ ♪ i wanna take you to a place, i wanna take you to canada, whoa, whoa, whoa ♪ >> and look who's made it all the way here from the east coast. >> whoo-hoo, team usa! >> we're right he in studio 1a. >> i'm meredith vieira alongside matt curry -- matt curry! matt lauer. >> let the games begin. ♪ i wanna take you to a place, i know a place that's lled canada ♪ >> the pipe was epic. >> epic! >> it's going to be epic! ♪ canada >> gold medal winner shaun white! ♪ >> three races, three medals, gold, silver, bronze. just tell me how it feels. >> you know, the perfect day. >> i was at the finals last night to see evan win the gold medal, and may i just say for the record, yay! ♪ there goes my hero >> i'm scared of this hill! >> ann curry reminding us that sometimes it's just the olympic effort that's involved. >> excellent. >> wow. >> so, to be an olympic goalie, two things are essential, one of these and one of these. >> somebody in the crowd said to me, "you look so terrified. relax." >> i don't hug guests very often. >> right on. ♪ hey, i'll be gone today, but i'll be back around the way ♪ ♪ seemed like everywhere i go, the more i see, the less i know, but i know one thing, that i love you ♪ ♪ baby girl, i love you, i love you, i love you ♪ ♪ >> we're so proud. ♪ i love you, vancouver >> this is fun! >> something you want to do early in the morning. >> i'm done talking. i'm eating. >> i am going to play golf this summer in these at 11:00 at night. ♪ >> can i get my seat changed? >> miss vancougar. >> whoa! >> next time when you choose a partner for a shoot-out, you should ask, can that partner skate? ♪ >> bye, baby. >> love you. >> bye, take care. i'll see you guys. >> safe travels. ♪ da, da, da, boom, boom, dun, dun, da, da, da ♪ ♪ bum, our time right now is 9:56, looks like we have some sun out there this morning, this friday, the 26th of february, in the news4 today, a temporary fare hike on metro begin this is weekend, beginning on sunday, every train and bus ride going to cost ten cents more. the transit agency has also proposed another permanent fare hike that could take effect after july. now let's get a look at our forecast, and see whether the winds have died down any. >> we're still seeing gusts in the mid and upper 40s and around the region, we have had some passing snow showers this morning that continue in montgomery, prince george's, charles county, st. mary's county, as well as frederick and washington cnty and it's been leaving a brief dusting to just maybe an inch or two north of baltimore. we'll see it climb just into the upper 30s, with perhaps some passing snow showers and some more flurries and the winds will be gradually diminishing this afternoon and this evening. >> we'll take a live look coming in on the virginia side coming toward the district, dealing with some traffic issues. >> monday morning on news4 today, sounds like a dream, can you really lose weight without lifting a finger. the secrets of sleeping yourself skinny. that's all coming up monday captions paid for by nbc-universal television ooh. >> hi, everybody. we're finally here. >> it's so exciting. >> finally. what a huge mistake it was not to send us to vancouver. >> can you believe we had to wait till friday? hey, you guys. so glad you stayed. thank you for hanging out with us. >> this is awesome. >> fday, february 26th. after booze day, wines day and thirst day, we thought it was appropriate to have at least a half dry day. >> i can't believe it. it's colder than i thought. >> we need a little fire. >> we do. >> that's better. hold on. >> that feels good. >> get closer, hoda. >> that feels so good. >> let's bring it back. okay. >> all right. >> the joke's over! >> we can't wear these coats. >> you knew they weren't going to spend any more money and send us over there. >> that's called a green screen. i have to get this off. >> oh, well, hoda, they're all on their way back pretty soon, but we held down the fort. people from your old high school. >> class of '72, ft. hunt high school, we need a drink. >> sorry, we can't help them. they showed up on dry day. of all the days to show up. >> i know. >> it is snowing like a son of a gun. >> take that coat off. you're making me hot. this morning, now, getting to work in new york -- first of all, if you look at rockefeller center, this is what's deceiving about new york. >> looks like nothing is happening. >> they are so incredible about removing snow, it looks like it was a light, steady rain in rockefeller center. they have plows that come out every minute or so. >> and go all night long. >> if you look at life in other parts new york and new jersey -- i don't know if we have a live shot. >> i think we have central park. >> we might. okay, this is what it's like in central park. so you know how dangerous this storm is, three people died as a result of the storm. one guy was walking through central park, a man in his 40s. a tree got so heavy because of all the snow and ice. >> and wind. >> and fell on top of him and he died. >> people should keep that in mind. >> fifth avenue. >> fifth avenue was closed down in many spots. those beautiful, old trees that line the avenue and make it so beautiful, it's kind of deadly right now. >> no oneas hurt in that one. i got i thought if i'm up, i'm up. >> i can't believe you went to the gym. >> wait a second. i had on shorts and uggs and a coat. >> uggs. >> i walk out and it's deceptive. i stepped into a snow drift mid thigh. >> that would be over my head, mid thigh to you. >> there's nothing worse than having snow inside your boats. >> you went and worked out with wet drawers? >> you know what? there was a girl -- i don't know why i sit here. i don't know why i sit here. >> you love it. shut! >> there was breaking news that came out of the gifford department early this morning. >> i wasn't going to leave you here alone. if hair and makeup didn't make it this morning, you would be in trouble. >> oh, i didn't mind being alone, but i didn't want to be ugly. >> i don't mind if you don't make it, but hair and makeup. >> susie had to make it, yeah. >> usually on nights like this i would stay in the city the night before because i'm not going to let my teammate down. >> thank you. i appreciate that. >> this is an olympic sport, you know. t cassidy was in "the pirates of penzance" last night, along with her classmates at school. . so i had to be there. >> how did you like it? >> not my favorite, i usually like older ones, but you forget how charming it is. she's in a new school this fall. it was just the most adorable production. it was fantastic. and you know what was really fun -- i hope it's okay to share this. one of her cast member that is played the pirate king is the son of christopher reeve and his beautiful wife, dana, such a lovely young man, big like his daddy was and beautiful like his mom and daddy were. johnny depp wig. there's talent in that family. it was lovely to see him go on. >> i think we've wondered what happened to those kids. >> he's doing just, just great. >> you ended up making it. you live far away from new york. >> out in connecticut, god's country some people call it. >> there were some -- there were very few cars on the street. so, i knew you weren't going to make it in by car. >> my chinese gentleman driver, i said 24 years, you could write a book. i am so glad you're not going to, because we have been through the war. he is such a fine man. he called at 5:30 and said i can't make it. when he can't make it, it can't be done. >> this is the picture of how you made it work. this is classic. what's the get-up? what's the whole thing going on? >> i keep forgetting that fleece thing says on the back "welcome kathie lee" two years, the "today" sho >> and a hat. >> when i did annie at -- never mind. it's my annie hat, all right? >> they ran that picture earlier with a banner underneath, breaking news. i loved that. we'll talk about olympic highlights. one of them was a little controversial, involving the canadian women's hockey team. >> they had reason to celebrate, wouldn't you say? >> they played the u.s. and won, got the gold. >> third olympics in the row. >> very emotional ceremony. and then afterwards, the whole crowd cleared out, everybody went home except for the canadian hockey team. they went back -- we probably have some pictures. they went back out on to the ice afterwards. >> it was thirst day. >> they sat and had a couple of beers, some champagne and cigars. now, we hear that the ioc is now investigating this matter, on whether players' celebrations outside the locker room is harmful to the image of the game. what do you guys think? >> the fact that they're still in their uniforms and on the ice. i guess, to them, demeans the dignity of the sport. >> i think it's silly. if you're of legal drinking e, first of all, and i think all but one were, they worked so hard for the moment. >> you can understand the celebration. >> nobody is along except people with twitter cameras and individual crow stuff. >> we say you cannot take -- it's just not worth it. >> people make such a big deal out of -- i thought that was a small deal. the ioc is investigating? >> i would love to know what our frie facebook thing. that's an interesting thing. why don't we go on over to you, adam. >> goo it's amazing that the olympics are already coming to a close. i feel like they just began. >> i did stay up for all of it, it was like midnight. just extraordinary. >> you absolutely had to. we decided to ask our fans to finish the sentence "i love the olympics because." >> good one, good one. so, amy says i love the olympics himself watching the figure skating, then hurries up and switches it to something manly. >> he has issues, uh-huh. what else? >> jerry says it breathes life into the american drea giv a sense of unity and pulling together for the country. very nice. and angela ssecause of the men in tight out fits, which is why i think you watch, kathy. >> yes. >> that's why she stayed up. >> that's why i married frank. for the new york giants, if you know what i mean. >> oh, lord, stop. when we come back, sara will talk to us about the beautiful figure skating that you got to stay up and see. i wish it wasn't on so late, though. it's hard to stay up. but worth it! >> oh, my gosh, yes. there she is. sara must be on her way home pretty soon. we'll talk to her in just a moment. the blue goes on the left. (announcer) getting ready for the big game? ohhhh... bring it. bounty extra soft-- the bounty with a little extra softness! it's super absorbent. and it works extra hard for your money. in this lab demo, one sheet of bounty extra soft out-scrubs two sheets of the bargain brand. game on. bounty extra soft. look for new prints. bounty extra soft. can you believe how fast kids grow these days? and since 90% of bone strength is developed before adulthood... it's so important that they get enough calcium every day. that's why there's new danonino. danonino! unlike leading kids yogurts, danonino has twice the calcium of milk, ounce per ounce, with vitamin d. so it's power packed for healthy growth. and its rich creamy taste is... yummy! so they can start building strong bones today... for stronger bodies tomorrow. new danonino from dannon. power packed to help build strong bones. [ woman ] nine iron, it's almost tee-time. time to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze, my eyes water. but with new zyrtec® liquid gels, i get allergy relief at liquid speed. that's the fast, powerful relief of zyrtec®, now in a liquid gel. zyrtec® is the fastest 24-hour allergy dicine. it works on my worst symptoms so i'm ready by the time we get to the first hole. and that's good because the competition's steep today. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air.™ my son's got all that and he's on his first date. well, when he feels the instacool sensation, he'll know that pepto's about to kick in. honey, do you feel... the instacool sensation -- yes, mom. thank you, mrs. wagner. [ male announcer ] new pepto-bismol chewables with instacool. it is time for "today's" olympic highlights from sara haines live from vancouver. she's really live. we were pretending. >> keeps getting more and more exciting with unforgettable performances and sara has a recap and a look ahead for some great events that are still left to be done. hello, sara. how is it going, baby? >> hi, sara. >> i loved the green screen. i was like, did i miss that? where are they? more shocking was the metro north for kathie lee. i'm sorry. >> not the first time i've taken the train. >> she likes the train. >> the backseat of that car i drive in is my office. i read the newspaper. it's an impoant thing. >> yes. so, the women's figure skating was the event everyone was waiting for and it really did not disappoint, did it, sara? >> reporter: it did not. with the pressure of those performances, you would think someone would crack, and it would be forgiving if they did. kim yu-na was the one -- i don't understand the scoring, and i don't think many do. that was instant. it was ear piercing for her and joannie rochette, the hometown hero, that we were all pleased to see take the bronze. you asked about mao asada and her triple axel she did them and they were not performed back-to-back. >> sara does her homework. >> she did three last night, the first time ever in olympic competition. i love it when scottie hamilton just loses it. it's so exciting. >> kim yu-na, her score, wasn't that the highest score ever recorded? >> reporter: it was the highest ever. when you look at the span of the winner, back to the men who were practically tied, she got her score and people looked around like, can you score that high? >> do you know what i love about her, too -- i'm sorry, sweetie. it's hard to hear you. look at the height, first of all, and the appeal of her. there's a humility about her. >> love her. >> that is amazing. i guess she doesn't cry very often, but she did cry a little when she won the gold. and i'm an american and i pull for americans, but last night i did want this young lady to win the gold and i did want joannie rochette to win the bronze. i just wanted her to medal. >> tell us about her performance. >> reporter: joannie had another solid performance. the u.s.a., you mentioned, kathie lee, both of them came in and it was their first olympics and to come out of the top heap and nail it, it was amazing. such a phenomenal evening of people who do not choke when it comes down to the games. >> i love joanne ie on the ice d loved her even more when she sat down anded with meredith. such a beautiful interview. i'm glad she was able to keep it together and succeed like she did. >> when she goes home she'll -- >> she'll have her private time. >> yeah, to fall apart. >> tell us about speedy. >> reporter: he did the hurricane. >> there was a question whether he would because that didn't work out for him before. >> reporter: he warmed up with it and didn't land it. he actually went for it. he's been known to say you have to go for it. >> he lost a little bit of the landing but did it. you can see how jazzed he is. >> i love this, because number one, he won the gold and, number two he proposed to his girlfriend. >> double winner. >> reporter: he did propose to his girlfriend. that is -- in 86ears of this sport, the u.s. has never won a medal. we're leaving this olympics with four. >> that's amazing. >> reporter: that's a big deal, historically speaking. >> we're way ahead of germany now, i think, in terms of total medal count. before it was neck and neck and now we're, i think, half a dozen ahead. >> we'll find out. >> reporter: we're spreading the gap right now. i think that's the interesting thing. we set so many records in a winter olympics this year. >> are they talking -- we have to go? oh, darn. >> the women's, you know -- >> i know. >> sara, you're come iing home. i hope you get home because the airports are shut down. what's t game plan for you coming home? >> reporter: i may need to make an airport video like that girl the other day. >> yeah. >> may i suggest since it's the weekend, you fly over america and go right to the caribbean for a nice weekend. >> there you go. >> reporter: i miss you guys too much. >> we'll see you monday, darling. >> see you monday. >> have a safe travel. >> you did a great job, by the way. >> yes, you did. >> awesome. >> reporter: thank you very much. >> we thought you were great. up next, time for ambush makeovers. our team is all ready to transform two lucky ladies after these messages. warm pillsbury cookies made with gooey hersheys mini-kisses. spontanious joy may occur. [ female announcer ] tired of waiting in line for great hair? [ woman ] hey! [ female announcer ] no worries! [ woman ] yes! [ woman #2 ] all right! [ female announcer ] aussie's quick and easy products makes naturally beautiful hair, simply happen! add some roo to your 'do. you took my eggs ! it's an "egg management fee." what does that even mean ? egg management fee. even kids know it's wrong to take other people's stuff. that's why at ally bank we don't eat away at your savings with fees. and we offer rates among the most competitive in the country. it's just the right thing to do. >> announcer: "today's" ambush makeover is brought to you by maybelline new york. maybe she's born with it. maybe it's maybelline. >> we're back with the results of "today's" ambush makeover. ivillage contributor and stylist to the stars, luis licari. i like how luis waves. hey. >> that would be him. >> and jill martin found two lucky ladies for a makeover. >> you didn't go to the plaza because nobody is there and it's a storm so where did you find them? >> two ladies came before and we found their friends who wanted makeovers because they loved the makeovers of the other ladies. >> there were people outside today that said can i have a makeover. >> no. >> they were out there. >> they come back and back and back. >> we'll find them. first up, debbie gemel, 56 years old from pennsylvania. one year ago she lost her husband of 13 years to lung cancer. she's never colored her hair, does not wear makeup but does say she's ready for a brand new look. let's take a listen to her story. >> all right. well, thank you for braving the storm, coming here from pennsylvania. i know, nicolette, you really want this for your mother. tell us why. >> these past couple of years have been a little rough and i think this is just what she needs to get out of the house and start having some fun. >> ooh. are you ready to be a glamorous woman once again? >> i am so excited. i'm really ready for this fresh start. so, yes. >> okay. before debbie comes out, her daughters over here, nicolette and friends. keep your blindfolds on until we give you the green light, okay? here is the shot of debbie before. all right, debbie. let's see the new you. come on out. >> debbie? >> hello! whoo! >> wow! >> okay, nicolette, go ahead. and friends, take off your blindfolds. >> oh, my. >> you want to see yourself? all right, spin around. >> wow. >> that looks so good. >> the haircut is sexy. >> i love it. >> the haircut before was a bit matronly and now you look so sophisticated, so new york. and i'm so pleased withhe hair color. i have to tell you, look at her daughter. her daughter is the red head. i picked the right -- it makes sense. everything worked. >> what do you think? >> i love it. i loveour hair. >> what about friends? do you like it? >> beautiful. >> she told me she wanted a conservative look. nicolette told me she wants her to be single to mingle. >> nicolette won. >> yeah. we compromised. look at the spanx. >> and spanx at the top? love them! >> two for one and the boots are payless. >> adorable. congratulations. debbie, step over there. linda cardona is 60 from new york city, been married to hector, has two children and one grandchild and has the same look since her wedding day and is ready to update her look as she embarks on this next chapter of her life. she's here with her son, michael. first, let's hear her story. we love you because you're a stalker. you were here a couple of weeks ago and we didn't pick you and now you're back. >> i really need a makeover. i recently lost my job of ten years and the job market is really tough. and being my age and everything, so i really do need a makeover. >> need a fresh, new look. michael, i know you want this for your mother. >> definitely. i think she deserves it. she's a hardworking woman and i think this will definitely get her back in the job market. >> he's a good son. are you ready to go? are you ready to be pampered for three hours? >> yes. i truly, truly am rady. thank you so much. i'm ready. >> ready. >> ready. >> her answer is ready. all righty. let's take a look at linda before. and let's bring out the new and drop-dead gorgeous, i bet, linda. oh, yeah! oh, yeah! michael, you're going to want to take a look at your mom, hon. go ahead. >> wow! >> you look gorgeous. turn around, sweetheart. >> oh, my goodness. i look fabulous. >> super model. super model. >> love it, right? >> it's really you. >> looks so cute. >> tell us what you did. >> first of all, linda had her hair overrelaxed. it was breaking all over t place. so we gave her this great haircut. layers, so we took a defect a made it into an asset. enid did her makeup. she has that orangey look that sometimes happens when you make dark hair light. we made it brighter. go. >> she needed out fit for work. these pants are from express. >> look at the figure on this woman. >> she thought she was two sizes bigger. >> love, love, love it. >> thank you. >> applause for both our ladies. coming up, we'll take you behind the scenes after your local news. at kmart, show your home some love and save big! this weeonly... complete bed sets are just $29.99. cannon classic bath towels are $3.99 each. plus, choose a four-drawer or lingerie chest, in pine, white, or walnut finish -- now only $39.99. there's smart, and there's kmart smart. tide loads of hope has been committed to helping people affected by disasters. this is what gives us hope! [ female announcer ] now tide's bringing help to those affected by the recent earthquakes in haiti. by providing clean clothes and linens. you too can help by purchasing a tide vintage tee at tide.com. during february, all profits from tide vintage tee sales will be matched by tide up to $250,000 and donated to disaster relief in haiti. together, we can provide loads of hope. coming up today at midday. >> fierce winds are bringing down trees and power lines this morning. tom kiron has the latest on when conditions should improve. plus a look ahead to the weekend. good morning, everyone, i'm bar are harrison, also coming up on news4 today how a cuffed suspect manages to steal a police car, even uses have you ever wondered how the heck we get this show on the air every day? >> we do. >> only kidding. it takes a lot -- it takes a village. >> we are going to take you behind the secret curtain. here is what happens before the red light goes on. every day at 4:00 am, the alarm goes off. 5:00 am, out the door. 5:30, i was on the stairmaster, doing what i do. i don't know what kathie does, really, in the morning. i'm sure she's getting a massage and manicure before she comes in, having a full breakfast and driving in leisurely in her stretch li am o. >> i read the newspaper and basically don't look up until i get here and then all hell breaks loose. >> good morning! >> hi! ♪ >> good morning. >> that's how she comes in every day, no jokes. >> some days natalie is in one chair, ann in another and it's like a sorority and then the frat boys come in. mr. bell, did you come in to flash that sexy body? yes, you did. >> what's going on? >> queen latifah. >> yep, that's it. >> we've got our men. >> our man panel, lots of talk of sex and rock 'n' roll. >> john edwards' thing is pretty good today. >> yeah. >> there's always an air of prevpre provality, where you hang with your colleagues who, i'm happy to say, have become friends. >> you do makeup? >> it's all natural, baby. all natural. >> i'm like, don't you have a show to do? what are you doing in here? >> i'm in a commercial break. >> oh. >> okay. hi, nice to see you. >> that sort of stuff, it all comes up in the newsroom, that, and our dates from the night before, her drinking. her endless, endless drinking. all of it comes up in the makeup room. >> oh, hot off the presses. back to the edwards' thing. >> yeah. >> so, you know, he did not speak because he cannot speak publicly because of the legal stuff. >> he doesn't think his political adviser -- >> what is his current relationship with rielle in. >> they don't say. >> they're separated. >> they don't say but friends say john and elizabeth are separated. >> we're reporting that they're separated? >> yeah. >> thank you, all. >> thank you, guys. nice talking to you. >> thank you. you, too. >> i don't know. ybe i'll wear -- >> trying to decide what to wear ain't easy for me. i put it up on our twitter page, facebook page, snap the photo and say pick hoda's dress for the day. if it's overwhelming for one dress, i'm all about the viewers. >> nice to see you. >> 30 seconds. >> have a great show, miss hoda. >> you, too. >> four, three, two, one. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today." >> hello, everybody, it is thursday. thank you so much for joining us. >> what's different about our show, we're sort of a talk show but we're in the news division. >> john edwards came out and admitted that he was the father of rielle hunter's daughter. >> show a wrap out there. 30 in tape. >> that's what they're there for. >> i know, but there are many. a lot of people -- this is not a funny thing, hoda woman. there are a lot of people addicted to sks. you think you're the only one? i never thought i could get lightning in a bottle twice in my life, but i really have with hoda. she's awesome. don't ever let her know i think that about her or it will spoil everything. ♪ >> yeah. >> don't look at him like that. he'll go for the eyes. >> my ovary hurts. >> rip your jeans off. >> what's he eating on your head? >> i just hope he's not digesting it on my head. you know what i mean. >> where do you want to go next? >> camera five. >> i didn't want to come back to work on television. i was doing work i love. so, i have to love the people i work with in order to make that commitment again, and here i am. all right. have a great day, everybody. >> bye. >> yeah. >> bye, guys. take care. >> that's what happens. >> that's pretty much it, minus all the swearing. >> we did very creative editin >> thank you to all for doing that piece. coming up, the other view. you know what that means. the man's point of view coming from our friend, donnie deutsch. >> whose girlfriend is here. >> be very careful. very careful. >> she is drop dead gorgeous. >> she is. >> i don't think i like her. >> me either. why would you go one more round using it ? you don't need a rematch-- but a re-think-- with lunesta. lunesta is different. it keys into receptors that support sleep, setting your sleep process in motion. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may inease these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. stop fighting with your sleep. get a free 7-night trial on-line and ask your doctor about switching to lunesta. discover a restful lunesta night. would we eat better? [ rewinding ] at hellmann's, we search for the best sources to make our mayonnaise. we use eggs, vinegar and oil rich in omega 3. ♪ for the quality that could only be hellmann's. hellmann's. it's time for real. and, now introducing hellmann's light. it's made with 100% cage free eggs. the stuff you want your kids to reach for. the stuff you want to reach for. now you can enjoy good choices even more. people who spent $100 a week at leading national supermarkets... on freqntly purchased groceries... could have saved $55 in one month... by shopping at walmart instead. it's another pantry filled. and another great day for the savers. save money. live better. walmart. ntene ice shine advanced o-vitamin systems polish strand by strand. for twice the shine. twice the cool. even leading salon brands can't beat these healthy shine results! ice shine from pantene. announcer: there's an easier way. create your own business site with intuit websites. just choose a style, then customize, publish and get found. sweet. get a 30-day free trial at intuit.com. - uh-huh. - ( rope creaking ) - ( rope snaps ) - ( piano clangs ) - ( crashes ) - glad forceflex trash bags are so strong, one bag is all you need to pick up the pieces from even your biggest disasters. - ( doorbell rings ) - where do you want the piano? for stretchable strength get glad forceflex. so, it's friday and you know what that means. our resident guy's guy, donnie deutsch, is here with the guy's point of you. >> he is not shy about giving his opinion. >> don't shoot the messenger, we're just going to give it to you straight. >> we have questions from our viewers. these are not from hoda and myself. >> feel free to ask any question. >> rita asks this question. >> margaret. >> margaret, my boyfriend and i have been together for three years. after three years, he still won't have me over to see his place. >> uh-huh. >> he's not a slob, he's very orderly and neat. no one can figure out why i haven't seen his place yet. could you shed some light on this? >> all right. all together now in the studio, margaret. he's married. >> yeah. >> or he has a live-in girlfriend, at the very least. >> or boyfriend. >> or lives with his parents. end it. by the way, you should examine why you don't have the kind of sense of strength to just say this is ridiculous. >> doesn't make any sense. >> he's probably married. >> after a month? >> how long? >> a couple of months. he's married. >> this is from margaret -- rita? >> it's dry day. what have you been doing? >> i've beentold repeatedly i'm the perfect guy's girl, i love sports, hate chick flicks, would rather kick back a few beers and watch a game than do girlie things. >> we like girlie girls. that's it. we have guys to do that, to drink beer with and say i want to take a bath with my guy friends -- well, i want to take a bath with my girlfriends. we don't want that. >> what should she do? >> be true to herself, but maybe peel back a little bit. i hate women who say i don't like other women. we like girls to be girls. feminist movement screwed thing up a little bit. we like our girls to be girls. >> this is anonymous. i've decided to become intimate with my guy friend. without sounding demanding, how do i tell hi that while he is, oh, my goodness, doing it with me, i want him to refrain from doing it with anyone else. >> very simple. i would never respect a woman that would allow me to sleep with her and say, by the way, i'm not comfortable with you being with anybody else. i want her to tell me that. or even before. there's nothing wrong with a woman -- >> shouldn't that discussion be ahead of time? >> yes, but sometimes in the throes of passion, if it's somebody you're in a relationship with, say to a guy, look, if you're not comfortabl all of a sudden being with one person, that's fine, but you be direct. we don't want a woman to sleep with us right away. we get frustrated but that shows a strong sense of self and a prize worth waiting for. >> the hunt. >> yes. >> before we go, you've got a very cute, adorable woman over here. >> her name is liza. >> hi, liza. >> my gifriend. >> every cameraman is trying to get the shot. >> she's even more beautiful on the inside. >> yeah, sure. >> thank you for going easy on me today. >> well, in front of her. >> i tried to leave her in the green room. she said il come out. >> did you notice every single camera left us? >> yes. >> thank you very much, sweetie. plucky performance, guitar plucking virtuosos. >> they're terrific, after this. totino's is proud to announce... that, on the list of things kids love, our party pizzas have just passed toy robots. awkward. kids love totino's party pizzas. awkward. to use new crest extra white plus scope outlast. [ female announcer ] new crest extra white plus scope outlast for a whiter smile and a frh breath feeling that lasts up to five times longer. [ inhales ] my breath still feels fresh. and how could i resist that smile. [ female announcer ] new crest exa white plus scope outlast. that keep you cool and dry have now inspired stayfree® to create a whole new level of comfort when it comes to your period. only stayfree® ultra thins have thermocontrol™. designed with the comfort of athletic fabrics in mind, stayfree® with thermocontrol™ quickly wicks moisture away for exceptional dryness. so you stay incredibly comfortable no matter where your day takes you. stay dry. stay cool. with thermocontrol™ only from stayee®. >> announcer: the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. toyota, movingforward. >> they can be considered the dynamic duo of acoustic guitar. rodrigo e gabriella. >> number one on the world ch t charts for ten weeks. we're so glad you're both here. >> what a story you have. a few years ago -- you've been together 15 years but a few years ago you were street musicians in dublin, ireland. >> and you're selling out new york city. >> it took us by surprise. certainly we didn't expect it. we played aco ustic music, aco ustic guitars. >> we encourage the viewers to watch their fingers. it is astonishing. >> it sure is. >> what's the name of this? >> carmen. >> okey dokey. thank you. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> sensational! >> wow! wow! >> wonderful. >> rodrigo, you guys are perfect. are you guys a couple? >> they're not saying. >> we're not sure if they're a couple. we do want to know. we're guessing. >> thank you very, very much. more to come up. but first, this is "today" on nbc. that was awesome. i love that shot. and the xxi olympiad is heading to its finish. the flame will be extinguished in vancouver on sunday. >> let's look at the unforgettable action of the xxi winter games as we head out. have a great weekend. winter games as we head out. have a great weekend. we'll see you on monday. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> to skate in the moment is much more than the competition. ♪ >> oh, the koreans went down. unbelievable! >> lindsey vonn! >> evan lysacek with the skate of his life! ♪ >> oh, and there it is! speedy petersen. >> remarkable stuff by miller! ♪ >> bode miller in bronze position. bode miller. bode miller has the gold. there's a new world record for a short program. destroyed the old record. ♪