Transcripts For WRC Today 20100303

there. >> that is "news4 today." thanks for starting your day with us. >> have a great day. we hope you join us tomorrow morning. we start at 4:55. see you tomorrow. good morning. are you kidding me? a child caught on tape directing flights at new york's busy jfk airport. >> jetblue 171, contact departure. >> over to departure, jetblue 171. awesome job. >> air mex 403, contact departure, adios. >> now a controller and his supervisor have been relieved of their duties as the faa launches an investigation. a father's pain just hours after police discovered a body in the same park where san diego teenager chelsea king disappeared. her father addressed thousands at a moving vigil. we'll hear from him. and the sit-down and the stand-up. >> wow! this is a thrill of a lifetime really. and alaska being so different from los angeles. here, when people have a frozen look on their face, i find out it's botox. >> sarah palin shows up on "the tonight show" and even does her own monologue. we'll check out what the former governor had to say today, wednesday, march 3rd, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm meredith vieira. and this morning, two employees at jfk airport, an air traffic controller and his supervisor, are in a heap of trouble. >> as well they should be. yes, they are. this incident happened two weeks ago today. apparently, an air traffic controller brought his child to work and then let that child communicate with pilots, not simply to say hi, but to actually give out some orders. he or she -- we're not sure if it's a boy or girl -- cleared two flights for takeoff. how could this happen? we're going to have much more on this story in just a couple of minutes. also ahead, is naomi campbell at it again? a chauffeur claims the supermodel attacked him from the back seat on tuesday as he drove her around new york city and then jumped out of the car and ran away. we're going to have the latest on that. plus, how clean are those bath toys your kids play with? just ahead, the ugly truth we uncovered when we took a few in for testing. and we're going to have more of our special series "great tv families reunited." the cast of the popular sitcom "227," including marla gibbs and the unforgettable jackee will be reunited live in our studio. but we begin with the incident at jfk airport where a child was allowed to direct flights from the control tower. nbc's tom costello has the latest. tom, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, meredith. we have learned that the child made a total of five transmissions from the control tower at jfk, and now federal investigators are trying to figure out how any of this was ever allowed to happen. at new york city's jfk airport, air traffic controllers handle more than 1,000 flightsvery day. two weeks ago, on february 17th, a new voice in the control tower. a child was directing the planes. >> jetblue 171, clear for takeoff. >> clear for takeoff, jetblue 171. >> this is what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school. >> wish i could bring my kid to work. >> reporter: the faa tells nbc news one of the air traffic controllers brought a child to work that day. the child can be heard directing two flights on tapes from liveatc.net, a website that monitors and records air traffic control transmissions. >> jetblue 171, contact departure. >> departure, jetblue 171. awesome job. >> reporter: if the pilots were upset, they didn't let on. listen as the child handles a second flight. >> 0-3 clear for takeoff. >> 403 clear to takeoff. thank you very much and you have a great day. >> reporter: at one point, the child had a little fun with one of the pilots from air mexico. >> air mex 403, contact departure, adios. >> contact departure, aeromexico 403, adios. >> contact departure, adios amigos. >> adios amigos. over departure, jetblue. >> the faa released a statement saying "pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling traffic. this behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all employees." seconds ago i received this statement from the air traffic controllers union. they say "we do not condone this type of behavior in any way." they go on to say "it is not indicative of the highest professional standards that controllers set for themselves," but it is clearly a problem this morning. meredith, back to you. >> solutely, tom. it's apparent that the child was parenting whatever the parent or adult was saying to them, and the pilots do not seem phased. so the question is, was anyone really put in danger here? >> probably not. but i've been in control towers and i'm always so careful not to say anything or do anything that would distract a controller. i think that is the concern. could controllers have in any way been distracted by having a child, their child, in the control tower at the time? and also, what if a pilot didn't hear properly instructions, or perhaps another pilot misunderstood instructions because you've got a child's voice in your ear as opposed to an adult voice? those are very serious issues. >> yeah. are you surprised that no pilots, at least the ones we hear on tape, raised any objections when they heard a child's voice directing them? >> you know, we're all fathers and mothers, at least a lot of us, and i think you're probably -- your first instinct is to smile that a child is there. but i think many people view this very seriously. >> as far as you know, has anything like this ever happened before? >> in a control tower, not that i'm aware of, but back in 1994, there was an aero flop plane in russia that crashed in siberia because the pilot let his 12 and 16-year-old kids take the controls of the plane, and essentially, they crashed the plane. 75 people died. so, the stakes here are very high indeed. >> yeah, certainly not child's play. >> no, it's not. >> tom costello, thank you very much. >> bizarre story. >> definitely. >> it really is. we'll get the rest of the morning's top stories from natalie at the news desk. we'll check in with ann in a couple minutes, on assignment in chile. natalie, good morning to you. >> good morning, everyone. today more aid is arriving in chile following saturday's massive earthquake. the quake killed at least 800 people and damaged 500,000 homes. nbc's mark potter is in hard-hit concepci concepcion, chile. mark, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, natalie. the chilean president says hundreds of tons of food, water and other supplies are being distributed now in the earthquake zone, mostly along the coast. but here in the town of constitucion, which was flattened by the earthquake and a tsunami, many of the residents here are complaining about the slow pace of the government's aid response. at first, they say only a couple of water trucks arrived, as many residents stole food from local stores. only yesterday afternoon the military finally brought in some food and some clothing, which were taken to local shelters for distribution. now, the soldiers are patrolling the streets here and elsewhere, and they seem to have restored order in most places, as search-and-rescue teams continue to search for victims. meanwhile, many of the residents here who lost their homes have either left this area now or are camping out in the nearby hills. natalie? >> mark potter in constitucion, chile. thank you, mark. powerful house democrat charlie rangel is under growing pressure to step down as chairman of the ways and means committee after being accused of ethics violations. nbc's kelly o'donnell is at the capitol. kelly, what could we see there today? >> reporter: well, we expect that charlie rangel of new york could be pushed out or may voluntarily surrender his gavel as chairman of the very powerful ways and means committee. this is all about ethics questions. he was already admonished for accepting gifts -- a corporate-sponsored series of trips -- and there are other ethical violations that are still being investigated, possible violations there. now, charlie rangel was about to do this last night, we are told, reconsider, and now may do it today. the reason, there were more democrats willing to force him out in this election year because of the appearances. rangel's been in congress nearly 40 years and he's one of nancy pelo's closest allies. natalie? >> kelly o'donnell on capitol hill. thanks, kelly. today in iraq, three suicide bombings killed more than 30 people north of baghdad. dozens were wounded in the attacks that targeted police stations and a hospital. thousands turned out last night in southern california at a vigil for 17-year-old chelsea king. a body believed to be that of the missing girl was found in a park on tuesday. we'll have more on this story coming up. in india, a deadly crash at an air show. at least two people were killed when a plane doing acrobatics crashed into a five-story building. and a new york chauffeur claims he was beaten by naomi campbell tuesday as he drove the supermodel through manhattan. police say campbell, who previously pleaded guilty to assaulting others, likely won't face criminal charges this time. meredith, matt and al, of course, you remember back in 2007 she actually served community service for assaulting a housekeeper. so, quite a rap sheet she has. >> i think if you're a chauffeur and you get a booking and the last name is campbell, you know -- >> exactly. >> i'm going to be going -- >> it's not mm-mmm good. >> no, it's not. mr. roker -- >> don't drive angry! anyway, we've got a storm system off the northeastern atlantic coast. luckily, it's moving further east, and that's good news, because this thing's intensifying. you can see we've got some snow stretching from new york on into albany, syracuse, as far east as boston. in fact, with the path of the storm brings it to the east and north, and as it does, windy conditions are going to be a big problem from baltimore, new york city, on into nantucket. the snowfall amounts going to be generally light, maybe an inch or so in new york, one to three inches, stly on grassy surfaces. the worst snow is going to out over the mountains of west virginia, bo good morning, we have had some rain and snow showers overnight but that snow melted on the paved surfaces and you still see the light blue on the radar. temperatures are all above freezing all around the region except out in the mountains, it's in the mid and upper 30s in washington and the and that's your lat weather. matt? >> all right, al, thanks very much. president obama will try to breathe new life into his stalled effort to overhaul health care later today. nbc's savannah guthrie is at the white house with details on what we're expecting to hear. savannah, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. later today the president will give a speech laying out a path forward to get this bill through, even though democrats acknowledge they do not have the votes right now. but senior aides say the president will make it clear today, this is do-or-die time for health care. >> hello, everybody! >> reporter: though he spent the day in savannah, georgia, the president was working health care long distance, sending a letter to congressional leaders saying he's willing to consider some republican ideas he heard last week at the health care summit, even as he prepares today to announce a strategy to pass the bill with democrats going it alone. >> senator, have we reached a de? >> reporter: capitol hill, meanwhile, was consumed with a different standoff. late tuesday, democrats reached a deal with republican senator jim bunning of kentucky, who has single-handedly blocked a 30-day extension of unemployment benefits because it would add to the country's $14 trillion debt. >> we cannot keep adding to the debt and passing the buck to generations of future workers and taxpayers, my children and your children, and our grandchildren. >> reporter: but democrats said bunning's tactic caused serious pain now. >> this could have been done last week. he was offered this chance last week. he wouldn't take it last week. and as a result, a lot of people have suffered and a lot of them have gone through hardship. >> reporter: meanwhile, some of the drama in washington was behind the scenes over white house chief of staff rahm emanuel. a front-page article in "the washington post" called emanuel "the force of political reason within the white house" who "could have helped the administration avoid its current bind if the president had heeded his advice on some of the most sensitive subjects of the year." famous for his hot temper, loose lips and take no prisoners style, the article exacerbated tensions between emanuel and some senior staff who suspect he has been complaining around town. but current and former white house aides downplayed the seriousness of the rift. >> it's no secret in this town when rahm has an opinion. he's not a shrinking violet. he doesn't exactly hold back, but everybody in this town also knows that once the president's made a decision, that's rahm emanuel's position 100%. >> reporter: now, there was a fair amount of irritation among the senior ranks about this spate of stories about rahm emanuel, but his j appears to look safe. as a practical matter, they need him to get health care across the finish line. of course, matt, he's made no secret of wanting to run for office again. in his last live interview on msnbc, though, he's committed to staying at the white house through 2010. >> savannah guthrie, thank you. former virginia governor tim kaine is the chairman of the democratic national committee. governor kaine, good to see you. >> matt, good to be back with you. >> we'll talk about rahm emanuel in a second. let's talk about health care. it appears the democrats will have to go it alone in the senate, what we call reconciliation, what the republicans are calling the nuclear option. republicans are saying if this happens, they will bludgeon the democrats with this issue in the midterm elections. mitch mcconnell saying it will come up in every race across the country. is this really the best strategy? >> yes, it is, matt. i look forward to the republicans fighting against a health care reform that helps seniors with prescription drug costs, enables parents to keep their kids on their insurance policies until they're , helps small businesses with tax credits to buy insurance and curbs insurance abuses. if they want to run a campaign on bring back the day of kicking people off for pre-existing conditions, i relish it. the american people are entitled to an up-or-down vote and that's what they're going to get. >> it's a little more ironic than that, governor, because the republicans used reconciliation a couple of times during the bush administration to pass tax cuts, so how are they going to go around in the midterm elections and say this was an undemocratic procedure? >> right. matt, the reconciliation is every bit as much a rule of the senate as the filibuster is, and as you point out, it has been used numerous times over the last two decades for major legislation, for health care legislation, for tax cuts that are much bigger than the financial impact of this bill. so, these guys, they like it when they like it, but now they're complaining about majority rule. the american people understand majority rule and we're going to have an up-odown vote on this bill. >> let's talk about rahm emanuel. this "washington post" article has angered some senior white house officials who think, perhaps, that rahm emanuel is behind the article, saying that the president should be listening to him more often. you know the key players here. is rahm emanuel a happy camper or are there some bruised egos in the white house? >> well, look, it is a hard-working and incredibly intense bunch and they're all opinionated, but rahm's a happy camper and rahm knows how to get the president to listen to him. the president respects him very, very deeply, and they hash issues out and then when the president makes a call, as i heard said earlier, rahm has no difficulty understanding who's the commander in chief. but look, in an opinionated and intelligent bunch like the white house, there's going to be differenviews. we're all pulling the oar the same direction to get the economy back on track and get health care to happen. >> right. governor, i've got two yes or no answers for you. >> okay. >> i'll give you two questions. i need yes or no answers. one, should charlie rangel give up his leadership role in the house ways and means committee? >> you're going to give me the second one or -- >> no, go ahead. take that one first. >> on that one, i'm going to leave it to him. >> that's not a yes or no. >> i know it but look, i'm not a potted plant. he is apparently going to make an announcement fairly quickly. it does need to be resolved after thethics report and i think you'll hear something soon. >> and david paterson, the governor of new york. should he resign? is he damaging the democratic party by sticking around? >> i respect his decision not to run for re-election and i think once that decision is made, the issue about a resignation over the course of the next few months is not that critical. i think, you know, if he wants to stick at it to try to help new york work through those challenging budget circumstances, that's fine. i do respect the decision not to run next year. >> it's like trying to get a yes or no answer out of meredith, governor, but that's all right. governor tim kaine, thanks very much for your time this morning. >> you bet, matt. thanks. >> all right. 16 after the hour. here is meredith. >> yeah. i respect him for dealing with you. now to more on the recovery efforts under way in chile, where despite hardship, people have already started to find ways to move on. ann curry is in the badly damaged city of constitucion this morning. >> reporter: it is remarkable to watch how a disaster like this can move people to find their inner strength and draw together, and that's what is happening now in chile, especially in this hard-hit town of constitucion. anna maria nasser of constitucion, coming to grips with the double whammy of what one of the strongest quakes on record and ensuing tsunami waves did to her home of 30 years. she says she and her husband are only alive because their son woke them and told them to run. "in life," she says, "we get so caught up in material things. we should value more than those things." in constitucion, the waves cut a mile and a half swamp. many people aretill missing. of constitucion's 38,000 people, more than 350 are known dead. the number still rising. 17-year-old victor lost eight members of his family, including his mother, three brothers and his child. the quake alone destroyed 90% of constitucion's downtown, where there is little gas and electricity, no running water and so far, little government help, though troops now enforce a dusk-to-dawn curfew. not waiting for government help, anna maria's family is a study in resilience. everyone -- children, cousins -- pitching in and picking up the pieces, their spirit unbroken. anna maria, who also lost her clothing shop, is saying, "yes, it hurts, i lost my house and my work." how will your family survive this? she answered, "we have the force of love from caring for your family from god." above the water line in her home, pictures of her children and faith that, like chile, she will rebuild her life one piece at a time. the reality is setting in here, and with it, a quiet determination to overcome this, too. from chile, matt, back to you. >> all right, ann curry this morning. ann, thank you very much. some vivid, new details have emerged about exactly what happened during last week's deadly killer whale attack at seaworld orlando. nbc's thanh truong is here with more on that. thanh, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. for the first time, we're getting very detailed accounts of the final and frightening moments of 40-year-ol dawn brancheau, when the highly perienced trainer was dragged under water in front of her loving co-workers and dozens of horrified tourists. in this home video taken just before her death, dawn brancheau plays with 12,000-pound tilikum during a pricey tourist event called "dining with shamu." at one point, she lies next to m near the water. seaworld's policy prohibits swimming in the water with tilikum. >> this particular animal we did not get in the water with. we worked him from stage. so, we knew that we had to be careful with him because of his size alone. >> reporter: seaworld also has a policy requiring free-flowing hair to be in a ponytail, which brancheau followed during the so-called relationship session, but that didn't prevent what was about to happen. in the witness statements to investigators, one employee says, "within the span of two seconds, she was pulled into the pool, unable to get her hair released from his mouth." witnesses said tilikum surfaced and dove again and again, hanging on to brancheau. another worker wrote "i saw tilly surface with a trainer in his mouth. he was becoming frantic himself." with alarms blaring, the staff desperately tried to pull tilikum in with nets and rescue brancheau, but to no avail. a worker witnessed tilikum's mouth opening. "he did let her go for several seconds, but no one was able to grab her. he got her again by the foot," the worker sa. >> and then he took her back down. >> reporter: tourist sue connell watched in horror. >> as her face, she was -- you could see the fear in her, and then he took her back down. >> reporter: witnesses said the rescue operation took nearly 30 minutes and tilikum's mouth had to be pried open twice to free brancheau. it's unclear what triggered the attack. >> i can tell by looking at the video that was taken that he was perfectly fine working with dawn in that session just prior to when she got pulled in by her hair. he was fine. >> reporter: but as seaworld reviews what happened, one park-goer says he noticed something strange during the previous show. >> after it was apparent that the whales weren't responding or, you know, complying with their directions, they seemed to kind of put a halt to the show. >> reporter: branchu's death is raising new questions about why seaworld didn't put even more precautions in place after this incident in 2006. at seaworld san diego park, when a killer whale grabbed this trainer by the foot. he managed to escape, barely. as seaworld continues its review, it's no longer allowing trainers to be in the water with any of the killer whales. as for the hair policy, trainers with long hair now have to wear it in a bun. apparently, matt, a ponytail is not good enough. >> thanh truong in orlando for us this morning. thanh, thank you very much. just ahead, the father of san diego teenager chelsea king speaks out. what he had to say at a touching vigil in his daughter's honor. but first, this is "today" on nbc. coming up, how dirty are your children's bath toys? the disturbing results of our investigation. plus, the cast of "227" reuniting for the first time in our studio. hold on a second... come on up here where your brothers sit. [ birds chirping ] wow! did i ever tell you what it was like growing up with four sisters? that sounds fun. yeah.fun for them! [ male announcer ] chevy traverse. a consumers digest best buy. with a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. it seats eight comfortably -- not that it always has to. 7:26 is your time now this wednesday, 2010. in the news this morning, a historic day in the d.c. marriage bureau. for the first time ever, same-sex marriage licenses will be issued. d.c. is the sixth place in the nation where gay marriages can take place. because of a waiting period, however, the couples applying today will not be able to wed until march 9. we'll have your w good morning. on radar we have a few lingering sprinkles on washington moving from south and east a little bit of drizzle elsewhere. temperatures are all above freezing, we're in the mid and upper 30s. now 38 in washington. highs today just near 40. maybe an additional passing shower. how's the traffic now, jerry? >> time to take a live look along i-66. pretty loaded up along most of the capitol beltway. no major accidents to report at this hour. let's see how we're doing along 270 from german town down to the split. just be careful, it still might be a little bit slick out there. >> tonight at 5:00 p.m., perfect pizza doesn't have to come from a box or in a brick can you go back to the right? no, back here. how about over here? hmm... let's go back to the left. uh... waffling is back at dunkin' donuts with the return of the waffle breakfast sandwich. two oven-toasted waffles with a hint of maple, complete with fluffy egg, a slice of melted cheese, and now with delicious sausage. so hurry in today because it's only around for a short time. america runs on dunkin'. try our oven-toasted waffle breakfast sandwich today, only at dunkin' donuts. 7:30 now on this wednesday morning, march 3rd, 2010. you're looking at all the fine folks who rolled out of bed early this morning to join us in rockefeller plaza, outside, a little soggy. we'll say hi in just a bit. i'm meredith vieira along with matt lauer. just ahead, test results every parent is going to want to hear. >> that's right. your child's favorite bath toys could be a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria and germs. coming up, what our investigation found and how to protect your family. also ahead, we will hear from the ohio man who was pushed to safety by a fast-thinking police officer just a split second before an out-of-control car slammed into them both. the horrific picture to see. >> amazing video. it really is. plus, "great tv families reunited." the cast of the popular '80s show "227" together again for the first time since that show ended 20 years ago. we're going to be chatting with the cast members, and there they are. don't worry, marla gibbs on her way. we're going to talk to the cast in a bit. >> on her way, marla. >> there you go. but we're going to begin with serious news. thousands mourners at an emotional vigil last night for chelsea king, just hours after a body believed to be the missing teen was found in a san diego park. nbc's janet shamlian has the latest. janet, good morning to you. >> reporter: meredith, good morning. it was the news everyone knew was coming but that no one wanted to believe. the body believed to be that of chelsea king was found yesterday, and the man police say took her life will be here in court today. it comes amid growing outrage in this community over the laws governing registered sexual offenders. what was supposed to be a vigil of prayers to bring chelsea home alive was instead a grief-stricken gathering mourning her death. >> one of the nicknames that i always called my daughter is my ang angel, and she's my angel forever. >> reporter: just hours earlier in the park where the 17-year-old high school senior ved to run, hopes were destroyed, fears were confirmed. >> it's with great sadness this afternoon that we discovered shortly after 1:00 human remains near the water's edge in a shallow grave. >> reporter: chelsea loved the lush and lonely trails of the rancho bernardo community park, but it's there, police say, she crossed paths with 30-year-old john gardner, a registered sex offender. he'll be arraigned later today. authorities say there's physical evidence linking him to chelsea, reportedly her underwear containing his dna. as court documents indicate, gardner has a long history of assaults. in 2000, he pleaded guilty to assaulting a 13-year-old neighbor after he invited her over to watch "patch adams." in an effort to spare the victim a lengthy trial, the prosecution went against advice from the court psychiatrist for the maximum sentence, who said gardner is "an extremely poor candidate for any sexual offender treatment" and "would be a continued danger to underage girls in the community." he served five years of a six-year sentence and completed three years parole in 2008. in december of last year, a young woman was attacked in the same park where chelsea's body was found. she escaped and has now told authorities she recognized gardner as her attacker. the younger sister wrote a moving op ed for her school paper, warning of the park's danger. enough questions about whether gardner is responsible for last year's disappearance of 14-year-old amber dubois. he was living two miles away when she vanished on her way to school. >> keep her spirit alive for us. >> reporter: one family's loss, but an entire community's heartbreak, as a promising life is cut tragically short. and as you saw, thousands of people attended that vigil last night, including her father, who spoke, as you saw, of husband daughter, whom he called his angel. prosecutors haven't said what charges will be filed, but we expect to hear more about the case that they will lay out later today. meredith, back to you. >> so sad. janet shamlian, thank you so much. nbc news analyst clint van zandt is a former fbi profiler. clint, good morning to you. >> hi, meredith. >> i know you were in san diego this weekend during this search for chelsea king. now that her body has apparently been found and john gardner will be arraigned later today, you have drawn some conclusions about this crime. what are those? >> well, number one, it's just a terrible loss for the family. thousands of people in the community were out looking for her. meredith, when i was in san diego, you couldn't walk 100 yards either way and not see a picture of this beautif girl's face while people were trying to find her, but when we look at the suspect, the individual who may be responsible, should he be responsible, this appears to be a preferential predator, someone with a lengthy, at least perhaps a ten-year history of crimes of assaults against women who had a perfect victim in his mind, perhaps a body type, an age, a height, a weight. but this was someone who also appeared to have a stalking ground. it looks like this park and the area around it, where he knew, meredith, this would be a target-rich environment. he knew all he had to do was bide his time, hang out in that area, and that eventually, one more perfect victim would walk by that he could attack, molest, and in this case, the authorities suspect, have murdered his victim. >> yeah. clint, it's believed the evidence linking gardner to chela is her underwear containing his dna. that dna evidence, is that a slam dunk as far as the prosecution is concerned? >>ell, it should be. i'm sure that the defense will try to come up with various reasons. you know, we may even hear some type of insanity, but you know, know full well, should he have done this crime, this man is not insane. he knew what he was doing. he tried to hide the crime and he left tell tale, physical evidence that positively links him to the exclusion of 310 million other americans, this is the person who appears to have had the last contact with her and he went out of his way to try to hide her body when he escaped. >> and now her murder is leading to questions about the disappearance of another girl, a 14-year-old a year ago. why are police so convinced that they have a strong suspect in this case now in gardner? >> yeah. well, she disappeared in the same area and she physically resembled chelsea, too. so, we have the same type of victim. remember, we're talking about a preferential offender. so, if he was looking for a certain type of victim in a certain area, this 14-year-old girl meets that criteria. and again, this guy has got a history reaching back ten years or more of assaulting victims. we know he assaulted this woman on december 27th. she's picked him out of a photo lineup. meredith, this is one more silent scream for a one strike law. put predators like this, if they're guilty, away. don't give them a second chance to hurt children. >> finally, he is a registered sex offender, 1 of some 700,000 in this country. how closely are people like him monitored? >> well, the challenge is -- let's talk about california. 83,000 known sex offenders in the state of california. everyarole officer, every person who has to monitor people like him has a case load of at least 70 people. so, that takes us back even to jaycee dugard in california, where we wondered, how could a parole officer, how could someone checking on a sex offender not have walked around in the backyard and found jaycee dugard and her children in a tent? in thisarticular case, too, who was checking on this guy? meredith, it's one more case of suggesting that the system is overloaded. and remember, california is in a financial situation now where they're talking about turning tens of thousands of criminals loose on the street simply because they can't provide health care. meredith, you know, somehow, instead of going to the moon, we need to take care of our problems right here. we need to protect our children from predators like this. >> all right, clint van zandt. very true words. thank you so much. >> thank you. and now let's switch gears and get a check of the weather from al. >> announcer: "today's weather" is brought to you by chase. introducing chase blueprint. manage your finances on your terms. do you have your blueprint? and good morning, everybody. taking a look as we move out west, we've got another storm moving in, and after this one, things kind of quiet down. that's good news. high surf advisories central and southern california. snowfall amounts, some of the erras could be looking at over a foot of snow. rainfall amounts, generally a quarter of an inch to half an inch of rain. rest of the country, from the plains all the way down to the gulf coast, great lakes, we're looking at plenty of sunshine, chilly conditions. even chilly down in florida. we've got that rain-snow line good morning, we have some rain and snow showers overnight but those have pretty much dissipated at this hour. temperatures have remained above freezing at this hour. and at this hour, we're in the mid and upper 30s, but it's only going to hold steady in the next couple of days, perhaps reaching near 40 by this afternoon and we might get a passing snow shower or rain snow shower later on this afternoon. we'll have more sunshine, suld and if you want to kee track of your weather all day long, don't forget, you can go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. meredith? >> al, thank you very much. and coming up next, the harmful germs we found lurking on bath toys. wait until you see the results of our investigation. that's right after this. nances. that's why chase cards come with blueprint. free and only for chase customers. with finish it, you can take your balance and decide your monthly payment... or how many months you wanto take to p it off. the faster you pay it off, the more you'll save... and the more progress you'll see every month on your plan. chase what matters i have my blueprint. do you? start your plan today. chase.com/blueprint. ...and plain tissue... ...caused quite a commotion. mom knows to use soothing puffs plus with lotion. plain tissue can irritate the sore nose issue. puffs plus with lotion is a more soothing tissue. yeah. strip? ok. absolutely! where's the music? ♪ i have a lot of uffiness at night. allergies. i was just diagned with a deviated septum. here's how it works... 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(announcer) when your name is smucker everyone knows you'll grow up to make the world's best jam. with a name like smucker's, it has to be good. we are back now at 7:43 with more of our series "secret filth exposed!" this morning, the germs that lurk on your kids' bath toys. "today" national correspondent amy robach did some testing, scientific testing here? >> it was scientific. this is fun with the cheerios, i think, in the morning. from rubber duckies to squirtable fish, you know every child has a favorite bath toy, but our investigation found those cute, little toys can also be secret hideouts for filth. ♪ splish splash i was taking a bath ♪ >> reporter: they look like good, clean fun. >> she loves the bath and loves playing with the toys. >> reporter: a little squeaking, a lot of squirting -- >> on their face, in their eyes, nose and ears. >> reporter: and yes, even some snacking. >> gnawing on that plastic seems to be fun for him, too. >> reporter: for these families, top toys turn bath time into playtime. but behind all the fun, could these trinkets be bathing their kids in germs? >> it's filth. the mothers don't think it is, because it's a cute, little toy. >> reporter: microbiologist philip tierno is one of the nation's top experts on household germs. he says when kids take a bath, the water and toys can become infested with bacteria from their bodies. >> bath water becomes literally a bacterial soup. the toys are the depository of these organisms and they can live and grow within that toy. >> reporter: so, what's growing inside our family's toys? to find out, we had them bag up their favorites and sent the toys to tierno's lab, where he tested each one for potentially harmful bacteria. >> mwah! >> reporter: our moms assumed their toys are clean. >> they don' look dirty. they're in water. they're plastic. >> reporter: in fact, surveys find most moms never disinfect their bath toys at all. but our test results may change their minds. >> we found high levels of fecal contamination in these toys. >> reporter: that's right. in nearly every toy tierno find sky-high counts of fecal bacteria like e. coli and strep. the worst were the toys with holes that trap water inside and let germs thrive. when tierno cut them open, they look like sewer pipes caked with blank chunks of bacteria, filth these kids could be ingesting every time they play. >> while in and of itself it may not make a person sick, a child can become ill temporarily with nausea and even possibly diarrhea. >> that is appalling. >> reporter: our germa-consciou moms couldn't believe it. now go back to your children putting those toys in their mouth. >> i'm sickened. i feel horrible. you know, as a mother, i feel like i let my kids down a little bit. >> reporter: and there's more. several of our families' toys tested positive for staphorios, known to cause skin infections. >> it's horrifying because my older son has eczema, and often has open sores over his body, so that's concerning. >> reporter: and it's not just germing bath water that causes this growth. even flushing the toilet may contaminate your toys from up to 20 feet away. >> each flush may aerosoly distribute or disperse equal contents of the flush into or onto the toys. >> reporter: tierno says to cut down on germs thoroughly, air-dry your toys away from any moisture and store them in a closed bin or closet. and most of all, avoid toys with holes that can create a bacterial bonanza. understandably, you all said you were throwing out the bath toys we tested. i get it. we didn't want your kids not to have fun in the bath. there are safe toys. so we got you all safe rubber duckies without holes ♪ rubber ducky, you're the one >> reporter: because at this age, the only thing bette than a bird in the bath is one in the mouth. and experts say a good way to disinfect your bath toys, wipe them off with alcohol or peroxide after using them. and if you see any of that black stuff, just throw the toy out. i've done that myself. i've seen the black stuff and it's pretty gross. and there's really no cleaning that. >> i'll just take a check, please. oh. >> sorry. >> amy, thank you. tomorrow, "secret film exposed!" in rental cars. now i can't even drive anymore. up next, the ohio teen pushed to safety by a quick-thinking cop speaks out right after this. your 90-day prescription supply from a place... you already trust to keep you staying well. walgreens. you'll have the confidence of knowing your walgreens... pharmacist has personally checked your medications. and you'll be in control of how and when you pick them up. so you can relax and enjoy all your benefits. cheese! walgreens. there's a way to stay well. and we've been open 24 hours a day -- 7 days a week. and we've made a tremendous amount of progress. you know, safety and reliability is top priority. i mean i got a family, too. i got a mother, a grandmoth, kids, nd we all drive in tse cs. i am 100% confident in the product. male announcer ] we're grateful to technicians like ronny who are helpings provide you with fe and reliae vehicles. for mo information, please visit toyota.com. 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how can i get paid faster? i was about to ask you the same thing. and they're inspiring ideas like acceptpay. a new tool from open that lets owners invoice digitally and helps them get paid faster. ask a question. find an answer. join the conversation at openforum.com. 7:55 is your time now, wet roads and it's slick out there. we'll have the forecast after the news. it is wednesday march 3, 2010. in the news this morning, heads up for drivers in the crystal city area. davis highway is shut down because of a water main break. drivers are being detoured on to parallel routes like southeast and south clark. maryland has not raised the tax on beer and wine since '72. we're going to take a quick break now and we'll be back with your weather and traffic. stay wit good morning, we have had some overnight rain showers and snow showers that have pretty much dissipated at this hour. right now we're faeblging just near 40 this afternoon, we'll have a blustery wind throughout the day, gusting to around 25 miles an hour. and then we should make it into the mid 40s on friday, with sunshine, sunny on saturday, high near 50. as we get into sunday, monday and tuesday, more settled weather. >> a live look along 395 all lanes loaded eed up most of th to the 14th street bridge. >> jerry, thank you. tonight on news4 at 5:00 p.m., 8:00 now on a wednesday morning. it's the 3rd day of march 2010, and yep, not such a nice day here in the northeast. we've got rain or freezing rain, a little snow mixed in as well. but you know what? we've also got some really nice people who have been here for a couple of hours already this morning waving to us and the people back home. thank you, folks, f sticking around. we appreciate it. by the way, i think you're listening -- can you hear in the background? >> what? >> the theme song -- >> not yet. that was our theme song. >> here we go! >> there we go. there's an '80s sitcom theme song. that's "227's" "there's no place like home." matt lauer along with meredith vieira, al roker. fun fact -- who performed that song? >> i know, but i'm not going to say. >> you can say. >> all right, marla gibbs! >> marla gibbs performing that song. that's right. >> i didn't know that. that was a fun fact! >> that's right. that sitcom, "227," set in a washington, d.c., apartment building, big hit before going off the air back in '90s. we well, this morning for the first time since it went off the air, the cast back together again. day three of our series "great tv families reunited." we're going to catch up with the cast of "227," still having a good time. >> they're cracking themselves up. >> that's it. in just a little bit. are you guys in debt, credit card debt? >> not really. >> try not to be. >> good. well, if you are, should you work with a collection agency so you only pay back some of what you owe, or does that hurt you credit score? we'll get our answer from our "money 911" panel. >> all right. we've had a great theme song this morning, more great music on the way. lady antebeum, the country trio will perform -- grammy-winning country trio. they're going to perform in our studio later on in the show. but firefightbefore that, natal the news desk while ann's on assignment. >> good morning, everyone. president obama today unveiled his health care plan, pushing to get it passed by the end of this month. the president said, though, he will consider a handful of republican ideas from last week's bipartisan summit. however, democratic leaders said they are prepared to move ahead without any republican support. officials in chile say troops have now stopped the looting that broke out after saturday's devastating earthquake. meantime, newly released video from a nigclub shows the panic that broke out when the magnitude 8.8 quake struck. rescuers are still searching for survivors as the death toll nears 800. overseas markets are mostly higher this morning. cnbc's melissa lee's at the new york stock exchange. melissa, lots of attention on greece. >> reporter: that's right, natalie. good morning to you. greece this morning announcing spending cuts that amount to about $6.5 billion. greece had to take drastic measures with its budget because there were concerns that it would default on its debt and that would then spread crisis among other european countries that are heavily burdened with debt, such as portugal and spain. so far, those measures are being cheered by the markets. the euro trading higher against the dollar. natalie. >> melissa lee at the new york stock exchange. thank you. a texas mother gave defensive driving a whole new meaning when she used her car to stop a pair of suspected criminals. reporter scott gordon of nbc station kxas has the story. >> i see a white car turned backwards, backed up into my driveway. >> reporter: kristy ellis was pulling up to her house when she saw her front door wide open and a strange car out front. she called 911. >> the trunk is open. i'm sitting right here in front of my driveway. i don't know what to do ma'am. >> reporter: ellis, a mother of three, couldn't wait. >> i was mad. >> reporter: so mad, she tried to stop the burglars from making their getaway. >> i put it up in gear like this, just went nose to nose with him like that, blocked them in. i didn't know what else to do. and he couldn't go anywhere but right this direction. >> reporter: the burglars took off through the neighbor's yard. >> so, then i put it in reverse, slammed it in reverse and go this way and try and t-bone him in right here. >> don't hit my car! he justit my car! the other one -- they're -- oh, my god! >> reporter: officers quickly caught up with the two suspects, both just 19 years old. >> it was just unbelievable. first of all, i caught them. i recovered all my stuff. they're in jail. how more perfect can you get than that? >> reporter: ellis says she doesn't recommend anyone else do what she did, and police don't either, but in this case, they say it all worked out. scott gordon, nbc news, ft. worth. >> it is 8:04 right now. let's head back outside to meredith and matt. scary situation. >> yeah, very. >> natalie, thank very much. hmm, kind of an interesting day out here. >> it is. >> rain, snow, rain, snow. >> got a little mix, going to change over, nothing too teterrible. good morning. whose birthday? >> my birthday! >> happy birthday! what's your name? >> thank you. mary. >> where are you from, mary? >> wisconsin. >> happy birthday. we'll get you some pringle for your birthday. okay, let's check your weather, see what's happening. pick city of the day, topeka, kansas, nbc 27. sunny and cool, 47 degrees. for the month ahead, we've got much above-normal temperatures in the northwest, continuing that way. much below-normal temperatures in the south. above normal in the north. then as we look at precipitation, it's going to stay wet. we've had this el nino. this is the urth most powerful el nino since 1950. drier than normal in the great lakes into the northeast and drier than well, good morning, we have had some passing snow showers and rain showers overnight but at the moment the precipitation has just about ended, there are a few sprinkles in washington unty, and the eastern shore. we could have a few more passing snow showers and/or rain showers. we stayed above freezing overnight, the roads are just wet. it's now 38 in washington, highs near 40 and a bluster riff and we've got a happy 16th birthday. what's your name? >> micah. >> and you want a hug, micah? there you go. she wants one from matt and meredith, too. so you've got it to give her a hug. >> we will certainly in a second. happy birthday to her. when we come back, there's no place like home. cast of "227" reunites in our studio. we'll chat with the cast. first, these messages. to smoke your ribs low and slow over pecan wood chips for a sweet, smoky flavor. then i triple-baste them till they're fall-off-the-bone tender. this is shiner bock barbecue sauce i'm using. come in now for baby back ribs. choose 1 of 10 freshly prepared entrées plus an appetizer for just $9.99. only at chili's. it's all in the pepperation. 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[ female announcer ] we all love. ♪ we all share. ♪ we all create. ♪ and we all get dirty. try new and improved all with more cleaning ingredients. all's trusted, powerful stainlifters help get your whole wash incredibly clean. and costs up to 40% less than the leading brand. for all your laundry, it's all good. ♪ no place like home back now at 8:09 on day three of our special series "great tv families reunited." this morning, got a good one, the cast of the popular '80s sitcom "227" is together again for the first time since the show went off the air 20 years ago. here's a quick look back. >> ooh. ♪ there's no place like home ♪ with your family around you, you're never alone ♪ ♪ when you know that you love, you don't need to roam 'cause there's no place like home ♪ >> reporter: "227" premiered in 1985 and proved, just like the song says, that there's "no place like home." it did so by showing off the colorful personalities inside this washington, d.c., apartment building, number 227, where the gossip on the front stoop between best friends was often just as hot as the coffee. >> good afternoon, rose. >> good afternoon, mary. >> girl, i heard the o'ryans got a crack in their mallet. >> no! >> yeah. >> i can't believe it! they just celebrated their silv anniversary. >> i can tell you one thing, they ain't going for the gold. >> reporter: but audiences tuned into nbc on saturday nights to watch for more than just stoop talk. they connected with this loving, working-class family that happened to be black. housewife mary jenkins ruled the roost. >> you girls finish your homework? >> daddy! >> mary. >> lester? >> sorry. >> reporter: while construction worker and supportive husband lester brought home the bacon. >> mary, i know i don't always say it when i should, but i love you. >> lester. >> reporter: their teen daughter, brenda, was an honor student, raised to respect her parents, but often took after mom by speaking her mind. >> it's my new look. >> child, come back here. >> i'm not a child. i'm almost a woman. >> reporter: among the other tenants, rose holloway, the constant voice of reason. >> better listen to her, mary. she knows what she's talking about. >> reporter: the cranky, yet caring, nosy neighbor pearl with her grandson calvin. >> have you gone crazy, boy? >> um, yes, ma'am, i think i have. >> reporter: and who could forget sandra clark? >> look at this old rag. >> reporter: the sexy and single tenant who always knew how to vamp. the sitcom spoke to every family matter from finances to friendship to teenage dating. >> i have to grow up some time. >> yeah, but so fast? >> reporter: and that's what made it relatable. the show ended in 1990, but since then, there's been no place like "227." >> i mean, no place, child. >> and here they are, the cast of "227." golden globe and emmy nominee marla gibbs, who played mary jenkins. regina king played daughter brenda. jackee harry won her role as sandra clark, and curtis baldwin played calvin dobbs. good morning. >> good morning. >> when i said it went off the air 20 years ago, you all went nuts. >> yes. >> i think you got that wrong. it wasn't 20 years ago. >> wow. >> so, what does it feel like, you all back together again on tv? >> great. >> great. >> any time we can get together with our tv family, we're very happy. >> you know, not to bring this down, but we want to pay a little tribute to one member who couldn't be here because she passed on. >> alaina, yes. >> alaina. tell us about her. >> she looks so great, the picture you see was her birthday, and we had a party for her, and she looked so great. she looked like she was on the other side of it. she had gotten -- >> and she just passed a few months ago, alaina reed, so, we miss her. this show, back in the day, you know, this was a show about a family that just happened to be black. >> right. >> why do you think this show resonated so much with people? >> because i think we represented a lot of people across the board in the country. they felt, they related to us. because you know, our families were always situation comedies. a lot of people going through those situations, so they related. >> and how -- this was a show that actually started out as a play. what was it like translating a show from play to tv? >> well, it was good, because we had marla fighting for the honor of not being a black woman alone trying to raise a family, to having a caring, hard-working family -- >> this was a nuclear family. >> oh, yeah, very much so. >> and jackee, you exploded on this show. i mean, were you playing to type or did you have to research this a bit? >> i'm going to cut you up, al. [ laughter ] i wasn't playing to anything initially. i was just trying to be funny. marla can tell you this, because she was at all the auditions, all 400 of them. and i just came in and i wanted to be something different, so i had my girlfriends from high school and mae west and lucile ball, i put them all together. >> all together. >> uh huh. i had that walk and they said do more of that. and i said, you sure? >> and i'm sure you had to be coaxed out of your shell. >> i -- no, no, no, you know, but i thought -- because i was telling regina, who is our star -- this is our star. really. we adore and i'm going to come to tears because she's just so wonderful. not that she wasn't wonderful then, but she was a kid. but now she's just a great actress and we're so proud of you. >> thank you. >> we're still waiting for you to call us. >> wow! do you guys stay in touch? do you guys? >> yes. >> yeah, we do. >> marla and i are great friends. i've come full circle with her, you know. just get it out of the way, we are like this. >> i love so much just being -- and i'm a little misty because this is the first time we've all been together and just to hear you say that just means so much, but i learned so much just from being around them, where i am today, the foundation -- >> you really have tears in your eyes. >> yeah. the foundation started on this show. i learned the importance of being a professional and when jackee was talking about staying out of the other person's idea -- >> places and things. >> the eye lines and how they, you know, things that were going on in their personal lives, i never was privy to those things. they never brought them to work. i found out about them as an adult, was like, what, really? >> and curtis, you wanted, publicly, you wanted to thank marla because she took a chance on you. >> i surely do. i love her. she's like my mom. she's an incredible, incredible inspiration to my life, you know. having crossroads in the community where i can go and stay away from all negative things and find something positive to be involved in just makes her an incredible person in my life. >> just real honored -- >> thank you, calvin. >> now marla, it's fortunate enough for an actor to be associated with one great role. you have been fortunate enough to have two. we knew you as florence for 11 seasons, your first, you know, on "the jeffersons." >> two incredible families, yes. >> what is that like, being part of two iconic characters, portraying two iconic characters? >> it was fantastic. i mean, i can't forget "the jeffersons" cast and i can't forget the "227" cast. i was so fortunate to go from one wonderful cast to another, and -- >> and how -- i'm sorry, go ahead. and we were just like family, all of us. >> in doing a show like this, you, i would assume, have to become fairly close, but like any family, i'm sure sometimes you get on each other's -- you would get on each other's nerves. >> oh, yeah. >> did that ever happen, hal? >> except for curtis, i was there with all these ladies, and it was just the second time in my career that had happened. i had been in a series where i was the only guy, you know, and i had five or six ladies all around me. so, oh, yeah, you know. i told them, don't call me to make up. come bring makeup to my room. but it was really wonderful with all of them. i mean, i got different points of view from every woman and i loved th all for it. >> it's like you had four wives on this show. >> oh, yeah. >> talk to me about pearl, helen martin, who played pearl. >> wow, pearl. >> incredible. >> we were just saying some helenisms before we came in. >> i told you one. childhood with a razor. what's the other one? >> if anything ever drops, you say who dropped the teeth? >> the day she died, she was in the hospital and the doctor said, don't worry, helen, you're going to be fine. she said, "oh, yeah? thenhat the hell am i doing in here?" i mean, she was feisty and -- >> she was. >> and no one ever knew how old helen was. >> no, you didn't know. >> she admitted to 94. >> wow. >> a show like this, why don't you think we have shows like this on the air anymore? >> we're not the ones to ask. [ laughter ] >> hey, i need this job. don't hurt me here. jackee, you portrayed such a memorable character. was that, in a sense, a double-edged sword -- >> yes. >> in that it was such a great character, but you could get pigeon-holed doing something like that. >> i have gotten pigeon-hold. i was telling regina in the green room, on "law & order," that bothers me because i'm an actor and i can act, and you get type-cast, but she said forget that. you've becom somhing great to somebody and marla tells me this, stop it. and i have to, because i look like, ew, when you show the clips, i go, ew, ew, you know? because i didn't mean to do that. i just meant to be funny, but -- >> she was funny. >> yes, no question about that. >> the same cut sometimes and laugh, and she was so ridiculous. >> so ridiculous. >> ridiculous. regina, you made the transition from a child actress to a bona fide actress star, breaking out, especially in "ray." do you look bac at what you learned here on "227" to be able to put that into motion in what you've done? >> definitely. i feel like when it was actually happening and we were doing the show, i wasn't realizing -- i did not realize the training ground that i was on. i didn't -- all the jewels that i was getting from everybody around me. and then, you know, as an adult, i'm like, man, i see, sometimes i see kids on set and i'm like, ooh, we would have never been able to do that, get away with that. but yeah, i am aware that i wouldn't be here if i didn't have just this strong foundation it was five years. >> wow. well, you guys are terrific and we lk forward to you sticking around. marla gibbs, regina king, jackee harry, hal williams and curtis baldwin hanging around to answer your e-mails coming up. >> uh-oh! >> that's right. submit them to todayshow.com. that's right, i want you to target jackee, give her a hard time. still ahead -- >> i love you, al! >> i love you, too. what you can do to treat and even prevent thinning hair. little late for me, but first, these messages. i was active, eating healthy. i thought i was in great shape. so i was surprised when my doctor told me i still had high cholesterol. that rlly hit me, and got me thinking about my health. i knew i had to get my cholesterol under control. but exercise and eating healthy weren't enough for me. now i trust my heart to lipitor. 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[ female announcer ] ...sounds pretty good. all done. good job. mustache. ♪ [ female announcer ] childhood is calling. former alaska governor sarah palin paid a visit to our good friend, jay leno, last night, and it appeared as though she had r eyes on his job as host of "the tonight show." take a look. >> making her comedy debut, please welcome sarah palin! sarah palin. >> thank you! i am so happy to get to be here. this is the thrill of a lifetime really. in alaska, being so different from los angeles. here, when people have a frozen look on their face, i find out it's botox. but a great show tonight. shaun white on the show. oh, what an amazing athlete. i watched him do a double mctwist 1260, and the only other people too a double mctwist 1260 was last week, the white house on health care. last time i was this close to the flying tomato was when someone threw one at me at a book signing. and i have been really busy. picked up a gig in las vegas at the legend show playing tina fey. but jay, thank you so much for inviting me. i saw where it's been a few weeks of unfair, nonstop criticism, people who don't know the real story. and i just say, jay, welcome to my world. >> all right, sarah palin! >> what a monologue, huh? >> very good. uh huh. i like the tina fey joke. >> made a couple of rim shots. >> she looks very comfortable. >> she's quite the entertainer. >> you should do a monologue. >> it's enough to do this show. coming up, much more with the cast of "227" after your local news and weather. ♪ #. 8:26 is our time right now, 38 degrees, you can see clouds, rain and drizzle out. i'm joe krebs and in the news4 today, in just a few minutes, same-sex couples will be able to apply for a marriage license in the district. couples will be able to apply at 8:30 this morning. d.c. is the sixth place in the nation that will be able to get a marriage license. couples won't be able to wed until march 9. we'll come back and look at our weather and traffic right after temperatures around the morning above freezing. rain showers have ended but we could get a few more. a bit warmer over the weekend with highs in the 50s. >> taking a live look along state 270. no accidents just volume, one more stop, 395 northbound, jammed to the 14th street bridge. >> tonight on news4 at 5:00, perfect pizza does not have to come from a box or from a brick oven, you can make it right in 8:30 now on this wednesday morning, march 3rd, 2010. not the prettiest start to the day here in new york. a little snow and rain outside on the plaza. there's a few intrepid folks out ther waving hi to friends and family back home. just ahead, important information on dvt or deep vein thrombosis. >> many of you will remember it contributed to the death of our good friend and colleague david bloom nearly seven years ago. coming up, we'll talk to david's widow, melanie, and learn how to protect yourself. what you need to know about dvt. also ahead, should you sell your home if your home is less than your mortgage now? our "money 911" panel will be weighing in on that. and calling all hogwart fans, don't forget with our wizarding world of harry potter at orlando resort contest. go to our website and find out how to enter to win a trip to this spring's opening celebrate at universal's island of adventure in orlando. >> you make it sound so exciting. >> iis exciting! >> it will be. >> yes. talk about exciting, look who is here, emmy award-winning actress lisa kudrow, executive producer of the new show "who do you think you are?" this is where we watch celebrities as they trace their roots, and you're one of the people, you go back to belarus, right? >> right. >> to find out more about your great grandmother. >> that's right, yeah. i go back to belarus and then on to poland. and yeah, just to -- it's not a really light episode because it's a holocaust story. so, it's a little relentless until this ridiculously happy surprise at the end. >> oh. >> which, that's sort of the weird feature of this show, because no one knows, no one of the seven of us knew -- >> where the journey was going to take you. >> -- what was going to happen, right. we explore, and it's an investigation and you learn more about your ancestry, and there were huge surprises for everybody that couldn't have been scripted. >> you talk about the seven people, and you've got some big names here i'll get to in a second. but i'm curious, when you start to say to a celebrity, okay, come on and let's do this with you on the show, how many of the tis do you then dig into that celebrity's past and go, there's nothing really interesting here? how many of them turn out great? >> i am soy about th, matt. [ laughter ] no, i know you have -- >> i have an interesting past. >> oh, yes, you do. we know everythi. >> uh-oh. >> it didn't happen. that was the big shock. >> really? >> because it's a british show. they've been doing it for seven or eight seasons, and they warned us, there's going to be about 30% that there will be no story, and it didn't happen. >> some of the actresses and celebrities that signed up for the project, sarah jessica parker. her story premieres this friday. spike lee, susan sarandon, emmitt smith. i imagine before discovering any of their story lines, any particular favorite for you? it's got to be difficult. >> that is difficult, because they're all great, and i'm not kidding. i'm not just selling a show. they're all great. >> you are, because you're the executive producer of the show. >> right, i mean, i am. i am. >> what was it like? >> no, but they're all great. and i have to say honestly, emmitt smith has moments in this episode -- he's a wonderful teacher. historians speak quickly sometimes, and he's like, all right, hold on a minute, and he repeats what was just said and then he has these moments of revelation, and it's unbelievable. >> it sounds like a fascinating look. we traced our roots on this show long ago and we all learned something we didn't know. so, i'm looking forward to hearing the stories you tell. >> lisa, thank you so much. >> congratulations. >> good to have you back. >> remind the audience, "who do you think you are?" premieres this friday at 8:00/7:00 central time right here on nbc. >> mr. roker, who do you think you are? >> yeah. well, i think i'm usually wrong about half the time, but that's another story. let's check it out, show you what's going on for today. we've got a storm system off the mid-atlantic coast causing some snow into the northeast. nothing too horrible, a couple inches. we're looking at more rain moving through the pacific northwest, sunshine through the gulf. then for tomorrow, we've got windy conditions throughout the new engld coastline. we've got rain in the morningngi good morning, the overnight rain and snow we had has ended locally and there's still a little light rain on the lower part of the jersey shore and temperatures remain above freezing overnight so what snow that fell certainly did melt around the region and other areas where it did stick on some surfaces. 38 in washington, highs today just near 40, there's a chance of an additional passing snow shower or rain shower today and a blustery northwest wind and if you want to keep track of your weather all day long, don't forget to turn to the weather channel on cable or you can check out weather.com online. now, let's head on down to uncle willie, who's in ft. myers, florida. hey, uncle willie. >> hey, you sweet thing. god bless nbc. what a wonderful job. we're all suffering from, i think, olympic withdrawal now. all those beautiful young people. bucky gus, one of our guys, we love him. he was our director, i believe. anyway, it was terrific. god bless. and jay's back, so all's right with the world. happy birthday from smucker's. always the best in the business. try their ice cream toppings, too. that's terrific. and their peanut butter. peggy straton of south logan, ohio, is 110. attributes her longevity to eating healthy and using crisco on her face daily. loves going shopping. i know a couple of people who have said that. sara spitalnik, sunrise, florida, is 100 years old. loves singing and the last on the dance floor. they have to carry her off. action. harold rowe of cumming, georgia. he's from new york but lives in georgia now. happy birthday, sir. and netta eddy, how about that? that would be a great state name. nicholasville, kentucky. secret to longevity is quilting until she was 101, despite having arthritis. okay, frances fuller from my old adoptive washington, d.c. how sweet it is. still goes to exercise classes. proud grandmother who loves being with the grandkids. they are a blessing. ora edwards, oramay edwards. she's got three names. of kennewick, washington state. 100 years old. retired from teaching at 80. how about that? and volunteers at the hospital, works the front desk. i bet people are glad to see her. and salina grennon. is that right? port orange, florida. 105. second time she's tried to get on the show. get this, she's beaten cancer three times and she goes to church all the time. that's it. that's all from your friends in ft. myers, the beautiful platinum coast. >> hey, uncle willie, how warm is it down there? >> oh, it's incredible. it's probably 85, 90, something like -- >> yeah, baby! oh, mama! >> nice. >> oh, yeah! ♪ a pretty boy >> give us a little spin, uncle willie. show us the whole package. >> looking mighty fine, uncle willie. >> it's about 52 or something. it's nice. >> shorts weather. >> first the bath toys, now the legs. i mean, come on! >> they cut it down at nbc, you know. they took my pants. >> all right, willie. >> that's one of jay leno's monologue. >> he's got nice legs. >> he does. >> uncle willie. still ahead, the cast of "227" answers your >> announcer: "today's health" is brought to you by kellogg's rice krispies cereal. >> we're back now at 8:40. this morning on "today's health," we're talking about dvt or deep vein thrombosis. we learned about it here at nbc back in 2003 when our frid and colleague david bloom died of complications from it while he was covering the early days of the war in iraq. march is dvt awareness month and david's widow, melanie bloom, is now the national patients spokesperson for the coalition to prevent dvt. dr. gina merly is a member of the coalition committee and mary lee wilson is the creator and host of the program "sit and be fit." good morning. nice to see you all. >> good morning. >> doctor, i mentioned a blood clot, and clearly, that's where we begin, but give me a more technical answer. what exactly is dvt? >> dvt is a blood clot, matt, that develops in the legs and forms and blocks the blood vessel, preventing flow from getting back up to the heart. sometimes, this could break off and become a pulmonary 'em bollism. >> and what surprises me is 1 in 20 people will have a blood clot or partial blood clot in their life. do we know what causes these? >> no. i think some of the risk factors we're concerned about and essentially promote are patients who are age over 40, prolonged immobility and overweight are just three, and our website contains a longer list, but those are three that are very. this prolonged immobility is a big factor, matt. >> and melanie, i want to make sure we understand this. we're talking about a blood clot here, but david died of a pulmonary embolism. connect the dots. >> it's essentially the same clot. when it forms in the leg, it's a dvt. when a piece of that clot breaks loose and hits the lungs, it becomes a pulmonary embolism, but it's the same clot. it travels and hits the lungs and then they call it a pe. >> keep in mind, we want to remember what david was doing at the time this happened. he had spent hour after hour riding around in military vehicles during, as i mentioned, the early days of the war in iraq. what, if any, symptoms did he experience and what are common symptoms that other people experience? >> right. great question, because david was only 39, picture of health, but he had been sleeping every night in this cramped tank with his knees pulled up to his chin. so, he had the restricted mobility or circulation of the lower legs. they were dehydrated. the water supply lines were dwindling and your blood becomes more sluggish when you don't stay fully hydrated. so, those were two contributing risk factors for david. >> was there pain? did he feel pain? >> he mentioned some pain. two nights before his death, he mentioned he was sleeping outside on top of the tank. i said get back inside where you're safe. and he said i've got to stretch out. i've hadeg cramps. >> and we talk about stretching out, movement. and i use the word exercises, but we should be careful about that. these are simple movements. we're not talking about breaking a sweat he >> exactly. >> we're talking about doing things to simply keep moving. what would you suggest? >> right. we have some wonderful suggestions on our website. however, i'm going to show you about three of them here. i have a group that's going to help me. >> that's fine, okay. pretend we're in the front row of an airliner or something like that. >> okay. first one is a foot pump. we're going to do both feet together. normally, we'd have our feet on the floor, toes up. >> right. >> flatten the feet -- >> i am. >> toes up and heels up. >> and if you've been immobilized for a certain a of time, how often should you be doing something like this? >> personally, i'd say every hour, as often as you can think of it, really. >> okay. >> then some others are a very nice, slow circle with the toes and then you can reverse it and do the other leg. and the other wonderful exercise is lifting the knee and then straightening your leg, because you want to get as much room behind that knee as possible. >> and you know, even as we do these, melanie, the good news is -- because i know your main goal is to raise awareness about this -- i've been on planes and i've seen people doing things like this. maybe not exactly in this order, but some form of this. >> right, which is great. we can't always get up and walk around as much as we would like to on a flight. you can do these with your feet, not only while traveling, but sitting at your computer desk for a long period of time. people in assisted living facilities, hospitals. any time your mobility is restricted, you can do these simple movements. and 2 million americans will develop a clot each year. 200,000 people will die every year from this. that's more than aids and breast cancer combined. >> the statistics are alarming and we appreciate the information. melanie, thank you. good to see you. doctor, thank you. mary ann, thank you as well. coming up next, aive performance by one of the hottest groups around today. we'r >> announcer: "the toyota concert series" on "today" brought to you by toyota. toyota, moving forward. so, who leads the way with the most academy of country music award nominations? not carrie underwood, not taylor swift, not kenny chesney. it is this group, lady antebellum, with seven. their latest album is called "need you know." it's charles kelly, hillary scott and david haywood. congratulations. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> are you used to the accolades? >> not yet. it's been pretty wild for us, the past, you know few weeks with the new record coming out. it's been pretty surreal. we're all having fun. we're great friends and we've been having a blast. >> this record is playing not just on country stations, right, charles? it's on other stations as well. >> yeah. "need you now" has been played on a lot of pop stations. and it's really wild for us, because we have a lot of friends calling, saying they're hearing the songs all over. >> sueset, i mean, country western, country music fans are going to worry that maybe you're traveling away from your roots. no? >> no, not at all. if you listen to the rest of the album, it's very, very country, especially our current single right now, which is called "american honey." but i mean, i think it's just a universal topic. i think people can relate to what it talks about, whether you want to admit it or not. and so, i think that's what's resonating with people. >> and a lot of the music you co-write, you call it group therap charles. >> i don't know. you know, it's nice for us to be able to kind of share our different experiences, and you know, i'm married now, so there's a lot to talk about there, and these guys are single and there's always some new drama going on. >> some breakup. >> exactly. something for the music. you're going to perform "need you now." lady antebellum, take it away. >> thank you. >> hey, sorry i missed your call, but just leave a message after the beep. >> hey, it's me. just been thinking about everything tonight. i don't know. just, i just miss you so much. give me a call back, if you can. ♪ ♪ picture perfect memories, scattered all around the floor ♪ ♪ reaching for the phone 'cause i can't fight it anymore ♪ ♪ and i wonder if i ever cross your mind ♪ ♪ for me it happens all the time ♪ ♪ it's a quarter after one, i'm all alone and i need you now ♪ ♪ said i wouldn't call but i've lost all control and i need you now ♪ ♪ and i don't know how i can do without, i just need you now ♪ ♪ another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door ♪ ♪ wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before ♪ ♪ and i wonder if i ever cross your mind ♪ ♪ for me it happens all the time ♪ ♪ it's a quarter after one, i'm a little drunk and i need you now ♪ ♪ said i wouldn't call but i've lost all control and i need you now ♪ ♪ and i don't know how i can do without, i just need you now ♪ ♪ whoa, whoa ♪ i guess i'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all ♪ ♪ it's a quarter after one, i'm all alone and i need you now ♪ ♪ and i said i wouldn't call but i'm a little drunk and i need you now ♪ ♪ and i don't know how i can do without, i just need you now ♪ ♪ i just need you now ♪ ♪ oh, baby, i need you now ♪ >> lady antebellum, thank you very much. more music in a bit. we are back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. 8:56 is our time right now, 38 degrees outside, cloudy and kind of drizzly. in the news4 today, heads up for drivers in the crystal city area, jefferson davis highway is still shut down. drivers are being rerouted. you could soon be paying more for your favorite adult beverage in america. today leggit plans to join a broad coalition of maryland citizens to push for that increase. maryland has not raced the tax on beer and wine since 1972 or the tax on liquor and spirits has not gone up since 1955. we'll take a break now and come back and look at good morning, temperatures now in the mid and upper 30s with a blustery northwest wind. we might get a passing rain shower with highs near 40. >> take a live look topside of the beltway, heavy and slow, college park around silver spring, lanes are now open. 395 northbound and all lanes are open to and across the 14th street bridge. >> perfect pizza doesn't have to come from a box we're back now with more of "today" on a wednesday morning. it's the 3rd of march 2010. it is a little bit messy, nasty out there. you can see the water on the lens. we've got some in, some sleet, some snow, a little bit of everything out there, but thanks to those people for stickin around on rockefeller plaza. inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and al roker. ann is, of course, covering the earthquake down in chile. and coming up in this half hour, the latest on the investigation at one of the nation's busiest airports right here in new york. we're talking about jfk, where a child was allowed to direct flights from the control tower a couple of weeks ago. it was all caughtn tape. you'll hear some of those transmissions and we'll talk about how it could happen in just a little while. all right, also, with the nation's unemployment ratetill at a whopping 9.7%, we've got some advice on what you should do with your 401(k) if you've been laid off. plus, the best strategy if you're behind on your credit card bills. all that's coming up this morning from our expert panelists in "today's money 911." it's a common problem for men and women as well, 60%, in fact, are going to be dealing with hair loss at some point in their lives. it can be traumatic for many, but the good news is you can fight back. we're going to show you some things you can do and give you helpful advice. >> we always think about it as a guy's problem, but it does affect women. >> more than 60% of women. >> absolutely. and they're back. the neighbors on "227." the cast, led by tart-tongued marla gibbs. they haven't been together in 20 years since the show ended, but we changed that today and they're sticking around to answer your e-mail questions. >> all right. we'll get to that, but first, with ann down in chile, you've got a check of the headlines. >> that's right. in the news this morning, re on that investigation under way at jfk airport in new york after an unbelievable incident. the faa wants to know why a child was allowed to direct flights from the control tower. nbc's tom costello is in washington. tom, good morning. >> reporter: hi, natalie. the air traffic controllers union says it doesn't condone this kind of behavior. we've learned that the child made a total of five transmissions from the control tower at jfk. and now investigators are trying to piece it all together. how did this happen? at new york city's jfk airport, air traffic controllers handle more than 1,000 flights ery day. two weeks ago, on february 17th, a new voice in the control tower. a child was directing the planes. >> jetblue 171, clear for takeoff. >> clear for takeoff, jetblue 171. >> this is what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school. >> wish i could bring my kid to work. >> reporter: the faa tells nbc news one of the air traffic controllers brought a child to work that day. the child can be heard directing two flights on tapes from liveatv.net, a website that monitors and records air traffic control transmissions. >> jetblue 171, contact departure. >> departure, jetblue 171. awesome job. >> reporter: if the pilots were upset, they didn't let on. listen as the child handles a second flight. >> 0-3 clear for takeoff. >> 403 clear to takeoff. thank you very much and you have a great day. >> reporter: at one point, the child had a little fun with one of the pilots from aeromexico. >> air mex 403, contact departure. adios. >> contact departure, aeromexico 403. adios. >> contact departure. adios amigos. >> adios amigos. over departure, jetblue 195. >> reporter: well, the faa has issued a statement this morning. it says the following -- "pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling traffic. this behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all faa employees." again, the controller and the supervisor have been suspended. natalie, back to you. >> all right, tom costello reporting on the story from washington. thank you. the embattled chairman of the tax-writing u.s. house ways and means committee, charles rangel, says today he will step aside temporarily as chairman. the house committee temporarily demonstratished the democrat last week for ethics violations. large-scale shipments of food and water are now reaching earthquake survivors in che. that aid along with military patrols and curfews have ended looting that broke out after saturday's quake. some 800 people are confirmed dead, but rescuers believe they can still find victims alive under the rubble. thousands turned out last night in southern california at a vigil for 17-year-old chelsea king. a body believed to be that of the missing girl was found on tuesday in a park. at the white house today, president obama unveils his plan for stalled health care reform. he told congressional leaders tuesday he'd consider embracing republican ideas to combat fraud and waste. however, the president is preparing a strategy to pass the bill without republican support. and it is now five minutes past the hour. you're up to date right now. >> thank you, natalie. >> you got it. >> we appreciate that. messy, i think. it is. a low pressure system off the mid-atlantic coast that is quickly deepening, but the good news is it's moving away rapidly. we've got snow across much of the northeast, but it is starting to dissipate. the good news is this system is moving quickly. and in fact, you can see the path of this system right now -- i should say, we're looking at the snowfall amounts anywhere from a trace to an inch, generally. some areas may pick up twowo good morning, the overnight and snow showers have dissipated temporarily but we may see them passing through later on tonight. we're in the 40s in washington, that's going to be the high for today. a blustery northwest wind gusting to 25 miles an hour. and then tomorrow, by the afternoon, we should have some sun back, highs in the low 40s. and friday mostly sunny, highs mid 40s, near 50 saturday and sunday with sunshine. and that's your latest weather. natalie? ♪ somebody call 911 al, thank you. on "today's money 911," help with your financial troubles. whether you've been laid off or just can't afford some bills, jean chatzky, "today's" financial editor and author of "money 911." david bach is the founder of finishrich.com and author of "start over, finish rich." and sharon epperson is cnbc's personal finance correspondent. let's get to it. a lot to get to. first up, video question from mary. she's from virginia and says she has a bigger home and doesn't know what to do. >> if we sell our home for less than our mortgage is worth, is there a program that allows us to roll that difference over into our new mortgage? and secondly, some other options we were considering were, one, to either more aggressively pay down on our principal over the next two years and wait to sell or, perhaps, renovate and add more living space on to our current home. what do you suggest? >> all right. that's a common problem, jean. unfortunately, a lot of people seem to owe more on their homes than what it's worth. >> about a third of all people these days owe more on their homes than what it's worth. and here's the thing, mary, there is no program like the one that you're envisioning. i wish that there was. so do an awful lot of people. you don't want to tie yourself up into a position where you don't have a lot of cash, particularly in this economy. and for that reason, i wouldn't suggest throwing a lot of extra money against the principal payments of your home right now. i'd stockpile cash and then use that money to renovate, if that's a scenario that will work for you. because unfortunately, if you're upside down already, you're not going to be able to borrow in the form of a home equity loan in order to do that renovation. i would do a little reorganization in your house, see if you can make a little extra space and live with it for a little while. >> yeah, absolutely. don't want to get yourself in a bad situation there. >> no. >> next we have eileen from massachusetts, and she's coming to us via skype. eileen, good morning. what is your question for our panel? >> good morning. i'm 25 years old and i was laid off from my job at an accounting firm last year. given the fact i'm still collecting unemployment and those tax considerations, when should i roll over that money and what investment vehicle should i be using to do that? >> eileen, sounds like a familiar problem, as well, for a lot of people. david,ant to help her t? >> sure. >> a lot of people have 401(k)s if they've been laid off and don't know what to do with them. >> first of all, i love that a 25-year-old is thinking about your 401(k) plan, even though you've left your employer, because the first mistake people make is they leave their 401(k) plans at their old employer, mainly because they forget about th. pull up your statement. do you know who's managing your 401(k) plan, what company it is? [ inaudible ] i couldn't hear. >> i couldn't hear -- whatever company's managing your 401(k) plan, call them and ask them to assist you with an i.r.a. rollover. they can move the money from the 401(k) plan into an i.r.a. account in your name. ask them to plate the account. specifically, i.r.a. rollover for the benefit of your name. here's why i want you to do it this way. i don't want you to co-mingle this money with another i.r.a. account. and threason is, when you go get a new job with a 401(k) plan, if you've left it as an i.r.a. rollover, you have the ability to move that money back into a 401(k) plan later if you want to, and you won't have any taxes, you won't have any penalties. so, it's a very simple thing to do. now, if you own stock in that 401(k) plan, ask them to roll the stock over in what's called in kind, because you want to have the control over when you sell the stock. if you own mutual funds, wherever you're working with, let's say vanguard, fility, they can actually give you the same mutual funds in an i.r.a. account in your name. and the beauty of having it in an i.r.a. account that's in your name that you control, you have complete choice over whatever you want to invest in. so, you don't have to use the same mutual funds. you'll have other options available for you also. >> and we're talking about a traditional i.r.a. >> a traditional i.r.a. >> not a roth. >> no. >> people move jobs so many times in this world these days. 12 different times over the course of a career. that unless you do it the way that david is suggesting, you could end up with accounts all over the place, and an ministrative mess. >> okay. and not a roth i.r.a. because of the tax penalties? >> you'll face tax penalties and taxes. so you want to do it into a traditional i.r.a. >> good, good. okay. next we have john from ohio on the phone with a question about debt. john, good morning. >> caller: good morning. well, i lost my job about five months ago, and so, i decided to restart a business that i had previously owned. and unfortunately, i had some customers, i was able to get some income coming in right away. however, it wasn't enough to cover all of my bills. so, what i've been able to do is keep my house payment and utility bills within 30 days of the due date, but my credit card payments are like 90 to 120 days behind. and e of my credit cards has gone to a collection agency, and they offered to settle for $7,000 on a $15,000 debt. now, the good news is, i'm currently negotiating with several companies for some large contracts. >> so, you have money coming in? >> caller: well, if i close, yeah, i'll have plenty of money coming in and i'll be able to take advantage of the offer. so, my question is, realizing that my credit score can't get worse than it is right now, if i accept that offer, will that increase the amount of time required to regain a good score? >> sharon, what do you recommend with this collection agency? is that a dangerous scenario? >> yeah. this is a difficult situation because his debt has already gone into collection. i would say the first thing is, if you have $15,000 in debt, you probably accumulated ilot of that debt while you were still working. so, the first thing you need to do is sit down with a credit counselor, a non-profit credit counseling agency and go through your tax flow, your budgeting for when the new contracts do come in. the thing you need to do in terms of collections, it's already very damaging to your report, but the idea of paying only $7,000 on the $15,000 bill, that is a settlement plan and that plan having settled on your credit report can damage your score even more. what you want to do is see if you can work with the original creditor. it sounds like it's already with a collection agency. they may have just farmed it out for a short time and you will be able to perhaps have that back with the original creditor. if that's possible, then you want to make payments over time. you want to show on your credit report that you have been making regular payments. that's the only way that you're going to reach your score. having the charge-up on your score is going to be on there for seven years. there's nothing you can do about it, but over time, if you're making regular payments and being a good customer outside of this, your credit score will start to improve, but it is a tough situation because you're already in collections on that bill. >> yeah. good luck, john, with that, and good luck to all our callers. jean chatzky, david bach, sharon epperson, thank you once again. and still to come this morning, hair despair. if you're one of millions of women whose hair is thinning, we have slusions to help you tackle the trouble spots. but next, the cast to "227" is back answering your e-mail questions. it runs in families - my mother has it, and now i have it. so even though i tried to keep my bones strong, it wasn't enough. now, once-monthly boniva is helping me do more. it didn't just stop my bone loss. boniva worked with my body to stop and reverse my bone loss. and studies show, after one year on boniva, nine out of ten women stopped and reversed theirs, too. 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'cause no bunny knows easter better than hershey's. ♪ there's no place like home we're back with our special series "great tv families reunited." we're having fun with the cast of the '80s sitcom "227." marla gibbs, regina king, jackee harry, hal williams and curtis baldwin all stuck around. actually, we just locked the door and wouldn't let them out. we want to get to some of these e-mail questions because our inbox flooded with questions. were there any practical jokes done on the set? this is from ruthann in mentor, ohio. any practical jokers on the set? >> why is that always the question? >> i don't know. - uh-uh, we didn't have one of those. >> i remember we had lester who kept walking around until he got on marla's nerves. he had a little squeeze box going along like -- >> a whoopi cushion? >> whoopie cushion thing. marla said when are you going to grow up? >> what was leslie nielsen doing on there? >> we had everybody on the show. >> you had great guest stars. >> we had run dmc, which was huge for us. we were like, run dmc was going to be on the show. >> pee wee herman was on the show? >> yeah, f. >> fabulous. >> this one is from cheryl in south carolina. "were you pleased with the writer for your characters or was there anything you would like to have seen done differently?" >> that's heavy. >> that's a heavy question. >> there were some things we would have liked done differently, but some things were fine. but there's always something. >> but your characters, were yo pleased with the way you guys -- the scripts that you were given and the way you were portrayed? >> well, we were allowed, because of marla's effort, we were allowed to have input with the writers about how we saw ourselves and our characters. >> exactly. >> since we're the ones making the words jump up off the page. >> and was there much ad-libbing, marla? >> you can't ad-lib because the camera needs to know what you're going to say so they can be there. you'll be talking and you won't on camera. >> wow! did you know our dector, joe michaels? >> wow. >> oh! >> uh-oh. he might be coming up. lock that door again! okay. this comes in from erin in clinton, iowa. "i just love you guys. what is it like to see the people you work with? and also, how did you each get yo parts?" marla? >> how did we each get our parts? >> yeah, how did you end up getting on the show? obviously, you were very instrumental in this program, so you knew you had your gig. >> yeah. >> well, actually, didn't we shoot an episode and it was kind of like waiting to see if "the jeffersons" were coming back or not? >> well, yeah. because we expected "the jeffersons" to be on another year, another season. so nbc took second position. so we were on shoot-and-wait, but "the jeffersons" got canceled. we didn't know we were going to be canceled, but we got canceled. >> and in fact, marla, the first couple seasons of "the jeffersons," you were still working at a regular job. >> united airlines. >> a bird in the hand -- >> in the bushes. >> jackee, when you got on to the show, did you have to audition like everybody else? >> i got on the plane from new york and they flew us in. they saw the tape and i was like, ooh, i'm the only one on the plane. about two minutes before takeoff, about 200 women got on the plane. we had a ball. they put us up in the beverly garden hotel it was like a sorority, and i went in and got it. isn't that amazing? >> wow. how about you, hal? >> i was fortute enough to play marla's husband in the play, "227," so, she didn't want to be alone going into television, so hey. >> brought you along for the ride. >> i came right along for the ride. >> did what he could. >> and curtis? >> we, regina and hal and marla all worked on the stage play and i wasn't an actor. i was like assistant stage manager and marla insisted that i go down there, because i was like a break-dancer. she was like, no, you don't want to do dance. you want to make some money acting. >> are you still doing that, curtis? >> you know, i've got a few moves. >> i'm not going to ask you to show them. >> he was break-dancing with my grandson. what was the name? >> body language. >> body language, yeah. >> now, let's talk about what you guys are up to now. marla, what are you doing right now? >> everything i can, child. everything i can. >> and i know you -- thank you for being here. you broke your foot. >> yeah. isn't that a drag? >> i'm telling you. >> three days ago, i was in a hospital bed. >> oh, wow. >> and now i'm on "today." >> well, we're so glad you're here. >> god is so good. >> thank you. and regina, you're on "southland," in fact, premiered on tnt last night. >> last night, yeah, it did. so you know, tv has been good to me, so i'm back on it. >> that's right. and you've got a new movie coming out wit forest whitaker. >> yes. "our family wedding." >> and jackee, you're starring in a play called "the cleanup woman"? >> yeah, and i'm not a cleanup woman now. >> that song from the '70s. >> yeah, and i'm promoting a couple things, but i know how you're all sensitive. your gbg vitamins. don't i look good? you'd better say i look good! >> you look fabulous. >> i have a website, gbgjackee.com. i'm all that now. >> you always were all that. hal? >> i just closed in a play called "art" at indian wells theater, indian wells and just signed in to do a pilot for the fall and just been doing a lot of theater, movies and television. >> curtis? >> i'm doing stand-up comedy. i did crack 'em up thursdays in hollywood and i've been doing stand-up and possibly could be on a new show called "the mogul" that's coming out on comedy central. >> oh, great. well, it is so terrific seeing all you guys. i mean, you gave us years of laughter. thank you so much for being here. >> it's terrific being seen. thank you. [ laughter ] >> and not viewed. woo! >> marla gibbs, jackee harry, regina king, hal williams and curtis baldwin. they're going to shut us down. >> no! and coming up -- oh, i love this -- a chocolate lover's delight that will wow your family and friends. we're not talking about these guys. we're making flourless chocolate cake. but first, these messages. and there's the meatloaf. yuck. look what sometimes happens with the ordinary bag. it slips, oh, bingo, it falls in. mom was mad. mom should have used glad forceflex with the new stretchable drawstring that grips the can and stays in place. plus, it has the stretchable strength of forceflex. that's all today for glad tv. both: don't get mad-- get glad! christopher columbus sailed the ocean blue... in 14 hundred and 92. nice! follow me, the missouri river is this way! lewis and clark expedition of 1804. oh, he'll never get this. magellan, 1520. awww, my 8 layers must've given it away. help keep your kid full and focused with 8 filling layers... of whole grain fiber found in kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal. this is one giant leap for mini-kind. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused. hoo hooo! you're hilarious. really good. >> nice to speak to people. coming up on a more serious note. it's an issue a lot of women face, hair loss. whether caused by childbirth, stress or genetics, we have solutions for the problem. >> first, your local news and weather. ♪ [ 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 thfastest 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.™ 9:26 is your time now, a lovely look at the nation's capitol. wet out there. we'll have the forecast for you after the news. it is wednesday march 3, 2010. in the news this morning, same-sex couples are now able to apply for a marriage license in the district. doors of the courthouse open at 7:00 a.m., couples started applying an hour and a half later. because of a waiting period, the couples applying today will not be able to wed until june 9. drivers are being detoured on to parallel routes. we'll take a quick good morning, cloudy, blustery and chilly, we might have a passing light shower or snow shower. and then tomorrow, some sun returns. highway's the traffic, jerry? >> some, take a live look along 395, packe up just bo the pentagon to the 14th street bridge. no road work in sight yet. a little sluggish out of germantown, earlier accident in montgomery industrial lage has been cleared. >> tonight on news4 at 5:00, you >>pole dancing can burn up to 250 calories an hour. it claims that it can increase flexibility, improves body awareness and strengthens muscles. >> and what about -- >> ah, yes, our own natalie morales going primetime on the new show "the marriage ref." executive produced by mr. jerry seinfeld. the show's ref, tom papa, will be here tomorrow, and jerry as well, on "today" to give us the dish on what it's like to work with natalie. >> yeah, right. >> we already know that one. >> no, actually, the show has been so much fun. it's been great working on it, and i'm really excited about it. we had great guests. you saw kelly ripa, alec baldwin, tina fey, eva longoria, madonna. >> madonna. rickier vase. >> ricky gervais, a great cast, and tom papa's phenomenal. it's been fun. thursday nights, 100 p.m., putting a plug in. >> there you go. meanwhile, coming up, something you've dealt with always in good humor, hair loss. woo! it can be traumatizing, though, for women, as you know. >> sure. >> and in fact, it is a problem for 60% of women. we have some solutions, from simply changing your hairstyle to medication and laser treatments for more serious issues. and she's a former model, but now she's a cookbook author. sophie doll is also the granddaughter of roll doll, but she's here to show you how to create a simple and delicious flourless chocolate cake. also, the legendary studio 8h across the street at 30 rock, usually home to "saturday night live," but tonight it's the paranormal takeover. >> mm-hmm, that's right, because the syfy channel series "ghost hunters" is celebrating its 100th episode tonight with a live audience, and they're going to present their first ever investigation at alcatraz, america's most infamous prison. and they're also going to take a look back at the most shocking and spine-chilling moments caught on tape over the past five seasons. you can tune in for the special "ghost hunters" event at 9:00/8:00 central time tonight on the syfy channel. it's a great show. i actually really enjoy watching it. you've got a check of the weather for us. that's right, a spooky forecast. ooh. let's see what's happening for us. for our march temperatures, we're looking at. below-normal temperatures for the south, above normal in the southwest, above normal from the great lakes into the northeast. and as far as precipitation is concerned, going to be drier than normal through the great lakes into the northeast, but because we have a really strllyg good morning, we have had some overnight rain and snow showers that for the most part dissipated but we still have a few out here in loudoun county and the panhandle of west virginia. those may be drifting into the metro area in the next couple of hours. it's near 40 now and will hover near 40 for the rest of the afternoon and a blustery northwest wind as well gusting over 20 miles an hour. and that's your latest weather. >> all right, thank you, al. coming up next, getting to the root of the problem. we've got se hair loss solutions for women, right after this. another first from avon. part one brightens instantly... part two lightens the look of dark circles within weeks. my eyes look bright and awake and alive. anew reversalist does it. and only avon has it. now you can have it. anew reversalist eye system. with a love it or return it guarantee. call 1-800-for-avon or go to avon.com to find a representative tod. christopher columbus sailed the ocean blue... in 14 hundred and 92. nice! follow me, the missouri river is this way! lewis and crk expedition of 1804. oh, he'll never get this. magellan, 1520. awww, my 8 layers must've given it away. help keep your kid full and focused with 8 filling layers... of whole grain fiber found in kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal. this is one giant leap for mini-kind. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused. hoo hooo! go-gurt is specially made to freeze and thaw by lunch time? 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>> yeah. of all of the many e-mails we get to the "ask val" page, where readers ask us questions every month, theost poignant are readers, women who are losing their hair, and it's a devastating issue for women, because lustrous, thick hair is one of the visual signals for, you know, femininity and vitality and sexual health and attractiveness. so, it can be really awful for women when they start to see their hair falling out. >> and as we mentioned, it's a common problem. more than 60% of women will experience some sort of hair loss out there. how do you know if it's really more than a temporary condition? it's a chronic condition? >> well, you should see a doctor because you need to figure out whether it is a temporary or chronic condition. if it's temporary, it's typically caused by something like a high fever, sometimes pregnancy, hormonal changes. it can be caused by, you know, an endocrine disorder or a thyroid disorder. in which case, once the issue is addressed, your hair will start to grow back. >> right. >> if it's a chronic disorder, it's caused by something called an droe genetic malopesia,hich is a fancy word for male pattern baldness. you'll see thinning near the crown, your part will start to widen. and then we have four solutions for you. you know, if that's the problem. >> right, and in most cases, you can find a solution, right? >> in80% of the cases, yeah, you can actually get regrowth, yes. >> that's the good news. let's give women some hope this morning. the first thing, starting off, there araot of treatments on the market and some work better than others. the first one that we see is rogaine or the generic form. >> generic form. and you can get that over the counter, fda-approved. >> made for men and women. >> made for men and women and you can massage it into the scalp, into the affected area twice daily. in about six months you'll start to see some hair regrowth, but if you stop using it, your hair's going to go back to the way it was. >> so it's an important note there. and if you're going to spend that kind of money, you're going to have to keep up with it. >> right. >> next is finesserite, it's a prescription drug, propecia. >> and it's not fda approved for women. some doctors are prescribing it off label for post menopausal women, not for women who are pregnant or might be thinking abt becoming pregnant because it cld cause birth defects. >> so stay away, exactly. >> if you're post menopausal, it works in about, i think 75% of women who take it. >> okay. now, what about -- and i've seen infomercials for this, the hairmax lasercomb. it's pricey, about $495, but do laser treatments really work? >> well, you know, there are no long-term independent studies that show that the laser, that the at-home laser works, but there is some antidotal evidence that it does. and what you do with this is you glide it over your thinning hair, you know, daily for about 15 minutes, like three times a week for about 15 minutes at a shot. and sometimes it works, and it is the only fda-approved, over-the-counter, at-home hair laser treatment. >> now, a more pricey solution is what some people might consider is the hair transplant. is that recommended -- >> not especially. >> -- for women? >> no. it's not a good solution for women losing hair because women's hair loss seems to be more diffused along the crown and this is good for more discrete areas and also it's more expensive, costs between $3,000 to $15,000. >> wow. that's a surgery there, exactly. okay, so, certainly something to think about. > now, some of the things you can do at home without having to face a lot of high cost is some of the tricks, you say, is to first start with keeping your hair shoulder level. how will that help the appearance overall? >> so, there's some styling issues you can do that will keep your hair looking a little bit fuller. you don't want to grow it too long because it's going to start to look wispy, so keep it above the shoulder or chin-length, even. if you can wear it in a bob, that's good. >> more of a blunt cut. >> mm-hmm. and if you're losing hair up at the crown, then you want to use deep bangs, if you can. so, that would mean that your bangs start like midcrown, and it can make your hair look a little bit thicker in the front. also, dye your hair, coloring your hair really helps because the dye actually thickens the hair shaft. so, contrary to what many women might think that if the hair's thinning, they shouldn't dye it, actually, dying it will help them make their hair look a bit thicker. >> but any particular color or -- >> well, of course. if you're fair, you don't want to dye your hair very dark because when it grows in, there will be a high contrast between, you know, the hair, your scalp and the color of your hair. so you want to dye your hair a similar color to your complexion. if you have a dark complexion, you want to dye your hair dark. and you want to make sure that the regrowth, that you keep touching up the regrowth, because the more contrast there is, the more evident the thinning is going to be. >> so, obviously, stay on top of the regrowth there. >> there are things you can do. >> there are. really, the bottom line is, it's a problem that affects so many women, and i mean, when it comes down to it, it's really making sure that it's not a sign of a more significant problem, healthwise for you, too, right? >> well, yeah. i mean, the fact is that if the doctor says that it's chronic, then it is most likely, you know, male pattern baldness, and then once you deal with that, you know, it doesn't really show, indicate that there's any other significant health issues. if it's a temporary hair loss, then most likely, you know, if it's not caused by, you know, a high fever or if you're not -- >> stressed. >> -- stressed or if it's not from pregnancy, it could also be a dietary issue. so, you just want to make sure that you're addressing all of the possibilities before you start on a more serious regimen. >> well, great advice, and thank you for bringing in some of the solutions for us as well. appreciate it. valerie monroe. and the issue, by the way, is in the march issue of "o" magazine. coming up next, a simple and delicious flourless chocolate cake that anyone can make, right after this. 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 improves 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. to start losing essential nutrients? not long. in fact, green beans lose half their vitamin c in a week. that's why gre giant freezes them within 8 hours to lock in nutrients. ho ho ho green giant can your moisturizer do that? dermatologist recommended aveeno has an oat formula... now proven to build a moisture reserve... so skin can replenish itself. that's healthy skin for life. save at aveeno.com. that's healthy skin for life. 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. this morning in "today's kitchen," a fabulous chocolate cake that's flourless. hot chef sophie dahl may be a former model, but cooking is her first love. her new book is "miss dahl's voluptuous delights." >> thanks for having me. >> i've got to read from the beginning of your book herehe introduction. "as a small child, food occupied both my waking and nocturnal thoughts. i had clammy nightmares about dreadful men made from mashed potatoes wearing striped tights chasing me into dense forests." wow! what was that about? >> now imagine if they sent me to a shrink at the age of 6. um, a glutton. i'm a natural glutton, so i think food overtook my thoughts. >> so you have a love-hate relationship with food. >> nothing to hate about it. nothing to hate. >> you're going to make i think a recipe that your grandfather, roald dahl would have loved, with "charlie and the chocolate factory." >> he loved the chocolate. >> obviously, you inherited that. >> it's a gene thing, i think, me and my siblings. >> what's the hardest thing about making a flourless cake? >> well, it needs to be supported by fat and sugar. so, just because it's flourless doesn't mean it's virtuous. >> all right. there we go. much like ourselves. let's see what we're making here. >> in here we've got some semi-sweet chocolate, we've got some sugar and blended it up. >> right. so, it's all been kind of crumbled up. >> crumbled up. and what we're going to do is pour in some boiling water. so you don't have to mess around. >> we like that. >> easy peasy. >> then a lot of -- how much butter are you putting in? wow! >> a lot of butter, al. it's not a virtuous cake, i repeat. >> no. it's not. man! we missed some. >> i need your help. we need all the butter we can have. and it goes -- >> man! somebody get some paddles and yet clear. >> so, in it goes. >> all right. >> egg yolk, about six egg yolks. thank you very much. >> all right. >> lovely. some vanilla extract. coffee. >> yes. oh, coffee! >> yep. >> that's interesting. so it will keep you up at night, too. >> keep you fat and awake. turn it on. very, very, very quick. >> and you're here not only promoting your book, but you've got a show, a cooking show coming up on the bbc. and your husband, jamie, who is a musician, he's got an album out that he's promoting. >> he does. his album came out yesterday, so we're doing a little bit of a cross promotion. >> you should have brought a copy of the cd. >> i could have plugged him. >> we could have held it up. what's it called? >> it's called "the pursuit." very good. >> so, mixed this all up. >> we've mixed this up. it's smooth. egg whites here. they're already quite stiff. give them another ten seconds or so. and then they're going to go in this batch. >> oh, okay. >> can you get him out of the way. >> move that out. >> so, in they go. >> now, is it important, because sometimes you have to gently fold them in. is that necessary here? >> well, you can do it either way. you can either fold this mixture into the bowl or you can just pop it into the blender, fold them in that way. i mean, because there's a lot of egg whites, it supports itself. >> right. >> okay, i need your help, al. there we go. >> could be trouble here. no, that's not right. >> that's not right. >> damn this blender! hang on. get it all. >> well, let's just assume that it happened! >> okay, there, there, happened! >> and -- >> and it's not starting! >> there we go. >> god, stress. >> i'm tired. >> exhausted. so, blend it for ten seconds, keep the air in. >> so, it gets a little lighter. >> boom, boom, boom. and then take it out. let's get you off, see if it's any easier to get you off. no, it's not. okay. and then into -- >> a spring form pan. >> a spring form pan. oh, my loferd. >> okay, and that goes in the oven for how long? >> that goes in the oven at about 350 for about 40 minutes. >> and we've got the results right here. very lovely. >> this is the result. >> mm-mmm. hold on just a second. >> result a lot less stressful than the -- >> than the mixer. that is terrific. sophie dahl, thank you so much. >> thank you so much. >> and we're back in a moment. but first, this is "today" on nbc. hoda is just in a swoon right now over this chocolate cake. >> this is so delicious, so, so delicious. >> you know how much butter is in this, right? >> it's worth it. >> that's why she goes to the gym at 8:00 a.m. every morning. >> what have you got coming up? >> lady antebellum! >> oh, cool. >> they're going to sing to us and talk to us. >> and we're going to discuss -- >> you sound surprised! >> -- when and how to apologize. >> do you want to say something to us? >> just, i think all of you should stick around for the 10:00 hour. that's all i'm saying. >> i thought you were going to apologize to us for bumping into our hour. >> no, no, no. >> kathie lee has nothing to apologize for. >> oh, no! >> after your local news and weather 9:56 is our time right now, a picture of the john f. kennedy center for the performing arts. in the news4 today, you could soon be paying more for your favorite adult beverage in maryland. a broad coalition of maryland citizens are pushing for an increase. maryland has not raised the tax on beer and wine since 1972 and the tax on liquor and spirits has not gone up since 1955. let's get a check on our forecast and see whether the gray skies are going to move out of here. here's tom. >> not until tomorrow, so it's going to be cloudy for the rest of the afternoon. we are getting a few sprinkles where you see the blue on the radar, panhandle of west virginia, there may be a few wet snowflakes and it is headed off to the south and east and we may have an i additional passing snow shower and then maybe a passing rain or snow shower today. blustery northwest wind too. sun returns tomorrow and into the weekend. now, jerry, how's the rask. >> a live look around 66. looks like delays are startg to ease, right now all travel lanes open. topside of the belt way from college park into silver spring and beth these darks no issues, we're looking pretty good. >> perfect pizza does not have to come from a box or from a brick oven. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hey, everybody. no matter how you look at it, it is wednesday, march 3rd. >> happy you are with us today. we are going to go see a great show today. starring valerie harper, one of my favorite people ever. she plays tululu in "looped." >> i love her. >> she is great. >> i wondered where she had been. i saw a movie last night. it is called "brooklyn's finest." it has rippard gere and ethan hawke. genius. it is so creepy and scary i spent a lot of the movie looking through my fingers. like that. asking -- i went with bethany frankel, the one from "the real housewives of new york with" we have a picture. look. she doesn't look pregnant. okay. she's going to come on our show and talk about pregnancy. she -- i mean -- >> how pregnant is she? >> she's suppose -- >> how far along? >> close to tammy. >> due around the same time. >> somebody seems to be managing it a little bit better. >> you -- i kept saying to her throughout the movie -- the only kept i repeating -- >> something is out of control. >> stop it. >> already. we should mention -- before we go on, today is the day, 03/0 bush/1 3/10. the special olympics, remember the people around the world integ el wally challenged and has been a lot of use of what they are calling the "r" word. row tard or retarded. they are asking people to be mindful of how damaging r words can be. and you can -- it is cool. there's buttons, t-shirts. be a fan of respect, humanity, that sort of thing. take a pledge not to use that word in conversation. >> what word used to be okay. that was in the '80s or '70s. it is over. let's move past it. >> you know what's not over? little kids in air controlling traffic. >> this is a weird thing. >> this is. >> at jfk, this is one of those you cannot believe what happened. >> one of the busiest airports inhe world. >> at jfk an air traffic controller -- we don't know if it is a male or female -- brought his or her child to work. >> would don't know it is a boy or girl. >> so what happened was the little person was on a microphone basically calling the planes in and out. clearly parroting his parent. but nevertheless, you -- listen. i want you to listen to t transmissions coming from the control tower at jfk. let's take a listen. >> jet blue 171, clear for takeoff. >> clear for takeoff. 171. >> this is what you get when the kids are out of school. >>ish i could bring my kid to work. >> 171. awesome job. >> clear for takeoff. >> 403 clear to take off. thank you ve much and you have a great day. >> air mex 403, contact departure. adios. >> contact departure. >> it doesn't sound like anybody is too concerned. the pilots are in on the joke. >> enjoying it. the thing is, tom costello who covers that says whenev he's in the air traffic controller area, he's very mindful not even to speak up because the concentration ammon -- between the pilot and the person on the other end of the mike has to be like you can't miss anything. it seems -- i think the faa basically -- i think -- had a statement that came out and said pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling traffic. they have been sort put on leave. this behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from faa employees. >> back in the '70s there was a russian airline and pilot led let his two teenagers at the control, both, pilot and co-pilot. it crashed. dock pot. 75 people were killed. there are some things that are not funny. >> seemed like a dumb idea. >> glad it wasn't my kud. >> tell me, tell us if you think this is dumb or not. on your phone, eiphones, now thy have something called the tiger text app. >> hit to happen. >> it automatically deletes all of your sent and received texts. >> forever? not in cyberspace someplace? >> they do wind up -- according to the phone companies and stuff, they are not going to let some app control all of their records. so they actually are going to be recorded somewhere else. i guess it is good for the person if your girlfriend/wife finds the phone. and there's nothing on the phone because they have been deleted by the tiger app. >> they are saying they call it the tiger before everything happened with tiger. what do you think? >> i don't know. >> we have to see when they applied for it. >> what do you think? >> that whole thing happened with tiger in november. thanksgiving. these things take a long time to manufacture and plan. maybe. but they say it is called tiger because tigers are so hard to track. >> i don't believe it. i'm so mad. i lost -- >> we are becoming sin. >> i lost my makeup bag. okay. you know -- you know what? >> it is just funny. move on. >> tammy laughed too loud whenever she cuts me down. i'm against the whole thing. i'm against this relationship. >> yeah. >> first of all, if you lost your makeup bag, it is the worst -- because first of all, everything in your makeup bag so expense. >> yes. >> every lip pencil costs whatever. >> you leave a trail everywhere you go of stuff. >> let me tell you, i called all -- every -- every car company that picks us up or takes us -- i called them. i called the taxi people which is a joke because -- unless someone -- no identification in there. there were earrings in the thing. >> uh-oh. >> everything. i think the ones you gave me for christmas. the pearl drop. >> those were good one. >> i loved those. i'm sorry. they were in the bag. >> you need velcro all oar you. stick everything to you. >> i have no -- you have nothing. i have no lipstick. nothing. don't look at me. mary put makeup on me. >> you look beautiful. what are you going to do tonight when you are on your own? think you better go to saks. >> you are right. there is -- okay. old spice is an old sort of tradition daschle. >> my daddy wore it. it had an older image. >> it did. they are trying to -- folks at old spice are trying to reinvent themselves. they want younger guys buying old spice. >> i think will work. >> they came up with a new ad campaign for the young men. >> i'm going start wearing it. >> let's watch this little ad. >> hello, ladies. look at your man. now back to me. back to your man. back to me. sadly he isn't me. if we stopped using ladies' scented body wash and use old spice he could be me. you are on a boat with a your man can smell. back at me. it is an oyster with two tickets to the thing you love. look again. tickets are now diamonds. anything is possible when your man spells like old spice and not a lady. i'm on a horse. >> i love it. >> brilliant. who's the gentleman? >> i don't know but he is very sexy. >> former nfl guy. isaiah mustafa. >> actor, too. >> you know he has a great comic flare. >> it is in the drugstore. i think. >> the women are going to buy it them. yeah. >> so -- we showed you a while ago when dogs hear the theme song from "law & order" they bark. we want to encourage you to have your dog watch our show. we are curious to see at what points in the show your dogs may be barking. you can submit -- your video of your dog. what do you think will happen. >> nothing. i can't believe those two get paid to do a show like that. that's what theyill do. dogs. unless caesar -- the -- dog whisperer. >> what -- >> no high notes. you need -- high-pitch stuff. >> we should break down the song a few times and see what happens. >> what's going on, baby girl? >> we are talking about the little boy that brought the plane in. mixed reviews. lisa thought it was cute but not exact there job you bring your kid to. mary beth said she didn't think it was a big deal. laura said it is only cute because nobody got hurt. >> laura is right. >> your example of the plane that -- that's -- i mean -- >> that's -- i think they start off as kind of cute ideas. and later, they turn out not to be smart. >> we have -- our question in "okay" magazine next week is like this. >> what sit? yeah, yeah. i know what you are talking about. coming up next, you guys, these are -- terrific group. they are up for seven academy country music awards. >> we are so excited you guys are here! >> yes. >> and something tells me we just might be able to squeeze a song out of them as well. that's after this. just one glass equals two servings of fruits and vegetables. with tasty flavors like cranberry, strawberry, banana, it's like a farm stand in every bottle. the fruits you love mixed with the veggies you need. just, you know... demonstrating how we, uh, mix the fruits and the vegetables. ocean spray. grower owned since 1930. son: hey mom! wife: what is this? guy: it's a special paste i invented to replace socks. wife: why? guy: because we can't find socks that shape to our feet. we're sick of it! announcer: hanes makes better-fitting socks. guaranteed or your money back. ladies, raise your spoons. now there's nothing left standing between you and a satisfying breakfast. introducing special k low-fat granola. with 50% less fat than the leading granola... and 5 grams of fiber per serving, it's a satisfying way to help you manage your weight. special k low-fat granola -- a taste of freedom. the wipes americans trust most to clean and disinfect are the only wipes with a low-streak formula. clorox disinfecting wipes, tough enough to tackle the germiest messes, even on your shiniest surfaces without leaving a streaky trail like other wipes. clorox disinfecting wipes, the wipes you can trust to clean, disinfect and shine. ♪ go, go. ♪ i need you now >> there you go. don't let the name fool you. no lady. >> how was it? >> awesome. >> already. actual name -- >> dogs are howl. >> grammy winning award country trio. the group's newest album is called "need you now." number one spot on billboards top 200 chart. becoming a crossover smash. >> yes. >> you are so big. congratulations. >> he is tall. >> happened quickly, though. i guess it doesn't feel that way to you guy. >> you know -- it honestly probably did. i mean, we -- david and i -- we have been buddies a long time but started this thing, how long? >> we met in may of 2006. >> it was quick. you joined them and all the success started. >> absolutely. >> all about the ladies. yes. >> fell into place when we met her. >> you named the group after -- tell bus that. >> taking picres in front of the an they betebellum homes. what a gorgeous antebellum home. that's a style of home. we are thinking of band names during the same, you know, day there. >> you look at every street sign. you look at everything. inspire you to come up with a name. antebellum. >> i threw it out the. a girl in the group. >> good girl. >> i thought it was weird enough that people would go -- get on the internet and i didn't think long term and go we are going to have to live with this name and explain it. >> over and over and over. >> does it surprise you the crossover aspect of it? >> certainly. yes. >> it has been wild for you us. we never set out do that. we love writing country music. for some reason some of the stations started playing it. our home is in country. we love being a part of the genre. it is a great genre. >> genre opened itself up. styles in country music go from george strait to taylor swift and anything and everything in between. you know, we are just happy to be representing the genre. >> hillary, how is it on the road? have you the two boys. you are married. right? >> yes. >> you are single. >> not married. >> i'm single. >> tell me what it is like touring with the guys? >> i'm really excited to be here. it is -- you know, it is no drama. you know what? i'm probably -- i have way more luggage. i have to say i'm the messier of the three of us. toilet seats are never down. ever. >> come on. how hard is it? flush and -- >> i'm sorry. i still -- i'm a big arguer when it comes to this. this -- the toilet seat now. >> careful. you are outnumbered. >> i don't get it. how can you not look down first and say -- oh, there's a toilet seat. >> the point isn't -- >> courtesy. show your love. are you dating? >> no. >> no. >> are you in relationships with other people? >> no. >> we get out together, though. >> i'm his main woman. >> what about your wife? does she travel you? >> every now and then she comes on the road. she picks the fun show. if we are doing a show in vegas. she won't come to the small towns. >> gorgeous. where did you get married. >> bahamas. yeah. >> ocean cloud? >> harbor island. fun. >> beautiful. >> you are opening for tim mcgraw, is that what i'm hearing. >> awesome. to get out in front of his crowd every night and him giving us an opportunity. he has been around such a long time and such an entertainer. not to mention he looks really good. >> with or without the hat. >> it doesn't matter. >> are you stitch pinching yourselves over the success, grammys, awards? >> it is wild. we set tout do this. we were -- we were pretty realistic about it. we knew without it take a long time. i think the accolades is -- shoot. right there, seeing the -- grammy. i mean, that -- you know. >> awesome. >> you are very talented. you are going to sing a song for us. >> thank you so much. >> your rendition. >> doesn't take much. next, you want to know if -- you want to get something off your chest. you want to saw something. you need to come clean about it. best way to do it, time of day and all that stuff right after this. pay attention. stop it. today, we're giving my living room a much-needed makeover. i thought we couldn't afford it, but then i went to walmart and i found the new home trends collection. i started off with rugs and pillows... and i got those for a steal. 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[ male announcer ] learn more about protecting your heart at iamproheart.com. lies, cheating, daks are a few topics covered in famous celebrities. when it is time for to you admit have you done something wrong, how do you know how to come clean? if not, you are in luck. if you don't know how. self-confessed lifestyle contributor to "shape" magazine. clinical psychologist and author of "get a grip." "your two-week mental makeover." i love that. is there a better time of day to confess something? >> doing tonight the middle of the day where you catch somebody off guard is the wrong way to do it. dependsing what you are confessing. letting somebody you know you want to map out your thoughts and come forward. >> is it best just to go straight for it? i think some people have trouble getting to the -- i want to tell you about something. there was a little of this. is it better to go directly? >> no, no. you need to actually -- feel out how the other person is. too many people think i feel guilty. i'm going to let you know how i feel so i can feel better. they don't see well, is this a good time? do you really wouldn't hear this apology? there is a way to do it. >> give us a scenario. say -- say you are telling -- us, your husband, you had an indiscretion. >> you cheated. >> how would you do it? >> that's -- >> i can tell you. what you would do is you would say i need to talk to you. you wouldn't do tonig the middlef the day. not working. >> you don't want to do it at night. >> oh, baby. oh, you cheated on me. great. i have a 3:00. what you want to do is plan it out and say i want to talk to you later. you want to make a time. depending what your indiscretion was, do it in a public place because i don't know if you want to be private with somebody. >> you don't want to get your teeth bashed in. golf club. >> saying i want to talk to you later. already says -- danger, danger. there's sothing that's coming up and i wouldn't let you off the phone. i would say -- what sit? i don't know if that's an alert. >> i think that -- either way, bottom line is that you want to make sure that you are not catching them off guard and not in a public place. you want to make sure that you get them in a place where you can talk to them comfortably and don't have something coming up next on their agenda. >> we saw in that movie with -- who was it? >> oh, yeah. "valentine's day day." >> there was a woman -- what was -- >> shirley mcclain. >> see why you need me? >> yeah. >> like an old married couple. >> shie confesses she cheated o her husbands. your confessing says that our whole life was a lie. >> i say yes. >> we disagree complete. >> i there are times that -- it is not good to say the truth. as a psychologist, people will -- psychologists are the only ones that get the truth sometimes. i have people come and say wane to tell the truth about something. whathe repercussions going to be? does that person really want to know? do you know how many women that say if there is one time indiscretion my husband -- something that happen, do not tell me. deal with the guilt and i don't want to know. think about if the person wants to know if and if it will hurt your relationship. >> i think that -- >> i think he will be physically ill. >> i am. i love her. don't get me wrong. i think that ultimately -- in life, think this is an overarching life principle, best to tell the truth and see what happens. >> in the spirit of love. >> in the spirit of anything. human being, telling truth. >> what if your wife says i want details? >> well, i think that's -- >> that's part of the truth. >> circumstantial things. >> if that's what she wants -- >> had to tell his wife all the details. i don't know why that's necessary. >> i wouldn't want to know the dezblals i think that's a personal circumstance. when i work with my clients individually, i -- i focus on telling the truth and seeing what happens. i think that if love is real, a relationship that -- we need to build on a foundation that's real and honest and authentic. this is where we have been. if we can stick together through that, we have something legitimate. if not, there's obviously bigger issues in our relationship we need to work on. >> what do you make of all the public apologies? we keep seeing these figures going before cameras and some are teary-eyed and -- what do you make of in a? >> i hate them. >> i don't need an apology, do you? >> if someone had an indiscretion don't apologize to me or the public, apologize to the person you were cheating on. unless you misappropriated taxes or you are lying about something political fact, i don't need an apology. >> tiger was apologizing to all the -- sponsors. >> right. >> making an awful lot of money. >> thank you, guys. >> need a little counsel. >> thank you, both. >> all right. coming up, today's buzz. a lot happening in that department. >> always, always. 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[ 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 helann's. hellmann's. it's time for real. and, now introducing hellmann's light. it's made with 100% cage free eggs. coming up today at midday. >> a very happy morning in the district for some same-sex couples who waited in line for a marriage license. we'll have the latest on just how soon those couples can legally get married. i'm barbara harrison and also coming up on news4 midday, those organic foods, are they more nutritious? ♪ we are back on this whinesday. >> we like the call it news. >> our regular team is here. bonnie pillar, editor-in-chief of hollywoodlife.com. suzanne colletti. hello. >> never a lack of stuff to talk about. >> is there ever, never. >> what's going on with naomi campbell? >> more of same. >> tell us what she is accused of cog. >> assaulted her driver. the driver turns out and works for her russian billionaire boyfriend and apparently she was angry because he wouldn't tell her if the boyfriend was cheating on her. >> what did she do? >> beat him. >> with what? >> i don't think it was phone this time. >> she got out of the car or something. >> yes. she took off and hasn't been seen since. she is on the run. it happened yesterday. yeah. >> really fresh. >> fresh hit. >> yes. >> he is not going to charge her with anything? >> that's right. he's now -- he is now saying he's not going forward. that doesn't make -- >> millionaire got to him and slipped -- >> she beat those charges in the past when she decked a policeman. >> right. >> least finest. >> it really is. also she really doesn't face the consequences. she did community service. what does she do, showed newspaper a fabulous dress with photographers and did a photo shoot. >> to her advantage. >> jessica simpson is back in the news. she is going to be on "oprah" today. there are clips she's upset john mayer is calling her -- what did he call her? >> sexual napalm. >> wouldn't it be worse if he said she was lousy in bed? >> she did say her phones were ringing off the hook ever since. >> i mean, you can imagine. worried about dates before. she. >> she is going to talk about her weight going up and down and the criticism. yes. good for her. she said -- daisy duke was a size zero. i don't want to be a size zero. >> she had to get in shape for that. >> she gets too many knocks. i don't understand why. >> the men she dates always seem to income her. it is not fair. i hope she goes out and says more than i'm just a little bit angry. come on. >> yeah. >> just that. >> he's not been using a lot of wisdom lately in anything he says, you know. he is another one that needs to learn from his miss zblaks zip. >> it charlie sheen gets more and more sordid. what -- >> how many years do we -- go through this with charlie sheen? >> what's -- >> what's the latest on him and his wife? >> well, now women and men are painly going to come out of the woodwork, talking about their sexual liaison was charlie and his life together? >> together? >> men and women. >> yes. >> and this -- comes out of "us weekly." >> online. >> they are both in rehab present. >> i yes. >> she's in rehab at home. she left two different rehas been. now she has a rehab team with her in her house. he is in rehab. so what's happened now is this -- a number of peop supposedly are coming forward ask including one woman who supposedly is going to be paid $40,000 to give her story. >> trying to get $40,000. >> she will get. >> it is tiger out of rehab? >> yes. >> he is. >> he's back in florida. apparently he's practicing golf and hoping to get back on the circuit with the jack nicholas open, i believe. >> what's the overall impression he left after that so-called press conference that was than really a press conference? what was the taste left in everyone's mouth. >> the taste -- we did a gigantic poll. and the taste was that about -- i think -- over half the people were willing to forgive him. however, they did not feel that elin should forgive him. over two-thirds thought there is no way she should take him back. >> she seems to show no sign of forgiveness because they are not living in the same home in florida. she's still not wearing her ring. >> neither is he. he's not wearing his either no. ape there last week when we all thought that was sex rehab again was family therapy. that's why the whole family flew with him to arizona. >> they didn't travel back together. >> interesting. >> i wish them all the best. >> thank you both. >> there will be somebody else next week. >> up next, your style must have been haves for spring. you can almost smell tonight the air now. >> spring. >> we will be right back. needs. eucerin calming creme. is clinically proven to relieve dry, itchy skin, with 92% of people reporting improved overall skin condition over time. eucerin calming creme. and the gentle cleansing formula of calming body wash. calm, healthy skin starts with eucerin. and you're still fighting to sleep in the middle of the night, 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 increase 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. episode five -- sandy sees the light. [ gasps ] are you an angel? [ laughs ] no. i'm dr. dan. but your clothes, they're so bright. [ laughs ] i use cheer. there's nothing worse than dingy clothes. [ male announcer ] now that she's seen the light, will sandy choose cheer? surprisingly bright. at a new lower price. surprisingly bright. announcer: wherever the game takes you, transitions is your best playing partner. transitions lenses adapt to changing light to help you stay comfortable and in the zone in all light conditions both on and off the course. kenny perry and trevor immelman have made transitions part of their game. transitions is proud to be the official eyewear of the pga tour and title sponsor of the transitions championship. the time for "today's style" and spring must-haves. check out march 20th. it should read the first day of spring. >> thank zblod here with your shopping list, lory, distribute krbtding style for "people style watch" magazine. >> denim is hot. >> it is. right now it is an accessory. the it fabric of the season. i know it is not spring yet but we want to be ahead. >> let's push the season. >> this is $79. >> my daughter loves that store. >> chain-link elevates it. flats, $39.50. >> i have to get that. >> more uniq than wearing, say, a black -- >> how much are those? >> $39.50. >> sold, sold. >> how convenient. >> all right. big chunky shoes. we love those. >> these are modern. >> this one i don't hate. >> well, we will take that. we will take that. this have s from sici. these are $65. >> i like the price. >> i like the price. these are $60. the thing about the modern clog, everyone is doing it. you can wear it anywhere. you just -- >> in the '60s, too. >> i'm glad you said that. it lends that earthy vibe. you can wear it withes jeans or a dress. >> big chunky jewelry. >> yes. lot of people are big necklaces again? here is the difference. lucite, clear jewelry. these look chunky. you wear the necklaces. i'm weighed down. these are really light. they are all really light. just wear one thing at a time. >> the green. >> $15.50. >> what? >> adorabldorable. >> i like that these are affordable. >> everything here is under $70. $65, $68. >> that feels like spring. >> that's all you need. one thing and you are done. >> bag department. >> again, this is a throwback. it has a slightly '80s vibe. these are draw-string bucket bags. they are really roomy but not oversized. you see some women carrying their luggage. this is -- >> what women? >> nobody here. >> mine is huge. >> they are comfortable and chic. if you are going wear it have something with studs or metallic. >> where do we find a trend that is one size fits all? >> amy. >> amy is in pink. >> right here. she is our boyish figure, very tall and lean and straight up and down. this is a $50 dress. kohls.com. >> lot of detail. >> it is a great work dress for the spring. be mindful of your hemline. if you are woman over a certain age you want to keep the hemline at your knee. if you are -- you love this look, you can definitely -- the next one is mary. pear-shaped model. what we love about this dress, ralph lauren. $140 at bloomingdales.com. woe added accessories up top. that draws the eye up from the pear-shaped figure. a trick michelle obama uses really well when she act sa accessorizes. look for an a-line if you are pear-shad. >> very flattering. >> adorable. >> the last one is our plus-sized kur i have model, tabby. we have her in a lane bryant dress. would what we did here was added a belt that has shine that nips in her slimmest part. make sure you keep the bell about four inches from the bust line so you are carving out an hourglass shape. she looks fantastic. >> you look great. >> terrific. >> "skin" for teenagers so they can prevent skin cancer. >> i will give mine to cass. >> now that have you the wardrobe down, how style dare came straight off the table from your favorite restaurant. what is this? guy: it's a special paste i invented to replace socks. we're dipping our feet in it. wife: why? guy: because we can't find socks that shape to our feet. we're sick of it! son: sick of it! wife: that's really stupid. guy: that's the future. announcer: hanes makes better-fitting socks the whole family will love. guaranteed, or your money back. christopher columbus sailed the ocean blue... in 14 hundred and 92. nice! follow me, the missouri river is this way! lewis and clark expedition of 1804. oh, he'll never get this. magellan, 1520. awww, my 8 layers must've given it away. help keep your kid full and focused with 8 filling layers... of whole grain fiber found in kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal. this is one giant leap for mini-kind. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused. hoo hooo! [ female announcer ] new eye studio color plush from maybelline new york. it's infused with silk powder. the color so rich. the feel so plush. eye studio. the shadow revolution is here. see it at maybelline.com. let's go to last night's highlights. ere's mom and dad cleaning up. and there's the meatloaf. yuck. look what sometimes happens with the ordinary bag. it slips, oh, bingo, it falls in. mom was mad. mom should have used glad forceflex with the new stretchable drawstring that grips the can and stays in place. plus, it has the stretchable strength of forceflex. that's all today for glad tv. both: don't get mad-- get glad! ♪ can i take you to the restaurant ♪ >> it is time to get saucy with chef dante. >> when he was just 4 years old, dante almost burned down his house trying to make eggs in tupperware on the stove top. nice try. he has come a long way. now dante is up for two james beard awards and chef and owner of would massachusetts eateries, restaurant dante. welcome. how are you? you almost burned down the house? are you kidding? >> yeah. it is appropriate. we have a restaurant and firehouse, same firehouse that came to the rescue. >> all right. >> perfect. >> ironic. >> yes, it is. we are going to get ravioli today. >> yes. this is something you can do at home very, very easy. you don't -- no fuss. you dot have to sit there and roll out the sheets of pasta. what i did was -- i blanched spinach. squeeze it dry. blanch and it right into food processor. >> what's in there? >> ricotta in there. parmesan. good am of that. two egg yolks. and go ahead and blend it away. >> blend. >> okay. >> if you wouldn't just blend that away for me. >> cooking. >> look at you. >> prey tend we put a little -- here you go. >> what's that? >> it goes in there. >> what's that? >> nutmeg. >> you don't need much. >> this is the fun part. these are the naked ravioli. if you wouldn't go ahead and -- >> that's good. >> okay. >> just roll it in the flour. little messy there. >> okay. >> that's just more fun that way. so this is something -- >> just flour on top of that? >> flour. goes into the egg white. >> okay. >> we just put the egg yellow in here. yolk in here. >> now what? >> like that? >> yeah. >> throw it in. >> that's -- >> back in the flour again. >> back in the flour. this is fun. >> back in the egg white again. >> this is exhausting. >> rolling out sheets of pasta. >> back in again. >> back in again. from here -- >> there times. >> drop it -- drop it right into the boiling water. >> okay. >> boiling watter. >> you don't have to -- that's what -- that's why it is naked. looks like skin around here. when you break into it, it should ooze out a little bit, this ricotta. >> how long do you boil it? >> 4 1/2 minutes. when they float to the surface. then about a minute after that. >> dante, are you concerned about -- you hear about salmonella poisoning. is that enough to cook that yellow -- the yolk? >> 4 1/2 mirngts once it floats to the surface it is heated all the way through. >> every time i hear about that -- >> let's go back and eat. >> all right. >> hoda has her priorities straight. >> yes. >> put it top of the tomato sauce. i have jars for thaw i jarred this past summer. >> these two. which two are cooked? >> try these two. >> this one i just put in. >> eat these two, or three. >> looks delicious. >> that's nice and hot. definitely safe. >> are you sure? >> is it you a? ? >> hold on. >> there's no -- no as if. >> that's absolutely delicious. >> i made lamb, too. >> isn't that amazing? >> that's it? >> i hear you love lamb. >> you do this is our con transportation we use in the restaurant. >> that's so cute. >> recipe on the website. >> we have to run. >> dante, you are fantastic. >>s that those. >> what's this? >> this is italian '75. >> thank you so much. come see us again. lady antebellum. >> but first this is "today" on nbc. thank you to dante. the lamb, delicious. >> everything is maze. >> tomorrow we have our guys tell all panel to tell you everything you want to know about guys and relationship. >> a very special everyone has a story. don't miss it. a tribute -- sandy patty will be here. can i not begin to tell you how amazing she is. >> got to watch. >> sign off and leave you with the country trio, lady antebellum. they are singing "american honey." have a great day. >> maybe we will have a little more to eat. >> yeah. lamb. more lamb. ♪ he grew up on the side of the road ♪ ♪ where the church bells ring ♪ grew up slow ♪ like american honey ♪ a creature free as wings ♪ couldn't wait to get going ♪ so when i see your hand ♪ american honey ♪ whisper in the wind ♪ a name like a long lost friend ♪ ♪ as it is years go by ♪ nothing is sweeter than summertime honey ♪ ♪ american honey ♪ this crazy life ♪ trying to be everything to make you lose your mind ♪ ♪ i just want to go back inside ♪ ♪ to american honey ♪ yes ♪ whisper ♪ blowing in the wind ♪ calling out my name like a long lost friend ♪ ♪ i miss those days as the years go by ♪ ♪ nothing is sweeter than summertime ♪ ♪ american honey ♪ i have to get back to her somehow ♪ ♪ to american honey ♪ oh yeah ♪ whisper blowing in the wind ♪ calling out my name like the long lost friend ♪ ♪ as the years go by ♪ nothing is sweeter than summertime and american honey ♪ ♪ american honey

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