captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm matt lauer. british petroleum, the company that outfitted the rig that exploded and caused that massive oil leak has estimated that about 1,000 barrels of oil per day could be leaking into the gulf. late last night though federal officials said that number could be five times higher. this is turning into a real mess, if not a full-blown environmental disaster. >> it is terrible news while crews were trying to stop two known leaks, they uncovered a third leak. with the spill now less than 20 miles from shore, clean-up crews are now planning to burn as much of the oil as possible before it reaches land. we'll get the latest on the clean-up from a british petroleum officials overseeing those efforts in a moment. also ahead a new appeal to find madeleine mccann, the 3-year-old british girl that vanished from a portuguese resort where her family was staying more than three years ago. the family says police have given up as had he they had back to portugal to search for new leads in their daughter's disappearance. on a much lighter note, we have one big bunny rabbit to show you. meet darius, the largest rabbit in the world. at more than 4 feet long, he chomps down a dozen carrots, two apples a day. we'll meet him and his very interesting owner. we begin this morning with serious news. that new leak discovered at the site of the massive oil spill in the gulf of mexico. nbc's mark potter is in new orleans with the latest. mark, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. president obama was briefed on the oil slick last night and it appears the defense department might also get involved. this as another leak was discovered and the oil slick itself is getting closer to land. the oil company bp says while remote control vehicles were being used nearly a mile underwater to try to stop two known leaks in a damaged oil pipe, a third leak believed to be new was discovered wednesday. >> given the location, we do not believe this changes the amount currently estimated to be released. >> reporter: but in a dramatic announcement, u.s. officials suggested the amount of oil now polluting the gulf of mexico each day may be five times more than originally estimated. >> while bp believes, and we believe and establish an 1,000 barrel per day estimate of what is leaks from the well, noaa experts believe the output can be as much as 5,000 barrels. >> reporter: to combat some of the thick oil floating in the gulf of mexico, crews are now burning it at sea 45 miles from shore to keep the heavy black smoke from reaching land and is tightly controlled. >> it is important to remember that this burn will occur within a very small area at sea within 500 feet of fire resistant boons. >> reporter: in a controlled burn, work boats push the oil surrounded into the area surrounded by the long boon. the oil is towed to a remote area and set on fire. each burn lasts about an hour and consumes several thousand gallons of oil. officials argue it is safer environmentally to burn the oil far out at sea than to risk it coming ashore. as for the rest of the oil spill, scientists say it is about 16 miles from louisiana now and predict by friday evening, the leading edge could actually reach the louisiana delta. although the thickest oil, shown here in the darkest red colors, would still be way offshore. work crews in louisiana have already put up 100,000 feet of protective booms around fragile wetland areas home to fish, birds and crabs. officials in mississippi, alabama and florida are also making preparations in case the winds change and the oil starts heading in their direction. matt? >> mark potter in new orleans for us this morning, thank you very much. >> as mark just pointed out, the wind is a big factor as to where that oil spill will go. al roker has more on that. al, a lot of people are very concerned this morning. >> absolutely, meredith. the winds had been offshore and that had been helping out but now as high pressure drifts to the east and is now just off the florida coast, that kind of clockwise flow of air is now bringing the winds up out of the south-southeast between 10 to 15 miles per hour. these are onshore winds and so that's going to continue. as that high moves away, the winds are going to shift to a more southerly direction and that means that more trouble for parts of mississippi and alabama as those winds shift. as they do those burns, not only will you have to worry about the oil coming onshore, but the smoke from those fire burns are going to be coming onshore as well. so again, the weather not giving us any bit of a break now going on into the weekend. matt? >> al, thanks very much. doug subtles is bp's chief operating officer. good morning to you. >> yeah, good morning, matt. >> i want to get right to these numbers. help me clear this up. your company estimates that about 1,000 barrels of oil are leaking from this well per day. as you've heard, noaa officials believe that number could be five times higher, or some 210,000 gallons per day. why the big difference? >> well, matt, first i should probably say that like everybody, what we want to do is get this oil leak stopped as quick as we can. of course, in addition, make sure we fight this thing offshore. you've heard admiral landry say that many, many times and make sure we're prepared, if it does come onshore, we can respond. the difference between the 1 and the 5, i should stress at the time the rig sank, we put our remote operated vehicles on the bop, on the device on the seabed. we didn't see a leak at this point. what we then had to do was trace out with those vehicles the riser, the piece of pipe that connected that b.o.p. to the transocean rig set on the surface, and that was almost 5,000 feet long. while doing that we found the two original leak sources. we also i think said many times that we would watch that b.o.p. constantly and we've been doing that. that's when we saw the additional leak we announced last night. >> let's get back to numbers here though, mr. suttles. what do you think is leaking from that, and is it possible the truth is somewhere in the middle which would still be a substantially bigger leak than you're predicting? >> well, matt, you're exactly right. what it is, that 1,000 barrels a day was a number that the noaa scientists working with our own staff agreed was the best estimate at the time. what we can't do is measure the flow at the seabed so as time's gone on, what we can see is what's on the surface. using the satellite imagery in aur overflights, we can now say it looks like it is probably more than 1,000, it is within the range. i actually don't think there is a difference between noaa's view and our view. i would say the range is 1,000 to 5,000 barrels a day. >> how long is it going to take by your company's best estimates to cap these leaks, to stop this from seeping into the gulf? >> well, matt, as we talked about, we're trying to fight this thing on many different fronts. i actually every day hope it's today. and the actions we're taking could make it stop today. if we have to use the most significant technique, which is drill a relief well which will actually start the rigs on site now, that could take 90 days. it is somewhere between today and 90 days. i can tell you we'll do everything, absolutely everything, to make that happen as soon as possible. >> real quickly, if you can, is this totally your company's responsibility right now or has this reached the level where you'll take from anyone, private companies, the u.s. government, the military, anybody to try and solve this? >> well, matt, exactly. we'll take help from anyone and we welcome the offer from the department of defense. we're working with the experts across the industry. just yesterday we got a new idea from another oil and gas company. we're applying absolutely the best science we know. we welcome the help of the government. actually, we'll take -- we're not interested in where the idea comes from. what we're interested is how do we stop this flow and how do we stop it now. >> doug suttles from bp, thanks for your time this morning. good luck. >> thanks for the time. >> 7:09. in washington, republicans have blinked in the standoff over financial reform package aimed at reining in wall street. that clears the way for debate to begin today. nbc's kelly o'donnell is on capitol hill. kelly, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. after days of name calling and digging in, more than a year of negotiations, this break-through seemed to happen in a flash. and today there is new momentum behind making changes to the financial system that would be the most dramatic since the great depression and the president was quick to jump on-board. on the road in main street, america, it was the president who first told folks in quincy, illinois -- >> it appears an agreement may be at hand -- >> reporter: -- that a wall street reform bill would finally be debated in the senate. >> you shouldn't have to wait another day for the protection from some of the practices that got us into this mess. >> reporter: it's so important to the president that on air force one, he made a rare trip back to the press section. >> i hope that we can get this done quickly, reconcile it with the work that was done over on the house side and i can sign this bill into law very soon. >> reporter: just hours earlier, compromise wouldn't fly. republicans and one democrat had stalled the financial reform bill, demanding changes be made first. democratic majority leader harry reid lashed out and called them unpatriotic. >> all the talk of the republicans about wanting to do something about this bill before it gets on the floor is really anti-senate and anti-american. >> reporter: democrats had a strategy this week -- >> the motion is not agreed to. >> reporter: -- over three days -- >> the motion is not agreed to. >> reporter: -- they called for three votes. >> the motion is not agreed to. >> reporter: -- and three times they blamed republicans who voted no. >> we have failed to get a single republican who will stand up and vote with us for wall street reform. >> we as republicans want to ensure that we fix wall street without crippling main street. >> reporter: adding pressure wednesday, democrats threatened sleep deprivation. senators would be required to work overnight. but then a sudden burst of cooperation and collegiality. >> i also want to commend senator dodd. >> let me thank the minority leader as well. >> reporter: republicans won a few changes, democrats got a deal to move financial reform to the front burner. >> wall street needs reforming. democrats, republicans, all of america, believe that. >> reporter: we can hope that good feeling lasts for a while but a new battle of working on the details of what's in the reform, new rules for the banks, tightening the rules of the road for wall street and creating a whole new consumer protection agency. >> at home you're probably asking, what's in this reform bill that's going to help me? jim cramer is the host of "mad money" on cnbc. still a lot of wheeling and dealing with this bill before anything reaches the president's desk. based on what you have seen, will this bill curb excesses on wall street and guarantee that we never have to pay for another major bailout? >> it will definitely curb excesses. it is good. we turned out to have a wild west. we need a couple sheriffs in there. >> how is it going to curb excesses? >> i think that we saw one thing in all the different disasters but there were a lot of hidden trades. you don't hide trades in stocks. but all these derivatives were hidden. this bill is going to make it so they're on an exchange, there will be a clearinghouse, it will be much more honest. that could have stopped in the tracks some of the things that occurred. >> you talking specifically about goldman sachs? >> goldman may be hurt by this, no doubt about it. i think after we saw the testimony that wouldn't be so bad to hurt them. >> what about these big bankers, they know how to gain the system. won't they find a way around the rules? >> i don't think so. i think this is tough enough they will not be able to hide the stuff they've been doing. they may not be able to betray the client as i saw at the hearings. i think when you put some of these things on exchange and you strip out some of these divisions, firms are are going to be hurt but there's going to be more -- >> the firms are going to lose profitability but for the average investors it will be a good thing. >> yes. i think we need it. the average investor's been hurt very badly. we can never have this disaster again. if the banks suffer by a little bit of earnings-per-share hit, so be it. >> the job market is beginning to improve, consumer spending has picked up. how positive is that news? >> real positive. i think we're three to six months away from job hiring. that's why ben bernanke's keeping rates high. >> keeping rates low, you mean? >> keeping rates low. in 2007 i said we'd have a disaster in housing. i am now predicting in 2011 a shortage in housing. it's that booming out there because ben bernanke's been keeping rates low. >> a lot of people are afraid to get into the market because it's gone up so much in the last 52 weeks. is this a bad time to leap into the market? >> the other day we were down 200. one-day sale. got to be there for these sales. just like a big department store. they put the merchandise on sale, you should be a buyer. >> catch more of jim's advice on "mad money" weeknights at 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. eastern on cnbc. now let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from ann curry at the news desk. good morning, everybody. also in the news this morning, the first lawsuit challenging arizona's new immigration law is expected to be filed today. it will argue that the law violates due process rights by allowing people to be detained before they are convicted of being illegal immigrants. at the same time the president says there may not be an appetite in congress to take up imgregs migration reform right after what he called a tough year and upcoming mid-term elections. he says he still wants discussions on the issue to move forward. military prosecutors say they plan to seek the death penalty against army psychiatrist major that dal hasan stemming from november's shooting at ft. hood, texas. shock in china this morning where a man with a knife went on a rampage in a kindergarten class. we've got nbc's adrienne wong joining us from beijing. what can you tell us about this? >> reporter: good morning, ann. local police say the attacker was an unemployed 47-year-old man who burst into the classroom early in the morning and stabbed 31 people, including two teachers, a security guard who tried to stop him, and 28 children, many of whom were 4 year-olds. five of them are now in critical condition. police say it is not clear what the motive was. photos post on chinese websites show dozens of people crowded outside the school, many of them apparently frantic parents. it was the third such school stabbing in just over a month to happen in china. >> adrienne wong, thank you so much. president obama delivers the eulogy today at the funeral of dorothy height known as the godmother of the civil rights movement. she was also remembered last night in washington at a weg-attended celebration of her life. she died last week at the age of 98. two more recalls this morning involving hundreds of thousands of cribs that consumer product safety commission says all simplicity full-size cribs with tubular metal mattress support frames are being recalled. the frames and mattresses can collapse endangering children. also graco drop-side cribs are also being recalled because officials say they, too, can pose a hazard. for more information, go to todayshow.com. the launch of a research balloon did not go as planned today. it broke from its mooring in australia and dragged its multi-million dollar payload of scientific equipment across the ground slamming into an suv an then crashing. however, no one was hurt. 7:17. let's go back to meredith, matt and al. bummer. >> big bummer. >> does your suv insurance policy cover something like that? call your allstate agent. >> i told you to move the car to the other side! you call that an accident? that's an accident. crocodile dundee. >> we're watching another area of strong good morning. this thursday morning is dawning bright and chilly. there is a live view from the sky watcher camera with national cathedral in the foreground. 40s in washington, but to the west it's at or below freezing especially in the mountains. scattered frost this morning. we will have a rapid warm up with highs near 70 and near 80 tomorrow. mid 80 oz saturday and sunday. could get storms in >> that's your latest weather. nearly three years to the day since the mysterious disappearance of madeleine mccann, her parents are now accusing authorities of giving up on their missing daughter. nbc's stephanie gosk is in london with more on this. stephanie, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. even though it's been nearly three years since the daughter went missing from that resort, kate and gerry mccann say they won't stop looking for madeleine and until they find her, there's no escaping the pain. to mark the anniversary, the mccanns spoke with british tv. >> we went there last week. we can smell the grass and it smells really nice. then it just kind of gets you. madeleine's till not here. >> reporter: authorities have stopped searching. the portuguese police shoved the case unless new information surfaces. >> they're not doing anything actively and haven't been for a long time. that's incredibly frustrating. so we've had our small team working away in the background. >> reporter: the mccanns hav fired their own private investigators to pick up where the police have left off. on their website, they distribute flyers and bumper stickers to anyone interested and continue to update sketches of what maddie would look like as she gets older. >> i feel she's out there. i know there's nothing to say that she isn't. >> i think the key thing is you don't know who's taken her and what the motive is. until we find that person, it's very hard but you just got to keep going and keep working away. >> reporter: in the meantime, their twins, only 2 years old when maddie disappeared, are growing up and sean and emily want to know what happened to their big sister. >> they say has madeleine run away, mommy? she kept asking me in a public place. a bit tricky at first. she's like it's not nice to run away. that really upset me because that's not how i want to think of madeleine. we just explained that somebody had taken madeleine. >> they believe that it is a man that took her, a naughty man and we need to try and find them. >> reporter: there is no way to protect their kids from what has stretched into a three-year-long nightmare. >> i can still hear her voice in me. every so many months we'll sit down and watch a film of her. >> following the interview, the mccanns flew to part gal, one of several return trips that they've taken, not giving up hope that they may find something new to help lead them to their daughter. >> stephanie gosk in london, thanks for the update. we appreciate it. just ahead, a popular kindergarten teacher in georgia on trial for molesting young girls. but has she been unfarrell targeted? the latest on a very controversial case. but first, thi just ahead, new details on exactly what happened when a killer whale attacked and killed a trainer at seaworld. plus, an historic day for women as the u.s. navy gets set to allow women to serve on submarines for the first time. what will they face? ann takes us inside a nuclear subfor a rare look after your local news. for a rare look aft local news. come on, kiddo, let's go. hold on a second... come on up here where your brothers sit. wow! chevy traverse. a consumers digest best buy, with a 100,000-mile, powertrain warranty. it seats eight comfortably - not that it always has to. now get 0% apr for 60 months on 2010 traverse models. see your local chevy dealer. at cousin everett's blueberry farm to talk about our blueberry juice drinks. they're made with my sweet, ripe blueberries, packed with th-those antioxidants that are good for ya. tastes real good, too! to give you an idea, let's whip up a quick sample. or you could just try this. [ chuckles ] yeah. ocean spray blueberry juice drinks. real blueberries, real good. what do you guys want to do? both: make rice krispie® treats! how many cups is it? six. oh, that's not six yet. whoa. where's the pan? both: over there. ( laughter ) push it down. push it down. thank you for helping. it's amazing what you can make out of a rainy day. childhood is calling. >> time is 7:26 on this thursday, april 29th, 2010. dorothy height will be laid to rest. president obama will deliver the eulogy at the washington national cathedral. she spent much of her life fighting for civil and women's rights. you can watch it on our website at nbc washington.com. we'll will take a break and >> at this hour, it's fresh and chill we a bright sun. scattered frost west of interstate 95, but we will warm up to near 70 by mid-afternoon. tomorrow into the low 80s by friday afternoon and partly cloudy over the weekend. could get storms on sunday. how is the traffic? >> a tough morning and not getting much better. jam friday centerville and that's a brace out of menassis and the earlier accident gone. one more stop at canal road between fletcher's boat house. earlier construction has been picked up. >> start your mornings on the right foot. tune in at 4:30 and all of the day's 7:30 now on a thursday morning, april 29th, 2010. it is a little windy here in manhattan, but warmer than yesterday. sunny skies, nice crowd. inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer alongside meredith vieira. ahead in this half-hour, the navy prepares to enter uncharted floodwaters. >> women are about to be allowed to serve on submarines for the very first time. ann curry got the chance to spend the night aboard one of the navy's super secret subs. >> i don't think it is a good idea to let her do the old submarine torpedo thing. step back from that. also ahead, an investigation, on a serious note, into the deadly killer whale attack at seaworld orlando. the final report includes audio accounts of exactly what happened when that whale turned on its trainer. we'll hear some of that just ahead. plus, on a much lighter note, a 10-year-old with a flair for fashion. her dress creations are already taking the fashion industry by storm. jenna bush hager introduces us to her in just a bit. we want to begin this half-hour with the trial of a beloved kindergarten teacher in georgia. she's accused of molesting three young girls in a case that has splintered a community. nbc's michelle kosinski is in ringell, georgia with the latest on this. >> reporter: good morning, matt. you have hundreds of people here, even more online, rallying behind the now-fired kindergarten teacher, tanya craft. you also have this deep feeling for three little girls who, at tiles, graphically describe what they claim craft did to them. you have fragmented testimony and contradictory statements and memories of little children. amid that, imagine facing the rest of your life behind bars. two years have passed since she was accused, and tanya craft has lost her job, her home, custody of her young daughter. but to many, she is still the beloved kindergarten teacher they refuse to believe would harm a child. >> they don't want the truth. they don't want any of that. they want a conviction and they're going to get it one way or another. >> reporter: there are websites and blogs furiously calling the trial a witchhunt, saying craft is the victim, a scheming detractor or shoddy police work or overzealous prosecutors. >> how can this happen? how can i go from being a mother and a teacher to having a mug shot on television for something i did not do? this kind of situation can happen to anyone. it could happen to anybody at any time and all there has to be is an accusation. and that's it. you're stripped of your rights and your life and your children and your home. >> reporter: it started with one little girl claiming craft fondled her at a slopeover with craft's daughter. the girl, now 9, in very detailed testimony said the abuse happened multiple times when she was in kindergarten and first grade. though her story has changed some. she said there's more but i can't remember. when asked why she didn't remember certain things earlier, she said i just remembered. but two other girls have made similar accusations. the father of one broke down. >> i said, are you 100% sure that this happened? and i'll never forget the look on her face. or in her eyes. she stopped everything she did and looked me dead in the eye and said, "i know it did, dad." >> reporter: tonya craft has been indicted on 22 counts of molestation, sexual battery. one expert testified that the victim's medical exam showed signs consistent with sexual abuse while another said there were not. there's even been a sort of character assassination of the main accuser, a child movie actress. >> you're also dealing with a professional child actress that played the role of an abused chi child. it's very -- it's very scary for me to wonder how i'm going to defend myself against that. >> reporter: while hundreds have come out to support her, craft's one-time best friend testified against her, saying craft molested her daughter. the jury will soon have to choose between three little girls with some graphic descriptions, and an adult who insists she did nothing wrong. >> no matter what the result is, i'm innocent. and whatever a jury decides doesn't change that. >> reporter: here is a question here of whether the children were led in their testimony by police or parents. but also a question if adults were scheming against tonya craft, why would they manipulate little kids to do so, and would children that age really make up stories like this? it is a tough one that could determine whether this woman spends the rest of her life in prison or not, matt. >> michelle kosinski in georgia for us this morning on this story. dan abrams is nbc's chief legal analyst, dan, good morning to you. this is a tough one. you've got children who were 5, 6, 7 at the time the alleged crime occurred. now they're 8 and 9 at the time of a trial. how do you judge their credibility as witnesses when someone's entire life hangs in the balance? >> it's really hard. for two reasons. first of all, because they were so young when it happened. and secondly, it's the time that's passed since then. you're not just asking 5 and 6 year-olds to talk about what just happened to them, you're asking 8 and 9 year-olds to talk about what had happened to them years earlier. so both sides have to be very, very careful, because no one wants to be in the position of suggesting that the child is doing anything wrong. i think both the prosecution and the defense want to take the position that the children are laying out a story, an account, and even from the defense's perspective, they want to be able to say that, if these children are not telling the truth, as we claim they're not, it's not because they did something wrong, it's because either they were manipulated by parents and they were manipulated by investigators, et cetera. >> one of the other defense strategies appears to be -- you're right, it is a tough place for a defense attorney to be to cross examine a child. one of their strategies seems to be to question the investigation itself. >> absolutely. look, that's what happened in these types of cases. you very often see the defense, and in this case it is exactly what they're doing, they're saying, this never should have gotten here, that these children were led by the investigators and what you see is the defense saying -- there were suggestive questions. these are kids when they're asked a question that suggests that maybe it happened and they say yes, and then their story changes, et cetera, well, that's not reliable. that's what you're seeing here from the defense, in addition to attacking some of the physical evidence. they're essentially saying what they say is physical evidence isn't physical evidence, and we also want to be able to show how normal everything actually was. >> you know, so many times you hear attorneys debating the idea of a defendant taking the witness stand on his or her own behalf. in this particular case, is this one of those situations where tonya craft may have to take the witness stand? >> she may. i mean unless things have gone so badly for the prosecution, she really may. this is one of those cases where jurors are almost going to demand in their heads to hear from the defendant herself. yes, you can try and undermine the testimony of the children. yes, you can try and undermine the testimony of the investigators. but in a case like this which is so personal, i think that you need to have that defendant on the witness stand. of course the problem with that is, she's going to be confronted with certain accounts. she's going to be confronted with certain evidence and the question is going to be how does she do when that happens. >> dan abrams in los angeles this morning, thanks very much for your perspective on this. >> all right, matt. let's get a check of the weather now from the virginia gold cup is here on saturday. looks like good weather for that and a slight chance of a thundershower. for thursday morning, bright and sunny and our live view is chilly and temperatures getting above freezing where we had scattered frost into the low and mid 40s around washington and the bay. ootsds near 40 further to the west. high near 70 with lots of sun and warmer tomorrow, saturday, and sunday and greater chance of afternoon and evening >> don't forget, check your weather all day long, weather channel on cable, weather.com online. matt? >> al, thank you very much. up next, ann spends the night on a nuclear submarine as women sailors get ready to serve on those subs for the very first time. that's right after this. - i'm right here. and i always will be. male announcer: this mother's day, surround her with the strength of love's embrace from kay jewelers. one more reason kay is the number one jewelry store in america. would we eat better? [ rewinding ] at hellmann's, we search for the best sources to make our mayonnaise. we use eggs, vinegar and oil rich in omega 3. ♪ for the quality that could only be hellmann's. hellmann's. it's time for real. and, now introducing hellmann's light. it's made with 100% cage free eggs. we are back at 7:42 with a historic moment in the history of our nation's military. dat u.s. navy is expected to announce that women will be allowed to serve aboard submarines for the first time. ann has already done that. got a taste what have life is like. >> that's right, meredith. we were given rare access inside one of the navy's ballistic nuclear missile submarines. while the main mission is stealth deterrence, if called they have the capacity to launch a nuclear attack. incredibly serious and dangerous work for the 160-man crew now preparing to add women to the ranks. sights and sounds of the "uss maryland," 1 of 14 missile subs called boomers, designed as an undetectable laumpbl pad for nuclear warheads as seen in this navy test video. at 550 feet long, roughly the length of the washington monument, these are the biggest subs in the navy's fleet. for more than a century, america's submarines have been operated by all-male crews -- until now. to reach the "uss maryland," we traveled from king's bay submarine base in georgia to an undisclosed location with this admiral, a leader in the navy's effort to include women on subs. >> you're looking at only 15% of the submarine. much like an iceberg, the vast majority of it is below the water line. >> hello. thank you so much for having me aboard. thank you. i'll do my best. here we go. mike, you're showing me to where i'm staying? >> three-person stateroom. >> three women. >> three-person. you've got the middle compartment space. you make room of every inch. >> we're set up right now for male-only but we are thinking how it is going to work when we do add women on-board. we've got an "occupied" sign. >> showers, bathroom. >> a little tighter than you're used to. >> jeffrey grimes is the commanding officer of the "uss maryland." >> this is the control room, main operation center of the submarine. we'll be the only eyes of the submarine. >> really cool. >> reporter: submarines are most vulnerable above water which means lookouts are crucial. >> amazing. from the sub's bridge, we make our way down below. >> hi. this is missile command center. this is where the missile technicians monitor and launch and care for the nuclear missiles. >> that's a lot of responsibility. >> reporter: a missile launch requires three separate keys, each secure by classified combination locks. two combinations are kept on-board this submarine. the third is in washington. >> once the president orders a launch, it will come down in a message into our radio room and part of that message is to allow us to gain entry into this safe. >> reporter: several hours into our journey we begin our descent. >> submerge the ship. >> reporter: subs can descend up to 800 feet below the surface. >> 100 feet. 1-6-0 feet, sir. >> you give the submarine the most respect because of the amount of mesh viewpressure thee builds. >> reporter: on average these vessels spend 77 days underwater so maintaining morale is crucial. what's for dinner tonight. >> tonight we're having grilled salmon, lobster bisque and roast turkey. >> reporter: even on the navy's biggest submarines, space is at a minimum. men sleep nine to a room among rows of missiles. the work, intense. camaraderie is everything. and this brotherhood is about to welcome women. is that a crab cake? what would it take for a woman to be successful? >> as long as she is willing to come in here and do her part and stand the watch and learn the systems and i think she will have absolutely no problem. >> some people are going to resist it. just it's just the nature of things. but in the long run, i think people will look back and say this wasn't that big of a deal. >> reporter: the navy says it comes down to numbers. women now account for half of science and engineering bachelor degrees. >> it opens up our pool of talent. it raises the readiness of the submarine force. it is the right thing to do for the navy. >> reporter: the first woman on-board will be officers who already have private quarters like the one i spent the night in. somewhere under the atlantic. by dawn, the "uss maryland" remerged for our departure. >> today we're going to make you honorary submariners. >> reporter: preparing for another day, and a changing horizon outside and inside america's submarines. >> how claustrophobic was that? >> the hallways are very small. you have to be careful how you can bump into things. you get little bruises because you're running around. that's 1 of the 14 subs that are the largest in the navy. there are many, many smaller ones that women have not been -- will not be allowed to serve on quite yet because of the living space. >> thanks, ann. still ahead from the navy's biggest subs to the world's biggest bunny. i said bunny. but first, these messages. - my mother used to say, "always keep your heart open." this mother's day, my wish is that my open hearts collection at kay jewelers becomes a universal symbol of hope and love, because if your heart is open, love will always find its way in. where do you want to go? nowhere. who do you feel like seeing? no one. depression hurts in so many ways. sadness. loss of interest. lack of energy. anxiety. the aches and pains. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a prescription medication that treats many symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. ask your doctor about cymbalta. depression hurts. cymbalta can help. we're back at 7:50 with chilling findings from the final report into february's deadly killer whale attack at seaworld. nbc's kerry sanders has the details on that. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning. the report is a detailed and gripping narrative. in more than 40 witness interviews, detectives have pieced together a moment by moment account in the final minutes, final terrifying minutes in trainer dawn brancheau's life. as trainer dawn brancheau lay on her stomach nose-to-nose with tilik tilikum, the killer whale, jan watched, his role -- spot her in case anything went wrong and it did. >> i observed was maybe a little current of water, a ripple of water blow her hair into his mouth. all of a sudden i saw her pulling on her hair to try to pull out. >> reporter: he tells detectives he turned to pull an alarm and when he turned back -- >> i turned around. i did not see dawn. i did not see tilikum the whale anywhere in the pool. all i did see was her sandals in the water floating. >> reporter: in the recorded and written interviews, it is clear dawn was caught off guard. one trainer said she saw him pull her in. that tilikum is a possessive animal. a 12,000-pored orca that doe sheent think ever allowed dawn brancheau to come to the surface. down below through a window in the tank, guests and seaworld employees waiting to take photos witnessed tilikum doing a deep dive and dawn brancheau was in his mouth. up to 15 employees tried to rescue her. >> we tried to get dawn out of the water. tilikum seemed to become more agitated and would not allow anybody to get near her. >> reporter: two security cameras recorded the attack but the video has not been released. from above detectives write they could see a splash, a camera shooting underneath shows dawn repeatedly attempting to swim to the surface. a fighter, she gets free at one point but tilikum can be seen striking dawn, and then he immediately began swimming underwater with dawn in his mouth. detectives say the video reveals she was killed in less than three horrific minutes. at a congressional hearing this week, debate. are parks like seaworld educational as the law requires? >> there is little, if any, evidence that any real education is taking place during visits to theme parks. >> reporter: seaworld, part of an $8 billion industry, says it is clear they are educational. >> there's been 500 million people who have come to the parks and learned about killer whales through our shows. >> reporter: this report does not conclude whether tilikum -- or what should happen to tilikum which has now been involved in three human's deaths. meantime, dawn brancheau's death has been ruled accidental. matt? >> kerry sanders, thanks very much. back after your local news. at cvs/pharmacy, you get a surprise as soon as you walk in the door. just go to the extra care coupon center [beep] and scan your card. then you print your coupons, and surprise! you save. it's so easy. just scan, print, save. scan before, you'll save more. i love my extra bucks! only at cvs/pharmacy. to travel in comfort and style... presenting the new toyota avalon. for a ride that's jet-smooth! it's got reclining rear seats! and such a quiet cabin! ♪ bluetooth wireless audio makes every trip a delight! ♪ the new toyota avalon... comfort is back. ♪ a plant is only as good as the soil you put it in. look, both these potted plants got the same sun. same water. only difference? this. miracle-gro potting mix. rich organic ingredients with miracle-gro plant food mixed right in. now it even feeds plants for 6 straight months. want this result? gotta start with this soil. new and improved miracle-gro potting mix. success starts with the soil. the time is 7:56. a live picture where this morning later on at 10:00 the funeral will be held for doergy height and president obama will deliver the eulogy. good morning. i'm joe krebs. police are invtigating a suspicious death and someone report screaming in the apartment in annapolis road. when police arrived they found a distraught woman and a man lying on the floor. the woman said she had not heard from the man since tuesday and she went to check on him and found his body. the man had trauma to his upper body and not saying how he died. the capitals love to the canadienes, ending their season after one round of playoffs. we will take a break and look at the weather and traffic. stay with us. i'm a fashion stylist. my secret? t.j.maxx. they buy directly from designers and you see the savings! i dress fashionistas. but i'm a maxxinista. t.j.maxx. the air is fresh and chilly with temperatures in the 40s. highs climbing to near 70 by mid-afternoon and lots of sunshine. mostly sunny and warmer and feeling like summertime into the 80s saturday and sunday. a slight chance of a thundershower and how is the traffic? >> still jammed now. i-95 is crawling. a broke uh down tractor-trailer and the jam up begins in dale city. tough both ways. 295 at the 11th street bridge. >> tune in to news 8:00 now on this thursday morning, the 29th of april, 2010. that is darius, all 4'3" and 50 pounds of bunny rabbits. the world's biggest bunny, roughly the size of an average 5-year-old child. we'll meet him and talk to his owner in just a bit. >> that's rabbit's dynamite! >> that thing could hang out with some major league baseball players. i'd have a bunny -- but that's a bunny! >> that's a bunny! >> no question. also ahead, we'll look at hollywood and plastic surgery. used to be everyone seemed to get a little nip and tuck, but are hollywood casting directors now turning away from actors and actresses who have had too much work? could have a lot to say about our image of beauty. we'll get into that. >> just about time, too. and jenna bush hager is going to stop by and introduce us to one of the hottest fashion designers around. at 10 years old, she is rockin' the fashion world. she's going to introduce us to her. >> jenna scored a free dress. ann curry is standing by inside -- i am freezing! come inside and warm up, guys. good morning, everybody. in the news that oil spill off the coast of louisiana is now growing so quickly, the federal government is offering its help to stop the flow. petroleum giant bp says that on wednesday it discovered a leak from a damaged oil well in the gulf of mexico and the coast guard says more than 200,000 gallons a day may be gushing into the water. that is five times the previous estimate. clean-up crews conducted a controlled burn of some oil on wednesday but scientists said that oil could still reach louisiana shorelines as early as tomorrow. officials in china said that 28 school children were wounded this morning by a man with a knife. he burst into their kindergarten classroom. two teachers and security guard were also slashed. the attacker has been identified as a 47-year-old unemployed man. the motive is unknown. the senate today begins debating what could be the biggest overhaul of financial industry regulation since the great depression. republicans and one democrat had stalled the financial reform bill this week demanding changes be made before any debate. they relented last night but can still add amendments during the floor fight which could last two weeks. overseas markets are mostly higher this morning. cnbc's trish regan is at the new york stock exchange. what are you watching today? >> watching a lot of stuff this morning. first, that financial reform that you just mentioned. investors are a little bit concerned about the impact that might have on the profitability of financial stocks going forward. also investors somewhat heartened that the fed will keep interest rates at that near zero rate for the foreseeable futures. portugal, ireland, italy, greece, spain, their debt situati situation. at some point the feeling is there will have to be a bailout or it could have consequences for a you will of us worldwide. more snow is expect dad in the mountains of california where spring has look more like winter this week. snowfall intensified wednesday in higher elevations with as much as two feet piling up over several days. high winds and hail added to hazardous conditions for drivers. and ten years after china's gymnastics team won bronze at the sydney olympics, the international olympic commit has ordered china to give it back. acting on evidence that one chinese gymnast was underage, just 14 years old, the ioc is award rg the medal instead to the u.s. team. it is now 8:04. back outside to matt and meredith. >> that's a big deal. mr. roker, we've got meredith's teeth chattering over here. 46 degrees. >> it is a little brisk because of the wind. >> a little brisk. >> but it is going to warm up. it is going to be fantastic. in fact, look at these young people from the broadwater academy. where's that? >> east shore of virginia. >> they look about the color of blue crabs. let's check your weather, see what's happening. our pick city of the today, nbc 25 -- good morning. we have bright sunshine and after a chilly start, the temperatures are beginning to recover after we had scattered frost around the rural areas. it's near 50 in washington and the nearby suburbs. high around 70 or so with lots of sunshine and a light breeze. tomorrow morning near 50 and more sun tomorrow. over the weekend, partly cloudy and highs into the 80s. a slight chance of a thundershower saturday and a greater chance sunday afternoon and evening. >> >> that's your latest weather. when we come back, is hollywood frowning on actors who have had too much in the way of plastic surgery? we'll talk about that right after this. chevy malibu stands behind theirs for up to 100,000 miles. which makes it pretty clear whose standing out front. a consumers digest "best buy" two years running. chevy malibu. compare it to anyone and may the best car win. during the spring event, qualified lessees can get a low mileage lease on this new malibu ls for around $199 a month. call for details. see your local chevy dealer. love to see kids' spirits shine. superstar and mom, martina mcbride and sunny d ♪ sunny taste. sunny spirit. sunny d. brings out the best in kids. ♪ sunny d - good night, honey. - and they could fix... - all better? 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( laughter ) push it down. push it down. thank you for helping. it's amazing what you can make out of a rainy day. childhood is calling. time to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze... my eyes water. but now zyrtec®, the fastest 24-hour allergy relief, comes in a new liquid gel. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®. as they do at the beginning ? only air optix® contact lens materials have tricomfort™ technology. they let up to five times more oxygen through the lens than traditional soft contact lenses... ...are designed to retain moisture for comfort all day long... and have superior deposit resistance for cleaner lenses. air optix®, the lens you can survive a long day in. go to airoptix.com for a free one-month trial offer. we are back at 8:10 with a subtle change taking place in hollywood where plastic surgery had become a staple for many actors. now there is a recent article in the "new york times" points out, many casting executives seem to be saying no to stars who have had too much work. here's nbc's lee cowan. >> reporter: it was one of those hollywood moments made famous by a single word. >> plastics. >> reporter: plastics. career advice in "the graduate," a career necessity for many in hollywood. for decades, plastic surgery helped keep countless stores employed. a nip here, a tuck there. augmentations a plenty. but these days, some in hollywood are rethinking plastic. maybe mother nature got it right after all. >> when it is obvious to a producer that someone has had a lot of plastic surgery, we've dempbtly seen them reject that actor based on that fact. >> reporter: these two women are casting director for "mad men," and say hollywood's new look is the natural look, or at least not the freshly refurbished. >> it surely is one of the instances where bigger is not better. >> if we can't tell, then it doesn't matter. it is when you can tell that it becomes an issue. >> reporter: meryl streep and helen miran are celebrated for aging gracefully. but there are plenty of websites that highlight hollywood face lifts they claim have flopped. kenny rogers' eyes or meg ryan's lips are favored. >> women having too much botox or too many surgeries don't look like real human beings. >> reporter: laura explored the topic for "the new york times" and found it is not only bad plastic surgery hollywood frowns on but good ones that make a star's familiar face suddenly unfamiliar. >> many people in hollywood say when jennifer gray got her nose job it really hurt her career, it completely changed her face and so no longer looked like the fresh teenager we remember from "dirty dancing." >> reporter: there are also roles where plastic surgery seems like almost a prerequisite. if you are a fan of "bay watch," and most guys believe in the case of pamela anderson, more is probably better. we'll leave it at that. the point is not that plastic surgery is out, it is just that moderation is in. >> the overdone breasts and overdone lips are a thing of the past. there is a definite emphasis on looking better but looking very natural and believable. >> reporter: think of plastic surgery as special effects. if it looks fake, it's not believable. in hollywood, belief in the impossible is all that counts. for "today," lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> casting director john patsadera has worked on some films, and bonnie fuller is the editor in chief of hollywood.com. john, how have your views changed toward plastic surgery and what's acceptable when an actress comes in to your office to audition? >> i don't know that it's really changed that much, though the stress and importance of naturalism has always been really important to interpreting characters, to try and find realism within film. if it is too reflect society, you want it to be real to life, not a cartoon. >> naturalism doesn't necessarily mean no plastic surgery. just make sure that it looks natural. >> yeah. absolutely. i mean i think there is a fine line of that competitive edge that actors are put into a very uncomfortable position between a rock and a hard place of living up to the standards of beauty that society has kind of embraced, yet still being natural, still being respectful of what they bring to the camera and interpreting life. >> what's acceptable for a young actress different than what's acceptable for an actress that's over 40? >> well, i think what's changed is that young actresses today are being told not to get too much plastic surgery. they want -- casting director wants natural faces. and i think when an actress like heidi montag goes out and has like ten surgeries, it really puts it ineverybody's face that this is way too far. the problem is that when you look great at 25 you're supposed to stay looking great until you get 35, 40. for older actresses they're supposed to somehow still look 25. >> but therefore, the pressure to get the plastic surgery so they can possibly have that look. now things are in hd so you're going to tell pretty easily if somebody's had surgery or not, john. >> i think you're right, meredith. technology is a big question. i think it's more than just a scalpel question about this. i think it has to do with society and it has to do with the advancement of technology, i think. it is a longer subject than we have here, but that's for our prime time special, meredith. >> on the other hand though, the strange thing is that -- it's not strange. the wonderful thing is that real women want to look at actresses and singers who do look more real. i mean we're seeing that at hollywoodlife.com. actresses that aren't perfect are the most popular. >> but you know, you say that, but i know on some of these shows up on television or films, you can see the wrinkles and all of that, a lot of people really don't want to see that. i think there is a lot of pressure on these people to not be as real looking as they really are. >> but i think that might be more of a pressure from the casting directors and producers, not from their fans who are actually looking at them. i mean we've got so much response every time we have a feature on actresses that are not retouched, that are having their photos taken without makeup. and also actresses and again singers -- i bring singers out as an example, too, who are more fuller figured, who have more real women bodies, have become incredibly popular today. >> can you imagine a day when actors and actresses will be able to say whether they had surgery or not, be very open about it? the only ones you ever hear about joan rivers, comedians, kathy griffin who talk about their facelift or whatever it is. john, that's for you. >> oh, that's for me. i'm so sorry. do i think there will be more open? yeah, i think moderation is the key. i mean i think some people are open about it. i think that at the end of the day it is what you said in the beginning of the program, of this segment, is that it is all about moderation. if you can't tell, then it doesn't really matter at the end of the day. but when you affect your instrument, which is basically what an actor is doing, it's like musician doing something to an instrument and not affecting the result. it is going to change it. i think the more subtle, the more naturalistic it can be, the better. i think actors should be able to talk about that. i mean it is a societal issue, keeping up with the joneses as far as how you look and ageism is a real thing that they have to deal with. >> john and bonnie, thank you so much. plastic surgeons still have a lot of business. up next we'll meet the biggest rabbit in the world. right after this. d go to jared for the pandora bracelet like we told him? 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( gasps ) what's in your wallet? wait up! we're back now at 8:21. bunnies are small, cute, adorable little critters. right? feast your eyes on this guy! it's the biggest rabbit in the world. we'll tak lk to his owner in a second, but first nbc's dawna friesen has the tale of the tape. >> reporter: in the cute and cuddly world of bunnies lurks a giant. this is darius, the world's biggest bunny. 4'3", from nose to tail, he weighs 50 pounds. that's about the same as a 5-year-old child, and he's still growing. >> he could grow actually another four to six inches. which is quite scary. >> reporter: proud owner annette edwards has a bit of a thing for bunnies. >> darius is a big part of our family. >> reporter: so much so the 57-year-old has sort of become part bunny herself. the resemblance to jessica rabbit is no accident. she spent about $16,000 on plastic surgery. >> i just looked at the cartoon and thought, what a very sexy cartoon. >> reporter: her obsession started at age 8 when she got her first bunny and she's lived with them ever since. and while some rabbits are skinny and sassy, not darius. >> you're having your lunch? that's a good boy. >> reporter: in addition to special rabbit food, in an average week, darius munches through 84 carrots, 14 apples, and four cabbages. >> he's a lovely boy. >> reporter: and a big boy. >> this rabbit's huge! >> he's the size of my dog. >> have you ever seen a rabbit as big as that? >> no. >> reporter: coming to grips with his size can take a few tries. but edwards insists the only secret to his super bunny status is a healthy diet and plenty of fresh air. ♪ run rabbit run rabbit run run run ♪ >> reporter: darius comes from a long line of burley bunnies. edwards has bred four other record breakers. darius though is by far the biggest. >> people have a cat on their lap, why not a rabbit? >> reporter: though if he keeps on growing he may need a couch of his own. for "today," dawna friesen, nbc news, london. >> annette edwards and darius, good morning. >> good morning. >> annette, i got to ask, that's a big rabbit. is darius healthy? is that good for a rabbit to get that big? >> darius is very healthy. he has lots and lots of exercise and a very good balanced diet. it's just darius is not darius anyway -- he's sir king darius. he's a very famous bunny. he's a celebrity. >> he's the world's biggest but this is based on his length, not the weight. they want to make sure people don't overfeed these rabbits in the attempt to get the biggest bunny. >> yeah. actually, darius is measured from his nose to his back feet. yeah. let me show you. he's a very big boy. we have another rabbit to compare size. yes. we'll show you another rabbit. darius is actual ly -- >> there's the other rabbit. >> that's about the size of the rabbit i had. that's crazy. >> look! he's scared! >> what is that -- what is your secret? i mean this is your fourth big rabbit. right? record rabbits. >> yeah, it's my fourth record. they just keep getting bigger. i don't really think there is a secret. by darius is now on tour all over the world. he's bringing out children, he's bringing out his calendar. you know i'm quite jealous, he's actually taken over me. i'm a professional model and he's having more fame than me. it is not fair. >> you got that jessica rabbit thing working, too. >> yeah, that's fast. but he a still taking over mere. >> annette, thank you very much. we appreciate it. good luck to you and darius. >> t 8:26 is your time. dr. dorothy hyde will be laid to rest and people have been waiting to get a ticket for the funeral. a meter kad left for the funeral. this is a live look inside. the funeral begins at 10:00 a.m. she spent much of her life fighting for civil and women's rights. you can watch the funeral on nbc washington.com. we will have the weather and traffic w so i told the guy i wanted yeah. a convertible. and this is what he had in my budget. aw! well, the top is down. the top is gone! lots of head room... tons of head room! --careful! that's sharp. jeez! yeah...sorry. narrator: settling for less is not smart. what is smart is getting more car for your money at carmax. guaranteed-quality used cars can cost a lot less than new cars. so you can get more car for less money by shopping at carmax. now more than ever, the smart choice is carmax. the way car buying should be. >> per we had afrosty cold start this morning, but we warmed up quickly at mid-morning. temperatures near 50 degrees. lots of sunshine for the rest of the day with highs near 70. tomorrow even warmer and near 80 by the afternoon and sun and milder over the weekend. storms sunday. >> the inner loop is crawling up near 66th, but all lanes are open. wilson bridge still jammed in both directions to go north on 295. the accident has beened. >> get your news even earlier ♪ [ female announcer ] yoplait's perfect blend of real fruit and the goodness of dairy is just a peel away. explore all the delicious flavors. yoplait. it is so good. that, on the list of things kids love, our party pizzas have just passed toy robots. awkward. kids love totino's party pizzas. 8:30 now on a thursday morning. it's the 29th day of april, 2010. as we say hi to some friends and folks who gathered here on prime real estate in new york city. rockefeller plaza on a sunny, but chilly day. meredith, we have just the thing for you. these people have brought you some blankets. like all-purpose blankets. one over here. >> thank you very much. >> that will go nicely with your jacket. >> we'll grab them in a second. thank you very much. utilitarian gifts! >> timeless. i'm matt lauer, along with meredith vieira, al roker and ann curry. what were you guys doing when you were 10 years old? >> 10 years old. >> second grade. >> doing a lot of -- i know i am but what are you? i know i am but what are you? we're going to meet a young girl 10 years old already making a name for herself in the fashion industry, designing dresses for hollywood stars and their children. jenna bush hager is going to catch up with her in a couple of minutes. and speaking of fashion -- >> that's a switch. >> thank you. i'm just a tiny little thing. also ahead, we have a very talented writer who's touched a lot of people with her books. her father was diagnosed with cancer. kelly is turning her attention to her new book for the trials and tribulations of motherhood. it is a wonderful read. we'll talk to her coming up. two things folks need more of -- food and time. we'll give you both. just ahead, we'll head into the kitchen with jose and his beautiful daughter, show you how to make an easy-to-make one-dish dinner. >> i love him. everything he makes tastes fabulous. also fabulous, sandra bullock. by the way -- guess what? she has been named one the virginia gold cup is on saturday too. should be good weather for that here. today we are off to a chilly start. we had scattered frost earlier this morning west of 95, but it's above freezing now and near washington and eastern suburbs. we should to near 70. tomorrow sunny and near 80 by mid-afternoon. a bit warmer for the weekend. saturday and sunday high to upper 80s and a slight chance of a thundershower. >> and don't forget, check your weather any time of the day or night, go to weather channel on cable or weather.com online. now to that special request of our own willard scott by none other than president obama. on tuesday, in iowa, mr. obama met a woman named frances asher who recently turned 107 years old. we showed it to you wednesday, but in case you missed it, take a look. >> we got to find mr. willard scott on a birthday. >> we've tried to get her on. >> i'm going to get her on. >> doesn't get any better than that. mr. willard scott, the man who was been buffed by barbara bush, greeted by president clinton, now a birthday request from president obama. willie, you are big-time! >> i love it. and i understand the president's going to make her the first czacza czarina. the best pork chop i ever had in my life was in iowa. a 110-pound pork chop. it was tender and good. frances, god bless you. >> hey, we got a rabbit for you sflimpls. >> i'll take that. my grandmother fixed rabbit. good rabbit stew. >> mmm! baby wants rabbit? baby gets rabbit. >> hers was more hops than pepper. mount pleasant iowa, 107 years old today, she prays daily and loves to go to church. frances asher. annie lou hanna. 100 years old. never forgetting to pray and attending church. every day i pray. you pray? you should pray. it works. gladys labberton of yakima, washington state. retired teacher. rode a helicopter at 99. george greeott from healdsburg, california. 100 years old. inducted into the hall of fame. lester mills is 100 years old to manikin-sabot, virginia. keeps up with his garden and loves to mow his lawn. and elsie eilers from scottsdale, arizona. 106 years old. retired seamstress and so proud growing up on bratwurst and sauerkraut. helen hannah. 100 years old. you look good in that cape. from it is a blanket. my new goal in life to get on a jar of smucker's. >> i'm going to get you a snuggie for christmas. up next, jen ma bush hager introduces us to a 10-year-old who is taking the fashion world by storm. if you have not heard the name cecelia kasini, you probably will because she's making a big mark on the fashion world and she's only 10. contributing "today" correspondent jen jenna bush hager spent time with the young lady who's creating a buzz. >> at a fashion shoot in the san fernando valley, little girls line up to be part of the show. they want to be the first to try on the new line by cecelia casini. and this is cecelia. >> thank you for coming. >> reporter: a 10-year-old designer who's taking the fashion industry by storm. she's been sewing since she was 6 and now designs and makes dresses for girls of all ages from toddlers to tweens. who would you say your biggest role model is? who do you admire? >> i've always loved chanel. coco chanel has always been my role model, like an idol. >> reporter: since her first trip to paris as a baby, to visit her french grandparents, cecelia had a passion for fashion and coco chanel. >> at a very early age, cecelia was reading biographies on chanel, on valentino, on christian dior. all the fashion designers. >> she has fashion in her blood in a certain way. she was a fashion designer in another life. >> reporter: when cecelia's first grade teacher asked the class to write letter to someone, most students chose santa claus. >> dear chanel, bonjour. i am 7 years old. i am very fashionable. >> reporter: she wrote to chanel and offered to design a children's line. >> i'd be happy to meet with you and show you my designs in person. sincerely and fashionably, cecelia cassini. i think that everything that i make is a masterpiece. >> reporter: the first step in creating a fabulous dress is finding the perfect fabric. >> this one, like i cannot deal with. i have to have this. >> you cannot limpb without ve . >> i can't live without it. >> reporter: she's bursting at the seams to make another masterpiece and the next one is for me. work your magic. cecelia mixed her modern design sense with a vintage fabric. >> i like this stuff a lot. >> reporter: a few pins and hems later, i'm wearing a scecelia cassini original. celebrities like denise richards are buying her dresses for their children and young hollywood is taking notice, too. >> is that tight enough or you want it like tighter? >> reporter: when a young star at the hbo series "big love" ed a dress for a party, she called cecelia. >> some designers are older so they don't know what kids want to wear but she's very close to my age so she knows exactly what i want to wear. >> reporter: wait, this is you on the post sfer. >> yeah. >> reporter: what is this for? >> this is for my talk show. >> reporter: cecelia designs are grabbing the attention of buyers from some of the most exclusive stores in los angeles. i. >> i was so impressed by her as a person and really inspired by her story and thought that she would be inspiring for all kids around her age that want to do something, be a designer, whatever it is they want to be. >> reporter: cecelia cassini has always dreamed of becoming a famous fashion designer, and now she's making it happen. one masterpiece at a time. for "today," jenna bush hager, nbc news, los angeles. >> still to come, a mother's touching letters to her daughters that highlight the risks and rewards of parenting. but first, this is "today" on nbc. with the release of her first book, "the middle place," it was about the year both she an her father were diagnosed with cancer. she is also a youtube sensation with her video on women and strength. >> we will call and say i heard the news and whatever the news is, we will come running. probably with food. we will wait patiently and lovingly for that first laugh after the loss. when it comes -- and it will come -- we will cry as we howl, as we clutch, as we circle. we will transcend, ladies, because we did all this, and that worst moment we will transcend. >> her most recent book "lift" is written as a letter to her daughters, a portrait of the risks and love associated with parentsing. kelly corrigan, good morning to you. the first book was about you and your dad and your diagnosis with ca cancer, both of you. how are you both doing? >> great. i just passed the five-year mark in january. my father is coaching high school lacrosse because his raiders have a game today. he is full strength. >> the first book was about your relationship with your dad and your experience with your dad. this book is written to your daughters, your two girls. it's very much an explanation to them of what it means to be a mom, about their childhood as well. why was it important for you to write this book? >> because from the first day of school this year they left at 8:40 and they didn't come home until 3:30. rather than racing into my arms and embracing me and telling me how much they missed me, they asked if they could go to paige's house for a play date. i thought, my gosh, this is going to end so much faster than i realized. and i can feel already that peer groups are sort of usurping my role in their life and i just wanted to put down on paper what it had been to be their mother so far before all this is overshadowed or obliterated or smashed to smithernnes. >> you say most memories are when you're older than 10. >> yeah. there is a picture in my bathroom where i grew up, i'm on my mom's shoulders on a lake in new hampshire. it looks so great and i can't remember a day of that vacation. that's just one of a thousand examples that are just lost. those first ten years, there's hardly anything left. that seems so unacceptable to me. i just felt bound and determined to put it on paper. >> the book's title "lift" a metaphor for parent. how did you come up with the title? >> when i was touring, i was talking to a lot of people about crisis and the role that it played in their lives. i came to feel strongly that there are certain things that only happen in the space around crisis. it is hard to really feel our lives and feel our connections and attachments, and then you get sick or you have some other sort of crisis afrd everything becomes really still and clear and focused and then fast forward a year, i'm talking to a hang glider. i said, god, i don't even know how hang gliding works. he says basically you fly from thermal to thermal looking for lift. i didn't know what that meant. but apparently inside turbulence there is this column of hot air that will pull you up and aploy you to fly at a different altitude. i thought that's just what i'm talking about with crisis. there is sort of a different air you breathe when you're in the middle of something serious. that's where the title comes from. >> the book documents a very turbulent time in your life with your daughter claire when she was diagnosed with meningitis and she's in the hospital and you don't know what's going to happen to her. it is very serious. obviously she gets better but you write in the book, you realize that as a parent risk was not an event we'd survive but the place where we now lived. >> yeah. you know, i think there is so many things that you can leave and walk away from before you become a parent, and then all of a sudden you recognize that you're now vulnerable in a way that you've never been before. just being in children's hospital, oakland, for 72 hours and walking those halls at midnight and seeing things that people were surviving in the other rooms around me, just sort of seeped into my perspective and i don't think i've ever really forgotten it, nor would i want to. i want to remember that this is a fragile thing and that bodies are only bodies. >> that makes you appreciate life that much more. knowing that. you've been called a poet laureate of the ordinary. do you think that this book is going to inspire other moms to write the same kind of journal to their kids? >> i don't know. i'm hearing two things. one is, i'm finally going to set down and do it. the other is, you've done it for me, i can cross it off my list. from it is a wonderful, wonderful book. i laughed and i cried. i so related to it. it is a great gift for mother's day. kelly, thank you so much for joining us. "lift." up ahead, simple one-dish the kincaids live here. across the street, the padillas. ben and his family live here, too. ben's a re/max agent, and he's a big part of this community. there are lots of reasons why re/max agents average more sales than other agents. experience, certainly. but maybe it's also because they care about the markets they serve and the neighbors who rely on them. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. visit remax.com today. kitchen back to basics," one-dish dinners. jose is the chef and owner of seven restaurants in washington, d.c. jose, good morning. you're here with your lawyer, lucia. >> she always has me cook at home. i may be a professional chef, but first i am a daddy. >> time is tight in the kitchen at home. that's where these dishes come in. >> this is like the one-pan dish. fork loin. everyone loves pork. you put it in the pan, roast a little bit, you have a nice color. you put the onions all around. little olive, salt, pepper wherever you like. some garlic. you like garlic? you like garlic? yes? you are not sure. >> huh-uh. >> okay. we put some oregano. your favorite herbs. now we put apples. >> wait a minute. these are apples you're going to kind of juice up a little bit. right? >> tell you what we're going to do. we took the core out, we put some butter, everything is raw as you see. your favorite white wine, whatever you are dirinking, mat. right there and this is ready to go into the oven. >> you don't even braise it any longer? >> no. >> how long does that need to cook? >> this will go into the oven around 1 hour 10 minutes, around 300 degrees. every oven works different. in the end, come over here. the pork is over here. i'm at 140 if you like it medium. well done, 160. here you have the onion beautifully. caramelized. we took this out of the oven. the apples are nice and soft. add some wine, add more chicken stock only to make a sauce in the end. slice one, two, three. look at the beautiful color. you put the apples right there. they're warm. the onion right in the bottom with the beautiful sauce. don't tell me this is not a quick simple dish that anyone, even you or me, can make at home. >> the entire thing and preparation only took 3 1/2 minutes. >> follow me here. >> i'll turn that off so you don't have to keep stirring. >> oh, yeah, we forget! come over here. here we have the beautiful thing, you can bring the whole thing to the table. anyone will look like a professional chef. more vegetables, onion, tomatoes, eggplants, sweet potatoes, artichokes. everything in the oven, one hour, 350 degrees. bingo. we make a sauce. >> how do you make the sauce? >> watch your finger. >> no, she's fine. pour that in. you blend the whole thing. one, two, three -- >> oh, yeah. she's a pro. >> basil sauce. the only thing you have to do is put it around, put it on the plate and we are ready to eat. >> you serve it right like that? that's fantastic! >> that looks so beautiful. >> i tell you what, i make this very quick at home. >> you were okay today. lucia, you were fantastic! jose, thanks very much. ba 8 final:56 is your in the news for today, humans are gather orring on the washington national cathedral to say goodbye to dorothy hight. president obama will deliver the eulogy. the funeral is open to the public, but 7 human human tickets remain available and people began before sunrise for the select seats. we will take a break and have whether and traffic when we come back. [ male announcer ] let's take the garden into our own hands. soak our yards in color. get our hands a little busier. our dollars a little stronger. and our thinking a little greener. let's grab all the bags and all the plants and all the latest tools out there. so we can turn all these savings into more colorful shades of doing. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, get spectracide bug stop for the new lower price of just $4.98. as we approach the 9:00 hour, temperatures into the 50s with sunshine and the high today near 70. tomorrow mostly sunny and warmer near low 80s for highs by mid-afternoon and warmer over the weekend. there is a slight chance of a shower on saturday or sunday evening. >> we're still ledded up if several spots including 395 through landmark and shirlington, but the good news is all lanes remain open. let's see how we are doing along 270. lanes are open and thankfully the rush hour is wiping dun. >> get your news earlier now. we start back now with more of "today" on a thursday morning, 29th of april, 2010. beautiful out there. just a little bit chilly, although that's going to end today. i'm matt lauer, along with al roker and natalie morales. coming up this half-hour, who would you put on the list of the most 100 influential people in the world? well, some of the names and faces, you're seeing right here. from business to entertainment and media. and, we are going to check out who made the cuts. >> i'm going to have to spill the beans on one person who did make that cut. that is sandra bullock. she's had a tumultuous year with huge highs, huge lows, an oscar, a split from her husband and as we reported wednesday she's now adopting a beautiful baby. this morning we'll hair more inside details from moo"people" magazine on the adoption and talk about how her divorce may complicate matters. and save money on some do-it-yourself style ideas. keeping your wardrobe fashion forward by using things from around your house. old buttons, shoelaces, barbed wire. >> barbed wire. >> clothespins. anything. >> i want to give mom a barbed-wire necklace for mother's day. that's nice. first let's get a check of the top stories from ann curry at the news desk. good morning, everybody. in the news, the oil spill in the gulf of mexico is getting worse and coastal states from louisiana to florida are bracing for oil to start washing ashore. nbc's mark potter is in new orleans this morning with more on this story. mark, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, ann. president obama was briefed overnight on this situation and it appears the defense department might also get involved. this as another oil leak was discovered and the oil slick got closer to land. the oil company bp says while remote control vehicles are being used nearly a mile underwater to try to stop two known leaks in a damaged oil pipe, a third leak believed to be new was discovered wednesday. in a dramatic announcement, u.s. officials suggested the amount of oil now polluting the gulf of mexico each day may be five times more than original estimated. >> while bp believes, and rights of and established 1,000 barrel her day estimate of what is leaking from the well, noaa experts believe the output can be as much as 5,000 barrels. >> reporter: to combat some of the thick oil floating in the gulf of mexico, clean-up crews are now burning it at sea. it's being done 45 miles from shore to keep the heavy black smoke from reaching land and is tightly controlled. officials argue it is safer environmentally to burn the oil far out at sea than to risk it coming ashore. as for the rest of the oil spill, scientists say it is about 16 miles from louisiana now, and predict by friday evening, the leading edge could actually reach the louisiana delta, although the thickest oil shown here in the darkest red colors, would still be way offshore. work crews in louisiana have already put up 100,000 feet of protective booms around fragile wedland areas, home to fish, birds and crabs. now officials in mississippi, alabama and florida are also making preparations in case this southeast wind that we're feeling very strongly here today changes and starts pushing the oil in their direction. ann? >> mark potter on the watch of that story, thanks so much. rescue operations are under way this morning at a coal mine in western kentucky where officials say two miners are missing after part of the mine's roof collapsed. today the first lawsuit is expected to be filed challenging arizona's new immigration law. it argues the law violates due process rights by allowing suspected illegal immigrants to be detained before they are convicted. meantime, the president says there may not be an appetite in congress to take up immigration reform right now after what he called a very tough year and upcoming mid-term elections. two more recalls this morning involving hundreds of thousands of cribs. the consumer product safety commission says all simplicity full-size cribs with tubular metal mattress support frames are being recalled. the frames and mattresses can collapse endangering children. and also graco drop-side cribs are being recalled because officials say they, too, pose a hazard. for more information on this, go to todayshow.com. amazing images from mexico of that magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck earlier this month. a hotel security camera captured the moment the earthquake hit shaking the camera wildly, then sending waves crashing in the hotel pool. it was the strongest quake there in almost two decades. it is now four minutes past the hour. let's go back to matt and al. >> that's an amazing example of what it can do right there. ann, thank you very much. let us now get a check good morning. after a second morning in a row with scattered frost, warming up around the region. is climbed into the 50s and now 57 in washington. highs today may reach low 70s. we will have a sunny day and clear and cool and not as chilly. by dawn should be near 50. during the day on friday, low 80s in the middle of the afternoon. on saturday and sunday, mid 80s and a slight chance of a thundershower. a greater chance on sunday. >> that's your latest weather. natalie? >> al, thank you. academy award winner sandra bullock dropped a bombshell this week in a "people" magazine exclusive, she revealed she's the proud new mom of a beautiful baby boy named louis adopted secretly in january from louisiana. she also revealed she's filed for a divorce from jesse james. so what's next for her and her son? people's executive editor is here, and jeannine pirro. they started this adoption process four years ago in january of course they tell her you're getting the baby, he's yours. then obviously she goes through the highs of winning an oscar, and then to have the bombshell get dropped on her that jesse james, her husband, is cheating on her. but how is she embraced motherhood and how has this little boy really who's become -- i mean she describes it as having such a natural as a mom. how has it really changed her life in the last couple of months and changed the focus of the story? >> this has changed her life enormously. she is the first person to say that this entire experience has been transformative for her. she didn't time all of this. obviously this is just the way life worked out. i think that -- >> timing couldn't have been better in a way because it changed the focus. >> right. but also i think when she found out that this was going to happen, when it was going to happen, in the middle of oscars, in the middle of award season, she thought, whoa, how am i going to handle all of this? when she first laid eyes on this little boy, it was a natural thing. she just knew that it was right. they bonded and she is a terrific mother. >> del me about that first meeting when she talked about the first time she got to hold him. >> well, she looked at him and she saw him and it was like, oh, there you are. >> like she knew him from the beginning. >> like this was supposed to be, this was the way it was supposed to be. from that moment on, despite all the craziness in her life, that's been the core of her life. that's what she's been focused on. she's really not lost that focus. i think a lot of us have been sort of buzzing around the edges of her life and wondering what she's been doing. this is what she's been focused on. >> she did mention that she is divorcing -- she's filed the papers and that she also is adopting as a single parent. what's left in the process? it sounds for the most part that she is his mother. >> well, she is. she was his mother from the moment he came into her life. that's important. the legalities aside, this is the mother/son relationship. she started this process, she did everything she was supposed to do, any other parent would do in the adoption process. she doesn't talk about that because she wants to protect his privacy and that's integral to their family. but obviously she's moving forward. she has a good relationship with everybody involved. jesse james is supportive of what she is doing and they have a great relationship with his kids as well. so this is not a fraught or nasty situation. >> and jeannine, what a spouse though, when the philandering is exposed like this in an adoption process, could this delay the process? >> the two of them moved for the adoption together. in the midst of it, and understand the adoption is not yet final, this could have totally derailed the adoption because one of the adoptive parents is now not in the home. they could come in and do home visits and make an assessment that this isn't the home we thought it was. but what has happened here is that this woman, sandra bullock, is conducting herself with such grace, such class, it's clear that his philandering, even if they stayed together, would be overcome by the fact that she is an incredible mother, and she is a breath of fresh air in saying, look, we're going to get divorced but we're not going to be spiteful, hateful. we're not going to -- >> sounds like a very amicable thing. in fact in the interview, i know jesse james actually spoke to you as well and said that one of the hardest decisions he had to make was letting sandra end their marriage and also letting go of being a parent to louis. but yet it sounds like he still wants to be involved. >> well, i think what's important to point out here is that whatever happens between them, they both have the core understanding that the children that are part of their lives come first and they have been very clear that that's their priority. she intends to stay in the lives of his stepchildren and he is more than happy to have that happen. i think they both understand that while they will not be going together as a couple forward, they have a family together and they have brought blessings into each other's lives and they intend to make sure those children are taken care of. >> even though she says she's going to be a co-parent that to his other children as well, as a co-parent though what rights do you really have? >> she has no rights. there are no legal rights. she calls it co-parenting and it really is a function of their relationship that will continue with her relationship. >> they'll work it out. >> with his children and his relationship with louis. make no mistake, legally she has no right to visitation or custody of his and visa versa now based on his relinquishing his right as an adoptive parent, the agency is obviously going forward with the adoption irrespective of his absence. >> that's exactly right. they are -- they understand -- she has said on paper, this isn't about paper for them. these are emotional ties that they have and they're strong. >> they have a connection. >> right. as to his role in her life with louis, she says we'll take it as it comes. one day at a time. >> well, it is a great -- it's so great for her that she had such other joy in her life to look forward to now. >> that's good news for everyone involved. without being bitter. >> absolutely. thank you both so much. the issue of "people" hits newsstands tomorrow. coming up, we know sandra bullock did make the cut but who else is on "time's" list of the 100 most influential people. we'll tell you. and later, simple makeovers for your home that won't cost you the kitchen sink. but first these messages. as soon as you walk in the door. just go to the extra care coupon center [beep] and scan your card. then you print your coupons, and surprise! you save. it's so easy. just scan, print, save. scan before, you'll save more. i love my extra bucks! only at cvs/pharmacy. ♪ ¿por que no probamos esto? 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[dinner bell chimes] simple high quality ingredients like wild alaskan salmon, white meat chicken, or sea bass and shrimp in a delicate broth, prepared without by-products or fillers. fancy feast appetizers. celebrate the moment love to see kids' spirits shine. superstar and mom, martina mcbride and sunnyd shine on sunny taste. sunny spirit. sunny d. but there's one that makes your skin look better even after you take it off. 98% of women who tried neutrogena healthy skin makeup thought so. does your makeup do that? neutrogena cosmetics. does your makeup do that? why do women like you love activia light? sometimes i have no choice but to eat on the run... and to eat whatever happens to be around. heavy greasy food that's hard on my diet... and my digestive system. so i eat activia light every day. activia light, with bifidus regularis is clinically proven to help regulate your digestive system. mmmm. the new taste is better than ever. and with only 70 calories activia light helps make it easier to watch my weight. it helps me feel good and look good too! ♪ activia! - hello! - ha! why don't you try a home cooked meal... with yummy hamburger helper? oh! tada! fantastically tasty, huh? ummm, it's good. what would you guys like? hamburger helper. what?! one pound... one pan... one tasty meal! who could they be? every year "time" magazine readers anxiously await its list of the 100 most influential people in the world. so which entertainers, politicians and entrepreneurs made the grade this year? without further adieu, "time's" assistant managing editor is here. good morning. this list of 100 includes the predictable, for example president obama, nancy pelosi, paul volcker. but there are also a number of surprises on this list. what's the criteria? was it different from past years? >> it's interesting. the question of influence is very subjective and as soon as you take any objective thing like assets or particular position of power out of the mix, it really becomes a question of who is working on the list, who's among our contributors and correspondents who's giving us ideas, where are they coming from. i would say it is actually a very subjective list and we're proud of that. we get to be creative with it. >> it is a list not of the influence of power but the power of influence. and so for example, one of the first-timers on your list is sandra bullock. who of course has been sort of talked a lot about recently because of her turmoil in her personal life. but why is she one of the world's most influential people? >> well, her box office draw in 2009 was the biggest of the year. she's literally bringing people to the movies. and if you can do that, you're reaching a lot of people. >> at this time when movies have had some difficult years. also on your list is lady gaga. she is just 24 years old. she is really shaken up people with her music and as we can see, her wild costumes, her theatrical performances. she's influenced other artists as a result at such a young age. >> absolutely. as you say, she's 24. her career could take 14 different turns but everybody is watching her to see what she's wearing, what she'll say. she's a very exciting artist. >> also someone who may also be a price for some, that's ashton kutcher who in the last year, maybe recent years, has really sort of remade himself as a social networking media mogul. >> yeah. that's what drew us to him. if you think about all of his followers on twitter, he's basically the mayor of the large metropolis. >> 5 million. >> 5 million followers. it is fascinating to see how he will mobilize that power. >> sarah palin is also on your list. it's interesting because she doesn't hold an elected office currently. but she is -- people listen to her had. >> yes, they do. she's a best-selling author and a political star. everyone is watching her to see what she'll do. >> former president bill clinton who did a lot of work in haiti and has with his global initiative has responded to humanitarian concerns all across the globe. he's not a surprise on the list. >> no, he's not. but we felt that it was an important moment to recognize his philanthropic work and his real commitment to the developing world, not just haiti but all over. >> and somebody who actually is an interesting choice, however, is ben stiller. he's not been picked for his "avatar" performance at the oscars. why was he picked as one of the world's most influential people? >> well, he has h gone down to haiti last summer and fell in love with the place and started an initiative to build schools in december before the earthquake. and when that happened, he was sort of in a position to mobilize a lot of support for haiti. he's done it in a way that is very -- that fits his personality. he's brought comedy to philanthropy. we just thought that was a really great role model for people po see you could bring your artistic sensibility to do something really good in the world. "stiller strong." >> also no list is complete without steve jobs who everybody is talking about the ipad, iphones and all of that. i think he's probably been on the list many times before. >> he has. he has. i mean this is a man who can walk out on stage in a black turtleneck and jeans and say look at this beautiful thing i made and everyone thinks, i want that thing. he's quite powerful. >> oprah winfrey. has there ever been a list for you that did not include oprah winfrey? >> no, there hasn't. i was not going to be the person who took her off the list. oprah's amazing. she holds the microphone, it is a mega phone. she makes us read things, she teaches us about all aspects of our lives. she makes us cry and she's about to make a big move in her career and i think everyone is very curious to see what will happen. >> we've run out of time but what's really cool about the list is you have the pairings. cyndi lauper saying what she thinks about lady gaga. really fascinating reading on all of these people on your list. thank you very much. coming up, a reminder that the "time" magazine -- "time 100" issue hits newsstands tomorrow. still to come, saving hundreds of dollars with do-it-yourself home repairs. we'll show you how easy it is, but first these messages. but it's perfectly cooked black beans, in a zesty "south of the border" chipotle sauce with red and green peppers, onion, and crisp corn. a bold new taste. i know. but i want people to think i'm a great cook. so hide. delicious! can i have your recipe? your secret is safe with me. hello... new bush's black bean fiesta. and try new texas ranchero, along with our other grillin' beans flavors. bye-bye. you be careful on your way home. -happy mother's day. -okay. bye-bye. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] this mother's day, give her something she can hold on to. a card. it's the biggest little thing you can do. ♪ [ female announcer ] these cookies aren't magic, but they make magic happen. that's because glad has partnered with cookies for kids' cancer. it's small bake sales like these that help raise big money for pediatric cancer research. together, we can make a difference... one container at a time. because with glad, the care that goes in is the care that comes out. ♪ the care that goes in is the care that comes out. our chefs learn secrets cookinof italian cooking., like how to blend four artisanal cheeses to create our new creamy fonduta sauce. in our new steak fonduta and grilled chicken fonduta. at olive garden. (announcer) we all want to stay active. we don't want anything... ...to slow us down. but even in your 30s... ...your bones can begin to change. overtime, you can begin to have bone loss. calcium and vitamin d work together to help keep your bones strong. and yoplait gives you... ...20% of your daily calcium... ...and is the only leading yogurt with vitamin d in every cup. keep your bones strong every day... ...with yoplait. we need your help choosing "today's top dog." you've only got hours left to vote on the last semi-finalist. first, bowty, an 8-year-old pekingese from connecticut. too cool for school. up next, a 7-year-old papillon from illinois, emma, who's got a wave about her. our third semi-finalist, 22-month-old fluffy who has got an impressive singing voice. >> again, it's up to you to decide which one will make it to the final round in "today's top dog." you have two ways to vote. logon to todayshow.com or text your vote to 622639. press 1 for bowty, 2 for emma and 3 for fluffy. voting ends today at noon eastern time. coming up next -- we'll show you how to dress up your steak dinner and make a fast meal. >> it's made with spinach! kids grow these days? and since 90% of bone strength is developed before adulthood... it's so important that they get enough calcium every day. that's why there's new danonino. danonino! unlike leading kids yogurts, danonino has twice the calcium of milk, ounce per ounce, with vitamin d. so it's power packed for healthy growth. and its rich creamy taste is... yummy! so they can start building strong bones today... for stronger bodies tomorrow. new danonino from dannon. power packed to help kids grow. nice... can i have it back now? now through may 2nd,... thanks! ...get a $30 walmart gift card with the purchase of any dsi or ds lite. save money. live better. walmart. kids are hungry after school. that's why i always have totino's pizza rolls. big pizza taste. in a bite size roll. kids can't resist their delicious pizza flavor. totino's pizza rolls. the pizza way to snack. tiny:26 is the time. in the news, hundreds are gathering to remember dorothy hight right now. she will be laid to rest this morning. this is a live look at the national cathedral where people r filing in after they have been lined up since early this morning for the funeral. a modor kad left the funeral. it begins in less than an hour. president obama will deliver the eulogy. she spent much of her life fighting for civil and women's rights. rights. we will take a break and have i'm lucy sykes. i'm a fashion stylist. what i do is dress people for magazines and tv. my job is to hunt down the best fashion and stay on budget. my secret? t.j.maxx. their buyers have their finger on the pulse of what's on trend. they buy directly from designers and you see the savings! i dress fashionistas. but i'm a maxxinista. t.j.maxx. let us make a maxxinista out of you! tom is in the studio with us. a chilly start. >> temperatures are approaching 60 category degrees already. we look at the forecast and we will have a warming trend with us for summertime tomorrow, saturday, and sunday and today's high should be near 70. saturday some clouds around and a slight chance of a thundershower saturday afternoon that might interrupt the gold cup and otherwise it looks great for saturday, but sunday keep in mind for your afternoon and evening plans from could be passing showers and storms. >> time to take a look and a little relief in sight. the outer loop of the beltway making a trip towards silver spring, an incident. more stop to go around. loaded up 66 to the roosevelt bridge and lanes are open to downtown. >> you can find out everything you need to know 30 minutes earlier now. [ male announcer ] let's take the garden into our own hands. soak our yards in color. get our hands a little busier. our dollars a little stronger. and our thinking a little greener. let's grab all the bags and all the plants and all the latest tools out there. so we can turn all these savings into more colorful shades of doing. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, get spectracide bug stop for the new lower price of just $4.98. ♪ a sure sign summer's on the way. two weeks from tomorrow, the legendary sting kicks off our summer concert series. man, man, i cannot wait for that one. may 14th on our plaza. following week, may 21st, the script takes stage. we kick off memorial day weekend with one republic. a list of all the performers and when they'll be performing, go to todayshow.com. >> this is going to be a summer to remember with the with the concert series. this morning we're all about dty. lou is here with easy home makeovers that will save you hundreds -- no, thousands of dollars. speaking of saving money, what can you do with a coffee stirrer? what can you do with a doily, your grandmother's doily? what can you do with an old toothbrush? >> i don't know. >> you can make jewelry out of them. you can't, but bobbie thomas can. she's show you how to reuse and recycle what you have to accessorize with style. making your life easier with on-the-go recipes that will dress up your basic steak and potatoes. we also want to mention that the squabbling over finances or arguing over what color to paint the bedroom may be normal squabbles for some couples, but for those with more unconventional troubles, natalie, you know about "the marriage ref." tonight on nbc's hit series, host tom papa talks with a woman who can't stand her husband's collection of lord of the rings memorabilia. you've so the celebrity panelists weighing in on those marital spats and selecting a winner. once again natalie will be there. >> just the facts on the squabbles. >> 10:00, 9:00 central right here on nbc. now, let's get another check of the weather from mr. it is fresh and cool, bright sunshine and a blue sky and temperatures approaching 60 degrees. we are in the 50s elsewhere. it should make it to the low 70s by mid-afternoon. clear tonight in the 50s through the evening. 50 tomorrow morning. friday afternoon up into the low 80s and on saturday and sunday, partly sunny to cloudy at times and highs in the mid- to upper 80s and a chance of showers and storms sunday afternoon >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks. coming up next, we've got accessorizing in style by doing it yourself. right after this. you take just once a month. it's simponi™, and taken with methotrexate, it helps relieve the pain, stiffness, and swelling of ra with one dose a month. visit 4simponi.com to see if you qualify for a full year of cost support. simponi™ can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious and sometimes fatal events can occur, such as infections, cancer in children and adults, heart failure, nervous system disorders, liver or blood problems, and allergic reactions. before starting simponi™, your doctor should test you for tb and assess your risk of infections, including fungal infections and hepatitis b. ask your doctor if you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, or develop symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start simponi™ if you have an infection. 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(announcer) general mills is the only leading cereal company to put healthy whole grain in every box. the choice has never been easier. for whole grain guaranteed, just look for the white check. from crystal light. the first fitness drink with no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or preservatives. new purefitness... from crystal light. a pure way to water your body. this stain is ruining the look of my room, it has to go! she needs resolve triple oxi advanced. resolve triple oxi advanced. its unbeatable new formula... ...removes... ...these stains... ...better than the others! everything looks great! resolve triple oxi advanced. trust resolve. forget stains. for tough pet stains and odors, try resolve pet stain carpet cleaner. this morning on "bobbie's style buzz," turning every-day household items into fun and chic accessories. don't toss those papers, buttons and shoelaces spilling out of your drawers. today bobbie thomas shows us how to get crafty. you are the queen of making things look good. >> i'm really out there, i want people to rethink reuse and revest. it is a glamorous way to go green but i want the word "crafty" to be chic. don't throw anything away. many of the pieces i made for this segment were inspired by high-end designers charging big bucks because they were inspired by something they saw. >> you won't believe some of the things that you use to make these. >> i love diy. >> talk about rope. >> nautical necklaces. i call these naughty necklaces. >> oh, do not behave! there goes the whole segment. >> well, it is a rope. keep tying knots on the open end. honestly with just a few minutes, you can get something that looks like a statement necklace. that was on the runway. you can add a little bit of gold to spice it up. a shoelace. i took push pins and just kept pushing it into the shoelace to form these colors. look, this is like literally $1. but it is so great. it reminds me of marnie. >> really great. nice look. >> don't throw away the tissue paper in your gift bags. i know this is going to sound like i have no life, but you just cut up tissue paper and fold it. then just literally use a leather needle which is a little thicker. it is not hard, you don't have to see. you can just thread the needle through, secure it with knots on your twine. there you go, a fun summer piece. great especially if you have kids. >> this look is so in right now, that whole boho chic. >> i love this. i was inspired by construction paper. the scraps from your child's artwork projects. look at how great you can just literally put this on with a leather string. it gives that instant texture. big with neutral tones, looks more sophisticated. i did this sitting there watching tv, an hour on the weekends. >> very nice. over here, buttons. a lot of vusus have a button bor drawer. get stretchy clear elastic and tie them on. look how great these buttons on. that's a great bracelet. coffee stirrers. are you for real? >> these are thrown out. honestly you can re-invent these by cutting them and stripping them on a rope. >> this is hilarious. >> this tops it off. take an old toothbrush, boil it in some water. then you can shape it around the glass. in like five minutes. once you get the shape, start with a hot glue gun taking old broken fragments and this is the finished product. >> i can't believe this. >> this looks just like some of the more expensive high-end designers. don't think just because you made it, it is not valuable. it is still sentimental and special. >> it is your sweat money! >> this took me ten minutes to do. >> that's beautiful. these are great embellishments. >> go not home decor section for drapery twrim and re-invent an old bag. very prada-inspired. crocheted clutches, believe it or not if you find these circle crocheted boilies, you just literally stitch the edge to create a clutch. >> that's amazing. here what you did with shoes? >> just add a bow. it is a great way to re-invent your footwear. >> bobbie thomas, thank you. easy makeovers for your home, we'll show you how to save a fortune on home repairs right after this. very nice, mark. beautiful! goes with the whole neutral theme. [ female announcer ] your skin is your first line of defense. pollutants and damaging environmental factors weaken your skin barrier, leaving skin dry and vulnerable. new daily skin balance is a scientifically advanced fortifying lotion fortified with provitamin b5, shea butter and ph buffer to give 24-hour moisture while strengthening your skin's protective barrier. put the health of your skin first with new daily skin balance only from eucerin. time to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze... my eyes water. but now zyrtec®, the fastest 24-hour allergy relief, comes in a new liquid gel. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®. nice... can i have it back now? now through may 2nd,... thanks! ...get a $30 walmart gift card with the purchase of any dsi or ds lite. save money. live better. walmart. for all active families. our advanced 2-in-1 power cleans tough stains like grass better than the leading oxi detergent and helps get your family's wash incredibly white and bright. try new all oxi-active. it's all good. to start losing essential nutrients? not long. in fact, green beans lose half their vitamin c in a week. that's why green giant freezes them within 8 hours to lock in nutrients. ho ho ho green giant so kate you were stressed, a lot of junk food on the go and you were... a little irregular, sluggish. my daughter needed activia! so i gave it a try and wow. it works. now she has a spring on her step. i'm loving it, every morning. mmmm. avo: help get your system back on track. activia with bifidus regularis helps regulate your digestive system would you recommend activia? i already have. she recommends it. what are you waiting for? singer: activia. this morning on "today's home, renew instead of replace. we're talking literally saving thousands of dollars. if you never thought you could do it on your own, "today" contributor lou manfredini says can you. we've all had these laminate countertops. something happens to them and you think the only thing you can do is replace it. >> it is a very verse it will product because it is inexpensive. if you get a ring, most of the paint systems that are out there don't hold up. i want you to imagine an ice breaker in the north atlantic. breaking through the ice. the coating that's on the hull of that ship is on this countertop. >> get out! >> get out! >> no! >> shut up! >> no, really, get out! okay. okay, thanks for coming, buddy. >> i'll come back. >> how does this work? >> modern masters. it is little bit more involved than a regular paint. >> you say this is five steps? >> five steps. it starts with that sponge brush. this is a diamond-coated brush that allows you to rough up this surface. what we want to do is take this off and rough it up so that the prime ker go in. then these flakes get -- >> they glued them down. >> don't spill it. here, these flakes, this is really going well. these flakes get fused in to this surface and then when it paints on, this surface now by modern means, $250, five steps. but can you do this yourself and replace your countertops with something very durable that will last. >> how long does the process snae. >> it will probably take you a total of two days. it is a weekend project. but look how beautiful that is. >> now your tub. i thought once your tub is messed up, you're done. >> when we remodel bathrooms, if we tear this out it all ends up in a landfill. this is a company called miracle method. >> professional applied. >> professional applied thing. this is the old tub, if it is sound they can spray this stuff on there. seals your grout. the grout doesn't peel, doesn't get moldy or anything like that. in the tub finish they'll guarantee it for five years. tub, $500. tub and walls, 1,200 and it looks beautiful and cleans up well. fraction of the cost. >> your deck, an old deck that's just a mess. >> this is a company that makes a product called restore. many of the decks, the wood, it is just the surface that looks bad. look at this nice coating that's over the top that actually seals into the fibers. >> do you sand this down? >> no, you wash it with a pressure washer. when you apply this, it isn't like you are putting a stain. look how i'm slowly rolling this on to grab into the fibers and all the checks. you'll actually fill in the nail holes. when this hardens in different colors, have you this beautiful finish that lasts and will renew the deck and keeps all of this wood out of the landfill. the kit's 50 bucks. >> you know what i like about it, it is textured so you aren't slipping when it rains. >> no. depending how you apply it, you can make that texture richer or thinner. can even works quite well on boat docks and for concrete. if you have a patio in the back that looks a little tired where you get a lot of pops and checks, renew the surface with this and like you said, traction of t of the cost. >> roughly does this cost per square foot? >> 50 bucks for a kit. average deck, you need about three kits. 150 bucks. >> good to see you. next in "today's kitchen," a gourmet meal for families on the go. gourmet meal for families on the go. but first, this is "today" on i'm a fashion stylist. my secret? t.j.maxx. they buy directly from designers and you see the savings! i dress fashionistas. but i'm a maxxinista. t.j.maxx. this morning in "today's kitchen," this isn't your ordinary steak and potatoes. hot chef lucinda scala quinn, executive director of martha stewart living omnimedia is here to show you a delicious spinach-stuffed flank steak from "every day food" fresh flavors fast. i love this idea. what you're talking about is a -- choosing a cut of steak, cut of meat, that's not expensive but the most flavor full. >> and great texture. flank steak, hanger steak and skirt steak. >> these, however, are steaks that have a reputation of sort of maybe not always being easiest to cook. >> we're changing that now, ann curry. we're going to show people. first butterfly. if you get dinner on the table every night like i do, "fresh flavor fast" is a great book to switch things up. this is not hard to cook. butterfly. we take this whole flank steak and i've done it already but you just horizontally take a nice sharp knife and just kind of cut it until you have it flat. that's part of the trick of making it tender. now we have it super thin. >> it will cook a little faster. >> and it is going to be a little bit thinner so it is not as tough. >> you're also going to stuff it. >> i have some spinach here. what you do is steam lovely spinach. this is a great time of year for spinach. get owl tall the moisture out. we have parsley. >> that's a lot of parsley. >> parsley is so good for you. and has great flavor. asiago cheese. capers. it gives us a little bit of tang. and a little bit of balsamic vinegar here. just mix this all up right here. garlic and a little hot pepper flakes for that spice. couldn't be any simpler. if you want to -- salt and pepper. can you salt the matte for me, too. with steak, make sure that you do that. then we're just sticking it here right across the middle. look at you, you're an old pro. then you just put it in the middle here. >> that's the thing. you always worry about -- you don't want to put too much in, either. right? >> what's great about this, we're rolling it all up so we're not going to worry. it is kind of in the middle. put it as far out to the end as you can. then just kind of roll it. by the time you get it all rolled any imperfections will be kind of handled here. you just turn it around like that. take your twine. >> you just ghaet at the grocery store. >> hardware, grocery. sometimes i use thread from my sewing box. >> does that work? >> it does. this is what it looks like. i've preheated my broiler. >> this is going to cook really fast. >> ten minutes! about 10 to 12 minutes. we're in the broiler. if it is not quite cooked, use an instant-read thermometer. get it to about 140. you want it brown. >> let's get to the final. >> little salt and pepper, into the broiler. here's what it looks like. voila! isn't that lovely? then if you cut it, it's the big reveal and look how beautiful it looks. >> you can serve that -- >> wow! >> hi al, hi natalie. >> and white bean salad with tomatoes and a little bit of garlic. >> how long did you cook it for? >> 10 minutes. >> you're also not eating too much meat this way. you know what i mean? it makes a little bit go a long way. will you try this at home if. >> i think this sounds like a smart thing. you're getting spinach, your vegetable there. fantastic idea. lucinda, thank you so much. >> so easy! >> what's coming up? we've got tennis star venus williams. plus wedding style that's not going to blow your budget after your local news and -- >> weather. 9:56 is the time. today world says goodbye to a civil rights icon. this is a live look while funeral services for dorothy hight are due to begin at any empty now. this is a live look inside. she fought for equality and led the council of negro women and marched with martin luther king,jr. president obama will eulogize dr. hight. maya anj lieu will also celebrate her life. arkable women. let's get a check of the forecast. good morning. >> another frosty, cold start, but the temperatures are warming up with the strong april sun. we are hitting near 60 and hit the low 70s by mid-afternoon with lot was sunshine. warmer and mostly sunny. over the weekend, feeling like summertime and a slight chance of a thundershower saturday. a greater chance late sunday into sunday evening. how is the traffic? >> time to take a live look and we are winding down. a lot of modor kads and folks traveling up and down and a lot of road closures towards the national cathedral for the funeral under way. as a result we are seeing lingering delays into town. the top side remains sluggish to silver spring, but lanes are open. >> you are waking up earlier and so are captions paid for by nbc-universal television hey, everybody. it is thursday. it is countdown to the derby. just want you to know, we are going to put on huge derby hats. >> people talk when you change it around. >> they don't like it, but there's a reason for it. we've been noticing that chelsea clinton, getting married this summer, has been wearing a cast. >> she apparently broke her heel. i don't know how one does that. >> and she doesn't know. >> and apparently, she went to the doctor and he said, you broke your heel. what you can't see is her engagement ring is on her hand, i think in that picture. she announced her engagement and made a request to her very famous father, prewedding. >> this is according to him. she said, you basically have to walk me down the aisle and you need to look good. you need to lose 15 pounds. he's halfway through. they'll probably get married at ted danson's house. very close friends. >> i think he's had a series of health problems and i'm sure she wants him to feel good. >> you know where she showed off her ring? on the opening night of "promises promises," which is where went last night. tony goldwin, so handsome, so sexy. >> you know what i walked out singing? let's hear it. ♪ ♪ the moment i wake up before i put on my makeup ♪ they sing that song -- it reminds me of that, did you ever see "my best friend's wedding"? with the crawfish. >> they've added a couple of songs. they've added "say a little prayer for you." audience was having a wonderful time. >> kristen chenoweth, she can sing. >> and sean hayes can can sing so much better than i realized. it's a fun, fun show. i guess it hadn't been on broadway since years ago. three years. it's old fashioned in a wonderful way although at its time, it must have been considered extremely racy. it's based on billy wilder's move, "the apartment." he has an apartment who his married guys -- >> everyone's having affairs. it's terrible. >> yeah. just racy. >> terrible, terrible. >> but it's got good music. not much of a moral, but the good guy wins in the end. >> should we talk about some of this stuff? these are straws. if enjoy chocolate milk and want a fewer calories, you take a chocolate milk straw. put it in the milk and you suck. and that's what -- and it's chocolate. i can't drink milk, otherwise, i'd have it. >> it's like 25 calories, jonathan? per. no artificials flavors, they say. >> it's all pure. >> $2.99 for six straws. we should do -- before we get to anything else. this is where you -- no you don't buy it, to find out how jen lost seven pounds in seven days. you buy "ok" to see what we have to say. is it okay to kiss the dog on the lips? >> now, kathie lee says it depends on where that mouth had been. >> few of a men i regret kissing, but few of the dogs. >> not the ones who wag a tail. >> wait, wait. i dropped 10 calories. >> she says, i prefer to keep quote, man's best friend just that. a friend without the sloppy smooching. >> i don't like to watch people kissing their dogs on the mouth. there's something icky about it. look at the paris hilton. it's not good. >> these dogs sniff everything and spend a lot of time where the sun don't shine. you've got to know your dog, basically. >> we have a tiny little animal segment. we are going to tell you about the -- we think it's the biggest bunny. annette owns this bunny. it weighs 50 pounds. it's 4'3" from nose to tail. >> still growing. just having a nice little lunch. >> look how big it is. here's an idea. if you want to know how long 4'3" -- hold on. >> i'm sorry. >> that's how long the bunny rabbit. >> bigger than the table. that long. >> isn't that amazing. >> heck of a bunny. >> it eats rabbit cereal. in addition to the world's probably biggest bunny, there is a tiny, tiny horse that was just born in new hampshire. einstein. look at it! look at it by the dog. >> it's a horse? >> that's a horse. look at it. it's little. there's nothing wrong with it. they say it's legs are in perfect proportion. it's teeny. it's two feet tall. look at it. that's a horse. 14 inches tall. weighs six pounds. >> what's going to happen to it? >> i don't know. ny rider.a little saddle and a >> it's so cute. but it will grow normally? >> i don't think so. i don't know the details. it's just little. >> you know what else isn't normal, hoda? when people wear these jeans and these pants, you know, it's hip to wear really low, but when they -- i was at a restaurant recently, a very nice restaur t restaurant, this guy sits down and i got to look at his butt crack for the entire time of lunch. if only i had had a -- a ba backtacular. >> we have one here. >> cliff -- he likes to wear those low jeans. >> that's what he does. >> this is it. >> there you go. the new orleans saints are proud. >> i'm going to start carrying it in my purse. just made a hundred bucks. easiest money he ever made. >> we are paging through the paper and there is something very, very, very, very -- >> don't go far. we may want to call on you for the rest of the show. >> check this out. there is a guy who was killed in -- >> tragically by gun shot, right? don't laugh, hoda. >> it's not because of that. that is horrible. he chose to get buried in a very unique way. he wanted to be propped up on his motorcycle. he's dead. >> that guy is embalmed. he did not go -- what do they call those guys that stuff -- taxidermists. i remember when -- stop laughing. i remember when when dale evans and roy rogers had trigger stuffed and it was an outcry. remember? they wanted him stuff, i guess so they could mount him. i guess so he could sit in their yard. really brings out the worst in you. >> all righty. that's enough of that. wow. >> but the guy's dying wishes came true. at least he's covering up the -- you know, whatever. >> i'm still thinking about cliff's cracktacular. they're loving your hair, kathie lee. christina wrote, can you give us a close-up of kathie lee's hair style. kim called it your barbie ponytail. >> originally, laura put it in a french braid, but because of the neckline on this thing, it was shooting out like a duck tail. coming up next, she holds seven brand slam titles and is ranked fourth in the world. we're going to serve it up with venus williams. right after this. everything we choose and buy.s eat and drive. well, what if green could be simple again? 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the fashion world. >> our samples will come in and i'll try hers on and she'll try mine on. actually, i'm wearing her jewelry today. isn't that gorgeous? i actually stole it from her. >> and what about the little necklace and earrings. >> from my sister, lynn. she's here today, too. >> i didn't see her. >> so, when you were growing up, you learned most of this from your parents. do you ever feel like that you missed anything at all? >> i have been so blessed in my life. i get to do what i love. i get to design. i get to do interior design and i get to play tennis. >> what about love? after all, you are the planet of venus. >> i am. >> let's hear about the love life. >> well, i love playing doubles with serena williams. >> say you met the man of your dreams, right? how could you possibly find the time for him? >> i guess that you're spoesed to make time or something like that. you guys will give me some pointers after the segment. >> we don't know what we're talking about. >> good luck with everything. >> thank you. up next -- >> one of the best character actors in hollywood. >> we're talking to joey pans. >> what does he have there? >> salsa? >> i don't know. wellbeing. we're all striving for it. purina cat chow helps you nuture it in your cat... with a full family of excellent nutrition... and helpful resources. ♪ purina cat chow. share a better life. 100% natural nuts and granola in bite sized clusters. it's a little bit of nature... a little bit better. and nature approves. granola nut clusters from nature valley. and nature approves. why do women like you love activia light? sometimes i have no choice but to eat heavy greasy food that's hard on my diet... and my digestive system. so i eat activia light every day. it helps me feel good and look good too! ♪ activia! have now inspired stayfree® to create a whole new level of comfort when it comes to your period. only stayfree® ultrathins have thermocontrol. designed with the comfort of athletic fabrics in mind, stayfree® with thermocontrol quickly wicks moisture away for exceptional dryness. so you stay incredibly comfortable, no matter where your day takes you. stay dry. stay cool. with thermocontrol. only from stayfree®. joy joey pants is considered a hollywood scene stealer. best known as ralph in the sopranos. >> through his non-profit organization and documentary of the same name no kidding, me too, we're awfully glad to have you here. >> i had no idea you had been suffering with this. >> neither did i. >> tell us about your story. >> my desire was, become rich and famous and have everything you want and this feeling will go away. so, there i was in connecticut, looking at this five-acre pond that i could afford thinking, i listen to joseph campbell, i followed my bliss, why do i feel like i want to die. i was numb inside. i found out that i live with what millions live with. clinical depression. my mother had it. i thought she was not willfully willing to change her life. >> she was bipolar? >> undiagnosed bipolar. >> my mother smoked four packs of cigarettes a day. those of us with mental illness, if it's not treated, you'll die 25 years sooner. >> the good thing about your documentary, some people have it and are just ashamed of it. whether it's alcohol or drug addiction, those are all out there. >> we made this documentary with $5 and $10 donations. amazon picked up my movie. it's called "create space." movies are being made so cheaply now, so with "create space," i'm able to get a 90-day exclusive. there's not a person in this room that doesn't have someone they love affected by mental disease. 80 to 90% is dual diagnosed. mental illness means drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual promiscuity. i didn't know my father. my mother was always act out in ways that made her feel good. i needed to feel good all the time. no matter what. i did first, acted second. >> when you got diagnosed, it was 2007. were you immediately put on medication and did you feel the change right away? >> no, i'm an actor, i needed my emotion. i was in so much pain, the doctor said this is a bridge to alleviate some of this pain so we can get to the bottom of why you're so miserable. >> did you ever consider killing yourself? >> yes. my friend killed himself two days after i spoke to him and that was the catalyst for me to go into the abyss. i think it came when i couldn't run anymore. i was a 30-year jogger. 9/11, i lost three friends in the building and it was just one thing after another that just brought me down and further down. nothing mattered anymore. i felt like tinkerbell without the light. >> do you feel now like a different person because of the medication? >> no, i feel the same. i'm not numb. i'm able to have emotions. i feel that the medication is a bring along with the -- stay focused and reasonably intact. i'm regulating and managing on a daily basis. >> you're very brave to talk about this. you're going to help so many people. harrison ford, james cameron, all these guys, we're using celebrity for a good thing. we're not selling shirts. >> and you have a mare nar ra sauce. >> we got to go. one good decision...- can lead to another. ♪ made with real fruit and now with more... of the whole grains your body needs. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. of the whole grains your body needs. 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[ female announcer ] for a fresh breath feeling that lasts up to 5 times longer, there's new scope outlast. here's a live look in the national cathedral. funeral services are under way for dr. dorothy hight. she spent decades fighting for equality. we will have coverage. coming up on news 4 midday, a preview of the kentucky derby. what's behind the tradition of the big hats? we're back on this thursday with today's travel and the coolest gadgets that will keep your vacation stress-free. >> you want to keep it fun. the general manager -- we'll call you g. >> that's -- something else. yeah. hi, guys. how you doing? >> we're in the camera department here. >> first, the nikon cool pix. what's really great about this thing and what sets it apart is that while you're traveling, you can actually show your photos and videos right on the computer -- right on the camera itself and it comes with this. >> it's a story there. >> that's somebody at virtual tourist. that's nicole. >> sure. >> that's kind of cool. a mini slide show. >> you can also zoom in, go wide. >> how much does that cost? >> that's 429. >> what is this little gadget you have? >> this is the pet view camera. it's a little whacky. i wouldn't wear it, but you can put it on a dog or cat and set it. >> so you find out where your dog's been. >> and then you'll know whether you should kiss him or not. >> there's a lot of legs and sort of fire hydranty-type spots. >> i've got a big one and little one. it would be very funny to see what his life is like. >> is there a practical reason for this? >> it's just kind of fun and interesting. i just saw the 1970s home movies that my dad took and i guarantee you this guy would be a better cinema tog fer. this is turns into a backpack. you can store beverages or what not in here. >> you can't use this as a towel, can you? >> absolutely. this is it right here. the thing that's kind of neat about it is that it has pockets that you can fill with stand so it stays down, or put your keys or sunglasses in it. what's kind of neat, too, it has these tabs on the side. you can strap a couple together and make a really big beach blanket or a sleeping bag. >> does it come in other colors? >> yes, it does. that's $36. >> this, i love. i'm not a huge fan of swimming, but if i were, i would like to do it to music. >> this is equalled the aqua tunes. you put your ipod inside of it, it seals closed and you turn it on and put that right into the water. i'm hearing music and i think you can hear music. >> what do you got? >> it's kathie lee. >> is it? >> should have been. >> that's a genious idea. great idea. >> it's really neat, so you can rock out while you're doing laps. >> that's the tiniest little ipod. >> not too many songs, but it's cute. >> we have michael in a moose sweater. >> we love the outfit. >> this is such a smart idea if you're with your kids, stuck in the airport and you want to entertain. >> sometimes kids can't keep up, you're rushing to your gate. >> so your child sits on it and you drag your child through the airport. >> michael, show us how that wo works. can you go backwards? and then it opens, is that the same thing? look at this. >> wow. >> this is how much? >> about $40. >> well, thank you very much, michael. >> thank you, g. >> thank you so much. coming up, tieing the knot on a budget. how you can save thousands of dollars on your wedding, right after this. hershey's chocolate goodness that brings people together. ♪ ♪ hershey's makes it a s'more... you make it special. pure hershey's. ♪ [ female announcer ] when is it okay to lose the cover-up? ♪ when you can. take the special k challenge... and lose an inch from your waist in two weeks. so lose your cover-up, and show off your confidence. design your plan at specialk.com. you may never go back to your old furniture polish. ♪ love stinks ♪ love stinks, yeah, yeah it's the only furniture polish with febreze freshness. 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[ female announcer ] with hundreds of new rollbacks on great value, choose from lots of meals for less than $2 a serving. it's rollback time. save money. live better. walmart. the three-tiered cake, flowers on every table, the name brand gown. >> if you're looking to skimp on cost without skimping on style, we have the editor of "the knot." it's a magazine. been married a while. yeah. this is for the very cost conscious brides. >> check out these dresses. >> we're going to show you an expensive version and a less expensive version and see if we can tell the difference. >> without sacrificing style. any budget, you can have an amazing wedding dress. >> prove it, anya. >> the first one, this is from the cline field bridal salon. and then the one on the right is $600. 599, actually. camilla lavie. there's a difference in price. the difference is the brand name and the luxurious fabric. you can just tell. >> just a little bit. >> but then you've got this amazing silhouette on both women. they both look beautiful. >> earrings, that stuff is going to add up, too. do your homework. when you're looking for dresses, shop off the rack. go to samuple sales, trunk show. >> let's go to the flower department. >> they will cost you. okay. these, i feel like -- >> these seem like the most expensive. >> they are. this is the $400 center piece. from hatch creative studio. then on the other side, the same exact color palate, but totally different flowers. exactly. so the peonins, they're $8 a stem. to compensate, we are carnations. daisi daisies. all of those flowers on the other end are less than $1 a stem. that's less than 100 bucks. >> you're saving a lot of money. depending on how many tables you have to set up. >> i know that it's different, but the look is very similar. >> ask your florist, you know, in-season flowers, if we can save on that. >> don't send for tulips. >> oh, the two cakes. >> these look similar. >> exactly the same. >> this is the less expensive. >> this is the more expensive. >> i wouldn't have thought that. >> why? i'll tell you why. those are real flowers. >> exactly. so, same basic idea. this one's sugar flowers. these take for a cake baker to make every one, that's going to take some time. this, $12 a slight. half the cost. >> i like the idea of fresh flowers. it's pretty. >> is it the same exact came though? >> hoda's going to try it. >> it's just not fair. is it just a regular -- >> no, it's not. it's just heaven. >> i'm happy for you, hoda, really. so happy. what else? >> okay. we'll talk about wedding favors. when it comes to wedding favors, the packaging is what's costing you. you can get the same coture chocolate truffles -- >> so eat your favor while you're there. >> or go online, do a little research and these are less than a dollar a box and you box them yourself with your bridesmaids and you save big time. >> really, really -- >> thank you. >> thank you. say hello to the lady that couldn't make it because she lost her voice. >> carly. >> up next, classic kentucky derby cooking. >> we got to put our hats on. we don't want anything... ...to slow us down. but even in your 30s... ...your bones can begin to change. overtime, you can begin to have bone loss. calcium and vitamin d work together to help keep your bones strong. and yoplait gives you... ...20% of your daily calcium... ...and is the only leading yogurt with vitamin d in every cup. keep your bones strong every day... ...with yoplait. begins with a balanced breakfast. country crock has 70% less saturated fat than butter, and 30% fewer calories. add multigrain toast, fresh fruit and low fat milk, and they're off to a good start. country crock. - knock, knock. - who's there? interrupting cheese. interrupt-- - cheese! - i should have seen that one coming. you should've, 'cause that was-- i even told you i was gonna be interrupting you. ( snickering, laughing ) morning sir. beautiful day, isn't it? we take the time for our cheese to mature... before we bake it into every delicious cracker. because at cheez-it, real cheese matters. before we bake it into every delicious cracker. my daughter--obsessed with fashion. she never met a label she didn't love. then, my best friend took me to t.j.maxx. i thought it was knock offs, but i came home with all the brands we both love. t.j.maxx has buyers that deal directly with designers. so i save big! two diehard fashionistas are now proud maxxinistas! t.j.maxx. let us make a maxxinista out of you! i think you might have hooked it up wrong, though. yea, we're getting way too many channels. no, no. that's -- that's standard. fios also comes with 11,000 free movies and shows on demand per month. ah, standard. gotcha. a certain somebody says "thank you." tell him "he's welcome," but it's still standard. he's happy to be back with his friends. is he? [ male announcer ] call now and get fios tv, internet, and phone for just $99.99 a month guaranteed for two years! this is beyond cable. this is fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. today, we're getting saucy with delicious dishes for the weekend's big race. >> look at her hat. the chef-owner of lynn's paradise cafe. she's showing us her version of a kentucky hot brown. >> no one's heard of it. >> it's like a sandwich, a casserole. it has its own unique thing. >> we want to hear about your restaurant. our producer was there and said it was some kind of whacky. >> look at this. what's going on here? >> it's like san antonio. remember that, hoda? >> it's a large art project done by the community. >> wall of fame -- >> it's fun. >> that is not a toaster. >> yes, it is. >> we're going to get in the guinness book world of records. largest capocuppacino. we've got salads -- >> tell us about the kentucky brown. >> it's a hot brown. >> whatever. >> it's okay if you didn't do your homework. it was invented in louisville at the brown hotel. and basically, we're going to make it, but it is a delicious mission of rue, turkey, bacon and cheeses. it's really low fat, it makes you thin. this is just basically a thickening agent, which is flour and butter and then you pour -- >> is that heavy cream? >> you just really want to pour that down. and stir really fast. >> okay. if you've heated up your cream, it gets thicker faster. i slave over the stove, so i pour it in cold. and then we add the cheese. we're adding a parmsean. this is a white cheddar that we get here in kentucky. >> it's new york. >> that's later. >> you stir it, try not to spill it. now, i'm going to actually turn that off. i think that's down or off. now, i'm going to instruct you in the fine art. quick. >> we just have a minute for the entire segment. >> one piece of bread. grab two piece of turkey. put your tomatoes -- three mi pieces each. bacon. two pieces of bacon. >> some of this? >> not yet. now, whoever dwet gets the ladle first. now, you cover it so it all looks good. >> here, hoda. >> it's already made. >> look. >> oh, my gosh. so, actually, it's more than you realize. give it a try. remember, we have a little bourb bourbon. >> it's a hot brown. >> i call it a kentucky brown. >> but then you said, no, and now, it's a kentucky hot brown. >> what do you think? >> now, isn't that worth going to kentucky for? this is our bourbon french toast, one of our most famous dishes. let's just finish this. this is a bourbon custard. you pour it on there. >> do you know who's covering it? >> who is covering it? >> nbc, of course. don't forget. coverage of the kentucky derby coming up this weekend, saturday, begins at 4:00 p.m. eastern time. >> natalie and al will be there. >> thank you so we are kicking off a series called, "they get paid for that." awesome jobs you do without a paycheck. sara haines has one of those jobs, but she decided to try her luck with the performers from -- what's it called? >> it's theatre at its most physical and just a blast. it hardly seems fair they get paid for it. >> reporter: pulsing music. spectacular stunts. contaigious dancing. it feels like a m ira ge to the audience. >> what's your favorite part? >> the running. you live a life each night. >> to be a part of this show, you have to act, dance and do your own stunts. is it a possibility yikd fall on my face? >> your guys will keep you safe. >> so there is a possibility. that is so awesome. it's like my birthday party. running through walls must be fun, but does it compare to running on them? tamar makes it look easy. she's been with the show since it started in argentina. i knew this was harder than it looked. what is your favorite part? >> i have two favorite parts. one is the dance we do. it's the dance from argentina. and it's really fun because you just, it's very raw and you can just like put any emotion you want into it. the other part is obviously the pool. that's kind of self-explanatory. it's fun, it's fun, it's fun. >> and who wouldn't want to slash around in a pool? did i mention it covers the audience? like going to the beach with your girlfriends. all in a day's work. bringing sheer joy to audiences and themselves. >> the one thing i always wanted, please don't let me have a 9:00 to 5:00 job and now, i get to come here. >> it has open and run here in new york and will be in chicago may 30th. >> that's crazy. the whole thing in the pool above. >> first thing i thought of, the music. just pumping. >> any kathie lee cds? thank you. tomorrow, we've got hulk hogan and mother's day gift ideas. >> have an awesome, awesome thursday. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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