Transcripts For WRC Today 20100518

his way on to campus. now instead of picking up his diploma, he's behind bars and facing criminal charges, "today," tuesday, may 18th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm matt lauer. this disaster we're seeing unfold in the gulf may have taken a really troubling turn overnight. if scientists can confirm that the tar balls, for lack of a better expression, that washed up in key west are from that massive oil spill. >> it's still a big question, but the real fear is that the spill has entered the so-called loop current which would spread the oil all along the florida peninsula and up the east coast into the carolinas. monday afternoon officials stressed that had not happened, but the discovery of the tar balls could prove them wrong. we'll go live to the florida keys for more on all of this in a moment. also ahead, coming up we're going to have the parents of 17-year-old chelsea king. they'll open up about their daughter's murder and what it was like to face her killer in a courtroom on friday. coming up, they'll join us for an exclusive live interview, their first since john gardner, that man right there, was sentenced. >> they had very powerful words to say to him in that courtroom. plus, more of our series "today looks back." this morning, matt's story that touched him the most. >> this wasn't an easy one for me. two families connected by a tragic case of mistaken identity after a car crash that left one girl dead and another fighting for her life in the hospital. for six weeks the identity of those girls was mixed up. when the mistake was finally realized, it meant agony for one family, as you can only imagine, joy for the other. and the people that we'll meet today and catch up with are some of the most inspiring and graceful people i've ever met. but let's begin this morning with these tar balls that have been found in key west, florida and the investigation now to figure out where they actually came from. nbc's michelle kosinski is with us now with details. michelle, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. just yesterday we were looking at the latest projections of what it would look like if oil got into that loop current in the gulf which some scientists think now is inevitable. it was looking like five to ten days at a minimum for oil to come anywhere close to here. well, as we were doing that, balls of tar were washing up on the southwestern edge of key west. 20 of them, three to eight inches in diameter. so are these coming from the oil spill? do tar balls sometimes wash up here? yes. is this a lot of them? yes. the coast guard basically doesn't want to jump to any conclusions. they'll send the balls of tar to a lab to be tested and try to figure out the origin. federal officials are going to be to examine the coastline today on the ground and from the air. here in the keys, which pride themselves on being laid back and throwing hurricane parties, there is enormous concern now of what oil could do to the tourism economy here and also to the enormous richness of life beneath these waves. >> michelle, let me ask you a question. we had an image, a graphic depiction of this loop current that you're talking about that goes along, around the keys, then up the atlantic coast. are scientists saying it's not a question of "if," but "when" the remnants of this spill or the slick get into that current? >> reporter: that's what they've been saying, that some is bound to get into the current. the question is how much, at what depth, and what kind of effect it will have. the projections we're looking at now don't project it that far out. you're not seeing it in the latest ones we've seen whipping all the way around florida. but if that were to happen, there is still a big question mark could it hit land or coat the shorelines as far south and ft. lauderdale or miami. some scientists are saying probably not. they're thinking maybe farther north to palm beach, up the cape canaveral. no one really knows at this point. that's why it is so disturbing. no one knows if or when they will see oil on these coasts. >> michelle kosinski in the keys for us this morning, michelle, thank you very much. now to the source of the oil spill and bp's defense of its handling of that disaster. for more on that, nbc's mark potter is in venice, louisiana. mark, good morning. let me start with you and ask you what are you seeing and what are people there seeing washing ashore in the gulf coast? >> reporter: well, they're seeing oil. here in louisiana, matt -- good morning to you -- governor bobby jindal says there are 46 miles of shorelines here that have now been oiled -- excuse me -- 19 of them do have tar balls. lot of bugs out here this morning. yesterday an nbc team out here found red gooey tar patches in a marsh area and on a beach, in an area in the southeastern most of louisiana. bp says it is now working on a fix to completely seal that well. perhaps by the end of the week. they'll first use a technique known as a top kill where tons of highly pressurized mud are shoved down in the well and encased in cement. if that doesn't work, they'll try something called a jump shot trying to jam rubber, plastic, copper, even golf balls into that blow-out preventer on the top of the well to jam it up, and encasing that in cement. bp says now it is collecting a fifth of the oil by connecting the oil in a tube to a ship. in washington yesterday at another scene, the senate committee chairman joe lieberman criticized bp for not being prepared for the spill, and also the u.s. government for issuing drilling permits without requiring the property safety measures. >> mark potter in louisiana for us this morning, taking one for the team swallowing a bug for breakfast there. mark, way to go. thanks very much. >> it was good. >> 7:06. now here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. now to politics and what's being done super senate tuesday. three high-stakes primary elections in pennsylvania, kentucky and arkansas that could highlight an anti-incumbent sentiment among voters. nbc'ssavannah gustry is in washington. >> reporter: good morning. this election could provide burning questions to that question -- just how angry are voters at washington. from pennsylvania -- >> i'll do whatever it takes. >> reporter: -- to kentucky. >> i'm not a career politician, i'm a physician. >> reporter: -- to arkansas. the final push. in senate primary races today, it's as though washington itself is on the ballot. >> i'm running for re-election on my record. >> reporter: incumbent candidates are battling fierce challenges from within their own ranks. >> i want to go down to washington, d.c. and be a public servant, not a politician. >> reporter: in pennsylvania, five-term senator arlen specter crisscrossed the state monday, having switched parties, he now has to prove his democratic credentials. >> my voting record has been more with democrats than republicans during my entire tenure in the senate. >> reporter: but the race with congressman joe sestak is still neck-and-neck. >> i respect arlen specter but his time truly has come and it's gone. >> reporter: in arkansas -- >> the real important question is how is the united states senator that's going to represent working class arkansas families. >> i do what's right for arkansas. i answer to you. >> reporter: lincoln is ahead in the polls but if she doesn't get 50% of the vote today, the race is headed for a potentially damaging runoff. in kentucky, the republican race for senate will test the power of the tea party. antitax activist rand paul, son of former presidential candidate ron paul, has the backing of the grassroots conservative group and is leading secretary of state trey grayson who has the support of the republican establishment. >> i know trey grayson and trust him. >> reporter: but analysts say that might not help in an antiwashington year. >> you actually want to be the outsider. this is the year of the outsider and having establishment credentials is not all that helpful. >> reporter: the president campaigned for arlen specter in pennsylvania but that was back in september of last year. he declined to go again for a late push but he will be very close today, meredith, in youngsto youngstown, ohio for an event on the economy. >> yeah, but flying over pennsylvania. savannah gustry, thank you. fox news contributor newt gingrich is the former republican speaker of the house and author of the new book, "to save america, stopping obama's secular socialist machine." before i get to the primaries, talk about a statement in your book that's drawing a lot of attention. you say that obama and the democrats are pushing what you call the secular socialist agenda and you write, "the secular socialist machine represents as great a threat to america as nazi germany or the soviet union once did." can you honestly compare what's going on with the democrats to nazi germany? >> it's not a question of how evil they were. nazi germany was terrible. maoist china was terrible. it was a question of finality. had we lost either of those contests we'd have become a radically different country. the secular socialist agenda is for an america fundamentally different than america has been for the last 400 years. >> when you hear that term, " t "na "nazi," that's one of those inflammatory words that can turn off anybody. >> when you look at threat they presented to american life -- not talking about the moral equivalents -- >> not talking about the mass murder. >> i'm not talking about mass murder. i condemn, as every american should, mao's china, stal in's russia and hitler's germany. our country is a country based on individual freedom and a country in which the government was subordinate to people. is washington dominant or are the citizens dominant? i do believe obama's secular socialist machine threatens to impose in this country a series of bureaucratic decisions that are very dangerous. >> you talk about the threat of obama's administration and the democrat. yet when you look at primaries that we're going to witness today, there is this anti-incumbent mood that's all across the country, regardless of party, republicans and democrats. >> i think the republicans in the last few years earned part of that animus. but if you look at it carefully, tim burns race for the house in pennsylvania is a very important indicator. if he wins, that's a very important signal. i think in all three races you described, my guess is you're going to see the anti-tax change-oriented caidate winning. i think in specter's case, the fact he's been elected for 30 years, the fact they switched parties -- we both wish he would return the money he helped raised. >> if you loses today, is that a referendum on president obama -- >> no. look, i think first of all, president obama is a very attractive, personable leader. he has a wonderful family. i think people are going to like him long after they dislike his policies. there's no evidence in virginia, new jersey or massachusetts that he can transfer that to anybody. he turned out no additional votes for the democrats in any of those three races. >> when you look in kentucky, tea party activists, including sarah palin, are rallying behind rand paul running against trey grayson, the establishment candidate for all intents and purposes. who are you supporting in this race? >> i'm neutral in this race. but rand paul has a huge advantage with jim bunning endorsing. there is no question rand paul represents the more anti-tax insurgent elements of kentucky. >> why are you neutral in this race? in utah you were very clearly for bob bennett. >> bennett was an old friend, he had been around and i think he is an honorable person with 84% conservative voting record. in this case it is an open seat. i have friends on both sides. i'm friends with jim bunning, i'm friends with mitch mcconnell. my hunch that rand paul has the edge today but i don't need to go around the country and get into every single race in the country. >> but if rand paul wins, that's good news for the tea party movement but is it good news for the republicans come november? >> sure. of course it is. if the tea party movement and the republicans stay together to defeat obamaism, the tea party movement adds energy, it adds drive, it adds a toughness that the republican party needs. >> all right, newt gingrich, thank you so much. congratulations on the book as well. it's called "to save america." now let's get a check of the morning's top stories from ann curry at the news desk. a breaking story overnight. a suicide car bomb exploded in afghanistan claiming at least 16 lives, including at least five american service members. the taliban has claimed responsibility. nbc's tom as spepell is in kabu this morning with more. what have you learned? >> reporter: good morning. the suicide driver rammed the convoy of three armored civilian vehicles at the southern entrance to kabul early this morning. the blast killed six nato personnel, including five americans. it also killed ten afghan civilians and injured more than 50. now the city's defenses had been beefed up over the past ten weeks since the last suicide attack here, with an increased number of checkpoints and security patrols. but this shows exactly how determined an attacker can breach those defenses. the taliban has claimed responsibility. it said the attack was carried out by a kabul man using 1,600 pounds of explosives. ann? >> tom aspell this morning, thanks. american missionary laura silsby is returning home today after a judge ordered her released. silsby was found guilty on monday of illegally trying to take 33 children out of haiti after the earthquake there last january but she was sentenced to time served. a former harvard senior has been indicted on larceny and identity theft charges after allegedly duping the ivy league university to admitting him with a fake life history. he claimed he attended m.i.t. and co-authored several books. he was awarded more than $46,000 in financial aid and grants from harvard which he applied for using plagiarized submissions, according to the university. president obama heads to youngstown, ohio today focusing on the jobs and economy. the latest is to be on what the administration calls his white house to main street tour. cnbc's trish regan is at new york stock exchange. europe's debt crisis, is that still a focus today? >> that's the big issue here, what everybody is debating, whether or not the euro zone can really pull itself out of this mess, whether the currency in some cases folks are questioning whether the currency can even survive. this is really the biggest threat that we've seen to the euro since it was first introduced. in fact, it is now at a fresh four-year low against the u.s. dollar. so lots of concerns about europe and what that means, ann, for the world economy. if europe falters, what happens to the u.s.? >> trish regan this morning, thanks so much. cnbc's airing a documentary on the obesity epidemic and its multi-billion dollar cost to american at 10:00 eastern. a harvard study finds that a daily serving of processed red meat like bacon, sausage and cold-cuts leads to a 4 % higher risk of haeart disease and a 20 risk of diabetes. however, unprocessed red meat such as beef and lamb that's not preserved with sulfa nitrates is not linked to an increased risk of those diseases, at least according to the study. 7:16. back to matt, meredith and al this morning. >> so you want to be a network news correspondent? do you really? watch, here it is. what happened to mark potter down in louisiana. watch the bug. >> whoa! >> he actually sucked that in. >> that's what you call having breakfast on the fly! >> whoa! >> he kept going. >> the pro that he is. >> there he is live. none the worse for wear. way to go, mark, nice job. >> thank you. we're calling that the bayou breakfast here. >> mr. roker is here now. >> can't wait for lunch. >> mr. roker with a check of the weather. good morning. light rain and patchy drizzle and fog around the metro area this tuesday morning. radar showing this continuing to advance to the northwest and east. it will be with us throughout the day. temperatures are cool in the low to mid 50s. 54 in washington. high today only near 60 with another passing shower, perhaps later on today, perhaps patchy drizzle as well. overnight tonight, too, a little passing drizzle from time to time. tomorrow, cloudy, upper >> that's your latest weather. there are some new developments in the case of three americans detained in iran since last july, accusedest knowledge. their families say they accidentally crossed into iran while hiking. ann sat down with their moms on monday. ann, good morning. >> good morning to you, matt. up until now the mothers of shane bauer, jash fattal and share ra showered have only had one phone call from their children the last nine months but this morning they're on their way to iran to see their first for the first time since all of this face to face. they're really optimistic they might be able to bring their children home. you seem hopeful in a way that i've not seen you before. why? >> we have been waiting a long time for this day. we are really excited and really happy that we're finally going to get to see our kids. >> we have faith in the compassion of the people and the compassion of the officials. >> of iran. >> of iran. yes. >> what gives you this faith? >> we have faith in humankind. we have to have faith. we have to keep faith for our children. we're going there with a mother's love, which is the strongest love i can imagine. we're going there with pure hearts. we're going there to bring our children home. >> our mantra is, we want to bring our children back. i want to bring my daughter home. we're just going to keep saying that and saying that. >> so, gearing up now for that moment when you walk into the prison and you look for that face you raised from a baby. >> i am so eager to see josh. i can't wait to grab him, hold him, kiss him. the most wonderful moment in our life is when we see our children when they're born. this far outweighs that. to see shane after this long and to be able to give him my love and feel that back is going to be tremendous. >> have you thought about what you're going to say to your daughter? >> you know what? i don't think it is so much about words honestly. i want her to be able to talk to me as much as she needs to for as long as she needs to. >> have you been given any guarantees that besides seeing your children, you'll be able to speak to anyone in the government? >> no. we really don't know what's going to happen when we get there. >> if anyone in the government listens to you, what is your message to president ahmadinejad? >> to allow our children to come home with us. we think this would be a great act of kindness and the world is watching. we would be so grateful to have our children come home with us. >> what would it mean to you if you could actually bring your children home? >> it would be like starting life all over again. it would be like some kind of amazing sort of gift, a rebirth almost for us and for the kids. >> grateful. i mean that's the word i'd think of, is grateful. very grateful. it is going to take time to get back to normal because normal feels far away. >> all of these mothers are telling us they're bringing with them photographs and letters hoping they'll be able to give them to their children and we, of course, wish them the best. very, very tough day. they asked for an opportunity to speak to president ahmadinejad himself. >> still unclear whether they'll get that opportunity. >> that's right. >> ann, thanks very much. 7:22. just ahead, the paints of 17-year-old chelsea king speak out for the first time since their daughter's killer was senten just ahead, household products used by children to get high. have retailers stopped selling them to kids like they promised? >> the results of our follow-up investigation after your local news. i hope i get a chance to put two scoops!™ of raisins in some boxes. you know what will really get us in the spirit? ♪ 99 boxes of raisin bran crunch ♪ ♪ if you're nice to me i'll share some with you ♪ ♪ you take one down ( and pass it around ) ♪ ♪ 98 boxes of raisin bran crunch ♪ three tasty ingredients, one great combination. ♪ raisin bran crunch! from kellogg! 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®. cone 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. during spring event get 0% apr for 60 months on a 2010 traverse with an average finance savings of around fifty four hundred dollars. only at your chevy dealer. good morning. it's 7:26 on this tuesday morning, may 18th. i'm joe krebs. in the news today, the search continues for two men who police say shot and killed a man in centreville. they say the victim was confronted by killers yesterday morning as the killers tried to break into a multimillion dollar home on compton road. the victim was an acquaintance of the family that lives in the home. the victim has not yet been identified. we'll take a good morning. wet and chilly on this tuesday morning. temperatures in the low to mid 50s with occasional showers and patchy drizzle. we'll have that the rest of the day with highs near 60. should taper off tomorrow, partly to mostly cloudy, highs in the upper 60s and slight chance of a shower. how is the traffic? >> tough one out there this morning, 95 northbound. it is jammed. the accident that helped generate the backup has been out of the roadway now for some time. quick check along 270 corridor. plenty of delays. good news is no accidents. lanes are open. careful. still slick in many spots. >> if you're up early, tune in to news 4 today at 7:30 now on a tuesday morning, the 18th day of may, 2010. it is kind of cool and drizzly out on the plaza. you see the umbrellas. but we'll get out there in just a little while, say hi to these people. hopefully the weather will be nicer on friday when the script comes to play a concert on our plaza. matt lauer, alongside meredith vieira. ahead, a follow-up to one of our startling hidden camera investigations. >> a few years back we found stores selling household products to kids to get high. retailers said they'd chng their policies, but have they? we'll tell you what we found. also, "today looks back." a car crash involving two young girls and a tragic case of mistaken identity. police and the hospital mixed up a girl who died in that crash with a girl who actually survived. took six weeks to realize the mistake. when the families were told, they both handled it with incredible courage and grace. we'll catch up with them in just a little while. but we begin this half-hour with the parents of 17-year-old chelsea king who are using their daughter's tragic murder to help other families. we're going to talk to them exclusively in a moment. but first, here's nbc's miguel almaguer. >> i am filled with a rage i did not realize i could possess against this man. i hate him. with all my soul. >> reporter: on friday, brent and kelly king finally faced john gardner, the cold-blooded killer who raped and murdered their 17-year-old daughter, chelsea king. >> look at me. >> reporter: you could hear a pin drop in this san diego courtroom. >> chelsea was a sweet, loving and innocent soul who could not have fathomed the retched piece of evil that ended her life that day. you dismantled a family life that was built on love, trust and faith. but you did not destroy it. look at me! >> reporter: two sets of parents, overwhelmed with grief, just feet away from the man responsible for two brutal crimes. john gardner's already confessed to the rape and murder of chelsea king and amber dubois. justice would finally be served. >> life without the possibility of parole. >> reporter: gardner was put away for life, but police now say there may be other victims. >> we believe that he's involved in some other cases, not necessarily murders but other assaultive type cases. >> reporter: for the first time since gardner's arrest, officials monday revealed that they're investigating gardner for other sexual assaults. gardner was a convicted sex offender out on parole when he killed dubois and king and he had at least seven parole violations that could have put him back behind bars before the murders. >> the pain could have been prevented. >> reporter: in california, the kings met with lawmakers to press for chelsea's law, legislation that would send many violent sex offenders to prison for life after a first offense, with other sex offenders on life-long parole with electronic monitoring. >> my personal promise to all the children, all the mothers and all the fathers, is that i will do all i can to protect other daughters and sons and other mothers and fathers from going through this incomparable nightmare that i'm walking through. >> reporter: determined to honor chelsea, the kings say they won't give up their fight, what has become their new mission, passing a law that they say could have saved their own daughter's life. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. >> chelsea's parents, brent and kelly king, are with us now exclusively for their first interview since the sentencing of john gardner. mr. and mrs. king, good morning. thanks for joining us. >> good morning. >> kelly, can i ask you how you prepared yourself for that moment in court on friday when you stood so close to john gardner and said the things you did? >> you know, i don't know that there is any way to prepare for that. the minute he walked in to that courtroom, there was just a complete and total wave of disgust. there's an element of shock to be that close to someone who's done what he's done to our daughter and to our family. there was no preparation. there was just a lot of anger. >> you said "look at me. look at me." you said it twice, i believe. what were you hoping or expecting to see in his eyes? >> i wanted him to be able to look and see all the pain and the anguish. not that it would have registered with him, but in some way -- >> i understand. >> -- to -- i just can't say it. i'm sorry. >> brent, kelly was very articulate and she said that you have dismantled a part of this family. you have not destroyed this family. why do you think that sentiment was so important to state in court? >> we have a beautiful 13-year-old son and our first and primary goal is to raise a really healthy, happy 13-year-old son as best we can. >> i know you two are in washington. and there is an effort under way in california and the state legislature there to pass a chelsea's law where one strike and a violent sex offender does not get out. what do you want to say to lawmakers and in your meetings at the white house and washington? >> we fawant to share with them first and foremost that one strike is enough. it shouldn't take two children going through a terrible violent act until we lock somebody away. the loss of one child is incredibly tragic. why wait for two children to go through a terrible event? and we also want to bring them a vision and picture of who chelsea is and how much we lost, as not just parents but as a community. >> kelly, brent says who chelsea was. and i know -- it was so painful to even read this -- that you started getting in the weeks after her death letters of acceptance to colleges she had applied to. she got accepted to all 11. what were her dreams for a life in college and after and what were your dreams for her? >> chelsea's dreams were unlimited. she worked so hard up to this point just about ready to graduate from high school and the world was going to be hers. i saw in her a child who could mold her world an her life into anything she dreamt possible and beyond. and i had that same hope for her and to see that future wiped out in an instant is nothing short of complete and pure tragedy. >> brent and kelly king, i appreciate you so much spending time with us this morning. thank you in advance for the work you're doing to protect other families from this same ordeal. it's nice to see you both. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> let us switch gears. sorry about this. get a check now of the weather from al. >> all right, thanks, matt. good morning. chilly and damp again on this tuesday morning. i'm tom kierein. at this hour, we have scattered showers across northern virginia, the district and maryland, the eastern shore, as well as parts of west virginia. these continue to advance southwest and northeast along patchy drizzle and fog. temperatures in the low 50s along the region, now 54 in the district of columbia. afternoon highs near 60 with perhaps a few more passing showers and patchy drizzle as well as overnight tonight. tomorrow small chance of a shower. >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thank you so much. coming up next, our hidden camera investigation to see if popular stores still sell toxic inhalants to children. right after this. 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 the roundup weed and grass killer pump 'n go at the new lower price of only $15. how about a coastal soup and grilled shrimp salad combination? or maybe our new savory shrimp jambalaya. seafood lunches starting at just $6.99 at red lobster. with sofas hand-made for you. furniture that's built to last. and style as smart as you are. new extraordinary savings at ethan allen. now with limited-time financing. the forecast is full of ifs. retirement these days, if i'm too exposed to downturns. if i'll go through my savings too fast. to help you feel more confident consider putting a portion of your savings in a metlife variable annuity. when the market goes up, it gives your assets a potential to grow. while protecting you if the market goes down with a steady stream of income. metlife annuities have helped over a million people stay on course with guarantees for the if in life. get answers about annuities at metlife.com. against pollutants and damaging environmental factors. new eucerin daily skin balance body lotion with ph buffer strengthens your skin's protective barrier. new daily skin balance only from eucerin. [ slap! ] -[ slap! slap! slap! slap! ] -ow, ow! [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum ta tum tum tums this morning on "today investigates," products that can be used by kids to get a dangerous high. how some stores are feeding the problem. nbc's jeff rossen is here with the hidden camera investigation. jeff, good morning to you. >> hi, meredith. good morning. real wake-up call for parents. these are common household products that kids abuse and huff to get high. after our investigation aired last winter, the stores we called promised to stop selling them to children. but did they? we went back in to find out. you're watching a drug deal in progress. the buyers, two little boys. the sellers, some of the biggest stores in the country. the kids, an eighth-grader and a fourth-grader, are actually working with us. we sent them from store to store to by air duster, a common household cleaner kids inhale to get high. it's become so popular, it's glamourized by videos posted john line where kids appear to be huffing. this quick high, all the rage among high school kids, is now invading middle schools, too. nearly 1 in 10 eighth-graders used inhalants in the past year. >> they don't know it is deadly and can cause brain damage. they think it is a fun, cheap, safe way to get high. >> reporter: what's that kyle williams thought. at only 14 years old, he huffed himself to death in his own bed. >> there was a red straw coming out of his mouth and that can of dust-off between his legs. >> the imachblg fige of finding his bed dead stays with me every single day. >> reporter: jeff and kathy williams say their son never used drugs until a friend showed him how to inhale duster on the school bus one day. two weeks later, kyle was gone. >> it is called sudden sniffing death syndrome. basically the chemicals get into your blood stream, replace the oxygen. your electrical system in your brain shuts down and you die. >> reporter: and kids can buy this providesen poison at any c. last winter we sent two child actors into popular retail chains and exposed store after store selling them toxic inhalants. in most states like new york, it is legal. but remember, one of our kids is in fourth grade. at some stores we took it up a notch telling our kids to joke about getting high right in front of the cashier. >> have you ever inhaled this stuff before? >> inhaled it? >> yeah. it's really good. >> that is very unhealthy. >> it makes you really high. >> it's not good. >> reporter: yet she still sold it to them. in response to our investigation, k-mart, p.c. richard and son and cvs banned the sale of air buster to minors in all stores nationwide. >> hi. do you have air duster? >> reporter: we wanted to put their pledge to the test so we went our child actors back in to 12 of these stores to try and buy duster. at this k-mart, we were happy to see a clerk immediately stopped them. >> you have to have an adult purchase this. >> reporter: but at this k-mart, the clerk doesn't even blink, selling duster to our eighth-grader, no questions asked. so much for that nationwide ban. at this p.c. richard and son, the clerk tells our boys, duster is for adults only. so our actor blatantly lies. >> i am 18 though. i'm hold enough to buy it. >> you don't like like 18. >> i am. >> reporter: it is laughable. he's 13. but the clerk sells him the inhalant anyway. so does the clerk at this cvs. and this cvs. when our producer also wearing a hidden camera asks them about their policy on duster, they don't even have a clue. >> i thought stores weren't allowed to sell that to kids. you don't know anything about that? >> reporter: in the end, our investigation found 1 out of 3 k-marts, 2 out of 3 p.c. richards, and 3 out of 6 cvs stores sold our kids inhalants. even after they vowed to stop. cvs blamed employee error saying all of their stores have an age restriction warning for duster that pops up in the register. oh, really? after she sells our boy a can, listen to what this cvs clerk tells our producer. >> there's no age restriction? >> yeah, it would have popped up if there is an age restriction on it. >> reporter: you put these companies on notice, you put the country on notice by broadcasting it out there, and yet this is still going on. >> reporter: we showed our video to the man who runs the partnership for a drug-free america. >> the companies say it is not our fault. our policy is we don't sell this product to kids and our employees aren't following our policy. >> the company should not be passing the buck to their employees. the minute that product was scanned, the computer should have locked the cash register and required an id check. it is literally that simple. >> reporter: a simple fix in a deadly game that's taking young lives. >> there's just worried about making the money. they're not worried about who's getting hurt. >> cvs, p.c. richard and son and k-mart declined our interview. they said it was unacceptable and the safety of their customers is a top priority. cvs and k-mart say they are now reeducating their staff. in response to our hidden camera investigation, p.c. richard is now even bulge air duster from all their stores nationwide. they've decided they don't want to be in that business anymore. they won't sell it to kids or adults. >> jeff rossen, thank you very much. we're back after this. have you tried honey bunches of oats yet? every spoonful is a little different. mmm. they got three kinds of flakes. this is delicious. it's the perfect combination of sweet and crispy. i love it. this is so good. this is great. the magic's in the mix. as long as there's sun, you and your family can go have fun. because banana boat blocks up to 96% of harmful uva and uvb rays. so you can go, go, go, confident you're protected from sunburn and long-term skin damage. banana boat. we've got you covered. want to replant a forest? maybe you want to rebuild homes for those in need? or, maybe you want to help improve our schools? whatever you want to do, members project from american express can help you take the first step. vote, volunteer or donate for the causes you believe in at membersproject.com. take charge of making a difference. at the same time, voilà, book your flight and hot you could save up to 450 bucks. and that could come in pretty handy. where you book matters. expedia. what if they change the terms? what if the interest rate... ...is more than i thought? what if i missed something? what if we're not getting what i think we're getting? [ male announcer ] take some of the "what if" out of dealing with your bank. bank of america's clarity commitment summaries tell you key terms for what you're getting with your home loan and credit card in plain language. interest rate... ...what we pay. that's clear... nice for a change. how about that? it's just what they said. [ male announcer ] there's only one place you can get a clarity commitment for your mortgage or credit card. bank of america. 30 years ago this morning, mt. st. helens erupted in washington state obliterating everything in its path. nbc's lee cowan is there with a look at how things have changed since then. lee, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. it was the deadliest volcanic eruption in u.s. history and it affected some 200 square miles around the mountain. scientists say nature went to work almost immediately trying to repair that damage and now 30 years on they're frankly amazed. >> it fires the explosion we have long been fearing has occurred. >> reporter: it was 8:32 a.m. a bright spring morning 30 years ago when mount st. helens shattered. the eruption shot ash 15 miles into the sky. hot winds, moving it near supersonic speed surturned the forest into matchsticks. >> one of the most devastating natural explosions our nation has ever known. >> reporter: 57 people died, 21 were never found. mariana, now 88, was one of the lucky ones. >> we didn't know if we were going to live or die there for some minutes. >> reporter: she and her husband, ham radio operators, were camping in their van, monitoring the mountain's angry emissions. they barely made it out. a colleague of theirs didn't. >> then the last words he ever said was, "it's going to get me next. i'm going to back out of here." that was it. >> reporter: the eruption lasted nine hours. its power shocked even the experts. >> what we didn't understand was that this entire side of a mountain could collapse. >> reporter: the chief scientist on the volcano says it was that lateral eruption that made mount st. helens so deadly. >> we'd have been here we would have perished. >> reporter: he's been working here since the eruption. but says these days, he barely recognizes a thing. >> when we first came out here a year after the eruption, didn't find a single living thing. >> nothing. >> nothing. >> reporter: three decades changes a lot. the mountain is now teeming with life, all creatures, great and small, flying, crawling, and swimming. >> the rate with which life has come back here is absolutely astonishing. >> reporter: a rebound that excites tourists, too. >> it is amazing how it's come alive after all these years. >> reporter: but for long-time residents, it is no surprise. sam gardner knows the mountain is always alive in one way or the other. >> of course when there is a potential it can take you out at any time, that's kind of exciting. but it seems to have calmed down a little bit. >> reporter: calmed down -- for now. they warn this is still a very young, very act iive volcano. even though it is heavily studied, whether or if it will erupt again is still a mystery. still, it was late. well... you're not gonna have to worry about that anymore. yeah, why's that? ♪ todd's a lucky man. ♪ the best part of wakin' up... ♪ that's what i told him when we talked last week. ♪ ...is folgers in your cup at world record speed. i'm luke myers. if you want to be incredible, eat incredible. announcer: eggs. incredible energy for body and mind. (guitar music) looif i'll finally get the can fecoverage my family deserves. if it's something we can afford. to steer clear of the confusion, go to metlife.com in less than 5 minutes, you'll get straight answers. like how much life insurance you really need and how much it costs. so, no matter where you end up buying, you'll make the best decision for your family. get guarantees for the if in life. from metlife. build your safety net with $500,000 of coverage for around $20 a month. hi, jay bush and duke here to introduce new bush's black bean fiesta....whoa... you can't tell everyone about new black bean fiesta. 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. your hair mixes with pollen and dust. i get congested. but now with zyrtec-d®, i have the proven allergy relief of zyrtec®, plus a powerful decongestant. zyrtec-d® lets me breathe freer, so i can love the air™. (announcer) zyrtec-d®. behind the pharmacy counter. no prescription needed. we get double miles with every purchase. so we earned a tropical vacation in half the time. we earn double miles every time we use our card. ( shouts ) double miles add up fast so we can bring the whole gang. ( grunting ) awesome! it's hard to beat double miles. everyone knows two is better than one. introducing the venture card from capital one... with double miles on every purchase every day. go to capitalone.com. ( gasps ) what's in your wallet? wait up! good morning. time right now is 7:56. 54 degrees. looking at a live picture of the white house. cloudy and hazy out there this morning. i'm joe krebs. in the news for today, kennedy high school and silver springs expected to send home letters saying that a student has tuberclusosis. anyone who had close contact with the student should get tested. a big endorsement for d.c. mayorial candidate vincent gray. afl-cio, the biggest labor union umbrella group in washington has thrown its support behind gray, citing his broad vision and deep community roots. gray is the current d.c. council chair. he is challenging encumbent mayor. we'll take a break and come back with a look at weather and traffic. [ wind whistling ] ♪ ♪ let the sun shine [ male announcer ] open yourself up to a whole new driving experience. introducing a mercedes-benz convertible that controls the wind and keeps you comfortable in any season. the e-cabriolet, newest member of the amazing e-class family. ♪ see it in "sex and the city 2," in theaters may 27th. ♪ ♪ everywhere i go... ♪ i'll pass it on, ♪ and on...and on...and on... edible arrangements. happiness is always in season. visit, call or go to ediblearrangements.com. good morning. it is cool and wet. radar showing scattered showers around the region. blue is light rain, green is coming down harder. these temperatures in the low to mid 50s will stay this way throughout the rest of the morning. during the afternoon, we'll peak just near 60 with a few more showers and patchy drizzle as well and tonight. jerry, how is the traffic? >> inner loop of the beltway coming off the wilson bridge, very slow. pothole has done some damage at the inner loop. other than that, quiet. but be careful. it's slick out there. lunch with lindsay and olympic gold medalist a 8:00 now on this tuesday morning, the 18th of may, 2010. terrific crowd braving the elements here in rockefeller plaza, little bit of misting at this point. i'm meredith vieira, along with matt lauer and al roker. ahead, more of our special series "today looks back." >> this is a case, a tragic case of mistaken identity. it happened after an accident that left one young girl dead and another fighting for her life for six weeks. identifitive those two girls was mistaken. when the truth was discovered, obviously it meant tragedy for one family, heartbreak. joy for the other family. we'll meet those two families involved if that story and catch up with them in just a couple of minutes. on a lighter note, you may notice that our plaza looks a little different this morning. that's because we got our finalists who are competing for a complete free yard makeover for the title of america's most desperate landscape. we've got a big competition coming up. >> that's always fun. a programming note, coming up tomorrow on "today," we'll talk to laura and lisa ling. laura was one of the journalists held for five months in a north korean prison while lisa fought valiantly here for her release. they'll both join us for an exclusive morning interview tomorrow on "today." they just wrote a book about their experience. let's go inside right now. ann has a check of all the headlines. >> thanks, matt. the coast guard is examining 20 balls of tar that have washed ashore in key west, florida to see if they are evidence the massive spill in the gulf of mexico is on the move. oil from the spill is washing up on louisiana's coastline and has been found for miles. now the white house says the president will create a commission to investigate the disast disaster. overnight a suicide car bomb targeted a nato convoy in afghanistan. the explosion near the parliament building in the capital claimed the lives of at least five american service members and one nato member and at least 12 afghan civilians. more than 50 others were wounded. it is primary day around the nation and the strength of the tea party movement is being put to the test in kentucky where two democratic incumbents, senators arlen specter of pennsylvania and blanche lincoln of arkansas are in tough races for their seat. here's brian williams with what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." >> thanks. all this week on "nightly news," we're doing celebrities who are making a difference. tonight, eva longoria parker, a passion to help young people with developmental disorders. her work in this area inspired by her own sister. a touching profile that's tonight on our broadcast. ann, back to you. 8:02. let's go back outside to al. >> good morning. it is wet and chilly around the entire region this tuesday morning. passing showers. radar showing that the areas of green coming a little harder, light blue areas of light rain. it is moving to the northeast. temperatures now low to mid 50s, highs just near 60. maybe patchy drizzle along with those showers and that will continue into tonight. tomorrow, cloudy into the upper 60s, small chance of a passing shower. sun returns thursday and friday and warmer. >> and that's your latest weather. up next, two families connectsed by a deadly accident involving two girls and a heart kl breaking case of mistaken identity. s for this. mom, thanks for the amazing pie. it's soo good. oh, and for the roof over my head. thanks for hanging in there. see, i thank you for stuff! thanks for liking me more than my sister. thanks for not... really ruining my life. what? cuz i know that must be hard for you. [ female announcer ] cool whip. for the thanks you deserve. of the world's most revered luxury sedan. ♪ this is a history of over 50,000 crash-tested cars. this is the world record for longevity and one of the most technologically advanced automobiles on the planet. this is the 9th generation e-class. this is mercedes-benz. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial. ♪ blend it. sprinkle it. sweet! [ female announcer ] just about anywhere you use sugar you can use splenda® no calorie sweetener. [ male announcer ] savory. fluffy. yummy. sweet! [ female announcer ] splenda®. america's favorite no calorie sweetener. [ female announcer ] splenda®. as small businesses are busy reinventing the economy, small business owners have a lot of questions. can paperless billing get me paid faster? how can i keep my best employees? how can i bring down my insurance costs? that's why we're building a community called openforum.com where owners can swap ideas and ask questions. will tweeting get me more customers? how can i get paid faster? i was about to ask you the same thing. join the conversation at openforum.com. to get more of the fiber you need every day, try fiberchoice. with the natural fiber found in fruits and vegetables and 33% more fiber per serving than benefiber. go to fiberchoice.com to get savings and rewards. what? you want to go count them now? ...41, 42... 94,5... 237... i see you. see, you're laying down. i got you. 531... 635... 701, 702... 1,002... 1,733... 2,226... 3,130... 3,131... 4,340... 4,389. i'm christin. i save people money so they can live better. it makes my skin really silky and velvety. this is my body wash. what do you mean? this is it? why?! oh, don't do that to me! dove creamoil body wash. now with nutrium moisture. nutrium moisture. i'm a believer. the nourishment in dove creamoil goes somehow deeper. i'm happy about the change. change is good. dove creamoil body wash. this morning in "today looks back," a story that touched me like no other. two families linked forever by one tragic mistake. we'll talk to those families in a moment, but first their tale of hope and heartbreak. >> reporter: wednesday, april 26th, 2006, the day everything changed for two families. a devastating car crash on an indiana freeway. a semi-truck struck a van with nine youths returning from a school function. laura van ryn was one of the victims. her mother, suzie, received the devastating call. >> someone said something like, "we have your daughter, laura, in the hospital in ft. wayne. she's been in an accident." >> reporter: the van ryns were told that laura was in critical condition and unconscious. meanwhile, colleen cerak received her own phone call that night and was given the heartbreaking news that no parent ever wants to hear. >> i think they just told me that they were sorry that whitney was one of the victims in the accident and that she had died. >> reporter: whitney's sister, carly, and her mom went to the hospital where whitney was taken but couldn't bring themselves to see her. >> i wanted a picture of whitney who was this beautiful, living, vibrant girl, instead of -- i would keep that picture in my head as opposed to a battered body. >> reporter: while the ceraks decided not take one last look at their beloved whitney, the van ryn family was preparing to see laura for the first time since the accident. >> they told us at that point, "expect to see her in an altered state. she's got tubes coming out everywhere. she's bruised up." >> "not going to look like herself." >> not going to look like herself. >> really, she was wrapped to about here. we could see this much of her face when she had a blanket over her and everything was wrapped up and her eyes were closed. and a little bit of swelling it looked like and maybe some very minor cuts. >> reporter: the van ryns took turns sitting at laura's bedside for the course of what they were told would be a very long recovery. laura's sister, lisa, kept a blog about her progress to try to keep loved ones informed. >> "she has some fractured ribs and an array of cuts an bruises. it is apparent that she feels pain which is actually a good sign." >> reporter: while the ceraks said good-bye to their daughter, the van ryns were encouraged by some small movement in laura's arms and legs. but it was actually something else that got lisa's attention. >> lisa, you're at laura's bedside and she yawned. she kind of opened her mouth. you noticed something about her teeth. >> um-hmm. >> tell me what you saw. >> well, i noticed that these two on either side in the front looked different to me. like set a little bit differently than i thought laura's teeth had been. >> reporter: and then finally she opened her eyes. >> her eyed popped open. one eye just barely opening. just a little slit. that's the way it happened. >> it was like a little glimmer of -- >> reporter: friends and family visited laura in the hospital. some raising questions about other small changes they noticed in her. a piercing she had on her navel. her eyes seemed to be a different color. but with no reason to question her identity, the van ryns didn't pay much attention to them. laura was soon moved to a rehab center closer to home where she showed signs of regaining some of her memory. but there was one big detail that still seemed to escape her. her name. >> the therapist asked her to write her name. tell me about that moment. >> she wrote, skrauwled whitney. i thought maybe she was sitting next to whitney prior to the accident. again, i didn't make a huge deal of it immediately. >> reporter: but when lisa visited laura at rehab, her doubts about her sister's identity were confirmed. >> i said, can you tell me your name? >> he said, "whitney." i asked her her parents' names an she was able to tell me newell and colleen. that was the clincher for me. i knew laura would not know that. >> reporter: the van ryns knew that their heartbreak would mean elation for the ceraks who headed to the rehab center to see for themselves. >> i remember just right away i could just tell. i just said, "it's whitney." carly just pushed past me at that point just to try and -- almost like fumbled on top of her. just loving her and which woke whitney up. she was just kind of shaking her head like, yes, it's whitney. >> reporter: two words on a note in the medical chart told the whole story. mistaken identity. five weeks after the devastating car crash, lisa van ryn shared the unimaginable news on her blog. >> "we have some hard news to share with you today. our hearts are aching as we have learned that the young woman we have been taking care of over the past five weeks has not been our dear laura, but instead a fellow taylor student of hers, whitney cerak. it is a sorrow and a joy for us to learn of this turn of events. for us, we will mourn laura's going home and will greatly miss her compassionate heart and sweetness. thanks again for the support that you've been. please continue your prayers. we love you, sweets." >> don, suzie and lisa van ryn, are here along with whitney cerak's parents, newell and colleen. how you doing? it is great to see you. it really is. when you guys get together, i don't know how often you do, do you talk about ordinary things, trips, the seasons where or does the conversation always get back to this bond that you have. >> no, when we do get together it is about the weather and how things are going. don and suzie have been moving up into the u.p. when they pass through they always call and we get together for coffee or lunch or something like that. do i have to say this, though. it is still that bittersweet moment for me because i know that when we get together with them, we have our daughter and they don't have their daughter. >> opens up a lot of wounds, i'm sure. i was watching all of your faces as we watched that piece. so much has happened. one of the reasons we wanted you back here is to update and whitney graduated from college. you got married. whitney's not with us today because her husband is deploying to afghanistan soon. >> on thursday. >> yeah. how's she doing? >> she is doing so great. yeah. she is totally healed and she's just beautiful and we're excited for this next step in our life with matt, her husband's name is matt also. he is a great guy. we're so thankful for him being part of our family. >> newell, a dad and his daughter on wedding day. you walk down the aisle. that's the moment. i mean that's what we all live for. had to be even more poignant for you. >> it was. first of all, it was a real celebration. if were you there at wedding, you would know exactly. it was very much a celebration of their marriage. but i think also of whitney's life, too. so walking her down the aisle, there were a lot of thoughts running through my mind and i just was very thankful that i had that moment. >> don, you attended the wedding. >> yeah. >> which i thought was so nice when i heard that. there's no other way to ask you, but to ask you. was it a bittersweet occasion for you? >> no, i didn't feel that. i was just so happy for whitney. it was just a great celebration, as newell said. i was glad to be there. susie and lisa also wanted to come. but sickness and travel plans interfered so i went and represented the family. >> susie, i think of everyone when i first met all of you, you broke my heart a little bit. i was watching you and watching the expression on your face as you talked of your daughter and it was very hard for me. how are you doing now? >> we're doing well. we've moved up to the u.p. and full-time involved in a camp that's been a part of our family, family's lives, for all of our life. and moving forward and serving where laura would have loved to see us serve. >> laura went to the bible camp where you are now working. i think actually worked there a little bit. right? >> sure. >> you said something to me, susie, at one point. i said, "i marvel at your strength." and you said to me, "i'm not strong. i'm weak. god is strong." >> yeah. >> i think what i took away most from all of you was your deep faith. this incredible strength and spirituality you had. it made me wonder, do you, or did you, ever being so faithful question god? why did he do this to your family? >> no, we never -- i know colleen and i never really questioned god. we just know that we live in a sinful world and a fallen world and these kind of things happen. and through it, god gave us the strength to deal with it all. >> susie, what about you? did you ever question it? >> no. why not me? why everyone else who goes through tragedy or loss. but should it happen to me? i never question that. god is in control and sees us through each day, even if it is hard. >> in reference to our faith, matt, we don't think we're remarkable people. we think we serve a remarkable god. and it's not about the amount of our faith or even the quality of our faith, it is about the object of our faith. and that's god and jesus christ. that's what gets us through. >> lisa, your life has changed as well. i think because you spent so much time there in that rehabilitation center at what turned out to be whitney's side, you've gone into physical therapy? >> i have. >> tell me about your job. >> yes. i work as a pca at an elementary school in grand rapids, lincoln school. and they're kids of all ages from 5 to 25 there and they're all, both physically and cognitively challenged then. i love it. it is a perfect place for me. >> have you not continued your writing, young lady. i was going to scold you about that because you wrote and you do write so beautifully. you moved me to tears with your words on that blog. any ideas about picking that up? >> i'm sorry i let you down, matt. i didn't mean to do that. i do still aspire to write more and hopefully next time we meet i can share more writings with you. >> and how's carly doing, by the way? i don't want to leave her out of this. >> carly is amazing. she's started a home for street boys in mombasa, kenya. whitney was part of that, short-term. but carly, the way she puts it, has given god her 20s. she's there for another five years. when matt leaves on thursday for afghanistan, carly's invited whitney to join her over there again. she's going to spend the next year in mombasa serving the kids there. >> you guys got together and wrote a book together. what was the response like to that? you get a lot of positive feedback? susie? >> yes. lots of letters and cards and contact from people that were encouraged, people that encouraged us. >> amazing. >> amazing stories out there. >> for this series, they asked us all to look back and think of stories that impressed us and made an impact on our lives. and i don't think i'll ever forget you, you people. i marvel at your grace. you're wonderful people and i thank you for joining me. >> thank you, matt. >> appreciate it. my best to whitney and carly and the boys and everybody. okay? the van ryns and ceraks. we're going to be right back after this. [ female announcer ] treat yourself to something special for lunch. how about a coastal soup and grilled shrimp salad combination? or maybe our new savory shrimp jambalaya. seafood lunches starting at just $6.99 at red lobster. it's the chevy spring event. and everyone deserves a car they can count on. one that's backed by a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. and named a consumers digest best buy, two years in a row. discover malibu for yourself and see why over a thousand people a day are switching to chevy. during the spring event, qualified lessees now get a 27-month, low mileage lease on this malibu ls now for around $199 a month. call for details. 100% fruit & veggie juice with no added sugar. just one glass equals two servings of fruits and vegetables. with tasty flavors like cranberry, strawberry, banana, it's like a farm stand in every bottle. the fruits you love mixed with the veggies you need. just, you know... demonstrating how we, uh, mix the fruits and the vegetables. ocean spray. grower owned since 1930. just by the way, i want to moen mention, if you want to read more about the van ryn and cerak story, they've written a book together called "mistaken identity." powerful stuff. >> the interview was very powerful. it was still as if it happened yesterday. >> the idea that the van ryn family, at the moment they realized they were not caring for their daughter, they knew their daughter had perished in that car accident, they were able to feel joy for the cerak family. i've never seen anything like that. never seen anything like that. >> deep, deep faith. >> and that they bonded in that relationship has sustained itself is quite something. >> it tells us what's possible, actually all of us, it's possible in our human family to have that kind of deepness and depth and forgiveness. >> tomorrow you're going to loo 8:26 is your time now. 55 degrees. rain throughout the region. another gloomy day in store for you. tomorrow will have the forecast after the news. good morning, everyone. i'm eun yang. the search continues for two men who shot and killed a man in centreville. the victim confronted the killers as they try ied to brea into the home. the victim was an acquaintance of the family who lived in that home. he has not been identified. we'll take a quick break and have weather and traffic when we come back. good morning. at this hour, we have scattered shower, patchy drizzle around the region. we'll have that with us throughout the rest of the day. highs only near 60. right now we're in the mid 50s and we may have a little more tonight. cloudy, a bit warmer, small chance of a passing shower. how is the traffic now, jerry? take a live look. it's been a tough commute. we're not getting a lot of relief. unfortunately the inner loop is crawling, trying to get across the wilson bridge. very big pot hole on the wilson side. we may have a new problem. authorities adjusting the camera for reported problem on the beltway outer loop headed toward the american legion bridge. we'll keep you updated. >> thank you for that, jerry. coming up on news 4 at 8:30 now on a tuesday morning, the 18th day of may, 2010. we have transformed our plaza into an obstacle course to crown the winners of diy network's "america's most desperate landscape challenge." four couples competing for a brand-new garden. they've got to do all kinds of tasks to get to the finish line and then they will be crowned the winner. should be fun. we'll be the judges. we'll get to that race in just a couple of minutes. also, when we were -- first of all on the plaza, rainy plaza, i'm matt lauer, along with meredith vieira. you come in the middle there, i'll hold this for you. >> great, matt. that is good. >> hey! watch out. with al roker and ann curry as well. by the way, we were in cannes last week. we talked to michael douglas about his new movie "wall street: money never sleeps." he's in another movie and we'll talk to michael about that one today. also coming up, we want to mention that we'll next month head to orlando. >> that's right. for the wizarding world of harry potter contest. >> you should come with us. >> i'd love to come. >> we are looking for an extraordinary class to join us. to vote for your favorite, head to todayshow.com. you have until wednesday to get your vote in and we'll announce the winner thursday morning. >> can we say hi to will for forte -- how you doing? >> i'm good. how are you guys? >> this is based on an "snl" skit but this one has nudity, bad language. it is raunchy. it is perfect for our show! was it fun to push the envelope a little bit? >> yes. >> it was. my mother visited the set a lot so it got very tricky. i had to keep sending her away. there is a lot of stuff you don't want your mom to see. she didn't know what was happening. >> it must have been nice to get out of new mexico. >> it was hot in albuquerque in august. >> were you concerned how to make a movie out of a 60-second sketch? >> i think people think it is going to be the sketch over and over again for 90 minutes. nothing like that. we plucked the character out and put mcgruber in an action movie, kind of a filthy action movie. >> there are real actors in it. >> oh, yeah. >> you do kathie lee on "snl." have you met her? >> i haven't. i want to. no, we've talked. >> we'll have to make that happen. >> i want to meet her. >> i've been watching her for years so i didn't write the sketch. a couple other writers wrote it. it is "snl." i had nothing to do with it. >> oh! hey, now! when worlds collide! >> okay. one more time. there you go. good morning. this is for you. >> i would hesitate to drink that. >> really. yeah. yeah. you guys both back next year on "snl"? >> yes. >> oh, great. >> congratulations. >> thank you so much. >> thank you very mu good morning. here, here we continue to have the showers across northern virginia, raining in the district of columbia, scattered across maryland and the eastern shore as well. patchy drizzle in between. right now we're in the low 50s at 54 in washington. it's only going to climb to around 60 for a high by mid afternoon, way below the average high of 76. a few more passing showers and drizzles this afternoon and overnight tonight. cloudy, upper 60s. small chance of a shower. >> and that's your latest weather. it is down to the final four on nbc's "biggest loser couples" after sunshine hampton fails to make her mark on the scale, sunshine, good morning. >> morning. >> you get on the scale, you only lose two pounds. were you surprised? >> i was surprised a little bit because i had worked very hard. i was at peace. two pounds is two pounds down. >> it's down. >> yeah. >> how much weight have you lost? >> i've lost around 115 pounds. >> that's terrific! how has your life changed? >> it has changed so much. i am so happy. i've never felt so good. you have energy, i'm ready to go. i wake up and just want to go. >> we had your dad, o'neal, on a couple of weeks ago. as a father/daughter team, you guys were really an emotional heart of that program. did it bring you guys closer together as naerth/daughter? >> absolutely. it brought us a lot closer together. we were already close. going into this, we were like, we'll be great, have this wonderful bond. you get there, you just grow so much stronger and worry about each other like we never did before. i was blessed to be there with my dad. >> how has your life changed? before this you worked in a restaurant, not around a lot of healthy food, not eating well. how's your life changed? >> it has changed a lot. knowing what i put into my body, what my body needs versus what i was eating before at the restaurant i worked at. it wasn't very healthy. i've been able to change my life in ways just in eating and in working out and knowing what my body creates and what i should be feeding it. >> well, sunshine, congratulations. >> thank you so much. >> you are a winner no matter what. >> yes, i am. i've already won. so i feel great. >> the "biggest loser couples" airs tonight at 8:00, 7:00 central right here on nbc. meredith? >> we need a little sunshine right now actually. still ahead, the america's most desperate landscape finalists compete live on the plaza. but up next, michael douglas on being a solitary man. first, this is "today" on nbc. throughout his career, michael douglas has become famous for playing the alpha male character. in his new film, "solitary man," he plays a guy used to having it all and is now facing a very harsh new reality. >> dad! >> grandpa! >> dad! >> don't call me that. >> what? >> don't call me dad. and you, don't call me grandpa. not now. >> what should i call you? >> you? you can call me dad. >> no. that's what i call my dad. >> then i don't know. call me captain ben. >> where's this one? >> don't look. you'll screw things up. >> the miami blonde? >> yeah. she's checking me out. give me a hug. >> michael douglas, good morning. you like this guy, i can tell. i watched this. you like this guy. >> i had more fun. he's so sacrilegious. >> he's an alpha male but i think he may be the only person in the movie who realizes as the movie goes on he is not much of an alpha male anymore. >> he's lost in some time warp. he's carrying on while everybody else is maturing and growing, he's pretending he's on another planet. >> the guy who wrote the screen play said you were in the back of his mind during the entire process. >> which is a little scary. >> now that i see what happens to this guy, i'm not sure that was a compliment. >> i'm not sure either. he said there is no one else who can play this part except you. i said thank you so much, brian. >> other than he has a complete eye for younger women, what else should we know? >> he was a very successful tri-state car dealer, believed that he had a life-threatening illness, and then totally self-destructed. he divorced his wife, susan sarandon, shakd cked up with hi girlfriend, made a move on her daughter. his daughter, jenna fisher, ended up supporting him. basically everything kind of just disintegrated around him. he tried to maintain the image, the aura that he was -- everything was fine. >> the eye for the younger women. how deresearch a part like that? >> it takes a lot of years. >> a lot of practice? >> a lot of years. that was really part of it. he was happily married but then he thought his time was limited so he said, i'm going to go for broke. you know? >> it kind of walks a little bit of a line between comedy and drama. as an actor, does that make it tough? you're the star, the focus. and depending on which way you decide to play a scene, can really flavor the whole movie. >> it does. that's one of the things i loved about "solitary man." you're flying without a net. at this point in your acting career, it's the kind that gives you a lot of fun, a lot of joy, that danger, that precarious ledge you're balancing between comedy or drama. >> there is also a thing about this movie. at the end -- i'm not giving anything away here -- the story is not tied up in a neat little bow. something is left to the imagination of the viewer. i wonder, as a movie viewer or goer yourself, do you like that kind of ending? >> i love that kind of inding. my problem with most movies, you go, there? what did i waste the last hour for, you knew what was going to happen. a movie a while ago called "the game," had this sort of unpredictability not knowing where it was going to go. >> you were here on the show to promote "the game." i'm reading you're going to play liberace? >> yeah. >> i don't have a question about that. i don't know what to say. >> matt damon is my young lover. >> when are you going to start shooting that? >> hopefully we plan to shoot it in early 2011. >> have you stood in front of a mirror and started to try to perfect that? >> no, i'm going to give myself a summer break before i warm up on that one. >> good luck on that one and good luck with "solitary man." it hits 245theaters nationwide friday. back in a moment. here's to the believers. the risk-takers. the visionaries. the entrepreneurs... who put it all on the line to build and run their own businesses. at at&t, we know something about that. our company started out in a small lab, with not much more than a dream. and today, we know it's small businesses that can create the jobs america needs. that's why at&t is investing billions to upgrade and build out our wired and wireless networks. making them faster, smarter, and more secure. connecting small businesses to markets across the country, and around the world. we invest now, because we know it will pay off... with new jobs, new growth, from a new generation, putting their belief in the future on the line. now is the time for investment and innovation. the future is waiting. and the future has always the future is waiting. and the future has always been our business. at&t. we are back with the search for america's most desperate landscape. diy network has seen more than 34,000 photos and videos to select our finalists. this morning they'll compete for a total landscape makeover. the host of diy's "desperate landscape" is here to crown our winner. now let's meet the competitors. >> first, they have three children and one very large boulder in their house. what's up with that? the rock of gibralter? you want to do something with that? >> they make a swing set out of it. >> cool. >> the next couple are married with two children. live in colorado. describe your desperate landscape. lots of rocks. little rocks. big rocks. snakes. >> i don't like snakes. >> you're desperate for a makeover. >> very desperate. >> we also have a couple from houston, texas. married just two years. what's the biggest challenge on your landscape? >> she wants the poles gone. >> last, but not least, from new hyde park, new york, they'd love a nice yard for their two young kids to play in. what's the yard like now? >> disaster. you can't see the house. >> losing the kids. >> trees, there's no walkway. we need help. >> we want to wish all of our competitors the best of luck. kathie lee and hoda are getting ready to do play by play. while everyone takes their positions, natalie is going to explain the course. we've all got to get in place. >> this is a tough course. first, the sod rolling that you see right here. each couple now has to roll it out completely, ann is going to be judging. don't forget to collect a seed packet from ann. very important to go on. matt will officialate at the ro garden course. then over to the pavers where the teamsfinish paving a walkway using all of the pair of then plant flowers in the window box. jason will be at the finish line to declare the winner. as i mentioned, keep in mind after each challenge, you got to collect a seed packet from each ref. otherwise, you're out. everybody ready? on your mark, get set -- and they're off! >> so far it looks like the blue is right out in front. >> i think it looks like the gray is way ahead. gray team is way ahead. >> those trees are heavy. >> the green team is having a big problem. >> got to get it all the way around. all the way around. hold on, i got to get in position. >> these people look like professionals. >> little more filler in the back corner there. >> this takes a long time. >> you know what? looks like they're coming around. >> looks like the red team's off and running. >> these are the pavers. >> the hard part. >> looks like the red team's out in front. >> yes, it does. wow, they came back from behind. >> the red. the red. red. go! you got it. go! >> red team. go! >> good job, guys. good job. >> this is "today" on nbc. the gas prices are going down, they go back up again. we know saving money is important. this summer, shop with your giant card and save on shell fuel. earn one point for every dollar you spend. every 100 points earned gets you another 10 cents off per gallon. the more you spend, the more you save. i'm saving money at the store, i'm saving money at the pump, and that works for me. more savings every time you shop, only with your giant card. we're back with our landscape challenge. first off the bat, that's ridiculous you stayed under an umbrella the entire time. crazy. >> james and cameron from diy network, you looked at all the competition, you counted the seed packets. you want to announce the winner or do you want us to do it? >> it is official, matt. we have four packets in my hand. kevin and marny are the official winners. from boulder, colorado. kevin and marny, the grand prize winners will win a complete landscape makeover of their desperate landscape congratulations on that. the rest of you are not leaving empty handed. you will all receive the rider mowers that you were on. everybody wins. >> that's fantastic. way to go. we're looking at images of kevin and marnie's yard now. we'll see the conversion in a few weeks? >> june 8th we'll be there. you guys will be with us live to see the whole thing. >> just in time for summer. >> we're all here for a reason. they're all desperate. >> thank you, everyone. well done. we'll be back and dry off on a tuesday morning. but first, these messages and your local news. 8:55 is your time now. it is 54 degrees. rain throughout the region. another wet day in store for you. tom will have your forecast after the news. if you live in montgomery county, you could get a better idea today how much money your public schools will be receiving in the coming year. county council is expected to discuss a budget during its meeting today. this comes a week after the school board cleared the way to sue the council if it continued to cut money from the budget. scheduled to cut proposal to double the current tax on cell phone lines. it will also debate -- quick good morning. rain continues to fall around the metro area. low to mid 50s. high near 60. few more passing showers. patchy drizzle. tomorrow cloudy, upper 60s, small chance of a shower. drying out, warming up thursday and friday. how is the traffic now, jerry? >> plenty of rush hour to deal with. new work zone slowing everybody down from lee branch avenue up to the inbound susan bridge. one more stop. lanes are open. weather certainly is a factor this morning. outer loop and inner loop, american legion bridge, no major hangups to report. do be careful and gish yourself extra braking distance today. news 4 at 5:00, lunch with lindsay and olympic go back now with more of "today" on a tuesday morning, may 18th, 2010. a little wet weather, but some of these nice people are starting their morning with us here in rockefeller plaz i'm al roker along with natry morales. this half-hour, official at harvard are furious after discovering a member of their senior class allegedly lied, cheated and plagiarized his way on to campus. now instead of picking up a diploma, he's behind bars and actually facing criminal charges. also on a lighter note, road trip. time for road trips because the summer travel season is almost here. if you still don't know where to take your family and want to save a little bit of money, we have gravity destinations for you from california's big sur to the scenic hudson valley in new york state, we'll show you budget-conscious options. plus, answers to your diet and nutrition questions. should you eat according to your blood type? suggestions for healthy and cheap eats and when should you spend the extra bucks and buy organ snick our own joy bauer will weigh in on that. whether it is that dreaded back blulge, we'll give women a makeover with the best new bras on the market right now. first, let's get a check of the morning's top stories from ann curry at the news desk. good morning to all of you. there is word today that the president plans to establish a commission to investigate the gulf oil spill. this as oil is washing ashore now along louisiana's coastline. the coast guard is now saying that 20 balls of tar have washed ashore in the florida keys and tests are being performed today to determine if they are from the gulf spill. five americans are among six nato troops killed today by a suicide car bomber in afghanistan. the taliban is claiming responsibility for the rush hour attack in which 12 afghan civilians also died and more than 50 others were wounded. the white house is closely watching the primary races today for signs of voter sentiment toward incumbent democrats. senators arlen expect of pennsylvania and blanch are inconof arkansas are in heated races to hold on to their seat. the strength of the conservative tea party movement will be put to the test in kentucky. "the new york times" is questioning claims by u.s. senate candidate and connecticut attorney general richard blum n blumenthal that he served in the marines reserves. blumenthal says he may have misspoken. fda hearings begin today questi questioning conduct by some pilots. >> reporter: good morning. this is really an unprecedented three-day hearing and follows several high-profile cases in which the professionalism seemed to break down. february, 2009. 50 people die after a continental connection flight crashes in buffalo. the crew was blamed for losing focus and causing the plane to stall and crash. august 2009 -- a plane and helicopter collide over new york's hudson river. the ntsb finds the controller was on a personal phone call at the time. november 2009 -- a northwest flight is out of radio contact for more than an hour and overflies minneapolis. the pilots admit they were distracted. jfk airport just three months ago -- a controller lets a child radio instructions to pilots. all of it a rash of lapses in the cockpit and tower that, while rare, have sometimes proven deadly. >> i'm not sure really what to attribute it to, but certainly we've seen some cases where we need to reinforce what a professional is. >> reporter: now the ntsb is launching a three-day hearing into maintaining that professionalism day and night round the clock. >> you've got to do the right thing right every time. and that's hard. day in and day out. it's not impossible, but it's hard. >> reporter: both the faa and ntsb stress that the vast majority of pilots and controllers are consummate professionals and the u.s. enjoys incredible safe skies and very often it is peer pressure that can do the most to maintain that level of professionalism. back to you. >> thanks so much, tom. a former harvard senior has been indicted on larceny and identity theft charges after allegedly duping the ivy university to admitting him with a fake life history. adam whiler claims he attended m.i.t. and co-authored several woox. he was awarded more than $46,000 in aids and grants to harvard which he allegedly applied for using plagiarized good morning. half an inch around the metro area since this all began yesterday morning. we continue to have light rain falling across the northern virginia, much of maryland, continuing to advance southwest to northeast. chilly morning. right now in the 50s. 55 in washington. it will only climb to near 60 for a high near mid afternoon. could get an additional passing shower, passing drizzle this afternoon and later on tonight. cloudy, a bit warmer. small chance of a passing shower. sun returns thursday and friday and warmer. time for joy's diet s.o.s. joy bauer is here to answer your questions from everything from eating according to your blood type to should you buy organic. skype has lois from new jersey. have you a really interesting question. >> good morning. i'd like your opinion about eating according to your blood type. i'm type a-positive. i'd love to lose about five pounds and stay that way. what's your opinion? >> i've never heard of this. the blood type diet was developed about 15 years ago and in simple terms, this diet plan offers up four specific individualized meal plans dependent on your blood type. there's one for "a," "b," "ab" and "o." but there is no compelling research to support this type of eating regimen over other diet plans or eating styles when it comes to weight loss or managing health conditions. so personally, i don't recommend that you follow this plan. the million dollar question, how do you lose those pesky few pounds? well, the broad answer is, to eat less and move more. but here are some specific tips. i would tell you to keep a food log and to be accountable for what you're eating and stick with three meals and no more than one to two snacks. it is really important that you mix all those in-between meal nibbles. whether it comes to exercise, i'm going to say that you should save 30 to 60 minutes at least five days a week. i'm normally not that aggressive, i usually say 30 minutes. but those last few pounds are so tough to knock off. you really got to bust through and you got to be very tight with the food. 30 to 50 minutes at least five days a week. if you're already regularly work being out about that amount, add ten more minutes each day on to your cardio. i really do think that's going to help. good luck. >> lois, thank you. now let's get a call from kristin in memphis, tennessee. kristin, good morning. how can we help you? >> good morning. i'm a 21-year-old college student which also means i'm on a college budget. i'm always on a run, whether sorority, class or up late running. can you tell me ways to stay healthy and stay on budget? >> this is the holy grail of food. she wants simple, cheap and healthy. grab a pen and paper. we're going to roll through a whole bunch of options. for breakfast, i think one of the quickest and easiest things that kristin can make is a bowl of healthy cereal with skim milk and fruit. when it comes to fruits, things available year-round seem to be the least expensive -- apples with being , bananas and oranges. oatmeal, stick with plain, and no more to one to two teaspoons of honey. whole wheat toast. when it comes to lunch, the standard. doesn't need to be refriblg rated. a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread. you can buy canned light tuna, salmon, even chickle breasts comes in a can. mash it up with light mayonnaise and wrap it in a whole grain tortilla. healthy canned soup. whatever's on sale. lentil, black bean, minestrone, you can certainly enjoy the entire dan but it needs to say low sodium on there. there are a lot of great brands out there. in terms of snacks, there are so many snacks. you've got the low-fat yogurt, whatever is on sale. apple slices or bananas with nut butter. baby carrots and hummus. buy popcornkernels. string cheese. when it comes to dinner, one thing she can do is boil up whole wheat pasta and she could brown ground meat, add in jarred tomato sauce and toss the whole thing together. enjoy with a salad and she has left overs for many days during that week. also frozen shrimp, stir fried, brown rice, just pennies per serving. it boils up very, very quickly. turkey burgers. you can nuke a baked potato, sweet potato. eight minutes. done! >> cheap, save some money and you're healthy. >> perfect. let's give her a quiz and see how much she remembers. >> kristin, you can cheat a little and go on our website. >> you can rewatch the video over and over again. megan has an e-mail from new york city. "i can't afford that buy all organic products or produce. if i had to prioritize, which fruits and vegetables are most important to buy organic?" >> this is a very timely question. the reason is because the environmental working group just released the new 2010 dirty dozen. the dirty dozen means the top 12 fruit and vegetables that seem to retain the most pesticide. if you watch your mrn, these are the 12 worth buying organic -- celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell pepper is, spinach, kale, cherries, potatoes and grapes imported. i realize this is an overwhelming amount of food to memorize. but go to www.foodnews.org and print out this handy little pocket guide. stash it in your purse or put it in your coupon folder and tote it along to the grocery store and you'll know which produce are worth spending a little extra money on. >> joy bauer, every tuesday, helping us out with our "diet s.o.s." next, the mid-summer, millions of college students and newly minted grads will be coming back home. we'll have tips on how to keep the peace. but first, hitting the road for your summer vacation. we'll have great ideas for you and your family's road trip right after these messages. interesting grooming. thanks. i did it to let the judges know that my dog is the right choice. i got the idea from general mills big g cereals. they put a white check on the top of every box to let people know that their cereals have healthy whole grain, and they're the right choice... just like buttercup. (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. for whole grain guaranteed, hebrew national hot dogs are made with butcher quality cuts of 100 percent pure kosher beef. people say they're so good maybe it's time they were called something new. they are the royalty of hot dogs, i call them queen elizabeefs! hebrew national. the better than a hot dog hot dog. ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] there's a place called hidden valley. where kids not only eat their vegetables, they can't get enough. ♪ hidden valley ranch, makes vegetables delectable. discover four new ways to make vegetables delectable with farmhouse originals from hidden valley. discover four new ways to make vegetables delectable we asked real people to film themselves taking the activia 14-day challenge. hi. i'm emily ilic. i'm going to start the activia 14-day challenge today. problems that i have are, you know, irregularity... i do have some doubts if it works. i think it's really good. um... i like the flavors. i think from being a skeptic in the beginning i do think that activia actually works. help regulate your digestive system. take the activia challenge. it works or it's free. ♪ activia travel," the great american road trip. if you're just starting to think about your summer vacation and looking maybe to save some money, hopping in the car with the family just might be the way to go. kate maxwell is the editor in chief of "traveler," here with a few of her favorite road trips. we can pack the family in the car and save a little bit of money at the same time? >> absolutely. you also absolutely are saving money because you're taking flight out of the equation. eliminating delays. >> that's over $1,000 or $2,000 easily on flights alone. you selected some of your very favorites. start off with virginia, blue ridge parkway, beautiful part of the country. you say it is america's favorite drive. >> it is america's favorite drive. 469 miles long. we recommend starting at shenandoah national park and going right over to the great smokey mountains. thing about this area is the wildlife really is just so diverse. spectacular. something like 100 species of trees, 59 species of birds. great for birding. that's probably more than the entire continent of europe. >> good hiking there, too. >> it is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year so the state is offering all sorts of great deals. you could even win a family eco holiday. >> i imagine there are a lot of cute little cabins and bed and breakfast places? >> there are nine campgrounds. sleep under the stars or in a cabin. save loads of money. >> let's go to big sky country where you can visit a lot of natural parks, see some geysers, pristine alpine lakes. >> we actually at "traveler" developed an iconic itinerary, a ten-day step-by-step guide to the area covering montana, wyoming. glacier national park, yellowstone and grand tetons. for the first week of june to the 14th of august, it is the grand tetons summer music festival. an amazing array of classical music. on tuesday they are free concerts. it is also xcowboy country. horseback riding. be a cowboy just for a little bit. >> or just wear the hat and try to be like one. next, new york state close by, right here. talking about the hudson valley and the catskills area. i've been to this place, the mohawk mountain house. great place for kids. >> it is a victorian castle. all the activities are inclusive in the price. boating, hiking, bicycling, great place to see. so accessible from new york city. drive up the hudson, stop at hyde park, fdr's house, sleepy hollow from washington irving's novel. you might even see the headless horseman. so much great stuff to see. >> absolutely. then on to utah which has more than 22,000 miles of scenic byways. what's special about the scenic byway 12? >> that's really the highlight. it is called an all-american road. this is because it's got quintessential utah rock formations. these pointy spires to tiered mountains, waterfalls. absolutely stunning. boulder mountain lodge is about $120 a night. so a good rate and very close to all these formations. >> another one of my absolute favorites along highway 1, big sur and monterey. >> this is such a romantic drive. perhaps leave your kids at home for this one. stt at san francisco, then go down to caramel and it is 90 miles. big sur's really the only little town on the way. the views are just extraordinary. a bit like italy's coast. the pacific is right there. >> we're looking at pictures which is where i honeymooned there. >> they light the fire for you, stock the fridge for you. >> there was like treehouses built in to the mountains. beautiful. >> stunning place to stay. >> kate maxwell, thanks so much. good trips for all of us. now you just got to take them. coming up, the difficult task of finding the right bra. ladies, we'll give some women here a boost with a bra makeover and give you tips on finding the correct size and fit. we'll also catch up with mary j. blige about a very special performance she's giving. 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, gal 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 cough, or sores. you should not start simponi™ if you have an infection. [ female announcer ] ask your rheumatologist about simponi™. just one dose, once a month. [ female announcer ] ask your rheumatologist about simponi™. have you tried honey bunches of oats with real strawberries? wow. it's seriously strawberry. they're everywhere. it's in the bunches, on the flakes, even real strawberries in the mix. can i have some more? honey bunches of oats with real strawberries. it's delicious. nobody does it quite like us. now come on, guys, we all knew this day was coming. gotta' go. hold on. this is no time to be hysterical. it's the perfect time to be hysterical. i gotta' go, i gotta' go, i gotta' go. should we be hysterical? no. yes. maybe. i gotta' go. but not right now! i did it. [ male announcer ] look for woody and buzz lightyear on your pull-ups training pants. check out disney-pixar's "toy story 3" in theaters june 18th. [ kids ] i'm a big kid now. [ male announcer ] this film is not yet rated. the one doctors recommend most for joint pain. more than the medicines in tylenol or aleve. the medicine in advil is the #1 doctor recommendation for joint pain. relief doesn't get any better than this. advil. on the inside. my inner-workings a work of art. a digestive tract that should be bronzed. and an immune system so stunning... my vet thinks i'm the eighth wonder of the world. [ female announcer ] introducing iams with prebiotics. prebiotics work inside, clinically proven to promote strong defenses. healthy inside... healthy outside. [ dog ] oh, hi, girls. nice day, huh? [ dogs whine ] i am an iams dog. [ female announcer ] learn more about prebiotics at iams.com. sweet & salty nut bars... they're made from whole roasted nuts and dipped in creamy peanut butter, making your craving for a sweet & salty bar irresistible, by nature valley. coming up, getting along with the kids when they come home from college for the summer. plus inside the world of a housewife turned criminal profiler. plus, from sizing and cup size to color and shape, we'll help you find the perfect bra after your local news and weather. >> al, pay attention! ♪ [ female announcer ] have you ever seen a glacier while sunbathing? why not? have you ever climbed a rock wall in the middle of the ocean? or tried something really wild? why not? it's all possible in the nation of why not. royal caribbean's floating nation where you're free to do anything you want. which may be nothing at all. royal caribbean international. visit royalcaribbean.com today. ♪ [ 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. eggland's best eggs. the best in nutrition... just got better. even better nutrition -- high in vitamins d, e, and b12. a good source of vitamin a and b2. plus omega 3's. and, 25% less saturated fat than ordinary eggs. but there's one important ingredient that hasn't changed: better taste. better taste. better taste. yum! [ female announcer ] eggland's best. better taste -- and now even better nutrition -- make the better egg. 9:26 is your time now on this tuesday, may 18th, 2010. good morning. i'm eun yang. in the news today, the search continues this morning for two men who police say shot and killed a man in centreville. they say the victim confronted the killers yesterday morning as they tried to break into a multimillion dollar home on compton road near route 28. they say the victim was an acquaintance of the family who lived in that home. kennedy high school in silver spring is expected to send home letters today, informing parents one of its students has tubercluosis. the school informed anyone who had close contact with the student that they should get tested. we'll take a quick break and ha good morning. at this hour, we continue to have light rain falling in the district of columbia, suburbs. and we'll see it around the region with patchy drizzle as well. highs only near 60 by mid afternoon. could get a little more tonight. slietd chance of a passing shower. how is the traffic now, jerry? still tough in many locations. capital beltway over in landover. inner loo over the speed limit. certainly the weather is a factor this morning, no major accidents right now. one more stop. we'll head over and update you, make it a trip in kennelworth avenue. in the work zone, an accident. authorities are on scene. it's jammed coming out of maryland. eun? >> jerry thurks. get your day started on the get your day started on the right foot if you're up earl 100% fruit & veggie juice with no added sugar. just one glass equals two servings of fruits and vegetables. it's the fruit you love mixed with the veggies you need. this -- this is how we mix it. donkey -- don't eat that! there is a stack of freshly made waffles in the middle of the forest. don't you find that a wee bit suspicious? bad donkey! >> oh! oh. >> look out! >> oh! >> will it be a happily ever after for shrek and blockbuster fairytale? meredith sits down with the whole cast tomorrow on "today." in fact, meredith has a role in the movie. >> really? >> yes. in fact, she plays one of the witches. >> no, that is wrong casting! >> we'll find out if this is the last shrek forever after. this will be the fourth one. it has been a wet morning and it continues this way. we've got light rain falling in washington scattered across mostly maryland. in virginia, little patchy drizzle at this hour. that area of blue and green is advancing off to the north and east. rather cool morning, in the mid 50s. 55 in washington. highs only near 60 this afternoon. additional passing shower, patchy drizzle from time to time. cloudy and a bit w >> and that's your latest weather. coming up next, she went from housewife to profiling serial killers. more of her story right after this. 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! in a recently published study, key nutrients reviewed were found to be absorbed by the body. these nutrients help support energy and immunity. science gives you more reason to trust centrum. what if they change the terms? what if the interest rate... ...is more than i thought? what if i missed something? what if we're not getting what i think we're getting? [ male announcer ] take some of the "what if" out of dealing with your bank. bank of america's clarity commitment summaries tell you key terms for what you're getting with your home loan and credit card in plain language. interest rate... ...what we pay. that's clear... nice for a change. how about that? it's just what they said. [ male announcer ] there's only one place you can get a clarity commitment for your mortgage or credit card. bank of america. it makes my skin really silky and velvety. this is my body wash. what do you mean? this is it? why?! oh, don't do that to me! dove creamoil body wash. now with nutrium moisture. nutrium moisture. i'm a believer. the nourishment in dove creamoil goes somehow deeper. i'm happy about the change. change is good. dove creamoil body wash. this morning, the story of how a housewife and mother of three children could become a criminal profiler. pat brown in her latest book "the profile of my life hunting serial killers and psychopaths," pat brown opens up about her case files. good morning. tell us what happened. how did this all work? in 1990 you are at home with three kids, trying to make ends meet. you're a housewife. >> exactly. >> how does this end up to be the beginning of the life you have now? >> it wasn't the plan. i really had no clue this was coming down the pike here. i had three children and i had a great life. i was a home-schooling mom. i did interpret hospital sign language interpreting at night in the emergency room. everything was going great but i was in the plo ses rocess of ad my third child and they wouldn't let anybody live in my house if you didn't have fingerprints at the police station. i thought i don't really think i'll do that. i didn't have my rooms rented and that's how we made money for me to stay home. i had borders in the house. it always went well. one of my friends said, would you rent to this guy i'm dating now? he just started working at my place of employment. >> something happened in your town and he seemed like a nice guy. >> he was personable. he did get fingerprinted and he came back clean. but four weeks later a woman was jogging at dusk on the path near my house and she was brutally raped and murdered. this man had just been at the other end of the path and my friend had just broken up with him and he was very upset. he walked that path from her house to my house. >> how did you know that? >> he told me. i actually asked him if he was on the path. he said, yes, he was. he gave some bizarre explanation of why he left the path exactly at the point where this girl was murdered. >> what made you suspicion? >> because it was strange, in the four weeks he lived there. i thought this guy started telling us bizarre stories, he was lng all the time. >> you gathered information. >> eventually i got so concerned about this, i saidvy to find if there is anything in his really kind of physical evidence. when he went to work, i put on some gloves and went into his room. which was legal. some people say you can't do that. yes, can you legally when you rent in your own home. i looked through his trash and i found he'd thrown away brand-new pants, thrown away his brand-new shoes, threw away his shirt. it was all shredded like the brier bushes got ahold of it. >> you became suspicious and went to the police. >> very suspicion. i went to the police with this information, i'm not saying he did this, he just moved into town four weeks ago, he was walking that path, very bizarre behavior and here's the information. >> this became for you the launch point into this life where you have become a profiler of major cases, people bring you -- a lot of times families themselves. zplin . >> i understand what's going on with these families. this is what happened to me. i wasn't planning to do anything. they didn't even bring this man in for an interview. i thought how could you ignore this. it took me six years and the case was reopened. a later investigator said, how could they ignore this? i was like, yeah, but it's been six years. if families are frustrated, i say talk to the police department. if they're willing to have me come in, i'll come in. >> this is an example of how you think the system is broken. i know you talk about the btk killer who came notorious. >> 31 years later he was caught. but in between the time he started and the 31 years he was caught, how many women died? >> what is the solution in terms of what you've seen them coming from where you come to where you've gone now to what is going to fix this system? >> what i found is that we have very, very dedicated detectives and police officers, absolutely the working their butts off. but they have some cases, they're overwhelmed, they don't get proper training a lot of times. they just go on the job and maybe wing it until they get a week here or a week there. they don't have time to actually sit down and analyze these cases, do the crime seen analysis, profile them so maybe they go in the right direction. sort of guess-working it and try to get information. then the case doesn't get vofld. then they bring me in five years later and i profile it, they go, wow, we didn't see that. but where's the evidence? i try get profilers in the first 24 to 48 hours or expand training for detectives so they can do their own work. that's what i hope, less people will get killed. >> pat brown, on that note, pat brown on a mission. thank you so much. the book is called with the the profiler." next, tips on making your summer easily and socially and financially if your college summer easily and socially and financially if your college student or grad is coming home. presenting the new toyota avalon. it's one smooth ride. it has lots of space for you... and all your things. i got mine with voice activated navigation. so we can get to the city. [ male announcer ] there's no finer way to travel. the new toyota avalon... comfort is back. ♪ bring me a dream comfort is back. [music, talking, laughing] what makes hershey's s'mores special? hershey's chocolate goodness that brings people together. ♪ ♪ hershey's makes it a s'more... you make it special. pure her's. can you believe how fast kids grow these days? and since 90% of bone strength is developed before adulthood... it's so important that they get enough calcium every day. that's why there's new danonino. danonino! unlike leading kids yogurts, danonino has twice the calcium of milk, ounce per ounce, with vitamin d. so it's power packed for healthy growth. and its rich creamy taste is... yummy! so they can start building strong bones today... for stronger bodies tomorrow. new danonino from dannon. power packed to help kids grow. thanks, skyler. let's go to last night's highlights. there's mom and dad cleaning up. and there's the meatloaf. yuck. look what sometimes happens with the ordinary bag. it slips. oh, bingo, falls in. mom was mad. mom should have used glad forceflex with the stretchable drawstring that grips the can and stays in place. plus, it has the stretchable strength of forceflex. that's all today for glad tv. [ both ] don't get mad -- get glad! and eating well means getting enough whole grain and calcium. general mills big g is the only leading line of kid cereals with at least 8 grams of whole grain and a good source of calcium. help your kids get more of what they need, with general mills kid cereals. they're the future of america, so let's bring them up right and give them our cheese. american cheese. kraft singles. put it in their lunch boxes. heck, put it right in their mouths. it's made with milk, never oil like some other slices. a country is only as good as its cheese. good thing ours doesn't have a bunch of holes in it. kraft singles - the american cheese. this morning on "today's family," mom, dad, i'm home -- again! the school year is almost over. if you've got a college student or college grad returning to the nest, we have usef fuful advice you don't fight. "two for the money" is the sensible plan for making it all work. guys, great to see you. almost 16 million college kids coming home in the next month. you say it's okay for the kids to -- let them sleep in for the first few days, but then you got to establish rules pretty quickly. >> maybe give them just a little bit of time to get used to the new reality. but for heaven's sakes, set specific rules about bedtime, curfew -- otherwise, they'll take advantage of it. a buddy of mine says his daughter now wakes him up twice, once to go out in the evening and once when she comes back home. >> in fact, you say a lot of this falls on the parents in that it's easy to fall into the old patterns, oh, your baby's back, you're going to do laundry, do all the things you used to do. don't do that. >> exactly. you miss them so much, your baby's back. you want to take care of them. right? huh-uh. >> you rob them of that sense of accomplishment that young people can get when they go out and get something on their own. >> kids looking for work, when they get back, if they haven't lined up something already, are they behind the 8-ball. >> >> absolutely not. there are so many opportunities out there. i don't think that the economy is that much bad. i think that excuse is old and tired. i think there are plenty of opportunities out there. >> some of the jobs to look at. >> yeah. summer camps. work at a lodge. we know one student that went to alaska for the summer. there is a place called auto driveaway. check it out online. you transport vehicles across the country and get paid for it. >> real labor like working construction, waitering, landscaping. >> one of the best jobs i ever had in the summer pass a student was being a john tore in a six-floor apartment building dewaxing the floors. it was good, hard work. >> what's funny, when we talk to parents of kids who are coming home and you ask them, did you have to work growing up? virtually every one of them says, yes. it is a passionate "yes." >> absolutely. what about internships? >> there is a huge value. even if you don't get paid, i think having that resume experience can differentiate you. >> i'd rather the kid go out and work construction. >> they may look alike, but they don't exactly think alike. what about grads coming home working for your first job. >> they graduated, you think you're finished as a parents, done your job getting them through school. then they come back. that can be tough. my suggestion to parents out there is to almost have a contract. i mean you might want to charge them rent. you might have a set date upon which they have to leave the nest. because otherwise, they'll just hang out -- >> get them involved at home. whether it is car washing orcoot opportunity for young people to learn how to prepare meals for the family. every nickel that they make, save half. for parents, you aren't allowed to stipulate where they spend the money so long as it is illegal. >> save the money. the most important thing going for them, young age. with the miracle of compounding, it will grow to a nice fortune in 20 or 30 years. from these twins to your twins, picking the perfect bra. but first, in is "today" on nbc. duct system as the lungs of the house. expulsion of air. dust and dirt that helping the house to breathe. say i'm a doctor. not a doctor either. suction. ♪ call 1-800-steemer this morning on "today's woman," finding the right bra. the may issue of "in style" features some of the best new bras. these aren't your average push-ups or minimizers. isabel, good morning. these are problem solvers in a lot of different ways. it is so hard to find the right bra for us. >> the good news is that there are a lot of options out there and they're really targeting specific concerns. >> very innovative, i can tell you that. when you choose a bra, it is really about finding the right size for you. how do you make sure you get a real custom fit? >> you really want to try to get a professional fit as much as possible. it is not cost prohibitive anymore. this is something that most department store, lingerie departments offer for free. just carve out about 45 minutes. do it about once a year. they do things you might not know to do to really try to get you the most precise fit. >> let's talk about some of the first, problem solvers. specifically a lot of women deal with when they tighten the strap, they have kind of the flesh hanging over. the back fat. >> exactly. it is not a conversation we like to have, but this is a great innovation. we took some before and after pictures of a real woman in her own bra. you can see that it creates a bulged silhouette. look at the after picture. it has this incredible tank design. there's no band to create no bulging. >> it looks so comfortable, too. >> it is really comfortable. it is by shapies. >> this is the ultimate minimizer but it is also a beautiful bra. normally when you see a bra this size, they're not very attractive. >> unfortunately, that is the case. but that's changing. this is by lily. it compresses but still maintains shape. we did a before and after photo. if you're going to wear a bra that's not minimizing and you need one, it will create gaps in your shirt. with the minimizer it reduces but still provides defense nation. it has beautiful detailing. clever, it is on the side so it doesn't interfere if you're wearing a smooth shirt. >> i love this ultra ultra double push-up bra. this is a bra that will actually increase your bust size by two. if you are an "a," go to a "c." if you're a "b," you'll go to a "d." the way it does that, it has padding on the side and underneath. >> we try to get the right bra to go under a white t-shirt. this is probably a good idea, match your skin tone. >> never wear a white bra under a white t-shirt. it is too obvious. a lot of companies don't have this much selection. you're going to find a color that's going to essentially disappear under your shirt. >> a lot of people also i know struggle with having a different size, one breast to the other. this is sort of a mix and match. >> this is very clever innovation. by fruit of the loom. they're brand-new. as you can see, it comes apart and you actually buy these individually. perhaps you're a "b" on the left and a "c" on the right, now you can find a bra that will provide even support. >> this is a real common problem. >> it is actually. it is not uncommon at all. it is not a very noticeable problem but it is really about support and comfort. >> over here for your strapless dresses, this is a great one. >> this is such a clever innovation. you can see here, it does have the front closure but look. >> velcro. >> on either side. it provides a tremendous amount of opportunity for customization around the rib cage on both sides. this will never slip off. >> i always feel like whenever i wear a strapless, pulling it up. here's another good solution as well. this is for backless dresses. >> this is a red carpet secret. what we really like about this is that it is a very, very lightweight. sometimes the previous versions of these kinds of bras -- is by ultra light new bra -- it was a little heavy. this provides good support, pretty much up to a "d" cup. you probably don't want to wear this if you're larger than a "d," but it is adhesive so you can wear low-cut dress as well. >> for the deep-plunge neckline, you have a fix here, too. >> this is by fredericks of hollywood. what's clever about this, it is very wide, not only deep. you can wear it with an open shirt as well. >> that's great. the red carpet, we've got lots of solutions here. these come in just little packets. >> these are a brilliant. if your's gaining weight, you're bloated, you don't want to buy a brand-new bra. these extenders come in packages of three. about $9. >> over here, top hats. >> these are the nipple covers that actually lay flush to your skin. they're very imperceptible under shirt. >> every woman needs some top stick every now and then. >> to keep the straps in check. >> how many bras do women own anyway? >> wow. we probably own a few too many but you only need three to five 9:56 is your time right now. 55 degrees. just a wet, soggy day ahead. tom will have your forecast after the news. good morning. i'm eun yang. a conspiracy trial surrounding the murder of robert wone continues with testimony from his widow. a d.c. attorney was found stabbed to death in the row house in 2006. prosecutors believe the three men who lived at that home misinformed and misguided police on the night wone was killed. the three men are being described as having a romantic and powerful bond and prosecutors believe their cover-up protect that is bond. joining us in the studio, it looks like a lot more rain today. >> steadier rain we had earlier is beginning to taper off, patchy drizzle around the region. it's still raining steadily in prince george's county, moving off to the north and east and pulling away. behind that, low clouds and patchy drizzle rest of the morning through the afternoon. we're in the mid 50s. it will warm to near 60 by the afternoon. could get a passing shower later on this afternoon or tonight. drying out tomorrow with a small chance of a shower. how is the traffic, jerry? trying to settle things down. heavy, but steady along 395. late accident up by the pentagon is gone. all lanes open to and across the 14th street bridge. 270, finally things are clearing up quite nicely. eun? >> good news, jerry. thank you. coming up on news 4 at 5:00, lunch with lindsay and olympic gold medalist from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hello, evrybody. so glad you're with us today. it is booze day, tuesday, may 18th. so delighted that you're here with us today. >> today was a very, very big deal on the program earlier today, because i can't tell you how many times you've been asked if you have ever met your snl -- >> my doppelganger? >> your doppelganger. kristin wigg just so happened was here today, she's on the plaza talking about her movie, and as you know, let's watch a little. >> and i'm hoda kotb. >> i will never get past that weird name. >> what? it's weird. hoda comes from the land of no vowels. there's an "o" in there. >> i saw her once and she asked me what did kathie lee think of my deal? so you take it. >> someone said kristin is up on the plaza right now, so you should go and surprise her. somebody else said you should bring her a drink. well, regardless of what you think, we do not have all kinds of alcohol sitting around in my dressing room. it's all in the kitchen. but anyway, we had a big martini glass holding like pins and little things. so i just -- christine pour water, and. >> let's go to the tape. >> oh, hey now. when worlds collide. >> that's right. that's right. one more time. there you go. good morning all. this is for you. >> thank you. >> i would have a taster drink that first. >> liquid poison. >> fine. enough said. she actually is a brilliant actress. so much prettier in person. i'm used to looking at her when she's kathie lee, and she isn't pretty as kathie lee, but she gorgeous in person. >> she does a good imitation. >> i'm always telling people she's brilliant. but i'll outlive her too, just like jan. >> there was another moment that happened today. if you've ever been a reporter and standing somewhere, anything can happen while you're out there. mark potter was standing out in the new orleans area in venice, louisiana, and he's doing a live short. harmless, right? >> you would think. >> he was doing his thing in that area it's swampy, bugs, lots of creepy crawlies. let's waf what happened to mark potter. >> excuse me, 19 of them do have -- >> slow moz, please. >> and here comes the bug. >> oh! >> it flew right in. >> but he kept going, baby. >> it's the state bird of louisiana, obvious those flying things are big. it went right in. i heard him cough. >> us what it matt who called it a bayou breakfast? >> i think mark did. >> mark did. all right. [ buzzing ] that happened to me one time when i was on stage singing. you got to hit a big note, and i have a big mouth. right down there, boy. so i feel for poor mark. it's even harder when you're singing. there's a piece of videotape that has been floating around on youtube that i think you can categorizes as disturbing. >> i have yet to see it. >> these are young girls -- you know they have dance recitals, for classes and stuff, and there's video of these young 6 and 7-year-olds dancing to "single ladies." >> oh, my gosh. wait a minute, how old are these girls? >> 7 to 9. >> oh, my. >> what do you think of that? >> very disturbing. they're terrific dancers, very talented girls, but talk about the sexualization of young girls. that's very disturbing to me. >> a friend of mine went to watch a recital, and she was saying she saw so much of that just a regular recital, because that's -- >> that's what they watch. they see it on television. no one tells them not to. >> i know. >> that's the trouble. if they're doing that at 6 and 7, what will they be doing when they're 18. >> that's something to be concerned about, don't you think? so miss usa was crowned yesterday. >> you knew it had to happen, right? >> something. >> immediately photos surfaced of rima fakih policy dancing in a contest. >> that happens sometimes. mojo in the morning in detroit -- i've done a call-in to those guys. are we going to see it? is it just a picture? i'll bet when she was 6, she was doing it to the "single ladies." >> i don't think they're going to call on her to be fired, right? >> it just seems -- she has all of her clothes on, she danced to it 3 years ago or something. >> technology is so new we're still not thinking ahead. you're not thinking one day i'm going to win miss usa and that's going to show up the other day. we don't think long term. we don't think things through. >> because of facebook, and there was this young waitress in -- she had a bad tip. she was just upset. she went on her facebook page and typed in something about this cheap couple left me $5 after they hogged my table. she got canned, fired. >> she didn't even mention the couple, but she did mention the restaurant. >> so i guess according to their agreement with their employees, you're not allowed to disparage in any way the restaurant or the people that -- >> i do think it's a danger zone. with twitter and with facebook, you feel so -- i would say sometimes when i'm on tweeting, i don't think about -- i just don't think about things that much. you just feel like you can put it out there and end -- >> tech-free and happy about it. last night i went to an event honoring our dear friend jimmy neederlander. if you can get a kid involved, not in dancing like those other children, but going to theater, it can change the arc of their lives. much love to jimmy. tonight another event. >> yeah, we are, the sloan-kettering -- you're going out tonight. >> but there is good news. celery makes men more attractive. >> if men eat salary -- >> that also makes them attractive to women. >> oh, yeah, mark. >> it increases their pheromone levels in men's sweat, making them more attractive. and there are chemicals that signal to women i want to mate. so, yeah, it looks like these guys are all in for a big day, so to speak. yeah. >> oh, yeah. that's a good bite. that's a good bite. >> it's starting to work. never have any of them looked more attractive. >> what are we going to spike this with? >> it's booze day it's called spike your drink. >> we're going to be arrested someday. >> just not today. >> you pour it into your favorite juice. >> it can't be refridge traited, artificially sweetened -- >> other it won't work. it's complicated. apparently in a warm place you let it sit, and then it becomes booze. it's like moonshine. >> but i thought moonshine was illegal, so we will be arrested. >> and we have edible gummy shot glasses. 204 calories per shot. >> oh, it's not worth it. that should do it for a booze day. hello, sara. >> we are talking about the quing single ladies." sandra wrote they're amazing dancer, but the wrong song to show off their talent and debra said, if you've been to a recital, they're all skimpy it will costumes. >> it's a sign of our culture. but i don't think we can go backwards. we have the deen brothers. >> but first mary j. blige is here. >> she must have had a tough night last night, wearing those shades. right after this. ( chirping, music ) ♪ pop-tarts®! i'll have a frosted strawberry... as an ice cream sandwich. ♪ chocolate fudge... on a stick please! ( crunch ) with the endless possibilities of kellogg's® pop-tarts, it's sure to be a picture perfect summer. pop-tarts®. made for fun. (announcer) yoplait's perfect blend of real fruit and the goodness of dairy... ...is just a peel away. explore all 25 delicious flavors. yoplait. it is so good. [ male announcer ] it's rollback time at walmart. now even on faded glory, which has been completely re-engineered for quality with soft, organic cotton... better fits... and lockstitch seams. and because everyone deserves clothes guaranteed for quality, we've rolled back the price. faded glory. one of thousands of rollbacks at walmart. save money. live better. walmart. ♪ could open a world of wonder ? ♪ ♪ so sensory ♪ so satisfying ♪ the discovery ♪ never seems to stop ♪ ♪ it's the magic friskies ♪ ♪ makes happen ♪ every day ♪ in so many ways ♪ friskies ♪ feed the senses when a mary j. blige song gets in your head, it's almost impossible to get it out. >> and she has so much to croon about including the "essence" magazine music festival that she's headlining. >> how are you? >> i'm great. how are you? >> it's one of the greats in new orleans. >> july 4th, right? >> i mean, it's fun. it's every artist in the music business you can think of for like three days, four days. every woman, actresses, you know -- >> it's a big party. >> i was in london and this lady was like i saw you at the essence festival. i was like, really? >> it's one of those that everyone goes to new orleans for. it's so much fun. >> it really is. the food is so good there, the people are really nice, and they appreciate the small things, because they've been through a lot. >> still going through a lot. >> even before they went through all of that, they called it the big easy. >> it ain't easy anymore. >> what can people expect in they'll see beyonce? >> alisha keys, janet jackson. >> john legend. >> trey song. jill scott, and myself. that's all i can remember. i'm closing it out. >> when you're not closing it out, will you be partying along? or do you stay quiet because you've got to protect the chops? >> well, i mean, sometimes i party, if i don't have anything to do the next day. >> what did you think about the little kids in dancing? there's something become sexualized with young girls. >> that's a big part of your work, this foundation that you started. >> yeah, i mean, i think that, you know, honestly parenting is a big deal -- i don't want to make a comment, because a lot of it has to do with, you know, the parents and what they allow their children to watch and do. so -- >> and imitate. >> that's on them, and i don't want to get all mixed up in -- >> tyler perry could do a movie about it. he always does cover situations like that. >> i like that. >> i do, too. we all cast criticisms, but are there some solutions here? tell us about your foundation. >> spawn, foundation for the advancement of women now, we specialize in not just downtrodden women, but women of all walks of life, even wealthy women who are suffering and have gotten down in their self-esteem. what we do is we give them a second chance, give those young women who can't find jobs and opportunities to come to the center and find jobs. >> where is that? >> it's in yonkers, in my hometown. we've actually teamed up about russell simmons and bounty, the keep the neighborhood -- keep the schools clean. that's what i call keep the schools clean. it's about keeping that environment clean, because you might not have that environment at home. if you have that environment in school, it just always helps. >> and congrats on your other project, miss nina simone. >> yes, you're going to start shooting the film in september? >> how are you feeling about it? >> first of all, i recorded my first french song. i can't believe it. >> you speak french? >> my french is good. all that stuff. >> you do it in the whole film in french? >> no, when she goes to nice, that's where her town, and she speaks a lot of french, but when she's in the united states, she's nina. and i'm having such a good time and i'm going hard and working hard with everyone, and -- >> you're a natural. when we saw you in the -- >> you're such a good person. we love when you come on. >> thank you. i try so hard. let me just say, that's why -- this is the -- >> that's why. that's why. >> thank you very much. >> thank you, honey. we'll wait for that film. up next how to schmooze without appearing fake or rude, but first these messages. i wasn't looking at you. i was looking over there. here, try this, it's under three hundred calories and pretty satisfying. mmmm! tasty! looks like everything is back to normal. fight the morning fade in under three hundred calories. jimmy dean d-lights. shine on. the wipes americans trust most to clean and disinfect are the only wipes with a low-streak formula. clorox disinfecting wipes, tough enough to tackle the germiest messes, even on your shiniest surfaces without leaving a streaky trail like other wipes. clorox disinfecting wipes, the wipes you can trust to clean, disinfect and shine. wow, you look great! thanks! it's this new wish yourself thin program. i just wish it and it happens. it's probably those fiber one bars you're eating. i know they help me stick to my diet. the bars are 90 calories and the fiber helps you feel full. 90 calories and high fiber. so that's why this diet thing is working. but it's weird because my wish for lorenzo came true. [ male announcer ] new fiber one 90 calorie bars. hungry no. results yes. [ male announcer ] new fiber one 90 calorie bars. announcer: grow lashes... grow longer... grow fuller, and darker lashes. grow? how's that possible? i'm using latisse®! the first and only fda approved prescription treatment for inadequate or not enough lashes. applied nightly as instructed by your doctor, latisse® grows lashes in as little as 8 weeks with full results in 12 to 16. announcer: if you are using prescription products for lowering eye pressure or have a history of eye pressure problems, only use latisse® under close doctor care. may cause eyelid skin darkening, which may be reversible, and there is potential for increased brown iris pigmentation, which is likely permanent. if you develop or experience any eye problems or have eye surgery, consult your doctor immediately. common side effects include itchy eyes and eye redness. grow longer, fuller, darker lashes. ask your doctor if latisse® is right for you. go to latisseoffer.com to learn about a $20 rebate. all right. whether it is a company picnic, a friend's dinner party or first date, we always have the awkward situation where where he need to schmooze. >> here with some tips is debra shigly, love the illiteration. >> it's not easy for a lot of people -- >> especially if they're shy by nature. >> what do you want to do to spark a conversation. >> less is more. you don't want to bombard someone talking about yourself, so what you can do is gently get into it, maybe a little compliment, i love your shoes, i've always admired your work, it has to be engine one, but it establishing that initial rapport. >> and you have to rely on your skills. you can tell when someone is tuning out or you're being too much. >> you should be able to. it's amazing to me how many people don't realize you're trying to get away. >> you have to prepare a bit, actually have a bit of a schmooze action plan. tv shows, plays, reality tv is a great common denominator. >> what do you think of the snooki and not just talk about your own work and your own life. >> let's say you get into an elevator and your boss is there, and you only have a few floors to have a conversation, but some people feel uncomfortable. >> i'm kind of against the traditional elevator pitch. that sounds like you're selling something. better to ask questions, because people open up and interestingly enough they tend to think more favorably of you if you let them talk instead of just talking about yourself. >> but if you're a totally self-absorbed human being, that person will find out soon enough. >> that's true. >> maybe have five bullets that you want to talk about, and let them drop into the conversation casually organically. >> don't people like it more when you ask questions? why not just go that route? >> it's a personal space thing, too, people have to understand a personal space thing. what is the rule of thumb for that? how close should you be? >> depending on different culture and where you were, but i would say maybe a couple feet. where we are is a comfortable distance. >> where are you if you're at a party and someone is talking to you endlessly, but you don't want to be rude. >> keep it neutral, fix to neutral subjects, like the weather, the surroundings. make a graceful exit. >> how? >> five minutes say, you've got to go to the bathroom. >> i always use that one. >> but then she disappeared from the whole party. >> i'll be right back, and then i'm gone. >> it might be awkward for a second, but it's less awkward than standing there for an hour. >> what if somebody asks you a personal question and feels weird, but you don't want to make the situation more tense. >> little white lies are okay, brush it to the side. you can gloss over the details. >> why don't you guys have a baby? like those kind of weird -- >> we're still thinking about it. people ask stuff like that all the time o., you know, we're thinking about about it, it's in the plans. >> so you shouldn't say that's really too personal? you shouldn't be that obvious? >> if it's a bits situation where it may come across as rude if you go for the quick brush-off, you want to avoid that, but if it's around friends, dinner parties, that's where those things kind of come up, deflect and divert without saying anything. >> what are the biggest mistakes people made? >> definitely being negative. we've been in that conversation where people are sort of bashing their husband, wife or boyfriend, and it makes everybody uncomfortable. don't be negative or complain. try to keep it upbeat or positive. >> all good advice. >> you're the queen schmoozer. >> queen of schmooze. coming up next, the keys to a good night's sleep. >> and the right undergarments. we'll sneak a peek. all of that coming up. with pieces left behind. that's why there's charmin ultra strong. its enhanced diamondweave texture is soft and more durable. more durable so you're left with a more dependable clean. fewer pieces left behind. plus all that charmin softness. now how's it look, mom? all clear, son. [ female announcer ] charmin ultra strong. enjoy the go. also, try charmin freshmates for a cleaner clean. we asked real people to film themselves taking the activia 14-day challenge. i'm mary ellen smith. so i'm really excited to see if this really works. have just started to notice a slight difference in my digestion. take the activia challenge. and eating well means getting enough whole grain and calcium. general mills big g is the only leading line of kid cereals with at least 8 grams of whole grain and a good source of calcium. help your kids get more of what they need, with general mills kid cereals. it makes my skin really silky and velvety. this is my body wash. what do you mean? this is it? why?! oh, don't do that to me! dove creamoil body wash. now with nutrium moisture. nutrium moisture. i'm a believer. the nourishment in dove creamoil goes somehow deeper. i'm happy about the change. change is good. dove creamoil body wash. we're learning more this pers morning about the person killed at a centreville mansion. we'll have the latest on the search for the people responsible for the murder. good morning. i'm barbara harrison. also coming up, you asked and we have the answers. a local dermatologists takes on your questions on everything from sun protection to birth marks. new "know the species, know the stain." lanolin-free coat, i know it's an alpaca. walks in here, looks says "hey look, it's a llama!" cleaning the stain like he would a llama stain. time he's wasting. ♪ call 1-800-steemer 100% fruit & veggie juice with no added sugar. just one glass equals two servings of fruits and vegetables. it's the fruit you love mixed with the veggies you need. this -- this is how we mix it. nothing, and i mean nothing beats a good night's sleep, but sometimes you need help getting there. >> even though there are products that claim to help you, do any of them work? carol ashe is here. >> hi, dr. ashe. >> yes. >> one of the biggest complaints you always hear from people is we can't get enough rest. are we too stressed? >> we're stressed about learning if you don't get enough sleep you're going to die. >> it's really true, most of us are not getting the sleep we need. great sleep begins with great habits. some of these gage either that are here will help us really adhere to those tips. >> so you can change this. >> yes. it's about behavior. >> let's start with this an i touch or iphone. >> it has a device called proactive sleep. it allows to set time to bed and in the morning therein an interactive game. and what it does is the sun, you just track the sun and tracks your reaction time. essentially you want to get up in the morning and make sure you're alert. if you're not keeping good schedule, the right amount, the right schedules, time to bed, wake-up time, if you're not alert in the morning, you won't be able to track that sun. >> we'll never be able to do that. it's too complicated. >> for children, this is a bit more simple. it's a good night light, and it shines a bright sun when it's time to wake up and a moon face shows up when it's time for bed. it keeping your child learning how to keep a consistent schedule. >> which is a big part of it. >> when you start with those good habits, do you keep them through life. >> it starts in infancy, learning how to sleep well. >> i believe it's true, you're a doctor, but cody was a terrible sleeper from the day he was born and cassie slept the whole time. >> but you probably didn't know, most people don't get a sleep rule book, so you don't necessarily know what you need to do. >> she does things perfectly right. >> if you want to get it off your mind -- >> you cannot solve the problems of the day in the middle of the night, so written it down and in the morning reach out to people who can help you solve those problems. >> it's like getting rid of a toxin. meditation works, prayer, give it up, let it go. >> that's part of a relaxes bedtime routine, which brings us. that's what these are about. this is the brookstone sound therapy system and this is the cloud sleep sheep. for babies, this is for adults. essentially what it does, is it creates a very relaxing sound. if you can hear that -- >> that had drive someone crazy oh, it's doing something. >> humming you to sleep. >> i like to have -- >> th no a lull aby -- if props had been thinking. >> it creates a water sound, whales. >> wouldn't that make them go pee-pee? >> it can help, believe it or not. >> for those who senator, 90 million americans senator, it's a prop not only for the person snoring, but the rest of us. >> this helps you sleep on the side. this is formed to allow you to sleep on your side. >> makes room for your, you know, nice. i've been looking for something like that. >> i don't have that problem. >> oh, i do. >> yes, she does. >> this allows you to keep your airway open. it stops the snoring, so that's great. for the rest of us, you want to pick a comfortable pillow for you. >> that's not squishy enough. >> it's individual, whatever gets you through the night. if i have a squishy pillow, i'm suffocating. >> there are people who say that. you have to pick what works for you. >> how much sleep do we really need? are people different? >> you cannot sacrifice sleep. most of us on average need 7 to 9, most of us need 8. if you're not getting the amount of sleep you need, it leads to disorders, and some people premature death, so upts to get your sleep. >> thank you so much. >> this has been fun. coming up next, the right lingerie to wear until your skimpy wardrobe. >> then the deen brothers are chomping on celery. we asked real people to film themselves taking the activia 14-day challenge. hi. i'm emily ilic. i think from being a skeptic in the beginning i do think that activia actually works. take the activia challenge. it works or it's free. take the activia challenge. hmmm, i'm losing energy this raimorning. so blue? did you have a good breakfast? nooo. here, try this, it's under three hundred calories and pretty satisfying. mmmm! tasty! looks like everything is back to normal. fight the morning fade in under three hundred calories. jimmy dean d-lights. shine on. it's your sunscreen. even a high spf can leave your skin feeling vulnerable. that's why neutrogena created new spectrum+ with helioplex 360. it goes beyond spf for the most comprehensive lotion protection against skin burning, skin aging, and deeper skin damage called oxidative damage. get the best. new spectrum+ with helioplex 360. neutrogena. #1 dermatologist recommended suncare. ♪ ¿por que no probamos esto? [ male announcer ] old el paso. a special blend of seasoning for especially delicious tacos. feed your fiesta. a special blend of seasoning for especially delicious tacos. [music, talking, laughing] what makes hershey's s'mores special? hershey's chocolate goodness that brings people together. ♪ ♪ hershey's makes it a s'more... you make it special. pure hershey's. now, the countdown to memorial day, the super feminine sexy styles, what do you wear undersneet? >> susan nethereau, owner of a boutique, nice to see you. >> we're getting into skimpier clothes and bare necklines, all different kinds of straps. >> but enough about the "single ladies" video. >> i thought this was a bathing suit. >> this is are fun t-shirt bras. smooth styling, but it's all about getting the right fit, and then you can play with your straps. only 10% of the support should cup from the straps. this is the time of year for every woman to get the bra fitting right. >> let's go with our models. the first is the halter dress-looking. this is a photo of what's wrong. sometimes it's a plunging neckline. >> you don't want your bra to show. >> kimberly and catherine. >> hello, ladies. >> they're all waerd the nude t-shirt bras. we want to make sure they don't show under a deep plunging neckline, so we went to a real plunging style, so that we could get that real lo center front piece. >> which one is kimberly. catherine, you got stuck wearing the bra. >> you know what? she knows she's hot. >> this converts into a regular bra, a halter bra -- >> this one is by mary jo. really fun. it even comes in fun colors, too. and this is the bra that they have on today. so you can get a bra that converts and gives you many different neck options. >> thanks, ladies. >> next, when you wear a strapless dress there's always confusion. and here is an example of a no-no. >> exactly. a lot of women don't know how much coverage to get. the dress is falling down and the bra is showing. >> i love that dress. >> isn't that fun? >> and this bra is actually doing great pushup, called the number nine bra from la mystere. >> i love that stuff. >> this is greet. she has that nice round neckline. >> how much do they run? >> they're in the 70s. a agrees strapless bra like that is a must, and also this one has straps for everyday wear. >> did you guys flip a coin? you don't happen to know who makes that dress, do you? >> no. >> we're going to check your label on the way home. >> let's look at the asip metrical dress. >> it's tough. a lot of women don't know what to do, they'll find a bra a strapless bra will always work, but we wanted to show another option that's fun. we picked a strap that's matching back to the pretty dress, and the yellow is tremendous on the young ladies. and if it's a decorative strap, a fun strap, it can become an accessory. it just shows that nice neckline. >> thanks, ladies. lastly we have a wrap dress. this is a before photo. i have this issue a lot. >> you sure do, hoda. >> stop it. >> a lot of the wrap dresses are cut away on the shoulders and then the front centerpiece here. >> dana and chris are coming out. >> we have a fak lus bra from passionata, and this has a little medallion. we've seen t >> those are genius. >> it actually gives good lift, so everyone gets a little pickup, and it should be in every woman's travel bag so you don't have the neckline problems. >> those are terrific. let's have all of our models come out. >> thank you, very, very nice, ladies. very brave. not as brave as going without makeup, but pretty brave. coming up next, check out who's in our kitchen. coming up next, check out who's in our kitchen. we lov( guitar strumming ) the wipes americans trust most to clean and disinfect are the only wipes with a low-streak formula. clorox disinfecting wipes, tough enough to tackle the germiest messes, even on your shiniest surfaces without leaving a streaky trail like other wipes. clorox disinfecting wipes, the wipes you can trust to clean, disinfect and shine. - 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. and we've got some deep rollbacks! like cheerios. now just $2.50. that's a buck less. wow! good morning, savings! my name is darrell, and i save people money so they can live better. when he forgot to make the morning coffee. so world's best mom was more than happy to make a cup of delicious starbucks via. she got to the office just in time to save best friend forever from the office coffee. best friend forever bravely shared starbucks via with don't talk to me until my second cup before he even had his first. he shared it with i hate mondays who had three cups because it was, after all, monday. premium starbucks via ready brew. now available wherever you buy groceries. ♪ it's tough to reach wthat five servings a days. if you don't always like the taste of vegetables. good thing v8 v-fusion juice gives you a serving of vegetables hidden by a serving of fruit. v8. what's your number? we're getting saucy. hi, with j and bobby deen. yes, the deen brothers are back. their last name is synonymous with good food and good times. >> and they're here to show us how to grill great steaks. >> i'm so comfortable. just -- >> what kind of tuesday is this? >> booze day. >> protein day, too. we're doing a lot of steaks here today. >> jamie and i are hosting the great steak challenge this summer, which is inviting -- i love it, be so careful. it's really, really sharp. we're inviting everybody to enter their favorite steak recipe, pair it with their favorite wine and send it in for a chance to win a trip to napa valley, and bragging rights. here doing a hanger steak and you're making a garlic paste for it, i don't know if you're going to finish it. garlic, a couple table spoots for the salt, herbes de provence, and we would put it in this bag and let p marinate for four hours, and go on on the grill. >> we've had it down for a few minutes. >> it smells so good in here, by the way. >> and hangar steak is not that expensive. >> and cheese on top? >> mozzarella. if we were doing it on a grill, i would want to cover it. >> if we were doing it on a grill? >> it is on a grill. >> i mean, outside. you too. these are beautiful tomatoes. >> you shouldn't be afraid of those heirloom types. they're just different colors. >> you better do it. >> look, a bit of bazzell, stand close. >> a little bit of oil. >> hoda, he is married. >> i'm just leaning. i'm leaning. >> this one over here is single. over here. >> and we're going to toss this. this is one of the mire favorite flavors. >> but i like mozzarella in that as well. you can't have enough -- >> the thing about hangar steak, you cut it against the grain. there's so many fibers in it, if you are to cut it straight up and down, you would be chewing it until dinner. >> but that's good for your dijegs. >> look, we're going to take this and put it right on top. >> that's beautiful. >> it is beautiful. >> that loo so good. >> and it's nice, easy to garnish with. >> how long are you cooking the steaks? >> just a few minutes on each side. >> and up it rare in the middle? >> matt walked through here earlier and he said medium rare. >> matt wanted that? matt's gone. who cares what matt wants? he's on the golf course already. well, it is rainy today, but he wishes he was. >> want a glass of wine? >> yeah, sure. >> cabernet. >> i'm going to do red. >> with the meat? >> that's what they say, but i think not. i think you have whatever you like, and you have it with whatever you like. >> are we going to eat? >> because food affects the way the wine and food get together in a way affects the way it's tasting. >> how about that celery? >> we are a porterhouse here. >> what's this? >> that's apple butter. >> we did steaks indigenous to different regions, because we will be traveling. for the seattle area we did a mocha rub, for new york the big apple butter, and -- >> which one should we try? >> any one you want. >> this is a sirloin down on the end. >> it's a little rare for me. >> and how to tell people to do this, greatsteakchallenge.com is the place to sign up. >> send us your ideas. >> absolutely. get creative, and send in your best recipe. >> put mozzarella on anything. that is so good. >> well, this is easy. >> are you going to enter a steak? do you cook steak? >> um-hmm. >> i'm going to sit here and eat yours. >> give our love to paula, please. for more info, go to our website. we'll be right back, but first guess what? this is "today" on nbc. time to check in with our miss sara. what's going on? >> we're talking about the sleep segment. most of our viewers are any indication, people are not sleeping enough, but betsy wrote in, she doesn't look at the clock when she wakes up. >> doesn't she work? >> how does that work for her? >> she says a lot of people on the wall are saying they get four hours of sleep. >> that's what i do. >> i'm lucky if i can get more, but you try to use it wisely. i pray for you a lot of i do. there's a lot to pray for. the list is long. i'm still talking. >> you're still talking. neil patrick harris is with us. >> how excited are we? he's such a talented guy. how those awkward family photos ended up in a book. this book is hysterical. you all have them at home. have a great booze day. nice talking to you. >> nice talking to you. see you tomorrow. >> all right. ñq 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.

Related Keywords

Arkansas ,United States ,Montana ,Louisiana ,New Texas ,Pennsylvania ,Alaska ,Turkey ,China ,California ,San Diego ,Montgomery County ,New York ,New Mexico ,Russia ,Washington ,District Of Columbia ,Kabul ,Kabol ,Afghanistan ,Connecticut ,West Virginia ,San Francisco ,Utah Rock ,Mexico ,New Orleans ,Massachusetts ,Wyoming ,Hollywood ,Monterey ,Shenandoah ,Virginia ,Haiti ,Boulder Mountain ,Miami ,Florida ,Germany ,Texas ,Iran ,Kentucky ,United Arab Emirates ,Mohawk Mountain ,London ,City Of ,United Kingdom ,Hampton ,Kenya ,Tennessee ,Albuquerque ,Prince George County ,New Jersey ,Valley Ranch ,Bible Camp ,Florida Keys ,Colorado ,Yellowstone ,Boulder ,North Korea ,Maryland ,Houston ,Ohio ,Orlando ,Centreville ,France ,Youngstown ,Utah ,Italy ,Americans ,America ,Afghan ,French ,American ,North Korean ,Soviet ,Gulf States ,Russell Simmons ,Bobby Jindal ,Carol Ashe ,Rima Fakih ,Chelsea King ,Janet Jackson ,Neil Patrick Harris ,Matt Meredith ,Joe Krebs ,Pat Brown ,Eun Yang ,Meredith Vieira ,Mary Jo ,Lisa Van Ryn ,Jenna Fisher ,El Paso ,Joe Lieberman ,Emily Ilic ,Trish Regan ,Brian Williams ,Bob Bennett ,Jill Scott ,Lee Cowan ,Bobby Deen ,Kelly King ,Barbara Harrison ,Laura Silsby ,Luke Myers ,Mitch Mcconnell ,Jeff Rossen ,Kathie Lee Gifford ,Kyle Williams ,Mary Ellen Smith ,Trey Grayson ,Rockefeller Plaza ,Toyota Avalon ,Shane Bauer ,Cnbc Trish Regan ,Whitney Carly ,Ron Paul ,Jay Bush ,Sam Gardner ,Amber Dubois ,Michael Douglas ,Matt Damon ,Jim Bunning ,Eva Longoria Parker ,Michelle Kosinski ,Newt Gingrich ,Susan Sarandon ,Joe Sestak ,Matt Lauer ,Mary J Blige ,John Gardner ,Kathie Lee ,Los Angeles ,Al Roker ,Laura Van Ryn ,Jesus Christ ,Kathy Williams ,Nina Simone ,Sarah Palin ,Kate Maxwell ,Harry Potter ,Tyler Perry ,