career, and the events surrounding his final days. where does the investigation stand? how are his children? we'll hear from his mother and we'll return live to neverland, the home he loved so much today, friday, june 25th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm meredith vieira. looking at those images of michael jackson and neverland, it's hard to believe it's been a full year since his passing. >> still so much we don't know about what happened in the days and hours prior to his death, but we're going to be live at neverland a little later in the show. meanwhile, a lot of other news. a lot of news including those small but powerful storms in the northeast yesterday afternoon. they were gone almost as quickly as they came but they left behind a lot of damage. >> they really did. this will give you a good sense of how strong the winds were in philadelphia. the grounds crew at the phillies game didn't stand a chance. there was so much damage in bridgeport a state of emergency had to be declared there. the latest in a live report coming up just ahead. also ahead, sharla nash returns to her hometown for the first time after being attacked by a chimpanzee. she let us in on the festivities and it was quite an emotional event as you can imagine. we'll show it to you later. and coming to america -- britain's prince harry kicks off a three-day visit to new york today on the heels of a new documentary in which he and his brother speak out about his mother's legacy. we'll hear from them just ahead. let us begin on a friday morning with these violent storms that battered the northeast. nbc's mike taibbi is in bridgeport, connecticut. good morning to you. >> reporter: bridgeport's mayor, bill finch, had the quote of the day yesterday. took one look at his city after this brief but violent storm had blown through and said it looked like godzilla had come to town and knocked over buildings and tore roofs off houses, knocked over cars and trees. you didn't know whether it was a hurricane or tornado pounding them. all they knew was that it was frightening. they arrived suddenly as summer storms off do in the northeast. >> look at the trees down over here. >> reporter: pounding rain driven by winds that in some areas briefly touched hurricane force. this was bridgeport, connecticut, where several buildings were badly damaged or even partially collapsed in an afternoon storm local reporters heard came and went quickly. >> the storm came in at around 2:15, lasted just about three minutes. and by the time it was over, there was a mess of damage. >> reporter: up and down the coast, the day saw temperature records set from washington to new york, an overheated and unstable weather system. >> that was fuel for the thunderstorms as they blasted through bridgeport and brought winds over 80-mile-an-hour winds across the region. >> reporter: and this kind of damage, generations old trees, cars, homes and buildings damaged in pennsylvania. on new york's long island and here in bridgeport, many found the storms brief but terrifying. >> unbelievable. i mean, we're facing the wrath of god over here. >> it was intense. believe me. crazy. >> reporter: rescue workers up and down the atlantic coast, matt, amazed by one thing after a looking at all the damage, only minor injuries were reported. matt, back to you. >> that's lucky. mike taibbi in bridgeport for us. thanks very much. it's four minutes after the hour. here's meredith. there's a concern on day 57 after the disaster in the gulf. a system in the caribbean could develop into the first named storm as it moves to the gulf of mexico. nbc's anne thompson is in venice, louisiana, with the very latest. anne, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. the weather is one of many concerns for bp's chief operating officer who gave me a tour from a chopper of the leak site. bp has 25 boats and rigs. su it tttles said they have nev had as many before. from the air the oily tentacles of the spill stretch for miles. now all the way to florida's pensacola beach where officials are furious bp's chief operating officer doug suttles telling them there were no big patches of oil nearby. a day later the beaches were black with crude. some accuse bp of downplaying the impact of the oil spill. >> anne, i've never done that. this is terrible. i've seen the places it's come ashore. it's very difficult to predict what's going to happen. >> reporter: flying over the spill zone what hits you is just how enormous the problem is. the blue gulf has a disturbing red cast that will be trouble for months to come. you're still only collecting not even half of what's going into the gulf every day. why is this so little? shouldn't the world's largest oil company in the world be doing a better job? >> well, anne, we're mobilizing everything we can find around the world. we've been adding the stuff as fast as we can. we built them, converted them, fabricated the systems and brought them in. we even have one sailing up from brazil. >> reporter: it just seems impossible that in this day and age we don't have better answers. >> you know, i share that frustration. the systems that were built in and designed to prevent this uncontrolled flow didn't work. they didn't function. >> reporter: compounding bp's problems a british ceo who tried to connect with the american public only to offend it. >> no one wants this thing over more than i do. i'd like my life back. >> reporter: suttles, a texan, thinks he can help. >> i think it does help being an american 0 to understand how people relate, how they feel and how they communicate. so i think it does make a difference. >> reporter: now if that system that is forming in the caribbean moves into the gulf of mexico and heads towards south louisiana, suttles says they will need five days to evacuate that rig, five days before that system would hit the coast. and that means five days that they have to stop work, and that's a big problem right now. meredith? >> all right, anne thompson, thank you very much. it is 7:07. once again, here's matt. president obama will be keeping an eye on what's happening in the gulf today from toronto. he's heading there this morning to join a host of world leaders at the g-20 summit. nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd is there as well. chuck, good morning to you. >> reporter: well, good morning, matt. the president is scheduled to arrive here later this morning. he's going to have a new wall street reform deal in his back pocket. it's something he's going to try to use to convince these other nations from around the world to do similar action. on thursday he met with an important g-20 ally, the russian president. believe it or not, it's the seventh time these two have met face-to-face. security here at the g-20 meeting is tight. the canadian government has spent more than any other host country ever to try to make sure world leaders are safe. heading into the important economic summit, the president got a diplomatic headstart by meeting with one of america's most touchy allies, russia, and its president medvedev. >> the most significant national security interests and priorities could be advanced most effectively through cooperation not an adversarial relationship with russia. >> reporter: and yet despite the global economic concerns and the presence of the russian president -- >> a change in command in afghanistan -- >> reporter: a reporter's first ck to the issue that's dogged him all week, afghanistan. >> i am confident we have a team in place that can execute. >> reporter: the president promised no more personnel changes after wednesday's dramatic firing of general stanley mcchrystal and the president made sure to leave himself wiggle room on the question of whether the u.s. will actually go through with its plans to draw down troops in july 2011. >> we didn't say we'd be switching off the lights and closing the door behind us. we said we would begin a transition phase. >> reporter: medvedev was asked if he had any advice for the president given russia's long and costly war in afghanistan. >> translator: but i try not to give pieces of advice that can't be fulfilled. >> reporter: but defense secretary robert gates did have words of advice. >> no one, be they adversaries or friends or especially our troops should misinterpret these personnel changes as a slackening of this government's commitment to the mission in afghanistan. >> visit the headquarter -- >> reporter: on a lighter note president obama noted president medvedev opened a twitter account and joked it it was a 21st sentry substitute for the cold war hotline. >> i have one as well so we may be finally able to throw away the red phones that have been sitting around for so long. >> reporter: earlier he treated medvedev to cheeseburgers at one of his favorite spots in northern virginia. >> translator: probably not quite healthy but it's very tasty and you can feel the spirit of america. >> reporter: all right. you did not mishear. the president did say the word twitters, plural. it turns out he didn't misstate it. it was written incorrectly in his prepared remarks. a speechwriter falling on the sword on that one. it did bring back memories of president bush one time referring to those internets. matt? >> chuck todd in toronto this morning. it's now ten minutes after the hour. once again here's meredith. new video and hundreds of photos released of 7-year-old kyron horman who vanished from his school without a trace three weeks ago n. a moment his parents speak out for the first time since their son's disappearance. first, nbc's miguel almaguera is in portland, oregon, with the latest. good morning, miguel. >> reporter: meredith, good morning. investigators on the ground are working every angle of this case. no one here has given up hope. ♪ >> reporter: new ly released hoe video shows little kyron horman singing along with classmates. >> no more are allowed on the bridge. >> reporter: and presenting a project in school. these are among the hundreds of photos now being released by his parents hoping someone knows where their little boy is. images of the happy childhood, an adorable 7 ye-year-old with broad and sometimes toothless smile. this is how kyron's father and mother remember their son, both divorced and remarried. they kept a low profile standing side-by-side while making only one short public statement. >> please help us bring kyron home. >> reporter: but now three long weeks have passed and despite nearly 3,000 tips, the sheriff's department seems no closer to finding kyron. >> it's taking time to go through those tips and leads, so the investigation is ongoing. >> reporter: the search -- >> kyron! >> reporter: has included state, local and federal authorities. at kyron's school, a wall of hope continues to grow. his parents said to be touched by the outpouring of local and national support. this week on campus more than 300 school parents turned in questionnaires. on the flyer a picture of kyron and his stepmother, it terri horman, the last known person to see kyron when she dropped him off at a school science fair. investigators say horman isn't a suspect but detectives hope her picture next to kyron's will generate new leads. >> the fire is an investigative tool to help see if we can jog people's memories of the day kyron went missing. >> reporter: through the last 21 days, kyron's parents have asked the focus of this case remain on finding their son. so today they're speaking out as the family releases new images hoping someone somewhere knows how to find kyron horman. police won't talk specifics about this case but they have told other parents they believe this is an isolated incident. meantime, the search for kyron has been scaled back. meredith? >> miguel almaguera, thank you very much. kyron's parents, desiree young and cain horman are with us. it has been three weeks. what are police telling you? >> they are working about 2,500 leads and they're making this their number one priority is to find kyron. >> i know you've released hundreds of pictures of your little boy. he looks like such an adorable little kid and those videos as well. how do you hope these will help in the investigation into where he is? >> well, we're hoping that people will see these videos and see expressions that he has and the way that he carries himself and things that he says and maybe that will help that one tip, that one person come forward and bring him home. >> i can only imagine how heartbreaking this has been for you and difficult for your family, yet you've all been criticized by some in the days since your son's disappearance in part because you didn't seem to participate in the search and there were others who felt it was odd that it took a week before you came out publicly. so i want to give you the chance to explain why. >> well, the first week and well into the second and even this week as well, we have been participating heavily with investigators hours and hours a day working on leads, tips, questions, interviews, everything that we can to help find him. so we have been overwhelmed with the time it takes to go through those processes and we have been doing everything that we can. >> i know that you did speak out publicly but, desiree, you have been quiet up until now. why did you decide it was time for you to also address the public? >> because, honestly, we never thought we would get to three weeks out and not have kyron here. honestly, i'm a little scared at this point. three weeks is a long time and we need to bring him home. >> scared in the sense of what might have happened to him? >> scared in the sense that he's not at home where we know where he's safe. >> looking at the images of your little boy, we get the impression he is a sweet kid, a 7-year-old kid. tell us about him, desiree. >> he is. he's got this great smile that everybody has become familiar with. he has a belly laugh that makes you want to laugh with him. he has a great sense of humor and he's a lot of fun to be around. he's just really intelligent and timid and shy at the same time but just a really great kid to have. >> and i know the focus you want to maintain the focus on kyron and so, cain, it must be difficult for you because a lot of the focus has been directed at your wife, terri, and the fact she's had two polygraph tests and although she is not considered a suspect, that has to be difficult for her. how is she handling all of this? >> she, like the rest of us, is extremely committed to finding kyron, and she's working extremely hard with investigators as are the rest of us to help bring him home. >> well, we hope that he comes home very soon. we so appreciate you joining us this morning. i know this is a very, very difficult time for you and our hearts and our prayers are with you and your families. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> desiree young and cain horman. let us get a check of the rest of the top stories. natalie is over at the news desk while ann is away. good morning to you. good morning, matt and meredith. good morning to you. during the night congressional negotiators reached a deal on a sweeping overhaul of wall street rules and banking negotiations. they hope to have it on the president's desk by the fourth of july. meantime, republicans blocked a bill that would have extended unemployment benefits for people out of work for more than six months. opponents said that it would have meant higher taxes and it would have added to the national debt. mean tile, as you heard in chuck todd's report, the military shake-up in afghanistan will not disrupt policy there and the transition to general david petraeus is getting under way. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in kabul. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. this transition is certainly under way and it's moving very quickly. we're told that general mcchrystal's personal belongings are already being packed up to be shipped back to the united states and that his replacement, general petraeus, could be on the ground in command here within just about two weeks. now the transition will likely involve more personnel changes as general petraeus will bring with him a personal team of advisers. natalie? >> richard engel in kabul, thank you. a programming note as well, richard engel will report on a father's quest to investigate a 2008 taliban ambush that left nine u.s. soldiers dead including his son. "a father's mission" sunday on "dateline" at 7:00, 6:00 central time. and not much rest for marathon mayor john isner back in action at wimbledon. on thursday he won the longest tennis match ever beating ni ii nicolas mahut, more than 11 hours of play. it ended at 70-68 in the final set. the recovery time apparently included just a massage and takeout food. so not much of a recovery at all. 7:19. back over to matt and meredith. poor guy. back at it. >> nice way to end it, though. >> there you go. >> natalie, thanks very much. al is in rye, new hampshire, this morning. he has reached the final leg of his "lend a hand today" tour. al, good morning to you. hey, matt and meredith, good morning. we're bringing the big penske truck into a very deserving charity here in good morning. i'm meteorologist tom kiernan. i'm happy to report that the humidity has dropped overnight, and this friday morning with the sunshine, temperatures are generally in the 70s around the region. 77 in washington. dew points dropped into the low 60s. cooler, drier weather on tap for today. lower humidity. highs around 90 and sun. tomorrow, sunny, hotter, humid, small chance of afternoon storm. hot and humid sunday. small chance of afternoon storm. greater chance monday. and that's your latest weather. matt? we'll see you soon. just ahead, michael jackson's death a year later. we'll hear from his mother and report from neverland. just ahead, chimpanzee attack victim charla nash and an emotional return to her hometown for her daughter's high school graduation. plus, grammy winner maxwell live on the plaza in a little bit. so we earned a tropical vacation in half the time. we earn double miles every time we use our card. 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( talking excitedly ) now we put in exactly 6 cups. help me pour. perfect. now we can pour it in the bowl. try doing it this way. ♪ everybody likes a little taste... girls: mmmmm. of independence. pat it down. alright, here you go. oh, that's so good. ♪ happy 4th of july. as a juicy flame-grilled cheeseburger on a delicious bun. and when you get it all at walmart's guaranteed unbeatable prices -- it somehow tastes even better. save money. live better. walmart. good morning. it's 7:26 on this friday, june 25, 2010. i'm aaron gilchrist. in the news4 today, metro's board approved a plan to put retails are inside some of its busiest rail stations. as early as this fall, dvd rental machines will be running at 13 stations. tickets for old town trolley tours sold inside the smithsonian station. the deal will bring in over $900 oh the next 8 years. weather and tr good morning, i'm meteorologist tom kiernan. lower humidity in place today. highs climbing to near 90 with lots of sun. tomorrow hotter and humid, into the low 9 o's. how's the traffic? >> tough times. the outer loop of the beltway, the earlier accident at eisenhower avenue moments ago cleared out of the road with, because it's jab jjammed. authorities have a couple of lanes closed off from the earlier accident. >> a warning before the fourth of july. ♪ i'm talking with the man in the mirror ♪ 7:30 now on this friday morning, june 25th, 2010. you are looking at michael jackson's neverland ranch. 1985 to 2005. we're going to go live there on this, the first anniversary of the singer's tragic death, in a moment. i'm meredith vieira alongside matt lauer. we'll hear from michael jackson's mother, katherine, speaking out in her first television interview since her son died. and charla nash mauled by her friend's pet chimpanzee heads home to celebrate a big moment in her daughter's life and allowed us to join her. we'll bring you more on that story. plus, should a plane already heading to the runway be turned around because after two-inch turtle? it happened in atlanta this weekend. to make matters worse, its 10-year-old owner said she had to throw her pet away in order to get back on that flight. the two are now back together. we're going to tell you about that reunion coming up in just a bit. a live interview. and a little bit of a programming note next wednesday on "today" an exclusive interview with elizabeth edwards, her first since her separation from john edwards. how is she doing? where does their relationship stand now? that is elizabeth edwards next wednesday morning right here on "today." we begin with the anniversary of michael jackson's death. we'll talk to mark lester, jackson's friend and the godfather to his three children in just a couple of minutes. but first, nbc's jeff rossen is at neverland ranch. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, matt, good morning to you. hard to believe it's been a year since he died. i think we all remember where we were when we got that tragic news and as i drove into neverlapped here this morning it's, of course, the wee hours of the morning on the west coast. there were already fans down at the front gate of the ranch laying down flowers, paying their respects. we're going to show you around this truly majestic property, 3,000 acres of it in just a moment. first this morning we have exclusive new information on michael's kids and the investigation into his death. today the michael jackson empire is bigger than ever. ♪ >> reporter: the movie "this is it" grossed $260 million. in just the past year his estate brought in $780 million. michael's kids won't ever have to worry about money, heirs to the king of pop. paris, prince and blanket are settling into a more normal life rarely seen when their father was alive. these days they're spotted all over l.a., attending karate class, walking the streets of l.a. studios and spending time at the compound. their 80-year-old grandmother katherine has custody and has remained silent until now speaking for the first time since her son's death in a new interview licensed by "dateline" nbc. >> paris loves the piano and wants to be an actress. she can pick out any song she wants to and especially her daddy's songs. prince has a lot of talent, also. he's very talented with the camera and with electronics. he wants to be a cameraman. and he wants to write movies. and blanket, he loves to sing and loves to play with his toys most of the time. he's very young yet. he can sing very well and has rhythm and can dance. >> reporter: just like his dad. singing and dancing from the time he was a toddler until his final days. no one ever lived like michael jackson. ♪ >> shocking news from los angeles tonight. >> reporter: and no one ever died like michael jackson. >> his hollywood walk of fame. >> and i just wanted to say i love him so much. >> the pop star's death has been labelled a homicide. >> reporter: dr. conrad murray is now charged with involuntary manslaughter. prosecutors say he administered a lethal dose of propofol to jackson just before he died. dr. murray proclaimed his innocence in a youtube video. >> i told the truth and i have faith the truth will prevail. >> reporter: now for the first time his medical assistant, who was involved in jackson's treatment, is opening up in an exclusive interview. >> he would never intentionally harm a person. this man is the kindest, most gentlest human being you could imagine. >> reporter: if he wasn't responsible for the death, who w was? >> the addict. addicts are very good at getting medications and hiding medications. >> reporter: how could he know that? >> i didn't know that. if you're not told -- if your patient does not tell you, divulge all their medical information to you, how are you going to know that? >> reporter: you're saying maybe he wouldn't have used certain drugs on him if he had known he was on other drugs? >> i'm saying maybe he wouldn't have taken the job. >> reporter: is he scared? >> i don't think so. >> reporter: he's not scared of losing his license? he's not scared of going to jail? >> he did nothing wrong. >> reporter: to this day she says dr. murray still considers michael jackson a friend. >> i can tell you that he misses his friend. he misses his friend dearly. he worries about the children. he thinks of them often. he loves the children very, very much. >> reporter: and michael's kids actually have a huge stake right now in neverland, which right now is a huge house on the property. it is currently owned bay private equity firm called colony capital and the jackson estate and so the kids could get it later. this is a 400-pound door that leads you into the front house. this is where michael lived, his bedroom was just off that way and there were statues everywhere. there was a butler here with cookies on a tray and they still have this -- they'll never sell it -- a gift from elizabeth taylor to michael jackson. it's still here on the property. apparently michael back in the day would get up here on the bike, ride around and give kids ice cream right out of here. and if we walk right through this way, this is michael's dining room. this is where he entertained. there was a huge dining room table here. right now you can see it's empty. down here was the living room where he spent a lot of his time. this is not michael jackson's furniture. colony capital brought this in because they use neverland now for charity events. people bid on auctions to have dinner here and raise money for charity. they'll often entertain people from the outside who just want a chance to raise money for a good cause and have dinner at michael's neverland ranch. he lived here, really the only place he called home from 1985 to 2005, nearly 3,000 acres here, matt. cost millions of dollars to maintain. the question is what happens to it now? what's the future for neverland? they won't tell us. it's still unclear. katherine jackson recently said she hopes it's not sold and wants to keep it in the family. >> jeff rossen, it's a remarkable place. jech at neverland this morning for us. jeff, thank you very much. mark lester is the godfather of michael jackson's children and made headlines when he claimed he could possibly be the biological father of paris jackson. mr. lester, good morning to you. >> hi, matt. how are you? >> i'm well, thank you. in the days and weeks following michael jackson's untimely death last year, a lot of friends and pseudo friends came out of the woodwork. it turned out a lot of those people really didn't have a relationship with michael jackson. by all accounts you and michael did stay close over the years. your children and his children were friends. how would you describe your relationship? >> we were -- yeah, we were just like two families i imagine like my kids and michael's children would be anything like although they weren't related, like cousins, i guess. michael came to the uk, we would always get together. i've been to mefrland many, many times with my children and we spent some rare moments with michael. we had christmases with michael and michael's kids. we're just two families that became very close over the years. >> and yet it's my understanding that since his death you really have had very little contact with his children and your children have had basically no contact with his children. have you reached out to try to establish that? >> well, i have tried. we're always here so, you know, if paris, blanket, prince are hearing or listening, i'm here. my children are here and we're here 24/7 so that's not a problem. >> these headlines you made last year after his death when you said that you had made a sperm donation to michael and that it was possible -- you didn't claim anything further than that -- but it was possible that you might be paris' biological father. do you think that had a chilling effect on your relationship with the rest of the jackson family? >> well, it possibly wouldn't have made me number one on the popular list but, unfortunately, these things came out and, you know, it doesn't detract from the fact that michael is paris' dad and always will be and she will always be michael's daughter. she's a wonderful kid. all the kids are wonderful. but, yes, in the popularity stakes, i wouldn't have been that high up on the list. >> even though you've had no direct contact with the children, do you have any means of getting information as to how they're doing? >> yeah, i do. i have people who within the family, external members, i get snippets of information. so i understand they're doing very well and they're looking fine and they're healthy. just be nice if we could pick up a phone and just say hi. >> in jeff rossen's piece, we saw they are out and about more than they were, being seen in the public more than they were when michael was alive. is that a good thing to you? >> did he haefinitely. michael absolutely cherished those children and obviously for their own safety he had to keep them very contained, i guess. now that they're getting out and about, the best thing for them, they need to get out and mix with kids of their own age and the healthiest thing possible to allow them their freedom. >> in the year since their death, so-called experts have tried to put his career and his life into perspective, mark. is there anything you feel is missing or has been missing from those discussions? >> well, most of these people have never ever met michael and they're working on the assumption. just anybody i know who has spent five minutes with michael jackson has come away saying, you know, there was an aura about michael, a peaceful, loving, giving, just this feeling of tranquility that michael gave out and you could not get that unless you met the man and everybody i know who has met michael has come away just completely blown away by this peaceful person. >> mark lester, thanks for your time this morning. >> thanks, matt. for more on michael jackson's death one year later and the entire interview with katherine jackson, catch a special "dateline: michael jackson, a mother's story" right here on nbc. >> i hope he and his kids get good morning. the big story for us is the lower humidity that has moved in overnight in the wake of yesterday's storms. right now 77 in washington. low to mid-70s in the suburbs and rural areas where the humidity's low. lots of sun today. temperatures around 90 with lower humidity. tomorrow hotter, more humid, a sm small chance of afternoon storm. hot and humid sunday, chance of storm. storms likely monday, mainly in the afternoon. some could be severe. hey, don't forget you can check your weather anytime of the day or night for this weekend coming up on the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. matt? >> al, thanks so much. we'll see you in a little while. up next, charla nash heads home for her daughter's high school graduation and we're with her for the emotional journey. ♪ there's so many ways to love ya ♪ ♪ i mean like, oh, my gosh ♪ i'm so in love -- ♪ make me wanna say oh-oh oh-oh oh-oh-oh ♪ [ horn honks ] [ tires squeal ] oprah: join me and liberty mutual insurance. drive responsibly. take the pledge. 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. now, get 0% apr for 60 months on a 2010 traverse with an average finance savings of around fifty four hundred dollars. see your local chevy dealer. it just doesn't go away. it's so baffling. [ female announcer ] this is fibromyalgia. chronic widespread pain that affects millions. if this pain sounds familiar, talk to your doctor and visit fibrocenter.com. we are back at 7:46 with an emotional homecoming for charla nash. on thursday she returned to stamford, connecticut, for the first time since she was mauled by her friend's chimpanzee. she came back for her daughter's high school graduation. she allowed us in on the celebration. for charla nash it's been a long road to recovery. on thursday a big stem for her and her family her first time outside the medical facility since that vicious attack. surrounded by friends and family, all here to celebrate as charla's 18-year-old daughter brianna graduates from high school. >> my mom's been very important. she's really happy and i can feel that. >> hey. >> at the graduation party it was also an emotional reunion from charla with dr. kevin miller, the trauma surgeon at stamford hospital where she was first treated. >> i'm dr. miller. >> i've heard about you. >> you have heard about me? >> thank you for all your help. >> you're very welcome. how are you feeling? are you tired? >> no, i feel great. >> it's got to touch your heart strings. she really is happy. she's much more independent. i was very impressed with how far she's come. >> charla resides in an assisted living facility outside of boston. she is here visiting and credits her family with giving her strength. >> i'm getting stronger every day. it's a long way to go yet. >> it's been 16 months since the attack left nash blind, without hands, and a face. >> he's killing my friend. >> who is killing your friend? >> my chimpanzee. >> charla is currently being evaluated to see if she is a candidate for face and hand transplants and remains hopeful about the future. her daughter brianna has been by her side through it all. i get the impression you guys are thick as thieves prior to this -- you're smiling. is it true? >> yeah, we did just about everything together. >> in may charla told me how much the graduation means to her. in a way it will be your coming your. >> if you want to say that, yep. a nice way to spend it with everyone. >> a big part of brianna's success has been support at school. she has been prepared for that next step as a college freshman. >> she has such extraordinary courage and exceptional focus on what she wants to accomplish. and, you know what, she got that from you. she really did. she got all that from you, and you did such a good job raising her. >> thank you. thank you. >> that's why she did so well. so, you know, you did such a good job. >> for charla, it was her chance to be a proud parent and on thursday evening -- >> brianna nash. >> -- her daughter went from student to high school graduate. charla really is a great mom. she's not a selfish mom at all. she chose not to go to the graduation at the last moment because she did not want to be a distraction. it's about the kids and not about her. >> when you say distraction, it had to be a difficult year for brianna, senior year in high school, so much is going on academically and socially and to be living through this trauma in her personal life. >> charla is the first to say that woman helped her to transition from high school to college. >> it's important to have good people around you. >> absolutely. we will be right back. congratulations, brianna. 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(announcer) it's more than just that great peanut taste, choosing jif is a simple way to show someone how much you care. we can't wait to get you home. i love you mom. i love you too. we'll see you soon. choosey moms, choose jif. beautiful blue skies and slightly less humid air. those highlight the forecast today. details in a moment. good morning, 7:56 on friday morning. i'm aaron gilchrist. today, wizards fans have something to look forward top. team selected john wall out of kentucky with the top overall pick in the draft. they pulled off a trade that will bring kirk hinrich to washington. the trade cannot become official until next month. weather and traffic are next. stay with us. i'm darryl willis. i oversee bp's claims process on the gulf coast. bp has got to make things right and that's why we're here. we're replacing the lost income for fishermen, small businessmen and others who aren't able to work until the spill is cleaned up. we've agreed to create a $20 billion claims fund, administered independently. our claims line is open 24 hours a day. i volunteered for this assignment because this is my home. i'll be here in the gulf as long as it takes to make this right. good morning. at this time, lower humid any place on friday morning. it's going to feel much more comfortable today. live view from sky watcher camera showing the national cathedral in the distance. 78 in washington. mid-70s prince george's county. montgomery and fairfax counties as well. lower humid. tomorrow, sun, hotter, humid, small chance of afternoon thunderstorm. sunday, hot and humid, into the mid 90s, a small chance of afternoon thunderstorm. greater chance monday ahead of a cool front pushing in, ushering in drier weather into next week. how's the traffic? >> a very tough friday morning. 95 northbound of maryland jammed from the beltway to route 212 powder mill road. couple travel lanes closed to retrieve a truck involved in an earlier accident. virginia side outer loop jammed from springfield to the accident at ieisenhower avenue. all lanes are open. >> news4 mid dade, a warning before the fourth of july. an important fireworks safety ♪ see what's in front of your face ♪ a friday morning, the 25th day of june, 2010. we have a plaza filled with maxwell fans. a grammy-award winner getting set to take our concert stage in about half an hour. we're looking forward to that. meanwhile, outside i'm matt lauer alongside meredith vieira. al is up in rye, new hampshire, for day five of what has been an extraordinarily successful week of "lend a hand today." al has done an amazing job and we'll reveal the charity for today in just a couple of minutes. >> he really has. before we go any further, matt, there's a lady hiding down here. we can't show her face. because she is supposed to be at work but she loves maxwell so much that she is here. >> get in touch with somebody from the witness protection program. don't show her, though. we don't want to do that. >> we will show you a little -- >> you might want to change seats for the concert because we do shoot this way. okay. good. >> we are going to show you a little tiny turtle that was the center of a big controversy. she caused a taxiing plane to actually return to the gate and her 10-year-old owner said the crew told her she would have to throw the pet turtle away to get back onboard. this morning the happy ending, they are back together and will tell us all about it. >> plus -- she is still down there. plus the cool gadgets for your home to new ways to keep your kids cool. we'll get to that in just a little while. meanwhile, let's go inside. ann is on vacation. natalie is over at the news desk with a look at all the headlines. okay. she can come out now. good morning, everyone. no power and a mess to clean up. that's what thousands of people face after severe storms packing ferocious winds swept across parts of the northeast on thursday. there's a state of emergency in bridgeport, connecticut, where winds reaching 78 miles per hour toppled trees and power lines and destroyed buildings. torrential winds and high winds also hit philadelphia. remarkably, though, no serious injuries have been reported in either city. form former fema director james lee witt is going to help bp refine its response to the gulf oil spill. meantime, the oil spill is forcing closure after beach in pensacola, florida. president obama attends a major economic summit today in toronto, the focus is on how best to sustain the global economic recovery. the president is appealing to other world lead eers to resist the rush to slash spending and raise taxes to save their struggling economies. today britain's prince harry begins a three-day visit to the u.s. with a stop at west point. meantime, growing intrigue over the romantic intentions of his brother, prince which wiilliam. jim maceda, good morning. >> reporter: it seems that wherever prince william goes and whatever he does these days, one question is on everyone's mind -- what about kate? in the new and revealing interview on british tv, both brothers say their just concluded trip to africa brought them closer to each other and to their mother, diana. harry's visit to demining efforts in mozambique. >> whoever we're with i particularly always wonder what she would think, what she would be doing if she was with us now. i suppose that's what keeps us going every day, the thought of what she would be doing if she was around today. >> she's a part of us and that's the case there's a lot to do. we just started. >> reporter: but the africa trip sparked more speculation about his willingness to mary-kate middleton. he turned 28. but will is now planning to spend the next three years as a search and rescue helicopter pilot and despite all the rumors he and the royal family are constantly pushing back a formal engagement or wedding date even as william and kate now share a home in north wales. but the clock is ticking and big events like a 90th birthday next year and the olympics in 2012 could push any wedding into 2013 when william and kate would be 31, late by royal standards to start a family. diana became engaged to charles when she was only 19. still, the british people hope all this will eventually work out. some must have wondered, however, when confirmed bachelor prince albert of monaco announced his engagement earlier this week whether wills might follow suit and wait until his 50s to tie the knot. >> a lot of pressure on prince william. such a young man. thanks so much, jim maceda. time for the weather with al from rye, good morning. here in washington, humidity has dropped dramatically over night, and things are much more comfortable on this friday morning. 78 in washington. 70s else where, low er humidity in place. lows around 90s, sun. you need sunblock today working outside. lower humidity will make it feel comfortable. tomorrow, hotter, more humid a slight chance of afternoon storm as well as sunday. sunday hot and more humid. and what other morning show could bring you a blue lobster and a turtle? that's right. take a look. ♪ tiny turtle >> all right, al. thank you very much. our friend still hiding back here but she wants me to say hi to who? buttercup. it's getting stranger and stranger. when we come back from the mren to the trash to an emotional reunion that turtle's remarkable journey. a car that stands strong... when you need it most. and expects to handle the unexpected. at chevrolet, we created a team of red x engineers who are obsessed with quality. red x torture tests every car down to the smallest detail. because everyone deserves excellence. ♪ we got it on rollback. that's what i'm talking about. blue bunny premium ice cream. i know you want it. [ humming ] this is my ice cream dance. ooo, peanut butter. they used to spend hours on the couch, this is my ice cream dance. watching t.v., playing video games. and with all you hear about childhood obesity, i was concerned. now i take a more active role in their health like insisting on lots of play time and making sure they eat right. like when i make burgers i use lean jennie-o ground turkey. i'm proud i got them off the couch. well, sort of. anncr: be well... with all the great tasting ways to eat lighter. only from jennie-o. women preferred the softness and scent of concentrated snuggle blue sparkle to the leading brand. and snuggle costs less, too. so go on, buy snuggle today. two times with comfort inn or any choice hotel, you can feed a family of four. book now at choicehotels.com to start earning your $50 restaurant gift card. to start earning [ female announcer ] when the more options you have,ght, the more likely you are to stay on track. that's why there are 9 delicious kinds of special k® cereal. ♪ ♪ because every girl could use a little variety. ♪ special k®, now in 9 delicious flavors. turtle behind a big commotion on a commercial flight. we're going to meet her and talk to her 10-year-old moment. first, natalie has the story. >> meredith, you know you can't bring snakes on a plane. carley helm brought her caged pet, a turtle, on an airtran airways flight. the plane was taxiing to the runway when the crew spotted it. so they turned around, went back to the gate, and they gave carley a very difficult choice. meet neytiri, the tiny turtle at the center of a big controversy. the traumatic experience began when her owners say they were forced to abandon her in an airport trash can. >> they said you can throw it in the garbage and get back on. >> the helm sisters and little neytiri were on a flight from atlanta to milwaukee when the turtle was discovered just before takeoff, the plane returned to the gate and the girls were told the turtle had to go. >> we were like holding up the plane with a bunch of people on it and we were under pressure, so they told us to throw the whole cage away. and then we got back on. >> the sisters called their dad who had dropped them at the airport. by the time he got back, neytiri was nowhere to be found. >> discarding a little creature like that is really inhumane. not allowing me to come back and retrieve the animal is the wrong decision. >> airtran confirms their no reptile policy but vigorously denies telling the girls to toss the turtle. >> we thought for a period of time the turtle was lost. we had found out later that an airtran crew member retrieved the turtle from the trash can. >> giving this turtle tale a happy ending. two days later neytiri finally got a ticket home. 10-year-old carley was all smiles at the reunion. as for neytiri, she did not seem any worse for the wear. meanwhile, the animal rights group peta sent a letter to airtran demanding an investigation, meredith. >> thank you, natalie. carley helm and her pet turtle are with us now along with carley's sisters rebecca and annie and their mom tammy. good morning to you all. >> good morning. >> morning. >> carley, how does it feel to have neytiri back? >> i was happy and i was excited. >> well, she has been through a lot in the past few days. does she seem any different to you? >> kind of. >> yeah? in what way? >> having my turtle back. >> i'm sure for you it's great news. rebecca, take me back to tuesday. you're getting on that flight in atlanta. you visit your dad and you're going back home. you had to go through security obviously. at any point did somebody notice a turtle, say anything to you about it and the fact you can't bring turtles on planes? >> no. we went past security and they okayed it and we got on the plane. all the flight attendants thought it was okay and told us to put it under the seat and then all of a sudden after we taxi, then they find the rule and we have to go back. >> now you said that they told you you would have to throw the turtle away. airtran is saying they never said that. but you were faced with a tough decision because in order to get back on that plane you did have to leave your turtle in atlanta. why did you decide to put neytiri in that trash bin? >> they told us either throw it away or get off and i asked if they could talk to my dad on the phone and he was already on his way back to the airport, and they said, no, we can't talk to him. so i thought that if i just left it there, then he was already on his way. he could come get it for us. >> well, tammy, i know that you've said for your girls this was really a roller coaster of a ride for them. first they have the turtle and then they don't. but do you understand in any way why airtran made the decision it did? they say this is policy for all commercial planes that you can't bring reptiles in the passenger area because they could carry diseases like salmonella? >> right. and i understand that. but we didn't know that there was a policy. they brought the turtle to the gate and the attendants commented how cute it it was and the attendants also told them to put the turtle under the seat, so at that point, my children didn't know that there was a policy against this because nobody had told them otherwise. so, you know, policies are great, but the employees should know the policies and put a stop to something like this from happening. before it taxis away. >> airtran did make good and bring neytiri back to your daughter so, in a way, are you at least happy with that outcome? >> yes. yes, we are very happy with that outcome and jennifer forbes, who is from peta, was pretty much responsible for retrieving our turtle back. like rebecca said, her dad was at the airport asking for help. he got no help from anybody there. and it wasn't until jennifer forbes from peta stepped in and action was taken immediately. >> all right. >> so we're very greateful. very appreciative to the employee at airtran who actually took the turtle out of the garbage can. we wanted to thank him. >> okay. and carley, we're glad you got neytiri back. i have a feeling that turtle is going to stay put from this point on. thank you to the helm family and neytiri. >> thank you. >> and up next on this friday with everything you need to beat the summer heat right after this. i'm darryl willis. i oversee bp's claims process on the gulf coast. bp has got to make things right and that's why we're here. we're replacing the lost income for fishermen, small businessmen and others who aren't able to work until the spill is cleaned up. we've agreed to create a $20 billion claims fund, administered independently. our claims line is open 24 hours a day. i volunteered for this assignment because this is my home. i'll be here in the gulf as long as it takes to make this right. [music, talking, laughing] what makes hershey's s'mores special? hershey's chocolate goodness that brings people together. pure hershey's. what had happened in central harlem was failure became the norm. the schools were lousy... the healthcare was lousy... gangs were prevalent. violence was all over. families were falling apart. you can't raise children in a community like that. people had been talking about things, but not doing anything. hi, mr. canada... how are you? i'm doing great, how 'bout you? right here on 119th street. if we could fix this block, then we could fix the next block, then we could fix the next block... we promised parents, if your child stays with us, i guarantee you that child is going to graduate from college. failure is simply not an option. the sixty...the seventy... the eighty... the ninety-seven blocks which ends up being 10,000 children. we start with children from birth, and stay with those children until they graduate. if you really want to have an impact that is large, you will get there going one step at a time. there is no act that is too small to make a difference. no matter what you want to do, members project from american express can help you take the first step. vote, volunteer or donate at membersproject.com. 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. to travel in comfort and style... presenting the new toyota avalon. for a ride that's jet-smooth! it's got reclining rear seats! and such a quiet cabin! ♪ bluetooth wireless audio makes every trip a delight! ♪ the new toyota avalon... comfort is back. ♪ ♪ back at 8:20, this morning on "today's friday whip" cool ways to beat the summer heat. >> tricks to staying cool starting with your home. the host of "lxtv open house." >> good morning, matt. >> let's start with air conditioners. we love them. you have a way to let them do their job without fighting the heat. >> you want to keep your air conditioner out of the sun so what you have is a little housing right here. it's a metal housing that has a tie row foam that absorbs all the heat and lets it do its job of cooling the house. it's safe and attaches. you can hook it into the house. >> when you have an air conditioner going in your house, a good thing is to circulate that cool air. >> yes, exactly. people think i have an air conditioner, i have a fan. use both in conjunction. use the fan to circulate the air around the house. a great idea is to get ceiling fans. on all ceiling fans they have a switch. you want counterclockwise in the summer to suck the cold air up and in the winter clockwise so it pulls all the hot air and pushes it down into the house. >> i'm sure a lot of people don't do that. these are programmable thermostats. how much are these going to cost us? >> about 65 bucks for one of these and they're going to save you about 50 bucks a month. they're a no-brainer. everybody should have a programmable thermostat in their house. >> they'll keep it cool while you're there but when you take off they ramp things down. >> when you're home in the morning, after school or after work, the house is nice and cool. when you're not there, you're saving yourself an energy bill. >> and people don't think about it. use your blinds and your shutters. >> close your blinds before you leave to work to keep the sun from warming up your house. it also protects if you have any leaks, having a good, solid shade or curtain is going to protect your house. >> stay cool, george. let's head over to meredith. >> lfrt, matt, thank you very much. what if you are not in your house and want to stay cool? some cool gadgets. good morning to you. we'll start with this cooling pad that actually goes right inside a hat. >> this is really neat. this is from a company called miracle and made for construction workers so they can stay cool in the heat. it's a gel you actually freeze overnight and it stays cool for about an hour so you can tuck it into your baseball cap which is great. if you want to go running, to your kid's baseball game, you can use it like 1,000 times. it's $17. >> if you're doing lawn work, do you recommend these bandannas. >> the cooling bandannas are amazing. a lot of people use these guys. basically put them in cold water for about two minutes and then put them on pressure points, so around your wrist, your neck, around your head and they keep you cool for basically the hold day because it distributes the coolness throughout your body so, again, really amazing. >> if you're heading to the beach, do what martha stewart does, this facial mist. >> they have this mist which you put in your cooler and it has aloe and rosemary and you instantly become cool. if you happen to get a sun burn, that's okay. they have a cooling gel with menthol. >> this is my favorite. this is the cool and serve square tray to keep your food cool when it's outside which is great. >> this is the best thing that ever happened to mom so they don't have to worry about their food going bad during picnics. it's made by pampered chef. you get these inserts and refrigerator freeze them overnight and they keep your food cool for about six hours outside. >> that's fan ttastic. >> it is fantastic and they come in mix and match. you can put eggs and all kinds of things, 15 different ways to serve. >> and the cool pillow. >> this is by magnaflex, one of the best to keep you cool,ed 100. >> robin, thank you very much. now upstairs to natalie. >> meredith, thank you. how do you keep the kids happy and cool in the summer sun? a toy expert for us at today's moms.com. a water slide type thing. >> exactly. "toy story" came out. a lot of fun, we have it shortened for the studio. water squirting through there and when they put aqua goggles on it's 3-d. >> the 2010 slip and slide version. >> very fun. exactly. we love super soaker. the rattle super soaker and this one. we can squirt. they're a lot of fun. parents, too. crayola color-fillz. a way kids can make their own mosaics, a color code to put in the model magic. a piece of artwork to hang up. >> and last but not least. >> these are cdi novelty fans. our kids are going to have all their favorite little characters on them. lights that light up inside. this is a lot of fun when they're sitting in bed, reading, take it to camp with them. adorable. >> let's turn it over to tamron hall. >> thank you, natalie. there's nothing better than an ice cold befrmg. the author of 101 blender drinks. good morning, kim. >> how are you? >> i'm better after having one of your drinks. >> a watermelon basil frappe made with fresh watermelon perfect for the summer. lime juice. a little bit of watermelon syrup you can buy online and the basil leaves. so a quick blending technique. you want to blend the ingredien ingredients. first without ice and then add a little bit of ice. this will actually keep the drink colder longer. >> i'll pour this while you move over to the next one. >> i have to warn you, you have to be a true chocolate narcissist to like this drink. >> and i am. >> chocolate syrup -- >> and you're big on syrup. >> i'm big on syrups, yes. chocolate ice cream, everything chocolate. oreos, brownies. 8:26 is your time now. 76 degrees. a nice break from the humidity. tom will have the forecast after the news. good morning, i'm eun yang. friday, june 25, 2010. in the news4 today, four police officers will be honors for stopping a gunman who opened fire at the pentagon. authorities say john patrick beldell walked up to the officers in march, shot and wounded two, before he was killed himself. deet fence department will award the officers with a medal of valor this morning. we'll take a break. weather and traffic when we come back. 78 in washington. climbing to mere 90. tomorrow, hot somewhere humid. then, perhaps, some storms around on sunday. jerry? >> tomorrow side of the capital bellway jammed, late accident, inner loop of the beltway, new hampshire avenue. news4 midday, a warning before the fourth of july. smenen? ♪ friday, june 25th, 2010. we have a terrific concert lined up for you. brooklyn-born singer maxwell on the plaza in just a moment. i'm meredith vieira along with matt lauer and natalie morales. al is standing by in rye, new hampshire. the weather has been a record setting week. we're going to check in with him just ahead. it's been a great week. >> it has been. >> we'll go back live to nev neverland ranch marking the one-year anniversary of michael jackson's death. jeff rossen will give us a tour again of what has changed over the year and take a look back at what's happened in the michael jackson legacy. all right. and can we say hello to one of the funniest guys around, kevin james is here this morning. all weeklong we've been talking to "grown ups" that features "snl" alum, chris rock, adam sandler, and this guy. you have worked with adam sandler before. had had you crossed paths with the others as well? >> all from the stand-up community and stuff like that. chris rock out of new york doing stand-up and we never really knew each other. so it was nice to meet him and great to hang out with him. what a great guy. >> you're all married with kids and i've been asking everybody the same question i'm asking now. at what point did you realize, like it or not, you are a grown up? >> what time is it now? it's something that's on going. and i don't want to completely grow up. i honestly don't. i love seeing myself and my kids and i want to kind of stay young that way as long as i can. but my wife, she takes care of the grown-up stuff. >> and there's a swing incident in the film. your character, you have to get on a tree, and i understand that was based on a true incident that happened with adam. >> yes. >> and how did you get that part? >> adam told us the story and we were all laughing at the story and then they turned to me, yeah, you're going to do that in the movie. i don't want to do it again. >> he said it's because your funny. >> that's a nice way of putting it when you say, hey, big man, go into the tree. i've heard that before. >> i bet you have. >> kevin, thank you. still on the air. and don't forget to check out the movie "grown ups" opening -- does it open today? it opens today. good for you. let's go up to new hampshire. al is there lending a hand. al? good morning. i'm meetologist tom kiernan. lower umty tt humanity that ca place overnight. lower humidity throughout the day, highs around 90, lots of sun, tomorrow, sunny, hotter, humid. small chance of afternoon storm. hot and humid sunday, into the mid 90s. small chance of afternoon storm. then likelihood of scattered afternoon thunderstorms monday, some of which could be severe. hot and humid, mid-90. and we're going to reveal our charity in a moment. i also want to revem the man responsible for our director joe michaels. this is peter flynn. he gave him his first job in radio. >> well, i'm pretty sure i did, j joe. >> there you go. he says hi. >> i remember you. it's your fault.d. all right. back to you guys. all right, al, thank you very much. and also from here on the plaza, maxwell live in concert. back now at 8:36 with the fifth and final stop on this year's "lend a hand today" tour, al's week of giving kicked off on monday. he was in san francisco. >> and then after bozeman, montana, des moines, iowa, and memphis, mr. roker is wrapping things up in rye, new hampshire. hey, al. that's right. and, meredith, our charity is one that is integral to the coastline here in rye, new hampshire. it's the sea coast science center. the ocean's mysteries captured our imaginations since the beginning of time. and on the coast of new hampshire the seacoast science center is working hard to educate children about the vital role oceans play in our lives. it's a place that changed the lives of cousins 12-year-old myra and 11-year-old nick. >> i've been coming since i was about, like, 2 or 3 years old here and i really, really loved it here and then i really wanted to learn more about it and see what i could do. >> while their friends are playing video games or hanging out at the mall, these two spend their time volunteering at seacoast. >> if you don't really learn, then you don't really grow, so it's important that when kids are young they can come here. >> each area is going to have different animals that can survive in that area. >> here at the center visiting students learn to appreciate nature as well as science in an environment that many of them have never been exposed to before. >> we are going to head outside. >> for these sixth graders the tide is low and that means the action is outside. it's time for tide pooling. >> if you start moving some of these rocks -- here we go. that's the shore crab. the mission is just to get them to appreciate what we have right here and respect it. you're teaching them about the ocean and a lot of them have never really been to the ocean. >> it's a her and she has eggs. >> we have a load of eggs. >> along this rocky coast, these kids discover the world of science. >> it's fun and i enjoy being with wild stuff. >> and gain knowledge they'll take with them. >> i learned about the different sea creatures i didn't know about. >> the staff at seacoast say their work is especially important today with vivid images of the gulf oil spill fresh in our minds. >> i think the crisis in the gulf has really increased people's awareness of the fragility of the marine environment and we need to be really thoughtful about our actions. >> i found another shark. >> an awareness that will influence the decisions kids like nick and maya will make throughout their lives. >> it's really what i love so it's really important to have this here. >> i found a little baby. >> we focus on the children and what happens with them. that's what's really going to turn them into not just si scientists and technicians. it gives you the respect for other living creatures and helps you realize that we are part of a large ecosystem. >> all right. here we go. for the seacoast science center, let's open up the penske trucks and show you what we've got starting off with $80,000 from national geographic with copies of nat geo, $30,000 from united airlines. they're giving 200,000 miles each day. you can logon todayshow.com and see how that works. $22,000 from discovery channel, discovery kids, of books and myth buster kits. dry erasers, dry erase markers donated $20,000 worth of markers. scuba pro bringing $14,000 worth of equipment, dive suits and equipment. columbia sportswear, $13,000 worth of outer wear and rain wear. td bank giving you over $13,000 worth of kayaks, and personal flotation devices. specialized equipment for your exhibits. hasbro more than $10,000 worth of toys. b.j.'s warehouse donating $10,000 gift card for all sorts of computer equipment. $10,000 cash from cumberland farms and gulf oil companies. $10,000 worth of honest tea drinks for all the thirst that you work up. $10,000 worth of kenmore appliances from sears. $10,000 from random house celebrating the 50th anniversary of dr. seuss' one fish, two fish. donating three years of storage space. garnett hills $10,000 worth of backpacks to outfit the kids. a $10,000 donation to you guys. $10,000 cash donation yesterday and today. johnson outdoors, ocean kayak and old town canoe. backpack bagels and cakes from sara lee. storage sheds and tools. interstate donating batteries for you. i want to thank dyson for helping the science center stay clean. giving you sea salt. petco is donating fish food for you. glidden paint donating water color kits. aqua sports in rye will provide scuba equipment setup for you and -- open this up -- yamaha atv, the yamaha grizzly 700, they're going to donate that. and also we'll have more from the center. we're going to talk to wendy and jim from the seacoast science center and tell you how they're going to use all this stuff. day five "lend a hand today" rolls on. >> way to go, al. >> fantastic. >> nice job as always. we'll check back with him in a little while. also, we're going to go back to neverland. up next grammy winner maxwell live on the plaza. 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. >> announcer: the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. toyota, moving forward. the sexy ambassador of soul performing his grammy winning single "pretty ladies," ladies and gentlemen, maxwell. ♪ oh, baby oh, oh ♪ ♪ oh ♪ time will bring no fear ♪ they will remember me ♪ your face is the reason i smile ♪ ♪ i see and i hope you feel the same ♪ ♪ baby, girl my affection ♪ ♪ pretty girl ♪ pretty angel baby ♪ ♪ i came on you were mine ♪ ♪ baby, i'm sorry i told you lies ♪ ♪ not about the times ♪ i should have told you better times, better days ♪ ♪ and i miss you more and more ♪ pretty angel ♪ pretty pretty ♪ ♪ ♪ pretty angel ♪ pretty ♪ i can hold you ♪ i don't want to have nobody else ♪ >> maxwell absolutely amazing. ♪ my fistful of tears "black summer's night" won the grammy. once again, maxwell. >> how are you all doing out there? ♪ maybe crazy ♪ if anything should change don't worry i'm moving to make you believe you lost ♪ ♪ will you forgive me ♪ keeps you down will you forgive me ♪ ♪ girl, i know your name ♪ i feel you and i'm going to stand here moet turning my world around ♪ ♪ will you forgive me ♪ taking it might not be right ♪ ooh ♪ a little more love ♪ ♪ i can't control the feeling ♪ i can't control the feeling ♪ i can't control the feeling ♪ i can't control the feeling 8:55 is your time on friday, june 25, 2010. good morning, i'm eun yang. wizards fans have something to look forward to. the team selected john wall out of kentucky with the top overall in the draft. the team pulled off a trade that will bring chicago bulls guard kirk hinrich to washington. metro's board approved a plan to put retailers inside its busiest rail stations. this fall, dvd rental machines will be up and running at 13 stations. tickets for old town trolley tours sold inside the smithsonian station. the deals are expected to bring in nearly $1 million over the next 8 years. we're going to take a break. weather and traffic when we come back. stay wit good morning, lower humidty in place. great pool and beach weather today, highs around 90. and the humidity will increase a little bit tomorrow but gets high sunday, hot and humid sunday, mid 90s. slight chance of afternoon thunder shower shower and then sunday. >> no such thing as easy friday morning commute. inner loop and ut outer loop in maryland jammed. an accident 395 northbound at the pentagon. jam up begins at the beltway. a warning before the fourth of july. an important fireworks safety reminder, that's coming up on news4 midday at 11:00. see you then. ♪ say oh, yeah ♪ i love you, new york ♪ because i'm from brooklyn ♪ we are back with more of "today," a friday morning, the 25th day of june, 2010. fans just enjoying a great show from maxwell who is performing out on the plaza. can i try those glasses on just for a second? can i see those? those are the best. i love -- you're right, they're a little tough to see out of. first of all, welcome. it's good to have you here. >> thank you for having me. >> you took a hiatus, like eight years between albums. you're back now and according to some of the people who drove -- one lady from chicago overnight to get here -- they're really happy you're back. it must be real nice. >> thank you so much for not forgetting about me. thank you for having me on the show. i can't believe this is happening in my life. i can't even believe it. >> i asked aretha franklin to name one new artist that she adores, would love to perform with. she said maxwell and then she went on like the other ladies and said, he is so fine. that was the queen of soul giving you that compliment. >> oh, my god. let me tell you, let me tell you, so different than in high school. this is not what happened. >> we understand that. >> you know what i mean. >> so your songs are about love and life and relationships and how much of it is kind of auto biographical? >> it's pretty much autobiographical. it's sad it takes a heartbreak and a hard experience to kind of bring the kind of music people want. sometimes that's what life is in terms of this process. i'm happy to be bruised for everybody else. >> was it intimidating to come back? were you worried not knowing if these wonderful ladies and gentlemen would be there for you? >> you know what, i never take anything for granted. for me it's all about the music. i'm blessed because i have an incredible band. i work with the greatest people in music. for me every time i have to get out here, i can do anything i need to with this behind me. >> so are you going to promise us you're not going to take another eight-year hiatus, are you. >> i promise i will be consi consistently in your face for the next seven years. >> will you come back and see us? >> i'd love to. >> great show. >> i'll try not to be as sweaty. >> it's hot out here. you put on a great show. ladies and gentlemen, maxwell. i know they'd love to shake your hand if you don't mind. can you do that? thanks, maxwell. >> going to sell your sweat on ebay. out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with tamron hall. natalie is in at the news desk. al is in new hampshire where he is lending a hand today. first of all we just, you know, applauded maxwell. just take a second to applaud you and your staff and your team for all the great work on "lend a hand." way to go. well, thank you very much, matt and tamron. thank you. we're inside right now our last charity, the seacoast science center. this is the touch tank where educators can kind of help reinforce the rocky shores program that they have that goes on just outside these doors. we're going to talk some more, have some more things to get to in just a little bit. back to you guys in new york. love maxwell. ing to have more on the 're one-year anniversary of the death of michael jackson. we're going to have a live tour of neverland and talk about how his kids are doing, hear from his mom for the first time. >> and we're also looking at healthy eating. it can be expensive if you want fresh fruits or maybe even organic. when to splurge and when to still provide something healthy for the family. >> lots to get to. natalie is standing by at the news desk with all the headlines. od morning to you.tt and this morning congressional negotiators reached a deal on a sweeping overhaul of wall street rules and banking regulations. president obama is praising that deal saying it establishes the toughest consumer financial protections in u.s. history. lawmakers hope to have it on his desk by the fourth of july. meantime, republicans blocked a bill that would have extended unemployment benefits for people out of work for more than six months. opponents said it would have meant higher taxes and would have added to the national debt. there's a state of emergency today in connecticut's largest city after violent and destructive storms tore through parts of the northeast on thursday. winds reaching 78 miles an hour destroyed buildings and toppled trees and power lines in bridgeport where the damage is in the millions of dollars. philadelphia was also slammed by high winds and torrential rain. no serious injuries have been reported fortunately in either city. it has been three weeks now since 7-year-old kyron horman was last seen at his school in portland, oregon, and his family has released home video showing kyron singing with his classmates and presenting a project at school as well as hundreds of other photos in the hopes someone knows where he is. his mother spoke with meredith. >> well, we're hoping that people will see these videos and see expressions that he has and the way that he carries himself and things that he says and maybe that will help that one tip, that one person come forward and bring him home. he has this great smile that everybody has become familiar with. he has a belly laugh that makes you want to laugh with him. he's got a great sense of humor and he's a lot of fun to be arou around. he's just really intelligent and timid and shy at the same time but just a really great kid to have. >> police have so far received almost 3,000 tips but no sign of kyron horman. a quarter mile stretch of pensacola beach in florida is now closed after thick pools of oil washed up on wednesday and thursday. it's the first beach in florida to be closed by the bp oil spill in the gulf of mexico. the marathon man was back in action today at wimbledon but lost. it came one day after john isner won the longest tennis match ever beat iing nicolas mahut in five sets, played over three days, 183 games, more than 11 hours of play. he lost today to a player from the netherlands. too bad. it is now six minutes past the hour. back outside once again to matt and tamron. >> all right, natalie, thank you very much. do you want to take us out to mr. roker? >> to rye where he's having another good time. the weather pretty good and i love that science center there. that's pretty awesome. good morning. we' we'vehad the lower humidity moving in overnight and a fresh northwesterly breeze on friday morning. highs around 90, with lower humidity. more humid tomorrow. hotter with sunshine. and a small chance of a thunderstorm. sunday, hot and humid 90s. small chance of afternoon storm. hot and humid monday. highs mid 90s. storms likely during afternoon and evening. some could be severe monday. and natalie? >> all right. thank you, al. millions of fans around the world were shocked when the king of pop, michael jackson, died suddenly at the age of 50. it's been one year and there are still so many questions surrounding his death. nbc's jeff rossen is at jackson's neverland ranch with the exclusive information about the doctor charged in connection with the case and the latest on jack sob's three young children. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: hey, natalie, good morning to you. coming to you from the main house on the property this is where michael jackson lived for 20 years of his life from 1985 all the way until 2005. he called this really his only home in his adult life and we're going to show you around including michael jackson's secret bedroom closet. we'll show you all of that in just a moment. as you mentioned, natalie, on this one-year anniversary we begin with exclusive new information on michael's three kids and the latest into the information of his death. today the michael jackson empire is bigger than ever. ♪ >> reporter: the movie "this is it" grossed $260 million. in just the past year his estate brought in $780 million. michael's kids won't ever have to worry about money, heirs to the king of pop. paris, prince, and blanket are settling into a more normal life. rarely seen when their father was alive, these days they're spotted all over l.a. attending karate class, walking the streets of universal studios, and spending time with relatives at the jackson family compound. their 80-year-old grandmother, katheri katherine, has custody and has remained silent until now speaking for the first time since her son's death in a new interview licensed by "dateline" nbc. >> paris can pick out any song that she wants to and especially her daddy's songs. prince has a lot of talent, also. he's very talented with the camera and with electronics. he wants to be a cameraman and he wants to write movies. and blanket, he loves to sing and plays with his toys most of the time. he's very young yet. but he can carry a tune very well and he has rhythm. and he can dance. >> reporter: just like his dad. singing and dancing from the time he was a toddler until his final days. no one ever lived like michael jackson. ♪ >> shocking news from los angeles tonight -- >> reporter: and no one ever died like michael jackson. >> mourners are streaming by his star on the hollywood walk of fame. >> and i just want to say i love him so much. >> the pop star's death has been labelled a homicide. >> reporter: dr. conrad murray is now charged with involuntary manslaughter. prosecutors say he administered a lethal dose of propofol to jackson just before he died. dr. murray proclaimed his innocence in a youtube video. >> i told the truth and i have faith the truth will prevail. >> reporter: now, for the first time, his medical assistant, who was involved in jackson's treatment, is opening up in an exclusive interview. >> he would never intentionally harm a person. this man is the kindest, most gentlest human being you could ever, ever imagine. >> reporter: if dr. murray wasn't responsible for michael jackson's death, who was? >> the addict. >> reporter: michael jackson? >> absolutely. addicts are very good at getting medications and hiding medications. >> reporter: how could he not know that as his doctor? >> i didn't know that. if you're not told -- if your patient does not tell you, divulge all their medical information to you, how are you going to know that? >> reporter: so you're saying maybe he wouldn't have used certain drugs on him if he had known that he was on other drugs? >> i'm saying maybe he wouldn't have taken the job. >> reporter: is he scared? >> i don't think so. >> reporter: he's not scared of losing his license? he's not scared of going to jail? >> he did nothing wrong. >> reporter: to this day, she says dr. murray still considers michael jackson a friend. >> i can tell you that he misses his friend. he misses his friend dearly. he worries about the children. he thinks of them often. he loves the children very, very much. >> reporter: and speaking of michael's kids, prince, paris and blanket, they're actually going to be part owners, in a way. they have a stake in neverland ranch. it's a partnership right now between a private equity group called colony capital and the jackson estate. they're in a partnership for ownership here. right now we're in michael jackson's bedroom where he lived for 20 years of his life. it's fairly large, of course, as you'd expect. fireplace and beautiful windows with the landscape and the pond and the lake out back. and i want to show you his bathroom as well. when we go house shopping anywhere you look at the bathroom, right? here is michael jackson's bathroom. single vanity with a beautiful, beautiful marble granite counter top, a nice deep tub here. there's a lot of closet space. one thing that's been talked about a lot, that got a lot of attention in 2005 during the child molestation case, was a secret closet. and, by the way, we're inside michael jackson's bedroom closet here where he kept his clothes. this is the secret closet. it was designed as a panic room back when the house was made. but he would come in here and keep his memorabilia here as well. prosecutors, and we can start walking out here, would often -- it's very hot in there actually -- would peek through there wondering what exactly was happening there. so that was a big part of the case. but michael jackson's secret bedroom hideaway here in the neverland ranch, natalie. we have a lot coming up. for now back to you. >> jeff rossen, looking forward to seeing more from neverland. and we're going to get more of an up close and personal tour inside the home there as jeff pointed out where jackson spent so much of his time. we're going to show you the table where he often sat to look out at his animals on the ranch and the majestic kitchen and a look outside at the nearly 3,000-acre property. and with all you hear about childhood obesity, i was concerned. now i take a more active role in their health like insisting on lots of play time and making sure they eat right. like when i make burgers i use lean jennie-o ground turkey. i'm proud i got them off the couch. well, sort of. anncr: be well... with all the great tasting ways to eat lighter. only from jennie-o. 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. 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( talking excitedly ) now we put in exactly 6 cups. help me pour. perfect. now we can pour it in the bowl. try doing it this way. ♪ everybody likes a little taste... girls: mmmmm. of independence. pat it down. alright, here you go. oh, that's so good. ♪ happy 4th of july. and we're back now with more on this one-year anniversary of michael jackson's death. nbc's jeff rossen is is at jackson's neverland ranch ready to give us more of that tour inside and outside the massive property. good morning again. >> reporter: hey, natalie. we've switched locations. we were in michael's bedroom on the other side of that house. that bedroom is two stories, it's two floors. we've now relocated here to the kitchen area and you can see what a beautiful, majestic kitchen it was. this is where michael jackson actually spent a lot of his time. they kept his original deep fryer. he loved fried chicken so much, they felt it was a relic and made sure not to get rid of it. this is a counter top. michael jackson, we're told, would sit right here up on the counter top. there was a tv mounted. he watched a lot of television. whenever he was here in the house, there would always be a fire burning. he was a huge fan of keeping a fire going in the fireplace as well. and so he loved the kitchen area. and you can't blame him because just outside of the kitchen area as we walk outside, look at this. this is a 3,000-acre property, neverland is. and this is just part of it. you can see this is a four-acre great lawn out this way. if you look over here, this rooftop area is a barbecue area. basically the mother of all barbecues. we're all jealous of this. he would entertain often a lot right here. there's a sunken in tennis court just beyond the barbecue area. also a pool over there as well. several pools on the property. and there are also lakes and ponds, 3,000 acres, as i mentioned. natalie, this cost millions of dollars a year to maintain. when michael jackson lived here between 1985 and 2005, there were 120 employees. now they're down to 30. and the future of it is unclear. katherine jackson has said, though, she doesn't want it sold. she wants to keep it in the family. natalie? >> it's a fascinating place indeed. jeff rossen, thanks so much for sharing it with us. and tonight we're going to have much more on the king of pop including an exclusive interview with michael's mother, katherine jackson, in her only interview about her son's death on a special "dateline." coming up, how to save money when it comes to feeding your family. we're going to show you healthy and inexpensive options. gressiv. do you guys insure airstreams? yep. everything from travel trailers to mega motor homes. and when your rv is covered, so is your pet. perfect. who wants a picture with flo? i do! i do! do you mind? got to make sure this is -- oh. uh... okay. everybody say "awkward." protecting your family fun. now, that's progressive. call or click today. whoa! do you know what our favorite part of shooting hoops is? 3...2...1... overtime! ♪ ♪ we're the kids in america ♪ oh, oh, oh ♪ we're the kids in america vegetables are naturally low in calories. v8 juice gives you 3 of your 5 daily servings. it's a tasty, nutritious way to make this number go up... and help this one go down. v8. what's your number? was good for it, too? aveeno introduces nourish + style, the first line of styling products with active naturals wheat to fortify while you style for a healthy hold that lasts more than 12 hours. new aveeno nourish + style. we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned a ski trip twice as fast. we get double miles every time we use our card. 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( crashing ) double miles add up quick. and all of those. so we brought the whole gang. one adult, one goat please. 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. what's in your wallet? oh, poor baby. al is on day five of his "lend a hand tour." >> he's in new hampshire this morning. hey, al. hey, guys. we've had perfect weather here and of course this is celtics territory, the boston celtics. and joining us is the former boston celtics player. we have celtics dancers, ashley and allison. and lucky the team mascot. and you guys are doing something very nice for the phoenix folks here at the seacoast science center. >> we're giving away two suite nights, 21 seats in each suite, over 40 seats. we don't have many available at the it td bank so this is a great package for those who do such great things for the kids. >> we send our condolences. you fought a good fight. sorry you lost this time. >> it was tough. as a unit, as a group, as an organization we don't even discuss it. >> okay. >> we move on. we keep it moving. >> that's such a great gift. people would flip over that, wouldn't they, lucky? wow. and we'll have more from rye, new hampshire, on "today." ♪ [ male announcer ] you can get a lot of water where you least expect it. like in here. this detergent has this much cleaning ingredients. the rest is water. but with tide, you get more cleaning ingredients -- more than twice as much. ♪ so that you get an outstanding tide clean. ♪ tide. you pay for detergent. you get more detergent. would you like that to hurt now or later? uh-- what? (announcer) pepcid® complete doesn't make you choose. it neutralizes acid in seconds and controls heartburn all day or all night. pepcid® complete , works now and works later. 9:26 is your time now. 81 degrees. a refreshing relief from all 0 the humidity. tom will have the forecast after the news. good morning, i'm eun yang. friday june 25, 2010. in the news a scare on the road for a virginia woman. she was driving on the beltway when a piece of concrete came falling from above. crews are doing work on the overpass of the little river turnpike pvdot typically closes lanes. they are investigating the incidental. we'll take a break. good morning, your four-day forecast. lower humidity. highs around 90, with lots of sun. tomorrow hotter, humid and sunny. small chance of afternoon storm. small chance of storm sunday. >> take a live look at this hour. still very tough along 395. a couple of problems, right now lanes are open but delays from the beltway to the 14th street bridge. maryland settling down. lanes open between kol list park and silver spring. >> coming up news4 midday a warning before the fourth of july. and an important fireworks safety reminder 11:00. see you then. look, i'm here to warn you, if your kind come on our land again. >> you should leave now. >> she has a right to know. she is the one the redhead wants. >> that is heartthrob werewolf taylor lautner trying to protect the woman he loves in the hugely popular "twilight" series and he'll be here to tell us all about it monday on "today." a lot of screaming young ladies will be outside as well. i'm natalie morales along with tamron hall and lester holt. al wrapping things up in his hugely successful "lend a hand" journey in new hampshire, al. hey, thanks a lot, nat. we are so thrilled for the sea coast science center able to donate $485,000 worth of goods and services to them. they're here in rye, new hampshire. it's a terrific organization. and, in fact, they couldn't wait to get their kayaks and put them in the water and use them. they're already out there having a good time kayaking. i tell you -- there they are giving us the big wave. very nice. so we have more from here in rye, new hampshire, and the seacoast science center. when we arrived the big penske truck into the sun rise. >> a beautiful day kayaking. thank you, al. also coming up, feeding your family healthy meals can be pricey if you're switching from processed food to fresh or organic. as you make the grocery list, we'll show you where to save and where you can splurge when it comes to buying healthy foods. and we'll have one more song from soulful crooner and lester's competition maxwell when it comes to dancing. you might outdance him. i've seen you dance. >> i think he took a few of my moves. i'm just saying. >> the splits. lester and james brown invented the split. >> listen, he perfected it. it's all good, maxwell. >> i can't wait to see that move. you're going to do it this weekend. >> i might hurt something i need. >> tell us what you have coming up, though. this weekend we'll be checking in with our folks in south africa as the u.s. advances to the second round of the world cup. we'll find out if the u.s. can continue their historic cinderella story. >> ghana today. >> and then "today goes on tour." amy, jenna and i find out what life is like with harry connick jr. >> tough assignment. >> remember miss ellie and the bulld bulldog? winners of the ugliest dog contest. a new ugly dog will be crowned this weekend and we will meet the winner. i use the term winner loosely here. >> crazy eyes. >> so ugly they're cute. >> we'll have that dog here on monday as well. thank you, lester. let's head back to rye, new hampshire, and check in with good morning. here we've got the lower humidity that's moved in overnight. at this hour, temperatures near 80 degrees. with the bright sunshine and a blue sky, we're certainly welcoming this break from our torrid heat wave that we've had this week. highs today back up around 90, but it will be a dry heat, with lots of sun. tonight, down into the 80s through the evening, low 70s tomorrow morning. we'll have a little more humid, little hotter saturday, sunshine. small chance of storm. hot and humid sunday. natalie, tamron, lester, back to you guys. >> bring a woman to tears everywhere you go. >> that was great. all weeklong has been great. up next, if you think eating healthy is too expensive, where to save, where to splurge when it comes to feeding your family after this. ♪ this is onstar. i've received a signal you've been in a crash. i'll contact emergency services. but look below the surface. your mouth is no different. just brushing leaves germs behind. adding listerine® antiseptic cleans deeper. 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[squeaking] don't take the trip. or even buy the camper... without blueprint from chase. create a plan to pay off large purchases... and save money on interest. does your credit card have blueprint? design your plan at 866 blueprint. 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. only aveeno daily moisturizing lotion has an active naturals oat formula proven to improve skin's health in one day, with significant improvement in 2 weeks. save $10 on all your aveeno favorites at aveeno.com. >> announcer: today's be well, be healthy is brought to you by cheerios. 100% natural whole grain oats and one single gram of sugar per serving. it can help you have healthy weight. ♪ i do believe i'm feeling stronger every day ♪ this morning when to save and when to splurge. eating healthy can be expensive but it doesn't have to be if you spend wisely. madeline is here to help you stretch your dollar. good morning. we have every food group here so let's get started first with protein and chicken which is a staple of many diets. you have chicken breast and chicken thighs. so what should you splurge on? >> you want to save when it comes to chicken. you will save 50% of the cost if you go with boneless chicken thhs instead of white meat. it it's flavorful and cooks the same way and is much less costly. you don't need to indulge. >> fat content is the same? >> the flavor is more intense but people can use it in any recipe. >> now with eggs, a lot of times you see cage free. is it really necessary then to buy the eggs that way? >> eggs you want to be able to save on. it's the best source of protein. they're very economical. you can use them everywhere. it's not necessary to get cage free, free range eggs because the cost can be three times more than a regular dozen eggs. >> and cage free, free range is not -- it's sort of misleading as a label. >> it can be misleading as a label. we envision them out scratching in a barnyard but they could be on a cement patio only for part of the day. it's not what you really imagine. stick with regular eggs. >> okay. and then over here organic milk and you say this is where you should splurge. >> you want to splurge on organic milk, no hormones, no antibiotics, the flavor and taste are better, more acceptable for kids and especially the skim milk versions are really tasty. >> another splurge worthy item you say is grass fed beef. >> you look at grass fed beef. sometimes things look similar but it's leaner. it's much leaner, lower in fat, and also something the flavor is so much better that you're usually going to eat less because, remember, the cows are eating grass. that's what nature intended so all of the healthy fats, all the nutrients that are in beef that you're going to be eating are going to be topnotch. going to be very different when they're fed corn. so indulge and get grass fed beef. >> on to produce, frozen fruits and vegetables cheaper but are they as healthy as buying the fresh thing? >> it is always better to get some fresh produce but when you can't, you really can save on the frozen varieties. they are just as nutritious and actually have a lot less waste because you can use what you want and put the rest back in the freezer. if you buy a head of broccoli and can't use it, sometimes you wind up throwing out a lot. go fresh when you can but frozen is an equally nutritional substitute. >> if you do buy fresh, buy the bagged fruits? >> sometimes people steer away from the bagged fruits. there are great savings. they're about half the price of buying these giant fruits and good portion control sometimes. people say they're a little blemished but they're perfectly fine. a good savings and a good way to go. >> dried fruits, i imagine, of course, instead of buying the little individual sooized boxes here buying in bulk. >> buying in bulk, bag them yourself. >> now fresh fruit versus the organic fruit. when is it really worth it? thick-skinned fruits and the thin skinned fruits. >> it's always important to have fruit. the thick-skinned ones you can pass on because you're peeling it off. and thin skinned things, berries, grapes, or actually fruits you eat a lot like apples or pears, try to get organic. if you can regular fruit is better. that's where you want to splurge. >> thin skinned with less pesticides. over here we have the bagged grains and whole grains here and breads. you say these are areas if you're going to buy the grains, buy in bulk. >> try in bulk in a larger size. they don't go bad. you can keep them around forever. whole grain bread, indulge in a seven-grain bread, chewy, delicious, filled with fiber and a good choice. >> madeline, great information as always. thanks so much. more on our website todayshow.com. still one more song from maxwell. oller derby for the last three years, i'm more brash, more confident and i love this. can i use my hands? is that alright? i take good care of my body and i do it so i can do this. 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[ humming ] this is my ice cream dance. ooo, peanut butter. ♪ [ male announcer ] what are you gonna miss when you have an allergy attack? benadryl® is more effective than claritin® at relieving your worst symptoms and works when you need it most. benadryl®. you can't pause life. it's time to say good-bye after al's amazing week of charitable giving. >> a record breaker, just a fan tas it particular job. >> thanks a lot, guys. today alone we gave out $485,000 for the seacoast science museum. our total was more than $4.3 million worth of charitable giving. take a look at the bougttom of your screen. these are companies that provided promotional consideration for the week. and that allows all these charities to continue their missions. we also want to thank the folks at the "today" show who made this possible. jim bell, don nash, deedee thomas, ian winger, see celia, sarah, michelle leoni, aaron reynolds, grace, jim perez, and megan. it has been our honor to help all of these groups and all of these charities do what they did. and next year we're going to make it even bigger for our tenth year of "lend a hand today." guys, have a great weekend. i'm driving the big penske truck back to new york. we'll see you there. don't forget, everybody, do what you can to lend a hand today. have a great weekend. >> great work. congratulations to everybody. well done. fantastic. >> great teamwork all the way around. >> coming up next, we have one more song from maxwell. we're still not done yet. still to come, the results of our instant ambush makeovers for two lucky ladies in our crowd. >> first grammy winner crooner maxwell from his debut cd. maxwell with "ascension." ♪ if you don't know then i say don't ever wonder ♪ ♪ oh ♪ ♪ in the morning when you were with me ♪ ♪ you were like me ♪ not a fantasy ♪ baby ♪ this feeling inside, yeah ♪ you made me feel good and feel nice and feel lovely ♪ ♪ baby, paradise ♪ come on ♪ i feel like you're the hottest and you know it ♪ ♪ oh, baby ♪ if you don't know then i'll say it ♪ ♪ so don't ever wonder ♪ don't ever wonder ♪ take it to you sweet baby because i know in my life without you here by my side ♪ ♪ snoelt all the ladies in the house right now ♪ ♪ this feeling in my life ♪ i feel like you're the hottest love in life ♪ ♪ if you don't know don't ever wonder ♪ ♪ don't ever wonder ♪ you're the girl and if you don't know don't ever wonder ♪ ♪ don't ever wonder oh, yeah say oh, yeah ♪ i love you, new york, because i'm from brooklyn. ♪ this morning maxwell got the day off to a hot start. next friday maroon five live on the plaza. and coming july 9th, lady gaga. it even looks cooler outside this morning. a respite from the extreme in today's forecast. good morning, 9:56. i'm aaron gilchrist. in the news today, four police officers will be honored for stopping a gunman who opened fire at the pentagon. authorities say john patrick bedell walked up to the officers outside the metro station in march and shot and wounded two of them, before he was killed. the defense department will award the pentagon officers with the medal of valor later this morning. all right. let's check the forecast with meteorologist tom kiernan. >> we've seen the humidity dropping overnight, and that is a welcome change from yesterday's torrid heat and humidity. today's highs around 90. but it will be a dry heat, sun and tomorrow, hotter, more humid, small chance of afternoon storm. hot and humid sunday, into the mid 90s, and a small chance of afternoon storm. likelihood of scattered storms monday, some may be severe. before that into the mid 90s. >> take a live look at this hour. still dealing with delays because of abeltway crash on the inner loop of the beltway near route 193 in virginia. a mile and a half of backed up traffic because of it. one more stop, 270, northbound and southbound moving nicely, cleared out for the morning rush hour. travel lanes are open there. >> coming up on news4 midday a warning before the fourth of july. an important fireworks safety reminder, coming up on news4 midday at 11:00. back to the "today show" in new york. from nbc news, this is "today." with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody. it is friday, dry day around here because we always get ready for the big weekend. it's june 25th. what a big weekend we're going to have. >> if you are in love with tennis, this has definitely been your last few days and your weekend ahead. >> i wasn't thinking about that. i'm thinking girls weekend. she's all crazed about the tennis. >> because part of the reason you get into the tennis frenzy here is because just outside they've set up a tennis court. >> i know, it's fabulous. >> and a humg big-screen tv so you can actually watch the match. and they give away which no one gives anything away -- >> for free. >> -- ever for free. they give away strawberries and cream in this line and there's a person that gives it away to you. >> it's been traditional wimbledon since 1877. i'm not going to make any jokes about that. >> it puts you in the mood. >> that's heavy cream. >> even if you're not a tennis fan, there's something about wimbledon. >> they use 48% butter fat double cream, so it's not whipped cream. >> what is it? >> you're not going to have it? >> huh-uh. that's for you. good. >> wow, delicious. so come on down. and i'll spit on you. sorry. but there's another reason we're talking about this. and that is that we're going to be preempted monday, tuesday and wednesday of next week for wimbledon. >> right. >> so make sure you watch it here on nbc. >> make sure you come back promptly on thursday because we'll be waiting for you when we get back. >> that's exactly right. >> this weekend we're going to be quite busy. >> i don't know. this is one of those things have you ever said let's do this, let's do that and then everybody actually says okay. >> got it. >> pick it out for me, hoda. >> gross. you already got it. >> so we're all going to go up to our place in nantucket. it's called single ladies weekend. all the single ladies. >> we'll tell you all about that. >> men do get away, too. >> mancations. >> "wall street journal" says guys getting away together is on the rise. >> testosterone. >> it's a way for guys to get away, too, and they do all sorts of adventure vacations, right? >> well, we hope that's what they're doing. >> if frank wanted to go on a mancation -- >> he does. he's got a friend named tucker who loves to play for the giants. cody, what is it you guys hunt when you do that? >> wild boars and turkeys. >> let's just look at this image. >> if that ain't a ralph lauren ad. we are going to be playing a little polo later. cody, want to say hello to the guys? >> cool guys. i met them already. >> maybe you need a mancation. >> i was just waiting that, a little mancation. >> we're going to get a polo lesson. we're going to learn apparently how to play polo from the hottest polo player around. >> let's be honest, eye candy. >> that, too. >> we'll see you in a little bit. this is kind of a cool thing. if you're in new york, there's a neat art exhibitish thing set up where people are putting pianos out in various locations on streets of new york. and you can sit and play. >> she happens to be excellent. >> they have a couple at lincoln center. they're spread out around the city. the idea is any joe shmoe can play and then they'll be donated to charity. >> do you have any regrets? >> real ones? >> besides our first two marriages. >> yeah. >> my biggest one is giving up piano when i was a kid. giving it up because i thought cheerleading was more important. >> did your mom make you? >> they wanted me to and encouraged me to. i can't play anything. cody and cass, same thing. they gave it up. >> i love listening to people play the piano. it's such a beautiful thing. >> it's something you can keep with you for the rest of your life. >> i'm sort of in the mood to figure out -- because bobbie -- hello, darling. >> i didn't get the memo. >> well, polo today, darling. >> you have to wear the white jeans for polo. >> i'd love to swap. i'm so excited because this week this is really what makes my day when it comes to doing buzz segments, finding things that you don't ever need another. this is called via chic. it's a bag. we're starting our clock. >> yes, we are. >> i freaked out for this idea. it's via chic. it's a bag form that you buy and it's brand new. it's launching for a special price. but you basically take any scarf or fabric you have and tuck in the fabric. >> you make it your own. sonny is going to go crazy for this. >> you fold this liner in. and the magnets secure. the magnets are really strong. they secure it in place. and then you'll see a neat one that i did because i only have a minute. >> look at that. that's genius. >> the gucci scarf with the two gucci bags on it. and you can swap out the handle. the most amazing bag. and a bag like this is worthy of a pair of shoes you can match with anything. right here plateaus, you buy the shoe base, and they have hooks. it's a ribbon. you buy the shoe base and you put any ribbon or fabric you want through it. >> so it matches your outfit. >> these are the only sandals you buy all summer, platoes, that's all you need. >> are you going to nantucket this weekend? >> maybe. you said pack light. >> pack light, that's right. thank you, bobbie. she's too cute. gorgeous. how about you and i just go off and have a girlcation. because we're going to be preempted the three days, we wanted to introduce you to our "everyone has a story" winner. ♪ everyone has a moment >> let's pause for a moment, shall we? it's julie blair from dallas, texas. this is an incredible story. we love her letter. julie and her mother were separated when she was 5. both of them had unbelievable challenges. julie was homeless for a while. but in 2001 she found her mother. she tracked her down. and in 2003 they finally met face to face for the first time in 25 years. so julie spent nine years trying to rebuild this fractured relationship. >> are they both coming, mother and daughter? >> i believe they are. she recently has convinced her mother to move to dallas. she's having health issues, and julie wants to take care of her. >> is julie on the phone? >> julie, are you there? >> yes. >> are you crying, sweetie? >> oh, yeah. >> aww. so you wanted to tell this story because you believe that we all go through difficult times so we can then inspire other people, hope. that because if you made it, other people can, too. is that what you're trying to say? >> well, absolutely that and then, of course, too, this was something i wanted to do for my mom's 50th birthday. you know, we've never gone on a vacation together. we've never really celebrated our birthdays together. and, you know, i just wanted to do something to -- just something that would bless her and just help her heal and together, you know, we've gone through the whole process of forgiveness and just help other people see that your life doesn't have to start when you're the football star in high school. it can start when you're 60. >> that's a great message. >> julie, we're so excited to meet you and your mom. you sound like such terrific people. >> you have a safe trip to new york and we'll see you next week, okay? >> thank you. >> thank you, sweetheart. hello, miss sara. how are you? >> i have something kind of cool to tell you about. the "today" show is doing something with force wear. it's the social network where you check in with places. >> it's also the church, the four square. >> that was the other mention i was going to make. you can check in like when you get to a place, you literally check in and you can earn badges. we've partnered with four square so when you check in on our plaza, there's three different badges we have. everyone's trying to get the al roker badge. >> what do you win at the end? >> that i don't think i can -- >> it's a secret. she can't divulge that, okay? >> i'm trying to stay in the lingo. >> okay. >> if you go out there and check in, it's really cool because there are these badges and eventually that can lead to badges. >> sara, may i ask a question? >> yes. >> have you packed your thong for the weekend? >> i don't go home without it. >> all right. is it getting hot in here? >> yeah, we've got a double dose of steaminess, all right? we're going to talk to a wonderful, terrific actor who is -- where is he? >> dennis hayesberg. first, these messages. ean f 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. no, it's just for new people. hey ! chocolate, 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[ male announcer ] it's simple, love your heart so you can do what you love. what do you love? see how cheerios can help you do it. what do you love? kiss those lines goodbye! bye bye! discover new juvéderm® xc, the smooth gel filler your doctors uses to instantly smooth out those parentheses lines around your nose and mouth for up to a year! temporary side effects include redness, pain, firmness, swelling, bumps or risk of infection. lose those lines! the way you look with new juvéderm® xc... might just change the way you look at everything. ask your doctor and visit juvederm.com. golden globe nominee dennis haysbert has portrayed the iconic nelson mandela and the president of the united states on "24." >> now he's taking on a new role and making his broadway debut in the controversial play called "race" that we both saw and really loved. >> it really makes you think. welcome, welcome. >> it does. it's a relentless play, and i think you should come back and see it again because it's a totally different show. >> how are you feeling about your broadway debut? >> you've had it already, a couple days ago. >> four episodes. >> television star. >> i've been saying that for the last two days. i've got four shows under my belt. >> performances. >> or performances, excuse me. and it's exhilarating. >> is it? >> because it is a breathing, living entity. >> david mam is one of our greatest living playplaywrights. he always makes you think about a contemporary issue, and this is about racism in the workplace. >> yeah, race, period. i mean, not necessarily racism. >> well, it takes place in the legal world. >> right. and it's on all sides. >> mm-hmm. >> i play one of three lawyers in a firm. and we're deciding whether or not to defend a very wealthy man accused of a heinous crime. >> played right there by richard thomas, right? >> john boy. that's how we know him. people do remember one of the plays, someone yelled out at the end of the play, "good night, john boy," and the whole place said it. >> you're not new to the cast. eddie izzard. who took over for kerry washington? >> she's fabulous. >> we know you from "24" and now from this play, a lot of us know you from this allstate commercial. that's one of those things. do people stop you about that? >> always. >> what do people say? >> well, they always ask me if i'm in good hands. >> and you have to act like you've never heard the question before. >> no, really? no, but the funny one is, am i in good hands? and i say, "are you?" >> you've been with that company how long now? >> seven years. >> that's long in the endorsement world. >> yes, it is. >> how are you juggling everything with the broadway show? because that's a 24/7 type of job, isn't it? >> oh, yeah. i just set aside these nine weeks to just to do the show. and not doing anything else. >> but it changes your life, doesn't it, that eight shows a week. you have to just pace yourself, don't you? >> yeah. i mean, i'm here this morning after, you know, a matinee and an evening show. i'm tired. >> yeah. you don't look it. >> bless you. >> they call it dr. floodflights because you can be exhausted. you get on that stage, you hear the -- and it starts to pump you up. >> it's energizing. >> what's next, after you wrap the show, then what's next for you? >> i don't know. actually, david and i were talking about doing a show together, a television show spp . >> oh, really? >> i can't talk about. >> you just did. it's out of the bag. >> you know. we're discussing it. it's out there now. >> they're in intellectual talks about it. well, we're happy to see you. we wish you the best of luck. we will try to get back to "race." it's been a long time since we saw it. >> it has been a long time. thank you so much. great seeing you. >> you can see "race" here in new york. very fond of that theater. that's where i had my debut. >> terrific spot. >> love it. up next, what is old is new again. we're going to show you how to up cycle with things right around your house after this. help me pour. perfect. now we can pour it in the bowl. try doing it this way. ♪ everybody likes a little taste... girls: mmmmm. of independence. pat it down. alright, here you go. oh, that's so good. ♪ happy 4th of july. how'd you do that? do what? you made it taste like chocolate. it has 35% of your daily value of fiber. tasty fiber, that's a good one! ok, umm...read her mind. [ male announcer ] fiber one chewy bars. to help your skin get healthy and clear. fast forward a few years... ...and now that your problem is wrinkles we still have the solution dermatologists recommend most. neutrogena anti wrinkle moisturizer with pure retinol sa. in just 1 month it's clinically proven to smooth even the deepest wrinkles. so all you neutrogena girls it's time to become neutrogena women. neutrogena recommended most by dermatologists. as the old saying goes, one person's trash is another person's treasure. well, today we're going to show you how you can take things that you may have otherwise discarded and turn them into something new and improved. >> it's called up cycling, and our expert, danny seo is here with ideas. >> hey, guys, happy summer. >> happy summer to you. you've got some cute, clever ideas. >> these are great things, everyday objects we all have, easy so up cycle and make it fun and functional to do. you could do it with the kids or on a rainy day in the summer. even for noncrafters, this is easy to do. >> let's go. >> these beautiful vases, they look complicated, it's actually just an old book. you start with an old book and a form. i just cut that out of cardboard. >> is that a library book? >> it's a discard. >> too late to send it back now. >> you follow the form with an x-acto knife. this is something you may not want to do with little kids. it's as simple as cutting through all the pages. just like that. you do the whole book. >> you've got to really want to do this. that's going to take some time. >> you actually get better and better. i go through, like, ten pages at a time. but you end up with something like this. >> like a fan thing. >> you flip it all the way around, flip it to the end pages. you actually have yourself a paper vase. >> that's kind of cute. >> three-dimensional, it's just one book. >> like it. >> don't point that out. >> absolutely. >> we've got glow-in-the-dark rocks. those come in handy. >> where are they when you need them? >> this is like an outdoor thing like for kids especially. if they're spending more time outdoors at night and it's getting dark, these are just white rocks. you want to try? >> sure. >> you take this special glow in the dark paint. anything that's white that you paint with this glow in the dark paint, it's going to make it glow because there's phosphorous did the paint. during the day it charges. it's sort of this vibrant green. >> can we kill the lights? >> it takes a while. >> it's got to be pitch black. >> we're going to have to take your word on that one, david. >> and we believe you, david, because you're very credible. >> go to my backyard. the whole thing glows at night. it's like a nuclear site. >> that's disturbing to know, david. >> what's next? >> this one, do you guys grill? >> sure. >> this is a great way of making a fire starter out of an old egg cart carton. do you know what this is? >> lint out of a dryer. or out of a belly button. a lot of people save it. >> who does that? >> i had an uncle once. >> dryer lint is a better thing to do. what you want to do -- i'll do this. >> i don't know where that came from. >> this came from the family. you just mix in with the melted wax. you can pour it just directly into the egg carton like this. and what happens -- and you might want to take a little bit and pour it on the inside. when you finish, you end up with 12 fire starters. >> could you use a wick? >> you could use a wick. i just think it looks pretty. to smash the candle, by the way -- >> we don't trust you. >> you just use a towel and hit it. so it shatters so it's not flying all over the place. >> that's good. >> this is a great summer activity. >> if you're really bored. let's be honest. >> all righty, then. >> oh, boy. all right. so you're not going to do any of this on your own? >> yes, maybe this weekend we're going to have a crafting party. >> we will. >> we're going to go in frank's and cody's closets, we're going to take all their nice shirts and do whatever you're about to show us. >> we're going to take pennants. you're going to take an old man's dress shirt. the bigger the shirt, the more you can make out of it. take pinking shears and cut out a triangle. if you'll just help me. and you just cut out the triangle using the pinking shears. and you want to use the pinking shears because it prevents the pennants from getting threads. >> that's a good word, hoda, fraying. >> you have a piece of ribbon like this. you see all along the table a finished one. it's so easy, it's no sew. that's the key thing. you take a hot iron, one of your pennants. this is called an iron-on binding tape for sewing. lay it right on top. lay the pennant right on top. and you literally rest the hot iron on top. it melts it, adheres it. it's permanent. it's pretty easy. i'll show you. see? >> done. okay. >> easy. >> good idea. >> okay. so old handwash bottles. >> teasing you, danny seo. come on. >> you're not going to visit my blog, are you? >> if i knew how to visit a blog -- >> his would not be the one you'd go to. >> i would go right to yours first. what's the next one, danny? >> we're at the end, baby. we've got to say good-bye. it's been nice talking to you. >> this will save things for next time. coming up, we're going to ambush two women on our plaza after this. my digestive problems are irregularity. so i'm really excited to see if this really works. my husband tried this last night. he loved it. he said it's the best yogurt i've ever brought home, so...mmm. have just started to notice a slight difference in my digestion. help regulate your digestive system. take the activia challenge. it works or it's free. ¿qué si usamos tacos s grandes? [ ma announcer ] old el paso super stuffers. 33 larger shells. feed your fiesta. ♪ 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. a warning before the fourth of july. an important fireworks safety reminder, coming up on news4 midday at 11:00. and good morning, everyone, i'm barbara harrison. coming up, canvas grocery bags may be helping the environment but are they bad for your health? the surprising findings of a new study. news4 midday begins at ♪ we're back on this friday. don't call it friday. it's dry day. with more of "today" and our "ambush makeovers" where two ladies get a head-to-toe transformation. >> stylist to the stars, louis vacarri and author and "us weekly" jill martin. how was the crowd? >> it was so hot, so humid, they were melting today. >> we had a lot of candidates. >> we had a lot of candidates. the best looking people were dripping today. >> let's start off with ms. kathy smith, 49 from hollywood, hole hol florida, been married seven years. when she's not working as a nurse, she helps take care of her grandchildren and she doesn't have a lot of time for herself. let's take a listen to her story. >> i cannot believe you are a grandmother. here with your kids and your adorable grandson. and i know you want this for your mother. >> i do. i think she deserves it. and i'm sorry, mom, but she might need a little help. >> oh. okay. and i know you want this for your wife. >> i always want a hot mama. >> you trained him well. are you ready for a whole new look and three hours of pampering? >> yes, that would be great. i'm really looking forward to it. >> i like her already. okay. so, again, we're going to see kathy in just a second. here's kendrick, christina, katie and nicholas. everyone, keep your blindfolds on. he's got those silly bands. keep your blindfolds on until i tell you. >> i don't trust that kid. >> i don't either. here is kathy smith before. all right, kathy, come see the new you. ♪ well she's all you'd ever want ♪ >> are you ready, family? all right, kendrick and family, take off your blindfolds. >> wow! >> okay. you ready to see yourself? >> okay. >> you sure? >> yeah. >> all right, turn around. >> oh, wow. >> she likes herself. >> wow! >> you look beautiful. >> looks great. >> yeah. >> look at the difference. louis, tell us about the hair. >> okay. the first thing, obviously, both things are different. number one, jennifer lawrence gave her this great haircut. her layers started way too far back. she just had length in the back. we cut the back off. jennifer gave her tons of layers. i made her hair deeper, her eyes brighter. then enid made her eyeliner a little thicker on the side that gave her an instant face-lift. >> instant face-lift. what do we think, kendrick? >> hubba, hubba. >> he said wow before the blindfold even came off. you were ready for it. >> tell us about the look. dkny macy's. feel it. it's like a soft knit. she's able to dress it up and down for summer. look at this body on her. >> i know. >> on the top we just added a brooch just for a little extra. >> very pretty. >> i think it looks great. >> excellent. a big round of applause for kathy. go join your family. >> our second is pam tate. she's 43 from greenwood springs, colorado. she's married to craig for 17 years, they have two children. she lores her hair using a box from the drugstore because the one time she had it professionally done she said it tootoo long. she's here with her daughter, jonesdy. let's listen. >> i know you were hesitant, but josie did the convincing. why do you want this for your mom? >> because she buys everything for me and it's good that she has something for herself. >> aww, thank you. >> that was very sweet. and now you do want this. so tell us why. >> i do want it. i think i'm just ready for a new look. i've had the strong, straight hair. i love my hair, but maybe it's just time for something different. it's a surprise. but yeah. it will be fun. i think it will be just fun. >> well, surprise. we're going to give you a whole new look. you ready to go? >> yes, ready to go. >> yeah, new look can change your whole attitude. new attitude, too. all right, josie, you ready? keep it on. take one look at pam before. now let's bring pam tate out. ♪ i'm so excited ♪ and i just can't hide it >> where you going, pam? >> stand right here. >> josie, okay. >> awww. >> come see your mom. come here. >> it's okay. it's all right. it's still me. >> take a look at yourself. >> look in the mirror. >> oh, my god! oh, it's beautiful. thank you. >> aww. turn around, sweetheart, so everybody can see. stand with your mommy. >> that's pretty great. okay. again, jennifer lawrence, her hair was straight. we didn't want to fight the texture. we kept it straight. she gave her this great a-line bob. we added in highlights, the most subtle highlights. remember, highlights look different today. they're not quite so streak judge. you look like a million dollars. >> thank you. >> what do you think of mom, honey? >> josie, no, it's usually louis that cries. but this time we all did. we're happy for you. >> that dress is gorgeous. >> it's from -- >> i miss my mother. >> me, too! >> well, the dress is sue wong from macy's, but josie was so cute in the crowd at first she didn't want it and then she convinced her mom. >> so sweet. you okay, josie? you happy for mom? >> kathy, come on put. >> remember, everybody, makeovers are on thursdays now for all the summer. so if you get picked, to get picked, you've got to be down here on the plaza. up next, we're going to hop into the saddle with very cute polo players. look at him. look at him. >> that's right. >> this guy is a lady killer. oh, my gosh. ♪ 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 ♪ friskies hey thunder, lightning...what's oh, just watch. did you have a good breakfast? no. well here, try this... ...jimmy dean breakfast bowl. mmmmmmm... booooooommmm!! did someone call for rain? fight the morning fade with sausage, egg and cheese breakfast bowls jimmy dean. shine on. 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. as a juicy flame-grilled cheeseburger on a delicious bun. and when you get it all at walmart's guaranteed unbeatable prices -- it somehow tastes even better. save money. live better. walmart. it somehow tastes even better. 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. he's a star on the polo field playing professionally since he was just 17 years old, but more importantly, he's hot. >> he's the face of ralph lauren's polo fragrances and the captain of the black watch polo team. and this weekend he'll compete against prince harry. >> wow. >> at the classic charity event. hello, nacho man. >> hi, nacho. >> hello, beautiful ladies. >> oh. i'm sorry. hello. >> argentina. >> me, too. >> good to see you. >> so you're going to play prince harry? >> yes, i am. we're playing this coming sunday. it's a charity to raise funds which is prince harry's charity for orphaned kids. >> are you better than prince harry? >> i don't know. >> you beat him last time. >> no, he beat me. >> oh, he did? what? >> you want revenge. i want revenge. and the great thing what's going to happen, i'm hoping that this weekend we're going to get 20,000 new yorkers to come and then 20,000 people are going to witness my revenge. >> 20,000 females. that's what i think. >> where is it? where do you play? >> right off of the south -- >> i'm going to translate. that's governor's island. >> english is my second language, so thank you for that. >> you speak beautifully. you're going to teach us a few things. >> a few moves. you've got to promise me we're going to keep it cozy because if harry sees me, he might know what i'm thinking about. >> harry watches us. >> harry watches us in the castle. when he's there. >> he told me he will. so yes. you're going to get -- >> it's balmora. ignacio. >> hello, ignacio. >> get on the saddle. >> just like this? >> almost there. >> okay. >> there you go. perfect. >> what's the problem? >> you're going to grab the mallet just like this. >> like this? >> yeah. >> my legs are so short, they won't reach. >> where's the thing? >> okay. i'm not going to break a nail, am i? >> okay. this is comfy. what are we doing? >> you're supposed to swing the mallet like this. >> with one hand? >> you hold on to the horse and you hit the ball with this. >> oh, the flat side. i wouldn't have even known that. okay. >> so you just -- this is where the ball is. >> hit it. okay, hold on. >> what are you laughing at, ignacio? >> oh! i did good. tell me how good i did again. >> that way. gotcha. >> he said i did good. >> not so good. >> okay, ready? >> one more. ready? hey! >> i love this game. >> this is way too long. >> you're on. >> so when is your match? >> my match is on sunday. it starts at noon. everyone, free admission, free to the public. take the ferry. come to governor's island and help these kids. >> you are awesome. >> it's going to be a great day. >> thank you so much. we appreciate rñ thank you, ig. >> good luck on sunday. co ♪ [ female announcer ] these cookies aren't magic, but they make magic happen. that's because glad has partnered with cookies for kids' cancer. it's small bake sales like these that help raise big money for pediatric cancer research. together, we can make a difference... one container at a time. because with glad, the care that goes in is the care that comes out. ♪ hey, here's a good call: new whole grain helper. try some! mmmm... honey mustard chicken. with 100% whole grain rice. hey, can you catch? 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[ clucks ] [ male announcer ] perdue. extra inspections... extraordinary chicken. okay, it's time for the other view, what men are really thinking when it comes to relationships. >> here with his two cents, our resident guy's guy, mr. donny deutsch. >> they call him lubatong guy. >> he is quite the generous one. >> yes, he is. >> let's go straight to our question. >> ellen, do men really care if your body changes because you've had a baby, stretch marks, flab? >> your body changes. i happen to like real bodies personally. but the best thing to do is turn to your guy and say, honey, my boobs are a little different. do you like them? >> what happens if they say no? >> they're not going to say no. hopefully they'll say i love you the way you are. you should do what you should to make you love your body. if he's a jerk, it's not going to change the way he feels about you. but it's okay to talk about it. i've been with many women, there's a woman, i hate my stomach. it's beautiful. i think the women are most self-conscious about it. >> i tell you, back in 1942, i looked great. >> so many women who go, like, your body is great. >> and confidence. >> suzy wants to know, i lisped to the marry your best friend advice, but i'm still feeling like friends. is the spark isn't there after years of marriage, what, then? >> the mistake young people make, they marry somebody who's going to be a great provider, it's got to start with passion. crazy passion. it's got to be great passion. that's the mistake people make. well, he wasn't or she wasn't the best lover i ever had. wrong. start with that. obviously, over time, the best friend is the important thing. you can't start with a friendship. if the spark's not there, it ain't going to get better. >> i always disagree with donny. that's why i love him. >> i really believe that. the happiest people, they can come back to it. >> if it's not based -- >> it's not to start with that. >> see the rest. >> once that passion is gone, you'd better have a great friendship. >> it's got to be a great friendship, but it's got to be there from the beginning. >> sara? >> hoda, yolanda wants to know, what do you think of a guy who is always giving massages to women at work? this guy is not a professional masseuse, so is this appropriate? >> unless you're jimmy. he gives the best -- >> jimmy gives the best, best massages in the world! >> ever. the best ever. >> probably inappropriate in the workplace to be giving any kind of massages. it's very inappropriate. come up with a question. massage contest. massage is not appropriate in the workplace, if you're uncomfortable with it, go to your boss. basically it's against the law and don't worry about losing your job because it's against the law. >> you need a license for that, people. >> unless you're jimmy. nobody should have to take massages in the workplace. up next, cody gifford makes his red carpet debut. >> cody who? >> first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪ summer nights time for our "weekend movie preview with cody gifford." this weekend, it's all about the star power at the box office. >> before that our resident film student took a road trip this past weekend and hit the red carpet at the 15th annual nantucket film festival. celebrities like sarah silverman, elizabesabeth shue w all on hand to salute screen writers this year, and let's take a look. ♪ >> i'm here at the nantucket film festival. celebrities are about to take to the red carpet. let's see what these guys are going to do. i'm cody gifford from the "today" show. how are you? >> cody gifford? >> yeah, that's me. >> oh, my god! >> i saw you power walking down main street yesterday in some pretty considerably short shorts. do you care to comment on that? >> the short shorts. >> we're coworkers now? >> let's not go wild. >> okay. >> i watched you grow up. >> yes. i heard about it. >> my daughter's here. >> nice to meet you. >> keep 500 yards away, but thank you. >> what brings you guys to nantucket? >> it's just a great cause. >> i've been coming to nantucket since i was 12. >> it's really fun and laid back. >> it's a great place to have a film festival. >> i know you have a movie coming out with robert downey jr. >> mm-hmm. >> how is that working with him? >> when you work with an actor and you're not that good of an actor. >> come on, don't sell yourself short. >> it's kind of intimidating, but i really enjoyed it. >> did you write "zoolander"? >> i was one of the writers. >> rumors are circulating about a sequel. >> yes, yes. >> do you want to announce it to the world right now? >> i can confirm, yeah, we're writing "zoo lander 2." we've actually tried over the years to put it together. and then finally we found an idea that we're excited about. so hopefully we'll be shooting it soon. >> awesome, man. thank you. have a good time tonight. >> okay. thank you. >> a little bit of breaking news, mister. >> did you have a good time? >> i did have a good time, thank you. yeah, it was my first really, like, field reporting. it was fun. i liked it, yeah. >> they were very nice to you. they can be brutal sometimes. they were nice to you. >> sometimes, yeah. >> a couple movies you checked out, one was "grown ups." what did you think? >> i'm right in the demographic, so i liked it a lot. i think that it kind of slumps in the middle because they've got too much, like, central conflict. no real narrative enigma, if you will. i think the cast alone will sell the movie. and i think that they're really human. a lot of guys can relate to them. and there's an endless array of one-liners. >> is it really funny? were you cracking up? >> is it funny. the pace in the middle was a little slow. i will forewarn a lot of people. it's enjoyable. >> "night and day" is the other one. the trailer makes it look fantastic. tom cruise and cameron diaz. >> they threw a lot of money at this both in promotion and cgi. it's a thriller/romantic comedy hybrid. that's a difficult genre because in order for that to work, like those are very two distinct genres coming together. for that to work, there has to be some sort of equilibrium. i think in "night and day's" case, the romantic comedy moves into farce because there's some inappropriate banter at certain times. it's kind of like you have the cgi, planes, explosions and then tom cruise being witty with cameron diaz, and it's sometimes too much. >> excuse us. >> at that point they're not really believable people. >> but you enjoyed it? >> i did, i did. and i think it will do well just because he's one of the biggest stars on the planet. >> you're very smart. i'm just saying. you talk like a smart guy. >> he takes after his mother. thanks, cody. all right. country music singer mark up with us. >> next week. and also we'll get you set up for your fourth of july celebrations. >> have an awesome weekend, everybody. bye-bye. one word turns innovative design into revolutionary performance. one word makes the difference between defining the mission and accomplishing the mission. one word makes the difference in defending our nation and the cause of freedom. how... is the word that makes all the difference.