and welcome to "today" on this friday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm david gregory in for matt this morning. the clock is ticking for lawmakers who want to avoid a government shutdown by midnight tonight. not a lot of progress overnight. still a little bit better than 50/50. this is going down to the wire. >> as you said, some lawmakers said a deal is within reach but following late night talks at the white house, president obama said he's not wildly optimistic. we'll go to nbc's savannah guthrie at the white house for us. good morning. >> good morning, meredith. we are hours away from a shutdown. there is a good chance that's how it ends today. white house officials were optimistic behind the scenes. one said to me, we are close. staffers worked until 3:00 a.m. and republicans say the numbers just aren't there. today is washington's last day to make a deal. after another late-night meeting with congressional leaders at the white house produced no breakthrough. >> there are still a few issues that are outstanding. they're difficult issues. they're important to both sides. so i'm not yet prepared to express wild optimism. >> reporter: with aids now saying a deal is within reach, staffers worked again through the night to resolve the outstanding issuings. the two sides are close on the amount of spending cuts, likely to be between $34 billion and $37 billion. the parties are still sparring not about money but over so-called riders to the budget bill, policy provisions the republicans want like a measure to strip funding from planned parenthood. another provision would sharply limit the epa. >> the remaining issues are extremely narrow, but having said that i have been to this podium before and i have said we would narrow the issues and we have. but the sad part about it, we keep never quite betting to the finish line. >> reporter: with both sides at the brink on thursday, frustration spilled onto the house side. >> we are trying to do the business of the american people. [ booing ] >> so many of your folks, unless they get 100% are prepared to shut down the government. >> reporter: sarah palin took to twitter writing, obama's petulant obstruction equals shutdown. with the money running out at midnight, the federal government is moving ahead with shutdown plans. the president made clear he wants a verdict from the parties first thing today. >> because the machinery of the shutdown is necessarily starting to move, i expect an answer in the morning. and my hope is that i'll be able to announce to the american people some time early in the day that a shutdown has been averted. >> reporter: one other issue -- will members of congress get paid if there is a shutdown. the answer right now as it stands is yes. there was a measure that passed the senate yesterday that would have congress giving up its pay. it hasn't passed the house. david, just one measure of how acrimonious this has become. this morning white house officials are saying the disagreement is over the policy riders. the republicans say, no, it's all about the spending numbers. they can't even agree on what they are disagreeing about. >> savannah guthrie at the white house this morning for us. thank you very much. steny hoyer of maryland is the house minority whip. congressman, good morning. >> deal or no deal? >> how is it going down? >> no deal yet unfortunately. we have a history, a pattern of the republicans taking control and shutting down the government as they did in 1995. it hasn't happened since then, even when we had disagreements wen george bush and the democratic congress. it's not an alternative we ought to be taking. i think we're very close. we have come 70% of the way in terms of dollars. that's a long way to go in terms of trying to reach compromise. now as the president and harry reid pointed out, there are social issues which the republicans are holding hostage the government. >> my understanding is the real focus is on issues like limiting funding for planned parenthood. how is that resolved? and does it derail compromise? >> the president has indicated, as george bush did, his predecessor, that he would not sign bills contrary to the policies he believed the american public elected him to carry out. he was elected overwhelmingly as president of the united states. the republicans have taken the house of representatives, one-third of the government. when we were in the house we compromised. we understood the president could veto and i would hope the republicans would make that same understanding. after all, this debate began about bringing down deficits, bringing down numbers and cutting spending. we have come 70% of the way. i think that the agreement on numbers is close. we ought to make those agreements on numbers. as governor daniels said, we ought to fight the social issues on another bill. >> you know it takes two sides to shut down a government. aren't you embarrassed by this? >> i am embarrassed by this. i'm not sure it takes two sides. it takes one side prepared to demand 100% and if the other side doesn't lay down and totally give up then they will shut down the government. they know we don't want to shut down the government so they think they can hold hostage things we don't agree with but that we will cave in order to keep the government running which we want to do. >> look at the wall street journal poll in terms of who gets the blame. republicans, certainly more than democrats. as a democratic leader i wonder whether part of the strategy is to cast republicans as extremists and ultimately get a lot more of a winning political hand for the democrats through this process. >> i think the republicans are doing that to themselves frankly. i don't think we have to cast them in that light. they are casting themselves in that light with the tea party coming to town and demanding they either get 100% or shut down the government. last night the founder of the tea party, one of the tea parties, said if boehner came out with $99 billion that would not be enough. $100le billion is what they wanted and nothing less. you can't negotiate on the basis that one side gets 100% and the other side gets zero. >> just seconds left. should you get paid if there is a government shutdown? >> i think we ought not to get paid. of course the constitution says you can't have your salary diminished so people can't threaten one another for votes on that basis. the fact is we should not -- we should keep government doing not just for the federal employees but for the millions of businesses people's families that will be adversely affected and the hit the economy will take by shutting down government. this is not a good strategy. taking us to the brink is not appropriate, particularly when we have agreed, the president agreed come 70% of the way toward what the republican position was on cutting spending. >> we'll be watching. thank you very much. >> thank you, david. here's meredith. >> david, thank you. if there is a shutdown, how will you be affected. pete williams has more on that from the lincoln memorial. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. a shutdown would be most visible at a place like this. a big tourist draw in washington and like all parks and monuments, the lincoln memorial would be closed to visitors. filing a paper tax return? the irs would stop processing, slowing refunds for paper filers. electronic tax returns would be processed, including those due refunds. shut down or not the tax deadline of april 18 doesn't change. the fha would stop guaranteeing new home loans, a blow to fragile housing market. >> april, may and june are the biggest months of the housing market. this is not a time to challenge the mortgages out there. >> reporter: the government would stop issuing passports except for emergencies and would freeze work on new or renewed ones. the national parks would close including fwrangrand canyon and yosemite. this montana woman lives near yellowstone. >> i want them to settle this budget mess and act like adults and compromise. >> reporter: some federal work would continue including virtually all law enforcement, coast guard, fbi, border, immigration and customs agents. tsa screeners would check airline passengers and air traffic controllers stay on the job. uniformed members of the military remain on duty around the world but they would not be paid until the shut down ends. a florida wife of a u.s. marine said it would be distracting for those in combat. >> to sit on the front line going, god, i don't care about afghanistan. i wonder if my wife and kids are being fed at home. >> reporter: veterans administration would stay open. checks continue flowing to 53 million people who get social security payments. same for medicare and medicaid assuming the shutdown doesn't last long. mail delivery would not be affected because the postal service generates its own income. half of the federal workforce would be told to stay home and it would be illegal for them to volunteer to come to work. if they did, they could be fired. meredith? >> pete williams, thank you very much. it's 7:11. here's david. >> donald trump isn't backing down from controversial comments he made with meredith but how accurate were the things he said? lisa miers did some fact checking. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. donald trump built his large persona by being bold, entert n entertaining and outrageous. now that he's running for president we thought his words deserved a closer look. trump says everything with certainty. take this about the 9/11 terrorists. >> the terrorists, almost every singlene of them sent their families back a day early. you know they all went to saudi arabia. >> reporter: there is no evidence that families of the 9/11 hijackers were in the united states. some bin laden family members were flown out after the attack, after being screen bid the fbi. in his exclusive interview with meredith on "today" trump spent time questioning whether president obama was born in the u.s., demanding that the presidents produce his actual birth certificate. >> he doesn't have a birth certificate or he hasn't shown it. he has what's called a certificate of live birth and that's different f. you look at it, it's not even signed by anybody. doesn't have a serial number. >> reporter: the certificate of live birth does have a serial number and a stamped signature and hawaiian officials say it carries the weight of law. if one of your parents is an american citizen you could get a certificate of live birth in hawaii even if the child wasn't born there but this document states obama was born in honolulu and a hawaiian official say original records verify the president was born there. and there is a birth announcement nine days after president obama was born, information the paper says would have come from the hospital. >> his grandmother in kenya said he was born in kenya. >> reporter: that's based on a recording of a 2008 interview with obama's elderly grandmotherer conducted through a translator. initially the translator said she was present for her grandson's birth. >> yes, they say that yes she was. she was present when president obama was born. >> listen and the answer changes. when the interviewer says he wants to visit the hospital in kenya where obama was born he's repeatedly corrected saying obama was born in canada. no. he was born in america. >> i thought he was born in kenya. >> no. he was born in america. not in mombasa. >> i spoke with donald trump about this. as you said he stands by everything he said. he also argues that none of the evidence cited here definitively prove that is the president was born in hawaii. he says he has investigators out there still digging. >> all right, lisa myers, thank you so much. i can't believe independent voterers will vote on this issue. >> a dog with a bone there. if he has investigators in the field, let us see information. let's get a check of the top stories from tamron hall at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. japan is recovering from yet another powerful earthquake that rocked the country's quake-ravaged northeast thursday. lee cowan is in tokyo with the latest. lee, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, tamron. this was the strongest, most powerful aftershock since the march 11 quake. it spawned more tsunami warnings and fears over the already weakened nuclear reactors. it started slow and hit with full force. a magnitude 7.1 that showed little mercy. the epicenter was just over 70 miles east of the stricken fukushima nuclear power plant where workers scrambled to safety. engineers feared the jolt and possible tsunami may put too much stress on the already weakened concrete of the reactors. >> if they had a major containment failure they would have a number of additional effects in terms of the ability to continue to cool the reactors and eventually bring systems to a safe, stable state. >> reporter: but the tsunami never came. officials said this morning that neither did additional damage or radiation leaks at fukushima. the quake did knock out external power to at least two other nuclear plants including this one where water sloshed out of a spent fuel pool, but all were back on full power this morning and the water wasn't an issue. still, it was the last thing anyone here needed. at least three more people died and 130 injured. millions remain without power this morning. more than 8,000 have no running water anymore. experts warn it is not over yet. now, this obviously is still the most powerful after shock since the march 11 quake. but it's one of hundreds we have experienced over the last weeks. that's a pattern that could continue for months or years to come. now to libya where nato refuses to apologize for thursday's friendly fire that killed at least four fighters and oned dozens of others. stephanie gosk is in ajdabiya with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. nato did hit rebels yesterday but there are two very different explanations for why the mistake was made. nato said they had no idea that rebels had tanks and they had a -- in the area showed the fighter jets responded with air strikes. the rebels say they have been planning the movement -- told nato they were going to be there. three of the tanks have been destroyed. there is a mix of confusion and anger. one of the fighters said nato is supposed to be helping. what are we supposed to do now? tamron? >> stephanie gosk, thank you. brazil is in mourning after that country's first school shooting. a former student entered a rio de janeiro middle school killing 12 children before turning the gun on himself. this footage shows terrified students fleeing the classroom pursued by the gunman. amazing and rare video, a baby eagle caught on tape breaking through its shell at the top of an 80-foot-tall tree. bird watchers have been watching the nest via web cam for weeks. this was the last of three eggs to hatch there. it is now 7:17. back to meredith, david and al. this is the four-year anniversary for the mom and dad eagle. they have had an eaglet every year. >> we have been watching every time. >> i'm going to be there and spy next time. >> that will put a damper on things. >> speaking of damper, we have knoxville, tennessee, a few super cells may cause tornadoes. we are notching this system as the showers and thunderstorms fire up along the frontal system. we may see one to two inches of rain with hail and damaging winds. that's what is going on around the country, and here is what is happening in your neck of the woods. good morning, our local radar is showing light rain across virginia and the district and maryland. it's coming down harder in northeastern maryland. we have chilly temperatures in the mid and upper 50s. and then overnight tonight, too, more rain from time to time. maybe a lingering and that's your latest weather, meredith? >> al, thank you very much. prince harry will spend more time at the north pole than expected as crews work to damage the iced runway he needs to get home. ben fogle spent time on the trip. he's in london with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. >> it was only supposed to be four days on the expedition. why is it so complicated to get him out of there? >> reporter: well, basically they started in svalbard in the northern part of norway on an island. they were due to board an airplane to take them up to the ice itself, a highly complex procedure. the departure was delayed a few days while the russians -- a group of engineers tried to create an artificial runway on two meters of ice. the expedition has been going brilliantly well. they have been ahead of themselves in terms of the distances they needed to do. but harry was due to leave on thursday. he had commitments in england. he had to get back to military commitments with the air force. due to the extreme cold temperatures the iceway has split. a huge crack in the middle of it so they have to build another. it's highly complicated and it means that harry has to bide his time and probably the only way is to carry on with the walking with the wounded soldiers until a plane can reach him to take him back. >> obviously people wonder whether he's going to make it back for the royal wedding. i assume that's a given. >> reporter: well, you know, you say that. i have spoken to a spokesman with the organization and they assure me he will be off the ice this afternoon. from firsthand experience having been to the north pole and down to the south pole, you're at the beck and call of the weather. if the weather changes, there is nothing you can do about it. i have known people to be stuck for weeks on end. let's have our fingers crossed that the best man will be back in time for the wedding. the spokespeople assure us but from firsthand experience, you never know. >> ben fogle, thank you very much. >> thank you, meredith. just ahead, the beauty queen who used her pink revolver to shoot a home intruder attacking her fiance. the couple speaks out about the ordeal. first this is "today" on nbc. coming up, the mom who spent more than 30 years living a secret life as a fugitive. >> plus, the boy who could die if he falls asleep after your local news. nice. a consumers digest best buy three years in a row. and an epa - estimated 33 miles per gallon highway. all starting under $23,000. and what does your neighbor have? a bad case of car envy. very well qualified lessees can get a low mileage lease on a 2011 chevrolet malibu ls for around $179 a month. call for details. see your local chevy dealer. i can't sew, knit or crochet. i might have flaws, but this isn't one of them. your moment. your dove. ♪ . of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and with less pain, i can do 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[ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior or any swelling or affected breathing, or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. good morning. it's 7:26 on this friday, the 8th of april. four d.c. firefighters were injured and one critically after the roof of a burning home collapsed on him. theyer l looking for people trapped in the building when the roof caved in. all four suffered burned. they are trying to determine what caused the fire in the good morning. low clouds and radar showing rain around where you see the color on radar where you are getting light rain in northern virginia, and the green is in northeastern maryland. temperatures in the 40s. later in the mid-50s by this afternoon. more light rain from time to time into early saturday morning and then dry after that. and then pretty typical morning at this point with no major hang-ups all the way to and across the 14th street bridge. and then in the northeast, an accident on route 50, so expect delays. delays. and go over sales figures, complete this merger, present to the board and do a number of other seemingly impossible tasks today. it's going to be a big one. sink your teeth into some egg, bacon and cheese and nod if you understand. good. you've got spunk. a big day calls for the new big n' toasty, with fried eggs, cherrywood-smoked bacon, and cheese, stacked high on thick texas toast. wrap your hands around one at dunkin'. america runs on dunkin'. grab a big breakfast with the new big n' toasty sandwich from dunkin' donuts. 7:30 on this friday morning, april 8, 2011, as we check out the view of the manhattan skyline from top of the rock. absolutely gorgeous. a nice day in the big apple. we have a nice crowd, a big crowd out there in rockefeller plaza. inside studio 1a i'm meredith vieira alongside david gregory who is in for matt today. just ahead, a remarkable boy coping with something that's hard to comprehend. >> and hard to hear about. it's a terrible situation. he could die just by falling asleep. how does he get the rest he needs? >> also ahead, to family and friends she was an all-american mom but what marie walsh's family didn't know was she was secretly a fugitive on the run for more than 30 years. she's here to share her story. >> and the boy who cried he was too small to be governor on what it was like to get his wish for a day. we'll talk to his family with governor christie of new jersey. and robert redford will be in studio for a live interview. >> let's begin with a frightening home invasion in florida brought to an end by a beauty queen armed with a pink handgun. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it all plays out like your typical hollywood thriller. a beautiful young woman comes face to face with an attacker at home in the middle of the night. only in this case our damsel in distress isn't so helpless after all. ♪ >> reporter: on the exclusive island of tierra verde near tampa at a mansion known as phat city, life was always a party. it is home to former beauty queen meghan brown, her fiance robert planthaber and their pets vixen, bella and godzilla the iguana. nearly 3,000 square feet are guarded by cameras inside and out. despite that the couple says they got an unwelcome visit. one morning at 3:00 a.m. meghan woke up to a familiar sound. >> the knock was like da-dada dada-dada. that's how he knocked. i think it has to be a friend. >> reporter: the man at the door was albert franklin hall who had been in and out of jail for burglary, grand theft and selling cocaine. >> all i see is a man with a bandana covering his nose and mouth and a hat dipped really low. the door pushes over and he's got me from behind and he's got his hands covering my nose and mouth. >> reporter: you couldn't breathe. >> or scream. >> reporter: when the intruder slipped his hands to her neck she cried for help. >> my first reaction is who is this guy? get him off my fiancee. >> reporter: that's when bobby says he tackled hill. >> he had 80 pounds on me. >> reporter: meghan rushed into the bedroom and pulled out her .38 caliber gun fitted with a pink grip as seen on this similar model. it was a christmas present from bobby. >> reporter: when you came out with the gun you took a risk. you could have shot bobby. >> absolutely. i had to take a second and train my gun on the man. every time he moved that's when my gun moved. i waited for a clear shot and an opening and i fired. >> reporter: she fired four times and the intruder collapsed by the front door. meghan called 911 immediately. when authorities arrived, hill was dead. >> i had fired that gun once before at the shooting range and i was terrible. i couldn't hit the target to save my life. >> reporter: the story drew international attention and they seized on the newfound fame. just days after the incident the former miss sere verde florida posed for photos, gun in hand. meanwhile the sheriff's office is still investigating and has not said why the intruder came to the house. as for the couple -- >> reporter: how has your relationship evolved now? >> we picked a date. >> reporter: on the anniversary of the incident. >> absolutely. >> we could have been killed that day. it's a good day to celebrate. >> it's a celebration. >> reporter: as the investigation continues, authorities tell nbc news they are unclear about whether there is any relationship between the intruder and the victim. back at the home the couple has installed more security cameras just to be safe. meredith, back to you. >> lilia luciano check of the weather. al? >> all right. thank you very much meredith. we have folks with earthquake relief. and that's nice. we like your hat. what is your name? >> jaden. >> where are you from? >> michigan. >> very nice and very good to see you. let's check your weather, shall we? out west, it's unseasonbly cool. we will look at severe storms late krur this weekend. in the meantime, the wasatch and white mountains, we are looking at three to six inches of snow and some areas picking up more. and then sunshine in the pacific northwest. sunny here in the northeast, and look at the southeast, 87 today in orlando, florida, and along the gulf coast. and that's what is going on around the country and here's what is happening in your neck of the woods. >> we have had light rain around northern virginia the district and maryland, and will have it from time to time for the rest of the day. and maybe an occasional shower overnight tonight and early on saturday morning, and early tomorrow morning maybe a little sprinkle and drizzle. sunday, warming up and maybe predawn sprinkles, and warmer on monday. late-day don't forget. get your weather any time day or night on the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. david? >> al, thank you very much. now to our special series "curious medicine." this morning a young boy who could die by falling asleep. nbc's peter alexander is here with the details. tough-sounding story. >> this is a brave little guy, david. this is among the most rare and hard to imagine 'tis ordm hard to imagine 'tis ordagine d. when you fall asleep your breathing stops. we traveled to england to meet e young boy. with a contagious smile and enough energy to rival any child his age you wouldle never guess liam has been beating the odds. >> it's amazing. when he meets people they are drawn in. he's just one in a million. >> reporter: in fact, he's more like one in 30 million. you see, liam was born with a bizarre disorder as cruel as it is rare. it's called central hypo ventilation better known as ondim's curse namd after a mythological fairy. when he sleeps, his breathing stops. >> you go from a child you believe to be normal when he's born to finding out he has a catastrophic condition. >> reporter: most parents are easily exhausted putting their children to bed, kim has to watch her son constantly to make sure he doesn't fall asleep. when driving she uses two mirrors, one eye on the road. the other on her son. >> reporter: without oxygen how long can he survive when he's asleep. >> probably not long -- an hour. >> reporter: he can't stay awake forever and his bedtime routine is unlike any you have seen. >> mom and dad will be here when you wake up in the morning as well. >> reporter: soons liam lays down to sleep his parents attach a ventilator to keep him alive. someone has to watch him every night. >> without the machine my son wouldn't exist. >> reporter: when he was born doctors gave liam six weeks to live. he recently turned 12. every christmas, his mom says, is a bonus, but it hasn't been easy. along the way liam has battled cancer and a bowel illness. >> if it was going to happen to anyone it was the best person to happen to. he's just gone with it. >> reporter: defying doctor's expectations every step of the way. liam, as you can tell, dreams of becoming a train conductor one day. for his family, each outing is a major undertaking but liam's favorite is riding the rails near his home. just like the trains he loves so much, liam, remarkably, just keeps going. he's a special kid. i spoke to his mom kim and she said he's doing really well, even starring in his school's musical play last week. his family is now applying to a children's charity called starlight to fulfill his dream of riding in a big rig. starlight is one of kate middleton's charities. you never know if some of the royal magic will meet little liam derbyshire. >> special kid. coming up next, the boy whose tears landed him as new jersey's governor. we'll talk to him and his family. and a hot spot that could be prince william and kate's honeymoon destination. first, these messages. ♪ [ female announcer ] what makes a moment last? 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>> because everyone tells me that i'm too small to be the governor of new jersey! >> reporter: yep, you heard him right. then 4-year-old jesse, inconsolable after learning he was too tiny for the highest seat in the state. [ sobbing ] >> reporter: jesse's parents shot the video after voting in youtube. when they uploaded it to youtube in f f febaryru the old clip wa watched by thousands online including new jersey's republican governor chris christ christie. the father of four invited jesse and his twin brandon, now 5, to the capitol for a political play date. >> we signed a proclamation today making jesse governor for the day. making brandon lieutenant governor for the day. >> reporter: the twins spent the day playing politics, holding a press conference. >> now you are governor. how is it? >> but i'm just tiny. >> reporter: where the real governor poked fun at his size. >> a lot of people said i shouldn't be governor but being too small wasn't why. >> reporter: the two even discussed policy. >> did we talk about property taxes? >> of course. what did i tel you? >> don't raise them. >> if you do, what happens? >> i'm not going to be the governor for that long. >> that's right. >> reporter: as it turns out jesse's term lasted only a day anyway. probably for the best. he now says he's had it with public office after an adventure that took him from the back seat to the political fast lane. for "today" mara schiavocampo, nbc news, new york. >> the family is with us exclusively. mom and dad, jesse and brandon. first of all, governor, jesse, what was the best part about being governor for the day? >> the best part was -- mm -- >> did you pass any laws? >> of course i didn't. but in the video i was just small and i just sneaked up myself and i said i'm going to raise property taxes. only when i'm small i say that. >> when you're big don't do that. >> and i was a maniac. >> you were a maniac? >> i was a maniac that time. >> don, what made you pull out the video camera when jesse started crying? >> well, he had been crying since we left the polls. the crying had gone on for some time. after a little while i thought it was just too funny not to video it and i had my camera. why not? >> were you surprised at the reaction he was having? >> very. >> look, that's my brother. he has a helmet on. >> jesse what are you thinking when you watch the video? >> i felt like i was a movie star. >> and brandon, what about you? you were the lieutenant governor. you had to do everything your brother told you to do? >> a few times kept forgotting what lieutenant meant so i said i was the vice fwovgovernor like vice principal governor. >> what does a lieutenant governor do? >> whatever he tells me to do. >> there was a press conference? >> it was an honor to be invited to the state house and get a tour and a private meeting with the governor and have him show the boys around. it was just touching to our whole family. it really was an honor. >> turns outs you and the governor have something in common. you both like the same instrument. >> no. >> no? >> we both like two instruments. >> i like guitars and he likes drums. >> i like guitars and drums. i already know how to play four songs. >> jesse, do you want to go into politics when you get older? >> what's a politic? >> being governor? >> i want to be something important like the governor. >> if you are going to be the governor you better not raise your property taxes. >> and i won, i won, i won. just when i'm small i do that. >> you'll choose something else when you're grown up? >> you've got what it takes. you have the right attitude. >> don't got attitude. just stay myself. >> please stay yourself. >> of course i'll stay myself. >> a husband should never -- >> jesse, thank you so much. mom and dad as well. great to have you here. >> a husband should never ask a wife how long they have been married. >> the husband should know, honey. all right? the husband says, "yes, dear." remember that. up next, where will prince william and kate go on the honeymoon? we are live at one of the rumored destinations after this. ♪ do you believe in magic? 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[ female announcer ] side effects may include headache, viral infection, sore throat, nosebleeds, and coughing. infections of the nose and throat and eye problems, including glaucoma or cataracts may occur. have regular eye exams. slow wound healing may occur, so do not use nasonex until your nose has healed from any sore, surgery or injury. nasonex can increase your risk of getting infections. avoid contact with infections like chicken pox or measles while using nasonex. it does not come in generic form. ask your doctor if nasonex is right for you. now to our countdown to the royal wedding. exactly three weeks away. so where will the happy couple honeymoon after the big day? nbc's keith miller has the enviable task of following that part of the story. he's in corfu, greece, for us. good morning, you lucky guy. >> reporter: indeed, meredith. this part of greece i would say is part of the international hot spots looked at as possible honeymoon venues. the island has what it takes to make a honeymoon work -- romance, romance and more romance. ♪ >> reporter: the greeks have been entertaining royal visitors for centuries. lovers have dipped their toes in the wine-dark mediterranean sea since the time of cleopatra and marc antony. this is where prince philip was born. british newspapers call corfu the honeymoon destination for its natural beauty, elegance and privacy. >> i'm sure they would choose a private yacht or something by the sea. >> reporter: in london's betting shops the favorite destination is kenya with corfu a close second. >> if i was having a little bit myself i might bet on corfu. >> reporter: there are other favorites. perhaps the royal couple will go to the caribbean. there is richard branson's luxury hideaway for the rich & famous. the island of mystique holds magic for the royals. and the spanish island of abitha has attracted william and kate on vacation to unwind. during his recent trip to australia prince william said he would return, joking maybe a honeymoon on the coast. still, according to one british newspaper, corfu is the destination of choice. prince william learned to waterski here. his father prince charles and wife camilla have been guests at the secluded rothschild estate. it take as boat ride to scout it out. >> this is the house. and this is the castle. yes. the other house belongs to the son. >> reporter: wherever the royal newlyweds chill out after the wedding, laid back, not lavish is expected. word from buckingham palace is that tough economic times calls for discretion. here on corfu they are already toasting the royal wedding. overjoyed at the prospect of the newlyweds honeymooning on their island. a honeymoon isn't all about location. as one writer put it, meredith, a husband may not remember where he had his honeymoon but he will never forget why. >> that's for sure, keith miller. thank you very much. our coverage of the royal wedding starts at 4:00 a.m. eastern, 1:00 pacific time. ♪ [ male announcer ] from advances in medical imaging that help doctors detect diseases earlier. to innovations in renewable power that bring america closer to energy independence. to investments that help businesses grow and create jobs. ♪ at ge, we're using imagination at work... ecomagination... healthymagination... and capital... to create advanced technology that's good for the economy... for the environment... for everyone. ♪ but we all know kids would rather they just disappear. ♪ make me say la la la la la la ♪ [ woman ] now with a little magic from mom, there's an easy way to get kids the nutrition they need. mott's medleys has two total fruit and veggie servings in every glass but magically looks and tastes just like the fruit juice kids already love. mott's medleys. ♪ la la la [ woman ] invisible vegetables. magical taste. how about a coastal soup and grilled shrimp salad combination? or maybe skewers of wood-grilled shrimp. seafood lunches starting at just $6.99 at red lobster. where everyone feels at home. where the company, the conversation, and the food make all who enter feel welcome. a place that feels as warm with a crowd... as it does with just a friend. it's a place you'll find town house crackers. because they're part of what makes your place the place. ♪ welcome to town house. where good times reside. good morning. i am joe krebs. our time is 7:56 on this friday. police are looking for the gunman that shot and killed a teenager in southeast washington. the 16-year-old was gunned down in an apparent drive-by shooting. no word on suspects or a motive. and then firefighters responded to an apartment building fire right down the street. homicide detectives were still there when the flames broke out on the ground floor apartment. nobody was injured and the two incidents are not related apparently. we will take a break good morning. temperatures now in the 40s, and later today into the low and mid-50s with occasional light rain in the day and into tonight and lingering into saturday morning, and then dry after and warming up on sunday. an accident on 270 southbound in the local rains of falls road. can you see the activity over. and then the inner loop, heavy, and lanes are 8:00 on this friday morning, the 8th of april 2011. it is a getaway morning for lots of folks. it looks like more than a few have gotten to rockefeller plaza. we are happy to have this huge crowd. i'm meredith vieira along with david gregory and al roker. matt has the morning off. just ahead, a mother's secret life. a michigan woman escaped from prison in 1976 and started a completely new life for herself in california. she got married, had three children, took up tennis and horseback riding. her family had no idea about her past. we're going to talk to her ahead. an incredible story. >> fascinating story. on a lighter note, the tradition of the school picture. makes you groan if you look at it years later. i had a few hawaiian shirt combinations and jenna bush hager is here and we are going to have to face oldle photos. >> reveal ourselves? >> people have seen them already. they're not pretty. a hollywood legend in front of and behind the camera. we are talking about robert redford, oscar winner. he's not been in our studio in ten years. >> was it something we said? >> i think it was you. >> i haven't been here that long. >> he's afraid of you. we'll catch up with him ahead. >> he has a fantastic new movie. it will be great to talk to him. first we head into the news desk. tamron hall filling in for ann this morning. good morning. federal agencies make plans to cut services in case congress fails to break the budget deadlock by midnight. president obama emerged from a meeting last night and said progress was made but he was not wildly optimistic a deal could be reached in time to prevent a government shutdown. both sides narrowed the disagreements over spending cuts. democrats say the hold-up is over a so-called rider that would strip funding from planned parenthood. meantime work progressed on a stop-gap temporary spending bill. in iraq today robert gates told american troops that letting openly gay members serve in the u.s. military would have little impact on the armed forces. on thursday, topple military officials on capitol hill testified that training for the repeal of don't ask, don't tell policy is going better than expected and could be finished by june. tensions are on the rise as israeli aircraft and ground troops pounded gaza this morning despite a hamas cease-fire overnight. the air strikes are in response to a rocket from gaza that hit an israeli school bus yesterday. is it. a government report proposes new ways to shrink the gap between white and minority americans with health. some suggestions are improving dental care for children living in poverty and having health workers help their neighbors find treatment. the california man charged with kidnapping jaycee duggard and holding her for 18 years pled not guilty on thursday. prosecutors hoped for a plea deal so duggard and her daughters, allegedly fathered by him would not have to testify. his wife nancy pled not guilty. now to cnbc's mandy drury at the new york stock exchange. >> of course the markets continue to watch the budget in washington but commodity prices have a mind of their own. oil prices are barrelling higher and an average gallon of gas costs you $3.73. in some states we are seeing over $4 a gallon. we are at a record high for gold. silver at the highest in decades. back to you. >> the snake who went m.i.a. at new york's bronx zoo has a fitting new name. online voters chose mia as in missing in action. the cobra goes back on display when the reptile house re-opens. that's a popular visit for lots of people. it's 8:04. now back to al with to al with a check of the weather. >> where are you guys from? >> jackson. >> a high school trip? >> yeah. >> senior trip? >> no. >> yeah, and, it's no. >> it's choir. >> a choir trip. nice. let's check your weather. ft. meyers, florida -- sunny and hot. 90 degrees. we are looking at snow through the rockies. we have wet weather making its way through the ohio river valley. a risk of strong storms later today stretching from missouri all the way into parts of west virginia. it will be on the chilly side. and then 90 in brownsville. laredo, over 100. 87 degrees in tampa. that's what is going on around the country and here's what is happening in your neck of the woods. >> the radar showing areas of rain. where you see the color on radar, we are getting scattered showers up towards the eastern shore as well as the eastern panhandle of west virginia, and maryland getting steady rain and elsewhere a few scattered sprinkles. it's in the 40s and later today we should make it to the mid-and low 50s. lingering sprinkles maybe on saturday morning. the rest of the weekend, mostly dry and maybe a that's your latest weather, david. >> al, thank you very much. up next, the tale of two lives. the motherer who spent more than 30 years as a fugitive while raising a family and keeping them in the dark about her past. some say i've done it all. i say i'm just getting started. i wear what i love, because expression means everything. ♪ too hot to trot some say i'm one-of-a-kind. i say i'm so chico's. but one is so clever that your skin looks better even after you take it off. neutrogena® healthy skin liquid makeup. 98% saw improved skin. does your makeup do that? 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[ male announcer ] the refreshingly simple bankamericard cash rewards credit card. apply online or at a bank of america near you. back now with the woman who spent more than 30 years hiding from a dark secret. while raising her beautiful family she was an escaped fugitive. we'll talk to her in a moment. first, her story. at first glance marie walsh seemed to have it all -- three children, a loving husband, a happy life in san diego. but marie had a secret, one she kept hidden even from her husband and kids. that secret dates back to 1970s michigan when marie was known as susan lefevre. as a teenager she had fallen in with the wrong crowd and started doing drugs like marijuana and cocaine. when she was 19, susan said a friend convinced her to drive him to get pizza but that he was really going to sell drugs. when the police showed up they arrested susan as well. >> they didn't find any money on me. they didn't find any drugs in my apartment. they found nothing incriminating. >> reporter: she says the prosecutor and her attorneys told her if she pleaded guilty she would get probation, but susan was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison. after one year behind bars and with the help of her grandfather, susan made the bold decision to escape. she moved to california, changed her name, got married and started a new life asthma rh-- as marie walsh. as the years passed marie wondered if she would live the rest of her life as a fugitive. in 2008, law enforcement caught up with her at home in california and sent her back to prison in michigan. >> i have been through 30 years of paying off a debt. i hope that there is some consideration for the fact that i did turn my life around. >> reporter: after one year, marie was released on parole. >> i'm just delighted that this nightmare is over. >> marie shares her story in "a tale of two lives, the susan lefevre fugitive story." she's with us along with her daughters maureen and katie. i know your husband and son can't be here but i'm glad you are. this is a complicated, bizarre story. you were arrested at 19 years old and you admit you were a kid who got caught up with taking drugs. in this case you say you were set up. >> yes. i actually received a phone call and hung up from somebody. then someone came over an hour later and asked me to go somewhere. i later found out -- asked me to go to a pizza restaurant. i later found out that he was working with the police as an informant because he had been arrested a couple weeks earlier and was being paid with drugs and money and probably pressure. so he lured me to the spot but i had nothing to do with the transaction. there is overwhelming evidence of that, but i was still processed through the system and have spent 30-some years fighting this because of that incident that night. >> you said at the time that the prosecutor and even your own attorney, one of the attorneys you had was your uncle, told you if you pled guilty you would get probation. that's why you pled guilty. instead you got a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison. we did talk to your former defense attorney nick trogan. he believed you never should have been sentenced to 10 to 20 years but said it's not true i told her if she pleaded guilty she would only get probation. what's the truth? >> well, there are many witnesses that i was promised probation. the prosecutor came and told me not to mention it in court but that it had been set up with the judge. he mentioned it so many times that i wondered why. my bail was $150. my first time offense. i had never been in trouble before. i thought -- i was upset to get probation. so there's quite a bit of evidence of that. i had other investigators that have asked other people. they did promise me probation but then said i didn't cooperate enough is what the drug agent recently said which wasn't true. >> you served a year of the sentence and your grandfather said, you have to get out of here. they were building another prison. he was convinced you would be there much longer. he helped you get out of the prison. you went over the barbed wire ran to where he was waiting in a car. at any moment were you worried, you could get stuck on the barbed wire, be shot, get caught and be sent back to prison for life? >> yes, everything you said. you'd heard stories of people getting caught on the barbed wire. the helicopter did come over. you know, i didn't know what to expect. i didn't know if they would shoot me. i don't know if it's reality, but you worry. i just -- it was wonderful. my grandfather prodding me like that. i was not someone with -- this wasn't the type of person that took a lot of nerve and i wouldn't have had the courage without my grandfather helping me out. he was wonderful. it was a good thing i did it. >> you made it to california, started a new life with a new name, marie, which was your middle name. you meet a man, fall in love, get married, have three beautiful children but you're living a lie the whole time. they don't know what's going on in your past and you don't tell them. >> yeah. of course i couldn't. you know, i had a couple of extended family members i shared this with. we said, if i can wait until they're out of high school. i tried to turn myself in for years. i hired many attorneys to try and approach the prosecutor in charge in saginaw and say i wanted to turn myself in and can we work -- my sentence was bizarrely out of line with anyone for a first time offense. >> they knew where you were all this time? >> no, no. the attorneys would have attorney-client privilege. so they could have my phone number. i asked them to approach and try to re sosolve this. there were different means. i wanted to try and resolve it. they approached the prosecutor and he said that i couldn't turn myself in, that i should stay away. if i came back he would give me more time than the 10 to 20. that didn't refer to the escape charge because that was out of a detroit charge. i had no idea. this was a mystery too adding to it, why couldn't i turn myself back in? >> meanwhile, maureen and katie, i imagine now learning all of this, do you go back and say, i thought something was strange? do you ever look back and say, there was something about my mom? >> we had a normal childhood. often times i found little things here and there like letters with a different last name. i thought maybe she had a secret sort of maybe a different husband in the past or something more personal like that. nothing serious. i didn't think too much about it. it wasn't until later down the line i started to notice bigger signs and i just kind of gave her space to come to us to talk about it when the time was right for her. >> eventually they did catch up with you. they found you in california. katie, you were with your mom when she was arrested. >> yes, i was. i was in my room and she came in and toldle me. she was in tears telling me she was going to be taken away for a while. i walk out and immediately start to cry and it was definitely something -- not the best thing to wake up to. i was strong for her. >> how have you girls processed this? >> well, it's been a long journey. from the moment she was taken away to this point now we're just happy to have her home. it has been a struggle. just even the day she came home. that was a whole other chapter we're embarking on as a family. having her back. letting her go back to her old life but it's not her old life anymore. >> you ended up in prison for another year and you were then placed on parole. now that's done. >> i didn't expect prison to be that hard. that's why i had to write the book. it was very traumatic. i didn't expect to find what i did as far as the year, the struggle that i had. >> so we're almost out of time. what's the message of the book? what's the key message you're trying to get out? >> i feel i was a pretty average, very average kid. this could happen to anybody. and the system is very aggressive. this isn't the way to deal with kids that have lost their way. i was lost, on the wrong path. but the prison was not the answer. i'm trying to -- the reason i've tone this is there are so many other people suffering in the system just like myself. >> thank you for joining us. maureen and katie as well. thank you so much. the book is a tale of two lives. still ahead, screen legend robert redford live in our studio for the first time in ten years. discover customersl are getting five percent cashback bonus at home improvement stores. it pays to switch, it pays to discover. so, you got a chevy malibu. nice. a consumers digest best buy three years in a row. and an epa - estimated 33 miles per gallon highway. all starting under $23,000. and what does your neighbor have? 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[ male announcer ] nothing's proven to relieve pain better than extra strength bayer aspirin. it rushes relief to the site of pain. feel better? yeah. thanks for the tip. there are milestones that no parent wants to miss. let's see, there's first steps. first words. first time riding a bike without training wheels. and the first vacation memory that will last till roughly... forever. now, there's a first. tell us what you've always wanted to do, on facebook. [ ship horn blows ] some say i'm bold. i say i'm free. i wear what i love, because expression means everything. i wear the pants. and the tops. and the jewels. i grab life by the accessories. some say i've done it all. i say i'm just getting started. ♪ too hot to trot ♪ baby i'm so chico's. let's raise a glass to cookies just out of the oven. to the morning bowl of cereal. and to lactaid® milk. easy to digest and with all the calcium and vitamin d of regular milk. [ female announcer ] lactaid®. the original lactose-free milk. coming up on 8:24. time to check in with mr. willard scott in orlando this morning. >> we're right in celebration and i just wish you were here with us, matt. >> happy birthday, crisco! >> wonderful. that's 100 years old. your mother used it, your grandmother used it. michelle albana uses it. >> i do. >> and you will be michelle stuart. >> yes, in july. >> you caught yourself an apple pie. you were last year's winner. >> yes, for the citrus in the professional and commercial with this lemon-lime blackberry. >> of nor walk, connecticut. >> we are having a grand opening for our second store in westbrook, connecticut. >> and you have a book coming out? >>he perfect pies cookbook is coming out. >> anything else we can talk about? god bless you. your grandmotherer taught you to bake. happy birthday from smuckers. you have never had it so good. peanut butterer and jelly sandwich and a piece of pie and you get to live to be 100 like martha groenendyke. loves to take care of her cat. unbelievable. happy birthday. we love you. we also have anthony saldicc of new london, new hampshire -- not connecticut. 100 today and loves to speak and write poetry and does a heck of a job with it. and we have the lovely lela putney who is from spartanburg, south carolina. she is 107 years old today. now let's go back to new york for our -- hm. >> all right, willard, thank you very much. >> look who's here. hollywood icon robert redford. we'll talk to him after your local news. you haven't been here for a long time. >> i'm sorry. >> just how it goes. >> that's good for starters. we look forward to talking to you. you have a new film out "conspirator." anything else you want to add?." anything else you want to add before we go? >> no, that's it. i am done. 8:26 is your time now. 47 degrees and looks like winter is back. tom will have your forecast after the news. in the news for today, the national cherry blossom festival is ago even if there is a government shutdown. they say with the help of d.c. police they will be able to change the route if need be. we will henson, once you get through that big n' toasty, we're going to go over sales figures, complete this merger, present to the board and do a number of other seemingly impossible tasks today. it's going to be a big one. sink your teeth into some egg, bacon and cheese and nod if you understand. good. you've got spunk. a big day calls for the new big n' toasty, with fried eggs, cherrywood-smoked bacon, and cheese, stacked high on thick texas toast. wrap your hands around one at dunkin'. america runs on dunkin'. grab a big breakfast with the new big n' toasty sandwich from dunkin' donuts. good morning. it's a chilly morning. we have scattered sprinkles around. right now in the mid-40s. 46 at reagan national. later today we should make it into the low 50s to mid-50s with periods of light rain that may linger into saturday morning. how is traffic? >> on the topside of the beltway, a minor accident, and 395, slow in shurling ton. tonight at 5:00, a little taste of england. how a northern virginia business [ grunting ] [ lawnmower running ] darn joneses. surprise! 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[ male announcer ] make your neighbors wish they were you. upgrade to fios, america's most advanced fiber-optic network, for just $99.99 a month for a year. call now and we'll add a special bonus: $100 back. get the ultimate hd experience, plus access to the fastest internet in the u.s., with no term contract required. start saving now. upgrade to fios tv, internet and phone for just $99.99 a month and get $100 back. call 1.866.569.fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's 1.866.569.3467. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead. 8:30 on this friday morning, april 8, 2011. rockefeller plaza is the place to be this morning. take a look at the size of this crowd. it's huge. they will be more excited because we have a hollywood legend in the house. award-winning actor and director robert redford is here. >> first time in ten years. >> nothing i said. i wasn't here. but you -- >> can't account for you. >> he just didn't come back. also celebrity chef marcus samuelsson happened to be cooking for president obama last week. he's here to teach us the recipe for the best basic burger you will ever eat. >> that's a big burger. >> i don't think that's just one. >> if we're lucky it is. he likes them big. >> really? >> did you like your high school photos? >> no, no, not so much. >> did you like your yearbook photos? >> they were unfortunate. >> jenna hager is with us as we take a look back at school ph o phot photos. >> i took my first picture in eight years without braces in high school. >> that's a very big deal. how about the weather, al? >> how about that for high scho. >>. looking ahead to the weekend, we have a risk of strong storms in the southeastern atlantic into the mid ohio river valley. and then nice in the northeast, and mild. then sunday, sunday, we have a risk of storms stretching from texas all wait to the western great lakes. more wind and moves into the paw sichic northwest. and hot through the southeast. in augusta, sunday, final round of the masters, 91 degrees. that's what is going on around the country, and here is what is happening in your neck of the woods. low grade clouds, and then sprinkles across northern virginia. and in the green in northeast maryland, there is steady rain there. and later today we should make it into the low 50s or mid-50s in a few locations to the south with periods of rain. warmer on sunday, and especially mond and two things you must know, david. first of all, if you need to check the weather go to weather channel on cable and weather.com online. if it's sunday, it is "meet the press." >> it is. coming up, the legendary actor robert redford is here, live in the studio. first this is "today" on nbc. back now at 8:35 with academy award winner robert redford. the legendary actor is known for classic roles in movies like "butch cassidy & the sundance kid" and "all the president's men." his latest project is "the conspirator" a story of a union soldier turned lawyer who defends a southern motherer who is accused in the assassination of abraham lincoln. take a look. >> i'm done defending your lies. >> you're so blind with hatred you can't see the truth. yes, my son hated the north. we all did. how can a southerner feel anything but bitterness toward your side. but my son did not conspire to kille your president. he conspired to kidnap him. >> good morning to you. >> good morning. >> you have a real relationship with "today," don't you? >> what do you mean? >> well, you said you used to come stand outside here? >> oh, yeah. when i was first in new york and i was going to dramatic school. >> yeah. >> i would come out here, stand in the window and hold up a sign hoping somebody in l.a. would recognize me. >> did it work? >> no. no one called. >> you have shot in this studio space for "quiz show." >> we did. in those days it was garraway. we shot here. it was great. this place is iconic. >> it is. i want to talk about "conspirator." i thought i knew about the assassination of lincoln. i did not know this story at all. how did you come upon it? >> well, i didn't either. that's why i decided to do it. lincoln and the civil war is a huge topic that never goes away. it's got tremendous life. so i think everybody knows about lincoln and john wilkes booth, but few people knew about a story inside of that, adjacent to it and that was the trial of mary serat. i didn't know about it. i was surprised historians didn't know. i thought, that's interesting. a story no one knows. an untold event tied to a story everyone knows about. >> she ran a boarding house and was accused of being a conspirator along with her son and john wilkes booth. she is defended by a northern lawyer who fought in the civil war. frederick aiken, i believe. >> mm-hmm. >> very little is known about him. you didn't have a lot to work with on his character. >> except in his summary in the trial. his last summary was taken verbatim from the document we had transcribed. that was word for word. little known of him. no photographs. he died at 43 years old. he went to the washington post after that failed attempt. but serat, quite a character. >> there is incredible detail from the ken burns film on the civil war that they hanged for five minutes before they died. i'm curious about your political activism is well known. how much more powerful do you think a work of art can be in analyzing not just history but something that has contemporary resonance? >> well, i don't think a film can change anything. i think it might entertain. maybe fashion changes stuff, but i don't know that a film does. at one time i thought it might and i hoped it might but i learned it didn't. i thought maybe after "the candidate" people might pay attention to how we elect people. ratherer th than cosmetics, substance. i don't think it changed anything. but i think to reveal something that's not known, to me that's a worthy effort. that's what this had. not only that but obviously there are parallels in the film. not parallels that i created. they exist. they are historical record but they are repeated through time. even today like when eric holder announced that -- he didn't seem happy. he was forced to do something i don't think he thought was constitutional. >> exactly. that's the issue in this movie. >> he just kind of maybe presented a gift to the film with that. but it's not something i created. it fits nicely into the stories that are interesting to me which is what's the story underneath the story we think we know? that's what attracted me. but it also carries other stuff like injustice. the rule of law and particularly the constitution. >> you know, i read something interesting about you recently that you would like to be in more movies but there is a perception out there that you don't want to act anymore. >> i think my agents feel that, too. i do. that's a misconception. >> you would like to get in front of the camera? >> i would. that was my main it shall. >> you just have to stand outside again with the sign. >> i'm still afraid nobody would call. >> i heard you threw out the first pitch for the cubs april 1. >> you heard that? >> yes, i did. and for a guy who was a baseball player, you were nervous. >> boy, was i. >> look at you though. oh! [ laughter ] >> i threw it high on purpose. i didn't want to throw it in the dirt. >> for a valley kid to do it in chicago instead of for the dodgers is disappointing. >> i didn't know it would be a big deal. remember the photos of presidents lobbing a ball out from the box. i thought it would be like that and they said, no, on the mound. they played the theme song from "the natural." that's when i was cooked. >> that was a film, guys! >> that makes making movies look easy. >> you did it, too. >> i did for the boston red sox. >> that's my team. that's who i would like to do it for. there i am, look. >> you threw it high, too. >> no. i threw it low but i jumped like a rabbit. that's me. robert red ford, thank you so much. don't be a stranger. not every ten years, please. he won't be back. "the conspirator" opens april 15. up next, a celebration of school picture day with jenna bush hager. first this is "today" on nbc. you've got a strawberry pop-tart, but i've got a warm, fresh baked strawberry toaster strudel. see the difference? mmmm. i do. (announcer) pillsbury toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. than lisning there'to our favore somore there's nothing we love more than listening to our favitsongs. but our favorite thing is eating totino's pizza rls. but our favorite thing ating tino pizza rolls. ♪ we're the kids in ameca ♪ oh, oh, oh every year more than 30 million children tilt their heads, pose and say "cheese" on picture day or refuse to smile in our house. this year tlas special milestone. "today" contributing correspondent jenna bush hager has details. good morning. >> good morning. we have the one childhood photo, the school portraits haunt us now but our parents are glad they held onto them. i visited schools on picture day to see how the old school photo is hanging in there. >> i need to see that smile! turn your face a little this way. great smile. >> reporter: say cheese! >> cheese! >> reporter: the awkward smiles, hairdos representing the times, packages of 8 x 10s and wallet sizes. >> excellent, handsome. >> reporter: a day decorated by elaborate backdrops and plastic combs. 6 million per year. >> i'll comb it for you. >> no! >> reporter: the beloved tradition of picture day. >> today's picture day! >> reporter: do you think girls like picture day better than boys? >> that's not fair. >> reporter: what do you mean? >> everybody likes them. >> reporter: everybody likes picture day? >> yeah! >> reporter: there is no greater proof of our chronological evolution. embarrassing evidence, in some cases. this is my picture when i was in 3rd grade. do you want to see it? >> sure. >> reporter: do you promise you won't make fun of me? >> no. >> reporter: are you going to laugh? >> no. >> reporter: promise? >> i like the background, the blue. >> reporter: what about my outfit. >> that's why i don't let my mom pick mine. >> reporter: i don't know what she was thinking. it's a mock turtle neck. with mobile uploads, iphones and digital cameras it's a wonderer this basic form of photography still exists. as we visited a few new york-area schools. >> hi, daddy! >> reporter: we saw that the cameras are still snapping away. why do you think photo day is this institution? it doesn't seem to change. >> the kids really love to shine k. i think that's what it is. it's all about their moment. >> reporter: kids are still dressing to the nines thanks to a little help from -- who else? >> my mom. >> my mom. >> my mom. >> no one. >> i dressed up. i first put my pants on. >> reporter: yeah? then your tennies? >> yeah. then i put my spongebob shirt. >> reporter: why did you pick your spongebob t-shirt? >> because i like spongebob because i have the dvd. >> reporter: you have the dvd so you decided to wear it? >> yeah. >> reporter: is it your favorite t-shirt? a few things have changed, including digital photos and a choice of blueray backdrops. >> shows the amazon rain forest one. >> reporter: very tropical. >> i like that kind of greenish -- >> reporter: greenish look? >> yeah. >> reporter: lifetouch school portraits which will celebrate its anniversary this year expects to snap its 4 billionth portrait this october and the kids continue to participate because their loved ones are anxious to show them off. who are you going to give your school photo to? >> my god mother. >> my family in el salvador. >> to my grandma. >> reporter: i bet she'll love it. a window into the past. although our world has changed through the bright eyes and optimistic smiles of the kids it seems much has remained the same. the tradition of school portraits has been an american institution for nearly a century. in fact, the smithsewn yonian a two lifetouch -- okay. i can't even take myself seriously. thank you very much. they did add two lifetouch cameras to the smithsonian. it shows you how this is one of the institutions in our country. >> brings back memories when you see the kids. >> my little girl will not smile. even on the retakes she refuses. >> reporter: you know who did smile? >> al. >> hey, freckles. >> yeah. >> you were a ginger. >> yeah. that's encino little league in the valley. >> you look like a valley kid. >> what does that mean? >> sun kissed. >> oh, gosh. >> meredith! that bowl cut is so cute. >> look at the buck teeth. my gosh. >> well, there were braces. >> i got them after. >> al? >> oh, that's my college yearbook picture. >> that's 3rd grade. >> you were held back a little bit. look what you accomplished in the end. >> that's tamron. >> whoa! >> mamacita. >> look at the 'do. >> that was my salt-n-pepa look. spp you got best looking i think. >> was that after you had the braces off? >> first day. i wore braces for six years. >> everybody went, hey now! >> she has teeth? >> oh, look at matt. >> he has hair. >> wow. >> ann. >> gorgeous. >> she looks the same. >> anyway, those school photos. we all have them. >> except me, obviously. >> you got my 8th grade picture there. why -- >> we don't want everybody to think -- >> that's from vocational school. gotta go. love you. jenna, thank you. >> don't be ashamed. >> up next, the best burger you will ever have with marcus samuelsson and al's picture from vocational s ♪ this morning on "today's kitchen" back to basics, tastiest burger you will ever have. doing the honors is the man behind the popular red rooster restaurant and the cofounderer of the first food & lifestyle website for men, foodrepublic.com. nice to see you. good morning. everybody's starting to grill now that spring is here. >> the whole idea at food republic is my guy friends said what's a basic simple recipe? how can i be the man of the kitchen. >> for the best burger. >> we have beef and this is 80% meat, 20% fat. the fat makes the burger good. >> okay. >> one egg and worcestershire sauce. a little bit of salt and pepper. boom. mix it around. you have beautiful patties. >> do you mix with your hands? >> absolutely. for a burger, make sure the meat is the center, right? it's a nice big patty yiek that. >> you like them big. >> nobody wants a burger like, you know, i'm not tasting the meat. that's manly, simple food. >> manly. >> every person should know how to make mayo. >> not just buy it? >> no! >> all right. >> i have egg yolks here. will you help me with the oil? >> do i dump it? no, no, a little bit at a time because it will break up otherwise. >> right. perfect. i will add in a little bit of vinegar and keep whisking this. if you make mayo like this you can make so many other sauces. don't put in too much. you're going to break it. >> i'm sorry! >> it's like a basic simple recipe. little bit of lemon juice. >> can you use a food processor. >> you can but you may overcook the egg yolk. whisk it like this. simple, done. got our mayo. >> okay. >> this is a spicy adult ketchup. you can use it on steak, different things. we have a little bit of grilled pepper, ketchup, mustard. >> you use regular ketchup to start off. >> smoked paprika, horseradish, garlic powder. >> taste that. go in with the hands. isn't it good? >> fantastic. >> now we'll assemble the burger. >> how do you know this is cooked? it's so big. >> i have been cooking 20 years. i think i know when it's cooked. >> for the average girl like me. don't get defensive now. >> that's what we do in the kitchen. we get defensive. >> all right. >> you like the potato bun. >> love it. little bit of mayo. just a little bit for you. >> yep. >> i'm putting more on. whoa, here they come. >> the vultures are coming. >> yay! >> you mix the mayo and the mustard. >> yes, yes. here we go. >> oh! >> i don't want a sandwich, i want a manwich. >> pass it to david. good luck. >> i'll take this one. >> i love the side one. >> you don't make normal fries. you could. but you use yuca fries. >> i love these. it's harder to make those, isn't it? >> not really. you blanch them and fry them. they're delicious. >> or go to marcus's restaurant. >> thank go to marcus's restaurants. simple food for guys. 8:56 is your time now. 47 degrees. still gloomy and cloudy out there. we had rain. when will it move out and bring sunshine back? that's after the news. four firefighters are injured, one critically after battling a fire in northwest washington. the roof caved in. investigators are still trying to determine what caused that fire. state department employees are holding a rally to oppose a possible government shutdown. the rally to serve america will begin at woman: my giant -- they're fantastic. i can't say enough about them. i can go in, get the things i need, and i know i'm saving money. why would i shop anywhere else? at giant, we want to thank you for making us the store you love to shop for over 75 years. this week, look for savings in every aisle, just for you. like boneless beef chuck shoulder roast, $1.99 a pound. and lean cuisine entrees, just 5 for $10. i pay for my groceries, and i look at the bottom of the receipt, i'm like, "yes! i did it!" that works for me. more savings every time you shop, with your giant card. i'm a curious seeker. i am a chemistry aficionado. diphenhydramine. magnesium hydroxide. atheletes foot. yes. i'm a people pleaser. if elected, i promise flu shots for all. i am a walking medical dictionary. congratulations virginia. inflamed uvula. i'm virginia. i'm a target pharmacist and i'm here to answer your questions. good morning. a fewscattered sprinkles across northern virginia. and the radar showing studier rain further to the north and east, and periods of just sprinkles. a bit of light rain for the rest of the morning. we are in the upper 40s now, and later in the afternoon, maybe a few more areas of light rain tonight and into saturday morning. over on the beltway in virginia, down towards route 143, tyson, an accident. the delays begin well before the american legion back now with more of "today" on friday morning, april 8, 2011. huge rolling spring break crowd. kicking off the weekend right here in rockefeller plaza. good to see so many happy faces. inside studio 1a i'm al roker along with mr. david gregory. >> are you talking about us? >> yes. and tamron hall. matt is off. natalie's on assignment. what else is coming up? >> we have a lot coming up. will he make it to the church on time? william's brother harry is stuck in the arctic three weeks before the wedding. he was on an expedition, a 200-mile trek for his charity, walking with the wounded. he's now stranded because of cracks in the ice runway. we'll get an update on the royal delay. >> where do a prince and princess go to relax? one of the best kept secrets at buckingham palace is the destination for william and kate's royal honeymoon. we'll check out rumors of where they may be headed including the hottest, most romantic spots on the globe. >> also coming up, if you are looking for a place to call home or want to see how far your money can go we'll take a house tour from atlanta to san diego, knoxville to blualbuquerque. i knew i should have taken that left turn. tamron has a check on the top stories. >> congressional leaders meet again today after no deal came overnight in the talks to avoid a government shutdown. thousands of public employees could be furlowed and paychecks delayed worldwide if no agreement is reached by midnight. the president said he could not express wild optimism as the deadline looms. in japan the most powerful after shock rocked the northeast killing two people and injuring at least 130 others and knocking out power to large areas already crippled by the march 11 quake and tsunami. early warnings were triggered but the tremor generated no tsunami and seems to have had little effect on the area's nuclear plant. libyan rebels are outraged, demanding answers after friendly fire from nato killed four fighters. many were wounded. nato acknowledges the strikes may have resulted in rebel casualties but refuses to apologize. brazil is in mourning after that country's first school shooting. a former student entered a region middle and elementary school before turning the gun on himself. terrified students are seen on this video pursued by the gunman. severe weather in california bringing hailstones the size of sweet peas along with sleet and rain. there were temporary speed restrictions after an inch of hail built up on the highways. prince harry may be at the north pole longer than expected. he needs to get home but the damage to the runway is slowing his return to london. ben fogle has the latest. good morning. lots of drama. >> reporter: good morning. it looks like prince harry is spending a little bit long orren the ice on his way to the north pole than originally planned. he's been out in the arctic region for a few days with the walking with the wounded soldiers. he was only due to be with them four days but the extreme cold conditions in the north created a crack in the temporary runway built on the ice. a team of engineers from russia are working around the clock to rebuild the runway so a plane can pick him up, take him back to svalbard and eventually back to london and england where he's got military commitments with the air force. tamron? >> all right. everyone can use a helping paw around the house. one dog owner in china trained the family pooch to make himself very useful. pushing the baby carriage, carrying a shopping basket. sometimes headed to the market by himself when his owners are busy and the pup loves company. he's quick to pull up a stool for a house guest. does he get allowance for that? it's four minutes past the hour. back to al with a check of thet. >> he is doing my taxes later today. >> let's check your weather and see what is happening. for today we are looking for severe storms from missouri on into ohio, and parts of tennessee. west virginia. we have got the risk of isolated tornados in the system. things are starting to fire up. rainfall amounts, not too bad. what we are worried about more, the rain, the wind and hail. we are talking about half an inch to inch of rain in the mid-atlantic states. good morning. we have had a few sprinkles around northern virginia, the district and in maryland, northeastern parts are getting rain. there are a few areas of passing showers now. and we may make it into the low 50s in the afternoon. and then very early saturday morning. and then on sunday, warming up in the mid-70s, and warmer ♪ >> time for today's real estate and homes for sale across the country. we found homes on the market for $350,000 or less. "today" real estate contributor barbara corcoran is here with the tour. you're looking spring-like today. >> i'm trying. >> let's go to some place you see the same color with the sun. albuquerque, new mexico. the house priced at $299,900. three bedrooms and two baths. >> this is a community with a big bonus of being next door to the rio grande bosk, miles of walking and riding trails. brick floors throughout the house. people think adobe houses will be darker on the inside. that looks like a beach house. they have brick floors, wood ceilings and lots of light. they have overheadlights, side lights. you can't be out of the sunshine inside these doors. the open dining room is steps from the kitchen. you see it in the background there with a big window. the kitchen has pale wood cabinets and red tile back splash. i'm having trouble talking today. there is a library with built-in book shelves and a windows office. the redwood decking on the back almost gives you a room in the back to enjoy. look at the views. it's 360 degrees of beautiful mountain ranges. >> i have never seen a contemporary adobe home today. >> most of them are very contemporary. they have taken the best of the old style and added the openness of the new style. >> cool. let's go to knoxville, tennessee to the classic brick house. five bedrooms at $319,000. >> knoxville is only 35 miles from the smoky mountains national park. it has a million and a half acres of parkland. this is a traditional brick house with a classic facade. there are wood floors throughout the house. beautifully furnished, overly furnished for selling but they have excellent taste and the house looks great. the dining room is odd. i feel like henry viii will be in the corner. macbeth should live in the house. i don't know what's going on there. it reads too dark but it's a nice room. there is an open kitchen with granite counter tops, pots hanging from the ceiling should be eliminated immediately. >> too much clutter? >> they bring the celling down almost 12 inches. not a good idea. there is a fenced backyard which we'll see in a minute. they need some cushions on the little chairs there, but you can see how spacious it is. the backyard is huge and the taxes are so low on this house. >> let's go to atlanta, georgia. this is a three bedroom priced at $325,000. >> what you have in atlanta is lots of medical doctors and ph.d.s on every single block. it's home to the centers for disease control. that employs a lot of medical staff. this house is neat as a pin on the outside. i think they must have manicured every inch of the house hours before this shot. inside it's just as neat. very large rooms, high ceilings throughout. in fact, most of the ceilings in each room are a mile high and it makes the rooms look larger. a great shot of the wood burning fireplace. dining room in the back, french doors to the right. it's a spacious house, meticulous which helps in the sale of the house. that's a white cabinet kitchen. the cabinets pop right out. the clutter should be taken from the top of the cabinets but you can see how huge the kitchen is, perfect for a family. out back there is a fenced backyard with a very small -- oh, i forgot that blue dining room. >> they like color on the wall. >> and you know that should be eliminated. it should be painted white. the backyard looks a little bit too plain and should be merchandised a bit and the patio cleaned up to make it look as good as the front of the house. >> in the pacific northwest, portland, oregon, modern townhouse with three bedrooms. >> when you see this townhouse it looks like a toy house, but remember in portland, prices are high, but values are great. this house is smack in the middle of an area with artists a huge gate community, a lot of totally creative community there. people are moving in by the dozens. you would swear you're in a big house. look at the windows, the ce cellin cellings. talk about making a lot of a little. it's only 1600 square feet but you wouldn't feel cramped here for a minute. another great shot of the living room. there is a kitchen somewhere in the house. doesn't look miniature. that's a huge kitchen. >> spacious. >> modern appliances, granite counters, top of the line in every way. the sweet spot of the home is the backyard -- oh, the bedroom. we never find a great bedroom to shoot. that looks like it's from "house beautiful." >> there's the backyard on a rainy day. >> in a rainy part of the country. >> and lastly, san diego, california. two bedrooms at $34,900. >> this is an expensive community. this is what you get for $349,000. it's a spanish style home on a quiet house. 744 square feet big. we have houses in big cities because we want to show you how much bang you can get for your buck. there is a sweet dining room, miniature in size but nice. i like that pass-through window. there's the kitchen adjacent to it. if you just see one second more after we get out of the kitchen. i know there is a bedroom and a beautiful backyard that comes with the house. if you want to call it a backyard it's an alley way turned into a patio. how clever to put that little wood on top? >> you know it's helpful when you give our director direction. >> i'm sorry. i'm rushing. >> thank you so much. if you want to know more go to today.com. coming up next, where will william and kate unwind after the wedding? then later, when shouldle you worry about your kid's weight? we'll help you decipher the growth charts after these messages. hey kids, mommy's got a surprise for you. [ rattling ] wanna see what's in it? yeah! whoagasp! whoagasp! whoagasp! you wanna make these? you put it in here? yeah, put it in there. ok, just press. i'm gonna give you some m&m's to put in there. ok! ready? and then you wanna take this... ...put it together. shake it. [ giggles ] are you making them for the easter bunny? no, you. ahhhhh. [ female announcer ] this easter... bring a tradition... out of its shell. rice krispies. i did it! you did! imagine what it can do to your skin. but dove isn't soap. it contains pure 1/4 moisturizing cream because, everyday moisture is the key to beautiful skin. and who knows moisture better than dove. the tomatoes i grow are the best part. can't have lasagna without cheese. that's a perfect-looking tomato. my cheese. -[ horn honks ] -it's my whole grains! [ female announcer ] introducing new stouffer's farmers' harvest. now with the goodness of whole grains. find more ways to get to the table at letsfixdinner.com. now with the goodness of whole grains. here's to my pants not leaving marks on my waist. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. i can't sew, knit or crochet. i might have flaws, but this isn't one of them. your moment. your dove. ♪ your mo♪ nt. your dove. the best approach to food is to keep it whole for better nutrition. that's what they do with great grains cereal. they steam and bake the actual whole grain while the other guy's flake is more processed. mmm. great grains. the whole whole grain cereal. in just three weeks prince william and kate middleton will get married and the world will be watching, but where will they honeymoon? keith miller has possible destinations. he's on the island of corfu. good morning, keith. >> reporter: good morning, tamron. this greek island has joined a growing list of international hot spots that could be possible honeymoon venues. they can offer all the services that make a honeymoon work especially romance, romance and more romance. ♪ >> reporter: the greeks have been entertaining royal visitors for centuries. lovers have dipped their toes in the wine-dark mediterranean sea since the time of cleopatra and marc anthony. and the british royal connection to the island goes back decades. this is where prince philip was born. british newspapers call corfu the honeymoon destination for its natural beauty, elegance and privacy. >> i'm sure they would choose a private yacht or something by the sea. >> reporter: in london's betting shops the favorite destination is kenya with corfu a close second. >> certainly that's the big mover. if i was having a little bet myself i might bet on corfu. >> reporter: there are other favorites. perhaps the royal couple will go to the caribbean. there is richard branson's luxury hideaway for the rich & famous. the island of mystique holds magic for the royals. and the spanish island of abitha has attracted william and kate on vacation to unwind. during his recent trip to australia prince william said he would return, joking maybe a honeymoon on the coast. still, according to one british newspaper, corfu is the destination of choice. prince william learned to waterski here. his father prince charles and wife camilla have been guests at the secluded rothschild estate. it takes a boat ride with local fishermen to scout it out. >> this is the house. and this is the castle. yes. the other house belongs to the son. >> reporter: wherever the royal newlyweds chill out after the wedding, laid back, not lavish is expected. word from buckingham palace is that tough economic times calls for discretion. here on corfu they are already toasting the royal wedding. overjoyed at the prospect of the newlyweds honeymooning on their island. a honeymoon isn't all about location. as a writer once put it, tamron, a husband may not remember where he spent his honeymoon, but he will never forget why. >> oh, i like that. very nice, keith miller. nice finishing touch there. for more on the possible honeymoon spots we go to kate maxwell the article's editor. good morning. >> good morning. >> any choice would be fantastic. >> aren't they amazing? >> let's start with abeza. >> yes. it has a reputation ascapitol. it's a real fashionista favorite. kate moss, valentino go there is in the summer. >> it sounds trendy. >> this is the trendy option. pine covered hills, citrus, almond and olive groves, secret beaches and the accommodation rivals anything in europe. great for fantastic villas with things like their own private dance floor and infinity pools and a staff. >> moving on to mystique. >> very glamorous, exclusive place. princess margaret was a fan. it's very hard to get to. most people arrive on private jet. you can get a puddle jumper from barbados. there are a hundred villas here. it's a cooperative owned by the residents. >> william is bucking tradition. this is a family favorite -- >> yes, he's been there before as well with kate. so maybe somewhere different. >> i like the name of necker island. sounds appropriate for a honeymoon. why is this popular? >> it's richard branson's private island. the paparazzi won't bother them here. most of the time you have to rent it in its entirety. it sleeps 28 people and costs $54,500 per night. >> let's take it off the list unless we're invited. >> that includes food, alcohol, 60 staff, wonderful water sports, a spach. >> it accommodates 28 but you're only two people. you would feel alone. >> oh, i don't know, not with the staff. >> with their outdoor interests, kenya is on the list. >> they were engaged in rotunda in kenya. perhaps they will want to go back. kenya is a great honeymoon option. it offers a combination of activities. safari and fantastic beaches. wonderful parks. i also like lamu island off the coast. >> it brings them back to where they started which has a romantic tie. the bottom line, where would you put your coins? >> difficult. i think kenya. they clearly have an affection for it. it doesn't get much more romantic than watching animals and sleeping under the stars. >> a beautiful sunrise. i think i'm with you. kenya is our bet. still ahead, you may not live in a palace but you can make your family look like one. we have affordable decorating ideas. and it's friday so two ladies were plucked from the crowd for an instant makeover. results after these messages. love those jeans. $175. ch-ching! excuse me? ever consider showing your customers what other stores charge for jeans? um...no. when it comes to car insurance, progressive direct does. i saved hundreds when switching. that's a lot. the jeans are skinny. the savings... are fat. out there with a better way. now, that's progressive. here's to my pants not leaving marks on my waist. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. if you want to mow it, trim it or cut it, you can get it at the lowest prices of the season. sale ends saturday, at sears. ♪ new hershey's drops. a lot of hershey's happiness in a little drop of chocolate. pure hershey's. you've been there. you pick out a makeup thinking it's your shade... until you actually try it out. now, i have a makeup that always gets it right. smart shade makeup instantly adjusts to match perfectly to your skin. almay smart shade makeup. only from almay. only for me. so we take time to sit down for lunch at olive garden and we enjoy catching up as much as we enjoy the meal... announcer: it's the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks lunch. only at olive garden. featuring four homemade soups. enjoy all you want for just $6.95. you know that comes with a private island. really? 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here's to my pants not leaving marks on my waist. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. that 9:26 is your time. 47 degrees. we started off rainy and dreary. in the news for today, police are looking for a gunman that shot and killed a 16-year-old. it was an apparent drive-by pch his name has not been released and officers have no suspects or motive. we will good morning. we have sprinkles in washington. light rain around the metro area this morning. some other showers moving into the panhandle of west virginia. and right now we are in the upper 40s and later today it may make it into the low to mid-50s with occasional light rain as well as overnight tonight into early saturday morning, and then the rest of the weekend looks dry. much warmer sunday and monday. could get storms late in the day on monday. tom, trying to wrap up the rush hour. had a late accident. still looking at delays as you head across the american legion bridge coming down from river road, but looks like the lanes are open. and this is 395. look for delays coming up from the pentagon to the 14th street bridge. >> jerry, thank you. you sure you know where the tunnels are? you sure? >> yeah. hold on. this might hurt. >> oh, yeah. the action revs into high gear as the fast & furious franchise speeds up in its fifth movie called "fast 5." natalie morales gets to head down to rio where the movie is shooting. we'll be live with the cast including vin diesel, duane johnson, ludacris and jordana brewster next week on "today." it's just like a merchant ivory film but faster. >> nice assignment for natalie. >> that's so cool. coming up, sick of your walls? from the entry way to the kids' rooms we have options for adding unique options to dress up the walls in your home. >> when you take your children to the pediatrician you walk out with facts and figures about weight and percentiles. when live wire is number one on the best-seller list. if fact, i will be interviewing his new york times advertisement. >> that's a nice setup there. >> the tallest mystery writer in the world. and now, first, lester -- actually raised the studio to get him in here. and we are going to hear about the weekend. >> we are going to have the latest on the government shutdown, and then talk about the government's secret hideaway. it was an underground bunker that was built for u.s. lawmakers under a west virginia resort. we will take you inside this place. plus, extreme comeback. bethany hamilton is back searching and now the subject of a hollywood movie, and we will talk to the remarkable woman. we will head out where extreme surfers go looking for the biggest waves. and then we are getting closer. and we are talking about an event that is expected to be watched by billions of people. let's get a check of the weather from al? >> we do have a risk of strong storms through the mississippi river valley and southeast into the ohio river valley. clouds and cool in the pacific northwest. and warmer on the gulf coast. on sunday, a risk of strong storms from texas into the great lakes. rain and wind in the pacific northwest. and then where they are doing the final round of the masters, 91 degrees on sunday. >> we have a little bit of light drizzle of these sprinkles on our radar this morning. and for the rest of the day, maybe a few sprinkles into the low to mid-50s. perhaps a few passing showers this weekend. might have a lingering bit of activity, and saturday afternoon, mostly cloudee up near 60. and then sun back in the afternoon into the mid-70s. warmer on monday, and >> and that's your latest weather. >> thank you very much, al. up next, unusual and inexpensive ways to dress up a boring wall after this. ings ] you have a child with adhd. you're getting calls from his teacher he's impulsive in class. and his inattention makes focusing on homework tough. i know how it is because my son has adhd too. i didn't know all i could do to help manage his adhd. our doctor suggested a treatment plan with non-stimulant intuniv. [ male announcer ] once daily non-stimulant intuniv has been shown to reduce adhd symptoms. don't take if allergic to intuniv or are taking guanfacine. intuniv may cause serious side effects, such as low blood pressure, low heart rate, fainting, and sleepiness. intuniv may affect the ability to drive or use machinery. other side effects include nausea, tiredness, trouble sleeping, stomach pain and dizziness. tell the doctor about your child's medicines and medical conditions, including heart, liver or kidney problems. i'm a mom first and a teacher second. so i did my homework and got informed. [ male announcer ] ask the doctor about once daily non-stimulant intuniv. [ male announcer ] ask the doctor the difference between my pale dry skin and glowing moisturized skin? jergens natural glow daily moisturizer. it gives you natural looking color, guaranteed. jergens is the difference between landing and making an arrival. jergens. the beautiful difference. there's a full serving of vegetables in every manwich. announcer: surprise. every manwich has a full serving of wholesome vegetables. manwich. meat your vegetables. so why does this one cost so much less on hotwire.com? when hotels have unsold rooms they use hotwire hot rates to fill them, so you get ridiculously low prices, backed by our low price guarantee. ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e ♪ hotwire.com this morning on "today's home" unique and inexpensive ways to dress up the walls. you don't have to buy expensive art or totally re decoradecorat. we have great ideas for you to brighten up the walls you don't know what to do with. good morning. good to see you. >> good morning. >> everyone has a wall where you think, i need to do something with that. >> we don't all have the luxury of a fabulous art collection and sometimes we want an alternative to the mirror. i wanted big bold inpension sieve ways to dress up a wall. we all have them. >> this is the talker of the room here. >> uh love these. >> this is for the kitchen. >> kitchens have a lot of walls. instead of doing the boring framed poster, why not this oversized modern-looking fork and knife. there's a spoon, too. i department want the overkill. but together i thought it was a wow piece. they're, like, $40. >> you said this is a modern look. >> i feel like the alum anymore gi -- aluminum gives it a modern look but it could go in a country house. they're fun. >> sometimes clocks are boring but this has pizzazz. >> this looks like you found it in an antique store. we think, oh, get a clock to tell time. why can't it have style? >> again, you think go big or go home. >> everything here has a nice big size to it. it really makes the wall come alive. don't be afraid to go big. >> don't be afraid of mirrors. >> when i was talking about mirrors before, have fun with them. this is so inexpensive. get two. the power of pairs. >> it has a retro feel. >> it's glamorous-looking. i love it. >> we all have photographs and we wonder what to do with the pictures. you have a bare wall. why not share pictures? >> these are from restoration hardware. if you don't have great vintage photos, look at the frames. they look like you got it in a great antique store. in a hall way, an office, a boy's room. these came as is but i love putting them together. look at the character on the faces. it gives character to a wall. that's also a challenge. what do you do to bring personality to a wall. >> you can make up stories. oh, that's my great uncle. he was famous. >> i love it. that would be fun in a mud room, too. they're fabulous. >> very nice. up next. decals. >> we have seen these easy peel, easy off. this is from urban outfitters. it's fun for a kitchen. maybe in the mud room, entry hall. to-do list. in a child's room they can draw. move them around the house. >> is it tough to put them up? >> it takes seconds. it peels right off. that's the point. you can peel them on and off and put them anywhere. it's not a commitment. half of the stuff you put them on and it's like, oh. >> there are popular sports decals for a kid's room. >> decals are so popular. a great invention. this was fun because it was a mock chalk board and you can move it around. >> what's next? this is pretty. >> we talked about not being able to afford an art collection. this is from art.com. it's a photograph on acrylic and looks like you spent a lot of money on a beautiful photograph. this is from z gallery and it has tiny mirrors. you could even hang it above the bed. it could go with almost any decor, modern, all white room. i love the rows of little mirrors. >> gives dimension to the room as well. >> you want to create dimension, visual texture, style. that has it all. >> what's behind you is a talker. >> i love this. you have a blah space, what do you do? this is beachy and exotic. i got three of these. you could do two, more. you could almost create a wall. put a bunch maybe on a doorway. again, maybe above a bed. a kid's room. >> this looks chic. how do i keep it from looking like the '70s with the bead wall? >> i love the wood. i would place it against a white background. it would look elegant and pretty. again, kid's room, you could have fun wit. get create sieve. >> and go big. >> that's the thing. go big. >> up next, the man on top of the best seller's list, harlen coben after this. when you've lost interest in everything. when you've had one too many days feeling sad or anxious... aches and pains, fatigue. when it becomes hard to ignore that you need help. that's the day you do something. depression hurts. cymbalta can help with many symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. is today your day? talk to your doctor... and go to cymbalta.com for a free 30-capsule trial offer. depression hurts. cymbalta can help. is "the farmer's vegetable patch," right? there's a full serving of vegetables in every manwich. so you're made of vegetables, yet you're eating vegetables? exactly. [ male announcer ] every manwich has a full serving of wholesome vegetables. manwich. meat your vegetables. which beneful prepared meals. tonight? of wholesome vegetables. roasted chicken recipe? - savory rice and lamb stew. - [ barks ] you're right. tonight is a beef stew kind of night. [ announcer ] beneful prepared meals. another healthful, flavorful beneful. here's to my pants not leaving marks on my waist. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. in his tenth thriller harlen coben exploring the world of sports and rock and roll and murder. readers get a look at the personal life of our fictional private eye. good to see you. >> al. >> congratulations. number one on the new york times best seller list. >> it never gets old. it's wonderful and humbling. >> i bet. you created myron. this is the tenth book and for the first time we get into his back story. >> yep. >> we find out more about him. >> the idea came to me. i was on facebook and one of my friends put up a picture of a sonogram. under there what if someone wrote the words "not his." i thought that was it. that's how the novel opens. >> did you see a sonogram on facebook? >> i did. i put it in the book. somebody actually put "looks like a sea horse." >> looks like an anemone. >> i said, what if somebody put something creepy like "not his" on it. >> you are really usually right on the cusp of what's going on socially and in media and what's going on as far as social media, things like that. that's been a theme in a few of the books. you're very into that. >> it's just the world we live in. people aren't using beta max. if you're a young lady going on a date you google his name. everybody does. it's the reality. i'm trying to reflect what we are doing. facebook and these things aren't cutting edge. i don't know anything special about it, but it's a cool place to start a story. it's all about the heart and soul, love and loss. >> tell us about the book. >> myron is trying to search for a husband who runs away after this facebook. he stumbles across his sister-in-law. hasn't seen his brother in years due to a tremendous tragedy. it opens up a slew of horrible things. there is rock and roll, discussion about the price of fame and these things. mostly, this book, i want you to take it to bed at 11:00 say you'll read it five minutes and curse me at 5:00 a.m. because you were late for work. >> myron has a nephew which sets up a series, you're going to be moving into teen fiction. >> i'm never leaving adult books, but i don't think this has been done before. i introduce a 15-year-old character in livewire and the books overlap. so "sheltered," the last two chapters of this book are in that, too but from the 15-year-old viewpoint turning everything on its head. it was fun to do. >> i'm very impressed. you have gotten awards and accolades but you are now the jerry lewis of crime fiction. the french have awarded you the vermiel medal of honor for your contribution to culture and society. >> yeah. >> how did this come about? >> i don't know. we had a successful french movie. i hope to get bigger in germany so i can be the david hasselhoff of crime fiction. >> instead of the hoff you could be the cobe. >> very nice! >> the book is "livewire." check out an excerpt at today.com. good to see you. >> always a pleasure. thank you very much, my friend. >> up next, your kid's growth chart. what the height and weight percentiles mean. he was in the lower percentile, believe it or not. first this is "today" on nbc. this morning on "parenting today" your child's growth pattern when you take your kids to the doctor you get percentiles for height and weight and see their progress on the growth chart. but do you understand what they mean or when you should be concerned? today's diet and nutrition editor madelyn fernstrom is here to explain. this is a chart many parents identify with. >> you go to the doctor's office and they say, okay, your child is grow. every time they go year after year the height and weight should go up, but what's the right amount. the middle of the pack is something around what's called a 50th percentile. it means what your child's age is versus their height and weight compared to everybody in the country. the good news is there is a lot of wiggle room. you can be in a range that's much above or below that. in fact as low as 5% or as high as 85%. >> when should you be concerned? >> be concerned when the doctor says you're above the 85th percentile and you're in the red zone. here at 90 that's not good. 90 out of a hundred or below the 5%. these are a wake up call to say, i have to look at factors causing my child to be too high or not gaining enough weight. >> i imagine you start with nutrition and what they are eating. >> that's a big part of this. that's where you have this set up here. you don't want to damage your kids by having eating habits that are toxic for life. like a bigger kid saying, you can have fruit because you're heavy or telling a thin kid you can have all the cookies and chips you want. you want family eating, good eating habits. >> you want to address the information you received from the doctor. >> so many times in a family you have a bigger kid and a smaller kid. mom says, what are you going to do? >> we have bagels, doughnuts and muffins. these things are not created equal. how do you give kids what they want but get nutrition. >> this is something you don't need a donut the size of your head. downsize the portions. the big kid can have something but in smaller amounts. the thinner kid could have a different healthful thing but a bagel can be great. the size is important. don't deprive the heavier kid going you can't eat a bagel. you have to have diet bread. >> we count calories. you need to do the same with your child. a lot of calories can be obtained through milk. >> you want things to look the same. for the thin kid you can have low cal chocolate milk. to me, this looks the same. this is skim milk with low calorie syrup in it. when you trim 150 to 250 calories out of something for a child that's going to make a difference. the child doesn't think they aren't getting what they want but the thin child can. >> and you don't want to deprive a child. >> never deprive them. they will find it later on anyway. >> you binge eat like adults. >> starting earlier as a child it's worth. here we have peanut butter on whole wheat bread. one is on skinny bread with less peanut butter. you're going from 200 to 100 calories. they look the same, just about. >> absolutely. do you tell your children there is a difference or just sneak it in there. >> don't tell them anything. it's like adults saying this is low fat or low salt and people saying, i don't want it. >> these look different. >> especially true with trail mix. this is 300 calories because it has nuts n. the low calorie children put in extra cheerios or cereal. but put in mini m & ms. you can't have a kid, you just have bad dry cereal. >> this is a challenge for all parents. >> not everybody will always have vegetables. you can have baked chips and low calorie choices but the dips are different. for the kid who needs calories, hummus, guacamole is three times the calleries of salsa. so the kids are getting fun, healthy food and you don't have the stigma of saying, you can't eat that because you're a bigger kid. >> thank you very much. great information. coming up, kathie lee and hoda chat with uma thurman. >> and we have the results of the ambush makeovers and so much more. but first we have your local news and weather. i'll take these. love those jeans. $175. ch-ching! excuse me? ever consider showing your customers what other stores charge for jeans? um...no. when it comes to car insurance, progressive direct does. i saved hundreds when switching. that's a lot. the jeans are skinny. the savings... are fat. out there with a better way. now, that's progressive. 9:56 is your time now. 51 degrees, and still looks cloudy out there. tom will have your forecast after the news. good morning. the national cherry blossom parade will go on even if there is a government shutdown. organizers first they would have to cancel the event, but now they say with the help of d.c. police they will be able to change the route if need be. the parade starts at 10:00 a.m. and then a rally today to oppose the possible shutdown. the rally to serve america will begin at 21st street and virginia avenue. will we have good weather for the parade? >> we had a few sprinkles this morning. the radar shows a few breaks in the clouds, but there are other showers coming out of the mountains, and those will drift over the metro area in a couple hours. now, we are in the 40s and later in the mid-50s. and then saturday afternoon up near 60 and mostly cloudy. warmer sunday and monday. and then northern venlg, as you take the trip north along i-95, there is roadwork in the hov lanes, and as a result traffic is slow. one more stop. we will head over and take a peek here, clearing up, silver spring moving along without delay. delay. and our garden experts back captions paid for by nbc-universal television here we go. ♪ it friday ♪ friday ♪ got to get down on friday ♪ >> how many hits has this had now? >> 89 million hits. >> this is rebecca black's song. can we listen a little more? ♪ everybody is looking forward to the weekend ♪ partying ♪ partying ♪ partying >> we call it friday dry day around here. it's not our favorite day, but gets us ready for the weekend. >> there is a parody song called "saturday." ♪ 7:10 i slept in the morning ♪ i had too much sugar ♪ i've got to have cereal ♪ snap crackle pop ♪ even though it's the weekend ♪ my friends drive up ♪ even though we are 13 ♪ kicking in the front seat ♪ sitting in the back seat ♪ oh crap there are more seats ♪ which seat do i take ♪ it's saturday ♪ saturday ♪ yesterday was friday >> nice try. >> people are waking up this morning in st. louis abisbo in california. you are waking up to lovely news. >> you are living in officially the happiest place in the united states of america. they did a survey. >> of course. >> there are houses in st. louis obispo. >> they gauged a lot of different factors. the happiest place on the planet earth is copenhagen. >> have you ever been? >> no. >> i've been. it's not as happy a place as disneyland. that's the happiest place on earth. and disney world. >> happy three years and one day. >> it was our anniversary yesterday. >> this is so big, nobody remembered but me yesterday. >> at quarter to 10 yesterday, hey, is it our anniversary? first of all, i don't watch "american idol" but i was outraged at the outcome. >> how can you be outraged? >> i get lathered up when i see the whole thing at the end. first of all, thea got bounced which is ridiculous. >> stefano, you are safe. >> we are not going to go out on that note. we are not. you are too incredible, too great. >> she is beautiful. >> the judges were livid. they were saying she was robbed and it was terrible. >> they already used their save with that orchid before. >> how about worse than being her would be the kid sitting next to her that everyone thought should have been bounced. you were robbed. america got it wrong. anyway, she is gone. >> she is going to be jennifer hudson. i don't know if she will win an oscar, but she is very talented, a beautiful girl. i don't know what happened with the last performance she gave that sunk her with america. >> they said that teeny bopper girls vote for the boys. that's why there are only two girls left. >> that's too bad. >> six girls, six boys left. >> okay. i missed this one. >> i did, too. apparently there was a performance that was alarming by iggy pop. >> i didn't know iggy pop was still around. i'm happy he's alive, but i didn't know he was. >> look what he did. >> oh, no. no, no. ♪ >> he was resting. he took rests in between performances. ♪ i like wild fun ♪ the world's going crazy ♪ everything seems hazy ♪ i'm a wild one >> that was weird. >> that is disturbing on many levels. i'm happy he's alive. seems to be keeping in shape. >> yes, he does. >> there is just something wrong about it. i don't know. we were talking about 60 is the new 30 -- >> good for him. >> when i look at pictures of like the stones, rolling stones and stuff, and they're still cranking. >> steven tyler. >> there's hope for me and hope for you, hoda. you barely hit your stride. you know who there is more than hope for. i'm not thrilled about this. i don't like discussing it. tamsville thinks the whole world lives and breathes in jersey. she thinks you want to know everything that's happening with "jersey shore." >> here is the latest. snooki and jay wow are going to have a spin-off show. palli d. is going to have one, too. i guess they are following the mold of the kardashians. they are in negotiations to get money for their shows. this may be a posturing thing, but who knows you. have nothing to say? there is a fight ensuing that we are watching. >> i'm just -- yeah. okay. this is important. you know how you have career day in school. frank says i've been going to career day for 50 years. it's true. i've been going to parent/teacher conference for 60 years. out of virginia elementary school career day, this plastic surgeon came. when frank goes he brings a football and talks about it. this plastic surgeon apparently brought a breast implant. passed it around to the fourth, fifth and sixth graders. i'm sure had a ball with it. >> sure they did. >> apparently, parents took umbrage. >> yeah. they were not happy about it. i guess this guy has done it for years. this year it struck a nerve with people. >> why didn't he bring a nerve? bring something like that that is not sexual in context. >> i do think that is weird to bring a breast implant to pass around. >> a good thigh bone. >> even a nose. he probably does nose jobs. >> you don't put a fake nose on someone's face. >> you can show, this is what i do, i reconstruct noses. >> you were off last night doing something. >> there was a great food bank event mario batelli puts on every year. they raise money for the food bank of new york city. >> look at you hanging out. >> is that mr. al michaels? al michaels, al roker. i always get the two confused. >> who doesn't? if you tilt it down, you can see mario batalli has on crocs. jimmy fallon was there and john stewart. that was sara mclaughlin. she performed at the end. al did what he does. >> al is great at that. he is so enthusiastic. >> he was there until 10:30 and up in the make-up room with bells on being al. he said i got out really late but brings it in the morning. >> good for him. >> i like this time of the show. >> it's friday funny. i was supposed to do this last week but i haven't practiced it. as a little boy waited for his mother to come out of the grocery store he was approached by a man who asked, son, can you tell me where the post office is? sure, go down the street two blocks and turn to your left. the man thanked the boy kindly and said, i am the new pastor in town and i would like you and your family to come to church on sunday. i'll show you how to get to heaven. the little boy said, how can you do that? you don't even know the way to the post office? >> i liky. you know what it's time for? >> bobbi's buzz. >> hi, girl. we all got the nude shoe memo. that is a perfect segue for buzz. >> i like your mood music, by the way. >> sole society.com is a new shoe blob you can go online, sign up, fill out a style bio and they'll pick shoes for you every month. you can opt out. they selected shoes for hoda. this one here. kathie and me. i thought they did a good job. they picked our personality. >> hoda is already 5'9", she would be 6'5" in those things. >> i like heels. >> you like yours? >> i tried it on down stairs, it's comfortable. >> i want everyone to check out klgandhoda.com. ann taylor is giving a friends and family sale, 30% off if you spend $100. that is in store or online. land's end is doing 30% off friends and family jcpenney, this is such a cool light. >> we didn't get to the earrings. >> this is originally $200, it's $100. >> the bags. >> whose dress are you wearing? >> dbf. >> we love our bobbi. >> we have a solution to people who hate housework. these are cleaning slippers. >> i'm going to take off the valentinos for these babies. >> it's like the swifer except you get exercise. you put them on. yours match. >> yes. i think things through, hoda. >> you just slide around your house. imagine if you just did a little dancing. >> if we had music it would be even better. i'm sure we are find gliding around. ♪ pump it up ♪ pump the jam ♪ pump it up ♪ pump it up ♪ pump the jam ♪ pump it up ♪ >> careful. >> i love these. >> we have a lot of great -- you can get these in green and pink in organized.com. we have a nice group of people watching the show. >> are they still after that? there is a new movie coming out hoda and i watched this morning with uma thurman. >> look at those two love birds. >> quite the little couple. they'll make you laugh this weekend when they invite you to snchl the ceremony." >> our ambush makeover says it's spring. [ male announcer ] there's a place where everyone feels at home. where the company, the conversation, and the food make all who enter feel welcome. a place that feels as warm with a crowd... as it does with just a friend. it's a place you'll find town house crackers. because they're part of what makes your place the place. ♪ welcome to town house. where good times reside. revlon growluscious mascara. helps lashes grow stronger. with a unique formula that complements my lashes' natural growth cycle. 96% saw instantly longer lashes. this is the start of something big. revlon growluscious mascara. ever wish vegetables didn't taste so vegetably? well, v8 v-fusion juice gives you a full serving of vegetables, plus a full serving of fruit. but it just tastes like fruit. v8. what's your number? and i was a pack-a-day smoker for 25 years. i do remember sitting down with my boys, and i'm like, "oh, promise mommy you'll never ever pick up a cigarette." i had to quit. ♪ my doctor gave me a prescription for chantix, a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] chantix is a non-nicotine pill proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these symptoms or behaviors, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop serious allergic or skin reactions, stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some of these can be life-threatening. dosing may be different if you have kidney problems. until you know how chantix affects you, use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. ♪ my benjamin, he helped me with the countdown. "ben, how many days has it been?" "5 days, mom. 10 days, mom." i think after 30 days he got tired of counting! [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about chantix. and find out how you can save money on your prescription. go to chantix.com to get terms and conditions. if you're looking for something to do tonight, uma thurman and michael angarano have a suggestion. >> grab popcorn and catch a showing of "ceremony" a movie about a much younger man infatuated with a not much older woman hoping to halt her upcoming wedding. take a look. >> i can't believe you're considering this guy as a serious option for you. he is screening a movie at his wedding reception. what man are we dealing with here. >> you are being childish. >> so are you. >> sam, please, save yourself the heartache and go home. >> look at you two. >> two little peas in a pod. or in the closet. >> it has that wonderful independent movie feel to it. i'm sure that's what attracted both of you to it. what was it in the script that made you both want to do it? >> michael, you were there first. >> it's a very personal story. it's about a young guy who is very reckless and emotional and doesn't consider -- >> how did you prepare for that? >> the consequences of his actions. >> you must have had to dig so deep. did you read up on it? >> a lot of research involved. >> you're so bad. >> young man full of passions and raging emotions. >> we are just going to let them go. >> what about the chemistry between you two? >> we had none. we had to read up on that, too. chemistry. i couldn't spell it because i'm dyslexic so we wound up with a chemical peel which is good for him because he is younger than me. >> what is it about this character character zoe. >> there are not always characters for women where we are allowed to be complicated, contradictory and confusing and all the real things we are. i thought she was realistically written with all the love and she is kind of messed up, but she is also a beautiful person. >> who is talking to me? >> it's you talking. >> i thought i was going crazy. voices in my head are real. >> so the director, you were excited about him? >> the beautiful max winkler. >> fonz's son. >> henry's son. there is nothing not to love about henry. of course he created a son of equal beauty to himself. >> is he a lot like him? >> they are a beautiful family. they are a testament to the concept you can raise a family in hollywood and do a beautiful job. >> is jason wrightman producing it? >> what a nice group. >> we had fun. we had a gang. >> you shot it here in long island on oyster bay. >> we lived on the estate where we shot actually. we all lived in the same house, me and four of the other actors. >> not me. i have two kids. >> very close. it was like valentine. >> when people think of the "kill bill" series and wonder if there is another. >> who knows? he is doing another movie now. we'll see. >> any other plans of what is ahead for you? >> lots of plans. we are going to go to vegas. >> i like you two together. >> yeah. have some fun. >> play some craps. >> i guess it's called shoot some craps. >> your dust mopping, foot mopping. that was very good. >> you're into that? >> we'll get you a pair. >> you guys, thank you. good luck with the hoffy. >> have great success with the film. it opens today in the theater near you. >> coming up next, three, two, one, live. questions from the crowd. here's to my pants not leaving marks on my waist. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. gotta get that bacon! dog: yummy. crunchy. bacon. bacon. bacon. there, in that bag! mom: who wants a beggin' strip? dog: me! i'd get it myself but i don't have thumbs! yum, yum, yum... it's beggin'! hm... i love you! beggin' strips! there's no time like beggin' time! imagine what it can do to your skin. but dove isn't soap. it contains pure 1/4 moisturizing cream because, everyday moisture is the key to beautiful skin. and who knows moisture better than dove. it's that time of the week we go three, two, one live with sara haines. >> she is next door with a crowd full of questions. >> i've got this lovely bunch of sisters and a mom who turned 80. they have a question for kathie lee about her beauty. >> what? is this a joke? >> we love you, kathie lee. we know you're so beautiful on the outside. how do you stay beautiful on the inside? >> i don't know what you heard. you know what? my faith is everything to me. every decision i make, you might not always seem it, but my faith is absolutely everything i'm all about. if there is anything good about me, it's because of that. >> can i chime in here? when you're a good friend of kathie lee she will do anything in the world for you. i know that personally and i've watched it with other people. if you're a good friend of kathie lee you're lucky. >> not like you're the same. >> we love you. you make us smile every day. >> how about that hoda woman, too? >> anyway. don't mind me. i'm fine. i'm good. don't worry about me. >> hoda can start this next one. courtney from nebraska. she has a question about orthodontia. >> i did not have braces. >> you did not have braces, but i've got laminates. i've got chicklet teeth. i used to have those fangs. i did that when i was working with regis. regis didn't even notice. >> sometimes those do not look good. >> is this funny? >> yes. try out the fake teeth, it works. now molly from nebraska. she has a question about birthdays. >> what is your favorite birthday memory. >> what is yours? >> i have two. the day my son was born and the day my daughter was born. their birthdays were my favorite birthdays. >> that's sweet. >> that's the way i roll. what about you? >> i can't say anything now. anything i say would sound stupid. >> this coming one will be your best one. you're in the best place of your life. >> they are getting better. i wouldn't have thought 46 or 47 would feel this good. >> we saw a picture of what you looked like three years ago. >> careful! >> i can't wait to see you in five years. you are one slamming woman. >> do we have one more? >> we don't have time. >> we are getting cut. >> i hate when that happens. we love talking about ourselves. >> coming up, we'll talk about this much-anticipated ambush makeovers. >> donny deutsche. okay guys, what sounds good for dinner tonight? i don't know, something. [ mom ] something... ♪ mexican. [ female announcer ] thinking mexican tonight? hamburger helper has five festive flavors like crunchy taco. hamburger helper. one pound. one pan. one happy family. [ chanting ] do it! [ all cheering ] [ female announcer ] it's fun to get dirty when it's this easy to get clean. that's because clorox 2 stain fighter & color booster works better than detergent alone at removing the toughest stains. also, try new clorox 2 foaming trigger spray. right now on cap hull lawmakers cannot agree on what to disagree with. the republicans say it's about money, and the democrats say we are back on this dry day try day friday with ambush makeovers. >> our magic makeover team today. they hit the plaza earlier this morning with two lovely ladies. how was it out there today? >> spring is in the air a little bit? >> it's finally more gentle today. we had great people, great signs. it was an easy pick today. >> love the signs. it's easy for you. >> it makes our job easier. >> you've got a lot of work to do in three hours. >> our first lucky lady is jo suma 51 years old. after a year of struggle her daughter wanted someone to take care of her for a change. listen to her story. great sign. >> this is some sign. this isn this is really heavy cardboard. good job on the sign. tell me why. >> my mom p is my best friend. this past year we had a few rough times in our family. we've gotten over it thanks to my mom. i want to give back to her. >> what a beautiful daughter. i know you're crying already. do you want this and are you ready to get pampered >> absolutely. let's go now. the sooner the better. >> i like jo. her daughter allisandro is here with the blind fold on. keep it on until i give you the green light. here is jo before. let's see the new jo. come on out. >> wow! wow! you ready? take off your blind fold. >> oh, my god. you look so good. >> are you ready to turn? okay. turn around, jo. >> oh, my god. >> you look beautiful. >> you look fantastic. what a smashing hairdo. >> tell us about the haircut. you look gorgeous. >> jo was a perfectly -- you're so attractive. we just had to sharpen you up and give you a little bit of glamour with this great haircut. the key is the fringe which gave it all the drama, made it sexy. very sophisticated. >> look straight ahead. there we go. >> the outfit is hot. >> i love that dress. >> look at this figure on her. this is a twist to the little black dress from white house black market. >> the belt looks valentino. >> the great thing about the belt, you can mix and match it. she can wear it with jeans and other dresses. >> darling. >> big round of applause for jo. be careful of the heels. i know. they are not easy. >> our second lady is heather, 31 from charlottesville, virginia. last time she wore wake-up is at her wedding eight years ago. she is here with her students and friend erica. >> what school are we from? >> hadley middle school. >> i know you want this for your teacher. tell me why? >> she is a great teacher. you learn a lot with her. she is really willing to help you no matter what. she wants you to get the best grade you possibly can. >> that must be so nice to here. >> definitely. i'm proud of these guys. we are so excited to be in new york for a model u.n. conference. we've been working towards this for three years. >> congratulations. are you ready to see a whole new miss occono? >> yes! >> first -- what? i can't wait. >> first we are going to look at heather before. here is the new heather. come on out. don't take off your blind folds yet. >> oh, my gosh. they're going to freak. kids, take them off. heather, turn around. take a look. >> oh, my goodness. wow. >> what a difference. >> just beautiful. >> again, we started out with two beautiful women today. first of all, the hair was too long. we made it a little bit shorter which made it look thicker. >> the color is beautiful. >> i just made the color richer. small changes make big differences. they are so pretty. kept the make-up natural. just a little eye liner. neutral lips. you look gorgeous. >> gorgeous. >> what do you think? >> you look great. >> what about the outfit? >> they told me she never wears a dress. that's the direction we went in. this has a great leather trim. whether you're 2 or 20 we always use spanx because it makes the outfit look smooth as we get into the summer months. >> thank you, ladies. you do such a great job. terrific. >> up next, donny will tell you how to land a man. hoda can tell us that. more advice right after this. dog: bacon? , gotta get that bacon! dog: yummy. crunchy. bacon. bacon. bacon. there, in that bag! mom: who wants a beggin' strip? dog: me! i'd get it myself but i don't have thumbs! yum, yum, yum... it's beggin'! hm... i love you! beggin' strips! there's no time like beggin' time! we're here because we wanted to come as much as they did. 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[ male announcer ] get zyrtec®'s proven allergy relief and love the air®. try as we might, women simply aren't able to get inside the head of a man. >> to help answer questions about what he is thinking, we called in our resident metro man, donny deutsch. >> metro man, hello. >> hello, donny. >> sara, ready for us? >> first question comes from elena, my boyfriend two two years chats with other women on facebook. i don't want to act like a snoop. should i address it and if so how? >> i want to hold up a prop here. step away from the blackberry. i'm going to say something. if your husband -- anybody. if your husband or boyfriend is fooling around or cheating, you're going to find out stuff you don't want to know. even if he is not, you're going to see something in that that doesn't feel right. don't go there. i guarantee if frank went into your computer, he would find something -- whatever. don't go there even if there -- if he is not doing anything, this is a can of worms. does she confront him? you're snooping. leave it alone. leave it alone. >> what if doubt is there? >> if you know your guy is texting at the table inappropriately. >> he is not doing it at the table. that is different. she went into his thing. now she has to deal with it. >> pretend she notices him texting. what do you do in case? >> why are you texting? nobody should be texting at the table. all of this technology, this is a huge issue for everybody. if you're going to go there, even if the person is not doing anything, you're going to see stuff, what does that mean? what does that mean? these are individual lives. this is breaking up a lot of lives. >> let us ask you as a man -- >> yes, metro man. >> if you're in a relationship and you find you're talking to past loves or something, as a man, are you telling us out here we women should be frightened of that? >> i'm saying there are two kinds. we all have pasts. i have ex-girlfriends i'm friends with. this has gotten issues in my relationship. genuinely friends. with then there are ex-loves people are re-engaging for different reasons. facebook is blowing up marriages. we have lives, past lives. you could be in a great marriage and relationship and have other things in your life that are not infidelities. it's a dangerous -- all i'm saying to every woman out there, if you're going to go into that computer, if you're going to go into the blackberry, you're going to find stuff you're not happy with. >> do you stay away from everything? >> do you want your boyfriend, how would you feel in your boyfriend all of a sudden was going through your phone? regardless of whether he found nothing or not. >> her purse is another thing. >> don't touch my stuff. >> you create a real conflict by the fact you went there. >> it's a privacy issue. >> every woman at home is struggling with. as a guy you look at that phone and go, boy, i don't know what she is doing. be careful. stay away. >> next question from chris. what do you do when your middle-aged husband refuses to have sex with you. >> one of three things. you're going to live without sex which is unlivable, blow up your marriage, which probably most people don't want to do or have an affair. that is a right in a relationship. that is no different than somebody physically abusing you in a strange way. if your husband is withholding sex, that is part of a relationship. >> there is a story here. we have to know why he is. >> if he is like i don't want to have sex with you, it means he is probably having sex with somebody else. >> i think it depends on the amount of time. >> i'm not talking about a week. if they stopped having sex. that was my reason. >> she is saying refusing to have sex with her. they need a marriage counselor. >> if somebody is withholding sex on an ongoing basis, they are probably having sex with someone else. that is a form of abuse as far as i'm concerned. >> i have friends that have a sexless marriage. the man is incapable of it. the love they have -- >> that is a different discussion, of course. that doesn't mean a marriage can't survive that. when one person wants to be sexually engaged and the other willfully, girlfriend, do what you've got to do. this is so much fun. >> for you. >> up next, the soup is on. souper jenny is with us after this. 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running there? dancing there? how about eating soup to get there? campbell's soups fill you with good nutrition, farm-grown ingredients, and can help you keep a healthy weight. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. time for today's kitchen. we are getting saucy with spring vegetable soups. >> here is atlanta's own jenny levinson, the author of "souper jenny cooks." >> good morning. you guys are so peppi today. >> everything's good? >> everything is great. we are going to make delicious low fat, low-calorie soups for springs. we'll will the warm weather to new york today. we are started with a roasted orange pepper soup. you want to split and cut your orange peppers. we are going to roast them in the oven with olive oil until they are burned. i peel them. we've got sauteed onions, leeks and garlic. >> how long do you cook those in the oven? >> 400 for about 30 minutes until the skins are blistered. pour in the vegetable stock. >> this is vegetarian? >> vegetarian, gluten-free. this is orange juice. that will give it a zip. bring it to a boil, simmer 35, 40 minutes. >> too easy. >> all these are under an hour. we puree it. i like to do it in a blender, but you can use one of those stick blenders. while the soup is cooking, my new thing is kale chips. >> they are so good. >> taste one. >> i realized yesterday i had something right in the middle of my teeth for six hours. smiling at everybody. those are so great. >> throw those in the oven. make sure the kale is dry, spray it with oil, salt. throw that in a low temperature oven about 30 minutes. our soup. >> no cream at all? >> no cream, no dairy. >> sure looks like it has it. >> you can eat it hot and cold. >> that is great. i wasn't cold, but it's delicious. >> try the next one. >> let's get cauliflower soup, shall we? >> this is another souper easy one to make. see howimes i say that? onions go in here. next thing we try, throw in our cauliflower. >> i'm good at this. >> veggie stock. my secret ingredient, we have a little saki. here you go. >> we are supposed to drink it or pour it in there? s. >> have a little sip. it's good luck. >> we just take good direction. >> i haven't had that in so long. >> we've got the cauliflower and saki cooking together. bring that to a boil and simmer it 30 minutes. that's it. >> that's it? >> yes. then a beautiful soup. we'll make fried, frizzled beats. i forgot one teeny thing in the soup. i put in a little bit of potato flour to thicken it up and be gluten-free. >> by the way, those little fried beats, they are like potato chips. >> you can makes these with the kale. >> and this is so healthy. >> what is going on at the end with the peas? >> fresh pea soup. we sauteed onions, threw in fresh peas, vegetable stock and brought to it a boil and simmered that for 30 minutes. threw that in the blender. >> i don't know which one is my favorite. they are all delicious. you're adorable. >> thank you, jenny. love having you on. >> we'll be back. time to check in with the lovely sara to find out what you've been saying today. >> carolyn agrees about the online snooping, we are getting a lot of feedback about suggesting you have an affair. >> i don't know donny meant that. you have three options and some will take that. >> he was not encouraging it. don't listen to donny. we don't. coming up next week, actor comedian paul reiser. >> andy cohen and easter fashions. what they have in common, i have no idea. have an awesome weekend, everybody. bye. >> nice talking to you. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com boozing it up on this show. >> constantly. we are loaded. >> stay away from me, hoda. >> who was that? >> happy birthday, darling. we love you. >> wait, wait, can you drink? >> yes. >> happy folks from tennessee. >> our third anniversary. >> miss kathie lee gifford. >> hi, guys! >> here-to day one, girl. give me a big one. >> my hair is the same, but boy have you changed. you're like such a sexy woman now. >> jo, come on out. wow! >> here is the new heather. come on out. what's all this? big news! we have another way to help you save. oh, really? how? by bundling. if you get your homeowners and auto insurance together, we give you even more savings. ooh! big bundle. [ chuckling ] home and auto together. it's like peanut butter and jelly. oh, or like burgers and fries. or pickles and ice cream. unicorns and glitter! no? bundling to save you more. now, that's progressive! call or click today.

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