Transcripts For WRC Today 20110622

he'll tell us today, june 22nd, what does he plan to do with it? he'll tell us today, june 22nd, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this wednesday morning, i'm ann curry. >> i'm lester holt. matd is on assignment this morning. estimated 100,000 american troops currently serving in afghanistan. the president will talk to the country tonight, expecting to announce a major drawdown. perhaps as many as 30,000. >> the question with that number is the pentagon on board, both timing and numbers have contentious issues. we'll get details. meantime, there is yet another new face running for the republican presidential nomination. former utah governor, jon huntsman. some political watchers are calling him the republican's wild card candidate. are his political views too moderate? we'll chat with him in a home. plus the arrival of summer comes with it a lot of time outdoors. that can mean a number of hazards to your family. a new safety concern has emerged. we'll talk about that and demonstrate the dangers live. >> it's important that people understand the danger. we want to begin with the u.s. war in afghanistan and what we expect president obama to say in his prime time address tonight. chuck todd is nbc's chief white house correspondent. good morning. >> good morning, lester. >> let me ask you about what the president is planning here. is it different than what we heard today when we talked about the 2014 hand over to afghan authorities? >> tonight is going to be about the 30,000 surge of troops that he ordered into the battle in december of 2009. in fact, it's important to look at that speech at west point that he gave then when he announced the surge. he talked about three sticks for measuring what's going on and how much success is happening there. and that is to deny al qaeda a safe haven, to try to push the taliban back and make sure they don't have the ability to overthrow the afghan government, and to help afghan security forces rise up and take over. on all three points, the president tonight is going to layout a case that the u.s. has had success on all three. to the point on the al qaeda front, lester, to say that operationally, al qaeda in that region is essentially been defeated. and that is going to be the case he makes for bringing home these essentially 30,000 troops over a time line of approximately 12 to 18 months. possibly as many as 10,000 by the end of this year, an additional 20,000 by the end of next year. what won't be talked about too much tonight is what happens to the other approximately 70,000 troops that will be slowly coming home sometime between 2013 and 2014. >> and, chuck, are the generals on board with this phase of a drawdown? >> the best way to describe the reaction and one general i talked to, military aide, said they're okay with this. i put okay in quotes. general petraeus argued to keep the surge forces in the region longer, that he would like to have them there for one more fighting season. the president essentially is overruling him on that front. but you talk to many military expert it s and they will say t generals generally want more troops on the ground. they say the policy is not changing. that this idea of counter insurgency and counter terrorism are going to be still used as the key component of trying to keep pushing forward and defeating the taliban. >> chuck todd at the white house this morning. chuck, thank you. of course, nbc news will have live coverage of president obama's address to the nation tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern time. and now here's ann. lester, thank you. now to presidential politics. the latest republican candidate to tle his hat into the ring, former utah governor jon huntsman. we'll talk to him in just a moment. but first, nbc's andrea mitchell is in washington with his story. good morning. >> good morning. he is a former utah governor whose most recent job was work for barack obama. now he's the newest republican candidate for president. he was designed to look like ronald reagan's 1980 campaign. >> through the eyes of miss liberty -- >> this magnificent monument to our liberty. >> reporter: with the statue of liberty behind him jon huntsman had the look. there was a few glitches, the press pass with his name miss spelled p and there were more reporters than supporters. but all that aside, jon huntsman is off and running. >> i'm jon huntsman and i'm running for president of the united states. >> reporter: father of seven, including two adopted children, son of a billionaire who invented the iconic clam shell box for big macs, huntsman hopes to become the alternative to mitt romney, also a mormon. >> we will conduct this campaign on the high road. i don't think you need to run down someone's reputation in order to run for the office of president. >> in an environment where voters are looking for something different and refreshing, jon huntsman is really the one in this race. >> reporter: huntsman has a strong economic governor, against abortion, pro gun and pro business. he flew directly to new hampshire, notably not iowa where he says he won't compete. some of his positions are not popular in the first caucus state. huntsman favors civil unions and immigration and opposes subsidies for corn, soy bones and ethanol. >> he could be the strongest one of the whole bunch. i think his bigger challenge is just get that nomination. >> reporter: iowa is more friendly territory for tim pawlenty. >> if i could do it in minnesota, we can do it in washington. >> reporter: his first television ad starts airing tomorrow. the first presidential ads in the 2012 campaign. as huntsman joined the fray, newt gingrich's campaign continued to implode. and now gingrich's latest financial disclosure forms will reveal a second line of credit at tiffany's. a spokesman says it has a zero balance and has been closed but won't say how recently. meanwhile, texas governor rick perry, not yet a candidate, had one of those moments when he tried to show he's down with social media. >> and you can always follow me on tweeter. >> huntsman may be a long shot. he has been rising in the polls. but his theory of the case is that in new hampshire, where democrats and independents can crossover, that he could become the moderate republican that they choose, and in that case he could be a serious challenge to mitt romney. >> all right, thank you so much. we are now joined by republican presidential hopeful jon huntsman. mr. ambassador, mr. governor, thank you. >> jon will do, ann. >> you have two major strikes against you. one by one. recent nbc news/"wall street journal" poll found that 64% of republican voters have never even heard of you or don't know much about you and a gallop poll found that 22% said they're hesitant to vote for a mormon in 2012. that's one in five, governor. what gives you confidence you can overcome these hurdles? >> if you look at numbers and assume the election were tomorrow those would be daunting odds. when you figure you have months and months ahead in specific primary states, we live in a day and age where you can get your name out by social networking and new media tools. we have every opportunity to get out and talk about the issues, to talk about our record from the state of utah, to talk about the future of this great country, and i think over time, a, people will begin to mow who we are in terms of name recognition and, two, people will begin to understand how we feel about the united states and the importance of balancing our books and getting our position right in the world. >> one thing they're going to learn is that yun the son of one of the richest men in america and yourself, you're also wealthy, at a time when corporate america is making record profits and not hiring. so what do you say to -- especially blue collar workers who say what they want is a president who knows how to bring jobs back to america? >> i would say that we're a great entrepreneurial family. we're very, very proud of the family business that we have built. it started from nothing. second, i would say that we were one of the greatest job creating states in utah while i was governor. we created an environment that spoke to job creation. we didn't create jobs as a government, but created that environment, that foundation. and to look at the jobs we created across the board, giving people the thing that i think is most important in their lives, and that's a job because with a job becomes enormous opportunity. look at the record. look at what we've done. i think they will be pretty pleased. >> i think perhaps it will be fair to say that a point of scrutiny might be that your own family company that you just mentioned has moved a lot of jobs overseas. >> if you look at any large manufacturing company, multi-national company, you will find that your customer base is in many different countries of the world. you have service as customer base. because of that you build facilities internationally. and any large business basically is in that kind of position. but let's not forget that there are export opportunities from the united states to many of these emerging markets. create jobs right here at home. we live in a global economy. that shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody. >> mitt romney talked about your old boss, president obama, and giving him an "f" on the economy. what grade would you give president obama on the economy? >> i would say there's a lot of work to be done. over the last 2 to 2 1/2 years there are no signs of recovery, no signs of real health. and i think that's what can 2012 election cycle is going to be about. >> doesn't sound like you're giving aim an "a." >> with the unemployment and debt, come on, we've got to focus laser lights on getting the numbers right, tackling spending and debt. just as importantly looking at the revenue side of the balance sheet, which will allow us to grow out of the hole we're in. we've got to create jobs and expand the economy. >> does that include raising taxes? >> listen, in a state where we became the most successful economy in america, in the state of utah, we didn't raise taxes, we created the environment for business growth. and i would have to say at a time when people need to grow and businesses need to get back on their feet and small business needs to access capital, this is not to a. time to raise taxes. >> off the table? >> off the table. >> let's talk about what's happening tonight. the president making his speech we've been hearing about afghanistan. 30,000 number in terms of a drawdown sit well with you? >> i think we can probably be a little more aggressive over the next year. we've been at this nine years and 50 days. we put karzai in power. democratic elections, back in 2004. we've routed the taliban. we've dismantled al qaeda. let's get serious about what needs to be done on the ground, and that's a significant counter terror effort. not a counter insurgency but a counter terror effort. that will require intelligence gathering, require special forces capability and some training of local forces left behind. what we need now, ann, is a healthy dose of nation building here at home. our corps is week. it is weak, we have less of an ability to project the goodness and might of the united states increasingly. we need to focus on getting our own house in order right here. >> we're almost out of time but i want to mention something that i think people will also find interesting about you. you were once a high school dropout. you dropped out to play keyboard in a rock band, right, called the wizard? >> yeah. >> if any one of your seven children tells you or ever wanted to tell you that they want to drop out of high school to do what you did, what would you tell them? >> pursue your dreams but keep on going with education. that's the most important thing you can achieve in life. >> you went back. >> absolutely. >> jon huntsman, thank so much. thank you for joining us here in the studio. now let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from savannah guthrie who is in fortunately at the news desk. >> in the news this morning we begin with yet another aviation near miss. this time at jfk airport in new york. speeding toward takeoff, a jumbo jet had a tire burning halt on monday as an egypt airplane made a wrong turn into its path. air traffic control abruptly aborted the takeoff to avoid a collision. >> cancel takeoff! cancel takeoff plans! >> the german jet slammed the brakes so hard the pilots feared the tires were dangerously over heated. new tactics today in the battle against the fires in arizona. nbc's miguel is there again this morning with more. miguel, good morning. >> good morning. the damage here is expected to be close to $20 million protecting homes in this fire and that's exactly what firefighters did overnight. the monument fire exploding, but this blaze is under control. fire used to fight fire. 1,000 acres purposely set ablaze. dry brush burned before the mouth of the fire can reach it. >> it's imperative that we get this, rob the fire of any fuel coming in here. >> reporter: this is a critical time for firefighters. the winds are calm. they can control this blaze. when winds whip wildly, homes were destroyed. nearly 60 turned to smoldering rubble. she escaped the flames with just inches to spare. fire reached her doorstep. >> when it hits home, there's no words. >> reporter: shelters across sierra vista are full of evacuees, thousands can only sit and wait. the lucky ones -- >> oh, my god, it looks great. >> reporter: -- slowly allowed to leave. nearby, the threat isn't over, but wide spread fear may be. crews optimistic, an end is now in sight. july 15th, just over three weeks from today, that's when firefighters hope to have this blaze fully contained. the expected size of the fire, savannah, is expected to be 35,000 acres. >> miguel in sierra vista, arizona, this morning, thank you. thunderstorms and heavy winds slammed the midwest knocking over airplane hangars in michigan and leaving some chicago commuters stranded on trains overnight. the storms also forced hundreds of flights cancelations at both of chicago's airports. now to wall street. cnbc's melissa lee is at the new york stock exchange for us this morning. good morning. >> good morning to you. a sigh of relief in greece as the prime minister secures the confidence vote necessary in order to push through deep budget cuts. meantime here, the federal reserve meeting on interest rates. rates are expected to remain unchanged but the key will be what the fed chairman says about the recent soft patch in the economy at his press conference afterwards. you can join me for full coverage of the fed today and a special look at the american recovery from the front lines, that starts at noon today on cnbc. >> melissa lee, thank you. this morning the first lady addressed a group of young women about leadership and impoverished region of south africa. she was greeted by a joyful choir and scores of south africans. tuesday, mrs. obama and the first daughters read dr. seuss books at a day care center and enjoyed a little dancing. and serena williams, emotional reaction to her first round victory has wimbledon fans abuzz. more accustomed to her outbursts and grunting but not tears. and yet after spending the last year, the emotional win, i've never cried with joy for anything. it's now 7:16. back to ann, lester, and al. >> good for her. >> yeah. >> we're cheering you, too. by the way, we've got al sitting here looking as handsome as they come with the weather. >> stop it. some more. anyway, a list of strong some m. risk of stong storms today. wish the weather was looking good. stretchers from tyler, texas, detroit, philly, washington, d.c. could see isolated tornado or two in this area. you can see, look at this line of thunderstorms, firingp in eastern texas. good news, they need rain. bad news, it's coming at once and that's causing minor flooding in the area. rainfall amounts from new orleans in eastern texas. one to three inches of rain especially corpus christi, houston, alexandria, mississippi, alabama. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. partly sunny, scattered sprinkles across northern virginia, maryland, west virginia. drifting east-northeast. we will have sunshine in and out today and perhaps afternoon storm. but late afternoon, into the evening hours we have a greater chance of scattered storms some of which might produce damaging winds and hail. more of the same thursday and friday but a smaller chance of and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks. remember the case of the so-called run away mom in pennsylvania? back in 2009 bonnie sweeten claims she and her daughter had been swid kidd napped but they were found days later safe and sound at disney world. now sweeten has pled guilty to fraud. nbc's jeff rossen is at the federal courthouse in philadelphia for us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. at the time we had no idea why she did it, why she took her own daughter and faked their kidnapping. now it turns out prosecutors say they have the full picture. bonnie sweeten was on the run because she's a thief. this morning there's a plea deal that includes federal prison time. almost overnight bonnie sweeten went from carpools and play dates to criminal charges and mental evaluations. in court tuesday, the sure bur ban mom cried as she pled guilty to wire fraud and id theft, admitting she stole more than $700,000 from co-workers, even her own relative. >> she's a serial fabricator that doesn't know how to tell the truth about most anything. >> reporter: as police closed in on her scheme in 2009, bonnie sweeten took her 9-year-old daughter julia and hatched an elaborate abduction hoax, complete with a fake 911 call. >> reporter: police in pennsylvania issued an amber alert, but they eventually found sweeten and her daughter doing just fine, down at disney world where they arrested her. at the time i spoke with her husband here on "today." >> as more continues to come out do, you stand behind your wife? >> yes, i do. >> why? >> 9-month-old daughter that needs a mom, two step kids who need their mom. >> he later filed for divorce and sweeten finally pled guilty to disme aner, sentenced to jai time. sweeten, now a brunet, pled guilty to wire fraud and aggravated id theft. federal charges. she paralegal at a law firm and used forged passports and drivers' licenses. prosecutors say that's why she faked the kidnapping in the first place, to escape. this is sweeten's lawyer. why did she plead guilty and not go to trial? >> she pled guilty to accept responsibility for her actions and she's very repomorseful. >> reporter: she faces from 2 to 22 years in federal prison. the judge will decide in september. meanwhile, bonnie sweeten remains behind bars this morning without bail. coming up here on "today," did casey anthony borrow her strategy? we'll be back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. just ahead, a live demonstration on the dangers of fire works and new summertime threat that could put your family's safety at risk. and a modern day full-size noah's ark. well in the weather ♪ ♪ there's a change in the sea ♪ so from now on ♪ there'll be a change in me ♪ and my walk will be different ♪ ♪ my talk and my name [ male announcer ] rust-oleum ultra cover 2x gives you twice the coverage, twice as fast as any other brand. ♪ ...changes made for nearly 100 years, we've been giving people the power to change. ♪ ...changes made ♪ now the healing power of touch just got more powerful. introducing precise from the makers of tylenol. precise pain relieving heat patch activates sensory receptors. it helps block pain signals for deep penetrating relief you can feel precisely where you need it most. precise. only from 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[ male announcer ] the simple joy of making "oohs" ahh-ier. ♪ good morning. i'm joe krebs. 7:26 on this wednesday, 22nd of june. monitoring trouble with traffic lights in montgomery county. right to danella sealock. >> we have 200 traffic lights not synchronized with the commute. you're waiting a little longer than normal when traveling on the 355 corridor north of the beltway. areas rockville, gaithersburg, damascus, durwood, 355 shady grove, no sents to report. back to you. >> we'll take a break and look at our forecast. [ male announcer ] it's 2011 and everything is different. different jobs... ♪ ...different challenges. ♪ different opportunities. ♪ so why would universities stay the same? ♪ university of phoenix, because an educated world is a better world. good morning. partly sunny, 70s. might get a brief shower, scattered afternoon and early evening storms m 7:30 now on this wednesday morning. the 22nd of june, 2011. a beautiful day here in the big apple. we want to thank all these lovely people for joining us here on our corner of rockefeller plaza. it's always nice to have so many people stopping by. and in studio 1a, i'm ann curry next to lester holt. >> coming up this morning we're going to talk about the warning of danger ofrs fireworks and a new safety concern facing our families this summer. gel fuels and fire pots. we're going to show you just how hazardous they can be coming up. also, new surveillance photos of the suspect wanted in connection with a brutal murders of four people inside a neighborhood pharmacy. the youngest victim just 17 years old. we're going to speak to her sister and get the latest on the investigation coming up. plus, everyone knows the story of noah's ark from the bible. after a dream of another great flood, one man decided to create an ar ark of his own. a full-says replica. this is a live picture from the netherlands. we're going to tell you what he plans to do with it. >> i want to know what he knows. >> yeah. >> we'll get to that coming up. let's begin this half hour in florida with the casey anthony murder trial is entering its 25th day. nbc's kerry sanders is covering the case for us. >> good morning, lester. on tuesday i watched as the jurors fidgeted in their seats, stretched their arms, a juror rubbing his neck like this, for extended periods of time i wa watched as some jurors didn't look at the judge, casey anthony or the lawyers, their eyes wondering around the courtroom. the one thing that might have caught their attention they didn't hear because they had been excuse kused from the courtroom. a new detail revealed by the state. with jurors out of the courtroom, prosecutors revealed just days ago this woman made contact with their office. aim whalen who was in jail o. a drunk driving charge and was briefly housed in a jail cell adjacent from casey anthony. prosecutors say her personal tragedy was familiar. >> apparently her child died in a swimming pool and was found by the child's grandfather. >> reporter: that's casey anthony's defense, that her 2-year-old daughter caylee accidentally drowned. but five days into the defense case to profit there was no murder, there's been no mention of drawning, only this. >> when we run a gas chromatograph -- >> reporter: defense witness. >> the top layer is called the humus layer. >> reporter: after defense layer. >> it speaks for around 150. >> reporter: explaining complicated science, at times tuesday jurors may have found it harder to follow the accent than the science. >> it could be described as appearance on a certain locations. >> reporter: and it was especially confusing when defense attorney jose baez at one point objected to the testimony from his own expert. >> what we did -- >> let me stop you there, sir, just so you can answer my question. >> objection. >> the witness is being interrupted. >> sir, finish answering the question. >> thank you, sir. where was i? >> when a defense lawyer is objecting to the democrat of a defense expert, it tells you that somebody didn't do their homework and the defense lawyer was not prepared. >> reporter: the defense also claimed they were blind sided by prosecutor's plans to present rebuttal evidence taken from the anthony family's computer. >> we have withdrawn our computer experts from the witness list because we expected them to testify to what was in their reports and not the new evidence now given to us. >> reporter: but the judge said -- >> it's not new evidence. i don't know how something can be new evidence when it was given to you, but it's not new evidence. >> reporter: in fact, the defense team got that hard drive two years ago. as for april whalen, prosecutors say they're still investigating her case about what she said in the jail. she did tell prosecutors one thing, she did not tell her personal story of tragedy directly to casey anthony. >> kerry sanders, thanks. we're going to to lfollow up on that. savannah guthrie is here and thom thomas mesereau is here. good morning to both of you. thanks for being here. tom, let me begin with you. the prosecution looking at the possibility that drawning defense was stolen from another inmate that casey was housed with. how hard is that for the prosecution to, a, prove, and to, b, get it into testimony? >> i'm very suspicious of this kind of evidence. when you get someone in jail who interjects themselves into a case like this, a case that a lot of people from all walks of life are trying to interject themselves into and tries to say that the defendant may have borrowed a defense from someone whose child drowned. i'm very suspicious of it. i think it's going to be flimsy evidence. if the prug if the prosecution tries to jump on it they may look weak. >> the prosecution has not brought up the drowning except for the opening. the jury at this point has got to be scratching their head. >> they're knee deep in this forensic testimony and it's very arcane. that's for sure. on this issue of the drowning story, as i understand it, this witness -- somebody called the prosecutor's office, not the witness, april whalen. somebody said you should call her. when they called her she said, i never talked to casey anthony, i don't see how this testimony gets into the trial unless there is some nexus, somebody who said i told casey anthony about this other inmate's story. even then, although there are similarities, yes, child drowns and a grandfather found him, it's a typical story tragically in florida. i'm not sure how persuasive the jurors would find it in any event. >> thomas, we heard scientific testimony, mind numbing stuff. is that their best defense? >> they have to put on experts to counter what came out of the prosecution's case. i think jurors today are pretty sophisticated when it comes to experts. they think they're paid basically to testify for one side or the other. never the less, you have to call these kinds of witnesses because in your closing you're going to talk about what they said and the defense has to attack the cause of death, time of death, place of death evidence that the prosecutors have brought forward. they have to do this. >> thomas, a lot of people think that if you put casey on the stand that the prosecution is going to roll right over her. she's already been acknowledged as a liar. could she become a sympathetic figure in the eyes of the jury? is that a possibility? >> it's a very great possibility. i don't know her. i've never spoken to her. but you know, a lot of lawyers are good on facts, good on law, good on conventional techniques. they're very poor on the emotions in a courtroom. if she gets on the stand and even if she messes up a little bit, if she's likable, if she looks much less harmless than they're trying to portray her, at least they're going to beat the death penalty and may get a lesser included defense. >> savannah, who had a better day yesterday? >> the defense scored points and tom is right the defense has something to argue in closing arguments. for example, the plant expert, the body could have been in the woods only a period of two weeks which feeds into a defense ot r theory that scene was manipulated. on the other hand, on prosecution's cross-examination, they were able to turn around a lot of these forensic experts, make them look unsure. in fact that plant expert later said, well, maybe it's possible the body was there much longer. there were pretty effective cross-examinations as well. >> thanks very much. thomas mesereau, good to have you as well. now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> narrator: today's weather is brought to you by daisy brand sour cream. a dollop of daisy is the natural way to make good food taste better. >> we've got -- you've got a sign that says you do the best puppy face. what's your name? >> emily. >> what's your best puppy face? it's coming. oh, that's your puppy face. all right. nice puppy face. now if you could play cards we could get a bunch of you together. what's that, sweetie? okay. shy family.. shy family. let's check your weather, see what's going on. you've got delays. parking for the delays out there. airport delays from anywhere from new york city, showers and storms, philadelphia, d.c., detroit, atlanta, houston, a mess. dallas, looking at strong weather today. afternoon temperatures, vegas, 108. palm springs, phoenix, 112. tombstone over 100 degrees. gulf coast 90s there. 80s, working their way into the mid-mississippi river valley. 60 and 50s through the northern plains and great lakes. that's what's going on around the country. >> good morning, partly sunny, humid, 70s now. we've had showers passing north of washington right now passing through northern montgomery county into howard county. and we will have a possibility of these perhaps coming through from time to time later today. we'll have afternoon highs around 90 degrees. we have a possibility of an afternoon storm as well as into the evening hours. maybe more as well on thursday, friday, saturday with highs near 90 each day. it's a super 1st birthday. what's his name? >> eli fish. >> all right, eli. there's your present. lester? >> all right, al, thanks very much. coming up next here, an eye opening live demonstration on the dangers of fireworks. new and emerging summer safety the dangers of fireworks. new and emerging summer safety concern for your family. chow hu nurture it in your cat with a full family of excellent nutrition and helpful resources. purina cat chow. share a better life. [ engine revving ] [ male announcer ] 125 years ago... we invented the automobile. ♪ and 80,000 patents later, we're still reinventing it. ♪ it's no coincidence that the oldest car company has the youngest and freshest line in the luxury class. mercedes-benz. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers on the c-class. ♪ chlts back now at 7:42. summer is officially here with the 4th of july right around the corner, so there is certain a cause for celebration but also concern about when it comes to fireworks and backyard items that can quickly turn a party into a disaster. nbc's tom costello at the national mall in washington, d.c. also, annette tenanbaum. good morning to you both. >> good morning, ann. >> before we talk about that other concern, let's talk about this new data that's come from the consumer product safety commission that's just being released today. it shows that one month last year at this time injuries caused by sparklers, bottle rockets and small firecrackers contributed to sending thousands, maybe something like 8,600 consumers to emergency rooms. is that right? are these stats also legal or illegal fireworks? >> thank you, ann. that statistic is right. we actually had three deaths last year. these are the cause of legal and illegal fireworks. so our message today is use legal fireworks safely and stay away from illegal fireworks because they can be deadly. >> especially to children. and, tom, let's talk about this first issue. it's not a fireworks, per se, but the fire gel and fire pots that are usually used this time of year. >> that's what the consumer product safety commission is most concerned about. gentlemen, go ahead. we're going to show you an example here. on the left we have lighter fluid, typical lighter fluid at your barbecue. you can see how quickly that can catch on fire and how now the gentleman will show you how quickly he can put it out just using a garden tool or something like that. they can get it out pretty quickly and you use water or a dry chemical. but the trouble is now the gel fuel. now, the gel fuel, of course, is used in tiki torches as well as fuel pots. it's ideal because it helps keep the bugs away. the trouble is, it can be very difficult to see. and, in fact, trying to get it out is even more difficult. look how the shirt is turning brown. we have an infrared piece of video to show you. when he tries to just stamp it out, you can't get it out. in fact, the trouble is if you drop and roll, it still isn't going to work. if someone tries to get it out on you then they get the gel fuel on them and they get seriously burned. the only way you get something like this out is by using a dry chemical. in this case, a fire extinguisher. but you might also be able to use baking soda. the trouble is nobody is going to think about that if you have an emergency on the deck. >> we have had some serious injuries because of the gel fuel. one young man is battling for his life now in new york state. we have had other young people, including a family dog, that had been seriously burned because you cannot get it out quickly. you have to use a dry chemical. >> and the trouble is you don't think about that in the case of an emergency. let's step this way and show them the other examples. but if you're at home and this does happen to you, remember, grab baking soda or something like that. >> dry chemical. and, also, the reason it's so dangerous is because you can't see the flame. and you pour morley quid in there, more gel, and it explodes. that's what's caused these accidents. >> traditional example now. sparkle sparklers. kids play with these all the time. if they get close to somebody else, it can be tragedy. >> sparkler can burn 2,000 degrees fahrenheit. it's like a blowtorch in some cases. and so it easily catches your clothes on fire and also it can burn you very easily. so sparklers are a lot of fun but use them safely. >> all right. we have other examples of an m-1,000 but they're wrapping us telling us they're out of time. you're going to talk about this throughout the day. >> we are. we hope that people will be safe this 4th of july. stay away from illegal fireworks. use the legal ones safely. >> all right. ann, back to you. >> thank you so much for the important warning this morning, cpsc chairman and tom costello, thank you. coming up next, the real life noah's ark that is literally of biblical proportions. it was an ongoing. i didn't understand it. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia -- thought to be the result 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 less pain means, i can feel better and do more of what matters. [ 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. this flat-out delicious -- the new $3 flatbread breakfast combo. a toasty 6-inch flatbread breakfast sandwich and a 16-ounce cup of freshly brewed seattle's best coffee. all for just $3. build your better breakfast today. [ female announcer ] nutri-grain -- one good decision... can lead to another. ♪ ♪ with real fruit, more of the whole grains your body needs, and a good source of fiber. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. i know you're worried about making your savings last and having enough income when you retire. that's why i'm here -- to help come up with a plan and get you on the right path. i have more than a thousand fidelity experts working with me so that i can work one-on-one with you. it's your green line. but i'll be there every step of the way. call or come in and talk with us today. now to the ship that's making headlines around the world. a full-sides replica of noah's ark under construction in the netherlands. nbc is there. janet, good morning. >> reporter: hi, lester. good morning to you. we are about an hour outside of amsterdam. it's a small town that's getting a lot of attention because of what's being built here. it is a colossal noah's ark getting so much attention with all the construction going on, you might say it's a bit of a zoo. it looks like out of a movie. and it is hollywood huge. >> on the, ark! >> reporter: but this is not a scene from the comedy "evanal mighty." looming large in the netherlands, massive creation inspired by, of all things, a bad dream. >> i dreamed that it was flatted. and the next day i get idea to build a ark of noah. >> reporter: a builder by trade, johan huibers constructed a real life noah's ark, measuring in cubics. in modern terms, it's the length of a football field and four stories high. unless you're standing right in front of it it's hard to conceive just how big the ark is. think small cruise ship. designed as a tourist attraction with a religious message, bits three years in the making. now down to finishing, details. all life size. what did this cost? >> $11,000. >> for one elephant. >> for unelephant. >> so you have a lot of money invested in fake animals. not all the animals are of the plastic variety. who chickens? johan says he will eventually stock the ark with more live pairs. of course, there are some things you may not want two of. johan's ark has proven sea worthy but how realistic is this dutchman's dream of doom? because of global warming the concept of a flood happening here is not unheard of. al gore predicted as much in the movie "inconvenient truth." >> in f. green land broke up and melted this is what would happen at sea level in the netherlands. absolutely devastated. >> reporter: true to the story modern day noah created an opening on the top of the ark for the release of the dove. go for it. so what if the heavens do open and the predictions come to pass? could you escape a flood on this ark if it happened? >> oh, yeah, no, i don't think so. no, i don't think so. no. >> reporter: what johan is thinking is he'd like to take the ark up next summer in advance of the olympic games in london. >> thanks. let's hope there's not 40 days of rain ahead. >> amazing. miss usa is coming up after your local news. vo: meet erika. she hasn't shopped for a new pc because... erika: ... my computer is the same as a new computer. vo: so to show her what she's missing, we built a pc store in her house. erika: (gasp) employee: come on in. make yourself at home! erika: this is my home! employee: let's take a look! erika: (lifting laptop) it's really light. honey, help me shop! employee: you can get up to seven hours on this battery. jesse: the color really pops out. employee: everything's wireless. wireless keyboard. jesse: that's impressive. i like this one better. erika: and i like this one... vo: new pc. what's it gonna be? erika: i'm a pc, and i got what i wanted. jesse: as usual. ♪ [ female announcer ] it's dinnertime... ...in america with natural pet foods from petsmart. more pet parents trust petsmart for their natural pet foods than anyplace else. it's no wonder, with brands like simply nourish™ - with carefully sourced, complete and natural nutrition with simple, recognizable ingredients. plus our unbeatable price guarantee. do what's best for your pet, naturally. at petsmart. happiness in store.™ ...they could stop spending our money on things like... ...a cotton institute in brazil... ...poetry at zoos... ...treadmills for shrimp... but instead of cutting waste... or closing tax loopholes... next month, congress could make a deal that cuts medicare... ...even social security. i guess it's easier to cut the benefits we earned... than to cut pickle technology. ♪ than to cut pickle technology. like many chefs today, i feel the best approach to food is to keep it whole for better nutrition. and that's what they do with great grains cereal. see the seam on the wheat grain? same as on the flake. because great grain steams and bakes the actual whole grain. now check out the other guy's flake. hello, no seam, because it's more processed. now, which do you suppose has better nutrition for you? mmm. great grains. the whole whole grain cereal. good morning. 75 degrees at 7:56. i'm joe krebs. right now, 200 traffic lights out of the sync in montgomery. most along rockville pike. lights are working but not coordinated for the morning traffic throw. danella sealock has a look at how things are moving. >> good morning. i've been checking montgomery. 355 right now at west montgomery and i can tell you that i don't see any major delays, definitely no accidents. that's a blessing now. i want to show you 395 north, delays from the capitol beltway to the 14th street bridge. joe, back to you. >> we'll take a break. the gas prices are going down, they go back up again. we know saving money is important. this summer, shop with your giant card and save on shell fuel. earn one point for every dollar you spend. every 100 points earned gets you another 10 cents off per gallon. the more you spend, the more you save. i'm saving money at the store, i'm saving money at the pump, and that works for me. more savings every time you shop, only with your giant card. good morning. around the region, partly ♪ 8:00 now on a wednesday morning. it's the 22nd day of june, 2011. we're so happy that so many people came to hang out with us here early in rockefeller plaza. and right now they are listening to the lazy song, the latest from the pop sensation, bruno mars. why, you might ask? well, that's because he's going to be coming here this friday here on "today." and i don't know if we're cool enough for him. we're going to have to give it a shot. >> that's right. >> anyway, i'm ann curry and lester holt and al roker. we have to fight over who likes him more. there you go. anyway, what's coming up? >> we're going to talking about one man's high wire balancing act. remember, 2008 he came on this show and did the high wire act? bicycle. >> scared the heck out of us. >> i was watching this tape earlier. even knowing how it turns out you are holding your breath. he's planning a much bigger and bedder stunt. he's going to tell us about it. it hinges him getting permission from a very special place. we'll find out if he gets it. >> a little bit later on, marlo thomas is stopping by again. her campaign is to kick start women's lives. this morning she's concentrating on the right ways to get your finances in order. >> she's got a really good job. let's get a check of the top stories. savannah guthrie is in fortunately. >> in the headlines this morning. president obama addresses the nation tonight about the nearly decade long war in afghanistan. he'll discuss the future of the 30,000 extra troops he ordered in during the 2009 surge. and outline a plan for their gradual withdrawal over the next year and a half. nbc news will have live coverage of the president's speech beginning at 8:00 eastern time. one day after entering the 2012 race for president republican jon huntsman appeared on "today" this morning. he declared that now is not the time to raise taxes. even though he said the country needs to get its financial house in order. meantime, republican hopeful newt gingrich is now dealing with the rest seg nations of his two top fund-raisers earlier this month. a state of key gingrich members quit the campaign on a single day. 11,000 residents of minot, north dakota, have been ordered to leave their homes by tonight as the rising mouth river threatens to cause the city's worse flooding since 1969. water could reach the top of the city's levees by this weekend. radioactive water leaks and aging nuclear facilities can to undetected for long period of times according to a new government report. a recent associated press investigation also found that radioactive materials had leaked from 75% of this country's commercial nuclear power sites. now for a look at what's trending today. a quick round up of what you're talking about online. a top yahoo! search today is fa farrah fawcett, after her husband ryan o'neal claims his own family turmoil, especially with his daughter's tatum, may have caused the cancer that killed faucet two years ago. space shuttle commander mark kelly announced on facebook he's retiring. he plans to write a memoir with his wife, gabrielle giffords. and twitter is buzzing about a wayward baby penguin found 2,000 miles from home on a beach in new zealand. wildlife officials will let nature take its course hoping the penguin can get back to antarctica all by itself. it's now 8:03. back to al with a check of the weather. >> narrator: today's weather is brought to youal. >> "today's" weather brought to you by chevy. every model backed by 100,000 mile, five-year power train limited warranty. >> you came from north carolina to see ann. >> yeah. >> ann, oh, ann, these folks came from north carolina to see you. >> i better go over there. >> yes. >> i'm going to -- >> hi. walked in front of your shot. >> let's show you what's happening. pick city of the day. nice moment. >> nbc miami, scattered showers and thunderstorms, 91 for a high today. you can see that big low pressure system spinning around iowa that's bringing heavy rain, thunderstorms all the way from texas up into the great lakes. more moisture making its way into the mid-atlantic states as well. slight rick of strong storms texas into the northeast. ashland, oregon, 89 today. 112 in phoenix. that's what's going on around the country. >> 78 now at reagan national and it is humid this morning on this wednesday morning. we've got a partly sunny sky, we're into the mid and upper 70s throughout much of the region and later today climbing to around 90 and partly sunny and scattered afternoon and early evening storms likely. some of which could produce damaging winds and hail. a slight risk of that. and then thursday, friday, saturday a smaller chance of mainly afternoon storms, hot and humid each and that's your latest weather. let's see if the reyup i don't know is over yet. >> al, thank you so much. it is over but i bet you would like to hug our next guest. guess who is stopping by? >> who? >> miss usa. >> i sure would. >> miss usa. >> i sure would. ♪ rossover that can go the distance. that's why we gave the chevy equinox an epa estimated 32 miles per gallon highway. but do passengers appreciate all of the comfort features we put in the equinox? hey. want me to drive? we'll take that as a yes. the count on chevy event is going on strong with a full selection of chevys to choose from. come claim yours today. visit your local chevy dealer. to stay healthy. but did you know fiber choice can help support your overall well-being? every tasty tablet has prebiotic fiber from fruits and veggies... that lets your good bacteria thrive and helps support your immune system. fiber choice. an easy way to defend your health everyday. learn more about prebiotics and get a free sample at fiberchoice.com. learn more about prebiotics a vacation on a budget with expedia. make it work. booking a flight by itself is an uh-oh. see if we can "stitch" together a better deal. that's a hint, antoine. ooh! see what anandra did? 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[ male announcer ] should've used roundup. america's number one weed killer. it kills weeds to the root, so they don't come back. guaranteed. weeds won't play dead, they'll stay dead. roundup. no root. no weed. no problem. you get so hooked on feeling fresh, you'll want to pass it on to a friend. ♪ visit getfreshwithafriend.com. ♪ tell a friend about fresh and you'll both get a cottonelle fresh reward. so fresh is always at your fingertips. ♪ so go on, get fresh with a friend. a search of a dangerous kyler on new york's long island. a man walked into a pharmacy on sun mourning, shot and killed four people and walked away with a backpack full of prescription drugs. the yioungest victim, just 17 years old. first, nbc mike tybee has the latest on the investigation. mike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lest lester. the police commissioner called this crime the most vicious he had ever encountered. the suspect still on the run and still armed and obviously lethally dangerous. it's that fact that has the employees of so many other pharmacies here on long island more than a little worried. the surveillance photo shows a slight gaunt white male with beard and white cap. he made off with prescription drugs but there was no hint of why he chose to shoot the four people in the store at point blank range. even law enforcement veterans were shocked. >> this is one of the most heinous brutal crimes we have ever encountered. >> reporter: the victims included 17-year-old jennifer, an assistant to pharmacist raymond ferguson, and two customers including 33-year-old jamie who was about to get married and whose mother cried for her daughter. >> i can't believe my daughter is gone. >> reporter: and cried out at the killer. >> we're going to get you. we're going to get you and justice is going to be done. it was so senseless. he could have stole the drugs and left everybody alone. >> reporter: it's the senseless aspect of the medford massacre that so worries this pharmacist. so worried she brought a baseball bat to work and now keeps a scissor close at hand. >> i shouldn't have to go to work and be worried that somebody is going to come in and possibly take my life or people i work with. it is pretty scary. >> reporter: they're scared not just because of the medford shootings. people looking for prescription drugs have come to this mom and pop pharmacy brandishing a knife and hammer in recent months, looking mostly for drugs like oxycontin. >> over the last year the amount of people that have come into this store with prescriptions of oxycontin have probably tripled or quadrupled. >> prescription drug thefts have increased, triggered new attention in congress. >> since 2007, 1800 pharmacies from coast to coast have been robbed at gun point. >> reporter: and now meg pierce, a pharmacist for decades and working in a quiet little town arms herself to go to work. >> to be quite honest with you, if i had to defend us, i would do it. >> reporter: and the families of completely innocent victims try in vain to make sense of the senseless. >> my daughter has two girls and shef she was just goi to get married. she was happy. there was no reason for this. >> reporter: the father of the the other young victim said that his daughter who was due to graduate tomorrow wanted to be a doctor. that's why she loved working in this pharmacy. so obviously an incalculatable loss for a family and a town. >> jennifer's sister leslie is with us now exclusively. leslie, thank you so much for coming on. and your willingness to share your sister's story. we're so terribly sorry about your loss. >> thank you. >> both you and your sister were employed at the pharmacy. neither of you was supposed to be there on sunday. how was it that jennifer was working that day? >> jennifer always usually worked on sundays, like, because, she was like the youngest one. she loved working there. it was like no problem for her. like my parents always told her, you shouldn't go in on sundays, like that's the day like we were always together. she just -- she loved working there, side by side, and she like loved everyone and she like, when everyone came in she would just give everyone like smiles and stuff and she was just really happy. >> i know you've got an alarming call from a cousin of yours on sunday. can you tell me from that point how you learned what had happened, what had taken place? >> my cousin, he called me and he said, he's like, he's like, lesly, are you okay, are you and your sister okay? i'm like, yeah, why? he's like, no, but where is she? i'm like, she's at work. and he -- and he said, there's four people dead in haven drugs. i'm like, inside? he said, i don't know. i'm trying to figure that out. and i just -- i wanted to know if you guys were okay. he kept talking and i just hung up and i tried calling her and i called her like 20 times and she didn't answer. and then i called the pharmacy, and the phone like -- the line was busy. and i knew something was wrong. i could feel it in my heart. my heart just sank. >> i know. >> i could just feel it. >> and jennifer was your big sister. a year and a half age difference between the two of you. >> yeah. >> can you help us know her and what kind of person jennifer was? >> jennifer was very family oriented. like she like always like protected me and my mom. like the anyone ever came up to us and looked at us wrong, she -- she just would get so upset. like she didn't like that people like were mean and she tried to find the good in everyone. like the i didn't like someone, she would be like, oh, lesly, you don't know what you're going to need from them. and she just like -- she was so loving to everyone. if you ever said she would go up to you and try to make you laugh. and when you were sad, she knew. you didn't have to tell her. she's like, i know you're sad. she would just try and make you feel better. i don't know. like i was told her, you're just so perfect, jennifer. i'm just so afraid that something's going to happen to you. and she was so happy that she was graduating. she couldn't even believe that she was going to graduate. she's like, lesly, i have a feeling like, i don't know, like it's just so scary. i didn't think i would ever make it to graduation. i thought something would happen to me before then. like this is so unbelievable. i mean, i'm so happy. she was so happy with her boyfriend. >> lesly, you honor your sister by coming on and helping us to know her and telling her story. we're so, again, deeply sorry for your loss and that of the loss of the other three families. please accept our deepest sympathies. >> i just want to thank everyone for their support. like they've brought tons of food and just their prayers and they've been giving me strength, and my mom and my dad and my brothers. there's a lot of people that i can -- i'm just so thankful for their support in every way. i know jennifer's just giving me strength right now. >> we're happy there are so many people you can count on. thank you again. we'll be right back. ale announcer ] why is toyota the number-one choice among consumers? 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"not tonight, britta. not tonight." ♪ his family knows what to expect. hun, mike's coming -- let's get crackin'. [ male announcer ] but what mike rowe doesn't know is that his parents have armed themselves with unquilted viva® towels. place looks great. [ male announcer ] mike doesn't know that every concentrated viva roll is made of strong, fiber packed sheets, making it one tough towel. but his mom sure does. wow, for me? you shouldn't have. i insist. [ male announcer ] hey, if viva can handle mike rowe's mess, just think what it can do in your home. grab a roll for yourself and grasp the unquilted difference. ♪ just love me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just hold me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just kiss me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just want me ♪ l-o-v-e ♪ love, love, love back now at 8:19 with more of our special series "kick start our life today" with marlo thomas. author, marlo thomas is here today. hey, marlo. >> good morning. today a lot of new decisions we make every day boil down to dollars and corrects. money touches everything. from the big questions like whether to raise children full time or work outside the home to the smaller ones like, can i a afford a vacation? we met one mother of three who in order to get unstuck and move forward first needed to get her finances in order. >> i had my son when i was 26. and i hadn't really formed a career path yet. i always figured that would come. >> reporter: brook conley studied religion at columbia university. she went on to pursue photography and work with special needs children. is any of them a passion, do you think? >> i do have a passion about a lot of things. because i have the children, i feel like i have to make the right decision because i can't waste my resources. >> so that kind of like paralyzes you? >> it paralyzes me completely sometimes. >> reporter: the results that the family of five is struggling financially. what is your financial situation like now? >> we pretty much live from paycheck to paycheck. since my husband works for himself i always have to get those checks from other people. >> what do you do at camp? >> play. >> do you have to say no more often than yes? >> i do have to say no sometimes and sometimes there are some tears. >> do you face up to what's happening with your finances? >> not all the time. sometimes it just feels too overwhelming. >> reporter: the first step to getting brook on the right track, some homework. we would love you to make a journal, just get a little notebook and write down what your spend every day. >> okay. i haven't used credit cards for three years. >> reporter: next we sent her to meet with "today" financial editor jean chatzky for advice on what her priorities should be. >> you need a job that actually produces a paycheck. go to your bank and arrange for an automatic transfer of $25 a week. build your savings up to a point where you have that emergency fund. >> reporter: if you looked forward five years, where do you wish you would be in five years? >> living comfortably. not worrying about bills. >> what would you be doing? >> i would love my husband to help take care of the kids and he would be the go-to person. i'd like to give him a chance to do that for a while. >> brook conley and jean chatzky now joining us along with marlo. the good news is your husband is a contractor so you have a beautiful house. the bad news is that you don't really have the income coming in that makes you feel comfortable every month. so you have been trying to implement this new plan, this sort of save money every month. how has that been for you, this jean chatzky idea of putting $25 away every mondth. >> well, it was a little hard to do at first. i went to the bank. once i told them to take the $25 a week out of the account, they're just going to do it. >> you just biting the bullet. >> right. >> does it give you any comfort to know that you're building this cushion that you have a cushion? >> oh, absolutely. because in the end it gives you choices, if you have money saved. >> jean, you're also advising that it's very practical when it comes to her work. she does have -- she has a passion, a clever idea for a children's product that she's thinking about. but you want her to get really practical right now about income. >> i want her to get a paycheck. and the idea is a terrific idea and that's all well and good. but we need to build a foundation. and that means working, earning some money, putting more savings away. and then down the road, when you're feeling a little more flexible, then you can start your business and then you can focus on the passion. >> you also say, grocery shop always with a list, use coupons, shop for a better deal on cable, and look for less expensive car leases. >> it's all about reducing the expenses. we went through brook's budget line by line. basically every item can be reduced if you put your mind to it. you prioritize. and savings, as we talked about, they just have to be the priority. >> you also prioritize for your husband billy, prioritize drawing up a will, getting life insurance, saving for retirement. those take money. so why -- >> and time. >> but when you're trying to build your retirement, why are you spending money and time on that, because? >> because they're needs. we're not even talking about wants. when you've got three little kids, a will is a need. retirement savings are needs. nobody is going to do that but you. we have to go in order. start with the emergency cushion and progress to these other things. >> you know, i wonder, brook, you know, you represent so many women, so many people today. what kind -- what have you learned that you think might benefit people listening now, who are also in the same circumstances you are in? >> i think i've learned to take it one step at a time, because when you look at your situation, it can just be so overwhelming. every day you try to do everything at once and you're just stabbing at it and you are getting nowhere. but jean was able to make some priorities for me, so i could see things a little more clearly and i can think, well, today i'll do this and that's what i'll do. and tomorrow i'll do this and that's what i'll do. and not worry so much about the whole, so that was really helpful. >> that is really brave, to not be overwhelmed. >> great advice. you've come so far in just a week. >> everyone has helped me quite a bit. and actually this little segment has motivated me to get the website up for my business, sprou sproutsinthehouse.com. >> there you go. >> thank you so much for ideas. you've done such a great job. great feedback on all this. >> absolutely. so many women have written in and said that's me. great. >> we've got lots more including miss usa after this. 8:26 is your time. good morning. i'm eun yang. a busy morning on the roads. right to danella sealock. >> we have 200 traffic lights affected on the rockville pike corridor. talking north of the beltway. i'm checking 355, so far no incidents to report. i do want to show you this outer loop of the beltway. jammed from college park as you make your way towards georgia avenue. here's a live look now. it's a parking lot on outer loop of the beltway. >> we'll take a quick break. good morning. hot and humid each good morning. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. dunkin' iced latte. iced dunkin' decaf. estoy tomando café helado. large caramel iced with skim. one shot of hazelnut, iced, cream and sugar. i wouldn't want it any other way. get your iced coffee your way. america runs on dunkin' coffee. 8:30 now on this wednesday morning. the 22nd of june, 2011. it's first full day of summer. you know what? this is place to be. the temperature is just right. the crowd is warm. i'm ann curry alongside lester holt. he's in for matt this morning. we have al roker and savannah guthrie. just ahead we're catching up with one of the most unforgettable moments. >> remember nick, the king of the high wire. he gave us a tremendous live performance a few years back here on the "today" show and now taking on a even bigger death-defying challenge. we'll talk to him shortly. and we're going to talk to the popular fox news meteorologist and how her life change with a diagnosis of ms. she's going to share her story and tell us how she's doing in just a little bit. we're going to learn how to make four summer salads. mark taking us cooking school. >> he's the one to learn from. we're going to have fun with that. also this morning, let's now say hello hello to alyssa campanella. the new miss usa. you're so beautiful. do you want to give him a hug? >> hello. >> do you want to get lester's wife on the phone. >> thank you. >> what went through your mind when you heard your name called? i know you were listening to the runner-ups. >> they list the runner. ups first. you don't want your name called at that point. when the host said miss usa 2011 is k -- i was like, it's california. that's all she had to say. my jaw dropped to the floor. >> you and miss tennessee, runner-up, had become friends. >> we were hoping it would come down to us two because we would be happy either way. when it came down to us two, we were excited. we said it. >> you don't like wearing high heels? that's got to be tough. >> i don't. i don't. i love shoes. lately i wasn't a shoe person before now i actually am. i go shopping for shoes more than ever before. i'm not really into heels because they can sometimes hurt your feet. >> and your back. >> and your back. >> try walking down those stairs. >> i do. i do. on the weekends, it's really tough. >> i tripped in my preliminary evening gown in my shoes. confirmation why i don't like heels. >> you've got miss universe coming in in brazil. >> i compete on september 12th. it will be on nbc. >> i'm curious what the hardest part of the contest is when you're up there. >> for me it's swimsuit because i walk really fast and any adrenaline is rushing and i have to remember to slow down. that's my biggest -- >> once again, al is nodding. >> we're being told we're out of time. >> but not before we show that video. >> thank you so beautiful. >> nice to meet you. >> a check of the weather. >> that's what's go on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> partly sunny, humid. we have had morning showers. one of the blue bridge, fauquier county. upper 70s throughout the region. reagan national 78. later today near 90, hot and humid this afternoon with scattered late afternoon and evening thunderstorms. a slight risk a storm would be severe today. thursday, friday, saturday hot and humid. diminished chance of afternoon storms. sunday partly cloudy. and don't forget you can check your weather any time of the day or night, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. now, let's head down to florida and say hello to uncle willie. >> birthdays, anniversaries, you name it, we've got them all right here. smucker's, orville's favorite product. happy birthday, if you will, please. this is ron hyde of jackson, new jersey. as a young boy, hello. one of those things on his hand. pressure. john gaines, chicago, illinois. 105. and recently received an honorary doctorate. how about that? that's wonderful. at that age, that's -- any age, that's good. rita, i love rita. rita carpenter. she's from beverly hills, florida. 105. another 105. remains active in church and regularly takes good care of her little garden. i tell you, watches the "today" show. elizabeth gauthier. and she is from northbridge, massachusetts. 110. how about that? good healthy life. and gets her hair done every single week and enjoys going to the casino. they've got good ones up there. william and mona braun. and they're from open no a, nebraska, where lawrence welk used to play live. 75 years, they've been married. secret to longevity is success and marriage is making sacrifices. that's a nice one. and loving each other more than you can imagine. that's it. that's all. now, back to new york. >> all right, willard, thank you so much. coming up, we're going to get details on a death defying stunt planned by a daring high wire artist. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪ [ female announcer ] have you ever seen a glacier while sunbathing? why not? have you ever climbed a rock wall in the middle of the ocean? or tried something really wild? why not? it's all possible in the n. royal caribbean's floating nation. where you are free to do anything you want. which may be nothing at all. royal caribbean international. why not cruise from baltimore? visit royalcaribbean.com today. we're back at 8:38 with a man who has become an expert at cheating death and he's done it live right here on "today" back in 2008, he walked and then biked across a suspended high wire 13 1/2 stories in the air in newark, new jersey. and there were some very tense moments. now he's creating new stunts with the help of his family for discovery channel series called "life on a wire." >> it's so high. >> nik wallenda, good morning. >> good morning. >> were you wearing a camera? >> yes. that's one of the exciting things about "life on a wire" the viewers see what i see, which is a new thing. nobody has been able to see the angles of me performing. >> i want to talk more about this program but let's go back a couple of years when you were doing the performance live here on the "today" show on the bike. there were some very hairy moments. i've watched it this morning. i knew how it turns out. but yet i'm sitting there trembling with you. how difficult was this? >> you know, it took a lot of training. >> right there, you encountered something you didn't expect. >> right. the stabilizer cable slid towards me as i was walking. that's something that happen's indicationally that we have to be repairereprepared for. >> something happens, it's not what you want. you're not in fear of falling though, are you? >> i'm not. i'm trained to grab the wire no matter what. i've since a child, i was put in my head that you grab the wire. >> later you did it on the bike. you had problems there on the uphill. once again, we all held our breath. >> i did. it's a different story on the bike because the bike forces you away from the wire so there's no way to grab the wire. if you fall, fall on the bike. >> was there a moment there? >> there was a moment there i thought, wow, i'm not in a good position. i'm trained to step off the bike as well if i had to. i never felt like i was going to lose balance. i was losing traction. >> that's a big deal suspended above the street. let's talk about this show. you push the limits. we showed a clip of the bahamas. 250 feet off the ground. >> i did a walk that was over 2,000 feet. i actually in the first episode tonight that airs at 10:00, attempting to break two records. a walk 2,000 feet in distance and another a bicycle record that i broke a record that i broke here in 2008. i broke that record at 262 feet. >> obviously there's a risk or we wouldn't be watching this. as you're doing this, and are you ever afraid? is there a moment you step out there you think that maybe this isn't going to work out so well? >> you know, fear can be debilitating with what we do. it's bad, you can't be fearful and do it. i have to be very respectful of the fact that i could lose my life and that's why i train to the extent that i do. >> i want to show folks something here. when you watch this on television -- you're not sure. this is the wire. >> it is. >> this is the wire, whether you're biking or walking. >> that's right. 5/8 of an inch. >> here's a nickel. it's narrower than a nickel. and -- i mean, do you practice this now from a low level and then bring yourself up? >> practice down low. because of locker distances it has to be a larger diameter of cable. because i'm comfortable i was raised walking on a 5/8 inch wire. it's uncomfortable walking on a larger wire. >> one of the things you've been wanting to do of late is to walk across in front of niagara falls. >> it is illegal. >> they're changing the law for you? >> they're working it right now. it passed the city 62-0. now it's going through assembly. i'd like to thank assembly man. >> so maybe next summer, is it the distance here that's the challenge or just the environment? >> it's the weather conditions, everything is. >> wind coming off, spray. >> that's right. several challenges. >> nik wallenda nice to see you here in one piece. up next here on "today," a popular tv host opens up about her battle with ms. we'll tell you all about it. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪ like any parent, i have questions about the food my daughter eats. things like high fructose corn syrup. so, i started looking for answers from medical and nutrition experts. and what i discovered is that whether it's corn sugar or cane sugar, your body can't tell the difference. sugar is sugar. and knowing that makes me feel better about what she eats. and that's one less thing to worry about. [ female announcer ] learn more at cornsugar.com. back now at 8:44 with the heartbreaking medical diagnosis that turned one television meteorologist world upside-down in just a moment we will talk to janice dean about her bat with ms and the surprising meaning it brought to her life. but first, her story. >> let's take a look at our future radar as we go through time. >> she's playfully called janice dean the weather machine. >> if i was in charge -- >> a fox news meteorologist who has built a solid career on solid forecasting. >> yeah, had the dream career and thought i had it all. >> reporter: but what janice couldn't predict was a frightening personal storm, one that would send her own world spinning out of control. >> i woke up one day, and i had no feelings on the bottoms of my feet. part of my thigh was numb. >> reporter: she was baffled and very scared. >> just something was really off. and i didn't know what was wrong with me. >> reporter: after a battery of tests, a chilling diagnosis. at 35 years old, janice had ms, multiple sclerosis, a chronic, unpredictable disease, believed to be an auto immune disorder. >> the only thing that i had in my brain about the disease is wheelchairs and a miserable life. >> reporter: an estimated 400,000 americans have the disease. >> i remember sitting in the doctor's office and thinking, my career is over, who is going to want to marry me. i just want to hide. >> reporter: when janice told her then boyfriend shawn, she soon realized it was a road that she wouldn't have to go alone. >> the one thing that i remember him saying to me, i'm not afraid of this, i'm not afraid of this disease. i'm not afraid. >> reporter: the couple married in 2007 and a year later janice decided to go public with her battle. >> i really want to bring awareness to the disease because there are so many people like me out there that really need more hope. >> reporter: now a mother with two young boys, janice says she is a much stronger love of life, not in spite of the disease but because of it. >> my whole perception of what life is supposed to be is different. i am so lucky that i have a great career, but if it went away tomorrow, i would be okay because i have something even greater than that, and that's a wonderful family that means everything to me. >> janice dean is here along with nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman. what do you feel children. >> they're my life. >> i know. >> they're just so precious to me. >> and -- >> thank you, i'm so glad you have kleenex. >> i'm ready for that. when you're diagnosed with a disease like this, it's scary and you don't really understand fully, it helps so much to know of someone else who has it, who can help guide your way. >> right. >> you're here talking about it. you're stepping up because you want to guide the way for people listening. >> yes. >> what is it you want to say? >> i want to say that there is hope because, like i mentioned in the piece, the first thing i thought of, it's a disease that has such a stigma attached to it that you're going to end up in a wheelchair, you're not going to have a career or a life that could be as full as mine is right now. so i wanted to say to that person there at home that it has been new lly diagnosed or who h mother or sister or brother or father who has this disease that you can carry on and you can be okay. i mean, that was the most important thing for me. as soon as i found out all i wanted to do was find people that had it that were doing okay. >> there you go. you said it this morning. dr. nancy, we know that right now this disease does not have a cure. are there any treatments? >> there are always new treatments if most important thing is to get properly diagnosed. it affects more women than men but a lot of times people come in and the symptoms won't fit anything so diagnosis gets delayed and then medicines, was you know, really have to do with boosting the immune systems. a lot of times courses of steroids. i think one of the biggest misconcessions is length of life. people think, oh, well, you won't live as long. not true. length of life is not altered but it is an auto immune neurological disease. no cure yet. doesn't mean you can't have a big life. >> just means that you have to modify how you live your life. you have to take better care of yourself. >> you adapt. >> so the other thing i would like to offer you a chance to say is to say publicly, as you probably have said privately, to your husband, who is in our studio this morning, the man who said those words to you that just made you, again, cry, this love that was unconditional. >> most women think that when their boyfriends say i would like to marry you, will you marry me, that's the biggest moment of their life. but for him to say to me, i'm not afraid, i'm not afraid of this journey, i am not afraid to go with you, i don't -- you know, i'm going to take care of you, you're going to take care of me and we're going to be a team. and i owe -- i'm so fortunate. i am the luckiest girl in the world. i really am. >> what a man. what a man you are. you don't have a microphone. >> he didn't want to be on camera. >> i know. sorry. you're at the "today" show. things happen. thank you so much for sharing your story. >> thank you. thank you. >> our best to you. and our best to your kids. it's been great to talk to you. >> thank you, nancy. coming up next, interesting ways to spice up your summer salads. but first, this is "today" on nbc. there's mark, he's going over those lettuces. [ beep ] [ male announcer ] new toothbrush, for that killer smile: $4. ♪ home cooked meal: $28. [ beep ] ♪ first date finest: $33. [ beep ] ♪ having time on your side: priceless. mastercard pay pass. bringing you the most convenient ways to pay. learn more at mastercard.com/paypass. brought to you by i can't believe it's not butter. fresh butter taste with 70% less saturated fat than butter. >> this morning on "today"'s cooking school we're dressing up salads, variety of leafy greens are flooding the markets. mark bittman is here to teach us how to toss them. "new york times" magazine columnist and author of "how to cook everything." you've got your students ready here. lots of help. summer greens. i'm starting out with the tender greens. what do you mean by tender? >> tender speaks for itself. we're talking about bibb lettuces, red leaf, green leaf, spinaches, tender. anything that is not going to offer a lot of resistance. going to add flavor. we're going to treat it simply. >> vinegariette dressing? >> yes. olive oil, usually two or three times as much as vinegar. >> three parts olive oil? >> whatever the taste. and some mustard, dijon mustard. and a little chopped shallot. >> shallot in there. >> and then whisk. would you like to whisk which? >> whisk the whole thing up. simple. >> and that's your basic vinegariette. that will be good for anything. >> salt in there. >> put it in a food processer? >> blender. it gets very creamy. >> and then drizzle, just a little drizzle there. very nice. >> did you know this is what he is doing? >> i'm impressed. >> i would put the whole thing in there. >> i don't really like dressing. >> well, as you like it. >> let's move on. >> crunchy. >> crunchy. escorot is not a vegetable many use. >> any that have big ribs. romaine is my favorite. >> you are making this with grapes and roasted almonds. >> toasted almonds, chopped. and just some 1halved grapes. >> same one? >> yes. >> more or less the same. no mustard in this one. >> nice. also exhibiting a wide variety of beautiful tossings. >> that's enjoyable. i wonder, do you have to eat that immediately so the dressing doesn't separate? >> have to is a bit extreme. if you want to eat it immediately, it's going to get wilted a little bit if you don't and dressing will separate it a little. but dress it 15 minutes before. >> from tender and crunchy to -- >> bold. >> bold is love. >> so you have watercress here. and as usual, very stemmy. but these are peppery hot, arugula and mustard greens. >> i love arugula. >> and microcress. they have a love of flavor. using feta cheese, something really stronger here. and lemon juice in this vinaigrette. sweeter. you have a lot of contrast of flavors here. nice. >> look at those tools. >> this one is backwards. there you go. >> rrr, rrr. >> and we have sturdy left. and kale, which is probably least of the lettuces. >> because it's not a lettuce, it's really kale, collard. they're in the broccoli family. some people when they make it, this is, can kale here. some people need the kale to make it more tender. >> you let it wilt, right? >> you do let it wilt. >> great t 8:26 is your time. good morning, i'm eun yang. straight to danella sealock to find out how traffic is moving now. good morning. >> good morning. outer loop of the beltway, jammed from college park as you make your way towards georgia avenue. inner loop of virginia, jammed from 395 to 66. a look at robinson terminal. a parking lot. >> quick break. warm and humid today. highs near 90, as well as tomorrow, friday, saturday. each day a chance of mainly afternoon storms. >> tom, thank you. for get the treadmill and back now with more on "today" on this friday -- i want it to be friday -- wednesday morning, 22nd day of june, 2011. nice warm day. it is still warming up. we've got great people mugging for the camera here on the plaza. >> mugging. >> they are. starting to get a little muggy for the camera. i'm ann curry along with lester holt and tamron and al roker. >> the prosecution now is saying that the there is a possibility that casey's accident a drowning defense sounds an awful like a fellow inmate. is it a coincidence or did she borrow the story? a live report from the courthouse coming up. a lot of folks think about retiring early but there are a lot of financial issues involved that's not in the cards for everyone. on our "today's" money 911 we're going to look at when it a good idea to leave your job early and when to stick it out. plus, how to improve your credit score and whether it helps to pay off old debts. >> it's only the size of your thumb, your thyroid is the size of your thumb but it controls everything from your mood to your heart and, of course, your waistline. we're talking about the thyroid. millions of women have some sort of disorder affecting it. we'll tell you how to recognize the symptoms and how to get your thyroid working properly. the size of your thumb and it controls everything. >> wow. who knew? >> okay. we'll get to that. but also, let's get a check of the top stories with savannah guthrie. >> in the news this morning, the faa is investigating a terrifying close call monday night at kennedy airport in new york. officials say a jet with 286 passengers plus crew was accelerate for takeoff when it was forced to make a screeching stop to avoid an egypt air jumbo jet that apparently took a wrong turn into its path. >> officials did not say exactly how close those planes came to each other. president obama addresses the nation tonight about the nearly decade long war in afghanistan. he'll discuss the future of the 30,000 extra troops he ordered in during the 2009 surge and outline a plan for their gradual withdrawal over the next year and a half. nbc news will provide live coverage of the president's address beginning at 8:00 eastern time. thunderstorms and heavy winds stllammed the midwest knocking over airplane hangars in michigan. the storms also forced hundreds of flight cancelations at both of chicago's airports. the airline qantas has reached an undisclosed settlement with rolls royce after an engine disintegrated in mid area last year. the qantas a 380 was forced to make an emergency landing with passengers on board and much of the australian carrier's fleet was subsequently grounded. cigarette packs in the u.s. will soon feature new warning labels, and we should warn you they are intentionally graphic. the labels are part of an fda effort to discourage smoking an show diseased lungs, disfigured teeth, and the other dangers of smoking. the warnings must appear on cigarette packs by the fall of 2012. tobacco use is to blame for more than 440,000 u.s. deraths every year. this morning the first lady addressed a group about leadership in south africa. she was greeted by a joyful choir and scores of south africans. tuesday mrs. obama and the first daughters read some dr. seuss books at a day care center. >> our fish said, no, no, make that cat go away. tell the cat in the hat you do not want to play. he should not be here. he should not be about. he should not be here when your mother is out. >> and the visit wasn't all story time. the obama girls even got in a little dancing with in with the kids. if you're going to shell out cash for a beer at the baseball game you might want to keep the ball out of the drink. a foul ball at fenway went up into the second deck of the stands and right into that guy's beer. soaked in the suds, he was a good sport, raising his plastic cup to a laughing crowd and he even took a sip of the ball ba. back to al with a check of the weather. >> check it out. we've got a risk of strong storms from tyleri, texas, up t detroit, till philly, d.c., could see isolated tornadoes, torrential rain. look at the rain falling from the texas/mexico border up into northern louisiana. rainfall amounts 1 to 2 inches per hour. rain's going to stretch up into the great lakes and later on into the northeast tonight. looking at anywhere from one to three inches of rain from corpus christi into the middle parts of alabama. here's what's happening in your next of the woods. >> we may get isolated downpours later this afternoon and evening with thunder and lightning. partly sunny, heating up to near 90. into the evening hours we could get storms and there's a slight risk of an isolated storm could produce wind damage or hail. thursday, friday, saturday, each day a chance of afternoon storms though diminished chance. hot and humid each day. sunday into the first part of next week, lower humidity around. slight chance of afternoon storms. ♪ now for "today's" money 911, we're answering your questions on everything from retiring early to handling a bad credit report. jean chatzky "today's" financial editor and author of "money 911, and david bach and a contributor to yahoo! finance and the author of "psyche yourself rich." good morning, everybody. >> good morning. >> we're going to get right to it. start off with skype. from david, he lives here in new york city. he wants to retire sooner rather than later. hey, david. >> hi, how are you doing. >> great. what's the question? >> the question is i'm planning on retiring in about 3 1/2 years. i've not saveduch money so i'm planning on moving out of new york and going to the carolinas andn't coing to work to make up the difference. is that a good plan? >> jean? >> the thing about retiring early is that you're working with a smaller pool of money, whether it's a pension or whether it's the balance in your retirement account. and you need to understand, can i afford to do this? so before you decide you're absolutely going in 3 1/2 years i want you to go to choosetosave.org. i want you to run a retirement calculation. and i want you to understand how much it will truly cost you to live, whether you can afford to continue to live this way until you are 95 or 100 years old because that is the wild card. we don't know how long we're going to live. we don't know how long we're going to be around and health care is going to get more expensive as we get older. and if you do decide to do this, the next 3 1/2 years you're living an austerity and saving as much as you possibly can. >> and also if he goes to work in carolina, there are calculators you can run to see how much lower his expenses will be when he moves and gets a job there. his money will go further. >> his salary might go down, too. >> that's right. sheryl is on the line from washington state. good morning. >> good morning. >> what's your question for the crew? >> my husband and i are trying to rent a house, but everybody does a credit check. and they reject our application. we got to pay $40 to $80 each time we apply. there's no way to repair credit history because it was such a spectacular fall from grace due to a small business failure. our combined retirement checks total about $5,000 a month. so all we're looking for is $1300 to spend on rent and that's not a stretch. is there anything we can do about that? >> let's see if we can get an answer. >> good news. one, they've got $5,000 a month in income coming in. what i would suggest to you is go out and sell yourself to a landlord. the landlords that will take you as a tenant are not the major corporations. you're looking for individual landlord, something who is an investor, has a home or rental condo. i recommend you do is this, go in and present to them, look, we've got first month and last month's rent. if they want a third month as security deposit, if you've got three months, i'm telling you, most landlords would be thrilled to take you right now. as far as that credit score goes, rather than have tell run the credit score give them the credit score you just paid for. i recommend reference letters. get three reference letter, write a nice coverage letter, i think you will be able to find yourself an apartment or home in a short period of time. >> best of luck, cheryl. e-mail question. this is from elizabeth. she lives in texas. she writes, i wanting to improve my credit score and i have several items on my credit report that are from several years back and need to be paid. i heard that if you pay on old debts that it could actually hurt your score. >> so paying down old debt does not hurt your credit score. but it doesn't help, either. it's sort of a catch, right? what happens is when you're 180 days past due on any account it goes on your credit report and stays there for seven years regardless of whether you pay it off or it will it sit there. the damage has been done. here's what i would still do. if she can afford to pay off the old debt make that effort. while her credit score won't improve the credit report will be update sod say, yes, she had this delinquent debt but it's paid off in full. if she's in the market or a mortgage, car loan, that will put her in a better light. lenders like to see that she was responsible at some point. to boost her credit score, pay off your recent debt more aggressively than the old debt and pay on time because timeliness is more than 0% of your credit score. good luck. >> let's go back to,mail mail bag. angela writing, i haven't had any late late payments in 13 months. substantially reduced my debt but my credit score has barely risen at all. we are trying to buy a home and my husband's score has gone up but mine hasn't. it keeps us from getting a prepaid loan. >> she's right in assuming that the longer these things go in time, the more your credit score will improve. if you're paying on things that are old, collectibles, delinquents, doesn't help as much as paying on the recent debts. make an effort to pay those and stay current and keep the utilization, the amount of debt you're carrying on every credit card and on all your credit cards in general to below 10% to 30% of all the debt you have available to you and you will be okay. >> we're going to go out to the crowd now. we've got gretchen with a question for us. gretchen? >> hi. i'm 40 and starting over with two kids to support and i'm really worried about sort of how to get started and, also, i'm worried about retirement this late. >> all right. david? >> 40 is a perfect time to be thinking about this. so here's what i tell you, number one thing is pay yourself first. if you're working right now and they told me you're working part time i want you to open up an ira account, pay yourself first. whatever that is. i recommend at least 10% of your gross income being put away into an ira account. if you've got an 401(k) plan at work then use the 401(k) plan. make sure you take full advantage of any marching dollars but get yourself putting money into a retirement account every single time you earn money. so every two weeks, if you get a paycheck, part right off the top and pay yourself first. you will be in good shape. >> way to go, gretchen. jean chatzky, of course, david bach. thank you so much. for those on the east coast, great news, david is sticking around for more questions and answers. so type away and check him out. go to today.com. coming up next, did casey anthony steal her defense strategy from another inmate? we will have amazing details. up next, from our weight to our heart, could you thyroid be to blame? ♪ have a better day [ male announcer ] only subway has a deal this flat-out delicious -- the new $3 flatbread breakfast combo. a toasty 6-inch flatbread breakfast sandwich and a 16-ounce cup of freshly brewed seattle's best coffee. all for just $3. build your better breakfast today. best seven years. of my life. amy, you're gonna love i know, dad.college. your comforter. okay. mr. cuddles... toilet paper? oh, hey, scott. here, scott extra soft tissue. it's their softest roll ever. check out the pattern. it's softness done right. same soft rolls we use at home honey! one more thing, guys. oh nice a shoe rack! actually, it's a toilet paper rack. sweet. huh. huh. [ female announcer ] do you know scott? scott extra soft is softness, done right. hey! hey! hey! that's our snack machine. you should try something new. activia parfait crunch! crunchy granola you mix right in to creamy and delicious activia yogurt. mmm! crunchy! and creamy! watch your toes! new activia parfait crunch. you can do this... get the ball, girl. hmmm, you can't do that. but you can do this. bengay pain relief + massage with penetrating nubs plus the powerful pain relief of bengay. love the nubs! with penetrating nubs plus the powerful pain relief of bengay. revlon launches growluscious plumping mascara. with a conditioning formula that helps strengthen and plump lashes up to 200% instantly... for maximum volume... new revlon growluscious plumping mascara. if morning on "today's" health, the thyroid. it's the power center of our bodies. for 10 million women the gland is on the t. fritz which would lead to infertility and cardiac problems. how can you know if your thyroid is not working properly? dr. carrie peterson is a contributor to "women's health" magazine. >> good morning. >> about the size of a finger, right? and so important. just to start us out, what is the thyroid and what does it do in our bodies? >> well, the thyroid is a gland and it's shaped like a butterfly and it sits in the lower part of the neck. so it's about that big. and it plays a wide role of functions. primarily, it regulates body temperature and metabolism. it really has a role in every part of the body. it keeps the brain sharp. it keeps the bowels moving, your periods regular and it contributes to hair and nail health as well. >> and millions of people have thyroid disorders. more women than men. what is it about women that makes them more susceptible to problems with the thyroid? >> it's quite significant. "women's health" found that women have 12 times more likelihood than developing thyroid disease than men. it's thought that because thyroid disease is predominantly auto immune and women are prone to auto immune diseases that there's some association. really it is genetic, primarily. and, also, actually pregnancy does play a role. when women become pregnant, indents of thyroid disease goes up. >> you can have two different kinds of problems with thyroid. you can produce too little thyroid hormones or too much of it. too little is hypothyroidism. what are the symptoms of that? >> first, hypothyroidism, when the gland makes too little, everything slows down, so you get weight gain, constipation, dry hair and nails, irregular periods, feeling weak when you workout, with no explanation, you can even have hair loss. >> these are general symptoms. >> they are. >> how can somebody know that it may be something with the thyroid? >> if you bring it to the attention to your doctor that you're tired quite often, then doctors will typically screen for thigh roitd problems as a cause. it can be challenging because the symptoms are subtle and gradual in onset. >> i'm going to take a another crack at@this, what is the treatment of hypothyroidism. >> it's replacing the hypothyroid with synthetic medication. initially you will have blood tests every six weeks until you get the levels right. >> hyperthyroidism is more common. it's too much. >> right. exactly. you have an over-do pro duducti of thyroid. everything speeds up. you at the time diarrhea, weight loss, your heart races rapidly, you can get jittery. it almost feels like you had too many cups of coffee. like you're really revved up. >> does it come on quickly? >> it comes on much more quickly than hypothyroidism and because it's more severe it's easier to diagnose. >> what's the treatment? >> it's a little different. you take a medication every day that slows the production of the hormones or you can do radioactive iodine which destroys the thyroid tissue. >> is the issue with either of these conditions you don't have enough iodine? >> not necessarily. when you're iodine deficient you can have difficulty making thyroid hormone so it can actually cause thyroid deficiency but it's not necessarily auto immune cause. >> let's talk prevention. what are some things you can do to make sure you keep your thyroid healthy? >> one thing is to make sure you get enough iodine in your diet. basically, iodine is fortified in foods, in salts and breads. and nowadays so many people are having gluten free diets or salt-free diets. >> you say quit smoking. cigarettes xser bait this? >> they have twice the likelihood of developing it than nonsmokers. >> last thing, check your neck. really? literally check your neck? >> this is a tough one. you can try it. tilt your head back, swallow. look to see if any bulges. >> i might have you try this on me. okay. if it feels thick? >> if you see any bulges protruding from your neck, you may have a thyroid problem. >> or have your doctor check your neck. >> that's true. >> thank you. coming up, how to be a beach beauty. we're going to put some waterproof products to the test. a dog is not merely a pet. a dog, well, a dog is family. and when it comes to your family's health, you want the best. now you can have it without paying the most. new petarmor plus flea and tick protection. it has the same active ingredients as frontline plus, so it's just as effective against fleas and ticks, but costs about half as much. sure our dogs may be called pets, but we all know they're family. new petarmor plus. same protection as frontline at about half the cost. only at walmart and sam's club. but not your wrinkles. new neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. its retinol formula smoothes wrinkles in just one week. why wait if you don't have to. neutrogena®. helping strengthen our bones. caltrate delivers 1200 milligrams of calcium and 800 iu of vitamin d plus minerals. women need caltrate. caltrate helps women keep moving because women move the world. caltrate helps women keep moving meet beth, nursery school teacher. lights, camera, activia it's the best job in the world. my students are amazing. but to be there for them, you've gotta feel your best. kids can tell. that's why i love eating activia every day. so delicious activia helps me feel good inside. which helps me be my best... positive, cheerful and on top of things. help regulate your digestive system. love how you feel or your money back. ♪ activia sfx: bed crashes to floor kids seem to get bigger overnight. good morning... whoa! whoa! and when they do, they're ready for goodnites. the nightime underwear specially designed for kids 4 and up. coming up, did she borrow her story? we're going to tell you why prosecutors are looking into the possibility that casey anthony's defense is a little too similar to another inmate who was in a nearby cell. and it's smelling pretty good in today's kitchen. we have maple brine woolly pig. good in today's kitchen. we have maple brine woolly pig. >> and the best beauty products. ? just hold the bag. we need a portable x-ray, please! [ nurse ] i'm a nurse. i believe in the power of science and medicine. but i'm also human. and i believe in stacking the deck. lose those lines for up to a year! juvéderm® xc is the gel filler your doctor uses to instantly smooth out lines right here. temporary side effects include redness, pain, firmness, swelling, bumps, or risk of infection. ask your doctor about juvéderm® xc. with special k multigrain oats & honey cereal, a blend of rolled oats and honey-kissed multigrain flakes is a delicious way to make your breakfast beautiful. 9:26 is your time now. 80 degrees already. hazy skies, hot and humid day. will storms fl s roll in today? i'm eun yang. wednesday, june 22, 2011. metro commemorating the deadliest crash in its history. nine people were killed during the station. the ntsb blames a malfunctioning electronic circuit for the collision. metro will hole a ceremony to honor victims, taking place a half hour from now. we'll take a break. man: we need a sofa. something i can stretch out on! woman: ooh... that will go with those lamps my mother gave us. or we could get some new lamps. or we could get no sofa. negotiating, eh? you got it! [ where d.c. goes to get away.o busch gardens williamsburg, maybe it's because washington d.c. loves the legendary coasters. or that your entire family will have fun, even the little ones. it could be that water country usa has more of the waves, slides and rides everyone wants. so plan your getaway and come play. you never know who you'll run into. get started at buschgardens.com/dc. now you can brew over ice for delicious iced coffee or tea. hot or cold, keurig is the way to brew everyone's favorite cup in under a minute. choose. brew. enjoy. keurig. good morning. mostly cloudy around metro, temperatures near 80. it has turned humid. we'll have heat and humanity today, highs around 90. sun in and out. late afternoon into early evening hours we could get thunderstorms, slight risk of isolated storm could produce wind damage or hail. more of the same thursday, friday, saturday but smaller chance of afternoon storms. how's traffic? >> traffic in virginia 66 east expect delays from the 236 business to beltway. here's a live look. 66 at chain bridge road we have a bit of movement but expect heavy delays. >> danella, thank you. forget the treadmill and bike. door lean gentzler looks at a local program giving people unique way build strength and lose weight. ♪ bieber fever coming to the plaza. tamron is so excited. >> savannah said whew. >> 17 -- no, not him. >> no, not him. >> 17-year-old singing sensation is going to be filling us in on his newest project, justin bieber, tomorrow on "today." hopefully my dauger is not watching because then she's going to want to come in tomorrow. >> i'll take care of her. i like that song. so sue me. >> okay. >> meantime -- >> you are a lawyer. >> good segue. we have surprising new courtroom drama in the case against casey anthony, is she using a fellow inmate's story? that's what prosecutors are looking into. live to florida with the latest on that. all righty. in "today's" kitchen we are living high on the hog with a wooly pig. it's supposed to have a lot more flavor tha flavor than ordinary pork and better for you. i looked at a picture of a woolly pig, looks like a pig with a '70s perm. >> all right. a pork mullet. >> pig makeover in order. stephanie plum back, lingerie buyer turned bounty hunter. she's going to be here to tell us about her newest novel. we've only put her on a monitor. >> she's here. >> terrific. can't wait to talk to her. >> a check of the weather. >> we've got right now for today, risk of strong storms stretching from the gration back into texas. beautiful out west about 89 in southern oregon, 112 in phoenix. showers into the northeast into the afternoon. tomorrow a risk of strong storms from the mid ohio river valley up into the northeast. slight risk back through the western plains. showers in the pacific northwest. sizzling continues in the southwest. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your next of the woods. >> warm and humid on wednesday. good morning, i'm tom kiernan. right now near 80 throughout much of the region. we will have a possibility of scattered afternoon and evening storms. a slight risk of isolated storm could produce wind damage or hail. tomorrow more of the same. friday and saturday. diminished chance of storms but humid, highs near 90. lower humidity with cooler temperatures sunday, monday, tuesday. still slight chance of storms each day. highs in the and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you. up next, could another inmate's story be linked to the up next, could another inmate's story be linked to the casey anthony murder trial? 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[ 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. kraft singles. we're rich in calcium to help build 'em up strong. ooh, watch out, bad guys. kraft singles. the american cheese. we're back with some more surprising developments in the casey anthony murder trial now in the 25th day. nbc's kerry sanders is in orlando with us with all the details. kerry, good morning. >> good morning. resumed now the testimony is back under way, but on tuesday i sat and i looked a long time at the jurors. i saw them fidgeting in their seats, stretching their arms, one juror rubbing his neck and several jurors for extended periods of time not looking at the witness box, not looking at the judge, not looking to casey anthony. their eyes wandering all over the courtroom. the one thing that might have grabbed their attention, well, they didn't hear it because they weren't in the courtroom. surprising new details revealed by the state. with jurors out of the courtroom, prosecutors revealed just days ago this woman made contact with their office. april whalen who was in jail on a drunk driving charge and was briefly housed in a jail cell adjacent to casey anthony's. they said her personal tragedy sounds suspiciously familiar. >> apparently her child died in a swimming pool and was found by the child's grandfather. >> reporter: that's casey anthony's defense, that her 2-year-old daughter caylee accidentally drowned. but five days into the defense case to prove there was no murder, there's been no mention of drowning, only this. >> when we run a gas chromatograph -- >> defense witness. >> the top layer is called the humus layer -- >> reporter: after defense witness. >> it speaks for around 150. >> reporter: explaining complicated science. at times tuesday jurors may have found it harder to follow the accent than the science. >> well, you know, could be described as appearance on a certain locations. >> reporter: and it was specifically confusing when defense attorney jose baez at one point objected to the testimony from his own expert. >> so what we did -- >> let me stop you there, sir. just so you can answer my question. >> the witness is being interrupted. >> he's being nonresponsive. >> sir, you may finish answering the question. >> thank you, sir. where was i? >> when a defense lawyer is objecting to the testimony of a defense expert, it tells you that somebody didn't do their homework and the defense lawyer was not prepared. >> reporter: the defense also claimed they were blind sided by prosecutor's plans to present rebuttal evidence taken from the anthony family computer. >> we have withdrawn our computer experts from the witness list because we expected them to testify to what was in their reports and not to new evidence now given to us. >> reporter: but the judge said -- >> it's not new evidence. i don't know how something can be new evidence when it was given to you, but it's not new evidence. >> reporter: the defense team was given that hard drive two years ago. meantime, april whalen is still being investigated by the state attorney's office. she said, according to the state attorney's office, that she did not tell her story directly to casey anthony but, of course, the prosecutors would still like to know whether that's where she got the idea for this defense. of course, her defense says this is not something they concocted, it is the real story. >> kerry sanders, thanks. up next, best-selling author and, later, cooking up wooly pig up next, best-selling author and, later, cooking up wooly pig in today's kitchen. [ wave hing ] up next, best-selling author and, later, cooking up wooly pig in today's kitchen. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] and just like that, it's here. a new chance for all of us: people, companies, communities to face the challenges yesterday left behind and the ones tomorrow will bring. prudential. bring your challenges. and more. if you replace 3 tablespoons of sugar a day with splenda® you'll save 100 calories a day. that could help you lose up to 10 pounds in a year. that's how splenda® is sweet...and more. helping strengthen our bones. caltrate delivers 1200 milligrams of calcium and 800 iu of vitamin d plus minerals. women need caltrate. caltrate helps women keep moving because women move the world. all righty. oh, oh. you are a little biscuit. i'm carol. uh, we should skedaddle 'cause it's girls' night. so...okay. oh, wow. you got a skinny-dipping scene after the duel, right? well, i -- shh, shh, shh. show. don't tell. 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"smokin' seventeen." janet, so good to see you. >> thank you. it's great to be back here. >> a lot going on here. again, 17 books. stephanie still cannot decide between her hot boyfriend morelli or ranger, the kind of mysterious man about town. what's going on? why can't she make a choice? >> why should she? >> sure. >> let's face it. if you had two hot guys in your life, maybe not you. >> yeah, i know. >> but me, maybe i would. >> maybe you would. >> well, you know, the fun part about this is that there are so many great characters in stephanie's life. for example, her mom is now playing matchmaker for her as well. >> yeah. her mom thinks it's time. everybody thinks it's time. they want her to make a decision. so this is the decision book. she's got a lot of pressure on her to choose between these guys. and i don't want to give too much away for people who haven't read the book. >> right. >> but this is kind of my sex book. >> oh. >> so -- >> well. >> yeah. well, you know, we don't want to make stephanie be too trashy. so we have to be -- but it's not her fault in this book. it's always grandma bella. it's all her fault. >> she's always putting the evil eye on stephanie. >> yeah, she put the eye on stephanie. >> this book, of course, it's a murder mystery. and there are no lack of murders in here. >> yeah, there are a lot of bodies in this book. we raised the body count. usually she destroys about 40 cars. and i had fun with this because this time there are bodies all over trenton and they have little gift tags on them addressed to stephanie. >> you know, the great thing about this book is there's a lot of local color. it takes place in jersey. jersey is very hot right now. you were ahead of trend. >> it is. yeah. yeah. me and the "sopranos." how can you go wrong with jersey? jersey has everything. it's got, you know, it's got the boardwalk. it's got greasy pizza. it's got big muscle guys. it's got attitude. you know, it's easy to write about jersey. >> 17 books. are you still enjoying doing this? is it still a hoot bringing stephanie along? >> it is. i really like it. i love getting up in the morning and going into my office with a cup of coffee and going back into the world. you know, it's the world of plum that is really intriguing because it's stephanie, but it's also a lot of other characters that you follow year after year. you know, i get to write the stories. i get to be there. >> every year i ask you, janet, when is it going to be a stephanie plum movie and, finally, you have an answer. >> y, a y. yes, they made the movie. they made the movie. it's going to be in theaters in january, i'm told. >> and pretty great cast. stephanie is going to be played by katherine heigl. >> yes. >> and that's fantastic. she dyed her hair to look more like stephanie. and then lula is going to be played by a fabulous sherri shepherd. >> i think sherri shepherd is going to be amazing. i'm a huge sherri shepherd fan so i was excited about that i thought that was great. >> and stephanie's wacky grandma, debbie reynolds which is fantastic. >> i would never have thought of debbie reynolds. when they told me i was like, oh, man, that's just -- that's going to be so much fun. that's perfect. >> you know, your fan base is so rabid about these characters. do you worry about when they finally see it on the big screen that some of them are not going to be happy about this? >> you know, i guess you always have to worry about that, but i think you just have to go with an open mind and have fun with it. you know, that's the good part for me. i had nothing to do with the movie. so i finally get to be the audience. you know, i get to go with all of the other fans and sit there and for the first time i get to see stephanie, you know. so i'm -- i can't wait. i think it's going to be great. >> already working on number 18? >> well, 18 comes out early this year. >> oh. >> 18 comes out in november. this is the first time i'm doing two numbers in one year. >> wow. >> yeah. >> do you have the title yet? >> "explosive eighteen." >> there you go. you heard it here first. always great to see you. you can read an exert of "smokin' seventeen" on today.com. speaking of smokin', we are spoking in the kitchen with a different kind of pork for your next barbecue. but first, this is "today" on nbc hi, we're looking to save some money on our car insurance. great! at progressive, you can compare rates side by side, so you get the same coverage, often for less. wow! that is huge! [ disco playing ] and this is to remind you that you could save hundreds! yeah, that'll certainly stick with me. we'll take it. go, big money! i mean, go. it's your break, honey. same coverage, more savings. now, that's progressive. call or click today. ♪ this morning in "today's" kitchen, what's for dinner, how about some maple wooly pig, it's one of the most popular dishes right here in new york city. sam is the executive chef. sam, good to see you. good morning. >> good tamron. >> i'm a southerner. i love pork. >> i was going to say, from texas, you better like pork. >> i never heard of a wooly pig. i googled a picture of it and i said it looked like a pig, look, it's a '70s perm. why is this such a popular animal? >> i'll tell you. the pig itself is just so loaded with fat. i mean, you can see by this piece, this loin right here that we have. you to just -- look at the ratio from meat to fat. >> it just kicks it up to another level. >> touch the woolly. >> okay, i'll touch the woolly. look at that. >> that's the wooly pig right there. again, it's got a prettremendou amount of fat. we brine it. >> you can use any type of pork. you don't have to use wooly pig. >> right. especially if you use my recipe. it all works. this is -- >> this is the brin snerks. >> yes. this is the base of maple syrup. add to it water. what's important about this is the ratio of the sugar to water. and then we add fresh bailey and thyme and garlic and sugar. >> the sugar on top of the maple. >> yes. it enhances the color. and then -- >> whisk it? >> whisk it in. drop the pork. >> nice pieces of pork loin. >> clean. >> nice. >> how long do you let it sit? >> depending on the portion size. this goes for an hour or two. the longer you brine it -- >> the richer the flavor inside. and here? >> roasting the pork as you see. look at that color. >> nice. these are pretty thick pieces. how long do we -- >> this probably takes about six to eight minutes. they lowered the internal temperature of cooking pork to 140 degrees. whereas before it was 165 which for me was a little bit over cooked. for me, we brine it on all sides. we take this fat right here and we render it down and brown the pork actually in that fat. >> nice. and here you have roasted tomatoes? >> roasted tomatoes. also what we do is we also cook some -- >> red onions? there? >> shallots. >> if you think -- let me ask you this. think about tomatoes, think about lettuce. >> summer. >> what sandwich? >> blt. i watched "sesame street." there you go. >> that's what we're doing. >> nice. >> so what you want to do is take this butter lettuce, again, we're cooking in some of the pork fat. render down the shallots. add the lettuce and that's it. >> and this is -- where is the finished product? >> one thing at a time. >> i'm sorry. >> that's okay. >> bossy. >> take the pork here. and we're going to add some of the -- >> bibb lettuce there. do we let this pork rest? they're coming? >> easy now. easy now. easy. okay. >> easy. >> okay. >> wooly pig? >> slice it there? >> slice it. >> nice. >> look how beautiful that is. >> you know, if you look at this, look at the color of it. >> stunning. >> we slice it nice and thin. >> all right. we've got just a minute left. i'll let you plate that. tell us about these deviled eggs because apparently people fight to get into your restaurant for this. >> saba, and we're going to finish it with a little -- >> really, can i see the deviled eggs? >> she just wasn't used to it. >> trust me. >> these are the deviled eggs. what we actually do is fill the egg with this deviled egg mixture. the key is caper juice. we actually add caper juice to the filling and it gives the level of salt to the dish. we have this great blue cheese dressing and we have this nice shallot dressing which we'll toss the sal ld. >> savannah, grab one of those. >> we left the pork over there. we have to try that. >> let's finish it. hold on. hold on. hold on. >> the show is over, sam. >> there you go. >> hold on. just a second, tamron. >> all right. >> final round in the competition after your local news and weather. i'm laura, and this is my cvs. i just transferred a prescription to cvs because they have care 1on1. it's where the pharmacist stops and talks to me about safety and saving money with generic prescriptions. laura, let's talk about possible side effects. it's all about me. love that. get care 1on1 and talk savings, safety, and side effects when you transfer or fill a new, ongoing prescription. i'm laura, and this is my cvs. it's all mine. we don't just make a taillight... ..we make a sculpture. we don't just make a sunroof... ..we make the heavens wide. we don't just make a crossover... ..we make a statement. the cadillac srx. we don't just make luxury cars, we make cadillacs. good morning out there. our temperature in the 80s. we'll check the forecast coming up shortly. good morning. it is 9:57. wednesday june 22, 2 o011. i'm barbara harrison. hunt is on for a man police are calling a serial intruder. he sexually assaulting single women in hyatts vi. the latest crime yesterday at kirkwood apartments in the 2600 block of nicholson street. he enters ground floor apartments through unlocked doors and windows and beats, rapes or staes frsteals from th. tom? good morning. >> good morning. quite a bit of cloudiness around the metro area. points east and southeast sunshine. low 80s throughout the region. today we'll hit near 90. and we also have a likelihood of scattered midafternoon to mid evening thunderstorms. 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. a slight risk during that time isolated storm could produce win damage or hail. and tomorrow, again, hot and humid, around 90, as well as friday. smaller chance of storms. danella? >> traveling in virginia, interloop of the beltway, jammed from 9 pa to -- 95 to 66. robinson terminal. you can see it is a parking lot traveling in interloop of the beltway in virginia. barbara. >> thanks danella. coming up on news4 midday, two websites finding forces to help you fine the best baby-sitter. join us at 11:00. captions paid for by nbc-universal television from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoet hoda kotb. >> live from studio 1a in rockefeller mraz. >> hello, everybody. you made it to winesday wednesday the 22nd of june. the only bad thing is the days start to get a little bit shorter so wring out every bit of sunshine you have. >> so if you were home last night chances are pretty good that you were watching "the voice." yes. >> they're doing very well. >> the exciting thing about how they do "the voice" is they are cutting so deep. they're eliminating half of the:teams like that. half the team in the teams. it's not like you're losing someone, i'll watch next week. they're cutting the teams in half. >> down to bare bone. >> they are. >> so cee-lo. the two remaining members on his team are vicky and nekia. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> all right. >> team adam had two left. now it's two left, too. >> javier is the guy with the sideways hat. >> america loved him. >> yes. >> adam chose a girl named casey. >> what happened to javier. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> beautiful. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> all righty. those are good. >> good chops. good song to sing. it is so identified with whitney houston. you either have to make it totally different or you will be seen as someone -- >> trying to copy whitney. >> team christina is frenchie who sang "like a prayer" and beverly. >> who sang "the thrill is gone." ♪ ♪ ♪ >> she was having fun. >> i'm digging on frenchie. >> you what? it's a good year for bald chicks. >> all right. >> just when i got my hair the way i like it -- darn, it's a good year for bald chicks. all right. go ahead. >> team blake. the last two that he's got, dia is singing choosing my religion -- >> losing. "losing my religion." and "the man who can't be moved." ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> this is blake's team? >> uh-huh. >> lovely ladies, but i don't think they have the pizazz the other performers have. >> they're younger and they're a little more scared. >> is that what it is? >> it may be. >> it's getting down to who's -- it's going to be the person. >> i think there are four coming up this week. >> i just wish they'd put it on earlier! >> so, by the way, today is our voice competition. >> yes! >> and we're down to two as well. >> and america's going to vote. >> yes. all of you -- >> all five of you are voting. >> there are many of you out there. >> a lot of people will vote. >> your team is. >> my team is tasha and b.j. russell from west virginia. >> and mine is russell. >> in case you missed it. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> you picked her so quickly. >> because i knew, baby. all right. and here's your girl. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> they're cute. wilma flintstone. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> so those are the two. >> and again, liza minnelli will be back with us and montego glover and friedman. >> you what they're going to sing? >> "start spreading the news." and also lewis la cary, la, la, lar la, la, la did makeovers for them so we'll see them made over. >> we're also tomorrow going to have a lovely performance by the young lady on my team who was not able to perform thursday when we announced the winner. that's tomorrow, hoda woman. >> i'm trying to keep it straight. keep it straight. >> tomorrow she'll be back. she had a gall bladder operation. >> can you imagine, this is your big break and you have to go have surgery. we just want her to sing for us. all right. if you like "america's got talent." if you like jackie evancho. >> and there is another little girl and she's also being called jackie. you're 11 years old and they're already replacing you. listen. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> wow! ♪ >> look at howie. ♪ ♪ >> wow! such a maturity about her voice. talk about soulful. >> yeah. >> she's terrific. we'll meet her. >> i am so excited because our network has two huge hits. >> yes, we do. >> i am so excited. >> other than our show. >> mean in prime time. >> so there's another study out. >> there's another study out which i disagree with again that says women dig dudes driving hot cars. >> they say women look. if you see a guy walking down the street and he steps into a porsche does your opinion change? >> joey lavafrnga. >> if he seems like a nice enough guy and he gets into a fancy car. >> does it? >> for me, not really. not really. >> say it. >> i feel sorry for him. he thinks that car's going to get him the girls, and i guess it does. >> it works. >> it doesn't with me. never been a car girl. >> there are things that are turnoffs. i do think guys that are too flashy, anyone that tries to pay with -- pulls out all of the cards and the money. i'm not into flashy. no. i'm not. i'm against it. >> you're against what? >> yeah. what i'm against is somebody that is miserly and doesn't share the limelight with people and doesn't tip nicely. somebody that doesn't even recognize that people are serving him or a woman, too. you know, people are bringing things and they're not even seeing the person. that bothers me. >> you know, i was at an event a long time ago, bill clinton spoke and he said -- i loved this line. he said it was in some other language, but the translation is i see you. he said if people would just -- when someone hands them someone -- just look at them. >> it takes a second, you expect someone to put down the but thor and you don't even look up and say a word. >> can you imagine going through all day long and nobody acknowledging. >> that's why we would like to say thank you to jerry who brings us our wine every day. we love you, jerry. >> we do love you. >> today he brought us two lovely once. look at jerry. he's exhausted from serving us wine. >> i would be, too. >> women would also not date unemployed men although they would rather marry for love than money. >> that both makes sense to me. i think you can marry for love, not money and if someone is recently unemployed through the recession, i get it, but willfully marrying someone who is chronically unemployed when there are jobs out there. >> or ssisn't going look. >> it tells you something about the character. >> women like rich men, but we're talking about this. it's not the money it's the traits that the guy has, the ambition. >> the passion for life. >> things like that. >> what if the guy is like an artist and he's not selling a lot of his stuff yet, he has to cut off his ear and become van gogh, but he loves what he wakes up every morning to do, that will be sexy. >> it's a turn on. >> oh, yeah. >> okay. they sell these in the stores all of the time. makeup, eye liner. >> they're all hard to get off, by the way. >> the question is does it really work? today we'll put it to the test. we'll put on make up, eyeliner, mascara on these women's faces and dunk them in water. >> fun. >> pull them out and see the truth because i like to see what really happens like sometimes i wear makeup when i go running because i like to, just a little, lipstick and eye stuff and when i'm done i look like a freak and it's all coming down and some of it's coming down apparently. allegedly. >> all righty. lindsay lohan has got a new gig. i personally am happy for her. >> yes. >> i don't know why this is cause anything kind of controversy, but apparently she filmed an 18-second commercial for beesed.com. >> while she was under house arrest. >> the site offered her $25,000, but ultimately she did the commercial for an undisclosed sum, but they're saying maybe she got $10,000 worth of free shopping. >> if you're allowed to work while under house arrest there's nothing wrong. >> i just wanted to share with you during my time at home i found an amazing site. >> oh, during my time at home. >> she's been through an awful lot. we have to remember she's still very young. every time i'm tempted to say i remember the kid that i first met when she did "parent trap" just a sweet kid and that kid is still in there and let's just -- you know. >> cut her some slack. >> you were honored yesterday and is i was honored to introduce you, hoda. >> you give a good intro. no one gives an introduction like you. >> all i did was look at you, hoda woman. >> sponsored by concern u.s. and the international humanitarian organization. >> it's a great group. they do stuff all over the -- all over the world. >> with the poorest of the poor. >> megan and jackie. >> that was honored. >> yeah. her name is amy nut and that's not her. >> we like to put ourselves on tv. amy nut is a pulitzer prize winner. i want to thank ann and kathy and everyone for coming to thor is money. >> jo ann leaned over and said where does hoda put all these awards that she gets? >> i don't know. you send them home to sammy? >> mom gets some of them, yes. >> we had a big old show for you today. >> coming up, we'll talk about the photos that make you say, what? >> hollywood's most buzzable news stories right after this. ♪ ♪ ♪ use 4g... and permanent mounting tape. have you seen my phone? no... [ siren wailing ] that's my phone! [ cellphone rings ] no, that's her flat screen... she lives in malibu. hello, mr. stockton. yes, i have the agenda right here in front of me. [ male announcer ] get low prices every day on everything, including all the best carriers and smartphones, like at&t's blackberry torch, only 97 cents. save money. live better. walmart. 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. and try our deliciously refreshing v8 v-fusion + tea. align can help. only align has bifantis, a pantented probiotic that naturally helps maintain your digestive balance. ♪ ooh baby, (what) can i do for you today? ♪ try align today. how cool is that? bang boom! ha ha. let's do this! we got milk! awesomeeeee! [ male announcer ] new digiorno pizza and nestlé tollhouse cookies. it's not delivery, it's digiorno pizza and cookies. so every year my family throws this great reunion in austin. but this year, i can only afford one trip and i've always wanted to learn how to surf. austin's great -- just not for surfing. so i checked out hotwire. and by booking with them, i saved enough to swing both trips. see, hotwire checks the competition's rates every day so they can guarantee their low prices. that's how i got a 4-star hotel on the beach in san diego for half price. ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e ♪ hotwire.com it's time for a special win's day edition of "today's buzz" from the idol future. >> here with the behind the scenes news is rob shutak from popular.com. let's begin with miss j. lo because there's been a lot of buzz which that she would not return to idol. >> she's only got a one-year deal. she signed a one-year deal for $10 million. they thought j. lo would be the big star to replace simon and the winner of "american idol" has been stephen tyler. >> she's great. >> no, she really made a big comeback with this. >> she hasn't resigned yet. they asked her to resign, and they don't want to pay her more money, but it's still a lot of money. she still wants to make more moves. >> j. lo is so savvy. i used to work for her. she's a really, really clever lady. this might be part of her negotiating strategy. >> this doesn't surprise you. >> can we make pretend that she may not be back. >> shania twain. they'd make millions and it would be stupid to not have a back-up plan. >> we haven't seen shania in many years and she's glamorous. >> there's a wedding coming up that miss gifford may be attending. >> i've been told a particular date. >> tell me. tell me. >> i can't, but what are you hearing? >> it will be massive and it will be televised. if you lose your invite in the mail they will televise it. ryan seacrest is putting together a deal to televise the entire deal. it will be a two-hour. >> i'm sure every great celebrity in l.a. will be sitting there. >> darn right. >> it will be massive. >> it's this summer? >> it's this summer. >> whrm her sister khloe got married they televised it on e. >> i love weddings. >> what about nick lachey? >> his brother drew is across the street at new york live and he told me any day now they'll get married. he's the best man and they don't know the day. >> they will film that one, too. >> which kind of surprises me a little bit. >> after "the newlyweds" and they made a lot of money on it and made them big huge stars, but what a price they paid for opening up their home and relationship to the cameras. >> nick hasn't got the memo that reality tv and relationships would not be the best idea. >> they've been together a long time. maybe they'll weather it better. >> it's a wedding special, not a reality show. >> if somebody wants to pay me $10 million, i'll marry frank gifford again. no problem. give me the deal, baby. i'll do it. >> big news with the movie "the transformers." we've been reading a lot of buzz about this? >> in 2009 megan fox said the director was like working for hitler. these remarks were quite shocking and everyone was surprised that quickly after she said that she was gone. she said at the time to "people" magazine that she didn't want to do it anymore and two years later the director said steven spielberg fired her the minute she said that. >> stephen's not going put up with that kind of stuff. >> she's gone. look what's happened to her career as a result, too. you never hear about her. these kids should be grateful that these incredible opportunities. there's always a gorgeous young woman waiting to take her spot. >> exactly what she said about the director, he's like napoleon and he wants to create this insane, infamous and mad-man reputation. when he's not in director mode i kind of enjoy his personality because he's so awkward, so hopelessly awkward. >> that's what she said. >> shia labeouf said she shouldn't be talking rubbish and that's why she's gone. >> aim winehouse, i saw a bit of her performance and it was cringe worth. >> she could barely stand up. >> she is kind of tooling around on the stage kind of thing. >> she canceled a week of concerts and now she's canceled the entire tour. she needs to get help. >> she is not going to live very long if she doesn't get into rehab and stays there until she stays clean. this is not going to end well. >> and i'm so excited about your singing competition. >> me, too. >> you're excited that liza is here! >> first we have wacky photos and then we have your girl, liza minhely and montego glover and all of our singers in the competition. first, these messages. ♪ ♪ ♪ a vacation on a budget with expedia. make it work. booking a flight by itself is an uh-oh. see if we can "stitch" together a better deal. that's a hint, antoine. ooh! see what anandra did? 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[ female announcer ] thinking italian tonight? hamburger helper has six delicious flavors, like lasagna. hamburger helper. one pound, one pan, one happy family. we're back with that wild and crazy segment we call "what the what." how many times have you looked twice at something to make sure you were seeing what you thought you saw. the photos that make you say what? >> i sifted through the photos with kate cook and came up with this photo sent by virginia. i guess you can call this fair warning? >> dead end. >> lovers lane. >> that was a bitter person that wrote that. >> that's good. >> our next photo was sent in by ana from new york, new york. this is great advertising. get people talking about your bulging biceps instead. >> oh, my gosh. >> wow! the sports club new york. >> i miss anthony weiner. >> and ana worked for a show. she does travel for us so i've worked with her for years. nice catch. teresa from aurora, colorado, sent thus photo and take a look. she wrote, i'm a tall norwegian and we ate somewhere else. >> they have a section for anything. >> clearwater beach, florida. this is in clearwater beach, florida. >> there's not a restaurant called little italian? >> no. >> just checking. >> it might be little italian, but it's better to imagine they have sections for everyone. what does that even mean? >> you bring us anything, we'll fix it. >> i'm going my dentist today. >> ish. >> thank you, sarah. >> thank you very much. >> all right. coming up, guess what? >> what? >> we have our voice competition. >> liza, montego and there's alexis! ♪ ♪ so, at our company, we pay about the same, even though i'm a great driver, and he's... not so much. well, for a driver like you, i would recommend our new snapshot discount. this little baby keeps track of your great driving habits, so you can save money. 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[ cackling ] he's my ride home. how much can the snapshot discount save you? call or click today. twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. meet beth, nursery school teacher. lights, camera, activia it's the best job in the world. my students are amazing. but to be there for them, you've gotta feel your best. kids can tell. that's why i love eating activia every day. so delicious activia helps me feel good inside. which helps me be my best... positive, cheerful and on top of things. help regulate your digestive system. love how you feel or your money back. ♪ activia right now, metro's holding a ceremony commemorating one of the most somber days in history. remembering the nine people who died two years ago today when two red line trains collided near the ft. totten station. good morning. i'm barbara harrison. looking for a good baby-sitter looking for a good baby-sitter in the man: we need a sofa. something i can stretch out on! woman: ooh... that will go with those lamps my mother gave us. or we could get some new lamps. or we could get no sofa. negotiating, eh? you got it! [ where d.c. goes to get away.o busch gardens williamsburg, maybe it's because washington d.c. loves the legendary coasters. or that your entire family will have fun, even the little ones. it could be that water country usa has more of the waves, slides and rides everyone wants. so plan your getaway and come play. you never know who you'll run into. get started at buschgardens.com/dc. ♪ ♪ ♪ we're back on this winesday wednesday with our final elimination round in the voice competiti competition. >> we began our own team of three singers and just last week our official today's voice judge the wonderful liza minnelli chose the final two acts to move on. >> from my team liza chose husband and wife b.j. and tasha roberts and from hoda's team liza chose college student alexis russell. here to explain how the rest of the competition works is sarah. >> we are down to the finals. this is so nerve-racking. today you'll see both of your finalists compete together on one song, and next -- excuse me, today the viewers decide. the viewers get to decide. go to the website klg and hoda.com until 8:00 p.m. eastern tonight so get on it right away and tomorrow we announce the winner and the winner gets a trip to l.a. to the fin ale of "the voice." >> before we move on with the final round we hear our finalists have gotten the royal treatment. let's take a look at what they've been up to and we'll get to know them a little bit better. >> my name is alexis russell. i g to lsu and i live in tennessee right now. i am 19 years old. i started singing when i can talk and i didn't get on stage until eighth grade. i also wanted to be a singer, but i never thought i could be by myself and do it because i've always been in a group. now i'm here and it's awesome. >> i'm b.j. >> i'm tasha roberts. >> we've been married for 12 years. >> we have four boys and a princess. we fwienlly got a little girl. >> i met her at a church. >> he heard me singing and i was there singing. >> then she turned around and i saw her and i looked at a friend of mine and i said i'm going marry that girl. >> i started singing in the church at 3 years old and i grew up singing with my family. >> i started singing on the choir in my church when i was 7 years old. >> we hope that the viewers will feel the passion when we sing and it will really move and touch them. >> hi! >> nice to meet you. >> are you excited? >> super excited. >> i cannot wait. >> i pulled some strings and we had the store open for you. >> this is crazy. >> it's like the vip treatment. >> really excited. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> i wanted to shock you with this. >> you shocked me. >> i think she's pretty hot. >> i, b.j., will not say anything bad about myself anymore. >> oh this, is so sweet. >> i think we can do hot. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> hi, how are you? so nice to see you. congratulations. all right. so we're all going to make you look like the superstars that you really are. >> we'll try. >> this is debbie. >> hi, nice to meet you. >> she's the girl. she's the feather girl. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> figure out which color to pick. >> see what it's doing right now? see that? that's what i'm talking about right there. that's my alfalfa look. ♪ ♪ >> okay, now, that's it. no looking until tomorrow. it's going to be a big surprise. >> our contestants are singing "new york, new york" made famous by miss liza minnelli with a z. ♪ ♪ ♪ >>. ♪ new york, new york" is challenging because it's a star spangled banner. you probable can't sing ♪ and the rocket's red -- it's very low, very high. >> the girls join him at the top of the heap. ♪ ♪ >> that's better. >> that sounds fabulous. >> they're wonderful singers and they're very enthusiastic. they're fresh, they're young and they're excited to be here. ♪ ♪ >> love it! >> all right. liza is back with us and she tops have a new cd out and it is called "confessions." also back is the magnificent montego glover from the tony award-winning show "memphis." you've got to see it along with the three final contestants. all three will sing together, but america has to watch closely and figure out which they want to choose. are you ready? >> all right, david. >> david, take it, baby. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ noit ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> david, love you! >> all righty! >> just so you guys know when you're voting and we'll talk to liza in one second, you're either voting for kathie lee's team, tasha and b.j., hold hands. or you will vote for alexis who is my team. liza, what did you think? >> i thought you were all great, and it was -- i mean, it was just sensational. it really was, and the thing that is so positive about it is that you believed that you were going new york, not that you were already there, you know? >> you kept yelling out where? where? >> the song is about somebody who is not in new york. the song is about i want to get there. so i believed all of it. i really did. >> you what i kind of missed? i kind of missed it when you used to bring it back with the -- they didn't do it. i have to be honest. >> that's the musical department. >> oh! ♪ my little hold on to that -- >> wait, montego, montego, what did you think, sweetie? >> you really dove in. do you remember me saying yesterday, when it's your time to say ♪ new york, new york" it's your time to express it. you did exactly what you wanted to do. alexis i want to see more of joy, when you're not, you're beaming and when you're in it and your face goes right to it and remember that when you're singing. remember to show the joy in your singing. >> people have to vote. >> go to klg and hoda.com. vote for your favorite act and you have until 8:00 p.m. eastern tonight and we'll announce the winner tomorrow live on the show. >> and they get to go to l.a. >> it is so thrilling! >> l.a.! >>. ♪ start spreading the -- ♪ >> good job, guys! ♪ ♪ living with diabetes is a reality for me, but i learned that i don't have to use a vial and syringe as part of my daily routine anymore. my doctor showed me the novolog mix 70/30 flexpen. flexpen is discreet and comes pre-filled with my insulin. flexpen goes with me and doesn't need refrigeration. and it's covered by most insurance. if you're still using a vial and syringe, ask your healthcare provider about the benefits of flexpen. flexpen is a discreet, pre-filled, dial-a-dose insulin pen. you can dial the exact dose of insulin you need. and inject insulin by pressing a button. novolog mix 70/30 is an insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults with diabetes. do not inject if you do not plan to eat within 15 minutes to avoid low blood sugar. tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions, including if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. most common side effects include reactions at the injection site, weight gain, swelling of your hands and feet, and vision changes. other serious side effects include low blood sugar and low potassium in your blood. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions including body rash, trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat, sweating, or if you feel faint. flexpen is made by novo nordisk, a healthcare company committed to diabetes care for nearly 90 years. i've made flexpen part of my routine just like spending time with my family. ask your healthcare provider about novolog mix 70/30 flexpen today. learn more about the different insulins available in flexpen at myflexpen.com. flexpen. insulin delivery that goes with you. 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. and try our deliciously refreshing v8 v-fusion + tea. >> our weekly trivia game "who knew" and today we have questions from the fourth of july. kathie lee has made her way to the nbc experience store in the rain where she's ready to hand out $100 to those who answer the questions correctly and to those who don't, they get a cope of her cd. lucky them. the author of "don't know much about history." you always teach us things so we love it when you come on with us. >> it's fun to talk about history. people don't believe that, but it's true. >> let's head across the street. >> look at this southern california family. who was the first to sign the declaration of independence? was it benjamin franklin, john hancock, thomas jefferson or george washington? >> john hancock? >> yeah! daddy's smart! >> yeah. >> he signed it so big, too. >> that's where the phrase came from, didn't it? >> he did put his john hancock on the declaration, but not the big signature we think of. that came later. on the fourth of july they signed the piece of paper they'd been working on. hancock was one of the men who paul revere was out to warn that famous night a year before in april that the british were indeed coming. >> we've been hearing a lot about that lately. let's go back across the street. >> where are you from, again? >> texas. >> right out of waco. what is the next line from america's national anthem "the star-spangled banner" o, say can you see by the dawn's early light. >> what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming. >> had to help you there a little bit. >> it's harder when you don't sing it. it's harder when you say it. >> two for two. this song comes from a later war, the war of 1812 written by francis scott key and it didn't become the national anthem until much later, but it was the second war against england in the war of 1812, written in 1813. >> interesting. >> back across to kathkathy. >> who designed the first american flag? it might be a trick question. oh! was it betsy ross? was it molly pitcher, martha washington or george washington? >> betsy ross. >> uh -- >> she sewed it. >> short show left. >> can we hear the choices again? >> no, darling. >> betsy ross. >> it's a trick question. your mom's right. she -- >> betsy ross sewed the flag. >> that's the legendary answer to the stars and stripes and that's not true. this is show and tell. this is what it looked like. george washington designed this flag which he displayed over the troops -- hold it this way in 1775. of course, it looks a little different with the british on that side. >> it looks very british. this was 1775 they weren't at war yet. there was still a hope that they could come to some agreement, so washington designed this flag to put over the troops in boston in 1775, a year before independence. >> that was a little bit of a trick question. >> it was. >> two sisters rendezvousing in new york from virginia and tennessee. which of the following do americans spend the most money on for the fourth of july? beer, hamburgers and hot dogs, watermelon or soda? >> hamburgers and hot dogs. >> maybe at your house, not at mine. >> the correct answer is -- >> beer. appropriately on wine wednesday it is beer, but there is a historic connection here as well. sadd sam adams was a famous brewer before he became a patriot. sam adams beer, much later, and has nothing to do with it. we can find a connection to history in almost anything. >> thanks for coming on. >> coming up, water is waterproof makeup really waterproo waterproof? we'll find out right after this. ♪ two hours till bedtime. let's move it. ooh. you do your own stunts, right? well, i -- good enough. 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[ female announcer ] prepare to ace your dental check-up. fight plaque and gingivitis and invigorate your way to better check-ups. new crest pro-health invigorating clean rinse. meet beth, nursery school teacher. lights, camera, activia it's the best job in the world. my students are amazing. but to be there for them, you've gotta feel your best. kids can tell. that's why i love eating activia every day. so delicious activia helps me feel good inside. which helps me be my best... positive, cheerful and on top of things. help regulate your digestive system. love how you feel or your money back. ♪ activia and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for just $99.99 a month for a year. want to save evemore? call now and we'll add over 60 premium channels, including showtime, starz, epix, and more for 12 months. fios is a 100% fiber optic network. it delivers superior picture quality, the best channel lineup, more hd, plus america's fastest, most consistent and reliable internet. and there's no annual contract required. why keep paying for cable? move up to the best. get fios tv, internet and phone for just $99.99 a month for a year, plus over 60 premium channels for 12 months. don't wait. call 1.877.729.fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's 1.877.729.3467. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. or for other great fios offers, visit us online. get the network that delivers more. get fios. a network ahead. >> time for today's beauty. we've all been through it. you go to the pool or a beach party and aside from the intolerable heat you get close to the water you are sporting raccoon eyes with the swimsuit. >> can we look -- elaine defarley had the u.s. women's national water polo team put waterproof makeup to the test and now she's here to do it live on the show. >> i would say that is a good test. >> waterproof does mean waterproof? >> yes. at "self" magazine is all about authenticity. who better to test it than the water polo team. they spent six hours in the water and they came back with glowing comments and here today we will try it out. >> first, we want to give a big thank you to our models. >> brave ladies. >> galen has on eye liner and gail sen going to put her face in that bowl of water. >> this is makeup forever. it's the aqua liner. do it. don't breathe. come out. come out. >> color is really in for summer and voila! it's still there. >> it stayed. >> it sure is. it didn't smear or anything. >> how do you get it off? >> you have to use a eye makeup remover because it has oil. >> she has the waterproof mascara from wet and wild. >> it's mega lash. >> they're all anxious. >> that wasn't much of a dunk. >> you need to go back in there. yes! >> she's going spinning later. >> it will last through a spin class? >> it looks beautiful. >> wet and wild. wet and wild, that's the one you like. >> you're out there living your life. you have to get out there. >> this is one that i was surprised about. >> jen has on a cream eye shadow. >> yes. it's from tart. >> hold on! don't go anywhere. >> the water just glides right off it. >> are you ready, jen? >> okay. hold on. >> and there she is, voila! >> it's fantastic. >> if you were to wipe to dry off would it stay? >> think if you wiped really hard it will probable economy off because it's makeup. >> you just want to be very careful. >> it's not going come off if you're splashing around in the water. you can go on the online edition and you can see the water polo team. >> let's go to ellen. >> she's waiting patiently. >> this is such a cool product. >> you did your hair. >> this is from nyc. it's $4 and it's a lip stain. bright colors are in this summer. >> hold on. go in. >> oh! it ran a little. it ran a little in the water, but it's still on her lips. and that's the key! so it's a stain. >> it ruins your pool. >> it's not about the pool it's about you. >> it's about the beauty! >> ways to remove it? >> these are more products that are great for summer. this is a tinted moisturizer from estee lauder. it is also waterproof. this is a great new sunscreen from neutrogena. >> we had this the other day and i've been using it since and it's fantastic. >> this is a great secret product, inside info, it's bio oil and what it does is it hydrates your skin when you're in and out of the water your skin gets dry. >> you don't think of it, but it is drying it out. >> put this on before you go. >> this is for after the water from nivea. >> thank you, ladies! >> thank you for doing that. we really appreciate it. >> we'll be back with more on nbc. ♪ okay. so we saved a little time to check in with aira. what's up? >> some of the fans wrote in about our voice. my vote is for both teams. wow! i was looking forward to hoda wearing the green dress. >> that's not vintage. >> and harriet wrote in that she loved it. that's a hard song and they did a great job. she wrote in and said congrats for the award. >> tomorrow we'll have the winner so vote, vote, vote. at 8:00 eastern. >> hoda and i go to jamaica, mon. bye! -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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