Transcripts For WRC Today 20110826

and welcome to this special edition of today on this friday morning. i'm ann curry along with david gregory, who is in this morn for matt. you're looking live at atlantic beach, north carolina, where you can see that the sea is already churning as hurricane irene is slowly creeping toward the u.s. shoreline. ominous sight there. >> right now hurricane warnings are in effect for north carolina all of the way up to our neck of the woods here in new jersey. there is some good news this morning. the storm did weaken slightly overnight. we want to underline slightly. this is still a very powerful hurricane. the forecasters say this could be the weather event for the ages. >> projected pat irene is expected to pound the whole eastern coastline. and may feel the entire director of the national hurricane center says this track is one of his greatest nightmares, david. >> that track being up the eastern seaboard, is that nightmare. among the big cities that could feel the full force of this storm, you got it, new york city. we are right in the pat. state of emergency has already been declared. what happens if parts of the country's largest city have to evacuate? what would that involve? is there enough time? we're going to talk about all of that coming up in a couple of minutes. >> that's right. because the roads could be so congested. we're going to have complete coverage on irene up and down the east coast. we're going to begin now with al roeker who is on the outer banks of the north carolina. al, what's the latest? >> well, ann, the latest is even though it is down to a category 2 storm at 110 miles per hour, keep in mind that is still a potent and dangerous hurricane. hurricane ike came onshore in galveston, texas, as a category 2 storm. so this still is a powerful, powerful storm. it is a category 2. 110-mile-per-hour winds. tropical force winds extend out almost 300 miles from the center of the storm. hurricane force winds, 90 miles from the center. diameterwise, it's about a 700-mile wide storm. that's the difference from miami to atlanta. as this thing makes its way up the coast. here are the hurricane warnings now stretching from south care all of the way to central new jersey, for hurricane warnings, hurricane watches from new york city and parts of connecticut and new england, severe thunderstorm watches and warnings, extend up into new england as well. it comes up as a category 2 up along the coast. however, it may still intensify because conditions are right for that right now. so by later this afternoon, could be a category 3 storm. stay that way through saturday as it makes its way across the carolinas and the outer banks as a category 3 storm. saturday afternoon. continues to hug the coast. and this is probably one of the most dangerous paths if it continues, comes onshore in new york city or long island as a category 2 storm. here's what we expect as far as the effects of this system. now, we are looking for the effects to the carolinas all of the way to new england. coastal flooding, beach erosion. damaging storm surge, which is the worst damage that can happen. winds, rains, flash floods, downed trees, power outages possible. here's what we expect as far as the storm surge is concerned. we are looking for anywhere from 6 to 11 feet above ground level from the carolinas all of the way to virginia. four feet above ground level going into the delmarva peninsula, maryland, delaware. depending upon the storm track as you get into new jersey, new york, and new england, we're going to have to wait and give you those storm surges. we expect them to be significant. rainfall anywhere from five to ten inches, locally 15 inches of rain. and as you guys know, in the northeast, we've already had a lot of rain. the ground is already saturated. and the root systems for trees have been weakened. it's not going to take much rain or wind to really knock down trees, bring down power lines. this could be -- we're just stressing, could be, david, a catastrophic event up and down the eastern seaboard for 65 million americans. >> al, thank you. you look at those rain totals and the potential for the storm surge, the flooding is such an ominous possibility, just among the catastrophic effects. nbc's kerry sanders is to your south this morning in atlantic beach, north carolina. kerry, we've been looking at the images of the storm starting to c churn a little bit more. >> reporter: visually you see it and there are now mandatory evacuation orders in place here and up the coast here in north carolina. schools are closed. red cross shelters are open. a curfew will be in effect beginning tonight at 8:00 p.m. the governors in north carolina, virginia, new jersey, new york, delaware, maryland, connecticut have all declared states of emergency in anticipation of the destruction from hurricane irene. it's now a race, getting ready and then getting out of harm's way. already on thursday a road wave associated with ire reign swept eight people off the beach in florida. one victim was hospitalized. irene's already barrelled through the bahamas. her hurricane force winds are set to make first landfall here along north carolina's coast tomorrow. hurricane veterans in north carolina are preparing, but also sharing their expertise with those to the north who don't know this drill. why bring in the chairs, umbrellas? >> this is flying debris. this is one of the most dangerous aspects of a hurricane. >> reporter: why the rush to get gasoline? gwen barnes knows, when there's no power there's no way to pump. >> the power is out, gas station is empty, you could be back to raleigh before you get any. >> like getting on the jersey turnpike, you want a full tank. >> reporter: why did rick fill up the bathtub? it may be the only way to plush your toilet. >> all you need is a full bathtub and a bucket. >> reporter: using a metaphor his neighbors to the north will understand. rick says, without a hurricane plan, well -- >> it's almost like the boston red sox beating the new york yankees, it makes you want to cry. >> reporter: liz arnold and her buddy mary catherine benson grew up with this yearly hurricane menace. >> we certainly care about our house and our belongings so we are boarding up ur windows. >> reporter: putting up shutters only works if you put those shutters on every single window in your house. the reason you're doing it is to prevent the wind from rushing in and potentially taking your roof off. if you haven't covered every window, then it's very possible that's where those hurricane force winds will enter. as liz left atlantic beach, she grabbed the family photo album that includes pictures of her beach house after hurricane hazel in 1954. you're leaving a day and a half early. >> do not want to get stuck in traffic. got to get out of here. >> reporter: how will you communicate after the hurricane? sydney thompson charged her cell phone so she can text. >> it doesn't kill your battery quick and it's easier. >> reporter: and that's very good advice because very often after a hurricane, the cell phone tower, if they're working, are overloaded and you can't make voice calls but you can text somebody to let them know you're okay. this morning the officials are telling people to please pay close attention but don't focus too much on those maps that show the actual eye of the storm and try to do some sort of calculation to your home because you need to remember that the hurricane force winds extend 90 miles out from that eye. ann? >> all right, excellent information in your report this morning. kerry, thanks. here in new york city mayor michael bloomburg has already ordered the evacuation of nursing homes in flood prone areas and the entire transit system may shut down. lester, good morning to you. >> ann, good morning. a lot of folks you side this area think of new york city as manhattan. of course, it's only one of five bureaus in the city. all have expensive, vulnerable water fronts. and officials here are preparing for the worst case. a huge storm surge that could inundate some neighborhoods. new yorkers usually immune to hurricane season are now being warned to baton down the hatches as irene gets closer. >> not knowing, you know, the path is about to take place, not knowing what's about to happen, that's the scariest thing. >> reporter: a state of emergency already declared, new york city mayor michael bloomberg took to the airwaves twice on thursday to tell the 8 million people who live here to prepare for what could be a hurricane of historic proportions. >> there is an element of unpredictability when it comes to the weather. so we hope for the best but we prepare for the worst. >> reporter: a lot depends on the hurricane's path and strength, but if irene hits squarely on the city this weekend, storm surgs could bring dangerous floods. parts of the city could be under 6 to 12 feet of water. the city's command center up and running mapping out what an evacuation of new york would look like. sectioning the city and its burroughs in three color-coded zones, a, b, and c. bloomberg ordered nursing homes in zone a to be evacuated by tonight. four years ago a tropical storm flooded some city subways and mass transit may be shut down beginning tomorrow. >> mass transit throughout the entire city that's going to be canceled, going out long island, up north, buses and subways as well as metro north and long island railroad. so don't wait until the last minute. >> reporter: wind is another big concern. tower cranes at construction sites may need to be tied down. but there are some things that just can't be secured. >> strong winds can be very dangerous. >> reporter: as new yorkers stock up on canned goods and water, the nypd is getting its boats ready while storm drains all over the city are being cleared to catch the coming rainwater. >> sounds like they're anticipating some damage. but i hope they're wrong. >> reporter: the city that never sleeps working around the clock and bracing itself for irene. >> we want to take an abundance of caution here. this storm really is predicted to be very dangerous. >> reporter: we could begin feeling the effects of the storm here in new york sometime saturday evening. the mayor says they may not make the mandatory evacuation call for people in vulnerable areas until saturday morning but they keep pointing out that at any point they could shut down mass transit here. people need to be prepared to move. they are going to open up shelters at some point today for whoes who want to leave those low-lying areas. david, back to you. >> lester holt here in new york. thank you. nbc's tom costello is in washington, d.c. events there being canceled. the washington monument behind you, tom. good morning. it's not just the populous district but, of course, the coastal regions, as well. >> yeah, we're in for at least a tropical storm. so this area under a tropical storm watch but further to the east on the maryland shore they're looking at a hurricane. as you mentioned we've already seen one major postponement because of this activity. it's a disappointing one. the martin luther king memorial dedication planned for sunday has been postponed indefinitely. we're looking at either september or october. it was to be opening and will open today for people to come visit, but the dedication on sunday which was going to attract a quarter million people, has been postponed. let's talk about annapolis maryland, preparing there. already started talking about sandbagging where necessary. that's the home of the naval academy. the governors of maryland, virginia, delaware have all declared states of emergency already. that allows them to call out the national guard if in addition. in ocean city, maryland, way out to the east on the coast, the mayor has ordered a mandatory total evacuation. they hope that that will be finished by 5:00 tonight. they're talking about 150,000 people there. officials in dell care have also ordered evacuations of dewey beach and bethany beach. the university of delaware has postponed move-in for new students. in virginia, evacuations ordered at sand bridge beach area, also in low-lying areas. the navy has already taken action, ordering the fleet out to sea in norfolk, of course, the most effected area, 33 ships taking off to sea. surface ships and four submarines all leaving the dock there. amtrak has canceled all service south of d.c. that starts today. that runs through sunday. meanwhile, the major airlines also canceling service to and from epthed cities. that is expected over the weekend but immediately they are waving the change fees, if you are going to be coming into or out of one of those effected cities. so you can start making those calls now. back here in d.c., the city has -- annapolis has also begun handing out sandbags. that's right across the potomac river. alexandria is preparing as well. and they're watching the washington monument closely because they found those cracks a at the top of the monument immediately after the earthquake on sunday. some sunlight even coming through the cracks. this remains off limits to the public. david and ann, back to you. >> tom costello, thank you in washington this morning. greg fugate is the manager of fema. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> let's talk about getting out of the way of the storm because that's really what's most important. primarily we're talking about voluntary evacuations thus far in coastal communities. would you like to see more localities get more serious and mandatory evacuations in place as of this morning? >> no. again, the decision to make these evacuation orders are really best made by local officials. they have a better understanding of what their topography is and what the risks are. what i really want is people to heed those rec men daegss and not wait for another forecast and hope it gets better. again, the closest you are to that -- to make that decision is where the best decision is going to be made. that's what needs to happen. if you get that order, evacuate. >> let's talk about the next 18 to 36 hours. by that point, within that window, where would you like to see people evacuate? >> i think again, if you're on the coastal area use want to move to higher grounds. for some folks it's only tens of miles. evacuate for the wind, you don't need to go that far. you just need to get far enough away from the storm surge areas along the coastal communities. that's what your local officials will be telling you over the next day as more evacuations will be ordered. more evacuations will be recommended. >> i don't have to remind you of our short history of hurricanes in disaster scenarios. think about katrina, think about how many people in that city of new orleans were stuck on rooftops. aid was not available for them. they either didn't or couldn't evacuate. here we're talking about major population centers on the east coast. so many more areas of poverty. the numbers are staggering. so these scenes could be played out on a much larger scale if it comes to that. are you satisfied that the federal government is able to help folks like this, should they be in trouble in new york or washington or along the eastern seaboard? >> well, again, we're working with our low cat and state officials. we're preparing to get ready to go in these areas. i think one of the differences you're going to have is because new orleans is actually below the levels of the water and much water got in and nowhere for it to go, we probably won't see that kind of flooding but we will see impacts. it's why we want everybody to get ready so we can focus on the most vulnerable members of our community. >> this is a complicating factor on the seaboard is that for a lot of folks we just haven't been through this. it may seem more of a novelty. what advice do you have to folks who think this is that? >> well, again, you know, nobody is giving any hope that we're not going to see impacts of at least a lot of wind and rain, flooding and power outages. so at the very loose you need to figure out, a, if i'm in an evacuation zone, evacuate. if not, what do i do if i don't have power, maybe if i don't have water for three or four days or longer. if you haven't gotten ready, that window is closing. but go to ready.gov and get those tips or get it on the go. time is rapidly changing from getting prepared to action. these evacuation orders and recommended evacuation need to be heeded and you need to be getting ready before the storm gets here. >> all right. fema administrator craig fugate, thank you. we're going have more on irene in just a moment. that's right. we also have other stories to get to. natalie morales at the news desk. >> we begin with breaking news out of nigeria. rescuers are searching for victims after a powerful bomb exploded the main building in the capital. there are fatalities. witnesses say one wing in the building as the same neighborhood of the u.s. embassy has been leveled. more than 50 bodies have been pulled from a smoldering casino in monterrey, mexico. masked gunmen threatened gamblers last night, sprayed gasoline on the carpets and ignited them. mexico's president is calling the attack barbaric. in libya, it appears moammar gadhafi may have used a network of elaborate tunnels to elude capture. nbc's chief correspondent ri richard engel saw those tunnels firsthand. he joins us from tripoli. >> like saddam and even hitler, gadhafi built an elaborate net wourk of bunkers and tunnels that he used both to move and to hide. hundreds of rebels battled gadhafi loyalists as rebels advance with all the firepower they had. nearby for the first time we were able to visit deep inside gadhafi's compound. it was from this balcony that gadhafi used to come to address large cheering crowds. what a different perspective he would have today. it's ran sacked, but hints survive of how he lived and how his glory faded. this is one of gadhafi's on-suite bathrooms, jacuzzi tub, obviously the lights are out. in here is the bedroom. the ceiling has come down, but under this debris was gadhafi's bed. and 20 feet below, an extensive network of bunkers. people hearsay that gadhafi used these tunnels to move across the city, and that he may have even used them to escape during the assault. there's a full commanding control center here. these are lists of media organizations. cnn, abu dhabi. >> reporter: the tunnels may have helped gadhafi escape. but now with a bounty on his head, it seems every rebel in libya is looking for him. even from hiding gadhafi is still issuing defiant statements, calling on his supporters to come out into the streets and fight. but so far, no one seems to be listening. natalie? >> richard engel again in tipry for thus morning. japan's fm natoto kan resigned today after 15 months in office. his approval rating plunged over his and handling of the tsunami disaster and nuclear crisis. the scare of a lifetime for los angeles firefighters this week. take a look as they were approaching this burning car to pour foam on it. the vehicle exploded and amazingly, nobody was hurt. that is remarkable. 7:20 right now. back to ann and david. >> not only did nobody get hurt but that firefighter barely moved. he kept going. >> exactly. >> that's training. >> that's training, exactly. meantime, back to al in north carolina with more on the forecast this morning. hey, al. >> hey, guys. you know, we were waiting for -- while we were wait for irene, of course, yesterday, lilia luciano was showing us what was going on in the bahamas and nassau. the good news is there are trees down, power lines down, a lot of buildings damaged. according to prime minister the good news is no deaths, no injuries reported. so we're thrilled about that. and obviously people took heed themselves.le to protect look at what we're expecting around the country today in the united states. and the good news is, things are relatively quiet. see irene churning off the coast. a few showers in the midsection of the u.s. in the west beautiful day. 80 to 85 degrees there. 91 in los angeles expecting plenty of sunshine throughout the great lakes on into the ohio and mississippi river valleys. expect hit or miss showers and thunderstorms through the southwest. beautiful skies. sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 80s throughout the plains. that's what's go on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist tom kierein. we have patchy, dense fog in the rural areas. watch out for that. otherwise the skies beginning to clear out. showers northern neck of virginia southern maryland, drifting off to the northeast through the lower eastern shore. partly cloudy this afternoon, into the mid and upper 80s and humid. tomorrow, as irene track as long our atlantic coast we'll have conditions deteriorating through the day saturday, maybe morning showers but heavy downpours saturday afternoon and evening with wins gust over >>age that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you so much. just ahead, much more on hurricane irene. we're going to go inside the storm as you fly with the hurricane hunters. but first, this is "today" on nbc. okay, you're the good cop. i'm the bad cop. look, it's still a great time to refinance. listen up, buster! we're not gonna pay any closing fees. i'd do what she says, friend. i can't control her. well, it's the "no closing fee refinance," so we pick up the closing fees. oh, you're gonna pick up the closing fees? yes. on average, that's $3,300 at closing. [ both ] thirty-three hundred?! that's a lot of donuts. [ male announcer ] visit capital one bank today to refinance your mortgage, and we'll pick up, on average, $3,300 at closing. what's in your wallet? i'm good. coming up, josh powell, the husband of a missing utah mother speaks out just hours after police raid his home for evidence tied to his wife's disappearance. plus, a live concert from train, after your local news. your kids will each take care of our class hamsters, lewis & clark. then i'll tell them the story of pluto, the sad little planet that was. i'll introduce them to some new friends, the fractions, and some cold blooded ones, the dinosaurs. 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[ indistinct conversations ] mmm. that's great cereal. mmm. this is fiber cereal? it's great cereal, but...cupcake. ♪ [ female announcer ] kellogg's® fiber plus™. good morning. it's 7:26 on this friday, 26th day of august. i'm joe krebs. now let's get the latest on hurricane irene from meteorologist tom kierein. >> it's still looks like it's coming close fluff to us late saturday into sunday to bring us heavy rain and strong gusty winds. right now spinning off the florida coast. already heavy rains have reached florida, georgia, latest track keeping it as a category 2 hurricane for the next few hours and a 3 later today. along the coast, coming up closer to us by the time we get into late saturday night and sunday morning, as a category 2 hurricane, close enough to us to perhaps give us strong, gusty winds, power outages, enough heavy rain to cause perhaps flooding. right now we've cleared out a bit. still rain south of us. we'll keep you posted. >> we'll take a break and look at traffic. good morning, strafl in ago, no issues to report. a live look at 14th street bridge. a little bit of volume, no incidents here. shoot over 270 and falls. [ martin luther king jr. ] i still have a dream that one day on the red hills of georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. i have a dream today! [ male announcer ] join us at the walter e. washington convention center on august 26th for a live roundtable discussion inspired by the legacy of dr. martin luther king jr. 7:30 now on this friday morning. it is the 26th day of august, 2011. and you're looking at a live image along the north carolina coast with the outer bands of hurricane irene will begin to spread heavy rain and strong winds later today. meantime, inside studio 1-a i'm ann curry with david gregory. just ahead, much more on irene who is al standing by on north carolina's outer banks. also ahead, possible break in the case of missing utah mother susan powell, nearly two years after her disappearance. investigators raid her husband's home on thursday and got three computers. we're going to hear from josh powell himself about that search. >> the interview taken after the search, as well. so that's interesting. and also we're going to talk about gold. the question is, it's worth more than ever these days, but is the price going up too fast? is now the time to buy or sell? we're going to talk to a professional financial expert, none other than suze orman. peter alexander is in biloxi, mississippi, where he tagged along with the air force's hurricane hunters for a look inside the storm. peter, good morning. >> reporter: ann, good morning to you. most people wisely, of course, try to get as far away as possible from a storm but not here, not these men and women. not the hurricane hunter '. they fly aboard these aircraft behind us. ten of them total. what they are is basically is sophisticated, state-of-the-art weather lab in the sky that are help prog deuce foreca helping produce forecasts that are better than ever. this is an inside look at the ferocious storm tens of millions of americans now fear, irene, a massive hurricane, churning its way up the east coast. >> should be pretty close. >> reporter: at 10,000 feet, the veteran crew of the u.s. air force reserves 53rd weather reconnaissance squadron is heading right into the eye of the storm. >> it looks like it's going to be pretty close to the island. >> reporter: the flight plan, fly through the eye wall four times. their mission, to collect data for those computer models that predict the hurricane's path and its intensity. constantly sending their results to the national hurricane center in miami. john, the squadron's chief meteorologist, has flown into more than 150 eyewalls in 26 years. >> the most critical element in that plan is the geographic position of the center of the storm. >> if you don't know where it's start you don't know where it's going to finish. during the 11-hour flight researches look at drop suns with gps built in. they fall toward the ocean with a tiny parachute relaying back vital information, including humidity, pressure, wind speed, and temperature. >> thinking about six right. >> reporter: up front the flight's commander, shane dev n devlin, guides us through clouds. >> everything you learn as a pilot as an aviator out there is told to leave bad weather and we do the opposite. >> reporter: this is something few people see. ten minutes away, 15 miles. wind speeds outside this aircraft are more than 100 miles per hour. minutes later we finally enter the eye and get our first glimpse of blue. below those white-capped waves are more than 30 feet high. the storm itself, more than 200 miles long. >> they come in all shapes and sizes. and this is a big one. this is a large wind field. so this is going to affect a huge area. >> reporter: by busunset we hea home. another set of hurricane hunters in en route to meet irmarine and detail the next forecast. the plane that took off just as relanded just landed itself now, ann, within the last hour. i spoke to the meteorologist who tells us early this morning the highest sustained winds they clocked were roughly 126 miles per hour. one of the ways we know they do that is with these drop sons. here's the parachute. they did 11 of them overnight. they fall to the ground and sink but on the way down they provide critical information that helps secure information. >> we're grateful to those air men who are willing to take those risks. thank you. we want to get another look on the ground from buck, north carolina, where al is right now. monitoring the progress of the storm. hey, al. >> hey, david, thanks so much. while the storm has dropped down to a category 2 with 11 110-mile-per-hour winds there could be strengthening, as what peter said, they saw very hi gusts at 126 mile percent hour. that may be the precursor to the strengthening of the storm. here's where it's located right now. a category 3 storm moving north at 14 miles per hour. it's 420 miles south-southwest of the outer banks of north carolina. it's going to be making its way up the coast this afternoon. as it does we do expect some intensification going from a 2 to a category 3 storm. but keep in mind hurricane ike came onshore as a category 2 storm. it continues to make its way up. we expect it to make its way across the carolinas. the outer banks of the carolinas, sometime tomorrow afternoon with 120-mile-per-hour winds, then parallel and hug the coast of the new jersey to delmdel delmarva peninsula as a category 2 storm with 110 -- 100-mile-per-hour winds. strong winds. talking about rain. talking about a storm surge with isolated tornadoes can't be ruled out stretching from cape hatteras up into new england, damaging winds, each erosion and coastal flooding. anywhere from 5 to 15 inches of rain could come out of this thing. the storm surge could be anywhere from four to ten feet above normal ground level water. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> from irene, around our region we could have a moderate impact from irene beginning saturday late afternoon into saturday night and through noon time sunday. for today, partly cloudy into, the mid and upper 80s. rather humid. but then conditions deteriorate saturday. late saturday into the evening winds gusting 40, 50 miles per hour as well as periods of heavy rain that may cause flooding as well as power outages with strong, gusty winds. winds may increase sunday morning buturse, you can get yo latest weather any time of the day or night, including irene, weather channel on cable, weather.com online. ann? >> thank you so much. and there are new developments this morning in the search for missing utah mother susan powell. they executed a search warrant at her husband's home on thursday removing several computers and other items. nbc's miguel almaguer has the latest on this story. >> good morning. for months investigators seemed to be baffled by this case, but this week during the middle of a nasty family feud, they claim to be making progress. then they came here to washington state and to the home of susan powell's husband. the police raid lasted hours. investigators hauled away computers, boxes, and bags. detectives also combed through josh powell's van. a search warrant saefrds erved home he now shares with his father, two years after his wife disappeared. >> we've got probable cause to believe that there are some items of evidentiary value. >> reporter: they called the evidence, quote, very, very important, yet shared no details of what they found in the home of josh powell. >> it's the genuine belief, obviously, of a good many people, that you killed her. >> i would never hurt my wife. i've never -- never hurt her. >> reporter: late thursday after the raid, josh told "dateline"'s keith morrison officers seemed focused on one thing. >> war want to take skew san's journals. >> reporter: the journals which josh promised to release are a series of lengthy handwritten diaries, that shows his wife wrote of suicide and a pro miscuss lifestyle. >> what would a childhood journal have to do with a missing person unless there was something in there that they thought might have some significant bearing on what sh she -- what her personality, what her capabilities are. >> reporter: thursday's raid came just hours after josh powell's father, steve powell, leveled allegations against his missing daughter-in-law. >> she was open to me sexually, mentally, whatever. >> reporter: steve powell claims josh's wife often tried to seduce him and admits he openly made sexual advances toward susan. >> i wasn't going to turn down an opportunity with this beautiful woman, even though she was my son's wife. i'm sorry. she is just a wonderful person, and i enjoyed it. >> reporter: jennifer graves is steve powell's estranged daughter and close friend of susan's. she said susan complained to her about her father-in-law's inappropriate advances. >> she's never told me about any inappropriate relationship. my dad never told me about inappropriate relationship. >> reporter: disgusted and outraged by the salacious claims, susan's father, chuck cox, claims the racy allegations against susan are despicable and out right lies. he says the police seizure at his son-in-law's home is progress. >> it makes me much more comf t comfortable if the journals are in their hands than in steve and josh's hands. >> reporter: on a frigid december day in 2009, josh told investigators he took their boys camping at 12:30 a.m. in a snowstorm and came home to find susan missing. he was soon named a person of interest but was never charged with a crime. this past weekend, police searched the nevada desert for new clues at josh's home thursday, investigators describe josh as calm and cooperative but have long said he's refused to work with detectives, a claim josh refused. >> where do you think they should be searching. >> i think they should be searching for a woman who is struggle i struggling, someone who wants to come back, having a difficult time understanding how to come ba back. >> reporter: during thursday's search no one was taken into custody, no one was arrested. police say josh powell and his father are cooperating fully with investigators. and though they say they are making progress, they will not talk about what that progress is. ann? >> miguel almaguer, thank you so much. clint van zandt is a former fbi profiler. good morning. >> good morning. >> first of all, interesting that the police have made this move so soon after josh and his father, steve, granted a number of television interviews. do you see this as a coincidence? >> no, yonli don't think so, an. when you have josh's father coming forward and suggesting there was some type of sexual relationship between him and the missing woman, but his daughter says not only is that not so, but he was the one that was hitting on her, she was rejecting this, i think the police not only want the diaries to see what was going on in susan's life, but they want to see if they can substantiate any of these claims of inappropriate behavior, perhaps on josh's father's part, as they look for potential suspects in this, they may have to consider him based upon his own statements. >> let me understand that a little bit better. if there is inappropriate behavior, as you talk about, how does that make -- what's the link between that and possibly moving this investigation forward? >> well, they're trying to find out what happened to susan, obviously, and even though josh has always been this person of just interest, now we have this conflict coming up where josh's father says, oh, yeah, susan and i had this relationship, too. so now i think law enforcement has to question, could he -- could josh's father, as well as josh -- have some type of motive, some type of reason to perhaps participate in the disappearance of susan. they do have josh's sister or steve's daughter suggesting that there are lies being told. law enforcement has to find the truth. >> all right. so just basically you're looking at motives here. looking at motives, then they seize these computers. what are they looking for two years after she disappeared? >> well, anything that would suggest what was going on at that time, ann. we're going back 20 months ago. what was going on. who was susan having problems with 20 months ago. were there arguments with josh? there are allegations that she had forced josh to move to utah simply to get away from steven, josh's father, because of these inappropriate advances that are allegedly -- were made by him. so what was going on at that time, this critical time period just before she disappeared. perhaps these journals will shed some type of light on that. >> to be continued. clint van zandt, thank you. always great to get your perspective. coming up, preparing for irene. simple things you can do today to protect your home from the rain and the wind, and also coming up next, the risk and reward of investing in gold. the price is hovering near record highs. advice from none other than suze orman right after this. hello! uh, yeah. i don't normally associate with salty snacks. huh. i thought berries were supposed to be sweet. [ female announcer ] new quaker chewy smashbar. kid-loved ingredients, smashed together. with 33% less sugar than the leading sweet snacks. your nutritional needs can go up when you're on the road to recovery. proper nutrition can help you get back on your feet. three out of four doctors recommend the ensure brand for extra nutrition. ensure clinical strength has revigor and thirteen grams of protein to protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. and immune balance to help support your immune system. ensure clinical strength... helping you to bounce back. ensure! nutrition in charge! coming up on 7:47. on "today's" money, gold. prices hit a record high of $19 an ounce earlier this week. with an uncertain economy and wild swings in the stock market, should you be investing in this precious metal. what about grandma's old gold necklaces, is it the time to sell them? personal finance editor suze orman is here. goods to see you. >> thank you. >> a lot of talk about this morning. first of all, help us understand the gold market and why we're seeing this rise in prices for gold. >> what you have to understand is gold is like this universal currency. it's good everywhere. it's not just like the dollar here and the pound, you know, it's there. so what you get is when people are afraid, they think inflation, all these things are going to happen, they invest in something that they think is solid, secure, it's there. gold says when you see it going up, people are afraid. >> now, you talk about the fluctuations in the market. look at the chart that shows where gold has gone. $12.50 a year ago, 1400 six months ago. hovering around 1760 yesterday. when you look at this do you think it's a good time to buy or pull back? >> i think if you look at that chart and at the very end you see this rise in gold, when it goes from 1700 to like 1900 in just a few days, you have to be careful. however, we have pulled back. so i think everybody should have a little gold, if you're not older you don't need income from your portfolio, everybody should have at least 5% to 15% of gold in their portfolio. >> it's not going to kick off any income, is the point. >> no. and you have to have time to hold it. but don't go hog wild here. again, we just saw it retreat from 1900. it came down. would i enter here? i would enter, yes. >> what about pieces of gold that you have around the house? necklaces, bracelets and such. >> there you have to be careful, david, because so many people think, i have a piece of jewelry, it weighs an ounce. therefore, here's $1700. gold isn't sold like that. remember, if you have a 14 karat gold bracelet, that's only comprised of 58.5% gold. the other metals on there comprise the rest. so you're not going to get what you think. >> let me ask you quickly. hurricane irene is a big story today. obviously the fed chairman is going to be speaking out in eye wyoming about the economy. you tie all of these things together. what's the impact on gold and what should consumers be listening for today? >> i think what you're going to see with the hurricane, more of an impact on gold, believe it or not. it's going to have an impact on the economy. this hurricane just possibly could push the united states more into recession than before. it's going to have an impact on them. in terms of what's going to happen in jackson hole today. if the fed chair says, no quantitative easing, well, then we're going to have an effect on gold. >> in other words, if the fed can't buy back more assets in the country to put on its balance sheet -- >> if he doesn't want quantitative easing, it hurts gold. if he wants it, it helps gold. in the long run, normal everyday people, that's not going to affect them, what happens today. what effects them will be inflation, recession, unemployment. those are the things that affect them. so when it comes back to gold, again, no more than 15% in your portfolio. and if you want to enter here, okay. it could go down, but eventually, you should see gold at $2100. >> suze, thank you. for more, watch "the suze orman show" at 9:00 p.m. eastern and 12:00 a.m. approach to food the best 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 grains 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. keep your photos right at your fingertips. literally! ok. this is my mom and dad. robin, you ok? whatcha doin'? oh, dealing with a slight underwear malfunction. oh, you need hanes panties. they don't ride up. hanes panties. so cute. and they don't ride up. a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. and celebrex is not a narcotic. when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain, you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen, and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion. coming up, much more on hurricane irene, including surviving the surge and how do you know how high your home is above sea level. plus, a live concert here from the hit makers train, after your local news. ssant. but your cloud of depression is still with you. maybe it's time to ask your doctor about adding seroquel xr to your antidepressant to treat your depression. seroquel xr is a once-daily, extended-release tablet, which means medication is released around the clock. for many, seroquel xr, when added to an antidepressant, was proven more effective than an antidepressant alone at helping people feel less depressed. call your doctor if you have unusual changes in mood, behavior, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. elderly dementia patients taking seroquel xr have an increased risk of death. call your doctor if you have fever, stiff muscles, and confusion, as these may be signs of a life-threatening reaction or if you have uncontrollable muscle movements, as these could become permanent. high blood sugar has been reported with seroquel xr and medicines like it and in extreme cases can lead to coma or death. your doctor should check for cataracts. other risks include increased cholesterol and weight gain as well as seizures, dizziness on standing, drowsiness, impaired judgment, trouble swallowing, and decreases in white blood cells, which can be fatal. use caution before driving or operating machinery. isn't it time to put more distance between you and your depression? talk to your doctor about seroquel xr. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. ♪ jif to go goes anywhere ♪ jif to go goes here, goes there ♪ ♪ jif to go goes everywhere ♪ goes here, goes there ♪ jif to go, wherever you go good morning to you. joe krebs, 7:56 on friday morning. let's get the forecast from meteorologist tom kierein. hurricane irene will have a huge affect on the weekend. tom. >> sure will. we will be in an impact zone right here in the central zone here which is the washington eastern suburbs, prince georges county to the bay and south and east and north and east. up to 3 to 6 inches of rain beginning saturday late afternoon through sunday. winds during that time 40 to 60 miles per hour, causing power outages and major flooding on the western shore of the chesapeake bay. moderate impacts to the west maybe one to three inches of rain with lower winds but flooding possible and isolated power outages there. joe? >> thanks very much. we'll take a break and look at our good morning. traveling inner loop of the beltway in virginia, disabled vehicle blocking the right lane at leesburg pike. delayen the inner loop approaching route 50 making your way past i-66. i'm going to give you a live view at 495 outer loop of the beltway at colesville road. this is in maryland. seeing volume here as you head towards georgia avenue. and taking i-66 east, seeing delays at nutley to the beltway. joe, back to you. >> danella, thanks very much. stay with news4 today and nbc washington today and all weekend for continuing coverage of hurricane irene and its effect on the d.c. area. 8:00 now o morning. it's august 26th, 2011. this is the calm before the storm here on the east coast as hurricane irene is beginning its track up the coast and the hurricane warnings are already posted from north carolina to new jersey for mandatory evacuations are under way on long beech island. meantime, i'm ann curry along with david gregory in for matt this morning. al roker, by the way, is on the outer banks of north carolina. he's going to be bringing us up to date on what we can all expect from irene and how to tell if you're at risk for a storm surge, david. >> serious issue. irene is going toward the northeast coast. you've got millions of people who have never dealt with a hurricane, dealing with it for the first time. so it's never too late to get prepared. we're going to get practical advice on what to do to secure your home. i'm going to be involved in it in the weekend, even in washington, d.c. we're also going to talk about how to help your child get ready for college. a lot of parents, me included, are getting ready for this. the question is, of course, what do they bring, how do they study and manage their money, how can we help them with that. the inside scoop from experts, including so students, david. >> that's going to be very good. plus, i don't know if you noticed but we've got a little bit of a crowd here this morning. we are going to have a live summer concert from emmy award winning band train. they're going to be here. >> we can all use a little "soul sister" this morning. let's get to the news of the morning. natalie morales is at the desk. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with 65 million people on the east coast now nervously waiting for a dangerous hurricane that could cause billions of dollars in damage from washington to boston. and there are fears that hurricane irene could grow stronger by the time it makes landfall in north carolina today. al is there. he's going to have more shortly for you. we have new details today about the restrictions placed on casey anthony. when she started probation this week in a florida check fraud case. aditi roy is live in orlando with more. good morning, aditi. >> good morning, natalie. casey anthony is in day two of her probation period. over the next year she will lead a highly restricted life. if she breaks the rules, she'll wind up back in jail. casey anthony walked free after her acquittal last month in the murder of her 2-year-old daughter caylee. she disappeared and went into hiding. but now she's on probation from a 2010 check fraud case. back in florida, living under strict rules. >> if she wants to travel outside of the county, she's going to have to ask for a travel permit. and that will have to be approved by her probation officer. >> reporter: other guidelines laid out in the probation order include, you will not consume alcoholic beverages to the extent that your normal faculties are impaired. you will not possess or use any marijuana or other controlled substance. and you will submit to a reasonable search without a warrant. >> you go out with your friends to a club and you have a little too much to drink or somebody gives you a puff of weed or somebody puts a joint in your purse or you have a fight with your girlfriend and the police get called, i mean, any violation of the law whatsoever. >> we the jury find the defendant not guilty. >> reporter: but corrections officials are also taking seriously the special circumstances around anthony's case. which attracted attention worldwide. since her acquittal on murder charges, anthony's received multiple death threats. so corrections officials are keeping her whereabouts secret, allowing her to remain unemployed and take online classes. no longer behind bars but not fully free. nbc news did reach out to jose baez, anthony's attorney, he declined to comment. officials say that anthony was polite and cooperative when she checked in for probation on wednesday. natalie? >> aditi roy in orlando for us. thank you. and now for a look at what is trending today. our quick round-up of what has you talking online. music downloads by artists including lady gaga, katy perry and the back street boys have been banned in china in a move meant to preserve the country's national cultural security. in a posting on his weak site rapper pit bull said he didn't mean to insult a certain troubled starlet in a song he will be performing at sunday's video music awards. >> hopefully she can come with me to the vmas. >> lohan is suing pit bull claiming the song has harmed her career. and we've all been frustrated at times with atms. but on youtube you can see a woman who took out her anger with a stiletto high heel. police saybashed the machine 50 times, leaving it unusable. it is now 8:05 right now. let's go back to al in north to al. >> reporter: thanks so much. we're starting to get rain bands. we had a squall come through here, seeing some of the effects of hurricane irene which is not surprising given that it's 650, 680 miles wide in diameter. so it's a very, very big storm. here's the latest just in from the national hurricane center. 8:00 update. it is still a category 2 storm, 1 110-mile-per-hour winds, 375 miles south-southwest of cape hatteras moving north at 14 miles per hour. and we have a futurecast rendering of what we expect the hurricane to look like and rain bands with it. and, as you can see it comes up the coast. this model brings it east of cape hatteras but you can see a lot of the heavy rain still continues to move through new york on up into new england. effects from this system are storm surge potential heavy downpours, 10 to 15 inches of rain possible, tornadoes a possibility as well. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. over the last 12 hours we had those heavy downpours and thunder and lightning yesterday. now dissipating for the most part. there are showers around the outer part of the northern neck of virginia and the lower part of the bay. those are heading off to the north and east. today, partly cloudy, mid and upper 80s, humid. tomorrow, might get morning showers but then periods of moderate to heavy rain saturday into saft evturday evening as i moves into the seaboard. winds gusting over 40 miles 6. >> and that's xwrour your latest weather. ann? coming up, tips on how to prepare for a hurricane, especially since so many people have never actually had to experience one before. but then, we're going to lighten things up with, guess what, a concert! that's right. but first, these messages. it's so great to meet you! i usually work alone... don't mind him. chocolate's just got a chip on his shoulder. 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[ dramatic soundtrack plays ] whoa! man: what is that? i don't know, but it burns! it's like fire. woman: ow, ow! i can't see. man: it's singeing me! it's the sun. get out of the office more often with chili's $6 lunch break combos. pair a texas toast half sandwich with fries and super salad every weekday. ♪ chili's lunch break combos ♪ ten after 8:00. with more on hurricane irene, how you can prepare for the powerful storm. kerry sanders is in atlantic beach, north carolina, braced for what could be a direct hit tomorrow. kerry, one of the things you've been doing is monitoring the storm and monitoring how people are preparing. what have you got? >> well, you know, consider that folks here have experience because this is the hurricane, but further north it's new experience for so many people. so tips from folks here. i've been covering hurricanes for 30 years. i live in florida. i know what it's like. first of all you're going to go out and get yourself some food, and things that don't perish like tuna. you're likely to use electricity, so do you have one of these still because the elect strict can opener is not going to work. another thing, as you know, bottles of water. what do you do with these? you're going to put them in your fridge, but also put them in your freezer now. they will freeze and then when the storm passes and you use electricity you will open up your freezer and pull out a frozen bottle and then that ice will melt and you'll have something cool to drink. why are you getting gasoline? you keep hearing people say fill your tanks up. when the power goes out, there will be fuel at the gas station but they won't have power and the pumps will not work. now, i think perhaps the one thing you should also remember here is the wive's tales, do not do this. do not go out and put tape on your windows. it does abolutely nothing. another things that's an old wive's tale is that you crack or open one of the windows in your home so that it will equalize the pressure. that is not true. it just gives an entry point for the wind to come into your house and potentially take your roof up a. and if you live in the city and you have a balcony, take everything in off that balcony. the most important thing here to remember is you still have time, david. >> all right, kerry sanders, very good advice. kevin o'connor is the host of "this old house" and a contributor to "this old house" magazine. good morning. i want to pick up on this point about this pressure on the windows. we always see people putting wood on the windows. it's not about shattered glass. >> you don't want the wind to force its way into the house and pressurize the house. if the pressure gets in it has to come out. >> it could literally take the roof off. >> so what you want to do is, no tape, put the plywood up over the windows to protect that from being a penetration. we refer that you do it with screws rather than nails because you're going to be taking this off when the storm is over. >> all the windows or -- >> do tul a windows if you can, wind side only first. >> let's talk about the roof here and what you can do to make this stronger. >> here's the roof. asphalt shingles on the outside. the inside is what you want to focus on. if you can get up into your attic and you can see the sheeting on the bottom of the roof and the rafters right here, you can take adhesive and you can actually run a bead between sheathing and rafters and strengthen these. one on each side. this will actually almost double the adhesion between that sheath and that rafter. >> trees outside that can be vulnerable. >> if a tree is pruned it's going to do a lot better in a heavy storm. cut off the dead limbs. fruit trees, take the apples off. anything to give it an extra leg will g b. great. stake it down, at an angle. put two or three around the tree. make sure you take it off when the storm is over. >> okay. anywhere, if you're on the coast or internally you've got to worry about here flooding in your basement. making sure your gutters are clear is a big part of that. >> you have wind issue. >> it looks like this. >> this is no good. >> you've got a system that diverts it away from the house. clear, get it out of here. extend the gutters away from the house so you're not piling all the water into the basement. >> a sump pump is also a good idea. kevin o'connor, thank you very much. up next, preparing for the new school year. everything your kid needs to thrive at college is coming up everything your kid needs to thrive at college is coming up right after this. ...could mean living with joint damage. help stop the damage before it stops you... ...with humira. for many adults with moderate to severe ra,... ...humira's proven to help relieve pain and stop joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events can occur, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, blood, liver, and nervous 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[ female announcer ] cascade complete pacs. love it or your money back. ♪ for the big day ahead of you morning. big day, huh? morning, mom! are you excited? ♪ the best part of wakin' up ♪ is folgers in your cup. now's a great time to save big on a toyota the most fuel-efficient full-line automaker. take advantage of the summer's best selection and the year's biggest deals on our most popular models. don't miss the perfect opportunity to get the toyota you've always wanted. plus, every new toyota comes with toyotacare, a complimentary maintenance plan with roadside assistance. toyota's nationwide clearance event ends soon. hurry in today before time runs out! ♪ ♪ it's made with tender white meat chicken. zero grams trans fat. mcdonald's chicken mcnuggets. crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and made just for you. ♪ >> narrator: "today" east is brought to you by mcdonald's, i'm lovin' it. >> back now at 8:18 with today's friday whip, it's time to head back to school and high school graduates that meenans starting whole new chapter in life. this time in college. >> we assembled four experts, graduates, insight from everything to what to bring to how to study. first, scott dan from the school of business and founder of helpda helpdave helpdavemydaughter.com. first up, credit cards, how many do they need? >> only one. you want to think about this credit card as a way to build good credit and not as a way to extend your spending hacketts. >> meantime, you would hope that people would keep track of spending habits but can we expect it of the college students? >> with the iphone we can. there's a great app that a laws you to take a picture of the receipt after making a purchase in the store. it stores that data and easily tracks your expenses. >> what can parents say to their students about kids about finances? >> it's very serious. you always want to ask your kids how much are they spending on coffee or at restaurants. you want to remind them to pay their bills on time. i think it's really important o have that open dialogue. >> save money on textbooks. >> you can rent textbook on amazon.com on your kindle, save 80%, or the textbook app for the ipad has 100,000 textbooks. >> you can save money that way? >> 30% to 50% off by getting them on your ipad. >> meantime you say at the beginning of college is the time to start saving for retirement. >> it sounds crazy to think about something so far away. as you get older, yes, your income increases but your expenses increase so take advantage of your youth. start putting $15 or $20 a month into that roth ira retirement account. you will benefit from the compounding interest. >> congratulations. thank you so much. i predict you will go far. it is now 8:20. now here's david. >> thank you, ann. the bell is ringing. what to bring to your dorm room. victoria is the managing editor of chic.com and 2010 graduate. good morning. >> good morning. >> you have the emergency essentials. for me it was my kindergarten lunch box which my dorm roommates thought was weird. >> these are great because you can't make holes in the walls so double stick tape is essential. all of this stuff is really just to have -- >> batteries, surge protectors, plugging in 47 different things. >> yes. >> space become an issues with clothes. maybe you should bring less. >> if you want to do that, you have to bring a lot though. personal valet from clothesrack.com is great because it lets you store hangers. >> i actually have these. i also have these pants. >> you can use that necklace, too. >> this is a steamer, which can really come in handy. >> yeah. it's great because my mom hates that i'm wrinkled. i look great all the time. >> you actually don't have to look that bad when you go to something formal so you can use the steamer. this is good. >> it lets you bring your dirty laundry home to your mom and it's colorful. it keeps it nice in your dorm room and you don't bother your roommates. >> it wouldn't be going to college if you don't have to worry about bedbugs which is a serious thing moving to college campuses. what is this here? a lot of protection. >> you can go to sheet.com and everybody talks about keeping away homesickness. we recommend bringing your own private blankets. you want to store them in a bug bad because it can go underneath the bed. lift the bed and they keep your mattresses clear. >> and get off balance. here the i home thing. this is an alarm clock to actually get up for class if that's something you intend to do. >> to make it to your 8:00 a.m. classes. >> thank you very much. >> i think the bell might begin to ring, now here's savannah. >> all right, david, thank you. there's that bell. you can't go to college these days without a computer. sharon is also a cnet.com columnist and techie sharing. good morning. >> good morning. >> you don't need a super exexpensive one. the first one is a portege, why do you like it? >> it portable, light, and have a long battery life? yes. great multitasker so you can do all of your work and not worry about it crashing. you can watch your movies when you're done studying. >> you would not go any bigger? >> no. >> the next one is cheaper. you say this is for basically what you need to do in college, write essays, surf the internet, this is fine. >> this is great for a budget computer. $500. and perfect for students in this first two years. basic word processing, research, and note taking in class. it's 11 inches. really compact. it won't weigh you down when you're returning around campus. >> if you have more money you can buy the mac book air. i didn't know if i should turn it on or hug it, it's so cute. >> first of all, a mac book got me through college and it's very reliable. when you're juggling 20 projects, trying to meet deadlines it's important to have a computer that is workhorse. and that's the mac book air. it has a long battery life. it will last you all day. >> some people think they can use an ipad 2. can this work for college? >> you can totally write an essay. it has a become enough work space that you can write essays or art apps for that. you can take notes and do your research on this. not for the graduate, not for the science student. >> sharon, thank you. now here's natalie. >> all right. thank you, savannah. last but not least, how to study and get those good grades. donna kim is a student. good morning. >> good morning. >> only you and you alone are in charge of your schedule. how do you make the most out of scheduling your classes so that you don't end up on that five-year plan or plus? >> the difference between high school is they have a fixed schedule. in college you can pick and choose what you want to do. so for me i like to allocate my time two to three days a week, back-to-back classes. >> load up. >> yes, load up. that's what worked for me. so i had the rest of the week to intern and get a part-time job and study. >> and it's important to go to class, unlike what david gregory said. when you do that make sure you take good notes. >> it's very important to take good notes because lectures can be hours and hours long and it feels like you're trapped in there forever. make it easy by getting the right school supplies. computers. >> being organized. >> exactly. it just makes that note take process a lot easier. >> exam time, what's the best way to study, because everybody has a different system. >> go on a social networking diet, is what i like to say. send your last tweet, last facebook update and say, it's time to study for finals and midterm and surround yourself with study groups. make sure that everyone you surround yourself with is going to support you. >> and quickly, if you are going to go to class, one important thing you deafinitely want to have? >> a syllabus is the best friend you have. in college, they have it right there for you. so you're well prepared and there's really no excuse why you won't have anything done on time. >> donna kim, great advice. good luck with that degree. just ahead, the latest on hurricane irene, plus, a live concert from train after y good morning. 8:26 on this friday, august 26th. i'm aaron gilchrist. hurricane irene will have a huge impact on our weekend. the latest from meteorologist tom kierein. tom? >> yeah. beginning late saturday afternoon all the way into sunday morning is when we'll have the big impacts from irene as it track as long our atlantic seaboard. plaj impact in the map is where we will have rain around 3 to 6 inches, winds 40 to 60 miles per hour beginning late saturday afternoon into saturday night through sunday noon time. could be quite a bit of flooding on the western shore of the bias well as scattered power outages and lighter effects to our west. >> we'll look to traffic after the break. woman: working for cox is not for the faint of heart. i love what i do. i enjoy the work, but it's a very hectic pace. ♪ let's go, don't want to miss a thing ♪ strayer university met my needs in terms of my family, my work/life balance. the fact that leading companies are hiring strayer graduates is impressive, but it's not surprising. these companies want us so badly. i'm felicia blow, and i earned my mba from strayer university. meet pnc virtual wallet. it comes with a calendar that shows you all your finances at once. it lets you know when your money's going out. and when it's coming in. it even tells you when you're running low. we call that danger days. it's built to help you see your money in a whole new light. experience everything virtual wallet has to offer at pncvirtualwallet.com. pnc bank. for the achiever in you. ♪ good morning. had an earlier disabled vehicle interer loop of the beltway leesburg pike, that's clear. delays past i-66 toward the dulles toll road. the 8:30 now on this friday morning, august 26th, 2011. great crowd out here in rockefeller plaza. why? well, because in just a moment, we're going to have a great summer concert from train. so cool. i don't know how we're going to do it. i'm ann curry along with david gregory and natalie morales. al is in north carolina. he has the big story, of course, for the day, that is the progress of hurricane irene. >> and we're also going to make an extraordinary transition and talk about cheerleading because it's a passion of ours and we love to watch them, of course. the question, is it a sport? should it be considered a sport? we'll talk with some cheerleaders. >> did you just say it's passion of ours? >> yes. i'm not a politician who wants cheerleaders. >> including -- >> that's right. >> that's right. also, do you all take your supplements every morning. >> no. >> i do. yeah. >> very good. do you know if you're taking the right vitamin? >> i have no idea. i just take whatever is there. >> we're going to get you on the right track and make sure that you are taking the right supplements for you, coming up with some expert advice rch. let's get to al with a check of the weather. al? >> thanks so much. we've been talking about hurricane irene, talking about hurricane irene, talking about storm surge, evacuation. so many people are in the potential path of this storm. and they're worried about do they evacuate? now evacuations, sometimes as we've seen when hurricane ike back in 2008 unnecessary evacuations can cause grade lock. if you're not under a mandatory evacuation, triing to figure out do i evacuate or not? go to google earth, type in your location and look at the elevation where you live and cross check that with the estimated storm surge. we've got a graphic of that, we'll put that up. elevation, one meter, well, showing the estimated storm surges for various category of hurricanes. category 1, 4 to 5 feet. irene's at category 2. the storm surge could be 6 to 8 feet. if it got up to a 3, 9 to 12 feet. you might be able to use that depending on what your situation is as far as your elevation for your home. use that as a guide. but only as a guide. make sure that, of course, you check with your local officials and listen to your local officials when you have to evacuate or not. let's show you what's going on, as far as your weekend's concerned. you'll see basically talking about the east coast inundated by irene. the rest of the country look at fairly quiet weather. sizzling hot conditions from southern texas into the southwest. hot through the plains. that continues on sunday with more heavy rain in northeast on into new england. really strong winds. that's the effects of irene. but everywhere else, things quiet. hit or miss showers and thunderstorms. heat is going to be the big factor across the weather map throughout the weekend. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. for interests around the chesapeake bay and the western shores of the bay the impact of irene will not be as bad as isabel. there will be quite of an imp t impact. the central zone on the map, the major impact pittsburgh 3 to 6 inches of rain. saturday 6:00 p.m. to sunday noon time. those type of win gud gusts can cause power outages and quite a bit of flooding. to the west moderate of 1 to 3 >> don't forget during this critical time with hurricane irene check the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. david? al, thanks very much. coming up we're going to be switching gears a little bit and talk about cheer leader should be considered a sport? also, a live summer concert from grammy award winning band train. this is "today" on nbc. when you think of cheerleading you probably envision pretty people chant to think sideline of a sportding event. but is spear lecheerleading a s? jenna wolfe is here with all of this. >> good morning. cheerleading is currently fighting for a voice on the college sporting stage, but not the cheering we're used to seeing. this is a whole new arena with a very competitive edge. they're hard to miss on any level. when there's a big game, they're right there. the cheerleaders. in many cases synonymous with the sport they're cheering for. and these aren't just random faces on the sidelines. the laker girls produced paula abdul. the 49ers had carrie hatcher. jamie lee curtis, madonna, and even former president george w. bush, all former cheerleaders. while these famous faces have gone on to other pursuits, cheerleading arizona well. once relegated to the sideline, cheerleading is now highly competitive, flying, tumbling, and twisting for top. >> it seems so much. i remember when i joined it was ra-ra-ra-for the football team. we're here now for the competition to compete and win. >> reporter: bill is the executive director of usa cheer and a former cheerleader himself. >> actually started playing baseball in college. was out late one night and these girls said, hey, why don't you, out for cheerleading. the next thing you know i was on scholarship for cheerleading. >> reporter: while he was easily convinced, others are reluctant to call it a sport. >> it's not really a real sport but it's there for football or basketball. >> i don't look at it as a sport. >> i just think of girls. >> reporter: once cheerleading moved away from this and on to this, the ncaa took notice and has received two different proposals to sanction it as an activity. and usa cheer is leading one of them. >> we took all the athletic elements out of cheerleading, pyramids, basketball, tumbling, jumps, and we put it into a new form format. all they do is focus on competition and the athletic components of cheer. >> reporter: according to the ncaa the two groups must resubmit one proposal that meets title ix requirements which promotes gender of quality. at that point, the ncaa will deside deci decide, will this qualify as college sport? cheerleading actually began with men only back in 1898. women didn't join until world war ii when the guys left to fight overseas. today men are finding their way back, only bigger, stronger, and more focused than ever. >> we weight lift normally at least three or four times a week. we have practice at least three or four times a week. >> i played football. and i actuallynded up leaving football to concentrate more on cheerleading. >> reporter: has the stigma been lifted? is cheering really a sport? kun k. someone just walk in with no training and no practice and cheer? all right. so i'm trusting you guys. oh, boy. oh, my god. i know it seems like i freaked out there for a second but that was for dramatic effects. from the strength training and lifting and hard core gymnast s gymnastics, not to mention the competition, this tumble's reporter votes in favor of categorizing this as a sport. >> i think you'll start seeing more and more colleges add it, we're get aggregate response at the high school level. i think you're going to see an explosion of cheer. >> reporter: but before i left, i gave that basket toss one last college try. i'm going to try not to scream this time, okay? >> straight up. >> oh, my gosh. all kidding aside. i did go into the story. mildly skeptical. i came out of it seeing a very different view. these are athleteses who train, who work, who want to compete at a very high level. the moves they are doing are not easy. you find them in the gym. if you define a sport as people who compete and as people who train for this, year in and year out, yes, this should be a sport and waiting to be sanctioned by the ncaa. >> we will see what happens. they are impressive. i think you did a pretty good job, too. >> thank you very much. coming up next, train, live in concert on the plaza. but first, this is "today" on nbc. [ martin luther king jr. ] i still have a dream that one day on the red hills of georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. i have a dream today! [ male announcer ] join us at the walter e. washington convention center on august 26th for a live roundtable discussion inspired by the legacy of dr. martin luther king jr. >> narrator: the toyota concert series is brought to you by the reinvented 2012 camry, built for the 21st century driver. we're giving you an exclusive preview live from the train concert. it's ready, for you. >> we are back and we are delighted to have the grammy award winning band train pull into our plaza this morning performing the best-selling song of 2010, "hey soul sister." ladies and gentlemen, train. ♪ hey hey hey your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my left side brain ♪ ♪ i knew i wouldn't forget you and so i went and let you blow my mind ♪ ♪ your sweet moonbeam ♪ the smell of you in every single dream i dream ♪ ♪ i knew when we collided you're the one i have decided who's one of my kind ♪ ♪ hey soul sister ain't that mister mister on the radio stereo ♪ ♪ the way you move ain't fair you know ♪ ♪ hey soul sister i don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight ♪ ♪ hey hey hey ♪ just in time ♪ i'm so glad you have a one track mind like me ♪ ♪ you gave my life direction ♪ a game show love connection we can't deny ♪ ♪ i'm so obsessed my heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest ♪ ♪ i believe in you like a virgin you're madonna and i'm always gonna wanna blow your mind ♪ ♪ hey soul sister ain't that mister mister on the radio stereo ♪ ♪ the way you move ain't fair you know ♪ ♪ hey soul sister i don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight ♪ ♪ the way you can cut a rug watching you is the only drug i need ♪ ♪ so gangster i'm so thug you're the only one i'm dreaming of ♪ ♪ you see i can be myself now finally in fact there's nothing i can't be ♪ ♪ i want the world to see you'll be with me ♪ ♪ hey soul sister ain't that mister mister on the radio stereo ♪ ♪ the way you move ain't fair you know ♪ ♪ hey soul sister i don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight ♪ ♪ hey soul sister i don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight ♪ ♪ can i hear you say hey hey >> yeah, yeah. ♪ all right >> all right. ♪ soul >> soul. ♪ whoo >> whoo. ♪ sister >> sister. ♪ hey soul sister i don't want to miss a single thing you do tonight ♪ ♪ hey soul sister i don't want to miss a single thing you do tonight ♪ ♪ hey hey hey ♪ hey hey hey ♪ tonight ♪ hey hey ♪ hey hey hey ♪ hey hey hey ♪ tonight >> thank you, train. we're going to have more music in a moment. but first, this is "today" on nbc. train rolling on to the music scene some 15 years ago. they've been leaving a mark on music ever since. their latest album is called "save me san francisco." sold more than a million copies worldwide and also produced a string of hits. so train now joining us. they are pat and scott underwood. guys, welcome to the "today" show. 15 years for you guys. and after this long time in all of these years, what kind of love must you have for san francisco for you to make an album for it? >> yeah. i think, you know, starting the band in san francisco and being around for 16 years, we got to the point where we're kind of lost touch with where we started. this is a way of saying thank you. >> can you help us one more time, not that you need to have one more time, but you're going to make an album to winning a grammy for the first time? i mean, you should. >> yeah. >> it's a good day. >> we should, yeah. >> what's up with the -- not just music. now you're into the wine business, as well. tell us about that. >> that's jimmy's fault, right, jimmy? >> yeah. we get wine in our dressing room every night. and we were starting it online, on our website. some of the wines. kind of just expanded from there. people were blogging about it and talking about it. so we started our own trainwineclub.com and we have our own wine. >> well, listen, i know you're going to sing a song now called "save me san francisco." it is so great to have you here. you have made so many people so happy. let's hit it. ♪ i used to love the tenderloin until i made some tender coin ♪ then i met some ladies from marin ♪ we took the highway to the one up the coast to catch some sun ♪ ♪ they left me with these blisters on my skin ♪ ♪ don't know what i was on but i think it grows in oregon ♪ ♪ so i kept on going going on right through ♪ ♪ i drove into seattle rain fell in love then missed the train ♪ ♪ that could have took me right back home to you ♪ ♪ i've been high i've been low ♪ i've been yes and i've been oh hell no ♪ ♪ i've been rock 'n roll and disco ♪ won't you save me san francisco ♪ ♪ oh oh ♪ whoo ♪ every day so caffeinated i wish they were golden gated ♪ ♪ fillmore couldn't feel more miles away ♪ ♪ so wrap me up return to sender ♪ ♪ let's forget this five-year bender ♪ take me to my city by the bay ♪ ♪ i never knew all that i had now alcatraz don't sound so bad ♪ ♪ at least they have a hell of a fine merlot ♪ ♪ if i could wish upon a star i would hitch a cable car to the place that i can always call my own ♪ ♪ i've been high i've been low ♪ i've been yes and i've been oh hell no ♪ ♪ i've been rock 'n roll and disco ♪ ♪ won't you save me san francisco ♪ i've been up i've been down ♪ ♪ i've been so damn lost since you're not around ♪ ♪ i've been reggae and calypso ♪ won't you save me san francisco ♪ ♪ to tell you the truth i miss everything everything ♪ ♪ it's a wild wild beautiful world but there's a wide-eyed girl back there and she means everything everything ♪ ♪ i've been stop i've been go ♪ i've been yes and i've been oh hell no ♪ ♪ i've been roken roll and disco ♪ ♪ won't you save me san francisco ♪ ♪ i've been up i've been down ♪ i've been so damn lost since you're not around ♪ ♪ i've been reggae and calypso ♪ won't you save me san francisco ♪ ♪ whoo oh oh ♪ won't you save me san francisco ♪ >> narrator: toyota concert series is brought to you by the reinvented 2012 camry. it's ready, are you? good morning. it's 8:56 on this friday, august 26. hurricane irene is our top story through the weekend. let's get the latest from meteorologist tom kierein. >> it will be impacting us here late saturday afternoon and evening into sunday morning. and this morning we've had patchy, dense fog around but that's dissipating and we'll have a partly cloudy day, highs reaching midst and upper 80s. tomorrow we'll have wins increasing saturday afternoon and evening along with increasing periods of heavy rain beginning saturday afternoon into saturday evening and we could have wins gust over 40 miles an hour, maybe 60-mile-an-hour-gusts sunday with power outages. >> take a look at traffic next. good morning. traveling 95 in maryland i have a crash blocking your right lane at route 198 and is slowing you down a bit as you approach the accident here. taking 95 in virginia, i don't see problems for you in either direction on 95. if you continue on to 395395 looks good as well. a view from duke street in both directions 395. no problems from the beltway to the 14th street bridge. volume. good news here, no accidents. back to you. >> thank you. this is the place for continuing coverage of hurricane irene all weekend long. you can keep alocked on news4 and website nbcwashington.com. we'll send you back to new york ♪ now more for this friday morning, 26th day of august, 2011. we have a pretty huge crowd this morning. the grammy winner train is here on the plaza. you can see them now signing autographs. they drove all night after performing with maroon 5 from syracuse. they're on tour with them, to get here this morning to perform for our concert. we've got one more hit song. our viewers voted for. i'm ann curry and david gregory along with savannah guthrie this morning. matt has the morning off. one name is on the minds of the americans and that's irene. >> we've been talking about it all morning long. right now hurricane warning in effect for north carolina all of the way up to new jersey. you're looking at atlantic beach, north carolina. mandatory evacuations are in effect. and a curfew will get under way tonight. the waves are starting to strengthen as you can see there along the shoreline. the storm expected to reach the area overnight. al, of course, is on the outer banks. he's starting to see -- feel some of the effects of this. al? >> yeah, that's right, guys. we had some rain showers move through here earlier. we've got some clouds overhead. the storm in diameter is a little under 700 miles wide. so it gives you the scope of this thing. the hurricane force winds extend out 90 miles from the center. tropical force winds extend out 200 miles from the center of this storm. so it's a monster. back to you. >> we'll have more from you and more on irene coming up. also ahead, we're going to have the lowdown on supplements. a lot of people take a multi-vitamin every day but which ones do you actually need is it too much of a good thing? we're going to get into that. and then food prices we have all noticed are on their way up. you want to cut where you can. we're going to show folk where's to get the best deal. i was at the hardware store last night selling flashlights and the hardware store told me he sold more flashlights in one day than all year. >> i think in some ways, big storms is the time to have a lot of people at the counter. meantime, however, we're going to give you the top stories of the morning. we have natalie at the news desk with all that. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. a tense weekend ahead for the east coast as millions are bracing for hurricane irene to strike. nbc's kerry sanders is in atlantic beach, north carolina, with advice on getting ready. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. there is a mandatory evacuation here and up the coast of north carolina. the schools are closed, the red cross is opening shelters. governors in north carolina, virginia, maryland, delaware, new jersey, new york, connecticut, have all declared a disaster, a state of disaster, all in anticipation of the destruction from hurricane irene. it's now a race getting ready and then getting out of harm's way. already on thursday a road wave associated with irene swept eight people off the beach in florida. one victim was hospitalized. hurricane veterans in north carolina are preparing, but also sharing their expertise with those to the north who don't know this drill. why bring in the chairs, umbrellas? >> this is flying debris. this is one of the most dangerous aspects of a hurricane. >> reporter: rye the rush to get gasoline? glen barnes knows, when there's no power, there's no way to pump. >> the power goes out, the gas station is mpity, you can be back to raleigh before you get any. like getting on the jersey turnpike. you always want a full tank of gas. >> reporter: why did rick fill up the bathtub? it may be the only way to flush your toilet. >> all you need is a full bathtub and a baukt. >> and a bucket. >> reporter: liz arnold and her buddy mary catherine benson grew up with this yearly hurricane menace. >> we certainly care about our house and our belongings, so we are boarding up our windows. >> reporter: putting up shutters only work if you put those shutters on every single window in your house. the reason you're doing it is to prevent the wind from rushing in and potentially taking your roof off. if you haven't covered every window, then it's very possible that's where those hurricane force winds will enter. as liz left atlantic beach she grabbed the family photo album that includes pictures of her beach house after hurricane hazel in 1954. you're leaving a day and a half early. >> do not want to get stuck in traffic. got to get out of here. >> reporter: how will you communicate after the hurricane? she charged her cell phone so she can text. >> it doesn't kill your battery really quick, and it's a lot easier. >> reporter: and that's good advice. have your cell phone charged but don't expect to be able to talk to anybody after the hurricane. if the cell phone tower is up, it's likely that it will be overloaded. but text useless bandwidth so it's easy to get that message out to let people know you're okay. as you'ring looking at that map and that eye and calculating how far it is from your home, just remember this, the hurricane force winds extend 90 miles from that eye. so don't focus too much on it. and sort of fool yourself into some sort of complacency thinking that you're going to be okay. natalie? >> really important information there in that reporting. thanks so much, kerry sanders in atlanta beach, north carolina. a bombing this morning has leveled an entire wing of the main united nations building in nigeria's capital. officials say there are numerous casualties. more than 50 bodies have been pulled from the smoulderring ruins in mexico. mass gunmen set the building open fire last night with a crowd of gamblers inside. rebels are setting air strikes. they come a day after fierce clashes in the capital but rebels say tripoli's streets are relatively calm today. orlando police are investigating a bizarre death, a man was killed thursday after the pick-up truck he was working on flipped into gear and pushed him and another vehicle into an empty swimming pool. and the queen of soul put on a show for her hometown fans near detroit thursday night. ey awreath that franklin is back on tour following a house fire last year that forced her to cancel all of her shows. good to see her back and better than ever. it's now six minutes past the hour. let's go back to al in north carolina. al? >> there is only one queen of soul, aretha franklin, that's for sure. right now we're dealing with a . this is the latest on irene. right now, category 2 storm. winds at 110 miles per hour. it's moving north at 14 miles per hour. because it's down to a 2, don't be fooled. ike came on shore back in 2008 as category 2 storm and devastated that area in texas. as we look right now, show you where the warnings and watches are, you've got hurricane watches and warnings stretching from the carolinas all the way up into the new england and they are going to continue and probably be intensified as the system makes its way up the coast. here what happens we're expe expectiexpec expecting aas category 2, may strengthen to category 3. it continues to make its way up and on to the north carolina shoreline, outer banks, sometime saturday afternoon, possibly as a category 3 storm with 1 120-mile-per-hour winds. continually making its way up towards new york city early sunday morning, sunday afternoon and evening, moving on into new york and up into new england causing big problems. hurricane effect we expect from ir ir irene. coastal flooding, beach erosion storm surge, downed trees, power lines. the storm surge along the carolinas in carolinas into virginia could be 4 to 8 feet, as much as 11 feet above ground level. can't give you the storm surge yet as you get into the northeast because we have to wait for the exact track of the storm. rainfall amounts, talking anywhere from 3 to 10 inches of rain locally, could be 15 inches of rain out of this system over the next 72 hours. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> well, irene will be close enough to us by late saturday afternoon into sunday morning to have a rather large impact on the metro area that zone through the center of the map there, the orange zone, where we will have 3 to 6 inches of rain, wins gusting 40 to 60 miles per hour from saturday 6:00 p.m. to sunday noon. quite a bit of flooding, too, with heavy rain in the western shore of the bay, too, could have a storm surge around 2 to 3 feet. >> that's your latest weather. savannah? >> narrator: "today's" health is brought to you by gogurt, a good source of calcium. don't forget your gogurt. >> thanks. this morning in "today's" health, supplements. millions of americans take them daily, but which ones do you really need and how much of them? dr. raj, a "today" contributor, and medical editor of "health" magazine. start with the general question, how important is it for people to take vitamins every day and do you get the same bang out of the vitamin if you take it in a pill form versus getting it out of foodses? >> generally it is better to get it through the food. you tend to absorb it better and it works in a better way, however, there are certain people, vegetarians, for example, might not get all the vitamins they need. in certain populations, if you have diabetes. >> let's talk about vitamin d. it's kind of in fashion right now. why do we need this particular vitamin? >> here's what we know about vitamin d. it's essential for your bone strength and bone health. there are a lot of studies recently looking at other effects that vitamin d may have. it mayhem to prevent heart disease, cancer, auto immune diseases. we still need a little bit more evidence but there are some suggestions. you do need to make sure your bones are healthy. >> the next one on the list is fish oil. the tablets can be kind of big and juicy. >> a little smelly. >> yes. let's be honest. really important to get fish oil in your diet. >> yes. we're talking right now about omega 3 fatty acids. you can get it in fish as well. fatty fish. we do know it helps lower your triglycerides, prevent heart disease, and strokes and lower your blood pressure a little bit. it's important. the best way to get it is through fish itself. they recommend if you don't have heart disease, twice a week, to have fish more haucoften if you have heart disease. 1,000 milligrams a day. you do need to talk to your doctor about it because different people may require different amounts. >> calcium, it's important for the diet and i'm sure people feel this is the vitamin they probably get through foods because you eat ice cream or milk or cheese. but is it important to take a calcium supplement? >> calcium is very important, especially women, pregnant women, breastfeeding women. but to maintain bone strength and bone health. you want to avoid osteoporosis. 1,000 milligrams a day. 1200 for certain women. you need to make sure you're getting enough in your dairy. milk, yogurt, choose, soeese, s vegetables, as well. >> it's possible to get too much calcium, right? we want to warn against that. >> you don't want to go over 2,000 milligrams a day because you may end up getting kidney stones. talk to your doctor about what's right for you. >> vitamin c right up there all the time. does an orange a day keep the doctor away? we have to know. >> there is a big question about does it help prevent colds. most studies do not show it prevents colds. >> i believe it does. >> it may shorten the duration but it is important for other things in your body. bones, muscles, collagen in your body requires vitamin c. you get it in the citrus fruits, grapefruit, vegetables, tomatoes, red peppers. >> iron, this is something a lot of women need in their diet. >> absolutely. iron deficiency anemia is a condition where you don't have enough iron your body cannot produce enough red blood cells to carry the oxygen you need. if you're eye anemic you're going to feel tired. red meat is a great source. if you're a vegetarian you can get it in beans as well. dark green, leafy vegetables or taking an iron supplement. 10 to 15 milligrams is day is what you need. i do want to point out iron deficiency could be a sign of blood loss. you want to talk to your doctor to investigate it. >> you mentioned it briefly. some people suspect they may be anemic. what are some of the symptoms of an iron deficiency? >> generally you're feeling fatigued. you can't exercise as you used to. you get very short of breath. you might be losing your hair. generally feeling run down. you should definitely be checked out because it could be a sign of something more serious. >> lastly, can you get a multi-vitamin that has all of these in it or do you really need -- is it better to take individual tablets? >> if you're deficient, most do not have enough of these that we discussed. talk to your doctor about which ones you need more or less of. generally getting a multi-varied diet is the best way to get all of these. >> all right. good advice. thank you so much. >> thank you. coming up next, where to find the best deals and save a lot of money when you go grocery shopping. and later, one more song from train. but first, david is rocking out. go-gurt? yep...doh. [ boy ] slurpably fun and a good source of calcium. dads who get it, get go-gurt. [ boy ] slurpably fun and a good source of calcium. you feel it working, so you know it's working. and that means you're ready for whatever the day brings. unlike ordinary toothpaste, you feel a deeper clean. you're also protected. with new crest complete, you know you're covered. we look out for patients by offering care 1 on 1. we help them save money with generic prescriptions. we talk to them about prescription safety and -- help them save money. plus we discuss possible side effects and -- help them save money! we help them save money. get care 1 on 1 and talk savings, safety, and side effects when you transfer or fill a new ongoing prescription. i'm carla, and this is my cvs. and his, too. if you think occasional irregularity is no big deal, think twice. it may be a sign that your digestive system could be working better. listen to this with occasional irregularity, things your body doesn't use could be lingering in your system, causing discomfort. but activia has been shown in clinical studies to help with slow intestinal transit when consumed 3 times per day. 7 out of 10 doctors recommend activia. and the great taste is recommended by me! discover aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizers with scientifically proven soy complex and natural minerals. give you sheer coverage instantly, then go on to even skin tone in four weeks. aveeno tinted moisturizers. they're into the royal treatment. so they deserve the smartest choice in litter. that's why fresh step scoopable has carbon, which is more effective at absorbing odors than baking soda. fresh step. your cat deserves the best. you kids almost ready? i've got breakfast waiting for you. whoo! uh-oh. what? mom's doing her exercise video again. when mom's on a health kick, all of us are. and now she's made us breakfast. uh-oh. ♪ [ male announcer ] eggo nutri-grain waffles. you know it's made with 8 grams of whole grain and is a good source of fiber. all they know is it tastes great. eggo nutri-grain waffles. simply delicious. this morning on "today's" consumer, new places to find the best bargain on foods. every dollar counts these days so you may want to look beyond your local supermarket for deals, from champagne to fresh produce can be found at unusual places. and "shop smart" magazine is here. good morning. >> good morning. >> we're not saying to your people to not go to your super market because you will find good deals but the prices are going up. >> on average, food prices are up 17% in the last five years. and for staples like eggs and orange juice and milk, we're looking at prices 40%, 50% or more. >> wow. >> up in the last five years. >> the good news is, though, there are a lot more places to find deals these days and to find food. >> that's right. a lot of different outlets are giving supermarkets a run for their money. that's great news for you as a food shopper. >> be savvy and shop around. one of the new places you're seeing good food items popping up is your convenience store. yot junot just getting your foo long anymore. >> we sent our secret shoppers out to do a price check of staples, last-minute fill-in groceries like egg and milk. 7-eleven and all the other stores, the prices aren't that bad. you think that you're paying up but not necessarily. they're adding things like store brand wine. actually we taste tested the 7-eleven wine, pretty good. selling rotisserie chickens, bake yourself pizzas, fresh fruit and salad. it's not a bad place to go to pick up extra things on your way home. >> i wouldn't think to buy wine at the 7-eleven but that's good to know. also, make sure you check the store's websites as well because you can find other deals. >> they have weekly specials and they will post them on their website. you might be able to get extra special deals. >> another thing we're finding a lot is dollar stores are carrying food items as well at dollar prices. >> absolutely. and dollar stores are exploding. people are wild about dollar stores right now. one thing people may not realize is staples, according to our price checkers, are not the best prices at dollar stores necessarily. where you're really going to save is on those packaged goods. they sell a lot of smaller packages. if you have a smaller household and you only want to buy two bor writ tos instead of a whole box, find them there. gourmet items, specialty jams, and we even found wild mushrooms there. check expiration datsz. they don't always except returns and they don't accept coupons for the most part. >> target and walmart, a lot of people have already discovered the super stores. i know i do. are they still great places to find better deals? >> they're getting even better because they're adding healthier items like whole wheat pastas, fresh produce. >> organics, too. walmart has a huge organic section. >> the thing that people should keep in mind is we have done price checks from beauty products to over the counter medication to -- these places are the cheapest places to shop. it's really worthwhile. and if you find prices elsewhere that are lower, they will match them. price matching policy. >> important to be sure to ask the manager, i saw that, can you match that? >> yes. >> next down, a lot of international grocery stores and these new little markets that are popping up have great prices on ethnic foods, too. >> i know. a lot of people think, i don't eatest anything foods, i'm not going in there. a lot of them have great prices on fresh meat and seafood and fresh produce and spices and things like that. definitely worth checking out p even if you just go for those items. >> and buying food at drugstores, too? we see that here in new york city. a lot of us do that. >> yeah. walgreens and some of the other drugstores actually are carrying all kinds of fresh foods, even fresh chicken. what we found is that the prices at these ---al walgreens that we checked were in line with supermarkets. don't think that you're picking up milk and eggs there that you're going to pay up. not necessarily. and they carry all kinds of other stuff and they have some special loyalty programs and other ways to save. check that out. >> lisa lee freeman, thank you. coming up, are you in the mood for some smitsle and streudle? 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[ slurp! ] styles for back to school! plus, get $10 in come back cash when you spend $50 or more on clothes. amazing prices. amazing styles. make this year amazing at sears! good morning. 9:26 on this friday, august 26. hurricane irene will have a huge impact on us this weekend. let's get the latest now. meteorologist tom kierein. >> things will begin to deteriorate saturday into saturday night in through noon time sun. between now and then, pleasant weather. today, partly cloudy, highs in the mid and upper 80s. thickening clouds saturday. a small chance of a morning shower but a likelihood of late afternoon heavier your pours saturday. saturday night through noon time sunday went we'll have the worst effects of irene as she track as long the atlantic seaboard. could have 3 to 6 inches of rain causing flooding, win winds gusting 40 to 60 miles per hour [ female announcer ] every box of general mills big g cereals can help your kids' school get extra stuff. ♪ like musical instruments. ♪ and new art supplies. ♪ because they're the only cereals with box tops for education. last year, schools earned over ten million dollars from big g cereals. you can raise money for your kids' school. look for this logo... only on big g cereals. you can make a difference. every cereal box counts. good morning. if you any family members taking the commute on route 50 heading from the bay making their way toward the city, i don't see any problems for them. no issues to report at this time. and if you're traveling on i-66 east, you are slow at cedar and delays continue towards the beltway. speaking of the beltway, beltway in maryland clear both directs. the same story in virginia new york issues to report at this time. back to you. >> thank you. and you can look for our continuing coverage of hurricane irene all weekend long right here on nbc 4 and on our website nbcwashington.com. ♪ that is rocker and grammy winner lenny kravitz who will be taking over our summer concert one week from day to rock you into our labor day weekend. be sure to stop by the you're in the area for the holidays. but before lenny, this concert isn't over just yet. we're going to have one more song from train. we asked you to vote for four favorite song. >> didn't we think it was going to be "marry me"? >> yes. top of the charts. and usually proposals. but, you know, we never know. also just ahead, new twist in the search of utah mother susan power who has been miss for nearly two years now. they removed items from her husband is living. also, a shocking allegation from susan's father-in-law about their relationship. latest on that story coming up. on a much lighter note, schnitzel and strudel. we're going to have comfort food in our kitchen. >> okay. >> if you didn't know who she was, you do now. >> jenna wolfe, who needs no introduction. >> a show on the weekend, it's going to be a really good one. this weekend, of course, we're talking about hurricane irene. battled bahamas and now the east coast. north carolina up to virginia. could be a damaging storm surge that could go as high as 11 feet. mandatory evacuations are already under way as authorities are urging residents all along the eastern shoreline leave their homes. irene could be the most powerful hurricane to hit the region in decades. tracking the storm. we'll have complete coverage on "today." we've been talking about how skeptical new yorkers can be. this done look like it's going to miss. >> a run on flashlights and peanut butter. >> yeah. you could -- >> and sunflower seeds, can't find them anywhere. >> let's get to al. he's preparing for the storm. he's on north carolina's outer banks in duck, north carolina. good morning. >> reporter: in fact, i'll be working this weekend bringing you the latest on the weather channel and on the saturday and sunday editions of "today." we'll be bringing it to you. we look at rest of the country for your weekend, it's interesting because there's so much go on here in the northeast and the mid-atlantic states. everywhere else quiet. hot weather for the last official last weekend of summer. hit or miss showers and thunderstorms. otherwise fairly hot. sunday more of the same. irene making its way up the coast, heavy rain from the northeast into new england. out west we've got hit or miss showers and thunderstorms especially in the northern plains. beautiful weather in the pacific northwest, sunny, mile. sizzling in the southwest into texas and the gulf coast. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods.. >> good morning. here while we've got a friday morning under way with fog dissipating and today partly cloudy and into the 80s but tomorrow we go downhill, late saturday from saturday 6:00 p.m. to sunday noon timing 3 to 6 inches of rain in the central zone on the map east of washington. along the inter-nate 95 corridor, east of the bay, 40 to 60-mile-per-hour-winds. major flooding perhaps on western shore of the bay and pouter outages. moderate impacts farther west, 1 >> tomorrow morning, special edition of "wake up with al" at 5:00 a.m. on the weather channel and we will bring you the latest details from irene starting on "today" another 7:00. back to you. >> you take care of yourself there, al. thank you. coming up next, a husband of missing utah mother susan powell speaks out after new sensation a al allegations surface. for broccoli, say one. for toys, say two. al allegations surface. response at this time.our what ? please call back between 8 and 5 central standard time. he's in control. goodbye. even kids know it's wrong to give someone the run around. at ally bank you never have to deal with an endless automated stem. you can talk to a real person 24/7. it's just the right thing to do. you can talk to a real person 24/7. 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. . i know, i never wanted it to end. well, hey, at least the pasta's never ending. really? yeah, you choose your pasta, choose your sauce, as many times as you want! a dish i create and it's never ending. i'm in! i'm in! the never ending pasta bowl is back. for just $8.95 try new sauces like roasted mushroom parmesan and hearty pizzaiola meat. enjoy any sauce and pasta combination, then try others. have all you want along with our unlimited fresh salad and warm breadsticks all for just $8.95. try it tonight at your olive garden. when you're here, you're family. it's pro-cool technology releases armies of snowmen masseuse, who cuddle up with your soreness and give out polar bear hugs. technology. 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[ male announcer ] chex cereal. five flavors. gluten free. the nearly two-year search for missing utah mother susan powell is heating up today. on thursday detectives search her husband's home and startling new allegations about the relationship between susan and her father-in-law. nbc's miguel almaguer is in washington today with the latest. good morning. >> good morning. for months investigators seem to be baffled by this case but then this week during the middle of a nasty family feud they said they were making progress, then they came here to washington state to the home of susan powell's husband. >> the police raid lasted hours. >> we have problem cause that there are items of it share items. >> he called it, quote, very, very important, yet didn't share the details of what they found in the home of josh powell. >> it's the genuine belief, obviously, of a good many people that you killed her. >> i've never hurt my wife. i've never -- never hurt her. >> reporter: late thursday, after the raid, josh told "dateline"'s keith morrison officers seemed focused on one thing. >> that's what the warrant did, to take her journals. >> reporter: the journals which josh promised to release are a series of lengthy handwritten diaries, say josh, that shows his wife susan wrote of suicide and a promiscuous lifestyle. >> what would a childhood journal have to do with a missing person unless there was something in there that they thought might have some significant bearing on what she's -- what her personality, what her capabilities are. >> reporter: thursday's raid came just hours after josh powell's father, steve powell, leveled allegations against his missing daughter-in-law. >> she was open to me sexually, mentally, whatever. >> reporter: steve powell claims josh's wife often tried to seduce him and admits he openly made sexual advances toward susan. >> i wasn't going to turn down an opportunity with this beautiful woman, even though she was my son's wife. i'm sorry. she is just a wonderful person, and i enjoyed it. >> reporter: jennifer graves is steve powell's estranged daughter and a close friend of susan's. she said susan complained to her about her father-in-law's inappropriate advances. >> susan never told me about any inappropriate relationship. my dad never told me about any inappropriate relationship. >> reporter: disgusted and outraged by the salacious claims, susan's father, chuck cox, claims the racy allegations against susan are despicable and outright lies. he says the police seizure at his son-in-law's home is progress. >> it makes me much more comfortable if the journals are in their hands than in steve and josh's hands. >> reporter: on a frigid december day in 2009, josh told investigators he took their boys camping at 12:30 a.m. in a snowstorm and came home to find susan missing. he was soon named a person of interest but was never charged with a crime. this past weekend, police searched the nevada desert for new clues. at josh's home thursday, investigators describe josh as calm and cooperative but have long said he's refused to work with detectives, a claim josh refused. >> where do you think they should be searching? >> i think they should be searching for a woman who is struggling, someone who wants to come back, having a difficult time understanding how to come back. >> reporter: during thursday's search no one was taken into custody, no one was arrested. police say josh powell and his father steve have fully cooperat cooperated. while they say they are making stri strides in their investigations thanks won't release any details. savannah? >> thank you. and coming up next, we'll take a turn and get a taste of old vienna in "today's" kitchen. we're cooking snetsle, among old vienna in "today's" kitchen. we're cooking snetsle, among other things. ntidep t. old vienna in "today's" kitchen. we're cooking snetsle, among other things. , among other things. , among other things. , among other things. , among other things. maybe it's time to ask your doctor about adding seroquel xr to your antidepressant to treat your depression. seroquel xr is a once-daily, extended-release tablet, which means medication is released around the clock. for many, seroquel xr, when added to an antidepressant, was proven more effective than an antidepressant alone at helping people feel less depressed. call your doctor if you have unusual changes in mood, behavior, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. elderly dementia patients taking seroquel xr have an increased risk of death. call your doctor if you have fever, stiff muscles, and confusion, as these may be signs of a life-threatening reaction or if you have uncontrollable muscle movements, as these could become permanent. high blood sugar has been reported with seroquel xr and medicines like it and in extreme cases can lead to coma or death. your doctor should check for cataracts. other risks include increased cholesterol and weight gain as well as seizures, dizziness on standing, drowsiness, impaired judgment, trouble swallowing, and decreases in white blood cells, which can be fatal. use caution before driving or operating machinery. isn't it time to put more distance between you and your depression? talk to your doctor about seroquel xr. if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. if you think occasional irregularity is no big deal, think twice. it may be a sign that your digestive system could be working better. listen to this with occasional irregularity, things your body doesn't use could be lingering in your system, causing discomfort. but activia has been shown in clinical studies to help with slow intestinal transit when consumed 3 times per day. 7 out of 10 doctors recommend activia. and the great taste is recommended by me! ♪ look around, it's happening ♪ oh, yeah ♪ imagine that ♪ imagine sunshine always shining ♪ ♪ ♪ imagine that they're into the royal treatment. so they deserve the smartest choice in litter. that's why fresh step scoopable has carbon, which is more effective at absorbing odors than baking soda. fresh step. your cat deserves the best. than baking soda. wait a second... with olay challenge that. new regenerist wrinkle revolution... relaxes the look of wrinkles instantly, and the look of deep wrinkles in 14 days. ready, set, smooth... regenerist. from olay. you noticed! these clothes are too big, so i'm donating them. how'd you do it? eating right, whole grain. [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multigrain cheerios... five whole grains, 110 calories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ., right? >> yes. >> what is it about the us a austrian cuisine? >> schnitzel is hearty and soulful. we have it today to give you a sample of what's happening. >> what is the cut of meat? >> heritage. >> it's not a veiner, people think veiner as in wiener. only you guys. shame on you. >> pound it quickly. season it. salt. pepper. the nice thing is you can prepare this for like 10 or 15 people. >> very nice and thin. >> very nice and thin. >> okay. >> then you drop it in flour. some people like it messy>> and then you dredge it in the egg. >> yes. >> to make it stick more? >> the egg makes it souffle. classic with bread crumbs. just very slightly, don't press too hard other wise it doesn't souffle. >> meaning it doesn't get that nice flakiness. >> to come off the meat. >> the most important part, we drop it. >> really hot oil, right? >> 375 fahrenheit. >> cooks quickly, right? >> cooks quickly. go around with the ladle. the movement of the oil is going to make the schnitzel souffle. and the color should be a perfect golden brown. >> as we see it right here on this plate. >> we're going to come back here and make really good things. define this. >> very easy. three ingredients. eggs, flour, milk, all mixed together. >> kind of like a pasta, right? >> like a pasta. when you press it through the device here with a little bit of pressure, once it hits the boiling water, it forms into dumplings. >> would a colander with holes? >> bigger holes will work. >> something with bigger holes. mixed our eggs, milk, flour. >> exactly. you want a nice consistency of the whole thing. add it here. >> drop it in here into really boiling water. >> and now press it down. >> forms little dumplings in the water. >> drops in there. forms little dumples. then you have to wait a minute until it comes to the top and it's done. >> it rises to the top. >> the good thing is you can do very different things with it. you can bring colors. >> it looks -- with different -- >> spinach, cream, tomato cream. >> beautiful, healthier, too. so then it looks like this. >> cream fresh and now we put the shrimp. turn it a little bit higher. >> i love this. actually love unique foods, austrian foods, very hearty. >> seasonal. we change it every month, every two months. >> wonderful. very good. >> salt and pepper. add a little fresh nutmeg on top? >> yes, nutmeg, salt and pepper. just a little bit because nutmeg is very, very strong. >> fresh chives, i think, right? >> attend -- >> do you like that? >> i love it. >> yes. >> i'm rushing us along because i do want to mention we have strudel, too. because we cannot have austrian food without the apple strudel. >> the apple strudel, granny smith apples, raisins, served classically with vanilla sauce and whipped cream. also called sclog. okay. thank you so much. thank you guys. it's wonderful. can't wait to try it in just a minutes. meantime, coming up next, one more song tr grfrom grammy winning band, train. what is that? oh, we call it the bundler. let's say you need home and auto insurance. you give us your information once, online... [ whirring and beeping ] [ ding! ] and we give you a discount on both. great! did i mention no hands in the bundler? bundling and saving made easy. now, that's progressive. call or click today. >> narrator: the toyota concert series is brought to you by the reinvented 2012 camry. it's ready. are you? >> that is so good. >> salad, super clean. >> very good. >> okay. >> delicious wiener schnitzel. really good. coming up, kathie lee and hoda are in canada. but first, here's your choice for train song, "drops of jupiter." ♪ now that she's back in the atmosphere with drops of jupiter in her hair ♪ ♪ she acts like summer and walks like rain ♪ ♪ reminds me that there's time to change ♪ ♪ hey hey ♪ since the return from her stay on the moon ♪ ♪ she listens like spring and she talks like june ♪ ♪ hey hey ♪ hey hey ♪ tell me did you sail across the sun ♪ ♪ did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded ♪ ♪ and that heaven is overrated ♪ ♪ tell me did you fall for a shooting star ♪ ♪ one without a permanent scar ♪ ♪ and did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there ♪ ♪ can you imagine dreep fried chicken your best friend always taking up for you ♪ ♪ even when i know you're wrong ♪ can you imagine the first romance found out all that conversation was the best that you ever had was me ♪ ♪ now tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet ♪ ♪ did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day ♪ ♪ and head back toward the milky way ♪ ♪ and tell me did you sail across the sun ♪ ♪ did you make it toward the milky way to see that the lights have faded and that heaven is overrated ♪ tell me did you fall for a shooting star ♪ ♪ one without a permanent scar and then you missed me while you were looking for yourself out there ♪ ♪ nah nah ♪ nah nah nah ♪ and did you finally get the chance to chance to dance along the light of day ♪ ♪ and did you fall for a shooting star ♪ fall for a shooting star ♪ ♪ nah nah nah ♪ and now while you were looking for yourself out there ♪ >> thank you so much. good morning. time 9:56. i'm barbara harrison, friday august 26th hurricane irene will have a huge impact on the weekend. latest from meteorologist tom kierein. how it's looking? >> unfortunate fatally irene is close enough to us to have a major impact especially on our eastern suburbs. in that zone in the center of the map you see the orange zone, deep orange zone, that is where we could get 3 to 6 inches of rain, winds 40 to 60 mile as hour saturday 6:00 p.m. until noon sunday. could be flooding along the western shore of the bay. lower part of the bay could get a storm surge of 4, 5, 6 feet and then there will be somewhat more mad rate effects to the west but still 1 to 3 inches of rain for washington and points west. and there could be winds to 40 miles an hour during that time frame of saturday 6:00 p.m. until sunday noon time and ice laid power out annuals. east, widespread power outages and all of this ending by sunday afternoon, maybe get sun back sunday afternoon. and now, danella, how's the traffic? >> we have a disabled tractor-trailer inner loop of the beltway bapast i-66 causing you to be jammed. delays from route 50 towards the disabled vehicle in the right center lane, causing a backup this morning. and on 66 i-66, seeing delays east at nutley. and continue inside of the beltway it's a tough commute. back to you. >> thank you, danella. look for continuing coverage of hurricane irene all weekend right here on news4 and from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today," with kathie lee gifford, and hoda kotb. bonjour from montreal, canada! ♪ o canada ♪ my home and native land [ cheers and applause ] hey! hey! >> hi, guys! >> you guys, you know what today is? try-day friday! >> hi, sweetie, how are you? >> hey! how are you? >> hi, guys. oh, oh wait. >> hello! >> i have a problem with her. >> hoda, i adore your recycled dresses. >> i still like you, anyway! >> oh, bonjour! >> we made it to day two in montreal. >> what a gorgeous city this is. and you all are -- oh, bonjour! >> i'm sorry. >> you can't come here and not have a cocktail, at least. >> is this the famous jacques chef? >> i'm going to give you a kiss. he's going to be here later and the one he wants to kiss is this one. and we'll explain later. >> enjoy the drinks. >> thank you. >> oh, that's good stuff. ooh, mmm! >> how much wood would a woodchuwoo woodchuck chuck. >> he's a great guy and we'll talk to him a little bit later. if you're wondering where we are, we're in montreal. we're in old montreal. [ cheers and applause ] >> it's a beautiful city. if you look at it on the map. sometimes it's hard, canada is so massive. >> how massive is it? >> we're on the far eastern side on the bottom. >> i think we could eat and drink our way all the way through canada. >> i think we could, too. >> we have had a great time, everybody, we do not want to leave your beautiful city. >> it's just gorgeous. >> have we eaten and had everything to drink there is to do? >> everywhere we go, everyone says, you have to try pout ine. now, poutine is potatoes, cheese kurd and gravy. >> chuck is going to make it with lobster and he kicked bobby flay's butt once on "iron chef." >> we've got a terrific show, the barenaked ladies are going to be singing for us on the plaza. >> we invited them kind of late and so only two of them can come. but they're going to sing anyway and they're fantastic. and it's friday funny day, hoda. you know what's coming into town tonight. what's coming into town tonight is the big laugh fest! did you see that ugly thing that was -- just for laughs. how many of you are in town for that? [ cheers and applause ] >> i think they're just cheering. >> how many of you are wearing pantihos ihos pantihose! >> kate middleton has been wearing sheer pantihose in the summertime. except for when she wears open-toed shoes. i wonder if that's going to bring pantyhose back in the summer or any time. bobbie thomas is shaking her head no. apparently they're falling off the shelves because of her. she is such a trend-setter. >> yeah, i think it's great under certain things to help form your body. >> but if you need spanx, you don't need the whole rest of the thing. >> some ladies have the vein situation. and some men like this gentlemen -- there's a -- >> raise your hand if you guys think pantyhose are okay in the summertime? raise your hand if you say no. no. it's an overwhelming no. the other thing that they're setting trends on, do you guys remember when will and kate were in calgary, which is that famous stampede? >> it sounds like. >> anyway, they were there for that. and they wore these, these white cowboy hats, which were so great. now they have these little mini knockoff deals. these are hats with a -- they're cute! >> those look really good when you're wearing pantyhose. >> those are cute, i like those. >> they're stupid looking. >> they are? i kind of like. is it tyke? >> it is time. i thought we would get the laughs rolling. >> let's bring out a guy that's very, very funny. or at least he says he is. mr. jeff ross, everybody! >> hey, ladies. >> jeff! >> hey, sweetie. >> our in town for the "just for laughs"? >> i am. >> it premiered last night. how are you? >> so funny. it's like 30 years of laughs and i try to come every year. a chance to try new stuff. and i make fun of the audience, it's really fun. >> you're doing a charlie sheen thing coming up, we heard. >> he's going to be at the roast for charlie sheen coming up. >> at comedy central. >> he talked to you doing it. because you were on tour with him, right? >> who's better to roast than charlie sheen. >> usually on friday, kathie does her joke because it's a friday funny. >> let's hear it from you. >> it's a comedy festival. there was so many comedians on my plane we had to go through an insecurity checkpoint. >> one more quick one? >> okay. >> a funny one this time. >> wow, you're tough. >> i wish i knew it was matching white dress day, okay? okay. you canadians you love beer, right? >> yes, they do. >> canadian guy is walking up the street here in old montreal, he's carrying a case of beer. his buddy says, why are you carrying the case of beer and he says, it's for my wife. and the other guy says -- good trade! >> that was good. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you, very much. >> bonjour, au revoir! bon jovi! >> thanks. so every time matt and ann and al and everybody goes on some kind of location shoot, they bring each other gifts. but we -- we never get everything. we're not like that, we've so much nicer. >> we are much more generous. >> we're taking stuff back to them. >> what are we taking, hoda? >> let's see. we've got the -- where's the -- >> here. >> you got it. >> this is for matt. >> oh, no. be careful. >> this is for matt. >> i like it. i like it. >> there's some much dirtier ones in the shops i've seen. >> now ann, ann has -- that's her. >> this is for ann, because she's got a brand-new office. this is going to look so charming in her brand-new office. >> what do you guys think. >> you know how al roker dresses to the nines? we've got him a canadian tie. >> for natalie, who doesn't look bad in anything. this is what we got for natalie, guys. her moose slippers. >> and then last, but not least, we have savannah, who is new to our show, too and we're going to give her canadian beaver droppings. to give her energy up. she's exhausted with the new job and everything. >> she is exhausted. so it is try-day. we've got what we've heard is one of the most incredible desserts ever. it's beaver tails. and it's so good. >> beaver tails. >> beaver tails? >> it's a pastry with banana -- >> i just want to get into it. >> you guys love these beaver tails? [ cheers and applause ] >> get in here. >> all right. >> i got to pull it off. >> one bite? >> one bite, really? >> okay. >> oh, my god. oh, my god! >> it's fantastic! >> you want some? >> everything has maple sugar in it. i needed toothpaste at the hotel. they sent me maple syrup toothpaste. >> we've got a terrific show. >> we do, we do. what do we have? >> we're here, that's all you need, baby! >> wait, wait, wait, don't go, there's more food here. this is that dessert. >> the pudding stuff. >> from jardine nelson. oh, my gosh. >> i'm going to canyon ranch spa after this trip. >> oh, my god, that's going to make your teeth ache, right? >> no, no, no. >> what is that? >> maple syrup! >> that is so delicious. it's like a bread pudding thing with maple syrup. >> and you have to -- >> no, no. >> wash it down with ice cream, right? >> i'm so happy. you have no idea. >> that may be the best dessert, that one. you're right. >> we have a lot coming up. we're going to do a little cooking with jacques, your boyfriend. >> we're going to do a little singing with the barenaked ladies. >> you guys stick around, okay? >> that's so good! ♪ ♪ ♪ . . ...some chocolates swiss! ah...the best in the world. oikos greek yogurt from dannon. really? wait until you try it. so creamy thick dannon oikos berry flavors beat chobani 2:1 in a national taste test. mmmm... this may be the best in the world. oikos greek yogurt possibly the best yogurt in the world. like us on facebook and get a free cup of dannon oikos. with olay challenge that. regenerist day and night duo. the uv lotion helps protect skin and firms during the day. the cream hydrates to firm at night. gravity doesn't stand a chance. regenerist, from olay. [ male announcer ] for the most slam-dunk whites, it only takes three-quarters cup of clorox bleach. in the game. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ unleash the hidden power of bisquick. ♪ think of what you want to see ♪ ♪ look around, it's happening ♪ oh, yeah ♪ imagine that ♪ imagine sunshine always shining ♪ ♪ ♪ imagine blue sky just for you ♪ ♪ imagine that, imagine that ♪ imagine this, imagine that ♪ imagine that ♪ ohhhh, imagine that ♪ ♪ all right. we're back and that is vladimir, you can find him here in the plaza jacques cartier, and he is one of the finest artists in the city. >> and he can get these portraits done very quickly. under an hour. and we're going to see how they turn out by the end of the show. they've been making music for over two decades. really, already? and this september, barenaked ladies, the grammy-nominated band from canada is releasing their greatest hits cd, i love the name of this "hits from yesterday and the day before." >> and we're going to get this great acoustic performance from the barenaked ladies here on our own little plaza. and here joining us is the lead singe singer. >> i'm kind of upset that i'm not featured in the portrait by vladimir. >> you're sort of a close member of our "today show" family. >> practically adopted. >> we go way back. >> if i recall in vancouver, you, meredith, natalie, kristi yamaguchi went a little wild. >> we may have engaged in a little bit of tomfoolery. >> and a little debauchery. >> tell us what happened there? >> it was good times. we did a show, they came to our show, i came to their show. are we seeing it? >> who was the big fan that said let's go see the barenaked ladies? >> natalie and kristi was there, kristi yamaguchi was there, it was good times. good times. >> nobody saw you 15 hours afterwards. >> i take no responsibility for that. >> i have to say we were on "leno" the other day and when we brought up the fact that you guys were coming to our show, the crowd just really exploded. there's something about you guys that has such longevity. >> either that or they didn't realize you were talking about the band. >> and it wasn't barenaked kathie lee or hoda. nobody wants to see that. >> maybe that's why they cheered. >> you've done a lot of things, you met the queen, you've done the olympic torch run. >> is the queen a fan? what does the queen say to one. >> the queen leaned in and said, what is the origin of the name? >> she did not! >> and i said, i believe robertson is scottish. >> what is the origin of barenaked ladies? >> it just made us laugh. we were 18 years old. >> that's all you think about when you're 18. >> you think about did from the ages 14 until, i'm 40 and haven't stopped thinking about it. >> your other band members are on location doing other things. but you guys are going to do a unique version of your song, the acoustic version. >> we call it "the today show" version. >> which means what? >> it will be available on our upcoming greatest hits released. no, we're going to do it stripped down and acoustic. it's fun to play like that. >> so the passion is still there for you, right? after two decades, anything gets tired. it doesn't seem to be for you. >> my job is to entertain people. you know that. i play music and i sing songs and i love what i do. >> and even when you're not in the mood, you get out with your people! >> my people, my montreal people! >> and it fires you up, doesn't it? >> absolutely. music is one of those rare careers where it's its own reward. i love to do it, i would be doing it around a camp fire if i wasn't doing it in an arena. >> we can't wait to hear you guys sing, so we'll look forward to that, too. >> we'll fix that. >> go tune up. >> get me in there, vladimir. >> vladimir, throw him a bone. >> it will be time for an extended version of bobbie's buzz. >> and then we're going to visit some animals. >> you don't want to know. >> they're stinky, ugly, but they're adorable. we'll be back. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] we asked real people right off the street to help us with an experiment for the febreze set & refresh. they agreed. 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[ cheers and applause ] >> and we've got bobbie thomas joining us today. >> we stuck her in our suitcase and she's going to tell us everything that's going on in the world of beauty and style and fashion in montreal. >> i love coming here. this feels like you're in europe and it's so chic, it has a little bit of a parisienne touch. and we have bettina, our great outfit from h & m, so on trend. this he do collaborations like h & m does. and i'm really excited to introduce jasmine, who is the owner of a boutique here called luster. she sits in the store and sews clothing. they're both wearing her creations. her friend is wearing a maxi dress, everything is under $100, so it won't break the bank. you sell your items on her facebook and her blog and this is a reversible vest. i just love the concept of somebody making themselves, and it's really local to here and aldo shoes are from montreal. >> i love aldo shoes. >> that's a local brand to montreal. it's so great. and i know you ladies love your cosmetics. one of the drug store favorites here that's great is anna belle. great colors, very inexpensive. it reminds me of another canadian brand, m.a.c. and they have great colors that you can click in and out. >> and less expensive. something sb that reminds me of the canadian bobbie brown is elise portier. she created this great lip duo. it's lipstick on one end and lip gloss on the other. this is what happens, they start shopping. okay? so another favorite of mine award-winning cake beauty satin sugar hair powder. this is fantastic, you can put it in your hair like dry shampoo or use it as a bronzer. >> it doesn't get in your clothing. >> this is zora, and it's organic and ecofriendly. and you've got upper canada soap with maple sugar. >> you even put it in your soap? that's going too far, people, it's obsessive! >> and we've got fruits and passion, a bath and body shop here that everybody loves. and this, ladies that you're going to love. people here may not even know this. the canadian weather stick. >> that looks a little kinky. >> when it's up it's predicting good weather. and when it's down, you may not have such a good day. the canadian weather stick, everyone. >> you have a snack section in your bobbie's buzz? >> yes, well, every time -- >> so sad. >> everybody asks me how do you find items for bobbie's buzz. well, i'm kind of a geek, i have no life. i stay home and spend all of my night on the internet. and i went to blogs like the virtual tourist.com to find out what u.s. canadians ask for people to bring back for them. they asked for ketchup chips. and then this and whip-it is were another popular thing. dare maple sugar cookies. >> and you know what people would like us to take home? this is pantalones. so bobbie, thank you. >> these are the pantalones. >> we're going to try the poutine coming up! we challenge your most famous cupcake to a taste test against new kellogg's fiber plus caramel pecan crunch. really? 35% of your daily fiber. chocolate lava cupcake. 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[ male announcer ] lip perfection. from easy, breezy, beautiful... covergirl. your favorites, in pieces. good morning. i'm meteorologist tom kierein from the weather center. latest on irene, it will be coming close fluff to us over the weekend beginning late on saturday all the way through noon time sunday. we could get 3 to 6 inches of rain around the metro area with winds ho to 60 miles per hour. around the bay two to five foot storm surge. flooding around the shores of the bay ooh, you got snacks! yeah. 24 bucks later. that hurts. it's not like i really had a choice. snack on this. progressive's "name your price" tool showed me a range of coverages and i picked the one that worked for me. i saved hundreds. wow, that's dinner and a movie. [ dramatic soundtrack plays ] this picture stars you and savings. but mostly savings. out there with a better way. now, that's progressive. we're back from beautiful montreal, on the plaza jacques cartier. with a beautiful woman, named marie. >> we're going to a place an hour outside of the city. a terrific zoo called the granby zoo, one of quebec's largest, right? >> yes, it is. >> what will one see there? >> well, i'll show you a couple of our animals here. there we go. this is -- this is a hawk, right? >> this is blizzard, a rough-tailed hawk. >> and hawk in french is bauje. >> and blizzard is a canadian bird, she was found in saskatchewan. and she's an unreleasable bird. so we have a number of raptors at the zoo. we have 1600 animals. >> wow, okay. she seems very sweet. >> she could probably scratch your eyes out, if she wanted to. >> yes, she could. >> let's get to our next one. this is one of my favorites, a striped skunk. >> this is fleur. >> does she have the smelly stuff in her? >> no, i descented her. >> what do you do? >> it's a surgical procedure. >> okay. >> did you get a good look at that, america? >> what's this little one's name? >> fleur. >> which is flower, like bambi. >> and she's so sweet? >> she's not any problem at all now that she's been descented. >> are there plenty of these all over? >> all over montreal. >> but they only come out at night. we have one at the zoo. yes. >> and they're not all as friendly as this one. >> thank you. >> we're about to bring in the cutest thing of all. you're going to love this. this is a sloth. >> you can't beat a good sloth. >> hello, pui-pui. >> they look like chewbacca or something. >> they come from south america. >> and they've got the weird little finger things. >> they do. if simon will turn around, you can see -- like slow dancing. >> and they hang off of trees. >> wow. >> what do they eat? >> plant material, mostly. but they actually in the wild, they'll have algae and plants that grow in their hair because they move so slowly. >> and what do they -- do they eat, so they're vegetarians? >> yeah, they are and we feed them fruits and vegetables and tofu. >> of course you do. >> yes. >> how about some poutine. >> no. i'm against that. it's very, very soft, their hair. i'm just saying. >> okay, that's that bat. yes. >> how you hanging? [ laughter ] >> i crack myself up. >> they're nasty. i'm sorry. >> no, they're lovely. this is a fruit-eating bat. >> i vant to suck your blood. >> and he has an important role in the rain forest. >> can we turn him around. >> he doesn't like you playing with his wings. >> no, he doesn't. >> so they act as pollen eigh r pollinators in the forest. they eat fruit and poop out seeds in the forest. >> can we see that? we're bringing in the big boa. >> oh, my gosh. >> right. brazil. is a boa constrictor. >> we've heard of those. >> and, he's sweet? >> yes, he is. >> has he been defanged or whatever. >> they just squeeze you. >> no, our animals are unaltered. except for the skunk, but otherwise, unaltered. >> this guy is not venomous. >> but you're not afraid he'll squeeze you. >> no, he's not around me. >> but he's going around you right now. >> i'm too big a prey for him. >> you are? let's be sure. thank you, marie. >> we've got a couple of good things coming up. we're going to try the food that everyone has been telling us about called poutine and then listen to barenaked ladies. a big show! ♪ ♪ my name's jeff. i'm a dad, coach, and i was a longtime smoker. in my heart i knew for the longest time that did not want to be a smoker. and the fact that i failed before. i think i was discouraged for a very long time. ♪ knowing that i could smoke during the first week was really important to me. 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[ female announcer ] two hour whitestrips from crest. life opens up when you do. we've been telling you about this dish called poutine. it's made of french fries, fresh cheese curds and gravy. >> and with us is famed restauranteur jacques. and last year you kicked bobby flay's butt on "iron chef." >> but that's not the headline, you know when you're married, youcy to your husband or wife, you get one pass. chuck's whole one person in the world is kathie lee. >> no joke. >> he's been -- >> no joke, no joke. childhood crush growing up, i don't know, i don't know what it is. every morning i wanted to stay home and watch. from 9:00 to 10:00 i just wanted to stay home. when i had a stomach ache or didn't feel good. i would milk it until at least 10:00. and that's my one. >> that's my one. >> well i can stay in town a little longer. >> awesome. >> cook for us. >> let's do it. >> probably the most simple thing you'll ever have, it's exactly what you said, fries, gravy, and cheese curds. >> do we need a drink to start this? >> please. strawberry basil mojito. >> your drinks are delicious. >> i treat them like i would a recipe or a food. >> or a woman. >> am i blushing? >> they're going to be making out in about five minutes. >> keep the cameras rolling. so guys, fries, deep-fried to crispy perfection. that's pretty much it. toss these things in a bowl. salt. pepper. which we're duly, i'm not even going to go there. >> don't do it. >> let's not even do it. cheese curds. >> what are those? >> you want to try one? >> no. >> the best cheese curd is a queb quebecois cheese curd. when you bite into it, it's got to squeak. give it a try. cheese curds, no? [ cheers and applause ] >> i knew they would like it. >> the guy is a curd freak. >> it's as simple as that. i like to add a little bit of lobster. just a touch and lobster gravy. >> how do you make at? >> this is a long process, it takes about six hours, lobster bodies all the shells, a little bit of carrot, celery, onion. you let it boil for about three. >> it smells like a bisque. >> it's my version of a bisque, a little bit thicker. we make a lobster gravy. it's pretty straightforward. >> you serve this at both of your restaurants here? >> only one. >> which one? >> gard monge. >> poutine is eaten traditionally at 4:00 a.m., after a big night out. >> that's when hoda is getting up. >> come on. >> it could be breakfast food. you know what i mean? >> uh-huh, mmmm! >> not bad. lobster -- mmm? is this going to be the dish? is this going to be the dish? >> start making out, please, just go ahead and get it done. >> oh, my gosh. chuck, delicious, thank you so much. >> thank you for coming. >> enjoy montreal. >> thank you so much. >> i guess we're coming back with barenaked ladies. >> they're going to sing, i can't wait. >> more barenaked ladies! ♪ ♪ man: we need a good night's sleep. woman: which means a little heat to keep us warm. and a good dose of support for my back. some over-the-top comfort couldn't hurt. and our perfect dream factory's been built. you're feeling sleepy already? nighty-night. [giggling] we're back with our series called sara in the city. where she tries out her new job. and this one didn't turn out so well. >> really? how odd. sara decided to try her hand at glass-blowing here in montreal. take a look. >> playing with fire is one of the dangers, thrills and beauty of glass-blowing with temperatures of 266 degrees, it's no wonder they call the glass studio a hot shop. ♪ >> so i was excited to learn the ropes. i mean -- flames, of glass-blowing. >> now you're in montreal. glass blowing is cool. you know what glass is made of? >> glass? >> glass is made of sand. mostly, it's molten sand. and here we show people how to work it. we can make magic with it. >> protective glasses in place, okay -- >> it's so hot! >> i was ready to get to work. >> she made a lightbulb. >> she has a cane to blow it. i want to see this. after assisting the professionals, i had my own special project. >> this is an example of blowing a glas. but that's not what you're going to make. what you're going to make is this. >> that's it? >> yes. >> so now we'll do some flame working. >> look at this stuff. it's like fancy chopsticks. >> here we have small rods, but we can work it putting in the flame. >> so baby flame, baby glass? >> baby glass-blowing. i'm rotating the mandrill. sort of carrying the glass and we have to remain in the flame and kiss away. >> i'm going to get in the driver's seat. whoa, it looks like halley's comet. >> the bead stays under the flame and the glass stays up. pretty good, getting there. very good. okay. >> oh, it's dripping, it's turning into a drippy bead. >> now you got it. >> i'm making a bead! >> i think it will be time to kiss now. >> okay, wait a second. kiss. now separate! >> i made a bead! >> it looks like a blueberry. >> and i taught gerald the art of american flame-working. see how i'm twisting this? gravity is going to change it one way. it changes the shape of the marshmallow. now you'll want to kiss it. >> oh, yeah. >> not too excited. it's going to burn on one side. yours is still on fire. it's kind of an edible bead. next stop was the gallery. to see if others appreciated my bead. >> i know you work in this beautiful gallery. you see a lot of amazing work. >> i do. and i have a degree in art. wow. it's really beautiful. >> really? >> yes, it's very zen. >> excuse moi. i made a bead today, it's my first bead ever. >> what do you think? >> professional. >> if you were to see this in one of these cases, would it catch your eye? >> no. >> what do you think of it? you can pick it up. i know it looks expensive, but -- yes, it is a bead. it's called modern interpretation of happiness. >> i think it's great. >> how much do you think you would spend on it? >> about 250. >> $250? >> no, $2.50. >> there's something unfinished about this. >> well, happiness, is it ever finished? >> you've got a point. >> sara, we're so proud of you, she made these. >> and the pros made this. anyway, love you, sara. we'll be back with the barenaked ladies! >> they'll be singing for us? great crowd here in montreal. ♪ ♪ >> this is "today" on nbc. [ screaming ] [ zapping ] there goes dwayne's car. oh, man. there goes dwayne's house. whoa! whoa! and there goes dwayne. man, that thing does not like dwayne. [ male announcer ] state farm's got you covered. nice landing. it was. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. we want to thank of city of montreal. it's an unbelievable destination. terrific. >> and chuck hughes for all the stuff. >> ladies, one last drink, enjoy. >> we sign off with the barenaked ladies singing "pinch me" from their upcoming cd "hits from yesterday and the day before." thank you, merci boucoup! ♪ it's the perfect time of year ♪ ♪ somewhere far away from here ♪ i feel fine enough i guess ♪ considering everything's a mess ♪ ♪ there's a restaurant down the street ♪ ♪ where hungry people eat smoked meat ♪ ♪ i could walk, but i'll just drive ♪ ♪ frencher than it looks outside ♪ ♪ i gotten me ♪ try to scream but it only comes out as a yawn ♪ ♪ when you try to see the world beyond your front door ♪ ♪ take your time ♪ i'm going to make you smile ♪ when you realize that this might take a while ♪ ♪ try to figure out what all this is for ♪ ♪ it's the perfect time of day ♪ to throw all your cares away ♪ but the sprinkler on the lawn ♪ ♪ and run through with no clothing on ♪ ♪ take a drink right from the hose ♪ ♪ and change into my sister's clothes ♪ ♪ climb the stairs up to my room ♪ ♪ sleep away the afternoon ♪ like could give me remember ♪ but it's gone ♪ try to scream but it only comes out as a yawn ♪ ♪ when you try to see the world beyond your front door ♪ ♪ take your time to where i'm going 0 make you smile ♪ ♪ when you realize that this might take a while ♪ ♪ try to figure out what all this is for ♪ ♪ pinch me ♪ pinch me ♪ 'cuz i'm still asleep ♪ please god ♪ tell me ♪ that i'm still asleep ♪ on an evening such as this ♪ it's hard to tell if i exist ♪ pack the car and leave this town ♪ ♪ who will notice that i'm not around ♪ ♪ i could hide out under there ♪ i just made you say underwear ♪ ♪ i could leave, but i'll just stay ♪ ♪ all my stuff's here anyway ♪ like a dream you try to remember ♪ ♪ but it's gone ♪ and you try to scream but it only comes out as a yawn ♪ ♪ when you try to see the world beyond your front door ♪ ♪ take your time that where i'm going to make you smile ♪ ♪ when you realize that this might take a while ♪ ♪ try to figure out what all this is for ♪ ♪ try to figure out what all this is for ♪ ♪ try to see the world your front door ♪ ♪ pinch me ♪ try to figure out what all this is for ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you, montreal! [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you, montreal! [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you "today"! -- captiom

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