Transcripts For WRC Today 20120112

welcome to "today" on this thursday morning, i'm ann curry. >> and i'm matt lauer. i think you can see it's raining hard in the northeast here, but the midwest this morning is bracing for really, the first major snowstorm of the season. and here we are, two weeks into the year. >> this one has a little bit of everything. snow, high winds, matt, and also some bitter cold temperatures. it's going to have a big impact on some major cities in the region, chicago, milwaukee and green bay. we'll get al's forecast coming up straight ahead. and tom brokaw is here, he's going to weigh in on the gop presidential race. is the criticism of mitt romney's business practices by his opponents, actually hurting the republican party's chances of winning back the white house. tom's going to talk about that and some other things. and also coming up this morning, casey anthony's pretrial psychological evaluations have been made public for the first time. in them she reveals that her daughter may have been the result of a rape. also ahead, how a 12-year-old girl used a webcam to catch a brazen thief in the act. and a little later on here in our studio, queen latifah and dolly parton will join us to talk and perform. >> they've already rocked our studio once and they're going to do it again. and we'll talk about giving you a rare look inside the most talked-about hospital suite in the country right now. the room where beyonce and jay-z welcomed their baby girl into the world. we begin with the major snowstorm in the west. we've got al roker with details. >> this is a pretty potent storm and it covers a wide area. we've got winter storm watches, warnings and from marquette, michigan, as far east as cari u caribou, maine. two complex systems, one pushing up the east coast, one coming into the great lakes. one moving up along the east coast is bringing a mix of snow, freezing rain and rain to the northeast and new england. snowfall amounts over the next 24 hours, about six to nine inches of snow generally. but up to nine to 12 inches in central new england. the green and white mountains and the adirondacks. and out west, chicago four to eight inches of snow. three to six in milwaukee, four inches in green bay. south bend will see six to nine inches of snow. about one to three inches of snow in indianapolis over the next 48 hours and really cold air starts to make its way into the great lakes and the northeast. we'll have details on that coming up. matt? into the investigation launched into a troubling video that appears to show u.s. marines urinating on dead taliban terrorists. nbc's jim miklaszewski is at the pentagon this morning. good morning to you. and i think the first thing i have to ask is has anyone at the pentagon authenticated the video or the images yet? >> the marine corps is pretty confident that these are in fact u.s. marines in this video. and they, like just about everybody else who has seen this video, call it disgusting. the video shows four americans dressed in full marine corps combat gear, in southern afghanistan, circled around the bodies of three dead militants and it's clear that they're urinating on the body. at one point you hear some chuckling. and one of the marines says something about -- golden showers. the reaction from the u.s. military and international force there in afghanistan was pretty swift. they strongly condemned the act. calling it disrespectful, and inexplicable. one marine leader in afghanistan told us this senseless stunt will totally undermine all the progress they've made in southern afghanistan. now, the marines are convinced these four marines are from the third battalion, second marines out of camp lejeune. if they are identified and prosecuted, they could be charged with desecration of remains and taking what is called trophy photos. criminal acts. and if convicted, they could spend time in jail. and this just in from afghanistan, the presidential palace called this act insane and demanded that those involved be punished severely. matt? >> we'll be waiting and watching to see what the fallout from this is. jim miklaszewski at the pentagon, thanks as always. it's five minutes after the hour, here's ann. >> now to presidential politics and the harsh attacks being faced by gop front-runner, mitt romney. are they serving to hurt the republican party as a whole. we'll talk about that with tom brokaw in just a moment. but first, nbc's peter alexander is in greer, south carolina with the latest on the campaign trail. hey, p hey, peter, good morning. >> we flew down to south carolina with governor romney. on the plane he told us that the big win on tuesday night felt like christmas morning. but in many ways, that was a home game, he's from just next door in boston. this is like going on the road. and he is well aware that the blistering attacks here will make it much less pleasant. >> how do you feel? >> great. >> it may be warm in south carolina, but the political climate is about to get much hotter for front-runner, mitt romney. >> the next president of the united states, governor mitt romney. >> reporter: fog back-to-back victories in iowa and namvy, romney now appears increasingly confident. trying to present himself as the inevitable republican nominee. focusing exclusively on president obama. >> i know we're going through tough times, and we're going through tough times in part because of the failure of one man, and that's why he's got to go. >> reporter: here in socially-conservative south carolina, where the primary is notorious for nasty politics, romney's opponents are sharpening their attacks. >> massachusetts moderate, mitt romney, he can't be trusted. >> reporter: newt gingrich's latest td ad targets romney on abortion. >> what happened after massachusetts moderate mitt romney changed his position from pro abortion to pro life? >> reporter: and there's been no let-up in the barrage of criticism over romney's record as the former head of bain capital. >> greed, for lack of a better word, is good. >> reporter: this gordon gekko impersonator greeted romney in south carolina. both gingrich and rick perry kept piling on. >> crony capitalism, where people pay each other off at the expense of the rest of the country is not free enterprise, and raising questions about that is not wrong. >> i happen to think that companies like bain capital, could have come in and helped these companies. if they truly were venture capitalists. but they're not. they're vulture capitalists. >> and there's even a gingrich web ad that hounds romney for a road trip years ago when he put the family pet, seamus on the roof of his car. >> this is a completely air-tight kennel. mounted on the top of our car. he climbed up there regularly, enjoyed himself. we love the dog. >> reporter: and among the more serious attacks, a superpac supporting newt gingrich posted in its entirety, a 28-minute bruising movie about governor romney's time at bain. we'll put a screen shot of that up on your screen. it includes this shot that shows governor romney on the tarmac, his feet kicked up. getting polished in front of a corporate jet. i spoke with senior adviser with the romney campaign. who said they were prepared for these attacks, but they expected them not from the republicans, but from the democrats. >> all right, point taken. peter alexander, thank you so much this morning. we've got nbc special correspondent, tom brokaw, here to share his perspective on the presidential race. he's also the author of a new book called "the time of our lives." tom, good morning to you. >> good morning, ann. >> could gingrich in portraying essentially romney as part of the 1%, create a backlash that could hurt the republican chances of getting in the white house? >> we've looked at his financials, he got $1.8 million from the federal housing agencies, ran up a $5 million in bills in tiffanys. i think he's going to have a hard time portraying himself as just a man of main street. now having said all of that, this has had a kind of two-tiered effect. first of all, it's prompted a lot of people to come to mitt romney's defense. notably, jim demint, a senator from south carolina, widely perceived to be the most powerful republican in that state, has not endorsed, but he said in the last 24 hours, george romney is going to win this primary in south carolina. and he criticized both rick perry and newt gingrich for lashing out at what he said was the exercise of a free enterprise system. he defended mitt romney. so it's worked against them as well as for them. democrats are pretty happy. they think they're doing the work that governor perry and newt gingrich are doing the work of the democrats come the fall campaign. >> gingrich got some push-back at an event recently where a voter asked him, maybe you should be criticizing romney on another tack, not this one. and while gingrich's comments may have been misinterpreted about in terms of whether or no he thought that was a mistake, he did, his campaign did release this statement. saying we will continue to examine what decisions he, being romney, made at bain. why he made those decisions, what was motivating him to make those decisions and the american people can decide whether or not they want an investment banker in chief as their commander-in-chief. so how ugly could this get in south carolina? it looks like gingrich is doubling down. >> it's the republican party equivalent of a g-out. they're going hard after george romney. >> mitt romney. >> they're going hard after governor romney, in part because they see that he has got a big head of steam at this point. he's very likely going to be the candidate if it continues as well as it has in the opening two phases of this campaign. but it's, the real danger for the republicans is it will deeply divide the party at a time when they want it to be united. because most republicans, as we've seen demonstrated in iowa and new hampshire, want somebody who they think is electable. who can run a strong race against president obama. >> well the real question then becomes, is will it work? will this tactic work in terms of taking down romney? because romney is saying look, it didn't work in iowa, it didn't work in new hampshire. why do you think it's going to work here on? >> we saw the way it could go in south carolina. and a lot of things could happen, there's two debates between now and then. and that's always the test, about who makes the biggest mistake or the strongest impression. my guess is, it won't work. i've been talking to a lot of people in south carolina. i'm going down there next week. and the issue for them is the economy. they've got very high unemployment, almost 10% of the state. and they're looking for somebody who can solve the economy. and many of them have set aside their so-called social conservative issues. it's a very conservative state. it's a very religious state. but most people we're talking to are saying this time we've got to get somebody who can fix this economy. and romney, continues to run very strongly in all of the south carolina polls. so at this stage of the game, and a week away is a lifetime in primary politics. at this stage of the game, george romney seems to be holding his own and the momentum continues for him. especially because senator demint spoke up for him. >> that's right, for mitt romney. thank you so much. tom brokaw, it's always great to have you here. great perspective, we'll see you back also tomorrow because we're going to have our big 60th anniversary celebration. have we mentioned that? >> has anybody been talking about that? i hadn't known about that? is that true? we ought to say something about that on television. could we talk about a little more here on the "today show"? >> all right. point well taken mr. brokaw. let's get a check of the morning's other top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. good morning, everyone, the assassination of an iranian nuclear scientist is ratcheting up tensions between washington and tehran. secretary of state hillary clinton categorically denied iran's claim that the u.s. had a hand in the killing of the scientist. the targeted car bombing is similar to earlier killings of scientists working on the iranian nuclear program. and while iran has been quick to blame the u.s. and israel for the attack, recent comments from an israeli military chief have raised international suspicions. national guard troops armed with shovels are a welcome sight in cordova, alaska, where rain has now compacted the 17 feet of snow that has been piling up there since november. meanwhile, in north carolina, a tornado reportedly touched down there on wednesday. powerful winds destroyed homes and damaged dozens of buildings. no more surprises when it comes to the extra fees you pay when you fly. the transportation department will now require that airlines advertise prices, including those hefty taxes and fees, that can add more than 20% to the original fare. airlines are fighting the new rules, though. saying that other industries are not required to include taxes in their advertised prices. is the foreclosure crisis finally coming to an end? for more on that and what we can expect today on wall street, we'll turn it over to cnbc and the new york stock exchange this morning. >> well there's lots of news coming out today on the economy and foreclosures have been in focus. foreclosures dropped sharply in 201. while that rate is still likely to rise this year, realty track says the worst of the housing crisis is over. recently, the news has been getting better and better and that has helped to push u.s. stocks to their five-month highs where they're sitting right now. there is one thing, however, that could put a complete stunner in the work and that's higher energy costs. if you thought that 2011 was the priciest year ever for gasoline, costing the average household around $4100, experts say that 2012 could break even more records. back over to you. >> all right. we'll be watching mandy at the new york stock exchange, thank you. the oval office got a lot more glamorous last night. brad pitt and angelina jolie stopped by the white house to chat with president obama about jolie's humanitarian work, fighting genocide and violence against women. pitt was seen using a cane, which has needed since a recent skiing injury. the two are in the nation's capital, promoting jolie's directorial debut and they watched a washington screening of "in the land of blood and honey" this week. it's getting raive reviews. >> sometimes when i watch them, i think, don't you wish you were them? beautiful, talented, get to hang out with -- >> no. >> you don't? >> i like being a slacker. >> everybody is going to buy that. >> mr. roker here with his second check of the weather. >> you bet. let's look at what else is going on around the country. and we've got some cold air ma through the plains. dakotas will see temperatures into the teens today. beautiful day in the pacific northwest. although a little on the cool side. plenty of shine, though. windy conditions down through the gulf. sunny and mild. miami, 80 degrees today. that rain here in the northeast. probably going to be causing problems and as far as air travel, boston, d.c., philadelphia, new york city, chicago. that's what's going on around the country. here is what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. rain has ended. tom kierein in storm center 4. live view from our sky watcher camera showing a few breaks in the clouds overlooking washington at that hour. northeast washington in the distance. prince george's county on the horizon where temperatures are in the mid 40s. montgomery county is near 40. as well as parts of arlington and fairfax counties and throughout much of virginia. bit milder near the bay and chillier in the mountains. near 60 this afternoon. then maybe rain and snow showers tonight. maybe a dusti and that's your latest weather. matt? joran van der sloot, the prime suspect in the disappearance of natalee holloway, will be sentenced tomorrow, but in a different case. he's pleaded guilty to murdering a young woman in peru. nbc's lilja luciano is in peru with details. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. joran van der sloot has been behind bars here in lima for 19 months. this morning, he awaits sentence after pleading guilty to murder. a guilty plea, and then an apology. appearing calm and confident, joran van der sloot told the judge he was responsible for the murder of 21-year-old stephanie flor flores. i regret what i did, he said in broken spanish. adding he felt very bad about it. outside, a cluster of protesters shouted "killer" and demanded justice. a hotel worker found flores dead in joran van der sloot's room 19 months ago. police say she was murdered five years to the day that natalee holloway went missing in aruba. joran van der sloot has always denied any wrongdoing in the holloway case. and authorities in aruba never found enough evidence to charge him in peru, there was no lack of evidence, legal experts say. and the state's confession, the peruvian police, van der sloot describes beating and strangling the victim to death. >> the most overwhelming piece of evidence was his own testimony. that was not a random act and it was basically premed dated. >> reporter: the evidence also included surveillance video. seen walking into his room. hours later, he walks out by himself. prosecutors say leaving stephanie's lifeless body inside. prosecutors seek a 30-year sentence for the 24-year-old dutch citizen. going by your experience, how long do you think he'll serve? >> if he were to be sentenced to 30 years, he'll probably end up serving seven to nine years, given the overcrowded conditions in peru. >> reporter: appealing for a lighter sentence, van der sloot's lawyer told the judge his client was suffering from post traumatic stress when he killed stephanie. stemming from the constant questioning on the holloway case. natal natalee's parents says they hope this will move their quest for justice forward. >> the holloways continue to cooperate with all the law enforcement agencies and remain hopeful that some day, someone will be held accountable for justice here in alabama. >> reporter: today in alabama judge is scheduled to decide whether to declare natalee holloway dead. here in peru, van der sloot will be sentenced for the murder of stephanie flores tomorrow morning. matt? >> lilja, thank you very much. it's now 19 after the hour. here's ann. >> there's outrage in mississippi over former governor, haley barb our's decision to pardon hundreds of inmates. mark potter is in jackson with more. >> former gore hailey barbour is trying to soften some of the anger over the pardons he granted. meanwhile, a local judge has put some of those pardons on hold until they can be reviewed. on his last days in office, haley barbour, the powerful and highly-regarded mississippi governor ended up angering and confusing so many of his constituents. without explanation, he granted pardons or early releases to a long list of more than 200 convicts. including 21 murderers and many others serving time for violent crimes. >> pardon me, this individual can go grab a school bus, go to law school. get a law degree. >> reporter: among those granted pardons were five prison trustees, who worked at the governor's mansion in jackson. four were convicted murderers. among them, david gatlin, sentenced to life plus 30 years, for shooting to death his estranged wife, 2578y. as she held her 6-week-old son and for shooting her friend, who survived. >> i cried, first. >> reporter: tiffany is tammy's sister and said the whole family is furious with barbour, for releasing gatlin. causing them to live in fear. >> he's a cold, calculated murderer. and why wouldn't he come back and finish what he started? you know. being a trustee at the governor's mansion does not change a murderer. >> reporter: also among those pardoned, earnest favre, the brother of retired nfl quarterback, brett favre, he was convicted of a drunk driving incident in which his friend was killed. in a written statement sunday night, barbour's office said, approximately 90% of those who received clemency were no longer in custody and a majority of them had been out for years. but shortly after, a mississippi judge issued an order blocking a release of any more prisoners and ordered the five trustees pardoned after working at the governor's mansion to appear at a hearing later this month. >> it's a slap in the face to me as a prosecutor. for serving 20 years, that we have to go back and try to round up all of these convicts that have been turned loose. and try to fix the mess that he's created. >> reporter: and here at the state capital, some of the lawmakers have been talking about proposed legislation, even a constitutional amendment to limit the governor's power to pardon criminals. ann? >> mark potter, thank you so much this morning. coming up inside the mind of casey anthony as her pretrial psychological evaluations are made public for the first time. but first, this is "today" on nbc. just ahead, a look inside beyonce's maternity suite. >> but first, your local news and weather. your final wish has been granted. wait, wait, wait-- where's the peanut one? [ yellow ] wheeee! oh, hey red. [ male announcer ] m&m's® can't resist m. good morning. 7:26 on this thursday, january 12. you can expect slow going to roads this morning. danella is here with a look at traffic. >> good morning. outer loop of the belt sway a mess this morning. we had an accident at wisconsin avenue. i can still see police lights here involving nine vehicles. it was blocking all but left lane. right now it is in the right shoulder lane. you are still jammed on the beltway. from i-95. you are at 8 miles per hour. you get from i-95 to i-270, that trip is over an hour. >> all right. thank you. nice day is headed in our good morning. rain ended. clouds breaking up pap little sunshine today. lot of cloudiness, too. mild up near 60 this afternoon. cold air surges in after midnight tonight. maybe rain or perhaps snow showers far west and north of washington. may accumulate on grassy areas there. sun back on friday. windy and cold tomorrow. then cold and dry for the weekend. >> thank you, tom. anothe 7:30 on a thursday morning, the 12th of january, 2012. a little bit wet. actually, a lot wet here in the northeast. we've got a big rain storm coming up. people in the west are getting snow and up north as well. and these are the people who are braving the elements outside our window on the world, inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry. >> i feel bad for them. >> we've got to go out and give them a big hug, get ourselves wet. >> we'll get al out there. just ahead, we'll meet a 12-year-old crime fighter. >> a girl in california set up her webcam, hoping to catch her sister messing with her stuff and she ended up catching a real thief in the act. we'll share her story this morning. and i'm not sure i can go on -- the makers of twinkies filed for bankruptcy. >> no! what are we going to do about it? >> does that mean it's the end of the line for the snack cake beloved by generations of americans? what's next, yoohoo? we'll sink our teeth in a that, coming up. and two huge stars in the house, not huge in size, but huge stars. dolly parton and queen latifah -- >> they're little people. >> "joyful noise" stars of a new movie. they'll be joining us in studio and talking about their movie. i saw it last night and laughed constantly. and also coming up a little bit later, we're going to be celebrating our 60th anniversary of "today" and we'll be checking out the remarkable ways and places you watch us. for example, from a subway, in beijing, from a horse. that's something, not even we knew, matt. >> we're going to find out more about that. but we begin with newly-released court records giving insight into caseny anthony's state of mind before her murder trial. nbc's janet shamblian is in orlando with more. >> reporter: these are depositions from medical professionals that have just been released in them, casey anthony says she believes her daughter, caylee, was conceived during a date rape. and she said she also believes that her father could have been responsible for caylee's deathth and both the medical professional said when they talked to her she seemed upbeat and showed no signs of mental illness. seven months after the not guilty verdict, stunning new details about what casey anthony told mental health experts before the trial. a judge in orlando has unsealed the depositions of psychiatrist jeffrey danzinger and psychologist, william weis, two medical professional who is evaluated anthony. according to weis, casey talked about her father, george, saying it is the perception of casey, that her father had something to do with the death of her daughter. dr.-anziger said she told her, i think he held her under water and casey also recounted her younger years. weitz said her father had sexually abused her back to the age of childhood. >> have you ever sexually molested your daughter casey anthony? >> no, sir. >> reporter: george anthony denied those allegations during the trial and the defense never presented evidence. on wednesday, george anthony said he has repeatedly said, he never molested any member of his family, including casey anthony and had nothing to do with the death of caylee anthony. the depositions are just the latest version of what casey said happened to her daughter in 2008. >> there's no doubt that casey anthony, by her own account, is an admitted liar so it becomes virtually impossible to know which of the accusations she's made or which of the explanations she gave had any truth at all. >> reporter: casey also told danziger and weitz about her personal life, saying caylee may have been conceived during a date rape. she said she attended a party and blacked out. she believes that's when she was impregnated. as for her mental state, dr. danziger said i do not find any evidence of an active mental illness. and that anthony was surprisingly cheerful for someone accused of murdering her child. weitz said anthony seemed detached from a lot of her feelings and emotions and used lies as a protective measure. >> she lies about so much, so i think nobody actually will know what to believe and what not to believe. >> reporter: both of these medical professionals were originally listed as defense witnesses. but it's important to note that neither of them ended up testifying at the trial. also this morning, there is information that casey anthony may be splitting with her attorney, jose baez. he told nbc news that he had no comment. back to you. >> janet shamlian in orlando, thank you. >> we have our legal correspondent and psychiatrist. as a trained mental health professional and trained lawyer, what jumps out at you? >> i was surprised we heard a new theory from casey anthony about what happened to little caylee. now she's saying in these evaluations she thought her father may have done something to this little girl and covered it up. interesting that that version of events didn't end up being talked about at the trial. the other thing about it is, these are two psychiatric ev evaluations done i assume for the purpose trying to detect if she had a mental illness that possibly could have been a defense. here you have two mental professionals saying she doesn't have a a mental illness or defect that could be significant in any way. >> psychiatrists are not mind-readers, if somebody is lying to the psychiatrist, they have no way of knowing what's a lie and what's not. and mental illness has very specific definitions. in a diagnostic manual, if you really don't meet all the criteria for that, you can't say the person has a mental illness. but it doesn't mean that they're not a liar or they don't have character problems that could lead to kinds of things that could be criminal behavior. >> savannah, let me go back to you for a second. so casey anthony was found not guilty. she is innocent in the eyes of the law. why were these documents unsealed? >> because florida has some of the most expansive open government, open records laws in this country. there's almost a presumption that court records will be opened. they were sealed during the trial for the purpose of protecting her right to a fair trial. and the judge in the case made a simple conclusion that the trial is over, we don't have to worry about the fair trial rights any more, now they can be unsealed. >> as a mental health professional, does it trouble you when conversations, evaluations like this are made public? >> it troubles me deeply. the cornerstone of any decent treatment and people wanting to come into treatment is confidentiality. and the only time it should be broken is something called a ruling that you have a duty to warn if patient tells you somebody's in danger. >> there's an ethical or legal responsibility on the part of a psychiatrist or psychologist, if someone says a crime has been committed, to tell an authority? >> retrospectively? no. the law is really if someone tells you, i'm going to kill so-and-so, or i'm going to molest so-and-so, then you have a duty ethically to warn. otherwise, if it's in the past, no, you don't. and really, not without confidentiality, without patients feeling they're going to have that, they can't be in a safe treatment. and they're not going to come into treatment. >> just in the 30 seconds i have left, savannah. any surprise at all or any headline coming out of this possibility that jose baez and casey anthony have gone their separate ways? >> not altogether surprising. what strikes me is i don't think casey anthony has too many people that she's connected to in her life. she doesn't have much of a support system. she has no relationship with her family. jose baez was probably one of the closest people to her. but apparently she's got some disappointment. he may be done with her, and gayle's got some theories on that. >> there's clearly the minimum, deep conflict about men in her life. and you know, they're either over-idealized, or if that doesn't work out, they become really devalued. you have to wonder about that being behind it. >> ladies, thank you both. let's get a check of the weather now from al. we've got a change temperaturewise, too. we're looking at looking at som making its way into the plains. single digits. teens and 20s into the central plains, into the mid mississippi river valley. teens and 20s in northern new england, plenty of shine and warmer temperatures through the southwest. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. live view from the sky watcher camera showing breaks in the cloud cover over washington now. little sunshine trying to break through. temperatures from the blue ridge east generally in the 40s. 45 at reagan national. in the upper 30s to mid 30s in the blue ridge west. and we will have highs today in the upper 50s, near 60. then much coder air after mid tonight tonight between midnight and dawn friday. maybe some snow showers and rain showers. snow showers west to north coating on grassy areas. much colder for the . that's your latest weather. matt? coming up, a 12-year-old girl who used a webcam to catch a thief in action. we'll share her story after this. t intin everything. when you've had one too many days feeling sad or anxious, aches and pains, fatigue. when it becomes hard to ignore that you need help. that's the day you do something. depression hurts. cymbalta can help with many symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaids, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. is today your day? 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(announcer) it's more than just that great peanut taste, choosing jif is a simple way to show someone how much you care. choosey moms, choose jif. back now at 7:43, with a tech-savvy 12-year-old who used her web camera to catch an alleged thief red-handed. nbc's miguel agaria joins us with more. >> the pritchards put their house up for sale in august and police say it was their webcam that caught more than a curious house hunter. >> i had it under a bunch of pillows like right over here and i had it kind of, you could see like pretty much my whole room. >> reporter: 12-year-old howie pritchard suspected a thief all along. >> i thought i would catch my sister. >> reporter: but she got more than she bargained for when she set up her laptop and focused her webcal on the entrance to her bedroom. instead of catching her sister, police say she caught this guy, busted rifling through her drawers and stuffing his pockets. >> i saw there's a guy going through my stuff. >> reporter: place say he made his way into her home during an open house. and when howie came home a few hours later, she caught him on her laptop. >> i saw my chair was moved and i saw him come through the hallway and went through ply drawers. >> she came down the stairs screaming, somebody ripped us off. we looked at the video and it was shocking. >> reporter: the pritchards didn't recognize the man, but police did. douglas john callendrella is a 46-year-old real estate agent, convicted of stealing from houses before. two years ago he was arrested for accessing locked boxes to rifle through bay area homes. investigators say when put more than 50 stolen items on ebay, a victim notified police. >> it's shocking the stuff he's taken. especially in this community that's really tight-knit. it's really too bad. >> reporter: the pritchards say the suspect swipeded a diamond necklace, a diamond bracelet and some loose change. but they hope to get it all back. thanks to their 'tween's technology. >> it didn't happen that much like a 12-year-old catch as guy stealing. >> reporter: caught on camera, now callendrella is sitting behind bars. because the suspect is on probation for a burglary, he's being held in jail without the possibility for bail. he faces the exact same charges today in court. as for the pritchards, ann, they've taken their house off the market. >> miguel almaguer, thanks so much for your reporting this morning. coming up next, the maker of a classic snack files for bankruptcy. could it be the end of twinkies? say it's not so. and we'll be taking you inside beyonce and jay-z's much talked about maternity suite, after this. following that fidelity green line? yeah, but it keeps leading me back to my old office. i think it might be broken. or maybe it's trying to tell you something. yeah, but what could it be -- oh! i left my 401(k) at my old job. and i left a jacket on the back of my door. but i think the line's talking about my 401(k). leave a 401(k) behind? roll it over with the company that's helping more people reach retirement than anyone else. call or come in for a free portfolio review today. ♪ maybe it's the things you do or the things you really want to do. ♪ whatever it is, kfc's new weekend bucket makes the weekend even more unforgettable. 10 freshly prepared pieces of the world's best chicken. just 11 bucks. any recipe, any way. only saturday and sunday. so pick up a bucket right now and make this weekend one to remember. today tastes so good. this isn't working. what? i'm not double-jointed. the first rule of roll cover is you gotta keep the cottonelle within arm's reach. good talk. learn to put the seat down. 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keep your friends close... and the way to discover the best balsamic strawberry ice cream closer. the nokia lumia 710. connecting you to the amazing everyday. the nokia lumia 710. like many chefs today, i feel the best approach to food is to keep it whole for better nutrition. and that's what they do with great grains cereal. see the seam on the wheat grain? same as on the flake. because great 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. good morning. 7:56 is your time now. it has been a tough commute this morning. here is danella. >> good morning. delays continue on the beltway, outer loop still jammed at new hampshire avenue. delays start at i-95. you are very slow as you head towards wisconsin avenue. right now 10 miles per hour. earlier nine-car crash out of the roadway. but the damage has been done. 395 northbound slow trip for you as well as you make your way towards the 14th street bridge. no accident in the roadway, just del zblas thank you. your forecast is com ♪ i'm feelin', feelin' a sunny day ♪ ♪ sunny day ♪ i'm feelin', feelin' the taste i crave ♪ ♪ subway ♪ i'm makin' it, makin' it how i like ♪ ♪ it's meant to be ♪ i'm feelin' subway ♪ i'm feelin' subway today [ male announcer ] hey, capital area! are you feelin' subway®? then heat up your day with the big hot pastrami melt! it's fresh toasted and piled-high with pastrami, then topped with pickles, mustard, and cheese. head into a subway® restaurant today for this melty, mouthwatering sub! ♪ i'm feelin' subway ♪ let's go ♪ i'm feelin' subway whatcah, these new jeans i want. i've been looking everywhere. new blue jeans? oh, don't be crazy, i've got tons of blue jeans. frank! frank! get my jean bin, susie wants my jeans. no she doesn't. here we go. nice and loose. ohhh. those are loose, but i actually just ordered three pairs of this kind. ooooohhhh. oh. when it's on your mind, it's on ebay. good morning, tom kierein in storm center 4. live view from the sky watcher camera looking west. moon getting low in the western sky. we have sunshine. clouds, though, should build back in later today. right now we are in the 30s. shenandoah valley west, blue ridge east and in the 40s. 44 at reagan national. later today climbing into the 50s to near 60. then cloudy tonight after midnight much coder air moves in. as it does could get a coating of some snow from passing snow showers. quickly moving through areas west and north of washington. rain showers elsewhere. cold and dry into the happy birthday to the "today show," it's hard to believe that you're 60 years old. you're so new, fresh, sexy and fun. thinking of the history of the "today show," it's like the history of america itself. youth full, glorious, institution. but for me it will be summarized, symbolized and embodied by the beauty and the curve tur of meredith vieira. how i miss her. happy birthday. >> that was great. we miss her, too. thank you so much. for that wonderful rendition. the good news is that she's going to be back here tomorrow, along with katie couric, been ra norville, jane pauley, barbara walters -- >> just say everybody. >> anyway, we're going to be celebrating. >> woo, what are you doing out here? it's a major windstorm, rainstorm out here. anyway, we're now welcoming the 12th day of january and we're wet. and just ahead, we'll be talking about the most important member of the today show, who is you. >> who is me? >> that's right. >> no, who is you. >> oh, sorry, them. >> i thought it was you, matt. >> no, we talk about the viewers. look at it, it's crazy out here. we asked our viewers to tell us where and how they watch "the today show." our website was flooded and we're flooded. and wait until you see some of the responses. all right. okay. >> i'll just say, let's go inside. >> before we do, we want to say, dolly parton, queen latifah. new movie, "joyful noise" singing, interview, inside, natalie. >> give us the news, natalie. come on back inside, folks. >> come inside. >> come inside, i'll save you. meanwhile, in the news this morning, some serious news to begin with, the marine corps is investigating a new video that appears to show four marines urinating on the corpses of taliban fighters. the video is graphic, so we'll only show you this still photo with the faces blurred out. marines are allegedly from a sniper team based in camp lejeune and the video is believed to have been shot in afghanistan. meanwhile u.s. officials have condemned the incident and say they are working to authenticate the video and identify the solds. a mane at camp pendleton, california, testified wednesday that his commanding officer ordered violent retaliation before his squad killed 24 iraqi men, women and children in 2005. sergeant sannic dell la cruz was granded immunity in exchange for his testimony about a staff sergeant. a mississippi judge has temporarily blocked the release of 21 inmates who among 200 pardoned or given medical releases by republican governor, haley barbour, just before his term ended on tuesday. the judge acted on a request by the state's democratic attorney general, who said barbour may have violated the state constitution by failing to give sufficient public notice. president obama is back in washington this morning, after political fundraising events last night in chicago that were expected to raise $2 million. his campaign announced this morning that the president raised more than $68 million in the fourth quarter of 2011 alone compared to republican front-runner, mitt romney's $24 million raised in that same time period. meantime, romney is hitting the campaign trail today, in the next primary state, south carolina. after back-to-back victories in iowa and new hampshire. but his gop rivals are attacking him for his former career as a venture capitalist. now taking a look what is trending today, a quick round of what has you talking online. four-time winter x games champion, sarah burke is a top search on yahoo and google. the canadian freestyle skier is in a medically-induced coma, she underwent surgery on wednesday for unspecified injuries suffered in a training incident in utah. last night's people's choice awards is topping google trends and katie perry was the biggest winner and also the night's biggest no-show. and take a look at this flight of president obama reciting the lyrics to lady gaga's "born this way" gaining traction on youtube. ♪ i was born that way ♪ i make no mistake ♪ i was born this way >> well the clips were all apparently plucked from an official white house website. that is pretty cool how they do that. 8:04 right now, let's go back outside to al with a check of the weather. and serious at the same time. >> it is. you got to watch that you got a nice little bear there, huggable henry? >> yes. >> our security guy. >> and you took it from him. >> i did it. now he's wet. >> that's right and you're wet but it's your birthday, what's your name, young lady? >> izzy. >> that's my mom's nickname. birthday.hday. show you our pick city of day happens to be minneapolis. cloudy, windy, cold. highs only in the low teens today. there's those would storm systems wrapping themselves up, rain and snow in new england and northeast. snow back through chicago. parts of michigan, wisconsin, and anywhere from five to eight inches of snow. sunny but chilly back in the seattle. 43 and sunshine. sunny and 780 degrees in miami. our stage manager is about to do a mary poppins, i think. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. the cloud cover broken up. sunshine breaking out now and temperatures in the low to mid 40s near washington. and 30s farther west up north. all above freezing. upper 40s near the bay, southern maryland, northern neck, eastern shore. late today up around 60 throughout much of the region. lot of clouds closing back in. cloudy tonight and much colder air surging in after midnight. between midnight and dawn friday, we might get some snow showers north and west of the metro area. light coating on grassy areas. rain elsewhere. windy and cold that's your latest weather. matt? >> very good. you're about three minutes behind us, al, thanks very much. up next, two stars for the price of one. we'll catch up with dolly parton and queen latifah. dolly, by the way, loved that president obama video. and we're back right after this. speak frankly about something no one wants to talk about. it's time to get real about what happens in the bathroom. stop all the cutesy stuff. and start talking about what you really want from your toilet paper. it's time to talk about clean. feeling clean is so important. vo: quilted northern soft & strong is stronger than the leading rippled brand to help protect against breakthrough. for myself, for my family, it keeps us clean. i use quilted northern. quilted northern soft & strong. protection for a confident clean or your money back. [ male announcer ] next time, try a subway turkey blt or a fresh fit turkey melt, merely 7 grams of fat each. subway. eat fresh. what ? customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it ? hello ? hello ?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7, you need an ally. hello ? ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. livi ng w ith the pain livi of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis... ...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 system problems,... ...serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your rheumatologist how you can defend against... ...and help stop further joint damage with humira. back now at 8:09. what do you get when you combine one of hip hop's finest, queen latifah, with one of country music's biggest stars, dolly parton? you get "joyful noise" the name of their new movie. when they play gospel choir singers who don't like each other very much. let's take a look. >> it must really gripe your ass to see somebody you can't charm. >> well, i am who i am. >> maybe you were five procedures ago. >> oh! you want to know what passes me off? >> not particularly. >> you are going to hear it. it is your holier than thou, pius, racist self. who gives a rat's ass if i have a few little nips and tucks. god didn't make plastic surgeons so they could starve. >> queen latifah, dolly parton. good morning! you want to do that scene over and over again. we got to do that one more time. >> we didn't even watch us. >> we wish somebody would throw as you biscuit today, we would eat it. >> and we got dolly in a head lock right after that. you were the first person in all of time to do that. >> i hope i have that record. you know, i hope it's official. >> this is the story of two women who are in the same choir, who don't like each other very much. in fact that's kind of an understatement. and one of them gets appointed to head the choir director, and the other one feels like, you feel like you should have that opportunity. and but holy cow, is this movie about more than that. how would you describe it? >> it's about a small town that's suffering from the economy. it's about people running out of money and we've had the choir that we've been competing for years and now we can't afford to do it. and so my character has run the choir, supported the choir with my husband, who is played by chris christopherson. when he passes away suddenly, i think it should be my part. and she takes over because we're both after the same thing, to build up our community. but we don't like each other. because i think it's my job. >> that's where the problem is it's not that we hate each other. it's just that we wind up become competitive, because i get the job that she probably should have gotten. and i'm kind of a control freak in this movie, my character. she's a little too wound up. >> right. >> and her character is much more -- loose, relaxed. and you know, easy-flowing. and so it definitely creates some tension. >> but so as you touch about it, it's about that story and it's also about the economy, it's about the military. it's about mother-daughter relationships. you have a speech in this movie to your daughter that every mother watching this will identify, i mean with a young, growing up, going to be a woman daughter. >> i was scared watching it. i thought, i put fear in myself. >> and there's some great acting. >> i thought about my mom and the conversations we had when i was 17 and when i went through that. and how we overcame that. and it is about those relationships. because you know, dolly's character has a young grandson, who is going through a couple tough times and he has a crush on my daughter. and so it's that letting go, and she's growing up in front of my eyes. but you know, your daughters are always your babies. you just can't see them as young women, you know, so it's all that kind of stuff happening. but it's a very positive movie and the music is really like so uplifting and this is literally that movie that you'll walk out feeling so good. >>ky say that. i walked out feeling good. i cried a couple times and i walked out feeling great. not only do you two throw down. you mentioned these two young people who play your daughter and your nephew. and they are jeremy jordan and ki ki farmer and they throw down. >> there's a kind of "glee" nature to this movie. would you agree with that? >> totally agree. anything to do with music is very uplifting. especially gospel music. so i think people are responding to music these days, because we want our souls to resonate. we need to feel like we need to be lifted up. and this movie does that, i think. >> and people respond so much to you, dolly, because you're so honest. i mean -- >> she's so earthy. >> what an artificial thing to be so earthy. >> even in the movie you're talking about procedures and you're making the jokes about it. you know, you put that in the movie and you felt comfortable. >> uh-huh. >> well i've been at it so long. people have watched me grow up and they watched me grow old and they watched me do everything in between. i've been out there for the people and i love the public and i don't think i have to hide anything from them. >> she said, i had high heels in my high chair. that's what she said. and she said i i'll have them in my wheelchair. i'm dying laughing. >> that's who i am. i'm not a natural beauty like the two of you. >> oh, come on. >> it's a movie with the two of you at each other's throats. but actually in truth, you guys really obviously get along so well. >> we love each other. >> what took so long to get you two in a movie? >> i don't know. >> this script is great. >> angela, that's great one of the great girls in the show. she's singing in the choir with us later. and michelle lynch, who did all the great choreography, we had a lot of wonderful people on this show. >> we need to take a couple of months to get off tour so we could make this movie. but look, the wheels don't go backwards, that bus is moving. and it's probably outside right now. >> going to a gospel show. >> before you get on the bus, i no he you guys will be performing for us a little later. we're so excited about that, we're thrilled. congratulations. the movie is called "a joyful noise." i loved it. thank you. coming up next, we've got from your sofa to the ends of the earth, the unique ways you watch "today," right after this. i want healthy skin for life. 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[ male announcer ] when kelley blue book's kbb.com gave the 2012 camry a best resale value award, we were delighted. ♪ when it received a 5-star overall safety rating, we were ecstatic. and when camry became the number-one selling car in america 10 years running, we blushed. ♪ the reinvented 2012 camry. from toyota. ♪ back now at 8:18, with more of our special series, "today and 60." of course, any celebration of our 60th anniversary has to include our real important people. >> we wanted to know how, where and why you watch "today" and the response was overwhelming. take a look. >> in five, four -- >> it starts like this every morning. under bright lights, we talk to the cameras. and somehow, "today" gets beamed to the world. >> if i thought about it, i would probably panic. the second we get on the air. >> hi! >> who's watching "the today show"? 60 years after this flickering image hit the air waves for the first time -- you would be surprised. 25-year-old michael yan is a regular viewer, watching podcasts of the show on his ipad while he commute on the subway in beijing, china. >> i just love watching "the today show." >> do you ever miss an episode? >> no. >> michael discovered "today" when the program broadcast from the 2008 olympics. and he's been hooked ever since. >> it opens a window for me to america. >> when the sun comes up on laura lambert's ranch in wiggins, colorado, it dawns on her that she's got more than one way -- >> they think they're doing their job. >> to watch "today." this cow girl compete on the rodeo circuit and can't always be home. so she's got a satellite connection on her fancy horse trailer. and, better yet -- >> i can check whatever i need to, the news or the weather. on horseback on my smartphone. >> technology brings "today" to this doctor and her cancer patients at willis knight medical center in shreveport, louisiana. >> if i can catch the 7:00 a.m. opening and that first news segment, i'm good for the day. but there's always the iphone app. >> dr. fagan catches bits and pieces of "today" while going on rounds. >> i get home, it helps me relate better to the patients. and they want to make sure you're in touch with the world, not just their illness. ♪ >> 20-year-old college student heather mallard gets up and works out with "today" at one of the highest-tech fitness centers in the nation. >> the technology is unbelievable. >> at the university of south florida's new recreation center in tampa, each techno gym machine is connected to the web. heather has been a fan. show since she was little, but has never watched like this. >> it's crazy how far it's come from watching on a big bulky screen to watching it on my own treadmill at the gym. pretty cool. >> thanks to global satellites, "the today show" has viewers in every corner of the world. >> my name is victoria and i work in turkmenistan. >> victoria is 7,000 miles from home in this land just north of iran. >> i also absolutely get homesick. >> but she sees "the today show" live every night on armed forces television. >> it gives me a slice of home in a remote location where there's not much of any western influence. >> of course, some viewers have a connection with the show that goes beyond technology. >> i was born the same day that "the today show" was born. >> sandy westbrook turns 60, the same day "today" turns 60. >> i've always thought that was special. >> the pennsylvania woman has witnessed many of the biggest events of the past six decades, watching our program. >> the coverage is extensive. and they always treat the hot topics of the day. >> meg of west allen hurst, new jersey, says "the today show" is like family. because, well, she gave birth to her daughter kate while watching one of my "where in the world" segments. >> i was doing my labor breathing and to look up at matt, smiling and happy in paris, it was very comforting, i guess. ♪ >> and from the city of light, american samantha godden watches "the today show" live at ches francis. >> it's my piece of america every morning. >> with a streaming web connection called slingbox, samantha is ready for our next 60 years. >>. [ speaking foreign language ] >> happy anniversary "today show." and love from paris. >> that's interesting, right? >> wow. to think that you're responsible for somebody's baby. >> ah! >> no, no! >> that's not what she said? >> oh, i'm sorry, i misunderstood. >> see, that's how things get passed around. >> we'll wrap up with a return of your favorite anchors from your last sick decades. but right now, willard scott. >> we're in the heart of it now. happy days are here again. take a look at our birthday buddies from good old smuckers, how sweet it is. james lehey of darlington, wisconsin, is 102 years old today. his secret to longevity? work on the farm. believe it or not, nothing like that. until i was about 14, i worked on a farm all the time. on the hay wagon. verna burr, of henning, minnesota, 102 years old today. enjoys gardening and reading her bible. i do every night. i thought this -- jesse james, of port saint lucie, florida. i won't try to make a joke about that. he's 101 years old today. loves gardening, bowling and robbing trains. no, he doesn't. i just threw that in. wood carver. and we have nettie lobsenz, a nice lady from new york, new york. 103, loves opera, her secret to longevity? matzo ball soup. she makes the best in the country and it's delicious. matzo ball soup, hands down. henry litzel. of kings park, new york. is 100 years old today. and a proud retired firefighter. how about that? what a hero, huh? and he loves to be involved at church activities. can't beat that. and finally, bessie griswold of dudley, north carolina. a lot of griswolds up in connecticut. 100 years old, loves reading the bible. her secret to longevity? moderation. and even in moderation, moderation. that's it. >> all right, willard, thank you so much. coming up, the things you can save money on in 2012. >> but first, we're going to take a look at your local news. and if you're living in the new york area, your soggy weather forecast. 8:26 is your time on this thursday, january 12, 2012. i'm eun yang. major crash on the beltway. it slowed traffic to a crawl. danella, good morning. >> good morning. we had an earlier crash at 355 on the beltway outer loop involving nine vehicles. it is now gone but the damage is done. you are jammed as you pass i-95. this is a look at new hampshire avenue. you can see these cars are barely moving at all. travel speed right now ten miles per hour. from i-95 to i-270 it will take you almost an hour. >> danella, thank you. (ringing) hello? this is the sea calling. the sea? yeah! (laughing) what's it like there? brrrrrrr! how do you deal with that? a coat, a hat. gloves. scraping ice off a car. (making scraping noises) i don't want to rub it in, but where i am, it's 82 and sunny. get me outta here! (laughing) good morning. tom kierein. sky watcher camera looking west into fairfax county showing a blue sky, moon in the western sky now. we have some of that sunshine and temperatures are generally in the 40s. near the metro area. little bit cooler farther west and north. near 50 by the bay. later today up around 60 degrees. lot of clouds returning, though. cloudy tonight after midnight much colder air surges in and could get snow showers north and west of washington. may put down a coating on grassy areas. passing rain showers. then sun back on friday. windy and cold, though. much colder weather for saturday, sunday, and martin luther king damon. >> thanks, tom. more news, weather and traffic for new jus i just had it with cable. it just got more frustrating and frustrating. a lot of times, the picture would break up. for the amount of money that i am paying, my cable company should take care of me. [ male announcer ] stop paying for second best. move up to verizon fios tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years. first time we saw tv on fios was amazing! i was just in a trance watching it. i'm discovering new channels every day. [ male announcer ] and here's a special bonus: sign up now and get $300 back with a two-year contract. fios internet -- the speed, you can't compare. i'm able to take care of things much faster now. [ male announcer ] start saving now. move up to fios for our best price online -- $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years and get $300 back with a two-year contract. or ask us about the option of no annual contract. is change good? in this case, change is very good. [ male announcer ] visit verizon.com/greatprice. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/greatprice. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead. it's 8:30 now on a thursday morning, the 12th day of january, 2012. it's a disaster outside. it's pouring, but thank you very much to these few people who stuck around since the wee hours of the morning. now they're just drenched. although it did stop raining for a bit. >> but they're soaked, the bottom line. >> on the couch i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry, al roker and natalie morales. coming up, what you can get for less in 2012. >> there are a lot of popular things from furniture to gadgets and even wine that will be on sale, we're told. possibly even all year long. so we're going to find out where some of the biggest bargains might be. >> and mark bitman is on sale. >> i'll buy him! how much? >> he wants us to consider eating better by going semi vegan. one night a week. he's going to share some tasty recipes to get us started. >> better for your heart. and queen latifah and dolly parton will be back to perform one of their songs from their new movie, "joyful noise." >> that will be a lot of fun. first let's say hi to josh lucas, the star of the new nbc series, "the firm." and josh is the reason we're inside, he refused to go outside. >> not true, not true. >> trust matt to throw you under the bus. >> i do not have the wet look by choice. >> so, john grisham was here, the man who wrote the book "the firm." and he called you the movie star in every since of the word. >> i guess because i have to fill tom cruise's shoes, that's probably a nice compliment. >> you've been in a lot of great movies. in this role, you're running, you run, we are looking at the trailer, you're constantly running. do they have to make special suits so you can do all that running, without ripping your pants. >> there's a question of how many hours a day i can run. they decided i could do 12 and i was like, no. i worked it down to about eight hours a day. i no longer have to work, i just go to work. >> jumping, you jump. oh, man! you talk about filling tom cruise's shoes, does that worry you when you got the part? >> what terrified me, it was a great challenge, obviously, the point is to try to make it your own. but also homage the fact that i think he did a great job. >> congratulations, we know you just got engaged. and supposedly your engagement had something to do with a mountain lion? >> i was doing a movie in big sur, california, we had taken this place up on the side of a cliff in a little trailer. and unbeknownst to us there was a mountain lion who lived up there and me feiancee knew abou that and i dismissed her and one night ended up walking up alone. it was about six feet above me and growled. and i proceeded to do what they say you need to do, i guess when you see a bear. you just go crazy. >> so you -- you proposed? >> it was an interesting moment in my life. i got into the trailer after making it in. and realized in that moment that she was the right woman for me for all sorts of reasons. like, he said, you were terrified into marriage? >> well, she's a beautiful girl, congratulations, that's nice. >> and by the way, we want to tell people, you can catch a new episode of "the firm" tonight at 10:00 p.m. on nbc. josh, thanks. appreciate it. >> great to have you here. anyway, let's check the weather from mr. roker. tell us more. >> we've got winter weather advisories stretching all the way from marquette, michigan mish, to northern georgia. as far east as caribou, maine with snow there, sleet making its way into the mid new england area. shine in the pacific northwest. tomorrow looking at rain and snow in the northeast. frigid conditions, more snow around the great lakes. cold in the pacific northwest. air stagnation alerts. sunshine but cool around the gulf coast. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> our up and down weather continues. good morning, i'm tom kierein in storm center 4. temperatures are in the 40s from the blue ridge to the bay. 45 in reagan national. blue ridge west in the mid and upper 30s. we will have it climbing into the 50s to near 60 throughout much of the region with clouds closing in this afternoon. much colder air moves in after midnight tonight. between mid night and dawn on friday, may get zmoe showers and rain showers. if snow showers could put down a coating on grassy areas bindy and co don't forget, you want to keep track of your weather, you go to weather channel or weather.com online. up next, from tv to wine, the top things that are going to be on sale in 2012, but first, ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] combine a pnc cashbuilder visa credit card with a pnc performance select checking account and get up to 1.75% cash back for just about every purchase. learn more and apply today at pnc.com/cashbuilder. pnc bank. for the achiever in you. coming up at 8:37, and this morning on today's consumer. saving money. everyone loves a good bargain. while some things will cost you more in 2012, there are a whole list of items that will be less expensive, at least that's what elizabeth mayhugh says, she's from "women's day" magazine with details on how we can get a deal. we like this information, welcome and good morning. why are some things like for example, even get started with technology, going to be less expensive this year? >> part of it has to do with consumer confidence last year, which was at an all-time low. so there are a lot of models on the market that are coming down in price. and also some things have to do with all the innovations that older models are coming down in price. >> i see. >> starting off, this is a tv, yes, but it's a 3-d hdtv. 3-d did not do as well over christmas as people had hoped. part of it isn't that the tv is more expensive, it's that all of the paraphenalia, the glasses, the 3-d blu-ray, there's already according to dealnews.com. a 33% decrease in price. and it's expected that that could even go lower. >> some of the prices decreases are for all year? or is there a window? >> they can be all year. certain things, which we'll talk about has windows and to do with a product release. right now it's the consumer electronics show, so a lot of this is dictated by newer models being released there. which will push down prices. let's start out with tablets. tablets across the board, kindle introduced kindle fire, the record price of $199, a great price, forcing all other manufacturers to come if at better prices. and with something like the ipad, there's speculation that ipad 3 will come out. not that it will be at a lower price, but it will affect the secondary market of already-refurbished ipad 2s. >> this is a gps? >> yes, our phones are getting smarter. they're replacing a lot of the things we used to spend money on. the gps is a good example. a stand-alone unit. the other thing is that the integrated systems that go into your cars are often better and less expensive. say it was $170, is now at $60. >> that's a good deal. >> and if you're comparing. now this is the best deal i would say. >> robert parker, an esteemed connoisseur says this is the year of the buyer. a lot of that is because people were not spending money on the $30 and up last year bottles. so those prices are coming down and you're seeing literally across the board from merchants, sales, big-time. also european, because of the euro, the prices have come down. and that "wine spectator" said look for rhone wines from france. and tuscan wines from italy. the one exception? bordeauxes. >> of course. >> particularly because they're incredible vintage and there haven't been as good vintages lately. and south american wine have gotten better. >> and the e readers, a nook is a good example where their baseline price went from $139, to $99. it's just, catching on and because of it, more and more are coming out. so prices are falling. sports tickets. >> they're going to get better? >> stub hub has seen like a 20% decrease in prices over the past couple of years. >> why is that? >> a lot of people are staying home because they have awesome tvs and they put in these media rooms and viewing rooms so they're seeing the games in hd and they're seeing stuff better. and in certain places, like in baseball or basketball, there's so many games and because people aren't spending the money on the tickets, they're coming down. >> cameras, how much can we save today? >> again, this has to do with the smartphos. so many smartphones are taking such great pictures. so there's less of a need for a yet another device. and also this is so much tied to the consumer electronics show, which is happening right now. the older models are going to come down in price. this is something you can buy right now where you'll see prices, when you ask about timing. the other thing to buy right now -- furniture. there's two times when new furniture models come out, february and later again in the fall. right now take these pieces from mitchell gold, the premiere designer, premiere showroom. those prices are 30% to 60% off right now for the month of january. and in some cases, there's an even 20 % discount off of that. off of custom orders. >> you said the prices through february, right? >> this is through january. i think it goes through january 29th is the main sale. then all the new floor models come out in february. this is like two things where if you're going to buy, buy right now. >> who is going to say you've saved us money. we thank you and appreciate it. coming up, semi vegan meals to get you on top of healthier eating from none other than mark bitman. but first, this is "today" on nbc. and this morning on how to cook everything today, a diet of less meat and more plants. if you want to be better, healthier, why not add a few vegan meals to your rotation? mark bitman is here with recipes, for the semi vegan. that appeared in "the new york times" magazine. and he's the author of the "how to cook everything" cookbook. hey mark, good to see you. we've known each other for a long time. you know this is going to be a bit of an uphill climb for me, because i'm a carnivore. talk to me about what you mean by semi vegan. >> we all know that eating less meat is good for us. >> right. >> we all know we eat too much. there's a study i wrote about in the paper yesterday, that we are as a nation, eating 12% less meat than we were five years ago. >> people aren't doing it and cutting it out cold turkey, no pun intended. >> no. >> they're gradually doing it, right? >> yeah. and that's the idea. no one is talking about it out entirely. i'm talking about shifting the balance in your diet. >> just to be clear, true vegans, no animal products at all, correct? >> no meat, no dairy, no nothing. but we're not talking about that. i'm just -- trying to encourage people to integrate more meatless main courses. >> maybe one day a week? >> one day a week, whatever. settle what are we making, risotto? >> yes, but with barley. and so it's a little different. we start with sauteed onions, some dried mushrooms of any time you like, you could use fresh mushrooms, too. a little bit of saffron for color, but just a pinch, it's expensive stuff. >> why do you like barley? >> it gets that same kind of creaminess that rice does. and it's a whole grain. so you're getting a higher degree of fiber than you would with white rice. >> easy or hard to cook? >> very easy. this is a 20-minute process or so. you cook the barley, just as you would risotto. you cook the barley until it's kind of glossy. and then -- >> what kind of stock are we going to add to that? >> vegetable stock, because we're being vegan. but actually water. you've got so much flavor in here from onion and mushroom and saffron, that even water would work. a little bit of white wine. and then you add the stock, a little bit at a time and stir after every, every addition. >> as you said, 20 minutes, start to finish, you're done. >> it's a little bit of work, but pretty easy. let me make this -- >> you don't have to garnish for me, you know that. >> well, okay. i don't have to garnish for you? well i do want to finish it with some other -- >> it's delicious. i will tell you that. >> it's even better now. >> now we move on. next you're going to make a bean burger? nothing says good morning like a bean burger. >> this is what i had for breakfast. >> i thought that was you. what else do we need to know about this? >> that it's a lunch dish, actually. you know, a bean burger is not a hamburger. but the idea that you can make a burger with no meat whatsoever and you know, they look great, you can garnish them like that. >> i was surprised at how few ingredients there are. it's basically just beans -- >> we can do it, actually. we've got some onion. some cooked white beans, you could use black, red, whatever you like. >> what's this? >> this is oats. and you need it basically for binding to hold it together. >> this is, that's pretty incredible. >> that's the burger, not you, right? >> very funny. >> okay. and a little chili powder. >> could you add some other herbs and spices? >> it could go any direction you want to. and a little water if, if it's too stiff, a little water, if it's not stiff enough. a little more oats. >> you're going to form it into a patty and put it into a pan and fry it? >> right. that's what i'm going to do. and you fry it just like you would a burger. >> i want to taste that real quickly. >> i don't want to take a whole bun one. >> it's going to be hot. >> it is. it's also good, i have to say. real quickly the last one is the sweet potato soup? >> this is sweet potatoes and apples, curry powder, coconut milk. this is real crowd pleaser, because it's quite sweet, but naturally so. >> this is a side dish or a main course? >> a main course with our barley risotto, for example. and some peanuts and cilantro. you're done. >> the message here, don't give up meat completely, if you don't want to, try a little at a time. you're burning your bean burgers. up next, "joyful noise" from dolly parton and queen latifah. no, seriously, on fire now! the today concert series on "today," brought to you by toyota. >> uh-huh. that's absolutely right. we talk to the stars of the new movie, "joyful noise," earlier this morning. as promised, dolly parton and queen latifah are back to perform a company by five-time grammy winner, murray warren, the music director from "joyful noise." he's standing behind me. let's say good morning to dolly parton and queen latifah. welcome again. who knew that hip hop and country had an intersection in the two of you? >> uh-oh. >> we never thought about that. we thought it would be, queen latifah, she's the queen, hip hop, rap, and the movie. she's the queen of her own 'hood, but i'm the queen of dollywood! >> you know you've had such, i was reading through the notes, you two have admired each other -- you have a lot of wow, that's dolly parton moment. >> absolutely. she's, she's, she's always exhibited such confidence and gorgeousness and fabulousness. but humility and humor. so she was someone i always looked up to, growing up and i thought -- if i could just nail, you know, figure it all out, i'll be all right. and own it like that. own it like she does and have such a good time with it, i'll be fine. >> we'll have some good time listening to the two of you this morning. ladies and gentlemen, take a listen to this. ♪ not enough, not enough, not enough love ♪ ♪ not enough, not enough love ♪ there's no room for hating ♪ a heart full of kindness ♪ how long will it take it for that to ring true ♪ ♪ our chances are saving, stop all this blindness ♪ ♪ a new world is waiting for us to breathe new ♪ ♪ so there's not enough love in our hearts ♪ ♪ about it, let's put it in movement ♪ ♪ our life would be better with just enough love ♪ ♪ so we have decided that sometimes kind of movement ♪ ♪ better when we could have more ♪ ♪ there's not enough love in our hearts ♪ ♪ not enough love ♪ not enough love ♪ not enough love in our hearts ♪ ♪ not enough love ♪ not enough trust ♪ and it's going to keep us apart ♪ ♪ there's not enough care ♪ there's not enough sharing ♪ too much meanness ♪ too much double-daring ♪ too much hating ♪ and not enough praying ♪ i'm just saying ♪ it's not enough ♪ it's not enough i often wonder what god must be thinking ♪ ♪ looking down on us, he'd have to be sad ♪ ♪ we better wise up now ♪ before we start sinking ♪ he gave us free choice ♪ but we're messing up bad ♪ there's not enough love in our hearts ♪ ♪ not enough love in our hearts ♪ ♪ there's not enough love ♪ there's not enough love ♪ there's not enough love in our hearts ♪ ♪ there's not enough love ♪ there's not enough trust ♪ so we can pass it on ♪ there's not enough caring ♪ why can't we try harder ♪ why can't we do better ♪ like a good start ♪ not enough praying ♪ i'm just saying ♪ i wish there was more love ♪ i'm praying there's not enough ♪ not enough ♪ ♪ not enough ♪ not enough love ♪ not enough ♪ not enough love ♪ not enough ♪ too much crying ♪ too much lying ♪ too much hating ♪ and not enough trying ♪ not enough staying ♪ and too much good-bying ♪ i'm just saying ♪ it's not enough ♪ not enough ♪ not enough not enough love ♪ ♪ not enough ♪ not enough love ♪ not enough love ♪ not enough love ♪ in your heart ♪ not enough love ♪ not enough in your heart ♪ here in our hearts ♪ not enough love ♪ down in our hearts ♪ i'm saying it's not enough ♪ i'm saying it's not enough ♪ i'm saying it's not enough ♪ it's not enough [ applause ] the movie beautiful. >> we love you, too. 8:56 is your time now on this thursday, january 12, 2012. i'm eun yang. nine-car accident has been cleared off the beltway but traffic is still crawling. let's check in with danella sealock to see the late rest good morning. taking the outer loop of the beltway. still a mess now. i'm getting tweets that you are basically just sitting as you make your way from college park and head towards new hampshire avenue. once you pass coldwell road you will see some movement. a slow trip. roughly 21 miles per hour. inner loop in virginia, jammed at robinson terminal. even slower at this time. 19 miles per hour as you make your way towards the dulles toll road. back over to you. >> thanks, danella. we will take a quick break and good morning. shine. most of the region into the 40s. later today, upper 50s to near 60. clouds close back in. then after midnight much colder air surging in from the west and that may trigger snow showers that may put down a brief coating on grassy areas. elsewhere passing rain showers farther south and east and cold into the weekend. >> tom, thanks so much. more news, weather and tra here's a friendly reminder. it's your last chance to get verizon's reliable high speed internet and phone for small business for only $84.99 a month. call 1.8.solutions now or visit verizon.com/solutions. only $84.99 for high-speed internet and phone. plus your choice of either no annual contract or a two year price guarantee. call 1.866.solutions or visit verizon.com/solutions today. hurry -- this offer won't last long. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 1-800-974-6006 we're back, everybody, i just want to wish "the today show," a happy 60th anniversary, hope you guys have great one and i love you and i'll be back. >> all right. we're 43 years older than he is. that's amazing. back now with more of "today" on a thursday morning, 12th day of january, 2012, thanks a lot to justin bieber for wishing us well during this 60th anniversary week. we have a big celebration tomorrow. toasting six decades of "today," i love saying this, with all the former hosts of the program. coming back, they will be live in the studio. and we'll be talking about some of the highlights of those six decades, i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry, savannah guthrie and al roker. >> and we're looking forward to tomorrow. coming up in this half hour, we'll be head to peru to talk about a serious story, where joran van der sloot is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow, and after pleading guilty on wednesday to murdering a young peruvian woman there. the dutchman is also suspected in the disappearance of natalee holloway, as we all may remember back in aruba in 2005. so how much prison time he may be facing, we'll get the latest on that story, coming up. and later on in today's real estate, we'll take you on a tour of some of the great open houses all across our country, from vermont, to virginia, mississippi, barbara corcoran picked out gorgeous homes that are priced just right. and what's in a name? apparently quite a bit if you're a celebrity. the hot baby name this week is blue ivy. that is jay-z and beyonce's baby girl. what about suri or shiloh or harper? hollywood couples like to give unique names to their bundles of joy. how do you feel about them? we'll take a look at an online poll. people feel strongly about these names. >> you have to wonder how the child feels about it later in life. i like blue ivy. let's check the so top stories of the morning from natalie at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. the marine corps is investigating an inflammatory new video that appears to show four marines urinating on the corpses of taliban fighters. the video is graphic, so we will only show you this still frame with the faces blurred out. and now u.s. military officials have identified the four, saying they are part of a sniper team based in camp lejeune, north carolina and the video is believed to have been shot in afghanistan. officials in the u.s. and afghanistan have condemned the incident. the republican presidential candidates are working overtime in south carolina, hitting the campaign trail nine days ahead of the next primary. meantime, front-runner mitt romney and ron paul are getting an early start on the january 31st primary in florida. both candidates are pushing for some 424,000 republican absentee voters to cast early ballots for them. joran van der sloot, the prime suspect in the disappearance of natalee holloway, will be sentenced tomorrow in a different case, he has confessed to murdering a young woman in peru. nbc's lilia luciano is in lima, peru with details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, natalie. joran van der sloot has been behind bars here in lima for 19 months. this morning, he awaits sentence after pleading guilty to murder. a guilty plea, and then an apology. seeming calm and confident, joran van der sloot told the judge he was responsible for the murder of 21-year-old stephany flores. >> reporter: i regret what i did, van der sloot said in broken spanish, adding he felt very bad about it. outside, a cluster of protesters shouted "killer" and demanded justice. the hotel worker found flores dead in van der sloot's room 19 months ago. police say she was murdered exactly five years to the day that natalee holloway went missing in aruba. van der sloot has always denied any wrongdoing in the holloway case. and authorities in aruba never found enough evidence to charge him. but in peru, there was no lack of evidence, legal experts say. and the state's confession to peruvian police, van der sloot describes beating and strangling flores to death. >> the most overwhelming piece of evidence was his own testimony. that was not a random act like he initially said and it was basically premeditated. >> reporter: the evidence also included surveillance video, seen together walking into his room. hours later, he walks out by himself. prosecutors say leaving stephanie's lifeless body inside. prosecutors seek a 30-year sentence for the citizen. going by your experience, how long do you think he'll serve? >> if he were to be sentenced to 30 years, he'll probably end up serving seven to nine years, given the overcrowded conditions. >> reporter: joran van der sloot's lawyer told the judge he was suffering from post traumatic stress stemming from the constant questioning from the natalee holloway case. holloway's parents hope this will move their quest for justice forward. >> the holloways continue to cooperate with all the law enforcement agencies and remain hopeful that someday, someone will be held accountable and brought to justice. here in alabama. >> reporter: today, an alabama judge is scheduled to decide whether to declare natalee holloway dead. here in peru, van der sloot will be sentenced tomorrow morning for the murder of stephany flores. natalie? >> lilia luciano in peru, thank you. no more surprises when it comes to the extra fees you pay when you fly. according to transportation department will now require that airlines advertise prices, including those hefty taxes and fees, that can add more than 20% to the original fare. airlines are fighting the new rules, though, saying that other industries are not required to include taxes in their advertised prices. new york state health officials have dismissed complaints that some new parents were mistreated at lennox hill hospital during the high-profile birth of beyonce and jay-z's daughter. the hospital is still investigating. meanwhile, we're now getting our first look inside the luxury maternity suite where beyonce gave birth. the hospital denies reports that the power couple paid $1 million to take over the entire floor and have the suite renovated. and if you're bored with your cooking routine, take a look at what composer steven j. anderson did to his kitchen. he wired appliances, bowls and utensils to electronic gadgets to prove that synthesizer music sounds better when it's homemade. take a listen. ♪ ♪ those are the sweet sounds of static electricity, great idea for anyone who has been learning to play the cheese grater. it's now seven minutes past the hour. back over to you. very creative. >> i wish i had that kind of time on my hands. >> a lot of free time. >> good for him, though. let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> that guy has to wire up willia happens. as we check out your weather for today, we have a mess going on. we've got winter storm warnings, watches, advisories, winter weather advisories, all the way from marquette down to northern georgia, as far east as caribou. low pressure bringing snow and rain here in the northeast. snow back lou the great lakes as well. and as you can see, we have a lot of the activity now starting off as snow in new england and changing to rain as you go further south. rain very heavy. snowfall amounts 3 two 12 inches of snow from the adirondacks, white mountains, then out west, chicago, four to eight inches of snow, up to six in milwaukee, four in green bay and six to nine inches in south bend, indiana. that's what's going on around the country. >> good morning. shine broken out of the wake of the rain overnight. i'm tom kierein in storm center 4. right now we are in the 40s around the metro area. 46 at reagan national. later today, climbing into the upper 50s, near 60 and clouds closing back in and cloudy tonight. after midnight cold air surging in. may trigger snow showers and rain showers. some brief snow showers could put down a light coating on grassy areas, north and west of washington. windy and cold on friday, sunshine back. sunny, but cold for saturday, ♪ now, today's real estate. what you can get for under $400,000. from a southern charmer to a northwest mountain escape, great homes that might inspire you to do a little house-hunting. our today real estate contributor, barbara corcoran is here with more. the community in hernando, mississippi say they're the community where community always comes first. a four-bedroom, four-bath home. >> you're right about that, what's great about hernando, they have lots of reasons to bring people together. they have the christmas, the fourth of july parades, movie and sunset concerts in the historic square. they love each other and they make sure they spend a lot of time together. this is a massive brick house with over 3,500 square feet. what it is crying out for in the front, is a big old tree. it needs a tree to ground that house. so the living room has wood fors and a fancy wrought-iron bannister. the kitchen has granite counters, black wood cabinets and a tile backsplash. the dining room has w wainscotting. the great room has high ceiling, gleaming wood floors and french doors to the back deck. the back yard is landscaped with a covered patio and drapes that block the sun, which you needs in that part of the country, mississippi. >> the second-largest banking hub after new york city was charlotte, north carolina. >> i was surprised to find that out. what this area also claims to have is more scotch-irish ancestors than anywhere else in america. this house looks gorgeous. i love the flowering trees. the kitchen has wood floors and an island and a breakfast area, a nice bay window there, makes the kitchen. and the open arch entry and columns frame the formal dining room. the family room has glossy wood floors and transoms over the extra-tall windows, you'll see that in just a minute. and the windows look high, but when you look at the lefthand side, it needs crown moulding. the carpeted master bedroom has big windows and a barrel-vaulted ceiling. and the private back yard is like an oasis, you can almost hear the birds singing, there's a wood deck and a fancy cabana. not a bad spot to hang out. richmond, virginia, a nice four-bedroom, four-bath home for $379,000. >> richmond is the state capital, that is everyone knows and it's also the capital of the confederacy during the civil war. it's loaded with historic homes all over the place. this home is on a private cul-de-sac with a long driveway, within walking distance of the pristine james river. the kitchen feels cozy with the cherry cabinets, granite countertops with an island breakfast bar with a wine cooler tucked in. the simple dining room is desperate for another window. they could stick another one in for only $400 and it would increase the value by $4,000. the living room windows are on all sides, very different and also has a beam vaulted ceiling. the master bedroom has a perfect niche for the bed against a bank of sunny windows and out back, there's a screen porch with a big wood deck. and the white cement between those bricks is so white i think somebody sat there and scrubbed it for 15 weeks to make it look so white. i've never seen bricks more clean than that. >> if you like mountain views, the next place is in bend, 0o r oregon, a home in the eastern foothills, this one is $389, 900. bend is east of oregon's cascade mountains and that's what gives the area its breathtaking beauty. this used to be a mill town. this is a town home, which shares a common wall with its neighbor. but with its snazzy federal style architecture, it looks really just like a louse on the outside. it has three full master suites, so when your kids want to come back home, there's plenty of room. the kitchen is gigantic, i think we looked at that, we're on the dining room, it's elegant with an arched window, wide baseboards and wood floors. the living room has a brick fireplace and oversized windows and there's a bonus room at the top of the stairs set up as an office, you can use as anything. and out back, a shaded patio with pretty landscaping. >> and a three-bedroom in manchester center, vermont. >> it sits at the base of mount equinox, 4,000 feet high. a classic vermont cape comes with three huge acres ever land. the kitchen feels peaceful, inside, with white wood cabinets and turquoise walls, clean, simple, really works. the dining room has a picture window that takes full advantage of the spectacular mountain views. the living room has a raise ceiling with barn beams and a tiny old-fashioned propane stove on the back wall? i never saw anything like that in my life. >> i think it's a wood burner. >> it's a pellet stove. >> the sunny yellow guest room is like being in a bird's nest with treetop views, who wouldn't be comfortable in that room. the ponderosa-style fencing out back corrals the willow tree, birches, apples and lilacs. only $399,000. >> very nice. barbara corcoran, good to see you. still ahead on the heels of beyonce and jay-z's baby joy, we'll look at hot celebrity baby names. and then later on, say it ain't so -- twinkies and ho hos no more? this bowl of strawberries is loaded with vitamin c. and now, b vitamins to boot. coffee doesn't have fiber. unless you want it to. splenda® essentials™ are the first and only line of sweeteners with a small boost of fiber, or antioxidants, or b vitamins in every packet. mmm. same great taste with an added "way to go, me" feeling. splenda® essentials™. get more out of what you put in. why se ttle for a why se one-note cereal? ♪ more, more, more... get more with honey bunches of oats 4 nutritious grains 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[ sniffling ] [ male announcer ] not sure what to take? now robitussin® makes finding the right relief simpler than ever. click on the robitussin® relief finder. click on your symptoms. get your right relief. ♪ makes the cold aisle easy. ♪ robitussin®. relief made simple. today's moms is brought to you by vicks cough and cold medicine, nature fusion. flavored are real honey. this morning on today's moms, celebrity baby names, love them or hate them, they're always a hot topic. >> we love to debate these names. which hollywood couple got it right. we have a contributor to "baby.com." >> all right, the one that's now swirling through the twitterverse in the world, blue ivy carter. only a few days old and already a big name. >> a big name this year, a name that everyone is talking about. we're all sort of wondering where they got it from. but the clues are all there. jay-z, three of his albums have been named "blueprint." his recent song, which he talked about blue i'vy. he makes a reference to the blue sky that could be a reference of dreaming big. and ivy is the roman numeral four they both have a tattoo with that and they're both born on the fourth day of their birthday month. >> now baby center polled nearly 3,000 moms with their favorite celebrity names. let's go through the top five. as we see them. number one being -- >> number one is harper seven. number two is aiden, three is lee many james and willow sage and araabella lee. >> and a lot of celebrities love this name. and this is actually -- it is actually the fastest growing name of the year, harper. harper seven is again, there's a trend with that name. like ivy in that they use numbers. and so, it's sort of a trend that we're seeing this year. harper is the fastest-growing name. it's climbed 34 spots since the last year. it's a name that all people are really using. >> and pink and corey hart have willow sage. >> they have willow sage. and arabella rose and that's ivanka trump and jerry kushner. we're seeing a trend with colors. and parents these days told us that they really choose their names based on how they sound and their uniqueness. and all of these names sort of fit in with that. >> i wonder if celebrities feel they have to come up with some really unusual name. i mean it's almost like the name is an accessory to them. which is kind of weird. do you think that there's some pressure to have a really special name for a child? >> i think that people are going with names that have sent mental value to them. and also again, i think celebrities aren't that different with the trends that we're seeing. in what all people use to name their children, which is again, how it sounds and uniqueness. it's important to everybody. >> people also feel very passionately about the celebrity names they don't like. >> that's right. >> let's get to those. first up is bear blu is one of them. moroccan scott, and agnes clark. bear blu, alisha silverstone's little one. >> that's in line what was the least-favorite name last year. which was betty blu, jamie oliver's baby. so we see, people are telling us that they like names that sound strong. so maybe parents didn't think that that sounded strong. and then moroccan, we go back to that's mariah carey and nick cannon's baby. we go back to the sent mental value. mariah's room in her house is called the moroccan room, inspired by moroccan design. scott is nick cannon's middle name. it had sent mental value to them. >> i like agnes. >> and we should point out there are a lot of celebrities whose children have more conventional names. >> traditional names. >> but they wouldn't be in this poll. >> because everyone likes them. >> and agnes is on the rise, actually. it is not one of our favorites this year. it rose 57%. >> there you go. >> now let's talk about some baby bumps. a lot of hollywood baby bumps out there. bruce willis, emma hemming, reportedly due any minute there. >> and bruce has three daughters with very unique names, scout, tallulah and rumer and jennifer garner and ben affleck, are expecting and their daughters are violet. so we're looking for them to inspire or predict popular names moving forward. we do know that 50% of our parents surveyed do look at celebrities for names. >> all right. >> those are the ones we're watching. >> one way we're talking about celebrities do. thanks. after the break, coming up, new year, new beauty products, a preview of the best beauty buys you'll be seeing on store sheriffs, but first, these messages. le announcer ] in 1894 a small town pharmacist set out to create a different kind of cold remedy. using powerful medicine and natural ingredients from around the world. he called it vicks vaporub. today the vicks journey continues. introducing new vicks nature fusion cold & flu syrup. powerful multi-symptom medicine flavored with natural honey instead of artificial flavors and dyes. so you can feel good about what you take to feel better. ♪ vegetables picked at their peak ♪ ♪ so fresh my knees grow weak [ male announcer ] new hearty bertolli meal soup for two, with crisp vegetables and tender chicken. 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[ female announcer ] only from aveeno. 9:26 is your time now on this thursday, january 12, 2012. good morning. i'm eun yang. after a wet start to the morning, things have cleared up nicely. we are looking at a beautiful day in the nation's capital. let's check in with meteorologist tom kierein in the storm center. >> hi. enjoy it while you can. live view from the sky watcher. city camera showing us some sunshine breaking out. and we have temperatures right now in the 40s and it will climb into the 50s later today. 46 at reagan national. getting near 60 for a brief time early to mid afternoon. lot of clouds around by then, though. then tonight much colder air surging in. cloudy and after midnight and between midnight and dawn friday we could get snow showers, north and west of washington. they put down a light coating on grassy areas. quick rain showers and cold and dry into the weekend after that. >> tom, thank you. we will be right back with a check on your traffic. good morning. if you are traveling the beltway we have big delays, inner loop jammed to arlington boulevard. delays actually start at broad october and continue to i-66. you are at 20 miles per hour. taking the beltway in maryland slow at university boulevard. delays continue to georgia avenue. eun, over to you. >> thank you. more news, weather and traffic for you in just 25 "today show" is turning 60. i wonder how that feels? >> that's a long time. that's almost as old as me. >> happy 60th anniversary. i'm older than you. >> 6 o0 years of great broadcasting and may there be 60 years more. >> aw, so sweet, our thanks to judge judy, bill cosby, elton john. tomorrow, have you heard -- we're celebrating 60 years of "today" with a special reunion of all the people that you've woken up with all these years. plus, much, much more. and in fact after the show we're heading over to the empire state building. we've got a pretty shot of that right now. >> great. >> we're going to go light it up in our colors. and it will look much better because the clouds are going to move out. and the rainbow will break out. >> the skies will part. >> and the sun will shine. >> it's going to look great tonight. >> if you're in the new york area, look up at the empire state building, you'll see our red, orange, yellow iconic colors. >> the new year a good time to try out new beauty products. bobbie thomas is out with her best buys from your hair to nails to lips. the best products of 2012. >> what's that. >> she's exfoliating. >> or she's got a dremel drill. and we've probably had a cupcake or ding-dong. icons of the american treat, hostess snacks, the company has filed for bankruptcy. does that mean the twinkie could go the way of the dodo? say it ain't so. and we're saving you time in the kitchen with three suppers all in one skillet, all the i ingredients to make that fast and easy. >> let's show you what's happening for today. rain in the northeast with snow through new england. also around the western great lakes, sunshine, but cool in the pacific northwest. windy from the into the gulf coast. for tomorrow, we are looking for snow -- lake effect snow showers and eastern great lakes. could pick up another few more inches of snow. frigid conditions in the plains. plenty of shine working through the southwest. cool through texas into 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. just past 9:30 now. we have the sunshine clouds beginning to build back in. we are in the 40s most of the region, 46 at reagan national. and then it will climb into the 50s elsewhere to perhaps briefly near 60. areas just south and east of washington. then cloudy late afternoon and into the evening. then after midnight, the cold air returns. and as it does, we could get snow showers that might put down a light coating on grassy areas north and west predawn tomorrow. then windy and and that's your latest weather. where is elizabeth burke? that's the burning question these days, thanks to the usa network's hit show, "white collar." and she plays the wife of an fbi agent. in last season, things weren't looking so good for her. tiffany, good morning. there was spots of blood on the carpet. >> it was tomato sauce. >> okay. >> it made it look like it a little bit. >> but so we're left wondering, what's happened, i know you're not going to tell us. >> i can't tell you. it's a big episode that comes up next week on january 17th. on usa. and i can definitely promise you that it's an action-packed, very fulfilling episode. >> the show is really getting into the social network aspect. there's a website called where is elizabeth burke. do you look at it? >> i do i think it's funny. there's great little tidbits every day. >> viewers are giving i way clues. >> are the clues hard? >> the clues are pretty hard. >> we just did a segment on celebrity baby names, you were ahead of the trend. you have a beautiful little girl, you have harper. you've been away from her for two days. >> i have. >> first time. >> first time. hard on a mom, it's the first time. so i'm looking forward to going home tonight. >> she's adorable, very cute. >> she's a cutie. >> well, tiffany, you seem to be doing well. your character? we'll find out. you leave us hanging. >> tiffany, thanks so much. "white collar" returns next tuesday on usa. coming up next, bobbie thomas has the best new beauty products of 2012 and the year is just getting started. right after this. [ female announcer ] therese uses dove. molly, ordinary soap. would they switch? notice a difference? it feels a bit tight. [ female announcer ] soap leaves behind soap residue that can cause a tight draggy feeling. with 1/4 moisturizing cream, dove cleansers rinse cleaner than soap. ♪ eat well, live long ♪ have a good daisy, work out, get strong ♪ [ female announcer ] enjoy the fresh, 100% natural choice in cottage cheese. ♪ have a good daisy ♪ have a good daisy but sometimes i wonder... what's left behind? 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[ beatboxing ] this morning on bobbie's style buzz, the best beauty buys for the new year. today's style editor, bobbie thomas is here with some of her top picks for your face, lips, nails and hair. good morning to you. 2012, why not get new stuff, right? >> there's holots of new stuff d i'm excited. >> let's start with skin and what you call skinnovations. >> there are lots of new products popping up on the market. dr. dennis gross came up with a new sunshine in a bottle. an active vitamin d serum. the first topical d serum that will help to penetrate, minimize pores and give us the elasticity and the little glow. >> it gives a little color? >> no, not color, a little bit of an oil emulsion, it's great so far. >> what do we have here? >> this is kind of cool from romy, digital foundation, everything is trying to go high-tech. if you try this out, this is going to pat, it doesn't just vibrate. you can try this on your face. what it does is the foundation is inside. there's no foundation in there right now. >> it's not working, bobbie. >> the patting motion 5,000 times per minute. so it's trying to mimic the professional way of like when they use a stippling process. it really does give a smoother application. i do like it a little better than airbrushing, it's kind of cool. and it starts for around $39.95. >> it feels like i'm shaving right now. >> another sort of skin treatment, hyaluronic acid retains water. after you put the serum on in the starter kid for their eye systems, you use these patches to enable the microcurrents and you wear it for 40 minutes, they claim that the microcurrents will help the acid penetrate deeper into your skin. >> really? >> i have to say that, in the salon professional services do use microcurrents and have great results. this is something at home, you can try it. >> how much is it? >> it starts at $129 for the whole kit. treatment-based. >> let's get to lipsticks. >> you call this almost lipsticks. >> for over 40 years, black honey was clinique's best selling color. they sell one lipstick of the black honey every two minutes. >> really? >> really popular. >> if you look at this, it looks like it's black. but cool part of this is that it's sheer. and can you layer this as much as you want. they just launched, because of the popularity of this formulation, and the color, seven new honey colors. you can try that. >> what's this? >> cover girl, pat mcgraph is one of my favorite beauty wizards behind the catwalk. so she created this flip stick. they're meant to be layered and she's included the tangerine color that's going to be so big this year. those are fun to get different lip colors. >> and affordable at the drug store. >> at-home manicure kit. they better be easy. >> they are, and the big buzz has been gel manicures the past year. because i have them on my hands, they last this is just like nail polish the way it's applied. and they'll last for up to two, i've worn it for months, a months without chipping, it helps your nails stay strong and in order to remove it you soak cotton swabs with acetone and they'll kind of slide off. now you don't have to go to the salon to pay about $50 or more for an application you can buy one starter kit for about $60, it comes with the color and the mini lights which helps cure it and bakes it on. it's only a few minutes and you don't haveny nicks or scratches because it's hard. it's red carpet manicure, they were the first to offer this. and now even drug stores like cvs will be carrying lines like sensational. >> does it come with the -- >> you can't just try to take it off the normal way. >> it comes with everything, primers, base coats and top coats, it's really easy, i did it last night. >> and you apply this -- good. here we've got hair. what do we have here? >> i really like some of the new products out. ojon has delivered a straightening system that's a safe alternative, that are controversy-free. this is something you can do at home. and for one 90-minute treatment, up to 30 shampoos this will keep your hair straight. i had an issue with hair loss because i was stripping it so much, so i was looking for solutions to make my hair thicker and aveda has come out with a good system for men and women dealing with hair loss. there are lot of new companies looking into this category. nioxin is another good brand. obviously on other website you can find other articles i've written about that. this is is a first for mass market, a lot of high-end corrections don't use alcohol. and l'oreal's everstyle, it's a complete styling collection for your hair, which is great. >> and this is amazing. >> goody is coming ott in march with this new brunch. it claims to help reduce water by 30%. there's microfibers in between the bristles, so when you brush your hair, you'll brush the water out of your hair and dry time is faster and less damage. >> why is it 2012 and we're just getting something like this? >> goody has a great idea. >> i love it. bobbie thomas, great ideas, it's all on the website. coming up, is it the end of the line for the twinkie? we hope not. we'll find out after this. 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nbc's john yang takes a look. >> for baby boomers, these spongy, golden, cream-filled cakes are the king of snacks. >> i used to be a pastry chef for 14 years, and i do have it say i have a guilty pleasure for the ho hos and the twinkies. >> i think of being a kid again. >> the future of these guilty pleasures may be crumbling. hostess brands has filed for bankruptcy protection, to try take a bite out of rising costs for labor and ingreed yeths. while they reorganize, they say they'll keep store shelves stocked with the product. >> the twinkie as an icon is too big to fail. we all want to hold on to those memories, we saw so many commercials that that nostalgia becomes real. >> you get a big delight in every bite of hostess twinkies. >> those ads were a staple of kids' tv for generations. >> yahoo! >> it's twinkie the kid. >> despite the push for healthier foods, the twinkies' long list of ingredients hasn't changed much. steve eplinger is the author of "foods deconstructed." >> recently, twinkies sales have sagged, but overall, big snacks have held steady even in these health-conscious times. >> if i had a dong-dong on or twinkie right now, i'd have to visit the gym. i feel guilty. >> chefs deep-fry them for dessert. and once on "today," ann made twinkie sushi with a group of kids. >> twinkie sushi, you call it? >> yes. >> the appeal, that indescribable, irresistible, melt in your mouth taste. >> they're looking for the sweet and fatty sensation, which is what you get from ice cream and other favorite treats. >> it's delicious and the moment you're eating it, it's like the best thing in the world. >> reporter: for "today," john yang, nbc news in chicago. >> they'll still be as good, 60 years from "today." yum. coming up, supper in the skillet. but first this is "today" on nbc. today's kitchen is brought to you by folgers, the best part of waking up is folgers in your cup. well this morning on today's kitchen, what's for dinner? i'm like al, hello, that's your line. >> it's supper surprise! >> al was gone all week, i'm a little rusty. >> it takes hours to prepare, but they're easy to put together any night of the week. >> that's right. >> natalie? >> yes. >> chris kimball has three recipes in the illustrated cookbook. chris, good morning. >> what happened to my segment? >> you make fun of me, every time. >> we're going it make it easy for people at home right now. everybody has got one of their recipes. >> go to your pan. >> go to your room. >> lasagna. >> in one pan? >> it's usually two or three hours, three or four pans and it tastes twice-cooked. this is the best recipe i've ever done on a show. 20 minutes from start to finish. >> he's a modest guy. >> the book that came out, this is it. >> mix a little onion and garlic, get the pink out and we have regular lasagna noodles, ten, broken up. >> not the no boil? >> just the plain old. >> and a can of tomatoes with a little extra water on top. >> uh-oh, savannah, don't burn the house down. >> it's burning. >> you don't know, this is hazard happening back here. >> well, it's this is a cooking lesson, that's why i'm here. and that's tomato paste. >> tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and we'll actually cover this and let this cook for about 20 minutes. >> and then this is what you have here. the reveal. voila. >> a little parmesan goes on, okay? >> rather than mozzarella. and a little ricotta, which we have about a cup of that. we do it in nice blobs, okay? >> delicious. >> and we're going to put the top on and let it sit for five minutes, okay? >> okay. >> like that. >> and we'll let it sit without the heat. >> and move it over to al. and put a little basil on top and there you go. >> the second greatest recipe you've ever done is this shrimp and price. absolutely. >> we start with large shrimp, a pound and a half and saute them, with the tails on. >> with the tails on, a little pepper, heads off, tails on. >> is that a book? a movie. >> a little paprika and salt and oil. 30 seconds a side. take it out of the pan, don't overcook. >> and next some diced onion. >> a little chorizo, a little onion, garlic. a cup and a half of rice goes in. medium-grain. a little clam juice. and two cups of water. so this is like a quick paella. and 14 ounces -- >> diced tomato? >> yes. and you can do it on top of the stove. it works great in the oven for 20 minutes at 350. >> and add some frozen peas, the shrimp goes back in, you're done. >> the third greatest recipe? >> the best for last. chicken and potatoes. >> a pound of red potatoes, microwaved them in a little olive oil for about four or five minutes. >> why do you nuke them? >> because we're going to saute them in the pan to brown them. and they'll be precooked. four chicken fillets, a little salt and flour. dredge them. >> dredge away and put it in a little oil in the hot pan, got it. >> okay. then what. >> the potatoes, you take the chicken out. a switch of the pan. put the potatoes in and get them nice and brown. take those out. >> you have some brats? >> and then -- >> chicken stock, lemon juice. sage. we put this up. >> and three of the greatest recipes chris kimball has ever good morning, everyone. i'm barbara harrison. we are following breaking news out of southeast washington. where there are reports of a three different shootings. police swayne of the shootings on alabama avenue, southeast. mere the congress heights recreation center. two other shootings were in the same area. there's no word at this point how many people were shot or their conditions at this time. we have a crew the way to the scene and will bring thank you latest today on "news4 midday." we will check on the forecast. let's go to tom kierein now in storm center 4. >> good morning. on the roadways we have had troubles all day. inner loop in virginia still jammed at arlington boulevard. travel speed for you is 19 miles per hour. and taking the beltway in montgomery county, still slow new hampshire avenue. delays continue. barbara, back to you. >> okay. we will continue to follow this breaking news story. shootings, three different shootings in southeast washington. washington. join us at 11: captions paid for by nbc-universal television hey, everybody. so glad you're with us today. it's thirst day thursday, january 12th, also the birthday of our cutest pet contest, which we'll get into in just a minute. >> we spent a record number of hours yesterday together. >> mm-hmm. >> from 7:30 a.m. in the makeup room until about 9:30 at night. and we're still talking. >> still friends. that lasts longer than some marriages do. >> yes. we had fun. what was really fun, kind of capped off at the end of the night when usually you're losing steam and stuff. >> right. >> we had a nice little dinner, didn't we? >> we did. the other day we were sitting in the dressing room, minding our own business, makeup room, matt walks in, says i need you two on wednesday night. why? i need you to go to dinner with us. that was me. we go, why? matt can't get somebody to go to dinner with him? he says because i'm having a dinner with somebody and i was told to bring some fisticuffs. >> fisticuffs. >> i'm fists. she's cuffs. we ended up having dinner with tom hanks! we did. a great little restaurant on the east side. that was jim bell, who wasn't really invited but he shows up. what are you going to say, you're not invited? we let the guy say. >> talking about tom hanks, he is so down to earth and unaffected by all his success. >> been interviewing him for years and years and years, and the one thing consistently with him is his humility. i forget how many oscars he's won. but he had me at hello. he looked at me and said, oh, and you brought a 19-year-old intern. >> that's right. >> my hair was big back then. anyway, we had a ball. a ball. >> very nice time. tom hanks actually helped you with your own son. how about that? >> what does this man not do for others? cody has started an internship out in los angeles, and he's very excited about it. i've been trying to reach him all week long, like how is it going? it's very important. final smeser in film school, and he's looking towards his future. i'm a mother and i want to know. just cricket, crickets. >> nothing. >> around 5:00 yesterday i'm at the apartment getting ready and i texted him. i did. having dinner with tom hanks tonight. boom. two seconds later. are you kidding me? so if you're having trouble reaching out to your children, just lie to them. he thought it was a lie at first. i told him so. but years ago, i think i've told this story, when ron howard and tom hanks were doing "the davinci code" in paris, we were blessed to be on the set one night. >> mm-hmm. >> cody was under the tarp with ron howard with 32 playback machines, watching the escape from the louvre, from that movie. tom was hanging around. cody knew that night that's what he wanted to do. i've always been very indebted to ron howard. and, you know, it's late, it's 1:30 in the morning, like tom wants to talk to a teenaged kid. he was 14. >> changed his life. >> changed his life. so sweet to cody. you never forget the people that are kind like that. >> back to cody finally texting you back. the weird thing with a lot of young kids and their parents or just people in general lately, nobody talks anymore because they're texting and they're facebooking and they figure they know what's going on, i saw the picture, i don't need to hear it, blah, blah, blah. i was thinking about that movie, what is it called again, "he's just not that into you." there's a scene where the drew barrymore character is walking through the grocery store and she's upset the guy hasn't called her back. >> nothing. >> the problems everyone is having with communication. take a look. >> it's not just texting. it's e-mail, voice mail, snail nail. >> that's regular mail. >> whatever. it's not working. i had this guy leave me a voice mail at work. i called him at home. then he e-mailed me to my blackberry so i texted to his cell, and then he e-mailed me to my home account. and the whole thing just got out of control. and i miss the days where you had one phone number and one answering machine. and that one answering machine had one cassette tape. and that one cassette tape either had a message from guy or it didn't. and now you have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. it's exhausting. >> that's why i don't do it. >> stay away. >> i know. the irony is we're communicating more through more as she calls them portals and we're actually not connecting at all with one another. i got that text from cody, i picked up the phone, i said i've got him now. >> yeah. how about when you text someone, and you find they're so sick of all the haze and you figure they want to talk and you call them and they don't answer. you know they're there. you just texted. the phone is in their hands. >> snail mail is still important. next thursday, a week from today, hoda woman has to finally go to jury duty. >> jury duty. >> dragging her off to guantanamo bay. >> know what i'm saying? you don't go to reichers. >> there's a big, big announcement. >> only rikers? >> that far away. my sister blew it and she knows it. next week sitting in hoda woman's chair will be none other than my mother. [ laughter ] i can hear people going, what? my mother happens to be the funniest woman on the planet. she just doesn't know it. so a week from today, tune in. >> pop the popcorn. >> joanie epstein. and regis philbin will be with us for practically the entire show. >> the people's choice awards last night. one of our favorites won one. i don't think he was present to win. >> he didn't think he was going to win. >> jamie fallon won favorite late-night tv show. >> we're so happy for him. >> we are so happy because no one is kinder. >> most of the laughs at our expense but we love the guy. >> yeah. >> i put him over the top. >> how about our sexy lover hugh jackson's favorite star? >> love him. >> katy perry won five awards last night. she wasn't there. the biggest winner of the whole night. and she was nominated for seven but got five. and this might surprise people, only because there's been so much publicity lately that the name brand has been tarnished perhaps by kim's wed, but nope. the fans spoke and they said she's still our favorite reality star. >> kim kardashian. we were telling you about the cutest pet contest. we've narrowed it down to ten. >> it is too late. >> stop sending. >> don't take it personally if you don't get it. >> we're about to reveal them. in the dog category, bentley. >> totally agree. >> you know what, and he's got the ipod speakers. >> precious. >> also look at lily. >> lily from sand spring, oklahoma. >> cute. in the cat category, all running together, smokey from hickory, north carolina. >> here's another dog. >> haley! from wake forest, north carolina. another dog, buster, from brooklyn. >> looks like the little dead-end kid. >> and daisy, another cat. very sweet. summerville, north carolina. >> from texas, isabella joining our group. >> oh, come on. >> and who can forget pongo? >> from indiana. and lucy lou. from washington. >> and then finally from albany, oregon, we have cortez. >> wow. they're all great. it's up to you guys now to decide so you can't take it out on us. go to klgandhoda.com. you can only vote once. you have until friday. you may vote for your own pets but that's it. >> there's always a viral video that catches fire, and this one has caught fire. this is president obama, someone has taken clips from his speeches and put it to a song. and the song is "born this way." it's hot. let's take a look. ♪ ♪ >> a massive amount of work went into that. not sure it's legal, but someone did a heck of a job. >> here's something legal. i'm going to play a little country music. >> i'm halfway in if you say country. >> it's an actual song. so you know, all of you have a little hillbilly bone in you. >> oh, yeah. ♪ this is when you've got your cowboy boots on in a honky-tonk bar in the south somewhere and kicking it up. >> when's the last time you did that? >> i do it in my apartment all the time. here it goes. ♪ i got a friend in new york city never heard of ♪ ♪ conway twitty don't know nothing about grits and greens ♪ ♪ never been south of queens came down here on a business trip honky-tonking and that was it ♪ ♪ took to it like a pig to mud we all got a hillbilly bone down deep inside ♪ ♪ no matter where you're from you just can't hide ♪ yee-haw! >> thank you, blake. that leads us to, okay, is it okay or not to change a pop hit's lyrics? i said -- >> you said if you're the lyricist and you own it -- >> no . if you're the lyricist, you own it. >> that's what i meant. you can change it as many times as you like but no one else has the right to change an artist's words. >> copyright. >> here's what i said. >> sure. i always thought "our lips are sealed" was "honest i see you." it's not. >> it's our lips are sealed. >> hoda woman. we can't go because we have to talk about "sister act," which we saw yesterday, for the second time. you guys, there she is after the show. she is amazing in this. the show holds up like crazy. even if you're catholic, please don't be afraid that the show makes fun of catholicism. it doesn't. it embraces it. the actress who plays the lead, forgive me for not remembering at this moment. it was great. >> awesome. the songs stick in your head. you'll be singing them. >> it's so much fun. >> all right. coming up next, actor josh lucas, very sexy. remember "sweet home alabama"? he's back. and miranda cosgrove. >> she just got engaged but not to miranda so don't get confused. the money i save with progressive lets me do some pretty cool things. buy people gas. come on around, we'll fill up your tank for you. pay their baggage fees. you're so kind! thank you. even pick up their parking. i'm just saving it forward. this parking's on me. tell 'em the messenger sent you. so i'll be out there sharing my savings with the people i meet. hmm. been looking for this since albuquerque. saving it forward. now, that's progressive. 12 hour hold challenge. apply fixodent once, and it holds all day. ♪ take the fixodent 12 hour hold challenge. guaranteed, or your money back. ♪ there's an easy way to fix that. lubriderm® men's 3-in-1. the first and only body, face, post shave lotion all in one bottle. it's that easy. ♪ lubriderm® men's 3-in-1. ♪ vegetables picked at their peak ♪ ♪ so fresh my knees grow weak [ male announcer ] new hearty bertolli meal soup for two, with crisp vegetables and tender chicken. 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[ female announcer ] we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra strong? hollywood heart throb josh lucas got his big break in the 2002 box office hit "sweet home alabama." also starring the adorable reese witherspoon. now he stars in his first major tv series playing a lawyer in the new nbc drama "the firm." the. >> the show picks up where tom cruise left off in the 1983 movie. and now mitch and his family try to start over in washington but unfortunately mitch can't seem to escape his past. >> i'm not sure but i think they're trying to kill me. >> mitch, what are you talking about? >> i don't know who they were but -- >> hold on. he's here. he's saying they tried to kill him. we agreed he wouldn't g. >> find out where he is. now! >> hey, buddy, where are you? >> he doesn't know! he's here with us now. that's where he is. how are you? >> happy to be here. i have a great story for you, hoda. about two years ago i had missed jury duty so many times -- >> what happened? >> that i went to the courthouse because i was going to go do this movie "a lincoln lawyer" and i said can i do my jury duty now? they said absolutely not. we do it when we tell you and if you don't do it, we arrest you. literally a week after i finished "the lincoln lawyer" i showed up for jury duty and got chosen. i go down. be prepared to be chosen for this reason -- i go down and immediately the defendants recognize me. i went to the judge and said obviously this is, you know, a good reason to not be on the jury. they said, no, because there's so many people now during jury duty in new york city who are recognizable or known to some extent that we can't dismiss people for that reason. i was on a jury and it was the most fascinate thing of my whole life. >> was it? >> i did the tv show because of that. >> you're kidding. >> absolutely. >> wow. because tom said to us last night he would love -- >> no he didn't. he's never been called and as an actor he would find that experience fascinating. >> it's remarkable. it is truly the ultimate in human drama, it really is, life or death. it's more interesting than any television or film i've ever seen. >> other than "the firm." >> the point of the show is to try to live up to sort of the john grisham elements but also throw in on the legal case where you see that level of drama. >> were you a fan of the movie or book during the day? >> absolutely. >> you have hundred-hour weeks now. >> never ends. >> one hour a day would be pretty much it. >> is your character similar to the tom cruise character we remember from the movie or different? >> it's ten years late sore the family has been through a lot, probably through one of the worst things human beings can go through, trying to survive with the idea a that at any given moment something terrible is going to happen. they're moving around for ten years. the show takes place when they decide on their own, against the fbi's wishes, to come out of witness protection. >> try to have a life. >> lead a normal life. >> is it the kind of show where you miss the first one and catch the second one yo you know what's sort of happening? >> it's very much a show they've written it -- it's nbc. they need it to stand on its own. they need each episode to be individual. so i think that's part of the kind of interesting challenge is each episode has d -- if you watch it, you're rewarded but if not, hopefully it stands on your own. >> you have another challenge in your life. many. but finding time to get married. just got engaged and with hundred-hour weeks i don't see it in the near future. tomorrow is not looking good. >> we actually postponed our wedding date because of the show because we were at a certain point, like, when do we have time to -- >> she's beautiful. >> that was downstairs i just met her. yeah. she will remain nameless. >> we don't want to give that away. just her photo. >> do not say the name. >> i know it and i'm not saying it. nice to see you. >> thank you very much. very happy to be here. enjoy jury due pi. a it is an amazing experience. >> don't take too long. don't leave me with my mother for too long. >> coming up, the new episode of "the firm" at 10:00, 9:00 central tonight on nbc. >> up next, why michelle obama is hanging with miranda cosgr e cosgrove. to walk like one. when you walk 10,000 steps a day, it's the same as walking a professional golf course. humana. proud supporter of health and well-being. guys... 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[ announcer ] introducing block live. yeah! welcome to block live, sir. thank you! did you have any other jobs this year? a new service that allows you to video conference... with a tax professional... who will prepare and file your taxes for you. h&r block. never settle for less. if you have kids of pretty much any age, we don't have to explain who miranda cosgrove is. >> but if you've never seen "i carly" she's a personal, lovely young lady. >> in the next episode, first lady michelle obama makes a special appearance. >> are we in trouble? >> no, not at all. >> she watched "i carly" online last week. >> seriously? >> my daughters are big fans and i am, too. >> what are you doing here? your excellency. >> you don't call her your excellency. >> no. no. i kind of like it. >> she's a good sport, huh? hi, miranda. great to see you. >> great to see you guys, too. >> how did that come about? >> she watches "i carly" with my daughters and my dad is in the military. he gave us the idea for the show. >> we love reed alexander. give him our love. >> what was it like when the first lady was on the set? how did you guys feel and how was it? >> it's crazy because there's secret service everywhere. they come about two weeks before. >> the dogs. >> a lot of people, too, like secret service. she was just really nice. she came to the set and she was so easy to talk to and just, like, she loves fashion and dancing. i met them before, but she said they helped her with her dances. >> how did the dancing come about on the show? >> we do random dancing on "i carly." >> nothing choreographed. >> no. just for fun. rand random. >> how would you rate her as an actress? >> really good. >> seems natural. >> she's funny in real life. >> you've been doing the show for several years. tell us -- >> amazing how it keeps building. >> thanks. i started when i was 13 and now i'm 18, so i've been doing it for a long time. i have a great time. it's really fun. >> you don't feel trapped by -- young stars do. they can't wait to get out of their contract and pose for "playboy." you're not feeling that urge right now. >> no, not really. >> a lot of young actresses struggle with going through maturity in front of everybody. >> right. >> what are your biggest challenges, do you think, going through that? >> well, for me, i feel lucky because i'm from l.a. and my parents travel with me and they're really supportive. i feel like anytime i have to make a big decision, i know i can go to them. they're there for me. that helps a lot. yeah, really, it's just -- i have a great time getting to act and i've had a really good experience with it. >> sure. imagine that, a well-adjusted teen megastar who actually likes her parents. >> okay. >> this is unusual. never happens. >> we have to have you back again. >> what's next for you, honey? >> i actually have an album coming out this month. i'll go on tour and singing and all that. i just got a car. i'm excited. >> that's huge news! >> we're happy for you. >> what did you get? >> a white car. >> great to see you. we'll be right back. ♪ i woke up to a feeling ♪ every little thing has meaning ♪ ♪ i woke up to a light bulb on ♪ every little thing is possible now ♪ [ female announcer ] we've added a touch of philadelphia cream cheese to our kraft natural cheese to make it creamier so whatever you make isn't just good, it's amazing. ♪ ...is amazing with the love that i found ♪ ♪ would they switch? notice a difference? it feels a bit tight. 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[ male announcer ] well done mom! less drama, more fun! totino's pizza rolls. back on this thirst day thursday, learning how to eat smart today. if you want to be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings with a single bound -- >> or if you want to just increase your energy and help fight cancer, we're glad you're here. >> hey. >> you look great for the new year. >> thanks. >> often we do these segments on superfoods it's avocado, salmon, et cetera. this is different today. why? >> superfoods, it's not a set term. we traditionally think of them as foods that are packed with nutrition that have health benefits. but these are more off the beaten path but popping up in regular grocery stores. >> what are we starting with? >> hickama. >> pick that up. up to five pounds. it is a root vegetable and it's loaded with what helps promote the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut. promotes good digestion. >> in other words -- >> one cup of that, got some cayenne pepper on it, but one cup is about half your day's worth of vitamin c. it boosts the immune system. >> has a flavor. >> it takes on whatever you season with it, seasoning, eye yen pepper. >> two guibites. >> now we have kefir. it's similar to yogurt but it's fermented with a grain. >> fermented? >> fermented with what we call can kefir grain, a combination of dwrooes yeast and bacteria. >> ew. >> no. the combination is really powerful. it may even help prevent colon cancer and also help boost your immune system. of course it has calcium and prote protein. >> does it taste like yogurt? >> it's similar. try this one right here. pick one. blueberry flavor. there's lots to try. >> it's tart. it's good. >> you can make salad dressings with it, smoothie. if you tried flaxseeds in 2011. >> who didn't. >> 2012, try the chi seeds, yes, the same as the chia pet you may have had. they are filled with omega 3, protein, and they have the same amount of fiber as one cup of oatmeal. >> comes from the chia pet? don't do it. what does it taste like? >> it has a mild taste. so you can add it to anything -- salads, oatmeal. they on soabsorb water so they' great for soups as well. >> crunchy. >> a little crunch. loads of calcium there. we're adding crunch for texture. this is one of my favorite ways to boost the nutritional power of your salads or sandwich. these are broccoli sprouts. one ounce is like eating three pounds of mature broccoli. there's 50 amount the times of the anti-cancer properties in there. do you like the texture? they add the texture without adding some waxy -- >> i thought they would be like something else. >> next we have black garlic. >> ew. >> basically garlic that has been fermented. the theme of the day, fe fermentation. we know garlic helps lower cholesterol and it becomes a little more sweet so you can add it to baked goods or spread it on a sandwich, add it to a salad dressing. >> here's the problem -- it looks awful. >> put it on a sandwich. >> that really -- sorry, kerr ri. >> you're going to love this next one, i promise. okay. if you've conquered getting salad greens into your diet, become a nutritional overachiever here and get your steamed vegetables in. we have some kelp and nouri here. sea vegetables are amazing because they're loaded with vitamins and minerals -- a, c, e, potassium, iron, very low in calories. you can add them to soup, powder, meatballs. of course they taste a little salty. go figure. >> is this what they wrap sushi in? >> it is. >> which i love. >> and other the stuff with it. >> you can have plain. sprinkle it on a salad. >> a little attitude. we're trying everything. i think you need to just settle down. all right? >> i'm so excited. >> why am i eating everything? >> barley. >> they love this stuff. >> oh, my god. >> if you're eating oatmeal, throw in the barley. if you're eating brown rice, throw in the barley. it's packed with niacin, good for your skin and hair. >> with peanut butter on it, it would be awesome. >> we got to go. >> nutritional yeast has 100% of your b vitamins and one tablespoon has nine grams of protein. vegans love it because it's a great alternative. you can put it on popcorn. >> is it on this? >> on there. >> end on a high note. >> this is awesome! thank you. so are you. we love you. you're a sweetheart. >> up next, getting back on track. why now is the perfect time to do it. >> tons of food and nothing to eat. 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[ male announcer ] antacids don't relieve gas. gas-x is designed to relieve gas. gas-x. the gas xperts. you feel it working, so you know you're ready for whatever the day brings. compared to ordinary toothpaste, you feel a deeper clean. up to a two times cleaner feeling. new crest complete. feel it working. all right. we are two weeks into the new year, and if you're just about ready to give up on your new year's resolution, you are not alone. self magazine says 75% of resolution makers slip up within the first two months. >> but it's not too late to make a few little tweaks to your goal to help you set up for real success. >> here with help is "self" magazine's editor in chief. she knows everything about everything. >> i'm sure that's true. but we know it takes three months to have healthy behavior become a habit. there are a lot of obstacles that pop up in three months. >> it's called life. >> yeah. we have ways to help you get back on track because everybody -- >> a lot of people don't make their resolutions public. they think i'm going to lose weight, i'm not going to tell everybody -- >> setting yourself up for disaster. >> not a good idea. >> we don't like to stumble in front of your friends, but that support and that accountability helps you meet your goal, your positive living goal. that's what i like to call it. not resolution. >> i said what i was going to give up for next few weeks and i ate a little chicken that frank had breaded. she goes, that is bread. you know what, she wasn't too nice about it but she reminded me. >> that's right. >> i think some people get discouraged because they give up certain foods and they don't see results. there's point you go, why am i doing this? nothing is happening? >> we have to measure incremental change, right? you don't lose ten pounds all at once. you have to reward yourself for two pounds, the way your clothes are fitting a little better, toning up. >> don't get on the scale every day.exactly. >> your body, your clothes tell you. >> the other thing we know is if you set these positive goals, you're ten times more likely to make them. rather than a rigid goal, give up chocolate, i can't do that. like a great one, i want to save money, that doesn't work either. specific little goals. >> i did this for two weeks and now i'm five days away from the end of it. short goals like that are manageable. i don't say i'm going to give ut up forever because that's unmanageable. >> plan for success. on a rainy day, you can sleep in. but you say tomorrow, i want to go for a walk with my friends. can you get the kids to school? plan it. >> when some slip on a resolution, one bad day -- >> they give up completely. >> i hate the word resolution. i like positive goals because a goal is reachable. resolution can be too negative. >> new diet or whatever. >> so if you slip up, that doesn't mean the year is blown or the month is blown. start over. >> forgive yourself. >> i say mulligan monday. you can start any time. your body doesn't know the difference between jan 1 and feb 1. don't think it's game over if you mess up. this is a process. remember, three months to get to that final -- >> what is it, three months you just get in a groove? >> that's right. whatever is working for you, stay with it. sometimes you get incremental success and you give up the food log or unfreeze the credit card or go to the bar and start drinking and smoking. >> put the credit cards in the freezer. >> i believe in that. >> my two weeks are up, going to order egg plant parmesan and then go on it for two weeks. >> celebrate and go back on it. not an all-or-nothing proposition. you can talk about your tips or challenges. >> when? all day? on facebook? >> yeah. >> you still ride your bike to work? >> i do. not on rainy days, no. >> she rides her bike to work. >> i never really liked her. >> the other thing, don't rely on outside people. it's helpful but -- >> you're responsible for your own life. >> i wear a little magnet bracelet to remind me to be on track. they all remind me. you can also put little notes on your mirror. >> we do it. yeah. >> we should. you should. >> i forgot everything. i didn't care. see, to lucy. a sip of wine. thank you. >> god bless. >> happy new year. >> coming up next, guys, cool travel ideas if you're looking for a winter getaway. what's this? it's progresso's new loaded potato with bacon. it's good. honey, i love you... oh my gosh, oh my gosh.. look at these big pieces of potato. ♪ what's that? big piece of potato. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. what's that? big piece of potato. hershey's air delight. experience light and airy, melty bubbles. made from pure, delicious hershey's milk chocolate. hershey's air delight. you could spend as much as $200. olay says challenge that with an instrument that cleanses as effectively as what's sold by skin professionals for a whole lot less. new olay pro x advanced cleaning system. [ male announcer ] what if we could keep enough plastic waste to fill over 200 garbage trucks out of landfills each year? ♪ 6.5 million pounds of plastic, gone. by using new glad trash bags, designed with reinforcing bands to be stronger with less plastic waste, we can. ♪ it's a small change that can make a big difference. ♪ it's a small change that can make a big difference. one chance to hunt down the right insurance at the right price. the "name your price" tool, only from progressive. ready, aim, save! grrr! ooh, i forgot my phone! the "name your price" tool. now available on your phone. get a free quote today. time for today's "travel and getaways" that will take you away from the cold. >> whether you like to ski or snow tube or sled or live in a room built of ice, the digital project editor at travel and leisure magazine. >> a lot of nice cold-weather destinations you have for us. >> january is learn a snow sport month so we have some unexpected sports in fun places around the country. >> british columbia. >> why not. >> the 2010 winter olympics were there. the great thing about going to a vacation or trip there is you can participate in some of the more unusual sports that are featured in the olympics. for example, you can do a bobsled on the official course. you actually start lower at a gate lower. >> i hope so. >> you still go about 80 miles per hour, so it's not for the fan fan faint of heart. you can shoot a rifle that's part of the biathlon, tour a ski jump, and you can see the incredible snow-capped mountains. you say at a hotel which is about $219 a night. a funky hotel. you'll be right in the center to tf pedestrian village. >> looks very modern. >> they have floating fireplacingfireplac fireplaces. it's great place to go and meet other skiers and share tips. >> do they have a lot of snow right now? >> they have snow in whistler. >> there's a problem with that right now, isn't there. >> our next destination has great snow coming this weekend. >> go vermont. >> they're expecting sn? good for them. >> 6 to ten inches today and tomorrow. you can stay at the track family lodge, formerly the von trapps from "the sound of music." it's an austrian-style chalet. you can stay in the incredible landscape and wilderness, cross-country ski as well as do a sleigh ride. look at that. it can be romantic. you can go with your honey for valentine's day or you can bring the kids. led by beautiful horses. >> romance goes right out of the window. yeah. >> depends what you're thinking. >> mexico. >> has about 300 inches of snow for year. they're known for their more challenging alpine skiing but you can do tubing, bunting with your kids. >> snow tubing. what is -- >> it's actually illuminated. you can go at night. you rent a tube. it's $8. you spend time with your kids doing fun stuff in the powdered snow. you can do the downhill skiing that you see as well. a great place to stay is the columbine inn, $99 a night in january, couldn't be more affordable. >> especially if you have, like, 20 kids, all in one room. >> and avid skiers that will have tips. utah park city. you can get there in the next coming months for $213 roundtrip. a great affordable escape. you can do some freestyle skiing in their halfpipe. i'm sure they know fun tricks. you can go snow cat skiing. if you're an expert, you can go into the ungroomed areas. >> we have 30 seconds left, but in quebec, you can live in a place that's made of ice. >> you can stay in an igloo. 23 degrees. >> how many degrees? >> 23 degrees. bring your polar fleece. sleep in an igloo and drag about it to your friends for years after that. >> wow. >> my idea of a great life is eating like keri glassman's segment and staying in one of those. >> something for everybody. >> thanks. >> perfect. >> getting on our nerves. >> love you, sweetheart. take care. >> coming up next, from the cold to the kitchen, we're cooking something hot. here's a friendly reminder. it's your last chance to get verizon's reliable high speed internet and phone for small business for only $84.99 a month. call 1.866.solutions now or visit verizon.com/solutions. only $84.99 for high-speed internet and phone. plus your choice of either no annual contract or a two year price guarantee. call 1.866.solutions or visit verizon.com/solutions today. hurry -- this offer won't last long. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 1-800-974-6006 time to take you into "today's kitchen" with our chef arianne duarte. >> if you don't like slaving over hot stove like hoda, "prevention" magazine's chef is here. you can pop it in a pot in the morning and have dinner ready by the time you're ready. i remember when they first came out in the 1800s. and everybody thought it was magic. >> it almost is magic. we're going to talk briefly about three that we've tested at "prevention" and we feel performed the best. >> and you can make desserts. >> dessert, too. we're going to taste it. this one is called the trok crockpot. >> of course. origin nap. >> this is very cost-effective. it's simple. there's not much to it but it's budget friendly, which is great. then we have one for space savers, a little smaller. this is great. it has self-timers on it. so this is wonderful if you would have a small kitchen with not much counter space. >> they need to do a commercial -- ♪ it's delightful, it's delicious it's delongi ♪ >> this is the big daddy, the mac daddy, and this is great for large quantities. this has all sorts of timers and things. when the timer does go off, it settles itself to warm. so you don't have to worry about that. >> not waiting for that thing to go off. >> i'm going to show you how to do short ribs, but we're also going to talk safety tips. really important. you want to make sure your counter is clear of clutter. >> which ours is. >> you don't want to use any extension cords or anything like that. >> why not? >> because you don't want to -- any of those extra wires -- >> it could go wrong. right. >> keep the countertop clean. >> nothing that could touch and get caught up in. >> exactly. let's make some short ribs. >> these are -- >> asian beef. that's what's wonderful about these. everything is just mix and go. we have some honey in here. we have some tamari. >> what is that? >> a little thicker soy sauce. >> see ya tamari! >> a little bit of scallion. >> save some for me. >> save some for garnish. they cook down. >> we'll eat them all day. >> garlic. this is so much flavor. and then just basically right over these ribs. >> put the top on it. >> the top. >> sayonara, baby. >> a little bit of water, cover them, seven, eight hours. >> what comes out, this? >> this is what comes out. >> no sauce on that. >> it's in there. >> on the bottom. >> you can always add more. always add more. >> we have about 30 seconds. >> so these are our -- >> look how cute these are. >> cuban pork sliders. >> you made those in there? >> yep. a pork roast. and lastly, brownies. >> what? >> brownies. just mix everything. >> really? >> spray it with a little bit of cooking spray, put the batter in, two to three hours, and they ear done. >> got to go. weer is celebrating 60 years old tomorrow! does your cable company keep charging you more... and more... and more? stop paying so much for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for our best price online: just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years. you save $600. go to verizon.com/greatprice to sign up now and get $300 back with a two-year contract. fios is a 100% fiber-optic network that delivers superior picture quality, more hd, plus america's fastest, most consistent and most reliable internet. why keep paying so much for cable? switch to fios at our best price... $89.99 a month with a two-year price guarantee. plus, get $300 back with a two-year contract... or choose no annual contract. ordering online is easy... you can even chat live with a fios agent. visit verizon.com/greatprice. that's verizon.com/greatprice. fios. a network ahead. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 1-800-974-6006

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