Transcripts For WRC Today 20120123

agony of defeat. all roads lead to indianapolis agony of defeat. all roads lead to indianapolis today, monday, january 23, 2012. n good morning. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> good morning. i'm savannah guthrie. i'll pass the coffee. i know you were up late watching the pats. >> didn't you hear me yell? >> the thrill of victory for you. >> the giants game ended late but it was thrilling. i felt terrible for the kicker on baltimore. >> i'm crying for the ravens kicker. imagine the plane ride heeome. >> something else fans are talking about this morning. steven tyler's national anthem. can i say it? i love steven tyler. he's a buddy, but people are questioning this performance. >> dogs were barking there at the pats game. a dangerous start from mississippi to ohio as severe storms batter the region. >> we are hearing dramatic reports of widespread damage in paradise valley, alabama. we'll get to al roker with the latest on that coming up straight ahead. >> also ahead, "30 rock" star tracy morgan was rushed to the hospital overnight after falling unconscious at the sundance film festival. we'll have the latest on his condition. >> and a race against time to save a texas family of three on a sight-seeing plane when it crashed into the ocean. good samaritans who just happened to be right there immediately dove in to action. coming up, the dramatic rescue and one of the survivors will speak out in a live interview. >> amaze aing story. >> let's get to breakin iing in. strong storms in the south. al roker? >> we have an area of severe weather from central alabama into parts of georgia. this was last night in fordice, arkansas, where they had a massive amount of damage reported. of course the storms have made their way into alabama and are on their way into georgia. let's show you what's happening right now. there's the risk of severe weather. as far as our radar is concerned, as you look you can see a tornado watch in effect for central alabama until 10:00 a.m. tuscaloosa, montgomery, birmingham reported. as matt mentioned, paradise valley, alabama, in between birmingham and tuscaloosa, we had ham radio reports of the town being wiped off the map. we are going to have to update this. but, again, it is really bad there. we're looking at the storms continuing. we are looking not at heavy rainfall amounts but the big problem going to be the winds out of the tornadoes. hail, damaging winds and we'll continue to update this for you. matt? >> al, thank you very much. we'll get your forecast in a few minutes. for now, to the battle for florida as the gop presidential race heats up on the heels of newt gingrich's big win in south carolina. nbc's peter alexander is in tampa this morning. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you. after being badly beaten in south carolina mitt romney hustled to florida to get a head start. having spent millions in this state already since the beginning of the month. romney's senior advisers say you can expect him to ramp up the rhetoric against newt gingrich going forward, that we'll begin to see a more confrontational mitt romney and we are already beginning to see it on the campaign trail. looking to capitalize on his resounding south carolina win, newt gingrich arrives in florida today, focused on momentum and money. >> in florida my case is simple. you have a clear establishment candidate in mitt romney. you have somebody whose entire career has been a reagan populist conservative going all the way back to the 1970s. >> reporter: on twitter, gingrich boasted he raised more than $1 million in less than 24 hours and asked supporters to donate more to help him deliver a knockout punch. >> this is a decision point. >> reporter: mitt romney is looking to the sunshine state for a comeback. >> what's he been doing for 15 years? he's been working as a lobbyist and selling influence around washington. >> reporter: appearing on "meet the press" earlier, gingrich denied that. >> i was not a lobbyist. i was never a lobbyist. don't mix these things up. the fact was i was an adviser stroo teenagecally. >> reporter: during our interview romney ridiculed that. >> if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it's a duck. >> reporter: what makes him unfit to be president of the united states? >> he was speaker of the house for four years and then was investigated by an ethics panel. those who knew him rejected him, reprimanded him and he left in shame. >> reporter: after weeks of being coy about whether he'll release tax returns. >> maybe. >> reporter: he said he'll release his 2010 returns and an estimate for 2011. >> there are no surprises. nothing in the financial disclosure forms. we said, get it out there soon. >> reporter: romney's son put out this photo of his father doing laundry. do you see images like that and say, maybe i'm trying too hard to look like an average guy. >> everybody knows i'm not an average guy. >> reporter: are you doing your laundry on primary day? >> we'll be on the road 30 days. who else does our laundry? >> reporter: this state doesn't vote until january 31 is. romney said something new yesterday, ann romney referring to statements about the family's personal wealth saying they measure wealth and riches in the strength of the family. also worth noting, nearly 200,000 people in the state have already voted either by absentee or early voting. >> peter alexander in tampa, thank you so much. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press" and chuck todd is the political director and chief white house correspondent in tampa at the site of tonight's republican debate. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> david, in that piece we hear newt gingrich saying he raised more than $1 million in less than 24 hours following the win in south carolina. i know that money will come in handy. do we have any idea how much it will cost the candidates now that the campaign has taken a dramatic turn? how much they will spend in the state of florida? >> it's what they will spend and what a the super pacs on their behalf will spend as well. if you're newt gingrich you're relying on debates. paid advertising has got to play a role. he's got to rely on momentum taking him in to florida at this point. i don't think he can go toe to toe with mitt romney's funds from his own campaign and his own super pac to make an impact in such a tv-rich state. >> chuck, i watched you on the roundtable yesterday. one thing that struck me is how few people seemed to give newt gingrich a realistic chance of winning the nomination. i know the pundits counted the guy out on a couple of occasions. >> right. >> is that risky? >> i think you're right. it is risky. when you look at where the republican electorate is, they are looking for a conservative. not the most electable candidate but a conservative. mitt romney hasn't successfully made the case. with gingrich, you hear all of the back room chatter that there will be this whatever it takes to, quote, stop gingrich. you have members of the house leadership who think, look what gingrich did when he was essentially on the ballot in '96 and '98. he helped re-elect a democratic president and almost cost them the house when he was in charge. there is panic he could lose the presidency, lose control of the house and blow their chances at picking up the senate. that's why a panic that the establishment will do whatever it takes to stop him. even find a new candidate. >> because of momentum the debate takes on more significance. it's safe to say mitt romney is wounded after south carolina. what do you expect to hear from him in the debate? >> peter alexander's report and interview were quite telling. this is a different mitt romney. mike murphy, republican strategist, said to me yesterday romney is in a corner with a broken bottle in his hand. he has to decide if he'll fight or be overtaken by gingrich. this is not a candidate who's been defined by that willingness to really fight in the course of a campaign. he's not in fighting shape. he has to be soon. he has to draw bright contrasts. he's up against something powerful here. he's running as a populist with a lot of insider credentials. that's the calling card of the grief-stricken right right now. the element of the conservative party. that's what he's going to have to contend with in these debates and in florida. >> the issue of tax returns, mitt romney will release them tomorrow. does that take it off the table as a subject during the debate tonight? >> a tiny bit. you heard gingrich himself to david on "meet the press" saying it may take it off the table. let's see what's in there. what is it that was in these tax returns that made mitt romney say at a debate, hey, you know, i'm worried about beating president obama. what's he worried about? what's in there? there is something to that. and when you go even by the president bush standard when he was candidate bush he released ten years before taking the oath of office. this isn't fully going away but it sounds like gingrich is willing to have it go away for a little while, at least from what he told david. >> guys, thank you very much. just a reminder, you can see the nbc news republican debate tonight on a special edition of "rock center" with brian williams on nbc. it's now 11 after the hour. savannah savannah? there are new developments in the cruise ship off the coast of italy. a woman's body was recovered raising the death toll to 13. michelle kosinski is at the scene with the latest this morning. good morning to you. hi, savannah. since it happened more than a week ago searchers have recovered 13 victims but only identify eight. there are around 20 missing and a possibility of more people on board whose names weren't registered. divers are determined to keep going, even removing all the fuel on board. you can see the ship there. it could start as early as tomorrow. what happened in those last moments on board the concordia become more evident with each victim found. on sunday, a woman wearing a life jacket was recovered from a deck just above where passengers were told to gather to board lifeboats. searchers say she may have tried to run up higher on the ship as it tilted into the water. saturday another was found near the same area, also in a life vest. but a surprise to officials, she may be a hungarian woman whose name doesn't appear on a list of passengers or crew. how many others there may be, unnamed, is unknown. the families of the unaccounted for, including the son and daughter of americans barbara and jerry heil gathered together on this island. their distress evident on their faces as they comforted one another. there was a church service in the same place where survivors came that night. the families met with rescuers, thanked them personally. the ceo of costa cruises was here. >> he came to see the families. he met the french families, american families, other families mostly to express his compassion. [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> reporter: in italy, the concordia disaster is debated. we are asking if captain schettino is the only one to blame. they talk about italian bravado and work ethic. one says it's not schettino himself who worries me. it's the schettino in me. media said they persuaded schettino to talk the morning after the accident by suggesting he saved lives in his maneuvering of the ship. he agreed. you need to make a decision in a moment under pressure with cool-headedness adding, we were the last ones to leave the ship which we now know was not the case. and the search for victims goes on. where we are now on giglio, this has been inhabited since the stone age. later it was an important roman trading point and the site of many roman ship wrecks. technology changes things uh but some risks stay exactly the same. savannah? >> michelle kosinski at the scene in italy this morning. thank you. >> let's get a check of other headlines from natalie standing by at the news desk. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt and savannah. good morning, everyone. we begin with an outpouring of emotion on the penn state campus after the death of legendary coach joe paterno who lost his battle to lung cancer. nbc's ron allen is in state college, pennsylvania, with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. we are outside the football stadium where joe paterno and penn state enjoyed so much glory. his statue is over there and has become a shrine with people stopping by to light candles, leave flowers. everyone is trying to focus on what paterno accomplished rather than the sexual abuse scandal that led to his downfall. thousands from the penn state community gathered in the heart of campus to honor a man who, perhaps more than any other individual, made this university what it is. >> we are not just athletes. we're not just students. we are a reflection of who joe paterno was. >> reporter: joe paterno was here for 60 years, with a record 409 victories while putting academics before athletics. >> people ask me why i stayed here so long. you know what? look around. >> reporter: the legacy of greatness. >> joe paterno with the light he was blessed with blessed each of us. >> reporter: tarnished by the sexual abuse scandal around his long-time assistant jerry sandusky that led to paterno getting fired. with hindsight he said he wished he had done more to intervene. >> after 61 years he deserved the benefit of the doubt. the circumstances at the end which happened, sad for everybody. >> reporter: the official cause of death is lung cancer but many people will tell you a contributing factor was that paterno was heartbroken by everything that happened the last few months. we expect to hear from the family and the university about funeral arrangements and the memorial service. natalie? >> thank you, ron. arizona representative gabrielle giffords will resign from congress this week. she made the announcement sunday in a video posted by her campaign saying she needs to focus on her recovery. >> i don't remember much from that horrible day. but i will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice. >> giffords will meet with supporters at a public event in tucson today and attend tomorrow's state of the union. it now costs more to mail a letter. the u.s. postal service raised the cost of a first class stamp by a penny to 45 cents. now to wall street and mary thompson at the new york stock exchange for us this morning. what are we watching? >> this week investors are awaiting a decision on interest rates from the federal reserve as well as earnings from oil giant exxon mobile. today attention is on canada where the co-ceos of research in motion stepped down. this as the maker of the blackberry lost its once dominant grip on the cell phone market to iphone. >> mary thompson, thank you. "30 rock" actor tracy morgan was rushed to the hospital. tmz had a photograph affidavit ambulance arriving after morgan fell unconscious at the sundance film festival. he was suffering exhaustion and problems with altitude. no word on his condition. and the super bowl matchup is set. it will be giants and patriots again four years later. lawrence tine kicked the field goal in overtime to cinch the title over the 49ers. it was a field goal miss that dashed the super bowl dreams of the baltimore ravens. losing to the new england patriots 23-20 in the afc. a lot of us are bleary-eyed but it was worth it. back to matt, savannah and al. great matchups. >> and condiff is a really good field goal kicker. she's shown great skill under pressure. >> i think that's why the other players were stunned. >> stunned. >> i feel terrible. >> let's never play that video again. i can't bear it. >> natalie, thank you very much. how are you, mr. roker? >> tired but happy. weather played a big good morning, tom kierein in storm center 4. on this monday morning we have a bit of freezing rain heading into fairfax county, maybe moving into the district of columbia over the next perhaps half-hour. in addition we have patchy dense fog and temperatures are at or below freezing across northern virginia and much of maryland. 34 at reagan national. later today climbing into the 40s with some rain likely later this and that's your latest weather. matt? >> now the alleged mastermind behind one of the internet's biggest and most lucrative schemes. kim.com appeared in court as new details emerged about his li lifestyle. stephanie gosk is in london with details on this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. with controversial legislation that hopes to cut down on internet piracy, supported by nbc universal, the fbi is cracking down. federal prosecutors have arrested one of the information superhighway's biggest criminals. kim schmidt, a computer master mind best known by one of his other names, kim dot com. the world wide web made kim dot com a wealthy man. addicted to cars and everything else in the fast lane the 37-year-old likes to call himself dr. evil. >> if you're happy -- >> reporter: he founded the most popular file sharing website mega upload. but the u.s. government says most of what was shared on the hong kong-based site -- movies, music and books -- was pirated. even though the company was promoted by music superstars who were among those it was allegedly stealing from. >> this is kanye. i like mega upload. it's the fastest, safest way to send files. >> reporter: thickering a legal battle with the music group which represents west. the fbi shut down mega uploads and asked new zealand authorities to arrest dot com who was living lavishly in a sprawling mansion. police say it wasn't easy. >> they found him huddling in a panic room clutching a sawed off shotgun. they had to cut him out of the room. >> reporter: prosecutors believe he has illegally earned $175 million and caused a half a billion dollars in damages to copy right owners. a charge that the defendants vigorously deny saying most of the content uploaded was legitimate. this isn't the hacker's first run-in with the law. he was found guilty of insider trading and embezzlement in his native germany. far from a low profile the married father of three had in your face decadence with yachts, fast cars and women. >> the photos on his website are ridiculous. crazy photos of him doing things. >> reporter: over the weekend the bank accounts were froze and cars seized including a pink cadillac and a $400,000 rolls royce phantom. now the man who likes to boast he's smarter than bill gates faces extradition to the u.s. in one of the biggest criminal copy right cases of all time. the defendants were in court today for a bail hearing in auckland. defense lawyers say he doesn't pose a flight risk. one of their arguments at 6'7" weighing over 280 pounds how could he flee undetected? matt? >> stephanie, thank you. just ahead, the daring rescue of a texas family caught on tape after their sight-seeing plane crashed into the ocean. their story in an exclusive live interview first, this is "today" on nbc. still ahead, seven things you think you're doing to save money that could cost you more over time. >> and the woman acquitted of murdering her husband after claiming she suffered years of abuse. we'll talk to her after your local news. good morning. i'm joe krebs at 7:26 on this monday, the 23rd of january. the weather has delayed some schools and businesses this morning. the federal government has an 11:00 a.m. late arrival in place. employees have the option of taking unscheduled leave or teleworking. more delays are scrolling at the bottom of your screen. but let's get a look at the forecast now from tom kierein. >> there is the threat of freezing rain and drizzle and a lot of fog around this morning. allow yourself extra time. radar showing scattered light showers. rain now coming into northern virginia, west virginia and the leading edge of that may be freezing up a little bit on untreated surfaces so watch out for that. we've got patchy fog around and we're just a little bit below freezing northern virginia and much of maryland now so watch out for patchy ice. ♪ [ male announcer ] little owen wanted to play, but his nose was raw and sore. achoo! [ male announcer ] and common tissue made it burn even more. ♪ puffs plus lotion is more soothing than common tissue, and it delivers our most soothing lotion for every nose issue. a nose in need deserves puffs plus lotion indeed. to give your cold a comforting scent, try puffs plus lotion with the scent of vicks. ♪ [ multiple sounds making melodic tune ] ♪ [ male announcer ] at northrop grumman, every innovation, every solution, comes together for a single purpose -- to make the world a safer place. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. good morning. taking the outer loop of the beltway slow, new hampshire avenue, delays continue as 7:30 now on a monday morning, january 23, 2012. a little warmer weather on tap for the northeast after a chilly and snowy weekend in the new york, new england area. just what the doctor ordered for our friends on rockefeller plaza. meanwhile inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer alongside savannah guthrie who's in while ann is taking time off today. just ahead, are you a sucker for a buy one get one free deal? >> every time. >> really? they get you? >> free refills, too. >> maybe you skip your yearly check-up to avoid a costly deductible. a lot of people do things thinking they are saving money and what they are doing could cost them money in the long run. so we'll have advice on how to avoid those things coming up. >> i will be listening. and a rather surprising celebrity split. heidi klum and seal will be separating after seven years of marriage. details on that. >> they have three or four children? >> four, three biological. >> if it seems like tv is getting raunchier that see's bee it is. curse words are on the rise in television shows catching the attention of parents. what should you tell your kids if they copy the language they hear on television and at home. pop culture in general, music, movies, et cetera. >> the whole society. we begin this half hour with a tropical getaway for a family from texas that turned into a fight for survival when their sight-seeing plane crashed into the ocean. we'll talk to a survivor coming up. first, their harrowing story. >> the texas couple was flying with their 4-year-old son when the plane crashed. miraculously, kind strangers were in the right place at the right time to pull off an amazing rescue. a plane ride through paradise for the atkins family. they were hoping to enjoy the sights along the coast of roatan in the caribbean off honduras. andy atkins had flown in the same plane just months before. >> it was an awesome, fun ride. great views, great pictures. a low flying plane that felt very stable. >> reporter: last week, with his wife generaljenny and 4-year-ol logan along, something went wrong. >> we lost an engine and crashed into the ocean, flipped over. we were stuck under water. >> they're all out. >> reporter: larry forsyth was on a nearby boat when he saw the crash. >> holy -- >> reporter: his son paul captured video of the dramatic rescue. >> we all dove in and swam just as quickly as we could. the timing was impeccable. we were just at the right place at the right time. >> reporter: only moments before, the plane's pilot helped andy get to the surface but there was no sign of andy's wife or son. >> i dove back under looking for them. didn't find them the first time. came back, got air, went immediately back down. i just came up and had logan in my arms and by the time i got to the surface, jenny was also at the surface with the pilot holding her. we were all still in shock at that point. you know, we knew we had survived the initial crash. but we didn't know where it was going to go from there. >> reporter: remarkably, a u.s. navy doctor and another physician were among the divers who risked their lives to save the family. >> they screamed there were two doctors on board. they got them on the back of the boat, got them oxygen, treated them with all their skill. >> reporter: the entire family spent days in a hospital before returning home thursday night. >> it reaffirms your faith in people and humanity that so many people stepped in to help that didn't have to. >> reporter: the atkins are already planning another trip to roatan and said the accident brought them closer to the island and the people there. savannah a? >> amy, thank you. andy atkins is with us now exclusively. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> i know you just returned from honduras. you and your family spent time in the hospital. how are you all feeling today? >> we're out of the hospital. we're getting better day by day. >> this was a low flying plane. as you mentioned it was for the purpose of sight-seeing. as i understand it, this happened really fast. what do you remember about the crash? >> really, all i remember is i didn't know we were going to crash before it happened. i looked out the window, out the side of the plane and could see the ocean and the reef. i guess part of me thought it looked a little close. then really the next thing i knew i was upside down in the water, still strapped in. wondering what happened. it took me a second of talking to my brain, you know, to realize, wow, we really crashed. you're not dead. but you've got to get out of here before you drown. >> you say the pilot actually helped you get free of your seat belt. you came up for air and then what was your first thought? >> well, i want to point out that mr. brown, our pilot was in the accident, too. he did everything he could to get us out of the plane. he helped me out. when i was fumbling with the straps and got me to the surface first. as soon as i got there i asked what happened. he said, we lost an engine. he said, where's my wife and kid. he and i started diving down. the first time i couldn't find anything. quickly came back up, dove down again. by that time i think he had helped my wife get out. she pushed the baby with her last bit of consciousness to me. as i brought him to the surface there she was, too, at the surface almost at exactly the same time. >> there you are in the water. already miraculous you survived the crash and you get another lucky break. some people in the area came over with a boat and rescued you, right? >> people from a parasailing boat raced to the scene as fast as they could get there. they were the first boat there. larry forsyth, retired air canada pilot of vancouver, canada, and tranquility bay resort in honduras dived in to save us. his cousin of cold lake, canada, dived in. but the first one in the water was a man named cooney, a local man from honduras. he was the first one in the water. he's the one that took my boy from me and got him out of the water. >> andy, you are blessed indeed. >> i love you, cooney. >> another boat had doctors on it. is there any doubt in your mind that the care helped save your lives? >> my wife and son, i'm not sure what the outcome would have been without the doctors. i shudder to think. they were the second boat that came up. their captain and crew were outstanding. fortunately they had two doctors -- a doctor from montreal, canada, dr. mark arsenault. [speaking french]. >> and a united states navy doctor who asked to be named as a u.s. navy physician. they treated them the whole way. >> you're blessed indeed. what an ordeal for you. we're glad your family is okay. thanks for being with us, sir. we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> today's weather is brought to you by robitussi, n. relief made simple. >> good morning. we have friends here from florida. you flew here for $98? where from? >> milwaukee. >> wow! thanks for coming. >> they are getting slammed in california, the pacific northwest. blue mountain, california, they need chains on to get into the mountain passes. they have snow plows out and there is more winter weather where that came from. as far as today is concerned and the week good morning. we have temperatures still a bit below freezing in far northern virginia and nearby suburbs, fairfax, montgomery, prince george's counties in the district of columbia so watch out as some of this moisture coming in is changing over to light freezing rain, those areas in pink, as well as the panhandle of west virginia and western maryland. along with patchy dense fog for another couple of hours, temperatures will hold steady in the upper 20s and low 30s, into the 40s later today with more rain likely. we got a newly minted 13-year-old here and a sweet 16 over here. but you're holding the sign. very good. all right. let's go back to weather.com and weather channel for anything you need weatherwise, 24 hours a day. >> thank you so much. up next, seven things people do to save money that can end up costing them more over the long haul. plus, heidi klum and seal separate after seven years of marriage. we'll have details. first, these messages. -i love this card. -with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, we earn more cash back for the things we buy most. it's 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% on groceries. 3% on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. that's 1% cash back on oscar. ...tony. oscar! 2% back on whatever she'll eat. 3% back on filling up this baby. 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"today" financial editor jean chatzky is here with ways to avoid being penny wise and pound foolish. people think they are making a decision that will save them money and it comes back to haunt them later. let's start with insurance deductibles. they can be expensive so people say, i will avoid going to the doctor for regular check-ups so i don't pay that little bit every time. >> absolutely. as co-pays and deductibles have gone up we have seen it happening more and more. with the eye doctor, the veterinarian and the dentist which is worrying. that's the window. >> you save money now but -- >> you cost yourself in bigger procedures later. >> you mentioned something at the veterinarian. don't forget. that's the same thing with your pets. once they have big problems that's a big expense. >> it absolutely is. >> when you go to credit cards and get these offers and see them all the time. i get them a lot in the mail. they give you a thing saying if you sign up for this credit card we'll give you a discount early on. >> it sounds great. but the minute you don't pay that bill immediately, you're going to start pag interest. interest on store credit cards is high. it can go up to 30%. so you immediately give that discount right back and it can ding your credit score. >> if you're a person who pays your bills in full, is it worth it? >> i don't think so. again, adding those credit cards to your wallet can take your credit score down a notch which can cost you more money for everything that you borrow. >> this next one is important. let's spend time on this. when times are tough, people have to make choices. they prioritize. they allocate where their money goes. you have beaten it down a number of times over the year. you've got to have an emergency fund. people are not a having an emergency fund at the sake of something else. >> at the sake of the retirement fund. when we put money in the emergency fund we are learning less than 1% interest. the money in the retirement account grows for the future. plus if your company offers matching dollars and you are not getting them you're leaving free money on the table. you've got to do both. >> you say if you have a choice, plan for the thing you know is coming and that's old age. >> right. retirement is coming. we have talked so many times about the fact that most people aren't going to have enough for retirement. you need a little bit in the emergency fund but you've got to put the pedal to the metal for retirement. >> you have the same item at different price points. a lot of people to save money get the cheapest item. >> and they get the expensive one when the cheaper one fails them. be careful. >> when is a sale a good idea to take advantage of and when is it a bad idea? >> if you would have bought the item if it were not on sale you're in smooth waters. otherwise, make sure you're going to use it up. >> buy one get one free? >> any of those sales do a number on our brain. they sucker us in. be careful you are buying things you need anyway. >> what about people who drive miles out of their way to buy cheaper gas. >> the folks at wisebread.com did this calculation. it costs us a dollar for every seven miles we drive on average. keep that number in your mind. if you're going out of your way and not saving more than a couple of bucks it's not worth it. >> jean, good advice. up next, a surprising split for seal and heidi klum after this. so i do qualify for that deduction. thanks, man. that's what i'm here for. man: do your simple return with the turbo tax federal free edition, and now get our free one-on-one expert advice live by phone or chat. get the federal free edition at turbotax.com. 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[ male announcer ] the simple joy of being smart. it's not always shocking to hear about a celebrity break-up but a lot of people were surprised to hear about the end of seal and heidi klum's marriage. >> they have four children together including klum's daughter from a previous relationship. they have renewed their views every year on their an verse isry in may. in a joint statement sunday they said they have grown apart, decided to separate after much soul searching. >> apparently it's amicable. one little complicating factor is she does have a seal tattoo on her arm which she's taking steps to adjust and she'll be a spokesperson for posturpedic mattresses. sealy? get it. >> that was a long time to get to it. >> it wasted time so we don't have to talk about the marriage. his stimulant medicine was helping, but some symptoms were still in his way. so the doctor kept eric on his current medicine and added nonstimulant intuniv to his treatment plan. 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[ female announcer ] aveeno daily moisturizing lotion. and for healthy, beautiful hair, try nourish plus haircare. only from aveeno. our time right now is 7:56. the federal government is opening late with an 11:00 a.m. arrival time today. employees have the option of taking unscheduled leave or working from home. you can find the entire list of delays at the bottom of your screen and on nbcwashington.com. good morning, i'm joe krebs. let's get the forecast from meteorologist tom kierein. as tom was saying, we did have some rain that came through overnight, a little drizzle and some fog was hampering traffic around the area throughout the early morning but that's going to move out as the day goes on. more from tom in a bit. right now we'll take break and come back good morning. if you're traveling the inner loop of the beltway in virginia, once you make your way to braddock road, that's where you start to slow down and delays continue to i-66. travel speeds for you, 31 miles per hour. joe, back to you. thanks very much. another news update in 25 we're back now at 8:00 on a monday morning. it is the 23rd day of january, 2012. getting jabbed in the head with this umbrella savannah is holding here. >> do you know how this wos? >> i'm not holding the umbrella. what are you talking about? >> it's not raining. it's nice. if these people can be here without umbrellas we can do the same. >> i'm sorry. >> that's all right. i have another eye. it's a little blurry. matt lauer along with savannah guthrie and al roker. coming up, a dramatic story that made a lot of headlines in this area. >> it did. barbara sheehan shot her husband 11 times in their home in queens, new york. she said she had no other choice after suffering years of abuse at his hands she said she feared for her life. she was acquitted of murder, but she still faces jail time. we'll talk to her about that exclusively in a few minutes. >> also we'll talk about the new rules when it comes to cursing, especially on television. a lot of people have children watching television. it seems more and more these days you're hearing some of the words you never would have heard in years past. for example, when you get jabbed in the eye with an umbrella. >> yeah. >> how do you deal with this when your kids are watching? what do you tell them and what should people programming television do about it? >> you showed self-restraint. >> and you have a relationship with your pediatrician and it's gone for a while. >> it's important. >> it is. what if after a while it's not working and you have to break up with your pediatrician? we'll tell you what you need to do and how to go about it. >> it's hard, especially if you have the pediatrician's name tattooed on you somewhere. >> don't bring it up again. that joke was terrible. >> i keep trying. natalie standing by with a check of the headlines. >> good morning, everyone. newt gingrich is campaigning in florida ahead of tonight's republican debate. backed by a surge of momentum from saturday's south carolina primary victory. gingrich appealed on twitter for donations so he can deliver what he calls a knockout punch to mitt romney in next week's florida primary. meantime romney agreed to release his tax returns tomorrow and is accusing gingrich of selling his influence around washington. you can watch the republican debate tonight at 9:00/8:00 central on a special edition of "rock center" with brian williams on nbc. one day after announcing she'll resign this week arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords attends her final official event today. she'll finish the tucson meet and greet that erupted in gunfire last year. tomorrow night giffords will attend president obama's state of the union address. it's been more than two months since florida mother michelle parker vanished after an appearance on "the people's court." now video may offer more clues. kerry sanders is in fern park, florida, with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. detectives are following multiple leads, none of which so far has solved the in eexplicab disappearance of michelle parker. they believe they may be getting closer now with the new videotape. in this newly released security camera video, the last known image of michelle parker, just three hours before she disappeared. >> i have been doing pretty good. you know? but when i saw that, it makes me cry. >> reporter: you see parker viflting an orlando fast food restaurant. police released the video friday. her 34th birthday. it was last november when the mother of three appeared in a taped episode of "the people's court" with ex-fiance dale smith. >> he said he wanted his ring. so i took it off and i threw it at him. >> reporter: the day the show aired she pulled into this drive-thru. the next day her vehicle was found in a parking lot with the decals removed. police called dale smith the primary and only suspect. smith hasn't commented. his lawyers say he's not involved in parker's disappearance. >> if he's so innocence, take the lie detector test. what do you have to hide? >> reporter: as the search continues, parker's family hopes this latest video leads to a break in the case. detectives believe it will now be somebody who knows something that gives them a tip that ultimately helps them solve this crime. natalie? >> kerry sanders in fern park, florida. thank you. now for a look at what's trending today, our quick round-up of what has you talking online. legendary penn state coach joe paterno is a top search on yahoo and facebook as fans debate his legacy. paterno died sunday from the lung cancer that was diagnosed just days after he was fired over the child sex scandal involving a former assistant. paterno was 85 years old. a story we mentioned earlier also trending on twitter. users are tweeting surprise over the break-up of "project runway" host heidi klum and singer seal after seven years of marriage. in a statement the couple say ises they have grown apart. on friday seal tweeted the message "the end." and facebook posters either love or hate steven tyler's version of the american anthem. ♪ and the rockets red glare ♪ as bombs bursting in air >> the aerosmith frontman with ties to the boston area was cheered by the new england crowd. it is now 8:06. now back outside to matt. i like it. >> i love steven tyler. natalie, thank you very much. now over to al for an update on serious weather down south. al? >> at the top of the program we told everybody about severe storms rolling through alabama. we have been talking to emergency management officials and in jefferson county, alabama, we have at least two confirmed fatalities. a lot of damage down there. we'll continue to watch the situation. tornado watch in effect in central alabama until 10:00 a.m. as we go to the wide view of the u.s. satellite and radar, you can see the long line of showers and t good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. right now on radar we are getting a little bit of light freezing rain in areas of pink in northern fairfax county, across montgomery, into hourt county and farther west and north, patchy freezing drizzle and light rain. areas of green are areas where there is just rain because it is getting above freezing there. patchy fog as well around this morning, dissipating in another couple of hours. then more rain later today with warmer weather into the 40s. and that's your latest weather. matt? >> coming up next, a woman facing five years behind bars though she was acquitted of murdering her husband. she'll speak out in an exclusive live interview right after these messages. . i am so glad to get rid of it. just to be able to wake up in the morning on your own. that's a big accomplishment to me. i don't know how much money i need. but i know that whatever i have that's what i'm going to live within. ♪ ♪ ♪ you don't disappear at midnight. and now, you've met your match. new revlon® colorstay™ 16 hour eyeshadow. 64 colors that will take you from night to day without smudging, creasing or fading away. this is mary. who has a million things to pick up each month on top of her prescriptions. thankfully, her walgreens pharmacist recommended a 3-month supply. now, mary gets 3 refills in one and for 3 months she's done. ask your pharmacist about a 90 day supply and how to save with the prescription savings club. individual memberships are just 5 dollars. enroll today. walgreens. there's a way to stay well. this is harvest day, the time where all the hard work is paying off. my name is ed pines, and i've been growing oranges for tropicana for 15 years. we nurture the trees all year long to harvest the fruit at the right moment. this is perfect for tropicana. at tropicana, we pick the oranges at the peak of freshness. it's all about growing the best orange to get the best juice. i love growing oranges. ♪ might seem... ♪ ...impossible. no, no... well how about the purp? 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[ male announcer ] eggo® waffles. simply delicious. back now at 8:10 with a controversial murder case. barbara sheehan admitted to killing her husband but said it was done in self-defense after suffering years of abuse, and a jury agreed. in a moment barbara will speak out for the first time since her trial. natalie has the story. >> reporter: barbara sheehan used two guns to shoot her husband 11 times, killing him in the couple's queens, new york, home in february of 2008. she says though that fateful day came after relentless abuse in their 24-year marriage. while sheehan was acquitted, she still faces time behind bars. in a trial that lasted exactly one month, barbara sheehan's defense team painted a picture of endless abuse at the hands of sheehan's husband, raymond, a former new york city police sergeant. barbara sheehan claims she finally tried to escape one day, taking one of raymond's guns for protection. but when raymond reached for another gun to stop her, sheehan said she shot her husband 11 times, using both guns. barbara sheehan's sister called 911. >> what's the emergency? >> i don't know. someone has a gun. her husband -- he hit her. >> he has a gun? >> no, no. he's gone. >> reporter: barbara sheehan testified that the evening before the killing raymond sheehan threw boiling pasta sauce on her and punched her in the face, a story supported by her children who also testified on her behalf. >> he was going to kill her. she acted in self-defense. >> she had no other choice. she protected her life and mine and my sister's as well. >> reporter: after three days of deliberation a jury of nine women and three men found barbara not guilty of murder. >> barbara's defense artfully created a case of self-defense, of battered woman's defense through the history of abuse in this case because they believe she's the victim. >> i thank god they believed in me. i'm going to spend time with my family. >> reporter: sheehan who has already spent time in prison during trial may face more time behind bars. while she was acquitted of murder and one gun possession charge the jury found sheehan was guilty of a second gun possession charge. >> barbara was convicted because she took raymond's gun and continued to shoot him while he was on the ground, while that imminent danger was now gone and therefore that was an illegal act. >> reporter: a judge sentenced sheehan to five years in prison, more than the mandatory minimum sentence. her family and defense team are outraged. >> i think if you're a battered woman, move some place else if you expect to get help. because you're not going to get it here. >> sheehan's husband had supporters in the courtroom. raymond's twin brother vincent called the decision a bad verdict. in a victim impact statement raymond's sister-in-law said the jury lost sight of the victim in the crime. it was not barbara sheehan. it was raymond sheehan. barbara is appealing the five-year sentence for gun possession. >> barbara sheehan is here with her children. good morning to you all. >> good morning. >> you are out on bail right now while your appeal is pending. the judge sentenced you to five years. are you concerned that you are going to have to go back to jail? >> is yes, of course, that's a major concern. i also believe that we have a good appeal, a good appeal team and i'm just hoping for that. >> when we talk about what happened here, i know you think for people to understand what happened on that day, february 2008, when you shot your husband they have to understand your marriage and the years you spent in that marriage. what was the abuse you claim you suffered at the hands of your husband? >> various types of abuse. psychological, emotional abuse, physical abuse, black eyes, scars on my face, stitches, hospitalizations. it's just unbelievable. >> you know there are people listening who might say, well, why didn't you leave? >> well, it's very difficult to leave. first they manipulate you. so at first it starts with a push or a shove and they apologize, bring you gifts. before you know it you're involved. also it's difficult in my situation because he would tell me all the time, who are you going to call -- the police? he was the police. >> let's talk about that day in february 2008. you say he was angry because he wanted you to go with him on a trip to florida and you didn't want to. you say he pointed a gun at you. what happened next? >> i had come upstairs. he had taken one of his guns and had pointed it at me and said he was going to kill me if i didn't go to florida with him. i had been in contact with a domestic violence group. they told me the only way out, because the situation i was in was so dangerous i had to save money and disappear. what i was doing at that point was trying to save money. i had the money in my bedroom. when he pointed the gun at me, i went to my room to get the money and his other gun was there. >> when you walked past him in the bathroom he was shaving. you say he then pointed the gun at you again? >> i do believe he was shaving. i'm not 100% sure he was. he pointed the gun at me again. i ran down the hall, got the money and i got the gun that was laying there, his gun. >> the issue in the trial seemed to be the jury believed you. they said it was self-defense when you shot him the first few times but the issue was you then grabbed the gun he had ethics to him and shot him again. a total of 11 times. what's your response to the prosecutor's allegation that you were still shooting him long after the danger had passed? >> no. that's not true. it wasn't after the danger had passed. he was attempting to get up. he was still cursing at me, telling me he was going to ef f'ing kill me. evidence trying to get up and any time he chased me -- he was a lot bigger than i am. he always caught me. the danger wastill there when i picked up the second gun. >> i will bring in jennifer and ray. you grew up in the household. do you have any doubt about the story your mom tells? >> no. absolutely not. she'll telling the truth. if anything, it was worse than anybody could imagine. it's worse than what people see. >> did you witness, ray, this abuse growing up? >> primarily it was my father abusing my mother. my whole life was witnessing this happening. >> did you fear for your mother's safety? did you fear for her life? >> definitely. >> every day. >> ray, i know when you went off to school you were worried something like this might happen. >> definitely. i always thought it would happen the other way around. but i never thought it would happen like this. >> i wonder how your life is now. you are back at home. you're in the same home that you have this marriage in. is it hard to be there? >> at first i thought it would be hard. but it's actually no longer a house. it's now a home. that's very important. >> i know you can't turn back time. if you could do you wish there had been a different outcome? do you wish you would have been able to leave as opposed to what happened here which is he died? >> oh, absolutely. i'm very sorry for what happened. i do wish i would have been able to leave. unfortunately a couple members of his family did know what was going on and they never even came in to help out. >> very quickly, jennifer and ray, your father's family says he's the victim here. do you agree with that? >> i would like to say something about that. i think we are the only ones that know what happened in that house. for anyone to say that we're lying is a total guess. so that's the worst thing someone can do. they're guessing that we're lying. that's a terrible thing. >> barbara, jennifer and ray, we appreciate your time. we know it's not easy. >> thank you. >> we'll be right back after this. here because he hangs here. because you don't see this everyday. 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well, 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 try-- 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 a company that's helping more people reach retirement than anyone else. call or come in for a free portfolio review today. ♪ we're back at 8:21. this morning on today's travel, new rules for airline travel. the department of transportation is implementing change this is week designed to protect you when it comes to tickets, baggage and service. here with details, features director for travel & leisure magazine. nice to see you. >> good morning, matt. >> this is the second phase of a set of rules. the first phase went into effect in august. what do they entail? >> the first set of rules were important ones as well. there were three main rules. the first was there was the maximum four-hour tarmac delay allowed for international carries. prior to that the controls were not used for the international ones. >> right. >> the second one was an increase in compensation for passengers who were getting involuntarily bumped, up to $1,300 which is a substantial amount, more than what was happening beforehand. third and also importantly, international and domestic carriers would be held to the same standards when it came to customer p ser is vis. >> now we are talking about airfares, baggage and service. say you go to book a domestic flight after the new rules go into effect. what's the big difference you will see? >> you will get a little sticker shock. but the thing that's important is transparency doesn't mean highway robbery in this case. the airlines aren't charging you more money. they are being more transparent about what they are charging you. if you're going to book a flight from new york to l.a., today the flight would cost you $278. in a couple of days on thursday the same flight will come up as $299. >> they haven't raised the fare. they are including taxes and extras. >> the reason is the d.o.t. has the new rules and the administration hopes this means airlines and passengers will have better relationships. >> when i look at an international flight, for example, in new york to london today it's advertised at $572. this one jumps a lot. >> it jumps $190. now that's substantial if you're thinking about a family of four traveling. in fact, these mandatory fees account for as much as 20% to 30% of an international flight. when you think about it, it's big numbers but the important thing is you're not being overcharged. this is what you were being charged already. you're just clear on it when you're booking. >> and another involves how long you can hold a reservation without paying for the ticket. >> the airlines made over $1 billion just in the first half of 2011 on just these cancellation fees. this is important. you're able to not only hold for 24 hours without paying but also a cancel without paying. as long as your flight is a week or more in advance of when you're booking you have flexibility which is huge for passengers. >> what's huge for airlines is baggage fees. they made $1.5 billion on baggage fees in the first half of 2011. what are the changes here? >> the changes are you are still going to be charged baggage fees. however, it has to be clearly stipulated on the airline's website. and the main point is that you are not surprised when you get to the airport and you have last-minute additional fees you weren't expecting to pay. >> finally there will be changes in terms of what airlines have in terms of service. what are the changes? >> we all feel we don't get treated well by the airlines. nothing worse than showing up on the day of your flight, realizing the flight has been cancelled or delayed and you weren't notified. this happened to me and a lot of people last winter. in the case of delays, after 30 minutes you have to be notified. if the flight will be changed or there is a deviation you have to be notified within 30 minutes. >> the bottom line is starting the end of the week, the consumer will have much more information at his or her disposal before making choices in air travel. >> absolutely. it's all about empowerment, transparency and protection. >> all right. thank you very much. good to see you. just ahead, whern and how t fire your child's pediatrician. after your local news. let's check the forecast. tom kierein has a look at your forecast now. >> we're getting a little bit of light rain in the district of columbia and across northern virginia but in maryland and parts of northern virginia, loudoun county, montgomery and howard where you see those patches of pink, those are areas where rain may be freezing up a little bit on some untreated surfaces and also some patchy dense fog around. it is cold this morning, just in the low to mid 30s to upper 20s. later today into the 40s. we' good morning. low hanging wires still block your ramp to westbound 202 from the inner loop of the beltway. just be aware of that. taking the beltway in montgomery county, still slow university boulevard. delays continue to georgia avenue. travel speed in the area, 35 miles per hour. more news, weather and traffic for you in 25 min -dad, why are you getting that? -that's my cereal. is there a prize in there? oh, there's a prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur?] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are those great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that c help lower cholesterol. stickers? uh-uh. a superhero? ♪ kinda. [ male announcer ] and we think that's the best prize of all. ♪ we are back now at 8:30 on a monday morning, the 23rd day of january 2012. kind of a mess here in rockefeller plaza. we have overcast skies. it's been drizzling off and on for the last many hours. thanks to those folks for braving the weather on a chilly monday morning. i'm matt lauer here with savannah guthrie who's here while ann takes some time off. natalie morales and al roker join us as well. coming up, how to deal with the breaking off of a very important relationship for parents. >> a relationship you have with your pediatrician. of course it's important but are there occasions when you should consider severing that relationship? if so, how should you go about it? dr. nancy is here with good advice for parents. >> also speaking of good advice for parents a lot of us have dealt with the bad language we are hearing in movies, tv, songs. how has cursing crept into society and what impact is it having on kids? we'll talk about that as well. >> also to protect yourself from identity theft. we'll let you know what documents and bills you should shred. not just tear up, but shred every month to keep your identity safe. >> before that can we please say good morning to monica potter, one of the stars of nbc's "parenthood." >> we feel like we know you. >> nice to see you. hi. hi, al. nice to see you. i have my hand warmer. you guys are smart. >> where are your gloves? >> in l.a. >> we apologize because you wanted to do this interview on the couch with everybody on the sofa. what was the deal with that? >> i just like you. >> we know it's about matt. >> we brought you out in the rain. >> i'm from cleveland. this remind mess of home. it's good. >> cleveland. >> yeah. >> "parenthood" is so popular and people relate to the bravermans. it feels like a reality show. >> sometimes we go off book, you know. we all relate to each other as a family in real life. it's a blessing. >> in this show, a lot of people also relate to the fact that your son has as berger's. dealing with a special needs child a lot of folks relate to. >> more than i -- it's overwhelming. it's such a joy to bring this awareness because it's out there and it's prevalent and so many families deal with it. >> are you hearing from those families? >> oh, yeah. i have a lot of friends with autistic children. just to see how they interact with each other, it's just touching and i hear about it every day. it's just, i'm lucky. >> a lot of responsibility then as well. the show deals with real life issues. we saw this past season dealing with the stresses on the marriage that you get through. >> oh, yeah. >> dealing with financial sha hardship which you're getting through. is that to be as real and true to life? >> as true to life as possible. our writers have families. they deal with this themselves. i don't know about the infidelity -- not to say anything. >> is that coming up? >> no! >> we hear you have the perfect talent for this which is the ability to cry on cue. you're crying all the time in the show. >> i know. my kids are like -- i'm really jovial in real life. i like to have fun, make jokes. so i cry. >> she's crying because she doesn't get to sit on the couch with matt. >> good to have you here. let me remind our viewers to catch "parenthood" tuesdays at good morning. the radar's showing these areas in pink are areas where rain is falling and it is creating a little coating of ice on untreated surfaces in loudoun county, montgomery, and farther to the north and west. patchy fog around the region, temperatures getting near above freezing across most of virginia though parts of maryland still below freezing. later today into the 40s with more rain off and on into the afternoon ending tonight. sun tomorrow and warmer, into the 50s. maybe more rain thursday. and don't forget you can get your weather day or night on the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. shut the front door, savannah! >> the perfect segue. we are talking about all the curse words in our pop culture. first, this is "today" on nbc. back now at 8:37. back in the 1970s george carlin told us there were seven words you could not use on television. four-letter words are popping up on everything from reality shows to sit comes. what are the new rules of cursing? >> because you [ bleep ] to mexico [ bleep ]. >> you had to -- >> when you turn on the tv these days don't be surprised to hear this. >> i don't give a [ bleep ]. >> reporter: or this. last week at the golden globes even meryl streep let one sleep. [ bleep ]. >> oh, my glasses! i'm going to have to remember my speech. i can't believe i said [ bleep ] on tv. >> reporter: it's not just tv. one of the hottest songs of 2011. ♪ [ bleep ] you >> reporter: people are watching what's in a viral video whose title we can't say. >> shut up! >> the language is more explicit than it's been since the '60s. we have a more casual lifestyle than we have had. i think the language use reflects it. >> [ bleep ] nothing. >> look here. i don't like that kind of talk. >> reporter: we may not like it but language once reserved for cable shows like "the sopranos" has gone primetime. in fact, the major networks including nbc have taken the issue to the supreme court asking for more lenient fcc rules. a recent episode of "modern family" caused an uproar when 3-year-old lily used a certain four-letter word. >> daddy! [ bleep ]. [ gasps ] >> reporter: the parents television council accused the story line of being in poor taste in just the latest example of obscenities used on network tv. according to their research, use of a bleeped f word during primetime has increased from 11 instances in 2005 to 276 in 2010. parents are split. >> i think it's tough as the parent of a 7-year-old. i have to watch what he's watching. >> honestly, i have two kids. i don't think it's bad. it desensitizes them. >> how do children learn the language? they learn it in the backyard. little kids are language vacuum cleaners, especially emotional language. responsibility falls on the parents to monitor what their children are watching. >> an entertainment journalist and "today" contributor. jennifer hartstein is a family psychologist. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> is pop culture driving this or is pop culture mirroring society as it is today? >> it's a symbiotic relationship. you see cursing in music, cable, on the reality shows but it's a reflection of what's going on in the real world and in the '60s and '70s we wanted an idealized version of a modern family. now we want a realistic version and in reality little kids curse. >> on television when someone curses it gets attention. is it about attention, ratings, dollars and cents? >> it's all about ratings and telegraphs that you're with it, edgy. you don't want somebody saying "oh, fudge" when they're going to murder somebody. you want the f-bomb. >> as a parent of three kids when you want to download music they are requesting and look to see how times the word "explicit" is next to a song. it's unbelievable. >> it is. you're more likely to see the word explicit than not these days. >> is the horse out of the barn in terms of pop culture in television, music and movies? is there a way to reverse the trend? >> the box is open. no way to put the lid back on. i think in 10, 15 years it may be worse on television. >> as parents, our kids are watching the shows, listening to music and hearing the words on a routine basis. how do you deal with it? >> it's important to model at home. you have to model what you want them to do. they don't learn it as much from tv if they are watching age appropriate television. by 11 or 12 they know how to use the words in an adult way. you have to start 2, 3, 4 modeling what's appropriate. as a parent you can't say those words. if you slip, keep moving because as soon as your kid knows it's a problem they will keep saying it. >> i'm lucky because my kids do not use them as a course of normal language. when they hear someone else use it it gets a giggle. they put their hands over their mouths. in that situation, what do i say? >> it's a perfect opportunity to say, yeah, that was a word we don't always like to say. let it go. don't make it a big deal. >> when we tell kids that polite people don't speak that way and they look -- >> they look at you and say, yes, you do, dad. >> or they see a movie star come out and say that it seems like a mixed message. >> it is. this is part of the problem. there is a hypocrisy involved here. we have to say, you know, everybody slips sometimes. this isn't something we want to do all the time. let's come up with alternatives. >> in terms of where you have a choice and your kids are watching television and listening to music you have to be a police officer. >> you have to be vigilant about what your kids are consuming pop culturewise. it's a dirty world out there. it won't get cleaner soon. >> change the channel, say no to the music. you can only protect them in your house because you don't know what they're doing in other houses but do the best you can. >> ladies, thank you very much. >> that was a clean segment. >> i appreciate it. >> we kept it clean. >> up next, unhappy with your child's medical care? dr. nancy explains when and how to fire your pediatrician. we'll talk about that. first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪ back now at 8:46 with parenting today. choosing the right doctor for your kids is one of the most important decision parents make. what should you do if you're not satisfied with the care you're receiving. here with advice on when and how to switch pediatricians is dr. nancy snyderman. >> hey, savannah. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> this could be awkward. is it common where parents feel they have to fire the pediatrician? >> probably not enough. things can happen including hurting your pediatrician's feelings. there is something about being blackballed in the community. >> in the doctor community? >> maybe doctors will say, don't take savannah guthrie. she's a pain. >> is there a doctor meeting? >> no, they don't. but there is a paranoia that it will happen. i don't care if you're a doctor patient or a regular patient. there is this intimidation of the physician so too many times we don't separate when we should. >> what's the most common reason people part ways with their pediatrician? >> a real screw-up. if a pediatrician misses a diagnosis and a family loses faith in the doctor and they move on. too many times people enter into relationships with pediatricians without doing their homework. i say to young people if you're thinking about getting pregnant look for your pediatrician first. figure out if you like that person. if the doctor you're looking for isn't around who will cover? is the front office staff nice? does the whole place feel right to you? use your gut. too many times we get into relationships and it's like anything else. you think, oh, why didn't i check it out? >> or listen to my gut. i will throw scenarios with you. say the pediatrician isn't listening to your questions or is putting down your questions or acting like they are not important. is that a fire-able offense? >> big red flag. or did you not pay attention to what the doctor said? most physician offices has call centers in the morning. are you calling at 4:00 when you should call between 7:00 and 10:00? have the parameters right. time to get a divorce. >> what if you feel your child is seeing the physician's assistant much more than the doctor. is that acceptable? >> doesn't bother me at all. as health care changes nurses and physician assistants are increasingly important for well baby care. if there is a concern you have a right to see the doctor. >> what about the front office staff? if you feel the nurses in the front office are gate keepers. is that understandable given the demands on a doctor's time? >> my pet peeve in a doctor's office are the sliding glass windows that separate you from the physician and office staff. i think they are a real barrier. whether that person is nice, whether your call is answered or you are put on hold, can you get in reasonably, the front office staff is a reflection of the physician. too many times the doctor doesn't know if the front office staff isn't nice. let your doctor know. too many times they don't know. >> say you are going to break up with your physician. should you say something to the doctor or do you avoid the confrontation? >> depends on your personality. some people slink away in the night. other people want to sit down and an explanation why. you have a right to the medical records. have a plan b. know where you will go afterward. have a pediatrician lined up for a good exit strategy. >> what's the questions to ask the new pediatrician? >> everything you didn't like about the old one, ask those questions first. >> all right. dr. nancy snyderman, thank you very much. >> you bet. >> still ahead, steps to take to protect yourself from identity theft. first, this is "today" on nbc. 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. 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[ 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. this morning on leonard's look mike leonard takes us on a trip down memory lane to an old school inci school institution that's still going strong. >> reporter: behold this grand entrance to another era. this battered back door portal to a time when shop keepers serviced what they sold, when telephones were answered by humans, and when paperwork was done on paper. some of it kept on spikes, some in time-worn cardboard file boxes, and some -- my goodness, what a curious way to keep and sort phone numbers. >> it works! >> reporter: just as well today as it did 80 years ago when jim and john first opened the wilmette bicycle shop. their sons al, jim and larry now run the business in the same fashion out of the same very old-fashioned freestanding destination store. the type of retail establishment that wasn't supposed to make it in this internet shopping big box age. >> that's correct, yeah. on paper this should not work. >> reporter: not only is it working it's thriving. the funky back door repair room entranceway, a glowing, unpretentious signal that this place is not only about selling stuff. >> we gain trust that way. >> reporter: some people come just for advice. some for a small favor. >> thanks! >> reporter: some to reminisce about their days as one of the hundreds and hundreds of young boys and girls who worked their way through school in a shop that taught them how to work with people. really work with people. a lesson not often emphasized in newer, bigger stores. >> the personal service, you can't beat. >> it's all about service. customers are number one. >> reporter: yes, this bicycle and sports shop is cramped and crowded but nobody's complaining. >> it's easier for me. there are always people to help you. >> reporter: sure, the low ceiling in the basement, bicycle showroom calls for awkward crouching but -- >> i don't mind. the information and service you get makes it worth it. >> reporter: as for the supposed hassle of climbing the creaky stores to the second floor attic stock room, nobody seems hassled. >> no. it's terrific. >> i love it. i go up there all the time just to do it. >> you live with what you have at times, keep the costs down. >> reporter: they have made efforts to address some of the building's cosmetic issues, but even in that regard when it comes to change they don't like to rush things. >> until last year we had 100-year-old wallpaper going up the stairs. we finally decided to paint it. seriously. >> why change if it works? >> reporter: now if only more places worked this way. >> such a throwback. >> reporter: this doorway into the past, a pleasantly disorienting sight for a newcomer stepping inside. >> people say, ooh, it's the wrong entrance. no, no. that's our best entrance. >> reporter: for "today," mike leonard, nbc news, wilmette, illinois. >> as we were watching that each of us said, i know a store like that. >> my town is full of them. mom and pop shops. it's great. i love supporting them. >> too often people think of progress and think, okay, we're doing well we have to move into a bigger location, spanking new. it loses something. >> it absolutely does. it's a throwback. >> a monument to organization. i bet if you asked the owners where anything is they could find it in five seconds. amazing. >> pretty cool. like your dressing room. cluttered but you can still find stuff. we had a place in connecticut, bruce park sports that was in a tiny space. they got bigger. still cool. >> it's steiner sports in new york. >> good old fashioned hardware stores. up next, the difference between the cold and the flu. >> don't worry, matt. we don't have it. up next your local news and weather. 8:56 is your tyime on this monday, january 23rd. the federal government is opening late with an 11:00 a.m. arrival time. employees have the option of unscheduled leave and telework. find the list of delays online. we still have scattered areas of light freezing rain north and west of washington. those pink areas, northern montgomery county, into frederick county, maryland. elsewhere though temperatures are getting above freezing. stale little bit of patchy fog and it will continue to climb today into the 40s with more rain likely. sun back tomorrow. quick break now and back with a look at your traffic. good morning. 295 sound very slow the from the beltway. delays as you head to the 50 split. very slow. on i-270, travel lanes are open and on 395 as well. no issues at this time. more news, weather and traffic for you in just 25 minutes. for now back to the "today" show after this short break. have a great day. we're back with more of "today" on a monday morning, the 23rd day of january 2012. it's not the best morning out there. a little damp. kind of chilly as well. but we thank these people who stuck around all morning long. inside the studio i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie and al roker. ann is off today. coming up, a tropical getaway for a texas family turned into a fight for survival when their sight-seeing plane plunged into the ocean. we'll hear from one of the survivors coming up. they were extremely lucky that some very smart and willing people were nearby. >> yeah. some of them were doctors. they were incredibly blessed. also, if you feel the scratchy throat, a stuffy nose it could be a cough, the flu or is it a cold. why it matters to know the difference. we'll tell you how to take care of both. don't just toss all that junk mail into the trash. you should be shredding some of those items first. we'll tell you which ones and what else you should know about protecting yourself from identity theft. >> do you do it? >> i do. >> do you shred things? >> i'm hit or miss. i have a shredder but i get l y lazy. yes and no. ish. >> that worked out nicely. >> i could go on and on. >> like talking about savannah, why spending time apart could be vital for staying together. >> do you think there are problems in this relationship? >> i think so. we'll share secrets to a long-lasting and loving relationship. >> i love you, guys. what are you doing after the show? >> let's go shred. >> al and i are going to do something. let's check on the top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. >> i'll get coffee with you. good morning, everyone. we begin with severe weather in the southeast this morning. the storm system is making its way across alabama into georgia. tornado watches and warnings are in effect. there are early reports of at least eight tornadoes touching down in alabama and at least two deaths are being blamed on the storm. the region should expect hail, heavy rain and damaging winds. on sunday there were at least 21 reports of tornadoes. ten in arkansas where homes were ripped apart and trees fell on cars. a tropical getaway for a family from texas turned into a fight for survival when their sight-seeing plane plunged into the ocean. "today" national correspondent amy robach has more on the story. >> reporter: good morning. the texas couple was flying with their 4-year-old son when their plane crashed but kind strangers happened to be in the right place at the right time and pulled off an amazing rescue. a plane ride through paradise for the atkins family. they were hoping to enjoy the sights along the coast of roatan in the caribbean off honduras. andy atkins had flown in the same plane just months before. >> it was an awesome, fun ride. great views, great pictures. a low flying plane that felt very stable. >> reporter: last week, with his wife jenny and 4-year-old son logan along, something went wrong. >> we lost an engine and crashed into the ocean, flipped over. we were stuck under water. >> they're all out. >> reporter: larry forsyth was on a nearby boat when he saw the crash. >> holy -- >> reporter: his son paul captured video of the dramatic rescue. >> we all dove in and swam just as quickly as we could. the timing was impeccable. we were just at the right place at the right time. >> reporter: only moments before, the plane's pilot helped andy get to the surface but there was no sign of andy's wife or son. >> i dove back under looking for them. didn't find them the first time. came back, got air, went immediately back down. i just came up and had logan in my arms and by the time i got to the surface, jenny was also at the surface with the pilot holding her. we were all still in shock at u know, we knew we had survived the initial crash. but we didn't know where it was going to go from there. >> reporter: remarkably, a u.s. navy doctor and another physician were among the divers who risked their lives to save the family. >> they screamed there were two doctors on board. they got them on the back of the boat, got them oxygen, treated them with all their skill. >> reporter: the entire family spent days in a hospital before returning home thursday night. >> it reaffirms your faith in people and humanity that so many people stepped in to help that didn't have to. >> reporter: the atkins are already planning another trip to roatan and said the accident brought them closer to the island and the people there. natalie? >> so incredibly lucky. amy, thank you so much. today the european union voted to adopt an oil embargo against iran over its nuclear program. on sunday a u.s. aircraft carrier sailed through the strait of hormuz which iran threatened to close. fireworks, lion dances and family reunions mark the lunar new year being celebrated among asian-americans today. the dragon is an extremely good omen of strength and luck. hospitals are bracing for a dragon baby boom. vampires took a bite out of the weekend box office. "underworld awakening" finished on top with $25.4 million. george lucas's "red tails" debuted in second place and "contraband" dropped to third. five minutes past the hour. now to al with a special guest. >> thank you so much, natalie. we'll get to our guest in a moment. let' this is some severe weather that has had a history of tornado starting to fire up. rainfall amounts not that big a deal. talking about anywhere from about an inch to maybe two inches of rain but with the big problem is going to be the risk of tornadoes, strong winds and damaging hail. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. good morning. cloudy, still patchy dense fog around but it is going to be slowly dissipating over the next couple of hours. radar getting scattered light rain across northern virginia and into maryland it changes over to a bit of freezing rain, rain that falls and freezes on any untreated exposed surface. we have our temperatures there in parts of maryland still a little bit by low freezing, northern montgomery county, fredry afred ry rickinto howard. our latest weather. now let's welcome olympic gold medalist summer sanders, a fierce competitor in the pool and in the kitchen as well. unfortunately her training as an athlete could have been her undoing. she's the latest to be eliminated from food network's "rachael versus guy celebrity cook-off." >> it was a sad day. >> what happened? >> i tried an amuse bouche and tried to put something together i don't eat which was goat cheese. it looked pretty but it didn't taste good. what are you going to do? >> who's your competition? >> that's taylor dane. also left are coolio who's a force in the kitchen. >> he's a big cook. >> also joey fatone and lou diamond phillips. i played for right to play. we bring sport and play to developing countries. >> wow. so are you going to step it up a notch? >> i still start my day off with a bowl of kellogg's and try to get adventurous at night. i'm cooking for kids who don't like a lot of spice. my important goal is teach them to make healthy choices. i look at my plate and i want it colorful, not with skittles, but with veggies. >> you have a few medals around your neck. we're coming up on the 2012 olympics. >> i know. so fun. >> what do you think the u.s. team's chances are? >> the swim team is the team to beat. the men are looking to win the relays. that's what we have always dominated. that's where they have to come back. the women, you will see missy franklin, an absolute doll, just a bright spot of the u.s. team. of course michael phelps will win his 4,000th gold medal or something. >> he'll be weighed down. >> always good to see you, summer. >> see you in the kitchen. >> don't forget. catch "rachael versus guy celebrity cook-off" sundays on food network. here's nat. >> today's health is brought to you by kleenex brand tissues. softness worth sharing. >> thank you, al. this morning on today's health, is it a cold or the flu? recognizing the difference between the two illnesses can be critical to avoiding more serious health problems. "today" contributor dr. raj is from langone medical center and author of "what the yuck." good morning. >> good morning. >> it's been a mild flu season is. february is the peak so it's a good reminder, as any time. we should point out the flu can be deadly, right? >> absolutely. colds generally make you feel not great but they don't knock you out. the flu can lead to serious complications, things like pneumonia, bacterial infections. could be fatal in some people. important we don't get lulled into a false sense of security. we are still waiting for the peak which is january and february. >> knowing the difference between a cold and flu is important because the flu can be deadly. >> it can be. you want to know if you have it so you can talk to your doctor about what to do about it. >> we'll differentiate between the two in a moment. let's dispel the myth that people think you can get a cold if you're out in the cold or wet weather or if you're just basically dressed inappropriately. false? >> it's a myth. the whole, don't go out with wet hair, that's not how we get a cold. we get colds or flu through contracting a virus. you get it by people sneezing, coughing near you, touching a contaminated surface and your mouth, nose or eyes. that's how you get the flu or a cold. we see it more in the winter because we are in closer quarters with people. we're too close to people and that's how we get sick in the winter. >> we're just making sure we're not catching anything. let's go through the symptoms and you tell us which is which. first, runny nose or stuffy nose. cold or flu? >> this is more often a cold. the runny nose is a sign -- the viruses that cause the cold affect the nasal passages. you may have a little bit of stuffiness with the flu but it's an overall body symptom. for the runny nose, sneezing that's annoying, more likely to be a cold. >> next is the dry cough. >> a cough could be a cold or a flu. the difference is if the cough is accompanied by chest pain or trouble breathing that's a more serious situation, more likely to be the flu. just a dry cough that's not really bothering you much could be a cold. >> body aches and fatigue. sounds like the flu. >> hallmarks of the flu. the flu knocks you out. you can't get out of bed, you can't move. you're miserable. colds, people can go to work, go about their daily activities. they don't feel 100%. >> the flu lasts how long? >> you could have fatigue for up to three weeks. the cold is more three to five days. >> another symptom is sore throat. if your throat is inflamed is that the cold? >> it could be the cold or flu. if you start with just a sore throat and a couple days later have a runny nose that's a cold. if you have a sore throat with body aches, fatigue, that's likely to be the flu. >> best way of prevention is the flu vaccine? >> absolutely. hand washing for the colds and flu is a great way to protect yourself from contracting it. the flu vaccine is important for everyone over six months. >> if you have the flu what's a common course of treatment? >> there are treatments for the flu. they are only effective if you start within 48 hours of your illness. there are anti-viral medications to shorten the duration and less century the severity and prevent complications. if you suspect the flu talk to your doctor. there are tests and treatments for it. >> dr. raj, now we know the difference. thanks. up next, how to protect yourself from identity theft including a list of what documents to shred. plus a happy milestone for elizabeth smart. her kidnapping and rescue made headlines more than a decade ago. now she'sengaged. details after this. are america's softest... no wonder people want to share them with the ones they love. ♪ ♪ start your own chain of sharing. ♪ send a kleenex brand share package for free today at kleenex.com. kleenex. softness worth sharing. might seem... ♪ ...impossible. no, no... well how about the purp? ew! ♪ yeah. wow. unless you have eggo® waffles. they're quick and easy to make, and there's something about them... that just makes people move. 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[ male announcer ] eggo® waffles. simply delicious. you bet. wow. man: do your simple return with the turbo tax federal free edition, and now get our free one-on-one expert tax advice live by phone or chat. get the federal free edition at turbotax.com. ♪ this morning on today's consumer protecting yourself from identity theft. more than 8.5 million u.s. households were victims of i.d. theft in 2010, costing them more than $13 billion. in its current issue shop smarting magazine reports on strategies to safe guard your information. lisa, good to see you. >> good morning, al. >> first you say people shouldn't panic. >> there are a lot of cases and there are a growing number of cases but in most cases you can prevent identity theft in a few very simple steps. >> okay. first of all, you say shredding or tearing up in itty bitty pieces of certain kinds of information that comes to your house every day is important. >> right now you probably have information in your trash people can use to steal your money. >> like what? >> shredding is the number one no-brainer thing you can do to prevent identity theft. credit card information, monthly bills, workplace documents, financial statements, any information you get from a retailer you have done business with. all of these things should be shredded. >> what if you get junk mail, you know, like offering you credit cards, things like that? >> absolutely. any checks you receive in the mail. sometimes you get checks you can use toward purchases in the mail. shred. when in doubt, shred. you don't have to shred everything. you know the ads in the mail that don't have your name on it, just put those in the trash. but i basically shred everything, just in case. >> let's get started talking about shopping. you say to keep your computer safe. >> if you're shopping online there are a lot of threats in terms of i.d. theft. one of the things you really need to do is make sure you have security software and use it and update it. also, this prevents you from getting hacked but as you have been hearing in the news lots of companies have been getting hacked. >> sure. >> there were millions of accounts hacked. >> what chance do we have as an average person when these big multi billion dollar companies with all this security get hacked? >> one thing you can do is make sure you have a strong password. can't be your cat, dog or anything in the dictionary. should be a scramble. you have to change it regularly. i know it sounds like a pain in the butt. but you should have different passwords for different retailers. if a retailer is hacked they don't have your password they can use for your other accounts. >> what about public wireless networks? is that a bad thing? >> only if you're shopping on them. criminals could be standing by on a public wifi system ready to take your passwords, credit card numbers. don't shop on public wifi networks. >> should you password protect your own wifi network at home? >> absolutely. that's a simple thing you can do to protect yourself at home. >> e-mail scams. i have gotten e-mails that look like it comes from my bank. >> right. >> they look really legitimate. >> often you may have been shopping at a recent retailer and you get what looks like a legitimate e-mail from the retailer. they will ask for information. don't do it. most likely it's not legit. most companies don't ask for sensitive information via e-mail. >> make sure you know who you are doing business with. >> go to bbb.org, check user reviews. don't do business with just anybody. >> say we're physically out shopping. a lot of times you say people carry more information than they need. >> especially women. we're the worst. we carry bags with us and we have all of our i.d.s, medical card, social security card. >> my stage manager is nodding yes. >> here's a tip if you're a woman. have a separate wallet for shopping. just the bare minimum amount of information. if your wallet is stolen that's i.d. theft right there waiting to happen. >> you say don't reveal personal information for transactions you didn't initiate. >> if somebody says, oh, get an extra discount with our program and they ask for your birth date and other things, there is no reason to give it to them. the only reason to give them that information is if you initiated a transaction, you're opening a new account. >> one thing you say to do is keep eyes on your credit card because there are a lot of skimming. >> devices. >> and they skim your information. >> if you see a clerk walk off with your credit card, be careful about that. in restaurants there is not much you can do to avoid that. keep an eye on your credit card while that person handles your transaction. >> finally folks don't realize they can get a free check of their credit scores three times a year. >> so the next no-brainer thing to do to protect yourself from i.d. theft is go to annual credit report.com, check your credit report at the three different agencies once a year to make sure there aren't fraudulent accounts opened in your name. that's something free. you don't have to sign up for expensive credit monitoring or i.d. theft services. that's something you can do and it's powerful. >> lisa freeman, thank you very much. great advice. still ahead, the secrets to a strong, long-lasting relationship. love is not the only answer. you may be surprised what is. first, these messages. when we realized losing wes we could eat whatever we wanted and still lose weight. weight watchers online was so easy. you look up a food, you eat the food, you track the food. weight -- comes right off. you have lipstick on your teeth. ok. got it. using the recipe builder, i'm making 2 point enchiladas that will blow your mind. together, we lost 71 pounds with weight watchers online. quit dancing. i didn't do it... 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[ male announcer ] 1, 2, 3 percent cash back for the things you buy most. the bankamericard cash rewards card. apply online or at a bank of america near you. no problem. man: do your simple return with the turbo tax federal free edition, and now get our free one-on-one expert tax advice live by phone or chat. get the federal free edition at turbotax.com. it's real milk full of calcium and vitamin d. and tastes simply delicious. for those of us with lactose intolerance... lactaid® milk. the original 100% lactose-free milk. 9:26 is your time now on this monday, january 23rd, 2012. good morning to you. the federal government is opening late today with an 11:00 arrival. employees also have the option of unscheduled leave and telework. find the entire list of delays on the bottom of your screen and on nbcwashington.com. this is related to the weather. tom has your forecast. >> right now getting a few scattered light sprinkles in northern virginia, eastern west virginia, into maryland. there may be a few pockets of some of that freezing up on some exposed surfaces so watch out for that especially in maryland. patchy fog lingering but beginning to dissipate in the region. climbing into the 40s later today with more rain off and on, sun back tomorrow and warmer. quick break now and we'll check your traffic when we com good morning. traveling 66 inside the beltway hello, sid. >> what's up, bro? >> don't ever do that to me again. >> he's always a winner in our book, but when the oscar nominations come out will george clooney be on the list of nominees? he has shots in several categories and who will he share the spotlight with? maybe good friend brad pitt? we'll have the academy award nominations for you live here tomorrow on "today." >> i want to see the boyfriend get nominated. he was great. >> he was funny. >> robert forester said, okay, i'm going to hit you now. boom. >> meanwhile you have to see it if you haven't yet. meanwhile coming up after being kidnapped and sexually abused at just 14 years old, ten years later elizabeth smart is enjoying happier times. she's now 24 years old and is engaged to be married. we'll get the details on how she met her husband to be. >> also ahead, secrets for a long, happy relationship. yes, romance is important. you also need a realistic view of the future to go the distance. we have expert advice ahead. >> and we are ringing in the chinese new year. it's the year of the dragon. with eel be celebrating with delicious asian cuisine including potstickers and a chinese steam boat. >> what is that? >> i don't know. sounds delicious. >> i like it. >> sounds hot. >> you have to do the weather first before the steam boat. >> from the love boat to the steam boat. >> there we good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. the moving color on radar is scattered light rain and there may be a few pockets of that turning into some iciness, freezing rain, rain coming down, freezing on exposed surfaces farther north and west of washington. patchy fog around, still lingering a bit and should dissipate over the next couple of hours. temperatures should get above freezing much of the region, though it is still a little bit below freezing in parts of maryland. watch out for a few icy spots there this morning. then into the 40s throughout of the of the region later today with rain off and on. sun back tomorrow. weather. >> al, thank you. up next, the secrets of a long-term relationship. but first, these messages. 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[ male announcer ] eggo® waffles. simply delicious. ♪ this morning on today's relationships, how couples can stay together. a lot of people were surprised to see the break-up of heidi klum and seal after seven years of marriage. they renewed their vows every year on their anniversary in may, but marriage is complicated. robby ludwig is here and clinical psychologist jeff gardier is here as well with secrets to a long-lasting relationship. starting with heidi and seal, relationships in hollywood, people are cynical, but these two seemed built to last. it's sad to see this. >> yeah. they looked happy on the outside. they spoke very well of each other. people who knew them were shocked. it just goes to show, you never really know what goes on behind closed doors. you don't know what it's like. >> they put out some nice, amicable words. we hope they have a healthy divorce. but of course the issue is if they were that great with one another why are they getting divorced? there is a lot of stuff we maybe shouldn't know. >> we don't have all the information. >> sometimes marriages don't make it. >> it bears repeating. marriage is complicated. we'll get advice for long-term relationships. the first piece is develop a realistic view of committed relationships. this seems key. everyone enjoys the infatuation part. it can't last. >> what's not to enjoy about it? there are a lot of people that do hope the romance will look like, you know, the mythic idea. they compare their real relationship to romance and the movies and that can be very dangerous. reality never lives up to fantasy. >> at the same time you're not saying to settle, your relationship will get boring, so suck it up. >> there are cycles in marriages. it may start with fireworks and sometimes it dies down. sometimes you don't even really love one another but then you fall in love again. so if you do make that commitment to stay together you will see the ups and downs in so many different variations as far as emotions. >> the truth of the matter is exchanging partners is no guarantee that you will feel that permanent feel-good. >> right. >> listen, we don't even feel permanently good spending time with ourselves. why would we feel that with another person? >> i've tried! who can do it? >> with every divorce you should get therapy. we're not saying that to enrich our coffers. it's important to work on your issues. if you don't you end up marrying the same person over and over again. >> that's good divorce advice, but for marriage advice, your next tip is a good one which is to work on the relationship. you can't expect to neglect it and not work at it every day and think things will go well. >> right. sometimes we treat our partners worse than anybody else in the world. the truth is simple. be thoughtful. be kind. be appreciative. behave in a way that gets your partner to know that they are loved. that's tremendously helpful. >> establish healthy habits like using terms of endearment, a kiss on the cheek every day, touch the shoulder. something that shows you really do love, even if you may not be feeling it at the moment. it's a good habit to have. >> you say to make room for separateness. get some time apart. absence makes the heart grow fonder. >> that's true. when you are developing yourself as a person and you develop your own passion you're basically a happier person and you have something to offer to your partner and share. >> that's right. you want to mix it up, have the separate time where when you get back together you can have fireworks, inquire what's going on in different parts of your life. in couples therapy i find people are excited about one another when they have separate and distinct lives and what they share together. >> i think it adds to being able to be more objective about your partner when you have brief times away. >> you say to make the most of your differences which is a way of saying don't try to change somebody. >> relationships are about compromise. i don't see it as you being less of a person. i see you giving more to your partner and your partner gives more back to you. that's where the compromise comes along. >> it's frustrating. if you're going to focus on the areas of your partner you don't like and try to get them to change it won't work. redefine it. you chose them because they're different. focus on what you like and how you balance each other out. >> support their personality. >> let's do our last two tips together. they go hand in hand. spend quality time together and keep it fresh. >> yeah. listen, you're a team. you want to have things to look forward to together. vacations, a special dinner. >> go out on dates a lot with one another, by the way. >> right. >> go out on dates. >> thank you for pointing that out. >> do that. it's important because it does bring the excitement back. >> mix up the conversation so you're not always talking about the house, the kids, money problem problems. >> take a class together. learn about wines. include new things into your relationship which is key. >> mutual goals are exciting. >> free advice. uh you didn't even charge us. >> not yet. >> up next, a happy milestone for elizabeth smart. we'll get details about her engagement coming up right after this. it just wouldn't go away. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now i can plan my days and accomplish more. lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i've found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain. oh, there's a prize, all right. 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[ male announcer ] get the venture card at capitalone.com and earn double miles on every purchase every day. what's in your wallet? cover for me. i have an audition. this is harvest day, the time where all the hard work is paying off. my name is ed pines, and i've been growing oranges for tropicana for 15 years. we nurture the trees all year long to harvest the fruit at the right moment. this is perfect for tropicana. at tropicana, we pick the oranges at the peak of freshness. it's all about growing the best orange to get the best juice. i love growing oranges. ♪ from centrum. it puts you in the center of everything that's good for you. its unique self-assessment tool helps identify the multivitamin and supplement combination that's right for you and your lifestyle. so visit new nutritionpossible.com and take your personal assessment today. better nutrition is within reach. centrum. nutrition possible. better nutrition you don't disappear at midnight. and now, you've met your match. new revlon® colorstay™ 16 hour eyeshadow. 64 colors that will take you from night to day without smudging, creasing or fading away. now to utah where elizabeth smart has announced she's engaged. smart, whose kidnapping and safe return made international headlines, is now a college senior and planning to marry a man she met overseas. here's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: the happy young couple is set to marry this summer. elizabeth smart, the 24-year-old byu senior and her reported boyfriend, 23-year-old matthew gilmore from scotland. her spokesman tells nbc news elizabeth is head over heels excited. they have been engaged a week and are working on a summer wedding. >> the elizabeth smart story in our community is always one that draws a lot of interest, even ten years later. people are still interested in hearing about her and how and what she's doing. that includes her engagement. >> reporter: the engagement is confirmed but little has been released about the couple. elizabeth wants to keep the details of her personal life private. this after a painful and public personal tragedy. when she was just 14 smart was kidnapped at knife point from her bedroom, held captive for nine months by brian david mitchell and his wife. elizabeth was rescued after a citizen spotted her and called police. >> elizabeth smart has been found alive. >> reporter: in the years that followed there would be trials and testimony. >> what brian david mitchell did to me was so wicked and so evil there weren't words to describe it. he had taken nine months of my life. >> reporter: a victim of sexual abuse, smart became an advocate creating a foundation to help children while moving on with her own life. >> we all have our trials and experience hard times. i don't think we should ever let it disable us. >> reporter: a devout mormon, smart traveled to france last year to serve a latter day saints mission. while in paris, elizabeth reportedly met and fell in love with matthew gilmore. >> i think people just like to see a happy ending which is why so many people are interested in this story. >> reporter: gilmore, also mormon, lost his father to cancer in 2008. there's been no public comment from his family. it is believed the couple will marry july 1 is in utah, a promising future for elizabeth after a trying past. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. >> and a new beginning for them. we wish them the best. coming up next, celebrating the near of the dragon. we're whipping up tasty chinese treats in the kitchen. but first, this is "today" on nbc. does your cable company keep charging you more... and more... and more? 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>> good, al. how are you? >> so you're known -- we're shameless. people called you the asian julia child. >> right. >> which is a pretty high honor. >> it really is. i'm very honored. >> you're thinking you're not honored right now. trying to think of how to get out of here. what's this dish we're making? this is something traditional for chinese new year. >> this is what we have on the eve. sometimes during the day also. it's a chinese hot pot or the steam boat. it's easy to make. you can have any kind of protein you want, vegetables and each diner takes a basket, dips it into the hot chicken-based broth with ginger, scallions and so forth. >> is it boiling? >> it should be gently boiling. you don't want it to be completely evaporated. >> that would be bad. >> so a gentle boil is fine. dip as much as you want. all these things cook in no time at all. >> this is shrimp. >> squid and flounder. beef, pork and chicken. these are the vegetables. watercress, napa cabbage. >> can you do it as a mix? >> absolutely. it's encurrently encouraged. >> can uh you you put the meat and vegetables together? >> and at the end the broth is so flavorful you add the noodles to it for longevity. >> what are these? >> cellophane noodles made of mung bean starch. >> you put those in hot water and take them out. >> yeah. they cook quickly. 30 seconds. >> we have examples there. >> right. just add them to the bowl. you have soy sauce, hot sauce. >> those aren't cooked but you get the idea. what's back here? >> back here we have dumplings. they are always nice to have. on special holidays you do things that take time to make. >> can you fry or steam these? >> fry, steam or boil them. we'll pan fry them for potstickers. here i have peas, mushrooms, scallions and ginger. i will add tofu. the reason for the tofu filling is we have so much protein in the hot pot it's nice to have balance. so we have a vegetarian version. >> for your vegetarian friends that's a nice alternative. >> absolutely. >> you have something that looks like this. >> exactly. you make dumplings. take a wrapper and wet the edges. right here. and then you add a little bit of filling in the center. about a happying teaspoon. have a little bit of everything. fold it and make a half moon. that's the easy dumpling shape. >> oh, wow. >> that's it. >> that's all? >> that's it. >> you could make whatever filling you'd like in here. >> absolutely. >> after that we take these beautiful dumplings and add them to the pan. so there's water and oil in the pan. >> oh, why water and oil? >> we're going to pan fry them. what happens is you do a steam and fry simultaneously. the top is steamed. the bottom is fried. that's why they are called potstickers. >> they stick to the pot. ah-ha. >> we'll cover these and -- >> through the magic of television. >> ta-da. >> look at that. >> they just fry and they are still going. what happens is the water evaporates and leaves behind the oil. the oil just makes the bottom part really golden. this is what you get. >> beautiful. >> these are potstickers. here we have longevity noodles with shitake mushrooms and watercress for long life. we are all celebrating a birthday. everybody turn as year old today. the chinese new year is the most important holiday in chinese culture and you get to celebrate a birthday. >> terrific. >> this is red bean soup. red for luck. tangerine peel for luck. lotus seeds for prosperity and everything. >> happy new year. >> the year of the dragon. >> we love the decor, too. >> your local news is next. good morning, everyone. i'm barbara harrison. 9:57 is the time. the federal government is opening late with an 11:00 a.m. arrival time today. employees also have the option of unscheduled leave and telework. you can find the entire list of delays on the bottom of your screen and on nbcwashington.com. we're going to go now to meteorologist tom kierein to find out about our weather for today. >> it should make it into the 40s later this afternoon. we still have some lingering fog and patchy areas of sprinkles of the light rain and little bit of freezing rain from haigerstown to near frederick. we'll warm into the 40s today with more rain likely later this afternoon, some back tomorrow. traveling on 395, seeing some delays from duke heading toward seminary road. no accidents. once you pass seminary, smooth sailing into the city. beltway in prince george's county, no issues on the inner or outer loop. coming up on "news4 midday," we sit down with a woman who was we sit down with a woman who was captions paid for by nbc-universal television hey, everybody. so glad you're with us today for this fun day monday, january 23rd. it's going to be a long day for all the football fans who stayed up to watch last night but a very good day for everybody starting -- >> what? >> you know what else it is? >> chinese new year. >> chinese new year. listen, for everybody that had to win, somebody had to lose, so we send our love to all the people in baltimore and -- >> well, look, let's start with this. if you're not a football fan at all, let's pretend, but you like to watch because it's a big hoopla, there are a few things everyone watches, the national anthems sung before each game. >> oh, yeah. >> one person, steefen tyler and kristin chenowith -- >> are people more different? >> more alike than -- >> yes. >> so let's watch steven tyler ♪ and the home of the brave >> he got knocked for that. >> his aaa! >> kristin chenowith was the complete opposite, in the pouring rain, but she was before the 49ers game. >> an old broadway trooper, the show must go on, eight shows a week and she was awesome. >> wouldn't you have died if you were the kicker for the ravens? >> i felt so bad for that kid. >> he was 16 for 16 up till that point. if you watched the game -- >> 15 seconds left and all he had to do was hit that to go into overtime. >> and he wasn't very far away. you know what -- >> and it wasn't a bad snap. it was -- it was just -- >> oh, oh. >> hay had to fly back to baltimore. it's a long way from san francisco to baltimore. and they usually get on a plane right after the game. i said to frank, i said, what's it like, you know, when you get on the plane and you go back and you're the one that basically cost the game? >> yeah. >> i said, are the guys great, honey? do they come up and go, you know what, it was -- he goes, no, it's pretty lonely. pretty darn lonely the whole way. >> by the way. >> what? >> you weren't here last thursday when my mother and regis -- when all pandemonium -- i want to thank trudy skyler for being so sweet when my mother pressed the wrong button and we went someplace in this building i've never been to in my life. but look at joanie. where is she looking? there's been such feedback about the understatement. but the part that got the most feedback was a game show that took place. trying to figure out who knew more about you, your mother or -- >> i haven't seen it yet. >> lyric to my phone. let's hear it, please. ♪ everyone has a story what's the next line? ♪ everyone doesn't care >> what is this? >> night and day. >> oh, god. i had more people get in touch with me from all over the country going i know you better than your mother and regis know you. so funny. my dentist knows me better. what we didn't do, because we were laughing so hard, is i forgot -- we promised we would say if you can't get enough of regis and his beautiful wife, joyce, he's at the seminole hard rock hotel and casino in florida february 28th and march 2nd at the niagara hotel in niagara falls. >> how was that being reunited with him after all those years? >> we just had the best time. he kept calling you koda. the only answer he got right, he knew exactly how long you and i have been working together, baby. don't think he didn't. >> uh-huh. >> he called on saturday to say he had a great time. i think he didn't want to hurt anybody over at abc by co-hosting with you. >> what i finally gathered. >> i said everybody would understand that, rege. i think i talked him in to hosting with us. >> he's got to come back. what does frank think about the game, by the way? >> he's still talking about how much trudy wants him. let me get back to her. i love her. she's a doll. >> sweet. >> sweetheart. she was in her adorable little yoga clothes and she did get a short shrift because we got lost in the building. and so, last my husband was seen was over by the kitchen talking to trudy. and things -- >> mm-hmm. >> so my mom downstairs to have a little piece of her birthday cake and ticktock, where's frank? not for 15 more minutes. finally, i'm walking down the steps to go home and there's trudy with all her girlfriends. i go -- she goes, oh, my god! your husband is so gorgeous! i can't believe it. my god, he's gorgeous! i said isn't it enough that you have sting? back off. leave my husband alone. >> yeah. >> frank was enamored with her, who's also mrs. sumner. all right? back off. i'm telling you. you know what? >> what? >> when somebody else finds your guy attractive, it's a bit of a turnon. i got to tell you. the fact that sting's wife, huh? my husband. >> there is something about that. >> i was looking at frank all weekend going, gosh, you are a great-looking guy. >> thanks to trudy. guys watching the game, they had the greatest commercials during the game. >> yes. >> this one is always a home run. this is that e-trade commercial with the e-trade baby. this is my favorite. >> it's a new baby, though. >> a new baby and a new commercial about a lottery winner. take a look. >> this is my friend frank and his retirmtd plan. one golden crown. how long have we known each other? go to trade. they got tools, man. they have a retirement plan that's fierce! >> two golden crowns. >> you realize that the odds of winning are the same as being mauled by a polar bear and a regular bear in the same moment? i want to show you something. it's my shocked face. >> that's not the one i thought we were going to show. that's the old kid. probably he's like 18. i don't know. >> love that kid. all right. by the way, there was a guy who did get lucky with the lottery. this is crazy. he went in to play the powerball, he thought. >> does it every day. >> every day plays the powerball. for some reason this time he bought the mega-millions, accidentally. he doesn't pay attention. his ticket looks weird. he doesn't know why it's not matching the numbers. the guy from the store said give me a look. did you check your ticket? someone from our store won the thing. he chebed up his ticket. the guy on the left. a lump sum of $6.8 million after taxes. the guy's a veteran, needs a kidney transplant, didn't have health insurance, all that stuff. >> played the wrong game accidently. i like when life works out that way. >> wish him all the best. happy birthday to a wonderful woman in our studio. >> i have not met her yet. >> lillian is 88 years old today. she's here with her posse. this is sherry. >> like joanie. wants to co-host. >> anyway, very, very happy birthday. thank you for coming to see us. >> she's beautiful. >> oh, she's got a microphone. hello. happy birthday. >> thank you very much. >> you look beautiful. >> you really do. it's hard to hear. >> thank you so much. >> you're welcome. sweet. >> yeah. >> sweet woman. >> you know what i did after just starting to get frank away from trudy and someplace safe where i knew she wouldn't be? we went to this fantastic place right here in times square called the discovery. and they always have great exhibits on. they've got a csi one. but right now if you want to have a great time in new york and can't get tickets to your favorite broadway show or something, they have a whole exhibit on the dead sea scrolls that is fantastic. >> you talked about that. >> just fantastic. fun place to go. >> excellent. favorite things time. >> favorite things. by the way, this is a beijing something. >> what is it? bellini. >> it's not a scallop. it scared me. i thought it was a scallop. >> it's a little sweet for you. >> good. chinese new year. >> happy chinese new year. >> by the way, you're a dragon. that's good. >> even though we're just a few days -- >> that's supposed to be very, very good in the chinese world. >> apparently it is. what's great about it is truly, though, a dragon, me, and a snake -- >> get along perfectly! >> yeah. we have a good thing going op. >> what's your favorite thing going? >> i was in the airport the other day. i went to visit a friend who lost a member of her family. as i was flying through, i picked up this book. it's called "a simple act of gratitude." it's about a guy whose life is caving in, his job the terrible, he doesn't have any money, his kids, everything is wrong. he has never written a thank-you note to anybody in his life. he gets a thank-you note from somebody and it touches him. he decides over the course of the year for 365 days he's going to write a thank-you note every single day to somebody. it changes his life. >> gratitude always does. >> he gives a thank-you note to the person at starbucks who remembers his nail. i want to tell you that every day i walk in you say hi john and it's a venti. he found out he got money, his health back, everything back slowly over the course of the year. seemed like an easy exercise. >> so simple we stumble over. that's why i love ann's book, "1,000 gifts." >> great book. >> just fantastic. >> i got the sweetest note from her. >> yeah. that's how those things go. >> my favorite thing, this might look like a little thing. it is. it's called doctor's brush picks. you get two packs for about $5 at the local drugstore. >> oh, no. >> this is not a toothpick. i mean, it's a toothpick on one end but on this end it's a little teeny brush. can you see that? i'm going to show you how it works. >> don't do it. >> yes. and i'm going to show my other talent at the same time. close-up, please. >> ew. ew. >> it goes right through the tooth. >> stop. >> just look. >> pull it out. can i tell you something? i was at jury duty -- >> nobody wants to know. >> a woman was flossing her teeth, like this, next to me in jury duty the whole time. i kept staring at her. i couldn't stake it. reminds me of that. >> little teeny brush. i don't know why but my teeth are the most expensive part of my body, if you know what i mean, but when i eat anything, it's in my teeth. my daughter has huge natural teeth. nothing sticks. >> where and when do you use these? where and when is the appropriate time to use these? >> anytime. now is a really good time to pick my teeth. why not. >> what you got, baby? >> i thought of that. you told me the flossing story. this is your worst nightmare. this is my reebok shape wear double-layered tank. i'm obsessed with it because underneath here, which i was just showing hoda, is another layer that does share wear. when you have that excuse, i feel fat, i'm not going to the gym, now you have no excuse. it tucks you in so you look like you worked out before you even start. it's a little pricey, about $50, but i've already worn this probably 50 times so i'm getting my money's worth. >> real cute, sarah. >> billy bob likes it. okay. ew. do you do that in restaurants? you don't. >> no. no. but half the time you're talking to somebody and you're like, how are ya? you get home and you've got -- >> that's the worst. >> lamb chops all through -- you don't. >> i do. >> i come home after having lamb chops with you and every tooth. >> i don't. all right. ambush makeovers. we're doing something special for february, which is heart health month, and it's to help fight heart disease. we're looking for people who have been through some kind of heart issue. we want to help tell your story and give you a big makeover. >> come on down to the plaza. >> we're getting ready also to go to the bahamas. so pack your bags. we are going -- where an are re going? >> two weeks from tomorrow. >> we want to see you guys down there. >> after the super bowl, straight to the bahamas. up next, all the juicy details about some of your favorite celebrities on "today's buzz." lot of people braeaking up. >> but frank and i and trudy are doing just fine. ♪ ♪ 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 ♪ ♪ 102? 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[ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. i've dealt with all types of tax problems. one thing has never changed-- people want to know their taxes have been done right. to help, you can get free one-on-one expert tax advice. if you have a question, just call or do an online chat with one of us. we even guarantee that all turbo tax calculations are accurate. i'm rhonda collins, and i'm a turbo tax c.p.a. man: go to turbotax.com. time to kick off your week with "today's buzz and" all the celebrity buzz you may have missed with all the football over the weekend. >> between the breakups and the babies, danny cohen has all the scoop. he's the host of a show on all the time now, "watch what happens." >> how are you holding up? >> doing great. only live show in late night, ladies. >> burden of proofing it up, baby. >> 11:00 on bravo. >> ruining your love life, but what the heck. >> your cards here. >> we don't need anything. >> are there words on here? >> heidi and seal. >> they confirmed it. you know, and one of the reasons why i think no one saw it coming is because this is a couple who renewed their vows every year on their anniversary, which seemed like kind of a fun way to celebrate your marriage. but, no, they confirmed it's an amicable split but -- >> but why? the big question. >> we don't know, klg. >> saying because he had an explosive temper, that she could not handle it. they said no infidelity, but he just got upset a lot. >> really. >> wow. >> may i ask one question, though? >> ask. >> first of all -- >> you have the floor, kathie lee. >> thank you, baby. what does he have to be so angry about? when we've seen him -- >> of course we see him under different circumstances. >> yes. >> but easy-going, sweet guy. i don't believe that's true. >> maybe he's mad because he never got to record a duet with you. >> that's probably it. yes. >> speaking of singing at super bowls, as kathie lee has done very well -- >> you're going to pay. >> steven tyler got booed. >> here's what -- first of all, i watched it a few times. i don't know if he was actually booed. >> yeah. >> they were screaming. i don't know if they were booing. but he was sort of screaming as well. but here's my feeling after watching this a few times, because i thought that it was a little not great, this performance. and i understand that's what he does. i think what he needs is a band behind him. >> no kidding. >> back him up. >> and learn the lyrics. >> oh, really. >> yes. >> oh, please. >> messed up. >> all right. so i must say, though, i did one year sing at the super bowl. >> i remember that. >> and it's an unbelievably overwhelming experience. >> did you sing the track or -- >> they make you. >> that was the track? >> that was a cappella. >> that was a cappella. >> i asked to and they said no. >> i don't think he's an a cappella performer as it turns out. >> you're right about needing a band because rock 'n' roll is the whole beat, all of that stuff. >> tracy morgan. tell us what happened. he passed out? >> he passed outed a sundance last night, accepted some kind of award and he passed out. they say it was because of at toould, the hospital said there were no signs of alcohol or drugs or anything. so, you know, alcohol -- altitude can do that to you. you know, altitude also, kathie lee, gives you gas. did you know that? oh, no. >> no, no, no. >> overshare alert. >> no, no, no. we used to have a place in colorado. >> and what happened to you? >> no. edwards, colorado. it's still there. there's a little restaurant called the gas house. you know how you do the traditions. every year, we'd take the kids first off to the gas house. those kids, it was a disaster all the time. i never knew if p it was the at toould or the gas house. >> why are you not a housewife? can't we just put you on one of the house wives? >> i'm available. i'm here at 11:00 every day. lot of time to get in trouble. >> lastly about the oscars tuesday. any surprises? >> it's all about the artists. i finally saw the artists last night. loved it so much. what a bunch of producers guild awarlds over the weekend. so things -- you know, this is the front-runner. >> the other one i saw that i really liked -- >> that dog's going to be on my show tonight. >> you have the dog? >> sparky. >> i have mary j. blige tomorrow night. tonight we're doing a big cut of beverly hills spectacular for their finale. >> what's going on with that? >> we had a pajama party with ray fynes and holly hunter last week. and holly hunter did a split. she does. and then we had a pajama party. we had a pillow fight. >> i have a fantasy about ray fynes. i love that man. it's over. >> why? >> pajamas? >> congratulations on the show and on your ratings. >> thanks. thank you. >> doing well. >> there you have it. >> we're not recasting "the beverly hills housewives." >> up next, our "fan of the week" is about to pack her bags for some fun in the sun. for a day. ealthy n i want healthy skin for life. 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[ female announcer ] new intensive professional effects whitestrips. is the pain reliever orthopedic doctors recommend most for arthritis pain, think again. and take aleve. it's the one doctors recommend most for arthritis pain... two pills can last all day. ♪ over time, my lashes thinned. after 40, i didn't have enough lashes. my doctor said...latisse® is the only fda approved prescription treatment...for inadequate or not enough lashes. now with latisse®...my lashes are longer...darker, with more than double the fullness in 16 weeks. if you are using or have used, prescription products for eye pressure problems, use latisse® under close doctor care. latisse® use may cause increased brown pigmentation of the colored part of the eye which is likely permanent. eyelid skin darkening may occur which may be reversible. if you experience eye problems or have eye surgery, consult your doctor. common side effects include itchy eyes and eye redness. my lashes changed as i got older. now i use latisse®. find a doctor at latisse.com today. the time of the week where fans everywhere are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to hear if they are the fan of the week. >> that's right. get your suitcases because one person is about to head to somewhere fun. >> we always love this part so, drum roll, please. our winner this week is olivia blackburn from fayetteville, north carolina, who watches us on wncn channel 17. olivia says our show is her favorite time of the day because you guys brighten her morning and inspire her. she loves joy bauer's smart snacking tips and motivating stories to push her to go to the gym and lose the baby weight. she's an army wife and is comforted by your friendship which reminds her of all her friends at home. congratulations, olivia. thank you for your constant fanship, bring if an incredible fan, we're sending you and your husband to miami. the trip includes a three-night stay at the trump international beach resort, daily breakfast for two at naomi's grill, two 60-minute spa treatments, one museum tour for two and air fare. we should mention accommodations and air fare are provided by trump international beach resort. >> congratulations! a double blessing because he's serving in the armed forces. >> absolutely. still to come, what your friends can be doing to your confidence. >> plus, debbie reynolds brings out one of your favorite novels. >> and losing 250 pounds from his body, inducted into the joy fit club. we'll meet him. it looks like he wants some gas. how's it going, gentlemen? what's up, man? gas prices keep going up. crazy, man. but seeing how i saved hundreds on car insurance with progressive, this tank's on me. we getting a whole free tank of gas. the dude from the progressive commercial, man, he just filled up our tank for us. appreciate it. take care. fill it up? free tank of gas. man, switch to progressive, dog. they doing a lot of good out here, man. tell him the messenger sent you. you can now earn even more cash for your school with two box tops on brands like old el paso, go-gurt, and green giant. look for specially marked packages in stores now! for febreze fabric refresher. they agreed. 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[ male announcer ] and now new and improved febreze fabric refresher with up to two times the odor elimination so you can breathe happy, guaranteed. and the cereals your kids love. ♪ now all general mills big g kid cereals have more whole grain than any other ingredient. the same great taste they love in cereals like lucky charms and cinnamon toast crunch with whole grain that they need. just look for the white check, only on general mills big g kid cereals, the delicious way to help them grow up strong. now with more whole grain than any other ingredient. ♪ why can't we be friends >> we are back on this fun day monday with "today's relationships" and a topic that could take the fun out of some of your friendships. >> we are talking about the toxic relationships, the one who doesn't like your ten-pound weight loss or doesn't agree with the way you lose your children. >> that's a problem. they have more influence on everything from your marriage to your style. megan murphy from self-magazine and her little baby bump and relationship therapist r.g. allen have some help for us. we don't have this problem but apaperly many do. right? >> i think we all have a friend, when you say, i got this new dress, they go, it looks okay. not the ones who want to cheer you on. >> you can't cheer your family but you can cheer your friends so they should be uplifting and positive relationships. but it's not always the case. >> why do we keep friends like that who aren't actually friends? >> sometimes we may already have self-confidence issues and that sort of draws us to be negative or glass half empty friends. we need to ask ourselves why we stay in those relationships. >> they say they attract what's within you often. sometimes you have a bunch of friends who are complainers because you're a complainer. that sort of is what you do. >> you don't. you've got great friends. >> i really do. look at you. >> so what do you do? you have a friend who's toxic, makes you feel crummy every time you have an accomplishment and she's bitter. what's the right kind of thing to do in that situation? >> it's crazy. we did a self-.com poll and you have more of these negative friends than you think. 59% of us have a friend who is completely needy. we have 54% of us had a friend who was, you know, completely self-absorbed and backstabbing and judgmental. 45% of us actually had a friend who would make actual jabs, you know. >> i just -- i don't understand. maybe you just live long enough, you get to the point you're so old you stop putting up with that kind of negativity. but apparently some people like the drama, right? >> how do you get rid of it? >> one thing you need to do is have a courageous conversation with these friends because often time we stay in in relationships out of loyalty. we've been friends so long. we need new friends. what does that look like? have a conversation with that person, give them an opportunity to make adjustments. if they can't, you need to determine for yourself do you have more positive or negative? >> when you say friendships affect marriages, it is funny. if a girlfriend is having a problem with your husband and he's always complaining he doesn't do this or doesn't do that, sometimes you look at your husband, you're not doing this or that. it is contagious. >> it's dangerous. >> negativity breeds negativity. they say i feel fat, i feel fat, too. you have to nix the negativity and inspire positive conversation. don't let them go there. say you know what, we're not having this conversation. >> how do you start that conversation with the person? maybe you don't realize that each time i'm excited about something you're sort of -- i don't think you do it or realize you're doing it. >> they may or may not realize it. at the end of the day, you really do have to be courageous enough to say, listen, this is not helpful to me. and i'm not feeling like when i come into these relationships or when i encounter you that i walk away feeling good. can we do something different. and it's really engage, if they can do that, great. if not, you may have to let them go. >> you don't need another burden. >> parenting. people they can jump right in and talk to you about that stuff. tell us about that. >> critical piece. >> very critical. and it can be very subtle. my first child i had trouble breast-feeding and i had a friend going you know you need to do that for a year to have the best benefits. you go home and say i'm a bad mom. sometimes it's sutle with that negativity. makes it feel bad about yourself and shakes your confidence. >> sometimes it's not negative. they say those things now and then but overall -- >> or they're trying to be helpful. >> or the one-upper, the friend that's like, you did this, well, i did this. they're constantly trying to run-up you and you still feel bad about yourself. >> if a friend can tell you the truth in love and be affirming at the same time, you don't want a friend that's going to tell you a lie just because you want to hear it. they can tell you the truth in love and the intention is for you to hear it and do something positive with it. that's very different than someone telling you the truth and saying it in a harsh way. >> thanks, kids. >> thank you, ladies. >> up next, actress debbie reynolds teams up with katherine high until a new movie. i had enough of feeling embarrassed about my skin. 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[ male announcer ] when you combine creamy velveeta with zesty rotel tomatoes and green chiles, you'll get a bowl of queso that makes even this get-together better. ordinary lotions aren't made to treat the itch and irritation. so it can feel like you're using nothing at all. but new neosporin® eczema essentials™ with its unique relipd™ formula is different. it stops itch, soothes irritation, and helps restore the skin barrier. it's clinically shown to restore visibly healthier skin in three days. for everyday eczema care, new clinically shown neosporin® eczema essentials™. discover the difference. go online to save three dollars. the fabulous debbie reynolds has been active for more than 50 years. she has not taken a break. >> and we're glad. >> not from talking. not from working. >> she's like a very sassy grandma to katherine heigl's character in "one for the money." based on a novel. let's take a look at what happens when debbie discovers her granddaughter's new gun during dinner. >> good for you. >> thanks. >> good for you. yeah. >> we're going after joe morelli. >> didn't you run him over with a car? >> ugly rumor. never happened. >> put the gun away, ma. i don't know why i even try -- >> and she left her gun at home today to be with us. we love it when you come by. sparks fly, guns go off. >> i should have shot the chicken or something. got my husband instead of the chicken. it's a funny movie. it's funny. wait till you see it. very cute. you'll like it. >> your first time working with katherine hieiglheigl? >> yes. never watched her before. she's pretty, funny, talented, very entrepreneur. she produced it, did everything. >> you play her spunky grand ma, but you've played so many different roles over 60 years. how many movies? >> about 50-some-odd. >> take a little time off to get married and stuff. >> that takes no time at all. takes more time to get divorced nowadays. >> so many amazing roles. how has it changed now to be on a hollywood set today? looking at "singing in the rain." >> it's different. they work a little faster because they have different lighting, different lights, much lighter. it doesn't take as long. >> it's faster now. >> it's faster now. but it's not so much fun. you don't have as much time to become comrades or -- >> bond on the set. >> yeah. like before, you know, we really get to know each other, you know, get to be friends. judy garland and all the great stars in our day. and we had parties and got together. that doesn't happen. you know, i don't think today. unless you're on a series you could do that. >> right. think about now reality tv has sort of taken over and may have become kind of the new celebrities of our time. >> i think they're awful. would you like my opinion? >> yeah. >> think, ladies. think. first of all, i don't think they're real. i think that they're making that up or they're just playing with each other. i don't know what they're doing because that's not real. >> sure. >> you know, people screaming at each other and yelling at each other. that or they're just really not nice people because i don't think real people behave that way. >> sure. not when the camera's on. >> you don't just grab each other's boobs and cursing. >> i did that to suzanne somers the other day, but she asked me to. >> why did she do that? >> because now -- >> i know things happen but i wouldn't have necessarily grabbed her tits. i wouldn't have necessarily done that. >> if she asked nicely, we probably would have. >> no. >> really? >> grab mine. no. punch. i would have shot you. bam. no. control yourselves. >> i wish we could keep you here all day long because more stories -- >> one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready and four to go. that's why i'm here. it's about the movie. we don't have to talk about me. >> and your daughter on thursday. i'm a little scared. >> she does "wishful drinking." it's a play. i don't know why she's here about the play or i don't know what. >> we'll have fun. >> she's in show business and travels around. it's very nice she's working. >> she looks great these days. >> lost 50 pounds. jenny craig, jenny craig. need some of that. >> stop. with katherine heigl. >> oh my gosh! >> up next, the joy fit club. don't do it. some mornings, getting the family together for breakfast might seem... ♪ ...impossible. no, no... well how about the purp? ew! ♪ yeah. wow. unless you have eggo® waffles. they're quick and easy to make, and there's something about them... that just makes people move. 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[ barks ] align can help. only align has bifantis, a pantented probiotic that naturally helps maintain your digestive balance. ♪ ooh baby, (what) can i do for you today? ♪ try align today. and they're always made with milk so all you taste is something amazing. ♪ life is amazing with the love that i've ♪ ♪ found 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 for look at me now, "the joy fit club," induction of the newest member, ben richards. >> a 25-year-old personal banker from columbus, ohio, who lost 150 pounds. we'll meet him in just a minute. first let's take a look at his story. >> my name is ben richards and i once weighed over 360 pounds. i have always been a bigger person. growing up, my friends would make jokes about my weight. i pretended like it didn't hurt, but deep down it did. i tried many diets but nothing seemed to work and i just kept gaining weight. i went to an amusement park when i was about 15 and tried to ride two different roller coasters only to be forced off because the seat wouldn't lock. i never went back to an amusement park because of my embarrassment. when i was 17 my father passed away from brain cancer. that's when my weight really spiraled out of control. i would eat whole pizzas and a dozen wings in one sitting. i gained over 80 pounds in four years. on my 22nd birthday my sister pulled me aside and said she just wanted me to be healthy. she told me that she wanted me to be around for a long time. it touched me and for some reason it clicked. i started counting calories and slowly eased exercise into the equation. using that simple formula, the pounds just started coming off. today i'm 150 pounds lighter and have kept it off for over three years. i have also been able to help my fiancee, cousin, best friend, and his sister all lose weight. i wish i could help everyone get healthy because it is such a great feeling. >> what a doll. what a beautiful family. before we ask ben to come out, we're here with joy bauer who's going to tell us all about his bad eating habits. >> he simply did this by learning how to track calories and he had a great support system. his sister. he also teamed up with his best friend and the two of them were men on a mission. they went to the gym, watched their calories. the biggest learning lesson when it came to calories was this calorie bomb. hitz favorite meal, a double-crusted pizza. two levels here. >> two slices in one. >> on top of each other. exactly. he had multiple slices. buffalo wings. it was well over 4,000 calories. so now what he does is he makes his own using flat bread pizza bottoms, whole grain, skim milk mozzarella, marinara sauce and piles it up with vegetables. a fraction of the calories. >> you retrain yourself. >> yeah. he craves it now. craves it. >> take one last look at ben, his before picture. all right, ben. come join the joy fit club. oh my gosh! >> whoa. >> whoa! >> gorgeous. >> wow. >> whoa, whoa. look at what's inside there. you look great. the support of your sister, i mean, clearly that was really what helped you, wasn't it. >> yeah. it was huge. >> and your fiancee, by the way, happens to be standing -- rachel, just behind us. a lot of people, i don't know if they have that kind of family support, but how much did that influence you and help you out? >> it was everything. couldn't have done it without her. >> she got to your heart. she said i want you to live. i want you to be around. >> yeah. she didn't care how i looked. she wanted me to be healthy. >> and you can do everything you weren't able to do. you do a lot of exercise. what do you do? >> i ran my first half marathon last year. >> good for you. >> it was grief that spiraled you. your dad. >> it was comfort food. >> you're engaged. you have your life together. >> all right, guys. god bless. if you need help with your diet, head to today.com to join joy's 25,000 pound weight loss. and this one you'll like. banging out the truth about bangs. can they change your life? arson is with us. ♪ beautiful girl want an instant makeover? bang out some bangs, baby. >> louis licari's famous arson gergoff is here to show you. i'm scared of the segment. >> we're going to prove it. >> actually we'll do kathie lee's bangs. >> right now. she wanted her bangs cut. viewers like to see a change. >> every person has three different issues. you know, many issues why they should have or shouldn't have bangs. >> is she standing straight? oh! >> great hair for bangs. >> is it happening right now? >> happening right now. >> it's crazy upstairs right now. >> kathie lee asked for it. she wanted it. >> instant bangs. >> her we go. >> they're soft. you don't have to really commit to it. you really don't have to commit to it. >> what have you done? is that it? >> it's easy. >> i'm scared of the front. >> oh! wow! >> come on. kathie's getting her bangs cut. >> and they're wondering why they got all drelszed up. >> oh, my gosh. i can't believe we did that. thank you. okay. >> before we show her, this is diana's before picture. lots of hair all over and she's trying to -- do bangs. >> with curly hair you think you shouldn't have bangs. not true. look right now. >> love it. >> it immediately gave her instant makeover. >> yeah. >> beautiful thing about bangs. >> let's show jill's before picture. our next lucky lady. let's show her before before we show her after. >> as you can see jill has great hair, great oval-shaped face, but looking like she was missing something. so we gave her these blunt bangs. not overpowering. >> beautiful. >> takes years off her face and it's sexy. >> i love her hair. you're right. love the style. >> thanks. >> beautiful. >> i thought you were wearing wigs, all of you. i have to be honest. looks gorgeous. >> katherine's before picture. what was katherine's issue before? >> she was, you know, always wears the hair back, feels like she has no style. i gave her these wispy bangs. she has a heart-shaped face. look at this. she would wear this hair pulled back, instantly has a style. >> i love it. >> also saves you on your botox. >> that's the main reason i want it. >> what about maintaining them? you have to keep going back and making an appointment. >> the best thing about bangs, stylists trim them for free. you don't need an appointment. you walk in for free. >> finish up. >> wait, wait. you have a minute. >> i want to see what happens. never seen this happen. >> beautiful thing about these bangs, kathie lee. >> i changed my mind. >> you don't need to commit to it. >> my hair grows so fast, next week -- >> it does. i committed. >> if you don't like it, you can push them off. >> you rock. >> thank you. coming up tomorrow, actress katherine heigl will stop by. >> and we answer your questions on the panel. ed will be with us.

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