Transcripts For WRC Today 20120514

up 2.5 million hits on youtube in only four days. ♪ i'm sexy and i know it >> we'll meet him today, monday, ♪ i'm sexy and i know it >> we'll meet him today, monday, may 14th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a monday morning, i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm ann curry. good morning, everybody. about this:2 billion trading blunder, the head of jpmorgan chase says the company has egg on the face and he admits that he was dead wrong about situations. it looks like the scandal is about to claim its first casualty. >> that's right. as we said three executives are reportedly set to leave that company, including chief investment officer ina drew, one of the most high-profile women on wall street. meantime over at yahoo, another resignation. that company's ceo is out after only four months. some are citing thyroid cancer as a possible reason. but others say, this is more about lies on his resume than his health. we'll talk about all of that with cnbc's jim cramer coming up straight ahead. >> also this morning there's a young graduate student fighting for her life after she became infected with a flesh-eating disease. a very rare disease. it happened after a zip line accident and she's only had one leg amputated. but her parents who have been spending a lot of time with her in the hospital now say they have reason to be optimistic about her recovery. ear going to talk to them in a live interview. >> and we're going to be talking about the remarkable journey of ted williams. remember him, the so-called man with the golden voice. he spent years battling drug and alcohol addiction before he gained pretty instant fame with this video on youtube. well, now a little over a year later, how's he doing? is he still struggling with addiction? what's next in his career? we'll find out when ted williams joins us in our studio for a live interview. >> it will be good to catch up with him. >> things are going well. >> we're all crossing our fingers and our toes. let's start with a check of the morning's top stories and natalie morales is at the news desk. >> good morning, ann and matt. good morning, everyone. the wildfire season is off to an ominous start in arizona. fire crews there are battling five separate wildfires across the state. the largest has grown to more than four square miles. hundreds of people have been ordered to evacuate and several buildings have been damaged. forecast calls for dry conditions, and triple digit temperatures. disaster officials say early storm warnings may have prevented injuries when this funnel cloud caught on tape struck sunday afternoon in central new mexico. there was some property damage, most of it, though, minor. the death toll has reached at least 15 after a plane crashed overnight in the himalayan mountains of nepal. it happened about 125 miles northwest of kathmandu. officials say the plane with 21 people on board was trying to land at an airport popular with mountain trekking tourists and hindu pilgrims. police in mexico say many of the 49 people whose bodies were found sunday along the highway running from monterrey to texas had probably been killed elsewhere. meanwhile mexico's in the middle of a presidential campaign but critics say the candidates running to replace felipe calderon have not put forth detailed plans to combat the country's drug violence. a bomb exploded at a marketplace in northern afghanistan today killing at least nine people including a local member of the provincial council. the attack comes a day after gunmen assassinated the top afghan peace negotiator in the capital kabul. that killing was a setback to u.s.-brokered efforts to bring peace to the country. a study out today says one third of adults with autism have no paid job experience, college or technical schooling. nearly seven years after high school. the report in the journal pediatrics says the problem should be urgently addressed as a half million autistic children reach adulthood in the next decade. and we got all got a lesson in inspiration this weekend from an ivy league custodian. he came to the u.s. from the former yugoslavia nearly 20 years ago. and sunday he graduated with a bachelor's degree in classics from columbia university. philipi took the custodian's job could he could get free tuition. and in washington, d.c. one college graduate got a degree, a diplo diploma, and, yes, a diamond. when sarah cooper stepped onstage, boyfriend sam miller got down on one knee. the two have apparently been together since their freshman year but their families urged them to put off the engagement until they were through with school. so not even a minute later, there you go, great proposal. five minutes past the hour. back over to matt, ann and al. of course she said yes. >> a no would have changed the whole meaning of the story. >> that is so cute. anyway. >> wow what a spectacular weekend we had here. i hope other people had the same weather. >> a lot of weather. >> a lot of folks did, however, it's coming to a quick close here in the northeast and the mid-atlantic states. we're talking about a lot of rain as we've got a stationary front up to our north, low pressure making its way into the mid-atlantic region, and so the rain continues. we're looking at anywhere from about a half an inch to 3 inches of rain from charleston all the way to the west of boston. rest of the country, gorgeous day in the pacific northwest, with temperatures in the 80s. could see some records there 104 in phoenix, arizona, today. along the gulf, we've got hit or miss showers and thunderstorms, temperatures in the 80s. and we're looking at a beautiful day in the midwest, with temperatures there into the low 80s and upper 70s. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. tom kierein, storm center 4. wet pavement all around the metro area now. and we do have a much-needed rain continuing to advance towards nether area. some heavier showers will be moving in later today. some light rain, but enough to make everything wet. it will be with with us throughout the morning, and thunder and lightning this afternoon, accompanying some of the more moderate showers. highs up around 70 or so. more showers off and on tonight and through the day tomorrow, >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thank you very much. three executives at jpmorgan chase are expected to leave their jobs this week after a trading blunder cost the nation's largest bank $2 billion. ceo jamie dimon addressed those losses when he spoke with david gregory for sunday's "meet the press." >> this is a stupid thing that, you know, that we should never have done, but we're still going to earn a lot of money this quarter. so it isn't like the company's jeopardized. we hurt ourselves and our credibility, yes. and that we've got to fully expect and pay the price for that. >> jim cramer is host of cnbc's "mad money." jim, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> before i talk about what the bank did, let's talk about how they're trying to handle the situation. jamie dimon is out there giving interviews said this was a stupid situation. three executives, it seems, will lose their jobs. how are they doing? >> all right. this makes a lot of sense. because on wall street there's supposed to be some accountability. jamie dimon is saying look, these are the bad guys. the problem is that he oversaw them. so these guys are little versus jamie. >> not only did he oversee this situation, but a month ago, when it was brought to his attention, he started saying to people that this was a tempest in a teapot. he since admitted today that over the weekend that he was dead wrong about that. does someone like jamie dimon need to step aside? >> no, he will not step aside. there have been many trading losses at many firms. the difference is this guy was supposed to be the smartest banker in the country. these positions, this kind of risk taking, is not -- he can't understand it himself. >> let's talk about what they were trying to accomplish here. all this volatility over in europe, and according to the company, they were trying to hedge against that in another direction. but the way they did that was by going in to even riskier propositions elsewhere. where's the logic in that? >> there was no logic and that's what he's saying. look, this was stupid. i don't think he understood it. the people who put the position on don't understand it. this stuff is too complex. financial engineering is too hard. >> do we have the right to also ask the question, after all that went down in 2008 with the bank meltdown and the financial crisis in this country, if they're still making these kinds of risky credit default swap investments, have they learned anything? >> absolutely nothing. and these people make fortunes and they won't have to give it back. the outraged american should feel -- >> the obama administration and congress are looking at this very closely. jamie dimon says this gives obama and his administration more ammunition to push forward tougher regulations on the banking industry. is anything going to happen here? >> no. >> despite all this, despite this headline again, still no major advances? >> they're too powerful. they have tremendous congressional mind share so to speak. they'll be able to water down the legislation, and these things will keep happening. that's just the way it is on wall street. >> let me ask you to change subjects quickly. the ceo of yahoo! is out after only four months. apparently he reported to some members of the board that he's battling thyroid cancer. but he's also a guy who's been called in to question for some things he put on his resume in the past. what's happening at yahoo!? >> i never want to disparage someone who's got health problems. but the fact is he lied on his resume. that's no longer tolerable. >> is that why he's out? >> oh, definitely. there's not even an issue. this man lied on his resume. incredible. there are some parts of wall street and businesses that still have genuine accountability. >> all right. jim cramer. jim, thank you very much. and you can check out jim on "mad money" weeknights at 6:00 and 11:00 eastern time on cnbc. it's ten minutes after the hour. here's ann. >> all right, matt, thank you. president obama heads to new york city today to do some fund-raising for his presidential campaign. while mitt romney spent his weekend making an appeal to some of his party's most conservative voters. nbc's peter alexander is in washington, d.c. with this story. >> good morning to you. president obama's re-election team is rolling out a new ad today that attacks mitt romney's central argument for his candidacy, his business credentials from his time at bain capital. but even as the president tries to refocus this debate away from same-sex marriage, a senior administration official confirms that immediately after his public show of support the president began privately working to contain the possible damage among religious leaders and voters. gearing up to greet his liberal loyalists in new york city tonight, president obama, who the latest edition of "newsweek" calls "the first gay president" will join openly gay singer ricky martin hosting a fund-raiser co-sponsored by a pair of pro-obama latino and lbgt groups. the political impact of the president's gay marriage endorsement that mr. obama himself acknowledged may hurt him this fall remains unclear, especially political swing states like north carolina and virginia, which mr. obama won in 2008. >> i don't think he's going to lose both. i'm not sure the evangelicals were going to lean toward president obama anyway. >> on "meet the press," rnc chairman said the marriage debate may energize activists on both sides but doubts it will be a decisive issue for voters. >> at the end of the day, however, this election is still going to be about the economy. >> reporter: still mitt romney this weekend visited the spiritual heart of the kvz movement, liberty university, founded by the late jerry falwell, hoping to strengthen his support among social conservatives. >> marriage is a relationship between one man, and one woman. >> reporter: at the campus where many view romney's mormon faith with suspicion, one theology course even labeling it a major cult, romney never specifically mentioned mormonism. and was politely received. >> he's a really great job considering the fact that he was coming in front of thousands of people that he knew disagreed with certain things. >> are you serious? >> meanwhile, "saturday night live" weighed in, having fun with the president and vice president, after joe biden forced president obama's hand on gay marriage. >> it's not fair, okay? i was the first one who said it should be legal, but now you're the one getting all the credit. >> that's not true. >> oh! oh, yeah? oh really? then why are you all dressed up? >> i'm going to a gala with lady gaga and elton john. >> oh! see! that should be me. vice president never gets to go anywhere. >> gotta love him as joe biden. mitt romney's son gave us a little glimpse into the romney family mother's day. here is the photo they tweeted of his parents with their two newest grandchildren, david and william, grandkids 17 and 18, with a hat tip to his former rival rick santorum, romney emphasized to graduates this last weekend that strong family values, ann, are key to helping improve the economy. >> peter alexander, thank you so much for your reporting on this. once again here's matt. >> thanks. there are new developments this morning in the investigation into mysterious disappearance of a 6-year-old arizona girl. her father has now been barred from having contact with his two older sons. nbc's miguel almaguer has the latest on this. miguel, good morning. >> matt, good morning. isabel celis vanished over three weeks ago. police still don't have any suspects. her father was the last person to see her and now sources tell nbc news for the time being, he's been asked to stay away from his two other children. >> what did we do? >> reporter: sergio and becky celis say their 6-year-old daughter isabel was kidnapped, snatched from her bedroom as she slept overnight. but now as her disappearance enters day 24, sources say child protective services has asked sergio to keep his distance from his two young sons, from isabel's brothers. >> i don't know that investigators are circling back to the family so much as they never left the family. >> reporter: criminologist casey jordan has been following the investigation. >> there has to be ground for the police or cps to tell mr. celis he can't see his children anymore. isolation, especially from a family, can cause people to want to cooperate even more fully. >> reporter: police called cps' involvement in isabel's disappearance common practice and say the celis family is cooperating with investigators, though neither parent has been ruled out as a suspect. >> until we find conclusive evidence that leads us down one path, we're not going to close the doors on anything. >> there is no easy way to ask this question -- >> reporter: earlier this month the celis family gave their first, and only, live television interview to "today." >> what do you want to say about questions about whether you had anything to do with your daughter's disappearance? >> gosh, i -- i wish i knew where to begin. we are so frustrated to try to understand why this is happening. >> reporter: isabel's father says he last saw her the night of april 20th. the next morning, he said her bedroom window was open, the screen pushed aside. the family home is surrounded by a five foot wall. three dogs live on the property. police call the case a suspicious disappearance. despite over 1,000 tips and tens of thousands of dollars in reward money, there's been no break in the case. the celis family sat down with us two weeks ago. >> how are the boys doing? >> they are remarkably hanging in there. so proud of them. >> reporter: but now, as police exhaust their leads, a father, whose daughter is missing, has been told he can no longer see his boys. on mother's day becky celis told me it was important to keep her daughter's name out in the news. meantime sources say cps and police will re-evaluate the parental custody agreement as the case moves forward. matt? >> miguel almaguer in los angeles on this story. miguel, thank you very much. it's 16 after the hire. once again here's ann. >> matt, thanks. defense attorney for john edwards will call their first witness today as the former presidential candidate's criminal trial begins its fourth week of testimony. nbc's lisa myers is at the courthouse once again this morning in greensboro, north carolina. lisa, good morning. >> hey, ann, good morning. the defense is eager to change the focus of this trial from sex, lies and betrayal to the fine print of campaign finance laws. edwards' defense essentially is, yes, i did wrong, but i did not knowingly break the law. as the defense tries to refocus its case away from john edwards' personal life, the woman at the center of the scandal, rielle hunter, was photographed taking her daughter shopping in north carolina. 4-year-old quinn, who can be seen in this shot dancing for the camera is the daughter of hunter and john edwards. prosecutors chose not to call hunter as a witness. so will she finally be called by the defense? many analysts believe the answer will be no. is calling rielle hunter a huge risk? >> she just brings into the courtroom all the bad things that the jury is no doubt thinking about john edwards. >> reporter: instead the defense is expected to open with a campaign finance expert. scott thomas. the former chairman of the federal election commission. thomas has said in a sworn statement that the government's case is unprecedented, and that the almost $1 million provided by wealthy donors to keep hunter out of sight are not campaign contributions, as the government alleges. >> it would be evidence, compelling evidence from the regulators, that no matter what else you think about john edwards, there was no reason for him to think that the cover-up of the affair was an election law crime. >> reporter: two other witnesses the defense is suspected to try 20 to eviscerate, the already damaged credibility of edwards' chief accuser, andrew young, and to get the jury to follow the money. under tough questioning, young admitted he pocketed most of the money, almost $1 million. money the government claims were campaign contributions to hide hunter. the biggest decision facing the defense, does john edwards take the stand? even though his own lawyer admits he has been shown to have lied and lied and lied. will he testify? >> it's highly risky for him to do so. but the stakes are high. but i think at the end of the day, if he doesn't take the stand he's going to have difficulty getting out of this case. >> reporter: edwards' lawyers say he will ultimately make the decision whether to testify. but it's hard to imagine that with his life on the line, a man whose powers of persuasion took him so far would -- won't want to be -- to try to persuade the jury that he did not break the law. ann? >> we'll see what happens. lisa myers, thank you so much. now here's matt. >> all right, ann, thank you. the british royal family keeping busy ahead of the queen's diamond jubilee and the upcoming london olympics. everyone from the queen herself to william and kate out in force over the weekend. nbc's michelle kosinski is in london with details on that. hi, michelle. >> good morning, matt. seems like we've been seeing the royal family as we never have before. one day kate is teaching prince charles how to iron. the next he's doing the weather on the television. seems like they've been up for anything lately, well, sort of, and this weekend saw nearly the entire family kicking back. the royal weekend revved up on friday. with another red carpet evening stroll. william and kate at a dinner honoring britain's olympic stars. kate, of course, took home the gold in compliments for her bright gown with lacy back. her hair tied into an elaborate updo. but uncharacteristically pricey jimmy choo heels worth more than $750. though she did wear them twice in one week. this team is ready for their roles as olympic ambassadors. >> the mood in london will be electric, ecstatic, and amazing. i simply can't wait. ladies and gentlemen, glory awaits you. >> reporter: soon after william and harry had a taste of glory at a charity polo match that saw both princes site up. and win. kate in another blue dress and high sandals, despite the cold and wind. but it was her cocker spaniel puppy who seemed to steal the show and shared a little love with uncle harry. even the queen and prince fill imseemed to let their hair down this weekend at a royal horse show. the queen decked out in scarf, wellies and enormous smile. laughing with pals. while philip, age 90, hauled around a car battery. for carriage racing that he was judging. ♪ later a star-studded concert. ♪ the house of windsor has been riding high on the wave of pride and admiration among their countrymen and beyond despite austerity at home. even this video of charles and camilla has gone viral. >> this afternoon will be cold, wet and windy across scotland. >> reporter: their inimitable style, hand motions, too, presenting the weather on the bbc. >> the potential for a few flurries over balmoral -- who the hell wrote these scripts? >> reporter: all the royals have brought them sunshine, not a scandal in their forecast. a big year for britain. this was the first weekend in a very long time there was not 50 degrees and pouring rain. unfortunately, it didn't last. now fingers are crossed that london will have a spring and summer in time for the jubilee and then the olympics. matt? >> all right, michelle kosinski in london this morning. michelle, thank you very much. coming up a 24-year-old woman who contracted a rare disease, a flesh-eating bacteria, she got it in a zip lining accident. now she's fighting for her life. we'll talk to her parents. but first::. this is "today♪ on nbc. oh yeah, this is what a weekend getaway should feel like. and does. if you're here that is. feel the fun. feel the hamptonality. still ahead, two youtube sensations. the once homeless man with the golden voice. >> and the teenager whose version of "sexy and i know it" has exploded online. we'll get a live performance from him after your local news. good morning. it's 7:26 right now. i'm aaron gilchrist. breaking news this morning on the roads. a big tree causing some problems. danella? >> aaron, that's right. there's a huge tree lying on the road of connecticut avenue. it's in between bradley and quincy. right now if you're traveling in the area, you'll be forced on to bradley road, traveling southbound connecticut avenue. the tree is also blocking your left northbound lane. for now, all your southbound lanes are blocked and you're forced on to bradley to continue southbound. you can jump on to wisconsin avenue. showing you outer loop delays at van dorn, you're slow to the wilson bridge. aaron, back over to you. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] virtual wallet can help you be that person who's good with money. see what's free to spend. move money with a slide. save with a shake. feel good about your decisions. [ male announcer ] for our families... our neighbors... and our communities... america's beverage companies have created a wide range of new choices. developing smaller portion sizes and more low- & no-calorie beverages... adding clear calorie labels so you know exactly what you're choosing... and in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks with lower-calorie options. with more choices and fewer calories, america's beverage companies are delivering. good morning. storm 4 radar showing some moderate rain and heavy rain. those areas in yellow and orange advancing southeast and northwest. closer to the metro area, that green color, that's light rain, but enough to make all the pavement wet across northern virginia, the district, and much of maryland. and over the day today, tonight and into tomorrow, passing showers, maybe some thunder and lightning, drying out thursday into the weekend. ♪ i ain't afraid to show it show it show it ♪ ♪ i'm sexy and i know it >> 7:30 now on a monday morning. the 14th of may, 2012. an 1-year-old has taken the internet by storm with his unique cover of "sexy and i know it." it's racked up more than 2.5 million hits on youtube in just four days. coming up we're going to meet the aspiring singer behind it. i hate even talking because i think that he sounds so amazing. i'd buy a cd. >> he's got a great voice. so different than a lot of the things you see on youtube where the dog goes and runs under the bed. this guy's got talent. we'll see what's going on here. >> we're going to actually hear a little bit from him. he's going to perform for us. meantime ann curry along with matt lauer. >> that video kind of changed his life overnight. we'll talk to him about that. and ted williams knows a little about that. he was homeless and addicted to drugs last year when a video made him a household name. >> nothing but the best of oldies you're listening to magic 98.9. >> and that made him a household name. he has since been on all kinds of tv shows. but, his success has come with a few bumps in the road, as well. how's he doing now? we're going to find out more when he joins us in our studio. there he is right there for a live interview. looks good. >> yeah. it's exciting to see him. and also coming up, as parents you know we all try to make sure that our home is safe for our children. well, are you forgetting about a potentially dangerous hazard? coming up a new warning on the dangers of button batteries that young mouths can find very appealing. one mom shares her cautionary tale coming up. we begin this half hour with a georgia woman who is in the fight for her life after she contracted a very rare flesh-eating bacteria. we're going to talk to her parents in just a moment. but first, nbc's gabe gutierrez is in augusta, georgia with more on this. gabe, good morning. >> ann, good morning. amy remains in critical condition here but her father is calling her survival a miracle. and her friends are hopeful that she'll be able to breathe on her own soon. for the family of 24-year-old anticipate copeland her recovery has been agonizing. >> her fingers basically appear mummified at this point. and it makes me shake to think about it. >> reporter: copeland contracted a rare flesh-eating bacteria almost two weeks ago. she was out with friends along this river west of atlanta, when a homemade zip line broke, copeland fell, badly cutting her leg. days later, the infection spread, leaving the university of west georgia graduate student fighting for her life. >> she is just an extraordinary woman, and -- and with adventurous in the way that she looks at the world, in the way that she looked at herself. >> reporter: since then her father has been updating the world on her roller coaster recovery, through facebook and blog posts. early last week, aimee opened her eyes this morning. on tuesday, aimee's survival chances are slim to none. but by friday, a breakthrough. she mouthed the words, where am i? and over the weekend, she started to rely less on her respirator. >> we prefer to let time play out, let's see what god's will is for her. and i believe that will will be done. but the most important thing is my daughter is alive. >> reporter: alive and improving. she's already had one leg amputated and doctors thought she would lose all of her limbs. now, while she may lose her fingers, her family is hopeful she'll be able to keep her palms, making it easier to use prosthetics. >> it will be very difficult. her recovery will continue the rest of her life. >> reporter: meanwhile fellow students are fund-raising for aimee and in her honor donating blood to help other patients with serious illnesses. >> the response of the community has just been blown away. >> right now her parents are looking forward to what they call aimee day. that's the day when doctors will remove that breathing tube, and they'd be able to hear their daughter's voice once again. ann? >> all right, gabe gutierrez. thank you so much. aimee's parent, andy and donna copeland are now joining us. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> i understand you spent some time with your daughter again sunday visiting her several times and you came away with even more optimism, andy? >> oh, we did. it was really -- we actually were able to communicate with her through basically lib reading, which we're becoming quite proficient at it at this point. with the help of a nurse, she had some really nice things to say to us. basically, we just had a conversation, she told us she was thirsty. and i asked her what are you going to -- what do you want? what's the first thing you want when they remove the tube? and she said ice cream. that made us all laugh. >> i understand that she's got something that's an extremely rare condition that doctors say only happens when there's a perfect storm of bad circumstances. have doctors explained to you how hurting her leg in an accident zip lining could have caused her to have this extremely rare condition? andy? >> we really haven't dwelt on the circumstances surrounding the accident, or her -- the beginning of her infection. our focus is on trying to stay positive, look at the present, and the future. and we believe that future is going to be bright for aimee. >> and speaking of the being present with this, donna i understand that aimee loves music, and that she -- that when she opened her eyes you were playing bob marley and singing with it everything's going to be all right. you want to describe that moment? >> yeah, that was a really good moment. because i knew she's really in to music, and hearing the music, i think it just gave a real positive outlook, and brought a smile to her face. that's all we want to do. we want to bring out the positive, and just make everything look okay for her. >> how, how much does she know about what's happening to her? >> i don't know that she knows that much. because she keeps asking us the same questions. so i think it's due to the medication that they gave her, which i'm really grateful for, that she doesn't remember a lot and she keeps asking the same questions. so, -- >> what are those questions, andy? >> well, the questions she's asking is, where am i? she asked how long have i been here? and when we told her how long she'd been there, her first concern was, i've got to be working on my thesis. and so she was worried about her schoolwork. and i assured her that dr. rice at west georgia university had all that under control. he said she'll have plenty of time to finish that later. but her second question we couldn't understand, we actually had to ask the nurse, to come in and help us and the nurse picked it right up right away. aimee was actually concerned about her job. so she was worried about losing her job at sunny side cafe in carolton. that was really amazing. i think it says a lot about our daughter's work ethic. >> and she's obviously a very strong girl. i'm wondering, you wrote something really beautiful, andy, about looking forward to the day when she's taken off her respirator. you call it aimee day. and you're looking forward to that day but you're also concerned about it. because of the conversation you're going to have to have. >> yeah. obviously she's going to have a lot of questions. and there will be a lot revealed to her on that day. a lot of -- you know, a lot of things that are going to generate, i think, some very emotional responses from aimee. but, you know, we just taking each day at a time. my daughter's strong. she really is. and i think it's through that shared family strength that we have that's really keeping us propped up right now. >> well, andy -- >> as well as the -- >> go ahead. >> i just want to add that the other thing is just the overwhelming response of the community, and our common faith that's been a very important part of this. >> well, i'm glad you've got to get that in as well, andy. dane and donna copeland, a lot of people hoping the best for your girl aimee. thanks so much this morning. >> thank you, ann. >> thank you. >> and let's now get a check of the weather from al. >> obviously a lot of prayers going out for her, as well. and we look to magdalena, new mexico, we've got a, a really amazing piece of video to show you. there was hail falling out of this thing, then all of a sudden you just kind of see things getting blowing around a real mess. luckily there were no really injuries reported, no real damage. an ef-0ef-1 tornado strength at this point. as we look and show you what's going on as far as the heat is concerned, out west, a strong ridge. that jet stream is way up into canada and so we're going to have heat building up in the southwest. las vegas, 99. palm springs, 105. 84 in reno. boise, going to see a high of 86 degrees. rest of the country, cool weather here in the northeast, where you've got a bit of a trough. warm weather along the gulf coast with temperatures into the 80s. 80s into the central plains. 70s from the great lakes into the ohio river valley. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> needed rain coming our way for the rest of the day today, into tonight and tomorrow. the storm 4 radar showing some light rain around the metro area, northern virginia, much of maryland, but everything is wet. we'll have this off and on, then more moderate showers with thunder and lightning possible, later this afternoon, overnight tonight, and off and on on tuesday. then wednesday, partly sunny, a smaller chance of a passing shower, a high near 80. then some delightful weather moves in for thursday, friday, saturday, and >> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> all right, al, thanks. still ahead, what's he up to now? we're going to catch up with ted williams. the man with the golden voice, in a live interview. also coming up next, some hidden hazards in your home that's potentially life threatening to your kids. why doctors are seeing more cases of children swallowing button batteries. that's right after this. i knew it'd be tough on our retirement savings, especially in this economy. but with three kids, being home more really helped. man: so we went to fidelity. we talked about where we were and what we could do. we changed our plan and did something about our economy. now we know where to go for help if things change again. call or come in today to take control of your personal economy. get free one-on-one help from america's retirement leader. chili's lunch break combos are full of delicious choices, starting at just 6 bucks. choose from savory favorites or our new philly cheesesteak sandwich. layers of shaved steak and grilled peppers served with fries and a tasty soup or salad. chili's lunch break combos. and many allergy medicines. the difference is claritin clear. claritin gives me powerful relief that won't make me drowsy like zyrtec can. in fact, it warns drowsiness may occur right on the label. non-drowsy claritin. live claritin clear. let's play indoors this weekend. all we need is a couple of gallons of our hardest-working paint... ...from the home depot. the place that gives us more top-rated brands than anywhere else... ...at prices that won't shake up our budget. let's make a one-wall statement... ...or tackle a total room takeover ...with paint that'll get the job done in fewer trips up and down the ladder. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. the number one brand of paint just got better. starting at $24.96. hi, honey. how's the camping trip? well, kids had fun, but i think i slept on a rock. what are you doing? having coffee. ah, sounds good! i thought you'd say that. ah. ♪ the best part of wakin' up... ♪ you're the best! wake up to the mountain grown aroma of folgers. ♪ ... is folgers in your cup! we're back now at 7:43 with an alert to parents. a new report out this morning is highlighting the hidden dangers of button batteries that are found in just about every household. nbc's john yang has details on that. john, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. i bet if we all looked around our houses right now, we'd find things like a remote control for a stereo, or a remote control for car door locks. inside all these things is something that could end up sending your child to an emergency room. max is a healthy, happy 2-year-old. but when he was 15 months old, there was an episode that still haunts his parents, susan and mark. max suddenly began vomiting but had no other symptoms. they rushed him to a hospital where x-rays revealed the cause. max had swallowed a button battery and it lodged in his esophagus. >> the image is burned into my brain forever. i still see it with his head turned and we just started crying. looked at each other and started crying. >> reporter: the battery had to be surgically removed. >> we just sat there not knowing if he would come out alive or even have a voice. >> he came out of the surgery screaming for us. so that was a very good seen. >> reporter: according to a study published this morning in the journal "pediatrics" every three hours a child younger than 18 goes to an emergency room with a problem related to a battery. the number of those visits doubled in 20 years. the researchers say that with new, more powerful batteries being sold, the issue is no longer poisoning from the lithium inside. >> that isn't the problem. the problem is the current that's created by the battery when it stops on the way to the stomach in the esophagus. >> reporter: doctors say a three volt battery can burn a hole in the esophagus in less than two hours. resulting in serious injury, possibly including permanent voice damage, or even death. in a busy emergency room a doctor could mistake a dangerous battery for a harmless coin. >> how can you tell the difference between a coin and a battery? >> what distinguishes this battery is that it has what we call a double rim sign which is that double edge around the outside. that's the casing of the battery. >> reporter: the researchers say parents should secure the device's battery compartment. max's mom went to great lengths to child proof her house. locks on kitchen cabinets and covers on electrical outlets. >> but you never thought about this, right? >> no, never. max actually got this compartment out of the bottom -- >> and that's where the battery was. >> and the battery obviously fell out and he picked it up and swallowed it. >> reporter: like any other happy, healthy, 15-month-old might do. the consumer electronics industry has adopted new standards that would make these devices more secure, like requiring a tool like a screwdriver to open it, or requiring two separate access to open it. but until they're available doctors say the best thing parents can do is simply secure it with tape. >> good information. john yang in washington this morning. thanks so much. up next we're going to meet the teenager who has become a viral sensation with his unique version of a very popular lmfao song. he's going to perform it for us right after this. hershey's drops. a lot of hershey's happiness in little drops of milk chocolate. and cookies n creme. pure hershey's. ok, which one? 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[announcer:] new revlon® photoready 3d volume™ mascara the round tip brush coats even the tiniest lash. the innovative formula reflects every lash... for a 100% more magnified look. back now with the young singer/song writer from south carolina who is gaining a big following thanks to his arrangement of the hit lmfao song "sexy and i know it." it's already been viewed more than 2.5 million times on youtube. let's take a look. ♪ ♪ everybody stares staring at me ♪ ♪ i ain't afraid to show it show it show it ♪ ♪ i'm sexy and i know it >> he goes by the name noah. good morning to see you. >> good morning, noah. >> stunning. just stunning. you're 18 years old, living at home, you decide to post this early one thursday morning. at what point did you realize it had just gone, gotten to be such a hit? >> probably i would say the next morning, after i posted it, i woke up and it had like 200,000 views, and i pretty much lost my mind. >> that was just the beginning. by the way. you told me the biggest crowd you performed for so far in your life is about 2500 people. >> yes, sir. >> well online alone 2.5 million people have now watched this video. >> yeah. >> that's just in four days. and you're going to do a little more for us in a second and you'll be performing for millions more. what does it feel like? >> just surreal. just really i don't even know how to describe it because i've watched this show since i was young, and i've watched you guys do this. >> don't rub it in. >> yeah, i know. since you were a kid. when you were born, right, you're going to tell us that but listen you know your dad i talked to your dad who was in the studio here, you're self-taught on the acoustic. you're self-taught in terms of how you sing, i mean it's been, i don't know where you got this voice, i mean where you got this performance? >> i just, you know, i'm very blessed. very blessed in my situation and everything. >> we've heard a little from what you posted on youtube. would you play a little more of your version of "sexy and i know it"? >> sure, sure. ♪ ♪ so when i walk in the spot this is what i see ♪ ♪ everybody stops and staring at mow ♪ ♪ i've got a passion in my pants and i ain't afraid to show it show it show it ♪ ♪ yeah and i'm sexy and i know it ♪ >> what's next on the horizon for you? is there another song out there you're dying to arrange? >> actually, i'm trying to finish up my original album soon. i don't have a date but it is coming. but no, i, you know, i do covers every week. so i usually pick something current or something that i just love, and then try to do something fun with it. >> well, you also got to graduate from high school. you've got a lot going on. >> that's coming up. >> really amazing. we got to call all our friends over. >> exactly. >> right? >> good luck. >> congratulations. >> it's great to have you here. >> thank you so much. >> up next we're going to catch up with another guy who really made a name for himself. he's the man with the golden voice. that's ted williams. what's he been up to in the last year or so? we'll talk to him right after these messages, and your local news. the capital one cash rewards card gives you a 50% annual bonus. and who doesn't want 50% more cash? ugh, the baby. huh! and then the baby bear said, "i want 50% more cash in my bed!" phhht! 50% more cash is good ri... what's that. ♪ you can spell. 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[ zapping ] [ clang ] this is the next level of performance. the next level of innovation. the next rx. the all-new f sport. this is the pursuit of perfection. we're back now, 8:00 on a monday morning. it's the 14th day of may, 2007. we have an alarmingly large crowd gathered on our plaza this morning. even as the beautiful weather of the weekend gives way to some overcast skies in new york city. we're going to get used to these. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, and mr. roker. coming up a guy that we first introduced people to over a year ago, ted williams. the man with the golden voice. he made that youtube video, and it has not all been positive. even after he kind of gained national prominence, he has had difficulties with addiction, which he had for years before we got to know him. and so the big question is, how is he doing now? the guy we care about, we're going to catch up with him in just a couple of minutes. >> he certainly has a smile on his face. that might indicate something. also coming up this morning, also coming up this morning we're going to introduce you to a pretty amazing family actually a pretty amazing young man in that family. a young man named marshall reed. he was sick and tired of being overweight and bullied at school so just 10 years old, he took charge of the family's diet. and now, collectively, they've lost more than 70 pounds. they're in our studio. we're going to talk with them coming up about how they did it. they actually have a new book out to help other people. >> good for them. >> great story. and then coming up a little later this week, we've got a tough assignment. >> i know. i know. i'm so lucky. i mean, and the "today" show is sending me to cannes. i know i've been there once before. but we're going to go this time we've lined up some big stars because there are a the movies of course, we've got chris rock, just to name a few people we're getting to talk to. i feel very excited. we start that on wednesday morning. >> isn't cannes where you wrestled brad pitt to the ground one year? >> i pretty much did. i was totally inappropriate. i touched his face. i was having a girl molt. it's completely embarrassing. he forgave me. >> it was jet lag. >> i don't know. i think i just wanted -- i was -- i was an idiot. >> it's going to be fun. >> i won't do that. >> live from cannes. >> but you've got to be in a cage -- >> let's go inside. natalie is standing by at the "n" with a check of all the headlines. >> good morning to you guys once again. good morning, everyone. in the news this morning, heads could roll today at jpmorgan chase just days after word of its $2 billion trading loss became public. ina drew, the firm's chief investment officer and one of the most powerful women on wall street is reportedly set to resign. that leaves two other top executives could be forced out, as well. sunday on "meet the press" the bank's ceo said he was, quote, dead wrong when he dismissed concerns last month about the bank's trade. meantime, yahoo!'s new ceo is out of a job today after just four months in the position. scott thompson had come under fire for claiming to have a computer science degree that he never earned in college. before he resigned over the weekend, he revealed to yahoo!'s board he has thyroid cancer. lawyers for former presidential candidate john edwards are starting to present his defense today. edwards is accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions in order to hide his then-pregnant mistress. he could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted. and now let's check in with cnbc's mary thompson who's keeping an eye on wall street for us. mary, good day to you. >> good day to you. wall street focusing once again on europe's now 2 1/2-year-old debt crisis. political instability in greece raising speculation the troubled country could exit the region's single curran sit euro. those fears putting pressure on the commodities market where oil is now trading at its lowest level since 2012. and ahead of its company's much anticipated ipo facebook founder mark zuckerberg turns 28 today. that makes him exactly half the average age of an s&p 500 ceo. natalie, back to you. >> it's going to be a very happy birthday indeed. thanks so much. mary thompson. now for a look at what is trending today our quick roundup of what has you talking john online. first a paler shade of snooki. the jersey shore star tweeted a photo of herself without her trade mark tan. she's staying out of the tanning salon since she is pregnant. she's much prettier. meantime, "saturday night live" fans are lunching online to see will ferrell's return this weekend to host the show. he kicked things off playing george w. bush, with jason sudeikis as joe biden. >> i'm just so sick of the way presidents are always riding me. i'm an adult. >> i've been there. i used to catch grief all the time from president cheney. >> mm-hmm. >> and the big hitten youtube, one family's very unique way to get their toddler to wake up happy in the car. they crank up the nirvana song. seems to be working. the boy's older brother writes he'd always wake up cranky before they started playing music for him. got to try that one at home with my 3-year-old. 8:05 right now. let's go out to al with a check of your weather. >> i want to try that with matt. >> crank upped nirvana. >> there you go. >> we've got the cuties. what's your name? >> -- the way out. >> are you all related? >> you're all sisters? >> yes. >> where is dad? >> he's down there. >> down that way. >> all these girls. how many bathrooms do you have at home? >> enough. >> you have enough. all right. wow. whoo! let's show you what we've got for today. for today. norfolk, virginia, wavy tv 10, showers, storms, 78 degrees. as we show you the mid-atlantic, that's all that rain that's going to be coming into norfolk and mid-atlantic states later on in the northeast. a lot of heat out west with temperatures going to be into the 80s, all the way on up into the pacific northwest, including ann curry's hometown of metford, oregon. we have ashland going to get up into the 80s. look for wet weather up and down the eastern seaboard. 83 in minneapolis today, 77 in chicago, slight risk of strong storms down into the big bend of texas area. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, wet pavement complicating the commute on this monday morning, all around the metro area. we've got light rain shower, more moderate to heavier showers about to move in our way here later today. k s you can see those areas in orange and yellow way to the southwest of washington. most of washington, light rain around. much to paycheck all of the pavement wet around much of the region. and these occasional showers made a little heavier this afternoon with some thunder and lightning. perhaps highs up around 70. into the >> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> all right, al, thank you so much. coming up next we're going to talk to ted williams, the once homeless man who we've gotten to know over the course of some time. anyway he'll tell us what he's up to now after these messages. there's another way to help erase litter box odor. purina tidy cats. only tidy cats has new odor erasers... making it easy to keep things at home... just the way you want them. new tidy cats with odor erasers. grandma, can i have some candy? of course, dear. ♪ [ telephone rings ] how's the camping trip? well, the kids had fun, but i think i slept on a rock. ♪ the best part of wakin' up what are you doing? having coffee. ohh. ♪ is folgers in your cup [ female announcer ] from special occasions to unplanned thursdays, it's one good time after another. town house®. where good times reside™. so i get claritin clear. ♪ i can see clearly now the rain is gone ♪ look! see that? this is all bayberry, and bayberry pollen is very allergenic. non-drowsy claritin relieves my worst symptoms for 24 hours... you guys doing good? 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[ male announcer ] new quaker cookies. made with the whole-grain goodness of quaker oats. ♪ ♪ we are back now at 8:10 with ted williams, the man with the golden voice. he was living on the streets of columbus, ohio, last year, when he was discovered by a local reporter and gained worldwide fame. we'll catch up with ted in a moment but first, a reminder of his story. >> don't forget tomorrow morning is your chance to win a pair of tickets to see this man live in concert. >> reporter: the golden voice that captured the attention of millions -- >> and we'll be back with more. >> reporter: -- comes from a man with a not so golden past. during the 1980s, ted williams was the number one deejay in klum bus, ohio. until he lost his family and home to crack cocaine, and alcohol abuse. the recovering drug addict spent 17 hard years living on the streets. after this youtube video went viral in 2011, he fell in to the national spotlight. appearing here on "today." it's great to see you here. >> this is a dream come true. >> reporter: this emotional reunion with his mother watched nationwide. >> hi, mom. i know, i feel the same way, mom. >> reporter: ted was in and out of rehab after appearing on the show and says he's remained sober for the past eight months. his journey, and inspiring story of recovery and redemption. ted writes about his experiences in his new book "a golden voice: how faith, hard work and humility brought me from the streets to salvation." ted williams. welcome back. >> good morning, matt. good morning. >> we ran into each other on the street not far from here a couple of weeks ago and my first reaction was, he looks good. he looks really good. is, is the exterior showing me what's going on inside? >> yes, it is. inside and outside. >> what's going on with you? >> well, right now, matt, i have a book as you mentioned. and i'm -- excuse me i'm so nervous again. here we go. i have a new -- first of all i have a new rooted background. you know, i have a new attorney who's representing me very well. >> good people around you? >> good people around me. great people around me. >> you've been clean and sober -- >> one year, may 4th celebrated, the day that my daughter, i also had a daughter who got married on may 4th. but it's been one year. >> after we met you, and all that stuff happened, the appearances on shows like this and all the interviews, it was not a simple process going forward and you had steps forward and steps back. you had relapses. >> yes, sir. many of them. >> how many times have you been in rehab since we first met you. >> well, the last time, may 4th, one year, last year i went in for the second time. >> right. >> that was the second time. the first time i left after eight days, or nine days. >> was the intention and the fact that you started to make a little money, was that a problem? i mean, we worried here, i'll be very honest here, we worried that once you got some cash in your pocket you were going to go out and spend that cash on drugs. >> oh, yes, sir, i went to california, and alcohol became the first -- i figured since it wasn't my drug of choice, so to speak, alcohol could be my new drug, you know. i can go and start drinking, and just nobody would know. you know, everybody would know ted was on crack. but they wouldn't know that ted was drinking. so, yeah. >> is it a struggle every day for you still? >> yes, it is. one day at a time, matt. >> this book is not an easy read. i mean, there are things in this book you're pretty honest about, delinquent parenting, dishonesty with your mother, even your role in prostituting your girlfriend so that you could get money for drugs. why did you decide to write this? >> well, you know, all through that journey, i never stopped praying. i never lost hope, matt. i never did. i would ask god, please, let me mother and mier is stay alive one more year, lord, please. let us, a life-changing turnaround happen in my life so that my mother would not close her eyes, saying i did a bad job raising this child. you know, and every year it would get more and more difficult to accept as i mentioned to you a year ago, that i was going to mark 2010 as another year wasted. but it actually was the year that i found christ in my life. >> you talk about while you were on the street you started hearing a voice. >> yeah. >> and that voice was saying, do something. >> do something, yes. >> do something with your life. was the voice of -- >> of god. god. i'm telling you. because i was literally would throw stuff on the ground, matt, litter, and then that voice would say, you know, i didn't create this world to look nasty and i would actually walk back as far as a quarter mile to go pick that up and throw it in the trash can. >> you write a couple of the chapters in this book, and they're from your girlfriend's perspective. which is interesting. of what she was going through, and must have experienced during this time. what's your relationship with her life? >> we're doing well. you know, one day at a time. because we've had a big year of using, and so forth. so now this new domesticated life is really well. >> that's perhaps the side of this that people don't spend enough time talking about. everybody thinks the guy who is abusing crack, the guy who is abusing alcohol, is doing this to himself. but it's about the relationships with your girlfriend and your mother and your kids. >> that's correct. >> and so how did you describe your relationship with your children these days? because there was tension there. there's no question about it. >> yeah. we're doing well. i just -- i walked my daughter down the aisle on may 4th and now she's married and i was able to be a part of that. something i know a year and a half ago, matt, i wouldn't have even thought about, you know, let alone become a part of. >> the reason we wanted to have you back is because we, we, we do care about you and we all learned to really care about you when you were here. and we're going to do this again in five years. what will we be talking about then? >> you'll be talking about my new radio station, my escalade, and -- >> you have your sights set on an escalade? >> oh, i want an escalade bad. i don't know if i'm promoting cadillac now. but i do want one, matt. and my attorney, brett adams, he said keep doing the right path, ted, i'll get that escalade in your driveway. >> in five years you'll be able to say you've been clean and sober for -- >> five >> -- for six years. >> for six years that's correct. i love you matt lauer for real. >> thrilled to have you back and thrilled you're doing well. >> thank you, sir. >> and the book is "a golden voice." up next we'll meet the 12-year-old who got his family to lose a combined 70 pounds, which is pretty good. 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[ male announcer ] nicoderm cq, the patch with 24-hour smart control technology, lets you celebrate a little win every time you say no to a cigarette. nicoderm cq. quit one day at a time. back now at 8:20 with a young man who was overweight and decided to make a change. and while he was at it he transformed his entire family. we're going to talk to him in just a moment. but first this story. obesity is an epidemic that touches millions of american families each year. marshall reed was just 10 years old when he watched the documentry "supersize me." inspired, the north carolina native decided to make a change. >> i got exactly 93 -- >> reporter: he was tired of, bullied about his weight at school. >> one of my classmates actually told me, you know, you don't look very good. you're fat. >> reporter: his family ate out most nights and he could barely keep up with other kids at recess. he told his mom alexandra he wanted to get healthy now. >> i just went up to my mom and i'm like, i'm done. i'm not doing this anymore. i'm not putting up with this. i'm going to change myself. >> reporter: the announcement shocked his mother. >> i felt like somebody had thrown a brick at me. because, the amount of parental responsibility, just all of a sudden came washing down on me, was alarming. >> reporter: the two set out to find a solution. the result is a project they call portion size me. to begin the family made a commitment to shape up for 31 days, eating better. and exercising more. marshall's dad, dan, an army lieutenant colonel, was stationed in iraq when they began. to share the experience with him, they began posting videos about their progress on youtube. >> i am doing this because i have a weight problem and i need to address this. >> reporter: by cooking at home and changing their attitude towards food, the family began to lose weight, in total they dropped more than 70 pounds. marshall is now 36 pounds lighter, and a whole lot happier. >> i had a kid come up to me in the hall in the first thing he says is wow, you look a lot better. and i'm like, thanks dude. >> reporter: and he hopes to encourage other kids to stand up for their family's health. >> my main hope is that the kids, they see these videos and bring their parents in and say, that is awesome. i want to do that. >> marshall reed is now joining us along with his parents alexander and dan and their sister, his sister jordan and marsha and alexander are now the co-authors of a new cookbook it's called "portion size me: a kid driven plan to a healthier family." good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> i saw you put your arm over him. you're very proud of what he's done. let's talk about first of all how you were able to convince your whole family to do this? >> it really, it didn't take much convincing. my mom jumped right aboard. she's been a really big help. and jordan did take convincing. she wanted -- she didn't really want most of it. but everybody has just been so, so happy to join along and help me, and once i brought it to their attention, i think that they noticed, wow, we do have -- >> alexandra, any mother listening here who understands the pressures of being a mother, first of all, but on top of that you were a former advertising executive. you had a husband in iraq. you were raising two kids. you were eating out a lot. when your son came to you and said this, it must have been an important moment for you. what allowed you to listen to him, rather than just get defensive? >> he was very convincing. and i knew it came from his heart. and that was probably a very -- it was a sad moment for me, because i knew he was hurting. and any mother doesn't want their child hurting. and i'm happy at that moment, i did listen to him. and we were able to work together and heal ourselves. >> and dan, you're in iraq. and you know you're seeing these videos. you just heard your son saying i have a weight problem. there's a kind of honesty that he sort of faced this with that is really stunning. where did he get this? >> you know, he's always been a very, very good communicator. very thoughtful about everything that he does. so i think it just took a lot of his own introspection to look at where he wanted to be and what he was doing. and decide what he wanted out of it. >> well, you know, obviously he got the support from you. because he now all you three have lost 70 pounds al to the. jordan were you always thin. you didn't have to worry about this at all. what's your thought about all this? >> i agree that we did have a weight problem. i myself might not have had a weight problem. but i still wasn't eating healthy, as i should be. and even though i wasn't looking to lose weight, i still have had results, i'm happier, i have more energy, things like that. >> let's quickly then talk about the simple goals. you've got eat as many real foods as possible. so that doesn't mean processed foods you're talking about vegetables, fruits, meat, things like that. read the ingredients which i understand you're very good at. pause before you eat, right? get moving. that means exercising. help out in the kitchen. and watch portion sizes. so we'll put this information up online. you want to wave to your classmates who are now watching i understand at your school? i'm sure they're thinking you did a great job this morning. marshall reed, thank you. and all of your family. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> back after this. good morning. it's 8:26 on this monday, may 14th. i'm aaron gilchrist. the weather out there right now causing some problems on the roads this morning. danella sealock is here with what you knead to watch out for. >> we had a downed tree on connecticut avenue blocking your southbound lanes. this is as you make your way past bradley and approach quincy. now that tree's blocking your right lane, you are able to continue southbound, but you're jammed from the beltway. lorraine, have a crash there, causing some delays this morning and the outer loop at coalsville road. all montgomery county, the outer loop of the beltway, only 14 miles per hour. good morning. generally just light rain across northern virginia, the district, and maryland, but enough to make all the pavement wet with some multiple accidents. other heavier downpours likely moving in later this afternoon and off and on tonight and into tomorrow with some thunder and lightning perhaps this afternoon and again tomorrow afternoon, we could end up with a couple of inches of rain by the time it tampers off on wednesday and 8:30 now on a monday morning. the 14th of may, 2012. they say that some showers are moving in. >> i said. >> but at the moment it's really picture perfect. it's 67 degrees. really a great day. we're so happy for all the people who are in our plaza, waving to family and friends back home. meantime, we want to welcome everybody back to the show, and we going -- >> you know -- the place that chef gordon ramsay puts them through their paces. well gordon is with us this morning. he's up in our kitchen. he's going to show us how to make our next steak dinner. which we like preparing. >> you can even smell that out here outside. either that or i'm just s&l vating at the thought of it. plus liam neeson is going to be near to tell us about his new movie coming out "battleship" which is based on that board game that we all played. >> that's right. and we've also got some added incentive for you to follow us on twitter. we want you to tweet us your best caption for this photo of natalie, savannah, and yours truly. make it fun, clever, educated and clean. be sure to include the hash shall caption today. the winner gets two vip passes to next week's pit bull concert live on the plaza. >> my caption -- >> for details go to @"today"show. >> remember that deli scene from when harry met sally? >> no! >> you guys champion. >> this is a clean show. stop. >> let's keep it clean. >> this morning. >> listen all the screaming out here was not for us. it's for our next two guests. we're talking about howie mandel, and -- -- for tonight -- >> we love you, yes, yes. >> we love you. >> there you go. >> listen, we had howard stern on on the show last week. we're getting a little glimpse of what the show looks like. how you guys feeling about it? >> i think it's bigger, more exciting and more insane than it has ever been. >> yeah. the energy is to the next level. i mean people lined up around the block going to travel around the yes. >> like a rock concert. >> i think people are going to be surprised by howard stern. i think you're going to be surprised by how compassionate, passionate, sensitive and serious he is about being the consummate judge. >> and is there complete harmony at the judge's table? >> yeah. >> not if you read the rags. but yes. it's so exciting now. it's like a rock concert. his fans are showing up. >> and your fans, too, by the way. >> pardon me? >> your fans. >> well, howard. >> real close. >> howie. >> and one osborne, and -- >> it's very good. >> what's the most surprising act you've seen so far? >> well, we were just talking about it. but it's a man who does a daredevil act with his own -- >> remember this is morning television. >> wow. >> that's what i was doing. >> wow. okay. >> it's surprising -- >> all right. >> does a guy who comes on and does an act like that have a shot against someone who comes on with a killer singing voice? >> absolutely. that's the beauty of our show. it's any talent. any age. doing that can give you a killer singing voice. >> a falsetto. >> there you go. >> thanks for having us. >> nice to see you. >> they can watch the season premiere of "america's got talent." >> tonight. >> at 8:00. >> don't miss it. >> we want to mention the last time you were on the show here there was a little moment, wasn't there, because you were complaining. you were complaining you're always outside. let's take a look. >> yes, but if this thing takes off -- >> if this takes off, next time i'm on the show, i could be inside. >> last time you were on satellite, too. >> i'm making my way in. >> standing still. >> you've been inside. now let me bring howie -- >> enjoy this. >> we're going to put howie inside. >> come on. >> what a show. >> what you've been missing. >> i don't know what it's like. >> it's really beautiful. >> kick off my shoes? >> no, no, you take your shoes on. >> let me take off my shoes. i'm not used to being inside. >> there you go, nobody -- >> it's really magical- >> oh, it's great. >> oh, wow. >> i got to see this. >> here you go. >> here we go. take a look. just -- >> oh. my gosh. isn't this like disneyland? >> it is. but i'm alone. >> it's like universal studios. >> yeah, there's nobody here. >> it's just me. >> this is all we've got. >> was it worth the wait? >> no. >> no. >> here, here, come up here. this is where if you when you make it big, you make it up here. >> when you make it big you're doing an interview and there's people waving in the window. >> liam neeson was sitting here just moments ago. >> liam neeson? >> wow. >> fantastic. >> this is exciting. it seemed like it was going to be something. nothing. not so much. but you want to see something. tonight. 8:00 >> tonight, 8:00, right here on nbc. >> that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> a wet morning. we've got multiple accidents and the commute has certainly been complicated with this rain coming through. those areas in yellow and orange coming down a little bit harder west, southwest of washington. that will be moving towards the metro area by later this afternoon. between now and then, passing lighter showers enough to make everything wet, and temperatures in the low 60s, hitting maybe around 70 or so later today. maybe some thunder and lightning too, this afternoon and this evening and off and on during the day tuesday. drying out, though, into the weekend. >> howie's shoes are now on ebay and he's talking with liam neeson. who will be sitting here in just a bit. >> thanks a lot, al. coming up we're going to talk to the legend' -- who led covert operations against some of the word's most wanted terrorists. but first, this is "today" on nbc. in the world of espionage, ambassador henry crompton is a living legend. he served for 24 years in the cia's elite clandestine services spearheading the hunt for osama bin laden, and leading the agency's covert response to 9/11 in afghanistan. now he's out with a new book and it's called "the art of intelligence." ambassador crompton. great to see you. it's an honor to have you here. is it nice to be able to talk about some of this stuff after all these years? are there a lot of things that you can't talk about it, still? >> i think it's important the message to the american people in particular, and that's why i wrote the book. yes, many things i can't talk about. and will never talk about. >> some of the -- the headlines that have come out of this already are about the hunt for osama bin laden. obviously the mission was a great success. but before 9/11 -- >> mm-hmm. >> you write that you had him in the crosshairs. that you thought you could take him out and it was, for a lack of support for a military operation from then-president clinton that prevented that. how sure are you could have killed him back then? >> positive. there were multiple sightings. we had good reporting from various human sources inside afghanistan, going back several years before 9/11, that did not have sufficient authorities or resources to do the job. >> and you talk about before 9/11 you had some 100 or so sources inside afghanistan, they were telling you what was going on with not only al qaeda, but with the taliban. and you were telling everybody you could meet that there was an impending war that al qaeda was going to wage on the west and it didn't seem as if people would listen to you. so when 9/11 happened what was going through your heart and your gut? >> well, when 9/11 happened and you knew immediately that it was al qaeda, and there was a sense of disappointment, heartbreak, and a sense of required revenge. >> and that's what you set out to do once you got to afghanistan and spent more time there? >> yes. >> and you did it pretty quickly. you did it faster than any of the experts thought you could do in terms of unraveling al qaeda in that country and taking down the taliban. were you surprised? >> i was surprised at how fast it unfolded. i was confident that we would win. but, in the less than 90 days after 9/11, the taliban was basically crushed, and we were moving forward. >> so much is said, and so many headlines these days, mr. ambassador, about the drone program. >> mm-hmm. >> not only drones as a surveillance tool but drones as an attack weapon as well. you were one of the guys who were advocating putting missiles on these drones. and there's been a lot of criticism within pakistan, afghanistan, and other places, that because they strike from a distance, and there is no human on board that ship there have been a lot of collateral, there has been a lot of collateral damage and civilian casualties. do you think we can win the war on terror without the drone program? >> first of all i disagree with the assessment of a lot 6 of civilian casualties. it's a preprecise weapon and it's a lot better than dropping a 500 pound bomb. >> but there have been instances where families have been taken out and the terror suspect perhaps was not. >> there have been some cases but overall it's a very effective, very precise weapon. in terms of your question about can we win this war without the drones? yes, but i think the drones, first and foremost, are an important intelligence collection cool. they complement what we're doing on the ground, with unilateral sources, with our liaison allies. and in terms of a lethal strike, again, it's very effective, very precise. >> we just saw another successful mission carried out, where an underwear bombing, if you will, was thwarted. a plot to bomb a jetliner heading to the united states. how big a victory, how much more remains to be done in that area, of targeting these small, individual cells that are bent on destroying parts of the west? >> this will be an ongoing fight. i think that yemen in particular is an important place. you've had recently al qaeda expanding their safe haven there, and in response, ramped up offensive by the yemeni government with u.s. and other allies in support. and matt we will see more and more of these small cells scattered around the world. >> is that our biggest threat right now, the small cells or the individual? >> yes. because it's even a more difficult intelligence target, certainly than a standarding army or a large al qaeda formation in a large safe haven. >> i wish we had three hours to talk about what's in this book, because it's filled with details that i think would surprise a lot of people. mr. ambassador, it's great to have you here this morning. >> thank you. >> and again the book is called "the art of intelligence." up next we're going to switch gears. we're going to the kitchen with gordon ramsay, right after this. back now at 8:45, and this morning on "today's kitchen," step by step. how to make an inexpensive cut of steak taste expensive. we've got celebrity chef gordon ramsay just back from opening his new restaurant at paris, las vegas, and he'll be dominate being the airwaves between tv shows this summer. gordon ramsay, good morning, how do you keep it together? >> it's an amazing position to be in. i love it. >> you've got two shows opening up i think in june. >> right. >> and then you've got another one later in the summer. you've got this restaurant. >> yes. >> and you're also trying to sort of make americans know that because we see you on tv >> yes. >> but more for your shows and less for your cooking. >> you're absolutely right. but today we're going to talk about a rib cap. something that has become a sort of chef's secret dream. >> mm-hmm. >> because it starts off here. this is a usual rib eye. >> right, exactly. >> you pull that back there and that is the cut we're going to be cooking for you this morning. >> the secret part of this is you're saying that this is a cut of meat that's a cheap cut of meat that we don't realize yet is going to become very tender. >> early in. >> the rib eye forms at the bottom, there's a layer of fat sa sandwiched in between. the hidden gem goes up to there. not sure why they're not seen in butcher's at the moment. but they certainly will be. >> do we have something special to tenderize such a cut of meet? >> you could eat this raw it's that delicious. we're going to grill this one first. and sort of take it up and make an amazing sort of red wine butter. shallots cooked down with red wine. >> shallots, mm-hmm. >> mixed in to the butter and just a little seasoning. >> that's just butter there. >> butter there. >> that's all butter. >> and worcestershire sauce. by using this you use less salt so it's a deep flavor. >> but you didn't have to marinate this? >> not at all. give that a really good mix. so i'm just sending smoke -- >> yes, mm-hmm. >> happy mother's day. forgot to wish that yesterday. >> yes. >> you have two different days, mother's day here and mother's day in the uk is back in march. >> did you have to do two of them? >> i had to do two of them. >> this is cooking. do you cook it all the were a through or keep a little pink. >> the secret with the steak is to let it rest. >> let it rest >> really, two, three minutes on each side. four or five minutes and then let it rest. >> done. okay. two, three minutes. and it's nice and caramelized. that's pretty. >> once that's over just start spreading that red wine -- >> butter, shallots. >> put the sauce on there. >> what is better than steak and butter, really? >> honestly, i'd rather marinate it, let it cool down, and then slice it, not be in a rush. >> oh, and then you cook it back on the other side. >> oh. nice. now what point are you going to put this in the oven you said? >> literally two minutes each side. really good sear on it. that red wine, worcestershire sauce. deep, rich flavor. >> i'm enjoying all the aromas in the room. >> this is exciting part. >> yes. sauce? >> it's rested. >> how long do you have to rest it? >> i prefer resting meat for as long as i cook it. >> so six minutes? >> six minutes and don't be so tempted to dive in there and actually get it sort of eating straight away. you let it rest. >> is that because you want the juices to not go flowing out of it too quickly. >> you take it off the grill now and serve it instantly all the flavor goes out. let it rest. now look at the grain. we don't go against the grain, we lice with the grain. take off there literally. >> that's interesting. >> like butter. >> you don't want to go against the grain because it won't look as pretty? >> actually beef tastes so much more tender when you slice with the grain. go against the grain and the whole thing -- a little taste of it now. >> unfortunately we're out of time and i could talk to you forever. really. it's been fun. and really delicious. >> really good. >> like butter. gordon ramsay. thank you so much. congratulations with all your success. and your new shows and everything. come back soon. >> definitely. >> coming up next we're going to catch up with liam neeson, star of the new movie called "battleship." [ male announcer ] this was how my day began. got my bearings. ♪ a little bird told me about a band. ♪ an old man shared some fish stories. ♪ ooh, my turn. ♪ she was in paris, but i still got to see her. we talked for hours. ♪ everyone else buzzed about the band. music, stories, adventures, memories. ♪ ...all at my fingertips. ♪ there's a wireless mind inside all of us. ♪ so, where to next? ♪ we are back now at 8:51 with award-winning actor liam neeson. in his new movie "battleship" he plays the commander of the pacific fleet. and when one of his lieutenants gets out of line, especially the one who's dating his daughter, well, you don't want to be that guy. take a look. >> i have never, ever seen a man waste them like you. what my daughter sees in you is a great mystery to me. you're a very smart individual. with very weak character, leadership, and decision making skills. enjoy these naval exercises, harper, they're likely to be your last. >> you stay away from my daughter. liam neeson. good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning. >> i guess if you have to spend time away from home shooting a movie, hawaii with brooklyn decker and rihanna, that's the way to go. >> not too shabby. >> you spent a lot of time at pearl harbor. >> spend a few days on board the "uss missouri" where the second world war was officially ended and the japanese surrendered there. floating museum. the most magnificent ship. my first day, i had 500 cadets saluting. >> had you spent any time at pearl harbor prior to thises? was it emotional for you? almost everyone who goes there says it surprises them how me motional. >> it was kind of emotional. a little bit of my research, of course, the second world war, the attack on pearl harbor, it does. it just -- you just get a little shiver up your spine. >> i mentioned you're co-starring in this one with brooklyn decker and rihanna. on the serious side they are not as experienced in terms of acting as you are. are you the kind of guy who would, in a scene, or after a scene, offer advice? did they ask? >> they didn't. because we had a wonder of director, pete berg who also started life as an actor. he's very, very good with actors. but, yeah, in the past i would. yeah, if i saw an actor was in a little bit of trouble, or i might suggest something. >> has that always been taken well? do actors always appreciate that or do some actors kind of get up on their heels a little bit? >> usually. i mean, i wouldn't say to a harrison ford or something like that. maybe some of the younger ones. >> rihanna has said that she watched you in "taken" and was taken with you and your performance. it's got to be nice, as a guy who is about to turn 60 -- sorry about that. to hear that one of the hottest young singers in the world today thinks you're kind of a smokin' in that regard. >> she got my check. >> but it's got to be nice, right? >> yeah, of course it is. she's very, very talented, beautiful young girl. very, very good in the film, too. she's the real deal. >> this milestone 60? >> just rub it in. >> no, no, is it -- i mean, look, we've all gone through these milestones. does this one bug you at all? >> it does. it does. >> why? >> when i'm 60 and a day it will be all right. >> just getting through it? >> just getting through it. my kids want me to have a party, and some friends want to have a party. and i'm saying, look, i'll just -- i'll just stay at home, watch tv, open a bottle of wine. >> you got to embrace it. you really do. mention your kids, and you're obviously getting a lot of work these days. the scripts keep coming your way which is nice. but the tradeoff is you're a single dad. how do you decide these days what is worth you picking up and heading off with? you ever get to bring your kids with you? >> well, they're very, very much ensconced in school, matt, it's hard. i'll have them do something over the summer. spend a few days, you know. but i'm always juggling. and it's a good position to be in, because i am been offered work which is fantastic. some of the jobs are paying jobs. some aren't. but it's always a juggling process. >> you are in demand on both sides of it, at home and professionally. william neeson, good to see you. see you soon. happy birthday in advance. 8:56 is your time now on this monday, may 14th, 2012. good morning to you. i'm eun yang. the problems continue to mount on the roads this morning. a busy day out there. danella sealock is here with the latest. good morning. >> good morning. this is the traffic on 355. as you're making your way southbound toward the beltway, have an ambulance here and an accident in your right shoulder lane, but causing you delays this morning. now, other problems in our area, on the inner loop of the beltway, you are seeing delays at little river turnpike, slow to the dulles toll road. on the outer loop, you have an accident in your left shoulder lane. also, i-270 pouring you're jammed all the way to the spur. >> thank you very much. >> thank you very much. how it was like a red rash... very sore looking kinda blistery. like somebody had set a bag of hot charcoal on my neck. i was a firefighter for 24 years. but, i have never encountered such a burning sensation until i had the shingles. i remember it well. i was in the back yard doing yard work. i had this irritation going on in my lower neck. i changed shirts because i thought there was something in the collar of the shirt irritating my neck. and i couldn't figure out what was going on. i had no idea it came from chickenpox. i always thought shingles was associated with people... a lot older than myself. i can tell you from experience, it is bad. it's something you never want to encounter. for more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo.com good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. some occasional light rain through much of the day, but then some moderate to maybe briefly heavier downpours by late this afternoon and overnight tonight. maybe a little thunder and lightning. right now, low 60s. maybe later today, low 70s. more off and on showers tomorrow with thunder and we are back now with more of "today" on this monday morning. the 14th day of may. with some very talented young singers from -- >> california. >> california. and you wrote this "today" show song yourselves? >> yes. >> is that true? >> yes. >> and we're going to steal it from you and not pay you well. that's fantastic. thank you so much. >> congratulations. >> well it's a pleasure to have you back here. thank you so much. on the plaza with very talented young ladies, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, savannah guthrie and al roker. coming up how to save money on just about everything. >> whether you're shopping for a new car, looking for a good deal on your next vacation, or you want to cut costs at the grocery store we're going to help you with smart shopping strategies. >> also going to help you get your beauty routine in shape for summer from sunscreen to covering up those dark spots. we're going to tell you about some new products and treatments to have you looking your best. >> all right. and one of our favorite topics, baby names. what were the biggest baby names last year? we've got somebody from the social security administration so you know it is official to tell us what were the top names of last year. and we'll also see how all of our names stacked up on the list. >> okay. >> whether we even made the list of top 1,000. >> my name is always somebody else's middle name. >> ann, you're right, often a middle name. >> that's your middle name. >> it is. matthew ann lauer. >> savannah is a nice name. >> it's somewhere on there. >> let us go inside, natalie morales standing by at the news desk. she's got a check of all the headlines. >> hello again. good morning once again, everyone. in the news this morning, three high-ranking officers at the center of jpmorgan chase's giant trading blunder are expected to lose their jobs this week. they include ina drew, one of the most powerful women on wall street, who has one the bank's risk management group since 2005. that group is tied to the $2 billion trading loss which became public last week. the defense takes over today at the john edwards corruption trial. the former presidential contender is accused of scheming to use nearly $1 million in secret payments to hide his pregnant mistress, rielle hunter. his attorneys haven't said if edwards or hunter will take the stand. the father of a missing arizona girl has been told that he cannot have contact with her two older brothers. authorities aren't explaining what prompted detectives and child welfare workers to take the action, but they say it does not mean investigators are focusing on sergio celis in the disappearance of his 6-year-old daughter isabel. his brothers are in their mothers custody. a georgia college student who lost a leg to a rare flesh eating bacteria infection could face more amputations. 24-year-old aimee copeland suffered a cut on her calf during a zip lining accident. now her father says aimee is likely to lose her fingers, as well. she remains in critical condition at a georgia hospital. starting wednesday the postal service will stop sending electronic devices with lithium ion batteries overseas. lithium batteries which power many personal electronic devices can catch fire and explode under certain circumstances. the change will affect many u.s. troops serving overseas who depend on the postal service because some private firms won't deliver to military addresses. a 3-year-old boy is the newest internet sensation today. apparently like many toddlers when he'd wake up in the car he'd be pretty cranky. so his family decided to try something new, turning up nirvana on the radio when it was time for him to get up. look what happens next. so far hundreds of thousands of people have gone on youtube to watch the air drum solo. he's got a future there as a drummer. and it was a busy weekend for the british royal family. kate middleton appeared at a polo match sunday to cheer on her husband prince william and brother-in-law prince harry. and queen elizabeth was the guest of honor sunday at a lavish pageant at windsor castle. one of her residences. the event was part of the queen's diamond juppely celebration which marked the monarch's 60th anniversary on the throne. >> "the avengers" keeps making box office history. the drama about marvel superheroes who team up to save the earth crushed all competitors for a second straight weekend. it grossed another $103 million domestically and is poised to top $1 billion worldwide. meanwhile johnny depp's "dark shadows" was a distant runner-up and in third place "think like a man." it is now five minutes past the hour. let's go out to al with a check of your weather. >> all righty, thanks so much, natalie. and as wew a weather t weather along the along the eastern seaboard, a stationary front draped just north of new york. low pressure making its way through the mid-mississippi river valley, bringing a lot of rain. charleston all the way up to west of boston. we're talking 1 to 3 inches of rain the next 24 hours. and out west, we're talking a lot of heat. a big ridge of high pressure going to dominate, that means with the main jet stream branch up to the north, we're going to see temperatures well into the 90s, even 100 in palm springs, 105. 104 in phoenix. boise, idaho, 86. reno, nevada, checking in with a high of 84 today. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. lit , th district, much of maryland this morning, advancing southwest to northeast. those areas in yellow and oranges coming down harder. right now just some light rain around. enough to make everything wet and complicating the commute. later today will be the low 70s, right now low 60s. and maybe some thunder and lightning accompanying some of that heavier rain this afternoon and this evening and off and on on tuesday. then, finally, drying out wednesday and looking delightful. thursday, friday, saturday, and sunday, highs in the 70s. >> "today's money" is brought to you by bank of america. >> this morning on "today's money," the best buys on everything from food and travel deals to strategic shopping we've got the scoop on how to save big on your next purchase. senior writer for "money" magazine, donna, good morning. >> great to be here, al. >> you've got a lot of specific tips but is there any one kind of overreaching theory that you've got on saving us cash? >> there are two strategies you want to keep in mind. one, do your research before you get to a store. that can help you save a lot. the great thing there are tons of websites out there that will help you do this so you can save some time because it takes a lot of time to figure out where the best deals are. >> but it's worth it in the end. >> you'll make savings big time. >> first we talk about food and wine. great -- frozen food to be specific. >> that's right. you can save 25% to 40% on frozen food for meats, poultry, seafoods. and that's because fresh cuts of meat take a lot more handling in the store, so the cost of employees to handle it are a lot more. and so, and also the food spoils faster. so you can save a lot of money with frozen. >> and when it comes to fruits and vegetables, a lot of people think i want to get fresh. a lot of people don't realize that frozen is just as good, if not in some ways better. >> right. because the food doesn't spoil so quickly. it holds its nutritional value versus sitting in the refrigerator. that's a great way to save money as well. >> talking about wine. greece and spain should be places you're looking at. >> everybody loves french and ittialian wines but spain and greece produce some well-regarded, well-priced wines. did you know that greek wine is often made from organic grapes? so, it's a better quality wine but you can feel a little healthier drinking your vino. >> i did not know that. good information there. talk about cars. what's your -- what should your game plan be if you're thinking about a new car? >> do your research ahead of time. this is a case where it really pays off. you want to avoid the high pressure sales tactics you're going to get when you go on a dealer lot. so you do that. figure out what model, what options you want ahead of time. you get recommendations from friends and family. you probably still want to test drive your car so you have to go to a dealership. state right up front you're not ready to make a decision to buy. and then go to a website. there's a great -- a couple truecar.com, which you put the model and option you want, and then anonymously, and then dealers bid on your business and you get the best price. >> and then do you also have to kind of figure out whether buying or leasing, you know, because i lot of people have that, that question mark. >> oh, right. financing is so expensive. you're probably not going to get the best deal going to the dealership. again, do this ahead of time. go to your credit union or local bank which offers good rates and then bring that deal to the car dealership to see if they'll match it. >> coming up on summer travel. a lot of people looking to maybe get a bargain on that vacation. that's right. >> planes are packed to the gills and it's the first -- the first seats that go are the lowest priced seats. used to be good enough to book your trip two months in advance. you really have to be ready to buy three months in advance. you can use sites like farecompare.com and airfare watch dog and they're going to help you recognize a good deal. >> it's harder than ever to redeem those frequent flyer miles. >> that's right. it's difficult, too. you really need to search for a good price. >> all right. and then our last area, technology. >> yes. >> you say don't be the first in line, you always see whenever apple introduces something new the lines are around the block. you say that's not a great strategy. >> everyone loves having bragging rights. i got the latest cell phone, the latest iphone. really you can save a lot of money if you're patient and you wait. there's really not a big difference between, you know, a new offering and then maybe the last year's model or the previous version. >> mm-hmm. and then what about catalogs as opposed to internet and going into the, the company's store itself. >> know that's a good strategy as well. kind of similar to do your research ahead of time. you can see where the prices are. another thing are refurbished goods. which is where someone returns it, maybe it needs a bit of an updating or repair, you can save a lot of money. but you want to make sure you're not getting a lemon. go right to the manufacturer, only buy from the manufacturer or an author rised dealer. they will give you a warranty so you can feel more confident about it. >> donna, great advice. thanks so much. >> thank you. >> still ahead, getting your face and body ready for skin baring season ahead. not so much for me. and then later, why a mother/daughter workout can keep your relationship in shape. i love cash back. with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, we earn more cash back for the things we buy most. 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% on groceries. 3% on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. no annual fee. that's 1% back on... wow! 2% on my homemade lasagna. 3% back on [ friends ] road trip!!!!!!!!!!!! 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[ rattling ] [ male announcer ] kraft macaroni & cheese. you know you love it. this morning on "today's beauty," it's time to think about skin care. bathing suit season is just weeks away so before you head out in the sun there are pro-active ways to stay protected. beauty expert linda welch is editor in chief of allure magazine. we're going to get started with sun convenient because may is melanoma awareness month. the american cancer society apparently says more than 820,000 americans suffer from melanoma. what are we looking for? >> you really want to make sure you do is apply it often enough. people just don't apply sunscreen often enough. they know they should but they don't do it. we've got new products. this one is from neutrogena. it has helioplex which prevents against uva and uvb which is the burning and tanning and skin damaging and aging rays. this one sticks to wet skin. it's a new technology which has never been possible before. so actually if you jump in the pool, come out, you can put it on right away and you don't have to dry off. so that's great. it really encourages reuse. and it's great for kids. >> right. >> and even though you're coming out of a wet pool and applying, always important to reapply as well. >> every two hours. there's places people miss. make sure you get the tops of your feet the crooks of your arm and around your eyes. >> a lot of skin cancers happen around the eyes, as well. and the fingers. now other parts of the body need sunscreen, as well. >> right. and we suggest using one for the face simply because sunscreen for the face generally don't cause breakouts and don't have that white look on the face. so if you don't like your sunscreen, you're not going to use it. this aveeno one has spf 30 and it's really good. we want to be sure to protect your lips. when women wear lip gloss and it doesn't have spf it's almost like a magnet to the sun. put on a sunscreening lip balm. baby lips has spf 20, and it's really easy to use. >> okay. and reapply there, as well. good stuff. moving over to hair removal. because it is summertime, we're wearing sleeveless. let's start off with the arm pits. you say shaving is still probably the best way to get rid of unwanted hair. >> usually when you wax you have to wait for hair to be long enough in order to do it. >> that's not very attractive. >> easy to shave, and most women do shave. use those four blade razors. they're really good. and take a tip from men. men use shaving cream. women tend to use soap. which doesn't make any sense at all. >> true. >> so use shaving cream, gets you a closer shave and less irritation. if you don't happen to have any you can use conditioner. this is gillette, has a little olay in it. and this venus razor four blade is so good. and if you're shaving your underarms you have to shave every which way, really, down, up, across and diagonally. so you want to be sure that you're using a good razor and making sure that it's sharp so you're not getting irritation. >> other parts of the body with unwanted hair. there are some different kind of waxes on the market, as well. >> what you want to do. you can do it at the salon or actually do it at home. one is this is the parissa, it's $12. and this is the waxing they all come fully with everything you need. the trick is though you use them in the microwave and you really want to be sure to follow the directions. and test on your inner arm or something to make sure you're not going to get a burn. make vur you're not irritated by it. everything is there, and as long as you really follow it. and then you can also use a depilatory cream. that's a good one for the body the sally hanson. but don't use the body one on your face because it could irritate it. and test it because there are really strong chemicals in there. >> and now moving over to stretch marks. a lot of women suffer from stretch marks. what really causes the stretch marks. >> well, 90% of women have them. and it really is caused by breakdown underneath the skin and also by rapid weight gain or loss and most commonly pregnancy. and there's really not much you can do about it. once you've got them, you can apply moisturizer and we have palmer's cocoa butter and it's a nice oil but it makes the skin look better and it makes it feel better but it's not going to get rid of the stretch marks. >> i think i used a lot of that one. >> and then otherwise if you notice the stretch marks you can put on retton-a. there's prescription retin-a. the roc, the same thing you use on wrinkles and fine lines. ask your doctor first if you're pregnant. don't use it on a stretch mark if you're pregnant, and wait until afterwards or make sure it's okay with your doctor. but you apply it and it actually removes some of the pink from your skin. repairs the skin, and it also it can get rid of the opacity. >> helps with that collagen. linda welch, as always, good advice. thank you for everything. up next the most popular baby names list revealed. and then affordable hip fashions for moms to be. but first these messages. i'm al ways looking out for i'm al small ways to be more healthy. like splenda® essentials™ no calorie sweeteners. this bowl of strawberries is loaded with vitamin c. and now, b vitamins to boot. coffee doesn't have fiber. unless you want it to. splenda® essentials™ are the first and only line of sweeteners with a small boost of fiber, or antioxidants, or b vitamins in every packet. mmm. same great taste with an added "way to go, me" feeling. splenda® essentials™. get more out of what you put in. (belhi.ings) good morning. big news. we're spreading the word about new honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry... and banana/blueberry. we're telling everyone. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. try some. mmm! two flavors. in harmony. yummy. four nutritious grains and two big fruit flavors to make your day bunches better. and you won't be able to pull yourself away. ♪ so we created "chiller talk." ♪ made with 100% fruit juice with natural flavors, blended with ice. bringing together the natural sweetness of cherry and raspberry, for an ice-cold twist on fruit juice. here for a limited time only. new mccafé cherry berry chiller at mcdonald's. the simple joy of keepin' it cool. ♪ the simple joy of keepin' it cool. what if we could keep enough plastic waste to cover all of manhattan out of landfills each year? the equivalent of 140 million trash bags, gone. by using glad trash bags, designed with reinforcing bands to be stronger with less plastic waste, we can. it's a small change that can make a big difference. and try glad odor shield with febreze freshness... strong bags that neutralize strong odors. baby names. who does not love to discuss them, choose them, or give a thumbs up or down when family or friends are dumb enough to share with everybody. >> that's right. the social security administration is revealing its list of the most popular baby names of 2011. >> and michael, commission of social security, always good to have you back here commissioner. >> thank you for having me. >> top list for the boys, let's start off with the boys first. top names. >> top name is jacob for the 13th year in a row. >> oh. >> although there's a lot of movement on jayden. aidan would have been number one and jayden would have been number two. >> what are the odds. >> we have 70 names that rhyme with aiden in the top 1,000. >> you know a lot about this list apparently. we saw mason came in number two. that's moving up. >> a lot of reality tv effect the last couple of years. >> is that a little depressing to you? >> we try to stay neutral. >> it's a really good name. >> i can see it in your eyes. >> what's going on, america? >> what about the girls? >> the girls we have sophia, every year i come on, it's a new top girl's name. a lot more experimentation. i don't know what that says about us and our daughters but sophia is brand-new and the new number one. >> a lot of classic names. >> a lot of going back to grandmothers. particularly names that are classical. the top five all end in "a" like the classical latin "a" for feminine names. >> which name had the biggest jump? >> the biggest jump was briella which was another reality tv effect. i didn't know that jerseylicious had a spinoff but the young people tell me -- >> the young people? >> yes, yes. >> and now what about on the guy's side what's a new name we're seeing? >> the hot -- of course mason jumped up to number two in the top ten and also branson on the top -- >> brantley? >> brantley, i'm sorry. which i gather is a country singer who has a new number one hit. >> the kids are listening to. >> and then our names. >> matthew is up from 16 to number 12. >> yeah. >> natalie is steady. >> steady. >> i'm going for number ten. >> savannah is up 41 from 46. >> we're all moving up in the world. >> savannah is part of a trend, names that are place names. >> yes! the shops concept encompases a lot of newness. doing project with different stores is a really cool idea. we want to bring a little piece of the boutique experience to target. a real taste of luxury. it's pretty special for us to imagine this little nook of polka dog will be in target stores all around the country. the shops we fell in love with, collected and curated for you. exclusively at target. and we are talkingren about activia. i've been eating activia and i feel great! i'm used to having irregularity. i feel like that's normal. if you are not feeling like trying this on, that's not normal. activia helps with occasional irregularity when eaten 3 times a day. feeling regular to me was a new feeling... i came to find my 'new normal' and i love it! ♪ activia and try new silky, fruity activia harvest picks. another way to enjoy activia. good morning. it is 9:26 on this rainy monday, may 14th. we begin with some breaking news right now out of the baltimore area. people being cleared out of pier "a" and pier "b" at baltimore washington airport because of an unusual odor there. at this point, it's unclear how the evacuations are impacting incoming and outgoing flights. we'll have more information as it becomes available. it becomes available. a lot of problems on the roa never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. if my mom can fight and beat breast cancer, i can walk 60 miles. (woman) the fund-raising was the easiest part. people were very giving. complete strangers wanting to help. i knew someday i was gonna do this walk. if i can do this, you definitely can do this. we can do this. we can all do this together. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. real big deals of the week. or how to keep from driving all over for the best deals. you don't need to run around. safeway gives you real big club card deals each week. right now, a sweet price on honey nut cheerios, just $1.88. starbucks coffee is only $7.77. that's less than a quarter for a great cup of coffee. and fage greek yogurt is just a buck. real big deals this week and every week. only at safeway. ingredients for life. right now following breaking news on the roadway. if you're traveling at the intersection of connecticut avenue, we have a crash involving a metro bus and it's in your shoulder lane in this area. also problems on the beltway. very slow in montgomery county. you're jammed, in fact, as you make your way from new hampshire avenue and counter on the outer loop of the beltway. travel speed for you this morning, absolutely slow. 15 miles per hour, about 37 minutes to get from i-95 to i-270. ar ♪ that, of course, usher. that means one thing, summer's almost here. our summer concert series about to get under way when usher kicks things off this friday. he's not the only big name coming to the plaza. next week, and then a few weeks after that bieber fever. making savannah go wild. >> just practicing our teenage girl impression. >> collect out today.com for our entire list. come on down this friday, usher, live, only on "today." savannah? he was just on "saturday night live." >> justin bieber. >> and usher, too. >> that's right. >> okay, good. >> we're ready. >> we're ready to work. coming up, we took time out on sunday to celebrate moms. we're going to talk about that important relationship, the mother/daughter bond. one doctor's prescription for a healthy relationship is actually to work out together. we'll tell you why. >> good fitness, too. and also if you're doing a little bonding with baby we've got great looks when it comes to maternity fashions. we'll check out some of the trendiest styles for moms to be. >> for little baby natalie. >> i'm trying to get into the top ten with my name. >> albert, very strong name. >> strong name. >> royal name. >> regal. >> and if you're ready to start up the grill you can stick to your diet with some guilt-free cookout options. everything from burgers to hot dogs, even vegetarian ideas so you'll never miss the calories. we've known her as the coast of candid camera and the wife of clint eastwood. now deena eastwood has a new show called mrs. eastwood and company. she's here along with her daughter francesca. good to see you guys. >> thanks for having us. >> we're up before 9:00 for once. >> california time it's even worse. >> yeah. >> how did this all come about? how did, did you decide to become a reality show? >> moment of insanity. i pitched a show three years ago regarding the fact that i was a haggard housewife managing a boy band from south africa and i got lucky and the show was sold and after we started doing preinterviews, there they are right there, so adorable, after the show was soltd there were seven guys and me and i said why don't you meet my daughters, they're really cute. and they interviewed the girls, and then that's all she wrote. it was over after they met. this is my gorgeous stepdaughter francesca and my daughter morgan is 15. there she is there. yeah, there's the haggard step mom right there. >> you're not going to get the haggard part. >> i'm looking for compliments. >> nice try. >> you guys are now reality stars. >> not yet, honey. >> in a couple of weeks. >> francesca, what's it like to have the cameras there? >> i was really nervous about it at first and i would have never expected to be doing a reality show, ever, but i've gotten so comfortable with cameras that i just let it rip. i mean every aspect of my life is -- is -- is in the reality show. so, the tears, the laughter, it's all there. it's crazy. >> she's blurred the whole time. she's the one who's jumping naked in the pool. >> what does your dad think about all this? >> i think he's really just proud that we're doing something that we're having so much fun with. you know. and we really have a good time. and you know, at the end of the day it's family time. it's quality family time. >> it is. >> there just happens to be cameras there. >> and -- >> he appears in voluntarily in at least two episodes. and it's so funny because sometimes i want him to do other things and he's like no way. i told you. he won't go any further and we won't push him. he definitely shows up in a couple episodes. one of my band members gets married and i'm his surrogate mommy because his mom is in south africa. good husband has to go to the wedding with me. >> he has some good oneliners. >> he always -- >> right. >> all good so far. >> we'll look forward to it. thank you, great to have you here. you can catch the premiere of "mrs. eastwood and company" on sunday, may 20th, 10:00, only on e! and now let's get a check of the weather. al? >> oh, i'm feeling lucky. >> you are? >> that's what's going on around let's get a check of the weather, al. >> i'm feeling lucky. >> you are? that's what's going on around the country, let's get a check of what's going on in your neck of the woods. >> some rain moving through the area. we've had multiple accidents as a result and slow traffic and more heavier rain about to move our way here later today. it's now coming into virginia, out of north carolina, but it's not into the metro area yet and probably not until this afternoon, maybe with thunder and lightning between now and then. right now, low 60s. later today, up around 70. occasional thunder, latest weather. >> all right. thank you, al. coming up next, keeping your mother/daughter relationship in check and on terms. to keep them happy. right after this. i was living with this all-over pain. a deep, throbbing, persistent ache. 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 do more of the things that i enjoy. 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. the best in nutrition... just got better. now with even more of the vitamins your body needs. like vitamin d. plus omega 3's. there's one important ingredient that hasn't changed: better taste. 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[ male announcer ] when you leave the dental office... plaque quickly starts to grow back. but now there's a way to keep the clean longer. introducing new crest pro-health clinical rinse. it's a clinical breakthrough that actually keeps your teeth 91% clean of plaque at 2 months after a dental visit. plus, it gives you these key benefits. new crest pro-health clinical rinse. crest. life opens up when you do. also try new crest pro-health clinical plaque control toothpaste. well, one of the most emotionally intense parent/child relationships, of course, is the bond between mothers and daughters. and finding new ways to spend time together can really have a huge impact. dr. jennifer ashton is an ob/gyn and the author of "the body scoop for girls" and she says mother/daughter fitness is one way to keep that relationship really strong. dr. ashton, good morning. it's good to see you. >> likewise. >> why is this such a unique or good way to keep the bond between mom and daughter so strong? >> well, look, as any parent will tell you, there can be very trying times, and it can vary decade to decade. particularly when you're talking about the teenage years for daughters. that is a tough time for moms, it is a tough time for daughters. and you have body image, self-esteem image, relationship issues going. and so anything you can do to bring that together, and to improve your health and well-being and fitness, is a win-win. >> how young would you start? i mean we're not talking about little girls, right? >> well you know, this is something that a lot of moms used to do when our kids were infants, right? toddler, mommy and me swimming, tumbling and then it kind of goes by the wayside. i think that revamping that and kicking it into high gear again when your daughter is a teenager is a great time. and then there's no reason to stop when she gets into her 20s. because again, it benefits both. >> we're going to have some tips in a few minutes. when it comes to parenting, i mean obviously the mom is the role model in so many ways. how is it particularly important in this arena to kind of practice what you preach in the workout department? >> well, look, i think that we know as parents that what we say is really important. and our kids are listening to us. but also they're watching us. so it's really important to talk the talk and walk the walk. and as a mom, when you're trying to instill good patterns and habits, that your daughter hopefully will carry on through her whole lifetime it is really important to lead by example. in my practice i've definitely see what happens when this works well. and girls have a positive role model. and when it doesn't work well, and they don't. and family studies have shown that when kids have active parents, they are five times more likely to become active adults, when you compare them with kids who vfr had sedentary parents. >> you have great tips. let it start organically. >> this means don't go out and look for something that is unknown for both of you. pick something that at least one of you likes. might be a hobby as a mom, might be a hobby as a daughter. then at least you have a 50% chance of it continuing in the future. >> your next tip, don't expect a mini me. >> right. now, my daughter chloe is a super jock, she's an ice hockey player and recently started training for triathlons with me for this year because i got into them last year. but when we train together i don't expect her to keep up with me. that's not the point. when she swim she needs to take more breaks. that's fine. she's 13. the point is you're doing it together and it's benefiting both of you. >> you're not trying to raise an iron girl necessarily. >> that's right. >> you also say accentuate the positive. >> this is something we're all creatures, we like positive reinforcement. everyone does. so especially when you're dealing with a daughter, whether that daughter is a teenager or an adult, you really want to recognize on both sides what's working well. and make that about the inside. don't say, oh, you've lost three inches off your thighs or ten pounds on your scale, say you're getting stronger, you're getting faster. >> and back to the role modeling thing, how mom talks about herself also matters. >> absolutely critical. really, really critical. >> finally you say set a goal and have fun. >> yes. >> so whether it's training for a race or doing a certain number of miles a season, do something that you can both work towards, in parallel, and when you reach it, don't forget to reward yourself. it's supposed to be fun. and a way -- >> it can be sports, tennis. >> absolutely. >> squash. >> that's right. >> dr. jennifer ashton. great idea. thank you so much. >> you bet. >> coming up next we're going to have cool styles to make you one hot momma if you're expecting. the latest looks in maternity wear. ♪ i woke up to a light bulb ♪ every little thing is possible ♪ [ female announcer ] introducing new fresh take. kraft natural cheese, and the perfect blend of spices and bread crumbs all in one bag. we're not just making cheese. we're helping you make something amazing. ♪ love is a bright idea ♪ life is amazing... 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[ male announcer ] we are insurance. ♪ we are farmers ♪ bum, ba-da-bum, bum, bum, bum ♪ this morning on "today's style," maternity fashion for every pregnant woman. for the latest trends and styles when you're expecting many stores are carrying chic paternity lines. rachel is a contributing editor for life and style magazine. you no longer have to go to maternity specialty stores. >> it's amazing. half of hollywood is pregnant right now and retailers are one of the fastest growing businesses for realizing why not have maternity fashion in those stores? you don't have to go for the ones that sell specifically for that. you can go to h&m and top shop and look cute. and affordable. >> let's take a look at the cute trends. let's start off with the colored denim look. this is being modeled on gorgeous erin. >> color denim is one of the biggest trends for everybody. why shouldn't pregnant ladies have it? this is one of the hippest places, and for $55 you can have colored jeans. you don't have to spend $300 on the ones that were mommy jeans a long time ago. these have built-in stretch so they can fit right under the belly. a cardi is a great way for moms to cover their arms. and this is splendid. they're making the exact same styles for regular women for women who are pregnant. hillary duff lived in this. >> sheaf got a baby bomber in there. >> bombers. >> and you can wear the shoes, you can pull that through. >> you look great. you look gorgeous, erin. congratulations. >> so beautiful. >> okay, next is the floral theme and to help us out here we have flo in this beautiful flowery dress. >> this is top shop, it's about $92. everything is super affordable. >> these pregnant women are so tiny. >> every girl wants that in the summer. so this is perfect. it's really easy, breezy. what i love about it, it has the hem so you can show your leg a little bit but it gives you the coverage in the back. also when you're pregnant you want to think about a cross body bag, something really light. great. super fun. >> gold shoes. >> the beading really makes it fun. >> thank you so much, next the casual chic look and we have sandra here modeling this for us. >> oh, yes. now i absolutely love this dress. from the gap. nautical. again, you know, a big trend. every woman should be able to wear it. it really -- most of my pregnant friends say the tighter the better so you really want something that really showcases your body but shows off the baby bump, too. have fun with your accessories. throw on some color. it's a good time and a really happy time. >> gap makes great maternity clothes, as well. next is jennifer here. i guess i missioned the order around. now we have sandra caring the casual chic look. >> super casual chic. most women want to live in leggings when they're pregnant. these are from bowden and they have the built in belly so that it's really comfy and expands with your belly. summer comfy. use your accessories to pop the color. i love the bright shoes, the scarf. you know it's just a great, easy way for a woman to feel comfy and look chic. >> when she's pregnant. fabulous. >> $12, you can't beat that. >> amazing. >> and then finally, thank you so much, we have rhonda in this great tropical dress. the maxi length is everybody's wearing this. when you're pregnant, but so flattering. >> it's so flattering, and this is actually liz lange for target. $34 for the dress. the top trend right now is tropical. the sandals i love because they're aerosoles. when you're pregnant you want to think about extra cushioning in her shoes. and she also has spanx made specifically for maternity. all the brands they're making for pregnant women, as well. >> come on out you beautiful ladies. one last look so we can see you once again. thank you so much. congrats to all you moms-to-be. and happy mother's day. all right coming up next, your cookout favorites without the fat. guilt-free barbecue foods. but first, this is "today" on nbc. this morning on eat smart "today," barbecue favorites without the guilt. grilling season is just about to kick into high gear. hungry girl lisa is here with low calorie, low fat grilling ideas for your summer cookout. >> good to see you. >> everybody thinks i want to try to be somewhat good doing barbecue season but a lot of people think, i'm going to give up a lot of taste. >> the average person takes in about 2,000 calories at a barbecue. which is scary. it does not have to be that way. >> is it the main -- the -- what kills you is it the actual main ingredient or the sides? >> it's everything. it's eating too much. it's the wrong bread. it's the wrong burgers. you name it. >> starting with the bun. >> the buns that you see, big and buffy can have 200 or 300 calories. i love these, nature's own, sandwich rounds, 100 calories. loaded with fiber. loaded with whole grain. you don't only have to have a lettuce bun, you can have bread. stick with a 100 calorie high fiber option. >> you get your bread fix. >> hot dogs. >> a lot of times they're loaded with crazy amounts of fat and calories. and even turkey and chicken dogs believe it or not can have as many fat grams as a beef hot dog. these are made by applegate, chicken and turkey dogs for only 50 or 60 calories. but if you really want a beef dog the only option, 97% fat free hebrew national. >> they answer to a higher authority. >> yes, they do. >> the commercial. >> 40 calories, one gram of fat, and amazing. you'd never be able to tell the difference. >> when you talk about the chicken and turkey hot dogs, uncured, do you have to cook them all the way through, as opposed to a regular hot dog? >> they just don't have the preservatives. it's natural and a better option. but they usually come precooked like all hot dogs. >> if you're thinking vegetarian burger. >> amy's kitchen, the best. these are amazing. these are the texas burgers, they taste like barbecue. they're a little sweet. they have a little bit of spiciness and they're made with walnuts and vegetables. 140 calories. >> turkey burgers. >> not only in fashion but jennie-o, lean, white meat turkey. 160 calories. throw them on the grill. take them to a barbecue in case they don't have a good option there. >> usually you got high fat potato chips or corn chips or something like that. you've got some alternatives here. >> simply seven lentil chips and hummus chips amazing, because not only are they light and low in calories, they come in preportioned bags and that's the key with chips. >> but you can't eat like three or four bags. >> i would say no. but there are 30 chips in each bag. my favorite are the hummus chips. they taste like bugles. remember bugles? they're so good at 130 calories a bag you cannot beat that. >> that's pretty good. >> bugles, right? >> they do. probably even a little churchier since they've been out for awhile. they are pretty good. >> they're really good. now this is, all right, do you like hummus? >> i do like hummus. >> a black bean hummus. eat well, enjoy life. the best. it's got a corn and pineapple little relish on top. it's 40 calories for a serving. it is by far the best store-bought hummus i've ever tasted. you have to love that stuff. i put it on everything. amazing. take that home with you. >> okay. >> put it in your pocket. these are very fancy gourmet pickles from vlasic. they look like a farmer's market pickle. now he's not on the jar, it's fresh vegetables. lots of different flavors. very crunchy. hardly any calories. good stuff. >> mustard? >> with bacon. bacon is all the rage these days. >> bacon! >> bacon and mustard for only 10 calories. i love this must add. it's my new fave pit rp you get your bacon fix for hardly any calories. >> pacesy mayo. >> spiced with -- hellmann's limited edition. >> lisa, thank you so much. >> and pretty color, too. >> that's right. color blorking. >> hoda and kathie lee. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone likes a bit of order in their life. virtual wallet helps you get it. keep track of spending, move money with a slide, and use the calendar. all to see your money how you want. ♪ 9:57 is your time now. good morning to you. i'm eun yang. we have breaking news out of northwest washington where part of new hampshire avenue is shut down. danella sealock is here with the latest. what's going on? >> right now authorities are investigating a suspicious package that's shutting down new hampshire avenue. please avoid the area. other problems on our roadways, traveling i-270, still seeing some delay s and a lot of rain t falls road. once you pass 202 heading inbound to new york avenue, we are seeing delays. and this rain is not making it any easier. tom, will it end anytime soon? >> you can see everything is wet. we've had some light rain, not much, but enough to make everything wet. later today, more moderate showers, maybe thunder and lightning off and on this afternoon and through tuesday. we ought to get sunshine back wednesday, small chance of a shower and looks try, sunny thursday, friday, saturday, and sunday. >> be sure to join us tomorrow morning for ♪ beth! hi! looking good. you've lost some weight. thanks. you noticed. these clothes are too big, so i'm donating them. how'd you do it? eating right -- whole grain. [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multi-grain cheerios -- 5 whole grains, 110 calories. creamy, dreamy peanut butter taste in a tempting new cereal. mmm! [ female announcer ] new multi-grain cheerios peanut butter. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hey, everybody. it's fun day monday, it's may 14th. and we hope everybody had an awesome mother's day weekend. >> were you treated well on mother's day? >> sort of. sort of. had big, big weekend but yesterday of course is mother's day for everybody and cassidy gives me a lovely little michael kors bracelet. cody's still out in california. he's coming home today but i doubt he's bearing gifts. that's okay. i looked over at frank and i go, well, where's my jewelry? where's my convertible? he goes you're not my mother. "you're not my mother." >> he's right. >> i laughed so that was my present. i laughed. we went out for the auspicious occasion -- finally -- of our son graduating from college. there we were out at usc. he graduated -- i got to brag a tad. >> you say it. >> i'll just say it very softly. magna cum laude! >> cody, good job. i think he must have cheated the whole time. but there he's -- that is our friend mrs. pilloy. >> is there a little party happening? >> she and her husband john took over the entire rooftop of the beautiful peninsula hotel in beverly hills and we partied and frank and i thought that we were going to be there maybe half-an-hour. you know, kids' party. three hours later, frank and i went home. ever since israel -- boom, yeah! no. frank says we can climb that mountain, we can do anything. but we had a wonderful time. these three boys, kevin and mike and cody, roomed together in that place where sars started. honestly. their apartment, i swear, is where every horrible disease in life germinated. those boys bonded together like crazy though. i think they're going to be lifetime friends. >> people are probably at home going i can't believe cody gifford has graduated from college. >> he's going to stay one more semester and looks like he's going to do some graduate work, he's going to do anything he possibly can except get a job. because that's the way they roll. how was your weekend. >> it was really nice. a nice mother's day. i had my mom, and you remember hanna was in. we have a picture of us taking a carriage ride through the park. my brother and his wife came, too. we had a great, great, great ploer's day. we had such fun in the park. on sunday jay and i decided to go to the yankees game. before we show the next picture, there's us at the game but we went to the game on the d train. can you get on the subway on 59th street, you go to the bronx. it takes 125 minutes and you're right at yankee stadium. costs $2.25. you get out, we didn't have tickets -- let me tell you why. we were clicking online stub hub, it said 12,000 tickets left. we check again. 825 tickets. zero tickets remaining. everyone bought all the tickets join loop. >> now you've got to scalp them. >> yeah. which is so fun. >> hoda, why don't you just steal them! >> we get out of the subway, all those guys are going buy/sell, buy/sell. we said nothing. we walk in, a woman said i've got two in the nose bleeds do you want them for $3 we were getting picky. this couple came from behind us named kiss tina and joe and they said we have two tickets. why don't you just take them. we got them as gifts. we said, no, we can't, we have to pay you, at least the face value, which we did. but we were sitting with christina and joe. upstate new york. hey! they were so nice. we loved the tickets -- >> i didn't know you were a baseball fan. >> we're not. but it was a beautiful day. no. it was a gorgeous beautiful day. >> so you couldn't drag me to something that i'm not a fan of. >> really? spl well first of all, i'm not a fan of graduations, i'll tell you that. 11 hours we were there. 11 hours. your kid's name called. that's it. and watch them walk across. 11 hours. >> what is going on? >> i don't know. >> speeches and -- >> speeches and talking and all kinds of stuff. >> how about this? there was -- there is another great graduation story other than cody's. there is -- >> lots of them. >> there is a janitor at columbia university. he worked at 52 years old as a janitor at columbia so he could go to school for free at columbia. you you know what he did at 52? a degree in the classics. it took him 12 years to do that. he balanced his classes with his job. after graduation he went back to work as a custodian. he wants to get more of an education. >> can you imagine? see, he's the exact opposite of what we have so much of in our country today which is an attitude of entitlement. he didn't have an attitude of entitlement. he's so grateful to be in this country, have an opportunity to have a job and get an education. now he wrants ants to go back t columbia and hopefully get a better job. >> how about kids and harvard and some of the other ivy league schools talking about ways to lower the stress level at those universities. one of the ways they came up with doing that is by bringing puppies into the campus to help students -- >> you can't have bambino, i'm sorry. he's my stress reliever. but i understand that. but if you had even suggested such a thing years ago, when we didn't have things like wimp university, those kinds of things where kids actually went and got an education and worked hard. i have mixed emotions about it. >> dogs are soothing. it just does seem like there are times and places for those kind of things. they're even talking about having dogs there -- having pet friendly dorms. >> well, they work for the elderly and people like that. it is great. we just heard a story this morning that made us crazy, which was this man who was a teacher at rutgers university. we won't say names. half of his students towards the very end of the semester said, we have a life so we're not going to do -- finish papers and things like that. because we have a life. and fast forward and think how that's going to work with a job that you have, an actual boss in life. just makes me crazy. >> me, too. >> that just fries my hiney. the top baby names of 2011 are out and this came from the social security administration. >> don't they have something better to do? >> no, they track them! >> top five boy's names -- five noah, four jayden, three william, two mason, and the only new name in the top ten is -- >> it's not new. it's been number one for 13 years. >> jacob is number one. >> for 13 years. i was surprised by that. >> i was, too. top girls' names. number five, ava. four, olivia. three, emma. two, isabella. and number one is sophia. >> brantley and bliella had the biggest jump -- >> i've never heard of either one. >> that's another reality shore star from jersey. >> once again, you and i are not in the top thousand names. >> i'm sure i'm not in the top 100,000 names. >> in egypt, she's huge. >> think about this. a woman is sbekti iexpecting a she announced to her whole office, hey, this is a very important time for me, i want to name this baby a very special name, it means a lot to my family, it is a family name, i'm going to name my child benjamin. everyone was so excited and happy. >> not a new name. >> but she chose it. >> her assistant came around, soon after and announced that she was pregnant and she decided she was also going to name her baby benjamin. >> because she liked it so much when her boss said it. well, what would do you? >> the boss took umbrage. i think if it was brently or briella -- it's benjamin. so what. >> well, she talk to her. said it is sort of a little weird. you're taking the name that i chose in front of everyone and blah blah blah. the assistant thought she was being unreasonable, she said i picked the name because i thought it was cute. >> what do you think? >> i think it is a little weird. if someone came out and there's no real connect for the other girl to that name, she just thought it was cute when the woman said it. maybe there is a history of things we don't know. maybe she orders what the other one orders, maybe she wears what the other one wears. i don't know. >> so in other words these are people that shouldn't be having children because they're weird? shouldn't be breeding? speaking of breeding, why don't we also talk about breastfeeding. >> we have to. i know this was talk about last week but we have a new kind of take on it. first of all, there's the picture. it's a 3-year-old who is breastfeeding. >> i said if that was me breastfeeding he wouldn't need the little stool. wouldn't need it at all. could have saved some money on that picture. i don't think the controversy is that it is breastfeeding. it is that the little boy is 3. she herself was breast feed until she was 6 and one of our producers pointed out, she's only 26. she was breast feed so that's a 0-year gap now she has a 3-year-old. that's a 17-year-old gap when there was no breastfeeding going on. >> shy's been breast feed or breastfeeding most of her life. >> maybe she just really missed it. >> they had some fun with it on "snl." let's take a look at seth meyers. >> this week "time" magazine created a controversy with a cover story that used this foe foe which brings us to a semth we like to call -- really? really, what's with the camouflage pants. you do realize there's not enough camouflage in the world to hide from the blow back this kid is going to experience. also i'm going to warn you now, kid, when you get older, i got a feeling your mom isn't going to like any of your girlfriends. really. and "time," don't get me wrong, i understand have you tro do what it takes to sell magazines and it is a good cover. but if you wanted a great cover, would you have photo shopped out the chair. >> that's funny. >> that was really good. really good. there's a new viral video out there. we know they are out there all the time. this one is a guy singing acoustically to the lmfao song that we love so much here called "i'm sexy and i know it." he posted this thing and it went crazy. >> he's 18 years old. ♪ ♪ sfloet ♪ >> hoda's all in as you can see. you know what? i wish the kid well. he's obviously got some talent but i don't care that he's got a passion in his pants -- >> a party. >> a party in his pants. >> he said passion. >> no. party. >> either one, i don't want to see it. favorite things time! >> okay. all right. new music. this mary just gave it to me today. it is cool. it is called lash control mascara. is so cool because you know how your mascara's get really, really clumpy? you pull it out and it is normal. there's volumizing and there's also lengthening. but then you put it back in, right, and then you squeeze it and it gets all the excess off! everybody's going winner! i shouldn't do that because look what happens to my arms. >> you ready? >> yeah. >> before she comes out, there is a great, great girl who i love named lauren brill. i met her at a book signing. she and her sister came to a book signing. she and her sister both were ill with cancer, they were both getting better and she decided she was going to make it her business to put a terrific business together to make foods, sweets, chocolates and cookies and stuff that were healthy. so lauren, come on out! >> she's got her own company! sweet laurens. >> it's called sweet laurens. look at this girl. i know you've been working on this company. i know your goal was to go healthy. right. >> exactly. sweet laurens is an all-natural cookie dough and brown batter company because the best sweets are warm and fresh out of the oven. i started this because after overcoming cancer was really conscience of the things i put if my body but delicious. i startedmakering my own cookies and brownies pirp found that they tasted better and were better for you. i just knew i had to start this company. >> it's sweet lorens. because there's a lot of laurens out there, the other kind. you can buy these frozen, pop them in the oven. i'm telling you, they are heaven. >> that's exactly it. the package something super convenient. the cookie dough is break and bakes. bake two cookies at a time. super, easy to do, no fuss, no mess. the brownie actually already comes in a pan. >> you rock! >> loren, who's better than you? >> all the best. >> good luck to your sister, too. >> i hope we have some time for sara. >> while are you eating your delicious things listen to this amazing band. the lumineers. they're folk rock and they just released a self-entitled album and it's one of those things can you put on play and listen to the whole thing. they write all their own music. they're amazing. and i got to see them live. they're even better live. they're so great. >> thank you, sara. up next, america's got talent. we've got judge howie mandel and host nick canon to tell us all about it. >> they're breastfeeding. we're going to catch you up on the latest buzz. but first these messages. your mood and your makeup. makeup like you've never seen before. new revlon® photoready airbrush™ mousse make up. unique air-infused mousse formula blends easily for a smooth, poreless, airbrushed finish. cleaning better, doesn't have to take longer. i'm done. i'm going to... drink this... on the porch! ♪ give me just a little more time ♪ [ female announcer ] mops can be a hassle, but swiffer wetjet's spray cleaner and absorbent pads can clean better in half the time so you don't miss a thing. swiffer. better clean in half the time. or your money back. and for dry messes big and small try swiffer sweeper vac. so we take time to sit down for lunch at olive garden, and for dry messes big and small and we enjoy catching up as much as we enjoy the meal. it's the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks lunch. only at olive garden. featuring four homemade soups. enjoy all you want for just $6.95. [ dog ] we found it together.upbeat ] on a walk, walk, walk. love to walk. yeah, we found that wonderful thing. and you smiled. and threw it. and i decided i would never, ever leave it anywhere. because that wonderful, bouncy, roll-around thing... had made you play. and that... had made you smile. [ announcer ] beneful. play. it's good for you. let's rock 'n' roll. ♪ >> that's a nontalented person. that's just a taste of the wild and wacky "talent" competing for the $1 million prize on the new season of "america's got talent." that premiers tonight on nbc. >> the anticipation for the season seven is growing and the stakes are even higher and more unpredictable. howie mandel is one of the show's judges and nick canon, our friend, too, is the host. hello, boys. >> big premier tonight. >> we're very excited. >> howard stern is on-board so that's getting a lot of attention. >> huge attention. i think people are going to be pleasantly surprised and how passionate and how serious he is and how sensitive he is. you're going to see a whole other side to howard that you've never seen before. >> we saw some weird acts last year. just by looking at those clips, they seem even weirder. >> i feel like it is a rock 'n' roll show now and like you guys kind of just showed the wild and wacky. but the talent is also elevated as well. like there's people doing things i've never seen before. there's someone turning the whole theater into an instrument. >> i like that you guys make it available to anybody and it's not just musical, it can be anything. >> it is the last bags bastion of variety television. >> that's what he had sullivan was. >> that's what we are. we're ed sullivan. >> i didn't know he was canadian. >> there you go. >> how's your life, nick? you weren't feeling great for a while. you're back in business. >> yeah. obviously at the top of the year i had a few hurdled. but my family was there, they support me and i'm 100% now. >> a couple of children. those babies are adorable. >> they're amazing! they're trying to walk now. ro rock and roe. we had a great time in paris as well. >> i can just bring something up? i brought this up because this is backstage. i don't know if i'm causing a problem. you have wi-fi. this is the password? this is the password? it took me nine years -- that's the password to get online here. if you come here. i just wanted to text somebody. >> memorize it. >> is that a security risk that i held that up? nobody's going to memorize that. >> we'll just change it again. >> that's crazy! when we look at a show like this, we've done all right in this business. we feel grateful but we wonder if we would have what it takes to actually and contestant on america's got talent. >> if you have what it takes? >> will you guys judge kathie lee and me? >> he'll judge and i'll cheer you on. >> we have sara first. this is sara. here goes. watch, watch, watch, watch, watch. >> all right. >> let me get this straight, she is a dyslexic tap dancer. >> is it my turn? >> i didn't buzz that. >> we're taking notes. 1 through 10. are you ready? >> what do you do? >> watch me. >> i'm watching you. i'm drinking wine from a crazy straw -- >> she's playing drunk basketba basketball. >> the drinking's going well. the drinking is going well. >> that's really good. >> shake what your mama gave you. >> hold on. >> you can't do without wine. >> oh! >> all right. so now you're going to pick the winner. the winner is? is -- just finish the wine. >> that's impressive. >> you're going to vegas! >> woo! >> you guys look like you are already in vegas. >> it's lar to pick a withiner. i gave it a 7. >> i gave it a smiley face. >> what happened to me, jerry? >> america's got talent. >> this the is special olympics. >> "america's got talent" premiers tonight at 8:00, 7:00 central on nbc. next, could it be you? we'll announce our fan of the week right after this. g thing? let's see what you got. rv -- covered. why would you pay for a hotel? i never do. motorcycles -- check. atv. i ride those. do you? no. boat. house. hello, dear. hello. hello. oh! check it -- [ loud r&b on car radio ] i'm going on break! the more you bundle, the more you save. now, that's progressive. what makes hershey's pure chocolate goodness that brings people together. hershey's makes it a s'more... you make it special. pure hershey's. what if we could keep enough plastic waste to cover all of manhattan out of landfills each year? the equivalent of 140 million trash bags, gone. by using glad trash bags, designed with reinforcing bands to be stronger with less plastic waste, we can. it's a small change that can make a big difference. and try glad odor shield with febreze freshness... strong bags that neutralize strong odors. huge news! 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[ laughter ] walmart choice premium steak. try it, tell us what you think on facebook. by the way, it's 100% money back guaranteed. it is monday and that means it is time to reveal our "fan of the week." >> our lovely sara is here to tell us who that lucky winner is. >> what a fan she is. our winner is sharon grigg from keller, texas. she likes "ambush makeover" and the cooking segments but most of all she loves the talk. even though sharon and her best friend sue lives miles apart, they talk about they're together when they both tune in. from having a messy purse to sharing a good friday funny at the dinner table, when they are together enjoying a margarita and a nice batch of sammy's baklava tops their to-do list. congratulations, sharon, are you going to hershey, pennsylvania. you'll enjoy a two-night stay at the hotel hershey. the trip includes $240 to spend. >> round trip airfare for two. >> everything! >> provided by hershey entertainment and resorts company. thanks so much. bye-bye. eggland's best eggs. the best in nutrition... just got better. high in vitamins d, e, and b12. plus omega 3's. there's one important ingredient that hasn't changed: better taste. better taste. yum! [ female announcer ] eggland's best. the better egg. and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios tv, internet and phone for just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement. act now and we'll add a special bonus: $250 back. but hurry, this offer ends june 2nd. unlike cable, fios is a 100% fiber-optic network that delivers america's fastest, most consistent, most reliable internet plus the best tv picture quality. why keep paying so much for cable? switch to fios for just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement -- plus your special bonus: $250 back. save $600 in your first two years. but hurry. this incredible offer ends june 2nd. call 1.877.707.fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's 1.877.707.3467. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. or visit us online to save even more. fios. a network ahead. or visit us online to save even more. at grocery storesreedom this quarter. cash back thank you. activate your 5 percent cash back. chase.com/freedom. we're back on this fun day monday with "today's buzz" and all the celebrity news you may have missed. >> from jessica simpson's post baby pay to ashton kutcher's new movie role, we have all the scoop. >> big baby news. she finally had that baby. >> you know sometimes there is a little payday for that. >> jessica simpson's post-baby payday is going to be $4.8 million. she's getting a kind of low ball figure for the baby pictures. where she's making her money is an estimated $3 million to $4 million deal with weight watchers which is how she is going to lose the post baby weight. >> i want to go back in time to having my kids all over again. that was just flat free for anybody. nobody did it back then. >> could you monetize it now. there isn't as much money for the baby pictures anymore. now that everybody tweets their own pictures -- >> but sure would be awfully nice to give some of that money to charity. children's charity perhaps. the houston family has i guess announced that they are going to do a reality show, whitney's daughter and some other family members? >> houston family chronicles. >> it is going to be on lifetime. cissy houston, whitney's mother, says the reason they are doing it is they want to help jump-start bobby kristina's career. she's had sort of a troubled time both before and after her mother's death. they'll have a lot of family members in it, cousins, dionne warwick. though given what happened with whitney, given what happened with bobby brown, it is making people uncomfortable. >> why would you want to encourage her to go into the very business that was so painful and damaging for her mom. i wish him all the best but i think it -- i drag my kid away for it. >> bobby brown isn't going to be on it. he's already said i think this is a bad idea. >> oh, wow. >> wisdom from bobby brown. things aren't going crazy in this world! > willow smith. i guess her mom interviewed her for "the huffington post." it is really her take, little girl's take, on fame. let's watch the clip first. >> let me ask you somebody, willow. if there was one thing you could change about your life, what would it be? >> if i could change one thing about my life two probably be -- wouldn't be famous. >> really! why? >> because when you're famous, it's so hard. >> okay. >> that's all kids want to be anymore is famous. >> what did you make of that? >> willow's had a stylist since she was 9 years old. she's 11 now. she's always been on red carpets all her life. it was sort of a surprisingly candid moment that she said i don't know if i actually want this. and she did point out afterwards startlingly mature, she says i don't have to be famousfy don't want to be. she says i could stop. she says there are good things about it, too. but the moment of this little girl who hasn't had not necessarily thatch choice in the matter. it was kind of powerful. >> ashton kutcher. >> he just signed again for "two and a half men." i guess he got a nice big raise. it was a successful season. >> tenth season coming up. they just renewed it. he gets over $700,000 per episode, or as we call it one jessica simpson baby debut. lovely. and in addition, he is just started filming on steve jobs' b biopic. >> look how much he looks like him there. that's uncanny. >> if you went to the movies this weekend, chances are you went to "avengers." numbers are insane. >> over $1 billion in 19 days? >> that is the same pace as like "avatar" and harry potter. it's going to be "transformers dark side of the moon" really soon. $103 million in just domestically this weekend. it is just destroying everything. >> am i the only person -- not interested. i'm the only one, i guess. they don't make them for me, that's for sure. >> what about "the dictator"? >> nothing did that well other than "avengers." "dark shadow premiered." it was a bit of a disappoint. "dictator" was just way down on the list. >> we love your hair today. >> yes, gorgeous! up next, we'll catch up with ted williams. remember that once-homeless man with the golden voice that became an overnight sensation. we'll find out what he is up to right after this. running. ♪ you take a message. take a boo-boo and make it better. take a nap? lol. take a breath. you take care of it all. let nutri-grain help take care of you. it's tasty -- made with real fruit, whole grains, fiber... soft and sweet. take a moment. then take on that to-do list with a grin. kellogg's nutri-grain. take care of you™. but i'm an on the go woman. i've been active all my life. that's why i'm excited about reclast. it's the once-a-year iv osteoporosis treatment. reclast helps to restrengthen my bones to help make them resistant to fracture. and with reclast, well, no other osteoporosis treatment is approved to help protect in more places: hips, spine, even other bones. [ male announcer ] you should not take reclast if you're on zometa, have low blood calcium, or kidney problems. or you're pregnant, plan to become pregnant or are nursing. take calcium and vitamin d daily. tell your doctor if you develop severe muscle, bone or joint pain, if you have dental problems as jaw bone problems have been reported, or if you develop new or unusual pain in your hip, groin or thigh. the most common side effects include flu-like symptoms, fever, muscle or joint pain, headache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. if you have questions about your current treatment, ask your doctor about reclast. my skin loses moisture nearly twice as fast as yours does, mom. that's why you use johnson's baby lotion twice a day to keep my skin baby soft. you've really got this "mom thing" down. ♪ so we take time to sit down for lunch at olive garden, you've really got this "mom thing" down. and we enjoy catching up as much as we enjoy the meal. it's the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks lunch. only at olive garden. featuring four homemade soups. enjoy all you want for just $6.95. every once in a while an inspiring story comes along that resonates with people of all walks of life, like the one of ted williams. a little over a year ago he was a homeless drug addict living on the streets of columbus, ohio. that's when a local reporter saw him pan handling and posted this youtube video. >> ted's life changed dramatically. now he's writ been his life in a new book called "a golden voice." it's so nice to see you again. it's been little over a year since he was with us before. lots happened. fill us in. >> a lot of things happened. i'm currently working for the new england cable news network, necn. i still have an ongoing relationship with kraft macaroni and cheese. >> of course you do! >> and the book. then i have a website, kedthegoldenvoice.com where i do personalized voicemails. >> tell us what happened yesterday on mother's day. >> i went out with my mother for the first time in over 25 years. i hadn't even given her a card in those many years. yesterday we went to church. we had a church service and we went to dinner. >> last we saw you and your mom it was here on the show when you guys reunited. what happened in that time period since? like how was the relationship between you and your mom during that time period? >> well, there have been a few things happened. i left rehab early a i relapsed and everything. the last thing that matt brought out earlier, he said that your mother said don't disappoint me. i felt like at that point i disappointed her because now they're talking about i got arrested in los angeles for an altercation with my daughter during the taping of the "the dr. phil" show. management. >> but you've been sober now eight months -- >> no, actually a year. may 4th i celebrated a year. >> how's that been? i know it is a struggle for a lot of people. >> the desires and obsessive desires and all of that has pretty much gone away but it is still a one day at a time. one day at a time. >> your girlfriend kathy's been through this with you. you guys used to use together. she's clean now, too. >> yes, she is and she's cooking. >> what about your son? >> my son's living with me now and god has blessed me to be able to be in a position to help him and his family. they're going through a little transition period as well so he's home with me. that's where kathy is right now, she's home with the kids. >> i love the saying "she's home," because you didn't have a home. >> and she has a car, too, now. she has a driver's license. i don't have my driver's license yet. >> you got to have something to look forward to. you got everything else in the last two years. >> you're inspiring. your book is, too. ted, thanks for coming to see us. >> we wish you success. >> i love you both. the best ladies on "today." >> you're watching the best ladies on "today." >> how about the world -- never mind. coming up next -- someone else has made a drastic change. wait until you meet the latest undu inductee into the "joy fit club." [ male announcer ] ever wonder what's behind two little fleas? more generations of fleas. frontline plus uses two ingredients. one to kill adult fleas and ticks. plus another to kill the next generation, flea eggs and larvae. ask your vet about frontline plus. you... colorful... soft... flea eggs and larvae. and totally irresistible. your lip butter? likewise. new revlon® colorburst™ lip butter. a hydrating buttery balm for baby soft lips in 20 shiny colors. actually it wasn't 1935, he won it in '38...n '35. with a .386 average. you sure? i'm 99.9% positive. so you don't know. made with 100% angus beef, to make guys 100% happy. ball park angus beef franks. i'm 99.99999% sure. if you don't know, you don't know...it's fine. time for look at me now "joy fit club." >> gabby rose is a 45-year-old weight loss counselor who lost 168 pounds. let's look at her incredible story. >> hi, i'm gabby and i'm 45 years old and a mom of four. my battle with obesity began in my mid 20s after i met my husband. by the time i had my last child i probably lost and gained over 500 pounds in a span of 13 years. i've struggled with rosacea, severe migraines, hip and back pain, but the worst part was my asthma getting out of control. not only was my health suffering, but my relationship with my husband was in jeopardy, too. i was driving home from a friend's house one night with my four little kids in the car. i felt severe pressure in my chest and an asthma attack coming on. i thought i was about to take my very last breath. i was only 38 years old and i weighed 298 pounds. a few days later my husband downloaded a photo of me on the computer. i stared at that picture and thought, wow. who is that? i knew at that moment i had to make a change. i started to educate myself on calories, reading labels and eating right. i also began exercising on a daily basis. i've lost 168 pounds and not only saved my life but the life of my husband and family. my husband lost 70 pounds and my daughter, 50. i have been married almost 20 years and i have never felt better. >> before we ask gabby to come out, here's here with "today's" nutritionist joy bauer who is going to tell us more about some of the details of what she was doing, all wrong. >> we picked the perfect woman to celebrate the day after mother's day. she not only transformed her life, she transformed her entire family's. her husband is down over 60 pounds. her 13-year-old daughter is down 50 pounds and has a whole new life. >> that's fantastic! >> this is what she was eating? >> i wanted to give you sort of a sneak peek into the family's dinners beforehand, then what they are eating now. pizzas with the works. they'd literally order four guys for her family. the crusts are stuffed with cheese and pepperoni and sausage. each pie is over 4,000 calories. >> what? >> each pie over 4,000 calories. >> if you eat one-fourth of it you're getting 1,000? that's two slices? >> this is her special baked ziti dish. a stick of butter! refined sugar. i'm sure it tastes good as well. but now what they do, these are single serving portions now. when she craves the pasta be, turkey meatballs over whole wheat spaghetti and a salad. they take a whole wheat pita bread, each gets their own and they top it with whatever they like. lots of vegetables, reduced fat cheese -- 200 calories. lots and lots of water with all sorts of fresh fruit or cucumber slices. she's going to knock your socks off. is a different woman. >> let's look at gabby's before picture. all right, come downthe "joy fit club." >> oh, my gosh! >> wow! gabby, you look awesome. >> i saw that dress hanging down tear downstairs. >> how long did it take you? >> a year-and-a-half. 18 months. >> tell us the ah-ha moment. >> well, i had a near-death experience with my kids in the car and thinking you're going to take your last breath at the age of 38 enough to change my life. >> this weight is off for good. >> you look awesome. >> now you're a fitness trainer? you're a councillor? >> no, i created the get fit with gabby rose program and i help thousands of people lose weight and through our medical office. >> good for you. >> this woman knows her stuff. >> amazing. congratulations, happy mother's day to you. >> thank you. up next, something gabby can enjoy with pride -- the best shorts for the season. this is "today" on nbc. what about over here? sure. no problem. ♪ and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios tv, internet and phone for just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement. act now and we'll add a special bonus: $250 back. but hurry, this offer ends june 2nd. unlike cable, fios is a 100% fiber-optic network that delivers america's fastest, most consistent, most reliable internet plus the best tv picture quality. why keep paying so much for cable? switch to fios for just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement -- plus your special bonus: $250 back. save $600 in your first two years. but hurry. this incredible offer ends june 2nd. call 1.877.707.fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's 1.877.707.3467. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. or visit us online to save even more. fios. a network ahead. that's all the horses sir. ...and the men? all the king's men are here too sir. it doesn't look good. ♪ time for "today's style" and the perfect shorts for summer. they are making a big comeback, on the weekends, on the town and even at work. >> "in style" magazine searched high and low just in time for the best shorts for the summer. here with us, isabel gonzalez whitaker. >> shorts are on trend, huh? >> shorts are very on trend. you can substitute a miniskirt for a short and it is more comfortable or as comfortable an it still projects polish. it is an easy relaxed look but because of the flowy fabrics or nice detailing and embellishment it really dresses them up. >> start with the best high-waisted floral short. >> is that not a beautiful look? that's a great short that's got a beautiful feminine print. what's really nice about this is that it really projects polish. again this is a short that could very well be a miniskirt but really you've got the comfort of the short, it is a short length, very flattering to legs and -- >> well, look at her legs! >> and great for special occasions. lauren is about to get married and it is good for a bridal shower. >> thank you. >> up, the next piping short. that's jennifer's got those on. >> what we love about these shorts is that they've got this tuxedo inspired piping so it immediately dresses them up. it creates some visual interest. you don't have to go overboard with accessories because there's already a lot going on there. >> sure. i'm just surprised that kids are wearing heels with that sort of a look. that's unusual to me. >> can you go either way. you could certainly wear it flat but for night you can definitely wear a heel. the key to a short short if you don't want to feel over exposed, make sure it covers beyond the widest part of your thigh. >> i'll be sure to remember that. thank you. >> next up, chloe is clairing an evening short. >> those are darling. >> aren't those adorable? basically you are applying the same filter for a little black dress to a little black short. look for a black short that has some special detailing. this has some sheer paneling but you can do lace, sequins, it really elevates the look. >> you would really wear this out for the evening? >> would you absolutely wear this to a cocktail party. we dressed it up even more with the sequin jacket and great pumps. >> wow. she looks fantastic. thanks, hon. >> siobhan is out to show us the best pastel short. >> this is a boast pastel so it really stands out. it is vibrant but it is not so bold that it is going to just detract from the rest of the look. it plays really well with kn neutrals. this is a trouser cuff. it projects polish but it is a relashgsxed cut. >> finally, diane. showing off the classic bermuda short. >> we love the bermuda short. they're defined really by hitting just above the knee, maybe a little bit higher. these are so figure flattering if they're tapered. you never want a short that's too snug. >> or too big. >> or too big. the taper really elongates the leg. just don't wear these with sneakers or they're going to think you're on the golf course. >> thank you, everybody. ladies, you look lovely. >> tomorrow you guys, we have the one, the only, betty white with us! >> is that a reason to get up in the morning? right there. plus, penny-wise wedding ideas for all you brides out there. have a great day, everybody. we will see you tomorrow for booze day tuesday. don't want to miss that.

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