Transcripts For WRC Today 20090806

good morning. how could he? police in pennsylvania learning more about the gunman who killed three women and injured nine others in that health club shooting rampage. and why he was filled with anger towards women. this morning, an exclusive interview with a sister of one of the victims. a third autopsy? michael jackson's family reportedly asking for that. to prove foul play may have killed the singer. this as new photos surface taken inside jackson's rented mention after his death. and flying high. congress poised to spend $200 million on corporate jets. two of them to be used to shuttle lawmakers. a brewing controversy on the hill "today," thursday, august a brewing controversy on the hill "today," thursday, august 6th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning, i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm lester holt, in for matt lauer this morning. police are revealing new details about that tragic shooting inside the la fitness health club near pittsburgh. once again we learned the killer telegraphed his intentions. >> george sodini belonged to that gym, had gone there at least two times during the day on wednesday. his online blog shows he plotted the attack for nearly a year. we're also learning more about the three women killed in that shooting, including 46-year-old heidi overmier, a single mother. an exclusive interview with her sister coming up just ahead. >> also ahead this morning, the latest in the murder case prosecutors are building against casey anthony, the florida mother accused of killing her toddler caylee. her parents and brother have been questioned under oath by prosecutors. we'll ask george and cindy anthony's attorney if they'll be forced to testify against tir own daughter. >> and later, we'll call it the hit man hoax. police play along with a florida woman who they say tried to hire a hit man to kill her husband. turns out the hit man was actually an undercover cop. they let her think the plan was carried out and they caught her reaction on tape. well now she is behind bars. we're going to have more on that coming up. but we're going to begin with chilling new details on that gym shooting. nbc's mike taibbi is in bridgeville, pennsylvania, with the latest. mike, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. well, there are continuing questions about who knew or might have known what was coming in his revealing and rage-filled blog, george sodini certainly sounded enough alarms over the past year to get the cavalry on his case, if anybody had read that blog. the problem, law enforcement still hasn't come up with anybody who knew what sodini was writing and planning. 48-year-old george sodini worked as a law firm systems analyst and had a nice house in a quiet pittsburgh neighborhood. but neighbors say he'd been neglecting his house lately and that his behavior, like sitting for long stretches in his driveway, was disturbing. how long was he sitting there? >> i don't know. we took one pass -- >> reporter: not in a chair on the driveway? >> yeah, yeah, just strange fellow. >> he was kind of a reclusive person so i'm not sure that i would pick up on him looking troubled. i kind of alws thought he was a little, you know, different. >> reporter: but none of his neighbors said they had a clue about what sodini had been thinking and writing since last septemr. that's when he first complained in a blog that he never married. listed his date of death, august 4th, 2009. and first wrote about his exit plan. in december, he wrote he had no girlfriend since 1984. complaining that 30 million women have rejected me. january 5th, every evening i am alone. and the next day he was supposedly ready to act, at first writing i can do this. but then, 8:45 p.m., i chickened out. i brought the loaded guns, everything. experts in criminal profiling say there's no question those blog entries reflected real intent. >> it's like a bank account where you -- most of us put money into a bank. he was putting deposits of rage, anger, frustration, sense of isolation, and all of this just built up and built up and built up over time. >> reporter: this past monday, it was clear that intent would soon become action. sodini wrote, tomorrow is the big day. maybe soon i will see god. what dozens of women saw tuesday night was a man dressed in black gym clothes who walked silently into their aerobics class, reached into a duffel bag for three of the four handguns he'd packed, and started shooting. >> he just had a lot of hatred in him, and he was hell-bent on committing this act. and there was nobody going to stop him. >> reporter: his victims, radiologist elizabeth betsy gannon, 49. 37-year-old physical therapist, jody billingsley, and 46-year-old single mom, heidi overmier. nine other women were injured by gunfire. three of them still listed in serious condition. all are expected to survive. lester? >> mike taibbi this morning. thank you. connie monick's sister heidi overmier is one of the women killed in that shooting. she is with us now exclusively. connie, good morning. thank you so much for coming on with us. we appreciate it. >> good morning. >> heidi's co-workers had noted that the minute they heard the shooting at la fitness they worried that she might be there. did you have the same concern? >> yes, i did. as soon as my brother had called and said that there was an incident there, i knew heidi had been just recently really gotten into this dance class that she had been at when the accident had occurred. >> and you know, we hear so many of these shootings in places that we wouldn't expect. when you heard about this, how do you process it? how do you process your own peace of mind? >> well, we just really were focusing on heidi. we weren't concerned at all, it was kind of a strangeness, we weren't concerned at all about the shooter or how it happened. we were just more focused on finding out what happened to heidi and resolving that. >> but then there's the frustration of knowing that the killer had plotted this for some time, had written about it on a blog. we don't know who, if anyone, read that blog. but does it frustrate you, make you angry that perhaps someone knew that this man was a ticking time bomb? >> it crossed our minds but our focus hasn't been on the shooter himself or anything. perhaps if he would have survived and we would have had to face criminal charges or something like that, it would be more of an issue, but at this time, my whole family's real issue was on focusing on heidi. and at first when it first happened, we just said who did this and they really didn't have a lot of information to tell us. but after that point, we were find of numb to that. and even, you know, watching the news reports, and watching, you know, talking about the blog and things like that, i don't know that any of us have even gone online to look at it. you know, we just want to kind of put that behind us, and try to focus more on the positives of heidi and our loss, and trying to deal with that, because, you know, that's kind of moot at this point. we can't go back and try to figure out why this man did this. >> heidi was a mom to a 15-year-old ian. how is ian doing? >> yes. ian's doing pretty well. we have a lot of family. a huge family. and yesterday, he hadix or eight of his friends were here with him all day, and ihink that's been a big comfort to him. i think, you know, it really hasn't set in yet. we're all kind of numb, and ian, his father came in from out of town last night so i think that's going to be a big comfort to him and a help to him to get through the next few days. >> i understand he was the architect of a facebook tribute to his mom. >> immediately. by the time we had gotten home from, you know, the incident, and the, you know, what happened the other night, he had come back and there were just hundreds of facebook entries in tribute to her. and it was just good to feel that his friends and their friends had -- and people that he didn't know were reaching out to comfort him. >> well, by all accounts she was a terrific lady. connie moneck, thank you very much for joining us again. our deepest condolences to you and all your family. >> thank you. >> it is now coming up on 7:09. here's meredith. >> lester, thank you. now to the emotional homecoming of two journalists who spent 140 days imprisoned in north korea. nbc's chris jansing was at wednesday's ceremony and this morning she is outside laura ling's home in studio city, california. chris, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. it really was an extraordinary family reunion at the airport. and then laura ling came here, home, where she spent the afternoon with her husband, her sister, her best friend, and got a home-cooked meal from her mother, mary. in los angeles, not far from here, euna lee was home, as well, with her husband and her beautiful little daughter. in the hours since the journalists' release, we've been learning some surprising details about their time in north korea, as well as their unexpected homecoming. the scene at hangar 25 was one of unbridled joy. laura ling, raising her arms in a victorious salute, euna lee tearfully embracing her 4-year-old daughter hannah. both hugging and kissing their husbands for the first time in nearly five months. >> it was just, you know, the best thing in my life, to see her come down from the plane and on the steps was just -- it was amazing. >> reporter: it was also a stunning contrast to what laura ling describes as the most difficult and heart-wrenching time of their lives. >> 30 hours ago, euna lee and i were prisoners in north korea. we feared that at any moment we could be sent to a hard labor camp. >>eporter: through laura's sister lisa, details of 140 harrowing days of prisoners have begun to emerge. the isolation. they actually were kept apart most of the time. >> reporter: the unfamiliar diet. >> she's really, really anxious to have fresh fruit and fresh food. i mean, she was telling us about how there were rocks in her rice. >> reporter: and from laura herself, the shocking development tuesday, when she and euna were taken to a meeting. >> when we walked through the door, we saw standing before us president bill clinton. >> reporter: it was their boss at current tv, al gore, who asked bill clinton to make the trip. and on a boeing 737 loaned by a hollywood producer, he returned lee and ling to the comforts of home. >> laura, your mom's been making your special soup for two days now. >> my sister loves soup. so my mom, of course, woke up at 2:00 in the morning to make like three different kin of soup for her. >> reporter: a very personal homecoming for two families, played out on a world stage. there are some big picture questions being asked here. critics saying that the united states should not be dealing with a dictator. also questions about whether this will open a long-term dialogue between the united states and north korea. but for the two journalists who last night got to sleep in their own beds for the first time in five months, they are just happy and grateful to be home. meredith? >> chr jansing, thank you very much. and just ahead we're going to take a look at the other reunion that took place on wednesday between bill clinton and al gore. it was like a flashback. >> yeah. the two of them together in a long time. >> smiling. it was good. >> first let's get a check of the rest of the top stories. we'll say hello to ann curry at the news desk. >> good morning to you both meredith and lester. good morning, everybody. in the news also this morning, today the popular cash for clunkers program is expected to get the money it needs to keep running. democrats and republicans reached agreement last night to pump $2 billion more into the program. that sends the measure to a vote in the full senate today. it already has been approved by the house and the president. the program ran through a billion dollars in its first four days, and will be broke by tomorrow if not extended. also today, later today, the senate is expected to approve sonia sotomayor as the first hispanic justice on the u.s. supreme court. former congressman william jefferson is facing now more than 20 years in prison after being convicted of bribery and money laundering. the case against the democrat from louisiana became notorious when investigators found $90,000 in cash in his freezer. in afghanistan, a roadside bomb killed 21 civilians on their way to a wedding on wednesday. women and children were among the dead. overseas markets are higher this morning and as for wall street, cnbc's trish regan is at the new york stock exchange. trish, new numbers are out today. >> good morning, ann. that's right. yes. new numbers, and these numbers have to do with the retail sector. basically we're looking at retail sales numbers for the month of july and they provide some insight into the health or lack thereof of the american consumer right now. now, overall, right across the board, ann, the expectation is for weakness. likely a decline of about 5% for july. now keep in mind, this is all coming just a day ahead of the all-important jobs report. the unemployment rate is expected to move higher from its current 9.5% level. and, ann, of course it makes sense here. this is really the problem the economy is facing. if americans are concerned about their jobs, they're not out there spending money. >> all right. trish regan this morning. thanks, trish. and finally now, new baby pictures from the san diego zoo, where giant panda bai yun gave birth wednesday to her fifth cub. a very vocal quarter pounder. officials won't know for weeks whether it's a boy or a girl, but aquoting a veterinarian, it was like, whoa, it's got a really good set of lungs. four ounces, and yep, that's right. about the size of a stick of butter. >> i get nervous when you call him a quarter pounder. >> yeah. >> it's so cute. >> very cute. >> so little. >> will get so big. >> giant panda? not now. >> okay, thank you, ann. now let's get a check of the weather, first check, actually, from mr. roker who is still out in l.a. this morning. hey, al. >> good morning, guys. thanks so much, and as we check out your weather, see what's happening for today, out west e've got a risk of some stos out there from elko, nevada, up to cut bank, to omaha, wichita. these are isolated thunderstorms. possibility of some tornadoes out there. heavier stuff moving through the dakotas on into parts of kansas. rainfall amounts generally about half;;;;;;;;;; good morning. a gray start to this thursday morning, scattered areas of light to moderate rain across northern virginia, west virginia and maryland. this morning continuing moving southwest to northeast flew the region, and temperatures in the 70s. 72 in washington, 60 shenandoah valley, 70s on the eastern shore. sun breaking out this afternoon after morning showers. may be a passing afternoon shower, mainly south and east of washington. lower humidity moving in and that's your latest weather. lester? >> all right, al, thanks. now to washington, where congress has approved roughly $200 million for three lavish jets to be used by members of congress and other officials. nbc's kelly o'donnell has more on that. kelly, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. when congress passed the giant defense spending bill for next year it was easy to miss three planes. what's gotten a lot of attention is that the air force had asked for simply one gustream 550, the mitary version. but congress decided to add two more. and to request that they be based in the d.c. area. and to be available for use by, you guessed it, members of congress. now, what's gotten a lot of attention here, each of these cost about $65 million. you will often see your member of congress flying coach, going home to their home district, but sometimes when they take overseas trips, or very long distances, they use these private aircraft. this kind of plane can fly from washington all the way to asia, or all the way to the middle east. and it will take members of congress and other top officials in comfort. >> lester? >> would have escaped notice, except if we recall it was congress who got upset at the automakers when they came looking for money in washington for showing up in their private jets. so how will members of congress defend this? >> reporter: well, we all remember that, when they were taken to the wood shed, those auto executives, and then had to drive the next time they came to washington. part of the justification here is that there are security issues when you have top officials or members of congress traveling around the globe. and that these kinds of jets provide that. and from what we understand, part of the transparency is an issue here. there are no names associated with this for members of congress. but, these planes are built in georgia, and it appears there's one democrat, and one republican, who've expressed interest in theeing these jets be a part of the air force fleet. >> kelly o'donnell, thank you. once again here's meredith. >> lester, thank you. now to the other story coming t fromhe release of u.s. journalists laura ling and euna lee. the reunion of former president bill clinton and his vice enprid gfrt alesore. nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell is in nairobi, kenya, where she is traveling with secretary of state hillary clinton. andrea, good morng to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. well, behind the drama of this week's event, there was another story. a political reunion of two former partners who had drifted apart. until now. >> laura ling and euna lee. >> reporter: it was an emotionally charged moment. a tearful family reunion for the two newly freed journalists. and for the men at the center of it, a very public reunion. >> we want to thank president bill clinton for undertaking this mission, and performing it so skillfully. >> reporter: and when laura ling, fighting back tears, acknowledged the former president -- >> we saw standing before us president bill clinton. >> reporter: so did his old friend al gore. in his statement, president obama thanked both men three times. >> all americans should be grateful to both former president clinton and vice president gore. for their extraordinary work. >> reporter: clinton and gore, back on the international spotlight again. a reminder to some of the different time, almost two decades ago, when the two campaigned across the nation. a boomer buddy team. but following clinton's admission of an affair, and impeachment in the tumultuous second term, all that changed. >> i don't think there was one particular point where it started but it was something that, you know, existed and at times festered over a period of years. >> reporter: gore blamed his defeat in the 2000 election on the former president. clinton attacked gore for pushing him into the background during the campaign. for years the two men went their separate ways. but when gore call clinton to ask for help to free the two american journalists, the former president didn't hesitate. >> there is a fraternal-like character to this relationship. they're like brothers who don't always get along, but at the end of the day they're still brothers. i don't see this as the case of these guys getting back together for a reunion tour in which it's going to be clinton/gore again. >> reporter: both are now international superstars. gore a nobel laureate. but the homecoming that they engineered together th week has to remain one of their best joint ventur. meredith? >> all right, andrea mitchell, thank you very much. it is 7:21. now here's lester. >> meredith, thanks. now to an unusual police sting caught on tape. the target, a young bride in florida who allegedly tried to hire a hit man to kill her husband. nbc's mark potter has the story. >> reporter: in dramatic scene worthy of hollywood, but shot by police, a young newlywed returns home in boynton beach, florida, to find detectives and crime scene technicians there. when she's told her husband of only six months has been murdered she begins to sob, and she continues to sob uncontrollably, until she is led away to be eventually arrested. >> i didn't do anything. and i didn't plot anything. >> reporter: but police say 26-year-old dahlia dippolito did plot something, the murder of her husband, and actually hired someone she thought was a hit man. >> but the twist is that that man was an undercover boynton beach, police officer, who she hired to kill her husband. >> reporter: police say she offered to pay $4200 for the killing and provided photos of her husband and her house. >> we have her on surveillance video talking about wanting her husband dead and saying she's 5,000% sure that she wants this done. >> reporter: her husband, 38-year-old michael dipollito was alerted by police and was never harmed. >> technically, if it's 10:50, i should have been dead at like 9:00. so i'm an hour and a half on the good side, i guess. >> reporter: at the supposed crime scene where dahlia dippolito began to sob and sob, officers continued to play along. >> at that point she was brought to a vehicle and brought back here to the police department. where she came face-to-face with the man who shot her husband twice in the head. >> reporter: or so she thought, police say. before finally learning he was an officer, and she was charged with solicitation to commit first degree murder. the biggest question now for michael dippolito is why his wife would allegedly want him dead. >> just divorce me and take everything. i mean, that's the best way, right? >> reporter: much better it seems than waiting till death do us part. for "today," mark potter, nbc news, miami. >> and still ahead this morning, another case in florida we're talking about, the parents of casey anthony, the mother accused of murdering her toddler, speak with the prosecution. will they be forced to take the stand against their own daughter? we're going to ask the >l @ still ahead one of the women accused of attacking a man with crazy glue speaks out. good morning. i'm barbara harrison. it's thursday, august 6, 2009. our time right now 7:26. two alexandria police officers are under investigation. the investigation involves improper sexual behavior on the job. the officers are accused of having sex with a woman in exchange for leniency in her case. this in the series of negative events for the police department. last week the police chief resigned after being arrested for dui. the federal government is giving metro more than $9.5 million to fight terrorism. the money will be to hire 20 officers. metro is getting more money to expand chemical detection program and upgrade radio communication in tunnels in prince george's county. we're back with weather and traffic in a moment. >> >> good morning. radar showing light to moderate rain from the shenandoah valley to the eastern shore. we'll have occasional showers from time time throughout the day into the early afternoon, then drying out tomorrow. how's traffic? >> on the top side of the capital beltway between university boulevard, new hampshire avenue an accident occurred. police, fire and crews are headed over there. expect outer loop rubbernecking delays. check out south to the wilson bridge okay, southeast is all right. >> thank you, jerry. we're going to be back with an update at 7:55. 7:30 now on this thursday morning, august 6th, 2009. a nice crowd standing in the plaza. tomorrow we'll jam to the music of jason mraz when he joins our summer concert stage. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, i'm meredith vieira alongside lester holt, who is in for matt. and just ahead, michael jackson died six weeks ago. he is still not buried. still no toxicology report. but we are now learning the jackson family has been briefed on what it contains, and more on that, and also why jackson's mother reportedly wants a third autopsy. we'll have more on that in a moment. >> also ahead, a new twist to that strange case out of wisconsin. a group of women accused of attacking a man with krazy glue. that man has now been arrested. we'll tell you why and hear exclusively from one of his allegedattackers. and a quick programming note. monday on "today," an exclusive live interview with kate gosselin. the reality show star and mother of eight speaks out for the first time since her very public split with jon. we're going to hear what kate has to say when she joins us monday morning only on "today." but for now, significant new developments in the murder case against casey anthony. the florida mother charged with killing her toddler. we're going to speak with her parents' attorney in just a moment. but first nbc's kerry sanders has the very latest. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, meredith. over the past week, casey anthony's entire family has been questioned by prosecutors to give up evidence that may be used against her in her death penalty case. as you remember, casey anthony is charged with murdering her 2-year-old daughter caylee. >> the moment i first saw caylee marie -- >> reporter: the entire anthony family has remained silent since caylee's memorial service six months ago. but on wednesday, george anthony, casey's father, caylee's grandfather, opened up before being questioned by prosecutors. >> i'm just nervous. a year ago i never would have ventured i thought i'd be doing something like this. i was just the old, you know, george. i was just some guy who lived on hope spring drive. but unfortunately we got thrown into something that we have no control over. >> actually, i need to get through. >> reporter: casey's mother cindy and brother lee have also been deposed by prosecutors, putting them in the uncomfortable position of possibly pitting fily against family. having to testify against casey. >> some days are a little bit easier than others. today is a hard day. hopefully i'll keep the emotions in check, and do the best i can. >> reporter: under florida law, casey's defense team has been allowed to sit in on the family's deposition. defense attorney jose baez has not revealed what the prosecutors are uncovering but he clearly has been given a glimpse of what facts the state considers powerful evidence against casey. >> this case isn't easy for anyone. least of which the family. >> reporter: caylee disappeared a year ago june. but her mother casey didt tell anyone for 31 days. then, four months after the official search began, caylee's remains were discovered in the woods near her home. after the bones were positively identified, prosecutors announced this would be a death penalty case. if casey is convicted, they will argue she should be executed. so far, the case exceeds 8,000 pages of possible evidence. including recently released documents that reveal cindy, george and lee all refused to take lie detector tests. now, george, cindy and lee face the very strong possibility they will be forced to testify against casey. >> haven't seen casey, haven't talked to her. do i want to see her? do i want to talk to her? absolutely. but we'll see how that works out. >> reporter: were caylee to still be alive this weekend she would have turned 4 years old. her grandparents, cindy and george, tell nbc news that they will privately gather and mourn the loss. meredith? >> kerry sanders, thank you very much. brad conway is an attorney for george and cindy anthony. brad, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. >> you know, before giving his desition yesterday george said that he was nervous. what were his concerns, brad? >> that this would be a repeat of the deposition that occurred back in april. >> and which deposition was that? was that for the civil case? >> that was the deposition in regard to the civil case, yes, meredith. >> and why would that be of concern to him, that it would be the same? >> you know, this is the difference between this and that deposition is this one was legitimate preparation for trial. that was a publicity stunt. >> well, did you get any inght, brad, i know you can't tell us what specifically was asked, but did it give you any insight into the kind of case that the prosecution is building up against george and cindy anthony's daughter casey? >> meredith, it was basically a recap of everything that's been said before. recapped their statements and their cooperation with law enforcement from the beginning. >> so nothing - >> but i don't think it really shed any light. >> can you give us any idea, then, of what the prosecution asked? >> what type of mom caylee was, and the events between june and july when they discovered caylee was missing was their focus. >> did they ask questions about, i know there was right after caylee went missing, there was this whole question about the smell coming out much the trunk of the car, that cindy talked about, and george's concerns. did they get into that? those particular details? >> meredith, they did get into everything that was in their previous statements. so yes, that was included. >> what was the tone like in that room yesterday? >> it was very professional. very respectful. and very efficient. we got through yesterday. we don't have to come back. and everybody cooperated and did the best they could. and it was -- it was very successful. >> well the question now i guess is whether, because cindy actuly was deposed last week. the question is whether these parents will be forced to testify against their daughter wince this trial takes place. do you believe that they will be forced to take the stand? >> yeah, i believe that they'll be taking the stand, and they've cooperated from 9 beginning in this investigation. they've told the truth from the beginning. they'll continue to tell the truth. and the love for the daughter is not going to interfere with that. >> all right, brad conway. we thank you very much for your time this morning. touha ynkme.redith y good morning.di ckat o now let's get a cf he weathefrher weom al in los angeles.r >> "today's weather" is brought to you by truvia natural sweetener. honestly sweet. good morning. here out west we have fire danger, and excessive heat warnings to talk about. reflag warnings, fire weather watches, covering from vegas to arizona, all the way on up into parts of the pacific northwest. it's been hot and it has been dry over the last month, so that causes a problem. take a look at that wide area of a risk of strong storms. over 12 states affected. showers along the oregon coast. look for a little low pressure system to develop along that front, causing some showers along the mid-atlantic states moving tving;;;;;ñ:; scattered light to moderate showers continue this morning across eastern west virginia, shenandoah valley, northern virginia, the district of columbia and much of maryland. with us for another few hours. temperatures in the 70s. 72 at washington, highs near 80 and a smaller chance of a afternoon thundershower. lower humidity as we clear out. mostly sunny tomorrow with mid 80s, heat and humidity build for and that's your latest weather. lester? >> al, thanks. now to the latest in the michael jackson case. a month and a half after his death, still no official toxicology report. but some members of the jackson family believe foul play was involved, and now there's word they want to take another step to prove it. nbc's jeff rossen is in los angeles. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: all right, lester, good morning to you. there's only one way to prove foul play in this case, and that is the autopsy. the coroner did one. nine the jackson family launched another one with their own experts. the results are in. but it seems katherine jackson isn't satisfied and reportedly wants yet another autopsy. sixul weeks ago today it happen. >> nbc news has confirmed pop superstar michael jackson is dead. >> reporter: two autopsies later we still don't know exactly what killed him. but the jacksons may. they have michael's toxicology results. according to "the new york post," the results show jackson was loaded with prescription drugs. and his mother katherine isn't happy. she wants evidence proving homicide. and hopes a third autopsy will provide it. >> i think there is no point whatsoever in performing a third autopsy. and no tissues and body fluids actually remain for that kind of pristine testing. >> rorter: but the family wants someone to pay. la toya and joe have both said they suspect foul play. and katherine said this on fox news channel. >> i don't think he just died of natural causes or whatever. he's too young for that. but something happened. i don't know what it was. and i can't say. >> repter: adding to the mystery, new photos emerging from inside jackson's holmby hills mansion. this picture of his bedroom from the "national enquirer" was reportedly taken just days after he died. post-it notes are still hanging. and then there's this photo of what appears to be a bloody blouse. the price tag still attached, reportedly hanging in another closet. unclear how the blood got there and why investigators didn't take it. the lapd wouldn't comment. we do know police are looking into several doctors, and are focusing on dr. conrad murray, jackson's personal physician. frank dileo is michael's longtime friend and manager. >> somebody should pay. somebody helped a person die. >> reporter: you hear all the stories about michael jackson using painkillers and you sort of conjure up these images of a drug addict. somebody who depended on medication. >> that's the way people make it appear. >> reporter: dileo said jackson denied using drugs when he asked him about it. are you surprised that you were so close to him and he had this separate life? >> and didn't recognize it? sure i am, absolutely. i'm hurt. but i didn't know what he was doing, if he was doing that at night. i want to know what happened, too. just like you. >> reporter: as we wait for the toxicology report, and possible criminal charges, we're also learning more this morning about plans for a michael jackson movie. you know that video of jackson rehearsing just before his death? you've seen it. well there's a lot more of it and columbia pictures is paying $50 million for the rights according to new court papers the michael jackson movie will actually be in theaters by december 31st. lester, they're rushing that into production. >> i guess we saw that coming. thank you very much. still ahead on "today," did she have a drug and alcohol problem and did her family go? the new questions involving the driver of a deadly wrongway crash. up next one of the women accused of attacking a man with krazy glue specifics out. her side of the story right after this. back at 7:44. now to the latest on the bizarre tale of alleged adultery and revenge that led to the arrest of four women in wisconsin. some of those women are now speaking out exclusively to nbc news. here's nbc's john yang. >> reporter: michelle belliveau is reluctant to talk, but sat down exclusively with nbc news to make clear just who she thinks is the victim in this case. >> if anybody is a victim in this, it's all the women that he's dated, and they gave their heart to him. and he broke their hearts. they fell in love with this man. >> reporter: this man is 36-year-old donessa davis, and in yet another bizarre twist, davis himself is now behind bars on allegations made by his estranged wife. >> those charges include child abuse, theft, harassment, and also unlawful use of a phone. >> reporter: belliveau is one of four women accused in a motel room confrontation with davis, who, the women say, was involved with three of 24e78. according to the criminal complaint, therese ziemann 34e9 him in the hotel room, tied him in the bed and blindfolded him on the pretense of giving him a massage. then the other women, including davis' estranged wife joined him. they taunted him, which one do you want more? who do you want to grow old with? he said the confrontation ended with his private parts glued to his leg. like the other three women, belliveau is charged with false impris imprisonment, a felony that could bring as much as six years in prison. unlike them, she never dated davis. >> since i was not romantically involved with them, i was just there for support for my sister. >> reporter: her sister ziemann faces additional charges of battery and fourth degree sexual assault, both misdemeanors. belliveau says her own role was limited. >> i stayed at the door and i just let them say what they wanted to say. and i wasn't even because it was none of my business. i never assaulted anyby. i never touched the man. >> reporter: another of the women, wendy sewell, tells nbc news she, too, did nothing wrong in that motel room. >> i stood there for a whole five minutes and only said a couple sentence to him, asking him i thought he loved me. i thought we were going to grow old together. >> reporter: she says what began as an effort to show davis how much he hurt her spiraled out of control. >> i'm pretty ashamed, embarrassed. i feel i have been the one who is actually the victim, after seeing how this story has taken a twist. >> reporter: the women are free on $200 bail, and are to appear in court again later this month. davis was scheduled to be formally charged in court on thursday. for "today," john yang, nbc news, chicago. and up next, the aquarium where you can get uplose and personal with beluga whales. right after this. if you've aquarium and wished you could get a little bit closer to the marine life on the other side of the glass, then chicago's shedd aquarium has an attraction for you. and as nbc's kevin tibbl tells us, it's a whale of a good time. >> reporter: it's a close encounter of the smiley kind. chicago's shedd aquarium now offers a chance to get up close and very personal with their family of beluga whales. the curious can don a pair of hip waders, get a quick tutorial from the shedd's animal care staff, and after a thorough hand washing, tiptoe ever so gently into the frigid waters of the beg ewing ga habitat. it's really cold. 55 degrees may be cold for those without enough blubber, but for beluga's it's just right. >> what makes this such a unique experience for the people who come? >> what's your doing right now. being able to touch a whale. being able to see them up close. feel their breath. >> reporter: thanks. hmm. refreshingly fishy. belugas have been called the canaries of the sea for the music they make. and while there are about 100,000 living in the wild, beluga populations are threatened in some parts of the world. they are surprisingly sociable and smart. also gentle. who would have thought a 1,000 pound whale would have liked having her tongue tickled. this opportunity does come at a price, $200. which helps pay for conservation and research. the shedd also hopes each visitor leaves more aware of the natural world as a result of their whale encounters. ♪ beyond the sea >> people want to understand them better and this gives them that chance, really up-close opportunities they can't get anywhere else. but you learn so much about them and i think it touches people in a way that they never forget. >> reporter: as for jeffrey, the chance to touch a real, life, beluga was, well, indescribable. >> it's like a smushy -- >> reporter: like a smushy -- >> kind of -- >> reporter: in other words -- >> phenomenal. amazing. fantastic. life memory. >> reporter: and i'll second that. for "today," kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> they kind of look alike. >> we know what his christmas cards are going to look like. by the way, two of the shedd belugas are expecting bies. a wet start to this thursday morning. look at the sky, pretty gray. we've had rain throughout the morning. we'll find out how long it's going to last. it's thursday, august 6, 2009. i'm barbara harrison. in the news at this hour, five people were injured in a serious car accident steps away from a planned press conference with district leaders. a car smashed into the back of an suv, flipping it on its roof. it happened yesterday on pennsylvania avenue at alabama avenue in southeast. witnesses ran into the intersection to help the injured. two were taken to the hospital by helicopter. three frederick county teens have been charged with vandalizing the football field at middle town high school. the teens admitted to burning part of the artificial turf. it cost about $20,000 worth of damage. the teens all attend brunswick high school. they have been released to their parents as authorities figure out wt to do next. the federal government is giving metro more than $9.5 million to fight terrorism. the money will be to hire 20 officers who will staff teams focused on preventing terrorist ó#>?????ñ good morning. a wet and gray start to this thursday, looking at the radar we have scattered showers across northern virginia all the way to the eastern shore. these are moving southwest to northeast, with us time to time into the afternoon. may be a passi thundershower this afternoon, a little sun breaking out, too. highs near 80, lower humidity moving in tonight into friday. hotter and humid for the weekend. how's traffic? >> problems on the beltway. the inner loop of the beltway between university boulevard and new hampshire avenue an accident just moved to the shoulder. outer loop of the beltway at georgia avenue a new accident that's in the travel portion of the roadway. headed downtown, okay to the 14th street bridge. >> we'll have more in 25 minutes. back to the "today" show after a short break. 8:00 now on this thursday morning, august 6th, 2009. we are happy to be out in rockefeller plaza with so many fine folks. i am meredith vieira along with lester holt who is filling in for matt. coming up in this half hour, the latest on the deadly wrong-way crash in new york. the woman police say was high and drunk behind the wheel, believes other medical factors may have caused the crash. we'll ha much more on that. a very sad story. >> then we're going to switch gears and talk about paula abdul and her decision to leave "american idol." was it about the money? probably ultimately it was. but what about the discrepancy between what the guys are making and what she was asking for. we're going to talk about that coming up. >> okay. also coming up tomorrow on "today," jason mraz brings his unique style to the plaza. he's going to take to our summer concert stage for a live concert. and before we get to the news a little birthday greeting for jimmy korgen. we love him. happy birthday to jimmy! >> happy birthday, jimmy. >> jimmy, you're 29? is he 29? >> 39. >> 39. 39. all right. >> out of focus is much better. >> let's go to the ns desk. >> there! >> soft and fuzzy. speaking of that, ann is at the news des >> soft and fuzzy. okay, thanks a lot, meredith. good morning once again, everybody. in the news we're learning new details this morning about the gunman who opened fire inside a pennsylvania health club this week killing three women and himself. 48-year-old george sodini posted home veo online showing him giving a tour of his house, and on the coffee table is a book entitled "how to date young women." police say he kept a blog on which he complained of being alone every evening and having no girlfriend since 1984. in one video he spoke directly to the camera. >> and there you go. one more day, and one more day turns into one more year. >> reporter: and in his blog he also listed his date of death as august 4th, 2009. the day of the gym shooting. and herote that he was planning a shooting attack in january, but said that he chickened out. today officials in afghanistan say a roadside bomb killed at least 21 people who were on their way to a wedding in -- on wednesday. women and children are among the dead. secretary of state hillary clinton placed flowers on the site of the 1998 u.s. embassy bombing in nairobi today in honor of the more than 200 people killed there by al qaeda. raging floodwaters in china ha forced more than 100,000 people from their homes. soldiers were called in to help rescue people who were trapped. still, ten people died. today the full senate is expected to confirm sonia sotomayor as the nation's first hispanic u.s. supreme court justice. this morning at the white house, president obama meets with members of the senate finance committee to negotiate alth care legislation. this, a day after traveling to indiana to discuss the economy. and while there the president spoke exclusively to nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd. >> it is wonderful to be here. >> reporter: president obama calm to elkhart county, a community with the nation's highest unemployment rate, seeking to jump-start this region's economy with federal money for electric car manufacturing. but the president also sought to reassure americans that he's not planning to raise taxes at all. responding to a question posted on msnbc.com. >> he says explain how raising taxes on anyone during a deep recession is going to help with the economy. >> he's right. normally you don't raise taxes in recession. which is why we haven't. and we've, instead, cut taxes. so we have not proposed a tax hike for the wealthy that would take effect in the middle of a recession. >> reporter: the president argued his economic recovery plan is designed to help banks and big businesses, as well as the average worker. >> it's our job to make sure that they know almost everything we're doing right now is designed to stabilize the economy, but also to make sure that ordinary people have some relief. >> reporter: on health care, president obama expressed some real frustration with me about talks with republicans. and, in fact, when congress comes back in september, he indicated he may change tactics and just try to do this on a party line vote. for "today," chuck todd, nbc news, elkhart, indiana. >> and now here's brian williams with what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." brian? >> hey, ann, good morning. and thanks. coming up tonight, gearing up for this new season of swine flu, with the school year approaching, vaccines still in the making, what about the caregivers? how are the hospitals preparing for a possible onslaught of cases? we'll have that for you tonight on "nightly news." ann, for now, back to you. >> all right, thanks a lot, brian. it is now 8:04. let's get a check of the weather from al in los angeles. >> thanks, ann. and we have a beautiful day on top here in l.a. but as we take a look at our pick city of the day, show you what's happening for them, we're looking jacksonville, florida, scattered afternoon thunderstorms, first coast news and high of 92 degrees. for our weekend, sunshine up and down the eastern seaboard. the way it's looking right now, risk of some storms from the upper midwest into the central plains. rain in the pacific northwest. hot in the southwest. sunday -- sunday! -- wet weather in the northeast and around the great lakes. showers in the pacific northwest. rest of th;;;;;;ñ; we've had overnight showers that continued this morning. good morning. as we look at theadar we have scattered showers from the shenandoah valley to the atlaic beaches. they are going to continue moving southwest to northeast as this morning does progress. temperatures around the region now in the low 70s, it's 72 in washington, 60 shenandoah valley into the mountains, we'll have a chance of passing showers through the morning, maybe an afternoon thundershower south and east of washington. sun coming back. low hu that's your latest weather. lester? >> al, thanks very much. still to come our biggest phobias and how to control them. but up next the deadly wrong-way crash caused by a mother who was drunk and high at the time. the families of three victims say someoneus m have known. we'll have theatest coming up. not an option. ns all prescription nsaid pain relievers, like celebrex, ibuprofen and naproxen, help treat arthritis pain and have some of the same warnings. but since individual results may vary, having options is important. prescription celebrex has been the option for millions of patients for 10 straight years. just one 200-mg celeex (once a day,) can provide dependable, 24-hour relief for many with arthritis pain, stiffness and inflammation. based on the available data, the fda stated that for certain patients celebrex's benefits outweigh the risks. if you are worried about stomach upset, you should know, in clinical studies, a lower percentage of patients taking celebrex reported stomach discomfort versus prescription ibuprofen and naproxen. and if you are taking low-dose aspirin for your heart and need an nsaid pain reliever, celebrex can be used because it doesn't interfere with the effects of low-dose aspirin. but when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain, you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. the fda requires all prescription nsaids, including celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam, to have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors for it such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. all prescription nsaids, including celebrex, also increase the chance of serious skin reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you're allergic to aspirin or sulfonamides. ask your doctor if you could benefit from celebrex. understand the risks. feel the benefits. teamwork... time together... real conversations... and memories. all for under $2 a serving. stouffer's. let's fix dinner. and keep it off with alli. food was alws my comfort for whatever happened to be going on in my life. i have been taking alli for ten months and i have lost 75 pounds so far. it doesn't do it for you. it works with you to take some of the fat you eat out of your system. you can still eat all of your favorite foods, but you can learn how to eat them. it's been a really long time since i actually looked into the mirror and liked what i saw. it really, truly has changed my entireife. 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"today" national correspondent natalie morales is here with more. natalie, good morning. >> good morning, meredith. 36-year-old diane schuler killed herself, her 2-year-old daughter, three nieces, and three men in that crash. in a statement, her brother said he was shocked by the toxicology report. but the families of the three men in the suv schuler hit believe someone must have known something, and now they plan to sue. >> diane schuler had a blood alcohol content of 0.19%. the legal limit for intoxication in new york state is 0.08%. >> reporter: police say they recovered a broken vodka bottle inside the wrecked minivan. also, in schuler's body, high levels of a chemical found in marijuana, amounts so high experts can pinpoint her last use at 15 minutes to an hour before her death. >> she would have had difficulty with perception, with her judgment, with her memory. >> reporter: schuler left a family camping trip with her two kids and three nieces at the same time her husband left. he says she seemed fine to drive home. >> it is possible that she was able to fool everybody around her and people again, who have had chemical dependency for a long time, especially, become very skilled. >> reporter: on wednesday, lawyers for three of the victims in the other vehicle raid doubts about how schuler's family didn't know about her condition. >> i believe that there's a strong fragrance of criminality in this matter. it's inconceivable that nobody in the deceased driver's family was aware of the fact that she had a drinking problem or a drug problem. >> reporter: experts say it's possible to hide a serious drinking problem. >> people who may be addicted to substances, they hide that dependency. so if they are very serious drinkers or alcoholics, they may not do it in full view of family members. >> reporter: but schuler's brother, warren hance, whose three daughters were killed, released this statement through a family spokesman. >> this is the absolute last thing that we ever would have expected. we would never knowingly allow our daughters to travel with someone who might jeopardize their safety. >> reporter: schuler's husband, who has not commented since the release of the toxicology report, has now hired a prominent attorney. he's reportedly requesting a second autopsy. sources say he believes other factors, including diabetes or a possible stroke, may have caused her disorientation. the medical examiner's autopsy, though, found no medical explanation for the crash. meredith? >> natalie, thank you. dr. nancy synderman is nbc's chief medical editor. good morning. >> hi, meredith. >> let me start there with the husband saying he thinks something else caused this, either diabetes or she had a -- and might sent some sort of infection to her brain. is it possible something else was there that was missed? >> i would say it's not plausible. if you have a bad infection that leads to meningitis and you have a high fever and you're disoriented. at some point someone would have said, you don't look good, something's not right. i for awhile thought this might be some sort of diabetic imbalance of sugar. but, again, that stuff is easy to tell. you can just check a flood sugar from the fluids, the same fluids they checked for thc and alcohol. >> and finding this blood alcohol level that is twice the legal limit. is there a way, given that, that she could have acted normally? >> you can snooker people. and women, when they become alcoholics, like vodka because it's hard to smell. so it's possible that she was consuming without people seeing. but the problem is, when you live so closely with someone, you sort of get sucked into that behavior. sometimes it takes a friend who's the occasional drop-in to say, whoa, what's wrong? you are not acting normally. and in my line of business, a lot of times i find out people are closet drinkers and alcohol inks when an anesthesiologist finds out that it's hard to put them to sleep. or they're using more drug, more anesthetic thathey would normally need. that could be one of the first warning signs. >> but in this particular case, the investigators say based on what they're seeing, they find the vodka bottle in the car, questions about whether or not she, in order to be smoking that marijuana, would have happened within 15 minutes to an hour before that accident. >> i think this is the hard thing for the family to accept. toxicology is science. the science doesn't lie. the numbers are real. those blood alcohol levels have been done for so many years now, and are considered so accurate that the number is the number. and thc, which is the chemical in pot, is also very, very easy to detect. so the fact that they can give a time line of 15 to 60 minutes that somewhere between 9:30 in the morning and when that crash happened, this stuff was consumed. and who drives around with a liter and a half of vodka in the car unless you're literally going from the liquor store to home? >> well, the investigation -- the investigators are saying essentially she was driving, drinking, and smoking pot as she was driving or during the course of that trip. so what was physically happening inside her body that caused the reaction that it did? >> well, increasingly chaotic behavio behavior. because she's now on two depressants, alcohol and marijuana. so, things like reaction time. thinking you're closer to someone or you want someone to move faster or slower on the freeway. being irrational like tossing that cell phone out the window. what makes boys really good at video games and driving sometimes is their reaction time is a little quicker than ours, and their sense of distance is somewhat better than ours. we take a microsecond longer to make a decision and we like to think we're more prudent. both of these drugs make that go away. the other thing is there's an enzyme in men's guts that we don't have enough of, so if you take a 150 pound man and a 150 pound woman, a man will always be able to out-drink a gal. so it's important for women to know that our levels of being able to handle these drugs are markedly less. but, you know, at the end of the day, i think this is going to come down to the raw science and that's what makes it so painful. >> all right, dr. nancy synderman, thank you very much. >> oh, it's awful. >> all right. and up next, really changing gears here, why did paula lyrea leeavre "american idol"? 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"american idol" doesn't need a publicity stunt. 27 million people watch the show. it really doesn't. >> reporter: paula tweeted her fans good-bye. sawiying, th sadness in my heart, i decided not to return to ngidol. i'll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all, being a part of a show that i helped from day one become an international phenomenon. one of "idol's" original creators says it's the end of an era. >> when they come to talk about, you know, this phenomenon of "american idol," randy, paula and simon will always be the names closest. >> reporter: he told "ing ases hollywood" he may have an opening for a celebrity judge on his latest project, "so you think you can dance." >> i've asked her to come on the show. >> reporter: she's got the chops to judge dancing for sure. question is, will she be paid what she thinks her reality show star is worth? for "today," lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> ramin is with "newsweek" and ingela is with tv guide magazine. thanks so much for coming on. the numbers don't lie. $45 million for ryan seacrest and albeit that was to do some other projects along with "idol" and it looks like simon is going to hit the name number. what gives? >> ryan seacrest is going to make about $15 million a year, and simon cowell currently makes $36 million a year. paula abdul makes around $2 million. >> she was asking for $12 million. >> a 30% increase on $2 million when paula is such a big part of the show, i think she should have been paid as much as ryan, at least. >> is it possible that she just wasn't doing it -- i mean, that she wasn't as integral to the show as the rest of them? >> no. i think she absolutely was doing it for the show. and i think that the sort of public reaction that's come out of it is an indicator that it's almost like she was everybody's crazy aunt and you realize how much you miss her now that she's gone. >> her supporters say ryan seacrest good guy, ultimately he's just announcing. he's a judge, part of the conversation. the crazy aunt as you said. was there more behind the scenes going on here than just money, perhaps? >> i think personality is always a factor. perhaps she wasn't the most reliable. there were always stories about that. and she attracted a lot of attention, good and bad. but it wasn't enough of a factor to keep her off for the last eight years. i really do think it came down to money in the end. >> either of you think sexism might be at play here? >> maybe a little bit. maybe a little bit. >> says the guy. >> because they brought in another judge, cara dee gurddy and there was speculation she brought her in to push paula out perhaps and now paula's not coming back in >> did paula have a better season as a result of having kara there? >> i actually that the presence of kara made us realize how much we love paula. i think that the public's reaction to kara was extremely lukewarm and i don't think it's a fair tradeoff and i think the public's going to really feel that next season. >> do you think she was brought in as a signal that, listen, you need to step up the act or we've got your replacement? >> you think she did step up, if you watched last season, she was more coherent. he was more livid. she was late to work one day. there was one episode where she wasn't in her chair. but other than that she was pretty good. >> you know, you've got to pay me $12 million to be on time, right? >> exactly. you can be tardy. >> what about the fans? a lot of discussion right now, everyone's having this kind of discussion. but once the season begins and it's really all about the singers will anybody really care if paula abdul's on there or not? >> oh, most definitely. she's the one you sort of sit up -- >> but will you not watch because paula abdul's not in the chair? >> i won't be as excited. i don't think she'll be as good. >> how about you? >> we put a poll up on tvguidemagazine.com asking if they would watch without paula and 49% of people said they wouldn't. if they deliver on that, that's huge. any time you mess with the ingredients on the biggest show on tv you're taking a really huge gamble. >> the creator of one of the dancing shows is interested in paula abdul. nbc news -- not nbc news, nbc execs were asked about her and said we like her. will we see her again? >> absolutely. i don't think can you count her out. ththis one clearly has nine liv. we all counted her out when she was a laker girl boy, lots of clouds out there. it's a wet one. we can barely see the jefferson memorial on this what is it, thursday morning. tom is going to have the forecast in a bit. but it is now 72 degrees, 8:26. good morning. i'm keith garvin. five people were injured in a serious car accident steps away from a planned press conference with district leaders. a car smashed into an suv. it happened yesterday on pennsylvania avenue at alabama avenue in southeast. witnesses ran intohe intersection to help the injured. two people were taken to the hospital by helicopter. weather and traffic are next. h@ good morning. we've had from a quarter of an inch to over an inch of rain in southern maryland, the eastern shore. still scattered light showers across virginia, maryland, the district of columbia. it's going to movsouthwest to northeast. as the day progresses, and temperatures in the low 70s now, we'll hold steady here in the 60s in the mountains of the shenandoah valley. later on this afternoon sun should break out as the rain ends, highs near 80. may be a passing afternoon thundershower south and east. how's traffic? >> a live look, another accident on the interstate, this one 66 eastbound, 123 with one lane squeezing by. elsewhere, beltway crashes, inner loop at central avenue, police dealing with an accident. new accident outer loop at 29 and another one now in germantown at 118 and clopper road. back to you. >> thanks. more in 30 minutes. back to the "today" show after this short break.,lh 8:30 now on this thursday morning, august 6th, 2009. we have a fine crowd assembled here in rockefeller plaza. 24 hours from now, we'll be grooving to the music of acoustic rocker and hitmaker jason mraz. so if you're in the area, come on down. that's right we have jason tomorrow, we've got rap star flo rider. august 14th we've got natasha bedingfield here the following week. and then the "today" show starts to wrap up because we've got superstar mariah carey on the plaza friday august 28th. so mark your calendars. it's usually fun. it's not been too hot. sometimes it's been raining unfortunately but we've had fantastic crowds and really good musical acts, i think. >> when you think, it reminds you that the summers winding down. we haven't even had it for long. >> time to go back to school. >> oh, quite whining. you know. >> feel good about this. >> coming up in the next half hour we're going to meet a woman who certainly isn't letting age slow her down. at 66 she spends her summer days sharing her love and teaching people how to water ski barefoot. >> what? >> that's what she does. >> i wonder if -- >> that's going to leave a mark. >> it looks like fun. >> coming up. >> anyway, later coming up -- >> a water skiing squirrel. >> coming up, what is your biggest phobia? >> what? >> snakes, going bald, nudity. >> snakes, going bald, nudity. what's your -- >> what's your biggest phobia? >> are you afraid of going bald? >> no. >> no. >> and you're afraid of being naked? are you afraid of snakes? >> yes. >> okay. snakes. >> dr. nancy synderman will be back to talk about the most common anxiety disorders and how to deal with them, more importantly. thinking of that, al roker is in l.a. al? >> al? >> what was that? i'm very anxious about going bald. >> oh, no. >> don't be. don't be. >> it just means you have more, you know -- >> power. >> do the weather. >> yeah. a little too late for that, isn't it? anyway. let's show you what's happening, as far as "today" is concerned. we are on the air. yes, we are. we'll show you we've got a risk of strong storms over a 12-state area out through the plains. sunshine through the great lakes. rain along the 34d atlantic states and a little low pressure develops along that frontal system. record highs in texas. tomorrow we're expecting a risk of storms from the plains on into the upper mississippi river valley. look for some afternoon thunderstorms up in new england. otherwise, we've got sizzling  areas of scattered light rain ray cross virginia, maryland, the district of columbia on this thursday morning. the color on radar, the scattered light shoyrs slowly moving southwest to northeast this morning, will be with us throughout the morning. then in the afternoon hours we may get sun, right now temperatures 60 shenandoah valley in the mountains from the blue ridge to the bay and the eastern shore low 70s now and we may get sun back this afternoon. that's your latest weather. now let's head out to washington, d.c. and say hello to mr. willard scott. >> hey, baby you're in show business. what is it out there, 1:00 in the morning? >> actually it's 5:35. >> time for breakfast. you look good in l.a., baby. you belong. >> thank you. >> do some voiceovers. make some money. you're not making enough money. it's been quiet in your career. happy birthday. i'll send you a jar of smucker's. who knows, make you feel go.od a wheel spitahe tnselhe spin ldharo harold eadie. avon, connecticut. 100 years old. army t,myerat w dng water .oloy,d ery ver v 'she very, very well-knownood. happy birthday. nrhbo happy birthday. eukrkreuttner of new york, new york, 100 years old. one of the first female loan officers in new york city.r shes aokatthlemiks 45 smile. hedythlay la weat k hehryn kathryn norfolk, virginia , yea,lk, vildrs o da old today. organized a bible study in her home, and attributes hera plan. now you know, that's an id.ea aople jok sa ingn.la viha tng a plan is the eaid. harry fm losangeles, , rnlimaeiaav h with him.rest with him. migrated from poland in the '30s where he learned english by anudying fashion design. kdwsvery verse in the bo abi who utboat that? now there'a manor an enet chen etmeffd of grant, nebraska, next to robert e. lee, nebras. we have 100d. d.ea ol makes dinner for gups as large 0 3 dasrefeif ntpeople, d anfianyna finallynd philip peter a phip elbeind,el co connecticut. both are 101. identical twins. both enjoy playing cards and participating in church activities. happy birthday to one, to all. and now lester, who is just 22 years old, a young fellow. >> actually i turned 23 this year, willard. coming up next, the guide dog's guide, the volunteers who help the puppppie ñçyñ,ñçyçyc geo: uh, you wanted to see me sir? boss: coother thingshad some you can tell people about geico - great claims service and a 97% customer satisfaction rate. show people really trust us. gecko: yeah right, that makes sense. boss: trust is key when talking about geico. you gotta feel it. why don't you and i practice that with a little exercise where i fall backwards and you catch me. gecko: uh no sir, honestly... uh...i don't think...uh... boss: no, no. we can do this. gecko: oh dear. vo: geico. fifteen minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. this morning on "today's" pets, puppies with a purpose. an organization dedicated to raising guide dogs, and its the volunteers who help keep the day-to-day operations moving forward. our jill rappaport, a major animal lover herself, as we know, met a few of them. >> hi, meredith. we caught up with one amazing family whose lives revolve around their dogs. but not for the reasons you think. they're labs on a mission and making a major difference. >> come on. >> reporter: meet the yokes family. nicole, eric, 1-year-old owen, and their two 3 1/2-year-old yellow labs who are on call 24/7. >> good-bye. >> reporter: alex and al if i are breeding dogs. also known as studs. from guiding eyes for the blind. a new york-based organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of blind and visually impaired people. >> good girl. >> reporter: through well-bred, well-trained guide dogs like these two pooches. it is interesting because you're considered a foster home. but these dogs to you, they're your children. >> they are. we actually had the dogs first, before we had owen. so they were like our first children. it's a big risk. you sign a contract. they say the first year they retire them as breeding dogs they will go back to guiding eyes. that first year is very nerve-wracking. but we were confident. >> reporter: and that confidence paid off. three years later, alex and alphie are fully entrenched in their home and are very busy boys. should we clarify what busy means? >> we get calls that they're red die go on a date. we call them dates. they get escorted to the honeymoon suite. >> reporter: there really is a honeymoon suite? not exactly what you would expect it to look like, but it obviously does the trick. they have fathered almost 300 dogs. but the yokes' commitment is far more demanding than just the breeding aspect. three miles a day? in, wind, sleet or snow these dogs must be walked that amount every single day no matter what? >> that's the toughest challenge, because i've had to taken upon that my duty. every morning at 4:30, 5:00 in the morning, alphie puts his nose up. three miles takes about an hour. it's tough. >> reporter: tough, but definitely worth it when you see the offspring. here's one of his son's nash, who has given a new lease on life for comedian brian fishler. >> it's been the best thing that's happened to me. i mean it's given me my life back. i never could have imagined that it would be this positive of an experience. >> reporter: you realize that these dogs, more than the companionship, they're the ticket to independence for these people, right? >> just giving us a greater sense of love. >> it just goes to show that the human spirit is still alive and kicking when you've got people that take time out of their lives, and basically dedicate their lives to training dogs like nash so people like me could live a normal lifestyle. >> we don't have all the money in the world but we have the time and the love. that's one of the reasons why i feel so close to this program. >> reporter: oh. we have two of alex's new sons, i have fresca, meredith is holding flash. and they are 9-week-old puppies and they are about to enter the puppy raising program. >> what is that? >> it's very interesting. one of the volunteer families literally takes these wonderful puppies for up to a year. and for one year they go through extensive training to make sure, i'll cover their ears -- >> most of them do? >> hopefully most of them do. but it's an unbelievable commitment. these dogs aren't born guide dogs. they're created by the incredible dedication of the families. >> well, it's a great story. thank you much, jill. yeah. >> and you can find more information on our website todayshow.com. up next, what you can learn from the women's oldest competing barefoot water skier. her story is just ahead. ) this is my verizon small business specialist, tom. now, i know the catering business but when i walked in here i wasn't sure what i needed. i'm not sure what i need. tom showed me how to use mifi to get my whole team working online, on location. i was like, "woah". woah ! only verizon wireless has small business specialists in every store to help you do business better. you're like my secret ingredient. come in today and connect up to five devices on one 3g connection. now only $99.99 back now at 8:44. this morning on today's "fountain of youth," it's a new msn web series showcasing stories of folks reinventing themselves and findi new joy in life. this morning a woman who's nicknamed the old lady. but this is no ordinary senior citizen. watch. >> my name is jeannie myers, i'm 66 years young. so wonderful. i feel like i have a new lease on life. >> reporter: she began her career teaching phys ed and went on to work as a college administrator for 18 years. >> i would take the hour i had for lunch and go rollerblading. even though you're in the office at the desk the majority of time i still found time to be active. i've always been active. i've always been a person that is involved in sports. my family has always been on or near the water. we grew up with boats. we grew up at a cottage right on a lake. >> here we go. >> reporter: at the age of 53, judy picked up a new hobby. >> we had a friend that she was barefoot water skied that we'd always watch these people in awe, and thought ooh, that would be cool. >> reporter: it's a hobby that changed her life. >> theirst time you put your feet in that water, it's something you can't describe because you look around and you're actually walking on water. ♪ barefooting >> it truly gave me a new ambition, and a new goal. it made me realize that i didn't have to sit behind that desk anymore. >> reporter: with r academic career now behind her, from february to mid-may, judy volunteers at a florida shop that teaches barefoot water skiing. >> for this i get paid a great sum. i get to waterski all i want for free. >> reporter: and she's taking it to a whole new level. >> i am the woman's oldest competing barefoot water skier. i won a barefoot of the year award for the western region. i've won medals at tournaments. first and second places. life is too short to spend it doing something you do not 100% enjoy. i cannot imagine my life without skiing. >> reporter: and judy myers is here along with cnbc's sharon epperson. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> judy, i was giving you a hard time. i said you know they make these things called skis. this whole thing began as a lark and you told me you told the instructor you've got one shot to make me like this. >> absolutely. it's a friend. i said you've got one shot on me. the first two kind of fell on their rear ends so to speak and i went out and put my feet in the water and this is where i am now. >> were you looking for something unusual, something really out there that would challenge you? >> no, i just love the water. and i saw this and i thought, i just have to try that. >> and you were 53. so is this -- is it recreation. is it a new way to earn money? >> it's not a way to earn money. and it's more than recreation. it's actually a new lifestyle for me. it's really done a lot to change my life, and change who i am. >> sharon, that's something a lot of us are going to confront. you've got to turn a new leaf, new lifestyle. >> people are redefining aging. they're redefining what it means to retire. judy said she quit her job, she's doing something different. she's not saying she's in retirement. what does that really mean right now? a lot of them, they may be collecting their first social security checks starting now, but that doesn't mean they're retired. >> because people increasingly talk about what am i going to do when i'm retired? is working still part of -- maybe i won't be doing this job. but doe have to assume we're going to have to have some kind of occupation? >> aarp did a study recently, about 80% of boomers are planning to work in retirement, and yes, a lot of folks are going to have to do something because of financially they've been laid off perhaps from a job, they lost their retirement funds. there are reasons why they may have to do this. but there are also a lot of passions that they want to pursue, and this is the time they're able to do them. >> judy, does it make you feel young, doing something like that? >> it keeps you young. it doesn't make you feel younger, because i don't think i'm old. >> all right, good answer. good answer. but is it difficult? >> to some people they think it's difficult. to me i just thought it was fairly easy. there's a lot more things that are more difficult in barefoot water skiing than i do. but i'll get there one day. >> what kind of resources are out there? >> people need to look at what their skills, what their talents are, work values are, places to do self-assessments on line like printcareers.com. and a lot of people who want to do something like create a business, a lot of boomers are doing that now. the fba, small business administration has a ton of free resources for you. score.org is another great resource. and the thing that judy has done all of her life is to be active, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. that opens up opportunities for you that you cannot imagine. >> you are a role model. >> thank you. >> all right. >> judy myers, inspiration, indeed, and sharon epperson, good to have you both here. coming up next, meredith vieira. the cover girl. whoa. first this is "today" on nbc. the primary ingredients in a new movie opening tomorrow about cooking, blogging, and julia child. and it's called "julie & julia" and although he gives some parts four stars, our gene shalit says others are half booked. >> reporter: good morning an welcome to the "critic's corner." the incoabarmpincomparable mery saw us through another dastardly portrayal of her half, the better half, of "julie and julia." writer/director nora ephron has whipped up concurrent stories of two women immersed in food. >> why don't i go to cooking school? bonjour! >> reporter: meryl streep is julia child. the spirited creative cook who turns eating into dining. >> you should have seen the way those men looked at me. but then they discovered i was fearless. >> reporter: eager to share her passion for french cooking, she sends forth a book of recipes that spur american women to make delicious dishes they had formally eschewed. >> when i was 8, my father's boss came to dinner and i was a really big deal. my mother made beef bourguignonne. but it wasn't boef bornen joan. it was julia's. >> reporter: in new york, julie powell, played by amy adams, a discontented young married who needs something to do, decides she's going to make all 524 recipes in one year. and each day, she blogs her results. this is briefly amusing. but her obsession and indifferent personality make us wish she'd get out of the way so we can get back to julia in paris, with her husband, the engaging stanley tucci. >> julia, you are the butter to my bread and the breath to my life. i love you, darling girl. happy valentine's day. >> reporter: if audiences, especially women, don't block to "julie & julia" to relish watching meryl streep cook up a storm, i'll eat my words. and that's the critics corner, where we're always cooking up something good for "today." >> bon appetit. >> more salt, please. >> that looks good. we've got something here you might find of more interest besides the puppies. we're all pretty interested in the puppys >> i know. >> the september -- >> what are you doing? >> oh, i'm just holding it. anyway the september issue of "good housekeeping" magazine features none other than meredith vieira. the cover story is this is what happy looks like. >> and tricia yearwood is goosing me there. >> look at these photos. they're so beautiful. >> it was very nice. >> each giving a perspective of 30s, 40s and 50s. you did people in their 30s, right? >> right, exactly. >> another country heard from. >> i'm a proud 55. i might not be so proud when i'm 56. >> no, no, it's great. and you have a lot of got advice in here in terms of talking to people who are in their 50s, or even in their 40s, about how to look at life. there's some good stuff in here i'm reading. >> don't sweat the small stuff. >> exactly. >> you get to that point. >> i like this one, i realized that even though i'm scared change is a good thing, no matter how old you are, you can try new things at a time when a lot of people are saying is risky at your age. >> i used to think that. >> it's a big deal. this is a big change in your life coming over here. >> it was. it was a big change. it was the right change. >> we agree. >> thank you very much. >> congratulations everybody on the cover. >> you've got a puppy as a prize. >> look at the effect i have on men. we'll be back after your local news. starting off on the cloudy and wet side as we barely get a look at the washington monument. will we see sunshine? tom kierein will be here in a moment with those details. it is 72 degrees at 8:55 on this thursday, august 6, 2009. good morning. i'm keith garvin. in the news, the federal government is giving metro more than $9.5 million to fight terrorism. the money will be used to hire 20 officers to staff teams focused on preventing terror attacks and it's getting more for the chemical detection program and upgrade radio communications in tunnels in prince george's county. there are signs of a housing turnaround in prince william county. foreclosures are down. officials say a combination of budget cuts and lower taxes helped. the county is also expanding a program which helps county employees purchase foreclosed properties. it's for people buying their first home. during times like these it seems like the world will never be the same. but there is a light beginning to shine again. the spark began where it always begins. at a restaurant downtown. in a shop on main street. a factory around the corner. entrepreneurs like these are the most powerful force in the economy. they drive change and they'll relentless push their businesses to innovate and connect. as we look to the future, they'll be there ahead of us, lights on, showing us the way forward. this is just the beginning of the reinvention of business. and while we're sure we don't know all the answers, we do know one thing for certain, we want to help. come see what the beginning looks like at openforum.com good morning. we've had a beneficial soaking, generally light rain since last evening continue this is morning on radar where you see the color is where it is. raining lightly across northern virginia, maryland, the eastern shore, it's moving slowly off to the north and east. we generally have a quarter of an inch or left but pockets of heavier downpours in southern maryland and the eastern shore. temperatures are now in the low 70s from the blue ridge to the atlantic beaches and from the shenandoah valley into the mountains in the 60s. highs near 80, a little sun this afternoon. small chance of an isolated thundershower later on this afternoon, then low humidity tonight and tomorrow. heat and humidity for the weekend. how's traffic? >> tom, this rain out there made a mess of things. folks running into each other. a series of accidents on the capital beltway in marynd, the latest on the outer loop at 29 moved to the shoulder but another one inner loop at new hampshire avenue, inner loop at central, another accident. downtown we're jammed to the 14th street bridge. >> more news in 30 minutes. back now on this thursday morning, august 6th, 2009. a little bit gray out here today. but still a good day to be here, midtown, the big apple. we've got a great crowd out with us. always happy. big smiles on their faces in rockefeller plaza. i'm natalie morales along with lester holt, helping us out while matt is off today. >> coming up in this half hour, we're going to turn to the disturbing story of what happened yesterday. i was in suburban pittsburgh covering that suburban shooting at the gym. we're learning more about the shooter. he posted a youtube video diary, and we'll try to find out what was going on in his mind. we try to find the warning signs. >> it is mazing that these people are blogging about this. and he blogged about this earlier this year, saying he h the guns, and actually went there and then he chickened out. >> yeah, back in january. but again, who read it. >> that's exactly right. also coming up, do you have any phobias? >> yeah. how long is the show? >> me, too. big, big fear of snakes, spiders, anything that is creepy and crawly. well, there are a lot of people, of course, millions who suffer from serious anxieties whether it is spiders, as we mentioned, or large crowds. we're going to tell you thank you identify if your fear is a bigger problem than you might think and give you some pointer on how to cope. plus dr. nancy is going to be here to answer some of your questions if you suffer from some of these anxiety >> a lot of people suffer from tech phobia. the kids know more about technical things than the parents. we're going to help you arm yourself is what you need to know about cell phones and computers before you buy one for your 'tween, in particular. >> do you text? >> i text, yeah. i don't -- >> i haven't mastered the texting. the blackberry thing is fine. >> blackberry, with the texting sometimes, can we just talk to each other? >> exactly. >> let's do this in two minutes rather than throwing messages back and forth. >> you start writing everything in code. everything becomes lol. >> or as our producers say oot. out of time. >> right now they're telling us oot. a little bit later guess who's here? rick springfield. >> oh, wow. >> i love him. he actually has a new lullabies album out. he's going to stop by a little bit later on. first let's go back inside, get a check of the headlines any from ann curry at the news desk. >> okay, thank youo much. good morning once again, everybody. in the news this morning, new information in home video are surfacing today that might help explain what a man -- what caused a man to open fire inside a fitness center this week, killing three people before turning the gun on himself. nbc's mike taibbi is in bridgeville, pennsylvania, with more on this story. mike, good morning. >> good morning, in. in hisevealing and rage-filled blog, sodini himself, the suspect, really set off enough warning signals to get the cavalry on his case. if anybody was reading it. no evidence at this point that anybody was reading it. turns out he also talked about his life and problems in videos he posted only youtube. the 48-year-old law firm systems analyst was cryptic in describing his life and what was wrong with it. >> it's easy for me to hide from my emotions for one moreday. take a long drive in the car. listen to some music. daydream. or just do some mundane task around the house that really doesn't need to be done, that's not too important. and there you go. one more day, and one more day turns into one more year. >> reporter: neighbors say they found sodini's demeanor increasingly disturbing. >> he was kind of a reclusive person. so i'm not sure that i would pick up on him looking troubled. i kind of always thought he was a little, you know, different. >> reporter: but none of his neighbors said they had a clue about what sodini had been thinking and writing since last september. that's when he first complained in a blog that he never married. listed his date of death, august 4th, 2009. and first wrote about his exit plan. in december, he wrote he had no girlfriend since 1984. complaining that 30 million women have rejected me. january 5th, every evening i am alone. and the next day he was supposedly ready to act, at first writing i can do this. but then, 8:45 p.m., i chickened out. i brought the loaded guns, everything. hell. experts in criminal profiling say there's no question those blog entries reflected real intent. >> it's like a bank account where you -- most of us put money into a bank. he was putting deposits of rage, anger, frustration, sense of isolation, and all of this just built up and built up and built up over time. >> reporter: this past monday, it was clear that intent would soon become action. sodini wrote, tomorrow is the big day. maybe soon i will see god. what dozens of women saw tuesday night was a man dressed in black gym clothes who walked silently into their aerobics class, reached into a duffel bag for three of the four handguns he'd packed, and started shooting. >> he just had a lot of hatred in him, and he was hell-bent on committing this act. and there was nobody going to stop him. >> reporter: his victims, radiologist elizabeth betsy gannon, 49. 37-year-old physical therapist, jody billingsley, and 46-year-old single mom, heidi overmier. of the nine women injured by gunfire, three are still listed in serious condition. all are expected to survive. ann? >> all right, mike taibbi this morning. mike, thanks so much for your reporting. our best wishes to all of those who are still recovering from this. there is some encouraging news this morning and it's about the economy. job layoffs are easing. new claims for unemployment benefits dropped more than expected last week to 550,000, and that is a drop of 38,000. the senate is expected to approve a $2 billion extension of the cash for clunkers program today. consumers would then have until labor day to trade in their gas guslers and get new car rebates of up to $4500. and look at this. a dolphin near naples, florida, went on a people watching excursion on tuesday. the six foot long bottlenose jumped out of the water and landed on the deck of a woman's boat. passengers kept the dolphins wet until wildlife officials showed up to safely hoist it back into the water. huh. don't see that every day. it is now six minutes past the hour. let's go back outside. >> what are the odds of that? >> i know. >> thank you very much. al is out in los angeles. he's got our weather. hey, al. >> i wonder if that -- that dolphin jumped in there on porpoise. >> oh. >> thank you. >> the timing is finally working out with that rim shot. >> they were right on it. right on it. anyway, let's take a look, see wh'shag.ppenin as we look at the satellite radar combinatio syo dollee w have rain along the mid-atlantic states, moving into the northeast. also some strong storms firing up, kansas, oklahoma, on into nebraska. and a little wet weather back through the western plains. we've got a risk of strong storms over a12-state area back out through the plaixxyayxiyyxyy good morning. we have an area of scattered light rain from the blue ridge to the atlantic beaches this morning, as the color you see on radar, it's moving slowly off to the north and east out of the southwest. will be with us for a few hour, then later on this afternoon sunshine should break out. right now we're in the low 70s around the metro areas, highs near 80 with sun coming back. small chance of a passing afternoon thundershower south and east of washington. lower humidity under a cle that's your latest weather. ann? >> all right, al, thanks. this morning on "today's" daily dose, dealing with your phobias. according to the national institutes of health, more than 19 million adults in this country suffer from a specific phobia and it gets worse. women are twice as likely to have them. dr. nancy synderman is nbc's chief medical editor. good morning. first of all, women are twice as likely to suffer these? >> well, it may be because women admit to it. men sort of self-medicate sometimes with alcohol. but, yeah, women seem to be more at risk for general anxiety disorders and these phobias. >> what does a phobia specifically mean? >> it's a kind of anxiety disorder where you have an overwhelming and unrealistic fear of something. the kind of thing that gets in your way. you are afraid to go out. you're afraid to go camping. you're afraid of the possibility of a snake. you're afraid of social situations. they're broken down into specific categories, like a specific phobia, you're afraid of snakes or spiders. a social phobia, where youay say, you know, i'm afraid of being nude in public, or being embarrassed of public speaking. and then agoraphobia where people are really afraid of being in places where they can't escape. which is where you start to see people shutting in themselves, their apartments, because they're really afraid of interacting with other people. >> and so the reality is, then, that you know, these, youny, are -- in other words, it causes you have to bizarre behavior. in other words it affects your life in a negative way? >> it absolutely impedes your -- >> i have one of those then. >> what is yours? >> i was afraid. this makes a lot of sense that you're afraid of sharks. but i was afraid of shafrks to a point where as a kid i wouldn't go in the pool. >> even in the pool? >> even in the pool. because of something that happened when i was a kid that scared me. >> overwhelming, unrealistic, because you know sharks don't live in a pool but it's a real fear for you. >> i got over it. >> otherwise, you know, you cut off a significant part of your life. >> and it's over now. i can swim in oceans. i can swim with sharks. all of that. >> and most of the time these things develop from teenage lives between 11 and 15, and rarely do they start in people over the age of 25. >> so instead of feeling bad about ourselves we should understand something triggered this in us. what are the best things we can do to deal with phobias? >> you have to recognize that you have it, which i know sounds like the old cop-out. then you have to figure out is it a silly phobia, like walking, just avoid snakes. or real phobia, i'm afraid of being in shopping centers where it really does change the quality of your life and you go get help? help can be a couple of things. it can be talking through it. it can mean sometimes medication. beta-blockers, which can sort of lower your heartrate and make you feel not as anxious. sometimes anti-anxiety drugs or antidepressants. but a loof times it means addressing that specific phobia with specific therapy. >> let's talk about some of these specific therapies -- or phobias. you mentioned a couple of them. fear of nudity. i'm not going to use the latin names because i don't think they'll be taken well. fear of walking. fear of walking? >> yeah. >> fear of walking? >> who knows why these things happen. some of them are really, really, really fringe ones. the more common are absolutely fear of being in public places. fear of public speaking. but those are things that people learn to conquer as they go through, you know, the educational system. and as they have to be in the workforce. but some of them, like fear of spiders, can haunt people forever. >> what explains fear of beautiful women? what is that? >> heaven knows. maybe having a narcissistic mother. we do know that interestingly, outgoing people, extroverts, have fewer phobias than people who are truly introverted. and people who are narcissistic have more of a problem. so, what psychiatrists will do sometimes is tell people sort of work out of their shell. and if you can be a more outgoing personality, you have a better chance of dealing with some of your phobias. >> there are actually a latin name for fear of having peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. >> fear of being bald. >> which, i think, now that makes a lot of sense. maybe somebody feels that year going to be ridiculed. what would you say would be the best thing about that? >> shave your head. >> take control before it -- >> before it takes control of you. fear of elevators, very common. people who are afraid of being in tight situations where they have no control, it's one of the reasons why people avoid going to the doctor. >> here's one, fear of england and its culture. i think that -- >> i think that's asianic. >> oesh. that's ok. we should understand our fears. >> they're common. some of them are silly. some of them are real. and some of them truly paralyze people. >> so don't let pep do something about it. >> yes. >> dr. nancy synderman. always great to talk to you. >> thanks, annie. >> when we come back, nancy is going to talk about spiders and snakes and answer your questions. coming up later if you have kids, everything you need to coming up later if you have kids, everything you need to know before you grant t did yofall? 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>> it's classic. it goes back to being a teenager. something happened. a pet bird, who knows what trauma. but the fact that you're outside in the plaza where you know there are city birds out there, it's not a paralyzing fear. >> yeah, but isn't that -- her heart rate increases, that's still not good. should she try to do something about it? >> well, you know, i think she's going to have to decide. she's outdoors so she's not a shut-in. but, you know, seeing to figure out what that trigger was as a young preteen. this is classic. >> that's interesting. so we can really address it, identify it, talk about it, learn more about it, learn about birds, maybe that might help. we've got a question from kurt in ohio, via skype. kurt, what's your question? >> yeah, hi, myself and my dad are a bit afraid of snakes, pretty much all our lives and i recently became a father about a year ago. so my question is, is there anything genetic about phobias? and is there anything that i can do to help my son ethan to not have that same fear? >> kurt, good question. >> you know, kurt, there's an interesting twin study, where twins who were separated at birth ended up years later having some of the same phobias. so there may be a genetic component to some of this. but most of the time phobias are environmental. so just because, you know, there's a fear of snakes in your family doesn't necessarily mean your son. so the thing to do, really, is not to assume your son will be scared. and let him see your fear and then sort of grow up with it. >> so don't add to it. you're saying. >> but we don't really understand all the genetics of this. it's an interesting question. >> it might have been smart for babies -- the babies that survive were more likely probably to be afraid of snakes than maybe the babies that didn't. may be an evolutionary reason for this. who knows. another question from angela in california, she writes, i have arachnophobia so severely that i consider my phobia a handicap. i don't go camping, go outside or garden. it is a paralyzing phobia that causes me to hyperventilate and go into a panic attack. >> big fear of spiders. >> right. >> a lot of people have fear of spiders. this is one of the classic times where immersion therapy makes sense. you go see someone who is a spider specialist. who can explain to you that most spiders are here to do good things. take tarantulas, which are scary looking and hairy and big, and let them literally be on your skin and recognize that a tarantula isn't going to hurt you. because most of us, that's what we're scared of, the big, fuzzy spids. when you do that you sort of desensitize yourself. and so you figure out intellectually that you can override the irrational fear. and this is a classic one. >> okay. we've got natalie again back outside. hey, natalie. >> hey. we have mary here from minnesota. and your fear is actually your husband's fear. >> correct. yes. >> can you tell us what it is that your husband fears or has an anxiety about? >> my husband david is very accident prone. so he has many injuries, and he might have to have worn a neck brace and a cast and a wrap for like a sprain. and he's very anxious about events like the wedding of our daughters, and at what point should he be on medication? >> oh, boy. >> well, this is an interesting question. it may be phobia. it may be anxiety. he may be hypochondriac. so, he really needs to sit down -- >> is he a hypochondriac, mary? >> i don't know. >> and so when guys become hypochondriacs when they end up doing is self-medicating with braces, sometimes a swig of alcohol. what they don't do, usually, is go see the doctor where they can really sit and talk with somebody. men enter the medical system after a crisis, and after there's really something there. the problem is ashe wife, by the time he does hurt himself you won't care anymore because he's going to wear you out. >> you want to try to talk to peop as much as possible. >> you need to get your husband into a third party. a neutral source who will sit him down. because it's very easy when it's your spouse saying oh, my neck hurts, my knee hurts, by the seventh day you don't care what hurts. you know what i'm talking about. >> okay. now we have a skype question from i think jennifer in north carolina. >> is it alicia in north carolina? >> hi. >> hi. >> we're being told to wash our hands to prevent catching the flu and getting sim when does it go from being cautious to being a phobia? >> you become the howard hughes of your generation you have a true phobia. i think one of the things we're doing right now with medicine and on programs like this, as we sort of talk about the swine flu and what to do we're telling people all the time wash your hands, wash your hands. use hand sanitizer. and that's smart. but, if you find that you're not touching doorknobs, you're not picking up pieces of paper, you're not shaking hands with people, and it becomes a barrier to just normal social interaction, then it's a true phobia. good hand washing is very different than being afraid to touch anything and everything. so you have to sort of answer that, and if you're really gets in the way of having a normal life, it's a true phobia. >> just got your name. thank you so much alicia in hawaii this morning. >> and happy birthday, alia. >> happy birthday. >> thank you. >> okay. is there ever a time we should leave the phobias and just leave them alone and not do anything with them? >> if they're silly little ones. i hate cockroaches. they give me the heebie-jeebies. but would i not go someplace? you know, probably not. but if you have something like a fear of vomiting to the point you say i won't get pregnant, i won't eat foods, i won't go to restaurants, then that truly is changing the quality of your life, that's when you have to sit down with somebody. there's a way out of this. >>r. nancy synderman. thank you so much. >> you bet, ann. >> still to come this morning the fourth time is a charm. we're going to meet today's "ambush makeover victims. one kept coming until she finally got noticed and the results are just ahead. . toothpaste is abrasive on dentures look, scratches where bacteria can collect and grow and bacteria can cae eababrthd that's why i recommend replacing toothpaste with polident. only polident is proven to clean without scratching and kills 99.9% of odor causing bacteria don't scratch your dentures clean use polident every day so i always have totino's pizza rolls. big pizza taste in a bite size roll that my kids can't resist. plus i get two bonus box tops for their school. totino's pizza rolls. the pizza way to snack. concierge claim centers. so i can just drop off my car and you'll take care of everything? 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( laughing ) - you're done? new windex outdoor all-in-one. a streak-free shine in half the time. save $2.50 with coupon when you go to windexoutdoor.com. s.c. johnson, a family company. still to come, how to set restricts on your child's cell phon restricts on your child's cell phon >> also coming up the cake mom. entirely new way to celebrate any moment. n fancy feast appetizers. simple high quality ingredients like wild alaskan salmon, white meat chicken, or seabass and shrimp in a delicate broth, prepared without by-products or fillers. new fancy feast appetizers. celebrate the moment. you need listerine® whitening vibrant white™ rinse. the mouthwash that gets teeth four times whiter than the leading toothpaste. and kills bad breath germs. listerine® whitening vibrant white™. no surprises. and kills bad breath germs. no shocks. dulcolax stool softener provides stimulant-free constipation relief that's gradual and comfortable, like nature intended. dulcolax stool softener. feeling free to be. singers: feelin' free. good morning. i'm tom kierein. there is a view of the nation's capital skyline this morning. the jefferson memorial in the middle ground and yes, we're still covered with clouds. we have some scattered light rain aroundhe region. as we look at the radar we see light rain in the radar in the form of this patches of blue, these are scattered showers from northern virginia across maryland and the eastern shore. they are tending to diminish heading to the north and east and will continue to do so throughout the rest of the morning. then by later on this afternoon we should get sunshine back with highs near 80, then lower humidity moving in tonight into tomorrow. a heat wave for rs ofirtxtpanek.f ee wo e first pa of next wk. it's a tough commute on the rain-sleeked roadways. the outer loop a series of accidents still affecting the commute even though the lanes are open. the jam-up begins in silver spring, greenbelt to silver spring, inner loop not bad. downtown jammed at the 14th street bridge. good news, no accidents to report. all volume and dealing with wet roads. >> more in 30 minutes. 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(announcer) switch to verizon and get a dedicated high speed internet connection from our office to your small business so you w't be slowed down even if your neighbors are online. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v today and for only $79.99 a month for 12 months with a 3 year contract you'll also get our award winning internet security suite, unlimited nationwide calling, and over $180 back in available online rebates. plus, the reliability of the verizon network. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v today for the verizon single line business pak and data protection pak. one of the many tools in the verizon small business toolbox. ♪ ♪ i take no more no more it cannot wait ♪ ♪ i'm yours >> that song just makes you happy. >> we're listening to jason mraz. he's captured the hearts of millions of fans with his singer/songwriter sounds. and now the man with more than a tour plaza to take r his belt t on our summer concert stage tomorrow. here on. and we've got some music perfect for a friday morning. meanwhile, still to come in this half hour, tech support for parents. >> that's right for those of us who have really yet to learn how to use all the features of our cell phones, what's a parent to do when your child wants a cell phone or wants to use your computer? we're going to have some helpful hints with a parenting expert coming up. also some tricks to keep us safe on the cell and online, as well. features that you may not know about. >> hmm. also, have you seen this guy? he's the cake guy hailing from hoboken, new jersey. he's got some tips on everything from flouring your cake, your cupcakes, specifically, and creating a simple layer cake. and apparently for filling your cal -- >> cannellonis? >> what are they called? >> calzones? at are those called? >> they're cannellonis. >> cannolis. >> they're cannolis. >> i should know that living in new york city. >> cannellonis are beans. >> they're really tasty. >> it's the pasta. >> can elevnelloni is a bean. calzone is the pizza -- let's just go to al. al, we miss you. if you were here, we would not have on offensive moment for italian americans everywhere. >> wow. unbelievable. >> you know, television can be ugly. >> can be? yes. can be disastrous. >> well -- >> hello, al. >> somebody ought to lock the kitchen door to make sure the cake boss doesn't see you. in the meantime, let's show you what's happening as far as your weekend. here's what we've got for you. saturday, risk of strong storms, great lakes into the central plains. wet weather, pacific northwest. sunny and mild up and down the east coast, sizzling in the southwest and the southern plains as well. then on sunday -- sunday! -- we're looking at more showers in the pacific northwest. rain moves into the northeast with some thunderstorms. warm in the plains, hot in the good morning. it's been a wet and gray thursday morning. we continue to have scattered light rain acros northern virginia into the district and maryland this morning. they are continuing to move off to the north and the east. the showers will taper off and end in a couple hours. and then we may get sunshine back this afternoon, right now it's just in the low 70s around the metro area, 60s farther west and north. afternoon highs near and natalie, i will see you back in new york tomorrow. >> holy cannoli. >> and we will straighten out this italian pastry thing. >> okay. you know what? we really miss you, al, so get your bottom back here. okay? and up up next, setting limits on your kids' cell phones right after this. announcer: there's a place called hidden valley. where kids not only eat their vegetables, they can't get enough. hidden valley ranch, makes vegetables delectable. now rediscover the delectable taste that can only come from hidden valley, the original ranch. that can only come from hidden valley, [ bottle #2 ] is he better than us? i mean i feel like it took you like three times longer to do whatever he did... dude, dude, he's got...these -- like -- microscrubbers... magic man. he's a magic man. 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"today" contributor and clinical psychologist ruth peters has some very useful parental guidelines. ruth, good morning. >> good morning, natalie. >> a lot of kids right now asking, mom i want a cell phone. base everybody has one. there's a lot of pressure, social pressure. >> they say everybody has one. >> right, exactly. that's the excuse they say. what you say first of all, though, that you really got to make sure, for parents, they want their kids in some ways to have them too for safety and convenience but you say that you have to really learn how to set the boundaries. >> you really do. and this segment came out from my own patients who were saying we have problems with this. or they're bringing me technical tools that they've learned about. and that's why i wanted to share them with everybody. you do have to set boundries and limits and you need to know the technology to do that. >> and there are a lot -- there's a lot of technology out there. >> there's a lot. free, some you can pay for. but there's a lot of inexpensive or free things out there. >> let's go through some of them right now in talking about parental control. a lot of filters or features available. including the content filters. and these are divided by age, right? >> yes, they really are. and there's, i wrote on article on todayshow.com so anybody wants to check on how to get this, they can go there. first of all, you can have c-7 plus which is like a g-rated tv for downloading in case your kid has a phone with web access. that would be no sexual things, no violence or anything like that. and then you're going to have your t-13, that's like your pg-13. and then you have your ya-17 plus, which is like r-rated. and so you can actually set your kids' cell phone so that the filter comes on like that so they don't get into these areas. they can't surf these areas, download explicit material. or download whatever, yes. >> and is there a cost associated with these filters? >> usually those filters are free. and so you go to your cell phone provider. usually they're free. >> okay. next is usage control. and this just puts the parent in charge of their child's cell phone usage and it's usually password plow texted. so can parents then block certain things from all -- >> wonderful. i love this. you can block up to 20 numbers on certain providers, okay, if you don't want the boyfriend calling. and your kid can't change it, because it's pass word controlled so that the parent goes up on their laptop and sets it and the kid can't change it. you can block up to 20 numbers. you can block the access to use the phone during school time or after 11:00 at night. but there's a thing called allowable numbers. 911 or parents always get through the blocking. you can block the number of minutes the kids can have or the number of texts they can have there a month. it's wonderful. >> it's again through the cell phone provider. >> right. and there might be a minimal charge for that. depends upon your provider. >> probably worth the cost for sure. now tell me about sham reason. this is like a mini gps on the phone so you can keep track of kind of where your kid is. >> chaperone, this is verizon, it's about $9.99 but it is the best ten bucks you've ever spent. it's got family locator. you go on your cell phone or your laptop and you can tell where the kid's phone is. hopefully the phone is with the kid. >> okay. >> or you can have child zones where you will be sent a text when the child gets to the zone, you set up the zone, or when the child's phone leaves the zone so you know if the kid -- >> you're alerted to it. >> as to where the child is where they say they're going to be. if that's not cool, i don't know what -- and that's on the todayshow.com site. you can check into that. >> moving on to computers. you say start with the internet provider's sites because most of them are free of charge. >> absolutely. all of them have the filters in terms of the age. then you can get some of the fancy things which can help you block various access to things. check with what you have, and then if you don't like it check some other ones and you may want to change your provider >> what about myspace, facebook. they have a lot of security features already built in. >> two things. join them yourself. and let your child know that this is transparent, you're going to know that i'm going to be joining. i'm going to be one o your friends. let them know whether they like it or not. >> uh-oh. >> and randomly check on it. and also there's some really good things that is commonsense media.com has actually a tutorial for kids, how do you pick your cell phone- or how do you pick your name for your facebook? what's a safe way of doing it. so that's very necessary. >> and regardless of your internet plan you say you can also purchase some software programs. >> right. and i've got one here >> this is great. i was reading about this on your article. >> it is terrific. you just plug it into a usb port and it can actually turn on and off the computer if it's not there. if the parent takes the key the computer doesn't work. you can set up to ten parental controls. it's about $50 to buy this and it actually filters what websites and alerts you either through a text message that you set up, or through an e-mail if the child is wandering or trying to wander outside of the accessible sites. >> that's great. just a way to lock up your computer too. >> a way to have control over your child. >> and what about when the time is right to lift these restrictions? how do you know your child has reached that maturely level and also that you trust them enough? >> i think when life gets boring. when there hasn't been sneaking out, there isn't drug usage, you've walked by and the kid doesn't close their laptop real quick. when you have scrolled through the phone enough time to look at their texts thatt's really boring then can you start backing off. but until boredom sets in you've got to keep watching. parents can never become uninvolved in this endeavor. you have to stay on it. it's a very dangerous area and you have to be part of it. >> so often we report on all the horrible stories out there. >> that's right. that can be avoided with parental controls. >> you have the right controls. ruth peters, great information, as always. and again, if you want more information on this, as ruth mentioned, just go to our website, todayshow.com. coming up next, the cake boss. and his mom. they've taken over. and ann, wholl nafiy knows what a cannoli is. >> now that's a cannoli. >> that's a cannoli! na ct-- the soft places we love, could be home to bacteria. but, lysol disinfectant spray can also be used on soft surfaces to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria. lysol. disinfect to protect. light & fit has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. and a taste you'll find... [sluuurrrrpppp!] irresistible. now try new watermelon and cantaloupe flavors. everyone's nervous going back to school. ♪ a hallmark card. it's the biggest little thing you can do. this morning in "today's kitchen," hot chef betty -- oh, i practiced. his passion for uniting old world recipes with modern-day techniques has made him the cake boss. his hit reality show on tlc features a behind-the-scenes look at italian baking in hoboken, new jersey. and buddy is here along with his name mary who helps run the business. >> yay. >> bravo. >> such a hit on tlc, right? >> it's been a whirlwind. it's been really great. the show is doing really well. we're really excited. >> you learn how to do this stuff, i understand, from your father? >> yes. >> the original cake boss. >> been in heaven 15 years. gone but never forgotten. >> that's right. >> there you go. >> did he teach you how to make these? >> yes. >> cannolis. >> yeah, cannolis. not calzones or whatever. >> can lenny beans. >> no. >> why does everything start with a "c"? huh? >> okay. >> i'm going to start by filling a cannoli and showing you what we do. this is a pastry bag. but my mom has been filling cannolis way before the pastry bag even was going on. she used to fill them the old-fashioned way. >> this is how we used to do them many, many years ago. the customers would come up. we could never do this anymore. >> we make too many. >> the cream is actually -- >> egg, sugar, a little bit of cinnamon, chocolate chips, you know, and we mix in bastaca with the ricotta. >> what is that? >> it's a ricotta cheese that's in a sen smoother. >> bottom line, it's fattening. >> okay. >> okay. move over. now we're going to go over to some pretty cupcakes. and this is my technique for making a pretty cupcake quick at home. this is great to do at home. >> this is handy this little -- >> turntable. this is definitely the thing that makes things go easier. so, we're going to make -- >> are you making a rose? >> this is a pink rose. >> buddy you're showing off. i'm telling you i'm impressed >> how fast can we doist? >> unbelievable. >> you've done this since how old? >> i've been doing this since i was about 12. i can actually do it blindfolded. >> oh, my gosh. >> now ladies. >> i did it on the show once blindfolded. >> and on the show you guys have made some prey elaborate creati creations. you made an endangered animal cake? >> yes. >> and you've got a big cake. >> i'm going to show you guys, this is -- >> come on, mary. >> this is how we tier cakes. this is a plastic food dowel. what this does is holds the tiers so they don't sink in to one another. >> those are basically plastic -- >> pvc tubes that are -- >> and you can cut them to size? >> exactly. >> this is called rolled fondant. okay. and then, you know, i'm just going to show you what you can do here. >> you're showing off again. look at you. >> i'm the cake boss. >> your cakes were actually, you were one of the "today" show weddg cakes a couple years ago. >> yes. >> and you won. >> best-tasting cakes. >> that was two six. >> it's kind of hard to lose when your mom's a cheerleader. >> definitely, definitely really good. >> i get a little excited. >> the screaming that we see on the show, is that you? >> it is. >> the big italian family. >> you know and my favorite part, please, my favorite part of the show is that when my fans come into the bakery and tell me that it's the only show that a mom, dad, and the kids could -- and the kids could watch together. so we're bringing families together for a half an hour each week, i mean we're doing something spectacular, you know. it's been awesome. >> do you do this? >> no. >> look at the size of these bags. >> i'm only interested in the baking part. my job was to take care of all the paperwork and keeping everybody happy. which is a job in itself. >> that's the mother's job. >> so i'm getting the technique here. come on, buddy. >> hold it in your hand. >> push it down? >> now we're going to squeeze, steady. squeeze. >> i'm squeezing. >> it's a lot harder than it looks. >> i like it. >> okay this is good. we've got to hold it up for the gravity. let's show people. we're running out of time. there you go, we did that. buddy, mary, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> fantastic. >> and the cake boss on tlc. >> the cake box? >> on tlc. >> we've had too much sugar this morning. i don't think you can see this, but i'm done with the decoration at the tie top. >> my rose looks like a carnation. >> does anybody care we have rick springfield coming up, everyone has a story. >> and also "ambush makeover." i think, for the most part, traditionally men have ruled the world. i think that they're in control. women rule the world. men are just he for the company. really? asyoe.urif w pendnd bra. for women and men. good morning. i'm keith garvin on this thursday, august 6, 2009. in the news five people were injured in a serious car accident steps away from a planned press conference with district leaders. a car smashed into the back an suv. it happened yesterday afternoon on pennsylvania avenue at alabama avenue in southeast. witnesses ran into the intersection to help the injured. two people were taken to the hospital by helicopter. the federal government is giving metro more than $9.5 million to fight terrorism. the money will be used to hire 20 officers who will staff teams focusing on preventing terror attacks. metro is getting more money to expand the chemical detection program and upgrade radio communications in tunnels located in prince george's county. there are signs of a housing turn around. foreclosures are down 60% from a year ago. officials say a combination of budget cuts and lower taxes helped. the county is expanding a program which helps county employees purchase foreclosed properties. it's for people buying their first home. now for a look at weather let's go to meteorologist tom kierein. >> wet and gray thursday morning. we've already had generally a quarter of an inch or less of rain around the region this morning, it's going to continue for an hour or two. later on this afternoon a little bit of sunshine coming back. highs near 80 degrees. and there's a chance of maybe a passing isolated thundershower south and east of washington this afternoon. then clearing out late afternoon into tonight with lower humidity moving in. by daw friday near 60 degrees, afternoon highs mid 80s with low humidity and lots of sunshine. over the weekend we'll see our winds shifting into the southwest on saturday, afternoon highs near 90. more humid saturday afternoon and evening and into sunday the heat will be up in the 90s. on sunday afternoon, and quite a bit of humidity around. does appear this is going to linger into the first part of next week as well, the heat wave continues, the first of the summer. oppressive humidity for monday. morning lows in the 70s. that's going to be the story on tuesday as well with morning lows 70s, highs in the mid 90s. maybe a break from the high humidity and heat on wednesday. keith, that's the wait looks right now. >> sounds good. " oday aow sher news in 30 ft ck to the "today" show after this break. b captions paid for by nbc-universal television well, good morning. >> good mning. >> it's thursday, august 6th. we're so glad you're here with us today. >> we are thrilled that you're with us on this thursday. all right. >> okay. we had such a great day yesterday. >> we had a terrific day. >> and we hope you did, too, really. >> yes, we haven't gone to broadway in a few weeks. >> we've seen everything. >> and we went yesterday, if you like dancing or dancing with the stars or anything kind of like this, you're going to love this broadway show. >> got to go see "burn the floor." and that's it. they burn the floor, boy. it is -- i didn't really quite know what to expect. when i go to broadway, i want to see a story. but i didn't miss it. i'm telling you. this was so well done. it was beautifully, amazingly choreograph. >> oh. >> and the dancers are from all over the world. they're the top team ball room dancers from around the world. you get the bst from the ukraine, the best from germany. the girl from new zealand, how -- >> drop dead gorgeous. adorable. >> she looked like elle macpherson up there. their bodies are -- >> i can't believe the stamina. i was getting exhausted seriously watching how long they were dancing in front of us without stopping. >> oh, i know. and still barely breaking a sweat. >> a big draw. >> they spray sweat on them. >> is that what they were doing? they were all oiled. >> they are oiled up. >> but the big draw, the two people from "dancing with the stars" who were on it, max, who everyone loves. the cute one with the beard. >> and irina. >> engaged, those two. >> yes! >> and they were so cute to watch. >> it's a limited engagement. >> karina. >> karina, i'm so sorry. but it's through october something. >> yes. >> so go see it. >> it was so much fun. puts you in a great mood when it was over. >> oh, my gosh. some of the reviews were not very good. but i'm telling you everybody in that -- in the longacre theater was screaming and standing up. it was, come on. >> all right so now we've got more controversy. well, we're trying to resolve -- >> what do we do? >> we're going to resome this controversy today. >> today is day -- >> we're going to resolve the controversy today. paula abdul is no longer on "idol" supposedly. there's always a slight chance that maybe something will get fixed. so who is going to replace paula abdul? that's the question. now, if you read the papers today you'll see some names pop up. what's her name, beckham? victoria beckham's name. >> because she was in the spice girls. >> also kelly clarkson. those two names. >> first winner of "american idol." >> however, we think there are some other names and we want our facebook folks to tell us what they think about who -- >> who would you like to see in that judge's seat. >> here are our picks to replace paula. the first pick to replace paula is dolly parton. >> we think dolly would be awesome. >> think about her. >> songwriters hall of fame, country music hall of fame. the woman knows her way around songs, singers, performers. she's a loving, fair, funny. >> funny. >> funny woman. i think she'd be unbelievable. >> and you don't know what's coming with her. because i think that's the magic of paula. >> and dolly mentors people. she's done that for me for years. >> yes. >> okay. and she would do it brilliantly, i think. >> our number two, the second pick that you could choose from is, cher. >> cher! >> why not chr? that's what we're saying. ♪ if you believe i >> she'd be good.>> she'd be go. just look at her. >> okay >> our third choice that you could -- >> this is yours. >> amy winehouse. >> if you want a little -- >> we need a little controversy. >> away from the okshow, you ca count on amy winehouse. >> yeah. and she's also a owilliant, brilliant singer. >> yes, she is. u>> yo enve krow what's going to happen with amy kwie.usho >> exactly. >> and our fina pick, and to get seriou tishis probably the best pick is thes obvious. kathie lee gifford. look at her in the crd. >> because -- ♪ everyone has a story yes, yes. i think -- i have a big head. >> that torso actually looks pretty good. we like that. >> you want somebody just like your crazy aunt. who is crazier than me? nobody. >> i think -- ♪ >> a pop star. come on, i had a record album. universal records. the day he signed me, we became great pals. >> yeah, but paula was making, again this is out in public, $2 million versus simon cowell's $30 million plus, versus ryan seacrest's about $14 million >> $15 million. >> so she makes two. he makes, you know, 15, and 36. >> the disparity, is that your paint? >> is it a guy/girl thing? what is that? what is happening? >> you know what my daddy always said to me? the wise daddy he used to say, kathie, something is worth what somebody will pay for it. and you have to find out what you are worth in the marketplace. it's sad but true. and i think she probably -- i think she was asking for 12, they said. she wanted to triple her -- no, more than triple. i thought she was making four and wanted to triple it. >> the papers were saying two. i don't know what the truth is. it's a little weird, no matter what your profession is, let's pretend that you've been working in the same, you know, job as a receptionist for "x" years and someone comes in and makes triple your salary sitting right next to you doing exactly what you do. it's frustrating. >> really is it anybody's business what people make? remember the days when you never asked that. >> yes. >> it was just rude. i mean, now, just signed eli manning to i think $95 million over the next few years or something. the highest paid player in the nfl. >> unbelievable. >> what is peyton going to do? cry in his beer because his brother makes a few million more than he does. i don't think it's anybody's business. unless you're a stockholder then you want to know how much people are making at your company. >> but paula just signed with that new agent or whatever, and some people don't even know who that agent was. >> manager. and i wonder how she's feeling about him now. because apparently he angered. this is all, you know, in the papers, the whole tone of the negotiations changed because she had a new guy. >> yes. >> and, you know, those things are touchy. but obviously the producers ultimately thought that she was not critical to the success of "idol." we'll find out. i think an awful lot of people are going to miss her very much. >> if you tnkut abo aeth three who are left, rady ande a kara. >> what do youeathn at kar >> i always forget her name. >> kara dioguardi. >> and simon. although simon's kind of the serious kind of the meaner one, and the other two seem like nice but they're not controversial. you need a spark. >> yes. >> don't you think? you need someone with a little -- >> that's why dolly parton would be awesome. >> okay. >> i bet every person in the world is on the phone to their agent saying i want that job. get me that job. >> that's a big job. >> so what is all this? >> it's -- >> tell the people what it is. >> apparently there's a national day for everything. we're finding that out. >> and we'll pick any excuse to celebrate anything. >> it is national fresh breath day. >> yes. >> yes, it is. so, what do you do -- let me ask you this. what do you do if someone you're talking to has bad breath? do you ever say to tm, do you like a mint? or do you not say anything? or what -- how do you play that situation? >> i just sort of slowly back away. yeah, yeah. >> what about -- because dating that's a weird thing. >> oh, that's the last date. >> is it? >> oh, yeah. oh. you know what they want us to talk about and i don't want to talk about that either today. >> what? >> what? >> what is it? >> the doll. >> where is our dol >> oh, the doll. >> there's no doll yet. it's in space. but there is a video of a doll. >> oh, i thought she had the actual doll. >> no. just so you know what this is. this is a breast-feeding doll. what they have, it's for little girls. they have a girl put on a t-shirt with two little flowers on where her breasts would be if she were grown up, and the baby suckles. it's a suckling baby. on a 6-year-old girl. so anyway, what do you think of that? >> i skrust worry about what's next. i mean that's weird. little boy doll, little girl doll. you know what i'm saying? >> i don't under -- >> why would you want -- >> oh, that's right. they already have those. >> why would you want a suckling doll for an 8-year-old? >> for me, it's gotten a little creep factor. it really, really does. >> it's very weird. >> and yet we have baby dolls that go potty and all that sort of thing and every little girl plays with, and some boys, let's be fair, they play with the dolls. and i guess it teaches you about nurturing. the most natural thing in the world is to nurse your child. but to see a 6-year-old who is not even developed yet, it's just weird. >> so it's weird. >> and someone that age to get the burp right. i'm telling you. >> well, they do have -- >> something even creepier to me. i'll give you that one. >> these things are called cuddle parties. so you pay $30 to attend a cuddle party. people, strangers show up and put on pajamas, and kind of just start spooning with each other. you don't know these people okay. you don't know them. but you need affection so you pay $30 to go and lay on the floor with strangers and just -- you tell them what you want, and you know -- >> what do they want? >> i don't know. i just don't -- and they say it's alcohol and drug free. there's no -- >> how fun could it be? just kidding! that is just a -- don't write me e-mails. that's a joke. all right, stop it. but you do meet fascinating people. >> you do. but isn't that weird? who would pay $30? >> it creeps me. >> people are paying. >> how many people? >> the people in the video. who were those people? >> i don't know. probably the same people that want to suckle the baby. i'm sorry. i think it's bizarre. >> look. >> they seem like nice people. >> look at them. >> bob, carol, ted, alice and fifi, i don't know what's going on there. maybe it's fun. i mean i think it would be fun with people you know. >> they say it makes you more open and just you feel good. look at -- is that -- >> here's the thing. if you got to bend your neck to see what somebody's doing, that's not good. think about it. >> we have something, we want your help again, because there's a dolphin that needs a name. >> this is serious, folks. >> this is. >> discovery cove in orlando, florida, a dolphin baby boom this summer. >> sea world and busch gardens and we want viewers to name that dolphin. >> they're darling names. one is roka which means white crest of thewave. >> you have to pick from these. >> kallan. >> reef is a large collection of coral. which you might know. >> which i think the mother's name is coral, i believe. so that would be kind of cute. >> how about amelia. that's the island in the atlantic. >> or the woman who was lost on an island in the pacific. >> lanikai. so pick your name. you can go to klgandhoda.com and go over the one you want. >> yes. >> which one would snu >> i forgot them. >> i kind of like -- >> just put them. >> i kind of like reef because it came from coral. i think the mother's name is coral. is that right? >> here they are. okay. >> how about -- >> i like kallan, reef. you said the mom's name is coral? >> i think it is. i think i read that. >> okay. >> so let us know, go there, vote. and then we get to name them. >> we will get to name it. and we will let you know who -- what the right name is later. >> later. >> okay. >> so now we're going to go to sara. >> morning. >> good morning, darling. >> so in regard to the "american idol" judges, we asked fans what they wanted. wrote in whyot kathie lee and hoda. you could tell simon off and drink wine at the same time. >> i like the fact that people are thinking thingses through. >> yes. >> and then we had some fan write-ins. charo, courtney for kathy griffin. nate for cyndi lauper. gwen stefani or jewel. >> are they picking any of the ones we suggested? >> no, no, n t kathie lee. that's what everyone's writing in. they said nice things about the experience you had. someone else said you could totally take simon on and you wouldn't be scared. >> look. >> simon's scared of me actually. >> who isn't. >> exactly. >> i met simon once? >> and? >> he was adorable. he was so -- i saw him in a hotel and said hello. he was with terry. i don't know if they're still together anymore. i like her very much. >> he's sweet. >> i was surprised how he was fun and he was grash, and he was, youknow, he's so smart. >> is that a tv thing he's doing you think, just to be controversial? >> i think he does a great job on that show. once in awhile he, you know, it's a little over the edge. but i think he is the most honest of them. >> yeah. >> i really do. >> and he's the one i agree with most of the time. >> i know. i know. >> at the end of the day, you have to say. >> we have a lot coming up, rick springfield is in the house. >> he's going to sing for us today. >> and there he is. >> look at him. >> he's got it. >> he took a carnival cruise and he lived to tell about it. he's going to tell us all about it. and everyone has a story. stay with us today. if you were breathing in the 1980s then you definitely know this song. ♪ where can you find a woman like that ♪ >> best male rock vocal grammy rick springfield in 1982 and he hasn't stopped, hard to believe, hasn't stopped entertaining since. >> except these days it's kind of a different audience. his new album is a collection of lullabies he wrote for his kids and it's called "my precious little one." rick, so nice to see you. >> thank you. >> why now, after your kids are in their 20s, right? >> yeah, i wrote the song about 20 years ago. when my sons were first born. and i wrote them just as a way of expressing, you know, all the new feelings of fatherhood and everything. and you know, it was amazing. so i wrote them to celebrate their birth, and just record them real quick and replay them to put them to sleep, and get a couple of copies to friends, and i found it in a drawer last year. >> you'd forgotten about it? >> forgot about it completely. and played it. i was really charmed by them. and they brought back a lot of great memories. and people are always having babies. >> you know what, they still do. they just keep doing it. >> it's funny, you know. >> i also love how you didn't change them. like you left them just the way you had recorded them back then. was there any tendency to get in there and tweak it a little bit? >> no, not really. i mean, i was thinking well maybe it's too short. the album, you know, because only ten songs. now you've got to have like 50 songs on an album. but i couldn't write any more because i'm in a different head spe now. >> and they don't want you singing them anymore. >> no. >> how are your boys? >> liam is 23, he's an actor and a musician. and you'll definitely be hearing from him. and the youngest one is joshua, he's 20, and he's at usc right now and looking to get into video game production. >> we were talking about your fans and how they are sort of unique. how would you describe the rick springfield fan? >> i was thinking about it. because i have a great -- i've talked to -- i'm fan friendly, believe it or not. and i didn't always -- i wasn't always. but i've become very grateful for fans, and -- >> well, you're still here because of them. >> yeah, exactly. just because of, you know, they lose interest, i'm -- but anyway, i have a connection with them. because i came into their lives, a lot of their lives at, you know, puberty. >> "general hospital" -- >> at momentous moments. at puberty, and you know, the when you hit 40, the life-changing thing. so it's -- they're the two biggies. i came in at that point. and i know for myself, sorry, hit my microphone, probably killed the sound guy, right. for myself when i hit puberty those songs that came in and those artists -- >> are the ones that you remember forever. >> what was it for you? >> the beatles for sure. yeah, i saw the beatles when i was 13 years old. they came to australia. and i was in the audience screaming like a girl. >> rick, weill you play somethig for us? >> yeah, yeah, yeah. >> thank you. >> we'll say that you're going to have a cruise coming up? >> oh, yes, it's written on my hand. >> he was on a carnival cruise and you were on the "destiny" and all your fans came? >> yes. >> we have another one coming up in november. we are going down to cozumel for five days, richard marx is a musical guest. as you can see it's pretty crazy. amazing fun. >> that's great. >> what are you going to play for us? >> i don't know. i'll just make something up, shall i? let's play a bit of one of the lullabies. >> yeah. ♪ ♪ he's got promises to keep there's a girl ♪ she really should get to sleep ♪ ♪ so don't keep the sand man waiting ♪ ♪ did i hear his wings just buzz ♪ ♪ or was someone snoring the sand is pouring ♪ ♪ very good at what he does ♪ >> beautiful. >> there's another verse. >> sandman. >> how can people get the cds, on your -- >> actually it's in toys "r" us, and we put it in a different -- it's a different kind of thing. it's on all the websites and my website, rickspringfield.com. >> it's called my precious little one. thank you for coming by. take care. ill to come, you never know what is going to happen if you come and join our crowd. >> our "ambush makeover." you know it and the rules are just ahead. all right, still to come we have two women who are going to debut their beautiful new looks after their amazing "ambush makeover." we're going to find out what their friends think. >> plus "everyone has a story" including a young man named david gordon. we'll find out what makes him and his amazing family so special. and you're going to hear the song that david friedman and i have written just for them. explain. oh yea, well for 6 months, customers get all three: fios tv, internet and phone for just $79.99 a month. oh, all right, see... you're just moving your fingers, aren't you? i gotta cut my nails. (announcer) now get three amazing fios services for the price of two. tv, internet, and phone for only... for the first 6 months. it all adds up to one incredible deal from fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v unlike cable, fios brings 100% fiber optics straight to your home, for razor sharp tv, america's top rated internet-- now even faster, and crystal clear phone service. all for just... for 6 months. it's like getting 3 services for the price of 2. that's a $180 savings over six months for the best in home entertainment. don't miss this unbeatable value 3 great services, for the price of 2. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v this if fios. this is big. we're back on this thursday with more of "today" and the long-awaited plaza "ambush makeover." >> our crack makeover team, ivillage contributor and stylish to the stars louis leg arie and fashion expert and "us weekly" contributor jill martin went into the plaza for two women deserving of a makeover and you guys found two. >> now it's time. >> tell us about them, the process of picking. >> today was funny, because i kept walking by this lady, saying she looks so familiar. and then i realized that she hadn't come once, twice, three times, this is her fourth time here. >> what? and we never picked her? >> i said today's your day. >> fourth time is a charm. >> okay. so our first woman is judy moore. judy is 60 years old from oakdale, california. judy's been married to her husband bob for almost 30 years. she recently retired from being a children's special education teacher's aide for 15 years. she sends her time breeding and raising labrador retrievers. she can't remember the last time she changed her look, except in her words 100 years ago when she dyed her hair. >> when i asked you if your mom needs a makeover, you both screamed gentlemen! >> yes! she does need a makeover. >> once again, tell us why. >> she's hot. look at her. >> she just turned 60. why not? >> do you want a whole new look? >> yes, i do. >> tell us why? >> because i'm old. i need it. i'm in new york. i need to get made over today. >> all right. well we're going to make you a hot morning city gi. are you ready to see a whole new mom? >> yes. >> oh, yes, lindsay and kris are there with their pink blindfolds on. keep your blindfolds on until we give you the go-ahead. here again is judy before. >> uh-huh. >> all right, judy, let's look at the new you. ♪ she's a lady! >> whoa! >> okay. all right you guys ready? take off your blindfolds. >> oh. >> all right, mom, ready? judy, here's your mirror. >> oh. >> how gorgeous do you look? >> oh, that's fine. >> oh, you like it? >> louis the hair. >> yes. inedible, right? >> look at that. look at that. >> go on. >> just to show how aging the color is. we took away that sort of dull hair that had just a little bit of gray coming in. >> and the style, too. >> and gave her layers with more height on top. >> and bangs. >> bangs! got bangs. kathie lee bangs. >> yes, do love those. >> what do you think of your mom? >> she looks gorgeous. >> amazing. >> the outfit is adorable. >> yes. >> she needed a dress for a night out in new york city so this is some white house/black market. and if you need a set of pearls, these are great from talbots, it's one necklace. >> oh, that's absolute lay adorable. >> so you like? >> yes, i do. >> it's a whole new you. >> for the baseball game tonight, girls. >> a big hit. thank you, judy. >> our second lady is named suzanne phelps. she's 55 years old from albuquerque, new mexico. a divorced mother of two daughters. she said she is looking for mr. right. she waits tables seven days a week and in her limited spare time cares for her daughters leaving no time to focus on herself. this is the fourth time she's shown up to our plaza to be ambushed. she's here with her two daughters. first let's take a listen to her story. >> well, i have to show the sign because this is how we found her, peeking through it. you really put a lot of work into this. >> i did. i bought two sets of markers. >> tell us why you want a makeover so badly? >> because i'm just tired of myself. i need a new change. a new start. i could start crying right now. >> why can you start crying? >> i just need to be happy. i'm not happy with myself. >> and you think if we give you this new start you'll feel better? >> i let my hair grow out. my hair is gray and i'm just tired of being me. i need a new me. >>ell no more tears, because we are going to give you a full new start. are you ready? >> thank you. >> oh, my gosh. >> all right. she's here with her daughters. >> who were crying through the blindfolds. >> let's take one last look at susan before, and now let's bring our new susan out. whoo! >> whoo! >> oh, wow. wow. >> all right, girls. take them off. >> see yourself, susan. turn around, darling, look in the mirror. >> oh! >> wow! >> are you happy now? >> turn around. >> look at that. okay we have to ask -- oh, my gosh. >> are you guys okay? >> my mom looks beautiful. >> oh, sweetie. >> beautiful. look at the difference. >> i know. >> let's look at -- look at that. right here. that's unbelievable. >> louis the hair. >> it's great. hair color, haircut and makeup are the quick tips that work. you want to change your life you can change it in less tha an hour. enid put in the violet that shows up her blue eyes. she got the bob with the bevelled back. >> i love that look. >> and i refreshed her hair. instead of being like this no color, it's rustic red. >> she is a hot red momma. >> and look at this body on her. >> yes. >> this is from alex evenings available at macy's. >> so you think you're going to find mr. right now? >> it won't be hard. >> come on out, judy. ladies, you've been officially ambushed by the "today" show. we're delighted for you. so goahead and celebrate. >> thank you. >> next up, everybody, is our "everyone has a story" and it'st to miss. hopefully it's going to touch your heart. nt ♪ everyone has a moment that changes their life ♪ >> we're back with our special series "everyone has a story." carol warden wrote us about her unique son david and his remarkable bravery. >> and while they don't know it, carol entered the contest to show david's siblings how much she appreciates them. so before we meet any of them let's take a listen to carol's letter. so sweet. >> i'm the mother of three terrific children. my middle child, david, suffers from wolf hirschhorn syndrome. at birth we were told he would not see his 6th birthday. while i was pregnant with him i had to stay on bed rest for two months, missing his sister rebecca's third birthday, first day of preschool, and consequently, many other occasions throughout her life. due to his needs. david was born weighing 3 pounds and had to stay in the hospital for six weeks. his beg blue eyes, and blonde curly hair made him very magnetic and angelic looking. he needed a feeding tube for eight years and had uncontrolled seizures. he had a specialist for every part of his body. we lived at the hospital, specialty clinics and doctor's offices for years. when david was 4 years old, his little brother alex was born. they have become inseparable. alex was physicly bigger, helps him do everything. it's been a very long road, with many ups and downs, but david has really enriched our lives in every aspect. he has a great sense of humor and a love for life. david gets a lot of attention due to his infectious personality and friendly nature. his siblings seem to always just be in the background. sacrificing, protecting and loving him. alex and rebecca are unsung heroes and i would be so grateful if they would be recognized for their unending dedication to their special brother. >> so carol is here with her three children, alex, david and rebecca and her husband alan. and you have been charming our entire crew. >> yes, you have. >> all morning. thank you for writing the letter and carol, as a lyricist what i look for in these letters is something that pops out to me, and it was when you said it's been a very long road. >> mm-h. >> and unless you've lived it, you can't even imagine. >> of course, yeah. >> i mean, i think that anybody who has a special-needs child at some point, you find the beauty in it. but in the beginning you see a lot of the things that you -- that are changing in your life. but then, you know, we've certainly have a big gift. >> well, the family is here. i love the reason that you wrote the letter, which i think is terrific, because recognizing the other siblings who, you can tell, they are just terrific people. rebecca, what's it like? >> well, i don't know. it's always -- it's different. it was a challenge at first. but he's been with me since i was 3 years old, so i've grown used to the fact that he's very special to me. and i'm just really blessed to have him, and he's come such a long way. watching him run in track. watching him do everything, grow up. he's going to be in eighth grade. it's just amazing. >> unbelievable. >> yes, you could pretty much do anything you want. >> today's your day. >> it is your day. >> so you have a beautiful family. a great husband. you know that he would be helpful. did you have any idea how helpful the children would be? >> you know, sibling relationship is a very complex relationship, even when everything's going right. and this is -- this is wonderful. they love him unconditionally. supportive, and -- as we all do. but a parents you always are going to love your child. and they really supportive. they're like the wind beneath -- >> unfortunately i didn't write that one. >> but, you know, that's -- >> you never know. >> inspirational, too. >> he inspires a lot of us. >> david came around and gave hugs. >> on my dressing room door and there he was, arms open. it's the best feeling david when you give one of us a hug. thank you for all that today. >> you ready to hear your song, sweetheart? >> i'm ready. >> oh, yes. >> all right. >> it's for your siblings. but we're going to take a break and when you come back you can hear the song we've written just for the gordons and a beautiful lady is goingto sing yeah, no it's great. i eat anything that i want. key lime pie, pineapple upside down cake, raspberry cheesecake... ... yeah, every night is something different. oh, yeah yeah... ... she always keeps them in the house. no, no, no. i've actually lost weight... i just have a high metabolism or something... ...lucky. babe... umm, i gotta go. (announcer) 28 delicious flavors at around 100 calories each. ever wonder how cheez-it bakes... so much real cheese in such small bites? ♪ baking complete! well, now you know. cheez-it. the big cheese. click clack sofas are just $149.99. microwave or compact-fridge -- your choice -- only $59.99! and reversible twin comforter sets -- just $14.99! for back to college... there's smart, and there's kmart smart. announcer: there's a place called hidden valley. where kids not only eat their vegetables, they can't get enough. hidden valley ranch, makes vegetables delectable. now rediscover the delectable taste that can only come from hidden valley, the original ranch. and rebecca gordon and their family. >> now it's time for you to hear the song that was written just for you. please welcome broadway former capezia jenkins and singing with her great friends of mine, emily, diane and margaret. the song is called "it's been a very long road." ♪ ♪ i am at a loss for words for words could never express ♪ ♪ all the thankfulness i feel for all your faithfulness ♪ ♪ i am standing here today in awe of all you have done ♪ ♪ and all that you have given on this journey we've gun ♪ ♪ it's been a very long road but no matter how steep it was ♪ ♪ our troubles are deep and wide you never lost track ♪ ♪ you never looked back no matter how heavy the load ♪ ♪ along a very long road ♪ how i long to tell the world ♪ ♪ of all the dreams you've put away ♪ ♪ walking in the shadows loving your brother each day ♪ ♪ how i wish that i could tell of the things i've seen ♪ ♪ and all the joys we've shared every smile and in between ♪ ♪ it's been a very long road but no matter how steep it was ♪ ♪ for troubles are deep and wide you never lost track you never looked back ♪ ♪ no matter how heavy the load ♪ ♪ along a very long road ♪ ♪ it's been a very long road it's been a long long road ♪ ♪ and you never looked back you never looked back ♪ ♪ no matter how heavy the load snejd ♪ ♪ along a very long road ooh ♪ ♪ and i wouldn't have missed the incredible view ♪ ♪ that i wouldn't have had if it i hadn't had you ♪ ♪ and every blessing you bestowed ♪ ♪ along a very long road ♪ >> whoo! >> capezia, beautiful. thank you. thank you everybody. we'll be right back with more of "today." >> cht all right, we're back. >> look at everyone. >> we're all here, emily, diane, margaret, who performed "it's been a very long road." thank you dave, and dave friedman who wrote the beautiful melody. what did you think of it? >> i think it was a major job. >> major job. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> you were awesome. >> thank you so much. >> capezia. >> we're here with capea. >> yes, yes. >> we've got a surprise for you. >> we do. we have another surprise for alex and rebecca. >> all right. >> now you guys do so much for your brother, david, so we wanted to do something special for you guys. since you both have birthdays coming up and we knowbout that and we know how much you love sport, modell's, the sporting goods store heard about your story and decided to give you a generous donation of stuff. and here it is. >> oh, my gosh. >> oh. >> david, david -- come here. >> david said yeah. >> of course you can. >> look at all that stuff. >> it's pretty cool. >> now rebecca, you are a synchronized swimmer. >> yes, i am. >> you are. >> i think there's some swimming gear there, you can see. >> oh, yes. >> what's your big sport? >> football and soccer. >> you know what we were wondering. the o person we've not heard one word from is the father of the family. tell us about this incredible family of yours. >> i've lened so much. i thought i knew a lot. but, david has given us so much pleasure. we learn more from him, i think, than we could teach him. >> all right. >> he's just so -- wonderful child. and honestly, their brothers and sisters will really love them, support them, and always are on his side. it's just an amazing, what a relationship they have and we're going to be very happy. >> thank you all of you. also a big thank you to kamiko. she's actually leaving our show. and she worked on your story. >> come here! >> everybody, tomorrow is hoda's big surprise birthday party! >> oh, my gosh. >> come on. you can't miss it. we'll have a great day, everybody. >> thank you.

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