good morning. wall street jitters. another bad day sends stocks plummeting into the red for the year. amid a new report that the economic recovery has stalled. and a new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll out this morning shows most americans believe the worst is yet to come. fed up or messed up? new questions this morning about what really happened on that jetblue flight that ended with flight attendant steven slater's infamous emergency slide exit. did an argument really push him over the edge? or was he already acting strangely long before that encounter? we'll talk to a woman who says he was rude to her. and tween of the opera, a 10-year-old at "america's got

talent" with a voice beyond her years. ♪ and she is quickly becoming a sensation "today," thursday, august 12th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this crazy busy thursday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> that's right. i'm ann curry. crazy and busy. in for matt this morning. crazy and busy because a lot of evidence of doom and gloom whether it comes to the u.s. economy, especially in wake of the comments from the fed that the recovery has hit yet another snag. >> exactly. that news sparked fear on wall street and the dow plunged 265 points on wednesday. and according to that new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll 58% of americans now believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. we're going to get the latest on all of it straight ahead. >> all right. some important numbers to get to. and also ahead some breaking news overnight.

an arrest has been made in connection with that nationwide manhunt for serial stabber who allegedly killed at least five people in three states. so we'll get the latest on that. >> plus, he's being hailed as a hero, but now new details are questioning initial reports of what allegedly happened on that jetblue flight beforeployed the slide. we're going to talk to a woman who was on that flight. we also have a live interview with slater's ex-wife. >> and also a story you may not want your kids to see if they don't like eating their peas. because a massachusetts man accidentally gone down to the wrov wrong pipe, one of the peas did. and months later an x-ray showed that pea had sprouted and was actually growing in his lungs. we're going to meet him this morning. find out how this might have happened. >> all right. we're going to begin with the frayed nerves on wall street. one day after the dow closed down 265 points, the biggest percentage drop in over a month, jim cramer is the host of cnbc's "mad money." jim, good morning to you. let's go over the numbers and then you tell me how you interpret them. dow fell 255 points.

biggest percentage drop in over a month, driving it back into the red for the year. in fact all the major indexes fell more than 2% yesterday. what is going on? >> this is still about jobs. we thought that we were creating them. this is the backlash after what we had last friday, we're just not creating jobs, and ben bernanke is telling the truth, the fed chairman is saying, the economy is not moving. >> right. he's saying the pace of the recovery is slow. he also says it's likely to be more modest, the pace of expansion in the near term than it did anticipated. that creates uncertainty and fear with people. is it cause for concern, though? do you make that leap that we're in for big trouble? >> no. i think what we're really in for is more of the same. we do not have a good recovery. we are not snapping back. we're not hiring -- hiring people. but i'll tell you this, people should stay pat. this is nothing like we had a couple years ago. i hear so much doom and gloom, it doesn't fit with the facts. things aren't great. they're not bad. >> yeah, but when the fed says they're buying $18 billion in government debt, how is that going to solve the problem?

it seems like a drop in the bucket. >> they want to keep interest rates low so the companies will feel like things are going to get better and they'll hire. they want people to take down a mortgage. they want them to refinance. the federal government, including the fed chairman, all are on your side. just doesn't matter yet. >> quickly, an editorial in this morning's "new york times," the fed did not use the word recession or i mean deflation or double-dip recession. this is what the editorial says. the fed's statement on tuesday avoided the words but the markets herd them still because the fed's efforts alones are like through steer the nation clear of those dangers. are we headed for a double-dip recession? >> again, two negatives. what we are headed toward is an uneven recovery. if we were to go back to what was going on two years ago, there would be major bank failures already. we would be hearing about these things. we have not that many layoffs as we used to. we just don't have anybody hiring. i refuse to get as gloomy as the people that our readers hear about because i speak to ceos and i speak to companies. it's just not that bad. >> for investors rather than

panic, what should they do? >> diversify. maybe buy some gold. gold always goes up at the end of the year. and just be mindful that dividends are giving much better return this year. certificates of deposits, or treasuries, they're a better bet. >> what's going to turn you negative? you said i refuse to be -- >> you know i've been negative on this show when i think it's negative. i have to see major failures. i have to see just true collapses of companies and financial institutions. we are so far away from that that i can't buy into that we're going to return to those days. >> all right jim cramer, thank you very much. catch more of jim's advice on "mad money" week nights at 6:00 and 11:00 eastern time on cnbc. now here's ann. >> all right, meredith, thanks. what do americans think about the economy and about the politicians in charge during these tough times? we're getting some answers from a newly released nbc news/"wall street journal" poll, we've got nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent chuck todd here in the studio. hey, chuck. thanks for being here. >> good morning. >> so, even though jim cramer sounds very positive, there's a lot of pessimism, as we've seen in the market, but also on wall

street, but also on main street according to this new poll. >> americans are feeling doom and gloom. he may not be seeing doom and gloom but look at those numbers about where people feel like we're still in a recession. 64% say we have yet to hit bottom. it's an unbelievable number. nine months ago in january, only 53% had that. so here we were the obama administration told us that this was going to be recovery summer. we've had the administration arguing that the recovery is on their way. jim cramer was telling us that the financial numbers say that. the american people don't feel it. >> and they don't feel like the country is heading in the right direction, which is even more -- they're really concerned about where it is going. >> and 58% say we're headed in the wrong direction. this is taking a huge political toll on president obama. right now the highest yet negative rating on his handling of the economy. 52%. even people who approve of his job overall are disapproving of the way he's handling the economy. >> and disapproving -- we're getting the numbers in terms of what specifically they're disapproving him about in terms of what he's done.

>> that's right. they don't -- they're not -- they don't feel the recovery. i think part of this may be a disconnect. he's out there every day saying it's coming. it's getting better. and it goes to these places that are hiring 500 people here and 1,000 people there, and they're trying to say, look, it's going to get better. it's going to get better. people aren't feeling it. now they're getting more pessimistic and you do wonder if they've stopped listening to washington because they're sitting there saying, hey, washington's saying it's getting better. i'm not feeling like it's getting better. then that leads to this crankiness that they feel about all politicians. >> they're feeling crankiness about both political parties. republicans a bit more, but even the tea party gets a hit in this poll. >> it does. everybody is angry at all things washington. democrats hit an all-new high in their negative ratings. republicans have even a higher negative rating. the tea party, which had enjoyed a positive rating for a while now they have a negative rating. look, what this is leading to is in november, democrats are still in big trouble. they could lose both of their majorities. but if the republicans get the majority because people have

decided to go in the ballot box and hold their nose they're not happy with anybody. >> the bottom line is americans are unhappy and the midterm elections could be a -- >> it's going to be a bad election night for all of washington. democrats are in big trouble. even if they hold their majority, the public is saying, they're not doing their job right and we don't like it. >> because what you said privately is that it's going to be a hold your nose -- >> it's a hold your nose election. walk into that ballot box, and whoever they pick, they're not happy about it. >> chuck todd. not good news but it tells you something. thank you so much this morning. it is 7:08. once again here's meredith. >> ann, thank you. federal investigators are getting their first look at the wreckage of the plane crash in alaska that killed five people, including former senator ted stevens. nbc's michelle kosinski is in anchorage, alaska, with details. michelle, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. crash investigators were only able to get out to that remote, rugged scene late wednesday. but they get so much daylight this time of year they were able to stay awhile.

we can expect more details today. one thing they've been trying to do is talk to the four survivors here at the hospital. there were no flight data recorders on that plane, so they may hold the key to what exactly happened in those moments before they slammed into the side of a mountain. even the images are few right now. one misty shot of that red plane, where it rests in the forbidding alaskan wilderness. as hard to get to as an answer. why? >> everything's on the table. we haven't ruled anything out. >> reporter: investigators now know that the pilot terry smith reported turbulence that morning on his way to pick up senator ted stevens' group at their lodge but described it as a nuisance. the group took off around 2:00 p.m. an hour earlier than previously reported. they want to know why it wasn't until some four hours later that anyone realized they hadn't arrived at their fishing destination. there was no distress call. the single engine plane hit the mountain possibly in a climb, with its left wing dipped.

the ntsb has tried to talk to the four survivors, but their medical conditions won't allow it. former nasa chief sean o'keefe, critically injured, his son kevin, 16 years old, also seriously hurt, but both expected to make a full recovery. washington lobbyist jim morehart in serious condition, his sister-in-law by phone described that moment she learned of the crash so far away. >> horrified. not shocked that he was there or involved, just so scared that we were going to lose him. >> reporter: stevens' former chief of staff bill phillips died in the accident. but phillips' 13-year-old son wi willie survived. >> from what i heard he's going to recover. but it's a tragedy, that's for sure. >> reporter: willie was the only passenger to make it out of the plane. he tried to find help while the others all remained strapped in their seats. searchers spotting the wreckage from the air wondered if anyone could have survived. >> the front of the airplane was nonexistent. pretty much gone.

back to the bulkhead. >> reporter: and then they saw a hand waving from the fuselage. rescuers landed in the dark and storm to hike nearly an hour through mud and treacherous terrain to find them. to keep them warm through that awful night. now, they recover. investigators eager to search their memories for clues. two things the ntsb is looking into. the pilot's medical history, his amount of experience with this type of aircraft, and the plane's maintenance records. meredith? >> michelle kosinski, thank you very much. now let's get a check of the rest of the top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. there's been arrest connected to a series of murders in michigan. officials confirm that a person of interest was arrested last night in atlanta. in recent weeks five people were stabbed to death in and around flint, michigan, and 20 others were wounded there and in leesburg, virginia. officials say the man is linked to both of those locations.

police meanwhile released a sketch of the suspect earlier this week. investigators say for now the man is being held on unrelated charges. the search is intensifying this morning for escaped inmate john mccluskey and his alleged accomplice. the two are being called the most wanted fugitives in america. nbc's george lewis is in billings, montana. good morning to you, george. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. the u.s. marshal's service says the fugitive couple may have undergone a makeover, changing their appearance to avoid capture. this as the search for them spreads across the country. these pictures of john mccluskey and caslin welch have been splashed across the country. now this is what investigators believe they look like. mccluskey may have let his hair and beard grow out and welch may have dyed her hair blonde. a woman matching that description was spotted sunday at the bad frog mexican can tina grill in st. mary, montana, just south of the canadian border.

>> this guy showed up the next day, have you seen this lady? oh, my gosh, i served her food. >> reporter: the investigation broadened wednesday into arkansas, where a man and a woman robbed the owner of the cut and curl beauty salon in gentry, arkansas, near where welch's mother lives. >> scary. real scary. he kept saying he was sorry but they needed the money. >> reporter: but when police showed the owner the pictures of mccluskey and welch -- >> is this who you saw this morning? >> no. >> reporter: and back in montana the search for the couple remains a high priority. >> we have officers obviously from the u.s. marshal's service as well as our counterparts at the federal, state and local level. we are working nonstop, 24/7, on this case, and continuing to pursue every lead that comes in. >> reporter: experts say that a couple calling themselves a modern bonnie and clyde may be enjoying all of this notoriety. natalie, back to you in new york. >> george lewis in billings, montana. thank you, george. members of the jury in the

rod blagojevich case are hinting they're deadlocked on at least some of the corruption charges against him. the panel has been deliberating now almost two weeks. heavy rain triggered sev heavy rain triggered severe flooding wednesday in parts of iowa, killing one person and forcing the evacuation of hundreds. some places got six inches of rain. more rain is expected tonight and tomorrow. and a happy ending for some sightseers who were trapped on a glacier in alaska after their plane crashed. all of them are now safe. nine people were rescued wednesday, including three others who had been picked up the day before. and a small train, big problems wednesday. 15 children and adults were officials in louisiana have caught a suspect the fbi has dubbed the granddad bandit. he's suspected of robbing banks in 13 states during the last two years. you're up to date right now at 14 minutes past the hour. let's turn back over to meredith, ann and al. >> thank you very much. first check of the weather from

mr. roker. >> good morning. we're expecting to see something develop down in the gulf but tropical depression number five kind of broken up. we're looking at heavy rain developing along there. we've got flood watches from new orleans all the way to pensacola, florida. rainfall amounts over the next 48 hours, anywhere from 2 to 7 inches of rain locally. and we've got the heat continuing from chicago down to dallas out to the carolinas. heat, temperatures we're going to be looking at temperatures, air temperatures at the century mark from fort worth to raleigh. you factor in the humidity, it's going to feel like anywhere from 111 to 105dy degrees as far north as minneapolis-st. paul. good morning. i'm ria taormina in for rob. you can barely see the transamerica building, a live shot at downtown san francisco. and those clouds will be sticking around, but they will be burning off as the day goes on. today's high, getting almost to 80. not quite there. we will be getting to the 80s

over the weekend and more summer like temperatures and the coas,s as always, a bit cooler. in the 60s. that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thank you. now the husband of the american woman arrested for the brutal murders of her three children is opening up about the painful loss of his family. nbc's martin fletcher is in london with the latest on this story. martin, good morning. >> ann, good morning. eight days after the children were found dead, he spoke for the first time in public trying to come to terms with an unimaginable loss. >> shocked, paralyzed with grief, not quite sure what to do next. certainly the tragedy around their deaths just makes it much more painful. >> reporter: his three children murdered last week, allegedly by his wife. the engineer heartbroken, the family destroyed.

>> she was just bouncing off the walls with excitement. you know, she didn't so much walk from place to place, it was more bouncing, just full of energy. >> reporter: according to the report, teresa cut their throats, set fire to the apartment, jumped from the balcony while the three children died she survived. now she's been charged by police in scotland with their murder. >> luke was kind of the hyperactive one. he was walking at 9 months old and probably sprinting at 9 1/2 months. austin was always more happy to sit back and see what was going on and then respond to luke. >> reporter: rigy now is comforted by his roman catholic faith. >> they're truly in a safe police. >> reporter: they were in the throes of a bitter divorce and fighting about custody of the children. but none of what happens makes sense to teresa's friends, her children were play mates with the kids. she described teresa as loving

and caring. >> a couple of weeks ago they said do you think teresa would ever hurt herself and the kids? and i said not in a million years. >> reporter: now a shrine is forming outside the house where the children were found dead. >> memories that we have of cecilia, austin and luke will forever provide joy and comfort. >> reporter: there are three more stars in the sky. in a 22-minute interview, pasquale didn't once mention his wife. she's still in the hospital recovering from her injuries and faces a murder trial. he says his children are with god. ann? >> martin fletcher, thank you so much this morning. it is now 7:18. once again here's meredith. >> ann, thank you very much. on a much different note, it's been over five years since the world lost a comedy legend, johnny carson. but his legacy and the laughs he gave us live on. and now the entire tonight show library has been made available online. >> ladies and gentlemen, here's

johnny! >> reporter: for 30 years on nbc, johnny carson was the king of late night. and his "tonight show" the throne of american comedy. at the top of his game night after night, as many as 15 million loyal fans tuned in. >> would you welcome jerry seinfeld. >> reporter: comedians who got an early break from carson saws his influence was unparalleled. >> we eight dirt every day of the week. >> reporter: from the animals to the parade of celebrity guests his show was a who's who of pop culture. until he signed off for good in 1992. >> we're going to come to an end. nothing lasts forever. >> reporter: the host with boyish charm passed away in 2005. now his voice lives on. carson's entire "tonight show" archive has been digitized and posted online at where else, johnnycarson.com. over 3,000 hours, millions of

jokes. a treasure trove of hidden gems long under lock and key. here's woody allen with johnny on new year's eve, 1965. >> without question the most adorable -- >> one of the greatest of all times. johnny carson. it's fantastic. cannot wait. >> reporter: late night's jimmy fallon was just a kid dreaming of stardom when carson went off the air 18 years ago. >> every host looks up to him and wants to be like him. >> a nail -- >> reporter: not even karnac the magnificent could have predicted the long-standing legacy. >> i remember the first night backstage i said well, when this is over, it will be a week. then it will be a year. ten years from now you won't even remember this night. we all laughed. thinking there's no way anybody's going to do this for ten years. i don't know if i can take another night of this. >> reporter: it seems the magic of his monologues have outlived the man. now his voice and his laughter

live on. and like anything wonderful there is a slight hitch. you do have to register to see the majority of the clips. but there's a lot of little bites -- >> up a little bit too late last night when i found out about this logging on and i saw the ann-margret dance -- >> animated, i think. >> exactly. >> believe me. just a lot of fun, and so, i don't know, evocative. >> when i was a little kid my parents let me watch him on friday's nights and new year's eve. >> i know, i know. anyways -- >> all right. >> exactly. just ahead. was steven slater acting strange during that flight long before -- we'll talk to a woman who was on that flight. plus a live interview with his ex-wife. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

walking around with a pea plant growing inside of his lungs. he's got the x-rays to prove it.

good morning. time is 7:26. i'm brent cannon checking in with mike. the big problem on the commute, the south bay. >> northbound 101 has been a nightmare. a series of accidents around oakland road has caused the problems. the build-up now is happening before you get to hellyer. slow through this area. capital expressway will take you a bit further north, sunol, getting to the south bay in the southbound direction. ria? >> downtown san jose, some clouds are beginning to lift and clear a bit. it is looking good.

let's look at the seven-day forecast. the good news is the numbers are going up, up, up. by this weekend we will have summer time temperatures close to 90s in most areas. as cler but more sunshine.

twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. contra costa county sheriff's department will release a new sketch today of a sexual assault suspect. the three attacks at the same

wall net creek apartment complex are linked. the first happened in january, the latest on tuesday. a 25-year-old woman said she woke up with the suspect covering her mouth. she had pepper spray and was able to spray him in the face and he ran away. the "today" show returns in less than a minute.

♪ >> 7:30 now on this thursday morning, august 12th, 2010. and that amazing voice belongs to 10-year-old jackie evancho from pittsburgh, pennsylvania. she knocked the socks off the judges on nbc's "america's got talent" with her incredibly mature voice. i happened to see a moment of this yesterday, ann, and i thought it was taped at first. it's so mature and so beautiful coming out of a 10-year-old. >> exactly. i think a lot of people are in disbelief over last night. people's jaws just dropped. >> yes.

>> you can't believe it. >> she looks like an angel, too. i understand she's already got a gig at carnegie hall in december. >> exactly. >> she's already a star. coming up in a moment, a new twist. steven slater's dramatic exit down jetblue plane's emergency slide. we'll talk to a passenger who said she had her own encounter with slater at the beginning of the flight. plus we'll hear from his ex-wife who is here for a live interview. >> also this morning a man suffering from scary symptoms discovered he was actually living with a pea plant that had basically taken root in his lungs. we're going to meet him coming up this morning to find out what happened. >> and coming up tomorrow on "today," an exclusive live interview with lind say lohan's mother dina lohan. she's going to open up in detail for the first time about her daughter's time in jail and stay in court-ordered rehab. how is lindsay doing? we're going to find out when dina lohan joins us live tomorrow on "today." we're going to begin this half hour with new questions about what that jetblue flight attendant was doing before he slid away on the emergency

slide. we're going to talk to one of the passengers on that plane and steven slater's ex-wife in just a moment. but first, nbc's jeff rossen is outside slater's home in queens, new york. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, meredith, good morning to you. steven slater and his boyfriend are back home here this morning maybe sleeping. he doesn't have a job to get to anymore. but the neighbors around here in queens are really eating it up. one of the neighbors made this sign, hanging it from the balcony. good for you, steve, i feel your pain, love anyone who has to serve the public. but this morning there are, as you mentioned, the tide is sort of turning against the flight attendant himself. passengers on board that flight now saying that he's the one who was acting rude and weird the entire flight. bumping into people as he walked up and down the aisle. some passengers actually say in published reports that he stopped serving the passengers halfway through the flight. we're going to hear from one of those passengers in just a moment. but first, this morning, a new interview with steven slater himself. and he now admits, yes, i wanted to pull that chute for years.

we caught up with steven slater underground, in a manhattan parking garage. >> how you feeling today? >> oh, i've got a lot to do. lot on my plate. >> what do you want to say to all the people who are calling you sort of a working-class hero? >> i'm a little overwhelmed. it's something i had no idea was going on out there. >> any regrets? >> that face says it all, huh? >> and with that, slater was on the move, again. >> where are you off to? >> here, there and everywhere. >> with his boyfriend in the passenger seat. but everywhere slater goes, -- there's a camera. >> i thought about it for 20 years, i thought about it. but you never think you're going to do it. questions, okay? >> reporter: after all, this is a legal matter now. prosecutors say his meltdown

over a rude passenger was criminal. though he may have dreamed of deploying the emergency chute, actually doing it, they claim, was dangerous. now steven slater is charged with felony that could carry a seven-year prison sentence. he pled not guilty. so why does everyone love him so much? >> he's angry, he's swearing at people, he's got the t-shirt, we found a replacement for simon cowell. >> reporter: believe it or not, slater was a happy worker, writing recently on an aviation blog, i fly because i love it. and he was a stickler for jetblue's baggage policy. off a blog slater called himself a bag as in zpi about carry-ons. i am letting down all those who cooperate. remember he says it was a passenger breaking the luggage rule that sent him over the edge or down the chute. >> it sets a horrible precedent. we don't want employees all across the country looking at this guy like a role model.

there's an 18-year-old in my hometown of philadelphia who identified herself and told the local newspaper that she works at mcdonald's, and that if she were going to quit her job she'd stick a roach in somebody's salad. is that what we want? ♪ take this job and shove it >> reporter: but for us frustrated americans, slater is a hero. at least 160,000 people have signed up on his facebook fan page. doubling in size wednesday alone. by the way, the rude passenger who supposedly started all of this is still in hiding. police are still wanting to talk to her. but she did make money on it, meredith. jetblue has given everybody on board a $100 voucher for their inconvenience. >> all right. and a great story. jeff rossen, thank you very much. lauren was on that jetblue flight and had her own encounr with slater before it took off. i spoke with her earlier this morning. >> i didn't think anything was wrong until i saw him and he had

a huge gash on his head, and it was a fresh wound, with obviously not dried blood, it was visibly wet. and you know, i thought everything was okay. i thought that it was a prior gash, but that it was still bleeding or whatever it may have been. and looked very disgruntled, and we were on a plane for about 15 minutes, so he had a good a bit amount of time to get settled in and to take care of his wound. and i asked for a clorox wipe or some type of cleaning supply that i could clean my seat with, because there was coffee spilled on it. and he rolled his eyes at me and asked me, what, you know, in a really rude way. and i explained to him, can i have a clorox wipe, and i pointed to the coffee that was spilled on the seat. and he said, not right now, honey, maybe when we get in the air. i have to take care of myself first.

>> did he seem agitated to you at that point? >> he did seem agitated to me. and, you know, i just -- i just thought to myself that he's having a bad day, or this is the type of person he is. and he actually made me feel pretty uncomfortable whenever he had said that to me. i knew that i wasn't going to get anything to clean up the coffee with, so i just let it go after that point. and i actually thought for the remainder of the flight that he was slamming the overhead containers throughout the flight, i heard discussion with the other flight attendants, he was slamming doors behind the scene. >> well that gives us some perspective on his behavior during the flight. thank you so much, lauren, for talking to us this morning. >> sure. >> we appreciate it. >> sure, no problem. >> steven slater's ex-wife, cynthia, good morning to you. thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having me. >> you and steven were high school sweethearts. you were heard at 18 for a very brief period of time but you

remained good friends. when you found out he was the flight attendant in the eye of this storm, what was your first reaction? >> well, it was brought to me by a news reporter over the telephone. and, excuse me, then a barrage of phone calls to follow. it was shocking to me, only because i couldn't believe the media frenzy already at my doorstep. i can only imagine what steven's going through. >> now there are questions, initially we saw them and steven told police it was an altercation with a passenger, rude passenger, that he hit his head prior to takeoff because she -- i guess one of the bins opened up and she was acting rudely toward him and that later she was rude once again and that's what caused him to lose it. now we're hearing from this passenger that you just wlistenned to that actually he was rude from the start with her over another matter, over spilled coffee, and other passengers say that he seemed agitated throughout the flight. well before this sudden blowup. what do you make of that? you know steven. >> i do. and i really must say i don't believe it.

i mean perception is everything. and of course these passengers are going to have their opinions of things, maybe biased slightly by the friendsy ensuing. i don't know if it's an opportunistic, you know, situation for them to have some time within the media. i'm not certain. i know that steven is a competent flight attendant. he was literally born to fly. he absolutely adores everything about the job. takes it very seriously. always has. he's just a stellar individual. and a gentleman. i find it very difficult to believe that he would be rude to anyone, especially in the air. >> even though several other passengers have since come forward and said, in fact, some said they thought he was inebriated? >> well, i'm sure that you've seen this a couple of times with these kind of mass media frenzies, and then everybody kind of jumps on the bandwagon. it would not surprise me, again, if perception was not skewed based on the fact that there's so much going on with this at one time. i don't believe that he was rude to anyone. >> okay. on steven's myspace profile he says that he has been beating alcoholism and substance abuse one day at a time.

we know that he did grab some beers when he went down that chute. does he have a problem? i mean, could this have something to do with all of this? >> you know, i don't know steven to have a problem with alcohol or substance abuse. if that was, you know, he handled it beautifully if that's the case. because he, like i said, he's just such a great, fantastic person. >> so let me ask you about the meltdown. have you ever seen him behave in that kind of a manner? >> never. he -- no. he's just such a gentleman. i think that this is a indicative sign of how frustrated he must have been. i must go out on a limb and say that this passenger was a nightmare. i mean, something had to take him to that place. i'm assuming this passenger was the end-all, be-all of something he doesn't want to deal with. >> what do you make of the fact that by some he's being hailed as a hero? >> again, it's a sign of the times. we've all stood in a line behind someone watching them abuse the store clerk or taking matters

into their own hands by being rude and self-serving. you know, it's -- it's everywhere. and i think that flight attendants, more so than anybody else, have to deal with these things. you know, they are not waitresses of the sky. you know, they're there to save your lives. and not to serve you peanuts but get you off that plane in case of an emergency. and i think people take advantage. when i was flying here yesterday there was three fellows that completely ignored the safety address, the flight attendant was, you know, trying to give them the information. i don't care how many times you've flown, they should have that respect at least of your time and interest. >> if you could -- i know you haven't spoken to him since this happened. what would you like to say to him? >> oh, i just, you know, i think he's fantastic. and i know that he will handle this with all the grace and humility that he has. i know that it's overwhelming. he's in a bubble right now and i'm sure he'll come through just fine. >> sticking by him through thick and then. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> all right. thanks a lot, meredith. and we've got -- i think this

young lady has traveled the furthest we've had anybody. you're from kenya? >> yes. >> what's your name? >> megan. >> how old are you? >> 12. >> is dad here with you? >> yes. >> thanks for coming down. >> thank you so much. >> we appreciate that. that's fantastic. let's check your weather, see what's happening. we've got a couple of areas of severe weather along the carolinas and back through the midwest. we're looking at the risk of strong storms, isolated tornadoes, as well. and we've got the showers and thunderstorms firing up here in the northeast. down into the mid-atlantic states. rain also back through the plains, and you can see especially along the mid-atlantic coast, anywhere from 3 to 4 ifrks of rain. we have one more daughter here? >> yes. >> how old are you? >> i'm turning 9. >> turning 9. all right, very nice. and your wife over here? >> yes. >> we've got the whole family now. got everybody in. thanks, al. all we have is a cup of degrees below-average temperatures. this is a live look at the san

mateo bridge. widespread clouds and fog. that will be sticking around for a while. the burn-off should be earlier than yesterday. by thecoeekend we should have summertime-like temperatures. cool at the coast as always. >> our executive director jim -- our executive producer jim bell tells us gumbo. jumbo. all right. we've got a little swahili in there. we love it. guys, back to you. >> all right, al, thank you very much. and still ahead the motherhood. working women with children earn much less than their childless counterparts. up next an unbelievable story. growing in his lung.

if your mother ever warned you to slow down while eating because the food could go down the wrong pipe, boy do we have a story for you. natalie's here about more on that. >> that's right. mom also told us to eat our peas. that was the problem here, because months of coughing and trouble breathing left his doctors dumbfounded. but a shocking x-ray finally revealed what was causing his symptoms. ron had a problem sprouting in his lungs. for months the 75-year-old had been coughing. his health was taking a turn for

the worst. but doctors couldn't find what was wrong. >> i was not doing too well. a lot of coughing. i was very listless. >> reporter: already battling emfeez i'm ma he prepared himself to face a tumor and lung cancer. until he found out something very different was growing. >> i was told that i had a pea seed in my lung that had split and had sprouted. >> reporter: his magic bean had gone down the wrong way. instead of swallowing it, the pea traveled down into his windpipe, lodged inside his lung, and had begun to take root. the seed grew to 1.5 inches, which had a sprout-like appearance, eventually causing his lung to collapse. >> whether this would have gone full term and i'd be working for the jolly green giant, i don't know. >> reporter: although his case is a rare one, doctors say the environment inside our lungs is very much like a greenhouse. >> the conditions are right for

things to grow. it's like having your garden in the summer. if the right seed is there, and it has the right kind of nutrients, it possibly could grow. >> reporter: but should you would be worried the next time you eat your vegetables? doctors say just remember your mother's advice and chew your food. >> we should always be careful in terms of what we eat and how fast we eat it. >> reporter: now out of the hospital and back at home, he and his wife nancy feel extremely lucky. >> he has such a sense of humor. it could have been just nothing but it had to be a pea and it had to be sprouting. >> reporter: although the plant growing inside his lung nearly killed him, he hasn't stopped eating his vegetables. >> one of the first meals i had in the hospital after the surgery had peas for the vegetables. i laughed myself and ate them. >> his friends and his families and neighbors have been bringing over all kinds of pea gifts.

>> of course. >> pea soup. >> kind of like a veggie version -- >> pea brain -- >> oh. >> -- i've -- >> oh, great. >> -- anyway. natalie, thank you so much. >> and the breathing apparatus had nothing to do. >> he had a lot of lung issues. >> we wish you well. anyway still to come this morning if you're a working woman, is there a motherhood penalty when it comes to your career? we're going to hear from a woman who was fired after missing a meeting.

so you all are busy with other things yesterday, i got the nice interview with the six sextuplets. >> they are so cute. >> just three years old. as you know, to have six of them -- >> it was all chaos. >> i loved the one when they started running in circles. back up. >> i think they had all the doughnuts in the green room. but it was unreal. >> the phones at home didn't see what happened after the interview. which is truly disturbing. >> you need to look at this. >> natalie grabbed a couple of beers -- >> oh. >> thanks, guys. >> pulled a steven slater. >> the steven slater. >> oh, man. >> i was waiting for a rescue.

>> what were you doing there? what is that? >> that was a story that we did -- >> oh, okay. >> now -- >> oh, my gosh. >> looks like -- >> oh, man. >> did you see -- >> you know, they're just adorable. >> i don't think anybody heard a word i said -- >> just ahead what you need to do if your job is driving you crazy.

. good morning. time is 7:56. i'm brent cannon. checking in with mike and he has the latest on the back-up at the bay bridge. >> the metering lights are on. look at that. there's a back-up at the metering lights, not the toll plaza. 7:30, light volume of traffic throughout the east bay. taking you to the south bay, back-up continues here's, slow drive for 101. all lanes are cleared at oakland road, but a series of accidents caused that to be a slow drive. 87 bearing the brunt of some of that back-up. highway 17, an accident reported at redwood estates. we don't know which direction, but we see slowing in both directions. over the 17 mountains, you may

find fog, low clouds on the santa cruz side. that's pretty much a sure thing, right? i was going to say, mike, you're taking my line, the clouds? yes, at least there are clouds in the live shot, not that i want there to be. but i knew i would be talking about that. golden gate bridge, a live look, it will be clearing earlier than yesterday. mid 60s by lunch time. and for our seven-day forecast, look at these numbers, they're going up a bit every day.

caltrans is warning that without a state budget, most of its project also come to a stop. caltrans leaders saying if there's no budget by september they will not have enough money to pay contractors, meaning they would have to suspend work. new contracts would be delayed until caltrans can pay crews. there are currently $9.5 billion worth of projects under way, but another $1.5 billion in projects are on hold. more local news in a half hour and the "today" show returns in less than a half minute.

8:8:00 this thursday morning. yes, that is the white house. a couple minutes ago you couldn't make it out because there was so much fog, dark skies and a lot of rain there. washington, d.c. is getting nailed by a strong storm this morning. we are hoping to have much -- there you go. see the -- >> we're hoping for better weather here in new york tomorrow when pop star ke$ha is live. >> ke$ha. >> i'm sorry. >> but she's not bringing any kashi. >> well, ke$ha will be here live -- >> very, very exciting.

>> meredith vieira along with ann curry, and al roker. matt has the morning off. >> so mostly some showers, maybe a thunderstorm may creep in here as part of our southern viewing area. where washington is right now they're in the midst of a risk of strong storms today. >> a little bit of sprinkle going on right here. >> a little spritz. >> also ahead we want to talk about a warning to anyone who is thinking about pulling a steven slater. basically i know it's inspired a lot of people, talking about the flight attendant who slid down that emergency chute because he couldn't take it anymore. we've got some advice from some experts. they say that that's really not the best way to handle your workplace frustrations. so we'll try to kind of go into that. >> the pay gap between working mothers and childless women is actually larger than the gap between men and women. >> really? >> instead of a gender gap we're talking about a parent gap now. and some people believe that it's actually a motherhood penalty for working moms.

we're going to talk about that and talk about one mom who had to pick between her job and her child. she was fired for missing work because her daughter had pink eye. >> that's horrible. >> speaking of horrible. i don't know if you heard over the weekend, there was an internut roomer that was running wild that bill cosby had died. it was crazy. >> no. >> yeah, well obviously, doc cosby is okay. he is here live. and he's looking very good for a guy who supposedly passed over the weekend. he's fantastic. he's here to discuss those rumors and his website obkb and he's looking very sharp in his seersucker. >> oh, mr. cosby! >> natalie morales is at the news desk. >> good morning to you guys once begin. and good morning, everyone. there's been an arrest linked to a deadly serial stabbing spree across three states. police in leesburg, virginia, announced that a person of interest in the case was arrested on unrelated charges last night in atlanta. most of the 20 victims stabbed

since may in michigan, virginia, and even ohio, have been black men. the attacker described as white. five of the victims died. tomorrow will mark ten weeks since 7-year-old kyron hormen disappeared in oregon. police say they believe he could still be alive and they're making a new appeal for help. nbc's mara schiavocampo is in oregon for us. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. in the search for chyron horman investigators think their best witness may still not have come forward so as they've done several times before officials are once again appealing to area residents for help with this case. >> anybody that remembers seeing something that didn't seem quite right is exactly what we'd like to hear about. >> reporter: at their first press conference in more than two weeks, multnomah county sheriffs asked the public for more tips. this time focusing not on kyron, but rather this truck driven by

his stepmother terri horman the morning he disappeared. witnesses have come forward helping to place the truck at four separate locations on june 4th, including these grocery stores. sources for kgw, the nbc station in portland, say terri horman was shopping here. what they want to know is who else might have been with her in the truck. information about the truck could open the door to other clues. investigators also asked for help about the possible involvement of horman's friend dedespicher. she was reportedly unreachable by cell phone for about three hours on the day of kyron's disappearance and police have searched several properties with which she has a connection. >> i was completely blown away. >> reporter: spicher's former boyfriend said being out of contact was unusual for her. >> not like her to answer her phone. she answers her phone -- she answers her phone. >> reporter: neither spicher nor horman have been named suspects but officials say they are slowly piecing to the what happened to the child who went

to school and never came home. >> the investigation is most certainly productive. it's just one of those cases that just isn't going to fall into our lap. >> reporter: now, investigators are still operating under the assumption that kyron is alive because they have no evidence to suggest otherwise. and they are also moving forward with this investigation in the hopes that they can bring this little boy home safely. natalie? >> all right, maria schiavocampo in portland, oregon. the national weather service has issued a flash flood watch for northwest iowa. three nights of heavy rain caused flooding in the central part of the state. a teenage girl died when surging water swept away three cars and hundreds of people have been forced from their homes. a three-day operation to rescue 12 people trapped on an alaskan glacier after a sightseeing plane crash ended successfully wednesday. there were no serious injuries. and a professional surfer who is not afraid of big waves, pretty fearless, too, around big

sharks, take a look. chuck patterson saw two sharks swimming off the coast of southern california, so what did he do? he got his video camera and let the great whites circle around him for 15 heart-pounding minutes. that right there is my worst nightmare. 8:06 right now. let's get another check of the weather from there roker. >> thank you, natalie. we've got a birthday. >> my birthday. >> where are you from? >> west virginia. >> want to tell us how old? >> 33. >> let's check your weather, see whaten pphaing. thunderstorms, heavy thunderstorms with lightning, strong rain, some hailpp embedd in these storms from washington up to baltimore. as we check out the rest of your forecast, that's going to be moving through. kansas our pick city. nbc 27. sunny and sizzling. a risk of strong storms along the atlanta states. also a strong risk of storms back through the dakotas on into minnesota where we've got some showers and thunderstorms firing up now. heat continues in the southeast. remnants of tropical depression five causing problems down along the gulf coast.

anywhere from three to five inches of rain over the next 48 hours. and the heat continues in the southwest. beautiful in seattle today. 78 and sunny. it is beautiful here in san francisco as well. here's a live look at downtown. and take a look at the transamerica building. we can see more of it now than we were able to about an hour ago. the clouds are beginning to lift. they will clear out a little earlier today than they have the last few days. and take a look at our seven-day forecast. the numbers are going to be warming up a little bit every day. and by this weekend, we'll have summertime-like temperatures, especially in the inland areas. and cooler on the coast. get outside and enjoy. >> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thank you so much. coming up next, why 2007 is just now getting medals ten years after the fact. we'll be catching up with them. but coming up next, is there really a motherhood penalty when it comes to your career? one woman was fired because she took time off to care for her

sick daughter and she's going to be sharing her story coming up this morning eigright after thi. depression is a serious medical condition. i feel like i have to wind myself up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, the lack of energy. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about pristiq®, a prescription medicine proven to treat depression.

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from natural to smoky, try revlon colorstay 12 hour eye shadow. oh see this is the back to school list. the cost always makes mom freak. mommy. mom. hey mom. good times. mom, the back to school list is here. looks expensive. graphing calculator, flash drive, pencils... that was easy. good times. [ male announcer ] get back to school and back to savings on everything on your list at staples. that was easy. "today's working woman" is brought to you by mcdonald's. i'm loving it. this morning on "today's working woman" is there a penalty for being a working mom? according to recent studies women with children earn significantly less than their male and childless female counterparts. "today" national correspondent amy robach has more on all this.

>> good morning, meredith. it is a question millions of working mothers ask, am i being penalized for having a family. one chicago woman said it happened to her and that she was fired because of it. it is a scene that plays out all across america, as in this scene from "desperate housewives." >> because i got this thing -- good god this is not about your kids again, is it? >> reporter: the working mom having to choose between work and family. dina lockwood of chicago, illinois, knew what she had to do with her 4-year-old daughter lily had an eye infection. >> my daughter had pink eye, so i called in to work. they told me it was no problem we'd reschedule a meeting that i had in the office. well, a half hour later they called me back up and said, a few other people and the owner and told me that, i could either resign or i could remain with or without cause. >> reporter: dina said she just kept asking why.

>> they said it's just not working out. and i said you certainly can't fire me because my daughter has pink eye. and they said i need to return my wlaptop and my cell phone immediately. >> reporter: dina lockwood hired an attorney who took her case to the chicago commission on human relations. the commission ruled in her favor and awarded her more than $215,000, plus attorney's fees. dena lockwood's case is extreme, but her lawyer, ruth majors, says working moms are often discriminated against. >> i do think that a lot of people are sort of sketching back and taking a look at this situation and starting to understand that maybe the reason they're not being treated the same as their colleagues is because employers have a false perception that people that have children won't have the same level of commitment to their jobs. >> reporter: marissa is a mom of two and runs executivemoms.com. she says cases like dena's are important because they raise awareness. >> it's such an akwreejious example that it will help bring

these cases to light and even if they're few and far between get us all thinking about this a little harder and make sure that we all work towards a culture where such instances won't be allowed. >> reporter: four years later, lily, now 8, is still shocked by what happened to her mom. >> my mom got fired. it doesn't make any sense. >> reporter: now, dena lockwood's former employer declined to comment, referring us to papers filed in her case that claim she was fired for excessive absence from work and failure to perform her duties sufficiently. the company is going to court to try and overturn that $250,000 award. a preliminary hearing is actually set for today. meredith, back to you. >> amy, thank you so much. so what can a frustrated working mom do? jean chatzky is "today's" financial editor. cindy levy is editor in chief of "glamour" magazine and susan johnson is vice president of tali techlt management. cindy, that's an extreme case of what happened when a mom has to choose between her job and her child. extreme but it's also real.

the question is how real. >> it is extreme. and thank goodness for that. but, yeah, the statistics do show that there is this so-called motherhood penalty still at work. and they put it at about 5% to 10% of your wages per child. in fact, experts will tell you that there really is not that much of a gender gap anymore between men and women if you look at women who don't have kids. there's a parenting gap as women who do have kids who make less money in general than other workers. and, some of this is about choice. you take time off, you work part time. but some of it is about a perception that you don't want to hire the woman with children because she's going to be less committed. >> that person said. >> exactly. that's the attitude that we want to change. >> a woman said she wants to work part-time, full-time, or work from home, what does the management here? >> i think it's the short-sighted manager that hears that as a problem. forward-thinking companies will look at flexible work arrangements as a double value. documentation shows that companies that offer flexible

work benefits get better work productivity and better employee engagement. i spoke with woman one at pitney beaus who is a working mom and the extra hour she gets from not commuting to work, she is able to serve a hot breakfast, put her child to school and put together the same if not more work to her responsibility. >> i think it's more work in general. i've worked a flexible schedule for the last 15 years. much of it for a corporation. and when you're a working mom given that opportunity to work from home, you overproduce. because you know, you know that you're setting the bar for all of the other women that are there. >> yet most businesses, as you said, are not paying equal pay to those -- >> well, i don't know that it's not paying equal pay. i think we really have to focus on those breaks that women take from the workforce. think about it, every salary that you get hinges off the most recent salary that you got. so you take time off, somebody else stays there, they get three raises, you come back, you didn't get those three races, of course your salary is going to

be lower. >> and also i think you pointed out that women are often their worst advocates when it comes to asking -- >> we feel guilty if we have that flexible work schedule. i did this for "smart money" magazine. i didn't ask for a raise for years and i was overproducing because i felt like i was given favored nation status already. >> right. you feel very grateful. >> and guilty. >> this is what i'm contributing to the company. >> exactly. >> and there are other issues, besides not getting the salary, jean, there are other issues women need to be aware of. >> well, retirement benefits are a key issue. women end up with only about 60 prpz of what men have at retirement because we take those breaks. the key word is something called a spousal i.r.a. if you're out of the workforce, in the workforce you can still contribute to an i.r.a. every year and you should. >> and susan very quickly, companies that are corporations run by women, you see less of this happening? is there more sensitivity in those situations? i don't mean to play the sexist card here, i'm just curious. >> no, i don't think so. again i think it's all about the

foresightedness of the employer. if they're smart they'll look at it as a workplace engagement opportunity. >> okay, jean chatzky, cindy levy, susan johnson, thank you so much. just ahead, more career advice. the right way to quit your job in the wake of flight attendant steven slater's dramatic exit. bus is there any truth to those internet rumors that bill cosby is dead? we'll just ask him. but first these messages. [ boy ] there's something new inside your mcdonald's happy meal. where? it's really good. do you see it? it's called hope. hope? yeah. hope. i don't see any hope. i don't see any hope in here. you can't see it there, but you can see it here... 'cause every time you get a happy meal or a mighty kids meal some of the money goes to ronald mcdonald house charities. to help lots of kids and families. hope's good! happy meals. the simple joy of helping. ♪

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back now at 8:21. this morning on "today at work" are you so fed up with your job that you may want to follow the lead of that jetblue flight attendant and quit in dramatic fashion? well, career experts say you may just want to think before you leap. ♪ just another manic monday >> reporter: monday's bad day at the office is being celebrated on the internet with parodies of jetblue flight attendant steven slater. >> i think when people feel blamed for things that they can't control, that's among the biggest reasons why people snap in the workplace. >> reporter: police say slater cursed out an entire aircraft and grabbed a beer before making a dramatic exit down the plane's emergency chute. >> what do you want to say to all the people calling you a working-class hero? >> i'm a little overwhelmed. >> reporter: slater's online support is soaring. and the workingclass who dream of leaving their job with a

flourish. >> people at some point in their careers and their jobs fantasize about what would it mean to throw it all away, to tell my boss to take this job and shove it, and he actually lived the fantasy. >> get up right now and go to the window, open it, and stick your head out and yell, i'm mad as hell and i'm not going to take this anymore! >> take this job. i hate this job and i don't need it! >> do what you all think i'm going to do -- >> reporter: a fantasy is fine, but caution people to think before walking off work in a huff. >> i quit! >> join his fan club, talk to your friends about him, but don't necessarily follow his example. >> nicole williams is a career manager and june sills is a psychologist. good morning to both of you. this is not the first time people have been creative in how they quit. >> no. i've seen so many instances, ann, that you just shake your

head. over the intercom at the supermarket the checkout girl says i'm done. i've seen, obviously, just these instances where people will in a huge meeting, all of the key executives, clients are there and then the employee takes this opportunity to just let everyone know how they feel about the company, which is such a bad mistake to make. >> first of all, feel amazing. >> yes. >> but why is it such a great big mistake? >> it's a great moment, and then unfortunately there's the moment after. and in the moment after, or the weeks after, you either have to be independently wealthy, go out and look for work, but you haven't really solved the problem. you got out of the bad situation, but you didn't leave yourself a parachute. and that's the goal. you want to leave yourself with a plan. you want to be employed. and sometimes, you want to make the job better without quitting. >> there's a middle ground, right? >> yes. >> so it's about not burning bridges.

in the case of steven slater, i mean here's a guy who apparently, from what we understand, loved flying. >> yes. >> he was born to fly. chances he'll get hired again after what happened? >> over about 40 to none. this is a guy you want to have a beer with, but do you want him working your flight? he has democrat stated irrationality. he's, you know, flying by the seat of his pants. flying out of the plane. >> it's impulsive. >> it's impulse up. >> impulsive and impulses feel great for the moment but what we really want to do is figure out how quick, if you're in the steven slater spot and you're really boiling, what can you do with the impulse? and still have a job. >> let's talk about that. because you talked about earlier before we started this interview that some people have sent cupcakes around and said i'm leaving, good-bye. that's a way to do it. >> it's true. you know, when you're quitting it's just like breaking up with some. there's a level of rejection involved. so you want to do it as delicately as possible. because this person is taking it personally whether you like it or not.

and this is -- your departure is your crowning glory. so, if you worked hard for 20 years, no one's going to remember all your great talent and attributes, they're going to remember the way that you left. good morning, everybody. t thetime is 8:26. i'm brent cannon. we want to check in with mike who is keeping an eye on an accident in the santa cruz mountains. >> that's right. it was on the southbound side and the lanes have just cleared. the southbound side you see the slowing approaching redwood estates. the northbound slowing has cleared up. not great news if you are headed to that area. the capele spots are shelvier for northbound 101. they are likely to stick around for a while. the san mateo bridge, a nice drive both directions across 92. there's just some haze in the area right now.

there is some haze pretty much everywhere. we have widespread clouds this morning along with some fog, but the good news is it will be clearing up a little bit earlier than it did yesterday. and our numbers will be a little warmer than yesterday. right now outside, not so warm. 53 in san francisco. 59 in san jose. as the day goes on, our numbers will keep going up. we'll be around 70 degrees by lunchtime. and take a look at the week wa rminahg up is going to be waing up. .

south bay muslim community can move forward with plans to build. a resident complained that a 64-foot prayer tower on a mosque at scott boulevard would be an eyesore and out of character we are the neighborhood, but the commission says there's no legal reason to stop construction. more local news in a half hour. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. have a great morning. see you back here in a little bit.

♪ 8:30 on this thursday morning. and no, do not adjust your tv sets. you did not sleep for four months. it really is august 12th, 2010. and those are the radio city

rockettes giving us an early taste of the annual christmas spectacular. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

>> come down here. so nice to see you. melissa has been a rockette for ten years now. it's such a thrill for us to have you here prior to holiday season. but why? >> we're actually kicking off the 2010 radio city christmas spectacular season. and also doing our annual event where we do a live performance here in new york. but we're also taking it coast to coast. >> it's so cool. >> trying to catch her breath. >> the performance in front of rockefeller -- in front of radio city today. >> that is true. that's going to kick off our coast-to-coast kick line. we're trying to generate 1 million kicks. if we do that starting the dream foundation will donate 5,000 tickets to needy children and their families. >> so fantastic. >> the show that we have here at

the live events in seven cities, or al you can twitter us. or you can find us on facebook, or you can upload your photos to youtube. >> how long have you been rehearsing for the show in november? >> we start actually at the end of septembers. >> this isn't actually your rehearsal? wow. >> christmas is all year round for us. >> and thank you so much. >> by the way just want to mention, people coming here to see the rockettes, how soon before the show -- >> we're here from november 5th to december 30th. we'll be in 25 cities nationwide. doing radio city christmas dotcom to see the show near you. and >> okay. >> great. >> it's great to have you. thank you so much. >> applause for melissa, please. >> wow. >> you are -- coming up legendary dr. bill cosby is here. we're going to talk to him about

his web series obkb and the nasty rumor on the internet that mr. cosby's comedy is no longer with us. >> who started that? >> i don't know. >> he looks alive. >> the first time that we've actually heard people sort of be said, the internet not be. >> is there something you wanted to say, mr. cosby? >> four times. >> four times has said that he's gone. >> wow. that's not okay. >> all right. >> now. >> can you believe this? the u.s. women's gymnastics team, they came up empty handed at the 2000 games but now, ten years later, they are finally getting the bronze medals that they so well deserved. so why are they just getting those medals now? we're going to find out. we'll talk to them. >> taking it off the men? >> no. talk about the weather. >> it's a laugh riot.

and here's a life look at the golden gate bridge in san francisco. and there is some clearing, not very much, but those clouds will be clearing out as the day goes on. and they burn off late afternoon today. and taking a look at the seven-day forecast ahead, it is a good one. we'll have some summertime temperatures by this weekend. 90s inland, but along the coast, as always, a bit cooler in the mid-60s on the high end of things. get outside and enjoy the day. hey, that's your latest weather. we got to go now down to washington, d.c. and say hello to uncle willie. >> yay. >> we love everybody out there. you're the best and i hope you make it to be 100. speaking of that, the jar is spinning about, and we say hello to our birthday buddies. vivian taylor. taught sunday school until she was 100 years old. francis diebell, dayton, how.

102. wish him the mess. love his e-mails. is a good friend of the computer. doris mclaughlin of illinois, 100. volunteered as a story teller for little children in kindergarten until she was 90. and attributes her longevity to yoga. hey, man, i can't even get down on the ground. fred lurz from maryland. 100 years old. follows the stock market every single day, and attributes his longevity to eating red meat. some do, some don't. happy birthday. and laura radtke of oshkosh, wisconsin, 102. third time she's tried to get on the show. glad we could accommodate. enjoys bird watching and loves planting vegetable gardens. and finally genevieve sultenfuss

of glendale, california. 100 years old. first woman president of the glendale chamber of commerce. good birthday buddies. now back to new york. >> all right, willard, thank you so much. coming up, bill cosby in the house talking about kids, comedy, and those famous rumors that he had died. first, this is "y" o [ female announcer ] jobs leaving.

a budget disaster. california on the brink. jerry brown's plan? you run for office and the assumption is, oh, i know what to do. you don't.

i didn't have a plan for california. [ female announcer ] with our state in crisis, we need a governor with a plan. you need a real plan, something i'll acknowledge i did not have. [ female announcer ] jerry brown. no plan then. no plan now. meg whitman. a plan for jobs. log on. learn more. back now at 8:40. take a look at this guy, bill cosby, obviously alive despite those rumors. starring in the new website obkb. take a look. >> obkb. >> i wanted to meet bill cosby. >> he's funny. >> he made fat albert. >> hey, hey, hey, it's fat albert! >> the cosby show. >> i would like to propose a

toast to the beautiful lady rudy. >> and he wrote. >> like they're old -- >> and they're still -- >> they get to be themselves. without any writers writing lines for them. >> the problem was, it wasn't my child. these are real kids, and they're different. >> bill cosby, good morning. >> good morning. >> let's get the rumors out of the way about you being demise -- about your demise. what's behind this in the first place? four tweets or online rumors about your death. the latest one, i guess one of the most recent ones in early august. why?

>> i have no idea. >> no? all teasing aside it's upset your family, right? >> well, not only the family. but friends this time, for the fourth one, called. so, the part about, well, take the high, whatever, road. >> right. >> that's over. we just have to tell all fools who think that this is funny, it isn't, because i think you need to realize you're doing some damage to people that you really don't want to hurt, so we're just asking them to think. having said that, those children you just played -- >> yes. >> i want to tell you a wonderful thing that happened. one of the kids -- >> they're all part of this web series, right? >> the obkb, and i interview them and try to pull things from them, get them going. so that this is all funny, and fun. and then we do grown-ups. and they're funny, as well.

but, a kid came up to me, and i was sitting, sweatshirt on, and he said, you know, and i said well, how are you? he said -- he's about 8. and so i said, everything okay? he said -- >> what's he looking at? >> yeah. so i said, you seem to be looking for -- he said, i watched "the cosby show" all the time. i said, thank you. but why do you look that way? he said, you look old. because, you know, the show -- >> they tell the truth. >> but the show, the show and then this kid was confused about the image of what -- and what he

expected. you're old. i said, yeah. and then we did the interview, had a ball, and i said, so i'm old, so what do you think? he says, you're cool. yeah. >> well, this show is reminiscent of "kids say the darnedest thing" back in the late '90s. a lot has happened in our world since then from 9/11 to the wars to this explosion of technology. kids are aware of all that stuff. has it changed kids? i mean, kids now, are they different -- >> sure they are. >> in what way? >> here's what isn't and what hasn't changed. you don't raise your kids to think, to have themselves think of themselves as victims. you bring them up to win. and so when you've got a kid with a thing here and the blue light on the face, what you do is you say, look, we have to put this down for a little while. there will be plenty of time for that. this thing is called a book. and we're going to read the book. because i found that children,

given an opportunity to be taught correct behavior, good behavior, age and education love reading books. they love it. and there are certain schools that demand, demand that a child 7 years old finish up 40 books in a year. and you should hear how wonderful these kids feel. >> you love kids. that's what it is. you just love kids. >> but, i don't love that saying about how honest they are. because they're dishonest people. >> why? what do you mean? quickly? >> well, they lie. >> well, they said you were old. that wasn't a lie, right? >> no, no. but there's lies about other things. >> give me one example, real quick. >> you have a load in your pants? no. >> that had to be the example you gave me? >> 18 months old, you start out

early, lying. >> okay. >> i see the load. >> i've got nothing in my pants, bill, all right? >> i don't believe you. ow. >> oh, sorry. >> see. >> good to see you. i've got to run to the bathroom. by the way obkb will be available for download on itunes on august 27th. up next, ten years later the u.s. gymnasts can call themselves olympic medalists. we'll talk to them.

ten years after leaving the 2000 olympics in sydney without a medal, the u.s. women's gymnastics team can now call themselves bronze medalists. this after the international olympic committee disqualified the chinese team for having an underage gymnast. we're going to be hearing from the u.s. team in just a moment. but first, their story. heading into the 2000 sydney games the young women of the

u.s. olympic gymnastics team were facing high expectations. four years earlier in atlanta, a memorable final vault by an injured kerri strug propelled the team to its first place finish. two members of the magnificent seven, dominique dawes and amy chow returned to the olympic stage for the 2000 games, hoping to repeat their success. instead, sydney would mark the first time since 1976 that american women's gymnastics team would leave an olympics without a single medal. despite a strong showing, the u.s. finished fourth behind the formidable chinese team. >> china will happily take the bronze. >> reporter: at the time, rumors circulated that some of the chinese athletes may have been underage. according to official rules, gymnasts must turn 16 during olympic year in order to compete. the issue received renewed attention when dong fangxiao,

one of the athletes on the team registered different ages in sydney and the 2008 beijing games where she served as a technical official. a two-year investigation by the international gymnastic federation found that dong was only 14 when her team won the bronze. as a result the ioc stripped the team of the bronze and allocated the 2000 u.s. women's olympic team to third place. >> ladies and gentlemen, the 2000 u.s. women's olympic bronze medal team. >> reporter: wednesday night, the u.s. team reunited for the first time since sydney for a special medal ceremony. and here they are. the 2000 u.s. women's gymnastics team. dominique dawes, amy chow, elise ray, jamie can'ter, kristen maloney, and carly schwikert. what was your emotions? >> well, for my teammates, ten

years later, we could have never imagined this. we knew we gave it 110%. during the video, just feeling bad for the young chinese gymnast, because she was only doing what her country told her to do and she didn't have a voice whatsoever. but again we're very thrilled to have this opportunity to be olympic medalists. and it's just a dream come true. >> no bitterness but some bittersweet feelings about this. amy chow you moved on. you just got married. congratulations. >> thank you. >> you've become a pediatrician. how are you assessing this? what are your feelings? >> well, i definitely think that it was a big surprise for all of us when we learned the information. i was actually -- got an e-mail from a friend who said congratulations, and i was like, for what? but it definitely is an honor. >> and jamie, we don't have enough time to get from all of you get jamie and tasha and kristen, you are all able, and tasha, able to reunite as much

as this has been fun for you. you haven't seen each other since the sydney games, is that right? >> yeah. >> except for this medal ceremony? >> yeah. >> so there's been a real positive spin you've been able to get back together? and you know your families are going to have this medal. your daughters and your granddaughters are going to be able to celebrate this as a family part of your legacy. we all congratulate you. >> thank you. >> let's give them one more hand. lo long-awaited medal. also a programming note. you can watch live coverage of the 2010 championships on saturday night at 8:00, 7:00 central time on nbc. we're back in a moment.

we have some sad news. the "today" family has lost a very good friend. dr. rick peters who's been sharing her commonsense parenting advice for us through the years passed away on saturday after a valiant struggle with cancer. a clinical psychologist, she was a popular guest since 1997, and in 2000, she was named a "today" show contributor. we loved her for her fearless, no-nonsense approach to raising kids. and she wasn't afraid of controversy, either. when she told us that sometimes,

you have to spank the kid. >> if you have spanked appropriately, which is a swat to the butt, that's what butts are for, matt, then it's okay. good for something. >> ruth dispensed her wisdom with wit and optimism. and most of all, she cared passionately about children. she sure did have a great sense of humor. ruth turned 60 just two weeks ago. her husband of 36 years, timothy, her two children lindsay and christopher and her grandson aidan. >> no one feels more comfortable and has more confidence about how to raise children. >> she was very brave in terms of her battle. she seemed to be doing well. >> we knew that she was suffering with cancer but, you know, she seemed to be responding. >> such a terrific woman. >> thoughts and prayers go out to her family. we'll be back right after your local news.

good morning, everybody. the time is 8:56. i'm brent cannon. checking in with mike inouye, we want to show you a good ride through the bay area. >> that's right. basically, a little slow coming through emeryville out of richmond, i mean, through berkeley out of richmond. a 22-minute drive. that's a great drive. a little slowing in both

directions past the tunnel. and there's the problem on the side, but that's not a distraction for folks. sunol e is s ilowe slow in the southbound direction. more news after this.

any minute now a federal judge could issue his decision on gay marriage in california. if he ends his stay, thousands of same sex couples could begin saying "i do" and other people may begin protesting. the judge vaughan walker says he's going to announce his decision electronically between 9:00 and noon this morning. >> we are going to have volunteers contacted by phone or by e-mail, and we are ready to roll. we are very, very excited.

the entire city of san francisco is very excited and very happy to be allowing all loving couples the opportunity to be married. >> we'll follow it and keep you updated all morning long. n

back now with more of "today" on this thursday morning. the 12th day of august, 2010. a damp morning. the people have gathered to share their day with us on the plaza. i'm ann curry along with al roker -- >> those people didn't see you do don pardo there. >> matt's actually got the morning off. in this half hour we'll be talking about these questions. new questions have been raised about this continuing story about steven slater. where he's that fed up flight attendant, went down the chute because he just could not take it anymore. >> a woman who was on board that

jetblue flight is speaking out about how he treated her. it's all going to catch up with slater here in manhattan. we caught up with him yesterday. we'll find out what he has to say about all the attention he's been getting. and a little more inside about someone who knows him well, his ex-wife. if your kitchen or bedroom is in need of a serious makeover have we got help for you. if you've got no clue where to start. we've got dramatic before and afters to show you how you can get inspired and tips from interior design experts. >> that looks pretty. i like that. also you've got some bad habits, who doesn't, that you wish you could stop, like maybe stop drinking too much beer or coffee, well there is actually a silver lining. we'll tell you about the bad girls guide to good health. this should be interesting. sounds like it's going to enable us. first let's get a check of the morning's top stories. >> good morning, ann and al. good morning, everyone. there's an arrest connected to a series of stabbing murders and attacks in three states. officials confirmed that a

person of interest was arrested last night in atlanta on unrelated charges that he was trying to fly to israel. since may, five people have been stabbed to death in and around flint, michigan, and 20 others were wounded there and in leesburg, virginia, and toledo, ohio. police released a sketch of a suspect earlier this week but did not identify the man who is now in custody. a strong earthquake has struck this morning in ecuador. the 6.9 magnitude quake was centered about 110 miles southeast of the capital city of quito. survivors of monday's plane crash that killed former alaska senator ted stevens and others were unable to speak with investigators because of their injuries. among the four survivors are former nasa chief sean o'keefe and his son who are expected to recover. heavy rain triggered severe flooding in parts of iowa, killing one person and forcing the evacuation of hundreds. some places got up to six inches of rain. more rain is expected tonight

and tomorrow members of the jury in the rad blagojevich case are hinting they are deadlocked on at least some of the corruption charges against him. the panel has been deliberating now almost two weeks. and some new parents in cincinnati, ohio, will have an easy time remembering exactly when their baby girl was born. ella rose was born on monday, get this, august 9th, 2010, at 11:12 p.m. so that would be 8-9-10, 11:12. and the fact that her name is really has us all saying really? now let's go back outside to ann. >> natalie, thank you. meantime, for the weather we've got al out here. >> thanks a lot, ann. we've got some newlyweds here. what's your name? >> mark and julie fisher. >> when did you get married? >> friday. >> well, happy wedding. >> thank you. >> all right. newly minted newlyweds. let's check your weather. see what's happening. there's the remnants of tropical depression number five. you can see that spin sow just

coming onshore. there at the coast of louisiana. drop a lot of rain. the good news no wind. but we do have flood watches from new orleans all the way to pensacola. and the rainfall amounts anywhere from three to five inches of rain over the next two days. plus we got the heat from the southeast coast to chicago to dallas. we're talking temperatures above 100 degrees, and then factor in the humidity, feels like 111, and 105 in raleigh. even 102 in minneapolis. well, it is a lot better here. it doesn't make the cloudy, cool conditions seem so bad. this is a live look at oakland right now. the clouds will be burning off as the day goes on. a little bit later in the afternoon, but not quite as cool as piyesterday. as we move on today at noon, we'll be in the 60s intoda70s. and our seven-day forecast ahead is looking pretty nice. so things will be warming up. it will be more like summertime temperatures as we get to the weekend. get outside and enjoy.

>> and that's your latest weather. natalie? >> al, thank you. now to that jetblew flight attendant steven slater who's become an instant celebrity after sliding down the emergency chute earlier this week. he may be a working man's hero but he is facing some very serious charges this morning. nbc's jeff rossen caught up with him, and he's outside slater's home in bell harbor, queens. any sightings there this morning. >> reporter: no sightings yet. still early. he doesn't have a job to get to. so he could be sleeping in. but there are actually new reports this morning, of course all the previous reports have been that the passenger was to blame, set him off. now new reports from passengers on board that flight that it was steven slater who was to blame  here, he was the rude one, knocking into passengers in the aisles, stopping service right in the middle. in fact the flight, meredith spoke with one of those passengers this morning from pittsburgh, she says when she asked slater on board for a sanitary wipe to clean up some coffee that she spilled, slater rolled his eyes at her, and said, what? and what this passenger described was in a rude manner.

this morning we also have a new interview with slater himself, and by the way, he says he's wanted to pull that chute for years. we caught up with steven slater underground in a manhattan parking garage. how you feel dag? >> got a lot on my plate and a lot to do. >> what do you want to say to all the people who are calling you sort of a working-class hero? >> i'm a little overwhelmed. it's something i had no idea was going on out there. >> any regrets? >> that face says it all, huh? >> and with that, slater was on the move, again. >> where are you off to? >> here, there and everywhere. >> with his boyfriend in the passenger seat. but everywhere slater goes, -- there's a camera. >> did you have the whole chute thing planned? >> i thought about it for 20 years, i thought about it. but you never think you're going to do it. >> so how did it happen?

>> i'm not saying anything. >> please no more questions, okay? >> reporter: after all, this is a legal matter now. prosecutors say his meltdown over a rude passenger was criminal. though he may have dreamed of deploying the emergency chute, actually doing it, they claim, was dangerous. now steven slater is charged with felony that could carry a seven-year prison sentence. he pled not guilty. so why does everyone love him so much? >> he's angry, he's swearing at people, he's got the t-shirt, we found a replacement for simon cowell. >> reporter: believe it or not, slater was a happy worker, writing recently on an aviation blog, i fly because i love it. and he was a stickler for jetblue's baggage policy. off a blog slater called himself a bag nazi about carry-ons. i feel if i am not that i am letting down all those who cooperate. remember he says it was a passenger breaking the luggage rule that sent him over the edge or down the chute.

>> it sets a horrible precedent. we don't want employees all across the country looking at this guy like a role model. there's an 18-year-old in my hometown of philadelphia who identified herself and told the local newspaper that she works at mcdonald's, and that if she were going to quit her job she'd stick a roach in somebody's salad. is that what we want? ♪ take this job and shove it >> reporter: but for us frustrated americans, slater is a hero. at least 160,000 people have signed up on his facebook fan page. doubling in size wednesday alone. plenty of time to get up now. doesn't have a job at the moment. jetblue is giving all the passengers on board that plane, including the supposed rude passengerer that may have started all this, a $100 voucher for their inconvenience. but no question, the story seems to be shifting a bit toward what really happened there. who started this fight? sounds like a fifth grade

playground thing. who started it? we don't know yet. >> exactly. i understand they're now looking for that passenger and looking to interview that passenger, as well. jeff rossen, thanks so much. earlier this morning meredith spoke with steven slater's ex-wife cynthia suzanne and began by asking what her initial reaction was when she found out her ex was at the center of it all. >> it was brought to me by a news reporter over the telephone and then a barrage of phone calls to follow. it was shocking to me, only because i couldn't believe the media frenzy already at my doorstep. i can only imagine what steven's going through. >> now there are questions, initially we thought and steven told police it was an altercation with a passenger, rude passenger, that he hit his head prior to takeoff because she -- i guess one of the bins opened up and she was acting rudely toward him and that later she was rude once again and that's what caused him to lose it. now we're hearing from this passenger that you just listened to that actually he was rude from the start with her over another matter, over spilled coffee, and other passengers say

that he seemed agitated throughout the flight. well before this sudden blowup. what do you make of that? you know steven. >> i do. and i really must say i don't believe it. i mean perception is everything. and of course these passengers are going to have their opinions of things, maybe biased slightly by the frenzy ensuing. i don't know if it's an opportunistic, you know, situation for them to have some time within the media. i'm not certain. i know that steven is a competent flight attendant. he was literally born to fly. he absolutely adores everything about the job. takes it very seriously. always has. he's just a stellar individual. and a gentleman. i find it very difficult to believe that he would be rude to anyone, especially in the air. >> even though several other passengers have since come forward and said, in fact, some said they thought he was inebriated? >> well, i'm sure that you've seen this a couple of times with these kind of mass media frenzies, and then everybody kind of jumps on the bandwagon. it would not surprise me, again, if perception was not skewed based on the fact that there's

so much going on with this at one time. i don't believe that he was rude to anyone. >> okay. on steven's myspace profile he says that he has been beating alcoholism and substance abuse one day at a time. we know that he did grab some beers when he went down that chute. does he have a problem? i mean, could this have something to do with all of this? >> you know, i don't know steven to have a problem with alcohol or substance abuse. if that was, you know, he handled it beautifully if that's the case. because he, like i said, he's just such a great, fantastic person. >> so let me ask you about the meltdown. have you ever seen him behave in that kind of a manner? >> never. he -- no. he's just such a gentleman. i think that this is a indicative sign of how frustrated he must have been. i must go out on a limb and say that this passenger was a nightmare. i mean, something had to take him to that place. i'm assuming this passenger was the end-all, be-all of something he doesn't want to deal with. >> what do you make of the fact

that by some he's being hailed as a hero? >> again, it's a sign of the times. we've all stood in a line behind someone watching them abuse the store clerk or taking matters into their own hands by being rude and self-serving. you know, it's -- it's everywhere. and i think that flight attendants, more so than anybody else, have to deal with these things. you know, they are not waitresses of the sky. you know, they're there to save your lives. and not to serve you peanuts but get you off that plane in case of an emergency. and i think people take advantage. when i was flying here yesterday there was three fellows that completely ignored the safety address, the flight attendant was, you know, trying to give them the information. i don't care how many times you've flown, they should have that respect at least of your time and interest. >> if you could -- i know you haven't spoken to him since this happened. what would you like to say to him? >> oh, i just, you know, i think he's fantastic. and i know that he will handle this with all the grace and humility that he has. i know that it's overwhelming. he's in a bubble right now and i'm sure he'll come through just fine.

>> again, that was meredith earlier with slater's ex-wife cynthia suzanne. and coming up, point and click to better style. we're going to show you how to find the perfect look for you without even leaving your desk. but up next, taking your home from drab to fab with some dramatic room makeovers. all that right after this. i had this chronic, deep ache all over -- it was a mystery to me. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and with less pain, i can do more of what matters to me. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior or any swelling or affected breathing, or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision

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♪ a truly great-tasting breakfast shake. with 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, it's the creamy, delicious way to satisfy... your hunger to help you lose weight. ♪ so you can kick the tin can habit. try special k protein shakes today. this morning on "today's home" dramatic room makeovers. from bland bedrooms to kitchens, it can be challenging to turn everday designs into sophisticated living spaces. here with tips on how you can do it in your home is interior designer and hgtv design star judge candice olson. >> good morning, al. >> what's the one big mistake people tend to make? >> these spaces across the board are three things. they're dated. they are dysfunctional spaces. they're just not working for

that homeowner. and they're just dull. >> the three ds. >> the three ds. the killer ds. first we've got the master bedroom. we want to take a look and hear what laura has got to say. >> this is my 1980s empoor yum. this is a huge house. this room is so huge, it is actually 100 square feet smaller than our first apartment. the room has a lot of potential, but it needs some serious help. the carpet is a terrible, terrible color. the walls have faux finish from the '80s that needs to go. >> okay. so let's take a look. what are the big problems in this room? >> well, first and foremost, this is a huge space. that sounds like that's a great thing. >> sure. >> but in a bedroom how do you make a big, vast space feel cozy and intimate? then number two, it is like laura said, it's just an homage to '80s. imagine if we looked today like we did in the '80s.

guy's ponytail, mesh shirt. >> i never had a mesh shirt. >> but forest green carpet, peach walls, dated. >> so let's see what we did with the after and how it changed. oh, high gosh. >> it was just old, dated. >> this doesn't look like the same house. so what did you do differently here besides everything? >> well, actually a lot of it stayed the same. we worked with some of the great features in this space. but, it was really all about updating. you know, neutralizing the scheme, creating these intimate zones. >> looks like you created like a kind of a sitting area. >> well, whether it's a bedroom or a big living room, the big key is divide and conquer. break these big spaces up into little zones based on function. bedding here, big issue. easy to change this out. >> sure. so if you don't have the budget

to do all of this stuff. one big change you can make is the bed. >> here the big change we have really a common language between the draperies, and what's going on here with the bed, the common color hues and pattern hues and lots of textures. now, this is really speaking the language of love. >> all right now another area people need help with is their kitchen. we're going to check in with david and see what he's got to say about his kitchen. >> well, it is '80s. people walk in they always say you're a stylist and this is your kitchen? and these are my friends. everything is wrong. the cupboards are dated. they're falling apart. the floor constantly looking dirty. whoa. it's impossible. >> that's bad if your stove doesn't light. that's a bad thing. let's look at the before again and you can see the problem. it's got great light. all these things. let's look at after and tell us what you go. wow. >> first and foremost, contrast. you want a new kitchen to look

like it's been transplanted from a kitchen cabinet showroom. so we have a perimeter cabinetry here, different paint finish, different style from the island. >> you've got a working desk area over there. >> this is a big feat. we have the island and the kitchen office really big components here. islands, everybody loves them. >> sure. >> if the kitchen is the heart of the home, the island is command central. look at this, a ten-foot island. >> you moved the cook top off and put a range back there. >> big, big, tons of seating. great for entertaining. look at this wallpaper. anybody can do this. wallpaper is a great way of adding character and personality. >> if you've only got the money to do one thing. >> that's it. >> wallpaper? >> wallpaper. it's inexpensive and that's what makes good designs great. >> all right, living rooms again another big problem. doug and cerene's living room was a problem. >> this is the gold piano that we have to work around in this

room. >> it wasn't traditionally gold. this was a black piano. >> if we could do something with it, that could be great. something that we can be proud of. >> so i guess the challenge is we look at the before, is this piano. which is kind of like the centerpiece of the room. >> well, it was a spray painted piano, horribly ugly, but it had inyesterday imsentimental value to this family. how do you make a gold piano work in a space? >> well, let's find out. >> it gets repositioned here off to the side. but the key here, contrast. that's what -- whether you've got a big old gold piano or a big old beige sofa, it's contrast that really makes it fresh, crisp, reinvents that awkward element. another key element here, look at that fixture above. >> that's right. >> this little light fixture. this is a formal living room. what makes it not feel stuffy and uptight are these whimsical

elements. instead of a candelabra we have something unexpected in >> thanks so much. great stuff. you can watch the finale of candice's new show "design star" sunday night at 10:00 eastern on hgtv. anistons, tips from the woman behind her physique. mething abot that makes everything taste better. maybe it's cooking over an open flame. or the juicy beef franks on a delicious bun fixed up just the way you like them. well, whatever it is, you can enjoy more of it with walmart's guaranteed unbeatable prices on all your cookout favorites. ♪ save money. live better. walmart. ♪ but this is warm, fresh-baked strawberry toaster strudel. [ music ] see the difference? pillsbury toaster strudel,

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wow! you have got to be kidding me. 80 calories? light & fit has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. light & fit. irresistible taste. fewer calories. i love & fit. good morning once again,everybody. it is 9:26. i'm brent cannon. this time we are checking out 880. >> we have an accident right near alvarado nile. it will be slow out to the dumbarton bridge. we'll see slowing on the northbound side. it just cleared the lanes. there were four cars involved, so there could be slowdowns once you get there. slow also heading down to the parkway. no big surprises there. the bay bridge, there's a surprise here. it is an easy flow of traffic down to the berkeley curve. a little slow in to berkeley. university avenue is where it starts to clear up. the low clouds are here. then the golden gate bridge,

look at this driving through the area. northbound there's some construction work between the golden gate bridge and the tunnel. that construction there, trust me, even it could be a little bit tough to see. we have widespread clouds and fog. it is going to be lasting until the early afternoon. right now things are pretty cool, 53 in san francisco. 57 in oakland. 59 here in san jose. as the day goes on, things will be warming up, but not a lot. we'll see warmer temperatures over the next 24 hours to 36 hours. let's take a look at our seven-day forecast. yep, we'll be almost at 80 today,9090 with summer like temperatures by the weekend.

twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. the school year is right around the corner, and in san francisco city leaders are already trying to cut down on the number of kids who cut class. mayor gavin newsome will join them at st. mary's can tree dral to watch the effort.

newsom and harris are knocking on doors and making personal phone calls to parents of kids who habitually skip school. over the summer the district attorney's office took 16 kids to court because of the absences they had during the spring semester. ac transit and its drivers will start working on a new next friday. both sides believe a new agreement will come quickly. in the meantime, you can expect buses to be on time. ac transit leaders have warned drastic cutbacks could be coming depending on the new terms of the contract. more local news coming up in a half hour. and the "today" show returns in less than a minute. have a great morning. see you back here in a little bit.

natalie morales sat down with a couple doing a reality show called "raising sextuplets." >> we first met them -- hey guys, more than three years ago. i've really gotten my own -- >> we didn't know you were a new cast member? >> i'm a new cast member, yay. >> how is it now? i mean you've had some amazing changes. >> no. >> they're beautiful children. >> yeah. >> "a" through "z." >> i went home yesterday, i hugged my kids, i went thank god

i just have two. >> wow. >> they were so sweet. >> how many hits on the internet for that video? >> i think on our website 1.4 million people. >> wow. >> site was definitely one that went around. it made the rounds. >> well, speaking of which, coming up in this half hour, how some bad habits can actually be good for you. >> that's right. actually turns out that hitting starbucks three times a day, maybe throwing back a couple of beers or never making your bed can actually have some health benefits from fighting cancer to reducing stress. it is called the bad girl's guide to good health. we're going to tell you ail little bit more about it. everything in moderation. >> if it's about the beers, our director should be the healthiest guy on earth. >> it's a girl's guide, al. >> okay, that's right. >> also i'm sure you've heard this, does this make me look fat? >> never heard that. >> well ladies you don't have to trust that your husband is going to give you an honest opinion, do they really? you can go online now, try on some pants or sunglasses and then the comments will start

pouring in. hopefully they're nice ones. >> why would you do this? >> because we need help. we need people to tell us sometimes. so there are all these new fashion sites that are going to help you find your personal style. and bottom line -- >> i'm just curious, are there no mirrors in your home? >> no but we can't tell. still you need that person to tell you, you look horrible. >> okay. and later on, if you're looking for the perfect burger to throw on the grill this weekend, we may have it for you. yes, it's been a lifelong search but it's one of the most popular burgers in manhattan. we're going to share some of the secrets in "today's kitchen." two words, pork belly. >> no. >> yes. >> no. >> yes. >> no. i don't think i can try it. a check of the weather for us? >> does this burger make me look fat? let's take a look, show you what's going on as far as your weekend is concerned. it's going to be hot in the upper mississippi and ohio river valleys, risk of some strong storms. sunny and hot out west. showers and remnants of tropical

depression five in the southeast. then on sunday, sunday! sunny and warm along the eastern sea board. showers in the central rockies on into central mississippi and ohio river valleys with wet weather along the gulf coast. well, here's a live look at downtown oakland. and we may have cooler than normal temperatures, but you know, compared to the rest of the country, we still have pretty great weather. let's take a look at the week ahead. take a look at the numbers. every day is warming up just a little bit. by the weekend, we should be in summertime temperature range. and we are even going to be in the 90s as far as inland goes. and along the coast, cooler than everywhere else as always, but even those numbers are creeping up over the next couple of days. go outside and enjoy. coming up next the good side to bad habits.

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"today's woman" is brought to you by the mikers of zyrtec. love the air. this morning on "today's woman," the bad girl's guide to good health. if you like to drink coffee all day, surf the internet or act like a slob, well those typically bad habits may actually be working in your favor. that's according to a new article in the september issue of "women's health" magazine and dr. carrie peterson is a contributor. good morning. >> good morning. >> so for years we heard that chocolate in moderation, like the dark chocolate is good for you, a little red wine is good for you as well. now you can add beer, coffee, chewing gum, sloppiness and more to the list. >> everything in moderation is the key, right? >> that's right. >> so let's talk about the first

one. the first someone getting angry. and it actually can help you keep your stress in check. but we're not talking about the steven slater, pulling the chute, and going down the slide kind of angry. >> no. that was probably not the most constructive way to handle anger. but in general letting anger out every once in awhile can be cathartic, can be good for you. because if you're keeping frustration and stress inside, that can actually wreak havoc over time. more so than just being constructive, and letting it out, vent to a friend. scream out loud by yourself. not so much in the workplace, though. right? >> no, probably not the best idea. >> okay. next is coffee. and drinking coffee, as we've heard, you know, actually can be good for you. it can cut your cancer risk. what types of cancer are we talking about? >> in particular uterine, liver, and colon cancer that have been found to be reduced when you intake moderate coffee. and in addition, parkinson's and diabetes risk has been lowered the, as well. there's more to coffee than the energy boosting affect. >> how many cups a day? >> that's the key. two cups a day.

and a cup is six ounces. so to give you an idea a starbucks tall would be 12 ounces. you can have a starbucks tall a day without a problem. >> now don't feel at liberty to add all those flavors syrups or sugary whipped creams. >> that's going to negate the effect. >> drinking beer can benefit your heart and bones. and it's actually a rich source of nutrients, right? >> yes, it is. well first of all, beer like any alcohol, in moderation, has been found to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and it does this by elevating your good cholesterol and inhibiting the clotting of blood. also has quite a few nutrients, has b-6, and a lot of antioxidants. we often think of red wine as being full of antioxidants but beer has it as well. one 12-ounce can a day. and for bone health it's loaded with silica. it strengthens your bones. >> what's better, beer or red wine?

>> if i had to pick probably red wine. but if you prefer beer, in moderation, it's just fine. >> and dark beer you say is better. >> dark peer has more, that's right. >> okay. also chewing gum can be good for you. not what mom told us. what is it about tsh-we should say sugarless chewing gum. >> in many ways, actually. first, chewing gum has been found to improve your oral health. it helps prevent cavities, simply by causing the production of saliva, which cleanses the mouth. but it also has been found to keep people calm. subjectively, people have reported that they feel a little more relaxed when they chew gum, and it helps boost alertness, concentration and memory. it activates areas of the brain that help cognitive processing. and in addition, it may help with weight loss. >> oh, that's good. helps keep your appetite in check. quickly we have a couple other good ones and that can you can actually be a slob. it will help you breathe easier. >> if you don't make your bed, you actually help kill dust mites that live in your bet. they thrive in moist conditions and if you tuck the sheets in real tight, they'll grow more

readily. >> oh, that is disgusting. all right. so, leave the bed unmade. it's okay, honey. thank you, as always. coming up next, point, click and try it on. checking your style online right after this. [ woman ] nine iron, it's almost tee-time... time to face the pollen that used to make me sneeze... my eyes water. but now zyrtec®, the fastest 24-hour allergy relief, comes in a new liquid gel. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®.

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with innovative websites that allow you to not only try on clothes but get unbiased opinions on how you look. bobbie thomas is here to show us some of these sites. >> good morning. >> i think a lot of us always have that question, does it really look good on me but we don't have a girlfriend who we can show it to. this is the next best way to do it, right? >> absolutely. there are tons of sites that are free that you can have fun with fashion. first site is called lookgood.com. >> this takes me back to the days of playing with paper dolls. you see obviously a gorgeous model standing here. >> that would be you. >> this is for ladies. you can try on literally different things to see whether or not this is something you would want to wear. i mean, it's so great. and i'm sorry to the employers now. somebody will spend hours on a break trying to put on all of these clothes. it's great. you can get other people's looks and save your looks, too. >> it gives you an idea of how things look together. which is fantastic. next site is called taz.com.

this is a great one. i always have the hardest time picking out sunglasses. >> because you can't really see it. >> half the time you can't tell if it looks right on you. >> this is kind of a cool time where it's something online that will help you -- >> oh. >> i've got you up. >> oh. >> i am in love with the technology because they're makeup and hair technology is great but the sunglass section is my favorite. you get to try on different sunglasses. tell me a frame you want to wear. and what's so cool, you can see your eyes through that. and it's a really realistic version of what. these are not kind of gimmicky sites. the sites today are very advanced. and you can get a really great idea. you can save your looks again on the site and come back, and this really helps you decide, before you make a purchase or an investment, what you may like and you can also ask your friends, what do you think? >> right. perfect. next one is gotryiton.com. and tell me how that one looks. >> i know al was making fun of this in the tease. if you have a job interview coming up or something you really want to get a second opinion for, from the sitting

room, because they have an iphone app launching, you upload a picture of yourself. we have some full screens to show people, and users in this community that are objective but don't know you will vote whether you should wear it or change it. >> i hope they're nice users. >> everything on there is positive, constructive criticism. they might say hey, i say change it and try going for this color or a belt but they gave you reasons why. it was really great community, i'm a big fan of this website. even guys, 80% are women, 20% of guys are on there, too. >> really? okay. guys care, too, apparently al roker. he was like, who does that? >> okay, next. well he's just got great style. >> he does. he knows what works. i'll take al roker's advice. chicktoppia.com. this focuses on street style? >> it's an online resource. i love this because you can see what people are really wearing. if you're in ohio you can see what somebody is wearing in soho. and you can type in something you might be curious about.

what hats people are wearing. what's great is it's not only for us as a community, but also retailers you can see the different kind of fun hats people have put together and how they're wearing it. also a retailer they're looking at trends you're really liking. even though the magazine might say it's a trend you may realize on the street it's not. and cargos are actually trending. that's a popular thing. >> big army trends going on. all right, bobbie, great ideas on the websites. you can find out more on our website, todayshow.com. and bobbie always contributes to that, as well. coming up next, the burger that has celebrities going wild. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning in "today's kitchen," not your ordinary burger and fries. after months of testing out different meat combinations, hot chef john hit a home run with his signature burger.

he now serves more than 300 of this in his hit restaurant the lion in his restaurant in the east village. a month. how many different combinations did you go through? >> quite a few. we make a really great -- >> can you divulge? >> absolutely not. after three months of work? >> but on our website we have a -- >> you have a very good -- >> very good -- okay so you've got three kinds of meat. >> this is basically just chuck. but grills very good, high quality. the key here is just you can see the fat, right? you don't want to work the burger because that just makes the burger -- >> in other words, the fat will start to break down? >> exactly. so you can see it doesn't look that great but can you put it on there, and it's -- form it and put it on the grill. >> how long do you keep it on each side? >> oh, what is it -- very difficult to question. how hot is your grill? >> right. >> on this particular one it will take awhile. but we have this going for a little bit here. i'm going to flip this over.

>> i've always heard that a big mistake a lot of people make is they overflip. >> don't touch it. put it down, go away. just leave it. >> leave it alone? >> so you're putting some cheese on it? >> i am. two kinds of cheese. a sweet and a salty, a prove loan and a goud today. >> that's cooking. >> i've got vidalia onions and beautiful tomatoes. you can see the grill marks there. >> and just for fun you've got -- >> some apple. >> now fries. >> fries. what we did, we cut some hand fries here. and you can see, look how beautiful brown they are. >> we cut them, beautiful fries. >> do you cook these twice? >> yes, exactly. the first thing we do is soak these in water. cut them, soak them in water, and we took them out, and put them on a towel, dried them. >> that's very important. >> very important. because you put water in hot oil, not a good situation. >> that's dangerous. >> exactly. here you can see they've gotten nice. one thing i cut some herbs and at the last minute -- >> oh. >> throw in some herbs.

sage, parsley. >> and you've got a candy thermometer. why is that important? >> really important because you want the fries to be about 350. >> and you cook them twice? >> about 300. about six minutes first. cool them down. >> okay. >> and then again now for about two minutes. >> okay. >> and you can see -- >> and then a little -- >> okay. the herbs, you can see how we make -- >> so it's healthy because you've got some grains in there. >> very healthy. >> very nice. >> okay. >> honey, really. it's healthy. if there are greens. >> a beautiful potato. >> i've got one here. >> take a little lettuce. and the tomato first. >> a burger first. >> okay. >> and this is our burger with the smoked gouda and the prove loan, and the tomato and vidalia onion. now you can take the apple with bacon, i'm going to take the pork belly.

>> i can do both. >> can you do both. >> why wouldn't you. >> right. >> and there's my burger. that's a thing of beauty. >> ha! so let's cut one. >> all right. where's natalie? >> you're trying it, al. that's huge. that has your name all over it. pork belly. >> oh, yes. >> how can you possibly eat -- >> go there you go. >> go for it, al. >> let me see how this would work. he's got the pork. he didn't get any of the hamburger. >> i did get some burger. >> wow. terrific, huh? that's amazing. now that is a burger. >> we have some -- >> oh, wow. >> one word, defibrillator. john delucie, thanks very much. recipe on our website, todayshow.com. weher. fws an atwer.

good morning, everybody. it is 9:56. i'm brent cannon. checking your morning commute with mike inouye. we are looking at the capital

train. >> reports through fairfield and martinez, 30 to 75-minute delays for the train line near capital corridor because of fires near the track. but it is not causing problems on the roadways, so drivers are moving just fine. the slowdown for westbound 80 through emeryville out of berkeley through richmond as well is seeing speeds near 40 miles per hour. moving smoothly to the bay bridge toll plaza with a light volume of traffic. but around 11:00 we'll see a slowdown near the golden gate bridge. we'll take a look outside. it looks like the clouds are beginning to clear, not a lot, but they are going to be clearing out. i promise. probably not before late afternoon. right now in oakland it is 56 degrees. 52 in san francisco. let's take a look at the seven-day forecast. every day we'll get a couple degrees warmer. by the weekend, we'll be close to summertime temperatures. not quite where we should be near average temperatures, but it is getting warmer out there and more sunny. back to brent at the desk. it is a crowded field of

candidates for oakland mayor this november. 13 people now in the running to succeed mayor ron dellums. for the first time in history, oakland will use a rank choice system in november for the mayor's race. the state senate will honor two bay area rescuers this morning for a daring rescue in a flooded walnut street canal. you may remember this video back in april when a car plunged into the canal. a woman was swept away by the current. pilot jason hertzel was in the helicopter to make the rescue. and the rescue swimmer here grabbed the victim and swam her to shore. she did go into cardiac arrest but survived. they will get an award at the state capital in sacramento in a few hours. we are watching the latest developments and expect the judge's ruling on the stay concerning gay marriage and whether the marriages can begin or not begin. that could come any minute now. a live look at san francisco. we'll keep you posted all

morning long. the "today" show is up next.

r unc-sanbivlefotevil ivsion piy from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody. it is thursday, august 12th, 20106789 that2 2010. that's the day i got engaged 24 years ago. >> and your birthday is coming up. two birthdays are coming up on monday. so monday is going to be a big day on the "today" show. a lot of birthday celebrations. >> it was funny yesterday. >> what happened? >> what do you do for frank?

he's got everything. so we -- his son, his oldest son who is a year older than pim flew in with karen and his two granddaughters. they're like mine anyway after all these years. we surprised him at a restaurant. >> frank didn't know they were coming? >> he didn't know they were coming. when we got there and looked at them, he didn't know they were coming. he was so stunned, he didn't -- i know he was thinking, who's that? hello? >> don't get -- >> who the beep did she invite for dinner or lunch? i'm always bringing strays and stuff. all t of a sudden he's like it's my son and grandchildren. they're here for a week, so it's going to be a long week. you went out last night. did you have a good time?

>> i did, yes. i had a good time. >> so there's a good story in the paper today -- >> that's a story we're not going to tell you. >> exactly. there's a woman who is an ad executive. she was out for an evening, and as she's standing outside after she's had a few drinks admittedly a homeless guy walks by. >> she said one margarita. you'll question na. >> i homeless person says can i have some money i'd like to buy a vitamin water and other things. so she's looking in her pocket and doesn't have any cash but she had her platinum amex. she said to the man i only have my platinum amex is he said can i borrow that. she said yes. he said can i buy cigarettes. >> she said those are bad for you. >> but she gave him the stuff. so he goes off with the platinum card, and he's gone. normally you would think what's

going to happen is this man ever coming back? she believed in him. she trusted him. >> she also works as an advocate for the homeless, so her heart was there. >> sure enough here he came back with that card, thanked her for the cigarettes and the vitamin water. i mean, that was -- she knew in her heart the guy was going to come back. you know when you trust someone sometimes. >> maybe she was -- one time i was separated and i was coming down -- i lived in california and i was coming down from the mountain where we lived to go to the grocery store. there was this homeless family on the side of the road, and sometimes something just triggers something in you. they had a little girl that remindzed me so much of my niece around the same age, but i'm talking destitute. i drove past, and i thought, that could be my niece. i went back, picked them up, thought i'd drive them to the grocery store because i was going to the grocery store, and

then feed them, you know. well, i took them home, and i lived alone at this point. >> they were with you? >> i went to wash all their clothes because it was a smell like -- i gave them robes and take all their clothes, and this filthy, filthy magazine falls out of the man's -- like a porn book. wors worse. that's when i went what have i done? i know that feeling. i don't think her life was in danger, just her financial help. i know that feeling. you want to trust. i'll never forget that experience. i wouldn't suggest you do that. >> i used to live in a different apartment in new york, and there was this woman who was outside who was homeless and also off. every time she saw only me coming out of the building, she would point to me and say you

[ bleep ]. >> thank you. >> every time i walked out in the whole group she would -- i reminded her of somebody. >> maybe it was you. >> i started gegtting used to. every day there she was. then one day, she was gone. i so worried about her even though she cursed me out every single morning. i don't know what happened to her. that's my story. >> maybe she moved to another neighborhood and now she's doing it to katie couric. >> bad news for j. lo if the reports are true. >> maybe she contributed to this. >> here's the story. they were looking for judges for "american idol"," and j. lo kep coming up. "people" is reporting that j. lo is no longer in contention to be one of these judges, and they're very coveted positions. you get all this notiriety

again. "people" says they were making demand that they thought were too much. >> she demanded herself right out of a job they're saying. i don't know. i don't know if it's true. whether you've been in this business forever you have agents and managers, but they're supposed to come and tell you. i can't tell you how many times people have said i wanted you in my movie and your agent said no, and you go what? sometimes it does happen. we're not blaming j. lo, but somewhere along the line demands were made. >> it looks like steven tyler. you and i would be great. >> let's see if that happens. there are freaky stories that we have come across lately. the freaky story of today, there's a guy who decided that he wanted to change his name, and that's becoming very trendy

as we told you yesterday. >> a guy was in in god we trust. >> in guy wants to change his name to boomer the dog. he's obsessed with this show in the '80s, so this 44-year-old guy wants to change his name. the judge is saying, look, it's weird changing your name to that. let's go back a little bit. there's a term you may or may not be familiar with. it's called anthrophormic enthusiasmist. >> they dress up in full garb. dressing up like a dog and changing your name to boomer -- >> only appropriate on halloween, people. in the privacy of your own home. >> people do bizarre things. >> we love our facebook people, too. send us examples of freak of the day.

not casting judgment on people. you be the judge. >> there was a woman who weighed 1,000 pounds and was on a webcam all the time, and people paid to watch her eat. they liked to watch her eat. >> that's sad. >> they're called feeders. they like too feed them or watch people eat. i don't know. >> the music again one more time. ♪ freak out >> go to "okay or not okay." is it okay or not okay for young girls to model. kathie lee says my daughter models and i modelled first at the age of 17. it's not yurl age, it's about what is appropriate for your age. as long as it'sclassy, it's fine. >> one weekend in modeling realized that's the last thing in the world to do. for me it was like -- it wasn't for me. cass is fine with it, but she'd

rather be acting. they actually show a picture of kendall jenner, who is my goddaughter, and see what's she's wearing in there. it's totally and adorably inappropriate. she starts wearing a g string by the time she's 5. not appropriate. >> hoda said a simple sun dress or new pair of sandals but when your youngster looks like she's auditions for the real housewives time to hang up the stilettos. >> no offense, bethany. >> that's the issue. it's not about what you're modeling but how you're model g modeling, right? >> gotcha. >> sarah, did you ever model. >> no, i definitely did not model. i waitressed, but i was awful. in addition to your freaky photo go to klgaskhoda.com. let us know -- we want to address that on monday. >> coming up next, he is

bringing country to this big city. love this guy, blake shelton is here. you'll never guess his favorite past time. that's right after this. @?úó @e@wx?÷/0g@o@oúo@m@n@bsi

he's the self-proclaimed country star. >> blake shelton has a brand new cd out called "all about tonight." he and miranda lambert got engaged. >> in your opinion love layou w time you were here. how did you propose? >> we live out in the middle of nowhere in oklahoma, and i

tricked her and got her to come out on my land. i like to grow corn and things like that, and i told her i was going to take her and show her how my corn was doing, which is very romantic. >> there happened to be some photographers there to capture the moment or what? >> cornography. >> did you get down on one knee and do the whole sning. >> do you want to talk about this on television? i did, as a matter of fact. >> was she surprised at the timing? >> she said yes. she clearly was drunk or something from the night before, probably. >> you had some moonshine? congratulations to you. >> thank you very much. >> congrats on the new cd, "all about tonight." the single is number five already. it flew to the top. there it is. >> after this one i'm quitting. >> would you be happy if you

quit just sitting in your cornfield? >> he wouldnyou wouldn't be hap. >> no you wouldn't. >> look at my reputation there. >> that guy and i have a future, i think. what would miranda do? she doesn't want to quit. >> she'd have to work if i quit. >> would you be a house daddy? >> i would love to be that. >> when you say daddy, that means kids. i don't want to do that. >> you and miranda sing together on a track, right? >> yeah, "dragging the river." >> maybe we could cue a little bit of that up. >> it's about running off and getting married because the parents don't approve. so they fake their death so their families are looking for their dead bodies in the river and they go to las vegas. it's very romantic.

>> whethn the parents find out they're alive, they won't be so upset. >> did you write it? >> no. a guy named chris stapleton wrote that. >> are you excited about the future? no matter what's going on, you always seem like -- >> no. >> you are cranky. >> you tell us the truth. >> yes, i'm excited. absolutely. i'm getting married and got a new record out. listen, she's down in texas with her family right now and they're looking at some plans. >> what does that mean? >> i hope get an invitation, okay? i don't know. >> you know what you have an invitation for? you're going to be sitting in my seat about a week, ten days. >> you're going to co-host the program. how do you feel about that? >> how do you feel about that? you may not be welcome. i'm a natural. as long as i don't have to read stuff, i'll be good.

>> i'm ready to retire as well. >> really? >> here's the thing. i'm going to loan you my dressing room downstairs and my spanx and you can do that freaky thing you like to do. >> okay. all right. she knows plenty about me. >> we wish you the best of luck with miranda and the new cd. >> thank you. i need it and need it. >> it's called "all about tonight." you have to hear that single on itunes. >> you are one of our favorite people. have fun with the hoda woman while i'm gone. clean my spanx afterwards. up next, how documenting your life can help change it. we'll show you how to get started. you just wash tinhem them ingee cycle, okay? pnpñpñpñpñpññ @a?p @st#(f fh@! t

have you ever had some thoughts you didn't want to share with anyone else but you needed to the let out? it may be time to start a

journal. >> staring a blank page or yes a blank computer screen can be so intimidating. harriet cole is here to help you get started. she's a lifestylist and the president of harriet cole media. >> she's a very big deal. >> keeping a journal is a thing that either people do or people don't, right? >> i don't do it. i write so much anyway, but you do it. >> i journal in the morning. >> a lot of people start when they're little girls in particular. the diary idea, and you start when you get to that point of intraspekz. they continue it on twitter and facebook. i do not recommend that you ponder the moments of your life, because usually when people journal it's when something emotional is going on. ingts a one of thing to do. write it down and take a look at it later, but taking a look at

it later is you taking it a look at it later. >> if someone found my journals they would think i was a crazy manic-depressive because you write on the bad days. you journal with all that stuff. >> it's like getting a toxin out of your body to start it. >> it's the way you can do it. if you have the practice of journalling, you know you write about something emotionally charged but try to write it down and examine it. what can i learn from this. if you can write about na also. >> i think a lot of people are intimidated. you look at a blank page and it's a random monday and put your pen down and what do i write? do i relive what happened the day before? what do you do, harriet, when you write? >> i start by setting the scene. so what time is it, where am i, what is my mood? i also write when i'm happy, so i make that conscious decision. i don't do it every day, but i do it often. you know what it is? you want to do it every day.

>> that's right. >> that got me, right? >> i have tried doing it every day, but i tell you, i write every day, as you point out. i write every day, but in my work i write every day. i don't write to myself every day. i think it's a wonderful gift, but set the tone, where i am, what i'm doing, and what i'm thinking about. sometimes i just use one little thing to explore. >> i like to do a lessons learned and then a grateful section. >> gratitude is so important. >> sometimes you might learn something from somebody randomly. >> things like that. the things that inspire you are a good thing. >> i love that you are looking for gratitude, because especially whether we're energized and just feeling very emotional about something, we don't see gratitude. we just see fire. that fire -- why i like the blank page, by the way, is because you can draw on it, you can write the letters big or small. >> you own it. >> that's what you can't get in

a computer in the same way. >> you can. >> it's an awful lot of work with the graphics and stuff. >> now the ipad and options for keeping a journal especially if you travel a lot. what i would say is don't e-mail it. truly this should be an intimidate expression between you and you. if you're writing in your journal about someone, there's a relationship going awry, maybe don't name the person. fictionalize your life. you don't have to call him sam. it could be x or even not. >> harriet, thank you. >> you're a sweetheart. >> stillcome, we'll tell you how to shop the best outlets and plus who is going to buy like jennifer aniston.

good morning, everybody. it is 10:26. a live look at san francisco's city hall where we are anxiously awaiting the gym's ruling today that could affect gay marriage, whether to lift the stay and allow those to begin or not. lots of folks have gathered there awaiting the decision. it could happen any moment now. we'll bring that to you the second that it does. in the meantime, we are checking in with mike. we has an on again off again sigalert. >> highway 1 is cleared now, at least as far as the traffic control goes, but there's still debris reported. gravel is all over the lanes there. keep that in mind. then along the peninsula drive, the 101 is moving slowly, just a little slow southbound through

san mateo. that's pretty typical near the southbound 101. around the san mateo bridge, a nice drive coming towards the peninsula. you can see it from the east bay side. that's a little treat. then on the bay bridge, we have a backup starting to form here. you will see that build over the noontime hour because there is a game in san francisco with the giants playing at 12:45. traditionally, we see slowing there. did you see the clouds? they are beginning to lift, that's a good thing. things will be burning off a little later than we have the last couple of days. san mateo right now, 59 degrees. 59 in oakland. warming up to 62 in san jose. we take a look at noon, things will be warming from there. the game will maybe see some sunshine towards the end. let's take a look ahead at the seven-day forecast, every day getting a little warmer. by the weekend, we'll be in summertime temperature tirrit teorrrory. get outside and enjoy the weather. y.

the latest smartphone hits the market today. people got a chance to order the droid 2 today, which is similar to the droidx. this could lure business away from the iphone because it costs less. the droid 2 has many features as the original, like a slideout keyboard and a 5 megapixel camera. the new model can act as a mobile high fie spot. live pictures coming to you

from the san francisco city hall. folks are awaiting the judge's decision whether or not to lift his stay on gay marriage. we are following it and will have the breaking news for you as soon as it happens. we're back on this thirst day with more of "today." if you love a good bargain and can't help telling friends about the buy you got, you came to the right plate. >> jill martin spent the day at tanger outlet center to find the best way to get a bang for her buck. >> how often? once a week. >> constantly. >> do you come here to buy something specific? >> yes, shoes. >> what are you looking for? >> everything. >> i always say to wear a solid black t-shirt with black pants, because if you pick up a top

like this turquoise top, if i can use a solid top, i can go in the dressing room and try this on without totally just throwing it. >> let your fingers do some of the walking. so this website then checks what the sales and coupons a o l >> a lot of your favorite stores will have additional discounts. >> i found the perfect gift for klg and hoda. just kidding. look at these shoes. only four pairs left and only one size 9 that's my size. if i don't take it now, they'll be gone a few seconds later. whether you see it, grab it. these are $78 and they are priced $59 and have 20% off. significantly less. >> "today" and "us weekly" contributor and author, jill

martin. >> who gets cranky and fabulous? >> let me have it. i know what i am. thank you, precious. >> thank you. >> thank you, thank you. >> i had a lot of fun, and it was interesting finding out about yoult let shopping. you said i have a new outfit for fall from banana republic, which is an outlet store there. i got it for a little over $100 with my 20% coupon. >> you can still wear it in -- >> how much at a regular banana republic store? >> something like it a little over $300. people don't realize that their retail stores within the outlet stores. it says outlet store, and you look on the tag and it says youtd let store or ask, because some of them are retail stores. >> i thought all of the leftover merchandise went to the outlet store. this is brand new for fall? >> not always. they can create certain items that were popular specifically for outlet stores at a lower price. you have to be smart about it and research and ask questions.

they'll tell you we're a retail store, so you don't get a buy there. >> if i don't know how much it is in banana republic in rockefeller center, how do i know? >> 40% to 60% is the range to look. a lot of outlets like tanger outlet will match the lower price. if you see this outfit at a banana republic, they'll give your money back. you have to be smart with the receipt. you go online, and coupons are such a big deal. i couldn't believe it. i would sgik up that was originally $4 million and a million dollars and look at all the 20% coupons and you get a great deal. >> you have to have a plan. the problem is you want that pair of shoes like that lady says but i need that and need that. walk out paying a fortune. >> you met this family, right? >> it's perfectly fine. i met this unbelievable family.

what are you looking for? he said shoes, right. but he got everything but. >> of course. look at the baby. >> so cute. >> is that miles. >> even though they go all the time, you were doing it properly, right? specific things to buy. >> did you get all the stuff you're wearing? >> more or less. >> you got a lot on there. >> a good dealed on the burberry coat for half off. the diaper bag is another. >> that's the cutest diaper bag. >> she actually made a spreadsheet with all her savings from the day. they each saved over $500 in their shopping for the day, and they're smart outlet shoppers. thep went online and researched with shoes but this great jacket for fall. >> and the baby got some stuff? >> whole outfit.

>> the best time to go to the outlet stores? >> monday through friday is better than the weekend. they say go first thing in the morning or 4:00 when everyone is exhausted. >> things have been picked over by then, too, so maybe early early. >> he woke up for a second. >> there was a brief moment. voice. face off in another heated competition. what do you think? w we learn about youth right after this. ot

if you're looking for a challenge that will rev up your body, get ready to talk on -- >> wrinkles. you said arngles. >> dmo, i didn't. >> "prevention" magazine defy your age is a diet that promises to get you healthy in three months. here to get you started is katie becker. hello, katie. >> hi. >> we love being quizzed here. >> we love it. let's do it. >> first question, myth or fact. eating purple food will help you stay young? >> i say fact. >> this is a fact. a colorful diet is an important part of the plan. it's going on in purple foods like blueberries and red wine actually and grapes.

it's good for prevent hard disease and alzheimer's and it tastes good. next question. myth or fact. as long as you are using the right products for your skin, you do not need to change your regimen to stay looking fresh? >> i say fact. don't change. >> i'll say myth. >> it is a myth. you're right. >> kwon graevery six to 12 mont should change something. it can be easy. use an alternate night cream a couple times a week. >> myth or fact. filling up on carbohydrates can help turn back the clock? >> myth. >> that has to be a myth. >> wait a minute. >> all right. you're right again, it is a fact. having the right carbohydrates in your diet is important. you want whole grains. >> but you said filling up on carbs. isn't that what the question was? >> you still to want get the

fiber from the carbs, and that will help you stay fuller longer. >> i don't believe katie. >> you want the whole grains in fruits and vegetables and whole grain cereal. >> you have three and i have one. >> myth or fact. if you apply just one anti-ager, it should be a moisturizer. >> i'm going to say myth because it's a fact. >> it's actually a myth. you want to use a rheetinoid. >> i'm so old, i'm learned this stuff. go ahead, katie. >> it plumps collagen production so you reduce fine lines and wrinkles. >> it really does work. >> just avoid the sun. >> you can get the prescription version or over the counter called retinol. myth or fact, women have greater amounts of vitamin c in their diet have fewer wrinkles. >> i'm going to say myth because

it's true. >> it's a fact. a study in the american journal of clingal nutrition said women with higher amounts of vitamin c actually have 11% fewer chances of wrinkles. >> are you and her in cahoots? i don't get it. >> you want 75 milligrams a day. that's like in a grapefruit. so maybe have half a grapefruit with breakfast and the other half later in the day. >> what about just taking vitamin c? >> you can take vitamin c as well. >> it's better to get it from the food. >> i'm going to get this one right. give me it. >> myth or fact, eating fats will lead to -- >> it says working out can affect your dna, making you age more slowly? >> your dna cannot change. your dna is your dna. >> it's a myth. >> i'm going to say fact, because i got this one right. >> this is fact.

>> thank you. >> it can change your dna. >> katie says so. katie knows everything. >> give your explanation for that. >> people who work out more have longer telemers. it's making you younger. >> you're going to have much better health and live longer, but your dna is your dna and cannot change. >> you got it wrong. let's move on. >> next one. eating fat can increase the rate in which your skin ages. >> fact. >> this is a happy fact. if you get the right fats, it's good for you. >> that means my thighs are not going to live very long. >> it's a myth. >> i'm sorry. it's a myth. >> so we were both wrong. >> the positive thing is that you want to get good fats in your diet. omega 3s pump your skin. >> there are lots of bad fats, kate. >> you want to look for salmon

and tuna, leafy greens, walnuts. >> what was the final score? what's the final score? >> 5-3 kathie. >> thank you, katie. you come back anytime you want, sweetheart. >> well-done. >> next we have the woman who helped jennifer aniston appreciate your body. she'll show us how it's done right after this.

who doesn't want to look like jennifer aniston? >> who doesn't? >> get out the yoga mat because now is your chance. yoga to the stars mandy ingbert is behind jennifer aniston's gorgeous body. >> she can help us all out with her new dvd. >> you obviously practice what you preach. >> thank you. people say i want jennifer anist aniston's body. i'm like, what about my body?

>> to transform a celebrity body like that, a lot say, boy, i'd love to look like that. how much work does it take to achieve that? >> we all have the body we have to take care of. it's really about consistency and finding a way to practice regularly. like three times a week is a good place to start. >> isn't it unfair to set up one person as an example and say you, tooshgs could look like this if you did yoga three times a week? some people have inherent body situations and they shouldn't feel bad about themselves because of that. >> toilgtsi totally agree with . it's really about starting exactly where you are and loving the body you have. i really believe that if you start really caring for your body and loving your body as it is, it starts to fall into place. >> things start to improve. >> like your natural body. >> a lot of people don't feel like yoga is for them because it gets boring. i'll be honest with you, i feel that way sometimes. i feel like i'm sitting there.

if i'm working out, i want to do something. >> you want to have fun and play around. >> that's why i created the hybrid, which is a yoga pose and moves into a toning exercise. but i wanted to grab the person that got bored in the yoga class, so i hope to grab you today. >> are we going to do this? where should we go? >> flip off the shoes. that won't work here. >> i'm now 4 feet tall. >> okay. so all of this is on my dvd on my website by the way. we're going to start off with temple pose off the mat, and we're going to come down into this lovely little pose. >> i can't do any of these. >> i'm going to be flashing america. >> i can't do it. >> she's doing it. here we are. we hold this pose, and kathie come up a little bit. >> my upper body. >> we're in this great pose

toning the gluts, right? so squeeze up. >> squeezing. >> then we come down and into a squat. so we keep this moving battle, and while we're here i'd like to set it in tension. my intention for this week is eat, play, love. >> okay. >> my intention is not to show my spanx. >> let's go down. >> it's pulsatinpulsating. that comes kind of naturally. >> we don't want to hear about that. let's move up. bring your feet and toes together. inhale and then exhale and sink down. good. so let's play a little. sink down into your tush like you're a lightning bolt. >> that's hard to maintain your -- >> it sure is. you wouldn't do this by yourself. let's go down.

squeeze. and up. beautiful, you guys. three. do you fueel your gluts? >> back here where you get that back flap. >> let's go down two, three -- this is a real trick. pretend you're a kid. lower down onto your butt. yay. >> what is going on? >> so we come up into both poses, this is for your abdominals. good idea. >> it lives forever in cyberspace. reach your arms forward, and you should feel this your abdominals. don't forget to breathe, you guys. i did forget. we're going to come up, good, extend, and -- >> hoda, you're doing nothing!

>> thank you, mandy. >> thank you so much, mandy. >> thank you, honey. we'll be back with more of "today" on nbc.

oh, i'm -- i'm glad he was on that shot. >> that was a spanx alert. >> a lot going on down there. you have no idea. time for miss sarah haines. >> in reference to your furry talk, travis wrote in -- mia wrote in that she worked at a zoo and the furry convention came to visit. she fell obligated to follow them around. one had a tail and the older man was wearing ears. >> neez athese are guys that dr like animals. they're called furries.

when is our music? who is directing today? >> careful. >> they'll put up my picture without makeup. tomorrow actor keer ren culkin is here. >> your kids, college and money. what you should you know. of course, it's ambush friday. >> dry day.