good morning. submerged -- iowa ravaged by the state's worst flooding in more than a decade and this morning, even more heavy rain is on the way. no one stopped them? three florida kids, just 11, 13, and 15, hop on a last-minute southwest flight to nashville. their parents had no idea they were gone. and this morning, the airline says it did nothing wrong. and "today" exclusive, lindsay lohan's mom speaks out for the first time about her daughter's time in jail, how she's now doing in rehab, and whether she'll ever be able to turn her troubled life around. dina lohan in an exclusive live interview, "today," friday, august 13, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

and good morning. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm meredith vieira. this is the fourth straight day of storms that have pounded iowa, leaving the state heavily flooded. >> that's right. ames has been hard hit, flooding so severe there the city has been forced to shut down its water supply to about 56,000 people. we'll have a live report from the scene straight ahead. also ahead, an nbc news exclusive. general david petraeus spoke with nbc's david gregory overnight. his first interview since taking command of u.s. and nato forces in afghanistan. he is onboard with president obama's july 2011 date to begin pulling u.s. troops ousted region. or is he not? we'll get a live report from kabul just ahead. also ahead, lindsay lohan is only 24 years old. she's had more than her share of trouble with the law and addiction. right now, she's in rehab for the fourth time.

this time, it's been ordered by the court, after she served a couple of weeks in jail. how did her once promising young life seem to unravel? was there anyone in her family who could have prevented it? coming up, we're going to talk exclusively to her mom, dina lohan. and on a lighter note. one of music's hottest new stars ke$ha takes over the plaza for a concert. let us start with a check of the top stories. ann is off this morning. natalie morales is over at the news desk with all of the headlines. natalie, good morning. >> good morning to you, matt and meredith. good morning, everyone. more rain, more problems expected today in iowa where it has been raining and flooding in some places for days now. nbc's ron allen is in kolfax, iowa. ron, good morning. >> good morning, natalie. this is typical of what you see in some towns in this part of the state, all these homes behind me are evacuated. the rest have been gone for several days now. the good news is the water is, in fact, receding. it's still about three or four

feet deep in some places in this neighborhood and in others, and of course the forecast does call for more rain. the problem with that, all of that water has no place to go. >> reporter: for three days, heavy rain and thunderstorms have caused widespread flooding across iowa. washing out roads and closing businesses. in ames, record flooding caused water pipes to break thursday. the city had to shut down the water supply, leaving 56,000 people without drinking water. >> thank you. >> yes. >> reporter: residents will have to rely on bottled water until the system is repaired. and that could take days. in altoona, water was moving so fast, it swept three cars right off the road and into a creek. eleven people were trapped under water. a 16-year-old girl did not survive. this woman had to wade into four feet of water to save the few items that didn't get soaked. it's a theme that's played out in homes across iowa.

flooding shut down iowa state university. water rushed through the school coliseum, from parking lots to stairwells to the basketball court. but people still found a way to get around. some even used the unexpected pond on campus for a little summer fun. well, the situation out here is a little bit more serious than that. it could be three or four more days, the residents tell me, before they think they'll be able to get back and see what they can salvage in the flooded basements of their homes. a pretty grim situation for now, natalie. back to you. >> absolutely. they do need a break there. ron allen in colfax, iowa, thaumps. thank you so much. u.s. combat operations are winding down in iraq. richard engel got an update from the commanding general in iraq. richard, good morning. >> good morning, natalie. general odierno says he is confident forces for the withdrawal of american combat

troops this month but it will take years to know if the iraq war overall has been a success. >> i think if we get this right, i think overall stability will improve in the region, meaning it will translate to the united states. >> reporter: but it's still an open question? >> it is. >> reporter: if we don't get it right, then it was not worth it. is that -- >> what i'm saying is the result we'll know in three to five years is what i've always said. >> reporter: three to five years from now to know if the iraq war brought more stability to the middle east. american commanders here say they are optimistic but are clearly being cautious in their assessment. natalie? >> richard engel reporting live from baghdad for us, thank you. southwest airlines is defending its policy on unaccompanied minors after three jacksonville children bought plane tickets to nashville and flew there without their parents knowing. the three are 15, 13, and 11 years old. they say know one at the southwest airlines counter questioned them or even asked for i.d. the airline says no policies

were broken. matt and meredith, the airline says as long as they are accompanied by someone over the age of 12, they can fly. age of 12 can fly. i'm sure a lot of questions being asked today, though, about that. >> in trouble. >> they paid cash. >> babysitting money. >> pooled it together. >> crafty little devils. anyway, natalie, thanks very much. let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker. how is the weekend looking? >> looking pretty good for us here on the east coast. but for our friends in iowa, pretty rough, and a good portion of the country dealing with dangerous heat over the next 24 hours from texas as far east as the carolinas. we've got temperatures in the low 90s to over 100 degrees. add in the humidity. it's going to feel like 110 in little rock. 112 in st. louis. 108 in des moines, as if they don't have enough problems. and then we have the risk of strong storms from st. paul all the way down to kansas city and parts of iowa included in that. you can see the heavy rain now starting to fire up. we're going to be looking anywhere from an inch to two inches of rain throughout much of iowa over the next 24 hours.

that's what is going on around the countr we may be cool and cloudy in san francisco looking at the golden gate bridge. about 54 degrees, still among the best weather in the country and finally getting to summer temperatures this weekend. it will be beautiful, 80s to 90s inland. along the coast, 60s, but even reaching the 70s in some areas. and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. according to the latest nbc news/"wall street journal" poll, nearly seven out of ten americans believe the war in afghanistan will not end successfully. the u.s. effort there is now being led by general david petraeus. he sat down with "meet the press" moderator david gregory for his first interview since taking command. david gregory is in kabul this morning. david, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith.

and the public's frustration with the war is really principally on the mind of general petraeus as he works this strategy. he knows that they have to demonstrate some progress here if the public is to be brought around, if he is to deal with this deadline question in a meaningful way. what is that withdrawal time line? july of next year is when u.s. troops are supposed to begin to transition out of the country. well, is that the beginning of the exit strategy? my time with general petraeus leads me to believe that there will be some push back on that and in our interview, general petraeus made clear he doesn't know what will happen next july. listen. could you reach that point and say i know that the process is supposed to begin, but my assessment, as the commander here, is that it can cannot begin now? >> certainly, yeah. again, the president and i sat down in the oval office and he expressed very clearly that what he wants from me is my best

professional military advice, where i understand the mission that's been assigned. we have recommended the strategy and the resources that are required for that strategy. and as there are changes in any of that, that obviously i communicate that to him, recognizing that he has some issues with which he has to deal that we don't have to worry about, but that's real life. and, again, that was the process that we worked through last fall. >> reporter: the president had to deal with the politics of the war which are increasingly sour back home. but what's important here, meredith, conditions based, not a firm deadline in general petraeus' mind, and this is going to be very interesting in terms of how this plays out over time. he appears to be trying to do what he did in iraq which is try to slow that washington clock down. >> i was going to say, i wonder how his comments will play here when 58% of the people in our poll are very negative about the war. >> reporter: well, what he will acknowledge is just that, that there is so much negativity and that he simply needs the space

to demonstrate some progress and that progress is really the best answer to the public's frustration. you do have to wonder, though, even different from the surge in iraq, this is a war that is 9 years old, that is confusing, that is frustrating, confounding on so many levels. does general petraeus, as highly regarded as he is, have enough time politically to execute on the strategy which he thinks will work? >> i know you also asked him about the infamous wikileak on the afghan war. apparently that website will release another 15,000 documents. what does he say, the general, about potential damage? >> reporter: it's the first time that he's made his comments known. he does not know the content of this new documents that's supposed to be on wikileaks, but he does know and did say in the interview how damaging that initial tranche was. they're learning more and more about who was compromised and this comes at a time of just critical importance. battlefield intelligence, the general told me, is so vitally

important right now when you have such a lack of faith in the central government and when the u.s. and coalition forces are about to launch a major operation in the toughest part of the country, which is down south in kandahar in the fall. for them to be losing those intelligence assets is a real blow. >> before you go, does he acknowledge things are not going as well as he had hoped in afghanistan, or does he say he seems some light at the end of the tunnel now that he's there? >> reporter: you know, i think both. i think he's clear eyes there's a results problem here. i asked him. he's a realist. he always says that whether we're winning or losing. he doesn't like to get caught in one of those but he says, look, i think we're winning from the point of view there is some sign of progress and that's what we have to build on, there has to be momentum that can't be denied. i think he recognizes they're not quite there yet. >> david, we look forward to seeing your full interview with general petraeus on "meet the press" this sunday. thank you so much for joining us. >> reporter: thanks, meredith. it is 7:11. here is matt. federal investigators have

wrapped up their work at the site of monday's deadly plane crash in alaska that killed five people, including former senator ted stevens. we're going to be talking to his youngest daughter in a moment. first nbc's michelle kosinski is in anchorage with the latest. michelle, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. what investigators want to do now is talk to the four survivors that are recovering from the hospital. two of whom have just had their conditions upgraded. here in alaska with so many communities reachable only by air, flight is a way of life. so is extremely changeable weather and so are accidents. >> reporter: in alaska, nature is a giant and where the skies positively buzz with tiny planes, the jagged peaks shrouded in clouds are a constant caution. but this crash has shaken the best of them. two legends died and both had been in crashes before.

senator ted stevens, here in a photo taken the day before this disaster, was working to improve air safety. he survived a 1978 accident that killed his wife and four others. reportedly, he talked about having a premonition his life would end this way. and the pilot, terry smith, whom every pilot here seems to have known, was named a legend by alaska air. he flew 28 years for them. his name graces this 737 in a museum. so how did this happen? pilot john boeker was the first to spot the wreckage from above. >> what i saw was he probably got confused in the bad weather and he probably applied full power and started climbing and tried to outclimb all the mountains. >> reporter: in october, terry smith and his wife had to crash land a piper can cub while on vacation in new zealand. but here, treacherous weather and small aircraft are a way of life. this plane is described as his pickup truck. >> we do a different type of flying than when they bring pilots up in the states. this is what we have to do.

we don't have instruments on both ends. we're not flying from an airport to another airport. we're flying from an airport out to nowhere. >> reporter: along this lake, where one seems to take off and land every few seconds, planes have the right-of-way on roads. about 1 in 60 alaskans has their own airplane and the rest of americans is 1 in 820. this state has accounted for more than a third of all u.s. air and air taxi crashes. this tragedy resonates. in senator stevens' hometown, his neighbors expressed the great loss. >> it's a very giving, yet unforgiving, kind of land and ted knew that and that was part of what he loved about alaska. >> reporter: stevens pushed to have better safety equipment installed in airplanes. that will be one more part of his legacy, but that equipment was not installed in this plane. his public viewing will be tuesday and his funeral wednesday. matt? >> michelle, thanks very much. michelle kosinski in alaska this

morning. lilly stevens becker is the youngest of senator stevens' six children, his only child with his second wife katherine. lily, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> my condolences. i know you and your five siblings and senator stevens' 11 grandchildren will be in alaska soon. it will be a very difficult reunion. >> yes. we're all here now and we're spending time together. >> how did you find out about the crash, lily? >> i was with my husband and with his sister and her family and my mother called me and i took the next plane to alaska and managed to get here. >> your mother, katherine, is senator stevens' widow. i understand she was overseas when she got the news. how is she doing? >> no, i was the one who was overseas, but my mother is doing well under the circumstances and

the support of all of our friends from around the state, the country and the world is really meaning everything to us right now. >> lily, i think back in 1978, your dad survived a plane crash that claimed the life of his first wife, and here this other crash. did your father ever talk to you about concerns about flying in alaska specifically? :no. >> no. i mean, as you know, he was a pilot. he flew in world war ii in china. he loves flying. he got certified to fly float planes just a few years ago and he had no concerns about flying in alaska, but he was concerned about making planes as safe as possible. >> 86 years old and yet everybody who has commented about your dad over the last couple of days, has talked about his spirit, his energy, his love of life. >> yeah, it sounds strange, but i honestly believe he was in the

prime of his life at 86. he was so energetic and he was constantly making plans for the future. and spending time with family and working on projects that were really dear to him after his life in the senate. >> official tributes have been pouring in. the president, i know, has commented about your dad. but i'm curious if you could talk to me a little bit about the tributes from the people there in alaska who loved your dad. they called him senator ted, or uncle ted. what have those meant to you and your family? >> they've meant so much. dad werved for over 40 years in the senate and served the state even longer than that. we shared him with alaska. alaska's a small state and we're like a big family here. so it's like hearing stories from family about how much he meant to them. it's the best. >> you shared with us a photo of you and your dad dancing at your wedding. i know it's one of your fondest memories. how do you want your dad to be remembered?

>> oh, i would love him to be remembered as a kind and honest man who was very humble and he was, you know, right now, he would be unhappy that this was all about him because there are so many other families who are grieving, too, our good friends. i would also be remiss if i didn't mention the immense rescue effort that went on, both civilian and military, and it's just astounding, and the bravery that will come out is overwhelming. >> lily stevens becker, our condolences to you and your entire family. >> thank you. >> and thank you for joining us. it's now 18 after the hour. here is meredith. >> matt, thank you. and now to the latest twist in the jetblue saga and the now famous flight attendant. passengers now are saying that steven slater's story is not what it seems.

nbc's jeff rossen is here with more. jeff, good morning. >> good morning, mayor daj. meredith. good to see you. america loves this guy but now some passengers on that plane say, hang on, before you hold him up as a hero he was the problem. they say he was rude and angry the entire flight. >> reporter: even as passengers hold to his story, steven slater stayed home and stayed humble. >> thank you all so much. it's been amazing the support and the love and everything that's been brought to me and given to me by the community and friends. >> reporter: his story hit a chord, mistreated by a rude passenger. he snapped, deploying the plane's emergency chute at the gate. but now some passengers are telling a different story, that slater himself was offbeat and angry even before take off in pittsburgh. >> it was obvious that he was disgruntled and that he was taking it out on individuals. >> reporter: warren was onboard in seat 2-a. >> his behavior throughout the whole flight was a little bit erratic.

he was walking up and down the aisles slamming the overhead bins. he was slamming the refrigerator door and the ice and whatever they have up there. he was slamming that as well. >> reporter: she says slater was complaining about passengers out in the open and refused to help her with a coffee spill. >> i pointed to him and showed him where the coffee was and he said, "not right now, honey." >> reporter: and there's another problem. the investigators say they still can't find anyone to corroborate slater's story about his confrontation with a rude passenger over that carry-on luggage. even jetblue executives are stumped. if a memo, the airline's number two in charge wrote to his employees, it's difficult to know with certainly what really happened. thursday slater's lawyer defended his client's 20-year record in the air, including that final flight. >> stevens did his job efficiently, effectively, and appropriately. >> reporter: slater's boyfriend

chimed in, too. do you believe the passengers who say he was rude to them? >> that's something i have no comment about that. the only thing i'm going to say is this. that steven absolutely adores flying. >> reporter: an act of defiance that seems so clear has morphed into a mystery of jetblue 1052. if convicted, slater could face seven years in prison. we should mention he's pled not guilty. by the way, meredith, he says he still wants to be a flight attendant with jetblue. doesn't seem likely though. >> i don't know about that, jeff. thank you so much. and just ahead, what was jail like for lindsay lohan and can she turn her life around when she gets out of rehab? dina, her mother, and closest when she gets out of rehab? dina, h[ female announcer ]st jobs leaving.

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with a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. it seats eight comfortably -- not that it always has to. it is 7:26. i'm kris sanchez here with mike inouye. supposed to be friday light. livermore is a mess, if you can call in sick, take a personal day. >> call for an emotional wellness day. 124 minutes from altamont pass over to airway boulevard. we had an accident, still trying to remove what remains of 20 tons of organic fertilizer from the scene. may be 9:00 before that is cleared. no major injuries, but this is a huge problem. if you have friends commuting through the area, let them know this is a problem. they may want to commute from

home. ria. >> i would stay home if i could. let's look outside at san jose. there are some clouds out there. good news, it will be burning off earlier today than it has over the last day or so. right now, still cool, 52 in san francisco. 56 here in san jose. but as the day goes on and the weekend goes on, things are going to be warming up. it wil ientoea and io the 90s.

there is a new legal wrinkle in the fight over same-sex

marriage. a fight over a judge's decision allows marriages to resume next wednesday but only maybe. supporters of prop 8 already appealed that decision, but that appeal may not get off the ground but the governor and attorney general, who are on the lawsuit filed briefs in support of letting marriages resume. if the court does not act before the end of business wednesday, same-sex marriages could resume in california. more local news coming up in a half hour. here's a little the "today" show in between.

♪ don't stop 7:30 on this friday morning. a great crowd jamming the plaza, getting ready to see ke$ha, one of the biggest of the year live in concert. i'm meredith vieira alongside matt lauer. an exclusive live interview with dina lohan, lindsay lohan's mother. >> this is the first time she's spoken out since her daughter's two weeks in jail. what was that like for lindsay and how is her court-ordered rehab going? we'll talk to dina lohan straight ahead. new details in the casey anthony case, the florida mother charged with murder her daughter caylee who would have turned 5 this past sunday. her grandparents are still grieving, still looking for justice for caylee. coming up, we'll talk to them

exclusively as well. plus, how do three children from florida 11, 13, and 15 buy airline tickets without i.d.s or their parents' consent, jump on a plane and fly to nashville without anyone questioning them? we'll have more on that story in just a little bit. but we're going to begin this half hour with the troubled life of lindsay lohan, just 24 years old, already been in jail twice and now she's in rehab for a fourth time. so how did it get to this point? we will talk exclusively to her mom, dina lohan in a moment. but first, her daughter's story. >> he did it. >> you and you -- pack your bags. >> gone are the days when lindsay lohan's biggest punishment was summer camp detention. >> that's 90 days in jail. >> now the courtroom is where she's getting most of her screen time. lohan completed 14 days in jail for a probation violation on a 2007 drunk driving conviction. the former teen queen is

completing a 90-day stay in drug and alcohol rehab. but what will be waiting for her on the other side? >> our experience working with lindsay lohan on her "maxim" cover was positive. >> maxim magazine asked her to be the cover. >> the lindsay lohan that showed up was happy, she was on time, happy to be at work. >> can the actress, star of hit movies like "freaky friday" -- >> you're ruining my life. >> -- and "confessions of a teenage drama queen." >> i'm from new york. >> -- take the drama out of her real life and get back to the business of selling movie tickets and, more importantly, should she? >> take the personal time off. you need it. >> her publicist has been advising high-profile clients for years. >> i think she needs to go away. i think she needs to go away and be missed. >> but what might be hard to miss is lindsay's next film

project "inferno" on linda lovelace, the infamous porn star. >> to carry a movie like that, to play a porn star, i'm not quite sure that i would have taken that big a leap. >> possibly a smart leap, lohan is appearing in "machette." >> maybe machete is the start in action pictures. she would be great. she's tough. she's seen some stuff. >> however, as of now lohan does not appear in the movie's official trailer. >> is it difficult for lindsay lohan? yes. difficult for a lot of people in america right now. hopefully she has the kind of difficulty that she can can put behind her. this is a chance, an opportunity for positive change. >> dina lohan joins us exclusively. dina, good morning. nice to see you. an awful lot has happened in lindsay's life over the last couple of months. let's kind of get to it.

a couple of weeks in jail, what was it like for her? >> actually, the judge is now being recused. we have a new judge on the case. i don't know if you know that. it just happened two days ago. so i think she went overboard and played serious hardball with lindsay. >> you don't think she deserved time in jail? >> not for this particular offense. she violated -- actually didn't violate -- she was supposed to be -- she was in for just missing a couple of classes that she made up and she was working at the time. so the judge went overboard and put her in serious lockdown for two weeks. >> what did she tell you about that time in jail? >> i actually visited her behind glass, and lindsay missed driving classes that she had made up when she went to court and now the judge is being taken off the case and it's a really serious offense for a judge. she went against the district

attorney. >> was she given special treatment in jail? >> absolutely not. >> there are some reports other inmates were locked down, that other inmates were locked down as she was transferred. >> actually that's a safety precaution. it's not just lindsay but other inmates they do that. it's just pre toe kotocol in th. >> she is in court-ordered rehab. there is a report this morning that may end early. >> because the judge was recused herself or she would have been -- she wept against the district attorney's advice. >> so might it be a shorter time in rehab? >> yeah, it will be. >> when do you expect her to get out? >> i'm not going to speak -- i'm not going to speak for the attorneys. soon. >> have you been able to visit her in rehab? >> yes. >> and what are her spirits like? >> she's great. she's been through a lot. the judge played hardball.

lindsay was in with alleged murder e murderers and she's become friends with a lot of them. lindsay's rolled with the punches and she's doing wonderfully. >> you keep saying the judge played hardball and there's a whole side story to that. >> well, she is fired basically. >> but i think a lot of people out there, dina, think that at some point lindsay had this coming to her, that it was probably even a good thing to get her behind bars for a slightly longer time than the first time and get her back into rehab for her own good. >> i think that's all propaganda and what people are reading and, you know, as you know you're in the business of entertainment, so i think a lot of it is preorchestrated and you're reading things that are not facts. it's not based on facts. >> this is the fourth time that she -- >> no, actually not. >> how many times has she been in rehab? >> in 2007 she was incarcerated

for -- well, it was only 22 hours. >> i'm talking about rehab. >> right. >> how many times has she been in rehab? >> two. >> two times? okay. my notes had four. >> i don't know where you're reading -- >> let's say it's two. clearly rehab the first time then did not work. >> well, i actually put her in rehab. and when you say not worked or works, i don't know where you're getting those -- i'm just saying when -- i put her in at 19 years old in los angeles and with a young girl and got in trouble and i'm certainly not condoning drinking and driving and what she did, but she is still paying a price from 2007 to now. it's the same offense so it's nothing -- nothing has changed. >> she said in 2007 in an interview it is clear to me that my life has become completely unmanageable because i am addicted to alcohol and drugs. that was three years. >> she was 19.

she's 24 now. >> has she changed? >> yes. >> has she changed? >> yes. she's grown up considerably. >> do you think she is capable of going through rehab this time, no matter how long it lasts and coming out a changed person able to handle her surroundings? >> absolutely. >> what gives you that confidence? >> age. just living life and growing up. >> you know this is coming and you've heard this before, there is this feeling with a lot of people that the people closest to lindsay, and i mean you -- >> which people? >> you and your ex-husband -- >> are you talking about a source or family? >> you and her friends have done nothing to help her turn her life around. >> that's absolutely not true and it's just propaganda and what people are reading. you know, i have four children not just one and i love them all equally. i haven't been with my ex-husband in 15 years. that's a whole other dynamic i'm not going to get into.

but you're seeing it from reading what you read. i think the public and the people -- >> let's forget what's been printed. just tell me from your point of view. >> what would you like to know? >> do you think you have been there for lindsay, and talk about your ex-husband, too. he's been a parent for a certain period of her life. >> a parent or a parent? >> a parent. >> actually neither. >> okay. have either of you done what you think you could have done to help her along through some very difficult times and prevent her from getting into the situations she's found herself in? >> when you're a parent of younger children you have to let them go a little bit. when she went out to los angeles when she was 19, you know, i had to let her go. without failure, there's no success. he was there in close proximity but you can't make your child not go out and go to a club and

not get behind the wheel of a car. and i don't condone any of that behavior. and i put her in the first rehab without court order and no one knows the facts. i don't speak about lindsay and when she does sit down and she will do an interview and she's brilliant and she will tell other children to try to help them from falling and getting up. >> why do you think she's made some of the choices she has in her life? why has it been so difficult to her or for her? have you been able to kind of put that in perspective? >> i don't know what's so difficult. i think every child goes through a lot of different things. my son just graduated assume cum laude from college. there was a lot going on at college. i don't really know -- lindsay, her life is magnified so she is under a microscope and she has -- you know, she has to really -- i raised my children

to be normal and when they go out and lindsay doesn't realize she does have people watching her and she does have a lot of media surrounding her. she can't even go to starbucks without 12 cars following us. it's a little bizarre. and i think tabloids are daily and they follow these kids and it's not fair and in the old days like julia roberts and those girls didn't really have someone following them and their relationships and cheating on this one and -- it wasn't as magnified and now i think it's become with the internet and everything else it's become so much more profound to them and their lives that they can't r l really live. >> i'm going to agree with you that a lot of it is purely stuff that's written in tabloids. i get that. but other things in her life she has simply done. she has gotten into trouble with the law. you can't blame it all on the tabloids. she's made some wrong choices. >> she is still paying the price from 2007 and the judge on her

case played hardball and now the judge recused herself or she would have been fired and that will come out in the next week. i don't want to talk about that right now. so we have a new judge and it was just a little much for her. you know, we've done case studies on other cases of the same dynamics as lindsay and she just got really hardballed. >> so in terms of parenting between you and michael, and you say he wasn't a parent or a paren -- you don't think the stage mom isn't justified? >> i don't know what stage mom is. i grew up in new york. i was an entertainer. my mother was on the radio so we go back in nose what i've done. i've chosen not to do that. my kids are now telling me to do

that. as far as my ex, i don't really -- i haven't seen him in 15 years. i have criminal stayaways. i believe he goes to court on wednesday for his fiancee, another abusive charge against him. so, you know, he doesn't speak to us. he doesn't speak to lindsay. he doesn't speak to my other children. >> you mention you have other children. you have three other children. ali is how old? 16? >> 16. >> i think on her website it says future superstar. >> no, that's not her website. that's somebody else say iing that. i don't know where you got that from. she doesn't have a website. >> if you look at her and your other kids and they say, i'd like to go into show business in some way, i'd like to go out to hollywood, would you stop them now? >> you know, i wouldn't stop -- i'm producing a film my son michael will be starring in. he's a lacrosse player and an actor.

he's in finance but he wants to be an actor as well. i wouldn't stop my children from doing anything they want to do. it's not like i'm pushing them. they're pushing me to help them. >> any temptation when lindsay gets out of rehab to grab her and get her out of hollywood and get her isolated? >> she'll be coming back to new york. los angeles is a little -- california is a wonderful state but in that world it's different there. it's a different game you play there. the court system and everything is a little different. >> we will keep posted on the developments. dina lohan, thanks for being here this morning. i appreciate it. 7:44. she's sticking around, more to talk about later. right now let's get a check of the weather from a and we have some fog outside. things are still a bit cloudy, but that will be changing as the day goes on. things will be warming up. we have summer-like temperatures

all weekend long into the beginning and middle of next week. and we'll have 90s inland and 60s along the coast. matt? up next, what you can do to avoid paying hidden fees on your next flight. i was driving in northern california. my son was asleep. i really didn't see it coming. i didn't realize i was drifting into the other lane. [ kim ] i was literally falling asleep at the wheel. it got my attention, telling me that i wasn't paying attention. the car hit the brakes faster than i could. i had no idea the guy in front of me had stopped short. but my car did. my car did. thankfully, my mercedes did. [ male announcer ] a world you can't predict... demands a car you can trust. the e-class. the best or nothing. that is what drives us. you're the best.

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>> announcer: today's consume certificate brought to you by bank of america. this morning on "today's consumer" hidden airline fees. the final stretch of the summer vacation season is in high gear and a lot of airline passengers are suffering from sticker shock when it comes to ticket prices. nbc's tom costello covers aviation and he is at reagan national airport this morning. tom, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, meredith. good morning. you know the airlines say if you look at just the base fare, airline tickets are actually cheaper today than they were ten years ago, but ten years ago we weren't paying extra for luggage fees and today those fees are often just the beginning. outside the airport terminal in atlanta ken schaefer decided he had just one option -- >> i'm not sure i could take this quilt. >> reporter: to throw the contents of his suitcase into the trash. >> i'm not carrying all those. i like to read. >> reporter: it was cheaper, he

says, than paying the extra $64 the airline wanted to check his oversized bag to omaha. >> i could have paid $65 and known thrown anything away but i wasn't willing to pay $65 when the ticket cost $160 to begin with. it's ridiculous. so this suitcase is gone. >> reporter: just down the curb the five members of the pleasant family managed to get everything into just two bags for their flight to cleveland. 25 bucks per bag but that meant 2-year-old james had to strap on a back pack. >> he carries his own bag because it's free. if he checks it, it's 25 bucks. >> reporter: americans are finding they have to fly light and go without if they want to avoid paying all the extra fees that come with air travel these days. baggage fees that r$15 to $25 pr bag. fees to book your flight by phone. fees to board early. fees for leg room or an aisle seat, fees to change reservations. those can go as high as $150.

>> and your families in particular need to be careful about how much baggage they're checking, making sure it's not over the limit in order to not have a budget buster at the airline ticket counter. >> reporter: the airlines insist the $8 billion they earned in fees last year are finally helping them turn a profit after ten years of losses. and here's the key, if you don't check a bag, you're not paying anything more. if you don't board an airplane, you're not paying anything more. if you don't care where your sit onboard an airplane, you're not paying anything more. you're actually paying less. >> reporter: but congress and a lot of travelers complain it's not always easy to anticipate the fees before you head to the airport. back in atlanta ken schaefer had had enough. >> i'm not going to do that. i'm just not. i'm not going to be held captive. >> reporter: southwest airlines doesn't charge to check your bag. by the way, some advice if you're going to fly, check in online. check your bags in online. that's cheaper than bringing them to the airport.

meth back to you. >> tom costello, thank you very much.

just ahead, move over 20-somethings. we'll talk about the message it's sending to women. plus, one of pop music's rising young stars ke$ha in concert. [ mom ] i can't start the first grade with her. ♪ i can't hold her hand on the bus. ♪ or be there to show everyone how great she is.

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good morning, i'm kris sanchez with mike inouye and a stinking mess. >> all lanes are now open on 580, but look at this back-up. over an hour and a half out of the altamont pass. a slow drive, but stick it out. improving quickly for that stretch out of the altamont pass heading into livermore. the bay bridge showing a back-up which has appeared over the last half hour. that's an issue for oakland heading into san francisco. the maze not an issue, but where we have the low clouds and fog in many parts of the bay area. >> that will be burning off by 11:00 in the morning. we should be reaching about 80 degrees in san jose. looking ahead to tomorrow and the jazz festival, it will be heating up nicely.

10:00, 66. 3:00, 81. then at 70. it wuitede w wonderful and sunny time. more news after the break. i love pasta and gambas. heat up some olive oil -- spanish olive oil. after that you add some pepper, some paprika -- spanish paprika, sure. and you add some gambas there in the pan too. and later you put everything on the pasta. [ ding ] easy, very easy to make. making a great tennis player? that's a little bit more difficult, yeah. watch nadal make it look easy, during the olympus u.s. open series.

this morning state workers are on the job. a san francisco appeals court rejected another round of state worker furloughs. the move yupholds the ruling in the alameda court.

governme the governor ordered three furlough days to improve the deficit. the ruling does not extend to oakland where city businesses will come to a halt today. it is one of many designed furlough days to balance the city's budget. police, fire and emergency services will not be effected. things will be back to normal in oakland on monday. more news in a half hour. the "today" show in less than a minute.

♪ your love your love is my drug ♪ ♪ yes, your love is my drug we're back now at 8:00 on friday morning, the 13th day of august, 2010. that makes it friday the 13th. if you look at our plaza, lucky enough from pop star ke$ha coming up in our next half hour. this is one of those days where we're out on the plaza and most of the people here don't know who we are. but that's okay. we're happy to have you. i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira and al roker and ke$ha has drawn a big crowd. >> she's under 40 but you look at the pages of fashion magazines these days and a lot

of the fashion magazines all feature actresses over the age of 40. >> the new it girls. >> have we turned the page on this new success culture? >> i say, yes, and not a moment too soon. >> on a much more serious note, the latest on the casey anthony case. casey anthony is awaiting trial for the murder of her daughter, caylee, who would have turned 5 years old last weekend. so why are casey anthony's parents not talking -- what do they say is the very good reason for doing that? they will speak out exclusively here coming up in this half hour. ke$ha will take to our stage in about half an hour. right now let's go inside. ann is off today. natalie has the headlines. good morning again. good morning, matt, meredith and al. good morning to you. heavy rain is expected this weekend in iowa where people are still cleaning up from flooding there early this week. the flooding caused water mains to burst in ames, iowa, leaving the college town without safe tap water. officials hope to have it restored by early next week.

the federal judge who overturned california's proposition 8 ruled thursday that same sex marriages can resume in the state next wednesday. opponents, though, quickly filed new papers trying to block the marriages. good morning to you, mara. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. gay marriage advocates welcome the news that same sex weddings will assume resume again in california but the six-day delay was a disappointment for some couples who had hoped the judge might allow marriage immediately. longtime partners floyd and tim spent thursday at city hall waiting for a marriage license only to find out they'll have to wait a little longer. >> we've been here for two hours this morning and we've watched so many people walk in and get married in front of us. it's so in your face that once again, no, you can't. >> reporter: at least not yet. in a decision released thursday, judge walker announced a stay on gay marriage will be lifted but not until next wednesday. >> the reason the judge delayed

implementing its own decision to stay was he felt it was fundamentally fair to give the opponents of same sex marriage a chance to go to the court of appeals and ask them to extend the stay. >> reporter: proposition 8 was overturned, the initiative banning gay marriage, calling it unconstitutional, upsetting many who voted for proposition 8. >> it's voting a farce. if one man can overturn the vote of the people. >> reporter: now opponents of gay people are vowing to push the case all the way to the supreme court. now legal experts say it's unlikely that opponents of gay marriage will be successful in extending the stay in the next six days but there are several other issues they can take to the supreme court to try to keep gay marriage from continuing in this state. natalie? >> thank you. the jury in the rod blagojevich trial has today off and returns to court on monday. on thursday the jury told the judge despite two weeks of deliberations it had reached decisions on only 2 of 24 felony

counts. the former i willinois governor charged with trying to profit from his power to fill president obama's former u.s. senate seat. and this one is on uncle sam because of the weak economy, all u.s. national parks are waiving entrance fee this is saturday and sunday. those fees usually run up to $25. they will still have to pay for camping and lodging. still a great weekend to get out and travel and see your national parks. 8:04 right now. let's now go back outside to meredith and matt. it was raining where i live. >> perfect for the concert. i just did al's job. >> you've done a perfect job of it, matt. i think it's going to be cloudy but it's held off. that's great news for all these ke$ha fans. what's your name? >> kaitlyn. >> and? >> alexandra. >> and? >> ggabriella.

let's check your weather and see what's happening. the pick city of the day, tucson, arizona. that lenny's a big catch. 103 degrees for nbc 4. avd an yeeou c s we have some y thunderstorms rumbling through eastern minnesota. the bad news is we're going to see storms moving into iowa. they're part of a risk of strong storms. out west gorgeous weather, plenty of sunshine. look for strong rip currents along the western florida coastline. we have wet weather from alabama all the way to southeastern atlantic. well, here's a live look at -- i guess, next to downtown san jose. and there's no rain or clouds. there are some clouds that will be clearing, that will be certainly by early afternoon. and if you are traveling this week, it is going to be pretty nice. as you take a look at the seven-day forecast, things are warming up.

we are finally at summertime temperatures. more ke$ha fans. matt? >> al, thank you very much. when we come back, fabulous over 40. more are grisi igracing the cov fashion magazines. ke$ha in concert in half an hour. ale announcer ] how do you know when something's good? when something's safe? you talk to these guys. they go through every car and truck we make with a big fat red pencil. because they know a family's going to be inside. a teenager. a guy on the way to the job. the engineers of chevrolet. just another reason why we can offer

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>> announcer: "today's woman" is brought to you by neutrogena cosmetics. recommended most by dermatologists. this morning on "today's woman" over 40 and all the rage. you may have noticed a bit of a trend if you browse the magazine

stands recently. actresses who said good-bye to their 20s long ago are now dominating the covers. fall fashion covers this year make over 40 look fabulous. there's "harper's bazaar" with jennifer aniston, age 41. halle berry, age 43. and julia roberts, age 42. so how is it that hollywood's more seasoned actresses are fall's new it girls? >> you're going to get a broader audience if you pick somebody who is older. miley cyrus on the cover you can tell you about 300,000 people who wouldn't even pick it up. now if you put julia roberts on the cover, it has just more appeal and more gravitas. >> magazine sales are down from last year and hollywood is following the same success formula. >> women over 40, they've got some life experience. you can't base that -- and i think audiences can always see it when somebody is contrived or fake. if you have an actor or actress

in their 20s, they just don't have that life experience. they can't bring that to these roles. >> sandra bullock has thrown her weight aund to the tune of $56 million. that's her income in the last year thanks to the huge success of "the blind side" and "the proposal. "sandra bullock is hollywood's highest paid. jennifer aniston stars as a 40-year-old single mom in "the switch." some say the over 40 formula is a welcome trend. >> youth rules of hollywood and it was actresses. it seemed like once they hit 30 they were like nonexistent in hollywood and they couldn't get a callback. now it's kind of cool to see that hollywood is finally catching up and realizing that women over 40 have a lot to offer. >> magazines like the silver screen now happily embrace the idea older is wiser and it's bankable, too. >> is it a positive trend to have older women on the cover?

you bet. it's the greatest thing that's ever happened to america and maybe now we can get over our obsession with you. that's the way the world is and it's great. >> laura is a marketing and branding strategist and averil is from "harper's bazaar." good morning to both of you. let me start with you. the september issue is the most important issue for fashion magazines. why do you think we're seeing all of these actresses over the age of 40 on the covers? >> well, i think it does come down to dollars and cents. the biggest ad revenue, of course. a lot of those pages are ads and we want to appeal to the broadest audience who has money in this market? the older woman has a lot more money than the younger woman who doesn't have money to spell. they do want to make the best case to the most people who have the most money. >> it's about the buck not showcasing older women and saying, look, america -- >> well, yes. there's a combination and it does come down to dollars and

cents. i think the economy it's worth it to realize what do women really want? has our culture grown up and embraced aging? they are great examples of it and kconsumers can relate to tht and love them. >> you put jennifer aniston on the cover, did you do that to send some message to your audience out there? did you do it because she's a hot star? we did it because she's a hot, fabulous, chic woman. interesting to note that, yes, the big fashion magazines in the september issue have women who are over 40. but we've watched these women who have appeared on lots of fashion magazines age so gracely from their 20s, 30s, 40s. the fact they're still on the cover at 40 is a fabulous message. would we still be putting people in their 20s on the front cover of our magazine? absolutely. it's fabulous every age moment. we cover that a lot and i think it's a wonderful message that we are sending that you can age gracefully and gorgeously.

>> and i take issue with this a little bit. if you want to send the message then the rest of the year you put on a lot more models who are 40, 50, 60, not just this group we've all grown up with to begin well, they are stars and the models in general in the magazines tend to be young but we are a celebrity obsessed society. you see fewer models on the cover. we're interested in stars and celebrities and time tested stars. there's also a lack of really exciting young 20-somethings to talk about. a lot of them are the lindsay lohans and the snookis that don't have as much to talk about or show for themselves. >> all right. hopefully these covers will do well. ladies, thank you so much for joining us this morning. appreciate it. still ahead, ke$ha live in concert on the plaza. when i was seventeen i was not good to my skin. long summer days, and not enough sleep. what i wouldn't do for a do-over. [ female announcer ] new neutrogena® clinical skincare. exclusive ion2 complex

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it's an investment that's helped toyota earn multiple top safety pick awards for 2010 by the insurance institute for highway safety. no other brand has won more. these top safety picks, and all our new safety innovations are available at toyota.com/safety. we are back at 8:19 with the tragic murder of caylee anthony. we would have turned 5 years old this week. we will talk exclusively to caylee's grandparents. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning, meredith. 24-year-old casey anthony is accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, caylee. casey, who is being held in a solitary jail cell, it's unclear whether she recognized what would have been her daughter's birthday this week, but she maintains she is wrongly accused and innocent.

caylee's bedroom in her grandparents' home is now a shrine and just steps away -- >> i think we watched her video i don't know how many times before caylee was born. >> reporter: caylee's grandmother, cindy, has left casey's bedroom much the way it was. where do you weigh in on what i think must be really troubling -- on the one hand you've lost your granddaughter and on the other hand your daughter is accused of that murder. >> but yet there's nothing -- they must be saying that casey must have been so calculated that she was able to put caylee through without any -- any -- any link to her. there's no fiber. there's no hair. there's no dna. there's no fingerprints of casey's or anyone in our family. >> reporter: we've always said

we always wanted to find out what happened to caylee no matter where the road or the math takes us. so does that mean you have considered the possibility that your daughter killed caylee? had a casey killed caylee? >> i don't want to believe that she's responsible for it. i don't want to inside believe that, if that's being in defensemen or something, then maybe i'm in a part of denial with that. >> can i see that casey panicked? maybe something happened? i can see, you know, something happening. >> reporter: but that sounds like you're entertaining the possibility, the prosecution is on the right track here. >> no, what i'm entertaining the possibility is that casey may have seen something or someone else. >> reporter: george and cindy anthony are now potential witnesses for the prosecution. caylee had been missing for 31 days. when cindy discovered her granddaughter was not on an extended vacation with casey, she located casey's car and then called 911.

>> it smells like there's a dead body in the car. >> reporter: if you could rewind the tape and go back and do this starting from that first 911 call, what you have made that call the way you did? >> oh, i'm sure i would have not changed anything on the 911 calls. i don't think i could -- you can't plan that. that's something that just happened. i mean, it wasn't anything rehearsed. >> reporter: that 911 call will be played to the jury. the trial is set for next year and if convicted prosecutors say they plan to ask for the death penalty. meredith? >> kerry sanders, thank you very much. george and cindy anthony are with us exclusively. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> this past monday would have been caylee's fifth birthday. she would have been head iing t kindergarten in a few weeks, how did you spend your time on her birthday? what did you do that day? is. >> oh, just had our son and our future daughter-in-law together,

a nice little dipper and cake and just talked about caylee and how much she meant to us and how much we miss her. and just reminisced and cried, tried to think of all the good things that little grirl brought into our lives every single day. >> you told kerry sanders you often have this feeling of casey's presence, you feel her around you. at a court hearing last month you said you still think caylee's alive despite the fact that bones of hers were identified through dna. you just gave that sigh when i said that. >> it's, you know, i'm not -- i'm not certain of all the forensic evidence. there's a lot that doesn't make sense to me. there's nothing -- i have not been able to find anything in it that actually proves that it's caylee's and i've had other people looking at it as well, too. >> to not believe is too painful

or are you suggesting there's been some cover-up? >> i don't know. i don't know. a lot of stuff just doesn't make sense to me. >> i want to talk about the 911 call we just heard because that will be admitted into evidence at your daughter's trial. when you listen to that two years later it is so visceral and so real. you really sound like a mother who knows that something is it terribly wrong, who believes her daughter is involved. >> at that moment when i made the call, i was -- i was hysterical. i was panic-stricken and i had already attempted twice to get the authorities to come and speak with casey. and that car was part of our day since 3:00 in the afternoon. and, ion't know. i don't know why i said what i said, but all i know is i have -- >> did you say it because you

believed it in the moment that you smelled a dead body, what would have been a dead body? >> no, because i never -- i never thought that from the beginning. that was never my instinct when i smelled it. and knowing what i know now, i probably would have never even made that statement. but i can't go back because at that point i had no knowledge of what i do now. >> do you still have total faith in your daughter, george? >> you know, everyone has to look back. the last two years -- go back to the beginning. a lot of people sort of forget how this all started, how it's all involved and how it's taken place. i'm going to stand behind casey because, number one, i'm her father. i want to find out what happened to caylee. i do. that's what i want to find out. so does cindy. i mean, i just can't throw my hands up or just be done with my daughter. i can't do that. i wouldn't do that to my family. i can't do that to my family, to my daughter. >> i appreciate you coming out.

i know the trial is next year. our best it to both of you. thank you so much. geor and c 8:26 now. i'm kris sanchez. i'm here with mike inouye. i hope your commute doesn't take you through livermore, because if it does, it will be a headache. >> it is 45 minutes. that's much better than 124 minutes, which it was at the peak of slowing. still slow after the sigalert cleared a half hour ago. all lanes are cleared for westbound 580, but still very slow there. as you are heading down through hayward down to the san mateo bridge, we have an injury accident there. the bridge itself, the only thing you are dealing with is all the haze there. there's plenty of haze as well as the golden gate bridge. a live picture of san francisco. the good news is that the clouds are burning off. it will start earlier today than

yesterday. hopefully by 11:00 in the morning. we are warming up one degree at a time. 53 degrees right now in san francisco. 58 in oakland. 57 in san jose. we take a look at the seven-day forecast. that's where you see the summertime temperatures coming in this weekend. more news after the break.

the fight over legalizing marijuana is heating up again. the california chamber of commerce says more and more people will be high at work if

proposition 19 passes. the report says people will not only show up high at work, but they will also get high while on the job. opponents of prop 19 say that's not true. under the proposed new law, employers still have the right to make their workplaces drug fee. more local news is coming up for you in a half hour. and the "today" show returns in less than a minute.

8:30 now on this friday morning, the 13th of august, 2010. our crowd is getting ready to rock into their weekend with pop culture superstar ke$ha. she is going to take our concert stage in just a few minutes. and we're talking about a wild concert here, the last two pretty crazy. >> and somebody here really in the spirit. check out natalie's necklace. >> oh, yeah.

also coming up, later on more of our exclusive interview with dina lohan, lindsay lohan's mom. in the middle of 90 days of court ordered rehab. what's the future looking like? we'll talk more to dina lohan in just a couple of minutes. we'll talk about summer camps. a lot of us don't send our kids to a summer camp where they can solve a cold-blooded murder, right? there is a new "csi" camp you'll have to see. the amazing experiences these kids are having and really good, i think, that they're learning there as well. >> yeah, but then they come back and say to their parents, we know how to make the perfect crime. remember susan boyle here on "today" last month to find an unknown singer to perform a duet with her. she has made her pick, a young

lady named amber from new york. ♪ silent night holy night ♪ ♪ all is calm all is bright ♪ ♪ round yon virgin mother and child ♪ >> wow. pretty good acoustics. the mother of three will now be flown to london to sing alongside miss boyle on her next album. >> pretty cool. >> and we'll see both susan and amber on an upcoming special later this fall right here on nbc. >> right here on nbc. >> right here on nbc. >> that's surprising. >> wow. >> who knew that it would be on nbc. >> mr. roker has a check of the

weather. let's take a look at your weekend. for saturday we have sunny and warm conditions along the east coast. the southeast, remnants of tropical depression. storms through the great lakes. suby and sizzling out west. sunday, wet weather western new york, pennsylvania, through the gulf coast and down into florida. mild in the great lakes. the plains sunny and hot. we've got some clouds and cool weather in downtown san jose. things are going to be clearing up beginning in the late morning, probably after 11:00. let's take a look if you are traveling today. the temperatures won't be too bad at all. and then we are going to be heating up overnight. and for the week it will be a beautiful weekend. we are finally hitting the summertime temperatures. 80s and 90s inland. 60s to 70s along the coast. get outside and enjoy. that's your latest weather.

you can get your weather on cable or the new and improved weather.com online. the social networking sites that let you check in with your cell phone let your friends know where our is called foursquare. our series of badges on may 14th we've had more than 11,000 check-ins. one of the toughest earned, the roker badge. you have to check in three times before 6:00 a.m. only 20 people have gotten that. there's a chance to win secret rewards so if you're around make sure you check in studio 1-a to check in on foursquare. you go to todayshow.com and find out more about foursquare. >> the roker badge. what makes it so tough? >> you have to check in three times before 6:00 a.m. >> all right, al. coming up, who is coming up live in concert, folks? ke$ha! we've got her.

we are back now at 8:37. for a lot of people summer camp brings to mind campfires and sing-alongs. for a select group it means a chance to solve a murder case. amy robach is here to explain that. explain away. >> i will. good morning, matt. we caught up with the kids at stockton csi, based on the popular television series. budding forensic scientists take part in a mock crime scene investigation and go on the hunt for a killer. in the quiet town of pomona, new jersey, the unthinkable happened. a cold-blooded murder. but the police weren't called nor was the fbi. it's up to this group of teenaged campers to get to the bottom of it. >> we've had murder weapons. >> the murder is part of sto

stockton csi, a summer camp for teens interested in forensic science and, of course, crime shows. ♪ >> it's obviously interesting to learn about this stuff and do something in law enforcement. >> the difference between charging someone with murder and charging someone with aggravated manslaughter. >> reporter: not exactly your typical summer camp experience. today's case involved a lover scorned and a decomposing body. >> the evidence, as always, a secret. >> reporter: i got a sneak peek at the crime scene before the first responders arrived, an opportunity i didn't take lightly. ♪ ready for the evidence. you don't see that every day.

teams of investigators arrived on the scene from videographers to forensic experts. but after hours of gathering evidence, they still hadn't even found the body yet. do you think there's a body h e here? >> no. i don't see anywhere a dead body could be hidden right now. >> reporter: then, finally, a break in the case. dead body, isn't it? >> everybody back away. >> reporter: joshua and christine are the directors of stockton csi. >> we try to keep it interesting for them. we try to make it challenging. we try to make it so that they're really solving mysteries. >> reporter: and like any good tv crime drama, the kids prepare their case for trial. do you have suspects? >> i think that will found out about billy, strangled him. gina came down to meet billy, panicked and killed him.

>> very confusing. >> reporter: as evidence mounted, one thing became clear. police work wasn't all fun and games. >> we found over 60 pieces of evidence and you have to log every single one. so much paperwork. so much paperwork. >> reporter: during their stay campers meet with experts in the field to learn about different careers in law enforcement so it's not only about having fun but also helping the kids make informed decisions about their future. >> they go to a jail. >> they go to a jail and a lot of them they said it's such an experience for them they actually start crying because it's just so powerful to be there and see these prisoners and realize the impact of crime and just what goes into enforcing the law. >> and the killer in this particular mock crime, did he or she get convicted? >> she was convicted. they did have the right killer. gina. it was gina. it was a crime of passion. >> okay. good to know. amy robach, thanks. up next, ke$ha live in concert on the plaza.

>> announcer: the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. it help the number one spot on the billboard hot 100 for nine weeks turning her into a household name. performing the smash hit "tik tok," ladies and gentlemen, ke$ha. ♪ wake up in the morning feeling like p. diddy ♪ ♪ grab my glasses, i'm out the door ♪ ♪ i'm going to hit this city ♪ before i leave, brush my teeth with a bought of jack ♪ ♪ 'cause when i leave for the night i ain't coming back ♪ ♪ i'm talking pedicure on our toes, toes ♪ ♪ trying on all our clothes, clothes ♪ ♪ boys blowing up our phones, phones ♪ ♪ drop-topping, playing our favorite cds ♪ ♪ pulling up to the parties ♪ trying to get a little bit

tipsy ♪ ♪ don't stop make it pop ♪ ♪ deejay, blow my speakers up ♪ tonight i'mma fight ♪ till we see the sun light ♪ ticktock on the clock ♪ but the party don't stop, no ♪ don't stop, make it pop ♪ deejay, blow my speakers up ♪ tonight, i'mma fight till we see the sun light ♪ ♪ ticktock on the clock but the party don't stop ♪ ♪ ain't got a care in the world but got plenty of beer ♪ ♪ ain't got no money in my pocket but i'm already here ♪ ♪ and now the dudes are lining up 'cause they hear we got swagger ♪ ♪ but we can kick them to the curb unless they look like mick jagger ♪ ♪ i'm talking about everybody getting krung, krung ♪ ♪ boys trying to touch my junk, junk ♪ ♪ gonna smack him if he getting

too drunk ♪ ♪ now we go out until they kick us out ♪ ♪ or the police shut us down, down ♪ ♪ police shut us down, down ♪ don't stop ♪ make it pop ♪ deejay blow my speak eers up ♪ ♪ tonight i'mma fight till we see the sun light ♪ ♪ ticktock on the clock but the party don't stop, no ♪ ♪ don't stop, make it pop ♪ deejay, blow my speakers up ♪ tonight i'mma fight till we see the sun light ♪ ♪ ticktock on the clock ♪ but the party don't stop, no good morning, new york city. you guys look fantastic. put your hands up. ♪ you build me up

you break me down ♪ ♪ my heart, it pounds yeah, you got me ♪ ♪ put your hands up put your hands up put your hands up ♪ ♪ because now the party don't start till i walk in ♪ ♪ don't stop, make it pop ♪ deejay, blow my speakers up ♪ tonight i'mma fight till we see the sun light ♪ ♪ ticktock on the clock the party don't stop ♪ ♪ don't stop make it pop deejay, blow the speaker up ♪ ♪ the party don't stop, no >> ke$ha, thanks. there's more music straight ahead. first this is "today" on nbc.

♪ don't stop, make it pop ke$ha got her big break on flo' rider's hit "round and round." she has two number one hits.

good morning. good to have you here. >> i'm so excited. >> are you? good. welcome. let's go through a couple of things i have to ask you about. your name is now spelled with a dollar sign not an "s." what's the message there? >> well, it was a bad tattoo and ironic i wrote the record so making it a pity party i thought i'd turn it into an ironic statement. >> you talk about the fact you were not born with a silver spoon in your mouth. >> no. >> quite the opposite. at one stage i heard your mother said to you something like if you want something, go out and take it. >> yeah. >> so this could have turned out differently. >> i think she meant be ambitious. >> embrace things. >> embrace things. that's what i've done. i wanted to do this. i will stop at nothing. >> you didn't stop at anything. what's the story about you and prince? >> my homeboy prince. well, i really wanted him to write a song with me. i think he's one of the greatest

in the business of my time. i thought i would just take him a demo. >> but yet he has a wall around his house. >> right. so i just let myself in, no big deal. >> that's called breaking and entering in a lot of states. >> right. >> did he contact you? >> not yet. >> no? >> not yet. >> so, in other words, if prince is watching -- >> hit me up. >> okay. let me ask you a little bit about plans for touring. you're obviously on the road with rihanna. what's that like? >> it's amazing. we just played the garden last night. >> how was it? >> incredible. it was definitely a landmark in my career. it was terrifying. >> do you have any plans to make a next album? i know it's hard when you release one album, people are already saying, what's next? are you worrying about the sophomore jinx? >> no, i'm not worried about anything. this is fun. >> my favorite tidbit was when tik tok went to number one for nine weeks on the charts, only female recording artist who went longer than that was ten weeks,

and that was debbie boone with "you light up my life." i never thought i would mention your name and debbie boone in the same sentence. >> totally. >> what are you going to sing next? >> my new single called "take it off." >> ladies and gentlemen, ke$ha. ♪ there's a place downtown ♪ where the fraex all come around looking for something wild ♪ ♪ and now we're looking like m

pimps ♪ ♪ in my gold trans am ♪ got a water bottle full of whiskey in my handbag ♪ ♪ got my drunk text on ♪ i'll refwret it in the morning but tonight i don't give a ♪ ♪ there's a place downtown where the frex all come around ♪ ♪ it's a hole in the wall ♪ and they turn me on ♪ when they take it off ♪ they go hard core and there's glitter on the floor ♪ ♪ and they turn me on ♪ when they take it off ♪ when they take it off ♪ everybody take it off ♪ lose your mind lose it now lose your clothes in the crowd ♪ ♪ we're delirious tear it down till the sun comes back around ♪ ♪ now we're getting so smashed

♪ knocking over trash cans eurbody breaking bottles ♪ ♪ it's a filthy hot mess ♪ gonna get faded ♪ i'm not the designated driver so i don't give a i don't give a ♪ ♪ there's a place downtown ♪ where the freaks all come around ♪ ♪ it's a hole in the wall ♪ it's a dirty free-for-all and they take it off ♪ ♪ when they take it off ♪ everybody take it off ♪ there's a place i know where they go hard core and there's glitter on the floor ♪ ♪ and they turn me on ♪ when they take it off ♪ when they take it off ♪ everybody take it off ♪ everybody take it off

♪ everybody take it off ♪ right now take it off ♪ ♪ right now take it off ♪ ♪ right now take it off ♪ ♪ right now take it off ♪ ♪ right now take it off ♪ ♪ right now take it off ♪ ♪ everybody take it off ♪ there's a place downtown where the freaks come around ♪ ♪ it's a hole in the wall ♪ it's a dirty free-for-all ♪ and they turn me on ♪ when they take it off ♪ when they take it off ♪ everybody take it off ♪ there's a place i know if you're looking for the show ♪ ♪ where they go hard core and there's glitter on the floor ♪ ♪ and they turn me on ♪ when they take it off ♪ when they take it off everybody take it off ♪ >> ke$ha will be back with more

music on a friday morning.

good morning. just a couple minutes before 9:00. i'm kris sanchez in with mike inouye. we are talking about livermore and the commute is horrible for the area. >> stacy wrote to us on her facebook page. she said she was two miles from the exclamation point when the overde turned rig happened.

and she said it was very stinky. we are looking at southbound 880 with an earlier accident blocking two lanes. that's causing a backup to the san mateo bridge. more news after this. meg's job was to make it happen. it took leadership. focus. and the ability to bring people together. meg whitman delivered. named one of america's best ceo's by harvard business review, she grew ebay 15,000 strong and made small business dreams come true. now meg has a plan to create jobs. fix sacramento. and deliver results. meg whitman. for a new california.

recent violence in a san francisco nightclub is forcing one club to shut its doors. at 4:00 this afternoon they will go against city leader who is recently passed new rules to prevent future violence at crimes and hold club owners responsible for what happens. the "today" show will return in a minute. have a great morning.

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♪ that's what i'm talking about ♪ we're back with more of "today" on a monday morning -- i'm sorry, friday morning, the 13th day of august, 2010. a very lucky day for the people on our plaza this morning, just been treated to a great show by postar ke$ha. and if you're just tuning in, there's more music to come a little later on. out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with al roker. and coming up in this half hour, more with dina lohan, the mom of lindsay lohan who is now serving a 90-day court-ordered stint in rehab. she is also going to appear on the cover of "maxim" magazine and in a controversial new movie. we'll talk to dina lohan about that and some other things in just a couple of minutes. >> you have young kids and i do,

too, three kids under the age of 16, buy plane tickets, bypass security without showing i.d., hop on a flight from florida to tennessee all without their parents having any clue. >> it doesn't seem like it should happen. >> it really doesn't. so did the airline do anything wrong by letting them fly? we'll take a look at that. and then later if you want to take advantage of some historically rock bottom mortgage rates, we're going to show you some open houses from texas to michigan, from north carolina starting in the $200,000 range. >> we have a lot to get to. let's go inside. ann is a little bit off today, taking time off. >> a little bit off? >> natalie is over at the news desk. i'm a little bit off today, also, natalie. >> i know you said it was mon y monday. good morning to you, matt and al. more rain and more problems expected today in iowa where days of heavy rain have left many places flooded. in ames, iowa, the city's water supply had to be shut down after water pipes broke. it may be days before service is

restored. the suspect in the series of deadly stabbings is behind bars in georgia. elias abuelazam has one charge and more are expected. a bill aimed at strengthening security along the mexican border, the money will pay for new border patrol agents. supporters of same-sex marriage were celebrating on thursday. opponents have asked an eye peels court to stop a judge's order that would allow same sex weddings to resume next week in california. russia's nuclear agency says it will begin loading fuel into the first nuclear power plant next week beginning the startup process. the plant was built with russian help. the u.s. had asked russia to delay the startup until they convinced iran it is not developing nuclear weapons. southwest airlines is defending its policy on unaccompanied minors after three jacksonville children all under the age of 16 bought plane tickets to nashville and flew

there without their parents knowing. it all began when 15-year-old bridget brown saved babysitting money and asked a friend if he wanted to fly somewhere. >> he said nashville, tennessee. so that's where we went. >> reporter: just like that bobby nolan, bridget and her brother were in a cab and on their way. >> i just wanted to fly and had the money. >> the three youngsters arrived at the airport ticket counter without their parents ever knowing. no one at the airport even asked why they were traveling alone. >> they told us how much it would be and then we paid it and then you put the little flight things on our bags and said you'd better run because you might miss your flight. >> this trio of travelers said no one ever asked them to show i.d. at airport security. >> all right. you're all set. >> we just took the stuff out of our pockets and they didn't say nothing. >> reporter: the kids traveled from jacksonville to nashville on southwest and the airline says according to their policy

they did nothing wrong. an 11-year-old is allowed to fly with anyone who is 12 years or older but the young travelers' trip was short-lived. they didn't realized where they wanted to go, the dollywood theme park was still a four-hour drive from nashville. so later that evening bobby called his father to tell him he wasn't at a friend's house. >> he called, we're in nashville and ready to come home. >> the three youngsters did arrive safely back in jacksonville that evening and southwest has since reimbursed them for the airfare. it is now four minutes past the hour. another check of the weather from mr. roker. >> all right, thanks, natalie. we have ke$ha over there still signing some autographs and taking care of her fans, having a good time, making her way now across the stage. very nice. a heck of a concert. shimmying a little bit and of course, she has one more song coming up in this hour. we'll show you what's going on as far as your weather is concerned. we have the heat still to talk

about, heat advisories from augusta, georgia, to dallas, as far north as chicago. as you take a look at the heat advisories and right now temperatures are going to be in the 90s to the 100s. you add in the humidity. it feels even hotter. temperatures well over 110 degrees from tulsa to parts of st. paul, minnesota, and you can see the risk of severe storms from minnesota all the way down to kansas. iowa, unfortunately, under the gun. they're going to be looking at more heavy rain tonight and into tomorrow. another one to two inches of rain for that flood ravaged st doesn't make our weather look so bad, even though we've got some clouds in the san mateo bridge. and it is a little bit cool outside. we are still in the 50s, but things will be warming up. especially if you are traveling. 105 in palm springs. 94 in fresno. it will still be cool along the coast. but things will be warming up as the week goes on. let's take a look at our seven-day forecast, which is a beauty. we'll have summerlike

temperatures this week into next week. 80s and 90s inland. ke$ha still taking care of her fans over there. just really doing a nice job. that's awfully nice. all right. now let's go back inside to matt. all right, al. thank you very much. actress lindsay lohan is in her 12th day of a court ordered alcohol and drug rehabilitation program after spending nearly two weeks in jail for a probation violation. her another, dina lohan, is now speak i speaking out about how her daughter is doing and what's next for lindsay. dina, good morning. anks for sticking around. i appreciate it. let me start this with something we talked about in the first interview and that was lindsay's time in rehab. i said this was her fourth stint. this is not a gotcha moment. you said it's her second stint. i went back and looked and i want to talk and make sure we're on the same page. january 2007 she went to a place called wonder land. >> that was not court ordered. >> no, i'm not saying court ordered. i'm saying her times in rehab. >> initially you said court ordered. >> i meant this is her fourth

time in rehab. correct? well, i have wonder land in 2007 -- >> the first wasn't court ordered. actually she was 19. >> right. >> and i put her in there and that was the original dui, which she is still paying a price for. >> she went in 2007. >> that was court ordered. >> she went in utah. >> that was court ordered as well. >> and now ucla medical center. this is the fourth time she's been in some kind of rehab. the only reason i bring it up, that's a lot of times to be in and out without some sort of success. >> i wouldn't know -- what do you mean by success? >> avoiding having to go back. >> right, but when it's court ordered it's not your judgment call. it's the court's so she is back and she's doing wonderfully there. the judge was recused from the case. the last one just break

yesterday. >> you said to me earlier, you said because of that, that legal situation involving the judge, she may actually get out of rehab this time earlier than has been reported. and it struck me -- >> there is a case against the state of california. >> it struck me because i'm wondering as her mom has there been a time in lindsay's life recently or the further past where you have been worried, seriously worried about her health -- >> initially i put her in. oh, gosh, why would you say something as horrible as that? >> if she goes down a certain road, we've seen a lot go down that road. >> i'm not going to go down the road i don't foresee. i put her in rehab in 2007. she's 24 now. she's grown up considerably in a town that is very -- you know, her life is magnified more than your children or my other three children. i have four. so, you know, it's been very difficult with the tabloids and how she can't even go to starbucks without someone following her and if you see a picture of her out, they show the same picture for three weeks

in a magazine. >> the reason i ask the question, dina, if i were in rehab right now, my mother should say i want him to stay there as long as it takes, as long as possible to make sure when he comes out, in this case your daughter, she comes out, she is better. >> you know, certainly, of course someone goes to rehab to rehabilitate themselves, but right -- you're looking at it from what you're reading and when you meet lindsay i think you have met her -- >> yes. >> it's a completely different dynamic than you're reading. so when you meet her and you see my child, and, like i said, i have four children, not just lindsay, it's blown out of proportion. >> you talk about some of the choices and some of them you say have been blown out of proportion by the tabloid. she's made some smaller choices recently that may seem inconsequential at the time. she showed up at her hearing in

court -- >> are you going to talk about the nail poll snish. >> as a mom, that's a choice. >> that wasn't a choice. >> what was it? >> she didn't even think. we thought when she was going to court that day, we thought she was going to be let off and everything was over. we were blind sided and when she went to court, now the judge is not even on the case anymore because she went overboard. that whole dynamic was -- >> you talked about my children and i do have three children. >> very young. how old are they? >> 9, 6, and 3. >> we'll see. you talk to me in five years. >> and i hope things are okay. >> girls? >> boy, girl, boy. if they were under scrutiny as lindsay has been under scrutiny, i would want to make sure that they made the kind of choices that told the world we take this situation seriously. and that choice raised some questions. >> sure, and you can tell your children whatever you want to

tell them but lindsay's world where she was kuwaitering, and you lose power and control which you want to do for your child. >> you've within trying to walk a fine line. >> i don't know where you went to school but my son graduated summe cum laude from ithaca. it's a whole other world when you're allowed to live your life in experiencing with failure and success and comes through and that's where we're at right now. she's already through it. >> she is going to make -- >> you need to meet her. >> i have met her. >> she'll make many movies. >> and is that what you want for he >> i want what she wants. >> get her to new york and get her out of the spotlight once she's out of rehab. what do you want to see -- >> i think lippndsay is out tha have spotlight. i think she's grown and learned

considerably and certainly made mistakes as we all have done in our younger years and i think we're going to be okay and lindsay right now is focusing on charity and helping save the next victim of tabloids. so we've been in this business a long time. we've learned. >> legally she's old enough to make all her own decisions. there's no question about that. as her mom, though, when she gets out of rehab this time, do you plan on being more hands-on? >> i've always been hand-on. >> i'm not accusing you -- >> i don't know where that came from. >> are you going to try and grab her and embrace her and hold her close? >> i always have had a relationship with all my children so i've always been there and you may read or believe something -- i don't know where that came from. i've always been there for my children. i'm a single mom. i've been a single mom for the past 15 years. i have criminal orders of protection against my ex and he's not been a part of our

lives and i'm a mom. >> does lindsay know you're here this morning? >> yes, she does. she says hello, by the way. i don't know now. we'll see. i'll see if she likes you. i'm kidding. >> do you think there's anything she would like to have communicated? >> she'll say that for herself. i don't speak for my children. lindsay's a brilliant woman and she will do an interview when she comes out. i've taught her to be very honest and open and make your own judgments. >> dina lohan, thank you for sticking around. i appreciate it. nice to see you. and we'll be back with much more including mortgage rates at record lows. some great homes for sale all across the kcountry courtesy of barbara corcoran. ♪ hey i'm donkey settin' sail far far away from far far away. we're out here in the caribbean. soakin' up some sun. woohoo shrek's got some moves.

hi five boys, it's sushi time. i'm donkey, feeling the ocean breeze on my hooves, gettin' my vacation on donkey style. why aren't you? ♪ rheumatoid arthritis going? test.

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[ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mmmmmm. mmmmmm. 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 light & fit. this morning on "today's

real estate" familiar lus homes for sale starting in the $200,000 range. from a green home to a log home in the scenic woods of vermont. barbara corcoran has found some open houses to suit many tastes. good to see you. >> nice to see you too. >> we want to go to austin, texas, which is a terrific city. a unique home for $289,900. >> when you look at this home you'll think you jumped into a time machine and traveled forward in time. it is super modern. there's not an inch of space wasted in this home. wait until you see the inside. just six minutes from downtown, ten minutes to the airport. there's the big pool and hot tub with fountain sprayers, trim and limestone all in the backyard. those little chairs, little yellow things are nice chairs to sit on. everything, every detail. there's a hot tub there. but you've got to love this kind of a home. there's not a better specimen in the usa.

i actually looked that up. what an odd name. jamaica means beaver and we all know there are a lot of beavers in vermont. this is a log home at the end of a private drive. just a short drive to stratton mountain ski area. it has that beautiful deck outside, another one in the back. if you love knoty pine, you're going to love the inside. there's na giant living room. i love that fireplace. you kick your feet up.

it's got a 12-inch wide panel floors throughout the entire place, all radiated heated, a heated mud room, perfect coming in out of the snow or after a hike. >> you've got to love wood. >> you've got to love wood. usually an all-wood home doesn't sell well but in a place likes vermont that says old world charm it's just what people imagine. it's a home that's going to fly off the shelf. >> that's kind of a loft area. >> a loft area, the master bedroom. this is a perfect condition home. i would get rid of that bed spread, of course, but besides that i love the whole shooting match. >> mooresville, north carolina, $494,000 for this one. >> this is an unusual home as well. we have such a smorgasboard of homes. you'll find something you're going to like. that's a traditional home, perfectly proportioned, very welcoming. who wouldn't like that house. it also has a charming downtown that is within almost jogging distance from the house. that's the backyard. beautiful furniture out there as well, if you caught that fast

enough. the living room has 18-foot ceilings. that kitchen is crying out for a little bit of color but it's brand new. everything is top of the line in that kitchen. there are covered -- pardon me, i can't say this word, cofferred ceilings throughout most of the home and there's that giant paladium window out back. >> grand haven, michigan, the most expensive, $580,000. >> it has a sloping metal roof that eliminates the snow buildup in the very cold climate of michigan. there you have it there. quite unusual. if you see on the left-hand side, the ceilings in that section of the house are 17 feet tall. it's got maple hardwood floors. it's got a fireplace that's so efficient in the family room that you can heat the entire house with the one electric log. now that sounds unbelievable, but it's true, i checked it out.

this dining area there, notice all the windows. there's great lighting and added lighting on top of the cabinets. i think that's a night effect in the kitchen. >> last, litchfield, kentucky, not too far from ft. knox. >> litchfield is less than an hour from ft. knox if you want to place it in your mind's eye there. it's a rambling home and it sits on a very high rise that overlooks beautiful kentucky fields. and right across the street they breed quarterhorses. there's no other house as far as you can see. it's a beautiful setting. >> look, they have got two trees. >> they very much need some new patio furniture but there's the living room, the brick fireplace there. everything about this house the way it's decorated is formal. those plants on the top i think have to go but that is one beautiful kitchen to look down on. >> barbara corcoran, thanks so much. >> my pleasure, al. >> coming up, two lucky ladies get an instant ambush-style makeover. we'll show you the results.

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enjoy all you want for just $6.95. now...what about tomorrow? how about soup, salad, and breadsticks again? great idea! i love it! hi, may i help you? yes, i hear progressive has lots of discounts on car insurance. can i get in on that? are you a safe driver? yes. discount! do you own a home? yes. discount! are you going to buy online? yes! discount! isn't getting discounts great? yes! there's no discount for agreeing with me. yeah, i got carried away. happens to me all the time. helping you save money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. ¿qué si usamos tacos s grandes? [ ma announcer ] old el paso super stuffers. 33 larger shells. feed your fiesta. coming up, teaching your kids to be smart spenders.

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good morning, everybody. the time is 9:26. i'm brent cannon. cheque in with mike, it has been a rough commute. it has. 880 approaching 92 had an earlier accident blocking a couple lanes. it is still causing slowdowns out of san leandro. once it happens in the area, that's what you see. we also have westbound 580 slow out of the altamonte pass. holding steady at a half hour past the scene of the earlier sigalert. westbound 580 there, all lanes are cleared, but it is slow through the area. the bay bridge is starting to easy up there. the metering lines are on, but the headlights are going gray.

the clouds are starting to burn off. we are also warming up. 59 in san jose. we take a look at the seven-day forecast, things are going to continue warming up over the weekend with summer-like temperatures. we'll be in the 80s and 90s inland. and the 60snds along the coast. have a great day. more news after the break.

a federal judge listed a stay on gay marriage, but supporters of prop 8 have appealed the stay as well as the overruling on prop 8. they say the appeal may not get off the ground because it has to go to the governor and attorney general and they both support same sex marriages and will not appeal. if the court does not make a decision or ruling about the stay by the end of the business day on wednesday, then same sex marriages can resume in california. it is a busy weekend all around the bay area. in san francisco the giants host the first-place san diego

padres. tickets are hard to get because the giants are 2 1/2 games back. and it is sold out. it is a big series. in the south bay, the san jose jazz festival kicks off today. george clinton will be on the stage in san jose. and music is also the main attraction at the outside lands festival at golden gate park. dozens of bands including the kings of leon and the strokes are performing. more news coming up in a half hour. the "today" show returns in less than a half minute. have a great weekend. see you back here in a bit.

♪ trying to make it up to you ♪ and it feels like tonight >> daughtry, just love him, the band will be here to our plaza next friday morning on "today" and the following friday on our blockbuster summer concert series katy perry to the stage, two weeks from today. people will be lining up starting tomorrow. >> he's right. but wait. the fun is not over yet. that's right. we've got one more song from ke$ha who has been rocking on the plaza all morning long. wow. a village thing working here. meanwhile, also coming up in this half hour, teaching your kids the value of a dollar.

never too early to start this morning. we're going to get some advice from the experts about what you can do every day whether you're hitting the mall or the atm to show your children how to spend smartly and save when needed. >> all right. and then from killer muscle cramps to maybe a burn from the curling iron, we've all had our hits with the curling iron, well, you don't have to run out to the drugstore every time you have an ailment. this morning some fast fixes of items you may have lying around the house. meantime, the girls are here. amy robach, jenna wolfe, our weekend team is here. what do you have going on? >> well, we are going to head out on vacation with the president and the first family as they spend a couple of days along florida's guchl coast in the troubled region. also some new credit card rules will take effect this weekend that could have you paying more, surprise, surprise. we'll tell you exactly which fees to look out for. >> then the phenomenon surrounding eat, pray, love, was a successful book and now a highly successful film, whether it's a good idea for women to just up and leave their conventional lives in order to find passion.

you know what, it is, i think, it may be perhaps. anyone onboard? also -- >> where is mommy? >> right. >> her name is hope and she was born with rear leg deformities but take a look at her now. we'll tell you how it's ground breaking medical procedure changed her life. we'll have all of that and more when we see this weekend on "today." >> thank you. and al has a check of the weather for us. the weekend looking good. >> it's looking great. unless you have to see "eat, pray, love." and you're a guy. >> my husband, i made him see it with me. >> that's a big hit. for saturday, sizzling in the southwe southwest. mild in the plains. a risk of strong storms around the central great lakes. sunday, sunday, more wet weather up and down the east coast. we're looking at sizzling conditions back through the southwest. and here is a live look at

san francisco downtown. transamerica building there barely recognizable through the clouds, but the clouds will clear as the afternoon goes on. and tonight for the giants game, it is going to be cool with a high in the 50s. but look at the numbers, we are going up, up, up to summertime temperatures. we are going to stay there for quite a while. it will be a beauty inland, 80s and 90s. along the coast, 60s and into the 70s. and you know, i was watching ke$ha. could have easily done that. did you see that? we could have been in ke$ha's group. ♪ dream weaver >> the head wear and the gold shorts. >> i have those. >> from russell crowe, right? >> exactly. coming up, making sense of dollars and cents when it comes to your kids. we'll have that after this. [ female announcer ] think it takes hours

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>> announcer: "today's consumer" is brought to you by bank of america. this morning on "today's consumer" helping your kids become smart spenders. with the back-to-school shopping season in full swing it's a good time to give your kids a lesson in finance whether they're heading off to kindergarten or high school. some tips from a couple of moms who just happen to be experts. michelle is a parenting expert, carmen wong ullrich helps us on "today's money 911." >> good morning. >> michelle, you think -- you just start right from the beginning. >> you start from the get-go. three to five is when we know kids are going to determine

whether they are spenders or savers. attitudes are starting in. so that's when you begin with a piggy bank or just one thing or you set the limits. we wait too late is the big thing and then we decide, well, now he's going to be a good little consumer. >> they are taught not born. >> right. >> 3 is great. i have a 3-year-old. >> what a surprise. so what are you doing to help her get started? >> here is is what i do. when you're that young, of course, she doesn't necessarily understand the difference. it's very abstract. what i do, go to a vending machine and you have two quarters. you can have this one costs one quarter. this one costs two quarters. what do you want to do? she makes the decision, the choice, she can get two of those or one of those. afterwards she'll say, mommy, can i please have another one? quarters are gone. it's all about knowing where the limits are that what you have determines how much you can buy but there's a limit to how much money, how many quarters are coming out of mommy. >> and you also say, michelle, that the little ones learn by

who they are watching -- >> by example. >> so, mommy, watch out for i'm going to have it now. i'm going to go buy. you change your words to i'm going to look for the sale or i'm going to wait. we make sure, just a little footnote, that we give coins only after chirp we know will not swallow them and put them in their mouths. >> absolutely. >> carmen, there's also -- we don't like to say no but there's a good alternative is need versus want. >> absolutely. going back to school time when you have to go shopping for bulk things, a great time to teach them the difference between need and want. for example, you can go through their drawers, go through the closet and see what they need. let's say they need five pairs of jeans for school. one of them has holes in it. you need another pair of jeans. now they're going to say, but i want this pair of jeans, like a designer pair. that's different. you want that pair. and make them learn they pay a premium for getting something they want as opposed to something they need. it's a big difference. >> michelle, you say hit the pause button. >> hit the pause button.

i'm not giving them too much too soon. the whole goal in life is our children are the now generation they want it immediately so you tell them, hey, we're going to wait at least 24 hours or let's think about it and let's wait later. if they create that lift based on the needs and the wants, that's the gold mine because it makes them prioritized, at the top of the list is what you need most and then the next thing is even little critters can make a list because they cut and paste the penny saver ads and put them in the stack. they walk into the store with it. >> the saving and spending, it's a lot different when it's their money. what about chores versus allowance? >> here's the thing. you can have the allowance and chores. i don't know if you agree with this but if you're going to give an allowance, they do have responsibilities in the house and it should somehow be tied to that but they need to understand that the allowance doesn't all go just to buy the toys and the gadgets and the things that they

want as opposed to also saving and giving to charity. i think that's very important. >> i agree with you. i'm a big thing on the only concern on the red flag on the allowance with the chores is pretty soon the kid will only do the chores how much do i get -- like as the mother, i'm not getting paid for doing the dishes. so the goal of the allowance is to learn to save or to share or to spend, so you figure out -- i think that's the core thing is. if you tie the two together, you can have a real thing called arguing most of the time. >> a lot of great advice. more tips on our website, todayshow.com. thanks so much. my mom said, why can't we get a dish washer? we already have six. >> there you go. coming up next, some fast fixes for what ails you.

have you tried honey bunches of oats yet? every spoonful is a little different. mmm. they got three kinds of flakes. this is delicious. it's the perfect combination of sweet and crispy. i love it. this is so good. this is great. the magic's in the mix. i hear hot babysitter a lot. hi. my sienna is great. it matches my style, it has great stuff for my kids, it has an available dual-view entertainment center. driving my sienna says, "sure, i'm a mom. but i'm not running around rocking mom jeans." miss, there's a diaper bag on your roof. please. ♪ [ male announcer ] meet the family and the toyota sienna on youtube. ♪

♪ ♪ da da-da, da, da, da-da ♪ da-da, da, da, da ♪ da, da, da-da-da, da, da-da-da, da, da-da ♪ [ female announcer ] there's a place called hidden valley where kids not only eat their vegetables, they can't get enough. ♪ hidden valley ranch. makes vegetables delectable. discover four more ways to make vegetables delectable with farmhouse originals from hidden valley. but look below the surface. your mouth is no different. brushing leaves teeth looking clean, but millions of plaque and gingivitis germs are left behind. a 30-second rinse with listerine® antiseptic cleans deeper. [ boom! ] its unique penetrating formula destroys germs [ boom! ] brushing leaves behind. [ sighs ] [ male announcer ] listerine®. clean deeper. get healthier.™ and for a deeper clean and brighter teeth,

try advanced listerine with tartar protection. mmmmmm. mmmmmm. 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 light & fit. this morning on "today's health" fast fixes for every day ailments. it turns out you don't always have to run to the drugstore for relief. some common household item can say double for quickie cures. nicole beland is the executive editor of "cosmopolitan" magazine. so these can be just as effective? >> i wouldn't just as effective but if you're in a pinch and don't have the right thing to treat it, these can work, absolutely. >> for face and beauty problems, which a lot of people have pimples, so in order -- when you start to feel it coming out, something that you can do.

you can actually use a spoon, right? >> you probably heard you put a warm compress on it and that helps the inflammation go down but a spoon is better because you run the spoon under hot water and it will retain the heat longer. a washcloth is likely to harbor bacteria. the spoon is nice and san toita and won't cause an infection. >> it will allow the pimple to come out a little sooner, right? >> yes. if you have someplace to go. >> okay, yuck. next, burns. a lot of us dealt with the curling iron burn. one thing to do is use honey. >> honey is an anti-bacterial. it's also an anti-inflammatory. you know my grandmother told this to me when i was 12 and it works. just dab a little bit on there if you don't have neosporin and it will help prevent infection. >> and you have three doctors confirm these? >> they sound crazy, but they -- >> they actually work. >> they are effective. >> now cracked or dry lips. you've got a remedy right here. >> yes. >> butter or olive oil.

>> let's say you're at dinner with dry, cracked lips. put a little margarine or olive oil on your lips and use your napkin to wipe it off because it's going to be really greasy but it helps them stay nice. >> if you're in a bad breath situation at that restaurant as well, first of all, bad breath could be -- could signify that you're dehydrated. >> it's usually caused by dehydration. if you're not hydrated, you have less saliva and your saliva won't be flushing the bacteria out of your mouth. i know, lovely. so the best thing to do is just chug two glasses of water. it will help hydrate you very quickly. if there's a little parsley on your dinner plate, chew that and it releases essential oils to freshen your breath or just order a mojito with peppermint in it and it freshens your breath to. >> it turns out a banana can help with splinters. >> if you have a splinter and don't have tweezers you take a tiny bit of banana peel.

it should be a ripe banana peel. you put it over the splirprinte. secure it with a bandage if you have it or scotch tape. enzymes will pull that splinter out. so if has to be in a situation where you don't mind having this weird little banana peel. >> that could be very interesting. all right, now for killer cramps. a lot of women experience this, that time of the month. one thing to do is a little hot water and a compress. >> heat is great from cramps. it helps to relax the muscle. if you don't have a hot water bottle, take a wash cloth, throw it in a bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds and it's basically a hot water bottle. >> for the athletes with muscle sores or your muscles being sore or cramping, pickle juice. how does that -- yuck, do you have to drink it? >> this is something athletes have been using for -- >> yum. >> you can go ahead and check it out. oh, you're -- oh, my gosh.

you are brave! >> not bad! >> that was awesome. >> something athletes have always used but they were never sure does it really work. there was recently a study that says, yes, drinking about half a cup of pickle juice will help ward off cramps. >> great tips, thanks so much. coming back, one more song from ke$ha. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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♪ don't stop coming up with hoda and kathie lee, an instant ambush makeover. >> first, one more song from pop sensation ke$ha singing her hit "your love is my drug."

>> new york, this is a song about love. a celebration of every kind of love. ♪ i think i might need some rehab ♪ ♪ or maybe just need some sleep ♪ ♪ i got a sick obsession ♪ i'm seeing it in my dreams ♪ i'm looking down every an lley ♪ ♪ i'm making those desperate calls ♪ ♪ i'm staying up all night hoping ♪ ♪ hit my head against the walls ♪ ♪ what you've got, boy, is hard to find ♪ ♪ i think about it all the time ♪ ♪ i'm all strung up my heart is fried ♪ ♪ i just can't get you off my mind ♪ ♪ because your love, your love, your love is my drug ♪ ♪ your love, your love, your love ♪ ♪ i said, your love, your love, your love is my drug ♪ ♪ your love, your love, your love ♪ ♪ won't listen to any advice

mom's telling me i should think twice ♪ ♪ but left to my own devices i'm addicted ♪ ♪ it's a crisis ♪ my friend think i've gone crazy ♪ ♪ my judgment is getting kind of hazy ♪ ♪ my status is going to be affected if i keep it up like a lovesick crack head ♪ ♪ what you've got, boy, is hard to find ♪ ♪ i think about it all the time ♪ ♪ i'm all strung out my heart is fried ♪ ♪ i just can't get you off my mind ♪ ♪ because your love, your love, your love is my drug ♪ ♪ your love, your love, your love ♪ ♪ i said your love, your love, your love is my drug ♪ ♪ your love, your love, your love ♪ ♪ i don't care what people say ♪ the rush is worth the price i pay ♪ ♪ i get so high when you're with

me ♪ ♪ but crash and crave you when you are away ♪ ♪ so i got a question ♪ do you want to have a summer party in my basement ♪ ♪ do i make your heart beat like an 808 drum ♪ ♪ is my love your drug ♪ your drug, your drug your drug ♪ new york ♪ because your love, your love, your love is my drug ♪ ♪ your love, your love, your love ♪ ♪ i said your love, your love, your love is my drug ♪ ♪ your love, your love, your love ♪ ♪ your love, your love, your love is my drug ♪ ♪ your love, your love, your love ♪ ♪ i said your love, your love, your love is my drug ♪ ♪ your love, your love, your

love ♪ ♪ hey i like your beard ♪

sweet n' sour filled twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. good morning once again, everybody. 9:56 right now. i'm brent cannon checking in with mike. things got ugly in the commute in livermore and never recovered. >> the last half hour we've had a couple accidents on westbound 580 near greenville. another one is near poor till

louisiana with the speed sensor showing 20 miles per hour. still things are starting to build as far as the speeds go. so now 26 minutes on the drive from the altamonte pass through the area. if you are not aware, you will smell it as you pass through. 20 tons of organic fertilizer, that means bark mixed with poop. stacy tweeted us and said she was two miles away and that it was very stinky. 101 into the north bay, a nice drive. there's the clouds, andrea. yeah, the clouds will be burning off late morning after 11:30 to 12:00. right now, 55 degrees in san francisco. 589 in san jose. whether you are going to the giants game or watching jazz fest, you need a sweater. it won't be cold, but the summertime temperatures are heating up. we'll have the 80s and 90s. back to brent. law enforcement officers are

going the duke it out in a badge versus badge competition tonight. but one bay area agency will not participate this time because of a fight that happened outside the ring back in may. you might remember this video of an oakland police officer boxing with others in the crowd. the organizers learned a lot from that and plan to beef up security this time around. >> we hired two police officers from sac pd, we have bonded security that the radisson requires, plus their own security. we also have 40 volunteer workers. >> 150 fights will be held at tonight's event at the sacramento radisson. they launched an investigation after this fight but say the three men seen in the scuffle are not officers in the department. more local news coming up in a half hour. and the "today" show returns in about a minute. have a great friday and a great weekend. see you back here in a bit.

from nbc news in the "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, everybody. it is friday, dry day, august 13th, but not today. >> fiday the 13th. >> because it's a superstition. >> we know it's friday the 13th and we should be careful of things. >> if you happen to be that kind of person. >> if you've ever went to a hotel and you look for the 13th floor, often they skip it or in the airplane they skip it. when you get on the plane, 12 and then 14. >> you're still in the 13th row. this is called a blushing bride, not the least bit superstition.

>> blushing lady. there aren't very many blushed brides anymore. if you have this at the crack of dawn on friday the 13th, it's a little late for us but we'll see. >> okay. >> oh, that's good. >> not my thing. i don't like liquor, believe it or not. my kids are sitting over there going, really? since when? some historians have something to say about the whole friday the 13th thing. >> what do they have to say? >> they peg it to the 13 people at the last supper, but that was actually thursday night. >> maybe it went into friday. >> which is called good friday, because something good happened that day. it's all screwed up. i'm not superstitious. >> i'm a little superstitious, i don't like the black cat

randomly around me. >> because you heard of it? >> i don't want to bring on anything that might not be great. if there's a ladder, i won't walk under it, ever. just because why wa. i'll be careful. i'm careful about -- why would you bring on anything that may possibly bring you trouble? why? >> why do you think it would is the question? >> everybody says so, i'm and the not going to risk it. >> who is everybody? >> people. >> it goes back to your egyptian origins. >> what does that have to do with anything? you're all screwed up because of that. >> you see what i deal with. if you're applying for a job and your prospective boss takes you to lunch, the question is what should you order to drink? it seems like a no-brainer. order a soft drink or iced tea. so the boss orders a -- let's pretend he orders a merlot, and

the waiter says what would you like? should you order like he or she does because it blends in or should not? according to the survey you should never, ever order alcohol period when you're on any kind of job interview. >> i would have never been hired in the 44 years i've been in this business. >> they had a bunch of observers watching the table, and they say it gives a bad message. i do think and i believe this on a date nor a job interview, anything you need to know about somebody you're going to learn at that lunch table, anything. >> right. >> anything and everything you learn. manners, how they treat people. >> by the second or third or fourth drink. to have a glass of wine with somebody? >> if you know you're hired for a job -- i don't know. i wouldn't do it. i wouldn't order the wine. >> it depends on the job. that's just me. >> skwus excuse me for one seco. i'd never do it. >> all right. the big movie out there is "eat, pray, love" it opens tonight with julia roberts based on a

huge, hook bouge book. >> a monster book. >> i started to read it and didn't. i was reading it at a time in my life where it rang true, but i didn't read it. a lot of people love it had and related to it and a lot of people didn't. >> he's going to be on later with the final installment of the movie reviews, and you want to give us a little taste what you thought of if? >> a little taste? >> this is my family. >> the family, okay. >> you want to introduce them? >> this is cassidy my two nieces christy and jes. >> your nieces are quite a bit older than you are, aren't they? >> a little bit, yeah. >> it's a little weird situation. i am one year younger than their father. it's worked out, hasn't it, ladies? we all get along pretty well, right?

what are they going to say? >> it is cody's last day. >> he has to go back and get an actual education. >> a lot of people are heart-broken, none more than bobbie. she's been -- we have to get a shot of bobbie. oh, yes. bobbie's been -- >> she's in her cougar outfit today in honor of cody. >> were there any sparks flying? >> sparks are all over the place. >> it's a hot studio, baby. cody is up later. >> here's some signs if you want to look that you're get married, speaking of cody and bobbie, here's the signs. it just seems to fit. so if -- okay. here's some of the signs that you are going to gets married. if you are younger than 40, you have an 86% chance of getting hitched. that means if you're older than 40 -- >> you don't. >> i guess so. >> i don't like these stats at all.

>> you've already been married, and there's another good one for you. >> if you've been through a divorce, you have a 75% chance of remarrying. >> it doesn't matter how old you are, right? there you go. would you want to get married against, hoda? >> yes, yes, i would. ir i think i'm better with someone than i am by myself. >> i don't know how you could be better. i've only known you since you were divorced, and you're about as good as you get. let's give it up for hoda woman. >> i'm waiting for the next thing. >> do you know what the top ten overplayed wedding songs are? >> we'll give you three because there are too many. this one etta james. ♪ at last ♪ these are overplayed. another one is this one, "i only have eyes for you." >> that's like the really, really original one. the flamingos.

the whole thing drives me crazy. >> the other most overplayed wedding song is "you look wonderful tonight." >> i'm sorry. i love that. >> it's about a drunk guy going out to dinner with -- going out to hear some music that night. >> it's beautiful. wonderful. >> let's go through our favorites. what is your favorite? >> favorite wedding song. ♪ everyone has a moment that changes their life and ththe then ♪ >> great song. it's classic. >> what about yours, hoda? >> my favorite wedding song by van morrison and it's called "someone like you." wait, hold on. ♪ someone like you ♪ making me satisfied

someone exactly like you ♪ >> is that song rocks. >> the overplayed ones. >> i really can't stand this one. ♪ we've only just begun >> the sister sledge. >> look around. >> look who you're already r relatives with. i don't like that. "we are family." >> this is my most hated song. hit it. ♪ everyone has a moment ♪ that changes their life and then ♪ ♪ it suddenly >> some people have taste and symptom people don't. hope you're getting married and you get happy because one out of two marriages end in divorce. there is good news. 76% chance you'll get married again. >> here's the other thing. if you're dating someone and you want to break up with them, i actually dislike this very much,

but there is actually a service out there where you will call this person, and he will break up with your girl frienfriend o boyfriend for you. it's terrible. >> they tell you the real reasons why. your breath stinks, you don't clean up after yourself. >> if some stranger told me why my boyfriend was breaking up with me, that would be the end. that's disgusting. >> you should do that in person and be hohn eps. it's so hard for people to be honest. >> you don't want to hurt someone's feelings. i get it. >> they're going to make the same mistake and not brush their teeth. they need to be told these things. >> bobbi se in the house. >> were in sex in the city when he broke up with her on a post-it note. i'm feeling very cougarish today. >> cody is the leaving for the next nine months. >> we're all going fob very sad. it's all about eyebrows this week, and they not only frame the face but are big on the fall

runways. this is vanity mark with seven different colors which means from the blondest blondes to the darkest hair, you will find a color and eye pencil that matches you, because that's a big faux pas. anastasia offers these pencils, five in a pick. not just to blent in your color but put beaby powder on and the you know where to puck. last but not least is cargo's eyeliner. one end shapes your brow underneath so you have the perfect arch, and the other end is the little dash of highlight glitter you put right here. >> is that what you do? >> she did mine one time. spectacular. >> thank you. end of the minute. everything is online. >> thank you. love you, honey. >> hi, sarah. >> we're talking about the most

annoying songs at wedding, electric slide and stroking. >> they're talking about the song you dance to, the chicken dance. >> enough already. electric slide might be the worse. >> she's a scene-stealer in the upcoming flick. >> we'll catch up with kieran culkin. look how excited he looks. thrilled. ♪ i can't hold her hand on the bus. ♪ or be there to show everyone how great she is. but what i can do is give her everything she needs to be excited for school, while staying in my budget. that's why i go to walmart. she has everything she needs. and then some. [ female announcer ] walmart has low prices on not just a few things, but everything on their back-to-school list. guaranteed. save money. live better. walmart. ♪

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nutri-grain can help you as a favorite in the indie film circuit he got a golden globe nomination for his portrayal of a rebellion teen. >> now he's moving to the mainstream. he's played the roommate of the hero in the new film "scott pilgrim versus the world." let's take a look. >> if she's really the girl of her dreams, then you have to let her know. you have to overcome any and all obstacles that lie in your path. you can do it.

be with her. it's your destiny. plus, i need you to move out. >> what? >> nice to see you. >> nice to see you. >> what was it about this script that you likeliked? >> it took forever to read because it's adapted from a comic book. the whole movie is very, very visual. it's kind of hard to grasp in words. i've actually had a tough time explaining it in words. >> you're not alone. anna and jason said you've never seen anything like this before. >> we've been talking about it. people are going to sbimitate ts movie for years whether it's a hit or not. >> do you enjoy the comic books to join this sort of movie? >> i'm not that big into comic books. i'm really into this movie. i've been geek out about this movie. >> why? >> you get a taste of it right

there. >> i see. you didn't have to do any of the actual fight scenes, because you played his very bright, always solving the problems gay roommate, right? >> that's true. >> did he like to fight? >> no, he would rather see people get beat up. he prefers watching his friends get beat up. >> when you're not shooting the film, an article talked about how you have a real love for nintendo. that is your thing. >> this is true. i was up until 5:00 in the morning playing anyone tends doe. nintendo? >> what's the points? >> what's the points? you play a game. >> i haven't played a game in 40 years. little banana gram. >> i don't know what that is, but that makes me want to give you a hug. i'm sorry. >> i'll give you a chance for that. come on. >> i'm sorry. >> it's so much fun.

but it's a generational thing. he's ignoring me. are all the people -- >> i'll look into it. >> this movie? yes, i think very much. >> why? >> why? it's something you haven't seen before. it's crazy and ridiculous. there's so much going on in this movie, it's nuts. i have geeked out about it. i'm seeing it for a sixth time next week, and i'm looking forward to it. i keep finding new things about it. "shawn of the dead." >> how could i miss that? >> banana grams. >> i'm not into this kind of thing. i want to see it. >> have you seen it? >> no, i haven't. my son saw it and is going to review it later sxland liked it very much. >> they don't think think movie is targeted toward me, but i really liked it.

after the tenth person that said maybe it is actually targeted for you. >> maybe you don't know it yet. >> a lot of people will find out. >> did you give him the big blush? >> he got the heave ho. >> he's got to go play nintendo. "scott pilgrim versus the world." it opens today. finding time to unwind with the simple things in life up next. >> like banana grams. [ female announcer ] we all want to stay active. but even in your 30s bones begin to change

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remember the seinfeld end so he had where george's dad would get stressed out he'd throw his hands up and go serenity now! >> we're going to relax with teary, i'm stressed out about saying her name. she's senior editor of "whole living" magazine. >> how are you, doll? >> you've got good things to help us out starting with

candle. >> until my newest favorite comes out in the fall. right now on the market this stuff. >> this smells beautiful. >> it's a beautiful candle. people love to have aroma as a way to relax. you can't always travel. these are good alternatives. take a whiff of that. you can smell it and rub it on your temples or whatever. it can change your brain chemistry to help you relax a little bit. >> you totally believe in all that, right? >> i believe in it. research shows. lavender essential oil you can pick up. it actually has been proven to reduce stress in your brain and body. so it does work. it does work. >> is it because it reminds us of -- >> it's not memory. it's chemical. you need the real plant essential oil. >>s in cool. >> this rescue remedy is a great thing to have in your purse when you're stressed out and can't escape and you're in a stressful moment like on national tv.

>> is it a breath thing? >> yes. >> or gum. >> it brings your nerves down in a second. it doesn't make you sleepy. a great thing to have on hand. this is the fun stuff. >> this i love. >> go ahead. >> the tingler you put up and down on your head. >> come on. you could die right now. >> you look really good to me. >> it feels great. >> simple pleasures. here's another thing to do to create a sanctuary in your home. a white noise machine. we have water fall, raise, whatever your pleasure, summer nights. >> that seems spooky to me. >> babies like that because it remindzs them of the womb with their mother. >> it can help you relax. these are two of my favorite things. you need two. i'm going to show you what they're like. you lay on the ground, and you put these on either side of your spine roll on them. >> oh, my god. i love it. >> they target muscles in your

upper and lower back. these are like ten bucks. >> we have less than a minute. she's scratching up. >> veshgs very nice. >> just for fun, simple. here we have these. they're called foot wakers. they have nubs on them. they get into the fas ya cia onr feet and get you a full -- you step on them when you brush your teeth. they feel fantastic. >> we have more stuff but we're almost out of time. >> omega 3s to improve your mood and tea to help you relax. >> we'll be back with ambush makeovers after this. special k protein shakes -- ♪ 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. hey, little dude. dinner's my middle name. how 'bout some hamburger helper? oh, my, but your mouth is gonna love it. plus now you get three box tops for your kids' school.

now this is the deal of the day. hamburger helper. one pound. one pan. one tasty meal and bonus box tops. good morning, everybody. it is 10:26. i'm brent cannon. checking in with mike, the hot spot all morning has been around 27 minutes. >> yes, it is 27 minutes. we have a number of accidents occurring in the same area. some people may run out of gas because they are not expecting this amount of delays. westbound 580 through livermore, we have an earlier accident that happened and things have never been the same. we are looking at southbound mission with reports of a car fire, but no slowing. the bay bridge toll plaza is slowing as folks head into the city. as they do about this time every friday, there's a lot more traffic into san francisco.

it looks good there. it does look good. it is going to be clearing up. you can see the transamerica building more than you did an hour ago. as the clouds begin to clear, they are heading in to watch the giants' game. we are at 59 degrees in san francisco as well as oakland. 61 in san jose. up to almost 80 today. as we take a look ahead at the seven-day forecast, things are warming up. it is summertime temperatures and they are sticking around the 80s and 90s inland,he 60s and 70s along the coast. [ female announcer ] back to school means back to busy mornings.

that's why i got them pillsbury toaster strudel. warm flaky pastry with delicious sweet filling my kids will love. plus i get two boxtops for their school. toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. to earn cash for your kid's schools? with boxtops for education and safeway's 10% back to schools program as much as 50 cents per item goes to their schools when you buy products like these. look for the school bus tags at your local safeway.

some of your favorite bands could be performing in the bay area this weekend. among them, kings of leon in san francisco at the outside lands music and arts festival. it is happening all day saturday, all day sunday at golden gate park. stages are being set up this morning. live music and a ton of acts, including the stokes, social distortion and al greene. there's an ecotheme and complimentary parking. and tonight in san jose they are getting ready for the 21st jazz festival. more than 2500 people attended the event last year. there are a variety of outside and inside stages set up in san jose. we have george clinton and a number of local high school band that get to take part. san jose's jazz festival tarts today through sunday. tickets are $15 per day and you get access to all stages. kids under 12 are free. lots to do this weekend.

thank you for joining us this morning. the "today" show is coming up next. have a great friday and a great weekend. see you later on. we're back on this dry day with more of "today" and the results of the ambush makeover. >> working the magic on two lucky ladies. >> and "us weekly kw" and "toda showed contributor jill martin. so you scoured the plaza and found two gems. >> it was a little springily, and we did it rather quickly. they were terrific to begin with, and we hopefully and i think we really did make them much more beautiful. >> i have a feeling you're right. our first lucky later is jackie, 48 years old from pennsylvania. she's been married to her husband david for 25 years sxr three boys together. she spends a lot of time looking

after kids, one who has diabetes. her husband said it's time for her to finally do something for herself. >> congratulations. i know your 25th anniversary is coming up, a big day. you really want this. tell us why. >> i've been really busy raising three boys and my middle son is a type 1 diabetic, and i'm just -- i work in my husband's practice, and i haven't taken time for myself. with the anniversary coming up, i'm psyched to get this. >> you're super mom, so she deserves this? >> absolutely. she's working hard and we're looking forward to a treat like this. >> are you ready to go? >> i'm ready. >> we have jackie's husband, david, over there with his blindfold on. keep your blind fiefold on. here's the before picture. let's see the new you. >> simply irresistible.

>> are you ready, husband david? take off that blindfold. >> wow! >> look at him light up. >> you look great. >> i'm ready. oh, my god. awesome. >> no wonder those people come to you. >> it's adorable. >> tell us about the hair, louis. >> first of all, she had hair that was very fine. so jennifer gave her a more appropriate haircut for her hair texture and made her hair wider on the side which emphasized the shape of the face. i softened her hair color, which is the contrast between the skin color and hair color was too deep. >> it is beautiful and gorgeous. >> it looks like it's hers and not mine, and that's the key to great-looking hair. >> look at david. david, tell us what you think. >> she looks great, wonderful. >> when is the 25th anniversary. >> in about a week.

>> perfect. don't sleep. keep your hair and make up like this. >> she wanted a special dress for their 25th anniversary. this is available at macy's. she's a classic pear shape, so this accentuates her waist with this beautiful dress. congratulations. >> what do you think, jackie? >> i love it. >> go join your husband. a big round aftof appear plause there. >> she is 34 from wisconsin. she hasn't changed her hair in almost ten years and is ready to kick off the school year with a brand-new look. listen to her story. >> we usually say this for 5-year-olds, but you actually want a new back-to-school look? >> i do want a new, fresh back-to-school look and a new look for my husband. >> a hot teacher. everyone loves that. i know you've been friends for over a decade, and you say she deserves this? >> greta is a huge fan, and i

think this is a dream come true for her. >> are you ready for three hours of pampering? >> i am. thank you. >> she has her blindfold on. look at greta. now bring out the new greta. >> wow, wow, wow. >> oh, my goodness. take a look and get a look at her. >> oh, that's a good friend. >> you look beautiful. >> you're going to like what you see. >> you are. >> it's the hair. >> i know. you got to touch it. >> do you like? >> i do. >> it's adorable. >> that looks great. >> so what did you do, louis? >> the first thing is greta has beautiful hair, no. one. i warmed up her chin. she had highlights done well bishgs the way. i warmed them up. it worked better with her skin tone. evened out her skin complexion, and then jennifer lawrence gave

her a simple haircut with a little more bounce. it looks better with her whole body size. >> just darling. >> just gorgeous. >> the outfit is precious. >> great for back to school. it's available at tjmaxx. you can just throw on a blazer. >> what do you think? >> i love it. it's a new look. >> how about the jewelry? >> h & m. >> well-done. jill, as always, nobody does it better. don't forget, for the rest of the summer they scour the plaza on thursdays so stop by if you want a whole new look. tips for keeping your college kids out of debt. important. first these messages. >> how about their parent science. >> yes, that too. e. >> yes, that too. [ announcer ] how do you plus up breakfast?

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if your kid she his head of to college, most college seniors graduate with $4,000 in credit card debt. >> if you're lucky. you want to have a chat about spending and budgets. this is author of "you're so money: live rich even when you're not." so nice to see you again. >> there's a lot of debt you have from just the tuition and things, but i didn't know credit card debt was so high. >> it's one of the biggest financial traps. every college student is graduating with an average four different credit cards in her wallet. >> why are we giving kids that many cards.

>> we used to. the banking industry was more lenient, but now there's a new law to protect college student that says you cannot give a credit card to anyone under the age of 21 unless he or she has a job with sufficient income or gets a cosigner, which could be a parent. a lot of students are eligible for cate card. >> the banks can't be too pleased about that, huh? >> if you get your child a credit card, how do you make sure that they don't spend wildly? >> if you get a credit card and she's under 21, you have to cosign. caution, don't be a cosigner, because that means if your child racks up debt or misses payments, those stains on her credit report will also be on your credit report. it will hurt your credit score. if your child is proven to be responsible with a debit card, start with a debit card and checking account and cash. >> you can always add money to it. >> narz no need to get a credit card, especially if mom and dad and the child are in

conversations and they're weawa of the budget. >> you can see what they're spending it on as well. >> you can track it online. >> well, can't. >> one of the things that is a financial trap is when you don't graduate when you're supposed to, so you end up going another year. >> another semester and a another year. >> we think college is four years. actually, 50% of students, full-time students, not part-time, full-time students graduate in four years and the rest take five years and six years. this is public schools and private schools. you have to talk about goals and make sure they're taking enough credits and talking to their school counselor. if they're behind tashgs the classes at the community college during the summer where it's cheaper, transfer the credits so that you're not graduating five years later. >> is that because the job market is so tough out there they think they might as well stay in school? >> that's one of the reasons. it's tough to graduate on time if you have a double-major, if you study abroad, that adds a

semester. it's not because they're lazy or because they're so indecisive. it's tough. there are a lot of requirements to graduate these days. >> if you don't keep track, you realize you had ten more credits. >> how long did it take you? >> four sxl a little bit. >> i took seven classes almost every smes to her graduate in four years and study broad. otherwise, it would have taken five. >> that's why i quit. so i didn't have to deal with it. >> that's another solution. >> identity theft is go that happens on college campuses. >> nare huge magnets for identity thieves. if you have electronic devices, computers, laptops, cell phones, get them password protected. do not give your social security number, bank number, credit card number to anyone. >> that's for dauladults as wel. >> yes. from hoss tess twing i didn't say and mac and cheese, how to clone your favorite foods

at home right after this. well, kids need to eat well.o and eating well means getting enough whole grain and calcium. and general mills big g kid cereals can help. did you know it's the only leading line of kid cereals with at least 8 grams of whole grain and a good source of calcium? cereals they already love, like lucky charms and cinnamon toast crunch. give your kids more of what they need to be their best. grow up strong. with big g kid cereals. ♪ let's raise a glass to cookies just out of the oven. to the morning bowl of cereal. and to lactaid® milk. easy to digest and with all the calcium and vitamin d of regular milk. [ female announcer ] lactaid®. the original lactose-free milk.

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time for "today's kitchen." >> you can do this. >> he's the author of top res piece unlocked. apparently he's a big hurry. all new american brand name foods. welcome. start with the twinkies. it's 80 years old this year. >> it's an old snack cake, but you can make it at home. you can get these twinkie shaped pans. they're expensive. you don't have to do that. you can make the molds from the cake from scratch. you'll foil and fold it over twice and pop a spice bottle into the middle and close the ends. when you take it out, put it in a backing pking pan and it's ma

pancake mix with egg whites and water. put it in and bake it up. you have twinkies. let's fill them. take an unfilled twinkie and cut the top off so its flat. the top becomes the bottom like this. >> cut it. >> that's actually the bottom of your twinkie. >> i gotcha. >> you got it? chopsticks work great for this. >> you cut yours in half? where did you cut it? >> i did it right? >> yeah. >> perfect. a little bit off the top. awesome. that's perfect. perfect. >> take chopsticks now, and put three holes in the bottom. >> i put one in the side. >> your filling will squirt out of the side. >> did you screw it up?

>> carve out a little cavity. >> i put put it in there. >> you squirt it in. it's marshmallow cream, shortening, a little water with salt dissolved in it and some vanilla. >> is this looks good. >> that's your middle, right? how are you doing over there? >> oh, yeah. you keep mama happy doing a good time. >> now do i put the top back on? >> we only have one minute. we have to do a taste test. >> that's how you fill it. you have to eat. put on blindfolds. >> no. >> i didn't look, hint, hint. here comes a something, that's not the real one and -- >> what am i? chopped liver. >> you want to try?

>> yes. >> your eyes are open? >> i know. >> so you can't tell. >> i gave you the same one. >> the second one is real. >> the second one was fake. >> a cookie, a cookie. pick one of each. >> this is my favorite thing to do. try these cookies. these are clones of famous amos chocolate chip cookies. make them from scratch. this one here is the real one, that one is the fake one. >> no, it isn't. >> mac and cheese. >> mac and cheese. stouffers mac and cheese. want some? >> yeah. how about this one? >> this is good. >> one of them is fake and one is real. >> real. >> you make the frozen and bake it. >> fake. >> real. >> you got that one. >> thank you, honey. >> it's easy to make it at home.

code kwi gifford will share his picks, and this is "today" on nbc.

we're back with the weekend movie preview with cody gifford. this is his last one before he heads back to campus. >> you saw three movies. >> a couple hits and a miss? >> we start off with "scott pilgrim versus the world." it's about a young guy that's a weak ling, doesn't have confidence. more like indie punk rock. he's not a loner and needs confidence. he comes across the girl of her dreams but he has to defeat the seven evil exes. why i think this film will do well, i think that the video

graphic style they shot it in has all the elements of pop k t culture infused into the frame. sometimes it looks like a comic book. it's like a video game, but what's so interesting is that it's a comment on adolescent relationships. it's all about youthful obsession, how it heart hurts u the other people. it channels it through a medium kids understand, which is our consul culture. >> they say it's like no movie we've seen. do you agree with that? >> yes. >> "eat pray love" was a huge book. did you groove on it? >> it's a true story about the woman who seemingly has everybody. she has a good life, married. one day she decides her life isn't going in the right direction and gets a divorce and goes to italy, india and bali to learn how to indulge, pray and

learn how to romance. >> sounds a little narcissistic. >> it is. it's kind of hard to invest emotionally in a character that is kind of selfish. >> we need to stay that word more often. >> julia roberts, we like her. you pull for her. i think that -- i'm not going to say this movie is brilliant, because it's not. a lot of people are dealing with insecurities and anxiety about their own life find this therapeutic. >> the director, creator of "glee" did it. >> it's more than a feel good but not art cinema. >> "the expendables" is next. >> sylvester stallone was the writer and director. you get what you pay for it. mickey rourke and they give it to the guys with acting chops.

>> we have enjoyed having you on this show for this summer. >> thank you. i love you, hoda. >> i love you. >> i love you too sometimes. >> first you wanted to write these for the website. >> i wanted to contribute to the website. >> was it okay, honey? >> the first time, mine, i was like oh, my god. cameras and lights but now i'm happy with it. >> we love you. >> have a great new semester and don't spend too much money. have a wonderful weekend, everybody, okay? >> we will see you again on monday. >> another fun day, hoda. >> fun day. >> another fun day, hoda. >> fun day. and frank's birthday. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com