good morning. states of emergency. a powerful storm system dumps more than 10 inches of rain on parts of wisconsin and minnesota, leading to widespread flooding and evacuations. outrage at the u.n. the president of iran infuriates the u.s. delegation with his controversial comments about 9/11. this as two americans remain in his jail. this morning, the one hiker who was freed, sarah shourd, speaks out in her only live morning show interview. and back behind bars, lindsay lohan faces a judge this morning after failing a drug test just three weeks out of rehab. and she could be headed right back to jail today, friday, and she could be headed right back to jail today, friday, september 24th, 2010.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm meredith vieira. this morning, residents in parts of wisconsin and minnesota are bracing for another round of flash floods. >> really heavy downpours over the last 24 hours or so and they've prompted officials to issue evacuations, even activate the national guard in some towns. we'll get al's forecast coming up in just a couple of minutes. and the latest ton actor that appeared in the popular movie "the 40-year-old virgin" who's now been found guilty of attempted murder. he stabbed his ex-girlfriend 20 times and she survived. and on thursday we told you about a pregnant woman who survived a very risky surgery in

which doctors cut her lower body in half to remove a massive tumor. we're going to talk to her and her family this morning. but we begin with a check of the morning's top stories. ann curry is over at the news desk. ann, good morning to you. >> meredith and matt, good morning. good morning, everybody. also in the news this morning, hundreds of people have been forced from their homes because of blooding in parts of wisconsin and minnesota, where both governors have declared a state of emergency. the national guard has been called in to help in wisconsin, and the good news, however, is that the rain should ease today. yet another big wildfire has hit colorado, the third this month. this time, at least two buildings including a home were destroyed, but no reports of injuries and the cause is still unclear. last night, virginia executed a woman convicted of arranging the killings of her husband and stepson. teresa louis is the first woman to be executed in the united states in five years. despite thousands of appeals for leniency, in part because her defense attorney said she was borderline mentally disabled.

the fda has decided to put tight restrictions on avandia because of concerns over heart attack risks. the drug has been completely pulled from the market in europe. entertainer eddie fischer died during the night because of complications from his hip surgery. he sold hundreds of records and was known for his marriages to debby reynolds and then elizabeth taylor. the father of actress carrie fisher, eddie fisher was 82 years old. a small plane crash and burn today during an air show in indonesia critically injured a pilot. hundreds of schoolchildren were among those in the crowd of spectators. gold, meantime, hit yet another high this morning. cnbc's trish regan is at the new york stock exchange. trish, this can't be a good sign? >> well, ann, i suppose it's a great sign if you old a lot of gold. but you're absolutely right, for the rest of us out there, not a very good sign. one of the reasons is all the doomsayers out there are effectively trying to help bid this price up. there's a lot of fear. gold really shows the fear

factor that's going on right now in this economy. also, the relationship between gold and the u.s. dollar is very important here. the u.s. dollar has really been getting hit hard. correspondingly, then, you start to see gold increase in its price. and now we've blown through $1,300 an ounce, a new high. >> all right. trish regan, thanks so much. and finally now, let's take a look at this. a woman in montana says she scared off a bear trying to get into her home by throwing a six-pound zucchini at the bear, hitting it on the head. the bear ran off. officials say the unidentified woman was pretty shaken up. she's okay. she now really values very large vegetables. it is now 7:04. what next? can you believe it? >> she needs to be on a commercial for miracle grow. this saved my life. >> it worked. >> wow. >> we should all keep one of those in one of those little emergency kits.

have a six-pound zucchini standing by. let's see what's happening. unfortunately, that flooding really bad news. the good news is, the rain is over in minnesota. and that's the good news. we are going to see the rain over the rivers continue to rise in southeastern minnesota, into wisconsin. but then we will see those rivers receding. here in the east, with even though it is the second full day of fall, temperatures crazy, anywhere from 15 to 21 degrees above normal. in fact, we're looking at highs today, 87 in buffalo. norfolk, 96. washington, d.c., this will be their 66th day of 90-plus readings. if they get one more, they'll set a record since 1980. the rest of the country, you'll see the warmer weather continue into the gulf coast, but cooler conditions into the plains. showers in the pacific northwest. rain in the western great lakes. we've got sunshine out west. sunny skies and 86 degrees in los angeles. that's what's goin

>> that's your latest weather. of course it's friday d that's your latest weather. of course, it's friday, and we love telling you about, of course, the biggest thing that goes on in the weekend. it's time for sunday night football night in america. a newly slimmed down rex ryan takes his jets down to the sun life stadium, taking on the dolphins. 40% chance of showers and thundershowers and a 50% chance of a big mac. temperatures 81 to 84 degrees, on sunday night, football night

in america. matt? >> all right, mr. roker. thank you very much. now want to talk about two major speeches before the u.n. general assembly here in new york. president obama addressed the assembly on thursday, just hours before iran's mahmoud ahmadinejad made some very incendiary comments about the 9/11 attacks. those comments, by the way, led the u.s. delegation to get up and walk out. nbc's chief white house correspondent, chuck todd, has the latest on this. chuck, good morning. good to have you here. >> good morning, matt. the president wraps up his three-day tour here in new york for this united nationsed gathering of world leaders. going to use the chance to meet with some more leaders he's yet to meet since he's become president. but, of course, the spotlight stealer this week has been iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad. >> i hear those voices of skepticism. >> reporter: while acknowledging that the path to middle east peace is not easy, president obama sounded like a politician on the stump, making the case before the united nations that his plan for a permanent peace could be successful if the two sides simply seize the moment.

>> if we do, when we come back here next year, we can have an agreement that will lead to a new member of the united nations. an independent, sovereign state of palestine, living in peace with israel. >> reporter: while the president spoke, first lady michelle obama was in the audience. a few hours later, the roles were reversed at the annual meeting of former president clinton's global initiative, where mr. obama simply gushed about his wife. >> bill clinton understands where i'm coming from here. he knows what it's like to be married to somebody who's smarter, somebody who's better looking, somebody that's just all-around a little bit more impressive than you are. >> reporter: the first lady talked about the importance of hiring u.s. veteran militaries. >> the right now, the importance of u.s. military's veteran families are both vast and woefully underutilized.

>> reporter: at almost the same time back at the u.n., iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad was suggesting that 9/11 was an american conspiracy to somehow help israel. >> translator: that some segments within the u.s. government orchestrated the attack to reverse the declining american economy and its grips on the middle east, in order to save the zionist regime. >> reporter: he added that he plans to host his own conference on terrorism. >> translator: i wish to announce here that next year the islamic republic of iran will host a conference to study terrorism and the means to confront it. >> reporter: the entire ran about 9/11 caused the u.s. delegation and handful of other countries to walk out. later a white house spokesperson called the comments utterly outrageous and offensive, especially in the city where the 9/11 attacks occurred. and former new york city mayor rudy giuliani said this underscores the need to stop iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, adding, he is insane or

giving a great imitation of someone that is insane. >> i think it was a cry for attention. it was a very insensitive place to make these comments. there was no reason for it, so there couldn't be any other reason than to make headlines and be controversial. >> you know, this latest thing happening in the united nations comes just as, of course, there's some diplomatic tension as the u.s. tries to negotiate the release of those two more american hikers. >> and we'll have more on that right now. chuck, thank you very much. now here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. american hiker sarah shourd hoped to meet with president ahmadinejad while he was here in new york. this more than a little after her week after her release from an iranian president, where she was held for more than a year. her fiance and friend are still being held there. sarah, good morning to you, and first of all, we are so glad you are home. >> thank you. >> but i know it's bittersweet for you. after your release, you said you only felt one third free. you left a large part of your heart behind. how were shane and josh when you said good-bye to them? >> well, they were very happy for me, because they're

gracious, generous people, but i'm sure they were feeling something, you know, a disappointment inside that they just wanted to hide from me, because it can't be easy for them. we've been -- you know, they've been trying to separate us from the first day in prison and turn us against each other, and now i feel like we're still being torn apart. and this is an extension of my punishment to be here without them. >> how did they try to turn you against each other? >> you know, it's just -- by putting my in my own cell, giving me very limited time with them, mostly that. >> do you know why you were released and not them? the iranian government said it was for humanitarian reasons because of a medical condition that you had? is that what you were led to believe? >> well, the judge told me it was humanitarian because i was in solitary confinement, which is a harsher sentence. >> when you were released, the government of iran said that you all had been charged with espionage and faced also charges of illegal entry. why would they believe that?

could you set the record straight for us? >> well, of course. we were hiking behind a tourist spot with hundreds of other kurdish families in northern iraq, which is a safe part of iraq, where no american has ever been killed, to my knowledge. it's not a war zone. we were guided by the hotel manager to go to this place. and the border was completely unmarked, so we meant no harm to the iranian people or the government. we committed no crime. >> did you know you were near the border? did anybody say to you you were near the border of iran? >> no, we had absolutely no idea. there was no indication. the border is unmarked and invisible. >> so what happened? i mean, you're hiking and did some soldiers approach you? >> yeah. yeah. and then before i knew it, i was thrown -- i was torn apart from shane and josh and thrown into a cell. and that's where i've been for the last 14 months. the important thing to remember, that's where shane and josh still are. they're in the same sized cell that i was in, crammed in, for no reason, having committed no

crime, and they don't know when they're going to get out. they have to exercise on a space the size of a towel, just next to each other. there's very little sunlight, they have no time out of their cell, and no communication with their family. we received letters, but we're not allowed to write letters, and they've only received one five-minute phone call in this whole period. >> and during the times of your captivity, one hour a day, you could be with them. >> yeah. >> tell me about those hours, how you spent that time. >> well, that was my lifeline. i mean, i just -- my whole day was centered around waiting for that moment. because it was my only, my only human contact, my only time. and you know, as the hours grew nearer to my time outside, i would pace the room, wringing my hands, you know, often, just tears streaming down my face, and seeing them was my only relief. and they're wonderful people. you know, every time i felt like i was really slipping away, they brought me back. you know, they're the reason -- shane and josh are the reason that i'm able to sit here today and advocate for them with all my strength. the only reason i want to be here. >> and i know that you

definitely want to talk to the iranian president. you made efforts -- he is in the united states. i think he's leaving today. have you made any headway at all? >> we still have hope that could happen today. i don't see any reason why the president wouldn't want to meet with me. you know, i'm sincere in having -- in bearing no grudge towards the iranian government. i just want to resolve this. i want it to be an opportunity for us to improve relationships between iran and the united states. i truly believe that's better for everyone involved. >> have you come to terms with the fact that maybe you and shane and josh are just pawns in a political game? >> well, how can you ever come to terms with that? i mean, you know, it's kind of -- you can't expect that kind of twist of fate. but i acknowledge that that's the case, because we committed no crime. we're innocent. we didn't mean any harm to anyone. >> all right. sarah shourd, thank you so much. >> all right. >> and i'm admiring the ring on your finger too. you got endangered in january.

shane proposed to you. it's a piece of thread, and i think that probably means the world to you right now. >> it does. shane is still wearing his, so they're with me every second. >> sarah, thank you. >> thank you. >> it is 7:14 and once again here's matt. facebook founder mark zuckerberg is planning to donate $100 million to one school district in new jersey. is it pure generosity or is it image building? nbc's mara schiavocampo is in newark, new jersey, with more. mara, good morning to you. >> reporter: well, good morning, matt. that announcement will have a big impact on the school's here in newark. 26-year-old billionaire zuckerberg will make an unprecedented gift later this morning as a guest on "the oprah winfrey show". >> you're going to australia! >> reporter: when it comes to making big gift announcements, there's no better venue than "the oprah winfrey show". >> everybody gets a car!

>> reporter: and today, the tradition continues. facebook founder mark zuckerberg is expected to come bearing gifts, announcing a $100 million donation to the deeply troubled public school system in newark, new jersey, joined by new jersey governor, chris christie and newark's charismatic mayor, cory booker. it's the largest known donation ever by zuckerberg, where an estimated $6.7 billion. he has no ties to new jersey or newark, causing some to wonder if this very big gift could be a very big public relations maneuver. >> $1 million isn't cool. you know what's cool? >> you? >> $1 billion. >> reporter: the announcement comes exactly one week before the movie "the social network" hits theaters to rave reviews, depicting the alleged drama behind facebook's founding. >> you made the facebook. >> reporter: and portraying zuckerberg as a socially awkward, unscrupulous computer geek, who stole the idea for facebook from his classmates. >> this is our time! >> reporter: facebook has called

the movie fiction, but it's just the latest in bad publicity. >> the explosive impact of a $100 million donation will far outweigh any impact that a movie will make. simply because the donation will be the reality of mark zuckerberg. >> reporter: the charitable gift will definitely help more than just zuckerberg's image. >> we deserve a city where our children cannot just survive, but thrive! >> reporter: newark has one of the country's worst-performing school districts, despite the fact that they already spend plenty of money on education, about $20,000 a year per student, more than tuition to elite private schools. >> the concern is, giving the same people more money will give you the same result. >> reporter: but $100 million can't hurt, and will likely help the controversial king of facebook make a few new friends. sources close to zuckerberg deny the donation is a publicity stunt to draw attention away from the facebook movie. officials here in newark hope it

will attract matching donations, eventually bringing $200 million to the school. it's also reportedly the first installment in a large education foundation that zuckerberg is starting. matt? >> mara schiavocampo, mara, thanks so much. the future of education in america will be the focus of a special nbc news event, "education nation." that's all next week across the platforms of nbc news. we're going to talk more about that coming up. but for now, it's 7:18. once again, here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. lindsay lohan is due back in court this morning to face a judge for the first time since she admitted she failed a court-ordered drug test. nbc's kristen welker is outside the courthouse for us. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. dozens of journalists have begun to gather outside of the courthouse. lindsay lohan set to appear here in just about an hour. the actress says she has prepared to face the consequences of her actions, which could include jail time. lindsay lohan showed no outward signs of stress this week, as she enjoyed a shopping trip with

her siblings, but she'll be back in court today, ordered to appear before a judge once again for violating parole. this time, she'll have to explain why she tested positive for drugs just three weeks after being released from rehab. >> i think at some point, a judge says, i've had enough with the excuses, enough with the promises. >> reporter: at a hearing with lohan's attorneys, the judge warned he wouldn't tolerate any substance abuse during her probation, but last week the troubled actress tweeted to her fans, "regrettably, i did, in fact, fail my most recent drug test." legal analysts say she could end up right back where she started. >> if i had to guess, i think she's going to jail, at least for a while. i think the judge will put her in jail and order some time of rehab when she gets out. >> reporter: a distraught lohan, who faced a judge earlier this summer for violating parole following a 2007 dui conviction served only 14 days of a 90-day jail sentence, ordered straight from jail into 90 days in patient rehab. she was again released early,

after only 23 days, with high marks from her doctors. but after this latest failed drug test, even lohan is admitting for the first time, she has a serious problem. tweeting recently, "substance abuse is a disease, which, unfortunately, doesn't go away overnight. i am working hard to overcome it and am taking positive steps." >> when someone relapses, they need more treatment, they don't need more jail time. >> reporter: medical experts say she has to get to the bottom of what went wrong. >> i think it should be a solid decision made by her treatment team to be able to know how this relapse happened, what the triggers were for it, what the strengths of her were. >> reporter: one of those triggers may be her social life. lohan was reportedly seen out with friends in clubs in new york and los angeles in the days after she got out of rehab. experts add, if she wants to get better and get back to work, she'll have to change her act and the cast of characters surrounding her. analysts say anything could happen today. the judge could send her to

jail, let her out on bail, or send her back to rehab. meredith, back to you. >> kristen welker, thank you very much. and just ahead, the actor who was best known for his role in "the 40-year-old virgin" sent to prison for stabbing his ex-girlfriend 20 times. that [ male announcer ] as the ceo of hp, carly fiorina laid off 30,000 workers. when you're talking about massive layoffs, which we did...

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. good morning. time is 7:26. checking in with mike inouye. there had been problems on the friday light. >> it's not affecting 880 into the east bay. things are moving light here. off of the main drag, we have a motorcycle accident that happened past the coliseum. on city streets through oakland and the bay bridge and the toll plaza is friday light.

still just 19 minutes off of the bridge approaching this area and look at the sun light. >> all of that will warm up and it feels nice outside. a mix of 40s and 50s on the current map. by the time we hit noon, we are in the 70s and 80s. even 70s in the city. forecast highs make it in the 90s. that's a look at the seven-day forecast. [ male announcer ] the turn changes everything. ♪ the turn will make you think. ♪ make you re-examine your approach.

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to mourn the loss of a tamly that was killed in the san bruno pipeline explosion. they are among seven people who died. the memorial will start at 7:00 at the first presbyterian church of burlingame. crews will spray hopes with water to prevent potentially dangerous materials from getting up into the air. that will last until the end of the month. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. have a great morning.

7:30 now on this friday morning. september 24, 2010. check out rockefeller plaza getting a brand-new look for next week's nbc news special event, "education nation." i'm meredith viera, alongside matt lauer. and as we mentioned, all next week, we're shining the spotlight on the state of education in america. >> on monday i'll be live at the white house for an exclusive interview with president obama. that will be for a full, uninterrupted half hour. >> each of us, matt, ann, al and i will head back to school to get a firsthand look on what works best in our nation's

classrooms, from kindergarten all the way through high school. >> that's a special week-long event, "education nation" taking place across the platforms of nbc news. just ahead, one of the most influential women in the world unveils her newest project, interview with majesty queen rania of jordan. and janis ollson was pregnant when doctors found a tumor in her pelvis. she underwent a radical surgery where her lower body was cut in half and in many ways rebuilt. this morning she's here with her family to tell us more about that. we'll begin this half hour with an actor who's facing a possible life sentence after being convicted of attempted murder for stabbing his ex-girlfriend more than 20 times. we'll talk to that woman in a moment, but first here's nbc's george lewis. >> reporter: it didn't take the jury very long to come back with bad news for actor shelley malil. >> we the jury in the above entitled cause find the defendant, shelley malil guilty

of the crime of attempted murder. >> guilty of trying to kill kendall beebe. >> reporter: the trial was filled with plenty of dramatic system. malil, claiming he was flailing wildly with a knife, trying to defend himself from an attack from maldanado when he stabbed beebe more than 20 times. >> his hand was behind his back. >> kendra beebe broke down on the witness stand as she described the attack. >> i saw this flash of silver and then bang, bang, bang. i screamed at the top of my lungs, like help, help, 911! call 911! he's killing me! >> reporter: malil's most prominent role was in the comedy "40-year-old virgin". >> it's a free country, bambi. ki smoke out here if i want to.

>> reporter: and on tv, appearances on "without a trace" and on "scrubs." but prosecutors say malil dint deserve any oscars for his performance in the courtroom because his testimony just didn't add up. >> when shelley malil chose to take the witness in his own defense, my opinion is he shot himself in the foot. he might as well have jumped into a coffin and nailed it from the inside. >> reporter: now malil could face a sentence of 16 years to life. after the verdict, beebe was relieved >> in domestic violence, no one wins, the one good thing is that now other women will be protected. >> reporter: malil is scheduled to be sentenced on november 18. for "today," george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. >> kendra beebe is with us exclusively along with her attorney, alexander mcintosh. good morning to you both. i can tell watching that piece that although your wounds have healed, it's still a raw emotion for you. what has been the healing

process been like for you? >> i think the only way we heal is love and the love of my family and my children have healed me, but this trial taking place restirred the pot and everything does feel so raw and fresh again. >> during the trial you sat about 15 feet away from malil. and when that verdict was read, when it was announced, what went through your head? what were you emotions at that moment? >> i felt relief that it was over, but i didn't feel victorious or happy. because in a situation like this, no one wins. two years ago, my family almost lost me, and my two children almost lost their mommy, and last week, mr. malil's family, a very decent, respectful family lost their family member and his child lost him. >> two years ago was august 2008.

you're in your back yard, a beautiful evening. sipping wine with a friend, actually. your children at that time, how old were they at that time. >> they were 2 and 4. >> when he shows out, without a shirt, seems disheveled. when you saw him, did you immediately realize something was going on? >> absolutely. he came over uninvited from hollywood. >> and you're in san diego. >> so he was an uninvited guest. so immediately when i saw him, i felt a primal instinct of fear. >> you had been going out for him for nine months and recently you ended the relationship? >> correct. >> at what point did you realize that your life was really in danger? >> interestingly enough, shelley was never violent with me, and i never felt my life was in danger at any time. as i said in my speech after the verdict, i don't feel that shelley acted alone. so while i feel safer that he's been convicted, i don't feel

completely safe. >> i want to get to that in a moment, but just to go back to the evening that this all happened, he came with a knife, and he began to stab you and your friend got the knife away from him and went to call 911 >> absolutely. >> and at that point, shelley malil went to your kitchen and grabbed another knife. >> yes, because i had went out a side yard and was trying to open a gate, but unbeknownst to me, the gate was jammed shut with a rock underneath the gate. so i was trying to leave the outside area, and my only option was to go near him with the knife or go back to the gate. i essentially got cornered into a corner and that's where he was able to stab me 20 times. >> were you saying anything to him? or was he saying anything to you during that time. >> absolutely. i was screaming for help in between him stabbing me, but i was always trying to talk him down.

i was telling him i loved him on several occasions hoping he would stop. i would say i love you, i love you, please stop. and he would say, yeah, right, and he would stab me again. >> during the trial, he said that he didn't realize it was you, that he thought it was actually your friend that was behind him and he was just flailing with the knife and didn't appreciate what was happening. obviously the jury did not believe that. but at any time in the past two years, did he ever express remorse publicly to you about what had happened? >> absolutely not. and it's very frustrating because i didn't see remorse whatsoever and no accountability or honesty in this trial. >> you said you don't believe that this is just about him. you believe your ex-husband is behind this. >> yes. you know, let me defer that question to my attorney because of liability. >> as the prosecutor said after the verdict was read, kendra's ex-husband is a missing piece of

the puzzle. there are many pieces of the puzzle that didn't come out during the course of the trial. however his name and his presence in fact was there throughout the trial. at one juncture, her ex-husband was actually brought into the courtroom for the jury to identify him at least by face, but beyond that, he never testified on behalf of shelley malil. there seems to be some certain pattern of coincidences. for example, her ex-husband is moved by a restraining order by the san diego superior court. and prior to leaving the house he goes in the house and takes personal objects of kendra's. and malil, when he left kendra stranded at the beach, he took her car back to the house and took the identical items the ex-husband had removed. >> there may or may not be a connection, but in your mind there is. i want to ask you about your

children, because they at this point don't realize what happened to their mommy, you have decided to protect them? >> absolutely. my children think i fell on glass. my daughter heard me screaming. she thinks i fell on glass and she thinks that's the reason for my scars. >> and when she's older, you'll explain it? >> i hope that day doesn't come any time soon. >> thank you for being with us, we really appreciate it. let's g a check of the weather from al. as we take a look at the tropics, we have another tropical storm. tropical storm matthew, 240 miles east of nicaragua, movings 50 miles an hour, it's moving west at 16 miles per hour with 50-mile-per-hour winds. the path of this storm brings it onshore to honduras-nicaragua, most of them bring it onshore and keep it down there into the yucatan peninsula. we're going to have to keep an eye on this system, but it looks

like something will be affecting the southern gulf coast sometime late next week. record highs in the southeast, showers in the pacific northwest, heat continues in the southwest. we do have some rain moving through northern new england, part of a wave moving through that area, but things will dry out later today. a sparkling look at a beautiful golden gate bridge this morning. nice and cool as we started off, but the heat is going to really pump in. highs to reach the 90s in the east bay down through the southern valleys. 70s for san francisco and along the coast. 85 degrees in redwood city. our highs continue to heat up through the weekend. looks like the hottest days will be on monday and tuesday. take it easy this weekend. , you want to keep track of matthew or any other system, you can go to weather.com. as one of the world's most influential women, queen rania

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her majesty queen rania of jordan is here with us exclusively. it's a catchy title. girl up. just explain it to me. >> it's actually a campaign that's trying to use the social skills and the networks of american girls to benefit their peers in the developing world. so we're trying to transform the meaning of peer to peer and net working so it's not just about sharing movies and music, but it's also about sharing movements and missions. so it's really a campaign by girl for girls so a girl in baltimore could help a girl in batswana school supplies. >> i looked at the statistics, 145 million children around the world are not in school, why focus only on girls? >> the case for girls is so compelling. i really feel that you give

girls the smallest chances and they can make the biggest changes. learn the world now, there are 35 million girl who is don't go to school. because of prejudices, place of birth or poverty. when a girl is educated, maternal mortality goes down, a baby born to an educated mother is 50% more likely to make it to his fifth birthday. the benefits are just, they go throughout society so. it's really important for us to make sure that girls go to school. i think that's the best investment any leader in the world can make. >> you and your husband arrived here in the united states at an unusual time for us here. i know you're aware of some events in the news of late. it seems there's an increase in aechbt muslim sentiment. there's a proezed building of an islamic community center down here ground zero. there was a pastor down in florida who proposed to burn the

koran. they have since canceled that. we talk about it a lot here in this country, how much awareness of these events and these issues is there around the world on the streets of the muslim world right now and what reaction? >> i think people are aware of this disconnect that's taking place and a mutual suspicion that exists. and i think it's very important for us to focus on the actual debate. my fear is the debate is dominated by radicals on both sides who want to preach hatred and spread fear among people. or worse still, it's also being used by some demagogues as a cheap political tool. and what's really important for us is to see the debate being dominated by well informed people who are reasonable who really care about the issues at hand. we need to redraw the battle lines, it's not muse limbs against christians, it's not east against west. once we can really understand

that this is the landscape, then we can start to rid ourselves of the evil forces that exist. i have been in the states for a few days and many americans told me that this proposal to burn the koran doesn't represent them and they don't support it. likewise, the bin ladens of the world don't represent me and they don't represent muslims around the world. >> secretary clinton has met with the u.n. secretary general, it seems like there's a renewed hope that they might yield some success if the future. we have been here before, do you get a different sense of where we are "today" versus some of the failed attempts of the past? >> we have been here before and we should keep trying and trying and trying and trying until we get a resolution of this issue. it's not just an issue that affabili affects israelis and palestinians. their lives need to improve.

you can't have people living under occupation, not being able to send their children to school, not having access, not having dignity in their lives. likewise israelis living in a state of fear all the time and living in a neighborhood that's not accepting them. but the region needs to see a resolution to this. because our region, there are a lot of tension, there's a lot of instability, there are threats from all over the place. the core issue is the israeli-palestinian issue. >> let me end on a different note. i was reading recently on the fact that you have something like 1.3 million followers on twitter. >> on twitter, yeah. >> so you are the new face, this is kind of the meshing of the traditional version of royalty and the new face of royalty, do you think it's a healthy thing and it's good? >> for me, it's just so important for me to know, you know, facts on the ground, to really remain grounded in

reality, noting to isolated and i think sometimes when you're in a public position, you risk that isolation of being surrounded, living in a bubble or just hearing what people want you to hear. being on twitter and being on social networks allows me to break through barriers and really get a feel of what's out there, what opinions are, what people think, what their dreams are, what their challenges are, that kind of natural communication is so rewarding for me. and it really just makes me feel like i'm part of something, i'm part of a community, you know. it opens people a window into my life and opens a window into other people's lives. so i really like that kind of interaction. >> thank you for being here. and we're back right after this. well, max, first day...

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words alone aren't enough. my job is to listen to the needs and frustrations of the shrimpers and fishermen, hotel or restaurant workers who lost their jobs to the spill. i'm iris cross. bp has taken full responsibility for the clean up in the gulf and that includes keeping you informed. our job is to listen and find ways to help. that means working with communities. restoring the jobs, tourist beaches, and businesses impacted by the spill. we've paid over $400 million in claims and set up a $20 billion independently-run claims fund to cover lost income until people impacted can get back to work. and our efforts aren't coming at tax-payer expense. i know people are wondering-- now that the well is capped, is bp gonna meet its commitments? i was born in new orleans. my family still lives here. i'm gonna be here until we make this right.

i can take one airline out... and another home. so with more flight options, i can find the combination that gets me there and back quickest. where you book matters. expedia. the votes are in, most of you say it's not too risque, 69% in fact, 31% of the people said yeah. it's a mute point now, it's done, it's gone. >> maybe elmo will show up with her on "saturday night live" because she's the musical guest. >> elmo would say those aren't normal. round is a good shape.

>> and ahead, jerry seinfeld with a huge secret to reveal after this. dancing there? flying there? how about eating soup to get there? delicious campbell's soups fill you with good nutrition, energy, farm-grown ingredients, and can help you keep a healthy weight. helping you get to a happier place. have a nice trip. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.

and all my investments, but it's not something that i want to do completely on my own -- i like to discuss my ideas with someone. that's what i like about fidelity. they talked with me one on one, so we could come up with a plan that's right for me, and they worked with me to help me stay on track -- or sometimes, help me get on an even better one. woman: there you go, brian. thanks, guys. man: see ya. fidelity investments. turn here. ancr: on september 2nd we took over a restaurant just for a day. then we made lunch for the neighbors. thousands of turkey burgers on us. to show people there's a burger that's as lean as it is delicious. it's really good. he loves the turkey burgers. if i can give her something that's good for her and lean, i'd totally make this for her. ancr: make the switch. look for jennie-o at a store near you.

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>>. >> good morning. it's 7:56 and let's check the commute with mike. a truck may or may not be stuck. >> it may or may not. we are looking at the tails of cars away from us over to the peninsula. that is the direction we are watching for the effects of a disabled big rig. the chp has not corrected anything as far as lanes blocked. more folks are heading to the bum barton bridge, but it's smooth the last 20 minutes. slower towards the express lane. jen? >> heat waves in effect for the weekend. the forecast highs into into the 90s and 80s in the mountain view

and san rafael. upper 70s for the city. we continue through the weekend and through the beginning of next week. our air quality will decrease. scott has the local news in less than a minute. ah, focus group. so what are we testing here?

that's our new pastrami grilled sandwich. oh, great. hey, are they happy we got rid of the rye bread? totally. they love our grilled artisan bread. they say it's the perfect compliment to the classic hot pastrami, melting cheese, deli mustard and pickles. awesome. hey, um what are we testing in that room? oh! nothing we were just hazin' the intern. >>. >> a safety alert with a sketch of a man who tried to rape a jogger over the weekend. take a look. not only did he try to rape a jogger on sunday, they think he

is the same man who raped a woman in morgan hill last year. flyers are posted on the trail where the jogger was attacked. the victim fought him off by kicking and screaming. if you jog, partner with someone and carry a whistle or pepper spray. don't carry a weapon. it could make a bad situation worse if the attacker takes it from you. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. [ ruiz ] reliable tools started as a brick and mortar store. we sell lathes, mills, high-tech equipment. i had an idea to go ahead and put up a couple of items on ebay, and they brought more than our expectations. meg whitman gave me the tools to expand globally. we sell to australia, india...

that big blue machine over there? it's going to malaysia on wednesday. with ebay, she created jobs for millions of people. with meg's creativity, she'll be able to create jobs here in california. i'm mariano ruiz and i'm a meg whitman success story. 8:00 now on a friday morning, on the 24th day of september, 2010. cloudy a little bit here in new york city. the temperatures are going to start cooking here later "today." we have got the second full day of fall. yet we're getting up into the high 80s "today." a big crowd out on the plaza. and i'm matt lauer, along with meredith viera and al roker. and coming up in just a couple of minutes, that incredible story, the surgery that was

performed to save the live of a pregnant woman. >> doctors found a huge tumor in the pelvis of janis ollson and her only chance of survival involved cutting most of the lower part of her body off. jerry signfeld is here, for the last 15 years or so, he has been keeping a secret, living a lie, we like to say, he's ready to come clean about that, he's going to reveal the truth that he's been holding in a couple of minutes. >> he really looks like he's going to giver tus truth. >> this is like the bizarreo world. unbelievable. and we have got some great desserts, healthy desserts that your kids are going to gobble up. let's go inside, ann's standing by, she's got a check of the news headlines in the morning. good morning once again, everybody, a punishing rain should taper off in minnesota and wisconsin where up to a half a foot fell on thursday.

the governors of both states have issued emergency declarations. president obama's wrapping up these three-day trip to the united nations with a high level appearance. iran's president provoked a strong reaction at the united nations on thursday when she suggested in his speech at the general assembly that the u.s. was behind the september 11th attacks. american diplomats and more than 30 other dell indicatiegations in protests. a new effort is getting underway to deal with the nation's fastest growing drug problem and that is prescription drug abuse. we have got nbc's justice correspondent pete williams now standing by with details. hey, pete, good morning. >> the advice used to be flush those old pills down the drain, but it turns out that contaminates the water supply, and if they're simply thrown

away, they could be retrieved from the garbage. now the nation's drug agency says turn them in and let the dea troy them. >> in arlington, virginia, police say federal drug agents prepare to arrest the suspected dealer. an undercover drug agent will make the buy in an area known as the source of illegal drugs. but the suspect wasn't dealing cocaine or heroin, he was arrested for selling oxycodone, one of the nation's most widely prescribed painkillers, abuse of that drug and others like it have risen 400% in the last decade becoming the nation's largest growing drug problem. >> we live in a community with a school right across the street from where we are at and here is an individual selling prescription pills on the street. >> reporter: the dea says prescriptions now rank behind marijuana among drugs taken to get high and they're involved in

the majority of the more than 26,000 overdose deaths a year. it was a pill from a medicine cabinet that killed 18-year-old. his girlfriend's mother offered him a painkiller she was taking, the combination turned out to be disastrous. >> we took him to the hospital, and a parent's worst nightmare, they said timmy was dead. >> reporter: now his parents are urging people nationwide to get rid of their unused and outdated supplies of pills. >> it might not be your child, it might be one of your child's friends coming into your house, asking to use your bredroom, rifling through your medicine cabinet.

>> in a single day, more than 9,000 pounds of prescription drugs turned in. that's more than 3.5 million pills. and tomorrow the dea takes this program nationwide with more than 3,000 dropoff points and all the pills will be destroyed so they can't do any harm. >> pete williams, this morning, pete, thanks. an american astronaut and two russians who were supposed to return today from the international space station after six months in space will now spend another day in orbit. and you thought it was hard to get a lock on your door. let's get a check of the weather from al. >> and we have got 70-year-old twins. what's your names? >> sheryl and geri. >> let's check your weather and

see what's happening. pick city today happens to be dallas, texas, showers and storms, 89 degrees. and as we look at the fall foliage, it's at its peak around the western great lakes. we are looking at a lot of heat into the mid-atlantic states into the northeast, some wet weather down in through texas and the midwest, rain in and our heat is building today. a live look outside at the oakland airport, nice temperatures. enjoy them because we have 47 degrees in napa. 55 in concord. 46 in gillrier. the upper 70s for the city. 82 in santa cruz. then we start to turn things up. 90 degrees is expected for tomorrow. 93 on sunday. inland areas could be getting up to the triple digits on sunday, monday and possibly tuesday.

>> now back to matt. >> all right, al, thanks so much, a remarkable story of a owegnant woman whose tohad beas balic ly had to be basically cut in half during a risky surgery to remove a huge tumor. she's going to talk to us, she's here with her family right after this. ♪ i love my grandma. i love you grandma.

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we are back at 8:10. thursday we brought you the remarkable story of a young mother whose lower body had to be cut in half when doctors found a huge tumor in her pelvipelvis today we're going to talk to her. three years ago janis ollson was a normal, busy mom. when janis was pregnant with her second child, the young mother had back pain that kept getting worse. >> it started out like i guess what a lot of people have in pregnancy, but it got worse very, very quickly. >> near the end of her pregnancy, she got the shocking news, she had a rare form of bone cancer in her pelvis. doctors said the only way to save her was to cut off the lower part of her body, take out the tumor and put her back together again.

she had to make a choice, radical surgery that had never been done before, or certain death. if she chose the surgery, she would lose her left leg. after delivering her baby by c-section, janis told doctors she wanted to see her kids grow up and chose surgery. traveling to the mayor clinic in minnesota -- >> this is a cancer that grows steadily and will keep on growing, can spread to other parts of the body, particularly the lungs and will eventually take the person's life without treatment. >> on the day of the surgery, janis hugged her husband darrell and then snuck out without telling her two children. she says she trusted the doctors to save her live. her surgeons performed two separate procedures over a total of 20 hours. in the first surgery, they remov removed janis' left leg, her

tailbone and part of her spine. in the second operation, they took the top part of what was removed, flipped it over, and attached it to her pelvis. then they shifteded her right leg and pelvis and then attached it to the spine. with the tumor gone, janis was able to use her left leg. >> i'm really happy for her, she and her family have been super through all of this. they have never lost their enthusiasm for life. she has said th s she. >> after the surgery, janis was anxious to get on with her life. she was anxious to learn to get around. she sometimes uses a prosthetic leg, and sometimes a walker. now she gets around just fine.

even on snowmobiles with her family. earlier this year, a moment janis will never forget. she walked down the aisle with darrell, using only a cane to renew their wedding vows and to celebrate her incredible journey. janis ollson is with us exclusively along with her husband darrell and their two children, braxton and leland. and that picture of you two walking down to renew your vows says it all. you have been through so much in the past two years, how are you doing "today." >> we're doing really good. >> what is your recovery been like and what's been the hardest thing about it? >> recovery has been long and slow, but continual progress. we have never, knock on wood, we have never had any set backs so we have continually moving forward and every day, every month, i learn how to do something new and how to continue on the way that we used to. >> i want to go back to when you were pregnant with leland and

you were suffering from back pain and it just got to the point where it was so severe that you knew something was going on. and you had pain with your daughter, as well, when you were pregnant. so maybe this had been growing for a long time inside of you. >> that's our belief, anyway. >> and doctors said that you had a tumor and it had to be removed if you had any chance for survival. so he had to be delivered early and you had a few months to think about this surgery. this surgery had just been performed on cadavers. >> at that point we didn't really know that, we knew that it would be something different that had never been done before, but i just believed that was because of my situation, it was unique. i those months in between, we didn't know what they were planning on doing, when we got the phone call that told us the plan, we only had couple of weeks to get things ready. >> maybe that was a good thing, not too much time to worry about

it. but what was going through your mind, what frightened you? >> i was a mess. it was tough. i couldn't tell you "todatoday made it through those couple weeks, looking back now, you know, a little bit of work, a little bit of family, i kind of kept busy, janis was in the hospital, i was looking after the kids and going to work, and it was kind of like a whirlwind, which i think was good. >> you didn't want to be alone with your thoughts about what might happen? >> i was alone with my thoughts on my commute to work, and that was enough. >> you kissed your husband goodbye, you don't even say goodbye to your children as if you know you're going to be back. where did that come from? >> i think it was just because of my faith in the mayoe clinic. i knew my options, the surgery or certain death. i knew i had to do the surgery. and the surgeons completely put us at ease, we were 100%

confident everything would go well. i didn't want to alert the kids because we were going in so early. we went in and both of us were at peace. there wasn't a lot of tears shed. >> do you remember what janis said to you when she came out of anesthesia and was in the recovery room, when she woke up? >> yeah, that was kind of weird too, she was supposed to be going for an x ray or an mri and they said they were going to bring her out of incubation after that, so i went to the waiting room to sit down and they came to me and said she's asking for you and i guess she had had enough, pulled the tube out of her mouth and asked for me and i came in and -- the first thing she said is -- sorry -- am i dying? and i said, no, you remember

they said they were going to have to remove your leg, and she said yes. and i said, well, they did that and you're cancer free. and she said, oh. >> 3 1/2 years later, you are cancer free. >> uh-huh. >> and you renewed your vow this is past may. how emotional is that for both of you? >> that was amazing, ten years is a long time and we have been through a lot. like the vows say, we'll be there for better or worse, richer and poorer, and we were just joking saying we have been through everything except the richer part. >> we wish the very well to you and your family,wo tutea bulif children. >> thank you so much. >> and i admire your courage so much. >> thank you. credit card rewards are always good in theory.

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the book debuted 11 years ago. it was written by someone called ted l. nancy. now the fourth book in the series is out. "all new letters from a nut." but the author's true identity has remained a mystery until "today." jerry seinfeld writes the forewords. guys nice to see you. >> a lot of people thought it was matt for many years. >> a lot of people thought it was you. >> yeah, people did think it was me. we started this as really kind

of a joke for ourselves, just to see if, you know, people would be interested in this. but the books took off, and it was weird, it became a best seller and then people started to take credit. . >> so what do we need to know about barry martyr, you're a comedian, right? >> i used to work for jerry. >> he used to help me write the standup on signfeld. he's the guy that's written all the letters, he created the character. there's a lot of people on the internet that are claiming ownership. >> the people you write to actually take time to respond. read a letter for us. >> this is a letter written to

the bar harbor hotel in bar harbor, maine. dear bar harbor hotel. i'm wondering if you found a gorilla foot that i left in your bathroom. i was distracted when i needed to use the tissue dispenser from another stall. i believe i left my gorilla feet in your hotel. >> and they responded? >> dear mr. nancy, i'm sorry to tell you, we did not have any rubber gorilla feet turned in, hope you found them. >> you should have remained anonymous. you should have. >> i had written to a shoe company, i was trying to get shoes that looked like bananas. so i wrote, i am in a process of hoping bananys. >> so this is for nannies. >> you will know a nanny is in the room when she is dressed from head to toe in bright

yellow, and you'll go oh, it looks like a nanny, she's dressed like a banaa. so i sent them this is the easy on the heels. >> it's like making crank calls but writing the letters. >> but he's gotten responses from the king of tonga. the prince of wales. >> and then i wrote them back actually, i wrote, thank you for answering me on my bananny shoes. i now have waiter melons. you'll know that a waiter is in the room when he's dressed from head to toe in a watermelon, you go oh, it's a waiter, he looks like a watermelon. >> now that you've revealed yourself, is this over? is that it, the end to the books? >> i don't think so, what do you

think? >> well, we may have to change it a little bit. we just wanted people to know who the -- because so many people think it's me. and he's done so much work on it, i really wanted the public to know this is the guy that has created the whole thing. and good morning, everybody. the time is 8:26. i'm brent cannon checking in with mike inouye. and we are getting the latest on your commute. the oakland airport area is tough right now. >> the destination is the airport off 880. there was an accident over there at haguen berger and airport drive. you cannot enter through the intersection. i'm not sure if you can make the reroute near airport drive, so use 880. the airport is west of 880. a lot will exit near 98. use 98 if you have a choice. meanwhile, 880 is slow as is normal through the area.

lots of sunshine out there. nice cool temperatures to start things off. then we'll heat it up into the 90s inland today. 80s in oakland and brentwood city. 80 degrees in san jose. 78 degrees for san francisco. the heat builds through the weekend for a steaming hot fall weekend. stick around. in less than a minute brent is back with more local news. greed. the wealthiest corporations. billions in profits and bonuses. and the sacramento politicians just gave these same corporations a new billion dollar handout...

paid for by cuts to education and public safety with no guarantee of creating one new job. but we can change this by voting yes on proposition 24. prop 24 repeals the billion dollar giveaway and protects our schools and communities. yes on prop 24. it's time to give us a break... not the big corporations. i thought it was over here... ♪ [car horn honks] our outback always gets us there... ... sometimes it just takes us a little longer to get back. ♪ this morning the big five is a step closer to a state budget

deal. state leaders spent a deal in san ma monica yesterday trying to reach a deal on the $19 million deficit. the so-called big five will continue to work through the weekend on the details and they hope to have a deal to announce on monday. the state has been without a budget for 85 days, which is the longest delay in state history. more local news coming up in a half hour. and the "today" show returns in less than a minute. have a great friday and weekend. see you back here in a bit.

. 89 -- 8:30 now on this friday morning, you're looking at all the folks who have descended on rockefeller plaza this morning.

>> i said, we're really talking to a survivor. >> ingrid betancourt, this is someone who was running for the president of -- she was held in the jungle for more than six years. she's written a book now about her ordeal, talking about her failed escape attempts and what she endured. we'll talk to ms. betancourt in just a few minutes. also on a lighter note, seth meyer s is here, the new season premiers tomorrow. >> isn't it amazing, you want to choose dogs that really have a chance. so we'll show you, look at those

adorable ones, their makeover is coming up. all right, and first before we get to anything else, we want to say hello to mr. donald trump. a brand-new season of apprentice is underway. good to see you, sir. >> good to see you. >> are these competitors living up to your expectations? >> they're very tough, but alex had a very tough time last night. he was -- maybe he shouldn't be there. he was eaten alive by -- we have some very tough people on the show. >> but he ends up getting his dream job at the end? >> he's going to say thank you very much, donald, i hope. >> they're selling ice cream, that's a very basic simple challenge, much simpler than i have seen in the past. is that a back to basics thing. >> back to basics, exactly right. we want to sell lemonade and ice cream on occasion. >> given the backgrounds of your contestants, is there a feeling that the stakes are higher this

time? >> i think so, because a lot of these people are virtually down and out, and it's really a tough thing for them, they had great jobs and now they have no jobs. you see a couple of them, four or five children. one went to a great law school and right now is selling cupcakes, beautiful girl, number one education, top in her class and she's selling cupcakes. . >> want to remind people they can watch all new episodes of the "the apprentice" that's thursday nights at 9:00 central well, we have beautiful weather out there right now. sunny skies in the forecast for today and through the weekend. that also mean that is the heat will be building. in fact, we are forecasting highs to reach 93 degrees on sunday. on monday all the way up to 97. air quality will not be good across the weekend forecast. so be careful if you are outside, especially if you are

sensitive to bad air quality. >> and don't forget, you can check your weather any time of the day or night, especially this weekend, weather channel on cable or weather.com.

back now at 8:36 with a tle of survival. ingrid betancourt spent 6 1/2 years in the columbian jungle before being rescued. she's written a book about her ordeal called "even silence has an end." explain the title to me, even

silence has an end, what did you mean by that? >> i think it's a cry of hope. it talks about what stays a few after your death and those are words. so it says that even silence and for me even death has an end and because the jungle and captivity was a death for me, coming back was the end of that. >> i just want to remind people about the conditions you endured. tell me about what you were forced to eat, the sanitary conditions, what you dealt with. >> i was chained to a tree for years. i wasn't able to talk to my fellow hostages, i was forced to ask permission to go pee. i couldn't drink or eat whenever i wanted. everything was under permission, we would live in the jungle

under tents, sleeping on hammocks or on the floor on plastic sheets. >> insects, animals, you had to escape five times? >> yes. >> each time you tried to escape, did it worsen your living conditions? >> yes. i was punished. >> torture? >> tortured. it was hard, yeah. >> were you ever concerned that the people you left behind, the other hostages would be in danger because of your actions? >> we were all having a very bad time after my escape, but i have to say that my companions had a big solidarity and they just never have said anything like blaming me for what i did. they were just there with me. >> there were three other american contractors who were

taken hostage, and one wrote a book and was highly critical of you. he called you the most disgusting human being i have ever encountered, reportedly because he felt that you, based on your status in columbia had asked for special privileges during your time as a hostage. how do you respond to that? >> well, i think i was a troublemaker in the jungle in the sense that i wouldn't go for many of the things that we were confronted, for example i remember a role call, they were trying to make us respond with numbers and so my companions would say one, two, three, when they were cold and i just said ingrid betancourt, if you want to know if i'm here. and i felt like arrogant. for me this is just -- they were

giving us. >> i remember seeing a video of you that was taken during your captivity, the look on your face, almost expressionless, not even looking into the camera struck me. and you know the piece of video i'm talking about, what were you doing at that time, what was going through your mind? >> i wasn't accepting that proof of survival. the commander had denied medical treatment to me for almost six months. and here he was saying, you have to smile, you have to say hello to your family, this is proof of survival and i didn't have to do that. i couldn't force him not to take the videotape, but i just -- i didn't want to collaborate on that action. >> you were eventually rescued. the captors were kind of tricked into releasing you and you write in the book that you couldn't help but admire some of the young people who took you hostage. a lot of people are going to say, how could you feel that way? could you explain briefly? >> these were young guerrillas,

they were the age of my children. they were incredible in the jungle. they were very fit, they could do anything, they could build a whole camp, like a little city in the jungle without anything but machetes, they were very courageous, dealing with this environment of the snakes and, you know, rigors and everything that was a little frightening for me. so, yes, i admire who they were and how they could confront this environment. you can admire how they behave. some of them were, but not all of them. some of them were just humiliating and hard. >> it's an incredible story, 6 1/2 years held hostage in the jungle. nice to have you back, thanks so much, good to see you. and the book is called, even silence has an end.

we're back with the 36th season premier of "saturday night live." who better to tell us what's in store for the new season than the show's head writer and weekend update host seth meyers. >> a couple in indonesia was arrested for making meatballs from protected monkeys, well, poorly protected monkeys. >> seth, good morning to you. >> you are 36? >> i am 36, i started the show when i was born. >> you have been there ten years. >> i have been there for ten years. >> and you started as a normal cast member. >> yes. >> and then you became co-head writer. >> yes. >> and then solo anchor. >> and it's pretty much downhill

from there. >> i wonder if you're gunning after lauren michaels' job. >> the most exciting thing about the show is when you sort of get to work with new people, but working with someone who's obviously done it and been as good as it as she is. >> will she be at the anchor desk with you this saturday? >> yes. >> mostly because it will be impossible to keep her away. she brought her chair back. that was her very subtle hint that she wanted to do it. >> she literally took her chair with her when she left. >> she took everything, it was awful. >> it's wrong, it's wrong. are you going to get another anchor? i think you do a great job by yourself. >> i'm available if -- >> you're not angling for it. we would love to have you. >> right now we're going to see how it develops. >> you have three new cast

members? >> we have four new cast members? it's really exciting getting all those new voices. >> is there a hazing process when you come in as a new cast member. >> the job is hard enough that you get naturally hazed and i think more than anything else the rest of us try to be simple threatic. >> i want to talk about katie perry and all the controversy. >> i don't watch a lot of "sesame street." when i watched it, i had to say i guess i see katie perry in a lot of different events. >> a lot has happened, this is your season premier, what kind of topics are you going to take on? >> the biggest problem with this summer, you go, oh, my god, this is going to be the greatest sketch. fortunately politicians sort of every week give us stuff to talk about it.

>> there's a lot to talk about. but matt asked her if she used facebook or twitter and she said she wondered about people who do that, who has the time, i mean she's a serious writer, she would never twitter about what kind of sandwich she just ate. and then i read that you twitter a lot. and i wonder what that meant? >> i only twitter about what kind of sandwich tena eats because she doesn't have time, and i feel like her fans deserve to know. i am a fan, not like tena. >> what would you twittering about "today." will you go right after this interview and twitter about it? >> i would say lol, i just did the "today" show with meredith viera. that will be in all caps. and then if i have room, i'll say what i am going to have for lunch. but i only have a limited a lot of characters.

>> how do you top that show you did with betty white? >> we have made the decision not to even try. it was the greatest. the scary thing for us was there was such high expectations for that show. >> she owes you. she won an emmy for that. so she owes you big. i would twitter about that, if i were you. >> seth meyers, always a pleasure, congratulations on 10 years. 36 years. you can catch the season premiere of "snl" tomorrow night right here on nbc. and up next, new looks for right here on nbc. and up next, new looks for some dogs. right here on nbc. and up next, new looks for some dogs. not that long ago, many families were priced out of an overheated housing market. but the times have changed. get the facts at remax.com. today, the dream of owning a home seems more attainable than ever. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. visit remax.com today. carly fiorina laid off 30,000 workers.

when you're talking about massive layoffs, which we did... perhaps the work needs to be done somewhere else. [ male announcer ] fiorina shipped jobs to china. and while californians lost their jobs, fiorina tripled her salary. bought a million dollar yacht. and five corporate jets. i'm proud of what i did at hp. [ male announcer ] carly fiorina. outsourcing jobs. out for herself. [ barbara boxer ] i'm barbara boxer and i approve this message. [ barbara boxer ] i'm barbara boxer you know, i just got this new chase checking account. really? yea, check this out. there's no deposit slips or envelopes. you just take the check and--psshht--right in there. now chase atms take the worry out of making a deposit. so that's it? they got it? duh. oh it's on the receipt. it also works with cash. really? do you have a 20, or... yea! psshht! voila. that's cool. ok let's go. hey, wait. where's my 20? hey, what's up, dude? chase checking. welcome to banking with chase. chase what matters.

we're here now with from bow to wow. we take shelter dogs and we clean them up and find them loving homes. jill rappaport is here with the latest installment. >> we have 100% success. so happy to say, but sadly so many of these animals are given up because their owners just cannot afford them anymore. and it's just as traumatic for the owners as it is for the pet. so "today's" pooches are all recession animals.

we have five fur angels all waiting for a second chance. like this 6-year-old collie mix named autumn. just the latest victim of the harsh economy. >> her owners had her since she was a puppy and because of financial difficulties they had to start cutting back on some of their expenses. >> that is so sad for any dog, especially one approaching middle age to be without a home. why don't you give a closeup to the camera. go on. there you go, oh, maybe not. >> on to a two for one special. meet freddie and teddie. >> they are so cute. >> 5 mo months old, they're brothers. they're 5-month-old lab-terrier mixes. we want to get them adopted together. >> yes, that is the key. go on, let them kiss you. oh, come on! up next, a beautiful lab mix

named sable. >> sable is a year and a half old, she's a laboratory retriever. she ee's brindle so she has interesting colors. she warms up very, very quickly. abandoned, the owners couldn't take care of her. >> many of these owners really loved their dogs, they just unfortunately cannot afford them anymore. >> because times are so tough, they have to make difficult choices, fortunately these guys get given up. >> finally a little terrier who melts in your lap, who could use a little makeover. >> this little guy is benji. hello there, sweetheart. >> benji is a 3-year-old tibetan terrier mix. they abandoned him because they could no longer afford to take care of him. loves to be petted, loves to be held. >> five beauties all waiting for a place they can call home.

>> richard gentles, from -- let's take a look at autumn before. there's autumn before the makeover. take a look, as meredith brings him out now. >> we're going for six years before she was given up, the owners couldn't afford her anymore. and the animal city -- pets for life program so people that are in need, they can go to this program and they can meet their needs and help to keep the pets and the people together. >> she's really selling it, wasn't she? >> all right, meredith, thank you very much. autumn, good to see you, next we have a couple of puppies, immediate freddie and teddie. and come on out, we have kathy lee and hoda, these two are not house broken. i'm talking about kathy lee and hoda. tell me about the puppies. >> they're five months old, we

would like to get them adopted together. he's a little more curious than teddy. but they're brothers. again, a lot of people -- >> it's harder to take care of puppies. >> they're going to need some training, they're very smart, they have learned very quickly how to sit. so it will be easy to train them. >> and they're very affectionate. if you lean down, they'll give you lots of kisses. well, maybe not. >> kathy lee, you may want to work on that. anyway, ladies thank you very much. freddy and teddy, thank you very much. next we have got benji, look who's walking benji out, seth myers. work the run way, seth. tell me about benji. >> basically -- sell it, benji. >> he warms up quickly, he's a very happy dog. he likes to try out the

different cat beds in the foster homes he's in, so he would make a great companion. >> and seth will come with benji to your home. >> i need water two times a day, otherwise just a walk. >> thank you very much. did he just -- >> okay, and let's see, we finally have sable, look who's walking sable out. this is star studded, donald trump with sable. richard, tell me about sable. >> sable would love to sit in your lap, so if you're watching tv, you're sitting in your favorite chair, undoubtedly, she's going to jump on you, she's great with kids, so she's going to be great if you have kids. preferably older kids. >> i'm going to take sable, i like sable. >> sable's looking good to you. >> let's bring all the dogs out, jill, richard, thank you very much, kg.r 0% gog.

much, kg.r 0% gog. we are back with more on a greed. the wealthiest corporations. billions in profits and bonuses. and the sacramento politicians just gave these same corporations a new billion dollar handout... paid for by cuts to education and public safety with no guarantee of creating one new job. but we can change this by voting yes on proposition 24. prop 24 repeals the billion dollar giveaway and protects our schools and communities. yes on prop 24. it's time to give us a break... not the big corporations. good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. mike inouye is here. if you put a scarf on it, traffic is the same old dog. >> well, folks are lagging from what it looks like the walnut creek interchange through lafayette. over to the cal tunnel, we have

an earlier accident causing a slowdown. the rest of the maze is not looking so bad. 101 through michigan avenue we have an accident blocking one lane for the next few minutes causing more slowing getting into the city. and in the city itself we have three events. oktoberfest at pier 38. and we have critical mass comin. up. expect congestion there. more news after this.

a bay area university is issuing pink slips. uc berkeley says it will lay off 200 people in january that will be in addition to 600 positions cut last year when the state forced the university to reduce expenses by $140 million.

uc berkeley says the cuts will save about $20 million. we'll have another update in about 30 minutes. the "today" show returns in about a minute.

we're back now with more of today on a friday morning. it's the 24th day of september. 2010. some canadian folks in the crowd. lots of nice -- this is actually a very b crowd. for the middle or the first couple days of fall. we're happy to have these people here. a lot of them probably here because tamron hall is joining us this morning. >> this is my entire extended family. aren't they love lilovely? >> see the resemblance. tamron is here. natalie is on assignment. mr. roker joins us as well. you know who else is here?

george alafont is here. a lot of people have had the experience or challenge of turning a nursery into a big kid's room. george is going to answer the wishes of a special young lady and transfer her room into something she loved. he'll show you how you can do it at your home with simple changes. >> we just did that for lilo. >> it's fun. >> yeah it is, you go from the pre-teen thing. instead of changing just a room, how about moving into a whole new house? our resident real estate guru, barbara corcoran is here. she's going to give us a home tour for houses, less than $320,000 from a four-bedroom home in tennessee to a seattle home with views of mt. rainier. surprised at how far your dollars can go these days. >> and bobbie brown will stop by. she has advice for teenagers ready to experiment with makeup. you both have daughters. the first time i wore rip stick in front of my dad he fainted and resurrected in front of me. we have advice on age appropriate makeup and tips to make girls feel good from the

inside out. it counts what you feel like inside. >> self-esteem. let's go inside. ann curry at the news desk, she's got our headlines. >> good morning once again to everybody. in the news this morning, hundreds of people have been forced from their homes because of flooding in parts of wisconsin and minnesota. the governors declared a state of energy thursday. in wisconsin the national guard happen been called in to help. the good news is the rain should be easing today. in colorado, a third big wildfire this month burned at least two buildings including a home. there are, however, no reports of any injuries and it's not clear yet how this fire started. a woman who hired two men to murder her husband and his step son, to collect on health insurance policy, was expected last night in virginia. teresa lewis was the first woman to be put to death in the united states in five years and the first in virginia in almost a century. her supporters argued that lewis was border line mentally disabled and should have been spared capital punishment.

the european union denounced outrage unacceptable an assertion by mahmoud ahmadinejad that forces within the united states government were behind the september 11th attacks. in a speech on thursday to the u.n. general assembly, ahmadinejad said much of the world believes the attacks were orchestrated to help the u.s. economy and israel. american, european and other diplomats walked out in protest over the remarks. sarah shourd held in an iranian prison more than a year spoke out on this broadcast this morning about her ordeal and called again for iran to release shane bauer in josh fattal. shourd was held in solitary confinement and was allowed to see the other two americans for about an hour a day. >> that was my lifeline. i mean, i just -- my whole day was centered around waiting for that moment. it was my only -- my only human contact. my only time. and you know, as the hours grew nearer to my time outside i

would pace the room wringing my hands, often tears streaming down my face and seeing them was my only relief. they're wonderful people. every time i felt like i was slipping away they brought me back. they're the reason, shane and josh are the reason i'm able to sit here today and advocate for them with my strength. >> shourd says she hopes to meet with iran's president ahmadinejad to talk about sean bauer josh fattal. a british woman celebrated her 90th birth kay this week by suiting up and jumping out of an airplane. the sky diving senior and her instructor floated safely to earth. she pronounced the adventure, quote, just smashing. thank goodness that wasn't literally. she looks happy. look. there she is. four minutes past the hour. a check of the weather from al. you like that. >> that's terrific. thanks, ann. let's see what's going on as far as our weather is concerned. tropical storm mt at worry about. 240 miles east of nicaragua.

it has 50 miles an hour winds moving west at 16. this one's going to cause problems for us, forecasting wise. moves onshore nicaragua, honduras over the weekend. it's really the models diverge. we're not sure what's going to happen with this thing. may stay on land, may move out into the eastern atlantic. eastern caribbean sea. we're just going to have to wait and see on this. as my director joe michael says, it's going somewhere. a sparkling day across the entire bay region. it was nice this morning and cool. but we are not going to hold on to the cool temperatures very long. all the blue sky means a lot of sunshine, and the sunshine is coupled with high pressure. it is really going to heat things up. highs today will be in the mid to upper 80s in the east bay. along the coastline we are seeing temperatures in the upper 60s. this weekend it is really going to get hot. unfortunately air quality will be on the downslide.

time now for today's real estate, homes across this country for sale. for $320 or less, from a sleek townhouse to an ohio home with its own historic barn and garden. our resident brick house, barbara, is our real estate contributor. >> thanks for the nice introduction, al. >> any time. let's get started. first up we're going to go to heath, ohio, about 20 miles from columbus, a three-bedroom home priced at $289,000. >> it's an hour and a half from matt lauer's old alma mater, ohio university. tell a guy owns this house, because it's all brown outside and inside. only a man would have a brown house. it's a hard to find modern house for an affordable price. it's only $289,000 as you said. all the rooms are open and modern. clean, modern lines define all the space. super high ceilings throughout all the rooms. there's also very large lounge area on the second floor above

this kitchen. there's that beautiful modern kitchen. >> that's gorgeous. >> looks like an ikea kitchen but it boworks. nice and clean and neat and seems appropriate for a modern house. there's that loft i was referencing that looks down to a beautiful backyard. the backyard is very, very pretty with a nice deck, big enough. nicely manicured backyard. that's a good house for $289,000. >> there's an antique barn. does that add to the value of the property? >> it sure does. some people take it down. everybody dreams about what they're going to use it for. if you take the thing down, sell the old siding for money so it's not going to cost you a time. >> to seattle, washington. everybody loves seattle. a two-bedroom home priced at $299,500. >> if you want to get a good job while you're in a place where you're living, go to seattle. they have the best educated population in america. there's that pretty house. it's unusual. it's got a character of its own. i like the funky wall with two chairs. not what you typically put in front of the house but it works.

>> it looks like the backyard instead of the front yard. >> there's the big open living room. all the floors have been totally rezone. i like the archways, the wood working, the wanes scotting. there's a big room that needs more furniture. that's the living room. i'd rather have too little furniture than too much furniture. at least it's a big, sunny room with corner windows. there's a kitchen that's a bit too yellow with my case. it clashes with the wood cabinetry with a pink tone. yellow usually work, it doesn't work here. it has nice, open cabinets that are the fashion. the back deck had plenty of room to sit. i'd like to see a few friends sitting there. see the big overgrown trees and a beautiful, beautiful view of downtown seattle. you could even see mt. rainier, if i'm saying it right, on a really sunny day. >> all right. let's head to music city. nashville, tennessee. got a four-bedroom home, $299,900. >> what's great about this house

is the neighborhood does the mowing for you. they take care of your lawns. it's an arrangement they have there. unusual. it's a nice house. a traditional house in every way. a good starter home. what it has there is a nice living room. i think i just -- i can't find anything wrong with that. >> a little too much furniture? >> a little too much. at least you can look at that room and say i'd be comfortable there, i can make it a home. there's the kitchen, huge. it's an awkward layout. this kitchen. switch it around, put a big cable in there if you want and make it more usable. there's the guy who had to decorate the media room. he should be shot. women should decorate. tell the man had his hand in on this one. it shouldn't be there. let's move on to a better picture here. there's the backyard. the woman is back decorating. she bought those pink umbrellas i'm sure. you have a built in barbecue, fencing, and it's private with big trees so you don't see your neighbo neighbors?

>> you're doing a little man bashing during this segment. >> you make me angry about guys. i don't know why this happened. >> let's get barbara a little calmer before she goes home to her husband. to austin, texas, a town house priced at $312,400. >> this is a town young people lightning and the youngest city in america, big city in america. it's the life music capital. this house is a town home but as close as you're going to get to having a town home that feels like you're living in a real home, in other words a detached home. a very white living room. i thought that tv at first glance was a wood burning fireplace. it's not, it's a tv. it looks good and there it's hard to make a tv look good. there's a kitchen, as modern as the living room. all new appliances, stainless steel, nice cabinetry, not over the top but very useful. there's another shot at it. see it's -- it's a very usable kitchen. >> it has that golden triangle between the fridge and sink. >> everybody wants to have, but they actually work.

that's why they're famous. there's the formal, quite formal bedroom considering the rest of the house. it's got that nice cover there. looks comfortable enough. big windows. there's the backyard -- >> that could use a little work. >> these a little grass, few plantings and desperately needs something. anyway, not a bad thing for that house. everything else is perfect. >> last but not least, redding, california, a four-bedroom home. >> this is 175 miles from sacramento. it's been updated. there's the driveway that should definitely be steam cleaned. easy thing to do. the whole house is in great shape. that detracts from it. inside, this is a house that's wide open. it's a great home for an older couple who wants everything on one level. it's a totally one-story house. all the doorways are oversized. wander around that house and not run into a thing. even in the dark. there's a kitchen. it looks a little dated. it's a new kitchen. it's a choice of cabinetry is on the dark side. it could be pepped up very, very easily.

again, a very good kitchen. the dining room is adjacent to the kitchen. that's what i mean by the open floor plan. nothing is obstructing the views in the windows. it's a great house. you're in california, one of the most expensive parts of the nation for $319,000. that in my opinion is the best part of the house. that's a big, back patio. have a lot of friends over. with $319,000 and no mortgage you could afford to barbecue for them. there's the backyard. look how big it is. this is a great house and great value. >> allow the man to barbecue. >> ear nwe're not going to talkt men anymore. >> have a great weekend. >> my pleasure. coming up next, transforming the girl room to a big girl room. later on, you may know her best as the white house party asher. controversial real housewives star, mikhale salahi is here. yikes, bet you don't want to miss that. and it didn't have to be between 9 and 5 -- which doesn't always work for me.

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this morning on "today's" home, turning a nursery into a big girl's room. but the premier of his new show, george to the rescue, george transformed the room of one very special little girl. >> every once in a while we're lucky enough to help out those in need, which is what brought me to coram, new york. i've come to rescue you. from the outside, they're the picture of a happy, healthy family. happy, yes. but healthy, no. their 3-year-old daughter katie suffers form a genetic disorder which causes tumors on her brain and spine. >> the tumors on her brain, in

particular the one on her optic nerve has caused her to lose all of the vision in her left eye. >> we're trying to save the vision in the right eye, so prevent the tumor from moving into the right eye, we're using chemotherapy to stabilize it. >> with most of their time and money spent on katy's treatments and doctor visits, home improvement has gone by the wayside. >> she really wants it to be a girl's room. >> that's where i came in. what is your favorite thing in this room? >> pink, pink, pink. >> i think i know what color to start with. with the help of expert contractors and designers, we were able to give katie the big girl room of her dreams.

>> thank you! thank you! >> and even throw in a surprise for two for mom and dad. >> it's a new house, it's a completely different place and better in every imaginable way. >> there really are no words to express how you feel when someone is giving you this gift, you know, of time and effort and labor. >> i love my job. >> i imagine you do, george. good morning. >> good morning. >> how this works is pretty amazing because these people send letters to you, you go through them and find one and you've been -- this is just one of families you've been helping. >> thus far, we're starting our fifth rescue. it's all families like from your own community, your own neighbors that something has happened to, whether their child is sick with cancer, or their husband has had a stroke,

something out of their control. everybody buys a house and they're going to fix this and this and this, and all of a sudden home improvement is put to the wayside and you focus on your health or your family's health. >> and people donate all these goods and as you were just telling me, not sleep for a couple of months to get this work done. but you can actually get this done, in a room like katies, in three weeks? >> we have been doing these things in three to four weeks, so we can get to the next job. but it's really a team effort, our designers, they're working the late shift, the early shift. we put the families in hotels so they don't have to get disturbed by the construction. basically we're doing the home improvement things that they always wanted to do, but they can't do. they can't afford it or they don't have the time. >> this is an example of a good bed to choose if you want to move into sort of a big girl's bed? >> if your kids are growing up

and they want to start changing their room, there's a lot of easy fixes you can do. there's a lot of neutral colors. these are details, they're stickers. >> and you can take them off eventually. >> when she gets out of the flower stage and into the rock 'n roll stage, you can put some rock 'n roll posters up there. and your bedding, also, easy fix, new bedding, adds color to the room and it will just change the look of a room. >> and you talk about you like having a basic floor, a wood floor. >> i am a huge fan of wood floors and throwing a rug down, and doing away with wall to wall carpeting. a wood floor, you can sweep it up, clean it up and then throw a rug down. >> easy to clean and when you want to change the room when she's a teenager, you always have that option. >> you can always put carpet over a wood floor, but i'm a big fan of a wood floor.

you can change the look of a room by just changing out your curtain. i don't care how handy or unhandy you are, curtains you can change. >> let's talk about the closets. >> organization is the key in closets. laundry baskets, make sure you organization, make sure you have a place for everything and everything in its place. >> you've made this very monochromatic. >> you can pull these bars out, you can move this around, when she gets gowns or dresses, whatever clothes she's going to have, you can change it around. >> george to the rescue, or you can email us at george@msnbc.com. getting that fresh faced youthful look from bobby brown. but first these messages. we chose symbicort to help control my asthma symptoms. [ man ] symbicort improves my lung function... starting within 15 minutes.

[ woman ] symbicort will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. it is a combination of two medicines and should not be taken more often than prescribed. [ man ] symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems, and children and adolescents may have an increased risk of being hospitalized for asthma problems. [ woman ] symbicort is not for people whose asthma is well controlled with a long-term asthma control medicine like inhaled corticosteroids. once your asthma is well controlled, your doctor will decide if you can stop symbicort without loss of control, and prescribe a long-term asthma control medicine. be sure to see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. symbicort is a good choice to help control my asthma all day and night. [ inhales ] [ exhales ] ask your doctor if symbicort is a good choice for you. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, ♪ [ sniffs ] morning. you got in pretty late last night. dad, i'm not sixteen anymore. still, it was late. well...

you're not gonna have to worry about that anymore. yeah, why's that? ♪ todd's a lucky man. ♪ the best part of wakin' up... ♪ that's what i told him when we talked last week. ♪ ...is folgers in your cup 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. ♪

to finish what you started today. for the aches and sleeplessness in between, there's new motrin pm. no other medicine, not even advil pm, is more effective for pain and sleeplessness. new motrin pm. still to come on "today,"

the secret to beauty inside and out. lifestyle tips for young women from bobby brown. and three healthy recipes. >> but first your local news and weather. what if clean sheet day became clean sheet week? new ultra downy april fresh has scent pearls that give you a whole week of freshness with just one wash. ♪ and from day 1 to day 7, ultra downy april fresh lets you climb in to more freshness than this other fabric softener. so why settle? get more. feel more. activia is better than ever! so why settle? hey, you guys. want to try activia's great new taste? isn't this the yogurt that, you know... helps regulate your digestive system. ooh, i think i'll pass. no, no, no! trust me. it is beyond tasty. mmm! wow! i can't believe it, i love it! mmm, this is really good! new best tasting activia ever!

♪ activia now you can join the fight against breast cancer every time you enjoy an activia. give hope with every cup of activia. good morning once again, everybody. it is 9:26. checking the morning commute with mike, it is getting greener. >> we have a truck on the roadway here. the highway is clear. no problems across the cartinas bridge. heading out of the area toward sacramento and tahoe, the maize is looking good. it is still slow past the come seem and the east shore freeway. the 40s and 50s are coming down to the berkeley curve and the metering lights are still on.

red there on the thermometer as well, right? that's right. we have very hot weather in the forecast. air quality is going down thanks to stagnant air. right now we are warming into the 60s on the way to the 90s. in the inland area near the east bay, we are going to be in the upper 70s. it is going to be very hot. brent is coming back with more local news. hereat.round. our state has a huge deficit. meg whitman's plan will make it billions worse by eliminating the capital gains tax for wealthy investors,

including herself. economists say her plan will "rip a hole in the budget" and is "deeply flawed". analysts for the l.a. times say whitman's plan is a "pure handout" to the rich creating a "huge risk" to schools and public safety. jerry brown's against this unfair giveaway because it will take billions from our children when we can least afford it. get california working again-for all of us. in a few hours a federal judge in san jose will decide whether all executions in california can resume. if the judge rules in favor of the death peoplety convicted murderer albert green brown will be convicted of murder and rape of a girl in 1980. executions have been halted since 2006 because an inmate planned that the process was cruel. that procedure has been since

updated. court proceedings could come to a stop for the convicted rapist accused of kidnapping jaycee due guard. he'll be back in court this afternoon, that's phillip garrido. he is possibly not mentally capable of standing trial. he is accused of kidnapping jaycee due guard and holding her hoos taj for 18 years. they have been held in the jail for more than a year now. more local news coming up in a half hour with the "today" show returning in less than a half minute. see you back here in a bit. have a great morning. [ male announcer ] as the ceo of hp, carly fiorina laid off 30,000 workers. when you're talking about massive layoffs, which we did... perhaps the work needs to be done somewhere else. [ male announcer ] fiorina shipped jobs to china. and while californians lost their jobs,

fiorina tripled her salary. bought a million dollar yacht. and five corporate jets. i'm proud of what i did at hp. [ male announcer ] carly fiorina. outsourcing jobs. out for herself. [ barbara boxer ] i'm barbara boxer and i approve this message. ♪ you make me smile like the sun ♪ ♪ fall out of bed >> our two love birds, "today's" wedding couple melissa and jeremy reuniting at the airport after being in afghanistan for seven months, you can see he has returned and you've been picking out all the details from the rings to the dress and on thursday morning, he hasn't seen the dress, thank goodness for that, bad luck. this couple is going to be getting married live on our plaza. it's been easy to fall in love with that couple.

and we have got a lot more coming up, we have got two great people sitting with us, we have got lester and amy and what else? >> and melissa, bride-to-be may want to listen to a few wedding day tips. bobby brown is here with techniques to help you show that youthful glow. it's about feeling good inside because that's what you project outside. >> we try to limit dessert when it comes to our kids. this morning we have got three healthy recipes your kids can dive right into without all the guilt and basically make a couple of switches to healthier ingredients, so it's the same stuff they love, just made a little bit differently. also coming up, i'm real excited because i have seen a movie it's called "mel's last dance." this is one of the best movies i have over seen, it's about this young man who grew up in

terrible poverty, because of great teachers became one of china's best ballet dancers and we got t when he got the chance to come to america and learn and get a scholarship, he faceded ed a re struggle because he had fallen in love and didn't want to leave. it was a very dramatic, dramatic story. the real person that the movie portrays is here in our studio, so we're going to meet him this morning. also, we have got the two of you, as i mentioned earlier, and you have got a lot going on, lester. >> people thought we were ornaments but we're here for a reason. >> i know you have had that problem all your life, but you've got a job to do this morning. >> we do want to tell you what's coming up this weekend on "today," we'll kick off education nation, with a look at education plaza. plus detroit has gone hollywood, find out why film and tv makers have found their new home and are turning motown into movie town. and then a 55-year-old man

suffered severe burns to both of his hands in a 2006 fire, he is only the third double hand transplant in the country and he's going to tell us how he's doing live on our show. and the premiere of "snl," "saturday night live" starts it's 36th year, can you believe it, this weekend. what can we expect from the not ready for prime time players? we'll have a preview right here on "today." before we get to that, we have got a lot of heat "today" and tomorrow? >> we have got warm weather along the eastern seaboard, sizzling in the southwest, showers in southern texas and it's going to be hot in the southeast. and then sunday, heavy rain along the southeastern atlantic coast. warm to hot weather from well, a lot of sunshine for a beautiful morning.

we are now warming into the 60s. we didn't see a lot of low clouds or fog this morning. that's going to be the story for the weekend. we see 63 degrees now in hayward. 57 in santa rosa. 59 in nevada. 64 right now in gilroy. this weekend, boy, it is going to be hot. and it is only going to continue to get hot through the weekend and through the beginning of next week. it looks like you have to escape to the beaches or to the mountains. and of course, it's friday, that means we have to tell you about the biggest night of the week, sunday night, football night in america. that's right, this sun, rex ryan, taking his diet down to miami to the sun life stadium, 40% chance of showers as the jets take on the dolphins. this is a big one, kids, temperatures 80 to 84 degrees.

it's nothing if it's not sunday, football night in america. ann? >> do you feel better. >> no, i hurt myself. i need a truss.hileou while you heal, we'll be talking about beauty and we have got some beauty rules for the younger set from bobby brown after this. i really need the reliability that the corolla provides. i am a bookkeeper, and also a prep chef, so i need to be driving around from place to place. for the initial down payment, i'm six months out from when i get to go in and buy the corolla and get the keys. [ male announcer ] share your toyota story on facebook.com/toyota. [ female announcer ] only roc® retinol correxion deep wrinkle night cream is clinically proven to give 10 years back to the look of skin. diminishing the look of even deep wrinkles. 10 years? i'll take that! [ female announcer ] roc® we keep our promises.

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simple life lessons for your teens and 20s. >> we all still feel like we're still there. >> you really identified a lot of your childhood with this book. >> right, right, because i think

that i understand what they're going through, i know what it feels like to not think you're all that. it's too bad that they don't understand that they are that. >> when you get older, you'll see what we're talking about. when you look back at those years, you're going to say what's wrong with me? my hair was actually okay. >> a lot of parents get a little afraid when you start talking about makeup. >> but with teens, it's not like i'm telling 3-year-olds to wear makeup, even though they like to play with it. but these guys makeup is different for their personality. >> the lovely sky. >> she's 11. >> she loves makeup. i'm sure she would wear red lipstick if i would let her. so all we did is add a little bit of sparkly purple. sheer colors. >> and it keeps it whimsical and fun. >> it's not like oh, my god, you look so much better afterwards. but it's fun.

she's absolutely beautiful. she's a doll. >> and you want to focus on the beauty inside and out. >> it's the clothes you wear, it's your hair, it's how good your grades are in school, it's part of a big picture. >> and our next beautiful model is leanna. she's a little older. >> yes. >> and you were able to do a little bit more experimenting with her. >> she loves color. and i was able to do a little more color first. >> let's look at a before picture. >> beautiful before. >> beautiful and fresh. >> and how old are you again? >> 14. >> so she's older than 12. two years are a big difference. she's very sophisticateded. she wanted the eyeliner, we just popped on a little bit of pinky lip color and gloss. >> i have on black eyeliner and i thought that was for grown women. >> i thought so before i started writing the book, but i realized

girls like eyeliner. so it's better to show them how to do it. and she's sophisticated at 14. >> and she's got a little blurb on here as well. >> we started with concealer. no foundation. >> she's not too young for foundation? >> you know what? it's heredity. she wouldn't be wearing it every day to school. >> chloe, who is -- how old are you, again? >> 12. >> and what bothers chloe is her eyebrows. so she did what many girls did, she tweezed them herself. >> is she too young to tweez? >> she did it herself. there are no rules about when. it would have been better for her and her mom if she would have said i want to see someone and her mom brought her to someone. >> look at the difference and it's not about doing, you know, a brow as i would on an adult, but it's just kind of filling it in so it looks like we haven't

touched them. >> i want to show her before picture. this is the oldest of our models. that's her before picture. >> this is the prom look, this is the dressed up look, that's why she's got sparkles, she's got shine. and for her, it's really fun, she did a little bit of the white sparkly under the eyes. and you can apply the shadows with her fingers. >> how old are you again? >> 15. >> this is not her school look, by the way. and if she closes her eyes--pretty in pink. >> you look great. and once again, the book is beauty rules. up next the amazing story of a chinese dancer who followed his passion to freedom in the u.s. right after this.

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michaele baryshnikov wasn't the only one to defect from his own country. lee sing sing also decided to leave his homeland behind to dance. he shares his story in his 2003 best selling memoir, "mao's last dancer" and in august, it became the basis for a film. >> what's wrong? >> my father work very hard, have $50 one year. and you spend $500 one day. why you do this? >> li, good morning to you. you are the real person that this movie is made about and you grew up the sixth of seven sons in a peasant family, often starving.

and it seemed as though a miracle at the age of 11 happened in your life. >> yes, it was a magical moment, really. i was discovered, how i was discovered to go to study ballet. ballet was absolutely nowhere near my life, we were starving, we were struggling from day to day and all of a sudden i was plucked from a peasant country life and says you're going to dance because you've got a good body and physical talent. >> and at first you actually hated ballet and then you met this teacher whose name was mr. shiou. he inspired you to not only love ballet, but to make you want to be one of the best that china had ever created. what did he say to you? what did he do? >> well, he was passionate about ballet and he empowered his passion for dance on to me. and if he challenged us to become the best we could possibly become in what we did. so on a daily basis, he

motivated us, challenged us, nurtured us and that was the turning point of my life. >> and then another turning point, another miracle. a man named ben stevenson from houston, he was the artistic director, he comes to china and he decides to take you back on a scholarship to learn. and you fell in love, not just with america. >> that's the best part, i fell in love with american culture, american people, and also i fell in love with this beautiful girl who it was my first love and it was amazing to have the freedom to love somebody, to follow your heart strings. >> and you realized when they wanted to send you back to china, that you couldn't go and so you -- it gets very dramatic in the movie, what happened to your life, how difficult it was for you to stay in america, not being able to see your parents, to see your life all of this from the age of 11, this critical time in your life.

on screen as we're now watching. how has that been for you? >> it was a struggle. there's no doubt about that. it was a hard struggle, but it's filled with passion and following my dreams and trying hardest to make my dreams come true and even though once i nearly lost my life at the chinese consulate when i was held against my will there. >> and nevertheless, you did persevere, the actor there, i think he does a fantastic job, his name is chi chow. >> he's actually the son of two of my former teachers from the beijing dance academy. >> how ironic. >> so bruce said do you have somebody to play you and he was the person, i said yes, i think he can dance like me, he also looks a bit like me too. >> well the movie is so inspiring, it is one of the best movies i have ever seen in my life.

it makes you laugh and it makes you cry. the detroit news apparently agrees with me because it has written, grace, passion win out in "mao's last dancer." >> i'm so pleased the american people embrace this film. we have such a wonderful success at the american box office and the people resonated with my story, which i couldn't be happier. >> well, good, i hope that you continue to enjoy that great success. i know you're a motivational speaker now and as people see this movie, they'll see where you got it all. thank you so much for being with us this morning. and the film is called "mao's last dancer."

good morning on "today's" kitchen, always a challenge trying to get kids to eat something healthy, but of course, kids love sweets, so hot chef kathy mccord, author of the website nutritious recipes for kids. >> your typical rice crispy treats. >> these are brown rice crispy treats. we have got some brown sugar. you heat this for two minutes and then you're going to pour it. >> so it gets rid of the marsh mellows, we're trying to get protein and carbohydrate, healthy treats for kids from day one. instead of getting weighed down by the marsh mellows, they're going to get energized. >> sun flower butter, a lot of schools are nut free.

so sun flower is a great alternative. >> if you'll act as the part of my son "today.. today. >> so easy a 4-year-old could do it. >> once it's totally combined into a lightly crease -- greased pan. >> you pat it down, this way you don't get peanut butter all over your couch. >> and then you let it cool and you cut it into these squares. >> you can do squares or balls, because kids like texture. >> those are great. >> home made graham crackers. >> for the mom that's scared of cooking, this is graham cracker home made dough, you make it in a food processor, get everything dumped in. >> and then you slam them on there. how long do you bake those for? >> you can bake them for about 15 to 20 minutes. i like to cook them on a pad so

the bottom doesn't brown. >> these are brownies? >> i like to make them with agave and honey. by the way, eat the dough because there's no eggs. you've got all kinds of healthy sweet streets, the kids will enjoy, hopefully mom and dad will enjoy. >> coming up.

twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. good morning, everyone. it is 9:56. i'm scott mcgrew. mcinouye, they are changing the

prices on the bay bridge. >> they are looking to need more ones. it will be cheaper at 10:00 a.m. when they change the sign. congestion pricing is over there. a light volume is building up here. there could be another burst for cheaper prices at 10:00. then the folks heading into the city will get really congested. no problems right here, but getting to the oakland airport, use 98 to get to the airport because airport drive is where we have a big accident. a deadly accident involving a motorcycle that's been going on all morning long. 98 to the airport is how you go. a lot of people will be trying to escape the heat. we are going to heat up the next couple of days. it was very beautiful this morning, but we are looking at forecast highs to reach the triple digits. that's a look at the seven-day forecast. the high is 87. by monday up to 97. also, air quality won't be all that good this week. if you have outdoor activities planned, take it easy out there using an spf and drinking water. a community will come

together to mourn the loss of a family killed in their home during the san bruno pipeline explosion. greg bullis, his mother lavonne and his son william are among seven people killed when the flames ripped through their neighborhood two weeks ago. the memorial will start at 4:00 this afternoon at the first presbyterian church of burlingame. meantime, they are spraying homes with water to prevent the potential damaging chemicals from getting into the air. >> it is difficult. it is two weeks after the event, and now we are going in and removing their home from them. but for the most part, they have been positive and they've been thankful that this county program is taking off. they have enough to worry about right now. >> cleanup is expected to last through the end of the month. more local news in a half hour. the "today" show returns in about a minute. brown and oakland's schools.

what were the facts? fact: march 7, 2000. brown asks voters for new mayoral power to appoint school board members. he gets it, and promises better schools. but the drop out rate increases...50%. the school budget goes into a 100 million dollar deficit.

the schools become so bad...the state has to take them over. it was "largely a bust," he admitted. jerry brown. failure as governor. failure as mayor. failure we can't afford now. from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, everybody. it is dry day, friday to you, september 24th. we have a special guest with us here today. real housewife of d.c. star michaele salahi. welcome to the show. >> thank you for having me. this is so fun. >> you had a big show last night, right? >> very big. >> a lot of drama. >> a lot of drama. >> it was entertaining. we talked about everything, the

five women. >> do you pour a little wine, sit back and watch yourselves every week? what do you do? >> we get the clip two days before. >> you get it in advance. >> we take it all in and last night we went to lapome and had a viewing party. >> you decide if you like it and then invite friends. >> is it as close to what really happens? i mean, because we see obviously there is an edited version we get to see. from what you experience, is this close to what the real deal is? >> yeah. it is a lot of fun. it is. the redskins, that was a blast. some of the things you hear with the different wives, it is. they capture it. >> everywhere you go, crisis follows you. why is that? just the whole thing with the -- with the redskinettes, whatever they're called, they said you were never a cheerleader for the redskins. >> i had cheered with them, paid dues for the last seven years, and they said, you know,

michaele, to be honest, i was '80s and they put mae as '91 because i didn't want my age to be known. so ethe redskins actually asked me to cheer and do the alumni. >> why does this keep happening? controversy after controversy. >> there are tons of housewives and everyone seems to -- when it comes to you, it is all the housewives say she's x, y and z. >> right. >> there was a lot of tension on the sofa when you were here with the others. >> they think i'm anorexic, i'm not. i disclosed that. i have multiple sclerosis. >> which you just disclosed. >> which i did to get a jump on the media. i felt if i can help one person, you know, that has a mess like my mom carried me through, then i've done the right thing. >> you discovered it when you were 28, right? >> right. in 1993.

>> i diabedn't realize this boos already out. it is called "cirque du salahi." >> the media spun it. it continues to spin. it is ten months later. >> this is quite a sympathetic look at your lives. after everything you've been through, it must be like finally somebody is being nice to you, in a sense. what has your year been like in terms of the -- i didn't -- it has been less than a year since the infamous white house experience. >> right. >> it was in november of 2009. >> yeah, it certainly has been an adjustment. i've had to learn to get tough skin. i'm a sensitive person. so i've learned to get strong and not -- you have to remember who you are. >> one of the complaints against you that i've heard repeatedly is they are cashing in on what they did. and one of the things, i mean, here is a -- >> yeah. >> a barbie doll. there are people who say you're making money off of this deal. >> not a dollar off of this and not a dollar.

this is -- >> you had no editorial control over this. >> no editorial control. >> selling autographs on ebay and all that, that's not you? >> that's not for a dollar for us. >> you're not making any money off of this? >> if you see anything on ebay, i think ms there is a society and a pr firm is doing something where you can purchase our signature and it goes to ms. not a dollar to us personally. >> you've got to be asking yourself, has it been worth it? what did you want to accomplish by doing the housewives show and are you sorry in a way now that you even subjected yourself to all of it? >> you know, i'm not still. >> you're not still? >> i love the real housewives. i think even if you admit it or not, everybody is watching it. and it is such a franchise. andy cohen, what he's built, and it highlights women, it highlights the nation's capital, and -- >> it is not getting the ratings that the other ones are, right? are you disappointed in that. >> it did in d.c. i think people are trying to

think we're sort of boring in d.c. >> you're not boring. >> a lot of things, but i don't think anybody is calling you boring. >> right. well, kathie and i went to an event last night we want to talk about a little bit. >> yesterday afternoon. >> yesterday afternoon. it was all the nbc execs, all the -- a lot of the nbc morning talent. >> rooftop garden thing, gorgeous. >> then there was a woman named allison ghost. >> she's head of all of pr. >> she's pretty, adorable. >> she's beautiful. >> here is what she said to us, she watches our show, but she watches it on -- >> every day. >> but on mute. we know that we're on mute right now. so we would like to hold this up for allison. >> there you go, allison. ♪ word up >> she's going ahh in her office. we don't appreciate you muting us, all right? >> does she really? >> she does. we wonder if a lot of people

mute us. we certainly hope not. >> nielsen doesn't care. the other day, i told the story of something that happened to me with the beautiful actress victoria principal. do we have that? she kathie, you have a beautiful body, but you love cheese, don't you? >> what did that mean? >> i went, yes. you know, most women have a little problem with dairy, you know. and if you just stop eating cheese, that will go away. >> that was -- >> and? >> i come home yesterday, you never know what you're going to get in the mail. you got to be careful. this box arrives beautifully, beautifully wrapped. i open it up, it is like suede, you could make a dress out of it, you could make a sari out of that. i open it up and it is a note and it says, dear kathie lee, you sound very sexy when you are hoarse, fondly victoria principal. >> what is in there? >> cheese.

the woman sent me cheese. >> i love her. i love her. >> i stopped dairy because it was making me lose my voice because of phlegm. you have a deeper voice too. i think that was the classiest thing in the world. so sexy. you got to love somebody that does that. and i guess she's, to our point here, you got to have a sense of humor about things or you're going to want to end it all. i bet there have been times when you wanted to end it all. >> right. that's crazy. >> tell us about those times. >> yeah, painful, you know? >> what was the lowest time, the lowest point for you? >> i think faiinally coming out the other day, saying i have ms. >> they're questioning that now too, i bet, aren't they? >> they are. two days later there were rumors i was getting fired and i quit and i thought just let me get through this one thing of having to come open with it. >> i think now people come out with illnesses or whatever and it is not -- no one looks down on someone who comes out -- >> there is no stigma to it.

>> why was it such a secret that you wanted to wait? >> because we're just getting there. i don't think that america before, just now we're getting better about it, but there was a stigma. i remember being in a job where people would get fired for less and they would be eased out. i had the fear of seeing other people go and thinking, i'll be the next to go. i kept it a secret and no matter if my hand, i couldn't feel them or they went numb, i thought no way i'm letting this secret out, you know. >> it makes you vulnerable. >> they say, she's sick and they have pity and all that. >> it is that time of the program where we bring on our travel secrets. i was so excited to find this

mini microsteamer. it is very affordable, from travel smart. it is so adorable. all of these are around the $20 price point. a mini electric toothbrush with a cover that comes that helps keep it sanitary. that's powdered mouthwash from super smile that you add water and rinse on the go. last but not least, if anything is going to get my to work out it a fit kit as cute as a clutch. everything is in there. >> what is it? >> it is a jump rope, resistance bands, all of it. >> you can put that in your luggage. what are we going to do with the other 25 seconds? >> i don't know. >> let's talk about bobbie's love life. how is michael? how is he? >> can i tell you something -- >> cody wanted me to ask. >> i did meet michael. >> cute? >> adorable. >> i bet. >> he's adorable. >> this is an exclusive for everyone at home. >> maybe we won't rush through now. >> isn't she gorgeous. lucky, lucky. >> i love you ladies.

all this information for everyone at home back to the travel stuff is on all day blog on todayshow.com. >> we got to you. >> where's sara? >> for the record, i met michael as well and i love him. >> a lot of love for michael. >> we have a fan picture here, sabrina from georgia posted on facebook, she ran into klg the other day, kathie lee, and she posted it and said she was so glad to meet you. >> i'm glad i didn't smack her around, like i usually do with children. she was adorable. they were outside on the plaza. thanks, sara. up next,et symeh s erstnex dows with two of "saturday night live's" biggest stars, hoda and me. we're back right after this. [ female announcer ] we're made to mix.

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so you think your kids are getting enough vegetables? yeah, maybe not. v8 v-fusion juice gives them a full serving of vegetables plus a full serving of fruit. but it just tastes like fruit. v8. what's your number? thanks. i got the idea from general mills big g cereals. they put a white check on the top of every box to let people know that their cereals have healthy whole grain,

and they're the right choice... (announcer) general mills makes getting whole grain an easy choice. just look for the white check. on monday, federal agents investigating the attempted times square bombing arrested pakistani borne u.s. citizen faisal shahzad, better known by his terrorist nickname, mohammad al cory feldman. >> oh, it does look like him.

that is seth meyers, anchor of "saturday night live's" "weekend updates," reports as the show's head writer. >> called the thinking man's comic. seth is here with a preview of what's to come in the new season. >> i'm thinking i shouldn't be here. >> what are you doing? >> you invited me, i think that's great. >> we had nothing to do with it. >> that's true. okay, gotcha. >> we wanted you to feel welcome. >> i feel very welcome. you're good at making me -- michaele salahi is not actually booked to be here today, she talked her way in. you guys are great. >> she did not crash the "today" show. >> no, she didn't. >> i'm sure you'll see that she did. >> no, i just did. >> yeah, yeah. >> i won't again. >> the new season is coming up. it is always such a thrill when you have new material, because whenever there is something that is big in the news and you -- it is like "snl" had so much fun with that. >> it is pulling teeth if there is nothing going on. that's when you pull out kathie lee and hoda. >> you're always going on. it is great to be here in person because you guys are slightly less insane than we make you

seem like. >> you're the head writer. do you -- you don't write this particular -- >> i do not write this particular sketch. i would be very proud to say it because i think it is really funny. >> they are funny. >> who is playing miss hoda this year. hoda is concerned about -- is it ke keenan? >> i promise it won't be keenan. although, that looks pretty good. i would have said no, but that's pretty good. you guys mocked it up. >> hoda is willing to play herself. >> excellent. that's great. >> usually you have some big star coming on to host, but you have amy, who is a big star, but a member of the family. >> she is a member of the family. for the season premiere there is nothing better. part of the show is teaching the host how to do it and she knows better than anyone. >> is she really stuck up now that she's a big nbc sitcom star? >> she is so stuck up. >> she looks like the type that

would forget where she came from. i could tell that about her. there is something pirickly abot her. >> what kind of hours do you have to put in? >> we stay late. as the week gets later, we're there later and later because we have to do the show at 11:30 on saturday, no way to push it. we'll be there until about 3:00 a.m. >> have you ever had in all these years, you've been doing it for ten, a night where every skit didn't work and you're stuck by the end of a friday night? that is like terror time. >> it is very -- there are times, i'll tell you the worst is when you think they're all going to work and you feel real confident on friday night and then on sunday morning, you're like, wow, we read that one wrong. >> you do a full rehearsal right before with the full -- with the family and friends. what does it feel like when there are some sketches that are at the bottom of the show that everyone loves and they get bumped up, what is it like when one of the favorite ones you fell in love with gets kicked to the curb. >> it is hard to argue that it is very funny when 300 people

are collectively saying no. >> do they vote afterwards? >> they vote with their silence. >> with their silence. >> yeah, yeah, the deafening silence. >> it is deafening. >> do you have nightmares about it? >> i do. >> anxiety nightmares. >> we talk about having stress dreams on "saturday night live." more often than not, it is you forget your lines. >> what about the crazy rock stars. we'll have vince neill coming on in a few minutes. they can be crazy. >> they are crazy. the nice thing about "saturday night live" and how long it has been on television, when people show up there, they understand what they're going to be asked to do. most people, i think, think it is an honer. >> even the crazy people are professional and get the job done. >> there are a fair amount of crazy people that work there as well. >> that was the point i was going to end on. >> not me. >> nice to meet you. >> it is great to meet you too. i want to talk to the people who write the sketch and explain that they're right on target. >> what? do you see us with a cocktail? >> no. >> i feel like you had me on early on purpose. >> okay, all righty.

we can expect more of the same. >> usually you have wine and then today you had cheese. >> we're mixing it up. >> nice to see you. all the best for the new season. >> you can catch the 36th season of "saturday night live" tomorrow night right here on nbc. up next, sex, drugs and rock and roll. we're not talking about hoda's weekend. if anybody can talk about it, it is motley crue's vince neil. this guy is legendary. ♪ one bag is all you need. get glad forceflex, the bag that stretches to prevent rips and tears. ♪ she washes the trash before it goes into the trash. ♪ don't give trash the special treatment. get glad forceflex, the bag that stretches to prevent rips and tears.

and these are the ones you'll love on a tuesday. pillsbury crescent dogs, with just a few ingredients, you have an easy to make dinner. they're crescents for the other 364. try them tonight. hey, you guys. want to try activia's great new taste? isn't this the yogurt that, you know... helps regulate your digestive system. trust me. it is beyond tasty. mmm. this is really good! new best tasting activia ever! ♪ activia

he's the one you call dr. feelgood ♪ after three decades fronting the hard rock band motley crue, vince neil is finally ready to tell his side of the story. what a story it is. >> no kidding. from booze and babes to drugs and death, vince's new book "tattoos & tequila" is a really

revealing tell-all. >> it is. i read most of this book and you're very normal acting, doesn't seem like it affected your brain too desperately, all the drugs and the craziness. why do you think you're the chosen one, you're one of the lucky ones that is still here? >> it was crazy. with the alcohol and the drugs and, you know, it was very suicidal for a long time when my daughter passed away. >> cancer. >> i could have went anywhere, car wrecks, you know, it would have -- it could have done me in. >> why did you decide to put it all out there now? >> well, you know, i haven't really had a voice, you know, in a long time. there is a lot of misconceptions i think about me and the only thing that anybody has really ever read about me was in the dirt, which is a book put out about ten years ago. >> you really didn't say much in that, did you? >> no, i touched on subjects, me growing up and when my daughter passed away and tragedies and things, but i didn't really get into details. this is what i really wanted to

get the things out there. >> the other guys from the band did not participate in this book, except one. >> nicky did. >> why did the other guys not want to be part of it? >> i don't know. >> you don't see them obviously very much, right? >> we don't live in the same state. i live in las vegas and they live in l.a. >> we hear talk about everybody getting back together again. you don't see that happening. >> we have been on tour. >> yeah, but i mean again, now. after this book? >> yeah, we actually have -- i'm going to see them on sunday, i believe rehearse with them, we have a show in mobile, alabama, on the 1st. we have been on tour, with crue fest in '08 and last year was crue fest 2 and then 30 year anniversary concerts, crue fest 3 next year. >> tell us about the beef with sharon osborne. what do you see when you see her on "america's got talent"? >> what i wrote in the book, the only thing i've dealt with her

in 1984, that was 26 years ago. >> you were on the road with ozzy. >> and she wasn't very nice to us. >> because you guys were bad boys and she was trying to protect her husband, right? >> well, you know, we were never really on the road yet. that was our first concert, our first tour. we weren't -- we were just bad guys in l.a. >> she banned everything, right? >> yeah. we called it the no fun tour. so through the eyes of me at 23 for the first time really on the road, i didn't like her. >> why go on the road if you can't have the babes, can't have the -- >> why slam her now? that was so many years ago, like who cares? >> i was telling the story about our first tour. and i think she took it really too personally. because it was just my impression of her a long time ago. >> we want to thank you. it is really a riveting read. and i'm glad you cleaned up your act a little so you'll be on the earth a lot longer. >> thank you very much. [ male announcer ] grands! biscuits. now we're home. [ male announcer ] it's just not home without 'em.

and these are the ones you'll love on a tuesday. pillsbury crescent dogs, with just a few ingredients, you have an easy to make dinner. they're crescents for the other 364. try them tonight. they're crescents for the other 364. as a mom i believe books brighten a child's future. so join the sunnyd book spree. when your child's class collects 20 labels... they get 20 free books! go to sunnyd.com and help us make classrooms sunnier.

dannon light & fit gives hope. we are sisters, daughters, wives, mothers. and together, we can help fight breast cancer. go online, enter the code from your light & fit lid, and we'll make a 10 cent donation. give hope with every cup of light & fit. good morning, everybody. 10:26 right now. i'm brent cannon. one final check of the morning commute right now. >> and one last accident to report on northbound 101 getting into the city. it is a little slow near city street. and on industry street oracle is finishing up tonight, but we have the closure near the convention center. oktoberfest is starting tonight at 5:00. a lot of events that could congest all parts of the city just at the end of the bay bridge and the approach. if you are heading to oakland airport or making a getaway, use

98th avenue. there was an accident that happened there this morning at 7:00. the intersection there is still blocked. while people are trying to get away from all the heat we are expecting, we are forecasting highs to reach the 90s inland. the coast and mountains will be cool. otherwise we'll continue to build the heat today through the weekend. and it looks like monday will be the hottest day. i'm forecasting temperatures to be near 97 degrees in san jose. many spots will see triple digits. imagine that.ndaric ourearound, less than a minute. ,

thousands of volunteers are expected to hit california beaches tomorrow for coastal cleanup day. the california coastal commission is sponsoring the event. it says that last year more than 80,000 volunteers picked up more than 1.3 million pounds of trash from beaches. and you can still participate this year. to find out how, go to nbcbayarea.com and search coastal cleanup. if you are looking for a way to celebrate, go to oktoberfest. it starts at 5:00 today at pier 48 in san francisco. it features good german food, music and beer. that runs through sunday. a first of its kind in the bay area. an unusual car showroom opens in oakland today. the nearly 11,000-square-foot facility features solely hybrid and eco-friendly cars.

like the honda civic and the brand new sport hybrid will be on display at the honda of oakland. there was a ribbon cutting ceremony last night and the showroom opens to the public today. thank you for joining us. have a great weekend. see you back h monda we're back on this friday, with the "ambush makeovers" and the final results. >> today"today's" louis licari jill martin have been hard at work. time for the curtain to rise. it is a beautiful day. >> easy day. so many women to pick from. the problem was there were so many women to pick from, we didn't know who to pick, but we found two great makeovers. >> one of them is miss sue

gordon, 50 years old from indianapolis, indiana. she's been married to her husband greg for 18 years and they have two kids together. she's never colored her hair before and she's been growing her hair out for one year. so she jumped at the opportunity for a brand-new look. let's take a listen to her story. >> i love this. sue came all the way from indianapolis just to get this. so why is this so important to you? >> well, i really need a more professional look. >> and you told me you just turned 50. >> i did. and so i just -- i need to just get this -- i want to donate my hair. >> so nice. >> and so i want a more professional cut and look. >> okay. and i know your husband greg, you said, will be very excited about this. >> he will. it is going to be a new woman coming home. >> greg, we'll take care of you. you ready to go? >> i am. >> all right. she's still talking. so sue is joined by her two friends, sharyl and julie who have their blindfolds on. keep your blindfolds on.

all right, here is sue before. all right, sue, let's see the new you. all righty, ready? are you ready, sharyl and julie? take off your blindfolds. >> oh, my gosh! >> she looks great. >> you're a professional woman. >> are you ready to see yourself? >> i am. >> sue, turn around. >> oh, my gosh! >> i think she likes it. look at the shine on her hair, hoda. >> look at the split screen. louis, tell us about the hair. >> at 50, it is time to lighten and brighten. that's what we did here. and i -- if you notice i painted a few highlights around the face. she has a great bob. she blew it dry. she can wear it straight, she

can wear it anyway you want. it is so easy to do and the shimmer of lipstick, which is the trend for this coming season. >> it is amazing. >> didn't we just do a survey the other day that said the sexiest men in the whole country are found in indianapolis? >> they are. >> greg, do you see me? >> she's donating her hair, by the way. >> that's awesome. and that outfit is very nice, very professional, jill. >> she wanted a professional look. there is jeans day. so people say how do you dress up jeans? this is a great blazer from talbots you can wear throughout the fall and winter. >> what do you think? >> oh, my gosh. she looks super. >> i love it. big round of applause for sue. go over to your friends. >> our second lady is rebecca chodis, married to dan for two and a half years and they have a

5-month-old, leah. since leah was born she hasn't had anymore any time to pamper herself because she's in pampers with the baby so her husband wanted someone to take care of her for a change. she's here with her husband and their gorgeous daughter leah. let's listen to their story. >> leah doesn't need a makeover but we found her in the crowd with mommy behind her. i know you want this for your wife. tell us why. >> we're here for a rehearsal dinner and a wedding this weekend. it works out perfectly and a little treat for rebecca doesn't go unnoticed either. >> she's a great mother and wife, i assume. >> amazing. >> we're going to give you three hours of pampering. are you ready for that? >> absolutely. >> dan has his blindfold on. look at the baby! she's got a little ralph lauren polo little shirt on. >> so cute. >> here is another look at rebecca before. and now let's bring out rebecca chodis!

>> wow. >> where are you going, darling? >> right here. hold on, hold on. >> take it off. >> wow! >> leah, what do you think of mommy? leah loves it. >> turn around. >> oh, my gosh. i've never had my hair colored before so -- >> you look like leah remini or something, just beautiful. >> gorgeous. >> going lighter isn't always the answer. with beautiful skin like this you want to show it off. the way to show it off is by adding darker hair. this is a semipermanent color, which is perfect for this time of her life when she's pregnant because it will gradually wear away. you won't have roots, you do it when you want to not because you have to. there is a soft angle around your face done by lena. she looks fantastic. could be worn curly or straight. >> look at dan. >> look at dan. >> he loves it. jill, i love her outfit. >> everything goes gorgeous with leah.

this is michael kors, a great way to wear animal print. do you like the skirt? she loves the michael kors skirt, available at macy's. this is the good way to dress up a button down, a fitted button down by talbots. >> a turtleneck as you get colder, darling. >> and gorgeous with that skirt. >> come out and join. >> a big round of applause. >> great job. r hoee.ut of your house.hat ous how are you getting to a happier place? running there? dancing there? flying there? how about eating soup to get there? delicious campbell's soups fill you with good nutrition, energy, farm-grown ingredients, and can help you keep a healthy weight. helping you get to a happier place. have a nice trip. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.

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all right, we're back with more of "today." if you just tuned in, "real housewives of d.c. store" michaele salahi is helping us out today. >> thank you. >> ever wish you had an expert to turn to do help you out of an awkward situation? well, you got it. >> you got it. >> ever thought you would love to have an expert -- >> i need them all the time. >> want to get away? phil gowanus writes "the social qs" column for "the new york tim times" and harriette cole is here. michaele, first awkward situation question. >> my boss fired me to give his mistress my job. should i tell his wife who is a good friend or should i let him hang himself to get caught on his own? >> okay, that sounds loaded with issues. >> hang on, hang on. this is how i see it. if you weren't going to tell the wife about the affair before you

got fired, then don't tell her after because you're not trying to help a friend, you're going for revenge. that's never a good thing. >> like you have never done that. >> i do it all the time. but the thing is, but the thing is i think if you want your job back, go talk to your boss' boss or someone who can help you. you're entitled to that. don't tell the poor wife. >> i doubt she'll get the job back anyway, however a lawsuit could happen. we're not talking about lawsuits now. i think that she should keep her mouth shut about it because unless she has proof, i mean, real proof, like private investigator proof, it is simply -- it is gossip. >> what's the up side? >> question numero dos. how to you manage a pathological liar at office? this person lies about everything, even when it does serve any purpose and just makes the team mad. we all know you're lying, hello. what do you do about something like that? >> i think in this instance the best thing you can do is document everything.

you can't prove that a liar is a liar often. even if the person is crazy lying all the time, let that person do what he or she is doing, write down, this is what i've done for my work, this is what is happening in the office, you can prove what the truth is. >> i like to disagree with harriette every once in a while. i think when people lie a lot, it is because they don't feel good about themselves. they don't think the truth is good enough or they don't think they're fashionable or enough or good enough. they're trying to make themselves feel better. maybe i get the vibe this lady wants to just like call this woman out. i think then you're going to get, like a real housewives scene but won't make anything prettier at the office. >> they're saying they all feel that way, philip. could they together go to the woman and say we all know you're doing this and it is not helping. could they do it in a nice way? >> like we really like you, we really like you the way you are, no need to exaggerate. >> maybe she needs a hug.

>> group hug. >> but you should still document the truth. >> question number three, you take it. >> i've got three. all right. i've got it. here we go. my daughter moved out and my brother moved in. brother doesn't pay rent like he used to or is supposed to. daughter got pregnant, moved back home with the boyfriend. now i want the brother to move out because we need the room, but he shows no signs of budging. help! >> what do you do when you've got a family member that won't get out. >> you've got to sit down and tell them what you want them to do. this is not leona helmsley running a hotel. she can't expect people to read her mind either. you got to say, loved having you, but my daughter needs to move back in. maybe this mother needs to set some boundaries for herself because it sounds like everyone is taking advantage of her. >> she needs to set the boundries before everybody moves in. boundaries, rules, and if you don't follow the rules, you get put out. if you need help getting the

person put out, you get help. >> kathie lee said the most important thing which is -- >> what? >> which is sometimes you've got to have that five seconds of awkwardness to make life so much better. >> you need house rules. >> so you can avoid it. >> after three days, people start to stink. isn't that the rule? >> up next, what's up, hoda woman? >> food that will heal your broken heart right after this. [ laughs ] . hold on a second... come on up here where your brothers sit. [ birds chirping ] wow! did i ever tell you what it was like growing up with four sisters? that sounds fun. yeah...fun for them! [ male announcer ] chevy traverse. a consumers digest best buy. with a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. it seats eight comfortably -- not that it always has to. it seats eight comfortably -- hey, you guys. want to try activia's great new taste?

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for your flu vaccine? a shot in the arm? or a spray in the nose? i pick my nose. i pick my nose. i pick my nose gracefully. flumist. it's the only flu vaccine that starts fighting the flu in the nose, where you usually catch it. in a study of kids 2 to 5 years of age, flumist cut the risk of getting the flu in half compared to the flu shot. i picked my nose. she said i could. flumist may not protect everyone. flumist is not for people allergic to eggs or other vaccine ingredients or for children and teens taking aspirin or products containing aspirin, or for anyone who's had life-threatening reactions to flu vaccines. health conditions including guillian-barré syndrome, a weakened immune system, diabetes, pregnancy, or heart, kidney, or lung disease may exclude you from getting flumist. your doctor will decide if flumist is right for you. common side effects include runny nose or nasal congestion, sore throat, and fever. talk to your doctor to find out if flumist is right for your family. and visit flumist.com. sure is nice to have a choice.

what were the facts? fact: march 7, 2000. brown asks voters for new mayoral power to appoint school board members. he gets it, and promises better schools. but the drop out rate increases...50%. the school budget goes into a 100 million dollar deficit. the schools become so bad...the state has to take them over. it was "largely a bust," he admitted. jerry brown. failure as governor. failure as mayor. failure we can't afford now. okay, you heard about a breakup meal. a makeup meal. the meal we're making today is a breakup meal, combining humor and recipes, cooking up a storm and three-inch cherry stilettos is you. >> nadia g. is in the house, host of the cooking channel's

"bitchin' kitchen," are we allowed to say it? >> i guess so. >> what are we whipping up here? >> kathie and hoda and michaele, we're cooking a breakup meal you want to leave them with a good taste in their mouth. it is important. >> why? >> it depends how big a jerk he's been. >> there is an old italian saying that goes revenge is a dish best served on youtube. you want to be nice. >> youtube. >> leave with a good taste in their mouth. >> how do we do that? >> first rule of a breakup meal, keep it friendly, nothing friendlier than a burger, nice, light salad, not giving them the wrong impression. >> how could you even bite into that thing? >> you just got to do it. >> hoda could do it. >> careful! >> for us mere mortals -- >> would you put that down? don't even. >> i'm just saying. >> the piece deresistance is the peanut butter fritters. >> you're going to an awful lot of trouble for a jerk.

>> we have dry ingredients, two ku cups of flour, baking soda and salt -- >> where are you from, by the way? >> montreal. my parents are from italy. so it is a bit of a english, french, you name it. here we have our wet ingredients, banana, peanut butter, one egg, some milk. want to help me out, kathie lee? you can mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. >> okay. >> and just keep going until it is all combined. >> okay. >> together, this is the combination right here? >> this is the stuff that is already done. what we're going to do is take a nice tablespoon of that. >> i think you can help. >> delicately spoon it into the oil. >> okay. >> we got 350 degree oil here. we're going to fry them for about four minutes. >> nadia, what kind of oil? >> canola, peanut oil, whatever can work at a high temperature. >> and maybe dump some more in there. >> this is like cooking because i've never cooked. >> this is cooking, exactly.

>> have you ever bitten into something like this? >> never. >> you and i, we're going to make the chocolate sauce. >> okay. we're making the chocolate sauce. >> we're making the chocolate sauce. we have half a cup of chocolate chunks. >> pay attention down here. she's making something. >> half a cup of dark chocolate. half a cup of heavy cream. >> okay. >> hoda, if you can stir this until it melts. this is the secret weapon in a breakup meal. i'll tell you why. chocolate produces happy chemical serotonin in the brain so it makes them more relaxed when you pull out that whole -- it is not me it's you talk. let's go to the fun part, back here. >> kathie, you're done. >> i can't. i've got a job to do. >> you're done. okay. here we got our fritters already made. >> look at these. >> look how gorgeous these look. >> i like this. >> we'll have fun with this. this is a breakup meal. if they haven't gotten the message yet, they're sure going to get it now because we're going to spell it out loud and clear with our chocolate sauce. >> that is just unkind, nadia g.

buh bye. >> this is how we roll. >> caio. >> that's fantastic. >> i'll try one of these. >> thank you very, very much. >> i still think it is weird, but you're adorable. absolutely. we'll be back with more of "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] as the ceo of hp,

carly fiorina laid off 30,000 workers. when you're talking about massive layoffs, which we did... perhaps the work needs to be done somewhere else. [ male announcer ] fiorina shipped jobs to china. and while californians lost their jobs, fiorina tripled her salary. bought a million dollar yacht. and five corporate jets. i'm proud of what i did at hp. [ male announcer ] carly fiorina. outsourcing jobs. out for herself. [ barbara boxer ] i'm barbara boxer and i approve this message.

we want to thank michaele for helping us out today. hope you had a good time. >> i had a blast. thank you. >> thanks, everybody. have an awesome weekend. >> we have phil collins next week, toby keith, rosy perez. >> and somebody is getting married here next week. >> who? >> you aren't. but we're working on it. anyway, have a great, great weekend, everybody. what are you and tariq doing this weekend? >> we're going to wine country,

getting it reopened and going shoe shopping. i hear you have the hottest shoes. >> are you posing for "playboy" or not? >> what should i do? i'm so excited about that. >> don't do it. don't do it. no, no. ♪ hello, hello baby i can't hear a thing ♪ >> somebody got the short end of that stick. >> i was 104 when i got married. >> look what you could have. >> the old oft person est perso "today" show besides willard scott. >> her breasts have morphed too into melons. >> is it cozy? >> still has the stache. >> do you like it? >> we're not sure. >> america, i love you, and i love the women of it. >> hot off the presses. >> how adorable? >> a million dollar quartet. she keeps going and going. why do we wear gloves every time you're here? >> you're good.

>> your happy hour, hoda, became a musical. ♪ wave your hands in the air like you don't care ♪ >> shakira. oh, my. just listen to my own. >> oh, my gosh! >> wow! >> leah, what do you think of mommy? [ female announcer ] this is a strawberry pop tart.

but this is warm, fresh-baked strawberry toaster strudel. [ music ] see the difference? pillsbury toaster strudel, the one kids want to eat. than ltening there'to our favorite songs. there's nothing we love more than listeng our favorite songs. but our favorite thing isating tono's pizza rolls. buour vorite thing eating tono's piz rolls. ♪ we're the kids in america oh,h ♪