that pushed us to refine, improve and, ultimately, develop the world's fastest production sedan. [ engine revving ] the cts-v, from cadillac. the new standard of the world. good morning. fever pitch. with just nine days until the midterm elections with the power in congress at stake, both sides on attack as the clock ticks down. we'll have the latest from the campaign trail. >> opening arguments -- nine years afterhaff disndra levy disappeared, the man charged goes on trial and the former congressman linked to her could be the star witness. >> and heart of gold. meet the 5-year-old boy who gave up his birthday cash to help other kids in need. it's a remarkable child with a grown-up less son for everyone

it's a remarkable child with a grown-up less son for everyone "today," october 24, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning and welcome to "today" on a sunday morning. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolfe. we're just a week away -- >> from halloween. >> what are we going to be? >> i have waited for four years at "today" for halloween to be on a sunday. now that i'm here i can be the annoying person not telling anyone. >> i have to say, it was with remarkable speed. normally it's weeks and weeks. this was easy. >> it's a good one. >> that's all we'll give you. we could go as politicians and we'd have company out there. how's this for a transition? busy day on the campaign trail. midterm elections a week away. the president feeling the heat,

trying to prevent what could be a seismic shift in power on capitol hill. we're talking strategy, momentum and the race to watch with david gregory. >> tonight is football night in america. it is the vikings versus the packers. all eyes on brett favre whose troubles continue off the field. he's in the middle of the growing sexting scandal, allegedly sending steamy voicemails and text messages to a jets host, also a playboy pinup. >> and celine dion, after years of public struggle to have a larger family, has a double dose of good news this morning. twin boys born this weekend. more coming up. >> and then a feline feat for the record books. this is stewie the cat from nevada. he's now in the guinness book of world records for being the longest cat on the planet at 4'0". he probably has no idea he holds the record.

>> she's having a heck of a time holding him. that's a long cat. lots to get to. we begin with closing the deal on the midterm elections. nine days away from elections with democrats at risk of losing control, president obama is trying to rally the base as campaigner-in-chief. mike viquera is at the white house for us. >> reporter: it's a brief rest for the president before going back out on the campaign trail. still trying to keep congress in democratic hands. another town, another crowd, another rally for the campaigner-in-chief. this time it's in minnesota. >> you said yes, we can. now in 2010, you have to say, yes, we can. >> reporter: it was a swing through five states. president obama trying to avert election day disaster for his party. the president hopes to light a fire under traditional democratic voters with rallies on college campuses. >> this is a trojan kind of

welcome right here! >> reporter: including 37,000 friday at usc and focusing on women's issues with a discussion in seattle on challenges they face in the economy. >> all along the way, mr. obama raised millions as he slammed republicans. >> they are clinging to the same worn out, tired, snake oil ideas that they were peddling before. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: big rallies or no, polls show republicans are set to make major gains. republicans including sarah palin rallied in saturday. >> that's right. you fire them. you fire pelosi and retire reid and their band of followers. >> reporter: senate candidate marco rubeo leads his race. >> i'm the only one running that would have voted against the stimulus package, running to

tackle the debt and save social security and will vote to repeal and replace obamacare. >> reporter: the president is still trying to hold back the republican wave. more travel in rhode island tomorrow and then to connecticut. he goes to chicago and a couple of other places over the course of the next nine days until november 2. jenna? >> he has a busy stretch. thanks. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press" good morning. >> good morning. >> president obama was campaigning yesterday. the president won minnesota in 2008 but the state hasn't seen a democratic governor in 20 years. what are dayton's chances here? >> this is an area where the president wants to have a real impact. he's going to states he did win where he has an impact on the traditional pillars of the democratic party coming out to

vote. he's trying to knock down the idea that change is a good thing, put more onus on republicans for being responsible for the condition of the country and that he's trying to make changes, but it's hard to come. at this point, he's got to try to rally the base. >> it keeps going. he was in nevada campaigning for senate majority leader harry reid in a race against sharron angle who called reid out of touch. that's the same argument made in 2004 against tom daschel. that was a demoralizing loss for the democrats. could it be a demoralizing loss here as well? >> no question. it's a smart reference point. you have that real anti-leadership sentiment going on. it affected daschel. if it affects reid it's a huge prize for the republicans. especially because they don't think it's as realistic to capture the senate as the house.

to knock off reid, sharron angle seemed like she was offering diminishing returns, but that race has something that's reared its head. in nevada, not only is he the majority leader, but the economy, the foreclosure crisis, the areravages are being felt i nevada. >> joe sestak is running against pat toomey. the republicans are concerned. should they be? >> yes. this is a state where the democratic tendencies are coming home. you've got more democrats engaged here who appear more interested in the race. sestak endorsed by the philadelphia enquirer and philadelphia matters. there is a reason the president is going there. in pennsylvania, the

southeastern part of the state, you get big turnout. 48% in southeastern pennsylvania. you get turnout commensurate with their size and the population and you can turn a race for the state. that's what the president and sestak are focused on. >> nine days to go. we'll see. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> time for a check of the morning's headlines with craig melvin from wrc at the news desk this morning. good morning. >> good morning to you. we start in haiti where aid groups are rushing medical supplies to rural areas to stop cholera from spreading. the death toll topped 200 saturday. nearly 2,700 others are infected. the disease could hit the capital where thousands are still living in tent camps. human remains were found in a park where an illinois student was thought to be heading last

week. authorities have classified the case as a death investigation and they are still pursuing leads in connection with her disappearance. meanwhile, two georgetown university students and another person were arrested saturday. officials found the suspected drug lab inside a college dorm at georgetown. the three face charges of possession of drug paraphernalia. police thought the lab was producing meth but later thought was to be creating a drug known as dmt. >> and fran crippen may have died of a heart attack. he said he was not feeling well. the waters were unusually warm there, in the mid 80s and several swimmers were treated for heat exhaustion. finally, celine dion has two more reasons for her heart to go on. she gave birth to twin boys at a

florida hospital. they are five weeks premature but are said to be doing fine. lester, jenna, back to you. >> we're happy for her. janice is here. we're happy for that. >> it's a nic day in the northeast with temperatures in the 60s to near 70 in new york city. it's stormy in other parts of the country. across the upper great lakes and back over the west, too, big storm systems, especially in the northwest with heavy rain from seattle to portland and into northern california. reno, nevada, up around the higher elevations of the sierra will see up to a foot of snow. that will spread east into the rockies. so around denver there will be heavy snow this afternoon and tonight. then another system will bring a risk of severe weather with isolated tornadoes through the mississippi river valley today. meanwhile, it remains pretty dry over florida. >> a good sunday morning to you. nothing dry about the bay area

today. a lot of rain, heavy at times, already coming through from petaluma to santa rosa, all the yellow you see is a very heavy downpour coming downs.t once ynt g et io the reds it's going to be heavy. t i cheas feor most of this sinrnmog.sa o n frinciscttgeg scattered showers. only light showers in livermo and hayward it will come in as we go through the morning hours. the heaviest this morning through the early afternoon. highs in the 60s. more rain through the middle of the week as well. now here's lester. >> janice, thanks. up next, the nine-year mystery surrounding chandra levy. now, the case is finally coming to trial. more on it after this. and when my symptoms came back i'd get this tightness in my chest. so i went back to my doctor again. we chose symbicort to help control my asthma symptoms all day and night. [ man ] symbicort improves my lung function, starting within 15 minutes. 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. symbicort contains formoterol.

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that advertise flights for 25,000 miles? but when you call... let me check. oh fudge, nothing without a big miles upcharge. it's either pay their miles upcharges or connect through mooseneck! [ freezing ] i can't feel my feet. we switched to the venture card from capital one -- so no more games. let's go see those grandkids. [ male announcer ] don't pay miles upcharges. don't play games. get the flight you want with the venture card at capitalone.com. [ loving it ] help! what's in your wallet? [ indistinct shouting ] ♪ another day ♪ another dollar ♪ daylight comes [ dogs barking ] ♪ i'm on my way ♪ another day ♪ another dollar ♪ working my whole life away

♪ another day ♪ another dollar no pills, no pain. how can you get pain relief without taking pills around the clock? try thermacare heatwraps, for all day relief without pills. i was surprised, thermacare worked all day. you feel the heat. and it relaxes and unlocks the muscle. you've got to try it. [ man ] thermacare, more effective for back pain than the maximum dose of acetaminophen, the medicine in tylenol. go to thermacare.com today for a $3 off coupon. thermacare. no pills. no pain. just relief. nine years after the disappearance of chandra levy captured the nation's attention, the man accused of murdering her will stand trial. opening arguments begin tomorrow. we'll talk about the case in a moment, but first a look back at the mystery. it was the summer of 2001, the

disappearance of the washington, d.c. intern captivated a nation. >> we really couldn't take our eyes off this case for many reasons. it had sex, the mistress, washington politics, a congressman. >> reporter: 24-year-old chandra levy vanished on may 1, 2001. when her parents hadn't heard from her in three days susan and robert levy called the police to report her missing. >> i think it's time for the truth to come out. that's all i can tell you. >> reporter: part of the truth, chandra levy's affair with congressman gary condit. as the investigation continued throughout the summer of 2001, police failed to develop significant leads. finally, a break. a year later a man walking his dog in washington's rock creek park discovered human remains. it was chandra levy. the case now officially a homicide. gary condit was questioned by police about his relationship with chandra.

though he was never a suspect and denied involvement, he eventually admitted to the affair. >> he never commented publically about whether or not there was an affair with chandra levy. but he clearly answered that question in detail with the police and with the fbi. >> reporter: congressman condit lost his bid for re-election, his political life over. >> it's a shakespearian tragedy what happened to this man. >> reporter: the tragic story of chandra levy's murder would languish in the cold case files for years. now it is back in the spotlight. last year, police charged ingmar guandique with her murder. guandique is serving time for assaulting two women not far from where chandra levy's remains are found. keith alexander is a court reporter for the washington post and has been covering the story. thanks for being with us. >> good morning. >> if i understand it, there is no dna in the case, they have a

suspect, there is no eyewitness. you have a suspect who passed a polygraph test. what makes them think they have the right guy? >> what makes them think they have the right guy is they have confessions from other inmates who shared a cell with ingmar guandique in california in a prison. they say guandique admitted to them that he raped and killed chandra levy during the spring of 2001. so prosecutors are really basing a lot of their case on that. also, remember, guandique had confessed to attacking two female joggers in rock creek park around the same time that chandra levy went missing. so prosecutors are saying, look, he did it before, he did it again and this is why we think he's our guy. >> this is probably not the strongest case -- as strong a case as they would like. was there some pressure to move forward despite some holes in the case?

>> exactly. this was truly a well documented, well publicized case. this was known around the country and around the world as a quintessential washington story. a young intern comes to washington, tries to make it in the big city. has an affair with a congressman who was 30 years older than she was. she turns up missing and, a year later, she turns up dead. so there is a lot of pressure. this is one of the most publicized cold cases that washington, d.c. has ever had. there was a lot of publicity. >> let's talk about the congressman. will he be a witness and how would he figure in the testimony? >> he was called as a witness. his name was mentioned as a possible witness. now, the prosecution has got to put gary condit on the stand so he can talk about, yes, i was initially viewed as a suspect, but the police and the prosecution eliminated him as a

suspect. also, don't forget, gary condit was one of the last people to talk to chandra levy. obviously the prosecutors are going to put him on the stand just so he can be dismissed in front of the jury as a potential suspect. >> that makes me wonder if the defense will try to throw him under the bus or muddy the waters as to who the true suspect may or may not be. >> it is believed chandra levy was not alone in her apartment when she went missing. they believe a man was in the apartment. now, the defense had to let the prosecution and the court know as to whether or not they were going to introduce a winfield defense meaning whether or not they would introduce a third person as a possible suspect. they have not done so. what that means is probably they are not going to necessarily say that condit was, indeed, the attacker, but they are going to mention other people who very well could have been involved in the case. >> keith, thanks for joining us.

we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> we'll take a break and be back with more. first, these messages. ] in the past, landing an airplane was complicated, with a series of stepped altitude changes. [ air traffic controller ] okay, 245, proceed to your next cleared altitude. [ sighs ] [ male announcer ] today, truecourse flight management systems from ge allow for fuel savings, lower emissions and less noise... ♪ ...making the old way of doing things... [ air traffic controller ] 245, you are cleared to land. [ male announcer ] ...seem less than graceful. ♪ [ male announcer ] ...seem less than graceful. ["stir it up" playing]

stir up a smile with hershey's syrup. insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and

expecting different results. insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for different results. i've built businesses. i've built a business. met the payroll. met a payroll. i enter this office beholden to no one except you. i will owe my office to no one but you. i don't owe anyone anything. i don't owe anyone anything. what's the worst that can happen? what's the worst thing that can happen? still to come on "today," brett favre faces off against his former team and fends off new sexting allegations. >> plus, on a lighter note, we're live with stewie, the longest cat in the world. you have to see this thing. first, these messages. i do a lot of different kinds of exercise, but basically, i'm a runner. last year. (oof). i had a bum knee that needed surgery. but it got complicated, because i had an old injury.

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"abolish the public schools." he even called our schools "insidious" and "socialism." as families struggle to raise their kids, to provide a good education, harmer bragged, "we can design a plan to dismantle them." david harmer is just too radical. we need jerry mcnerney. protecting local schools from devastating cuts. he's a moderate, endorsed by the stockton record, the independent, and our local teachers. i'm jerry mcnerney, and i approved this message.

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no wonder fiorina is endorsed by sarah palin. carly fiorina. just too extreme for california. [ boxer ] i'm barbara boxer and i approve this message. two things matter today, the giants win and it is going to be pouring down rain. we're looking at san jose this morning as you step outside it is a little warmer and chris told us that was going to happen. >> this is [ inaudible ] subtropical moisture. 60s, a little muggy. it's going to be heavy. >> how much? >> more than yesterday. you had the birthday party. a little wet for the kids. >> soggy. >> santa rosa, lots of heavy rain coming down, up into clover dale, le petaluma, down 101. while we're a little dry on the

peninsula and east side of the bay, light sprinkles, heavy rain yet to come. morgan hill, gilroy, some rain. this i the satellite. look at this all the way tthe center left side of your screen, the moisture you see thehite clouds, that's all coming at us. it's just like a host pointing at the bay area. it's tapped into the l at the top of your screen. this is the second storm, the most powerful storm of the two. yesterday was kind of getting things ready. two to five inches of rain for the north end of the bay. about an inch everywhere else. yesterday we had two inches in santa rosa, chris. this is through 9:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m. same story it's mostly south, out of here, by the time we get into the afternoon, 60s. more in the seven-day forecast. >> 3-2 pitch. got him looking and the giants win the pennant.

>> that was worth staying up late past my bed time. from underdog to unstoppable the giants shut down the phillys in a nail biter. they get a few days to celebrate, rest up, get ready and start the world series here at home on wednesday. if you're looking for tickets to game one. world series get ready to shell out some serious cash. stub hub says giants tickets have been the biggest seller over the past 24 hours. fans are snapping up tickets to the four world series games that could be played here in the bay area. standing room tickets are going for 00$5 to $500 be and then there are some of those boxes behind home plate listed at nearly $20,000 right now. who needs to send the kids to college, right? it is morning after the giants win and whether you want to nurse the hangover or keep the party going, some san francisco bars are opening up early either way. the bloody mary breakfast celebration is already under way near union square. it looks like the giants world series champions sign they put

up last week didn't jinx us after all. it is almost impossible to hail a taxi in the city on friday nights and during the world series, forget about it. so how about driving your own cab? san francisco municipal transportation agency is considering letting people purchase permits to drive cabs during peak hours. fans say it will provide more taxis without hurting business for existing drivers. cabbies disagree saying they won't make enough money to survive. the agency plans to hold a hearing to decide the issue once and for all. all the day's top news coming up for you at 7:00. more weather, more giants. we'll see you in a half hour.

we're back on this sunday october 24th, it is shaped up that's what we take over. a beautiful morning here with us outside the plaza. still to come this half hour, brett favre playing his old team today, the packers. >> it's going to be a wild game and a lot of folks with a different frame of mind. into some hot water over some messages he sent this morning. some new revelations showing the

quarterback exotic dancers. >> kung fighting. no one knows the words, even the guys that sang the song. it goes back to the 1600s. i got a chance to be trained by the first grand master. that is not a real sport, i would mention. >> i saw that clip. that's not real. yes, i'm that strong. >> i don't want children to try it. i'm going to have a little fun with keith coming up. >> during a tough economic time, people struggling. fewer are donating to charity, but a 5-year-old boy decided to give something very special, basically, his birthday. a great lesson for us. >> he's absolutely adorable. looks like the little boy from the tom cruz movie.

first, a feline to remember. there are 80 million cats in the u.s. and out of all of them, there's one named stuy that measures 48 inches from nose to tail. >> how long is 48 inches? >> turn around. how tall are you? you are about four feet tall. this is how long the cat is. >> and stuy's feat has landed him a place in the guinness book of world records and he joins us this morning with his owner, robin. hey, robin. you got a handful there. when did you realize stuy was longer than the average cat? >> probably about the 5

millionth time somebody said, wow. >> did you have him from when he was a kitten? did this just kind of happen? >> he was an average size maine coon kitten. there was actually no indication he was going to get this big. >> his head and tail are in two different time zones. he's a maine coon and they are typically big cats. is he a gentle giant? >> yes. very much so. >> hey, are you concerned at all that now that he's in the zbrin es world record book, are you afraid this is going to go to his head? when he travels, will be a first class kind of deal. >> he's already talking about tuna. yeah. >> the whole crowd goes, ahh.

he's five years old, may be growing more. thanks so much. he's a beautiful cat. he really is. >> thank you. >> thanks, robin. and now, let's get another check of the weather. >> there is a robin. my friend robin's here, on her way to american girl to work. hi, you guys, where you from? >> maine. >> excellent. we've got birthdays down here. who's 16? lydia's 14. happy birthday. >> thank you. >> and then the twins. 12 minutes apart. 12 years old. happy birthday to you. >> thank you. >> let's see what's going on. weave got tropical storm richard just south of cancun. 25 miles east of isla near honduras. it's going to be crossing over

belize tomorrow morning, then should weaken. it will be in the southern gulf later this week. hi, all right. good morning to you. happy birthday to anybody around the bay area. congratulations giants. look at the rain, r staanosa to petaluma, heavytat tiavs. noonly this morning, but through about 1:00 or 2:00, especially for the north end of the bay.hi we will all get some rain, but the heaviest amounts will be for the north end of the bay. we'll also have some winter storm warnings for the sierra. headed up there, be prepared, bring the chains, highs today into the mid 60s. a little muggier than yesterday. as we go through the week, more rain at the end of the week. in los angeles. before we go any further, we have to talk about football. tonight on nbc, it's football night in america. a big game tonight. i do believe the vikings will be visiting the packers. showers, mild temperatures in the 50s to near 60 degrees.

also, that's here on nbc tonight and anytime you want weather, just go to weather.com. here's lester. >> thanks. as you just mentioned, there's a match-up tonight that fans have been waiting for. the vikings heading to green bay will favre will face his old team. it comes amid new allegations and favrened and a growing scan. >> reporter: since coming out of retirement, the celebrated quarterback has faced just as much if not more adversity off the field. all stemming from allegations that the former super bowl champ and three-time nfl mvp sent lewd text messages to a number of women. >> as a father, a grandfather, a very solid guy that representing the nfl brand. >> going back to the hotel.

just chill. send me a text because i'll be in for a couple of hours. >> reporter: it says favre while playing for the jets, left a series of voice mails for the sideline reporter, a one-time maxim magazine and playboy pin-up. nbc could not verify and the nfl says it is still investigating. >> if that's true, he's got to throw himself at the mercy of the public, nfl fans, of women across this country, his wife. >> reporter: now, radar online has released this video in a bar, drunk and spewing obscenities. favre's wife, who has battled breast cancer, spoke to abc news last week. >> i'm a woman of faith and that has gotten me through struggles.

>> favre has refused to comment, saying instead, he's focused on tonight's game with his former team. >> once again, that's a league issue and i'll say it again, my focus is solely on green bay. >> reporter: for "today," kevin tibbles. >> you can watch that tonight here on nbc. up next, boy wonder. a 5-year-old's remarkable act of kindness. right after these messages. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] every day thousands of people are switching from tylenol® to advil. to learn more and get your special offer, go to takeadvil.com.

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crowd puts $10,000 cash in the collection box and left without a trace? a donation to the new $300 million 9/11 memorial set to up next year. >> i'd love to say thank you to the person and it's a shot in the arm to everyone working on this. >> reporter: it's also a boost because fund raising has been tough pause the economy. fortunately, there are people trying to help. stephanie and shahmari tillman know a lot about receiving and giving. they own a graphics design business in kansas city, but just a few years ago, they hit hard times and had to move to a salvation army homeless shelter. >> it was the realizization that oh, my god, this is how we're starting our life. >> it was embarrassing. >> reporter: slowly, over the years, they got their life back

on track and never forgot the people who helped. last month, they planned to give $25,000 to the salvation army over the next 25 years. >> i think we'll forever be loyal to them. >> reporter: he felt that urge to give as he was about to celebrate his fifth birthday party. no gifts, he told his friends. he raised $288. several acts of kindness during tough times. one anonymous, one from a grateful family and one from a small boy whose gift they said seemed as big as any other. for today, ron allen, nbc news, new york. >> and that young boy and his father join us from ronald mcdonald house where they're volunteering this morning, along with the executive director there. good morning.

craig, let me start with you. i'm curious how this came about. i understand that you and mel were volunteering and your son asked you if he could donate his old toys to the people there. why did he want to do that? >> i think he can answer that pretty well. he is a strong supporter of the community and we've been volunteering at the ronald mcdonald house through our rockville temple and we thought it would be great to continue that. it was his idea. >> why did you want to do this? what did you tell people when they said, hey, what do you want for your birthday? >> i told them to make a small donation to the ronald mcdonald house. >> why did you want to do that? instead of birthday presents. why did you want to do that? >> how did it come about?

how did you get the idea? >> where did you get the idea from? >> when i was visiting the ronald mcdonald house in the spring. >> you did. craig, what is it like as a father to see your son so generous at such a young age and to be able to have such a big heart? it must make you so proud as a dad, does it not? >> yeah, of course it does. it's our job as parents to instill some of our beliefs and foundations on our children and this is something we believe strongly in, so i thought it was important to have him be a strong supporter of his community. it's something that -- something that he's embraced wholeheartedly. makes his family happy. >> and jennifer, you get volunteers all the time that make donations big and small,

but what does this mean to you in your organization? >> we were just thrilled. it's pretty amazing to see a little boy willing to give up presents for himself in order to help other people. he knows what it's like to have illness in the family and how that impacts everyone and he just reached out to help others and we were just thrilled that he chose to make a gift to ronald mcdonald house. >> this is what you did for your fifth birthday. do you know what you want to ask for your sixth birthday? >> to donate to the ronald mcdonald house. >> you want them to do the same thing. well, that's great. you made $288, which is f fantast fantastic. you did a great thing. >> thank you. >> thanks. >> and craig and jen approve on a thank you as well. wonderful story. still to come, if you're looking for a great fall book, we've got just a read for you.

and shop. there's that song again. it will now be in our heads the rest of the day. but first, these messages. here'. first these messages. 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. did you know up to 50% of new cavities form between teeth, in places you can't even see? aquafresh iso-active whitening is a breakthrough gel that transforms into an active foam. its active fluoride formula penetrates deep, surrounding and protecting the whole tooth against cavities -- front, back and in-between. for strong, healthy teeth for a lifetime,

try triple protection iso-active whitening from aquafresh. amazing. from aquafresh. as an unhappy choice between a longtime politician with no plan for the future and a billionaire with no government experience. well, let me tell you my story. my husband and i came here as newlyweds. we raised our family here and the california dream came true for me in ways i could never have imagined. now i'm running for governor to restore the california dream for everyone. i'm not a career politician or a hollywood star. i'm from silicon valley, where i created thousands of jobs at ebay. as governor, i'll do something that's been missing from california politics for far too long.

i'll treat you like grownups, tell it to you straight, and offer a practical plan forward. these are scary times and i know that cleaning up sacramento won't be easy. our problems are tough, but so am i. if you want more of the same from sacramento, then vote for my opponent. but if you want to get california moving again, i'm ready. are you? whether you're inside keeping warm for the cooler weather or in need of a page-turner for your next trip, there are plenty of good picks. here is some of his favorite picks for fall. john searels, book critic and author. welcome. your middle name is lester. >> yeah. >> a little trivia. you have an eclectic mix of books here. the first is "room." the description, it sounds disturbing. >> it is. i have been carrying it around

for the last few days and never before have so many stopped me to say, i can't believe you're reading that book. in the way "the color purple" is all about the voice, this is all about the shocking, absorbing voice. it's told from the point of view of a 5-year-old boy and we realize he and his mother are held captive in a room. it is a weird voice and unusual set-up. gripping, absorbing. >> you can't put it down. the next one, "crooked letter." mississippi. >> they say it is a southern thing. but it's how i was taught to spell mississippi, m-i-crooked letter-crooked letter -- et cetera. it's a blend of great writing and great suspense. sort of my favorite combo of things in a book. it opens with a missing girl, a

murder and it gets juicier from there. lots of twists and turns and surprises. it's a barnes & noble pick for october and an independent book sellers pick. getting tons of attention now. >> stephen king has a collection called "full dark, no stars". >> with a prolific writer there are so many books you don't know if it is a standout book. this is hands-down, a standout book. it's very dark. the opening one is about a farmer who murders his wife and convinces his teenage son to help cover up the crime. it's pretty dark. >> okay. the next book is about a story we didn't know was going on until it was over. it involved the kidnapping of david rohde, a reporter. it's called "a rope and a prayer". >> his wife was the photographer at cosmopolitan where i worked for years. they tell it from her view at home and what happened to him when he was kidnapped and his

daring escape. >> he was kidnapped in afghanistan. >> yes, by the taliban. it's a gripping read. sort of an unusual way to tell the story. >> the next book -- >> we're lightening up a bit. >> just the cover makes me smile. it's called "you had me at woof". >> how dogs taught me the secret of happiness. perfect for any animal lover. i found this writer on twitter. she's really funny. it's a story about getting a dog turned into something enchanting. she fell in love with this dog. she said, i wish he were a man but with eyes that looked straight ahead and less gas. it's a very funny read. >> you have a humor essay? >> "half empty," it's a very smart, witty, sarcastic read. by david sarkoff. one of my favorite essays in here, he worked for a

best-selling writer who didn't treat him kindly. it's like "the devil wears prada" and that sort of thing. >> a fantasy book for young adults? >> "the lost hero." i'm not a big fantasy reader but this is getting buzz and it's good for young adults. three kids, one wakes up on a field trip. doesn't know how he got there. a girl with a famous father who goes missing and a boy who sees ghosts. there is a lot going on there. i think teens will love it. >> the next book you don't have because there is a book, a video and it's george bush's book, decision points. >> he said instead of telling a chronological story of his life, he picked his decisions. all the many big decisions he had to make, what changed our country. >> 9/11 and the wars will all be in there? >> yes. there is a mix of personal and political stuff.

i haven't seen it yet. they are not showing anyone. but it's out in a week and is obviously going to be one of the biggest books of the fall. >> thank you very much. here's jenna. >> all right, lester, thanks. my only insight into the ancient art of kung fu was watching chuck norris films -- and not many of them. i thought it was about time to get a lesson for a master. please don't try this at home. >> reporter: as you span the history of sports, there is one that goes back -- way back -- and not just through the decades but through the centuries. kung-fu. if you thought every master lives in china, you'd be wrong. meet keith maza. >> nobody just throws one, nobody. >> reporter: a born and raised new yorker, 100% italian and set to become the first american ever named grandmaster of the wing chung style of kung fu. is the grandmaster in charge of the entire practice? >> yes.

there is one chief and a bunch of idiots. >> reporter: keith grew up in chinatown and started learning at age 5. 27 years ago he began training with the current grandmaster william chung. you may have heard of one of his other students -- bruce lee. so you taught me a move and i would be being taught by the person who was taught by the person who taught bruce lee? >> right. >> reporter: all the money, talent and skill in the movies, why were they so poorly dubbed? >> i know. the dubbing is terrible. ha, ha, ha. >> yes. just awful, ha, ha, ha. >> do you do it at night. >> most of the time i do it in the afternoon. >> so does everybody wang chung tonight? >> excuse me? >> sounded good for me. time for anchor to become grasshopper. >> put it down. >> really?

i don't want to hit you. your face is beautiful. >> oh, stop. high rack, low rack. >> did i hurt you? >> yeah. i'm going home now. >> so this looks exactly like a person. >> good training partner. never talks back. never talks too much. >> okay. lock, cut. >> reporter: it's a very stressful practice. i don't generally walk down the street with two large steak knives. >> but you do have a magazine. >> hey, what you got? >> nothing. hold on a second. now, what do you got? i'm ready. ♪ you're the best around >> what's up? >> same to you. >> sweep the leg. >> reporter: and sweep the front hallway. it's really dusty over there, so just when you get a chance. >> push!

[ grunting ] >> reporter: this is going to snap back up and kill me. >> no! you did awesome. >> reporter: thank you. i appreciate it. >> put your hands out. we bow. >> reporter: what is that? oh, that's english. we had a great time. >> you brought some weapons. >> these are plastic. >> no, no, no. >> this is the real weapon, "food & wine" magazine. you never want to play with knives but a magazine is just as dangerous -- or self-defensing as that. >> self-defensing? ♪ >> everybody's kung fu fighting. we'll be back.

you know it's bad when the press asks if you'd take a lie detector test. meg whitman didn't tell the truth about not voting or about how long she lived in california. she got caught in insider deals at goldman sachs. she changed her story about physically abusing an employee. she campaigned as tough as nails on immigration knowing her housekeeper of 9 years was undocumented. her tv ads have been condemned as false and misleading. and even her hometown newspaper said meg whitman has demonstrated "a loose relationship with the truth" "abolish the public schools." he even called our schools "insidious" and "socialism." as families struggle to raise their kids, to provide a good education, harmer bragged, "we can design a plan to dismantle them." david harmer is just too radical. we need jerry mcnerney. protecting local schools from devastating cuts. he's a moderate, endorsed by the stockton record, the independent,

and our local teachers. i'm jerry mcnerney, and i approved this message. let's check in with david gregory to see what's coming up on "meet the press." david? >> good morning, lester. with only nine days before the midterm elections are voters preparing to send a gop wave to washington and what role will the tea party play? with us the leader of the republican national committee michael steele. always outspoken, plus, our round table breaks down the biggest races. >> we'll see you shortly, david. >> that will do it for us. thank you so much. guess what next weekend is! >> halloween! >> halloween. come >> we'll be dressed in our down to the plaza. finest. come down and dress up in your finest. we're more than happy to see you here. >> come down! >> have a great day. i'll see you later on nbc "nightly news." i'm among 30,000 employees who used to work for hp.

i was supposed to retire there. carly fiorina changed all that. [ cheri ] fiorina laid off 30,000 people. and she shipped our jobs to china. and india. i had to pack my bags and i was out the door that night. we even had to train our replacements. she didn't need 5 corporate jets. [ farrell ] one hundred million for herself. fiorina never cared about our jobs. not then and not now. [ boxer ] i'm barbara boxer and i approve this message. or hibachi chicken with all the trimmings! includes a salad and a fountain drink, all for an amazing $7.99!! that's sizzler!