♪ we're the kids in america oh,h ♪ use your shop your way rewards card at kmart today... ...for the chance to win 1 of 30 trips to universal orlando resort... ...and step into the magic and excitement... ...of the wizarding world of harry potter! there's smart, and there's kmart smart. good morning. breaking his silence. nearly two years after he left office, former president george w. bush finally speaks out in an exclusive interview. this morning, the argument that almost tore apart his relationship with dick cheney. he said, "i can't believe you're going to leave a soldier on the battlefield"? >> yeah, he did. blaming the victim. the husband of a utah woman who went missing nearly a year ago blasts her, enraging her family. and the long road to

recovery. lindsay lohan spotted out and about as she undergoes rehab at the betty ford clinic. will she get clean this time? her mother, dina, opens up in an exclusive live interview today, her mother, dina, opens up in an exclusive live interview today, monday, november 8th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer and we begin the program with applause for two of my new heroes, meredith and al completing the new york city marathon yesterday. way to go. >> thank you. >> way to go, you guys! >> thank you. >> how was it? >> it was fun. it was tough, especially about mile 15, that queensboro bridge, but it was inspirational. >> i got a big old blister on my

toe. >> i deserve it. >> look at that great photo. >> good for you. we are so proud of you. that's a major accomplishment. >> did you sleep in the medal -- or wear the medal. >> did you say, did i sleep in the middle? no. >> i didn't either. i thought about it. >> we'll have much more on meredith and al's huge accomplishment, and it is that, just in a little while. but coming up, he is one of the most controversial presidents ever, george w. bush. since leaving office, he has kept a very low profile, but now almost two years later, he's jumping back into the game, speaking exclusively to us. the hour-long prime-time special airs tonight, but this morning you'll hear the former president speak out about a heated confrontation with former vice president dick cheney and how his decision to stop drinking changed his life forever. then, if your little boy wanted to dress up like a little girl, would it be okay with you? this morning, we'll hear from a mom whose son wore a girl's costume for halloween.

her blog post "my son is gay," has caused quite an uproar on the internet. still ahead, some easy fixes that could make you a lot of money when you go about trying to sell your house. let us begin with a developing story overnight. president obama wrapping up his visit to india today as he takes a ten-day tour through asia. savannah guthrie is traveling with the president. savannah, good morning to you. >> reporter: meredith, good morning. this is the longest visit to a single foreign country since the president took office, signaling india's importance. and after those defeats in the midterm elections where unemployment was the key issue, the white house is working hard to show the business of this trip is jobs. on their third day in india, the president and first lady got the official welcome, a ceremonial arrival at the grand presidential palace in new delhi. getting down to business, the president met with prime minister manmohan singh, pressing india to lift trade restrictions, trying to pry open its markets to more american

goods, mindful of the audience watching from home worried about jobs outsourced to india, the president went out of his way to emphasize that deals between the u.s. and indian companies are creating american jobs. >> i want to be able to say to the american people when they ask me, well, why are you spending time with india, aren't they taking our jobs? i want to be able to say, actually, you know what, they just created 50,000 jobs. >> reporter: today the culmination of the president's visit, an address to india's parliament. the president's trip has been part public relations. the obamas have toured some of india's historic sites. the first lady doing a bit of shopping this morning at india's national craft museum. on sunday, the trip's enduring image, the first lady and after some prodding, the president, dancing with a group of indian students. >> ask my husband some tough questions -- >> reporter: but even here, the president's political woes followed him. an indian student asked about the midterms at a town hall.

>> it seems that american people are -- >> reporter: and in an interview aired last night on "60 minutes," taped before he left, the president says those who say he's lost his mojo may have a point. >> we were so busy and so focused on getting a bunch of stuff done that we stopped paying attention to the fact that, yeah, leadership isn't just legislation. >> reporter: from here the president heads to indonesia, where he spent several years of his childhood. it's a trip he's canceled twice before and there's an erupting volcano right now that white house officials are watching very closely. it's already led to some canceled flights, but for now, they say, the president's travel plans are in tact. meredith? >> savannah guthrie, thank you very much. it is 7:05 and now here's matt. >> meredith, thank you. now to our interview with president george w. bush, his first since leaving office. he talked extensively about his presidency as he gets set to release his new memoir,

"decision points," tomorrow. and he told me how his decision not to pardon a top white house aide almost cost him his friendship with vice president dick cheney. i think, president bush, you're going to get a lot of attention for a story you put in the book about the last portion of your presidency, when you had a decision to make concerning scooter libby. >> yes. >> he had been convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice and sentenced to 30 years in prison. you had a choice, could have done nothing, commuted his sentence, or issued a full pardon. and you thought long and hard about it. >> i did. scooter is a loyal american who worked for vice president cheney who got caught up in this valerie plame case and was indicted and convicted and i chose to commute his sentence. i felt he had paid enough of a penalty. >> critics immediately said, if you're loyal to bush, you don't have to go to prison. so it didn't come without a price. and yet vice president cheney wanted more? >> he did.

he wanted me to pardon him. and this is a decision that -- well, the last decision of the presidency, really. and i chose to let to jury verdict stand, after some serious deliberation, and the vice president was angry. >> yeah, when you went to him and you told him, you said he was furious, and you said, he said, "i can't believe you're going to leave a soldier on the battlefield." as your relationship ever covered from failing to give him a pardon? >> it has. i'm pleased to report, it has. >> you're friends today? >> we are friends today. and he gave a very gracious speech on the way out of town at andrews air force base, and yeah, we are friends. i've seen him since, talked to him. and i'm pleased to report, we are. i was a little concerned at one time, but it was a hard decision to make. but that's what you do when you're president. you make hard decisions. >> president bush also took me to the church where he married his wife, laura, and he talked about what he called the most important decision in his life, his decision to quit drinking years ago.

in the book, you say, you know, faith is a walk, it's a journey, toward greater understanding. you say, you can't prove that god exists, but that shouldn't be the standard of belief, because you also can't prove that god doesn't exist. what was it in your life that made you re-examine your own faith and take a deeper look at it? please, take a seat. >> um, i didn't like the person i was. i was drinking a lot. my parents did me a great favor. they planted the seed of faith, but i'd go to church so i wouldn't irritate my mother. >> president bush says his faith helped him quit drinking cold turkey, just after his 40th birthday. >> yeah, i'd have a beer -- the book starts out with laura saying, can you tell me a day in which you haven't had a drink, and when you drink too much, the answer is, yes, i can, and then i couldn't remember a day. i could easily have a beer or two or a martini before dinner,

bourbons, d&bs, i was a drinker. now, i wasn't a knee-walking with drunk. >> you were a habitual drinker as opposed to an alcoholic? >> yes. nevertheless, in either case, alcohol becomes central to your life and i finally woke up and realized that i did not want to live a life where alcohol was central. and i'm convinced, i really am convinced, had i not quit drinking, i wouldn't be sitting here as a former president, because i chronicle a few incident where is alcohol made my quick tongue not only quick, but caused me to be stupid. >> he'll actually share one of those stories during the interview. you can catch the entire interview with president bush tonight. it's a one-hour prime-time special, "decision points: a conversation with george w. bush." it airs at 8:00, 7:00 central time here on nbc. and he will be here live in our studio on wednesday morning. if you would like to submit a question to president bush, you can go to todayshow.com or also give it to us on twitter or facebook. >> looking forward to that. now, let's get the rest of

the morning's top stories from ann curry at the news desk. good morning to you. >> meredith and matt, good morning. good morning, everybody. and also in the news, qantas engineers have found oil leaks in the rolls royce engines on three different planes and it's ground bus airbus a-380 fleet. they're keeping the planes grounded for at least three more days as it investigates the cause of last week's engine blowout on an a-380 in midair. the river at the heart of haiti's waterborne cholera outbreak is threatening to overflow its banks today. swollen from hurricane tomas, the contaminated river could seep through the crowded tent camps where more than 1 million haitians have been displaced since a massive january earthquake. two power plants on the east coast have been shut down following near simultaneous but unrelated incidents. a transformer explosion triggered a fire at indian point just north of new york city. and a radioactive water leak has closed vermont's only nuclear power plant until the reactor can clues.

msnbc says keith olbermann can return to his anchor chair after suspending him without pay on friday for donating to the campaigns of three democratic candidates. nbc prohibits employees from making political donations unless an exception is granted in advance. president obama is working to encourage overseas trade in india ahead of the g-20 summit. we've got erin burnett at the new york stock exchange with more on this. >> there was a big rally around the world last week. india to the u.s. the market a little bit hung over this morning. but the reason for the rally, 3% for the dow or 325 points was ben bernanke's decision to flood the american system with about $600 billion. his big gamble is that doing that will bring mortgage rates down and that will provide more of a benefit to americans than the costs that come with the policy, which include rising prices for food and oil, which, ann, this morning is near $87 a barrel, going up to $90. back to you. >> erin burnett, thanks so much. and finally, now, prices are

taking off for airline travelers this holiday season. airfares are up nearly 60% for some routes according to farecompare.com. the reason, more consumer confidence in the economy and airlines are sticking to a it is now 7:11. let's now go back to matt and our marathoners, our favorite marathoners, meredith and al. >> as we look and see what's going on, both ends of the coast, we have got some problems, a low pressure system causing some problems. we have got winter weather advisories, freezing rain advisories and high wind warnings from new england down to philadelphia. it's part of a system that's actually retro grading, backing up from new england, moving south, bringing a mixed bag of precipitation from albany into new england. and out west, we have got a triple barrel low bringing snow behind it and record highs ahead of it. so we are looking at a mix of rain and snow back from salt

lake city, all the way to reno, nevada. here's a nice view of san francisco. clearing skies and patchy fog in the north bay and partly cloudy skies for the south around the hills of san jose. temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s despite the sunshine. northwest winds at 10 to 20 and pumps in cool dry air across the bay area. wouldn't rule out patches of frost around the salinas valley. tomorrow morning we have another chance of rain late tomorrow. after this we clear out and dry out into the weekend. >> that's your latest weather. it remains a major mystery in utah, what happened to susan cox powell. the wife and mother vanished and her husband josh is considered a person of interest in the case. after a long silence, now he is

speak out. >> reporter: josh powell who says his wife disappeared while he was off camping with their two young sons now tells the salt lake tribune that he believes his wife is alive but mentally unstable and that her psychological problems caused her to leave the family behind. susan's family tells the newspaper, he's just looking for someone to blame. even powell's sister, jennifer graves who's estranged from him has a problem with what he's saying. >> i think that it's quite ludicrous the fact that they have pinned it on susan is silly. >> reporter: josh powell said of susan's family, quote, they want her to be perfect, a saint with no fallibility, but susan was not saint. he says she's very sexually motivated ant she's very

financially motivated. >> it's hard to hear them slander her this way, these things are completely untrue. so why 11 months after she disappears are they suddenly trying to make her look like some horrible person? >> reporter: in the interview, josh powell spent a lot of time talking about susan's parents, complaining that they were directing a hate campaign against him on facebook and other social media, someone needs to take the velvet gloves off and treat the cox -- >> everything they say is making them look worse and this is more information that the police can act on. >> reporter: josh powell and his father steve declined to appear on camera, but he sent us an e-mail characterizing them as rumors and lies. this the one-year anniversary of

susan cox' disappearance is now less than a month away. george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. meredith, thank you, any time a president travels overseas his personal safety is always a concern. but in india, it's not just people president obama's security team is worried about. ian williams is in new delhi to tell us about that. >> reporter: security is always a big issue on these white house trips. but here in deli, authorities are grab -- in delhi they call it the monkey minutes. tens of thousands of them have invaded the city. security forces have been on prime mate alert. the main monkey invasion route lies in forests close to his hotel. we'll keep them away from the

president, vowed this policeman. monkey catchers have been working flat out for a bounty of $15 a catch. they lure them into a rooftop cage, rounding them up to be released outside the city. it's a big problem, they bite the children so they can't go to school, he told me. so far it's been a pretty good morning's work, the monkeys have become a real irritant in this area, but they have been accused of far worse. a deputy mayor of delhi felt that his death while fending off monkeys on his balcony, while they broke into the defense ministry, destroys thousands of documents. we're destroying langures, it's a lanky aggressive animal which scares away those causing

problems. anybody caught feeding monkeys will be fined. though more drastic action, killing them off for instance, isn't really an option, since the monkey is revered by the hindu religion. the monkey guard represents strength. animal rights groups say the problem isn't the monkeys, it's man who have enroached on their habitat. police determined this visit by the world's most powerful man isn't upstage by a bunch of monkeys. until now the presidential schedule has been uninterrupted by any monkey business. >> thank you very much. coming up how lindsay lohan is faring in court-ordered rehab. her mother just visited her, we'll have a l

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new york city was pulsing with energy this weekend. somewhere in that crowd, two runners, one named meredith viera, the other al roker. they both completed the whole 26.2 miles. we could not be more proud. >> thank you. >> we're at the start. >> after months of preparation, of training, we are ready, we are determined, we can do this. >> i can't even do that. yes! >> the 41st ing new york city marathon. the largest marathon in the world. >> how are you? ♪ let's see how far we have come

♪ >> there were moments that were hard, but melissa got me through them and that last sprint was the best. i'm so proud. >> one, two, three, go team! >> congratulations. >> congratulations to you. >> man, you were great, you ran that thing like a pro. >> so did you. >> it's dark now, but, hey. >> it doesn't matter, we finished. >> thank you. >> thank you, al.

>> nice, what do you get for the people who just finished the marathon? >> yeah, baby. >> rob small from new york city's exhale spa. does that feel good? >> darn good. >> and you were saying especially around the ankles? >> my ankles are really sore. >> and champagne. thank you. >> and you also get some roses. but wait, there's more. should we tell them now that we took the subway? >> all kidding aside, you guys worked so hard getting to that day. we have heard all the stories that you guys did it and completed it. >> we thank lee our trainer. >> we're back after your local news. [ air traffic controller ] okay, 245, proceed to your next cleared altitude.

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>> are it's 7:wix and i want to check with meek with a new accident. >> involving a motorcycle and the motorcycle in down, a four-car accident. the northbound side of 880 jam up approaching hyde street. the accident around 23 order. this will be a huge issue paf the coliseum past san leandro. 580 westbound or bart. showing no delays. here is the back up still going on westbound through livermore. better now and it's been a half

hour since all lanes were cleared and 680 seeing a rush of people. >> we are seeing a lot of sunshine for the afternoon. 50s and low 60s. skies are clearing out and 10 to 20 for this afternoon. breezy and cool today. another chance of rain for the north bay. we start to clear out and warm up. dry weather through the end of the weekend into the start of me now is 7:27. more news after this short break. diabetes testing? it's all the same. nothing changes.

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we should know who the new mayor of oakland is today. they'll announce the unofficial final count at 4:00 this afternoon. the latest results show jean quan winning, but analysts say former front-runner don perotta or rebecca kaplan could win because of ranked choice voting. we will have that as soon as the announcement is made. tune in at 5:00 for the results. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. have a great monday morning.

7:30 now on this monday morning, november 8, 2010. a newly released single from michael jackson, is the first single from an album due out for the holidays. i'm meredith viera alongside matt lauer and coming up an exclusive interview with dina lohan, she visited her daughter lindsay while in court-ordered

rehab. there hasn been a kennedy in -- we're going to hear from the congressman and also get some reaction from the never before seen photos of the president. we're going to hear from two moms what they've done when they learned that their young sons wanted to dress like girls, one from halloween and the other one more than that. let's begin with lindsay lohan, one of hollywood's biggest stars whose successes and struggles from played out on a very public stage. now she's be-- nbc's jeff rosse with more. >> reporter: hi, matt, good morning to you, if the goal here is to get lindsay lohan clean and back on trap, it may already be working, according to reports she's been e-mails friends from

inside rehab to apologize for her past behavior. but it's not over yet, lindsay has another eight weeks to go. by now, she must be used to it. lindsay lohan facing questions about her sometimes reckless lifestyle, just over two weeks ago, she faced the judge again. the judge who would decide her fate, go back to rehab or back to jail. lohan's been to both several times, stemming from her drunk driving arrest in 2007. this time the judge chose rehab. her mother, dina lohan spoke with matt this summer here on "toda "today". >> has she changed? >> yes, she's grown up considerably. >> do you think she's capable of going through rehab no matter how long it lasts and coming out a changed person able to handle her surroundings? >> absolutely. >> what gives you that confidence? >> age, you know, living life and growing up. >> reporter: but just a month

later, lindsay lohan failed another drug test, reportedly for cocaine. the judge got stern, telling the actress, you're an addict, i hope you realize that. then he extended her rehab to january 3, 2011. >> this thing we call treatment or rehab is just part of the beginning of the process, getting them enrolled and intensively involved in what they have to do. >> reporter: former patients include chevy chase, kelsey grammer, david hasselhoff, ozzie osborne. a typical day includes 6:00 a.m. meetings, 10:00 a.m. exercise, and at 9:00 p.m. free time. >> the first order of business, learning how to live their life in a structured way. >> reporter: lohan indicated to the judge she can't afford the $50,000 bill for drug therapy, yet she was recently spotted

performing retail thoer therapy at a nearby store. >> i think she probably just wanted to insert a little bit of glamour back into her life. remember, this is a girl who went shopping every day and was dropping $10,000 here and there. so this is a big change for her. >> reporter: some of lohan's financial problems certainly center around her handbag company. some reports say it's not doing that well, with lindsay out of the mix for so long, but others say she's still heavily involved from inside rehab via e-mail. lindsay lohan will spend christmas and new year's at betty ford. >> lindsay lohan's mother dina recently visited her, she's here with an exclusive live interview, dina, nice to have you back. how is she doing? >> it was life changing, the betty ford center is just an amazing place and i spent two weeks there in family sessions

and you're not necessarily with the person who's in the facility, you spend time with families of addiction. >> so you don't spend time actually with lindsay seeing what she's going through, you're more preparing yourself? >> they're more the co-dependency, they're happyihe the families deal be the problem. >> when you visited with lindsay, what is her state of mind? >> happy, relaxed. she's just a different person. she's been in a couple of facilities, but this one to me has really changed her. and they get into your saipsyc psyche and with lindsay being so public, and twitter, i messed up. >> when the judge said she

needed to go here, he said to her in no uncertain terms, you're an addict. you and i have talked about this several times in the past. does lindsay fully get that? >> yes. and this teaches you that you are and she's young and i thank god that he didn't incarceration her because that wouldn't have helped her and being so young, admitting that can only help her sobriety in the future. >> last time you were here, we went back and forth on some issues a little bit and i'm going to let you answer, i'm not going to put words in your mouth, but it appeared to me that you were either defending her or maybe even in denial yourself about her situation. so are you also comfortable with the concept that your daughter is an addict? >> yes. when i first came here initially, that was for lindsay to admit. i put her in rehab when she was 19. as a mother, it wasn't for me to come to tell the world, i mean how many viewers do you have,

about her problems? that was for her to do. i wasn't in denial by far, but i think it was for her to come to her own evolution. me as a mother, we protect. i have three other children, and it's not for me to say, even if my child was 5, i wouldn't say oh, she did something in preschool. you protect as a parent. so now i'm happy and relieved myself come on your show and also our attorneys are like, you can't say this, this, this or this. >> now you can be open and honest saying this this is a problem for lindsay and you said age would make her able to move on from this and recover, and she's not that much older than she was then and she had some trouble after she got out of rehab. do you think this time will be different? >> addiction is difficult. i don't have a crystal ball. i pray hard and i hope she will be able -- she wants to start

her own facility and help other children. she's so public, that i think we can only be positive and look to the future to help other families. >> i remember last time she got out early, there was a certain amount of time she was going to spend there, there were complications, she ended up getting out early. any chance she might get out early this time? do you oppose that? do you want her to spend the entirety of this time, i think it's january 3 in betty ford? and would you be happy to see her stay longer? >> absolutely. and lindsay wants to stay, she's learning the trigger points and why she turns to something that, you know, drugs or addiction and it's a lifelong journey. and i really feel that this facility, betty ford has helped me personally dealing with addiction. i have other family members and

my ex was put in rehab in 1994. i feel that it's her journey and she's got to -- its up to her. >> let me ask you to put a couple of things in perspective, we saw the video of her out of rehab over the weekend doing a little shopping. in the past when we had seen her doing that during rehab, the idea was she had skipped rehab and was out of rehab. >> she spent 30 days in the facility and now she's in a home. they let you, you know, it's like a safety net, they let you out to live your life. you're going to go back, lindsay is going to go back to film, that's what she wants to do. the pressure and the press, it's trigger points, it's people places and things you have to be careful. >> you can't keep her in a bubble? >> exactly. >> there's an online report of a

detailed accounting of a reunion, an emotional reunion between lindsay and her father, your ex-husband michael. >> i don't read the gossips so i don't know what's fact or fiction. but whatever the facility wishes for her, it's all about lindsay and her healing. >> do you think it would be good for her to have a better relationship with her father? >> absolutely. my parents were married 50 years so i don't understand -- i've been a single mom for 15 years, so i have sole custody of my childr children. i'm here for lindsay, whatever will make lindsay heal and make her better, that can only help. >> thank you for being here today. 40 minutes after the hour, let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> got some of my fellow marathoners out here, matt. and this young lady has been --

every year, she comes here, what is your name, ma'am. >> joy johnson. >> and she's 83 years young and this is her 23 new york city marathon. wow. fantastic. and all these other marathoners. yeah. all right. les check your weather and see what's going on and we'll show you, hey, it is warm in the midsection, from bismarck down to el paso, anywhere from nine to almost 25 degrees above normal, but the northeast and out west, below normal temperatures, only 69 in l.a. 46 in reno, boston 45, same in new york city, record highs over the plains, wet weather in the pacific northwest, and snow showers working their way through the western plains, sunny skies through the gulf coast, all the way up to the great lakes. probably some airport delays from new york city on into boston. we are seeing clearing skies

in san jose where despite the sunshine should be a cool afternoon. let's look at the high temperatures. low 60s around the santa clara valley. northwest winds 10 to 20. cool fall sunshine and clouds spill in with a chance of rain. this will be for tuesday into early wednesday and after that should clear out with chilly mornings, but dry days ahead and 70s inland approaching the weekend. >> don't forget you can check your weather any time of the day or night, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. you can make big money if you're trying to sell or just a lot happier if you're staying om and s>>e never before seen photos of jfk right after this.

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. . . . back now at 7:45 with congressman patrick kennedy, the nephew of president john f. kennedy and the son of senator ted kennedy chose not to seek re-election this year. so for the first time in 60 years, there will be no kennedy serving on capitol hill. the end of the kennedy era, as

so many people are saying, what are your thoughts about that? have you thought about it? >> it's actually for me the beginning of a new chapter and it's actually seizing the remembrance of john f. kennedy that we're going to work on. earlier with george bush and his alcoholism, but frankly these are brain illnesses that need to be treated as such. we're going to mark the anniversary of president kennedy's moon shot address where he said we're going to go to the moon and return a man safely before the decade is out and say now we need to research inner space, the inner space of the brain. the sputnik for our time are the suicide rate for our soldiers. now our soldiers are killing themselves in greater numbers than are killed in combat. and these are active duty soldiers, we're not just talking veterans. over 7,000 veterans take their own lives every year, which should be enough of a wakeup call for us.

i'm almost shy of calling it mental illness or mental health. >> why that. >> because it create this is separate but equal. another area of my uncle's tenure was giving that civil rights address and this is a civil right in the sense that people are being marginalized in our country. people with alsz himalzheimer's kids who have -- and yet we stig m advertise it. i think it's time we bring everybody back into the american family, just like john kennedy talked about the civil rights. >> speaking of john kennedy, life.com has some notephotos th have never been released. this is him campaigning during 1960. his call to service was what led you into politics. this is a bittersweet moment for

you today? this is the day 50 years ago that he was elected president. >> he led the way with so much promise and hope. that's a moniker that we can use today, it was a can do attitude that people had. he gave a sense of home and pride for america. that's still available for america. we're still the greatest country in the world. we can do whatever we set our minds to. we did it back in the '60s and we can do it now and now do it for our solders and veterans. >> we just saw it in the midterm elections. people who are dissatisfied with their -- similar time, when the gop took control of the house. describe the mood then compared to the mood now. >> i think people are feeling frustrated, their economics situations dictate that. our veterans have three times the unemployment rate as the average american. if anybody ought to be the front

of the line in this country, it ought to be our american heroes and if we don't go in there and set them free from their being medical prisoners of war. now they're coming home, we think the war is over, but it isn't. they're prisoners of their brain injury, traumatic brain injury and ptsd. if john kennedy were here today, one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind, it would be a veteran getting out of a wheelchair because we repaired the spinal cord tissue of that veteran. >> you have been open about your own addictions and bipolar illness. is this a day to day struggle to you? >> yes, it is, as my asthma would be. and the more acceptance we bring to this issue, the more we learn about the brain, it's a very complex organ, it's a galaxy of neurons and we have got to go to

that space now and bring home the discoveries that are going to unveil these mysteries that otherwise keep people marginalized in society, because of the stigma, the prejudice, which is all based on ignorance. >> your dad, senator ted kennedy, a great man, watching him pass and being with him. >> to think about doing something for others because it takes the focus off yourself and we always have in our own worst neighborhood when we're in our head, we're thinking about our own problems, think about someone else's problems and you'll feel a lot better. it's selfish to be in public service because you're doing something that helps you. >> are you going to miss it? >> i'm going to do it in a new way, a different way. >> good luck to you. >> thank you, meredith.

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still ahead, seven money matters you should handle before you retire. >> plus wnhe your little boy wants to dress like a girl. we'll hear from two moms after your local news. out of the very best america had to offer. ingenuity. integrity. optimism. and a belief that the finest things are the most thoughtfully made -- not the most expensive. today, the american character is no less strong. and chevrolet continues as an expression of the best of it. bringing more technology to more people than ever in our history. inventing new ways to get around our planet while preserving it at the same time. exploring new horizons of design and power. and making our vehicles amongst the safest on earth. this isn't just any car company. this is chevrolet. and the strength of our nation can be found in every car and truck we make. it's why, today, tomorrow, and on into a bright future, we can proudly say...

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>> good monday morning. i'm laura garcia cannon. not so good for the update. >> the earlier accident now called a sigalert. traffic is crawling in northbound past the coliseum. an accident north of this shot north of hyde street. the map shows how severe it is. another accident with cars and a major issue for the morning commute. 580 is a good alternate if you are driving through oakland. both directions are slow approaching the scene. if you are heading out to the bay bridge, a slow drive, but if you are coming from the north,

you are getting a lighter flow of traffic. consider the san mateo bridge. >> in term was slowing you down, the patchy fog has broken up. highs in the low 60s and upper 50s today. tomorrow one more chance of rain with increasing clouds for the north bay that carries over for tomorrow night and early wednesday. after that high pressure will build in and stick around. 60s and 70s approaching the more news after the break. s

remember the sad pictures of birds with beer cans around their neck, they are asking for donations to buy equipment to catch them and save their lives. the five birds have been sighted with beer cans around their necks in half moon bay and fisherman's wharf. they make the birds's lives miserable and likely will lead to their death. the "today" show returns in less than a minute.

8:00 on a monday morning, the 8th day of november, 200 so. kind of an overcast day here in the northeast, but we've got a lot of smiling faces out on the plaza. a lot of these people smiling for a great reason. because they finished the new york city marathon on sunday. all 26.2 miles. and they were joined by two of our own, meredith vieira and al roker sporting their medals. and that's the same medals being

worn bay lot of these people. and very impressive, you just ran out here. >> i know. you've got a little bluster there. >> i got my uggs on now, so i'm okay. >> if these nice people come back on friday, you know what they get? >> what? >> a concert from bon jovi out on the plaza, and the boys in the band want you to help pick what songs you want them to play "who says you can't go home?" and the other two, if you want to vote go to our website, todayshow.com. out on the plaza, al roker, and meredith vieira, congratulations to all the runners, nice to have you here. [ cheers and applause ] also coming up, what would you do if your 5-year-old boy wanted to dress like a girl? one mom's blog about her halloween's costume has caused a firestorm on the web. another mom is out with a book

about her son, who likes to dress like a princess. more often than just on halloween. we're going to hear from the moms and get some expert perspective on all that. and in these tough economic times, it's hard enough to sell your house. we're going to show you how to help raise the sale quotient of your house by improving the curb appeal. some simple upgrades, a lot of these you can do yourself, that will help you raise your asking price, and hopefully get it. you know who else is here this morning? oscar winner, russell crowe is in the house. he's a fantastic actor and he is here to talk about his new film called "the next three days." it's a thriller. i saw it a couple of days ago. let's go inside. ann curry is danding by with all the headlines. >> thanks so much, you guys. good morning once again, everybody. in the news, president obama's backing india's bid to gain a permanent seat on the u.n. security council. the president reassured the indian parliament this morning that they remain a key ally in the region, despite america's

economic ties to china. the u.s. is pressuring india to open its markets to more american goods. the president is scheduled leave for indonesia where an erupting volcano is canceling flights. 400,000 people have fled their homes in the wake of mt. merapi this weekend. officials in iraq say two separate bombings have targeted irani religious pilgrims, 11 people died and ten others wounded. the obama administration will fight an injunction today against its policy to capture or kill u.s. citizens who join militant organizations such as al qaeda. two civil rights groups argue that the policy gives the government unchecked lethal force over anyone branded as an enemy of the state. amanda knox has been indicted on charges of slander for claiming that she was beaten by italian police. the 23-year-old american is

currently serving a 26-year sentence in italy for the murder of her british roommate. a cultural disaster this weekend in italy. at the ruins of pompeii, the 2,000-year-old house of the gladiators collapsed. no one was hurt, but critics accuse italy's government of neglecting the world heritage site, which draws some 2.5 million visitors each year. life in the sfast lane on sunday, for russian prime minister, vladimir putin, who drove a formula one race car 150 miles per hour to celebrate a newly-signed deal, bringing grand prix racing to russia. and it appears moviegoers had the same mindset over the weekend, because the 3-d animation film "megamind" brought in just under $48 million according to early estimates. "due date" was second. it's four minutes past the hour. time to go back outside to matt and meredith. >> the winner of the new york marathon has not signed as many

autographs as meredith has this morning. let's check the weather from the other winner, mr. roker. >> we've got our trainers here. melissa bowman and jared svoboda. we both want to thank you for all the help. >> congratulations, i hope you have a great day. we're so proud of both of you. >> jared got a much better tour of new york than you did. because meredith didn't know where anything was. >> she said that's a building in harlem. >> there you go, even if you were in the bronx, you said it was a building in harlem. guys, thanks so much. hello, chicago, hello. let's take a look and show you what's going on. our pick city of the today, midland, texas, news west 9, sunny and mild, 77 degrees. as we check the rest of your weather, we've got the system in the northeast, that's au g big problems, rain and snow and wind in new england and the northeast. and we've got a lot of wet weather through the rockies and some snow there. plenty of sunshine stretching from the great lakes down to the gulf coast. record highs in the central

plains. windy conditions through southern california. with a few showers. a couple of cuties here. who's this? >> this is penelope. >> beautiful over here and who is this? cody, all right. that's what's going skies really cleared out nicely, looking back to san francisco. with the northwest winds picking up, it's going to bring in cool, dry air. mostly upper 50s, low to mid-60s. tomorrow, the clouds fill in one more time with the chance of rain in the north baby the afternoon. clearing on wednesday after that. dry weather will take us into the weekend and likely for awhile as high pressure builds in. more marathoners over here, mr. lawyer. >> mr. roker, when we come back little boys who like to dress up as little girls, what should parents do? we'll talk to two moms right after these messages. ho like to

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and a dress for a school halloween party has become a hot topic on the web. >> reporter: it's a photo of a beaming child on halloween, delighted to be dressed as daphne from the cartoon scooby doo. >> where's shaggy and scoobby? >> reporter: but look more closely at daphne, underneath that wig is a little boy. >> he decided i think i want to be daphne. and we said are you sure before we order it, are you sure? he said yes. >> reporter: his mom sarah, who asked we not use her last name and son's real name to protect their privacy, created a stir on-line with her blog about boo's halloween outfit and the negative reaction she received from some other moms. she writes if you think that me allowing my son to be a female character for halloween is somehow going to make him gay, then you're an idiot. i am not worried that your son will grow up to an actual ninja.

so back off. >> i'm torn between the fact that i don't want my children to be teased. at the same time, i don't want my children to feel that they always have to give in to what the world expects of them. >> reporter: and experts say regardless of the behavior at 5 years old, it's way too early to determine a child's future sexual orientation. >> every child has tendencies and feelings and inclinations, so if that's what's leading him to dress this way, okay, but i would be hesitant to say that that's going to be his declared sexuality. >> no matter what he turns into as a grown up, if he's left-handed, right-handed, any of this, these things don't matter to me, because he is my son. >> reporter: it's a topic getting a lot of attention. "people" magazine recently featured a seattle mom and her book "my princess boy" about her 5-year-old son's love of all things pink and girlie. >> dyson was almost 2 years old when he started having kind of a

unique eye for everything beautiful. >> reporter: his parents' goal now to increase awareness and understanding for little boys who like pretty things. >> i just want him to be happy and healthy and if this is the form he chooses to express himself, that's fine. >> and meredith, that blog post from sarah has set the internet on fire. generating more than 3 million hits and getting tens of thousands of responses. >> thank you very much. sarah's here along with sheryl kilo davis. >> yes. >> whose son enjoys dressing in typical girl fashions, their story is featured in the most recent issue of "people" magazine. the president of the child mind institute. good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> if i could start with you, your son boo decides he wants to go as daphne as halloween, is this the first time that he expressed interest in dressing up like a little girl? >> it was. last halloween he thought about being daphne and at the last minute decided to be a vampire. throughout the year he kept saying i think i want to be

daphne for halloween. >> has he expressed interest since then in dressing up? >> no. we have a lot of dress-up clothes at home that they get to play with as far as costumes, capes, that sort of gender neutral i guess you would call them things. after halloween they're a little burned out on dressing up. >> your blog illicited a lot of positive response, some negative, but that day you went in for halloween with your son, boo was the one who said i'm not sure i want to go? >> right. >> he thought he might get teased. you didn't? >> i really didn't. i really thought it was halloween, you dress up and be what you are not. it's a fun holiday. no child said a word to him that day in any sort of negative capacity. >> it was the parents? >> it was. just a few. most of them were 100% supportive, the teachers, the staff at the preschool loved it. they thought he was just adorable. >> and when those parents criticized you, what did you say to them? >> well, i just sort of played it off. i didn't want to cause a big scene, i didn't want to make a

mistake in front of my son by reacting in a negative way. >> and then afterwards, decided it was something you needed to blog about? >> it weighed heavily on me. >> cheryl your son dyson started dressing up when he was 2 he's now 5 years old. >> yes. >> the first time he did that, you were picking him up at preschool and he had on a pretty dress and your reaction was to go out and buy costumes for boys, hoping he would dress in those. he didn't? >> right. >> next day he went to preschool in a yellow dress the next day. >> right. >> your initial reaction, were you concerned about this? >> absolutely. this has been a process for me and a journey for our family and it's an everyday thing and i commend people like sarah who are bringing up the exposure to this because really the discussion is what's going to make this more acceptable. we have children that are expressing themselves differently and we need to get to a place of acceptance. >> what was your concern specifically? >> i was concerned about the image.

i was concerned about -- i, you know, was raised in a family and just through books and knowledge and everything else, that traditional boys wore traditional boy clothing and so dyson really sort of put me on alert and helped me get through this process a little bit more of accepting him for who he really is. a little bit more of accepting him for who he really is. >> you actually spoke to your doctor and to a psychologist about the whole issue of gender identification and what could be going on there. >> the only issue i heard was that there's gender confusion, we went to the doctors and psychiatrists and psychologists and we actually went down that path, and the verdict is you have a happy and healthy little boy who just likes to dress up. i started working with teachers and parents have started using the book after school. >> the book is called "my princess boy." there are others who criticize

you and say by allowing him to continue to dress up and by writing a book like this, you're actually going to put him in a situation where we will be bullied later in life. one person said if he wants to dress up as a little girl, let him do it in the privacy of his own home, letting him dress up in public is just not right. >> we went through some of the redirection, i had some not proud mom moments, when he said i'm a princess, i said boys aren't princesses. and he said, i'm a princess boy, he coined the term and he's driving this agenda, for who he is. i think as parents, our job is to love and support our children and if they are happy and healthy, and they are expressing themselves, we have to get to a place of accepting differences. >> you said to me in the commercial break, you said this is really a teachable moment. >> i think it's very important to understand that it's always difficult to be different and when children are different, it makes everyone anxious, it makes

parents anxious, it makes the other kids anxious and yet not everyone is typical. and the most important piece here is that kids need to be supported. there's some kind of fluidity inside. when kids actually refuse to stop wearing male clothing and say no, no, no i'm only wearing girl clothing or i'm only wearing male clothing, that may be a simpymptom of something mo significant. that's the big role that parents have to play. >> when does it go beyond play and it's something else that needs to be addressed and it goes on during the older years? >> i'm not playing anymore. i won't wear boy clothing, i'm only wearing girl clothing because i'm only a girl, i'm not a boy, that's a more significant thing than saying, sure, i'm playing princess today and i'm

playing cowboy tomorrow or i'm not playing anything tomorrow, i'm just going to wear some regular clothes. and parents should think about that might mean something in -- that doesn't change the fact that we still would tell parents to be very supportive and loving, because the last thing we want is someone to not like themselves, not like their bodies. it doesn't make any difference what the clothes are, it's what they feel about themselves underneath. >> and up next, instant upgrade for your home that can really raise your asking price. radiating pain everywhere... and i wondered what it was. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain.

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you say in a bad market, paying attention to the details is more important than ever. >> always, because the buyers are grumpy and they don't want to pay top dollar, and they're going to want two dollars for every one dollar they have to put in. >> this is not a major construction project, we're talking about things most people can do on their own? >> and definitely, you want to put a lot of money into your house today because you're not going to get it back out. >> you say do some plant ing. planting is an easy fix. most people don't pay attention to overgrown bushes, on first impression, people want to pay more for the house right away. >> you say put mulch in the garden, it always makes it look bigger and fresher. >> it makes it at least look cared for. >> you like to focus on shutters. you say these are an important thing, they catch the eye of the person driving by or walking up? >> not only that, they are the

eyes of the house, much like putting eyeliner on a beautiful eye, it makes that window pop, it's the cheapest improvement you can make to make that house have a little more dignity. >> replace your mailbox, if it's old and banged up and put a fresh coat of paint on the front door as well. >> first impressions again. >> let's go to the kitchen, that's one of the most important selling points for any home. look at the cabinets, you're not suggesting that you replace them, but at least fix them. >> you could take the front doors off at a third of the cost of replacing them and you'll get your money back. >> and a back splash made out of stone, back splash is very important. >> there's one that needs a back splash, it's a little bit of space where you can make a big improvement. >> should you change out major appliances. >> only if you have enough money to do one, you could change out our refrigerator. >> why is the refrigerator so important? >> because it takes up the most visual space when you walk into

the kitchen. people think if there's a nice shiny refrigerator, people think the rest of the kitchen is nicer too. >> a gallon of paint is the best home improvement that you can get. >> why is it so important to upgrade your lighting fixtures, why do people that come into your home spend so much time looking at lighting fixtures? >> it dates the home. the lighting fixture you bought ten years ago is already out of style. >> you want people to consider, this costs a little extra money, but you want to consider having your home professionally staged. >> you want a designer to walk in and get rid of all the excess stuff, and make it look like a home out of a magazine. here's a perfectly staged room that used to look like a dump. but all they did was move things

around. >> crown moldings always help a room. and in the bedroathroom you wan make sure you clean the grout. >> new toilet seat is important, new grouting is important. anything to freshen up that room t of sxz. good morning to you. a busy day when it comes to the monday morning commute. northbound 101 at jufrt avenue, the lanes have cleared. slow heading up north into palo alto. causing things to be congested from palo alto to san bruno. there's the congested spot north

of 92. it continues to be jammed. rob. >> we are watching clearing skies around the bay area. ha's left of the showers offshore. san santa cruz. it's going to feel blusry. we have one more chance of rain coming in from san francisco. after that, we are going to dry out. 60s and f 7or fs for friday and saturday. more news after the break.

the board of supervisors will vote in january. he's becoming lieutenant governor. willie brown has been mentioned, but he's not interested. mark leno and state assemblyman have been mentioned. i'll have local news update in about a half hour or so. the "today" show continues in a minute. have a great monday morning.

8:30 now on this monday morning, november 8, 2010. a great day here in midtown, manhattan, a lot of smiling folks in the crowd. all because they finished the marathon or because they got an extra hour of sleep.

thank you guys, and coming up, actress grace mcadams is starring in a new movie and a morning news show. i can't imagine. morning news? never. >> a couple of unruly diva anchors on that show. obviously a lot of poetic license. as i mentioned before, russell crowe, the academy award winner is back. he's got a new movie, a real thriller, a cat and mouse type movie. although there are no cats and mice in it e we'. natalie cole is coming by and we have also -- we're going to be talking be her about everything that's been going on in her life. >> lindsay vaughn is here, she's opening up about her latest honor, she's glamour magazine's

woman of the year. >> and no time for the weather. >> let's check it out and see what's happening as far as today, we are looking for the week ahead, rain and snow in the northeast, out west, above normal temperatures in the midsection of the country. above normal temperatures from the great lakes to the gulf. a chilly mess in the west and the latter part of the week, we have got above normal temperatures in the great lakes and rain in the great lakes and mountain snows in the pacific northwest. here is a view across the san mateo bridge. i think it's going to turn breezy in the higher elevations of the bridge. today, northwest winds 10 to 20 miles per hour. cool day today. this is classic fall sunshine after a rain moved through. we have the cooler, drier air settling in.

50s and 60s for highs. a chance of rain late for tomorrow. then high pressure building in for the weekend. >> and that's your latest weather. don't forget, you can get your weather any time of the day or night, go to watch on cable or weather.com online. we like to give you a look behind the scenes here at the today show. hollywood has made a movie about it. it chronicles the fictional morning show and the people who work there. what better place than our control room to catch up with rachel mcadams. good morning good to see you. diva, unruly hosts, where did you come one that? >> it wasn't my idea. >> are you taking credit for that? >> no, i have much sympathy for the executive producer's role. but there are maybe some divas. >> just maybe. tell me about that, the

executive producer of this show, what drives her? >> well, becky, this is her first shot at a big morning show, she came from a little show in new jersey, she got fired and this is her one chance to make it work. and she's doing the show with the lowest ratings. >> but that means there's always someplace to go, right? >> she's got somewhere to climb to. >> you play opposite diane keaton, and harrison ford, tell me a little bit about that. >> they're so fun in this movie. harrison is such a funny guy, and she's so often the hero that you don't get to see that side of him. he's so funny, he's so dry, everything that comes out of his mouth is hilarious. >> you did your research, you actually spent some time hanging around here at the "today" show. was there anything that you actually learned while here that you used in the movie. >> well, yeah, a lot of stuff. we wound up using a lot of stuff. i learned that the real show is,

no offense, matt, it's back here. it's craziness back here. and last time i was here he put me in the chair which was terrifying and made me wear that headset. and then i got kind of comfortable with it and then he took it away. he was like you're going to run the show. and then i didn't get to. but it's great. it's really cool. i have some respect for what goes on back here. it's a tough job. >> because you're a movie veteran, i don't know if you have met joe michaels who's our director back there. >> quiet as a mouse. >> if we were casting a movie and you look at joe, what actor would play joe? would it be russell crowe or danny devito? what's next for you? >> what's next?

i just finished doing a woody allen movie in paris which was great and i'm currently shooting in oklahoma. so heading back there this afternoon. >> we're happy to have you. >> you're in it. >> i'm in it. >> you made the movie. >> in it actually? or in the background. >> we talk about you. >> does that qualify for a payment of any kind? >> the check's in the mail. >> great to have you back. we're going to have much more ahead on a monday morning, russell crowe is upstairs. [ r b.

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academy award winner russell crowe gives his all in every single important. his latest movie "the next three days" is no exception. he plays a family man whose live changes.

>> come on, smile. >> hold on. >> you touch me again, i'm going to arrest you. >> stay where you are. >> this is my house. >> russell crowe, welcome back. good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> everybody tries to sum up a movie in a sentence or a phrase or a message and it's not easy with this one, but suffice it to say that if you don't like your reality, go about changing your reality? >> to a degree, yeah. i mean the conundrum that was put before me was would you like to play a character who would do anything for his wife, you know. but in order to save his wife at a certain point, he has to turn into somebody that his wife is no longer love. >> and the guy that is an

unlikely savior, he's a professor at a community college and all of a sudden thrust into the role of trying to plan a prison break. it's not exactly what's on the resume for a professor. >> but he does it -- he goes about it the way that he knows. he gets on to his computer and he begins to research and he goi googles breaking out of prison. >> it's a cat and mouse thing, it's a real thriller. but i'm curious when you're shooting this, you're shooting it in such small sequences. >> 380 scenes, the script. >> so do you ever get a sense when you're making a movie as to how it's going to play out for the movie audience. >> you do, you have your hopes and dreams about that sort of stuff and quite often those are exceeded. but you never really know. even though you've done a spread over 50 days and you're doing

tiny little scenes and seven or eight makeup changes in a day because of the story, there's a possibility it won't gel. >> what's fascinating is you mentioned tiny bits of scenes. in this movie in particular, there are some little moments, and when i say little moments, they could be four seconds long or five seconds long that later in the movie you come back and say that was a lot more significant than five seconds. >> what i like about this film myself is that you just don't really know the things that he's doing and you don't really follow, why is he doing that? and then later on he plays a card and you say he really did prepare himself. >> do you have one that you're most proud of? >> you mentioned "cinderella man." both movies i have made with ron howard, "a beautiful mind" and

cinderella man," i'm hoping ron gives me another call. >> it's a good collaboration. i don't know why, but knowing you a little bit, i was surprised you're on twitter. i don't know why. i just heard that and i thought, really? russell crowe the kind of guy who tweets every day? >> at the moment, i'm basically dead, my wife is promoting a record so i take the boys in school in the morning and i pick them up in the afternoon. and then there's the bedtime and the stories and i'm not finding there's any length of time for me to get involved in anything creative, running a football ga team and all the other things that i have gotten involved with over the years, i'm on the computer a lot. from a cutting edge communications perspective, that's what first interested me, this is the next step in how we talk to each other.

>> your recent tweet was you were in new york and you were giving up smoking and coffee at the same time? do you realize there was a time when someone like me wouldn't sit across from you when you're giving up cigarettes and coffee? do you get a little cranky? >> i did, i got very cranky for a long time. there was some sort of chemical change going on in any body and i couldn't concentrate. it took me a couple of months at least to focus. the coffee was easy. nicotine is not so easy. but, yeah, i mean i just -- i got caught smoking a cigarette by my oldest boy charlie, and i managed to do it until he was 6 years old without him actually seeing him smoke. even though he would get into my car and say daddy stink. >> stick with it.

this movie's great "the next three days." 8:43, the next three days opens november 19. and up next, the unforgettable natalie cole, but first, this is "today" on nbc. [ dog barking ] mom!

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natalie cole, a nine-time grammy award winner, singer, songwriter and producer. now in her new memoir, she writes about surviving his death, drug addiction, and her recent health struggles. it's called love brought me back, a journey of loss and gain. you look wonderful. >> thank you. >> how do you feel. >> i feel wonderful.

i am so blessed, i really, really am. i don't know if you remember the last time that i was here, i was pretty sick. >> nobody realized and the next day -- >> i went into kidney failure. let's go back to the beginning of your book, you write i am amazed that i'm alive, given the crazy way that i live my life i should not be here. back in 1975, you were on top of your game, 25 years old, winning a grammy. and yet you're running up to harlem to buy heroin. >> yeah. it's amazing that other worse things didn't happen. but because of that, i think i was probably addicted to heroin for maybe two to three years. and that ended up -- that virus stayed in my body for many, many years. that was the beginning of the

hep c when i was diagnosed back in 2008. >> how bad was your condition? >> i had no idea. i was a workout crazed person for the last ten years, probably, i had no symptoms. >> but your doctor want you to -- >> i was getting ready to have elective surgery and you have to take your blood tests and everything. and he called me. i was in the studio, recording the "still unforgettable" cd. he said there's some things that i'm concerned about. i want you to go see a liver guy. and he said you have hel c. i said what's the treatment for th that? and he said chemo. what would happen if i didn't do it? it's been 25 years. he said well, eventually you'll just start getting really,

really sick. and it wasn't a very pleasant diagnosis, so that was in february. in may i actually started the treatment and then took a trip to japan and that was -- >> you were very, very ill at that point. and you did come on this show and then the next day you found out you had kidney failure. at that time you were dealing with something else, your wonderful older sister cookie was going through -- >> she managed to keep it from us for quite a while and her husband. and the next thing i knew, i was sitting next to her when she was in a coma and i get the call about the kidney. and that was outrageous, because a woman who was my nurse for a day at the hospital in los angeles saw me on larry king several weeks later talking about my kidney and saying, oh, i wish we could do something for her, she was with her niece who

then passed away several weeks later and i got her kidney because of this woman. >> but in that moment when you got the call, you were with your sister and you were torn, do i leave or do i not? >> i wouldn't wish that on anybody. and everybody was so -- it was such an emotional several hours while we were in the hospital that the only person i could call was my business manager at 4:00 in the morning saying they just called me, they said they had a kidney for me, what should i do? i'm here with cookie, and he said, you know she would want you to have it, go for it. so i kissed her good bye. >> did you suffer from any survivors guilty? >> absolutely. and they didn't tell me that she passed, she passed several hours after i went into the hospital and they didn't tell me until after the transplant and i was -- i still have a lot of it. i really do. i miss her so terribly, you know, i try to keep from asking why, why, why? because that's not good to ask why, why. because it makes you crazy. but obviously god had his

reasons. >> and this book is in part about the love between two sisters? >> yes. >> and two older sisters. >> jessica and patty. >> jessica is the young -- >> she had a stroke, wept into labor, she did deliver her little boy lucas. as a matter of fact we did the we did the larry king show together and they're such a wonderful family, they're all in the nursing profession and they've all become organ donors, which is pretty special. >> we're so glad that you're feeling well. so wonderful to see you like this. >> amen. >> amen to that, natalie cole, the album is called "love brought me back." up next, olympic skier, lindsay vonn. people! look at you!

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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 ♪ hi this morning on "today's woman" glamorous women of the year, for the 20th year, "glamour" is honoring women in fields of "today." >> women's lifestyle contributor, olympic gold medal skier, lindsay vonn is honored this year. >> tell us about some of the other women involved with this as well. >> we have an incredible group of winners, everybody from

entertainers like fergie, julia roberts, cher is our lifetime achievement winner. to women you've never heard of, like a doctor who has opened the largest refugee camp in somalia. >> what is the common thread? >> the common thread, they're not the kind of women who sit around wringing their hands over the world's problems, they go out and do something about it. they do so much more than they actually have to. you know, fergie's got an incredible career as a recording artist, but she's also very involved in children's causes. cher is cher. queen ranya is a queen, they already have so many accomplishments and yet they push themselves to do more for everybody. >> lindsay, you've done pretty well for yourself. when something like a magazine like this comes to you and says you're one of the outstanding women of the year, talk to me about that. >> it's incredible. i was so honored. they called me and i couldn't believe it something like this doesn't normally happen to a skier like me.

so i'm just, i'm completely thrilled and there's so many amazing women that are part of this magazine and a part of this honor. women of the year, it's just -- honestly, i'm completely honored. >> bring us up to date a little bit. you're right back in. you were here i think last in april. you're heading out in the next couple of days, you're racing again. >> we're racing on saturday in finland, i'm on a flight tomorrow. but happen to be in new york for one day. and go to the flglamour awards tonight, it will be really fun. >> congratulations to you and all the other honorees, and cindy, thanks for bringing lindsay by. we'll see you soon. and when we come back, we're going to talk about a lot more, including your local news and weather.

good morning monday to you. >> cleared from 880.

you can still see all the red. it's below 20 miles per hour northbound and southbound 880. around high street, things are moving much better. truck traffic is slow as well. both freeways through oakland are a problem. consider b.a.r.t. more news ach this.

oakland police are investigating a shooting, car crash and gas leak this morning. the driver was shot in the head and ended up driving across the front lawn of a home. it happened around 2:00 this

morning. the crash caused a gas leak inside the house and forced people from the home. it was capped earlier this morning. we'll have another local news update in 30 minutes or so. have a great monday morning. california voters saw through the high-priced hike this election, but not all. nbc bay area believes the initiative process has to change. i'm suzanne shaw. you, viewers, shared this frustration with us. why is this on the ballot? we passed this law. that's right. it gave the citizens the right to fight corruption. it eegs been taken over by big

money. today, we have multinational corporations writing california law, not for the people, but for themselves. with a new governor headed back to sacramento. voters know who stands to gain. we hope you share your ideas with us at nbceditorials.com. we're back now with more of "today" on a monday morning, it's the 8th of november, 2010. as we continue to pan our crowd this morning, looking for people with those medals around their neck because we have got a lot of people who completed -- there you go right there -- the new york city marathon on sund. meredith viera and al roker who both completed the grueling 26.2 miles. you're in great form. well done mr. roker. >> i appreciate that.

>> there's a nice picture of meredith and al at the finish line. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with natalee morales. lindsay lohan is at the betty ford clinic, she has eight more weeks to go. her mom, dina has been visiting her and this morning, she'll talk to us about how her daughter is doing in an exclusive interview. and then switching gears with the financial meltdown, a lot of folks have been keeping an eye on their nest eggs wondering about retirement, there's seven things you can cut your costs on now to make sure that your financial security is assured through your retirement. and then when you travel, whether you enjoy the great outdoors or perhaps live music or historical sites, we're going to reveal travel and major picks for the top five american cities to help you plan your next get

away. a lot to get to in the busy hour ahead. ann's standing by at the news desk. in the news, haiti's water born cholera outbreak could dramatically worsen as the swollen river believed to be the source of the disease is expected to overflow today. it's expected to overflow the camps where 1 million haitians have been living since january's earthquake. on sunday, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu said a credible military threat is the only way to quell iran's nuclear ambitions. economic and political sanctions against iran are already having a deep impact. president obama is back from a long -- speaking to india's parliament this morning, the president also pledged to work

with india against nuclear proliferati proliferation. two power plants have been shut down after almost simultaneous but unrelated incidents. quantas engineers have found oil leaks in the rolls royce engines on three different planes in it's grounded airbus a-380 fleet. the airline is keeping it's a-380s grounded pending an investigation. former president george w. bush talks about a decision not to pardon former vice presidential aid scooter libby. the told matt vice president dick cheney wasn't happy about it. >> i let the jury verdict stand after some serious deliberation and the vice president was angry. >> when you went to him and you told him, you said he was furious and he said i can't believe you're going to leave a soldier on the battlefield. >> he did. >> has your relationship with

dick cheney improve. >> we are friends today. >> and you can see matt's interview with george w. bush tonight here on "decision points" here on nbc. and finally england is again all abuzz this morning with hope osz after royal wedding. jim maceda is here. >> reporter: their eight-year plus relationship has often felt like a marathon, but rumors of an engagement and a wedding date for kate and william are finally reaching fever pitch. some royal watchers are now certain that by christmas, the couple will announce their engagement and a summer wedding. >> kate will be looking to get married next july, the date, the 23rd of july has been penciled in, i understand. >> reporter: the most serious side, johnson says scotland yard is now grooming a bodyguard for the middle class fiance who

could one day be queen. >> from the moment she gets engaged, everything changes, she's going to have a guy with a gun standing next to her most of the time. >> carol and michael were invited last week for the first time to balmoral, the queen's scottish es skate. mrs. middleton even got lessons on how to stalk a deer with a rifle. and there's this, after nearly disappears from the public eye, kate is back and at william's side. the couple beaming at the mu wedding of a mutual friend. william deeply distrusts the tabloid media wants to get married his way. and what about the dress? there's new speculation there too. royal watchers saying that one of kate's favorite designers issa may get the special

commission. and what will kate do for christmas? traditionally no girl or boyfriends share in the royal family's christmas celebrations unless they're already engaged to a windsor. we'll see. back to you. >> jim maceda giving us all the buzz. it is five minutes past the hour, let's get a check of the weather, it's cold, al. >> good thing it's not really hot or else heads would be popping. all these folks in iowa corn are runners. congratulations. got to love the corn cobs. let's check your weather and see what's going on. first of all in the northeast, we have got winter weather advisories, freezing rain advisories, wind advisories and high weather warnings from philadelphia all the way up into new england. you can see these low pressures have been spinning around, backing up actually bringing

rain and snow from albany up to burlington. we're looking at generally about one to two inches of rain and snow up to the north. and then in the northwest, we got a big system working its way toward the east, u that's bringg snow from idaho all the way down to parts of nevada looking at a mix of rain and snow. and we have got some rain and snow around billings, montana with snowfall amounts a here is a look over san jose. partly cloudy skies. temperatures in the afternoon. we'll see clearing today but cool temperatures. upper 60s to low 50s. highs in the upper 50s with sub shine and northwest winds, 10 to 20 miles per hour. tomorrow, a chance of rain in the afternoon shutting down by wednesday morning. high pressure builds in. temperatures climbing. dry weather for the weekend.

>> and that's your latest weather. matt? we turn now to the long road to recover for one of hollywood's most famous faces. lindsay lohan was spotted out and about this weekend as she undergoes rehab at the betty ford clinic. lindsay still has another eight weeks to go and many are wondering will the young actress finally get clean? earlier this morning i spoke exclusively with lindsay's mother dina and ask her how lindsay's doing. >> it was life changing, the betty ford center is just an amazing place and i spent two weeks there in family sessions and you're not necessarily with the person who's in the facility. you spend time with families of addiction. >> so you don't spend time actually with lindsay seeing what she's going through, you're more preparing yourself. >> they're more the

co-dependency, they're helping the families dealing with the problems. >> when you talk to lindsay, emotionally, what is her state of mind? >> happy, relaxed. she's just a different person. it really -- you know, she's been in a couple of facilities, but this one to me has really changed her. >> when the judge said she needed to go here and sent her, he said to her in no uncertain terms, you're an addict. you and i have talked about this several times in the past. does lindsay fully get that? >> yes. and this teaches you that you are and she's young and i thank god that he didn't incarcerate her because that wouldn't have helped her. >> last time you were here we went back and forth on some issues a little bit and i'm going to let you answer, i'm not going to put words in your mouth, but it appeared to me you were defending her or maybe even

in denial yourself about her situation. so are you also comfortable with the concept that your daughter is an addict? >> yes. when i first came here initially, you know, that was for lindsay to admit. i put her in rehab when she was 19. as a mother, it wasn't for me to come to tell the world, i mean how many viewers do you have, about her problems. that was for her to do. i wasn't in denial by far, but i think it was for her to come to her own evolution and not for me as a mother, we protect. i have three other children, it's not for me to say. even if my child was 5, i wouldn't say oh, she did something in preschool, that's -- you protect as a parent. so now i'm happy and relieved myself and coming on your show i was so nervous because also, our attorneys were like, you can't say this, this, this or this, and i was guarded. >> so now you can be open and honest as can lindsay that she

has a problem she's addressing. and you said that age would make her able to move on from this and recover. she's not that much older than she was then and we know that she had trouble the last time she got out of rehab, do you think this will be different? >> we take it one day at a time. i don't have a crystal ball. i pray hard and i hope she will be able -- she wants to start her own facility and help other children. she's so public that i think we can only be positive and look to the future to help other families. >> let me ask you to put a couple of things in perspective, we saw the video of her out over the weekend, doing a little shopping. in the past when she had been seen during rehab, the idea was that she had skipped rehab and was out of rehab. but this was approved by someone at betty ford? >> she spent the 30-odd days in a facility and now she's in a

home. it's like a safety net, they let you out to live your life. you're going to go back, lindsay is going to go back, loves film, that's what she wants to do. but the pressure and the press, it's trigger points, it's people, places and things. >> they don't want to keep her in a bubble. >> right. >> there's an online report from one of the gossip threads here, of an emotional reunion between her and her father michael. >> i don't read the gossips, i don't know whether it's fact or physician, but whatever the facility wishes for her, it's all about lindsay and her healing. >> do you think it would help for her to have a healthier relationship with michael? >> absolutely. >> for the whole family to pull together for the sake of lindsay? >> my parents were married for 50 years so i don't understand, i've been a single mom for 15

years and i have sole custody of my children. i'm here for lindsay, whatever will make lindsay heal and her better, that can only help. >> that was earlier this morning with dina lohan. coming up, getting the bugs out of your house, we're talking about the flu virus, we'll tell you what you can do to protect your family this season. but up next, the costs you can can eliminate now for a worry free retirement later. that's after this. christmas shopping in december?

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careful plans. jean chatzky has some secrets you should know about now to have an easier life later. we're going to start at number 7 and work our way to number 1. >> right. >> number 7, you say eliminate costs before you retire, what you want to do is lower your investment fees? >> you're going to be rolling your 401(k) into an ira, you may take a lump sum and put it into annuities. the fees are important to watch because in any case 7% investment fees can eat into your returns significantly. >> also when there are jobs like lawn care or painting the house, things like this, these are things you can maybe do yourself. >> you've been delegating because you've been really busy. think about which of those things do you actually like to do, and maybe you want to look into bartering with friends, if you can fix a computer and your

friend likes to garden, you can swap. >> these are things you really need to do to help kind of, you know, bring the corners in a little bit. >> if you've got any big expenditures that you're expecting to hit in retirement, if you know the roof is on its last couple of years, you want to set aside a separate pool of money so that you don't have to further dig into those retirement savings. >> big ticket items? >> absolutely. what we're aiming for here is during retirement is to leave the nest egg in the requirement account so it can continue to grow tax deferred for as long as possible. so anything you do to set aside a pool of money will help. >> this doesn't hold true for retir retirees, anybody can do this. get rid of the credit card debt? >> get rid of the high interest credit card debt. if you are overwhelmed, see a credit counselor, three or four years before you retire and they

can put you on a four-year plan to clear the debt so that you understand what you've got going forward. >> drop unnecessary phones and other connections. >> everybody should do this too, if you've got a land line and a cell phone if you've got cable and internet, chances are you've got a lot of services that are overlapping right now, you don't have to pay for both, go through the bills, do an audit, go to a website like bill shrink.com. and ask yourself do i really need two different phones with voicemail and call waiting or can i just get relate of one? >> a lot of people are dropping their cable and just using the internet to watch tf. >> absolutely. >> limit yourself to one car. >> if you're both retiring at the same time and you've been getting around with two cars, getting rids of one not only limits the cost you're paying for the car, but for parking, for maintenance, for insurance. it's a huge net. my mother and her new husband just got a zip car membership instead of that new car.

it's economical. >> and finally pay off your mortgage. >> some people disagree with me because mortgage is cheap debt. but the relief that comes with not having a mortgage when your paycheck shrinks because you're retiring just enables you to breathe. if you're refinancing, don't take out a new 30-year loan, take out a loan that will bridge you to retirement. take it down to a 15 year or a 10-year so that you won't have that when you slow down. putting on the fashion show right after these messages. le announcer ] imagine the possibilities with stelara® for adults. stelara® helps control moderate or severe plaque psoriasis with 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. in a medical study, 7 out of 10 stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin at 12 weeks. and 6 out of 10 patients had their plaque psoriasis rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks.

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in nine delicious flavors like red berries, chocolatey delight and fruit & yogurt. ' cause variety equals victory. taste all nine. the second season of the fashion show ultimate collection is getting a fashion show. bravo has enlisted imon and isaac, good to have you here. we saw this group of designers who are working together to create a collection. >> this time we have two houses, there's a blue team and a green team. and they work together to do two collections that each week you get those two fabulous run way collections side by side. it's really something. >> and we have added you to the show, how is it going? >> i'm bringing my bubbly and very prickly personality. i want to tell all the viewers why i'm wearing this because

we're supposed to be -- i'm so excited about this. really, i can't wait for it. so tuesday nights, 10:00 p.m. on bravo and it is really you see real fashion shows. and you really see how it really works in the real world. instead of making a dress out of an umbrella. >> and you're the mute in the first round of competition. they're supposed to design a collection that you would wear. >> inspired by me. >> and what were you looking for? >> i was looking for something that i would probably wear, something that is classic, something that's not too trendy, something that's not too short and they did all that. >> and it comes with very high heels. >> that's exactly it. how do you pick a winner then, in your mind, isaac, what are you looking for in this season? >> the designers are all great, but what i was trying to do is to connect with who they were as

designers. and in the end, a kind of purity prevails. in the end, it was purely about design, i think. >> and do you think you guys have done that? do you think you have a big name there? >> i really do. >> the most important thing i think -- >> the secondsoean airs tomorrow at 10:00, 9:00 central i'm on bravo. perfect game day recipe?

crescent bacon-cheddar pinwheels. just unroll the dough, add the ingredients, roll up, bake, and present. wow... these look so good. and so easy. for this recipe and more, visit pillsburycrescents.com. good morning, everybody. time is 9:26. i'm brent cannon. it's been a rough commute all morning long. >> you are going to be driving for a little while. no major accidents for the most part. 101 had a couple incidents tieing up 101 northbound. it's by university avenue where thipgs are clearing a bit there. getting much better over the last half hour.

livermore, 35 minute drive. this has not been a good morning for 580. 880 is starting the clear up. the traffic is moving past the coliseum. things are better there and sunnier. >> we are seeing sunshine in oakland. 53 degrees. same in san jose. it's going to feel cool outside. northwest wind 10 to 20 miles per hour. tomorrow afternoon, we'll see a chance of rain dropping back to the north bay. it maley linger. 60s and0sor the upcoming weekend. more news after the break.

president obama says he's happy proposition 19 did not pass. he says it vote shows america cannot be effective. he thinks voters saw through

false promises. half the voters rejected it. he's called for an end on the war of drugs. he says legalizing marijuana is not the ansz. the city is carving out a budget for city parks and wants to determine where funding priorities should be directed. this is an opportunity for the community to offer feedback to preserve and enhance the park. if you are interested in participating, go to www.nbcbayarea.com and search parks. you have until friday to make your opinion count. more local news coming up in a half hour. the "today" show returns in less than a minute.

♪ a little girl with an amazingly grown up voice. the 10-year-old who wowed the nation with her performance on "america's got talent" this summer. and she's going to wow us again when she performs right here on "today." >> so angelic. >> beautiful voice. coming up in this half hour,

whether you're looking to see historical sites or go on an adventure. everything from restaurants to hotels to culture, we're going to reveal the top five in each category so you can plan your perfect get away. how to keep the flu away, we'll tell you where those nasty germs are likely lurks. and another way to keep healthy, a nutritious green soup from portugal. we're going to show you how to make this warm and cozy dinner for the cooler nights ahead. >> it's going to be a raw day today, rainy and wet here in the northeast with below normal temperatures for the early part of the week. it's going to be wet out west as well. as we move into midweek, more record setting temperatures, mountain snows back across the rockies and in the latter part of the week, normal in the southeast, rain in the

mississippi river valley. some mountain snows in the we are seeing sun breaks through the clouds. we'll see clearing skies generally with showers moving on for at least one day. close to 60 for san francisco. 50s at half-moon bay. highs in the 50s from ukiah. the rest of the bay tuesday evening. after that system, we dry out and warm up approaching the upcoming weekend. >> and that's your latest weather. coming up next, the best cities to visit in the good old usa. first these messages.

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this is not our picks of the favorite cities -- >> the readers. >> not only the readers but travelers. a traveler who wanted to say something about great cities in america, 35 of them, they got to go on travel leisure.com and cast their votes in over 50 different categories and their results are going to be live here. >> charleston, south carolina did pretty well? >> not only did they come in number one in friendliest people, but they also came in number one in most attractive people. and they also became number one in best b and bs and inn. >> so really friendly and attractive people at a bed and breakfast? >> who can put you up. one of our favorites is winward mansion. >> next up, top city for ethnic foods, no surprise right here in

new york. >> no need for a drumroll. i like the fact that we got both ethnic foods and -- we like to kind of spin the globe, decide where we want to go eat based on what we're in the mood for. literally in the shadow of the empire state building. if i want vietnamese, i can go to un choi. i can go to toto ramen which is delicious and if i'm not mood for pizza, and new york is fantastic. >> we don't have a lot of pizza. >> we do. we have neapolitan pizza which is as good as being in naples. >> best city for historical monuments. what a surprise, washington, d.c.? >> it was kind of a close race, we had washington, we had chorlston and we had savannah and washington pulled out ahead

because of course we -- >> have people not heard of the lincoln memorial? >> and the washington monument. and the white house. >> the holocaust museum? all these places? >> one thing that people may not realize, you can go to the top of the washington monument, you can take an elevator up. but a lot of people wait in line for hours to get their tickets, which are free. one thing that is a sneaky thing you can do is you can go online and reserve your tickets and you don't have to go and stand in line. it's a $1.50 charge, but it's worth it. >> nashville, which of course is known as music city. >> country music capital is number one. and you had taylor swift on recently and she is a natural resident and she will sing about everything including how she loves living in nooshl. -- nashville. >> the list of amazing musicians from nashville keeps on growing

and one place to go there is the station inn. every monday is a band called the time jumpers, they're an 11 piece country swing band. they have been doing it for ten years, it's one of the funnest things to do to get a little slice of the grand old opry. >> and folks who like the outdoors, i love this one, portland, oregon. >> portland, oregon has been doing so well as a great food destination. if you want to be outdoors, 36,000 acres of green areas in the city is one of those places where you can't basically walk without finding some beautiful place to be outdoors. we love the japanese garden there, there's five acres and beautiful views of mt. hood. >> all right, thanks so much. coming up next, easy ways to

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"today's" healthy home is brought to you by clorox, help stop the spread of germs with clorox disinfecting products. this morning on "today's" healthy home, flu-proofing your house. if you want to avoid the fevers and the achy joints this year, there's of course the flu vaccine, but there's also smart things you can do in your own house to protect yourself from the virus. the senior editor of "this old house" magazine, good to have you here.

more than 200,000 people are hospitalized with complications related to the flu every year. the flu shot is your first line of defense. >> exactly. >> the second line of defense is really taking a look at your surroundings and there are several years that the magazine focused on. first of all, flu virus, how long does it survive? >> people get the flu when somebody coughs or sneezes and a healthy person is exposed to the germs in those droplets. say if somebody coughs and it lands on the sink. so if you touch your sink, and then touch your eyes or mouth, you're exposed. >> the germy hot spots, the telephone and the remote control. because if you're at home, most likely you're doing this? >> the sick person touches them and then you touch it, and before you know it you've got the same coughs or sniffles. you want to do the weekly -- on

a weekly basis, anyway just to keep yourself a little set. going to the bedroom or the bathroom. >> and the computer desk top, how much bacteria are we exposed to? in our newsroom, people actually share computers. >> the bad news for them, computer desk tops have up to 400 times as many bacteria as a toilet seat. >> lovely. >> take your wipes with you every where you go. >> it makes sense because if you're using your hands and you're coughing and sneezing, that's where the germs are going to land. >> what ingredients are we looking for specifically, because there's so many different cleaners out there, are we looking for anti-bacterials? >> one of two words, either disinfect or sanitize. and those words mean officially that they can kill germs. the epa on its website has a list of about 500 products that

can kill germs. some people like to make their own cleaning products, you can use lemon juice, or tea tree oil, those will kill germs, but the studies are inconclusive as to whether they are as good. . >> and then when we talk about cleaning, in fact one of the things that a lot of us do is you tend to take that sponge and you wipe down the surfaces, but you're actually spreading it around? >> make sure the things you clean with are themselves clean, a dirty rag, a dirty mop, a dirty sponge, you have to wash those things in really, really hot water in between uses to kill those germs and you can put them in the microwave or the dishwasher. you may also want to switch to paper towels when somebody's sick at home.

>> the humidifier, i know scientists say that they actually think that humidifiers can actually reduce some of the bacteria in a home, whereas others believe that it breeds bacteria. >> the problem with humidifiers is that people don't tend to clean them appropriately. there are two things you must do. change the filter as often as the manufacturer says. keep the inside cleaned by using distilled water which doesn't have minerals in it so you don't get the deposits that can breed bacteria inside. dump it out and clean the inside, clean it with hydrogen peroxide. and you can have those things mostly in a whole house system would be ideal because you're humidifying the whole environment. put it in the room where the sick person is spending most of their time. and coming up next, if you

do have the flu, the recipe for a hearty and healthy soup. the black widow spider's severe bite can cause coma and even death.

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this morning in "today's" kitchen, one of portugal's best loved soup, he's one of our best loved chefs, it's a soup that is bright in color and flavor. the executive chef and owner of duro restaurant in connecticut. is this a traditional portuguese soup? >> the americans eat french onion soup. the portugals eat this soup. potato based, collard greens and

kale. for the collard greens, you want to zing that right out. and what we do, we roll it up into a little roll. and you're going to be able to cut it nice and thin so that it doesn't get a little tough on you when it cooks and it's easier to cook fast. >> you cut right in, take off the skin. there's two types, this is a not so dry chilos, and there's another type which has a smoke flavor to it. so we'll get some nice little thin slices going. add it in there, to start the

soup off, basically i've got some boiling water, take some diced potato. i use russet potatoes because they're great for cooking down. we have a little bit of garlic, and a couple of chunks of the chourico. after you mash the potato up, you get it nice and creamy. now your consistency is up to you. i like it nice and pureed, at which point you can take some of these collard greens, it infuses into the soup. you don't want to cook it too long, because it will turn a little brown on you. so for a nice vibrant color, you add it just before it's done.

>> when do you put the sausage in there? >> the sausage we can add now as well. i have taken some traditional portuguese bread and this is a very earthy, old world type of bread. you grill it up and you have some nice little breads over here. so here, we have the soup with a little bit of kale, collard greens, chourico and olive oil. and you have to enjoy a little piece of the grill. >> dipping it in there too, right? >> makes it extra hearty. what do you think? >> fantastic. >> coming straight through. >> thank you again. >> hoda and kathie lee are coming up with mario lopez. but first your local news.

good morning, everybody.

time is 9:56. i'm brent cannon. >> things have been slowing over the last half hour. it was moving smoothly. we had earlier problems with 580. it's moving steadily. an earlier accident just cleared around the scene as well. 880 had good slowing as well. it lasted 20 minutes. things are getting better. it's the slow spot in downtown oakland where earlier, things were packed solid. no problems at the toll plaza. turn off the lights. >> they are seeing a lot of sunshine there. clear skies across california and the bay area. northwest winds sinking in is going to make for a fall-like afternoon. tonight, north bay valleys and salinas will have frost

advisories. rain late in the day and we dry out for the last part of the week. we know who the mayor will not be. one favorite is taking himself out of the running. >> i don't think there's any citizen of the city that wouldn't consider being the interim mayor or mayor of san francisco. it's probably the best job of the world but it's not something i'm after, period. >> he says he doesn't want to serve another term. the board of supervisors will vote for the new mayor. they consider potential candidates, david shoe will probably take over as the interim mayor. he might consider leaving sacramento to get the post. he says it would be tough to leave the state capital for a

temporary job. the "today" show begins in a minute. hi! welcome to progressive.com. come on in, and i'll give you a free quote. quote and compare in about 8 minutes. now, that's progressive. call or click today. sweet n' sour filled twizzlers. the twist you can't resist.

from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hello, everybody. welcome to our show. it is fun day. it is november 8th . >> yes, it is. >> both of us had big weekends in different places. how was rehoboth. >> i was in rehoboth. there say great book, a tiny bookstore called browse about. people really come to rehoboth,

they read there. they read in rehoboth beach. we had a nice crowd there, all asking about you. >> you sold a ton of books. >> they asked when is kathie lee coming, did she used to live here, that's the whole group from browse about, a nice group. they all -- people were serving ice cream with you, they work down the street from you. >> the custard, i got fired. >> that's what she said. that's exactly that she said. >> i gave away too much of it to the surfer boys. >> is that what it was? >> they were hungry. they didn't have any money and they were really cute. >> hannah was down there. >> i'm going to go to rehoboth. i gotta start spending a little more -- my daddy passed away in rehoboth, at our house there, eight years ago this month and it is hard for me to be there. but anyway -- >> how was your weekend? >> somebody came to see you from my family there. >> yes, mishi's husband, your sister's husband -- >> craig. >> i don't know him. he's like, hey, will you sign my book. i said, sure. and i opened it up and it said to mishi, i already signed t i

said this is mishi's book, who is this freak? i'm mishi's husband craig. >> the whole family said, she's gorgeous. hoda is so striking. she's all right. >> it was a treat, though, to see him. >> he's a wonderful guy. mishi and my mom were not with you because they were in connecticut with me for cassidy's play and there is cas in "the odyssey". >> look at her. you can't tell anything from that. it is what it is. >> say exactly how she was. she was -- >> she was -- i was thrilled with her growth as an actress. thrilled with it. like how she -- she just nailed it and got better every -- and finally three performances and she goes, now it is fun and now we don't get to do it anymore. >> i can't believe how much she had to memorize for that play. >> pages and pages and pages of -- but then you barely learn it and you have to perform it

before you can work on your characterization. but her -- her -- there was a young man named sten from sweden. it is not even his first language and he never acted before. he's so good. to have the two leads have such chemistry it was great. just great. i'm just trying to get back to normal at our house a little bit. we moved into our little -- that we're calling now the spa, the little apartment -- our one-bedroom apartment that we're renting. >> she has one. you have one. and i have another one. >> mine is now -- we decided we're going to call it the spa. because it stands for the sexy party apartment. >> it is so fun getting in there, isn't it? >> it is. we're neighbors and -- >> we're doing -- we're teasing it, we're not giving it away, we're doing a trading places piece where i get to live kathie lee's life for a day and you get to live mine. >> yeah.

>> how much fun is that going to be for you? >> i'm looking forward to it. it is going to be long and arduous because you get up much earlier -- i get up at 5:00, you get up at 4:00. >> yeah. >> you have to call karen. >> yes. >> get on the horn, girl. >> call karen and get on the treadmill with a bunch of other weird people up that early on treadmills. i'm not looking forward to it, i got to be honest. >> get ready. get your game face on. speaking of running, al roker and meredith vieira did something incredible as you guys probably know. they ran the new york city marathon. astonishing. meredith finished in just under six hours. watch this. watch. do a sound bite. ♪ >> it is just -- i'm really so proud of them. >> i mean -- >> so proud. that's -- to see them that day, when you think about it, think about -- i guess meredith took

six and al took about seven hours, think about what you do in the course of six hours, you wake up, read the paper, do stuff, clean around the house. all that time they were running, running, running. >> and the preparation for it. look at al, he's had one knee replaced and think how far he's come with the weight loss. >> the kids. >> it is so great. >> it was so cool to watch them finish and meredith said, hold on -- meredith is never -- it is never about meredith. >> it is never about meredith. for first time, i love she said that, she looked up and she said i'm just so proud. she did something that was monumental for her. and look at deborah, she's -- anyway, the chilean miner finished too. he did very well. and congrats to everybody. just makes you want to do that. >> you were having brunch all day long. and i was at church, of course. >> of course you were. >> yes. all right, apparently michael jackson recorded a lot of music before he passed away.

now, sony has just released something called breaking news and it is making its world premiere online. it was recorded, they say, in 2007. not officially released. but they're -- listen to it and see if it sounds like him. ♪ just when you thought he was done ♪ ♪ he goes to give it again ♪ >> sounds just like him. >> some people said it did and some didn't. >> skeptics. they don't believe anything. >> weird to hear him sing after he's passed away, huh? >> listen, if somebody like me has a gazillion hours of recorded stuff that is not released, how much michael jackson has, you know what i'm saying? they usually record 40 songs and come down to the 12 that are -- >> that's a good one. >> i don't think there is any question it is him. >> i don't either. here is the cool story, there was a guy in new jersey -- >> this comes under the title, what would you do. >> exactly. there was a -- what if you found a backpack laying there in the

woods that you happened upon. you get out, open it up and inside you find $5,000 worth of cash and a bunch of jewelry. what would you do in that case? would you, a, try to find the rightful owner or b, take it to your house and spend the money and cash in the jewels? >> what would you do? >> i would definitely -- i would try to find the person. >> i would try to find the person. the whole time i would be praying i couldn't. >> stop. >> because then -- i tried, but i couldn't find them. then, of course, i would give it to charity. >> charity. i think people are really -- i think a lot of people return things. i remember i left my wallet in a cab and the cab driver ended up returning it completely full, like it was of cards and -- and then he brow beat me about why do you put all your credit cards in one place, you could be in big trouble if someone else found it. >> let me ask you this, have you changed your ways? >> no. have you met me. this person is walking around with their jewels and money in a backpack -- >> with all these gps stuff.

>> i think a lot of people carry their stuff with them because they feel -- >> but that seems like the best way to lose it. because you put something down for a second, it could be -- >> today there was a lady in the gym, and she was going into the shower with her purse. with her purse. >> naked carrying her purse. >> she had her t-shirt and shorts on but going to the shower, you can change in there, had her purse and hanging it on the rack. >> people like you are in the gym, of course. >> my mom would have a friend who would carry around all of her jewels in a -- like a grocery plastic grocery bag, just carry it, because you never know. people like to be close to their things. where's my purse? people are constantly -- >> the older you get -- >> the more you want to hang on to tough. >> panic attack sets in. i won't mention my mother, but they do. >> you need to have your stuff nearby. i don't care about my stuff yet. i'm sure the day will come when i do, but i don't. >> how is your apartment coming along?

what am i going to see when i wake up? >> now i'm into hefty bags. i've gotten through some of the boxes. i cannot tell you how frustrating it is to find clothes in the bags because i don't have a chest of drawers yet. they haven't come. i'm digging through. that's what happens. >> that's what i can expect? is there food in the refriger e refrigerator for me? >> there is a little leftover chicken, i think. >> how old? >> friday, friday. it will be good. you'll enjoy it. you'll enjoy it. >> this will not turn out well at all. >> you were sending out e-mails, what do you put at the end of the e-mail to sign off? some people put different words, one word thing, cheers or whatever. if you write cheers, this is what it says about you. i'm casual, yet professional. all right. and you would -- you do thanks. >> i say thanks or thanks so much and that says, do what i've asked and let's leave it at that, shall we? >> and those who sign best say, i wish good things for you. i don't think that's what that means. i think you sign it because you're trying to figure out what to sign. >> best wishes, best regards.

>> but best. >> meaning i wish you the best. >> that doesn't mean -- you don't mean it. >> or i'm the best and you're lucky you're receiving my e-mail. i don't know. another reason i don't e-mail. >> a lot of people do xo. >> you're an xoxo. >> i know. because it is easy and people know that -- >> you're sending love. >> i like that. >> favorite things. >> yeah. okay, get busy. >> every week, i think -- i don't have i have another favorite thing and then i realize i do. every month when we do our everyone has a story, i write a little note to our performer and give them as a gift this. it is grethers. >> you already did this. >> no, i didn't, did i? >> yes, you did. but let's do it again. but they're really good. >> they're sugar free and come in black currant and cherry. and all the broadway stars use them. the voice teachers around town only say use these. >> those are great.

>> they don't dry you out at all. they're excellent. they cost this huge thing, that's what i've been paying for this? $50. >> that's a lot. >> amazon.com, they're gorgeous. >> this is tattered and beaten, but it's mine. it looks like a purse you wouldn't want to carry, but i'll show you what it is. >> it has to be an ipod thing. >> hold on. plug your -- i'll hold it up. >> this is that home ipod thing. >> ihome. >> then you go like this, play. i hope there are batteries in it. you turn it on. hold on. hold on. >> listen to what she's listening to. hold on. >> get ready. you can carry it around like a purse. hold on. just wait. ♪ this is how we do it this is how we do it ♪ >> this is not thursday. >> this is how we do it.

isn't it cute? you carry it around like a little purse. ♪ this is how we do it >> don't like the music. but i like the idea. so -- ♪ this is how we do it it's friday night ♪ >> i'm turning it down. i'm trying to turn it down. >> a vbig show, everybody. we'll take a sneak peek at a sand sculptor who has been working for hours and hours and hours. this is matt long. he's been here since early this morning. >> what is he making? he'll reveal it later. >> it looks a little weird -- >> a little like lucy and ethel to me. >> it kind of does. you know who is here with me today? >> i saw him outside. his dimples are exquisite. >> they're getting bigger, mario lopez is in the house. a lot going on, this guy. >> tons. a new dad, new show. and then we're going to -- we're going to premiere something brand-new, who is it our fan of the week? could it be you? we'll find out.

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extra host mario lopez has more than celebrity news keeping him up at night. now his source of sleep deprivation comes from a little bundle of love named gia frances francesca. >> yes, you'll get to meet the newest addition to the lopez family on mario's new reality show called "mario lopez: saved by the baby." but first, we get to see another side of the tv show host as he shares his pet peeve of overpacking with his then pregnant girlfriend courtney. take a look. >> please pack what you need in one carry-on and tell your family to do the same because you know how you can wash the clothes there and it is international travel, we can lose things. there is always drama. you have bad luck with everything. >> i know. but i'm pregnant. >> so what does that mean? the clothes is bigger? what does that mean? >> you have to listen to her. hello. i'm pregnant. are you a control freak, mario? >> no, i'm not. we just had drama with -- for some reason, the airlines love to lose my luggage. so i'm like, honey, please, we can fit it on the carry-on.

where we're going, they wash the clothes for you. it was a vacation. we hang out in shorts the whole time or bathing suits or whatever. >> did she listen to you? >> of course not. she never does. i always defer to her. but i try to campaign. >> now you have this beautiful new child, you know what traveling with a baby is like. you need -- >> a whole other thing. >> a cargo jet. >> i know that from my sister and her three kids. she's only about three weeks right there. you know what's funny, i thought babies were born bald, by the way, i was -- she was -- she was a whole full head of hair. that blew me away for some reason. >> my father thought i was meant for the zoo, i was so -- look at that. >> come on, the biceps with the baby. >> that's what we like. is there a baby in that picture? >> nothing sexier than watching a man love his children, i think. i think that is the sexiest thing on earth. >> it was weird, because everybody told me about, of course, the lack of sleep, this and that, but what nobody told me is how different i would feel

because i never felt that sort of love before and i was just overwhelmed with emotion and pride and it was just -- that sounds corny, but it was like a life changing experience that i didn't know how to handle at the moment. but i'm so fired up. and i waited to find out what we were having. strongly suggest to people out there who are pregnant because i wanted that -- it is that moment, and it was great. i walked out of the delivery room and said we had bets on everything, the sex and the weight and everything. and it was great. and all the little tests pointed it to being a boy and i thought it was a girl. >> how did it change your relationship with courtney? >> it strengthened it. i look at her with more love and admiration and more respect. she's an amazing mother. >> was her pregnancy easy and birth was good? >> a poster child for pregnancy. she never got sick. she was -- she looks great now, six weeks later. >> oh! >> she was just all belly. her face and body from the back, you couldn't tell anything. just a little belly.

>> was she into the reality show? you turn the spotlight on your life -- >> that's a good question. the genesis, i'm writing a first time father book, i'm thinking this would be a cool reality show. i pitched to her and said would you be up for this? it could be fun. then the show was supposed to be me juggling all my jobs, following my friends and taking this journey to being a first-time father. but when the baby comes, it becomes all about the baby. >> the baby calls all the shots. >> it is so funny, i hope you girls check it out, because it is really funny and we lay it all out there and we're very real. we inform a lot of people and hopefully people find it entertaining but we had a lot of fun. at first i was reluctant, my gosh, what did i get myself into, it is going to be a little invasive. >> everybody says get married now. >> who knows if she wants to keep me. the jury is out. we'll see. >> smart woman. >> we like her. >> mario, we love you, darling. you can watch "mario

lopez: saved by the baby" on what, hoda? >> on vh1. i'm sorry, is there a baby in that picture? what' going on behind the cyrus family closed doors? we'll bring you all the buzz. and sara haines introduces us to our fan of the week. final. ♪ we found a plan we can actually afford. he thinks we did it for him, but it's probably more for me. because...you know, that's my baby. my five-and-a-half-foot baby. [ male announcer ] get unlimited talk and text with the new walmart family mobile plan, where families can save $1,200 a year. what will you do with your savings? ♪ how'd you do that? do what? you made it taste like chocolate. it has 35% of your daily value of fiber. tasty fiber, that's a good one! ok, umm...read her mind. [ male announcer ] fiber one chewy bars.

ok, umm...read her mind. naturally colorful vegetables are often a good source of vitamins, fiber, or minerals. and who brings you more natural colors than campbell's condensed soups? campbell's.® it's amazing what soup can do.™ why go one more round ? you don't need a rematch, but a rethink. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion.

in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. stop fighting with your sleep. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a co-pay as low as zero dollars at lunesta.com discover a restful lunesta night. what makes a hershey's bar pure? ["melt with you" playing] pure fun. pure joy. pure delicious chocolate. pure hershey's. all right, that's the sound of our new monday series called "fan of the week". >> here to introduce us to first

holder of the title is our very own sara haines. what have you got for us? >> it was very difficult, but after weeding through countless kathie lee and hoda groupies, an understatement, we were able to find one who stood out from the crowd and the winner is, drum roll, john ingino, he works as a flight attendant and calls hoda and kathie lee his apprentice flight attendants. he takes cutouts to work with him and we have klg at 30,000 miles, he even takes pictures of you guys with celebrity guests like lorenzo lamas, he's a soap opera star. and then we had cutouts -- when you -- >> he sleeps with us? >> he's not in there as you can see, just the two of you together, snuggling. but we also have a little bit of -- he -- when he's not flying, he loves to sing, travel, watch football, cook,

he's been a fan of the show since the very beginning. his first parts is when you sing in unison, ala louis licari. he likes when you compete, because there is always cheating, hoda. he loves when the crew gets involved and he says you got to love the wine. >> he sounds like our kind of guy. >> i like him. >> john, when you're coming to new york on one of your trips, please come and visit us here at -- i think we want you to. >> we're not 100%, but we think. >> this is a situation where we chose him, we may be signing him a signed cd and book. >> of course we should do that. >> we might do that for him. >> out might have 16 cds, which one do you think he would like? >> whichever on theu the most of. >> are you kidding me? still to come, a lot of entertainment buzz after this. >> and you'll find out who is named glamour girl of the year. make your christmas story unforgettable!

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[ male announcer ] at ragu, our mission is to pack two servings of vegetables into every half-cup of healthy, delicious sauce. new ragu has the taste your family will love. ragu. feed our kids well. good morning. it's 10:26. i'm brent cannon. finally, things ease up a little bit. >> a little bit. let's look at oakland. you can see the last bit of slowing. oh, beautiful shot of the seagull clearing out as well. let's see what rob has to say about the weather in a minute. northbound is still bogging down at 237. earlier problems in palo alto,

which should be clearing. still, highway 84, we don't have anymore of that coming up. the roadways starting to clear. we are getting northwest winds picking up. it's going to keep things cool. temperatures are going to dry out the air. 50s and 60s for the high. tonight, as the winds back off, we are going to see 30s. for the afternoon, more rain and the north bay. after we hit wednesday, we are going to dry out war for the weekend. more news after the break.

>> now, it's time to start work for the off season. mvp says he wants to keep playing despite the giants declined his option that would have cost the team $9.5 million. the team may offer him a chance to stay, at a reduced rate. the kung fu panda could find himself in the minor leagues this season. he's got to lose weight and get into shape. the 24-year-old saw limited playing time during the world series. texas is paying up on a bet dart and bart made a bet on the world series. the head of d.a.r.t. has to serenade the b.a.r.t. passengers.

♪ when i come home to you san francisco ♪ >> he arrived and sang a rough rendition of "i left my heart in san francisco." he had to hand out tasty treats while wearing a giants uniform. thanks for joining us. we'll see you back here tomorrow. have a great day. we're back on this fun day with today's buzz. taking you behind the celebrity scene. >> absolutely. here to dish out the scoop, bonnie fuller, editor in chief of hollywood life.com and rose ann colletti. >> we're talking about a bunch of celebs getting engaged or married. and nick le'shai has been dating melissa manillo.

>> for years. forever. >> how did he pop the question? >> he got down on his knees, very romantic and presented her with an extremely large ring. >> how large was it? >> 4.5 carats. >> that's respectable. >> that's a good size, weighs down that hand a little bit. he was able to pop the question on his knee. >> he does squats. >> how long was he down there? >> they had a reality show, i and jessica. >> many people thought it contributed to the demise of their marriage. >> do you think he'll do that? >> no. he has said there is going to be no reality show about it. but, yes, it did contribute to the demise of their marriage, however, it made them both stars. now, jessica has not taken too well to this new engagement. >> but she's happy in her own life right now, isn't she? >> she is. but pop eater says she was very saddened by this announcement. >> i think if you're kind of happy, i still think you're a little bummed when your ex gets married. >> she had a lot of ups and downs with her men in her recent relationships. >> john mayer.

>> what is it about john mayer? it seems like every time -- >> they all think they're the ones that can change him. >> turn him around, i know. >> he's inspired so many songs. >> another celebrity couple, the woman from "dancing with the stars," karina smirnoff. >> that's a cute story. they were engaged in october. and he proposed to her at a restaurant in malibu. it was a whole setup. her manager took her to the restaurant, and said you're going to have a private meeting with the head of twitter. the manager exits, in comes brad penny, drops down on his knee, opens up a ring box. another knee and a 4.5 carat ring. so another big -- >> what is it with 4.5? >> $125,000. >> that's so funny. >> some people would say it wasn't big enough or expensive enough because he makes $7.5 million a year playing ball. >> that's his business, though, right? >> how big do you need it? seriously. >> in this time of recession. >> big enough. >> people keep talking about

leann rimes and eddie cibrian or whatever. they keep saying they're engaged. are they officially engaged? what's the story? >> they're not officially engaged. but lee ann contributed to this misconception. they posted a picture of herself and eddie down on his knee proposing to her. and then she got all up in arms and after eonline broke the story, she went on twitter and said they're wrong, how dare they, we're not engaged, but we're in love and we're happy. >> and we were teasing. >> there may be a back story here. they may have wanted to keep it secret because they want to sell the exclusive rights so that may be what's really going on. >> has this damaged her, though? a like lee ann, every time she's here she's a delight. but she's been known a little like angelina jolie, they're considered home wrecker because both of them were married to other people. >> that's right. i mean, she spoke out about it in a recent special, and she said i am no home wrecker, however, there is big uproar

when she's on the cover of "shape" that a lot of the readers wrote in and said why are you putting a man stealer on the cover? we don't like that. >> nobody knows the real story there either. >> miley cyrus is getting a lot of ink. you saw the pictures, didn't you? >> they are. i love miley. >> what was going on? >> she was in spain and she was having a drink of beer. >> in madrid. she's in a club in madrid with a bunch of her friends, she's been over there for the mtv european awards and there she is holding corona. >> she's a month away, a couple of weeks away from her 18th birthday. 18 is the legal drinking age. >> in spain. >> it is not strictly enforced over there. >> no, no. most europenans they're -- well never mind. >> let her slide on that one. >> where was it, berlin or some place in germany where the grinding thing and the outfit with the -- >> she's been doing so much of that, racy outfits, grinding against her dancers, riding around on beds in videos. i think a lot of it is very

cumulative and disturbs parents of her fans. >> what is the story with her mom and dad now? i read they were separated or what's the story? >> they announced that they're divorcing. there is a lot of rumors that there was an -- that the mom tisch had an alleged affair with brett michaels. but he's denied it up the wazoo. and miley said when she's over in europe that her best birthday present would be to have her family all together for her birthday. >> of course, she loves her parents. there was also some question about his own infidelities on the other side as well through the years. >> oh, yes. >> i'm not saying that they're true, but, you know, it all -- it is almost impossible to remain in a steady grounded family with all of that going on. >> with all of this going on with her, with the grinding and the bad clothing and all of that, she has carried this family crisis off with a lot of grace and dignity. she really has. >> she's a great girl. we wish them the best. >> ladies, thank you. >> go out and do what you do, go dig up some more dirt. see you next time. up next, glamour magazine

names its women of the year. this is always fun. >> plus, the guy responsible for these beautiful works of sand art reveals his special creation he's making for us. cocktail tas, but it's also rich in powerful nutrients that help cleanse and purify your body. cranberries are the ninja fruit. wh-wh-whoa! ocean spray -- tastes good, good for you. like the cranberry, the pomegranate is a superfruit, prized since ancient times. he would know. [ snickering ] also available in light and diet.

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so i couldn't always do what i wanted to do. but five minutes ago, i took symbicort, and symbicort is already helping significantly improve my lung function. so, today, i've noticed a significant difference in my breathing. and i'm doing more of what i want to do. so we're clear -- it doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. my doctor said symbicort is for copd, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. my copd often meant i had to wait to do what i wanted to do. now i take symbicort, and it's significantly improves my lung function, starting within five minutes. symbicort has made a significant difference in my breathing. now more of my want-tos are can-dos. as your doctor about symbicort today. i got my first prescription free.

call or go online to learn more. [ male announcer ] if you cannot afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. for the 20th year, "glamour" magazine honors a handful of women who are leaders in their field. >> cindy levy is the editor in chief and our women's lifestyle contributor and she's here with two of "glamour's" honorees tonight donatella versace and

lisa leslie. nice to see all of you. congratulations to both of you. >> cindy, how do you -- it is interesting how you select, because everybody is so different obviously, donatella, lisa, you have a lot of terrific celebs, but what is the common thread? >> we're looking for women who have broken barriers in all different kinds of fields from women like lisa who four olympic gold medals. >> hello. >> and first woman ever to dunk in a pro basketball game. >> is that right? >> yes. >> something that most of us can only dream of she accomplished. and donatella took over one of the world's most important fashion brands and turned it into an empire. these are women who have pushed us all forward in some way. >> and you're honoring julia roberts. >> queen rania, fergie, cher is our lifetime achievement award and an award to a woman who with her daughters who are all doctors in somalia have turned their family farm into one of the world's largest camps for displaced people. >> wow, that's fabulous. >> amazing, amazing women.

>> so when you were called, donatella, and told you were being honored, what was your reaction? >> i was so happy. i was so happy because this is a big award. why me? >> the company you're in, you're in a darn good company. >> lisa, what about for you? >> it is amazing to be honored by "glamour." we love to play fashion and dress up, it is a great honor to mix the two. i love being a role model for so many young boys and girls in our country. >> i think it is great how you changed the face of sports. women playing sports in high school has jumped from 7% to 42%. how do you think that changes a young girl? >> i think it is great because statistics show girls are more likely not to do drugs or go to school or more likely to go to college when you participate in extracurricular activities. and it is great for us to get that self-esteem, that's what it is about.

is learning to love yourself. that's what sports did to me. i didn't ask to be 6'5", that's this is what god gave me. i did the best i can in fashion and maintaining my feminine while still playing sports. >> a great book author too, we should point out. >> that's right. >> cindy, describe what the night is like. it is very star studded. >> we haven't been, i don't want to say anything. tell us what it is like. what is it like? we'll live vicariously. >> it is a wonderful night. we do the event at carnegie hall and each winner has her award presented by someone who she is close with. so it becomes more meaningful and intimate than sometimes the case at those events. but the wonderful thing about the night is there is incredible mix of women, it is not all people you see together ordinarily. sometimes those women, the women who are from halfway around the world have accomplished amazing things are the ones who really move us all the most. >> great to see all of you. congratulations. >> and congrats on 20 years. >> thank you, thank you.

>> all right. up next, from donatella versace to donatella arpaella who donatellas in >> >> what are the chances of that. >> a few more minutes until that surprise sand sculpture is revealed. stick around for that. [ female announcer atcan your body wash nourish this deeply? the moisturizer in other body washes sits on top of skin. only dove has nutriummoisture, which can nourish deep down. dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin.

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time for "today's kitchen" and we're getting saucy with pizza. not just any pizza, pizza that will help your hangover. >> donatella arpaella is the chef and owner of donatella, her restaurant, the ninth. you're unbelievable. >> turning them out, baby. >> you serve a wide variety of pizzas in your -- >> in my neapolitan pizza with the most fantastic oven, all in gold mosaic tile and made from italy. >> the oven is important. >> the oven is everything to the pizza, yes. today i'm going to show you how to make one at home, which is kind of hard. i made it easy for you. you like easy, right?

>> we like simple. this is a hangover pizza. >> hangover pizza, when you're hung over, what do you like to eat, an egg and cheese in the morning. >> i don't know. >> you don't know what that's like. come on. >> we serve it in the restaurant, you roll out dough, preheat your oven as hot as you can and put a sheet pan in instead of a cooking stone. you want it to be hot. roll out the dough on parchment pap, you don't want to burn yourself. really easy. you put it in the oven, cook it for eight minutes. >> you put it on -- >> you want to -- because this goes in the oven, and it makes it really hot. keep it preheating for 30 minutes. >> okay. >> the whole thing about a pizza is to make your oven as hot as possible. >> what's with the shape? were you still drunk when you did it? >> that's the beautiful thing about a pizza. >> it looks like a kidney. >> this has a cream cheese quality it is not hard to find. go for the robiolla, it is

delicious. do you know how to crack an egg? >> that was just rude, do you know how to crack an egg? careful. she's crunching it in her hand like a fist. >> you're supposed to crack it on the pizza. go for it. >> i'll do it. >> beautiful. nice. >> want another one? >> right on top? >> right on top. you put it -- we'll did a lito salt and pepper. >> sometimes that happens. >> very good, hoda. salt, fresh pepper. put it back in the oven for about four minutes until the white sets. then we come over here. >> that's the -- that's the deal? >> yeah. >> and then you -- >> that's the whole thing? >> that's it. >> you add a little fresh arugula on, spicy. and so important, truffle oil. >> love truffle oil. >> truffle oil makes anything better, right? >> what is so great about it? >> it is delicious. >> it is expensive but delicious. >> they have brands that are not so expensive anymore. you can get them in the

supermarket. >> really? >> you have a hangover, you want the fat. >> that's that? >> how does one eat it? >> you just cut it. >> here you go. >> thank you. >> you're welcome. >> i'm not allowed to have cheese or bread, this should be interesting. >> one bite. >> what's in this area? >> i'm making a hangover cocktail. >> of course you are. that makes perfect sense. >> it is nonalcoholic f you want to add a shot in, sometimes they say the hair of the dog is better. it is made with cherry juice. i like cherry bundy and orange juice. cherry juice is -- has very high antioxidants, more than pom. pomegranate is the big range. cherry juice is the new big range. here is the ice, add some orange juice. a lot of vitamin c. it is the truffle oil, right? it is so easy for the kids, they want a snack. go whole foods and buy pizza dough. it is so easy. a little simple syrup. shake. >> shake, all right. >> i don't know if you want to

shake too hard when you have a hangover. pour with a little mint and i'll top it with a little club soda. this is great for a hangover. high in vitamin c, high in antioxidants, perfect for coming up with the holidays now. though you two never drink. you ladies -- >> no. >> isn't it fun? >> only when it is necessary. >> exactly. >> donatella, thanks. when will you open your new restaurant? >> i don't know. donatella, my first bar, come to the bar. >> okay. thank you so much, swede suieti now that we're finished with these, our sand sculptor is about to reveal his greatest creation yet.

if you're just tuning in, matt long, a master sand sculptor, arrived at 5:00 this morning and he's been working so hard ever since. >> now he's down at our scene

dock, where he's been for the better part of six hour. he's ready, he's in our studio, to reveal his latest creation. hello, matt. >> hello, girls. great to be here, thank you. >> it is great to see you. >> before you show us our stuff, you do some incredible work that we have seen -- just crazy, crazy sand sculptures. >> it has taken off in the united states. and the competition, as you can see, and the degree of skill and art is just skyrocketing. >> were you a sculptor by trade to begin with? >> myself, no. i have no artistic training what so ever. >> that's unbelievable. >> yeah, i just saw someone do this in the sand one day and i was hooked and one thing led to another. the last piece is from this year's world championship, the united states team, we came in second. >> wow, congratulations. >> if you had clay, you couldn't do what you do with sand? >> there is something about the temporal nature of sand and the texture it a tough medium to work. >> let's reveal. we got to show it. let's turn it. who are these people?

>> who are those women? >> these women are not as beautiful as the real thing. let me tell you. >> okay. so kathie lee is the one -- >> so flattering. i'm the one with the bigger bazoom. >> i'm the one who looks astonished. >> you can tell by the medium. >> yes, i see. >> first of all -- >> i need more -- i need more time to capture the beauty. >> i think you did -- >> we'll send you down to the cellar again. >> the loading dock. >> i think there are too many teeth. >> you got a lot going on. >> a lot of teeth, but -- >> i think it is amazing, i really -- and how do you feel when you've done one and the wave comes in and they take it away? >> most of the sculptures i do i get to walk away from. when they take them down, sometimes it hurts. this won't hurt as much as some.

but if you've done a great job and you know it is going down or see it, it kind of hurts a little. >> and special sand back there. >> special sand. we're here for the sand sculpting event. this is the siesta key sand. >> you can't sell yours? >> no. >> we can't buy it for the living room? >> no. >> tomorrow, brett michaels and nora ephron will be with us. >> have a great day, everybody. quarter.eginning of the 3rd

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