good morning. good morning. let the countdown begin as britain prepares for the big day. prince william and kate middleton speak out for the first time about their royal engagement. >> was she surprised? how did they keep it a secret and why did prince william decide to give kate's princess diana's ring? natalie's live with the answers.

and in custody. a former producer accused of killing his wife during a mexican vacation, arrested by federal agents and tdue in cour today. his lawyer says he's innocent, but this morning, revealing new court documents seem to tell a much different story. and where does most of your seafood actually come from and just how healthy is it? the "today" investigation that could have you ordering steak today, wednesday, november 17th, could have you ordering steak today, wednesday, november 17th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm meredith vieira. and matt's been giggling nonstop since the announcement of this engagement. look at you! look at you! >> i can barely contain myself. there's no question about it. this is going to be the biggest event in the uk in nearly 30 years, of course, since prince

william's parents, charles and diana, were married. so how do william and kate feel about finally sharing their news with the world? and are they ready for the spotlight to shine even brighter, if that's possible, on their relationship? we're going to hear from them, straight ahead. >> of course, everyone is talking about that ring. an 18 carat surrounded by diamonds, and it was princess diana's. >> we'll get much more on the story on how william decided to give it to kate and talk to one of their friends who knew about the engagement long before the rest of the world. >> but let us begin, where else, buckingham palace. natalie morales made her way over there overnight. good morning, nat. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. could the headlines be any bigger or bolder here. as you see "the daily telegraph," kate's very special, the daily mail, with this ring, i thee wed. they've been waiting a long day for this ring, as long as kate

middleton herself, over the better part of the last eight years. and as you mentioned, the spotlight shining brighter than ever, and the couple did not disappoint as they shared their first interview as royals now newly engaged. the royal couple who may one day be king and queen yesterday talked about their engagement. so how did william pop the question? >> we had a wonderful holiday in africa and we got back in a very quiet lodge. it was very romantic. and very personal. >> did he get down on one knee? >> you'll have to wait for that. >> prince william, why did it take you so long to propose? >> well, i don't remember how many years it's been, i also didn't realize it was a race. but also, the timing is right now. we're both very, very happy, and i'm very glad that i have done

it. >> reporter: in her first interview before the world, a rather nervous kate talked about becoming part of the royal family. >> i'll take it in stride. william's a great teacher, so he'll be able to help me along the way. >> reporter: and that fabulous sapphire and diamond ring, it was william's mother's back in 1981. kate's parents expressed their joy. >> carol and i are absolutely delighted by today's announcement and thrilled by the prospect of a wedding some time next year. >> reporter: an reaction echoed around the country. >> heard the news and it's absolutely wonderful. >> i'm just so happy for both of them. they are so happy. it's wicked. >> obviously, it's true. thank you very much. been practicing for long enough. >> reporter: a cheeky reference to the eight years the couple had been dating. and in their first sit-down interview -- >> congratulations. >> reporter: william and kate talked to itn's correspondent tom bradby about how they were feeling. >> it has to be said, you both look incredibly happy and relaxed. >> we are.

we are. we're like ducks, very calm on the surface, little feet going under the water. it's very exciting. we've been talking about it for a long time, so for us, it's a real relief and really nice to tell everybody. >> and you were going to do this from day one of the whole day, or waiting for the end? >> i'd been planning it for a while, but as every guy out there knows, it takes a certain motivation to get yourself going. so i was planning it and it felt really right. >> i really didn't expect it at all. i thought he had maybe thought about it, but it was a total shock when he came. and i'm very excited. >> people are bound to ask, you know, a bit of a personal question, but children? do you want lots of children? see what comes? what's your -- >> i think we'll take it one step at a time. get over the marriage thing first, but then look at the kids. but obviously, we want a family. so we'll have to start thinking about that. >> now, of course, the royal wedding planning is already well under way. no date set just yet, but, of

course, as you've heard, there's talk that it could be a spring or summer of 2011 wedding. prince william is also said to be favoring westminster abbey as the location. that's where the queen herself was married and where the funeral for his mother was held. he's also reportedly said he wants this to be a low-key affair, but as you can imagine, that will hardly be the case. many here already talking about this wedding as being the wedding of the century. more than a billion worldwide are expected to tune into this one. meredith? >> natalie morales, thank you very much. piers morgan is the former editor of news of the world and the daily mirror, a judge of "america's got talent,". tom bradby is itn's royal correspondent who scored the big interview with william and kate. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> tom, if i can start with you, first journalist in the world to sit down with this couple. william said to you, described them as two ducks in the water. you know, on the surface, very

calm, but underneath, the feet are going like crazy. how would you describe their demeanor, both on-camera and off? >> reporter: well, quite helpfully, we had quite a long time together. there was half an hour beforehand where things were pretty relaxed. by the time we got into the room, kate was pretty nervous. i think in all our minds, when william's parents got married, there was this toe-curling awful interview, when you remember, prince charles said, whatever love is. and it was played back over and over. so we were all conscious it didn't want to end up like that. so there was a deliberate attempt to relax all of us. i said, this is your happy day. this is not a rottweiler interview. it's a conversation. people are curious about you. they want to know about you. i've just got to lead you through it. i said, it's your happy day, i just pray i don't muck it up. >> do you think they were coached at all, particularly kate, or catherine, i guess we should call her now, to make sure there were no gaffes? >> no, they definitely weren't coached. i know that for a fact.

william is quite a polished media performer, actually, these days. if you think about it, the queen's never done an interview, prince charles rarely does interviews and they tend to be a bit stilted. william does live interviews, you can throw any question at him, he's quite polished. he doesn't need any media training. kate didn't have any, and she was nervous. this is a massive, you know, first-ever interview on tv. and it's something that you not only do you know hundreds of millions of people probably are going to watch, but will be played back for years and years to come. it's hard to think of a more intimidating atmosphere in which to conduct an interview for all of us. so under those circumstances, i thought she did really pretty well, actually. >> yeah, i did too. piers, you've covered the royals extensively over the years. you actually spent some time with princess diana and prince william when he was just 13 years old and you described their relationship as very close, and the great sense of humor between the two of them. and william spoke specifically about humor and kate. so in any ways, do you see similarities between the relationships on any level?

>> i do. i had this amazing lunch with william and diana when he was about 13 1/2, and i was struck by the closeness of their relationship, for one. she told him everything. but also, this sort of crazy royal humor they all have, where they live such ridiculous lives in this mad goldfish bowl, and the only way to deal with it is to have this wild humor. and you can hear william saying, i'm this wonderful cook, and being apparently quite poboastf, but not really like that. william is a very independent-minded guy. first of all, tom, congratulations on the great interview scoop. would have been a bit better if i'd done it, but it wasn't bad. >> okay, okay. >> so sorry. >> but actually, to be serious, what is great for britain, and i think for the world, actually, we're in this terrible recession at the moment. everyone's suffering, people are losing their jobs and stuff. along comes a good old-fashioned british royal wedding. and it's going to be the biggest event, not only of the century, but the millennium. this is going to big one. and the brits are all out there

going, this is the one thing we can do that the americans can't do. because you don't have a royal family. >> that's right. this is our royal family. we've adopted them. tom, during the interview, prince william was very careful to say that this couple is going to forge their own way. that no one should expect kate to be like his mom. so what can we expect from kate going forward? >> one of the reasons i think it's taken them so long to get here is that they've put a lot of thought into this. and you know, piers knows better than anyone that the charles/diana years were kind of crazy, really. and william had a clearer, better view of that than anyone else. and he, one thing i'm absolutely in no doubt about, he doesn't want to repeat that. famous last words, but i'd be staggered, i'd eat my hat if they ever got divorced. now, i can't guarantee they'll be happy, i hope they will, i'm sure they will, but i just think they'll never get divorced, because he wants to be like his grandparents, to be there through thick and thin. they know that divorce is not an

option. they've thought a lot about this, they've been careful about it, have been thoughtful about it. they'll do it in their own way. yes, they'll come forward and do these occasions, they'll do all that, but they'll retreat very grateful as soon as they can into private. both of them, but particularly william, are very, very quite ruthlessly focused on wanting to lead the life that she wants to lead and they want to lead. very ruthless, actually, about pushing away impressions. >> what is really significant, i think, is that there was apathy growing about the royal family. i could sense it. young people weren't really that engaged with them. what is so great about this announcement is i think everyone is now re-engaged with the royal family and the monarchy. and that's great for britain, it's great for the royal family, it's great for americans. americans love a good old-fashioned wedding. and what better than this handsome young prince and beautiful catherine to walk down the aisle next summer. i think everyone will be feeling great about this. and that's why as a brit, i feel really proud.

i was really proud of them yesterday, and having known diana quite well, i think she would be looking down on them thinking, my boy's done really well. she's a really special girl. >> piers morgan, thank you so much, tom bradby as well. congratulations on the interview. coming up, we'll have much more on the engagement and a friend who was in on the news. but here's matt. we take a serious turn, and new developments in the brutal murder of an american tourist at a popular mexican resort. seven months after that crime, the victim's husband, a reality tv producer, has now been arrested and is due in court today. nbc's miguel almaguer is at the federal building in downtown los angeles. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. last night, u.s. marshals took bruce beresford-redman into custody at his home in los angeles. right now he's under arrest, but for how long? for months, bruce beresford-redman has been free in this country, spending time in los angeles with his children, but now he's under

arrest for his wife's murder. in april, monica beresford-redman's nude body was found dumped in a hotel sewer in cancun. in new court documents, authorities are now outlining the murder case against him. they say evidence shows he was having an affair. on the night of monica's murder, hotel guests heard screaming for help from the couple's room. forensic teams later found bloodstains on pillows in the room, sheets on the bed, and a railing on the balcony. when questioned by police, investigators say bruce had scratches or abrasions on both his hands, behind his ear, on his left shin, and on his right ankle. before monica's body was found, bruce claimed his wife had gone missing, but mexican prosecutors say after monica vanished, bruce phoned a friend as though he was, quote, reading from a script, and was very calm, as if he had just lost his dog. a producer of tv shows like "survivor," bruce was the only suspect named in the case, but

mexican prosecutors took weeks to file charges and by the time they did, he had left the country. from day one, monica's family has blamed bruce for her murder, and went to mexico to try to get him arrested there. >> we loved my sister and we want justice. >> reporter: monica's family say they're relieved by tuesday's arrest, but bruce's lawyer has vowed to fight extradition back to mexico, saying he is an innocent man, being wrongfully accused by a foreign government. >> the odds are that he probably is going to be extradited, because they're going to have to show that it would be a gross miscarriage of justice for him to be extradited back to mexico. and that's a pretty tough standard. >> reporter: meantime, the couple's children remain in the custody of bruce's parents. after the arrest tuesday night, a confrontation between the two families. >> get out of my face! >> reporter: bruce's father says his major concern is with his grandchildren. >> the children will be

protected as long as we live. >> reporter: although bruce beresford-redman's legal team will fight extradition, this whole process will not happen quickly. legal experts say this could be caught up in court for months, if not weeks. >> miguel almaguer, thank you very much. it's now 7:14. here's meredith. now to washington where it's decision day on capitol hill, as democrats and republicans hold leadership elections. and it appears that house democrats have averted what could have been a messy power strudemocrats have averted what could have been a messy power struggle. >> reporter: well, it is another election day rolling around here, house members will pick a handful of leadership positions. nancy pelosi is an expert vote counter. she's got support lined up. but we do expect a challenge that will end up being just symbolic to her authority. right now we have pelosi and one of her long-time allies, charlie rangel both facing pressure for very different reasons.

today outgoing speaker nancy pelosi is expected to lock in her spot as the top house democrat. and quiet steady grumbling that unhappy democrats would really rather see a change election with pelosi out. no drama for republicans who will vote to make john mccain the next speaker today. his team could add these new faces. south dakota's christy nome and south carolina's tim scott. both tea party favorites. but a very different kind of house vote tuesday. >> we found a violation by clear and convincing evidence. >> reporter: in the twilight of a career, a vote to convict 80-year-old charlie rangel of ethics violations, guilty on 11 counts of failing to report taxes, using his office and staff to solicit millions in charitable donations for a

harlem college center bearing his name. the committee found that rangel personally asked for donations from companies seeking tax breaks from congress. >> we have tried to act with fairness, led only by the facts and the law. >> reporter: rangel who was not there for the verdict and did not offer a defense says he's been treated unfairly. >> as it relates to the due process, i am really disappointed. >> reporter: but the strain of this case weighed on both democrats and republicans who found that rangel brought discredit to the house. >> none of the members of this committee are volunteers. >> sitting in judgment of a fellow member, a colleague is a very difficult task. >> reporter: and tomorrow the ethics committee will meet again to talk about punishment for rangel. he'll have a chance to talk there as well. it's expected that it could end up being something like a formal reprimand, a censure. some rumbling about his resigning, but after the

overwhelming re-election, that's not expected. let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories and we'll head over to ann at the news desk. >> good morning to all of you this morning. this morning we're learning that air travellers won't be allowed to refuse pat-downs or revealing full body scans on religious grounds despite all the outrage over the new airport security measures. anyone refusing to be searched will not be allowed to fly. a man who's been called the merchant of death landed in new york city this morning after being extradited to thailand. he's accused of selling weapons to international groups targeting americans including in afghanistan. bp and its contractors ignored warning signs leading up to last summer's well disaster according to an independent investigation. the panel of independent experts found that bp continued drilling despite, quote, several

indications of potential hazard. the dominican republic has now reported it's first cholera outbreak. the death toll in haiti prompts 1,000, prompting riots to sweep the nation. incumbent republican lisa murkowski has taken a major lead in the fight for the alaska senate seat. the write-in candidate has more than a 10,000 vote lead over tea party candidate joe miller. police are seeking suspects after a hollywood publicist was gunned down last night. 64-year-old ronni chasen was best known for her work in "driving miss daisy." two australian skateboarders founded this facility. and every week, hundreds of local boys and girls come in for lessons on how to skate through obstacles on and off the board.

>> mr. roker is here with a check of the weather. >> we had some pretty strong storms blow through here earlier today. a lot of rain moving through new england. behind it the wind speeds anywhere from 26 miles per hour in boston, one to two inches of rain there as well. airport delays, cleveland, washington, newark, new york city all delays. another gorgeous start to the morning around the bay area right now. you see that clear sky view of san francisco. not quite as breezy in the hilltops this morning. for the afternoon we'll see one more day of 60s and 70s around the bay area. low 70s near san jose and low to mid-70s inland around the tri-valley, but beginning tomorrow, more clouds, we'll wake up to coastal fog and patchy low clouds inland. the rain starts to approach on

friday. a big cooldown for the weekend. more now on the royal engagement. prince william proposed to kate middleton with his mother's engagement ring. it's getting nearly as much attention at the happy couple. here is nbc's lee cowan. >> reporter: the only thing more dazzling that the bride-to-be's smile was kate middleton's left hand. her engagement ring is blinding, even without the flashbulbs, an 18 carat sapphire blooming out of a garden of diamonds. it is a lot to look after, especially given its former owner. princess diana picked out her own ring. back in 1981 for her engagement to prince charles. but what a scandal? people scoffed, including the royal family that the future princess chose a ring out of a catalog instead of having one

custom-made, a mere $60,000 it cost. but princess di had an eye for style even then and that commoner sapphire has born her name ever since. >> do people still refer to it as a princess diana sapphire? >> that style of ring is 100% a princess di ring. >> reporter: she wore it even after her divorce from prince charles. for her son, the future king, there isn't a crown jewel more valuable. >> obviously she won't be around to share in the fun and excitement. this is my way of keeping her close to it all. >> reporter: he spent three weeks in africa for three weeks before finally popping the question. >> i knew if it disappeared i would be in a lot of trouble. >> reporter: the comparisons between kate middleton and princess diana are inevitable. she's already become the most photographed woman in britain. >> she's got to be quite media savvy to be a 21st century princess and she's shown she's able to cope with a lot of problems, paparazzi and things like that. >> reporter: and just like

another princess, kate is already setting trends. >> sapphires will back in. >> reporter: just in time for the holidays, guys, her ring is already -- >> we're learning that ring was actually in prince harry's possession after princess diana died. >> and harry decided that the ring should be in the possession or on the finger of the future queen of england. so he gave it to prince william to give to kate middleton. >> a very nice gesture. coming up, kate middleton's rise from commoner to princess, we're going to talk about that with one of her friends who knew about the engagement before the rest of us. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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comes from? "today's" investigation that you won't want to miss. and "people" magazine's picks for the sexiest man alive. after your local news and weather. wow! ♪ they're from my garden club, up north. [ female announcer ] this year, hallmark has all new ways to say it. well, there's the snow you wanted. good morning, everybody. the time now 7:26. i'm brent cannon. uc students and workers are set to protest new tuition hikes this morning. they are outside the uc regents meeting in san francisco. today in the bay's christie smith is live with why they're so upset. >> reporter: good morning, brent. students are starting to arrive from places like uc berkeley and uc davis. a group is coming up from santa barbara. there is also a very strong police presence out here.

barricades going up. the regents are meeting about 8:30 this morning at the mission bay campus. students and workers say they will go inside that meeting to speak and protest an 8% tuition hike. that's on top of a 32% jump last year that sparked some pretty major student protests. workers are upset over pension reforms. now, uc regents say given the economic climate it's really tough but necessary. crowds are expected to swell throughout the morning, but so far pretty calm out here. we'll be back after the break. y

time to check your morning commute with mike. he's watching bart. you put them both together and you're mart. >> there are 20-minute delays because of an earlier problem with one of the trains out of the west oakland station. all trains are moving again, but about 20 minutes, maybe a little more for the system. keep that in mind as you head to the station. also a 20-minute delay coming off of the carquinez bridge. all lanes are cleared heading past central avenue but an earlier accident had things tied up quite a bit. a slow drive, about 40 minutes off the carquinez bridge. more local news in half an hour.

what would happen is i would burn something and something would catch on fire, she would be in the background trying to take control of the situation. 7:30 on this wednesday morning, november 17th, 2010. who knew the prince cooks. that is prince william opening up about the early day in their first interview in bride and broom to be.

i'm meredith sierra alongside matt lauer. >> aso-called commoner on the road to become queen. how is she going to handle the pressure that will come with her new title? we'll talk to her long time friend. >> that he also called her a spinsister. >> before you have fish or shrimp do you know what's in it? there's a chance it could be tainted with dangerous chemicals and drugs. let us begin with the grooming of a princess. let's head back to bucking ham palace. natalie, good morning again. >> reporter: good morning to you, matt, they've been ee namerred with kate for a long time now as you can imagine. but as much as people have read about her here, they haven't heard her speak much. in her first interview and now they are getting an idea of who she really is, as she did with

william by her side, she's stepping into what she called a most daunting role. >> she attended her fair share of weddings but after more than eight years of dating, kate middleton is looking at walking down the aisle herself. it is performance at the fashion show that caught prince william's eye and soon they were a couple, doing, well, couple things. >> it would always come with a big of angst, something had gone wrong. >> reporter: they even graduated together in 2005. kate's good looks and love of sports have chimed with william and made him a popular friend. >> there's no pretentousness. >> reporter: it may be just those qualities that kept william coming back, even when they briefly split up three

years ago. >> now the middle class girl who comes from a close knit family has to prepare for a future as a full-time princess and that will bring some challenges. >> if you marry prince william, you will be spending the rest of your life in the public spotlight. >> reporter: princess diana found that hard to bear. there will be tie air ras to wear and butlers and dressers and cooks and private secretaries will become the norm. she'll have to shake ee numerable hands. >> her age will be a advantage but it will certainly change her life. >> reporter: those who know her say she's got what it takes. >> a modern day princess has to blend in with every part of

society. a ball gown in london. kate will be able to handle it. >> reporter: while the comparisons with princess diana are inevitable as prince yum said there is no pressure to fit in his mother's shoes. bi bi but interesting to note, the ring was a perfect fit. >> thank you very much. princess diana's chief bodyguard and handled security for princes william and harry and jessica hey is a long time friend of kate middle ton. jessica, let me start with you. you went to school with kate and you played sports together? how did she break the news of this engagement to you? how did you find out? >> it was via phone. but it was a while ago, quite a

while ago but nothing could be said so i kept my mouth firmly shut. >> was it hard to keep the secret? one of the biggest secrets in the u.k. over the past couple of decades. how hard was it? >> i think if you know kate, you would be able to keep a secret. if she tells you something personal, she's such a supportive person, couldn't wish for a better friend. >> people really want to know what she's going to be like as a princess and perhaps the future queen of england. talk to me about her qualities. what else do we need to know about kate that will tell us how she'll do in the role of princess? >> i thing what will make her a great princess, she's very grounded and cares about people. more often than not, she will do what she wants to do. she's very independent and head strong and that will stand her in good steds in years to come.

>> we have heard people talk about her as an individual and william as an individual. you're one of people that knows about them as a couple. can you describe their dynamic as a couple, both in front of the camera and away from the camera? >> yeah, they are a very normal couple, the kind of couple you would see at a restaurant. very down to earth couple. they absolutely adore each other and respect each other beyond belief. i can't explain how much they suit each other. they are both just mesh well together. >> jessica, ken, let me turn to you. it's almost unimaginable what she is going to face in terms of public scrutiny. you've been there and seen it. tell me what's in store for kate middleton. >> i think in spite of just being said about kate being the perfect woman for william, undoubtedly what's happening now is the beginning of a huge

change in her life simply because of the huge media interest that we saw yesterday. this will be ongoing the next months ahead of the date of the wedding, et cetera. so with that comes a security package because, sadly in the world we now live in, that is exactly what's going to have to happen. despite all of this being said, it will change her life dramatically zbh you talk about security and that's to prevent against outside threats and there's this idea of the media and paparazzi. we saw what happened with princess diana. do you think the rules of engagement have changed at all? have lessons been learned after the death of princess diana? >> certainly i don't think the rules of engagement have changed. this is such a big story. in the last ten years, media interest has waned dramatically. what they now believe this is almost a rebirth of that. one thing is for certain, william age 28 and kate the same

age, begin a new future for the royal family and they will generate and put out an appeal to that generation that will take the royal family into the 21st century. to answer your question, is there isn't going to be a let off. within the last ten years the whole world changed dramatically so it brings security greater and nearer to focus upon. >> jessica, let me end with you. you knew about the engagement about any of us did. do you also know the wedding date? >> i could not give that kind of information out but it will be sometime next year, that's what i'm going to say. >> not even for me, jessica? >> it will be a very happy occasion. sorry? >> don't try and charm me now. no, it will be definitely sometime next year. >> thank you both very much. i appreciate your time. and you can see more about the royal couple on the special "date line", tonight at 8:00,

7:00 central time and brian williams has an interview with prince charles, right here on nbc. let's get a check on the weather now from al. "today's" weather is brought to you by daisy brand sour cream. >> brought to you by case daisy sour cream. >> and good morning, we have got a couple of huge >> we have a couple of cuties. what's your name? >> grace. >> what's your name? >> griffin. >> where are you from? >> portland oregon. it's going to be windy in the northeast but as we take a look out in the northwest, where our friends just came from, they have a big storm moving on in here. we're looking at heavy rain and winds. rainfall amounts going to top out in some areas one to three inches from eugene up to seattle, back on to spokane. a lot of rain.

airport delays from cleveland down to philly and washington, up into boston. showers in the midsection of the country, sunny but mild in the southwest. the sunshine continues to the gulf coast with hit or miss showers and thunderstorms. mountain snows here's a pretty picture of alcatraz this morning and coit tower in the foreground. we've got clear skies for now but more clouds will spill in later this afternoon. the wind turn onshore once again. 70s inland, 60s around san francisco and the coast. after today, things will continue to cool down to say the least. by friday we'll see some rain coming back into the picture for the weekend. rain off and on at times with much cooler weather, highs only in the low to mid-50s with scattered showers all the way into tuesday of next week. >> don't forget you can check your weather any i'm of the day or night the weather channel on

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with exclusive songs and live tracks. available now for $11.99. only at target. back at 7:43 on this morning on "today" investigates, could your favorite seafood be dangerous? wait until you see where some of it comes from. jeff rossen is here to tell us what he found out. >> reporter: i know you love seafood, but most of it doesn't even come from here. in fact 80% of fish and 90% of the shrimp actually come from overseas. this morning our "today" investigation has found some of your seafood may have toxic chemicals, causing serious health issues. sauteed, fried or fresh, we love seafood, appetizing for sure, until you see where some of it comes from. this video shot by a u.s.

advocacy group shows dirty sewage water used to raise seafood in vietnam. the fish pumped with toxic antibiotics and drugs just to keep them alive, boosting production and driving down costs. >> would you consider this a public health threat? >> absolutely. >> reporter: ron smith is with the department of -- there's several chemicals that are added to seafood. chemicals so toxic to humans, they're banned in all foods. >> in some cases, 40% to 50% of our tests will come out positive. >> that's a disturbing number. >> it is to me that's high we continue to test. >> reporter: similar results all targeting seafood with the worst record of contamination, shrimp,

catfish, crab meat. in many cases officials say ending up in our country's restaurants and grocery stores. >> unfortunately, consumers can't tell if any of these compounds are in their seafood. you can't smell it, you can't taste it, you can't cook it out. >> reporter: so how dangerous are these chemicals? scientists say overtime eating this tainted seafood could cause cancer, even birth defects. the risks are long-term and not fully understood. while the fda is responsible for keeping the nation's food supply safe, our "today" investigation found it tests less than 2% of imported seafood. >> they're not going to get caught. i mean they're sending tons of seafood to this country and if you only catch a small percentage of it, why would they stop? >> reporter: does the fda need to do more? >> i would certainly suggest that the fda do more. >> reporter: while government

tests show u.s. seafood is three of these contaminants, even back in 2007, this congressional seafood report said that seafood imports remain problematic. the fda declined to speak with us on camera but says it's doing the best it can targeting countries that are repeat offenders and rejecting their products until they're proven safe. yet it keeps happening. according to fda test results, this year alone, 8% of seafood tested from china was tainted and from taiwan, 16% of seafood tested was tainted as well. is that acceptable to you? >> any use of antibiotics is unacceptable. it's been a problem for years and it's not stopping. so what are the importers doing

to stop it, to say any unauthorized use of antibiotics is inappropriate. >> the vast majority of seafood coming in does not exhibit any kind of problems. >> reporter: you're claiming no kind of seafood is making it from overseas on to our dinner table. >> any use of unauthorized antibiotics is appropriate. >> reporter: he says most follow the rules and the problem is being overblown as a trade issue. he says this video of polluted fish ponds and rotting sewage is misleading. it keeps happening year after year after year. while federal law requires grocery stores to publish its country of origin. in restaurants where most of us eat our seafood, it's a different story, most states

don't require you to tell you where it's from at all. >> that's awful, i'm totally in shock. >> we label everything, why wouldn't we label or fish? >> reporter: would you support legislation where we would know no matter where we go where our seafood is coming from? >> studies do not indicate that americans are deeply interested in the source of their fish or other protein. >> reporter: as a consumer, don't i have a right to know where my seafood is coming from, especially knowing what we know now? >> i think that consumers should feel comfortable that fda does a good job. >> reporter: but until more seafood is tested, consumers are at risk. >> it is a cat and mouse game, they quite honestly don't care about the health of united states citizens. >> reporter: some officials say this just isn't a health issue, americans say they're losing jobs because they can't compete

with competitors who are selling their seafood much cheaper in the u.s. most of the seafood coming in two overseas is safe, the problem is in restaurants you don't know unless you ask your server. and even then, they don't have to tell you. >> who is the sexiest man alive? we're going to reveal "people" magazine's picks. rise and shine! [ man ] ♪ today the world looks mighty fine ♪

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coming up, how will kate middleton cope with her new role as royal wife and the comparisons with princess diana. ♪ [ gasps ] this is for you. thanks. ♪ cool. ♪ [ chuckles ] whoa! ♪ [ chuckles ] i love this part. yeah. me, too. [ lucy gasps ] [ female announcer ] this year, hallmark has all new ways to say it. [ female announcer ] this year, in a more delicious world, there would be more smoothness, more creaminess,

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awesome! [ male announcer ] announcing the chrysler big finish of 2010. good morning, everybody. the time is 7:56. i'm brent cannon. we want to check your morning commute with mike inouye. >> 580 westbound we're in the commute, the backup there there was an accident causing more backup at the livermore airport. that fast lane has just cleared and now all the activity on the shoulder. we still have a 33-minute drive that's built up over the last 15 minutes or so. we'll see that steady. through the southbound bay, northbound 101, 280, all with speeds below 20 miles per hour for pretty good stretches, so the volume of traffic to deal with here. there are no major incidents. just tough it out. this will change over the course of the morning lightening up

about 9:00. then rob i guess you'll see things change not at 9:00 but it will change for the forecast. >> especially friday and saturday. today the last of our 70-degree temperatures around the bay area. mostly sunny and pleasant. we'll see high clouds across the north bay and coastal low clouds later this afternoon. tomorrow we turn cooler and as early as friday we start to see some showers. saturday and sunday rain off and on. temperatures only in the low to mid-50s. that pattern is going to continue at least through monday. then skies start to dry out some by next tuesday. it's 7:57. by next tuesday. it's 7:57. more news after the break. 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.

a judge will hear more testimony this morning in a brutal gang rape case to see if there is enough evidence to bring the suspects to trial. one suspect arrested told officers that the sex was consensual and that he had done nothing wrong. officers say they found the unconscious and partially naked girl under a picnic table outside of the homecoming dance at richmond high school in 2009. officers say more than a dozen people watched and they claim the girl was raped and beaten by seven men for more than two hours. more local news coming up in half an hour. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. have a great morning. we'll see you back in a little bit.

>> 8:00> now on a wednesday morning. it's the 17th day of november, 2010. it was nasty overnight here in the northeast. lots of rain. boy has it cleared off beautifully and warm. a little breeze. the winds will pick up considerably a little later in the day. right now these nice people are in for a beautiful morning. >> what were you doing? >> okay, thank you for that. i'm matt lauer along with

meredith vieira and al roker. coming up, the inevitable comparisons between kate middleton and princess diana. >> it probably starts with the engagement ring that was his mom's and he wanted his mom to be part of the moment. will her legacy influence how kate deals with her place in the royal family. we'll talk about that coming up. later on, who will be crowned "people" magazine's sexiest man alive? wow. lenny. >> there you go, right there. >> we're going to reveal the person to the world in just a little bit. >> lots of prime candidates. all this week we have been going viral. we have already done a dynamite ak pel la and today we're going to team up with the band. their videos are so creative,

they have become viral video sensations. we decided to take that segment and put it on tomorrow morning on "today" -- oh, turning into a mob on us here. the gang with ok-go tomorrow morning on "today." >> let's look at the top stories inside from the news desk. >> good morning, everybody. in the news, today president obama is try to salvage a key treaty. the chief negotiator jon kyl moved to block the vote until next year when democrats still have a smaller majority. the treaty limits u.s. defense options and does not guarantee russian compliance. three big banks are close to a settlement with state regulators over improper foreclosures. under the settlement, bank of america, jp morgan chase and wells fargo would compensate

barrowers who lost homes because of sloppy paperwork. the banks would agree not to pursue foreclosures against people trying to work out mortgage modifications. a court appearance in los angeles for the reality show producer arrested overnight for his wife's murder, bruce beresford-redman is accused of killing his wife that luxury resort in cancun mexico. his lawyer says his client is innocent and will fight extradition. on tuesday, the 20-term democrat was found guilty of violating house fund raising and finance rules. rangel could be sensored or fined. republicans are officially nominating john boehner to become the new speaker of the house in january. another qantas airlines flight was force to make an unplanned landing. a 747 had to turn back to jo

hans berg after a bird strike. they have suffered a string of mechanical and electrical problems since an engine blew out in mid air two weeks ago. a hero, who braved enemy fire in afghanistan to rescue two mortally wounded comrades was honored by president obama with the first medal of honor awarded to a living recipient since the vietnam war, staff sergeant salvatore giunta was humble about winning the highest prize. >> this represents all service members from all branches that have been in afghanistan since 2001. iraq since 2003. who were there yesterday and are there today and will go again tomorrow. i appreciate them, without their service, i had nothing. >> today staff sergeant giunta will be inducted into the hall of heroes. it is four minutes past the hour. let's get another check on the

weather with al. >> we've got friends from alaska. don't get too many alaskans. >> yes, sir. catch can. if you can, catch can. >> i think i followed that. let's check your weather and see what's going on. myrtle beach, south carolina. wmbf news, sunny and mild and temperatures in the upper 60s today. the jet stream has taken a big dip out here in the east. that keeps cooler air in and windy conditions and storm tracks across the pacific northwest. as we head towards friday, we got a little bit of a break and it becomes more zonal. much of the country will see plenty of sunshine and the change in the jet stream, headed our way. another nice day. oakland, hazy outside this morning. should see upper 60s to low 70s. now, tomorrow we'll wake up to

extra-low clouds as the sea breeze cranks up. friday, a chance of rain. then rain off and on at times this weekend. highs in the low to mid-50s and higher mountain top snow on the weekend. i pondering the question is kate middleton better prepared for life as a royal than princess diana? and introduce you to the sexiest co courtesy of "people" magazine. but first, these messages. i'm breathing better. so now, i can join the fun and games with my grandchildren. great news! for people with copd, including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both, advair helps significantly improve lung function. while nothing can reverse copd, advair is different from most other copd medications because it contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator,

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now with the cottonelle easy reach hanger. how about a coastal soup and grilled shrimp salad combination? or maybe skewers of wood-grilled shrimp. seafood lunches starting at just $6.99 at red lobster. back now at 8:10 with kate middleton's new role in the royal family. long before her new role was announced, her comparison to princess diana began. >> reporter: there's no question kate middleton has a lot to live up to, who could forget princess diana at first, the shy, double teenager plucked from obscurity to mary a prince, becoming the most photographed woman in the

world. >> in terms of kate following in diana's footsteps, what ample footsteps to have to follow in and i think actually kate will do everything she can to be different from diana. >> reporter: william proposed to kate middleton with his mother's engagement ring. she was beaming for the first time since the announcement. >> he's a true romantic. >> the big difference it seems to me that prince charles didn't really know what he was getting into with princess diana, i estimate they were together for like 28 days as a couple before he popped the question. >> and prince william knows exactly what he's getting. >> they have spent a lot of time together. >> reporter: kate has gradually eased into the part with help from the monarchy. >> she has had input from the palace, it's nothing so formal as sit down training, it's advice, it's consultations, it's

the videos of diana and how the paparazzi dealt with it. >> reporter: like diana, kate will have to define her new role in the royal family. >> i would love to have met her and she's a person and a woman to look up to. >> i'm always trying to fill my mother's shoes and what she did was fantastic. and kate will doing a very god job of that. >> reporter: for "today," kate snow, nbc news, new york. >> martin brashear is with dateline nbc. and an nbc royal watcher. >> as much as been talked about kate, there's been so much

discussion about the engagement ring on her finger, that was princess diana's ring. do you feel that princess diana is still a strong part of this story. >> when you think about the late princess of wales, people think of her as a fashion icon, she demystified aides, she served the international red cross with regard to things like land mining campaign, but in reality, her primary role was as a mother and that was something she excelled at and the fact that her son has chosen that ring, tells you something about her role as a parent. i think there's no question that the princess of wales' greatest achievement was as a mother. he wants his bride to wear that ring. >> when you interviewed princess diana back in 1995, it was after she separated with prince charles and before the divorce. she said it wasn't the responsibility of marrying into

the royal family that was so daunting, this was the media attention. won't kate middleton will exposed to a lot more of that than even princess diana was? >> remember these are two very different people. when the prince of wales married princess diana at the time, he was 44, she was 20. she had never had a formal job apart from part-time in a nursery and she was suddenly thrust into the royal family. in addition to that, she had had an adolescence which was very, very challenging. she developed eating disorders. she had been through her parents acrimonious breakup and subsequent divorce and so as a consequence of that, when lady diiana married princess charles, she went into an undermined state.

kate has known prince william for 10 years, they both went to the same university, they both studied the same academic subject, they have had a commonality of experience so i think that she is much better prepared for the challenges than diana ever had. >> let me bring you into the conversation here, you were at the photo-op yesterday with all the flashing bulbs going on, how do you kate or katharine, how do you think she handled that now, how do you think she handled that media attention? >> i thought she handled it brilliantly, meredith. at the end of the day, we have never heard from kate middleton before yesterday. it was the most extraordinary afternoon of my royal reporting career because they both did a briefing before hand, the context of those conversations i can't actually tell you, but they were all covered in the news around the world. she was there as an equal. it was very interesting, it wasn't a case of william looking at her off afternoon and covers

her back, she spoke to the press by herself, he spoke to the press by himself, they k5i8 together on that sofa. but what we were presented with was a mature, glamorous classy woman who i thought had star quality oozing from her ever pore. >> but the marriage of princess diana has been -- how does kate emerge from out from underneath that? >> when we saw the interview yesterday, the one point at which she became a little bit uncomfortable was the question about how is she going to fill diana's shoes? how is anyone going fill diana's shoes. william was very protective with her and said that kate's going to make her own path. of course comparisons are going to be made, but as martin pointed out, two women at different stages of their life when they're coming into this royal marriage. kate is her own woman, she's got potential, she's clearly a bright girl, she shares diana's

glamour, she's a designer's dream. but i think it's important to let kate carve out her own path in this and she's got huge potential to be a star. >> thank you for joining us. >> and you can see more about the royal couple on a special "dateline" william and indicate, a royal love story. and on friday night, brian williams has an exclusive interview with prince charles, that's the man who would be king at 9:00, 8:00 central time right here on nbc. and up next, mark whitman takes the mystery out of an apple turn over. ital one's venture card, we get double miles on every purchase. echo! so we earned a trip to the grand canyon twice as fast. uhoh. we get double miles every time we use our card. i'll take these. no matter what we're buying. plus the damages. and since double miles add up quick, we can bring the whole gang. it's hard to beat double miles. no, we ride them.

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just because you're a parent doesn't mean you have to be lame. [ male announcer ] see the stylish, new highlander at youtube.com/highlander. was complicated, with a series of stepped altitude changes. [ air traffic controller ] okay, 245, proceed to your next cleared altitude. [ sighs ] [ male announcer ] today, truecourse flight management systems from ge allow for fuel savings, lower emissions and less noise... ♪ ...making the old way of doing things... [ air traffic controller ] 245, you are cleared to land. [ male announcer ] ...seem less than graceful. ♪ in morning on how to cook everything "today," apple turnovers, if you want to spice up your holiday dessert table, why tonight you give them a try. here with an easy and elegant

recipe, mark, good morning. most people don't go for turnovers at least making them because they don't want to deal with puff pastry. >> but you can make it with dough that you can buy at any supermarket. >> premade? >> this is out of the package, actually. >> this is whole wheat? >> this is whole wheat, which has understand advantages, but we're going to fold it up. we're going to do a couple of them you and i. they're so delicate, so you just throw them out if you tear i because there's so many in a package. >> you start with that one so we see how it's done by a pro. >> we'll see how it's done by someone who's done it before, at least. you butter it very lightly and you don't need a lot of butter, and we're going to do a couple of layers of filo. and then some apples and cinnamon and sugar. >> you don't have to cook them

first, the apples? >> no, you don't have to cook them. >> and a layer of nuts in here also. >> what else could you use? what works and what doesn't work? >> apples work beautifully, pears work beautifully. this is also the technique you would use for spinach cheese pie. >> mean did not tear, yours did. >> did you do a second layer yet? >> no. let's say that we did a second layer. how many layers do you need for a good turnover. >> these two are going to turn into four very soon. >> we're going to fold? >> yes, and then the fold is going to get folded four times. a sprinkling of nuts. >> and then, it goes like this. are you with me? >> both sheets. >> both sheets.

>> and then another brushing of butter. >> this is a little bit time consuming. >> well, so far we have been here for 90 seconds. so we're rushing through it. >> we are rushing if that's bothering you now. >> i have a short attention span. >> now you employ your flag folding skills, the triangle thing, yours is going to look better than mine. by the time you're doing the second or third fold, yit's starting to look like it's supposed to look. and if you have any excess, you can trim it off or the unit under or anything. >> we pop this in the oven for how long? >> on parchment paper, we put them in the oven for about a half hour. this is a cranberry sauce, just

made cranberries and honey that you cook for a little bit. >> how do they stay chrriscrisp. but you can reheat them before you eat them. >> let's go over to meredith. "people" magazine's sexiest man alive issue hits newsstands on friday. here is julie jordan los angeles's special correspondent. so you have been searching for the sexiest, basically since the last cover year, you start the search. we're not talking just sexy, and good looks. >> we're looking at someone who has a good sense of humor and a good heart. >> the sexiest man alive is? >> ryan reynolds. >> who we happen to love here on today. he's been here many times. why ryan? >> ryan definitely has a sense of self-deprecation, we know him

of course in the green landing. >> he's married to scarlet johansen. but he really enjoys it all and he's a good person, and that's what we're looking for. >> he share the magazine with how many? >> the's0 re14re we want to check the morning commute. >> you'll be a little bit late because of this. just under 15 minutes now. a little bit of improvement coming off the bridge. still, slow from hercules and down to the brigitte self. coming up from the other bridge, 580 slow coming through the

streets of oakland at 20 miles per hour on average for many of those spots. slow around 92. we've got slowing on 101 as well. >> 60s and low 70s today. you'll notice a little bit of a late stay sea breeze kick in. part of the reason why our temperatures for the second half of the week will start to cool off. friday, a chance of light rain. and then rain off and on for the weekend. highs only in the 50s for the weekend and beyond. time right now is 8:27. more news right after the break. [ female announcer ] jcp cash is on the spot savings.

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8:30 now on this wednesday morning, november 17, 2010. a day to do a little sightseeing in the big apple. but if country is your thing, we have a live performance from

country superstar keith urban just ahead. there he is. also a woman who can only be described as a legend this half hour? >> liza minuelli is here celebrating 50 years in showbiz. and also coming up this morning, we're going to learn how to go on an energy diet. with the winter coming on, we're concerned about how to pay our energy bills. there's an easy idea to help us all. and a little bit later on, hang on to your hats, kathie lee and hoda are devoting their entire program to sex. >> the serious side or the lighter snide. >> probably the drunk side.

>> it's very nice here in the northeast, we're talking about the windy conditions, we also got rain and wind in the pacific northwest, one to two inches in parts of the coastal u.s. temperatures in the 50s in the southwest. then for tomorrow, we have got snow in the pacific northwest mountains, rain along the coast, showers in the northeast, some mountain snows and snow showers in northern new england, sunny and mild a view from san bruno mountains. not a lot of wind. temperatures for the afternoon pretty mild, 70s inland, 60s closer to san francisco and the coastline. the sea breeze picks up later on today, spilling extra low clouds later on. cooling into your thursday, with rain starting to show up, we think on friday. for the weekend, rain off and on. cool temperatures, breezy. highs in the 50s straight on through the weekend.

>> and don't forget, you can get any of your holiday needs coming up for thanksgiving on weather.com. an associated professor at albert einstein college of medicine. each year half a million babies are born prematurity. today is national prematurity awareness day. it's hard to believe this, but when it comes to preterm births, the united states in a recent study got a d, that's really surprising. >> well, the issue there is that we have so much to improve women and children's health. what we want to do is raise awareness that the right time to have your child is about 39, 40 weeks. so 37 weeks and lower is called preterm and that can lead to lifelong health consequences, we want to encourage children to be born at 40 weeks.

>> a lot of preterm births are c-sections. >> we encourage that anything that's elective and scheduled should be after 39 weeks. >> and with this trend, what can we do to change that? >> well some of the most basic things like encouraging women to quit smoking, making sure women are as healthy as they can be before they become pregnant and then thinking about anything that's scheduled like an inductionor c-section, doing that after 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to do it before. and still to come, we have got liza minelli in the house. but first, this is "today" on nbc. twizzlers. the twist you can't resist.

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♪ it's a cabaret

>> back at 8:36, liza minelli is back with a new album. it is called "confessions" liza minelli, how are you? >> good morning, darling, how are you? >> you look fantastic. i know you have had some issues with your knee recently. and you had pneumonia. >> i feel great. when we were talking before, i had a knee replacement. ow. but god forbid, i don't do anything. that's when billy and i recorded this thing. >> in your bedroom? >> in my bedroom. >> no wonder it's probably intimate, obviously. >> it's that great thing that rock brenner said in the notes on the back, do you have that by any chance? >> yeah, i do. >> he put it perfectly. i have known him forever. >> until now only the friends of

hers have heard these highly classic gems. that really is the genesis of this album. i mean you have these dinner parties and you always end up around the piano, singing these songs. and that was really what gave you the idea to make this album? >> yeah, well there's a difference on stage when you're performing. and there's a difference when you're stand and you're part of the music and you're sharing the song. my godfather is ira gershwin. my god mother is kate thompson. >> your mother is judy garland. and you used to sit under the piano and listen. >> i was very shy and i didn't know how to express myself, but i found that songs said it for me. so i started learning to collect

songs instead of stamps. this album is all the ones i collected about being in love over my whole life. >> how would you describe your love life? >> listen to the album. interesting. yeah, very interesting. and kind of marvelous too. >> and kind of marvelous too. >> those songs that you picked, some of them are familiar, but some of them are not going to be familiar to the audience. but they're special to you? why did you pick those particular songs? >> because of what they say and the words and how they go with the melody. but the strong from "lady and the tramp". he's a tramp, but i love him. you don't realize it's from a cartoon, "lady at the tramp." >> is there someone you're thinking of? >> oh, sure. >> which one? >> i'm not telling. >> you've been 60 years in the

business. i can't quite believe that. >> me neither. >> do you have any regrets, anything you would do over? >> oh, sure, but so what? it's done, so that's what you try and do every day is take the best of the day, do what you can with it and do your best. you know, and take care of yourself. that's what i love, hearing other people sing. >> who are the people you admire that you think are stars to be watched? >> i love bouble and i love pink. michael townsend so i was lucky enough to discover is wonderful. >> i want to talk a little bit about turn you are classic

movies, you starred with robert osborne from turner classic movies and he talked about your parents. is it true you initially wanted to be an ice skater? >> absolutely. i could skate right here. absolutely. >> so what happened to change that? >> i wanted to be on broadway. >> and your parents were necessarily gung ho about your going on broadway were they? >> no. they let me go to new york for a summer, when it was 15 and a half almost 16 to study. and i said i want to get a job. i said can i get a job? and my father said, well, of course. mom said sure, so i got a job. >> you got a job and then another and then another. >> i got a job changing scenery, i got a job making paper roses i

was a stage manager, i did all these things to learn about it. >> and such good training to where you are now. before i let you go, can you leave us with lyrics from the album, maybe from the title song, "passions"? ♪ i never kissed a man before ♪ now isn't that a shame ♪ i never kissed a man before ♪ before i knew his name ♪ i always had a taste for wine ♪ ♪ now isn't a sin ♪ i always had a taste for wine ♪ ♪ but wine can't compare with begin ♪ ♪ it's nice as nice can be ♪ my faith is at last restored to snow that vice can be it's own reward ♪ ♪ i always go to bed at 10:00.

now isn't that a barrel ♪ ♪ i always go to 10:00 ♪ when i go home at 4:00 >> liza minelli, you are the best. congratulations on your new album. back in a moment, this is "today" on nbc.

ge, imagination at work. this morning on green your routine today, we are lowering your energy bills. in a moment we're going to show you some simple and easy ways to do just that. but first we want to check in with a couple of families we put on an energy diet 12 months ago. last year we challenged two

baltimore families, betsy ringal and kurt coladner. >> last year when we opened up the energy bills, we got a wakeup call. >> and joan and john goldman to reduce their energy use. >> our summer bills are around $300 and our winter bills are around $600. >> we safed around 10% in that process. >> reporter: and they have embraced changes by compact fluorescent bulbs and air rated shower heads. for the goldmans sealing up leaks helped. >> i definitely noticed that there wasn't the wind blowing downstairs. >> they realized an annual savings of $312. >> we're always very conscious of how we spend energy, but

we're even more mindful now. >> lou is our expert on this and he's the host of the syndicated show "house smart." got to get rid of the drafts in the windows and the doors. if you do kits like these window films, it's very easy to do. you'll increase the energy efficiency of your drafty window by 70%. >> and it's less than $2 per window? >> you can guy a kit for $9.99 and a set of 15 for $15.99. this is a self stick adhesive that couldn't be any easier to put on. you can see the closed cell, open cell, i don't care cell. >> you should have a house around the door too. >> this is very drafty here. this is problematic. >> change your thermostat? >> 25% of u.s. homes still don't

have programmable digital thermostat. they react to temperatures by one degree. when it gets to 72, when it gets to 71, it turns on. if you manipulate the temperature during the day when you're not at home, you can save 20% on your bill to heat and cool your home. >> you are a big fan of the new led light bulbs how much do they cost. >> you're talking about a 16 dollar bulb here. it looks really nice, it will last forever, literally 50,000 hours under normal use. >> even though you're spending a lot of money to replace your current light bulbs, this is going the save you a lot of money. >> cfls in ten years will be a dinosaur as well. this is led. >> you did it in two minutes and 15 seconds. when we come back, a concert from keith urban in our studio.

the toyota concert series on "today," brought to you by toyota. >> country superstar and three-time grammy winner keith urban has a new album out. it's called "get closer."

it's about love and how it can change you, performed by a guy who says he used to run away from any kind of intimacy, so how has fatherhood and marriage changed you? >> it's brought more purpose to anything i do. any dad will tell you when that happens, you don't really get it until you get it. >> you can't prepare for it really? >> it's just a feeling, so between finding nick and now having a child, it's a whole new world. >> in may there was terrible flooding in nashville, and you lost 50 guitars in the process? >> it was awful losing them, but because we were scheduled to make a record starting that weekend, and all the things i'm so used to reaching for and playing music with were gone and so i just embraced it. i borrowed a guitar from the studio.

i got on ebay and found some more guitars and we went to work making a record. >> so you weren't as interested in your old equipment as you were in making good music? >> an album is supposed to be about great songs. >> when are you going back on tour? >> middle of next year. it's not confirmed yet, we're working on it, but it will be middle of next year we're going to start. >> what are you going to do? >> i'm going to "put you in a song." >> i would love it. don't forget you said that. ♪ well here you come again and you're looking so fine ♪ ♪ you don't notice me but it's all right. ♪ ♪ i'm just a guy who wishes that

i could be your man someday ♪ ♪ yeah a picture paints a thousand words its true ♪ ♪ but it's still not enough for how i feel about you ♪ ♪ i wan to put you in a melody ♪ i got to tell you to a groove ♪ ♪ i want to put you in my car and drive ♪ ♪ and turn you up loud ♪ roll down all the windows and shout it out ♪ ♪ i live this girl ♪ if i could press play ♪ repeat how happy i'd be ♪ wherever i go i'd have you there with me ♪ ♪ you'd be right there where you belong ♪ ♪ i wanna put you in a song ♪ well i'd sing about your smile

and your pretty blue eyes ♪ ♪ the way your hair shimmers in the sunlight ♪ ♪ i would be so easy i would just write it from my heart ♪ ♪ because i gotta tell the world what you mean to me ♪ ♪ wrap up you in a melody so you'll be stuck in my head all day ♪ ♪ because you're already there anyway yes you are ♪ ♪ i wanna put you in my car and drive ♪ ♪ and turn you up loud ♪ roll down all the windows and shout it out ♪ ♪ i love this girl ♪ if i could press play ♪ repeat how happy i would be ♪ wherever i go i would have you there with me ♪ ♪ you would be right where you belong ♪ ♪ i wanna put you in a song ♪ and if i get it right everybody'd be singing along yeah ♪ ♪ and when they see you on the

street they'll say ♪ ♪ hey ain't you the girl in that song ♪ ♪ i wanna put you in my car and drive ♪ ♪ and turn you up loud ♪ roll down all the windows and shout it out ♪ ♪ i'm in love with this girl ♪ yeah if i could press play rewind a couple million times ♪ ♪ imagine for a moment that you're all mine ♪ ♪ every night i'd drive you home ♪ ♪ if i could put you in a song ♪ let me put you in a song ♪ let me put you in a song ♪ oh, a pretty little song about you baby ♪ ♪

>> keith urban, thank you. more good morning, everybody. time is 8:56. getting the latest on your morning commute. >> walnut creek, kind of slow for 680 getting in and out of

walnut creek. 24 heading out to lafayette, that's moving slowly. 680, speeds below 20 miles an hour there. 880 is where is jams up through fremont, union city. the slow zone heading south, continues slow through milpitas and south.

known for canceling appearances has now canceled his last appearance as mayor. today had been billed as his final state of the city address.

city staff has been working for several weeks gathering information about the accomplishments he made during his four years in office. that report and video will be posted on the city's website later today. another update in about a half an hour. the "today" show returns in about a minute. i came up with this mobile art gallery to bring art to the people. sharing art is the highest calling for me. if i want to keep doing this i have to start taking care of my heart. so i'm starting with cheerios. [ male announcer ] got something you'll love to keep doing? take care of your heart. you can start with cheerios. the natural whole grain oats can help lower cholesterol. this is what makes me happy,

so i'll probably do this until the wheels fall off. [ male announcer ] it's time. love your heart so you can do what you love. cheerios. ♪

>> we're back now with more of "today" on a wednesday morning, the 17th day of november, 2010, keith urban rocking our studio here and you're going to hear more music from keith coming up a little later on. out on the plaza on what's turning into a beautiful day, a little windy but beautiful here in the northeast. i'm here with tamron hall and al roker. natalee is in buckingham palace in london where all the action today. after the announcement of william and kate, there's a little bit of a media presence here? >> reporter: they have been expecting this engagement for a long time. it's been widely reported in some media outlets here for a while as well as you know with a proposal that happened back in october, but we're of course only finding out all the details now. but it's been widely reported that this was sort of a secret engagement, but the world media

has descended here and this is a little glimpse or glimmer of what's to come over the next couple of months. the wedding could happen as soon as spring or summer. wedding plans are fast in the works and a lot of anticipation and excitement building. >> tamron said bob marley called and wants his hat back. we all think it looks great. >> we like it. >> it's adorable. >> you flew overnight. come on. we're going to check in with natalee in just a couple of minutes. anyway help for your money emergencies. >> speculation about the royal

couple, will this modern couple have a more traditional wedding? a wedding planner will join us as well as a royal watcher to talk about all the speculation. >> help for your money emergencies in "today's" money 911, we have got advice if you should sell your home after you have lost your job, how many credit cards should you have at any one time. bruce springsteen at his home in a new home recording studio in new jersey, sits down with brian williams who actually stole some instruments. >> good to know. ann's got a look at all the headlines. >> good morning once again, everybody. in the news, a russian man known as the merchant of death landed in new york city this morning to face terrorism charges in a manhattan federal court this orange.

viktor bo viktor bout was extradited from thailand. the tsa sa says that if airline passengers use their religious beliefs to try to get out of full body scan ors patdowns, they won't be allowed to get on the plane. officials in the dominican republic say the first person has come down with haiti. federal investigators say 15,000 elderly u.s. patients die every month in hospitals because of mistakes. the government report released on tuesday says surgical errors and infections are the most common culprits. the latest report on the gulf oil spill accuses bp and it's contractors of ignoring warning signs before the fatal blowout. the report released on tuesday night by an independent panel also blames federal regulators for not capturing and correcting flawed decisions.

the maker of four loko says it's removing the caffeine from its product just as the fda is poised to ban it. at least three deaths have been blamed on the beverage. it is already banned in four states. a dog prays that the hero in afghanistan is tdied after he w- frightening the suicide bomber inside a u.s. military base, helping to save the lives of dozens of soldiers. in los angeles county is joining other california communities in banning stores from using single use plastic bags starting in july. the goal is to prevent billions bags from polluting the environment. and it's no monkey business to quit smoking. this chimpanzee who we showed

you was addicted to cigarettes in a lebanese zoo is making a turn around. whisked away to a rehab center has kicked the habit and is starting to lead a chimp healthy diet. >> mr. rocky e, how about a check the weather. we have got troubec on both rosyts, northeast, a storm gsteminov through, look at these winds, thesein are sustaid winds, 28-mile-per-hour in boston, 23 in philly, buffalo 42-mile-per-hour winds, that means we have got some rain with this system, one to two inches as you get into new england. big storm moving into the pacific northwest as well. rain and mountain snows, rainfall amounts generally about one to two inches here's a beautiful view of the golden gate bridge.

nothing but changes ahead. we've got a lot of active weather basically north of the california/oregon border. that will be slipping southward beginning tomorrow. today, we'll see a sea breeze starting to pick up for the afternoon. 60s and 70s for the highs today. 50s and 60s for tomorrow. tomorrow, a chance for showers. the temperatures drop through the weekend. rain off and on at times. that's your latest weather. tamron. >> now to william and kate, the most famous couple of the moment. they face the press together for first time as an engaged pair of the and today national correspondent natalie morales made her way to buckingham palace. >> reporter: good morning to you. you read the headlines and it is the stop story in the press, kate is special with the ring i thee wed.

they have been waiting for a long time and the countdown is on for what would be the royal wedding the century. they stepped into the spotlight and shared their first interview as the newly engaged royals. the royal couple, who may one day be king and queen yesterday talked about their engagement. how did william pop the question? >> a wonderful holiday in africa and then in a very quiet lodge, very romantic. and -- >> did he get down on one knee? >> prince william, why did it take you so lock to propose? >> i don't know how many years it has been and didn't realize it was a race, otherwise i probably would have lost and the timing is right now.

we're both very happy and i'm glad. >> reporter: in her first interview before the world, a nervous kate talked about being part of the royal family. >> it's a prospect, taking it in stride and william will help me along the way. >> reporter: the fabulous save fire and diamond ring it was william's mother. >> carol and i are delighted by today's announcement and thrilled at the prospect of a wedding. >> a reaction echoed around the country. >> it was wonderful. i'm so happy for both of them. they are so happy and it's wicked. >> it's true. thank you very much. long enough. >> reporter: a cheeky reference to the eight years the couple had been dating. in the first sit-down interview, william and kate talked to tom brad by about how they were

feeling. >> you both look incredibly happy and relaxed? >> we are, like ducks, calm on the surface. we've been talking about it for a long time. it is a relief and nice to tell everybody. >> reporter: you knew you were going to do this from day one? >> i've been planning it for a while. as every guy will know, it takes motivation to get it going. then it felt really right in africa. >> i thought he might have just maybe thought about it but it is a total shock when it came and very excited. >> reporter: people are bound to ask, bit of an obvious question, do you want lots of children? see what comes? what's your -- >> i think we'll take it one step over the time. get over the marriage thing first. obviously we want a family. so we'll have to start thinking about that. >> reporter: and the royal

wedding planning is well under way with plans for a spring or summer wedding of 2011. prince william has also said to favor westminster abbi as the location that is where the queen herself was married as well as where princess diana's funeral was held. he wanted this to be a low key affair but that is highly unlikely, they are expecting a billion people will be tuning in for this. this is gearing up to be the wedding of the century. tamron? >> thank you. nancy jeffrey a. a senior editor at "people" magazine. good morning to both of you. he wants a low key affair with a billion people watching. >> i don't think there's any chance of that. the most coveted wedding. we're fascinated by royalty. this is the famous of them out there today. >> you covered this couple from the beginning, when they were friends and started to date one

another. you say that william may i guess revel in the fact that he took people off guard. >> what's amazing about this story, they were dating for eight years. everyone expected them to get engaged but when the moment came, they took the world by surprise. if you were watching william yesterday, he was very pleased with himself that he pulled it off. >> the bride glowed but in this case it was the groom was glow. what do you think of the way she handled herself? her body language seemed comfortable. >> she handled herself with incredib incredible pois and confidence. when you watched them yesterday, you could see the comfort with one another. >> you're looking at that beautiful saffire, princess diana's ring. it is a modern couple. might we see the combination of both throughout the engagement and onto the wedding day itself?

>> absolutely. it is one of the most coveted and famous engagement as well, without a doubt. i love the fact she wore blue to match the ring as well. >> they have maybe a year to go in planning the wedding. when you plan a normal wedding, it takes a year. when you plan something on this scale, where do you start? >> it could be a royal wedding, private wedding -- multiple events, absolutely. and then a lot of this has been planned in advance. i think she'll have a certain say in flowers and her dress and designer. there's a big protocol as to how this is presented to the rest of the world. it is a british monarchy. >> the palace has said this is going to be a joint sort of thing. the palace will be very involved but this is will and kate's day and we have seen it, they are their own people.

i think we have to keep in mind it's william so i would expect surprises. >> i understand that kate is a big fan off alice, might we seea more traditional one like with princess diana? >> she might do something down the middle of the road. not want to look at it and say, what was i thinking. classic with an edge. >> dressing for the world, for all of britain there. >> every dress designer in the world would be love to be taking care of that dress. >> honeymoon, they were engaged in africa, that may be hard to outdo that. >> yes, i would again expect that they have probably planned it. they probably have agreed on what they are going to do. we probably won't hear about it. they'll probably keep it under wrap until they are ready to share it. >> when we see the pictures, they waited eight years but it seems like it is the right time as william put it.

she look so poised and this will help them moving ahead. >> without a doubt. they are going to grow into this incredibly well with the focus of the world upon the two of them. >> what's really touching. we talked about the ring and in giving her that ring, he made his mother part of this day. >> very nice. colin, thank you very much and nancy, thank you as well. you can see more about the royal couple on a special "dateline." tonight at 8:00, 7:00 central and brian williams has an interview with prince charles right here on nbc. up next, answers to your money emergency and keith urban sings one of his biggest hits. sings one of h i used to swing over those rocks... took some foolish risks as a teenager. but i was still taking a foolish risk with my cholesterol. anyone with high cholesterol may be at increased risk of heart attack. diet and exercise weren't enough for me. i stopped kidding myself. i've been eating healthier, exercising more...

and now i'm also taking lipitor. if you've been kidding yourself about high cholesterol...stop. along with diet, lipitor has been shown to lower bad cholesterol 39% to 60%. lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. [ female announcer ] lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. let's go, boy, go! whoo-whee! if you have high cholesterol, you may be at increased risk of heart attack and stroke. don't kid yourself. talk to your doctor about your risk and about lipitor.

ugh...ugh... don't kid yourself. ♪ aahh, aaahh! you will win this. faster, faster yes! ♪ the target 2 day sale starts friday november 26th at 4am. are you ready?

when you can have pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits? the warm, light delicate layers are like nothing else. add a layer of excitement to your next meal. ♪ time for the day's money 911. our financial experts advise you on everything from getting help tlu -- carmen wong and jean chatzky. we're going to go to skype where begi . >> i have been unemployed for almost two years now. i'm a single homeowner and with rates as low as they are, i can't refinance my mortgage or get a rate modification unless i

take my pension. >> what should she do? is there don't take the pension, the problem is that you don't have income so you can't support that modification or the re-fi as you know. i would start thinking about the fact that this is not a sustainable situation, you've been unemployeded for two years, it's time you started thinking about whether you could rent half the house to start bringing in income, or find a cheaper place to live. you've got to get over the hump and accept it. >> during this holiday time, a lot of employers are ramping up, seasonal temp now let's head to louisville, kentucky. crystal's on the phone and she's got a question for our crew. crystal? >> okay. in july, i was hit by a drunk driver and am now confined to my house due to my injuries. i have three small children and i cannot provide a christmas at all for them this year. i have contacted several organizations, programs and churches, who have all said that

i've missed the deadline for applications. do you have any recommendations for families in need? >> first of all, we're sorry and we're hope you're getting better, crystal. carmen, what do you think? >> crystal, here's the thing. i want you to keep on digging, keep on looking. go to your online message boards. there is a neighborhood message board for you and put out a query about holiday toy drives. and look at your local newspapers and continue the organizations like the boys and girls club, salvation army, and keep talking to them. and on christmas day, many of these organizations are open and will not turn you away and they have gifts there. but crystal, you survived a horrible accident and you better believe that your kids are just happy that they have you. >> you're the best gift they could possibly gift. crystal, thank you so much. take care. happy holidays. an e-mail question from cindy in omaha, nebraska, writing, how many credit cards should one person have? my husband and i have over a dozen cards, have a balance on two or three right now and are

not using most of the others. i would like to cancel the higher rate cards, but have heard that will have a negative affect on my credit. should i cancel most of the unused cards? >> a dozen is way too many. two or three is a good number. maybe just one or two. >> how can she get rid of them? >> cancel over time and see how that will impact her debt utilization ratio. as she's cutting those cards down, that's reducing her credit limits that she has. you want to do it over time. >> what period of time? >> every three or four months, and you want to make sure that you cut the one that actually has the less -- lower credit limit first, and see how that affects your store. if it's a $5,000 credit limit and really hurts your score, you don't want to cut out the one that has a $10,000 limit, because that will hurt your score even more. >> if you go to myfico.com, which is a place where you have to buy your score. you can buy it for about $15, you will get a diagnostic and it will tell you, you have too many cards, you don't have enough

cards, so if you do, you'll see when you get to that line. >> and in times like these, a lot of credit cards are tools for you in times of need. don't shut too many down. >> let's go to jessica and patrice, patrice is the mom and jessica is the daughter. they're from michigan. hi, guys, what's your question? >> caller: hi, my mom was recently diagnosed with als. and i take care of her every day and i have a 4-year-old son that goes to school. we've been told by numerous people that we could get -- i could get paid for taking care of her, but every place we call says she's not qualified. >> yeah, you can, actually, get paid, in many, many cases for taking care of her. michigan has something called a cash and counseling program. want to look into that. also, the area agency on ageing is a really good resource to find all the programs like this in your state or in any state. and i'm really, really sorry about what's going on with your mom. >> our heart goes out to you. thank you so much, jessica. thank you. have a good holiday. gene chatzky, carmen wong

ulrich, and sharon epperson, thank you so much. and for those of owon the east coast, carmen wong ulrich will be sticking around for the next hour for a web chat. coming up, we've got an exclusive one-on-one with the boss, bruce springsteen. we'll go inside his new recording studio that he can finally call his own. but first, these messages. with. 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. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections, like tuberculosis, require hospitalization. before starting stelara®, your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection, or have had cancer. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems

including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal condition affecting the brain. tell your doctor if you or anyone in your house needs or has recently received a vaccine. with 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses it's stelara®. [ laughter ] ♪ [ male announcer ] for tim and richard smucker, giving a gift of their delicious jam always made the holidays just a little bit sweeter. we forgot to put our names on them! richard, i think they'll know who it's from. ♪ thank you, boys. you're welcome. you're welcome. [ male announcer ] happy holidays from our family to yours. i love christmas. so i mix together a packet of hidden valley ranch, 1 box of spinach, and 16 ounces of sour cream, and tonight everyone gets a taste of something special... ranch spinach dip.

[ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mix it up. coming up, another performance by grammy winning country superstar keith urban. >> and sex advice from hoda and kathie lee. just unroll it, fill, top, bake, and present. that must have taken you forever! it was really tough. make a pie with pillsbury tonight. 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. on our car insurance. great! at progressive, you can compare rates side by side, so you get the same coverage, often for less. wow! that is huge!

[ disco playing ] and this is to remind you that you could save hundreds! yeah, that'll certainly stick with me. we'll take it. go, big money! i mean, go. it's your break, honey. same coverage, more savings. now, that's progressive. call or click today. good morning to you. it is 9:26 right now. we'll check the morning commute for you. an accident involving a large truck carrying a forklift is on the back of it. it's tied up two right-hand lanes in fremont. chp has issued a sig alert. there's still a diesel spill that could delay that two northbound lanes. we'll keep our eye on that. keeping our eyes on the skies. >> everything still looks pretty

nice. mostly sunny skies. decent day around the bay area. the sea breeze will pick up and the coast and peninsula will see some cooling today. highs mainly in the mid to upper 60s for the afternoon. tomorrow, highs mid to upper 60s. rain dropping in on us for friday. the weekend, cold air coming in. highs low to mid-50s. scattered showers by monday. into tuesday, they start to clear out. the temperatures still running quite cool early next week.

the search is on for a person who shot a 21-year-old man outside a convenience store in antioch. we've got video a short time ago, as antioch police were collecting evidence. the shooting happened just before 9:00 last night in the parking lot of a 7-eleven store

on buchanan road. gregory flynn of antioch, shot in a car. he died at the scene. police are talking with the passenger who was also in the car but not heard. officers say the suspect was on foot, and he ran away after the shooting. they do not think the shooting was random. thanksgiving just ten days away. you can help the food banks this coming saturday. donate a turkey and meet some of your favorite nbc bay area news personalities and help us in hunger. we'll be out in morgan hill. but crews will be scattered throughout the bay area.

♪ saying a-o ♪ got to let go ♪ i want to celebrate and live my life saying a-o ♪ ♪ baby let go ♪ we're going to go all night ♪ we're going to write it up ♪ like it's dynamite >> man, you were working it. >> it was a lot of fun doing that. matt, meredith, ann, myself,

went out of our comfort zones to create one of the coolest viral videos ever. part of our series "today" goes viral. tomorrow it's okay go. one of the most popular viral videos out there, tomorrow they take us along for the ride. we have a ball. in fact millions. if you can't wait to get a sneak peek, go to todayshow.com. >> it was awful fun. i didn't mean it was awful. >> first you insult natalee's hat. another creative mind, one of music's best, bruce springsteen. simply the boss. nine out of ten times the songs he writes don't work. coming up, exclusive interview and alex fox is back in the

latest high stakes crime fighter show. we have had more "new york times" best sellers than any other author. and time to dust off those cowboy boots, keith urban is back. he's got one more song. >> but first we're going to check the weather. >> as far as today is concerned, windy conditions in the northeast, rain in new england, heavy rains in the mountain northwest. we have got tomorrow, sunshine along the eastern seaboard, showers in western new york, more rain in the pacific northwest, with the mountain snows, sunny and mild through the northern tier states right on through florida. here's a look at oakland airport. hazy, sunshine, dry and sunny for now. in the satellite view, we've got rain to the north. and all that moisture will eventually spill closer to the bay area as we get closer to the weekend. ahead of that weather system dropping down the coast, the sea breeze will pick on up.

more low clouds, especially for the coast tomorrow. tomorrow, a chance of a few showers. much cooler for the weekend. low to mid-50s with showers into early next week. >> and that's your latest weather. bruce springsteen talks about how he deals with failure and success in an exclusive interview right after this. [ female announcer ] how well did total effects body wash shape up for good housekeeping?

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[ female announcer ] this year, hallmark has all new ways to say it. well, there's the snow you wanted. now to an exclusive sitdown with legendary rocker bruce springsteen. he's releasing a new six disk album. brian williams recently call one the boss in his home studio in new jersey. >> this is actually the first home recording studio i have ever had. i have either recorded in living rooms or houses we were in. i make a lot of demos to see if my song stinks or if they're good in this very spot. >> who tells you that they stink? >> there's a little voice. i thought it was great as i sat in my room, but now that i hear

it back, unfortunately, i was kidding myself. this is coming out with the darkest package. >> the darkness box set gives fans an unprecedented behind the scenes look into springsteen's creative process into the making of this pivotal fourth album. it also includes 21 never released songs during this prolific period. >> things sometimes have to bring them in and work on them and see if they're -- and they may rise up to something spectacular, or they may turn to sand as you're working on them. and most of the time, you get sand. that's the trigger. the trick with song writing is that you're probably successful one out of ten times. you have to be able to tolerate failure and i have learned to do that pretty well. >> while he says he's learned to tolerate failure, outwardly at least bruce springsteen hasn't

had to deal with a lot of it. he has sold more than 121 million albums and he continues to sell out concert tours. you were oppressive and excessive during the recording of darkness. what did you put your colleagues through? >> everyone was a young man because it demanded 24 hours. i didn't have a life, i didn't think you should have one either. >> the notebook plays a prominent part in the darkness documentary. it just looks like things are spilling out of your head. what is going on in your head? have you figured that out? >> no, that's why i still go to the psychiatrist. it's like, you know, it's a mystery. and the notebook to me are always part of the package. they are pretty good little

documents of a moment i was living through and what i was trying to accomplish or what i was thinking about at the time. ♪ i got some beer and a highway ♪ >> i don't want to go all aarp on you, but you guys have grown old together. your knees are titanium members. >> we're counting on science to take us into the future, you know. the band is really, truly at itself best and i think if you do it right instead of running from the years, you gather them in. and something wonderful happens. >> brian williams with the boss, bruce springsteen and the promise, the darkness on the edge of town is in stores now. up next, a great read for your holiday vacation after this.

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a crooked congressman, a double assassination and an elusive gunman on the run. the 16th book, cross fire hits store shelve this is week. >> oh, my god, another alex cross? >> just in time for the holidays. >> absolutely. >> i'm biassed, but i think this is the best one. >> why? >> well, alex gets married. >> finally? >> and one of his great adversaries is back to try to maybe knock off mr. and mrs. cross. >> and so are the stakes -- >> that's a little hat. we also know about corker congressmen. has he raised the stakes now? he's got a family now. >> and he has a wife at home and his girlfriends have not done well in the past, so he has to be careful of the gunman with the pen and the computer, me. >> that's right, because let's face it, this guy's had worst

luck than any cartwright. when you write something like this. you want to obviously please the fan, but is it important to please yourself as well? >> it's important for me to be -- to be interested in challenge. if i'm not, then -- if i can't get emotional about what i'm writing, i don't do a very good job. >> you mentioned alex getting married, this is a pivotal event in this book? >> yes, it is. >> this has taken him 16 years to get to the alter. >> it's not 16 years, because we're very careful that alex doesn't age very much. even though there's a year between books, it's not a year in his life. and it only covers one year of his life, the whole 16 books. >> this is a time travel. the last time we saw it ongreen, it was morgan free man.

>> he's great. he's a sweet guy and he's very handsome, very good looking, even better looking than you. and i think he'll be a great alex. we have to beat up the studio a little bit. i'm going to hollywood tonight. >> are you? >> here's what i don't understand. i have had trouble just writing one book at a time. you write a number of them at a time time. >> and screen plays. it's like anything else, you start doing something and you fall into a pattern and you're comfortable with it. i'm very comfortable with what i do. and, you know, that's all. >> where do you see alex cross going from here? >> well, hopefully he's going to protect his wife. the kids are getting older, so that's an interesting thing for him. the trick is always to imagine

things that you haven't seen before and hasn't been in the movies wech movies. we have a game coming out on facebook so people can play along with alex this fall. so that will be fun. >> you come up with them all the time so we're glad you do. not as funny as your book. >> that's high praise indeed, sir. coming up next, we have got one more song from country sfrtar keith urban.

twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. coming up -- >> hoda and kathie lee get to the bottom of things, a whole hour of everything you always wanted to know about sex but were afraid to ask. >> i think i would be afraid to ask kathie lee. stay tuned for that.

but we have one more song from country superstar keith urban, performing his hit, "sweet thing." ♪ when i picked you up for our first date baby ♪ with your pretty blue eyes they were driving me crazy ♪ ♪ and the tin little thought that was so amazing is they were looking at me ♪ ♪ i held open the car door for you ♪ ♪ then you climbed inside and slid on over to the other side ♪ ♪ i thought my oh, my ♪ sweet thing ♪ the moon is high and the night is young come on and meet me ♪

♪ in the backyard under the cottonwood free ♪ ♪ it's a good thing ♪ and i'm wishing ♪ common sweet thing ♪ won't you climb out of your window while the world's sleeping ♪ ♪ you know i need you and there's no way i'll be leaving ♪ till we're kissing on the porch swing ♪ ♪ oh, my little sweet thing ♪ yeah i know i'm gonna see you first thing tomorrow ♪ ♪ but i just couldn't wait so i had to borrow uncle jake's mustang ♪ ♪ its his favorite car and so i can't stay long ♪ ♪ standing here feeling like a love struck romeo ♪ ♪ all i want to do is hold you close and steal a little more time ♪ ♪ is that such a crime? ♪ sweet thing ♪ the moon is high and the night is young ♪

♪ come on and meet me ♪ in the backyard under the cottonwood tree, it's a good thing ♪ ♪ and i'm wishing. common sweet thing ♪ ♪ won't you climb on out of your window while the world's sleeping ♪ ♪ cause you know i need you and there's no way i'll be leaving ♪ ♪ till we're kissing on the porch swing ♪ ♪ oh, my sweet thing ♪ oh, my sweet thing ♪ sweet thing ♪ sweet thing ♪ oh, my sweet thing ♪ the moon is high and the night is young ♪ ♪ come on and meet me in the backyard under the cotton wood tree ♪ ♪ it's a good thing ♪ tell me i'm not dreaming ♪ sweet thing ♪ won't you climb out of your window while the world's sleeping ♪ ♪ cause you know i need you and there's no way i'll be leaving ♪ ♪ till we're kissing on the porch swing smoet ♪ oh, my little sweet thing

♪ common sweet thing ♪ sweet thing ♪ sweet thing ♪ sweet thing ♪ common baby now ♪ oh, my little sweet thing ♪ yes you are ♪ sweet thing ♪

good morning to you. i'm laura garcia. we continue to follow a traffic accident this morning involving a large truck. it was carrying a forklift on the back of it. it is tying up the two right-hand lanes in fremont. something to watch out for if you're in that area. the chp has issued a sig alert. they estimate the lanes will reopen by about 10:00 a.m., which is shortly. but there's a diesel spill that could delay that. the two northbound lanes still get through the area. we'll continue to keep our eye on that. and rob? >> looking better than 880 right now. mostly sunny skies to start. you'll notice the clouds spilling in out of the north, low clouds approaching the coastline. decent day with the highs 70s inland, 60s around the inner bay and couldn'tline. coastline. here's a look at your seven-day forecast. tomorrow, continued cooling. scattered showers friday.

off-and-on rain over the weekend. laura? thank you very much, rob. we are also following breaking news this morning. protesters are surrounding the uc board of regents meeting at ucsf. police are now firing pepper spray at them. kristi smith is there and joins us on the phone with the latest. >> reporter: yeah, you know, this is quite an incident here. the pepper spray happened about 15 minutes allege. there was a standoff between protesters and uc police in riot gear and protesters pushed a barricade down. and an officer fired pepper spray into the crowd. right now, what i'm looking at, though, is the front of the building. at least three people in front of me have been taken away in handcuffs. police are forming a line out in front of the building. there was pushing and shoving. the crowd is growing larger and louder. we're keeping an eye on things. but it is quite tense out here. really quite a volatile scene.

i'm looking at maybe three more people now being taken away in handcuffs. >> all right. be careful yourself. we'll have more on nbc bay area.com as we continue to follow this breaking news story. diabetes testing? it's all the same. nothing changes. [ man ] then try this. new and improved freestyle lite® blood glucose test strip. sure, but it's not gonna --

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you. >> yes, we do. if you've got any little ones within earshot, you may turn down the volume. we're talking about s-e-x which is what the announcer said fully. >> i think there's too much sex in this world, but that's just me. we're talking from dating to marriage and foods that enhance it and so much more. >> we'll answer some of your questions, because we know that you have them. >> all my questions have been answered. >> are you sure? >> i think so. >> you know who still has questions? the woman -- the woman who would be queen, kate middleton. she'll be queen katherine. >> we got to see her engagement ring, it was a sapphire. >> not just a sapphire. >> it was the ring that belonged to diana. >> his mother. there's some question about that. i hadn't thought about it until we brought it up in the makeu e room this morning, which is a

lot of the ladies were appalled. they see that ring as something that's sort of -- that's a dooms dai attribute to it because of what happened to the marriage between diana and charles and ultimately what happened to diana. i didn't see it that way at all. maybe because it's my mother. when he said this is how i keep her with me, and she can be part of it. i thought that was so tender. >> i actually had never heard kate middleton speak until just now, so it's interesting to hear her. you always see majs of her and she's fashionable. she wears low cut. >> she's not bosomy. she's adorable. >> they sat down with a reporter, and let's listen to a little bit of them discussing the engagement. >> i'd been planning it for a while, but every guy knows it takes a certain amount of motivation to get yourself going. i was planning it. it felt right in africa and it was beautiful at the time. i did a little bit of planning

to show her myrow m romantic si. >> was he getting nervous or jumpy? >> not at all. we were out there with friends and things. i didn't expect it at all. i thought maybe he thought about it. it was a total shock when it came and very excited. >> the stories go around that you had a picture of him on your wall -- >> it was just one of many. >> he wishes, no. i had the levis guy on my wall, not a picture of william. sorry. >> they're so cute. they're like any other couple in love, you know. love is a great common denominator, whether you're a king-to-be. >> i like she's older a little bit. she's 28. i love that. >> so important for her. she assumes the responsibilities. she's not the 18-year-old that

diana was. >> there's a big "dateline" on tonight about the whole shebang. >> if you were watching the tube, you had a couple of choices last night. >> i chose "glee" and gwyneth paltrow was amazinamazing. >> listen to her. ♪ forget you ♪ got some change in my pocket ♪ wasn't enough i'm like forget you note yeah i'm sorry ♪ ♪ i can't afford a ferrari no ♪ >> that song can be a lot more graphic. she was terrific. >> she had that hit with huey lewis years ago. i forget the name of it. can she do it live? i didn't see the country music awards the other night.

i think she's talented. >> the other option was "dancing with the stars" and a lot of people were upset because brandy got kicked off and bristol palin remained. keep in mind, brandy had a better vote from the judges than bristol. >> look at brandy. the audience is booing. that's awkward. brandy looks totally crushed. >> the judges picked brandy and the audience picked bristol. >> here's the controversy. is bristol being being rewarded for her mother's popularity? is the tea party keeping bristol palin on? that's not against the rules, right? >> no. it doesn't matter. >> the people decide. it's just like politics. >> yes, it is. we'll see what happens. brandy is probably the better dancer. >> a lot of people agree with this choice with "people's" sexiest man alive.

34-year-old ryan reynolds. why do we have a different cover? >> because we do. there's plenty. >> there's two. he's so much man -- now, see, you and chose different people. we didn't know who the winner would be. you said edwardo. >> if you don't know who he is, keep googling him. just look it up. he'll pop up first. >> he's the sweetest guy in the world. i couldn't vote for him because he's my very good friend and like an angelle and you can't lust after angels. i would have gone with ryan reynolds if he had children. >> who did you go with? >> i went with sting. i think sting is awesome. he's everything. he's the whole package. i love musicians, and he is a great husband, loves his wife and a terrific father. i think he's awesome. >> speaking of our sex show, we have a sex wine on the table. >> when jerry brought it over

this morning. i said jerry knows his sex wine, and he said jerry whines about sex every day. i don't know why. okay, hoda. >> it's a sparkling rose. very nice. this is one of the trivia questions. healthy sex makes men live longer. >> frank is 80 years old. need i say more? >> they say men who cheat and have sex don't live longer because they claim that the stress that they are going through because of the cheating does not help them. >> i have problems with that. i think people that are serial cheaters have no stress at all about it and they have no conscience about it and no guilt and sleep like babies. >> i agree 100%. >> all the guys are saying that's right. >> if you're a onetime cheater. >> if it goes against your moral fiber, you would lose a lot of sleep. >> i feel like we should show

these. these are bra and panties that are not typical. they are magnetized for easy access. we should bring up caitlin. this is don nash's assistant who is humiliated but she has it on the outside of her outfit. >> you look adorable. >> what did you think when they asked you to put this get-up on. >> as first i said i'd do it. now immediately i regret it. >> your boss is about dying right now. >> i'm sure he is. >> do they stay? >> do the big stretch, the big old stretch. >> does it come on? now it stays on. >> they're pretty strong. >> how long does it take to get that baby off? >> wow. >> okay. >> you can get these they're 230 bucks. they're very expensive.

>> do you get both? >> i think so. >> thank you, sweetie. >> you're welcome. >> you know about this, hoda? we don't have time to talk about the porn hotels? >> go ahead. >> good. a porn mogul is planning a chain of hotels. why we need this, i don't know. where guests stay for free if what? >> if you have sex in the hotel room and you agree to be videotaped for a live broadcast on the web. >> broadcast live. >> i'm sure they'll use the tape over and over. the question is why? >> money. it's going to generate millions and millions of dollars. >> maybe i'm an idiot, but i don't think people want to watch mary smith and her husband having sex. >> snooki would be. there's an appetite for everything in the world. >> porn i get. >> you get subscriptions? >> stop it.

i don't understand why -- i don't know. having sex is not something that's pretty to look at, do you think? >> it depends on how you look, i suppose. i don't know. this boggles my brain and i hope it never comes to be. >> coming up, we'll have our girlfriend's guide to s-e-x. >> and so much more as the show gets rolling along. >> being sexy is all about having confidence and feeling comfortable in your own skin. >> when i wear heels and walk down the street especially in new york city, i strut. i can't help but strut. when i strut down the street, i know i draw attention. we're always stopping than is because i have to go to the bathroom. and when we're sitting in traffic, i worry i'll have an accident. be right back. so today i'm finally going to talk to my doctor

about overactive bladder. [ female announcer ] if you're suffering, today is the day to talk to your doctor and ask about prescription toviaz. one toviaz pill a day significantly reduces sudden urges and accidents all day and all night. and toviaz comes with a simple, 12-week plan with tips on training your bladder. if you have certain stomach problems or glaucoma or cannot empty your bladder, you should not take toviaz. toviaz can cause blurred vision and drowsiness, so use caution when driving or doing unsafe tasks. the most common side effects are dry mouth and constipation. [ susan ] today, i'm visiting my son without visiting every single bathroom. [ female announcer ] why wait? ask about toviaz today. ♪ [ male announcer ] we touch a lot of things throughout the day. so it's nice that clorox disinfecting products help kill the germs that can live on surfaces for up to 48 hours. ♪ feels sweet when i can touch you ♪ it will with natural instincts. it's clinically proven.

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sex is preferable because you want to know that you have tact. >> you want to go with what you feel in your heart and body, i guess. >> i'm just the type of guy, i guess, if you give it up on the first night, i'm not going to hang out with you again. >> what? we're back with our special show dedicated to make your sex life, not his, a better one. whether you're married or single. since our girlfriends are the first ones we turn to when we're in need of advice, we assembled some here. >> they are the single jill martin and janine milner a married mother of three and a founder of mybrownbaby blog.

sharon sloan is married without kids and then we have divorced mom debbie creator of stillababe.com. how honest are we about our sex lives with our girlfriends? jill? >> i think we are 80% honest. i think your besties and close friends you're honest with. those outside your group, you don't really talk about the really -- >> do you feel comfortable talking with your girlfriends about sex? >> after a few glasses of wine. >> and generational. >> more innuendo with the older girls. maybe more blatant talk with the younger girls. >> everybody was shocked when sex in the city first came out and everyone saw these women talking so expliciting about everything. i was stunned by it. i think some things schuck sacred. where do you draw the line at something truly private, but i seem to be in the minority about that. >> with our girlfriends we talk about as a help for each other. we don't give each other the

dirty details, but it's helpful to get advice on how do i make it more interesting. oh, my god, i had a glass of wine and my husband reacts like p pavlov's dog. we talk about it to help each other. >> when you're single, you want to talk about it. you want advice from your friends, and your friends want to hear about it. especially my married friends. >> why? >> because they're bored. they're bored. so if you go back to a man's house, you guys, this is a question, after the first date or you invite him to your home, are you expected, do you think, to have sex? >> we argue about this. i think absolutely yes. approximate if you go back to a man's apartment after a date. if gu back, you're saying i'm ready to sleep with you, and you're either ready to be in a

relationship, which is what i would do if i went to a man's how. you don't go to second base at my age. >> you both know why you're there, and as long as ear okay with that, that's fine. >> what kind of woman will sleep with a guy before she sees how he lives and where he lives? you find out what the guy is like. >> when you're back in the dating game again, you sort of find yourself doing things you wouldn't have done prior in the last life. you're in a new body and new place and take new risks. you will go someplace you hadn't have gone. >> where do you make out, then? >> it's not making out but hooking up. >> sometimes you want a kiss. >> you kiss outside when the date ends. you go to lunch. you go before the date, after the date after a few glasses of wine. you don't belong in a man's apartment if urt not going to sleep with him. >> you can say why don't you come up. i want to talk to you a little bit more. i think you can go to a man's apartment and he doesn't expect sex. >> depends on the man you're going out with, too.

>> i agree. yom it necessarily means you have to say yes. if you want to go back to his apartment and you guys are having a good time, you have the right to say no. >> i don't think you have to say yes. you're telling him by going back to his apartment. >> before that moment. you've already told him. >> i think you set the vibe before you go up and walk in. >> i think it's an important point. it's not a hard thing -- >> it does. >> you can have a different outcome. >> should you ever sleep with someone who is separated but not divorced, yes or no? >> absolutely no. unless the papers are signed, this is a horrible position to be in unless the papers are signed and everything is finished. >> what if the divorce takes a year and a half? >> i think that people stay married a really long time because they think they're supposed to, and the marriage may have been dead long aago. when they've been out there for a very long time, by being

separated they say i'm out here again. do you want a man that's untied or not, and if if it doesn't matter to you. >> i'm not so sure. sometimes he says he's separated and it could take years. maybe you should protect yourselves. >> you're saying don't get married. >> oh, the headache. migraine. up next, making whoopey so much more fun with somethingnk thi yu urable. i think you do. >> oh, my god. is she going to dust?

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if i could buy one thing to improve my sex life, it would be anything that adds to the mood so whether that be candles or sexy sheets or maybe just a stiletto pair of heels to turn my guy on. >> maybe some other stuff. lingerie and candles might be a nice way to set the scene, but you may want to take it an itty-bitty step further. >> molly persons, features director has some spicy secrets built to bring on the satisfaction. >> come on down here. >> we want you to touch it. >> tell us about this section right here. >> first of all, it's a great idea to do new things in bed. not only is it fun, but whenever you do something new it sends dope mean in your brain and it's

exciting. this is some kissable body shimmer. it it looks really pretty and sparkly on your skin, but it also smells and tastes really delicious. the most scents you can get involved, the more intense it will feel. >> don't put it on me. don't waste it. that's actually pretty. oh, i don't like the smell of that. it's a little too cotton candyish. >> it's a little sweet. here we have chocolate body fondue. you can paint it it on your partner. over here a candy bra and string. >> this looks like it might be a fun idea, but i think when it's going on i can't imagine -- i bet it's nasty. >> you see little kids eating these things all the time. i don't know about that, molly.

so far you're three down. >> here we have lubes. instead of getting the basic kind, there are a lot of cool, new types of lube out right now. one that's really big is warming lube, and when you apply it to your body, blood rushes to the surface of your skin and that makes your skin more sensitive and responsive to touch. on the other hand there's cooling lubes with a tingling feeling. just adds a new sensation during sex. >> i see you have handcuffs here. >> we are going to be arrested for this show. >> 80% of women want to be in handcuffs but never have been? >> in a cosmo poll nearly two thirds of women have never experimented with handcuffs and blindfolds and haven't. >> it's because the woman doesn't say do that, i want that? that's why it's not happening? >> women don't know how to bring them up.

>> just show them. >> it's adjustable. >> okay. >> so the blindfold is here. this is for your dusting you're talking about. >> you want a nice, clean environment. lots of germs involving, people. >> are people wearing rhinestone pasties? >> you don't know what people do at home in bed. i think they're kind of sexy. >> have you ever worn them? >> honestly, no. >> you work for cosmo. you have to try this out. you also look 12. >> i'm 29 actually. >> are you 29 in wow. yoo you're young and beautiful. >> role play. this is a game where you and your partner write down the sexy fantasies, toss them in a bowl and pick them up. >> take out your wallet for every bill you have. sunshine ti♪

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from holiday ham to traditional tamales, it's the perfect setting where plates and memories are passed again and again. live your christmas story at a kmart price - with essential home banded dinnerware only $14.99. these essential home complete bed sets are just $34.99. plus, assorted ornaments, decor, and wrap are all 25% off. when loved ones are around, christmas is served. there's smart and there's kmart smart. 10:26 this morning. we have breaking news that we are following. protesters surrounding the uc board of regents meeting at ucsf. police are firing pepper spray at them. kristi smith joins us with the very latest on the phone. >> reporter: right now, what i'm looking at is a san francisco police van, and they have the back doors open. they're loading protesters in that appear to be in plastic handcuffs. the situation much more calm than it was earlier.

we saw a lot of pushing and shoving. protesters trying to come in through the front door. and uc police say they were having none of that. and there was a skirmish between them, they were in their riot ge gear, and protesters. there was also an officer who pepper sprayed several of the protesters when there was some pushing and shoving going on, protesters trying to get in through the back door. i have to tell you right now, i have sort of -- my photographer and i have sort of a scratchy throat. we are feeling the effects of the pepper spray ourselves because a lot of the people here are soaked with it, their clothes. right now, much calmer. i would say myself, i have seen at least 10 or 12 people led away in handcuffs. it appears to be much calmer than it was. >> we're looking at raw video that i know that you fed into our station that shows some of the arrests, people being carted away. earlier we thought there would be at least 100 protesters out there. but did you see the crowds grow?

>> reporter: you know, it's kind of hard to say. there's a large crowd, but there's two doors on opposite sides of the building. officers would go to one side and try to hold them out of one door, but then we would hear from the inside of the building, a roar from the crowd from the other side. officers appeared to be caught offguard with them coming through the front door because they had been staging at the back door. at this point, mostly barricades up around the building. the crowd appears much smaller than it was earlier. i'm seeing maybe what looks like 100 people out front. police in riot gear. >> all right. i'm sorry, i have to cut you off because we're running out of time. you make sure you're safe yourself.

continued coverage of the uc protests on nbcbayarea.com. all right. we're back with more of "today." we're ready to play the weekly quiz game who knew? in honor of the special show we want to remind you what we're talking about is for mature ears only. today's topic is sex. kathie lee across the street and ready to hand out 100 bucks to those who answer the questions correctly. to those that don't they get that lovely cd. ian turner is here to help me

out. let's see how people doing. i'm curious to see. >> lovely ladies from san francisco. here's your first question. according to the world health organization how many acts of sex happen every day around the world. 40 million, 200 million, 500 million or 2 billion? >> oh, my goodness. >> let's have a general consensus. >> 200 million. >> you're right. >> that was a lucky guess. >> 200 million. >> in this country alone 40 million americans say they're stuck in a sex rut, so i think that 200 million number can get higher. >> let's go across to kathie lee. >> what percentage of married women fantasize about having sex with someone other than their spouse? 12%, 62%, 75%, or 99%?

>> 75%. >> you're going to love it. >> the correct answer is only 62%, which i found surprising. >> i know. that's from an ivillage survey. every woman who i've asked that question to said 100%. men don't fantasize during sex. it's totally a woman's thing. we're happy to be there. >> glad to be in the room. okay. >> you're from canada, right? texas. i'm sorry. they're on their honeymoon, so it's nice for them to take time out of their busy schedule having sex to be here talking about sex. how many positions are depicted in the original kama scattered su sutra? >> we'll go with c, 101. >> it gives you something to look forward to. >> the correct answer is 64. that's a lot of positions. >> you know what the number one

around the world is? missionary position. i think it's the eye contact, the intimate see. you really need one if it works. >> let's go back across. >> these ladies are from alabama. the average couple trying to conceive will have sex how many times before being successful? once, ten, 25, or 104? >> 25. >> whoops. >> all right. the correct answer there, 104 times. >> i was very surprised by that, too. it's a british study that was done by one poll research. with couples trying to have kids later in life, trying to have a kid is very trying. it takes something for all those couples out there trying to do it. don't lose fact that it's fun toosh too, not just a goal.

>> koo >> what percentage of women were satisfied last time they had some nookie with their partner? >> i'd say b, 23%. >> sorry about your sex life. >> all right. so the correct answer there is 64%. >> 64% of women said they were satisfied. 85% of men said that their women were satisfied. >> first of all, can i ask about these polls. is anyone telling the truth when they're called and asked about a sex questions? >> this is coming from reliable data. this ivillage poll is true. people lie, but we're getting as close to the truth as we can. >> we have the man from the sea here from alabama. in one survey two out of three women are more likely to make out with a guy if they like his

eyes, his personality, his smell or the thickness of his wallet. >> boy, that's a tough question. i'd say the eyes. >> boy, you people are pathetic. >> now, see, i agree. i would have said eyes, too, but the correct answer is smell. >> this was a national study done by axe men's productses and they determined that smell is the most important scent to women, and women have a stronger sense of scent because they're ovulating because it helps them sniff out jeanettetic capability. >> axe is all about smell. they did with a research institute all about the senses. >> great questions, by the way. thanks for coming by. up next, if all this talk has your engine running, we have the key to making tonight, that's tonight extra special right after this. being in the mood is the kiss. it it all starts from the kiss.

>> what gets me in the mood is going out. if i have a good conversation and i'm having a> th meso somebody and i'm feeling it, i'm going to go with it. new revlon growluscious mascara. helps lashes grow stronger. with a unique formula that complements my lashes' natural growth cycle. 96% saw instantly longer lashes. this is the start of something big. new revlon growluscious mascara.

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it was exciting to wake up in the morning and jump in the shower with him or when you get home from work undress him right when you walk in. >> what can improve my sex life? a smart woman, a good wine and a sharp cheddar. >> a sharp what? >> cheddar cheese. >> maybe we do need this show. according to a survey by scoop.com 81% of women would rather have a massage than sex

because of their busy lifestyle. >> if you want to be one of the 19% who wants to have sex, you've come to the right place. we have three sexperts with us. they're the co-founders of the love consultant and also is maggie of author start calling him honey and start having sex which is kind of cute. so 81% of us would rather have a massage than sex. i get it. it's a long day. you're tired sxpt a massage and go to bed. >> women do get it. at the end of the day, you have your career and juggling kids and everything, you want sex oor a massage. >> i want a massage. >> i'm appalled at this. we try to keep the passion and fire alive in a relationship. your marriage should be one long first date, and you need to take the necessary precautions or maintenance to make that happen. the fire dies. >> that's in a dream world, isn't it? there's only 24 hours in the day.

>> you have to find the time to make the time. those products that were mentioned earlier, the edible underwear, the body paint, viagra, something called zestra, a great product for female arousal. post menopausal females have problems with arousal and drive. you need toon tood what you need to do to maintain your connection. >> you can buy all the edible undies you want and do all that stuff. your desire has to come back naturally, and it can't come back with sort of fixes like that. the only way to get your desire back as we say in the book is you have to remove the bad habits that are sabotaging your sex life every day that people do every day, sometimes every hour. once you get rid of the bad habits, then you can buy the underwear and buy the -- >> you say don't call him honey or daddy. >> daddy? >> i love that. >> i don't call him daddy.

>> yes, you do. >> a lot of couples do. our book is not just about money but about all pet names. we spent several years interviewing couples for our book. >> no pet names? >> yes. your name is the best way to go. we found out that when we did our research that there's so many couples that love each other, respect each other, they're a great team, but they've completely lost their sexual connection. they're living like roommates. >> what should you call them? >> you wouldn't believe how common it is. >> call them your name. >> you know what? here's the thing. >> the same old same old. men sleep with the same old same old wife and women sleep with the same old same old husband. you need to experiment. why not do crazy things with the person you're most close to, your husband. the bedroom, reclaim it. let's take away all the computers and all the electronics. the only thing that has to do

with sex is -- sex is in the bedroom and sleep. that's the only thing. >> it's about taking control. i think sometimes women wait for guys to take control, and we're policy women in powerful career and doing different things in our live, handling the kids. why don't we take control in there? >> people are watching this saying, okay. my husband will come home tonight and we'll cook dinner. it will be the same old drill again. what is a take-away? what can someone do tonight? give instructions. >> one of the xhachapters is cad close the bathroom door. we get into the basics of what you do during the day to sabotage your sex life. the open bathroom door ruins the mystery and builds up resentment. that's not good. your sex life is very -- your chemistry is very fragile and

peep add behaviors and habits and get comfortable and think their sex life is going to survive, but it doesn't survive. >> it makes you vulnerable for somebody that's going to -- >> it's fragile. you have to protect it. you have to be careful of the things you do every day that, as i said, that sabotage your sex life. >> do something tonight that you've never done with your husband. >> open the bedroom door. >> that's the thing. open the bedroom door. >> i don't care what you have to do. be a different woman, rock his world. go from there. change your pattern. >> i think it's about changing your pattern. >> but i really do think you have to take some action, because that's what it's all about. if you don't go home, take action, make it a little different, light a candle. >> everybody has their marching orders. thank you very much. >> coming up next, this chef has a meal that will make you hungry for his love right after this. ♪

♪ i took a ride ♪ it's been a long time ♪ but now there's nothing grandpa! ♪ ♪ in my way ♪ ♪ lord there is nothing ♪ in my way t ♪ us jloveuse ♪ lo♪ oh oh oh ♪ just hold me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just kiss me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just want me ♪ l-o-v-e ♪ love, love, love ♪

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we're back with today's sexy and saucy kitchen. we haven't cooked and things are already steaming in here. >> we have a recipe to get things cooking starting way seduction dinner. >> hi, curtis. >> hi. it's been too long. >> what are we cooking up? >> we're doing a pasta dish. it's always sexy to share something with somebody. you can uspaghetti, whatever you got. >> you have garlic going here, baby. >> we have onions and garlic in the pan, which is fine as long as you both ooeat it. >> it comes out of your pores. >> chili peppers in with kwur onions and garlic and other ingredients go in. i have beautiful crab meat. >> you said on our show the other day there's a special lady in your life now. have you ever made this for her?

>> i haven't made this for her. >> what's her favorite meal you make her. >> she likes pasta so i keek her pasta once in a while. >> does she cook, too. >> she's a good cook. i'm a chef, so i have that bit covered. a little bit of lemon juice and your favorite thing, kathie lee, white wine. >> i don't drink that stuff. >> the heat gets another scent going. the chili pepper and a little black pepper and parsley and others. then you just want to heat this through. you want a lot of parsley. give it a toss. take your boiling pasta, give it a shake, and a little bit of the pasta water is okay. >> you're pour is right in there. >> it's a one pot wonder. >> if you're in a hurry. >> if you want to romance, you don't want to be just in the kitchen.

>> certain people will remain nameless. >> give it a good toss. bring it together with extra virgin olive oil. >> that looks good. >> taets it? it's ready to go? >> it's ready to roll. you bring it over here. i didn't put any salt because the crab is already a little bit salty. >> anything with crab, i'm a goner. i love it. >> do you like it? >> yeah. >> the deal is you put it all on one plate so you share. >> that's so cute. >> sexy music in the background. it's a winner. >> what music do you play, curtis? >> i play -- >> "everyone has a story"? >> something like that, but not exactly that. >> you start off with this, right? the deal is if you want romance, you have that done. come back here. you know, the way i'll start off is a pomgrante martina. it works well with the crab.

it has vodka, pomegrante juice -- actually i used cherry juice instead. >> you should make it with pomegrante. >> i like the cherry as well. >> cherry is nice. >> what do you think? >> it needs some pomegrante. >> this is the home run. >> for dessert i did a chocolate fond fondue, because you can have it done ahead of time and it's nice and hot. i made enough for ten people because that's how i roll. >> it's a group thing. >> you are sick. >> that's why you stay in l.a. all the time now. now we know why. >> i have chopsticks. >> the best dessert you've ever made and we have it all the time, it's the only thing i'll give up my dessert ban on is that banofi pie. >> banana and toffee.

>> if it falls off your fork, you have to kiss the person nearest to you. so -- >> did you see what just happened? >> use chopsticks in case you drop it. >> hoda is very good with chopsticks and m&m's. >> now i'm drinking. delicious. >> it's not bad. >> we're glad you're back. >> you've broken a million hearts but we're awfully glad you're happy. we'll be back with more of "today" on nbc. that's delicious.

we made it through the show. >> who knew sex could last an hour. >> we want to thank everyone at new jersey for the book signing. thank you for coming out. really, really appreciate it. >> tomorrow andy garcia and

10-year-old singing sensation jackie is with us. >> for friday we're going to fort lauderdale on a boat on the high seas. it's going to be fun. the allure. you coming with? >> what? >> he's not coming. he's going home. >> have a great wednesday, everybody. >> have a great wednesday, everybody. >> bye-bye. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com