good morning. front lines. we're live in afghanistan with the troops on patrol and in the battle zone with the top u.s. commander, as president obama maps out the way forward for the fight here. patdown policy. as the holiday travel season begins, the government makes changes to the searches that many call an invasion of privacy. and queen camilla? the world waits for william and kate's big date?

all of britain is buzzing over what prince charles told nbc about his wife's future. >> does the duchess of cornwall become queen of england? >> his answer today, november become queen of england? >> his answer today, november 20th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this saturday morning. i'm amy robach. >> and i'm lester holt. amy, i've come to afghanistan to be here at a critical juncture in this war. as you know, thousands of miles away from here, president obama and nato allies are meeting to figure out an exit strategy, how to turn over security of afghanistan to afghan troops. all this while nato war planes

are launching from this base, bagram air base, in support of the war effort. also, how is that effort going? what about the surge? later in the show i'll take to you the battlefield to a site of a major battle that marines waged earlier this year to drive out the taliban. how did they do? i'll show you when i talk to the top general on the scene. >> we're looking forward to that. here at home this morning a busy travel weekend. we're following the latest on the patdown searches at airports. passengers and pilots consider them highly offensive and an invasion of privacy. it seems that the government is responding to the outcry and has new screening procedures. we're going to tell you what they are in just a moment. also a hollywood murder mystery. a prominent agent to the stars was gunned down. who wanted her dead? we have new developments on this shocking crime. then, oh, baby, we take you inside "o magazine's" favorite things edition.

we'll bring that all to you. first, back to bagram and lester. >> amy, thanks. i've been in the country five days and met some remarkable people. each time i learn how many different ways americans are putting it on the line here. this is the tail section of one of the hawks that's operated by the rescue squad run. that's a bullet hole. you walk along the edge of this chopper and someone pointed out this patch here when this unit first got into bagram, they took shrapnel from a mortar round that went off as they were trying to pick up an injured soldier on the field. we'll talk more about their mission as we go along. my colleague, richard engel, you often see over here in the battle zone. he takes us on a different journ i to a part of flging if you might not have thought existed. it is giving some people pause to think maybe there's a tourist industry that could ultimately

come about here in afghanistan. i don't want to forget. you saw him at the top of the opening of the broadcast, we've got some fine folks here. we're going to talk to some of them coming up. we really appreciate what you're doing and look forward to chatting later in the broadcast. amy, let me point one other thing out. we are on a very active airfield and it gets noisy from time to time. we usually deal with it when the f-15s and f-16s go off, we've got to stop. we'll deal with it. they have important work to do. it could happen at any time during this broadcast. >> we'll look out for that. and afghanistan and the new plans for the war are front and the for president obama at the nato summit under way in portugal. chief white house correspondent chuck todd is in lisbon. good morning, chuck. >> reporter: good morning. here in lisbon, the president is only going to be here another 12 hours but the focus is two major foreign policy challenges one dealing with the exit strategy and, two, reassuring allies he

can get this nuclear arms deal with russia ratified. president obama began his second day in portugal with a focus on afghanistan. >> a beautiful day. >> reporter: attending a meeting of coalition partners in the war effort. >> the meeting is opened. today marks the beginning of a new phase in our mission in afghanistan. >> reporter: the new consensus? to begin a transition to afghan responsibility in 2011 with afghan forces taking the lead by 2014. experts say there's no guarantee afghan forces will be ready by then. >> make no doubt about it, this is nothing to do with the reality of the on the ground military situation in afghanistan. >> reporter: transition not withdrawal is the key word now. both the president and vice president are using it repeatedly. >> so this summit is an important opportunity for us to align an approach to transition in afghanistan. >> we are going to begin o transition. we're keeping that -- that

commitment will be kept. >> reporter: also resonating, the president's battle to have the senate ratify the latest arms reduction treaty with russia. >> the message i've received since i arrived could not be clearer. new s.t.a.r.t. will strengthen our alliance. >> reporter: jon kyl is blocking senate ratification, drawing fire from the lone senate ally on the issue. >> i'm not ascribing cooperating. medvedev has sent himself way out on a line in this. >> reporter: back in kyl's home

state, a new commercial invokes the 1964 campaign and asks residentses to take action. those close to the white house are split on how tough to get on jon kyl to get this s.t.a.r.t. treaty passed, some would like the president to get tougher. others warn if he does that it could unite republicans against this and truly deal them a loss. >> chuck todd in lisbon, thank you. now back to lester in afghanistan. >> amy, the view from the ground. let's talk about that. i shared a chopper ride with a top marine in helmund province. richard mills. he took me to the town of marza where they engaged in one of the fiercest battles of this war months after the massive offensive began. hills and his troops continue to fight the enemy while hoping to win over the people. from the flight deck of a c-130, it appears as a cluster of lights floating in a sea of

darkness. we're flying to camp leatherneck, the jumping off point for helmund province. it was the scene of one of the war's biggest offensives. the marine's battle to drive the taliban from the town of marza. i'm going to marza with major general richard mills who tells me the taliban fought hard to keep the town because it's a main source of their income in this poppy-growing region. we land amid a cloud of swirling dust. at company outpost kelly, i'm given the lay of the land by marines on the ground and taken for a walk just outside the camp perimeter. what not long ago would have been a suicide mission. >> ieds, gunfights, machine gun fire just 200 meters on the other side there. >> the marines claim victory in this part of marza. still, we're back in protective

armor and inside a mine-resistant vehicle for a short ride to operating base marza. roadside bombs have exacted a heavy toll here. >> these cruel senseless weapons are horrific. they're planted in such a ways that people can walk up on them, whether they be marines, soldiers or civilians. as many civilians suffer from the ieds a do the coalition forces. >> later we walk the now secure main street through one of marza's key bazaars. the general wants to show off what some thought impossible a fi months ago. people on the street, no evidence of taliban. i meet members of a local neighborhood watch. and meet village elders who now work with them on community projects. you could count taliban bodies as a sign of progress. but that doesn't tell you the full story. >> that's not the full story. i believe that stims you have to

kill the wolf to protect the flock, but that's not the real sign of progress. the real sign of progress is to see the young children that the parents trust the environment enough to let their kids run free. to see an afghan soldier here standing by my side to provide security. to see the policemen up and down the street to see what they do. and to see these shops open. >> i asked a local shop owner about marjah then and now. he says things are better and says, we want peace, no fighting. that's what we all want. marines hope to replicate what they've done in marjah and other parts of hellhundred province. the marjah offensive was seen as a prelude to a decisive battle in the tally band stronghold of kandahar. instead it's been a gradual offensive there. american and british troops

still face tough fights in this part of afghanistan. and just outside the center of marjah as well. to illustrate the point, we were with general mills as he got word of yet another attempted attack nearby. >> just in a few moment, you'll hear a loud boom. that's a controlled detonation of an ied that was reported to us by a local national. >> the general says local police and afghan army members are getting better by the day and that they one day can keep the peace here by themselves. but he's under no illusion the taliban will go away overnight. we're standing here in a public place and thankfully surrounded by u.s. and afghan troops. are the taliban watching us right now? >> i would bet there's a couple eyeballs on us that are not friendly. hopefully they'll report that the children were out and the families were out and they were able to move around without

being bothered. >> they also point out the edges of that town, they still encounter firefights and ieds. to give you an example how rough the province has been, we learned that marines were using 16 maine battle tanks, heavy armor there to give them more punch and a quicker response when troops come in contact on the ground. >> lester, i know you've shown that troops have driven the taliban out of that town, but you also mentioned you think there were a few eyeballs on us right now, taliban eyeballs. what about the overall strength of that organization? do troops really think they've weakened the taliban on a whole in the area? >> general mills told me -- they have intelligence that leads them to believe that the taliban, first of all, are running out of money. they're appealing for money. they say a lot of the leadership has left the area. they're finding more midlevel management on the ground.

and he pointed out that his counterpart, whatever the taliban counterpart is to a two-star general, as he said, left the province dressed as a woman. >> we'll be checking back in with you very shortly. in other news here, the holiday travel season kicking off with the controversial patdowns at the airport that many find intrusive and humiliating. this morning the tsa is announcing new searches, they affect pilots that bypass the scanning or patdowns for passengers. >> reporter: the new rules were just what pilots like ann poe of south florida were hoping for. she abruptly stopped flying for continental a few weeks ago and sued the tsa over the searches. >> it's not right. i don't believe under any condition to be sexually molesting people. that's what i consider the aggressive patdown that they're doing. >> reporter: though 80% of respondents at a recent poll say

they do not object to the full body scanners, the internet is calling for boycotts. some set to music ♪ i don't like the tsa ♪ i don't see how they >> they're fodder for late night talk. >> we have president bush on the program tonight. so everybody gets patted down. >> even you. this is your show. >> makes no sense at all. >> tell me about it. >> a longtime republican critic of the tsa, john micah of florida, has urged the government to switch to private, nongovernment screeners. one airport plans to make that change in january. private screeners will still be require to follow tsa protocols. while the new procedures are intrusive, they're necessary to close gaps in air security that the government's own tests showed were letting too much slip through. >> these covert testers, undercover agents, if you will,

were able to get through our security for several reasons but one of the common denominators was the lack of a thorough patdown. >> but more lawsuits are coming from passengers who claim the new rules are unconstitutional, violating the fourth amendment's ban on unreasonable searches. >> before you do these kind of things to american citizens, in the past there must be some reasonable suspicion that they're involved in some kind of criminal activity. >> courts have generally approved airport security methods finding that they're justified by the need to maintain security. and some legal scholars believe the new regime is likely to be upheld too. >> that doesn't mean judges give a blank check to government. they don't do that. but it means they're cautious about stepping in and overturning a regulation that the executive branch thinks is necessary. >> for now tsa is considering changes to the full body scanners that would show a much less explicit image. only an outline of a passenger's body flagging questionable

objects. >> the only thing that would be shown are the boxes that indicate potential threats found on the body. >> tsa says now that it's planning to exempt pilots from the screening and discussing about whether to do the same thing for flight attendants. pete williams, washington. a look at some of the other headlines, let's head over to thomas roberts who is at the newsdesk. good morning. >> good morning to you. thank you very much. we begin in new zealand where rescuers cannot yet get into a coal mine where 21 workers are trapped. a blast friday left dangerous levels of methane and carbon monoxide. two reached the surface but so far no one has heard from the trapped miners. a suspicious package found in luggage in namibia was not a real bomb. it was designed to test security and did not contain explosives. germany has had many false alarms reported lately since they raised their terror threat level. msnbc has suspended joe

scarborough for two days because of contributions he made to political candidates. it's the same punishment given to keith olbermann recently for a similar infraction of msnbc's news poll sis. scarborough, a former congressman from florida has apologized. he'll return to his program on wednesday. two very lucky turkeys from california are going to the white house. president obama will pardon one for thanksgiving. the second one is a vice presidential alternate. both turkeys will live out the rest of their live in peace at washington's mt. vernon estate. >> i love the alternate. >> how many alternates can we have? >> bill karins is here with a look at your forecast. >> unfortunately, winter is starting to show up out west and also in areas of the northern plains. temperatures are brutal from the

dakotas tall way through montana. some of that cold air is making its way to minnesota. on the west coast, rain in california and heavy mountain snow in the high el visions. enjoy it if you're a skier. ht.> all r good morning to you. we will seew sno in the bay aari feet at the north end.he mostly across the mountains. some of the rain has been heavy in the bay. there's pink and white turning to snow, again, 2,500 feet. highs in the 50s. a couple scattered showers and thunderstorms. weekend forecast. amy? >> bill, thank you. tonight on nbc, college football fans will be watching the big showdown between army and notre dame. it's taking place at yankee stadium where the ballpark is making unique changes for the big game. here's nbc's mike taibbi.

>> it seemed a little out of place. manhattan's pep rally for the fighting irish before their game against army. but in the rivalry games played in the old yankee stadium, notre dame was usually favored as the home team even with west point just a short way up the hudson. in fact, though, in college football's black and white film era, both teams were powerhouses with championships and heisman trophy winners galore. this is a 1946 so-called game of the century. >> breaks into the open. but l uks jak speeds in with a game breaking tackle. >> that ended in a 0-0 tie that still had the stadium rocking. >> a struggle that will long live in the memory of football fandom. >> but the new stadium was designed for more than yankees baseball. >> in the early stages in the architectural work, then engineering work, we had football in mind. >> so the conversion from baseball diamond to football field was done quickly.

everything ready for more gridiron history because history is what this rivalry is about. remember pat o'brien as knute rockne? >> tell them to go out there with all they got and win just one for the gipper. >> in that stadium in 1928, notre dame did rally to win. it doesn't matter whether rockne said those actual words. they became part of the legend, the legend these two old foes will now try to reignite at the new yankee stadium. neither team has been a title contender for years, but it doesn't matter. >> this isn't going to be just a game. it's going to be a history lesson in football and in sports. >> so another round of cheers for two old rivals back for an encore on a new stage. for "today," mike taibbi, nbc news, new york. you can watch notre dame face off grens army tonight. in los angeles, the fbi says a letter containing white powder sent to the production office of "dancing with the stars" turned

out to be talcum powder. reports say it may have been addressed to bristol palin who will compete in the finals next week and some say her success has more to do with her mother than her footwork. while bristol struggled through low scores, brandy surged all season long. and when it was time to announce who didn't make it to the finals, well, the reaction speaks for itself. >> brandy and max. >> gasps and even a few boos could be heard in the ball room op "dancing with the stars." in the end, brandy packs up and bristol prepares for the championship. but is there something else going on here? jimmy kimmel thinks so. he wasn't shy about pointing to one prominent conspiracy theory. >> do you believe there is an organized tea party voting bloc? >> the left wing bloggers aren't laughing about it. they say it's all about sarah

palin. for them, her popularity among conservatives is fueling voters to rally behind her daughter. >> there's certainly a big push by palin supporters and i've seen on palin blogs for people to vote for bristol, to show their support for the palin family and to show their support for sarah palin, this is as much a vote for sarah palin as it is for bristol. >> they defended their victory tweeting we have no control over the results. we just try our best and work hard. so you can't be frustrated at me or the results. it's just a dance. and then there's this fact. bristol has been steadily winning over the judges, especially this week. the 20-year-old tells her critics they are wrong. i know i've worked hard to get where i am, she told "us" magazine. i definitely feel i'm the most improved dancer on this show, so i'm comfortable with that. she's becoming more comfortable in public, whether on the

campaign trail, appearing on her mom's reality show or talking about teen pregnancy, like she did on the "today" show last year. whether the votes are for her or her mom, bristol appears to be handling the pressure on and off the dance floor. still to come, new details on the mysterious murder. murder. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come on "today" we will head back to lester in afghanistan, and will camilla ever be queen? hear which three words started a media frenzy at buckingham palace?

we have a look at the forecast. >> we are gradually going to cool off. look at the radar. we have some of it up in the sierras as well.

there's lightning strikes. this is a three-hour loop. i wanted to show what it looks like. one is the front. the green is where the heaviest rain is. snow in the sierras. this afternoon, there's cold, unstable air coming through here. it means every time the storms come through here, we are going to see lightning strikes. look up into lake county, the pink and white. snowing above 2500 feet. 101 is where the heavier rain is. they are getting ready to move into marin county. there's not a lot happening in . san francisco or the south end of the bay. the storm is a big one. it's going to be a cold one. snow and cold conditions today through at least monday. >> thank you very much. supporters are calling on oakland's district attorney the drop charges on a demonstration in grant's name. they were arrested when yohannes

was sentenced for killing grant. police declared unlawful assembly and began making arrests. they say police infringed on their right to free speech and the charges should be dropped. >> they never gave us a chance to leave. i asked them. this is on video tape, i asked them, can i leave? can we leave? they refused to answer. they sat there stone-faced like this. >> officers made the arrest to avoid the violence and vandalism made from previous rallies. a new job report paint as positive picture. 39,000 new jobs in october with growth in different sectors. unemployment remains steady at 12.4%. unemployment rates for bay area counties stayed close to the

state average 11% for alameda. san francisco at 9.3%. san mateo at 8.5%. marin at 8%. coming up at 7:00 on today in the bay, the uc school system raised tuition in an effort to cut the budget gap. it may have a dangerous side effect. how the budget mess could be putting students lives at risk, possibly yours as well. more news coming up in 30 minutes including the rainy, cold forecast. now, back to the "today" show.

and we're back on this saturday morning, november 20th, 2010. it is just one week until thanksgiving and we're giving thanks to everyone who came out to spend part of their morning with us. inside studio 1a, i'm amy robach. lester is live at bagram airfield, and we're going to head to him in afghanistan in just a few moments. but first, coming up on "today," a hollywood murder mystery. a popular movie publicist arriving home from a premiere is murdered in her mercedes and police believe this was not a

random attack but in fact targeted by the killer. it's an unfolding mystery. we're going to have the very latest from los angeles. plus, father of the groom, and heir to the throne. brian williams' exclusive interview with prince charles. and wait until you hear the three words that caused a media frenzy in london and throughout buckingham palace. but first, as you mentioned, let's head back to bagram air field in afghanistan where lester is joined by a group of airmen from the 33rd rescue squadron. lester, we obviously give our thanks to them, as well, during this time. >> we sure do. i'd like to introduce, have the camera first pan this group from the 33rd rescue squadron. and some -- these are a great bunch of folks. i want to talk to a couple of them here. jimmy -- >> settles. >> i go to you first because your wife needs to see you're okay. turn the camera here. five stitches from a bullet that came up through a helicopter almost got you. >> that's right. almost. >> almost got you. your wife, i hope she's watching

right now. >> hi, money, i'm fine. >> and we're going to tell folks more of your story a bit later on this weekend. we're glad your here. you are? >> sergeant nelson. i'm a fight engineer. >> you work on the choppers here. >> home right now is okinawa. >> you guys are based there. the squadron is home. where is home in the states? >> california. >> anybody watching? >> mom, dad, high to my daughter mikayla and my son brandon and my wife. i'll be home soon. >> herman mcmiller from iowa. >> and what do you do here? >> i'm a jet engine mechanic. >> and anybody at home watching? >> hi to my mom and dad and friends and family back home. >> appreciate what you're doing. >> and you are? >> allen rogers. south carolina. >> south carolina. and who is at home watching you? >> my mom and all my familiar lay back home. >> all right. looks good. you're eating, right? all right. how are you? >> good. how are you? >> good, thank you. what's your name?

>> erin parker. >> what do you do? >> munitions journeyman. >> okay, so you bullets? >> take care of bullets. >> all right. where are you from? >> san antonio, texas. >> people watching you? >> my mom, my dad, and my husband. >> all right. who do we have here? >> captain harris. >> captain, where do you hail from? >> north carolina, originally. >> you working the choppers here? >> pilot, yes, sir. >> when are you getting to go home? >> hopefully soon. >> we hope you're all home soon. we appreciate the job you're doing. make sure the camera down here sees everybody. thanks for all the hard work you guys are doing. terrific as i said, it's an honor to be with you in your presence today. and, amy, i mentioned to you awhile ago, why he is wearing a coat? we're up 6,000 feet and it gets very chilly here once the sun sets, which it just did a moment ago. i want to send it to bill karins to find out what the weather's like on your end of the world. >> nothing as dramatic as what you're dealing with out there. great shots and great stories. take you to the plaza and our wonderful crowd. you are celebrating the 39th

anniversa anniversary. your husband is -- >> in illinois. in a tree stand. >> it's that time of year. yes it is. the basketball game last night, they lost. would they have won if you were there? >> no. >> i think you would have. let's take a look at your weekend forecast. let's talk about what's going to happen here. we have our big storm out west. that is going to move across the country as we go throughout this upcoming week. everyone wants to know what's the midweek travel look like. temperatures in the eastern half are the country are going to be warm. western half of the country very cold. but we're going to have some rain to deal with throughout the middle of the nation. and that will head to the east on wednesday and thursday. for some people's travels it will be a little difficult. it will also be a little bit wet on thanksgiving through areas of the mid-atlantic. good morning to you. 's movg throu tinhe bay area. snow in the sierra's as well. above 2500 feet at some of the bay area hills. this is over the past hour has

had heavy rain over the overnight hours. santa rosa and the north is where we are getting the rain. not much happening now. here is the seven-day forecast. more rain through tomorrow and monday morning. if you want your weekend forecast or maybe even to take a look at your extended forecast for your holiday travels you can always get that at weather.com. >> all right, bill, thank you. still to come, murder in beverly hills. who wanted a prominent hollywood publicist dead? we'll have the latest. and where and when will they wed? it was a question all of britain is eager to know the answer to. we will get the latest. but first these messages. [scraping] [piano keys banging] [scraping] [horns honking] with deposits in your engine, it can feel like something's holding your car back. let me guess, 16. [laughing] yeeah. that's why there's castrol gtx... with our most powerful

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when you add velveeta to spicy rotel tomatoes and green chiles, you've got a queso so good, it'll blow 'em away. - ( crash ) - man, that's good! velveeta & rotel. it is a real-life hollywood murder mystery and one that is playing out in tony beverly hills. that's where publicist to the stars was gunned down in her own car. nbc's george lewis reports. >> reporter: it was an unlikely spot for a street shooting.

beverly hills. and she was an unlikely target, ronni chiasson, a 64-year-old movie publicist, well-known in the film industry. >> people in hollywood are more than horrified. they are in absolute shock. >> reporter: she was the go-to person if you wanted to get your movie promoted for oscar contention. last year's oscar winner "slum dog millionaire" for example. monday night at the premiere of the movie "burlesque" chasen was hobnobbing just off the red carpet. the last pictures of her alive. afterward chasen drove her mercedes west on sunset boulevard into beverly hills. at about 12:30 as she was turning off sunset toward home, officials say another car, perhaps a big suv, pulled alongside her and someone opened fire. shattering the passenger window of chasen's car. thursday night, the mayor of beverly hills visited the crime scene. >> from the angle of shatter of the glass and all that we think

that it was at a higher angle down, just straight. so it could have been suv or a little bit higher car. >> reporter: from here, where the shots were fired, chasen, mortally wounded, continued down this side street until her car hit a light pole. police are reviewing surveillance camera video from homes on this block. chasen was still alive when paramedics arrived, but she was pronounced dead an hour later at the hospital. tomorrow, a hollywood who's who will turn out for her funeral. for "today," george lewis, nbc news, beverly hills, california. >> and for more insight we are joined by criminologist casey jordan. good morning, casey. >> good morning. >> right now we know police are focused on this shattered glass. and you think perhaps what's most interesting about some of the forensics is that the shattered glass came from the passenger window. >> correct. and until we have that information, the theories about carjackers or random shooting were still being entertained. but now it looks a lot more professional and practiced. the idea that somebody would pull up beside her and be able

to take aim and go through the passenger window, instead of the front of the car or the side, the driver's side, where you're far more likely to be able to fatally wound, hit your target, shows that it's somebody who really does know what they're doing. had the time to take aim, shoot downward through the glass and strike her in the chest instead of the head and it really does support the idea that this was not random. >> and let's talk about the gun. because there were no bullet casings found on the scene or found outside the car. they were all found inside the car. what does that tell you about what happened? >> i don't believe they found any bullet casings at all, because they were left inside the shooter's vehicle. we don't know exactly what kind of bullets were fired yet. and of course, they're going to do ballistics from what's found on her body. the fact of the matter is no one got out of the car. no one reached the gun out of the driver's window to shoot into ronnie chasen's car. they knew what they were doing and made sure that the casings were left inside the predatory vehicle. >> of course the location itself

is interesting. this is a very upper class area, late at night, an isolated neighborhood. it also supports the fact that this may have been premeditated. >> absolutely. the shooting didn't happen on sunset boulevard, because it's highly trafficked and there's cameras and people walk around all times of the day and night. once she made that turn into the residential neighborhood, to be very certain there wouldn't be anyone on the streets at almost 1:00 in the morning. and we have no eyewitnesses. if they can find some footage from local precedents with video cameras that's going to be their best bet. >> that may have been the killer's main mistake, by picking this neighborhood, it was upper class, many have surveillance cameras on their property for security reasons. that could be an important piece of evidence this they make the difference? >> without eyewitnesses, that's probably the only way they're going to solve this crime. and i know they're already reviewing the video camera footage from the house of the hacketts, butdy hackett's widow did have a camera. that is the best chance they have of breaking it down to which vehicle they should be looking for. >> we should also mention

beverly hills detectives went to chasen's home. what are they looking for in terms of evidence from her? >> they're looking for the motive. no one can figure out why someone would target this particular publicist. if they can find e-mails, text messages, voicemails. we know she called her office and left a message six minutes before the murder. if they can find any evidence that somebody had a vendetta, a grudge against her, they will be on the right track to finding out who do this. >> casey jordan, thanks so much. >> always great to be here. >> up next, candid conversation. brian williams, prince charles, and the interview that's overshadowed his son's royal engagement. that's after these messages. [ female announcer ] imagine the possibilities with stelara® for adults. stelara® helps control moderate or severe plaque psoriasis with 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. in a medical study, 7 out of 10 stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin at 12 weeks. as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks.

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camilla becoming queen, when he takes the throne. it's all part of an exclusive interview with nbc's brian williams. >> what do you see as the job description of prince of wales? >> well there isn't a job description. so you have to rather make it up as you go along. which doesn't always -- doesn't always go very well. >> he is the man who will be king. and this week the future monarch saw his family once again in the spotlight when on tuesday came the announcement of the engagement of his son, william, to kate middleton. >> it's obviously a thrill. >> i'm just so happy for them. they're all so happy. >> it's a rare conversation with prince charles in scotland, we talked about what awaits his eldest son. do you have words of advice for your son william upon embarking

upon this, in an even worse media environment? >> that's the problem, isn't it? because, they have the constrant lecturing and advice. so it isn't very easy. >> he's under a microscope already. he's just a helicopter pilot. >> well, don't take the advice of the media. but how could he possibly -- >> it's very intrusive, indeed. and very difficult. and i feel for him deeply. because, in my day, it was difficult enough. >> do families like yours talk about how to be a monarch? >> no. you pick it up as you go along. probably at a very young age and it gradually dawns on you what it is actually all about. or what the implications are. they watch you, and you learn.

>> while all eyes are on william and kate, prince charles also looks toward his own future milestone. at age 62, when most people are starting to think about retirement, he's still waiting to become king. people around you have said please avoid the "k" word so i've been quite good today. >> well, all very good, yes, yes. it's been frustrating to think about it. but it's much better not. this is something that if it comes to you, unregrettably it comes as a result of a death of your paint. which is, you know, not so nice, to say the least. so, you know, it's better not to think too much about it. >> i understand. >> except, you know, obviously if it comes then you have to deal with it. >> and then there's the question of camilla, the duchess of cornwall, who married charles in 2005. does the duchess of cornwall become queen of england if and

when you become the monarch? >> well, i mean, that's -- that's well, we'll see, won't we. but, that could be. >> a life defined by royal tradition. but with the unconventional task of raising two sons as a single parent. sounds like the raf. would that be one of your sons buzzing us? >> not yet. they might not be here today. >> both william and harry are military helicopter pilots. william flies search and rescue missions with the royal air force. harry is training on army gunships. for many years you raised two children as a single parent, and you have both children in the military. which must wear on you. >> it certainly did, obviously when harry went down to afghanistan. but he was terribly keen to do

so. and it was very difficult for william, my oldest, not to go. but i did say to him, when i was in the navy for five years, i had the same problem. they wouldn't send me anywhere. but harry, i worried the whole time. and therefore i can understand profoundly what it is that other families are going through. just how agonizing it is, day in, day out, worrying about what is happening to your loved one. >> from the man who will be king, to his engaged son, we're back in a moment. but first, this is "today" on nbc. rule the tweet. rule the bedtime. rule the upload. verizon built america's most reliable network to make a more powerful you.

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good morning to you. take a live look out at one of our cameras. it's very dark out there and some spots rainy. we have the look at the forecast. it's rainy and a little snowy. >> in the north end of the y, the north end of the bay. we'll get more tonight and morrow morning. it will be close to

he santa cruz mountains. look at the white north of ukiah. this is outside cloverdale. this is not going to be a big rainmaker. cold air doesn't hold a lot of rain, if you will. it will give scattered showers. at times, it will last a couple minutes, then they get a break. highs in the 50s, low 50s. >> all right. after more than a week with no word from the missing father, investigators confirmed his death. the family of 33-year-old brian herb received a tip he might be in idaho. investigators say there was no sign of foul play. no explanation for his

disappearance. he leaves behind his wife and two daughters. the school at the center of an embezzlement scandal. two moms stole from kids. they are accused of stealing more than $30,000 from the pta group at the bald win elementary school. the group funds events for children. the mothers were in charge of overseeing it. the remaining parents are trustworthy. they hope the suspects will think about the kids that raised the money. >> the kids worked very, very hard to raise the money. to do something like that is just not human. >> the suspects have paid back most of the money and they are due in court december 16th to face charges. a bay area college student received a short reprieve.

he was incarcerated for more than two months while waiting deploration. a private bill to stall the deplore ration. they will pass the dream act allowing him to become a u.s. citizen. it gives immigrant children citizenship if they came to the u.s. before the age of 16 and are attending college. he was studying to become a nurse. he did not know his status. coming up, all the days news plus the forecast. see you in a little bit. join the jaguar platinum celebration ! come celebrate exciting cars that are stunning to look at, exhilarating to drive and worry free to own.

celebrate this holiday season with the gift of platinum. jaguar platinum coverage: five years or 50,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance, and no cost replacement of wear and tear items. visit your bay area jaguar dealer during the platinum celebration for a $599 lease offer on the 2011 xf. we're back on a saturday morning, the 20th day of we're back on a saturday morning the 20th day of november, 2010. less than a week until thanksgiving. we want to give our thanks to everyone who came out on the plaza to join us this morning. i'm amy robach. >> and i'm lester holt. i couldn't bring the crowd with me. i find a crowd wherever i need to, i found one here at bagram

airfield in afghanistan. great group from the u.s. air force. what was that? >> 33rd rescue. >> 33rd rescue squadron. if you get injured in the battlefield, these are the folks that will make it happen, get you to the hospital in a hurry. we thank you for what you do. an amazing group. we continue reporting from afghanistan. coming up in is hour, the remarkable story of an american woman, she is a soccer mom, a former beauty queen, a lawyer, and she put out her single to practice law here in afghanistan, where she's nine months out of the year. what she does, why she does it coming up in the hour. my colleague, richard engel takes us a part of afghanistan you might not have imagines existed. a beautiful place, a national park that someday may lure tourists, amy to this country. >> so much to look forward to. also coming up, we're going to head to buckingham palace for the latest phone prince william

and kate middleton. speculation growing over where and when it might take place. and then, we're going to take you inside "o" magazine. access into oprah's favorite things issue. oprah winfrey was involved in every step of the way. gayle king shows us how the issue was created. if you saw the big giveaway on oprah's show yesterday, we got a lot of great gift ideas. first, back to lester at bagram air feel. lester? >> all right. i'm sitting aboard an hh-60 helicopter. this is part of the rescue squadron. they rescue those injured on the battlefield. we're shooting a lot of stories and one those late in the week, i went out on a mission with them today. we've got pictures. their hallmark, they find fast, fly low and avoid enemy fire. i sat in the open doorway with my feet dangling out, strapped

in, we went out a little past the airfield itself and got a look what the they do, how they get in and really hostile territory to pick up those wounded. if you're a soldier on the battlefield and hurt, you know the army folks are going to be coming to get you in a helicopter that looks very much like this. great job to them. we'll be sharing that story in our journey here in afghanistan. we want to send it back to new york and the newsdesk for this update. hi, lester. portugal, nato summit, president obama and leaders are discussing troop patrol in afghanistan. nbc's chuck todd is in lisbon. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, thomas. this morning, here in lisbon, fogt cuss has been exclusive i afghanistan. there has been meetings with president obama, president karzai of afghanistan, and the discussion is all about the withdrawal strategy, of course, yesterday president obama laid it out. begin the transition to afghan

security forces in 2011 and nenend in 2014. karzai would like to see the process sped up. a lot of the american public would like to see that sped up. we'll see if some agreement can come out of the here. at this point it does look like nato is unified on this new u.s. strategy. >> as one of the busiest travel weeks of the year approaches, the tsa is preparing for the on slot of complaints over new body scans and pat-downs. pilots will be spared from the screenings. instead they have to pass through metal detects at airport checkpoints and show photo i.d.s. joe miller says he will take his elections challenge to a state court by monday. this, after a federal judge said miller's challenge to the write-in ballots raised serious legal issues but should be handled by the state court before certified. write-in lisa murkowski has a 10,000 ballot lead.

today we should learn the dea what caused the death. herman's daughter was found bound and gag but alives. police led to the bodies by an unemployed tree trimmer accused of kidnapping. on a lighter note, love is in the air at a florida zoo. take a look. this is a new tiger who has moved into the palm beach zoo. introduced to the two male tigers in hopes that love will lead the way. they're there are currently only 500 left in the world. it's a love triangle going on in florida. >> no pressure. >> no pressure, right. >> thanks so much. nbc meteorologist bill karins is out on the plaza with a check of your forecast. >> good saturday morning. we have past and present navy nurses. we're not going to say who is the past, who is retired. what's best thing about navy nurses? >> serving our country, what we do best. >> you've been all over the

place, too. really good friends. let's prepare you for what you're going to deal with weather $wise. west coast, we have problems. heavy snow in the central portions of the sierra mountains in california. ski resorts getting nailed, 2 to 4 feet of snow, possible. rainfall with this, even los angeles, san diego, san francisco. all of california. rare to say that. a chance of rain this weekend. everyone in the eastern half is looking pretty good. a cold outbreak in the northern plain. not going to get to the good morning to you.r looking a the tradar, what we can expect around here, a quarter inch to one inch of rain by tomorrow. it's a cold storm and will produce scattered showers and thunderstorms. when the thunderstorms come in, they could produce a brief downpour, very heavy, then gone. oakland and san francisco, highs only into the low, maybe a couple mid-50s. scattered showers.

by tomorrow, cold weather in place and snow in the bay area hills. ep south, south texas or southern portions of florida. all right. you said bucket. number 23. is what number one? >> go to paris. >> okay. you're young. plenty of time to get all of that done. lester. >> bill, thanks. we want to introduce you to an american here in afghanistan, not fighting for our country, a former beauty queen, a mom, and a lawyer, representing her clients in court. >> reporter: nothing was going to keep kim motley away from watching her 9-year-old son play in a championship soccer game. >> good job. >> reporter: but motley is not our average soccer mom. this wife and mother of three is a former mrs. wisconsin and a lawyer whose private legal practice is about as far from this north carolina soccer field as you can imagine. kabul, afghanistan, where she

navigates the afghan justice system, defending foreigners accused of crimes. when i heard your story, the first thing i wanted to say is what is a nice girl like you doing in a place like this? you've heard that before? >> i have heard that before. >> the answer? >> i'm trying to help out the legal system in afghanistan. i'm trying to help out my clients and make sure they get justice. >> reporter: even if it means visiting the prison to see them. she is currently appealing the murder conviction of south african contractor phillip young to afghanistan's supreme court. police admit he shot a man who first fired at him. still, he was sentenced to 16 years. >> in his court hearing he didn't have a translator, his attorney barely spoke up for him. there was no witnesses, no evidence that was presented. how's your family? family? babies? >> reporter: motley does not speak the local languages. with the help of interpreters, she has managed to teach herself the law and the justice system. a system she is not afraid to

challenge. >> i do do some thing that some would say is against the culture. for instance i don't wear a head scarf in court. again that goes to me saying, if i'm going to practice law in afghanistan, i'm going to practice law in afghanistan, i need to be the one in court, not my idea of what the culture, you know, may or may not want. >> reporter: she references the holy koran off her ipad to argue points of traditional law. >> if you want to be effective, that's what you have to do. >> reporter: her nickname among foreigners here, is 911. >> i get asked help by a lot of people and a lot of embassies here they have my number, and when their citizens are in trouble they give out my number. >> reporter: motley's forceful advocacy has not come without a price. she's had threats made against her and forced to move to different locations here in kabul. then, there are the threats everyone here faces, things like suicide bombings.

motley spends nine months out of the year in kabul, staying in touch with her family via skype. >> tell me something good, guys. >> reporter: a working mom in two time zones, 9 1/2 hours apart. >> down and eight. >> reporter: even finding time to teach spin class at a kabul army base. >> i can't express how proud i am of her. >> reporter: her husband, claud, holds the for the at home, proud, but worried. >> it's very lawless in some ways and we know that we're always scared that something might happen. that's one reason that we always are in touch with each other, to make sure that everything is going well and with her safety. >> reporter: are you at all concerned for your safety? >> i do have some concerns every now and then but i just work. i feel that, for me, this is where i'm supposed to be, this is where i'm supposed to be practicing law and this is where i'm supposed to be fighting for justice right now.

>> reporter: i said to kim motley those will watch the story and judge her choices and she says she understands that and accepts that, but this is a decision that she and her family made together and they are good with it, and she thinks that she is doing a lot of good here in afghanistan. at least get to enforce the laws of the justice system. >> it is interesting, we say in the tape, she doesn't abide by the local customs meaning you don't see her walking around with a head scarf. is she respected or is she seen as defy an? you mentioned personal threats against her from time to time. >> reporter: she says that, largely, other afghan women wit. it's uncomfortable with men from time to time. they grow to respect her because she hs a grasp of the law and a thirst to learn more about the law her. >> you showed her with her ipad looking up the koran to use in court. how have afghan lawyers reacted to that?

>> reporter: she says actually other lawyers, not those in the cases she is working on, have come to her to learn more about how she's using that ace defense. apparently it's not commonly used and she has downloaded not only the koran on her ipad but also all of the relevant laws because here there is a mixture of traditional law and sharia law, and she says you have to become knowledgeable of both. >> fascinating story. thanks. we'll be checking back in with soon. still to come on "today" all in the details what we're learning about prince william and kate middleton's wedding. and access granted. what it takes to put" o" magazines favorite things issue together. gayle king gives us a look. wal . ♪ [ coughs ] [ female announcer ] with the most pharmacists certified to immunize... [ sneezes ] ...and walk-ins welcome everyday, we're making it easy for everyone to get their flu shot, no matter how small their motivation may be.

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a fabulous pandora selection. - oh. all: aww! - they are so cute at that age. an now to the wedding of prince william and kate middleton. this morning we have new details, but at the same time, a big royal controversy is brewing and it's all about what prince charles told us about camilla. nbc's stephanie gosk is outside buckingham palace. good morning, stephanie. >> good morning, amy. up until yesterday it was a good week to be a royal. even in normally retained british public couldn't help getting excited about the engagement. but now an interview, at least temporarily, threatens to undermine some of that goodwill. when brian williams asked the prince of wales what seemed a straightforward question -- >> does the duchess of cornwall become queen of england? >> reporter: the heir to the throne hesitated and then said this. >> well, we'll see, won't we?

but, that could be. >> reporter: almost immediately, britons asked, that could be? really? >> camilla could be queen. an admission from for the first time from the prince of wales. >> reporter: titles are a big deal in this country. es specially for the future king's wife. when charles married camilla in 2005, she was deeply unpopular. many britons blamed her for the prince's divorce. camilla is not called the princess of wales, because that was diana's title. the palace also announced that she would be princess consort, instead of queen consort, when charles was crowned. >> people still aren't going to forget the fact that diana once described her as the third person in their marriage. people just don't like her. >> reporter: the controversy threatened to overshadow what was otherwise a momentous week for the royal family. nine years of dating ended with a romantic proposal in kenya. diana's ring. and a beaming, if slightly nervous, bride-to-be. >> right now, we're very, very

happy and i'm very glad. >> reporter: speculation over when the engagement would be announced has now been replaced by theories about the wedding. will it be big, or here, in march or in june? what will kate wear? who will pay for it? the consensus is that the ceremony will be held in westminster abbey, rich with royal history. the queen was married there. it was also where diana's funeral was held. but perhaps the most exciting part of the week, this couple that has been dodging the press for years, stepped out and talked. really talked. william on the ring. >> i've been carrying it round with me in my rucksack for about three weeks before that, and i literally not let it go wherever i went. i was getting a hold of it. >> reporter: for many it was the first time hearing kate's voice. >> we were out there with friends and things, i thought he might have just -- you know. it was a total shock when it came. very exciting.

>> reporter: an announcement about the date and time of the wedding is expected soon. probably as early as monday. and as far as kate's title is concerned, there's no doubt that when william is made king she will be both his and this country's queen. amy? >> all right, stephanie gosk, thanks so much. nbc's royal expert robert jobson is the royal editor for britain's news of the world. he's also the author of the soon-to-be released "william and kate: the love story." robert, good morning. >> good morning. >> so, of course, the big question is, when and where. we just heard stephanie ask. we all thought perhaps we might hear it late last week. it did not happen. so in terms of how long it will be before we get the details, when are we expecting it? will it be monday? >> i think it will be monday. because it's been a bit of a royal wrangle going on between the palace, downing street, and buckingham palace, about when this should be announced. the fact is, david cameron, the prime minister, said it will be on a bank holiday. that's great, because everyone can have a national -- a

national holiday and have a party. but the problem is, it's working out the actual date. william wants to get this done as quickly as possible. possibly in the spring as early as may. the courtiers are saying, hey, it's going to have to be when the sun is really shining and that's why it's looking to be more like a summer wedding. when it's going to be announced, i think monday they're going to have to come out and make a statement. as to where -- >> the location -- >> i think it's clear. >> that's the next one. people want to know where. we saw a photo of kate visiting westminster an why i a few days ago. that might also lend credit to your assumption that it will be at the church. kate has experienced her share of press hounding her and william over the years. but since this announcement the press coverage, off the charts. give us a sense of how intense this scrutiny is for this couple? >> well, actually, you'd be very surprised to say the scrutiny here and the media coverage is intense. but the way they are being protected, thankfully, is excellent. scotland yard royalty protection

squad are making sure that these people are completely safe. we will not have a repeat of the tragedy that befell princess diana. we didn't have scotland yard bodyguards at the time. these people, our body guards are making sure they are actually kept as safe as possible. and quite private. william at the moment is back up on his helicopter, training raf valley in north wales and kate's down with her mother in berkshire. so they're perfectly safe. the intense scrutiny, but no problems in terms of the paparazzi. >> and robert, what about the cost of the wedding? i mean given the economic climate in great britain, and frankly across the world, how will they handle that? and who will pay for it? >> well, it's interesting. today, is the actually 63rd wedding anniversary of her majesty, the queen and prince philip. that seems to have got lost in all of this excite. who will pay for it? it will be prince charles. and he has already said that he will put his hand in the pocket and deal with all of that. the big problem, of course, is the cost of security. that's something in the region of about $30 million. but, the reality is, when you've

got visiting di ining dignitari vips, we live in a dangerous world and that security is paramount and it's essential that they are looked after in that way. >> we appreciate it. thanks so much. >> my pleasure. and still ahead, harry potter's swan song. what the final chapter means to the actors and the audience. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come, beauty within the battle zoens. the remarkable national park in afghanistan. we will take you there coming up. >> plus oprah has the last word. but what really happens when her my favorite things issue is created? [ man ] ♪ today the world looks mighty fine ♪ [ women ] ♪ pop-tarts happy sunshine time! ♪ [ man ] ♪ grab a pop-tart and you might just start ♪

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supporters of oscar grant are calling to get people arrested in grant's name. among the people arrested was sentenced to two years in prison for killing grant. protesters were there when police declared unlawful assembly and made arrests. they say police infringed on their rights and the charges should be dropped. >> they never gave us a chance to leave. i asked them. this is on video tape. i asked them, can i leave. can we leave? they refused to answer. they sat there solemn-faced like this. >> officers made the arrest to avoid the vandalism scenes at previous rallies.

the unemployment rate may be hanging steady. the state saw 39, 000 jobs in october with growth in multiple sectors. unemployment remained steady at 12.4%. unemployment for some counties stayed close to the state average. 11% for alameda. 10.9% for contra costa county. other counties were lower. san francisco in at 9.3%. the lowest rate in california is marin and that is at 8%. coming up at 7:00, this week the uc school system raised tuition in an effort to cut the budget. we'll talk more about that and get another look at the weekend forecast. see you in a half hour.

and we're back on this saturday morning, november 20th, 2010. we actually have two great crowds joining us this morning. we have our fantastic crowd here at studio 1a on rockefeller plaza. and then, take a look at bagram airfield in afghanistan. where lester is joined by the members of the 33rd rescue squadron. and we're going to head back to afghanistan in just a few minutes. but coming up this half hour, oprah's best. she may be ending her 25-year run with her daytime talk show,

but her magazine will continue. and coming up, we went inside "o" for a sneak peek at how they put together their favorite things issue. and wait until you see her secret spa that i actually got to go in there that oprah apparently calls heaven. plus it is the beginning of the end for almost ten years the boy wizard has been fascinating fans of all ages. as we'll show you, harry, ron, hermione, are all on the run, and they're all on their own. so it's an interesting twist this time. lester, tell us what's coming up from bagram air force base? >> amy, part of this war ravaged country you've never seen before. it's an oasis here in afghanistan with millions of u.s. aid dollars to help a national park turns into a natural wonder again. we're going to bring you this story ahead. first i've got to go over here and talk to my airman friend. somebody's been holding up a sign. we love kirby's mom. i'm going to bite. who is kirby? >> kirby is our common rescue

officer or cro, great guy, and we constantly rip on him. >> so you want to do it on national television? >> absolutely. you know, it's -- >> all right, everybody. >> we love him. >> say hi to kirby's mom. >> hi, kirpby's mom! >> you guys are great. let's get another check of the weather with bill karins back in new york. bill? >> it's fantastic, lester. people in afghanistan want to say hi to people here in the states. i've got someone in the states who wants to say hi to people in afghanistan. who do we know overseas? >> staff sergeant, brother-in-law and sister-in-law over there. >> how long are they going to be there? >> hopefully will be home soon. he's been there almost a year. >> excellent. >> hoping to get home soon and safe. let's talk about your weekend forecast. and if you're going to be traveling in the west, that's where all our troublesome weather is going to continue. we're going to watch the worst of it up in montana and also southern portions down there in california. the mountains a lot of snow and the cities at the lower elevations will be primarily.

sunday, fridged weather the northern plains. this is all-out winter. cold week ahead into thanksgiving. good morning to you. cold indeed. only in the 40s and low 50s for highs. we havrs sweho and thunderstorms scattered in nature. snow in lake county above we1,5 feet. pockets are into the north end of the bay. what will come through will be scattered in nature. at times it will end quickly. you might see hail with lightning. here is the seven day forecast. snow in the bay area hills. well, let's talk a little bit about football. we've got a big game sunday night. this is must see tv. two of the best teams in the nfc, the eagles last week, how impressive with michael vick. the giants, took a week off last week. let's see if they can come back this week with a great game at lincoln financial field.

we're going to see temperatures right around 40 degrees. back to you. >> all right, bill, thank you. this morning on access granted, inside "o magazine's" favorite things issue. and from cover to cover, we go behind the scenes to oprah and her amazing team to show you how it all comes together. it's every oprah fan's dream. winning the luck of the draw with a ticket to her favorite things show. but while the queen of daytime is ending her 25-year reign next year, oprah's favorite things will live on in her magazine "o." ten years on the scene, 16 million readers, one iconic name. each issue takes months of planning and execution. and preparing for the december issue is no different. >> the other things they sent that oprah's liking now are those truffle almonds. >> reporter: with almost three

months to go until "o" hits news stands, oprah's elves, editor in chief susan casey, editor at large dale king and creative director adam glassman, are meeting to decide what will make it into "o's" famous favorite things issue, where our sneak peek begins. >> this year's really exciting because we asked all of our contributors to give us a list of what their favorite things are. >> reporter: for yoga mats to brooches, before these favorite things contenders can make it to the pages of "o" they'll have to be put to the test, vetted, taste tested and debated. >> it is christmas. so there's the cupcake ornaments. >> but you know, i'd rather do real cupcakes. >> reporter: but it's oprah who gets the final say. >> there's been many times where we will all like something and send it to her and go, nope, don't like pit how could you not like it? everybody here likes it. >> and you'll keep saying -- >> i know, why. explain to us why you don't like that cookie. i mean, and so she will very tactfully point out, it's called oprah.

"o," the "o magazine." >> and who knows oprah better than bff gail king. how would you describe your role as editor at large? >> i really am a liaison in terms of translating oprah's mission, oprah's voice, oprah's goal. i can say no, that will work for her. that will not. >> reporter: oprah and gail are pros now. but it wasn't always that way. >> when we first started, oprah and i were such novices that we were sitting in a meeting and they said toc, it was really like ray charles leading jose feliciano. toc and we're going, what is that? table of contents. we're like, okay. >> from the toc to the last page, nothing is more important than the cover. the cover occupies, i want to say, a good 40% to 50% of my brain when it comes to the space allotted for the magazine. >> reporter: reinventing oprah for each cover is adam's brainchild. he's already finished with december's, shot months in advance. >> you know, we choose different

backgrounds. what oprah's wearing. oprah's hairstyle. all that kind of stuff goes into it. so it feels different. so we have the same woman, same great face, but we need to change it up. >> reporter: how often do you talk to oprah and do you ever give her an idea and she's like, oh, i'm not doing that? i hate that? >> oh, many times. i could point to those covers where she's like, i didn't want to wear that? why am i wearing that? >> reporter: adam also took me where few have gone before. "o's" fashion closet, loaded with samples that you won't see in stores for months. so oprah's within in this room? >> yes. and behind this curtain is oprah's private dressing room. >> oh. >> and her clothes. >> reporter: with "o's" favorite things list confirmed and the cover in the can the team goes to work on the issue's other big feature, a holiday fashion and beauty spread featuring celebrity models. >> party season, december. >> reporter: the team has to create different looks for each star before their big photo shoot.

>> she could wear this long skirt with a sweater. >> reporter: just days later the model's in hair and makeup along with the "o" team are ready to go. it's lights, camera, and a whole lot of action. ♪ in the end -- >> that's cute. that's great. >> reporter: there are over 3,000 photos to choose from. and only 1 is make the final cut. meanwhile, the favorite things have gotten their own close-up. each scoring coveted spots on the "o" list pages. their last stop in a process that begins with "o" and ends with you. and we want to thank "o" magazine and hearst magazines for granting us unprecedented access. we spent a lot of time there for this report. still to come, casting a spell. the beginning of the end for harry potter. but first these messages. nture d we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned a holiday trip to the big apple twice as fast! dinner! [ garth ] we get double miles every time we use our card.

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different side of this war-torn country, afghanistan's beautiful landscape. it can be found in the setting for a remarkable rebirth and nbc news chief foreign correspondent richard engel is here with me to tell us more. >> good to see you in afghanistan. most people know the basics about divz, the war, the tali n taliban, of course the troops. but this is also an incredibly beautiful country and they've already opened the first of what they hope will be a series of national parks, which could be some of the finest in the world. an afghan legend says god made the world in seven days. but then it found a pile of stone left over, and with these extra rocks, he made afghanistan. and made it a natural wonder. this is afghanistan's first national park. 230 square miles of mountains, waterfalls, and unpolluted, suspended lakes. we find a group of men and boys

braving the snow melt waters. they go in tied to ropes so they don't drown. the cold, sacred water is thought to purify the soul. but with a shock. from the wildlife conservation society which oversees the park, funded by an $8 million u.s. aid grant. if you lose your wild areas, you're losing a part of what makes us human. >> reporter: this is in the central province high in the hindu mountains. it's a safe area, because the local people believed to be the descendants of genghis khan, hate al qaeda and the taliban. they harbor an old grudge. just six months before 9/11, the intolerant militants dynamited two historic buddha statues, declaring them ungodly.

the people of bammian have never forgiven the taliban. engineers are still reinforcing this cliff where the giant buddhas and a network of smaller shrines were carved. but the ultimate fate of this archaeological site, one of the most important in central asia, has yet to be determined. many people in this area would like to see at least one of the buddhas rebuilt. pushing for rebuilding is the governor of bamian. she'ses only female governor in afghanistan, and has been embraced and respected. in a meeting of elders, she sits in a chair. the men listen on the ground. she tells me her vision is to open bamian to tourists, skiers, hikers and backpackers. >> we are focusing for ecotourism to respect the cultures, and not to damage the environment, because bamian has a good environment. >> reporter: already afghans are

enjoying their first, safe, national park. on an open plain we find riders playing a game somewhat akin to polo. i joined them for a game but quickly realized this is polo, afghan style. the ball is a sacrificed goat. the object of the game is to pick it up from the saddle, defend the goat from other riders, and toss it into a hole to score a goal. it's a pretty rough game. there is a lot of elbowing and shoving, and kicking. but it is a national sport. the government's plan is to turn 10% of all of afghanistan into protected wildlife areas. and while afghanistan is better known for war, many here are embracing the idea of preserving the culture and environment. the idea is to turn -- to open

many national parks in different pockets of the country in order to preserve the different kinds of ecosystems here. the mountains, the forests, the desert, and they're starting in earnest. >> you handled yourself on a horse very well. >> thank you very much. just as an aside, you have a great unit here. the pedros, they're awesome. >> they are awesome. they took me up for a ride today. i might go up with them tonight. i have an invitation. by the way, is it hard to get to bamian? >> it will take a long time in one of these choppers. unfortunately right now there is no airport right there. they plan to put one in, so for now it's a very, very long drive. but once they put the airport in, you, me, horseback. >> yeah, yeah. with a goat. all right thank you very much. we're back in a moment. first, this is "today" on nbc. rule the tweet.

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showing of "harry potter and the deathly hallows" and the wait paid off as the film made $24 million in sales. this is the last chapter of the saga. the movie follows the wizards as they leave hogwarts and embark on their final adventure. >> your parents are dead, you have no family! >> reporter: even as the saga of harry potter and his epic battle against evil is nearing its finale, there's excitement over the release of the latest movie, "the deathly hallows." >> we're like extreme fans. i've read all the books, and i kind of know the whole plot line of the movie. but i'm still really excited. >> reporter: it's now a familiar routine. costumed fans lining up once again for midnight showings. >> everyone thinks it's worth it because it's such a big part of our lives now. >> gryffindor! >> reporter: for nine years on the screen the story of the orphan boy at the exclusive school of magic has captivated audiences. it all started, of course, with

a series of wildly popular novels which inspired generations of readers who were transported to a world of wizardry, and who enthusiastically awaited the release of each new book. >> harry potter. >> reporter: harry potter became a global brand and made author j.k. rowling a billionaire. >> thank you. >> reporter: in the new film, harry potter and his school mates have come of age. they're on the run, and they're on their own. the films have progressively become darker as the boy wizard has grown into a young man. >> we've watched them go through childhood. we watched them go through adolescence and now into young adulthood. so they've grown up, literally, before our eyes. >> reporter: now the actors who played the main characters are looking back nostalgicly. what was that last day like? >> it was tough, as you might expect. >> reporter: even as they begin to shed the roles they've become associated with. >> i'm so associated with that role. when i finished i just needed something new and to start

fresh. >> reporter: the final harry potter movie, part two of "the deathly hallows" will be released in july of next year. >> hang on, harry! >> and rupert grint, aka ron weasley, joins us, good morning. >> good morning. >> each movie gets a little darker. this one a true test of your friendship looks like paranoia is setting in. there are dark forces out to tear you all apart. what are they? >> yeah, i mean, you really get a kind of tense feeling with this one because we're not in hogwartss. >> the protection is gone. >> and we're kind of out on the run, kind of camping out in ron dom forests, it's a really dangerous world. and people we know are dying. it's really quite dark. >> so we've seen you all grow up throughout these movies, and as you mentioned, they get darker, they get a little more intense, and your character, i think oftentimes might have been the comic relief, perhaps in parts of the movie. not so much in this movie. how has your character grown?

>> yeah. i mean, we see a very different ron, i think, in this one. we've seen how the darker side of him just responds. and we kind of, yeah, he's more dark than in previous films. it was nice to play the jealousy and paranoid kind of situation here. >> you mentioned that you are now no longer at the safety of hogwarts. in fact this entire movie is set outside of the school. how does that change the way the movie reads for people who are going to watch it? its a different movie. >> i think it just kind of got much more kind of a grown-up feel to it. the fact you don't see us in a school uniform anymore. you get the sense we're adults in this really dangerous environment. filming it didn't feel like a harry potter film at all. felt very kind of almost like a more or less psychological thriller. >> now this is the last book of the series and i know you all have already filmed because it's been broken up into two movies. what was it like on the set? you know, on those last final days? i imagine it was bittersweet. >> it was, yeah.

it was a very kind of -- quite empty feeling, really, when we finished. you know, didn't know quite how to react. just seemed like such a final moment. and we've kind of grown up in this place, and with these people, and it's just weird to see it didn't come down -- >> did viewers get a payoff with these last two movies? they finally get all their questions answered? >> yeah, it's getting -- i mean, to break it into two parts was quite controversial but i think it's really for the best, really, because we can get much more of a book into the two films, and kind of go out with a bang. so it's great. >> we're looking forward to it. rupert grint, thanks so much for joining us. "harry potter and the deathly hallows" is in theaters now. [piano keys banging] [scraping] [horns honking] with deposits in your engine, it can feel like something's holding your car back. let me guess, 16. [laughing] yeeah. that's why there's castrol gtx... with our most powerful deposit fighting

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stand with you, amy. >> i know! i'll see you from bagram airfield. thanks for the footage. you guys are the best. i'll see you back here for "nbc nightly news."

good morning to you, next, nato announces plans for afghanistan this morning. we'll tell you when the american servicewomen and men will pull out of the area. pulling back from the smart meters. what the utility is promising to do in light of the controversy and protest. a story with a happy ending. how a family got the dog back after they thought he was gone for good. >> live over san francisco,

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