t.j.maxx. let us make a maxxinista out of you! good morning. stormy seas. the navy will temporarily relieve captain owen honors as commander of the uss interprice. a wave of reaction online from both sides. this morning one of the captain's close friends speaks out. happy new year, the dow hits a two-year high on the first trading day of 2011. is it an early sign that wall street could be in for a good year? some experts aren't so sure. and double trouble. now two women are claiming they lost their jobs with the new york jets after he sent them

sexually suggestive messages, "today," tuesday, january 4, sexually suggestive messages, "today," tuesday, january 4, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning, i'm meredith viera. >> meanwhile the uss "enterprise" is set to leave for afghanistan in a couple of weeks. captain owen honors may not be hon board. >> others are coming to honor's defense. what does he think about the controversy? we're going to ask his friend of 35 years ahead. and a tragic discovery more than a year after the

disappearance of a georgia mother, kristi cornwell's brother found his own sister's body nine miles from where she disappeared. he was on the phone with her when she was abducted. plus two women give birth five days apart to a baby boy and girl and the babies are full genetic siblings in every way. we'll tell you how that happened. >> good morning to all of you this morning. in the news this morning, of all the strange sights on the las vegas strip, snow flurries right be one of the stranger. snowflakes rarely land on the sphinx. roads are just beginning to be opened after stranding motorists. the president heads back to washington this morning as house republicans prepare to repeal

his health care law. the push to repeal the law will be the first major action taken by republicans in the new congress. the president has approached another chicago political power house to take over as white house chief of staff. william daily is a former commerce secretary. the chief of staff position has been open since rahm emanuel stepped down to pursue his own run as major of chicago. seven insurance companies are now lining up with lawsuits against toyota. democrat jerry brown is once again governor of california taking the helm of the state for the third time as arnold schwarzenegger finished up his time in office on monday. conservationists have stalled shell oil from drilling in alaska.

a federal appeals board pulled the permits pending further analysis. iran has invited representatives from a major world power to tour its nuclear sites this month but the u.s. has been left off the guest list. hundreds of christmas day church goers on long island may have been exposed to hepatitis a whi . after 30 years in prison for rape and robbery, dallas prosecutors have finally declared cornelius dupre jr. innocent citing new dna evidence.

41 other inmates have been exonerated on dna evidence. and it sounds like a punishment straight out of the bible, but for one florida man, it's heading into a lion's den for the next 30 days by choice. james hopes to raise money to support the wildlife refuge he runs by streaming the stunt on the internet. that may not always be pretty. it is now 7:05. let's go back to matt, meredith and al. >> bi wonder if he has a safe spot to go to if it gets dicey. >> how fast can he get there. >> hopefully faster than the lion does. >> how cozy does ann look? >> we have got some lake-effect snow and a little bit of a clipper coming across. going to cause some problems, as this clipper brings some snow to green bay, buffalo, parts of

wisconsin, on into watertown, new york. we're talking about generally between one and three inches of snow. we could see anywhere from six to nine inches of snow before this is all over in the next 48 good morning. live look at the golden gate bridge shows beautiful clear skies over the peninsula. we have fog out there, particularly in the north bay and the east bay this morning. take it easy where you are headed. 33 in concord and a frosty start as well. that will be the case with frost and fog until about 10:00 a.m. warming up into the upper 50s. 58 by wednesday and 60 on thursday. have a fantastic tuesday. . >> and that's your latest weather. now the fallout over these inappropriate videos starring a senior naval officer aboard the uss enterprise.

>> reporter: navy officials tell nbc news that captain honors the very least could be temporarily relieved of his command as early as today. pending a navy's investigation into those controversial ship board videos. >> a series of raunchy skits produced aboard the enterprise four to five years ago when captain honors was second in command. in fact honors took center stage, appearing in one edited shot as three different people. >> let's get to my favorite topic and something foreign to the gay kid over there. >> reporter: at several points, he and others engaged in sex -- simulated sex acts.

>> the navy's called the videos clearly inappropriate and not acceptable in today's navy the. but honors supporters are lighting up facebook. more than 1,000 industries more than offedefending the captain. civilians need to take a back seat on this one and butt now. captain honors did something silly, but believe me it was tame compared some marine humor. but there are also many detract fors. it disgusts me that such a high ranking over would be part of such activity. captain honors was always -- >> it's so hard to accurately target some of these places. i mean one cave looks the same as another. >> reporter: and in 2002, as leader of an f-14 squadron flew nbc's tom brokaw on a combat

mission over afghanistan. but navy officials say these videos now raise serious questions about honors' judgment and leadership. navy officials say that it's highly unlikely that captain honors will be on the enterprise when it deploys toward afghanistan in a couple of weeks and according to officials here at the pentagon, this catastrophe is almost certain to end his military career, matt. >> jim miklaszewski at the pentagon this morning. pete clark is a family friend of captain owen honors and served in the navy for seven years. good morning to you. you go back to the same hometown, you followed his career in the navy. when you first heard about these videos that he aired them for the 6,000 plus crewmembers of the uss enterprise, what was your reaction? >> actually i knew about the videos through some of the folks from the crew. and actually he was quite popular because of those videos.

it was quite a morale boost for the crew on deployment. it's very stressful times and the morale of the crew is indicative of the safety of the crew. so obviously when folks are happy, going about their jobs during their daily course of work, anything that can cheer them up and create a laugh or loosen the tension is always wanted and needed. >> is there anything that can create a laugh? i mean when you look at some of the content, there are racial slurs and simulated -- do these cross a line? >> what you're seeing there is a montage of the videos over seven months. so what they have missed is and what may be the only thing that we have seen is that compilation video. what people are missing and that's a distortion and a misrepresentation of the truth because it was videos over seven

months that were together and it was like a story being told over the course of the seven months. >> but mr. clark, even the navy after viewing his tapes has labeled them clearly inappropriate. which also raises another question, if the navy knew about these tapes several years ago and by all indications the navy did know about these tapes then why was nothing said until now? >> exactly. i was nothing said until now? i think there's a political agenda here. i think maybe after don't ask, don't tell, we have a white elephant in the room, he may have made some statements on those tapes that offed someone four years ago, but remember opie honors was the captain of the uss mall whitney, if his judgment was in question, the performance of that ship, the mt. whitney on this deployment was stellar. obviously we have seen captain honors prove himself in a situation where his judgment's been in question and he's always prevailed. >> you've clearly got very strong feelings about this and

about this man, so as you hear as jim miklaszewski reported just moments ago that it appears he'll be relieved of his command as the uss enterprise takes off for afghanistan, is that a fair punishment? >> no, i don't think it's fair at all, first of all the navy came out defending the statement saying it was a morale boost. and then obviously a bird in the air whispered into someone's ear to change the way they presented it and then they came out with a different statement on sunday. we have already lost 13 soldiers at ft. hood because of political correctness. >> isn't it possible, mr. clark, that for all the support we're hearing from people like you for captain honors and for some of the blogs we have seen, and though we have seen some negative comments as well, that perhaps the people that were on board the uss enterprise when

that was shown that were deeply offended may be afraid to come forward? >> no, i don't think so. no, i don't. unless you have been on a ship, that ship is like a family or a team and only the people on that ship know what's going on and really understand those videos. let me tell you something, they have a channel on that tv on the ship, if they didn't like it, they could have turned it off just like anything else. >> i don't mean to put words in your mouth, sit possible that civilians cannot understand this? that you have to have been aboard a ship like this to get this? >> absolutely. 100% accurate. and thank you for stating that. that's the whole thing that's been missed here. when there's a gag order on those 6,000 sailors, they're going to be held accountable to what they say. so now we have over 2,300 people as of this morning supporting captain honors. i mean it's created a bumper sticker campaign, it's amazing.

i have been around the navy my entire adult life. i live in annapolis, my friends are captains in the nee of ships. the enterprise is an outstanding ship with an outstanding crew and they're supporting their captain and it's a shame that videos from four years ago are going to affect a person like opie. this is absolutely ridiculous. >> clearly it's a subject that's divided many people. mr. cla now to the economy, the new year started out with a bang on wall street, with the dow closing at its highest mark in over two years. so what does that mean for the year ahead? jim cramer is the host of cnbc's mad money. also hearing reports of improvements in construction and manufacturing, are we finally getting good news out of the economy that we have been waiting for so long. >> yes, things are getting better, hard to feel that way if

you don't have a job, but hiring is improving and i certainly think that all these indicators are that 2011 is going to be better than 2010. >> it's only been one day. >> i predict the dow will be up 15% this jeer. >> why do you make that prediction? >> when i see the kind of corporate profits that are being spun off, when i see the global picture being so good, the money's going to flow from bonds into stocks. i think people will say geez when the market drops a percent on a given day, that was definitely not the right indicator. but things are better, and when things are better, markets go higher. >> a columnist in the new york tiles said yesterday if there's one piece of economic wisdom i hope people will grasp this year, it's this, even though we

may finally have stopped digging, we're still near the bottom of a very deep hole. any truth to that? >> i think it's a trajectory issue. we're not going down, we're climbing out. markets react to when we're climbing out. once we get to the top of the hill, it will be time to sell, i'll come in here and say all the good news is in the stock market. he's too negative and that is not going to pay off for investors in 2011. >> predictions, unemployment, 9.8%, do you expect it to drop dramatically this year? >> this year. a lot of companies need more people, that's quite different from a year ago and we have gigantic profits and a lot of money needs to go into hiring to be able to compete with their overseas competitors. >> and housing prices hold sales down 29%. prices are dropping. >> i'm not buying that at all. >> that's the truth. >> year over year, we are unchanged. i don't know where these stories

come from. i look at the four different entities that put out information and all of them show that we have been just bumping along the bottom. if we get hiring back, housing comes back, one goes first and then the other follows. >> gas prices are predicting now some people, former president of shell says $5 by 2012. >> you can catch jim on mad money on cnbc 6:00 and 11:00. a man who served in both the reagan and bush administrations body was found on friday. >> reporter: this is where police say john wheeler was probably last seen at the amtrak

station in wilmington, a week ago they believe he got off a train from washington, d.c., a regular commute, but sometime after that, investigators say he was murdered. police in northern delaware now know the answer to one mystery, who's body was discovered at a landfill last friday morning. they have identified the victim as a delaware resident, john wheeler, former pentagon official and defense consultant and a driving force behind the vietnam memorial, visited by more than 4 million people a year. investigators assume he made that train trip last week because they know he bought a ticket. >> we do know that he traveled daily from his home in newcastle to washington, d.c. where he was employed. we know that he had purchased a ticket to travel from washington, d.c. to wilmington. >> reporter: but then what? police say his body was apparently placed into one of ten trash receptacles enter

along this collection route in newark. they're checking locations of where the trash truck stopped before going to the landfill. neighbors say they have no idea who would want to kill such a prominent person. >> i really don't understand it, i just feel it's very, very unfortunate and there must be some reason for this. >> reporter: john wheeler was a graduate of harvard business school and yale law, he served in vietnam and became determined to honor the service of veterans after returning home to find a country turned against the war and those in uniform. five years ago he said the nation should be more inclusive of honoring veterans. >> we need to expand our definition of who's wounded, not just people wounded by a bullet, it's got to be people who suffer after the war. >> wheeler and his wife katherine were involved in a recent controversy over a construction of a house across the street from there that they claimed would block their view

of the river, the case played out in court. his wife now a widow owns a textile business and lists addresses in delaware and new york city. so for investigators are saying nothing about a cause of death or a possible motive. here in delaware, police are asking for public help from anyone who knows anything about what john wheeler did or where he went after he got off that train last tuesday, matt. >> pete williams in wilmington for us. pete as always, thank you very much. still to come, two more women come forward saying they received sexually suggestive text messages from brett favre and they're suing. but first this is "today" on nbc. ring ring ring ring.

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coming up the body of a mother found more than a year after her terrifying abduction. she was on the phone with her boyfriend at the time and he

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>>. >> time is 7 time time 26 and checking the commute, we have several beings to keep stb e tabs on. >> the nimitz freeway northbound as you approach the interchange with 92, that accident is clear. look at the slowing towards hayward and southbound an accident at 92. clearing for lanes and that's a problem towards the san mateo bridge. southbound there two separate accidents causing chloeing and clear towards mission boulevard. the back up is did different than the last week. >> we have fog slowing you down

this morning in the north bay less than a quarter of a mile visibility a half of a mile to three miles in places like concord. dense fog until 10:00 a.m. frost out there as well. 32 degrees in livermore and up to 57 late or today. back with more news after the break.

>> palo alto's loss could be

menlo park's gain. facebook is look for example a new home for their headquarters. they are close to purchasing a campus in menlo park that used to be home to sun microsystems. they are in cramped headquarters with more than 2,000 employees and 150,000 square foot building can barely hold them. facebook informed them of the intent to leave. the "today" show returns in less than a minute.

it is 7:30 now on a tuesday morning, the fourth of january, 2011. kind of a nice start to the day, although it's chilly out there on the plaza. only 27 degrees out this morning. it should warm up substantially later on. we want to thank these nice people for stopping by. inside the studio, i'm matt lauer along with meredith viera and coming up a potential break through in the fight against cancer and it's getting a lot of attention. >> we're talking about a blood test that can it spot a single cancer cell among billions of healthy ones. coming up dr. nancy snyderman

explain house it works. and do you know what a twibling is. they were born just days apart but were carried by two different women. we're going to meet the women involved in this modern family. two women have come forward claiming they also received sexually suggestive messages from brett favre when they worked for the new york jets. jeff rossen is here with the very latest. >> reporter: those two women are massage therapists who work part-time for the new york jets, part of their job they say was to massage brett favre, but now they're saying that favre sexually harassed them and now they have the evidence to prove it. brett favre retire 234d shame this week forced by -- just as this lawsuit was brewing.

>> it's time. i mean i know it's time. and that's okay. i hold no regrets. >> reporter: two women who worked for the jets in 2008 when favre was the quarterback just filed this lawsuit. according to the complaint, they say he propositioned them, writing in a text message to another co-worker saying you and krissy want to get together, i'm alone tonight. kind of lonely tonight i guess i have bad intentions. in the suit, they claim they were fired after reporting the harassment. >> if the allegations are true, this is a good lawsuit and the law is very clear. you cannot retaliate against a woman who complains about sexual harassment. >> reporter: according to the lawsuit the women reported favre to lisa rippy, identified as a massage coordinator with the jets who called favre a pervert, going on to say i wish you would have came forward at the time it

happened. >> the defense will probably make two claims, one that this was just a couple of instances of boorish behavior, it didn't rise to the level of sexual harassment and two they were fired not for reporting sexual harassment, but because they weren't doing their jobs. >> reporter: remember the nfl just fined brett favre $50,000 in another scandal. with this former maxim and playboy model jen sterger. he got interested and left her suggestive voicemails. >> going back to the hotel and just chill. send me a text because i'll be in the building for a couple of hours. >> reporter: the nfl ruled he didn't violate the league's code of conduct, but fined him for failing to cooperate with the investigation. now these new accusations from

two new women. >> i believe the punishment against brett favre was adequate and they're using it to make an example of him so it didn't happen again. >> reporter: it's unclear how much money the women want, but they do mention the word damages in the lawsuit. by the way we reached out to the nfl, no comment. we called the new york jets, no comment and we call brett favre's agent last night and never heard back from him. meredith, thank you, now to a sad discovery in georgia, the remains of a missing mother more than a year after kristi cornwell disappeared. we'll talk exclusively with kristi cornwell's boyfriend who was on the phone with her when she was abducted. >> reporter: kristi cornwell disappeared from a country road near these georgia mountains back in the summer of 2009. her remains were recently found just nine miles from where she

vanished. it was actually her brother who made the discovery. but exactly who killed the single mother may never be answered. after almost a year and a half of agonizing searching and uncertainty, kristi cornwell's family can finally cloudy ski l chapter. back in 2009, the 38-year-old single woman was walking on a country road, talking on her cell phone with her boyfriend, she mentioned a car approaching and then she screams. >> i was somewhat paralyzed by it all. i heard her pleading, i have a son, please let me go, you don't have to do this. >> reporter: her partially burned remains were found saturday by her brother. he struck out on his own after

investigators found new cell phone messages. >> those cell phone records reveal that on the night that kristi cornwell disappeared that keringer had been in the union county area and that his cell phone had pinged off a tower located up in north union county. >> investigators say keringer was a suspect in other cases. but whatever information keringer may have had on cornwell's disappearance will go unheard, he killed himself last april, as atlanta police tried to arrest him. >> we have done a tremendous amount of work into his background, but we cannot conclusively say that he is the murder. >> reporter: the family spend thousands of dollars paying for extra searches. cornwell's mother even took her message to youtube.

>> i'm so worried about is she okay, does she have enough food. >> reporter: for conwell's mom the pain of not knowing may be gone, but now she must face a new reality, one without her daughter. >> we didn't want it to end this way, but that's the way it is and we can bring her home now. >> reporter: and cornwell leaves behind a teenaged son and despite this latest development this case is still considered an open investigation. >> tom trong for us on this story. i know the discovery of christy's body -- my condolences. >> and on behalf of the family and friends we thank on behalf of the family and friends, we thank everyone for so much hard, hard work. not over this past year, almost year and a half in the search for her. >> i mean, you must go back to that. it's been 14 months now since you were on the phone with

kristi while she was being abducted. you must have replayed that phone conversation in your mind a thousand times. what stands out? >> the fact that you can't do anything about it. you're helpless. of course, in reflection, you look back on it and think of all the things you might have done, could have done. and that can drive you -- you know, drive you crazy. the reality is we did all we could do. and the family -- i've thought about the thousands of man hours the family, just the family themselves, have spent trying to find her, demonstrating the great love for her and the great love all of us have shared for her. and it gives you comfort because you can see it demonstrated in, you know, the search for her. >> you talk about going over and trying to figure out what you could have done differently. i mean, you listened as she was saying she had been tied up, pleading for this person not to do this to her. she had been a probation officer

for a while. she had had some self-defense training. in your mind, did this just happen too quickly, she wasn't able to react? >> there was a haunting response that she gave to me had she told me that, i'm tied up, that gave me an impression that she was facing a terror that she was not prepared for. i suppose we think we're prepared for anything, and in her case, certainly she was trained to be prepared, but when faced with the reality of it, and i think it overwhelmed her, there could have been circumstances, he could have drugged her, done a lot of things -- >> right. what strikes me is this is clearly somebody who was a cold-blooded killer. >> absolutely. >> but as he drove up, saw her talking on the cell phone and allowed that cell phone to remain engaged. >> he may not have seen it. it was dusk, right at dark. and her long hair covered an ear piece. so he may not have recognized it even being there.

he would in time, as it all unveiled, i kept hearing all of the things that were happening, and her pleading with him to let her go, talking about her son. and a desire to -- you know, you can stop this. >> the idea that the suspect in this case, or at least someone the police believe is a suspect in this case, committed suicide, i mean, you may really never know. >> well, i came to the place of deciding, i don't have to know. it's enough to know we have found her. it is enough for me to know that she is now going to be laid to rest properly and with the respect due to her as opposed to the way she was sadly found. and that's enough. i leave judgment to god and to his mighty hand. and he'll take care of that. whether we ever know the difference one way or the other, him or others, i can leave that

to time and can rest finally with knowing that this is finally come to, not the ending we wanted, but it is finally over to this point. we can find a future again. we can find our lives again. and we can now place her properly in memorial, her memories. those so many wonderful things about her that will certainly shine for the rest of us from now on. >> i think your attitude is the most positive one you can take. mr. davis, thanks for your time this morning. >> thank you, matt. >> our condolences to you and her family. thanks for being here. 41 after the hour. let's switch gears and get a check of the weather from al. >> thanks so much. we do have to talk about some cold air working its way through the plain states. these are current temperatures. 8 degrees below zero in fargo. minneapolis, 3 degrees. and as you factor in the windchills, it feels like it's 27 below in fargo. 6 below in bismarck. casper, wyoming, feels like 1

below. afternoon temperatures rebound a bit. single digits in minneapolis, mid-20s in wyoming. the rest of the country we're going to see that cold air up northern plains, into northern new england with temperatures in the 20s. a little more moderate as you get down through the thank you, al. in our neck of the woods, the bifl bay area we are starting with mostly clear conditions. your san francisco live picture. we have fog to contend with in the north bay. take it easy there this morning. san francisco and novato with less than a quarter mile visibility. that's when the frost will start to no longer be a factor as well. we will have just due on the wind shield. thursday is the warmest day of the week. >> and to get the latest forecast, make sure and to get the latest forecast make sure you check in with the weather channel or weather.com online. matt? >> al, thanks very much.

>> up next, new details on the tranoot tsfhor cm transform the way cancer is found and treated. dr. nancy snyderman weighs in after this. when you've had one too many days feeling sad or anxious... aches and pains, fatigue. when it becomes hard to ignore that you need help. that's the day you do something. depression hurts. cymbalta can help with many symptoms of depression. ightoudo ror a your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease,

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a new blood test may revolutionize cancer. nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman used to work for johnson & johnson joins us now. >> the test is so sensitive, it can detect one cancer cell out of billions of cancer cells. >> i think it was the next generation. when i was at johnson & johnson, there was a test that could identify clumps of cells. it can take a small sample of a patient's blood. imagine a flat backed hair brush with little prongs sticking up and each tip of those prongs as an anti-body and it captures an individual cancer cell. let's say you have been treated for cancer and your treatment is going well or perhaps not so well. it's very foreseeable that you could have a blood test, isolate a single cell and look at it.

the reason why that's important, you could say this cell doesn't look so angry after all. or the dna structure has changed. perhaps we should change treatment. it's the next big step. >> so you can tell through this whether or not treatment is working. can you also detect cancer in someone who's otherwise healthy? >> this is where people can't rush to judgment. this is not going to be able tomorrow. you can't go down on friday and say screen me for every cancer that's out there. this is one more diagnostic cool in treating patients. and what i really like about this is that it seems to be money well spent. this is an investment and a team approach between a biotechnology company and four recognized really good cancer centers. m.d. anderson, sloan keterring, massachusetts general where scientists and the universities

of putting their heads together and this is how we're going to make cancer breakthroughs. >> this is being called a liquid biopsy. >> if you have a solid tumor, they're still going to want to get a piece of that tumor. but ultimately, could this be the wave of the future that you get nothing more than a blood test? yes. but the really cool thing in the futures, you get the blood test, you get the genetics, you tinker with the genetics and maybe you stop cancer. >> this can transform care for many different kinds of cancer including breast, prostate and young. >> we no that breast cancer and prostate are somewhat related and i'm always so hesitant to take things that are mouse studies in the lab and say this is the next cool thing, but it's also responsible to look

forward. but these are the kinds of tests that all of us who deal with cancer give us hope. but for people who are dealing with cancer, this could be the next big break through. and coming up, meet the boy who's not being allowed to bring his life saving service dog to school. you'll find out why, but first these messages. and all my investments, but it's not something that i want to do completely on my own -- i like to discuss my ideas with someone. that's what i like about fidelity. they talked with me one on one, so we could come up with a plan that's right for me, and they worked with me to help me stay on track -- or sometimes, help me get on an even better one. woman: there you go, brian. thanks, guys. man: see ya. fidelity investments. turn here.

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8:00 now on this tuesday morning. january 4, 2011. we have a happy looking crowd on a winter morning. outside on the plaza, i'm meredith viera along with matt lauer and al roker. just ahead in this half hour, we have a remarkable story. two women gave birth to a boy and a girl several days apart who are full genetic siblings. also we're going to meet a young man named andrew, he suffers from a rare form of epilepsy, he uses a service dog

to help him control the sometimes dozens of seizures he has every day. but because of some strict district rules, he's not allowed to bring that dog with him to school. and in other health related news, the illnesses you need to be on the lookout for you and your family as we get into the dead of winter. we're going into the news desk first. >> new news, there is new fallout this morning from the navy's videotape scandal. navy officials tell nbc news the commander of the aircraft carrier the uss "enterprise" will at the very least be temporarily relieved of his command. that officer, captain owen honors appeared in offensive videos shown aboard the ship several years a lot when she was second in command. the military expert who served the last three republican presidents has investigators retracing the victim's steps.

police say the body of 66-year-old john wheeler was found on friday in a delaware landfi landfill. wheeler was a driving force behind the vietnam veteran's memorial in washington. there's new evidence and optimism that the u.s. economy is improving. on monday, upticks in manufacturing and construction spending helped the dow close at a two-year high. lab results are expected next week on some of the thousands of dead birds that suddenly found on a small arkansas town on new year's eve. janet shanlian joins us from bebe, arkansas with more on this story. >> none of the experts have been able to say for certain exactly why this happened. but it is like something out of a real life horror film. thousands of dead birds falling from the sky on this neighborhood on new year's eve.

thousands of dead black birds on front lawns and so concentrated in the streets drivers struggled to avoid them. >> we probably had 14 or 15 just in the front yard. >> reporter: as many as 5,000 carcasses spread within a one mile radius. the investigator who examined the birds said they died from blunt force trauma in the air. was it lightning? high altitude hail? or fire works? >> they were like they were hit by something. >> reporter: beyond the birds and adding to the mystery, a massive fish kill also here in arkansas just one day earlier. as many as 100,000 drum fish dead along a 120-mile stretch of the river. the experts call it coincidence. >> extremely unusual, having two events like this at practically

the same time. we don't think there's any connection whatsoever. >> reporter: and here's the latest chapter. this morning we have new reports of yet another bird kill, this one happened in louisiana about 500 of the same type of birds, the black birds near a high school. >> and the plot thickens. okay, jan and finally this morning, president obama and his family headed back to washington overnight after their hawaii va days. on their last day they went to the tough, toured the honolulu zoo and stopped for shaved ice. >> meredith? >> just saying hello. hello, everybody. they're sew nice. >> let's get a check of the from al. >> just making friends. we have some friends here.

what's your name? >> ali. >> ali and where are you guys from? >> d.c. >> you keep crowding your mom out. you better watch out for ali there. he is a good boy. all right, let's check your weather and see what's happening. san diego, california, ourour -2 degrees and jason.ou we have got some clouds making their way into the pacific northwest. we have a clipper coming across the great lakes that's going to drop anywhere from three to four inches of snow between watertown and syracuse could see about six to eight inches. we have got showers along the gulf coast, low pressure will be developing along that frontal system and we're also looking at temperatures that are fairly seasonal in the southeast which plenty of sunshine.

fge >> and that's your latest weather. a boy who can't bring his life saving service dog to school. what his mother is doing to fight back right after this. [ female announcer ] sometimes you need tomorrow

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we are back with one family's fight to get their son's service dog in school. they say his dog ask detect or prevent size yours. but the school is not allowing andrew's dog into the building. norah o'donnell has their story. >> andrew's best friend is a dog alea. >>. >> reporter: but alea is no ordinary pet. this shepard is trained to detect and prevent seizures andrew has every day. >> she is a god send and a lifesaver for him. >> andrew as a severe form of

epilepsy and andrew's doctor recommended a service dog accompany him everywhere he goes. alea carries a magnet in her collar. >> reporter: and mom what does that magnet go? >> it sends a shock to his brain to stop or prevent the seizure or lessen the seizure. >> reporter: the magnet in the dog's collar can swipe over a nerve stimulator implanted in andrew's chest and then sends an impulse to andrew's brain. >> the thing that a dog with special health care needs allows hem to be active and do other things that other children have the opportunity to do. >> reporter: the family hoped that the school would allow andrew to take his service dog with him. >> she helps him in situations that i can't see. who am i to stand in that way and who is anybody else to stand

in that way. >> reporter: but the school says the dog is not allowed. >> how am i going to make sure that andrew and the other kids are safe all the time? >> reporter: school officials say the dog needs a handler certified from a nonprofit group assistance dogs international. >> we want andrew to be in school, we want andrew to be -- his teachers love him. we want him to be there and be there with a dog a situation where handling the dau is safe. >> but alea was trained and certified by a different group called seizure alert dogs for life run by john saiden. >> she's probably one of the most highly trained seizure response dogs in the world. she's got over 1,800 hours of training. >> reporter: fairfax county says they have never had a trained service dog for a child with epilepsy, andrew's parents hope

the school will find a way to help andrew with alea to go to school. >> andrew and nancy stevens are here along with alea this morning. good morning to both of you, nice to see you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> good morning, andrew, it's great to have you here. talk to me about how long andrew has had this condition, how severe are the seizures when he gets them? >> when somebody has epilepsy, that's the thing you don't know what it's doing to somebody's brain. the seizures are on both sides of his brain, so there's no surgery that can help him or medication. the best you can do is try different medications, get a service dog to try to help lessen the seizures. >> we were sitting here earlier, just a few minutes before we started do this, and andrew went into what it seemed to me would be a minor seizure. >> and you took the magnet off

your wrist and you swiped it over his chest and it stopped the seize chur. >> that is the function that alea is supposed to perform when andrew is at school. if you don't do that, or alea does not do that, how long would a seizure last? >> so far he's only had a seizure that lasts a minute. with lgs it can progress to different seizures longer seizures. >> and the reason that andrew is wearing this on his head is that the risk is he could pass out, he could fall down and injure himself. >> and when he's having a seizure, he's unconscious. so the whole time he's seizing, he doesn't know. if somebody's not paying attenti attention, he could walk into a wall or fall down and the dog will not allow him to do that. he's going to direct him and keep him safe. >> the school is concerned that

a 12-year-old, and a 12-year-old we have to be quite honest operates at a level below his age is not capable of handling a dog like this in a classroom setting and they're obviously afraid that if this dog were to injure some other student or get away and cause a problem, the school would be liable. how do you respond to that? >> a service dog is trained very well. this dog's only going to do what andrew asks it to do. if andrew sits the dog, the dog is going to sit just like right now. if andrew gets up, the dog is going to get up and move. a service dog will not bite anybody at all. >> the school also says they have people in the buildings, teachers and administrators that can perform the same functions that alea would perform, perform the same function that you performed just before we started here swiping the magnet across andrew's chest. is that not good enough? >> no, it's not.

alea can detect some of the seizures that i can't detect and therefore give a forewarning to swipe the magnet. there's times that she's given me the warning just by sniffing or by getting up and licking his face. >> there are people who say that the dog is not trained to detect a seizure before it happene hap only after it begins. >> that's not true. there's plenty of people that have seizure dogs that the dogs forewarn them in some way, shape or form. you just have to watch for that signal. >> is there a compromise that's reachable here? do you hope the school finds some way to accommodate alea in the class? >> i think they should. i think what they have done has really been an unjustice to my son and now he's being homeschooled, with a teacher coming out. the teachers that he has are awesome teachers. it's just that they're trying to do something and go by a

standard that's not a federal law, it's a law by the school. >> andrew, do you want to go back to school and be in the classroom with the other stud t students? >> yes. >> and you want to take alea with you? >> yes. >> andrew, it's good to see you. good luck to you. nancy, thank you for joining us, we appreciate it. and we're going to have much more ahead, including twiblings, t . [ gasps ] ♪ [ female announcer ] too many holiday treats? [ snorting ] ♪ take the special k challenge, with so many ways to lose up to six pounds in two weeks. what will you gain when you lose?

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that's what we're made of. ♪ this morning on "today's" family, one couple's remarkable journey to parenthood that led to a very special memory. >> reporter: what many modern families, the road to parenthood was a complicated one for mel any and wanted to be a mom and i always knew that. it made me really angry when i was struggling with infertility. >> you start to come to the conclusion that it's not likely to succeed, you have to look at alternatives and we ended up settling on third party reproduction. >> i think that it's much easier

for them to give us the child when they don't have a genetic connection to it and it doesn't have a genetic connection to their children. >> melanie and michael hoped for twins, but were scared about adding risk to an already high risk pregnancy. >> my name is thea and i'm the gestational carrier for violent. >> my name is melissa and i also am a gestational carrier for kim. >> with a baby boy and girl born five days apart, melanie and michael are parents of not only twins but siblings. >> although they are close genetic siblings, their occasionoccasion occasion -- they were carried by two

surrogates. >> for the first time in my life i'll be able to help somebody be a mother. >> i think it was a great experience for melanie and michael who was born a couple of days before violent. michael did a great job cutting the cord and it was a very peaceful experience for them and myself. >> i have never been helped in such a profound way by a stranger before. it felt like an incredibly auspicious way to start your children's lives. >> i always wanted to be a father, but it's been a complete astonishment to me how joyful it has been to actually be a parent and to have a relationship with the children. i didn't know that i would enjoy it as much as i do. it's amazing. >> look at that doll face. melanie wrote about her story. good morning to you all.

melanie has michael pointed out in the piece, you went through six in vitro fertilization and you explored adoption. how did you reach the decision that we're going to go to plan b which is to find an egg donor and surrogates, really not surrogates, they're gestational carriers because the egg is not their own. >> it was like falling off a cliff in slow motion. we had a lot of time to gradually face the fact that it wasn't going to work for us. and we explored adoption and were very discouraged about our prospects and i worked with a counselor at our fertility clinic and we began to realize that it could be a solution for us. at first it seemed very scary. it seemed very alien and -- >> what was scary about.

>> it it sounded very alien and science fictiony. i remained very fearful about it right until i met the three women who helped us, until they came forward. melissa, thea and the young woman in my piece i call the fairy god donor. and as soon as you meet the people, it transforms from this cold technical thing to this amazing human experience where you can't believe that strangers are going to solve the greatest sadness of your life. >> and before you met them, these were strangers. the and the egg donor you found through your fertility doctor. there was a time you spent getting to know each other before you went through with this, right. >> yes. >> why was that important? >> for me it was important to

get to know melanie and michael and be sure these were the right people to help. >> you had never done this before? >> i had never done this before and i wanted to make sure that we agreed on all the aspects of the circumstances that come into play in a situation like this. i wanted to make sure that we were a good fit for each over. >> you have two children, how did your families respond to this? >> i started talking with my children about this before we started looking for a family. you don't want to get to that point and then go, oh, wait, just kidding, i'm not going to give you the support. >> you don't want to have a shotgun wedding. this is the most important step you have taken in your life and you need to be absolutely confident of the people you're doing it with. >> your children are violet and

karen are now four months old and they have a real relationship with thea and melissa and the egg donor? why is that important to you. >> every family that does it does it different and some people don't do it like this. but we feellike family and we feel it will be very positive for our children to know these people growing up and when we explain to them how they came to be, we want to say aunt thea and aunt melissa carried you in their tummy and we don't want them to say who is that? >> and the fact that you all know each other now, would you do it again? >> definitely. i think it would be a great opportunity as long as the right family came long. the time was right and

s. good morning once again, everybody. checking in with mike, there's been several zechts through the south bay. >> we're seeing for congestion as well. the lanes have cleared, but there's still a distraction. very slow for 880 in all directions heading through fremo fremont, it's jut foggy through the area. >> we still have some dense, patchy fog out there's in the east bay and the north bay. less than a quarter mile of --

temps throw very chilly. we're in the 30s all across the area. 32 degrees in fairfield,erayar i up to 57 lat toder. back with more news after this. the moment you feel run down or achy nip flu-like symptoms in the bud, with oscillococcinum. get oscillo and feel like yourself again. oscillococcinum, nip it in the bud.

stock market values soared for several bay area companies last year and not all of them were high-tech companies. the stocks generally matched the performance of the broad stock

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but our favorite thiising totin. ♪ we're the kids in arica ♪h,h, o it is 8:30 now on a tuesday morning. it's also the fourth day of january, 2011. take a nice long look, take one last look at the rockefeller center christmas tree, she's coming down on friday, she will be milled into lumber right down on the plaza.

that lumber will be used for habitat for humanity. >> not far from where the tree was actually taken from, in that area, newberg, i think. it's a house in newberg? >> talking about habitat for humanity, you can't rush things like that. i'm matt lauer along with meredith viera and al roker and ann curry. coming up we'll talk about illnesses. not the kind you have, we're talking physical illnesses. >> do you know the difference between a cold and the flu? and how concerned should you be be whooping cough. >> we're going to have important information that you need to know about all this. >> we're not going to laugh

about that. and tonight a new season of the biggest loser kicks off.conr olympic great wrestler, he gained a lot of weight. we're going to see what's going on with him. we're also and we're going to talk about how to keep mom fit. also this morning, how would you all like a big bowl of warm, wonderful soup? >> yes. >> that's going to be a big bowl for all these people. >> we have got an expert in our kitchen who's going to teach us how to make a hearty, but also tasty soup. this is the best time of year to have soup. >> mr. roker, check of the weather please. >> first of all as we look ahead toward the jet stream, it's got the frigid air in the plains and also around the great lakes,

that's normal. subtropical jet down to the south bringing a lot of moisture to the gulf. looking ahead to the weekend, it brings a dip and that brings in much colder air along the mid-atlantic coast as low pressure develops along the coast, could we be talking about more snow as we get into the weekend in the east? we'll have to just wait and see. but there will be more snow out west by the time we get into the weekend. good morning to you. take a look at the buffalo day shaping up over the golden gate. we have got really great visibility here, but hey, just to the east, we have major fog to contend with this morning. this is in fremont and the east bay really socked in. that goes for the north bay as well. visibilities less than a quarter of a mile in monterrey and santa rosa. clear conditions in the south bay and it's chilly out there, 33 degrees right now in livermore. as we head throughout the day today, 57 degrees. have a great one.

>> an don't forget, you can check your weather any i'm of the day or night, the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. coming up next, how to protect yourself and your family against those harsh winter viruses. [ female announcer ] for a limited time, get sizzler's

6oz, fresh cut, tri-tip steak plus our endless salad and dessert bar for just $10.99. sizzler. thinking fresh. everyday. back now at 8:36. the ill chbss you need to be watching out for. dr. nancy snyderman, nice to see you again. we're at a time where we start to talk about colds and the flu. there are people who don't know if they have a cold or the flu. >> simply, the cold lasts a week, no matter what, it's stuffy nose, feeling a little funny. sore throat, but what really separates it from the flu is the

flu has fever, you have aches and pains, you don't want to get out of bed and for anybody who has ever had influenza, this is not diarrhea, this is a respiratory illness, influenza, you know because you have been body slammed and you're usually out of work for two weeks. >> people forget how severe the flu season will be. what do health officials use as a tool to try and make that prediction? >> last year people talked about h1n1 and how severe it was going to be. we watched it work in a pandemic way as it skipped throughout the world. it turned out to be mild. in this year's flu shot, a little piece of that h1n1 is in there. we have seen some throughout the southern states and we really won't know until january, february, march into april. but right now, so far things are pretty mild. >> let's talk about whooping

cough, we're starting to see whooping cough break out in places where we haven't seen it. >> when we are inside we cough on each other and those droplets are inhaled, that's how we spread these infections, but we're seeing pockets of unvaccinated kids. california is on a roll to break a 55-year record for more whooping cough. this can kill babies, this can kill infants. it's a totally preventable illness. there's a whooping cough vaccine hasn't been linked to any autism, and whooping cough is a bad infection that you get -- >> is this a cold? >> it's a different virus. but what happens, you start to get the stuffy nose, crummy

little cough, so sometimes parents think it's no big deal. but then the cough gets worse and worse and kids really get this whooping sound. sometimes they breathe and cough so much they end up vomits and when you see these children inhale, you can watch the muscles in between their ribs, they are really struggling for breath. >> the cure is what? >> the cure is time. but some of these children need to be hospitalized. >> seasonal affective disorder. it used to be it's i don't like winter. but it's a clinical disorder? >> this is sanl affective disorder, otherwise known as s.a.d. and what happens is, our days get shorter, your brain doesn't make the chemicals that make you happy and it can be just like depression, you can get moody, you can get dark, sullen. the treatment is as simple as sitting in front of a bank of

lights. and sometimes the psychiatric way of learning how to deal with it. sometimes medications too. but it's for real. so if you feel you get really dark and sullen in the winter, this might be the real deal. >> a lot of doctors say get outside, even if it's winter outside, get outside. >> get some light. >> mold allergies. this one surprises me. why more so in the winter. i always associated mold with kind of hot, steamy weather. >> usually spring it's grasses and trees, and in the fall it's ragweed, but when we close up our houses, all the dampness grows mold, it's not that black killer mold that we talk about every once in a while. if you walk into a place and it just sort of smelling funky it's probably mold and if you find in the winter that you're sneezing, you have a headache, a chronic sore throat, it may not be a cold at all, it may be an allergy and it may be time to check with an allergist.

>> 8:40. when we come back, alison sweeney on the mommy diet and the new season of [ female announcer ] why choose between delicious

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that's 50% of the daily value toelp close the calciugap, we're giving away a million free cups at yoplait dot com. this morning on take it off today, the mommy diet. alison sweeney has witnessed some amazing transformations and it's given her access to hollywood's best trainers and nutritionists. now she's put those personal experiences into her new book the mommy diet. a month by month plan for a healthy body and mind before, during and after pregnancy. alli, good morning. when you were pregnant, you found a lot of books on how to take care of your baby, but none about how to take care of you. >> exactly. and what we experienced on "the biggest loser" is that people

who care so much about others and are busy taking care of others forget that they need to take care of their own health and fitness. you can be a better mom, you can be the best mom you can be if you start with your own fitness and your own health. >> it's called the mommy diet, but it's not just about exercise and dieting at all. >> no, no, there are fun fashion tips there,'s definitely makeup and hair and romance advice because i think a well rounded mom is one who can guide her children and her whole family. i don't think it's just for new moms, if your kid is 20, and you have that unwanted weight, you can get healthy and realize that you want your daughter to take that time for herself. >> what have you learned about yourself in writing this book? >> that's a big question. the biggest thing i learned about myself is that i need that community of experts around me and how much i have learned

being a part of the biggest loser and just how much information there is out there, if you take advantage of that advice and those tips you can really make a whole life choice for yourself. i had my trainer that actually jillian recommended to me whom i really rely on and my makeup artist who's known me since i was 16 years old at "stdays of r lives." my nutritionist who knows a lot about how to eat right. i have some recipes. my father-in-law's oatmeal pancake recipe is in there. i did ask for permission. i think that what we deal with in this country, obesity is -- it just, you know, i think that what we deal with in this country, obesity, is the numbers are staggering, and they grow every day, and the cdc said one-third of adult americans are obese, and it's really scary to look at the numbers and realize that we need to take charge of

our lives and we need to not sit around and let fast food beat us, and i think that my diet is something that's about living the rest of my life. i'm a working mom. i have two jobs and two kids, and cook dinner for my kids, so you can do it. it can be accomplished. if you take the time. >> yeah. talking about taking care of your weight, being a lifelong goal for everybody, season premier of "the biggest loser" is tonight. one of the contestants, an olympic gold medalist. how about the wrestler end up in the shape that he was when he was starting on the show? >> well, we talked a lot about it, and he said he felt like as an athlete he had control of his weight, and he would let 20 pounds go and say, oh, i can hand that. 40 pounds, 60 pounds. oh, ki lose that if i wanted to, and the next thing you know 150 plus pounds later he realized he was in complete denial, and his family begged him to do something about it, and he really needed that kind of inner session from his family to realize he needed help. he couldn't do it alone, and he

has found it at the biggest loser. he is really -- what's amazing to me is to see the confidence come back to him and the pride that he lost. i mean, somewhere between an olympic gold nelgdz and when he started "the biggest loser" he lost his sense of self. >> i don't know if this this happens with a lot of contestants, after a certain amount of weight, maybe they feel there is no reason to lose. >> yeah, no, absolutely. you give up. you think there's nothing i can do, and i think that's why "the biggest loser" continues to be successful because we prove it doesn't matter how far gone you are, you can come back there that. we had one girl who was told that she was too unhealthy done on the show when she auditioned three seasons ago, so she lost almost 100 pounds by herself, courtney did, and then made it on the show. i mean, talk about pride and the ability that she has. i mean, it's an amazing cast, and i can't wait for people to meet them. >> congratulations for the mommy diet. always a pleasure to have you

here. the season premier of the biggest loser couples airs tonight at 8:00. that is 7:00 central time right here on nbc. up next, more hearty soups for the cold winter shift your weight forward onto the left foot. take the right leg up, holding the inner arch of the foot... introducing instant action alerts, only from chase. left arm up... manage your account and help avoid overdrafts with a click of a button. just reply to the alert with how much you want to transfer. inhale, all the way up...

so you always stay in balance. ...to crescent pose. chase what matters. just four more times. ♪ never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles compared to what a cancer patient goes through is a walk in the park. from the moment i registered, people started immediately supporting me and asking me how they could help. you meet the most wonderful, inspiring people. when you accomplish those 60 miles, it's truly life-changing. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. we're back at 8:49. this morning on "today's" kitchen, back to basics. delicious winter foods to warm your body in f >> we're back atull. 8:49, back

basics. delicious winter soups to warm your body and soul. michael is one of our favorite people. he is also the executive chef of porterhouse new york. good morning. happy new year. >> good morning. happy new year to you. >> you chefs are great. you have all these complicated recipes, and you are really happy about the preparation and the ingredients. let's throw that out for a second and talk just soup. how important a skill is it for a chef to be able to make a really good soup? >> actually, you know, it's one of the first things that chefs are taught in school. yeah, twool. all the basic skills are in soup. assume making is really a foundation. >> the ingredients, preparing. >> you got to know your ingredients. you learn your ingredients and you learn how to dice and chop. you look at slow cooking. >> you have to learn to experiment. you can't take a basic recipe and you have to innovate. >> every one of these recipes is not a recipe. it's a good. you can interchange ingredients and make your own soup. >> the first onure going to make it a great winter soup. this is called roasted vegetable soup. is that a jazzy name, or are we

roasting the vegetables? >> i have carrots, rude baga, brussel sprouts. if you want to do it with water, you can. >> you roasted these with olive oil. >> olive oil in the often. >> for how long? >>ç 35 minutes, 40 minutes. get that carmelization of the vegetables. it's a great flavor. this is just some plumb tomatoes right out of a can that i'm adding to. that's vegetable broth. i'm going to add the vegetables, and that's it. you can adjust the salt and pepper and the roasted vegetable goes into this vegetable broth, and in 35 minutes you've got a beautiful soup. i always like making soup in enough quantity that i can put them away in the freezer. >> to me soup get better and the second and third time. you don't want it to cook too long, but in the second and third time, it takes on even

better flavor. >> we're going to let that cook down for half hour. >> perfect. got the other ingredients here. this next one is a traditional soup. it's calls a pazoli. >> it's a great south american, mexico. it's a great soup. it's really all about the hominy. >> what is that? >> it's corn. >> can you eat it raw? >> it's processed corn. >> if you dried it and ground it up it would be grits. it has a distinctive flavor, and it really -- this is a cross between a soup and a stew right here. i'm doing this with turkey. and pork. starts from. let's go with some turkey. it's a full flavor with everything else that goes in here. let me get the other ingredients in here. actually, we're going to add our turkey back in. now we're going to just -- >> you just roasted that real quickly. >> i sauteed it with olive oil and took it out and i put in sweet pepper, onions, and hall paino, and now i'm going to use a chile powder and cumin.

the chili powder is not hot. everything goes in. >> you do put jalapenos in here. >> it's optional. how about that? we're going to also add turkey pazoli with green chilis. these are out of a can sxshgs you should taste them first. >> i can smell those. >> a little spicy. you know what, it's an optional ingredient as well. they add full flavor. they're not that spicy, but they're roasted, and they're very -- >> let me tell you, people could smell this, this smells fantastic. it has a powerful aroma. >> this is hardy for the winter. that's what it is. >> the hominy goes in. >> then we'll add chicken stock or if you wanted to do this with water, you could do this with water. >> you don't have to -- >> that's fine. >> this is going to cook for an hour. the hominy should go in the last 15 minutes. i wanted to get everything in. >> maybe let's do a little tasting. >> hardy soups are a meal in

themselves. >> this is that roasted vegetable soup. >> is this it? >> this is the roasted vegetable. let me give you a little bit. you can see it has epileptic of ingredients in there, and it's all vegetable. vegetable broth. roasted vegetables. >> i hear the door open. >> one thing this goes with, this is parsley pesto. >> here, look. >> oh. pass it down. pass it down. >> can you dish out more? >> am i a lucky girl? >> barsly pesto in that. that's a very simpleç pesto wi garlic and cheese. >> meredith and i are going to try the turkey pazoli. >> boy, that pesto really gives it a -- >> did you come to eat or make fun of me? >> no soup for you. >> and the third -- >> that's right. no soup for you. >> you can. a little sour cream if you like. some scallions. >> cilantro. >> can i have more pesto? >> sure cream. do you want? >> she wants pesto.

>> the pesto. just tell us quickly, what's the last soup down here? >> that is curried carrot ginger soup. >> can we try that instead? >> no, i'm fine. >> very full flavor with some ginger. these are just hardy and very satisfying. >> that's why we love michael. fantastic. great soups. sfroo happy new year.

good morning, everybody, time now is 8:56. there's been a lot of trouble in the east bay. but now you have the sig alert? >> at the bottom of your screen, you see the slow youp approaching the coliseum. northbound 88 at high street. take 880 westbound which is your

alternate, smooth off to the castro valley. there's a pothole in the middle of 880 as you're heading past high street, at least one lane. they're going to have to have wee closures. av hmore navthafs r teis. r

pg&e may face a new fight in the north bay. the county board of supervisors may pass a law that would delay the installation of smart meters for a year. many customers question their accuracy after their bills sky rocketed when they got them. and others are concerned about

possible radiation. another live update in about a half an hour. today show tonights in a minute.

have gathered to wrap up the we're back now with more of "today" on this tuesday morning, the fourth day of january, 2011. kind of a nice day out here on the plaza where some nice people have gathered to wrap up the holiday season. we thank them for stopping by. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and al roker. and coming, up the tragic story of kristi cornwell. she was the single mother of georgia who went missing 14 months ago. her brother found her body on new year's day. we're going to talk to her boyfriend, a guy who was actually on phone, on a cell

phone with kristi when she was being abducted. it's a tragic story. it's some closure for the family, but they're determined to find out who killed her. on a completely different note, if your new year's resolution is to get healthy, a lot of us have that idea, eat right, kicking the sugar habit. joy bauer is here to answer our questions about diet and nutrition. the good news is you can indulge in the occasional cocktail or the occasional sweet treat. she's going to show you how you can do that and still lose weight. >> occasional being the word there. and as we have been reporting, lindsay lohan finished her court-mandated stint in rehab on monday. so where is she now, when is she headed back to court? when will she get her life back on track? and oprah winfrey kicked off the new year with her own network. what are the critics saying? how are the ratings so far? we're going to get your celebrity roundup coming up in a little bit. i don't normally look back.

but folks, go to our website and get that recipe for the pazzoli. make that soup. you might want to put maybe three-quarters of the green chilies in there. a little spicy. it's fantastic. anyway, let's go inside with app curry at the news desk. >> i concur, matt. good morning once again, everybody. in the news this morning, a former military expert and aide to president reagan and both bush administrations has been found dead in a delaware landfill. an army officer, john p. wheeler, iii, was instrumental in building a vietnam veteran's memorial in the nation's capital and now authorities are investigating his death as a murder. the navy tells nbc news captain owen honors will be temporarily relieved of his command of the "uss enterprise" because of videos that he shot. this morning, a man spoke out about captain honors. >> opie honors was the captain

of the "uss mt. whitney." if his performance was in question, his deployment was stellar. obviously, we have seen captain honors prove himself in situation where his judgment's been in question and he's always prevailed. >> captain honors made the videos several years ago when he was second in command at the "uss enterprise." there is new evidence and optimism that the u.s. economy may be improving. the commerce department is expected to report an increase in factory orders and on monday, an uptick in manufacturing and consumer spending had the dow closing at a two-year high. the remains of a mother who vanished in 2009 have finally been found. john trang joins us with more on this story from blairsville, georgia. john, good morning. >> reporter: kristi cornwell disappeared from a country road near his georgia mountains back in the summer of 2009. her remains were recently found just nine miles from where she vanished. but the question of who exactly killed her may never be answered. after almost a year and a half

of agonizing searches and uncertainty, kristi cornwell's family can finally close one chapter of its painful story. >> kristi can now have a proper burial that she deserves. >> reporter: back in 2009, the 38-year-old single mom was walking on a country road, talking on her cell phone with her boyfriend. she mentioned a car approaching. then the boyfriend heard screams. >> she said, "i've been tied up." i was somewhat paralyzed by it all. i began to hear her then pleading, "please, i have a son, don't do this for his sake, please let me go. you don't have to do this." >> reporter: her partially burned remains were found on saturday by her brother. new cell phone records were

found of james carringer, a man investigators consider a strong suspect. >> those cell phone records revealed that on the night that kristi cornwell disappeared, that carringer had been in the union county area and that his cell phone had pinged off a tower located up in north union county. >> reporter: whatever information carringer may have had on cornwell's disappearance will go unheard. he killed himself last april as atlanta police tried to arrest him. >> we have done a tremendous amount of work into his background, but we cannot conclusively say that he is the -- he is the murderer. >> reporter: for cornwell's mom, the pain of not knowing may be gone, but now she must face a new reality, one without her daughter. >> we didn't want it to end this way, but that's the way it is and we can bring her home now. >> reporter: and cornwell leaves behind a teenaged son, and despite the latest developments, this case is still considered an open investigation. >> thank you so much this morning for that report. a new study of iraq war veterans finds that those who

have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder are more likely to suffer long-term problems such as depression and headaches than those who suffer concussions without post-traumatic stress. screening for ptsd among veterans is critical for identifying and treating future health problems. and megamillions fever is spreading nationwide. brisk sales have sent the jackpot soaring to $330 million or $208 million if you want to take a lump sum cash payout. that's one of the largest lottery prizes in lottery history. it's now six minutes past the hour. now the weather with al. >> we have got a pool here at the "today" show for that lottery. >> i'm not a part of it yet. >> better see ho were a lighting it.re all of a sudden, things go dark. let's check your weather and see what's going on.

we'll show you we have got some clouds coming in the pacific northwest. we have a clipper coming across the great lakes. that's going to drop about one to three inches of snow. some lake-effect snow could drop six to eight inches ahead of that. breezy in northern new england. got plenty of sunshine through the western plains, clouds in the pacific northwest as another system gets ready to roll on in. system gets ready to roll on in. lights out on al roker. but the sunshine is out over the bay area, it's a beautiful start to your day, this is a live picture of san francisco. but some areas are still socked in with some very patchy, dense fog. watch out for fog this morning in the east bay as well as the north bay, less than a quarter mile visibility in novado and santa rosa. for the most part the fog will lift and start to break up leaving us with a mostly clear skies. 58 for tomorrow, 60 by thursday. this morning we have tips on losing weight while indujing on everything from sweet time for joy's diet, this

morning we have tips on losing weight while indulging on everything from sweet treats to cocktails. "today's" nutritionist, joy bauer, is the creator of a new dvd, "joy bauer's slimdown." we have got jules, joining us on skype. good morning. happy new year. what's your question? >> i want to know how you start out the new year all gung ho and ready to go, how do you keep that motivation going? >> it's a great question. and so many people fall off the wagon after the first few weeks. this is what i suggest, jules. i want you to set up a 2011 weight loss schedule. and it's going to help keep you motivated and on track. so, in other words, if you started out the new year, let's say weighing 188 pounds. you're going to mark down that on february 1, you're going to weigh 180 pounds and then mark down on march 1, you're going to weigh 174 pounds. and keep those target goals throughout the whole year until you reach your goal.

and make it official. create some sort of a weight loss schedule either on the computer in a spreadsheet or in a pretty calendar book or even on a poster board. i think this strategy works well for two ones. one, when we have a concrete goal that we're working towards, we get sort of competitive, even if we're just competing with ourselves. next, we thrive on structure. if we know that we have to be at work at 9:00 in the morning. we're at work at 9:00 in the morning. if we have to drive a car pool at 6:00, we make sure we get home to do it. so, take these two traits and make them work to your advantage. set up a weight loss schedule and consistently have these ongoing weight target goals that you're going to hit. and you will prevail. take it seriously. what do you think? could it work? >> that's a great idea. we'll try that. >> okay, good luck and happy new year. >> happy new year. >> thank you so much, jules.

let's go to the phone. eve is on the phone from antioch, illinois. happy new year, joy. what's your question for joy? >> caller: happy new year, al. i am completely addicted to sugar and when i'm dieting i tend to have an all-or-nothing attitude, which inevitably leads me to bing. is cold turkey the right thing to do or is there a way to get a little bit without blowing my diet? >> so many people have that all-or-nothing mentality that can cause havoc for your diet. for the first week of your weight loss plan, get rid of all the sugar and sugar substitutes. even though the sugar substitutes have zero calories, they still keep that sweet taste on your mind. that will curb your compulsion for sweet he is. after the week, you can certainly introduce some portion controlled amounts. i say allow yourself a sweet

treat of 150 calories, it's really weren't to portion control it, every single day. it could be 150 calories of licorice or two cookies or a low-calorie ice cream pop, anything that does it for you. but if the sweets tend to open up the pandora's box, which means that if you start eating them you want more and more, two things you need to be aware of, figure out what your personal triggers are and avoid them at all costs. and you may want to save a safe sweet treat for after dinner. . what is a safe sweet treat? >> it could be safe for her. i cannot start on peanut m&ms. but everybody has these safe sweet treats that don't get them into trouble. if you save it for the end of the evening after dinner, you don't open up the flood gates in the middle of the afternoon and you have it to look forward to and it can keep you on the straight and narrow. >> thanks a lot, eve. >> good luck.

>> caller: thanks. >> finally a last question via skype, we have got brianna in west windsor, new jersey. good morning, brianna. what's your question? >> hi, my resolution is to lose weight, but i love to meet my friends for drinks after work, so i really don't want to give up alcohol. so my question is, can i still get in shape and loses weight without giving up cocktails? >> you definitely don't have to give up cocktails, and i'm not just saying that because i want everybody in the control room to like me better. you just have to learn how to drink smarter. you don't want to being going for the sugary syrupy mixed drinks like the pina coladas, margaritas and mudslides. there are so many slimming low-calorie cocktails that you can enjoy. for example, a glass of white or red wine or a flute of champagne is only about 120 calories. a beer, a light beer, 12-ounce bottle, is about 100 calories, a

regular beer is only 150 calories. and if you're a hard liquor gal, brianna, you can have a shot of vodka with some zero calorie club soda and a splash of pomegranate juice or cranberry juice or orange juice if that's what you prefer for only 110 calories and make sure you alternate every caloried beverage with a low-calorie beverage. it will prevent you from overdoing the booze. you always something in your hand to feel social at a party. >> all right, brianna, good luck. bottoms up. our director joe wanted to know how many calories are there in rubbing alcohol? >> zero, joe. >> joy, thanks so much. and still to come, reinventing your relationship, we're going to help you make a fresh start with the important folks in your life. and up next, lindsay lohan leaves rehab. the reviews are in for oprah's own network. that's in our roundup, next. ♪

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[ jennifer ] weight watchers new pointsplus. discover customersl are getting five percent cashback bonus at restaurants. it pays to switch, it pays to discover. troubled starlet lindsay lohan is out of rehab again after completing 90 days of court ordered rehab at the betty ford clinic. courtn let's get to our roundup here. lindsay checking out yesterday out of rehab. does it appear she now has a chance to turn her life around? i know she sent out that tweet on new year's day saying she's

taking it one day at a time. >> i think what's important is the decisions she make in the coming weeks. is she going to try to return to work or is she going to take time off to do whatever she needs to do to be really, really healthy. her management say what they would like to see is her first get healthy and take a supporting role, something that doesn't have a ton of pressure. one thing lindsay is a fantastic actress and that never goes away. >> also surrounding herself with the right people. i understand she just hired the attorney that used to be robert downey jr.'s doctor. is that a good move? >> it's a fantastic move. her attorneys have been doing great work for her, and this new attorney will continue her on her management team. >> hopefully we'll see a good

come back from her. and now to the pretrial hearing in michael jackson's death which begins today and dr. conrad murray, charged with unvoluntary manslaughter. as i understand, these proceedings, the pretrial hearings, pretty quick motions, but not in this case? >> they're expecting it could take up to eight days to get through the prosecution's arguments and the defense's arguments. dr. murray is expected to say that michael jackson actually committed suicide that he administered that final lethal dose of propofol. they would rather hear that dr. murray is blaming it on another doctor for them to try to insinuate that michael jackson killed himself. >> and his family, friends, they're going to be in court. >> it's like all things involving the jacksons.

>> all right now moving on to oprah's new network, own launched on new year's day. and the reviews are in already, the ratings were really very good, especially for, you know, for cable. >> it is cable and a lot of carriers don't have own on basic cable packages and that's something that angered a lot of oprah fans. you have to upgrade your package to get it. there is some really compelling programming, the look at oprah's behind the scenes look at the final season of her show. >> what other kinds of programs can you expect? gail king? >> gayle king have her own show. >> sarah ferguson has her own show too which is really fascinating. that was one story that everybody was so fascinated by when she fell so deep into debt and was caught on camera trying

to make a deal. so i think that's going to be a great show too and all the talent you're used to seeing. >> it's all about that uplifting. >> oprah said, listen, i want everything to be about intentions. i want you to watch something on this show and say okay, now am i going to go learn more about this thing, am i going to feel better about this other aspect. it's really setting your intentions for your life. >> spiritual but also with good content is what i understand they want to do there. from positive programming to "the jersey shore." i guess this thursday premiers the new season. >> that's right. and, boy, i don't even know where to go with this. just when you thought it couldn't get crazier, it got crazier. >> they got this new character dina.

and this cast they went from lovable -- to people you can't understand how they function in society, the language, the behavior, you get to see that incident that we heard over the summer when snooki was dragged off the beach by the police. we get to see that in full. it's a lot to take in. >> it's a lot to take in and they just keep getting richer as they do their show. >>

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including a free full-size lotion offer. coming up, yet more accusations against brett favre.

>> mouth watering food trends for the new year. >> and dave zinko . after your local news and weather. ♪ you know how i feel ♪ freedom is mine ♪ and i know how i feel ♪ and this whole world is a new world ♪ ♪ and a bold world ♪ for me ♪ and i'm feeling good ♪ it's a new day [ jennifer ] weight watchers new pointsplus. because it works.

good morning to you. it's 9:26 right now. that sig alert continues in the east bay. >> northbound 880 at high street. we often see the potholes wearing through the overpass there. lane number 3, approaching the area, northbound 880, so westbound 580 is your at mltern. things get a little bit better heading toward the dumbarton bridge. we have the rest of the south bay shows more slowing than we saw in recent weeks. northbound 608 heading out of

san jose where we still have the fog hanging around there. >> fog will not get out of the way for most commuters this morning in the north bay and the east bay. we still have some pretty thick fog out there. watch out for fog around 10:00 a.m. we have about a quarter mile visibility right now in santa rosa and novato. temperatures still in the 30s, 33 degrees right now in livermore. we're going to see a pretty good warmup today, sun out in full force. 58 degrees for your wednesday.

this morning the feds and pg&e -- the ntsb says bad recordkeeping at the facility may be leading to dangerous conditions about what it's pipeline can handle. the ntsb is telling pg&e there

is an urgent neat to find out what pipes are carrying gas and what sort of pressure they can take before another one gives out. >> we still don't know why this happened. i'm just grateful to the ntsb for making the kinds of recommendations it has made because clearly the pressure on the system cannot be increased. >> jackie spears says she's urging governor joe brown to appoint two new commissioners to keep a cleeose eye on pg&e. have a great tuesday morning.

excuse me, does this bring back any memories? pizza, pizza, go team go. >> never heard of it. >> from the hit tv series taxi. what you may not know about her is that she has the rare ability to remember each and every day of her life in perfect detail. it's called superior auto biographical memory. she's only one of six people known to have it. she's going to tell us about it thursday on today. probably some days you prefer to forget. it's amazing.

>> i find that fascinating. >> i suppose exactly right, there are things that -- for example every single moment of child birth, for example? i would prefer to forget. let's move on and talk about another story that's coming up. we have been talking about brett favre and now two massage therapists are explaining that they lost their jobs after they complained that he sent them sexually explicit messages. and also ahead, dave zinczenko is going to be back. >> i tried to tell you that before the break. he's got a plan to get your abs in shape without spending your whole life in the gym. he's going to share his power foods. i'm hoping he's going to actually show us his abs. >> are you now? >> you can ask. meanwhile the new year may be a good time to pause and reflect and reinvent some of

your most important relationships, whether it's be a spouse, a sibling or even a friend, we're going to have some tips on how to make a fresh start. >> let's take a look and show you what's going on. and you'll see the snow showers across the great lakes, we have got some clouds in the pacific northwest, rain along the gulf coast. sunshine in the plains, it's going to be brutally cold in the plains. frigid weather will continue tomorrow, more lake-effect snow around the great lakes, showers through the southeast. look for heavy rain moving back into the pacific northwest. with sunny and cool conditions throughout the southwest good morning to you, i have got some good news for east bay commuters, the fog is now starting to rise above the highway, so you don't have to worry about that impacting your visibility. as we head through the next hour or so, our entire sky is going to look like this, and temperatures are going to be on

the warm side compared to where they have been. even warmer towards thursday, 60 degrees by friday. showers on the way this weekend. >> brett favre's football career may be over, but his legal troubles continue. 'l tel you about the new accusations against the quarterback after these messages. i feel like i have to wind myself up just to get out of bed. then, well, i have to keep winding myself up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, trouble concentrating, the lack of energy. [ male announcer ] if depression is taking so much out of you, ask your doctor about pristiq. pristiq is a prescription medicine proven to treat depression. pristiq is thought to work by affecting the levels of two chemicals in the brain -- serotonin and norepinephrine. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens or you have unusual changes in mood, behavior, or thoughts of suicide. anti-depressants can increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens, and young adults.

pristiq is not approved for children under 18. do not take pristiq with maois. taking pristiq with nset pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. tell your doctor about all your medications, including those for migraine, to avoid a potentially life threatening condition. pristiq may cause or worsen high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or glaucoma. tell your doctor if you have heart disease, or before you reduce or stop taking pristiq. side-effects may include nausea, dizziness and sweating. for me, pristiq is a key in helping me treat my depression. ask your doctor about pristiq. one fatty fat, please. so, two fat fatties. i dunno, the lady wants a fat, fat. will that be all? some fat fatties with that? it's ok, i'm good... [ male announcer ] instead try a subway egg white muffin melt, less than 4 grams of fat. build your better breakfast. imagine what it can do to your skin. but dove isn't soap. it contains pure 1/4 moisturizing cream because, everyday moisture is the key to beautiful skin.

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[ female announcer ] that's how splenda® is sweet...and more. it's your fault. naturally, blame the mucus. well, i can't breathe. did you try blowing your nose? of course. [ both ] and nothing came out. instead of blaming me, try new advil congestion relief. what you probably have is swelling due to nasal inflammation, not mucus. and this can help? it treats the real problem of your sinus symptoms, reducing swelling due to nasal inflammation. so i can breathe. [ mucus ] new advil congestion relief. the right sinus medicine for the real problem. so we're back now with more troubles for brett favre. two women have now come forward

saying they received sexually suggestive messages from the quarterback when they worked for the new york jets. >> those two women have massage therapists who worked part-time for the new york jets. part of their job was to massage brett favre now they're suing him and the team saying favre sexually harassed them and they say they have the evidence to prove it. >> one season does not define me. >> reporter: brett favre retired in shame this week, fire bid the nfl for his handling of the investigation into one sex scandal just as this new lawsuit was growing. >> it's time, i know it's time and that's okay. i hold no regrets. >> reporter: two women who worked for the jets in 2008 when favre was the quarterback just filed this lawsuit. according to the complaint, they say he propositioned them, writing in a text message to another co-worker, brett here, you and crissy want to get together? i'm all alone. and in another text, i'm kind of

lonely tonight, i guess i have bad intentions. the women wore massage therapists treating players on the team. in the suit they claim they were fired after reporting the harassment. >> if the allegations are true, this is a good lawsuit. you cannot retaliate against a woman who complains about sexual harassment. >> the women reporteded favre to lisa rippy, identified as a massage coordinator with the jets, who called favre a pervert, going on to say i wish you would have came forward at the time it happened. rippy said crissy and you will never work for the jets again. >> the defense will probably make two claims, one this was just a couple of instances of boorish behavior, it didn't rise to the level of sexual harassment. and two not for reporting sexual harassment, but because they weren't doing their job. >> the nfl just fined brett favre $50,000 in another

scandal. with this former maxim and playboy model jenn steger. he got interested and left her suggestive voicemails. >> going back to the hotel and just chill. sent me a text because i'll be in the building for a couple of hours. love to have you come over tonight. >> reporter: favre also sent nude photos of himself. the league didn't fine him for the conduct, but for failing to cooperation with the investigation. now two new allegations by two new women. >> they're trying to use this to make an example of it so it doesn't happen again. >> reporter: it's unclear how much money the women want, but they do mention the word damages in the lawsuit. we should mention we reached out to the nfl, no comment, we called the new york jets, no comment and we called brett

favre's agent, never heard back from him either. >> jeff rossen, thank you so much. coming up next, we're going to talk about how to get off to a fresh start with the most important people in your life. that's coming up r aft is. [ female announcer ] the healing power of touch

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with the $2.50 breakfast combo. get a 16oz. cup of piping-hot seattle's best coffee and a savory new sunrise subway melt built fresh to your order for just $2.50. subway. build your better breakfast. this morning on "today's" relationships, the art of reinvention, the new year is a good time not only for self-reflection but also to reflect on the relationships with those important to your life. a lot of people take stock in

their lives at this point and say what could we be doing better, who are the people in my life and how can i improve on what we have. you say first is to really look at your relationships and what you want out of them. >> it's normal, people want to grow and become better, so you look at your relationships and say you know what? i really feel that i can do better or i want my relationship to look a little bit different and the beginning of a new year is the time to make those changes. >> what if you say my goal is to have a better relationship with my spouse or my siblings, what should you do? >> you need to make a picture of what you want your relationship to look like, but without a picture, it's hard to move in the direction of who you want to become, or what you want to look like as a couple. >> it doesn't mean that you want to change them or change you necessarily, but focus on the positive aspects. >> you can't focus on changing

anybody else. if you focus on changing yourself, that's enough to have movement in the relationship. you don't want to make yourself a victim because then you're completely powerless. >> and you say to get your thoughts and goals on paper, write things down and make a list of how you want things to go. >> if you put things down on paper, you're basically prio prioritizing your goal. you're also breaking it down into parts because it's very hard to know when you say i want to change my relationship, everybody wants to change their relationship to they're happier, but how are you going to do it and what are the steps you're going to take to make those small changes. >> if you want to reinvent your relationship with your spouse, especially if you have been married to that person for a long time, things can get a litt little stale. >> it's also very easy to stack

up all the negatives in our relationships. we have very high expectations. number one, be grateful. make a list of things your partner does give you, because you obviously chose them for a reason. and if you start to remind yourself about all the wonderful things that already exist in your relationship, you're going to treat your partner nicer and they're going to respond to that. and also think about couples you admire. use that as a goal for yourself. and you can even ask yourself, what would this couple do under these circumstances? and use that really as a guide. >> find ways to reinvent yourself as a couple. >> it's all about creating new memories and if you create kprit exciting new memories together. then that excitement is going to seep into the relationship,

maybe you take a vacation, maybe it's a new class, maybe you read a book together and you discuss it. but it's all about having those new moments where you're venturing into new territory. >> something new again in the relationship. let's say your relationship with a sibling, either you are grown apart or you have had a falling o out. what can you do to mend things? >> you need to be proactive instead of reactive. sometimes we treat each other like which did as kids and those ole sibling rivalries can pop-up again. you want to get to know each other as friends. find time to get to know them. don't treat them like a family member that you can just say anything to, you really can. if you want to have a good relationship with a sibling, get to know them, spend time doing things you like together and also be appreciative for who they are. >> okay now what about a son or

a daughter? if you have a little bit of a turmoil in your relationship with them, especially teenagers as you know, what can you do to help get yourself back on solid ground? >> well the first thing is you want to enjoy your child. so do activities that can bring you together, maybe it's shopping, maybe it's going to a movie, maybe it's a family dinner. >> spending the time. >> spending time, that's the key to all of these relationships, spending time. you want to listen, especially to an adolescent child that you have. find out their world perspective. ask for their advice. take part in activities that they enjoy. and also remember to give them some space. so that's a little bit different than your other relationships and they also need time alone because they're figuring out who they are as individuals. >> good luck to you in the new year. >> thanks. >> we can all use that every now and again. >> right. coming up next, david

zinczenko helps you take your

this morning on fake take it off today, six secrets to make your stomach go from flab to fab. david zinczenko has two new books. a great way to start off the new year, is getting your abs in shape. >> you got to get rid of that killer belly fat. >> when you talk about consumer reports says, nine out of ten americans feel that their diet is already healthy. we're deluding ourselves. >> i don't know where they did the survey, in like a bob's big boy? 2/3 of americans are overweight or obese, part of the problem is that we are listening to a lot

of the marketing gimmicks, things that are all natural or fat free and we think we're eating healthy and we're really not. >> now when it comes to abs, how important is exercise? and i got to think that's right after the bat one of the number one things. >> exercise will definitely help you turbocharge your weight loss and there's a whole plan in the abs diet, 15 minutes, three days a week, at home, a full circuit program going and you rev up your metabolism and it helps you to strip away fat all day long. but what you need to realize that what you put in your belly is much more important than how you exercise. exercise, flat bellies are made in the kitchen, not in the gym. >> so you've got six secrets here to a flat belly. number one is -- and this sounds almost counter intuitive, eating six meals a day? >> basically what you want to do is realize that extreme hunger

leads to extreme eating. so you want to graze throughout the day, three meals, three snacks. graze like a goat. and just have a lot of the nutrient dense foods. because what that's going to do is push the junk out of your body. this is just a mental trick, a handy act com anymoronym that ge nutrient dense foods, a is almonds, b is beans, d is dairy. what you're basically doing is trying to make this a focus of your diet. it's not about restrictions, but you make the abs diet power foods. that is going to help you have the key nutrients that you need to look and feel and live better. >> these are fantastic.

you don't have a minute, you don't have 90 seconds to put -- i am telling you, if you do this, people who skip breakfast are 450% likely to end up overweight or obese. so what you're doing with a smoothy is you're getting fiber, vitamins, protein, calcium, it is a great way to start the day. >> you also say watch what you drink? >> we're drinking 450 empty calories a day. sodas that are doing nothing for us. if you can cult out 300 of those calories a day, you're going to lose 30 pounds in 2011. >> also stop counting calories. >> forget calorie counting. eat the nutrition foods until you start to feel full and then

stop. but don't deprive yourself. >> and cheat on your diet once a week. >> once a week have anything you want. >> once a week. david zinczenko, thank you. >> more coming up.

good morning to you, it is 9:56 right now. >> we'll take you out to a car fire on eastbound 24.

it will be a distraction for folks headed through. we're looking over here further south, we do have that pothole that continues to be a problem. they're repairing a pothole in lane three. crews heading over there, very to the south. christine, we'll send it to you. >> traffic here looking a little bit busy through fremont, though i really want to point out that the fog is starting to break up and lift so you don't have to worry about dense fog out on the roadway any longer in the east bay. beautiful clear skies, that's what everybody will be enjoying later on and temperatures in the upper 50s. 59 degrees today in oakland and fremont. >> california farm workers and environmental ilss are suing to

keep a highly toxic pesticide from strawberry farms. last month, a state committee approved the pesticide for use here in california environmentalists say the chemicals are known corps sarci. >> this morning a san francisco board of supervisors have a big task ahead of them. it's possible the board will vote today on who will take over the mayor's office after mayor news newsom -- all who turned out of office. another local news up date

for you in half an hour, "today" show returns in about a minute. have a great morning. gold bond hand sanitizer le announc] kills germs without alcohol, then moisturizes. kills germs. loves your hands.

ne captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, everybody! it's booze-tuesday, tuesday, january 4th, 11 already. still not used to that. it is going to take me a while. >> yes. i've said today happy new year probably four or five times. few times in the gym, in the hallway. >> right. when are you supposed to not say it? >> when are you done? >> when is the first time you see someone in the new year it is appropriate to say "happy new year." until it is groundhog's day and it is a little less appropriate. >> the security guards at nbc,

they always say "happy new year." and i like that they keep repeating it. >> it's the one thing that doesn't have any controversy about it. >> happy new year. >> merry christmas. "what do you mean by that?" nothing! just merry christmas. you can say happy new year to everybody, and everybody says, you, too. >> how is yours going? >> mine is all doing well. we're all trying to lose weight now. everybody's got their new year's resolutions. we always today -- it is a tradition in our family, on new year's day we always go to alabama jack. i mean this with great love -- biker guys that i adore down in -- anyway, best key lime pie in the entire world. so i brought you -- i thought you were going to get the first bite, but jerry took it. so take a little bite, hoda. we're going to spread it around. then i also have to say my dear friend emily is here with her

daughter annie but she's also here with her sister scoob and their daughters. they're from my other place, michigan -- >> can we pause a minute about this key lime pie? this ss best -- we should tell everyone. on friday we're doing an entire show on an elliptical machine. >> that's why we can have this. we're going to work it off. >> it's called "lose it with kathie lee and hoda." you watch us from the gym. while we are doing our machines, doing every view on a bike or on an elliptical, our guests are going to be -- hold on. but that's on friday. not today. >> her family makes hudsonville -- i like it when they say creamery instead of ice cream. >> does that mean it is not ice cream? >> it is mackinaw -- that's where they shot "somewhere in time." that amazing island. >> i need another fork.

here you go. it's all about friday. >> it is a sexual frustration. >> what does that mean? >> that's why i'm not eating it. >> mm. oh, my god. amazing. really good. >> then for those of us who like being good, there is a new recipe -- this is a booze-list -- what's this? a booze-list booze-day cocktail because i am trying to be good. jerry so sweetly gave me -- what is this? >> something to add in. >> this is from bet er hoems "b and gardens". it only has 71 calories. >> yours has 120. >> 06you want a little of this? it goes good with ice cream and key lime pie. >> i've already gained five pounds. >> i know. >> that is good. that's really good. >> thank you, jerry.

happy new year to you, jerry. now we have a couple of things. mark your calendars because this is an important announcement we're making. keep going, babe. nice talking to you. so if you want to find out what are your good days and bad news of the new year we have -- >> every day's a good day with you, hoda woman. >> what are you doing? >> now you are most likely to get fired in the month of january. okay? just so you know in case it comes. >> happy new year. >> the saddest day is january 17th. >> let's plan a party on january 17th -- who says? >> they do. >> based on what? >> i'll tell you why it is the saddest day. you realize you're in debt because you spent all your money on christmas. wait. you've already blown your new year's resolution. and everything sinks in that there is not a lot to look forward to. let's move on to the good stuff. >> there's nothing to look ford

to. >> february, you're most likely to get engaged, probably because it's valentine's day. don't look at me! >> you're giving an awful lot of questions about this ring that's on your left finger. now you want to explain -- we had a ton of people call in and say what's going on with hoda, why is she wearing a ring? >> first of all, i always wear this ring. i never pay attention to what finger it is on. my sister gave it to me. >> is there dirt on this finger? >> it's mascara. >> hello! >> anyway, that's what it is. it is the same ring, i wore it every day. >> who gave you that ring? >> my sister. >> we wanted to clear it up. >> do people really care? >> yeah. >> are you kidding? okay. what else is there. men cheat. and women. the time of year when men and women are most likely to cheat is in the summertime. that's because they're wearing thongs. people -- >> it is a lot easier. >> the happiest day of the year, 2011, is june the 17th.

okay? i don't know why. >> because that's what it says. >> what else? july you are most likely to give birth and if you are -- you're most likely to get broken up with in december. but not on christmas day. >> you can make it to christmas day. >> christmas day is the least likely day for someone to break up with you because they feel bad because it is christmas and they won't do it with you. >> i don't believe any of that stuff but it is fun to talk about. we have to mention and we wish her all the best -- getting a little weary of it. lindsay lohan was released from betty ford clinic and we wish her great success with her sobriety and getting her life back together and i don't know what it's going to take. some people take much more than just a few months in rehab. she is going to continue some sort of counseling. >> her tweet right when she got out is today is the first day of the rest of my life. the future depends on what we do in the present, which is a quote from mahatma gandhi. >> one step at a day. one is basically aa, one step at

a time. then you need a higher power to help you. >> i think weary are weary of is she drinking, is she not. >> why do i even want to talk about this today? it bothers me when people who are so blessed and have so much, opportunity, beauty, wealth, talent, when they squander it and when they don't take good care of it because it is a gift. it is a gift. and you're supposed to -- it's a blessing from god and you don't realize it until you've lost it. it drives me crazy that somebody's not loving her enough to say "you are squandering this great gift god has given you!" i want her to go over to the dream center in los angeles and spend maybe a month there with my friend drew hammer. ministering to the drugged eddr and crack members and gang members. see people with real problems. i think every time you get out of yourself and get into

somebody else, your life is better. >> yeah. i think a lot of people can't even afford to go to a betty ford and they wish they could. when you can do it and you have the means and you have everything. >> no more excuses. >> let's win and let's quit our jobs. mega million is tonight. $330 million! >> if you won it, you would leave me, wouldn't you? >> you said you would leave me whether you won it or not. that's what you said in the makeup room, if you remember. >> that's supposed to be between us, hoda. >> so it's 41 states and d.c. it is in new york. there is a big "today" show pool we're getting in on. >> i'll put in 5 bucks. >> howie says it is going to get up to about $350 million. wouldn't that be incredible? >> what would you do with it? how would you spend it? we'd pay our electric bill here. oh, that's howie our lighting

director. we'll play and let you know if you win tomorrow. >> these are laura's, our hair dresser. so this is a great piece of videotape. we always like engagement surprises. a man who works here for many, many, many years, phil, his son who is a great singer planned to propose to his girlfriend and he had a plan to propose to his girlfriend at a concert at this jersey church. well it was the day of the blizzard so the whole thing gets wiped out. phil jr. is holding this ring, he doesn't know what to do. he can't even look at his girlfriend who he is going to propose to. >> and he has to go out and buy her a christmas present now because he can't give her that, the ring! >> so it comes time, they reschedule the whole deal and they're in the church and he is going to propose to her as they sing "the 12 days of christmas." so let's watch. ♪ on the 12th day of christmas mu true love gave to me --

♪ one golden ring >> that is fantastic! >> oh, my gosh! >> she said yes! >> touchdown! he didn't even wait until february! >> no, he didn't. >> that is so sweet. >> by the way, he is the nicest, nicest -- i say kid -- >> his father is. >> the son is so great. >> it is not even january 17th and we're so happy.

>> we're so thrilled. >> no, that's the worst day, january 17th. it was not even june. >> june 17th is the best day. that was nice. i like that. okay. no more business? >> i'm really depressed the hokies got killed. that was my college team. i woke up it was 40-12. we lost. >> i never said a word about the giants because i know that somebody else won which means their fans are happy. >> i don't even care about the nfl. coming up, if you feel like someone's -- hu tghroun ed.ja em you through january. we'll be back after these messages. [ male announcer ] on pizza hut's tuscani tuesdays,

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♪ [ female announcer ] too many holiday treats? [ snorting ] ♪ take the special k challenge, with so many ways to lose up to six pounds in two weeks. what will you gain when you lose? get started at specialk.com. seems like everywhere you turn there's someone with a cold, headache or fever and the chills. >> how can you get better faster

in the middle of cold and flu season, or just plain avoid getting sick at all. "self" magazine's sara austin has some answers. >> so everybody is hacking and coughing and one of the things you want to do is break up congestion. that seems like something you can do tangibly. >> absolutely. you can't cure the common cold but you can make yourself feel much better. listen, congestion, your brand ma was right -- hot soups, steaming beverage. it is really going to cleve out your airwaves, loosen all the gunk up in there. >> what about chicken soup? the other ones don't seem to do it as well. >> chicken and veggies have a lot of good cold fighting nutrients in them particularly onions and garlic. they have proven virus fighting properties. also if you look for something with a little kick in it, asian or veetietnamese chicken soup.

>> when you go to the drugstore it can be intimidating because you see a kazillion different things to choose from. what's the best thing for cough medicine? >> you want to look for the ingredient calls dextramoraphyn. it will givier brain more immunity to the cough sensation. you won't want to cough as much. >> a suppressant or an expectorant. >> it makes you feel like you want to cough less, the suppressant. the expektorant makes you want to get everything out of there. >> so there! >> when my throat is sore and scratchy -- gargle in hot salty water. >> absolutely. one cup of water, half a teaspoon of salt, warm water,

gargle it up. it is going to soak all the extra fluid out of the inflamed tissue in your throat so that's going to reduce your irritation an pain. that works great. so simple. >> now this thing is freaky to me. you're supposed to clear out congestion with that teapot or whatever -- >> yeah. if you can take it? >> it is called a neti pot. you put warm saline water it, lean over your sink, pour it in one nostril and out the other. >> oh, i think i would drown. >> oh, can we try that? >> jerry! >> jerry vanished. >> i want to see that. >> i've done it and it feels great and it is really like a little biology experiment. >> i want to see that! >> i would feel like i was choking. >> no, it's cool. >> saline nose drops also -- you don't want to use medicated drops for more than a couple days because you will work up

resistance to those. >> what if you just load up on basic vitamin c? some people like taking tons of vitamin c water and those coldese -- >> zinc lozenges you have to take within 48 hours of your symptoms. a half a bell pepper will give you half of whatever you need for a whole day. for you, exercise is a great way to boost your immunity. >> when i feel like i'm coming down with something, if i get on the treadmill and really run and sweat, it's like you get rid of toxins and i don't get the cold. honestly. >> unless you have a fever, eating and exercising are good to treat a cold. >> what else can you do other than exercise to try to fight off the cold? >> simple thing is keep warm.

being cold lowers your immunity and makes you more vulnerable to viruses. medication and yoga, anything that relaxes you. a massage is going to boost your immunity. >> it keeps you rolling. you've got to because we meet people like you around here all the time and god only knows what you're carrying! >> all right, coming up next -- coming up next, what else is january good for? we'll hear what you have to say. workout gear that's going to help you fire up you are exercise routine even in the cold after these messages. if you are what you eat, then why not be more vibrant? more vivid? and brilliant. naturally colorful vegetables are often a good source of vitamins, fiber, or minerals. and who brings you more natural colors, in more delicious combinations,

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or visit hrblock.com to make an appointment. h&r block. never settle for less. ♪ [ continues ] we are back with our special series we call "sara on the streets." >> while many people experience post holiday blues and other are suffering through the snow, we

wonder if january had any redeeming qualities at all. since it is so cold out, we sent sara out on the streets. >> i kept it all indoors and headed to our nbc experience store before the holidays came to an end to find out what shoppers actually like about january. >> i can't think of anything i like about january. it is always a let-down every year. you have no events to go to, no holiday parties, nothing. >> what's your next big moment after the holidays? >> summer. >> we've got a month off school. >> is there anything negative about january for you? >> not really. >> i want to come with you. >> all the resolutions i'm not going to keep. >> you're planning on not keeping them. >> well, it is reality. >> i hate when it is that dark out outside when you leave work and come to work when it is dark out, it is really hard. >> valentine's. february 14th. >> so january is nearly t lly t warm-up act for valentine's day.

>> super bowl! >> football action. >> there are a couple things redeeming about january. first it means the holiday crush is over. we've gotten through it. we've survived it. and the nfl playoffs. >> der. >> shaw. >> nobody said golden globes though. >> the golden globes is the best award show. >> yeah, it is. >> i always personally look forward to the state of the union message. that's like the highlight of january for me. chlths all right, coming up, we are going to putetle -- what's it called? loans this is kathy, who i helped do her first home loan, and this is her sister tina, who i also helped do her first home loan. it was unbelievable how well it all fell together. kathy said, "well, let me give you rachel's number." easy. easy. easy. the whole loan process was simple and convenient!

that's why i love quicken loans! [ male announcer ] and you'll be glad to know j.d. power and associates ranks quicken loans "highest in customer satisfaction." to learn more call 800-quicken or visit us at quickenloans.com. or visit us at ["stir it up" playing]

stir up a smile with hershey's syrup. good morning to you. 10:26. mike's talking potholes this morning. >> we still have the issue northbound 880. the sig alert continues, the third and fourth lanes blocked as you're coming over the high-rise until 3:00 this afternoon. hopefully they'll be clear for the evening commute. westbound 580 is your best bet. san mateo bridge, clear sailing, but you do see some haze there. visibility is not a problem for drivers here.

as you're heading over the hill into fremont, compared to a half an hour ago, we can actually see the other side of the gulf. >> take a look at this live picture of the golden gate this morning. this is the sky that everyone can look forward to later on today. temperatures are going to be pretty comfortable ending up in the upper 50s. and this warm and dry trend is actually going to hang around for a time. a little bit of patchy fog and frost tomorrow morning and then 60 degrees as we head into your thursday. a little bit of colloid covloud saturday and sunday. [ alarm clock buzzing, indistinct conversations ]

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>> the city transportation agency told the chronicle the move is an effort to close a $21 million budget gap for the current fiscal year which ends june 30. the agency fell more than a million dollars short of its parking ticket revenue goal last year. meanwhile projected expenses are up more than $9.5 million. today the giant's shiniest piece of hardware is going on tour. the tour will start in san francisco and head to the sacramento area. it will make its way back to the bay area in late january.

for complete lists, check out mlb.com. major league baseball, pretty . today show continues next. ♪ we're back on this booze-day. with "today's style." >> if the great outdoors is your gym, it is easy to blame dropping temperatures for your lack of motivation -- until now. "prevention" magazine's fitness editor has just the right gear to get you back on track. >> hello. so first of all we've got something brand-new in gloves. >> exactly. so days are getting a little bit longer -- which means when you work outside it may be dark. these actually come with a built-in light so you can turn that on, that's obviously going to increase your visibility. >> and you seeing you.

>> exactly. the orange material also, it is even brighter than a traffic guard vest. >> it feels back so you can put it over your fingers. hoda, you need those. i don't like you jogging in the dark. but anyway. >> these seem thin but they go around your neck to keep you nice and warm. >> it is called the original buff wrap. basically it is a tube of material. we were curious when we got this at prevention offices but can you actually wear it 12 ways. >> it is like a little hat! so cute. >> hood, wear it as a scarf, wear it around your wrist to dab away sweat. >> hand washable and all that? >> hand washable, machine washable. it comes in a lot of different fabri fabrics. >> how much do those cost? >> around $20. >> this is good because if you run with headphones, the ear buds, they pop out and you spend a lot of time putting them back in. >> these actually come with

speakers built in that fit right over your ears. >> hoda, everything you'd ever want. >> i know! i like it. >> they're also warming because of the fleece. it is going to keep your ears really nice and warm. >> that's terrific. >> these just look like regular sneakers. a little colorful for my taste? >> well you probably heard about the barefoot trend in running. everybody is saying don't wear shoes. it is a little cold to do that right now. >> not for that one guy we had on the show. remember? he tried to get on the plane without shoes. >> stinky. >> okay. if you do want to wear shoes and try out barefoot running, these are great. sort of a minimal design. you're going to be striking a little bit more towards the mid-foot, front of your foot, sort of the natural motion -- >> is this lightweight? >> not as much as some are. >> these socks are made out of

merino wool. it is really soft and it helps regulate your body temperature. this is not itchy and it is antimicrobial so your socks won't get stinky after a workout. >> we're going to bring out the models so you can show us head to toe what we should be wearing. it would have our fine producers. tell us what they're wearing. >> alli in the blue jacket has a top on that has also antimicrobial property. again it is not going to smell. the jacket is a wind blocker so it will block the wind but it has also reflective property so everything silver is going to illuminate. >> you need to wear a long john underneath and you're fine? >> layer something great for winter. >> probably never stinks. >> stop! >> on the bottom the reebok pant. they're designed so that they

really wrap your muscles. reebok says that they've done some testing and they actually work your muscles more. we didn't do our testing in the lab but we gave them to a bunch of readers and they said that they really felt great in the pant, that they felt that they looked slimmer when they were wearing them and it made them actually want to work out more. this top is from lululemon. >> i love their pants. >> absolutely. they're breaking more into the outdoors now though so this is something you can wear when it is a little bit warmer. the top has the hood and you have a ponytail hole in the back. >> that is is so cute! >> all right, girls. >> you guys are so adorable we can't stand it. >> let's bring out lisa and nicole. tell us about what they have on. >> wintertime you probably need a parka for at least some activities, particularly if you getting your heart rate up. what we love about this columbia jacket on lisa is that it uses silver reflective technology. if you've ever seen marathon

runners, the same thing, heat from your body goes into the silver dots and reflects back to you keeping you warm. >> what about the other jacket? >> this is one of my favorites. it is lightweight, you can use for either biking or jogging. it looks like a jacket but you can actually pull off the sleeves. there is a little pocket then in the back and you can just slip it right in. >> that's cute! that's one of those things you say, why didn't i think of that. >> thank you so much. up next from tiny tots to teens. -- ♪ [ pop ] right now at h&r block, you could get up to $9,999,

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here to tell us what's out there, allison rhodes, a national family and safety expert known as the safety mom. >> that's an underdog. >> exactly. >> good to meet you. >> we were captivated by the first thing that you have on your table. it is almost like a motion detector for kids at home. >> this is a virtual baby-sitter. the adt pulse home monitoring system. i've got wireless cameras,

motion detectors, i've got texts that come in to my iphone if my daughter doesn't walk in the door from school. >> who waving? >> that is my fiance. he's at the home office right now, that's live streaming video soky see my kids if they're not doing their homework after school. i can make sure my fiance's doing what he's supposed to be doing! >> if your child comes home from school every day at 3:00 and one day your child doesn't come home at 3:00, is this thing able to -- >> this will send me a text saying they didn't come home from school. i can call the school and say did they miss the bus? what happened? i can actually put motion detectors on the liquor cabinets. if my teen is having a party and the liquor cabinet opens -- >> what if it is always open? i know some people like that. >> it starts at $3.99 then it is a monthly fee but you get a discount on your homeowner's insurance because it is your adt security system.

$399. >> you us a buckle your kids up in the car and think it is everything you can do. >> with teens, you don't know what they're doing. this is life belt. this goes into the car. if they don't buckle their seatbelt before they start driving the car won't start. then once the car does start if anybody disengages their seatbelt the radio goes down and a 50 decibel alarm goes off. how many times your toddlers are in the back and you don't know if they've unbuckled themselves. mom will know now. you think everybody wears their seatbelt? they don't. 68% of people who died in car crashes didn't have their seatbelt on. >> i still have to say to frank, put your seatbelt on. >> we didn't have seatbelts in the 1800s. i have to train myself because we didn't have them. >> you hear about abductions. i know that they are rare but you want your child to be able to -- >> not rare enough. people get into a false sense of security saying it is not going to happen in my community. unfortunately it does.

i got an e-mail from a woman this morning. her child got abducted from a major tourist place. the kid was saying this is not my daddy. everybody ignored him. you don't say this is not my daddy. you say stranger, stranger. >> this looks like a regular backpack but underneath it has a rip cord. plug your ears. okay? that will alert anybody that's something is going on. >> that is brilliant. it looks like a regular backpack and it also has computer bags as well. >> you say this works with bullying as well? >> it is one of those things where if they're in school out on the playground, no one's around, this is going to get someone's attention. . >> the bully will scatter. >> absolutely. >> one of the biggest fears of a parent, you cann't find your child. >> in a split second especially with a special needs child. this is mommy i'm here. it has a little ted tdy bear an

it blinks and gets attached to the child wirelessly. if the child gets 25 feet away this alerts you. it will sound. you can start finding them. you press the button and it will keep going until you get close enough to find them. >> when they get out of range -- that's such a mart thing. >> technology is really making our jobs easier and that's what it is all about. >> are you hearing more and more parents are taking advantage of these things? >> they are. you know what? it is kind of like when seatbelts came up. every time we have an opportunity to help save our kids -- i can't stand parents who say i want to be friends first. i'm sorry, i want to look in on my kids, i want to know. i want to be a parent first. >> by the way, congratulations for fiance proposed to her at rockefeller christmas tree. >> thank you. >> what is he doing? >> looking good. >> i need one of these. coming up next, the new foo very tasty one. right after this.

>> oh, look at that, hoda. announcer: jane's wearing martha washington's inaugural gown

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for 12 months with select services and a 1-year price guarantee. aren't you glad we switched to at&t? yes...but i want my own invisible cord. you already have one. oh. ♪ time for "today's kitchen." we're getting saucy. the must-have five food trends

for 2011. >> food and wine's dana cowen has it all. >> happy new year. >> thank you for bringing something that really looks fun. tell us with a we got here. >> we're talking about trends and we've been trying to figure out what the next cupcake is going to be and it turns out the next cupcake is a savory cupcake. here we have a chicken and waffle cupcake. try that one. dig in. instead of the waffle it is a cupcake. instead of whipped cream it is butter cream. have you crispy fried chicken and maple syrup on time. >> come on. >> absolutely. you've got to try it. >> i'm going in. >> she's going in. spaghetti and meet balls. >> you are in loaf-aroma which is a cupcake with meatloaf and angel hair pasta on top. next to it, no buns about it.

this is the world's best burger with mashed potatoes on top. >> we have to try that. >> you got to dig in. just see, it is a full meal in a cupcake. >> we're working out all day friday. >> you got do load up. >> i could. put my face in that. that is so good! >> then -- great? >> restaurants have been looking for ways to get people into the restaurant for morning, noon and night so they've got these great breakfasts. they have upgraded the breakfast sandwich. from the pointe in los angeles is the world's greatest breakfast sandwich. it is spinach, mushroom, egg, cheese and you've got it grilled right there if you'd like to take a bite. >> just a little bite. because we have to work. >> this is good slow food. nothing fast about it. >> oh, my god.

it's so good. that was so worth it. i don't care how many calories. that was so worth it. wasn't it? >> ugh! when you don't eat bread anymore and you don't eat cheese, then you bite into that? oh. >> so honey is another trend. >> what we've got here is hotels. their rooftops are often putting gardens there. and now they're also putting apr apiaries. you can go to the caramel valley ranch and take care of the bees and make your own honey. this is from caramel valley ranch. >> got to. got to. >> let's move on to these

popsicle. >> in los angeles can you get a popsicle from l.a. pop-cycle from a bike. salted cucumber and lime. in new york, lolly's ice kitchen. this is a drink on a stick. >> interesting! >> that's good. >> it's great, right? it is a wake-up to your mouth -- >> i still want the rest of the panini though. so far that wins. >> then we've got some beers. some beer companies are very possessive about their secrets and some really are into collaboration. we've got some dab be collabora beers here. if you taste this, you'll taste a little parsley, sage, rosemary

and thyme. d . >> did they name that the simon and garfunkle? >> i like that. >> this is from sam adams. this is bavarian. you find any apricots or mango? >> nice. i like that. >> this is more of a guinness looking thing. >> it looks like cherries because it is finished with polish cherries. >> why polish? >> i guess they've got good cherries in poland. >> i've heard that. >> we've got a taste tester. >> oh! careful, you're still working. you're still working. >> you taste those cherries? >> yeah. this is excellent. >> what about this one? the simon and garfunkle? >> nice. >> now try this one. this is the champagne one. >> he's on camera one. >> which one do you like best?

>> jimmy -- the cameraman wants it! >> cheers. >> that's why they like the happy hour of "today." which one do you like best? >> i like this one. >> then that's yours. it's yours. i'm feeling generous this new year. >> a man with champagne taste. >> i'm going back here. ring ring progresso

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miss sara. >> a lot of people are talking about the proposal. cindy wrote there wasn't a dry eye in the house and it is only her and her dogs home. everyone else was writing about the neti pot really working. i've used it as well. they're amazing. >> apparently dr. oz promotes it all the time. >> let's -- joe is going to do it. >> joe, i can't wait! i'm so excited. >> just so you know, the idea is to clear out your nasal

cavities. sinuses. he's water in one nostril. >> ooh! ooh! go blow your nose! >> i want to try it! i want to try it! >> i'm drowning. no, don't. >> nis nose was in it. all right? >> how does that feel -- ooh! n? you don't think my nose iclea g clean? i got a clean nose. ask my wife. >> you're supposed to blow your nose. it's fun around here. i'm coming back tomorrow.

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