what comes at this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight but whether we can work together tomorrow. [ applause ] >> good morning. new era or photo op? president obama takes a more moderate tone during the state of the union address and receives more bipartisan applause than normal. but how long will the unity last, especially with the next presidential election less than 22 months away. upgraded -- congresswoman gabrielle giffords' condition improved from serious to good. she's ready to begin the next phase in her recovery as a new photo shows her husband watching the president's speech from her bedside. and where's the beef?

a new lawsuit claims tacos at taco bell contain only 35% real meat but the popular chain is fighting back saying that's all wrong today, wednesday, january 26, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm meredith vieira. i'm impressed you stayed up to watch the whole state of the union. >> not only the state of the union but the republican response -- at least one of them. i haven't seen the other yet, but it was a different feeling in the room. i think the seating arrangement had something to do with it. it was the president's first speech before congress since the gop took control of the house. he used the opportunity to push for unity in washington to deal with the economy. he even called for a five-year

federal spending freeze to prove willingness to work with republicans. we'll have much more straight ahead and talk about the new tone in washington with former presidential candidate and new york city mayor rudy giuliani. >> also, it's shaping up to be a messy day in the east. winter storm watches and warnings in effect from mississippi to maine as another potent storm moves up the east coast. that's a live look in nashville where the snow is falling. how much snow will fall this time? we'll have the latest in the forecast. also, here's a question. how long could your family go without technology -- no phone, computer, television? a day, a week? how about six months? we'll meet a family that tried to do just that and we'll see how it changed their lives in some ways for the better. let us begin with president obama's state of the union address. he heads to wisconsin today bringing the message he laid out in the speech directly to voters. savannah guthrie has details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to

you, meredith. aids say they were trying to do something different with the state of the union. more broad themes. less of a laundry list of policy proposals. but with republicans and democrats sitting side by side, there was a different feel in the room. >> mr. speaker, the president of the united states! [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: the president entered into a new era in washington with a nod to the new republican speaker and a moment for the arizona congresswoman who couldn't be there. >> we are also mindful of the empty chair in this chamber and we pray for the health of our colleague and our friend gabby giffords. [ applause ] >> reporter: giffords' husband watched the speech from her hospital room holding her hand while the parents of 9-year-old

victim christina taylor green watched from the guest box. members wore black and white ribbons in giffords' honor. >> there is a reason the tragedy gave us pause. we are still bound together as one people. we share common hopes and a common creed that the dreams of a little girl in tucson are not so different than those of our own children and that they all deserve the chance to be fulfilled. >> reporter: amidst calls for more civility there was a different tone in the room. gone were the partisan cheers of the past several years. dozens of republicans and democrats chose to sit together. senators mccain and kerry, thune and gillibrand. >> what comes of this moment is not whether we can sit together tonight but whether we can work together tomorrow. >> reporter: the pitch, increased spending in energy, infrastructure and innovation to create jobs and keep america

competitive with countries like china and india. >> we need to outinnovate, outeducate and outbuild the rest of the world. >> reporter: in a room full of republicans brought into power on a no spending platform, the president called for a five-year freeze in the domestic nonsecurity budget. >> every day families sacrifice to live within their means. they deserve a government that does the same. i recognize that some in this chamber have already proposed deeper cuts, and i'm willing to eliminate whatever we can honestly afford to do without, but let's make sure we're not doing it on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens. >> reporter: the president also called for reforming the corporate tax code and just days after house republicans voted to repeal the president's health care law, mr. obama defended it. >> if you have ideas about how to improve this law by making care better or more affordable, i am eager to work with you.

instead of refighting the battles of the last two years let's fix what needs fixing and move forward. >> reporter: republicans had what amounted to duelling responses. paul ryan offered the official gop response. >> the debt will soon eclipse our economy and grow to catastrophic levels in the years ahead. >> reporter: while michelle bachmann took to the internet. she later told brian williams she was not trying to divide the party. >> this wasn't competition with what the gop official response was. >> reporter: closing his speech, the president saved the traditional line for the end. >> it's because of our people that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the state of our union is strong. >> reporter: the president plans to sell his message about winning the future in the coming

weeks. it starts in wisconsin today. matt, watch this space, literally. we may get a personnel announcement about a new press secretary briefing from this room as early as tomorrow. >> savannah guthrie in washington, thank you very much. rudy giuliani, the former republican mayor of new york city ran for president in 2008. nice to see you. >> nice to see you. >> let's talk about this "sputnik" moment the president talked about last night. outinnovate, outeducate, outbuild the rest of the world. those things cost money. he also talked about the deficit and said he would propose a five-year spending freeze, domestic spending freeze. do the numbers add up for you? >> i think that there was were good things in the speech. i can see opportunities for bipartisan cooperation that is very, very good. but i think that by and large, if you compare this to president clinton's speech at a sum time in his presidency after a big republican victory, president clinton announced the era of big

government over. president obama instead announced the era of big government will continue when you look at all the spending that he is talking about which dwarfs the very, very small cuts he wants to make. i think that he missed a great opportunity here to take the deficit more seriously. he didn't take it seriously in whether -- was not major theme in his speech, 10% of the speech to it. most of it was talked about increased spending. we have to outbuild and outinnovate and outeducate. who will pay for it? >> let me ask you about -- >> republicans believe the private sector should pay for. >> it let me ask you about specifics on the health care, so-called obama care law. he said look, he doesn't want go back and wage that battle all over again but is willing to open up the law and fix what's wrong with it. was that a strong enough bridge to build to the republicans? >> it was a strong realistic bridge, absolutely. republicans would like to see it repealed. most independent was like to see it repealed. they tried that in the house.

interest didn't work. we are going to have to wait two years do that. we will not take that off the agenda. the idea of malpractice reform, i thought that was great. that's something we should have mentioned at the beginning of health care reform. i think republicans would be -- ready, willing and able to work with them to do malpractice reform. we needed it for the last ten years. >> right. >> said nothing about the mandate. another good part was the 1099 reform. didn't mention that quite specifically enough. i understood what he meant. all these businesses, even very small ones, have to file 1099s any time they pay somebody $600 or more. he will willing to repeal that. that's a good thing. he's not willing to touch the mandate. >> one of the things -- i didn't mean to interrupt you. one of the things he did not mention was gun control in the wake of the tucson shootings. a lot of people wanted him to take a strong stand there. mayor bloomberg of new york said he thinks it was a missed opportunity the president didn't mention it. the brady center for prevention of gun violence released a statement saying how can president obama tell us that t dreams of a little girl in tucson are not so different than

those of our own children and all deserve the chance to be fulfilled without talking about the gun violence that destroyed those dreams. did you think it was a missed opportunity? >> i thought actually that probably would have gotten him into a lot of bipartisan bickering. even on his own side, there is a tremendous amount of opposition to that. the place where he missed the opportunity was the big issue in this country is our debt and deficit. he showed no leadership on that. those are the first words of the "usa today" editorial. i agree with that. >> there were two responses to the president's speech. one from paul ryan, the other from michele bachmann. do you worry at all that in the wake or -- as we approach the next election in 2012, 20s away, the republican party is split and heading in different directions? >> not yet. you know, primaries do that. you went through a primary in '08. every year we have an election. we have these primaries. i think we will have certain difference of opinion.

i thought that michele bachmann and paul ryan, their theme was pretty similar. made it -- diverge on policy from each other. maybe a little on style. i thought paul ryan and michee e bachmann did a good job. it is very tough -- i would hate to have to do that to follow the president of the united states, whether it -- the majesty of the moment is so overpowering by the time you finish, whether you are republican, democrat, independent, you want to get up and cheer. then, you know, somebody is confined to a little room, tiny speech. i thought they did a pretty good job. >> in an interview you said you are the most fiscally conservative person considering running for president. when will you make your decision? >> in a conservative manner when i feel -- when i feel -- when i feel that i'm needed and that i can really have a chance of winning. those are two things. idealistic and practical part. you have to evaluate that. you know, the -- debate really

interests me and i think that this is going to be fascinating. do i think you will see some things coming out of this. i wouldn't give the president, you know, all failing marks on this. i thought on the big theme, he missed the big theme. which is how to reduce the deficit. on some of the smaller things he laid out a groundwork for cooperation and i hope republicans follow up on that. >> former new york city mayor, rudy giuliani. rudy, thank you so much for your time this morning. >> thank you very much. 12 minutes after the hour and here is meredith. >> thank you. nbc's tom brokaw was paying close attention to last night's speech and is with us this morning to share his thoughts. tom, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> this was the president's first speech to a congress under divided control. did d he strike the right balance and right tone n. >> he reflected where the country was. a more testimony perfected speech. i think the country would welcome the idea that few people can at least sit together and he touched on a number of themes of -- folks have been waiting for him to talk about. the mayor just talked about opening the debate again on health care. that's a big gesture on his

part. i would add to the mayor's charge that to the country really wants to get deficit reduction under way and get the debt under control. really want to get jobs going again. it is a tricky thing for the president and for this congress about how you do both at the same time. you do that to make an investment of some kind to get the jobs going. they believe in this administration that they are on the edge of a real recovery. if that begins to happen, of course, there will be more tax revenue and deficit will begin to come down. >> the president uses that word investment. republicans hear that word and they hear spending. that's the real divide between the parties. >> we have been through this in the past. people forget ronald reagan was at a very low number in his presidency after he came out of the first two years. there had been a sharp recession. he announced star wars. hugely expensive project at the time. john f. kennedy, we are going to take a man to the moon. right after the recession. dwight eisenhower, interstate system. the government got behind a big project the country needed.

>> two gop responses to the president's speech. does it suggest a divide in the party? rudy giuliani was vague about that. >> i think there is a real divide in the party. it is very much a concern to what i would call mainstream or establishment republicans. dick armey, freedom works, one of the tea party founders, said our objective is to take over the republican party. dick armey, former texas congressman, said we ought to eliminate nasa, department of urban affairs, wipe out a lot of the federal government in an effort to get this back in balance. one of the acolytes is michele bachmann who spoke for that wing of the party. the republican leaders in the congress have to have the president in front of them and the tea party people behind him. they are fighting a two-front war. >> whiff again the fact this speech was made against the backdrop of the tucson shootings, as matt pointed out to rudy giuliani, he could have addressed gun control. he chose not to. was it a mistake or was he mart to avoid that kind of bipartisan

bickering giuliani said would have been the result? >> i think the mayor was right. that would have given it a different political dimension. it is a very radioactive issue. even among western and rural democrats, obviously. what we will see, i think, in the next couple of weeks on a number of these points that he raised is a rolling out of a more detailed plan that the administration has in mind. you know, the country for a couple of years have had a hard time believing anything that they heard from washington. and in part because these kind of ceremonies, i believe, all life is junior high. these kinds of ceremonies have been a reflection of that. they have been more like a junior high pep rally with people standing up and acting like they are at a lesson again. last night everyone in the chamber acted as if they were an adult. the country launched for -- >> it is washington. you worry about what will happen today and tomorrow and the next day. >> that's -- but that's the nature of politics. no question about that. we are in a different time in our lives. we are competing not just with western europe and and we are

not -- the world scope that we once were. we have china and india and oil going up and we are still very reliable on that. we are the strongest economy in the world. greatest potential. no question about that. but it has been changed. the templates have moved in a different way and we have to acknowledge that. >> all right. tom brokaw, thank you so much. >> my pleasure. it is 7:16. here's matt. >> thanks, meredith. doctors have upgraded arizona congresswoman giffords condition to good and say she is ready to begin her rehabilitation. janet, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. this is a significant development for gabrielle giffords who was dealing with a side effect, buildup of fluid on her brain. trauma surgeons said she could not be moved from the intensive care unit to the rehab center until this resolved itself. meaning the fluid went down and they could take out the catheter or installing a permanent shunt. last night, word came that her condition had been upgraded to

good. at some time this morning after she woke up and they reviewed her one more time, that she would indeed be moved to the rehab center. doctors scheduled a news conference for later today to tell us more about her condition. her husband, astronaut mark kelly, remains at her side. he declined an invitation by president obama to attend the state of the union address last night. the congresswoman's office released a photo of him by gabby's side watching the state of the union address with her as she continues to recover. matt, this is great news as she continues improving her condition. >> janet, before you go, you bring up mark kelly, her husband, the astronaut, scheduled to command space shuttle "endeavour" in april. that's something you can just show up on the day of the launch. there's constant training that goes into it. given all that's happened, can he fulfill that responsibility? >> reporter: he made his first trip back down to the johnson space center a short distance from here on monday. he has said publicly that he

will make that decision within the next two weeks. as you indicate, this is an every day team training that they go through at the facility near here. he will release his decembernition a couple of weeks. he is still trying dose eyed whether he can manage that or that he needs to stay by gabby's side. let's get to the morning's other top stories. ann curry is at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning. we begin with a t spreading anti-government movement in the middle east. inspired at least in part by the protests that toppled the government in tunisia. thousands are calling on their president in cairo to step down. john, what's the latest there? >> reporter: the latest is that organizers are calling for big demonstrations and again later today. whether they can deliver on that, though is a different question. we just took a walk through the city's center and there we saw rank after rank, truck after truck, riot police intent on

snuffing out any protests. the government warned people today that if anyone takes to the streets, they will be dealt with firmly. which is what happened late last night about 1:00 in the morning. security forces here moved in and enforced and water cannons and tear gas. demonstrators off the streets. i think the government here is rattled and have not silenced the calls for an end to core us, end to this government. >> some of these protests, as you know, have been organized on social media. is it true twitter has been shut down this morning? >> reporter: well, yesterday people were keeping in contact spreading the word through twitter. allowing the protesters to gather momentum. last night it went off. i expect our account a short time ago, it is still blocked. after facebook that's working, something like 90,000 people signed up to support the demand of the protesters but i think today is what happens on the streets, not what happens

online. >> point well noted. thanks so much for your reporting. russian leaders are are vowing vengeance after the a airport suicide bombing that killed 35 people and wounded 116 others. no group has claimed responsibility for monday's attack. officials suspect militant groups from the north region who had planned a new year's eve attack on the capitol before it was spoiled. rahm emanuel may be back in the running for mayor of chicago. the illinois supreme court has agreed to make the final decision on emanuel's eligibility for the erase. keeping him on the ballot. former white house chief of staff currently is the front-runner in the race. toyota is issuing a voluntary recall of 1.7 million vehicles due to a loose pressure sensor that could cause fuel leakage. owners of the models should take their vehicles to the lexus dealer to be inspected for fuel leakage and have parts tightened or replaced. toyota says no accidents have been reported in relation to these latest recalls.

now to wall street, melissa lee has news on housing numbers. >> new home sales for the month of december expected out this morning. the bad news is that homebuilders are facing increased competition from a growing glut of foreclosed and existing homes coming to the market. later this afternoon the federal reserve concludes its two-day meeting interest on rates. no change to interest rates expected but investors will be focused on the statement to see if there are any signs perhaps interest rate hikes could be in the pipeline. >> melissa lee, thanks so much for that. one miami sandbar is turning into a piano bar. don't expect to tickle these florida keys any time soon. locals are baffled by the 650-pound grand piano that mysteriously appeared in the middle of the bay. it doesn't seem to be a danger to boaters or wildlife there are no plans to haul it away at the moment. billy joel is on his way. it's 7:21.

now back to meredith and matt. >> i thought there were lots of keys down there. >> it's called the florida keys. >> exactly. >> matt? help us out here. >> i clearly do not want to help. thanks for the opportunity. let's get the latest on the storm. maria larosa is filling in for al. good morning. >> good morning. here we go again. for some of you across the south it is another rough winter day. look at nashville adding up once again to your already impressive snow total for the season. the snow continues to fall. you may end up with a few more inches before it pulls out. nashville under a winter weather advice visery but in blue the warning from tennessee to boston. as we look at what's going on now the snow beginning to missouri into d.c., baltimore, new jersey. next few hours, new york will see some of the snow. we have a lar good morning. in the bay area, we have a wide

range of temperatures this morning. 37 degrees in santa rosa, 52 in san francisco, and 42 degrees in the east bay at livermore. we have dense fog we want you to be aware of. less than a quarter mile visibility in the east bay, reduced in the north bay as well. so take it easy. after about 11:00 a.m. the fog will lift and we're going to see temperatures in the upper 60s. 69 today in napa. >> matt, back to you. >> maria, thank you very much. coming up, michael jackson's personal physician tells a judge he's innocent and wants a speedy trial on involuntary manslaughter charges in the pop star's death. we'll have the latest on that. but first this is "today" on nbc.

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just ahead, taco bell sued for allegedly not having enough beef in its beef. we'll have details. >> and could youras l six months without technology? we'll meet a family that tried

that after your local news. when has "good for you" made you feel this good? new mcdonald's fruit & maple oatmeal. freshly made for you. that's what we're made of. ♪ >> good morning everybody. thanks for joining us. 7:26 now. i'm brent cannon. we have developing business news this morning. the dow just jumped over 12,000 for the first time since june of 2008. big milestone number. we'll be watching your investments all morning. other numbers, i want to check win christina loren. nice ones around the bay area. >> if you are enjoying the sunshine you'll be impressed with these. we're starting out at 47 degrees in san mateo, 52 in san francisco. chilly in gilroy but i think the warmest city in the bay area later on today. we do have really dense fog that's going to prevent all of

the sunshine from making way into the east bay and the north bay this morning. so those areas are going to see cooler temperatures from where we ended up yesterday but warmer in the south bay. going 72 degrees in gilroy, 70 in los gatos. 69 for oakland and in the valley. temperatures are going to hold in the upper 60s for tomorrow. a little bit of a drop-off by friday. more clouds coming, 63 degrees with patchy fog on monday. looks like we'll see more rain at the end of next week. we'll continue to update you on that. now your traffic with mike. >> dry roads. a ladder on the roadway, look at the map. slowing 280 where the ladder was reported we had an accident. that's a problem for 280. slowing for the rest of the northbound routes through san jose up in toward lower peninsula. smooth for 880, a slow down northbound past the coliseum. the warriors play later on.

look at this live look at traffic. slowing from the coliseum up past high street starting to break up now so there may have been a break because of debris. >> in june voters help decide how deep the cuts could be to san francisco schools. leaders say if you approve a 5-year extension on vehicle and income taxes the district would face under $2 million in cuts but if they reject them in june it could be $20 million. back to the "today" show.

7:30 now on this wednesday morning, january 26th, 2011. the snow that's falling in parts of the south this morning will make its way east throughout the day. four to eight inches expected d.c. to boston. we have the forecast straight ahead. i'm meredith vieira alongside matt lauer. coming up, i am an innocent man. that's what michael jackson's personal doctor told the judge as he faced charges of involuntary manslaughter in the king of pop's death. the latest in the case just ahead. >> also, if it's not all beef then what would it be? details on a lawsuit that alleges the meat at taco bell contains only 35% ground beef and what the food giant has to

say about that. according to a recent survey nearly 20% of 2 to 5-year-olds can operate a smartphone app but only 5% can tie their own shoes. is it time for a break from technology? we'll meet two families who did that. >> we begin with the latest court appearance tied to the death of michael jackson. george lewis is in los angeles. george, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. conrad murray, jackson's personal physician said he wants a speedy trial on the charges of involuntary manslaughter. that's what they will get. the trial is scheduled to begin march 28 with jury selection. it is estimated the trial could take two months. the arraignment before l.a.'s superior court judge michael pastor was brief and to the point. >> to the charged defense of involuntary manslaughter, dr. murray, how do you plead? >> your honor, i am an innocent

man. i plead not guilty. >> reporter: in june of 2009 as michael jackson was rehearsing for his "this is it" world tour. ♪ >> reporter: he complained he couldn't sleep. later dr. conrad murray told investigators he had given jackson the powerful drug propofol to overcome the insomnia but not enough to kill the star. at a preliminary hearing witnesses for the prosecution testified that after murray administered the drug at jackson's rented mansion, the doctor made a series of phone calls, prosecutors alleging that murray neglected jackson while the singer was dying. >> he's pumping his chest, but he's not responding to anything, sir. >> reporter: that murray delayed calling 9-1-1, that he never told paramedics or doctors that he gave jackson propofolropofol drug they say killed jackson. there are questions about

whether jackson gave himself the lethal dose. >> for his part, dr. murray is looking forward to the opportunity to finally tell his side of the story. >> reporter: so does that mean the doctor might actually testify? >> that could mean dr. conrad murray going on the witness stand. but it could also mean, hey, prosecutors, maybe you can come forward with a better deal. >> reporter: so far murray's lawyers have said the doctor would not seek a plea bargain and he wants his day in court. >> the doctor has a right to go to trial. the defense wants to go to trial with this in 60 days and so does the prosecution. we're ready to go. >> reporter: meanwhile, dr. murray remains free on $75,000 bond. the doctor's license to practice medicine has been suspended in california. while he's awaiting trial here he can see patients in las vegas and houston.

tom mezero successfully defended michael jackson against molestation charges in 2005. good to see you. good morning. >> good morning, matt. thank you for inviting me. >> we should mention you are not unbiassed in the case. based on the evidence you have seen come forward, especially in the preliminary hearing, you're not buying dr. murray's story, are you? >> i am not buying his story at all. i think he's guilty. i think he acted in a reckless, irresponsible way that caused michael jackson's death. >> based on what you heard in that preliminary hearing, tom, are you surprised that the defense in this case is not pushing harder for a plea bargain? >> well, i'm not surprised because the defense did not really tip their hand at the preliminary hearing. they asked very few questions. they didn't call any witnesses. i have to assume they have experts and witnesses ready to go they think will be helpful to them. >> we have an idea of a strategy. they may say, look, he was

giving michael jackson propofol because jackson had a problem with insomnia and while dr. murray was out of the room michael jackson administered the dose himself. do you like that strategy as a defense attorney? >> well, they have to come up with something. the evidence is damning. i think if they are going to throw ideas out to create reasonable doubt i don't think it will work. >> if you're the prosecution you have two important questions about the question. first, why were you using propofol in this setting anyway, it's not what it's intended for, correct? >> well, every doctor i have talked to is shocked that propofol was in the home. they are also shocked that a cardiologist was using it in the home and they are even shocked that the proper equipment and proper assistance was not there. clearly he was trying to stay involved with michael jackson at almost any cost and he wanted to embark on this big tour. he thought it would be a great

moment for him and it backfired. i think he acted horribly. >> as a doctor, why would you leave a dose of propofol in an area where a patient or client could get his hands on it. that sounds negligent at least. >> i have talked to anesthesiologists, neurosurgeons, a pathologist. they were all shocked this was in the home. >> involuntary manslaughter. this type of homicide charge, tom, is it easier for the prosecution to prove? >> yes, it is. it's not a charge of first or second-degree murder. i have heard that there was tremendous debate in the los angeles county district attorney's office over whether to charge second-degree murder or involuntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter won out. it's easier to prove. i think they have already got the evidence to prove it and i

think they will. >> put your defense attorney hat on for a second, tom. if you are defending conrad murray, do you put him on the witness stand? >> i think he's going to have to get on to explain why propofol was in the home and why he did what he did. you never know. the defense may think they can win the case on cross-examination and cases are won on cross without clients testifying. my sense at this point is given what i know they are probably going to have to have him testify. >> tom, as always, nice to see you. thank you very much. >> thanks for inviting me. >> let's check on the forecast now from maria larosa, filling in for al. >> good morning. we have snowflakes ahead of the big winter system. by the way, happy australia day. nice summer day. no, you won't find summer temperatures on this map in the u.s. you can see highs in the northeast into the 30s and 20s. 60s and 70s in southern florida, texas and southern california. meanwhile, we are tracking the

big winter storm. it's starting to push into d.c. and philadelphia. p.m. rush impacted for new york into boston later today. a wide area of six to nine inches. the mid section quiet. flurries in the rockies. sunny and dry in southwestern california and also some clouds in the pacific northwest. good day in the bay to you. 45 degrees in hayward, 43 in san jose. a little cooler in santa rosa. watch out for the dense fog in the east bay and the north bay, probably until about 11:00 a.m. after that our temperatures are going to climb in the upper 60s. another possible record breaking day for the bay area. 69 degrees is the forecasted high in napa. 70 degrees today in los gatos and no real change as we head through the next few days. a few more clouds and a few degrees cooler friday. on your local forecast 24/7 at weather.com. matt? >> thank you very much, maria. coming up, how long could your family last without phones, computers or tv?

we'll meet a family who went on a tech diet for six months. but up next, what's really in your fast food? a lawsuit that claims taco bell's beef is loaded with fillers. right after this. seven years ago, i had this idea. to make baby food the way moms would. happybaby strives to make the best organic baby food. in a business like ours, personal connections are so important. we use our american express open gold card to further those connections. last year we took dozens of trips using membership rewards points to meet with the farmers that grow our sweet potatoes and merchants that sell our product. we've gone from being in 5 stores to 7,500. booming is using points to make connections that grow your business.

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stay inside? nah. not when you have a five-star overall vehicle score for safety. one more reason chevy traverse delivers more. back at 7:42. just how much beef is in taco bell's beef tacos? not nearly enough according to a lawsuit that accuses them of false advertising. tom costello has details. >> reporter: it's a class action suit on behalf of a california consumer claiming taco bell's beef tacos and burritos aren't really beef or not enough beef. not true, says taco bell, and it may sue for claims it says are false. for mexican fast food fans the if a cobell products sure look tasty. >> it's taco bell's new five layer burrito. >> reporter: but a lawsuit

claims they are not honest about ingredients. in the words of a 1980s commercial -- >> where's the beef? >> reporter: the suit alleges they have less than 35% ground beef with the rest made up with fillers, seasoning, oat product, sodium phosphate, corn starch and other ingredients. >> consumers have the right to make an informed choice when buying a product from a company. >> reporter: attorney dee miles won't say how or why the testing was done or who did it. but taco bell denies the allegations telling nbc news, we buy beef from the same trusted brands you find in the supermarket. we start with 100% usda inspected beef. unfortunately the lawyers elected to sue first and ask questions later and got their facts absolutely wrong. it's now threatening its own legal action, but we found very few people who had a beef with taco bell's beef. >> it's taco bell. you know, you pay 99 cents for

beef tacos. i don't expect ground sirloin. >> it's tasty enough with hot sauce and stuff. >> reporter: for years there have been concerns about ingredients in fast food. >> you have to work hard to find commercial meat products that haven't had something done to it or added to it that you would find unpleasant. >> reporter: including a hamburger additive known as pink slime as exposed in "food inc." it's treated with ammonia to kill e. coli. the goal is to increase profits and keep fast food cheap. >> it should be a source of nutrition but that's not usually the primary goal. >> i don't think they are as open what about what we are eating as they should be. sometimes ignorance is bliss. >> that's the view of the crew in the studio. back to the case.

the attorneys suing say the tacos have less than 35% ground beef. we asked the usda what is the definition of ground beef. it says ground beef must have no more than 30% fat and meat filling must be at least 40% fresh meat. food for thought, meredith. >> thank you very much. madeline, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> usda requirements, only 40% of meat filling has to be meat. >> right. >> why isn't it 100%? >> that's the big shocker that the usda has a separate category, taco meat filling. the law is 40% meat. it doesn't have to be 100. the lawsuit is alleging it's below even the low standard of 40%. >> to me that's a striking percentage, just 40%. the rest is something called extenders. what are we talking about with that term? >> extenders, fillers. it's stuff like wheat starch, oat flour, things to extend.

so one pound of beef goes further. it also adds texture and flavor because you have flavorings, binders, things like soy lecithin that connect the parts to make it into something palatable. taste is key. >> some of the ingredients the average person wouldn't know what they are. is it harmful to health? >> it can be. if you have a food allergy or sensitivity to wheat, oats or soy, if you don't know it's there it can be a problem. these are approved compounds for use in the food supply. it doesn't mean they are safe for everyone. certainly you should know they are there. the websites have the ingredi t ingredien ingredients, a long list of everything in the product but many people don't have access to that. >> what about the nutritional value? >> that's the big issue. if you think you are getting a serving of protein, you are getting much less. this is a problem for people who find it as a main source of protein for a nutritional boost. >> if you order a hamburger in a

hamburger joint is only 40% of it real meat? >> those are different regulations. ground meat is different. that is 100% meat. when you want to look for a burger place that says 100% ground beef, no fillers, no additives. the problem here is that 100% beef means it comes from somewhere in the cow. it doesn't mean it's all lean muscle. it can be skin, other parts, different connective tissue, things that are part of the cow. >> you never know what you're getting but probably not ground sirloin. >> and you're not paying for that. as we heard in the piece, what you expect is something different. it's only confusing to the consumer if you expect more than what they are delivering. >> if you go to a fast food chain, words of advice? >> if you're looking for burger look for a place that's advertising 100% beef, no fillers, no add tifitiveadditiv >> elsewhere know they require only 40% real meat in the filling. >> do your homework before

ordering. >> i don't want to eat those. still ahead, the startling research that finds a link between kids of divorce and suicidal thoughts. first these messages. ♪ because when you start your day with the power of oatmeal it's good for your heart. it gives you energy. and it can turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary day. ♪ quaker oatmeal is more than breakfast. it's a superfood. >> ( beeping, beeping stops ) >> announcer: free is better.

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you may be at increased risk of heart attack and stroke. don't kid yourself. talk to your doctor about your risk and about lipitor. [ bells jingling ] [ snorting ] [ 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? get started at specialk.com. could you live without technology for six months? >> absolutely. >> you're not addicted. >> not at all. could you? >> i love gadgets but i could give them up. no question. i don't know if i would love it. >> what couldn't you live without? >> same thing you can't -- wine.

>> don't lump me in with you. just ahead we're going to find out what happened when two families tried to go without technology. lne forixul .hs thi i think they kept the wine. after your local news. make skin look pretty o cover ud but there's one that's so clever, it makes your skin look better even after you take it off. neutrogena healthy sn mliquidinakeup. 98% of women saw improvement in their skin's natural texture, tone, or clarity. does your makeup do that? neutrogena® cosmetics recommended most by dermatologists.

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good morning once again. time 7:56. i'm brent cannon. checking the forecast as you can see, sun is up throughout the bay area. christina has the forecast. >> it's going to be beautiful especially in the south bay. temperatures are expected to be warmer this afternoon than yesterday. cooler in the east bay and the north bay where we have low clouds. over the east bay, visibility is reduced. you want to take it easy. good news is we're going to be abnormally warm again. watch out for the fog in fairfield and concord. 1/4 mile visibility. 70 degrees the forecasted highs through this afternoon in los gatos, 69 san jose and 69 in concord. even with the low clouds it's going to warm you to about 70 degrees. this weekend, thinking about the

weekend, it's wednesday after all, 65 degrees for friday. 63 on saturday. only dropping to about 63 by monday, staying abnormally warm and dry all the way through the extended period. i can tell you we're looking toward showers as you head toward the end of next week. that's a good look at your weather. let's find out how we're doing in traffic. >> good morning. yes, despite this clear view, the fog is an issue through concord, a lot of traffic, pittsburg might be slow. slow drive approaching the maze on the east shore and the 830 slowdown kicking in early up past the coliseum. we had problems and it's slow through the pass. 880 and high street. south bay hit for 280 northbound an accident cleared. slow from the 680 interchange up to highway 85. back to you. >> thanks, mike. the the search for a 4-year-old boy from the central valley will

continue. divers are going to return to a canal trying to find a car that they say is wedged against the concrete wall. they are looking for a silver toyota kcorolla that belonged t the kidnapping suspect. they think that he drove his car into the canal. rodriguez abducted juliani cardenas on january 18 and they have been searching the canal for several days, so far they have pulled out nine cars. but none of them belong to rodriguez. more local news in a half hour. [ female announcer ] pillsbury sweet moments bite-sized brownies. layers of brownie and caramel, dipped in chocolate. ready to eat sweet moments. find them in the refrigerated section. with cinnabon cinnamon have such a sweet and delicious aroma that my family can't wait to get their hands on them.

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8:00 now on 8:00 on a wednesday morning. the 26th day of january, 2011. and it's like deja vu all over again. lenny, we have more snow, bearing down on the northeast this morning. a potent winter storm. making its way up the coast. these fine people come back 24 hours from now, you know what, they could be standing in as much as five or eight inches of snow. >> that's a lot of snow. >> isn't that good news? >> you know what, i like the snow. it's winter time. >> i'm matt lauer with meredith vieira. trying to kick your family's addiction to technology. >> meet a family that went six

months without any cell phone or television or video games or computer screens, anything with a screen, wasn't. would they do it again. >> we'll talk about the negative impact that divorce has on children. a new study shows there may be a link between divorce and thoughts of suicide, especially among boys whose parents divorce. >> okay. >> talking about that study coming up. >> we're going to kick off a two-day series on memory loss. what you can do to help a loved one starting to show signs of losing their memory and if you think you're becoming more forgetful yourself. advice about that. >> let us go inside, ann standing by has a check of the headlines. >> i do. good morning, again, everybody. president obama used last night's state of the union address as a pep talk, urging america to innovate and sacrifice for a better future. he told the nation to set aside partisan differences and outperform global competitors by

investing in education, clean energy, high-speed railroads and internet technology. as for the deficit the president proposed a five-year freeze on spending for some domestic programs. in the official republican response, wisconsin congressman paul ryan warned that immediate budget cuts are needed to get the federal deficit under control and to prevent an economic disaster. doctors have upgraded the condition of arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords from serious to good and after draining fluid from her brain, doctors have prepared giffords for a move today from houston hospital to rehabilitation facility. russian leaders have vowing vengeance after a suicide bombing in moscow. stephanie gosk has the story in moscow. good morning. >> good morning, ann. the head of transportation security in this region has been fired, but there is still many unanswered questions, not least of which whether or not the government had specific intelligence that this attack was going to happen.

at a moscow hospital, president dimitri med veds verve and prime minister putin beau viewed the damage first hand. they're scum, the president says. clearly the attackers tried to kill as many as possible. russian leaders have vowed revenge but that will be difficult. insurmtss from the north caucuses are suspected having claimed responsibility for attacks in the past but the russian government has been trying to crack down on that region for 20 years. >> i think at this point the government can do very little. policy in the north caucuses have been inefficient, shortsighted. >> reporter: some have lost faith in the government's ability to protect them. i don't trust the security forces this woman says. the police do such a bad job and this is what happens. the president has described the security at moscow's airport as chaotic. changes have already been made. now everyone going in or out of the arrival hall passes through a security check.

the improvements are too late for those killed on monday. their families are receiving hundred thousand dollars from the government and today has been declared an official day of mourning in their honor. ann? >> stephanie gosk this morning, thank you. a warning today as the world economic forum opened in switzerland. business leaders said rising inflation could derail the global economic recovery and higher food prices could trigger social unrest. a utah man is recovering today after shocking police officers driving him to jail. he told officers he was feeling sick so they rolled down his window and that's when he made a break for it, jumping out of the window at 30 miles per hour while handcuffed. the police went back for him and he suffered only minor injuries. and while broadway's superman seems injury prone, french spiderman or spiderman seems injury prone, the french spiderman managed to scale a 450 foot sky scraper in hong kong using only his bare hands. he made no use of the giant air

bag set up by police. he has conquered 70 skyscrapers around the world including the empire state building. it is now 8:04. back outside to matt and meredith. don't dry that at home. >> that's ridiculous. it's chilly out here and seems to be snowing heavier. let's get the forecast. >> 30 degrees. >> i just said to meredith, that it's 30 degrees and i showed her the thermometer over there. she said that's the first time i ever noticed that was there. been here five years. anyway -- >> i'm a little forgetful, okay. whole segment about it. >> maria, take it away. >> guys, starting to snow. this is a big east coast storm taking shape already, bringing some snow to the morning drive from d.c. up into new york. our pick city of topeka, kansas, no snow, partly sunny, cold and 34. you see two areas, e first batch, maybe a quick inch or two, but the backside you see coming through the south that's going to pick up in intensity and make a mess of the p.m. rush for new york into boston later

today. here's some of the snow totals, a big area of at least five to eight inches from philadelphia to new york, up into boston, wouldn't be surprised to see a couple areas pick up more than ten inches of snow, including elkins, west virginia. some great skiing over the next few days once you can get through the wet weather. should be out of here by tomorrow morning across the in the 50s in some cities, 54 degrees in oakland. 52 in san francisco. and 34 degrees in gilroy. i do think because we're not seeing any fog along the peninsula or in the south bay that those will be the warmest areas later on this afternoon. san jose rounding out the day around 69 degrees. 70 for los gatos and 69 degrees in napa. wherever you're headed right now, have a great day. matt, back to you. >> maria, thank you very much. could you give up technology for a week? how about six months? we'll meet a family that tried

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shamlian. >> really? >> reporter: really. our obsession with technology now so out of control even the smartphone makers are poking fun at us. >> really? >> reporter: experts say we have become so attached to our devices we may be disconnecting from each other. >> i don't think the solution is to get rid of technology, but rather to put yourself in charge of it. >> reporter: diane knew it was time to unplug when dinnertime became tech time. >> he would be in the office on the computer, anika would be on my laptop and jasmine in the extra bedroom on the stand-up. >> reporter: that's when she put her family on an extreme diet of technology. what's been called a tech cleanse. >> there was no lead time. there was no deliberation, no discussion. of course i immediately thought, she's lost her mind.

>> reporter: computers, phone and other electronics were allowed only for business and homework. >> we did puzzles, board games, read books. >> can you give me the phone back? >> reporter: our obsession with electronics starts early. it can take hold even before they graduate to the big boy swings. >> he knows how to open his favorite apps. >> reporter: a study found 19% of kids aged 2 to 5 can operate a smartphone application but only 9% can tie their shoes. when to unplug and for how long? at the broadneck home the fast lasted only five days before everyone was, again, hungry for technology. >> i asked my husband, do you want to go the weekend? he said, no, i'm done on friday. >> reporter: but the les tosons learned, an invaluable reminder. >> it's good to take a breath from the television, computer, smartphone and do things together. >> reporter: unplugging for better communication.

for "today," janet shamlian, nbc news, houston. >> one family stopped using technology for six months. susan wrote about the experience in "the winter of our disconnect" how three totally wired teenagers and a mother who slept with her iphone pulled the plug on technology and lived to tell the tale. good morning to you all. >> good morning. >> susan, your children didn't just use media, they inhabited media. what did you mean? >> just that media was the water in which they swam. it was the bubble that they drew breath from. you know, just because the fish doesn't know it's swimming in water my children didn't realize, i don't think, that there was an r.l., as my son would call it, a real life and a screen life. the two were all mixed up. >> you also said technology wasn't tearing up the family as much as it was quietly eroding

it. >> that's right. i think that low level of distraction constantly sort of siphoning information and entertainment at that level. it wasn't like -- it wasn't hugely dramatic. in some ways it was the opposite of dramatic. we were thinking about how the house had become so quiet. when the kids were younger before the technology hit, our house was a boisterous, noisy place. after a while it started to sound like an icu. >> what was the breaking point? at what point did you say, i'm going to do this? >> i think it was a day i came home and as was typical all i could see was the back of my kiki ki kids' heads. said, hi everybody. i posed a rhetorical question. i said, you know, what would our lives be like without all this stuff? and there was no answer at all.

they had their earbuds in and couldn't ma couldn't hear me. that was my moment. my son responded without turning around from the game. he was busy shooting people. he said, our lives would be boring, mom. i thought, our lives are boring now! >> why not make the change? >> we need a way forward. >> so your mom says to you, first you had no electricity for a couple weeks. then you get that back and then nothing with a screen. no iphone, ipod, if you want to use the computer you have to go outside the house to do so. what was your initial reaction? >> she always comes up with ideas and no one really -- she doesn't follow through with. this seemed crazy. didn't seem possible. >> was it like a you're grounded for life scenario. she thought, oh,, there's mom being mom. but little did they know, this time i was serious. >> i want to talk to anni via

skype which you couldn't have done at home during those six months. i heard your mom bribed you. >> we heard through a friend of the family that knew about it and accidentally let it slip. i said, it's going to be six months without technology. we're like, what? what do you mean? so we were like, mo way, mom. absolutely no way are we doing that. yeah, she had to bribe us a little bit. >> so what happened over the course of the six months? what did you discover? >> well, we discovered the lost art of eye contact, conversation. i mean, as annie said at one point it's like we woke up and thought, there are people here in our house. let's talk to them. the kids started hanging out in one another's bedroom again. they picked up books. my son started playing lego the first morning. a 6'0" tall 13-year-old.

>> your son picked up the saxaphone. >> he did. >> so something he put to the side. >> he burrowed in the closet and there was the saxaphone he hadn't played in two years. he started channelling the hours a day that he had spent gaming into the saxaphone. >> was it worth it to you? >> yes. it was. >> it's really interesting and it's nice to know you can go without it. i wouldn't want to do it again. >> you wouldn't? >> i think i would do it again when i was older but not in high school. >> the message isn't to dump technology? >> not at all. i'm the furthest thing from a ludite you can imagine. we have to make choices about technology and put boundaries in place. if we don't, it will overtake us. >> you did let the kids use technology and you wrote your column outside your home. you needed a computer, so didn't that defeat the purpose? >> not at all.

i was interested in our family dynamics. i was interested in what would happen if our home was kind of a haven, like a refuge from all that information and all the pinging and alerts. so, no. it wasn't about deprivation although my kids may disagree. it wasn't primarily about deprivation at all. >> so you survived the six months and you have learned a little bit about yourself and as a family. >> she got so much sleep. >> that's a benefit. so you're a nicer kid, right? >> she is. i have to say. >> thank you so much. the book is called "the winter of our disconnect." up next, the new study that reveals the serious effects divorce can have on your kids te isr af [ female announcer ] with rheumatoid arthritis, there's the life you live... and the life you want to live. fortunately there's enbrel, the #1 most doctor-prescribed biologic medicine for ra.

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study on divorce and suicide. research claims children of divorced parents are at increased risk of suicidal thoughts. adolescent boys in particular are more vulnerable than girls. joanna ball is in private practice and focuses on adolescent issues. dr. charles sophie is a psychiatrist specializing in the well-being of children. good morning. >> good morning. >> if this doesn't get the attention of divorced parents or parents considering divorce, i don't know what will. what's your reaction to this study? >> i think this study is a great reminder to us of the huge impacts of a divorce and that parents really need to take their time and think through this and work through a lot of stuff. there are ripple effects on children. >> this particular statistic here that boys whose parents divorce before the boys were 18 were three times as likely to have seriously considered suicide than girls who went through the same situation. does that fact surprise you?

>> yes, it does surprise me. i mean, in general when you look at the statistics for suicide, boys will more often try to do it and girls will more often just think about it. but when boys are in a situation where often times they don't have a male role model or they don't have the involvement of their father or the custody hasn't been worked out or there is parental conflict that often translates to what you see in boys that often will act out in anger. >> let me be sure i understand this. is it the loss of the male role model for the boy that's the factor here or is it the fact that boys tend to hold things inside more and not talk about them and that a girl who has experienced depression over the divorce of her parents may be more likely to talk to someone before they get to a suicidal thought? >> it can be all of that. however, it also depends on the variables of the divorce. where the boy is, the male child

is in their development, how they are genetically predisposed to depression and anxiety. there are variables that will play into it but definitely girls will talk more often than boys. >> another variable playing into it is adolescence. this is a tough time in a child's life anyway. but if you are a divorced parent out there and you've got children, especially boys, how do you not feel incredibly guilty upon hearing these results? >> well, i think you need to be very mindful of how you are managing the divorce. and you need to increase communication, make sure that your child especially your son is not going inside himself and withdrawing. and boys tend to act out more their feelings than girls do. girls will often talk more. you need to notice if boys are act out. it may be a sign they are in distress. >> let's talk about signs that there may be emotional distress. maybe not leading up to suicidal

thoughts but at least depression. change in mood and behavior becomes easily agitated. >> right. kids start to seem more irritable than necessarily getting the blues as adults tend to do. >> also you need to watch their scho schoolwork. if grades suffer in a short period of time that's a good sign. >> well, it's a good sign that you are seeing a sign of depression and you can do something about it, yes. >> decreased interest in general. so how do you -- how does a parent become more proactive about this? do you is it your kids down after a divorce on a weekly basis and say, what's on your mind? >> i think you just need to watch for signs and continue to have open communication. let the child know, especially the boy, that they can talk at any time with either parent. >> at the earliest sign do you seek treatment or is it something families can generally handle within the family? >> sometimes i think it can be handled well within the family. if the child is exposed to a lot

of conflict and they feel they are in the middle of things and having to pick sides then you might want to seek help for someone to help manage that. >> dr. sophie, the big takeaway for parents in your opinion especially parents involved in a divorce or contemplating divorce? >> i think they need to realize they are not divorcing their children. they are divorcing their spouse. please stay connected to your children. they need you. >> all right. dr. charles sophie and joanna ball, i think this study will goat get a lot of attention. 50% of marriages in this country end in divorce. thank you very much for your time. >> thank you. >> just ahead, help coping with a lovemloor mft y one's memory your local news. ss

good morning everybody. time now to check the forecast once again with christina. we've had a pretty good run the last few days. >> a great run the past few days. if you're someone who has been enjoying the sunshine and the warmer than normal temperatures and we'll see more of the same for today, a little cooler with a little more cloud cover for the next couple days. if you want to enjoy that sunshine it will be out in abundance today. 49 degrees in livermore. 70 degrees later on in los gatos and 68 degrees up in santa rosa. a lot of sunshine especially in the south bay will make for a little bit warmer temperatures today but it won't be quite as warm in the east bay or north bay where we had some fog. let's find out how the fog is

impacting your drive. >> not so much at the earlier accident. in the south bay at least. skies are clear in the south bay but we have the issue for travel times. 280 a nightmare. let me show you on the map, jammed from 680 up past the earlier accident cleared from sunny brooke saratoga but it's causing more folks to use 101 as an alternate. the ripple effect slowing off 880 approaching that interchange as well. that's how it works with traffic. so the south bay slow for the northbound direction and disabled vehicle at 101/85 should be moved to the shoulder witlong sou hee slowing southbo at 192 and san mateo. more news after this.

volunteers could begin tabulating the results of the count of the homeless in contra costa county this morning. they were out from 6:00 to 8:00 this morning. this is a video from a similar count a few years ago. this count helps the county identify the needs and make sure that it gets enough federal money for the homeless in the county. on any given night about 4,000 adults and children are homeless in contra costa county. now back to the "today" show. see you back here in half an hour.

8:30 now on this wednesday morning, january 26th, 2011. surprise, surprise, a little snow to begin the day here in new york. although i don't quite see any there. >> it's out there. >> and it's coming. >> it will be coming down later today. expect a lot of snow. just ahead, an important topic for millions of americans dealing with a loved one's signs of memory loss.

approximately 40% of people over 50 experience what's called age-related memory loss. we'll talk about the signs and what you should and shouldn't do if you want to help them. >> all right. also ahead, martha stewart is here. happy to have her back. coming up creative ideas for throwing the perfect birthday party. >> she's cutting my head off. >> she's cutting around it. don't worry. also this morning we have the minimalist in the house, mark bittman in the kitchen -- >> upstaged by martha stewart. >> -- whipping up his favorite things. >> these are classics. >> we love a classic. >> first, good morning to yvette nicole brown, star of "community." >> good morning. >> the february edition of "rolling stone" they are going crazy for "community" calling it a strong bunch of losers comedy. is this a blessing for the show?

>> we felt like we were the underdogs. in "rolling stone" you can't pretend nobody knows who you are. this is awesome and scary. people know now. >> pressure's on. >> it's an interesting group of characters. if you take them into the traditional roles people play in school you have the class clown, the intellectual, the prom queen. where does your character fit in? >> i'm the mother hen. i'm the one that's giving advice, calling people pumpkin, sweetie, do you have your cell phone? i make sure everybody has what they need. >> you were the good girl. >> things have changed. >> we have been deflowered this season. >> what happened there? >> there was a zombie attack, ann. stuff happens in a zombie attack. she got close with chang and getting back together with her ex-husband malcomb jamal warner. i had a moment when he walked on set. he's a handsome man.

still theo to me. a lovely man. >> you have chevy chase there in the lower portion there. which is the bigger diva? >> joel mchale. his hair is so perfect. we all walk behind him and tuck in hairs so he's always picture perfect. i'm going with joel. >> like his entourage? >> yes. we're fans of joel. >> i want to get back to the baby. will we find out who the baby daddy is? >> we have five more episodes and it's either senior chang or malcolm jamal-warner. she's upset she's in this drama. >> great to have you here. >> thank you, ann. >> i get all three of you guys and i'm a virgin. deflowered a second time! >> well then. >> go smoke a cigarette. >> i may need it. three people this morning. >> thank you, meredith.

>> all right. >> "community" tomorrow at 8:00/7:00 central here on nbc. >> now a check on the weather from maria larosa, filling in for al. >> good morning. the snow has started. we have a hearty crowd. where are you from? >> upstate new york. >> you're used to the snow. albany not seeing much out of the system. you can see the system pushing upward. high impact for the evening rush. new york to boston as the system kicks into high gear. the southeast drying out and quieting down in florida. then the southwest, nice, warm and sunny. windy with the santa anas. whole different story in the northeast. lingering showers across the great lakes but the sunshine comes out and good morning to you. temperatures right now are climbing now that the sun is out and we're going to see probably the 60s by noon. 64 degrees in gilroy. 60 degrees in san jose.

57 degrees in oakland as you break for lunch. this is what you can expect right around 3:00 p.m. 70 degrees in los gatos. 69 degrees in napa. 69 in san rafael. a little bit more mild today than it was yesterday in places in the north bay and the east bay where we have patchy, dense fog. travel cautiously out there and have a great day. meredith, back inside to you. >> maria, thank you very much. up next from confetti to cup cakes, how to throw a festive birthday party the martha way. first this is "today" on nbc.

♪ back now at 8:37. this morning on "martha on today" nothing puts the festive in birthdays like decorations

and martha has clever ideas from martha stewart living magazine. nice to have you back. are you okay? >> i'm just fine. >> you had a mishap with one of your dogs. >> i did. francesca head-butted me. i was saying good-bye and she reared up. >> right in the lip. nine stitches. they took good care of me at northern westchester in the snowstorm. >> where is she living now? >> just where she always did. >> she's a beautiful rug in the living room now. >> i blogged the whole thing. >> you didn't even hear what she said and it was better that you didn't. >> you have hollywood lips now. kissable. >> yes, darling. >> let's celebrate. >> we are celebrating birthdays. you're celebrating at "today" your 60th birthday. we are celebrating the 20th. we did a party in the january issue of the magazine. the templates for the beautiful bold numbers are on our website at marthastewart.com. but we made you a 60th birthday

cake. >> feels like it. >> each number is two sheet pans of cake. you use this as your cutout. >> oh, okay. >> cover it with a nice buttercream and two pounds of m & ms, but it's charming and easy and a nice way -- >> colorful. the colors are beautiful. >> then we have to make hats because birthday hats are fun. we made hats for everybody here at the "today" show. where are you, meredith? that's yours. >> you put on your own head? >> the template is here. print out the pictures. >> can i show you what matt lauer did. so immature. this is what i deal with every day. >> oh, not that. then we cut out the whole -- >> when is your last day? >> then you cut out the hat and

you follow the template, slide this into the slit like this and tape or staple on the back. >> that's as simple as can be. >> easy as can be. tape your little elastic thread right there. you can decorate with a pom-pon on top. >> how cute it is. >> so easy. >> keeping with the idea of pictures you have something more personal here. >> here's the "today" show gang. you have the nice lucite trays. you can put it in the bottom of the tray. >> what would you use this for? >> serving hors d'ouvres. you put this inside and you have a nice tray for hors d'ouvres, cup cakes or whatever you want to serve. >> how do you do that? >> sugar craft. send a jpg picture via the internet to sugarcrafts.com and you get 48 of these edible -- these are like holy wafers.

>> with meredith's picture on them. >> here you are. you stick them on top. it's $22.29 for 48 of those. >> not bad at all. >> and the balloons are adorable. >> just take, again, another template. you can print this on sticky paper. paste it right on the balloon. >> you like to stick with a certain color when you choose -- >> i think it's nice to coordinate rather than have a hodgepodge of stuff. so you want plates, table coverings, whatever. >> did we talk about balloons? >> no, but it's cute. you can pin them on the wall. >> you didn't just rub it with static? >> no, these are stapled to the wall. >> that would take a long time. >> you have to keep going back. >> you can pop them. >> you just go around and you

can have -- make little darts for kids if you supervise. >> yeah, yeah. >> and pin the tail on the donkey, pin the tail on the balloon. >> you know what's a good way to do it? have francesca jump up and pop the balloons. >> she would love that. >> i'm happy you're okay. >> isn't it fun? >> it is. >> the whole birthday party theme. happy birthday. >> happy birthday to you. 20 years, wow. >> and this is all month long? >> all year long. absolutely right. >> when was the first "today" show? >> i don't know. >> you have to know that. >> 60 years ago. >> 19 -- what? >> 1952. >> well, great. >> up next -- >> january 14. >> what to do when someone you love starts losing their memory. first this is "today" on nbc.

we are back at 8:44. this morning on "forever young" a sensitive and important topic for millions of americans -- how to cope when someone you love starts losing his or her memory. psychologist dale atkins is here with advice. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> this is an important topic and it's huge because we are talking about age-related memory or alzheimer's or dementia. >> right. >> we'll break it down into two days. today we are doing age-related memory loss. just so people understand how is it different from dementia. >> generally it gets to a point and doesn't continue to go way, way down like dementia does. when you put your keys down and can't remember where they are or you meet someone and you two seconds later can't remember their name or you have a sense that, gee, i should remember this but i'm not remembering it. a lot of it is more in the recent past. >> more short-term memory loss?

>> it's recent memory. we have issues like if i just focus on it i will probably remember it and it will come back. where did i put the car? oh, now i remember. so it does come back and you give yourself time. that's the memory loss we are talking about. it causes distress and you're running up and down the stairs three times like, i know i came up for something. >> absolutely. i do these things every day. do people realize it when it's happening or are we in denial about this? >> it's both. we understand that we walk into the kitchen and say, what did i come in here for? we also understand if we take some time, retrace our steps, go through the alphabet, whatever the neumonics are we can recognize it. how do we help our friends and family who have age-related memory loss? >> how do you help?

>> keep them socially active and involved. you may say, i can't stand being with them because they never remember. we need to have our brains stimulated and social interaction is a way to do it. it staves off depression. we also need to understand that we are valued when we are with other people. if we are alone, people who are alone have more memory loss than people who are not alone. i think we need to keep people active and do things with them. engage in a book club, do things together. do a project that you can begin and plan and think about so you are really engaging the mind, body and spirit. >> they often say as you get older if you do crossword puzzles. >> definitely. >> it does make a difference? >> bridge, things with strategy, scrabble. again, the planning. if you are thinking about planting a garden with a friend or making a quilt, you plan it, design it and execute it. so you have sequencing it. you are keeping the brain active because you want to engage it

and keep oxygen flowing to the brain not only by doing physical activity but mental activity. >> i always keep these to-do lists all over the place. >> good idea. >> it is? >> it's a very good idea. you want a new routine where you cannot only know your routine and depend on it but keep lists, use organizers and use a calendar. then put it somewhere where you are going to actually look at it. it will help you because you don't have to clutter your mind with things that are going to cause you distress. one of the most important factors is try to deal with your stress and help your friend become less stressed and more relaxed. because a stressed brain is really damaging to the hypocampus. you want to get yourself into a place where you can focus on one thing, relax, be calm, laugh, have fun, and have fun with your friend and do things together so that you will be able to encourage your friend to sleep more, eat right, exercise. >> not to smoke, i know that. >> not to smoke.

the arteries to the brain can get clogged, vascular issues. you definitely want to tell people -- >> quickly, what don't you do? >> don't roll your eyes when someone forgot something and say, oh, my god, i think you have early alzheimer's. you don't test them and say, well, i told you this yesterday, don't you remember? that raise it is anxiety and stress and makes a person feel that you are not going to want to be with them. understand that we all have this and some of us worse than others. but if you do things that are familiar, do things that are fun, if you do things that will engage the person and help them to feel engaged with you and that you still value them and that even if they forget things from time to time they are not less a person and they are not less interesting, then you can engage their spirit and you can have them feel as if they are not losing it. it's normal. it is. it just slows down a bit. >> exactly. dale atkins, i remembered your name. i'm so glad. thank you very much.

>> when you say the person's name three times aloud it helps you keep it in your mind. >> thank you so much, dale atkins, dale atkins. we'll be back tomorrow for dealing with alzheimer's, a serious illness. just ahead mark bittman cooks is f

this morning on how to cook everything today, the best of mark bitt man began writing his column in 1997. now that column is coming to an end. >> hi, matt. >> you're ending that but you are going to do recipes in the new york times magazine and do a weekly op-ed on food. >> really exciting. >> that's cool. >> yeah. >> looking at the recipes from the minimalist you have three hall-of-famers. >> i have a list today of 25, which wasn't easy out of a thousand. >> this is spaghetti with fried eggs. >> arthur swartz, a fellow new yorker taught me this. this is one of the best late night, get home at 10:00, you didn't eat dinner, you want something fast. this is great. take olive oil, set pasta to cook. fry up some eggs in there. >> okay. >> you don't have to be careful but the idea is you understood

cook them. you really just want the whites to set. >> if you don't like the runny yolk can you break it? >> no. here's the thing, the heat of the pasta cooks the eggs. as we were talking about before this segment, the pasta will cook the eggs. you have residual heat from the pasta. add a little bit of pasta water and you get a sauce out of it. so we need to wait for a second here. >> using regular spaghetti. can you use other pasta? >> you want long pasta. spaghetti, linguini, fettucine. even this is fine but i would do this more. >> for our purposes. >> add the pasta -- >> right on top of the eggs. >> maybe if it's looking a little thick you would add a little bit of cooking water. we'll see about that. that is going to cook the eggs. you get this really beautiful

sau saucy, eggy pasta that you finish with parmesan. >> a little bit of salt. >> and black pepper. >> if you were going to cook that as a simple dinner what would you serve it with? >> well, bread for sure and a salad would be nice. this will make a great breakfast in five minutes. >> we'll dig into that. the next is black cod broiled with miso sauce. this you get at trendy restaurants. >> japanese restaurants, $26, $30 a plate. black cod isn't cheap, but you can get this for $6 or $8. gently warm miso which is sold in little tubs and looks like this, with soy and mirin which is sweet sake but you could use honey in place of that. put it over the fish. >> i get the sense in restaurants that they marinated the fish in advance. >> that is an advanced way of doing it and somewhat improved but this is great.

taste that. >> pardon my finger. it's delicious. how long does it take to cook black cod? >> six, eight minutes, ten tops. we'll put it in the broiler. >> from the stovetop to the broiler. >> you just want to do the bottom a little bit. bring in the clowns. >> hey! >> are you kidding? this is the food of my people. >> you're supposed to ask how you know it's done. >> how do you know it's done? >> i'm going to dig in, too. >> a knife slides in easily. this works with almost every fish. >> don't you use a temperature reader? >> not for fish. >> real quickly, hall of fame recipe number three is mexican chocolate tofu pudding. >> this is nondairy pudding made with tofu. it is amazing. >> does it have cinnamon? like mexican chocolate? >> unreal. >> incredible. >> you're unreal, mark. >> thank you.

>> we're back after your local news. good morning once again. time 8:56. want to check out your forecast with christina. >> good looking picture behind you, brent. we are going to see a beautiful day today with temperatures in the 60s. the upper 60s and these numbers really aren't changing as we head through the next few days. 63 degrees by saturday.

a little more cloud cover. i really want to bring to your attention the fact that we have no rain in sight all the way through next tuesday. lots of sunshine. a little bit more mild overnight tonight with a few more high clouds coming in to the mix as we head throughout the day today. hope you have a great day. brenba just twock in just two mesutin. ut

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. bay area building known as spider dam is now grounded this morning. 55-year-old dan goodwin was found guilty of creating a public nuisance and creating a disturbance after he climbed a skyscraper. he used suction cups to scale the 59 story millennium tower. he faces up to a year in jail

and a thousand dollars in fines. sentencing is set for tuesday. he said he might appeal. thanks for joining us. [ female announcer ] back to school means back to busy mornings. that's why i got them pillsbury toaster strudel. warm flaky pastry with delicious sweet filling my kids will love. plus i get two boxtops fotheir school. toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. and these are the ones you'll love on a friday.

pillsbury crescent pizza pockets. with just a few ingredients, you have an easy to make dinner. they're crescents for the other 364. try them tonight. we're back now with more back now with more "today on a wednesday morning. it's snowing like crazy. we're expecting between 5 and 8 inches of snow here in new york city. a powerful storm moving up the east coast. we've had serious snowstorms. >> one a week. >> for the last several weeks. >> with natalie morales and tamryn hall and a nice bowl of spaghetti. >> that looks so good. >> really good. >> a new favorite of mine. >> i had a lot more until gene came in and stole about half of it.

>> blame it on her. >> she took the biggest bite i've ever seen. unbelievable. >> biggest bite ever. president obama tries to strike a moderate tone in the state of the union address last night receiving more applause than usual from both republican and democrats. and is this more of a photo-op? more on that coming up. what's the difference between a fico score and advantage score? that's one of the questions our expert panel will address. including advice on planning for retirement and paying off student loans. if you've had it up to here with a all of the snow as we keep griping here, it's time to plan your spring break vacation from family friendly trips to hawaii to a south american adventure or washington, d.c. spring festi l festival. so good looking at the windows. imagining 80 degrees somewhere. where all of the deals are right now. and who is top dog in america. whether you go for the small and

fluffy type or the big and burly guy. >> small guy. >> the american kennel club is out with a glimpse of the most popular breeds in the country. will your pooch make the cut? we'll tell you. and there's a breed that's moving up the fast track. we'll tell you which breed. but it's not in the top five, but apparently everybody want this is dog. it's on the move. >> it will be in the top five next year. >> the dog of the future. >> okay. >> the chef of the future. >> not -- >> not there yet. >> go over to the newsdesk. standing by to check on the headline, thank you. >> thank you, guys. good morning once again, everybody. matt mentioned the state of the union address. president obama urged americans to innovate and sacrifice for a better future in last night's state of the union address. and savannah guthrie has the story. mr. speaker, the president of the united states! [ applause ] >> the president entered into a

new era in washington with a nod to the new republican speaker, amidst calls for my civility, there was a different tone in the room. gone were the partisan cheers of the last several years. dozens of republicans and democrats chose to stick together. >> when it comes to this moment it will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow. >> the president's pitch -- increased spending in energy, inf infrastructure, and innovation to create jobs and keep america competitive in countries like china and india. >> out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. >> and in a room full of republicans brought in to power on a no-spending platform, the president called for a five-year freeze in the domestic nonsecurity budget. and days after they voted to repeal the president's health

care law, mr. obama defended it. >> instead of re-fighting the battles of the last two years, let's fix what needs fickixing move forward. >> paul ryan offered the official gop response. >> the debt will soon eclipse our entire economy and grow to catastrophic levels in the years ahead. >> while michelle bachmann took to the internet on what have of the tea party. >> we're in the very early days of a history-making turn. >> closing his speech, the president saved the traditional line to the end. >> it's because of our people that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the state of our union is strong. >> and that was nbc's savannah guthrie reporting. doctors have upgraded the condition of gabrielle giffords from serious to good. after draining fluid from her brain, doctors have prepared giffords for a move today from a houston hospital to a

rehabilitation facility. a new study says life expectancy in the u.s. lags behind other prosperous countries even though americans outspend them on health care. the main are smoking and obesity released today by the national research council. authorities struggled overnight to quash massive anti-government protests. four people were kill in the clashes as protesters expressed outrage of president mubarak's four decade-long rule. recalling vehicles due to a loose pressure center that could cause fuel leakage. take the vehicle to the lexus dealers to be inspected. toyota says no accidents have been reported in relation to the latest recall. a powerful storm swept through central florida damaging homes and cars. strong winds brought down this gas station roof on to a car in st. petersburg. a woman inside the car had to be

rescued. nasa will announce that the hubble space telescope has peered further back in time than ever before, about 3.9 billion years by observing light traveling through the universe from long, long ago. nasa believes it's pushed the time travel capacity to its limit. and police in peru have taken one guy in to custody for getting lost. take a look. this humble penguin had a taste for being city life when he waddled for miles from his home on the beach in lima to the capital of peru. they found the creature and he's attracted many female fans and made the canine units very jealous. ah, i know. don't you just -- yes, okay. it's six minutes past the hour. back to matt and natalie and tamryn. we all have a soft spot. >> we do. >> it's an animal kind of thing. we bookended the newscast. >> are you allowed to just throw

a penguie can swim. >> just making sure. >> let's check on the forecast with maria larosa in for al. man, it's coming down out there. >> we sent her out. >> it's accumulating on me. you can see, look at the camera. big flakes and this is a precursor. we have more coming. it's a birthday snow for this young lady. happy birthday to you. as we look at the radar we have the burst of snow coming from philadelphia into new york. believe it or not, just going to have a few inches with this one. the one in the back across the south is going to be picking up intensity along with the wind. that will impact the evening rush from philadelphia to new york into boston, wrapping up overnight tonight and in through tomorrow. the sun will be bright and sunny across the north east tomorrow. in the meantime here's what we are looking at. a wide area in purple from new york to boston on the area of five to nine inches by tomorrow morning. the winds will pick up 25, 30 miles per hour by tomorrow. we could be talking power

good morning to you. you could probably give that heater a break once again right about now as temperatures have climbed into the 50s. 55 degrees in san francisco right now. by noon we're talking about 60 degrees in san jose and later on today rounding out temperatures in the upper 60s. 69 degrees is your forecast high today. in san jose. and 70 degrees in los gatos. a little more warm today in the south bay. not quite as warm in the north and the east bay. that's because we have dense fog out there. have a great day. ann, back to you. >> in money 9-1-1, everything from credit scores to paying down student loans. jean chatzky the author of "money 911." david bach is the author of "debt free for life." good morning, you guys. thank you very much for coming back and helping people with

money. first to to jessica from centreville, virginia with a question. hey, jessica. >> last year in september we were turned down for a mortgage due to my husband's credit score. since then we have been working at cleaning it up, paying everything on time. we checked our report and credit score only to find the advantage score wasn't the actual fico score used to approve a loan. what i want to know is how the score we viewed relates to the fico score lenders use. it doesn't seem like it would be the score that we need to get a loan. >> it's hard to hear, but you understood the question. >> it is a good question. there are many, many different credit scores. the one the lender does use is most often a fico score. a vantage score has a higher scoring range. it goes up to 990. on a fico they go up to 850. look at the fico or an

aproclamatia pro approximation of that. we wish they were free but they are not. you can get a close approximation at credit.com or creditkarma.com. both of those for free. understand if you're looking at the vantage and the number is higher it's not going to correlate. >> consider getting a three in one report. if you can buy all three credit scores now for $19.95 and i'm refinancing at 3:00 today. >> i did it yesterday! >> i got the report on monday. the bank pulled all three reports. so banks aren't just relying on fico but all three credit scores which if you are going to refinance -- >> does that cost money? >> it does. $19.95. >> this is something to do before you go in and get a mortgage or car loan. otherwise the free approximations are fine. >> good luck, jessica. we have catherine on the telephone calling from seminole, florida. hey, catherine.

>> caller: hi. i have a great accumulation of student loans. group a subsidized loan is $14,306.70 and i have group b unsubsidized loan amount of $20,893.51. both have a fixed interest rate of 3.5. in 2007 i ended up going on medical disability and both loans have been in forebearance since then. with interest i now owe more than the original balance. they refuse to do anything unless i go on total and permanent disability. right now i'm 32 years old and we are in hopes that some day i can return to work. is there anything i can do to prevent the overwhelming accumulation of the loan? >> david? >> there is. if you can make any payment you need to make some. that will stop the accumulation. you are four years into

disability which i'm sorry to hear about. at the fifth year you can go on total disability. the reality is -- and i have talked to experts about this. many people try to go on disability and they are not disabled. if you are four years in, in another year you can go on total disability. if you go back to work and you're below the poverty level you can stay on total disability and not pay the loans. if you get better and go back to work you can start paying again. within 12 months go on total disability, get a doctor's letter. the approval process takes a matter of weeks. go to disabilitydischarge.com or studentloanborr studentloanborrowassistance.org. if you are not making money it will help you deal with a way to protect yourself against these loans that you can't pay now. >> when she's not making much money if she goes back she can do the income-based payment plan

or go into public interest work for forgiveness on the loan. those are things to think about longer term. >> good luck to you. >> we have a question now that came via e-mail. it says, we purchased a home in 2007 for $307,000 with a 7% interest rate. only fannie mae loan with pmi. the home is currently estimated at $280,000. we qualify for refinance but the banks won't because of the pmi and loan to value. we want to get a lower interest rate and amortized loan but the banks won't look at it. we don't want to default but we don't see how else to reduce the interest rate. what advice can you give us? sharon? >> this is a problem for a lot of folks underwater on the mortgage. that's what's meant by the loan to value rainshower is over 105%. the good news is she has a fannie mae loan so she's

eligible for the making home affordable program from the government to do a modification or the heart program for a refinance. she wants to refinance which is great news but the bad news is she has pmi, private mortgage insurance. that's an obstacle in trying to refinance through the program. the best bet will be for her to pay down the principal. people think, if i have an interest only loan maybe i don't need to do it. this is a good way to bring it down so she can refinance and also lower her payment. that's her best bet now. trying to refi, she can go to makinghomeaffordable.gov to see if she qualifies but unless she goes through a harp lender to do it, it may be a difficult road. >> you guys, thank you very much. people need so much help and you guys are there for them. thank you so much. still to come this morning, the doctor charged in michael jackson's death makes a plea in

court. we'll hear what he said to the judge. up next, need a break from winter? oh, yes. think spring break. we'll have some of the best deals for spring right after this. from capital one, we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned a trip to new orleans twice as fast! bebebebebebaaa! we get double miles every time we use our card, no matter what we're buying. i'll take it. and since double miles add up fast, we can bring the whole gang. fire! [ garth ] it's hard to beat double miles! have you seen garth? oh! [ male announcer ] get the venture card from capital one. money magazine's best rewards card if you aim to rack up airline miles. what's in your wallet? bebebebebebaaa! give me half an hour. ahhh. ♪ ohh! ♪ [ male announcer ] so simple you could make em yourself. breakfast!! [ male announcer ] so delicious you don't have to.

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for me, it really does matter. a few extra dollars in my bank account-- [ announcer ] if you're not using h&r block, yo u could be leaving money on thele . [ announcer ] if you're not using h&r block, llrbca-h00lock, 1 and never settle for less. that lets you eat six times a day? yeah, baby! try the slim-fast 3-2-1 plan. 3 snacks, 2 shakes or meal bars, and 1 balanced meal. slim fast. who has time to slim slowly? we're back with "today's trav travel" and we are talking about spring vacation deals. look outside now. the snow is coming down in the northeast and though it may not

feel like it yet, warmer days are ahead, we promise. so the time is now to start planning your spring vacation. if you want the best deals we have the features director from "travel & leisurleisure" magazi. we brought you here to dream of spring. >> we are all dreaming about spring coming around. i am so sick of snow it's nice to talk about something else. >> you have gorgeous places to choose from and good deals, too. >> this is a good moment to think about value and warmth. >> you can do it with your family which is even better. let's talk about hawaii. a lot of us think it will be expensive especially traveling with kids. >> we have a great value. kuwai is a popular destination. they vote it one of the best islands in the surveys. there is a great destination there. the marriott resort is on 800 acres so there is lots of room to play around and a big swimming pool. you have access to the north and south coast.

they have a free-for-all program which sounds fun. rates start at $259 a night including free golf for kids who will be playing with their parents and lots of additional little discounts. it's a great way to think about some place warmer than we are now. >> i'm just -- that looks like paradise. i'm drooling right now. and a good deal. so that's great. let's go to southern california. actually the huntington in pasadena has a deal for people. >> hotels are thinking of ways to entice people to book early. they are offering a rate of 30% off their rates if you book 45 days in advance. this is a perfect time to book for spring. there are so many great things to do there. pasadena is 28 miles from los angeles. you will have access to all that l.a. has to offer. what i love about the hotel is they have lots of cute details such as a chocolate tea in the afternoon including a chocolate

fountain and they have a brand new renovated spa so you can spend quality time there. >> fantastic. pasadena is a great place. >> they have great restaurants there as well. it's a fun destination. >> book now. if you are looking for sand, sun and serenity, anguilla is a popular destination. >> finding an affordable destination in the caribbean is tough. >> especially this time of year. >> something everyone should know, a travel editor's secret is book for april in the caribbean. you will get about 50% off rates. you can stay there for less than $200 a night. right on the beach. beautiful white sand and blue water. lots of it. they have a 75-foot beach front bar. >> oh, my gosh. >> having my feet in the sand now sounds appealing.

>> sounds like heaven to me. nice the buenos aires, one of my favorite cities. >> mine, too. >> you have a great boutique, $180 a night. >> this feels too good to be true. it almost is because they have only eight rooms. argentina, if you are a fan of tango, steak and great wine, this is the place to go. a great cultural capitol. fantastic restaurants and this magnolia hotel makes it almost too perfect. the rooms are charming. it's an old townhouse from the early 1900s. they even have terraces. >> and washington, d.c., cherry blossoms. so $229 a night. >> march to april you can enjoy cherry blossoms in the nation's capital. >> book now. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> just thinking about spring. coming up, is your pet top dog? we reveal the five most popular dog breeds in america after these messages.

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enjoy the go. coming up we'll be talking about dr. conrad murray. he entered a plea in the death of michael jackson. >> plus, former "beverly hills 90210" star luke perry stops by. for those of us who have lactose intolerance, let's raise a glass to cookies just out of the oven. to the morning bowl of cereal. and to lactaid® milk. easy to digest and with all the calcium and vitamin d of regular milk. [ female announcer ] lactaid®. the original lactose-free milk.

guy ! guy ! check out my ritz cheese steak sliders. get more of my rockin' ritz game day recipes on facebook. good morning to you. it is 9:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. i want to check the forecast with christina. feels like spring it feels like spring. it looks like spring. the blooms think it's spring. that's why we're seeing a lot of trees coming out of dormancy earlier and your back yard probably coming alive as well. 69 degrees in redwood city today. 71 in santa cruz. now that the sun is out temperatures are climbing into the 50s. as we head through the afternoon it will stay nice and warm. 68 degrees in your forecast. as we head through friday a little bit cooler with a little more cloud cover moving into the area. but we're over all looking really good, unseasonably warm through tuesday and no rain on the way until the end of next

week so enjoy this warm stretch. let's find out about your traffic now. >> there is a slow stretch past the coliseum. a live shot will show you what it's like. from before you get to the coliseum approaching 98th all the way up pretty much san lorenzo pretty slow up toward high street where things start to break up. let me show you the travel times approaching. 880 over a half hour drive from 230 up to the maiden. so 580 alternate, a lot lighter flow of traffic. down on the carcinas bridge still a 32-minute drive and things are getting lighter. better news. south bay northbound 101 and 280 still very slow. to a ang up northbound into

google is going to boost its work force by 25% a in the next year. the company is going to hire more than 6,000 people. it will be google's biggest expansion yet. last year it hired nearly 4600 people.

google's biggest expansion so far happened back in 2007 when it hired more than 6100 workers. wall street might not like the announcement. the move means google's payroll may grow faster than its revenue. yahoo on the other hand just announced it is laying off 100 to 150 people. those cuts represent about 1% of its 13,500 employees. this is the second round of job cuts for yahoo since just before christmas. that's when it laid off 600 people. the reason for the layoffs could be clear next week when the company releases its fourth quarter earnings. i'll have another local news update in a half hour. hope to see you then. the "today" show back in less than a minute. uld walk 60 miles. 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. there are more than 200 people at this downtown park in fort collins, colorado, each with a rock and brick ready to throw at this year's perfect couple, ben trump and allison benzington. >> you are watching the onion news network making fun of morning television. this is what they do. you can see they have even copied our name. this is not "today." this is basically from people behind the newspaper satire the onion and from the looks of it -- i love the leopard skin. that's nice. >> you were going to wear that today. >> that's my style.

>> she must be the news woman. >> she is. they will be here tomorrow on "today." we'll get lots more on that. everything is fake, but really, really fun to see their spin, their take on how we do things. >> oh, boy. here we go. anyway, meantime coming up this half hour there is a lot more going on. >> that's right. we have the latest in the case of a doctor accused in the death of michael jackson. dr. conrad murray tells a judge tuesday that he's innocent. we'll have details on where the case goes from here in a live report. >> also ahead if you had to guess america's favorite dog what is your guess? >> golden retriever. >> golden. >> german shepherd is climbing up the ranks. >> i know the answer though. >> 39% of americans own nearly 78 million dogs. isn't that incredible? it's something millions of people want to know. we reveal the top five most popular breeds according to the american kennel club. >> my dad had a labrador.

>> good dog. >> honest, faithful. >> they are coming up the pike. >> also in "today's kitchen," move over cold cereal. how to make home made pop-tarts and sticky buns. >> home-made pop-tarts? >> i have done sticky buns. that's a great way to make everybody wake up happy. >> exactly. >> before that we have maria larosa in for al this morning. what's going on? >> comfort food is needed this morning. the snow is coming down already in many parts of the east. philadelphia and new york city are looking live, enough to cut down visibility at the airports down to a quarter mile. be oev ite r not,it the first batch is coming through. maybe a couple of ches. you see the next batcho t he south coming in later this evening. so high impact for the evening drive through philadelphia, new york, boston.

by tomorrow, anywhere from five to nine inches of snow along i-95. across the country, very quiet through the mid section. santa ana winds in california and cloudy in the good morning to you. we're going to see highs today pretty close to where we ended up yesterday. some cities in the south bay are actually going to be warmer. then we do see a little cooldown in the east bay and the north bay with some really dense fog inhibiting that sunshine from coming through. so 69 degrees is your forecast high in oakland today. 69 degrees in redwood city. we're not seeing a whole lot of change in the next seven days, staying dry, unseasonably warm with temperatures in the 60s all the way through the extended period. have a great day. >> now let's check in with our friend mr. willard scott. >> little birthday candles and funny hats and you have a party. happy birthday to our friends in tv land as the smuckers jar happy birthday to our friends in

tv land. we see lee, silver spring, maryland. taking aerobics lessons when she was 95. still gets the exercise. i dig yoga. and clarence, jasper, indiana, 100 years old. attributes his longevity to hard work and a little shot of whiskey. yes, yes. lucilleham, st. louis, missouri, 103 years old. she has tried for three years to get on the show. she is a bookkeeper. attributes longevity to eating an apple every day. glad we finally got her on the air. from texas, a hundred years old. proud 75-year member of the lions club. drives to church every single week. does it himself in his own vehicle. watch out in new jersey. 100 years old, lives

independently, and fought during world war r r r ii against hitl. bess from palm beach is 100 years old, played golf until she was 95. secret to longevity????????? no medediceeee or anything. that's all. how about that? that's all. now back t to w york. >> thanksksksksksksksksksksksks. up next, michael jackson's doctor enters a plea in the death of the king of pop. ney ot. if there's any way i can get a few extra dollars in my bank account-- for me, it really does matter. especially rightow . times are hard. wanwe g et back wevery dime due. [ announcer ] if you're not using h&r block, ac you uld be leaving meyhe t.onab call 1-800-hrblock, [ announcer ] if you're not using h&r block, and never settle for less. ♪

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the doctor treating michael jackson at the time of his death makes a court appearance telling the judge he is not guilty. we have nbc's george lewis in los angeles with more on the story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, ann. dr. conrad murray wants a speedy trial and that's what he'll get. jury selection is scheduled to begin march 28 in a trial that the defense estimates could take up to two months. the arraignment before judge michael pastor was brief and to the point. to the charge of involuntary manslaughter, a felony, dr. murray, how do you plead? >> your honor, i am an innocent man. i therefore plead not guilty. >> reporter: in june of 2009 as michael jackson was rehearsing for his "this is it" world tour he complained that he couldn't sleep.

♪ >> reporter: he complained he couldn't sleep. later dr. conrad murray told investigators he had given jackson the powerful drug propofol to overcome the insomnia but not enough to kill the pop star, according to murray. at a preliminary hearing witnesses for the prosecution testified that after murray administered the drug at jackson's rented mansion, the doctor made a series of phone calls, prosecutors alleging that murray neglected jackson while the singer was dying. >> he's pumping his chest, but he's not responding to anything, sir. >> reporter: that murray delayed calling 911, that he never told paramedics or doctors that he gave jackson propofol, the drug that the coroners say killed jackson. there are questions about whether jackson gave himself the lethal dose. >> for his part, dr. murray is looking forward to the opportunity to finally tell his side of the story. >> reporter: so does that mean the doctor might actually testify? >> that could mean dr. conrad murray going on the witness stand. but it could also mean, hey,

prosecutors, maybe you can come forward with a better deal. >> reporter: so far murray's lawyers have said the doctor would not seek a plea bargain and he wants his day in court. >> the doctor has a right to go to trial within 60 days. the defense wants to go to trial with this in 60 days and so does the prosecution. we're ready to go. >> reporter: meanwhile, dr. murray remains free on $75,000 bond. the judge has said he's leaning toward the idea of letting cameras cover the trial beginning to end. he and the lawyers will hash it out next month. ann? >> thank you, george. coming up next, the american kennel club's top five dog picks. that's coming up right after picks. that's coming up right after this. hey girls, do this... ♪ got that dry, damaged feeling? well, pantene's got moisture for you. pantene's dry to moisturized collections. customized pro-v formulas that give your hair the healthy moisture it craves.

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♪ you ain't nothing but a hound dog ♪ >> this morning on "today's pets" the top dogs of the year. many of us treat our furry

friends as members of the family, but there are dogs that are more popular than others. gina denardo is here from the american kennel club. you're the most popular person in the building today. you have brought some cuties with you. >> we have. >> you do this every year. were there surprise this is year? >> there are a couple of moves up at the lower end of the spectrum, but the top five pretty much -- they switch positions but they are still america's most popular breeds year to year. >> there is a line-up adjustment. >> exactly. >> okay. the first breed, number five is -- >> can you love this? the golden retriever who dropped a spot from four to five. >> nothing dropping about you. >> absolutely. >> this is an adorable great active smart intelligent breed. they are beautiful to look at and a joy to own. >> originally bread fd for -- >> hunting and retrieve. they worked in the field with the hunt. they are bred to work all day.

>> good family dog but you have to walk them. >> exercise them physically and mentally. very smart. they do well in obedience and agility. they work with people doing search and rescue and therapy. they're great dogs. >> you are the cutest. i love you so much. i'm going to be kissing them all. next up, our number four spot goes to -- >> the beagle. now, the beagle, he displaced the golden retriever. he's number four. these are curious little guys. they are hound dogs, scent dogs. >> and they are vocal. >> they are. they will get into trouble and mischief if you let them prowl around. >> that's not a face of trouble. >> it is. they will follow their nose and they like to make sounds. that was their job in the field. they would make noise for the hunter to know where to go. >> she's got sizable paws. what's the average size full grown? >> two sizes. 13 inches and 15 inches.

we're not sure what this one will be yet. >> you believe this is popular because it's a good size for the family? >> portable size and a great temperament. good with children. easy to care for with a nice short coat. >> she's easy like sunday morning, just cuddled in. >> do you want to hold her? >> you don't have to ask me twice. next we have baby gaga. the yorkshire terrier. i love the name. >> this is the yorkshire terrier. number three for two years in a row. this is a feisty, active little breed. they are tenacious and are a true terrier in a toy body. >> they call it the terrier personality. >> they have a trademark beautiful silvery blue, tan coat. >> beautiful. >> they're very smart. if you want a little dog to participate in akc agility or obedience this is a trainable breed. >> are terriers more popular in major cities where you have less room to walk? >> portable breed. they are popular because people

want to be with their dog as much as possible. >> the coat is long but you don't have to keep it long which makes this puppy easy to maintain. >> proper coat, easy to maintain with length if you brush it often. you can keep it short. >> let's go to the number two spot. it goes to a breed made famous by rin-tin-tin. the german shepherd. >> look at this baby. i think this is the most versatile breed. energetic, active, loyal, intelligent. they bond with the family and they are used for so many purposes because of their intelligence. >> that face says loyalty. >> absolutely. you see them working with man in border patrol, search and rescue. they can work outside. >> says a lot when you're with a germ german shepherd. basically get away from me. they're beautiful. >> up to the number one spot, it is the labrador retriever. >> how many years has the lab been the number one dog? >> this is the 20th year in a

row. i think that makes him the king of the canine world. they come in three colors. this is yellow lab. they have chocolate and black. they are great family dogs because they're calm and gentle. >> good with kids. >> before we let you go there is a breed moving up, not in the top five but becoming popular. the bulldog. >> the bulldog. >> the dog of the future! >> since it got into the top ten it keeps moving up. it's number six this year. maybe next year. >> well, you are surely number one in my heart. i love that. thank you so much. we appreciate it. you can see the list on our website, todayshow.com. i bet you will go on now. up next, delicious breakfast treats made easy. first this is "today" on nbc.

california should be proud.

we were the first to ban smoking on airplanes. the first to have smoke-free bars and restaurants. all while saving over $86 billion in health care costs... and over a million lives. we've done a good job. but even if you were born today, you'd still grow up in a world where tobacco kills more people... than aids, drugs, alcohol, murder and car crashes... combined. we have a lot more work to do. this morning in "today's kitchen" satisfying your sweet tooth with yummy breakfast

treats. joann chang is the owner and chef of flower bakery. she shares her baking secrets in her new cookbook. good morning. you graduated from harvard with a degree in mathematics and here you are a pastry chef. >> i love baking and sweets. i was excited to enter into the business and be a pastry chef. >> you didn't grow up with traditional american sweets in the house. >> i didn't. dessert for me was an orange when i was growing up. once i discovered the world of pastry and desserts my natural love of sweets, my sweet tooth came out. >> lo and behold. good for us as you show us great recipes starting off with what is really a must in most households. that's the pop-tart. >> i'm excited to show you the recipe. this is a riff on the classic breakfast treat, the kellogg's pop-tart. we have a flaky pie dough with

butter, sugar and salt, flour. we'll add egg yolks and milk. >> so the hardest part about the recipe is probably this. >> it's making the dough, exactly. making it flaky. i have a trick on making it flaky. add the liquid. and then what we do is here we have the dough that's already been made. we finish the dough by hand. we call this going down the mountain. you take lumps of cold butter and smear them like this and create long sheets of butter. that's what makes the dough flaky. you said you weren't sure how to make it flaky. just smear. all these cold butter lumps are smeared into long sheets. >> do you want it all blended? >> yes, but the butter will be long. >> once you go through the process what's next? >> then the dough chills and we roll it out into two rectangles like this.

>> how long did you let it chill in the refrigerator? >> at least a couple of hours. you want the butter to get cold again and the dough to relax. now we'll make the pop-tarts. this is just like making ravioli if you have made it at home. >> chef boyardee? does that count? >> take regular raspberry jam and do eight little pockets like this. then we're going to take the second piece of dough and lay it right on top. >> okay. >> perfect. >> we have a minute to go here. >> then we just cut like that. >> beautiful. >> then you have pop-tarts. >> you put them in the oven? >> yes. they come out like this and we glaze. >> this is just typical -- >> confectioner's sugar glaze. >> drizzle. we're running out of time, so

let's show you what it looks like. >> we're just manning the sticky buns. >> and we have sticky buns. >> these are amazing. we won on "throwdown with bobby flay." >> you turn them upside down. >> the goo is on the bottom. what a dope i am. those are fantastic. >> then you have the stuff on top. >>

good morning to you. it is 9:56 right now. i'm laura garcia cannon. want to check the glorious forecast with christina. >> you just can't ask for better conditions in january.

especially if you were really cold with all the bitter cold temperatures we had the last couple weeks. what you can expect as we head through the rest of this week is more warm, dry weather. as a result, high pressure is going to continue to stay firm, keeping all of the cloud cover and the storm track well off to our north. i think as we head through the end of next week temperatures will start to decrease a little bit and we'll see the rain. let's check your traffic now with mike. >> from the looks of that we have a great forecast. look out here to the roadways. things are a little slow northbound heading up to the golden gate bridge out of city streets. an accident happened near the toll plaza over the northbound direction. and that may be causing a little spectator slowing. a smooth drive and no major issues on the map as you get out of the city streets via the golden gate bridge or the bay bridge. a smooth drive over to the east bay. the issue on the east bay, that exclamation point. there is an accident westbound 80. your commute direction right around the university avenue. that's causing the slowdown. all the backup happening as you're getting toward the area backing up past the richmond bridge and heading back toward

richmond. that'll cause a 35-minute drive off the carcinas bridge. fog lifting off the roadway. we'll send it back to you. >> thank you very much. 9:57 right now. people in one upscale south bay neighborhood are on edge after a shooting involving a san jose police officer and a man with a knife. it happened in the san jose foot hills. detectives say sheriffs deputies and san jose police responded to a call of a suspicious man walking around with a knife. officers confronted the man close to a creek and that is when they say a police officer fired his gun several times, killing the man. neighbors say the type of violence is not something they see every day in their rural neighborhood. >> kind of scary to think there are people that run around causing trouble and, you know, a very unusual kind of circumstance. >> police haven't released the names of the officer or the suspect. 9:58 right now. i'll have another local news update in a half hour.

the "today" show returns in a minute. have a great morning. switching to progressive could mean hundreds more in your wallet year after year. feed me! saving you money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles in 3 days-- i can do that. 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. we had an outpouring of-- of support. i wanted to do something bigger than myself. the 60 miles-- it makes a statement. i know i'm stronger than i was before, both mentally and physically. i walk with my sister. our relationship has gone to a whole new level because of training together. you meet the most wonderful, inspiring people. i knew that there was something really special about this event. when you accomplish those 60 miles, it's truly life-changing. it was three days of hope. of love. of empowerment. it was three days the way the world should be. here i am, second year in a row,

and i'm already signed up for next year's. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. captions paid for by nbc-universal television i miss california! it is wednesday, january 26th. nobody was expecting a blizzard today. >> not this early. >> it was supposed to come tonight. >> later. >> it started this morning. it's apparently two storms. this one is coming. and then there is another one later tonight, something to look forward to. unbelievable. >> unbelievable. i got to -- i have to sing today. i have the golf balls in the throat. >> you should know that kathie

lee is singing at million dollar quartet. >> let me sing it now and get it overwith. >> it is one of the best shows on broadway. >> they are phenomenal. love these guys. >> but after the show is wrapping, miss gifford gets up on stage and let's one rip. >> i intend not to eat any cabbage at all. >> what are you going sing? >> i'm going to sing an old patsy cline song called -- i don't even know. stop, look and listen. >> stop, look and listen. >> okay. so anyway. you have quite the day. >> i've had quite the week all right? >> let's hear it. >> i'm feeling arthritic today. monday, we took the red eye back from l.a. we had to go get my fat melted again. remember we're doing that next month. >> this is important. this is a thing you're doing where you put like a laser thing on your stomach and then it melts your fat which goes away in your urine. >> i like to think you flush it from your system.

>> whatever. >> it's fascinating to think you can put something on your stomach -- does it hurt? >> it hurts like crazy. results are happening. you say you'll never do this again but then you see your flat stomach. so anyway, i did that on monday. yesterday was doctor day. where you go and get all your tests. i hate those days. i have been fondled, manipulated, probed, you name it. it happened to me yesterday. i like to get it all done in one day. but the day comes that you have to do it. i love the ladies that i do it with. they're amazing. but nobody likes that. although one time i was talking to dolly parton about the gynecologist. i said nobody likes to be on the bed and put their feet up. she goes, i do. you should see my gynecologist. he's adorable. >> oh, my god. >> i hate the gyno. i -- >> this was just tests. mammograms and why i do i do th?

>> i still don't know why they can't think of a better way to give a mammogram. >> it's better than it used to be. >> a man must have invented it. there is not a woman alive that said i have a great idea. your booby will be a pancake. >> there has to be figure out a way what's in there without smashing it. >> someone has a phone call. it's not my phone. we're going to do something fun today. i'm not talking about the matinee. we're going to -- there is a contest for the fastest texter. all right? and there are two young ladies who are really fast. >> they're competing. >> just come on up. >> 13-year-old brianna henderson from brooklyn. hey, darling. and from orlando. angel connolly. 15. here's the funny thing. dhoent just text, you text

blindfolded. >> how can you do that? how do you do it? >> you get used to it. i can text and look at someone and just -- you can? >> yes. >> how many hours a day do you text? >> i don't know. >> why are you lecturing her? >> i'm excited for her but i can't imagine how many hours a day you have to do that to get good at it. >> all right. here's what we're going to do to see how good you are. you're going to put your blindfolds on and you're going to text mary had a little lamb the song as much as can you text within 30 seconds. and we're going to be in solidarity with you. we have whatever this is and we're going to do the same. but since i've never seen this phone before, we're not going to put on a blindfold. that would be unfair. >> my battery is dead. hold on. >> i thought this was your phone. >> that's yours. >> this is not my phone. >> mine's working. >> hold on. okay. we would put on blindfolds but we can't see. >> it's like we're blind. mary had a little lamb.

30 seconds. >> on your mark -- >> okay. do you know where your fingers are? >> ready, go. ♪ >> i'm not doing the space bar. where is the space? oh, my god. a, l -- that's a cute little i. i like this. space -- >> this is a long 30 seconds. [ buzzer ] >> everybody stop. freeze. okay. can we use your glasses? are you farsighted or nearsighted? >> mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb, fleece was white as snow and everywhere that mary went the lamb was sure to go. >> whoa.

wait. wait. mary had a little lamb, little lamb, mary had a little lamb -- >> she left out a mary had a little lamb and space instead of fleece. >> but you had -- >> it's not a face, it is fleece. >> i thought it was face. >> i didn't get that far. >> she wrote mary jad a little lamb. >> it says mary had a little lamb. but i didn't get to the b because the buzzer went off. you would have put in the b anyway. >> you're going to do really well. congratulations. go get them, girls. good luck, sweetie. >> thank you. >> i need to get this. >> who's is this? this is cool. look at this. mary had a little leg -- >> lag. >> whatever. i'm really bad. >> okay. by the way, can i say something i did yesterday that was so much fun and i loved it? >> mammogram? >> i can't stand grocery shopping. it's not for me. >> it's not your thing.

>> if you go to the whole foods by my house, there are 15 lines, 38 registers, register 27, i went there. and it's unbelievable. it's too much. >> and people get violent. you're in line and a woman was in line and she was supposed to walk forward three steps. the line was moving. and a guy was in a cart. he started screaming. just go! go! it was literally three feet ahead. and she turned around and there was a -- it's a thing. it's an issue. so anyway, the bottom line is i ordered online from fresh direct, you just go water, grapes, blueberries, down stairs and there they are. it's the most genius best thingive every. >> i understand it's been there more than ten years. >> whatever. i love it. i mean you can order toilet paper, stuff you don't want to carry. >> finally! something i need. okay. i'm happy for you w this weather, you're going to need fresh direct. >> okay. >> very cute thing. it is a daddy saddle. we have our own chuck knight

here. this camera is not his son's. >> it could happen. it could happen. he is very adorable. this is a genius invention. a daddy straps on a saddle like a little horse. >> and look what happens. who was that black man with a small child on his back? >> watch your head here. >> now can you do a bounce? yea! >> pretty cool. hold on, cameron. >> he's got it. this is what they really think of him. okay? the daddle for the man who knows he's already broken. >> exactly. thank you. >> that is adorable. >> hold on, cameron. >> finally, a job chuck can do. all righty. here's something that i think is going to ring a bell with a lot of people. if you are a dog person, okay, a lot of people like to kiss their dogs on the mouth.

>> well, we've been told forever that a dog's mouth is cleaner to you. >> if you ever see a dog lick -- >> depends on what he is licking. >> you can catch all kinds of things. meningitis -- >> you can get salmonella. i hear you can get an std. it's unbelievable what can you get from dogs. that's a joke. i thought the crew would like that. you know what the crew is thinking. that's where i got it! oh, anthony. that's not where you got it. >> coming up next, something to look forward to. what is the best of things to come out from hollywood? guess who is telling us all about it? >> the guy that loads up the cover at entertainment weekly. then later, an afternoon delate from candlelight marathon, if you know what we mean, our boys panel will tell us what they

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if you like to be ahead of the curve when it comes to pop culture, you've come to the right place. >> whether you like to curl up with a good book, down with the hottest tunes or be the first of your friends to critique the newest film, entertainment weekly's tim sacks is here with the best of 2011. >> and we love him even though he didn't give us a cover. >> sorry, sorry. >> let's talk movies and 2011. it seems like the pictures are all sequels. >> that doesn't excite me the way new stuff does. >> it is franchises. franchises are huge this year. money, they make money for the studios. the big ones, harry potter is ending this year which is very, very sad. but it will be the first -- second half of the deathly hallows. the second half will be in 3-d. it will be the first harry potter in 3-d. i feel like there will be broomsticks coming at you. >> is this memorial day? >> july 15th.

>> and "twilight", that's a big one. >> obviously the newest "twilight" is coming out called "breaking dawn." it's kind of the one that all the fans have been waiting for. bella and edward -- >> get married. >> and they finally get it on. i know you're into that. >> i don't know what it means. oh, that. >> we have a photo, we broke this exclusive photo of them that's midpoint. >> and they've been getting it on since i understand, right? >> i don't -- sure. >> so "pirates of the caribbean" and "spring forward." >> i love horror movies. i love to be scared. >> you have to go with my daughter cassidy. she loves horror movies. i can't believe it. they're hideous. >> let's move to tv. one of the top new projects is the x factor which we've been hearing all about with simon cowl. >> yes, the latest project. he left "idol."

now he's back on fox. this is out in the fall. he's bringing over his british, you know, show. it is like "american idol" but four judges and they each mentor different kind of version of the contestants. >> big hit in england. >> huge hit in england and probably will be a hit here. >> we saw anderson cooper, he has his own show. >> i love day time television, obviously. hello? okay. i won't. there is a special place in my heart for you all. >> since you're on that subject, just for a second, who do you think would be the right person to take over for regis once he leaves? >> i love anderson. >> yeah. >> i think -- >> he can't do it. he has his own show coming. >> maybe me? >> hey! >> look at this. what else? >> the "glee" project. behind the scenes of "glee" that, is a smart idea. >> "glee" is the show that everybody wants to be on. celebrities beg to be on it.

so now the reality spinoff of the show, kids get to try out and they're on a reality show to get a guest spot on "glee." >> on to music. c con yea west and jay z. >> they're teaming up for an album called "watch the throne." the two biggest stars in hip hop collaborating. it's giant. >> okay. >> and lady gaga whom i understand is just announced she's just ready to be celibate. >> what? >> we had a long talk. i said it's working for me. she said i'm going for it. have you read that? >> i have not read that. but i -- i -- i know you're up on the celibacy. >> that's the way i rom roll.

>> her new album comes out called "born this way." >> your a big beyonce fan. >> i love beyonce. >> who doesn't? >> this is a new album. it's her going to dance music. it is an up tempo album. >> i also heard a rumor that clint eastwood is going to direct the next movie version of "a star is born" and it's going to be with beyonce. >> tina pay's "bossy pants" and a book of a book of discovery. what with our book? >> i know, i'm sorry. >> we're so yesterday. >> i was going to bring trends of wine but -- i thought there would be wine. i was going to bring "trends." >> you brought yourself. >> isn't that enough? >> how upsetting. >> who knew? >> i know. who knew? see you soon, darling. talk to you later. >> up next, our guy panel tells

us about what we want to know. we're going to ever tyb everybody. but first here is a message. we everybody. but first these messages. pumpkin pie!

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time for our guys tell all panel where we chain four men to their seats until they tell us everything we want to know. >> we'll get to questions in a second. first introduce our guys. >> first chuck nice you saw at the top of the show. married 12 years. school two age kids. seen every week on trutv's world's dumbest. rick younger is married with a son. most recently starred in -- didn't star in. had a little role in. >> potato, potato. >> he stole the picture. >> there you go. >> then we got the sound and sane, thank god, andrew trees married with a little boy. author of "decoding love" and

"club rules." >> and new to the panel, guy, lives here in new york city but originally from wales. >> usually at nbc.com digital cafe where sara would be. she's not doing well. >> let's take a listen to our first person. >> why is it guys always say, you never told me that, even though you've told them dozens of times. >> yes. why do you guys always do that? >> i don't know. i guess basically we try to listen to what you have to say, but -- >> you don't listen, guy. that's the trouble. >> what is it, we're buying some extra time. tell me that again? okay. yeah. >> selective hearing. right before you say something you really want them to say, say

"sex." you just drop that in there. >> do you agree? >> yeah. i'm not listening to a word you say, to be honest. i don't care what it is. you could tell me at least 39 times. then i get it. >> they don't care what we have to say. all right. look at our facebook post. this is from linda. why are so many men just not good at giving gifts to their ladies like for birthdays or valentine's day, mother's day, even christmas? are you guys good at getting gifts? >> why are so many women ungrateful for the gifts that we give? i thought it was the thought that counted. i guess i was wrong. >> these types of questions make me so thankful and grateful for my wife. she's not hard to buy for. and she's -- she's always trying to stop me from buying stuff. like, for example, she doesn't like me to get her cards. she's like, look, we'll go to the store and we can read what we want to give to each other. and we have a ball in the card aisle, and then we leave. >> that's adorable. >> that's so cute.

>> my wife is the same way with jewelry! we go to tiffany's, it seems like, oh, that would have been so nice to have that diamond pendant, but, you know, let's just look at it and go! >> i have to say to stick up for men, women are harder to shop for than men. if i say i want a sweater, there's a pretty wide range. women are more particular. it's not like you can say go buy me a red sweater and you're going to come out looking good. , you don't likngvi oneng? but you dot like getting one? >> yeah. >> guy, we're going to give you another shot. so far, come on. >> we'll be right back. your comforter. okay. mr. cuddles... toilet paper? oh, hey, scott. here, scott extra soft tissue. it's their softest roll ever. check out the pattern. it's softness done right. same soft rolls we use at home honey!

one more thing, guys. oh nice a shoe rack! actually, it's a toilet paper rack. sweet. huh. huh. [ female announcer ] do you know scott? scott extra soft is softness, done right. [ female announcer ] do you know scott? what i did before gps. >> gps: turn left ahead. >> woman: actually, i got lost a lot. now i just follow the steps, and i can get anywhere i want to go. turbotax lets me do my taxes the same way. its unique gps feature guides me step-by-step. searching over 350 deductions.

so i get everything i deserve which helps me know it's done right. and gets me right to my maximum refund, guaranteed. >> man: try turbotax online now. you don't pay unless you're satisfied good morning to you. it is 10:26 right now. i'm laura garcia cannon. glorious day. we'll check the forecast with christina. >> good morning. high pressure bringing about another beautiful day in the bay area with temperatures unseasonably warm for this time of year. mild conditions. just a few high, wispy clouds will make their way through the bay area this afternoon. we're talking about filtered sunshine as a result of the second half of the day but highs will end up in the upper 60s and low 70s. in los gatos 70 degrees. 69 along the peninsula in redwood city and 69 in livermore. not a lot in terms of change for the forecast in the next few days.

temperatures will stay in the 60s and that means for us beautiful days, cool start. a few more clouds heading into friday and saturday. now let's check your commute with mike. >> thank you. and for that musical interlude. we'll take you over to the south bay. we've had problems for 280. just as it starts to clear 101 jams up because of an accident northbound at mckee. we still have a lane blocked and backing up. you may want to use 87 and 280 as alternates which work around 101. east shore freeway still slow. 29-minute drive off the carcinas bridge. starting to jam up approaching the richmond bridge because of an earlier accident at powell which has cleared now. on to the bay bridge toll plaza easier once you get into the maze area.

more cuts are on the table for oakland's public schools. principals are asked to trim their school's budget next year by 7%. layoffs could also happen but the cuts come with a tradeoff. a 2% raise for all oakland school district workers is also being considered. school district spokes person says the raise comes at an opportune time as teachers have gone without significant raises for a while. in june voters will help decide how deep the cuts will be for san francisco schools. the san francisco school district leader says if voters approve five-year extensions on vehicle and income taxes the district would face just under $2 million in cuts. but if voters reject them the

district would need to cut as much as $20 million from the budget. district leaders will present a full budget outlook at a board meeting next month. i'll see you bright and early beginning at 50.m:0mo. a rrto rning. have a great afternoon. we're back on this winesday, wednesday, with more "today" on our all guy panel tells the truth or the closest we're going to get about everything you want to know. >> they're chuck, rick, andrew, and our newest guy, guy. >> which is perfect. we need a guy on the guy panel. >> easy for us. our next question, you guys, is on -- okay. let's take a listen. >> hi, my name's rachel. i'm from pittsburgh. my question for the banpanel isy do guys text you all day long, but they'll never pick up the phone and call. >> i just want to say thank you to her for that. >> that happened to you as well? >> what's the problem? >> i don't trust you. i want to know what you're

doing. but i don't want to talk to you. >> are you with another woman? maybe that's why it's more convenient? >> i feel like the whole texting thing is an age and generational thing. because i -- i prefer talking on the phone. but i find that a lot of people under a certain age, that's what they do. >> we want to hear the sound of your voice. we want to hear you tell us you love us. >> on average women are more verbal than men. they're happier spending more time on the phone than men are. in general. >> we have unlimited texting plans. no problem, you know. >> i don't have unlimited minutes, but i have unlimited texting. >> it's starting to be a theme here. >> our next is a facebook post from patty. she posted this. why do men want you to be interested in the things they enjoy, sports, guy, but refuse to be interested in the things you enjoy. guy? >> the things we enjoy are fun.

why do something that's not fun for us? >> what do you like to do? >> my wife likes to decide to go see people on sunday. that, to me, is not fun when football is on. she's like, hey, you know we're going to do this. i'm like, when did we decide? it's always we. i don't remember being a part of this decision making process. that's what the problem is. y'all be springing stuff on us. >> all right. going back to the crowd. we have another question. >> hi, i'm beth from houston. my question is, why are men such slobs? i walk in the house and my husband leaves a trail of clutter wherever he goes. i see shirts, pants, socks and one shoe. who leaves one shoe sitting around? my husband. i tell you what, he's a wonderful man and i love him to death. >> is that her husband? >> who is that dude? what is wrong with that guy? >> that's him. >> looks like they've got more

problems than just the slobbiness. >> i leave a trail of clutter in my hall so my wife will always be able to find me. >> i'm actually a clean guy, kathie. >> there are some good qualities to you. >> we're finding them. all right. >> i'm going to eventually clean up the mess. i take off my shoes, i leave them there, and after the baby falls over them, i'm like, it's time to get those shoes up, huh? all five pair. >> our next person on tape. >> hi,my name is emily and i'm from houston, texas. my question is every time i talk to my husband about an issue i'm having, especially with work, he always tries to solve any problem i have. why can't men just stop and listen and not always try and solve problems. >> guys are problem solvers. >> yeah. >> i think that's lovely he wants to help her.

>> there's actually a difference they found in listening styles. men think they're helping when they offer solutions. women are looking for sympathy, empathy. there's that different expectation of what good listening is. >> i actually read that study. i decided now that i don't have to solve your problems, i can just pretend to listen! >> as a man, a lot of times you feel like it's your responsibility to make sure everything is taken care of. so it's like when things are wrong, like the song, "if something is wrong with my baby, something is wrong with me." >> there's a balance. you could listen for a while and say, would you like some help with this? >> or start singing that song to her. ♪ when something is wrong with my baby ♪ >> our crew loves you guys. >> some day when you guys are all on vacation, get our guys. >> let's go back to the crowd

and get another question. >> hi, i'm erin from new york. my question is, do guys really think about sex as much as magazines say they do? >> no. not at all. way more! way more! >> i'm going to put out a statistic. it's says seven seconds or less. every seven seconds. >> that's just how long since we actually had it! i had sex four times while chuck answered that question. >> i did it twice. at the exact same time. >> somebody get me a drink. >> i need a cigarette. >> guy, you want to say anything? >> is there anything left to be said? >> andrew, is it true? >> studies do show men think about sex far more often. different studies, different

numbers. compare that to a woman, multiply that by several. >> they're not thinking about -- >> are they thinking about their partners? >> what any guy thinks about. >> what do you think of? >> i think about -- i think about -- i think about buying gifts for my wife. >> yeah. >> for valentine's day. >> the kind that she'd really like. >> yeah, right. >> let's go to laura from our facebook post. she says, what is it with grown men and video games? why do they get so obsessed? don't they know that games are for children? >> doesn't she know that we are children? the only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys. look, guys are more like little boys than women are like girls. >> i know that's true. i have an 11-year-old daughter. she just turned 11. the other day she told me to grow up. >> that's when you know. >> all right, guys. thank you so much. >> you guys are so fun. guy, good job.

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okay. so when you mention the name luke perry, depending on your age, you conjure up images of dylan mckay on "beverly hills 90210." >> he's come a long way.

he's done a stint on broadway, tv shows, become a dad and reunited with his costar, jason priestley, in a movie i love. "good night." about a lawyer becoming a circuit judge hoping to find the outlaw who killed his parents. >> my gut tells me you are guilty as hell. i would love nothing more than to see you swing from the same tree as mr. samsamuels. this is a court of law. not a court of justice. the law is something i can't turn my back on. without any witnesses or any evidence all i can do is acquit you. so you are free to go. >> wow. >> i really did enjoy this very much. luke, good to see you. >> you, too, kathie. >> now that i see it, i see what appealed to you. but tell everybody. >> the idea of justice being

simple and sort of going through one guy. not having a long, drawn out process. i also think it would be very challenging if you were that guy and you had to make those decisions. >> you'd make friends and enemies, that's for sure. >> lots of both. >> this is a period piece. is that something that struck you? >> more horses than people. we had that situation. it was great to be working with jason. canada. we shot in british columbia. lovely up there. >> you grew up with horses and things like that, right? >> can ride everything. i go places, people are like did you grow up riding? i just don't know anybody that didn't. >> how did that work out that jason priestley wound up directing this? how did that come about? >> wlhen you make the movies fo the hallmark channel, it says on the hallmark movie channel, you have to shoot the movies in canada. some of the pieces of the puzzle

say it has to be a canadian. jason is. >> how did that work out? >> great. he does everything i tell him. >> i read somewhere you can scream at each other and ten minutes later be fine. >> it's fine. there's a lot of yelling and screaming sometimes on movie sets. to cover the long distances, we don't yell and scream at each other. jason's got great set etiquette. he treats the crew well. that's one of the reason we decided to do it together for the hallmark movie channel. >> you guys working together it will conjure up questions about "beverly hills 90210." do you enjoy talking about that still after all these years? >> it's difficult sometimes. i want to talk about "good night for justice." obviously, it's me and jason together. that's what they're going to relate it to. i'm real proud of the show. it ran for a long time. >> and it gave you the options now you have. made you a star. he's moved on, hoda! what about your personal life? anything going on? there's never anything about you

ever anywhere. >> i don't think anybody should ever know anything about an actor's personal life. >> hoda wants to know. >> hoda wants to knowda. >> so does everybody. >> this could be if this goes well something you could see maybe doing as a series. >> we're talking about actually -- we're going to talk about how many more of these we're going to do. >> i really did enjoy it. >> what do you think of the landscape of tv? we were talking about all the shows that are on, all the "jersey shore" stuff. >> it's getting worse. every year. it's getting worse. less scripted programming. more of the reality stuff. it's taking work from actors. we're not getting to tell great stories on television. television is a comfort medium. i grew up with television. now there's a lot of pdas and stuff. we're in a bad patch right now. >> it's cheap.

that's the biggest thing. it's cheap. >> you can catch your movie -- >> on the hallmark movie channel. >> this saturday. >> they started their own channel just for this movie. hallmark movie channel this saturday. >> you're going to really like it. honestly. >> good. a lot of guys like westerns. we wanted to make a picture the ladies would like, too, and the ladies would like it. >> there's romance there, too. you're in the hot tub. i saw you in the hot tub. you want to read what's coming up next? up next, how to live like you're down. the native aussie, right after this. leftover desserts, boardroom, now.

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[ female announcer ] go to yoplait.com to start your two week tune up. [ woman ] the first time i smoked, i was 13.g breaths ] i was in a hurry to grow up and wanted to look cool. big tobacco knew it, and they preyed on me. i'm here to tell you that big tobacco hasn't changed. they continue to profit... by selling kids the same lies... to get them to use... the same deadly products. don't be big tobacco's next victim. preparing from valentine's day, st. patrick's day or the fourth of july is a no brainer in this country. >> preparing for australia day. we've got you stumped. our friends down under are celebrating their national holiday today. >> a horticulturist, landscape

designer and host of hd tv's "the outdoor room" wants you to celebrate australia. >> good to see you. >> lovely to see you again. >> are you going to put us to a little bit of a test here? >> i certainly am. i've got lovely australianisms. you've got to start talking australian. if i was to ask you guys to go and get the frog and toad, what would you do? >> frog and toad? multiple choice? >> it's australian slang. you would hit the road. >> hit the frog and toad. >> if i told you to put on your bag of fruit, what would you do? >> put on your backpack? >> no. you'd wear a suit. you'd put on your suit. get it? >> she just doesn't like quizzes. here, here, here, here, here. >> take a swing of that, doll. there might be something wrong with their --

>> go ahead. >> she's still worried about the frog and toad. there's something wrong with kathie lee's laughing gear, what would i say? >> her throat. >> her mouth. >> that's pretty much it. >> this is vegemite. >> it's a vegetable spread. this is what kids grow up on. fantastic. >> it's healthy. except for the white bread. >> sort of. they like to cut off crusts as a kid. this is a mag pie. >> curtis has made those. >> cockatoos. i've got eucalyptus. >> these are my favorite thing

at the end. hello, the cookies. they're like those chocolate covered graham crackers with something delicious inside. >> exactly. >> i've never been to australia. must be a desert climate, pretty much? >> it can be quite dry in some areas. we've also got beautiful rain forests, lovely reefs, great beaches. >> and great beer. >> what i did was i got together with my friends that you don't know of, and we put together a bunch of tips on how to decorate in your living room and bring the outside in. so i brought plants inside. you can hang out the australian flag because today's australia day. it wouldn't be australia day without the barbie. >> without something on the barbie. >> exactly. >> no shrimp on the barbie. >> i got you a little mitt there with kangaroos all over them. >> you don't need a mitt to turn them over. excuse me. >> i need the mitt. >> here you go. by hand. there you go.

by hand. >> beautiful australian baramunde. >> like a white fish? >> yes, it is. beautiful fish. isn't this lovely. >> love it. >> i decorated this table. it's really just about all the bits and pieces we're proud of in australia. this lovely looking thing here you may be confused about is the glories you hills hoist. i've actually clipped all the members of the family to the hills hoist. it's a glorified clothes washing line, if you line. >> it's adorable. >> the whole family can put their photos on their and celebrate who they love. i've got beautiful australian roast lamb. i've mixed with a lovely australian charaz. beautiful australia cheeses. >> what is this? is that brie? >> yes, that is brie.

this is actually a pavlova. the brie is over there. >> we've got to run, honey. happy australian day to you, god bless. >> you rock.

tomorrow, what vodka eyeballs is all about and why parents really need to know this. plus, the food that will keep you skinny. plus, who's more stressed? kathie lee or me? >> and my love to my mom who had surgery today. and our love to sara. bye-bye.

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