good morning. breaking news. a new round of violence in cairo's tahrir square this morning following a night of deadly clashes that left about five people killed, more than 830 injured. the top government official issues an apology to anti-government protesters and vows to investigate who is behind the attacks. epic blast. that major winter storm that has dumped record amounts of snow and ice on one-third of the nation blamed for at least a dozen deaths and one very close call for workers at this building in massachusetts.

amazingly. no one was hurt. did she do it? lindsay lohan under investigation for grand theft after a pricey missing necklace shows up around her neck. it could spell big trouble for her, thursday, february 3rd, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television welcome to "today." it's 7:00 a.m. on the west coast on this thursday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm matt lauer. right to the story in egypt and live to tahrir square where we've been seeing some sporadic fighting this morning between anti-government demonstrators and supporters of president hosni mubarak. >> the new clashes come just hours after the army moved in to separate the two sides. as you can see, that does not appear to have worked. so far it is nothing like the scene overnight where angry

clashes turned deadly. constant gunfire could be heard, molotov cocktails thrown, trees and cars set on fire. coming up, we'll talk to an american woman who lives there and is trapped inside her apartment. a dramatic story to tell. let's begin with nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel in cairo. good morning. what can you tell us? >> reporter: once again there are tens of thousands of protesters in tahrir square. clashes are still ongoing. most of it is concentrated right on the edge of tahrir square. that is where protesters have been battling with stones against the supporters of president hosni mubarak. those are mubarak supporters you see running on this overpass, trying to take up positions so they can rain down stones and the occasional molotov cocktail on the people here demanding change. for the last 24 hours we have been on this position down in the square and had a bird's eye

view on the events unfolding and very violent situation in tahrir square. after more than 12 hours of street battles between protesters and government loyalists, the egyptian army finally intervenes. but only after intense gunfire broke out. the fighting yesterday began when thousands of president mubarak supporters charged into tahrir square where anti-government demonstrators have been camped for days. the mubarak loyalists came on horse back and camel to break up the demonstrators. the protesters fought back, ripping the mubarak supporters out of their saddles. hand to hand fighting broke out. protesters claim many of the pro-mubarak supporters were, in fact, policeman. some were reportedly caught carrying police id. by midday, tahrir square was a front line. the two sides battled with bricks, stones, even their fists. the egyptian army, mostly just watched. by night fall, clear front lines had emerged.

the anti-mubarak protesters controlled the street level, defending tahrir. the pro-mubarak group, those who attacked, took the high ground on a highway overpass. molotov cocktails. finally the protesters on street level surged forward. gunshots broke out. gunshots from -- it's unclear who's been firing. we've heard rifles in several different locations. several were reportedly killed. now that the guns had come out, the army finally intervened. a tank rolled between the two sides. it released a thick smoke screen to protect the demonstrators from gunfire and allow the mubarak supporters to escape. it worked. but then small groups apparently from both sides attacked anyone they suspected of being an enemy. there were vigilantes stopping cars, beating people on camera. some were set on fire. by daybreak, the anti-government

demonstrators remained in tahrir square. they believe they fought off a government orchestrated crackdown in the disguise of counterprotests. several people have been driving on the roads have reported their car windows have been smashed. there's a feeling of lawlessness. the government says that it was not responsible for this, that it did not send anybody in to break up the demonstrators. the demonstrators don't believe that. they have gathered again in large numbers and are expecting a renewed assault. >> richard, let me ask you if you can widen the view for us a little bit. cairo is a sprawling and massive city. what's happening in other parts of the city? is all of this only going on in liberation square or tahrir square? >> reporter: well, unfortunately, it is no longer the case. for the last several days, most

of the violence was concentrated here. what you saw outside of this main downtown part of cairo were egyptian families taking up defensive positions, vigilante groups. now in other areas there is some open looting and banditry going on on the main highways. the state department yesterday urged americans to leave as soon as they could. so it is not just contained here right now. there is -- the people are taking matters into their own hands. the center of the fighting is here, but it is also going on -- not quite this intense, but it's also going on in zaalexandria a well. >> the fear is this is going to get bigger and stronger tomorrow, cairo time. that's the deadline protesters have set for mubarak to leave the country or at least step down. >> reporter: if you noticed,

protesters arrived today in numbers. tens of thousands, maybe 50,000 or more in the central part of tahrir square. they have been barricading themselves into this area. if you turn over there, you can see a burned vehicle that has been turned over. almost like a roadblock so that they don't get attacked like they were yesterday. they seem to be preparing for a much bigger showdown. they don't know if it's going to come tonight. they think it could come tomorrow. the protesters say that even if there is another crackdown here in tahrir, those demonstrations will continue tomorrow. they're expected to leave. if they can't get to tahrir, they'll find another location to congregate. there's even talk of marching on the presidential palace, something talked about for several days but not yet done. >> an incredibly volatile situation. stay safe. thanks for your reporting. it's now 7:00 after the hour. here's meredith. >> as we mentioned earlier, a

76-year-old american woman has found herself caught up in the violence in tahrir square. she moved to egypt years ago, and now she holed up in her apartment. we'll talk to her in a moment. first nbc's lester holt joins us from cairo with more of her story. lester? >> reporter: meredith, thanks. at least 2,000 american have taken state department chartered flights out of this country. the embassy here is saying americans who want to leave should get to airport during noncurfew hours. we don't know how many americans were caught up in that crowd when the fighting -- you hear gunshots now. when the fighting began yesterday who were there voluntarily. we know one woman, mary thornberry, lives over there. she wants to get out. a lifelong passion brought the nurse to cairo 15 years ago. her apartment across from the egyptian museum in tahrir square has put her in the middle of the violent protests as she described to brian williams by

telephone. >> how worried are you about your safety? >> i have a sharp knife. i have hot water. i have my walking cane. that's my armory. >> that's what you have to defend yourself against these protesters? >> yes. i have nobody but myself. i really don't want to leave, because the place will be vandalized, and it's my home. so i just wish someone would come and take these thugs away and let me go on with my life. >> reporter: all night the fighting e rurupted around here. today mary told me she was hoping to leave and agreed to speak with us and come out with us. with the street battles unfolding, the question we wrestled with was could we safely reach her? so we're roughly here. and she's right about here. that's less than a quarter mile. >> that's the overpass right there where all the fighting was overnight. >> reporter: from a window at our central cairo work space, we

thought we could see her building just beyond the smoke. i decided to test the waters. with an arabic speaker with me, i ventured into the streets where gun battles had raged just hours earlier. beneath the underpass we could see clashes forming. they've seen our camera. we're probably drawing more attention than we need. we're going to move on. this is the the difficulty. we're a minute's walk from where she is. we can't risk it. an egyptian university student we encountered advised us from going further. >> there's this violent tone against foreign media. >> reporter: minutes later from a secure balcony we witnessed this a few hundred feet from where we ventured. i broke the news to mary that for now it appears she's unreachable. we want to get into that part of town. obviously we don't want to get anybody hurt in the process. >> heavens, no. >> reporter: as soon as we can get over there, we're going to

come knocking at your door. that was recorded about 9:00 this morning cairo time. i want to just show you as we move the camera down, i was right in this area here. there's no way i could even get to that right now as the crowds have surged past here. that area that was kind of a no man's land is now totallybattin parties here. military tanks, we just saw a couple of them. the tanks are pulled back from the area. then a couple of them just pulled up under the underpass to protection themselves. they are not taking any role in trying to separate these parties. >> lester, thank you very much. mary thornberry joined us exclusively by phone from her apartment earlier this morning. her son, phil derek, was with us from eastern washington. i began by asking mary what the situation was like outside her door this morning. >> of course, my front door, the

lock is still broken. anyone can do things through the door if they desire to. so i still have my knife and i still have the rest of my armory that i will use. there's no one at my door at this moment. a little bit earlier there were people around on two different occasions. but right now there's no one there. i hear some noise, voices in the background. a few moments ago i heard some people coming down from the roof, using the fire escape. my building was the one that had the most -- last night. >> mary, as far as you know, are you the only one still in that building? the only resident in that building who's still there? >> as far as i know. my -- apparently, my doorman was overpowered. and he fled. prudently so.

and i'm told that our building is trashed below. all the way except for me. about 5:00, that's when the hoodlums came to my door and attempted to get in. and they actually broke the glass in my door, reached in and i came to get my key which was in the car and in the lock at the time. i took the key. i got the key. >> mary, it sounds absolutely frightening. i know you said to brian williams yesterday you did not want to leave your apartment because you were so afraid if you did those thugs would come back and loot the place. you've obviously changed your mind. why? what made you decide you want to get out of there? >> my son. my son called me and told me i really should. so i double -- i doubled back and thought again. and, yes, i'll leave. but i intend to come back. >> and the question now is, how do you get out? as lester just said, he tried to reach you and was unable.

have you been able to talk to anybody who can get to you? what is your plan? >> my friends have been most supportive. yesterday they contacted the emergency numbers on the television. they contacted the army. they contacted the police. they contacted the american embassy. without any effect. >> let me bring in your son, phil, right now. phil, as your mom just said, she's leaving or attempting to leave because you asked her to. i know you've been very worried about her. you yourself contacted the u.s. embassy, is that correct? >> well, we had some contacts with them. basically, it was a situation where we were told that they just didn't have enough personnel and we were pretty much on our own. they were very polite about it. my concern has been -- i teach a current world problems class. i'm a high school teacher. we've been following this with

my class on the various channels. and it's been clear the escalation that's been taking place. and we've had the internet down and i haven't been able to get in touch with her until yesterday, yesterday morning. and that's just when things were really getting bad. and she's lived in cairo now for 15 years. she loves the place. she loves the people. she's been very happy there. i've always been a little bit concerned about something like this happening. and she's always placated me on this because she's always said, the only thing you have to worry about is when mubarak dies or retires and his son takes over. that's the time when things will get a little dicy. so the timetable has moved up here a little bit. i think it's time to use discretion and she needs to come home for a while. >> phil, because we have mary by phone and you can speak with her directly, is there anything you would like to say to mary right now, your mom right now, or any

question you want to ask her? she can respond. >> no. i think we -- we've been actually in touch. i've been very surprised how easily we've been able to be in touch. i thought maybe there'd be some problems on this. but once the phone and internet was restored, we've been able to talk. the last time we talked, mom, was about, what, an hour ago? >> pretty much, yeah. that's about right. >> the only real concern i have right now, she hasn't had any sleep during this time. a little concerned about that. the curfew is coming up at 5:00. they're, what, about ten hours ahead of us? it's about 1:30, 2:00 there now. >> yes. >> i'm concerned she's going to -- she's going to end up another night there. >> yes. >> friday is going to be the big demonstration day. you know, she could be there for a while. >> well, mary thornberry, we are so appreciative you have spent

the time talking with us this morning. please stay safe. we hope people come to get you out of there very soon. >> i wish that i could comment i'm very displeased with the treatment i did not receive from the american embassy. >> well put, mary. thank you very much. thank you for being with us. we wish your mom the very best. by the way, the state department did contact us shortly after our interview with mary aired. we passed along her contact information. hopefully they've been in touch or will be very soon. here at home a blast of arctic air is adding to the misery caused by the huge winter storm that dumped a dangerous mix of snow and ice over a 2,100 mile area from texas all the way to maine. al is still snowed in in chicago. al, good morning. >> hey, good morning, matt and meredith. the skies are blue, the sun is shining. it's about 2 degrees right now in chicago. almost 21 inches of snow, making it the third biggest snowfall in

chicago. lake shore drive closed for 24 hours. it has now been reopened. they've gotten all the cars off. almost 1,500 flights canceled yesterday across the country. make that 15,000 flights almost canceled across the country. o'hare and midway both say they should be operational fully by around noon this afternoon. unfortunately, ten people were killed in this storm that stretched 2,100 miles across from texas all the way to new england. you can see also cold air coming in behind this system. windchills dangerously cold. we're talking about windchills anywhere 20 to 30 below normal, below zero, i should say. actual afternoon temperatures not much better. still a little bit better, and temperatures are going to stay cold right through the weekend. and as we take a look east to massachusetts, the weight of snow and ice collected on a building, not only a roof collapsed, an entire building collapsed. thankfully, nobody injured. we've got another storm heading

up through the gulf coast into the northeast to add insult to injury. matt and meredith, we'll have details on that coming up in the next half hour. >> al, thank you very much for your reporting from there. the rest of al's forecast in a couple of minutes. >> for now a check at the other top stories of the morning. ann? >> good morning, everybody. shock waves from the crisis in egypt are still rippling across the middle east. the president of yemen, a key u.s. alley, an estimated 20,000 protesters swarmed the streets of yemen this morn ing. they're calling it a day of rage. supporters of the current government in yemen are also gathering today saying they want stability. today australian officials say they are amazed there have been no reports of deaths or serious injuries after cyclone yasi tore through northern queensland, sustaining winds near 200 miles per hour and

destroys or damages hundreds of homes. the senate has blocked a republican effort to repeal the new health care law. the next step is likely the u.s. supreme court which could decide the law's ultimate fate next year. a california school janitor is in custody this morning after police say he shot and killed an elementary school principal in his office. no children were hurt in the incident. some 43.6 million americans are currently relying on food stamps for groceries, according to the department of agricultural. that is nearly 15% of the u.s. population. the percentage is higher in some places, more than one-fifth of residents in both washington, d.c., and mississippi rely on food stamps. there are high wind warnings this morning for parts of southern california after powerful santa ana winds knocked some big rigs on to their sides on interstate 15 in ontario on wednesday. some wind gusts reached 80 miles an hour. today begins the year of the rabbit in the lunar new year celebrated in most of asia.

festivities have kicked off worldwide, including traditional lion and dragon dances, fireworks and flower markets to mark the arrival of spring. it is now 7:20 pacific time. let's go back to matt and meredith. the year of the rabbit is meant to be one that is more peaceful than the one we just had, the year of the ferocious tiger. >> we could use that. thank you very much. al still out in chicago with his forecast. al? >> all right. let's take a quick look at this map. show you that basically we've got some clouds and showers down around the gulf coast coming in. here in the east things not too bad. we're looking at sunshine. but below normal we have a gorgeousday, clear conditions throughout the bay area. and temperatures climbing towards 70 degrees later on. it is a little bit cooler this morning than where we were at this time yesterday. 34 in napa. 4 in fairfield, 34 in fairfield. but temperatures will climb

heading throughout the next few hours. the tun is out. temperaturewise, 70 in los gatos and san jose. 67 in livermore. have a great thursday. that's your latest weather. matt? >> thank you so much. coming up, lindsay lohan under investigation for allegedly stealing a necklace. could it land her behind bars? we'll get the latest. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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just ahead, how would you react if you discovered the love of your life was gay? one woman opens up about t tt t news that turned her world upside down. and the rare condition that causes this girl to shed her own skin, after your local news. ♪ call 1-800-steemer

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[ woman ] hi, carl! hi! [ male announcer ] quitting sucks. nicorette makes it suck less. and for fast craving relief that goes wherever you go, try the smaller, more convenient nicorette mini lozenge. good morning, everybody. it is 7:26. i'm brent cannon. we'll check on a pretty nice forecast with christina. it keeps getting better and better as the days go own. we'll be three to five degrees warmer this afternoon, but we'll start out three to five degrees cooler. the high pressure will be dominant in our forecast. the high pressure is going to amplify just enough for our temperatures to climb to 72 degrees on super bowl sunday. the same goes for saturday. 72 degrees with lots of sunshine today. staying nice. abnormally warm. and those are record-breaking thurms numbers. we'll talk to mike about the

raps roadways now. we have a pretty easy commute this thursday on westbound 880, but we have an accident at san pablo heading down to berkeley. that's the big log-jam this morning. we'll take you to the city to avoid market where it meets with castro and 17th. a number of fires were reported in the area. crews are still on the scene. brent, back to you. thank you, mike. now to more of the unrest in egypt. marla tellez is live in hayward with a woman who is a friend of mary thornberry. the "today" show featured her a short time ago. the interview we watched with meredith was taped about three hours ago, but you just talked with mary a few moments ago. >> reporter: i did, that's right, brent. thanks to ellen feeney, this is her home in hayward. she's a great friend of mary thornberry. we just put in an international

call and got mary on the phone this morning. it is about 5:20 right now, p.m., in egypt, cairo. mary is 76 years old. she seems so strong on the phone. certainly exhausted. now, she tells me she is not afraid but is angry with the situation right now. she doesn't have a whole lot of food left. she hopes to be rescued. her plan is to be rescued. and she wants to get out of there and back to the states, but she is hopeful that she wants to return to cairo because that is her home where she's lived for the last 15 years. for now, r lor mting ive, arlall ez.te

7:30 now on a thursday morning. third day of february, 2011. central park looks pretty from the top of the rock. snow-covered fields and reservoirs, nice if you have a chance if you're in new york to take a walk, although cold today. but no snow in the immediate forecast for us. maybe another storm brewing over the weekend. we'll hear more about that in just a bit. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer with meredith vieira. >> lindsay lohan is wearing a necklace that was stolen from a

jewelry store near her home. now lohan is being investigated for grand theft. we'll have details coming up. how about this story? we're going to meet a 5-year-old girl who suffers from a rare condition that causes her to shed her skin just about every single day. we'll talk more about that. and then what would you do if you found out our fiance was gay? one woman was floored by her boyfriend of ten years when she discovered that he was cheating on her with men for years. it happens more often than you might believe. she'll share her story. we begin with that alleged jewelry theft investigation centered on lindsay lohan. kristen welker is in los angeles with the latest. kristen, good morning. >> good morning, matt. lindsay lohan just got out of rehab a month ago. by all accounts, she's been working hard to get her life back on track. so these new allegations could be a major setback. >> hey, lindsay. did you steal the necklace?

>> reporter: lindsay lohan ignored reporters outside the santa monica courthouse wednesday after allegations surfaced that lohan stole this $2,500 necklace from a venice jewelry store near her home on january 22nd. >> soon after the necklace was allegedly stolen, we see a picture that appears to be the necklace hanging around lindsay lohan's neck. that's evidence that the police are taking very seriously. >> reporter: in a written statement, the lapd said they obtained a search warrant on tuesday to look for the missing necklace in lohan's apartment. but prior to service of the warrant, the necklace was returned. hollywood insiders say a lohan aide gave the necklace back. >> there are reports that lindsay is denying that she knew it was taken, that a stylist took it and that she wore it but didn't know where it came from. >> reporter: representatives with the jewelry shop tell nbc news they gave police surveillance video which shows lohan in their store on the day the necklace disappeared. now it will be up to the los

angeles county district attorney to determine whether charges will be filed. >> the da will make a decision. can they prove that she was shoplifting? you have to prove that the person had an intent to permfantly derive the owner of his property. >> reporter: it's not the first time the actress has been accused of having sticky fingers. in 2009, lohan settled out of court after leaving a nightclub with someone else's mink coat. speculation also swirled later that year when gems totaling $400,000 disappeared after lohan posed for an elle magazine photo shoot. and again when a friend's rolex went missing. she was never charged in either instance. these new allegations couldn't come at a worse time. the troubled actress is currently under investigation in riverside county for allegedly assaulting an employee at the betty ford clinic where she was a patient for three months. lohan was ordered to rehab by judge elden fox for violating

her probation on a 2007 dui arrest. analysts say lohan could be in real trouble this time. >> if she's convicted of either shoplifting or assaulting the betty ford worker, the case is going to be sent to judge fox and one would have to assume that if she's convicted of either of those charges, that he's going to put her in jail. >> now, the district attorney's office wouldn't comment, except to say that no charges have been filed at this time. nbc news did reach out to lohan's attorney for comment, but never heard back. the actress has a previously scheduled status hearing set for february 25th. matt? >> kristen welker, thank you. susan is an nbc news legal analyst. robby ludwig is a psychotherapist. ladies, good morning. the legal term for this is oy, i believe. she is already on probation for that dui back in 2007. is this a real big deal? >> that's latin, right, matt? >> exactly. >> this is a real big deal.

the legal analyst that commented earlier is correct. if this goes back to the same judge -- and he's arrested for this conduct, she's going to prison. >> intent to steal. can you help me with that? how do they prove intent to steal, that she intended to permanently deny access to that necklace to the owner? >> she took it. >> that's what the non-legalese is. >> right. it's not rocket science. basically what she's going to try to say is, oh, they let me take it on approval. but, i mean, come on. >> let's not be so cynical. this is hollywood. there are stylists and they're constantly procuring things for their clients. is it possible that there's a lack of communication here between the store owner, the stylist and lindsay lohan? >> that's what the district attorney's office is looking into now. what's the claim of the store? because what i -- what i read is that the store is basically saying they saw it on a website on her neck. that would tend to suggest that they didn't say, oh, go ahead and take it. >> the chain of events here, they've got video allegedly of

lindsay lohan in the store, they have video of lindsay wearing the necklace in the store and then they've got this photo of her wearing it out of the store. if you're her legal team, how do you defend against that evidence? >> the other thing they could say supposedly is that it was given to her on approval but then she didn't give it back in time. but really that's not a defense. i mean, you could make that argument after she's arrested, but as a prosecutor, i'd tend to say let's arrest her and see what she does with it. >> robbie, we know this is a young lady with issues. that's been well-documented. if -- we must say if there is also a larceny issue here, is it possible the two are related? >> well, it's not uncommon for people who steal to have co-existing disorders. so sometimes they're alcoholics, sometimes they have eating disorders, very often there's a mood issue of depression or anxiety. so it's really not uncommon. part of what gets them to do it is the adrenalin rush.

it gets them out of a depression. it feels good. >> well, i'm glad you bring that up. let's keep in -- again, if -- and susan is looking at me. if she stole this, what is it about larceny among people who can otherwise afford to buy things? >> right. >> it's so unusual. >> it's striking. you're wealthy enough -- you're wealthy enough. you can buy it. it's never about the object. it's always about trying to fill up something. maybe you're angry and you feel you're entitled to something. maybe you want to give a gift to yourself. maybe you're trying not to feel depressed or anxious. so it's always about the high that it gives you. >> the to boo. >> the feeling of control of being able to get over, being able to steal and not get noticed. so it's that -- it's that edge that it gives you. >> just real quickly, back to you, susan, the necklace was returned. that's a good thing. in some ways, is it also an admission of guilt? >> i think it is. why didn't she bring it back to

it the store? why did she bring it to the police? what i also read, it seems there was a leak that the search warrant was issued for her house. and before they could get to their house, the necklace was brought back. not to the store, but to the police. >> she has a history of that. >> i think that's consciousness of guilt. >> no charges -- >> no, but there's usually a pattern if you're looking at it psychologically, not legally, you -- you know, usually they -- there is a pattern -- >> i think there's a culture of enabling going on around celebrities, around addiction and particularly around lindsay lohan. i think it's time that there's a period of incarceration. >> let us remember, innocent until proven guilty. >> but you can be incarcerated for misconduct without charges. this is a violation of probation, whether she's arrested or not, in my view. >> ladies, thank you both. i appreciate it. 7:38. let's head to chicago and get a check of the weather from al.

the good news is here in chicago, lakeshore drive after being closed for 24 hours, police today opened it up this morning. and traffic is now running on lakeshore drive. that's good news. the bad news is we've got another storm to deal with coming out of the gulf. let's take a look, show you what's happening. this system is going to be working its way out starting late tonight, coming out of the gulf, spreading -- a mix of frozen precip from texas into louisiana. then as it makes its way, a secondary forms along the mid-atlantic coast, makes its way up. this is not going to be a massive snowstorm. we are talking about more of a nuisance storm, anywhere from three to six inches of snow as you get into interior sections of texas. not quite as bad in the northeast. one to two good morning to you. a clear, chilly start this

morning is going to make way for lots of sunshine and warm afternoon temperatures towards the 70-degree mark. i'm forecasting 70s today in los gatos. 70 degrees nor san jose. and we are also talking about 70 degrees in oakland. we will see these temperatures continue to climb as we head into the next few days. it looks like saturday, sunday and monday are the warmest days in the extended periods with temperatures near 72 degrees. >> of course, with all this wild weather, make sure you check the weather channel on cable for your latest forecast or go to weather.com online. matt? >> al, thank you. up next, a curious medical story. a little girl who sheds her skin just about every day. we'll meet her right after this. from jet engines that have fewer emissions, to new ways to charge electric cars, to renewable sources of clean energy, ecomagination from ge is advanced technology

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back now at 7:43 with our special series "curious medicine." this morning, the 5-year-old girl who suffers from an extremely rare condition that causes her to constantly shed her skin. nbc's michelle kaczynski has details. >> it's mine. >> reporter: spend a day with annabelle. >> who is that going to be? >> reporter: it's hard to keep up with this sweet, chatty 5-year-old. but everything stops when it's

treatment time. thick creams rubbed on to her skin several times a day, on her hands and face every half hour. it's hard for annabelle. plus, the endless questions from strangers. >> one taxi driver asked me if i put her in a microwave oven. so a little insensitive. >> reporter: now annabelle can pronounce what she's dealing with. >> ichthyosis. >> reporter: ichthyosis, a genetic skin condition that only affects about 3 in 1 million people. as a newborn, annabelle's doctors had to carefully remove a thick skin membrane that covered her entire body. whereas most of us shed a layer of skin every two weeks, annabelle's skin regenerates once a day. if her parents didn't exfoliate her morning and night, apply the lotions and the bandage garmmentes, her skin would thicken and harden like scales from head to toe. it still happens sometimes. annabelle saved us one of these

scales to show us. >> it's like snake skin that sheds. and comes off. >> reporter: initially annabelle had a hard time at school. but once her mom explained to the other kids what was going on, annabelle could be the friendly, popular little girl she is. though now she's asking those tough questions. why? >> the hardest thing to deal with is when does annabelle come out and say, i wish i didn't have skin like that. to me as a mother, that's like a knife through my heart. i wish i could take it away from her. unfortunately, i can't. >> reporter: ichthyosis is so rare, medical experts say there's not much funding for research to find that gene and potentially a cure. her parents now lead a support group with a website that connects people around the world. for annabelle, it's a constant battle with her own skin, but at age 5, she's learning to live her life around it. >> i swam five meters.

>> reporter: for "today," miz l michelle kaczynski. >> and up next, new york's legendary apartment building, the dakota, where johnnon shot, accused of racial discrimination. richard, why are you wearing grandpa's jacket? i'm not richard. i'm grandpa smucker. male announcer: tim and richard smucker always looked up to their father and grandfather knowing that one day they too would make the world's best jam. grandpa says it like, i've never tasted anything so delicious! i've never tasted anything so delicious! tim: [ laughing ] you got it! male announcer: for five generations, with a name like smucker's, it has to be good. the moisturizer in other body washes sits on top of skin. only dove has nutriummoisture, which can nourish deep down. dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin. but one is so clever that your skin looks better

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simple ingredients, artfully prepared. buitoni. create an italian masterpiece. discover more buitoni masterpieces in the freezer section. back at 7:48. the dakota is a new york city landmark. it's the apartment building with john lennon was shot and currently the home to many wealthy tenants. now there are allegations of wrong-doing behind the gates. jeff rosson there this morning with details. good morning to you. >> hey, matt. good morning. we talk about luxury buildings in new york city, especially here in manhattan. this goes well beyond that. the dakota is so exclusive -- you can see how pretty it is. listen to the people who have put in applications to live her but were reportedly rejected by the co-op board. cher, madonna, and antonio ban

derr derris. somebody who lives her right now says the board and the building are guilty of racial discrimination. it is home to the mega-rich and the mega-famous. judy garland, joe namath, lauren bucall and yoko ono have all lived here. the it dakota, one of the most legendary buildings in all of new york city. former resident john lennon was shot and killed outside here in 1980. fans still flock to the site. the dakota has impressive movie credits, too, including "rosemary's baby." apartments here can run you north of $20 million. >> the dakota is a co-op. you can have all the money in the world. you need to go through the board to be approved to buy an apartment in the building. they can reject you at will for any reason they want. >> reporter: now a rare peek inside this secret enclave as an ugly neighbor-on-neighbor battle plays out in public.

alfawns fletcher jr. is a wealthy money manager. recently fletcher says he wanted to expand and buy the apartment next door as well. an all-cash deal worth $5.7 million, but the board rejected his application. now fletcher has filed this lawsuit against the dakota and the board calling it discrimination, saying they blocked the sale because of an extensive pattern of hostility toward non-white residents of the building. >> these cases are generally really tough to prove, especially if you add the fact that he already lives there and it's a diverse building. >> reporter: just years ago, fletcher himself was president of the co-op board. he recalls movie star couple melanie griffith and antonio ban derris applying for an apartment. the board wouldn't even grant them an interview. and the lawsuit also claims the board discriminated against

another famous black resident, rober roberta flack. now in his case, fletcher wants at least $15 million in damages and still wants that new apartment. >> this is highly unusual for something like this to be made public, especially in a building like the dakota that prides itself on privacy and anonymity for its high-profile residents. >> late last night i spoke to the president of the co-op board here who told me this decision was just about mr. fletcher's personal finances. in a statement he told nbc news, and i'm quoting here, his outrageous accusation s are untrue and at odds with the facts that board has previously approved his purchase of several apartments. he has been repeatedly elected to the board and his mother currently serves on the board. the dakota has always valued the diversity of our community. matt, at this point, there is no word of a settlement yet.

this may end up just as a real public elbarsment for a lot of people. >> jeff, thank you. we're back after your local news. tuna is a natural source of omega 3's and that is good for your heart. these 27 latin lovers agree... [ latin lovers ] we agree! ♪ si bonita, we agree! oh muchachos. well there you have it! tuna, it's good for your heart. [ latin lover ] tuna the wonderfish. well there you have it! tuna, it's good for your heart. nothing starts your day like honey roasted, honey bunches of oats. the perfect balance of crunchy flakes and clusters, with a kiss of golden honey. delicious. and the same calories per serving as special k original. so, try honey roasted, honey bunches of oats! heck try 'em all. it seems like your life with rheis split in two.s, there's the life you live... and the life you want to live. fortunately there's enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, fatigue, and stop joint damage.

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good morning to you. it is 7:56 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. we'll check the forecast with christina. good morning to you. another gorgeous day, sunny skies, abnormally warm temperatures and the warm up continues heading throughout the next few days. 73 in los gatos. 64 in san rafael. 64 in redwood city. three to five degrees warmer today than where we ended up yesterday in most cities. i think as we head through saturday, sunday and monday we'll break numerous records because temperatures are going to climb to 72 degrees. and that is for the south and east bay. places in the north bay will be closer to 80 degrees on sunday. so a significant warm up for us continues. staying nice and the all the way through next wednesday. we'll check on the roadways with mike inouye now. >> a lighter volume this

thursday. things are pleasant on the freeways, but in san francisco we have a lot of activity. first we told you about the earlier fire just off market. avoid that first area we told you about, market right near where it intersects with castro and 17th. that was the first of three fires in the same area. crews are blocking castro. they will all be affected through the area. use the muni underground through that portion. then we are following the fire department also on the scene near 18th standing by as the san francisco police department does an assessment of the situation. we don't have details but patrobe is closed off 101. and a live look at the oakland area with a slowdown at the coliseum kicking off just before 8:00 a.m. back to you, laura. thank you very much. a used youth court in the east bay is responsible for giving hundreds of teenagers a second chance, but now it is on the verge of closing its doors. money is running out for the

mccullum youth court of alameda. the nonprofit lost half its budget when a federal grant was canceled last year. it would mean bad news for 400 children whose cases have yet to be heard. less than 10% of mccullum's kids commit a second crime compared to 80% of youth who go through the traditional juvenile system. another local news update for you in a half hour. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. enjoy your thursday morning. [ female announcer ] why settle for plain bread when you can have pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits?

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8:00 now on this thursday morning, february 3rd, 2011. we have a happy crowd, small but happy. kind of cold here. getting in well-deserved camera time on a bitter cold morning. lenny joining us, we always love him. i'm here alongside matt lauer. just ahead, when the person of your dreams turns out to be living a lie. after dating for ten years, her fiancee told her they needed to talk. he was gay. now she is opening up in a new book about the experience that threw her life into a tailspin. she'll share her story just

ahead. also ahead, we've unfortunately heard the tragic stories of a young high school athlete dieing suddenly after a practice or game because of an undetected heart problem. now a mother who actually lost her daughter to such a tragedy is trying to make a medical tool that could detect such a problem available and required by all -- for all student athletes. we'll talk to her coming up as well. why it's not so late for baby boomers to turn a hobby into a full-time job. we'll give you advise if you'd like to get started on that. first let's go inside. ann is standing by at the news desk with a check of all the headlines. >> thanks a lot. good morning once again everybody. we begin with more significant developments from egypt. todayment mubarak's government apologized for wednesday's attack on anti-government protesters in tahrir square. the unit nations is evacuating hundreds of personnel and families. nbc's chief foreign correspondent has more.

good morning, richard. >> reporter: good morning, ann. the government apologized for the attacks but said it was not responsible. the protesters certainly do not believe that. a dramatic battle unfolded yesterday. there were thousands of protesters in tahrir square, demanding as they have been for days, that president mubarak step down. suddenly in the morning hours they were rushed by also thousands of what they describe as thugs, supporters of president hosni mubarak. they came in on horses, many of them were carrying sticks an knives. they tried to break up the demonstrators. very intense, close combat broke out and carried out for the next 12 hours or so. the two sides were launching molotov cocktails and bricks at each other. more than 800 people wounded. then in the night time hours there was a dramatic development, the protesters who at one stage were overwhelmed by the pro mubarak supporters

launched a counter offensive. the protesters pushed forward and managed to send the mubarak supporters into retreat. at that stage gunfire broke out. many people thought that it was the pro-mubarak supporters who were firing down into the demonstrators. that triggered the army for the first time in this crisis to intervene in a way. the army sent a tank between the two sides and unleashed a smoke screen to try and separate the two groups. the army is still trying to keep them apart, but is mostly now returned to an observation role as those clashes continue in tahrir square this morning. >> all right. the story still developing. thank you so much, richard engel for bringing it to us as it is developing. also in the news this morning, here at home a break in the weather after the storm pummeled states from texas to maine with snow and ice and powerful winds. this morning chicago's lakeshore drive was reopened after more than a foot and a half of snow forced drivers to abandon their cars. in massachusetts employees

made a run for the door and managed to get out safely when the roof of their company collapsed from the weight of the snow. as for that massive cyclone in australia, today officials in northern queensland are assessing the damage. the store slammed ashore on wednesday ripping apart hundreds of homes and buildings and causing more flooding in the already flood-ravaged region. amazingly no one was killed. a federal judge has ruled that the administrator of the $20 billion compensation fund for last year's gulf oil disaster is not independent from bp and must stop saying that he is. the judge says that kenneth feinberg was clearly state in all communication that is he is dispersing payments on bp's behalf. nearly 150 people who claimed they were sexually abused by catholic priests have settled a lawsuit with the wilmington, delaware, diocese. the agreement provides them with money from a $77 million trust. new york city lawmakers have

approved an ambitious outdoor smoking ban that will outlaw smoking in about 1700 parks and 14 miles of public beaches and boardwalks as well as times square. the law goes into effect in 90 days. one of the mysteries surrounding the mona lisa may have been solved. an italian cultural expert say it is subject of the painting who was really a young man who worked with leonardo davinci and was the inspiration behind much of his work. it is now 8:05. let's go outside for a check of the weather with al. that's a noise vice. i got to tell you. i like that voice. anyway, let's take a look and show you what's going on. as you can see on the u.s. satellite radar, we're basically looking at some activity getting itself together down in the gulf. that's going to be the next storm that makes its way up into

the coast. we also have fabulous weather coming in here for the northeast, plenty of sunshine for today. in chicago, we've got beautiful blue sky, although it's only one degree right now. as you can see, we've got lake-effect snows still hanging around. beautiful weather in the pacific northwest. clouds and showers. we're also looking at sunshine through southern ca yeah, let's include the bay area with that sunshine. not just southern california reaping the rewards of firm high pressure. it is not budging. it will bring temperatures up more so towards the weekend. for today, 70 degrees in oakland. warmer as we head through tomorrow. sunday 72 degrees for the super bowl. have a great day. and that's your latest

weather. matt? >> al, thank you very much. when we come back, a woman whose life was shattered when she found out the love of her life was gay.afte we'll theo he tright after these messages. of her life was gay. we'll talk to her right after these messages. ♪ ♪ express yourself ♪ ♪ ♪ oh, do it ♪ oh, do it ♪ ♪ express yourself [ female announcer ] coffee's like life. it's better when you add your flavor. visit us on facebook to find out how you can get a free bottle of coffee-mate on february 4th. new aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizers, with scientifically proven soy complex and natural minerals give you sheer coverage instantly, then go on, to even skin tone in four weeks. new aveeno tinted moisturizers.

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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. with chili's new $6 lunch break combos. choose from a house salad or hot, tasty soup. then pair it with a massive texas toast half sandwich, like our delicious classic turkey or our gigantic new southwestern blt, smothered in cilantro lime mayo and jam-packed with three glorious slices of applewood smoked bacon. served with fries, that's big flavor for just 6 bucks! the $6 break for bold, weekdays at chili's. we are back at 8:10. imagine how you would feel if the love of your life turned out to be gay. in a moment we'll talk to one woman who had that happen to her. first natalie morales has more. >> experts say it's actually

happening more and more often leaving many women confused. >> i'm gay. >> reporter: from the big screen -- >> had i guess what you would call desires. i find i'm attracted to men. >> reporter: to politics. >> i am a gay american. shamefully i engaged in adult consensual affair with another man. >> reporter: a woman finding out the man she's in love with is gay is something we've seen played out before. it happened to kiri blakely who thought she found the man she'd spend forever with. >> we enjoyed being together. out of all of our friends, everybody looked at us as the perfect couple. >> reporter: after ten years, kiri's fiancee said "we need to talk." >> i'm expecting maybe he's going to say i didn't clean out the cat litter box or something. and he said, i'm confused about my sexuality. he said i'm having fantasies about men. it was absolutely the last thing i expected to hear. >> it's extremely difficult for

a woman to reconcile this and come to terms with it. there aren't any striking red flags apart from catching him in the act. >> reporter: experts say at any given time there are as many as 2 million mixed orientation marriages, and a new cheating study from the university of texas shows only 22% of women say they could forgive their male partners' betrayal with another man. but if a woman cheats with another woman, over 50% of men say they would continue the relationship. >> women who cheat with other women, it's usually rooted more in an emotional relationship. whereas men who cheat with men, it's almost purely based on something physical and sexual. >> reporter: kiri says having her fiancee tell her he was gay was one thing, but finding out he cheated with another man was another. >> him having an affair hurt more than him deciding he was gay. emotionally i still struggle with the idea that someone can

lie to you and to themselves on a daily basis for so long. >> some mixed orientation couples do stay together. but one study estimates only about 7% who try actually make it long term. meredith? >> natalie, thank you. carry blakely writes about her experience in "can't think straight: a memoir of mixed up love." gail salts is a "today" contributor. >> you refer to your fiancee as aaron. we won't disclose what it is. we offered him the opportunity to come on the show and give his side of the story. he declined. at the time of your relationship, you said you never had any idea that aaron was gay. but when you look back now in hindsight, can you see things that you didn't pick up then? >> there's a stereotype of how a gay man should look, act and sound. and he fit none of that, none of that at all. so in that way, no. >> okay.

>> he doesn't fit the stereotype. the only thing was our sex life did twindal over the course of the decade that we were together. it slowed down. but i saw that as a long-term relationship. i thought that was a normal thing that happens. i had other friends who were going through the same situation. so that was really the only clue, if you want to even call that a clue. >> gayle, how often does this happen? why would someone want to live a lie for that long? >> it often starts because they're lying to themselves. still today, unfortunately, it's hard for people to come out. it's potentially a harder lifestyle. they feel people's disapproval. it's internalized. they don't want to be gay even though that's really what's going on. because there's really sort of a continuum, if you will, of sexuality, and you can have great attraction to a member of the same sex mostly, but still somewhat be attracted to the

opposite sex. it's not so black and white, not so defined. so you can say to yourself, maybe this isn't so. i don't want it to be so. so i'm going to say it's not. people live secret lives of all kinds. this is one of them unfortunately that usually leads to real depression, to betrayal and a lot of hurt. >> do you think, kiri, you would have felt differently if he had an affair with a woman as opposed to a man? >> i tell everyone it's probably an equal amount of devastation but in different ways. with a man you don't get competitive. like what does she have that i don't? you know what a man has that you don't. in another way i felt like i couldn't get as angry because i felt like i had to in some way almost support his choice or his decision even though he had been cheating on me. so you're almost not able to be as angry as you would be if it was a woman. that was kind of strange. >> i think women often in this

situation end up feeling very humiliated. it's sort of like why did this happen? what does this mean about me? why did he pick me? i think that leaves you very angry, leaves you very, very angry. what do you do with it? you can't fight for the guy to come back to you. so how do you deal with that? >> you dealt with it by really drinking a lot for a while. >> yeah. i sort of self-destructed for a while. >> sleeping with a lot of guys as you write in your book. >> it depends on your definition of a lot. i think i had a psychotic break with reality. when the reality you've known for so long turns out not to be the reality that you thought, it's almost like you just -- i had a sipsychotic break. i didn't know how to be alone anymore. for me to sit in my apartment for a couple hours and watch tv was impossible. i would have to go out to a bar

and just be around people and drink -- >> this isn't only about sexuality. this is about fidelity as well, not just sexual orientation. that's the issue. when he told his friends, a lot of people said, thank goodness you could come out. they weren't angry about the fact that he cheated. >> the problem is this is not living a life of integrity. it's not being true to yourself. it's not being true to a commitment that you made. that's really the bigger issue. he still would have been painful, but if he had come to you and said, i'm gay, we won't be able to stay together and then gotten into a relation into, it would have had a different feeling. >> kiri, thank you for sharing your story. >> gail as well, thanks so much. the book is called "can't think straight." we'll be back right after this. straight." we'll be back right after this. so which one tasted better?

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this morning on today's "healthy heart," the search for hidden heart defects. when a young person, particularly a young agent legality dies from sudden cardiac arrest it's unquestionably a tragedy. it can be incredibly frustrating for loved ones struggling to understand how a child who appeared so healthy can be taken away so quickly. >> on august 21st, 2008 my daughter jenny, seemingly perfectly healthy, 17-year-old, had a sudden cardiac arrest on the soccer field. >> michele schneider learned afterwards that her daughter had been born with a structural heart defect. something neither she or jenny's doctors picked up. >> jenny absolutely did not have one symptom of sudden cardiac arrest or heart issues. >> now she advocates streeng all student athletes with lex cardiograms or ekgs. >> we have the technology available and we can save lives.

>> in michigan beaumont hospital runs a program running on site ekgs and echo cardiogram screenings for student athletes free of charge but the vast majority of schools and youth organizationless do not require kids undergo this level of screening before participating in organized sports. >> it's not done because it's not cost efficient. unfortunately we live in a time where things have to be cost efficient. >> the american heart association's guidelines suggest a physical examine colluding personal and family history. in a statement they say we do not currently feel that current scientific evidence supports the universal use of tests in the context of mass screening of children involved in athletic activities. the beaumont hospital program has screened over 5,000 students. 30 were asked to stop sports immediately and follow up with a cardiologist. at least one student was found

to have a potentially fatal heart disorder. >> we're very pleased we've been able to change the course of lives of a handful of kids. >> it's that kind of outcome, the result of ekg screenings that michele needer would lisch like to see more of. >> would it save jenny's life? i don't know. it does save lives. to have that tool available and not use it when it's killing our children is craze zer. >> "today" contributor, dr. roshin raj is assistant professor of medicine at nyu school of medicine. i think people might be watching this and saying this is a no-brainer, why wouldn't we test student athletes with ekgs? is it all about money. >> it's not as simple as it may appear. we're talking two to five million student athletes a year getting an ekg, a cost of billions of dollars. that's not just the issue. the people at the american heart association, they're human beings, they have kids. they really do feel for these

families. when you're talking about a mass screening program, you want to make sure the benefit is really clearly there. they don't feel the scientific evidence is sufficient. >> do you think it is sufficient to go with the current course of action, which is this basic personal history and family history examination with the questions that are routinely asked? >> i think that's essential. you need to not only talk to your doctor about personal history of chest pain or fatigue, family history, things like heart disease in the family before 50, that's a baseline. you need to talk to your children. very often teenagers don't want to report symptoms like this. is it sufficient? there's a downside by the ekg that may not be properly interpreted, may lead to other diagnostic tests or procedures. >> if during an interview and a personal history evaluation and family history evaluation, a red flag is raised, then you would follow up with an ekg? >> absolutely. we're developing on a followup

to even one "yes" answer, should prompt a cardiology investigation. >> we talked about money before. if you feel you want your child tested with an ekg whether it's required or not or mandated or not, what type of cost are we talking about per test? >> there's a range, i would say between $100 and $300 depending on who is interpreting the test. the other thing to remember, ekgs are not infallible. you may have a normal ekg and subsequently have an e event. it's not a perfect test. i think the bottom line is we need a lot more evidence and parent watch groups are really supporting the increase of studies on this topic. >> okay, doctor, thanks very much. just ahead, how to turn your hobby into a money making business. first your local news. your hobby into a money-making business. but first, your local news.

this is some tape from a short time ago at the intercessi intersection of 18th and police are on the scene of where a grenade was found inside of apartment building. we are told that the robots took that grenade and put it into a bomb squad truck. from there i assume they transport that to a place where they can examine it more safely.

we are watching the scene. if there is more to be found, in the meantime the scene is impacting your morning commute. >> that is patrero avenue. that is not far west from 101. it is slow getting into the city. but take 101 past this scene. patrero is closed heading north it is jammed coming up through there. 101 is slow but a better alternate for you. west of there we have the intersection of market and 7th causing big back ups there. under grown l takeou past the scene. we have more news after this break.

good morning to you, right now temperatures are on the cool said. 70 degrees and we're up to 72 by sunday. staying nice and warm through wednesday. the "today" show is back after the break.

8:30 now on a thursday morning. it's the third day of february, 2011. kind of a chilly start to that day here in new york city. 27 degrees. a lot of young people are enthusiastic, if not shivering. this is about as high as it's

going to get today. not going to get a lot warmer than this. >> at least it's sunny. >> yes. it's a beautiful, sunny day. i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira and ann curry. we're going to talk about following your passion. >> yeah. if you've had a hobby and you want to turn it into a career, it's not too late. what you need to do to turn your love into a job. a business really. >> into a business. and make a lot of money hopefully. that's a good thing also, if you want to get away, who doesn't want to get away? we've got good ideas for cheap hotel rates. places where you get great deals if you want to get the heck out of dodge cheap. inexpensive. also, happy new year. >> yes. happy year of the rabbit. >> the year of the rabbit. martin yen is going to be here this morning, one of our favorite guys. she going to celebrate with us. >> i just want to make sure what he's doing there. >> what? what? >> he's so much fun. he's such a great cook. >> he's making a shrimp and

chicken dish. a lot of symbolism around him. that red shirt, not by accident. no. >> really? >> prosperity and good health. >> very good. >> all right. let's go out to chicago. al is still out there. al, are you going to get out of there today? >> we're hoping. everything has been canceled until noon. we're on about a 4:00 flight. so i think we're going to get out. but if not, i'll see you tomorrow from chicago. >> you know, al, go to the airport, make a scene. just make a scene. >> do what you always do. >> yeah, yeah. i normally do that. that's -- that's my modus aprendi. it's one degree right now. we've got a windchill of about 8 below. for the most part, the sun is out here in chicago. they've dug out lakeshore drive. that's good news. things are getting back to normal here in chicago. let's take a look at your weekend. show you what's happening. first of all with tomorrow, saturday, we have a storm system getting itself together in the

gulf. thamts causing issues. out west, we have gorgeous weather. clouds along the eastern seaboard, back through the plains. sunday we're looking at more wet weather. some -- an icy mix moving through the mid-mississippi and ohio river valleys. going to be a real mess there. we have a beautiful day shaping up for us here in the bay area. 70 degrees in oakland today. upper 60s across the board. even san francisco looking towards 65 degrees. little bit warmer and the warm up continues into the super bowl sunday weekend. 72 degrees on sunday, have a great thursday. >> as we head into the weekend, you want to check on your weather, go to the weather

channel on cable or weather.com online. matt? >> we hope to see you right back here tomorrow. good luck flying out. when we come back, we're going to talk about if you're over 50 and looking for a fresh start, how to turn your hobby into a new career. that's right after this. into a new career. that's right after this. this is "today" on nbc. feeling a bit off? 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.

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♪ we are back at 8:36. this morning on "50: living it, loving it," turning your hobby into a business. it's never too late to follow a passion and make it a career. getting started may be easier than you think. carol barron is a stay-at-home mom who loves baking her signature sweet. lisa byer is a stay-at-home mom with a flare for decorating. and here with advice is doug hirshhorn. good morning to you all.

doug doug, if i can start with you, boy, baby boomers and those who are older make up 54% of the self-employed. women account for 50% to 60% of new start-ups. twice as many women starting upbles up businesses as men. those numbers are encouraging. >> right. they're compelling. what i think is very important to realize is i believe women are actually hard-wired to be more successful in business. >> why? >> i think they have a better intuition internally. they're much more reflective about communication, about themselves, seflf-awareness. >> these two ladies, carol and lisa are both passionate about their hobbies, want to get started, but it is intimidating. >> yes. the one thing that holds them back, and this is very common, fear. period. fear is what holds people back from making very, very important decisions and very compelling changes in their lives. >> let me start with carol. you're known around town to your friends, the mondale bread

queen. it's your grandmother's secret recipe that you've adopted. everybody says you should go into business. but you haven't. what is holding you back? >> i think like doug said, the biggest thing is just having a fear of rejection. it's the biggest thing. the second thing is -- is being overwhelmed, being burdened with time and going into something by myself. and i think turning something that i've been so passionate about into a burden. and i -- >> when you have to do it, it's not going to be as much fun. >> and doing it alone has always scared me a little bit. and i just -- it's been something that's so fun for me. and all my friends and family have enjoyed. i'm just afraid i'll grow to hate it. >> let's address her concerns, doug. >> the first one, the fear of rejection, we're parents and we have children. if your child wanted to take a risk or do something, you would look your child in the eyes and say, that's not a good enough reason to not make your mark. we need to live by the same

standard ourselves. it's very normal to have that experience, but don't let it get in your way. when we talk about dealing with fear, compartmentalizing it, putting it to the side. you talk about waiting for that kind of perfect moment in time to find the partner to help take off the responsibility and grow the business. there's never a perfect time for these things. you have a product you believe in, you're passionet at and yout to bring it to the next level. >> she says that if she loves is going to turn into something that's just a chore. >> it will. however, if you're passionate enough about this product and you believe in it enough, anybody will tell you that if they're doing what they love, it's not work anymore. it's about the product and the journey and the process. >> you also said that you were concerned because this is a jewish cookie. well, people won't want it because of that, because it's just one niche. i think that's a plus. i think it's great. >> uniqueness is remarkable. it's a cookie. you don't have to make everyone love that cookie. people are not going to like it.

but you need to find a specific group of people that love it and they'll spread the word. >> lisa, you have two young children. but you often go with your friends because they love your decorating tips. your husband has been on you saying, get some money for this. you're good at what you do. what's held you back? >> i think probably primarily it's -- i'm afraid that i'm not as good as i think i am. there are really very talented people out there. i know i have tremendous talent, but there are a lot of people out there who have as much talent, if not more, than i do. >> fair enough. there are tens of thousands of interior design decorators out there, but find a way to differentiate yourself. maybe you specialize in interior design for college dorm rooms. find a niche for yourself and you'll differentiate yourself. >> there's always room for one more person. >> yes, there is. especially if you differentiate yourself. >> anything you'd like to ask doug at this point?

>> how do you make yourself unique? how do you -- how do you make yourself just not another bag of cookies on the shelf? >> you keep the name mondale bread. you start a blog. the industry that we have now, blogging is free and it's all about starting from a small point. talk about baking it. it's a great story about your grandmother's recipe. i read this and knew i was fantastic. let people hear your story. >> all right. carol, get started. we want those. lisa, you, too. get money for that decorating. doug, thank you so much. up next, chef martin yan helping us ring in the chinese nuyear.

we're back at 8:43. this morning on "today's kitchen" we're going back to basics for the chinese new year. it's the year of the rabbit.

according to martin yan, it will be filled with prosperity and fun. martin, always nice to see you. happy new year. >> i wish you prosperity and good luck. you know, very, very common practice, during chinese new year, the first day, they always put money -- a lot of money in -- >> what's a lot? >> this is a lot of money. don't show anybody. it's a secret. >> that's a lot of money to you? okay. >> it's symbolic. >> but you give it to children, right? >> particularly for children. you have three children. we'll give one to you. we wish you good luck, too. so you have one of these. >> thank you. >> we wish you good luck. >> that's $4. >> $4. >> okay. thank you for that. >> actually, chinese nuyeew yeaa lot of symbolic food. this is a tangerine. you always bring this along to give to your friends. this means abundance. that means i wish you all good luck, abundance of good luck,

good fortune and good health. >> you're going to mix called phoenix and the dragon, right? >> yes. phoenix, this is, of course, the chicken, the phoenix. the dragon. during chinese new year, you do not use theyour knife? >> okay. >> we're not doing the knife. >> actually, in a traditional chinese household, you'd cut the ingredients the day before. >> right. now we can cook. it's already cut up because we've observed the tradition, okay? >> uh-huh. >> all you have to do is heat up your frying pan, a little bit of oil right here. low oil, low salt. marinate a tiny bit of meat with corn starch. put the corn starch here and here. and then stir this a little bit. >> thank you. >> and then, of course, use beer rather than wine. >> why? >> because it it's more light and fluffy. it gives a little bitterness to it. it's very good. >> stir both of those up.

i just cross-contaminated. >> don't worry. and then look at this. you stir. a little garlic and ginger. garlic and ginger. look at this. garlic and ginger. stir, stir. stir, stir. >> oh, i'm sorry. i thought you were just talking. i'm sorry. i wasn't paying attention. >> no, stir. >> you're going to cook the chicken until it's a little on the white side. >> yes. and then stir. and then the shrimp. look at this. >> okay. what kind of vegetables have you got there? >> when it's almost ready, you put in some soy sauce. >> you do it. >> put a little bit of sesame seed oil. >> uh-huh. >> oh! look at this. look at this. it's beautiful. and then -- >> it smells good. >> and then snow pea. colorful vegetables, very important. >> vegetables are good because it's healthy, good way to start the new year. >> yes. it doesn't take too long to cook. and then you just shake it. shake, shake, shake. look at that. it doesn't take too long to

cook. when it's almost ready, stir. continue to stir. ah, look at this. >> the whole thing cooks like two minutes. >> yes. when it's done, just -- let's hold on to this. we'll serve this. this is phoenix and dragon. >> what is this? >> this is spring roll wrappers shaped like a lotus. look how beautiful. look at that. >> very pretty. >> this is beautiful. >> let's take this back with hind us here. i want to show people what else you've done. >> a whole bunch of stuff. >> come back here. also, whole fish, very important. why? >> because whole fish is a symbol of abundance. so you always, always serve with beer. >> okay. that's okay. we like that. around here, that's very popular. dumplings are also very traditional on the new year. they're like little wrapped-up gifts. >> a little gift, a little purse, a lot of treasure inside. and, of course, a vegetarian dish is always served, okay? always, always served. and let me -- >> just turn that burner down

there for a second. >> normally when you finish cooking, you just remove it. and get rid of these. and that's it. >> that way you don't smoke out the whole room. what sign were you born under? >> the year of the snake. >> meredith is the year of the snake also. >> here is beer. happy new year. >> happy new year. >> cheers, martin. coming up, we'll have the secrets to getter great rates on a hotel room. but first, happy new year and this is "today" on nbc. i have fallen in love with making bird houses.

caw caw! [ director ]what is that? that's a horrible cr. here are some things that i'll make as little portals. honestly, i'd love to do this for the rest of my life so i've got to take care of my heart. for me, cheerios is a good place to start. [ male announcer ] got something you'll love to keep doing? take care of your heart. you can start with cheerios. the natural whole grain oats can help lower cholesterol. brrrbb... makes you feel ageless. [ male announcer ] it's time. love your heart so you can do what you love. cheerios. [ bob ] squak.

this morning on our special series "the grio's 100 history-makers in the making" a swimmer who is spreading his love of the pool. today amy has his story. >> good morning. colin jones won his gold at the beijing olympics back in 2008, but that accomplishment was not an easy'. >> they got to get out there. they're way ahead. >> reporter: for swimmer colin jones, winning a gold medal in the 2008 olympics was a dream come true. >> unbelievable at the end! the u.s. has done it! >> just a rush of feelings. it was such a long road of ups and downs. to be able to sit back and look at something that kind of was the epitome of why i did it was -- it's just amazing.

>> reporter: amazing not only because he was just the second african-american to take home a gold in the sport, but also because it was a near-death experience that got him interested in swimming in the first place. in 1989 when colin was 5, he was visiting a pennsylvania water park with his family when an intertube that he was on top of flipped. let's go back to that day in 1989, the day that changed everything. what happened at the water park? >> i fly down this ride. what you're supposed to do is hit the pool of water at the bottom kind of gently coast to the shallow end. well, i wasn't heavy enough. i flipped upside down. >> reporter: struggling to keep his head above water, he feared for his life. >> i remember just blacking out. i just saw nothing but blue and then blacking out. it was definitely the scariest thing i'd ever endured. i did not know how to swim. >> reporter: colin's mother, deborah, who didn't know how to swim, knew her son was in trouble. >> i heard him yell. he was yelling all the way down.

and then all of a sudden i heard a scream cut off. >> reporter: a lifeguard performed mouth-to-mouth resusination on colin and saved his life. deborah enrolled colin in swim classes three days later. >> when i came home, it was like, okay. i didn't want to have the apprehension that, you know, at some point in time that this child might drown. >> my mom went against the trend of what we see especially in black culture of pulls their kids away from the water because of an instance where, you know, there was a drowning incident. i almost drowned. my mom got me into swim lessons. she wanted to give me the tools. >> reporter: black children are three times more likely to die from drowning than white children, something that motivated callen to become a part of the make a splash initiative. >> it's cultural. we have been kind of beaten into our heads that black people don't swim. >> ready, set, go! >> reporter: and oftentimes it's

fear that prevents kids from getting the proper instruction. >> there is a cure. it's swim lessons. and that's what make a splash is really trying to push and trying to change in the fight against drowning. >> reporter: why is it important to you as a parent to have your children in swim classes? >> just watching them swim really makes me very happy. i wish i had the opportunity growing up to learn at an early age. >> i think it's amazing with what colin has done for the sport and the african-american community. >> it felt good. i really like the way he taught me how to swim and all of those things. >> how would you rate colin as a coach? >> he's an awesome coach. >> he's a really great coach. >> reporter: a really great coach who is making a difference in his community and hoping that his legacy will not only be as an olympic gold medalist but also as a mentor to countless children who will be living safer lives. >> here you go. >> thank you. >> good job today. >> and as colin travels the

country, he's also training for the 2012 olympics in london. so he's quite busy, but it's amazing he can find the time to do that. he's having such an impact on so many children. >> great story. >> let's dring in david wilson with thegrio.com. >> thanks for having me. >> this list of 100 history-makers in the making, how do you come up with it? >> we scoured the country and said, who is making a huge impact? not just within their community, but for the country. what you see with colin, he's impacting so many young kids and inspiring so many young kids to learn how to swim and get involved in sports. we look at that and the huge impact. >> i imagine there are heated arguments here. it's very objective. you must be angry at some people you have to leave off the list. >> we had a list of 600 people at first. we had to dwindle it down to 100. you know, it gets contentious. some people -- we're still not speakli speaking, some people. >> but you have the final word. >> it is a real effort to look

towards the future, which is a really key element. you are also trying to factor in different things like you wanted to be coast-to-coast. what are the criteria? >> again, you know, people were having a huge impact that the entire country can relate to. it's not just people doing great things within their community, but, you know, they're solving problems in health care, education, health. so we look at all of those elements. you know, it's -- people -- all of them have inspiring stories. when you go on the site and you see all 100 names, you click on each one of them and you're just moved. >> can you name a few of the others? >> sajari brit, a 9-year-old cellist who played for the first lady and president obama. >> michelle obama is on there, too. >> michelle obama because of what she's doing with the let's move campaign and obesitobesity. we have a grammy award winning song-writer and producer, a producer for your friend, kanye west. >> and the list goes on and on. >> we're going to leave tha righe.

er we'll leave that alone. thank you so much. good morning it is 8:56. in san francisco, the bomb squad has been investigating four grenades found inside a garage. investigators there on the scene

just before 7:30 this morning. you can see the robots that they are using to do that work. nobody has been hurt. it sounds like maybe this is not going to be something that is going to be a threat to people that live there. they are watching that. if we get information we will bring it to you as it becomes available. however, we know that this is impacting the commute in the area. and we have what you can do to avoid the congestion here. >> it runs alongside 101. even though 101 and 280 show up on the map, it is very slow right now. it ajis jammed. keep that in nd things slow, but at the toll pla sa, it is clear, we have more after the break.

another local news update coming up in a half hour. the "today" show continues coming up. 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. of getting vitamins and minerals. others will try total raisin bran with 100% of the daily value of 11 essential vitamins and minerals, and the luscious taste of plump juicy raisins and crunchy whole grain flakes. ♪ guess it's all about what kind of crunch you like. ♪ how are you getting 100%? ♪

we're back with more of "today" on a thursday morning. february 3rd, 2011. you're looking at our buddy al roker standing along the frozen sidewalks of chicago, illinois, where he's been the last three days after that city was rocked by this major city storm. about two feet of snow. al looking for anyone to take him to the airport right now. mean while -- >> got you on that corner. >> if he stands there longer he'll be a statue. matt lauer along with natalie morales. ahead violent clashes in tahrir

square. heavy gunfire, molotov cocktails. brutal altercations. five people have died, more than 830 injured. we understand the violence heating up again in advance of what's expected to be a very interesting day tomorrow, the unofficial deadline that some of those protesters have set for the removal of hosni mubarak. we're going to have a report from cairo in just a moment. >> plus a very disturbing story about the sex trade in america. it's a much more widespread problem than you may know about. during the super bowl thousands of underage girls will be there to service the sex trade there. this morning a story about young women from a small town in central america promised a better life in the united states only to be raped. on a much different note going to tell you how to save a great deal on your hotel room the next time you travel out of town. before we get to that here at home a blast of arctic air adding to misery caused by the

winter storm that dropped dangerous snow and ice over a 2100 mile area from texas all the way to maine. al in chicago with the latest on it. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. let me tell you it's zero right now. a windchill of 10 below. of course chicago getting a record amount of snow. it's the third biggest snowfall they've had in 24 hours. but you can see michigan avenue moving pretty well. people moving back and forth. chicagoans a hardy bunch. lakeshore drive closed 24 hours and now reopened. after getting the cars off, it's completely plowed and moving. this snowfall was one of historic proportions. there time the storm lived up to the hype as snow, ice and freezing temperatures gripped much of the country. >> in a storm of this magnitude, there is no way to predict from minute to minute what problems may arise. >> chicago recorded the third

biggest storm ever with over 20 inch of snow and winds that exceeded 60 miles per hour at times. whiteouts stopped the evening rush hour in its tracks leaving scenic lakeshore drive a snow-could have had parking lot. outside boston the accumulation of heavy snow caved in the roof of an office building. and on interstate 93 in new hampshire, a chain reaction accident forced one car to literally take a nose dive. the storm also halted air travel, leaving some with tickets to sunday's big game delayed. >> it seems the flight going through minneapolis and we're going to come home with the lombardi trophy baby. >> super bowl bound fans could find dallas still reeling from an icy super storm as temperatures continue to plummet. for much of the country it's an icy mess. throughout indiana, crews are dealing with downed power lines. the roads are slick as well. a news man from channel 5 in cincinnati skidded into a

country ditch and had to be towed. as street crews and homeowners began to dig out, fatigue and frustration set in. >> if you have nothing to do, stay home. >> but others took it in stride. and welcome the midweekday off. >> i think it's great. it's nice to have a snow day. >> and of course the back side of this storm, the ungly side, the bitterly cold temperatures. look at these windchills. we've got windchill advisories stretching from texas all the way into the ohio river valley and new england. it is going to be a mess. we are talking about windchills right now that are 20 to 30 to 40 degrees below zero. i mean, it is brutal. and afternoon actual air temperatures warm up a bit, but it's still dangerously cold throughout about a third of the country. back here, we are expecting chicago's o'hare and midway

airports to finally open up and start getting flights out sometime in the next couple of hours. that's the good news. 14,000, almost 15,000 flights were canceled yesterday nationwide. and even down as far as southern texas they have rolling blackouts because of the strain the power grids are going through because of downed power lines from that ice storm. matt? >> all right, al. well done. hopefully you will get out this afternoon. thanks for your reporting from out there. let us get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. ann standing by at the news desk. >> we begin this morning, everybody, with the violence erupting in tahrir square in cairo between government supporters and protesters demanding that president mubarak leave office. this morning mubarak's office apologize sld for the attacks that left at least five dead and more than 800 wounded. lester holt joining us by telephone from cairo. what more can you add to this? >> reporter: we're coming in by phone because suffice to say

that there are some who want to limit the flow of information here. we're kind of on the move here a little bit. but we want to tell you it's another day of violent clashes in the center of cairo. and keep in mind this has now spilled out into the adjacent streets. it's no longer just a battle for the square although that was the symbolic heart, both the pro and anti-government forces want to see as we heard another round of several shots here just a few minutes ago. the death toll now is over 600, 5 people confirmed dead. there were many fired throughout the night as molotov cocktails were thrown late into the night, from buildings, at people, rocks, bottles. it's stunning to watch this happen because people are still pouring into the area. there's no effort to even block off bridges, access points as you might see in other situations. they're allowing people to come into this area and they're agitated because now both sides have certainly ramped up the level of this. you noted the government here

has apologized for the violence yesterday. thenoted, the government has -- here has apologized for the violence yesterday. the prime minister saying that there will be an investigation. but there is no sign right now of theorm army trying to put t down. it's a violent free-for-all right now in cairo. >> there are five people who have been killed, more than 830 wounded. that's what we're hearing here. what do you know from there? what do you know about what might be happening later today that might cause perhaps, we hope not, any more violence? >> well, you know, the flow of information -- you'll hear these rumors about -- this group is about to reenforce and that group. as i speak, i'm watching a new mob that just formed since the time we've been on the air moving now away from the area. but, you know, you keep hearing rumors, each side wants to reenforce their numbers. the anti-government forces held their ground.

and then the tides changed this morning. it seems like it's very difficult to tell who's in charge. >> it sounds like, lester, that things are very much up in the air. it's hard to predict what's happening. yesterday we've been hearing about journalists being targeted. is that still the case today? is there still a concern? you were just talking about not being able to go live wbut rathr by telephone. what can you tell us about journalists being targeted today? >> it's real. yesterday it happened in the middle of the attack. i ventured down the street this morning at what i thought would be a quiet time and we couldn't stay out long, even with the cell phone cameras and a small consumer camera. we gained attention. we were heckled. we wisely got off the street. very difficult to operate with any kind of video device. i had a personal video device that has been confiscated. it's -- it's very, very difficult to operate. but we do the best to tell the story.

>> you're doing a good job, the entire team there on behalf of nbc news. stay safe and thank you for your report. >> you bet. also in the news today, australian officials are amazed that there have been no reports of deaths or serious injuries after the cyclone yasi tore through queensland. yasi was the worst storm the region has ever seen sustaining winds near 200 miles per hour and destroying or damaging hundreds of homes. president obama held a prayer breakfast this morning with 2,700 guests from 130 nations. among them, astronaut mark kelly, the husband of gabrielle giffords who is recovering after being shot in the head after a tucson shooting rampage. it's one of the most significant archeological finds in years. it all started with a police chase, a pursuit of a gang of grave robbers led israeli authorities to a nearly 1,500-year-old church in jerusalem that is believed to be the burial place of the profit

zachariah. the robbers got away, but authorities noticed an elaborate door post poking through the earth and that led them to a site that was complete with the most magnificent mosaics intact. isn't that something? this keeps viewers in the dark. we're talking about nepal television, which is delivering the news by lantern light to highlight an energy crisis. nepal is one of the poorest in the world and energy shortages have left many people without power for up to 12 hours a day. the station is hoping its newscasts will inspire people to demand better services from the government. it is now 10 minutes past the hour. let's go back out to chicago to al with a check of the weather. hey, al. >> hey, ann. we've got the cold air here. we've got another storm to talk about. this one getting itself together in the gulf. it makes its move, starts to

push its way on shore, bringing a mix of icy conditions along the gulf store shore from texas to louisiana and mississippi as it moves on in. a secondary storm forms off the southeastern atlantic coast, makes its way up to ohio, indiana, also pennsylvania, new york state. they're going to be seeing snow as well. generally about one to three inches locally. there co good morning to you. well, it is a chilly start. you will probably need that jacket but something that you can take off later. 68 in redwood city and san francisco 65 degrees under full sunshine today. now it is going to get warmer as we head towards this weekend. souper bowl sunday temperatures around 72 degrees. have a fantastic thursday.

>> and that's your latest weather. ann? ♪ al, thanks. this morning on "today's travel," how to get the cheapest hotel rate. you don't have to pay full price for a great hotel room anymore. that's according to consumer reports senior editor todd marks. he's a man with a plan to help you save big. todd, good morning. >> good morning. >> happy to see you given the topic we're talking about. how do hotels set their rates? >> well, they use this intricate system called yield management. they track supply and demand. it's done in realtime. meaning that, you know, you'll know exactly months, weeks, days out how much anticipated demand is going to be there and what the supply is. the rates are adjusted accordingly. if you've got a big convention coming to town, rates are going to go up. if a convention drops out, it's going to go down. it changes all the time, like airline tickets. >> you say -- you've got some

surprising tips. number one, start haggling. >> yeah. americans as a culture, we don't haggle. 35% of people we surveyed who try to haggle, 80% of them were successful. only 35% tried. 80% were successful at negotiating a room upgrade or a lower rate. >> it's easier to haggle if you know the lingo. >> if you know the lingo. what are you talking about when it comes to rates? well, there's the corporate rate. people don't know, but everyone is entitled to a corporate rate. you don't have to be on business. that's typically the lowest rate. however, that's not necessarily the best available rate. the best available rate is typically the lowest non-refundable rate with no strings attached. so you've got to know what to ask for. but then there can be lower rates. any limited-time specials or promotions that can add free parking, free breakfast and other perks. >> you need to know to ask for these things for the lowest or

cheapest rates. you can start to ask for other things in addition. >> you have to be proactive. there's no way that the hotel is going to come out and tell you, here, we've got this special today unless you push the issue. i try to book a room in philadelphia five different ways. the best rate at one point was 209. by the time i tried five different methodologiemethodolo down to 134 plus free parking. but i had to keep asking. >> the other thing you recommend is to really be loyal. if you go back to a hotel over and over again, they'll maybe even voler tear some of these deals. >> sure. these loyalty programs -- like the supermarket bonus programs. you build up points. it's the same way with hotels. they are -- remember, hotels are coming off their worst year ever in this terrible economy. so what they've done, they're giving out perks like free amazon gift cards, get a third day free, get a free resort fee. all of these extras. if you're a local member, you'll

get things like late check-in, late departure. kind of things that make it easier for you in an era when so many more fees are being attached to everything. >> todd, thank you so much. you also recommend using social networking sites and also reading online reviews. thank you so much. >> my pleasure. coming up next, we're going to talk about a very tough story. a story about girls as young as 14 who are forced into sexual slavery here in america. [ female announcer ] splenda® no calorie sweetener is sweet... and more. if you replace 3 tablespoons of sugar a day with splenda®

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and tonight everyone gets a taste of something special... ranch spinach dip. [ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mix it up. on super bowl weekend, the big game is also big business for the sex trade. thousands of underage girls will be trafficked to dallas specifically in town for the festivities. for an msnbc documentary "sex

slaves "we recently went there to investigate the stories of missing girls from latin america who end up being held as slaves here in the u.s. >> i had big dreams. >> reporter: they are teenage girls who came to texas with great hope. >> i dreamed of buying a house for my mom. >> reporter: but dreams of supporting loved ones back home became a nightmare of being trapped in a life of daily rape and beatings. >> you have people's daughters being raped in bars under threat of force. >> reporter: the story behind sex slavery begins in a small latin american village with young girls with big dreams. in january 2003, wendy and her friends, 16-year-old suheli and 14-year-old anna, were eating lunch at their school in a remote village in honduras. they were approached by two well-dressed businessmen. to wendy and her friends, being

recruited was like winning the lottery. >> at that moment, i became very happy. they said they would pay us $150 a day and that they wanted to help people from our country with jobs in their factory up north. >> they promise them legitimate jobs, either cleaning jobs or simply being bartenders or serving drinks or working in a restaurant. and suddenly when they arrive, they -- they begin to realize that they're trapped. >> reporter: the horror started the next morning. they began with anna. >> they grabbed my youngest friend and began having their way with her. afterwards they did the same to my other friend. then an older man who was about 65 years old started with me. he said he was going to show me how to be a woman. but i don't know what that means, i said. i'm going to show you, he said. he took off all my clothes and began raping me. >> reporter: from that day forward, wendy was raped, tortured and moved from brothel to brothel.

often working alongside 15 other enslaved girls. each servicing six to seven men a night. >> i've seen people treat livestock better than these people treat their girls. >> reporter: look closely on the outskirts of houston, and lining the streets near the port you will find an abundance of unassuming bars known as cantinas. most look like regular nightclubs, offering little more than loud music and cold beer. but those that know will tell you that behind this public facade are hidden passageways and tiny rooms where girls, many of them from latin america, are forced to be sex slaves, trapped and enslaved by threat of violence. >> i think the average american citizen would be shocked to see one girl treated like this, much less the number we have here in houston. >> texas state investigator mike barnett is part of a team that has spent the last six years trying to shut down traffickers who kidnap and rape young women.

and linda geoffen is the county attorney for harris county, texas, and she prosecutes those cases. nice to have you both here. >> good morning. >> thank you for coming e havin >> i think a lot of us kind of turn a blind eye. we don't want to see this horror happening here in america. how widespread a problem is this? how many girls are -- have you seen involved in this? >> i don't think anybody has a good number on it because it's hard to get a number on how many women there are. we were looking at close to 2 or 300 in our little area in harris county. >> it's not just sex slavery, by the way. >> no, ma'am, it's not. it can be somebody that's a house maid or something of that nature like a labor situation that aren't being paid. >> and explain how these cantinas in your case here are making money from these girls. >> well, they make a lot of money. they use them as what most

people think are prostitutes, but that's not really a good name for them. they're being raped. they're being brought into a cantina and you saw in the story they have anywhere from 15 to 20 of them in a cantina. the customer can come in and pick one and they'll pay anywhere from 50 to $100. it depends on where you go. for a girl to have sex with them. >> linda, as a woman who prosecutes these cases, why can't -- we can't just go in and shut down these places, arrest these people who are putting these women up for sale? >> well, part of the problem is that it is the fastest-growing criminal industry globally right now, rivalling the drug trade. so the people who run these organizations are very sophisticated. and our unit, we're very fortunate in harris county that we've developed a special prosecutions unit. we try to target the criminal enterprise and stop the flow of money. meanwhile, the girls are coming in rapidly. they're coming across the

border. as soon as they get across the borden, they're beaten, raped. their families are threatened, they're threatened. and they can have, like in the piece, the door could be open, but they are in such fear of their life and their family's lives that they -- >> they stay in the situation? >> right. >> really important to shed light on this problem. we thank you for being here. linda and mike, thank you both. and by the way, you can see "sex slaves" on sunday night on msnbc. we'll be right back. ♪

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coming up, decorating for your super bowl bash. plus, easy recipes to please your guests. but first, your local news and weather. and tonight everyone gets a taste of something special... ranch spinach dip. [ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mix it up.

good morning. time now 9:26. checking your forecast with chris teep na. what do you know? it will be sunny and warm today. we can't get enough of it. february is the time of year where we like to break temperature records. i don't think we will break any. we will be breathing down the neck of somebody. more likely to break records as we head into saturday, sunday and monday. somebody has been busy today. mike in the traffic department. >> i wasn't stuck in it.

but patrero avenue moving more smoothly. grenades found, they have cleared up and now reopen and a smoother drive. other side of the water, slow drive past the coliseum. bay bridge toll pla za. right now they are going to stop you for a momentwas an an frs c. sas ancisco. stay wh us. never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days.

60 miles compared to what a cancer patient goes through is a walk in the park. from the moment i registered, people started immediately supporting me and asking me how they could help. you meet the most wonderful, inspiring people. when you accomplish those 60 miles, it's truly life-changing. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. st school board is turn iing t voters trying to solve budget problems. the board wants to hold a special election for a property tax increase. school district board said that would raise $3 million a year to help keep class sizes smaller. voters can cast may il-in ballo.

the measure needs a 2/3 majority to pass. voters are being asked to approve a parcel tax increase. it would be the second hike in two years. the proposed four year tax is $98. election will have mail-in election on may 3rd. 68 teachers have lost their jobs. more local news in half an hour and the "today" show returns in less than a minute. we'll see you back here in a bait.

♪ we're going to warm things up now because we're so tired of this winter weather. we're going to warm things up with a little justin bieber. we've got the 16-year-old phenom back in studio 1a tomorrow. what does that make that? twice this week? >> i think so. >> what other broadcast does that? i mean, really. let's talk about it. >> can't have too much bieber. >> exactly. we're excited about that. we'll also talk about more trouble for lindsay lohan. >> that's right. she's under investigation for allegedly stealing a

one-of-a-kind necklace from a los angeles area boutique. we'll have the latest details on that. then are you ready for football? >> yeah. >> here we go. >> the great state of texas. but unfortunately, the cowboys aren't in. it is the steelers versus the packers at the super bowl on sunday. and if you are planning to host a big bash, we'll tell you how to make your home appropriately festive. and then we'll have great treats that are easy to prepare. >> we are going serious on this topic. we've already had two segments on this topic already this week. we'll have two more. this is a big deal. the men like to be fed apparently. >> and the women. >> and the women. a 23% increase in women who love football. >> interesting. we'll all gain the weight. let's go out to chicago and al for the forecast. we hope you make it back for the super bowl. >> i hope so. 34% of all nfl viewers are women. so, you know, let's hear it for the ladies. >> we watch for the commercials,

too. >> yes. i like the commercials. let's put in a commercial for the weekend weather and see what's going on. saturday, we've got that storm system, double-barrel low making its way up the coast. going to cause problems for the southeast and the gulf coast. pacific northwest has action going on. looking for sunshine through the southwest. super bowl sunday, we're looking at more clouds and more wet weather. a little lake-effect snow throughout the eastern great lakes. we've got clouds and showers in the pacific northwest. sunshine through southern california on into the southwest and texas. looks like it is still going to be cold in dallas. meanwhile we will be viewing the super bowl from the bay area under a beautiful sunny sky. temperatures that are warmer than what we are expecting today. 68 in red wood city. 65 in san francisco. numbers are going to be on the

rise as we head through friday, saturday and sunday. 72 degrees forecasted high for sunday. ha have a great thursday. >> it's zero here in chicago. absolutely balmy. ladies? >> all right, al. thank you. >> when you come back, we'll give you a big, warm hug. >> that's right. >> all right! >> nice and cozy at least. >> something to look forward to. coming up next, lindsay lohan is under investigation for stealing a one-of-a-kind necklace.

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embattled actress lindsay lohan is making bad headlines again.

this time, the los angeles police department is investigating here for allegedly stealing a one-of-a-kind necklace from a jewelry store. kristen welker has been covering this story. what's going on? >> good morning, ann. lindsay lohan has been working hard to get her life back on track since she got out of rehab. these new allegations could be a major setback. >> hey, lindsay. did you steal the necklace? >> reporter: lindsay lohan ignored reporters outside the santa monica courthouse wednesday after allegations surfaced that lohan stole this $2,500 necklace from a venice jewelry store near her home on january 22nd. >> soon after the necklace was allegedly stolen, we see a picture that appears to be the necklace hanging around lindsay lohan's neck. that's evidence that the police are taking very seriously. >> reporter: in a written statement, the lapd said they obtained a search warrant on tuesday to look for the missing necklace in lohan's apartment,

but prior to service of the warrant, the neck lace was returned. >> there are reports that lindsay is denying that she knew it was taken, that a stylist took it and that she wore it but didn't know where it came from. >> reporter: representatives from the jewelry shop said they gave police surveillance video which shows lohan in their store on the day the necklace disappeared. now it will be up to the los angeles county district attorney to determine whether charges will be filed. >> the da will make a decision. can they prove that she was shoplifting? in order to prove leftheft, you have to prove that the person had an intent to permanently deprive the owner of their property. >> reporter: in 2009, lohan settled out of court after leaving a nightclub with someone else's mink coat. speculation also swirled later that year when gems totaling $400,000 disappeared after lohan

posed for an "elle" magazine photo shoot and again when a friend's rolex went missing. she was never charged in either instance. these new allegations couldn't come at a worse time. the troubled actress is currently under investigation in riverside county for allegedly assaulting an employee at the betty ford clinic where she was a patient for three months. lohan was ordered to rehab by judge eldon fox for violating her probation on a dui arrest. analysts say lohan could be in real trouble this time. >> if she's convicted of either shoplifting or assaulting the betty ford worker, the case is going to be sent to judge fox and one would have to assume that if she's convicted of either of those charges that he's going to put her in jail. >> now, the da's office wouldn't comment except to say that no charges have been filed at this time. nbc also reached out to lohan's attorney for comment but never

heard back. the acteroress has a status heag set for february 25th. >> kristen welker, thanks for that. coming up next, switching gears and talking about decorating on a dime for your super bowl bash for men and women, after these messages. my vet thinks my insides are in mint condition. [ female announcer ] vets agree, a healthy checkup starts inside. our breakthrough iams premium protection formula is developed with vets with cutting edge ingredients for the lifelong health of your pet. [ dog ] healthy inside and out. come on, up high! [ female announcer ] iams premium protection. our most advanced iams nutrition. ever.

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next stop, facebook. where a man lives the challenge in a macy's window for a week. ♪ where a man lives the challenge in a macy's window for a week. the best device for everything you love to read editors' choice. best dedicated ereader. magazines look spectacular. fantastic device. touch the future of reading at barnes and noble. nookcolor. this morning on "today's home," prepping for your super bowl bash. more and more women are football fans these days. no matter which team you're rooting for, you may want to make sure you have everything you need to throw a hall of fame hearty. here with easy tips is elizabeth mayhew. good morning. >> good morning. >> you grew up in a home where big super bowl party was the thing. >> absolutely. and this -- this is the easy way

to go because this is all about going to the grocery store or the hardware store. you've got time to do it. you won't spend a lot of money. perfect. >> i love that 23% increase in the number of women watching football over the past two years. women are loving football. we love to throw a party. where do we start? >> let's start with tube socks. get these at the dollar store. >> i'm familiar with those. >> we're going to make beer cozies. >> okay. >> this is when you grab your beer and it's very cold out of the cooler. you don't want your hand to slip off of it, god forbid. cut it, fold the edge down so you don't have that yucky edge. you slip it over your nice, cold beer and our hands will stay warm. >> cool. >> you're picking tube socks in your team color. notice the colors we have are for the teams. >> coasters. >> next we'll make coasters. this is the fake grass you get

at the hardware store. turn it over. you just take a mug, you draw a circle and then you'll take your scissors and you'll cut out a circle. very easy. >> i love this because you can use it for a garden party later in the spring. >> so you've got your bowls. >> we just took plain, white bowls. these are from cb2. very inexpensivnexpensive. this is electrical tape. it's cheap. get it in whatever colors you want. it leaves no sticky residue. you can just pick it up and put it down. put your team color stripes around your bowls. you can use it to kind of decorate anything. it is that simple. >> easy to remove so you can use your bowls for another party. those are the -- where did you get these? >> online, at craft stores in the scrapbooking session. then you just put your favorite

team numbers on them or you can put your initials of your team or write "go team." whatever you want. get your kids involved, too. >> yeah, this is cool. now to the snacks, very important. >> this is our basic table. we started with the same fake grass. we just did it in a runner down the middle of the table. on top of that, we used slate. these are just slate cheese boards. you can do your plays, you can discuss what the -- what the quarterback is doing and do that whole thing. >> tell me about the rice crispy treats. >> you can take these to go for your fans also. they are brown rice with honey and peanut butter. >> how did you get them in the football shape. >> a cookie cutter. we got m&ms, layered them in a clear glass vase. >> i'm so girly, but these teams have the least apractive colors. but it makes it look festive. >> we also did this cake. you can get the recipe in

"women's day." it's your big touchdown at the end. it's three-dimensional. it's just to make it fun, get everybody involved. it's super easy. >> this is fantastic. you're the only person that can make the steelers colors pretty today. go cowboys! any, elizabeth, thank you. up next, easy and affordable treats for your spectacular super bowl bash.

this morning, super bowl dishes that will keep them cheering no matter which team is winning. sunny anderson is host of "cooking for real." she has big ideas for the big game that are easy to make and easy on the budget. good morning. >> good morning. >> pity party for the jets. >> this is my rally jersey. this is for early super bowl next year. go jets! >> absolutely. start early. >> so you're making an easy

beefy cheesy enchilada. >> yes. my easy beefy cheesy enchilada. this is perfect for a super bowl party because you've got friends coming over, a casserole, you can do the day before and put in the oven the day of. makes it really easy for the host. i've got tomato paste. a little bit of garlic and onion. it's just cooked down so it's nice and dark brown. then i have fresh thyme and then cumin. i love kumpcumin. it's like meat on a platter right there. this is going to be the red sauce that's going to go on top and enbetween tin between the l. so i'm going to put in a full can of crushed tomatoes, 28 ounces. and then to that, add in some beef stock. so i'm going to cover this up and let it simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. it's going to reduce. >> thicken up. >> reduce to a nice, thick red sauce right here, which is what we have. then we'll start working on the beefy layer.

>> we like that. bring on the beef. >> i've got packers colors right here. >> perfect. >> with my yellow and my green. >> steelers, too, the yellow. >> right. then some onion. that's just sauteing until it's tender. i'm going to add some garlic, minced up. lots of flavor there. i'm going to add in some more cumin. just marrying the same flavors. some thyme. right here is a little bit of onion powder. mix that in. and now i'm going to add an ingredient that's really key to this. it's a spanish seasoning. it's got the anoto that's going to make it that beautiful color. >> i love that. >> yes, girl. yes. >> so you cook this in. and then you'll add in some roma tomatoes. i've got to come to your party. >> yeah. maybe i'll make your recipe there. >> it's really easy to make. if you're not doing chili or if you want something extra, do a casserole. >> right.

>> add the ground beef right in there. you'll cook that -- >> let that brown up. cooked through. >> we'll move back here -- >> did you put any more beef stock in there? >> yes, a little salt and pepper. that's going to cook down. >> you get the gist. perfect. now let's layer it up, right? >> i'm going to bring this red sauce back. it's good to go. we'll start putting these together. now, on the bottom of my dish here, you can do a 13 by 9 casserole. we've got a cup of the sauce, we've got some corn tortillas down, welcome to the party, y'all. and then right over the top, we'll do this ground beef. >> it's like a lasagna. just layer it up. >> right. >> and you can use corn -- are these corn? >> i wouldn't use flour only because of the gummy nature that they take on when you cook them. use corn. i use the beef kind of like the bre bricks and the cheese like the mortar. it's going to held everything together. over the top of that layer some more sauce. >> can you put beans if you

want? >> you can do beans if you like it, yes. you can do any kind of meat. you don't have to do beef. do ground chicken. >> you bake it for how long? >> bake it in the oven, 350 for about 25 minutes. everything is cup pleatly cooked. >> sjust want it to bubble downh ve it upnde hpa sunny anderson, always great to have you here. happy super bowl party. 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. it is 9:56 right now. time to check that forecast with christina. >> the good thing is the

forecast is not changing. we are still looking toward 70 degrees today. 64 in concord and 64 in san rafael. we are colding this morning. temperatures in the 30s so the cities that were the coldest, sunshine is going to struggle to break the high degrees. temperatures are going to climb as we head into this weekend. 72 degrees by super bowl sunday. let's find out how we are looking in the traffic department. >> i have to mention petrera avenue again. the roadway reopened. that is well cleared, but southbound 101, there is a new accident blocking a lane. little late slowing the 280 n interchange. close to the bay bridge toll

plaza. live look out there, south of there, we see smooth driving back to you. >> thank you very much. firefighters who saved a girl from a raging fire are doing everything they can to help her again. 7-year-old alison is the only survivor of the december fire that killed her mother, sister and a neighbor. firefighters are establishing a fund to raise money for her. she is currently with a foster family. go to www.ofrandomacts.org. money is running out for the court of alameda. it could shut down within the next four to six months. it would mean bad news for 400 kids whose cases are yet to be heard. fewer than 10% of the kids

reoffend compared to 80% of youth in the juvenile gious sis system. stay with us. hand sanitizer sheer moisture. w gold bond ultimae kills 99% of germs without alcohol. new gold bond hand sanitizer sheer moisture.

from nbc news, this is a special sunny edition of "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb's special beach party. are you ready for the party?

go. ♪ east coast girls are hip ♪ ♪ i really dig the clothes they wear ♪ >> take it off. go. >> jerry. whoo! i feel better already. ♪ they keep their boyfriends warm at night ♪ ♪ i wish they all could be california girls ♪ >> thank you. >> we've had it. >> i'm going to sit down before people get a good shot of my thighs. >> this is our beach party. we decided we'd had it.

look at jerry -- we don't care what it is, jerry. >> thank you so much. hope you're joining us at home. hope you're in your thong or your two-piece or something. it's february 3rd. it's thursday. while a good part of the country is shoveling themselves out. >> look at the images. we know across the country for the last several days, schools have been canceled, all kinds of stuff has been happening. and you can see that people have had it. look at these images that we've been watching. i think we just got sick of it. we got sick of stepping in icy cold puddles and putting our boots on. they're fine. we've all been through it. the studio is nice and toasty. >> it is. we hope you're just going to join us today. for half an hour we're going to

forget what it's all outside. it's all attitude hoda woman. >> i agree with that. i agree when you start to feel crumby and freezing like we have been the last couple days, a nice drink, and i think the key is playing good music. that automatically transforms you. why don't we go to the i hoda. i don't remember what i picked. it was something warm and toasty. okay. this one will put you in the mood. this one is called "walking on sunshine" by katrina and the waves. ♪ >> we should point out -- >> uh-oh, flopping. ♪ i used to think maybe you love me, now baby i'm sure ♪ ♪ i just can't wait till the day when you knock on my door ♪ >> i like this one, hoda.

>> okay. we want to point out that -- ♪ >> we have to get a shot of tara. she's our floor director. she promised she'd wear a bikini, and she did. >> over her outfit. >> it's tara's job is to queue us. she doesn't seem to care what's going on. >> i was hoping the guys would wear a thong. i was looking forward to that. nobody bit the bait. >> jerry also has cute toes. he has really cute toes. we're glad. you know what they say about a man whose second toe is long like that? >> what? what does that say? >> morton's toe. >> what does it mean, jerry?

must mean something. >> you've got a good song you like. >> yes, this is my favorite. you know this one. ♪ summer breeze makes me feel fine ♪ >> seals and croft. i love them. did they break up? did they die? i hope not. i love those guys. >> have you ever played that game dead or alive? >> yeah. charlie callis died the other day. i thought he died already. >> something that ticked me off yesterday -- >> no, no, no. >> i was trying to make a long distance phone call if my home phone. i dialed the number. >> you have a home phone? >> they kept saying you're going to be connected to at&t. >> the lady gets on, what's your phone number? >> well, i don't know because it's new. no one calls me on that phone.

>> only the doorman. >> i said i don't know the number. they said you owe a lot on your phone bill which can i tell you i pay online so i have the online payment. >> this is a brand new phone that you just got a couple months ago. >> this is the phone that they transferred, all the troubles, remember, transferring the phone. when a bill comes, you know what i do? i rip it in half because it's already paid online. i don't open it, rip it in half. why would i look at it? it's the same bill every time. the lady said i owed $450 i pay online. to turn it back on takes a long time. i'm letting you know, you have to make sure if you think you're having a recurrent payment, sometimes you're not because that happened to me. >> that's because you moved. >> yes, it is because i moved. >> the one thing you also have to learn, hoda, to actually open your mail and read it before you throw it out.

she's had jury summons. i think you've been arrested three states and you didn't know it. all kinds of -- >> whenever i go to my mailbox, there's so much jammed in there. >> it's like your purse. >> one of those candid camera moments. it just kept coming and coming. it just doesn't matter. >> one of them might. there's a couple of people -- if you want to get away, let's talk about the best beaches in the country and then let's sort of emotionally go there, visualize ourselves there. number five according to tripadviser.com. >> clearwater, florida, number five beach. sparkling. >> we'll show you inexpensive beach destinations you can take right now. number four is cape may, new jersey. >> it's charming there. like a victorian little village on the sea. >> beautiful. number three is hawaii, a place called hoipu.

number two, san diego. i totally agree with that. >> number one. >> i found a little surprising. myrtle beach, south carolina. here is what surprises me, now, this time of year, myrtle beach, south carolina, is not that far south. it's a beautiful place. i don't know that i'd want to be on the beach right now. >> it is chilly. we'll talk about great beach destinations. can we talk quickly about charlie sheen. >> you mean eroll flynn? >> he talked about why is everybody paying so much attention to me when there are things like egypt going on. he said he has a lot of work to do. i want to say thank you to my fellow cast members and to my

fans, your good wishes have touched me very much. here is the interesting part. like errol flynn who had to put down his sword on occasion, i want to say thank you. explain that oh. >> errol flynn was a swash buckling -- did a lot of movies in the early days of talkies. he was legendary for his prowess with the ladies and other things, acceptance in life. if he's patterning his life out of errol flynn, you wonder if it's time for humor. if he's doing this rehab at home, he has a bouncer who is keeping out the hookers and the drug people. he can't live at home. he has to learn to say no to those influences when he leaves that house. >> that's where the phrase in like flynn came from, errol

flynn. >> i always thought it was flint. >> flynn, errol flynn. okay or not okay? we're not going to talk about lindsay lohan's necklace? okay. is it okay to ignore valentine's day? i said at your own peril -- >> if you're in a relationship. i don't expect anything at valentine's day at all. i always say to frank, we have so much, i don't need a thing. i want peace. that's all i want, peace and quiet. he always gets me something anyway. >> and you said it depends where your heart is. who could turn down a chance for chocolate? >> i don't like valentine's day. i think the expectations are too high. it's only for people in the serious dating mode. >> my first husband on valentine's day i met him, and our divorce became final on valentine's day. >> i have a feeling this coming valentine's day is going to make you change your mind. >> do you? are you embarrassed in your

bathing suit real quick? >> not sitting down. if i had to walk out here backwards, i would be. >> we wear dresses sometimes revealing, i felt embarrassed walking around the halls with this on. >> i gave matt a flash. he wanted it. i said all right. you gave him one, too. >> i felt pressure. >> going down the steps to update what's happening in egypt. we'll do the heavy lifting. >> you guys are good, right? sarah is decked out from head to toe. >> i'm disappointed in share rah, she's 34 years old and not getting in a bathing suit. >> 33. >> we were asking fans how to keep summer alive. kathy wrote i have a summer party in the living room complete with beach towels and shades. lee said i don't do anything, i enjoy the winter, it keeps hot flashes at bay. >> still to come, we'll have summer styles. you shop your beachwear.

>> mr. your pleasure is margaritaville or maui we'll t lp you plan your geayaw escapes with hot deals. wh 's quitting with chantix and support... our kids go to school together. -we work together. -i'm in your cooking class. we play ball together. [ male announcer ] chantix is a non-nicotine pill proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. and you can even smoke during the first week. quitting on my own never seemed to be enough. this time it was different. this time i was ready. ready to take control. ready to talk to my doctor. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these symptoms or behaviors, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop serious allergic or skin reactions, stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away

as some of these can be life-threatening. dosing may be different if you have kidney problems. until you know how chantix affects you, use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. ♪ ♪ i'm not just someone who's quitting with chantix and support, we share recipes. i'm your coworker. neighbor. teammate. -friend. -friend. -friend. [ male announcer ] over 7 million people nationwide have talked to their doctor about chantix. chances are, you could be one of them. talk to your doctor. find out if chantix is right for you. challenge the need for such heavy measures with olay. new regenerist micro-sculpting serum for firmer skin in 5 days. pretty heavy lifting for such a lightweight. [ female announcer ] olay regenerist. takes care of 33 loads.

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in the cold, get ready to pack your bags. where is your bathing suit, mark? >> it's underneath. we're going to strip later. >> all right. let us get started. one of your first destinations, san juan, puerto rico. 80 degrees right now there. 80. >> great place in the caribbean, but the best thing is you don't need to pay a lot to go. at the intercontinental hotel, round trip from miami for 495. it's about $600. >> that's a little more than $100 a day. >> a direct flight, which is great. >> next up, desert hop springs in florida. >> right next to palm springs. there is a lot of history in palm springs. it's going to be about 70 degrees for a high.

but you go up the gondola and you need a winter coat because it's snowing up on the mountain. >> but it's beautiful there. >> we went on a jeep tour and learned on an oasis how desert air-conditioning works. very, very cool. >> i want to hang out with barry m manilow. >> orlando, florida is a hot spot. it's supposed to hit 80 degrees tomorrow in orlando. >> we want to get away, especially in the northeast with this ice storm we just had. all of florida is great right now. you have the beaches, you have attractions, you have theme parks. the hot thing right now in orlando is the wizarding world of harry potter, universal studios. >> that's one of our sister companies. >> and the next one is what? cruises. >> cruising is everywhere now. you don't have to get on an airplane because they have things called home port cruising. 70% of the population is within a 7-hour drive of a cruise ship.

you can hop on a three-night cruise. $149, three nights on a cruise. >> it's the best vacation value anywhere. >> and a company you might not have heard of, msc cruises, $450 for a seven-night cruise right now. >> honolulu, your last stop on the train here. >> it's still the united states. it's not that adventurous, right? five-hour flight, roughly about $500 round trip and you can stay at a place called the outrigger lawana hotel. it's not on the beach, it's about five minutes from the beach, but you save a lot of money. you're two blocks from all the shopping in waikiki. you can take an efficiency for $139 and you can cook some food in your efficiency. one-bedroom condo. >> hawaii got so hard hit by the recession, there's probably a lot of deals. we'll see you for the second half of the show.

>> now that you know where you're going to go, we're going to show you what to wear when you get there. just get there in your head. nice talking to you. really that's about all we ever did is just work and play here. pretty well. i think up here in this area, we're, we're kinda like a novelty almost now, because there's so few of us left. but farmers are farmers -- and i just keep trucking, just keep going. [ female announcer ] meet the families behind real california dairy at realcaliforniamilk.com. ♪ progresso. oh yes hi. can you please put my grandma on the phone please? thanks. excuse me a sec. another person calling for her grandmother. she thinks it's her soup huh?

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3 snacks, 2 shakes or meal bars, and 1 balanced meal. slim fast. who has time to slim slowly? we are back and we're partying it up on our indoor beach as things try to thaw outside. >> we couldn't party without our guru jill martin. >> are you drinking on the show? >> i think there is pomegranate

in here. this is delicious. >> welcome. >> thanks for inviting me. >> did you bring some hot numbers for us? >> i brought some hot numbers and a hot man. >> he was hard to miss. >> we're talking about tie dye, right? >> i'm talking about the one-shoulder thing, but this is our beautiful model. let's get to her. erica. tie dye is a huge trend for summer and spring. everything is cyclical. cafeswimwear.com. and trigo jewelry. i think it's fun to layer up. >> are those affordable? >> everything is $60 to like $150, so depending on your price range, you can get it. >> that's what i want.

>> all right, we have a mommy/daughter team, felicia and her daughter danny. let's bring them out. >> oh, how cute are they! >> isn't that adorable. >> sandy said, do you want my business card and she gave it to me, which i have right here. thank you so much. this is the incacollection.com. i'm not a matchy/matchy person, but look how cute they are. the bag is old navy. >> thank you, ladies. >> thank you, guys. >> we have amanda, huh? >> this is the shapewear swimsuit. >> ten pounds in ten seconds. built-in control panels. but look how cute she looks with the ruffles. this is miraclesuit.com. i love the fun towel. the jewelry, look at this necklace, which i will buy, and the glasses. i love those for the summer. >> the miracle suits are genius

because you think that stuff has to come out somewhere and it doesn't. >> miracle suits keeps it right where it needs to be. >> and they come in jeans and all different forms, so we love that. >> thank you, amanda. >> what's this cut it out look. >> this is a huge trend for spring and summer. mostly for summer, i should say. and this is a trend, like, if you're small busted and you want to be bigger busted, you want to draw attention away from that area. it really highlights your stomach, but of course you have to have a body like this to wear it. haviana's, which i always love for the summer, and etica jewelry just stacks up her arm. >> i like the stacking. >> i'm depressed. >> you're depressed, here we go. >> william, we've been waiting for you. >> william to the rescue. william can pull off anything. i like the music. >> why is he wearing the towel around that chest.

what are you trying to hide? >> william, remove the towel. >> thank you. >> he can do the sporty look. a man can also wear it. i just want to point out the shoes, the espadrilles. celitas.com. >> i'm not crazy about a man's feet. they creep me out a little. >> you're also saying how comfortable they are, right? >> i like flip-flops on a guy, like the surfer look, but the sandals -- >> does frank wear them? >> no. franhides his feet. >> coming up, what you need to know about super bowl snacks so you don't ruin your diet. sheets or bar:

how do you get your bounce? well, my husband's at home with the laundry, so it's a good thing i'm a bar person because i know the laundry will be fresh. the rest of the house? (farting) exactly. how do you get your bounce? woman: love the bar. fortunately, there's senokot-s tablets. senokot-s for occasional constipation associated with certain medications. save $3 right now. go to getconstipationrelief.com.

good morning to you. 10:26 right now. time to check that forecast with christina. here comes the sun and temperatures have now climbed into the 50s. 53 in san francisco. and it is before 10:30 so this is what we are expecting today. high temperatures come in, 70 degrees and we are talking about 64. and 65 in san francisco. even warmer tomorrow, 71. we are in 72 degree territory all weekend long. >> you know, we have another

accident southbound 101. new accident, jammed and keep that in mind. coming off of the bridge, a very smooth drive. >> heading to the bruidge live look at the toll plaza shows you that. gusty winds more news after this.

police officer is in trouble

with the law. he is accused of stealing the registration sticker off of a car he pulled over last year. he is charged with violating the california vehicle code. he turned himself in yesterday. pj and e is being ordered to reduce the pressure in gas lines. the commission says they ran the lines well above legal safety limits within the last few years. utility says the pressure went above maximum limits by only a few pounds. half mile stretch and an eight and a half mile section and 17.75 miles to modesto. thank you for joining us this morning. i'll see you bright and early

tomorrow morning. have a great afternoon. we're back on this thirst day with more of "today," and unfortunately, the party is over, people. >> no, it's never over! >> it's time to face the facts, it's still winter, but here's some good news. the super bowl is just days away. >> if your goal is to count some calories, you better be armed and ready to go. natalie firstrom is here, and we are going to be put to another test. you have to have some fun with food, right? >> jump in any time because there is a very cool prize and i know you love to compete. >> i love prizes. >> we're going to start with some quickies.

you have these chicken wings and then you're going to have some nachos. one of these has 240 and one has 330. >> 330. >> kathie lee, you're right, you get that. >> i was taught that, too. >> now we're going to rearrange this. lowest to highest fat. >> lowest, lowest. >> you have to rearrange them all. we have hummus, light ranch and guacamo guacamole. >> no, that way! that way. >> that's right. hoed it gets it, 1-1. next, here's some winter snacks. we have kale chips, we have nuts

and we have popcorn. >> they have a lot of calcium, they're kind of good. a kale factory in brooklyn. one of these has 100 calories in a serving. hoda is right. the rest have anywhere from 130 to -- >> black and yellow, black and yellow, black and yellow. >> black and gold. >> now we're going to rearrange these. >> black and yellow, black and yellow, black and yellow. >> now we're going to arrange these lowest to highest calories. this is chili, a subway sandwich and a pizza. she's wrong, so you get to rearrange. lowest to highest calories. you're saying that's the lowest and you're right.

>> like i said, black and yellow, black and yellow. >> next, who wants to pick just one of these. a regular hot dog, plain hamburger and peppers. which one of this has the lowest number of calories? >> i would say the hot dog. >> yes. here we have to think about beer. regular beer has too many calories. one of these calories have 130 calories in the whole bottle. which one? >> this one. >> wrong. >> you pick. >> this could take a while. i'm sorry, i don't know beer at all. i'll just say heineken.

>> it's the guinness. >> i can't stand the way it tastes. >> that's not going to work for you. one of these has 300, one has 420. chocolate chip cookies or the ice cream. hoda, you're right. >> i know my sweets. >> you can finish strong. one of these has 350 calories. which one do you think it is? is it the brownie, the cupcake or the piece of marble cake. >> no. >> by default? >> that has 350! >> that's right. >> i don't like that. that's so funny. that's the most calories? >> no, that's the least. >> oh, i went the most. >> she didn't say the most, she said which one has 300 or higher. >> okay. >> what's the prize? >> the prize, it looks like we

have a terrible towel today. >> oh, rack bottom. >> i'm going to take the terrible towels and the steelr r helmets. you can have the cheesehead. >> natalie, we love you. next up, she wants to sing to you and she's going to get her chance. we've written a song especially for her. she's an amazing woman. please stay with us. ♪ special k protein shakes -- ♪ a truly great-tasting breakfast shake. with 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, it's the creamy, delicious way to satisfy... your hunger to help you lose weight. ♪ so you can kick the tin can habit. try special k protein shakes today.

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it is time for "everyone has a story" and in a minute we're going to meet our newest winner. her name is nicole maciano. >> she has a story of survival. before we bring her out, let's hear what she has to say. >> my name is nicole, and i'm glad i'm alive to tell my story. i'm 21 years old and was born with cystic fibrosis. i had part of my intestine removed and at age eight, part of my gallbladder removed. my parents gave me as normal a life as possible, but i was sick more than i was healthy. it seemed i was on oxygen 24/7. i was born and raised in ft. lauderdale, florida. my parents decided to have a double lung transplant at duke university hospital in north carolina. i am now three years post-transplant. due to several complications, we found ourselves relocated to

north carolina to be under the close care of duke. my father still lives in florida to keep my insurance. my parents are married 23 years and i have never seen two people more dedicated to their daughter. i'm grateful to be alive, and i try to give back to the transplant foundation and the hospital as much as i can. i have been performing since i was a little girl and my heart belongs to broadway. ♪ >> every day for me is a gift and i take nothing for granted. >> you can see why her letter really inspired david freeman and me. she's here right now with her wonderful parents, denise and frank. what was it like for you guys to look back down memory lane like that? >> difficult but extremely happy she's here with us today for this opportunity. >> she's a walking miracle. >> she is. >> and she's a light. she is lit from inside, you can tell. when you were younger, i was reading about you, and you used to hide the fact from your friends that you had cystic

fibrosis. you didn't want anyone to know. why? >> just when you're younger, the cliques are going on. >> there was a moment when you thought that when your daughter was having trouble breathing that she may not make it. describe that time in your life for us. >> it was extremely difficult, but thank god we have a lot of family support. and we just spent every day as a gift and we just went through it, and we're here today. it's amazing. >> but you're separated so much of the time. what's that like for you, frank? they're your life. and you sacrifice your time with them to be in florida, have residency, to keep her insurance going. >> correct. it's very difficult. but we do what we have to do. we move forward every day and we pay attention to her life and that's where we're at. we dedicate everything to her. >> i love that you said you have two choices in life, you either run or you fight. >> that's correct. >> you're not a runner. >> no, we're all fighters. >> describe your philosophy. >> there's not many choices when you're put up against something

like this. you either go away from it and shy away and whatever happens happens, or you take the bull by the horns and you go forward. you head on to everything that comes at you and you deal with it. >> a double lung transplant, though, that sounds so daunting when you think about it. it must have been jarring for you to hear that was going to be the solution. >> it wasn't a pleasant moment at that point in time. very touching. >> what keeps you going other than the love of your daughter in your downest moments? what do you do? >> we communicate a lot. we do a lot of skype back and forth, we're on the phone constantly and we try to keep busy. we work. i'm very involved in business, so to speak, in florida, and we just keep going. every chance i get, i'm back to north carolina to stay with my girls. >> i'm glad we could fly you here to see each other. >> after that double lung transplant, did you feel immediately like a different person? what was the sensation after the surgery? >> numbness. >> that was first?

>> of course. but i went in surgery on oxygen, i came out breathing on my own, basically. >> so that had to be a relief. >> exactly. >> and you love singing. >> during the clip, you kind of cringed. >> but you felt like you were meant to be on stage. tell us about that. >> my parents told me i was singing before i was talking. dancing before i was walking. >> you must have been brought up on all the disney movies, ariel and them singing all the great songs. >> you're actually going to sing your own song. when kath told you on the phone, by the way, you're going to sing a song. what were you thinking? we heard you screaming, but what was the rest of it? >> we usually get already established broadway stars come to sing your song to you, but once i heard the demo of you singing, i called david and said, my god, this girl sings beautifully. >> thank you.

it was an astonishing feeling. i'm so honored just being here, let alone singing as well. >> it's amazing you were having trouble breathing and now you can just sing and let it rip. i love that. i just love it. we're so excited, we can't wait. >> coming up next, you have to stay with us, because dave freeman is going to be on the piano and the wild man is going to be -- he's over there providing everything else, and nicole is going to sing a song that we wrote for her called "more than anything." it doesn't get better than that. we'll be right back. [ bob ] i'd love to build bird houses for the rest of my life.

so i've got to take care of my heart. for me cheerios is a good place to start. [ male announcer ] to keep doing what you love, take care of your heart with cheerios. the whole grain oats can help lower cholesterol. love your heart so you can do what you love. hey tough guy, that cold needs alka-seltzer plus! it has the cold-fighting power of an effervescent packed in a liquid-gel for all over relief! hiyah! dude! challenge the need for such heavy measures with olay. new regenerist micro-sculpting serum for firmer skin in 5 days. pretty heavy lifting for such a lightweight. [ female announcer ] olay regenerist. takes care of 33 loads. tide stain release only handles 11. and clorox 2 gets rid of tough stains right before your eyes. clorox 2. find it next to the clorox bleach.

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♪ everyone has a moment >> we're back with our series "everyone has a story." we are back with nicole maciana who shared her story with us. and her parents are here with us. >> please welcome nicole singing "more than anything."

♪ for as long as i can remember ♪ ♪ all i wanted was to sing ♪ so for many nights, with all my might, i'd sing ♪ ♪ more than anything ♪ but as long as i can remember ♪ ♪ it was so hard for me breathe ♪ ♪ so day after day i'd live that way ♪ ♪ still i'd sing, i'd sing constantly ♪ ♪ it gave me joy and a reason to live ♪ ♪ the more people loved it the more that i'd give ♪ ♪ and i'd hold the high notes as long as i could ♪ ♪ and, oh, how i'd thrill when i

knew it was good ♪ ♪ and i knew i understood that i could i had to sing ♪ ♪ yes, i had to sing ♪ more than anything ♪ ahhhh ♪ i had to sing ♪ ahhhhh ♪ i had to sing ♪ so don't let anyone tell you ♪ that you're not meant to paint ♪ ♪ don't let anyone say don't sing today ♪ ♪ just sing, sing, sing

♪ more than anything [ applause ] >> all right, and we'll be back with a surprise from nicole, but first this is "today" from nbc. honey...? [ mom ] yes.

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we're back with "everyone has a story," honoring a very special lady, nicole maciano. by the way, that was terrific. how did that feel? tell us about it. >> besides nervewracking, it was a great experience, it really

was. >> you couldn't look at your mom and dad. >> i couldn't. i probably would have fallen on the floor crying. >> they couldn't take their eyes off of you. >> what do you think of your daughter singing? >> absolutely amazing. she sings like an angel. >> tell us about your lungs. you can't feel the breath going in and out? >> no, i can't. when they did the transplant, they had to sever the nerve. i have no nerves in my lungs, so i can't feel when my lungs get cold, things like that. >> you would never know it. we want to give you a little gift, don't we, my darling? >> we know your dream of being on broadway, we know it's hard to travel, so when our friends at the durham arts festival heard your story, they gave you four passes to broadway and soundtracks. in addition to the tickets, you'll meet the durham cast and

have a walk-on role. they sent a special message. take a look. >> congratulations, nicole. the durham cast is so excited to meet you and share the stage with you in durham, north carolina. can't wait to see you soon. >> i thought we had five seconds left. >> what do you think about that tribute there? >> that's amazing. that means so much to me. you have no idea. >> that's awesome. you haven't seen the show? >> no. >> and you didn't have any time to see a show while you were here this week? >> no, i have not. don't make me cry on tv. >> i need to know how much fun we actually have left here. >> 30 seconds. >> dave always writes such beautiful melodys to the words. thank you so much. he's on a plane today to go back to hollywood. he has to write an entire second season for a show on disney called "i'm with the band." you're going to be driving home,

right, to north carolina? >> yes. >> you're going to a plane back to -- >> thanks, you guys. reunited again. >> thanks for singing your amazing gift with us. >> justin bieber is here tomorrow, in case you're wondering. >> awesome. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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one of the challenges for kayla being gluten-free is actually finding choices the whole family will love. then we discovered chex cereals. five flavors of chex are gluten-free, including the honey nut flavor, and that's amazing to a mom like me. as a parent you don't want to have to tell your kids "no" all the time. it's nice for me to be able to say "yes" to something that they want to eat. [ male announcer ] chex cereal. five flavors. gluten free.