good morning. they had to kn. >> good morning. they had to know. convicted ponzi schemer bernie madoff breaks his silence and drops a bombshell in his first interview since going to prison. why he says banks and hedge funds turned a a blind eye to h fraud and did he really refuse to attend his son's funeral? grounded -- the united airlines takes its entire fleet of boeing 757s out of service and is expected to cause major delays at airports nationwide. and it's a bird, a plane, it's supergranny. an exclusive live interview with

the grandmother who fended off the thieves with her purse. she's brought her handbag with her today, february 16, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this wednesday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm ann curry. our crew is staying way back, i noticed. talking about -- >> she's actually a sweetheart, until you get on the wrong side of her. don't mess with her. >> don't do that. you talked about bernie madoff. big news. in "the new york times," he makes a strong assertion. he's contending that unidentified banks were somehow complicit in his elaborate fraud. >> that goes against earlier statements that he was the only person involved in the ponzi

scheme. the reporter that conducted the interview said madoff was wearing khaki prison gash and looking noticeably thinner. madoff lashed out at the media for his son's suicide and why he did not attend the funeral. also, he turned his daughter into an overnight teen sensation and made her millions of dollars. why is billy ray cyrus saying he wishes miley never became hannah montana. coming up, his surprising new interview and why he compares miley's life to a train wreck. >> she's a country dog at heart but hickory, the scottish deerhound, won over the best crowd n and won best in show at the westminster dog show. we will meet her when she stops by later this morning. let us begin with convicted swindler bernie madoff in his first interview since his arrest. good morning, mike taibbi. >> by definition the ponzi scheme would have to be one of

biggest liars. so it is hard to know how credible his statements are. what he's saying in e-mails in "the new york times" is what many suspect. in his first interview since he went to prison in 2009 bernard madoff tells "the new york times" banks and hedge funds were come police and it guilty of willful blindness as they continued doing business with him without asking questions. madoff did not names the banks and hedge funds but told the "times" they had to know. but the attitude was, if you're doing something wrong, we don't want to know. madoff says in prison interviews he helped irvin picard the trustee appointed to help recover some $20 billion in profits for the scam's innocent vict victims. he said he gave piccard, quote, information i knew would be instrumental from recovering assets from those people come police in the the mess i put myself into. picard filed lawsuits on behalf of madoff victims seeking hundreds of millions in

allegedly illicit profits from jpmorganchase and from the owners of the new york mets. both denied ever suspecting fraud. >> even if you don't know specifically, if there are signs and you ignored them you are held libel -- liable. >> reporter: the scheme victimized thousands of investors including mentors, friends and strangers hoping to recover something. even before his trial and before he went to prison he became a pariah. >> what's lost as we talk about hundreds of millions and billions of dollars are the smaller investors who had a fraction of that and now have nothing left. >> reporter: so far only madoff has gone to prison and only he has accounted and five of his employees have been charged with crimes. >> he's willing to talk now. maybe he's willing to spend more time with people. so we could find out when exactly the fraud began, what prompted him to start the fraud, what was his mindset when he

started lying to people. >> reporter: in the new york times article, madoff said he told prosecutors he would give them information to recover assets only but refused to help provide them with criminal evidence. >> in the interviews, madoff insisted his family knew nothing about his ongoing fraud. you will recall his son mark committed suicide in december. >> he was asked why he didn't attend the funeral. what was his answer? >> he said there were public safety concerns and the prison wouldn't permit him to go. mike particular, thank you very much. >> 7:05 and here's ann. >> now to a disturbing story from egypt. cbs news news is saying one of its current core departments, laura logan, one of its reporters, suffered a brutal assault and beating while in cairo. stephanie gosk has the story. >> reporter: good morning. laura logan first arrived to cover the protests but she was detained and expelled from the country. she returned the day mubarak

stepped down. when the news broke that egyptian president hosni mubarak resigned hundreds of thousands in tahrir square erupted into celebration. a statement from cbs news says laura logan and her crew on the ground to cover the historic moment were surrounded by a dangerous element amidst the celebration. moments after this photo released by cbs news was taken logan was separated by a mob of more than 200 people. she was surrounded and suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating. cbs news says a group of women and an estimated 20 egyptian soldiers pulled logan to safety, allowing her to return to her hotel. in the days leading up to mubarak's resignation, journalists had become regular targets, detained, beaten and even killed by security forces and pro-mubarak protesters. >> chief foreign

correspondent -- >> reporter: logan is an experienced journalist who spent much of her career covering the world's most dangerous places including wars in iraq and afghanistan. logan flew back to the u.s. the day after the attack and cbs news says she's now recovering in the hospital. ann? >> stephanie gosk, thanks so much. stephanie, thanks so much for reporting on the story. it is now 7:06. now once again here's meredith. >> thank you. now to the latest on a tense stand-off between the u.s. and pakistan over a u.s. embassy employee jailed in pakistan for more than a month for allegedly killing two men. now president obama is making his release a priority sending a top lawmaker to the region. nbc chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. this case is so important that the chairman of the foreign relations committee john kerry dropped everything, including a speech scheduled for today, and senate votes to rush to pakistan and try to defuse the biggest crisis between the u.s. and pakistan in years. it has become a major diplomatic incident.

protests have been raging over a mysterious shootout involving american embassy employee raymond davis that left two pakistani gunmen dead. after a magistrate sent davis to jail for at least two more weeks the administration sent john kerry reminded them what's at stake. a billion a year in u.s. aid. >> even if it was mishandled, this man is a diplomat within the embassy and immunity attaches to him. >> reporter: at the white house, president obama said international treaties give davis diplomatic immunity from prosecution. >> obviously we are concerned about the loss of life. we are not callous about that. but there is a broader principle at stake that we have to uphold. >> reporter: u.s. officials are furious that pakistan released this cell phone video of the interrogation. >> i need to tell the embassy where i am. >> reporter: they deny report

that the two victims belong to the intelligence service. davis said he thought he was being robbed by two gunmen on a motorcycle while he was driving on a crowded street. through the windshield davis shot them with a total of nine bullets, three in their backs, arousing suspicion, say the pakistanis, he was arrested with a glock handgun, and a flashlight and a pocket telescope. the incident has been marred by death. the 18-year-old wife of one of the pakistani men killed herself by drinking rat poison and before davis was arrested a pakistani man died when a vehicle from the u.s. consulate allegedly ran over him. the car was sent to rescue davis from the scene. the diplomatic fallout is escalating. the u.s. has cancelled key meetings with pakistani officials scheduled in washington next week. pakistan's president is scheduled to visit president obama next month. >> the stakes in this are enormous for the united states.

pakistan is our most important ally in the war against al qaeda and our most difficult ally. >> reporter: davis from littleton, colorado, is 36 years old and married. he now remains in a pakistani jail, a symbol of growing suspicion between the u.s. and a key ally. after kerry met with pakistan's president the officials tell nbc news the administration will consider an apology. >> andrea mitchell, thanks very much. now a check on the top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with a potential headache for travelers. united airlines has voluntarily grounded nearly 100 757 jets to complete unscheduled maintenance checks which could mean flight delays and cancellations. united acknowledged air data systems on the planes were not in compliance with an faa-mandated update from 2004.

the battle of the budget rages on with president obama vowing to veto new legislation he finds, quote, disruptive. nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd is in washington. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. there are two budget fights in washington now. today, house republicans are continuing their effort to try to slash $60 billion from this year's budget, something that the white house has promised the president will veto which could lead to a government shutdown in a few weeks. meanwhile, the president is defending his budget proposal for next year and the fact he did not attempt to tackle the long-term debt problem this country faces. here he is at yesterday's press conference on that. >> this is not a matter of you go first, i go first. this is a matter of everybody having a serious conversation about where we want to go and then ultimately getting in that boat at the same time so it doesn't tip over. >> reporter: natalie, today is press secretary jay carney's first briefing as the new press secretary.

>> you're going to be tough on him, i'm sure. chuck todd, thank you. unrest inspired by egypt's revolution has spread from iran, yemen, bahrain, and now libya. hundreds clashed with police calling for the ousting of muammar qaddafi. government backers and security forces fired at the demonstrators with rubber bullets. a u.s. law enforcement official was killed in mexico on tuesday and a second wounded when gunmen opened fire on the vehicle. the two u.s. immigration and customs enforcement agents were on assignment fighting mexico's drug war. hailey barber is refusing to contend a proposal to honor a former ku klux klan member and general on a license plate. the naacp has called for them to denounce the plan to honor nathan bedford forest. he led a massacre of black union troops during the civil war. just a week before the january 8 shooting in tucson that wounded gabrielle giffords

and killed six others police were on alert at the community college that had suspended suspect jared loughner. e-mails between administrators and campus security reveal plans to distribute his picture to tighten security against him. employees at los angeles schools will receive warnings that they face layoffs at the end of the year if a $408 million budget gap isn't closed. the move would leave some 5,100 teachers and counselors out of a job. a weak retail sales report released tuesday sent stocks for a dive. melissa francis is at the new york stock exchange. what are you watching today? >> dell blew the doors off earnings which has stocks in a good mood. other companies are out there replacing outdated equipment which is good for the economy. the bank of england speaking a short time ago sounding soft on inflation saying it thinks commodity prices will fall over the next year.

we are also watching housing starts and inflation data here today. back to you, natalie. >> melissa, thank you. a new cyclone is bearing down on australia's the second threaten the region in two weeks. the slow-moving system is dumping torrential rains and could cause more flooding there. here's an amazing survival tale. 84-year-old henry morella made a wrong turn driving through the desert and got stuck in a ravine. the diabetic man drank windshield wiper fluid and read the car's user's manual to pass the time. he was rescued by a couple of hikers. he now says he will never drive without a bottle of water in the car. his family took the keys and said from now on he'll be an excellent copilot. >> thank goodness he's okay. >> mr. roker, a first check of the weather. >> nice to see you guys. our friends in the west are being slammed with a storm

system. you can see the rain as far south as los angeles. heavier rain, an inch in san francisco and interior mountain snows, you can see the rainfall amount from san francisco to santa maria. as we move in closer you can see snowfall amounts in the sierras, up to three feet of snow above 7,000 feet. that's all good news for the ski resorts, staying open later out there. >> well, our neck of the woods you're getting hammered by that really strong winter storm. but the good news is our showers are starting to subside a little bit. and thin out quite a bit now. we're seeing heavy to moderate rain between san jose, gilroy, morgan hill getting good rainfall. but what you will notice back behind that steady line of showers, we have an area of clearing. temperatures mostly in the 50s. possible thunderstorms later on this afternoon. turning cold tonight. snow levels falling to 2,500 feet. weather. ann? >> al, thanks.

now to what is perhaps the biggest blow in a string of legal problems for the italian prime minister. he will now stand trial on charges that he paid a 17-year-old for sex and used his influence to cover it up. michelle kosinski has the latest on the story. good morning. >> reporter: hi, ann. every time we come near the story your mind thinks, can you imagine the public outrage if this happened in the u.s.? most italians don't care about their leader's personal life. this has become so sordid to the point it's allegedly criminal and many are happy he's going to trial and just embarrassed that it's happening at all. she is a teenage runaway turned belly dancer with fame in her eyes, now famous for all the wrong reasons. he is a 74-year-old world leader whose seemingly sordid social life decorates the world headlines who's been charged with tax evasion and bribery but comes out acquitted and smiling.

turns out they have been partying together since she was possibly 16, prosecutors say, along with a cast of many, many beautiful young women -- showgirls and prostitutes. he calls these bunga bunga parties. police call them orgies. >> there are women who want to join in. there are women who say, he's mie idol. of course i'm not one of those but his connections in show business and so on. >> reporter: being a billionaire media mogul made him a hit with young women which is why his wife left him in 2009. the teenage belly dancer, stage named ruby heartsteeler admits accepting thousands of dollars from berlusconi but said it was a gift, not for sex. other showgirls said the same. investigators say the opposite is true. when underaged ruby was arrested

for theft berlusconi ordered her released and said she's now engaged to hosni mubarak, which she is not. but berlusconi is accused and denies any wrongdoing. >> he'll fight tooth and nail. he has everything to lose from it. >> reporter: a judge ordered a fast track trial that will send him straight to a three-judge panel, all women. meanwhile, women all over the country have demanded he resign. he refuses, adding he's always given women attention and respect, making them feel special. he said he's not worried about trial calling it all a politically motivated attack. the judge set a date for april 6 although there are things his lawyers can do to delay it by quite a bit.

he doesn't actually have to appear during the trial although if convicted he could face up to 15 years in prison. >> all right. on that note, michelle kosinski, thank you very much. once again here's meredith. >> now to what happens on capitol hill after hours. dozens of congressmen sleep in their offices. now one watch dog group is sounding the alarm. capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell has details. good morning. >> reporter: hi, meredith. both democrats and republican house members have been doing this for decades. some are even proud of it. but the outside group that exposes ethical lapses in washington says what happens here overnight just isn't right. by day, hanson clark is a busy new congressman. >> i did this so i could be the best member of congress so i could spend all of my time here working. >> reporter: by nightfall in his office -- how do you make it work? >> it's a tight fit. i have to move this table back. >> reporter: the michigan

democrat does a quick change. he's one of dozens of congressmen -- and it is all men -- who sleep in their offices. >> it focuses me on my job which is to work with people. >> reporter: critics say this house should not be a home. >> it turns the house office buildings into frats or dorm rooms and that's unseemly. >> reporter: does rent-free bunking at work take unfair advantage? >> look at that. a perfect fit. there we go. that will work. >> reporter: a watchdog group filed an ethics complaint kplaming the sleepovers cheat taxpayers because government officers are not for personal use. >> if this is lodging then members of congress have to pay taxes on the fair market value of the lodging and right now they are not doing that. >> reporter: members are paid $174,000 a year. some say it's too expensive to keep a family home in their district and a second place in

d.c. this utah republican is a father of three. >> if i can save $1500 a month i will sleep on the cot. >> reporter: there is a political value, too, promoting themselves as frugal, hard-working and not d.c. insiders. he came up with his cot-side chat. georgia congressman jack kingston slept there for nine years. >> you don't want them to catch you in your pajamas with bunnies on them. >> it keeps me focused on working. >> reporter: they claim that is worth a do not disturb sign. members who sleep over pay a fee to use the house gym where they take showers and change. this is three or four times a week when they are in session. the rest of the time they are back home. so far, no comment from the ethics committee about whether they think this is an issue that needs to be investigated. meredith?

>> thank you very much. just ahead, the grandmother who became an international sensation after using her purse to foil a jewelry heist. an exclusive live interview with the woman they call supergranny. but first this is "today" on nbc. ♪

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delicious, real ingredients with no artificial flavors or preservatives. naturals from purina cat chow. share a better life. >> good morning. 7:26 now. i'm brent cannon. big storm coming through. a live look outside. look at the big waves coming through pacifica. bob redell is out there live along the embarcadero where it's been a mess for some folks this morning. bob? >> it was especially overnight where you had something unusual, the water was overlapping. it was such a concern for the people in this building they felt it necessary to put out sandbags. you see that water has receded since then. it's going to come back over, no one is saying that though there is an "x factor."

we'll see what we see not often, king tides, abnormally high tides, it happens when the sun and moon are both at their closest points to the earth which of course exerts more gravity, high tide supposed to happen in about with an hour. supposed to be 6.6 feet, 6.8 feet today. on the coast is surf advisory. we have christina loren to fill us in. >> well, you're the only king i see out there. we're looking good now, thinning out, the showers are starting to subside. that's great news if you wanted to wring out a little before the next round of rain moves onshore. here's what you can expect throughout the afternoon. we'll see spotty pop-up showers throughout the day today. and enough instability for the possibility of afternoon thunderstorms. the big story is our conditions will turn spotty and we'll see breaks of sunshine throughout the day. the next story low snow levels as we head through tonight,

dropping to 2,500 feet. that means a dusting of snow at the least over the local mountains. let's find out how our roads are with mike inouye. >> good morning. we're getting a break. things are starting to calm down. the connector from 101 to 280 that reopened. about a half hour earlier than they thought. that has flooding and damage to one of the signs after an accident. the bay bridge toll plaza, slow as well as through sunol down through the grade. a look at that slowing toward the express lane there. back to you. >> thanks, kemi. coming up more local news in a half hour and on the "today" show. mi the next, you start one feeling bit off.fine. the moment you feel run down or achy, nip flu-like symptoms in the bud, with oscillococcinum. get oscillo and feel like yourself again.

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good morning. this is the so-called supergranny in action. she fended off jewelry thieves with nothing more than her purse and became an international sensation. her name, ann timson. she's here for an exclusive live interview. >> i'm meredith vieira with ann curry in for matt. she's something. that handbag had nothing but a purse in it and a newspaper. >> it wasn't the size of the bag. it was the ferocity. they backed up. they looked like tough guys. >> they had sledgehammers. >> and they go jumping on mopeds

to get out of there. we want some of what she's got. >> exactly. >> also ahead we'll be talking about hannah montana turned miley cyrus into a superstar. now in a new interview her father says he wishes the show never happened because he said it destroyed his family. we'll get details coming up. and history was made last night when a scottish deerhound named hickory won best in show. today she's celebrating her big win with us. we'll meet her in a moment. then she's going for a steak. >> i heard. >> we start with the grandmother who stopped a jewelry heist with her purse. first, peter alexander has her story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. here in england ann timson is still celebrated for her efforts but she'll likely tell you she's no hero. but her arm-swinging act against

six would be robbers earned her the nickname "super gran." as you are about to see there is nothing antique about this grandma. the video is striking and so were the sledge hammers. a brazen pack of thieves targeted a jewelry store. then out of nowhere there was ann timson. at 71 ignoring her age and arthritis, afraid someone was being beaten up. she quickly realized it was a break-in. so armed only with a handbag, the so called super gran started swinging. >> i think the adrenaline was going. i think i was really, really angry that they were there to do a daylight robbery at that time of the day. and why should they get away with it. >> reporter: suffice it to say they didn't get away with anything other than bruises. there goes the scooter. >> amazing. the courage to do that.

>> reporter: the mayor was impressed and so was martial arts expert joe goldby who said the granny showed the skills of a seasoned pro. >> she did what any good fighter would do. she keeps allowing, not allowing them any way to enter her personal body space. >> she was brave. i don't know if he shoe what she was stepping into, i wouldn't have done the same. >> reporter: who would have? except the super gran, of course. >> i mean, someone asked would i do it again. given the same circumstances where i thought a boy was taking a beating i probably would. >> reporter: can't get enough of the video. the super gran does not mess around. four of the suspects were charged with robbery and vehicle theft, meredith. so far no comment from any of them. >> peter, thank you very much. ann timson is with us exclusively along with her son andre and her granddaughter

charli. people all over the world have seen the video of you taking on the crooks and have come to know you as super granny. has this sunk in for you? >> no. >> it hasn't? >> no. i'm not a hero or a heroin or a super gran. i just thought a kid was being hit. >> you went running toward them. then you realized these guys had sledge hammers and they were breaking into a jewelry store. you say it was too late for you to stop. what do you mean? >> in for a penny, in for a pound. i think the adrenaline got going and the second thought was how dare they do a daylight robbery? that was it. >> you were just mad. >> i was mad. >> i think what a lot of people don't know is you have arthritis, pretty serious arthritis. you sometimes need to use a wheelchair and the only reason you could move that fast that

day was you had support bandages on your legs because you were going to a dance class. >> that's right. >> you said i more ambled than i did run up to them. >> the legs would have collapsed on their own. i wouldn't have said it was a run. it was an amble up the hill. i paid the penalty for it for four days. >> little bit sore? >> certainly. >> as you were running at them, what's going through your mind? because all you have to defend yourself and take them on is this handbag. >> yes. >> and the only thing in it is a small purse and a newspaper at that point. >> yes. >> can you show us what you did? >> i was holding it like that shopping. it was just a two-handed thing. it was just like that. except that i -- oh, sorry, charli. i aimed it around -- you say their heads but they had mega helmets on. it was not going to impact on

them and hurt, but hopefully it would distract them from doing what they were doing. >> were you saying anything? >> oh, yes, get off, go off, go off again. every time i whacked i said, go off. >> didn't one of them lift a sledge hammer almost to attack you? >> that was right at the very end when he'd come off the scooter. one of the wallets wobbled. it didn't knock them off the scooter. i didn't know he had the hammer. it was the second guy. i thought he'd just got on the scooter to drive off with the other ones. that's when he stood up and threatened me with it. we just stood up, eyeball to eyeball and he just put it down. i think he realized i was just an old biddy anyway. >> well, you got him in the end. they grabbed the guy. was there a point, ann, when you thought, i could really get hurt here? you said you're not a hero but something terrible could have

happened to you. >> i have to tell you, when i did stand still for a second and my lips were trembling and someone came out and said, come sit down for a minute. i'm thinking, oh, my god. what will my son say? >> and your son andre is here. you live in the states. how did you hear about this and what was your reaction? ann thought you would be furious, by the way. >> i was a little surprised. i had a newspaper reporter call me the next day. i was sitting at a computer. he said, look at the internet, tell me what you think. i was speechless. i really didn't know quite what to say. i said i'd have to hang up and call my mom. >> your mom has a history of fighting crime in her neighborhood. i know the area where you live has been plagued with prostitution in the past and drug dealers and you have helped clean it up. it's almost your mom's m.o. to reach out and help somebody. >> reaching out and helping somebody, not being somebody

that is looking for problems but trying to solve problems that she sees as she greets them in her everyday life, yeah. absolutely. she's not a vigilante. >> have you ever been victimized yourself, ann? >> oh, yes. yes. in our neighborhood about seven, eight years ago we had a project come in called casper one, casper two, casper three. they are areas of the town that you try to do something about because they are desperate to have things -- drugs, whatever is going on. we became casper three originally. that's where the first cleanup started. i live in a ground floor accommodation there. we were open plan and all our blocks or flats had alleyways which became known as rat runs. eventually all the rat runs were wired off, fenced off. we put gardens in place. we removed bushes. but yes for 18 months i lived in

the dark there because being ground floor on my own, it was an ideal place for people to meet, do drug deals using my lights. >> so you know what trouble is about and you fought it for a long time. >> i know what it can be. >> my friend ann curry said you have the right hair color to to be a superhero. did it bother you that nobody else ran up to stop the crime? >> it did a bit. but looking at it, you know, as much as anything -- although mobile phones came out. they were mobiling. i think they stood absolutely mesmerized and somebody afterward said they thought it was a wind-up for a show. >> anything but that. are you selling the bag on ebay? >> andre is going to deal with something like that and maybe we can give the funds to charity if anybody wants to buy it, they are more than welcome. >> i'm sure a lot of people

would bid on the bag. ann, a pleasure to have you here. super granny, whether you like it or not. thank you. >> thank you for having us. >> head to todayshow.com if you have a question for ann. she'll answer those questions later. now a check on the weather from al. >> and good morning, everybody. got some folks here. all you want for your birthday is -- >> is -- >> to be on "today"! >> and we have a little art project here. >> hi, south carolina. >> oh, i couldn't figure it out. my brain hurt. afternoon temperatures, look at the heat. dallas, 73. st. louis today at 64. it's springtime. good news. look at the temperatures, anywhere from 10 to 15 degrees

above normal. rest of the country, chilly conditions through the northern plains into the great lakes. also new england, temperatures in the 20s and 30s. 80s in western texas. we've got 70s and 60s through the southeast. >> our neck of the woods is drying out a little bit especially in the north bay and the northern most portions of the peninsula. our showers are turning spotty. you can see the solid line of steady rain pushing into the central valley and central california. overall we're going to have spotty showers continue throughout the day. they will be light in nature, all of the heavy rain has subsided. but this is what you can expect throughout the day. breezy to windy conditions, isolated thunderstorms likely this afternoon, snow levels falling to 250 feet as of tonight. and, you know the toy fair's in town. they have sock monkeys! got to love the sock monkey, meredith. >> i love a sock monkey, al. thank you very much. up next, the surprising winner of best in show at the

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now, there's a first. tell us what you've always wanted to do, on facebook. [ ship horn blows ] back now at 7:45 with america's new top dog. >> that's right. hickory, a 5-year-old scottish deerhound won best in show at the 135th annual westminster kennel club dog show last night. she's here along with her handler angela lloyd and the director of communications and host of the program david frei. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> angela, i had to go to you first. as soon as they named hickory, i could see the tears coming out of your eyes. it meant so much because there is a bond you had with her.

>> there is an extreme bond we share. it's come about through time. but it was shortly found. and, you know, it's a culmination of so many things. things i have worked for my whole life, things her owners and breeders have worked for for years. it's very emotional. top award in the country for a dog. >> first scottish deerhound to win this award. what is it about her? >> first of all, she's a great specimen of her breed. she's a wonderful scottish deerhound, but at the end all seven are wonderful. >> what took so long for a scottish deerhound. >> especially a long time. they were entered in the first show in 1877. >> exactly. what explains that? >> i think it was a matter of finding the right one. >> the judge who decided said she's a hound person. she loves hounds. angela and hickory got a little bit of a lucky break?

>> i'm sure it didn't hurt. if you're not having your moment of divine inspiration in front of the judge at the right time you're not going to win. >> angela, you said that yesterday was different for her. she was at her best. >> she went in the ring and she was on the top of her game. she owned it. >> you also said before the cameras started rolling that she is a particularly compassionate dog. she comes up to you -- >> she very much is. she'll come up for attention and if i ever stop petting her here she'd probably turn her head to me. she just wants to be loved all the time. >> she's a nudger. >> if you have coffee in your hand and you're sitting there drinking it, be careful. >> after she has the steak today she's retiring, right? going back to the farm in virginia? >> she's going back to her breeder in virginia and run 50

acres and enjoy her time at home. >> they want to breed her? >> it's a possibility, yes. >> what about the steak? i'm sorry. i want to ask david. how big a steak? she's got to be the biggest -- she probably can eat it right off the table. >> it will be made to order, i'm sure. she's the new single name celebrity. we have a huge entourage going to the observation deck of the empire state building like all champ do. >> she can reach the observation deck. >> pretty close. she's also going to visit the ronald mcdonald house to visit the pediatric oncology patients. >> thanks for stopping by this morning. david, always great to see you. congratulations to you, angela and to hickory. up next, we have billy ray cyrus explains why he wishes hannah montana never happened. snoes .

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just ahead we'll hear from a woman who received an apology letter from a man who raped her more than 25 years ago. she's had her kids, is married and all of the sudden gets the letter. big shock. >> she'll share her story after your local news and weather. 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

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>> good morning everybody. time is 7:56. i'm brent cannon. want to check your forecast, find out what this new round of weather is doing for us. >> what a difference a week makes. right. we are seeing a lot of rainfall in the south bay. showers are turning more spotty in the north bay along the peninsula and now throughout the day, just on and off light scattered showers. we have lightning firing off the coast so we are expecting thunderstorms later on this afternoon. they will be isolated. the possibility of hail is there. something else we don't usually see, 20-foot breakers anticipated today. let's take it live and show you the forecast for pacifica. we have a high surf advisory in place, this went into place at 7:00 a.m. it's going to stay until 2:00

a.m. and as you can see we've got pretty big waves out there. we are expecting 15 to 20-foot breakers throughout the day today. it's not going to be a great day to be out so we're trying to discourage surfers from heading out there. dangerous conditions. san francisco a break from the rain, more on the way tonight. snow levels to 2,500 feet. let's see how this moisture is impacting travel with mike inouye. >> good morning. first you show the coast and the tide coming in, the waves, that's the reason highways are closed. the east bay, slow, 680 and 24 off the walnut creek interchange, look at that. down to hayward both directions getting hit by the slowdown. earlier accident cleared from 92. other side of the water around 92 slow through san mateo. that's along the peninsula. >> thanks, mike. marin county father whose son was convicted of being a soldier for the taliban will speak about his legal ordeal.

frank lynn will talk about constitutional and human rights law. the event begins at noon today at kendrik hall. his son was 20 when he was captured while fighting for the taliban in 2001. john pleaded guilty to violating u.s. economic sanctions against afghanistan and is serving a 20-year federal sentence. john lynn said he went to help and not to fight. his parents have asked for leniency, trying to reduce their son's sentence. more in a half hour. [ male announcer ] hands free driving.

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get sharebuilder from ing direct. hey, my headache's gone. 8:00 now on this wednesday morning, february 16, 2011. the sun is shining in midtown manhattan. we love that. it also put a smile on the faces of all these folks who are joining us in rockefeller plaza. hi, guys. nice to see you all. along with lenny. we love our lenny. i'm meredith vieira along with ann curry and al roker. matt is off this morning. just ahead, an interview with billy ray cyrus. he told gq magazine that "hannah montana" destroyed his family

and he also compared miley cyrus's life to a train wreck in progress. details coming up. >> we'll hear from a woman who has written a powerful memoir about having been raped in college and she says having fwogone to her college and having nothing done about the rape. 20 years later after she was married and had children she received a letter of apology from the man who raped her. so she -- it took her life in a new direction. we'll hear from her. very powerful and important for women to hear. >> in a different direction, more on the mysteries of the brain. this morning the real dangers of concussions. just ahead what you really need to know, especially if your kids play sports, especially contact sports. >> yeah, very important. >> first a check of the morning's top stories from natalie morales in for ann. >> good morning. ripple effects are spreading

with protests in libya against muammar qaddafi. in bahrain, protesters are by the main square and today in yemen, 2,000 police officers were dispatched to put down a week of demonstrations. cbs news correspondent lara logan is recovering from a sexual assault and beating she suffered friday in egypt's tahrir square. the network said she was surrounded by a mob of about 200 people and was eventually rescued by a group of egyptian women and soldiers. president obama will defend his proposed 2012 budget today when he meets with senate democrats. house republicans are moving ahead with planning to cut $61 billion from the domestic spending this year. massachusetts senator john kerry is in pakistan pushing for the release of a u.s. embassy worker charged with murder. american raymond davis shot and killed a pair of armed pakistani men who he says tried to rob him.

pakistani officials insisted today that davis did not fire in self-defense and does not have diplomatic immunity. today the italian prime minister said he is not worried about the looming prostitution trial. on tuesday a judge ordered an april trial for the 74-year-old berlusconi who is accused of paying for sex with a 17-year-old belly dancer and then covering it up. misusing images from body scanners would be a federal crime. the tsa says scanners cannot store images, pictures from a different scanner at a florida courthouse have appeared online. borders, the nation's second largest bookstore chain filed for bankruptcy protection. sales plummeted as competitors shift to online and digital book sales. it is expected to close 30% of sales. global food prices are soaring and costs are close to the highs that triggered food riots three years ago.

and a toddler with a toe hold on a guinness world record is her family's pride and joy. lee min was born with 14 toes and 12 fingers, one digit more than the current record holder. her mother believes lee will have a natural advantage in life. it is now 8:04. now back outside to ann and meredith. >> all right. celebrating her 10th birthday hope is with us all the way from jersey. >> so far away. >> and a check of the weather from mr. al roker. >> thanks, guys. these are your kids? you don't want them to miss the bus? >> what time's the bus? >> 8:00. >> if they see this sign they have missed the bus. hopefully you're dvr eing this now. astoria, oregon, showers and cool at 43 degrees.

we have a storm system moving into the west. rain up and down the west coast. interior snows in mount shas ta and the cascades. anywhere from one to two feet of snow, maybe more. wet weather off the southeastern atlantic coast. sunshine throughout texas into the southeast and a little fog in the western great lakes. our neck of the woods is ringing out a little bit in the north bay along the peninsula. good deal of clearing. shower activity is turning spotty. we had really steady rain overnight. all of that moisture is really actually staying in line here. it's pushing into central california. take a look at the snowfall in sierra, nevada. another foot before the morning is over. temperature wise, 55 today and tomorrow. snow levels tonight, 2500 feet, 2300 tomorrow morning. and that's your latest weather. ann? >> thank you very much. coming up next, why billy ray

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interview from billy ray cyrus. he opened about to "gq" magazine about his daughter miley. >> miley reached superstardom on "hannah montana." the finale aired last month but dad says the show destroyed his family and he wishes he could take it all back. disney's "hannah montana" made miley cyrus a household name. >> my perfume is -- oh, wow. >> reporter: in "gq" billy ray goes on record telling the magazine the damn show destroyed my family. i'd erase it all in a second if i could. >> maybe i should keep my big mouth shut. >> reporter: with fame came controversy. miley's wholesome image turned upside down in 2008 when racy pictures of the 15-year-old appeared in "vanity fair." billy ray spoke with meredith about the shoot. >> things get out of control.

>> reporter: there were photos of a midriffed miley on the internet and her pole dancing performance at the teen choice awards. ♪ >> reporter: her 2010 music video for "can't be tamed." in the article billy ray admitted that he was a friend more than a parent but he blamed miley's handlers for some of the bumps in his daughter's career saying some of the handlers are perhaps more interested in handling miley's money than her safety and her career. >> i think billy ray could be regretting that he didn't manage her career, that he allowed others to step in and take it in a direction that he didn't think was in the best interest of his daughter. >> reporter: days after miley turned 18 tmz posted this video of the star smoking an herb out of a bong. >> having a little bit of a bad trip. >> reporter: billy ray told gq, i'm scared for her. i want her sheltered from the storm. >> it's relevant who billy ray cyrus is blaming.

clearly he's conflicted. what's clear is he's in a panic and he's worried about his daughter's welfare. it's a clear cry for help. >> billy ray said he never made a dime off miley. we reached out for comment backbut didn't receive a response back. miley will be hosting "saturday night live" on march 5. meredith? >> thank you very much. devin gordon is senior editor of gq and gail sals is a psychiatrist and "today" contributor. billy ray had broken up with his wife, his marriage basically over. he moved back to tennessee. >> mm-hmm. >> i guess it was five days after the bong scandal involving miley became public. but the interview was supposed to be on a new album coming out. >> mm-hmm. >> why do you think he opened up and shared so much? >> i think it's one of those

cases where you have the right author for the article, the right subject and perfect timing. this was five days after the bong scandal. it was clear to chris heath, the reporter on the piece, that billy had something he wanted to get off his chest. chris detected that early in the interview and just let billy ray get there in his own time. pretty soon he was talking about things that he probably had no intention of talking about a week or two weeks ago when the interview was set up. >> powerful statements including "hannah montana," the show, destroyed my family. >> mm-hmm. it's hard to know and one of the central mysteries of the piece is whether we are seeing a genuine train wreck in progress, as he mentioned, or whether this is an identifiable, worried father of an 18-year-old daughter going through a very public coming out as a woman. that's one of the reasons the story was so interesting to us and why it's in "gq." it is a story about fatherhood. the quotes in the story are much

more news worthy, but the full length of the story is about fatherhood. >> how would you characterize his state of mind, gail? >> i think he's experiencing a lot of loss and regret. that's a difficult combination. so to regret the way you parented your child is a pretty torture feeling. he said he was a friend and didn't set limits and didn't guide or say no. now she's 18 and you can't turn back that clock. i think he's suffering from a lot of loss. so he's got the loss that his daughter is grown up, essentially, and out of his control, if you will. he's lost his marriage. his daughter's career in many ways has surpassed his. that's a very difficult thing for a man when he's a middle-aged man. >> he's also blaming hollywood for a lot of it. >> i think in some ways that's fair. when you look around at many of the stories that we do, it's

really tampering with a very dangerous arena. so he's got a point. on the other hand, he's also blaming himself because if he'd been the kind of father to say, you know, i'm not going to let you do these things, then he might have been able to balance out the whole hollywood thing. >> he tells the writer chris heath that he believes his family is under the control of satan. if you look at billy ray cyrus's background you would understand why he would use that metaphor. >> when you isolate that quote it can sound very inflammatory, almost weird on the coasts. but billy ray was raised in tennessee, a church-going family, father was a preacher, sang in gospel. this is not unusual language. not an unusual sentiment to have. i think we have to look at sentiments like that in context rather than isolating them and thinking, oh, that guy's cuckoo. i understand why he could feel that way. >> he brings up kurt cobain,

anna nicole smith, michael jackson, other celebrities whose lives have been destroyed by the spotlight. does he believe that miley is headed in that direction? >> it's hard to know. that's the central mystery of the story. hard to know if he really feels that way or if he's just a father at a particularly potent time reacting to what he thinks is happening. regardless of the truth -- and only he and miley know -- are valid responses. >> there may not be a truth yet. it's in this evolutionary stage. she just turned 18. things are starting to happen. some soft thithings -- you knowg a boy at your 18th birthday party. we are all looking and going, ooh. but a lot of 18-year-olds do it and it's fine. it's normal for a parent to express their worst fears. these are worst fears that when your kid is in trouble you say, is this going to neend in the worst way possible? >> to express them publically -- >> this is unfortunate.

you hope this isn't the first way she's hearing this information. i really hope that. i feel badly for them. i think this is a very relatable story. it's difficult for a dad when a daughter first goes out into this world which is a complicated, fast-moving world. >> let me ask you this. it's time to go, but if he's been a friend to his daughter all these years and not parented, is it too late to start parenting? >> it's too late for some elements but not too late for everything. you hear a resigned, i'm stepping back. that's a shame. i hope he would take this and step in and say, you know, i can't turn back the clock and i'm sorry for what i didn't do, but i want to be there now and i can't tell you that you can't do these things but i am going to tell you what i think. >> thank you so much. very powerful interview. >> thank you. >> up next, the woman whose life was turned upside down when she received an apology letter from the man who raped h 25 mha 25 yrs ago.

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liz was raped 25 years ago by a fellow student at college by. she received an unexpected letter. we'll speak with liz in a moment. first, her story. in september 2005 liz and her husband were headed out the door on their way to a family

vacation when they checked the mailbox one last time. a letter had arrived. it read, in october 1984 i harmed you. i stand prepared to begin to set right the wrong i have done. he even signed his name. liz froze as a flash of memories came racing back. in 1984 liz was a freshman at uva. like many colleges, her social life revolved around fraternities and sororities. she remembers being hand eed a drink. she felt strange and found herself alone with a 6'0" male student who turned off the light, ripped off her clothes and raped her. liz didn't gain consciousness until the following morning when she woke up naked and alone. she went to college administration but according to her, they did nothing. liz went on to live a productive life as a business owner, wife and mother. stunned by her perpetrator's

confession she went to the police. >> on the evening of january 4, 2006 the las vegas metropolitan police department arrested mr. william n. beebe of las vegas, nevada. >> reporter: william nottingham beebe was sentenced to ten years in prison reduced for community service and cooperation he served six months. >> anything to say? >> reporter: liz writes about the experience in her new book called "crash into me, a survivor's search for justice". good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> looking at the pictures of you in college, that innocent little girl, what did you lose in college back in 1984? >> i did lose that innocence, but also i lost a dignity that i think i should have had that i have since regained. i lost the experience of having a regular collegehood, a regular

girlhood really, young adulthood. but i have regained that back. so it's -- not all is lost, as we can see in the book. but at the time it was lost to me. it was a life of less promise. >> yet you built a life. you've had children, a gorgeous husband and this very successful life. and so you went on. you were courageous and rose past it. and so what happened when you got this letter of apology? what happened to your life? >> well, everything to me was always before the letter and after the letter. you know, b.l. and a.l. i think before the letter, talking about that life of less promise my life wasn't bad. i certainly didn't think about what happened to me. i had been in therapy. i had moved on. but, you know, the jobs that i took weren't as great. i didn't graduate with the greatest g.p.a. and i had a first pretty disastrous first

marriage. this was my second chance. when i met my husband and we had our daughter and now a son. so when the letter came, like the proverbial band aid had ripped open the wound and it brought to the forefront everything that had been there before. >> and that, as i understand it, jeopardized your marriage to some degree? jeopardized your relationship? >> it did. in the book, i don't want to say that everything is hunky dory but it tests a family and a marriage. i think it's important for survivors to know or anyone who's gone through the criminal justice system that it is very trying and i don't want people to think that it wasn't a challenge. and to be ready for that. >> you say you forgive the perpetrator, but that doesn't mean you did not want justice. why did you press charges? >> right. it's two different things. forgiveness is a journey you must take. for me there is a chinese proverb that says if you don't

forgive someone you may as well dig two graves -- one for the person who wronged you and one for yourself because it will kill you. that's different for our criminal justice system. they could have pressed charges even without me. >> on that point there are two others who allegedly participated in the assault on you. >> yes. >> those two people have not been tried. >> no, they have not. >> what do you want out of them? >> i think in writing the book perhaps it will jog some memories of that night because there are very few witnesses who did come forward. we have identified these people but in any case there is sometimes not enough evidence. >> are you saying you want justice? you want them to face charges as well? >> no, i -- that's irrelevant. i think they have to live with themselves. you know, uh think that we have come as far as we can.

i have seen justice, unlike many survivors. i think that's really up to what the judicial system can do. >> you have reached out to your assailant. he didn't return our calls. and the university of virginia said it has now changed its policy regarding sexual assault and issued the following statement. liz has shown courage in educating a new generation of young women about the deep wounds that are left by rape. getting ready for the interview, i know you had to calm yourself. it's unnerving to be so public about something so hard to talk about. >> it is. >> what do you hope will come of this? >> i hope survivors will understand that they are not alone. i literally sit here holding their hearts. i do. and for parents sending children to school, i want them to know that this is quite common. i'm never going to be able to

change the fact that rape happens. what we can do is change the legislation and change all of the things that we can do for our survivors. >> liz, brave you. the book isal good morning, everybody. i'm brent canon. we're seeing a few dark clouds and also some breaks in there. little rough along the coastline today. they have high surf out there right now. >> reporter: in the thick of high tide. waves coming in fast and furious all morning long. they just sent out the cautionary signs warning people, danger. waves break overseawall. use some caution out here. next three days, high tide is king tide which means it's

extremely high tide, double the size. expected to break at 15 to 20 feet. high surf advisory in effect until 2:00 am tomorrow morning. a full look at your forecast and morning commute after the break.

good morning to you. all the heavy rain be is now pushing to the south in the central valley. a lot of snowfall coming down over the sierra nevada. take a look at this. pocket of snow over mt. hamilton. none of that will stick.

we are expecting more tonight and we are expecting snow totals to fall to 2,000 feet. low snow levels. rain continues throughout the day. let's find out about your drive with mike. >> problems over the maze. we have an accident there. southbound 680 as well very slow through walnut creek. brent back to you. >> more local news coming up in half an hour. more of the "today" show in a couple of minutes.

8:30 now on this wednesday morning the 16th of february, 2011. here's some welcome news after the brutal winter in new york -- hello you! a big warm-up under way. al roker says it will hit 60 on friday or maybe it will or yes, it will. >> it's going for it. >> all right. >> oh, that's fantastic! when was the last time we saw 60

in new york city? [ cheers and applause ] >> coming up in this half hour it's a nerve wracking to be a senior in high school and not have heard if you got into college with the admissions. >> applications. >> the yes or no will be coming out. >> acceptance letters. >> or nonacceptance. >> what makes kids stand out while others are passed over? behind the scenes at a college for a look at the college admissions process. >> we have an expert in the house. >> he's terrific. also, the mysteries of the brain, this is interesting. this morning, concussions are a big concern for athletes, kids and their parents. >> right. >> what are the signs and symptoms? we'll get into those. they can be subtle and the long-term effects can be serious. important information for all of us to hear. >> and switching gears, we all like bread pudding. >> who doesn't? >> our good buddy mark bittman

is making a savory bread pudding. >> who doesn't like mark bittman? >> everybody likes mark bittman. nobody doesn't like sara lee. >> speaking of a double whammy we have the super granny standing by. the 71-year-old british woman who fended off six armed jewel thieves with her purse. she'll be back to answer our questions. i can't wait. >> amazing. >> yeah! >> that's right. so we know everybody loves mark bittm bittman, loves super granny, loves bread pudding and loves the weather. >> yes! >> it's getting warmer. for today we have a mess out west. rain on the west coast. one to two inches. heavy snows in the cascades. sunshine throughout much of the rest of the country and tomorrow look at the record highs. mississippi river valley down to texas. sunny and cool in the northeast. mild in the southeast with

showers off the eastern florida coast. frigid conditions in the western plains. well, we're seeing a little bit of improvement. good morning to you in the bay area. shower activity and steady rainfall we had overnight is starting to subside. we're starting to see showers turning spotty. spotty activity throughout the day. no longer will we be faced with those consistent downpours. throughout the afternoon, maybe a little bit more snowfall tonight. nice break from the rain. probably for the next five hours. and then the rain will be back. take a look at this. snowfall is coming down over hamilton. more on the way. of the day or night on the weather channel on cable, weather.com online. >> thank you, al. thank you very much. >> would you be able to tell if your child suffered a concussion or not? >> i don't think so. >> i don't think so either. how to spot the warning signs. first this is "today" on nbc. [ female announcer ] shopping with nutrition in mind

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back now at 8:35 with more of our special series, mysteries of the brain. this morning, concussions. they are among the most common sports injuries for both kids and adults but they can go undiagnosed and with serious consequences. here's nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman. >> reporter: from the moment alyssa laced up her sneakers and hit the court she was in love with basketball. >> basketball has always been a huge part of my life. all i wanted in high school was to play division one college basketball. when i got the opportunity it seemed, you know, so incredible. >> reporter: she got the chance at brown university. >> i loved the school and also really loved the program, the coaches, the team. it seemed like the perfect fit for me. >> reporter: a perfect fit that was cut short. after suffering four concussions, her basketball career is now over and she's

spending her senior year on the sidelines. >> my health really became a huge issue in everything i did. your bogged down, blurry. my head was killing me. constant headache. i had no idea when it was going to end. >> reporter: alyssa's story is like many of the 3.8 million americans who suffer from concussions each year. 50% of those are athletes ranging from high school soccer players to famous olympians like lindsey vonn. in what many people regard as a silent epidemic, concussions are underreported and underdiagnosed because so many people, including doctors, don't recognize the symptoms. >> concussion is a violent jarring of the brain that causes cells to not be functional until homeostasis is re-established. in other words the cells are alive but not functional. if you treat it correctly, almost always they will come back to function perfectly.

>> reporter: neurologist dr. robert canto treated elizabeth by eliminating as much as possible. >> she was still working out and doing things that aggravated her symptoms. we pulled away the physical activity beyond walking. we reduced her intellectual activities as much as we could with her still in school. she experienced immediate improvement. >> reporter: alyssa made a full recovery. >> i am a fully functional human being now. i'm a different person. it's night and day. >> reporter: while she had to give up the game she loved so much she's changed her priorities and is now able to reclaim her health and her life. >> i'm now -- i really want to be a neurologist. i think hopefully some day we can figure out how to alleviate concussive symptoms earlier. i'm a big believer in everything happens for a reason. while the last two years have certainly not been fun, if it's given me the right direction then it is what it is, i guess.

you have to take it in stride. >> dr. snyderman, good morning. >> hi. >> you mentioned lindsey vonn. we heard she pulled herself out of an event after suffering a mild concussion. she said she was skiing for a while and felt she was in a fog. >> classic. >> why was she skiing in a fog? why didn't somebody say, stop, slow down? let's check it out? >> it underscores the difference in sports. the nfl now has strict criteria and doctors have to clear players back into the game. if you take sport by sport by sport, i think the criteria for getting people back in after a concussion is really quite squishy. sometimes depending on what kind of athlete it is and how much money they are making they can surround themselves with people who want to keep them out there, sometimes to the detriment of their health. >> let's talk about this. especially for those of us who are parents of budding football players. >> right. >> for both of us, it's something we are really

concerned about. what happens to the brain during concussion? >> if i conk you on your head you think, i will get the bruise here but there is a contracoup injury where the brain bounces back and forth. you have have more injury on the opposite side of the trauma. that's classic. you can have damage in the front, in the back or on both sides. the problem is it's like a bruise. you hit it enough and after a while that tissue just doesn't work very well. so the immediate signs of concussion or repeated problems will be confusion that lindsey vonn talked about, sometimes headache, dizziness, feeling that you are not quite right, slurred speech which can really scare people because sometimes that can indicate even a bigger problem, and overwhelming fatigue. these are classic symptoms. >> what about almost immediately? i heard about people getting concussions and not realizing it. getting up and getting back in

the game and later on getting the headaches and fatigue. does that sound normal? >> you hear sideline reporters in football games that say, oh, my gosh, he got his clock cleaned and you look at players trying to shake off the fuzziness. that's a concussion. do you pull people out right away? >> usually we don't. it's at least something where people should say that was a real conk to the head. we have to do further evaluation. here's the problem. a regular x-ray, ct scan, mri scan won't show the real issues. really well-trained neurologists have to do a battery of tests and the newer exams look at brain function. so it is a cumulative new frontier of the sciences. >> sobering. >> very. >> all right. very important information this morning. thank you. >> you bet. >> coming up, a rare inside look at the college admissions process from an expert. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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this morning on education nation "today" inside the college admissions process. it is nail-biting time for high school seniors. the applications are in but the answers are weeks away. how do schools decide who gets in and who misses the cut? "today" got a peek at what happens behind closed doors? >> we're going to take a risk on a student, i would like to know there is an argument to do so. >> reporter: it's a give and take, 15 minutes to decide a student's future. >> i don't think we should deny her. >> reporter: at a top liberal arts college in iowa, two officers read an application. the comments are shared. >> wait list or deny. >> were you reading this one at 3:00 a.m.? >> reporter: then the application is parsed, grades and scores scrutinized.

>> in history, 750. >> right. >> makes sense. >> reporter: essays are evaluated. >> this essay really spoke to his willingness to step out and try new things. >> reporter: comparisons made. >> she's far and away the lowest in the group which probably ends it for her. >> reporter: extracurriculars weighed. >> why should we treat a musician differently from an athlete? >> reporter: finally, a vote. >> who would be in favor of wait list? okay. quentin, you're sticking to the deny. >> i stick to it. >> you're outvoted. >> reporter: seth allen is the dean of admission and financial aid. >> i would love to say that the admissions process is a very straightforward process where every student is considered on their own merit. that isn't true. the process is highly subjective. >> reporter: which means the pros and cons on a candidate are sometimes debated. >> that's a great example. it tells us a lot about the

student. >> well, i guess i would take the contrarian perspective. he's talking about how much he's changed but do we really see that in the evidence of his application? >> for me, the issue is more the transcript coupled with the light extracurricular involvement. >> you have a school in an area where we probably would like to have more kids. >> people can be persuasive if someone provides a rationale you hadn't thought of, raises issues you didn't consider, your mind can change. >> who would be in favor of admitting? one? wait list? okay. >> little things in the process that please us, surprise us, uncover something we think, wow, this is someone unusual that we would like to include in the class. >> who would vote to admit? okay.

we'll call her an admit then. >> we want to thank the college for its cooperation. chuck steinberg is the new york times national education correspondent and moderator of its blog, the choice. good morning. i got nervous watching that. took me back to being a senior in high school. you never get over the feeling. >> no. >> is that the way the process works? >> grinell uses a template that denies more students than they accept. it's a very involved process where there is scrutiny of every aspect. >> they said something that may make students feel better about the process. it is subjective. it's not a referendum so much on the kid as what the college needs at that moment. >> i think kids and parents should never read this process as a referendum as how good a job they did as students or parents. there are so many factors at play and as an outsider you

can't possibly know what they are looking for at that moment they are around the table. >> yet there are guidelines they follow. >> certainly. for example, the rigor of curriculum. how hard were the courses you took is the first thing they look at in most instances. >> you stretch yourself then. >> that's something that's within your control, but don't go overboard and feel you have to take five advanced placement courses a year. >> what about extracurricular? how much do they weigh that? >> that's in the mix. but kids and parentsen tend to think you need a million activities when commitment to a few activities, something outside the classroom for a few years will often suffice. >> what about age and gender and what part of the country you live in? >> these are the things where it can make you crazy as an outsider. they'd like somebody from every state. if you are lucky enough to be the kid applying from north dakota, that might give you an edge. but gender is important. they are very up front about the fact that racial and

socioeconomic diversity is important. how could you possibly figure out whether you are going to get in or not? >> but the essay, again, listening to the folks in the room, is so important. for one kid it worked against the child actually, the essay. it didn't match with what they were looking at in the transcript. >> again, you can't know what they are looking for. i think the essay is something that's within your control. how can you come alive as a person in a way your test scores and grades don't make happen? >> so for a high school junior watching, what's the takeaway here? >> it's a crazy thought. if you can't control the process and you can't outstrategize it, maybe it's counterintuitive. can't you relax a little bit and be yourself and just put yourself out there and let the chips fall where they may? >> easier said than done. hopefully this will calm kids down. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> up next in "today's kitchen" mark bittman puts a spin on the classic bread pudding. but first this is "today" on nbc.

this morning, bread pudding. best known as a sweet dessert made with day old bread but mark bittman is here with a savory version. he's the author of "how to cook everything." savory meaning that it's more luscious? >> you could serve it for a main course with dinner.

it is a relative of dessert but also a relative of stuffing. >> who doesn't like stuffing? >> also, you're trying to -- you can get started by helping me tear this bread. >> this is bread -- >> we're heating milk and we'll melt some butter in there. >> all right. >> sun dried tomatoes also. >> they are chopped up. >> they will soften and the butter will melt while we do this. we think in general people are looking to get away from meat a little bit at dinner time and look for vegetarian options, more sustainable options. everybody has an array of leftover bread like this in the house, don't they? >> that looks like fancy bread. but when we buy fancy bread and we don't eat it all at the table this is a way to get rid of it. you have spread here that has raisins, my favorite. >> you can use any bread you want. this is a terrific one. it goes nicely with sun-dried

tomatoes. we'll have mozzarella in here. this all goes in here. >> all of it, okay. just like that. not even chopping in smaller bits. salt and pepper? >> please. >> mm-hmm. and stale bread for this. >> right. >> meanwhile, we'll mix together some eggs. >> mm-hmm. >> some -- >> so this is soaking up the milk and this is just straight milk, not cream or anything. >> straight milk with butter. eggs and mozzarella -- i didn't say it was low fat. i said meatless. >> it's a vegetarian option. >> exactly. some chopped black olives. >> kalamata olives, too, the nice flavorful ones. >> basil. now we have a fabulous egg, cheese. we buttered the pan. that goes in here. >> all together? >> yeah. >> that's as much as we need to cook it? >> no, we're going to bake it. >> okay.

this looks a little sloppy. see, i have made bread pudding before. >> this will go in here. >> all right. okay. there we go. that's nice. the cheese is mixed in. lots of flavorful bits and the bread to sop up all the flavor. fantastic. looks cute, too. >> this bakes in a pan of water. >> why? so it doesn't get too hot on the sides? >> that's too much water. >> let's do it. i believe in completion. okay. done. >> we do it that way to keep the custard moist. >> okay. this is what it looks like in the end. >> you have the beautiful sun-dried tomatoes, olives. go ahead. i think your friends are coming anyway. >> can i ask a question? if you want to add -- if you don't want the vegetarian option and you want bacon -- >> this one is brussels sprouts,

this would be amazing with bacon. >> that sounds good. >>brussels, sprouts, onions and gruyere cheese. >> how are you? >> nice to see you. >> this is a meal. >> using leftover bread which we all have. >> and butter nut squash and sage. >> amazing. >> what i think is interesting, kids love bread. >> they do. >> sometimes they have a hard time with other things. maybe they would be more interested in this. >> it tastes like pizza. >> that's your story and you're sticking to it. >> exactly. >> this is exactly like chicago style pizza. >> bread, tomatoes, olives. >> mark bittman aiming for the trees and hitting it out of the park. thank you so much. >> just ahead, super granny answers your questions after your local news and weather.

good morning once again, everybody. time now is 8:56. i'm brent canon. check in on your forecast. the sun is breaking out. good morning, brent. some breaks of sunshine. places like san francisco drying out a little bit. more rain on the way. we will see on and off light

scattered showers. i do want to point out something we've been waiting for, for quite some time. that is snow coming down over mt. hamilton. i don't think anything will stick. better chance as we head through tonight. temperatures dropping into the 30n' snow feet falling to 2300.

people who oppose leaders are taking their case to the streets this afternoon. planning to protest outside the public commission in san francisco, wanting the right to opt out of having a smart meter. some people are concern ed that they could have adverse health effects. cpuc is the only government agency that can regulate what

pg&e does. today's protest starts at noon. another local update for you in half an hour. the "today" show continues next.

back now with more of "today" on this wednesday morning, february 15, 2011. it's still winter out here, but there are hints of spring to come. it's supposed to warm up a little bit today here at the big apple. at least that's what our weather guru al roker tells us. that's great news for the people who saw temperatures at 33 degrees and much better than the 22 earlier this week. i'm ann curry along with al roker. coming up we'll be talking about the first interview that's been done with convicted swindler bernie madoff. he's breaking his silence alleging that banks and hedge

funds, quote, had to know about a $65 billion fraud but he didn't name the banks and he also said the banks chose to ignore it. we'll hear more about that coming um. >> and coming up on today's money 911, money saving strategies. if you are financially underwater on your home, planning for retirement or trying to stash cash for a rainy day the experts have advice. then move over superman, spider-man, you can turn off the dark and stay inside. we have a new superhero crime fighter. the 71-year-old grandmother from england who single handedly stopped a group of six armed thiefs from robbing a local jewelry store. that's right. faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall handbags in a single bound. her amazing bound sing story sh earlier. she'll answer your questions in a few minutes. unlike super man she's

impervious to kryptonite. >> and that was her purse. you love that. the response everybody ha had here. first a check of today's top stories from natalie at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. unrest inspired by egypt's revolution spread from bahrain, yemen and libya. there are report that is libya released imprisoned militants including al qaeda members. overnight they called for the ousting of muammar qaddafi. protesters have taken over a main square and police haven't interfered. government supporters clashed with mourners of a student shot in monday's rallies. a potential headache for travelers. united airlines grounded nearly 100 757 jets to complete unscheduled maintenance checks which could mean flight delays and cancellations. convicted ponzi schemer bernie madoff is speaking out from his prison cell in north

carolina. mike taibbi has the details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. the biggest ponzi schemer would have to be a big liar, so it's hard to know how credible his statements will, but what he's saying is what many suspect -- that he was a monumental crook, yes, but that a lot of his biggest investors had to know it. in his first interview since he went to prison in 2009 bernard madoff says banks and hedge funds were guilty of willful blindness as they continued doing business with him without asking questions. he didn't name the banks and hedge funds but told the "times" he had to know. but the attitude was, if you're

doing something wrong, we don't want to know. he said he helped the trustee appointed to help recover some $20 billion in profits for the scam's innocent victims. he said he gave piccard, quote, information i knew would be instrumental from recovering assets from those people come police in the the mess i put myself into. victims seeking hundreds of millions in allegedly illicit profits from j.p. morgan chase and even the owners of the new york mets. both denied suspecting fraud. >> even if you don't know specifically, if there are signs that should have led you to know and you ignored them you are liable. >> reporter: the scheme victimized thousands of investors including mentors, friends and strangers hoping to recover something. even before his trial and before he went to prison he became a pariah. >> what's lost as we talk about tens of millions, hundreds of millions and billions of dollars are the smaller investors who had a fraction invested and now have nothing left. >> reporter: so far only madoff has gone to prison and only he and his accountant and five employees have been charged with crimes. >> he's willing to talk now.

maybe he's willing to spend more time with people. so we could find out when exactly the fraud began, what prompted him to start the fraud, what was his mindset when he started lying to people. >> reporter: in the new york times article, madoff said he told prosecutors he would give them information to recover assets but refused to provide criminal evidence. >> he insisted his family knew nothing about his massive fraud. you will recall that his son mark committed suicide in december. madoff said the only reason he didn't go to the funeral was the prison wouldn't let him. thank you. a new report shows zinc taken during the first few days of a cold may shorten symptoms by a day. this gorilla wasn't monkeying around when it was time to get moving. look as zoo keepers caught 3-month-old tiny taking his

first steps on tape with just a little bit of urging there from his proud mama to keep on going. oh, can we go back to the video? too cute. adorable. it's five minutes past the hour. now back to ann and al. >> i'm sure we'll put the video on todayshow.com and you can play it over and over. >> meantime, you want to give us a check of the weather? >> you bet. we have a young lady. what's your name? >> ashley. >> and you are 9 today. happy birthd . >> thank you. >> what a pretty smile. let's check your weather and see what's going on. out west, winter storm warnings for the sierras, idaho, high wind watches from california to colorado. rainfall amounts anywhere from a half inch to two inches of rain along the coast. mountain snows above 7,000 feet, up to three feet of snow. temperatures are going to be awfully warm throughout much of the country today. as you start to see the warmth finally filtering into the east, that's good news. temperatures 60s and 70s.

70 blooming up into the midatlantic states but more frigid air back through the plains with teens and single digits. there goes mike taibbi! mike taibbi, everybody! [ cheers and applause ] >> there you go. mike tieb taibbi, ladies and gentlemen. we are looking better than we were several hours ago. a pretty good solid line of showers pushing into the central valley. see those lightning strikes? we could see some thunderstorms later on today. big news is our showers are thinning out and turning spotty. spotty activity through the rest of the day. daytime heat later on today. thunderstorms expected. take a little bit of this, little bit of snow expected for mt. hamilton. at's your latest weather. natalie? >> al, thank you. in the last week ann timson has gone from a humble grandmother to being worldwide known as

super granny. the 71-year-old chased down a group of thieves attempting to rob a jewelry store with nothing more than a handbag. now four of them have been arrested and ann is being hailed a hero. she's back with us to answer your questions. here is ann timson. good morning. >> good morning. >> i tell you, our viewers are so into your story. people just can't get enough of the super granny. are you shocked at the world's reaction? >> i am. >> why? >> absolutely overwhelmed by the fact that these people would find this so important. >> well, to see someone -- you're a 71-year-old woman. and when you see that video, a lot of people are standing by doing nothing but yet you crossed all the way across the street, ran over as if you were a 20-something-year-old and took on six armed men. what was going through your mind when this happened? >> i thought a boy was being

attacked by three other boys. >> mm-hmm. >> and i just felt uneven, not right, got to do something. >> when you realized they had sledge hammers and they were robbing the jewelry store, did you ever think that this could be a dangerous situation you were getting into? >> at that moment, no. i think the adrenaline was running and it was go for it. i was there. the other thought that crossed my mind was how dare they? how dare they do a robbery at this time of day? >> right. an interesting thing is i know you told meredith that your neighborhood has had its troubles with drug dealers and prostitution in the past. you're one who's always stood your ground when it came to staying in your neighborhood trying to clean up the streets, right? >> like a lot of other people did. i'm just one of them. >> but you didn't look for trouble. you stay put. >> i don't think i can run these days. why should we be moved from our

homes that we love in our neighborhood that's so strong in community spirit? why should we run from it? it's ours. >> well, good for you. now four of those men have been arrested for what you did. a lot of people are raving about you. we have a lot of great e-mails. let me get to some of them now. melinda from maine says it looks like there were a lot of cars and bystanders. did anybody stop to help you, not that you looked like you needed help. >> not in the first instance. i think they were mesmerized. i think some thought it was a wind-up for candid camera or something like that. >> right. in fact, the video that we see was being shot. there was a documentary being filmed in the area. did you know that was going on at the time? >> no. i had no idea. >> that explains the video. a lot of people thought that was probably part of the deal. >> right. >> then somebody did jump into action and they were able to grab some of the other guys and

take care of them as well. >> once two of the lads went down that's when it kicked in with everybody else. >> i know you played hockey until you were 51 and you take dance classes. you say that was probably the reason you were able to run across the street the way you did. you have rheumatoid arthritis but you were wearing support garments headed to your dance class. >> right. >> hope from kentucky says do you attribute your super agility to dance class? if so, what type of dance moves do you do and have you ever taken any self-defense classes? >> that's a good question. >> show us your karate. >> not my thing, i guess. >> isn't dancing at our age all about keeping your mind active and your body? that's one of the things that goes with it. i teem youngest of our class. i'm the beebaby.

the youngest person -- oldest person there is 91. i have dragged them into the 21st century with line dancing. >> oh, wonderful. we also have from florida nancy writes, would you do it again and if so would you do anything different? >> given the circumstances that i thought a child was being attacked, yes, i would d that again. the one thing i would do different is get away as quickly as possible. >> get away as quickly as possible, yeah. but you made quite an impact and you put down a situation which fortunately they did not end up robbing the store. in fact, has the jewelry store offered to reward you for this? >> yes. they have been in touch. they are going to donate to a charity of my choice. >> that's great. good for you. >> they are nice people. >> you're a wonderful woman and the world is wonderful with you in it, ann timson. >> thank you. >> up next, how to settle a debt with the irs and more timely advice from our experts in

today's money 911. then a little bit later, some cleansers to face creams. we'll tell you what could be causing your sensitive skin and how to best treat it. first, these messages. ♪

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aveeno skin relief. and now get dermatologist recommended relief from severely dry skin with eczema therapy. new from aveeno. discover the power of active naturals now for money 911. we have a team of experts this morning. jean chatzky, author of "money 911" david bach, author of "debt free for life" and sharon epperson from cnbc and cnbc.com. good to see you. we're going to skype starting with shannon. she's up early from los angeles. good morning. >> good morning. >> what's your question for the group? >> well, i'm 33 years old and recently married. my husband began to file our 2010 taxes and we realize our combined income is getting close to the phase-out limit of what we can contribute to my roth

ira. this year the salaries will increase so we'll make too much to invest in the roth and my company doesn't offer a 401-k. where should i invest for retirement without paying a penalty at tax time? >> a traditional ira is a good option if you don't qualify for the roth. the roth has advantages when you take out the money you don't pay taxes on it and you also can leave it in there for your heirs. but the traditional ira is fine. the money can continue to grow tax deferred. you will take a tax deduction up front which may be appreciated at this point. the most important thing is that you contribute as much as you can. so you want to max out his accounts at work, max out your ability to put the money into a traditional ira and just continue doing it every year. >> all right, shannon. thank you so much for getting up early. we'll stay on the west coast and go to the phone. we have tracy from corcoran, california. hi, good morning. >> caller: good morning. my husband is disabled and

received a fixed income. i work part-time. we purchased a home a little over three years ago and are struggling to make our payments. we owe approximately $100,000 more than what our home is worth. although we love our home, my husband thinks we should let it go and rent. i think that we should try to lower our interest rate. we have three children, one of whom will be needing college tuition starting within the next two years. what should we do? >> that's a good question. a lot of people in the same boat. >> i will go with your idea. i want you to keep the house. you said a couple of things. first of all, a little bit of sacrifice and you can afford to keep the home. i would work on trying to get the interest rate reduced. so i would do a couple of things. i'm sorry about your husband being on disability. make sure he's getting full disability benefits. if he hasn't already, i would apply to social security through disability benefits. go to socialsecurity.gov and go to the government website,

makinghomesaffordable.gov to see if you can modify the loan. if you bought three years ago in california you bought at the high. right now arguably many people in california are at the low. i would tell your husband, look, make a sacrifice, keep the house. go out five years from now and you will be happy you kept the home. >> all right. and marriage counseling there, too. thanks, david. a viewer e-mail from an anonymous viewer. i have an irs tax lien. now i'm getting mailings from firms claiming to be able to reduce my liability up to 80%. i have a payment plan with the irs that i set up myself but if these firms can do what they claim it would save me money. i owe over $29,000, can only afford to pay $500 a month. is it worth trying any of these firms? you hear it on the radio all the time. >> many of the programs are a scam. if they are telling you they can save you and you have to pay pennies on the dollar, that's something you have to look twice at. really, this taxpayer has done what they should have done. they contacted the irs and set up a payment plan on their own.

as much as people want to get third-party advice, nobody wants to do their own taxes particularly when there is a collection situation, there is nothing the irs can do for a cpa or tax attorney they can't do for you, the taxpayer directly. contacting them to try to find out what they can do for you is best. what this company is probably offering is something called an offer in compromise where you pay not the full tax debt but as much as you can afford to pay. that's something you can contact the irs about. >> you can do it yourself? >> irs.gov. they really want to try to work with people. they understand people are in these situations but the thing is a lot of folks think someone else will do a better job. they can do it themselves. >> we have a caller on the line. thanks for the e-mail. jesse from brownsburg, indiana. please go ahead. >> caller: my husband and i are building our emergency cash fund. we want to know the best way to invest or save the money. savings accounts and cd rates are terrible and not keeping up with inflation.

ibonds aren't much better and we are hesitant to consider higher risk investments since this is emergency money and we don't want to use the capital. >> you're totally right. you need to keep the money in a low risk investment because it's your emergency fund and you don't want to lose any of the principal. hang out in a money market account. go to bankrate.com for a good money market account. interest rates have nowhere to go but up. >> thank you so much. for all of you on the east coast, we'll have more questions from david bach. he'll stick around for an hour for a web chat. you missed that. just log on to todayshow.com. coming up, brightening your home to brighten your mood during this long, cold winter. first, these messages. hey, max. [ announcer ] you can help significantly extend your dog's healthy years. a groundbreaking 14-year study by purina... proves that puppy chow, then dog chow nutrition,

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simply ageless, from olay and easy breezy beautiful covergirl. heaven comes to earth. rich, creamy, thick dannon greek, the most delicious yogurt imaginable. heaven on earth! discover dannon greek coming up. how to treat your sensitive skin issues. >> and recipes from the chef who

helps keep janet jackson on a healthy diet. >> and fashion hits and misses coming up after youcal news ather. feeling of a dry mouth? it can be the side effect of many medications. dry mouth can be frustrating... and ignoring it can lead to... sipping water can help, but dentists recommend biotene. biotene moisturizes and helps supplement some of saliva's enzymes, providing soothing relief when you need it most. don't ignore dry mouth... look for biotene in your oral care section today. this has been medifacts for biotene. these ladies have been exercising, watching their diets and enjoying activia light. well? i'm managing my weight really well and i've never felt so light. carrie? well, i'm a size 8 now, but i feel like i can fit into my wedding dress again. at 70 calories, delicious activia light helps you be light and feel light too. and it helps regulate your digestive system. i'm fitting into my old outfits again,

but i feel like i could wear my college clothes. yes! see? activia light. be light and feel light. good morning to you. it's 9:26. i'm laura garcia canon. let's check the forecast with christina. >> good morning, laura. good morning to you at home. still watching pretty good downpours coming down in the south bay. all the activity is breaking apart, becoming more spotty in nature of the that will be the case through the next few hours. we'll see some breaks of sunshine throughout the day today and then rain overnight. this time a cold system will pass through the area, dropping snow levels to 2,500 feet. local snow is definitely probable overnight.

let's get a chk of traffic. mt. hamilton will likely be closed at the summit. keep that in mind. westbound 580 for a period of time an accident was blocking lanes. that cleared. sigalert canceled but now two things that are causing an effect now. northbound 880. look at this jam pack coliseum through oakland. bay bridge toll plaza. never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles compared to what a cancer patient goes through

is a walk in the park. from the moment i registered, people started immediately supporting me and asking me how they could help. you meet the most wonderful, inspiring people. when you accomplish those 60 miles, it's truly life-changing. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. we are just getting word this morning, raiders just resigned richard seymour, who had 5 1/2 sacks last year. fighting to save lives, now fighting to save their jobs in the face of a $110 million budget gap. city leaders say they may be forced to lay off as many as 349 police officers and 145 firefighters. if they do not accept concessions by june. the city is also looking at

milli millions of dollars in other cuts, including shutting off some street lights overnight and getting rid of some gang prevention programs. this is the second year in a row that police department has faced layoffs. just last year, 49 firefighters were laid off. city budget in san jose could be healed by cracking down on the sick leave policy. the city paid more than $14 million between 2009 and 2010 to cash out unused sick leave for city employees. that's more than double the amount paid out five years ago. the policy of cashing out unlimited sick leave for police and firefighters set san jose apart from other cities. hope you're healthy this morning. "today" show in back. joirks only at safeway. green tags throughout the store call out what matters most to you. ♪ there are 22 different nutritional benefits highlighted. ♪

and with our low prices, now safeway makes bringing home the right choices easier than ever. that's simple nutrition. ♪ that's ingredients for life. safeway. i would like to propose to my wife of 39 years. kathy, i would like kathy and i to renew our vows the same day prince william and kate get married. >> that's george drake from orlando, florida, letting us know why he wants to get the royal treatment. if you want to go to london with a guest for kate and william's wedding week head to todayshow.com for the details. coming up, battling the winter blues with bold hues. if you have been feeling cooped up we'll show you how small changes around the house can make a big difference. ooh.

very nice. >> also ahead -- [ laughter ] >> do you want to see him again over there? is that what's happening? he's into that book. >> the best part is he's getting paid! >> just keep on reading, jerry. anyway, then we'll talk about something that apparently more than a million women suffer from -- chronic skin diseases whether it's redness, itching, peeling. what you can do about the four common causes of irritation and how you can help your symptoms. >> and then earlier this week meredith sat down with janet jackson who shared her battles with weight and self-esteem. one of the people who helped her get back to healthier eating is here to share secrets janet has in the new book. al has a check of the weather for us. >> well eel show you what's -- we'll show you what's happening. we have a mess out west. windy conditions, snow in the mountains. sunshine through the gulf coast.

showers off the atlantic coast. sunshine in the northeast but chilly. tomorrow, record warmth in the mississippi river valley. rain in the pacific northwest as a low pressure system moves in. frigid in the western plains. showers around the eastern great lakes and rain persists off the southeastern florida coast. we are looking for sunshine and warmer conditions in the midatlantic states to the northeast. it's still raining in our neck of the woods. the activity is becoming a little bit lighter in nature and becoming a little more spotty as well. you can see, we are going to see on and off, hit or miss showers throughout the day today. we'll get a nice break, probably between about 10:00 am and, i would say, 5:00 pm, especially in the north bay. and then another round of rain moves in for tonight. a colder round is going to drop the snow levels to 2,000 feet. more rain in store for tomorrow. bit of a break on friday. have a great day. and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you. coming up next, solutions for

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mr. clean magic eraser kitchen scrubber... and i wondered what it was. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and less pain means i can do more with the ones i love. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior or any swelling or affected breathing, or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia.

then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. this morning on "today's health" how to treat sensitive skin. if you suffer from redness, burning, itching or peeling you are among more than 1 million women dealing with chronic skin issues. we have dermatologist dr. frances ka fusco with ideas. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> we think of it is something that affects a specific group of women. you say as we age or if we use certain products we can make ourselves much more sensitive. >> yes, we can.

women as they are aging are applying for anti-aging products to their face. this can sensitize them as they use multiples of them. also as we become peri-menopause the skin changes and can make us more sensitive as well. it is a common question readers write in about. >> it's something throughout your life you may be affected by. >> yes. >> one way we need to think about cleansers which is interesting because you think about skin products but how are cleansers important? >> the cleansers in our home that we are washing laundry with contain fragrance which is a big sensitizer. it's important to look for products that not only say "fragrance free" but also are hypoallerg hypoallergenic. >> it can cause us to break out and get red. >> we have great products here. >> anything else besides fragrance free? >> hypoallergenic.

>> there you go. let's go to lotions and creams we put on the face. you know, there are so many to choose from. what should you look for or make sure your cleanser doesn't have. >> start with label. it must say hypo allergenic and sodium laurel sulfate. it's not good. and look for something that doesn't suds so well. >> the soap isn't good. >> it isn't good. >> okay. good information. what about cosmetics? again, so many options and they have lots of chemicals in them. >> they do. again looking for a brand like philosophy is something that has ingredients that are better for

the skin. look for something that can be applied with your fingers. avoid using a brush. even though a brush is soft it can be abrasive to the skin. you don't want ingredients like mica, talc and formaldehyde and colorful makeup like blues and purples on the eyes are more likely to irritate than the neutrals. >> good information. these are the actual things you would use to wash your face. >> yes, they are. >> also you have i think spf stuff here. in choosing what to wash your face with, again you are talking suds-free. >> les suds. >> and you want to say -- >> we want moisturizers that say hypoallergenic. these are our favorites, cetaphil. moisturize more frequently in cold weather. we should be wearing sunscreen, sun block. look for a physical block. zinc oxide, titanium dioxide.

less likely to irritate the skin. >> thank you so much for helping us. you look beautiful. you're a good billboard for what you are talking about. >> you're sweet. thank you. >> brightening your mood by brightening your home after this.

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progresso. hi. we love your weight watchers endorsed soups but my husband looks the way he did 20 years ago. well that's great. you haven't seen him... my other can is ringing. progresso. hey can you tell my wife to relax and enjoy the view? (announcer) progresso. you gotta taste this soup. this morning on "today's home" lifting your spirits on the outside with a lift on the inside. bold colors and patterns to beat the winter blues. elizabeth mayhue is editor in chief of women's day magazine. >> good morning, al. >> we're halfway through winter. >> it's like the winter

wardrobe. you're sick of what's inside your house. there are quick things you can do that don't cost a lot of money or take a lot of time. they will lift your spirits and make everything fresher and better. >> you say be bold with color. >> paint is the single most transformative thing you can do to your home. doesn't cost a lot. you don't even have to do the whole room. do one wall. this may seem bright to people, but we were inspired by -- it's called honeysuckle. we were inspired by the pantone paint color of the year for 2011. you can do just one wall and it can really pop. >> what are some other colors if this is too bold? >> blues, greens. i always say pick your favorite sweater. if it's your favorite you look good in it. take it to the paint store and you will look good. you will like it. >> the dragon flies? >> this is a huge trend, the three dimensional adhesive. you get a whole package and you

can dot them on the wall. it's art for not a lot of money. >> and rugs. >> rugs are super important. one of the biggest trends we are seeing are stripes and zig zag patterns like this. in a sense it's brown and white, a neutral from west elm but it elongates the room and makes it feel bigger. >> should you use patterns rather than solids? >> to me a pattern like a stripe and neutrals is a neutral. it gives another fun thing to do in your room and gives it a kick. >> you also say lighting is important. >> lighting is super important. one of the most important things that costs no money is to wash your windows, get the dirt and grime, sun light in, natural light. then too many of us rely too much on the overheadlighting which is harsh and not flattering. instead, you want a combination of floor lamps. this is from gracious home. a table lamp from crate & barrel to a reading lamp which is a task lamp from restoration hardware. you want to mix those. >> lighting is relatively

inexpensive. >> all of these are in the $200 range. anything less than that, you could go to target for lighting. >> and seating. >> you want a comfortable place. good-bye archie bunker recliners. >> edith! stifle! >> this is a beautiful chair from la-z-boy but recliners aren't what they used to be. now you need wine, book, a lamp and you can kick back and enjoy your home. >> what else? i'm listening. >> pillows. >> oh, pillows. >> i know you love them. >> oh, pillows. you've got to be kidding me. and you know what, let's have a hundred. >> this is the thing, al. pillows are a quick, easy, inexpensive accessory. it's like your shoes, earrings or jewelries. the big trend is an east asian tribal thing. >> great. you had me until pillows.

you were doing great. >> i think he's going to sleep. the other thing is -- >> you just keep going. >> you want to accessorize, too. fresh flowers in the spring, you've got to bring them in. it gives it a pop of color. you look like you're going to sleep on me, al. >> all right. >> just bolts of color. what we did in this room is stayed neutral with the big pieces and added pops of color with things like pillows. >> all right. elizabeth, great to see you. okay. coming up next, please. the man who helped janet jackson get fit, chef andre shares healthy recipes. first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ this morning in "today's kitchen" recipes that are as easy as one, two, three. we are creating dishes that helped janet jackson stay on a healthy diet track. the recipes are in her new book

"true you" and they are courtesy of chef andre carson who is here with us this morning. >> good morning and thank you. >> what an honor to be picked by janet jackson to represent in her book. >> absolutely. an honor for any chef, especially this one. she's an amazing person. i was introduced to her. she knew it was my dream to meet janet and work with her. she said, maybe i can hook it up for you. >> you knew you could help her. help her lose the weight and maintain that weight. >> absolutely. if you want to be fit and you want to stay lean, "true you" is an amazing self-help book. she's been through so many struggles. so the honor of being able to cook for her, her team and the crew and so many recipes we went over. >> they were all tested by janet jackson, all approved by her. >> absolutely. >> we're starting with a quinoa breakfast burrito. >> this is so good for you.

lots of fiber. >> protein. >> absolutely. low in fat. she loves many of the recipes. this is a great one to get you started. it fills you up through the day and you can go on with the energy. >> you want the fiber to fill you up. you're toasting it first. >> to bring out the flavor. it's very nutty. we'll bring out the flavors and then add our vegetable broth. we're going to add our beans, yeast and let me add this. then i will let you add the beans and other ingredients. >> okay. what is this? >> that's our nutritional yeast. >> where do you find that? at a health food store? >> whole foods, health food store -- plugging whole foods. we have a little garlic and then salt and pepper. just a little bit. >> i have never heard of adding nutritional yeast. >> it adds vitamin b, extra protein as well. >> good. oh, you know, janet's on world

tour now, selling out. >> yeah. she needs energy. this is the kind of thing to keep you going throughout the day. >> we'll bring that to a boil and let it simmer. >> until it cooks down until you get the actual quinoa to fluff up. >> if it starts to stick we may add extra water to it. >> you can even buy it boxed, too. >> yeah. there are two different kinds. golden and harvest. >> over here we'll show you how to make that. easy enough. in a wheat wrap. >> whole wheat, very healthy. when janet's touring, she tries to stay low in salt and sugars. these recipes can be modified. >> what kind of salsa? you have a great-looking salsa here. >> we'll cook that up right quick, too. that is a combination of salsa, a little bit of honey -- not honey, but maple syrup.

so that's the breakfast part. we have lime, cumin, chili powder and we'll combine it together. >> that looks great. >> doesn't it look good? your team is amazing. >> they are. we know that. bianca and the staff do a great job with the avacado on top. >> absolutely. >> and we have something back here. >> time to move on, okay. >> that looks good, but moving on to the great filling soup. >> our carrot yam rosemary soup. we have onions in here already going. >> caramelizing. >> then we'll add the carrots and sweet potatoes or yams. >> mm-hmm. here we go. the thing i love about her because she's off and on stage so much, such a busy life. she said, i have to stay healthy and lean. if you want -- >> stay lean? honey, you don't look like you have to worry. >> chef, i love your voice. >> you guys are great.

>> he's the lou rawls of -- ♪ you'll never find ♪ >> this man can sing. i'll leave it to janet. she does the singing and i do the cooking. >> now you make it into a puree? >> make sure it stays in the blender. >> come on, come on. >> the magic of television, it looks like this. >> boom. what do you have here? >> we have our peach blueberry cobbler with whole wheat flour. we have the blueberries for antioxidants. >> i'm checking out the quinoa. >> all recipes on todayshow.com. up,in up, makeovers that don't turn into fashion dos and don'ts after your local news.

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. good morning to you. it is 9:56 right now. i'm laura garcia canon. time to check that forecast with christina. >> continuing to improve out

there. sunshine is breaking through those clouds. places like san francisco is getting a break. active cell has pass through livermore. could have been a thunderstorm. looks like it was a thunder cell. heavy downpours will continue to push off to the east of livermore the next 20 minutes. we're expecting more of that activity as we head through the afternoon. pop-up thunderstorms, mostly between 3:00 and 6:00. keep that in mind. we could see hail associated with a couple of the stronger cells. 58 in oakland, temperatures hovering around that 55-degree mark for tomorrow as well. snow level down to 2,300 feet by tomorrow. let's see how that wet weather is treating your drive with mike inouye. >> kind of calms down to the south bay. a couple of issues to point out here. 237 is slow off 880 through ala vista. we have a car fire reported

southbound 87. now it's clear. oakland jammed up to the toll plaza. earlier sigalerts on the 580 still causing backups over there. back to laura. 9:58 right now. programs to help students could be hard to find. the school board says closing westwood or silverwood elementary would save the district $1.5 million. the board says they need to close one of the schools because of deep state budget kus and declining enrollment. schools that are closing have special programs. others don't. last week, the board voted to close two other elementary schools also in concord. i'll have another local news update in half an hour or so. the "today" show continues in about a minute.

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♪ from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. >> hello, everybody. it's wednesday, wednesday, february 16th, 2011. hope you're doing great this week. hope it's going well for you. i know it's great for you, hoda, woman. oh, my gosh, i want to live in hoda land. things are good in hoda land. in fact, we have a new thing around here. do you know what we have? >> no. >> shall we roll it guys? let's just roll it. >> what is it? i'm not going to like it. what is it? >> hoda hotbe!

there she is, hoda hotbe! yes, darling. ♪ >> oh, let's listen. oh, yeah, barry white. ♪ you're here in page 6. blind love, they call it. big, big article about how she actually met the man she has been going out with, because two -- his daughters came to the book signing, gave her a laminated sheet that said ten reasons why you should date our dad. and it's working. and then you show up again a little later. yes, you do. in cindy adams' column, basically. >> all very -- >> hoda kotb. yes, you are. >> okay. so there is a lot going on. do you know the miley cyr cyrus-billy ray cyrus had a lot of reaction, don't you think? >> well, it's one of the things that we saw evolving. >> yeah. >> and it's one of the things, each time you sort of hold your breath a little bit more, because you go, this not going

in the right direction. >> he was up front with "gq" magazine, and he said it destroyed the family, my dam show. for my family to be here and everybody okay safe and sound and happy and normal would have been fantastic. heck, yeah, i would erase it if i could. but this is an interesting one he said about his daughter. >> that's why i'm concerned about miley, he says. i think that kurt cobain's world was spinning so fast and he had so many people around him that didn't help him, like anna nicole smith. you could see that train wreck coming. so he's -- yeah, he's putting her in the company of two very sad endings. >> yeah. that's exactly what he is doing. >> i think he mentioned michael jackson, as well. you know, it just -- >> it's one of those weird things. i have to say, when i was first reading it, i was thinking to myself, why doesn't he just call lindsay? why is he telling "gq" magazine about his problem with his daughter? you would think he would so much -- >> it seems a cry to me, to show

the public. who knows what's going on behind the scenes with lindsay and tish, and we pray the whole family is getting counseling and help. but anything you do publicly like that is because you're trying to control what the public perceives. >> right. >> and that's his attempt to say look, i made some mistakes, but i'm a good guy, i love my daughter, i'm worried about her. we can't imagine the flack he is getting in the press. >> we have seen this before with lindsay lohan and her dad. >> michael. >> yeah, and michael said some things that i think were pretty jarring. one of his feuds, he told "e" i'll say it to her face, you're a liar, it's a addiction, it's a disease, and i know it's not you, but you're a liar, stop. you tell e something like that that you're supposed to tell -- >> what do people think -- i know they're not thinking when they do this. what do they think the reaction is going to be from the person they're so-called going to help? is that going to help? no. >> a week or so ago, elton john

was on the show and talking about billy joel, and how billy joel needed to i guess spend more time in rehab. >> and billy had a great, great reaction. he just said, basically, listen, i've got the same phone number, hasn't changed. call me, and we'll discuss it. and that would be the right forum in which to do it. >> yeah. >> you know what it all just reminds me of? >> huh. >> there's a scripture that says what does it profit a man if you gave the whole world his very soul? and it's true. we have seen people come through these doors for years. >> yep. >> and is the next thing you know, they're in a ditch someplace, and with needles in their arms or something, and you kind of go -- they just -- >> yeah. it's the saddest thing in the world. and i do think it's interesting that you can't call someone up and tell them personally. i mean, i find that -- because the more we think about it, you can think of probably a million other instances just like the ones we just talked about. of. >> it might have gotten to a point, hoda, where he can't answer the phone, won't talk, and therefore they feel this is the only way i can. isn't that what happened with

john voigt? because angelina wasn't speaking to him from all accounts. we don't know what goes on in pe people's lives. but they were completely distanced from one another. and it was his way of saying, angelina i know you won't pick up the phone, but i love you, call me. the desperation is so sad. >> and the wedge -- it sounds like it's hard to get out, once it's in there. >> you and i -- i thought the whole world grew up in a family like i did. you probably did, too. you were a little different because of the accent. but when you grow up in a loving family with two parents who adore you and tell you no -- love you enough to say no to you and create boundaries for you? >> yeah. >> that's what you're doing when you do that, is telling your child you love them. >> yep. >> and the child may not know it at the time, but the child will come to understand that. and i didn't know until i got to hollywood myself as a young performer that the world wasn't like that. it was a very rare thing when you come from a family like that. >> well, you also talk about parents who are trying to be friends of their kids, and we were discussing this in the

makeup room. but it's -- you know, the child who walks into the room, and doesn't say, "hi, mrs. gifford" or "hi, kathie lee." >> heeey! >> and we have friends who do that, too. >> i'll do the hoda. >> heeey! >> when they speak to me, it's mrs. giffords, not kathie lee. >> that's gone. more and more kids are calling you by your first name and that's it. >> there's a whole lack of respect of almost everything in our culture. and one editorial -- oprah has called on for more civility about -- discussing the president. and you know, whether you voted for him or not. >> right. he's the president. >> he is the president. one of the editorials was saying, i totally agree with that, but where were a lot of these people when president bush was being bashed, in a very uncivil tone? and it either is a principle all of the time, or it's just convenient? >> i think people are more

sensitive when they are for or against whom it is. >> whether or not you voted for you is somebody, they are our president. >> i agree with that. guess where we're going today? spiderman. broadway. i can't wait! i mean -- >> there's so much talk about it. we're anxious to see what all the buzz is all about. >> right. well, people have been going in, and you remember, he was dangling, and there were all kinds of issues, and one guy got hurt? >> they're trying very, very hard to find that show. knowing what i know about how hard it is to find your show, and how long these things can take. >> and how expensive this one is. pricey. >> i'm looking at what ours is costing, and i always say oh, good, mine is only one tenth. but i wish them all the best. >> people are buying tickets. i think all of this press, whether i think it's one of those things that people are curious -- just like we are. we want to see what it's like, what the show is like, what the music is like. >> yeah. >> i mean, i'm dying to see it. i can't wait. >> it's going to be terrific. all right.

"two and a half men" creator, a guy named chuck laurie, and apparently at the end of the telecast, he put this message on a crawl, it was flashed. do we want to read it? >> i exercise regularly, floss every night, just had x-rays, cardio stress test. i see a psychologist, i don't drink, smoke, i don't do drugs. i don't have crazy, reckless sex with strangers. if charlie sheen outlives me, i'm going to be really pissed. >> i think that is -- i guess this guy is just hysterically funny. and i guess laughter -- he went on to then say, you know what, this is a serious, serious situation and we are trying to deal with it seriously, but we thought lightning it up a little bit -- >> i want to give a shout out to dennis basso. he is a fashion guy, okay? he had a fashion show yesterday, a designer. okay. that's him. if you could hear him speak, i wish you could hear his voice. he sounds like harvey firestein.

>> with a cold. he's bigger than life, he's a lot of fun. >> he packed -- >> he was -- he drives people crazy until they say okay, i'll come. >> he loves you. >> all right. super graham. >> you guys remember, this is the granny who witnessed an armed robbery in progress in england and broke out her handbag and went to town on them. >> she says she thought kids were beating up on kids. she didn't realize until she got over there. >> where is she? where is she? >> she's going to be coming. ♪ coming round the mountain when she comes ♪ >> here. granny. >> only a wallet and a newspaper. but she was swinging like it was full of lead. look at her. and imagine -- and she says -- meredith asked her earlier today, she says look, were you nervous, because you realized these guys had -- mallets and stuff like that. and she said, you know, i was already in. >> yeah. >> i think we have a little -- >> and she also said she was

just afraid of what her son would say. >> yes, she was nervous about what her son would say. we do have a comment from her. >> we just stood up. eyeball to eyeball. and he just put it down. i think he realized i was just an old bitty anyway. i'm thinking, oh, my god. the what will my son say? >> she was funny. >> she probably raised that boy right, though, if he cares about his mom. >> sure did. >> mine hasn't called me in about six weeks. but anyway -- >> who is counting? >> i look so forward to the westminster kennel club dog show every year. it's just ridiculously fun. isn't it? >> okay. >> best in show was last night. and i tecum bridge with this choice. >> the dog isn't really a looker. it's a 5-year-old scottish deerhound named hickory from virginia. >> i'm sure she is as sweet as can be. >> the winner of the hound group -- >> she is like a tramp in lady and the tramp. doesn't she? >> the odds makers didn't pick

her. they had her at 60-1. >> she is one of the oldest breeds, and i believe it. oh, she is sweet. >> oh, yes. >> and the other dog we liked too, the -- >> parker the poodle with dread locks. >> oh, my gosh. >> ask and his name is robert marlee. >> is that for real? or did you make it up? >> no, i just made it up. and i guess there is a pecpecan too? >> that's chewbacca. >> and bambino! oh, look at bambino. >> i love that. stop. >> oh, wait, we have to toast in our new wine glasses. >> if you just can't decide, look at this. it's -- what is it? >> it's a wine --

>> a beer-lovers glass or a wine-lovers beer glass. >> $19.99. . >> what's the point? >> i don't know. it keeps the wine chilled perhaps, jerry, huh? >> perhaps. >> cheers. happy wednesday. >> happy wednesday to you too. >> happy, happy day to hoda, if you know what i'm saying. up next, we go fishing in san francisco, and meet some sisters in need of total fashion do-overs. >> watch them go from don'ts to dos. dos. now you get a cleanser with scope freshness. ♪ new fixodent plus scope ingredients. ♪ cleans...kills germs that cause denture odors... and provides your dentures with the freshness of scope. ♪ new fixodent cleanser plus scope ingredients.

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we're back with "today's" ♪ we're back with our glamor girl headed to northern california to see what fashion hits and northern california to see what fashion hits and misses she could find at fisherman's wharf. she got more than she was looking for. >> reporter: we're here in san francisco checking out dos and the don'ts in the city. we're going to show these ladies how to take casual and turn it up a notch. when you're traveling, the one essential you've got to have in your bag is a flesh colored bra. the thing is, when you're wearing a white tank top, a flesh colored bra is never going to show through. the purple, love the color. maybe not necessarily under the

white. i love your taste in jackets. i think you're both doing such an awesome job with layering. military trend, huge, huge right now. a coach is such a great way to make that statement. you've got your jacket tied around your waist. it's giving me the illusion that you have more volume. mo >> where do you put it? >> take it off, zip it up, put it around your shoulders. looks like you lost ten pounds instantly. you go for leopard shorts, honey. one rule of tights is that you can't show your little underlining here. a lot of girls tend to think if they wear something that's sort of bulky and loose they're going to cover up. when the actual fact is if you tuck in your shirt and define the waist it's going to make you look a lot slimmer instantly.

we have misty about to get a fabulous makeover. we dragged her sister windy back into the mix, too. these girls are both adorable and maybe need a little bit of a makeover. >> "glamour" magazine's contributing style maker, you zeroed in on the two sisters, misty and wendy. tell us why they were such good picks. >> i think both of them have very different style struggles. with misty she had a baby about a year ago. she already lost 30 of the 50 pounds she gained but she's still kind of struggling with how to dress her body and what looks good. she's been hiding out in sweat pants. with wendy she has a really casual job. she's gotten used to more casual. the day we found her she admitted to us that she got dressed in the dark. >> all right. we're going to do these girls separately. first we're going to start off with sister misty. this is her -- excuse me -- before picture. all right, misty. come on out. >> hey! >> hey! >> you look cute. >> tell us what you did.

>> what we really decided to do was highlight. this is a trick any woman can do, not just post pregnancy. you want to highlight the skinniest part of your body. we put on skinny jeans. they show off her great t conceals things up top where she wasn't as comfortable. >> i like the sweater, too. >> cozy cardigan. she's not that comfortable showing off her midsection. you layer it up and show those great legs. >> if she loses the rest of the baby weight, that would be beautiful belted. >> switch it up. >> thank you, honey. we're going to look at wendy's before picture, too. take a look at wendy before. all right, wendy. come on out. >> oh, i love that! >> adorable. so cute! >> that is so cute. >> tell us what you did. >> she's still looking cute in casual because that's how we know she's comfortable. we took them to gap. the iconic san francisco story.

gap was started there in the '60s. the great gap denim jacket with a tweed skirt and scarf. she still looks comfy casual but a little more polished. >> i have those little jean jackets. one in white, one in the denim. i put them on and i'm instantly happy. >> everyone should have one. >> it's not something i would have picked out for myself. now that i'm in it, i really do like it. >> thank you, guys. >> nice to see you. up next, those photos that make you say, what? right after this. [ woman ] thursday! finally!

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we're back with what the what? >> we share the photos that make you say what? it's our miss sara. >> old dogs can learn new

tricks. it's getting hot in here! >> people have done that. >> i haevery time her husband d target practice in the backyard he gets scared and does this. >> this one is from japan. what? next from mississippi. >> i would do that. >> someone at a car dealership had really -- she kept knocking her mirrors off. a colleague did that as a joke and she left it on. >> i would do that. >> until she probably knocked that off. >> that's a good one. >> next from karen from atlanta, georgia. one earring down. i knew my car was missing something. looks like we've got a live one in here. it's a squirrel. a stuffed squirrel. >> who has a stuffed squirrel tied to the roof of their car?

>> i do, but i don't tie it on top of the roof. kidding. >> you have a stuff eed squirre in your house? >> i've been to your apartment. i've seen a few strange things. >> is that it? >> we've got one more. i think we have one more. yes. okay. next up, this is from donna rosenmyer from atlanta, georgia. it's a rest area. no stopping, standing or parking. in fact, just don't rest. >> go to our website and give us your pictures. still to come, we're not done celebrating love this week. we're going to test your chick kw?k movie knowledge waypl ho" ayplne "who kw? nee' bllback after this. [ man ] take one of those pillows and take a big smell.

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good morning to you. 10:26 right now. laura garcia canon. let's check that forecast with christina. >> still raining out there. good news is the heavy, steady rain has all pushed off to our south. right now, we're seeing spotty, pop-up showers. this will be the case throughout the day today. we'll take a little bit of a break as we head through the next couple of hours. we'll see probably spotty activity until tonight when the rain will become more steady again and snow levels are expected to drop to about 2,500 feet. rain continues in the forecast for today, tomorrow. it looks like showers on friday as well. and today, with the daytime

heating we're expecting, isolated thunderstorms are definitely likely. so, keep that in mind. with those thunderstorms, hail. we get through the next round of rain, cold air settles in. 2,000 foot snow level by friday. 54 degrees sat and sunday. showers continue. breaks of sunshine, finally, monday. let's talk to meek about what es happening on the roadway zpls recovering from the last round of rain we had, christina. still slow through san mateo, southbound 101. we still have slow iing through the peninsula. bay bridge from the east bay approach, nice smooth drive now. commute is light. take a look. starting to thin out quite a bit. few cars wait iing there, about dozen in each lane approaching the toll plaza. south bay, one accident 185 saratoga avenue northbound. [ female announcer ] to get fresh-baked

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that my family can't wait to get their hands on them. enjoy cinnabon cinnamon... now in all pillsbury cinnamon rolls. snow is falling in the sierra, causing slippery conditions for drivers. up to 4 inches of snow is expected to fall. interstate 80 busier than usual as people are making their way. long president's weekend. change all required on both interstate 80 and highway 50 for today. city of richmond says it will make sand bags available for anyone living in the city for winter storm precautions, available at the city yard on 13th street near harbor way off

580 in richmond of the you can get sand bags from 7:30 until 3:30 monday through friday. thanks so much for joining us this morning. the "today" show continues next. have a great afternoon. with more of "today." ready to play our weekly quiz game "who knew?" to keep with the week of valentine's day, we thought we'd keep the love in the air. we'll test your knowledge on romantic movies. kathie lee stocked up on her cds across the street at the nbc.com digital cafe, ready to hand out hot cds to people who answer the questions incorrectly. to those who get it right they get a measly $100. elvis mitchell is with me, the host of "the treatment" on public radio. so glad you're with us. >> do your thing again.

>> we haven't even told our jamaica story. we'll have to get back to it. let's go across to kathie lee. >> these lovely ladies are from orlando. they work at disney world. finish the line from the movie "jerry mcgwire" which frank stole. >> i love you. you complete me. >> just shut up. >> if you can just dry yourself off, tell me what the best line is. >> best movie line ever. ever. >> what is it? >> you had me at hello. >> oh, yeah! >> i think we should get the cd and the money for that answer. >> there's not a woman alive who doesn't know that line of that movie. that is so classic. >> that movie has so many great lines. originally he wanted damon wayans for the cuba gooding jr.

part and meira sorvino. he wanted the big line to be you had me at hello or show me the money. or you are my ambassador of -- >> take a look. >> ditto. >> all right. what does the word ditto mean? >> i love you. >> you go, girl. >> not a good day for the cd. >> you guys will be running out of money pretty soon. should i go to the atm and get some cash for you. >> that's a great line. >> you've got whoopi goldberg, the first person of color to win an oscar since sidney portier. let's make it happen. >> back across to kath. >> beautiful lady from

knoxville, tennessee. please finish the line from this scene in the movie "top gun." ♪ you're trying hard not to show it ♪ ♪ baby, but baby, believe me, i know it ♪ >> do you know it? >> you've lost that loving feeling. >> yes! you guys are doing great today. >> this is like the home run category for women. come on. >> it's like derek jeter playing softball. >> under handed pitches. >> the great thing about -- that makes short guys feel good. it means you can get a tall girl. >> is that a point? >> that's what the point of "top gun" is. >> short guys can get tall girls. back across to kath. >> in the movie "casa blanca"

humphrey humphrey bogart's character says we'll always have which city. >> oh, my god. >> they have a hilton. >> i don't know. >> i couldn't even give it away. it's paris. you get a great album! >> she looks happy. >> yeah. she also gets kathie lee's album, too, unfortunately. >> careful. she'll come get you. you stepped over the line. just saying. over it. pull back. >> i'm reading from the prompter over here. he had so many great lines. kind of the first bromance. the beginning of a beautiful friendship. so many. how do you pick one? you get to go home with a cd. congratulatio congratulations. >> i think we got to wrap it up, kat kat kathie. >> oh, rats, i was going to sing. ♪ i've had the time of my life

what was that from? >> dirty dancing. next, how to stain proof your stainless steel. right after this. [ female announcer ] we're made to mix. first timers, old pros, heated rivals, you can't do the wave by yourself. and just like we mix and mingle, so do the delicious tastes and textures in every handful of chex mix. we're made to mix.

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ask your doctor about celebrex. and, go to celebrex.com to learn more about how you can move toward relief. celebrex. for a body in motion. pesty problems around the house. >> hand me the tools. whether your kitchen cabinets won't close or you can't stand

looking at empty hail nonail ho the wall. >> let's get started. this is something we all have. you hang up a picture. you end up with a hole in the wall. >> you never get it right the first time. sorry to take you girls down. you know how you never get it right the first time? you end up with a hole here, a hole here. >> nobody measures. >> that's what i do. >> there's a really easy fix. lightweight patching compound. fill the hole. you can even overfill it. this stuff is so lightweight. take a damp sponge and it just rubs away until you have exactly the hole filled the way you want to. >> then you paint it, i guess. >> patch it up with a little paint. >> we believe you, alex. >> okay. >> this is one of those things. interesting. you scuff up your chair and you just don't know how to get rid of the scuff mark. >> you can see really bad scratch marks here. that's basically you've scratched away the stain. minwax makes stain pens.

hobbyists use these to do doll house furniture. you can color in the stain. >> it'll is a mahogany or cherry? >> yeah. i'll get this one going a little for you. >> this is so cool. >> put the stain on there and just color it in a little. >> that is so crafty. >> look what i'm doing! >> that is great. it's only $5. they come in nine different colors. >> imagine if you send it off to a craftsman. >> you'd have to finish the whole thing. you know when your cabinets don't close all the way? you're like, oh, i can't believe it. this is an easy fix. get a heavy duty magnet catch. attach it to the cabinet like this one. >> on the bottom. >> it just catches. that's it. it's done. >> alex is a genius. >> stains in the sink. stains in your sink. you don't need to buy stainless steel cleaner. you've probably already got wd-40 in your house. you can use it -- >> it's for everything. >> it's great.

it also cleans stainless steel. a little bit of this can just do this and clean up those stains completely. just make sure you wipe it all off when you're done. it's already in your closet. >> okay. that's a smart one. >> you're batting 1,000. >> these are stains that kids leave behind. >> we all like to display our kids' art work but not on the furniture and the walls. they use those pens that are supposed to be able to be cleaned off, but they don't always come off. tooth paste. >> do it. what do you do? >> just put a little bit of toothpaste on there. just like it cleans your teeth, it cleans up stains. >> can you put baking powder on that as well or you don't need it? >> look at that. >> hoda is amazed. >> look at all this cleaning. >> this is the one i like the most. you know how unappetizing it is to get to your butcher block and it smells like garlic and onions, last night's dinner? there's a really easy way to

clean that. just use sea salt and a lemon. you're basically scrubbing the smells out with lemon as the -- >> lemon is the world's greatest. >> yeah. this is the abrasive. take the cut and do the lemon. >> i likey! >> i do, too. shouldn't you use a plastic one? >> woods are better. they don't transfer any of the bacteria from the wood back into your knife. plastic ones do. these are bamboo, which is a sustainable material, so that's even better. >> what's next? >> that's the whole show, alex. she's got it. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. up next, we're talking about your love life. >> you didn't get that ring for valentine's day? we're finding out what you need to seal the deal. diana says there's hope. i say it's too late.

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