good morning. rescued from the rubble -- a woman pulled out alive more than 24 hours after the devastating earthquake in new zealand. this morning, some 300 others are missing and the growing fears that more buildings are on the verge of collapsing. on the brink -- moammar gadhafi vows to die a martyr before he'll hand over power in libya, but there are signs he's quickly losing control. richard engel will join us live. and special delivery. an elderly woman ordered a pizza a day for three straight years and now her loyal delivery

driver is credited with saving her life. today, wednesday, february 23, her life. today, wednesday, february 23, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television welcome to "today" on this wednesday morning. i'm ann curry in for meredith who's under the weather this morning. >> i'm willie geist in for matt who has the morning off. moving pictures from new zealand. incredible scene in christchurch as crews broke out in applause after the woman was rescued. >> it's giving new hope to the families of hundreds of other people missing in the wake of the powerful earthquake there, but it is a delicate information with aftershocks threatening to cause more structures to topple. at least 75 people are confirmed dead, but the death toll is expected to rise. we'll have the latest in a live report this morning.

>> an emotional scene outside a pennsylvania court as a mother confronts the judge who sent her son to prison. take a look. >> do you remember me? do you remember me? do you remember my son? he's good. he's got a heart. >> that judge has been convicted of taking bribes in exchange for sending youth offenders to private detention centers even for minor offenses. that woman blames him for her son's suicide. she'll share her story in a live interview. >> very intense. on a different note, are you suffering from what we are calling frugal fatigue? it's actually a reality. more americans are growing sick and tired of saving money. we'll get to the bottom of that. let's begin with the dramatic rescue in new zealand where more than 24 hours after the city of christchurch was rocked by an earthquake, nbc's sarah james is in littleton, ten miles outside of christchurch. good morning.

>> reporter: good morning, ann. yes, this town of lyttelton is a small coastal village and was the epicenter of the quake. the signs of devastation are all around me. nevertheless, the situation in christchurch is far worse. rescue workers there are in a race against the clock. in christchurch, a herculean rescue effort. the harrowing search for survivors of new zealand's killer quake. this amateur video shot by a rescue worker captures the drama, the hope. late tuesday, a welcome triumph. a woman who had been kept alive with small sips of water, freed from the ruins of this collapsed building. [ applause ] >> reporter: it was a much needed boost for a devastated city. more than 75 people are confirmed dead, 300 others still

missing. how old is she? >> 24. >> reporter: violent tremors continue to rock the city. the monster 6.3 quake struck without warning at busy lunchtime. streets crowded with office workers and tourists. often it seemed living or dying came down to chance. take this canadian couple who switched hotels at the last minute. >> if he had not given us $4 each off we would have been in a hospital that came down in the earthquake. 12:37 just before the quake struck, new jersey's chris took what may be the last picture of the christchurch cathedral in all its glory. >> i had just gotten pictures of the ka thecathedral with the to

and then it was down. >> cloud of dust. >> reporter: many are fleeing the aftershocks and aftermath. with water cut off to the city, massive sinkholes, the fear is palpable and the future uncertain. as this woman helps people to safety she receives welcome news. >> we found our niece. she's fine, well and happy. >> reporter: ann, this city needs more happy endings. nevertheless, it's braced for difficult days to come. in fact, some people told me they think their city has something in common with new orleans after hurricane katrina and believe some people who are leaving now may never return. ann? >> on that note, we have to leave it. sara james, thank you so much. it is 7:05. here's willie. >> now to the revolt against moammar gadhafi's reign in libya. the state department is set to

evacuate american citizens as the violent unrest there spreads. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in libya. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. i am now in a part of eastern libya that's completely controlled by demonstrators. opposition groups tell us they have control of about a third of libya but gaddafi says he'll never give up power. as soon as we entered libya it was clear colonel moammar gadhafi is no longer in control of much of the country. our car was immediately surrounded by protesters. they were armed and december separate to speak. [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> reporter: our children are dying, this man said. there are checkpoints on nearly every corner. we just crossed into libya from egypt. there is no presence of the libyan government here anymore. at the border crossing there was no one there to stamp us into the country. now the tribes are in control of

the area. we were driven by the protesters for more than a hundred miles through libya. we didn't see a single moammar gadhafi loyalist. we saw military barracks, empty and burned. a protest was under way in torbruk. the protesters shouted "libya must be free" and fired in the air. even climbed on our car saying moammar gadhafi used these bullets to kill civilians. at the main army headquarters army officers were still armed and in uniform, now in open rebellion. they broke into tears. the people and the army hand in hand. there are reports of military defections like this nationwide. >> we are behind the people. >> reporter: this is not an egyptian-style protest movement. this is a war for libya. the military bases have been emptied. they are taking the weapons including machine guns, rocket

launchers and they say now the people and military are together. the soldiers and civilians found an old newspaper with moammar gadhafi's picture and spit on it in disgust and burned it. there is heavy fighting in tripoli where in a national address moammar gadhafi said he would die a martyr. [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> reporter: the libyan leader called on his supporters to attack and kill demonstrators, hunting them down house to house. it is a call for civil war as libya's leader of 41 years clings to power. the u.s. state department says it will start evacuating americans by ferry today and bringing them to malta. ma willie, back to you. >> we know he's been erratic at times but i understand there are questions about his mental health. what are you hearing there? >> reporter: people here think he's lost whatever sanity he had

left and that worries them. they think he's desperate, no longer in control of his faculties and this desperate, almost insane man is willing to do almost anything to cling to power. >> thank you, richard. here's ann. >> the obama administration is condemning the deaths of four americans killed by pirates on board their hijacked yacht. we are learning more about what happened this morning. jim miklaszewski now joins us with details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. tragically these are the first americans killed by pirates during this modern day wave of piracy. it appears now that the deadly g gunfire erupted during a dispute between the pirates themselves. the four americans were on a dream voyage around the world which turned into a nightmare when 19 pirates hijacked their boat five days ago. just off the coast of somalia,

negotiators were still talking to the pirates to convince them to release the americans when it all went terribly wrong. military officials say without warning one of the pirates fired a rocket propelled grenade at the u.s. destroyer. almost immediately, those aboard the warship heard gun fire on the yacht. navy seals raced to the yacht in small boats. most of the pirates surrendered but below deck their worst fears became reality. >> all four hostages were shot. despite immediate steps to provide lifesaving care, all four of the american hostages died of their wounds. >> reporter: while searching the yacht the seals were forced to kill two pirates, one in a knife fight. another was shot in a falling out by pirates. the americans killed were scott and jean adam of southern california and two friends from seattle, phyllis mckay and bob

riggle. >> bob was extremely conservative as a sailor. the natural reaction for a lot of people is to think that they were naive or inexperienced or made poor decisions and that's not who they were. >> reporter: why did the pirates suddenly open fire? military officials insist navy seals made no attempt to rescue the hostages which could have provoked the pirates. >> the intent had been that this would be a negotiated process and not go into a point where we actually had gunfire. >> reporter: and why did the four americans attempt to navigate pirate alley on their own. to scott adams' friend richard peace it is still a mystery. >> he was an experienced sailor, deeply aware of piracy.

it's very odd. >> reporter: now unfortunately we may never know. military and fbi investigators are trying to piece together what happened aboard the yacht. it's likely that the 15 pirates now in custody will end up here in the u.s. to face trial, ann. >> a very sad story. jim miklaszewski, thank you. it's 7:12. here's willie. >> wisconsin's governor is warning of dire consequences if his spending reform bill fails to pass, but his message is not deterring ongoing protests at that time state capitol. now similar budget battles are taking shape in other states as well. mike taibbi is in madison for us this morning. good morning. >> reporter: wisconsin is not the only state rattling the comfort zone of public unions but it is among the first. one party controls the state house, the governor's job and a new agenda everyone is watching.

senate and assembly are back in session but couldn't force a vote on the budget relief bill because democrats remain awol. walker in a fireside chat tuesday night said he would not budge from his plan to make collective bargaining all but obsolete for 300,000 public employee union members. >> we are broke in this state because time and time again politicians of both political parties ran away from the tough decisions and punted it down the road for another day. >> reporter: governors in eight other states are pushing similar tough decisions for public employees triggering prounion protests in ohio, michigan and massachusetts. in indiana, democratic legislators left the state to avoid voting just like their wisconsin counterparts. chris christie, the first of the get tough republicans to make national waves by taking on his state's unions submitted a second budget and said there is no turning back.

>> in the new normal we can and will stop old commitments to set new priorities to meet new jersey's 21st century challenges. >> reporter: in madison, senator dale schultz suggested a compromise. adopt the walker bill to close the gap but restore collective bargaining in two years. any takers among his republican colleagues? even one? >> my colleagues have been extremely generous and courteous to me as has my governor. >> reporter: are they with you? >> you know, in a case like this, you never know. >> reporter: he did know. the answer is no. in fact, one of his republican colleagues said any notion of compromise is dead on arrival in this republican-controlled senate. it seems the republicans led by the governor intend to win the showdown without flinching once. ann? >> thank you. chris christie is the republican governor of new jersey and is the first to take on public employee unions.

good morning. >> good morning. >> you are probably the best person to ask about an editorial in the new york times that says there is a political agenda by republican governors not just from wisconsin but in ohio and indiana that in each case, quote, republican talk of balancing budget is cover for the real purpose of gutting the political force of middle class state workers who are steady supporters of democrats and pose a threat to a growing conservative agenda. is there a republican political agenda to this attack or this effort, this pointed effort at unions? >> no. if you look at it, these fights are going on all over the country, not just with republicans but democrats. in california, jerry brown is talking about cutting take home pay and laying off a bunch of state workers. this is about reshifting our priorities. if you want to do things in new jersey like i want to do -- provide property tax relief for middle class taxpayers you can't continue to pay health benefits

in new jersey where the government pays 92% of health care for each person. that doesn't happen anywhere. we have to make choices and they have to be part of the shared sacrifice. >> the idea that some critics have that you are making unions scapegoats for a problem that wasn't really created by unions but was created by wall street, the banks and the downturn in the economy, what do you say to the critics? >> they're not paying attention. if they were, the problems here that are created on the state budget, sure we have a deficit. the benefits and costs are out of control. 24,000 a year, 8% of the cost the taxpayers pay the rest. we cannot afford these things and we have a pension deficit of 54 billion dollars in new jersey. that wasn't created by wall street. that was created by the fact that the benefits are too high and the payments in are too low. >> the problem isn't just be

states with collective bargaining deals. frx, many states have denied collective bargaining rights that also have very large budget deficits n. some ways it doesn't sort of make sense, the idea that the unions are to blame. >> i'm not saying it's just about collective bargaining, ann. even in states where it doesn't exist, legislators have been too generous with public employees over time. it's not just collective bargaining. it's wanting to say yes all the time as a public official. you never want to say no because you're more popular if you say yes. you know what? it's time to say no to things so we can say yes to create a more prosperous future. >> it hasn't hurt your popularity. as an example of how much the republican party loves your message, many are pushing you to run for president in 2012. ann coulter says syou are the only republican who would win. you're shaking your head and

saying you're not running but who do you think is in line to beat barack obama? >> i think the field the wide open. i don't know who the field will be. is mitch daniels going to run? i don't know. is hayley barber going to run? on a. you have to see who the field will be before you know who the front runner is. i'm going to do my job in new jersey and we'll see. >> okay. i have to ask about this official in one of your top advisers who said he didn't want to leave money on the table. he's forming a political action committee and that's raised everybody's eyebrows thinking you are running. are you really not running? >> there is no chance. zero chance. >> okay. >> under any circumstances. le close the door and nail it shut. >> what's it for? >> a partner of mine said the federal pac may be a good idea.

i don't have plans to do it and i'm not running. >> okay. you're raising money then but you're also losing weight. >> trying. >> how much? >> we don't give numbers out, ann. >> come on. you're talking to me. >> look at >> you look good. >> i feel better. what's most important is i started to do this because i have four children between 7 and 17. i want to be here for them. >> okay. >> for the long haul. they're not worried about the numbers and neither am i. i'm feeling better. we are moving in the right direction. it's just like new jersey. we're not better yet, but we are moving in the right direction. >> you're quick to turn that. just to say, a lot of political candidates start losing weight, that's the first sign. just saying. for president. >> i'll be married 25 years. that's one of the spurs. i want my wife to hang in there with me. >> all right. well, i do, too. governor, thank you so much. >> appreciate it. >> now a check on the top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. good morning.

>> good morning. we begin with how the crisis in libya is impacting the economy, sending oil prices skyrocketing and stock prices plummeting. for now on this we go to cnbc's erin burnett at the new york stock exchange. good morning. >> good morning. we have the watchdog people are looking for in the turmoil of the middle east. the oil that america buys surged in price yesterday. the most in two years. that's the oil libya pumps. we are talking light sweet crude. keep in mind, libya has only 2% of global production so it's small but one of six countries in the middle east which includes saudi arabia, iran and iraq which controls 60% of the world's oil reserves. it matters for all of us. prices at the pump, some say could go up 10 to 12 cents. just due to the jump we saw yesterday. back to you. >> that's going to hurt. erin burnett, thank you. violence and tension in yemen's capitales indicate lated overnight where two young protesyemen's capital when pro

government demonstrators open fire on peaceful demonstrators. the king of bahrain has made good on the promise to release political prisoners fleeing 25 detainees, including a prominent blogger. former white house chief of staff rahm emanuels had a new job. he took in more than 50% of the votes, enough to secure the position without a run-off. his former boss, president obama, congratulated emanuel on his win. atop a skyscraper in south america's largest city, they are finding inner peace. they've made a zen mountain retreat out of a building where they are able to meditate in spite of the height and noisy traffic below. back to ann, willie and al. >> thank you so much. >> let's get a check on the weather from al roker, looking

pretty darn dapper. >> darn dapper. >> ann is swearing a little bit. our pacific northwest weather, there are folks here cursing the weather there. we are talking winter storm warnings and watches and advisories from utah into the pacific northwest. we've got rain and snow and in fact, we're talking copious amounts of snow. we're talking about anywhere from 5 to 8 inches of snow from seattle down into portland. we're also looking at anywhere from 12 to 24 inches in the kas raids and san francisco, friday night may see its first snowfall in downtown san francisco >> hey, well, spoiler alert, al. good morning to you. yeah, we are expecting snow levels to fall to 500 feet early saturday. temperatures right now are in the 40s, and i think as we head

throughout this afternoon you'll need that jacket all day long. temperatures only ranging from 50 to 58 degrees today in the bay area. 55 in san jose and 56 in fremont. now as we head through tomorrow, only 60 degrees is the high, showers arrive late. lowest snow level forecasted early saturday. and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you so much. still ahead, the pizza a day diet that helped save an elderly woman's life after her regular delivery driver wondered why the woman's order suddenly stopped. the hero shares the story in a live interview. first, this is "today" on nbc. switching to progressive could mean hundreds more in your wallet year after year. feed me! saving you money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today.

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still to come, the mother who lashed out at a judge convicted in the so-called cash for kids plot that sent youth offenders for jail. why she blames him for her son's o u suide. >>ve do you have frugal

fatigue? after your local news. try acuvue® oasys brand contact lenses with hydraclear® plus for exceptional comfort. it feels like it disappeared on my eye. [ male announcer ] it's the #1 doctor-prescribed contact lens in the u.s. acuvue® oasys bran >> good morning everybody. 7:26 now. i'm brent cannon. we have developing news out of oakland. police are searching for suspects 18 brutal early morning attack and today in the bay's christie smith is live with an update. >> reporter: good morning, to you, brent. oakland police say this was a severe beating, so violent in fact, that the man, the victim, had footprints, they tell me, on his shirt. this happened overnight on 84th and international. a sergeant telling me that the victim suffered internal injuries and he was unconscious, taken to highland hospital. an investigator heading there this morning. how it happened they don't know

but they think sometime around 2:30 this morning that the victim may have been driving a pickup truck and perhaps hit a bike on the corner. witnesses describe four men attacking him. they are still looking for three more. reporting live in oakland, christie smith, today in the bay. >> in the meantime we want to check your morning forecast with christina. >> good morning to you. we have a little bit of cloud cover overhead keeping our temperatures up from yesterday morning at this time. we are a couple degrees warmer in livermore, 34 degrees, 40 in san jose and 35 in fairfield. no 20s this morning as we had yesterday. through this afternoon we're forecasting 54 for a wednesday in oakland, 55 in san jose, and our temperatures are going to drop as we head deeper into the week. 50 tomorrow. showers late. snow levels down to 500 feet saturday morning. let's find out about the drive now with mike inouye. >> looks like the temperatures and the speeds pretty close in

livermore, 36 miles per hour on average there. so a couple of numbers higher than the temperatures. smooth drive to the dublin interchange. a look at sunol, one reason, the volume of traffic as well as the incident across from our camera so you see slowing approaching the express lane. light are volume through the east bay, the maze shows you the metering lights on. no major issues off of that curve. >> thanks, mike. more in a half hour. the "today" show returns in less than two minutes.

♪ 7:30 now on this wednesday morning, february 23, 2011. we are flying like an eagle to check out this breathtaking view of new york city from high atop the top of the rock. down below, we have a terrific crowd on rockefeller plaza. we'll go out pretty soon. meantime inside studio 1a at the moment i'm ann curry alongside willie geist. matt has the morning off and meredith is under the weather but she'll be okay. great to have you here. >> great to be here. >> just ahead, the lifesaving power of pizza. an elderly memphis woman ordered

a domino's every day for the last three years. when her calls suddenly stopped her regular delivery driver became concerned and took action. now the driver is being hailed a hero for saving her life. we'll have the story in a live interview ahead. >> also a pennsylvania judge convicted of taking money while sending youth offenders to private detention centers, often for minor offenses. outside the court he was angrily confronted by the mother of one of the young men he sent to prison . she blames that judge for her son's suicide. >> very emotional story. in this economy americans are trying to save and it is causing a form of what's being called frugal fatigue. what is it? how can we overcome it? details from jean chatzky coming up. >> first a check on the weather from al. good morning. >> we have all these great

people out here, the battle of the hats. we have the koala hat, the dizzy devil hat. do you know where they need hats? washington, pacific northwest. they have started to get snow. there is more on the way. anywhere from three to eight inches of snow over the next 48 hours in the pacific northwest. snow as far south as san francisco tomorrow night. let's look at what else is going on around the country on the other side. we have severe weather to talk about. icy conditions, st. louis into southern illinois. heavy rain as well. could be some afternoon and evening tornadoes out of the system stretching from corpus christi up into st. louis with a quarter inch to a half inch of rain. the rest of the country, the pacific northwest hammered. in the northeast, sunshine, breezy conditions. fog in the gulf coast. sunny in the southwest. temperatures chillier th

>> yes, just as our own loveable al roker pointed out we expect snow flurries in san francisco. the best time for that will be early saturday. the coldest temperatures in the system approaching will take place between friday night and saturday morning. this morning it's cold but it's dry. so we'll take it. 55 degrees in san jose, 58 in almaden valley. tomorrow only 50. then the rain arrives late. 43 degrees friday. snow over 17. we have some friends here from hotels.com. you claymation'd me. >> we made you a doll. >> thank you very much. you can check your weather day or night. weather channel on cable. weather.com online. smart. very smart. willie? >> al, you have officially made it. still ahead, are you suffering from frugal fatigue? how to make sure you don't get

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back now at 7:36 with what some are calling the biggest courthouse scandal in u.s. history. two judges in pennsylvania convicted in a so-called cash for kids scheme and now one mother says her son died because of one of those judges. we'll talk to her, but first jeff rossen has details. >> hi, ann. the judge sent hundreds of kids to jail for minor crimes while taking kickbacks from the jail itself. this morning he's been convicted along with another judge, but that wasn't enough for one of the victims' mothers who confronted him outside the court. the dramatic scene was caught on tape. >> do you remember me? do you remember me? do you remember my son? [ bleep ] you ruined my son's life. >> reporter: sandy fonzo

couldn't hold back, face to face with the judge, the man she blames for her son's death. >> do you know what he told everybody in court? they need to be held accountable for their actions. you need to be. >> reporter: ed was only 17 years old, arrested for a minor drug crime, his first offense. the judge sentenced him to six months in a juvenile detention center. according to legal experts, an unusually strict punishment. he served the time but his mother said he was never the same after he got out. years later, ed committed suicide. >> he was just a regular 17-year-old happy kid, you know? we had a regular, normal, happy life. that one incident that we had to go stand in front of that judge was a turning point. he shackled him, took him away and that was the end. >> reporter: prosecutors say the judge was secretly cashing in as he sent kids to jail, taking kickbacks of nearly $1 million from the company that ran the jail.

when sandy fonzo saw him after court, she let loose. >> my kid's not here. he's dead because of him. he ruined my son's [ bleep ] life. i'd like him to go to hell and rot there forever. >> the bottom line is that his greed took the life of my son. i don't think there is anything worse than what he could have done. the pain he created, the lies and the deceit and everything behind it, just makes me sick. >> reporter: the judge was convicted on 12 of 39 counts including racketeering and money laundering. plus, he has to return all the money. >> i absolutely never took a dime to send a kid anywhere. if that was the case that would have been in this trial. you don't think the government would have put me on trial for that if that was the case? never happened. never, ever happened. >> reporter: he faces up to 157 years in prison, but this morning he's home with his family until sentencing -- a freedom sandy fonzo finds outrageous. >> are you kidding me? are you kidding me?

i can't even take this. >> i know it won't bring my son back. but i just want an apology from him. i want him to say that he was wrong and that he is sorry. i just want him to admit his guilt, finally. >> we called the judge and his lawyer about sandy's accusations. they declined to comment. by the way, another judge is also involved in the kickback scheme. he's pled guilty to racketeering. both could be sentenced in months. ann? >> jeff rossen, thank you so much. sandy is with us along with her attorney marshall levitt. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> you were watching the tape and it didn't seem as though yelli yelling gave you any peace. it's as if you are in a knot of pain. >> it was good to be there in that moment, speak right to him,ing right to his face to

tell him the pain he created and what he's done to my son. maybe when it's done it will feel like a layer has come off. this has been years and years. there's no closure to him. i just want to see him -- i just want to see justice. i want to see some justice for these kids. i want to know my son's life and death were not in vain. >> you, perhaps more than anyone else, can express how this sentence affected your son. how the judge's sentence affected your son. how would you describe it? >> it changed him. he ripped him out of our home, out of our life. he never looked into the whole picture of the kids. he lined them up one by one and sent them away, shackled them, sent them to places that, you know, god knows what went on. then he throws them back and how does a kid deal with that?

you know, my son never recovered from that. no matter what we did, he just would never let him go. it just kept snowballing and snowballing. >> i have to ask. you know that suicide is a complicated thing. there are a lot of factors. were there other factors that led to your son's? >> i mean, it was like his spirit was no longer -- he wasn't the same kid. he didn't have the energy. he was depressed, sad. >> so you saw no other factors that may have contributed? >> no. it just kept going. he lost his freedom. he was locked up. he was fine until he got him again and then he -- oh, geez. it just kept going downhill. that's all. he just never could recover.

it was just even when he did hear that ciavarella was indicted. mom, it will never happen. he'll never go to jail. he'll never pay for what he did. i think he just lost hope. he started drinking and, you know, all of that played a role in that one devastating night. i don't know -- that was the only thing bad that ever happened in his life. the only thing that had significance in changing his whole personality and his whole outlook on life and his -- i don't know. it just seemed he lost hope, lost faith. he believed there was no justice. he was the bad one. you know, the judge -- i want these kids to know that they were not the bad ones, you know? he's the bad guy.

>> marcia, what do you hope to get for the children? you filed suit on their behalf? >> we filed suit on their behalf and we have worked to expunge the records, reverse the convictions. i think sandy's son's story typifies what happened to so many of the children in luzerne county, thousands of kids pulled before ciavarella for minor things like joyriding, shoplifting. they appeared without lawyers. they had hearings that lasted two, three minutes. they were handcuffed and shackled and led off to placement. the story of sandy's son is tragic in ways none of us can imagine. but the kind of trauma that all of the kids and families experienced as a result of corruption and criminality and this widespread violation of constitutional rights is extraordinary. >> you talk about wanting an apology, sandy. it's hard to imagine how that

might affect you, that's enough for you. >> i could never forgive him. my son is gone. i will never have him back. but for him to finally admit his guilt, stand up there and say, i'm sorry, i was wrong, and give these kids a little bit of healing, a little bit of faith in our system that, you know, sometimes the right can be done and that they are not -- you know, these kids, the stories i'm getting. they're just horrifying. you know, they need help. >> in all your loss, clearly you are speaking so forthrightly about your son whose life mattered. >> yes. >> you have made that very clear today. thank you so much for being here. thank you, marcia, for being here today. we'll be right back after this.

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money" do you have frugal fatigue? according to a new poll from the national foundation for credit counseling, two-thirds of americans say they are tired of pinching pennies. how can you fight the feeling and still save? we have doctor -- i'm calling you doctor already. jean chatzky. you have been so great with all of the information. >> i'm the only one in my family without an advanced degree. so thank you so much. >> i'm sure your family is happy about that this morning. this idea of frugal fatigue is more than a cute phrase. it's something that can take a serious toll. >> right. you can feel stressed out. you canal fe feel anxious and sabotage your financial future which is what we are trying to talk about today. >> the poll says 66% say they have frugal fatigue but they will continue to save. we show the rest from there. it's obviously having an impact. >> it is definitely having an impact. the risk is once you feel this for an extended period of time

the risk is you will take advantage of additional credit in the market. banks are definitely loosening up on offering people additional credit in the form of credit cards, home equity loans. you will start spending like you did before the recession and that will dig you into a hole. >> in fact, that's already started. people are spending more than they were. >> we saw in december the amount of revolving credit that people are carrying on credit cards popped for the first time in two years. it was up by 2.5%. that's dangerous. again, the home equity lines of credit that are more available, people can borrow from their homes to pay off credit cards and then charge the credit cards back up again. dangerous. >> you were saying that's not good. let's talk about tips. you say to get your partner to buy in. >> right. if you are married, with somebody else, you both have to be on the same page as far as your spending goes. if one of you is feeling weighed down by the stress of not being able to spend and goes on a

bender that's going to do damage, not only to your finances but to your relationship. >> and you want to be honest with yourself about where you are vulnerable and likely to fail. >> i know about myself -- >> shoes? >> e-mail flash sales. when i get an e-mail i'm like a lemming. i go right to the site. you want to put a roadblock in the way of that behavior and know i will get myself off the e-mail lists or if i see a sale sign i will walk in the other direction. form a battle plan before you startle falling prey to whatever it is that's out there to tempt you. >> prey is the word. there are so many systems to get you at the grocery store, any store. all this stuff trying goat you to buy one last thing at the checkoutline. >> you know what's coming. you have seen the strategies marketers use. be careful with the form of payment you use. we know people spend more on credit cards than on debit cards. more on debit than on cash and

more with small bills than with big bills. if you want to not spend money, carry 50s and 100s. >> spend with cash. put your credit card aside. >> there you go. >> dr. jean chatzky helping us out this morning. just ahead, the woman who owes her life to eating pizza every day and her remarkable delivery driver that saved her life. their story coming up after your local news. fish box. i opened the first sammy's back in 1966. my employees are like family, and i want people that work for me to feel that they're sharing in my success. we purchase as much as we can on the american express open gold card so we can accumulate as many points as possible. i pass on these points to my employees to go on trips with their families. when my employees are happy, my customers are happy. how can the gold card help serve your business? booming is taking care of your business by taking care of your employees.

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good morning. time 7:56. i'm brent cannon. new this morning a warning from peninsula police trying to tell people to be careful when they leave their car. there have been a string of smash and grabs. marla? >> reporter: brent, these car break-ins are happening in palo alto specifically along el camino at popular shopping centers like the one we're at, this is the town and country village shopping center across the street from stanford. police say thieves have hit the stanford shopping center as well. they are breaking into cars in broad daylight and the early evening hours, stealing expensive items like you might assume they would, lap tops and gps units in plain sight.

so police are reminding drivers to make sure their cars are empty when they head out to run the errands during the day. and brent, palo alto police say they noticed a spike in these burglaries in the last two months. >> thank you for the update. it's time to check your forecast. >> you might see people scraping the frost off their windshield of their car this morning. it's cold enough for frost. we have low snow levels. it's going to get colder through the next few days. our next system is on the way, this is a potent winter storm dropping snow levels to 1,000 feet friday night 500 feet, saturday morning. the big difference between today and yesterday will be the added cloud cover. temperatures today in the upper 50s, mid-50s in some cities. it's still cold out there. grab a jacket but don't go anywhere. we want to check traffic with mike inouye. >> you're okay, lighter volume in the bay area. look at the east bay, livermore,

37 for the speed, an accident at grant line road, slower out of the altamont pass. no major issues toward the dublin interchange. slow for 680 through sunol but a lot of volume. hayward slows, northbound 880, slowdown not at the coliseum yet. back to you. >> thanks a lot. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. my wife and i want to lower our cholesterol,

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8:00 now on a wednesday morning. february 23, 2011. you can hear them. pretty enthusiastic crowd on rockefeller plaza waving to their loved ones back home. they always stop by. okay. we're going to have to cut away and say i'm ann curry along with willie geist, filling in for meredith and matt along with al roker who's not wearing a hat in this weather. >> i'm not. i forgot it. >> you still look pretty darn good. >> darn good. >> darn is the word i'm using. your doctor may not want you to

eat pizza every day but an elderly woman in memphis did it and it helped save her life. her delivery driver is here to share a remarkable story. >> it's incredible. a pizza a day keeps the doctor away. and the rising popularity of dollar stores in this recession. but do you really get the most bang for your buck and the same quality compared to what you may find at a grocery store? we'll put them to the test. >> do you have trouble getting your kids to eat vegetables like mushrooms and artichokes? >> i do and they're teenagers. >> martha stewart will show us how to get your kids to eat veggies and have a good time doing it. >> all right, al. thanks so much. before that a check of the news from natalie morales in for me at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. the u.s. is ferrying americans who want to leave today. this amid fears of a civil war in libya. moammar gadhafi has reportedly lost control of the eastern part

of the country but he's vowing to fight to his last drop of blood. christchurch, new zealand, is in ruins as residents await news of 300 people still missing there. at least 75 people have died and rescuers expect the number to rise following a delaware stating 6.3 earthquake. the u.s. is condemning tuesday's killings of four americans by somali pirates aboard a yacht off east africa. secretary of state hillary clinton says the deaths underscore the need for international cooperation in fighting piracy. the state legislature returned to work in wisconsin but the fate of a bill to strip government workers of collective bargaining rights is uncertain. governor scott walker says if lawmakers don't pass the bill soon, up to 1500 state workers could be laid off by july. a new study exposes the effects of cell phone use on the brain.

robert bazell has the report. >> reporter: it is the first time scientists have measured changes in the brain caused by radiation from cell phones. >> in this area -- >> reporter: the director of the story of the national institutes of health says there is no evidence of health effects, but she still plans to change how she uses her cell phone. >> i can use my cell phone with a wired earpiece or text. >> reporter: the researchers placed cell phones on mute but still transmitting signals next to the heads of volunteers for 50 minutes. then using a brain pet scanner they found brain cells near the antenna increased temporary activity as measured by the uptake of glucose, but brain cells light up the same way when people have a thought, see a light, moves a toe or carries out any function. experts aren't that concerned. >> there is nothing to suggest cell phones have any adverse or

harmful effect on the brain. >> reporter: the cell phone industry says there is no evidence of danger, but many people remain concerned. le cell phone use in this country alone has grown from 4 million in 1990 to almost 300 million last year. the latest finding calls for more research. feeding a concern that shows no sign of letting up in our ever more wireless society. robert bazell, nbc news, new york. a 10le-year-old boy in india is being called a child prodigy. he quit school after a teacher gave him a spanking and began home schooling himself. he now teaches math and science to 12th graders who call him the 7th wonder of the world. the boy has gotten scholarship offers for college but as you might expect he prefers to be his own teacher. working for him. it's 8:04. now a check of the weather with mr. roker outside. >> thank you very much, natalie. we have fine folks from syracuse and even a graphical depiction of how we work here.

there's me and our cameraman jimmy wearing a red dress. what's your name, young man? >> jake. >> everything's jake. let's check the weather. we have a big storm coming in the pacific northwest. rain and snow now. going to be snow later on. anywhere from six to eight inches of snow along the coast from seattle to med ford, oregon. the cascades could see 24 inches of snow before it's over. some of that snow expected here in our neck of the woods but the lowest of the snow levels, we aren't expecting until saturday morning. so another dry day. 41 degrees in san mateo right now. 41 in santa cruz. grab the jacket, leave the umbrella at home. temperatures today are going to end up in the mid to upper 50s. 55 degrees in san jose. and here is your extended outlook. there are the low snow levels, 1,000 feet friday morning.

snow over 17 summits. 500 feet saturday. >> what's your name? >> kyle. we have a birthday boy, kyle. how old? >> 12. >> ann? >> coming up a woman who owes her life to eating pizza every day. the story coming up after this. i had this chronic, deep ache all over -- it was a mystery to me. 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 with less pain, i can do more of what matters to me. [ 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

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back now at 8:08 with one woman's daily diet of pizza and the fast-thinking delivery driver credited with saving her life. we'll talk to the hero in a moment. first, nbc's ron mott is in memphis with details. ron, good morning. >> reporter: hey there, willie. good morning to you. we all pretty much agree pizza is an american staple and it's true for one woman whose loyalty to this shop just delivered -- big time. a pizza a day didn't keep the doctors away but it didn't stop 82-year-old jean wilson from rolling the dice and she probably owes her life to all the pepperoni and cheese every day for three years. so when her order didn't make it to domino's over the weekend her

delivery driver smelled trouble. instead of jean's usual pie. >> i said, she hasn't called in three days? i have to go. he was like, no, you don't have to do that. i said, yeah, clock me out if that's what you have to do. >> reporter: the house call ended with a call to memphis 911. >> the pizza lady knocked on the door and wanted to know if i had seen the lady across the street. >> he said, maybe she's not home. i said, how many times have you seen her leave? he said, never. >> reporter: turned out jean had fallen and couldn't get to the feet. doctors say she'll be fine. as for her future orders, that's a given. >> one large pizza, thin crust. >> reporter: any way you slice it -- >> get it there in half an hour or less. >> reporter: -- no delivery will be more timely than this one. while the workers say they went

the extrale mile for jean because she's so nice to everyone, she appreciate what is they do and they are looking forward to the daily 10:00 phone calls ringing in sometime soon. >> great story. ron mott, thank you so much. and the delivery woman susan guy is with us. good morning. >> good morning. >> you have been delivering a lot of the pizzas over the years to jean. what kind of woman is she? >> she's a kind woman. you know, i think she's happy to see us every day. she comes to the door and she appreciates us. >> how well did you get to know her on the deliveries? >> well, you know, she's not a big talker. but, you know, she lives by herself and i don't think she had a lot of people around. you know, we talked about just general things. nothing in particular. she's just not a big talker, you know. >> so you get to work on monday a couple days ago and your boss

says we vice president had the call from jean, not just on monday but for the two previous days and you were immediately concerned. >> yes. my mother had cancer and twice she fell while she lived with me. i'd come home and she'd been on the floor, like, three hours one time and a couple hours the other time. i knew there was a possibility. >> so something's telling you, i need to check on jean wilson. in fact, we heard in the piece where you said to your boss, clock me out if you have to, i'm going. you get to jean's house. what happened next? >> i beat on the windows, the door. i'm hollering in there. ms. wilson? i'm listening to hear if she's making sounds. i don't hear anything. so then i start knocking on the neighbors' doors. finally, the gentleman answered the door and he's the one that told me, you know, she's probably gone. of course i was like, i don't think so. every morning. it's been three days.

did you see an ambulance? >> so you called 911, in fact. and you had to get back to work, but you came back to check and found the paramedics there. what did you see then? >> i just saw the paramedics and the police actually -- one police oer wasleaving. he stopped me and said, are you susan? i said, yes, sir. he said, well, she's okay. we told her -- she asked because she probably didn't think anyone would call. she asked, who called? they said, domino's, a pizza delivery driver. they said she smiled a big smile. >> you have spoken to her in the hospital and she's doing well? >> she's doing well. you know, she wants out. >> we know domino's is proud of you. they gave us a statement saying as much. they have things in store for you and we know jean wilson is, of course, grateful to you. congratulations, job well done. >> thank you, willie. >> good to see you. up next, does it pay to shop at dollar stores? we'll compare the costs and quality to your local grocery

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back at 8:17. this morning on "today's consumer," getting the most for your money. most of us run to the grocery store for staples but a growing number of shoppers are turning to dollar stores instead. ♪ >> reporter: just a few miles from the bling of rodeo drive, you can find the birdseed, baby bibs and bread loaves common to a different shopping experience -- the dollar store. this 99 cent only shop in venice, california, is an example of the new style of discount depots -- bigger,

brighter, less cluttered. a businesswoman and mother of two hits stores like this three to four times a month because she says she can get more bang for her buck. >> i come here for a lot of basic supplies. tupperware, party favors, toiletries, toilet paper, paper towels. we are always trying to save money. you're here because you want to stretch your dollar out any way you can. >> reporter: many americans feel the same way. since the recession hit, nearly 65% of u.s. households have shopped at a dollar store. the biggest growth sector -- households making more than $100,000. >> consumers adjusted spending and now realize they can move forward in this new normal. they are pragmatic. i will shop value, but i will also save for that vacation. >> reporter: retailers are responding with 2500 dollar stores opening across the

country in the past year. we asked kalika to buy some of the items we all just run out to the store to grab -- paper towels, juice, soda, toilet paper, batteries. she purchased 11 products at the dollar store. then bought items as similar as possible at a major grocery chain with her discount card for comparison. the dollar store receipt was $12.19. the grocery store, $38.04. >> i never would have known i was spending this much money at the store. >> reporter: both brand names, the dollar store won out costing almost half as much. some of the products from each store were the same brand but different sizes. a bigger box of chips ahoy at the grocery store, for example. when broken down by ounce, the dollar store was still cheaper. the grocery store did prove to be a better bargain for minute

maid lemonade, but for water, the dollar store had a brand name that cost les than the grocery store's generic. if you are willing to buy generic you can really save big at dollar stores. these batteries priced at 99 for four at the dollar store, 25 cents each. compared to a ten-pack for $8.49 at the supermarket, that's 84 cents a battery. generic household cleaner, 99 cents for 40 ounces at the dollar store. but 409, the brand name equivalent sells for $3.50 for a 32-ounce bottle. brand name or not, kalika appreciates the dollar store savings. >> it's important to get more for my money. one of the core values is to do more with les. >> sarah humphries is here from real simple magazine. >> hi,le willie. >> we know the savings are here. what are good rules of thumb at the dollar store. >> you know you can get party

supplies and paper goods. now you can do food shopping there but you have to be a savvy consumer. check expiration dates. look at the products. do quality checks. if they are nearing the expiration date don't buy them. make sure they are stored well. we found things that should have been in a cool place on open shelves so be careful. >> you recommend frozen fruits and vegetables. >> dollar stores are now stocking freezers and refrigerator cases. these are great bargains. go with brand names. there are a lot of off labels. stick with the brand names for the quality. $1 versus $1.80 at a regular store. >> dried goods, flour, sugar? >> that's travel well and keep. their a perfect dollar store bargain. this is about $1.29. not everything is a dollar but versus $4 at the regular store. >> snacks, if you have a family you load up on these things. better at the dollar store?

>> absolutely. go with the brand names. nothing better than chips. make sure they haven't been crushed in transport. $1 versus $3. those of us with kids loading up on drinks and that can be expensive. >> this bottle of tea was about a dollar compared to $1.69 half the size at a regular store. >> you say to stick with the store for baked goods. >> freshness. a lot of supermarkets have the bakery on site. so you get fresh products. stick with the grocery store for baked goods. >> fish and meat. >> don't mess with fish and meat. this is an area you don't want to be penny pinching. go to the butcher, the fish monger, local store. >> canned goods i think would be fine but you say grocery store. >> this is a surprising find. there are better bargains on canned goods in the grocery

store in most cases. go to the dollar store and check. you can get better bargains on canned goods. >> thanks. you say to fill up the spice rack. >> don't mess with spices either. >> thank you very much. it's 8:22. here's ann. >> willie, thanks. "the fighter" is one of the hottest films with seven oscar nominations including best picture. it's base on the story of two brothers who battle problems in and out of the boxing ring. janet shamlian caught up with them. >> reporter: mickey ward is the inspiration for mark wahlberg's character in "the fighter." dicky eklund is his older brother who falls into addiction. he's played by christian bail. >> let him punch himself out. >> you can't be me. you had a hard enough time being you when you had your chance and that's why you're in here. i will fight sanchez the way i fight. >> i'm talking about the way you

fight, you moron. >> reporter: boxing set it is stage but the heart of the film is family and the rumbles that happened outside of the ring. >> family, right? >> little bit more. >> reporter: the film is set where the men were raised and live -- lowell, massachusetts. while mickey's career soared, dicky's dived including a documentary in an hbo. >> dicky's a junk bag. he's a junk bag. >> i'm his family. >> i want dicky back and you, and o'keefe and my family. what's wrong with that? >> reporter: hollywood offered a feel good ending but in real life the battle never ends, just like in the ring. where are you now? >> in a good place. i'm here every day -- except sunday. >> as long as he's here, he's good.

>> reporter: if you don't mind me asking, are you -- have you been able to put your addiction behind you? >> oh, yeah. thank god. >> reporter: for how long? >> a while. >> reporter: the brothers haven't strayed far from the ring though the story has gone global. mickey owns a gym and works as a truck driver. dicky trains several fighters. still, the brothers are enjoying a bit of the limelight. what are you going to do oscar night? >> i think we're going to be there, i believe. >> reporter: are you wearing a tux? >> oh, not another one. >> reporter: while they don't crave the fame, the real fighters in the story appreciate the impact. >> makes you think, wow i did something positive. it's great, but it's not something i have to have in my lifetime to feel good about myself, but it's great to have honestly. >> reporter: for "today" janet shamlian, nbc news, massachusetts. >> still ahead, mar ooer pow f dses powusoods to cook up

tasty snacks after your local news. f good morning everybody. time now is 8:26. i'm brent cannon. the next phase of a teen accused of trying to set off two pipe bombs at high school is set to begin today. jury selection begins today in the trial. police say he walked into hilldale high school in san mateo county armed with a sword, chain saw, and ten pipe bombs in august of 2009. a candlelight vigil will be held tonight for two walnut creek teenagers who drowned while rafting in a swollen canal over the weekend. the vigil will be at the shell ridge open space in walnut creek aft 6:00 to 8:00 this g in g.eae br r,ffic cupg ftereabr

good morning to you. it's a chilly start out there. we're still holding onto the 30s in livermore. grab the jacket leave the umbrella at home. temperatures will rebound into the 50s today. just a couple degrees cooler than we ended up yesterday. not as much sunshine forecast. a lot of clouds moving in the second half of the day. all ahead of a system that's going to bring us rain tomorw night. snow levels down to 1,000 feet friday night. 500 feet saturdayommorning.

yes, we're expecting flurries in san francisco if everything times out right. let's find out how much time you need to give yourself if you're hitting the highway. >> northbound 880 looks pretty good. southbound through hayward and union city really jams up after an earlier accident over about 20 minutes ago. the other side of the water, san mateo, typical slowing north of 92 for both directions of 101 and the south bay an easy, lighter volume but northbound slowing for 101 and 87. back to you. >> thanks a lot. more local news coming up in a half hour. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. have a great morning. [ alarm clock buzzing, indistinct conversations ] [ female announcer ] important events can sneak up on you. oh, i am not ready. can i have a couple weeks? [ female announcer ] but with yoplait light's two week tune up, you could be ready. you could lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks when you replace breakfast and lunch with a fruit, grain, and yoplait light. betsy bets. you haven't changed a bit.

oh...neither have you... sean. well, yeah. [ female announcer ] go to yoplait.com to start your two week tune up. the american public wants us to cooperate. >> we all need bipartisan support to get things done. >> america is a great icounthy.istrs e thwa iisthe way we do flix. mr. . >> 8:30 now on a wednesday morning, the 23rd of february, 2011. we are in the middle of another chilly week here in new york city. we are done with the cold weather. we still have it. it's 21 degrees out on the plaza yet all of these people are smiling, waving to family back home. hard to believe the first day of spring is less than a month away. so that's good news.

>> yes. >> that's right. welcome all of you. natalie joining us also. just ahead, are you tired of your kids saying they are not going to eat healthy snacks? aren't we all? >> help is here. martha stewart is in the building. she can change all that. coming up, her recipes for snacks your kids will love and they will never guess they're packed with vitamins and nutrients. >> they look yummy. >> yum, yum. also a little man candy for you. we have one of the hottest young actors in hollywood. actor anthony mackie teaming up with matt damon in "the adjustment bureau." there he is now. >> we love him. he's amazing. >> you have a man crush going on. >> what can i say? >> yeah, all right. also, when you go to the doctor, do you spill the beans or shade the truth? coming up, the secret about your

health habits you should never keep from your doctor. >> that's an important conversation to have. and when will it warm up? >> easily july. absolutely. i'm sure of it. let's see what's happening over the next couple of days starting with today. sunny, breezy in the northeast. icy conditions in the mid mississippi river valley. a big storm in the pacific northwest with fog along the gulf. tomorrow we expect a risk of strong storms from east texas all the way into parts of kentucky with the possibility of tornadoes. big snowstorm continues out west with rain along the coast. san francisco may see its first snow downtown in 30 years. sunny and mild to warm all the way down to florida. our neck of the woods looking pretty good. temperatures this morning a little warmer than this time yesterday morning.

some clouds over head than afternoon mild and dry with temperatures only reaching 55 in san jose. 54 redwood city. 54 degrees in santa rosa. clouds increasing throughout the day. take a look at what is headed our way as we head into tomorrow. only 50 degrees. showers arrive late. snow levels down to 500 feet saturday morning. yes that means flurries. and that's your latest weather. get your weather any time day or night. go to weather channel on cable, weather.com online. time for us to do something we love to do this time of day. head on down to ft. myers, florida. everybody say, hello, willie! >> hello, new york. all the wonderful people up there. god bless you, al. good to see you. >> you, too, my friend. >> you're the best thing on the show. i get letters every day. >> oh, stop it some more. >> it's beautiful. come see us in sunny south

florida. couldn't be better. happy birthday from smuckers, the greatest gang you ever wished a happy birthday to. lillian cox is here. tallahassee, florida, right up the road. 104 years old. cancer survivor three times. god bless her. isn't that something? loves to chat with friends, too. new jersey's pride and joy. william pursell, 104. attributes longevity to loving his wife and eating an apple every day. the apple people love that. lois walker, gastonia, north carolina. 100 years old. began taking aerobics at 90. how about that? i can't even get out of a chair at 75 or whatever i am. joseph astorino from mcmurray, pennsylvania, 100 years old today. the secret to longevity is going

to bed early and never, never, never trying to sleep past 9:00. catherine phillips, okemos, michigan, avid tigers fan. volunteered at the local hospital for many, many years. and we have troy, new york's philip galka. 100 years old and attributes his longevity to yoga. how about that? and lovely julia nalipinski of st. paul, minnesota. 104 years old. goes to church every sunday. now back to new york and the fair, lovely, exciting most beautiful woman in the world, ann. >> i'm flattered, willard. thanks so much. we appreciate it.

coming up next, cooking with power foods. martha stewart will be here to transform snacks into delicious, nutritious treats. believe it or not, even your kid aysull" on nbc.s this is od" on.

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back now at 8:38. this morning on "martha on today" power snacks. you may not know it but many of your favorite foods are packed with powerful nutrients that can slow aging, prevent disease and boost immunity. >> martha stewart's new book "power foods" is full of delicious, nutritious recipes. >> my first time meeting willie geist. >> you're a fan, too. >> i wake up every morning with willie geist. my three dogs love you, too. >> i'm flattered. what is a power food? >> power foods are foods that

are commonly available everywhere like wonderful portobello, giant mushrooms. >> you use these instead of hamburger in a burger. >> the calorie count is so low when you cook with mushroom instead of meat. >> but to make it tasty, they can be bland. >> you have to enhance them with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thyme and garlic. >> mm. >> and marinate them? >> how long? >> i'm really just coating them and putting them on a grill pan. you can do it inside the house if you get a wonderfulle grill pan. do you have one? >> of course. >> okay. put them right on like this. they will cook -- look what happens to them? that giant one becomes that.

it gets meatier and meatier. we'll form theburger in a second, but on top of the burger or in the bun we'll make a bean paste. this will add, a lot of nutrition -- >> protein. >> yes. we have a cup of cannellini beans. >> you can get them out of the can. >> you can also soak them overnight and cook them up. a tablespoon of olivele o oil ie beans. fresh thyme and garlic. you can dump that in. >> that goes on the mushroom? >> on the bun. it's added flavor. >> instead of mayonnaise. >> special sauce. >> do you like beans? >> i do. >> they're healthy. a lot of south american and african countries use a lot of beans. we don't use as many as we should. >> comes out looking like this. >> exactly. >> now the burger needs fries. >> don't fry. >> don't fry the fries. >> oven fry. they taste delicious. put a little bit of olive oil on

a baking sheet. peel and cut sweet potatoes into wedges. sprinkle them with sesame seeds for added flavor and nutrition and make a dipping sauce of soy sauce. >> why sweet potatoes, martha? >> well, they are very full of nutrition. iron, niacin and good things. >> can i say something? this is the first time ever i have actually known something that you taught me. i have done this for years with my kids. they love sweet potatoes baked. they like them a lot. they still eat them. there you go with your little kid, willie. >> they have them in restaurants now. >> sesame oil and rice vinegar. dip one of these in here. don't drip it on your tie. >> mm. >> ooh, delicious. >> they could be hotter. they have been sitting out for a while.

>> now, whole wheat pizza. >> here we go. >> again, we use way too much white flour in our homes. >> we do. we just had a study that said if we used more whole grains we live longer. it's better for us. >> whole wheat is really white flour but they don't take the bran off the crust of the wheat berry. so this is nice yeast dough that you can make up. very easy to make. you can put a little ricotta. you can put romano cheese. >> get in here, willie. >> the kids will like it, you swear? after the other kind of pizza? >> i swear. they will love it. use artichoke hearts, tomatoes, basil, all good things. it looks good already. >> but don't you want to use more flavoring and less cheese maybe? >> well, ricotta is really good for you. >> okay. >> i'm going to keep going.

>> so is mozzarella. >> just get this all on here. >> and your kids can do this. >> of course. they can make their dinner, make their snack. >> my kids go to pizza-making parties and they love it. >> look over here. >> willy has skills here. >> this is what the pizza looks like when it comes out of the oven. it's beautiful, tasty. the crust is delicious. why not make that? this is another great thing. artichoke dip. you know the typical dips people make with powdered things out of the bag. make your own out of the artichoke hearts. you have lemon, baby spinach. you dip with the steamed artichoke leaves. you can just dip right in here like this. there is parmesan, mozzarella cheese. i love this dip. >> fantastic. >> instead of chips. >> we are out of time. but i the burger. >> oh, darn.

we have portabello mushroom, cheese. >> and bean paste underneath. we have two. >> a double. >> that's right. >> that's the best burger. >> martha stewart, it looks great. we'll dig in and share it with the kids. >> up next, one of hollywood's rising stars. we catch up with anthony mackie after this. oh, come on! i'm coming over with a burger. >> mm.

back now at 8:46. is your life determined by fate or free will? that's the question posed in the film "the adjustment bureau" starring matt damon. by his side is his representative or guardian angel played by anthony mackie. >> my name's harry, by the way. >> see the ripples?

>> you freeze people. you froze my friend. >> we need special authorization. >> you make people think whatever you want. >> be quiet, david. >> can i get you something? >> just some water, please. >> we can't talk here. meet me on the 4:00 p.m. boat and i will answer what i can. >> ooh, anthony mackie, good morning. intense there. >> good morning. >> i know you were really looking forward to showing meredith some love. you have a thing for her. >> i was. >> she's under the weather. >> i put in a request that you would be here. i like to spread the love around. >> you like to spread love around. we found out when you were here when jeremy renner was here. >> i'm a giver. >> you are a big hugger. >> that's me. i like to encompass you like a big breakfast. make you warm. >> there's some al roker love. >> look. he does it, too.

look at that. that guy ice great. look at that. >> he's showing you up there. >> as soon as i'm done i'm going to hug al roker. >> let's talk about the movie. you basically play matt damon's guardian angel essentially. >> mm-hmm. >> and you raise the question in this movie as we were just talking about, about whether your life is determined by fate or whether it's something that you have free will over. >> right. >> you really wanted this role. >> i did. when i read the script i read it like a play. i was excited and i had never done anything like it. i just went after it as hard as i could. talked to george. we saw eye to eye on where the character was going. so it worked out. >> it was the first time you had worked with matt damon? >> yeah. he's a great guy. surprising. you rarely meet people like him. the only person that can talk more trash than me. >> do you have an example?

>> well, i will say we won the super bowl. >> okay. gosh. let's talk about this. on which side of the question do you fall personally? >> oh, you better hug me. >> there we go. >> oh, yeah! >> what is wrong? nothing wrong with this. >> that's a nice one. >> thank you. >> that was free will or maybe fate. >> that was definitely fate. a whole lot of chocolate love. >> anyway. on this idea of free love and -- free will. >> free love. you're right. >> that was free love. >> freudian slip. >> it's a thoughtful question -- i'm trying to hang on to this interview. >> i'm a firm believer in fate. i think free will gets in the way, but i think ber all

destined for something great. i think we are here because of choices we made but we were destined to be here and our choices worked out. >> your choice to do "the hurt locker" has given you -- >> i was fortunate that people said no ahead of me. i had to have conversations and beg and plead to be a part of "the hurt locker." somebody said no and i said yes. here i am. >> you said yes, as you said. and you end up on the cover of "vanity fair." not everybody gets on the cover. you're on the cover as one of the most exciting actors and actresses of the moment. >> i love this moment. i get hugs from al roker. who can say that? you know, he loves me. it's crazy. >> life is good for you now. >> it's a very good time to be me. i'm enjoying it. i get to go home to new orleans, shoot my next movie. i'm opening a bar in brooklyn.

everything's like working. i'm just enjoying it. >> you're a real talent, anthony mackie. we love watching you in films. come back any time to give al exactly what he needs. >> give you one, too. >> ooh, baby. that's what i need. and "the adjustment bureau" opens friday in theaters. >> free love! >> by the way, we'll talk to matt damon and emily blunt friday on "today." >> oh, great. >> we'll be right back in a moment. first this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "education nation today" the gift of a lifetime. a long-time teacher in florida giving back to thousands of students two years after her tragic death. nbc's education correspondent rahema ellis explains. >> reporter: it took martin mcghee several months before he could summon the courage to load up his pickup truck seven times and counting. >> it was pretty depressing. >> reporter: depressing and painful, because mcghee's wife diane, mother of his four children was killed in a car accident in 2009. a teacher for more than 20 years, diane collected tons of supplies. >> i couldn't see all of these products going to waste.

>> reporter: a few months ago while driving near his home mcghee got a sign. it steered him toward tools for teaching, a nonprofit store soliciting donations to help teachers supply classrooms for free in a county grappling with above average unemployment. >> 48 pieces. >> that's good. >> in addition to penal krcils rulers she had books. >> she had everything. games, puzzles, bulletin board materials. >> reporter: there are no exact figures but store managers say mcgee's supplies have benefitted up to 42,000 students in the district's 51 schools. that's because someone from each school has shopped here. >> mr. mcgee could have thrown away the things or not gone through them and found the treasures he's bringing to us. it's been a blessing.

>> reporter: in david stephy's 6th grade classroom he's got lots of mcgee's supplies, from scissors to pencils. >> he's helping educate students today with what he does. >> reporter: letters of gratitude have poured in. >> dear mr. mcgee, thank you for your donation. it was a blessing for us teachers to get things we need for free. it's unbelievable. i didn't have any idea it would have suchle an impact. >> reporter: pushing past pain and finding comfort in helping others. for "today," rahema ellis, nbc news, ocala florida. >> what a story. that's something we have seen for all 20 years. when you have great suffering, if you can do something for someone else it's really almost one of the only things to take it away. >> good to remember, too, with all the fights about unions now. that's who teachers are. >> much more coming up.

>> first your local news and weath weather. good morning everybody. here are some of the top local stories. the city of san jose may have to layoff as many as 349 police officers if unions don't agree to concessions. the president of the san jose police officers association will meet with the media today to

refute some of mayor chuck reid's budget plans. apple has its first shareholder meeting this morning since steve jobs took his third medical leave in seven years. the board is expected to share its plan for replacing jobs if t aessar akt ar your forecast with the weather right after the break. d shouldn't be hard work or cost more money. now there's simple nutrition, 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.

another chilly start. we want to check the forecast with christina. >> good morning to you at home. yeah we're still in the 40s but we don't have 30s any longer. today we'll end up in the 50s, mid to upper 50s for the bay area. our next big weather story is a very cold system of low pressure that's going to drop into the area as we head through tonight,

drop into our snow levels at 500 feet saturday morning. back to you, brent. >> thanks a lot. more local news coming up in a half hour and the "today" show continues next. [ female announcer ] why settle for plain bread when you can have pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits? the warm, light delicate layers are like nothing else. add a layer of excitement to your next meal. ♪

but i've got a warm, fresh baked strawberry toaster strudel. see the difference? mmmm. i do. (announcer) pillsbury toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. and back now with more on this wednesday morning, february 23rd, 2011. it's a chilly morning here in the big apple. we're told by none other than al roker that it's going to warm up nicely the rest of the day and we've got a great crowd anticipating the warm weather all bundled up this morning. i'm here with al roker. roker. also msnbc's willie geist is nice enough to co-host with us. your son has a birthday today. >> connor. happy birthday, connor. >> happy birthday, connor. talk about a pretty serious topic coming up in a moment. we're talking about the

desperate search for survivors after this terrible earthquake in new zealand. amazingly, some people have been pulled alive from the rubble. a woman, we are hearing about, 24 hours after the quake found alive. that is giving a lot of hope to people. we have a correspondent on the scene. we'll get the latest coming up. >> and then, of course, it's wednesday. you know what that means. besides being prince spaghetti day, it is also the time to get our today's money 911. this morning from the wisdom of credit cards and approaching the irs, our experts are here with great advice. >> this is an important story. to tell the truth, why a lot of women don't tell the whole truth to their doctors. we'll find out why that is a big mistake. >> yeah. >> men do that, too. >> i bet that is really true. we don't want to be outed on something we have done or something like that. so we're paying them, we may as well get the right help. new ahead, a new do for jennifer

aniston. that always makes news. her hair is always so beautiful. there is a modern twist on an old favorite, the shag cut. i don't know if that's it or if there is one other one. that is pretty. we'll find out more from hairstylist of the stars on why the shag is making a comeback. >> it would be news if she did a mr. t. that would be news. >> that's not going to happen. let's get a check of the news from natalie morales. >> good morning, everyone. christchurch new zealand is in ruins as residents there mourn the dead and waiting news about 300 people who are still missing. nbc's sarah james has the story. >> reporter: in christchurch, a hurrica hurricane l huge effort to search for survivors of new zealand's killer quake. this video shot by a rescue worker captured the drama, the hope. late tuesday, a welcomed

triumph. a woman kept alive with small sips of water freed from the ruins of this collapsed building. it was a much needed boost for a devastated city. more than 75 people city. more than 75 people are confirmed dead, 300 others still missing. >> we just had one niece that's unaccounted for. >> reporter: how old is she? >> 24. >> reporter: violent tremors continue to rock the city. the monster 6.3 quake struck without warning at busy lunchtime. streets crowded with office workers and tourists. often it seemed living or dying came down to chance. take this canadian couple who switched hotels at the last minute. >> if he had not given us $4 each off we would have been in a hospital that came down in the

earthquake. at 12:37, just minutes before the quake struck, kirk clophouse from new jersey took what may be the last picture of the christchurch cathedral in all its glory. >> i had just gotten pictures of the cathedral with the tower up and then it was down. it was incredible. >> cloud of dust. >> reporter: many are fleeing the aftershocks and aftermath. with fires still burning, water cut off to 80% of the city, massive sinkholes, the fear is palpable and the future uncertain. as this woman helps people to safety she receives welcome news. >> we found our niece. she's fine, well and happy. >> that was sarah james reporting. foreign nationalists in libya as moammar gadhafi promises to fight to the death. even as he urges supporters to

fight, key libyan diplomats and military officials are deserting with reports that the each part of the country is out of his control. in tripoli this morning reports of gun fire as pro government forces attempt to hold on to the capitol. a ferry will evacuate americans who wish to leave libya this morning. former white house chief of staff rahm emanuel has a new job today. he won a landslide victory last night in chicago for mayor. he took in more than 50% of the votes, enough to secure the position without a runoff. his former boss, president obama, congratulates him on the win. freezing rain caused a 30-vehicle pileup in st. louis. police say 22 people were taken to local hospitals with at least one person in critical condition. one zookeeper spent the day on his co-worker's most wanted list tuesday. the tokyo zoo had an emergency exercise simulating what to do in case of an escaped tiger. le while zookeepers practiced on

a co-worker who lost rock, paper, scissors, he was eventually mock franklized as the tigers look on saying, what's going on? it's six minutes past the hour. now over to al with a check of the weather. al? >> you know the tiger's thinking, let me out, i'll show you how it's done. [ laughter ] >> let's show you what's going on. next thing you know mothra and godzilla will be out. we have winter storm warnings, watche advisories for much of the northwest. we've got a mess of weather coming on shore. rain right now, but it's going to start to chill off tonight. we'll see this mostly as snow. we're talking in the sierras, anywhere from one to two feet of snow, even ton coast though

seattle may have eight inches. medford and portland. lots of snow out of the system. we may even see snow in san francisco downtown first time next 24 hours. first time they have had snow downtown in 30 years. yeah, we do see any of that very, very rare san francisco snow, we're looking toward saturday morning. today, though, our last dry day. temperatures today are going to be relatively mild but a big time cold snap is on the way to the bay area. so 54 degrees today in oakland. hope you can get on outside and enjoy it. as we head to the second half of tomorrow, showers arrive. snow levels fall to 1,000 feet friday night. that's low enough for snow over 17 friday morning. 500-foot snow level saturday. time for today's money 911 where we answer some of the big financial questions. today financial editor jean chatzky, the author of "money

911" and david bach, founder of finishrich.com and author of "debt free for life." we'll start with an anonymous e-mail. this says i haven't paid taxes in many years. i need to get back to paying taxes. should i go to the irs and talk to them? can i be put in jail and audited? my current financial situation is i'm self-employed, not able to manage my life financially with what i bring in. my mother's been giving me $400 a month for a year now to help pay my rent on my house and my office. what should i do? doesn't sound like somebody with money coming in. >> that's probably a good thing in this situation. i don't want you to go directly to the irs. sit down with a certified public accountant, even if just for an hour, to get your paperwork in order, get your life in order. you have to go back and file taxes for the last ten years but you may not actually owe any money. that's the thing many people

don't understand when they skirt their responsibilities in this way. then you have to go forward and you may have to work out an offer in compromise with the irs. having somebody on your side to represent you, either a cpa or somebody from a not for profit tax clinic can be a really good ally to have on your side. i wouldn't wait. i understand that this is really, really scary, but the more you put it off, the scarier it's become. >> how far back are you responsible for taxes? >> ten years. so you really want to start the clock actually. that's the statute of limitations on collecting. >> they're not rushing to put you in jail. the irs just wants the money. >> now to amy in virginia. good morning. >> good morning. >> what's your question for us? >> hi. i'm a 26-year-old college professor. i have no student loan debt, no credit cards. i currently rent and i paid cash for my used car.

i have two questions. should i get a credit card? i have been advised not to to avoid debt problems in the future, but i'm concerned about my credit rating should i choose to buy a house some day. number two, speaking of buying a house, some of my friends have been advised to purchase a house if they think they will stay in one place for a while because the payment will be roughly equal to a monthly rent. is this sound advice or should i just stay in rental property? >> david? >> amy, you have already proven that you're financially responsible. you have no debt. you're in a great position and you have a great job. you're a professor. my recommendation -- and this is rare -- you should get a credit card. you need to start building your credit report. it's possible that the fact you're renting is being reported now but you have to prove you have multiple forms of credit. so take out a card, pay the bill on time which i'm sure you will. start saving money to buy a

home. you're a great candidate for a first time home buyer and your friends are giving you good advice. right now in many markets you can make a payment for the same as rent and with tax deductions it could be less and you are building an asset. get that credit card and start saving far home. >> five years is the limit. there for five years, go ahead and look. >> we have beth from illinois on the phone. good morning. what's your question? >> good morning. we have substantial credit card debt that could be paid off with equity we have in our home. we would still not be considered under water if we used the home equity. i have heard never to tie credit card debt to your home but have heard it's okay to use the equity for debt as long as you don't acquire more credit card debt. what's the right answer? >> all right. here's the lowdown on this. it's never a good idea -- i'm going to say never and then contradict myself. it's not a good idea to take out

home equity loan debt if you are not going to pay it back. but it's generally cheaper than credit card debt and tax deductible. if you can keep your hands off the plastic, put the cards in the freezer, give them to your mother then it is okay to use the home equity to pay off credit cards. you just can't charge the cards up again. otherwise three years down the road you will be writing us again and say, i am in more trouble. >> we see it all the time. there have been billions in the home equity default. i recommend if you are pulling out the money, exactly what jean said, don't use the cards anymore. >> get rid of the cards. now an e-mail from jackie in delaware. it reads if i have a low interest rate credit card with a high balance that's going up soon can i cancel before the rate increase and keep the old rate until i pay it off in full? >> the short answer is yes. this is what happened. yesterday, february 22 was the credit card rules -- new rules that went into place.

the credit card companies rushed out people saying we are going to raise your rates or the option for them is to not take the rate increase but then they have to pay the credit card off within five years go. back and say, if i don't accept the higher rate, how much is my monthly payment going to change? one last option. if you are struggling financially, instead of that, you can ask the company if they have a forebearance plan which takes it to 5% and allows you to pay it within five years. >> up next. the most common secrets women keep from doctors and then, yeah, baby, the shag is back. why this decades-old hairstyle is all the rage again. first, these messages. best seven years of my life. i know, dad. your comforter. okay. mr. cuddles... toilet paper? oh, hey, scott. here, scott extra soft tissue. it's their softest roll ever. check out the pattern. it's softness done right.

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♪ ♪ maxwell house international. stop your world. ♪ this morning on "today's

woman," why keeping secrets from your doctor is a bad idea -- whether you skipped pills or you're trying a fad diet. it's crucial to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth according to dr. raj, a "today" contributor and medical editor. good morning. >> hi, ann. >> you think doctors generally expect their patients aren't always telling the truth. that's what we have come to. >> we have. we know it's not easy to always reveal some of the embarrassing details of your life. when you're in the doctor's office people feel nervous, pressure. we know we're not always getting the full story, but we push for it because it's important for us to have the information. >> one of the problems is you keep asking personal questions. number two it's that some of the behaviors that we may or may not want to reveal are things we feel ashamed about maybe. or we are not sure the doctor will understand. >> many people fear they will be judged by their doctor. but the bottom line is your doctor is not there to judge you

and if you feel they are it's time for a different doctor. >> let's go to common secrets women keep and men also. >> yeah. >> number one is when you stop taking the prescription medication before you are supposed to be done. i have done it. >> you stop or you don't take it at all. the doctor gives you the precipitation, you don't fill it. it's important to tell your doctor. >> why? >> they may assume you took it and it's not working. maybe your blood pressure is still high. they may give you a stronger dose. you may be shy but you need to tell them. >> what if prescriptions are expensive. can you talk to your doctor? >> absolutely. a lot of people are financially strapped and medications are expensive. doctors understand. tell them. they may be able to give you a cheaper alternative. >> good point. what about when you do a fad diet like a cleanse or something. >> yeah. >> that's generally something

looked down upon by doctors. but you should say it. >> people like to tell their friends about the diet but not their doctor. we need to know. some of the diets are extreme. they can cause drops in electrolytes, potassium, sodium. they can affect your kidneys or heart. on prescription medicines some can affect the levels of those medicines. >> keep your doctor in the loop and you want support as well. if you're not getting support on this stuff maybe think about changing doctors. >> your doctor may give you a healthier alternative to lose weight. >> okay. now your sexual past. >> yes. >> who wants to talk about that? >> nobody. >> generally not a good idea but with the doctor it is. >> when you're talking about sexual history or the present, if you have had an indiscretion in your marriage it puts you at a higher risk for stds. your doctor may need to screen you. hpv can increase your risk of

cervical cancer. chlamydia or gonorrhea can lead to infertility. they are not there to judge you. >> family history. why keep it private? >> alcoholism, suicide, depression. people may not want to admit relatives had. they just may not want to think about that time in their life when their father or mother suffered? fr something. >> it's an area that if you aren't completely honest it can really be a problem. >> absolutely. so many of those conditions can run in families. you may be at risk for things like depression or alcoholism. certainly things like cancer. >> heart disease. >> again, you need to be screened earlier if you have a family history. >> this is a funny one. what if you made an appointment with another doctor? >> you know, a lot of people do this. these days there may be one doctor that's local but you go to the city for a different doctor. you may feel you are not being true to your doctor but it's important your doctor knows

about all the other visits you have had, the tests you have had. you don't want a repeat test. especially with cat scans, doubling up on medications. you know, your doctor needs to be aware of every other type of treatment you are getting including alternative treatments which a lot of people don't like to talk about. >> i think some doctors don't ask all the information. some of them really do. but some -- if your doctor isn't trying to get the information from you, should you be concerned as well? >> i think it's a two-way street. you need to be as forthcoming as possible but feel your doctor is welcoming to the information and try to get that information out of you. >> all right. dr. raj, trying to keep us healthy. doing a good job. coming up on "today," how to meet the winter doldrums with surf & turf. first these messages. hi, we're looking to save some money on our car insurance. great! at progressive, you can compare rates side by side, so you get the same coverage, often for less. wow! that is huge!

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four decadent flavors. 60 calories. it's me o'clock -- time for jell-o. good morning to you. it's 9:26 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. a child playing with matches started an overnight fire at a condominium. it burned several units of the two-story building near the san jose regional medical center. firefighters had a tough time putting the blaze out because of a gas leak. it was finally contained about 11:00 last night. reports say the mother saw her child playing with matches near a couch and took them away but when she returned, the fire had started. new san francisco district attorney george gascone is looking to make his imprint on the da's office and will hold a news conference today to announce how he plans to reshape

the office he inherited. he will explain how he will maximize resources and improve public safety. the former police chief was appointed to da by former san francisco mayor gavin newsom. a magnitude 4.4 quake shook parts of mendocino and lake counties. the usda says it hit just before 9:00 last night in the middle of mendocino national forest about 22 miles east of willits. no damage or injuries to report. right now i want to check the forecast. cool start to the day. good morning to you. yeah, it is a cold start. we have temperatures right now still in the 30s holding on up in santa rosa. as we head throughout this afternoon under a partly cloudy sky we're looking toward 55 in san jose. take a look at what is to come. a cold winter storm is going to drop our temperatures and our snow levels to 1,000 feet friday night, saturday night 500 feet. laura is back with more news

after this.

welcome back. look at the south bay. we have an event, ice skating at the pavilion. two accidents, 237 and 280 causing some slowdown. no other major issues for the nimitz coming into the area but oakland here is a big deal. things are moving pretty clear past the coliseum in the northbound direction only slow for five or ten minutes earlier today. >> another update in half an hour. hope to see you then. 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. ♪ sure, every hollywood star would like to take home an oscar this weekend, but everyone wants to know what they will be wearing. isn't that the most important thing? coming up friday on "today" we'll talk about the lowdown on what your favorite stars may be wearing as they walk the red carpet for the academy awards. i love watching the academy awards. they all get dolled up. meantime in this half hour we'll talk about something else we wear which is our hair. the shag hairstyle is back and lewis licari will show us the

popular cut from the '70s and '80s and how it's been reinvented for a bold new look. >> also heading to the kitchen for winter surf & turf. sauteed shrimp and braised short rib tacos. now we're talking. >> yeah. >> now to today's royal treatment. we're sending a lucky viewer and a guest to england during the royal wedding. let's check out one of the latest entries. >> my husband and i would love to appfly to the land of compac cars. >> to be treated like royalty. >> so please, i beg of you "today," i need some grown-up time. i love weddings and to be there would be sublime! >> the winner gets two first class tickets on british airways to london during the wedding of kate middleton and prince william.

>> so get out the cameras and create a video that's no more than two minutes long telling us why london is calling you. as you saw there, creativity counts. complete details on our website, todayshow.com. >> very nice. >> now a check of the weather. >> all righty. let's see if we have a balmy forecast for you. we have a big storm coming on shore in the pacific northwest. lots of snow. four to six inches in the northwest. sunshine in the east. temperatures getting more mild. fog along the gulf coast. tomorrow we have a risk of strong storms texas to west virginia where we could see isolated tornadoes, rain along the west coast with mountain snows. wet weather moves into pennsylvania and new york state. we have plenty of sunshine in the upper mississippi river valley and new england. but it will be cold.

a little bit of everything. sure. and that's your latest weather. >> thanks, al. up next, hair stylist to the stars lewis licari giving us the shag hairstyle -- >> hey, scooby! >> -- a whole new look, a is. >> hey, scooby! >> -- a whole new look, after this. our snack machine.

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♪ this morning on "today's beauty" the new shag. the layered hair style that was all the rage in the '70s and '80s is back and more beautiful than ever. lewis licari, good morning. >> good morning. the shag is back. what is a shag? >> the shag is an overall layers haircut with -- it's more of a fringe on the edges. >> okay. >> it's easiest of all haircuts to maintain. >> it doesn't matter if the layers are grown out because it

goes with the look. >> you can groom it or not. you can blow dry it or wear it rough and textured which is more modern. >> an easy style so have. yesterday jennifer aniston chopped off her hair. she has the new bob with some of the texture at the ends. >> on her ends shele held onto some of the texture. there are variations of the shag. you customize it to your face and that's what jennifer's doing here. >> she's blonder, too. gorgeous. jane fonda also has had the shag. what's changed with her look? >> if you look at the first one that's from "clue" a great old movie. she had a long tail in the back. now the newer shag, of course, we got rid of the long tail in the back. there's more emphasis on the front. the focal point is on the fringe of the hair cut. >> tina turner as well.

we have pictures of her over the years as well. what's different about the shag she had versus the modern look? >> you can see the old shag was overwhelming, too much hair. here she cut it. it's short. >> reporter:y -- snazzy and she's hot. >> what's new about the shag is it's layers around the face, the fringe, layers. >> you used to have a shorter front and longer back. the tail is gone. remember, florence henderson from the brady bunch, it's gone. the focal point is now here. >> we have three loly ladies in studio you just converted to the shag style. first dontelle had a very layered look. how did you change it to an updated shag? >> she had very pretty hair. if anything -- >> great color.

>> -- it's a little fine. the great thing about the shag is you can make fine hair look thicker or thick hair look not so bulky. we made her thin hair look thicker. he layers it. the old shag had short layers up here. these are much longer. the fringe is around the face. she just looks great. >> yeah. a lot of color, too. the texture of the color goes with the cut. >> the texture and the -- the color and cut go together to create the texture to show off the highlights, show off the layers. to show off the shag. you look fantastic. >> gorgeous. you do. it suits you so well. you look beautiful. easy to take care of. a let's take a look at francesca who also had a layered look.

>> she has dark, dream hair. but it's too dense for her face. okay. >> here she is now. >> can you believe the difference? look at this. the great thing is she can jump out of the shower. she can use her hands, put on the little mousse, styling cream. >> little bit of product. >> and boom, out of the house. she can go out with her hair wet and on the way to work a little fluffing with the fingers and look this great. >> that easy. >> it's that simple. notice the emphasis on the fringe. shorter here, longer here. totally sexy. this can be sporty, elegant. and the greatest thing about the haircut is it's suitable for all hair textures. >> we can really see her gorgeous face andle smile. so it's beautiful. let's look at carlynn. she had longer layered hair. >> again, another girl with pretty hair. >> you don't have to go short

with a shag. you can keep the length. >> you can. there's carlynn's before. here she has long brown hair. beautiful. here she is now. this is reminiscent of what jennifer aniston just did to her hair. more one length. this is a little bit more layers on the bottom. the whole trick to the shag is it should be customized to your face. it should almost look random like you did it yourselfment but of course a professional should do it because they will make the layers fall where they should to show off your face. the great thing about the hair cut is it's appropriate in the boardroom as it is in the bedroom. it's a sexy hairdo. >> it seems suitable for just about every face type as well. >> it will work on every face. >> every person. >> every face shape and hair texture. >> wonderful. well, louis licari and our gorgeous models have done a fantastic b jo. thanks to the team who put them

together and look beautiful. >> perfect summer 'do, by the way. >> very light. just because it's winter doesn't mean you can't have surf & turf. we'll head to the kitchen for a great meal after this. female announcer ] every box of general mills big g cereals can help your kids' school get extra stuff. ♪ like musical instruments. ♪ and new art supplies. ♪ because they're the only cereals with box tops for education. last year, schools earned over ten million dollars from big g cereals. you can raise money for your kids' school. look for this logo... only on big g cereals. you can make a difference. every cereal box counts. new aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizers, with scientifically proven soy complex and natural minerals give you sheer coverage instantly, then go on, to even skin tone in four weeks. new aveeno tinted moisturizers.

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♪ this morning in "today's kitchen," what's for dinner? how about winter surf & turf? >> sounds delish. chef from the newly opened b & b has a meal to keep you warm and toasty through the last weeks of winter. you can have a winter surf & turf? what's the difference? >> just heartier. more braise, more stews. we have a sauteed shrimp with articho artichoke, leek and tomato and a short rib taco. >> garlic, olive oil. >> shrimp from the gulf. the gulf is back. we have artichokes, blanched leeks. >> that's an interesting add. >> blanched meaning you do that beforehand. >> little hot salted water. finish it to get that color.

little bit of butter. you don't have to have the butter. >> keep it lighter. >> everything's better with butter. >> little bit of butter, little bit of acid goes a long way. add fresh basil. when you cook with fresh herbs, add them at the end. >> you can just really cook this up in -- >> you are really just warming this stuff really? >> the shrimp we sauteed and everything else is blanched. >> beautiful. you put it on crostini? >> we'll have a nice broth and we start with grilled bread. >> nice. >> i'm a big bread guy especially with a nice sauce to mop up. >> so am i. big bread girl. >> all right. that's on the table. you want it on the same table as the next item which is a beef taco. >> there you are. >> beautiful. >> we're going to missouri ove the braised short rib tacos. you have braised short ribs.

>> you have garlic, tomato paste. >> vegetables. chipotle pepper for heat. >> bring it on. you cook it like that. falls off the bone. >> when you pull it out, remove all the meat, fat. >> looks like this. comes right off the bone. >> grab a taco over there. >> little tortilla. >> you did this. >> yep. >> get a little bit of meat in there. >> right. pico de gallo and a little bit of cilantro. you can make this beforehand, right? with the braised beef it can be sitting around. >> you can have everything ready to go. last minute you're ready to go. >> what i notice, too, is that you are big on citrus. you have lemon on this one and lime in this one. >> i like the acid, the pop that punches you in the face. >> right. so this idea would be at the

same meal to have both. >> down at b & b it's an american pub. >> grab one of those. >> both of these items are big winners. >> is this guacamole? >> it's the avocado tomatillo salsa. >> so you blanch them and put in garlic, blend it? >> she's a chef. she knows. >> i have a family that loves to eat. i get to learn from you guys. did you make this as well? >> chipotle salsa. >> how do you do that? >> canned chipotle, water, garlic. >> once that's done you're good to go. >> how long did it sit in the sauce? >> two, three hours. >> these are delicious. >> fantastic. >> you have kids? >> two kids. >> they probably love this. >> they come down to the restaurant all the time. >> josh, thank you so much.

good luck with everything with the restaurant and everything. >> come on down. >> back in a moment. [ female announcer ] shopping with nutrition in mind shouldn't be hard work or cost more money. now there's simple nutrition, 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

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so as you can see, the party's just getting started. >> i don't like your tone, ann. >> i'm saying something terrific. what's coming up? >> one of the housewives is joining us. >> one of them. could be any of them. >> from where? miami? >> new york. >> new york. >> okay. >> and we have the "dancing with the stars" workout and how to break up. >> how to break up. >> how to do it right. >> something we never know except not through e-mail. >> we have two girlfriends to help us know how. >> i'm sorry i reached in with my fingers. i did. >> thank you, everybody. your local news and weather.

good morning. 9:56 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. leaders have a protective

measure in place aimed at ensuring the 49ersers stadium can move forward. the money was in jeopardy after governor brown proposed taking redevelopment funds away from cities statewide to help the budget. voters approved the plan for a new stadium last year provided redevelopment money was used to help pay for it. santa clara also created a stadium authority last night which will guide the new stadium project. check the forecast now with christina. she has a look at things including spring training. >> we'll be watching that. put brian wilson on that screen i'm not going away. 54 degrees in oakland. 58 in the valley. we're horrible. take a look at what you can expect as we head through the rest of the week. 50 degrees for tomorrow. 43 by friday. showers arrive as we head through the second half of your thursday. a very cold system could bring snow flurries to san francisco and oakland. if all times out as it looks like it will that is likely.

let's see how likely you are to have a good drive this morning, with mike. >> you say brian keep you on the screen and i come on and you leave the studio. look at this. coming out down toward highway 92 and there goes christina disinterested. we have a nice, smooth flow. a little flow around the interchange. smooth down to the south bay with no major incidents at 101 northbound through san jose starting to clear up around 87. right here we're looking at southbound 880 just past newark and freemont, slow down toward mission boulevard and around dixon landing road, a dresser reported in a lane. watch for that removal over the next few minutes. coming up, sunol, 680, light traffic. there is a little slowdown now. just be careful out there. back to you. >> thank you very much. i'll have another local news update for you in about a half hour. the "today" show returns in about a minute. have a great morning. i finally found a body wash that moisturizes and softens my dry skin.

[ female announcer ] new gold bond deep moisture, with 7 moisturizers and 3 vitamins. the body wash that moisturizes like a lotion. never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles in 3 days-- i can do that. 60 miles compared to what a cancer patient goes through is a walk in the park. from the moment i registered, people started immediately supporting me. we had an outpouring of-- of support. i wanted to do something bigger than myself. the 60 miles-- it makes a statement. i know i'm stronger than i was before, both mentally and physically. i walk with my sister. our relationship has gone to a whole new level because of training together. you meet the most wonderful, inspiring people. i knew that there was something really special about this event. when you accomplish those 60 miles, it's truly life-changing. it was three days of hope. of love. of empowerment. it was three days the way the world should be.

here i am, second year in a row, and i'm already signed up for next year's. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. captions paid for by nbc-universal television from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> we were going to do it today, remember? >> hey! >> we hope you like us starting that way. >> should we try it one more time? >> hey! >> it is wednesday, winesday, february 23rd. so glad you're with us. i guess jimmy song was having a little fun last night, right? >> i don't know if you guys knew, but it was kind of all over the news yesterday. there was somebody out of the "today" show who ended up jumping the barricade. security was on it in a second.

it was great. jimmy fallon decided to have a little fun involving us. >> oh, we're involved. let's hear it. >> police stopped someone at the "today" show this morning after they jumped over a guardrail and started speaking incoherently. then hoda kotb was like, let her go, she's my co-host. >> a little fun at my expense. i forgive him everything. >> here's to jimmy. >> jimmy, we love you. he can come back any time. it's hoda that drinks, not me. okay. big news everywhere. i can't imagine why a woman's new haircut is like world news. >> remember when people wanted the dorothy hamill? >> i got the dorothy hamill when i did -- what was it? >> "name that tune." >> i stole it from her. >> there are iconic haircuts. jennifer aniston, everyone's known her for her rachel haircut

and now her long locks. >> she's shown a brand-new do. she's going to look good no matter what, though. unlike me and my nostrils. we'd love to know what you all think. i think she cuts her hair as a way to say, hey, i am more than hair, people. i am not hair. i'm a person. i'm an actress. i'm a talented human being. the trouble is when she changes her hair, what do we talk about? her hair. >> i think the thing that upset people, she had that rachel haircut that everybody loved an everybody got it. then she said i guess a few weeks ago that it was the worst haircut she'd ever gotten. the ugliest haircut i've ever seen. how did that thing have legs? that offended a lot of people who got it. >> who got it and loved it. you just don't want to be defined by something physical like that when you're trying to be, you know, known as an actress. i can understand that. >> i guess so. i spent -- you know, you know that i have crazy hair issues.

i remember going to one place because my hair grows out like crazy, like brillow paddish. sos pad. >> why do you set them up? >> when i was younger, guys, i was damaged. so he said let me just cut it really short and i'll get rid of that part. i'm like, no, no. that part is the whole part. it's going to continue growing like that. >> for the rest of my life. >> forever. i'm telling you, that treatment is the best thing on earth. >> unless you have to breathe it. >> bieber's hair, bieber got a haircut, too. >> apparently he lost 80,000 twitter followers because he cut his hair. >> you remember the old bieber hair. >> it's a rumor. >> it's a rumor. oh, right. the bieber is not going to sue us. back off, barbie.

>> that short haircut. she's actually selling his locks. >> for charity. which i think is great. he's a nice kid. i changed my whole attitude towards the biebster. i know his story, got to know him a little bit. discovered what his struggle has been, how talented he is. i think it's good. we associated his hair before as that teen little kid. he's trying to grow up. at least he's not hanging out in bars and getting thrown out of the viper room. he just cut his hair. he's still adorable. >> speaking of someone who likes to get into trouble. >> on the other side of page 6. a new look at charlie sheen's new girlfriend. i'm not sure if it's his sobriety coach. his new girlfriend. >> he says he is -- >> trying to get that there. >> he's 100% in love. >> yeah. >> with her. today. >> today. so that's -- >> one begs the question, though -- >> who is she, by the way? >> -- does she think she has a

future with this man? what is it -- first of all, you got to be very careful when you date men who are publicly known for his kind of living, you know? >> right. but there are always women, it doesn't even matter what the guys do. they line up in prison for those guys. >> they line up for serial killers. >> they like these kind of -- they like different bad boys, i guess. >> you know the old saying, you settle for what you've got, you deserve what you get. >> i've heard that. >> i know. it came from me. >> what doesn't? >> the ivillage entertainment awards, hoda woman. >> they're saying if you could trade your husband in for somebody, who would that somebody be? that was the question that was posed. if you could trade your husband in for somebody, who would that somebody be. the number one person people said they'd trade their own husband in for, robert p pattinson. >> are they talking to 20-year-olds? he's a nice

looking man. what are you going to talk about. >> they were saying a lot of moms who take their kids to "twilight" movies, they have huge crushes on him. they like him. in that way. that's what joann said. >> he was followed by johnny depp, jake gyllanhal. >> you know who would be on my list? ryan renynolds. >> you don't know him. >> i don't care. i love him. >> i love him, too. i love bradley cooper. but we don't know -- >> ryan reynolds is different. he would be my frad-in. who's your trade in? >> how could i ever trade in frank gifford? >> but who? >> i could trade him in for four 20-year-olds. it's a thought. >> all right. here's the woman that makes us most proud to be a woman. so this is the woman who makes us the proudest to be a woman. the number one answer was

angelina jolie. >> i thought so many women were still quite upset with her because of what happened with, you know, breaking up -- allegedly breaking up the marriage between him and jennifer aniston. >> i think it's sort of like -- i think the women, a lot of women look up to her. the other women on the list were sandra bullock, oprah winfrey and lady gaga. >> it's an eclectic group. what i think they like about angelina is what i respect as well. she is an incredibly gorgeous woman. seems to manage six children and a partner very well. and it's for her charity work. you know, every other time you see her she's not promoting a movie. you see her veiled in some place in the world that's really hurting. it seems authentic with her. >> mm-hmm. i think sandra bullock seems more, like, girlfriendy. i think women like her because she's girlfriend --y. i think they feel the same with oprah because she's flawed. she has weight struggles, struggles we all have. >> the lady gaga thing, i don't

understand. but i'm happy for her. >> we are. >> this is the one joann loves the most. joann loves her cher. most welcome celebrity comeback. >> we can't get music cued for anything. for cher, she's got it. >> for cher, she never left. it's not a comeback. she's never left the scene. a few farewell tours. >> how old is she? >> she's in her 60s. if you want to see one of the great performances on stage, she and bette midler. they cannot give a bad performance. >> beautiful. it really is pretty. >> all right. here's the -- okay, joann. i don't want to listen that long. >> all right. here's the funniest celebrity endorsement. i don't know if you guys have seen this commercial. it's a kevin bacon commercial. >> i love kevin bacon. >> let's watch it. >> i'm obsessed with kevin bacon. i don't know. obsessed is a strong word. i think i'm a devoted fan.

i just type it in and it uses google tv, finds all kinds of movies and shows and youtube videos. let's just say i happen to be in the mood for, i don't know, a movie about a rebellious teen who's living in a town where dancing isn't legal. there it is. my wife says if i watch any more kevin bacon, i might actually turn into kevin bacon. >> i hadn't seen that before. i think it's cute. he's got a great sense of humor. >> he really does. >> a sweet story. >> this is sweet. this is a woman. she's 82 years old. every single day she ordered a domino's pizza. every single day. the same delivery person delivered her that dinner every single day. three days went by and the 82-year-old woman did not order her pizza. the domino's delivery woman got nervous. she went over to the woman's house and found out that she had fallen down and she had hurt herself and she couldn't get to the phone. >> and she hadn't eaten for three days. >> she hadn't eaten in three days.

this domino pizza delivery woman saved her life. >> isn't that amazing? i love that story. i've talked many times on the air about merry's on 57th street between first and second avenue. it used to be like our kitchen because our apartment when frank and i were first married is over there. it's that kind of place where everybody from the community comes. they sit in the same seat. often order the same drinks or their same food. and it becomes real community and home for many people. especially when they're elderly and they've lost family and that sort of thing. one particular day this man who'd been eating there for years, the exact same time he'd come in at 5:30, his place would be ready, they'd bring his martinis and everything. he wasn't there. by quarter to 6:00, they had called his apartment. by 6:00, jimmy himself had gone over there, knocked on his door, the man had passed away. end of the story, about six months later, his wife eileen called.

jimmy, are you sitting down? lovely irish lady. of course i'm not sitting down, eileen, i'm working. jimmy, you better sit down. she says the man's name, jimmy, he left you everything. >> what? >> they had become so much his family, they left jimmy -- he left jimmy and every one of the irish waitresses whatever he had in life because they had been his family. >> that is a great story. wow. i wish it were true. >> no, it is. it's a true story! >> best timing, ever! >> tomorrow we're going to tell you about the guy who sued a sushi joint. it's unbelievable. in the meantime, we have a big show. >> we're going to talk about break-ups. how to get your life back together after a bad break-up. >> promise me we'll never break-up, hoda woman. later, a housewife in the house. she is cooking and cleaning.

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time for "today's" relationships and the girlfriend's guide to breaking up. we've all been there, drowning our sorrows in mocha peanut butter fudge chips. sooner or later you'll have to put down the spoon and pick up your life. >> andrea miller and joe levy, editor in chief of maxim magazine. it does kind of matter if you're the one who did the dumping and the one who got dumped. it does determine how you feel. >> right. the fact is both sides are going to feel badly. we're here to talk about the girlfriend's guide to breaking up. after you've broken up, how do you recover from it? >> if the guy's a jerk, he's not going to feel bad about it at

all. >> they're not going to care. >> if they have no conscience. >> you know what -- oh, okay. sure. say that and immediately turn to me. the truth is, it depends on how long a relationship it is. guys are not known for being in touch with their feelings and dwelling on feelings of guilt and upset. yet a real long relationship, most guys are going to feel upset. they're going to know that something's wrong. they're going to know if they're the levav leaver that they did >> we turn to things. i know there's ice cream, anything sweet, anything to take your mind off of what's going on, right? >> it's easy to wallow. we recommend reveling in your post break-up misery in a positive way. such as chop your hair. i know it's cliche. >> he says don't do that. guys love long hair. >> guys love long hair. if you're going to chop it, go mi mid-length or think about

changing the color. >> you're saying make a big change for yourself. forget about what they want right now. >> it's transformational. you get a new haircut or color, or go on a vacation, some place you've never been before. >> women who chop off their hair are sorry afterwards. now they don't have the boyfriend or the hair. you got to think things through. >> they can't be too impulsive. if they can find a cut they really like. >> let's say you're just coming off a horrible break-up. you feel terrible, you wake up and you want to kind of start over. what's the 101 there? >> the 101 there is to distract yourself in really positives ways. go and learn something new. indulge yourself maybe in a wine class, in a kick boxing class. volunteering for an organization you feel passionate about. a couple things could happen. one, you might meet somebody new, which would be great. >> you don't want to -- >> the other thing it can do, it makes you feel great. it gives you something new to talk about.

it can really energize you in a way that sitting around the house and wallowing can't. >> what about for guys? what do guys do? >> it all sounds really healthy, volunteering and exercising. it's not the guy way of doing things at all. guys get through this very quickly. they have a standard policy. first, we stop showering and we stop shaving. three or four days, you power right through that. then you shave, you shower, you go to the strip club, you gather your tribe around you. you get your guys together. this actually could work for women, too. you gather the tribe. it's a very primitive instinct. instead of dancing around fire you watch women dance around poles. that's what guys do. >> then you're over it? >> no, but you're very distracted. and a little poorer. >> and a little poorer. all right. i don't know what to say to that. >> i do think it's interesting, though, how differently men and women deal with things. especially when it comes to women, you want to just take the focus off yourself. i think what happens is often you wallow and you feel terrible

and your thing about volunteering, although it sounds lofty, help out a friend, even. >> right. get out of your own misery. at the same time i do recommend focusing on yourself a little bit. let's face it, you can feel -- after you've been with somebody and your friends and habits are intertwined, now you're on your own. really think about what makes you tick, what makes you happy. that would be, say, a really good thing. >> for both men and women there really are, in all seriousness, two things that you must do. you've got to get up and start moving. exercise is going to lift your mood. it's the one thing that's going to keep you from being sad. then you've got to clear away every reminder of the person you're no longer with. >> you said take a trip. get away from your environment. >> get rid of the pictures. clean out your e-mail. defriend on facebook. >> don't go back and follow the other one. >> break-up with your ex is absolutely key digitally. no checking in with them on four

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time for what the what? >> it's when you send us the photos that stop us in our tracks and make you say, what? >> the first is from louisville, nebraska. for your convenience, doesn't look that convenience now, does it? this sign is located near an escalator in a department store in an omaha mall. take the steps, lady. next, a photo from lindsay zeller from betondor f, iowa. what's behind door number two? it's popcorn shrimp. other shoppers thought they were weird. never do anything with mystery meat. next, from brunswick. you may toot now.

that was an antique old-fashioned car museum. can you imagine calling it a toot? then from connecticut, out is this way and then that way. this is on the top floor of a parking garage in new haven. and then the last one we've got from lisa lipper from new york, look at how it's spelled wrong. headquaters. the toys sold here are great. the sign that recently went up in a very prominent spot near the store doesn't say much for it. >> if you've got photos that make you say, what, send it to us. courtesy of new nice 'n easy colorblend foam. permanent, dimensional color, now in a delightful foam! just three shakes, foam it, love it!

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so we make fresh step scoopable litter with carbon, which is more effective at absorbing odors than baking soda. fresh step. your cat deserves the best. good morning to you. 10:26 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. alameda county may renew a transportation sales tax set to expire in 2022. people opposed say now is not a good time. county transportation commission says if voters approve the extension it can move forward with a new street, freeway, and public transportation project. taxes raise about $100 million a year since it was approved in 2000. under the projects under consideration car pool lane extensions, extending b.a.r.t. to livermore. some south bay area students are getting ready to become the area's future engineers.

check it out. students at leyland high school in san jose are building a robot as part of the national robotics competition. students are responsible for every aspect of their creation including wiring and programming. the robot must be mobile, be able to perform tasks, and be able to complete a ring toss. 10:27 ght now. weather and traffic after this.

welcome back. no major incidents on the maze.

the icon is gone there. a live look at the bay bridge toll plaza shows you no backup either so there is no feed for the metering lights to be on right now. i showed you slowing half an hour ago. it has lowered for the 10:00 hour. traditional slowing there but now everybody has cleared and don't do that anyway. it's not a good idea. in the central valley folks coming through the tri valley in livermore nice speeds close to the limit out of the altamont and also antioch. the first two areas to show slowdown now moving. a live look at oakland, 880 with a smooth flow of traffic on the northbound side. on the right past the coliseum there. note tonight prince is performing and tomorrow night. so after work for those of you going to work right now you do need to know there will be some congestion past there and maybe even purple lights. just guessing, laura. back to you. >> purple lights or purple rain. thanks so much and thank you for joining us. the "today" show continues next. i'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning starting at 5:00 a.m.

we're back on this winesday with more of "today." time to play our weekly quiz game, "who knew?" since oscar is handing out trophies this week, we thought it appropriate to test your oscar knowledge. kathie lee is across the street at the nbc.com digital cafe ready to hand out $100 to those who answer the question correctly. those who don't, the consolation prize. >> it's not a consolation prize. >> kathie lee's cd. >> see all the movies in the next few days. >> let's go across to kath. >> guess what i found over here, hoda woman? i found five 20-year-olds. where you guys from?

>> houston! >> yeah. we don't have a problem. thanks, guys. all righty. we're over here. where you all from? >> we're from san antonio, texas, and vilsack, germany. >> there's a story there. who has won more oscars than anyone else in history. meryl streep, clint eastwood, harvey weinstein or walt disney. >> number one. >> you're wrong, daddy. no. but you're going to love this record, kid. honestly. it's just awesome. >> the correct answer to that one is d, walt disney. >> he was nominated for 59 oscars. he ended up winning 26 oscars. he got a special honorary oscar for creating mickey mouse. >> unbelievable. i wouldn't have picked that one. back across to kath. >> a family from long island. true or false. anne hathaway is cohosting this ye year's oscars with jimmy fallon.

>> dontrue. >> wrong. that'll teach ya! >> boy, she wanted that hundred bucks so bad. look at her. no. jimmy fallon is not the cohost. >> it's james franco that's in the commercials, not jimmy fallon. ann hae hathaway becomes the youngest person to ever host the osca oscars. she's only 28. >> how old is he? >> 32. >> back across to kath. >> family from rochester, which former oscar winner will be singing on stage this year? gwyneth paltrow, jeff bridges, nicole kidman or sean penn. >> jeff bridges? >> that's a good answer. he won for "crazy heart" last year. but you're wrong. good day for me. >> the correct answer for this one, i'm excited to hear her sing, gwyneth paltrow. >> she's singing the song "coming home" from "country

strong." she sang at the cma's. she sang at the grammy's. she sung on "glee." i think she thinks she's a singer now. >> why are people criticizing her? >> she's not that good. >> all right. back across to kath. >> he probably doesn't think i sing, either. the man has no taste. where are you all from again? >> from canada. >> canada! which movie has the most oscar nominations this year. "the king's speech," "the social network," "black swan" or "the kids are all right." >> i think it's "the king's speech." >> you're adorable. >> yes. how many nominees? >> for 12 oscars. it leads everyone else. "the social network" has nine. those two are going to duke it out for best picture. "the king's speech" is going to sweep everything. it won the s.a.g., the golden globes. >> it is a good movie. across to kath. >> these folks are from new york

and maryland. true or false. kate winslet keeps her oscar award in her bathroom. >> false. >> i don't think that's the best way to handle anger. >> oh, no. she wanted that hundred. the correct answer is true. how do you know she has it in the bathroom. >> she gave an interview where she said everyone wants to see it so she put it in the bathroom so everyone can touch it. i don't know if i would touch that oscar. >> back across to kath. >> from syracuse and from sidney, australia, which of the following movies has won the most oscars. "ben hur", "titanic", "lord of the rings: return of the king" or all of the above. >> a. >> oh, stop it! >> the correct answer there is all of the above. >> all of the above.

all of those movies won 11 oscars. titanic was nominated for the most. nominated for 14 but lost three of those. >> are you heading out to l.a. soon? >> i'm not. i'm going to be watching from my couch. >> from here! >> i'll be live blogging from here. up next, new york's real housewi housewife, the countess finds law and order in her life.ut heginew g righl us te about her new gig right after this. 3 o'clock. my daily meeting with a salty snack

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new york city real housewife luann de lesseps is stepping out of her role and her stillettos for a special appearance on "law and order: special victims unit." >> luann shows more than just skin, playing an eccentric art patron who poses nude for a painter. there's nothing wrong with that, hoda. >> wow! first of all, hi. you went all the way, practically, didn't you? >> this is the first time i've seen it. i'm just as excited. >> did they put make-up on your back, too? it looked really smooth. >> i had a little bit of bronzer, i'm not going to lie. >> this is your first acting gig. >> it really is my first acting gig. it was challenging. remember your lines. stand in front of mariska hagerty with a sheet on. it's not that easy. >> you had a sheet on? >> i had undergarments just in case the sheet got away from me.

the sheet was going nowhere. it was done tastefully. it was really about the painter painting my silhouette. for me it was not a problem. >> was it more difficult to remember the lines and all that stuff? >> yes. >> or to be sitting in front of an entire crew with a sheet wrapped around you? >> i had two days. literally they asked me to be on two days before. so i had two days to get there. so i would say it was challenging to remember the lines, just as challenging as it was to be in the right place and to stand in front of mariska hagerty and chris malone doing the lines. they were great. they made me feel very comfortable. you know, it was -- it was really exciting for me to be on a scripted television show and be with amazing actors. >> did you audition? >> i didn't audition.

they cast me. they were looking for a highbrow art collector. i was so pleased they thought of me. >> that's on tonight, right? >> that's on tonight. >> and you hope to do more of that? >> i hope to do more of that. maybe a little "the office," "30 rock." >> look at you. "the real housewives of new york." a lot of people were waiting and waiting for the first episode to come. last night the first episode came, only it was "the real housewives of miami." what happened there? >> what happened, we have a lot of shows coming up. we have a lot of episodes. we just finished the end of january. they need more time to get it edited and make it be the best they could possibly be. >> the rumor that they went back to do something else to it because they didn't have the drama? >> oh, no, darling. there's so much drama. they needed more time to figure it out. miami, there's seven or eight episodes.

we have 16. >> who's the new one? >> cindy is a mother of twins. she's single. and she is a businesswoman. she has a completely -- >> do you guys like her or not? >> she's cool. i like her. >> who do you not like on the show? >> i would never go there! >> why? >> she's a lady, hoda! >> if ramona were here, she would tell us. >> i would give up all the suspense if i told you there was going on. believe me, there is plenty of drama. we take a trip this season. >> you're like the "sex and the city" girls. you go to morocco, right? >> yes. a lot going on. the carpets were flying. >> your love life is excellent, we understand? >> yes. very happy. very happy. >> is that him over here? >> no.

that's michael, my son. jack is amazing. >> he's in the wine business. >> i feel so lucky i have a second chance in life. having been married 16 years, to meet somebody that i really care about and, you know, and we spend so much time together. and he loves my kids and the kids are happy for me. >> good luck. >> all the best tonight. >> thank you! thank you. >> have a great one. >> thank you. you can catch all of luann, i mean all of her, on "law and order: svu" tonight on nbc.

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time for "today's" beauty and the products every woman should have stocked away. because, after all, not everyone can have the natural beauty that hoda woman has. >> what? i can't believe that's even on there.

the beauty editors at "elle" magazine found the best beauty products. here with the winners, emily doherty, the magazine's beauty editor. >> everybody always wants to know what you think is the best of the best. what's the first category? >> trends? >> the great thing about spring makeup, it's so easy. they're not making it tough for us. this isn't about tall stilettos and crazy hair. it's about stuff you want to wear every day. >> soft and natural, i hope. >> soft and natural. >> let's take a look at carolyn's before picture. we're going to walk over to carolyn. >> pretty girl. >> tell us what this trend is that we did after. >> we have a few trends we're working here. the first is a top knot. it seems very ballerina, kind of '80s rock star. but this is a very sophisticated way to do it. the key to make it sophisticated, you want to keep it super, super smooth. when you pull it back you want to tip your head back then pull it in a pony and then tip your

head forward. that will keep it extra tight up the back. >> and the lips. orange, is that the color? >> this is an orange lip. we've been loving red lipstick for so long because of "mad men." it's not as scary as you think. it'll look great on you guys. >> orange is big color as well. >> let's look at our next picture. tracy's before picture. this is tracy's before. all right. now, tell what you say the new trends are. show us what you did to tracy. >> i did a standing ovation when i saw curls on the runway. i don't have curls myself. for so long we've been using flat irons and getting straightening treatments. we don't have to do that anymore. celebrate your curls if you have them. if not buy hot rollers or a big barrel curling iron. if you want extra help, use your curling iron and a heat protective product to keep it curled and protect your hair. >> what abiliout the bronzers? >> a no makeup makeup look.

take a big brush and put it all over. hit where the sun usually kisses your skin. the second way is you want to use it just where the shadows hit your face. under your cheekbone and under your jaw line to add an extra pop of color. >> and your neck so it blends. >> let's look at her before picture. there she is. gorgeous. let's look at her now and tell us what you did here. >> what's the easiest way to look polished really quickly? >> born like that. >> a low pony tail is super easy. 60 seconds you can create the look. keep the part on the side. a middle part with a low pony can look a little librarian, a little old lady. >> that looks young and lovely. >> we recommend using pony tail holders that match your hair color.

the top knot is a great look to sleep in at night. it doesn't cause any hair breakage. >> the makeup here? >> purple eye shadow. >> really? >> everything we see is in new smoky eye. purple, believe it or not, works on every skin tone and every eye shade. it makes brown eyes glow, blue eyes look bluer and green eyes look greener. >> these are the drugstore stuff you should go out and get. this is the best hair spray. aqu aquaphor is like crack. the best stuff ever. >> i use it head to toe. makeup artists use it on cheeks and lids after the color to give it extra glow. and this miracle lotion. it's a basic does it all. >> moisturizer.

>> that's 24 hours. dry shampoo. it's not just for dirty hair. it adds volume. >> thanks. >> thank you. up next, dance like a pro and get a body like one. >> check it out! >> "today" on nbc.

treadmill for a little exercise? we're going to shake things up. >> here to show us the moves to a better body, "dancing with the stars" professional. from amsterdam. >> i'm american now. >> good for you. >> you've really done great work on "dancing with the stars." they drop weight like crazy. i remember kelly osborne was one of the shockers. >> 35 pounds. >> how do you maintain the same? >> we do cardio every day of our

life. >> with kelly, she lost how much weight? >> 35 pounds in three months. and i made her eat. a lot of people think that by not eating you lose weight. it's the opposite. you've got to eat. you need energy and carbs and protein. >> you've got something people can do at home. >> yes. >> la blast. >> yes. i wanted to develop a dance fitness program for people at home that watch the show but can't dance. >> show us! >> we have one minute, baby. >> go! >> we do salsa. one and two, one and two. you can drop it. the left foot. left foot on the spot. three and four. you got to keep that rhythm. now we're going to get the waistline. twist, twist, twist. >> 45 seconds. >> left foot forward. >> i like the music! >> right toe, left. good.

on the spot. and we twist again. twist, twist, twist. now we're talking! forward, one, two! now we go to level five!