) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime. good morning. fuelling the pain. good morning. fueling the pain. gas prices up yet again overnight. 3.52 per gallon the highest average ever for the month of march. some experts say the improving economy is partially good morning. fueling the pain. gas prices up yet again overnight. $3.52 per gallon, the highest average ever for the month of march. some experts say the improving economy is partly to blame. firing back. charlie sheen rails against gettinfired from "two and a half men," swinging a machete from a rooftop and going on a rant online. >> you condemned me, discarded me. well, not anymore. winning. >> he was the highest paid actor on tv. where does he go from here? and surprise visit. prince william and kate middleton are all smiles during a trip to northern ireland. back in london, a much different story.

prince andrew and sarah ferguson under fire for ties to a convicted sex offender today tuesday, march 8, 2011. and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm matt lauer. the expression is march comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. it may not be the case for gas prices. we have already broken the record for march and it's the beginning of the month. >> the average price per gallon, 3 cloin 52, up about a penny from monday. this time last year, we were only paying $2.75. we'll talk about why prices seem to go up every day and why we pay more in the spring and summer months ahead. >> also ahead, a potentially dangerous way to lose weight called combo pilling. it's taking a mixture of prescription drugs to shed pounds.

it can come with troubling side effects. who one woman who did it will share her story. >> it's an exciting morning for us launching our new website today.com. to mark the event we are doing something we have never done before. >> starting in the next half hour, while we are on the air kathie lee and hoda will be live online hosting the today.com show showing you what goes on behind the scenes during "today." they are upstairs in hair and makeup or as they call it, the sober valley spa. we are going to be checking in with them. they will take us inside the control room. we'll check in on guests in the green room as well. for the first time this morning, history-making. meredith is going to be tweeting. >> between now and then i have to figure out what that is. >> is this a long-term plan or a one day and out? >> this is a one day, maybe long term. >> okay. good. thanks for that. let us begin on this tuesday

morning with soaring gas prices. according to aaa, the national average is $3.52, up 40 cents in a month. in california, where prices are highest in the country, the average is a staggering $3.96. that coming from san francisco. miguel almaguer is there. good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. if commuters in california were paying the national average for gas, it would be a bargain. here at the chevron in san francisco, it is $4.29 for a gallon of gas. drivers in san francisco are paying the highest price for a gallon of gas anywhere across the country. february was a brutal month not just here in california but all across the country. i want to show you how drastically gas prices spiked in february. in new york, they had gas prices rise 28 cents a gallon in february alone. in illinois, up 34 cents. michigan spiked 38 cents and last month the jump at the pump

here in california was nearly 50 cents. now why are we paying so much for gas in california? well, there are two answers. strict emission laws mean california requires a special blend of gasoline, a more environmentally friendly blend. so it's more expensive. number two, californians are taxed at the highest rate for gas. add those together and drivers here in california and specifically here in san francisco are paying the most at the pumps. matt? >> that is a hefty price tag. miguel almaguer in san francisco, thank you very much. four minutes after the hour. with more here's meredith. >> patrick dehaan is here from gasbuddy.com. he is the senior analyst. good morning. >> good morning. >> the main issue that seems to be fueling higher prices is unrest in the middle east. that's where the crude oil comes from that we produce our gas using that oil. why is it what happened in libya and egypt affects the price?

>> we are so reliant on crude oil that any unrest in the middle east, what we have seen in history, part of history said that problems in the middle east have a tendency to spread to other countries. we are concerned that the problems could jump to saudi arabia. it's the largest exporter of crude oil in the middle east. that's what we are concerned about. >> in december we had 34 million barrels from saudi arabia and 2 million from libya. it doesn't make sense if we are not getting that much from libya we are seeing these prices jump that dramatically now. >> that's how concerned investors are. think about your car insurance. your insurance goes up if you have a ticket because of increased risk. problems in the middle east continue to bounce around. same problem. there is an increased risk of problems exporting crude oil from saudi arabia. >> and prices go up as the economy starts to improve and people get jobs and start to buy more things. gas prices go up. why? >> we increase demand. more people going to work, driving, going on vacation.

more people taging to the road. that increases our demand. whenever the economy improves, we see higher gas prices. >> if there weren't unrest in the middle east now we seem to see higher prices this time of year when we change from winter gas to summer gas. what's the difference and why does it affect price? >> summer gasoline is used across the united states up to 15 different types of blends, depending on your other ya. they emit less air pollution but cost more to produce. there is always concern will supply be adequate for memorial day weekend. we get off the winter gas, go to summer gas and demand increases ahead of summer and vacations. >> a lot of people think taxes eat up a lot of the tax dollar. that's not the picture. can you break it down for us? >> yud crude oil, two-thirds of the price is what we way. tax is a near second depending on what region of the country. taxes eat up a big piece of the pie.

after that refining, processing and gas stations, the smallest percentage of any profit there. >> how much higher do you expect prices to go? an average now of $3.52. >> by memorial day we could have prices up to $4.05 on average. prices continuing to rise. >> when would you expect things to level off or ease up? >> i would hope -- >> i don't like that laugh, it was sinister. >> i would hope it would come sooner rather than later but we might see a small break come june. typically prices relax after memorial day, but then we have hurricane season. oil companies are sensitive. we saw hurricane katrina do tremendous damage. typically prices rise for hurricane season. really no break until fall. >> and people can go to your website for the cheapest gas. any advice? >> there is obviously technology, apps for just about anything. but driving conservatively can save quite a bit of fuel. you can get a lot further. but driving smart goes a long

way. >> all right. patrick dehaan, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> once again, here is matt. >> lawmakers in washington are facing a fast approaching deadline to avert a government shut-down. are they closer to reaching a deal? nbc's white house correspondent savannah guthrie has the latest. good morning. >> good morning. there is a crucial vote in the senate that could happen today. it's a crucial vote. yet everyone knows how it will turn out. as president obama hits the road for boston to pitch his education agenda on capitol hill a key vote to mark the battle lines on the budget fight. the senate will vote on the republican plan to cut $61 billion from the budget. and the democrats plan to cut $6.5 billion. >> they would rather draw a line in the sand than agree to cut another dime in spending. >> i think the house republican budget went too far. >> both measures are expected to fail. each side wants to prove the

other party's cuts can't pass to set the stage for a real deal. >> everyone's done the math. everyone knows how the votes will turn out and we'll go back to square one and back to the negotiating table. >> reporter: on monday, a once rising star, john ensign of nevada, said he won't seek re-election. in 2009, he admitted to having an affair with the staffer's wife. >> there are consequences to sin. when you are in a leadership role, those consequences can affect a lot of people. >> it is going to be a great night. >> reporter: meanwhile the 2012 presidential race is showing signs of life. >> are you ready to begin the process of choosing barack obama's successor? >> reporter: monday night in iowa, five gop contenders faced off in a form rum on social issues. >> balancing the budget is an essentially moral not economic question. >> we will take back our is government. >> this entitlement attitude.

if that is not a moral issue i don't know what is. >> reporter: even donald trump's plane was spotted in iowa on monday but it was one of his executives testing the waters, not trump himself who visited. though high profile contenders are starting to turn up in early states, no major republican has officially entered the race. political analysts say the late start may leave an opening for democrats. >> president obama and his political team are not letting republicans have the field to themselves. they are in. they are playing, largely behind the scenes but no less effective for it. >> reporter: on that note while the president is in boston talking about education he'll stop by a campaign fund-raising dinner for democrats. matt? >> savannah guthrie at the white hos, thank you very much. former pennsylvania senator rick santorum was among potential presidential candidates who spoke at the iowa forum. nice to see you. good morning. >> hi, matt. good to be with you. >> i have spent time in iowa. it's a beautiful state.

i get a feeling your time in march isn't for sight-seeing reasons. are you in the race? >> i'm testing the waters. is last night was a good little swim to see the reaction to the message and the messenger, what i have done in my career and what i'm looking forward to talking about if we get in the race. the response was good. i was encouraged. >> for people who don't remember, senator, your time in the senate, how would you describe yourself in terms of the political spectrum? some have called you an ultraconservative on social issues. is that fair? >> look, i'm a conservative. yeah. i believe life begins at conception and marriage is between a man and a woman. i think the law should reflect that morality which is the collective morality of most people in america. i don't know if that makes me ultraconservative. so with it. it makes me stand up for the values that built this country and made it strong. >> do you think that is the

message people want to hear right now. a recent wall street journal poll, 65% of people said they are most likely to vote for a candidate in 2012 who is strong on the economy, deficit and jobs, not social issues. that's not what they are concerned about. are you barking up the right tree? >> well, i think we can walk and chew gum at the same time. if you look at my record in the congress, i was active and led the charge, for example, on welfare reform. we are talking about entitlement spending and how to get it under control. the only major entitlement that's ever been ended in american history is welfare reform and i was the lead in the senate. i helped craft the final bill and actually craft the original bill in the house. if you look at my record on the health care, i ran my first race for the united states senate against the clinton care bill and was active on reforming medicare and medicaid and had the courage to talk about

reforming the social security system. if you look at my record it's been strong on conservative limited government, strong on progrowth policy to get the economy going. i've got a record that's comprehensive as well as strong on national security. we'll talk about all those things. >> how do you get out there and get some attention? if you look at again that recent polling has, i think, 2% of respo respondents said that you would be there choice as a candidate on the gop side far behind people like mitt romney, mike huckabee. it's early, but you have a lot of ground to make up. >> yeah. i do it the old-fashioned way. every time i have run for office back in 1990, i defeated an incumbent democrat. six months before the election i was at 6% in the polls and i won. i defeated another incumbent because he didn't decide not to run. then two years later, defeated a third when i ran for the senate. all of those races i wasn't supposed to be in it.

i went out and worked hard. that's what i believe in. hopefully that will play with the people of iowa. if we decide to do this thing. >> sarah palin is one of the potential candidates polling ahead of you although she's not accepting a lot of the traditional invitations that are given out at this time of year for people thinking of running. at one toim, you said, quote, i have a feeling she has some demands on her time and a lot of them have financial benefit attached to them. what did you mean by that? >> that she's like the rest of us. we have to provide for our family, care for our family. you know, she has demands. i do, too. there are a lot of political events i don't take because i have to feed my family and do what i'm supposed to do as a husband and father. that's all i meant. she has that responsibility and so do i. >> rick san toreum, nice to have you with us. good luck to you. >> thanks, matt. >> now a check of the rest of the top stories from ann curry at the news desk. good morning, annie. >> good morning, meredith, matt and all of you.

in a stunning reversal president obama signed an order to resume military trials in guantanamo. just two years after vowing to close the controversial facility. the order creates a formal system to keep detainees in prison there indefinitely. forces loyal to moammar gadhafi launched four more air strikes today. richard engel has more this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. those air strikes are having a dramatic impact on the rebels in the east and there is now a danger that the rebels could lose more of their strong holds. gadhafi's forces continue to attack from the air in eastern libya to block the advance to tripoli. a no-fly zone would help but according to libyan officials it would be an act of war, providing air cover for an armed revolt against moammar gadhafi. international involvement in this war has already proven complicated.

three dutch marines who tried to evacuate nationals remain held by the libyan government. and the british government had to intervene after a humiliating mishap when british special forces were captured by rebels who mistook them for pro-gadhafi mercenaries. adding to the embarrassment, a phone call between a british official and the rebelings to secure the release of the elite forces was recorded by the libyan government and aired on state television. >> we sent a small group to find if there was a hotel, if everything was working. >> it was a propaganda coup for libya which claims the rebels are guided by western powers. and according to libya's foreign minister, al qaeda militants and the libyan government is not entirely wrong. u.s. and arab officials tell nbc news al qaeda in north africa is taking advantage of the chaos in libya to regroup, gain strength and collect weapons. >> a u.s. official tells us that

saudi arabia is now arming some of the rebels in an attempt to prevent al qaeda from taking over this rebellion which is now drawing in outside powers. >> thank you so much to richard engel. a new report found that the u.s. military has a disproportionate member of white males in leadership roles. the independent study suggests an end to the ban on women in combat and a change in recruitment and promotion policies. the body of a missing american college student in spain has been found in a river in madrid. 22-year-old austin bice vanished after leaving a nightclub alone. police do not expect foul play. now, to amanda drury. man da, nice to see you. >> stocks may bring some relief but opec is discussing raising output to cool soaring prices. also, we might see some cheers from investors for the shares of boeing after the plane maker won

43 orders for wide-body planes from chinese carriers. investors may not be happy about urban outfitters after reported fourth quarter sales and profits below market expectations. back to you. >> thank you very much. finally, now, in venezuela, a bull decided to ditch the matadors and mingle with the spectators instead. the animal is caught on tape jumping a fence and entering the stands of the arena. you can see the commotion it caused. he's running around in there. the good news is, no one was hurt. he got back inside the ring. there you go. i think eventu bull was hurt. but anyway, it is now 7:18. let's go back to matt and meredith now. >> those days don't usually end well for the bull, unfortunately. anyway, mr. roker is here. hey, nice to see you. >> the good news, people will be able to get those insults on today.com. they'll get the x-rated version we'll be throwing out.

>> how are you, al? >> i don't know. let's see from under the bus here. anyway, we've got some more severe storms to talk about. unfortunately, this is the same path we saw from that storm over the weekend. ahead of it we've got a lot of warm, moist air, strong storms behind it. we've got snow to talk about. here's what we see in the path of the storm. for tomorrow we are going to be looking at anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of rain as we move into wednesday night into thursday morning. the heavy rain spreads into alabama and parts of kentucky and tennessee and on into georgia as we move on into thursday into friday that heavy rain makes its way up into the mid-atlantic states. good morning to you. well, we are going to see a pretty nice second half of the day with thick fog to contend with this morning. give yourself a little extra time wherever you are headed where you will encounter the fog. you won't need the heavy jacket with temperatures already in the mid-50s. 53 in sunnyvale.

51 in san mateo. 52 in san francisco turning over to about 63 degrees today. partly cloudy conditions. and it looks like tomorrow will be even warmer before our next system arrives on thursday bringing us another round of showers. high pressure is finally going to break down heading through the midsection of this week. have a great day. their wedding prince william and his bride-to-be kate middleton are making a one-day visit to northern ireland. good morning to you. maybe you can explain to us why the couple decided to go to northern ireland today. >> reporter: hi, meredith. william and kate have been on sort of a road trip around the uk ahead of their wedding, a chance to practice what their official life will be like, for people to get to know them, and for them to get to know their country. today it is northern ireland. we saw them arrive to a very shy little girl presenting them with some flowers. at one point you see them flipping pancakes. that looks really strange to us but today is pancake day in the uk celebrated just before the fasting of lent. for them to go there is a really

big deal so the message is sent in a place that has dealt with sectarian violence for decades and also for the security situation. this is an extremely hush-hush trip. we didn't even know about it until the last minute, and the press is barred from reporting on their location ahead of time. the prince and kate will also get a political briefing on the situation there. northern ireland is under british rule as part of the uk and the royal family is showing that they stand with people there and also that they're brave. prince william's great uncle was killed by an irish republican army bomb back in 1979 and just last month the threat level in northern ireland was said to be at severe because groups have increased their bomb making skills lately. also today, kate middleton will get a little chance to go solo away from her prince at least for a short time and work the crowd by herself. meredith? >> michelle, what else is the couple doing to prepare for the wedding? >> reporter: little details have been leaking out almost every day about what preparations are, but we know they also have a

personal hand in it. just last night the two of them made a secret appearance at westminister abbey going in a separate entrance trying to stay under cover. we know now they were there to hear a rehearsal of the music that will be played at their wedding on april 29th. >> all right. >> reporter: meredith? >> thank you very much. michelle will be back later to talk about prince andrew and fergie's troubles. also ahead, charlie sheen's unusual behavior and statements following his firing from his hit sitcom. we'll have the latest developments, but first, this is "today" on nbc. nothing worked on my eczema until cortizone-10 intensive healing eczema lotion. the poweof cortizone-10 plus restora helps heal my symptoms. cortizone-10 -- feel the heal.

just ahead, a special live behind the scenes peek at what goes on in studio 1a when we are on the air. kathie lee and hoda host the just ahead. live online. >> hey! >> good start. >> was that meredith? >> what's the mission, ladies? >> oh, we're launching today

today.com. this is cool streamlined deal. >> out with the old, in with the new. >> we're live on the web. >> we'll be streamliving. new word for it. >> on the web. >> meredith, you and i are illtwitterate. >> you got it. , drink what we want, and sleep soundly through the night. finally that day has arrived with prevacid®24hr. just one pill helps keep you heartburn-free for a full 24 hours. prevent the acid that causes frequent heartburn all day, all night. now we are free. happy. with prevacid®24hr, happiness is a day without heartburn. ♪ work, work all week long ♪ punching that clock from dusk till dawn ♪ ♪ countin' the days till friday night ♪ ♪ that's when all the conditions are right for a good time ♪ [ male announcer ] advanced technology that helps provide cleaner air, cleaner water,

and helps make all of us more energy efficient is something the whole world can get in step with. [ static ] ♪ i need a good time [ male announcer ] ecomagination from ge. it's technology that makes the world work. good morning, everyone. it is 7:26. i'm brent cannon. oakland police are looking into an overnight shooting. somebody shot and killed a man sitting in a car near 37th street and mcarthur boulevard. two other people were in the car at the time but were not seriously injured. east bay's law enforcement scandal could impact several court cases. one suspect who is accused of dealing drugs could be back on the streets this morning. now the man charged with selling marijuana is scheduled to appear in court this morning, but his case could be thrown out because narcotics officer norman welsh investigated the case. welsh is accused of stealing drugs from the evidence lockers and selling them back on the

street. this is the first of what could be many cases to get tossed out. welsh pleaded not guilty to stealing and reselling those drugs and is out on $400,000 bail. right now we want to check the forecast this morning with christina. >> good morning to you, brent. we have a foggy start, but we'll see a beautiful afternoon. partly cloudy conditions when the fog lifts out of the atmosphere. high pressure is firmly in control. that's going to bring temperatures now in the upper 40s to low 50s into the mid-60s later on today. 65 degrees is if forecasted high in fremont. 61 for san rafael. 66 in santa cruz. tomorrow even warmer. but then we have showers on the way as we head towards the middle of the week, late thursday our next low pressure system arrived. the giants game is here on nbc at 6:05 on friday. let's pull you in here, 87 we expect a slowdown through downtown. we don't see this slow often

jamming near saratoga. it started to break up over the last five, but that's through the south bay. the east bay has a couple accidents at north flynn around grant line causing slowing. a 26-minute drive out of the altamont pass bogging down through central livermore and clearing up past portollo. there's the bay bridge toll plaza. 25 minutes through the foggier east bay hills. we'll watch that as we see slippery roadways because of the fog and the mist. thank you, mike. more local news for you coming up in a half hour. the "today" show returns in less than two minutes. have a great day.

7:30 now on a tuesday morning. it's the 8th of march 2011. supposed to be a sunny day in new york city. chilly, but don't worry. spring is less than two weeks away. looking forward to that. nice people on the plaza. we'll say hi to them in a little while. inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer with meredith vieira. >> just ahead, charlie sheen fires back at the executives who fired him and it was an animated rant, to say the least. we'll hear from him in a moment. >> also ahead, the classic american dream. you know, own a home, raise a family. perhaps send your kids to have college and have enough money to retire comfortably.

the dream has been shattered for people and suze ormand says this is the time to get real and revise your expectations. her advice is coming up. >> plus, new trouble for the duchess of york sarah ferguson and prince andrew. she's apologizing again, this time for taking thousands of dollars from a friend of her ex-husband who happens to be a convicted sex offender. we'll have details. >> first we want to check in on the today.com. kathie lee and hoda are hosting the special web only broadcast. they are in the control room. ladies, this is a great way for viewers to access content. >> that's what they tell us. >> it's a terrific way. this today.com website is so easy to navigate. not only will we talk about that, we'll take you on the behind the scenes tour of "today." >> i hope you cleaned up the dressing rooms, because we are going in there looking for stuff. >> not only that. we'll talk to avril levigne.

>> she'll do a web performance. never before seen. >> all of this while you do your show. >> kind of like cloning the "today" show. >> and you'll be talking to us when we aren't doing a segment. >> right, so keep the profanity to yourself, please. >> we'll check in with the ladies in a bit. of course you can join the fun online at today.com. let's get to charlie sheen speaking out about his firing from "two and a half men." jeff rossen is in los angeles with details. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: hi, meredith. good morning to you. in just one week charlie sheen has lost his kids and now his job as well. i talked to him just minutes after he was fired yesterday. i asked how he was feeling. he said, and i'm quoting, great, i didn't like that show anyway or the dumb bowling shirts they made me wear. now i'm free. this morning sheen's future in hollywood is more uncertain than

ever. >> because you judge me, condemned me, discarded me. well, not anymore. winning. >> reporter: late monday night just hours after he was fired, charlie sheen went online and went off again. >> we are in the middle of a movement here, an odyssey of epic, epic proportions. >> reporter: at times sheen barely made sense. >> we should do my book. best title of all times "apocalypse me: the jaws of life." that was brilliant. >> reporter: it's hard to watch, especially now. charlie sheen has been officially dumped from his hit sit-com, "two and a half men." no more temporary hiatus. now it's really over. in its termination letter obtained by tmz, warner brothers calls sheen dangerously

self-destructive and very ill. >> did you turn to alcohol and other substances because you were bored? >> no. i did that because they work. >> ever show up to the set drunk or high? >> never once. you know, a little bit sideways having not slept, but never loaded, never drunk, nothing on the set. >> reporter: but in its letter warner brothers says outtakes of filming show mr. sheen had difficult remembering his lines and hitting his marks and point out his sudden weight loss of 20 pounds after the christmas break. he appeared to be using drugs heavily. studio execs say they tried to help him repeatedly and reached out to mr. sheen's family and friends and had an airplane waiting to take him to rehab. >> looking good. >> reporter: cbs president les moonves personally visited mr. sheen in his home but the letter said mr. sheen refused to leave his home for treatment. >> free at last. >> reporter: just after he was fired monday sheen was spotted out and about in hollywood with

one of his so-called goddesses, waving a machete saying he's destroy anyone who messed with his family, figuratively speaking. then the new web cast. >> now i'm smoking a cigarette and drinking something i won't reveal unless they pay me. >> reporter: warner brothers said they could not and should not attempt to continue business as usualle while mr. sheen destroys himself as the world watches. >> everybody wins! >> reporter: while sheen says there is no morals clause in the contract warner brothers say there is and they can fire him if they believe he's committed an act involving moral turpit e turpitude. >> when people live the way you do bad things have to happen. >> reporter: the future of "two and a half men" remains unclear. does the show go on without sheen or is it finished entirely? is he finished entirely?

>> keep in mind when i roll something out my plan is the best in the room and people are realizing their plan is [ bleep ], my plan is gold. >> reporter: warner brothers now want charlie sheen to pay them for lost revenue for all the missed episodes. sheen has vowed to fight back in court and countersue. we have new developments this morning in sheen's custody battle. his lawyer tells nbc news settlement talks are progressing with sheen's estranged wife brooke mueller and they are hoping to reach a deal on the twin boys soon. meredith? >> jeff, thank you very much. media consultant steve adabato is the author of "what were they thinking" and linda is a trial attorney. linda, let me start with you in this letter that details what the studio claims are justifiable reasons to fire sheen. do you think the studio has the upper hand here? >> absolutely not. as an employment lawyer, i love this. it sets their position. remember, he filmed live the last three episodes, two of the last three episodes of "two and

a half men." if he was doing his job the studio can't say, well, we didn't think you were ready to do your job. you said, i'm ready to go. if i'm his lawyer, i love this. >> the studio says his performances haven't been up to standard and his interviews, rants, chuck lorre, have been hurting the show. >> it's a press relief that means nothing. all that matters is the contract. that's all that matters here. remember, they are behind because he's in the world of twitter, facebook, in the social media. this is a 20th century conglomerate trying to catch up. >> there is a morals clause whether there was or wasn't. if there was -- >> it's not a real one. the one that's in here isn't a morals clause. it says they take him off the billing. it doesn't mean they don't pay him. >> i have a problem with warner brothers. i feel they should have stepped in sooner.

>> there were other times he was beheying badly. >> the situation at the plaza, domestic violence. it came down to the attacks against warner brothers and cbs. they decided he looks horrible, is presenting himself in a terrible way. that may work in a whacky web cast or because we have this interest in the way he's acting now, but it doesn't work in a family sit-com though he played a character that was a little bit left of center, if you will, in terms of conduct. it doesn't work in a show like this. forget the legal point of view. their brand is hurt, his is destroyed. >> you can't forget the legal point of view. his ratings were through the roof on the last rerun of "two and a half men." >> because of the curiosity of this insanity, not because people are attracted to him as a person you can watch on a regular basis. >> that makes him great theater. it has nothing to do with the contract. >> people slow for train wrecks and car wrecks, too. this is a different situation. >> he's said in response to the

firing, it is a big day of gladness at the sober valley lodge. now i can take all of the bazillions. do you think there is a method? >> he's losing $2 million an episode. last time i checked he was trying to sell t-shirts. maybe he should listen to suze when it comes to money. he may have money problems. you lose $2 million an episode. this is not a good day for him. the brand is destroyed. i don't see how he works but i think cbs and warner brothers will try to replace him. i don't know how that works. >> warner brothers wants them--o him to pay for lost revenue. >> never will happen. they terminated him. they may have given him an avenue to go to federal law. this is positioning to settle. >> isn't it reason enough to fire him? >> absolutely. >> if they don't like the way he behaved? >> can't do it. it's controlled by the contract.

they hired him because he's charlie sheen. >> felony charge. >> steve and i didn't talk this morning. as you can see. >> the felony charge doesn't matter. >> they didn't fire him for the charge. >> they sure did. >> they mentioned it but they didn't take action. they renewed the contract. >> you're right. they should have acted then. now it looks like it's because he looks bad, is presenting in a terrible way. >> if i were you, i would tweet about this. linda and bob, thank you. now a check of the weather from al. >> thanks, meredith. one thing we can agree on, we have the avril lavigne fan club here. nice big website there. let's check the weather. it's chilly in the northeast. 30s and 40s. teens in northern new england. also in the plains. 80s down through southern texas and southern florida. 70s in the southwest. more rain, more wind.

risk of strong storms through the gulf coast into the mid mississippi river valley. sunny skies but it's going to be well, we still have some visibility issues because of the big dense fog across the bay area. even in the south bay this morning, nobody is getting any protection from the fog. it will be a factor until 10:00 a.m. but our temperatures are starting out nice and mild. that means today our highs are looking to be really comfortable. 65 degrees in redwood city. 65 in oakland. and 63 degrees in san jose. as we head through tomorrow even warmer conditions will prevail. we are looking to temperatures near 70 degrees. d that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. just so you know, linda and steve agree on one thing. they think that charlie sheen will sell. suze ndormo isexormond is next money and your future right after this. [ engine shuts off ]

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we are back now at 7:44 kicking off a special four-part series called the new american dream. it used to involve owning a home, raising a family and retiring comfortably. suze says those dreams are no longer realistic for americans. it's time to rethink the future. her new book is called "the money class, learn to create your new american dream." good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> that american dream was shatterered for a lot of people over the past two, three years. >> it certainly was. many people who did everything correctly. they put money down, were saving for retirement. what happened to them? because of the actions of others who purchased things they couldn't afford they have lost many things. >> if i'm oversimplifying this, stop me. it seems your message in the new book is you need to stop and turn things on their end. you need to look at the world differently if not only you are

going to survive but if you have a chance of obtaining any kind of american dream. >> yeah. the book is filled with nine classes. if you were to ask me the most important class would be class two. you have to stand in your truth. you have got to bring that epic into everything that you do so that you know, are you doing the right things? are you not doing the wrong things and what's right today wasn't right years ago. >> let's get concrete examples. i have heard many financial advisers say you've got to live within your means. you say, throw that out the window. it's no longer true. >> you have to live below your means but within your needs. you have to save for your own retirement. pensions are very skeptical today. will they be there, will they not? who knows? social security? we'll see. the only way you will save money is if you make money if you don't spend it all. so just because you have it doesn't mean you should spend it. live below your means to save it. >> and you have to change your

value system. you want people to stop valuing themselves based on what they own. >> yeah. >> what they possess. look at your value based on what you save. >> i want you to take equal pleasure in saving as you do in spending. wouldn't it be fabulous if you were like, oh, my god, i just saved $500 versus, i just spent $500 on this purse? it can happen. >> is this what you are telling people to do as a short-term fix to get through difficult situations or do you want this to be the way they will live from now on? >> the truth is if you're going to live your new american dream you are going to have to change your behavior forever. >> it's a paradigm shift. >> it is a paradigm shift. this is a life-altering work you have to do. >> let's look at the parts of the american dream i talked about. home own. er how do we modify that? >> many people are underwater in

a home. do you know how many people say, if only someone would take this home from me and i could rent an apartment that would be my dream. it may be the dream for many people that they rent for life. if they do, there is nothing wrong with that. >> the dream of sending my kids to college. how do you want me to modify that dream? >> modify it by understanding that you might not be able to take out a loan for them and pay it back. they may have to go to a community college for the first year or two. maybe postpone college for a little bit. you cannot take money out of your home because you don't have equity in your home to send them to school anymore. >> my views on retirement? >> i'm asking you all to work until you are at least 67 or 70. you may not like me but it's better to know the truth today than possibly plan on something and find out you cannot do it. >> before i let you go, sarah ferguson is in the news with problems. took money from a convicted sex offender to pay off bills. you have worked with her as part of a show on opera's network.

>> i have. >> how desperate is her situation? >> her situation was desperate. as anybody in debt knows you would do anything to get out of debt. she had a few million pounds of debt she accumulated. when she wasn't standing in her truth that's what happens to you. >> made bad choices. >> yes. >> thank you very much. the book is called "the money class." you will be back tomorrow to answer viewer questions. suze's special starts tonight on pbs stations nationwide. up next, behind the scenes at "today" we'll check in with kathie lee and hoda and the tocom er this. heumatoid arthritis, it seems like your life is split in two. there's the life you live... and the life you want to live. fortunately there's enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, fatigue, and stop joint damage. because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections.

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kathie lee and hoda who are hosting a special show on our new website giving you a look at what happens behind the scenes here at "today." now they have their alcohol so -- >> we didn't leave you out. >> water for you kids. >> how's it going? >> it's crazy back there. >> it is. i'm enjoying the behind-the-scenes deal while you guys are working. >> don't you ever see this? >> absolutely. >> you're here every morning at this time. >> and they have 30 people trailing them. >> that's the kerfuffle out there. >> i think people are fascinated how it comes together and works seamlessly. >> not always. >> not today. >> we'll be right back after your local news and weather. with the bankamericard cash rewards™ credit card... i get 1% cash back on every purchase. 1% cash back on groceries. highlights. frog leg green. 1% cash back on... whatever that is?

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good morning, everybody. the time is 7:56. i'm brent cannon. a man is dead after a police standoff that ended just before 4:30 this morning. officers responded to reports of a man armed with a gun. negotiators tried to contact that man for several hours. officers eventually went into the home. it happened in north berkeley. that's when they found the man shot to death inside. they say it appears that he turned the gun on himself. the incident started at 7:30 last night. the name of the man has not been released. sad news out of afghanistan this morning where a san jose soldier was killed. army staff sergeant mark wells died saturday when he stepped on a hidden bomb in the helmand province. wells was deployed to afghanistan in august after a 14-month tour in iraq. he leaves behind a pregnant wife and a toddler. funeral services are expected to be held on st. patrick's day in

phoenix, arizona, because that's where his wife's family lives. san jose's city council votes today on a new contract with the firefighters. the firefighters union approved the contract this past weekend so now the city is expected to approve it today. the contract cuts firefighter pay and benefits by 10% and reduces the number of firefighters on fire trucks from five to four. mayor chuck reed is now calling on a city's 11 other employee unions to strike similar types of deals. we want to check in now with christina taking a peek at the fat truz forecast. >> good morning to you. we have some fat fog visiting us out there this morning. we do have reduced visibilities across the board, but our visibility is actually improving now that the sun is up. the fog is able to burn off. 47 degrees in napa. 50s elsewhere. and as we head throughout this afternoon i think we'll see the 60s all across the board. 65 degrees today in oakland. 63 in san jose. and 65 degrees in redwood city. let's find out how the weather elements are impacting your

drive with mike inouye. the fog will be an issue and the mist is making the roadways slick. watch for that. we are looking out here across the bay, 101 and 880, a typical pattern for a tuesday. we have a disabled vehicle reported on the span as well. it shouldn't be a major issue. castro valley is showing approaching the castro valley area near 238 northbound. a 33-minute drive out of livermore over to the dublin interchange. we have a slower drive through sunol as well. more local news in a half hour. and the "today" show returns in less than a minute. mary! hey!

wo you look great! thanks! it's this new wish yourself thin pgram. i just wish it and it happens. it's probably those fiber one bars you're eating. i know they help me stick to my diet. the bars are 90 calories and the fiber helps you feel full. 90 calories and high fiber. so that's why this diet thing is working. but it's weird because my wish for lorenzo came true.

[ male announcer ] fiber one 90 calorie bars. hungry no. results yes. 8:00 now on this tuesday morning, march 8, 2011. smiles on the faces of all these folks in rockefeller plaza and why not? we are off to a nice start today in midtown manhattan. i'm meredith vieira along with matt lauer and al roker. a nice lady in the crowd gave me my beads for mardi gras. >> fat tuesday today. >> tomorrow is ash wednesday. lent begins. coming up, a new scandal involving sarah ferguson. she was caught on tape last year trying to sell access to her ex-husband prince andrew. now she's apologizing for taking money from one of his friends, a convicted sex offender. details coming up.

>> also ahead, a lot of people have probably asked how far would i be willing to go to lose weight. some people are trying something dangerous called combo pilling, taking a mix of medications. some of those medications may not even be intended for weight loss. clearly, this could be dangerous. one woman shares her story. >> on a much, much lighter note, we are not alone on the plaza. besides our friends -- [ cheers ] >> -- we have kathie lee and hoda on the plaza as well they are host ag special live program. this is tara, one of our stage managers, the website for today.com. she'll co-host the show. she'll show you what happens behind the scenes so log onto today.com and enjoy "today" as you have never been enjoyed it. that's our producer vivian. >> i have never enjoyed it like this. >> so watch "today" and watch today.com at the same time.

>> all righty then. >> let's go back inside for a check of the morning's top stories. hey, ann. >> good morning. let's talk about the news. the price of gas is still rising. now at a record high for the month of march. the average high nationwide, $3.52 a gallon. there is concern about the unrest in the middle east and that's expected to keep prices high. in libya, moammar gadhafi's forces attacked rebels from the western city of zawiya with artillery and hitting an eastern town of ras lanuf with air strikes. gadhafi's government denies that it's offered to hold peace talks with rebels. this morning a car bomb killed 20 and wounded more than 100 at a gas station in pakistan. the attack was in a town called faisalabad which is usually a nonviolent city. president obama is nominating gary locke as ambassador to china. carnival season reaches its peak today.

mardi gras celebrations in new orleans and elsewhere. pafrities and parades will take over the streets in new orleans until midnight when ash wednesday signals a time of prayer for easter. an oscar award at "the king's speech" when a co-producer's 15-month-old daughter posing for a picture dropped it. it suffered a barbed head, a dislodged chest plate and rushed to academy for treatment because it turns out there is an oscar hospital, so the dented statuette was replaced within minutes. it is three minutes past eight. let's go back outside to matt and meredith. >> what did you say? >> i said those are big -- beads. >> yes, they are. >> very nice. >> let's go to mr. roker. another man with -- no, maybe not. >> i have already collected a huge assortment of beads and have taken them to my dressing room.

want to say hi to your friends in new hope, mississippi? >> hey, guys. hope y'all are watching this! >> that's a good message. what's your name, young man? >> michael. >> nice to see you. let's check your weather. see what's going on. today, catalina island, california. they watch on nbc4. sunny and pleasant, 66 degrees. as we look on the satellite rayon daweu cae se have moisture making its way into th lower mississippi river valley as part of a low pressure system bringing a risk of strong storms through the lower and mid mississippi river valley. rain and snow to the north. windy and wet in the pacific northwest. sunshine up and down the eefrnt seaboard. a little on the chilly side mid atlantic into new england. windy conditions. the wind, very strong southern california actually blowing semi trucks off the road yesterday on into today. good morning to you, bay

area. we have dense fog creating low visibilities in places in the north bay and the east bay, in particular. we are starting to see a little bit of improvement. our visibility has come up about a mile in all cities across the bay area watch out for dense patches of fog throughout the bay area for the next couple of hours. our temperatures are relatively mild for today. we are going to see partly cloudy conditions and highs in the 60s. have a great one. and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you very much. up next, sarah ferguson, the duchess of york, apologizes for taking money from a convicted sex offender. details are right after this. ♪ stay inside? nah. not when you have a five-star overall vehicle score for safety.

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during the petsmart everything spring sale. like the new & improved pedigree recipe, on sale for $11.99! at petsmart. back now with a distraction for buckingham palace as the royal family gets ready for prince william's wedding. sarah ferguson has now apologized for her connection to a sex offender. nbc's michelle kosinski is in london with details on this. michelle, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi there, matt. this started when prince andrew who serves as an unpaid trade envoy for britain was seen spending time in new york with his long time billionaire friend jeffrey epstein who is a convicted sex offender. that raised eyebrows but it

turns out epstein gave money to prince andrew's ex-wife, sarah ferguson, to help pay part of her bills prompting another enormous apology. the duchess of york was already in the royal dog house, not even invited to the royal wedding though her daughters are. who could forget last year caught on a journalist's hidden camera trying to sell access to her ex, prince andrew. >> 500,000 pounds when you can to me. open doors. >> reporter: now the duchess says her mission in life is charity, children's causes and children's books admitted to accepting more than 20 grand from convicted sex offender jeffrey epstein, the billionaire american financier who served 13 months in jail in 2008 for soliciting sex from a 14-year-old girl. there is no indication that the prince knew of epstein's illegal activity but sarah ferguson said the duke's office did help epstein help her pay off some of her massive debt.

the duchess has now apologized again, blaming herself to a london newspaper. this was a gigantic error of judgment. i'm just so contrite i cannot say. when i can i will repay the money and will have nothing to do with jeffrey epstein ever again. once again my errors impacted the man i admire most in the world, the duke. i would throw myself under a bus for him. >> she's lived in a very gilded cage for many years now. fergie herself, at some point the light bulb has to come on, ditch the therapist and find out about the real world. >> reporter: considered a bit of a bad boy for partying, pals and luxurious travel in the name of british trade. >> prince andrew, are you resigning? >> reporter: the government is standing by him, not that this is winning him praise. >> i would say his position is untenable. he's become an embarrassment to the royal family. he needs to go. >> reporter: jeffrey epstein who lives in manhattan and palm beach, florida, finds himself at the heart of an intercontinental

fiasco. he issued a statement about his past crimes. this was a different time and chapter in my life and one with the help of counseling from professionals i have put behind me. i'm a different person today, focusing on helping the community. >> now the british royal family is saying his help is no longer needed. prince andrew's office wouldn't make any comment on this. sarah ferguson originally said the payment went through prince andrew's office but later said the prince had no involvement in this. she's said that for the first time she feels free of her debt which reportedly is more than $7 million. matt? >> michelle kosinski in london for us. thanks very much. martin bashir has a unique perspective on the royal family and now has his own show on msnbc. celia walden is a columnist from "the daily telegraph" in london. good morning to you both. >> good morning, matt. >> it's been a tough couple of

years for sarah ferguson. she's shown bad judgment, she's been in debt. is she running out of apologies? >> she's almost like the uncle with a drinking problem you're worried about attending the wedding but you know you have to give an invite. if anyone was going to overshadow the nuptials coming in april this was the one person that many people believed would do that. >> she's saying she had no idea of jeffrey epstein's past, but from the other point she's saying it was a terrible error of judgment. so if she didn't know about the past, why was it an error in judgment? >> this is the latest in a litany of errors of judgment. she has been the victim of her own poor decision-making, but also there is some sympathy for her. do you know, for example, that the president of barundi will be attending the royal wedding but

she will not be even though her two children will? >> right. >> so there is a combined effect. a terrible internal decision-making and external things done to her that further the humiliation. >> celia, why don't you take me through the prince andrew side of this? what is the feeling there in the uk about him and not only from people on the street but the royal family? >> well, i think the thing about prince andrew is that we are all used to him being an embarrassment. you know, he's always committing one gaffe or another. this is just the latest in a litany of sort of misjudgments, as he would call them. i think at this stage the royal family are not going to say anything against him at this stage. if it's his decision to step down as an envoy, he should certainly do so. >> let me ask you this. these two have been divorced since, i think, 1996 yet they remain close. maybe for the children's sake. is the royal family in some way

going to have to insist that he put more distance between himself and sarah ferguson? >> the thing is i don't think she's the problem here. i think they have this real love for each other and in many ways they should get back together. they both enjoy the high life and they both enjoy the wealthy friends who continue to get them into trouble. i don't think there is much the royal family can do about that. >> martin, you rolled your eyes a little bit when she said she's not the problem here. >> it's difficult. if you retain a relationship he does with her, then everything you do tends to be wrapped up together. he has a sufficient history of problems as well. only two years ago he sold his house sunning hill to a kazakh billionaire for 3 million pounds more than the market value. everyone said, where did the money go? five years ago there were a series of complaints about him using the royal helicopter in

flights to attend golfing games. i know you're a golfer, but you don't do that. >> that's right. >> he has been using his status in ways that are problematic. >> is there a soft spot, martin, for these two among the british public? you talked about the strange uncle. is it that they are the strange uncle and aunt but they are our uncle and aunt? >> they are almost the british "jersey shore." they are the ongoing saga that we want to look at yet don't want to look at. >> can't turn away. >> they provide entertainment. it will be interesting because the newspapers in london are now writing stories about what sarah ferguson will be doing during the wedding. it's that amount of interest to people. so there is a bit of a soft spot. >> martin and celia, thank you very much. keeping us up to date on this sort of thing. catch martin's show weekdays at 3:00 p.m. eastern on msnbc.

up next, the dangers of cal lose weight. we'll talk about that right after these messages. [ engine shuts off ] [ birds chirping ] [ truck door closes, engine turns over ] [ truck departs ] [ birds chirping ] ♪

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been a lifelong struggle. she tried using fen-phen. >> i absolutely loved it. not only did i lose weight, but it just made you feel really good. it was like a mood enhancer. >> reporter: in 1997, fenforamine was taken off the market when it was shown to be associated with an increased risk in heart disease. >> i was devastated like everybody else who had success on that drug. since then i have been looking for the next fen-phen. >> reporter: last year after years of experiencing discomfort in her hands her family doctor gave her a prescription for topomax, an anti-convulsive drugs used to treat seizures. >> i looked up information and saw people were combining it with phentermine. and having success. so i just jumped right in there.

i comboed those drugs. >> reporter: jennifer bought the prescription drug online and without telling her doctor or following the drug company's guidelines she started using it in conjunction with topamax in hopes of jump-starting her weight loss. >> i was never concerned about mixing the drugs. sometimes when you really want to lose the weight you're willing to do just about anything. >> reporter: jennifer was experiencing side effects. >> i just couldn't follow conversations. i would get in my car and start driving and not remember where i was going. it was very frustrating. but at the same time i was losing weight, so i didn't want to stop. >> reporter: the drug combination was taking a toll. during a phone interview for a potential job she knew she had reached her breaking point. >> he just asked me the standard interview questions. i would just stutter. or there would be really long pauses. at one point he said, would you

like me to come back to that question? that's when i just knew that i had blown it. >> what's actually happening is that medicines that are not intended for weight loss are being used in combination for weight loss. so it's very clear that you have to use the right medications together. >> reporter: for jennifer, it was a sobering experience. >> that was my ah-ha moment. i said, you're going to be 50 years old. you need to stop doing this stuff. perhaps i shouldn't be on these medications. >> dr. nancy snyderman is here along with leslie jane seymour, editor in chief of "more" magazine. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> it's fairly common to combine drugs for weight loss and it's legal. >> it is legal. it doesn't necessarily mean it's smart. it's a lot higher than i had thought about. if you look at just a drug like

topamax, weight loss is a side effect they found during clinical trials. it's not what it was intended for. if you take an anti-seizure medication hoping for a side effect to help you lose weight it's not at all what the manufacturers have. so if doctors are prescribing it that way that bothers me. >> that was the scary part we found. 65% of bariatric doctors prescribing for weight loss, 65% are telling their patients this is okay. if you get it from your doctor why would you think it would be a problem. >> exactly. why not? >> and buying other drugs online, buyer beware. >> you make that point in the article. you say never buy drugs online without talking to a physician first. >> you don't know what you're getting. it's funny. we teach women to be their own doctor for their family. we have questioned what the doctor gives us. maybe this has gone too far. >> it's really kitchen pharmacy. i suspect a lot of women aren't telling their physicians about the other medications. >> like jennifer.

>> right. >> you dupe your physician in and you're doing your own kitchen pharmacy. >> that's dangerous. we talked to the organization that oversees drug companies and their representative told us when medications are used properly, they can extend and enhance patients' lives. but when medicines are abused, they can lead to dangerous consequences. which was the case with jennifer. she had these side effects. >> phrma is right. medications are meant to be used as prescribed. yes, you can use things off label. we now use aspirin to prevent colon cancer and heart disease. it was once just for headaches. just because it's legal and you can use it off line doesn't mean it's smart. we have become a pill-addicted society. >> why is there only one pill on the market fda approved for obesity? >> the safety of the medications haven't been so great and the fda is extraordinarily cautious. >> you have to make sure you're

not overriding the f da in your own kitchen. >> push yourself away from the table. go out for a walk. >> dr. nancy snyderman. leslie jane seymour as well. good morning, everybody. time is 8:26. two men accused of playing the role in the alleged gang rape of a girl in a house party four years ago are free from their charges this morning. lawyers for the alleged victim made the surprise decision to drop the civil suit. seven other men are still on trial and five of them are former baseball players. the case has not been prosecuted in civil court but the civil trial is under way. santa clara is scrambling for redevelopment money before the state can take it.

they are expected to move assets from the redevelopment agency to the stadium authority. that will protect the money from the state. the state wants to shut down local redevelopment agencies and keep the money to balance the budget. the full senate and assembly are set to vote on that budget proposal tomorrow, so a lot of cities are actinr and traffic da af> ather teantraffic after the break. you've got a strawberry pop-tart,

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. than lisning there'to our favore somore there's nothing we love more than listening to our favitsongs. but our favorite thing is eating totino's pizza rls. but our favorite thing ating tino pizza rolls. ♪ we're the kids in ameca ♪ oh, oh, oh good morning to you. we've got fog out there this

morning that is preventing perfect visibility. the situation is improving now that the sun is out. it is really warming us up. we are going to see temperatures today in the mid 60s before all is said and done. more rain on the way toward the middle of the week. if you need to get outdoors, today is your day. let's check the drive with mike. >> we had an accident 880 that just cleared the lanes. now reporting a new accident approaching 92. watch for that slowing. south bay northbound direction, you see speeds in the 40s and 30s. typical northbound route slowing there. a call fors 2hg4swe havehglo s coming out of the caldecott tunnel. we have slow coming out of the caldecott tunnel. 4 w coming out of the caldecott tunnel. , we have slow coming out of the caldecott tunnel.

♪ [ cheers and applause ] 8:30 now on a tuesday morning. it's the 8th day of march, 2011. kind of a breezy morning on the plaza. and we have a light and breezy crowd as well. lots of them in their beads for mardi gras. others in their mittens and scarfs because it's cold today. on the plaza -- by the way, they are listening to the music of

avril lavigne. >> i love this song. >> i do, too. the music has been called upbeat, catchy fun. >> like meredith. >> i tell you what, anyway we'll have a special performance from avril in studio in a few minutes. >> sounds like fun. >> also ahead, baking 101 with martha stewart. she says if you want to create delicious desserts you must know how to make patachue. >> later on, jill martin is here with steals and deals. everything from cook ware to fashion to bed sheets. >> on a serious note we'll look at why women have infidelity. why they cheat on husbands. what are some of the reasons that happens. >> all right. having nothing to do with the young lady we are about to

introduce. a beautiful young lady and one of the stars of "parks and recreation" on nbc. rashida jones, you're freezing, aren't you? >> it's cold. >> ann will hug you for warmth. >> you hug her. she wants your warmth. >> not after that last tease. >> sandwich me, please. >> we were excited. >> the show has a great, loyal following. >> it does. hopefully we'll continue to grow. we have a great cast. everybody's so funny in such a different way. >> you're great. >> this year you're branching out from the straight woman in the cast. >> i'm branching out. it's coming. >> it's fun for you to do that? >> it is. it's fun to do different things. i'm getting to do some drama and, you know, a little bit of comedy, straight man, whacky man. >> your character gets dumped by rob lowe. >> not really. >> are you over it?

>> no. not at all. traumatized. rob lowe? >> so cute. >> i know. >> when you get the scripts you must be roaring. it's funny. the stuff they come up with, what do you expect from them? >> it's tough. it's an occupational hazard. you have to try to keep a straight face. it's hard. i'm with some really, really funny people. it's a good problem to have. >> there are times when it's hard and you have to do another take? >> all the time. >> we want to see the outtakes. >> they're on the dvd. there is a lot of cracking up. bad unprofessional behavior. >> we know about that. >> believe me. well, good luck. "parks and recreation" is something people can check out here on nbc thursday nights at 9:30/8:30 central time. >> part of a three-hour comedy block. >> and "monogamy" my movie comes out.

>> are you? >> no, no. somebody else. >> do you want to run in and get warm? >> yeah. >> run like the wind. >> well, we are having high pressure creating visibility issues in our neck of the woods. that's going to change. high pressure is going to provide a beautiful second half of the day with our temperatures climbing into the mid 60s. 65 degrees. that's your forecasted high today in los gatos and san jose. warmer as we head into tomorrow. rain by thursday. and that's your latest weather. you can check your weather day or night on weather channel on cable or weather.com online. let's say hello to the latest contestant to be voted off biggest loser couples. good morning. >> how's it going, al?

>> you had quite a challenge entering the ranch. you were the unhealthiest -- this is a bad thing to be known for. the unhealthiest contestant. you were 526 pounds. >> no, 507. >> okay. it has 526 here. either way it was unhealthy. what are you at now? >> 340. >> wow. >> i'm down over 300 pounds. >> what's driving you to do this? >> thanks to the biggest loser meal plan, right now it's all about my health. it's all about what i eat. for me it's about my diet. i've got the exercise. all i have to do is focus on my diet. >> bob and gillian didn't think you were ready to go home. >> well, i wasn't. you know, i lost 16 pounds. >> which is amazing. >> and i still had to go home. that's the way the ball bounces sometimes. >> how are you doing at home? >> great.

i walk five miles to the gym every day, work out with a trainer an hour day, walk five miles back and burn close to 6,000 calories. i take in 1,500. >> you're a winner. >> thank you. >> thank you so much. you're an inspiration. you're living for your kids now. >> that's it. >> fantastic. my babies. i make some beautiful babies. >> you do. "the biggest loser couples" airs tonight at 8:00 eastern/7:00 central on nbc. up next, we have the art of baking with martha stewart. first, this is "today" on nbc.

>> right now in america, one out of four children doesn't know where their next meal is coming from. >> food insecurity is a growing problem in the united states. >> tune in march 19th at 7:30 p.m. on nbc to see child hunger ends here: a special report. a spec we are back at 8:38. this morning on "martha on today" baking techniques from the queen of the kitchen. for years she's researched the art of baking and now has a new show "martha bakes" on the

hallmark channel. yes, you do. >> nice to see you. >> today we are making patachous which is the base for a lot of things. >> eclairs, many things. the pate a chous is easy. >> you see it and think it takes a masterer chef. >> one cup of water boiling, one stick of unsalted butter. then add a teaspoon of sugar for the sweet ones like the cream puff. half a teaspoon of salt. >> got it. >> melt the butter in the boiling water. it melts fast. then add flour until you have a paste that looks like this. >> that's it? >> i added an egg already.

add four eggs one at a time and stir until each is incorporated. it takes a lot of elbow grease. >> i'm handling this rather than matt. >> does it go back on the stove? >> no, no. that's ready to put into -- this is on the steve stiove still, s? cook it until the flour is cooked without burning. i would add two more eggs. >> and then you get your mixture in the piping bag. >> we'll go to that. >> it's amazing how it incorporates. >> it does incorporate well. >> here, meredith. >> thank you. >> this is a 5/8-inch tip for a typical, large cream puff. hold it with one hand. >> okay. hold down a little bit so you can squeeze. make a spiral like that. you can make them large, small.

you're doing it. a little bit more. that's okay. you're doing it very well, meredith. >> thank you. >> the consistency of mine is a little bit thick. >> hold it down a little bit. >> do you know what that looks like? >> the squeezing hand. squeeze. >> it's easy to buy these in the restaurant. >> no. >> you can't do it wrong, right? >> then take your little brush. >> what do you do? >> use water or egg and get rid of the points. you want the points gone. you can do it with your finger? >> how long will it bake? >> until it puffs. about 20 minutes for the large, 12 for the small. >> it does have a light, airy center. >> i'll show you what it looks like. these are the eclairs. >> what are the large ones? >> eclairs. >> pick up your pastry tip like

this and this is kind of a wet cream. you stick it in -- >> jam it in there. >> you do it. >> these aren't screwed on. >> maybe it doesn't work. >> these aren't screwed on. >> it's fallen in. >> just squeeze it in like that and insert the cream like that. >> it's not working? >> mine doesn't work. in theory it would all go in. >> i have a different bag with ale little screw on it. once they are filled you dip them into the mocha frosting like that. >> both sides? >> just the top. >> then let's look at the profiteroles. >> these can be filled with ice cream. you like those. >> i do. >> a scoop of ice cream into the profiterole. >> vanilla ice cream.

put it on the plate like this and spoon a little bit of -- >> put on a lot. >> this is for you. >> oh, man. heaven on a plate. >> that's right. >> then put that on. >> confectioner's sugar? >> look how pretty it is. >> gorgeous dessert. >> these are the giant ones. come here. you have to take one of these, too. >> that's too big. >> oh, no. >> this is good. >> the eclairs, that's what they are supposed to look like. >> that's pate a choux 101 from the bakinging show. every week i help you learn the fundamentals. layer cake, cheesecake without the crack. wonderful puff pastry. all the things that everybody should know when baking. like you. you have to know all these things. >> i will. martha stewart, thank you so much. >> thanks, martha. >> up next, a life performance from avril lavigne. first this is "today" on nbc. ♪

an ltening to ouravoritsong

than liste our favngs. t r fari is eatnoizol. e'reheids in ♪

>> announcer: the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. >> seems impossible but avril lavigne was only 17 years old when she released her first album. today she's out with her fourth studio album called "good-bye lul lullaby." how are you? >> awake! >> are you all? >> we're jet lagged but excited. >> four years basically without new music from you. a lot happened in your life over that time. how did what happened affect what you put on the album? >> well, i'm a songwriter and i

obviously write from my personal experiences. things i see and go through. i'm excited about the album. i produced two songs on it. i wrote half of the album on my own and co-wrote the rest. i'm excited. it has a different tone and vibe than my other stuff. >> when you say you're a songwriter and obviously what happens in your life affect it is music when i look at the song and lyrics for "what the hell" -- can i say that? >> wth. >> it tells me you're in the mood to blow off a little steam. is that accurate? >> it's about being fun, spontaneous and crazy. that's the most pop-rock song on the album. the rest of the album is not like that. that's like my older stuff. it came out as the first single because that's a side of me and i have done a lot of songs like that. rock out on "what the hell" and then the album is deeper. >> you have a clothing line, a couple perfumes. >> abbydon.com my clothing line.

i'm proud of it. >> you like the entrepreneur side of things? >> it's fun. i have been doing it now for ten years, music. it's awesome to design clothes. fashion is a big part of what i do. so i can design clothes for on stage, off stage. it's fun. i have two fragrances. i like to keep busy. >> now you're going to sing. >> "what the hell". >> avril lavigne. >> woo whoo! wake up, everyone! ♪ you say that i'm messing with your head ♪ ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ all because i was making out with your friend ♪ ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ love hurts whether it's right or wrong ♪ ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ i can't stop cause i'm having too much fun ♪ ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ you're on your knees

♪ begging please ♪ stay with me ♪ but honestly ♪ i just need to be a little psycho ♪ ♪ all my life i've been good but now ♪ ♪ i'm thinking what the hell ♪ all i want is to mess around ♪ and i don't really air about ♪ if you love me ♪ if you hate me ♪ you can't save me ♪ baby, baby ♪ all my life i've been good but now ♪ ♪ what the hell ♪ la, la, la, la ♪ whoa, whoa ♪ la, la, la, la ♪ whoa, whoa ♪ you say that i'm messing with

your head ♪ ♪ boy, i like messing in your head, yeah ♪ ♪ i like messing with your head ♪ ♪ when i'm messing with you ♪ and all my life i've been good but now i'm thinking what the hell ♪ ♪ all i want is to mess around ♪ and i don't really care about ♪ ♪ all my life i've been good but now ♪ ♪ i'm thinking what the hell ♪ all i want is to mess around ♪ and i don't really care about ♪ ♪ if you love me ♪ if you hate me ♪ if you save me ♪ baby, baby ♪ all my life i've been good ♪ but now what the hell ♪ la, la, la, la ♪ la, la, la, la [ applause ]

>> avril lavigne. the new album is "good-bye lullaby." this is "today" on nbc. california. my son was asleep.n i really didn't see it coming. i didn't realize i was drifting into the other lane. [ kim ] i was literally falling asleep at the wheel. it got my attention, telling me that i wasn't paying attention. the car hit the brakes faster than i could. i had no idea the guy in front of me had stopped short. but my car did. my car did. thankfully, my mercedes did. [ male announcer ] a world you can't predict... demands a car you can trust. the e-class. the best or nothing. that is what drives us.

as we mentioned today is the official launch of our new

website today.com. kathie lee and hoda hosted a special live web only show -- thank goodness -- that included meredith's first ever tweet. [ applause ] >> that's right. >> you were a part of it. >> you were, matt. want to know? >> i want to know the content of the tweet. >> you don't. >> i typed or whatever. i tweeted, now that i'm tweeting that twit matt lauer can't be far behind. >> oh, hold on. there's a tissue over here. >> that's a hallmark card. >> what response did you get? >> people were upset that you weren't doing it. what's the matter with you. >> so you're going to continue this for a long time? >> define long. >> past today. >> i don't know. >> it's something you have to figure out as you go along. you'll enjoy it. >> how do you find your account though? how do you find it? >> there's a password. >> as soon as you put your

password in it will pop up. >> i tweet via surrogate. >> how personal for your fans. >> she tweets what i tell her to. >> you can do it on your blackberry. >> people tweet for you? >> not people. i have a person. >> does she ever tweet anything you don't say? >> never in a million years. >> she's the typist, you're the tweeter. >> meredith said she didn't want to do it. you. can't stop. >> i was doing the segment on pills and i thought to get information from other folks it would be a great way to share information. >> did people respond? >> i had to do the piece. i don't know. >> al you have it where people have fake al roker twitter accounts. how do they know? >> there is a verified account. >> they know. >> that freaks me out. >> i'm going to be a fake. ladies, how did the web show go?

what surprised you about the behind the scenes of the "today" show? >> my favorite part was when avenue reril lavigne sat down s and sang . >> we have commercial breaks here. down there if you don't go to a taped piece, you're on. is that why we call it streaming? >> streamliving. >> you're the woman who's never had an unspoken thought anyway. >> i just seem that way, but i edit myself a lot. you know i'm telling the truth. >> come on. >> the new website is today.com. hey lovee love it. it. y >> thank you for doing it, guys.

good morning, everybody. time is 8:56. oakland police are looking into an overnight shooting. somebody shot and killed a man sitting in the car on 37th street near mcarthur boulevard. two other people were in the car when it happened, but they were not seriously injured. the fbi is looking for what appears to be a serial bank

robber in the east bay. agents say the chase bank in danville was robbed yesterday and the suspect got away with about $20,000. they have this surveillance video now. they say that a man matching the robber's description also robbed a concord credit union at a hayward bank last month and may have robbed a marin county bank. [ female announcer ] most women in america aren't getting the calcium they need. but yoplait wants to change that. only yoplait original has twice the calcium of the leading yogurt. that's 50% of the daily value ♪ so pass on the new and we can help close this calcium gap together. to get you started, we're giving away a million free cups at yoplait dot com. the yoplait you love, now in a 4-pack. try it today. ♪ got that dry, damaged feeling?

well, pantene's got moisture for you. pantene's dry to moisturized collections. customized pro-v formulas that give your hair the healthy moisture it craves. for lightweight fullness or deep conditioned smooth. find yours and love it or twice your money back. that's the smart beauty guarantee. the dry to moisturized collections from pantene. healthy makes it happen. welcome back. we have an issue for san francisco commuters. the typical approach heading to the city. lines are running very slowly. you have to use a bus bridge or muny will add additional delay.

slow approaching the bay bridge but not so bad. >> thank you. our latest editorial states the subsector isn't rebounding. either we restructure the tax code or let legislative inaction and demand on public services tax us and our resources. christie laments no one wants to make the tough choices and we seem to be ignorant to vote for anyone willing to make those choices. roy, we have a number of residents who support that position of politicians. it starts spendings they encouraging saving and hits the people who consume the most

resources. david adds, you were ahead of the curve on the pension problems the state is facing, i hope editorials like yours make a discussion possible among elected officials. thank yo we're back with more of "today" on a tuesday morning, march 8, 2011. it's a cold, sunny day in the northeast. people out on the plaza. hopefully it will warm up a little bit because spring is on the way and we are all looking forward to that. inside the studio i'm matt lauer ong with al roker and natalie morales. it seems charlie sheen's producers finally said -- >> enough. >> that's right, matt. a scathing 11-page letter and they fired charlie sheen from "two and a half men." we'll get the latest developments on that and his personal battle to regain custody of his sons. >> switching gears, also ahead, answers to your diet and nutrition questions including

how to keep on track, especially working the night shift. as we know you tend to eat whatever is around. and the truth about caffeine and high blood pressure. then who doesn't want to save a buck? we have great steals and deals. deep discounts for you, the "today" viewers from dresses to crystal necklaces and jewelry. even in honor of our new website today.com we have a secret mystery deal. >> that was disturbing. >> only on our website. >> you talk about diet and eating. i was upstairs with martha stewart and she made profiteroles. i told myself you're not going to eat one at this time of morning. >> how many? >> i ended up taking six spoonfuls of the chocolate syrup. it was like soup. i was drinking the chocolate syrup. >> what's worse? >> i know. >> there's no fat in chocolate syrup though. >> it's like rocket fuel. >> he's got the sugar high going. >> ann's at the news desk with headlines. >> good morning, everybody.

in a stunning reversal, president obama signed an executive order to resume military trials at guantanamo just two years after vowing to close the facility. the order creates a formal system to keep detainees in prison there indefinitely. in the battle for oil-rich east libya, rebels are struggling to hold onto positions despite crippling air strikes from troops loyal to moammar gadhafi. there was a televised appeal to begin negotiations. a number of political developments making news this morning. the u.s. senate is expected to reject spending cuts proposed by both parties as early as today setting the stage for tough negotiations. in boston, president obama will be pushing education spending as critical for the nation's future. possible contenders for the 2012 gop nomination appeared at a forum on social issues. the body of a missing american college student in spain has been found in a river in madrid. 22-year-old austin bice vanished

last month after leaving a spanish nightclub alone. police do not suspect foul play. a judge is deciding what evidence a jury will be allowed to hear in the upcoming hearing of casey anthony. kerry sanders is in wororlando h more on this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. from the moment investigators were called more than two years ago and told kayley anthony was missing teams were collecting evidence. was her mother casey at the time just her mother or was she immediately a suspect and if she was, why wasn't she read her miranda rights for three months? casey anthony sat in court taking notes as lawyers argued over when she was first considered a suspect in the murder of her daughter. when kayly was missing casey was first arrested for child neglect, then passing bad

checks. it wasn't until casey anthony's third arrest for thursday that deputies told her she had the right to remain silent. >> would detectives not read her rights it's a fundamental thing. >> reporter: defense attorneys believe everythinging 24-year-old casey anthony told detectives before she was read her rights should never be heard by the jury. >> when asked why he didn't mirandize her the detective said specifically for what? she was the mother of a missing child. >> reporter: even though casey's mother told 911 that the car casey had been driving smelled like death, investigators say they had no cause to treat casey as a suspect. >> it was miss anthony in control of this situation. and under those circumstances it cannot be said that a reasonable person would believe that they were in custody if, in fact,

they are controlling where everybody's going and what they are doing. >> reporter: judge perry expects to rule on how the miranda rights will affect evidence presented to the jury by tend of next week. >> kerry, thank you. in honor of today's international women's day, daniel craig, the man best known for playing james bond, is dressing in drag for an organization that fights domestic violence and advocates equal pay for women. while he may not look as good as his bond girls, especially without the wig, he's hoping to raise awareness for women's rights. you know, he doesn't look bad. it's five minutes past the hour. oddly disconcerting. >> got our attention. >> exactly. >> raising awareness. >> he's a johnny come lately. you have done it for a long time. j-lo, the legs. come on, really. >> let's get a check of the

weather now from mr. roker. >> thanks, matt. let's see what's happening. we have a storm system that fefortunately is going to be cting the same area that got affected this weekend, especially down south. ahead of it, warm moist air will trigger strong storms. behind it, snow. over the next 24 hours we look at heavy rain throughout mississippi into alabama. that spreads into georgia and into tennessee. as we head on into thursday on into friday, we are going to be looking at more heavy rain along the midatlantic states all the way into the northeast.

and that's your latest weather. now to what's next for charlie sheen. he's been fired by the company that produces "two and a half men" and he's firing back. jeff rossen is in los angeles with the details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. in a week charlie sheen has lost his kids and now his job as well. i talked to him just minutes after he was fired yesterday. i asked, how are you feeling? he said, and i'm quoting here, great, i didn't like that show anyway or those dumb bowling shirts they made me wear. now i'm free, he said. but this morning sheen's future here in hollywood is more uncertain than ever. >> because you judge me, condemned me, discarded me. well, not anymore. winning. >> reporter: late monday night just hours after he was fired, charlie sheen went online and went off again. >> we are in the middle of a movement here, an odyssey of epic, epic proportions. >> reporter: at times sheen

barely made sense. >> we should do my book. best title of all times "apocalypse me: the jaws of life." that was brilliant. >> reporter: it's hard to watch, especially now. charlie sheen has been officially dumped from his hit sit-com, "two and a half men." no more temporary hiatus. now it's really over. in its termination letter obtained by tmz, warner brothers calls sheen dangerously self-destructive and very ill. >> did you turn to alcohol and other substances because you were bored? >> no. i did that because they work. >> ever show up to the set drunk or high? >> never once. never once. you know, a little bit sideways having not slept, but never loaded, never drunk, nothing on the set. >> reporter: but in its letter warner brothers says outtakes of

filming show mr. sheen had difficultiy remembering his lines and hitting his marks and point out his sudden weight loss of 20 pounds after the christmas break. he appeared to be using drugs heavily. studio execs say they tried to help him repeatedly and reached out to mr. sheen's family and friends and had an airplane waiting to take him to rehab. >> looking good. >> reporter: cbs president les moonves personally visited mr. sheen in his home but the letter said mr. sheen refused to leave his home for treatment. >> free at last. >> reporter: just after he was fired monday sheen was spotted out and about in hollywood with one of his so-called goddesses, waving a machete saying he's destroy anyone who messed with his family, figuratively speaking. then the new web cast. >> now i'm smoking a cigarette and drinking something i won't reveal unless they pay me. >> reporter: warner brothers said they could not and should

not attempt to continue business as usual while mr. sheen destroys himself as the world watches. >> everybody wins! >> reporter: while sheen says there is no morals clause in the contract warner brothers say there is and they can fire him if they believe he's committed an act which constitutes a felony offense involving moral turpitude. >> when people live the way you do bad things have to happen to them to even things out. >> reporter: the future of "two and a half men" remains unclear. does the show go on without sheen or is it finished entirely? is he finished entirely? >> keep in mind when i roll something out my plan is the best in the room and people are starting to wake up and realize that their plan is [ bleep ] and my plan is gold. >> reporter: warner brothers now want charlie sheen to pay them for lost revenue for all the missed episodes. sheen has vowed to fight back in court and countersue. we have new developments this

morning in sheen's custody battle. his lawyer tells nbc news settlement talks are progressing with sheen's estranged wife brooke mueller and they are hoping to reach a deal on the twin boys soon. al? >> all right. jeff rossen in los angeles. thanks so much. now here's ann. ♪ >> all right, al. thank you so much. today on cann"joy's diet so" everything from buying organic produce to the e effects of coffee on our blood pressure. good morning. >> good morning. >> our first question is from carol in rhode island joining us via telephone. what's your question? >> caller: hi, joy. i'm a nurse who works the night shift. i snack on things like granola bars, bananas and pretzels while i'm working but i don't eat a true meal. when i get home from work i am ravenous and want to eat everything in the house. it's not healthy food either. any suggestions for curbing my

wild morning appetite? >> this is something a lot of people can identify with. >> the shift work questions come in all the time. carol, i think your best strategy is to nix snacking completely and focus on eating real meals. many people don't get filled up from snacking versus a hearty, healthy meal. tonight, you're going to tote with you to work a healthy delicious meal. it doesn't have to be complicated. it can be a lean sandwich on whole grain bread with carrots or something you can pop in the microwa microwave. a can of turkey chili or lentil soup or a vegetarian burrito. in the morning plan another real meal. the point is get away from the snacks and instead eat real meals. i bet you will make your appetite more even-keeled and you will feel more full and

satisfied. >> all right, carol. >> caller: thank you. >> seems to me that breakfast especially because if you can eat breakfast it maintains the sugar level. you don't have the spike and plunge. >> right. >> we have pete also on the phone from river view, florida. tell us your question. >> hey, pete. >> i think that we have a bad connection with pete unless i hear -- hey, pete, can you hear us? >> now i can, yeah. >> hey, pete. >> what's your question, sir? >> caller: hi, joy. thanks for taking my question. my wife and i love coffee but i have heard it raises blood pressure. should we be concerned about that? >> the caffeine in a cup of coffee will temporarily raise your blood pressure. but that's totally fine for people who don't have high blood pressure. if you and your wife are regular coffee drinkers you will get a short-lived slight elevation and it will come back down to baseline. on the other hand, for viewers that have high blood pressure the slight elevation in the cup

of coffee may be an issue. in this case, you have to chat with your physician and get their take. in my opinion or my personal experience, most doctors give the green light to patients with high blood pressure for one or two cups of coffee a day. but it depends on how high your numbers are. you really have to check. >> right and, for example, you talk about not having too much coffee. in other words, i don't have high blood pressure but if i have it twice a day it makes me feel bad. >> right. >> thanks for your question. i'm sorry. we're already out of time after only two questions. >> i'll be back on tuesday. >> still to come this morning on "today," the five reasons women cheat on their mates. up next, jill's steals and deals. great deals just for "today" viewers.af 3 o'clock. my daily meeting with a salty snack and then a 3:15, with my guilt. [ female announcer ] new special k cracker chips. 27 crispy chips. 110 delicious calories.

mmmmmmm...good meeting. same time tomorrow? [ female announcer ] find them in the cracker aisle. i see a bag and think... i could have a chip. yeah right. that's why they're called chips? [ female announcer ] new special k cracker chips. 27 crispy chips. 110 delicious calories. another cracker chip? don't mind if i do! [ female announcer ] find them in the cracker aisle. don't mind if i do! hey! hey! hey! that's our snack machine. you should try something new. activia parfait crunch! crunchy granola you mix right in to creamy and delicious activia yogurt. mmm! crunchy! and creamy! watch your toes! new activia parfait crunch. don't suffer waiting for your pills to kick in. add alaway. for fast eye itch relief that works in minutes and lasts up to 12 hours. only alaway comes from bausch & lomb. for fast eye itch relief, add alaway. i have a great fit with my dentures. i love kiwis. i've always had that issue with the seeds getting under my denture. super poligrip free --

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>> a brief run through here. >> retailers bring "today" viewers these deals. there are five items and one we'll talk about later. for 24 hours only on todayshow.com, go online and get the deals. neither i nor "today" benefit from any of the deals monetarily but retailers bring them to us to bring to you. the only thing i have to stress is be patient online. a lot of the websites get overloaded. when you see something you like, immediately go on the computer. >> and it is today.com now. >> right. >> we have a special deal today which you have to wait for the end of the segment to find out more. go to our website to find out about that as well. let's start first with a great little dress from xoxo in three different colors. this is prom season. >> right. >> good time to start thinking about what you are going to wear. >> takes two, three weeks to ship. a taffeta cocktail dress with criss-cross pleats in coral, white and blue.

it has a built-in bra and spandex. so it won't wrinkle. the retail price is $79. the deal price is $24.99. >> wow. >> that's 68% off. >> this is great. i just want to say the mannequins are tall. the dress isn't that short. i'm told they are 6'0" tall. >> not that i am. but they are in heels. >> also when they run out of the dresses xoxo has another special deal. >> with all of the deals when you log on if you see they have sold out there are back-up deals. go to today.com to see what they are. >> meanwhile, let's go to jewelry. it goes quickly. this is by lisa stuart an l.a.-based jewelry designer. you have earrings to rings. you have it covered. >> we get so much response from jewelry. i always like to include one or two. they go really well. two rings, three earrings.

they are gold-plated. interlocking circle earrings, hammered earrings, floating double link earrings. the retail is $90 to $185. the deal price for all of the items -- well, each one -- $35. that's up to 81% off. these could go from day to night. you can dress them up, down, pick your ring size and the earrings are good for any -- people think they can't wear statement jewelry but they are a great size. >> and they are gold-plated. >> right. >> that's wonderful. all right. let's move over here to never before have we offered this. now we have knife sets. >> i actually don't have one of these. i will tell you what's in it but i'm not a cook. bear with me. it's a 15-piece cutlery set. superior stainless steel. set includes eight inch chef knife, eight inch slicer, eight inch bread knife, cleaver, five

inch utility knife, six four and a half steak knives, three and a quarter inch parer which is not for pears, how ignorant am i? it's for small items. sharpening steel and a block. retail price is $140. the deal price $35. that's 75% off. >> who doesn't need a new set of knives? >> or one set like me. >> that's fantastic. now we have a great set of sheets, bedding. these are 200 thread count, 100% cotton. >> percale sheets from the company store. they come in twin, extra large twin, king and queen. 200 thread count. one flat, one fitted with a twin and extra large it comes with one pillow case. queen with two standards and king with two king cases. retail $29.99 to $59.99. $12 for the whole set.

60 to 80% off. >> this is just gorgeous. this necklace from swarovski crystal by lola james. >> the deal price is $40, 73% off. it's great to layer. 36 inches long. celebrities love these. a huge following. they are really beautiful. >> they are 36 inches and you can wrap it a couple different ways. before we go -- but wait, there's more. there is a surprise mystery deal which we can't show you here but if you go to our website today.com you will find a great item. >> a sixth option. we want everyone to go to today.com and see it. it's for the ladies. for men if you want to buy a gift, great item. >> thank you again. again, the five products are the dress by xoxo, jewelry by lisa stuart, a 15-piece set of knives by bonnton, sheets from the

company store and necklaces. our special deal on today.com. head over for the promotion codes and website offering of the exclusive bargains. still to come, why do women cheat? you may be surprised at the reasons for infidelity. we'll tell you why after this. r. we'll tell you why after this. well, well, well. what do we have here? frozen pipes. a classic. well put. pretty obvious. ms. young? that's why it's so important, as an agent, to sit down with our clients, so we can get to know them and talk about stuff like this. why don't they just turn off the main water supply? you do realize this is just an exercise, right? - i do now. - moving on. okay, let's get the fire-retardant suits on. [ man announcing ] we are insurance. ♪ we are farmers bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ but actually, it's easier than you think, because general mills big g line of cereals is america's number one source of whole grain at breakfast.

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>> on "today's relationships" the reason women's cheat. it may surprise their significant others. >> and celebrities behaving badly. why do they do it? their significant others. >> and celebrities behaving badly. why do they do it? [ sneezing ] ♪ [ male announcer ] what are you gonna miss when you have an allergy attack? benadryl® is more effective than claritin® at relieving your worst symptoms and works when you need it most. benadryl®. you can't pause life.

good morning to you. it's 9:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. voters will decide if they want to pay higher taxes to pay for more firefighters and paramedic service. they will ask voters to pay $96 more each year. a consultant says that would generate $4 million a year. the fire district is expected to use up its reserves before the 2012-2013 fiscal year. several city council members want to limit the number of medical marijuana businesses and will bring up their proposal today. madison nguyen and three council members say the problem having

so many shops outweigh any benefits. council members point ton increase in crime, a drain on city services and great area of the law that it operates. they want to limit the number of marijuana collecteds from over 100 to 10. this morning mt. diablo school district is looking 0 cut $22 million from its budget. it could eliminate librarians and music teachers to do it. trustees are suggesting the proposed governor's tax credits won't make it on the ballot. 180 teachers could lose their job if state funding falls through. trustees will ar 15th. right now we'll take a quick break. [ female announcer ] shopping with nutrition in mind

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lifting out of the area, looking at partly cloudy conditions today. 63 in san francisco. even warmer tomorrow. visibility getting better for the north bay. getting into the city, we have an accident. 101 with typical slowing. we marked the arcedaro station busy. toll plaza looking fine. live look shows no backup but metering lights are on. >> we'll be back with another local news update in about half an hour.

let's all sing. ♪ kumbaya my lord >> that's what it's like every morning behind the scenes at "today." earlier today kathie lee and hoda took viewers behind the scenes for a live today.com webcast that also featured an exclusive web-only performance from avril lavigne. also exciting news, meredith's debut on twitter. her handle is @meredith vieira. what did she say in 140 characters? >> something about matt. >> being a twit. >> i wasn't going to say that. but he should be right behind.

>> that's right. hopefully matt will. we'll have more about it on the website this morning. meantime coming up we have an interesting conversation about relationships, specifically about women. >> that's right. we'll check out the reasons why women stray from their romantic partners. what are women looking for when they cheat? is it a secret thrill, a love connection or something else? we'll take a look at that. >> that's right. if you're looking for a great read we'll talk to one of the best-selling crime writers around, linda fairstein about her latest work and what's great about her stuff is it's a great mystery and a great history lesson about new york. >> and you love both -- new york and mystery. you're a writer yourself. >> how many books has she written? >> this is her 13th. >> i'm excited to do the interview. coming up we have been talking about william and kate. the wedding is weeks away. this morning, we're going to tell you about how they are in ireland and what they had to do there. we'll tell you about how we

could have a trip to london in time for the wedding. >> i want to see them make waffles, not pancakes. let's see what's happening. a risk of strong storms in the lower mississippi river valley. more rain in the pacific northwest with winds. high windy conditions through southern california. lots of sunshine in the east. a little on the chilly side. tomorrow that risk stays down in the lower mississippi river valley with heavy rain there. sunny and warm through the southwest. more rain and wind in the pacific northwest. chilly, frigid weather in northern new england. nice and warm down through we will be talking about plenty of sunshine today, but not for a couple of hours. we have dense, low clouds. they are breaking apart as we speak. we will see partly cloudy skies by noon today. 65 is the forecast high in oakland. 65 in redwood city and santa rosa. san francisco today only 63. not too bad considering we

should be at 60. that's the average high this time of year. warmer for tomorrow, then the rain returns as we head into thursday. and that's your latest weather. >> thank you very much, al. coming up we'll talk about today's royal treatment where we are sending a lucky guest all expenses paid to england during the wedding. if you want to visit london, you have to send a video. here's one that was sent by a royal watcher. >> why should i be in london for the royal wedding? really? look at me! i'm the royal family's number one fan. now most people get a gold watch when they retire. not me. after 40 years of teaching school, i got this. and for my 40th anniversary i got a tee pa spot shaped like b ben. >> i love how the camera panned down and she sat down in the

shot. that was creative. >> the winner gets two first class tickets on british airways to london during the wedding of kate middleton and prince william. get out your cameras and tell us why london is calling you. >> you will want to be creative. we have had pretty competitive and creative entries. find out the details by heading to our new website, today.com. coming up, the reasons women rs.at on their significantot we others. we'll have that right after this. ♪ [ lane ] here's the trouble with most anti-wrinkle creams.

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let's go to last night's highlights. there's mom and dad cleaning up. and there's the meatloaf. yuck. look what sometimes happens with the ordinary bag. it slips, oh, bingo, falls in. mom was mad. mom should have used glad forceflex with the stretchable drawstring that grips the can and stays in place. plus, it has the stretchable strength of forceflex. that's all today for glad tv. [ both ] don't get mad -- get glad! this morning on "today's relationships" reasons women cheat. being unfaithful can have a huge impact on your marriage and your life. psychiatrist gail saltz is a "today" contributor. good morning. >> good morning. >> we are talking about women who are committed or in a marriage who have actually cheated. what do we count as cheating,

gail? >> well, cheating isn't just you had sex with somebody outside the marriage. it's about betrayal. it's a betrayal of the commitment you made. >> so whether emotional or physical. >> it's any form of i'm involved and investing in a relationship other than my primary one. >> as i mentioned you have been exploring this on ivillage.com. it's hard because who's going to admit that? there was a british study by the british marriage bureau and of 3,000 participants nearly 20% of women confessed to cheating. when there was a survey of men on askmen.com 5% of women cheated and 3% of men admit to cheating. so it seems like -- are men just not admitting it? >> it's so hard because are women more likely to tell the

truth than men but clearly there is something going on. >> 3% and 5%. >> right. >> you hear numbers like 50%. >> i think that's overstating. >> these are low and the reason is even in the privacy of your own home admitting you did something wrong is difficult. >> bottom line, men and women equally. it used to be you would think, oh, men are hard-wired in some way. that's really not the case. >> we see it in the ivillage community. hundreds of thousands of comments. women saying, i feel alone. there is a void. i want to feel valued and appreciated. and they are communicating with each other to get support and concern about they are having an affair and don't think it's the best thing. >> let's get to those reasons specifically. one you mentioned is they are seeking revenge. revenge, i suppose, their partner perhaps cheated on them as well. if that's the case, i guess there is never settling that score. >> there isn't.

if he cheats the wife may not want to cheat but thinks that's the only way he'll know the pain he caused her. this is not the way to heal. >> doesn't work out that way. once she's done that she still ends up feeling guilty. it still blows up the family and relationship. everybody pays the price. she may think it's going to work, but it doesn't. >> another possible reason for cheating is actually -- this is interesting. some women want to be caught. they want to be found out. >> it's almost an exit affair. there are women who are so unhappy in their marriage and particularly married mothers. they feel too guilty to say, i'm done with the marriage. >> they want a reason. >> and men very often will not forgive infidelity. men are less likely to forgive a woman's infidelity. >> it's a steppingstone. i see it in my practice. the woman, without thinking about it gets into the affair so she has somebody to leap to when she wants to. yes, she'll blow up the marriage

but the feeling is somebody's waiting. >> she's not alone. >> speaking of being alone and that's a big reason. loneliness. they want to relive the youthful days of their past or have had a life-changing or near death experience. the common thread in this is that people are -- or women particularly seem to be re-evaluating where they are in life. >> exactly. the near death experience that came up. i found they didn't really think about it. what happens is whether it's an accident, a tragedy or an illness you start coming head to head with your own mortality. you start questioning your job, friends. >> am i happy, fulfilled. >> and my partner wasn't good during that time. >> this isn't a case of women truly evaluating. >> these are unconscious thoughts that drive you into behaviors that actually end up backfiring, if you will. if women were able to -- and this is part of the tip of how do you help yourself? >> let's get there. >> you have to think about what's going on in your life.

i'm scared about dying is not something that should drive you into, so i think i will have an affair. if you deny that you're scared of dying it might. so it's making these things going on in your life that are important conscious instead of leaving them unconscious. >> let's talk about other preventative measures. the first is being honest with yourself. >> yes. >> ask yourself what might be motivating that cheating behavior. >> exactly. >> also to be sure to talk openly with your partner. >> what i mean is this is the quiz for yourself. if you're doing something and you know your spouse would be upset and you know that then you are doing something. that's when you need to poof your relationship by basically, you know, bring yourself along or don't put yourself in high risk situations like being alone late at night with this person. don't put yourself in a risky situation. >> it's fascinating. to find out more on ivillage.com and on our website today.com. thank you, ladies. >> thank you, natalie.

>> still to come, star jones will drop by to tell kathie lee and hoda all about the new season of "celebrity apprentice." they have gone wild. we'll be back with more after this. you know what i want? lipstick that makes house calls. i want someone to bring the make-up counter to me. i want to be the first to discover the latest. and get a little advice from my avon representative whenever i ask. this is beauty that delivers from avon. see how avon can deliver extra income for you. go to avon.com or call 800 for avon to become a representative. ♪ [ sniffing ] [ all sniffing ] [ female announcer ] ever notice after a while you stop smelling your pluggable air freshener? there's a better way to get long lasting freshness. pull the plug on your old one and trade up to a free febreze noticeables. it's long lasting freshness in the febreze you plug right in.

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-crows feet... -belong on birds. [ female announcer ] roc multi-correxion. correct what ages you. -aging... -bring it on. linda fairstein was with the district attorney's office in manhattan for two decades. she's here with her 13th novel "silent mercy" which follows al kpand dra cooper into powerful religious organizations. >> uh-oh. >> you like to live dangerously. >> i do. i'm about to find out how dangerously. >> alex cooper, mike chapman, your protagonists go in and they discover ritualistic murders taking place in new york. they have this religious overtone. what made you decide to go in that direction? >> i don't know quite what made me decide. i wanted to look at the

institutions themselves. manhattan has often been called an island of churches. we have grand cathedrals and temples on boulevards and avenues. they have always inspired me and i have gone for the music, the beauty. so i thought i would look at the history of some of these places. when i began to do the research, i found some really nefarious things in the institutions themselves. i was drawn in to some of the current problems in that world. >> the thing about these novels, these are alex cooper novels. they are not just mystery. the they're history. you get a sense of the history of new york. how much research went into this? >> i love research. a ton of research. i love books that entertain and you come away a little bit smarter i hope. for me living in the field while writing it, i love learning

something new every time. we were across the street from saint patrick's cathedral. i didn't know there was an original one in lower manhattan built 200 years ago before this one was commissioned. so to go down there and see this 200-year-old -- and it's a cathedral, not a neighborhood church. it was fascinating to me. >> are you concerned that people are going to go up in arms over some of the things that happen in the book that are related to religious organizations? >> i hope they don't go up in arms. i hope they go to the bookstore. >> i'm not suggesting anything. >> it's provocative. i think it will make people talk and think. i wanted to go deeper. as you know writing a series you try to keep it interesting and evolve. i thought it was a way to get the readers meat to think about. >> in "silent mercy," this is your 13th novel.

why does this series just keep going? >> because the readers are sole loyal, as you know. if you like the genre, people become attached to the characters. you hope they do. they begin to want to see alex and mike hook up for lack of a more artful term. >> look at you keeping current. >> and trying so hard. >> it's fun when they become attached. you want to come back with something new. so i think i'm always looking for ways to make it engaging for the reader. >> you have succeeded and it's a terrific book. silent mercy. always so good to see you. >> great to be with you. >> still to come on "today," charlie sheen's only the latest in a list of stars who have spun out of control. oh, i have a hat here. we'll look at celebrities behaving badly. first this is "today" on nbc.

we have already had a huge morning. we want to have jerry treat you nicely with a cup of tea. you were up early, kicking off today.com. >> i will accept that. >> thanks, jerry. you have another hour to do. what's coming up? >> thank you. >> we are doing celebs behaving badly. >> there is a lot to cover. >> there is. also star jones is on today. >> she's with us. she's not a star behaving badly. >> she's doing well on "celebrity apprentice." >> she used to be a legal correspondent for nbc. >> back in the day. >> we'll show you more of the behind-the-scenes stuff we did all day long sneaking around in the dressing rooms and whatnot. we'll show some of that stuff on our show. >> meantime you have the jamaica tan going on. >> i have been discussing it. she's monochromatic now. >> she's a mocha goddess. >> she is.

>> not charlie sheen's goddess. >> careful. >> whoa! >> we don't want goddess to have a bad name. you are a good goddess. >> i'm an old one. >> oh! >> no. >> oh, yeah. >> coming up after your local news and weather. good morni.

it's 9:56 right now. the city council will vote today on a new contract with city firefighters.

firefighters union approved the contract this past weekend and the city is expected to approve it today. the contract cuts firefighters' pay and benefits by 10% and reduces the number of firefighters on fire trucks from five to four. mayor chuck reed is calling on the city's 11 other emplae unions to strike similar deals. redwood is doing what it can do to save its redevelopment money. city council voted last night to transfer $36 million from its redevelopment agency into the city coffers. city bought six downtown parcels for $10 each. city says the move is legal because it has the authority to transfer redevelopment money between agencies. we want to check the forecast with christina. >> good morning to you. it's not even 10:00 a.m. yet and we are already at 58 degrees in sunnyvale. we'll see temperatures in the mid 60s across the area throughout this afternoon. we will see a mix of sun and clouds and low cloud cover took shape this morning. it's started to lift and break

apart. watch for partly cloudy conditions. temps rising up into the 60s. 65 in oakland, fremont as well as santa rosa. 63 in san francisco. we head throughout the next few days, temperatures will climb to 69 wednesday and then the rain arrives late thursday. if you're on the peninsula, you had earlier fog issues and southbound 101 slow passing 3 rds avenue in san mateo. there is an accident between a prius and volvo. the prius is damaged. south bound 880 at 16th avenue. pieces of a tailgate in the roadway. we'll look at oakland past the coliseum. moving nicely. you see the sun starting to breakthrough. >> you can make traffic fun. i finally found a body wash that moisturizes and softens my dry skin.

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"today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody, we're so happy you're here with us. you knowhat today is, hoda? today is fat booze day. >> it sure is. i can just feel them in new orleans celebrating. >> they do, don't they? >> and this is a hurricane from pat o'brien's. you can't go to new orleans without getting a hurricane.

>> the pat o'brien is fighting sobriety. >> the real one? >> yes. >> we have a king cake, which was sent to me from a bakery in new orleans, and inside the king cake -- >> is baby jesus. >> i love this. they put a pig with a saints cap in and it says, when pigs fly. because they said the saints will win a super bowl when pigs fly. >> i have to tear this open because it's very important that you know baby jesus is in there. >> happy mardi gras. we have so many people -- you're going to tear right through it. >> i'm going to find my baby jesus. just keep talking. >> we were up super duper early. >> yes, we were. >> today.com launched this brand new web site. it is so much cleaner and better. so we did a live television show on the web!

it was weird. >> we had no idea what we were doing. >> i got the "i love kathie lee" sign and kathie got the "i love chardonnay" sign. >> someone handed it to me, and i held it up. we sang a lot of songs. >> marilyn's very first tweet was, "now that i'm tweeting, that twit lauer can't be far behind. that was her very first tweet. >> which i thought was a little unbe co unbecoming, but, you know. >> what are you talking about? anyway, people wrote back and said matt should be tweeting it. >> live your life instead of tweeting atd a ining at all tim. baby jesus is hiding today. go ahead. >> i can't believe you destroyed

a beautiful mardi gras king cake. >> it's more important you find baby jesus. if they replaced jesus with a pig -- >> maybe the pig was supposed to be inside. >> i'm sorry, but that is blasphemous. >> no, you have to have the pig. i'm just saying, i think it was the pig. >> no baby jesus. i am depressed now. they got some explaining to do. he's not in here. >> anyway, that was a great cake from adelson. thank you very much. one of the fun things of doing this behind the scenes thing is first of all, there were no commercials, so we went straight through. you can go to the web and watch it after our show is over. don't watch it now because we need you to watch us. >> they're so excited about this new web site, but i'm thinking aren't they afraid people are going to just start watching that? and they said, no, they'll do it

simultaneously. >> i told my mom about it and she got on and said she watched the whole web show and she said it was really fun because she got to see what it was like when al came out of his dressing room -- >> in her darling accent, what did she say? i love the way she talks. >> i did my mom's accent, it's beautiful how you do this and that, and she goes, i don't sound like that. and she's kind of right. >> i love your mom's accent. >> she used to and now she doesn't so much. >> she doesn't want to be in show business? >> no. >> you don't want to be in show business so badly you can't stop talking to every person on the planet. charlie sheen! >> you guys know he was fired yesterday. he was fired so he did not take this laying down. he wasn't silent. he went after and just started firing against warner brothers last night. let's listen to what charlie sheen had to say. >> i haven't seen this. >> me, neither. >> we are in the middle of a movement here, an odyssey of

epic proportions. it's radical, and people are doing exactly what they should be doing, which is watching me. and keep in mind, my plan is the best one in the world and people are starting to wake up and realize that. that their plan is [ bleep ] and my plan is gold. you discredit me, you discard me. not anymore. i think we should do a book. the best title of all time "apocalypse me, the jaws of life." "apocalypse me, the jaws of life." that was brilliant. come on, if you see that cover, and of course, it will be brilliant and colorful and incorporate all those elements, if you see that, you're going to buy it. you're going to buy ten copies. everybody wins! >> are you over yet? are you done? >> we have to redefine winning. number one, he was the highest

paid man on prime time television. he's now, you know, unemployed. and number two, he's lost his children. you know, maybe, temporarily, who knows. and number three, he's smoking darn too much and that's not good for your health. he looks like he hasn't slept for days, because apparently he's texting and e-mailing people -- >> rob chuter says he was texting all night. >> at some point you're going to fall apart. to me that's losing on all fronts. >> they have terminated charlie sheen's services on "two and a half men" immediately. and he came back skptsd this is very good news. they continue to be in breach like so many whaelz. it's a day of gladness because now i can take their bazillions, never have to put on those silly shirts for sloas long as this

warlock exists in the terrestrial dimension. some are saying he might even have a case. >> i can't believe there isn't a morals clause. >> when meredith was tweeting, she got a tweet back, and the tweeter said to her -- wrote, lol. and she laughed and said lots of love, which actually means -- they say it's actually laughing out loud which nobody ever -- people with a certain maturity think it means lots of love. even if it does mean laughing out loud, nobody ever does that. nobody laughs out loud, really, when they read something. >> then why do they use it? another reason not to do it. so it's overused. don't they have a whole texting code for women of a certain -- people of a certain age? >> yes.

byot which normally means what? bring your own -- what's it usually mean. >> now it means bring your own teeth. >> dwai. >> driving while incompetent. >> lol is -- >> living on lipitor. >> we were talking about this yesterday. a lot of couples are no longer sharing beds. >> right. >> they are sleeping in separate beds, and they say it improves their sleeping and their sex life. what do you think about separate beds for couples? >> as you get older, there is less sex going on for most people. not me, of course, but most people. and you start to have aches and pains, you start to go to the bathroom a lot in the middle of the night, and if you're trying to get a good night's sleep -- in my family, i'm the one that gets up early in the morning and goes to work. so every time frank has to get up, that's an issue for me, you know what i mean? if he snores, it's an issue.

he doesn't have that much each day he has to deal with, and i have you and the web site and all that stuff. so you start to say, gee, you know what? why don't i just start sleeping in the other room? but i don't want to. your relationship, you share a bed, you share your life together, but i'm ready to lately. >> you need your rest. the homeowner's association is saying they're building more and more brand-new homes with two separate master bedroom suites. they say they stay together until it's actually time to go to sleep, they go to their room and sleep. >> whatever works for you. i know what works for you. >> stop saying stuff like that. >> my latest movie was that "up" movie with ed asner. it was the most darling animated film. national geographic has a special called "how hard could it be"?

they did it inspired by the movie "up." this is 300 helium weather balloons. >> they picked a house up. >> it got to 10,000 feet in the air. it weighs a ton. it has real pilots in it, but isn't that amazing? >> i can't believe they actually did what was in that cartoon. >> it flew for an hour. they had pilots to bring it down somehow. that was amazing. >> that was genius. we're going to talk about celebs behaving badly. >> there's a lot to talk about that. and star jones is with us. is star over there on the sofa yet? we'll be right back after these messages. this way, everyone will know about all our great discounts. safe driver, online, homeowner's -- more discounts than ever before. and they still get great service. ♪ ow! [ disco music plays ] ♪ whoa, yeah is it just me, or is it getting funky in here, huh? get your groove on, y'all! catch you on the flip side! i'd tell him the sign's not finished,

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♪ let's give thanks. ♪ it doesn't get better than this ♪ just want to send my love to my husband frank who just texted and said i could sleep on the porch from now on. love you, baby. >> celebs behaving badly is nothing new, but it seems like more and more celebrities are making headlines for their mug shots than their movies.

>> why is that? has it always been this way, or are we just paying closer attention to it? >> how dare you! >> celebs behaving badly. the latest, christina aguilera held for public intoxication. causing reformed bad girl and mom-to-be to tweet, out of myself, didn't everyone think i was going to be the troublemaker? is it the job? the money? the fame? the entitlement? or the fact that they are followed around with every move recorded? some manage to change their wild ways. others are trying. >> there's going to be a lot of steps that i have to go through to kind of prove myself again. >> and the latest? only time will tell.

>> maureen o'connor and psychotherapist robert ludwig are here with some answers. hurry! time is running out on some of these. >> every time we pick up the paper or hear the news, things are happening. is it happening more often are are we paying closer attention? >> charlie sheen can tweet every strange thought going through his head, so we see more of it, but that's how he supports himself these days. he doesn't have a tv show anymore. he just got hired to tweet an ad, so it's actually his entire production now. >> who pays him? >> it was internship.com. he tweeted, i need an intern, and last night on his webcast, he claimed it was the low six figures. >> dls more there is more of a

of interest. back in the old days, studios used to protect their actors. so there have always been actors and celebrities who behaved badly and destructively, but we didn't follow it like we do now. >> everybody had press agents who would go through these things with you and control your interviews. now these people have stuff that nobody controlled them. that's them doing that. i know quite a few press agents who fired these certain people -- one of them fired britney spears before, and now stan rosenfeld has left. you can't pay me to control your situation if you can't control yourself. >> isn't charlie sheen a different case than the rest of them? it seems like a whole different thing. >> it seems like we are looking at someone truly unraveling in front of us. >> or is it performance art? >> it might be considered that, but i think people are concerned about him. it seems like he has a mental illness that we're watching.

>> i thought it might be performance until his kids got taken away, and then it continued. >> he looks manic. when someone is manic, they often think they're doing creative things even when they're not, they think they're epic when they're not. >> after years and years and years of abusing your brain through drugs, after a while your brain looks a little bit like swiss cheese. and you're not aware of what you're doing. >> it's as though maybe all these years he's been self-medicating himself. he's been using alcohol, using cocaine. maybe what we're seeing now is some kind of buried illness he's had. >> how much of it is money with all these celebs? >> that's part of it. and there aren't barriers. normal people have barriers. either they can't afford the drugs or they can't afford to get access to some of the things celebrities get access to, and there are also enablers around

celebrities. >> because they're on the payroll. >> with lindsay lohan, when you're handed free things every day of your life, the one time there is probably a sense of entitlement. it's probably a little confusing when you're surrounded by a million people, you don't spend your money, you don't know where it's coming from, and when you're in a messy situation, you can see how you would get confused or just have a sense of entitlement that goes a little too far. >> fame and money doesn't bring people wisdom, so in some cases it's like giving matches to a little kid. they don't know how to handle their lives. >> many people say billy ray cyrus hurt the show by blaming it. at least he admitted some responsibility by saying he tried to be her friend and not her dad. >> it's not everybody, but you can see how if you already have a little bit of a loose cannon personality, it would just amplify it.

>> also, if everything is being documented, most people who have private lives can go through experiences privately and it isn't known to everybody. what is the psychology when you start to see yourself as a troublemaker? and does that impact your stress level and the decisions you make in life? >> i think most of us agree charlie sheen is insane. up next, we take it to the streets to find the best and worst pickup and neblis.renes. a charity near and dear to star jones' heart. but first these messages. [ snoring ] i got this amazing meal off mcdonald's dollar menu. the beefy mcdouble, the crispy mcchicken. everything's so good and just a buck each. i was smart enough to do all that, so my turn. can't paint, huh? guess we'll just have to go look at window treatments. [ thinking ] too easy. mcdonald's dollar menu. the simple joy of being smart.

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we are back to our special series we call "sara on the streets." >> it's been a while since someone used a pickup line on me -- actually, it was a few weeks ago. that doesn't mean i can't tell a good one from a bad one. we sent sara to find out. >> i went to the nbc experience store to pick up the good, bad

and the ridiculous. here's what they had to say. >> i lost my number. can i have yours? >> are you from tennessee, because you're the only ten i see. >> i've heard that one before! >> give me a mirror because i see myself in your pants. >> do you think those lines work? >> no. >> i couldn't sleep thinking about you. >> that's kind of sweet, though. >> opposites attract. we should get married, but give me seven years. to which i ignored him. >> seven years? >> seven years. >> what's the worst break-up line you've received? >> we're not going to grow. are we a flower or what? >> she said it's not me, it's you. >> she actually said that out loud? >> that was harsh. >> harsh! probably true, right? in her mind, it just didn't come out that way. >> i would respect a guy who

came up and said, how much does a polar bear weigh? someone who is bold enough to make kind of a joke -- >> it is hard to walk up to someone, though, and introduce yourself, i think. >> everything is a line if they come up to you. do i recognize you? we're so cynical. i'm doing this for you. yes. still to come, the sparks are flying when the series "the apprentice." star jones is going to tell us how she came out on top. we're celebrating tattoo day. the mardi gras theme, jambalaya, bread pudding. oh, bayer aspirin? oh, no, no, no... i'm not having a heart attack. it's my back. trust me. it works great for pain.

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by fresh, wonderfully light, creamy light & fit. with 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. live light & fit. good morning to you. it's 10:26 right now. laura garcia-cannon. a milestone for toyota. it says it sold more than 3 million prius hybrids. first one went on sale in 1997. prius is the world's most popular hybrid. toyota trying to rebound from a series of recalls in the past few years that tarnished their image. the prius may be the most popular, but a bay area automaker with an all-electric car with a major claim of its own. called the model s sedan. top of the line can run 300 miles on a single charge.

that's like going from san francisco to bakersfield, for a price of $77,000. on the flip side, you'll never have to buy gas. basic model price at about $58,000 will run 160 miles on a charge. testa plans to deliver the the ddle year.

good morning to you. high pressure doing its job keeping our skies nice and clear. we have clouds out there we are talking about mostly sunny skies

today. temperatures in the mid 60s are already in the upper 50s in some cities. 53 in santa cruz. 54 in san mateo. sunnyvale the warmest at 58 degrees right now. this is where we are headed today. 65 in oakland. 63 in san jose. in livermore, 65. little bit warmer as we head into tomorrow. then the rain is back in the mix as we head into thursday. don't forget, you can watch the giants play here at 6:05 on friday. set the clock forward saturday night into sunday. let's check your drive with mike. >> we lose an hour from the early monday shift. we are looking over to a foggy peninsula. right along the coast, still have that fog advisory for highway 1. keep that in mind pacifica toward daly city. i marked the embarcadero station for the muni rail lines. outbound service has been delayed because of some problem. they are operating slowly. paul rose from sfmta says we

have bus bridge necessary place. there is the san mateo bridge. >> looking for those clearing skies. thanks for joining us. . of course she put the majority of the responsibility on my shoulder. that was supposed to be a set-up, but it don't work. when you try to take down the queen, make sure you kill her. >> back with more today, that's star jones rocking it during the premier. >> but the tv personality still has a rough road ahead. hello, star. i'm glad to see you. >> right now you're on top, right? >> one down, a whole heck of a lot to go if you're lucky.

>> you are the project mranager. you're in charge of all the ladies. >> i was in charge of team asap for the very first episode. it's very difficult to decide who wants to be the first project manager because that means you could be the first one fired. but i always have known that the first episode is about a sales task. that's what "the apprentice" does first thing. >> always, huh? >> always. so if the first episode is a sales task and it's going to be in and around new york, i know my resources are in new york. >> you went in there to win this thing, didn't you? >> you know what? that's who i am. i am, i'm supposed to put a whole plan together. i was strategic. >> they thinks things through. >> we had mimi on the show and she trashed you. >> i saw that. one of my girlfriends gets on national television and trashes me. i told myself, i'm going to tell

the world. >> you can't control someone like mimi, you know that. and you know there's something like free speech. >> do your girls really have a battle on the show? >> there's a moment that, in my opinion, is pretty embarrassing, because i just can't imagine a woman behaving that way in public. but, you know, things have changed. i wrote an article for uptown magazine this month on shame. people are allowed to say and do what they want to and they get covers of magazines sarltd as a of it. >> i miss shame. i miss guilt. i miss sin, all that stuff. >> the thing about this whole episode of the celebrity apprentice is they're selling it as good crazy. like everyone on the show they're portraying as a little bit nuts. >> i'm not nuts, but i am the bossiest person you will ever see on tv. i am bossy. they didn't show this. do you know i actually organized the team?

the first thing i did when they put me as project manager, i assessed strengths and weaknesses. i had a whole flow chart in our war room. i said, these are the 12 things we're going to need to implore during this season. what category do you fit in? do you fund-raise? do you know how to use a computer? are you good with money? that's why she was on the cash register. she said she was good with money. >> how about david cassidy getting booed on the first show? he was out, that was it. >> i didn't know what the men were doing because we were separated. i just thought to myself, i have to remember the whole time, i represent 82 million people with heart disease. >> that's your charity. >> that's my charity, the american heart association. $170,000 went to the american heart association from the show. on premier night, we had a fund-raising party and we

doubled it another $170,000. >> that's your incentive. >> so $350,000 went to the american heart association. so for me, i count it a win. >> good for you. >> star, good luck with the show. >> it's been a year. >> one year next week. they sort of cracked my chest -- >> it works nicely with your cleavage. it really does. >> it anchors me down and makes me want to pay it forward. that's why i did the show. >> we'll beat up on mimi next time she's here, okay? >> you can catch "the celebrity apprentice" sunday nights right here on nbc. l.a. style is helping people to grow, right after this.

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now on today's don'ts to do, stacy headed out to the well known shopping area called the grove. >> it's a shopping area with food, clothes and entertainment but not necessarily the best style. stacy set out to separate the don'ts from the dos. >> we're in los angeles checking out where women are when they go shopping. you're very on trend this season because denim on denim is a big thing we've been seeing all over the runways. but i could just give you one

tip, you want to wear denim that's dark on top and light on the bottom or vice versa rather than wearing the same denim. >> you have a red top, red hat, red scarf -- maybe another color would break it up a bit. >> you have boots on but they're cropped. so the way they're meeting at the bottom is they're the same length. you might want to wear a jean a little longer that goes into the boot or a shorter one and let the crop pant really shine. >> that would work, too. >> the one thing i would do is maybe just a couple more inches of fabric. when you wear leggings, you want to cover up your bum. i have to ask you, what do you usually wear to bed? >> i wear pajama pants and a tank top. >> kind of what you've got going on today. the only difference is it's broad daylight and we're shopping at the grove and you

look like you're ready for pajama time. you have to know when you're wearing a white top that that's going to show through, right? >> yes. >> we're going to get you outfitted. you're going to get the right bra, the right foundation garments. >> tracy's glamour magazine's contributing editor. >> when they find out we'll take them to nordstrom and they get to take home the clothes, they usually don't mind. >> the biggest problem -- her name was keira lowry, right? >> yes. >> she looks comfortable. >> she is comfortable. she's a mother of four children, she's a full-time student, so she doesn't have all the time in the world to get dolled up in the morning. comfort is key for her. the pajama thing was really our biggest issue. >> let's bring out keira.

come out, hon. >> wow. >> yep, yep. very good, i love that. >> hi. >> what we did, the first and easiest thing i always say, a great prescription for busy moms is a comfortable dress. you don't have to worry about matching pants and a sweater, it's one piece. we have this great little dress. we put an army jacket because the wind can kind of flare up, and added one little pop of color with this bag. >> that seems like an awful lot going on there. is that what you're thinking, too, keira, a little bit? >> no, i actually like that. >> if you're going to be comfortable, you have to put on one great accessory that raebl mak -- really makes you smile. i think this handbag does it. >> are you wearing a nude bra underneath, keira? >> it's appropriate. >> well said, well said. >> bless you and your four

babies. >> thank you, tracy! still to come, breaking people's hearts. robert felder gives advice on making the split. coming up next, though, chef hailey bitterman prepares a feast for us. today is fat y,esdad tuesday,an doing it up right. >> look at that bread pudding. look at it! [ female announcer ] new special k cracker chips. 27 crispy chips. 110 delicious calories. mmmmmmm...good meeting. same time tomorrow? [ female announcer ] find them in the cracker aisle. i see a bag and think... i could have a chip. yeah right. that's why they're called chips? [ female announcer ] new special k cracker chips. 27 crispy chips. 110 delicious calories. another cracker chip? don't mind if i do! [ female announcer ] find them in the cracker aisle.

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now on today's kitchen, we're with hailey bitterman. hailey has been working kitchens all over new orleans for more than 20 years. >> she's a legend. >> i brought you some beads for mardi gras. today is fat tuesday. >> it is your daughter's

birthday, isn't it? >> it is. she's 15 years old today. >> what are we going to be making? >> we're going to make barbecue shrimp, which i hope you enjoy. this is a great quintessential dish from new orleans. you can use a little butane burner. >> you said these are gulf shrimp and we should not be afraid. >> beautiful seafood out of the gulf. we're going to go ahead and add these to the pan. there's about eight of them to a pound, and it's really important that you have the head and the shells on because the head has a lot of fat which adds a lot of flaif flavor to this dish. we're going to kind of nestle them in the pan here. >> my head has a lot of fat, too. >> we should point out this barbecue isn't like the traditional barbecue. >> it isn't. it has some creole seasoning and coarse black pepper and garlic.

>> what was the liquid you poured in? >> that was worcestershire. you can add some beer. dark beers go well with it. we'll add a pinch of salt, and we'll let it simmer. >> so these are the ones we've had going for a few minutes, and now we're going to do the fun part, because now we're going to add just a little bit of butter. >> that makes it so good. >> because it is mardi gras and we're celebrating -- >> dump it in there! >> look at all of that. >> it's a beautiful thing. mardi gras is kind of the culmination of carnival, and it's a day to -- >> there are no calories on fat tuesday, right? >> that's right, because once wednesday comes and lent starts, all the butter goes away. >> hailey, i think -- let's

bring it on back, shall we? bring it on back. >> we're going to try that, don't you worry. this is a bread pudding, double chocolate bread pudding that we serve at redfish grill on the french quarter. this has been baked for about 45 minutes or so and it's dark chocolate, which is a little different than a traditional bread pudding. we have a dark chocolate sauce and a white chocolate sauce. >> you can't have just one. >> does anybody ever come in and say, i'll just have a salad with v v vinager on the side? >> they do. >> then they have this. >> it's got andouille sausage in it, which is a great smoked sausage from louisiana. >> can i say something about this bread pudding?

this is insane. this is my new favorite thing. more so than those cookies, remember? >> we need to peel some shrimp. >> we have the king cake here, right? >> we also have a king cake, which is traditional to new orleans. i read an article that they sell, on average during carnival season, 750,000 king cakes are consumed in new orleans. this has been an extremely long season, actually, for carnival. >> why is that? >> it hasn't been this late for 150 years. you got to dig in. >> get in there. >> pick up the head, and you're going to peel the sides. >> get in there! take a bite. >> that head came right off. >> take a bite. >> it's awfully hot. >> dip them in the sauce. you always have some crusty french bread to sop up the sauce. >> hailey, you're the best.

>> happy birthday to your beautiful daughter. coming up, the rich and famous tie the knot. the guide to getting a good divorce. ♪ have a good daisy ♪ eat well, live long ♪ have a good daisy, work out, get strong ♪ ♪ when you need a lift, just sing a song ♪ ♪ and have a good daisy ♪ have a good daisy with a natural treat ♪ ♪ have a good daisy, healthy foods to eat ♪ ♪ when you want some joy, dance to the beat ♪ ♪ and have a good daisy [ female announcer ] enjoy the fresh, 100% natural choice in cottage cheese. ♪ have a good daisy ♪ have a good daisy

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celebrity divorce attorney robert felder has represented everybody from mayor giuliani to robin givens' divorce from mike tyson. but it doesn't have to be the end, it can be a new beginning. >> he wrote the book, "the good divorce: how to walk away sound and emotionally happy." you say it isn't impossible? >> it could be a possible journey. it's one of the only two situations in life where if somebody signs a piece of paper, you could have a happier life.

the first is governor, but the second is a divorce. people will tell you it's a negative experience. it doesn't have to be that. >> many people don't sign a prenup and that causes a problem when it comes to money. >> today if you don't sign a prenup, you ought to be a psychologist rather than a lawyer. it's just crazy. unless you love lawyers and want to waste a lot of money, get a prenup. they stand up. >> there was a time we thought they might not. they were being contested all over the place. >> that was because of donald trump. donald trump contested a prenup and there was some post-nup, and people said, gee whiz, he's the smartest guy in the world. well, the fact is, his was good, prenups are alive and living and well in america. >> people become vicious. >> it's the greed thing. >> greed is a problem. people want too much.

that's one of the problems. >> what if you've been the injured party? say you find out your husband has been sleeping around for 20 years, and you want more than just would be -- >> there are certain situations in a divorce case. you will get a lawyer who will up and do pander to you, that's the lawyer to stay away from. it's not a perfect world. you move on in life. >> his book is called "the good divorce." >> who knew? >> thank you very much. tomorrow, are there too big of breasts for success? ve> ha have an awesome fat booze day, everybody. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com ha