good morning, attack on libya. u.s. and allied forces strike libya with cruise missiles good morning. attack on libya. u.s. and allied forces strike libya with cruise missiles and fighter jets and a show of force against gadhafi. now american stealth bombers have enter the fight. >> we cannot stand idly by when a tyrant tells his people there will be no mercy. >> defiance. the libyan dictator digs in, calling the coalition operation terrorism and warning it could ignite a crusader war. and miracle rescue. nine days after the earthquake that devastated japan, two survivors are saved from the

rubble. today is sunday march 20th, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a sunday. good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a sunday. i'm lester holt. >> i'm jenna wolf. breaking news out of libya today where the assault on gadhafi intensifies. >> this morning a senior pentagon official says three american b-2 stealth bombers have been used dropping bottoms in a libyan airfield. american pilots are taking part in the mission and now more u.s. fighter jets are attacking libyan ground forces. >> we're still in the first 24 hours of the coalition operation against libya after he refused to comply with the cease-fire. the u.s. says 114 tomahawk

cruise mills were fired on libya. 20 locations along the coast have been targeted. 48 people have already been killed. >> moammar gadhafi is as defianç as ever this morning and called the raids terrorism and said the aggression may trigger what he labeled a large scale crew sider war. we've got the store covered from all fronts this morning. want to begin with jim miklaszewski who is following the deployment of u.s. forces this morning from washington. good morning. >> reporter: after that initial assault by u.s. cruise missiles is against moammar gadhafi's air defense systems, the u.s. military threw an awful lot of additional firepower as those libyan forces overnight in the latest attacks. we're told f-15s and f-16 s out of sicily attacked u.s. or attacked libyan ground forces for the first time in and around benghazi and when asked how that relateses to the no-fly zone,

u.s. military officials justified that by saying any movement of libyan troops presents potential threat toe innocent civilians there in libya. in addition, as you mentioned, those these b-2 stealth bombers flew all the way from whiteman air force base in missouri to drop 40 bombs on the air strips, the military air strips there in libya. and we're now told that even harrier jets off the amphibious carrier kearsarge also participated in some of those air strikes that occurred overnight. it's clear now that the u.s. military and the coalition forces who are very small in in number at this point, are intent not only on imposing the no-fly zone, but apparently an intent on destroying or eviscerating moammar gadhafi's entire military. lester? >> mick, yesterday when this thing began, the first thing we

heard was that french air force firefighters had begun the attack. it looked almost like the allies would take the lead and the u.s. would take a supporting role. you're talking harriers, it sounds like the u.s. is in fact playing a major part in in battle. >> despite the white house attempts to make this look like it's a huge coalition effort, obviously, it required coalition political support, but for now, the u.s. military is not only in the lead, bug conducting almost all military operations with only minor participation from the french as you mentioned, even some british fighters overnight. there's a u.s. commander, and even this morning, i talked to senior military officials who when i asked them how soon will the u.s. turn over the command to the coalition and the indication is the u.s. military is in no murray to do that. >> jim miklaszewski in washington. thanks. we want to go inside libya now. jim maceda joins us from tripoli. what's the scene like?

>> reporter: good morning, lester. as those military -- missiles and stealth bombs have actually hurt the libyan dictator, he's made it clear that he's going nowhere. u.s. cruise missiles fire towards libya's mediterranean coast and operation odyssey dawn was under way. the targets moammar gadhafi's air defense. so fisticate the missiles and radar systems that could knock out nato planes enforcing a no-fly zone over libya. according to the pentagon, at least 20 such sites were hit in the first wave of attacks, many near the capital of tripoli. where tracer and anti-aircraft fire sprayed the night sky defending against the sounds of planes and explosions. by daylight, tripoli was calm, but libya tv showed images of

some of the 48 dead and at least 150 wounded casualties it said from the air strikes. there were civilians in the area, civilians were injured, said this wounded man. today u.s. and coalition flishls assess the damage done gadhafi's air defenses. as french, british, canadian, and eventually arab fighter jets put mussel behind the warning to gadhafi that he can no longer use war planes or thanks to attack his own people. >> this is just the first phase of what will likely be a multiphase military operation designed to enforce the united nations resolution and deny the libyan regime the ability to use force against its own people. >> reporter: so far there's no indication gadhafi is backing down. overnight, thousands of supporters packed his palace becoming human shields to protect them. he broadcast a fiery message to his people and the west swearing to fight every inch.

we must arm the masses with all types of weapons toe defend the independence, unity and honor of libya he warned. he is digging in and some military analysts say there's no guarantee that air strikes or a no-fly zone will be enough to dig him out. those analysts say that gadhafi -- -- to his advantage and raise the question will operation odyssey dawn become just the next example. >> jim ma say da for us this morning. now here's jenna. >> thanks. now to president obama and the decision to use military force against gadhafi. nbc white house correspondent savannah guthrie is traveling with the president in brazil and joins us from rio de janiero. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the president gave the order for military action from here in brazil where he's starting a five-day trip to latin america. he made a point to say military action was a last resort. >> i'm deeply aware of the risks

of any military action. no matter what limits we place on it. but we cannot stand idly by when a tyrant tells his people that there will be no mercy. >> reporter: well, the president reiterated in that short statement that no u.s. ground troops will go towards this effort. aides here are emphasizing the limited scope of this mission to protect civilians from gadhafi. just on its terms, it's a potentially open-ended commitment entirely if gadhafi decides to stay on and fight. so far there's no sign he feels pressured to leave. >> we heard what mick said about the u.s. not taking the lead role. what exactly is their role in operation odyssey dawn? >> this is one of those situations where there seems to be a real distance between what the white house is saying, what aides are telling us and what we're seeing on the ground. the fact of the matter is the u.s. is taking a lead in the early going.

we heard nick report about the b-2 bombers is, 100 cruise missiles fired from u.s. ships. the surveillance the u.s. is doing. but the way it's framed by white house aides is the u.s. has unique capabilities coming to bear in this early stage of the effort, but it's clear the white house envisions after a few days, after this initial setting of the stage there in libya, the u.s. also step aside and it will fall to allies for the everyday enforcement of the no-fly zone. >> savannah guthrie, thank you. >> thanks. this morning, admiral mike mullen said the operation against libya has made significant progress and than gadhafi's forces have been haled in benghazi. with us now is retired u.s. army general barry mccaffrey. good morning. thanks for being with us. >> good morning. >> i know you've been listening to the coverage. mick was describing the cruise missile attacks against air defense targets and also b-2 attacks against airfields and f-15 attacks on ground troops.

this seems to be going far beyond what we were told a no-fly zone. is it clear to you what the military objectives are here? >> i find it very encouraging to put the power of the u.s. air force against gadhafi's ground combat capability, artillery under the u.n. resolution, they are authorized to protect civilian life. they're interpreting this broadly. this will finally make a difference. the air cap was nonsensical. >> the air cap meaning denying libyan airplanes from getting in the air. what's left for the military if that objective is done? >> we'll have to see what gadhafi's next moves are. he's smart and he is, he'll move his armor inside urban areas and try to protect them from nonprecision strikes. obviously we have shut down most of his air defenses right now both french, uk and usair power can now enter the country with modest risk. there are still 500 some odd

ground anti-aircraft cannons that can engage us. now the question is, will we aggressively go after his combat power and nullify it. >> general, does libya present a u.s. national security threat, and should that matter in this case? >> well, it's interesting, lester, there's been no discussion of the 1973 war power resolution act. you know, president obama made some consultation with congress, but congress hasn't passed the dod appropriations act nor played any active role. at some point, probably he'll be forced to send a report to congress and asserting i might add that the war power act is unconstitutional. but congress is not playing a role in this and it obviously does not, libya does not represent a direct national security threat. >> the president has said two times at least that there will be no u.s. ground troops. does it make sense to telegraph that to gadhafi or better to

leave all the cards there? >> i think it's always unfortunate when we publicly ar tick to you late at the beginning of a military operation what we aren't going to do. i also think it's unfortunate if you gradually ratchet up u.s. military pressure. the idea it seems to me is get in, paralyze them with fear on what we're doing and might do and hope you can get a diplomatic resolution. >> general barry mccaffrey, good to have you on. thanks very much. once again, here's jenna. >> thank you. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press" and joins us from washington. good morning. so president obama said on saturday that the u.s. and coalition forces were just answering the call of threatened people. is this the start of a new doctrine from this administration? >> what it is is a president who wants to mark a real departure from american intervention in the middle east under president bush. here you have a multilateralist approach, a french president, not the american president

announcing the beginning of hostilities. it's a much different approach. this president saying there are definite limits, days not weeks. no combat troops under any circumstances. it reflects that different approach, jenna, but it also reflects something else. the end game here in libya is rather uncertain. the president has said gadhafi must go and yet you'll hear admiral mullen on "meet the press" this morning say he could remain in power and this mission could be seen as a success. >> that being said, what's the next step then if that's where we are right now? what is the u.s. strategy if we're going to go in. are we just waiting? gadhafi is not known to cave on issues liking thissing. >> you can go back over the last quart century and see how many times he's been in the crosshairs of the united states but lived to tell about it. i think there's a feeling within the administration that gadhafi will blink here. initially he was abiding by the cease-fire only not doing it in reality on the ground. i think there is an effort here to ultimately put as much

pressure on gadhafi as possible to isolate him, perhaps those around him will kill him or overthrow him. in the meantime, the administration wants the rebellion to be able to flourish and perhaps regain momentum lost in the last couple weeks when gadhafi ratcheted up his own assault. >> david, we've been talking about this all morning. we heard from mick and savannah. this administration has gone to great lengths to not make us look like this is just coming from us, that this is an international effort. is this because we don't want our fingerprints all over this in any way? >> eight years ago we invaded iraq and all problems that flowed from that. the united states doesn't want nilaterally going into another muslim country. we are not alone here. it is a striking contrast from 2002 to have the leader of the french come out and announce who is at this times to be taking the lead here. nicolas sarkozy is not jacque chirac who was at bitter odds with president bush.

this is a different day. the europeans are heavily involved, and the irony here, look, the united states is putting great pressure on our persian gulf allies to say, why are you sending troops noose bahrain? and yet, at the same time, saying we oppose you on that but we expect your participation against libya? so there is a new order in the middle east that the united states is trying to influence but also seek partnerships with, and so the arab face of this against gadhafi becomes very important. hillary clinton working that aspect of it, getting the arab league to support a no-fly zone. this looks a lot more like the first gulf war than the second war in iraq. i think that's the intention. >> david, thank you very much. and we want to turn things over now to scott from the weather channel to give us a check of the forecast. >> did you have a chance to check out the super moon last night? >> together we did. >> it looked amazing. about 14% larger and third in times brighter than a typical full moon. the ntra time it will happen

2016. as we focus in on your national weather, we are focusing in on a potent storm system right now in southern california. flash flood watches, high wind warnings, winter storm warnings, watching out for upwards of two and good morning to you. this is meteorologist nick okelley. we are tracking our storm system locally as well. heavy rain still a possibility on and off throughout the day, but the winds are beginning to die down. had a gust of 58 miles per hour at san francisco ghternational airport last t. so we've got the showers,venie' got the storms that will be with us throughout the day. your extended forecast is looking a little better, personally towards tuesday. more rain wednesday, thursday. concerns. and that's your sunday weather. lester? >> thanks. coming up next one'toy, ♪ [ male announcer ] our 16 fresh-picked oranges

have a new home. tropicana pure premium now comes in a clear bottle so you can see how much goodness is squeezed inside. ♪ good morning tropicana. the world's best juice never looked better. now to the latest developments from japan. in the wake of the now developments from jan. in the wake of the disaster and the nuclear crisis, we're learning about an incredible story of survival.

chief science correspondent robert bazell is live from tokyo. good morning. >> good morning. it's quite a story. police in a town north of here in the quake zone saw a 16-year-old boy on the roof of his house waiting very weakly for help. they came to him and they -- he led them down into the house where his 80-year-old grandmother was trapped. she was trapped so badly they had to call in heavy equipment to get her out but got her out. both seemed to be doing fine today. that's one little bit of good news in what was a very bleak picture. meanwhile, progress continues slowly but surely on those crippled nuclear reactors. >> fire trucks were able to get within 60 feet of reactor 3 and shoot water at it. that should be enough to fill the water tank which should look like this covering spent fuel rods that have been exposed and emitting radiation.

if the water hit its mark and the tank does not have a major leak. >> we think we have succeed seeded in capturing a certain amount of water injection and it has now stabilized. >> reactors one and two are now hooked to electricity. engineers will try to get the pumps running again to cool those. at reactors five and six, diesel powered generators have the water circulating again and the temperature is dropping. >> there's a slight chance that one of these reactor vessels will have a late failure, not very likely because the fuel is getting cooler all the time and they seem to have a way of getting water into these reactor cores if they keep on doing that, they should be okay. it's a fragile situation. there's a potential for a mistake. >> the damage has already been done. the contaminated milk came from foods in fukushima prefecture. about 19 miles from the troubled reactors. radiation levels were five times higher than those considered

safe. the spinach was found on farms 60 to 90 miles to the south. radiation was up to seven times higher than levels deemed safe. >> most of the limits are set extremely low to begin with, so five times higher than the legal limit still would not be enough i don't think to cause a discernible health effect. >> reporter: the government said drinking a glass of contaminated milk a day for an entire year would expose a person to as much radiation as one ct scan. to block the effects of the contaminated food, japanese authorities recommended this week that people leaving fukushima take potassium iodide tablets. >> one thing we've heard about is contaminated water in addition to the food. water is a nonissue. the levels are still in all the water in japan even close to the reactor lower than the legal standards in the united states. jenna. >> bob, thank you. and we'll be back after this, but first these messages.

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still to come on "today," the boy who fought back against his bully. still to come on "today," we'll meet the boy who fought back against his bully. >> plus, the cat with the loudest purr in the world. you have to hear it for yourself. but first these messages. last year. (oof). i had a bum knee that needed surgery. but it got complicated, because i had an old injury. so i wanted a doctor who had done this before. and unitedhealthcare's database helped me find a surgeon. you know you can't have great legs, if you don't have good knees. we're 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare.

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guess it's all about what kind of crunch you like. ♪ how are you getting 100%? ♪ windows rattling, it was quite a storm. yeah. you know, winter ends today at 4:21. >> right. i wish mother nature would look at the calendar.un rtfoately, it looks like the rain is going to continue. good news here. the high wind warning has been canceled for the bay area hills.

still in effect for trt delta. showers continue to move the from the southwest. but the winds are settling down. i just checked in on some gusts. still very gusty around napa and novato, gusts near 30 miles per hour. here's the bigger picture. we've got snow in the sierra traveling to say lake tahoe on 08 will be tough. the winter storm warning continuing until 11:00 p.m. showers, isolated showers today. tomorrow that continues as well. look at that, dry, i think, for most part on tuesday but it's going to be an active weather week ahead as we head into spring. more rain wednesday, thursday, probably next weekend, too. >> that will endear you for sure. a little dry weather. thanks, nick. barry bonds will finally get his day in court more than seven years after he testified to a federal grand jury he never knowingly took performance-enhancing drugs. he faces charges that he lied

fwhak 2003. if convicted he likely faces 15 to 21 monthss in prison. last week a judge decided not to let a jury hear angry voice mails bonds left for his miss tres to show he was experiencing roid rage. the judge ruled the voice mails were not relevant to bonlds lied when he denied knowingly taking steroids. the city of santa clara may dodge the governor's budget cutbacks by investing redevelopment funds into the quest to bring the 49ers to town. the plan would give $4.5 million in new stadium money to the 49ers to make sure it is used for construction. it would let lawmakers skirt arnold the governor's plan to use the dollars towards

education. they say it's an investment in new jobs and taxes for the school district. lawmakers in san francisco will be looking at caltrain's budget problem this week. the examiner reports the chief of the cash-strapped rail operator plans to give an update on the situation tuesday and how planned cutbacks could affect the serious. caltrain will update the board of supervisors on its $30 million shortfall at that point. transit officers will also discuss the plan and proposed cuts. all of the the day's news coming up for you at 7:00 this morning including libya, japan, and what's happening at home.

sunday morning, march 20th, 2011. first day of spring. you wouldn't know it. little nip in the air. these folks are out enjoying an early spring morning. we thank them so much for spending sunday morning with us. outside on the plaza, i'm jenna wolfe alongside lester holt. we're talking about the certain youtube video that has become this international, i don't want to say sensation, but everyone is watching it. >> it shows a boy apparently picking on and bullying another child but then the victim fights back and, look, he body slams him to the floor. the fallout over his actions is generating a lot of controversy

and buzz throughout the internet. did he do the right thing? was it justified? >> we'll let you take a look and you can weigh in. >> very disturbing. it is hard to watch. then we'll switch gears. i went one-on-one this past week with kenny rogers. i'm a big fan of him and his music. i'm not the only one. we walked out on the city streets for five seconds and he was swooned by fans. he has dozens of hits, millions of fans and still kind of makes the girls go crazy. >> i never met him, but he seems like a really nice guy. >> he's such a sweet guy and humbled by all thiz success. which is refreshing. do you think that a cat's purr could rival the sound of a lawn mower? it is true. that's what some say about smoky. smoky the cat. her voice is so loud, it may soon put her in the guinness book of world records. we'll meet smoky and her owner in just a moment and try to hear that purr for our selves. >> they say that cat is the same

decibel level as a lawn mower or a 737 landing. that's incredible. first, we want to go inside and get another check of the rest of the headlines with melissa francis at the newsdesk. >> good morning, lester. good morning, jenna. good morning, everyone. we begin in libya where u.s. and coalition forces are attacking mogar gadhafi ground forces and air defenses. 114 missiles were launched as well as b-2 bombers in the early hours of "operation odyssey dawn." stop gadhafi's attack on rebel forces. gadhafi said he would fight until the end. and an earthquake today in the philippines. the 6.4 quake happened early sunday morning. major damage is not expected and at this point no tsunami warnings. an autopsy is scheduled tomorrow to determine why a world famous polar bear died. officials at the berlin zoo said

knut followed his normal routine before his death. he was raised by zookeepers after his mother rejected him at birth. fipally, did you see last night's supersized moon? the supersized moon as it was rising near the lincoln memorial, wow. last night's moon was bigger and brighter because it was closer to earth. the last time this rare event happened was in 1993. that's the news for now. let's check in on the weather and head outside to the plaza with scott williams. scott? well, good sunday morning. mostly cooler here in new york city. a lot of wind, as well. far cry from the upper 70s and low 80s, the area aboved just a couple ds ago. let's get a check of the weather and, really, we are focusing in on this strong storm system moving into california and heavy rainfall, flash flooding and also a lot of heavy snow in the sierra region. we're talking two to four feet potentially over the next day or

so. that's a look at the national le weather. good morning. i'm meteorologist nick o'kelly. we got pounded last night, heavy rains and strong winds. the showers continue to move the off the ocean. that's the story throughout the day. by this afternoon, i think there's going to be enough instability for some isolated thundershowers going, maybe some small hail in there, as well. temperatures the next several days, fairly cool. if you've got plans or need to make plans to be outside, tuesday is your driest day. and for your weather 24 hours a day. you can always logon to weather.com. we have am friends visiting us today. where are you from? >> i'm from ellington, connecticut. >> what is your name? >> donna gosk. i want to say hi to my fifth grade class. >> all right. well, hello to them. that's a look at your weather here on this sunday. jenna? >> thanks, scott.

now to a story that has quickly become an internet sensation. a young bullying victim turned the table on his tormentor. the confrontation which was hard to watch was all captured on video. nbc michelle franzen has more. >> reporter: a violent schoolyard attack captured on video at a middle school in sydney, australia. now a video sensation on y youtube. the bigger kid is backed up against the wall as 12-year-old richard gale taunts and then punches him. casey tries to block the attack and then strikes back, picking up the boy and slamming him to the ground and the bully's ankles hitting the ledge. he walks away as the boy who bullied him struggles to get up. the school suspended both boys, but casey has become a hero to many for fighting back from what he described as repeated bully attacks. websites and facebook pages have popped up. along with passionate opinions posted on youtube.

>> casey did the right thing. >> that was so awesome. i was bullied as a kid. >> reporter: here in the u.s., recent high-profile cases have also had a major impact. 15-year-old stevie prince committed suicide last year. her classmates are accused of bullying her day after day and now face charges in the case. anti-bullying expert susan lipkin says the video out of australia shows the other side to the problem of bullying attacks. that many victims don't feel they have a way to speak up before they, too, turn to violence. >> the victim has been victimized over and over and over and at some point he can't take it any more and blows. that's when it's dangerous for the victim and the bully. >> for "today" michelle phrenzen, nbc news, new york. joining us with more dr. charles sophie, good morning. thanks for being with us. >> good morning. >> let me start by asking you

this, it was disturbing for me to watch this video. it's very powerful stuff. as a professional, what was your reaction when you saw this? >> it is very disturbing to watch and i think we have to really look at both of those children are hurting in different ways. both are really in an emotional pain and now one is in physical pain. both of those are victim children. >> as we saw in the piece just before, a lot of people commenting on this video are calling the boy who fought back a hero and the bully got what he deserved. are those sentiments justified in any way? is there some sort of action in praising him? >> people see he fought back and stood up for himself and you do get to a boiling point, however, i don't think violence is necessarily the way to go. >> should kids who defend themselves be punished? i understand both of these boys were suspended? is that the message the authorities want these two boys to take away from this?

>> i think it's important for both boys to realize what was not the best way to handle things for both of them? both from the bullying perspective and we as a community the parent, schools, authorities need to teach these kids better ways to deal with their feelings and also better ways to deal with the things that are creating the bullying in the first place. >> bullying has been in the news a lot in the last year or two years. some have led to tragedies such as suicide and what not. here is a kid that fought back. isn't that better than him intern internalizing all his emotions and perhaps leading to something he could do to himself. >> it was not in the most responsible and safe manner because it's not the way you really want your child to deal with those kind of issues. you want them to deal with them probably a lot sooner because this child has been back under to a corner at this point, but you want him to do it

responsibly and safely. but, yes, he does need to get it out otherwise it does become an internalized issue. >> thank you so much for your time this morning. >> thank you. up next, we're going to switch gears. the world's loudest cat. he joins us. wow. he joins us live. hear it formeese esssag.ou these messages.s a medical condition. i feel like i have to wind myself up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, the lack of energy. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about pristiq®, a prescription medicine proven to treat depression. pristiq is thought to work by affecting the levels of two chemicals in the brain, serotonin and norepinephrine. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens or you have unusual changes in mood, behavior, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens and young adults. pristiq is not approved for children under 18. do not take pristiq with maois. taking pristiq with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. tell your doctor about all your medications, including those for migraine,

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for fast eye itch relief, add alaway. for fast eye itch relief, ["stir it up" playing] stir up a smile with hershey's syrup. have you ever wondered how loud a cat has to purr in order to be considered the loudest in the world? wonder no more. take a listen to this. smoky the cat is the feline with the big voice that can reach up to 92 decibels.

she's now gained the attention of officials at the guinness book of world records. smoky joins us live this morning along with owner ruth adams. ruth, smoky, good morning. thanks for being with us. >> good morning. >> you are coming to us from england. this 92 decibels and louder than a lawn mower and about the same sound as a 737 landing. what does that mean in practical terms? if you're trying to watch tv or have a phone conversation, what is it like with smoky in the room? >> lots of interference with the phone calls all the time. i have to tell people i can't talk to them and television you have to turn the television up or perhaps just put the cat in another room. >> what is the reaction, what is your reaction and people around you? do they find this cute or annoying? >> they just find it most unusual and most loud. it's a very cooing, very, very

loud. no one ever heard anything like it before. >> i understand you hagot smoke from a shelter. the first time you saw him, was he purring. >> he was happy to get out of there. >> and you knew this was unusually loud, but you realize this might be record-breaking loud for a cat? >> we knew it was very loud, we had no idea just how loud until people actually thought of taking the decibel readings off the cat and we were amazed at the readings the cat had been given and we were encouraged to submit an application to the guinness book of records and we are doing tests to actually get some proper. >> i'm sitting here listening to smokey purring right now as you continue to stroke him. does he do this for a reward?

>> there is a bit of motivation with motivation with food with it. it's very food orientated. he's trying to control and train me i think. >> what do the folks at guinness world records say? are they going to do some testing? >> we are having to submit some sound tests with a decibel reader and they're giving me a list of the witnesses, as well. we're in the process of actually sorting out a claim that they've required. >> ruth, thanks for bringing smoky on. it was nice to meet both of you. just ahead, music man kenny rogers still going strong and selling records. but, first, these messages. here. all the new tech products you need. and they're all looking for the same thing. ♪ the one place that makes technology easy. staples.

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♪ you got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold them ♪ >> never gets old. >> in an era where it seems few singers make it beyond a decade this texas native is still proving he knows the secret to surviving. ♪ ♪ you can run, you can hide that perfectly rough voice, that significant. >> kevin:ed beard. kenny rogers still making music, still making friends. ♪ from one lover to another ♪ islands in the stream, what is what we are ♪ >> i try to find songs that say what every man would like to say and every woman would like to hear. >> reporter: a simple formula that has netted him years of success. >> you said once, i've always been like a boomerang, you can throw me away but rest assured

i'm coming back. what does that say about you and your resiliency? >> one of the stupid things you say because it's clever and then you have to live up to it. >> reporter: sarcasm aside, he most certainly has lived up to it. at 72, rogers is still churning out good music. in fact, he holds the rare honor of having a hit song in each of the last six decades. >> it's one thing for me to love what i'm doing, but it's another thing for other people to appreciate it. i've never done this ever in my life for money. >> reporter: i caught up with the grammy award winning singer this week in the big apple. he was in town promoting his new album. "gospel," a first for this crooner. ♪ i'll be standing on the rock of your love ♪ >> cracker barrel gave me the opportunity. so, i got a chance to sing with some lyrics that really touched me. >> reporter: with 22 number one hits and 20 platinum albums, rogers has had the rare opportunity to work with just

about everyone he's ever wanted to sing with. ♪ don't fall in love with a dreamer ♪ >> reporter: and he's humbled to have done so. >> when i sang with dottie west kim kearns, sheena easton it, dolly parton, all of those girls motivated me to sing better than i thought i could. >> reporter: they all say the same about you probably. >> i hope so. ♪ we have tonight, babe ♪ why don't we stay >> reporter: i think one of the things people really enjoy about your music is you're not just throwing words out there. your songs have stories and you want to hear the end of the story. you want to hear start, middle and end. >> i think that for me, a great story song is a song that tells you where you are on a warm summer's evening, on a train bound for nowhere. ♪ on a warm summer's eve on a train bound for nowhere ♪ >> and it takes you on this journey, and the great thing about the gambler is that it's not just about, it's actually the guy who

wrote it doesn't even gamble. ♪ you got to know when to hold 'em know when to fold 'em ♪ >> reporter: that song, it transcended time and it transcended generations and people gravitated towards it. besides the fact that it is this great story, is there something about that song and tv hit movie? >> there were five movies. they called me the other day and asked me if i would do a sixth one. >> reporter: really? >> a great concept on how to live your life. know when to walk away and know when to run. >> reporter: rogers hasn't walked away. in fact, he's busier than ever. when he's not making music he is chasing around his 6-year-old twin boys around working on his photographer and focusing onside projects as depicted in that classic episode of "seinfeld." >> we have chicken places on every block. >> he is the gambler. >> reporter: how did it come about with the kenny rogers roasters? >> he used to open for me. jerry seinfeld opened for me. >> reporter: doing standup? >> yeah. >> reporter: he decided to write you into one of his shows. >> he loved roasters and it was

a very clever thing that they did. ♪ islands in the stream >> all kidding aside, rogers just celebrated a big milestone. 50 years in the music industry and with a new album out, this country star still knows his secret to surviving. >> when i walk on stage there is no place in the world i'd rather be. >> wherever he goes, rogers feels right at home with his fans. ♪ you never count your money when you're sitting at the table there will be time enough for count, when the dealing's done ♪ >> the new cd is called "the love of god." again, our thanks to kenny rogers. what a class act. when you watch that, you say i know a song or two by kenny rogers. it turns out you know all the songs by rogers but you don't remember he's had so many hits. >> such an easy going style. it all flows together. >> there are great stories you want to wait till the end just

to hear how everything works out. >> a good time. >> up next, moon struck. why many gazed upward last night. that's right after these messages. by alzheimer's. this cruel disease is the sixth leading cause of death, and affects more than 5 million americans. the alzheimer's association is taking action, and has been a part of every major advancement. but we won't rest until we have a cure. you have dreams... help the alzheimer's association protect them. act now, go to alz.org. you carry them around everywhere. yes i do, because cravings are everywhere. would you take a craving for me, cartwright? how would i -- exactly. [ male announcer ] nicorette mini goes wherever you go, to help make quitting suck less. for a short time only, get 50% of lenses including bifocals, no-lines and sunglasses made with your prescription. hurry, the sale ends april 3.

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and just what you need to forge your own path. introducing the most fuel-efficient luxury car available. the radically new... 42 mile per gallon ct hybrid from lexus. ♪ there was ♪ when the moon hits your eye like a pizza pie ♪ there was something supersized in the sky last night. kind of a special moon. one that had a lot of folks gazing upward. why was it so spell binding? nbc's george lewis explains. >> reporter: remember when we conquered the moon or so we thought? >> that's one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind. >> reporter: now the moon is in the headlines, once again. a so-called supermoon. what is that exactly? >> well, every 18 years the moon

gets closest to the earth. >> reporter: when that part of the lunar orbit coincides with a full moon, the result is a bigger-looking super moon. it has given rise to all sorts of myths and fear that the moon might trigger earthquakes in california and else where. not so say the experts. >> nothing to fear, just a good show by mother nature. >> reporter: the moon has been the stuff of legends forever. in medieval times they thought people could go crazy staring at it. the word lunatic comes latin word luna, latin for moon. this carried over into the movies like the "wolfman" series. in "e.t.," there was that famous bike ride past the moon. ♪ moon river >> breakfast at tiffany's gave us an oscar-winning moon song, one of countless such tunes. as the moon looms larger than it has in almost two decades, we continue to be inspired by it.

in the words of that old standard, the moon belongs to everyone. the best things in life are free. for "today," george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. >> and of the four of us, i think only scott saw it, right? you saw it? >> i had to see it. the next time it will happen is 2016. >> i'll do that. i'll do the 2016 one. >> i was doing the super sleep. >> spring also begins tonight at 7:21. >> is that tonight? you are full of factoids. david gregory is standing by to tell us what's coming up on "meet the press." >> good morning, lester. following the breaking news here, war against libya. this, the very latest on the military campaign. with us the president's top military adviser, admiral mike mullen and then reaction from capitol hill. i'll be joined by senators levin, kerry and sessions. the big question still to come about the president's leadership on this. that is all coming up on "meet the press." >> we're looking forward to it. david, thanks. that will do it for us on this sunday morning. scott williams, thank you so much.

next weekend on "today" we'll sit down with the cast of "stand by me." nice little reunion there. spring starts tonight, does it get warmer automatically? >> hopefully. >> one word, hopefully. i'll see you tonight on nbc "nightly news." until then, so long, everybody. "nightly news." until then, so long, everybody. thanks for watching. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

how far would you go to get a reality show? one man staged stakeouts.