good morning. seeping in to the sea. a disturbing new report out of japan where authorities have discovered the source of the radiation from that damaged nuclear plant that has been leaking in for to the pacific ocean. we're live from tokyo with the latest. terrifying moments. the rooff a southwest plane rips open in mid flight. pilots make a desperate attempt to land the jet. we'll talk to one passenger about the horrifying ordeal. and the lohan tapes. >> now i'm getting ready to file charges on you. >> what, you want money? >> the 911 calls of that heated confrontation with the betty

ford center worker are released as the trial bound starlet takes a strange sidewalk tumble in new york city. thatter to today, saturday, york city. thatter to today, saturday, april 2nd, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television welcome do "today." i'm lester holt. >> and i'm amy robach. just seeing those pictures from the plane, we fly a lot, that had to be horrifying, to have the plane rapidly descend. >> they have to get it down so people can breathe. the oxygen masks come down, you pay attention. we'll have more, we'll hear from one of the passengers on that airplane about that ordeal coming up. we also have a lot of other news to tell you about including encouraging news about the economy. >> we're talking about job,

creating them and keeping them. the new unemployment numbers are out. and they're giving all of us reason to hope that perhaps we've turned a corner. what does the jobs report mean for you and your family? we'll tell you. >> and then a true crime mystery. a cryptic message left on the body of a murder victim. the fbi has been struggling for years and now the agency is asking the public for help in cracking the code. maybe you can pig it out. we'll tell you more about that story just ahead. also a story that will touch your heart. the seventh grader suffers from a condition that requires doctors to amputate one of her legs. but the operation will have to wait until she fulfills her dream of playing basketball for her school and with her friends. and she didn't just play. she scored. we'll have the exclusive interview. she'll join us with her mom and her coach. and then before tonight's final four games, we already have a winner. matt howard is a star player with butler university. it's his family's dream to go to

houston to watch him play in the big game. >> but they couldn't afford the trip and that's when the entire community came to their help. it shows us what friendship is all about. and the howard family will join us live in just a bit to talk about that experience. >> great story. a lot to get to. let's begin with that new development in japan where officials say they have found the source of where that radioactive water is leaking in to the pacific ocean. lee cowan joins us from tokyo with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: morning, lester. yeah, it may be one of the sources. we've talked a lot about the water pooling in the turbine buildings that are near the reactors as well as those tunnels next to those turbine buildings. now they've found an access panel very near the ocean where this are access to electrical cables, they found a little less than a foot of what they say is highly radioactive water in that pit. there is a crack in the concrete and the water is leaking directly out into the ocean. this will be the first time that they really pinpointed one of

the causes of the radiation leaks in the three weeks since the disaster started. it's a grim turning point. the u.s. military marks three weeks since japan's disaster by helping in a final sweep for the missing. it's a massive effort. more than 100 helicopters, 65 ships, some 25,000 personnel. all searching for bodies washed ashore on coastlines previously inaccessib inaccessible. for people like this woman, she fears it's her last hope. she's been scouring lists of evacuees looking for her parents, but to no avail. to find them, she says, is my only wish. at the troubled nuclear power plant, radioactive water continues to leak into the ocean and to the ground water, as well. there are even traces found in beef, vechbgetable farmers weret trying to prove to customers

that not everything grown near the plant is radioactive. this it man has been farm position the land for four year, but this green house is now buried. he tilled it under just as he was told to do, but now he fears for his other crops which he insists are fine. so this is safe? really good. but reality and perception are two different things. he's already lost 70% of his business so far. in three week, he'll be planting this rice crop and that's a crop he fears could be even further significa stigmatized. it will eventually turn into a life or death situation he says. for he and others like him will, three weeks isn't the beginning of the end, it's just the end of the beginning. now, lester, back to that

leaking radioactivity into the water. what they're going to try to do is cover that crack with cement, fix the crack several. the problem is that they don't exactly know where the water was coming from in the first place, so the fear is if they block it up, that that hole may it actually fill up with more radioactive water, spill out even further. they've got to still find the source of where all the radioactive water is coming from. and at this point, that's still a mystery. >> all right, lee cowan from tokyo p. thanks very much. and now here is amy. >> and now to some terrifying moments in the sky for 118 passengers on a southwest airlines jet who were in mid flight when suddenly the roof tore open. a passenger aboard the flight will join us in just ament no, but first tom costello has the latest from washington. >> reporter: an ntsb team from washington is now en route to yo yuma. the people on board say that it sounded like a shotgun. flight 812 had just left phoenix

when a large section of the fuselage opened up right over the heads of the passengers. it's described as three to six feet long and as the plane lost pressure and the pilot made a rapid decent down to 11,000 feet, the air masks dropped for the passengers, although at least one flight attendant and several passengers passed out either because they didn't get their masks or they weren't working at the time. they started feeling the effects of the lack of oxygen. the plane made an emergency landing at a military air strip in yuma, 118 people on board. no serious injuries. >> what do we know about this plane and its history? >> reporter: it's a 737 and only 15 years old, what you really matters isn't how old they are, but how many cycles they've had. because the skin along the aircraft expands and contracts and that's what really puts age and time on a plane. and that's what can really wear it out. we saw that just two years ago, there was a plane, a southwest

737 made an emergency landing in west virginia after a hole opened up in the skin of a plane. nobody was injured there. and then july, of course, back in july of 1988, there was that aloha airlines flight, the most metal take fatigue case we know about, in which the plane opened up, the fuselage opened up right over the islands. one flight attendant was sucked out and the salty ocean air was thought to have been at least a contributor there. but every airline does these extensive checks of their fleet looking for trouble spots on the fuselage, looking for any signs of metal fatigue. they even use ultrasound technology. and you may recall two years ago southwest airlines was fined about $7 million because they had allowed planes to fly without doing these mandatory checks. they then checked all the planes and found no xrak cracks. but airlines remain very vigilant about this and the ntsb

and boeing will be looking for answers, why did such a large section of the plane open up. >> all right, tom, hangs so much. with us now on the phone is brenda, a passenger aboard that plane. good morning. so tell was it was like, what did you hear, what did you see? >> i was actually asleep when the explosion went off. it sounded like an explosion, a gunshot. and that just jarred you instantly. and then the next thing before you could really even focus on what was happening, are the oxygen masks had dropped and you were trying to fumble and require everything that you have heard so many times and get that oxygen mask on. it was pretty scary, intense. there were people passing out, whether it was because of their oxygen masks weren't working or they weren't getting them on. i'm not certain. >> so what was the mood like? it's one hose things where we're all imagining or putting

ourselves in your position and how did people react sitting next to you and around you? >> you know, it was pretty amazing. i think you had said extreme panic. it didn't seem to me like extreme panic. there was a woman crying because her baby or her son had passed out. but it was also kind of bizarrely calm because everyone is just kind of looking around at each other and making certain everyone else is okay. and you're trying your best to breathe through these masks and you have a million thoughts going new your he going through your head, but it just seemed like everyone was concentrating making it through it. >> i imagine someone was probably dealing with some level of shock, as well. there are reports that the pilot made a rapid controlled decent from 36,000 feet to 11,000 feet. what did that feel like? >> you know, it's funny, everyone has said that and shocks me. i'll be honest, i had so many thoughts going through my head

that i don't really remember that happening. i do remember us going down, but i don't remember being in shock of how fast or thinking that the plane was going down. i kind of was focusing on breathing so hard through my mask and making certain that was okay and saying a little prayer that this was not going to be the end for my life. so i wasn't really focused on the rapid decent. >> and bren today,i understand pilot did land safely, there was a big applause. >> there was a big applause. and i just would like to say, i travel a lot with work, and sometimes travelers aren't that nice, but it was amazing to see the human spirit and people reaching out to each other and touching each other and holding hands with each other just stranger, just doing to make it through. >> what an experience and we're so happy everyone made it safe and sound. thanks so much for sharing your story with us. and now here is lester.

now to the economy and some good news to report. the unemployment rate fell to 8.8% in march with 216,000 jobs added. a sign that more companies may be ready to start hiring again. cnbc's brian shactman joins us to talk about what these numbers mean. great to see you. >> you, too. >> a t. dropped a full percent since november. so the trend is happening. is the economy adding enough jobs to make up for all that it's lost? >> we most nearly 2 million during the great recession. so we're a long way off of that. but there's no doubt that two straight months of strong growth and 12 consecutive months of private sector growth is a good thing. so you have 8.8 unemployment, sure that's a good drop, but 8.8% is still way too high for where we want to be. >> and i think we'd all like to take the good it news and segment and move on, but inflation now is rearing its head. how does that change this balance? >> well, we still have the dynamic where the jobs picture is getting better and stock

market is doing better. on the other side, we have real estate still struggling and now inflation is rearing its ugly head and the interesting thing there is that it hurts the people that really can't afford to be hurt. lower and middle income people. because food and fuel are a higher percentage of their income so they get hit the most. if you have more money, upper middle class, upper class, it doesn't hurt you as much because it's a smaller percentage of your income. >> you mentioned the stock market. we have a nuclear crisis, earthquake, tsunami in japan, unrest in libya, oil prices spiking. how is it that the stock market continues to be so strong? >> first of all, a wonderful job on both middle east and japan, but one of the best quarters in more than 12 years in the stock market despite those incredible shocks that you just referenced. and i think it shows, after the, there's still a lot of what they call easy money out there with the low interest rates from the federal reserve, but it shows you there's a lot of confidence

in the u.s. economy right now actually internationally when everything gets a little bit crazy, debt concerns this europe, what's going on in the middle east and asia. the united states looks favorable and a lot of money coming in to our markets. >> all right, brian, thanks. now to the fight for libya and new reports that this may be a deal to get gadhafi out of the country. richard engel is live from libya. >> reporter: good morning. those negotiations to try and perhaps extricate gadhafi and his family have been taking place in secret. what's happening here on the ground, however, doesn't show progress toward any kind of political solution to this crisis. in fact, gadhafi is rejecting an offer for a cease-fire offered by the opposition. it was a highly conditional offer. the opposition here in benghazi said that they would stop

fighting if gadhafi pulled back from libya cities including misrata and allowed peaceful demonstrations to take place including in tripoli. gadhafi said that was a trick. now, on the ground, the fighting is continuing. mostly focused around the city of brega. and the rebels are doing better. they're digging in, not retre retreating as much, they have better weapons and they are fighting. >> and we have seen several high profile government defections. how is this affecting the rebels? >> reporter: the defections on the military side are now actually helping the rebels. before there had been many army units and military commanders that had defected to the rebel side but hadn't been doing very much. they were mostly staying on their bases. now they're going out to the front line, there is a new rebel military leadership composed almost entirely of former army units. >> richard enbell with the

latest from benghazi. thank you. thomas roberts is at the news desk for more of today's top stories. >> good morning, everybody. we begin with another emergency plane landing. this time because of birds. on friday a delta flight from atlanta to little rock reported hitting birds about 20 miles from the arkansas airport. the plane handed with no problem. delta is now examining that plane. wisconsin's controversial law stripping public workers of many of their collective bargaining rights will likely stay on hold for now. the county judge extended the restraining order keeping the law there going into effect. at issue is whether the state's open meetings law was violated when republican lawmakers crafted the legislation. the nation's most dangerous small city has rehired dozens of police on friday. camden, new jersey welcomed back 55 officers and 31 firefighters who had been laid off in january for budget reasons. the mayor received $2 million in state and federal funds and used that for the rehires. in the months since the layoff, camden saw a slight increase in

crime. the federal government is investigating complaints that yale university may be a sexually hostile environment. the department of education's office for civil rights confirmed the probe on friday. students cite cases where some fraternity members chanted no means yes and incoming freshmen being ranked on attractiveness. the ivy league university says it will cooperate and takes such allegations extremely seriously. hrt. finally, snookie snknows how to rake it in. she was paid 32 hourks bucks by rutgers university on thursday to dish on her hair style. fist punts and of course a care free lifestyle. that's $2,000 more than the school is paying for nobel winning novelist tony morrison to give the commencement in may. morrison's advice will be far different who told the students to study hard but party hearter. words of which is docisdom.

so it pays. fist punting and a hair bump. >> if they're handing out monday, i'll stop by monday. >> you're not tan enough. sorry. thomas, thank you. bill karins has a check of the party forecast. >> yesterday was a crazy start on the beginning of april. in maine, a foot of snow. while in arizona and phoenix, you were 100 degrees for a record high. so that heat out west is going to begin to spread across the country. 94 still hot in phoenix and texas on the hot side, too. denver near 80. some of that warmth will spread to the east coast by about monday of next week, so give it a little bit. but today very quiet weather map, just the northern rockies and also showers from pittsburgh and a good sard morning to you, taking a look at the radar. we have showers in the sear are.

we're not going to see temperatures as pleasant as the last few days. mainly upper 60s, mainly near 70 in a few spots. there's even a few scattered showers. this weekend is going to start off with some clouds, then tomorrow a little less wind.

good saturday morning to you, i'm kris sanchez, looking live at some of our city streets today and if you enjoy what we had the last couple of days, it's going to be little bit different. >> some changes. we're waking up to the mid 50s in most of the bay area. notice the wind, starting to pick up a little bit around napa and fairfield. we'll see some gusty winds and a few extra clouds so if you like those 80s we have had over the last few days, not going to

quite get there today. in fact we may see a stray shower or two, mainly off to the east as that system that's coming through today turning on the clouds and the winds for this afternoon. a mild start will warm quickly, actually towards lunchtime, we'll be in the mid up toer 60s. close to today's highs. the winds kicking up later on this afternoon, we should see 15 to 20 miles an hour. tomorrow a little less wind, but just not quite as warm for this weekend. monday, warming up back into the mid 70s. los angeles police are searching for the men who seriously injured a giants fan at the season opener at dodger stadium. after talking with several witnesses, police now believe that the two men who attacked brian stokes from santa cruz looked like this. these step s sketches were released late las night. they knocked stowe to the ground

and kicked him repeatedly. stowe is recovering from emergency surgery which he had last night. doctors say he's in stable condition but critical condition. friends say the violence is hard to understand. >> it's terrible you can't go and enjoy our nation's pastime and not worry about being jumped because you support your team. >> there's a history of violence between the giants and the dodger fans. two men are behind bar this is morning for the bold killing of a san jose man at a busy mcdonald's restaurant. police arrested two men yesterday on suspicion of murder for the march 16 shooting of jose cortez. witnesses say a man shot cortez in the parking lot of the restaurant right during the lunchtime rush. that is just across the street from santa clara valley medical center. a very busy location. officers believe the shooting is zbang related and they're asking anyone with more information to

give them a call. today marks the start of the first normal salmon sports fishing season, four years off the post. both commercial and recreational salmon fishing has been closed or drastically reduced in the past three years because of a steep drop in the salmon count. the california department of fish and game is predicting almost triple of last year's salmon population. coming up this morning on "today in the bay," a south bay native gives back. plus, we take you back to the drinking fountain. we'll talk about that and all of oung lady.

because of a medical condition, the seventh grader was left with a very tough medical choice. either to have her leg shortened or have one amputated. but she said hold on, before we do the operation, let me fulfill my dream and play basketball for my school team. we'll show you how it went. an inspiring 13-year-old.

>> snoo we begin in florida and a police recruit who disappeared under a mysterious circumstances. and as hamark potter reports, h boyfriend is refusing to talk. >> reporter: she was last seen three weeks ago. the day before, she was picked up on a security camera at a local grocery store. she's a police came did debt described as very responsible. for detectives at the sheriff's office, her disappearance is cause for alarm. >> my gut is telling me that she's lying dead somewhere and we haven't found her yet. >> reporter: she lived in a second story condo near st. petersburg, florida, with her boyfriend, david perry, a retired new york start prison guard. her car was found in this parking lot and detectives say perry has since returned to new york refusing to to talk to police. >> the fact that he's not doing that does make it sound suspicio suspicious. >> reporter: her close friend, donna, puts up missing persons

posters and treasures a recent voice mail. >> donna, donna, happy sunday. >> reporter: on the day she disappeared, she was told she was about to break up with perry, describing how she would do it. >> i'm going to go home, i'm going to walk in, hug dave, tell him that i'm done. >> reporter: perry's attorney would not allow nbc news to interview him, but did say, quote, he doesn't know where she is. when asked why perry won't cooperate with police, his attorney said he did talk initially to the police in florida. but their questions upset him and he felt like they were trying to trick him. detectives are not calling perry a suspect. and say there are no trick questions. they only want perry to help them find his missing girlfriend. >> if he didn't do anything wrong, why would he not cooperate? it just kind of raises red flags to wonder why he wouldn't help us. >> reporter: detectives say even without perry's cooperation,

they will keep searching while fearing the worst before mark potter, nbc news, miami. time now for a check of the weather. bill karins is outside on the plaza. good morning, bill. >> i'm sick and tired of wearing the jacket like everyone else, but as far as we'this weekend, s an improvement. as far as the northern plains, this is the only area that's still dealing with winter, so if you're up on the canadian border, maybe even international falls to duluth, a little bit of snow this weekend, but that's about it. also in the colorado rockies. as far as the east coast goes, just some showers from pittsburgh to d.c. through west virginia. overall chilly, but a lot better than what the reason why we've got some clouds coming in, maybe a cloud pore two scooting in around midday. the main effect is going to be

breezy and somewhat cooler conditions than what we have seen over the last few days. we should see highs mostly in the 60s. look for a little less wind to wrap up the weekend and turning warmer again just in time for the start of the workweek. weekend, right? this is hannah and olivia. where is your dad? >> atlanta. >> he's down in atlanta. so we'll say hi to him this morning. let's send it inside. coming up next, the ultimate reality show. how the royal wedding is becoming the biggest reality show of all-time. and when money is no object, the secrets of a hotel ko concierge. [ male announcer ] but what mike rowe doesn't know is that his parents have armed themselves with unquilted viva® towels. place looks great. [ male announcer ] mike doesn't know that every concentrated viva roll is made of strong, fiber packed sheets, making it one tough towel. but his mom sure does.

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or before you reduce or stop taking pristiq. side-effects may include nausea, dizziness and sweating. for me, pristiq is a key in helping me treat my depression. girl: mom, can i have a dollar? yeah. it's right-- i think my purse is upstairs on the bed. it's not here. check the dining room. nope. what about your sister's room? not there, either. the upstairs closet? the downstairs closet. there are no more closets. announcer: moms everywhere are finding ways to keep kids active and healthy. get ideas. get involved. get going at letsmove.gov. the royal wedding 27 days away now and whether online or tv, this will be watched by billions. thomas roberts joins us with more. >> it forget about real

housewives, even american idol. the royal wedding is the real global reality show. it's going to be big. think will and kate plus 2.5 billion. that's the number of viewers worldwide expected to tune in to the royal wedding whoing on television. an estimated 800,000 people will line the streets to catch a glimpse. but millions more will see it online and join the festivities through blogs, social media and apps. all of it means this wedding could be seen by a third of the world's population. there's so much television programming planned that the "wall street journal" as bub "wall street journal" could you bed dubbed it the ultimate reality show. >> i don't think anybody dare mention that to the queen. >> reporter: 750 million people watched the wedding of the century prince charles and diane made in 1981.

americans were fascinated. many held early morning viewing parties. nbc's jane pauly covered the event. >> we don't have any royals of our own and we love a show, we love spectacle. the british just know how to do spectacle. >> reporter: the modern wedding of prince william and kate middleton is a dream come true for television programmers. thousands from news organizations will be in london to cover the event and cable stations are planning special wedding shows. the kardashians will keep up by airing wedding episodes. even the disney channel is planning to celebrate by arg princip airing principals ess movies. >> this is a highly produced fantasy show. it's disney. so that's how we should look at it. >> reporter: with all the fairy tale programming, television and cable networks are hoping to

attract the royal watching public. and to capitalize on what many think will be must see tv. and if you want to seat wedding who see the wedding in person, businesses and homeowners are selling space outside their properties to folks who want to watch the royal procession in person. >> thanks very much. here with more on the build up, camilla, tharng thank ps fos f. have they embraced or acknowledged the fact that this will be different because of the explosion of media outlets? >> bracing more modern television. 1981, there was no internet, there were no digital photographs. so everything happened perhaps slightly slower pace. now of course you've got updates on twitter and facebook every second. in fact the royals themselves know that that is the way people are embracing the news.

and so they've announced a lot of the issues around the wedding via these social networking sites. so you have announcements on twitter, facebook, rather than just your standard press release. so things are certainly changing and becoming more modernized. >> when you go to weddings, i think we recognize a lot of young people like to write their own script, go off script, buck tradition. any chance we'll see that here or will they with this kind of international pressure stick to a very tight script? >> they've got the best of the both worlds really because on one hand they're having this reception with the queen that she's hosting at lunch time, which is very much the reception that they have because they're royal. and then they've got their evening reception which prince charles is hosting, the dinner and dance. and that's more the wedding that you and i would know, the more intimate bash so in that way they're getting away with it. but there are protocols to follow and it isn't an average

wedding. so everything is timed to the absolute second. the minutia is worked out in advance. and what makes it completely different is how many people are involved. we know there's going to be a huge military presence at the wedding, for instance. that takes huge coordination. so they're trying to get their own say, but at the same time, they are working to a script certainly. >> and notice william hwilliam pre-wedding jitters, which is common. how does he handle this sort of thing knowing so much attention will be on this wedding? >> well, to be fair to william, he's got a lot better. when we saw him at the press conference to announce the engagement, he was much more relaxed in the company of the press than he had been. he doesn't really like the press. he doesn't like the scrutiny or the spotlight. he has not very good memories of how diana was pursued by the paparazzi. so it's not that natural and he is quite shy. that said, he knows his

responsibilities, he knows everyone's watching, he knows the world wants to be a great occasionally and i'm sure he will stand up to the plate. but at the same time, it's understandable that he's nervous. most grooms are and yet they won't be watched by billions. and kate will no doubt be feeling the same. >> a lot of attention to be on one couple. camilla, thanks so much. up next, everything the guests want. the life of a top hotel concierge. h! red! red! red! yes! yes! come on! oh. no! oh... bummer. [children shouting] hoops? yeah. sure. sure. announcer: moms everywhere are finding ways to keep kids active and healthy. works every time. announcer: get ideas. get involved. get going at letsmove.gov.

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we continue our series secrets of with a look at a hotel concierge. staying at a luxury hotel has its perks, especially if you know what you want and maybe more importantly who to ask. i went behind the desk to learn the secrets of this exclusive trade where no request is too crazy and failure is not an option. >> reporter: in the secret world of luxury hotels, anything goes. from private jets to private pool party its. >> in the middle of a blizzard, i got a call who wanted to have an outdoor swimming party that night. >> reporter: michael is a veteran concierge with a tell all book. what are some of the craziest requests you've received? >> crazy.

what's crazy? if you have access to a concierge and you have a budget, nothing is crazy. >> reporter: but when nothing is crazy, things can get a little insane. like one guest's request for a bath of melted chocolate. >> so i want to please you so badly that i'll stop at nothing. >> reporter: here in times square -- >> we're in the driver's seat now, right? >> reporter: michael and his team can take you to the a-list party spots. >> this is basically like a glitter audience celebrity site, but what i use it for is i look at where parties are happening because that's how i know if it's hot or not. >> reporter: provide a little romance -- >> obviously if anybody's on a honeymoon, they'll want rose petals. >> reporter: and book you the hottest ticket in town. >> this is a map of all of the seating arrangements on broadway because people want to know

where they will be sitting. >> reporter: i was given a mission. one reservation, two people, 8:00 p.m. at the hottest restaurant in town. i have a couple who would like to come in this evening and 8:00 p.m., a table for two. 8:30 or 7:30. all right. i'll check with them and get back with you. i couldn't hit the 8:00 p.m. target, but with a little help -- >> it's michael, i own the concierge and we have our absolute favorite, favorite client in house and i know you have 7:30 or 8:30, but is there any chance that we can fudge a little? >> reporter: mission accomplished. >> you're so sweet. i really appreciate it. thank you so much. okay. bye-bye. >> reporter: and that's how it goes. the less on? if you want it, you have to ask for it. and you also say you should be honest, candid. >> yes.

well, you know, candid comes in to play around things like money and sometimes things that are a little bit spicy. >> reporter: and leave it to the experts. >> it's about not judging and understanding that people aren't really being demanding. they're being hopeful. people want things, you know? and it's okay with me. i get it. that's why i'm here. >> and thank god he's there because you don't want me making the phone call. >> how do you get reservations? >> i don't. i don't go to any cool restaurants. he's like where do you like to go? i don't know. >> sure, tuesday, 11:00 p.m. >> the most unusual request i made, i was in washington for a black tie one night. i don't tie bow ties very well. i never learned. and i'm frustrated, i'm late, and i call the concierge, can you please send someone up to tie my tie.

so they send a wart up. a waiter up. and i'm handing him 20s hoping to keep his mouth shut. just ahead, lindsay lohan and the betty ford center confrontation. we'll play you the 911 tapes just released. but first this is "today" on nbc. my diet? well yesterday i had an apple turnover. i know it's sort of my weakness. i always keep it in the house. well, that and boston crème pie, white chocolate strawberries, and mmm key lime pie. yeah, i've already lost some weight. [ female announcer ] yoplait light -- over 30 delicious flavors at about 100 calories. babe, what are you doing?! ♪ [ female announcer ] the yoplait you love, now in a 4-pack. try it today.

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our outback always gets us there... ... sometimes it just takes us a little longer to get back. ♪ good morning to you, take a live look at downtown san jose, i believe. it is a nice, mild start to the morning, cooler than we had yesterday. thanks for joining us on this saturday. we have a look at the weekend forecast that's not quite as warm as folks were looking for, probably. >> mid to upper 60s, not cold, but just not the 80s, almost 90 we had in a few spots. we got clouds coming in this morning. that's helping to keep temperatures up in the mid 50s.

doesn't have a whole lot of moisture other than perhaps bringing some showers to the sierras. but the main effect which you will notice will be the cooler temperatures, we'll see highs in the upper 60s, maybe the 70s in a few spots. you see those winds picking up, tomorrow a little less wind and then temperatures rebound just a bit as we get back to the start of next week. well, this morning the search for the man responsible for santa clara's first homicide of the year is heading south of the border. federal investigators believe 21-year-old roberto perez is hiding out in mexico. he is charged with stabbing a man to death in an alcohol fueled argument on february 27. it happened outside the old orchard apartment complex. police say he called his mother after the stabbing admitting to the crime and said he was taking a bus to mexico. the humane society is looking into weather a dog was killed by alcohol and pot during

a party with high schoolers. the high schoolers contacted authorities after hearing rumors that a pug was given liquor and no, sired to inhale marijuana smoke. the 15-year-old dog later died. bullying students because of their sexual orientation is a practice which doesn't end in high school. lawmakers have introduced a bill requiring california's colleges to include anti-harassment and intimidation policies in their codes of conduct. the bill would also ask the schools to try to measure whether they are improving the quality of life for lgbt students. the bill comes off the highly publicized suicide of several gay students last year across 2 country. those opposed to the measure argue that faculty training is part of the bargaining. it is little league season,

your tykes probably are looking up to some of the major league players. coming up this morning on "today in the bay" t new push by health groups to get star athletes to drop one nasty habit. that plus keeping fit on the go, what you should know about fast food breakfasts being advertised as healthy. we're back with more local news in 20 minutes and a full day of news coming up at 7:00. figure out and

decipher this. >> okay. and then a heartwarming story to tell you about. an interview with a 13-year-old girl who needs her leg amputated. she wanted to play one last game with the school's basketball team and wait until you see how she did. we'll talk to her, her mom and coach live. there they are. >> a grown-up decision and has her mind on the future. but first, we want another check of the weather. bill karins on the other end of the plaza for us.

>> hello, everyone. >> i'm jumping the gun. we have to go to news. thomas roberts is saying what did you just do, lester? >> it's april 2nd. >> no fooling. >> a day late. but good morning, everybody. thanks. we begin with terrifying moments on board a southwest airlines jet after the roof was torn open during flight. nbc's tom costello is live in washington with more for us. good morning. >> hi, thomas. the people said it sounded like a gunshot. it just left phoenix to sacramento when a section of the fuselage opened up right over the heads of the passengers. the pilot made a rapid descent down to 11,000 feet as the air masks dropped for the passengers although a flight attendant and several passengers passed out from lack of oxygen. the plane made an emergency landing in yuma, arizona. for the 118 people on board, a terrifying experience. we talked to one passenger a short timing a here on "today."

>> it was a pretty scary, intense -- there were people who were passing out. whether it was because their oxygen masks weren't working or wasn't getting them. i'm not certain. >> you may recall it was nearly two years ago another southwest 737 made an emergency landing in west virginia after a 14-inch crack opened up in the fuselage near the tail. boeing orders for checks for met alpha teague. back to you. >> thanks very much. now to japan where officials say a crack could be the source of radioactive water leaking into the pacific ocean. nbc's lee cowan is live from there. good morning, lee. >> reporter: good morning, thomas. yeah, could be one of the sources of why there's been that spike in the radiation in the seawater. they found another different container closer to the seawater, calling it a pit. it's an access panel with electrical cables that power the pumps. they found a foot of what they

say is highly radioactive water and the crack seeping into the seawater. they want to patch up the big crack. they don't know where the water is coming from in the first place. that's the latest from tokyo, thomas. back to you. >> lee, thank you very much. now libya where secret negotiations are said to be under way to remove gadhafi from power. the leader rejected an offer from the rebel leaders instead vowing to redouble the efforts. the rebels ask for peaceful demonstrations in cities including tripoli. the rebels continue their fight. and finally, encouraging news on the jobs front. the labor department says the unemployment rate is 8.8%, the lowest in two years. the economy added 216,000 jobs in march, the second straight month of solid job growth. all right. so now we send it back out to amy on the plaza. >> all right, thomas. now it is time to go to bill

karins for the check of the weather. we won't interrupt you this time. >> i figured it was mean to stand somewhere else. we were going to talk to you. this is the high school band, about a third of the school is all here. right? where is kickapoo located? >> wisconsin, close to madison. >> the coolest name of anyone ever seen. the kickapoo panthers, by the way. the forecast in this upcoming week, dangerous weather dealing with. april, not going to talk about snow but severe weather and we are going to see severe tomorrows over sunday night. this is late in the day, sunday day plans are find but a chance of strong storms and tornadoes late sunday night into monday and extend to the southeast, too, monday night into tuesday and anywhere in the mississippi valley, the tennessee valley, have a chance you can see we have got some clouds streaming into the bay area as we head through the

afternoon. the main effect of that system obviously bringing in some clouds, but behind it we're going to see some blus terri conditions. mid to upper 60s. just not the mid and upper 80s we saw yesterday. we're going to stay dry by the end of the weekend into monday. 70s coming back early next week. >> that's a look at your weekend forecast. >> thanks, bill. you are a good sport. now a chilling murder mystery with a cryptic note and has the fbi asking the public to help decipher. nbc's pete williams reports. >> reporter: for more than a decade it's unsolved. who murdered a missouri man in a rural area north of st. louis? the body of 41-year-old ricky mccormack found in june 1999 in a cornfield.

for months after the discovery, investigators tried to figure out what happened and who would want to kill him but the trail went cold and the killing is a mystery. police never disclosed it at the time but they found two notes written in some kind of code that could be clues to the murder. but no one's been able to crack that code including the fbi. so now, the fbi is doing something it's never done before, asking for help in breaking a code. it posted the complete notes on its website fbi.gov and issued a public challenge to solve this long-running puzzle. >> we have a message that we think may be breakable. yet, we have exhausted every idea that we have. >> reporter: the fbi determined that the notes were written just a few days before ricky mccormick died but the unit of code breakers who work at the crime lab in virginia could not figure out what they said. the two notes consistent of 31 lines, mostly capital letters but also numbers and

parenthesis. some quirks stand out. most of the lines end with the letter "e" for example and few other vowels appear. >> that's what they look for and break a code. >> reporter: this isn't a normal case. family members told investigators that mccormick dabbled in code since he was a child and encrypting notes in ways no one he knew could figure out. >> we're hoping that recognizes it as a type of short hand or style of writing they're familiar with. >> reporter: what's the reward for breaking the code? just the satisfaction of figuring out a puzzle that baffled the fbi and may be helping to solve a mysterious murder case. pete williams, nbc news, washington. still to come, tale of the tape. we have the lindsay lohan 911 calls from the heated betty ford clinic confrontat and a dream come true for a girl whose story will touch and inspire you. we'll tell you more about it after these messages.

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california authorities are releasing the 911 call made during the confrontation between lindsay lohan and a betty ford staffer. the release comes just days after the district attorney announced he will not file charges against the actress for the incident. kristen welker has the story. >> reporter: this newly released 911 call may shed light on an alleged december scuffle between lindsay lohan and dawn holland, a former clinician at the betty ford clinic. the riverside county sheriff eve department released the tape which begins with lohan asking a dispatcher for help. >> i'm sorry, i'm really uncomfortable with the woman in my house. i've never seen her before and she's freaking me out. >> reporter: on the call, lohan and two other patients snuck out and went drinking, a charge the actress has denied. hole land claims when she caught the women, lohan refused a breathalyzer test and then began be wlinlg rent. >> she hit me with the phone while i was triking to talk to

you. >> reporter: you hear a heated exchange in the background. >> now i'm getting ready to file charges on you. get ready to be sued. >> you want money? >> reporter: then holland tells the dispatcher she wants to take legal action. >> so you want to file charges against her? >> yes, i think i do. >> reporter: representatives for l lohan and holland did not return our requests for comment. holland spoke about the incident and betty ford fired her. then this past tuesday, prosecutors decided there wasn't enough evidence to press charges against the actress. but lohan has other legal problems. she is charged with stealing a $2500 necklace from a jewelry store. she has pleaded not guilty. and just this week, more damaging headlines. the actress was photographed outside a new york bar on wednesday, cigarette in hand, she seemed to take a spill. lohan is currently on probation for violations stemming back to a 2007 dui arrest. >> i don't think lindsay has done anything to help herself

legally. >> reporter: according to tmz, lohan says she wasn't drunk. the actress also posted on facebook thursday. is it not allowed to slip and fall? i'm always a clutch. that same night, she attended a movie premiere. >> she looked great. it was her first appearance in nine months. but behind the scenes, she's still battling with all of these deem ons. >> reporter: a bright young star struggling with a difficult path and an uncertain future. for "today," kristen welker, nbc news, los angeles. all right. coming up next, the girl's wish comes true before a major operation that could change her life. the exclusive live interview. but first this is "today" on nbc. an ltening to ouravoritsong

than liste our favngs. t r fari is eatnoizol. e'reheids in ♪ now a moving story about a very special 13-year-old from hudsonville, michigan near grand

rapids. alyssa crook has had to make a painful life changing decision, but the strong seventh grader was not about to make it without fulfilling a dream. we'll meet al wlis sicyssa and and coach, but first kevin continue b continue bells has her story. >> reporter: a 13-year-old seventh grader forced by circumstance to make a decision that will change that life forever. alyssa crook suffers from a painful congenital condition that is slowly stealing from her the use of one leg. she faced a future of multiple operations, perhaps confined to a wheelchair. or she could lose the leg. a daunting choice for anyone, let alone a kid in middle school. >> she's gone through a fair amount of suffering, more so than i would wish for another girl her age. and that may have played a role in her decision, as well. >> reporter: alyssa's decision was to have the leg amputated.

>> it was scary, but it's a good choice. >> reporter: but not until she's fulfilled the dream of playing basketball for her school. when he learned of alyssa's situation, the coach quickly agreed. >> she didn't want to just go out this and be on the floor and run up and down the floor. she wanted to participate and play the way she knows how to play. >> reporter: not only did she play, she scored. something she'll never forget. >> i don't know if coach understands how much each of those little steps meant to her. >> she comes up and says thank you and gives you a hug. that's very moving. >> i said thank you and just being with the team and being part of the team with both legs. >> reporter: her amputation will take place coming weeks, but

she'll never lose the memory of being part of the team. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. and joining us now are alyssa crook, her mother, coach. alyssa, congratulations. what was it like being out there for you? >> i feel really awesome. just like cheers and everything. >> it was a great moment. fun to watch. karen, what was it like for you to be in the stands some first of all, did you know she was playing? >> absolutely not. >> because she had been keeping score and doing other things. >> yeah, we had no clue what was coming out and she came out in her uniform and we're all sitting up this, is she not -- he's just letting her dress. shall she going to play? and then we all bawled. just can't turn off. >> what a great opportunity. and coach, you were keeping it this a secret?

>> well, originally i was going to have her play sometime in the season, i was kind of forced in to a situation where i was down to nine players because of the choir concert. and then i decided this was the time. >> because you had heard the situation. and karen, let's talk about that for a moment. the doctors gave aliyssa a toug choice. either shorten the legs. . >> by six or eight inches. >> and that was a decision that had been made. >> it was made. it was scheduled. that's what we came home with. >> and alyssa tells you, no, amputate one of help. >> yeah. she said that she was at school and praying about it and she heard you fought long and hard enough and now it's time to let it go. and she knew that was god. so a decision of kids playing soccer and she couldn't play and she decided not going to have any of that and then saw herself

playing with a procesthetic leg and said tell them to cut off the leg. >> and you're sticking with that. >> uh-huh. >> and i understand you're thinking about your own kids shall da some day. tell me about that. >> i just want to have like -- when i have kids, i want to like play with them and just be happy. >> and you'll have a video and some day you'll be able to show your kids that, hey, i played basketball. and what is the prognosis with the prosthetic? >> there's a lot of unknowns because of complications behind the leg. a lot whethill be discovered sun surgery. but you put an obstacle in front

of her and she'll figure it out. >> i can just imagine the energy and emotion when alyssa came on the court. >> yeah, it was exciting. the girls were explaining everything to her, real excited. >> this is a great story. thanks so much for coming on and sharing your story. surgery is still a few weeks away? >> yes, but we are on 24 hours notice for a cancellation. >> well, keep us posted. we wish you all the best. thanks so much. >> thank you. we'll take a break. be back with more after these messages. we all want our kids to eat their vegetables, but we all know kids would rather they just disappear. ♪ make me say la la la la la la ♪ [ woman ] now with a little magic from mom, there's an easy way to get kids the nutrition they need. mott's medleys has two total fruit and veggie servings in every glass but magically looks and tastes just like the fruit juice kids already love.

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uses certain terms a little bit loosely. rebecca is clearly very gifted. [ banker ] we decided to roll that money into ashley's college account. turns out there's seven gifted kids in ashley's class of nine. [ male announcer ] wells fargo. with you when it's time to save. ♪ taking a live look at the oakland coliseum where the a's play, of course. they were winless in their season opener, but it doesn't matter if you're a true fan, right? thank you for joining us. our weekend forecast that doesn't feel quite as much like baseball weather. >> but still going to be comfortable if you're going to be heading out and watching the a's play, it's going to be in the upper 60s in the afternoon, but not nose 80s we have seen in the afternoons. we're seeing some clouds

spilling in right now, but not a lot of rain. the system, the main effect will be the gusty winds that will pick up a little bit later on this afternoon, so kind of a mild start with mid to upper 50s, a few showers probably east of fairfield and you can see with the high temperatures today maybe in a few spots. tomorrow, the wind should be winding down for the afternoon, we'll see temperatures rebounding monday into tuesday and then looks like another chance of some showers and cooler temperatures around the new week. thank you very much. the los angeles police are searching for the men who seriously injured a giants fan at the season opener at dodgers stadium. after talking with several witnesses, police believe that the two men who attacked brian stowe from santa cruz look like this. the sketches were released late last night. witnesses say after taunting stowe and two friends, they knocked stowe to the ground and kicked him repeat think.

stowe is recovering from emergency surgery last night. the father of two now works as an emt in san jose and his friends say the violence is very hard for him to understand. >> it's terrible, you can't go and enjoy our nation's pass time, baseball without being worried about getting jumped if your support your team. >> we have more on that coming up at 7:00. two men are behind bar this afternoon for the bold killing of a season jose man. police arrested brandon watt land yesterday on suspicion of murder. witnesses say a man shot cortez in the parking lot of the restaurant during the lunchtime rush. that's the restaurant just across the street from stan that clara medical center. they're asking anyone with more information to give them a call. today marks the first start

of the first normal salmon sports fishing season in four years off the california coast. both commercial and recreational salmon fishing have been closed for drastically reduced in the past three years because of a steep drop in the salmon count. the california department of fish and game is predicting almost trip whal we saw last year in terms of the population. we have much more coming up for you, all of the day's news coming up on "today in the bay." we'll tell you how this south bay native is giving back and doing it for a good laugh. we'll be back, we'll see you in 30 minutes with all the big news

celebrities like lindsay l and amy winehouse treating the courtroom or at least the walk to it like a cat walk. but what does that leave in terms of impressions on the judge and jury? is it a big fashion show, are you not taking things seriously? we'll talk about it. >> and then what's in dirt? we're talking about the perfect lawn and the kind of soil you need for different kind of plants. before we do that, every once in a while there is a sign out here that i just got to ask. i'm sorry. i got to ask. who is older, my dad, uncle or brother? who is older? >> i think you are. >> you think i am? >> how old is dad? 50th? how about the uncle?

>> it's one person. >> oh, it's one person. you win. all right. i had to ask. i could have left it alone. >> let's go over how to weather. bill karins is also younger than you. >> but i'm a young 52. >> we're really close. is it whittville? we have the choir here. anticipate 7th birthday. that's fantastic. >> my little brother. >> that's very cute. let's and you can about the forecast for virginia and a lot of other areas as we take you through your weekend. it's not going to be a bad weekend. sunday looks really mice. as we go through the middle of the country, that's where the warm air is. northwest, a little unsettled. sunday, slight risk of a veseve storms. you're okay during the daylight hours. it's late sunday night that you'll deal with those storms.

especially about about we torna. and here's a look at the temperatures we're wakingp to this morning, not too cold, mostly 50s outside, although thn winds are kicking up. a lot of clouds out there this morning, but we're not expecting much in the way of rain with this system, but behind it, gusty winds and certainly a cooldown from temperatures in the last few days. we'll see upper 60s for highs in most t of the bay area today. temperatures climb again monday into tuesday of next week. we'll do a little melting as we nthrough weekend. if you want your hour by hour forecast, you can get that at weather.com. now to an emotional story to emerge from tonight's final four basketball game in houston. a family who is getting help from the community to see him on the court in person.

janet shamlian reports. >> reporter: working as a mail carrier hasn't many stan howard a rich man unless you count his wealth in friends. >> i don't consider myself anything but mail man, you know. that's all i am. >> reporter: for years, he's been delivering magazine, bills and christmas cards to 700 families in tiny connorsville, indiana. so it came as something of a surprise to howard, the father of ten, when he began receiving deliveries. cash and checks from them. >> anyway, he said use it for whatever. than you. howard's son, matt, is the star forward for the butler bulldogs and is a hometown hero in connorsville. when butt her made the final four, the howards weren't sure they could afford the trip. but connorsville, which itself has fallen on tough times, had other plans. >> we haven't had too much to smile about in connorsville for a long time.

>> reporter: matt howard brought back that smile. the evidence is all over town. so the town decided the howards, all of them, had to go to houston. they put stan and his wife linda and the other kids on a fire truck and paraded them through the community. a dime here and a dollar there. connorsville raised must have money to ensure the howards would see matt play. >> some people put a dollar donation in and i seen checks $300, 4 ood, and a couple in the thousands. >> reporter: only a few days away from delivering the mail and some would i say it's about time. stan howard in 33 years has only missed one day on the job. >> i'll be glad when i can just go back to being stan the mail man, you know. >> reporter: for "today," janet shamlian, nbc news, atlanta. matt's parents, stan sand wherein tod and wherein wherein todlinda an brother join us.

i know matt is busy preparing for the game. how nervous are you? >> well, we've been through lots of battle, lots of cities over the years. we're just excited. matt's always the cool guy. so he takes it a day at a time, a game at a time. he has a business mind and a business way of thinking. and he's just very happy to be here with his team and we're excited for all of them. >> i'm sure he's proud to have you there and i know the people of connorsville are happy you're there. and, stan, let's m me turn to y. when someone first approached you with the idea to raise money to send you to houston, what was your reaction? >> i probably thought, well, it's okay, they'll probably raise a few hundred dollars, but i was just completely overwhelmed at the response of the community. people that i didn't even know and wasn't even acquainted with,

they would give us notes with the contributions they had given and commenting on how much they appreciated our family and how much they were cheering for matt. it was a little bit overwhelming in a way, but it makes you appreciate the small town community that sticks up for each other. >> and you're a family of 12, right? >> yes. >> ten children, yes. >> and so the idea of flying everybody to houston was simply out of the question for you. >> yes. >> the community came together, stan, in other ways. your boss said take whatever time off from work you need. and we should know you've had one sick day. a neighbor is covering your daughter's paper route so she can travel. how do you even begin to thank people for that kind of support? >> well, it's tough because in a

way you don't feel like you're worthy of that. but it makes you extremely -- to me, extremely humble and extremely thankful that our town is so caring and so giving. and it speaks of mid america values and we're watching out for one another and it just -- will i'm just really grateful. >> dan, how has matt reacted? i know he has his eye on the ball literally, but what was his reaction when he found out you'd all be able to come? >> he was excited. overwhelmed that we all could be here. it was a blessing last year the final four was in indianapolis. so it wasn't a question, we could all drive over. but to be able to come down here as a family and support him and support the bulldogs is special for us as a family and for him as a player. >> we didn't mention that, yeah, of course butler was in the final four last year.

any predictions that you want to share this year? >> you ask me that question? well, we always -- the bulldogs are tenacious and we come to win. and it's not take we're any better than these other teams, they're excellent team, excellent people. but why come if you're not going to say we're going to win anything. >> three other teams want their equal time now. congratulations to all of you. we're so happy that it all came together. you'll get to see matt play. and thanks for spending some time with us this morning. we do appreciate it. >> thank you. up next, courtroom chic. celebrity suspects and the fashions they wear. but first these messages. but basically, i'm a runner. 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.

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for some, the red carpet isn't just for the oscars and emmys. more and more are making star turns at the courthouse. but will the designer defense work sf wearing white and little else, leave to lindsay lohan to turn felony charge into a felony statement. >> there's a theory that before you leave your house, take you one thing off. for lindsay lohan, i think you should put a few things on. >> reporter: call it courtroom chic, a red carpet moment for celebrities whose legal troubles lead to runway shows. lindsay, the look is a risky one. >> the first thing that was wrong, the outfit was just too short and too tight. you don't need to reveal that much of your body even when you're going out at night. >> reporter: and certainly not

in court. nigel barker says lohan immediates to dress for the occasionally and in this case it means facing a judge and jury. >> she should wear something simple, conservative, feminine and chic and classic. you really don't want them talking too much about your outfit. >> reporter: tell that to amy winehouse. the singer wore this to an assault charge. and naomi campbell. >> i'm afraid to say something about naomi campbell because she'll hit me with something. >> reporter: when it comes to fashion justice, perhaps nobody taught michael jackson. . he wore plam boy aunt clothes during his trial, especially one bizarre outfit. >> that takes it to a whole new level. where is the teddy bear? >> reporte >> reporter: one person who got it right was winona ride can

dede ryder. but for lindsay, maybe it's time to for a new trend. founder and ceo of a trial consultant jury firm, she's even helped oprah. good morning. so we're hearing everyone say what lindsay lohan is wearing is inappropriate, but how much of an impact does what you wear have on your case? >> well, it definitely have some impact, and the low shan a prth example. it's important to show respect. >> so far she's only showed up in front of a judge. if she came to court with a black suit and hair in a bun, would it look like she's not being herself? >> a little bit, but what she could show is that she's taking the proceedings seriously.

>> it'snews is amanda knox. in her original trial, she would show up very casual, her hair was longer. now she's in the appeals process and we're seeing a different look for her. is there a reason behind this? >> well, i think after you spend some time in jail, you begin to take things more seriously. so that would be my guess. whether it's going to actually help her in the end, the issue with clothing is it's not necessarily outcome determinative, but you might as well do the best you can. >> it can't hurt to do things perhaps in a more demuir manner. casey anthony is on trial for killing her daughter, caylee. do you think when you take a look at what she's been wearing to kou to court, is she helping or hurting her case in. >> the facts surrounding it are

so ago greenegregiou egregious, but the long sleeves hanging down over her hand, it almost looks like she's hiding something. >> and you say not only what you wear in terms of the clothing you choose matter, but the texture can have an impact is this. >> texture and the color for sure. so, for example, when we work with attorneys and witnesses, they look so much better if they wear earth tones and tweeds. they're just more approachable than, say, a slick suit or harder colors. >> there's a lot of thought that goes in to what people wear when they're trying to make an impression. what about eye glasses? is. >> there's some interesting research out there. it's been in the newspaper recently. it's called the nerd defense. eyeglasses have been shown to make you seem less violent and smarter. so it sort of depends on what crime you're alleged to have committed, but there is research out will says that's glasses, for example, would make you appear less violent. would you put on eyeglasses if

you're a violent crime defendant, is it going to help you? i don't know. >> clothing may not determine the outcome, but can certain clothing and what you wear make you appear more guilty or less guilty? >> potentially. the funny thing about the nerd defense and eye glass issue is, again, if you're a violent criminal, may eyeglasses are helpful, but if you're alleged to have defrauded a company with your brainy stock swindle, maybe not so much. >> thanks so much. we appreciate it. coming up next, home grown. making your lawn look picture perfect. but first, this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] 95% of all americans aren't getting enough whole grain. but actually, it's easier than you think, because general mills big g line of cereals

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we begin our new series do more with spring today as the

weather starts to warm up you can a beautiful lawn and landscape starts from the ground up by quousing the right soil. mark, good morning, good to see you. i'm one of those who think water, sunshine, and dirt. that's all you need. but it's about the right kind of soil, correct? >> yes. if you think about soil, i think we take it for granted sometimes. soil is really a critical natural resource. all living things on the planet rely on their food source from soil to some extent. either some of or all of it, including us. so if you think about it, soil provides support for plants, it also supplies nutrients, it retains water. it does a lot of things. >> and when i think of a lawn, i always think you're stuck with whatever ground you have to put the lawn. what kind of soil should you be thinking about? >> well, a lot of us have -- i wouldn't say a lot before some of us have good soil. a lot of us don't. but the between news is there's a lot of things you can do to

improve the soil. you can add things to it. and what we have here in this bucket, this is scott's turf builder. and it's going to do a lot of things for the dirt that the grass is planted in. dirt really likes -- grass likes to have loose soil. it likes to have soil that drains well, but also retains moisture. >> you till it into 9 the existing dirt? >> you till it in. it's perfect if you're planting new grass or you have bare spots. >> what about compost? >> it's like a super snack for plants. sf y if you need some right away, you can buy it in bags, but that's really popular is making your own. you can throw all kinds of things minto a cop post begin,

yard scraps, even things from the kitchen like egg shells. and they make this incredibly nutrient material. >> and in an urban area, a lot of people's planting area will be a raised platform like this. what kind of soil for a situation like this? >> the great thing about a raised garden bed, first of all, in any garden bed, you want to focus on the quality of the soil and the fact that it drains. so a raised bed is perfect for that because you don't have to rely on the soil that you have in your yard. you're going to bring in extra soil that's perfect. so we've added miracle grow garden soil. but also the drainage issue because it's raised, water is naturally going to flow to a lower area of the yard, so it's naturally going to flow out of this. so perfect for anything that you want to plant in will. and you can build a raised garden bed yourself, but we also have kits.

this is made of resicycled practices t plastic. >> and you brought peat moss. >> this will help in a lot of different ways. it's compressed and decomposed moss material. it's almost like a sponge. it naturally attracts water and holds on to that water. so if you add it to the soil, it will bring that ability to the soil. so if you have sandy soil that drains too readily, it will hold that moisture in. but if you have really dense clay soil, it will keep it more loose than it might ordinarily be. so it helps with water and with air to get to the roots. >> and i want to talk about container gardens and special requirements here. >> in a contain are g containers want soil that's weed and disease free. so you shouldn't just use dirt out of the yard. so what we've done is add miracle grow potting soil.

both of these products have extended release plant formulas in there that will feed whatever you plant in it for months at a time. and the great thing about container gardening is you can do it anywhere. if you have a small yard or live in an apartment or condo and don't have room for a garden, you can plant tomatoes, whatever you want, but it's just a condensed garden really. >> mike, good having you on. thanks very much. we're b ak acen minutt,om tt, mesegehesarsess. [ male announcer ] springtime belongs to the doers. those of us who know grass doesn't turn green just because the calendar says to. and that a big difference can grow from a small budget. for those of us with grass on our sneakers... dirt on our jeans... and a lawn that's as healthy as our savings... the days are about to get a whole lot greener. ♪ more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. we're lowering the cost of well-grounded plants. with miracle-gro garden soil for just $3.97.

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that will do it for us. our thanks to bill karins and thomas roberts. coming up tomorrow on "today," we'll meet the newest member of the san francisco zoo. >> and i'll see you tonight on nightly nenews. unti, thl y enen syojodaatur [ coach ] in albuquerque, citi pre-approved my mortgage. [ whistle blows ] all right, layups, guys. let's go. in sioux falls, i locked in a rate. coach, you get that house yet? working on it. [ coach ] the appraisal? ...springfield. wherever i was, my citi mortgage consultant had me covered. [ crowd cheering ]

and 500 miles from home... [ cheering, cellphone beeps ] ...we finally had a new home. [ male announcer ] from pre-approval to closing, citi is with you every step of the way. what's your story? citi can help you write it. good morning. coming up next on "today in the bay," a giants fan attacked for his orange and black pride heads to emergency surgery. the rough road head for the san jose emt who has spent countless hours saving lives in the south basement. an explosion rips a hole in the roof of a plane headed to northern california. the frightening moments on board while investigators try to figure out w we wno kth s e'eder we know there's cnorime in baseball, but tobacco? who's pushing for the league to ban oneri

good morning to you. take a live look at the bay bridge this morning. you can see it is a gray start to the day and cooler than what we have had in the la