good morning. breaking news -- president obama releases a long-form copy of his birth certificate to prove once and for all he was born in the u.s. we're live in washington with reaction. tragedy in kabul. at least eight americans including seven servicemen killed when an afghan military officer opened fire on foreign troops at the airport. we'll have the latest details. and behind the wheel, the future king and queen of england head to london for their royal wedsing and believe it or not, they drove themselves. as britain's armed forces hold a full dress walk-through to prepare for the big event today, wednesday, april 27th, 2011.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning, everyone. welcome to a special split edition of "today," 7:00 a.m. on the west coast on a wednesday. i'm matt lawer in new york. meredith has made her way to london's trafalgar square this morning. good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, matt. pleasure to see you. you can see behind me big ben and westminster abbey where the couple will be married. this morning at about 5:00 a.m. 5,000 members of the military did a full dress rehearsal along with a marching band, although the marching band did not perform.

also the carriage that may take the royal couple back from the abbey to the palace once they are married on friday. we're going to have a lot of details on the wedding to come. also we'll take a look at that picture of william and catherine driving themselves back to lond london. what's up with that? >> thank you very much. we'll get back to you in a moment. breaking news out of the white house as president obama takes on the birther issue head on. >> i know that there's going to be a segment of people for which no matter what we put out this issue will not be put to rest. but i'm speaking to the vast majority of the american people as well as to the press. we do not have time for this kind of silliness. we've got bert stuff to do. i've got better stuff to do. we've got big problems to solve. and i'm confident we can solve them. >> nbc's david gregory is moderator of "meet the press."

david, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> the president has listened to people talk about this issue, bemused and puzzled. he talked about the real issues and says we can't deal them if we're dealing with sideshows and carnival barkers. has he laid it to rest? >> people who are inclined to believe they may find some conspiracy angle here to keep this thing going, but i know from talking to people inside the white house there was a view it had finally gotten too much traction. why? you look at our own polling and cbs' as well recently shows 45% of republicans, 45% believe the president was born outside the country. donald trump in this split screen this morning doing a press conference in new hampshire taking credit for keeping this issue alive and forcing him to release this birth certificate. so all of this had led the white house to believe, look, this is going too far. we had to put an end to it. they had to get a special waiver from the state of hawaii, i'm told, in order to get them to release the long form.

you asked why wouldn't they have done this going back all the way to the campaign? certainly, if we weren't born in the united states, do you think his political rivals like hillary clinton would not have found this out and made this public back then? >> let's talk about donald trump. he's in new hampshire today in advance of what could be an announcement that he's running for the republican nomination. and yes in some ways he did take credit for what the president said at the white house. let's take a listen. ? and you have to ask the president why didn't he do this a long time ago? why didn't he do it a long time ago? when hillary clinton was asking, when everybody was asking, why didn't he do it? it's shocking. it's shocking. >> now, if you're donald trump and you're up there in new hampshire with your talking points, some of those were just taken away from him. so is the white house in some ways sending a warning shot across his bow, talk about the issues or talk about nothing? >> yes, exactly. and you talk about the no need for carnival barkers and we don't have time for silliness. they were talking about trump without calling him out by name.

when i raised the question why didn't they do it before, it was a different motivation than trump was saying. they didn't do it before because they felt they could dismiss it enough. the president told brian williams recently i'm not going to walk around with a birth certificate stapled to my polling. almost 5 in 10 republicans saying he was born outside the country. the president also used national air time on the networks to make another point, to speak to the vast middle of the country, those independent voters he wants back for next year saying this is what the right is talking act, i'm talking about gas prices, i'm talking about bringing the budget back into balance. these are the things we should be focused on. it was an opportunity for him to set himself apart from that. >> and speaking to the media, he's saying valuable air time is being wasted in this presidential election year. he was calling us out saying don't only break in when we're talking about a birther issue. let's talk about the real issues, as well. >> to be fair, matt, whether

you're doing it, i've done it on "meet the press," we challenge the republican leaders to dismiss the insignificance of this birther issue, to condemn those who keep spawning this, and they've refused to do it. on "meet the press," john baneer, eric cantor, they have refused to say this is outright nonsense. there was a leadership country in the well. >> david gregory, thank you very much. we're also following two major stories out of the pentagon. word of the big shake-up to the nation's top military and intelligence post, and a deadly attack on u.s. servicemen in kabul, afghanistan. a busy moment at the pentagon. jim miklaszewski is there. what can you tell us? >> reporter: this is a major shake-up of the national security team. leon panetta will move into the pentagon as the defense secretary. president obama decided once secretary gates leaves that he wants panetta take over here and to replace him at the cia, general david petraeus, the top u.s. military commander in

afghanistan. panetta has gotten high marks, even though he had no experience in national security before moving into the cia and of course we know david petraeus' background in terms of counterterrorism, which appears to make him a perfect fit to move into the cia to replace panetta. >> mick, bring us up to date on the situation in afghanistan. we've got varying numbers of the number of americans who have been killed and nato forces killed when this afghan military official or officer opened fire. what can you tell us? >> well, tragically, matt, the new numbers are that eight americans were killed, seven of those military service members in what is described as a bizarre incident. a 20-year veteran of the afghan military being trained as a pilot apparently got in an argument with other afghan service members there at the military site of the airport in kabul and a gunfight erupted, apparently, between the afghans themselves. somehow the americans got caught in the middle of that and eight were kill, matt.

>> there have been many incidents like this over the last several years. jim miklaszewski at the pentagon this morning, thank you. the deadly storms that have rocked a big portion of the nation's midsection this week are intensifying this morning. the weather channel's eric fisher is in west memphis, arkansas. they're expected to be hit for the third straight day. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. no hot summer day required. we have seen tornado warnings from arkansas to mississippi, alabama, tennessee, and georgia already this morning. a dynamic system that's been working its way through. it's already left damage from the last few days and we are not over yet by a long shot. >> yeah. it's all the way. >> reporter: this has become an all too common sight this month. tuesday from texas to tennessee, twisters through the south and midwest. [ sirens ] >> reporter: in texas, sirens blared as the skies opened up, dropping funnel clouds like this one.

>> amazing. >> reporter: severe weather also rocked mississippi where violent winds tossed heavy debris and created something of a dust storm. >> it's not looking good. >> reporter: in gould, arkansas, two storm chasers were trapped in their car by the deafening hail. >> heard a big crack. >> reporter: further north in michigan, nine people were struck by lightning during a youth soccer practice, leaving behind a piece of scorched earth. one person was seriously injured. >> we heard a really big bang and then we heard people yelling. >> reporter: in southeast missouri an earthen levee oozing water in 30 places is all that stands between the rising black river and the residents of poplar bluff. >> this is bad. >> reporter: and likely to get worse. about 1,000 homes in the small town south of st. louis have been evacuated. hundreds spent the night in

shelters in a yair. >> we still have our lives. that's what we've got to be thankful for. >> reporter: more than a foot of rain has fall en in parts of missouri in the past four days. the mississippi and ohio rivers are rising quickly and are expected to spread widespread flooding this week. meanwhile, in arkansas where the death toll from monday's twisters reached ten, the sounds of cleanup. >> i have my crew here working. my family's helping. >> reporter: as neighbors helped neighbors begin to rebuild after more than 30 tornadoes ripped through four states on monday. leaving behind memories of an unforgettable april with tornadoes numbering nearly 300. >> we'll take it one step at a time, do the best we can. >> reporter: here in west memphis, we got fairly lucky with the storm system. what you' behind me is some rooftops that were taken off.

however, it could have been much, much worse. today we have a cold front, a different part of this system that finally is going to sweep from west to east. right now it's in western arkansas. as it does so, two sides to that story. one, it will bring calmer weather tomorrow. tomorrow, may feature strongest storms yet compared to the last four days where we've already seen so many reports of tornadoes, wind damage, and hail. >> eric fisher from the weather channel. thank you very much. you're not too optimistic about what we'll see today. >> absolutely not. a continuation of this pattern we've been stuck in in april. why we've seen so many tornadoes, over 430 in a month when we see less than half of that, here's what's happened. we have la nina system pumping up the warm gulf water, the warm gulf moist hair, a strong upper-level low that's been developing off and on right through this month. cooler-than-normal temperatures in the plains, combining to make for the strong storms. it's happening again, tornado watches from mississippi on up into kentucky. we're looking at a lot of rain. the risk of strong storms today,

strongest in northern mississippi, alabama, and georgia. but the risk extend all the way up into upstate new york. rainfall amounts will be anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of rain, and that means flashflood watches and flashflood warnings are in effect from texas all the way up into upstate new york. so we continue to see the severe weather continuing, matt, for at least another 48 hours. >> back in a second with your local forecast, al. thank you very much. but right now, back to london and meredith. >> matt, thank you very much. as the countdown to the royal wedding hits two days the couple has arrived in london. this morning traffic was brought to a standstill as members of the military held a full dress rehearsal. "today" natalie morales has details from westminster abbey. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. we're getting perhaps the final glimpse of the bride and groom, making their way to london for the final rounds before walking

down the aisle on friday. meantime earlier today, as you said, we saw that full rehearsal of the military procession. it was the full royal treatment right before the wedding. at westminster abbey, streets were blocked off this morning so the horses and karnls could rehearse the ceremonial procession. members of the military practiced marching the entire route but without the massive crowds expected on friday. thousands of trees and flowers that will adorn the abbey have been delivered, many chosen by kate middleton herself. >> i suggested from the beginning that we would use things from the royal estates and prince william spoke with her majesty, who was delighted to supply these things. >> reporter: a quick glimpse of the bride to be, kate middleton, leaving her family home with her sister pippa. kate behind the wheel, headed for london, according to buckingham palace. it could be the last time we see her before she appears in a wedding gown on friday.

the groom, too, left the middleton home and headed to london to get ready for his big day. with all the final details in place, the wedding guests are getting themselves ready. prince charles' wife, camilla, was spotted leaving a hair salon in london, and chelsea davie, the off and on girlfriend of prince harry, spotted shopping in chelsea just days before the wedding. as for the best man, prince harry delivered a hand-written speech before wounded war vets tuesday, a warm-up perhaps for the one he'll read on the big day. on the streets of london, oddsmakers, always trying to make money, are taking wagers on everything from kate's tiara -- will her something borrowed be story george iii french tiara from the queen's collection -- to the utterly ridiculous bets. >> we are betting on prince william to fall asleep and whether william will wear spectacles during the wedding and also taking bets on whether

kate will jilt william at the altar. >> reporter: i don't think they will make money on the last one. we certainly hope not. they'll be viewing celebrations throughout the entire city from here in trafalgar square to over in hyde park. as i went for a run earlier today, i saw they were setting up the port-a-potties and the big jumbotrons for the big celebrations. absolutely ridiculous. right there. >> this expansive set but not so much. you know? thank you very much. ben fogel, special correspondent for nbc news. get over here. you can stay. come join us. talk about the security for this couple and seriously now, people are concerned in this country. they want to make sure they stay safe. are you surprised they're driving themselves around london this close to the wedding? >> it doesn't surprise me that much because for all the royals, driving is their only opportunity for independence. they can get behind the wheel. they can choose where they go. there is security always there that you might just not see it

in the photograph. there will be another car following them. but there's a long tradition of it. prince philip famously drives around london in these streets. he could be there now in a black cab. no one can see him because they think he's a normal cabbie except he doesn't stop for you. >> and the queen, too, right? >> they all drive around. they have a fleet of different cars so you wouldn't necessarily be aware that they're around. so they can remain relatively anonymous in this big city. >> and we did talk to the press that handled prince william, and they assured us there was a bodyguard in the car with kate in the back seat. but this is a couple that's trying to maintain some normalcy and want that after the marriage. what are they up against here? how will they do that? >> they really value what little privacy they can get. and the world spotlight is on us today and how they can go from 2 billion people watching every network in the world descending on london to the angles up in north wales and relative privacy. i'm not really sure.

it's going to be a hard game to play. they've embraced the press, understand the importance of it. they have to respect them for that. >> something poignant actually about seeing that picture of kate middleton driving that car, isn't there? >> my wife actually looked at that photo this morning and said it was sad because she was imagining herself in that scenario. she's saying good-bye to her family and driving to her new life. i'm sure there will be visitors there. no doubt they'll remain regular visitors at the middleton family home, but it's quite symbolic of what's happening in the next few days. >> you might not be the right one to ask, the fact her hair is up in that photo. we don't really see her with her hair down. is that a sign, do you think that she'll have it up for wedding? >> everyone's been talking about that. i'm probably not the best person, but i think i was speaking to someone earlier who

was saying they've been assured her hair will be down. if i take my own example when i got mar rid, my wife had her hair like she normally has it. otherwise it looks like someone different. we want to see the kate middleton we know, we recognize from the photographs. she looks great with it down. >> if you could give them a bit of advice heading into friday, what would you say? >> i don't think i'm the right person to give advice, but i think just relax and enjoy it. you know, the wedding -- not all of us. there are a lot of us who have been through weddings and it's scary enough institution without having the world's attention and spotlight on you. and i think if they can just relax, enjoy it, the weather is on their side, then i think they're going to have a day they'll never, ever forget. >> she sure looks relaxed in the picture. thanks a bunch. see you later. matt and i will take a special behind-the-scenes look at how the royal household is preparing for the wedding day so, be sure to catch "inside the royal wedding" tonight at 8:00, 7:00 central on nbc.

let us head back to new york for a check of the other top stories of the morning. ann curry is at the news desk. good morning to you, ann. hey, meredith. thanks so much. good morning to all of you. reports of gunfire and explosion today in the southern city of dara after the syrian army sent in more tanks and reinforcements. dara is where the pro-democracy uprising began last month. human rights activists say a relentless crackdown has killed more than 400 people across syria. this while libyan leader moammar gadhafi's forces continue to pound misrata, the only city with a significant rebel presence in libya's government-controlled west. president obama is urging congress to repeal oil industry tax breaks as americans face skyrocketing gas prices at the pump. republicans dismiss this call, saying it would just increase gas prices. the suspect in last week's attempted colorado mall bombing on the 12th anniversary of the massacre at nearby columbine high school appears in a denver federal court today. earl albert moore was

apprehended at a grocery store yesterday after a six-day manhunt. sony is apologizing for what could become the biggest data theft ever as a hack may have stolen credit card information from some of its 77 million playstation user accounts. the security breach could cause sony billions of dollars. if you can't make it to the royal wedding, maybe you make one of your own. a groom in china gave his bride a wedding that made her feel like a real british princess. the couple tied the knot with a procession of scarlet-cladhorse. so what was the tab for the wedding fit for a king? the bargain apparently was about $7,000. it is now 7:20 on the west coast. let's go back to matt and al. >> gets brownie points that last a lifetime. >> absolutely. >> no question. >> treat him like a prince. >> you've got a lot to talk about. >> absolutely do. let's start on the west coast. the good news is for a lot of folks there, things apparently

kauai wet the exception of some showers moving into the pacific northwest. seattle, 52 degrees. pretty nice weather out there. vegas, 79 and sunshine. 87 in l.a. today. temperatures in the upper 80s in phoenix. denver will see partly sunny skies and 57 degrees. but back east as a funnel system makes its way east, we have a risk of strong storms especially in the mid-mississippi and lower mississippi river valley, plenty of sunshine through the southwest. more showers in the central plains. we're looking at the risk of storms stretching from the gulf coast all the way up into new england with some showers moving in later in the day into the northeast and new england as well. sunny skies, 80 degrees, make that 90 degrees and sunny in miami. that's what's going on around the coun well, good morning to you. we're going to see a beautiful day. high pressure making for a really warm afternoon. we do have a system just to our north that's going to drive some high clouds in the area. as we head through the second part of the day, but it is clear as a bell out this right now.

no fog to report. 70 in los gatos. 70 today in san jose and 69 up in san rafael. even warmer tomorrow and a little warmer for your friday. temperatures climb under that big ridge of high pressure as it reaches peak heat on friday. still, though, nice and warm over the weekend. al, thanks very much. still ahead, live from london, including what it takes to get the perfect picture of the royal family. a man whose mission it is to capture their every move. twizzlers. the twist you can't resist.

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>> jimmy had it. he looked like a planter's peanut guy, i looked like a monopoly guy. try everything i can. go ahead. >> i got my hat today. i was going let you know. >> oh, good. i seal see it tomorrow. >> you will. just ahead, princess diana's legacy. as much as they did. (girl) it's really hogwarts! because i can fly with harry! because i love seeing him like this! (screaming) ahhhhh! (narrator) from unforgettable adventures to the wizarding world of harry potter, only at universal orlando resort. to the wizarding world of harry potter, you gotta try honey bunches of oats with almonds! it's got real, sliced california almonds with a third less sugar per serving than honey nut cheerios. wow! delicious! try honey bunches of oats with almonds!

>>it's breakfast ont the go! want some? negative. commencing standard breakfast procedure. sfx: bzzzzzzz. humanize your morning. emerald breakfast on the go! good morning to you. it's 7:26. i'm marla tellez. well, this morning san francisco police reportedly ready to name a new chief known for cracking down on crime in the city's toughest districts, but the new chief's name is also linked to a few department scandals. christie smith is live in san francisco this morning with a look at this new chief. >> reporter: good morning to you. captain greg suhr has a long resume with the police department, starting about 30 years ago as a patrol officer, moving all the way up the ranks to the head of field operations. he is 52 years old. during his time, he ran one of the city's toughest departments,

the bayview station. during that time homicides fell about 50%. but there's also controversy. an indictment for allegedly conspiring to obstruct justice tied to the infamous fajita-gate scandal where officers were accused of beating up some guys for their food. a judge ultimately, though, dropped it as baseless. mayor ed lee, though, says he is vetted and the best choice there is. he's expected to be sworn in this morning at 10:00. reporting live in san francisco, christie smith. marla, back to you. and now we'll check the roads. a few problems out there, huh, mike? >> that's right. even though there's a lighter volume of traffic, spring breaks continue, we do have some slow spots. the east shore freeway shows a 31-minute drive off the carquinez bridge not because of the volume through berkeley but the problems we had coming out of san pablo. the accident cleared about 25 minutes ago but there's a big backup heading through this area. as we show you a live shot of 880, i'd like to jump to that oakland shot, past the coliseum

but northbound 880 at 92, just got word of an accident there. four cars involved blocking two lanes as you head up towards 92. it's not on the maps, we'll show that live shot of 880. another issue through that similar area, northbound 238 right off of 580, two big rigs involved in accidents there. so san leandro-hayward area going to show slowing the next few minutes. >> at the drop of a hat, the commute can change. we'll be back with our next news and weather update at 7:56. the "today" show returns in less than two.

7:30 on this wednesday morning, april 27, 2011. you are looking live at london's westminster abbey where just about 48 hours from now, william and kate will emerge for the fist time as husband and wife. the ceremony will be followed by a carriage procession to buckingham palace where the couple will share their first kiss on the balcony. i'm meredith vieira coming to you from historic trafalgar square. matt getting set to make the trip to london tonight. matt, you will be glad to know we had a talk with the press department and they said there was a male body guard in the

back of kate's car. she was driving herself but did have protection. but the picture of her in the car, any picture actually of the royal family is in high demand. just ahead we introduce you to a photographer who documents their every move and captured some iconic images of the royals. plus, what is it like to work with kate middleton? we'll talk to a woman who collaborated with her on a line of jewelry. matt? >> we begin in new york with serious news. the fbi has been called in to help investigate the mysterious disappearance of a missing mother. police found krista ditmeir's car over the weekend, her 14-month-old daughter inside. we'll speak to her mother and sister. but first, "today" national correspondent amy robach has the latest on the case. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. 20-year-old krista was working here as a waitress and raising

her daughter. from the moment she went missing police made it clear they do not believe krista voluntarily left her young daughter in the running car. in fact, reports insist instead that krista may have met violence in her car. blood was found in the car according to a local paper quoting the sheriff's office. this as the fbi has been brought in. >> we are making progress. >> reporter: krista's car was found idling at a ski parking lot in new hampshire, 60 miles from her home in maine. her daughter was sleeping alone in the back seat. krista's mother is caring for aliyah. her older sister is sick with worry. >> she has friends in the area. that's about it. we have no idea what she was doing.

>> reporter: although the family isn't clear how the car turned up in conway, they are certain of one thing. >> she's a very loving mother. i just know she never would have abandoned her daughter ever. >> reporter: the family believes krista convinced whoever took her to leave aliyah behind in a place where she would be found. >> if she was a victim of a kidnapping she may have struck a deal. you can take me, but not my baby. >> reporter: officially authorities are calling it a missing persons case but investigators maintain krista is not a runaway. with air and ground searches over for now, police say the investigation is in full swing. police have krista's car and cell phone records as well as a second car although they aren't saying who owns the other vehicle. >> we are analyzing physical evidence we received and reviewing cell phone records and analyzing them for clues. >> reporter: police would not confirm reports that blood was found inside krista's car. >> we have no comment on that

statement. >> reporter: with each hour krista remains missing, police say concern grows, but they remain focused on bringing the beloved mother home. >> our responsibilities pale in comparison to the stress the family is feeling. we will do everything to reunite them with krista. >> reporter: in case of a missing single mother, very often the first question surrounds the child's father. officially police have said only he was not in the area at the time of the disappearance. they have also said they have ruled out no one as a suspect. nbc news learned through its affiliate in portland, maine, that the father is 26-year-old kyle ackers. he's serving an 18-month sentence in prison in maine for drug trafficking, clearly putting him physically out of the area at the time of krista's disappearance. >> krista's mother and sister are with us now exclusively

along with a family friend, kathy pratt. good morning. >> good morning. >> let me ask you. we heard the law enforcement official in amy's piece say they are making progress. have they informed you of what progress they are making? >> no, not at this -- well, they have been keeping me updated. but they are only limited on what they can tell me. >> i know you last spoke to krista friday. she was driving at the time. did she tell you where she was going, who she was going to see? any pertinent information like that? >> i talked to her friday night. i didn't ask her if she was driving or whatever. but we were just a quick conversation. she was expecting something in the mail at my house. i told her she didn't get it. it was just brief. she was normal. i would see her on easter

sunday. >> what about in the days prior to that? kayla, did you notice a change in your sister? was she under any extra stress? did she talk about pressures in her life? anything like that? >> no. i never noticed anything at all. she never talked to me. she always seemed happy. i talked to her that morning because my birthday was the day before, thursday the 21st. i talked to her the next morning and nothing seemed out of the ordinary at all. >> did she talk to any of you about being afraid of anyone? was someone angry at her, someone jealous of her? >> no, nothing at all. i don't believe she had anybody that had a vendetta against her. she's lovable, outgoing. i have asked her friends. they tell me the same thing. they don't know who would want to hurt her. >> when you think about the circumstances surrounding the

discovery of her car. it's in a ski resort parking lot running, the door is ajar, her baby in the back seat and the lights are flashing. when you add up the pieces what comes to mind? what do you think happened? >> obviously somebody wanted to attract attention to the car. i don't know if krista was in the car at that point. we really don't know if she was and she wanted her baby to be found and she knew she'd be taken care of. >> i have to ask you about the father of the baby. we just identified him as kyle acker, the former boyfriend of your daughter. they lived together until january when he was sent to prison. do you think though he physically could not have been at that location at that time might he have anything to do with this? >> i don't have any comments about him at this time. i would like to focus more on finding my daughter. >> tell me about your

granddaughter. she's staying with you now, i understand. how is she doing? >> she's doing well. she has her moments like any 14-month-old baby would do. she's got restless nights. she sleeps with my daughter every night. she definitely misses her. she's been crying at nighttime and very clingy to me, very confused. all these people are around she's not familiar with. daytime she's happy. nights, she's having a hard time. >> i know you wanted the opportunity to make a plea to anyone holding your daughter or who may know where your daughter is. what would you like to say? >> first, i would like to say, krista, i know you're out there. i love you. aliyah loves you, your sister and your family loves you. we want you home. whoever has her, drop her off wherever. just let her be found, please.

let her be found. >> ladies, thank you all. we'll keep following the story. >> thank you. >> let's get a check of the weather from al. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by round up extended control weed and grass control. >> temperatures in the northeast are mild as we look at this afternoon. 40s and 60s in the new england areas. 90s through the gulf. that's the problem. we have warm, moist air there. cooler air from the plains. where the two meet you can see the front where we have the strong risk of stormses. high risk in northern alabama into missouri and kentucky. we are looking at a risk of a dangerous tornado, hail, damaging winds and torrential rains. good morning to you. a cool start, mostly clear conditions.

sunny skies later on today. a really beautiful day on tap for us. by this weekend, perfect weather for hitting the beach. this is where we're headed towards the latter part of the day. 70 degrees at redwood city, 72 in santa cruz and 71 up in napa. our temperatures are going to climb tomorrow into the mid-70s and the upper 70s as we head into the end of your week. here's what we're expecting next week, even warmer. 80 degrees, lots of sunshine. high pressure not going anywhere. weather. matt? >> al, thank you very much. up next from london, the photographer charged with documenting the royal family's every tmomove. first, these messages. ♪ hit the road, jack ♪ and don't you come back no more ♪ ♪ no more, no more, no more ♪ hit the road, jack ♪ and don't you come back no more ♪ [ male announcer ] want your weeds to hit the road? hit 'em with roundup extended control. one application kills weeds and puts down a barrier to stop new ones for up to four months. roundup extended control

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of the story. michelle? >> reporter: sometimes you think of a member of the royal family, what pops into mind is a photograph we have seen a million times. that's how important photographers are to their global images. a lot of rules have been established limiting the paparazzi since the days of princess diana. but today for the established agencies like getty, some of the best photographers in the world, they feel renewed energy and stress as the world clamors for ever more william and kate. barely dawn on a cold british morning that promises its work and christopher jackson is beyond early. first in line but soon enough planning becomes printing. >> about to have a heart attack? >> reporter: dozens in the rain for a few seconds of will and

kate that will make or break their day. >> she's a beautiful girl. >> reporter: until -- [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: showtime. and while chris is snapping, he's also sending via laptop. nowadays, speed is close to being his most vital skill? you take it, five minutes later it's global? >> absolutely. it's incredible. it will be on the picture desks all over the new world. when you see you picture on news stands that's incredible. >> reporter: don't think the artistry has gone. >> you're documenting history. >> reporter: he's passionate. >> when you click and get the right picture. >> reporter: that magical moment that radiates beauty. >> something different, maybe that side of humanity. something between smiling and laughter. it's very rare. if you can just catch it, it shades it a little bit of personality, i suppose. >> reporter: the smile you don't always see -- not planned or

posed. prince charles, dancing in the amazon. the milliseconds, the interaction or the unintentional comedy that strikes them as well. >> it's what you live for as a photographer. >> reporter: part celebrity that really stay with us and almost become, at least in our memories who they are. >> special moments like that when something unexpected happens and you see a human side to the royal family, that's exciting. >> reporter: and the not so pretty moments for princess diana and, yes, kate middleton long before this wedding to find their way out there. for chris who's gained the trust of the royal family over years of documenting their lives, he's looking for something else. >> i'm trying to create something to make someone laugh, smile or just generate some kind of emotion. then that's what i'm looking for. trying to get the viewer to see

something different and feel something. >> reporter: he said the stress level is up now because there are 50 or 60 photographers at every event and getting images out there the fastest is of the essence. i asked who's the most natural? front of the cameras and he said camilla. he said you see kate looking much less nervous now and that she's kind oh photographers. she gives them the moments they are looking for. he said prince charles and prince william tend to focus on whomever they are speaking to. meredith? >> she's smart actually. michelle kosinski, thank you very much. let's bring in ben fogle along with the royal editor for the daily express in the uk, camilla tominy. good morning. >> good morning. >> whether kate likes it or not, the press is now a part of her life. >> it's great that she's had a decade to practice. there was a period in her life when she was really followed too

intensely by the paparazzi from her flat in london to work and back again. that was partly why she had to give up her job at jigsaw and work for the family business. now there is a laying off. the mistakes made in diana's era, i don't think will be repeated. also, prince william has said, look, i need to protect this girl. i love her. i love her family. he said when he thinks we are overstepping the line. we have come to a point of mutual respect, i think. >> william is a good teacher for her. he's been through it. >> the photographer we were just following, i have worked with chris and he's gained the trust of those around the royals. i think that's the key. it's about hand-picking those you can work with. because there is an insatiable interest in the photographs, the stories. >> she's smart to give them a little bit of what she wants.

>> she had a lesson and he said, just smile for the cameras. you will always look good. and she does. she's a photographer's dream anyway because she's so beautiful, but she's always poised and just says, "no comment." it's made her an elusive figure. we'd like to know more about her. we don't know much. >> that shot of her in the car driving herself to london with the hair up, is it a hint, camilla? >> i don't think so. richard ward told other stylists he thinks her hair should be 100% down and flowing. this is her stylist, the head hair dresser at her salon. james price is doing the 'do, but she has lovely cascading locks so the theory is she'll go for hair down. >> her sister pippa is in the car and she's organizing the post wedding party. we read that the royals are upset or the palace is upset that she'll hang shiny mirrored

balls in the throne room. >> they can't get it right, can they? >> there is so much speculation on all the elements to the wedding. i think a lot of it is just to keep everyone on their toes. listen, it's their wedding. i think the fact that it was announced that a thousand guests are genuine friends, it's not a state occasion. they're going to have the party. they have decided whether they want trees in the abbey. this is their wedding, not inelsein el -- anyone else's. >> our coverage of the royal wedding kicks off bright and early friday morning, 4:00 a.m. eastern. get up. 1:00 a.m. pacific time. don't go to sleep. here on nbc. still ahead, we'll talk to a woman who collaborated with kate on a jewelry line about the bling that will be on display during the ceremony. what jewelry will kate wear? first, these messages.

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♪ good morning, everyone, it's 7:56. i'm scott mcgrew. lawmakers are considering a law that would crack down on drug-fueled rave parties statewide. today a san francisco assemb assemblywoman will create the bill that will create safety guidelines. the bill was written after several deaths and hospitalizations at raves last year, including at the cow palace in daly city. almost a year ago action two people died, five others were rushed to the hospital after overdosing at a cow palace rave. a local hospital needs your help this morning figuring out who one of its patients is. the man has been in san francisco general for the past two weeks. he was found on april 11th on richland avenue near san jose avenue. he's in fair condition but doctors -- he's unable to tell

doctors what his name is. the patient is latino, in his 40s with short black hair, brown eyes, 5'4", about 150 pounds. if you know who it is or have some idea, call the number on your screen. let's check in with christina this morning. good morning to you. a lot of kids are on spring break right now and, boy, they lucked out this week because it's absolutely beautiful out there. we're warming up into the 70s later on today and this weekend the warm, dry weather continues. great weekend to make those beach plans. 70s today, 70 degrees in concord, 72 up in santa rosa and 70 in redwood city so comfortable conditions today. a bit warmer tomorrow. 78 by friday. a mix of sun and clouds as we head to the weekend and then next week we really warm up. 80 degrees as we kick off the next workweek so we're looking good. overnight lows still on the chilly side. you might need to run the heater overnight but you can give that ac a break. in fact if you're hopping in your car, how does it look,

mike? >> spring breaks continue this week but the maze starting to show the slowdown and the east shore freeway really jamming up. about 45 minutes largely because of the jamming off of the carquinez bridge. early accident still on the shoulder heading towards the merge off of the richmond bridge. an issue off of the san mateo bridge as well. an accident has cleared to the shoulder. and then also at the castro valley y an accident still in lanes causing some slowing off of 580 heading up to northbound 238. there's a big rig there. no injuries, though. more local news in a half hour. the "today" show ruptures in less than a minute.

8:00 on a wednesday morning. it's the 27th day of april, 2011. two days until the royal wedding, that's why you see so many crowns this morning. we're happy we've got great weather here in the northeast and look at the blue skies over there in london where meredith has taken up a position in tra fall gar square. >> keep thinking positive thoughts. i'm matt lauer along with al roker. meredith in london. what do you have coming up? >> as friday approaches, the memory of princess diana's

wedding not far from anyone's mind. her death has cast a long shadow over william and kate's day. we'll take a closer look at diane in's lasting legacy. >> thanks, meredith. keeping the wedding theme going, we're going to be talking with kate hudson, in a must movie called "something borrowed." the oscar nominated actress is also expecting in real life. we'll catch up with her in just a moment. >> she looks fantastic. patting the tummy. >> showing us the bump. >> staying on the royalty theme, next week we are going to have an interview with aerosmith, music royalty, the front man for the group for 40 years and also white hot right now as one of the judges on quts american idle. he invited me into his los angeles home and his closet. >> these zip down and i can put

these on the leg. >> because you're steven tyler. >> and i get to stand next to j.lo every night. >> i'm heat. >> how long were you in the closet? >> next week on a special "date line" then monday morning right here on "today." also, by the way, next monday we have another judge, jennifer lopez right here on our program. she's going to unveil her new single. music video actually here on the show. it's a video. before we go any further, let's go inside. ann curry is standing by with the headlines. >> and we begin with president obama confronting persistent questions about whether he was born in the united states. at the news conference, the president released a long form of his birth certificate showing

he was born in hawaii and therefore is eligible for the office of president. he called the debate on the issue a quote, side show. major changers in leadership at the pentagon and cia. joining us now with the latest on this. good morning. >> good morning, this is a major reshuffling of the national security team. president obama has decided to name cia director leon panetta as the new secretary of defense here at the pentagon and that general david petraeus, the top u.s. commander in afghanistan, will replace panetta, the current secretary of defense robert gates has made it well known that he wants to leave before the end of the year. these changes probably would not take effect until sometime late summer, early fall, ann. >> another major story, this attack at the airport kabul this morning.

>> it would be appear to be somewhat friendly fire. an afghan military pilot open fire on coalition forces on the military side of the kabul airport this morning killing as many as eight coalition members. u.s. military officials will only confirm now that one american was killed, three wounded. but there are reports that as many as six americans may have died. >> jim, thanks so much. in other news this morning, violent weather ripped through the south for a second straight night raising the death toll in arkansas to at least 11. more than 100 homes were damaged in rural east texas and many kmujts in the central parts of the united states are fighting to stave off rivers surging from days of relentless rain. there are reports of gunfire and explosion in the southern city of dara after the syrian army sent in more tanks and reinforceme reinforcement. it is where the prodemocracy uprising began last month and

activists say a crackdown has killed 400 people across syria. this while moammar gadhafi's forces continue to pound misr a misrata, the only city with a significant rebel presence in the government controlled west. katie couric has announced she will be leaving the anchor desk at the cbs evening news after five years on the job. she is yet to reveal where she will go next. a teenager in utah has an unusual talent and showing it all off on youtube. you can watch the 13-year-old is amazingly accurate with a football, even making far away shots into a basketball net. his online video has received more than 150,000 hits in just a few days. good for him. sign that kid up. it is five minutes past the hour. let's go to al for a check on today's weather. >> brought to you by kay jewelers. >> what school are you from?

>> just outside louisville, kentucky. you've got strong storms this morning. let's look and show you what's happening, kansas city, missouri, action news, cloudy and cool and 57. as we show you where the risk of strong storms are, we're looking at the very likely into kentucky of a strong risk and then a high risk in birmingham, huntsville, also into northwestern georgia for tornadoes into tonight. we also have a lot of rain to talk about with the system, some areas picking up three to five inches of rain. showers in the western great lakes, breezy, sunny conditions through the southwest. good morning to you. boy, we have a beautiful day already out there. it's going to get even better as our temperatures jump up now that the sun is out and high pressure has taken full control of our weather pattern. now, tomorrow we are going to see a bit of a change. the system of low pressure drops

into the area and will bring more cloud cover as early as this evening but a bigger component will be the winds we're anticipating for tomorrow. 70 degrees for today with light winds in san jose. 70 in fremont. 72 in fairfield. a little warmer tomorrow. 0s next week. weather. matt? >> al, thank you very much. coming up next, meredith back in london. she'll talk about princess diana and the huge shoes she has left for kate middleton to fill. but first, these messages. are uniquely beautiful. one look, and it's easy to see why his rings are worn by hollywood's biggest stars. now you can have a neil lane ring for the star in your life. introducing neil lane bridal at kay jewelers. - this scrollwork is a vintage technique, very intricate. - each hand-crafted ring is an original neil lane design with diamonds hand-selected by kay. neil lane bridal: the newest reason kay is the number one jewelry store in america.

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become -- back with more of our countdown to the royal wedding. in two days when kate walks down the aisle in westminster abbey it will be hard not to think of the day 30 years ago when lady diana spencer became princess diana. how similar are the late princess and the future one? kate snow is at buckingham palace. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. most people don't expect this wedding to be much like 1981 with the 25-foot train that diana had. still, we will be rememberi ini diana. it was william who ensured his

mother would be a part of the big day. >> she won't be around to share in the fun and excitement. this is my way of keeping her close to it all. >> you look at william, you see diana. >> reporter: author christopher anderson say the two had an exceptional bond. >> she sought his advice and called women her little wise man. >> reporter: william learned how to be a modern monarch. >> princess diana redefined the monarchy making it modern, accessible and glamorous in the dynasty, dallas era but right to the end of her life she was the most fascinatinfascinating, int person that emerged from the monarchy in the last hundred years. >> reporter: they are big shoes to fill. last fall when they were engaged kate was asked if diana's image was intimidating. >> i would lo to have met her. she's an inspirational woman to

look up to. it's a wonderful family and very inspirational. so, yeah, i do. >> reporte >> if you think of princess diana's legacy and you look at kate middleton in the future, what a daunting task that is going to be. i think kate is wise enough at 29 years old to make her own mark. >> reporter: kate has had more time to get used to the role. friends say she's nervous and confident in the limited public appearances she's made this spring, crowds seem to love her. while diana and kate are very different women, nbc news royal expert camilla tominy says kate's ability to connect is similar. >> in the end of the day she's normal. that's the system reason diana was popular. people believe there is something to identify with. she's aspirational and also touchable. >> reporter: kate is likely to do things differently from diana. >> kate and william will be more careful. they will try to present a dream double act rather than two solo

superstars like charles and tien i can't presented themselves. >> reporter: the memory of diana can't help but shape the future, the altar where william and kate marry is the place he walked to behind his mother's casket. friends say he's protective of kate, that he learned from his mother kindness, the ability to love. william once said not a day goes by he doesn't think about his mother. on his wedding day, the world will be thinking about her, too. >> reporter: william is expected to give a speech after the wedding. it's a tradition that the groom speaks. many expect, meredith, that he'll speak about his mother and her influence on his life. meredith? >> kate snow, thank you very much. martin bashir joins us. good morning. >> good morning. >> prince william had a very close relationship with his mother, princess diana. how do you think her influence shaped this lead-up to the

wedding? >> i think that the tragedy of his mother's life means that he's actually chosen to delay his wedding and conduct himself in a much more controlled fashion. it's amazing that we haven't seen him or harry apart from a brief appearance yesterday and we have barely seen kate. in the run-up to diana's wedding she was being followed everywhere by paparazzi. the sadness and tragedy of the way his mother was hounded has shaped the way he's preparing for the wedding. and the interview he gave when he became engaged to kate, he said, i don't want her to have to step into my mother's shoes. he's been explicit. for that reason we don't know what her charitable interests will be. she hasn't said. we know very little about what her personal shape and role will be. that's because, i think what he's trying to do is give her the chance to enter the family

and then grow gradually into areas of responsibility. >> he said he doesn't want her to step into his mom's shoes but it's hard not to compare the two. what expectations at this point do the british public have for their future princess? >> prince william's uncle, prince andrew, had a failed marriage. his father, prince charles, had a failed marriage. his aunt, princess ann had a failed marriage. there is a sense that this marriage has to be a success. in fact, i have heard it said by people who know him that when he was talking about the possibility of marrying he wanted to delay for as long as he felt he could commit for life. you're married, i'm married. we say our vows before god and family and hope to pledge and keep them. 50% of people in the united kingdom don't. 50% of people, their marriages fall apart. >> in this case this is not an arranged marriage.

she's different from diana. she's university-educated. that's unprecedented. older than diana by ten years. and had more of a courtship with william and diana had with prince charles. i'm sure those things put her in a better position. >> when i interviewed diana in 1995 she said, it was like being tossed to the wolves. she said nobody sat down with her and prepared her for her royal responsibilities, explained what the media would do in her life and the kind of pressure we placed upon her. this girl has seen william with his own private detectives at university for four years. she's been living virtually here with him for the last five years. she knows what this means. for that reason she enters the marriage with her eyes completely open. i think with an acknowledgment that if she's going to marry prince william, this is what her life will be. >> does the british public expect her to be pregnant within

a year? that seems to be the tradition. >> have you seen the front page of the daily star today? it says they are going to have a baby. if you look at the headline it's almost as if she's pregnant already. of course, she isn't. but there is a huge amount of expectation. she's 29, which for many people in the royal family, as you know, is very old. also interesting. what you said. she's the first woman to marry the air to the throne with a university degree. >> that can't be understated. martin, thank you so much. much more to come from here in london. speaking of pregnant, up next from new york, another famous kate who is pregnant. actress kate hudson right after this.

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day. so i want to check my mascara, make sure it doesn't run. so i'm trying all these different ones. >> no question. >> she's a horrible person. >> your worst nightmare. >> we all know one of them. >> we'll talk about the movie in a second. congratulations. look at you. >> i am a pregnant person. >> you are. i saw you on tv not long ago. you had the normal walk. i don't mean it in the wrong way but you walked in today and you started to take on -- >> the waddle? >> a bit of the waddle. >> i'm in my third trimester, so i'm slowing down. >> has it been a good pregnancy? >> the first three months was rough. then it was great. now it's starting to -- i'm starting to get, you know, heavier and slower. >> right. >> i love being pregnant. >> you do not officially know the sex of the child. >> no.

>> however, you have an incredibly scientific way that you have gone about trying to determine this. >> it's the pendulum test. >> describe it. you could patent this. tell people what you do. >> we shouldn't talk about it then. the pendulum, you know, you get something weighted like a ring and your hair. you put it over your belly and swing it. everybody has a different method. >> how does that determine whether it's a boy or girl. >> it goes in a circle if it's a boy. back and forth if it's a boy. this one's a circle. it's saying it's a girl. >> a girl? >> and i'm carrying so different than i did with ryder. it just feels like -- and she. i keep saying she. she's so nuts in here. she's so wild. >> frisky? >> yeah. i feel like it's got the hawn

gene. my mom's lyineage. she's dancing every day. >> place your hand in mine for a second. i just want to see something. is this new? >> this is new. >> you're engaged! congratulations. >> thank you. it just happened a week ago. i'm so glad you noticed. i haven't announced it. >> the camera members are saying, can someone turn the lights off on her hand, please? >> i haven't announced it. i felt like the announcing thing feels so silly. i was waiting for somebody to notice. >> so this is the first time we have talked about it. >> yeah. >> do we have a date? >> no, no. >> this is not just a random guy off the street. >> no. matt bellamy. i think we'll sit into the baby thing for a little bit. >> how did he propose? >> i'm not going to tell you that.

>> come on. you already broke the news. >> no. it was very sweet. it was very romantic. >> save a little for yourself. we'll come back and talk and the movie. good morning. it's 8:26. livermore police are warning female joggers to be extra careful this morning since 2007 there have been six reports of a man who approached runners from behind then pulled down their pants before taking off. the attacks happened at different times on various days at patterson pass road and holm street. in most cases the women were listening to music so were taken off guard by the man. investigators do not have a detailed description of the suspect because of the fact that he surprises his victims and then just r.away.ay it's 8:26. a look at your forecast and commute right after this.

good morning to you. you can probably leave the jacket at home at this point. the sun is out and our temperatures are warming up nicely. high pressure doing its job to clear our skies. tomorrow we are going to see some changes as low pressure drops into the bay area. for today light winds. beautiful temperatures. 70s. 70 degrees in concord. 72 up in santa rosa. 69 degrees in oakland. our temperatures really come up as we head through tomorrow and friday. we're talking about 77 degrees. lots of sunshine tomorrow.

as i said before, it will be a little bit on the windy side so keep that in mind. let's see how the fair weather is treating your commute. >> it's not hurting anything. still slow down the eastshore freeway because of the earlier accident off westbound 880 around san pab lows jammed off the carcinas bridge. oakland showing volume starting to build up northbound past the coliseum and across the bay looking at slowing for san mateo, 101 in all directions and also down the peninsula, normal northbound for the south bay. >> thank you, mike. we'll be back with our next news and weather update at 8:56. the "today" show returns in less than a mint.

♪ 8:30 on wednesday morning, april 27, 2011. you are listening to the wonderful group, blake. four guys who took london by storm several years ago.

today is their u.s. debut. classically trained but they call their sound a mix of classic and pop. we look forward to talking to them. two of them know the royal couple well. we'll have a chat and listen to their beautiful voices. ♪ [ applause ] did i mention, matt, al, and ann, that they are not hard to look at? they are really good-looking guys. >> i noticed you gazing. >> wow. >> you just kept looking at them. >> you know, i didn't know this group. i listened to the record yesterday. i said, wow, they are really good. then i saw the picture and said, whoa! they are lovely guys. >> meredith's got some man candy. >> you guys are coming tomorrow. >> we are! >> we can't wait to see you in

the morning. we'll be there bright and early. >> meanwhile, a lot coming up from here. carrie bradshaw is here, kidding. candice bushnell. >> she has a prequel about how carrie became who she is -- how she became a writer, met samantha and others and also just some of the ways she discovered her fashion sense. >> the back story. >> and then we have what you need to know if you are a first time home buyer in this challenging market. >> a lot to get to. first we have to have a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> first of all, as far as today is concerned, we are looking at a risk of strong storms new york to the gulf coast. a high risk in northern alabama, georgia, and mississippi. rain in the pacific northwest. morning showers in the central plains. for tomorrow, the risk moves

along the eastern seaboard. wet weather into new england. mountain snows in the western plains. sunny and hot from texas into the southwest. mild in the ohio and mississippi river valleys. good news for folks who have been flood and tornado-ravaged. good morning to you. well, it's already beautiful out there this morning but still a little bit on the chilly side. you probably don't even need a jacket any longer. temperatures are now in the mid 50s headed toward the 70s later today and even warmer as we head closer and closer to your weekend. great weekend to make those plans to hit the beach. as you can see here high pressure is firmly in control. that's keeping our skies clear. some clouds will push in from a system just to our north as we head through the latter portion of your day today but still ending up in the 70s. 70 degrees in san jose. and that's your latest weather. matt? >> thank you very much. we want to talk a little bit more with kate hudson, star of "something borrowed." the newly engaged kate hudson.

darcy is a pain in the butt in this movie. >> she's self-centered. she doesn't think about consequences of her own actions and she's, you know -- it's all about darcy. but she's fun. she likes to party. >> there is a risk that when you take a role on like this and play it too well people say, oh, she's a great actress or -- >> they go, i wonder why they cast her in that? >> she had to be fun to play. >> she was a blast. especially because obviously i love playing comedic roles. that character lends itself to great, funny stuff. >> this movie is based on a best-selling book of the same name. you like this kind of character but it is not your kind of book. >> no. not my kind of book. i like, you know -- i read -- you know, if you looked at my bedside table, right now it's "mao" which i have been trying

to finish for 500 years. i like heavy books. >> not beach reads. >> i'm not a beach reader. my mom gets me into the beach reads. every once in a while she throws a really good fiction story in there with juice. she got me into "the other boelyn girl" and those. >> yeah. >> when i read the first 20 pages i was hooked. she has this ability to really write relatable characters, especially for my age group. >> i'm not letting you go without asking the direct question as i look in your eyes and say, is it true your next role is a porn star? are you playing a porn star? >> um, i -- i think -- >> hard to ask a pregnant woman that question. >> porn star is -- you know, fascinating. i am intrigued by playing linda lovelace. i don't know obviously with

everything that's happened when or how or where that is now going to happen. but it is definitely there and on the radar. it's a fascinating story. >> to be continued. >> to be very continued. >> congratulations on your good fortune. nice to have you here. >> good to see you. >> something borrowed opens nationwide may 6. up next from london, meredith speaks to the designer who collaborated on a jewelry line with kate middleton. first this is "today" on nbc.

welcome back to trafalgar square in london and the countdown to the royal wedding. one thing's for sure, there will be lots of jewels on display at the abbey. claudia actually collaborated with the bride to be. they worked together in fashion. good morning. >> good morning. >> you worked together at

jigsaw. >> that's right. when kate was working there she commissioned some jewelry from me. >> what do you think she will be wearing? what sense do you have? >> that's the million dollar question. i think there are three or four options that could be in the running. for the romantics amongst us it would be nice if william commissioned jewelry and gave it to her the way prince albert gave it to victoria with the sapphire broach which she wore with the dress. >> she has the ring. >> that was synonymous with protection and care which is a lovely touch. william was able to do that, it would be amazinging. i know a lot of diana lovers would love her to wear the love knot tiara the queen gave diana as a wedding gift but she chose

to wear the spencer tiara. i feel it's quite fussy. she's a clean, lean stylistic girl. and she liked clean lines and simple jewelry. i personally rather love the fact that queen victoria wore flowers in her hair. lots of people have said, oh, that's far too boho -- >> sarah ferguson did it as well. she game in flowers and left in the tiara. her mom carol, do you think she'll be understated? >> i think the interesting thing for me about jewelry is it tells a story. that's either a personal story of your history like your engagement ring or your eternity ring if you had children but also the status jewelry confers on you. the tiara was really only worn by royal brides and royalty.

i'm sure no one knows what anyone will be wearing but the story it tells of who everyone is and how they respond to a royal wedding will be very fascinating to watch. >> this is some of your jewelry. this particular piece is something you worked on with kate. >> yes. she commissioned it from me. i contacted her to see if she was interested in doing real jewelry because jigsaw only did costume jewelry and she said she had a specific idea to do a silver nugget necklace that could be sold for children and also worn by a mother. so mother and daughter could buy a necklace together or share a necklace. from that i developed a range to celebrate and mark the wedding. >> that's terrific. you will be a part of the wedding, one of the fwess. >> yes. >> lovely to have you here. claudia bradley, thank you. our live coverage kicks off friday at 4:00 a.m. eastern time, 1:00 a.m. pacific.

up next from new york, the woman behind "sex and the city" reveals how carrie ended up in new york in the

now at 8:43. fans of the "sex and the city" franchise followed carrie bradshaw and her friends samantha, miranda and charlotte since 1996 since they navigated life's ups and downs. now the author is revealing the story of how carrie got to new york and met the people who meant the most to her. it's called "summer & the city." good morning. >> good morning. >> why am i not surprised the book is pink and pretty. you had to be on the design team. >> when i saw the pink i was like, no, please not pink. we tried yellow, light blue, anything but pink. the reality is, who am i kidding? >> you're writing about carrie brad show. >> i'm a grown woman and i love

pink. it's embarrassing. my husband has been reading it on the subway. he loves it. he takes the cover off. if you're a guy, take the cover off and you will be fine. >> inside the cover is the second installment of the prequel series and there may be more. >> there may be. the first was the carrie diaries. that was carrie's senior year in high school. at the end of the book the dream is to leave her small town, get to new york. she gets there and immediately, of course, gets mugged because it's 1981. she happens to have one phone number which wasn't stolen and it belongs to samantha jones who she's never met. the second book picks up right where the first book leaves off. they are stand-alone books. you don't have to have read "the carrie diaries." you can jump right in. she's in samantha's apartment

and samantha is giving her advice. walk fast, look like you know where you are going and, for god's sake, get rid of the shoes. >> which brings us to how she developed this iconic, maybe quirky sense of fashion. how did she get it? >> part of it comes from simply not having any money. back in the early '80s, the only people who could afford labels were really rich people on the upper east side. otherwise you would shop in vintage stores. then she meets a designer called jinx who's kind of -- maybe could be inspired by a patricia fields kind of character. she has a shop on 8th street. jinx gives her free clothes because she says, like, nobody can wear these. if you can wear this, you can have it. so then carrie's wearing, like, plastic dresses and all kinds of crazy things.

>> we discover how she become as writer like you. you have called her your alter ego. >> she is. >> you're in many ways writing about yourself in some ways. >> i am. well, after my father read the book he called me up and said, what in this is true? i said, dad, it's all fiction. he said, i bet some of this happened to you. i said, something similar, dad. i'm really close to it. it was so much fun working on the book. >> i'm sure it will be fun. >> it's a fun read to see the characters in new iterations. >> the book is called "summer & the city." thank you. >> thank you. >> coming up next, from london, a live performance from one of britain's hottest musical groups who have a connection to william and d [ male announcer ] everyday, your car does a lot for you. do something for it.

show it some love. chevron with techron. care for your car.

we are back in trafalgar square with the television debut of one of the hottest musical acts in britain. mixing pop and classical songs blake already has a brit award. the new single is "all of me."

guys, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> debut on american television. >> yeah. >> doesn't get better than this. >> what does it mean to you guys? >> we have been waiting for four years to launch in america. we have been excited. it's great to get the opportunity to come on the "today" show, the biggest breakfast show in the world. >> it all started on our show. james morrison, james blunt all debuted here. there is hope for you guys. i know you grew up with prince william and harry. in fact, we dug up a picture. >> yeah. i was a childhood friend. >> what do you make of the celebration? >> it's wonderful. you have only to look around and everybody's happy and excited. there is a wonderful feeling in the air. it's summer. >> flags everywhere. amazing union jacks all over town. it's fantastic. >> london is so excited at the moment. we're happy to be a part of it. >> jules, you went to st. andrews with william and kate.

>> i did. >> what did you make of them as a couple back then? >> the first thing that strikes you is they are both normal, down to earth and charming people. they take a real interest in what other people are doing. it was lovely to know them for the four years i was there. i was lucky to study history of art and get to know them well. >> you were singing "all of me" for us. you're performing it at a wedding this weekend? >> we are. so when you're at the royal wedding. >> what are you hoping people will take away the message of the song? >> it's simple. people are scared to write songs about marriage. but it's one of the most wonderful, romantic things you can do in your life. we want to celebrate the connection of two young people. we felt "all of me" did it. >> i understand your next recording you hope to record in the u.s.? >> we have been talking about it. we may come to nashville and see

what's going on there. it will be a close harmony sound, quite contemporary and cool as well. >> they love you here. blake, take it away. >> thank you very much. [ applause ] ♪ ♪ the first day that i met you ♪ i think i always knew ♪ that you were meant to be the one ♪ ♪ and then the feeling grew ♪ with god and friends my witness ♪ ♪ our love will never die ♪ i take the gift you gave me ♪ don't need to question why ♪ for all the faults i'm made of ♪ ♪ and all the wrongs i do ♪ i'm not asking you to judge me ♪ ♪ just be true ♪ all of me

♪ is what i give to you ♪ and everything i have ♪ i want to share with you ♪ and with this ring ♪ for all eternity ♪ i make this vow ♪ when i give you all of me ♪ this life is short and precious ♪ ♪ a one-way ticket ride ♪ i thank you for the journey ♪ i know you're on my side ♪ and we are only here once ♪ i'm glad we shared this day ♪ of knowing something special ♪ that will never go away ♪ for all the faults i'm made

of ♪ ♪ and all the wrongs i do ♪ i'm not asking you to judge me ♪ ♪ just be true ♪ all of me ♪ is what i give to you ♪ and everything i have ♪ i want to share with you ♪ and with this ring ♪ for all eternity ♪ i make this vow ♪ when i give you all of me ♪le all of me ♪ is what i give to you ♪ and everything i have ♪ i'm fwon that share with you ♪ with this ring ♪ i give for all eternity

♪ my love ♪ i make this vow ♪ all of me ♪ is what i give to you ♪ and everything i have ♪ i want to share with you ♪ and with this ring ♪ for all eternity ♪ i make this vow ♪ when i give you all of me ♪ i give you all of me blake, thank you. much more from london ahead. then tomorrow morning, matt, al and ann join me here. looking forward to that very much. we're back after your local news.

good morning everyone. it's 8:56. a short time ago apple posted something to its website to explain its side in the controversy over its iphone and the way it stores location data. in the statement apple says part of the problem is a bug that stores information even after

you specifically turn off location based services. but says users in the media have largely misinterpreted the story and the phone does not store records of where you've been. the explanation is complicated. for the time we have here. but we wanted to give you that latest update. we have a link on d bay bay area.com. we'll have weather right after the break.

welcome back. the time is 8:58. skies are clear over the bay area. it is a little chilly in places like santa rosa but over all mild enough to where you don't even need the jacket any longer. 55 degrees right now in sunnyvale. high pressure builds in today bringing our temperatures up into the 70s. the low pressure is going to bring about some high cloud cover later on this afternoon. 70 degrees in fremont today.

70 in san jose. 70 today in santa rosa. 78 by friday. nice, warm weather lasts for days. we have no rain in sight for the next ten at least. i never wear the same thing twice.

not together, anyway. i'm in t.j.maxx every week. i get this season's designer clothes and i still get to eat. fashion direct from designers. savings direct to you. t.j.maxx. let us make a maxxinista out of you. matt lauer, everybody! [ applause ] >> my suitmaker. >> you look great, by the way. >> has ingeniously crafted a catheter inside -- >> no, no, no. >> i can't move for seven hours. >> that's insane. how will it work? >> hold on. >> no, no. matt -- >> calm down. this happens to a lot of our guests. >> matt lauer making quite a show on the jimmy fallon show last night and making a great statement about fashion and medical possibilities. >> it was a test drive. i was make ig sure that the suit would work come royal wedding morning.

>> when are you going back to the monopoly game. >> or the planters peanuts commercial. >> you look good in a top hat. >> anyway, we are here in studio 1a. natalie is in the heart of london in trafalgar square with the latest on the preparations for the royal wedding now only two days away. good morning. >> yeah. you look like you're really excited about this, matt. debuting the morning tails. that's the perfect look. you'll be very apropos. as you know, the rehearsal finished up early this morning at westminster abbey. they did a full dry run of the procession. you will see a little bit about the preparation. what was interesting was seeing kate middleton, the bride herself, at the wheel, driving herself back from her house in bucklebury down to london where she's getting ready as well. you can only imagine her nerves right now. she looks calm and pretty cool as a cucumber behind the while with her sister.

pippa. i have a preview of the final preparations here in a little bit. >> great, natalie. we'll check back in a couple of minutes. >> talking about saving money. our money 911 experts are in the house to help answer financial questions whether you are a first-time home buyer, underwater with your house or looking to buy life insurance. they've got you covered with the answers. >> first, ann, you have a look at the headlines. >> we have a big story that's been breaking. the white house released a long form of president obama's birth certificate today in response to the lingering controversy about when he was really born in the united states. the certificate says barack obama was born august 4, 1961, in hawaii, which makes him eligible to hold office of president. speaking to reporters at the white house, the president called the so-called birther issue a distraction to solving the country's real issues. major changes in leadership at the pentagon and the cia. the president is expected to tap cia director leon panetta to take over as defense secretary replacing

robert gates, and general david petraeus would take on the role of cia chief. the changes would likely take effect over the summer. u.s. military officials say at least five americans were killed in today's shooting at the kabul airport in afghanistan. they were among as many as eight total nato service members who were killed when an afghan military pilot opened fire. afghanistan's forces responded to the attack, killing the gunman. deadly storms claimed another life in arkansas overnight, bringing the death toll to 11 people this week. a woman was also injured in rural east texas overnight. a tornado toppled her mobile home as she was inside. many communities in the central part of the united states are fighting to stave off rivers, meantime from surging rain and forecasters say the weather could worsen today. there are reports of gunfire and

explosions today in the southern city of daara after the syrian army sent in tanks and reinforcements. human rights activists say the relentless crackdown has killed more than 400 people across syria, this while libyan leader moammar gadhafi's forces continue to pound misrata. >> donald trump is in new hampshire making his first visit as a potential presidential candidate. nbc's ron annual has more on this from portsmouth, new hampshire. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. it's hard to believe we are here in new hampshire covering politics. the primary is perhaps eight months away, but donald trump coming to town is a big political event. he's been generating so much publicity with his blistering attacks directed at president obama. doubling down on his drumbeat of doubt about the president's birthplace, hawaii, hunts for the birth certificate were all over tv. >> why didn't he do it a long time ago? why didn't he do it a long time? when hillary clinton was asking, when everybody was asking why,

didn't he do it? it's shocking. it's shocking. >> reporter: on monday, trump questioned whether president obama deserved to get into two ivy league colleges. >> i heard he was a terrible students. not like okay. i heard he was a bad student. how does a bad student go to columbia and then go to harvard? >> reporter: when trump hits fp new hampshire and stops at gift shop, where they feel a duty to vet candidates, some say the donald needs to change his tune. >> we want to hear what he'll do to stimulate job growth, what he's going to do to help the states out. >> reporter: trump said he'll decide whether to run by june. big name republicans say trump is just looking for publicity. >> i congratulate him for getting all the attention he's getting. >> reporter: today, we follow trump to self-store stops here in new hampshire, and see what happens. it will certainly be entertaining. he's also going to host a fund-raiser, trying to raise money for the state gop, something that trump certainly knows how to do. ann? >> ron allen, thanks for the

report. politicians, actors and especially news anchors are remembering the inventor of the teleprompter who made all of our lives infinitely easer. hubert has died at age 91, and it was his tinkering in the 1940s that gave us the teleprompter which allows me to read the news while looking directly into the television camera. all right. there you are. six minutes paast the hour. you are now up to date. >> my hero. >> how you doing back there? >> jimmy, you okay back there? >> normally it's just elmo back there. ann, let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> we have severe weather to talk about. we have been talking about it all april. we have moisture from the gulf. this is a la nina year. so the jet stream is dipping to the south coming up through the mississippi and ohio river valleys. colder air, triggering record-breaking storms.

we have tornado watches from alabama and mississippi up into kentucky and into west virginia. they will continue to pound that area. we've got a risk of storms from the gulf all the way into new england. the strongest risk is from mississippi, alabama, into georgia. we'll be looking at long track tornadoes that stay on the ground a long time. heavy rain, three to five inches of rain and flood watches and warnings in effect from texas all the way into new england. good wednesday morning to you. well, wednesdays can be tough. you got to get over the hump, the middle of the week, but the weather is going to make it easy for you. sunny skies today. by the weekend beautiful weather continues. we have really no rain in sight for the next 15 days judging by all the models. 70 degrees in fremont today. 72 in gilroy. 69 degrees in san rafael. up to 77 tomorrow. even warmer as we head into next week. hope you have a fantastic

wednesday. weather. ann? >> announcer: today's countdown to the royal wedding is brought to you by mcdonald's. i'm lovin' it. >> al, thanks. this morning on the countdown to the royal wedding, just two more days to go. and the finishing touches are being put on the festivities. natalie morales joins us from trafalgar square with the latest. >> reporter: good morning, ann. now as the clock is ticking away, we saw our final glimpses perhaps of william and kate before they walk down the aisle. this morning there was a full dress rehearsal of the procession, horses, carriages, all the king's horses, all the king's men. it was the full royal treatment. at westminster abbey, streets were blocked off this morning for the horses and carriages that rehearsed the ceremonial presentation.

members of the military practiced marching the entire route but without the massive crowds expected on friday. thousands of trees and flowers that will adorn the abbey have been delivered, many chosen by kate middleton herself. >> i suggested from the beginning that we would use things from the royal estates and prince william spoke with her majesty who was delighted to supply these things. >> reporter: a quick glimpse of the bride to be, kate middleton, leaving her family home with her sister pippa. kate behind the wheel, headed for london according to buckingham palace. it could be the last time we see her before she appears in a wedding gown on friday. the groom, too, left the middleton home and headed to london to get ready for his big day. with all the final details in place, the wedding guests are getting themselves ready. prince charles' wife camilla was spotted leaving a hair salon in london, and chelsea davie, the off and on girlfriend of prince harry, spotted shopping in chelsea just days before the wedding. as for the best man, prince

harry delivered a hand-written speech before wounded war vets tuesday, a warm-up perhaps for the one he'll read on the big day. on the streets of london, oddsmakers, always trying to make money, are taking wagers on everything from kate's tiara -- will her something borrowed be the storied george iii fringe tiara from the queen's collection? to the ridiculous bets. >> we are betting on prince william to fall asleep and whether william will wear spectacles and whether kate will jilt william at the altar. >> reporter: i don't think they will make money on the last one. we certainly hope not. when kate middleton made her first public appearance after she became engaged she wore a hat designed by vivian sherip. now the hat maker has been designing hats and fascinators

we'll see on the wedding party. >> that's true. >> will we see one on carol middleton? >> that's a secret. but i will show you pieces you will see on the wedding day. >> starting with this one. >> it's a beautiful hat. >> on the wedding day you will see this on a very prominent face. >> not saying who. >> it's a good shape, elegant. a very english hat. the colors are good. >> what's the etiquette for a royal wedding. do you wear a hat or a fascinator. >> we call them headpieces. >> this is one that pippa actually wore. >> right. i will put it on for you. there is a little comb. even on a windy day like today

it will stay in place. it looks great on you. it's quite a tailored piece. >> very youthful, too. this is a craze in the united states. >> hilarious. people are buying them from the website. >> and the actual etiquette of the hat versus the fascinator when you're in a church and you have a wide brimmed hat, should you be concerned? >> you should. i think out of politeness, out of respect you should. but we have made whoppers for this wedding. >> i love this one. >> it is a whopper. we have some really wide pieces. >> speaking of whopper and sassy, look at this one. like this? >> slide it forward in your hair. it's like a veil. >> it's beautiful. what should i look for? i'm wearing something neutral. >> you're keeping it a secret as well. >> yes. >> i will give you a neutral one

called mistress. this is the shape you wille see at the wedding. we may see it on you at the wedding. that's lovely. quite sculpted. french lace. looks great on you. >> a good "today" show hat works as well. thank you so much. >> you're welcome. >> can't wait to see what everyone wears on the wedding day. what do you think? >> looks very cute on you. i'm mortified. >> what would you like to wear? >> i need one. i didn't know i had to wear a hat. pick one you think is pretty. thank you so much, natalie. coming up later, how the prince and his princess-to-be lived parallel lives and had near meetings before falling in love. up next, closer to home, answers to your money emergencies. that's after these messages. [ boy ] there's something inside your mcdonald's happy meal. where? it's really good. do you see it? it's called hope.

hope? yeah, hope. i don't see any hope. i don't see any hope in here. you can't see it there, but you can see it here. 'cause every time you get a happy meal or a mighty kids meal some of the money goes to ronald mcdonald house charities to help lots of kids and families. hope's good! happy meals. the simple joy of helping. ♪ happy meals. the simple joy of helping. you gotta try honey bunches of oats with almonds! it's got real, sliced california almonds with a third less sugar per serving than honey nut cheerios. wow! delicious! try honey bunches of oats with almonds! tastes so luscious, i enjoy it with lobster... mmmm... shrimp... oh... and mussels.

[ male announcer ] fresh butter taste with 70% less saturated fat than butter. [ kim ] you can have it all. - definitely the one on the right. - yeah, are y-- - seriously, the clorox one. - oh, okay. the difference is obvious. for the whitest whites, use detergent, plus the advanced whitening formula of clorox bleach. now you can brew over ice for delicious iced coffee or tea. hot or cold, keurig is the way to brew everyone's favorite cup in under a minute. choose. brew. enjoy. keurig. choose. brew. enjoy. here's to my pants not leaving marks on my waist. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. ♪ hey walgreens, i'm kinda liking matt here.

but i'm kinda allergic to bruce. [ sneezes ] got any ideas? [ female announcer ] try 24-hour zyrtec for prescription strength relief from your allergy symptoms. indoors...and out. and right now when you buy a zyrtec 45 count, you can get a 14 count free. at walgreens. ♪ this morning on "today's money 911" our panel is here to answer your questions. sharon epperson is cnbc's personal financial correspondent, david bach is author of "debt free for life" and carmen ulrich is author of "the real cost of living." good morning. >> good morning. >> we're starting off with the skype. serena from arizona is on the line. good morning. what's your question? >> good morning. my question is i am 23 years

old, fwrgraduating with my masts degree. i want to purchase a condo, but i don't know where to start being a first-time buyer. >> how does she save for the first purchase? >> it's tough to do. at 23 it's great she's thinking of buying her own home. now worry about having 20% of the purchase price of the house, condo or whatever you want to buy. if you don't, you need to keep saving. one of the things you could do perhaps is get a government-backed loan, an fha loan which takes 3.5% but then you have to pay private mortgage insurance. those fees continue to go up. so pretend you have the condo or the house already. start making payments into a savings account for condo fees or mortgage fees and insurance and utilities. everything that you will need to spend on a house. put it in a savings account. start building up for the down payment and you will be in great shape for when you want to actually purchase it.

>> pay all the bills on time. >> good credit rating. good luck. donna from brooklyn calling in. good morning. what's your question? >> good morning. my question is how do i know which company to trust when purchasing life insurance? i'm a new mom with a 9-month-old daughter. i decided i need to buy life insurance just in case something happens. now with the financial debacle i know that companies nowadays can collapse. i don't want my investment in the life insurance company to in the future not be able to pay the money. >> all right. let's get carmen here to answer for you. very cute little girl. >> donna, this is ap great question. first of all you need life insurance asap. once the child is here you can't waste a day. she brings up a good point. when you sign a term or whole life insurance policy you're in a relationship for 20, 30, 40 years with a business. try to do all that you can do to make sure the business is sound.

look at the credit ratings. with aig and all that happened it's hard. no guarantees but go to iii.org. this is the insurance information institute. there they have three links to the credit ratings that you want to look up. don't go with a credit rating the company gives you. it may not be up to date. may not be the most recent. of course they want to give you a certain rating. but check yourself. that's your responsibility. also look for the insurance management standards association seal of approval. this is an ethics code some companies have to get. this is a great standard. go to imsaethics.org to look for the seal. do what you can to be with the best company you can. >> now, let's go to an e-mail. we are talking about student loans from robin in new york city. i have a large amount of student loans, one of which is in collection for $15,000. i received some money from a grandfather who passed away. i don't know if it's better to

pay off the loan or save for a down payment on a home. >> everybody thinks having the home, the american dream. this woman has student loans in default. she needs to focus on that first. that's the top priority. if they are federal loans one thing she can do to get them off her credit history is pay over the nine to ten months the full monthly fa lly payment. she may be able to get it off her credit history. >> so use a chunk to pay off the loan? >> there may be other debts to pay off. try to get her credit in a better situation. finaide.org is a great place to go for more information. >> my husband and i have been told by friends we should do a reverse mortgage on our homes. we could use money for repairs on the house. i have heard bad things about them. the house is probably worth $115,000. we owe just over $46,000. >> first of all, nobody does a

reverse mortgage to fix their home. that's presuming you're over age 62 and you need income. basically you are getting money back from the bank but you are losing the equity in your home over time. it's the wrong thing for you. even if you want to do reverse mortgage, go to reversemortgage.org or hud.gov. you have to take a course before you are approved. you can get a home equity loan or maybe enjoy your home the way it is. sorry about that. >> i like it. sharon, david and carmen, thank you very much. on the east coast, stick around. carmen will be chatting on the web. head to today.com. coming up, after friday, royal fashion will be all the rage. designers, ready to make you look like a princess. first, these messages. [ female announcer ] bedtime is not for sleeping.

the monster was furious. roar!!! it's for laughing... [ laughs ] [ female announcer ] ...pretending... and the mouse went, "wha-wha-wha, why?" [ giggles ] [ female announcer ] ...seeing things differently... and then the boy bit the dragon! [ female announcer ] ...and for being with your favorite storyteller... [ grandpa ] i lovuou're qu. [ female announcer ] ...even after he goes home to nevada. [ grandpa ] and i love you when you're loud! [ female announcer ] hallmark recordable storybooks. ♪ here's to my pants [ not leaving marks] hallmarkon my waist.storybooks. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. [ male announcer ] did you know that your baby's adult teeth are already forming just below the surface? caring for your baby's teeth now, can impact the health of those adult teeth. that's why we created new aquafresh training toothpaste and brush especially for your baby.

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kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal has what it takes to help keep your kids full so they can stay focused on the days that matter most. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused. it is 9:26 now. good morning. the city of palo alto says it plans to spend millions of dollars to search for potentially dangerous gas lines. in june city staffers will ask the city council to sign off on spending $3.8 million to inspect thousands of pipes near homes and businesses. the city says it's concerned about cross bores which are gas lines that intersect sewer lines. city staffers say funding for the inspections will come out of the city's gas fund and customer rates will not be affected. pg&e meantime has found 34 miles of pipeline that have been falsely reported as seamless. false records are in the middle

of the federal investigation of the deadly explosion in san bruno. pg&e records describe the pipeline that exploded as seamless when it actually had a seam with welds. one of those welds was at the rupture point in that explosion. the 34 miles of pipeline are among 152 miles that will be tested over the next year with high pressure water t r weld problems. 9:27 now. a look at your beautiful forecast and commute right after this.

good morning to you. we are warming up nicely now that the sun is out. temperatures are now in the 50s. might need a jacket if you are someone who is sensitive to the cold but you won't need it for long. high pressure is doing its job to warm us up. we will be in the 60s by noon and the 70s as we round out the day at about 4:00 p.m. 70 degrees today in san jose. 69 in oakland. 69 degrees in san rafael. only 68 degrees in san francisco but, hey. you'll see the 70s as we head through tomorrow. and our temperatures will continue to climb as we head into your friday. we'll level off just a little bit saturday and sunday but

still beautiful weather for those outdoor plans. if you need to pull those weeds you'll get a chance to do so this weekend, mike. >> that's joy for me this weekend. over here to the maze, equally as fun. we have a slowdown on 880. it's starting to break up so very short lived because of the lighter volume as folks are on spring break for many parts of the bay area. across the bay still slow southbound as you head past marsh road where there was an accident on the northbound side that's just cleared from lanes. spectator slowing lightly. the northbound direction of 280 is slowing at byrd. otherwise starting to clear through the south bay. >> thanks, mike. we'll be back with our next local update in about 30 minutes at 9:56. the "today" show returns in less than a minute.

unright perfect. 72 degrees, warmer as you head through the weekend 78 degrees by friday and next week if you can believe it more sunshine and even warmer.

>> thanks, al. up next, you don't have toer marry a prince to look like a princess for your wedding. how kate's looks inspire brides everywhere right after this. h. because you don't see this everyday. (child) because we read the books . (man) and watched the movies . and now we're living it. because i can fly with harry. follow me! because now i can turn my brother back into a human being. (narrator) from unforgettable adventures, to the wizarding world of harry potter, only at universal orlando resort. pancakes! ♪ from dawn 'til sunset, i'll never walk away ♪ ♪ blueberry pancakes are so good ♪ [ male announcer ] bisquick. pancake lovers unite. here's to my pants ♪ bnot leaving marks on my waist. ♪ achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories

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♪ welcome to town house. where good times reside. this morning on countdown to the royal wedding, have we mentioned that the wedding is two days away? the anticipation is mounting, especially in the fashion world. >> "today" and us weekly contributor jill martin has checked in on how designers will be watching every detail as kate

walks down the aisle. good morning. >> there's a wedding coming up? almost every little girl will put on a poufy dress, top it with a tiara and dream of being a real life princess. for one little girl that's about to become a reality. kate's dress will be a gown girls of all ages will swoon over, especially brides-to-be. just because you are not royalty doesn't mean you can't look like it. every move he makes, every fashionable step she takes is snapped and noticed by fashionistas around the world. >> the world is obsessed with william and kate, every time they step out we cannot wait to see what they are wearing. ♪ >> reporter: it has been reported that prince william will be wearing a military uniform. >> i hope he wears the naval uniform. i think it will remind us of his

father and grandfather. >> reporter: bernardo is the creative director at joseph aboud. >> what do you think the guests will wear? >> reporte >> elton john will be there and the beckhams. i'm sure the morning coat. >> reporter: he expects traditional morning coats, military uniforms and lounge suits on full display. >> the lounge suit is basically a dark suit which we have here with the narrow pinstripe, white shirt, a silvery tie. then a pocket square. >> reporter: so who will be making kate's dress? that is the big question. >> there are three designers in the running to be the official designer of the dress. we will not know for sure until she walks down the aisle. >> reporter: but even though the dress is being kept hush-hush, that hasn't stopped designers from announcing plans. >> the moment kate walks down

the aisle we'll watch what she's wearing with pen and paper in hand. >> reporter: faviana is known for celebrity-inspired dresses. the designer gives women looks for less. >> for celebrities wearing a dress that may cost $30,000 we make the same look for $300. >> reporter: they have done versions of kate's past looks going back to 2007. they plan to treat the royal wedding like any other red carpet show. >> just like the rest of the world we cannot wait to see what kate middleton is wearing. >> reporter: get this -- the lookalike dress will be in stores in less than eight weeks. jewelry designers are making sure brides will sparkle in style. roberta chiarella has been designing kate's looks since she stepped onto the royal scene. >> what's great with kate is people are really watching her. for the jewelry world, i don't think we could be luckier. ♪

>> reporter: they offer kate's priceless looks for prices most women can afford. she plans to give brides-to-be the royal treatment and fast give me the timeline for the big day. >> 4:00 a.m., pad in hand. 9:00 a.m. sketches are complete. 10:00 the sketches are on the website. two to three weeks later they are walking down the aisle with looks inspired by kate. >> reporter: if you're a girl who found your true love, just remember you don't have to marry a prince to look like a princess. there is a reason why designers are jumping on the bandwagon early. diana's dress became the most copied gown in history. within five hours of her walking down the aisle her dress was on sale. >> meantime what's on sale is this number. >> this little number. that's the bigger that's the bigger one. this is the smaller one from

diggsrocks.com. >> look at that. >> her sapphire is estimated at $300,000 just for the sapphire and over $10 million for the ring. this one, $ 9. and you see a lot of trend here and a lot of designers jumping on early. i talked about one dress designer, but so many have in their hands waiting for her to walk down the aisle. >> i wonder when they knock off for work. jill martin, good to see you. up next, the parallel lives of a prince and his soon-to-be princess. man: and all the pens are put down... woman: and everything there is to learn is learned. man: till the heroes retire and the monsters return to their dens... woman: and all the plots are wrapped up. man: till that day... boy: by hook or by crook... girl: by book or by nook... woman: i will read.

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marrying kate, a commoner. this morning keith miller takes a look at how despite such happy backgrounds, the happy couple, after near misses, finally came together. hey, keith. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. everybody assumed william and kate came together at university, but in fact their lives were crossing long before then. they started their lives just five months apart but worlds away. >> prince william was christened by the archbishop of kapter bury. >> kate a much more lonely affair, practicing at the local church with the local minister. >> reporter: william grew up destined to one day be king, always in the public eye. kate was making her mark at school taking center stage in this school play about a prince called william. wuz destiny at work here?

she grew up here. 42 miles away in london, prince william was born in another red brick house, kensington palace. he was the child of a failed marriage. and then tragedy. kate seeing pictures of william at the funeral of his mother told friends she was sad for him. unaware that one day they would connect. >> there were two or three occasions when kate and william were within a whisker of meeting each other. >> reporter: william had become a pin-up at that time, his poster said to be on kate's dormitory wall. little did she know the prince would visit her school on a polo tour. >> exactly the same types of people. >> reporter: kate attended prestigious schools just like william. they studied the same subjects, and when they left school they almost met again. both worked as volunteers in chile. >> william went early in his year, kate later on in hers. again, their paths nearly

crossed. >> reporter: but it was at st. andrews university where their paths finally did cross. just friends is how they described their relationship at first. then there was the student charity fashion show, and that outfit. the tickets cost $300. >> william brought a front-row seat for that show. >> he nudged his friend and apaintly exclaimed, wow, she's hot. >> that's when he made his move. >> reporter: and by graduation there was little doubt their two worlds had finally connected. >> i love that graduation picture. it's so sweet because they just look so relaxed. >> they're very natural together. they're very much a team. >> reporter: they may have come from different backgrounds, but their shared values brought them together. now they will share their lives with the world. many people say this is a wedding and a marriage that will endure, and if so, it is because of this shared values and the

fact they have come together on so many occasions. ann? >> very sweet. okay, keith miller, thank you. coming up next, inside the royal kitchen. dian diana's former chef shares some of his secrets.

♪ th good morning. in "today's kitchen," a former royal chef shares palace favorites from award-winning brunch to prince william's favorites. he worked as private chef to princess diana and is the author of "eating royally." good to see you. how are you? >> nice to be back. >> good to see you. you imagine what the mood is like in the palace right now? >> everyone will be so excited. the chefs are going to be crazy busy in the royal kitchen. 15,000 canopies to prepare. little two-bite appetizers like this.

>> for an event like this, how many chefs will there be working? >> the queen has 20 chefs in the royal kitchen so they bring in a few extra ones for an event like this. 650 people at this party. >> let's get started. there will be a brunch after the wedding ceremony. >> yes. >> what are you expecting? >> this is a wedding brunch. there will be canopies, appetizers, little two-bite pieces like this. >> what is this? >> this is the english sausage roll. >> look like pigs in a blanket. >> the english version. >> i like it. >> this is -- >> grilled cheese and ham. i like it! what is this? >> this will be your lemonade. this is the queen's lemon refresher. this is a secret palace lemonade recipe that the queen has. what do you think? >> it's very refreshing. >> very refreshing. >> i like it. >> lemony refreshing. >> what are we making here? >> we have prince william's favorite cottage pie. i made this for him as a baby. we'd puree it in a blender. we've got some onions and ground

beef and flour, kitchen bouquet. all of this goes in together. >> would this be what we would think of as shepherd's pie? >> shepherd's pie is a little different. shepherd's pie we use lamb instead of beef. >> okay. >> then put some broth in there, a little bit of flour and let all of this simmer away. and once it's simmered away, lit go into a pan like this. >> right. >> just to drain off and cool down. >> mm-hmm. >> i cooked this for william. he'd request it when he came home from school. >> this is mashed potatoes. just mashed potatoes. he'd request it and love the cottage pie as a little boy. heed come into the kitchen and sit many the window sill eating ice cream. i was working like this and he said, dab, when i grow up, i'm going to be a police motorcyclist. i looked at him and said, william, i think they've got other plans for you.

>> wow. >> so that's a cottage pie. little sprinkle of cheese on this. >> love cheese. >> in the oven. about 45 minutes. when it's done, when it comes out, this is what it looks like. is that just the original comfort food? look at that. the beautiful sauce underneath. >> wow. good enough for william. >> let's see. >> that's terrific. >> you like that. talking of comfort food, now we're talking peanut butter and jelly. when william and harry came to the usa to go to disney, they come back and said you have to make these peanut butter and jelly muffins. >> is that bacon? >> bacon. he said you have to make the bacon crispy, darren. you put it in the microwave for a minute on some paper towels. i thought yes, william. when he'd gone, i tried it. and we have crispy bacon in there. so what do you think?

we only need bananas in there as well and we've got a dish for elvis, too, right? >> that's amazing. >> and of course -- >> what's this last one? >> here sticky toffee pudding and kate loves it. this is the recipe. look at this beautiful rich sauce here over the top. the palace recipe is incredible. you won't see her at the wedding as she's eating a huge portion like this. >> oh, my goodness. >> english sticky of the fi pudding. >> i wonder where ann is, because i'd like to share this with her. i would love to share this -- >> ann! >> hello. >> sticky toffee pudding. >> bring it on, baby. >> you should smell this. >> gosh. when will i ever learn about the joke around you? smell the food. >> because you end up wearing it. >> daren mcgrady, so nice to have you here, giving us a little insight as to what we'll be seeing after the wedding at some of the lunches and

brunches. >> pretty cool. >> thank you. >> thank you. coming up next, we'll be talking about a live announcement of the cmt music awards so all you country music fans stick around. >> plus some royal wedding worthy wines. first, your local news.

good morning. i'm scott mcgrew. a chance to get your voice heard. we start with san francisco and the budget there. mayor ed lee and supervisor eric

marr will hold a district one town hall meeting at 6:30 to answer questions about the city's budget deficit and how to fix things. tonight's meeting at the richmond recreation center streamed live at sf gov tv.org. san jose school district will meet with parents to talk about adding five furlough days next year to help balance the budget. five days where the kids don't go to school in order to save money. concerned parents if you'd like to attend that's hoover middle school at 7:00 tonight. this is the last of three community meetings. let's check in with christina and a fine weather forecast ahead. >> a fine, fine day ahead of us. good morning to you. temperatures are already in the 50s and climbing. 62 degrees for sunnyvale at the warmest city across the bay area right now but mid 50s even in san francisco. we're headed toward the 70s as we head through this afternoon the warmest time of the day particularly about 4:00 p.m. the sun doesn't set until 7:54. as we head through tomorrow even warmer. might be a little too warm monday 80 degrees.

yeah. that's right. starting to feel a little like summer even though we're still in the spring. finally getting the warm, dry stretch. how does it look on the roadways? >> starting to get a little better but jammed up as you come past golden gate field. let's look out live and see how things are shaping up at the bay bridge toll plaza where there is a report of a minor accident there in your far right lane. that's why you have the slowing in the cash lanes just off of the car pool lanes. we'll see that start to clear as they move the car from the roadway heading up into the area northbound 880 jammed up around high street over the last 45 minutes but past the coliseum now the live shot will show you no major issues starting. in the 50s and up toward the limit on the northbound side. southbound pretty clear down to the san mateo bridge. right at the interchange some slowing out of hayward and across the bridge no major issues. the san mateo side 101 still slowing a bit heading south out of san francisco and millbrae. pretty standard for this time of the morning. >> thank you. more local news in a half hour. the "today" show returns in about a minute.bo

good morning. it's 10:26. b.a.r.t. riders may finally get the late night service they've been asking for. b.a.r.t. ran around the clock service for a month when the bay bridge closed for construction and emergency repairs in 2009 and now it may have late night service for a six-month trial beginning this fall. under the proposal trains that leave end of the line stations at midnight would depart an hour later on friday nights. saturday service will begin an hour later at 7:00 in the morning. baskin robbins wants you to support firefighters by having a scoop of their ice cream. it's holding the fifth annual 31 cent scoop night which starts

tonight at 5:00. the nationwide event is being held in support of the national firefighters federation. the scoop of ice cream will only cost you 31 cents and baskin robbins will make a donation of $100,000 to that foundation. the effort doesn't last long though. it ends tonight at10:0 0.10:00. 10:27 now. a look at your weather and traffic right after this.

good morning to you. we're already at 65 degrees in

sunnyvale. 10:28. headed to the 70s across the board. beautiful day on tap. if you can get on outside you will enjoy what the weather holds for you today. lots of sunshine, 70, 69 for oakland. a little bit cooler in san francisco but you're headed toward the 70s tomorrow. 70 degrees for you in los gatos today and 70 in san jose. our sun sets at 7:54 p.m. as you can see from the seven-day outlook no rain in sight. lots of sunshine. even a warmup as we head to your weekend. next week very warm overall. 80-degree weather. back to you, mike. >> all right. looking at the approach to the bay bridge toll plaza very clear, a 19-minute drive. look at the toll plaza, big backup over the last half hour because of the accident clear from the toll plaza they had to clear across all lanes and had to slow everything down for a bit. starting to recover now. much better in the last five minutes. the south bay, traffic flows lightly through the northbound routes. a little slowing around saratoga but out northbound on 880 the

bask baskin robin on ramp closed. use stevens creek as your on ramp. back to you. >> thank you for joining us this morning. the "today" show continues next. we're back on this wines day with more. cathy lee is across the street at the convenience store. she's ready to hand out 100 bucks to those who know what they are talking about, if not, they get her music. the senior editor of the knot,.com, she's ready to try it. >> let's do it. >> lovely ladies from ohio, how many people tuned in to watch princess diana and prince charles's wedding, 120 million, 300 million, 575 million or 750 million people and it's an hour

show, may i remind you. >> 750. >> there you go. split is three ways, ladies. >> 750 million people, unbelievable. >> when you think about it, this time around we're expecting 1 to 2 billion people to tune in. >> doubt people will watch when they can. >> probably the youtube the ipads. >> it will be interesting to see the numbers. >> look, they have their american dolls with them. how many wedding cakes did prince charles and diana have at their wedding, one, three, 14 or 27. >> 14. >> what do you think? >> three. >> you're both wrong. i gave them a chance. be like real sisters and fight over my record. >> the actual number is 27 wedding cakes, is that because

of all of the people? >> for all occasions. they had one official cake made by the naval armed forces and it was several tiers and took 14 weeks to make and supposedly 12 hours to bake the bottom layer and the baker made two identical cakes in case one would break in the process so they would have one to swoop in. >> do you think we'll see something similar? >> i doubt 27 but i'm guessing a big nice cake. >> all of these great kids from a high school in louisiana. in what country did prince william propose to kate middleton. england, kenya, bore ra bore ra or france. >> kenya. >> yeah, momma. i don't know with what you'll do with splitting that up but good luck. >> it was kenya, it was on safari. >> it was a destination proposal, pretty tendy, way to go william. he asked the queen's permission and kate middleton's dad. >> i'm interested to see where they go on the honeymoon.

>> i'm thinking down under. >> let's go across. >> these lovely people are from fort pierce, florida. true or false, prince william is older than kate middleton? >> false. >> good girl. you looked at me like -- i did not give her the answer. you are right. there you go, darling. >> she's in reality a year older? >> she is six months old every but she's 27 years old and makes her one of the oldest ever to be married. >> diana was like 25. >> back across. >> they are from taylorsville, kentucky. [ applause ] >> how long was princess diana's wedding dress train, 10 feet, 25 feet, 40 feet, 50 feet? >> 25 feet. [ applause ] >> how did she know it was 25 feet? >> that's unbelievable.

25 feet long, the longest train in royal history. you know, david and elizabeth designed the dress for the cathedral there. that was a bigger church than westminster abbey. >> thank you so much. we appreciate it. when we come up next, tricks to get the wine out of your rug and dust out of your window screens with random stuff. ♪ blue bonnet butter... pam non-stick cooking spray... and a stanley saw. ♪ ♪ did your brother have anything to do with this? no. yes. ♪ [ male announcer ] only walmart has low prices every day on everything you need. backed by our ad match guarantee. save money. live better. walmart.

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if you're about to start your spring cleaning, you have come to the right place. all of your solutions may be in your kitchen pantry. >> how would you know? >> i don't know. there's no way i would know. >> sara, the lifestyle editor for the net.com. she's here with five surprising household products that double as stain and dirt removal so you can start cleaning right now, no excuses, right after our show, anyway. >> good to have you. >> you're starting off with cleaning the microwave. >> if you leave them for a while they get grimy and everything sticks on it. we have this great solution. you put water in a glass pitcher or anything microwave safe and pour a little vanilla in it. >> and then what? >> then you close it and put it on high for five minutes and it will staem up and smell delicious. >> then you wipe it down and it

comes off. >> and smell like vanilla. like you've been baking cookies all afternoon. >> exactly. >> this can get nasty. >> i wouldn't know but -- >> how do we get that cleaned up? >> this is one of the things you don't want to wipe it with the wrong piece of paper or anything. tvs, computer screens, mirrors, if you have coffee filters, unused and they are perfect for wiping off all of the dust. you can wipe on a computer screen and it won't harm it. so it's perfect. >> no product. >> no product. >> don't use any product. >> don't use win dex. >> i do. >> nothing is wrong where my computer. >> you don't need to run to the store, you have it in your pantry. >> sometimes you have a vase and put it in the dish washer and it doesn't get clean. >> especially with a narrow neck. you can put in some egg shells and these will act as an abrasi abrasive. >> they are going to do the

scraping when you mix it around. >> exactly. this is water with dish washer detergent and it comes in and you have your cleaning -- all you have to do -- >> that's it? >> it gets all the grim off. >> you can fill it all the way up. >> very cool. >> that's clever. >> all right, this has happened a million times, you shatter a glass, not just in big chunks but little ones. >> you sweep this up and you still see the little flints of glass. you can take bread, it's naturally sticky and it will just squeeze off some of the. >> extra shards. >> look at you. look at you. >> what do you do about a dog that eats your shoe? >> come up here. talk to us about the wine stains. >> this is a lot of times people will spill their wine and which is a common problem and you want to get after it right away. what we have here, this is corn st starch, you add water and stir

it then kajy, if you want to spill the wine. >> is it the cheap stuff or expensive stuff? >> i'm sorry i'm not spilling it. >> i'll pour a little, i'm not wasting. it's wrong. >> it's wet. >> now what you want to do is put the corn starch on and you don't have to do a lot. >> oh. >> this is perfect. corn starch thickens gravies and stews, but it's also absorbant. let it dry and it will turn into a crust like this. >> then you peel it up. >> and it peels up and you have the whole thing -- >> isn't that great? >> you can take it off or vacuum it. >> that looks good. that's great. excellent. thank you. >> thank you so much. you were great. up next, wines that will please the palate of a princess as well

as us. coming up, oh, my gosh, they are go to sing for us, the band perry is downstairs and they'll sing live after this. ♪ man: and all the pens are put down... woman: and everything there is to learn is learned. man: till the heroes retire and the monsters return to their dens... woman: and all the plots are wrapped up. man: till that day... boy: by hook or by crook... girl: by book or by nook... woman: i will read. [ female announcer ] wake up to sweetness with honey nut cheerios cereal. kissed with real honey. and the 100% natural whole grain oats can help lower your cholesterol. you are so sweet to me. bee happy. bee healthy.

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now, i just need to curb the shoe shopping. ♪ count down to the royal wedding. >> absolutely. food and wine magazine's executive editor has brought along noble reds and highest ranked whites as well as affordable options. we will have a taste testing. >> you nailed that wine at the start of the show. you got it. >> it wasn't jerry's fault, it was ed. >> you don't have to drink the cheap wine. the royal wedding they will have champagne. what we have here is really wonderful champagne. and you guys have to figure it out. >> you cannot call it champagne

unless it comes from the champagne region. >> take a sip of that and the next one. which is the $550 bottle of champagne? >> i like the cheap one. >> you know which is which? >> that is true. this was served at princess diana and prince charles' wedding. a fantastic champagne. >> it is nice. how much is that? >> $14.99. >> that's good. okay. >> kate loves white wine. >> i knew i loved her. >> we have a couple of white wines. one from australia, one from france. >> okay. >> you might guess the french is more expensive but which is which. that's the key question here. i know you don't -- that's the

expensive one. >> give me a chance. >> the pressure is on here. which do you think? >> one is australian and one is french? >> come on. >> that's australian. >> that is correct. you nailed it. >> wait. what do you mean you nailed it. >> you nailed it before i had a drink of anything. >> what the heck are you doing? stop copying me. >> now pinot noir. one fit for a royal wedding and one fit for commoners. >> the rest of us. >> which one? >> one of these is a burr -- burgandy. >> one is an affordable $20.

>> this is the hardest one for me. they are very similar. i'm going to say this -- that's the most expensive. >> this is the affordable. >> i think you nailed it again. >> what a palate i have got. >> this is the $14. it is nice. >> the royal family, big family, we have one of these is -- >> we get paid for this. >> bottled in 1969 for charles' investiture of crown prince. >> look at her. >> 45 bucks for the other. >> quick quick determination? >> expensive. expensive. expensive, not. >> kathie lee wins on that one. >> of course she wins the wine contest. >> mike gifford you must be so

proud of me. >> the band perry is going to play for us live downstairs but first this is today on nbc. ♪

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okay now for the moment we have been talking about. the band perry has had an extraordinary year. the group's self-titled debut album was certified gold and they have been showered with award nominations including three this morning from the cmt music awards. >> they are not only talented but they are also siblings, neil, kimberly and reid. where did you grow up? >> mobile, alabama, the hot

sweaty south. >> a lot of good music comes outs of the south. >> it is like the cross roads of rock and roll, country and blues. >> this is such a big hit. thank you for coming to see us. >> thanks for having us. >> it's called if i die young. >> you are all so young now. we want you to live long time and make a lot of great hits. here they are, the band perry, everybody. ♪

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