twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. when will it end? good morning. when will it end? even more destructive tornados sweep through the nation's midsection and parts of the south. dozens injured. hundreds of homes and businesses have been destroyed. ready to run. new signs that sarah palin could be closer to entering the 2012 presidential race. she's added staff, authorized a film about her meteoric rise and claims to have the fire in her belly, but when will she make a decision? and boy or girl? only six people in the world know the sex of this baby, the immediate family and the midwives involved in the delivery. so why is his or her gender such

a closely guarded secret? we'll tell you "today," a closely guarded secret? we'll tell you "today," thursday, may 26th, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and in for meredith, i'm ann curry. she's back tomorrow. good morning, everybody. this storm is unbelievable. for a fifth straight day tornado sirens jolted residents in many states. although there were reports of more than 80 twisters on wednesday, fortunately this time no one was killed. >> of course, no one knows the power of a tornado more than the folks out in joplin, missouri, where the death toll there has risen again. take a look at this aerial photograph of joplin. this is before the tornado. now look at this new image that

shows the twister's path of destruction. we're going to go live to missouri for more on this latest round of storms in just a couple of minutes. >> shocking, just shocking. also, nearly nine years after her abduction, elizabeth smart has finally got the chance to confront the man who abducted her and held her for nine months. the emotional words she had for him in court. and the daughter of arnold schwarzenegger's mistress speaks out for the first time. when did she learn he was the former governor's son? what does she have to say about her mom's secret? we'll hear from her coming up. let's begin with another outbreak of tornadoes and severe storms overnight. jim cantore is in poplar bluff, missouri. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. for the first time this morning i'm not standing in front of a tremendous amount of wreckage here.

so many people here, about 18,000, took refuge in the coliseum or hotels because they felt unsafe in their own home. either way we had over a thousand reports of severe weather, 81 reports of tornados. the good news, no loss of life. at one point, 11 states under a tornado watch. wicked, wild weather once again wreaking havoc. this twister wednesday in ellsinore, missouri, marking a dangerous path across several states in the nation's midsection. >> there is widespread damage here. >> reporter: near bedford, indiana, a reported tornado ripped several homes apart. tornado warnings sounded in indiana. it battered neighborhoods. >> it was horrible. i thought i was going to come apart. it vibrated so bad, my body vibrated. >> reporter: tasha bennington saw it coming and ran for cover. her back windshield shattered. >> just lots of wind and hail, really. >> reporter: the airport in greensburg suffered major damage.

trees were uproot and tossed right through a building. another tornado swept through the town of sedalia, missouri. in oklahoma, the death toll from tuesday's tornado outbreak has risen to nine. and in hard-hit joplin, officials say the death toll now stands at 125 as residents there continue to search the rubble and come to grips with the heartbreak. >> i mean the house was ripping apart. >> reporter: nbc's brian williams interviewed bethany. her husband was killed by the tornado. he threw his body over his wife as the couple took cover in a bathtub. >> people keep saying he wouldn't have wanted it any other way, but if i could have taken twice as much damage just to have him alive, i would have. >> reporter: just absolutely

heartbreaking, matt. we've had a year's worth of tornados already, not yet the end of may. what makes this year stand out is the types of tornadoes, ef-4s, ef-5s, the top of the scale. those are responsible for over 85% of all the tornado deaths, and so far 500 people have lost their lives so far this year. back to you. >> jim, thank you very much. so what can we expect today? we've got al roker upstairs. al, good morning to you. >> ann, thank you so much. you look today. you see a risk of strong storms stretching from mobile, alabama, all the way up to montpelier. here's why we've been seeing all this rough weather. this is the jet stream. we've got this severe jet, about 6,000 feet. we've also had a lot of moist

air coming out of the gulf and that has been bringing all these strong storms. however, as we get into the weekend, we've got a building high pressure ridge. that's good news. a trough back to the west. jet stream moves way to the north and that has cut off effectively the fuel for the tornado machine. the good news is after today we get a break in all this severe weather. matt? >> all right. thank you very much. we're going to check in with you a little later on. but now president obama's european tour. he arrived in france for the g-8 summit while here at home there are signs sarah palin is seriously considering a run for the white house. chuck todd is in deauville, france. what's on the agenda? >> reporter: well, there's some things that are precooked, and what's precooked is getting all of these eight powerful countries to agree on a certain level of financial aid packages for the fledgling democracies in

the middle east. representatives of both of those countries will be here making their final case. where there will be some friction has to do with the military strategy, dealing with libya and trying to get gadhafi out. as you know, the french and the english would like to see a more aggressive role played by the united states. and there's a couple of side bars that could become a distraction. mark zuckerberg and then france which is chairing the meeting is going to try to rally support to keep someone from france to keep them from running for imf. >> there's an article that says there's a possibility that sarah palin may now seriously be running for president. a couple of factors that keep the tea leaves buzzing. she's got a new home in arizona. the rehiring of key political staff members, and the return to

a full slate of public appearances. she also recently said she has the fire in her belly. what are the oddsmakers saying about this? >> reporter: well, i can tell you the one thing. the one person that's happy about this is mitt romney. anything that distracts another candidate or prevents another candidate from raising money or getting oxygen essentially in this field is a good thing, and sarah palin will soak up a lot of attention. now, she doesn't have a huge financial base among major donors in the republican establishment. she can do well with the grassroots. but it is a way it hurts people like tim pawlenty who are trying to get off the ground, jon huntsman, all these guys that are 1%, 2%, 3% in the polls can't get any attention. if palin's in there, it gives mitt romney more. the next happen yes, sir is jim. >> chuck todd in france with the president this morning.

chuck, thank you very much. now, let's get a check on the rest of the morning's top stories. good morning, natalie. >> good morning, everyone. former imf chief dominique strauss can is waking up in a sprawling home in one of manhattan's pricier neighborhoods. last night he moved into a $50,000-a-month rental. he's awaiting trial on charges of attempted rape of a hotel maid. the legislation would extend anti-terror tools such as roving wire taps and lone wolf suspects for the next four years. republican rand paul wants to debate on parts of the act which he says threatens constitutional rights. tucson's jared loughner has been deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial for the january rampage that killed six and wounded one. he's been ordered to undergo four months of intensive treatment in a missouri facility

in an effort to make him fit for trial. he had to be removed after saying, quote, thank you for the freak show. she died in front of me. now let's head to melissa lee. melissa, good morning. >> housing is in focus. realty track reporting that sales of distressed homes fell in first quarter but they still made up 28% of total sales and that is the highest amount in about a year. tune into my premiere tonight, "code wars." we answer questions like is a cyber war or cyber 9/11 possible. we'll take you underground. you will not believe what you can buy. that's at 9:00 p.m. tonight on cnbc. >> the hacker underground. sounds like a scary place. melissa, thanks so very much. there is a new "american idol." scotty "mchotty" mccreery beat out lauren alaina to become the youngest winner ever. now that the country singing

former grocery store clerk has won a record contract, he says he wants to spend some time on the couch eating chips and watching espn. i think he deserves that. scotty and lauren will perform right here as part of our summer concert series. it was a country showdown. i stayed up way too late watching it. >> very exciting. >> they're both so equally talented. >> as someone who hasn't seen that show, was that editorial "mchotty" yours or -- >> no. that was not me. >> that's his moniker? >> his voice is stunning. it's amazing. there was a quote from me saying if my life were a song, it would probably be titled "roller coaster" because of all the exciting moments in it. mr. roker is in here sporting his spiffy new ipad cover. >> thanks so much. let's see what's happening for you. for today, we're talking about a

difference in temperatures. ahead of these testimonies, 86 in albany, 86 in pittsburgh. 54 in flint. chicago 52. we've got a risk of strong storms from new england all the way to the gulf coast. beautiful in the southwest, although we are looking at cool temperatures in los angeles. only 74. plenty of sunshine. sunny skies back through the northern plains. that's what's going on aro good thursday morning to you. so close to the holiday weekend. the temperatures are cool this morning. take a look at this, 40 degrees in gilroy. close to the 30s. before we hit the lows this morning, one more hour of cooling. 71 in los gatos today. holiday weekend looking good. 74 on monday, memorial day. we are going to keep the 70s in the mix. nice, fair weather for the next few days. arly nine years in the making

for kidnapping victim elizabeth smart. for the first time she faced her former captor face to face on wednesday. nbc's miguel almaguer is in salt lake city, utah, with the details. good morning. >> reporter: her words were brief. she only spoke for about a minute and a half. she was in court to see the man who kidnap and raped her, sentenced to life in prison. elizabeth smart arrived in federal court to face her monster. the first time since her kidnapping she spoke directly to brian david mitchell. in court he was shackled and singing hymns throughout the entire hearing. surrounded by family, smart took a deep breath, stood tall, and without notes looked at mitchell and said you took away nine months of my life that can never be returned, but in this life or next, you will have to be held responsible for those actions, and i hope you are ready for when that time comes. >> i told brian david mitchell

today in court that whether he received his just sentence here on earth or after this earth life that one day he will have to be responsible for his actions. >> reporter: smart's nightmare began in 2002 when she was just 14 years old, kidnapped from her bedroom at knife point. nine months after she disappeared, smart was spotted near salt lake city not far from where she lived. brian david mitchell and his estranged wife were arrested for kidnapping, but their trials and convictions took years. smart spoke directly to mitchell before his life sentence was handed down. i know that you know what you did was wrong. you did it with a full knowledge. >> i absolutely 100% believe that brian david mitchell knew exactly what he was doing when he kidnapped me and all the events that followed. >> reporter: in court smart's final words to mitchell were clear. i want you to know i have a

wonderful life now. you will never affect me again. now 23 years old, smart has attended college, traveled overseas and has started a foundation with her family to help bring home the missing. >> i think one of the biggest ways to overcome any trial in life to kill from any kind of experience is by helping those around you because by lifting those around you up, you end up lifting yourself up as well. >> reporter: a young woman with an unforgettable past and a promising future. >> today is the ending of a very long chapter and the beginning of a very beautiful chapter for me. i was happy for the opportunity to say what i felt that i needed to say, and i'm thrilled it's over. >> reporter: in court mitchell

never spoke nor even acknowledged smart. elizabeth said she was just fine with that, adding that she moved on with her life and said what she wanted to say. ann, back to you. >> all right. >> back to politics now and the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent by gop hopeful newt gingrich and his wife. lisa myers has more on this story. lisa, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. newt gingrich has always mornin. newt gingrich has always described himself as frugal, which is why this story about a huge line at tiffanies just won't go away. it explains how gingrich managed to buy as much as a half million dollar in jewelry, pay it off over time, and not pay any interest. sparkling diamonds and an iconic

blue box have worked magic for men for decades, but for newt gingrich, not so much. he and his wife have been dubbed the blingriches. >> $500,000 at tiffany's? there's a simple explanation. the guy buys his engagement rings in bulk. >> i'm going to buy a key ring from tiffany's. half a million dollars? you bought half a million dollar of jewelry on credit. >> talk to tiffany's. it's a normal way of doing business. we're very frugal. we live within our budget. we owe nothing. >> reporter: tiffany provided nbc news a statement, basically confirming gingrich's account and says it routinely offers interest-free borrowing for up to one year for credit-worthy tiffany customers. though experts say very few

americans can qualify for the same deal gingrich got five years ago. >> in order to have this kind of deal, you have to have great wealth to qualify for a quarter of a million tore half a million dollar worth of credit at the line at tiffany's. this here looks quite similar to this one in the tiffany catalogue. price, $45,000. political analysts say just as john edwards became defined by his $400 hair cuts, newt gingrich risks becoming known for bling, which may make it even harder for candidates to relate for voters struggling in a fragile economy and working to pay off their own credit line at sears. >> look. most people don't have homes that cost $500,000, let alone jewelry bills of that amount. it's not something that people can relate to. >> reporter: gingrich says he just doesn't get what all the fuss is about. >> i'm totally mystified. i owe no personal debts, none.

we paid off our house, we paid off our cars, we own four small businesses. we happen to be successful. >> we asked for his spokesman for a comment about this. and he told us the gingriches have a right to spend the money the way they want and the right to give the gifts they want to give. it's their money. matt? >> lisa myers in washington. thank you very much. it's 19 minutes after the hour. once again, here's ann. thanks. now the latest on the arnold schwarzenegger scandal. the daughter of the mistress speaks out for the first time now that her little brother is the son. >> reporter: she learned her brother was the son of arnold schwarzenegger just like everybody else. she told telemundo it hasn't changed her feelings about her mother. >> she's like a superwoman.

she's always been there for us, for me and my brothers, and that's why me and my brothers will always be there for her. >> roso is the first child of schwarzenegger's housekeeper to speak publicly. she says she hasn't spoken to her mother since last week's revelation. >> i love my mother and she's a great inspiration for any woman that is, you know, out there, you know, working for their kids. >> reporter: for his part, schwarzenegger was spotted for the first time in more than a week. seens ryaning a bike alone in the quiet town where he and his family have spent vacations together for years. the nationial inquirer er accused them. drawing a quick response from schwarzenegger's attorney who called the allegations totally and completely false. two retired california hire way patrol officers from schwarzenegger's protective detail came forward as well releasing statements saying they

never witnessed him saying or doing anything inappropriate. >> my mom doesn't need to justify hers, you know. >> reporter: jackie roso is also attacking reports that cast her mother in a negative light. >> it doesn't matter what any newspapers say or anything because, you know, i know my mom, and, you know, her friends and her family, we all know her. what they put out there it's like -- it's just, you know, gossip, rumors. >> reporter: for "today," peter alexander, nbc news, los angeles. coming up, casey anthony's friends and former boyfriend testify about her demeanor in the immediate days after her daughter's alleged murder. we're going to get details on that. but first this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] it was forged from the fires of imagination.

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coming up, is is it a boy or a girl?

why his and her parents are keeping it a secret and the uproar about their controversial decision. also coming up we're going to get a rare and exclusive look inside the home of one of the rw lived, elizabeth taylor. first your local news. 

good morning to you. it's 7:26 right now on this thursday morning. i'm laura garcia-cannon. this morning, san jose police are continuing their investigation. today in the bay's marla tellez is live in san jose. she joins us with the latest. any updates? >> reporter: at this point, we can tell you what we have known this morning, that is police say a hispanic man in his 20s from san jose was shot and killed here at the corner of schulte

and checkers drive in east san jose. it's near mckee and king. the man found lying in the streets, he died a short time later at the hospital. police have limited information. they are looking for the shooters this morning. they are interviewing the people who called 911 from this area potential witnesses. this is the 20th homicide of the year. in all of 2010, san jose had 19 homicides. >> not a good trend. now, a look at the forecast with christina. >> a trend we do like. a warm up. good morning to you. we are going to see the 70s today. cooler in some cities than we ended up yesterday. san francisco hit 63 degrees. overall, inland, you will climb a few degrees. 71 in losgatos.

we have a holiday weekend around the corner. 74 degrees for memorial day. next week, by the end of next week, temperatures really ramp up. yep, we get closer and closer to the summertime weather conditions. back to you, mike. >> major delays for b.a.r.t. trains are running but slowly through the city. highway 4, eastbound direction is still closed. extended through now but in the third delay. probably more delays in this area. southbound 680 causing slow downs. the bay bridge toll plaza shows the story. light traffic today. >> there you go. another lol news update in a half hour. see you then. l

7:30 now on a thursday morning. it's the 26th of may, 2011. it's a beautiful day in downtown manhattan. keep your fingers crossed we get a carbon copy of this day tomorrow. find out what al has to say about that prediction in just a little while. meanwhile inside studio 1a, matt lawyer along with ann curry. the bold claims by the defense team that her father

helped cover up his granddaughter's death. we have the live interview coming up in a little while. also coming up, if you needed to raise $2,000 in 30 days, could you do it? the answer is no for nearly half of all families in the united states. so what can people do when they find themselves financially fragile? we're going to get advice coming up this morning. not only that, but people above and below the poverty line. a lot of middle-class people are financially fray jail as well. plus, this is a baby named storm and only a handful of people know whether this child is a boy or a girl. we're going to tell you why his parents or her parents are keeping their baby's gender such a closely guarded secret. we begin this half hour in florida where the murder trial of casey anthony enters its third day. nbc's kerry sanders is joining us now. hey, kerry, good morning. >> good morning, ann.

prosecutors are starting to lay out their case to prove that casey anthony murdered her 2-year-old daughter caylee because she was more interested in being a party girl than handling the burdens and responsibilities of motherhood. casey anthony was dressed conservatively, a sharp contract to picture after picture after picture shown in the courtroom tuesday, snapshots taken at a hot body contest, just four days after 2-year-old caylee was either murdered as the prosecution claims or accidentally drowned in the family's swimming pool as the defense argues. >> you didn't notice sh was upset. >> no. >> or crying. >> no. >> or sad. >> no. >> reporter: the so-called shot girls. >> did you ever see casey drink or get drunk? >> no. >> reporter: casey's friends who joined her at an orlando nightclub pushing drinks. each testified casey showed no signs of distress, no indication

that caylee, the little girl they all knew was dead. maria kish even rode around in the car prosecutors say casey used to drive around the dead body. >> when you sat in the back seat, did you smell a foul odor? >> no. >> reporter: and then there's casey's boyfriend. >> how would you describe her demeanor? >> happy. >> which was. >> happy to see me. happy all the time. >> reporter: he was with casey at a blockbuster video store the day caylee cried. >> did she ever cry? >> no. >> did she ever actener scared? >> no. >> did she ever act nervous? >> no. >> reporter: for the prosecution, casey was happy to have her single life back. the defense, there's nothing to claim that her daughter was murdered. her daut 'eers mouth taped shut.

the defense dropped a bombshell in the openings saying she drowned and casey was sexually abused by her father, an accusation he strongly denies. experts say if the defense is going to prove that it was an accidental drowning and that her father george knew about it but forced her to cover it up, it's haev burden. >> i think with the kind of bombshells defense is dropping they're going to blow up in their face unless they have sensation sensational. >> reporter: faced with two months of testimony like this, the jury sent a note to the judge saying they would be willing to come in and listen to more testimony on memorial day.

the judge has yet to announce if he can open the court on a holiday to move his trial along. >> all right. kerry sanders. thanks. mark joins us from orlando. good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> can you tell us how your client, casey's father, reacted when he first learned that the defense was going to accuse him of sexually abusing his daughter? >> we actually knew about this defense approximately six weeks ago, and we've dealt with those issues since then. it wasn't a surprise. the only surprise was the detail added by mr. baez. >> was he angry? was he shocked? what did he say to you? >> well, there's attorney/client issues there so i can't discuss what my client said, but i alone was very angry on behalf of my clients with the presentation on tuesday. >> i want to play for you, mr.

lippman, a portion of an interview your client, george anthony, gave to meredith a little less than a year ago. and he was asked by meredith if he still had faith in his daughter. let's listen to what he said. >> i'm going to stand behind case because number one i'm her father. i want to find out what happened to caylee. i do. so does cindy. i can't throw my hands up and be done with my daughter. i can't do that. i can't do that to my family, to my daughter. >> in light of the defense, is george anthony's faith in his daughter now wavering? >> it's an interesting situation. you have the love of a father for his daughter versus the truth, and here george anthony's nothing but the truth, has always maintained that he would always tell the truth as to what

happened, what he knows, and he's done so each and every time he's either ben cross-examined, deposed, or any statements he's ever given. so certainly he stands by his daughter and hopes that whatever happens, that the truth comes out at the end of the day. >> you're painting a picture of a man standing by his daughter even though the team that's defending her has taken a pretty strong slug at him. does this defense increase his concerns, his worries, his fears that maybe his daughter had something to do with his granddaughter's death? >> certainly again i can't necessarily discuss what he says but it raises concerns about her mental stability, not whether or not she's able to sit for trial, but the issues that have been raised by the defense are at this point nothing but conjectu conjecture, and if it's supported by their client, then

it does raise concerns for her mental stability. >> meantime you've gone so far as to say you will take legal action if your client, george anthony, is painted as a potential suspect. what legal action will you take? who will you take this legal action against? >> certainly some of the things that mr. baez said in his opening statement -- and i have to point out, opening statements are nothing but their opinion and conjecture. there's been no facts that have been presented. throughout the duration of the trial, if there are no facts presented to support his allegations, it was nothing more than a story present odd about the family. >> you're saying you might take legal action against the defense attorney? >> absolutely. >> how is casey -- >> he knows -- >> go ahead. >> he knows the media we're faced with, the implications of

what were going to be said. it's interesting to have him say those things without any sort of support in any deposition that he's been a part of with george anthony, those questions have never been asked. generally when you raise things like that, you should know the answer before you ask. >> meantime i have to ask about cindy anthony, your other client. how is she holding up with all of this swirling around her? >> this family is a very stoic family. obviously it's a very difficult time for them. i can't comment on what we talk about, but certainly i know it's very difficult, and i also wanted to point out one of the main reasons i'm here today is george wanted everybody to be aware that yesterday was national missing child day and he doesn't want to take away from anybody else just because of the national attention this case is getting. >> all right. point taken. mark lippman, thank you for joining us this morning. >> thank you very much. now let's get a check of the weather. >> thanks, ann. we've talked not only about

tornados but flooding where you wouldn't necessarily expect it. we've got some video as we check out -- this is joliet, montana. high waters causing problems in this eastern montana town. a log jam causing a crate to overflow and causing big problems. they're feej starting to see some clearing later on today. now as we take a look and show you on our map what's going on for today, we do have a risk of strong storms stretching from new england to the gulf coast. rain in the pacific northwest. showers in montana. look for sunshine in the south tomorrow. sizzling in texas. into the gulf coast, southwest, a risk of strong storms. rain in the northwest good morning to you. kind of a nice start. we have mostly cloudy conditions out there. the clouds are clearing as we speak. cool as well. 45 in fairfield. 48 in san mateo.

now, 51 in san francisco. the low 70s, mid-60s. close to the bay. 63 in san francisco. 68 degrees in redwood city. low 70s for the south bay. we have a holiday weekend around the corner. temps are going to stay nice. monday is the best day of the week. go to the wea channel or weather.com online. ann? >> thank you so much. we going to going side mansion. it's on the mattrket. we're going to give you a tour. why half of all americans consider themselves, quote, ncially fragile. that's right after this.

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back now at 7:44, this morning on "today's" money, are you financially fragile. nearly half of all americans are living on the economic edge. jean chatzky is "today's"

financial editor. good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning. nice to see you too. >> this financial fragility or being financially fragile, had not heard of it before. how do you define it? >> it means somebody who cannot come up with $2,000 within a month or they would have to go through gre going and taking out a payday loan. >> so we're talking about people if they had an unexpected expense -- if the transmission blows out on their car and they have to do that, having to pay for that expense could put them over the financial edge. >> that's exactly right, or the roof leaks or you have a big medical expense. and it's a bigger problem here in the united states than it is in other countries. >> most people watching this will say, of course, there are people at or near the poverty level and that $2,000 figure is impossible for them. but what i found in reading this paper further is there are some people who would consider themselves to be middle class

who also consider themselves to be financially fragile. >> people who make about 70,000 to $120,000 a year, 20% of them say they're financially fragile. >> that could be less about the ability to raise $2,000, and it could say more about their outlook on life and their economic picture. >> and the money we have in the bank, we've become terrible savers and we need to get better in the future. >> how do we start? >> we start by making a savings that's automatic. you make the decision one time and the money just goes. you have to get that money out of your hands -- >> out of a spending account. >> out of a spending account. what you don't want is for it to show up on your receipt when you go to the atm because then you think, oh, i can spend this money, and you have to put barriers into withdrawing the money in place. this is why 401(k)s work.

because if you do, that's penalties. put it in an internet bank where you can't touch it and make sure the money goes there every single time you get paid. >> thank you very much. 7:47 right now. up next, who controls the half a billion dollar fortune left behind by one of the country's t hiest and most reclusive women? we'll have that next after this.

one of the world's richest and most reclusive heiresses has died. rosette clark has died. they were looking into how her financial savings ended up. >> rosette clark owned the most lavish apartment in all of manhattan. a four-room apartment worth $2 million. she herself is worth $4 billion in some estimates. big questions started. what will happen to all of her money, especially considering her closest advisers are under investigation for stealing millions of it.

hair yet chase reclusive until her final breath. clark leaves behind three massive estates. this one in santa barbara hugs the atlantic coast. clark's estate in connecticut is worth over $20 million. and, of course, the prestigious fifth avenue property filled with dolls and fine art, worth over 100 million. clark hadn't seen any of them in over 20 years. in fact, she was living in is he collusion -- seclusion in what would be her final home. her death, two weeks shy of her 100th birthday, means the battle begins for her riches. >> she was buried wednesday evening the way she had lived, alone, no ceremony, no funeral

mass, no priest. it was a strange life that came to a strange ending. >> she was in hugo clark's inner circle, her lawyer and her accountant. >> investors want to know whether she was taken advantage of all those years. they have a roomful of financial documents they're going through. >> wally balk quietly arranged to sell her stradivarius violin. >> they're basically just going to put it someplace, lock it up and have someplace other than these two people in control of it until they can sort out the facts. >> clark, who divorced young and had no children, inherited her wealth from her father, the copper king from the guilded

age. along with the money and the mansions, she reportedly has a will, too, but it remains unclear who is in it. the mystery who is hugh clark stretches beyond the grave. the accountant never called us back yesterday, but we did hear back from a spokesman and he told us, quote, madame clark's passing is a sad event for everyone who loved and respected her over the years. she died as she wanted, with dig nitty -- dignity and privacy. they would not comment on the ongoing project ahead of them. if her apartment ends up going on the market, it would make a huge splash. coming up, a cute baby. is it a boy or is it a girl? >> we talk about the couple's

decision to keep the sex of their baby a secret. but first, your local news. d to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one pill a dayevery day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation.

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good morning to you. 7:56 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. los angeles police are confident they have the man who beat brian stow. the lineup included ramirez went well. ramirez is being held on a parole held. the attorney says they have evidence that will prove he is innocent. the bail for the woman who is accused of kidnapping her granddaughter is at $5 million. they convinced the judge she was a flight risk. she kidnapped her daughter and tried to pass her off as her own child. she's be transported to contra costa county later this week.

now a check on the forecast. >> good morning to you. we have a nice start. mostly clear conditions right now. a mix of sun and clouds. a system to the north is going to drive in cloud cover later on. 65 for oak larnd. 71 for l los gatos. one more day until the holiday weekend. 71 on friday. we are up to 74 degrees on monday, memorial day. the best day of the weekend to plan the outdoor activities. let's check the drive with mike. >> it's good. known for barbecues. slowing high way 4. good news. it's reopened. look at this. just like the previous three days this week, we have slowing through walnut creek as well. it's not making things easier. the accident has been in lanes for a half hour. opposite your main commute there's an accident reported. speeds below 40 in the area. the back up there is relatively

light with a live look showing some of the lanes, the fast track lanes. past the coliseum, northbound side to the right of the screen, a few shadows. a little slowdown, lighter volume. more slowing expected. it is before a holiday weekend. a lot of folks may be planning holiday plans early. i'll have another update in a half hour. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. have a great day.

8:00 on a ♪ 8:00 on a thursday morning. it's the 26th day of may, 2011. if you are looking for a beautiful spring day, come to new york city. we have one here in our plaza. we've got a huge crowd joining us as well. members of our military here because it is fleet week in new york city. and we always appreciate the service of these young men and women. it's nice to have them with us. meanwhile, out on the plas ai'm matt lauer along with ann

curry. meredith has taken the day off. al rokker is here. if you can produce this weather tomorrow, we're in for a smoking concert. we have rihanna out on the plaza. she is going to be bringing a great ground to new york city. if you are in the area, come on down and check it out. >> also coming up, we're talking about elizabeth taylor. she's got a house being pictured in "architectural digest." they were planning to take these pictures before she got sick and it was pretty dramatic. these pictures take us inside the home of one of the greatest movie stars who ever lived. also ahead, couples expecting a baby often get the question, are you having a boy or a girl? a lot of couples like to keep that a secret until the baby is born. but what about keeping the gender of your child a secret months after that baby is born? why would you keep that mystery? only six people in the world know whether storm is a boy or a girl. just ahead, the controversy over

his or her parents' decision to keep that secret. >> okay. interesting. >> and a little later on, the diet secrets of hollywood's superstars. we're going to reveal them so maybe you can get a few tips to yourself. >> all right. >> you're looking at me? >> you're fine. you are one of those celebrities. >> let's go inside. natalie morales in for ann. >> good morning. an astonishing 81 tornados in 24 hours brought more destruction to the nation's heartland overnight. this latest round of violent weather uprooted trees, damages homes and overturned vehicles in indiana, illinois and missouri. meantime, before and after satellite photos show the pact of a tornado that killed more than 120 people in joplin, missouri. europe's most wanted war crimes fugitive ratko mladic has been arrested in serbia. he's evaded capture since 1995 when he was indicted for organizing and masterminding the srebenica genocide.

servia has been told that it cannot join the european union until mladic is arrested. the state department is ordering all nonessential u.s. diplomats to leave yemen. it's also advising private american citizens to leave. political violence there has killed dozens of people this week. a tragic accident has overshadowed the start of this year's fleet week in new york. police say a u.s. marine was struck and killed by a car as he was crossing a street to return to his ship overnight. about 3,000 marines and sailors are in new york for the annual event. senate democrats forced a vote wednesday on a republican proposal to transform medicare. all but five republicans went on record supporting the controversial changes. the vote came just one day after democrats won a surprise victory in a special house race that turned on the medicare issue. traders at the new york stock exchange observed a spontaneous moment of silence wednesday after learning that cnbc anchor mark haines head died suddenly the night before at his home.

he was the founding anchor of cnbc's "squawk box." he was known as an unflappable pro. our thoughts are with his wife and son and daughter. mark haines was just 65 years old. a good friend to us. oprah winfrey bid an emotional farewell to her audience on wednesday as she ended her talk show's 25-year run. oprah thanked her fans for connect with her on a personal level. she's focusing now on a new show for her own cable network. and are you smarter than a seventh grader? probably not if that seventh grader is tina valencic. she won the national geography bee and a 25,000 scholarship on wednesday. he correctly answered that mt. everest is nepal's sagramonther national park. let's go back outside to matt and ann. >> thanks a lot, natalie. by the way, little 6-year-old sydney. actually, she just turned 7. made us this for the "today" show.

hi, "today" show because her mom loves the "today" show. thanks for that. want to get a check of the weather now? >> that kind of looks like mr. bill's sister. very sweet. that's very sweet. hey, what's your name? >> dan silverstein. >> and you are? >> rachel. >> what are you doing here? >> you know what? i told her we were coming out here to meet matt lauer, but that was a lie, rachel. i love you, and i've been waiting my whole life for you. and i came out here to ask you to marry me. >> wow. will you marry me? >> is that a yes? >> yes. >> all right. >> hey now. wow. that's -- well, congratulations. how long have you been dating? >> 18 months. >> very nice. >> maybe you can qualify as one of our couples here -- get married on the plaza. >> i would love to.

>> congratulations. >> where your from? >> vegas. >> you came all the way from vegas? you can do that in vegas. you can get married in vegas at least. congratulations to both of you. >> let's see the ring. >> brilliant earth. >> thank you. very nice. let's check the weather. see what's going on. whatever you guys do for your wedding song, don't get the one our director had, joe michaels. "mama told me not to come." houston, texas, local, too. partly sunny. hot. 92 degrees. as you look on the radar, strong storms now firing up through the upper ohio river valley. going to be moving later on into new england. we've got wet weather through the plains. plenty of sunshine through the southwest. along the east coast, it is going to be hot. good morning. they're cheering for our better weather today. we've got a lot of sunshine out there already and our temps are warming up nicely now. 46 degrees in novato.

in the heat of the day, typically about 4:00 p.m., 68 degrees in redwood city. and 71 degrees in los gatos. we have a little bit of change on the way for tomorrow. we'll see a little bit more cloud cover come through. maybe mostly cloudy conditions up in the north bay. then we'll jump up to 74 memorial day. >> who is this? >> this is liza. >> liza is 6 months. >> she's beautiful. thanks for coming. thanks for sharing that. now let's head back to ann. >> all right, al. thank you so much. on the top of the babies, the question this morning is it a boy or a girl? why? these parents are keeping the gender secret for this little baby anghd e uparritet causaf right after this. e uproar it's after this. i didn't understand it. i found ohat connected our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia -- thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves.

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we're back now at 8:10. is it a boy or girl is the first question most couples get when they announce they're having a baby. but one couple has decided to keep their child's gender a secret. >> the story is generating a lot of buzz and also a lot of debate. can parents raise their children gender-free? that is what one family is trying to do. there's no blue or pink for this baby. the parents' idea is to let the child eventually pick their gend gender. >> reporter: at first glance this baby looks a lot like any other, bright eyes and a big smile. look closer. is it a boy or a girl? can you tell? it doesn't even matter. this canadian couple doesn't think so. they decided to raise their 4-month-old baby storm genderless, allowing it to choose his own orientation.

it's created an uproar. >> we have to understand the discussion of gender is not just about body parts or clothes we choose for ourselves or colors we like. it's about science. science is telling us there's a male and female brain. >> they say the only people who know whether it's a boy or a girl are one family friend and the older brothers. the family sent out an e-mail. we've decided not to share storm's sex for now, a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation, a stand-up to what the world could become in storm's lifetime, a more proagreeive place. >> the parents want to opt into this kind of utopian idea that, oh, we can just let our child be free. well you know what? that is completely to misunderstood what it means to be human. >> reporter: but they're not the only parents publicly fighting

gender rules. cheryl, author of the book, "my princess boy," allows her son to dress as he chooses, even if it's a tiara and tutu. >> it's a sense of empower. something they can do. >> my son is very happy and healthy, has fun what he's doing. it's not contagious. he's a kid like any other kid. >> reporter: it has bloggers abuzz. here's mommy blogger on offbeat mama.com. for me the goal isn't to remove gender from the equation. it's to support my son in making decisions about his own identity. while many support this, stan suggests this is more about mom and dad. >> to think that the child could choose who they're going to be, male or female later on is absolute storybook thinking. >> we ran a poll on our website.

more than 52,000 people responded with 11% saying it's a great idea while 89% deemed it a terrible one. matt? >> thanks very much. jamie is a staff reporter for the toronto star who first wrote about this family. of course the president of the child mind institution. good morning to both of you. you spent a couple of days with this family. there may be viewers watching this thinking these parents want attention or they want to be different for difference sake. what was your impression of the couple? >> i tried to remain as objective as possible, but my sense in spending two days with this family is that they're very kind people and regardless of whether or not you agree with their choices they care deeply about the children. >> how does the way they're raising storm, the child in question, how is it similar or did similar to the way they

raised their other children? >> they're 2 and 5 and they've been encouraged to be creative with gender. they make decisions to appear like girls every once in a while. they grow their hair long. pink is jazz's favorite color. he wears an earring, sometimes dresses. he's found himself in the line of fire sometimes, are you a boy or a girl and why are you wearing pink? so i think their decision with storm was formed by their experience with their other two children. >> harold, is this possibly a good idea, taken to an extreme. we applaud -- we tend to applaud parents who allow children to be themselves, but does gender neutrality or hiding a gender go too far with this? >> well, there is no such thing. the problem is when kids are born, they're not a blank slate. it isn't, oh, now we're going to see what happens. we're born with a personality.

we're either slow to warm up or we are very difficult or we are a more aggressive person, and we do have male brains and female brains. we can't pretend these differences if your 2-year-old son is not speaking as fast as your 2-year-old daughter, we know those developmental differences are because the male and female are different. >> when we talk about development, this baby is 4 months old, so i'm guessing there's no immediate impact on this child right now. but what happens if they carry this forward to a period in the child's life where there is that self-discovery? >> most kids by the time they're 3 or 4 figure out even by themselves without the rest of the world that their genitalia is different than other people's genitally, and that kind of define wls i stand up or sid down. and what we really want is we like kids to like their bodies and we don't care if they wear pink or blue or if there's a

girl who wants to play baseball. that's really terrific parenting. what we don't want to do is confuse a child and keep secrets. i think one of the worst parts of the story is that the 2-year-old and 5-year-old have to hold only the secret. >> i want to bring you in on that. that's a lot of pressure. now considering all the attention this story's getting, this family is going to be the focus of much of that attention. you've got a 5-year-old and 2-year-old who are now given the responsibility of keeping this secret. >> i mean if you ask the parents, the idea sprung very much from the children and their parenting philosophy is rooted in this notion that children can make meaningful decisions the for themselves. so this process is guarded largely by the children. any time that they have a problem with this, then the family will renegotiate. and if you ask jazz what it's like to keep a secret. his response is it's not a secret. i just call the baby storm. >> were you surprised at our poll? >> i'm not surprised at all.

first of all most of us are conventional. we like things to be in boxes. i understand that. what's disturbing to me is while they seem like well-meaning people, it's misguided. frankly, you can't deny a child's sexual or gender and what you want to do as parents is be more than just passive. we want to offer more than some guidance. >> jayme, this story has received more respoons than any other story in your newspaper. did you have any idea that the response would be so great? >> no, i think they're overwhelmed by the attention. kathy was quite surprised that the story was on the front page of our paper. so the fact that the whole world is talking about it i think has thrown them for a loop. they think they're very normal people. they go out every day, they go to the park. the kids chase guarder snakes through the park, they play with their bikes. they don't sit around and talk about gender every day. >> and they'll continue to do that and that there'll be a lot

of photographers there trying to get a glimpse to see if it's a boy or girl, which may be an unintended consequence. 18 minutes after the hour. up next, an exclusive inside look at elizabeth taylor's mansion. vo: so to show her what she's missing, we built a pc store in her house. julie: (gasp) employee: thanks for dropping in! julie: you've got to be kidding me! this isn't my house anymore! employee: have a little look around! julie: very nice! employee: this one is touchscreen. julie: i like that. so there is no tower anymore? wow! i admit i'm wrong on this account that there is a computer better than mine. vo: new pc in the house julie(to camera): i'm a pc and i'm gonna kill him.

so let's plant some perennials that'll turn up every year. trees and shrubs to give us depth. and fill it out with flowers placed in just the perfect place. let's start at the place with the best plants, people, and prices. how about we plant a weekend, water it, and watch a summer spring up? more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. we're lowering the cost of a day in the dirt with a special buy on this mulch -- 4 bags are just 10 bucks.

this morning on "today's" home, an exclusive look inside elizabeth taylor's home. when the legendary actress died earlier this year, she lived in her bel air, california, estate for more than 30 years. it was just listed for sale for $8.6 million. well, just before her death,

"architectural digest" magazine photographied the home and gardens. margaret, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> how you came to shoot these images of elizabeth taylor's home is almost a story in itself. >> it is. it's bittersweet. it didn't turn out as we had originally intended, but i'm very good friends with the photographer who was long-time friends with elizabeth taylor, and we had spoken about shooting her house. it's the first time she ever allowed anyone to do so. we spoke about it last fall and waited for the garden to be in full bloom, this spring. sadly as we had been planning the shoot, she went into the hospital. she was expected to come home. we were doing the shoot over the day when she passed away. >> on the day she passed away, you're in the house. >> she passed away early in the morning the second day of the shoot. >> and so it must have been a very surreal experience to be in

her house on that day it. >> was surreal. it was very -- i think it was very emotional. she has an extraordinary staff, a team of security, and people who have worked with her for a long time, and i thought that they would say, let's just finish this another time or we don't know if we're going to do the story, which would have been completely understandable. they didn't. they invited us back. she wanted to do it. it's very much a family house. and so we came back and finished it. >> we're looking at some of the images now, and they are intimate. it really looks like a comfortable house. it may not be exactly as people might have expected. what do you think these images that we're looking at tell us about one of the world's greatest movie stars? >> i think she was such an extraordinary woman. her life was all about glamour, in a period of time. her house, i understand, is how she was in her day-to-day life. she loved family, loved

entertaining. it's not huge. it's four bedroom, 7,000 square feet, very secluded. it's not about views and looking over hollywood. it doesn't announce itself. it is simply a lovely inviting beautiful house filled with all the things she loved. impressionist paintings, nowry fabrics. it's very feminine. throughout the house, black and white pictures of everything she loved in addition to presidents and kings and queens and all the dignitaries that she knew over the course of her career. >> humanitarian awards. it's almost as if, as you're looking at it, it's almost as if she left it. and you have now turned this article into a tribute piece really. you actually have her on the cover. >> she is on the cover. and we have the interiors of her house, and that's, you know, something that's exclusive. then we also spoke to her family and friends and celebrities.

and liz smekt wrote a great tribute to her. >> we'll look forward to that, margaret russell. good morning to you. it's 8:26 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. walls ripped from foundations, cars crushed by gusting winds. all phrases used to describe tornadoes in the midwest now apply to northern california as well. certainly not to the extent. seven tornadoes have been reported so far north of sacramento. this is actually chopper video of a twister that touched down on the ground, pulled debris into the air near durham after 6:00 last night. so far, no reported injuries but plenty of damage to homes and cars. as we mentioned, certainly not to the degree of what they're experiencing down in the

midwest.n weather and traffic after this.

good morning to you. well, we've got some clear conditions over the inland areas. still some clouds lingering over the peninsula and up in the north bay, a mix of sun and clouds. all expected to clear out of her before we hit 4:00 p.m. today. 70s. 71 for tomorrow. next week, the warming trend really ramps up. by next friday, seeing our

temperatures in the mid-70s and climbing. >> lighter overall volume of traffic but 237 and 101 have minor accidents causing some slowing. and lark avenue off the southbound 17. there's a tree down across that off-ramp. here's the lower peninsula with no major issues here or through san mateo. approaching the toll plaza, we have a little glut of traffic coming down the east shore freeway. and also an accident on the east richmond bridge. the "today" show returns in less than a minute.

8:30 now on a thursday morning, the 26th day of may, 2011. that, of course, is pop star rihanna. she's going to be kicking off our summer concert series tomorrow morning right here on the plaza.

they'll gather in the heart of midtown manhattan. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry while mary dik is taking the day off. we're joined by natalie morales and al roker as well. rihanna, the start of a lot of summer concerts. >> that's right. a lot of people watching "american idol" last night will be glad to hear this news. next thursday, "american idol" winner scotty "mchotty" mccreery and lauren alaina will be here. and also new kids on the block and backstreet boys are going to be joining out. >> they're going to be camping out for days like they did last time. >> some of the kids right here. >> are you ready for the "ex-men:the mutant invasion?" this time we're going to go back in time and talk with some of the cast members. >> look at them.

how great looking is that group. >> fantastic. and then also a brand-new batch of dogs in need are getting a bow-to-wow treatment. you're going to see them. >> we've done pretty well. >> a 100% adoption rate. >> nice. >> let's get a check of the weather, mr. roker. let's get a check of your weather for this memorial day weekend. showers in new england. plains will see showers. southern half of the country, sunny and hot. as we move on into sunday, we've got sunday, sunday. we've got a lot of sizzling conditions in the southwest. upper mississippi, ohio river valley, see some rain. on memorial day, we've got rain through the plains in the pacific northwest. the rest of the country, the way you want your m good morning to you. our neck of the woods is clearing out of here. we had a mostly cloudy start at about 5:00 a.m. but, hey, we're looking good.

temperatures right now are in the 40s and the 50s. 49 degrees right now in san jose. headed towards 70 later on. 71 in los gatos and 63 in san francisco. we'll see a pretty good mix of sun and clouds for the first part of your day. cool sunshine later on today. low 60s at the coast. 73 by saturday. memorial day weekend looks good. >> don't forget, you can get your weather any time of the day or night especially as we head into the memorial day weekend. weather channel on cable, weather.com online. >> thanks so much. coming up next.

the x men franchise has become lucrative, with the movie pulling in $4 billion worldwide. a fifth installment is a prequel that takes a look at how the

x-men came to be. take a look. >> they're just kids. >> no. they were kids. he has his army. we need ours. >> we'll have to train. this is yours. >> no, it's ours. >> come on. >> you don't want to do this. bad things can happen. it controls you. it's why we're here, alex. it's why we're trained. >> we're joined now by four members of the new e x-men cast. a show of hands, who was an x-men fan before they got the role? who had to go out and by the dvds? who was the biggest fan? they point to you because they know you'll wilt under pressure.

>> i suppose i really liked the animated cds when i was a kid. i didn't know anything about the comic. >> and the rest of you? >> i didn't know anything really much about the comic books, just the films, the first three films. i think lucas was a big fan. >> this one is a prequel, so we're going back in time here which raises that question i always have with star wars, which i haven't seen yet either. do you go and start with the first one or could you make this your first x-men movie and go back. >> i would definitely say spend your money seeing this film. >> way to go. >> nice. >> not only is it far more appealing and sexy, you start the movie where it began. >> the good news is the first films of the x-men series has done more than a billion dollar.

the bad news is the film has done a billion dollars at the box office. what kind pressure do you feel? >> i don't think we feel pressure. we went and did the good job and i think we're happy with the results. >> we go, you're the new guys and the other ones made millions of dollars and if we don't make millions of dollars, that's our fault. >> thousands. >> thousand of dollar sthoos when the i talk about pressure, james, your role was made famous by patrick stewart. and ian, you're filling the shoes of sir ian mckellan. just the sir. >> they're knights. >> they start out as friends but as any fan of x-men knows, it

doesn't end that way. what's their issue with each other. >> what's your problem? >> what's your problem? >> i think basically they've got different views about mao tanlts and humanity. >> eric wants to cut them out. >> the only thing that matches the strength of their bond is the strength of their belief in separate ideals and ultimately one of them pays a price. both, you know -- emotionally but also physically as well. >> let's talk about powers, okay? this is a discussion i have with my kids all the time. if you could have any power, what power could it be? emma frost can turn her body into diamonds, right? >> and she's a telepath. >> when does it come in handy? >> any time she needs to be indestructive, coolest person ever, expensive.

>> i discuss with my kids, what super mao tanlt power. >> i'm keep mierng flying. >> flying for sure. >> yes. >> i want to fly. >> nobody wants to be invisible here? >> i don't really, no. >> molten lava from your wrists. >> i'd want a tail. >> why would you want a tail? >> i think it would look nice. i can pull on it when i'm on the computer. >> it's not a power. it's more an apen damage. >> it starts with these sort of comments. >> i don't mean to be. >> i know you don't mean to be. that's why my mutant wants to kill the people. >> how do you explain that to your mother in the morning? >> congratulations, by the way, first of all that you survived this cast and second of all,

you're excelling? >> yes, i am. thank you. >> oh, my god. >> how are you feeling? >> i feel really good obviously. i've gotten the giggles all the time. so i'm good. >> is that hormonal? >> it's good. it's really good. >> we mention your last name. you have a very famous dad who we are proud to have as part of our summer concert series, lenny. don't forget to check out the movie this friday january 3rd. >> june 3rd. >> january 3rd. >> i was looking right at you january, i'm sorry. folks, nice to have you. >> thanks very much. >> thanks a lot. >> we're going to back. first this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:43 with today's call to action for combat veterans returning to life at home can be an overwhelming experience. today national correspondent amy robach has one man's story. hey, amy. >> to take on the challenge with a missing arm or leg can seem next to impossible, but one organization is helping wounded veterans with the personal touch. they match them up with local advocates that offer friendship and a reliable connection to the civilian world. ♪ more americans were killed and wounded at gettysburg than any other battlefield in the world. its fields and monuments stand in tribute to those willing to give anything in the name of duty. today gettysburg is also the starting point of the american odyssey relay race. 200 miles, 12 teammates in over 24 hours of racing.

army captain mike irwin is the founder of team red, white, and blue, the organization that helps wounded veterans ease into civilian life through one-on-one relationships with everyday people. as part of its fundraising efforts, the group has brought 17 teams to the event. >> it's very easy to forget that we've been at war for ten years, so when people see an opportunity put right in front of them that, hey, i can go do a run and support wounded veterans, i think a lot of people see that as a great opportunity. >> reporter: mark hulbert's legs were blown off in afghanistan. now this green beret is out on the course competing. >> my whole life has been completely turned upside down. everything i did before people say i can't do it again, and i hate that word, i can't. you know, i'm going to try no matter what. >> reporter: racing with mark are members of his former unit. most have not seen hem since

putting their wounded friend on a helicopter. >> the bond, it's more than just a friendship. >> reporter: they're brothers to you? >> they're all brothers. >> that's the first time i have been on that bike. >> reporter: in a long list of hardships faced by hulbert, few are more difficult than being torn from the close knit companionship of his fellow green berets. >> so, chris, you're dancing. what's your -- >> reporter: living in a new city for his recovery, mark's transition from warrior to suburb dad is helped alongç by chris, a team red, white, and blue member. chris's role includes baby-sitter, dinner companion, and according to mark's wife, tiffany, a willing listener. >> it was difficult for us not knowing anybody in the area. it's comforting to know that we have somebody, a friend, an advocate, a dependable person to call on when we need it. >> reporter: team red, white, and blue ames to keep its members' gratitude on a personal level. >> you don't want to just say,

hey, thanks. it's actually saying, you know what, i'm going to spend not just my time and energy, but become emotionally invested in you guys because i do care, and i do appreciate. >> reporter: over 17 hours into the race the course makes a late night turn through the civil war's antitum battlefield. in the darkness the cost of war is close at hand. >> i had bilateral amputation of both my legs. i had a collapsed lung. i was in septic shock. i lost my right thumb, and i got injured on my right arm. they cut me open on to tha to release the pressure. the list goes on. >> reporter: what surprised you most about your husband through all of this? snoo his resilience. he will always be a green beret, but he will never be able to do the same job that he did before, and the fact that he has come to grips with that, and he has accepted it, and he is ready for his new role in life is just

amazing to me. [ cheering ] >> reporter: surrounded by his family and teammates, mark hulbert heads for home in this american odyssey, working together, they've come a painfully long way. sfwhoo team captain mark hulbert. >> reporter: the hope is that the team red, white, and blue mission goes even further. >> i think everyone knows someone connecting back 30, 40, 50 years ago. i think that would be the ideal situation over the long run that, you know, chris and mark stay in touch and 30 years from now they're coming together to do an event like this. >> and i asked mark's wife, tiffany, who also served in the army, by the way, what our audience should know about our wounded soldiers, and she said and i'm quoting here now, "they should know that they did it for you, that they did it for every american out there, and these men and women, they love their jobs. they would do it again if they had to." that's certainly something to think about as we head into this

memorial day weekend. >> exactly. team red, white, and blue. what a great idea and to have it spread would be so smart. it's what we -- what they need. >> they need emotional support when they come back. >> and what they deserve. great story. thank you so much. we're going to make a hard turn, and we'll be back in a moment, but, first, this is "today" on nbc. [ woman ] everybody's looking for deals these days, and i'm not talking about saving a dollar off shampoo or two-for-one tacos or something. i'm talking about paying less -- every month. like this deal. [ female announcer ] call today and get the fastest internet for the price -- just $14.95 a month for 12 months with select services. no home phone service required. plus get access to the entire at&t national wi-fi network at no extra cost. [ woman ] with at&t, i'm surfing at hot spots all over town. ♪ i'm downloading music fast.

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back now with our special series "from bow to wow." this is where we take dogs from a sheltered home and clean them up and get them adopted. we're proud to say we still have a 100% record. jill is here. >> hi, matt. we're going to challenge it a little bit because everybody out there wants the pint-size puppy. today we have bigger, slightly older dogs that are a little bit harder to get adopted but i can assure you their hearts match their size. summer is just around the corner at animal care and control in new york city, and sadly the cages are still full of wagging tails, hoping for loving homes. first up, we have this beautiful rust-cloud covered angel named blitz. >> blitz is a 4-year-old german shepherd mix, and he came in as an owner surrender. his family didn't have time for him. >> we should mention he has a little boo-boo on his nose.

he has some scraped hair there. >> it will grow back. >> very affectionate, listens to commands. onto another fabulous 4-year-old, say hello to poppy, a spaniel/kollie mix. >> he's going to be amazing. he's a little overweight. he's an owner surrender. >> he's a really unusual dog. i've about never seen one like this. >> he is. >> aren't you rare and unusual? yes, you are, and you're a sweetheart. >> from a shaggy sweetie to a gorgeous german shepherd mix named max. >> this is our third of owner surrenders. they brought him in, again, because they couldn't care for them. >> he's a little shy, a little afraid. he's trusting. he warms up to you quickly. >> he's enjoying the affection and attention you're giving him. that's all he needs, a loving

family he can feel secure with and he'll be fine. >> finally a proud pointer to perfection. reggie. >> reggie is a 1 1/2-year-old pointer mix. we'll say purebred. he is magnificent. >> four powerhouse pooches in need of permanent places to call home. >> and we're joined once again by richard of animal care & control of new york city. richard. good to have you back. big dogs are a little tougher, aren't they? >> a little more difficult, especially the older ones. that's why we wanted to dedicate this segment to the older and big dogs. >> let us get started with the make joefrs. probably the biggest makeover is poppy. let's take a look at what he looked like before the makeover. >> he need add major haircut. >> and here comes poppy after.

being walked by chief lazenberry. hello, chief. how are you? how old is poppy? >> poppy is 4. she's not in as good a shape. she'll need some exercise. the tongue's always out. welcoming. >> chief, what do you think? >> good. >> thank you very much. poppy, thank you very much. okay. up next we want to bring out the 4-year-old shepherd mix. let ee take a look at blitz before. and here comes blitz after the makeover walked out by kevin, one of your volunteers. >> kevin is one of our great volunteers. we're always looking for volunteers to help walk the dogs and take care of the animals. >> if it's not for the volunteers, they don't get out and get walked. it's a really crucial thing.

>> blitz is a good dog. sits on command. >> gentle enough to be around ki kids? >> very much so. >> thank you very much. our next dog is max. let's take a look at max before. and now max is being brought out by a navy midshipman and we've got max. hello. richard, what do you think about max? >> max need as little weight on him and he's a little shy, but he bonds to you very, very quickly. our volunteer had him backstage and every time she walked away he was looking for her. he need as little confidence and tlc. >> this is, >> finally saved for last we have reggie bringing corporal lopez with him. reggie's a big don. >> an example of our purebred dog. about 25% are purebred. he's in magnificent shape.

always 8:56 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. the giants are getting ready to wrap up their series with the marlins today and they're going to have to do it without rookie of the year, buster posey. he was injured during a play at home plate last night. you can see it there. his ankle twisted as he collides with university of san francisco

grad scott cousins. he went in for x-rays right now and is scheduled for an mri this morning. we don't know how he is so far. but ad.lufi doesn't look good. we'll have a look at the forecast right after this. ...and just t got myself a new bass boat...what's new with you? ahh not much, got a new hat, might run for president...oh! and my new 3 taco combo. i'm serving up three awesomely delicious tacos, crispy golden fries, and an ice cold drink for only $3.49. wow, there is such a strong family resemblance!

yeah, we all got nana box's nose (chuckles). good morning to you. we're looking pretty good right now. those clouds are clearing out nicely. the sun's out. 70 degrees today in fremont. 70 in san jose and 65 degrees in oakland. so really not a bad day, especially when you consider the fact we're done with those showers that came through yesterday. as we head through your holiday weekend, temperatures kind of fluctuate a little bit. but really staying in the low to mid-70s. 74 degrees for your memorial day. tuesday and wednesday of next week, we'll start to climb back up in the temperature.

>> safe to wash the car? >> i think so. >> she says, i think so. thanks so much for joining us today. the "today" show continues next. another local news update in half an hour. see you then.

back now with more "today" on a thursday morning. back now with more "today" on a thursday morning. it is the 26th day of may, 2011. it's another lovely day here in new york city, and we're coming out to say hi to some of the nice people gathered in our plaza along with some servicemen and women. some nearly 3,000 gathered in new york city for what we call fleet week. >> that's right. it's always fun when they are here. >> i like it.

every year it's always fun when they're here. >> let's take a look at this little girl. doesn't that make you happy? look at her. what's her name? >> lizel. >> what do we have coming up in this half hour. coming up, nearly a decade after her abduction elizabeth smart finally got to confront the man who abducted her face to face in a court of law. also coming up we're going to be talking about mortgages and giving ourselves a sort of 101 class on it because since the real estate market and the rest of the economy collapsed back in 2008 a lot has changed in the mortgage market. rates are at historic lows. we're going to tell you what you may want to know about the best deal at the lowest costs. >> and later on, diet secrets of the stars. they look the way we want to look. how do they really keep in such fantastic shape? what are the secrets to their success? we'll get some inside info. maybe you'll pick up some new tips. your life is calling you.

that's what oprah told her fans. i watched it. it was very inspirational. it was like a church service. >> it was the lessons she has learn and her greatest lessons and she sort of gave these lessons she learned as a gift. >> we're going to show o you some of her farewell from yesterday's show. >> bravo. what a run she's had. >> she's done a lot of good in the world. let's go inside. natalie is standing by at the news desk with all the headlines. >> good morning, everybody. the last 24 hours brought more devastation to the nation's heartland. the devastating weather overturned vehicles and uprooted trees and homes. meantime, before and after satellite photos show the path of that tornado that killed more than 120 people in joplin, missouri. former international monetary fund chief dominique strauss-kahn is now living in a sprawling four-bedroom home in manhattan's priciest

neighborhood. last night he moved into the $50,000 a month rental. tucson shooting suspect jared loughner has been deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial for the january rampage that wounded congresswoman gabrielle giffords and killed six other people. he's been ordered to undergo four months of intensive treatment in a missouri facility in an effort to render him fit for trial. the man convicted of kidnapping elizabeth smart will spend the rest of his life in prison. on wednesday smart had the chance to confront brian david mitchell face-to-face. miguel almaguer is in salt lake city. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. elizabeth smart's comments were brief. she only spoke for a minute and a half. she was able to be in court to

face the man who raped and kidnapped her. elizabeth smart arrived at federal court to face her monster. for the first time since her kidnapping she spoke directly to brian david mitchell. you took away nine months of my life that can never be returned, but in this life or next, you will have to be held responsible for those actions, and i hope you are ready for when that time comes. >> i told brian david mitchell today in court that whether he received his just sentence here on earth or after this earth life that one day he will have to be responsible for his actions. >> reporter: smart's nightmare began in 2002 when she was just 14 years old, kidnapped from her bedroom at knifepoint. >> elizabeth smart has been found alive. >> reporter: nine months after she disappeared, smart was spot near salt lake city not far from where she lived. brian david mitchell and his estranged wife were arrested for kidnapping. smart spoke directly to mitchell before his life sentence was handed down.

i know you know what you did was wrong. you did it with the full knowledge. i want you to know i have a wonderful life now. you will never affect me again. now 23 years old, smart has attended college, traveled overseas and started a foundation with her family to help bring home the missing. >> i think one of the biggest ways to overcome any trial in life to heal from any kind of experience is by helping those around you because by lifting those around you up, you end up lifting yourself up as well. >> a young woman with an unforgettable past and a promising future. >> reporter: in court, mitchell never spoke or acknowledged smart. elizabeth said she was fine with that, adding that she said she wanted to say and is happy to move on with her life.

>> she's such an incredible young lady. thank you so much. and the little boy at seaworld in san diego made an unlikely friend and got caught up in competition land versus water as he raced a sea otter back and forth. hard to say who is winning there, or losing. but i think they're both having a really good time there. that's so cute. oh, my goodness. six minutes past the hour. let's get a check of the weather from al. >> and they both got some herring when it was other. let's see what is happening. for today we're still dealing with severe storms from mobile up to vermont. the good news is we will see a change in the situation and get a cut off of the bad weather we're seeing. we still have showers and rumble storms rumbling through the ohio and mississippi river valleys, and good morning to you. it's still rather cool in our

neck of the woods but the sun is out warming us up. by noon, we'll see the low 60s in the inland areas. probably more like the 50s along the peninsula. 4:00 p.m., though, upper 60s in redwood city, low 70s in the east bay and the south bay. 71 degrees today in gilroy. 71 in los gatos. 72 in santa rosa. tonight, we're going to see a few more clouds roll in. 71 degrees tomorrow. a little cooler but take a look at memorial day, 74. lovely degrees. >> time now for today's money and mortgage time now for "today's" money and mortgage 101. a new survey from zillo says nearly half of all home buyers lack the information to get a good deal on a mortgage. today jean chatzky is here to tell us what we need to know. jean, nice to see you. >> nice to see you. >> you actually feel that a lot of homeowners, home mortgage folks don't have a grasp of what they need to know to get a

refinance, or to get a mortgage. >> refinance or get a mortgage in the first place. that's what the research is showing us. simple things or things that should be simple like fees or the type of mortgage that you should take and whether or not you can negotiate are vastly misunderstood. >> why do you think that is? >> i thinking mortgages are not necessarily the easiest instruments. they come in a lot of flavors and varieties. i mean if you look at the top item on the list of the consumer protection financial bureau, it simplifies it. >> let's get started. a lot of people think an adjustable rate mortgage is the way to go. what's the criteria there? >> you need to match your loan to the amount of time that you are going to spend in that house. and so adjustable rate mortgages, again, they come in a lot of varieties, and there are loans that are fixed for the first five or seven or ten years and then begin adjusting. they're called 5-1s and 7-1s.

if you're only going to be in that house for five or seven or ten years, it could be cheaper than a 30-year fixed rate loan. if you don't know how long you're going to be there, 30-year loans are really cheap right now. >> we talk about fees. there are a lot of different fees associated with a mortgage. are there standards, or can you -- is there wiggle room? can you negotiate? >> the misconception is those fees are set in stone when in reality they're wildly negotiable, everything from the amount it costs to pull your credit and check those documents to doing an appraisal. all of those things are negotiable. >> how do you negotiate? >> as you shop for a loan, you need to be asking what are the fees, lay them out for me so that then you can do an apples-to-apples comparison. there are tools on the web. zillo has some, for example, that will help you do that comparison by breaking out the different line items for you.

>> do you make a choice based on rates and the fees alone? >> no. that should definitely be an important criteria, but you also want to look at how good this lender is at closing deals and if you go on the internet these days, you can read reviews from customers who have recently been through the process. take that into consideration. >> let's talk about points. i heard something about discount points. what are they and how do they work? >> they're like interest paid up front. you can pay one point, 1% of the value of your loan, and it will buy your interest rate down by about a quarter of a point. the question is how long are you going to be there? does it make sense to make money up front which will save you money every month in your monthly payment over the long term. and there are, again, calculators, but we ran an example using a calculator from bankrate.com. if you're looking at a $250,000

mortgage, the interest rate is 5%. you pay two points or $5,000 to buy it down to 4.5%, you're going to save $75 a month. you only make your money back if you're in that house more than 5 1/2 years. so if this is your forever house, you do it. if it's not, you don't. >> the rates are fluctuating. should you lock in now? >> i think right now you lock in. in general, you want to be working with somebody who makes it clear when the rates have fallen to a place that makes sense for you. so if rates are a little higher and they're not working for you, you can say to your mortgage lender or mortgage broker, let me know when they fall so that i can lock in right then. >> and what about prequalifying for a mortgage. if you've got that letter, does that mean you're guaranteed a mortgage? >> a lot of people think so, but absolutely not. the thing that means more is prequalification. especially these days when lenders are so concerned with a paper trail, until they say you're good to go and we have everything complete, you're not done.

>> are we more in the driver's seat now? is there more competition for that money? >> absolutely, because if you look at home sales right now, they are moving very, very slowly. these lenders have a lot of people to do the work. so you are in the drivers seat, and you should shop and negotiate hard. >> all right. jean chatzky. great advice. thanks so much. coming up next do, you ever wonder how those celebrities get those great bodies? we're going to get the celebs' diet secrets. l show y looks that work when you're not working. fashion secrets as well right after these messages.

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tough being the only girl. aw, there's the man of the house. who's this ? this is rufus. hey, rufus. he's actually pretty talented. you wanna see him do a trick ? ok. hey rufus. who do we love ? we love our bank. we love our bank. we love our bank. we love our bank. yes, yes. you really love your bank don't you. ally bank customers love our 24/7 customer care that allows you to talk to a real person anytime. ally. do you love your bank ? o "today's" health is brought to you by beno. take beano before and there'll be no gas. this morning on "today's" health, diet secrets. jill martin is a "today" "us

weekly" contributor and joy becauser is a registered dietician. good morning, ladies. we get to see what they do. they work hard. katy perry being the first and foremost here. she's on tour in japan. and jill, she's working out extra hard to keep her curves in shape, right? >> it's funny. when she was younger she used to say how do i hide this curvy figure. now she embraces it. on tour, she's dancing so she burns about a thousand calories when on staj. when she's not. she worked with holy five days a week for at least 25 minutes. it concentrates on certain parts of her body. >> she starts her day with a protein-rich breakfast, specifically egg whites. we know if you eat ample protein in the morning it regulates your app deed and keeps your exercised an focused. she likes to make a beets and

arugula salad. it's good for your skin, and she's validating that. >> a double-double in and out burger. it's two burgers stacked up. she also loves chicken mcnuggets. >> make sure you get yourself to the gym. >> next we have supermodel gisele who has a 17 maryland and after two weeks looked just like she did prebaby. >> she said when she was younger, everyone called her olive oil because she was taller than the boys in class. after she had her baby less than two years ago, she did breast feeding which really helped. she also did kung fu, yoga, and cardio. and now she does this tracy anderson, which is big with celebrities. gwyneth paltrow does it,

courteney cox. it focuses on the smaller muscles in your body. she's a supermodel and her body went down. the brownies, cakes, cookies, they have a lot of sugar and it's going to essentially zap your energy. she focuses on a lot of protein, lean proteins and vegths throughout the day which keeps her on top of her game. when she's home she likes nike oatmeal and cinnamon. the cinnamon has medicinal effects. it can help to level out your blood sugar. >> who knew. >> and she loves sugar too. and cheeseburgers. >> and she's married to tom brady, patriots qb. next is rihanna, and you can see her here in the flesh. she's going be in concert on the plaza. but speaking of in the flesh, she never looks better than when she's exposing her flesh. >> look at how amazing she is.

she looks unbelievable. again, we can see her body up close and personal tomorrow. this, again, the great because she burns about a thousand calories just being on stage. this is a new craze with them. everyone's really getting in on it. it's a way to work out, lose weight, and have fun at the same time. >> did a workout last week. i couldn't figure it out. it's amazing and so much fun. >> it is fun. so when it comes to her diet, she has four staples, vegetables, fruit, fish, and egg whites. she admits she doesn't like vegetables. she knows the power of produce and goes out of her way to eat a lot. if she wants to lose a few pounds she mini miezs the bread, the starch, the whites. >> caribbean. >> her mom taught her how to make a mean spicy curry. spices in curry are anti-inflammatory. >> i love her -- >> here we go again.

>> kfc and cheetoes. next is ryan phillippe, father of two, still has incredible abs. >> it's clear he hadoes a lot o crunches. he recently did a movie with matthew mcconaughey. he had a bicycle outside the trailer. they both competed. it's really a lifestyle choice. >> you've got to love a guy who knows how to cook. he cooks healthy meals all the time. according to his kids, he's an amazing cook. he likes high protein. so he's a burger without the bun type of a guy, and, you know, twoekt the protein and all of the crunches and all of the exercise he does, that's why his abs are shining. >> yes, they are. >> in and out burger, no bun, lettuce as a wrap. >> splurge. >> that's not really a splurge

in my book at all. for more information, you can pick up the ""us weekly"" magazine on newsstands tomorrow. coming up, it was a love letter to her fans. oprah's sign-off to her daytime fans. first these messages. value is what toyota does best. after all, toyota's the most fuel-efficient full-line auto manufacturer in the industry. and we have the lowest ownership cost of any full-line car brand. and now take advantage of a great selection of new toyotas from the full-line auto manufacturer that has the longest lasting vehicles in america. plus, every new toyota comes with toyotacare, a complimentary maintenance plan with roadside assistance. we're #1 for a reason. come see for yourself. hurry in for the best selection. ♪

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these 4 brands took home more allure best of beauty awards than any others. pantene... olay... venus & gillette... and secret. the four most awarded brands. keeping you your most beautiful from head to toe. i won't say good-bye. i'll just say until we meet again. to god be the glory. >> there were no cars or trips given away. the audience didn't find anything under their seats. but as oprah called it, her final oprah winfrey show was really a love letter to her loyal viewers and i think pretty inspirational. >> i think so. motivational. she told her audience, she said nobody but you is responsible for your life, among all the other words of wisdom she wanted to share. i felt like it was an hour long

of self-help in a lot of ways, giving people the courage to confront all that is going well and going wrong in her life. >> i think it was kind of a distill lags of the 4,600-plus shows of what she's learned. i think maybe almost if you're feeling a little down or need a little pep talk, you could pop that in. you could pop it into your vcr and get some nuggets out of that. >> there were a lot of wisdom and she gave a lot to her fans over the years that inspired us and motivated us. i felt it was really the perfect way for her to go out, her on the stage, standing up in front of her audience, talking to her viewers. i was just amazed the whole time thinking. income, people from the audience had to write essays to be there and just thinging what it would be like to be in the audience. >> what was great, she kind of poked fun at herself, she talked about her hair, her different

styles. >> her looks. >> you could make arguments either way. >> i think some people will look at it and say it was a little too much, over the top, but it'. oprah. >> it's oprah. >> oprah. >> we've got more coming up. >> after your local news. he lasa it toured around europe, getting handling and steering lessons on those sporty european roads. it went back to school, got an advanced degree in technology. it's been working out -- more muscle and less fat. it's done more in two years than most cars do in a lifetime. now lease the all-new 2011 dodge durango express all-wheel-drive for $359 a month for well-qualified lessees. now use the best suncare recommended most by dermatologists.

neutrogena®, with technologies like helioplex... it provides the highest average spf and unsurpassed uva protection. get the best. neutrogena®. fellow students say franklin was not a troublemaker. >> i got classes with him and from us being in classes and in the hallways. he seemed like a good kid, like a good person.

so i don't see why this would happen. >> police say about 50 people were in the area of the shooting when police arrived. but no one would give them any information. we're going to take a quick break. weather and traffic after this.

good morning to you. we have a mix of sun an clouds out there right now. that's what we're going to see today. 64 degrees in the city. when you make your way home from work at 4:00 p.m., on the breezy side. elsewhere, 70s inland. 70 in concord. 70 in san jose. if you're headed out to at&t park, at 12:45 temperatures should be rather mild. it will on the breezy side. going about 60 diagnosis. cool conditions as we see our giants take on the marlins for the final game of the series. mostly cloudy conditions friday into saturday. 74 degrees. a good-looking memorial day, mike? >> good-looking south bay after a number of accidents have cleared. we still have one on northbound

880. that's as you're coming up toward the valley area. that's the slowest point for the south bay. the maze looks lighter has folks are heading over towards the bay bridge. we have a live look at 880 as traffic past the coliseum slows a bit. but it's been lighter volume all day today. it will be slow around at&t park and the game will get out about the same time as work does. >> oh, yea, traffic. another local news update for you in half an hour. the "today" show returns in less than a minute.

yeah, it's starts to feel a lot like summer, especially when rihanna hits our stage. she kicks off our summer concert series tomorrow on "today," and it goes on all summer long. next week the newly crowned "american idol," scotty "mchotty" mccreery live on the plaza. that's thursday. then friday, new kids on the block and the backstreet boys. >> that's a double-hitter. >> friday, june 17th, kenny

chesney. man. >> that's huge. >> check out the entire list of the great music line we have lined up for the "today" summer concert series on today.com. meanwhile coming up, we're going to talk about this heiress who died. >> huguette clark. she died last week at 104, leaving behind a vast fortune. now her financial advisers are under investigation for stealing millions. we're going to find out more about her and the travails of her and her riches from jeff rossen in the next half hour. and summer casual from loungewear to gymwear. we've got comfy sporty clothing you can wear all season long. and who doesn't love a good corndog. you are a corny dog. we're going to show you corndogs

like you've never seen. we've got lobster corndogs. what's that? and short ribs. first, can you get through the weather? >> who doesn't like a good corndog. >> it's from a movie, right? >> let's check out your weekend weather. i'm sure many corndogs being consumed over this weekend. we've got rain along the plains, sunny skies up and down the east coast. sunday, sunday, we're looking for a lot of heat. going to be sizzling into the southwest. showers out west. monday looking good, whether you're doing a barbecue. rain in your pacific northw good morning to you. 60 degrees at noon in the city.

that's what we're expecting. still be mostly cloudy at that time. but as we head through the 4:00 p.m. hour, the clouds will break apart. the sun will shine through. we'll climb to about 64 degrees in the heat of the day typically about 4:00 p.m. elsewhere, 70s across the valley. 70 degrees in fremont. 65 towards the bay in oakland. and a little bit of a drop-off tomorrow, a few more clouds. not too bad. >> and natalie, you're a big fan of the corn dog, right? >> don't get me started. coming up, tell me the story about this reclusive heiress? >> right after these messages. i bet she liked a good corn dog. we have a pretty big family,

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the wealthiest women in the world. she died at 104. nbc's jeff rossen is here with the details of the case surrounding this mysteriously rich woman. jeff? >> reporter: we're talking al roker money. she owns the largest apartment on fifth avenue, new easy feat. she, herself, her estimated value, $500 million, half a billion. and so when she died this week, as you mentioned, al, yeah, big questions about what happened to all that money, especially when you consider her closest

advisers are now under criminal investigation for stealing from her. huguette clark passed way this weekend in new york city hospital room living under an ail yet, harriet chase, reclusive until her final breath. clark leaves behind three massive estates. this one in santa barbara hugs the california coast. its value, over $100 million. clark's estate in connecticut is worth over $20 million. and, of course, the prestigious fifth avenue property filled with dolls and final art worth over $500 million. clark hasn't seen any of them in over 20 years. instead she was living in seclusion in what would be her final home. the medical center surrounded by her french doll collection. clark's lifestyle is so mysterious, this is the last known picture ever taken of her in 1930, her death, two weeks shy of her 105th birthday means the battle begins for her

riches. >> she was buried wednesday evening the way she had lived, alone. no ceremony, no funeral mass, no priest. it was a strange life that came to a strange ending. >> reporter: new york prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation boo huguette clark's inner circle. her lawyer wally bock and her accountant irving kamsler. >> they want to know whether she was taken advantage of all these years. they have a roomful of financial documents they're going through. >> reporter: wally bock quietly arranged to sell clark's rare stradivarius violin for $600 million and a rare painting for $500 million. now the investigators want to know where did the money go. >> as we call it, follow the money. it will lead you some place. the court's going to freeze the money, put it in someplace, lock it up, and have someone other than these two people in control of it until they can sort out the facts.

>> reporter: clark who divorcedion ang hand no children inherited the money from her wealthy father, a copper king. along with the money and the mansion, she reportedly has a will, too, but it remains unclear who's in it. the mystery that is huguette clark stretches beyond the grave. we reached out to both her lawyer wally bock and her accountant irving kamsler. we did hear ba from the spokesman for the lawyer who told us, and i'm quoting here, madame clark's passing is a sad event for everyone who loved and respected her ore the years. she died as she wanted, with dignity and privacy. we intend to continue to respect her wishes for privacy. al, they would not comment on the ongoing criminal investigation, but i have a feeling this huge apartment behind me may soon be on the market on fifth avenue, so get online to look for it. >> i couldn't help but notice there is a passing resemblance between you and ms. clark.

you should check that out. >> it's the hat. we're going to help you take the frumpy out of your weekend style, casual ware. right after these messages. e it in. janeed you to pass to... greg. max. greg, why aren't you ready? i'm max. of course you are honey. max, you're in. max? coach? ♪ [ mom ] max! i'm greg! [ female announcer ] lunchables ham and american cracker combos has pineapples for a full serving of fruit, because a great lunch... what? ...inspires great ideas. hey greg. hey max. ♪ it doesn't get better than this ♪ [ female announcer ] there's power in a great lunch. ♪ it doesn't get better than this ♪ smoky eyes look amazing, but creating them? that's a whole different story. introducing new almay intense i-color smoky-i kit. first, sweep the smoky eye color across your lid. then add the crease- accentuating shade, and a highlight under your brow. only from almay. only for me.

but i've learned a lot from patients who use flexpen. flexpen comes pre-filled with the insulin i take and i can dial the exact dose of insulin i need. i live my life on the go and need an on-the-go insulin. i don't need to carry a cooler with flexpen. novolog is a fast-acting, man-made insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes. do not inject novolog if you do not plan to eat within 5 to 10 minutes after injection to avoid low blood sugar. tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions, including if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. the most common side effect of novolog is low blood sugar. other possible side effects include reactions at the injection site. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions, body rash, trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat or sweating.

ask your healthcare provider about novolog flexpen today. learn more about the different insulins available in flexpen at myflexpen.com. flexpen, insulin delivery that goes with you. but when i take four pork chops and sprinkle on a packet of hidden valley ranch, i get something that's anything but traditional... ranch pork chops. [ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mix it up.

[ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. 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. this morning on "bob by's style buzz," loungeware, while you may dress to impress during the week, the weekend is about comfort.

bobbie thomas is here to share some ways to shape up your off-duty wardrobe. bob by, good morning. >> good morning. >> just because it's summertime doesn't mean you can get frumpy. >> this is the tomb of year you want to be care-free. i love this segment. a personal favorite. >> let e's take a look. first we have gorgeous nancy, the model that's coming out. >> i want you to be comfortable at home but open the door to the delivery man and welcome your friends. this is a nice slouchy sweatshirt. i love this. it's super soft. she's wearing something that's called a skapri. you're a little more covered so you're not as exposed. she has looks great.

>> she leasooks comfortable. >> come over on the couch. >> next we have melanie in our sporty look. >> this is, of course, if you want to go to the gym. sometimes you want to run errands before or after. what i love about the look, you can work out in this. there's a lot of performance in this. this is a uv profekz sweltdshirt. it has a uv protection of 50 so she can cover her arms, make sure she's not going to get exposure to the sun. they claim that will increase your oxygen because of the fibers. her leggings are from the girls apparel. >> she's ready to go. looking good. come on over, melanie. neck we have alli showing us the

layered look. >> we love alli with the tinsel in her hair. >> this is probably my signature look on the weekend. i love wearing layers and long and loose. this is a wrap from macy's. it's only $39. what i love is the actual dress she's wearing underneath is from venus.com. if you come over here, i can show you the tank top version. it's got a great open back but a sports band so you can still wear a bra. it's really inexpensive and you can take in a siesta or lunch with the girls. >> looking beautiful as always. come on over here. we'll let you sit on the couch with us. >> next we have paula with the loungy look. >> she's got the tank and pants from h & m. you can definitely afford to upgrade the same sweats and what i like is that harem pants, do

not be afraid to try them. some girls may thing they're not flattering, but they actually are. scrunch up the bottom, have the little ornate waistband and put a blazer on. it gives a little shape. it's like a stylist's secret. makes you look a little tailored. >> if you put a wedge or heel on you can could wear it to casual fridays at the office. >> you look great. all our ladies look fantastic. come on over. bob by, it's always great lounging with you on the couch. coming up next, taking the corn dog to a whole new level. but first this c.nb on nbc. [ woman ] everybody's looking for deals these days,

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♪ i'm downloading music fast. and watching videos. cute! and the price is great. [ female announcer ] call and get the fastest internet for the price -- just $14.95 a month for 12 months with select services and a one-year price guarantee. no home phone service required. plus get access to the entire at&t national wi-fi network at no extra cost. [ woman ] i went looking for a deal, and at&t delivered. now, i just need to curb the shoe shopping. ♪ this morning in "today's" kitchen, what's for dinner? the answer, corn dogs with a twist.

you'll find them on every boardwalk on about every pier out there. it's the summer food. jake from colorado has some ideas to take that corn dog to the next level. jake, somebody had to do it. you're the man. >> we're on the tip of the sphere with the corn dog. >> for those who have not had a corn dog, what is a corn dog? >> it's basically a quick batter made with a little bit of corn meal, either flour meal or corn flour. you can do it gluten free. a little bit of sugar, baking powder, baking soda, eggs. you cook it. >> deep fry. >> deep fry it. >> with a hot dog. >> a hot dog or sausage. i'm taking it and saying, we're going go with a buffalo short rip with a little bit of cheddar cheese in it, lobster corn roll

and one that's near and dear to me, the mac and cheese corn dog. >> is this already cooked? >> i cooked them. when we cooked them, we add a added a little bit of gelatin. hate as low melting point. once we batter it and fry it, that will melt away. >> how do we get started? >> take your dry first together, give those a dump right in there. and then we'll grab our liquid which is a little bit of buttermilk and egg and slowly mix it in there. >> why buttermilk? >> it reacts with a little bit of the powder -- or the baking powder, and that's what gives us a little bit more leavening or crunch or volume. >> is there any oil in this? >> not in this. w we've got plenty of oil to fry

in. this will be our quotient. and the buttermilk gives it a nice creamy consistency to it. >> corn dog, is it basically more like a southern dish? >> i'm a little partial being born and raised in indiana. the corn dog was raised in indiana. that's the story and i'm sticking with it. >> look us up on facebook or twitter an let us know where you think the corn dog originated. we've got that all mixed up. >> got that all mixed up. then we move swiftly to your corn dog sphere of choice and give it a quick twirl. you really don't need that much. and then a little finesse into the oil. and just like that. >> stand it up. >> you can stand it up. you probably need to hold it a little bit. whoop. coming together. >> okay. >> they may just expand a little bit, but they'll come back together. hole them out and give them a little dip. it's definitely a finesse trip.

>> finesse. i don't think i have the finesse. >> that's all right. we're quickly going to this result. that's what we're after. >> because this result is not so good. that looks pretty hideous. this is almost like tempora. >> what is that? a disaster on a stick. >> okay. let's get back here, natalie. we'll leave that disaster by ourselves. >> this is our version of colorado food. this is our lobster corn dog, this is the mac and cheese corn dog. mac and cheese made with a little bit of smoked gupta, cheh dar, and brie. and then tomato. that is the cookie dough pie. >> we geesht to say a real quick

thank ewe. rihanntorrmoow . bring a sign because whoever brings the best sign, concert tickets. >> that's right. .

twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. good morning to you. it's 9:56 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. police feel more confident this morning they have the man who brutally beat giants fan bryan

stow. but the man's attorneys are telling a very different story. l.a. police held a police lineup with 31-year-old giovanni ramirez in the group. ramirez's parole officer turned him in saying he matches the description of suspect number one in the stow attack. after the lineup, both police and ramirez's attorneys came out very optimistic. >> some significant, significant pieces to it that lead me to believe that we do indeed have the right individual. >> we're going to do what we can to show the district attorney's office that we have an innocent client, not just that they can't prove it, but that we have an actually innocent client. >> ramirez is being held on a parole hold. his attorneys say they will bring more evidence and submit him to a polygraph test. right now, want to check the forecast with christina. >> good morning to you. it's pretty nice out there today, nice and mild, no rain on the way today. 70 degrees in concord. 70 in fremont and 70 degrees in san jose.

but that moisture that we picked up yesterday, i think it's going to make for a pretty significant round of fog tomorrow morning. take a look at what we're expecting at about 12:45 as the giants take on the marlins for the third game in the series. 60 degrees, bring a jacket. a little cool inside at&t park. 70s continue fluctuating a little bit each and every day. but staying in the mid to low 70s heading throughout your wednesday. nice, dry trend. >> that's good. right here, mostly into the 20s and 10s in some spots. 20 miles per hour. an accident cleared at el camino. a new one around fremont. so watch that corridor out of sunnyvale. we see the bay bridge showing back-up in those cash lanes. fastrak lanes, big advantage for you. golden gate bridge not seeing heavy flow. but a beautiful view there. don't you think?

>> always love it. more local news update for you in half an hour or so. [ male announcer ] try sizzler's new value menu!

malibu chicken, flame broiled steak, or half dozen jumbo shrimp, plus endless salad bar... starting at just $9.99! at sizzler. jz captions paid for bymmz nbc-universal television starting at just $9.99! hello, everybody, it's thirst day, thursday may 26. it is a gorgeous day here on the plaza. >> spectacular. >> hope it is where you are too. and tomorrow it's going to be spectacular. and brianna sicks off our summer season out there. . >> she is the very first concert series.

brianna knows how to rock it. here's the cool thing, if you come to the concert tomorrow holding up a sign and if you have the best sign at the plaza, you will get a free ticket, a free parent ticket. another reason to come. she can really kick it off for a concert, so it's going to be fun. >> guess who's coming this week too? >> fleet week. love fleet week. >> yeah, last night, you and i got -- first should we talk about what happened yesterday? because then when we got home, we watched "american idol." want to talk about "american idol" first? >> a lot of you watched and it was a nail biter and it was between two country stars. a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old. >> scottie ended up winning, the 17-year-old. and when you hear him, you can't believe that that voice is coming out of that body.

randy travis is something. and apparently they have become great friends. >> this is when i woke up. i woke up to him singing this big song. ♪ but i know how i feel ♪. >> that's his new single. so when you turn and you hear him, you sort of expect to see the marlboro man. >> he will have a long, long, long career. the folks that love country music, love you forever. they love you forever. they are amazing fans and he'll be around. >> the show itself was fantastic. >> jennifer lopez and stephen

tyler. and tony bennett was out there. >> and lady gaga. it was like watching the grammys. >> look at tom jones. bono, desperate to sell some tickets. >> kerrie underwood came. >> we had a huge day here yesterday. we did all kinds of stuff you'll hear about later. but then we went off four a man na matinee. everybody's giving it, the odds are that will win best tony for best play. >> it's called "war horse". >> it's called "war horse" and i thought i was going to love it. >> first of all, it was called "war horse." it had horse puppets in it.

i didn't think it was for me, before i sat in the seat. after i sat in the seat, i thought to myself and watched the whole thing, i thought if in my lifetime i could only see one broadway show, that's the show i would see. it's that good. >> i tell you it's the most stunning piece of theater i have ever seen in my life. it's so beautifully conceiveded, brilliantly acted and it's not considered a musical, but it will make, first of all, when you start to sob, like a baby and you can't stop and you get the heaving thing and you can't speak when it's over because you're so moved. that never happens. >> it's not like a sad depressing cry, it's an emotional cry. >> and it's wow, wow, wow. it's at the lincoln center. it's going to have an incredibly long run. i love the theater, thinking

they still make theater like this. just can transform your life. it's graphic, you guys and don't take your children. >> yeah. >> matt took his children and he had to leave because it's very hard to watch some of the things that happen to the horses. so just keep that in mind. >> i have a very low tolerance for things that are violent. but you understand it, you get it and you feel it. the audience was interacting. usually audiences sit and watch. they're so moved. it's like that. >> it's based on fact and during world war i, 1 million horses from england were shipped over, literally ship over. there's no other way to get them there, to france to fight on the front there. and only 62,000 of them came back. then -- >> home from the theater.

knowing that the best is yet to come and babe won't it be fine. we went off to our friend david, it's called "the best is yet to come." is music is cy coleman, who we lost a couple years back. what a great giant of the music theater. it's a lot of fun, it's at the east 59th street theater. so go see it. >> if you are like a lot of people, whenever oprah comes on in your time zone, you sat and watched. >> it was just oprah. >> she called it a love letter. >> it was kind of her connecting like she did. because the previous two days were like celebrities. this is all about goodbye. she called it her love letter to her audience. what connected people to her was

celeste which was a cool thing. >> sometime you don't see the breadth of what you do, the ripples. listen to this song. ♪ a chance for the better ♪ because we knew you ♪ we had the chance for good ? >> that's what life is all about, how many other people you touched. the impact you had by the short -- we're just a breath on this earth, we're just a mist. somebody asked billy graham what has surprised you the most about life. you would think he would say something spiritual, he said so

sort. >> we do have some good news to report here. >> yes. >> as you guys know every week or every month, we do an everyone has a story. and we did one recently about 4-year-old jack morton. he was here with his little brother braden. jack was diagnosed when he was three with neuroblastoma ma. and he was born with a hole in his heart and the hole's closing. jack has been told he's cancer free, even in his bone marrow, everything and he danced around to that song, this one -- ♪ singing fire works >> and someone gave him free life tickets to the water park. because he had tubes he couldn't swim. he'll get that next week.

>> just to keep you in a good mood, because that's what this show is all about. it's time for my play list. >> it's called the -- the song is called the good life. i was going to surprise you and say it was donnie and marie, because you would be surprised just listening to it. ♪ they were two and three ♪ sharing one cot ♪ living in a two bedroom apartment ♪ ♪ wasn't much but it was enough ♪ ♪ two crazy kids just getting started ♪ ♪ he worked at walmart ♪ drove a golf cart ♪ selling drinks

♪ sometimes the rich ain't wealthy ♪ ♪ poor ain't broke ♪ you got to find your own river of hope ♪ ♪ it ain't all about the money sometimes ♪ ♪ it don't take a lot ♪ when you count up what you got ♪ ♪ if you've got love ♪ you're living the good life >> yeah, good song. >> you must have a really good life then. went with jay last night. >> yeah, jay joined us. >> let's go on to ok magazine. the question is, is it okay to smile for your mug shot? >> as you know and too many beaming people who are arrested. it depends on what you are guilty of. >> after all, at the time of the photo was taken, you were innocent until proven guilty.

>> you know it is not her favorite. >> usually. >> sometimes you are. >> no, no. >> do you agree that usually you're not? >> i don't know if that's true. i'm not getting blasted for things i don't do. >> we have travel deals that are going to make you want to get up and go. >> stay put, our guys are here, they're going to tell all after this.

time for today's travel. if if you're looking forward to a last-minute holiday gettaway, start packing. >> "budget travel" as six amazing deals you can still book in time for memorial day. >> are you sure? >> i swwar these eals are still good. they are super last-minute. if you don't have plans for ttis weekend, you have no excuse because these are too good to be true. >> starttng off in palm springs, this is a great one. they have gotten an incredible renovation, fire pits outside, 155 pet-friendly rooms. the price is great, $115 a night. super easy. palm springs is about to get steaming hot, but is still bearable right now. >> and everything is air conditioned. >> and this is pet friendly. >> you can bring your dog. lola.can bring bambino, luis and

>> cruises are a great deal. especially this one. this is a seven--ight trip. you start off in miami..o cf1 o then you go on the norwegian sky, four stops throughout the bahamas. apparently they have the longest poolside bar at sea. i personally would love to test that out. >> we would go with you. for people who still never cruisedd you've got to go on a cruise. >> how are the flights getting to these places? >> when you're doing a super last-minute trip, but these trips are spread throughout the u.s. >> these would be if you're close by already. >> hawaii is a great deal. san francisco, five nights on waikiki beach. you'rr getting five nights hotel for $100. >> there is a steal to vegas, as

well? >> vegas. you can always get a good bargain. this is a great one. air fare from salt lake city and three nights at the wynn resorts. >> which is beautiful. we stayed there. >> chelsea handler is playing this weekend. >> hide the children. >> other cruises. you're talking about an alaskan cruise. >> this is the trip of a lifetime. an alaska cruise out of seattle, seven stops..o cf1 o you're going to see eagles and whales. you'll be on the sapphire princess which has an elegant afternoon tea service. you get the best of wildlife and the best of sea life. >> one of the last trips i gave my mom and dad was to alaska on one of these, on one of the carnival ships. it's so beautifuu. >> it's great for kids. it's only 562 for the whole thing. seven nights. >> per person. >> that includes your food. >> they never run out of food.

>> buffet. >> i was going to say diet now but it starts tomorrow. >> finally a trip to britain. >> i love a long weekend get away to britain. >> who doesn't? >> aiifaae from new york, three nights right in pimlico. it's walkinggdistance from the thames. you didn't make it for the royal wedding. this is your time $999 through british airways vacation. all these details -- i'm spitting out so much. budgettravel.com. all the booking details. you have no excuse not to get & away. >> i'm going to the beach. >> coming up next, our guys are ♪ oh oh oh ñ

♪ just love me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just hold me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just kiss me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just want me ♪ l-o-v-e ♪ love, love, love ♪ l-o-v-e

there is no time like the time when our men gather. david good, david is the author of "the man code, the woman's guide to cracking the tough guy." >> chuck nice can be seen every week on truuv's "world's dumbest." every saturday morning is the host of "the top ten" on

centric. >> he keeps having more jobs. >> i gottboth jobs from both of you. thank you though. >> the check's in the maal. >> median/actor rick unger who can be heard on the cooedy series called "come on now" and the movie "morning glory." he stole that. >> and the level-headed andrew trees" the author of "decoding love and club rules" and is married with a young son. >> sara haines is across the street. >> i'm here with ruth anne from ohio. >> i want to know why every time something needs to be repaired at my house, my husband spends $168 on tools, nothing gets repaired and i have to pay a repairman? >> he's been waiting for the opportunity to buy more tools. you gave him a great gateway.

>> do yyu not likeethe pro to come in and do it? >> i want the pro to come in and do it. p> that's like asking for directions. i'm not going to ask for directions. i'll get lost. i'll break it five times. happens every time. >> what do you think? impress my friends. i can't fix anything. when they come over, they see my garage full of tooos. >> soon as my wife asks for help doing work, i asks like i'm asleep. i could be standing up and i'll -pfall on the ground asleep. >> i pointed out one thing on the fence last week. i said to frank, we've got to get that fixed..o cf1 oo he's saying, i'll ffx it. ten minutes later i look down anddsix are missing. >> this has to do with the manly arts. you want to look like the competent man.& in this modern age, most of us don't know what we are doing. >> tiffany from facebook. the other night i dressed up in

sexy lingerie and came out to the living room and said, hey, are you coming to bed? he turned and looked at me and said, yeah, as sson as i sse if john rich ins "celebrity apprentice." >> there is the possibility he is retarded. also, sometimes women, you all put on lingerie. >> that word is not right. anyway with, she might come out with lingerie all the time. that may not necessarily mean sex. if it doesn't necessarily mean he's like let me find out what's happening here. >> timing. if it's the foorth quarter of a game and you come out in lingerie, okay, i'll be in bed in a second. you've got to time it up right. >> you're saying the man would want to see the final -- >> after five years. >> if 2 you're in the middle of something, if you're six months& in. >> chuckkhas something to sayy >> that's fine.

timing is fine. maybe he's stupid. i'm just saying, if a woman comes out in lingerie and looking sexy and you are not interested, perhaps you are going through a life change and you are interested innsomething else like other men. >> no. >> quite frannly, if she came out in lingerie, i'm like this, we can finish watching this together. you come over here and e are going to finish watching this together. >> we have to take a break. >> hold it. -pwe want to know your thought. it will be the most interesting. >> we'll be back after youu local news.

good morning to you. 10:26 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. today pg&e will hold a community meeting to talk about pressure testing that's getting ready to start in san jose next week. pg&e will conduct hydrostatic pressure tests in the area to make sure natural gas lines are operating correctly. today's meeting will be at george mayne elementary school from 5:30 to 7:30. the pg&e plan is being considered to use a flat rate for its electric users. households would pay an extra $2.40. while everybody else would be charged an extra $3.

high-nrng users would be paying less. pg&e is trying to make it fair to everybody especially to those who use more energy. bruce bochy says catcher buster posey's ankle injury is very bad. this is ahead of an mri later this morningment posey was knocked over by a marlins base runner in last night's game. bochy called the hit a cheap shot pointing out the base runner clearly had a path to the plate and then rethought the accusation saying it depends on your perspective. >> it was a cheap shot. and it depends on who you're talking to. but there was a lane for him. i just think that something should be done here because here now you've probably lost a player for a while. we lost our best player. >> there he is. best player on the team according to bochy. a replacement catcher has been called uporrnafte this s aftern

game. it's 10:27 right now. we'll have a look at the commute after this. oo

it's 10:29. we have the remainder of the slowdowns in the south bay. right here at tully, i don't know what's going on. 35 miles an hour still registering. a little slower past the scene. accident moved to the shoulder on the 101. slowing down at the freeway. but the rest of the approach, pretty light. slow coming past golden gate

field coming to the bridge. more folks are heading over to the city for that midday game of the giants. >> thanks so much for joining us. the "today" show continues next. tw l see yououar eorom morning at 5:00 a.m. we are back on this ttirsty thursday with more on "today." we have our guys tell all panel. >> she shouldn't feel so ad. that intense chemical attraction wears off in a few months. the deeper attraction is intimacy. if she is not getting it at all, that's a problem. if she doesn't get it at that mooent is not a big deal. >> if she knows she loves that show, don't create that situation. >> we weee talking about this a little bit. we were saying that goes to show

the difference between mee and women and how they deal with rejection. she was upset and angry and created enough of a problem for her to send a message us to. >> we get rejected all the time. we've beennrejected since we were llttle kids. we are reeection vikings. >> et's go to sara. >> lindsey and bret. where are you stationed right now? >> we are currently on the "u " "uss"uss" iwojima." why do guys in uniform get more attention than girls in uniform. >> guys in uniform always get. >> you know why? the uniform guys like normally include heels and glitter and a pole. that's the uniform we like. >> we wear heels. >> listen, when they put your

naval uniform in bikini form, we will love you in your uniform. >> when guys see uniforms, they -pstart thinking police. they get innimidated. women want someone strong and powerful so the uniforms appeal to them. >> hey, there is a ladd in uniform, i think i'm in trouble. >> what about the fantasies that kind of thing., nurses and that >> the uniformmis no pants. >> what you wear on halloween. >> you ladies look beautiful. >> our next question is on tape. my question is why do men like to answer questions in one-syllable words, whether it be via text or phone? you could go into detail, leave

a details message via text or phone and all you gee back is yep. >> guys believe there are any amount of syllables in certain quarter sayings and usually you all have used p all but one. >> women are much mooe verbal than men are. pomen want to use language to ccnnecc more and share emotiin. men use it more as an information exchange. when they hear that long message they want a yes or no to this plan, not she wants to connect with me about something. >> usually by the time they ask the question, they alreedy worked out the answer. so maay times my wife will ask questions where i know what the answer is. do you think this looks nice, ricky? yes. i shouldn't go into anything else other than yess >> you start to get yourself in trouble. >> iim hear with erin from delaware. >> why does my husband insist oo watching hours and hours of playoff games where his team is

not involved, he doesn't like the sport and he is just wasting hours of my time. >> of your timm. >> i'm going to be very serious with you. you might want to consider checking ii to whether or not he has a gambling problem. if if you start gettinn foreclosure notices, you will understand why he is so interested in teams he has no affiliation with. >> shouldn't she bb grateful he is home and not running around? i don't know. >> all right. >> at least he's not out on the streets. that's the up side. he's not on the streets. >> you guys have a good holiday. >> we love you guys. uppnext, hoda and i go head-to-head in a fitness competition. ñ 0÷0ñ xx

>>. >> it is time to bust those fitness myths thaa are keeping you from our perfect body. hop on the tread mill and listen up. >> jennifer cohen is a health and fitness expert and author of "no gym required" unleash your inner rock star. >> we like it. there is a prize at the end of this game. we like prizes. okay. >> you guys ready? >> yes. we are ready. is the most effective exercise to get those six-pack abs. hoda. >> false. i'm going to say false.

>> false is the right answer. >> becauseeit's not for the abs. >> 80% is diet. you can never spot reduce. >> do you think you could get the question out. >> i have tele pathy. >> diet, cardiovascular. doing everything together, streegth, everything and plankss isometricals. true or false. stretching before working out is crucial to preventing injury. >> we just had this last week. i didn't agree with it. it is not essential, but i think it is. >> well, i say actually after you work out is more essential because you don't want to stretch a cool muscle. you ant to warm p beeore. warming up and ssretching are two seearate things. people think they are the same. >> right. >> you got that one ight. okay.

even though you disagree with it. >> i just know i never had an injury after working out. but i've gotten one during if i didn't warm up and stretch. >> she is saying waaming uu is different than stretch. >> if you just walk slowly or march in place to get yourrblood circulating and moving along. >> ready. >> true or false. sweating through your clothes i& not the best indication of how hard you're working out. >> true. >> true is the right answer. >> what? >> yes. >> she is right. the best way is to wear a heart rate monitor. you know how efficient and effective you are. everybody'ssbody temperature is different. >> some people don't sweat at all. >> exactly. >> some who shall remain o cf1o nameless -- >> careful. >> wwrking out on aamachine is safer because you use perfect form every time. >> i'm going to say -- >> false.

>> it's not your question. it's false. >> false is the riggt answer. >> we both got that one right. >> i don't think so. >> i don't know how to say who. >> i trust you. >> what? >> the djustment, we are going to adjust the machine wrong and you can -- perfect forr unless somebody tells you it's perfect form. >> exactly. >> doing a 60-minute run at a steady pace is more effective okay.a high intensity 20-minute. >> false. >> mine lit up. >> she is correct. >> she is also cheating. see, look. do it again and again. >> the prize is not great so it's okay. >> is that it? we've got to go. there is no time. >> hoda wins. let all america rejoice. >> what's the prize? -p>> i don't know.

>> wait a second. >> look at this. >> you can have it. >> thanks. >> bad kids or ad parents, which one comes first. parenting todayyand a touchy

topic. bad kids or bad parents? >> if kids behave badly, is it the faults of the parents? >> or do kiis behaving happen as the result of good parenting. >> she likes the letter "g" a lot. >> this is one of those questions people ask. >> there are great parents that -pdo have troublesome children. you don't want to link everybody

together. that is not fair. in general would you say nurture, nature, combination, what? >> i do think nature is o cf1 o involved. personality, but i really get frustrated with parents when they point the finger at their kids and say, i don't knowwhow i got a kid like that. they're not my child. they must be like my husband's side of the family. >> are they in denial? >> they are in denial. literally every parent i have spoken to, there is something >> a lot of parents say it must &--pfriends.ence of your that's what's doing it or the shows you're atching. those are a factor at some point, right? >> there is. but there is a lottof individual responsibility. -pi could take the legal perspective. generally parents are noo at kids. for the bad aats of their >> although that is changing in some areas. >> it depends on the state and there has to be negligence on the part of the parents or youu know your kid has a propensity for violence. in general, our owe sight does hold the individual accountable for your own actions based on

your age and experience. >> you know what it seems to me? it may not be a question of being a bad parent. you have bad parenting skills, perhaps. people are thinking if i'm a bad parent, i'm a bad person. same thing. >> i always say kids don't come with instruction books. as parents, i laugh because they make you read a manual and make you take a test to drive a car but not a child. it's aaout learning and skills. if you think there is somethingg wrong with your child, you think you're not doing something pight, get tools, get resources aad try something different. >> there are parents who have children who are autistic. >> how much outside impact do you think they have over a child? >> i've been a therapist 20

years and parent 16 years. if you're hands on taking charge of your kids and aware, everything will be okay. >> isn't it true most experts children the absolute bare your essential basics by the time they are 6 years old, itts almost too late. >> is it? >> there is a ot of discussion, small children, is it easier to help connrol small children. >> teach them manners. teach them right from wrong. >> yes. it's the parents' obligation. you hhve a moral obligationn >> parents wait too long, it seems to me. >> let's pretend you weren't that hard on them early. can you unring the bell? >> absolutely. a lot of who you are develops the first six years in life. if we had to give up hope on kids age 6, ii's over. it's never too late. as long as they are unner your roof, you can make an impact. >> no matter what you think,

nobody has perfect children..o o >> except you. >> thanks, ladiess always such a great discussion. wow them thhs weekend with healthy party dishes. first -- this is "today" on nbc. twizzlers. the twist you can't resist.

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it's time toohead in "today's itchen." we are getting saucy with a memorial day feast made healthy. >> gavin casen is executive chef of cafe blue. he is here to prove memorial day can be delicious without being decadent. >> i'm from missouri, but that's okay. >> daaiel is from france. >> that's true. here is the thing. for me, the hardest part right now is we want to do cold soups because it's beautiful outside.

this case we'll do ree pepper. we have roasted red bell and yellow peppers sweated down in here. we have thyme and garlic. then we are going to cook that down. we'll add all this into it, as well. then we are going to cook that down. >> what is the consisteecy you want, soft? >> soft and blendable. >> you want to pour the water. >> hodaais a good water-pourer. >> and sherri vinegar. >> you're adding calories? s. >> no. you're good. healthy memorial day. we'll blend thatt >> it's been healthy week here at nbc. >> that's what we are promoting. >> that good? >> that's good. we'll take this and strain it.

that's going to go through and that's going to create the gazpacho there. that's how simple that is. >> why are we straining it? >> you don't have to. this is how you find it as the cafe blue. >> you make it thick and delicious. >> exactly. >> look at the crab down here. >> i know the ccab. we have crab from maine. some lime juice and lemon juice. we'll add ome of that. basil. we'll just tear. we are not going to really do anything else to it. >> love fresh basil in the summeetime. >> we'll add mango. we are not going to add the green peppers. >> you do like green peppers, hoda? >> i like them. don't worry. no, i'm kidding. >> we'll mix that up. crab, mango, peppers, everything. you can do shrimp and lobster..o you don't have to do seafood.

whatever you like. >> it's a garni. >> then you pour around it. >> look at that. isn't that pretty? ttat was easy. >> that was really easy. >> even hoda could serve that this weekend. here, hoda woman. >> thank you so much. >> this is the pepper gazpacho. here we have the spring chicken. we have a lot of beautiful spring vegetables. >> oh, my goodness. >> killer, rrght? >> not as good as "war horse" but close. >> that is so great, gavin. chicken and what else is in there? >> chicken, artichoke, fingerling potatoes, carrot crudite. >> happy memorial day. >> tomorrow we'll talk about summer gadgets that will make you the envy of the beach. >> getting together your family

reunion. ambush makeovers. cheers. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com