good morning. good morning. breaking news. just released this morning, new photographs of gabby giffords six months after being shot in tucson. encouraging news on her recovery and why doctors say she could be released from the hospital within weeks. in treatment. anthony weiner says he needs professional help in the wake of the on-line growing sex scandal. he is asking for a leave of absence from congress, top democrats, including nancy pelosi, are calling on him to resign. and casey and the crime scene. the accused killer buries her head as more gruesome photos are shown to the jury with the prosecution wrapping up itscate case. the defense prepares to try and prove casey did not murder her

daughter. today is sunday, june 12th, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a sunday morning. i'm lester holt. >> i'm jenna wolf. it's so great, how refreshing it is, to wake up to breaking news that's actually really good news for a change. >> these pictures post odd her facebook page by staffers. they were apparently taken mau 17th. this is the day after her husband, mark kelly, went up on the shuttle. it's the first time we've seen her face since she was shot back in january. we've seen a couple of others photos from the hospital room. she looks great. >> she looks fantastic. it's hard to think it was five months ago already since that happened. it's been a long road of recovery for her. you wonder how much of it she remembers and how much of the last five months she remembers. she looks really happy here. i remember being there in tucson

hours after the shooting and covering it, and six people died, and then we heard the grave wound she received and the vigils outside the hospital. it didn't look good for a long time, but she's making remarkable progress. staffers say she's still having difficulty communicating, finding the right words, but it looks like she could be released from the rehabilitation hospital by the end of the month. >> not ready to head back to congress quite yet, but she's had quite a road so far. she has a few more months to go, but it's great news to see her smiling like this in these pictures. >> it sure is. the other big story we're covering from washington this morning is a surprise announcement from congressman anthony weiner. he is now for a leave of absence from the house of representatives as calls for his resignation grow. nbc's luke russert is in washington. he joins us with more on that story. luke, good morning. >> good morning, lester. after two weeks of being the center of attention on capitol hill, congressman anthony weiner is trying to seek professional treatment. this after are aed migt to having inappropriate on-line relationship with six women over

the last three years. >> you know, look, i've made some serious mistakes here. i have. i have to redeem myself, and i'm going to try to get back to work. these were personal failings. >> anthony weiner will not resign. instead, he is seeking treatment and requesting a temporary leave from congress. in a statement to nbc news a weiner spokeswoman says congressman weiner departed this morning to focus on treatment to opinion a healthier person and better husband. he will request a short leave of absence from the house of representatives so that he can get evaluated and map out a course of treatment to make himself well. his announcement came after several democratic leaders called on the congressman to step down. democratic national committee chairwoman debbie rosserman schultz. >> senator weiner's continued service in congress is untenable. this soared add fair has become a distraction for the congressman, his family, the constituents, and the house. snoo nancy pelosi said this. i urge congressman weiner to

seek help without the pressures of being a member of congress. a former democratic leashed said there is no clear definition for a congress natural leave of absence and could be left to the speaker's discretion. >> it could mean a week, months. it's kind of like being on the disabled list in baseball. >> he admitted to having correspondence with a 17-year-old girl. >> we put out a statement on that. she has spoken. she's spoken, i think, that's clear. nothing explicit. >> reporter: sources say despite the scandal, he thinks he has the backing of the constituents. >> it's your private life. you are a great man. you are the right person in the right position. i support you. >> we are report this morning that police in r no longer investigating the incident between congressman wei re and the 17-year-old girl. now, while many democrats wanted him to resign because of the

distraction his saga has become for the faert, they are still breathing a sigh of relief that he won't show up for work on monday. one democratic aide telling me "now maybe our policy might get some media attention." lester. >> luke russert in our washington newsroom. thanks. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." good morning. >> good morning. >> democratic leaders clearly wanted this to go away. does this get them to that point, the fact that he leaves washington at least for a little bit? >> well, i mean, i think luke referred to it there. he doesn't show up for work, but there's still this cloud over the democrats and the business that they're trying to do, which is very important right now. both politically setting up the re-election of the president, but also the debt talks and all the rest. look, there is one top democrat said to me this week, you can't underestimate how stubborn anthony weiner is, and, yes, you know, seeking treatment is a good thing, but look at what happened with nancy pelosi on friday. she said, look, it's got to be up to his constituents as to whether he resigns. she turned as well as other top officials, including debbie

wasserman-schultz, and others in part of the political arm of the party saying they had to rachet up that pressure. this does not end this. there is still going to be a discussion about what is the end of the road here, and i think that's something the democrats ultimately wanted do avoid. >> we have to recognize his wife is out of the cot official business right now. there's some speculation that maybe resignation is still in this cards, but he needs to have that discussion face-to-face. have you heard anything on that? >> well, i mean, only that i think that's absolutely logical for them to discuss this as a family and as a married couple and to try to work through this. i think that's all certainly possible, and, again, the longer that it drags on, the longer there are questions, the longer there are calls for resignation, it's an issue that really stays out there, and that being the case, i think democrats become concerned. >> we showed, david, a moment ago the gabby giffords photos. what are you hearing about when and if she will return to congress? >> look, i think anybody looking at those photos has to say, wow,

she really looks terrific. there's a measure of surprise that she looks as good as she does. she was at the shuttle launch, obviously, and there's other plans for her to do some sthinkz. she's the head of the dnc is one of her best friends, and she's talked about her formulating sentences, having conversations, being responsive. all the kinds of measures that you would want to hear and really be gratified by, but always that note of caution that there's still a long way for her to go. >> who else is on the program this morning, david? >> we're going to talk to rick santorum as well who is running for president. he will be in the mix in the debate tomorrow in new hampshire, and he will be here in studio first. >> all right. david gregory, thanks very much. now here's genjenna. >> thanks. the battle against mother nature in arizona continues as that massive wildfire rages on. it's already destroyed nearly half a million acres. nbc's tom llamas has the latest. >> reporter: on a destructive march north and east, the arizona wildfire that scorched more than 400,000 acres spread into new mexico.

now a problem for firefighters and residents in two states. >> that fire is traveling fast withç these winds that are picking up and it's a little scary. >> reporter: as residents in reserve, new mexico, race against the clock, firefighters are working around the clock in arizona clearing vegetation, debris, and fighting the blaze any way they can, including using a d.c.-10 that drops a wall of water 100 feet wide and a mile long. the aerial assaults needed for a fire that's now the size of houston. >> and it's a fire that's growing because of high winds and low humidity. those winds are also pushing the smoke over a wider area causing health hazards like eye irritati irritation and sore throats. >> we expect the winds to be testing a lot of the lines that are out there. >> reporter: on those frontlines, firefighters shot this video in greer, arizona. >> it was a kind of fire that was coming through there. 150, 200 foot flame lengths.

>> reporter: two weeks of this wildfire has taken a toll on the landscape and the firefighters trying to save it. >> it's never easy, and you really feel for the homeowner. >> reporter: this week frustrated homeowners met with local officials. the fires forced the evacuation of 10,000 residents. unclear when these residents will get to go home and just how many more people will be affected in the coming days. for "today" tom llamas, springerville, arizona. fire crews are hoping the weather will help their fight. will it, though? let's bring in scott williams. scott, good morning. >> well, good morning, jenna. unfortunately, the weather in the coming days is going to continue to make it difficult to battle the blazes here. take a look at all the red flag warnings that continue to be posted for arizona as well as new mexico. we're looking at high temperatures in the 90s. gusty winds at times. up to 40 miles per hour. very low relative humidity value. that southwesterly wind will continue to drift the air particles filled with smoke. it can make your eyes burn and really cause problems for folks

suffering from upper respiratory disorders, and a zero percent chance of rain in the coming week. we are going to continue to find some problems here for the firefighters battling that blaze, which right now is about the size of houston, texas. back to you. >> all right. scott, thank you very much. 0% chance of rain. so doom and gloom. >> richard is at the news desk. he has more of today's headlines. richard, good morning. >> good morning to you, lester. as well jenna. good morning to all of you. we'll begin with what's being described as a significant blow to al qaeda. the death of a major operative wanted for two u.s. embassy bombings in east africa. northbound's mike is at the white house. >> reporter: top white house officials here are calling it a huge setback for al qaeda and its operations on the horn of africa. this man's name was fazul abdullah mohammed. he is expected of being the mastermind of the embassy bombings back in 1998 in

tanzania, in kenya that killed 224 people, including 12 americans. is has topped the fbi's most wanted list for most of the last of those 12 years since that happened. 13 years. he led a terrorist group called al shabab that operated mostly in somalia in the horn of africa and is closely affiliated with al qaeda. he was not killed by u.s. forces. he apparently blundered on to a checkpoint in somalia and was shot and killed at that point. nevertheless, u.s. officials are welcoming the news saying operations in the horn of africa and al qaeda as a whole suffering another blow coming on the heels of the killing osama bin laden. richard. >> all right. thank you. america's most wanted aired the case last night of the missing indiana university student. 20-year-old lauren speier disappeared a week ago. she was last seen leaving a friend's apartment in bloomington. police in the fbi are hopeful the crime show will generate more tips and leads in this show for speier. and chile's volcanic ash

cloud is affecting air travel in new zealand. quantity yas airways has canceled flights, and new zealand has had to adjust flight routes and altitudes to fly around that ash. the horse with a 24-1 long shot, ruler on ice, ruled the soggy track at the belmont stacks. animal kingdom had a disasterous start, and in the final turn ruler on ice overtook preakness winner shackleford to cross the finish line in a stunner. the winning jockey said in the final seconds, all he could think was, oh, my god, i'm going to win the belmont. now back to news. scott, if we had only put down that $20 bet. >> that was just the first time in six years that a preakness winner and a derby winner were both together at the same race in the belmont, and neither won the rubber match. bet you didn't know that. scott is back now. thank you, richard, with another check of the weather. hey, scott. >> good morning, jenna and lester. of course, continuing to monitor

the wildfires in the southwest, but otherwise, we're tracking the threat for some severe weather later on today in the plains as well as the midwest. some thunderstorm activity right now moving through oklahoma as well as missouri. you can see the areas highlighted in red. that's where we do expect some large hail and damaging wi a good sunday morning to you, this is meteorologist nick o'kelly, look yaurgt forecast today a thick marine layer out there that means the clouds will be slow to burn off, especially at the coast. temperatures inland will warm a few degrees. you are going to see 60s to low to middle 70s inland spots along the peninsula and along the coast, mainly 50s to low 60s. the warming continues ahead. and that's your sunday forecast. jenna. >> all right, scott. thank you very much. in oklahoma a pregnant newlywed is under arrest for allegedly pushing her husband

out of a window. the victim who did serve in the air force was killed, and now his wife is charged with murder. nbc's jeff rossen reports. >> reporter: inside their 17th floor apartment police say this perfect looking couple was fighting. joshua hilberling married amber a year ago. she's pregnant with their child. there were problems, including domestic disputes. joshua, a former high school football star who was in the air force was reportedly trying to leave his pregnant wife. investigators say amber flew into a violent rage and pushed her husband out of the window. he landed on a parking garage and died. >> i was sitting out smoking a cigarette here looking right at it -- staering at -- the glass broke, and he fell down. >> wow. 17th floor, huh? okay. >> police in tulsa, oklahoma, arrested the wife, amber. investigators say she admitted this was no accident.

>> there was some sort of argument. it was brief. then the crashing of the window and then the gentleman fell out the window. >> reporter: according to police joshua and amber had been violent before. in one fight joshua claimed his wife busted his head with a lamp requiring stitches. just last month he filed a protective order against amber, but the case was later dismissed when neither of them showed up in court. this outside expert says pregnancy may have played a role here. >> what we're looking at here is perhaps the perfect storm for a homicide. you have a very young couple. the girl is 19 years old. sthe have a history of domestic violence. she's six or seven months pregnant, and then allegedly he says he is going to leave her. >> reporter: but amber's lawyer says joshua was the aggressor, telling nbc news "we have seen no ed of any criminal behavior by amber. amber is a grieving teenage widow. she is mourning the loss of her husband and trying to take care

of her unborn baby." now she's charged with first degree murder and free on $250,000 bond. for "today" jeff rossen, nbc news, new york. and we're back, but, first, these messages. i know, dad. your comforter. okay. mr. cuddles... toilet paper? oh, hey, scott. here, scott extra soft tissue. it's their softest roll ever. check out the pattern. it's softness done right. same soft rolls we use at home honey! one more thing, guys. oh nice a shoe rack! actually, it's a toilet paper rack. sweet. huh. huh. [ female announcer ] do you know scott? scott extra soft is softness, done right.

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nbc's michelle kosinski has more. >> reporter: those ears, that tail, easter is over. this could only mean the bunnies are back. >> i think i would be a great bunny. >> reporter: sarah rourke aiming for her ph.d. is among the modern batch of playboy bunnies hatched by none other than hugh hefner himself. who, at 85 years old, took time away from planning his wedding to a gal 60 years his junior to step back in time in a different way. opening a swapgy playboy club in london just like old times when the london venue was the brand's shining star. still, it lost its gaming license in 1981. this incarnation will set you back $25,000 for a lifetime membership. heff says it's going back to the

rat pack. >> it was the beginning of the revolution. the bunnies were empowered in a way that women had not been before and the bunnies immediately earned more money than their fathers. >> reporter: yeah, well, looking hot and entertaining men not because they were owning the place. >> the playboy club is not harmless. it represents yet another frontier of this international playboy porn empire which is very much based making its money out of degrading women as sex objects. >> reporter: the club has drawn protesters. yet retro returns. the playboy club opened in vegas in 2006. a drama based on old clubs is on nbc in the fall. and the company, just taken private, is multiplying its merchandise all over the world especially asia. >> we cross all age groups and we're popular among women as men. more of our consumer products

are by women than men. >> reporter: for now the bunnies themselves at least are thril d thrilled. >> we just feel like a million dollars. >> reporter: and about half the new club members are female. >> we make an independent, empowered decision to be here. and if that isn't modern feminism, i don't know what is. >> reporter: for "today," michelle kosinski, nbc news, london. and we're back right after these messages. chicken, chicken chicken. there are thousands of ways to prepare it. [ chickens clucking ] you know only two of them. time to mix it up. time for new philly cooking creme. it'll take your chicken to places it's never been before. somewhere creamier, dreamier, with lots of flavor. look at you all chef-like. spread the love around in four fabulous flavors. spoon in a little new philly cooking creme. spread the love around in four fabulous flavors. [ veterinarian ] your turn, max.

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still to come on "today," casey anthony and the forensic case against her. we'll get a live report from outside the courthouse. plus, michael jackson and the beegee's recording session seen for the first time.

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[ cheering, cellphone beeps ] ...we finally had a new home. [ male announcer ] from pre-approval to closing, citi is with you every step of the way. what's your story? citi can help you write it. good morning to you. take a live look at san francisco this morning, a little bit of pink in the skies, sun has come up, a cool start to the day warmup later on in the week. i'm kris sanchez. let's check that forecast with meteorologist nick o'kelly. >> good morning to you, i'm meteorologist nick o'kelly. still looking a at lot of marine cloudy thanpreadd across the bay area through the overnight hours it is pretty thick about 3,000 feet deep that means the clouds are going to take their time burning off and our coastal locations are going to remain rather cool once again for today but there are some big changes in the offing, really starting today, as high pressure builds

in offshore. here's what we are looking forward to today, clouds are going to break up through the midday hours, cool for us around pacifica and daly city, half moon bay. cloud mace not break up until 1 or 2 p.m. that breeze is going to be really cooking through the coastal gaps, gusting up to 25 miles per hour. inland, temperatures should warm a few degrees today. by tomorrow that ridge really starts to takehold. the clouds, well, they are not going to be widespread at all, temperatures, looking at 80-degree readings much of this week. by the weekend, maybe 90. forecast details coming up. this morning a surge of violence continues in san jose where police are investigating an overnight shooting. police say a man was shot at 2:30 this morning on east ridge drive near mount pleasant road. he is expected to survive. so far no arrest. meantime with he dough have the name of san jose's 24th homicide victim. san jose police say 24-year-old

victor manual garcia was shot and killed around 2:40 yesterday afternoon on nerdy avenue in the seven trees area on the southeast side of town. police say paramedic did first aid and cpr but garcia died at the scene. police have no suspects nor do they have a motive for that shooting. this had morning, a teen it aged girl remains in serious condition after a hit and run driver is still behind the wheel and on the loose this morning. that 17-year-old girl was crossing soto road south of 92 around 9:15 last night when she was hit. the car is described as white toyota corolla or white jetta. a group of activists will wade into alameda waters to protest the way first responders stood and watched on the shoreline as a suicidal man drowned last month. the group's organizers say they want to show how easy it would have been for police and firefighters to rescue 53-year-old raymond zack. zack bobbed in the water alone for almost an hour while rescue crews stood on the shore doing

nothing. alameda rescue crews say they weren't allowed to get into the water because of department protocol and because they say they did not have the safety training they needed for that swim. coming up at 7:00 on today in the bay, tomorrow, johannes mehserle walks out of the jail a free man, throw a convicted murderer. what that means for oakland police. they start work to keep you safe in the event of another round of protests or riots. for more local news and updates, you can always check out nbcbayarea.com on facebook and we will see you right back here at 7:00 for all the day's news. today in the bay starts in just 30 minutes.

we're back on this sunday morning, june 12th, 2011. nice crowd out here joining us. now that's better. right on cue just like i like it. we thank them for having us open their morning. that's on the plaza. i'm general why wolf along with lester holt. and still to come, we're still talking about casey anthony. this trial has gotten very emotional. >> the fourth week of testimony begins this week in the trial, and there's been a lot of forensic it testimony over the last couple of days and yesterday they talked about insects and that sounds strange but it's key to the prosecution trying to convince this jury

that she killed -- that casey anthony killed her daughter. we'll find out more about that and how significant it is coming up. also coming up, a rare look into michael jackson. it's extraordinary footage we haven't seen before of the late king of pop recording with barry gibb of the bee gees. the song has never been released. coming up we'll hear more of it and bring you this amazing video of michael jackson at work. it's nice to see sort of behind the scenes of how a guy like that does his craft. and then remember "hee haw"? all the jokes, all the music -- >> you didn't even let me answer. i sort of remember it but not so much. >> that's what i figured. >> that's why you went right into it? >> i was putting the question to our audience but if you want to answer. it was one of the longest running shows in tv history. this is one of the longest running opens in history. we've got a treat for "hee haw" fans. we're reuniting the cast coming up. the original stars in the show share some of the laughs and memories of their time together. and then we have a star search of sorts right here on

our plaza this morning. have you heard of "the glee project"? >> i have indeed. >> this is really interesting. it's oxygen's new reality show and the contestants are competing to become a new cast member of the show "glee." >> and marissa and alex join us with ten of their castmates. good morning to all of you. congratulations. >> congratulations. >> you made it this far. >> alex, you guys were picked among a group of 40,000 c contestants. that's got to feel pretty good. >> it does feel good to know that 40 other thousand people you aticianed and all of us got cast because we're so talented, phenomenal and it's just a great feeling in general. >> and the end result, talk to me about what this would mean to you if you were chosen as a "glee" cast member? >> it would be dreams coming true, just everything that i've worked for my whole entire life, singing, acting, dancing, and to do it on tv because i'm just that musical theater kid. to do it on tv and show everybody my talent, i'd be beside myself. >> marissa, talk to me about the

end game. what's the prize at the end of all of this? >> it's a seven-episode guest starring role on obviously one of the most wildly successful shows on television. so as you can imagine that's absolutely life changing. so we acknowledge we are the luck ie luckiest. >> who is your favorite "glee" kas character? >> oh, me? i would pick cecil. i think she's hilarious. >> of course the one person who doesn't sing on the show. that's great. and you'll all be friends even though only one person will make it? >> the dynamic is amazing. >> excellent. we want to wish you the best of luck. it's such an incredible opportunity. remind you you can watch "the glee project" at 9:00, 8:00 central on the oxygen network. and how about one more check of the weather. scott williams is standing by with that. sco scott? good morning, lester, jenna, everybody. a little cloudy and breezy on have a birthday boy here. what's your name and tell us where you're from? >> massey, north carolina. >> reporter: and you're

celebrating your 9th birthday. we have some young ladies over here. where are you from? >> indianapolis. >> and i hear that you're here celebrating your 60th birthday this year. happy birthday to you as well. let's get a quick check of the weather on this sunday. we do have the threat for strong and severe storms from the plains as well as the midwest. the carolinas, we could find some damaging winds and some large hail later on this afternoon. for tomorrow continued hot for the southeast and south plains, of course, watching good sunday morning to you this is meteorologist nick o'kelly. taking a look at your forecast today, got thick marine layer out there means clouds will be slow to burn off, especially at the coast. temperatures inland will warm a few degrees, going to see 60s to low to middle 70s inland spots along the peninsula and alomgt coast, mainly 50s to low 60s,

the warming continues ahead. and of course for your weather 24 hours a day you can always logon to weather.com. lester, are back to you. scott, thanks. the casey anthony murder case will enter its fourth week of testimony tomorrow. on saturday the state focused on the forensic science taking a closer look at the car trunk it says anthony put her daughter's body in. kerry sanders has the latest. >> reporter: on saturday casey anthony buried her head again. more photos were displayed to the jury. crime scene pictures taken in the woods where her daughter's skeletal remains were found. the jury has seen pictures as a csi agent scooped caylee's skull from the swampy orlando woods just a five-minute walk from her home. and now they've seen a high-tech rendering of caylee's photo superimposed over her skull, duct tape had been placed over her mouth and nose.

just as prosecutors allege caylee was killed by her mother who is seen smiling in the picture. >> this demonstrates that a single piece of duct tape, as testimony has shown was in the debris, was sufficient to be placed over the nose and mouth of caylee marie anthony thus ending her life. >> reporter: the defense argues the jury should have never been allowed to see this. >> this disgusting superimposition is nothing but a fantasy. >> reporter: prosecutors are now presenting highly technical scientific details. >> the megaselia scalaris likes to feed on about anything. >> reporter: those are bugs. prosecution experts testified the maggots and flies in the car's trunk prove caylee's decomposing body was once there and despite defense suggestions her body was moved several times it went from the car's trunk into the woods where it remained

for months. prosecutors have indicated they have only a few more days of testimony to present. then casey anthony's attorneys can begin to present their defense. they allege there was no murder. caylee anthony accidentally drowned in the backyard swimming pool. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, orlando. beth karas is a correspondent for "in session" on trutv and a former prosecutor. thanks for joining us. >> good morning. >> let me ask you about this superimposition of caylee's face over the skull. how hard did the defense fight to keep that out? >> oh, they fought very hard, lester. in fact, they feel it will be a point on appeal if there's a conviction in this case. however, the judge said, you know, this jury has seen photo after photo of the skull, and this is really not that grotesque. it helps to illustrate the witness' testimony about the duct tape fitting over the mouth and nose.

there wasn't just one piece there were a few layers of duct tape the prosecution will argue. so it probably will be harmless error because it's not any worse than what they've already seen. >> things got very it technical, though, with the description of maggots the and flies. tell me how that works into the prosecution's narrative. >> it doesn't absolutely prove there was a body in the trunk but the witness said that it is consistent with the state's theory that casey had the body in the trunk, he said, for three to five days. that's what the insect activity is consistent with, and then the remains in the woods were there since late june/early july 2008. that's also consistent with the state theory so it's another piece of the circumstantial puzzle that they're putting together. and it goes along with the odor of decomposition and the root banding on the air which indicates decomposition also found in the trunk. >> the accusation here is this was premeditated but if the body had been in the trunk and then suddenly is in a field, doesn't

that suggest that this was happening spur of the moment? doesn't it play against the prosecution's theory? >> well, just because casey, if she did it, may not have known how to dispose of the body, didn't mean she didn't premeditate killing her daughter somehow. and premeditation doesn't have to be days and weeks of planning. it can be pretty quick, are the planning. in addition there's a theory of first g first-degree murder that may also go to the jury called felony murder. if the jury believes aggravated ild abuse was committed by taping the mouth of her daughter or giving her color hloroform ae died during the course of it, then that's not premeditation it's felony murder. the jury could possibly consider that as well and she could face the death penalty for that, too. >> beth, i have to ask you about the big lines we've seen outside this courthouse, people clamoring to get inside. what do you attribute the tremendous interest in this case to? >> well, you know, when you see that, lester, when the case is televised but here this community was involved in the search.

many of the people who are lining up, they have a vested interest in the case because they participated for months in the search for little caylee. them there are tourists who are coming to disneyworld who are also taking a detour through the courthouse because it's really very interesting to be in the courtroom and eyeball casey yourself and see -- watch the jury, which the camera can never show show. so they want to feel a part of that. people are armchair detectives, too, trying to figure out how it hammed and why it happened and whether she did it. >> well, we appreciate your coverage and your willingness to talk about with us about it. thanks. ssages.e back after these depression is a serious medical condition. i feel like i have to wind myself up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, the lack of energy. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about pristiq -- a prescription medicine proven to treat depression. pristiq is thought to work by affecting the levels of two chemicals in the brain -- serotonin and norepinephrine.

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i mean not amped. excited. well, sort of amped. really kind of in between. have you ever thought about decaf? do you think that would help? yeah. priority mail flat rate shipping starts at just $4.95, only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. this morning we're talking about a new song from michael jackson, one nearly a decade in the making. and as you'll soon see he shares the microphone with a good friend known for also making hits of his own. richard lui is back here with more now. hi, richard. >> it's a real treat for jackson fans and reminds us all what a great loss jackson has been for all of us. e ♪ >> reporter: it is a glimpse at a remarkable recording session. in this rare home video we see michael jackson in the studio with the bee gees' barry gibb. an incredible collaboration for a song that has never been

released and a very rare look at the late king of pop at work. >> michael is a very private person so to see him in this intimate setting with barry dwib singing this song we've never heard before with the idea it could be released mao is fascinating and i think it will sell a hit. >> reporter: the song is called "all in your name" and it was recorded in miami in 2002 by two t titans of music. ♪ night fever >> reporter: with the bee gees barry gibb and his brothers sold tens of thousands of records and endured their most enduring success with "saturday night fev" a soundtrack that defined the disco era. ♪ beat it beat it ♪ >> reporter: as for jackson, are he was one of a kind. a superstar performer and a pop icon for generations with a style all his own. ♪ i'm bad i'm bad ♪ >> reporter: and now, two years after his tragic death, a new revelation for his legions of fans. >> my instant reaction was, wow, there's something out there that

we haven't seen before. new music from michael jackson. this is huge. ♪ >> reporter: and even though it is just a sample, the finished product is music to our ears. ♪ all in your name >> the memories. barry gibb says he has over two hours of the duo working together and accord iing to "th guardian" they were such good friends, jenna, he named woun of his sons after jackson, michael gibb is the name of the son. >> interesting. it's nice. an unlikely pair. >> very much so. >> very, very talented. thank you so much. and now here is lester. it was a show that put country music in front of a national audience in a variety show form. decades later some familiar faces from the show "hee haw" are reuniting in a salute to the

cornfield. >> are you still picking and grinning? >> it was like a big old family reunion. >> here we are again. 20 years. >> again? >> lots of laughing, hugging and reminiscing. >> gee, it's nice we could all get together tonight. we grew up together. we got married, we got divorced, we have children. >> but this reunion has a little bit more significance. ♪ >> for more than 20 years these were some of the faces that every week showed up in living rooms across the country. >> it was a part of our saturday night. >> "hee haw." welcome to "hee haw" starring buck owens and roy clark. >> "hee haw" premiered in 1969 as a summer replacement. >> nobody liked "hee haw." the critics hated it. >> after two years on network television, the country music have a variety show went into syndication. from there "hee haw" would cement its place in pop culture

history. >> after you took her home, did you just happen to kiss her good night? >> well, let the me see, that comes under ap for added pleasure. ♪ >> a lot of people love country music. a lot of people love the jokes. they loved the humor. >> hey, do you know what anatomy is? >> anatomy is something everybody's got but it looks better on the women. >> it was that cornfield comedy and cornfield skits. ♪ you met another and -- you were gone ♪ >> it kept the show going until the '90s. >> i have my husband eating right out of my hand. >> oh, that's wonderful. that saves you a lot of time on dishwashi dishwashing, don't it? >> it's the people that made us. it's the people that kept us. >> now, a decade plus since its last show more than 30 former cast members and stars have gathered in nashville for

country family reun none 0 salute to the kornfield. >> just joking. >> sharing stories -- >> so did you all dish? is. >> yeah. >> and songs. ♪ >> i was the janitor and three years later we were on the show. it is iconic. it made careers. >> this reunion also gave the stars of "hee haw" a chance to relive those moments that made them a part of americana. >> i'm picking. >> and i'm grinning. >> i can be downtown new york city and i won't go half a block before somebody will say, i'm a picking. well, i'm obligated to say, well, i'm a grinning. ♪ you'll never hear one of us repeating gossip ♪ >> we're just all down home

people. we just feel like the girl next door. >> being with the people and knowing that we all would have done it for nothing, we're like a family. >> and like any family, no matter how long you're apart, whenever you get back together it's like you never left. >> salute! >> what we've done will live forever. we'll always be a part of each other's lives. >> "hee haw"! >> that's all. back to you, lester. >> all right. i feel like popping up from the kornfield. it was kind of the country laugh in. >> i guess so. i was surprised it lasted until the '90s. i had no idea. >> it was in syndication. just ahead, popcorn flavored ice cream. >> i dig it if it's fat-free and sugar free. ♪ have a better day [ male announcer ] only subway has a deal

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♪ do the ice cream freeze do the milkshake ♪ this morning on qux today's taste test" ice cream with a twist. forget about vanilla and chocolate, boring. the stores are rolling out some new and, frankly, strange flavors for the summer. will they win you over? let's ask an ice cream expert, katie brown. >> i love that i'm an ice cream expert. it's true. it's true. >> for the next five minutes you will. >> i scream, you scream, right? >> it's freezing out here. >> it's freezing. the it's not a morning you really think of ice cream. but tomorrow the heat will be here and you will thank us. >> let's think warm thoughts as we talk about this first one is french toast ice cream. >> french toast. you don't need a knife and a fork. just dig in with a spoon and it almost has a maple bread pudding

taste to it. >> i like it. >> it is really delicious. >> i love it. >> isn't it good? and it has gooey chunks of french toast. >> they put bacon sprinkles -- >> i like it. >> it would work. >> i like it. >> why do ice cream manufacturers put out these weird flavors? >> it gives them a hook to talk about, to draw people in. the and you do, when you see this one, bright red, this is firehouse. firehouse and it has a cinnamony almost hot flavor, but then it's balanced out by the bit of vanilla. >> ooh, i like that. >> it's like the red hearts for valentine's day. it gives a bite right back here. this one's fun. this is twisted pretzel. it's got pretzels in it. it's got almost like a butter pecan flavor to it and i really like it. let me know what you think. you don't think of pretzels in your ice cream but it's quite good. >> it has the salt and sweet thing going on.

>> remember you used to cram for exams and needed the potato chips with the chocolate. now you have all this ice cream. pretty good, right? this, popcorn. popcorn in your ice cream. >> i think you lost me. >> it's so good. this is so good. again, it has carmel popcorn bits in it. and little pieces of chocolate. >> all right. >> see, i like this one. >> i don't know. >> i like this one. do you taste that carmel popcorn? almost the carmel around the popcorn. >> but the pop corps was kind of soggy. >> lester is not for it. he wants the firehouse. >> yeah. but, hey, to each his own. >> exactly. to each his own ice cream. >> this is a strawberry basil. everybody thinks of strawberry as a summertime flavor but it's actually got real basil in it. >> why would you put basil in there? >> it has a little bit of a

spiciness to it. and you'll see i think it mellows out the strawberry a bit. the basil flavor is really strong. >> it is but it's actually not bad. not bad. >> and think about it. after you have a really delicious meal, this just is not super strong. the it's got a nice delicate, creamy flavor to it. >> it is very nice. >> now this one -- >> looks like lime. >> well, it is. this is mojito ice cream. it has a lime, almost a minty flavor to it. >> like 20 proof. >> and it's a sorbet. this is the sorbet. >> there's no rum in here. >> there's no rum. >> darn. >> we're not going to get rum drunk out here. >> that's good. >> isn't that good? >> that's very good. put bacon bits in it. i'm kidding. >> back to the french toast. now this one is jimmy fallon has made. >> really? >> this is jimmy fallon and originally he had pitched a pizza ice cream. thank goodness they passed on that. >> i would have taken that. how are you i'm joining in here.

>> you want to dig in on some of this. >> jimmy fallon. >> what is is it? >> this has got chocolate covered potato chips in it. >> just lost jenna. >> and a little bit of carmel so it has a great crunch. >> i'm going for are it. >> go for it. >> they tell me i never do anything. >> it would be a good one to do. >> jimmy, i love your show. i don't know. >> not such -- well, it's better than pizza would have been mixed in there. >> it's really good. >> do you like it? >> then again, i haven't had real ice cream in about nine years. you could have served me just about anything. >> we brought out the real expert. we'll take a break. [train whistle blowing] we're here because we wanted to come as much as they did. (girl) it's really hogwarts! because i can fly with harry! because i love seeing him like this! (screaming) ahhhhh! (narrator) from unforgettable adventures to the wizarding world of harry potter,

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and that's going to do it for us on this sunday morning. scott williams, richard lui,

thank you so much. next week more on the casey anthony trial. >> and then father's day here on the plaza. have a great sunday. long, every e on "nbc nveigryl"