good morning. river wild. the massive flooding in north dakota reaches a critical point as a city fights to stay above water. we're live from the flood zone with the latest. trial mystery. the case against casey anthony comes to a suden and surprising stop. with justays to go before closing arguments, why did the judge abruptly postpone saturday's proceedings? is that a shark? the incredible home video of a surfer's encounter with a shark. just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water. just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water. today sunday, june 26, 2011.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good sunday morning, everyone. welcome to "today." i'm lester holt. >> i'm jenna wolfe. i'm one of those people who do not like to go too far out into the ocean, i'm afraid of sharks. people laugh at me. laugh at me. maybe i don't need to be laughed at any more. >> it looks like the shark is the one running for its life. it is probably yelling to the other sharks, humans! >> i will tell you, if that was me, that would be the last time i would be in the water. >> certainly end my surfing career. >> the career, how deep into the career are you? >> no, not very far. but we'll get that surfer's story later on. we'll talk about the latest in the casey anthony murder trial. very, very surprising day yesterday. a move by the judge that has

everyone asking, what is going on. >> for unknown reasons the judge ended saturday's session. we know the prosecution and defense were fighting over testimony from a surprise witness, but is that what led to the delay? we'll find out more about that. plus, a high profile murder case that we were covering. the appeal that amanda knox is undergoing in mittally. the american convicted of killing her roommate. tomorrow we'll hear from a man who was also found guilty in part of the crime. he is expected to take the stand. will he say knox had nothing to do with the murder? i will spit this out. we'll have the latest from italy. >> we have a whole hour, we'll get the story. this is the high school tradition, voting someone to something. it may be a thing of the past because what used to be fun in yearbooks may not be any longer. a third of those most likely to

succeed are calling it a curse. do they do more harm than good. i will not ask you right now, i want to know if you remember if you were superlative in a category? >> do you remember your school's? >> abbie miller. >> so clearly this is not an issue. >> i was not voted most successful. we want to begin with the record flooding in north dakota this morning with the city of minot facing what could be a catastrophe. officials are fighting to hold back the souris river. janel klein is there with the very latest. good morning. >> good morning, lester. 5,000 homes here are under water. some up to their rooftops. the souris river still has not crested leaving people in minot

to battle for what is left of their city. the souris river still at levels not seen since the 1980s. all eyes remain fixed on the broadway bridge. the last main artery linking the two sides of the city. if it goes under, minot cut in half. even though the river's crest was lower than expected, the city remains on edge. >> next several days will be critical and be at the highest level of risk and what is most important for everyone is to remain vigilant. >> across town national guard bull dozers ripped down another bridge. this one in danger of being swept away by the rushing water. it swamped 4,000 homes and businesses so far and boats are the only way in to most neighborhoods. dean anderson's job is to rescue those still trapped in their homes, but like so many helping here, his own house is under water. >> our first call happened to be in the neighborhood where i live and i did have the opportunity to see my home and that was good

to see it. and i'm not alone. there's several thousand other homeowners that are dealing with the same thing that i'm dealing with. >> reporter: even the head of the local red cross is homeless. with a quarter of the town forced to evacuate. >> when i looked at my house, it was about nine feet under water. so, it's right to the top. >> reporter: volunteers from as far away from california are scrambling to set up shelters for 12,000 people. it could be weeks before it's safe for them to go back and almost none have flood insurance to help them rebuild. >> they are referring to it as a 500-year event. something absolutely off the charts. something that you would never plan for. >> well, river water has not only swamped homes and businesses, it has also contaminated city water. so, as people fight back water, lester, they now have none safe to drink. >> janel klein for us, thank you. while the fight against the flooding continues in north

dakota, down south huge wildfires rage across the region. they come as another heat wave rips across the country. janice huff has more. >> good morning to you, lester. high fire danger, high heat and low humidity and lots of wind continues across most of the southwest and the four corners area. you're looking at the fire danger there and still have red flag warnings in effect and those big fires in arizona, the wallow, north of santa fe and the richardson fire are all still active and structures are at risk. unfortunately, this time of year the heat is always going to be an issue. above 100 degrees from albuquerque, lubbock, back to phoenix. the high heat and low humidity means high fire danger will continue there and no rain in sight there. their summer monsoon season doesn't get kicked in until july. it will take time before any appreciationable rain comes to that region. in nevada the death toll is

now six between amtrak train and tractor trailer. this morning, we're learning new details about the crash and a possible cause. here's nbc's miguel almagier. >> reporter: the search for bodies was under way on saturday. the hull of the train so badly damaged, investigators could not quickly confirm the number of dead. the chaos and confusion of friday's crash was captured by cell phone. survivors scrambled to safety. >> i heard a big bump and a big large scrape and i said, it hit something. >> reporter: a tractor trailer slammed into the number four passenger car as it barrelled through the nevada desert. 218 people were aboard. the collision followed by an explosion and sheer panic. >> all across like i was in the pit. >> reporter: it was en route from chicago to emorivillemoriv

california when it was struck outside of lovelock, nevada. passengers spilled into the desert. it took paramedics almost 20 minutes to reach the rural area. >> just doesn't feel like it's really real. watching flaming train burn. >> reporter: with those critically injured airlifted to local hospitals, nearly 100 would be treated for injuries. back at the crash site, investigators focused not only on the train, but the tractor trailer driver. the highway patrol said railway warning and lights were working correctly. as investigators also look for bodies, they also search for answers. although the full ntsb investigation will take months, they hope to learn more about the tractor trailer's driver's health. we turn now to politics and more on new york's decision to legalize same-sex marriage.

a major victory for the gay rights movement and one that could play a role in next year's presidential election. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." good morning. >> good morning, lester. >> this bill passed in new york with some republicans citing in favor of it. the president's position on gay marriages evolving, how much of an issue will this become in the election city? >> republicans will talk about it and you're seeing that discussion take place and i think it will certainly in early states like iowa. the issue on the republican side and broader debate is whether states like new york and the others who have passed same-sex marriage laws should have the right to do that or whether there will be a move for a constitutional amendment that would disallow states to take that individual choice and try to have a national law that would prohibit them from doing that by changing the constitution. we're a long way away from that both politically and practically, but i think that's where the debate will turn and

more pressure on the president to see those views to continue to evolve and take a stand. >> want to get your thoughts on the early read that we're getting from the first iowa poll finding in the republican field mitt romney is in the lead with 23%. but statistically michele bachmann is right there with him at 22%. what does that say as to her viability and what does it say for the other candidates who have already been in this race and been in iowa and are far down that list? >> good news for michele bachmann who is a social conservative candidate, born in iowa, announcing her candidacy in iowa tomorrow. she has some traction there and really going to reach out to evangelical christians in the state, which are the majority of caucus goers. she's well positioned. bad news for someone not on that list, former governor tim paw le lenty. he has to get traction in iowa. if he wants to be a top tier candidate, iowa has to be strong for him. michele bachmann trying to up

end him. >> a lot of republicans wishing chris christie was on that list of contenders for 2012. he keeps saying, no. i know you're speaking to him. you had a conversation with him yesterday. let me play a little bit of that and then i want to follow up. >> are you too abrasive? too stubborn? too tough when it comes to people questioning you? >> i'm huggable and lovable, david. i'm not abrasive at all. you know what people are tired of in politics? they're tired of blow dried, tested answers that are given by political consultants to politicians and everybody sounds the same. everybody sounds the same. i don't sound the same. you know why? because i say what i believe from my heart. if some people are offended by that, i'm sorry. >> i don't know if huggable and lovable is a campaign slogan, but did you get any sense he's leaving the door open for a run in 2012?

sn sn . >> no, i don't think in 2012. leaving himself in a position to be influential in 2012 and beyond that. here's what's interesting, lester, whether he is going to endorse in this cycle. what he talked bout in that clip and we talk about it in the interview, the issue of authenticity is the most important part of any campaign against president obama. who he sees in that field, who is the most authentic candidate may ultimately get his endorsement. that is the calling card of how he operates as governor. a lot of people don't like it. his approval numbers are down, but a lot of people do like it and led to significant gains for him in the state as he concluded this past week. >> we look forward to hearing more from him later on "meet the press." thomas roberts is over at the news desk with more of today's top headlines. >> good morning, everybody. we begin in colorado where the fbi is trying to figure out who put two explosive devices inside

a denver mall. they were found inside a borders book store. authorities safely detonated the devices and no one was injured. a star indiana high school player is in critical condition this morning after surviving his second plane crash. austin hatch was in this plane that slammed into a garage in michigan on friday, killing his father and stepmother. the 16-year-old and his pilot father had crashed in 2003 and survived. however, that crash killed austin's mom and two siblings. the junior had already accepted a college scholarship to play basketball at michigan. just in time for your summer road trip, gas prices are falling. in the past seven weeks, the average price of gas has dropped 38 cents to $3.60 a gallon. that price is expected to come down another 26 cents by mid-july. the drop is due to oil prices collapsing weaker demand and this week's decision by the obama administration to tap the oil reserve. finally, a case of too close

for comfort. out shooting surfers when, take a look at this, a shark jumps over the surfer's head. a four-foot spinner shark who jumped over another surfer, as well, in the water. one surfer yelled out, dude, did you see that? he did not realize that he caught the footage until he got back to the office. now we send it back to lester, jenna and janice. >> that would set me back 45 years in terms and i'm not even 45 years old in terms of being back in the water. >> we're in negative territory. >> we're in negative territory by 30 years. just kidding. janice is back with your forecast. >> let's talk about the weather. the cases of nno ehug rain earlier in the broadcast, too much rain in this one. st. louis saw this line of thunderstorms earlier this morning. three to six inches of rain fell. you had massive flooding there.

a slight risk of severe weather and maybe isolated tornadoes from the mid-mississippi river good morning, bay area. this is meteorologist nick o'kelly. still looking at a beautiful day after the morning clouds and for some of us along the coast, clouds will be very slow to clear. cool at the coast, beautiful inland with highs about the same as yesterday. forecast temperatures are going to take a bit of a dip after monday. clouds on the way. showers, maybe a couple of isolate thunderstorms on wednesday. klahoma city and 96 in dallas and 102 in albuquerque. now, here's lester. >> janice, thanks. up next on "today." defending amanda knox. o d nh acolsic the murder may say that she's innocent, right after this.

your favorites, in pieces. tomorrow may be the most explosive day yet for amanda fox. she insists she did not kill her british roommate and now another man is about to testify. nbc has more. >> reporter: fighting to prove her innocence, amanda knox faces her most important dait day tomorrow. her freedom hangs on the word of another man who is serving a 16-year sentence for the same murder. for the first time on monday, he will likely be asked to answer questions during her appeal hearing. amanda was convicted of the

murder of 21-year-old measure kircher at their student house, claimed the stabbing happened during a sex game went wrong. now evidence is expected to show amanda's dna was not found on the murder weapon, and a series of witnesses have given evidence suggesting she could not be responsible. including crucially a child murderer, mario elesi who says he knows amanda nor her ex-boyfriend could have carried out the murder. he says in prison, rudy told him an ununidentified friend was responsible. the question, now will he confirm that story? he may choose not to testify at all tomorrow. her family in court throughout insisting their daughter should not have been jailed. >> finally, people are starting to see the truth of the matter

they're actually trying to help her. >> reporter: during her appeal, amanda has been looking relaxed, if exhausted by the strain of facing 26 years in prison. but tomorrow she may take another step toward freedom or face a new setback as the court prepares to hear a vital witness in her case. for "today," nbc news, london. >> paul callan is a criminal defense attorney, joining us this morning. thank you for joining us. this is a pretty big deal for amanda's team. here's the guy who basically said amanda and her boyfriend did it. now he's being called back to court. so, if you're amanda's attorney, how do you get rudy to turn around his testimony from earlier and say amanda doesn't involved, or is that even possible? >> only one person has admitted to having been involved in this killing and it's this guy, rudy,

who originally got a 30-year sentence and reduced it to 16 years in italy for some bizarre procedure because he went for a fast-track trial. boom, he goes from 30 years to 16 years under some odd italian procedure. this is a big moment for the amanda knox defense team. if they could get him to admit on the stand that he not only committed the murder but amanda was not involved, a slam-dunk case, over, amanda would be out. i don't think that's going to happen. >> he is coming back to court but he's not obligated to testify, right? you mentioned some weird italian law. is it like pleading the fifth in this country? >> very, very similar. a lot of aspects of italian law arise out of u.s. constitutional law. you can remain silent, you don't have to testify in italy. in fact, when he was called in the first trial, he said he was angry at the prosecutor and he refused to testify. so, i'm wondering what's going to happen on monday when he's called again. now, his lawyer has said he's willing to testify, he's going to testify.

and the question is, will he tell the whole story or is he going to say in the middle of his testimony, i'm leaving? >> well, now, here's the other part of the story, is that because he was convicted and he was in jail, a few of his cell mates from prison have now come forward and testified he told them amanda and her boyfriend were not involved. does this now become a case of he said/he said? >> well, it does. last week five witnesses were produced from the jail. all five said that they had had conversations with rudy in prison. in those conversations he said, amanda knox was not involved in the homicide at all. now, a lot of the testify was shaky. one came from the murtder of a 2-year-old boy and others had lengthy records and they're trying to trade for light sentences so who knows how that will play out. the one thing you have to remember is, he always said he was in the bathroom when the murder took place. he didn't see who committed the murder. that was his original story.

>> we'll have to wait and see. thank you. much. promise flightsredit cs for 25,000 miles, but... [ man ] there's never any seats for 25,000 miles. frustrating, isn't it? but that won't happen with the capital one venture card. you can book any airline anytime. hey, i just said that. after all, isn't traveling hard enough? ow. [ male announcer ] to get the flights you want, sign up for a venture card at capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? uh, it's okay. i've played a pilot before. didn't taste so vegetably? well, v8 v-fusion juice gives you a full serving of vegetables, plus a full serving of fruit. but it just tastes like fruit. and try our deliciously refreshing v8 v-fusion + tea. -why? -why? -why? [ female announcer ] we all age differently. roc® multi-correxion 4 zone moisturizer with roc®retinol and antioxidants. lines, wrinkles, and sun damage will fade. roc multi-correxion. correct what ages you.

still to come. ground to a halt. why saturday's trial was abruptly returned before the jury in the casey anthony case entered the courtroom. but first, these messages. [ laughter ] [ grunting ] huh? [ male announcer ] should've used roundup. america's number one weed killer. it kills weeds to the root, so they don't come back. guaranteed. weeds won't play dead, they'll stay dead. roundup. no root. no weed. no problem.

but they'd rather they disappear. mott's medleys has two total fruit and veggie servings in every glass but magically looks and tastes just like the fruit juice kids already love. mott's medleys. invisible vegetables. magical taste.

good morning to you. waking up, looking live at sunol there in the distance, we see a little bit of haze, but that is going to burn off and it's going to be nice today. i'm kris sanchez. let's take a look at our weekend forecast with meteorologist nick o'kelly. >> good morning. this is meteorologist nick o'kelly. we're looking at low clouds and patchy fog once again this morning and strong onshore wind flow, so that marine air has pushed well into our inland valleys once again. temperatures may be a couple of degrees below the average, but warmer than yesterday by a couple of degrees as well, so very pleasant inland. at the coast we'll be very slow to clear, where temperatures will be mainly in the 50s to low

and mid-60s. here's some headlines that we're looking for the next couple of days. we've got high pressure in control for now. warmer by a couple degrees we think into tomorrow with morning clouds and afternoon sunshine. then things change, possibly in a big way, for the middle part of the week. i'll give you a taste of what's ahead. high pressure for now but you can see off to the left-hand side of your screen big mass of clouds up in the aleutian islands of alaska. that is moving our way and we could be talking about rain. we'll have the complete seven-day forecast coming up. investigators in san jose continue to look into the cause of a tragic accident at a nursing home. a 90-year-old woman crashed the car she was driving into the san jose nursing home where she was visiting a resident there. an 89-year-old woman who lives at that center was killed, six others were injured. police say the elderly woman driving the car apparently mistook the brake for the gas pedal. the woman was at the facility

saturday morning visiting a relative. she crashed through the building where patients were getting ready to exercise. among the injured, a member of the nursing home staff. employees say the patients were part of the dementia and alzheimer's unit. they quickly calmed the residents down and put them back into their routine. the coroner's office has not yet released the name of the woman who was killed in the crash. to the amtrak accident in nevada where federal investigators say they know six people died but believe they'll find more victims in the wreck angina age of the train cars. it was on its way to emeryville from chicago with a big rig truck slammed into the side of it. investigators found skid marks on the road indicating the truck driver likely tried to stop before the crash. survivors say the experience was sheer terror. >> the first thought going through my head was, oh, my gosh, i don't know what happened, we're going to burn to death. i picked my baby up and i booked it to the back of the car and

tried to get to the back of the train as fast as i could. >> about 200 passengers and 14 crew members were on board the train at the time of the crash. federal investigators are now trying to figure out why the truck driver somehow ignored the closed signal arms and flashing lights at that crossing. >> our mission is here to understand not just what happened but why it happened and recommend changes to prevent it from happening again. >> authorities say they will be looking into the driving and medical records of the truck driver and also an autopsy could reveal whether alcohol or drugs or factors. if pg&e didn't find faulty welds it could be because the inspection method was designed for sdpls. more on that at 7:00.

and we're back on this sunday morning, june 26, 2011. literally a picture perfect summer day here in new york. our crowd is enjoying every single minute of it. we thank them for being here, right on cue. outside on the plaza, i'm jenna wolfe alongside lester holt. still to come, we're talking about the casey anthony murder trial. it's been an up and down daily roller coaster, if you will. >> it's been drama in the testimony. yesterday the drama is when the judge suddenly called a halt to proceedings and basically said there was an issue. none of us knows what it is but it's opened up a lot of speculation. could there be a plea deal in

the works? we'll get insight when we talk to beth karas about that. >> we'll dispel a couple of summer myths. for example, does going -- in and out from the air conditioner, back outside, does that give you a cold? do you think you can catch a cold from that? >> when it's humid outside, hot to -- yeah. >> a rhetorical question, you want answers, that's great. >> i thought you cared. >> how about jumping in a pool, can that substitute for taking a shower? interesting questions i know you're dying to know the answer to, part of our summer health myths many people are curious about. we'll have surprising answers to all of those coming up. the school year has pretty much ended every place. we're going back to high school and recalling the days of class polls, most likely to succeed, most popular, class clown. >> why would you throw that one out there? that's weird and not coincidental at all. >> they may be flattering at the time or a little em baring. as it turns out yearbook labels often carry a lot of pressure with them and a lot of high

schools are getting rid of them. coming up, i met with one most likely to, dot, dot, dot, fighting and dealing with his class poll. do you remember what you were? >> nothing. >> nothing? >> nothing. >> louder and slower, enunciate your words. >> i was nothing. >> we'll share mine for when the piece airs. >> we have another check of the weather with janet huff. >> from sk, my couch -- no, i'm joking. you could be. are you from columbia? >> newberry. >> very near columbia. what are you doing in new york, having fun? >> yes. >> i see that. >> going to the regis and kelly show tomorrow. >> have fun. >> there's a lady down here who has jen -- or at least asking for jen. >> drink of choice. >> so early in the morning, ladies? >> that's right. >> where are you from? >> dallas, texas. >> dallas. >> watch out for dallas here in new york. let's check the weather and see what's going on this more than. in dallas, it's hot. temperatures are above 10 0

degrees again today throughout the southwest. and more high fire danger expected there. look out for some thunderstorms, a slight risk of severe weather today and tomorrow across the midwest and into the southern great lakes. chicago, st. louis, once again tomorrow you'll be under the b gun, and milwaukee, and texas panhandle might have storms. good morningbay area. this is meteorologist nick o'kelly. still looking at a beautiful day after the morning clouds. for some of us clouds will be very slow to clear. cool at the coast, beautiful inland with highs about the same as yesterday. forecast temperatures will dip after monday. clouds on the way, showers, maybe even a couple of isolated thunderstorms on wednesday. and the 8-year-old twins, happy birthday.

lester, back to you. >> thanks. now to the case against casey anthony. saturday's court session came to a sudden end, surprising end. the jury was never seated for the day's session and for reasons that remain a mystery. the judge put an abrupt stop to the proceedings. now, everyone, of course, wants to know why. nbc mark sanders reports. >> reporter: before the jury even entered the courtroom saturday -- >> he doesn't even know if this is new or not. >> reporter: defense attorney jose baez -- >> i've been handed slides. >> reporter: and prosecutor jeff ashton were at it again, sparring over an expert witness's expected testimony. >> i'm afraid one again we're in the position of experts having supplemented their opinions without notice to the state. >> reporter: accused murderer casey anthony stared emotionless as the prosecutor says the defense broke florida court

rules, trying to bring in surprise testimony at the last minute. and then without splaexplanatio the judge abruptly adjourned what was to be five hours' testify. a mysterious end to the day that won't be explained at least until monday, after another week of jaw-dropping twists. >> i found out my granddaughter has been -- >> reporter: almost four weeks ago cindy testified for the state and overcome for ee mowing as she listened with the jury to her 911 call, that her daughter's car had the stench of death, appearing to support the state's claim that caylee's lifeless body had been stowed in the trunk for several days before being dumped in the woods. but this week both cindy and casey's brother lee delivered powerful testimony that appeared to contradict that claim. with pictures of caylee opening the door to the backyard all alone and then photos of her in the swimming pool. cindy anthony now seeming to

support what the judge calls the defense theory of an accidental drowning. >> do you know what that photograph is of, mrs. anthony? >> yes. >> would you like to take a break? do you need a break? >> no, i'm okay. >> reporter: for 28 days now casey anthony, at times in tears when the jury is in the room and when they're out, rarely shedding a tear, facing a potential death penalty if convicted of murder. kerry sanders, nbc news, orlando. >> what kind of legal issue could lead to the surprise stop of the trial? beth karas from trutr, a former prosecutor and wam. >> good morning. >> this is a go-j that has shown great sensitivity that he has a jury sequestered for a long time and wants to keep things moving. how big must it be for him to call things off? >> you would think it's a big deal because he didn't seem to be upset at all with the delay, and he really does want this

case to go to the jury a week from today. he hopes they'll be deliberating. what the issue is, we don't know. but "in session" learned late afternoon yesterday from defense attorney cheney mason it's not what we've been speculating. it's not a potential plea deal. it doesn't have anything to do with possible records of roy kronk, a witness the defense wants to call, and other issues we were all speculating about, what could cause a shutdown of the proceedings and a sealed transcript of what the attorneys talked to the judge about in chambers. it's all a secret. i don't know that we'll find out tomorrow. >> is there anything that could suggest any ground for a mistrial, that you noticed? >> the information i have is that it's not the fault of either side. and the judge isn't upset. so, it really is a mystery. we're assuming that the attorneys are not spinning us and are telling us the truth. >> we saw that altercation -- not altercation but the verbal argument over the witnesses and the defense being forthcoming

with what their witnesses are going to testify to. this has been an ongoing theme. aside from whatever this legal issue that stopped the trial for now, are there going to be sanctions handed out before this is over against one or both of the attorneys? >> well, because this has been ongoing, it's possible. but the judge will deal with that at the end of the trial. one of the sanctions is excluding a witness's testimony. and that's the ultimate sanction, which could create an issue on appeal and the judge is concerned about that because it's a capital case. so, it's unclear. we'll know if he excludes a witness, otherwise we have to wait until the end of the trial. but i think that's a good chance. >> if you're a lawyer, defense or prosecution, do you worry what the message to the jury is when suddenly they're told, ready, ready, ready, no, don't come in, you're off for the day? do their mind start working in overtime and how does that work for either side? >> sure, they start to wonder but the judge does instruct them, these things happen, it's no one's fault, you shouldn't hold it against one side or the other, this is an important case. your role is critical.

and we simply need to stop. i'm sorry about that. and they really should keep an open mind and not hold it against either side. >> all very curious. as you say, we'll find out perhaps tomorrow. beth karas, nice to have you on. >> my pleasure. >> we'll be back. messages. i love that my daughter's part fish. but when she got asthma, all i could do was worry ! specialists, lots of doctors, lots of advice... and my hands were full. i couldn't sort through it all. with unitedhealthcare, it's different. we have access to great specialists, and our pediatrician gets all the information. everyone works as a team. and i only need to talk to one person about her care. we're more than 78,000 people looking out for 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. [ pneumatic wrench buzzing ] [ slap! slap! slap! ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums.

calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum tum tum tum tums nothing works faster. 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.

membership rewards points from american express. the social currency. just got more powerful. introducing precise pain relieving cream. it blocks pain signals fast for relief precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol. precise. nothing starts your day like honey roasted, honey bunches of oats. with a kiss of golden honey. and the same calories per serving as special k original. who knew 120 calories could taste so delicious? so, try honey roasted, honey bunches of oats! 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, only at universal orlando resort. ♪ all this summer ♪ summer >> relaxing muk. the truth about summer health risks from the risk of too much air conditioning to what do to do if you get stung by a jellyfish. here with the answers, dr. carrie peterson, contributor for "women's health" magazine. good morning. >> good morning. >> let's get to it. we have a bunch of interesting summer myths i fell for and thought all of them are true. clearly i don't know what i'm talking about.

first one we mentioned, going in and out of air conditioned buildings in the surgical. can you get a cold by doing that? >> that is false. the only thing that will give you a cold is germs, not air conditioning. if you get sniffles walking from indoors to outdoors it's likely to be allergies. the humidity, the heat, pollen is rampant outdoors. >> what can you do about that? anything simple like an over-the-counter antihistamine -- >> yes, you can take antihistamines but stay indoors and inside your home try changing your ac filter monthly to keep the allergins out of your house. you can invest in a hepa air purifier. >> next one, people that want to save money on soap by going in the swimming pool and assuming they have showered. that explain that to me, myth or not so much? >> that is a myth. you will not get clean by going into a swimming pool. when you go in the pool, you have sunscreen on, sweat, beauty products. that's getting into the water. and it actually makes the chlorine less effective.

so, the pool is -- especially public pools are riddled with bacteria. mainly cryptosporidiosis causing diarrhea, ear infections, rashes. my advice, take a shower with soap after you go in the pool. >> and that will get all the crypto off? up next, this is an interesting one, you're at the beach, hanging out at the water, boom, you get stung by an jellyfish. you watch an episode of "friends" and you know what chandler did to get the sting away. let's listen to friends. >> if i got stung by a jellyfish, i would have to pee on it. >> put sand on it? i really don't know. >> you would have to go home and take a shower. >> i've heard you're supposed to have somebody pee on it but i'd probably run it in the sand. >> she's like, i would rather deal with the fan that have someone do that. first of all, is it a moyth?

>> it's a myth. there's no evidence it works but there is evidence that vinegar works. when you get home, soak a paper towel in white vinegar, put it on the wound for 30 minutes and it's thought to inactive the stingers, then put hydrocortisone greem on the area. if you feel dizzy, nauseous or see a rash where you got stung, this could mean you're having an allergic reaction and need to see your doctor. >> i wonder who the guy was that thought peeing on the legworked. quick, wearing flip-flops, comfortable, bad or good for your feet? >> bad feet. you can develop heel pain, arch pain, because they're flimsy, they don't have arch support, they don't have cushioning. instead you should wear a more

supportive shoe. an ideal would be a wedge because that will evenly distribute the weight throughout your foot. something with a little arch in it will give you more support as well. >> excellent, dr. peterson, wonderful advice. thank you for being with us. this was fun. new here's lester. >> thanks. i will be avoiding jellyfish for the rest of my life. this morning on "today's travel" hitting the road for the fourth of july holiday weekend, going to the beach or looking for a new destination, we have great patriotic destinations to consider. travel journalist valerie is here to share her ideas. good morning. great to have you on. >> thanks, lester. we'll talk about a place close to new york city which means i haven't been there. west point, the military academy, what's there for tourists? >> i was there a week ago and it's 50 miles from new york city. what's there for tourists, it's fourth of july every day of the year. the thayer hotel is located within the confines of the campus. it's the only hotel that is within a military installation. so, that's interesting in itself. the grounds are really

beautiful. it's right on the hudson river. they have trophy point, which is an area where you will see the artillery cannons from several different wars we fought where we have recaptured the cannons. the national purple hall of fame -- not hall of fame, hall of honor is outside and off the ground. a lot of historic sights. >> we saw the amazing views above the hudson river. next is cape may, new jersey, along the famous jersey shore and this is supposed to be a lovely town. >> it's lovely and not the jersey shore we see on tv. it's one of the first beachfront resorts right on the atlantic ocean and has all the painted ladies, all those beautiful victorian homes. congress hall is that lovely hotel we're seeing right there with that sprawling lawn. it actually was william henry harrison had the summer white house there. now there is a beautiful fourth of july activities for kids and families. you can have hot dogs,

hamburgers while your parents are having a lobster bake and filet, and then fireworks shot off the barges into the atlantic ocean. it's really beautiful. >> let's talk about gatlinburg, tennessee, smokey mountains. >> this is my favorite one because fourth of july parades all over the country but this is the very first one this steps off in gatlinburg at midnight. people start to set up their chairs about 7:00 in the morning. >> this is going on at midnight. >> the day before. yes. just a lot of fun floats and a tribute to our military. and it's just great because of the timing of it. >> i like that idea. that's a great idea, especially on a hot summer day. black hills, south dakota. obviously, mt. rushmore is there. what else? >> well, mt. rushmore is there but for the past two years there have been no fireworks there because of wildfires, but there are fireworks at a place called bell foush, one hour away, and a

rodeo, parade, and fire works. and 20 minute away they're having a real blast which means crazy horse is now being carved into the mountains and it's going to be the largest mountain carving and it's still in progress, so they're going to blast at 11 a.m. >> they're timing the demolition blasting for july 4th? >> they do it many times a year but this one in particular on fourth of july. >> i love that, a real blast. napa, valley, california, great for wine tasting. what's the patriotic theme we should latch onto? >> the napa valley wine train goes through 25 miles of wine country. it's a vintage train. it has two trips. one is a luncheon and one is a dinner. gourmet dining. but on the dinner train, at the very end, they bring the train right up to the edge of the fireworks, so you're able to sit in these domed cars and watch the fireworks. and there's also, if you can't get a reservation because it's getting tight now, there are other things going on like a county fair in napa valley as

well and also red, white and bruce where you can do wine tasting and beer sipping. >> valerie, thanks very much. have a happy fourth. just ahead, under pres.su what being named most likely to succeed means long after high school. [ female announcer ] splenda® no calorie sweetener is sweet...

and more. if you replace 3 tablespoons of sugar a day with splenda® you'll save 100 calories a day. that could help you lose up to 10 pounds in a year. that's how splenda® is sweet...and more.

in many high schools, voting for senior superllatives is a time honored tradition, but may be less of an honor for those voted most likely to succeed. some psychologists and school administrators assume the title comes with too much pressure on students who earn it. graduation, prom, yearbooks and those senior superlatives.

all part of long-standing high school traditions. wait, scratch that. >> i took over approximately six years ago when the previous adviser retired and at that time they did not have the most likely to succeed. >> reporter: paul d. scheiber high school in port washington, new york, is just one of many high schools around the country that have taken titles like most likely to succeed out of the high school yearbooks for good. >> a lot of students actually put more and more pressure on themselves. >> reporter: a recent poll discovered that nearly one-third of those named most likely to succeed regard it as a curse and not a blessing after high school. >> it becomes almost a stressor. an albatross around their neck where they never feel they are good enough or they have to continually fight to live up to that title. >> reporter: justin burg admits he did feel some pressure after getting the title. >> it affected me in a way.

i knew i wanted to be succe successful. >> reporter: meanwhile, john timer who was voted most likely to succeed back in class of '85 said he didn't put too much stock in the honor. >> don't think it was taken seriously. >> reporter: what do you remember about that high school picture? >> i thought it was very funny. they had us hold wads of cash as a symbol of success. >> reporter: he went on to an ivy league education and even got his ph.d. but he's wondered how his classmates would quantify success. >> by the standards of the yearbook photo, success was measured in money and as a graduate student you earn nothing. $13,000 a year for teaching and research. >> reporter: tell me what you are doing today. >> i am an eder it ter of a new website. >> reporter: are you making wads and wads and wads of cash sph.

>> no. >> reporter: do you still consider yourself successful? >> i am. >> reporter: what defines success? >> i think different people will define success different ways and it's up to each individual to set standards for what they want to achieve. >> reporter: do you know what i was voted senior year? >> i have no idea. >> reporter: class clown. >> how has that worked out for you? >> reporter: so awesome. >> have you felt pressure? >> reporter: i feel the pressure every day. so, i can understand how in deep in the back of the cortex there is a little part of you that is thinking, i hope i am successful. i was voted most likely to succeed. >> possible. i can't rule it out. if it is, it stays quiet. >> you don't think there's pressure on me right now, every day to come in here and be a class clown. >> say something funny. >> the pressure i live with every day. i was class clown.

you, nothing? nothing at all? >> nothing. >> i mentioned that earlier. just had to sayit, again. we're back right after these just had to sayit, again. we're back right after these messages. we built a pc store in her house. ng, erika: (gasp) employee: come on in. make yourself at home! erika: this is my home! employee: let's take a look! erika: (lifting laptop) it's really light. honey, help me shop! employee: you can get up to seven hours on this battery. jesse: the color really pops out. employee: everything's wireless. wireless keyboard. jesse: that's impressive. i like this one better. erika: and i like this one... vo: new pc. what's it gonna be? erika: i'm a pc, and i got what i wanted. jesse: as usual. introducing honey bunches of oats, raisin medley. there's nothing like it! the only cereal with 1, 2, 3 kinds of raisins and crunchy multigrain flakes. you gotta try new honey bunches of oats raisin medley. and more. if you replace 3 tablespoons of sugar a day with splenda® you'll save 100 calories a day. that could help you lose up to 10 pounds in a year.

that's how splenda® is sweet...and more.

let's go back to washington. david gregory standing by to tell us what is coming up on "meet the press." david, good morning. >> lester, good morning. the showdown in washington over taxes and spending. this morning a view from outside the beltway from new jersey governor chris christie and jim webb and jack reid join us. it's all coming up this morning on "meet the press." that will do it for us on this sunday morning. thomas roberts, thank you so much. our continuing coverage of the casey anthony trial.

i'll see you back here later tonight for nbc "nightly news." until then, so long. enjoy the rest of your sunday, everybody.