new details on the attack in afghanistan that claimed 30 u.s. lives including 22 navy s.e.a.l.s. with the insurgy enzi growing and plans for a major troop reduction which will event change the mission for our country's longest war? fallen heroes. they found bin laden and they take on the most dangerous missions in the world. who are the navy s.e.a.l.s? this morning we pay tribute to the band of elite commandos who serve, protect and sacrifice for our country. and labor law. a future attorney has contractions while taking the bar exam. she finishes the test and moments later gives birth. this morning we'll meet the patient mom and her bundle of

joy. patient mom and her bundle of joy. today sunday, august 7, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning. welcome to "today" on a sunday morning. i'm lester holt. >> i'm jena wolfe. we mourn the americans killed in yesterday's deadly attack in afghanistan. >> it's america's darkest day yet. a rocket propelled grenade struck a helicopter in the eastern part of the country killing 30 u.s. troops, 22 of them were navy s.e.a.l.s. >> reaction is still coming in from the front lines and from here at home especially on the base where many of the fallen live. >> we do know the attack happened during an operation in a taliban stronghold. it took place in a mountainous region that's becoming volatile. we have full coverage and we

begin with atiaa abawi. >> reporter: officials continue to investigate just what went wrong and how yesterday became the most devastating day for american troops in afghanistan. 30 u.s. service members and eight afghans were killed yesterday when their helicopter came crashing down by insurgent fire. most of the men belonged to the navy s.e.a.l. team six, a group most recently credited for hunting down and killing osama bin laden. preliminary reports indicate their ch-47 chinook helicopter was shot down during a night raid in eastern afghanistan, south of the district of wardak province, just southwest of the capital kabul. the american and afghan special forces were working side by side when their mission took a deadly

turn as their helicopter became a target for the taliban. it's not clear if the chinook was shot down at the beginning or end of the mission. >> helicopters no matter how they're outfitted or how well they're armored are particularly at risk at the beginning and the end of operations when they're inserting troops into a target or extracting them from a hot target it is very easy to hit them. >> reporter: the 38 people included 22 u.s. navy s.e.a.l.s, five army air crewmen and three air force airmen and seven afghan commandos and interpreter. a dog, part of the s.e.a.l. team was also killed. president obama was briefed on the attack and expressed condolences to the families of those killed. their death, he said in a statement, are a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the men and women in our military and their families including all who have served in afghanistan. saturday was the deadliest day for the troops in afghanistan since the start of the war,

deaths have decreased by 20% in the first six months of this year compared to last year. the taliban claimed responsibl responsibility quickly after the attack. they used the death and the grief that followed as a confidence-boosting victory for themselves and the rest of the insurgency. lester? >> thank you. now here's jenna. >> thanks. many are based in a tight-knit military community in virginia that is now in mourning. nbc's tom truong is live in norfolk. >> jenna, good morning to you. this is naf country down here, places like norfolk and hampton that revolve around the navy where many of the elite navy s.e.a.l.s train and call home. one of the s.e.a.l.s was based in virginia beach not far from here. ladies and gentlemen, join us in a moment of sielence.

>> in a baseball game in norfolk last night this naval community paused to remember the americans killed in friday's chopper crash offering prayers for their loved ones left behind. >> we lost some great, brave americans in the last day or so and our hearts and minds are with those families. i know they're suffering really tough right now. the family of aaron is mourning his death. his grandmother released this photo yesterday, saying the 30-year-old was a tough warrior, but a gentle man. on facebook, a prayer page for vaughn who is survived by his wife and two children. vaughn is one of 22 navy s.e.a.l.s killed this weekend. the elite and clandestine unit is often the tip of the spear. >> they work in the shadows and the happier they are. in coronado, california, where many s.e.a.l.s train hearts are heavy. >> it took me a while for it to

sink in and when it did i just melt like i was melting. i didn't what to say or two. its members recently gained worldwide attention after s.e.a.l. team six raided osama bin laden's compound in pakistan, killing the al qaeda leader. military families are no strangers to sacrifice. there's not much that can prepare them for the loss of so many. >> these young men are national fre treasures. you don't find them anywhere and this was a tragedy for the entire country. >> we often hear how the navy s.e.a.l.s are so close knit. after losing 22 of their own they and their families will have to rely on those bonds more than ever. >> thank you. >> here's lester. s.e.a.l. team six is so secretive the white house and defense department do not directly acknowledge its existence. with us now is nbc news military

analy analyst. >> good morning, lester. >> usually we hear s.e.a.l.s do surprise raid, called in in response by other troops who got into a fire fight and they responded. >> the u.s. army 10th mountain division and it would be surprising to use s.e.a.l.s as a quick reaction force. typically they're in raids, highly secret missions acting on intelligence and gathering intelligence. they're in and out a short time later. >> going into an area in which troops are already engaged is a very dangerous thing to do with helicopters in particular because they are very vulnerable both at the time of insertion and at the time of withdrawal. >> especially you bring in the fire fight as opposed to dropping them somewhere else. >> and having them infiltrate the area and it's very surprising that it happened. >> the fact that the chopper was coming in any that all of them

were killed and does that suggest that the chopper could have been at higher altitude. >> if it gets struck by a rocket propelled grenade which is actually designed to kill tanks. the fact that there was no survivor at all, it might have been at at tulled if which case it might have been struck by surface-to-air missile. >> this is the way they tend to travel in these helicopters. >> yes, but they usually have the element of surprise in which they're dropping in completely and totally unannounced and not in a situation where troops are already engaged and this is a very dangerous situation. usually troops, s.e.a.l.s are on long-range patrols and raids like this. that's what they're used for. the kind of operation the s.e.a.l.s were engaged in now is the kind of conventional troops. >> we're all intrigued by service, but there were other members of the service including the crew of the chopper itself and that in itself is part of

operation special command, isn't it? >> yes, it is. usually they'll use mh-47 helicopters, and these are old ch-47s equipped with the latest in electronic equipment, electronic jamming pods, airborne radar and infrared of all types and varieties and these crews are vetted with the seals and work with the s.e.a.l.s on all of their operations. >> they know how to fly low and fast at night. >> they train with them continuously and when they practice with missions they're practicing with the 160. >> colonel jacobs, thanks very much. now here's jenna. >> thank you. president obama was at camp david when he learned of the tragedy in afghanistan. this is the photograph of him on the phone being briefed on the attack. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press" and joins us live from washington. good morning. >> good morning. >> so this was the deadliest single attack on americans since

this war began in afghanistan, and itness in an area where neither the u.s. or nato have any strong hold over. i guess my question is is this now going to change the way the u.s. operates in the region until troop withdrawal? >> it is ultimately to route the taliban in particular areas and the southern part of the country was the most active and dangerous area as you get toward those safe havens that are in pakistan that allow insurgents to come over the border and go back and forth, but in this part of the country, as you're looking in wardak province which is not that far outside kabul, there were a lot of success stories about wardak province and how they organize politically and how security gains were made -- those gain his been met and goal his been met. i think the concern now is as the u.s. starts to withdraw, afghan forces take the lead. can they actually hold the

ground that the u.s. has held up until now? do they have the proper training to actually do that job and it becomes a question of what kind of afghanistan america will be leaving behind and don't forget there is a timetable for the troops to be out of there by the end of next year and you have tens of thousands of troops left and not beyond 2014. >> between the helicopter crash, the way the economy has been lately how much is america's perception of this administration changed been strained lately? >> there's no question they think the rest of the world is looking at america saying that america's entering into -- as "the new york times put it the age of austerity. a lot of business leaders say as they travel around the world particularly to countries like china that the united states is not being looked at in the same

way and its influence is not looked at in the same way. whether this is a political system that can meet the challenges that the country faces becomes a huge issue. the war in afghanistan is the longest in u.s. history and raises real questions about ultimately what can be achieved in afghanistan. if the threat was al qaeda, al qaeda is not a major factor in afghanistan, but our enemy is the taliban and as we see in horrific and dramatic terms by the loss of life there on saturday, they're still deadly and they have the ability to reconstitute themselves and be a huge part of that country's future. >> david, i want to ask you quickly about this s&p downgrade and let's put in perspective. we were aa-plus and we were at aaa rating through every depression and through every war since world war i, and now we're downgraded. how big a blow is this to the obama administration? >> the speaker had sought to

make political hay out of it. the question whether this was the result of work by both parties should be treated as an act of war and should galvanize as political leadership rather than being a political football. this is a blow and the bigger question to me at the moment is what the actual financial impact will be. we'll see how the markets react and there's mixed opinion about just what it will mean in terms of whether treasury bonds are a safe investment for investors around the world. >> to be answered in due time. thank you very much. tom llamas is at the news desk. two american hikers behind bars for more than two years may find out if they're free. nbc's ali aluzian is live. >> they announced that they would formally deliver the verdict of the spying trial of the two remaining hikers. it's been seven days and the

world is looking to see if they'll answer calls of leniency from america and beyond. there have been positive signs. yesterday iran's foreign minister said he hoped the case would end in immediate freedom and release of the hikers and one mustn't lose sight of the fact that relations are extremely strained. iran is not in the business of appeasing the united states and there's everything left to pray for. tom? >> thank you. now to london where violent protests erupted over the police shooting of a young father. martin fletcher is live in london with more. good morning, martin. >> reporter: hi, tom. good morning. the shooting happened thursday night. the police say that they were trying to arrest a man. there was a shooting and a bullet hit the policeman by a radio and the man was killed. that happened on thursday. last night there was a demonstration, a protest outside the police station just down the road. about 50 people, that was in the beginning and that quickly

escalated to young people that came looting and all hell broke loose, police cars burned, busses burned, buildings burned and the police are worried that that could continue again tonight, tom? >> nbc's martin fletcher. thank you. back here at home, nearly 50,000 verizon workers walked off the job after the contract expired at midnight. they want concessions on health care, pensions and work rules. the wireless business is declining and employees do not pay anything toward their health care. a programming note tell you, tonight on "dateline," tom brokaw looks at how it's affecti affecting, while following a soldier for nine years. it is right here on nbc. >> some tourists got quite the scare when a glacier rocked

their boat. large chunks offite started falling down and the collapsing iceberg caused panic on the boat. we had to bleep out some of the audio there. despite the terrifying moments the boat stayed upright and most of the tourists made it out okay. that actually looks like kind of fine. now back to lester, jenna and chris. >> have your drinks on the rocks. >> i love the guy, oh, my gosh, i think we're going die, and let me quickly take out my smartphone device and take video. tom, thank you so much. chris warren is here with a check of the weather. upon. >> that looks refreshing compared to what we're seeing around the country. we have triple digits expected once again. some storms firing up from the northern plains through the ohio valley and some of the great lakes. we have a chance for heavy rains and localized flooding associated with those storms. showers and storms popping up in the afternoon in the northeast.

that heat continues throughout much of the southeast all of the way over to the southwest, but extremely hot once again in the southern plains and it looks like it will be continuing for a while, maybe days to come. good sunday morning to you. this is meteorologist nick o'kelly. we're looking at a rather deep marine layer once again this morning. some coastal drizzle and some patchy fog. otherwise we're left with plenty of low clouds early on today. now, we are going to wear away those low clouds and see some sunshine later on. it's going to take its time at the coast. temperatures just about the same as what we saw yesterday with highs reaching into t mid-80s in the warmest toinland spots o the 60s and 70s around the bay. that's your forecast. now here's jenna. >> all right, chris. thanks. still to come on "today," up in the air, a calm and casual stroll atop the highest tower in the world. i will take you along after thst world. i'll take you along after this.

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>> many people live in the shadow of the famed volcano. they're watching eruptions with a little bit more than just a little bit of anxiety. >> you think? if you saw this in your backyard, would you not? >> it's so red, it's hard to get a per speck five for how wide an area that is. i'm fascinated by these things. >> on the scale of good to should i be concerned, i'd put that up there with, i should be concerned. >> if you're in the neighborhood. >> but from the confines of studio 1-a, i think we're okay. >> we'll be back with a little more but after these messages. will ever find the one?s well, we've been left behind by so many mops and brooms... aw, man! ...but we have got... see ya! ...each other. ♪ what about love?! [ male announcer ] swiffer attracts dirt. the 2 in 1 swiffer sweeper uses electrostatic dry cloths to trap and lock more dirt than a broom and uses dirt dissolving wet cloths to clean better than a mop. you're quite the pickup artist! [ male announcer ] 2 in 1 swiffer sweeper gives cleaning a whole new meaning.

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and still to come on "today," the uproar over this new doll. why is it causing so much controversy? we'll let you know. >> plus labor law, one expectant mother finishes the bar exam and

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well, hello, everybody. a live look at a very foggy golden gate bridge. it is 6:26, i am marla tellez in for kris sanchez on this sunday morning. let's check your forecast with nick o'kelly now. >> good morning. this is meteorologist nick o'kelly. once again this morning starting off with patchy fog and drizzle towards the coast. that's going to end by let's say 10:00 or 11:00 this morning but do watch out for the wet roadways. highway 1 a little wet early on this morning. the rest of us looking at abundant cloud cover. the marine layer still 2,000 feet deep. with the strong onshore wind

flow, temperatures once again a bit below the average but very comfortable inland. highs approaching the 80s for our lowest inland spots. mainly 60s to low 70s near the bay and hard pressed to get out of the low 60s if you're headed towards the coast. not exactly the best beach weather. we are looking for a shift in the weather pattern. it's going to take about 48 hours to arrive. the extended forecast does show some changes. high pressure has been stationed across the desert southwest finally lifting to the north. we've got a warming trend in your seven-day forecast coming up. and now here's a look at a few stories we're following today. we now know the name of a woman shot to death in oakland but police are still searching for the shooters. she is 25-year-old la shawna candies of antioch. candies was in a car with another woman on b street near 87th avenue when gunmen opened fire. both women were hit.

candies died right there, the other woman was taken to the hospital. the coast guard is asking for the public's help to find a missing boater. on july 25th, a 62-year-old man set sail on his white 27-foot boat from alameda. he had saided to san diego. a week later his son contacted the coast guard because the family haebt heard from him. the coast guard has alerted all harbor masters from san francisco to san diego. as of now, no one has seen him. >> we received a report that he's an experienced mariner and that he knows the waterways, so right now we're just asking anybody who has any information to come forward and help us find him. >> coast guard officials also told us a boater did file a float plan indicating his expected arrival time in san diego but he never showed up at his final destination. in yosemite park rangers found one of the bodies of the three hikers that drowned last month.

the body of the man to the left was found friday about 240 feet from the base of the falls. rangers say it took a team four and a half hours to pull the body from the water because the river is still moving fast. he had been missing since july 19th when he and two friends reportedly climbed over barricades to pose for a picture. all three were swept over the 317-foot water fall. the bodies of the other two have not been found. coming up today on "today in the bay," another grim ending to what was supposed to be a day of hiking. a california man dies at a popular spot in california. we'll have the details. that's coming up in about 30 minutes. we'll see you then.

we're back on this sunday morning, august 7, 2011. a little bit of a rainy day in new york city, but it has rpt stopped the really nice crowd from coming out to say hi to us. we're okay with that. we thank them. actually the rain has stopped and it's an incredibly bad hair day. >> yeah. >> out on the plaza i'm jenna wolfe along with lester holt and still to come we're talking about an interesting new toy for kids, a special kind of doll. >> it's an educational doll. it is a breast-feeding baby doll that lets kids pretend they are nursing. millions have been sold in

europe and now it's trying to come to america and it's raising a few eyebrows on this side of the bond and we'll take a closer look at that. >> not only on this side of the pond, but i had reaction here like, oh, really? it is a bit of a controversy. we'll talk about that. >> talk about stand and deliver. an expectant mom was taking the exam to become a lawyer and quickly finishes the test, rushes to the hospital and gives birth a few hours later. how did she do it? the mother and her newborn. >> how did she do on the test? she doesn't find out until october. >> we're glad both are doing all right. >> and then the things you do. >> yeah. >> the things you do. >> you end up on the top of the cn touer? >> an effort to try to get rid of me quickly. >> it's looking like a conspiracy. >> this one was a fun experiment upon i took a walk on top of the tower in toronto.

it's the 116th floor and it's twice the height of the eiffel tou tore give you perspective and coming up, no railing. >> how long before you get comfortable to lean out. >> it didn't actually happen. i'm still not comfortable and i've been down for two weeks now. >> chris warren has another check of the weather for us. >> every once in a while we get a little bit of rain that helps cool things down briefly, but it has been so hot across the country in fact, jonathan was talking about relocating. what were you talking about earlier? >> i was thinking of going to canada because it's hot everywhere else. like n virginia where i live it's really hot there and i'm thinking of canada where there's more snow and it's winter any time of the year. >> one way to cool off, sometimes you have to migrate and head to the north because it has been so hot lately. we can take some of the heat warnings and advisories. we'll show you across the country, the southeast getting very hot weather and unfortunately, once again, it's

the southern plains. it will feel like it's 110 once you factor in the humidity, even 115. we do have the chance for storms moving through, the great lakes and throughout the ohio good sunday morning to you. this is meteorologist nick o'kelly. we're looking at a rather deep marine layer once again this morning. some coastal drizzle and some patchy fog. otherwise we're left with plenty of low clouds early on today. now, we are going to wear away those low clouds and see some sunshine later on. it's going to take its time, though, at the coast. temperatures just about the same as what we saw yesterday with highs reaching into the mid-80s in the warmest inland spots. 60s and 70s around the bay. and that's a look at your weather. now lear's lester. >> chris, thanks. taking the bar exam is hard enough as it is, the prep, classes, the studying and the pressure and now imagine going into labor in the middle of it all. the amazing part, she finished

the test before giving birth less than two hours later. elana dawson joins us with her new son wilson. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> how are the two of you doing? >> so far so good. not a lot of sleep going on on our part. >> you'll get to sleep in about 14 years, but let me start and talk to you about the day of the test. you're taking the test. you begin to feel some discomfort. had you put two and two together that this is labor i'm going into? >> not in those terms, no. it was on the second day of the test, what i was experiencing didn't make me think i was necessarily in labor given what i knew at that point. >> at what point did it start to become quite uncomfortable and what were you going through. >> in the afternoon i realized i was experiencing contracts and based on what i was told anything i was experiencing was early because they weren't close

together, and there was never a point they thought i'll have a child soon after the exam was older. >> you start doing your breathing exercises while you were doing the test. did anyone catch on around you. >> not they could tell. i never spoke to the person next to me. when i spoke to about breathing, it wasn't lamaze-type breathing. i know the person behind me didn't know because they wondered why i left early and my goal was not to be disruptive to the people around me because they also studied for the gentleman and that warrasn't fa to them. >> you thought i'll finish this test at any cost. >> certainly wantn't say that, if i realized or thought that i was in any kind of active labor. the test was secondary to the health of my child and it would aren't have been the end of the world to leave and i accepted that long after i walked out of the exam. >> this is the multiple choice

part of the test. you're filling in the answers. do you have a memory of how you were doing and were you able to concentrate on the test itself? >> it certainly made it easier to make decisions when i was i inunsure of what answers to give. i had no reason to think i was in active labor. >> two hours later you underwent a c-section, but you were close to the hospital fortunately. sniefs close to the hospital and when i got there i learned things were going faster than i thought. what's tougher in the bar exam or giving birth? >> good question, i would have to say giving birth only because -- or going through labor because you don't get to practice in the same way. you can simulate the bar exam by taking the practice test before hand and there is no simulation to labor. >> you find the results of the test in the fall, is that correct? >> yes.

>> good luck to you on that and glad it worked out for you, elana and baby wilson. great to have you both here. >> thank you so much. the doll that has a lot of parent'll oull yut abot iaf y about it after parent'll oull yut abot iaf y about it after these messages. t. you see, airline credit cards promise flights 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. what's in your wallet?

[female announcer] looks like everybody's at our biggest sale of the year: the petsmart power sale. save 20% on select training collars, leashes, harnesses, and accessories. at petsmart®. there's a new doll for kids on the market and this one is definitely creating a lot of controversy and although popular, not everyone thinks it's child's play. there have been dolls that sneeze and need potty training. >> potty time! >> the newest doll coming to a toy store near you, the breast milk baby. spanish toy company veer wan makes the doll. they point to breast-feeding as a healthy practice for both mother and baby. the toy itself comes with a baby doll and the bib, by holding the doll against the flowers, it begins to move and make suckeling noises.

2 million dolls have already been sold in europe as it prepares to hit shelves stateside. >> it's waving at you. >> it's sparking a playground debate. >> i don't think she needs this. they're a little bit young. >> think it's a little strange. >> it's something natural. >> think it's too much for them at this stage to understand between the bottle and the breast. >> and online, a "today" mom survey asked if they want their kids playing with the baby breast milk doll, 24% said why not. >> the doll isn't each on the shelves in the states and we're talking about it because it's that unusual. >> founder of toy portfolio.com and a child development expert says that kids love to play being a parent. >> breast-feeding is wonderful and kids can role play breast-feeding, but they don't need the bells and whistles for that. >> in response, it is a hi

wonderful, high quality product that mimics the most natural mothering abilities. we've been asked by millions by u.s. women to offer the doll here and we've been embraced by advocacy groups that embrace the doll. >> but it's the kids and their parents who have the final verdict. >> just because the technology exists and the doll can be made doesn't mean it's appropriate for your kid. >> speaking of which, is the breast-feeding doll appropriate for children? mira jacob is deputy editor of babble.com and is a sexologist. arm, let me start with you, we saw the "today moms" pole, 24% said sure, why not. 76% said no, i'm sorry. just too weird. i suppose it's an image that people are uncomfortable seeing small children having a doll.

>> we've seen both sides on babble.com. some are pros, some are cons. a lot of the moms, it's an interesting discussion because people are equating that you are pro or against breast-feeding with how you feel about this doll. you can be very pro breast-feeding and maybe not want this doll for your kid. >> you have a different take. you see the larger picture here. >> this doll doesn't fit into our culture because we in america have such a problem with bodies and nudity. we have dolls that don't have any genitals and we have a culture where we kick women off of busses for breast leading and it's note about sexualizing little girls and we're sending them mixed messages. >> i was going to wait to get to it, but why is breast-feeding such a hot rod toekt, a lightning rod topic for people?

>> it's taking on all our weird feel bgs breast-feeding in america and putting it on to the sort of not really essential doll. why do we feel weird about it? i think people do e 28 with sexuality. i think they equate it with specifically sex and that's not necessarily true in any way, right? >> right. >> but i don't think that what people know is you can feel very good about breast-feeding without being behind something like this. >> breast-feeding is an intimate behavior and it is not a sexual one and breasts for other purposes other than sex. >> good point. >> let's talk about how parents see this as exposing children to something. howe i'm sure a lot of their fears are i don't want to mess my child up at an early age. >> kids emulate what their parents are doing. my little once imitated me breast-feeding my daughter. so it's really normal and that's not really the issue. it's just, we have to create

this culture in our homes where we say bodies are okay and they're beautiful, and some people do it and some don't and we have this culture of shame in our bodies and that's what creates negative body image. >> this is an educational tool. we're using it to understand kids holding on, you buy it or not? >> i think there are so many different ways to educate the kids about breast-feeding and this is one of the silliest ones. i think also, if we're going to talk about this issue, let's talk about why that mom got kicked off the bus in detroit. let's talk about how comfortable americans are about breast-feeding. this doll doesn't matter to me. >> and you guys are both parents. the question we haven't asked is what do the kids think about this? do they like this or do they think it's a little strange? kids think anything that's new, even regardless of the bells and whistles can be fun, but you don't need a halter top to simulate breast-feeding and kids

can take any doll and put it up to their chest and saying they're practicing being a mom. it can be a regular old doll and it could be the same thing. as far as going with that, kids get messages about breast-feeding from their parents, from society and how people around them interact. so pretending that it will all work because of a doll, we're missing the bigger issue. >> thank you so much. it's an interesting discussion. just ahead, the barbershop where shaving a haircut is just the beginning, but first these messages. hey, the new guy is loaded with protein! really? 25 grams of protein. what do we have? all four of us, together? 24. he's low fat, too, and has 5 grams of sugars. i'll believe it when i--- [ both ] oooooh... what's shakin'? [ female announcer ] as you get older, protein is an important part of staying active and strong. new ensure high protein... fifty percent of your daily value of protein. low fat and five grams of sugars. see? he's a good egg.

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hope so after seeing this story. for the guys a shave and haircut isn't the only service being offered. willy geist from way too recally is here. >> my barber growing up an ex-marine named art who didn't ask you what look you wanted, just gave you a flat top and took your eight bucks and sent you on your way. you may want to start thinking about it. remember when a haircut was just about getting your haircut? at the growing number of upscale barbershops popping up in cities like new york, los angeles and new orleans hair is only the beginning. >> if all you care about is checking off your list any getting your hair shortened this is not the right place. >> craig martin is the owner of baltimore's quintessential gentleman, liquor, cigar, pool tables and les yes, video games make it feel less like a

barbershop and more like the ultimate man cave. >> members can bring their own alcohol or beer. we provide wi-fi, computer, wireless printer, tvs, think, and xbox 360s. >> and the last time you went in for a trim i'll bet your barber wasn't selling cuff links and fine pens or designer ties or shoes. shoes? >> we sell a lot of shoes here? >> we actually, over the years increased our inventory based on what clients are asking for. >> reporter: in 2004 martin quit his corporate job and took a chance on the idea that men were looking for a little throwback style in service in their barbersh barbershop. took all my savings and convinced my wife to move to baltimore and i tried to reinvent the experience. >> with the wife who clearly has faith in her husband, martin grew his business from a single customer to a bustling shop that takes care of some 7,000

clients. >> you are not just a customer. you are a pampered guest. everywhere else there are luxury restaurants, luxury gofrl courses and luxury hotels and the barbershop was one area where there wasn't a luxury barbershop. a haircut will run you 25 bucks. it also includes man cures, pedicure, massages and frank's old school straight razor shape. >> this sounds different than the three minutes of bic i usually do in the shower. >> this isn't going to be three minutes. >> okay. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> pretty steady today. you weren't drinking or anything. >> oh, no, no. not on the job. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> you're the man. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> looks great. >> thank you. >> much better than shaving in

the shower. >> with the drink and a game of golden tea to go with your haircut, the only question about this new wave of barbershops is why would a man ever want to leave? >> it's awesome. >> and the truth, lester, is a lot of them don't want to leave. they come for their lunchtime and stay deep into the afternoon having a drink and playing video games. >> who has that kind of time? they're opened until 8:00 and right in downtown baltimore, you hang out, get a haircut and hay shave, play poker with the guys and have a cigar. >> man cave. >> thanks. up next, jenna walks on the edge after these messages.

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remember a couple of weeks back when lester, amy and i endured survival school in the utah desert in the experience prepared me for many things. not this one. not the one that took me out on a trip way up into the sky and as you will see, it was much more than just a walk in the clouds. ♪ ♪ >> i've flown an f-18 with the blue angel, nearly drowned and i've been thrown off a 900-foot building. for many, it would be considered a rather tough year, but for others, fuel to the thrilling fire. although experiencing extreme heights isn't new, from the observation deck at the empire state building to the glass walkway of the grand canyon.

but this? this is something completely different. after ten months of planning and installation, starting today the tower, the tallest in the world, is the latest attraction to give thrill seekers a rush. for $175, adrenaline junkies can step out a slim, five-foot high grate all without the constraints of a guardrail. >> scariest thing i've ever heard and i don't think i would do it again. >> despite being tethered to an overhead troll i was not alone in my hesitation. >> will not! >> what do you mean? >> i will not! >> so is that yes or is that no to going up and walking the edge walk? >> i still can't hear you. >> no! >> you wouldn't chicken out.

>> my knees would stibe shaking but i would do it. >> with my knees knocking it was time to walk around the world's tallest structure. how high? it's almost double the height of the eiffel tower. that's five and a half football fields high, but before heading to the top, needless to say a few security checks to hopefully keep me in one piece. >> just a quick breathalyzer. i took no shots of courage before i got here. >> finally, we suit up. strap on a safety haerns, aka, my lifeline. >> did you test this one? and go through not one, but multiple safety checks. >> a lot of checking. ready to go, we take the 62-second rite ride all of the way up to the summit room. >> at least i wasn't hesitant. >> i'm starting to feel it now. >> one final check to secure the harness. >> should we do this?

and it was go time. >> welcome to the edge walk. >> take a couple of more steps out there. ♪ ♪ ♪ >>. >> take a look down, jenna. it's great. >> this is incredible. let's have some fun. >> whoa! >> down, out, up, wherever you look, it's amazing. stunning, open-air views of toronto, lake ontario and buffalo, new york. i barely even noticed my nerves. >> let's see the hand. >> this is actual, real shaking. let's do something before i chicken out. >> so what we're going do, jenna, toes over toronto. put all your weight into the front rope, take your hands off. >> this is an incredible feeling.

put your bum over the edge and take a look down. take it off the ropes and there you go. how's that? oh, my gosh. definitely ranks up there. this is the dumbest thing i've ever done. >> after seeing the sights. >> really, really clear day. you can actually see niagara falls. >> snapping a good pic. >> smile, jenna. >> i finally come down, enough to consider what i had just accomplished. >> we did it! that was insane! i never thought i would be scared, and i thought it would be pure panic. it was more like adrenaline. >> really? >> not so much. would you do it? >> i would put that up there with climbing a mountain. why? >> nothing wrong with it. look, it's safe. >> i think i could do it, but i don't think i would -- >> it's one of those things,

lester where once you do it and you face your fear, stare it down and own it and you feel accomplished. >> and then i get to work with you. >> congratulations. >> david gregory is standing by to tell us what's coming up on "meet the press." good morning, lester. america's credit rating downgraded for the first time ever. i'll speak with alan greenspan, an obama economic adviser and austin goolsbee about what it all means. joining me, senator, john kerrie and john mccain. it's all coming up on "meet the press." thank very much. >> that will do it for us. our thanks to chris warren and tom young. thanks for being here, guys. >> we will see you next week for nbc "nightly news." have a great sunday. take care for now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com