dead heat. mitt romney, ron paul and rick santorum running neck and neck and neck headed into today's iowa caucuses. this morning, mitt romney speaks out his chances of winning, criticism of president obama and why he can't seem to break free with some voters. >> do you see there's a problem with connecting with ctain parts of the electorate? locked up. 50 fires in just four days across los angeles, a suspected arsonist is locked up. and good samaritans jump into an icy river in utah to save three kids trapped in an upside down car as it quickly

filled with water. one of them shoots out a window. two of them join us tuesday. "today," january 3rd, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm ann curry. >> i'm matt lauer. it's been a long time. >> i know. >> everybody off on different vacations. so last year. 2012 nice to see you again. >> nice to see you again. the gang is all here and 2012 has a nice ring to it. >> hopefully good things will happen. seems like we've been talking about this day for a better part of a year. after months of campaigning, millions in political advertising and all kinds of debates, the first contest in

the presidential race is hours away. >> more than 100,000 caucusgoers in iowa are expected to record their choices tonight. the candidates spent monday courting last-minute undecided voters and mitt romney is sounding confident about his chances in iowa and the general election if he should win the republican nomination. savannah guthrie caught up with him on monday. we'll get to her in a moment. peter alexander is in des moines with the latest. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt good morning to you and ann. welcome back. happy new year to you. consider these statistics, 354 days of campaigning, more than 900 events between the candidates and more than $16 million in advertising spent in the state of iowa alone. it is finally decision day and iowa voters have been wooed by the candidates up until the last minute. rick santorum is feeling energized about his late surge. >> very encouraged by that and i think we have the momentum here. >> reporter: the former

pennsylvania senator was greeted by a standing room only crowd inside this coffee house monday. among those in attendance, reality tv stars the duggar family, 12 of their 19 children in tow there to endorse the social conservative. later in a highly emotional moment he spoke about the family's decision to take their son, baby gabriel home, hours after having died prematurely. after fox commentator alan holmes called it crazy. >> i'm saying i think it shows a certain unusual attitude taking a two-hour baby home to die. >> you playing that issue -- >> he's coming home so our children get -- and to some who don't recognize the dignity of your life, recognizing the humanity of your son is somehow weird, somehow odd, and should be subject to ridicule. >> meanwhile, mitt romney told

>> meanwhile, mitt romney told a crowd of about 500 supporters he's expecting a good night as well. >> we're going to win this thing with all of our passion and strength and do everything we can to get this campaign on the right track to go across the nation. >> reporter: facing plummeting support, newt gingrich lowered expectations. >> i don't think i'm going to win. i think if you look at the numbers i think that volume of negativity has done enough damage. >> thank you, sir, you bet. >> reporter: and rick perry is struggling to break from the conservative pack, comparing the election year to a marathon. >> at mile 21 you kind of start hitting that wall a little bit and we'll see who is still running at mile 21. >> reporter: michele bachmann is counting an divine intervention. >> i believe in a miracle on tuesday night. >> reporter: ron paul along son rand paul made his final push. >> we may well send a message heard not just throughout iowa, but throughout this country, and believe it or not, it could be

heard throughout the world. >> reporter: that fox news commentator alan combes late ear apologized for a hurtful comment and santorum accepted the apology. today's weather is expected to hit a high of roughly 38 degrees here in des moines. >> peter, thank you. savannah guthrie spoke with the gop front-runner mitt romney on the eve of the caucuses, savannah, good morning. >> good morning to you, ann. even romney advisers did not expect to be here six months ago at the top of the polls, in fact, after disappointment four years ago they didn't spend nearly the time or resources. but with iowa social conservatives split over all the other choices it's romney who is benefiting. spending a fraction of the time and money he did four years ago, mitt romney is poised to finish strong in the state that once rejected him. does it strike you as ironic? >> we built a lot of strength

last time around, built a lot of friendships that have been helpful to me this time and i'm pleased we'll probably do pretty well and have the send-off we need for a long campaign season. >> reporter: a late-surging rick santorum is trying to convince conservatives he not romney is the real thing. he said don't settle for anything less than true conserve of it. i'm bold colors. not pale pastel. >> i congratulate rick, he's worked hard in iowa, good guy, i appreciated the fact he supported me for my last campaign for the presidency. >> he said that was a political decision. >> i'm not sure what that means if we're talking about bold and pastels, what a political decision is, but i appreciated his support nonetheless. >> former speaker gingrich claimed a new term that he'd been romney boated, third party

groups not connected to you in any way have run a barrage of ads in iowa. do you approve of what you're doing? >> there's a lot of heat in the campaign kitchen. i know the speaker's angry. i don't know why but my anger is focused on president obama's failures of putting people back to work. >> reporter: romney's top spot is unexpected. social conservatives spent the summer and fall searching for any alternative to romney. here you are in the waning days of the caucus, and you're polling 25%. you got 25% in 2008 so it's as though people do know you, they're getting to know you and yet you can't break that threshold. >> if i get 25%, if that turns out to be the case that will most likely be the highest number so win something just fine. i'm not predicting a win. maybe i get 20%, someone else gets 25%. >> the larger point, do you really not see any problem in your campaign?

you're a former consultant so you can diagnose problems. do you know there's not a problem in connecting with a certain part of the electorate? >> if i'm able to do well and perhaps better than anybody else that's success to me. this president has not been a success. it's failure. >> reporter: romney has ever sharper attack lines on the president. talking about president obama seems the primary argument you make against him is that he lacked experience when he took office, in terms of national security experience, what would you cite to say that you are prepared to be commander in chief. >> i've worked in multiple countries around the world competing in american businesses to make them successful. >> how is that national security experience? >> let me continue. in addition i worked in the olympics and at the olympics i negotiated with people around the world. i have not led the department of defense. no one is commander in chief until they're commander in chief. president obama wasn't commander in chief until he had that experience. >> on the one hand you're saying president obama fails because he

lacked experience, yet you acknowledge okay i don't have the exact national security requirements to be commander in chief but that's okay because i'll get it once i'm on the job. >> president obama failed because he'd never been a leader anywhere. he never led in the state senate. he never led in the u.s. senate. never led an enterprise of any kind. his lack of experience is not just a lack of experience in foreign policy, it's a lack of experience as a leader. >> you're certainly running on your business experience, a life in business but what is the last significant business accomplishment you could point to, something recent? >> i can tell you the things i've done throughout my business career. >> but something recent. >> now why would i only have to do something in the last year to make it significant? i reject the premise of the question. my business career has included helping lead a consulting firm as its chief executive at a time of great difficulty, turning that around. >> one thing you said recently about santorum and gingrich, they're career politicians but

some people say mitt romney, he's been running for president for about the last five years or so. >> and i think the others that you mentioned have been in politics for what, 30 years, 40 years. there's five years versus 40 years. >> ever present on the trail, members of romney's family who help to humanize the candidate. who here calls him cheap. >> all of us. i think it's a character we need in the white house to be honest, the kind of guy knocking on my shower taking a ten-minute shower, time to get out. that's the guy i want in the white house right now. >> your sons say that you're cheap, most people don't take as a compliment. >> i grew up in a family where if you were wise with the dollar that was a good thing. >> there are people that don't know you. here is an opportunity to tell us something that most people don't know about you. >> i'm just an ordinary guy. i never thought i'd be doing this. i spent my life in business,

raised a family but found myself backing into a setting where i could run for the presidency of the united states. >> it's clear romney advisers feel good not just about where they are on the polls but who is at the top of the polls with them. the fact is they don't really fear santorum, they don't fear ron paul. the real threat would have been gingrich or perry for the moment they feel have been neutralized. back to you. >> interesting stuff, savannah guthrie in iowa this morning, thanks very much. let's get more from david gregory, moderator of "meet the press" and chuck todd, our chief white house correspondent, good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> david, we talked about mitt romney not concentrating on iowa, here he sits at the 11th hour perhaps on the verge of a victory there. how big would it be in terms of momentum and confidence, moving forward? >> very big. look, he's a weak front-runner. he's been that for a long time. if he has an opportunity to win

here, after setting expectations low, after being criticized by governor branstad of iowa, we'll see if he can get above the 25% but it puts him in good stead in new hampshire where he's well ahead right now. >> and chuck, rick santorum has made up enormous ground, is this traditional the 11th hour staunch conservative tends to rise toward the top? >> in the last two major republican nominating contests, two of the last three that's exactly what happened, mike huckabee surged in the last two weeks and overtook then mitt romney, pat buchanan against bob dole in 1996, bob dole a weak front-runner, same position mitt romney was in. buchanan emerged in the same way and santorum has done it in the way candidates in the past, connect on the personal level on

the ground in iowa. at this moment it still seems like he's on an up-trajectory and romney has kind of flat lined. >> david, circulating in the papers in the last couple of days, why does iowa matter so much? relatively speaking, about 100,000 people are going to take part in these caucuses and yet the way we talk about it, it makes or breaks a campaign. why? >> well because it is a campaign here that can eliminate some folks. it may not be the case this time. i was at an event in iowa, mind a couple, had two kids about my kids' age, there's something terrific about that. a group of people in iowa who engage seriously and thoughtfully and normally you don't have to have big money politics to compete and win here. that's what's been disappointing, you had nearly $17 million in advertising, most of it negative on the air waves

that made it seem like big time primary politics but normally this is a place that if it's got to start somewhere it's a serious place to start. >> i don't know if either of you is sitting on a fence but get off it. the last question, chuck, one, two, three, what are we going to be talking about tomorrow morning, the finish order? >> i think it's a coin flip between mitt romney and rick santorum and depends on turnout. if this is a values electorate, more concerned about social issues and the economy, more concerned about connecting on a gut level, that's good for santorum. if it's a high turnout, above the record turnout from four years ago, that is solely focused on beating president obama, then mitt romney will have a good night. the guy that's sitting in number three no matter what happens is probably ron paul. >> david, how do they finish, one, two, three? >> romney with good turnout, good weather, more moderates caucusing, in a pretty good position but he comes out well,

even if he doesn't beat santorum and if paul is in the mix somewhere, it's not seen that act necessarily follows on the road. >> david gregory and chuck todd, thanks very much. busy day ahead. good luck. >> thanks, matt. >> thanks. >> we'll have complete results from the iowa caucuses tomorrow morning right here on "today." it's 15 after the hour. here's ann. to los angeles where a suspect is under arrest in connection with a series of arson fires. there were more than 50 in all, over four straight nights leading to millions of dollars in property damage. nbc's mike taibbi is in north hollywood with the latest on this story. mike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. pick a word, frustrated, frightened, even terrorized, the folks in the apparently targeted neighborhoods have been feeling all that night after night. the suspect was reeled in. it was amazing good luck and quick response by firefighters that kept car fires like these,

many scorched adjacent buildings where thousands lived and slept from leading to multiple tragedies. by late monday the man believed to be the sole arsonist for all of it had been formally charged. >> around 3:00 a.m. harry burkhart was charged with one count of arson, of an inhabited dwelling and currently being held without bail. we expect as the investigation continues he will face additional charges. >> here's how authorities say at rest came out. a business surveillance camera caught this video of a white man, pony tail, receding hairline and the police released the video. a member of the public called and said he knew who the suspect was, harry burkhart, a german national driving a canadian registered van. that information was circulated immediately to the huge task force working the case.

>> literally thousands of law enforcement officials had the information when they needed to have it and that's what led to this arrest. >> who made the traffic stop near sunset boulevard that ended with burkhart under arrest? a volunteer deputy sheriff named shervin lalezary. >> thank you to the two officers who backed me up, as soon as i put on my lights and initiated a traffic stop of the suspect vehicle, i had an lapd vehicle behind me. >> one of the last fires waking eric jones of north hollywood. >> i smelled smoke, i'm like holy moses my place is on fire. >> reporter: last of the fire was extinguished, no deaths or injuries from any of them, the man allegedly responsible was off the streets. >> our long four-day nightmare is over. i haven't had a good night's sleep since last week and i'm

looking forward to one tonight. >> reporter: asked to the motive, no official word yet but there have been reports that burkhart had been in an escalating dispute with immigration officials over the deportation status of his mother, that's only a report that came out unofficially at this point. >> to be continued. mike taibbi thank you so much. let's get a check of the rest of the stories making headlines this morning. natalie is at the news desk, back there after a while off. >> thank you, and good morning everyone. the remains of a woman discovered at the royal of a w discovered have british police investigate aing possible murder. queen elizabeth and her husband, prince philip, are currently spending the holiday season at the sprawling rural estate. a local dog walker discovered the body there on new year's day just two miles from the estate's main residence where the entire royal family, including prince william and catherine spent christmas. a manhunt for the iraq war

veteran suspected of fatally shooting a mount ren ear park -- he was found dead in a remote area of the park lying in an icy mountain creek surrounded by snow banks. officials say it appears he succumbed to the elements as he fled after shooting four people at a seattle house party. later killing ranger margaret anderson. police are guarding a major islamic cultural center here in new york city after it was firebombed over the weekend. several other properties were also firebombed, including a hindu worship center, a private home, and a corner store. one of the attacks was even caught on tape. a person is seen hurling a lit object that burst into flames when it hit the home. new york police are investigating whether or not these attacks are hate crimes. bp is suing halliburton for $20 billion in damages caused by the 2010 gulf of mexico oil spill. bp is seeking reimbursement for the cleanup operation. lost profits from the oil well, and all damages resulting from

the deepwater horizon blowout. the 2010 explosion killed 11 workers and sent more than four million barrels of oil spewing into the gulf. major lake-effect snows are battering parts of southwest michigan and indiana, and another six inches of accumulation could be on the way today. dozens of accidents are being blamed on the near white-out conditions, and major roads had to be shut down in indianapolis for several hours. al will have more in his weather. meanwhile, the mighty oregon ducks won their first rose bowl victory in 95 years monday night, trouncing wisconsin 45-38 in the highest scoring rose bowl game ever played. de'anthony thomas was the star of the game, scoring a 64-yard touchdown. he is going. he is going. he is still going. incredible recordbreaking 91-yard touchdown for him, making our ann curry a very proud oregon duck today. go, ducks. >> she has been quacking all

morning. >> i was going wear the jersey this morning. >> one of the reasons why i don't have a voice left actually because i have been -- i was screaming so loudly. thanks so much for pointing that out, natalie. >> you can't see them. >> those helmets where you see yourself. >> yeah. >> we've got a turn for the cold here. >> we are talking about some really chilly air, and, in fact, it's going to be pretty cold in iowa. temperatures at 9:00 a.m. sioux city, 18, 15, davenport. des moines, 17. as we get to the afternoon, folks may be going to caucus later on in the day. temperatures will be in the mid to upper 30s. wind chills, though, will make it feel a little chillier. those folks in iowa are tough. they can handle it. good morning to you. we have really thick fog out there. give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination safely. less than a quarter mile visibility everywhere except for livermore and san jose. future cast shows you by noon

today completely clear over the greater bay area. 63 inland. 59 by the coast. up to 70 degrees by tomorrow and then we'll see a few more clouds on thursday and 67 inland. hope you have a great day. >> and that's your latest weather, ann? >> al, thanks. just ahead, good samaritans rescue three young children trapped in a car after an icy river in utah, one of them using his gun to shoot out a window to reach the children. we'll share their life-saving story, but first this is "today" on nbc.

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good morning to you, it's 7:26 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. still more questions than answers in the bizarre machete murder in a normally quiet san jose neighborhood. police say the woman killed in friday night's attack was 65-year-old yvonn murray kirk. her daughter's girlfriend is the main suspect in the murder. sadig lived with the daughter kirk. people are still trying to come to grips with the crime. >> it's horrifying. it just doesn't happen, you know, to us on a daily basis

here. so, yeah. not good news. >> sadis a nurse who came to the u.s. from somalia in 1996. when police arrived at the murder scene she was covered in blood and injured. she told police a masked man had attacked her and yvonne with a machete. want to switch gears and check the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. >> we have really dangerous fog right now. and at least for the next couple of hours that will be the case. deep pockets. less than a quarter mile visibility everywhere across the board. as we head throughout the noon hour, we'll see the sunshine through the clouds. warming up from 42 in san jose. up to 57 as you break for lunch. round out the day with 60 nz the south bay. 62 in san jose. 65 in gilroy. we transition from mild to warm tomorrow. 70 degrees inland. 62 by the coast. let's see if there's any problems on the road because of the fog with mike. >> definitely lower the speeds, christina. you showed less than two miles

visibility everywhere on your map. we're looking at the southbound northbound 101 and a hef ver volume of traffic as well. and earlier four-vehicle accident moved to the shoulder. that's quite the distraction as you come up on it. and an earlier disabled vehicle. as well as 280. haven't seen that for a couple of weeks. that is the san mateo bridge. a reason to slow down. visible is very tough, laura. back to you. >> tough to see out there. thank you, mike. for the latest updates, check out nbc bay area on facebook. another local news update is coming up in half an hour. have a great morning.

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7:30 now on a tuesday morning, january 3rd, 2012, the first business day of the brand new year, a cold one across much of the country as we gaze at all the people starting the morning out here in rockefeller plaza. some people are extending the holiday a little bit, happy about that. inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer along with ann curry. nicholas evans who wrote "the horse whisperer" thought he was feeding his family a tasty sidedish, left his wife and

brother-in-law in need of kidney transplants. has the tiger mom gone soft? amy chu wrote a book that sparked a huge controversy. now one of her daughters is at college and you may be surprised how amy is handling the transition. "today's professionals" are searching from quiet to constantly plugged in world to legos targeted to girls that might fall across the line of sexism. >> they always have something to say those three. we begin with a horrible accident in utah that could have been a new year's tragedy, if it weren't for the kindness of strangers. first janet shamlian has more. >> reporter: this was a terrible accident on new year's eve in utah that could have easily

ended in the death of three small children had it not been for a small team of strangers. together they literally waded into danger and in the process putting their own lives at risk. at the time even they thought these kids might not make it yet they fought for those children's lives and they won. the icy logan river on new year's eve was well on its way to becoming a frigid liquid tomb to three young children after the car they were riding in skidded off the road, slid ten feet down an embankment and landed upside down in the bitterly cold water. >> the first thought was, so this is how it ends, which is kind of, you know, not a good thought. this very easily could have been, you know, a funeral for four of us. >> reporter: roger anderson was able to free himself but the children, his 4-year-old son

baylor, 9-year-old daughter mia and her friend 9-year-old kenya wildman were trapped inside. it was a moment and seconds the difference between life and death. >> i was gone in a second. i was completely off the road and then sliding down the embankment, within a second the entire cabin of the vehicle was full of water. >> reporter: and just as quickly, anderson says, help appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. >> these people that were there at the scene, without hesitation, they just did what they had to do. and that for our family, made all the difference. >> reporter: his own two children were by now floating lifeless in the river water that was filling the car, little baylor still strapped into his child seat. kenya had found an air pocket but she couldn't get out of her seat belt. the men tried opening the car windows or another door but the water was rising and nothing

would move. then one of them, chris willden, pulled out his handgun and shot out a window. the group of strangers turned rescuers pulled the kids from the car, passing them up the icy riverbank where others performed life-saving cpr. almost against the odds, all three children would live to see the new year. >> it was greater than just the physical hands and the hearts, it was something more divine that went on that day. >> reporter: two families and three children who are doing just fine today, thanks to a random act of kindness, and courage. >> i love them. i will be forever grateful. they are my heroes in every sense of the word. really. they are the reason i have my children. >> reporter: the children are doing great. they were released from the hospital early monday. they spent the rest of the day enjoying what was their last day of holiday vacation, in fact one family member said they are more

traumatized by the fact they have to go back to school today than anything that happened on the river on new year's eve. ann, back to you. >> janet shamlian, thank you. chris and bruce willden, two of the rescuers joining us, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> chris, you were first on the scene. can you explain how not one, not four, not six but at least eight people voluntarily ran down that embankment to help rescue these kids, knowing the risks. >> i honestly i can't say why people did what they did. i just know that there were kids in harm's way and a lot of volunteers came out of the woodwork to help get the tids out of the river. >> the clock was ticking. as a former police officer you knew what to do. how did you know shooting the bullet to break it open was not going to hurt the kids? >> i had actually fired handguns underwater previous. i had a pretty good idea on the

trajectory, what the bullet would do from that caliber. i pulled out my handgun, pushed the firearm as far down in the riverbed, when it stopped i knew i was at the top where the door frame and window joined, straight up and down. if the bullet went through the window it would travel two, three inches before it lodged up inside the roof of the vehicle. >> bruce your son also had the knife needed to break open the seat belts. how proud were you watching your son in action? >> chris has always been one who has been prepared, like he always says, he never leaves the house, but what he doesn't have, these three items with him, a firearm, and a knife and a portable flashlight, portable, in his pocket. >> you saw two of the children brought out lifeless, and this could have gone so much a different way.

so how was it hard not to be emotional when you realized that those two children would survive? >> i think at first when i noticed the little girl honestly i thought she was a doll floating upside down. after that, real ooilszed there's other lives in there, you press on, get as many people out as you can. >> right, but as i understand it, you were being treated for some cuts on your arms when you could hear people screaming because they were so relieved that the kids were fine. were you emotional at that point? >> i wasn't emotional until we got home. i think finally after the adrenalin dropped, that's when reality kind of set in. >> when you add it all up, that a bunch of good samaritans, including a former police officer, including an expert in cpr, would all arrive at the same time, how stunning is that for you, bruce, to see how this all unfolded? >> until things started to wind

down, you just, we didn't realize how many people were there and how many people were involved, the people taking the children up onto the bank and wrapping them, bundling them in blankets and coats, and placing them in warm vehicles. it was just a surreal situation. we're just very grateful it turned out the way it did. >> and the parents have called you and the others heroes. when you, how do you think you will look back on this experience as a measure of saving these children as a measure of your lives? >> i'm just glad the kids are okay. how is it going to affect our lives down the road? i don't know. i was happy to receive a phone call from one of the parents yesterday, just very grateful we managed to get one of his children out of the vehicle, so, i'm just glad that everybody's okay and the kids were released yesterday. >> well we're really glad for people like you, chris and bruce willden, thank you so much for what you've done and also for

joining us this morning and our best to you. >> thank you. >> happy to be here. and now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> ann, thanks so much. we have it on good authority you're 40 and you're fabulous. >> it's my birthday. >> what is your name? >> amy. >> happy birthday. >> thank you. >> we are looking at chilly conditions, 13 chicago for a high, current temperature 70 in nashville. atlanta 22 degrees, windchills bring them down to the single digits, feels like zero in minneapolis, 40 in tampa. lake-effect snow around the great lakes, snow from cleveland, syracuse, buffalo, snowfall amounts from five to eight inches of snow around syracuse and the snow extends all the way down into west virginia. that's what's going on i 7:9 now . > 7:39 now. a really foggy start in the area. this is san jose. reduced visibilities less than a

quarter mile everywhere until 11:00 a.m. a great deal of clearing at that point in the south bay and east bay. still fog from san francisco down along the peninsula. by noon high pressure takes control of our weather pattern, pushes the marine layer out to sea. and we'll see sunshine through the clouds. 63 in los gatos. 60 in santa cruz. hat's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you. coming up next the real life and death drama facing a best selling author after he accidentally fed his family wild and poisonous mushrooms, right after this. ase. [ announcer ] to do a job well, you need the right tools. [ thuds ] that's not gonna work. so if you're filing your taxes online, make sure you pick the best software available... with h&r block at home. nobody knows taxes like h&r block. we guarantee no other tax software... will get you more money back. file for free with the very best tool for the job at hrblock.com.

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simply delicious. back now, 7:43, with "curious medicine." a popular author's brush with poisonous mushroom that nearly killed him and his wife. nbc's keith miller has the details. >> reporter: telling a gut-wrenching story is what nick evans does as a novelest. the author of the best selling "horse whisperer" wrote millions writing family drama. >> come over here and sit next to me. >> reporter: three years ago his family's life took a dramatic turn and he became a character right out of one of his books. >> it was a beautiful day. >> reporter: he'd gone for an idyllic walk in the beautiful scottish countryside and picked wild mushrooms, later served them for dinner, sauteed with

butter and parsley with his wife and in-laws. >> very, very sick and saw it said deadly poisonous. >> reporter: legal web capped mushrooms, the mushrooms almost killed him. >> it was the thought of my children that kept me alive actually. i'd much rather have been dead. >> reporter: your deal sounds much like your novels, guilt, redemption, got a bit of tragedy. >> it was a big journey, and to begin with, we were really lucky to survive this, you know, these mushrooms that we ate should have killed us. >> reporter: the poison led to kidney failure, dialysis is the only thing that kept them alive. evan's daughter lauren, now 29, offered her kidney but he refused. >> i just thought i can't do this, because your every instinct as a parent is to protect your child from any kind

of risk. >> i understood it was a very difficult decision for dad. >> reporter: as his health failed and options running out, evans this summer finally accepted a transplant from lauren. she calls sometimes to ask how her kidney is doing. >> it's something that's unspoken really between us, you know. it's too much to say thank you for. it's too much to really talk about it, but i think quietly it's bonded us in a way that is deeper than we could have ever imagined. >> reporter: but like an evans novel, there are twists to this tale. his wife, charlotte, and her brother, are still waiting for transplants. kidney dialysis two times a week keeps charlotte alive. >> how was it? >> hard, i came off feeling dizzy and weird. >> left their young son with some scary memories. >> they put a plastic tube into your neck. >> yes, it was pretty grim. >> we looked like zombies.

>> the experience, says evans, is too raw to work into a new novel. >> one day maybe, keith, maybe. >> reporter: the family has set up a charity, give a kidney, one's enough, to help others suffering from kidney failure. along with the guilt and pain, evans says he's also discovered humanity and generosity, and a family bond now unbreakable. as a father, he says -- >> she has given me my life back. >> reporter: as a novelist, he says i've taken extreme research to rather extreme degrees. keith miller, nbc news, england. >> the health battles didn't keep evans from writing his latest book called "the brave" and it's now out in paperbook -- paperback, excuse me. just ahead "today's professionals" weigh in on the hottest headlines and trends. but first these messages.

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the dalai lama which was very cool. it's crazy, right but you know, on the other hand, though my son when i said to my 6-year-old son we're going to go to india. he goes "on christmas, mom, are you kidding me, really?" after the therapy, which will probably happen over a couple of years i think he'll be happy we did it. what about you? >> hung out in our house, did the rose bowl parade. >> a day later. >> because they never held it on sunday because they don't want to disrupt church services. >> cool. >> great weather. >> fantastic. >> what about you guys? >> went home to see my family in west palm beach. chamber of commerce weather. >> matty? >> i went to a petting zoo and saw a llama, different from the one you saw and a happy meal at mcdonald's and we were home. >> oh, come on! the tiger mom, after your local news.

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good morning to you. it's 7:56. i'm laura garcia-cannon. jury selection will begin in the trial of an alleged gang member accused of killing a father and two sons. 24-year-old edwin ramos shot a man and two of his sons to death as they drove in june of 2008. a third son, who survived, said ramos flashed a gun before the shooting. ramos told investigators he was driving the car, but he was not the gunman. police think they were mistaken for rival gang members. let's check the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. >> good morning to you. 7:56 now. take a look at the live shot from san bruno. you can see the fog situated over the city by the bay. above the low cloud bank, we got beautiful clear sky. we have to wait for it.

we stop the clock at 11:00 a.m. partial clearing from the south bay to the east bay. we continue through noon, and you can see conditions over the greater bay area. today's highs are nice and comfy in the south bay. upper 50s in san francisco and through the north bay. up to 70 degrees tomorrow under a strong ridge of high pressure. we'll see clouds increase on thursday. by this weekend holding onto lovely weather for outdoor activities. let's check the drive with mike inouye. >> we'll look at the south bay where fog is still drifting through and commute drifting northbound and starting to commute with slowing for 101 and 680 and 880. where i've circled the earlier accident ls. they've moved off to the shoulder. still slowing pass the scene. we continue to build there as well as southbound 101 pass the san mateo bridge. a live look shows you what things are like crossing the golden gate bridge.

>> thank you very muching mike. for the latest traffic and news updates, check out nbc bay area on facebook. so, this is delicious okay... is this where we're at now, we just eat whatever tastes good? like these sweet honey clusters... actually there's a half a day's worth of fiber in every ... why stop at cereal? bring on the pork chops and the hot fudge. fantastic. are you done sweetie? yea [ male announcer ] fiber beyond recognition. fiber one. hey, i love your cereal there-- it's got that sweet honey taste. but no way it's 80 calories, right? no way. lady, i just drive the truck. right, there's no way right, right? have a nice day. [ male announcer ] 80 delicious calories. fiber one.

8:00 now on this tuesday morning. it's 3rd day of january, 2012. a lot of nice people gathered outside rockefeller plaza this morning saying hello to their families back home. it is 39 degrees out here, so we're all a bit chilly, but we're smiling. i'm ann curry along with matt lauer and al roker. coming up, we are going to get to today's professionals. >> they're back after a holiday break, and they're all geared up to tackle the hot trends and topics, including these. a controversial psa campaign in georgia sets to target childhood obesity. we'll weigh in on that. also, a perk being offered by an

airline to first class travellers that i'm very curious to hear their thoughts on. >> all right. also coming up this morning, we're going to -- you may remember a year ago this month a book came out "the battle hymn of the tiger mom." it set off a firestorm. the author talked about her strict parenting style. a lot of people very, very angry about it. we're going to catch up with her and what has happened since. >> okay. >> then how many people over indulged during the holidays? yeah, okay. well, if you want to get back on track, we've got seven steps for you to get your diet back and get to a healthy lifestyle. >> okay. just in time. all right. >> natalie is standing by at the news desk with a check of all the headlines. natalie. >> good morning, again, matt, ann, and al. good morning, everyone. dreams could be on the line in tonight's iowa caucuses, the first real test of the republicans hoping to unseat president obama. polls suggest that former massachusetts governor mitt romney is in a race that's too close to call with former pennsylvania senator rick

santorum and congressman ron paul of texas. meantime, the president arrived this morning in washington after his hawaiian vacation. he will host a live web chat with his supporters in iowa this evening. the man suspected of setting more than 50 car fires in the los angeles area has been identified as a german national. 24-year-old harry birkhart was arrested monday and ordered held without bail. police said he resembled a person of interest seen on surveillance video and was in a canadian registered van being sought by arson investigators. an expert investigating small earthquakes in northeast ohio says they were probably caused by a waste water disposal well from the fracking industry. water chemicals and sand are forced underground to break up rock layer and release trapped oil and natural gas. the liquid waste is disposed of in a similar sfags. now let's take a look at wall street. for the first trading day of 2012 cnbc's mary thompson at the new york stock exchange for us.

is it looking like we're off to a good forward there? >> traders will start the new year much as they finished the old year with all eyes on the euro zone. traders will be watching that region for the next couple of weeks for any signs of progress on dealing with the region's debt crisis. u.s. companies may not be spending a lot on new hires, but hire rates aren't stopping firms from advertising during the super bowl. all of the game's 30-second ads going tore $3.5 million each have been sold. the game airs on february 5th, right here on nbc. natalie, back to you. >> good to know they've been sold. they've made their money. thanks, mary thompson. now for a look at what's trending today. a quick roundup of what has you talking on-line. just days after launching his first twitter account, media mogul rupert murdock suffered a slip of the tweet. while on vacation in the caribbean, he offended many followers with a message that said "maybe brits have too many holidays for a broke country." his wife, wendi fired back, rupert, delete tweet, which he quickly did.

officials in japan say a new wave much silent apps for a smartphone is behind an alarming rise of voyeurism on-line. the apps disable that built-in camera shutter noise and can disguise what the voyeur is doing by putting innocent-looking text messages on the screen while the peeping tom snaps away. and the queen of soul has found her king. aretha franklin is a top search on yahoo and google after announcing she is now engaged to long-time companion willie wilkerson. she says the wedding will likely take place this summer in miami. and the 69-year-old adds, no, i'm not pregnant. it is now 8:04. right now let's go back outside to ann. >> what a great summer of humor. what a party that's going to be. congratulations to aretha franklin. thank you so much. let's get a check of the morning's weather with our al. >> that's right. congratulations to the queen of soul. we love that. and emma and wawa, which one is

emma and which one is wawa? very nice. welcome to our fair city. let's show you what's happening for today. lubbock, texas, sunny, breezy, 64 degrees. their high school band was in the rose bowl parade yesterday. congratulations to them. lake-effect snow around the great lakes. some areas may pick up about five to six inches of snow. especially in the new york state area. rain moves back into the pacific northwest. sunny but cool through the southeast. a high today of only in the 30s in atlanta. they're worried about the citrus crop down in florida. high surf advisories along the southern california coast, and look for windy conditions through the plains. >> good morning to you. 8:05 now. these cars charging through the fog very, very slowly. take a look at what's above that cloud bank. beautiful, clear sky that we will all enjoy later on today. it will take some time, though, before the sun breaks through that cloud cover.

by noon mostly clear over the greater bay area. 63 in los gatos today. 62 in san jose, 65 in gilroy. how about 70 degrees for the first week of january? that's the forecast tomorrow, inland. have a great day. >> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you so much. coming up next, "today's professionals." but first these messages. -pound ice sculpture means i don't have any margin for error. one wrong turn and i could end up unloading a puddle of water. female voice: turn right ahead. so i make sure i have the right guidance to get me exactly where i need to be. it's the same with taxes. turbotax has a unique gps feature that guides me step by step, and if i have any questions, i can even ask a tax expert by phone or chat, for free, which helps me know it's done right and get my maximum refund, guaranteed. man: get free, one-on-one, expert tax advice. go to turbotax.com.

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♪ and i'll be taking care of business ♪ back at 8:09, for the first time in 2012 time to check in with "today's professionals," star jones, danny deutsche and dr. nancy snyderman. happy new year. >> happy new year. >> the iowa caucuses held tonight. we'll come on tomorrow and say this made or broke all kinds of political campaigns. do we put too much emphasis on this one contest? >> no, because it allows you at the dinner table to talk about politics. i have a 17-year-old who will vote for its first time next year and explains the process of why it's important. >> like the starting gun, like bam! we're off to the races.

>> i got two words for you, mike huckabee, two other words, pat buchanan. america's biggest audience participation reality show. i'm going to say whoever wins we're going to bring somebody else in. >> i think we may it's make or break for a candidate. >> not at all. >> instant gratification. >> it's he not make or break. i want people invested in the process. >> we've gone from bachmann to perry, da, da, da, da, whoever wins tonight the audience will say i want another contestant. >> let's move on, down in georgia they're trying to combat an epidemic of child obesity for 1 million children in that state are overweight or obese. they're starting an interesting psa campaign actually continuing it, let's look at a tape. >> i don't like going to school because all the other kids pick on me. it hurts my feelings. >> so here's the message, it's not about health problems with

children being overweight, it's saying they're going to be ridiculed. effective? >> i think that's one of the worst ads i've ever seen. obviously, star, no, let's say there's a child at home who is overweight and they feel great about themselves, you're putting them into you shouldn't feel good. >> being a fat learn i lied to everybody when i told you oh, i feel so great. i didn't feel great. i couldn't walk. so when you're obese you can't walk. you cannot breathe. you are weighing down your limbs. >> if i had a child that's overweight at this point and they are loving life and obviously it's my job to get them nutritional -- >> are they overweight or obese? >> the difference is does it change anything and the answer is no. those ads will not change anything. >> a parent might be more attentive to the health needs of a child? >> no. and i have never been as depressed about a health care problem as i am about the obesity issue in the united

states. i think we have a chance of bet getting an anti-cancer vaccine. this is going to kill us as a nation. >> families have to talk about it honestly. it's like race. >> i think that ad hits a dangerous spot. i did this for a living. i'm telling you, there's a child looking at that ad feeling bad about themselves. >> you may feel something but i lived it. >> sometimes it's best to leave things up in the air like this time. we just went through christmas, and i would say probably the most popular items for gifts for christmas, electronic gadgets, the smartphones and the tablets, everything that connects us in the world, and yet when you look at one of the trends for 2012, and the "new york times" covered this twice in the last couple of days, it's quiet, unplugging. why the contradiction in terms? >> one of the most dangerous things is that children are too connected. i think -- >> and adults. >> and adults but particularly for children. there's no time for creativity, no time for them to figure out

on their own what to do. as a parent one of the biggest jobs we have in the coming generation is making sure our kids are not plugged too much. you've got to teach your child how to get unplugged. >> we've taken a big step back in our family, a huge step back from being plugged in to the point of pushing kids outside and quiet time and interacting, a lot of art. i have to say i think this is a necessary rebound from being too plugged in. >> nancy, is there a physical need for quiet and is there emotional need for quiet? >> a huge mind/body connection for restoring your brain and the health of your body, when you are so plugged in all the time, your stress chemicals are just surging through your body, hurts your heart, hurts your lungs. it's too much being intense. >> i think quiet is for the spirit, like sleeping is for the body. it just re-vitalizes you, recharges your -- >> it ends up being a learned skill again though because kids are so connected now. you end up deprogramming them. >> the side of the industry it

will create is the whole industry of escape, hotels that allow you no we don't have internet connections, we don't have wide screen tvs, places where you can get away. how do you market quiet? >> you market quiet exactly the way i said it, basically you can't do your child a disservice of taking away the ability to create, to think, to be on their own as individuals, versus being plugged in. >> who laid with legos for a kid? i loved legos. they have a brand new line of products marketed specifically to girls. some argue it's sexist and stereo typical. the lady legos work in places like beauty salons, cupcake factories and vet offices. >> they give you little electric mixers and brushes and combs and purses. >> you're down on this. >> when you're a little girl you want to build bridges also. you want to put them on top of each other. >> buy the architectural legos. >> which is the way my

3-year-old goddaughter does, she has the architectural one. >> these are perfectly okay. the reality is there is a gender difference. girls like playing with girl things and you're still constructing things. if the cup take girl can still do calculus i have no issue. >> i took my little girls to a craft studio where you paint and draw. they picked the cupcakes and the things, they were still learning to draw but they were doing it their way. having said that, though, what i do have a problem is when you separate 50 most powerful businesswomen, the more we separate men and women that's keeping the distinction. >> it was typically acknowledged as a toy for boys. 9% of the american girls are building. the lego friends line is a result of four years of global research to attract girls to build. >> architecture and math and design. >> give them alternatives for goodness sake. >> but there's no law that says they can't go to the store and

buy the frank lloyd wright line. >> they put the legos in the girls section. >> girls like princesses and things like that. >> and will there be parents who buy this for their boys? >> that's probably not going to happen. let's have fun, i'm browsing a website last night, singapore airlines, singapore airlines has a new perk for their first class travelers. how's this, okay, if you are a couple traveling together, you can book those two center seats that recline completely, they will remove the center divider right there and they will make a double bed. now, does anyone else here think singapore airlines will get a whole lot more than they barg n bargained for? >> that is sexy beyond belief. >> there are other people around you. >> can it fit three? [ laughter ] >> there's not enough oxygen masks in the area. >> don't you think people are going to try to stretch the envelope there? >> they do already.

absolutely. >> the mile-high club, i've been in the bathrooms. >> this is a double bed, donny. >> there's a little partition that goes up. >> but there's noise. noise. >> you have to be quiet. >> i can see in your eye you like this. >> i like it as a topic but is this going to turn flight attendants into chaperones, are they going to have to walk over and go are you just spooning under that duve? what's going on? >> they put a partition on the side. >> look at the picture quickly. it doesn't go up all the way. see the guy standing there, you can look in that. >> take a test drive. let's do it. >> let's all go to singapore airlines and see what we can do. >> we'll all cuddle. >> finally we'll end on this. steve johnson who is a receiver for the buffalo bills, found himself benched and his team penalized 15 yards after scoring a touchdown in sunday's game, johnson lifted his jersey, a guy who has had a history of showing

off in the end zone but lifted his jersey and under it he had a t-shirt on that said "happy new year." should that be against the rules? >> yes. >> no. >> slippery slope. the next guy pulls up and says "buy nike sneakers. "? >> how is it different than tebowing? he's saying happy new year. >> this guy has been put on notice by his coach. he got a 15 yard penalty, it penalized the bills and helped the patriots and anything that helps the patriots gets on my nerve, absolutely. >> let's end it there. you guys are good with a little vacation behind you. that's good. >> we're practicing down here, i took two women and just went like this. >> let's go over to ann. >> matt, thank you so much. one of the most controversial figures of 2011 was not a politician or a celebrity, but a mom.

amy chua ignited a firestorm sharing the surprising details of her strict parenting methods in the book "battle hymn of the tiger mother." now it's out in paperback. >> good morning, thank you for having me. >> you've been pounded with criticism in the one year the book was released you described as i just mentioned the extreme methods of parenting in which some people might say you actually berated your children into excelling. if you had to do it over again, would you write this same book? >> i think i would. you know, i'm -- the book is a memoir, and you know, i made a lot of mistakes. i have some regrets but if i had to do it all over again i would raise my kids the same way. in other words i'm a proud, strict mom, incredibly proud of the girls i raised. you say extreme parenting but it's interesting, if you think about it, this kind of "tiger" parenting is not that different

from america's founders and pioneers. i don't think it's berating or violent. it's strength rather than weak innocence our children and helping them to be the best they can be. >> how bad did it get. >> the first two months were pretty terrible. the internet is scary, just there was so much stuff out there. i would say 99% by people who had not read the book so i felt like i was trying to defend something that i hadn't written and also at tacks on my children were the cruelest, people were writing about two girls they had never met saying oh, these girls are definitely going to be mentally ill and commit suicide, but my girls were amazing. they took it better than i did. >> one even wrote in "the new york post" an essay to defend you. but i was surprised that you are surprised, that people responded so neglectively, because you do in this book while you do talk about a lot of different things you do in this book admit to

calling your kids lazy and self-indulgent and pathetic, to motivate them. so why are you surprised the public would react negatively to that kind of parenting? >> i think it's weird to pick out a few little lines from the book without reading the whole thing. >> do you regret saying those words? >> yes, to my kids, the book exposes some of my own worst moments as a mom and anybody who has had a teenager they all say things we wish we could take back but i don't think that's the center of the book. for me it's not about, that's not what tiger parenting is about. for me it's about basically teaching your kids that they are capable of so much more than they think they are and not letting them give up, and to pick out words like "lazy," i want to say the flipside is so many american parents or western parents, myself included, were afraid, were afraid if we say something our kids will not like us, and i don't think -- >> or they won't be happy. it's not about them not liking

us. it's about wanting them to not be emotionally damaged. would you be surprised if your children don't, would you be surprised if your children do seek counseling given the response people have, they're concerned about how difficult it might be? >> maybe. my kids right now are thriving. when the book first came out i thought oh my gosh is my family going to fall apart because i wrote this book. it was the opposite. my oldest daughter wrote an op. ed, and started a blog. but she's light-hearted and mischievous and took it very well. my younger daughter got me on facebook, she went, looked through the internet for the few nice comments that were, texted it to me and said mommy, some people support you. they're very strong girls actually and i think that's part of the whole idea. it's really about instilling inner strength, like deep strength and confidence, and i do think that if you just tell your child, you're great, you're perfect, all the time, at some point they're going to go out

into the real world and it's going to be a shock when they fail at something or they make a mistake. >> and now sophia is at harvard in college and you have been writing about your hands-off style. you wrote in the "wall street journal" about how you forgot to attend her parents weekend. is that a joke? did you really do that? really? >> well, she's two hours away and i can't believe i'm saying this but i love texting so we're very close. i kind of know what's going on, and i think the key point here is that people ask me, are you all over here as a college student and i was saying no, it's exactly the opposite. you know, ann, i feel like my job is done. what people miss is this strict parenting is really all about very early child rearing. instilling a sense of focus and discipline and work ethic in the kids when they're really young so they can go off and be bold, independent, daring kids who can live their own lives. >> the paperback is now out, amy chua thank you for joining us once again and again the book is

called "battle hymn of the tiger mother." here's matt. >> ann, thank you very much. let's check in with our good friend willard scott. hey, willard. >> well i guess the presents are scattered and broken and santa won't be back for one more year, son of a gun. happy birthday from smucker's, always a pleasure. take a look at a hand some, beautiful lady, albina micna of seymour, it etexas, 104, plays bingo, secret to longevity, eats a pickle every day. gladys williams, bakersfield, california, 100 years old, lives alone and still drives her own car, it's a humvee. nobody messes with gladys. wonderful baker, everybody loves her goodies and ettie williams, shelbyville, tennessee, 101

years old, an excellent cook, believes you should eat anything you want. god bless you, and you'll live forever. she's right. florence majors, long beach, california, is 108, enjoys drinking a cup of coffee every morning and a cup of coffee every night, and believes that the good lord has let her live this long. myrt myrtle schnarre, from washington, montana, 102 years old. loves to sew and make homemade pies. i like to eat homemade pies. olar scott, belton, south carolina, 102, enjoys music and loves to sing and hear spiritual music and that's all from llard. how to boost your will power, after your local news. ta

good morning to you. 8:26 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. testing the limits of california's new ban on openly carrying guns. on new year's day, the controversial new law took effect, making it illegal to carry an exposed and unloaded handgun in public. the san francisco reports the man showed up carrying an unloaded shotgun. he was questioned by police but was not arrested because the new law only applies to handguns. gun rights activists are suing the state over the new law. let's check that morning commute with mike. all right, laura. burst of more traffic early in

the commute. things have kind of calmed down. more folks on the road than there have been the last couple of weeks. slowing here for the peninsula. 101 northbound at willow, an accident happened over the last 15 minutes. it sounds like the cars are off to the shoulder. slowing in both directions, redwood city down to palo alto and vice versa. 280 northbound slow off 580 coming out of castro valley. dense fog shall but no major issues as far as traffic there. >> thanks, mike. check out nbc bay area on face book. another local news update in half an hour. have a great morning. so, this is delicious

okay... is this where we're at now, we just eat whatever tastes good? like these sweet honey clusters... actually there's a half a day's worth of fiber in every ... why stop at cereal? bring on the pork chops and the hot fudge. fantastic. are you done sweetie? yea [ male announcer ] fiber beyond recognition. fiber one. hey, i love your cereal there-- it's got that sweet honey taste. but no way it's 80 calories, right? no way.

lady, i just drive the truck. right, there's no way right, right? have a nice day. [ male announcer ] 80 delicious calories. fiber one. on the 4g lte devices you love. like the droid bionic by motorola for $199.99. or the pantech breakout for $49.99. our lowest price ever. get the technology you love, on the network you deserve. now get twice the data for the same low price. hurry in, this offer ends january 15th. verizon.

we are back now, 8:30 on a tuesday morning, it's the 3rd day of january, 2012 and our crowd is bundled up with good reason. we've got 27 degrees here in new york city, so it's the chilliest morning we've had in a very long time. it's clearly the chilliest morning of the new year and it's going to warm up in the 30s, right? >> and it's going to really drop

tomorrow. >> something to look forward to. the gang is back together, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry. al roker and natalie morales, and how are your new year's resolutions going so far? >> if your wish is to get thin or fix your finances, clean your house, what you need is willpower and you know what? there's actually a way we're told that you can boost your will power so find out how coming up. >> remember what you guys were doing when you were 11 years old. >> yes. >> yes. sticking my finger in my nose probably. >> more than we needed to know. coming up, meet an up and coming rock band made up of sixth graders who are already performing in some of the hottest clubs and stadiums around. >> impressive, guitar playing. also we'll teach you seven ways to take back control of your diet, now that all of that holly gorging is over with. >> another way to get back in shape is hire this man over here, dabed quince from "the

biggest loser." nice to see you. >> nice to see you. >> you took the ranch by storm and you've been training for a long time. were you surprised at how big a challenge it was to get these people to lose weight? >> actually i was, only because you know, the mind-set is where you really have to ta. into, psychologically everyone who is at that stage in their life they have so much doubt, so my job is to help them lose that doubt and also them help them lose weight. >> i hate to mention this dolvett, last season bob harper and his contestants did a better job at losing weight. >> "i hate to mention." >> but what i'm asking, is there going to be a throw-down this coming season? >> do you know who won the finale by chance? >> oh! >> ooh! >> so what are we looking at with season 13? >> they come in as contestants,

mother and daughter, grandma and granddaughter, but then they compete against each other so they thought they were coming in as a team but no, they're definitely on their own, no excuses. >> i can't imagine that goes over too well with some of the contestants. >> no, you should see their faces. it's going to be fun to watch. >> you are clearly inspired. i can see it in your eyes, something about this to appeals personally to you deeply. >> i love transforming. i look at myself as a trainer, i look at myself as a transformer. that means mentally, physically, emotionally, whatever that means. >> you are the bumblebee of weight loss. >> i love it. >> good luck with season 13. great to have you here. >> pleasure to be here. >> catch "the biggest loser" season premiere tonight 8:00, 7:00 central time, where is that, on nbc. >> thank you very much. >> get a check of the weather, mr. roker. >> funny, funny stuff. >> not so much really, but thank you for saying that, i appreciate that. like you didn't want to mention

the dolphin. as far as today is earned can, snow showers, lake-effect snow around the great lakes, rain in the pacific northwest, plenty of sunshine to the southwest. it's going to be chilly in the southeast. tomorrow we've got more lake-effect snow, the eastern great lakes generally frigid conditions, northeastern new england heavy rain moves into the pacific northwest with windy conditions, sunny and warm through the southwest, some showers through the big island of hawaii, and plenty of sunshine in the beautiful state of alaska. th good morning to you. 8:34 now. taking a live look from san bruno mountain. you can see the fog drifting around, with the naked eye. we have clear skies above that thick cloud bank. we'll have to wait for it. visibilities are still below a quarter of a mile just about everywhere. take it easy out on the roadways. particular a look at where we're headed later on today. 63 in los gatos and 65 in gilroy. by tomorrow, 70-degree weather right here in the bay area, inland. 62 by the coast.

>> don't forget check your weather any time of the day or not. weather.com. how to harness the power of willpower. we'll get to the bottom of that. first this is "today" on nbc.

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hi papa! >> hi dad! >> hi! >> we're back now at 8:37, third day of the new year and some of you are probably already struggling with your resolutions. in a moment tips on how to boost your willpower to accomplish your goals. first a closer look at what willpower really is. ♪ maybe your willpower challenge is hanging in a shop window. >> the girl in the green scarf. >> or maybe it's a cigarette. >> don't worry, dr. murphy, just one, that's all. >> for perhaps your temptation looks like something else

entirely. whatever it is we're trying to do or not to it's our willpower that gets us there or lets us down. according to stanford university lecturer kelly mcgonigle most people have the wrong idea of how willpower works. >> i define it as whatever it takes to get to what you want. >> it was something you fought against. i felt like people had more that were inwardly stronger people. >> jennifer jakum took the science of willpower course and says learning about the biochemical basis of desire helped her overcome an eating problem. >> when you have an eating disorder, when you have something you're struggling with you do sometimes very much feel like you're alone in it but when you understand the science behind it you realize i'm not alone in this. we're all dealing with it in our own way. >> if beating ourselves up worked we wouldn't necessarily be having these kinds of discussions. >> monica hanson, another former student says her biggest

willpower challenge is learn how to say no and stop taking on more obligations than she can handle. >> another key idea in the course that willpower is like a muscle and we can learn to strengthen that muscle but that willpower muscle can also become fatigued. >> but what can we do to build up those mental muscles? mcgonigal says even a few breaths can go a long way to making our best instincts become second nature and kelly mcgoniglle author of "the willpower instinct: how self-control works, why it matters and what you can do to get more of it." good morning, happy new year. am i born with a certain amount of willpower, some people born with more than others? >> willpower is a strength that we all have. no matter how much you think you have, you can always strengthen

it. >> what surprised me over the years, certain times of my life and certain times of the year i tend to have more than at other times. >> one of the things that weakens willpower is stress. if you're stressed out, busy or overwhelmed it's harder to find the willpower you need. >> let's talk about the ways you can boost it. we heard the young lady in the piece and you said this is like a muscle, you can strengthen it and thes first thing you say that's important is get sleep. >> yes. get at least six hours of sleep. >> so i'm going to say no to that cake tomorrow morning if i have more sleep tonight than if i have less sleep. >> surprisingly the studies show less than six hours of sleep a night the brain has a harder time resisting temptation and staying focused and actually equivalent to being a little bit drunk which is not great for self-control. >> and then the next tip i think would follow logically, and that is if you have something big to tackle that's going to require a lot of willpower, tackle that early in the day as opposed to later in the day. >> absolutely. you can think of willpower as a

battery being charged by sleep but it drains throughout the day as you spend it. if you have a resolution it makes sense to schedule it when you have a lot of willpower. >> the next, it's important to have a willpower role model. >> yes. >> so what that takes us to is, it's really important who you hang out with. >> absolutely. you can catch good habits and bad habits. >> like a bug? >> yes but you can also catch self-control. if you have a friend who quits smoking or loses weight you can catch their self-control. >> if you're having a difficult time with will power, dieting, cigarettes, something like that, you may have to break off a friendship if that person in some ways is contributing to your lack of willpower. >> maybe, but i also think if you can surround yourself with people who share your goals, find one ally who can support you that's the most important thing is to find that role model. >> what do you find is the thing people complain about most when

it comes to trying to harness their willpower? >> everyone thinks that they don't have any, first of all, which isn't true and people often feel like they have to use their willpower to do things they don't really want to do. one of the most important things is reframe. >> we've done diet segments, given advice to people said treat yourself, splurge every once in a while. when you're dealing with temptation and there's something in front of you, is it ever in your opinion a good thing to actually give in to temptation? >> absolutely. you have to prioritize your willpower. it's not an unlimited strength, and so sometimes it's really important to give in, to say yes instead of no and save your willpower for things that are most important to you. >> kelly mcgonigal thank you very much. the book is "the will power instinct." up next the 11-year-olds taking the music industry by storm, meet the youngest rock band in the world, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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♪ hey now, you're an all star, get your game on, go play ♪ coming up on 8:45, we're back with the rock band from northern california, making a big name for itself, and it's the only thing unique, nbc's miguel almaguer introduces us to haunted by heroes. ♪ >> reporter: their sound may be larger than life, but the rockers themselves are pretty small. ♪ hxh, haunted by heroes are dubbed the youngest rock band in the world. the san francisco bay area boys are old enough to rock the stage, but still years away from being able to drive to their own show. >> they're like dude, how old are you? we're 11. still rockin'. ♪

>> reporter: the group of five, including twins nick and chris, geddy brandon and charlie have been jamming together for years. the brand first became friends at day care. >> it was one summer day. ♪ my sister said why don't you start a band. >> reporter: with a few years of practice -- ♪ -- haunted by heroes has taken their success from the garage to center stage. ♪ >> when you first see the audience, it gets pretty scary. >> reporter: whether it's candlestick park at san francisco or whiskey a-go-go on the sunset strip they've played some of rock's most popular ven sues. >> the first time we came down the stairs, we're like we're about to touch legends, get ready. >> and now we're the legends. >> reporter: haunted by heroes

might be pint-sized rock stars but also normal regular kids. this year they started the sixth grade, their first year in junior high. and when they're not playing or practicing, we'll find the boys studying. their parents make sure they're better students than rockers. >> school is really important, so is practice. you can't become a huge rock star without good grades. >> it's all about scheduling and, you know, making sure they're in bed at the time they need to go to bed. >> reporter: but from time to time, haunted by heroes has been known to break curfew. ♪ after all, when the lights come on after dark, the band is just getting started. >> rock on! >> rock on! >> rock on! >> go with your dreams. >> reporter: kid rockers who hope to one day become living legends. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, pacifica, california. [ cheers and applause ] >> by the way the band says their name is a reference to any

hero who does good things and inspires others to do the same. up next, seven ways to take back your diet, after a holiday season of overeating. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "eat smart today" a post holiday diet do-over. you may be feeling stuffed after

weeks of overeating, overdrinking and just plain overindulging. it's a new year and a new slate and time to take back your diet. we've got nutritionist cynthia sash, contributor to "shape" magazine with some tips to enhusband. >> good morning. happy new year. >> happy new year. >> you are like the cavalry just arriving just in time and you say these tricks can over the course of a year actually save us some calories, maybe even cause us to lose weight. >> definitely lose weight in the same way you can stick with these, they're not going to fizzle out in a couple of weeks like the fad diets will. >> some of the tricks, seven of them are surprising. the first one we've heard before, to eat a good breakfast and what constitutes in your mind a good breakfast? >> this is all about a high protein breakfast. a recent study found compared to less protein a higher protein breakfast led to reduced hunger, and it naturally led to eating less later in the day which is really key because a lot of us

overeat at night, we're watching tv. if you start with a high protein breakfast, include something with ten grams of protein. we have organic versions of non-fat greek yogurt and egg whites and on the go options like soy nuts and this is jerky you can take with you. >> mmm. >> turkey jerky and salmon jerky. combine with fresh fruits, whole grains, heart healthy fats and nuts and you're good to go. >> i skip breakfast all the time, i know that's a no-no. i know, oh no. no more skipping of breakfast. drinking lots of water, this is an eight ounce glass of water and we need eight to ten of those. >> we do, here's the thing about water. this is going to optimize your metaboli metabolism. some researchers show it helps you eat less and gives you quick relief after that overeating because water flushes out water revention so it debloats your body. >> debloats you, okay, enough said. >> get things moving in the

digestive system to relieve constipation, eating too many sweets that can happen. think 16 ounces per meal. >> let's move on from constipation to why are -- we've heard before that soda should not be a go to. >> that's right. >> you have a visual example. >> it snowballs. the average american drinks about one and a half cans a day and 12 teaspoons of sugar per can adds up to 28 two-pound boxes of sugar in a year's time. trade the soda for the water you get better results. >> good news, don't cut out the carbs all together. >> it's too difficult for a lot of people to do. cutting out carbs can cause you to burn the protein in your fuel, not available to support your muscle mass. we don't want to lose that benefit of the protein. we're eating way too many refined carbohydrates and not nearly enough vegetables. we want to trade those proportions. if you normally sit down to a cup and a half of pasta, reduce

the pasta to a half a cup, preferably whole grain and add in something like spaghetti squash or other cooked vegetables. this is spaghetti squash mixed with a half a cup of pasta, still the same sized portion. you don't skimp out on your meal, but you reduce your intake of carbohydrate by the equivalent of three slices of bread and you get more fiber, more anti-oxidants, more ne nutrie nutrients. make that simple swap. >> and let's move over here. there's some interesting ideas here. you also say we should eat more garlic. i myself love garlic. >> i do, too. >> obviously it has a negative side effect. >> lots of positives, though. >> what do you have here? >> black garlic. one of my favorite things on the planet. a new animal study found when they fed mice a fattening diet, plumped them up for eight weeks and give them the diet with garlic added the garlic fed mice weighed less, less body fat, increase in metabolism and better blood and liver values. >> do we know why?

>> we don't but if you want to try something different this is aged at high heat for 30 days, makes it sweet and spreadable, twice the antioxidant as raw garlic. spread it on crackers. i have a simple salad dressing, the recipe is on my blog at shape.com on the weight loss blog. it helps blood pressure and boost immunity and may help you lose weight. ve veganize your meals. meat eaters have the highest body weights for their height, vegans the lowest and vegetarian and semivegetarians in between. add things like beans, avocado on your toast instead of butter or ranch dressing, try tahini sauce. >> a few seconds left. >> the chocolate. >> one piece of chocolate a day, a little piece will help you lose weight. i love that tip. >> curbs craving for sweet and

salty. >>nk you so much.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . good morning to you. it's 8:56 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. we'll get a better idea of how much snow is in the sierra. the first snow-packed survey of the season. last year, it reached more than 200% of average.

all that snowfall from last season -- we could use them now. >> bring your golf clubs. >> i know! >> and not your skis if you're headed to the sierra. deep pockets of fog across the area. we'll lose a lot of that fog over the course of the next hour. we'll let you know if your visibility is creeping up. like the droid bionic by motorola for $199.99. or the pantech breakout for $49.99. our lowest price ever. get the technology you love, on the network you deserve. now get twice the data for the same low price. hurry in, this offer ends january 15th. verizon.

okay... is this where we're at now, we just eat whatever tastes good? like these sweet honey clusters... actually there's a half a day's worth of fiber in every ... why stop at cereal? bring on the pork chops and the hot fudge. fantastic. are you done sweetie? yea [ male announcer ] fiber beyond recognition. fiber one. hey, i love your cereal there-- it's got that sweet honey taste. but no way it's 80 calories, right? no way. lady, i just drive the truck. right, there's no way right, right? have a nice day. [ male announcer ] 80 delicious calories. fiber one.

we ended 2011 with news that budgets will get cut again. we start 2012 with a plea. let's be smarter this year. i'm suzanne shaw. this year, let's get more bang for our education dollar. 60% of the freshmen at cal state university are not ready. they need remedial english, remedial math or both. 60%. so, let's spend what it takes to get it right in preschool, elementary and high school and save college funds for college-level teaching. nbc bay area believes money spent on early remediation pays big dividends later on, teaching english literacy earlier or giving a fourth grader extra math help.

what we spend to keep students engaged early on will save us down the road. that's our view. share yours at nbc editorial editorials.com. we're back now with more of "today" on a tuesday morning. it's the 3rd day of january, 2012. we never even flinched. it's a chilly morning here in new york. temperature in the high 20s, and we've got a nice group of ople, including some washington redskins fans. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker, and tamron is joining us way big scarf. that is a large scarf. >> remember the last time you saw this coat? it was on the guard at the emerald city. you see it? she's the wizard. know how. you'll have to come back.

>> stop it. >> a couple of latida's. >> it's a nice coat. we like it. let's move on. >> oh, my word. on national television. >> my. >> it's a different color. >> in the next half hour on a much, much more serious note -- >> boys are bad today. >> custody out in los angeles connection with an arson spree. police say that man right there is responsible for about 50 fires over a four-day period. we're going to find out if there is a possible motive. again, this is just a suspect in the case. >> right. >> in today's health, revving up your energy for 2012. we've got some great ways from short bursts of exercise to power foods to help you find the energy you need to get things done in 2012. whether it's finding a heart or

a brain or courage. >> just for us -- [ laughter ] >> i'm sorry. >> go oh, ee, oh, oh. >> i can't believe i -- >> i know. i'm trying. i know. okay. i love your coat, by the way. i want to say that. i love your scarf. by the way, what is this furry thing on your collar? >> one of the monkeys. >> this is just -- we also are going to be talking about losing weight, and we have some pictures here of some women we've had on our broadcast this past week who have lost half their body weight. the change is dramatic. this morning two more women who have combined -- have lost combined 345 pounds will be showing off how they did it. >> and, jill, is back with her steals and deals. 86% -- >> not funny. >> on kids' jeans, jewelry.

hopefully for today. >> these two guys were drinking a few moments ago. that's only explanation. >> let's go inside. natalie morales standing by at the news desk with all the headlines. >> i have a great bob marley hat that would go great with the coat and the scarf. she's going in. in the news this morning the race is on in iowa where voters head to the first in the nation caucuses tonight, and most of the republican presidential hopefuls are predicting their own victories. frontrunner mitt romney is declaring that iowa is just the beginning of his winning streak, and newt gingrich says he could still pull off one of the greatest upsets in the history of the iowa caucuses. gingrich is currently fourth in the polls, and while ron paul is giving romney a run for his money at the top of the polls, he says he doesn't see himself in the white house calling his odds of winning slim, but possible. meantime, the president returns this morning from his vacation in hawaii. a 24-year-old german man is now in police custody in los

angeles in connection with some 50 suspected arson attacks over the weekend. nbc's mike tiebi in north hollywood with the latest. good morning to you. >> good morning, natalie. pick a word. frustrated, frightened, even terrorized folks in these apparently targeted neighborhoods that have been feeling all of that night after night, but relentless police work and alert public and a citizen hero who volunteered to join the hunt reeled the suspect in. >> reporter: it was amazing good luck and quick response by firefighters that kept car fires like these, many of which scorched adjacent buildings where thousands lived and slept, from leading to multiple tragedies. by late monday came the announce am the man believed to be the sole arsonist responsible for all of it had been formally charged. >> around 3:00 a.m. the sheriff's department detained a 24-year-old man named harry burkhart, who has subsequently been charged with one count of arson of inhabited dwelling and is currently being held without bail.

we expect that as the investigation continues, he will face additional charges. >> reporter: here's how authorities say the arrest came about. a business surveillance camera caught this video of a man believed to be the suspect. white male, ponytail, receding hairline, and the police released the video sunday night. a member of the public quickly called and said he knew who the suspect was, harry burk -- hart, a german national driving a canadian registered van. that information was circulated immediately to the huge task force working the case. >> literally thousands of law enforcement officials had the information when they needed have it, and that's what led to this arrest. >> reporter: who made the traffic stop near sunset boulevard that ended with burkhart under arrest? a volunteer deputy sheriff working for a dollar a year. applause at a press conference for the so-called citizen hero. >> i want to say thank you to everybody. thank you to the two officers who backed me up. as soon as i put on my lights

and initiated the traffic stop of the suspect vehicle, i had an lapd vehicle behind me ready to go. >> reporter: the siege of car fires have continued right up to the time burkhart was arrested. one of the last fires waking eric jones of north hollywood. >> i smelled smoke, and i'm, like, holy moses, my place is on fire. >> reporter: when the last of the fires was extinguished with no deaths and no injuries from any of them, the man allegedly responsible was off the streets. >> our long four-day nightmare is over. i haven't had a good night's sleep since last week, and i'm looking forward to one tonight. >> reporter: as to the alleged motive for this arson spree, nothing official at this point, but reportedly burkhart had been in an escalating dispute with immigration officials about a deportation stat whys of his mother, a did hes putin which reached a head last week just before the fires started. natalie. >> great police work there in north hollywood. mike, thanks so much. mount rainier national park remains closed today as investigators finished their work in piecing together a

bizarre murder case. officials say 24-year-old benjamin colton barnes, an iraq war veteran, was found dead in a park creek on monday. he was wanted for the fatal shooting sunday of park ranger margaret anderson, a mother of two and also for the wounding of four people at a seattle house party earlier that day. the remains of a woman discovered at the royal estate have british police investigating a possible murder there. queen elizabeth and her husband prince philip are currently spending the holiday season at the sprawling rural estate. a local dog walker discovered the body there on new year's day just two miles from the estate's main residence where the entire royal family, including prince william and catherine spent their christmas. and an awe-inspiring debut this weekend for twin polar bears at a zoo in china. visitors couldn't get enough of the cuddly pair, and the bears seem to enjoy all of the attention. they were born just two months ago and are growing well. they should be able to scamper around on their own in a few

weeks. they're the second set of twins born to the same parents who came to china as a gift from finland. aren't they so cute? it's now seven minutes after the hour. let's go to al for a check of your weather. so cute. >> in nine months they'll kill you. >> so cute, though. >> let's show you what's going on right now, and we've got the temperatures in iowa that are awfully cold. teens and single digits right now. by the time people start caucusing, we're talking about temperatures in the mid 30s. wind chills, though, will be much colder, making it feel like below zero throughout much of iowa, and then as we move to the -- i should say to the northeast, we've got lake-effect snow from cleveland, buffalo, syracuse as far south as elkins, west virginia. it could be more between ithica and good morning to you. 9:08 now. i wanted to show you the clear sky above that cloud where we can see how quickly that fog is

drifting past. there we go. the sun is warming up the top layer of that cloud bank. it's clearing from the top down and lifting as well. reduced visibility. your futurecast shows you by noon today, a completely clear bay area. looking good later on. nice second half of the day. 62 in san jose.gilroy. up to 70 tomorrow. now to "today's health" and boosts your energy in the new year. if you have a mile long list of things you want to do in 2012 you can hit the ground running with a few activities to get you moving. dr. raj is a "today" contributor and contributing editor to "health" magazine. happy new year. >> happy new year to you. >> everybody's resolution is to exercise more. you've got another reason why you need to do that. >> at health.com we did a poll that showed women who exercise feel more energized, the vast majority after just exercising a half hour, 45 minutes a day. >> even if you don't have that time you can still squeeze out

something. >> absolutely, even ten minutes a day helps you feel more energized for two to three hours. go for a brisk walk with a friend is better. even ten minutes a day makes a significant impact on your mood and energy level. >> something as simple as stretching can help. >> stretching is very important first of all it can prevent injuries, stretching before and after exercise but just stretching on its own can actually get the blood flowing through the muscles, get your nerves moving and energize you. you don't need to go to a gym. using your own doorway in the house, hold on to the doorway can get everything moving. >> during your workout, you should see red? >> it's interesting, a study showed that when you look at red, if you see something red it actually makes your muscles move more quickly and strongly so if you're wearing something red or if you have a red flower or something in the room exercising you'd get a more forceful workout and work out the muscles harder. >> if you do the workout you may have a better night's sleep which is important to be energized. you need a good night's sleep.

>> yes. >> how much are we talking to? >> seven to eight hours a day. if you are working out more than normal you need to rest your muscles at night. get that sleep. if you can't get it at night, taking short naps during the day to help revitalize and reboost. >> speaking about sleep and exercise, true or false, if you exercise before you go to bed, that's going to interfere with your sleep? >> it could. overall exercise helps you sleep better but you don't want to exercise after let's say 3:00 or 4:00 in the evening or in the afte becn,se if you're really revved up with exercise late at night you'll have a hard time falling asleep. >> as far as things that you can eat energy wise, i've been hearing about the chia seeds. is this the stuff like the hchi pet? >> these are the same seeds and they pack a lot of fiber and protein as well as many vitamins and omega threes which are great but they're a great stub institute for other unhealthy foods because they make you feel

full and healthy. >> do you just eat them? >> they don't have much of a flavor so they're easy to springle on to things, salads, whatever you want or pop a few in your mouth and go. >> or put them on a paste on your head and poof! what about omega threes? >> omega threes are wonderful. they're great for your heart but they can help improve mood, energy level, we think they may ward off dementia, so you really want to go for the fatty fish, salmon is a perfect one, but walnuts and flaxseed as well. >> if you get caught at work watching the funny youtube video you can tell your boss this is good for me, this will help boost my energy. >> exactly. it's a little bit of laughter a day can really help improve your mood. we don't often have time to see a matinee full comedy but a youtube video, five, ten minutes can improve your energy level for the rest of the day. >> dr. raj, thank you so much. >> thank you. coming up next they transformed their bodies by losing more than half their

weight. now two more women will show off their dramatically smaller sizes. later on, on "steals and deals" speaking of smaller, exclusive discounts on everything from hoodies and jeans to jewelry after these messages. is this your normal? jamie lee curtis?? oh, hi, yes...wow, you really went all out on the decorations, huh?! yeah, but i'm so slow taking them down after all the fatty holiday food. but that's normal. what do you mean that's normal?

it doesn't have to be. to me, normal, means feeling good inside. not slow. try some activia. activia helps with occasional irregularity, when eaten 3 times a day. keep a video diary and let me know about your new normal. love your new normal or it's free. those five food groups sound a whole lot better when you put them in a taco shell instead of a pyramid. old el paso. when you gotta have mexican. to have their close-ups taken by a fashion photographer. then we asked them to try dove visible care. a revolutionary line of body wash with the highest concentration of nutrium moisture. visible care makes skin visibly more beautiful in just 1 week.

♪ when they saw how much more beautiful and radiant their skin looked with dove visible care... there was only one question. dove visible care creme body wash. [ male announcer ] what if we could keep enough plastic waste to cover all of manhattan out of landfills each year? the equivalent of 140 million trash bags, gone. by using new glad trash bags, designed with reinforcing bands to be stronger with less plastic waste, we can. ♪ it's a small change that can make a big difference. ♪ when i'm out with my kids, my daughter's like, "mom, wait up!" and i'm thinking, "shouldn't you have more energy than me? you're, like, eight!" [ male announcer ] for every 2 pounds you lose through diet and exercise alli can help you lose one more

by blocking some of the fat you eat. simple. effective. advantage: mom. let's fight fat with alli ♪ if you've resolved to lose weight in the new year we've got some success stories that will kick you into gear. "people" magazine found inspirational people starting 2012 half their size. we'll meet two of them in a moment. first michelle chen is senior editor at "people." good morning, happy new year. >> happy new year. >> this is the tenth year people have done this "half your size" issue. why is this popular i think for obvious reasons. >> it's always one of our most popular issues and it's providing inspiration, whether you want to lose five, ten or half your size we want to provide the inspiration and motivation that everybody can reach their goals. >> we meet marge and crystal in

a minute. what drew you to their personal stories of success? >> what we always try to do in half their size is profile everyday people. these are not celebrities with access to personal trainers or chefs. they have relatable stories, we have a mom of two, we have a grandmother, with effeteeur a bachelor, a teacher, we always want to provide relatable stories. >> you are successful at it every year. first we have waiting for us marge liese, largest was 378 pounds. that's her before picture and take a look at marge now. amazing. look at you. cue the music. ♪ marge, you lost 200 pounds. >> i lost 203 pounds. >> i don't want to overload you here but this is your waistline, your waistline is amazing. >> thank you. that's actually what i'm proudest of is my waistline. >> you should be.

"eye of the tiger" is playing. when you look in the mirror what do you think? >> i still don't believe it's me. i still see the old me but i'm really liking the new me. >> you should like it. what was the key for you? >> i got really sick at my cousin's anniversary party to where i got heat exhaustion because i was too embarrassed to take a blazer off to cool myself down as i was dancing and i woke up and i said i can't do this anymore. i can't have my kids see me like this anymore. >> what was behind the weight gain? what do you believe happened in your life? >> stress eating. i was always a larger kid. my mick name was king kong, my last name was king, so i was always heavy and it turned into large marge, and i'm like no, i'm not doing that. >> you took control. >> i took control. i made a promise to myself, which a lot of people don't do, they make promises to everybody else, but i promised myself that i would get healthy and do it. >> wow, you've done it. >> and i did. >> have a seat. you are not alone.

congratulations. >> thank you. >> next up is crystal evans, stay-at-home mom of two. see her before picture in her half top, brave woman then to put that on. look at how beautiful and brave she is now. come on out, crystal. ♪ fireworks >> amazing. twirl it, girl, twirl it. work it. i like that. how do you feel? >> amazing. >> you look amazing. what was the key for you? >> well, the main part of my weight gain was during my pregnancies so i had pregnancy related complications that caused it, and for me the key was realizing that i couldn't be the mother that i wanted to be at a large size. >> you lost 133 pounds. >> i did. >> you love wearing bikinis. i love that about you. >> that picture was in a locked file on my computer and i didn't let anybody see that, including myself. i took that as my progress picture, and hid it because i wasn't going to stay that way and that's for me to look back

at and say i made this progress. >> what did you do to lose the weight? >> i went on nutrisystem, amazing program, and it gave me the ability to be that mom that i wanted to be. because i always had the heart to do it but at that size i didn't have the endurance. >> what's been the reaction from your children? >> they -- i can actually participate with them, so they think it's amazing. >> have a seat. i'd love to have you stand up and let you flash your body again but let me get to you sit down. it has to be difficult as you mentioned being a parent and you're trying to be active and you also want to be a good role model. the first lady talked about being a role model for our children, who are dealing with obesity as well in large numbers. >> i didn't want my child to see me struggle with weight, and at that size, it was just, it limited me so much, in any activity that i tried to do. i couldn't walk upstairs without huffing and puffing, and at that age i shouldn't be doing that. i shouldn't be doing that ever.

>> michelle, is there a common thread you're seeing in the success stories year after year? >> absolutely. i think what it is, they never give up hope on themselves. they always feel a change is possible. that's what we try to provide a goal is always attainable. >> marge what tip do you want for people for similar success? >> i'm 52 years old, a grandmother and' never too late to change. >> i'm so proud of both of you. congratulations. i'm also proud of my mom, now dieting and she, i won't reveal how much she's lost but way to go, mom, i'm so proud of you, proud of all of you. michelle, thank you, marge and crystal as well. coming up, three kids trapped in a car trapped in an icy river and saved by these men. much more after these messages. that's why at h&r block... you could get money that's both fast and free on an emerald card. just bring in your tax information and get a refund anticipation check... in 7-14 days, for up to $9,999. you pay nothing out of pocket.

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coming up, jill martin r he"ste healr teals and deals." plus detoxing your body with natural foods. and gluten-free cereals ind nutritious actually loves? well, the word "wow" comes to mind. and then a friend told me chex has five flavors that are gluten-free. even a cinnamon one the kids love. a nutritious cereal that makes everybody happy? like i said, wow. [ male announcer ] chex cereal. five flavors. good and gluten free. five flavors. ♪ i think i'll grab me a bowl and spoon now ♪ ♪ crispy flakes calling my name ♪ ♪ i'm hungry now. ♪ ♪ who can resist those honey kissed bunches. ♪ ♪ gotta get a bowl, get me some of that yaaaaay! ♪ ♪ everybody's... ♪ imagine nutrition in perfect harmony with great taste. that's honey bunches of oats.

four healthy grains come together in crispy flakes and crunchy granola bunches. honey bunches of oats. good morning, everyone. the time now is 9:26. i'm jon kelley. more questions than answers in that bizarre machete murder in a normally quiet san jose neighborhood. police say the woman killed in friday night's attack was -- her daughter is the main suspect right now. people who live in that neighborhood on johnson avenue is still trying to come to grips with this heinous crime. >> horrifying. it's horrifying, you know. i mean, that just doesn't happen

here. not good news. >> sadique is a nurse who came to the u.s. from somalia. she was covered in blood and injured friday night when police arrived. she told them that a masked man had attacked her and iyvonne with a machete.

time now is 9:28. take a look at the improvement here in sunol. improvements, but fog still. 100 feet of visibility in concord. a matter of an hour, hour and a half, the clouds will break up. driving all that cloud cover back out to sea as offshore winds develop. looking forward to a comfortable second half of the day. it will be on the breezy side, but comfortable. clear at the coastline as we kick off tomorrow morning. futurecast at 11:00 am, clearing by noon.

your seven-day outlook in moments. let's check your drive with mike. >> okay, christina. 101 southbound still very slow out of redwood city and down through menlo park and palo alto. likely just a distraction, the slowing there. another accident remains over at shoreline on 101 at the top of your screen, moving to the shoulder even as we speak. live shot out there, we'll see what we have. bay bridge, there it is. backup continues coming out of berkeley and into the berkeley curve. that's the only slowing on the east shore freeway. >> mike, appreciate t thank you all very much for joining us. another local news update in one half hour from right now.

you let your team down. dennis, you're fired. hope, you're fired. carol you're fired. steven, you're fired. so jesse, you're fired. >> just when you thought you were out, he pulls you back in! the donald about to kick off a new season of "celebrity apprentice" he'll be here tomorrow on "today" to unveil a new group of contestants, live. could donald trump still be considering a presidential run, hmm? >> he's back in. >> hmm, all right. >> we'll see what he has to say. meanwhile coming up, amazing story, three children are lucky to be alive this morning, after they were rescued from an icy river in utah. the car they were riding in skidded off the road and into

the frigid waters and passers-by saved them. faces are adorable. >> thank goodness they knew what to do. you know how you find the best deals after christmas? for you we have great steals and deals on casual clothing, jewelry, even bedding. >> and a bed frame. >> and the bed frame, and add jill martin, too. exclusive for you our "today" viewers. >> jill martin says this is the first time she's actually made a bed. >> oh! >> it's true. >> all right! >> jill said it, not me. jill said it! starting 2012 with a clean slate, al. we've got the detox do's and don'ts to cleanse your body the right way with natural foods. >> al, you are in rare form. i don't know if it's rare. >> not rare form. >> weather? >> okay. >> now. >> i rarely do it well done. anyway, show you what's

happening for today, heavy rain moving into the pacific northwest, windy conditions of the plains, lake-effect snow around the great lakes, sunny and chilly throughout the southeast. tomorrow, the rain gets heavier in the pacific northwest, with strong winds, sunny and warm through the southwest, mild into texas, cold air continues in the mid-atlantic, southeast, frigid conditions in new england w good tuesday morning to you. the time now is 9:32. taking a live look at oracle arena. oakland starting to clear out nicely. we do have thick, patchy fog. you can see that from our shot here. we'll see that fog make way to a beautiful afternoon with a lot of sunshine. 62 later in san jose, 61 in fremont and 59 in san francisco, up to 70 tomorrow, holding on to warm conditions all the way through your thursday. just a few more clouds. >> and that's your latest weather. >> it's a new year so how about

a new wardrobe or new bedding? jill martin has her first "steals and deals" of 2012, right after this. nice ring. knock it off. ignore him. with the capital one venture card you earn... double miles on every purchase. [ sharon ] 3d is so real larry. i'm right here larry. if you're not earning double miles... you're settling for half. really? a plaid tie? what, are we in prep school? [ male announcer ] get the venture card at capitalone.com and earn double miles on every purchase every day. what's in your wallet? i was gonna say that. uh huh... just like me. and when i eat fruit rollups and enter my code online, i can help a kid in africa get a laptop. so they can learn about stuff. just like me. [ female announcer ] win one/give one. see boxes of specially marked betty crocker fruit flavored snacks for details. olive garden's new chicken & potato florentine soup made from scratch daily with roasted chicken. it's part of our $6.95 unlimited soup, salad

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okay is there a woman i can talk to? [ male announcer ] progresso. 40 soups 100 calories or less. ♪ check it out, check it out, check it out, check it out ♪ back with our first "steals and deals" for the new year. jill martin is here with great discounts exclusively for you, our "today" viewers. good morning. >> good morning. just when you thought you were done shopping. >> yes, no but now is the time to do it because there are a lot of great deals. you found good ones for us. remind viewers how it works. >> go on today.com now, everything from your closet to your bedroom, this is a way to spruce yourself up and your house up for the new year. >> we've got these great hoodies

from suburban riot, nice sherpa lining. >> retail $98, men's and women's, available in a variety of colors and sizes, big hit on entourage. celeb fans including ryan gasseling, cameron diaz and mila kunis. $27, it's 72% off. this is a fun way to spruce up your sweats for 2012. >> let's move over to these adorable genes by ruff hune and little miss attitude. first the bigger kid sizes here. >> these brands exclusive to klausens.com. big kids available in multiple washes, fits and styles. retail $32, the deal $6.40. >> what? wow! >> 80% off, plus free shipping. >> that's huge. >> they're great jeans and

these, let's move on for little kids, retail $22, the deal is $4.40. they're really good, they have stretch. >> kids grow out of clothes so you never want to spend too much on that. gorgeous necklace by stars and stripes, they have these different inspirational words sayings. honor, courage, hope. >> love. >> i'm wearing the love now. retail $149. each necklace has a special meaning, 50 different combinations, choose from silver or gold plated with a genuine diamo diamond, good alone or you see with me to layer. the retail $149, the deal $29. >> beautiful. >> 80% off. >> inspired as well. >> you wear a classic item. >> exactly. let's get to making over our homes a little bit. always a good time to stock up on bedding options. we've got the reversible comforters by living quarters.

>> from carstens.com. retail $120 to $160, king to twin sizers, with down hypoallergenic fill. the deal $19.20, up to 88% off. you could actually see them on our next item, here are the comforters. >> the reversible, so there's a plain and you've got different patterns on the other side. really sweet. >> and then the bed. here's the bed if you want to spruce up your bedroom. >> the bed frame, not the mattress. >> retail $1,350. this is the full bed. hand crafted from solid pine, it's a regal old hollywood design t will spruce up any bedroom with a plush padded headboard. also deals on the queen and the king, check our website for that. the retail again for the prime and the head board for this full

bed is $1,350. the deal is $270. >> wow! >> that's 80% off. >> wow! >> bed furniture, it's very expensive, so that's a good deal. >> delivery and shipping is affordable. >> the queen and king sizes also they have separate deals for that. >> yes. >> jill martin thank you for starting off the new year just right. the sub urban hoodies, the ruff jeans and little miss attitude, stars and skripz necklaces, and living quarters comforters, and joss and main head board. coming up next a car plunges upside down into an icy river in utah with three kids inside but their lives are saved by some amazing samaritans, amazing rescue, right after this.

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now to a terrible accident in utah that could have ended in tragedy. a car carrying four people, three of them children, plunged into an icy river. their lives saved because of some quick thinking strangers. janet shamlian is in logan, utah, with more. janet, a great story. >> god, al, isn't it to start the new year? this was a horrendous accident and could easily have ended with the deaths of three small children had it not been for a small team of strangers. together they waded literally into danger and put their own lives at risk. even as they were doing so they were afraid the children were not going to make it but they

fought for those kids' lives and they won. the icy logan river on new year's eve was well on its way to becoming a frigid liquid tomb to three young children after the car they were riding in skidded off the road, slid ten feet down an embankment and landed upside down in the bitterly cold water. >> the first thought was, so this is how it ends, which is kind of, you know, not a good thought. this very easily could have been, you know, a funeral for four of us. >> reporter: roger anderson was able froo to free himself from his honda accord, but the children, his 4-year-old son baylor, 9-year-old daughter mia and her friend 9-year-old kenya wildman were trapped inside. it was a moment when seconds would make the difference between life and death. >> i was gone in a second. i was completely off the road and then sliding down the embankment.

within a second the entire cabin of the vehicle was full of water. >> reporter: and just as quickly, anderson says, help appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. >> these people that were there at the scene, without hesitation, they just did what they had to do. and that for our family, made all the difference. >> reporter: his own two children were by now floating lifeless in the river water that was filling the car, little baylor still strapped into his child seat. kenya had found an air pocket but she couldn't get out of her seat belt. the men tried opening the car windows or another door but the water was rising and nothing would move. then one of them, chris willden, pulled out his handgun and shot out a window. the group of strangers turned rescuers quickly pulled the kids from the car, passing them up the icy riverbank, where others performed life-saving cpr. almost against the odds, all

three children would live to see the new year. >> it was greater than just the physical hands and the hearts, it was something more divine that went on that day. >> reporter: two families and three children who are doing just fine today, thanks to a random act of kindness, and courage. >> i love them. i will be forever grateful. they are my heroes in every sense of the word. really. they are the reason i have my children. >> reporter: those kids are doing just terrific today. they were released from the hospital yesterday morning and spent the rest of monday enjoying what was their last day of holiday vacation, in fact one family member said they are more traumatized by the fact they have to go back to school today than they were by what happened on new year's eve. al, ladies, back to you. >> amazing. >> janet, thanks so much. a great story. >> thank goodness for the good samaritans and they had the

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♪ it's a new day this morning on "new year new you ♪ ♪ cleansing your body the natural way. nutritionist keri glassman is a contributor tos "women's health." good morning. >> happy new year. >> you can detox with things already in their home. >> many people are doing extreme diets and cleanses and you just need to follow a few simple rules to get extreme results. >> before we get to the rules and the right way to do it, what are the things we should avoid? >> we should not have any packaged foods so get rid of the packaged foods as much as possible. you'll avoid sodium, sugar and

many artificial ingredients and also don't put the salt shaker on the table. sodium holds on to water and can make us puffy. most of us want to depuff and avoid the sugar and alcohol. you probably o.d.'d on that over the past few months. >> what should you do while detoxing? >> the first thing we should do is eat. this is not about not eating. you should eat and when you eat a healthy, balanced diet like i'm going to show you, your body, your liver, your kidneys, g.i. tract will take care of the rest and naturally help cleanse you. you should also focus on anti-oxidant rich foods, drink water and definitely get your sleep in. >> stay hydrated, very important. typical meal we start off with the water which i mentioned, you like to put lemon in that. >> you want to stay hydrated throughout the day. when you drink throughout the day you won't mistake hunger for thirst. also, water helps flush you out, helps eliminate toxins naturally. >> green tea? >> green tea is processed differently than other teas,

higher in anti-oxidants, associated with burning more calories. >> you can drink green tea twice a day? >> with your snack. it makes it more of a mini meal, it's calming, soothing, you eat slow per >> breakfast, what do you suggest? >> grapefruit is 90% water so high water volume foods another example would be oranges or cantaloupe will help fill you without a lot of calories. then we have some eggs so protein at breakfast has also been associated with less calories eaten throughout the day so very important when you're trying to lose weight or start your diet to get protein in. then i have some kiwa, brown rice or fiber helps keeps us full. if the whole grain and the grapefruit is too much, get one or the other in. >> moving on to our snack. >> you want a snack to keep your energy levels up but also to help tame your cravings so you're not ravenous at the next meal. an example, almond butter on

celery, another high volume food and the almond butter, healthy fat helps keep you full. looking at the labels on peanut butter or almond butter make sure it just says peanut butter or almond butter, without any sugar, sodium or transfats. another example cucumber and ga ba guacamole. a little bit of fat and fiber helps keep you full. >> another lunch example? >> load up on the veggies. the veggies are again going to be high in water volume, high in anti-oxidants. veggies are your friend but also the fiber in there. i said how fiber helps keep you full and also helps your g.i. tract stay in motion and helps you eliminate waste naturally, thoepg cleanse you naturally. >> you have salomon on here. >> important to get protein in to keep you full so you're not too hungry later in the day. people often skimp on lunch and

then they overindulge. >> in the latter part of the day. you say a midday or another snack for the day. >> in the afternoon the reason i said before, keep your energy up but think about what you're craving. don't try to eat around the craving. if you want something crunchy, go for nuts. if you want something sweet go for an apple but make sure you have something that has some fiber, protein or healthy fat or a combo of those. >> with the apples you sprinkled a little cinnamon on there as you did with our grapefruit for breakfast. >> and oregano on the eggs as well. >> tell us what we're having for din per. >> then for dinner a rule we should follow all the time, two vegetables, either a soup, homemade, so we don't have to have the sodium or find a low sodium brand or big salad and another veggie, asparagus and protein, grilled chicken with turmeric on here. anti-oxidants, low calories.

>> thank you very much. >> have a good day. >> coming up, we have hoda and kathie lee, hollywood buzz of the new year. >> first your local news and weather. have a great day, guys. see you.

good morning, everyone. i'm jon kelley. the time is 9:56. tickets go on sale for the first post-season ball game in nearly a decade.

some fans couldn't wait. online dealers have been busy taking orders since last week. one broker filled seats for the playoff game on january 19th. the general public will get tickets starting at 10:00 this morning only on ticketmaster. reports say this game is almost sold out, as it should be. niners offensive coordinator could be getting a job offer from penn state. greg roman is said to be a finalist to replace joe paterno for penn state's head coach. this thing is not a done deal, but sparking concern for the 49ers, who could find themselves searching for another replacement coach. roman is the ninth offensive koo coordinator they've had in nine years. let's go to meteorologist christina loren with a look at what's happening on the horizon.

>> getting my head out of the clouds in sunol. only one location where we're clearing nicely. you'll have to wait probably another hour around the greater bay area. san francisco, 59 degrees. a comfortable second half of the day. 62 san jose. 61 in fremont. offshore winds will drive all that cloud cover out to sea tonight. we're talking about clearing conditions and 70 tomorrow. check your drive with mike now. >> 70 tomorrow, all right. looking over to a live shot of the bay bridge area. backup at the toll plaza which basically disappeared over the last ten minutes. metering lights are still on. wow, jon says. that's exactly right. circled that at the bottom of your screen. around oak. a traffic break over the next few minutes as they move a crane from earlier construction. still fog advisory and foggy around many spots. 101 slowdown past highway 92 to san mateo. south bay clears up nicely as far as traffic goes. back to you. >> thank you, mike. for the latest news and

traffic updates check out nbc bay area morning news on facebook. wiping out flakes before they flake. new selsun blue deep cleansing.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, everybody. it is booze day tuesday. this is wrong, it is january 3, 2012. like you, we are back in the swing of things today. >> you have to write 2012. >> did they sew you into this one? let's hear about your holiday. was it amazing?

>> it was great. jay and i ended up going to puerto rico. before that, my sister did this surprise thing from dubai where she was surprising my mom and hannah coming in and celebrating. i took mom and hannah down to the laundry room. hala snuck up to my apartment and was on the couch like she had been there all day long. my mom made the best cornish hens. the pictures didn't work, i took them. that is hala and jay behind my christmas bush. we had a really fun christmas. my mom and i got pedicures at this place. jay and i packed up our stuff. >> you took your thongs down to puerto rico. >> yes, we did. we hung out on the beach. we did nothing, absolutely nothing. >> i bet you did something. >> that was new year's eve. in bed by 10:30. >> today you and i are both getting our roots done.

you go to the beach. >> look, mine are the worse they've ever been. >> they really are. somebody made a lot of news yesterday on our show. before we go into my week. jerry, jerry is getting so much facebook love and why not? in yesterday's show we spilled some wheat grass. hoda spilled it. >> you were invading my purse. >> you were showing off your purse and there was something you didn't want anybody to see. i know what it is and i will tell you people. >> no! >> jerry, look at jerry. look at him. cleaning. drinking. then later, i think he actually got on his knees before you, hoda, and cleaned the carpet. >> he had to drink the wine. >> the wheat germ was awful. >> judith wrote, i love you ladies, but jerry's the best. >> every woman wants a man who

cleans up after her. how was your holiday? >> excellent. >> how is that beautiful wife of yours? she said i should say that she comes before halle berry in the sexiest one. >> i knew you would get in trouble. we know how you really feel. >> how was your vacation? >> i was falling all over the place before we left. i knew i needed a break. we get down to key largo in the keys. i decided because it was going to be quite a while, i was going to take bambino. there we are on our friend's boat. that is the only family picture we took the entire time. it's become a holiday tradition for us. on their boat and we go back with other friends of ours to our house and hang out. i don't know if you can see, but at the bottom of those steps is a little white dog who is at our door and wants to go out. >> inside or outside? >> he kept being left. he is used to dock.

one night we go for our annual bowling. it's an hour away to island amrata. you're going too fast. that is new year's day. that is alabama jack. i'm feeling guilty. i'm a bad mother. i left my puppy for five hours. hour to get there, three hours to bowl and an hour back. i'm telling my friend emily that bambino, i feel bad, i should have brought him. she goes, you know what? our two friends just got off their boat there and put their dog down to sleep, they are so sad. call them. they'll go over and babysit bambino for you. nancy and bill. i go, would they do that? i get them on the phone. tell them we live at 19, let's say barracuda lane. go to our street. our door is open, go up the steps. when you get to the top of the steps, go left and he will be in our bedroom. please make yourself at home.

drink our wine. there is stuff in the refrigerator, please. and thank you so, so much. i'm bowling up like crazy. i'm thinking momma took care of her baby. about a half hour later, nancy calls and she goes, we're here, but didn't you say the giffords have a fluffy little white dog? we go, yeah. this one is dark and scruffy. there aren't any pictures of the gifford family anywhere in this house. she goes, but we are here, we're at 17 barracuda lane. we go 19! they went to our neighbor's house, went up the stairs, took the dog. she's drinking the wine, they are outside. the dog wants to go potty. i go it's 19. they get out and the next day, excuse me the next day i go,

i've got to take wine over to my friend. i will call her annabell. i said did anything weird happen at your house? she goes, no. i said, yes, it did she had a big laugh about it. we are walking home and she sees this big mess on her front yard. she goes don't you hate it when people walk their dog by your house and let their dog do their business and they don't clean it after? i said, that's awful. went on the phone that night and nancy and bill goes that was her dog that left the very same mess. anyway, at that point we brought am baiano everywhere. we always go to alabama jack on new year's day. >> what is happening there? >> the lower she got, the lower i went with her. she are clogging. at the bottom we get way, way down. she says help me. >> what is clogging? >> clogging is like this, hoda.

you know clogging. that's where you wear the big skirts. it's that kind of deal. the more fun -- it's the most aerobic exercise i got. bambino danced every dance. there was one problem. i mentioned we go there on new year's day. people came from all over south florida. >> to see bambino? >> no. i said it would be a great party at alabama jacks. only little tiny lap dogs are allowed. there were rottweilers who were not happy. there is bambino. that dog got more air time than cody, cassidy or frank combined. >> or hannah. >> that's the thing. you get out of your comfort zone and your own culture. you go down and hang out. hang out with bikers. they are so nice down there. we had a good time. >> you know who had a great time

over the holidays because december is a big month to get engaged. >> should we do a shout out? >> yes. it is a big deal. it's a big announcement for a very good friend of ours. meghan fox got engaged. she is the head of pr on the "today" show. >> congratulations to her and her fiance brit. >> i'm surprised it took them so long. it's about time. >> we are very, very happy for her. >> was that the only engagement over the holiday? okay. do you want to destress? >> right now, yes, i do. >> there is so much that is stressful. >> yes, there is. >> if you've got to get back to the swing of things, right, hodi? >> they say we make these long to-do lists. we are always depressed or upset

because we don't complete everything on our to-do list. they say don't overdo the to-do list. >> don't make one to begin with. >> who cares? here is what i say, okay? here is my list. i have it on my iphone. i don't care about siri and she doesn't know your number. she goes to the notes, the list you made, cancel. wait, wait, here it is. okay. buy -- where is it? these are all things you're supposed to do. movie screening, my check question mark, wrapping paper, buy jay's presents. >> this is all before the holiday. >> buy mary a gift. >> this gives you more stress. right before the holidays, my mother was doing the same thing. i've got to do this and i've got to do that. i said mom, listen to me. those things only matter to the people that don't matter.

she goes, oh, you're right. >> that is good. >> they get their card or they don't get a present. those are not the people that really matter. i don't care if i never get another anything from anybody that i love except just more of them. you know what i'm saying? that's the best way out of it. realize who really matters. >> they say to do this, too. people have jammed-up e-mail boxes. mine is overflowing. i keep asking nbc to make my box bigger. >> why do you want a bigger box? it will only give you more stress? i did it again, didn't i? hoda, why do you want a bigger e-mail box? >> here is the thing. you haven't read all your other e-mail. >> it will make more you haven't read and more stress. you're stressing me out now. >> knowing it's there makes me feel good.

>> but you haven't read it. >> no. i did delete '09. >> that's two, three years ago. >> and '10 is only a year old. you've got to hang on to things. >> you're a hoarder. it just dawned on me. you're a hoarder. everything. that's out now, according to "the washington post" or huffington post. >> hoarding is definitely out. >> that is so last year. >> apps are out. naps are in. >> they've always been in. >> hoarding's out, cleaning is in. ryan gosling is out. >> no. >> out. >> tell that to millions of people. >> michael fastbender is in. >> that's because he is in a movie "shame" right now about a sex addict. >> it's supposed to be dirty. >> i want to see it. >> out is pippa's bum. i don't think any guy would say

that, but in is kate's, let's put it this way -- >> just say it. >> kate's uterus because we are all waiting. >> joy bauer is starting this thing. we have a 10,000 pound challenge. trying to get people to lose 10,000 pounds by cutting out certain things. one of the things she talks about cutting out -- >> spread out amongst them all. >> not individually. that would be weird. >> she says get rid of starch at dinner. >> i know. >> you do already. >> that killed me over the past week. we don't eat dinner usually. we sit there and maybe have a bite of the kid's fish. every night we were out for dinner. if you don't order anything, people put it on your plate. i started one two weeks now. no bread, no sweets, no cheese

and no what do you call it? shoot, i've already forgotten. and no pasta. >> how do you feel about the b-12? >> i'm a little jazzed up. it's nuts. >> i warned you. >> i said do you want to see me on vitamins? >> it gives you more energy. you don't know what to do with yourself. >> we are going to have the cutest pet contest. we know it's bambino, but we'll let you all enter. >> everyone thinks anyone that has a pet, because i have two, thinks their pet is the cutest. now we are going to settle the case once and for all. go to our facebook page. you have to like the page first, click on the cutest pet contest. submit a photo of your dog or cat. the top five pets are going to come to new york city for a pet segment. >> how was your holiday? >> it was so nice. i got to see the family. >> really, the family?

really, sara? >> you love going, you love coming back. >> you want to be here. we want to send a lot of love out to a wonderful producer, but better friend, jamie, wonderful producer and very good friend of ours. >> with her precious daughter samantha. we are wishing them a speedy recovery of samantha. she's been in the hospital since before christmas eve. we are going to visit her. you already did. i'll go in a little bit. we hope to have good news for you soon. next we'll catch up on the celebrity buzz you missed while cooking le and cleaning and keeping your family's busy. we have rob shuter. they keep asking me if the dirty guy is really my son. huh -- what do you tell 'um? holy smokes, these viva towels really are tough, even when wet! [ mike ] for the record, that's my real father, cleaning up a real mess on a real grill. see?

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have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. if you've had enough, ask your dermatologist about enbrel. it is time for your weekly dose of "today's" buzz from the latest on katy perry and russell brand's split and beyonce's baby rumors. >> the one and only, ladies and gentlemen, give it up for rob shuter. >> hello, ladies. >> it's the b-12 she gave me. i'm out of control. >> let's start off with katy and russell brand. >> sad news. they announced they are separating after only 14 months. katy was out over new year's partying in l.a. she was at the soho house in

west hollywood dancing and having a great time. she spent a long time talking to a handsome chap with long hair that looked like russell. russell was in london for new year, much more somber. >> we've been hearing the rumors ahead of time. >> they actually denied it for a while, which is probably a silly thing to do. >> they are never together. i didn't think we would like russell brand at all, then we loved him. he is a charming guy. she is adorable. you can't have a marriage if you're never together. >> especially at that stage in their career. this couple both really want to work hard, be successful. unfortunately, that's the priority. >> he filed, but i read somewhere he asked him to file because her parents are religious. >> the problem with that story, if her parents have seen anything she's ever done, it makes you somewhat concerned.

>> the other story is he wanted to have a family and she wanted to put it on hold. >> frank won't give me another child. i'm bummed about it. he could, but i can't, if you know what i mean. >> beyonce. rumors that she had her baby? >> there are rumors. everybody wanted her to have this baby over the christmas holiday. she didn't. >> why? >> we wanted a christmas birth. >> i love her. >> she is seen as having a new year's eve dinner with jaycee in brooklyn. we are told it's any day now. >> wednesday, we heard. >> that day has been bashed around. she will not sell the baby pictures. she never sold her wedding pictures. she keeps it very private.

>> let's talk about aretha franklin marrying her long-time boyfriend after all these years. >> at 69 years old, the queen of soul is going to get married the third time. >> she wants everyone to know she is not pregnant. >> i'm not pregnant. her long-time love. they are going to get married in miami and have the after party celebration on a yacht. >> that sounds good. she doesn't like to fly. >> what about britney and her fiance? >> engaged. now the story is this is her third wedding. her first one she got married in a baseball cap, cut-off jeans in vegas. second was a big hollywood wedding. this is going to be a country wedding in louisiana, her hometown. >> where her first one should have been. >> he is a great guy. they spent new year's here in new york. very low key.

she was offered a ton of money to go to all these clubs. she said no. >> where did you spend new year's eve? >> i went to lincoln center. very fancy. i went to see the new york philharmonic which is terrific. >> look at you. >> the other side. the nice side of the nice and naughty. >> went home and listened to justin timberlake. >> give us an update on barry manilow. >> he's doing great. he is back home. >> awesome. thank you, rob. still to come, want to reinvent your life? stay tuned. we'll begin a series on people who dropped everything to live their dreams. >> a guy left wall street to make wine. [ male announcer ] what if we could keep enough plastic waste to cover all of manhattan out of landfills each year? the equivalent of 140 million trash bags, gone. by using new glad trash bags, designed with reinforcing bands to be stronger with less plastic waste,

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why pay for fast money when you can get it for free? call 1-800-hrblock to make an appointment. h&r block. never settle for less. still to come, joy bauer gives you a reason to drop those pounds. >> latest trends for new babies. should you or should you not attach those crib bumpers?

>> for all who want to start all over again, our new you, new series takes off with a guy who traded in wall street for wine. >> i like that. >> in style is here with instant beauty fixes. t makes smoothness? what makes a touch linger? smooth sensation from nivea. the light lotion with moisture enhancing 24-hour-plus hydra iq. it works with your skin's hydration system to keep your skin smooth all day... all night. ♪ smooth sensation and the essentials collection with hydra iq only from nivea. touch and be touched. prego?! but i've been buying ragu for years. [ thinking ] i wonder what other questionable choices i've made? [ '80s dance music plays ] [ sighs ] [ male announcer ] choose taste. choose prego.

that's why i got them pillsbury toaster strudel. warm flaky pastry with delicious sweet filling my kids will love. plus i get two boxtops for their school. toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. the time now is 10:26. i'm skraun kelly. the city of oakland to take down a symbol of the occupy movement.

at frank ogawa plaza has been revoked. police say they are a threat to the public by attracting illegal activity. p protesters say the teepee should remain because they're re sponsiblere for actions outside of the area. we'll have weather and traffic after this break. with the "name your price" tool, you tell us what you want to pay, and we give you a range of coverages to choose from. who is she? that's flobot. she's this new robot we're trying out, mostly for, like, small stuff. wow! look at her go!

she's pretty good. she's pretty good. hey, flobot, great job. oops. [ powers down ] uh-oh, flobot is broken. the "name your price" tool, only from progressive. call or click today. welcome back. your visibilities are slowly starting to creep up on the east end of the bay area. you're still fogged in along the

peninsula. fog will be a factor an hour or two. after that the sun will warm us up nicely, south of the golden gate bridge. 62 redwood city, 62 san jose and 65 in gilroy. 70-degree weather, how does that sound for tomorrow, inland? that's what we're expecting and 62 by the coast. let's check your drive with mike. looking over to the peninsula, christina, highway84 off 101, folks traveling over toward facebook and dumbarton bridge, fracture e tractor trai removed from the roadway. 101 right around 92 and 92 itself, some issues. still have fog there, so lower fad.p speeds except for christ looks great there. enjoy the view. miknkou vmuch. >>p at 1m,n oaklhome goes io foreclosure, bhe owners is ta onhe bank. mmunity are

no droughtarng jus yet why they're not too concerned. s d ace is olduthe r bowl. who bought the air time and what kind of commercials you can look forward to. welcome back with more of "today." if you need help kick-starting your weight loss resolutions, weave have joy bauer's 10,000 pound weight loss challenge. >> how does it work? today nutritionist and leader of the joy fit club is here with us. >> happy new year to you. everybody wants to look and feel their best in 201. we are going to help them do that. i am challenging our viewers to lose a collective 10,000 pounds by the end of january. all they have to do is go to today.com and find that cartoon logo that says joy's 10,000

pound weight loss challenge. you get everything you need. a tip every day that's manageable but very effective. they get recipes, menus. they can log in and each week tell us how much weight they lost. >> no lying. >> no fudging. >> each week we'll translate these remarkable results. i am positive we are going to hit 10,000 pounds. >> 10,000 of our viewers lost one pound -- >> we've done it. >> we are looking for the two best weight loss stories, ultimately, right? >> right now we are just going to say everybody is going to be a winner because everybody is going to lose. just stay tuned. in the weeks to come there could be some outstand iing results. we are going to quickly review the tips for the first week. first you want to find your meaningful source of motivation. you want to set up some sort of

a tracking system whether it's weighing once a week or some people like to weigh every day. whatever works for your personality. >> and weigh the same time each day. >> right. i would say before breakfast. you want to track in a food journal if it works for you what you're eating and exercising. give yourself a pat on the back. reenforcement. >> do you write down every little thing you put in your mouth, it's unbelievable. >> accountability. today's tip was to eat on a schedule. basically what that means is organize yourself. breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack and dinner. then you're done. this is a big one. this kicks in tomorrow. we are going to eliminate the liquid fat traps. i wanted to show you what a crazy mind-boggling visual. if you gave up one fruit juice and one soda by the end of the day, by the end of january you will have saved your body 17 1/2

cups of straight sugar. you can only imagine how that translates on the scale, right? good-bye! there are a lot of options. seltzers, coffee, tea, you name it. the next day we are going to strike the starch at dinner. you talked about this. at the end of the day we are exhausted. we lose our resolve. what do we overeat? potatoes, rice, the carbs. turkey burgers, chicken paillard with chopped arugula. exercise will kick in, a 30-minute walk every day. if you want do it continuously, break it up into bite size pieces. ten minutes. >> this saved me over the holidays. >> you are neigh that positive mindset so you want to make smart choices every day.

i'm going to talk about strategic breakfasts. breakfasts that are calorie smart and includes protein. you'll get a great protein smoothie recipe. >> we can do it. >> don't forget, we want to keep track of how much you're losing. log on to today.com and report how many pounds you dropped. we'll announce the total each week. log on every day for a brand-new tip. >> today 3:30 eastern standard time i'll answer all your questions. coming up next, we move from your body to beauty products. how to fix up those make-up annoyances. crystal light? yeah, it's almost bikini season. bikini season? really? we live in chicago. we work 60 hours a week -- catching the red eye back as soon as this conference is over. i mean, when are we ever gonna find ourselves sitting on a beach? i need someone to help me find some fresh water. i can help you with that. you're gonna get wet. i'm gonna to get wet. you know i used to be a lifeguard.

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plug into the savings you deserve with snapshot from progressive. help for anybody who suffered from smudged nails after a brand-new manicure or clumping lip gloss. >> here with solutions of those problems and more is "in style" beauty director.

how are you doing, amy? happy new year. >> up a all night with her sick little boy but is here with us to help our makeup problems. >> there is that gross thing that happens when you get the lip gloss. >> when your lips get dry it sticks in there you want to exfoliate. easiest way is with a warm, wet wash cloth. use a tinted lip balm. it will keep you more hydrated. >> they can make your lips bleed so easily. >> you don't want to be too aggressive. >> be careful. you apply mascara and you're done. >> this is you, hoda. >> what do you mean? >> you said that. >> this gets right here on your face. >> right. the key to preventing this problem is prepping the eye lid. apply something that is going to soak up the oils. believe it or not, even your eye

lids have glands. apply a primer. this dissolves it so it becomes clear and a powder. the powder will absorb the oils. >> you wear that at night? >> no. this is the morning. >> everything had it. you cleaned your face, fall asleep on your white pillow case. >> it has mascara or whatever. >> sometimes the traditional cleansers doesn't cut it. look for an oil-based cleanser. something like this bobbi brown one. you can see it's a little greasy, but it's great because it's hydrating. you rinse it off. if you're acne prone -- >> you don't put on moisturizer after? >> yeah. although this is hydrating. >> if you break out, you don't want to use that. >> you can use a little bit of toner. that will remove any residue. >> everything has the thing with

little hairs along your hair line and they get frizzy and you can't get them. >> not everybody. >> the key to solving this is actually using a toothbrush. spray it with a little bit of hair spray like this. this is like a very common problem. put along your hair line and it will get rid of any fly-away hairs. >> don't make the mistake using it to brush your teeth. >> you can also use a clear mascara. >> everybody had this. you go to get the manicure and they smudge. you have to leave. >> you take a little bit of nonacetone remover, apply a light coat of polish, a top coat and you're good to go. >> you might smudge that because you're impatient about that. >> that's just how your personality is. >> you have to be careful with hot items.

>> if you use hot tools you purpose something. one thing you can do is get these cool ear guards. >> they are fabulous. >> they will protect you from singing your lobes. another thing you can do -- >> they don't work. >> you can do this. most people have something like this. you can get it in a drug store. super inexpensive to protect the sides of your face. >> thank you, amy. >> hope your little boy feels better. >> new year, new you. one guy changed his life. are only here for a limited time. ruffled lasagnette pasta, layered with fontina and asiago cheeses and oven baked just for you. try it topped with pan-seared chicken and toscano tomatoes. or with braised beef in a chianti wine sauce. both served with our unlimited salad and breadsticks. only at olive garden. now for lunch try our new chicken & tatopo florentine soup

with salad and breadsticks. just $6.95 for a limited time. and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. [ woman ] lower cholesterol. [ man 2 ] yummy. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste and whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. i'm a wife, i'm a mom... and chantix worked for me. it's a medication i could take and still smoke, while it built up in my system. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away.

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time for new year, new you. our special week-long series on reinventing yourself and finding happiness in what you do. this week we'll hear a different story from people all around the country who followed their

dreams and changed their lives. >> we'll start with jamie kutch who gave up his job in finance to follow his passion for wine making despite the proper training. >> you have to go back to 2005 when i made the choice to take the leap of faith and come out to sonoma and become a wine maker. i was a nasdaq trader. i had become succumbed into the corporate life of wall street and money. i always felt this love for wine. kristen and myself were at this point in our career where we were just riding the wave of corporate america and going through the steps. it wasn't really that exciting. this was something that was exciting like getting on a roller coaster for the first time. >> my initial reaction was, california? we don't know anybody there. how are we going to make that move. how are we going to tell our families? it was certainly really nerve racking. i knew instantly i wanted to do that with him. >> it was a scary time, jumping

off almost a cliff without a parachute. it took me about a month to realize how many years i had spent almost wasting of my life in a new york rat race career. in 2005 i made 150 cases. it was exciting and a great experience. during that harvest i proposed to kristen. >> that morning i got up. didn't wash my hair. threw it in a ponytail. had a sweatshirt on. it was the end of the day, getting tired. i opened that. i said somebody lost a box. >> anybody want a diamond. oh, my god! opened it up and it didn't really click until i opened it and he was on one knee. i went, oh, boy. >> i think kristen was an integral part of motivation and drive and support. we've been a good combo. we went from 150 cases 400, 600,

800, 1,000. i made 2,000 this year. i produced seven vintages already. for me to produce a bottle of wine that says my name on it is a very powerful feeling to know. i might work more hours, but those benefits and that extra work is for myself. >> my life changed the best way possible. this is the best decision we ever made together. >> this is the place i want to be for the rest of my life. >> wow. that makes me cry. that is fantastic. okay, so you need to get motivated to do something for yourself. we've got help. jean chatzky is "today's" financial editor. >> watching that does make you want to quit your job and throw it all away and give it a go, except us. >> we're so happy. >> yeah. >> that is good in theory, right? >> we've got an amazing amount

of job dissatisfaction in this country. only 45% of people actually like their job. and that's been going down, down, down. >> that's 1/3 of your life you spend at a job, if you're lucky. that is a huge amount of dissatisfaction. >> if you're dissatisfied is it okay to rye to just throw it all away and go to a winery or try something like that? >> if you're ready to make that change and think about how to do it strategically it can be great. i think people get trapped thinking i have to stay here and stagnate or throw it all away. >> because there is no guarantee. you could have a bad harvest. >> especially in this economy, to throw it all away and throw away the benefits and health insurance and everything that goes along with it is very risky. maybe there is an in between. >> you always say make sure you have another job before you leave the one you have if possible. >> or at least a financial cushion, a safety net. >> nobody has those these days.

>> i know. we are really bad savers. if this is something you want to work toward, that is a reason. >> do a lay-away plan. >> educate yourself, network with people. i quit from being a lawyer into a writer. i was already deep into my book. i don't have to wait for one thing to start the next. try to overhappen. >> can you make yourselves happy where you are? that's what people have to do. >> there's been a lot of research into this. if you can find autonomy if you can make your own hours a little bit, decorate your office, you'll find you're making yourself happier. i think if you can fake it for a little while, if you can pretend you're having a good time, you walk around with a smile on your face and people talk to you who never talk to you and your boss thinks you're interviewing, so they treat you better, it does improve the mood. >> from our favorite things on monday, i'm going to give a suggestion for a book. it's one of the most transformational books i ever read in my life, but you have to wait till monday.

>> thank you. >> you've got a terrific book out, too. >> thanks, everybody. >> tomorrow, the story of a teacher who became a student. the best baby products to kick off the new year.

never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. if my mom can fight and beat breast cancer, i can walk 60 miles. (woman) the fund-raising was the easiest part. people were very giving. complete strangers wanting to help. i knew someday i was gonna do this walk. if i can do this, you definitely can do this. we can do this.

we can all do this together. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime.

it's a brand-new year and we are back with a brand-new lest for brand-new babies. >> because what's new today is old tomorrow. we asked jessica harthshorn to look ahead for the best baby products. >> happy new year to you, stella. >> there's always been a controversy about the bumpers. >> american academy of pediatrics say you don't need the bumper. it saves you money and it's safer to not have something soft in the crib with little infants. all you need is a nice little fitted crib sheet. they put a different pattern on

the side than the top. >> she seems happy. >> stella. >> aren't you precious? >> target blew out so much the designer collaboration is huge. this is missoni for bugaboo. this is one of my favorite trends. peel and stick wallpaper. french bull is the designer collaboration. it's modern aesthetic. it's the easiest and cheapest way to decorate a kid's wall. when they are older, they can help. >> awesome. >> jonathan adler created for skip hop for this line. these are great prints on a much loved diaper bag, $34 to $84.

completely affordable. >> look at all the bottles. >> stainless steel bottles. >> because of the plastic. people have worry. glass is heavy and shatters. stainless steel is easy to clean and reusable. it's pura and organics kids that have a whole stainless steel line. natural skin care is big for us. it's going to be big for babies, too. especially in 2012. anything you can't pronounce on the label. burt's bees have been around for a while. california baby is sold in target. i don't know if you used their bath wash that comes with a bubble blower. they are out of australia. they use the poppop root. it's highly anticipated coming out the end of this month.

>> jerry won't let me touch it. jerry's on to me. >> this is cool. this is high-tech. almost anything is going to be able to be a baby monitor. i have my ipad set up here. you download the evoz app. it's a free app. it turns your device into a monitor. >> genius. >> audio-only but video coming. >> great stuff. tomorrow, actor ed burns. >> plus the exercise that will keep you on track and a few short cuts to cutting calories. everybody needs extra help. >> have a great day. good-bye to stella! >> see you tomorrow for wines day wednesday. - - bwww.vitac.com

hi. looking good! you've lost some weight. thanks! you noticed! you know these clothes are too big now, so i'm donating them. not going back there again. good for you! how'd you do it? eating right, whole grain. whole grain? whole grain. [ femalennouncer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't...