good morning. countdown to new hampshire with just three days to go before the nation's first primary candidates prepare to face off in two big debate these weekend. former u.s. utah governor jon huntsman who has staked much of his campaign in the new hampshire primary will join us live. new video, a another video diary of casey anthony surfaces on the web showing off new piercings. who is behind the release and why are some so fascinated by her after all this time snp? and, baby, i'm a star. now this leading man named

arthur is back starring in another of his mom's iconic movie recreations. what's had it his latest role smp we're going to find out. today is saturday, january 7th, smp we're going to find out. today is saturday, january 7th, 201. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a saturday. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm amy robach. you know, a lot of people love that day when the tree goes up and it's christmastime, but around here, let's be honest, a lot of us are excited about that day, today, when the tree comes down. >> well, it's coming down today. my office looks right over that tree which is a lovely view, but it's looking kind of dry. >> it's wilting. >> we'll be reminded of a long winter ahead when it comes down. >> that's true.

a lot of presidential candidates will be squaring off this weekend just days before the new hampshire primary. this will be a critical contest for jon huntsman, who has focused much of his debate on the granite state. >> and then we're going to take a look at the job search. 200,000 jobs were added. will it ladd last? then where is baby ayla reynolds. police continue searching for her and her father is firing back at a tv host that keeps raising suspicions at him. and spring fever rather than dark days of winter. >> who is claim complaining? how much long every can much of the nation forget that it is winter? we'll take a look at these record breaking temperatures. >> i'd like to give it a try.

and "pawn stars" is one of the most popular tv shows right now. i love this. i god a chance to individual the gold & silver pawnshop in las vegas and catch a look at the shop that's become a must-see. they have lines that the city complaining to get into the store. >> i'm looking to make sure you have all your jewelry. you didn't hock anything. >> no, i didn't. i did maybe buy a few things, though. let's talk about the race for the white house with just three days to go before the new hampshire primary. the republican candidate res stumping hard in the granite state with former massachusetts governor mitt romney is moving out ahead in the polls. much of the focus is moving to south carolina. ron, good morning to you. >> lester, good morning to you. polls are polls and elections are elections. we'll have to wait and see what tuesday night brings. in the meantime, it's a full

speed race to the finish. breakfast in south carolina, spaghetti dinner in new hampshire. mitt romney is feasting on promising poll numbers, even as the nation's unemployment rate fell to a new three-year low. i'm sure the president will want to take credit for it, for any improvement. guess what? he doesn't deserve it. >> the newest poll gives romney a commanding 22% lead in new hampshire. ron paul at 22%, rick santorum at 13% and the rest in single figures. sharper attacks from opponents are now filling the air. >> timid won't create jobs. >> on friday, romney was casts a moderate. >> i can debate obama and the gap between the two of us is this big. >> the fight to close the gap

between front-runner romney and the pair could make for a highly televised occurrence this weekend. >> if he can emulate the pat buchanan rage, he could get some momentum going. >> one with so large friday morning, the fire marshal and police were called in to reduce the overcrowding. in the meantime, ron paul played to a big audience, dismissing notions that santorum is his chief opponent. >> hardly. >> despite targeting what he calls santorum's record of betrayal in a new ad. and while jon huntsman discuss ed the -- thursday, i'll we giving a key note speech and i'm going to make my unconventional

endorsement. >> an unconventional endorsement herman cain says he will make on thursday, january 19th, two days before the south carolina primary. he described the remaining candidate necessary this race as conventional. we'll see what that means. >> governor, good morning. it's nice to have you on. >> lester, it's an honor. welcome from koask county in the north country. >> thanks. before we talk about the specifics of your campaign, we heard mitt romney there a moment ago not giving president obama a credit for the drop in unemployment. do you give him credit for this improvement in the job picture? >> listen, jobs add more opportunity for people. that's a great thing for this country. and i say the president is getting out and doing his thing. for those that have new opportunity, that's a wonderful advancement. my big concern and my complaint is this, lester. how much better would the

numbers have been if the president had taken the time in the first couple of years to fix our tax code, to clean up this regulatory environment that is knee deep in red tape and have moved us toward more greater energy independence, have moved toward grater free trade relationships with several countries? i believe our job numbers would be significantly higher today. that's the difference between what the president has done and what i would do if elected to president of the united states. >> let's talk about what you would do and the challenge you face. you came in with reported 9% support, tide with support for newt gingerich. you didn't put a push for iowa. are you regretting that now given that iowa gave a lot of attention to a lot of candidates? >> no, not at all. our strategy from the very beginning was to come here to new hampshire. this is a primary. isn't a caucus. it isn't a small sample of the voting public.

so i would argue if you get a ticket out of new hampshire, which i believe we're going to get, we're going to do just fine. that gives you a head of steam going forward. this speaks to the question of electability. you have to establish electability vis-a-vis barack obama or you're not going to go anywhere. >> a lot of people would say 9% is not exactly a ticket out of new hampshire putting you in fourth place. have you put all your eggs in one basket, essentially, here? >> we have to do well here in new hampshire. there was a poll out last night that had us as 16%, probably the best respected poll in recent days and a solid third place. we're going to leave it to the people of new hampshire. meantime, you've got the major endorsement from the "boston globe." in doing so, they gave a harsh criticism to mitt romney. does their endorsement say more about their feelings towards romney than their good feelings towards you? >> no. i thought it was a good endorsement of us. we're out working hard talking about the twin ditch sit, the

economic deficit that we face and the trust deficit we face. americans don't trust their elected officials. i think trust is going to away significant part of whoever comes out victorious in the 2012 election cycle. we've picked up at least half of all the endorsements here in new hampshire, a sign that we are connected with the people on the ground, over 160 more events. i'm proud of our team, i'm proud of our message, and i think on tuesday night the world is going to be very surprised, as they typically are when new hampshire casts their vote. >> it was interesting the globe in its endorsement, i talked about the republican field and say they're all vying for the true conservative. that matters for a lot of the candidates. you've been described as a moderate republican. so are you left, right or center of the leading candidates in this race? >> you know, i'm not big on

labels. my history as governor of utah would be as a consistent conservative. but you know what people want these days? people want leadership. as i stand in these town hall meetings and a vision for a better tomorrow, i'm not sure people are too caught up with the labels. they want leadership, they want trust, they want to believe in the institutions of power again, they want to believe in their elected officials, their down and out. they know they've been dealt a very bad set of circumstances. i'm not sure the labels work in today's environment. i'm not terribly worried about that. i want to speak with my heart and soul and square with the american people on where we are and where i think we can take this country. >> governor jon huntsman, thanks again for joining us this morning. good to talk to you. >> it was a pleasure, left perpendicular. and a program note, nbc's meet the press and facebook will sponsor a live debate tomorrow morning. new job numbers suggest that

the economy may be gaining some momentum. the unemployment rate is now at 8.5%, the lowest it's been in three years. joining us now with more insight is cnbc's brian shactman. >> happy new year. >> happy new year. 8.5% in december, 8.7% in november, 9.1% back in august. is it fair to say this is a trend? >> yeah, i think it absolutely is. people can pick apart the numbers. better than expected a the 8.5%. better than expected at 200,000. when you look at the employment numbers, you lob off 0.5% in two months. that is significant. the job number of 200,000, that wasn't as much a surprise because the weekly jobless claims have been ticking down consistently, under 400,000. but 8.5% with more confidence in the labor market, more people who don't have jobs, who weren't even looking at entering the workforce, the thought was it was going to tick up and it didn't. but you're right, the trend is the key. >> and let's talk about where those jobs were add.

42,000 new messengers were hired in december to keep with all of the online sals that were going on with with the holiday sales. how much of these seasonal hires factored into that rate that we got? >> it definitely factors in. u.p.s. added 55,000 seasonal workers. very few of those people are going to get full time jobs on the back end of it, but you have to put it in context. the same month a year ago, that 42 tlous was even higher. so you go back to the trend and the trend is still positive. >> and any word yet on how holiday sales were this year compared to others? >> i like to split it into two parts. there's the consumer and the companies. the consumer was pretty good. they spent more money than last year and by most accounts they spent money they actually had and got some great deals. but on the company side, they had to discount so much based on where we were in august with the debt ceiling crisis, it

was a lot better than a lot of people thought it would be. >> another interesting caveat i hear, the construction industry, 17 jobs in december. we had a really warm december. >> right. >> did that play a role? >> i'm sure it did. housing sector showed a little bit of life late in the year. you take manufacturing, which is another one -- >> added 23,000 jobs. >> and they expected 6,000. i've traveled the whole country in the last year, i've done stories on chobani yogurt, make blankets in minnesota. with labor costs in place like china, shipping costs internationally go iing up that the u.s. may actually make a move in the manufacturing sector. will it be a huge boom? no. but as with construction, you need a few more good months to believe it. >> brian shackman, thank you. now here's lester. it felt like a spring day rather than a winter one in many parts of the country on friday,

all those red dots on the map we're about to show you represent all-time warm weather temperature records that were set. the old records fell in 268 places thursday and tied in 68 more. it was actually warmer in rapid city, south dakota, than it was in miami. so, the question is, where's winter? nbc's kevin tibbles takes a look. >> reporter: what's playing in peoria this winter? golf. >> i think the people in arizona are jealous of us today. >> reporter: and in chicago, more golf. tennis anyone? >> nice to be out here in the shorts and t-shirt. >> reporter: january warm-up spans much of the nation, including fargo, north dakota, where a year ago it looked like this and today you get the picture. >> spring has sprung for the day. heading out and about, you'll need a pair of sunglasses, only a lighter jacket. >> reporter: i was going to use a thermometer as a prop to show you how warm it is but this is much more fun. in a comfortable, in a sweater in january.

if you don't want to be reminded of what it can look like, look away now. this was the snow-pocalypse that nailed chicago last winter, closing roads and trapping motorists. and this was new york city, exactly one year ago. now, the big apple blossoms with shorts and bare feet. >> this was almost like a heat wave. it feels like early spring. >> reporter: not so plecht for those who depend on winter for their livelihood. ski hills from west to east are str struggling. and snow removal business melted away. towns and cities have been saving millions on road salt they haven't had to use. >> only 16% of the nation right now is covered with snow. so, without a refrigerator to cool the air masses that are coming down, they modify very quickly and we wind up with a lot of record highs. >> reporter: this snowman may not hang on long enough for it to freeze. until it does, harold harter is driving his hot rod instead of his snow plow.

kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> kind of like it. >> i'm going for a run this afternoon. i might be in short sleeves. i'm not complaining. >> pretty nice. let's get a check now with the rest of the day's top stories. that's where janet shamlian is standing by. good morning. >> good morning to you. good morning, everyone. united states and iran, a u.s. navy destroyer has rescued an iranian fishing boat that was held by somalian pirates. has iran commented on this rescue? >> reporter: good morning, janet. iran has played down this integrately. state television this morning said that the united states claimed to have saved 11 iranian fishermen and it also said that the armed forces do not say that this has happened for sure. they're still looking into this and they're still saying they're claims by the u.s. but this is a major coup by the u.s. that same carrier that saved these fishermen was told by the

iranian government last week when that carrier was in the persian gulf that if it was to return, they would feel the full force of the iranian navy. the same carrier has saved 11 iranian fishermen, putting the iranian government in an awkward position. janet? >> thank you very much. a texas runaway is back in the u.s. after being mistakenly deported to colombia. claiming to be an illegal immigrant sfoling a shoplifting arrest in may. now u.s. and colombian officials are pointing fingers at who is responsible. her family, of course, is happy to have her home but would let's like some answers. new details on casey anthony's video diary that has popped up online. anthony's attorneys are claiming it was stolen by someone who hacked into her computer and if someone knows anthony's ip address, they can discover also where she's living. we'll have more on this story in

the next hour of "today." former penn state football coach jerry sandusky has waived his preliminary hearing on sex charge abuse charges. his next court appearance is a pretrial conference that is scheduled for march 22nd. and a dog thought to be lost in an avalanche in montana has made a miraculous homecoming. the welsch corgi was swept away in an avalanche that claimed the life of his owner but somehow the dog ended up at the hotel four days later where the rest of his family was staying. he was exhausted and hungry, but he was alive. they'll always come back for food. now back to lester, amy and bill. >> janet, thank you very much. >> bill karins is here with our first check of the forecast. good morning. >> good morning. we already talked about where's winter and all of that. there's a couple of things we haven't been mentioning. the snow is needed for the

drinking water in the west. that's one. this week, they were fighting wildfires in montana this time of year. if we don't get that snow pack, we could have a problem with the drought this spring and also the fire season this upcoming summer. this is the weekend weather pattern, much above average temperatures. d.c. was in the mid 60s and today is another mild day. 51 in boston this time of year. 37, minneapolis is well above average. southeast, you'll dodge some rain showers today. there's literally no snow on the map to talk about. that's a . . we're seeing a dry and chilly start around the bay area. temperatures dipping into the 30s. napa, santa rosa, novato, san francisco in the 40s, san jose. wind picking up through the afternoon as a system dives in east of the sierra. northeasterly winds later today. highs mostly in the 60s throughout the bay area today.

tomorrow, winds backing off. some chilly mornings and dry weather continues into the start of the new week. that's where the cold air has been bottled up this winter. that's your weekend forecast. amy. police in southern california are hunting for a serial killer believed responsible for the deaths of three homeless men in the past two weeks. all of them were stabbed to death in the orange county suburbs of los angeles. here is nbc's george lewis. >> reporter: this chilling picture from a surveillance camera shows the first murder victim sleeping at a shopping center, approached by a menacing looking figure. >> we believite a male wearing dark clothing and a hoodie-type dark sweater or jacket. >> three homeless men living on the streets now stabbed to death. >> we believe these murders are likely committed by the same suspect and we feel he's extremely dangerous to the public. >> it has left other homeless people pretty scared here. >> three dead in three different cities, that should get

everybody's attention. >> you're talking about people that have nothing. >> police say they're looking for a whie white four-door toyota that may be linked to the killer. authorities are stepping up patrols in orange county and warning homeless people to be vigilant. >> now is a good time nor you to be watching your backs and watching each other's backs out here, okay? >> be careful to not be alone if possible to not go into the dark areas. >> the orange county rescue mission has been handing out safety kids for homeless people. >> has a flashlight, has a whistle, and some suggestions on creating a lot of noise if they feel someone is following them to draw attention to themselves. >> police now hope the public will help them with leads about the identity of the killer, who has made life for the homeless even more miserable and scary. for "today," nbc news, los angeles. still ahead, another video of casey anthony surfaces of the

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still to come, he is the prime suspect in the disappearance of nataliee hollow holloway, but now joren van der sloot is on trial for another death. plus, nancy grace. but first, these mess aenlss. [ female announcer ] what would you call an ordinary breakfast pastry

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here's a better idea... pillsbury grands! flaky layers biscuits. in just 15 minutes, the light delicate layers add a layer of warmth to your next dinner. pillsbury grands! dinner ideas made easy. good morning to you. looking live at oakland. rob mayeda here making fun of me for wearing my winter vest here. >> that was a winter vest. it is cold. we have a little bit of patchy frost. 31, napa. , santa rosa. oakland, 40 degrees. 35, livermore. not much wind right now. by the time the sun sets, later today, i think we will see those winds in the hills mixing down to sea level. you can see on the radar, still dry. you can see the pattern is still

bringing systems off to the east. the low scooting to the east and the high building in behind it that will bring up the winds later on this afternoon. we should see highs in the low to mid-60s. if the winds pick up, areas that see the winds move from higher elevation to sea level will see the warming effect around santa rosa and fairfield. dry weather. you can call it breeze dry. the offshore winds will have to watch for fire danger concerns, pretty unusual for january. once the winds ease off, could see 20s and 30s heading into monday. dry seven-day forecast. >> i will be wearing the puffy vest for a while. you may be able to save the life of a five-month-old vallejo girl in need of a critical liver transplant. little michaela faith is suffering a liver transplant but too small to take part of someone else's liver. she must have transplant in someone her own size.

her parents say because they are uninsured, they may be passed over if a liver becomes available. a family friend raised a line of shirts, sweat shirts, sweat pants on say available at basde.net or calling 650-355-1001. an occupy protester could end up occupying a jail cell for life. a dispute over a blanket on december 16th landed 38-year-old marcell johnson in a santa rita jail. once there, he got into a scuffle with a prison guard and faces a felony assault charge. his attorney says he is homeless and mentally ill and deprived of his psych medication while in jail. he has a prior criminal record. now, the prosecutor could decide to charge johnson with his third strike, which can carry a life sentence. >> then, because he doesn't have his medication, gets into a fight with a guard and now faces three strikes. i think that's not only terribly

unjust to mr. johnson but it is terribly unjust to all of us. >> critics of the current three strikes law are currently gathering signatures for a november ballot measure which would reduce sentences for third strikers who commit nonviolent crimes are set to be arraigned on monday. >>. >> coming up this morning, a south bay burglar that knows apparently a bit too much about his victims. that story and more coming up right here at 7:00. more local news in 30 minutes.

it's the first weekend of the new year. we want to thank our fine group of folks who came out to enjoy this unseasonably winter warm weather. and spend their saturday for us. >> it's feeling good outside. back inside studio 1a, i'm amy robach along with lester holt. coming up in this half hour, where is baby ayla? >> she is the 21-month-old baby who has been missing from maine. her father faced the public and has been seen handing out

flyers. coming up, we're going to take a look at this. and joren van der sloot is on trial for the murder of a peruvian girl. in a surprise move on friday, he postponed a plea in his crime for that trial. why? we'll have the late pest. and a second video has been released. it's a new video that casey anthony looks different from the one that serviced a couple days ago. she's been out of the public eye since being acquitted of murdering her daughter, caylee. we'll take a look at these and the uproar they're causing. but first, it's been 21 weeks when ayla reynolds has disappeared from his father's home. for the first time since her disappearance, her father was out handing out flyeres and asking the public for help.

>> missing 21-month-old ayla reynolds' father was passing out flyer sgleps i just want my daughter home and i'm going to do anything to have that happen. i'd like to have her face on every street corner in america, but it's just taking one flyer at a time and going from there. >> it comes after weeks of secretmy of dipietro. much of it from headline news host nancy dpras. >> she's with the daddy, she goes missing. she's with the daddy the last time, she gets a broken arm. >> reporter: now dipietro says enough is enough. friday, he told the sentinel, nancy grace, please come see me. do you want to spend a day with me. do you want to see what i'm going through? i invite you to. the 24-year-old told police he put ayla to bet bed at his house in maine. he reported her missing the next

day. after two weeks of searching woods and water, police issued this statement. we believe that foul play has occurred in connection with ayla's disappearance. maine state police have not named any suspects. earlier this week on "today," dipietro said there's no way she's involved. >> she's my daughter. she's my child. she's my world. she's everything to me. i love my daughter. i would never do anything to harm my daughter. >> dipietro was taking care of on ayla while her mother was in rehab. in another interview on today last week, she told matt why she worried about ayla. >> he would never let me see her. i would call to talk to her and he would get mad about it. >> investigators insist they are looking for a little girl who is still alive. when asked friday if they think a parent or family member took her, they said, quote, we are considering all possibilities.

nbc news, new york. >> joining us now with more insight is former prosecutor karen desoto. this seems to be another example of these parallel investigations, the police investigation and the public one. >> right. >> when often a family member is the first suspect named, the father goes out, hands out flyers for the first time and that's raised a lot of eyebrows, hasn't it? >> well, yeah. in these cases, because of past cases and more specifically i think you're old enough to remember the diane downs case n 1980s where the mother was accused and convicted of murdering her child. our first instinct as a society is to think that the parents are telling the truth and that something happens. there's a scurry by law enforcement to find that child. now we're in a position where when a child goes missing, everyone is like, have you checked tout parent? >> the susan smith was a classic

example of that. every time we do these stories, i'm always struck by the fact there's no play book for losing a loved one or having someone turning up miss agency to how you're supposed to act or wa you're supposed to do or is there? >> well, there is. there is in instances when children disappeared. 800,000 children are reported missing every year. the elizabeth smart type cases, about 115. so a lot of the times, child murders is done by somebody they know, unfortunately. so they're going to be the first person that you suspect. so, obviously, there are certain red flags as a prosecutor that you do look for. past abuse, whether or not the type of personality of the person, whether they've been in the division of youth and family or family services before, is there a custody dispute going on? so there are red flags. >> and that's from the investigator's side. but in terps of being the person who is missing a loved one, in

terms of how you act and what you say. yeah. because you want a mom to cry. most people expect that when you lose a child, that you want them crying and screaming and in tears. but not everybody emotionally reacts like that. >> in this particular case, one particular cable host, nancy grace, has been very outspoken on her concerns about the father in the case. how do prosecutors view that kind of thing? when these cases become the talk of television, particularly cable tv, are they watching closely? >> well, yes. but in the casey anthony case, obviously, there's a case where the media hint hindered with what happened with the proceedings or at least it was perceived that way. obviously in an investigation aspect, lester, it's great. there's a lot of attention, you can get clues, witnesses. but as far as prrosecuting the case, you're tainting people. you have instances, obviously,

for a prosecutor it's better. for the defense attorney, it gets dicey. but anything that's under the microscope is going to have a totally different affect than if you were trying a case with a normal attorney with a attorney and a judge. >> thanks for your insight. good to see you. for another check off your saturday forecast, let's turn to bill. it's just not right. i don't have a jacket out here. i don't even need it, either. middle 40s. and a happy 13th birthday for you. i always wonder, do you ask for what you didn't get that you wanted for christmas? >> sometimes, yeah. >> and where are you from? cumberland, maryland. >> we started off cold in the country and quickly warmed up. we have rain to talk about. it's been a very dry week, too. louisiana, mississippi, georgia,

even in atlanta we could deal with showers. the next minor snow event is coming down through new england. or his, it's a very quiet weekend forecast. we are seeing a chilly start this morning where we are seeing 29 in napa. patc fog. fairfield, 40 degrees. starting to see into some north winds that will eventually mix down and start to crank up the winds across the bay area today. it is going to be breezy, dry, highs of pretty much no matter where you go in the mid-60s. maybe a bit warmer for santa rosa and fairfield. if you are heading to the high country, the sierra, wind advisories and warnings due to incredibly dry conditions. more chilly mornings and more dry weather as we head into the new week. jooishlgs. weather.com. come up, majoritien van der

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natalee holloway and may soon plead guilty to the murder of a young woman in peru. >> amy, good morning. it was a dramatic scene in court friday. media from around the world carefully watching his every gesture. shortly after the trial began, it was postponed. after waiting in prison for 18 months, joren van der sloot needed more time to think. he walked into a peruvian courtroom on the first day of his trial. accused in the murder of 1-year-old business student stephanie florez, who police say he beat to death in his hotel room five years to the day natalie holloway disappeared in aruba. if convicted in peru, he could face up to 30 years in prison. but he seemed calm as he removed to face a thee-judge panel, all

women. during the trial, he shook his head in denial. a judge ordered him to sit up straight. but when she asked him, how do you plead? van der sloot said he needed time to think about it. though he says he's willing to confess to the court, he disagrees with the murder charges as they stand. the court gave him to wednesday to make up his mind. legal experts say with the amount of evidence against him, there's little room for negotiation. >> what's his best bet? >> to accept the charges as they stand and adhere to a lower -- >> meanwhile, outside the courtroom, a media circus, including local medicine men who claim they put a curse on the notorious dutchman.

as for the victim's family, all stephanie's father was is for this long process to be over. experts say a likely sentence could be 20 to 25 years, but he could serve only a third of that. coming up next, we're going to introduce you to a little man, look hot how cute he is. we will meet baby arthur after these messages. get married? no, i wouldn't use that single miles credit card. 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...

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we have an update on a story we brought you a couple months back. arthur is a big baby boy that's gained worldwide attention from his mom posting pictures of him in movie scenes. >> and it's enough to make baby arthur a star. >> emily cleaver loves watching movies. she loves taking foe poes and she loves her baby boy, arthur. the stay at home moment has come up with an ingenious plan. an enthusiastic and predictable actor. rambo, shaw shank redemption. the godfather. >> i love iconic movies, movies that stick with you, the strong images. i think that's what makes these recreations funny. >> who can forget this scene

from the movie, "american beauty." >> arthur was lying on the bed with me over him with a camera. i was trying to get a shot without him closing his eyes. >> the final product ends up on her website which has received hundreds of thousands of hits. cleaver's first inspiration came one day as she was changing her then 3-month-old, based on this scene from the 1970s thriller "alien. stop the video here. let's just say what happens next is not suitable for morning division. we found them getting ready to shoot "trading places." the props were proving to be a bit of a challenge. >> this is a difficult role. eddie murphy, trading places. it's not easy. lots of preparation for this. i guess that's a s. >> he's laughing at me because everyone knows it's actually dan

akroid that plays santa. arthur has now learned at 8 months old that when the camera is there, the show is on. >> so arthur is watching a movie right now. but watch what happens when we go in with the camera. >> and he's mugging for the camera. emily says her baby boy is a natural. imagine what they will create when he can actually talk. for "today," stephanie gosk, nbc news, oxford, england. >> when they start talking, that's when they're not as cute. >> then you'll do "look who's talking." >> he's probably one of the cutest babies i've ever seen. look at that. >> very cute. we we're back in a moment. ♪

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another video diary of casey anthony surfaces on the internet. what does his baby language say? >> and then we're going to switch gears and meet the pawn stars who have struck gold on screen and off. that story, right after these messages. [ male announcer ] ethan allen introduces new and distinctly

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i'm kris sanchez along with meteorologist, rob mayeda. the forecast has a little bit of teal in it because it is cold. >> it is hockey weather outside. 39, san jose, 35, gilroy. 29. what's interesting, fairfield is at 40. up at mt. diablo, 45 degrees. that will mix in the warmer, dryer air higher up. for now, a tale of two different

climates. breezy conditions. sea level, that will change this afternoon as a system that is bringing snow across the rockies helps to crank up a pressure gradient. that will be high pressure building in behind it. northeasterly winds. highs pretty much no matter where you go in the mid-60s. warm warmer places, santa rosa. less wind for sunday. with this drying of the air outside, i think 20s and 30s are within reach for monday morning. obviously, dry forecast. maybe some frost as you get back to the workweek. >> thank you very much, rob. a crash between an airplane and a catering truck grounded nearly 400 travelers at san francisco international airport. it happened around 7:00 last night as a china airlines flight was taking for takeoff to taipei. it hit the plane on the runway hard enough to damage the plane. flight was canceled. no one was hurt and the cause of the crash is now under investigation.

a sunnyvale masseuse is in jail charged with sexually assaulting a customer. it is a video of relaxed massage. a 55-year-old was accused of assaulting a 29-year-old woman while giving her a massage. he has worked there for five years and before that, gave massages in other bay area cities. police are asking other vic testimonies to come forward. a judge sentenced a bay area politician to three areas of probation after pleading no contest to shoplifting. her lawyer has suggested that she shoplifted because of a medical condition. hiashi's lawyer told the judge a benign brain tumor affected her decision making. she walked out about $2500 worth of merchandise. she has termed out.

she is not eligible for re-election to the same office. had she been convicted of a felony, she would have been forced to step down from the state assembly. the judge reduced her charges from a felony to a misdemeanor. the hayward assembly woman will serve three years probation and must stay 50 feet away from the union square and niemann marcus. we may be hours away from finding a life-saving match for him. i setback for a 4-year-old bay area boy in need of a bone marrow transplant and what you can do to help. we will see you back here in 30 minutes. dinner? candles? i wanted it to be special. oh, what's this? it's progresso's new loaded potato with bacon. mmm, it's good. honey, i love you and... oh my gosh, oh my gosh.. look at these big pieces of potato. yeah but honey, i love you and... is that what i think it is...it is... it's bacon. honey look. [ male announcer ] progresso rich and hearty...

4 new flavors, you can lose yourself in. what's that? big piece of potato. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. welcome back on a saturday morning, the 7th day of january, 2012. got a great crowd here, post holiday crowd, getting a last look at the christmas tree on rockefeller plaza. we thank them for joining us and you're always invited, at 49th and rockefeller plaza. lester holt along with amy roba robach. coming up, casey anthony back in the news because of the videos surfaced, the question was her computer hacked, were they purposely leaked. she's been out of the eye for some time after being acquitted of murdering her daughter caylee. we see her new hairstyle, her

thoughts, we'll talk to a couple of experts about her behavior, body language, what this says about her and her state of mind right now. one of the hottest on the vegas strips, thousands are lining up to look inside the gold and silver pawn shop and a chance to meet the pawn stars, history channel's number one show and we look at the family drama that unfolds in front of the camera, what would it be like to work with your father and grandfather every day. >> it's all laid out there. later on a teen widow is hailed as a hero for doing what she had to do to protect her infant son. she's not the only person taking matters into her own hands in life or death situations. that in the next half hour. mystery around the body found on queen elizabeth's estate on new year's day. janet shamlian is at the news desk.

hello to you again. >> good morning to you and everyone. we begin with good news for anyone who is looking for a job. the labor department says the unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to 8.5% in december, with job creation up by 200,000. that's the biggest monthly increase in jobs in four years, but it may not last, because many of those positions were seasonal hires. the republican presidential candidates face two deindicate this is weekend ahead of tuesday's new hampshire primary. nbc's ron mott is in derry, new hampshire, with a preview. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this race is shaping up to a runaway rout. mitt romney is comfortable ahead in the polling, up 20 points in the latest nbc news/marris poll. he's expected to be up in derry, new hampshire, to rally voters to get out tuesday, wants to prevent the surge he saw in iowa. ron paul, who is polling second in new hampshire is brushing off notions he's focusing his campaign solely on rick santorum

who surged in iowa and beat ron paul. rick santorum is pulling third in new hampshire, trying to coalesce the conservative vote around his campaign, as you mentioned two big debates coming this up weekend, some folks say could be the last good chance for the other opponents to try to stop mitt romney. >> nbc's ron mott in new hampshire, thank you very much. a terrible accident in new zealand today. a hot air balloon struck power lines, turning it into a tower of flames. all 11 people were killed on board in that accident. january is usually among the quieter months for u.s. troops in afghanistan but that is turning out not to be the case. five soldiers were killed friday, the result of an ied attack in the southern part of the country. one year ago this weekend 19 people were gunned down at a supermarket parking lot in tucson, arizona. six people died but 13 survived including congresswoman gabrielle giffords. she'll be among thousands who will mark the anniversary sunday with what's expected to be a

very emotional gathering. and the calendar says january but doesn't feel like that in much of the country. kevin tibbles is in chicago with more on the unseasonably warm weather. >> reporter: a january warmup spans much of the nation, including fargo, north dakota, where a year ago it looked like this, and today, you get the picture. >> spring has sprung, heading out in the bayou, you need a pair of sunglasses and a lighter jacket. >> i was going to use a thermometer as a prop but this is more fun in a convertible, in a sweater in chicago in january. not so pleasant for those who depend on winter for their livelihood. ski hills from west to east are struggling and steve's snow removal business melted away. >> only 16% of the nation is covered with snow so without a refrigerator to cool the air masses coming down, they modify quickly and we wind up with a lot of record highs.

>> reporter: for "today," kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. when you think of cute babies, rhinos may not come to mind but we are getting our first look at this little girl, born in october at a wildlife center outside dallas. how can you resist? at 8:04, that is the news. back to amy who is outside on the plaza. >> the rhino is not as cute as the baby panda. janet, thank you so much. bill karins is out on the plaza. >> poor little baby rhino's feelings are hurt. the panda's cute, but oh put a pink bow on her head maybe. good morning, everyone. it's your brother's birthday but you got the trip to new york. >> yes. >> was his wish to get you out of the house? >> i don't think so. >> you want to wish him a happy birthday? >> happy birthday logan. >> let's talk about the warm weather around the country. this map shows where the snow cover is.

right now there's less than 12% of the country with snow on the ground that, includes the mountains and the rockies, only the great lakes there's snow covered and that's from last week. this has been one of the warmest beginnings to january we've ever had. over 1,100 record highs reported in the first week alone, only 35 record lows, that was mostly in florida with the cold snap this week. we don't see a lot of big changes coming our way. a shot of cold air maybe the middle of next week but until then the we will see more around the bay area. highs today, low to mid-60s. warmer for santa rosa and fairfield. dry conditions, a dry finish to the weekend with less wind. chilly warnings. watchy frost is very likely by

monday morning. that's your saturday forecast. least? >> thanks. to florida, another video of casey anthony surfaced on the internet, the second video diary discovered of anthony who has been in hiding since this summer after she was acquitted of killing her 2-year-old daughter, caylee. anthony's lawyers say she's been hacked and are concerned about her safety. we get details from nbc's kerry sanders. >> and i'm just starting to figure out my new computer. >> reporter: the casey anthony video diary was examined thursday by florida officials. >> now i have someone to talk to, because i'm by myself so i'm not bothering poor dog whom i've adopted and i love. >> reporter: in the diary casey talks about herself more than 40 times. >> kind of nice finally being able to say that i have some belongings that are mine that i'll be able to take with me because it's obviously a different ball game for me. i've never used this before.

i don't know whether to look directly at myself or look up or -- >> reporter: never once mentions her daughter, caylee. casey's lawyer believes it was stolen from casey's hard drive. casey's parents worry for their daughter's safety. >> my clients are worried for casey's safety and hope the video won't cause her any problems. now people know what she looks like again. >> reporter: who posted it on youtube? john david briley says he first found the link asking for $3 to $5 to view the video, but then found a link that was free. >> now she ain't going to make a cent either because it's free for anybody that wants to see it. >> reporter: internet experts say it could be a sophisticated hack or just as likely simple operator error. >> i'm excited that i'll be able to skype and obviously keep a video log.

>> reporter: for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, orlando. beth karas is a former pros futuror and trutv correspondent and dr. ablow. "inside the mind of casey anthony: a psychological portrait" author. she believes she was hacked, that would be a crime, but is there any reason she would want the video out there? >> she may be testing the waters to see if she's a little more popular today than she was in july when she was acquitted but it doesn't seem that she is any more popular. i don't know that this is truly a case of hacking. it may be but when you listen to t it's four minutes two seconds the audio is muted in three parts where she refers to names of the people she's staying with so somebody is protecting her location, the identity of who she's staying with, information that could lead someone to where she is. >> we saw the first video now, the new one where she's showing

off her piercings, a different look. what do you see when you look at these tapes? >> i see the same psychological profile that i developed for the book which is this is a woman who lives through social media. she has little, it seems, as an internal self, real emotions, so the tools of her trade have to be to broadcast a false satisfactorily self. what does she say she cares about now, her phone, a cam camera, the computer, because now she can reach out in the same way she always reached out, lester, which was with a false self, from behind armor, and to say that she can take these things with her, i'm so glad i own something. well, it is the case that in the family in which she was raised she was allowed to own nothing, not even herself, not her emotions, not who watched her giving birth. >> you know, this is a video diary so purportedly this is for her own use but if she thought the public was going to see it, wouldn't she also know what the public really wants to hear?

we want to hear a sense of sadness about her daughter. >> well, sometimes things are what they are. in order to feel terrible grief at a loss, you need to have real emotions upon which to draw, and she's not miscalculating here in terms of the hunger of the american people. after all, this is made national, an international news, a little video, and then she talks about piercings. guess what? people get pierced often when they want to know they're there. they literally want the feeling of something going through flesh. this is a woman floating free of any kind of internal self because her parents cleaved her from that. >> beth, you sat in that courtroom for weeks and weeks and you saw her behavior. do you recognize this person? is this consistent with the casey anthony that you watched? >> i think she was a little actress in the courtroom. she was putting on that little church mom kind of demeanor, and i think this is more the casey that we got to know through the

jail tapes and through testimony, but i also want to add regarding her not talking about caylee on these videos, she's been fighting tool and nail not to be deposed in a civil case. if she starts talking about this she may open that door and there may be an argument she's waived her fifth amendment right so she'll waive that in the videos released to the public assuming she knows they're released. >>? one case someone else is operating the camera, you see the camera moving at some point. why else would she do this? is there some therapeutic value in doing a video diary in general when you've been through what she's been through? >> if you weren't casey anthony there might be. this is the broadcast, the antithesis of what someone would recommend her to do, to reflect, to sit with those feelings that, lester, you're referring to, find the grief, find the anger at your own annihilation as a child in that home at hope

spring drive where she was in fact psychologically suffocated. sit with that. don't go to the public and try to make a few dollars in a pay-per-view with a million people watching. i think that's what this is. >> beth, what is her status now. we know she's on parole -- it shall. >> probation. >> sorry, probation. she has to be a specific location? >> she has to be in the state of florida and they have to know where she is. she's in regular contact, she doesn't have to stay in the same place. she has to stay in the state of florida unless she gets permission to leave. she could get early release from probation. hers is only a year. i suspect she'll do the year. you can get early release. >> we know she has been threatened and there was concern if someone hacked her computer they would get an ip address and could trace her. >> yes, they could. >> nice to have you back.

still to come, looking to put your house on the market? it's all in the staging, we'll explain. first one of the highest rated shows on cable television, amy looks inside the gold and silver pawn shop with those pawn stars. . a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? we talked about getting a diamond. but with all the thank you points i've been earning... ♪ ...i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. ♪ [ male announcer ] the citi thank you card. earn points you can use for travel on any airline, with no blackout dates. ♪ ♪

most of us want to hear we've done a good job caring for our mouths. that's why there's a rinse like crest pro-health multi-protection. it helps you get a better dental check-up. ♪ because not all rinses provide all these benefits. so be ready for your next dental check-up. crest pro-health multi-protection rinse. [ male announcer ] try any crest pro-health rinse. complete satisfaction guaranteed, or we'll buy it back. it is one of the most popular reality shows on cable tv right now. we're not talking about the kardashians of "the jersey shore." pawn channel is a number one

television show and fans are flocking to the gold & silver pawnshop on the vegas strip. >> how much do you want for it? >> 10,000. >> i'm seeing like 14,000. >> you're going to make a fortune. >> 15,000. >> rick harrison has spent most of his life making deals. >> how would you make money with this thing? >> but the best deal so far has been the one he and his family inked with tv 2 1/2 years ago. >> i'm rick harrison and this is my -- >> pawn stars made its debut on the history channel in 2009. the show tells the real life triales and tribulations of a family run pawnshop in las vegas. >> it's a little bit history lesson, a little bit game show. >> airing in 150 countries, pawn stars is one of the highest rated reality shows on tv right now. >> i never, ever, if my wildest dreams thought it was going to get this big. >> you can date one of you these things if you put a few things together. you look at the lining.

this is from the blanket company. >> you prepared, you studied. >> that's really me. i don't watch television at night. >> you have a photographic memory? >> i have a pretty good memory. i read every night. i read things like the history of mercury poisoning, the history of salt, the history of gold. how much do you want for it? >> 500. >> no. >> so you bought that car? that car belongs to me, son. >> what's your favorite part of doing the show? >> you want to know the honest truth? yes. >> money. >> the show has proved to be lucrative for the hairon's gold & silver pawnshop. >> i've always been successful. i had a very good pawnshop. but since the show, it's gotten stupid. >> but stupid good? oh, yeah, stupid good. i'm not complaining. >> reporter: the shop has become a must-see on the vegas strip. >> during the summer, we are

getting 70,500 people a day. the city was coming by complaining about the lines outside. >> thousands of items are up for sale. some are just plain odd while others are classic. a vintage coke machine, an old school video game, a refrigerator from the 30s. there are also guns, musical instruments, tons of jewelry and more. what's the strangest thing someone tried to sell you? >> oh, i hear that all the time. i have so many bizarre things. i've had everything from tiffany stocking supporters -- >> used? >> 18 karat gold. i recently bought a bunch of unpublished photos of jimi hendrix on stage. >> these super bowl rings are popular items. but the fans, priceless.

>> hey. >> what do you think of this t-shirt when you look at it? >> i think, wow, they couldn't have picked a more booum beautiful man to put on that t-shirt. >> chum lee is chumlee. he's got a good heart. >> the harrison family says the shop still pawns more than it buys and there's always the chance of being had. >> i bought seven lexuss in a week. i thought i was going to get fired. >> if someone sees that and says, i see it says 60 bucks, i'll give you 40. what do you say? >> not in this case. this case is nonnegotiable. the best part of my job is working with my family. and the worst part of my job is working with my family. >> a family-run business that has struck gold with tv audiences and made these four guys into pawn stars on and off the screen. >> it's been a great ride.

and i'm going to ride it until the end because i know ten years from now people are going to be saying, remember that show about four fat guyes and a pawnshop, what it was called? >> i love his laugh. you know what else i love about the show? who watches it. my grandparents watch it and i've got kids that range from 5 to 15 and they all watch it. it spans all ages and genders and you learn something and you laugh a little, too. >> it's a bit of a gamble for them knowing what the true value of these things is. >> and they've made some mistakes before and they've been painful. >> and they've learned from it, right? >> yes. >> and we're back on nbc. hey guys, what can i get for you?

i would like a decaf 360 calories please. and for you? i'll have a triple iced 410 calories please. you want the 40 whipped calories on that? uh, you know what... i'll have this instead

[ female announcer ] swap one thing a day for a yoplait light. with 33 flavors all around a hundred calories, a swap a day adds up to amazing. [ male announcer ] find yoplait on sale this week. ten for six dollars at your local safeway store still to come on "today," a teen mom is called a hero after she shoots and kills an intruder days after her husband passes away. and some impressive ways to spruce up your home for sale.

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[ femalennouncer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't... multigrain cheerios has five whole grains and 110 lightly sweetened calories per serving... more grains. less you! multigrain cheerios. good morning. looking live. thanks for joining us. i'm kris sanchez along with meteorologist, rob my ayeda. a forecast that is cool enough to make you blue. >> smurf colors. blue and purple off to the east. napa, 29. fairfield, 46 degrees. quite a swing of temperatures. it all comes down to the fact that the northerly winds are now getting down towards sea level around places like polano

county. speaking of the winds, live look at the winds from antioch towards the ulty ma pass. temperatures in the mid-60s for most of the bay area. as the winds back off, the air will dry out more supporting cooler temperatures, 20s and 30s by monday morning. >> that is very cold. thank you very much, rob. you might be able to help save the life of a five-month-old vary lay owe girl in need of a critical liver transplant. she is too small to take part of someone else's liver and has to have a transplant from someone her own size. her parents say because they are uninsured she may be passed over when a liver becomes available. a family friend developed a line of shirts, sweat shirts and

sweat pants to help raise the money. they are available, call 650-355-1011. an occupy protesters could end up occupying a jail cell for life. it landed the 38-year-old in the santa rita jail. he got into a scuffle with a prison guard and now faces a felony assault charge. his attorney says he is homeless and mentally ill and deprived of his medication while in jail. he has a prior criminal record and now the prosecutor could decide to charge him with the third strike, which can carry a life sentence. >> because he doesn't have his medication, gets into a fight with the guards and now it is three strikes. i think that is not only terribly unjust to mr. johnson but terribly unjust to all of us. >> critics of the current three-strike law are gathering

signatures that could reduce sentences for third strikes on nonviolent crimes. he is set to be arraigned on monday. coming up this morning, a south bay burg lettlar who know much about his victims. the crime spree that is a warning to all of us around the bay area. we have more weather coming up in 30 minutes. "today in the bay" starts at 7:00.

and we're back on this saturday morning, january 7th, 2012. it's the first full weekend of the new year. we want to give thanks to our friendly folks who came out here on the plaza to be a part of our crowd on this balmy january day outside of the plaza. i'm amy robach along with lester holt. still to come this had a hour, you may not have thought of it, but after you see this story, you will. what would you do if an intruder came into your home? >> an 18-year-old, recently widowed mom of a 3-month-old. when two men tried to break into her house, she called and asked permission to shoot if provoked.

neighbors call her the maim make my day mom. >> she had such composure under an awful situation. then we're going to switch gears and talk about a new series called "open house." bark ra corcoran takes us inside a home and she shows us the dos and don'ts of stamging your home before the for sale sign goes up. why is it all so important? barbara will explain, coming up. then for the new year, all those resolutions about eating. david will show us why some soups are not the rice choice on the road to he'ding healthy. >> a lot to get to. but first, let's get another check of the weather from bill karins. good morning. >> good morning. lester and i were just chatting a little bit. here is the new orleans crew. if you couldn't be there at the game, be here, right?

>> absolutely. >> maybe the saints will be on the super bowl which will be on nbc, by the way. let's get to the weekend's forecast. first thing is first, we're going to have rain down there in new orleans today and tonight. we're going to see some rain showers down there in areas of georgia. the warm air still dominates the weather map. absolutely cereal in the northern plains this weekend. the cold, cold arctic air is bottled up in virginia. likes like a we are seeing a pretty interesting morning around the bay area. notice the temperatures around napa and santa rosa. wind protected spot. nearby in fairfield, 46 where the wind is starting to pick up. we will see more of it as we go through the afternoon. highs today across the board. mostly mid-60s. a bit warmer towards santa rosa and fairfield. as the winds back off, the air is extremely dry which supports more patchy frost for monday. showers north of the bay area.

now it's time to talk the football games. nbc, sit on your couch, probably this afternoon, end up sometime late tonight. wild park saturday, these games are indoors. the forecast is mainly for those that will be outdoors. bengals and patriots. then towards tonight, if you like to watch high scoring games, a lot of entertainment, this is the game for you, saints and the lions. best wide receiver there is, calvin johnson and the saints against one of the best qbs around. back to you, amy. >> bill, thank you. she's been nicknamed the make my day mom. this is not a hollywood movie. it was for real for one widowed tooem teen mom. she says she did what she had to do with two intruders broke into her home on new year's eve. now she is being called a hero.

>> reporter: home is where you're supposed to feel safe. so when 18-year-old sara mckinley heard knocking at her door, she grabbed her phone and called 911. >> i've got two gun necessary my hand. is it okay to shoot him if he comes in this door sflp in you have to do whatever you can do to protect yourself. >> sarah had to protect not only herself, but her 3-month-old son. >> is he trying to get in the door? >> reporter: with her shotgun loaded, sarah waited to see if anyone would break in. >> i waited for 21 minutes when he busted in my house. when he did, i shot him. i didn't have no choice. >> the intruder was 4-year-old martin. investigators says he was carrying a knife. authorities also arrested another suspect for the burglary. two days before that shooting, a teenager in a small town in north carolina had to take similar deadly action.

the 14-year-old boy used a shotgun to protect himself as his home was broken into. >> this one has a gun now. >> wa kind of gun? small gun, big gun? >> he had a handgun and he came around the corner, pointed it at me. when he did, i fired two shots. >> and just this week near san francisco, a 90-year-old retired sheriff's deputy shot a burglary in his home. the suspect survived and faces charges of attempted burglary and murder. in each case, those defending their homes have faced no charges. >> you have to make a choice, you or him, and i chose my son over him. >> the second suspect in the oklahoma case is now on the out on bail and has made no pleas or statements. under oklahoma's so-called castle doctrine, he, not sarah, is now charged with murder because the death happened during the commission of a crime. sarah sailg says if anyone try

toes threaten her and the baby, she's be armed and ready. >> now here is lester. now to england where investigators are still trying to figure out the identity of the victim whose body was found on the queen's estate on new year's day. word this morning that staffers are being questioned. we get more now from annabel roberts. >> reporter: the search continues for the riddling clues. investigators picked through the earth looking for anything to help solve this mystery and are still waiting for dna tests to establish the identity of the victim. >> the problem is the victim was quite badly decomposed. we haven't been able to obtain a profile. we're now looking at a different process. that will take slightly longer and we're very xvt confident that we'll get a profile on monday. >> this grim task is taking place just a mile from the queen's estate entrance. the female victim is between 13

and 23 years old and was wearing jewelry. tests have failed to reveal how she was killed. the baby was discovered on new year's day by a staff worker. >> we've spoken to the head game keeper and the estate manager to establish things that happened in the area. >> and what about the royals themselves? they often go pheasant shooting in a field right beside the wood where the body was found. >> we know that a shoot took place on the 28th and there's been some speculation about speaking to people on that shoot. i don't see that as necessary because we know the body has been there since before the 1st of december and, therefore, they won't have any relevant information for us. >> parts of the vast estate are opened to visitors. police want to hear from anyone who noticed unusual activity here this autumn. the queen is being kept informed of developments.

nbc news, london. up next here this morning, staging your home. we'll take you inside a home for sale and give you the dos and don'ts for selling it fast. he

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this morning, we're kicking off a new series of today's open house, there are over 4 million homes across the country on the market. for buyers looking to make a deal, it's a great time for buy. for homeowners looking to sell, that means a lot of competition. how do you make your house shine? barbara corcoran says priority number one is to show your house in the best possible light and it's all in the staging. >> when a buyer walks into a nice, bright room, they feel happy. and you know what happy buyers do? they make offers. this house has the wonderful advantage of high ceilings, triple windows, french doors, wide walls, white trim, plenty of lamps and white carpeting. lamps, threeways, lights, lighter, lighter. that's what you want to be.

if you have 40 watt bulbs in your lamps, forget about it. turn on every lamp in your house. another trick to making every room look larger is get the furniture off the floor. get rid of the skirts on your furniture. show the legs in the room. it visually gets larger. it's always smart to make your master bedroom neutral because everyone likes neutral. it makes a room feel much larger. plants are a great way to add a lift and some life to any room. but if you've had your plant for more than a year, chances are it's time for the funeral parlor and get rid of it and get another one that's chunky and full of life because it won't be lost on the buyer. let's talk about clutter. everyone thinks it's about what's on the floor. no, it's just autos much about what's on your wall. if you have a lot of lovely things on your wall webs no problem, but take them all in.

put them on one wall. contain them. have a look at this. get rid of the stuff on the counters, in the stinks, wet pungs, out with them. even within the draws, with every buyer opens your draws, your cabinets and you can't afford to have a mess. h. every house photographs the best in the springtime. and a little extra smasht thing to do, like this, take all those shots all through the spring and make a beautiful photo album of how lovely the house looks in the springtime. and joining us right now is "today" real estate contributor barbara corcoran. great to see pup let me ask you this, is it hard to have that conversation with the seller and say, look, you have to get rid of some of this junk? >> the seller never really wants to hear the truth because they love their home and they're a little sad about letting it go.

this was a house that was $400,000 an hour north of new york city in polling, new york, and they did a lot of things right. but that seller had to hear about a lot of things they did wrong. >> and every house, including that house looked best in spring. what other things can you do in the wintertime? especially when you think of dry leaves and all the things that come with winter outside? >> winter is the hardest time to sell. a house with stuff outside is a total turnoff to the buyer. they have have patio furniture. . to photograph a house in the winter, it's almost impossible to get a good, experienced shot. put all the lights on in the inside and take a shot at night. it makes for a great photo. >> will perspective buyers sometimes look in draws and closets? >> they look in everything, including medicine cabinets. but here is the most

interesting. i've watched buyers my whole life walk into houses. when they see a messy closet, they make a wrong assumption that the electric y'allal and plumbing is also a mess. you can't afford to have everything messy. and you made a big point of talking about the light. but if you have a house with big windows and high ceilings, it's easier to give it that feeling. if you don't have that, how can you campaign? >> it's kind of like cheating your way to success if you happen to have those good bones. but a very easy thing to do is to add crown mouldings at $1 to $2 a foot. that constituents the height of the ceiling. but the most important thing to do is to get rid of your curtains and heavy drapes and let the light in. light is the most important quality that buyers look for. >> what about things like ceiling fans, rugs, how do they play? >> rugs are very important because i have watched, always, that buyers will walk in and

wruj the size of the room based on how large the area rug is. and anything that visually gets in the way of the eye when you're looking at the room prosecute why you stand to the corner of that room, like a dark brown ceiling fan, that's what buyers are buying is space. >> a big question about appliances. should you get rid of your rickety dishwasher, do perspective buyers look and say, i want new appliances? >> no. they simply don't make an offer on your house. the as a matter of factest thing you can do is make your kitchen look fresh and bright. you can get a fancy looking frinl rater for backside 22,000. up next, the soup is on. one of the best and worst soups to eat. we're going to get some answer webs next.

this morning on eat this, not that, a bowl of soup, it can be the perfect ending to a cold day. but if you're not careful on which one you choose, you can pack on the pounds. dave, author of the "eat this, not that" author of the super market guide is here with some healthier alternatives. i always get nervous because i'm afraid you're going to ruin something i love. >> nope. >> i love tomato basil soup with a grilled cheese sandwich, but i know you wouldn't be okay with that. >> in moderation. has a lot of salt plus this st is the code word for cream. this is a heavy, dairy laden soup that gives you 16 grams of saturated fat. you're getting 520 equalries, the equivalent of these five

bowels of honey smack cereal. >> and 1500 milligrams of sodium? >> yeah. you only need a few milligrams a day. so go with campbell's, go with select harvest. you're getting a fraction of the calories. and you're at zero fat. you're wiping out the fat. >> i like that. i can live with that. now, we have a chicken chowder here. i can already tell by the color which one probably is the least healthy. >> and the problem here is all the fat and salt. this has so much saltwater i expected it to come with a few somali pirates or something. >> good one. >> 18 grams of fat. it's the calorie equivalent of these 80 free toes. so if you're going to go with progresso, go with their southwestern style chicken

chowder. it's two cups, 220 calories, four grams of fat. and the only thing that was different there was the soybean oil. if you look at the ingredients list, it's almost the same. >> now, chili is always a huge favorite this time of year. i'm looking at all of the sausages right there. what's your best bet for chili? >> here, the progress with this stag classic chilly is 1600 milligrams of sodium, a day's worth of fat and 660 calories. so what you do, so you don't have the equivalent of these 11 1/2 jimmy dean sausage links, go with the four bean chili. it has 95% less fat. so if you want a meat based chili, make it yourself with lean meat, plenty of vegetables. but if you do this instead, you make the smart eat this, not that swap, save a few hundred

calories and get a lot of protein and fiber. >> this is interesting because this is curried lentil soup. i would think by that name it's healthy. >> you would. and the problem is it's jam packed with calories and sodium. that's the issue here. it's another day in the salt mines with this one. it's 460 calories. it has 1400 milligrams of sodium. and remember, ounce per ounce, soups are probably the most sodium laden things of anything in the super market. so it's the equivalent of all of these. >> bagel bites? and bagel bites. >> pepperoni bagel bites? >> all 14 of them. so go with the soup from amy's. >> those are great alternatives. but i have to say, when i see something like this, i just want to pick one out. all right. david, thanks so much. and we're back after these messages. ngs, getting the family together for breakfast might seem... ♪ ...impossible. no, no... well how about the purp? ew!

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on this saturday morning, our thank to janet shamblian and bill karins, i think. tomorrow on today, kate middleton is turning 30, did you hear? and then i have a nice sit down interview with jenner hudson. take cover, everybody.

coming up next on "today in the bay," a townhouse fire that burned so fast one person did not make it out in time. we will have the latest details there and the complete shutdown of an east bay thoroughfare that sent several children to the hospital. a south bay burglar with impeccable timing. hey guys, breakfast!

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look can live at a beautiful sunrise. it is very clear and cold. thanks for joining us. i'm kris sanchez along with meteorologist, rob