>> thank you very much. thank you for joining us. we'll be back with a local update at 7:25. good morning. contraception controversy. catholic leaders blast president obama over a decision to require church affiliated institutions to provide insurance coverage for birth control and they vow to make it an issue in this year's presidential race. disturbing details on what may have happened in josh powell's house before he set it on fire killing himself and his two young sons. what may have been his motive? and gisele bundchen under

fire blaming tom brady's teammates for the loss as the city of york gets ready for a parade today, tuesday, february city of york gets ready for a parade today, tuesday, february 7, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning, i'm ann curry. >> and i'm matt lauer. and president obama is facing increased pressure this morning to reverse the controversial new health insurance policy. it's drawing a lot of criticism from catholics. >> it's a backlash that could threaten the president's support among a voting bloc that was critical to his victory in 2008. we'll tell you what the controversy is all about coming up this morning. voters in three states are casting their ballots in the gop presidential race today. >> and new developments on the mysterious cases of tourette's like symptoms in one town in

upstate new york. a doctor who has treated one of the girls is now saying social media could be fueling the outbreak. we'll be hearing from him. and also when you think about france, you think about wine and fashion and art. well the author of a new book is raising a family there, wants you to add parenting to the list. why she believes the french have unlocked the secrets to raising better kids, we'll see but that. >> but let us begin on this tuesday with a check of the top stories from natalie who is standing by at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with disturbing new details in the murder/suicide of josh powelled on his two sons. police say the husband of missing woman, susan powell, meticulously planned his sons' deaths, donating their toys and books to goodwill over the last few days. before preparing the house for the massive and deadly blaze. according to the count's medical examiner, both boys suffered additional injuries to their head and neck. and a hatchet was found in the destroyed house. we'll have more coming up in a

live report. international pressure is mounting on bashar al assad to stop his bloody crackdown on a popular uprising in sirria nbc's iman has more good morning. >> reporter: good morning natalie. in the face human rights organizations are saying that the assad regime has carried out a license to kill and that's what's explaining the sharp increase in violence. mortars raining down on the city of homs and in the street, even recovering dead bodies has been too dangerous for residents, who say snipers shoot to kill anyone who steps out. no place to hide, not even this makeshift clinic where people seek refuge and where doctors struggle to treat the injured. it's struck, too. >> all we want is help, we don't care if an army comes in. we don't care if the u.n. bombards syria to rescue us.

>> but military help is not going to happen now, says president obama. in an exclusive interview with matt. >> i think it is very important for us to try to resolve this without recourse to outside military intervention. >> reporter: a u.n. security council resolution calling on president assad to hand over power and begin transition to a democratically-elected government was vetoed saturday by russia and china, drawing international condemnation. but in damascus, crowds lined streets to welcome the russian foreign minister who arrived to discuss with syria's embattled president. eye witnesses report that syrian tanks and soldiers are moving to other cities, raising fears that similar attacks in other parts of the country could be imminent. in the wake of that diplomatic failure at the u.n., regional countries like turkey and other gulf arab states say they're going to redouble their efforts to try to resolve this conflict in a peaceful way. natalie? >> ayman reporting in cairo,

egypt, thanks so much. congress has passed a bill aimed at pushing the country's aviation system into a new high-tech era, switching from radar to gps-based air traffic control. it will provide stability to the faa, granting it long-term funding over the next four years. now let's head to wall street and cnbc good morning, mandy. >> good morning, natalie. it's crunch time in greece for them to avoid a chaotic death default which could hurt stocks here. and the earnings period continues and oil giant, bp, is making more money, thanks to higher oil prices and is preparing vigorously for laults relating to the gulf of mexico oil spill, they're going to begin this month and walmart is going to label some of its great value brand products, great for new their fight against childhood obesity. >> thank you. and in case you were wondering what the new york giants were doing on the flight

home. take a look. running back andre brown leading a victory chant with his teammates. >> i got a ring. >> all right. >> you got one, too! >> all right! >> they've all got their rings. super bowl rings, that is. and today, they're also going to get the keys to the city of new york and the ticker tape parade. a lot of hardware for our giants, very proud. that means there's going to be lot of traffic around here. >> downtown, no question. >> the plane was doing this on its way to new york. >> let's get a check of the weather with mr. roker. >> a little turbulence. >> let's see what we have. first of all, it has been really dry throughout much of central and southern california. almost three inches below normal for rain in l.a. almost seven and a half inches for san francisco. good news, they're getting a lot of rain today from san francisco all the way down to san diego. rainfall amounts about half an inch to an inch of rain. but still, it is much needed.

and in florida, they're looking at some heavier rain, too. from key west all the way up to daytona beach. basically anywhere from one to two inches of rain right along the eastern coast. that's what's going on >> it's a wet and windy start to your tuesday morning. good morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren. tracking some showers and heavy downpours right now through the east bay. live from the nbc bay area weather center. you can see most of the moisture right now confined to the east bay, san jose getting a break from the rain, but hey, you're going to encounter heavy downpours north of fremont along 880. take it easy. we get quite a break by about noon. and then we continue to dry out as we head through tonight. >> thanks very much. it's a busy day in the gop presidential race, contests are being held today in colorado, minnesota and missouri. nbc's peter alexander is on the campaign trail in colorado. peter, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning to you.

mitt romney is hoping to continue his long march to the nomination uninterrupted today. rick santorum is hoping for his biggest break-out day since the iowa caucuses more than a month ago. there are three contests today. and the romney campaign is trying to lower expectations once again. a senior romney adviser telling me overnight, do not be surprised if santorum pulls off a minnesota victory today. >> you don't get a better welcome than a colorado welcome, i'll tell you that. that is something. >> in front of a packed high school gym outside denver, mitt romney ignored his republican rivals. and instead hammered away at president obama, for this exchange with matt on "today." >> do you deserve a second term? >> i deserve a second term, but we're not done. >> he said he deserves a second term. can you believe that? this president has failed, that's why he has to go. and we need a new president. >> still, the growing buzz

surrounding rick santorum's presidential bid, the romney campaign began going after the former pennsylvania senator. who until now had largely escaped being the target of romney's attack machine. sending out a barrage of emails, including a statement from one of romney's tom surrogates, tim pawlenty, rick santorum is a nice guy, but not ready to be the president. santorum fired back. >> any time that someone challenges governor romney. he doesn't talk about what he's for. he goes out and attacks, and tries to destroy, i don't think it's going to work this time. >> following today's votes in colorado, minnesota and missouri, the republican race heads to maine, before heading to arizona, michigan and washington state. leading up to super tuesday, march 6th. exactly four weeks away. and that's exactly where newt gingrich hones to resurrect his struggling campaign. on monday, gingrich softened his critique of romney. >> he's not a bad person, per se. but he's also not a person who

goes in there with force and will and fundamentally changes thing. and we're in a situation where we need fundamental change. >> and in a lighter moment, gingrich addressed his portrayal on "saturday night live." >> "saturday night live," you know, and any politician who gets to the point where "saturday night live" deems you worthy of notice can hardly complain. this is an american institution. >> and whether these campaigns hold their final event of the day or their campaign party tonight says a lot about their strategies. ron paul in minnesota, rick santorum in who movement and ann, newt gingrich will be campaigning in ohio where they don't vote until super tuesday. >> all right. interesting, peter alexander, thank you so much. meantime, the obama administration is facing a backlash from catholic leaders over a provision in the new health care law. at issue is birth control. and nbc's andrea mitchell is joining us this morning with the story. >> good morning to you, ann. it is an issue that raises questions of church and state.

first amendment freedoms and government mandates. add to that partisan politics and you have a volatile mix. that could spell trouble for the white house in the campaign. out across the country, the voices on both sides are getting louder. from the pulpit and on the internet, outraged catholic clergy have been preaching against the white house decision requiring catholic hospitals, charities and other institutions to include birth control in their health insurance plans. >> never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience. >> the administration says religiously-owned providers should not be allowed to impose their faith on noncatholic employees. the rule does not apply to churches themselves and supporters say the constitution mandates the separation of church and state. >> people are not being forced to adopt a new set of religious beliefs by this rule. they can practice their religion as they see fit. they can choose not to use birth

control. >> 28 states already require contraceptive services to be included in health benefits. >> we're going to work with institutions that have concerns here. but i think it's important to note that we believe that american women deserve to have access to that kind of insurance coverage, regardless of where they work. >> but in this volatile campaign, republican candidates are calling it a war on religion. >> this is a decision so totally outrageous, and illustration of such radical secular ideology, that i believe the entire hierarchy will oppose it, every inch of the way. >> the romney campaign is trying to organize opponents to sign an online petition against the new rule. >> we must have a president who is willing to protect america's first right, a right to worship god according to the dictates of her own conscience. >> while the candidates focus on politics, other republicans say it is a fundamental moral question. >> the decision itself is incomprehensible. i think the president is going to need to step, to back off of this issue.

or the courts are going to do it for him. >> the new policy has even touched a nerve with some liberal democrats, like mark shields on pbs. >> the fall-out is cataclysmic for the white house and for the president. and left them out to dry. it really has. with, and just a policy that i think is quite frankly indefensible. >> while surveys indicate that most catholics believe they can be good members of the church without following the church's teaching on birth control, the issue could still persuade independent voters in swing states like michigan, ohio and pennsylvania. states that the president needs to win. >> it's a story to be continued. thank you so much, andrea mitchell this morning. it's 7:13, once again, here's matt. >> thanks very much, rachel maddow is the host of rachel maddow show on nbc. good to have you here. back in 2008, 27% of the people who voted identified themselves as catholic. president obama won in that group, 54-45%. has he miscalculated on this issue?

>> i don't think so. i've heard a lot of people say that and i don't read it that way. i see this as part of a larger issue on contraception. and right now all of the republican candidates have taken pretty far right perspectives on contraception. i think seeing it as an extension of anti-abortion politics, not only do a vast majority of catholics use birth control, but 80% of americans think that all health insurance plans should be required to cover it. >> when you hear people saying president obama could suffer because of this in the election, and yet you use your logic there, if the majority of women in this country say they use birth control, could this back-fire on the republican candidates who are now making it the issue? >> this kind of decision could mean hundreds of thousands, if not millions of american women can't get health insurance coverage for contraception. mitt romney wants to eliminate all federal fanly planning support. that means that women are going to have to pay for birth control out of pocket under the republicans' plans and all of the republican candidates, including mitt romney have supported legislation that could make birth control illegal, this

personhood stuff. >> is this traction to this? is this an issue that's going to last well into the election or campaign? or is this something that's going to fizzle out? >> i think this is going to fizzle out. if there's a bus driver opening and you're amish. nobody is going to say you can't apply for that because you're amish. but if you get the job and say, i can't drive this bus, i'm amish. people will say, if it's a bus-driving gig, you got to be able to drive. if it's health care, it's part of health care, contraception. >> politics, primaries in colorado, missouri and minnesota. 60% of delegates up for grabs. if you look at the polling in minnesota, rick santorum polling very high. one poll i saw has him two percentage points ahead of mitt romney. ha does it do to the romney campaign if a rick santorum wins in minnesota or finishes very close. >> the minnesota electorate is very close to the iowa electorate. it won't be that surprising. but it is sort of a gut-check

for the romney campaign. why at this late in the date can he not get people on board? why are his unfavorables and favorables so upside-down. people are saying the more they hear about him, the less they like him. that's the tour for his campaign. >> in an interview with the president before the super bowl, he said he doesn't believe the israelis have made a decision whether they will strike the nuclear facilities inside iran. but if you listen to some of the interviews that israeli officials have given lately, it sounds as if they've made up their mind. are the americans, is the obama administration and are the israelis on the same page on this subject? >> i think that essentially the entire world is on the same page on this subject. in terms of the isolation of iran on this very issue. nobody in the world, they do not have an ally in the world who wants them to go this direction. even russia and china -- >> but the method of dealing with it? >> it's sort ever wait and see, nobody is being honest in terms of the way they're talking about what's being plan. you talk to people off the record, they tell you very different things than they tell you on the record about what

america is going to do and what they believe israel is planned to go i think the world is against iran in this and they're isolated. >> on the different subject, the super bowl ad that aired during halftime. that featured clint eastwood's voice, it was for chrysler, and the comeback of detroit. chrysler said it was simply a car commercial. a lot of people are saying this was in effect a campaign ad for president obama. and even perhaps a pay-back for the auto bailout. what did you make of it? >> why would chrysler be paying back now? do they want another bailout? they're doing fine. that logic sort of escapes me. i think this is a yeah america ad. talking about the country being in economic recovery and jobs coming back and detroit coming back is a partisan statement. then we're in a weird universe. i think yeah america is a pretty nonpartisan statement or at least it ought to be seen that way. >> rachel maddow, good to see you. you can catch her show, week nights at 9:00 p.m. eastern. it's 17 after the hour. here's ann.

the new york giants will be celebrating their super bowl victory today with a ticker tape parade here in new york city. this as super model, gisele bundchen, the wife of patriots quarterback tom brady, is taking heat for a post-game remark aimed 5 at some of her husband's teammates, savannah guthrie has more. >> as if tom brady did have enough reason to be disappointed after sunday's loss to the giants, some folks are taking jabs at his wife for being a little too vocal. moments after losing super bowl xlvi to the new york giants -- >> they put a lot of pressure on us as we came up a little bit short. >> a deeply disappointed tom brady was comforted by his supermodel wife, gisele bundchen. just last week, gisele call opd her friends and family to pray for her husband, who she affectionately calls tommy. but those prayers weren't enough. and as she exited the stadium, another side of the brazilian bombshell was caught on tape by celebrity website, the

insider.com. hecklers got her and she shot back. my husband cannot [ bleep ] -- >> she said she can't believe tom's receivers dropped the ball so many times. >> it's not really the kind of thing you would expect to happen with a high-profile figure like brady. especially considering that his wife is a supermodel and she knows what it's like to be in the public's eye. >> you're supposed to be the support group, not to be someone who is shouting statements. >> the glamorous couple, who have one son together, began dating in 2006. some say gisele has transformed the nfl star from his high-fashion wardrobe to his ever-changing hairstyles. brady a regular fixture in fashion magazines. outside of the fashion world, brady's fans are more considered with the gridiron than the flat iron and the boston sports world has been speculating about a gisele jinx for years. >> here's the thing as far as

boston is concerned, they only care about one thing -- winning. this he know that since gisele has been with brady, he hasn't won a super bowl. >> speculation that began at the 2008 super bowl. the last time the patriots faced the giants and lost. gisele was spotted in a sky box looking less than interested, as she sipped red wine, not beer, a no-no among sports fans. the "boston herald" labeled it the curse of the baby no. >> if you have a problem, you deal with it, you deal with it in the locker room, you deal with it with your coach, with your teammates, there's a code among players and among teams, you keep it in-house. >> a code that now has to be extended to supermodels. >> well, we reached out to gisele bundchen but she had no further comment on her remark. guys, back to you. >> she told you to bleep off. >> she was just defending her man. she -- >> you know, only thing those hecklers want to do is get under someone's skin. the one thing you can't allow them to do?

is get under your skin. >> and throw the teammates under the bus. >> especially the team bus. >> exactly. >> anyway. we've got more coming up, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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>> good tuesday morning. i'm laura garcia-cannon. thanks for joining us. i want to check in with meteorologist christina loren, she's got a look at our forecast. >> good morning. you know what, we've got the rain coming down in addition to showers we have some gusty winds whipping that rain around. you need to make sure to give yourself time. we are starting to get a break from the rain down through the south bay. livermore still seeing light to moderate showers and as we head throughout the morning hours we'll continue to see clearing. right now really dangerous conditions as it has been raining all night. so we'll continue to track this. right now back to you, laura.

>> we continue to follow breaking news this morning. we brought you from newark where an officer was shot. bob is live on the scene. >> reporter: good morning. newark p.d. telling us it was a federal agent shot outside that home there where the white fence is in newark. about an hour and a half, two newark p.d. squad cars rushed the ambulance carrying that agent to a hospital where the agent we understand is being eat theed, condition unknown. the suspect is still at large, last scene in a two-door white car. neighbors awoke to the sound of a man yelling something to the effect of down on the ground, that was followed by several gun shots. a woman was heard yelling, no, robert, no. a resident saw -- who we presume is the suspect a short person with a ball cap and white hood limping away from the scene.

this is a residential area in newark. this section of roadway is shut down at benton court as techs are collecting evidence. reporting live, bob redell, nbc bay area news. >> it's a residential area so probably not affecting traffic. >> just local traffic, laura. thank you very much for that note. the slowing off of the castro valley y, and accident, northbound 880 at tuneissen. local traffic is affected. but not affecting thorton. whatcha lookin' for hon?

ah, these new jeans i want. i've been looking everywhere. new blue jeans? oh, don't be crazy, i've got tons of blue jeans. frank! frank! get my jean bin, susie wants my jeans. no she doesn't. here we go. nice and loose. ohhh. those are loose, but i actually just ordered three pairs of this kind. ooooohhhh. oh. when it's on your mind, it's on ebay.

7:30 on 7:30 on a tuesday morning, february 7th, 2012. it is a beautiful start to the day here in new york city. hopefully where you are as well as we look from the top of the rock south, the empire state building, one world trade building, looking at the southern end of manhattan island where there will be a big parade for the new york giants. down on the plaza, a great group of people. some people may be heading to the parade a little later on today. we'll get outside and say hi to them in a little while. meanwhile, inside studio 1-a,

i'm matt lauer and ann curry. >> we'll get the results of latest testing and tell you why social media websites could be adding to the problem of tics. and a lot of talk about tiger mom and ter tough love parening. how about the french style of parening? they're known for fashion and food but the author of a new book says they have parenting thing figured out from getting babies to sleep through the night to getting toddlers to eat their vegetables. coming up, she'll make her case for parenting the french way. but we begin this half hour with some really troubling new details. in the double murder/suicide of josh powell and his two young sons. we should warn you that these details are disturbing. we'll talk to susan powell's parents in just a moment. but first, nbc's miguel is now joining us from graham, washington, with the latest on this story. good morning. >> reporter: ann, good morning. police are working to retrace

josh powell's steps in the days leading up to this horrific fire. they say when a social worker brought his kids here, they had -- he certainly had a plan to kill his children. when police removed the bodies of josh powell and his two young boys from the burned down home, a hatchet was found nearby. 7-year-old charles and 5-year-old braden suffered from so-called chop wound to the head and neck but the deaths, say the coroner, were caused by the fire. detectives believe powell used ten gallons of gasoline to soak the home in a carefully planned execution that included getting rid of the boys' toys. >> boxes of toys and books and donated them to the goodwill some time over the weekend, so this was definitely a deliberate, planned out event. >> reporter: investigates say powell also sent out e-mails moments before igniting the fire. one to his lawyer reading only "i'm sorry, good-bye." another saying he couldn't live without his boys. among the last, a message to a pastor and family members.

>> they dictate what to do with utilities, what to do with his money, what to do with certain aspects of his life. >> reporter: police say none of the e-mails mentioned his missing wife susan. monday night utah detectives arrived at the crime scene, the same investigators who named josh a person of interest in susan's 2009 disappearance. >> the case is still active. we're not closing the case. >> reporter: the night susan vanished josh told police he took his boys camping in freezing conditions. susan was never seen again, despite multiple searches for her body. but now a lawyer for susan's family says, young braden recently began talking about the night they went camping. when his mom vanished. >> charlie and braden were in the backseat, and their mother was in the trunk. the boys reported that she and their father got out of the van, went for a walk and their mother got lost. >> reporter: after susan disappeared, josh moved with his boys from utah to washington state. together they lived with josh's father, steven powell, but after

steven was arrested on child pornography charges, custody was awarded to susan's parents. in august josh powell told nbc news his boys were his life. >> some days i don't even know how i get through the day. except for my sons. >> reporter: sunday charlie and braden said a final good-bye to their grandparents. a social worker was taking them to see their father. it was the last time chuck and judy would ever see the boys alive. >> they're innocent children that were killed by their father and they're back with their mother right now. the act de was cowardly, a desperate act. >> reporter: utah detectives say they hope to question josh powell's father, steven powell. he's in jail awaiting charges on possession of child pornography. police in utah say he's a person of interest in susan's disappearance but in an interview with us last summer he

said he had no involvement in susan's disappearance. this case still continues. ann, back to you in new york. >> miguel, thank you. susan powell's parents are joining us from seattle. good morning to both of you. we're so, so sorry about these -- about this news. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> i first want to give you a chance to say whatever you wish about your grandsons, charlie and braden. what can you tell us about them? >> it was great to have them with us. they were becoming more and happy and more like just loving children. and we're missing them. >> i understand they were becoming more playful. and becoming more talkative. what were they revealing about the night that your daughter, susan, their mother, disappeared. judy? >> they basically kept saying how they went on a vacation in

the desert. and camping. and mommy and daddy, they stopped at some place and mommy and daddy left. and then only daddy came back. >> and there was some discussion about mom being in the trunk of the car, is that right? >> yes. >> and that was based on a picture drawn by braden. at a preschool. and he drew a picture of a minivan and they asked care providers asked him who the people were and he said that was his daddy, charlie and himself. and that mommy was in the trunk. >> you had feared, chuck, that josh could hurt the boys. did you fear more for them and their safety when these details started to emerge and also after josh lost custody? >> we felt that they were safe

as long as they were with us. but we were concerned about the visitation. and i was concerned about how the first visitation would go, especially after he had, he had lost custody for six months. >> you were also concerned that there was just one supervisor, is that right? >> oh, absolutely. we had, we knew that he, if he was cornered and felt like there was no way out, that he was capable of this. and we had made that known to the police, all the law enforcement involved. and the social health services and things. so they were aware of our concerns. and i don't know, it just, that's the way it went. was that the one person was all they had. but he had had several visitations before with no problem. so i can understand why they would think they were okay. but we knew what he was capable

of. >> not much time has passed. so i want to ask you, judy, do you think that the lives of your grandchildren were taken because of this custody issue? or because josh may have felt that they were revealing too much about what had happened to your daughter? >> i think both. he was feeling cornered. it was basically, he didn't like us. and he just wanted to get the kids away from us so much. it really bothered him that the boys were showing such affection to chuck and there's pictures of that. so, but i think it was both. >> given what you have been feeling and your warning, chuck, to authorities about josh. do you think that authorities could have, should have done something more to protect these two young boys? >> oh, i don't think the visitation should have taken place in their home.

but i understand they have a lot of people and they deal with a lot of people that exaggerate the threat or cry wolf, if you will. and when they lump, we get lumped into the mass of people that they have to deal with, but this was such an extraordinary circumstance, that we felt they should have taken more care. >> that morning, when the social worker came to pick up the boys, judy, how did the boys seem to you? did they want to go? >> no, they didn't want to go. they were having fun playing with their cousin, patrick, who is two years old. and they didn't want to go see their dad. and i was kind of surprised. but because sometimes they really looked forward to it. would keep asking what day it is. and but it was definitely, i don't want to go. and i know, because of the laws, they had to go.

and i really didn't want them, the way, you know, didn't want to go. >> and so, that must be difficult then to know that they had to go when they didn't want to go, judy? >> yeah. i just feel a part of me and i wish i could have argued, but i knew. >> just makes you wonder, should you have told them, okay, you don't have to go. it would have been, i don't know. it would have been different, obviously. >> what's remarkable, listening to the two of you, you have been remarkable every time we've talked to you. is how strong you've been. how really strong and generous you have been. what has given you peace? what has allowed you to be strong through all of this? >> our faith. >> we know where our daughter is and we know, we know that she is

not here on this earth and, that she's safe and we know that the boys are now back with their mother. and that gives us a lot of strength, our faith does. >> i know everyone listening, sends you their deepest condolences, chuck and judy cox. thank you so much for speaking to us. >> thank you, ann. >> thank you. >> and a programming note, that "dateline" nbc will have more on this story on friday night on nbc. now let's switch gears and get a check of the weather with al. today's weather is brought to you by kay jewelers, every kiss begins with kay. and as we get started with our weather, we'll take a look at what's going to be going on down today around temperatures, we're looking at teens and 20s in new england. teens and 20s as you get into the plains. only warm spot going to be down in southern florida, they're going to be looking at rain, temperatures in the 80s today. as you can see, we've got

hit-and-miss showers and thunderstorms. heavy rain with strong winds along the medical cal coast into southern california. clouds in the pacific northwest. plenty of sunshine making its way through the plains on into the great lakes. some light snow moves across the southern great lakes, including >> showers are winding down but it's blustery. good morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren live in the nbc bay area weather center. you can see from the real time doppler still dealing with a pretty good batch of rain situated over the east side of the bay area. you head throughout the day we'll clear by about 1:00 p.m. getting mostly cloudy conditions. a little bit of rain over the napa valley at that point. highs in the upper 50s, a couple of low 60s in san whocy. a few showers early tomorrow. sunshine through the rest of the week. coming up next, why one doctor says social media sites like youtube could be spreading

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back now at 7:45 with the latest on a strange condition affecting people in an upstate new york town. there is an interesting new theory on why the cases could be spreading. amy robach has details on that. good morning. >> as we have been reporting more than a dozen girls at leroy high school say they have verbal ticks and outbursts. one expert says the condition could be fuelled by social media like facebook and youtube. this as angry parents confront school administrators demanding more information. >> no, no. i'm done listening to you. you guys need to do something. [ applause ] >> reporter: hundreds of parents showed up to a community meeting over the high school. they want to know what school administrators are doing to make sure students are safe.

>> it is not safe. why is this? you need to prove to us that it is safe to put our children in this school. you are not doing your job. you are not doing your job at all. [ applause ] >> reporter: since last october, more than a dozen young women from the school say they have developed an illness similar to tourette's syndrome. nbc news talked to several teens, some with symptoms so severe they had to pull out of school. >> i was always so -- i was always so active and everybody was always happy to be around me. i don't feel like myself anymore. >> i feel like people look at me and judge me. >> reporter: some doctors who examined the students say they have a psychiatric condition known as conversion disorder, formerly known as mass hysteria. >> i started this twitching. >> reporter: now other teens are posting videos of themselves on facebook, youtube and other websites claiming they have symptoms. a doctor who has examined a one

of the girls in leroy believes social media could be an influence. >> if you are a person who is vulnerable in some way because of your own stresses and anxieties, i think there is a potential for that to create further potential spread beyond the area that was initially involved. >> reporter: as the leroy teens continue to get treatment the school district insists there is no health risk to other students. saturday administrators showed parents a new report by the new york state health department which found no infectious or environmental cause of the illness. >> we did water testing. we did air testing. you just heard the report that those reports were negative. >> reporter: now the school has hired an outside company to review all the previous testing. also pending, results of another investigation, this one by a team of environmental activists headed up by erin brockovich.

investigators who work with her are studying soil samples to see if the illness could be related to a train derailment and chemical spill near the school more than 40 years ago. the environmental protection agency insists the accident is not related. back at the school, parents just aren't satisfied. >> this is going to take years. we want to know now what's going on. >> the school district wants to assure parents that students are safe. they have posted a statement on the website saying, quote, the health, safety and well-being of all students is the number one priority. matt? >> all right, thank you very much. 7:49 now. still ahead, we're going to catch up with ryan reynolds and talk about his new thriller called "safehouse" de cnzelos wnginas denzel washington. first, these messages. a! isn't major medical enough? huh! no! who's gonna help cover the holes in their plans? aflac! quack!

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>> good tuesday morning. 7:56 now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. we have breaking news, an update on news rebrought you from newark where an officer was shot. i want to check in with bob redell live on the scene. >> reporter: good morning to you, laura. it was a federal agent, we're not sure which agency this person was with, but he was shot earlier this morning outside a home here in newark. and newark p.d. telling us they don't believe the agent was on duty, that whatever happened was something that was not part of official police business. that agent is right now in a hospital somewhere up north on 880, being treated. condition still unknown. the suspect is still at large. we're looking for a person who was last seen in a two-door

white car. this happened just before 6:00 this morning, residents say they heard a man yelling at a person, get down on the ground, something to that effect. then there were several shots that fired out between five and seven. and then there was a woman who came out screaming, no, robert, no. when one of these neighbors came out they saw a man in his 20s, early 20s, a young man, short, with a ball cap, white hoody, walking away from the scene limping, perhaps the victim after gunshot wound himself. that suspect is at large. newark p.d. trying to find this person involved in this shooting that took place here mayhew landings road. bob redell, bay area news. >> thank you. let's get a look at the forecast. >> give yourself plenty of time, we still have heavy downpours coming down in the east bay, tri-valley, watch or heavy

downpours through danville as well. out of the rain by about noon and clear through tonight. on the cool side, highs in the 50s. the seven-day outlook coming up in moments. hi

now on a tuesday morning, it's the 7th day of february, 2012. a lot of nice people outside. by the way, it is just one week until valentine's day. so, a lot of us have got to get our shopping started for our sweetheart after we stop here. i'm ann curry along with matt lauer and al roker. we talk about ways to raise our kids but this morning we'll take a look at a new way. proposed by an american woman living in france who's discovered that french children

don't misbehave and sleep through the night after two months. how does that happen? anyway, we'll find out, if we can learn anything. >> so, no french children who misbehave? >> i think not, from what i'm reading. there are some bad moments but the argument is that they are more likely in a restaurant not to flip out, like our kids do. >> okay. like pepe le pu. >> and ryan rejdz is streynolds stopping by. he's in a brand new action thriller opposite denzel washington called "safe house." it will get your blood going from the opening sequence. >> that had to hurt. >> and another note, are you worried about your teen's college education, how you're going to pay for it? we have a list of some of the top value colleges out there for you. let's get a check of the top

stories from natalie at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning again, everyone. republican presidential candidate rick santorum is hoping for a boost today from contests in colorado, minnesota and missouri. santorum has portrayed himself as the conservative's voichoice those states. mitt romney has been stressing his conservative social values. in a radio decision he supported susan g. komen decision to strip funding from planned parenthood. more 40 states have signed to to foreclosure abuses. biggest holdouts, new york and florida, moved closer to backing the deal. it would force the five largest mortgage lenders to reduce loans for about 1 million households. the los angeles schools chief is temporarily replacing the entire staff at an elementary school where two teachers were arrested last week for allegedly committing lewd acts with students. the move is designed to reassure

outraged parents. many have kept their children home. obama is facing growing backlash over that catholic schools provide by the way control coverage in their health plans. critics including new york archbishop timothy dolan says the government is forcing them. a horrifying circus ak dented in michigan sunday wasn't quite as bad as it looks. you see motorcycle dare devil launched himself in the air and hit that guide wire and fell to the ground. he suffered a broken leg, arm and shoulder and plans to resume his career dough clairing, it's all i do. what's trending today. country singer randy travis is a top google seven after his drunk

driving arrest early monday near a north texas church. travis' hits include "forever and ever amen" apologized for overdoing it after watching the super bowl. a story we brought you earlier. supermodel gisele bundchen blaming her husband's teammates for new england's super bowl loss. giselle was also overheard telling brady he played the best game of his life. and fans are googling catherine mcphee and other stars of "smash" that premiered last night on nbc. "smash" follows behind the scenes creation of a broadway show about marilyn monroe. now 8:04. let's go back outside to al with a check of your weather. >> thank you so much, natalie. a birthday girl here. what's your name? >> julianne. >> how old are you today? >> 11. >> very excited. >> where are you from?

>> long island. >> all the way in from long island. that's a trip, just took it out of you. happy birthday. >> let's see what's happening for your day. our pick city is here in new york. 1 1 a.m. the super bowl parade. winds northwest at 12. 2:00, 9 nneey, 4degrs. as you can see, we have a big system coming in to california, bringing a lot of rainthe.er rain down in southern florida. we've also got a clipper coming across, bringing snow across the southern great lakes. light snow for chicago. some heavier snow as you get into the central plains but nothin breezy to windy conditions persist. we still have heavy rain over parts of the bay area. good morning, i'm meteorologist christina loren tracking showers now in your real time doppler radar. heavy downpours from concord, san ramon. overale.trend is clearing. we're going to continue to clear as we head throughout the next

few hours. noon, light linging activity over south bay, a light cell over the napa valley. second half of the day temperatures climb up to 60 degrees inland. showers early tomorrow making way to sunshine. weather. now back to matt lauer with a birthday girl. >> happy birthday right here. when w come back, do the french have the answer to raising me.ages, healthier kids?er abouit at these messages. we wanted to come as much as they did. (girl) it's really hogwarts! because i can fly with harry! because i love seeing him like this! (screaming) ahhhhh! (narrator) from unforgettable adventures to the wizarding world of harry potter, only at universal orlando resort. are made with sweet cherries and the crisp, clean taste of our cranberries.

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>> announcer: today's moms is ft brought to you by crest 3d white. >> back now at 8:09. this morning on today's moms, parenting the french way. can't get your kids to eat vegetables or go to sleep on time or behave in a restaurant? maybe it's time to take a family trip to paris. nbc's stephanie gosk explains. >> reporter: high fashion, great food, award winning wines. what we have grown to expect from france. but american pamela drukerman who lives there with her husband and children believes she may have stumbled upon a new export -- good parenting. french children, she says, are for the most part very well

behaved. patient, polite, good eaters. i restaurant as she struggled with an unruly toddler. >> i realized the french parents were having a very different experience from us. >> it's the whole idea of parenting. you have a firm frame. certain rules are fixed and firm. but inside the frame you have total freedom. >> reporter: it's a theory she's tested on her own children including leyla, the once unruly toddler. >> how do i say i want a piece of cake? >> reporter: leyla translates into french but what she says is "can i please have a piece of cake." turns out i'm rude. at the lunch table we are impressed again. the kids are eating their broccoli. actually, it seems almost loving their broccoli. >> you have to get kids to taste food many times.

>> reporter: sit them down, force them to eat the broccoli? >> no. no, no. that's not sustainable. that's very unpleasant for everyone. the idea is to get the child to gradually appreciate all different foods. >> reporter: and it seems to work. look what they did to this cheese. >> camembert! >> reporter: but they are still normal kids. do you prefer cheese or cake? >> cake! >> reporter: cake, hey? i'm in your camp. that is part of the secret. the rules aren't supposed to steal childhood. they are just supposed to make the growing-up process easier for parents and children alike. we found the theory echoed in the benoit family household. >> sometimes i don't really like to eat carrots, but the rest i eat. >> i want them to become balanced adults.

you know, behave normally in society. >> reporter: it's a goal most parents, no matter what country they are from, probably share. drukerman believes the french have figured out how to achieve it. stephanie gosk, nbc news, paris. >> pamela joins us. she's the author of "bringing up bebe." she's also the mother of three children as we saw in the piece. good morning. >> reporter: -- >> good morning. >> you talk about the frame. in america we teach kids the magic words of please and thank you. you say in france there are four magic words. please, thank you, hello and good-bye. >> yes. hello, in particular. bonjour is -- french parents are religious about making their kids greet adults partly to be adult. partly french parents told me to rescue children from their own natural selfishness, to realize other people are in the world

with needs as well. >> and good-bye is also about good manners. in terms of establishing the frame you write, i'm now convinced the secret to why french kids rarely whine or collapse into tantrums or do so less than american kids is that they develop the internal resources to cope with frustration. they don't expect to get what they want instantly. how did that happen? >> it's a long apprenticeship. parents don't think they are landed with a kid who's patient or not. they see it as a skill you teach your children all the time. with interrupting for example. i assume my kids interrupt me. a french mother would say sweetly, i'm speaking to someone now. i will be with you in a minute. it's said in a loving way and sometimes the kids keep talking but it's a long-term process. >> this is something that happens moment to moment. i told my kids -- i started quoting mick jagger, you can't

always get what you want but it didn't work. you say every moment when there is bad behavior there is a calm, wait, calm down, it's going to be okay. i will get to you answer. >> yes. it's a balance between being very strict about key things and also giving kids freedom, respect and trusting them. for example, at bedtime, lots of french parents tell their kids, you must stay in your room. inside your room you can do whatever you want. my kids don't focus on the restriction. they focus on the freedom. they know what the rules are. the french parents let a lot of other things go. >> that's interesting. the next point when it comes to sleeping. i may take issue with you. i don't believe it. you say in france babies learn to sleep through the night from 2 months on. come on! >> i didn't believe it. i kept meeting more and more of them. that's the norm in france. >> how do they do that?

>> i think it's a basic difference in the way they think about babies. the french think they are small, vulnerable and need our love but they also think they are rational and can learn. they think parents can teach a baby how to sleep at night. they don't let little babies cry it out in the american way we talk about. even very young babies cry at night they wait a little bit. they watch and wait. they wait to see if the baby can learn to connect the sleep cycles or if he's just making noise while sleeping. they pick him up, they are loving and warm but they give the baby a chance to learn. >> that's their motivation, clearly. that changes how the baby is responding. there is far more in the book than we can get to. this is illuminating. pamela, thank you so much this morning. again, the book is "bringing up

bebe." for an excerpt go to today.com. up next, we have ryan reynolds in the house. we'll catch up with him. ♪ bad t the bone >> hey, listen to that music, ryan. pretty good. but my smile wasn't. [ female announcer ] new crest 3d white intensive professional effects whitestrips. it goes below the enamel surface to whiten as well as a five-hundred dollar professional treatment for a transformation that's hard to believe. ♪ wow, that's you? [ female announcer ] new intensive professional effects whitestrips. and try 3d white toothpaste and rinse. from crest. life opens up when you do.

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♪ stronger! ♪ stand a little taller [ male announcer ] stay seamlessly connected to your smart phone. available on the reinvented 2012 camry. from toyota. ♪ we are back with the star of the new action thriller "safehouse" ryan reynolds plays a cia case worker in south africa. a sleepy post until a rogue agent played by denzel washington shows up and tries to mess with his mind. take a look. >> does she know what you do for a living -- the girl on the phone? it was a girl, wasn't it? maybe it was a guy. i don't know. i don't judge. you can't expect to have a real relationship in our line of work, matthew. >> they said they would kill me to get to you. >> after a while even the truth sounds like a lie. >> you have something they want. what is it?

>> who is it? >> don't worry about her. >> oh, it is a her. >> ryan reynolds, welcome back. >> thank uh you. >> this is the second time you have done this to me. you were here for "the change up." i thought it was a baseball movie so i took my kids. >> terrific. >> this one "safehouse" sounds safe for kids, too, right? >> no, no. this is smoking ocular cavities. >> this is a thrill ride. from the moment it starts it takes you on a wild cat and mouse game ride. >> it's intense. i never like it when i see movies i'm in but now i know where it came from "the edge of your seat." it was unbelievable. >> you play this case worker for the cia. but he's seeing no action whatsoever. >> zero. >> he's bouncing tennis balls against the wall. here comes denzel washington. why does he create such havoc? >> i play a cia house keeper that works in a safehouse.

they are operated all over the world and are used for visiting agents or interrogations. denzel is brought in for interinvestigatiinte interrogation. the people who brought him there are killed and i'm left alone with him. >> what works well in the movie is that you're both so perfect for the roles. he's so intense. with e know it from his previous movies. you bring to it a sense of innocence which is perfect for the character at this stage in his career. >> he's in over his head in every way, shape and form. he's never seen anything like this. >> what's it like to act opposite the intensity of denzel washington? >> it gives you sunburn. it's like being in acting school. it's incredible to work with somebody like that. he's a legend. one of the best living, working actors we have today. just to be around it is a learning experience. i loved working with him. >> there is a lot of physicality

to the role. you are now the only guy ever to give denzel a black eye during filming. it was an accident? >> it's like prison. you have to hit the biggest guy on the first day as hard as you can. make a statement for the crew. let them know i mean business. we were shooting a car chase scene and cape town figures heavily because it's where the movie is set. they let you get away with more than stunts. the car chases, one is unbelievable in particular. they're showing it now. we're going 80 miles per hour on a side street. somehow -- >> this isn't on a back lot. you're driving a car. >> really driving a car. somehow denzel's head came in contact with mine. i looked back and there he was with a golf ball-sized egg on his face. >> how did he take it?

>> i thought he was going to turn me into a liquid. should i pack my bags? >> he seems like he'd break your jaw later in the film and say, oops, that was an accident, too. >> he took it all right. he gave me a look like, you can't believe you just gave denzel washington a black eye. that was about the look i had. >> sexiest man alive, 2010, 2011 and you missed the threepeat by this much. >> i'm hitting brown university next week. >> little more intellectual stuff. >> you retire the sash and talk about your experiences. an evening with ryan. >> you have a sash? >> of course. >> this one is wild. ryan reynolds, good to have you here. >> it's from our sister company universal pictures and it opens on friday. ke denzel will be here tomorrow morning. mr. washington.

now here's ann. >> matt, now to a true dare devil. felix baumgarte ner is the first person to cross the english channel on a carbon wing and base jump from the hand of the christ the redeemer statue in rio de janeiro. he's here to talk about his next daring free fall. >> good morning. >> you want to break the record for the free fall from the highest altitude, be the first person to break the speed of sound record and have the longest free fall all at once. how do you plan to do that? >> we have been working on this almost five years ago. it's an ongoing project. we have been testing a lot. we have been developing a lot. we have one of the best, top of the field working for us. and the guy who did sky dives in the '60s from 2,000 feet. he's a hell of a character and i'm honored to work with him.

>> you're trying to jump, as i understand it, from the edge of space. you have a very special suit that you have to wear. why do you have to wear the suit? how does it protect you in. >> you need the pressure suit because if you go above 65,000 feet your blood will start boiling. that's to provide you with oxygen, protect you from the cold temperatures. we are facing minus 7 degrees fahrenheit so we need that suit. >> why do you want to do this, felix? this sounds incredibly dangerous. >> well, i like the challenge. i like to work on projects where i have to start by scratch. i like to explore things. we also contribute data for future space exploration to make them safer. >> i hope in addition you have fun doing it. >> well, it's not so much fun while you're doing it because you're going up 220,000 feet which is a hostile environment.

your blood will start boiling if your suit good tuesday morning to you. 8:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. the 9th circuit court of appeals rule on california's controversial ban on gay marriage. both sides vow the decision will not be the final word. judges announce whether voter approved proposition 8 violates couples' right to marry and they'll rule whether the judge is gay before sitting on the case. both sides will appeal the decision if it doesn't go their way. experts say is it unlikely the stay on gay marriage will be lifted before further appeals are decided. let's get a look of the morning commute with mike.

>> slow in spots throughout the east bay hit with rain throughout the morning. earlier in the commute we have feicks of slower drive, slick roadways and wind for 680. look how slow it is coming out of concord, off of 242. red means below 20 miles per hour. we see slowing through the walnut creek interchange. continues from 24 through lafayette, caldecott. highway 880 jammed. interstate 880 through east shore freeway, moving a little through berkeley. oakland, approach to the coliseum and slowing. >> thank you very much. for latest traffic and news updates check out nbc bay area on facebook and another update in a half hour. more colors, same edge.

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we're back now. 8:30 on a tuesday morning, february 7, 2012. it's a pretty morning in the northeast with a lot of birthdays to celebrate on the plaza. we thank them for stopping by, spending time with us. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, natalie morales and al roker. in studio now is one of the hottest acts in country music.

dierks bentley will be putting on a show for us inside in a little while. >> that's right. also coming up this morning we'll be talking about what we can do if you're one of those people who basically worries about being able to pay for college tuition for your kids. we have advice for you because this morning we'll be revealing princeton review's new list of the best value schools in the country. >> and to help you save some money we have michael la monico up in the kitchen. you think chicken parts is parts. michael says, no, think about the whole chicken if you want to save money and make a tasty meal. >> are you tired all the time? it may have to do with more than lack of sleep. coming up, how it could be a sign of a more serious medical condition. we'll talk about that with some experts. >> mr. roker, how about a check of the weather? >> you don't have a coat on. >> it's nice out. >> going to get even better in

the northeast. temperatures in the low 50s. showers along the mid-atlantic states. snow in the central plains into the upper midwest. heavy rain southern california into the california/oregon border with freezing fog in interior sections there. rain in the pacific northwest. light snow comes across the midatlantic just clipping the northeast. look for sunshine but chilly conditions, plains back down into texas. good tuesday morning to you. i'm meteorologist christina loren, nbc bay area weather center, tracking heavy rain. lingering over places like pless toont, getting a bit of a break in danville. ill, heavy rain on the way from san leandro, pushing to the east throughout the next 15 het buu can see, as i zoom out for you, overall pattern trending drier. we'll dry throughout the afternoon. by noon, a little bit of spotty activity over the south bay. today, looking comfortable, 60 degrees inland. 8 by the bay. ti ay or night on the weather

channel on table or weather.com online. get your weather any time, day or night on weather channel on cable or weather.com online. my producer said we could do it twice because we had so much time. >> coming up, best values in colleges in the u.s. first, this is "today" on nbc. or t

back now at 8:35. this morning on education nation today, choosing the best college for the right price. financial aid season kicks off this week, just in time the princeton review is out with the analyst of the top 150 colleges that offer the best value. rob franik is the senior vice president of princeton review and the author of "the best value colleges." welcome back. >> thank you very much for having me. >> let's start with the bad news. we'll talk about prices of public colleges which have gone

up 6% from last year. private colleges have gone up 4% in one year. with these prices going up what's happening now? what's the response in terms of financial aid and scholarships? >> there is a huge response. we have been surveying students and parents and 86% of them said financial aid was going to be very or extremely necessary for them to afford school. $170 billion out there for aid but we tried to do the homework for students at princetonreview.com for the list this year. >> let's talk about the list. what value we can get from the schools. you break them apart between public and private. let's look at public schools. number three on the list is a new college in florida in sarasota. >> it's a wonderful school. small school with 800 students but it is the official honors college for the state of florida system. it's a value but a great financial aid value as well. $14,000 in state tuition.

$10,000 average gift aid. you don't have to pay it back. >> forgive me. $14,000 minus $10,000 or you still pay the $14,000. >> $14,000 is the sticker price, so it comes down to $4,000. >> in charlesville, virginia. >> 14,000 students, a power house academically. when we think of the average sticker price, $16,700 for the average kid. bringing it down to $3,800 to attend. >> you're saying the quality of education is high at the schools. >> absolutely. that's what we focus on at princeton review. usa today focusing on the academic value and financial aid as well. >> you look at the experience level of the teachers? >> we look at the average

freshman profile. s.a.t., a.c.t. scores, gpa, graduating in the top 10 or 20% of the class and do they value the experience? are their professors good teachers. >> and number one, university of north carolina chapel hill. >> a usual suspect on the list. 18,000 students. it's hard to get into. once you are in whether in state or out of state you don't have to take out dollar one in loans. >> now private schools. number three is princeton university. hard to get into. why is it a good value? >> princeton is a pioneer in financial aid. they were the first u.s. school to say don't take out loans to pay for college. they were there with the financial wherewithal to do it. $49,000 sticker price, average aid $35,000 bringing it to a reasonable number for the average family. >> which may be another reason why only 9% of applicants get accepted there. number two on the list,

swathmore college in pennsylvania. also expensive. >> it is expensive. when we think of the average scientificer price and the average grant around $35,000 bringing it down to most public colleges and it's number one in the best value colleges, best financial aid list as a usual suspect. >> and number one on the list of private colleges that are great for the dollar is williams college in williamstown, massachusetts. why? >> fabulous school academically. it's only 2,000 students but $2 billion in overall college endowments. we think about the hefty sticker price of $54,000. average aid is almost $41,000 per student. fabulous school and a great financial aid value as well. >> before we go the financial aid forms are due soon. what's your best tip for filling wut own to get financial aid? >> absolutely.

it's the free application for federal student aid. when arnie duncan looked at it he said you need ph.d. to fill it out. take your time. you cannot crime for the fafta form. it's expensive to be wrong. >> good point. thank you so much. >> pleasure to be here. >> coming up next, the advantages of cooking with a whole chicken. we'll try some tasty recipes with good advice.

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this morning on today's kitchen, what's for dinner? we're using a whole chicken to cook up great recipes. michael says it's less expensive, fresher and easy. he's from porterhouse new york here in manhattan. great to see you. always great to have you here. people buy parts because it's easy. >> and fast. if you buy whole chicken it's

fresher because it hasn't usually been sitting around. >> how much of a butcher do you have to be? >> whole chickens are easy, especially with poultry shears. all i'm doing with the whole chicken is i split and i'm going to take out the backbone. this comes right out. this is the chicken under a brick or the flattened or pressed chicken. all we do here is cut off the wing tips and remove this bone. >> that's the breastbone? >> exactly. >> mix the parsley with what? >> garlic, orange zest and lemon zest and olive oil to moisten. i'm taking out some of the rib bones. when you take out the rib bones it's very simple to cook the chicken. >> how far in advance do you marinate it? >> you can do it overnight. the marinade has red vinegar,

white wine and olive oil. overnight or an hour is fine. really all of this slips right under the skin. and the skin separates from the breast and then put it in here. i'm working with my hands. we'll clean up. >> that's fine. you do it in the skill let first and move to the oven. >> it works well. the skill let is what it's all about. the marinade is already premixed. olive oil, white wine and red vinegar. let me get cleaned up here. i have a nice wet one here. the chicken marinades overnight or for an hour or two. voer overnight is best for maximum flavor. >> the skill let is important. you like a good iron skill let. >> this is the right thing to cook in. it's going from the stove to the

oven. >> skin side down. >> these are masonry bricks. fresh, clean bricks. i cover them with foil. two bricks are fine. one would be fine. >> how long does it cook? >> ten minutes on the stove. in the oven for 20 minutes. flip it, take the bricks off and flip it. give it another five minutes or so. >> you want that dark crust on the skin. >> exactly. look at it. it's just beautiful when out's had a chance to really cook over like that. the skin is so crispy and it just comes apart beautifully. you can portion it just this way. >> looks great. all right. come on back and show me another recipe. >> well -- >> this is one of the first recipes you learned to make. >> my first job was in an italian-american restaurant. this is cobbler-style chicken. whole chicken. >> you can butcher it yourself. >> it's simple, economical and fresher. i love cooking chicken on the

bone. >> little olive oil in there. >> the wing bones, leg bones. we have fresh sausage. >> you're going to cook them together? >> all together. i will brown them all. >> is cooking times similar for both things? >> in 20 minutes this will be done. first we brown the chicken. then after we brown the chicken we take it out of the pan and we brown onions in the same pan with garlic. >> it's a one-pot dish. >> and we are going to put this all back in here. the chicken goes back in after it was browned with the sausage. >> what are we using for liquid there? >> we have chicken broth. put it right in there. white wine. and lemon juice. there's already garlic and onions in there. very flavorful. >> and herbs? >> herbs go at the end. we simmer it for 20 minutes. check the thigh to be sure it's fully cooked. really that's as simple as that. this is real italian american.

>> here's what it looks like when finished. you serve it with gnocchi? >> they're easy to make. cooks potatoes, peel them after i have cooked them so they don't get all waterlogged. potatoes, flour, eggs. it's a potato pasta. with prosciutto and green peas it's a great appetizer or a side dish. both chicken dishes, really the whole fresh chicken is the way to go. not only is it more economical but it's more flavorful to cook chicken on the bone than to buy chicken parts that have been sitting around for a couple days on the market. everyone's happy. i like legs and thighs. >> nice to see you, michael. up next, a live performance from country star dierks be bentley. first, this is "today" on nbc. [ female announcer ] back to school means back to busy mornings. that's why i got them pillsbury toaster strudel. warm flaky pastry with delicious sweet filling my kids will love.

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>> announcer: the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. >> we're back now at 8:49 with one of the hottest names in country music. dierks bentley has sold more than 5 million albums. he's set to add to the totals with "home." good morning to you. >> good morning, ann. >> is it true you have poured more of yourself, written more

songs with this cd than any other? >> i spent a year and a half making the record. went in the studio a couple times to get it right. we have been working on the sound for several years to get it locked in. put a lot of time into it. >> that's a reason this cd is special to you. another reason is that you're writing it, doing this while you're a father. >> yeah. >> you have a couple of kids at hom. how are they informing what you have done on the cd? >> question of fawe have a home so wherever we go feels like home. but with kids i have a real home. i'm not sleeping on a couch or a houseboat or anything. there's my daughter singing with me on tv a couple days ago. >> beautiful! >> it's special. >> that's beautiful. >> oh, man. i wasn't expecting that this early. >> you're about to perform the song "home." before you do, i want to ask you about the picture you tweeted out when you knew you had gotten

nominated for an acm award for "home." is that what you do when you're happy? what do you do when you're upset? >> that's my guitar player's guitar. i'm doing it. i wouldn't do it to my martin. i grabbed brian's and took his. i stopped short of smashing it. it's always good to be nominated for song of the year. "home" is a special song about bringing people together and being so divided. i was excited to be nominated for the award. sorry, brian, about your guitar. it was a cool moment. >> congratulations. i know the awards ceremony is in april. it's a real pleasure to have you here. can't wait to hear you perform "home." the performer is dierks bentley. >> thank you.

♪ west ♪ on a plane bound west ♪ i see her stretching out below ♪ ♪ land ♪ blessed motherland ♪ the place where i was born ♪ scars ♪ yeah, she's got her scars ♪ sometimes it starts to worry me ♪ ♪ cause lose ♪ i don't wanna lose sight of who we are ♪ ♪ from the mountains high ♪ to the wave-crashed coast ♪ there's a way to find better days i know ♪ ♪ it's been a long hard ride ♪ got a ways to go ♪ this is still the place that we all call home ♪

♪ free, nothing feels like free though it sometimes means we don't get along ♪ ♪ same no, we're not the same ♪ ♪ but that's what's makes us strong ♪ from the mountains high ♪ ♪ to the wave-crashed coast ♪ there's a way to find better days i know ♪ ♪ it's been a long hard ride ♪ got a ways to go ♪ this is still the place ♪ that we all call home

♪ whoa ♪ yeah ♪ brave ♪ got to call it brave to chase that dream across the sea ♪ ♪ names ♪ then they signed their names for something they believe ♪ ♪ red ♪ how the blood ran red ♪ and we laid our dead in sacred ground ♪ just think ♪ ♪ wonder what they'd think if they could see us now ♪ ♪ it's been a long hard ride ♪ got a ways to go ♪ but this is still the place that we all call home ♪

♪ it's been a long hard ride ♪ and i won't lose hope ♪ this is still the place that we all call home ♪ ♪ whoa ♪ whoa >> the album is called "home." thank you so much. we'll be right back after these messages. en them. - and this has been happening since the accident? [piano music] - yeah. - your mind created an entire reality where your wife survived in one and your son in the other. - detective britten, the reality is that you can't tell whether you're asleep... - hannah! - or awake at this very moment. - yes, i see my wife when i close my eyes. i open them, and i see my son.

the thing is, it all feels completely real to me. - so, can we say this word on my new show? - oh, absolutely not. - well, what about this common euphemism for when a man loves a woman? - uh, that is not common, and it has nothing to do with love. - well, what if i was willing to do it to you? - um, i would need you to talk to hr. - i'm not into threesomes. - [laughs] i doubt that. oh. - are you there, chelsea? followhitney. part of nbc wednesday happy hour. it all starts 8:00/7:00 central on nbc. good tuesday morning to you. 8:56 now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. fire causeded a scare at a taco bell restaurant in union city. crews say when they got to the scene on the corner of da coat take there was heavy smoke coming from the back 0 the building. 25 firefighters called to the

scene. they were able to knock it down quickly. but as you can see, extensive damage to the kitchen area. luckily no one was hurt. let's check the forecast wi meteorologist christina loren. >> good morning. you can see for the most part showers moved past, they're east of the san francisco bay and they're going to continue to push to the east weiss head throughout the next couple of hours. significant clearing by noon today. residual showers tomorrow morning. sunshine thursday through the weekend. have a great day.

i'm suzanne shaw. our viewers agree with us that santa clara county should be commended for publicly addressing the ecstasy epidemic among teenagers with the documentary shown in their schools. red posts, kudos to santa clara county. i believe education is the approach to take. rhonda warns, ecstasy causes brain damage. anything that can be done to educate potential victims should get full support. forester shares, too many kids have no idea about what's really inside the little pink or blue "happy pill" until it's too late. alex writes, as an educator, my experience with teenage users was seeing and dealing with the aftermath, usually the depression and tiredness.

and janet says, the biggest deterrent is the family. your views are important to us. share them online at nbceditorials.com. we are back with more of "today" on a tuesday morning, 7th day of february 2012. we're saluting these nice people who stuck around on a beautiful morning here in new york city. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and savannah guthrie. coming up in this half hour, disturbing new details in the horrible story we have been talking about. josh powell, the father of two who set his house on fire, killing himself and his two young boys. >> that's right. of course he was considered for the disappearance of his wife susan. he's killed himself and his two young boys and police say it

appears he was planning it for some time. that he even took the kids' toys and donated it to charity. even before the boys were killed. so we'll have more details coming up. it's such a sad story. >> also ahead, we turn to health news f. you find yourself exhausted all the time it may not be just the wear and tear of daily life. it could be anemia, depression, diabetes. we'll examine some of the most common symptoms, common causes of exhaustion. >> coming up a little bit later on, joy bauer is here. valentine's day just around the corner. guess what. chocolate is, of course, the right thing to do if you want to stay healthy and have some treats for your sweetie. we'll transform your favorite comfort foods into healthier versions with a couple simple swaps. >> she says we can eat chocolate! i love that joy bauer.

>> not a pound. >> oh. >> and a certain kind. >> natalie has the headlines at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. disturbing new details in the murder-suicide of josh powell and his two sons. nbc's miguel almaguer is in graham, washington, with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. police are working to retrace josh powell's steps in the days and hours before the fatal fire here. when a social worker brought his children here they say it was clear he wanted to kill his boys. when police removed the bodies of josh powell and his children, a hatchet was nearby. the boys suffered so-called chop wounds to the head and neck but the deaths they say were cause bid the fire. detectives believe powell used ten gallons of gasoline to soak the home in a care friday planned execution that included getting rid of the boys' toys. >> boxes of toys and books and

donated them to goodwill over the weekend. this was a deliberate, planned out event. >> reporter: investigators say powell sent out e-mails moments before igniting the fire. one to his lawyer reading only, i'm sorry, good-bye. another saying he couldn't live without his boys. among the last, a message to a pastor and family members. >> they dictate what to do with his money, certain aspects of his life. >> reporter: police say none of the e-mails mentioned susan. monday night utah detectives arrived at the crime scene, the same investigators who named josh a person of interest in susan's 2009 disappearance. >> the case is still active. we are not closing the case. >> reporter: the night susan vanished josh told police he took the boys camping in freezing conditions. susan was never seen again despite multiple searches for her body. now a lawyer says young braden recently began talking about the night they went camping when his

mom vanished. >> charlie and braden were in the back seat. their mother was in the trunk. the boys reported she and their father got out of the van, went for a walk and their mother got lost. >> reporter: after susan disappeared josh moved with the boys from utah to washington state. together they lived with josh's father steven powell but after steven was arrested on child pornography charges and voyeurism custody was awarded to susan's parents chuck and judy cox. in august josh powell told nbc news his boys were his life. >> some days i don't know how i get through the day. except for my sons. >> reporter: sunday charlie and braden said a final good-bye to their grandparents. a social worker was taking them to see their father. it was the last time chuck and judy cox would ever see the boys alive. >> they're innocent children that were killed by their

father. they are back with their mother now. his act was a cowardly, desperate act. >> reporter: utah detectives say they want to speak to josh powell's father steven powell. he's in jail awaiting charges on voyeurism and child pornography. they now call him, steven powell, a person of interest in susan's disappearance. last summer when we spoke to him, he denied involvement in her disappearance. natalie? >> miguel almaguer, thank you. earlier on "today" ann spoke with chuck and judy cox. they say the boys had only recently began to open up, telling them what they recalled about the night their mother disappeared. >> they basically kept saying how they went on a vacation in the desert camping and mommy and daddy, they stopped at some place and mommy and daddy left and then only daddy came back. >> there was some discussion about mommy being in the trunk of the car. is that right? >> yes.

>> that was based on a picture drawn by braden at preschool. he drew a picture of the minivan. the day care providers asked him who the people were. he said that was his daddy, charlie and himself and that mommy was in the trunk. >> chuck and judy cox said they had begun to fear that josh could turn violent against the boys in one of the scheduled visits and made their concerns known to police. mortars raining down on homs, syria, as international pressure increases to stop the crack down. the russian foreign minister is in damascus this morning, one day after the u.s. closed the embassy there and the uk, france and belgium pulled their diplomats out. how's this for a moving tribute? a film maker spent 382 days living on a bicycle to honor his

father, a dedicated cyclist who logged more than 75,000 miles in his lifetime. he rode all over montreal proving even the most extraordinary tasks can be extraordinary on two wheels. spectacular. it's seven minutes past the hour. now outside to al with a check of the weather. >> amazing he wasn't too tired. sorry. >> you're clearly too tired. >> not tired enough to do that joke. we have nice folks out here. where are you from? >> new jersey. >> going to the parade? >> yes, sir. heading out to met life stadium afterwards. >> say hi to the giants for me. let's see what's going on as far as your day. it's dry in california. three inches below nmal rainfall. 7 and a third inches for san francisco. they will get rain today stretching from the oregon/california border down to san diego. rainfall amounts especially in

southern california, two to three inches along the coast. florida is looking at wet weather as well. stationary front there bringing rain and anywhere from one to three inches from miami up to in between orlando and jacksonville. thank you for the shoutout, mr. roker. good morning to you. yeah, we are getting much-needed rainfall. right now precipitation confined to the east bay. we're getting a nice break from the showers over the greater bay area. as you can see now, livermore, danville, pleasanton, seeing moderate to heavy rain at times. throughout afternoon, we're going to continue to clear out. futurecast shows you by tonight, mostly clear conditions. that's going to make for a colder night. temperatures will stay on the mild side. drizzle tomorrow, 68 by,000. and that's your latest weather. savannah! >> okay, al. thanks. this morning on today's health the real reason you could be tired. we blame fatigue on the hustle

of everyday life but there could be a medical condition to blame. doctor, good to see you. >> good morning. >> before we start assuming the worst there are things you can do to address fatigue and maybe eliminate common causes. what do you suggest? >> you first need to look at your sleep cycle. get at least eight hours a night. look at your diet. a lot of us skip meals on the run so eat throughout the day and look at your schedule. a lot of us are overscheduled and sometimes scaling back a little bit, especially for a few weeks can help ease tiredness and fatigue. >> one reason fatigue hangs on is people who are anemic. how do you know if you have this condition? >> anemia is a common cause of tiredness. it's basically a condition where we don't have enough red blood cells. so the entire body locks oxygen. my patients tell me they feel they are fighting for air, they can't get a breath in.

it is a serious cause of fatigue. some symptoms are palpitations, chest pain, headache. a lot of trouble focusing or concentrating. just this overall sense that you're weak. the flight of stairs at work is more difficult to go up or you get out of breath. >> you need to have a blood test if you have the symptoms? >> the best way to diagnose anemia is through a blood test. >> another culprit, the thyroid. we have talked about it a lot on this show. often it's a sign of if you have weight loss or weight gain, the thyroid could be the culprit. >> the thyroid gland sits in the neck and has many powers. hyper thyroidism which is too much hormone is the body on overdrive. you have a very high body temperature. it's easy to lose weight. you're going to the bathroom frequently. you're weak. hypothyroidism, the body is slowed down.

low body temperature where you are cold all the time. it's easy to gain weight and also weak. >> you can ask for your thyroid to be tested at that time doctor? >> it's a blood test and your physician will do it for you. >> is it resolved with medication? >> typically, correct. >> another culprit could be depression. this is really hard to diagnose. you will see why. you're sleeping too much or too little. it's ambiguous. >> it's tough as physicians. we don't want to overdose somebody with depression or under diagnose it either. you're looking for changes in sleep, in appetite, in your relationship. you go from beg extro victor tt isolated. and having bad feelings about yourself and low self-esteem. >> what do you suggest if depression could be the cause. >> again, get help. either talk to your doctor, somebody close to you. engage your physician in the conversation. they are looking for five

symptoms over two weeks to see if you fit the criteria for depression. changes in sleep, appetite, mood, negative thoughts and changes in focus or concentration. >> it could be changes in either direction in this case. >> exactly. >> another thing is diabetes. a lot of diabetics and that's often the first sign -- exhaustion or fatigue. >> diabetes is on the rise. it prevents with fatigue because you have flip-flopping with blood sugar. we end completely exhausted. it's important to understand the symptoms. excessive thirst, hungry all the time, losing weight without an explanation. yeast infections and blurry vision. of course the fatigue. the best way to diagnose is through a fasting plasma glucose where you fast for eight hours and we draw your blood glucose level or the ogtt where we have

two measures of blood sugar level, one before drinking glucose and one after. >> the final condition that can cause exhaustion is sleep apnea. you think, i slept eight hours but you still feel tired. >> it's often missed in patients. you wake up without a good night's sleep. the brain is constantly waking up because the airway is shutting off, not providing oxygen. it's a feeling that you are not getting air, enough oxygen. patients wake up exhausted. one symptom is snoring. if it's left untreated it can progress on to cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke. it is important to get it diagnosed. we like it diagnosed through a sleep study which is done at a sleep clinic. and a polysomnogram is a good way to see what you're doing as you sleep through the night. >> good information. appreciate it. thank you. >> no problem. thank you. >> up next, healthy treats for

valentine's day. plus, cutting the calories and keeping the taste in joy's diet s.o.s. straight ahead. and less than model behavior from supermodel gisele bundchen. whhe say to say [ male announcer ] this is big. new chicken mcbites from mcdonald's. juicy, poppable, premium chicken breast with homestyle seasoning. but they're only here for a limited time. the simple joy of really big fun. ♪

it's good. honey, i love you... oh my gosh, oh my gosh.. look at these big pieces of potato. ♪ what's that? big piece of potato. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. this is mary. who thinks it might be time to listen to her heart. so she talked to her walgreens pharmacist who gave her a free blood pressure test and showed her how easy it is to do it herself at home. get a free blood pressure test any day in february at any walgreens pharmacy or take care clinic location. and we'll donate $1 to the american heart association as part of the walgreens way to well commitment. walgreens. there's a way to stay well. absolutely. thank you so much.

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when eaten 3 times a day. i knew lisa would love her new normal. ♪ activia love your new normal and discover the deliciously fruity taste and silky smooth texture of new activia harvest picks. this morning on joy bauer's diet s.o.s. answers to your daily diet dilemmas. joy bauer has answers from your chocolate cravings to healthy foods. good morning. >> good morning, al. >> we have a valentine's day question from pam in new york joining us via skype. happy early valentine's day, pam. >> thank you, you, too. >> hi, pam! >> what's your question? >> i'm looking for healthy chocolate or treat ideas for gifts for valentine's day. do you have fun suggestions? >> i was so excited when i heard you would ask the question. i get to show off my gift for my "today" show valentine al roker.

>> ooh! >> i call this chocolate trail mix. it took me hours, al. but it's so simple. >> i'm not listening. >> you will layer healthy chocolate treats. i have dark chocolate trips, cocoa dusted almond, chocolate cereal. and we have whole grain pretzels covered in dark chocolate. this is the 365 brand. happy valentine's day, al! >> thank you. it's already open. >> but uneaten. >> so there's a great idea, pam. >> there are so many other ingredients you can play with. if your recipient loves caffeine you can have dark chocolate espresso beans and i found dark chocolate covered pomegranate seeds, cherries, kcashews. >> you have been busy. now from hillary in boston.

she says she has a big sweet tooth, always craving something chocolate. what's something i can keep in my college dorm room to satisfy the craving but isn't totally unhealthy? >> another chocolate question. good timing. there are so many clever chocolate creations that will keep your health in check and satisfy a craving. when it comes to a dorm room i love the mini chocolates. you want to go dark but because they are portion controlled the milk chocolate is fine. you can jazz up nonfat greek yogurt. add a pact of low fat hot cocoa and you have protein pudding or a vanilla and sprinkle on chocolate chips. also meringue cookies are low in calories. one of my favorites is a chocolate coconut. it's naturally free of sugar, artificial sweeteners and makes the room smell delicious. even chocolate covered granola

bars. >> we have kathleen from cincinnati. she has a question for us. >> hi, joy. >> hey! >> i'm looking to lose a few pounds and i was wondering how to turn our family's favorite meals into a healthier, low calorie version without losing flavor. we like pasta, chicken, pork and especially chili. can you help? >> i can help. there are four simple tweaks you can make to just about every recipe that will healthify and maintain flavor. first, use lean ground turkey or chicken, at least 90% lean instead of fatty ground beef. when a recipe calls for cheese, use the 2% reduced fat cheese. third, swap in whole grains instead of the white stuff. so if a recipe is a pasta recipe use whole wheat or whole grain pasta. if it calls for rice, use brown or white rice. when you have the opportunity

you will stuff in vegetables and more vegetables. anything goes. for your pastas, make the whole wheat noodles and add vegetables to poof up the volume. for chili use kbround lean turkey and add a couple cans of fiber rich beans and more vegetables. for pork, roast a tenderloin. it's ultra lean. it's super low in calories and high in health. you can add an interesting blend of a rub of any herbs and seasonings. >> great! thank you. >> just to clarify, just because it's whole wheat or brown rice doesn't mean it's lower in calories. >> it's better for you because when you are eating whole grains you get fiber and antioxidants but watch your portions. >> thank you. >> happy valentine's, al. >> still ahead, how women really feel about their sex life after they get married.

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coming up, gisele bundchen throws her husband's teammates under the bus. >> >> and a greek specialty after your local news. hands that feel soft and silky smooth! ooh...she's got the look. what's her secret? the gloves? dawn? i don't believe it. [ male announcer ] it's a dishwashing sensation... dawn hand renewal with olay beauty. it contains revitalizing proteins to help smooth skin on hands -- improving their look and feel in just five uses. [ sponge ] soft, smooth... fabulous! you're quite the trendsetter. [ male announcer ] dawn does more... [ sponge ] so it's not a chore. [ laughs ] ♪ [ female announcer ] hey, ladies. here's a little something you'll find irresistible. cinnamon toast crunch, with a delicious cinnamon and sugar taste that's amazing. crave those crazy squares.™

you should know that just one dose of children's advil gives up to eight hours of fever relief. allowing your little one to get back to building a better afternoon. children's advil. relief you can trust. good morning. it's 9:26 now. i'm marla tellez. decision day for the controversial ban on gay marriage. they are rule on prop 8 but both sides vow the decision will not be the final word. the judges will announce this morning whether voter-approved proposition 8 violates the rights of gay couples who want to marry. they will rule on whether the v should have revealed the fact he was gay before sitting on the case. both sides will appeal if the decision does not go their way. it's unlikely the stay on gay marriage will be lifted before

further appeals are decided. san francisco look at beefing up its plastic bag ban tonight. the board of supervisors will discuss new additions to the current law which applies to supermarkets. the knew rules ban plastic bags at any store including retail shops and restaurants and add a 10 cent fee for every bag given to a customer. the city needs to keep pace wit tougher restricts. a look at weather and traffic after the break. ed

welcome back. time 9:28. bulk of the moisture confined to the east bay and clearing. you can see the overall trend is dry. greater bay area getting a break from the heavy downpours. san jose, peninsula, dry. 58 redwood city. 58 degrees in los gados, limited sunshine. we warm up as of today with patchy fog and drizzle to start. by thursday, 68 degrees. little bit of fog friday.

and saturday, that's your day for outdoor activity. another round of rain sunday into monday. mike? >> your rain map explains why this map is starting clear, believe it or not. we have scattered incidents but off the rodway on the shoulder and a smoother flow. red, below 20. we see more yellow, speed to the 50s. slowing for highway 13 and 580 into oakland which is heavier than we typically see. 880 is worse but the rest of the area approaching isn't better. re rest of the accidents clears. golden gate bridge, different story. clouds hanging out, just a little bit gray. >> we'll be back with our next news and weather update in 30 minutes.

i remember my first posting. house like this. not one single visitor. but i remember rule number one. you are responsible for your house guests. i'm your house guest. the clock is ticking. >> two-time academy award winner denzel washington. this looks intense. he stars as a renegade cia agent in the new thriller costarring ryan reynolds called "safehouse." ryan was here earlier today. denzel live in studio. here we are with safe driving lessons. tomorrow on "today." >> ow! >> oh, boy.

>> can't wait. >> all right. talking about a train wreck a little bit. coming up, we have supermodel gisel bundchen. she stood by her man but what she said when some giants fans heckled her is getting her in hot water. she blamed brady's teammates for the loss. it's got the internet buzzing and of course it was all caught on camera. >> oops. >> all right. you know the old joke about sex after marriage -- there is none. well apparently it's not true. most women are happy with their sex life and they think their spouses are, too. we'll share the results of a revealing new survey ahead. >> and there is one thing you can do for your spouse. cook them a delicious mediterranean meal. we're going greek with lamb stew and authentic side dishes. looks good. >> tzatziki. >> i love it. >> how about a check of the weather? >> let's show you -- tabbouleh!

no, let's show you what's happening. we have the super bowl parade in the canyon of heroes. 50 degrees and breezy. the confetti will be flying all over. showers along the mid-atlantic coast. heavy rain and wind. inland as well, light snow through the upper midwest. showers are starting to subside at this point. good morning, i'm meteorologist christina loren live in the nbc bay area weather center. tracking heavy rain through the east bay and that will continue to be the case as we head through the next few hours. now, livermore getti heaet h downpours. the same for dublin. we head throughout the day, temperatures will climb into the 60s inland. we're going to get clearing over the greater bay area later tonight. that means fog will develop likely tomorrow morning. and we warm up into thursday. i meant to say spanakopita.

>> thank you, al. let's say hello to nancy, the latest contestant to have the scales tip against her on "the biggest loser." >> good morning. >> you started at 217, lost 21 on the ranch. how much have you lost since then? >> 45 total so far. >> good for you. >> congratulations. >> what are you doing at home? >> thank you. well, i do work out. i do more exercise and swimming. i love to swim. i try to make sure i get it in at least five days a week. >> and you have 13 kids and 55 grandchildren? >> yes! >> chasing them probably burns calories. >> it's busy. ordinary people with ordinary lives trying to do the extraordinary which is to take time for yourself. >> how has this changed your lifestyle? >> it's huge. you have to -- if you love yourself you have to give yourself time. i'm not used to giving myself a lot of time. loving everybody else but not

having time for myself. now i'm spending more time for me. >> and your trainer was tough on you on the ranch. what was your opinion? >> i don't think he was tough on me. >> no? good. >> i think he had a ton of patience. working with me, you know, was a challenge for him, i'm sure because i had to be shown two, three times sometimes the same things until i would get it and all that. he was great. i liked him a lot. >> nancy, you should be very proud of yourself. we're proud of you. keep it going. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> looking good. >> "the biggest loser" airs tonight at 8:00/7:00 central on nbc. up next, supermodel gisele bundchen stands up for tom brady but take as dig at his teammates. her controversial comments coming up next. >> yikes. urance, people feel lo. that's a dead end. don't know which way to turn.

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the new york giants celebrate their super bowl win today with a ticker tape parade downtown. >> it's no party for tom brady after post game remarks made by his supermodel wife gisele bundchen. >> as if tom brady didn't have enough reasons to be disappointed after the loss some people are taking jabs at gisele for being too vocal. moments after losing super bowl xlvi to the new york giants. >> they put a lot of pressure on us. we came up a little bit short. >> reporter: a deeply disappointed tom brady was comforted by his supermodel wife. last week gisele called on friends and family to pray for her husband whom she affectionately calls tommy. but the prayers weren't enough. as she exited the stadium another side of the brazilian

bo bombshell was caught on tape by theinsider.com. a giants fan heckled the beauty and she shot back. defending her husband while placing blame on his teammates saying she couldn't believe the receivers dropped the ball so many times. >> it's not what you would expect to happen with a high profile figure like brady, especially considering his wife is a supermodel and she knows what it's like to be in the public eye. you're supposed to be a support group, not someone shouting statements. >> reporter: the glamorous couple who have a son together began dating in 2006. some say she's transformed the nfl star from his high fashion wardrobe to his ever changing hair styles. brady is a regular fixture in fashion magazines. outside the fashion world brady's fans are concerned with the gridiron more than the flat

iron and the boston sports world has been speculating about a gisele jinx for years. >> here's the thing for boston. they care about only one thing -- winning. they know since gisele has been with brady he hasn't won a super bowl. >> reporter: speculation that began in 2008, the last time the patriots faced the giants and lost. gisele was in a sky box looking less than interested sipping red wine, not beer -- a no-no among sports fans. the boston herald called it the curse of the baby-no. most agree her comments crossed the line. >> you deal with a problem in the locker room, with your coach, with your teammates. there is a code among players and teams. you keep it in house. >> reporter: a code that now has to be extended to supermodels. well, we reached out to gisele bundchen but she had no further comment on her remark. >> i think she was defending her man. somebody got in her face and she was passionate. >> it was unfortunate that it reflected on the other teammates. >> and was on camera. >> emotions high after the big

game. >> very much so. up next, what married women really think about sex after marriage. >> right after this. [ male announcer ] we asked real people if they'd help us with an experiment for febreze fabric refresher. they agreed. [ experimenter 1 ] relax, take some nice deep breaths. [ experimenter 2 ] what do you smell? lilac. clean. there's something that's really fresh. a little bit beach-y. like children's blankets. smells like home. [ experimenter 1 ] okay. take your blindfolds off. ♪ hello? [ male announcer ] and now new and improved febreze fabric refresher with up to two times the odor elimination so you can breathe happy, guaranteed. with up to two times the odor elimination [kids talkhot potato!ing] hot potato ♪i got a fever, it's goin all around♪

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turns out 70% of women say a good sex life is important to their relationship. kelly, good morning. >> good morning. >> this survey was 1,000 women between 18 is and 49. what does it show us about attitudes for sex and marriage? >> the most surprising thing is when most people think married sex they think no sex. once you get married, no sex. wrong according to this survey. nearly 60% of women said they are happy with their sex life. an equal number said their spouse is, too. they are actually having sex. >> 75% say it's key to a good relationship. >> exactly. >> what's the barrier that's getting in the way of them always getting what they want? >> no surprise here. the big barriers according to the survey are stress and exhaustion. i interviewed a mom with two 3-year-old twins. she said the moms are in bed at 8:00. she's lucky if she makes it to

8:30. she said when they have sex it's wonderful. it may be quality versus quantity for married women. >> valentine's day is around the corner. people thinking about how to please their spouse. what should we take away? what's the big turn-on in the bedroom? >> this is the big message. attention, husbands out there. when we asked women what gets them in the mood, 70% said when their husband shares loving feelings with them. about 50% said when their husband says nice things to them. more than when he talks sexy, cleans the house or cooks them dinner. it may be just as easy to say, i love you, you look beautiful. >> pay a compliment. >> and you may get more action in the bedroom. >> how often do women want sex and how often are they getting sex? >> in our survey women said they had sex about six times a month. then there was a stat we found surprising. about a third said they would rather have sex with their husbands than go to the movies, to a spa, go on facebook or chat

with their friends. 30% said they would rather have sex than anything at all. four of five women said they were in the mood to have sex in the last month. this counters the thinking in pop culture that married women are dead. >> and only men want it. >> women want it, too. >> technology plays a role as well in sex lives. what did the survey show? >> no surprise. women are embracing technology. 22% said they sexted at one time with their husband. 18% said they have e-mailed flirty messages. 16% said they have watched porn on the internet with their partner. digital is changing married sex, too. >> women are getting more creative and less inhibited. >> in the survey, half said they tried something new in the bedroom last year. an equal number said they initiate sex as much as their husband initiates. i think the message is, you know, women know sex is important and that they are

interested in making it better. >> they are making time for it. >> when they can. when they're not stressed and exhausted. >> a quarter of married women think sex is not a priority in the relationship. what does that say about love and marriage in america? >> ask any marriage expert and they will say sex is important for intimacy, the emotional connection and people probably need help. help can be on the way. we started a better sex challenge at ivillage. people get daily tips and advice from a sex expert, from other women. they can sign in by going to ivillage.com. >> there you go. getting us ready for valentine's day. now we know what everybody wants. >> exactly. >> it's about to get steamy in the kitchen with a classic greek stew. first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ this morning in today's kitchen, greek cuisine step by step. jim is chef at one of the city's most popular greek restaurants. good morning. we're making lamb stew or -- >> [ speaking greek ] translated as red or with wine. we're going to roast it in the pan. nothing in there except the spices. that wakes them up. wait for a puff of smoke. they will turn a little bit of color. >> toasting the spices. >> toasting them. right into a bottle of wine. we'll put in vegetables there. celery, onions, carrots, bay leaf, smashed garlic. we reduce it all the way down. we put the vegetables in to extract the flavor. we bring it to a rolling boil, let it go down.

we get the essence of the wine with no alcohol. >> any red wine will do? >> something greek or something like cabernet. >> greek is better. okay. >> greek is better! very good. >> we have the lamb. it's all cubed here. >> it's cubed. >> can you buy it pre-cubed out of curiosity? >> you can get lamb in the supermarket. try to get stew meat or leg meat which is what we are using here. drizzle olive oil. grab some salt and pepper. this is one of the sections on our menu called greek classics. we just finished an 18-day renovation. it was a race to the finish line. this is one of the new dishes we have along with a completely new look. >> wonderful. let's check it out. >> take the lamb meat, place it in. sizzle, sizzle, that's what you want. >> the oil was hot. >> don't move the pan. that's where people make the mistake. you need caramelization.

>> what do you mean? >> let it sit. let it rest on that side. nice, intense heat. the smoke, not pleasant. that's what you are looking for. >> do you turn it over? >> let it get to this point. see how you have nice even caramelization? >> yeah. >> that's what we are looking for. the way to get it is without moving it around much. in the pot after we sear the meat and take it out, onions, garlic, tomato in the pot. let it goat get nice and caramelized. from there the wine is reduced down. >> that had the spices in it. >> goes down. take another sachet with the aromatics. put in the lamb, stock. >> that's loud! it's like ten decibels of sizzle. >> put it in the oven at 350. right there. >> don't burn yourself. for crying out loud. looks great. >> egg noodles. you can make them at home or buy

them. just like this. you have a chance, cut them into strips, little pieces. >> can i do that? >> we have some in the pot already. >> that made me feel better. >> you can practice. >> what makes you think i need practice? >> if you don't want to make egg noodles you can use kilopitas. very greek. and here is the finished stew. halfway through the cooking, pearl onions inside. toss it up. add aged cheese like a pecorino. take it to the plate. nice and buttery noodles like mother used to make. >> yeah. >> put it on the bottom. >> delish. tell us about the side dishes in our 45 seconds. >> we have eggplant salad, tzatziki. >> i love that. >> greek salad which we love. >> you are drawing a crowd here. >> we always do. >> nice and fresh for you. >> yummy!

>> always with a little toasted pita. >> wonderful. >> you're all ready. >> thank you. how do you say it in greek? [ speaking greek ] >> exactly. what e he said. >> kathie lee and hoda after your local news. hi. we're looking to save some money on our car insurance.

great! at progressive, you can compare rates side by side so you get the same coverage, often for less. wow! that is huge! ♪ and this is to remind you that you could save hundreds! [laughing] man: yeah. that will certainly stick with me. we'll take it. go, big money! i mean, go. it's your break, honey. same coverage, more savings. now, that's progressive. call or click today. it is 9:56. good morning, i'm marla tellez. a federal agent is in the hospital this morning after a shoot-out with another man.

this happened before 6:00 a.m. in newark. people in that neighborhood heard a man shouting at another man and six or seven gunshots. officer has been hit. he has been taken to a local trauma center. neighbors saw a man believed to be the suspect limping way from the scene. he is still on the loose. police in the meantime have r. still investigating that shooting. let's check that rain with meteorologist christina loren. good morning. >> good morning to you. we're getting a lot of clearing at this point, still shower ofs left over to the east of livermore, moving into the alty month pass. give your extra time headed that way. we'll clear out throughout the evening. by 11:00 p.m. cloudy conditions. clear skies tonight, colder night. tomorrow a.m. fog, will generate drizzle. thursday, warming up to 68 degrees inland. staying nice this within. 65 through saturday. we get another round of rain late sunday into monday. mostly up in the north bay. check your drive with mike inouye.

>> being a tuesday, heavy volume of traffic, wet and windy roads a number of accidents around the bay bridge and approaches. most of those have cleared up. 27-minute drive off the carquinez bridge, hercules and the toll plaza. accident at university. you'll have slowing between university and the bay bridge toll plaza in both directions. bottom, a live shot shows you what it's like past the coliseum. another shot for the san mateo bridge across the water. we'll send it back to you. >> this just into our newsroom, following breaking news, we have a ruling in the prop 8 appeal. the 9th circuit court of appeals, three-judge panel ruled the ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. again, this is just coming into our newsroom now. breaking news, a three-judge panel has ruled the ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. of course we'll have the very latest on this prop 8 ruling coming up in one hour from now on nbc bay area news at 11:00.

we'll be back at 10:26. "and what's your name?" "oh, it's flo." "and what do you do?" "oh, i sell insurance like no one else." "oh, that's nice." "thank you." now, that's progressive. call or click today.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television so glad you are with us today. tz booze day tuesday, february 7th. just two days away from our island getaway. >> cannot wait to get to the ba hamg bahamas. >> let's play a little music. feel it. drink in hand. we want you all to come down. we understand not everybody can afford to come, but what we want you to do is slather on a little

oil, open up a coconut, poor a little rum, take pictures of yourself and we'll show a few. >> your living room is a perfect beach. we'll put you in the mood. one week until valentine's day, and this is a holiday for a lot of people who are either disappointed or they want more than they get, blah, blah, blah. but they did a survey, zebra pen, a poll. and, you know, most guys think you want flowers or candy or jewelry. you think those would rank high on the list, but not so say the folks from zebra pen. >> i don't know. i can very much relate to this. i think these kinds of things depend where you are in life and your relationship. brand new, very excited, very much in love. then it's different than if you're in a long-term relationship and you just want peace. you know? i neve loved valentine's day. >> no. >> i think it's kind of cruel, kind of hard on people that don't have someone special in their lives. >> yeah. >> and it's awfully expensive.

you should be saying i love you to the person in your life all the time. it's just another time you have to spend money to prove to somebody you love them. >> here's the deal. they say most of us want a couple things. we want a nice dinner. >> yeah. >> we don't care about the jewelry. don't bother trying to bring us a big piece of bling, especially during these times, they want a great, great dinner out or a handwritten note. like you know what -- >> yeah. >> i so treasure -- it's funny. when someone takes time to write their feelings down and hand it to you as opposed to a card they just sign their name, which is fine -- >> i have every love note you've ever written me. >> you do? >> she is so crazy about me. writes the sweetest notes. i notice a trend about the last ten years of my life with frank, you know what, it's less and less about the stuff. you say you know what, let's do this. >> yeah. >> and you use your money -- if you need something or let's add on this or let's get a new --

you know -- >> i agree. look, it's more fun to me to get a surprise on a day you don't expect it than on valentine's day when you're wondering, it's valentine's day, what did he get you? >> the expectation. >> yeah. >> and most people can't afford a whole lot. just be nice to each other that day. >> i like that. that's the hardest thing, actually. >> if you go out to dinner, there are things cropping up that are annoying things in restaurants. zagat's -- >> interviewed them 20 times. don't know. >> they say -- >> you say zagat -- >> here are the things that annoy people. they're allowing dogs in the outdoor areas of the restaurants. some people have dogs in strollers, if you've seen them. you know how they do. >> they're nice and protected, not hurting anybody. on the sidewalk. >> sometimes they're just sitting there. and sometimes people, oh, is the dog hungry, looking at my steak.

that's one. here's one that is my pet peeve. the tables are so close together you can barely get into your seat because the other seat is backed up against you. you're like, excuse me, sorry. to go to the restroom, you can't even get -- >> yeah. you need a gps. >> you're knocking people's tables over. like the airlines that try to cram more seats, just one more table. >> or on purpose like the bistros. that's the way it is in europe. a little pub in england. everybody's crammed in. >> yeah. i like a little room to breathe. i like to, you know, have a little space. >> yes, you do. >> this is not me. this is zagat's. >> oh. again. >> they also say that we don't like people -- waiters who are constantly coming -- you order a bottle of wine and, you know, you can fill your glass back up. but the ones who are coming every time you take a sip and

dumping it in. >> i have no problem with that. >> afriof course you don't. and people don't like enormous wine glasses. >> who are you? >> they come to the table, would you like still water or sparkling? all you want is tap water. >> the cheap one. because you know they're making a ton of money on it. >> they make you feel cheap when you say no, no, just tap. >> they give you that -- just tap. oh. for shame. not doing as well as you look, huh? i know. i know. >> i don't like that. i like new york tap water. >> you like everything. >> i'm reading zagat's. >> tell everybody the best city to find a date in for valentine's day. >> fast approaching. >> a little late. but from the dalybeast.com. >> they sized up things like available singles, dating costs, mental and physical health. >> not important to me. >> who cares? it doesn't matter when you want somebody.

>> depends on how desperate a person is. >> crazy. >> i wish you could tell those stories, hoda. >> no, no. >> yes. >> number five, minneapolis. lucky for you. a lot of folks there are single. austin, texas, is number four. >> big party town. >> lincoln, nebraska, ranks third. >> huh. >> gainesville, florida, big college school. and atlanta, georgia, is the number one. >> atlanta is on a lot of lists lately and all for pretty good stuff. >> you're right. they have. >> awesome town. rounding out the top ten, seattle, madison, wisconsin, san francisco, and ann arbor, which i love, and washington, d.c. guess what? if you're in new york or l.a., you're not on the list. >> i have to say i think it's harder to meet people in bigger cities. i remember when i first came here before, trying to meet people and carve out a circle isn't easy unless you go to -- i went to restaurants and sat with a newspaper and would read. how do you meet people? hey, what are you reading?

what are you doing? >> most people aren't attracted it seems to me of people that are similar to them, you know. you have to get to know somebody that comes from a different world. >> right. >> so you, your first job in television was in greenville -- >> mississippi. >> right. there aren't that many egyptians there. right? there just aren't. that had to be hard. >> what are you talking about? >> how many did you run into in greensville, south carolina? >> mississippi. >> whatever. >> all right. so here is -- okay. i like this one. let's go to the next one. >> okay. >> this is called i never liked it anyway. i never liked it anyway. >> is that a website? >> yeah. it's a website. this woman got dumped by her boyfriend and decided to sell all the stuff he gave her on ebay. the ring, i never liked it anyway. sell it on the website. people put their wedding gowns

on there. i think they are very upset with their relationship. and they got rid of all things that reminded them of their exand they sold it so everyone could see it. sometimes you say, thank you, honey and you wear it but you don't like it. >> i don't. i return it. you know -- >> but what if he was so excited to give you something? >> just kidding. we talk about things ahead of time. what would you like. if there's something in particular -- >> what about early on? when he gave you something and -- >> frank has excellent taste. he does. but it's never been about stuff. when he asked me to marry him he gave me a beautiful diamond that he had -- it was sweet. he had it designed -- it was a square emerald cut. >> wow. >> because my nails are always sort of on the -- >> he thought about that? >> that's when he loved me like crazy. but anyway -- and i loved it. it was later stolen years later. and, you know, i remember thinking, gee, i would have

loved to have given that to my daughter someday. but i was just reminded, it's a thing. >> i know. >> it's a thing. things can be replaced and people can't. and later, a couple years later, he took me into tiffany's and said, what do you want? i picked this out, the least expensive thing in the whole store because i said it is not about that. it is not about that. i think that happens as you get older. i was very much the tchotchke queen. every bed had 80 pillows on it, more knickknacks. more and more, simplifying. when you're going to go pretty soon, you done want to leave that much work for your children. you know what i mean? >> yes. i hear you. what do we have coming up? >> i don't know. >> yes you do. >> something you can sink your teeth into. "twilight's" peter is here. >> and sara joins the circus. [ male announcer ] in blind taste tests, even ragu users chose prego.

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all right. the "twilight" saga "breaking dawn" part one grossed over $700 million since it was released in november. >> fans will be happy to know they can watch it over and over and over when the highly anticipated dvd is released late they are week. >> peter facinelli plays carlisle cullen. >> you're the enemy now. sam won't hesitate. you will be slaughtered. >> emmet will come with us. >> that won't be enough. >> we have no choice, jacob. if there's anything we can do to save him, we have to try. >> are you even recognized on the street? so different. >> i don't recognize -- i look at pictures and i'm, like, is that me? >> much better looking in person. i'm sorry. >> that's okay. 350 years old. what do you want from me? >> what do you think it is about these movies that keep people coming back? >> i don't know. i think if people knew they

would start making more like that. but i think it's an extension of the books, obviously. people are big fans of the books to start. and then, you know, i think these movies have a lot going on. it's not a typical vampire movie. it's in a vampire setting, but it's really about forbidden love and also about a family who supports each other. sometimes they're at odds, but they have a lot of love there. a lot of different, you know, levels going on with the vampire backdrop, which makes it interesting. >> and a lot of beautiful people even if they are dead. my daughter is 18 1/2. when the first books came out, she was madly in love with them. her favorite person is edward cullen. no, edward cullen. i think it grabs those young girls -- >> in the books he's such a gentleman. >> yes. >> and i think people respond to that. >> you're very deceptive, your age. you told me you're 38 but i

can't believe it. >> family so beautiful. really disturbing. >> when we were filming shooting in new orleans, i took them out on the town there, the kids. i took my 5-year-old down bourbon street and i said -- they were clinging -- yeah. >> the old photo. >> the little one with the little pistol. >> oh, wow. are any of them showing a desire to be vampires? >> my oldest daughter is really talented song writer so she's been playing guitar. i think she's interested but it's not like she's out auditioning and stuff like that. >> have they seen the movies? >> they have. they've seen all the movies. i think they know -- when my youngest saw the movie she thought i was on skype and trying to talk to me. she was angry i wasn't responding. >> in addition to the "twilight" series, you're busy on another project. >> i have a movie i wrote and produced and star in. it's available on dvd with time warner cable. you can rent it on itunes.

i play a pickpocket in new york -- >> based on your past life? >> yes. true story. no. he's a pickpocket and he kind of lives this fast, loose lifestyle, then he falls in love with this girl on a one-night stand and doesn't see her for a couple months. then she taps him on the shoulder and tells him she's pregnant. his life comes to a screeching halt. >> did "twilight" typecast you? i know it did other characters. >> i don't feel that. i do nurse jackie and that's 180 degrees. >> sure. >> and i really don't look like that. i think if i looked more like carlisle it would be harder for people to buy me playing other people, but because that character is so distinct and specific, i can play a role like dr. cooper. that's weird. carlisle's got this sexual tic. it's so different. that's what's fun for me. i get to play different roles. >> writing and producing, too. >> yeah. >> valentine's day fast

approaching. you've been married quite a long time. anything on tap? >> you know, after -- i've been with her ten years. we were goinging to for 17 years and married for ten. after that long, it's, like, i don't know what else to get. >> that she doesn't already have. >> that she doesn't have. >> you are a love. happy valentine's. >> thank you very much for having me. >> part one out on dvd this saturday, february 11th. up next, sara leaves the big city for the big top. ♪ i woke up to a light bulb ♪ every little thing is possible ♪ [ female announcer ] introducing new fresh take. kraft natural cheese, and the perfect blend of spices and bread crumbs all in one bag. we're not just making cheese. we're helping you make something amazing. ♪ love is a bright idea ♪ life is amazing... [ female announcer ] new fresh take from kraft. ♪ ...love that i found ♪

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it is time for "sara in the city," where sara haines steps out of her comfort zone and tackles another big job in the city. >> this time around, she ran away. where did you run away to? >> don't panic. i decided it was time for a break from the cold so i made an escape. i ran off and joined the circus. i signed up with ringling brothers barnum & bailey and discovered what makes the circus the greatest show on earth. they glide through the air with the greatest of ease. break world records in a contraption called the ball of steel. and tame lions, tiger, and elephants. welcome to the circus, a show that's been around for 142 years, a show that's older than baseball but always changing.

>> every year with all of our tours we play 135 cities across the country. >> producers and performers from all over the world. when they get together, it's like a mini united nations under the big top. >> we have over 142 performers, and they are doing all sorts of incredible feats. >> well, make that 143 performers, because today i'm joining them. 25 feet in front of me is a circus. ever since i walked through that curtain, oh, my. >> ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages. >> i had no idea what was in store for me. oh, my gosh. >> the sizzling sara haines! >> hi. this is so amazing. i've always dreamt of being in the circus. >> of course. everybody wants to run away. >> you're going to teach me something. >> i'm going to show you some things. i have friends that will teach you wonderful things like the clown alley. come and meet my friends.

>> so i had taylor, my very own clown mentor. >> are you excited? >> so excited. >> rapunzel and how he actually saves rapunzel. you're going to be saved by -- >> my knight in shining armor. >> i'm so excited for saving you. >> but there's a catch. to be saved by my knight in shining armor, i have to be hoisted up over 30 feet in the air. i knew true love was hard to find. >> are you a daredevil? >> yes. like an adrenaline junkie. >> let me introduce you to the legendary alex petrov. >> what are you teaching me? >> we going to take you to the high wire and give you a ride. >> a motorcycle and a high wire? >> yes. >> i muster up all smi strength and climb onto the trapeze. a teeny, tiny bar dangling under a motorcycle on a wire.

going over 40 miles per hour. >> i'm impressed with you. i'm going to introduce you to this lovely lady. >> hi. i'm sara. >> the opening production. >> i played the triangle in the band once. >> this is slightly bigger, heavy-duty. >> so they strapped me in. and up i go. twisting and twirling. and getting quaintly stuck in midair. i need to spin better. >> well, sara, we took you to circus boot camp and here you are. you lived. you survived. now we're going to honor you. you get to be our guest ring mistress. however, you have to decide which act you're going to do. >> oh. such a difficult decision. do i play the princess stuck in

the tower or go for a spin on the motorcycle high wire? or do i twirl many the triangle? and then it came to me. who wouldn't want to be a clo crowned princess? let the show begin. >> a big round of applause for the one, the only from the "today" show, sara haines! >> and then finally time for my starring role. ♪ i'm sexy and i know it ♪ i'm sexy and i know it >> a happy ending under the big top. i got my prince and my day in the circus. and after only a day under that big top i did feel like family but i had to come back to you guys, my own family. >> it didn't have a happy ending. >> i love being here. talk about the greatest show on earth p. >> that's for sure. >> no kidding.

>> all right. still to come, we have "tuesday's trend." how to look lacy without being too racy. >> bobbi's here. >> and the right wine for valentine's day. >> and cupcakes. allie's spelling bee is monday... sounds like a mini-wheats day to me! and becka's science fair is on the 8th. she's presenting the solar system. hey i've got just the whole grain fiber to help keep her full so she can stay focused. um...you rock. she'll be ready to rock. right here! [ female announcer ] make your kids big days, mini-wheats days. packed with fiber and nearly a day's worth of whole grains kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal helps keep your kids full and focused. now available in cinnamon roll flavor. keeps 'em full... keeps 'em focused. the difference between hiding my skin and showing it off? jergens ultra healing moisturizer. even my driest skin looks healthier, instantly. jergens is the difference between i'm here, and here i am. jergens®. the beautiful difference.

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that is the opinion of a three-judge appellate court panel. the panel's prop 8 ruling keeps the stay in place, and that stay prevents same-sex marriages from actually being performed. this is not expected to be the final word on the gay marriage battle. the ruling could now go to the full nine-member appeals court. we will have live coverage of this ruling at 11:00 and continuous coverage, including the full ruling right now online, logon tonbar ayomcb.c 'l awehave look at weather and traffic.

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.

welcome back. 10:28. showers falling apart over the grayer bay area. lingering activity over the al month pass. that is clearing. highs into the upper 50s. 58 in san francisco. 58 in los gados today. maybe low 60 in places like livermore and san jose. drizzle tomorrow morning. we warm up for thursday. saturday and sun, clouds increase. more rain sunday into monday of next week. let's check your drive with mike inouye. >> it was a rough day around the east bay approach to the bay bridge. things are moving nicely now. oakland, live shot, see how things are past the coliseum. light volume. camera's shaking from the breezy conditions going on there higher elevations, camra's across the 13th floor across the from the coliseum. sunol, we're seeing drizzle and drops.

we could see that. so little bit of drizzle. maybe almost enough over 580 but not a big deal for the drive. >> little drizzle, no traffic. we'll have latest on the prop 8 ruling coming up in 30 minutes. we at nb'lc oubay at nbc bay a news at 11:00. a. we're back for today's "tuesday trends." lace can be the perfect blend of sleek and sexy if done right. >> but you don't want to look like you're in your underwear. that's why thombobbie thomas ish us. >> it's so pretty and feminine, but there are some occasions you're wondering, like, at the office, can i really wear this, or how can you dress it down so it doesn't feel like a ball game. >> some celebs are sporting this and it makes you feel like i might be able to pull that off too. >> so many pretty dresses on the red carpet. hollywood has been having a love affair with red lace.

marilyn is one of my favorites, rachel mcadams. the paneling, which is a slimming effect, too so, if you see a dress like this, that's a great dress to try on, ladies. we have more of the neckline kind of popping up with ashley green and mandy moore, which is a little demure with the leather and lace fun. and last but not least, octavia spencer who looks stunning with the overlay and jessica which is a chain with it down to the ground. >> anyone can wear this. it isn't about age or anything. >> no. anyone really can wear this. it's such an interesting texture. i have some looks to show you the dos and don'ts. >> bring them out. >> she is stunning. i wanted to show how you could wear lace to the office. maybe a shirt you see on the rack that's see-through and you think i could never wear it to the office. but when you see a more demure, conservative neckline and you put black underneath, it's okay to let a contrast show through. i think it can be polished for the office. even if you want a blazer over

this to be more conservative. it's a pretty, feminine twist. pair wit a pant to give it more of a masculine edge rather than a pencil skirt which could be too sexy. >> you don't want lace to -- >> no. a little goes a long way. black and white is classic. this is from madison. love it. >> thank you. next up we have kelly and nancy. this is dressing down a little bit. >> i like this. cute. >> i love these looks because lace is fun on the weekend. kelly has a dress on that's $26. this dress underneath from necessary clothing, really goat great for the summer but in the winter, add tights, a sweater, winterize it and you have a weekend look. nancy, rock star, she shows you can put a lace tank with your hoodie and jeans on the weekend. you don't have to just go for the t-shirt. add a little something. i can see you wearing that. >> that i do. i wear a lot of lace. i love it. >> and necessary clothing, great, affordable resources you should check out.

>> okay. thanks, ladies. >> we have melanie, too. come on out. >> look at you. >> hello, melanie. >> the leather and lace thing. >> the leather and lace but also a pop of color. i think right now colorful lace is fun. this dress could be very dressy if you wanted to style it that way. by adding the leather, it's a little edgy, kind of tones down the sweetness, adding the black tights. this is something she could go to dinner with her girlfriends or have drinks. it doesn't have to be a sweet party dress a la charlotte from "sex and the city." >> just because the weather is dreary doesn't mean everything has to be black. >> tell us about what you have on. >> i thought what would i wear this with because it's thin and see-through but bar 3 at macy's, very affordable. i added a nude tank underneath. sometimes if you can black lace and you have black underneath you can't really see the pattern. and a skirt with more lace. look at the paneling effect. i really like it. >> you're a little tease. >> it helps cut your hips in

half. it kind of brings the line down. >> everybody loves your hips, bobbie. that's the truth. >> all right. >> thanks to all of our models. ? thank you, ladies. you're all adorable. >> for more information on "tuesday's trends," visit kl klgandhoda.com.

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as a regular panelist and writer for the e! channel, scheshe can be found weeknights. >> but for her, the road to success was paved with a lot of bruises. >> yes, it was. >> bad hair days and bartending. a lot of bs. her tales of love, life, and sex are in her new book. it's a big one. "life as i blow it." >> by the way, your title is foul. >> you need to get your mind out of the gutter. you're making it foul. >> you're blowing bubbles, i see. >> yes, yes. you have a chance and you blow it. >> we don't live together so -- thank you. >> people think we do. >> i thought you did. >> we heard about all that. bring two bottles next time.

chelsea's raking it in. >> yes. >> i thought you lived together because i was going to ask if i could move the with you. >> you even speak like chelsea. >> what's going on on the show? >> i have demi moore's voice now which is fine because she's in rehab or whatever happened. i'm taking over for her. i don't know what this is. >> if you close your eyes -- >> you are a man. >> even the delivery. >> a 75-year-old man. you're welcome, america. >> we live together, yeah. >> we have a lot of fun on the show. >> how did you meet? >> we met when i was 21. we were doing -- >> that long ago. >> yeah, 45 years ago, actually. yeah. been a long road. we were doing an improv class together, like neither of us were that great at it. and we became friends then. >> what did you have in common with her back in 1840?

>> we both fought in the civil war. so that brought us -- it's like -- we both lost a husband in the civil war. >> tough war. >> yeah. all right. >> so you were -- you had a boyfriend or married or something. >> i had -- well, just keep guessing you'll eventually get it right. i had a boyfriend for a few years, yes. a few boyfriends. >> then you went on -- >> i had a boyfriend for, like, three years and he didn't want to move in together so i broke up with him because i was tired of lugging the stuff back and forth. no makeup or anything. this is all natural. i said if you're not moving in with me we're breaking up. i went on eharmony and got set up with him. on eharmony. i'm not kidding. it was like that pina colada song. i was like -- i literally went on and it said i was set up with

him. i was so mad i called him and i have said what are you doing on eharmony? i'm like you're not supposed to be. you don't want to move the together. the commercials for people in eharmony are for committed relationships. i tried eharmony and tried to get a refund. they wouldn't give it to me. i'm like you guys don't have a screening process. it's false advertising. i'm going to sue you. it was the worst. >> but they've all been sort of cheaters, right, along the way. >> not really cheat -- actually, he and i ended up moving in together after that. >> that's far out. >> i didn't get a refund but -- >> you got something out of it. >> then we broke up again. >> what are you looking for in a man? >> i don't know. i don't know. >> are you looking anymore? >> i can't decide because, you know, i wanted to move in with someone and then you do and then they're there. all the time. i was, like, oh, so you're going to -- that's how it works. >> yeah. >> how do you do it? >> it takes a lot of compromise,

which is something you just do not seem to be able to do in your life. >> i compromise. i got off the eharmony and -- but, yeah, it just doesn't -- it's hard. >> you're so funny by the way. >> can't wait to read your book. and chelsea is the reason there's always alcohol on the show. >> right. >> when we were on the plaza, when i first joined hoda, her first book came out. >> right. >> so the producer made some drinks for her and -- >> is that where it started? >> a few days later she wassing, like, where ice my drink? all of a sudden it became a little bar. >> i didn't know she started that. but it kind of makes sense, though. we have that at work sometimes. >> you're adorable. >> thank you very much. thanks for having me. >> sara's new book, "life as i blow it" -- we need to say that again. >> no. don't. >> "life as i blow it" goes on

sale today. >> stop saying it. >> mind's in the gutter. >> we'll have a valentine's day segment. [ female announcer ] if whole grain isn't the first ingredient in your breakfast cereal, what is? now, in every box of general mills big g cereal, there's more whole grain than any other ingredient. that's why it's listed first. get more whole grain than any other ingredient... just look for the white check.

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and now on today's "celebrate valentine's day," chic drinks, romance. >> red wines paired with chocolate fondue to affordable bottles for you and your sweetie, head thirsty guy, leslie has you covered. >> she's sort of the meryl streep of alcohol. wouldn't you say? >> i think you're right on. >> we're going to kick off with some cocktails on valentine's day because everybody needs a little booze to get the night going. i did a little modern twist. classic champagne cocktail and a gin and tonic. i call this my kava twist. isle give you a little bit of this. >> that's a yoga thing, isn't it? >> you do that after you drink.

this is kava. rose. affordable. about 15 bucks. instead of using champagne and brandy, i used this gorgeo gorgeougorgeou gorgeougorgeou gorgeous infused with chamomile. a little bit of sweetness and aromatic. >> see if we like it. >> hmm. >> you drink enough, you'll like it. >> what's this? >> that's what this is. >> just drink it like this? >> you've god got to like it. >> what about gin? >> we like gin. gin is better. >> i carried the chamomile theme. this is made by the first female master distiller. >> good for her. >> infused with a little bit of chamomile. >> so proud. >> and beautiful and soothing. then a very healthy tonic called sea tonic p. >> tell us about your ice cubes.

>> i would love to. >> those are cute. look at those. >> it's pomegranate seeds frozen. >> delicious. >> really aromatic gin. lovely. >> kind of light but has a kick. >> where's my glass? cheers. >> that's a home run. >> very refreshing. >> and the sea tonic is organic and not very sweet. >> that's why i like it. >> the other retro thing i did was fondue. i remember fondue growing up. >> i'm fond of fondue. >> dig in. get in there. >> i'm knocking it over. >> strawberries and bacon. one of the hottest things is bacon covered in chocolate. so this is actually -- >> i didn't see that. thank you. >> this is chocolate made for wine. it's called bric's chocolate. you can use any dark chocolate. i love bacon. i paired it with two latin-loving wines. >> oh, my god.

decade decadent. >> what do you drink with that? >> this is a spanish red. it's fabulous. it's made from -- >> whey don't you grab my breass when you say things like that? do it again because the cameraman missed it. >> it just comes like that. >> okay. >> then i did a beautiful thing that goes with this. >> you mind not doing that, hoda woman? you'll put an eye out. >> two affordable wines. you can get naked or naughty. which one do you want to do? >> you can't be one without the other. >> simply naked chardonnay unoaked. i did this for you. and beautiful red knot get naughty. >> we love you, leslie. say it again. just for the camera guy. >> coming up, you guy, up next, no butter, no eggs, no problem. >> no problem.

- so, can we say this word on my new show? - oh, absolutely not. - well, what about this common euphemism for when a man loves a woman? - uh, that is not common, and it has nothing to do with love. - well, what if i was willing to do it to you? - um, i would need you to talk to hr. - i'm not into threesomes. - [laughs] i doubt that. oh. - are you there, chelsea? followhitney. part of nbc wednesday happy hour. it all starts 8:00/7:00 central on nbc.

and now on "today's kitchen," delicious desserts for valentine's day. the way through your sweetie's heart. >> the author of "sticky finger swe sweets: 100 super sweet vegan recipes." >> you look so healthy. >> you do. >> you're totally vegan? >> i am. >> how long? >> since i was 22, so that's -- >> a year. >> yeah. about five. >> what about the champagne? >> get straight to it. >> do vegans drink a little champagne? >> they do. absolutely. you can't start off valentine's day without some good champagne. >> talk about the cake you're making. >> this is a red velvet cake, no eggs, no dairy.

and we start off with our traditional ingredients, flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt. all your standards. right? >> what goes on in here? >> these are our liquids. we'll mix all our liquids first. >> okay. >> you can do that. >> cream? >> that is actually coconut milk. >> coconut milk. >> soy milk. >> hoda can have it. >> and then we have -- >> maybe you should become vegan, hoda. >> oh, no. >> can i mix this for you? >> absolutely. thanks. >> no. >> your vanilla. >> hers or mine? >> that's the magic ingredient. at the end. perfect. >> yep. >> fold it. >> hoda. >> the thing about baking is you want to make sure you have your technique down. >> okay. >> perfect. >> you want me to dump it in? >> i'll take care of that. >> you know -- >> we're going to fold, exactly.

so liquid into the dry ingre ingredie ingredients. >> i've already been fondued in the eye. >> the champagne drinking and the cupcake eating. so you have that. so here's where the magic ingredients come in. vinegar. the acids, baking soda reacts with the vinegar and the lemon juice we poured in and we get some really nice color changes. our bubbles. it gets really nice. >> all right. come on down and let's start decorating. >> you bake them for how long? >> right around 15 minutes p. >> tell us about the icing. >> the icing, sugar. first and foremost. vanilla. >> you like your sugar. >> absolutely. you can't do good baking without sugar. we have a nonhydrogenated vegan cream cheese, which is soy or rice. >> how does that taste? >> really delicious.

>> get involved. get involved. >> sara, get in here. >> everybody's different. it's perfect for valentine's day. >> hmm. it's good. >> making everyone happy. >> it is good. >> it's got like a little bit of an interesting texture. it's sweet. >> not quite chocolate or vanilla but definitely sweet. >> thank you so much. >> coming up tomorrow, actress lisa kudrow is with us. >> and couples massage. does that mean you and me? >> oh, man. and ambush makeovers. she can be so mean. >> you don't know her. >> you know what i'm saying? >> godzilla.

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