showed you that jam-up. back to you. >> thank you. thank you for joining us. good morning. breaking news -- nbc news has confirmed president obama will release ten states from the strict requirements of the bush-era "no child left behind" law today. we'll tell you what the impact could be on millions of students all across the country. intent to kill -- new details on the death of university of virginia lacrosse player as her ex-boyfriend's murder trial gets under way. this morning, the threatening e-mail that prosecutors say he sent to his alleged victim just two days before she died. and "today" exclusive -- guns being bought illegally without background checks in the

middle of crowded parking lots. >> no paperwork, no background checks. >> and it's completely legal -- the results of our hidden camera investigation today, thursday, the results of our hidden camera investigation today, thursday, february 9th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning, i'm ann curry. >> and i'm matt lauer. this decision by the obama administration to grant ten state waivers from "no child left behind" will be the strongest move yet to undermine the controversial education initiative. >> that's right. it was signed by president bush in 2002, and mandated that 100% of grade school students be proficient in reading and math by 2014. but opponents say it forces teachers to focus too much on test scores. and not enough on actually educating the students. we'll get the latest on this developing story, straight ahead.

>> a lot of talk about that throughout the day. also new investigation tied to the house fire that police say josh powell set, killing himself and his two young sons. officials now want to know why it took police more than 20 minutes to arrive at that scene. we'll have more on that story coming up as well. this morning straight ahead on wednesday, we brought you the story of the former white house intern who says she had an 18-month affair with jfk. well, this morning, mimi alford will be joining us to reveal more of her story in the first live interview since coming forward. and kate middleton making the news, stepping out first solo appearance since joining the royal family. her first solo official appearance. we're going to have more on that as well. >> looking lovely as always. we begin with the top story of the morning and savannah guthrie is at the news desk where natalie is on assignment. hey, savannah. good morning. >> good morning, matt and ann. in the news this morning, president barack obama will exempt ten states from the "no child left behind" law today. nbc news confirming that by

dropping the bush-era policy to ten states, including colorado, florida and new jersey. will get the leeway on student preparation and evaluation they've been requesting for years. the official announcement is expected this afternoon. new questions this morning about the emergency response to the murder/suicide of josh powell and his two children. 911 call logs now show it took nearly eight minutes for a sheriff's deputy sheriff's deputy to be dispatched to josh powell's home after a social worker called to report an emergency. it took an additional 14 minutes for deputies to reach the house, which was engulfed in flames by then. the call was categorized as routine and the dispatcher told the social worker, quote, we have to respond to emergency-like threatening situations first. the reality television producer charged with killing his wife while on vacation in mexico has arrived in cancun this morning after being extradited from california. "survivor" producer bruce beresfo beresford-redmond is awaiting

custody. his wife found murdered in 2010. indiana health officials say they've confirmed two cases of measles in that state and at least one of the people infected with the contagious illness is thought to have attended the super bowl festivities over the weekend. officials say they are not yet concerned about a widespread outbreak. the tsa is expanding a preflight security screening program to 28 of the country's busiest airports. the program would speed frequent flyers and other eligible travelers through security without having to remove their shoes or pull laptops from their cases. the tsa says the move is part of an effort to make security intelligence-driven, instead of one size fits all. now to wall street, cnbc's courtney reagan is at the new york stock exchange for more. >> greece is still the word and greece still an overhang on the market. the eurozone finance ministers are expected to meet today, potentially paving the way for another round of bailout funds for the country.

meantime, investors will place particular importance on the weekly unemployment claims today. after a better-than-expected january jobs report, as we continue to look for signs of improvement in the labor market. savannah, back to you. >> courtney reagan, thank you. and could the loch ness monster be on vacation in iceland? we'll take a look. this video of what appears to be a sea creature on an icelandic river has monster watchers in a frenzy online. but zoologists say it's an elaborate hoax. made from fishing nets and trash bags. the clip has racked up more than a million hits since it was posted this week. it is now 7:05, back to matt, ann and al. i don't think it's nessie, because i think she has a condo in miami. not where she likes vacation. you guys were paying attention. >> it's thursday, try the veal. >> thanks, savannah. let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker.

we have a little storm moving into our area? >> not until the weekend. in the meantime, things fairly quiet around a good portion of the country. we have to look far and wide to find the rain. the pacific northwest, a lot of moisture streaming in, some heavy at times stretching from coastal oregon all the way in to washington state. rainfall amounts anywhere from 1 to 2 inches, but right along the coast. rest of the country, fairly quiet. we're expecting a few light lake-effect snow showers in the western great lakes, some showers in the panhandle of texas, sunny skies up and down the eastern seaboard. that's what's going on around >> well, it's cold and mostly clear out there right now. good morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren. live in the nbc bay area weather center. we're headed toward the 70s later today in some cities, gilroy 72 degrees today. hit about 69 in san jose and livermore. and even 63 degrees, comfortable right on the water in san francisco today. as we head through tomorrow, cooling with fog in the morning, by saturday clouds increase, then the rain moves in sunday

into tuesday. weather. matt? now to the gop presidential race, where rick santorum is trying to capitalize on momentum he picked up from his clean sweep in tuesday's contest. nbc's kelly o'donnell is traveling with his campaign and she's in oklahoma city this morning. hi, kelly. >> reporter: hi, good morning, matt. well, trying to keep that excitement going, rick santorum is the only republican candidate holding rallies today. he's got two of them here in oklahoma. and he's trying to draw in new donors. santorum tells us he raised about $1 million in the 24 hours after the surprising wins. and that's of course bringing new expectations and drawing new criticism from his chief rival. >> presidential candidate, give him a texas welcome! >> reporter: riding the clean sweep momentum into a tea party gathering in texas. >> i can't think of a better place to be, to celebrate the victory for conservatives that we had in minnesota and in missouri and in the state of colorado.

>> reporter: notching four state wins with his scrappy, no-frills campaign, santorum rails against one of mitt romney's biggest strengths -- a deep, formidable money machine inside the romney campaign. >> how are you going to win an election if your greatest attribute is i'll spend more money than the other person? we need someone who has better ideas, who has a better vision. >> reporter: santorum's strength has been with social conservatives who embraced him in prayer on wednesday. >> we pray that you would direct rick's steps as he campaigns for president. >> reporter: laying hands and lending support to his quest for the nomination. while jobs and the economy dominate, this week religious freedom and the catholic contraception controversy turned red hot on the trail. >> now we have a president who's going after the church. >> reporter: for mitt romney, his own work in mormon ministry, a role he seldom brings up. >> people asked to serve as the pastor of their congregation from time to time.

i had that privilege for over ten years. >> reporter: romney linked that religious work to his understanding of everyday problems. an area where romney has struggled to connect. >> i found that those kinds of circumstances were not just about money or numbers. they were about lives and emotions. >> reporter: from softer side to new tactics, romney is trying to blunt this surprising surge by branding santorum a big government spender. >> actually during senator santorum's time in washington, the government grew by 80%. and he voted to raise the debt ceiling five times. this may work in washington or it may have worked in the past. it will not work in the future. >> reporter: and romney aides say that they will go after santorum again today, hitting him on things like his history with earmarks, voting himself a pay raise while he was in washington. even using the phrase, he was cozy with some democrats then. all ways that mitt romney is trying to chip away at the santorum surge. matt? >> kelly o'donnell in oklahoma

city, thanks very much. laura ingram is a fox news contributor. good to see you. good morning. >> great to see you, matt. >> let's talk about these wins for rick santorum on tuesday. did he gain anything other than bragging rights for a couple of days? did he substantially change his chances in the race? >> i think so. look, right now the republican party is in a similar position to what the democrats were in in 2008, right? there was all these people who thought that the clintons, hillary, specifically had the right ideas. and then we had democrats emerging like ted kennedy saying no, barack obama is the future of the party. there's this period of working things out and that's happening now. rick santorum comes out of pretty much nowhere in these three states, matt. in fact, romney didn't spend a lot of money in minnesota, missouri or colorado. but at the same time, he did have momentum coming out of florida and nevada. he couldn't translate that. so rick santorum has the ability now to say, look, give me another look, let me make the

case for my solutions to you. more than just spending money to annihilate mitt romney. >> when you say mitt romney didn't spend a lot of money in minnesota, what's startling to me if you look at the results, he fished in third place in that state with 17% of the vote. four years ago he won the state with 41% of the vote. if you've been doing nothing but running for president for five or six years, that isn't good news. >> it isn't good news. you hit on a key point, which is voter turn-out. republicans have to be careful about how they proceed here to not dampen the republican passion for defeating obama. and right now, in key contests, where mitt romney has won, and even obviously where santorum has won, the turn-out has been abysmally low. considering the fervor that exists among conservatives to turn the obamas out of washington and start anew. i got to hold up something, matt, for you to look at. this is the "washington examiner's" cover today.

he's having a mix and mingle this afternoon. with a number of conservative supporters and would-be donors perhaps. and he really -- he understands, i think now, that it's time to build bridges, not just to burn down the other side. >> do you agree with the conventional wisdom, which has seemed to be over the last couple of months, that at some point in this process, strict ideology, the conservatives wanting and needing their say in this will give way to electability? do you think that's no longer the case? >> i think the aura and the idea of electability, the invincibility of the romney campaign has generally dwindled away, right? so that argument has become weaker, not stronger as time has gone on. but nevertheless, rick santorum has enormous amount of work to do. he has to have a real presence in ohio. he's going to try to take down romney in michigan, where the last poll shows romney winning 2 to 1. what he has, matt, is he has the momentum of the conservative

enthusiasts behind him right now. romney does not have that. he has not been able to seal the deal yet with conservatives in romneycarrier and what's happening with the hhs regulations, the whole debate is not helping romney now. >> in the last 30 seconds, interesting in the entire discussion, we haven't mentioned one name and that is newt gingrich. what's the deal? >> well, look, he looked pretty defeated after florida. we -- he withstood 5 to 1 negative advertising. it wasn't pretty in the end. nevada obviously didn't work out well for him and now people are talking about rick santorum as the conservative alternative to romney and obama. gingrich has to hope for big wins on super tuesday in the south. i think that's what he's banking on. it was not a good night for newt gingrich. perhaps worse for him than for mitt romney. >> laura ingram, always nice to have you here. thanks for giving me the time. >> thanks. 13 after the hour. now here's ann. >> now to important medical news for pregnant women. contrary to popular belief, a new study shows there are certain health risks for babies delivered by c-section.

nbc's chief medical editor, dr. nancy snyderman is here with details. good morning. this is a study of smaller, pre-term babies. >> this study looked at c-section risks to infants. we talked a lot about c-section risks to moms in the past. they looked at babies who weren't growing as quickly as doctors would have liked. the conventional wisdom has been, get the babies out and we'll treat them in an icu. they found that there was a 30% increase in complications. complications like difficulty breathing, difficulty feeding, difficulty in temperature control. these are classic -- and jaundice, which is a real problem in pre-term babies. but if you look beyond that, beyond the pre-term babies, the babies who weren't growing quickly enough and you start to look at maybe 37, 38 weeks, there's an increased belief now that the longer a baby stays in the womb, up to 40 weeks, the better the outcome for the baby.

>> we talked about the short-term health impact. could there be long-term impacts? >> no doubt about it. long-term impacts include the breathing problems can turn into asthma later in life. in the last few weeks of a pregnancy, that's when the lungs and the brain are really developing. so developmental problems. cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, all of those things become compounded if a baby is taken out prematurely. i think we have to look at a societal change. the rates of c-section are going up in this country. one reason may be invitro fertilization and multiple births. one part of it is women trying to put delivery into their own schedules. and you've heard this topic -- >> or doctors. >> sometimes, yes. too posh to push, i don't want the pain, please just let me do c-section. you have to remember, the ultimate outcome should be a healthy baby. >> a lot of women who have had c-sections want to know, does this mean that they have to have a c-section the second time? >> the great majority of women can safely have a regular

vaginal birth afterwards, it's called a v-back. vaginal birth after section. >> dr. nancy snyderman, thank you so much. it is now 7:15. here's matt. a popular news anchor in denver, colorado, a recovering from reconstructive surgery this morning after she was bitten by a dog live on the air. it all started as a feel-good story about a dramatic ice rescue. nbc's kristen dahlgren has the details. kristen, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. yeah, kyle dyer seemed to be enjoying petting the dog as she talked to his owner and then things turned. it started as a feel-good story. a dog who fell through the ice rescued in dramatic fashion. there was the heroic firefighter. >> can't write it any better. he recognized that he was going towards safety. and once we got him out, he was friendly and happy to be in a warmer place. >> reporter: the ecstatic owner --

>> i'm beyond happy. he's our family member, he's like a son in a sense. he's a rock-solid dog. >> reporter: but when the 85-pound argentine mastiff called max joined them on their morning show to share the story, things went terribly wrong. shortly after anchor kyle dyer knelt on the floor, petting max, the huge dog lunged and bit her. the long-time anchor was rushed to the hospital and animal control was called. video of the bite went viral, but kusa fought to get it off the internet. adding the incident was traumatizing for staffers. nbc news is not showing video of the bite. now 3-year-old max is being quarantined at a denver animal shelter for ten days. his owner, michael robinson, has been cited for failure to have his dog on a leash, allowing a dog to bite and failure to have a vaccinated dog. dyer is known for a weekly

feature spotlighting animals at the denver zoo. wednesday she was operated on by surgeons. >> kyle went through reconstructive surgery and i think that from what i heard, the surgeon was pleased with the outcome of the surgery. >> reporter: in the moments before she was bitten, dyer's face was several inches from the dog's mouth. >> basically she did everything wrong. she went up to a dog she didn't know, who didn't know her and she either tried to kiss him, hug him or put her face much too close to his face. he felt threatened and bit her. >> reporter: a story that was supposed to have a very different ending, leaving a popular morning anchor recovering and the once-rescued dog now at an animal shelter. dyer's expected to be released from the hospital today and back at work within a few weeks. max's owner had no comment. but animal control said it's investigating and has found no evidence of any previous bites, so it's likely that max will go home. and the station says it plans to rewrite policies when it comes to interacting with animals.

but doesn't plan to give up doing animal stories. matt? >> we just hope she's okay, kristen dahlgren out in denver, thanks very much. it's 18 minutes after the hour. here's ann. >> kate middleton is keeping busy while her husband is away on his most recent military deployment. the duchess of cambridge shined last night at her first solo public appearance as a royal. nbc's michelle kosinski is at buckingham palace with more. hey, michelle, good morning. >> reporter: hi ann. beginning that kate is just good at this. and everywhere she goes, even out for the first time by herself, she's described as everything from kind and approachable, to dazzling and spectacular. this time, katherine wowed in glitzy, artsy crowd in a demur gray belted dress. but on her arm, she was at a art

reception. of course, katherine was the focus of the national portrait gallery. one of her newly-chosen charities. looking relaxed, showing how it's done. now that prince william or lieutenant william wales is on a six-week deployment to the faulkland islands. >> it was a very significant moment for her. a chance to express herself and represent herself on the world stage. >> he was not going to stay out of sight at the couple's remote cottage in wales. she's been seen out casually shopping with a simple gold wedding band, instead of her usual sapphire. now officially a royal in her own right. able to represent the firm on her own. and we saw her prove glitteringly during a trial run at a palace event in october. >> she's also got the sense of dew point that she's picking up from her grandmother-in-law, the queen, she's doing incredible research as to what charities she should be endorsing. because she knows that was one

of diana's strengths. >> princess diana made her first solo visit about a year after her wedding to a children's hospital which kate also recently visited with william. kate is a decade older than diana was. and wears her poise along with all of those fabulous gowns. hard to believe a few years ago, here she is doing her best to ignore the cameras. now, she owns them. so royal-watchers, watching kate navigate her first solo flight. >> the duchess of cambridge did wonderful last night. it was a freezing cold night in central london, the temperature shot up the minute she got out of the car. it was kind of electric. >> well, kate, who met her prince as an art history student in college, will soon have her own royal portrait made and she's expected to go on appearances with the queen. so she can learn from the best. ann? >> all right, michelle kosinski this morning, thank you. coming up up in an exclusive

live interview with the woman who says she was jfk's mistress for 18 months. her first, since breaking the silence after 50 years. but first, this is "today" on nbc. i'm in a tricky situation here.

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because only the fastest survive. just ahead, new details on the murder of a university of virginia lacrosse player as her ex-boyfriend's trial gets under way. the disturbing email he sent to yeardley love just two days before her death. and just how easy it is to be criminals to get without bac checks. the results of our hidden camera investigation after this. ♪ the wind is blowin' ♪ but i can weather the storm ♪ what do i care how much it may storm? ♪ ♪ ♪ i've got my love to keep me warm ♪

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♪ who knew being natural could be so delicious? coffee-mate natural bliss. from nestle. add your flavor naturally. >> good morning to you. 7:26 now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. a berkeley police officer is in the hospital this morning after he was rammed by a suspect in a traffic stop that went wrong. it happened at center street and grove way in castro valley. two undercover officers had been following the suspect from berkeley. the officers finally pulled the suspect over. that is when he suddenly backed up, hitting the officer between cars. the pinned officer's partner opened fire. >> i kept telling the people to duck, and get out of the way. >> the suspect backed his vehicle which pinned a berkeley

police officer between the suspect vehicle and the unmarked berkley car. >> the suspect was shot and is now in the hospital. the officer has serious injuries. no word on why the police were trying to stop the suspect. >> good morning to you. a live look over the golden gate bridge, completely clear. what a difference a day makes. we were socked in with fog yesterday. we have a clear sky to look forward to just about all day long. we'll see a few high clouds from time to time. temperatures are going to climb into the upper 60s and low 70s. 65 degrees today in san francisco, you'll have about 67 degrees in san rafael. 70 in santa rosa. and 63 in pacifica and half moon bay. tomorrow we drop off a touch. as we get more fog in the morning saturday into sunday things start to change. more clouds, showers move in sunday, then we get rain at times on monday.

looking lovely for lover's day. we'll make way with sunshine come valentine's day. >> we'll take folks to the bay bridge. san francisco to oakland there is a stalled truck which is moving over toward the oakland side. that will present slowing through treasure island. also an issue, that is not a commute. we have the commute off of the east shore freeway. holding stead tee the 40s around the curve. another issue at the east bore of the caldecott tunnel. and the south bay, northbound route typical flow slowing down. >> thank you, mike. thanks for joining us. the latest updates check out nbc bay area on facebook. okay, people, let's get started. pete, did you forget yours?

me pete, me use pen! (laughter) sorry i'm late, i was in the 16th century looking for pete's pen. (laughter) guys, guys. take it easy, ok? pete's mom is videochatting me, and she wants her pen back! ok, alright, well. i just got one. so... yeah, you've got a little... yep, i can feel the wet patch. don't look at it. when it's on your mind, it's on ebay.

it is 7:30 now on a thursday morning, february 9th, 2012. kind of a cold morning here in new york city. it will warm up though as the day goes on. nice day for these people to be out and about. 34 degrees on the plaza right now. we're going to get al's forecast coming up in just a little while. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. just inside, a dangerous trade for guns. >> in a hidden camera investigation, we're going to be revealing what some say is a loophole that allows anyone, even criminals to use the internet to buy firearms. no background checks, no

questions asked. and we're told, it is legal. coming up, jeff rossen is sharing his eye-opening report with us. also ahead, a "today" exclusive, the woman who says she carried out an affair with president john f. kennedy while she was a white house intern. will have a first live interview, what's it like to keep that kind of a secret for 50 years? why does she say there was a darker side to jfk? we'll talk to her about that and more in just a little while. we begin with the trial of a former university of virginia lacrosse player, accused of killing his former girlfriend. nbc's janet shamlian is in charlotte, virginia with more. >> good morning to you. at this trial gets under way, we're learning the relationship between george huguely and je d yeardley love was tumt wous and sometimes violent and often fuelled by alcohol. the bar is set very high in the trial. they have to prove intent. as we learned in court on wednesday, it could all hinge on an email.

george huguely walked into court in handcuffs and shackles. now 24 and considerably thinner than when he was arrested in may of 2010. but the murder of his on again/off again girlfriend, yeardley love. huguely has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including first-degree murder. in opening statements, prosecutors told jurors they have an email that huguely sent love two days before she died that will prove intent to kill. they say that the email reads in part -- i should have killed you. after learning love had slept with someone else. >> the prosecution is initially suggesting first-degree murder. this is, this is not only was he responsible for her death, but he had planned it and he had thought about it. he had threatened to do it before. >> it was by all accounts, a turbulent relationship with unfaithfulness on both sides, even before yeardley's roommate found her bloody and face-down on her bed. the cause of death was blunt force trauma to her head. the injuries so severe, the

medical examiner had to dissect her brain to find the cause. prosecutors said huguely went to her apartment that night, kicked open the door of her bedroom and shooked her until her head hit the wall. he left with her computer and tossed it in a dumpster, they allege because it had evidence of his email. yeardley's anguished mother broke down in tears. as prosecutors told jurors the young woman lay dieing in her bed for as long as two hours before she was found. for their part, defense attorneys called love's death a shattering tragedy, but not an intentional act. they said huguely went to yeardley's apartment after a day of heavy drinking only to talk about the relationship and to work it out. >> we see times wildfire the defense will claim intoxication on the part of one or both individuals, juries are, i think, have a hard time accepting that as a defense. because most look at if you're intoxicated, that's something you did to yourself. >> the defense said it would call a number of medical experts to testify.

and suggested love could have died from an irregular heart beat related to her prescription for adderol. in a statement that seemed to boo little his own client, his attorney said he was not capable of telling a lie, saying he was not complicated, not complex, he's a lacrosse player. love's mother, sister and roommates took the stand wednesday in what was often emotional testimony. there were also details of a prior incident just a couple of months before love died in which george huguely had choked her. this case has focused new attention on domestic violence and dating violence on college campuses. ann? back to you. >> janet shamlian, thank you. now let's get a check of the weather from al. today's weather is brought to you by kay jewelers. every kiss begins with kay. >> and good morning, everybody,

we've got some young ladies here. wow, i like that, using your iphone to show you love oregon. very cool. brighten it up a little bit. what's your name? >> ann. >> ava. >> you got a call coming in. only kidding. let's see what's going on for your day. we've got some cold air arctic front going to be bring big changes, teens and 20s in the plains, 30s throughout much of the country. by friday, subzero readings in the plains, teens and 20s as far south as kansas. by saturday, the cold air makes it into new england, the great lakes, all the way down to the south with 20s and 30s. rest of the day today, we're looking for plenty of rain in the pacific northwest, mountain snows in northern idaho. expect showers and snow in the panhandle of texas. eastern seaboard, fantastic. gorgeous weather, the exception, some showers and thunderstorms down in southern florida. and the bahamas, where kathie lee and hoda are.

>> well, it's a cold start out there. but the clear conditions right off the bat will make for the warmest day of the week. later this afternoon as temperatures climb into the 70s in some cities. by tomorrow morning more of an onshore flow and clouds will make for cooler conditions. then we get showers in the seven-day forecast so rainy powder developing through this weekend. enjoy the sunshine and 72 in morgan hill. 71 in ple san on the. about 65 in san francisco, a little cooler tomorrow and then the rain moves in late saturday, sunday, and into the first part of next week. forget, you can get your weather any time of the day or night, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com. coming up next, a hidden camera investigation on just how easy it can be to buy guns without aeck. background check. and it's all legal. right after this. - i'll be hom. until then, i have my wingman helping me out. tommy? - i helped dad pick it out. - it's beautiful. - behind every open heart is a story.

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back now at 7:40, this morning we're kicking off a new series called "rossen reports." these stories come out of a new unit led by jeff rossen. we begin with a hidden camera investigation exposing how easy it is for anyone, even criminals, to buy guns. jeff, good morning. >> good morning to you. and some say this is a major loophole in the law. at gun stores you have to get a background check before you can buy a weapon. but online, in most states, anyone from law-abiding citizens to dangerous criminals, even terrorists, can get just about any weapon they want, no

questions asked. our investigation shows the deals going down in broad daylight in suburban mall parking lots. they are some of the most lethal weapons out there. and we were able to buy all of them in a single day. with no background checks, no questions asked. it's this easy. hundreds of thousands of guns for sale, on hundreds of websites. we responded, and set up meetings at popular shopping malls. >> how much was it that we agreed on? >> 500. >> we bought everything. from this police-grade pistol. to this semi automatic assault rifle. >> what if you went and shot somebody with it? >> we did it over and over again. our buyer even hinting he's a criminal. >> no paperwork, no background checks. probably couldn't pass the darn thing, anyway. >> within hours we bought eight guns. >> good god.

>> even this 50-caliber weapon, so powerful, it could take down a helicopter. >> the people you just sold it to could be terrorists and you sold it no questions asked. >> yeah. >> remember, at a gun store, a background check is required. but online? nothing. and believe it or not, in most states -- it's completely legal. >> is this like a candy store for criminals? >> it's a weapons bazaar for criminals. >> nbc hired former ntf adviser to help with our investigation. >> somebody even with a murder conviction can log on, email someone, meet them in a parking lot and buy an ak-47. >> 34 people are murdered ever are i day in gun violence, with many of the weapons traced back to private sales just like these. >> no one should have to die like that. these two women lost their best friend killed by a stalker. this canadian man who crossed

into the u.s. bought a gun online in seattle and then shot her 11 times. as she got into her car. >> no legitimate gun store would have sold this man a gun because he's not a u.s. citizen, he wouldn't have passed a background check. yet he was able to easily buy one online. >> there's not a doubt in my mind, had this man not been able to buy a gun online, she would still be here. >> what kind of dangerous weapons could we buy? to find out, we went online and responded to gun ads in phoenix, arizona. within minutes, we had meetings set up. our gun buyers, two arizona security experts we hired. posing as husband and wife. this man is about to sell us a tactical assault rifle. modified to use bullets for an ak-47. >> come over here real quick and i'll give you the money. >> we were watching from nearby vans as our buyers paid cash for the guns. no questions asked. >> hi, jeff rossen with nbc

news, you just sold an assault rifle to a couple of people who you have no idea who they are. or what they could do with that gun. they could go rob a bank or hurt somebody. does that ever weigh on you? >> it does, it does, but at the same time i'm not going to be responsible for what they choose to do with it. >> for our next meetings, we took it up a notch. telling the seller, point-blank, we probably can't pass a background check. will they still sell us the guns then? we're about to find out. this man is peddling a glock 23. with hollow-point bullets, made to inflict serious internal damage. >> we're not going to do any paperwork, no background checks, i probably couldn't pass it, anyway. >> i shouldn't be selling it to you. >> well anyway, i appreciate it. >> we shake on it. he told you he couldn't pass a background checks, did that raise any red flags for you? >> slightly, but in this economy, when you need the money, you need the money. >> it's all about the cash.

people could get hurt, doth that matter? >> yes. >> it didn't matter to you. >> i need the money. >> the twists and turns are just beginning. this seller shows up with a tactical shotgun and assault rifle and his 7-year-old son. remember, our buyers could be dangerous felons. >> i appreciate the fact no paperwork, no background check. 'cuz i probably couldn't pass it anyway, man. now watch as he hands the cash to his boy. jeff rossen with nbc news. how are you? >> i'm not interested in talking to you. >> we're just doing a story about online gun sales. he said he couldn't pass a background check and you still sold him the weapon. but the most scary transaction of all came after dark, in this pharmacy parking lot. the online ad was for this 50-caliber sniper rifle. the most powerful gun legally sold in the u.s. bullet range? five miles, it can pierce armored vehicles, even bring down a helicopter.

>> this is set up. >> but the seller is so laid back, you would think he's hawking a used bicycle. >> enjoy it, i know you're going to like it. >> once he got the cash, the gun was ours, no questions asked. but we had some for him. this is the gun of choice for the drug cartels worldwide this gun can take down a helicopter. >> it can take anything. it's a 50-caliber, i understand. >> you know how powerful this weapon is. >> oh, yeah. >> doesn't it concern you that you have no idea who these people are, they could be dangerous felons, terrorists. >> i never thought about it, to be honest. >> and it's happening nationwide. in new york, mayor michael bloomberg led another investigation, buying guns online in 14 states. even after their buyer said they couldn't pass a background check. >> i don't know what it takes, how many people, who has to get murdered before congress is going to stand up and say enough of this? >> so what's the government doing about did? it turns out there's a bill that would close this loophole.

and require background checks for all gun sales. even online. but that bill has been sitting in committee for nearly a year. >> maybe your report will motivate people to act. >> new york senator, chuck schumer is sponsoring the bill. >> with all due respect, as congress continues to debate this and play politics, authorities say criminals, dangerous criminals in many cases are buying guns online. >> the nra is one of the most powerful lobbies in washington and despite the overwhelming evidence, that we should do something, which your report buttresses, the odds of us being able to do something are not high. >> the nra says it opposes the bill because it has many serious flaws. but wouldn't comment about online gun sales. in the past, the nra has fought background checks for any private sales. but victims say, until the law is changed, more innocent people will die. >> all they care about is profit. profit over lives. and it's wrong.

>> keep in mind, this is legal. and lots of people in this country support private gun sales without background checks. they say it's not about making money or profit, it's about their individual rights. as for the eight guns we bought, we turned them over to the phoenix police department, where matt, that police department will actually destroy them. >> i mentioned going into the story, it's the first story coming out of this new unit that you've set up. what's the goal of the unit? >> we know how important these stories are, investigative journalism is incredibly important. we want to focus on consumer investigations, the world of finance, politics, the sky's the limit. we want to do more of these and dig in with hidden camera investigations and whatever else. >> we've got a website set up so people can get to you and give you story ideas? >> today.com, it's called rossen reports, click on it and send us whatever ideas you have. nothing is too small. >> jeff rossen, great story, thanks very much. still ahead, today's professionals weigh in on one college's controversial decision av make the l se lato pil

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just ahead, we'll pose a question, did president kennedy have a darker side. a former white house intern says she was his teenaged mistress for 18 months opens up in her first live interview coming up. and i don't know if you've noticed it's extremely quiet around here because hoda and kathie lee are in the bahamas taking the bahamas by storm. we'll check in with them live. but first, these es check of your local news and weather. i'd race down that hill without a helmet.

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>> good thursday morning. 7:56 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. we're learning the federal agent shot outside of his home is in critical condition this morning. the 61-year-old man is not being named but we know he works with u.s. customs and border protection. the man suspected of shooting him is a piedmont optician held without bail and could be arraigned as early as today. prosecutors say they may file attempted murder charges. bagwell is accused of the shooting of the agent early tuesday morning. the motive is still unclear. i want to check the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. >> good morning to you. well, it's unusual for mid february but we're going to see plenty of sunshine and 70s over

the bay area. courtesy of all of this sunshine coming in. let's take it to the maps. we're going to see patchy fog. already noticing the trend. by tomorrow we'll see a little more fog in the morning. keep your temperatures down so this will be the warmest. get out and enjoy it. before the showers roll in as we head into this weekend and the first part of next week. 68 in milpitas. 68 in danville. today about 65 in san francisco. rain moves in sunday into monday. monday a washout. then a dry break for the second half of valentine's day. >> you know, we're going to stick with the maps and we're looking at the south bay. things are jamming up. look at 87. speeds down below 20 there where you see red. up the peninsula for traffic slowing through menlo park. we had an accident as well as at holly causing problems along the

peninsula drive. >> thank you very much. thank you for joining us for the latest traffic and news updates check out nbc bay area on facebook. i'll have another update in a half hour. so, this is delicious

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8:00 now on a thursday morning, it's the 9th day of february, 2012. and we have stepped outside to join our new friends who are gathered in our corner of rockefeller plaza. we're glad to have them here. and it seems to be warming up ever so slightly. i'm ann curry, along with matt lauer and al roker. coming up next, we'll be hearing in a live interview from mimi alford, she claimed she had an 18-month affair when she was a 19-year-old white house intern. and she's here to speak in her first live interview about the relationship that she said she had with president kennedy. and also about his darker side. matt?

also ahead, who here is actively trying to save for retirement? a couple of people? you may think you're doing everything right. but we're going to talk this morning about five things you could be doing right now, that could actually sabotage your financial future. we'll tell you more about that. >> the truth is we should all be raising our hands, everyone should be saving for retirement. >> that's right. >> including the grammy-nominated band, the fray. >> what are you suggesting? >> they're making hay now and putting it away. but they're going to be in our studio, not only making money, but making music. >> they are so talented. >> good music. >> also talented. savannah guthrie in for natalie this morning. in the news, republicans are vowing an election-year fight over the obama administration's controversial contraception mandate. the rule would require catholic schools, charities and hospitals to provide contraception coverage in employee health care plans. even though catholic doctrine forbids contraception. on wednesday, house speaker john

boehner said congress will take action if the rule is not reversed. on the campaign trail, mitt romney has been criticizing the administration for the policy, but romney himself is under fire for requiring hospitals to provide the morning after pill to rape victims when romney was governor of massachusetts. indiana's top state fair official has testified that the country duo, sugarland resisted delaying their show last august, despite threatening weather before a stage scaffolding collapsed in a thunderstorm, killing seven people and injuring 58 others. that testimony came from a deposition in a lawsuit that was released wednesday after the stage-rigging company, a stage hands union and the state fair commission were fined a total of $80,000 by state labor officials. sugarland was not fined. representatives for the band did not immediately respond to a request for comments from the "associated press." caught on tape in georgia, a 7-year-old girl foiled what police say was an attempted kidnapping in the toy aisle of a walmart store.

the girl kicked and screamed and the man let her go unharmed. police say the suspect, arrested a short time later is on parole for manslaughter. washington state lawmakers have cleared the way for the state to legalize gay marriage. the move will make washington the seventh state in the country to allow same-sex couples to wed. the governor is expected to sign the bill next week. that bill was passed just one day after a federal appeals court declared california's ban on gay marriage to be unconstitutional. now for a look at what's trending today. our quick round-up of what has you talking online. texas model lauren scruggs has returned to her fashion blog for the first time since december. when she was disfigured after accidentally walking into a moving airplane propeller. she also tweeted that she's trying to find a replacement for her favorite jeans she lost with help from the true religion company. a story we told you about earlier is trending on yahoo. duchess of cambridge, kate middleton looked stunning last night in her first solo

engagement as a royal at a private showing at the national portrait gallery. and sports fans are tweeting little-known facts about nba players concocted by funnyman will ferrell when he introduced the starting line-up at a bulls/hornets last night in new orleans. >> at forward, number 5, he still lives with his mother, carlos boozer. >> number one, his favorite movie is "the notebook" derek rose. >> at center, 6'10", from connecticut, where he majored in econ, but he minored in love, emeka okafor. >> ferrell is in new orleans to shoot the movie "die fight." it is 8:04, back to matt and ann. >> i wonder if they thought that was that funny. all those players. >> i don't know, they didn't seem like they were laughing. you're a big fan of "the notebook." >> i knew you were going to say

that. i really did. i liked the movie. >> we both watched it and you shed a tear. >> buckets. mr. roker? >> thank you very much. how many people here liked "the notebook"? [ cheers and applause ] >> see? no, not so much? you were looking for the car chase in it, weren't you? >> yeah! >> let's check your weather, see what's happening. for those of us who are a little more sensitive. our pick city of the day, boise, idaho, idaho news channel 7, cloudy, cool, 48 degrees. we've got rain making its way into oregon and washington today, sunny skies in the northeast. some snowshowers around the central great lakes. rain and snow in the panhandle. tomorrow, some snow makes its way into the northeast. we've got rain down to the gulf. heavy rain moves into the pacific northwest. northern california, showers all the way down to the gulf coast. with some hit-and-miss thunderstorms, rain throughout much of florida. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's going clear out there right now, but later on warm conditions,

near-record warmth in the south bay and in particular 72 in morgan hill today. 69 for san jose. plenty of sunshine all day long, even right by the water touching on the mid-60s. 65 degrees in san francisco. by tomorrow we drop off with a little bit more fog in the morning. saturday and sunday low pressure brings showers into the bay area. we get rain on monday. a few showers for the first part of valentine's day. al, thanks very much. when w the e the former white house intern who claims she had an 18-month-long affair with jfk. we'll talk to her right after with jfk. we'll t[ female announcer ]er today is the day... ♪ ...you make a change with best foods. ♪ make parmesan-crusted chicken. ♪

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rumored to be among the president's many paramours. at the time, mimi wasn't offering details. she released a short statement confirming the affair, and then disappeared. now in a tell-all book, "once upon a secret," she reveals explicit details about her alleged affair with jfk, which include close encounters in this white house swimming pool, losing her virginity to the president in jackie kennedy's bedroom. sleep-overs at the white house and trips with the 35th president. mimi alford, good morning to you. and welcome. thanks for being here. >> thanks for having me. >> watching the interviews that meredith vieira did with you last night. you watched it as well -- >> i did. >> i was struck by how you are still sad after 50 years. by all that's happened. what makes you most sad? >> what really makes me most sad is not having been able to talk. not having been able to talk about what i was part of, what

had happened to me. and that's what makes me the saddest. >> you write -- >> and also that you know, going back and from hindsight, looking back as that relationship i had with president kennedy was, was so imbalanced. though there were lots of positive things about it for me. it was also imbalanced. so it wasn't, it didn't help me learn how to have a real relationship with a man. >> so you're sad in part for that 19-year-old, happy, joyful, fun-to-be around girl, who suddenly lost her innocence? >> yes. but she also had fun. i also had fun. so i'm sad for that, that she -- but i had a good time. i was there. >> you write that for years afterwards, you were quote emotionally crippled. and you were struggling to overcome the consequences of that relationship. do you think we would ever be sitting here if you had not been

outed in 2003? >> i can't say for sure. but i don't think so. because so many things would have been different in my life, and what's given me the confidence to tell my story and to talk about my story now, is that i have a life and a relationship that has given me space to be myself. all of me. and i think that that's, that's what changed. >> and so you tell the story now of this intern who on her fourth day as an intern at the white house, was invited to join the president, essentially, in a swimming pool. and then later on, being led then to private quarters, and then, invited by the president on a tour to mrs. kennedy's bedroom. what happened in that bedroom, mimi? >> well the president had invited me to take a tour of the white house. of the upstairs of the white house. and i followed along behind him. and as i say in my book, really

feeling as if i was being pulled by a magnet. and in the last room that we went into, was the bedroom. i learned that it was mrs. kennedy's bedroom. and the president came very close to me and put his hands on my shoulders. and guided me down to the edge of the bed. and i lost my virginity right there. i feel that i was, it wasn't something that i had planned. and certainly not something that i was expecting to have happen. on the other hand, i think i allowed it to happen. >> you didn't say no? >> i didn't say no. >> but at 19 years old, as you were in this situation, that you didn't expect, what did you think was happening to you? >> i'm not sure i knew what was

going to happen. and i think i was taken by surprise. and i think that i felt -- if i can recall my feelings from that moment, it would have been that it was almost what i was supposed to be doing. it's very odd to feel that way. but it was, i didn't, i didn't say no. and i didn't, i didn't feel like i was really being forced. >> but you were definitely in a state of shock afterward? >> i think i must have been, yes. >> were you in a state of shock, do you think, during? >> no. i don't think so. >> you didn't tell your parents. you went home. >> yes. >> you didn't want to be around anyone. you took a shower. >> well i went home, no the to my parents' home, but to where i was living in georgetown. and my roommate there, she wasn't home. and i did, i took a shower and i just tried to put my mind around what had happened. and i really, i didn't call my

parents. >> why not? why didn't you call your parents and tell them what had happened? >> i don't know. i think it was an era when we really, when i didn't really have that kind of a relationship with my parents, that i would have told them. and that makes me sad, and i regret that today. i regret that my parents don't know. maybe not even at that moment, if i hadn't told them. but later on, because they would have known more about me. >> but did you feel that they would have comforted you? do you think that would have understood? or do you think when you talk about this being that era, are you thinking that they would have condemned you? >> i think at the time, i didn't think that. i just thought, this has happened. and i was just trying to understand it myself. so i didn't reach out to them. >> after that, you were invited to another swim. >> yes.

>> and there was a pivotal, you call it a pivotal moment. >> uh-huh. >> because you were pretty shocked as you write about it in the book, but you said yes. >> i know. >> why did you say yes? >> well, you have to understand what it was like to be in the white house at that time. and this is president kennedy. and this was, i was being included in a small group of people that knew him. it was very, it was almost like being swept away. >> but at the same time, you say you always called him mr. president. you didn't call him jack. >> always mr. president. >> there was always a separation. he was an older man, you were 19. >> right. >> you didn't have conversations about world events. >> no. >> he never kissed you? >> that is right. the relationship was very imbalanced. i was 19, he was 45. but i accepted that imbalance. because i think i felt very

special from having been included. >> do you believe that if your story is true, do you believe that president john f. kennedy abused his power in having a relationship with a 19-year-old intern? >> you know, as i've said before, he was extremely powerful. he was very alluring. he was very, he made you feel, made me feel as if i was the only person in his presence. and if that's an abuse of power, yes. but i didn't ever feel abused. >> did you feel that you were in some ways being abusive, in the sense that he was married? did you think about mrs. kennedy? >> no. >> were you aware, i'm having an affair with the president of the

united states, who is married? >> i hate to admit today, that i didn't feel guilty. but i was 19 years old. and i was very young. and i was being included in something so glamorous and special, that i didn't feel guilty. and today, i regret that. >> do you feel guilty today? >> i feel guilty about not having felt guilty about mrs. kennedy, yes. >> what's also surprising is that at some point, you started to spend the night at, and you would actually walk past some of the president's i guess secret service agents on the way back downstairs to go back to work where you were an intern. how many people knew about this mimi? >> i don't know how many people knew. but certainly secret service that were there at the elevator on the second floor would have

known. the thing that's so amazing to me is that those, that all felt very natural. and that's what's so interesting to me. looking back. i didn't feel like i was really hiding. i felt like it was natural. >> so if what you're saying is true, it begs the question -- how was the president able to live in this kind of way? with a wife and children being present, being the united states and having as you put it, a relationship with a 19-year-old? there's something that mrs. kennedy said in some oral history just a few months after her husband's death. that it's interesting to listen to as we talk about this. let's take a listen to what she had to say. >> he really kept his life in compartments, and the wonderful thing is that everyone in every one of those compartments was ready to die for him. >> you wrote that the president's compartmentalizing

allowed him to effectively segregate people in all areas of his life. >> right. well that's how i felt and i also had read that. i hadn't heard mrs. kennedy's tapes. but i had read that in ted sorenson's book. a lot of people felt he compartmentalized. was good at that. and i think that's exactly what he did. >> an example of that would be what you write about the president, as he was dealing with the cuban missile crisis, having you upstairs, in his bedroom. >> yeah. >> while he was negotiating a standoff with khrushchev. describe that time? >> it's really ludicrous that i was there. i realized that today. but i wanted to be there. and obviously the president wanted me there, too. and i was there. >> you also write about some

very tough stuff that meredith also asked you about last night. let me ask you about, you say in the book, that the president encouraged you to try a drug at a party at bing crosby's house. that the president emotionally abused you by suggesting that you sexually service another person, and that at one point you thought you were pregnant and you called the president. and what was his reaction? >> it was to get help for me, to take care of that. but you know my, i included these dark, this dark side and these dark memories i have of the president in my book. because first, i had them in. then i would take them out, and then i would put them back in and take them out. and i really felt that i needed to do that. i needed to include them, because my book is about being honest. and i -- if i had kept all of that out, it would have been just another layer of a secret,

really. >> at the same time, mimi, you know that all the principles who principals are not around to defend themselves. what do you say to people who say look, you're profiting off a story. you're making money. >> i know. >> off of this. what do you say to that? >> i wrote this book because of the secret that i held. and that was the focus of my book. there's no way i could have separated the kennedy's name from the book. because that's part of the story. and that's how i feel. people will have their judgments. and they're entitled to them. >> what about caroline, who is still alive? she's going to have to deal at some point with the fact of this. did you think about, as you talk about, unburdening yourself? the idea that you burdened other people with this? >> well i don't intentionally burden someone else.

i'm telling my story. and that is what i needed to do. >> any push-back from the kennedy family? yes or no? >> no. >> all right. mimi alford, thank you so much. back right after this. pa ye rk has been here since the early 50s. y me dad and grandf hespr tnt weirhehole careers h. [ charlie ] we're the heartbeat of this place, the people on the line. we take pride in what we do. when that refrigerator ships out the door, it's us that work out here. [ michael ] we're on the forefront of revitalizing manufacturing. we're proving that it can be done here, and it can be done well. [ ilona ] i come to ge after the plant i was working at closed after 33 years. ge's giving me the chance to start back over. [ cindy ] there's construction workers everywhere. so what does that mean? it means work. it means work for more people. [ brian ] there's a bright future here, and there's a chance to get on the ground floor of something big, something that will bring us back. not only this company, but this country. ♪

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gimme 43 miles per gallon. and the rush of 200 horsepower. what i want is the best of both worlds. [ male announcer ] introducing the reinvented 2012 camry hybrid. from toyota. good thursday morning to you. 8:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. caltrans says the new bay bridge is set to open labor day of next year. a northbound plan will open in 2013 with the eastbound span opening about a year later, but the upcoming presidents' day weekend enclosure will allow both to open at the same time. caltrans says another closure closer to the opening date will be necessary for crews to finish up that work on the approaching toll plaza areas, but it will be nice when it is open and clear and running.

let's check the morning commute with mike. >> the opening will be great. we're looking at the east bay. northbound 880, an accident has moved over to the shoulder, but it was there long enough to cause additional slowing. southbound we're expecting to see it slow into fremont out of union city. northbound 880 continues with another issue right around washington. right as you're getting off 238, that's causing things to bog down there as well, slowing past the coliseum and 580 into down tun. >> thank you for joining us. for the latest news and traffic check out nbc bay area on facebook. i'll have another update for you in half an hour.

8:30 now on a thursday morning, the 9th day of february, 2012. kind of a chilly morning in new york. 33 degrees or so. warming up, we're going to warm things up in a couple of minutes as we get a performance in our studio from the grammy-nominated band, the fray, celebrating ten years together. we look forward to listening to

them in just a little while. outside on the plaza, i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry, al roker and savannah guthrie. >> coming up we're going to find out from mark bittman who knows how to cook everything and he has a book with that title. he's going to take on root vegetables. he's going to make them taste good. and our families will love them. we'll find out how, coming up. today's professionals are also here with a lot of hot topics to discuss, including the controversy stirred up when jcpenney made ellen degeneres its national spokeswoman, there's a group called one million moms who protested. we'll get into that controversy. we're going to head down to the bahamas, a beautiful paradise today, tomorrow, who knows. >> we're not heading. >> kathie lee and hoda will be there. >> paradise island, the bahamas. >> hi, guys! >> looks great. >> how is it? >> we thought it was a great place to come and air out our coconuts. >> oh, boy! >> already getting started. >> just a hint of what's to come.

>> okay. we're excited for you guys. hope you have a great time there. you're missing somebody who is in the house, pretty exciting here. >> on the plaza, an extraordinarily talented actor, gary oldman is here, he just picked up an oscar nomination for his work on "tinker, tailor, soldier, spy." gary, great to see you. >> congratulations. we love you. >> thank you. >> for people who aren't familiar with the title, can you kind of put it in perspective for us? >> well, "tinker, taylor, soldier, spy," it's the name of the suspects. there is a double inside mi-5, mi-6. >> a mole. >> and he's giving secrets to the russians. and so it's sort of the title is really about a code name from the, taken from the child's nursery rhyme. are you familiar with it? >> yes, we are. >> absolutely. >> it's a throw-back because this is during the cold war and a different time. >> yes. a different time.

i mean -- i don't know if much has changed, really. the faces changed. the location changes. the enemy changes. but we're still, i think we're still dealing with some of the same things. you know we go through periods of sort of stability with the occasional promise of annihilation as we were dealing with back then. >> you know, you're getting this, you got this nomination for playing a mild-mannered spy. >> very mild mannered. >> given the nature of the roles we have seen you in, many of them have been incredibly intense. isn't that sort of interesting? >> i mean i'm very proud of the movie. and i'm proud that, i'm delighted that there's the nomination for, particularly for george smiley. he is such a wonderful character and he's an iconic literary figure. and so all of that sort of crazy mad work i've done over the

years, i get the nod for what good people have been calling a minimalist role. >> they're also calling it a flawless performance and you've been called the best actor on the planet. you should get a t-shirt made with that. >> yeah. >> that's nice. >> peter traverse. you remember who says those comments. >> congratulations. >> very excited. >> thank you. >> gary oldman. now mr. roker with a check of the weather. >> let's find out what's going on as far as your weekend is concerned. we've got snowshowers here in the northeast on saturday, rain in the pacific northwest. mild in the southwest, cool around the gulf coast, snowshowers around the great lakes which will continue on sunday. more frigid weather in new england, lake-effect snow in the eastern great lakes, rain west texas on into the southwest with some mountain snows there. and some clouds along coastal pacific northwest. that's right. it is friday eve. good thursday morning to you.

i'm meteorologist christina loren in the nbc bay area weather center. cold and clear out there for now, but take a look at where we're headed later on this afternoon. into the 70s in some cities. about 67 in santa rosa and 69 degrees in san jose and livermore making this the warmest of the week. a little cooler with more cloud cover. by saturday and sunday, we get shouers and valentine's day, a few showers early. you can get your weather any time of the day or night. you can go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. and now miss curry. >> well, al, i found some kids out here who look their root vegetables, especially carrots, that's good because mark bittman is in the house. he's going to show us how to cook them. first, this is "today" on nbc. m

we're back now at 8:37, with how to cook everything today. this morning we're going underground to cook root vegetables. mark bittman is our guide. he's the author of the "how to cook everything" cookbook and his recipes appear in the new york times magazine. good to see you. >> good morning, matt. >> i don't picture you as an underground guy. >> i was once an underground guy. >> that's another subject. >> another story. >> some root vegetables are more familiar to people than others. >> this is probably the most bizarre and that's a celeriac. it's related to celery but it's a celery root. oddly enough you can roast it with weird hairy things on there and it's quite good. most people peel them. >> all right. >> these beets are grown mostly for the green which are similar to chard. but that i mean come in all shapes and sizes. radishes, carrots, parsnips.

>> everything in season now? >> if you want to eat something in season, root vegetables are where it's at. >> rumor as it when you cook them the sweeter they become. >> well, some of them are sweet raw, but all of them are sweet cooked. beets and carrots are sweet raw, but all of them are sweet cooked. >> what are we making? >> this is a saute of grated root vegetables. i like the u-shaped peeler. you can use whatever you want. peel around like that or whatever is comfortable for you. some people like to peel in strips. some people peel right-handed which i don't get. >> lefties unite. >> you can grate on a box grater or much quicker is a food processor. the joke when my grandmother who made a lot of root vegetables was grating was nothing is good without knuckle in there. >> we have all done it. you have onion sauteing with

olive oil. >> we have grated radish, turnip, carrot and sweet potato. that goes in there with garlic and salt and pepper. >> how long does it saute? >> it's quick, especially with the heat at the right level. ten or 15 minutes. you can cut it in chunks. it's a nice effect because it's a nicer chew when you're done. but if you're interested in speed, this is the way to go. this is what this looks like. we started it about ten minutes ago. >> you're not going to brown these, you're just kind of cooking them until they get nice and soft? >> and they're beautiful, and some scallions, a little bit of cayenne. and some fish sauce or sherry. >> why the fish sauce? >> we're doing sort of a vietnamese preparation. but you can flavor these, lemon and vinegar would give you sort of an italian kind of thing. or a tarragon.

>> okay. so it turns out looking something like that. >> it turns out looking exactly like that. >> all right. let's come over here. i want to talk about this other one. you're going to do sauteed beets now? >> this is really great. this is, i just started at the end and show you. to get this beautiful glazed look on these beets, it's quite easy. you put beets in a pan with some butter. >> when you cook beets, they're going to bleed. i mean they tend -- this color beet, they tend to get the purple sauce all over everything. and yet i'm looking over here, for some reason you've managed to separate them. >> the real dangerous thing is cutting and peeling them. and i always do that in the sink. sort of because -- >> everything stains. >> it really does stain. >> a little white wine, a little stock. the great thing, the thing i like most about these -- we should have a cover, but we don't. it's okay. >> watch. we'll get one, just when it's too late. >> so anyway, you cook these --

we could do that. you know, i like that. >> you know -- >> you know what you're doing. >> use your surroundings. >> you cook these until they start to boil and you cover them and you cook them for a few minutes. and you take the cover off and cook out all the liquid and what you have is this beautiful, buttery glaze on here. >> all right. >> and then tell me -- >> they're really sweet. great at room temperature. >> they're really good. tell me about this potato nick? >> that's my grandmother's name. a recipe i learned from my grandmother. it is essentially one huge potato latke. grated potatoes, onions, eggs, cooked in a big pan, turned over. there you are it. >> you know, technically potatoes are tubers, not vegetables. >> i do know that, i was waiting for you to say that. >> i just wanted to get that in. >> so the entire segment is a failure. >> mark bittman, thank you. up next, how to avoid five big mistakes that could ruin your retirement plan. first, this is "today" on nbc. t plans. look! here she comes!

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back now at 8:44, this morning on today's money, five things that will sabotage your retirement savings and how to avoid them. here with important advice is the money coach, lynnette cox. it's great to have you here. tell us first of all before we get to these ideas, the pitfalls. what are the pitfalls? >> there's a ton of pitfalls when it comes to saving for retirement. the biggest one is doing nothing whatsoever and just waiting until the very last minute. i talk to a lot of people who are in the 50-plus crowd and they say, i wish i had started saving earlier, i wish i had planned better. >> and when we talk about the five things you can do to sabotage. let's talk about the number one. you say following the herd. >> that's right. >> why is that a mistake? >> when you think about people who are investing and saving for the long-term, looking at their retirement game plan, they often try to do what ever else does.

right now there's the idea about facebook going public, right? and people thinking should i buy shares in facebook? and people have started asking me this question. listen, just because everybody is else is buying microsoft, google, intel, facebook, whatever -- that doesn't necessarily mean that that's the right investment for you. you really do have to think long-term about your own goals and needs and about your appropriate level of risk when it comes to investing. so don't always follow the herd. >> that's good advice. you also say that our kids can be also saboteurs. why? >> i'm not blaming the kids here, i blame us as the parents. let me make that very clear here. but frankly, it doesn't matter whether or not you have a newborn baby, a teenager or an adult child. so often parents go overboard when it comes to their children, and they sacrifice their own retirement. now, again, let me be clear, i've got three kids of my own and we're saving and planning for their college education, et cetera. but some people will for example, make the mistake of funding their children's say 529

plan and saving absolutely nothing for retirement. others will go crazy with the gadgets and the toys. people are putting their kids in private school, they can't afford the college tuition, so they're borrowing from their 401(k). and when the kids get older, a lot of people in their 60s say they're supporting their adult children. at some point you have to learn when to draw the limit, when to say no and when to focus on your own retirement. >> you don't want your kids to feel the burden of having to take care of you financially. >> that's right. >> a reality check for homeowners, don't put all of your eggs in one basket. >> obviously we've seen a huge bust in the real estate market. so many people overimprove their homes or they did the bling-bling thing, they bought the mcmansions, added a sefl level. they got the granite countertops and the marble floors. by the time your kids are going to college, you might not need this big house and you might not

even want to have a really expensive note, a mortgage along with the property taxes, the insurance, maintenance, upkeep, when you're heading towards retirement. so think twice about that. >> don't have all of your money in your home is your bottom line. right. >> and you say tapping retirement early, that's a mistake. when should you be tapping your retirement. >> under federal law, if you're under 59 1/2 and you tap into your 401(k) prematurely, you have to pay two things, ordeinay income taxes on that and also a 10% penalty. some people try to get around it by not taking a straight withdrawal, but by taking a loan. problem is some people borrow year after year from your 401(k), you're depleting your nest egg. >> we don't have time for the other one, i can list it for you, and you say don't pay excessive fees, don't do it. >> people have asked me and the fees are big. so just avoid them when

necessary is the short answer there. >> thank you for having some very good information this morning. the biggest one is get started if you haven't. coming up, we've got a live performance from the hit band, the fray. we're excited to hear them. but first, this is "today" on nbc. hey guys, breakfast! ♪ [ 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 on the side. from honey nut cheerios to cinnamon toast crunch to lucky charms, get more whole grain than any other ingredient... without question. just look for the white check. [ male announcer ] for our families... our neighbors... and our communities... america's beverage companies have created a wide range of new choices. developing smaller portion sizes and more low- & no-calorie beverages... adding clear calorie labels so you know exactly what you're choosing... and in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks with lower-calorie options. with more choices and fewer calories, america's beverage companies are deliverg. the toyota concert series on

"today," brought to you by toyota. >> the denver-based rock band, the fray, formed in 2002, their debut album was an immediate success, now four grammy nominations later, they're celebrating ten years together with the release of their new album, it's called "scars and stories." guys, good morning, nice to have you here. "scars and stories." what's that about? >> i think scars are really sexy. they're kind of a map of who you are and where you've been and there was this moment in any relationship when you kind of have to show those and the girl leaves because it's too much or she stays and it gets very interesting. >> ten years together. is this the point where it's gotten interesting for you guys? when you look back at these ten years, is this the ride you thought you were about to take? >> i mean it's a trip. we were just writing songs in our basement, trying to quit our day job. do you have any suggestions on a ten-year gift? >> what's the gift on a ten-year

anniversary? i don't know what it is. >> it's a vase? >> you don't seem like the vase type to me for some reason. tell me about the new album. i mean you got a new producer on this and i've heard a lot of you think it's the best work you've done yet. >> yeah, brendan was massively helpful for us, he kind of turned up the confidence knob a bit. and we also pushed the piano away, which was fun for me. >> you guys are on tour with u2 and now going on your own tour, 25 cities this month? >> it's exciting to be out doing it, no offense against the tv stuff. >> we like having you here. >> come back in between shows, what are you going to play right now? >> a new single called heartbeat. >> ladies and gentlemen, the fray. ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ stuck on a highway. ♪ ♪ trains coming down underground ♪ i can feel the breath of your body ♪ ♪ got to keep on moving until we see the sun ♪ ♪ oh you got a fire ♪ it's burning the same ♪ and ♪ ♪ i feel your heartbeat ♪ ♪ it's coming around ♪ you love somebody ♪ you gotta love somebody ♪ love them all the same

♪ i'm singing oh, i'm feeling your heartbeat ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ oh you gotta fire and it's burning in the rain ♪ ♪ thought that it went out, but it's burnin' just the same ♪ ♪ and you don't look back ♪ not for anything ♪ 'cuz you love someone ♪ you love them all the same ♪ if you love someone ♪ you love them all the same ♪ oh, i feel your heartbeat ♪ and oh, you're comin' around ♪ comin' around, comin' around ♪ and you got love somebody ♪ love them all the same

♪ you gotta love somebody ♪ love them all the same ♪ i'm singing oh, i feel your heartbeat ♪ i know the memories rushing into my your mind ♪ ♪ i want to kiss your scars tonight ♪ ♪ i'm laying here ♪ cuss you gotta try ♪ you gotta let me in, let me in ♪ ♪ oh i feel your heartbeat and oh you're comin' around ♪ ♪ comin' around, comin' around ♪ you gotta love somebody ♪ you gotta, you gotta love somebody ♪

you gotta ♪ ♪ i'm singing oh ♪ i feel your heartbeat ♪ oh your heartbeat ♪ yeah, yeah ♪ oh yeah ♪ your heartbeat your heartbeat ♪ [ applause ] >> the fray, the album is called "scars and stories" we're back in a moment, but firhese good morning to you. it's 8:56 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. the bay area job market just got a little more crowded. one of the nation's largest banks is slashing jobs. bank of america plans to close its concord customer services operations in may putting hundreds out of jobs.

the bank issued 450 pink slips yesterday. it's trying to eliminate 30,000 jobs to cut billions in operating expenses. let's check that forecast with meteorologist christina loren. >> good morning to you. on our way to some 70s making it the warmest of the week. 69 degrees in san jose. cooler tomorrow and saturday and sunday those clouds increase and we have some rain on monday. showers early valentine's day.

we're back now with more of "today" on a thursday morning, february 9th, 2012. and we want to say hi to these people who stopped by this morning. we thank them for sticking around. i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry. al roker and tamryn hall. you sat down with the woman who said she was an intern at the white house some 50 years ago and had an affair with jfk? >> yes and we talk with today's

professionals who talk about how they think it will affect his legacy and the thoughts about her speaking out 50 years later. and also, ellen degeneres, jcpenney's spokesperson, the company is standing behind their choice, despite calls to remove her. and then if you're in need of a little r&r, we've got great vacations, everything from spas to beach getaways, stress-free and more importantly, affordable vacations. >> you know what, it's pretty chilly today. please don't say that it's not. usually you disagree with me on the weather. it's pretty chilly today, but -- >> no, it's not. >> it's normally been a pretty mild winter, nonetheless, some people are speaking about spring, and that means spring fashion from the runway to real life. how to make them affordable --

stop it, al. >> what are we doing? >> i'm agreeing with you. >> let's change the subject, what a beautiful set of shoes you've got on. don't you just love her shoes? >> don't you love the look? >> beautifully done. >> runway fashion, how to make them affordable and put them in your wardrobe. >> we got off the rails, here, let's go inside for savannah guthrie and the headlines. in the news today, president barack obama will exempt ten states from the no child left behind law, nbc news confirming it by dropping the bush-era policy. the ten states, including colorado, florida and new jersey will get the leeway on student preparation and evaluation. they've been requesting for years. the official announcement is expected this afternoon. attorney general eric holder announces a $26 billion settlement with the nation's largest banks for abuses during the nation's foreclosure crisis. the settlement could mean help for more than one million

homeowners. new questions this morning about the emergency response to the murder/suicide of josh powell and his two children. 911 call laws now show it took eight minutes for a sheriffs deputy to be dispatched to powell's home after a social worker called to report an emergency. it took an additional 14 minutes for deputies to reach the house, which was engulfed in flames by that time. the call was categorized as routine and the dispatcher told the social worker, quote, we have to respond to emergency, life-threatening situations first. the reality tv producer charged with killing his wife while on vacation in mexico has arrived in cancun this morning. after being extradited from california. "survivor" producer, bruce beresford-redman is now awaiting trial in mexican custody. his wife, monica, was found dead at a mexican resort where they were staying on a family vacation back in 2010. women could soon find new roles on the battlefield as the pentagon changes its rules to give female service members jobs

closer to the front lines. officials say that the new rules will not change the longstanding ban on women in infantry, armor and special operations forces. but it will allow them to serve in other battalion roles once considered too close to the line of fire. the tsa is expanding a preflight security screening program to 28 of the country's busiest airports. the program would speed frequent flyers and other eligible travelers through security without having to remove their shoes or pull laptops from their cases. the tsa says the move is part of an effort to make security intelligence-driven, instead of one size fits all. and a bear and a wolf might not immediately strike you as likely to be the best of friends. but this adorable video of a little bear and tala might make you change your mind. they are cute when they're young. but this is how they look today. the woodland zoo in seattle, washington, posted the clip to show how much the old friends have grown. it is now 9: 04, back to matt, ann, tamryn and al.

>> only one is left. >> come out and separate these two. for no reason, except that we love both of them, right? >> how about a check of the weather? >> great idea. let's see what's happening. we've got some rain to talk about in the pacific northwest. it's going to be heavy at times, especially along the puget sound coast. where we're expecting the heavy rain to work its way in. we're looking at anywhere from two to three inches of rain before it's all over. along the coast of oregon and washington. rest of the country, wee we've got some fabulous weather making its way along the eastern seaboard, a little chilly, but not too bad. snowshowers in the western great lakes, the cold front pushes in, look for rain in central and northern texas with some mountain snows, i should say some snows in the northern it's still a little chilly out there this morning, but clear as a bell and temperatures

will swell later this afternoon as a result of all of that sunshine coming in. i'm meteorologist christina loren. temperatures at 9 degrees. 66 for redwood city and touching the 70s in gilroy. by tomorrow we'll see more cloud cover and that will drop your temperatures just a touch. saturday and sunday things really change, clouds increase and rain at times on monday. and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thanks, now to today's professionals, our panel of people weighing in on the news. starr jones is an attorney and thorn, and donny deutsch is the president of deutsche incorporated and dr. nancy snyder man is nbc's health chief. >> mimi alford coming forward after 50 years to reveal she had an 18-month affair with former president john f. kennedy. do you think it's okay she came out and told the story?

>> i believe it's okay. i had a wonderful long conversation with her this morning. i did tell her we would be talking about her in the 9:00 hour and from my position, she was raped. and i say this because he was the president. she was an intern. he was 45, she was 19. he took her to a bedroom, put his hands on her shoulders and guided her to a room. i think we remind ourselves you don't have to say no to be in a position where you have no power. however, i believe she wrote this book because she wanted to have her own narrative and to that, i say kudos to her. >> wait a minute, you told her in your opinion you said it was rape and what did she say? >> she understood why i said that and she said she has had other people tell her that. she understands the context of that. but that she never saw it okay and she found the entire atmosphere in which she was pulled up into the white house, intoxicating. she was in this intimate group and she looks back on it not as rape, but that as a part, it's part of her fabric. >> starr, what's your take on

this? >> legally if someone came to me as a prosecutor and told me that initial story, that they were guided to a bed with a secret service outside, i would say that they had been raped. >> she said she wasn't forced. >> i'm going to leave it at her own word. i think that you know, for me, i was a bit disappointed to hear some of the stories. i think -- >> why? >> i'm a 19262 baby. so my, you know, my fantasy, if you will, of the president has definitely been diminished. i'm telling the truth. >> let me go to donny. look, president kennedy ran around. i think we all know that by now. i think we all would acknowledge, there's something particularly shocking about this. do you think it tarnishes his legacy further? >> a little bit, it does. it's interesting. i was in agreement with her after. she was crying, mimi. she was so upset. this is obviously a very special woman. a couple of years ago, monica lewinsky wrote me, she was looking for a job. i met her more out of curiosity. she came up and i felt so bad.

she was a victim. you know, bill clinton has moved on with his life. he's still a hero. she can't get a job any place. and so, you know, i so empathize with these women. and i believe that 99.9% of women in that position would have done the same thing. it's intoxicating, a man of power. i don't know if i would call it rape. >> she was, as she said to me, he chose me. and i think to be chosen, when you're 19 and then to be in this very tight circle is phenomenally intoxicating. >> this woman, mimi, who is wonderful, maybe we should relook at monica lewinsky instead of making her a tart, and see her as a victim. >> in both scenarios, who has the power? >> we know who has the power. >> i think you stand at attention and there's a big band that plays when they walk into the room. >> there's a moment in which the president gave her away to someone else for someone else's sexual gratification. >> and then also -- >> that then becomes the part that you get the ooh factor.

>>dy actually hear her say that the irish catholic president suggested that she would need to take care of an alleged pregnancy? >> yes. >> that sounded very much like he was advocating an abortion to me. and that bothers me. it bothers me. >> there's a lot that's shocking and i think we all agree on that. it takes a lot of courage to come forward. jcpenney has a new spokesperson, and it's ellen degeneres. there's a group that's called one "survivor" bruce beresford-redman bruce beresford-redma there's a group of moms boycotting jcpenney because ellen degeneres is openly gay. she's responded on her show and they are standing by her. >> what does her being gay have anything to do with a jcpenney ad. >> i want to applaud jcpenney. there's corporate terrorism where basically a group doesn't like something. they got signatures and who

knows if they are real. my agency, ikea, first time gays had been in it. hate mail. we're not shopping at your store. they weren't shopping anyway. the real hero is jcpenney because they are not being held up by people. >> should we assume jcpenney knowing ellen had been down this road of controversy factored this in. >> she's done a major cosmetic company. >> cover girl, she almost lost her career coming out early on. one of the great things about ellen degeneres, she's authentic, kind and preaches how she acts every day this kindness. >> even in the way she handled to her response. these are my values, kindness. >> she is a very popular daytime talk show host. jcpenney could use a little popularity right now. >> exactly. >> the news here is that jcpenney did not buckle. and that's the break-through. >> i agree. >> another hot topic today, contraceptives in vending

machines, there's a university in pennsylvania that has had so-called morning-after pill available in a vending machine. we talk about the morality of it but first let's get into the medical issue. i mean you don't -- >> i did see you hiding behind donny. >> i still see you. medically you don't need a prescription for it. you need consultation with a doctor? >> i'm going to give a donny prelude. please do not write me today, please do not post the hate mail. >> send it to me. >> send it to donny. the egg and the sperm meet. until they implant in the uterus, you are not pregnant. this stops implantation. so it is not an abortion. can you think of it like a condom or birth control pills, it stops pregnancy. now, right now, you get it, you have to be 18, you get it from your pharmacist. the whole idea is -- and we know college kids are having sex. it stops pregnancy. and there's one less barrier you can get out of a machine, i must tell you as a mom and a physician, i'm fine with this. >> what's the other side of the

argument? >> some people would say it makes it too readily available and makes it seem like a flip decision like you're going to get a coke out of the machine. >> these are not 15 years old. these are college kids. i think they have made their decision how often they are going to have sex or not. >> i think the only thing that concerns me, and i have to bow to the doctor here, is whether or not we really want pharmaceuticals readily available that way on college campuses. >> it works -- >> without the interaction with a doctor or a pharmacist. if you tell me that the risks are low enough, then i have to bow to that. but my instinct is, with what we lerm about pharmaceuticals, no interaction with a medical professional, that concerns me. >> what surprises me, it isn't berkeley, in pennsylvania, the heart of -- >> no one has pause about this being easily accessible? >> if it was high school, a different discussion. >> contraception needs to be accessible, that i do agree with. social media password privacy. it appears in some cases, some

companies were interviewing prospective applicants, asking for background checks, which may include asking applicants to hand over their social media password. so for facebook or twitter. there's a legislator in illinois trying to stop that. is this legal to ask for social media passwords? >> it is. it's very legal. you're an employer, you can take what you want to have your employees do. your employee or potential employee has a right to say no thank you and to explain why. he might not get the job. >> darned if you do, darned if you don't. >> twitterer or faber is not a protected class within the united states. >> if somebody is around a company, two thoughts, we say to our kids, what you put on facebook is out in the world. your employers will see it. number two, though, something as an employer that used to bug me, this is i think going to be a problem in our workplace productivity going forward. when you walk around now and people are on computers, you don't know whether they're working or facebooking or whatever they're doing, and i think it is dropping the productivity in our workplace.

in the old ds, someone was reading a magazine you would walk by. >> would you be okay if a prospective employer asked for your password? it's not what you put out publicly. there's private things in there. >> i think actually technically, no. but the lesson here is everything you put out there is available. >> nobody gets my password. i won't ask for it. >> i will ask you guys our final question, it comes out in time for valentine's day, a romance survey. it asks, what things to a man were the popular turn-ones. >> a sense of humor or a good smile. i ask you in closing, what are your turn-ones? >> i want a really intelligent guy. i like smart guys. >> i love the ability to cook. i have to tell you, my guy's ability to cook. >> i'm going to be the honest one. i like really, really big -- brains. >> are these implanted brains? and do you have to pay for them? >> can we stop cooking and sense

of humor. you like hot guys. >> no, i like smart guys! >> my guy is hot and he can cook. >> gilbert gottfried -- not giving away that much. >> not that smart. >> donny, you were doing so well. >> no, he wasn't. >> star jones, donny deutsch, dr. nancy, thanks. coming up, if your idea of a great vacation is lounging and relaxing, we've got great getaways to help you recharge. and later behind the scenes at fashion week, we're checking ous all the trends you'll see this spring. a preview coming up after these messages. [ female announcer ] gross -- i'll tell you what's really gross: used dishcloths. they can have a history that they drag around with them. for a cleaner way to clean try bounty extra soft. in this lab demo, one sheet of bounty extra soft leaves this surface 3 times cleaner than a dishcloth. it's super durable too. it's the cleaner way to clean. bring it with bounty extra soft. in the pink pack. and try bounty napkins.

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this morning on today's travel this morning on today's travel destinations that relax, refresh and revive. want to get away from it all and not worry about putting too much on your charge card as you recharge? the future director of "travel & leisure" magazine. >> i like the way you did that, charge, recharge. >> let's get started. first of all, westlake village in california. >> this is a four seasons property. that combines the idea of a luxury resort and a state-of-the-art medical facility. so not only can you go there and get your shiatsu and your swedish massage. >> isn't that a small dog? >> no, it's not. it's a kind of massage. you can also get your health check. so you can get cholesterol checks, and see how your dna is doing. cardiac health checks. after all of this indulgence that we've done for the last, since thanksgiving, a lot of us are needing to reboot a little bit and feel a little bit healthful. >> what's it going to cost us?

>> all we're talking about are under $260 a night. this is $210 a night. >> that's pretty cool. let's head to tucson, arizona. >> i love a dude ranch, i know you do, too. so the tanke verde ranch, in the middle of the sonoran desert. this is right by the national park. beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. this is all about horseback riding. they have 180 horses for 200 guests. it's like a one-to-one ratio. can you do lots of riding, get back to nature, recharge, regroup, and they have $225 per couple. >> that's nice. >> a good rate. >> and you get your horse. >> and i don't think they let you take it home. >> gosh. >> sorry. now we'll go to rhode island. a beautiful part of the country. >> beautiful part of the country. i love places that are summer destinations off-season. you get the place to yourself. ocean house is one of the grand old estates that's just been redone to the tune of $146 million i believe.

you can go there. they have an amazing spa, ocean house spa. they have something fun, which is in-house forager. somebody who is a food expert and all about locavore food. she does three cooking classes a week that you can participate in for free. >> you can go forging for food? >> she forages for it and you get to eat it. >> let's go to north carolina, blowing rock. >> it says blowing rock. >> west glow. >> it says blowing rock. it says that on the map. >> you're saying it's in blowing rock. >> the hotel is called west bow in the blue ridge mountains, in the town of blowing rock, there we go. thank you. what's great about this hotel, which i love is the chateau, super luxurious, they're focusing not just on fitness, there's plenty of outdoor activities to do, but also on wellness. they have things like burn-out prevention classes and trying to get you feel a little more

spiritually centered, which we're all looking for right now. they're having a great deal, $225 a night including, it's mid-week through april, it includes breakfast as well. >> last spot, st. george, utah. i assume st. george, utah, i don't know. >> it is. >> it says it on the map, but who knows. >> this is the red mountain resort. stunning, stunning. you're right by zion. it's amazing, amazing, amazing. bryce also. tons of outdoor time. this value is unbelievable. $175 a night. they're getting three meals, very healthful meals and you're hiking and your activities and your stay. and this is an amazing property. i think anyone who is looking for a little bit of r&r, this is the place to go. >> spectacular. >> and you're not njila? >> no, i'm not. i've been meaning to tell you that. >> you're part of the witness protection program? >> it's out now. >> for more on destinations, go to todayshow.com.

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with special pricing on select furniture and a terrific savings offer on accessories and more, your design aspirations are delightfully attainable. the drawer closes on these offers february 29th. good morning. it's 9:26. i'm marlo tellez. an east palo alto neighborhood is pulling together after a major drug bust right in their own backyard. more than 100 law enforcement members including fbi, local police and s.w.a.t. teams swarmed the neighborhood tuesday just blocks away from a basketball gym where kids play. he and his son watched it all unfold from their living room window. >> it was shocking to me because i was watching it as i was on my way to work and my kid looked out the wind with owe and he said he seen the army and that made me pay attention and he

actually thought he saw the army. >> the entire bay area netted 27 arrests, but federal agents say they're not finished yet. they're still looking for these six men right here believed to still be in the bay area. the state has dropped charges in a corruption case in contra costa county so federal prosecutors can take the reins. louis lombardi, norman welsh & along with private investigator christopher butler are still being prosecuted in federal court for involvement in a drug squad scandal. they face a slew of charges including bribery, embezzlement and dui setups and selling stolen drug evidence. the state dropped 38 crges inin interfering in a federal case. we'll have a look at weather and the roads after the break.

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. rf welcome back. the time now 9:28. just a gorgeous look over the goalen gate bridge. completely clear skies out there. quite a difference from yesterday at this time as a result of the sun shine.

temperatures climbing into the 60s and not just at the coast by the bay and we're talking 70s and upper 60s today. 66 for tomorrow and cloud cover will keep our temperatures down just a touch. let's check your drive with mike. much. >> much less than 60. in the northbound commute, the roadway sensors, now let's put the accidents on here. northbound 17 right at 280, we do have an accident and five cars involved which just cleared the roadway and the rest are on the shoulder and that's the reason for slowing here as well as the peninsula southbound through menlo park. 880 and 580 still jammed, marlo. >> thanks. >> we'll be back with our next news and weather update in 30 minutes. we'll see you again at 9:56.

♪ ♪ check out these bahamas matc mamas, no program. hoda and kathie lee, soaking up the sun. guys, we've got to get there. >> take us with you! >> all i hear is music. >> i think they said take us with you. >> that's right. >> i think there is just a bit of jealousy back in that studio. >> what exactly is the

temperature right now in new york city? >> it's 33 degrees. >> that's a shame. >> aw. what is it here, everybody? 81! >> wow, so sad. >> so what are you guys going to be doing? >> it's a quick two and a half-hour flight from new york. you know what, al, you could pack your thong and be here by noon. >> my family is from the bahamas. it doesn't seem fair, you're there and i'm here. >> we've been hearing a lot about that, al. but we've had to do a lot of things. one of the more unattractive things we did is we went down a water slide and when you're doing it feels joyful and free and when you look at the photos after. you want to cringe and shoot yourself. >> oh, my goodness. >> look who is in the lead! >> it was al, we had a flackback of you and matt. >> we almost had a flash of something else there. >> no. >> we told you it was not pretty.

>> wow, that's a good look. >> look at those faces. >> you guys look like you really enjoyed it. >> i wish i would have had my bunions done. i have beautiful feet now. >> we can't wait to see that and more. it sounds like a great adventure. >> the fun begins in a short time for you. bye, guys. >> looking forward to it. meantime, coming up from here, if you've always dreamed of hitting fashion week. how do you follow that? we're going to have the next best thing. hitting the runways, taking you behind the scenes to check out what all the stylish women will be wearing this spring and how to incorporate the style into your wardrobe. we'll show you how to rock it. and we'll be having fall for fun, make being meatballs three ways, whether you like them for the main attraction, or an appetizer, they're yummy and everyone loves them. first, let's show you what's

happening as far as the weather is concerned. for "today," we've got rain in the pacific northwest. snowshowers, rain showers in northern texas. sunny skies, along the eastern seaboard. and hit-and-miss showers continuing through eastern florida. frigid conditions in the plains. more heavy rain along the pacific northwest coas well, good morning to you. we've got a comfortable day shaping up with temperatures forecasted in the 70s as we head throughout this afternoon, plenty of 70s on your temperature map. as a matter of fact, we'll stay nice and warm through your friday as well, but take a look at these numbers. 63 in fremont, 63 in san jossy and 63 in the city by the bay. the rain moves in late saturday into sunday and rain at times monday and that looks like the washout and we get clearing for the second half of valentine's day. >> that's your latest weather. >> before we go g ten oscar

nominations. james, good to see you. i assume this is your first silent film? >> definitely. it may be my last as well. >> was it fun or was it frightening? to take on a role with no dialogue? >> well actually we have dialogue. we speak to each other and we hear each other. the only difference is it's not recorded so the audience doesn't hear it. so they have to create the story for themselves. every person in the audience creates their own story. and it's a wonderful contemporary fairly simple story. only all the different layers it's on and the idea that you are participating in the film is what makes it so wonderful. >> you're george valentine's driver in this. and at the end of the day, you're probably his only real friend in this? >> actually there are three of us, the dog, his girlfriend and his chauffer. >> what is that like? >> to make the film? >> yes. >> it's a wonderful process.

because michelle haznavicius is such a brilliant director. i didn't know what the effect of the picture was until i sat in a theater watching it with an audience, and you listen to the audience. the recognition that they have. that they are the 1920s audience. and that they are creating the story and there's a moment at the end of the film, which is completely silent. because the audience has gotten right to the end of the plot that they've created and they have no idea where it goes next. and they wait and it's silent. like a pin drop and then suddenly the music comes on and all the joy comes back into the film and that's what you leave with. >> it's a beautiful film. >> it is, james cromwell, congratulations, the film is "the artist" in theaters now, and one of james' co-stars, penelope ann miller willen joining us tomorrow. the trends you'll be seeing in spring straight fthe runway.ru

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this morning on today's style, a sneak peek at fashion week. glamour magazine's editor in chief went behind the scenes to check out the spring trends that rock the runway. >> hi, everybody we're here at lincoln center for the spring 2012 fashion show. full fashion industry congregates here and tries to figure out exactly what american women are going to want to wear and going to want to shop for when spring rolls around. it's loud, it's mod, but the clothes get super cute, so we've got to get in there. come on, let's take a look. one of the big trends we're seeing already even early into the week is the rise of athletic and sporty stuff. we're talking about little bomber jackets, little shorts. we saw the trend big-time at alexander wang. who basically modelled his

entire showed on bmx racing and even has a girl carry a bmx helmet down the runway. we saw a lot of little sweet anorak touches with jason wu. he used them quite a bit in his show and overwhelming theme so far this fashion week has been prints. floral prints, geometric prints, pop art prints, it's all about an explosion of prints in so many ways to wear them. another trend right now is the return of the sleeve. some spring seasons it's all about bare arms and pleated cut-downs and right now we're seeing a more demure look. a lot of the sexiest dresses have sleeves with little short cap sleeves or long sleeves. i think of this as the kate middleton he can. the idea that you know what, you can look fantastic without letting it all hang out. >> wow. cindy levy is here to show us

how to pull off some of these hot spring looks. good morning. >> good morning. >> i love the list, so let's get to it. the sporty look is intriguing to me. >> there was a lot of that stuff out there. some seasons there's just one trend that takes over the runways and this was it. i think women are going to love it sporty stuff tends to be comfortable and any time you can wear something comfy and call it fashion, you're in heaven. >> this is look that inspired it all. how do you wear it, without looking like too much of a tomboy. >> i think you don't want to wear it head to toe with sneakers. something with mesh or racing stripes and combine it with heels or something. >> here's our first model, elaine. i love that skirt. >> it's a wonderful skirt. the vertical stripes down the side are incredibly flattering. they look great on any body type. what i love about the top is it's a leather mesh. by the way, only $40. >> that's fantastic. >> and so this look can be found at all price points. i love that she's carrying a

little backpack style bag. it kind of emphasizes the trend. >> dell me a little about the black on the sides, does that slim down your hips? >> 100%. a great look. >> that's good for any body type. >> a pencil skirt tends to be flattering for almost any body type and i love the great traffic cone orange we're seeing anywhere. if you're going to go with a sporty neon, that's great. >> up next is the print look. bigger, bolder when it comes to prints? that's hard to wear. >> this has its own thing we're looking at right now is only for the most adventurous. a more realistic way to wear it in your daily life is, my choice this season is the printed pant. >> a major wear. most of us have a printed top in our wardrobe. what you might not have yet is the skinny printed pant. you could wear it something very daring, like a striped top but you could go with more conservative pieces. >> denise looks great in these pants. how do you avoid. when you're wearing a patterned

pant that draws attention to your bottom part? >> you can wear a long top, always a great choice and there are all different have a rirts o have a rirts of prin s s s ss v prints. >> and up next, the demure look with kate middleton. nobody does it better. >> absolutely. shockingly fashion has rediscovered the sleeve this season. i personally didn't get the memo today. but i think it's a wonderful look we're seeing on elise, it's very feminine, she looks absolutely womanly. it's got a bit of sex appeal. but it's very covered up, it's proper. elise is a finance manager and she could wear it to work. the color blocking, a big trend from last season. could you do it with something in your wardrobe. take two complementary colors and wearing them together. >> even though that skirt is demure, you could put a sexier top on with it if you want to go out after work.

>> you could just switch out the shoes to black strappy sandals and put a motorcycle jacket over it. >> you all look amazing. this is how you take it from the runway to real life. >> and everything here is under $100 and most of it under 50. >> cindy, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> i'm going to take that skirt off her. we're making meatballs in today's kitchen right after this. nne ] appliance park has been here since the early 50s. my dad and grandfather spent their whole careers here. [ charlie ] we're the heartbeat of this place, the people on the line. we take pride in what we do. when that refrigerator ships out the door, it's us that work out here. [ michael ] we're on the forefront of revitalizing manufacturing. we're proving that it can be done here, and it can be done well. [ ilona ] i come to ge after the plant i was working at closed after 33 years. ge's giving me the chance to start back over. [ cindy ] there's construction workers everywhere. so what does that mean? it means work. it means work for more people. [ brian ] there's a bright future here,

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"love you lots." do you want to see it again? yes, i want to see it again! [ female announcer ] hallmark blooming expressions delivers your love again and again. today's cooking school is brought to you by hellmann's. make it real, make it different. this morning on today's cooking school, meatballs, not one, not two, three ways. easy to make and everybody loves them. >> and here to get the ball rolling is chris kimball. host of "america's best kitchen" and one of the authors of "cook's illustrated cookbook." i didn't write it -- >> not all balls are created equal. let's start with our first, this is the traditional recipe, spaghetti and meatballs, it's a little different. tell us about it. >> we're doing 40 meatballs, we usually roast them in the oven.

there are a few tricks here. we're using a panade, bread soaked in milk. an italian grandmother would always do that with any kind of meat product. keeps the meat nice and moist. it doesn't get hard. it has really nice texture. >> we add it to our meat, what kind of meat? >> two pounds of ground meat, pork, beef and parsley, and pancetta. >> and that adds flavor. >> and angelica. why do you put that in? >> veal is sort of hard to get -- it has a very dense texture. you get sort of a sticky, hard texture with the final meatball. teaspoon and a half of gelatin and it gives you a nice texture and it helps to retain some moisture. now we're going to use my favorite cooking tool. yes. you just mix this up, and we're going to make fairly large meatballs, they go into a 450 oven for about 30 minutes.

so they also are on a rack, which means they cook nice and evenly. >> tell us quickly about the sauce. >> the sauce has an interesting ingredient. it uses six cups of tomato juice, which has a much nicer flavor. so the meatballs come out. they go into the sauce. we put it into the oven for about an hour. and the meatiness comes out of the meatballs and flavors the sauce, which is a classic italian cuisine. >> it looks delicious. tamr tamron, you're up. >> an interesting twist, chicken meatballs and spaghetti. >> you can do this with chicken. the problem with that is the texture gets a little soft. it's a good idea to refrigerate them once you make them. for about an hour so they stick together and they put them in and we're going it fry them. this is a traditional technique. >> why frying, does it add more flavor? >> first of all, we only have a few. with 40, it would have been hard. and it gives a nice texture and helps them hold together. >> i notice you kept these small in size as opposed to the other ones. why? >> it's chicken and you would

like bigger chicken meatballs? >> yes. >> she feels she's been shorted here. >> i have a hearty appetite. they are a little small, but i can eat more of them. >> just wait until we get to al. he'll get the really small ones. >> when you're cooking with chicken, are you worried that it's going to a dry meatball? how do you avoid the dryness? >> no, we have the panade, the bread soaked in milk. >> how long do you fry them? >> ten minutes. and we're going to finish up a little sauce here. we have a little garlic, a little bit of parsley. >> finish up our sauce here. put them in. >> the sauce there. and we're finished with these. go into the sauce for about five minutes. >> al is waiting for you. >> here we go. we're making cocktail meatballs? >> abondegas. >> oh, yeah! >> if someone said that to you, you would hit them in the face. >> that's right. >> it's tough to do a segment with you, i have to say that. >> why? >> because you're so funny. >> what's the combination? >> beef and pork, very similar. we'll make a quick sauce which

we made with a little bit of onion, a little tomato, chicken stock and a little bit of white wine. we cooked it for about five minutes, transfer these into the sauce to finish. then we have a piccata. >> a piccata? >> a piccata, traditional spanish koog, used to thicken sauce, to flavor them, parsley, chopped almonds, a little bit of garlic. >> and saffron. >> and we've got a bonus for that. >> gotcha. >> and we mash it up and put it in. >> and you end up with something like this. >> you end up with that. >> thank you, chris kimball, thank you so much. if you want the recipes, you can find them on today.com and click on food. we're back in a moment. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

[ male announcer ] for our families... our neighbors... and our communities... america's beverage companies have created a wide range of new choices. developing smaller portion sizes and more low- & no-calorie beverages...

adding clear calorie labels so you know exactly what you're choosing... and in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks with lower-calorie options. with more choices and fewer calories, america's beverage companies are delivering. coming up, hoda and kathie lee, out in the bahamas at paradise resort. >> they're having such a good time. >> after your local news and time. >> after your local news and

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. this is kwd "today in the bay yet yet. >> good morning to you, it's 9:56. i'm marlo tellez.

he was rammed by a suspect in a traffic stop gone bad. it happened in castro valley. police say two undercover officer his been following the suspect from berkeley and it all started late yesterday when the officers finally pulled him over. that's when he backed up, pinning the officer between the cars. the pinned officer's partner opened fire. >> i kept telling the people to duck and get out of the way. >> the suspect backed his vehicle which pinned the berkeley police officer between the suspect vehicle and the unmarked berkeley car. >> the suspect was shot. he's now in the hospital. police say the officer has serious injuries to his legs and hand. no word on why police were trying to stop the suspect in the first place. a nice day shaping up on this thursday. let's check the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. good morning. >> good morning, marlo. good morning to you at home. cool and crisp out there right now, but later on, warm, sunny and just gorgeous especially at

the beach. 69 degrees in places like san jose and livermore. this is the warmest day of the week. we'll drop down just a touch for your friday. by saturday, clouds increase as the system of low pressure moves onshore bringing us showers on sunday, rain at times monday and we get a dry break for the second half of your valentine's tuesday. back to you, mike. >> if you're traveling northbound 85, a temporary closure going right now. there's a car reported from northbound 85 to northbound 87. no injuries are reported, but it's a little distraction. you can get by on surface streets and that is an issue for the time being. the rest of the south bay moving better and northbound 17 at 280 still causing a stir although lanes are slow all of the way to where 17 turns to 880 continuing up past 101. a look at the live shot past the coliseum. marlo, back to you. >> thanks so much.

we'll be back with the next news and weather update at 10:26. in the meantime you can find us on facebook. hat 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 all right. here we go! ♪

♪ ♪ >> great to see you! all right!p> all right!p> >> oh, my gosh. whooo! >> whooo! thank you! >> whooo!

>> all right. oh, my gosh. oh! wow. >> kwhoo! >> and thank you! >> wow. oh my -- >> wow. wow. >> now that -- >> whooo! >> all righty, then. hi, everybody! >> hi, you guys! >> welcome. >> okay. you guys, that incredible show that was just put on is called -- >> all right? >> a way of life in the bahamas. you haven't lived until you've gotten lost in a junkanoo. we were back there for about five minutes. >> shaking our you know what. we don't want to brag because it's not nice to brag. >> it's rude. >> and unkind and not thoughtful. >> but we do know that in new

york today it's 31 degrees. >> yeah. >> so sad. >> we heard it was snowing a little bit in new york. >> mm-hmm. >> it's gorgeous, about 81 degrees here. we are at the atlantis resort on paradise island in nassau, the bahamas. and we have been here since tuesday having the time of our lives. we really have. >> picture this. you can be in new york in 31-degree weather, 2 1/2 hours later, all right, you land in the bahamas. you're with the palm trees and the sand. it's such a difference. a lot of people think of the bahamas as nassau and a couple other islands. but there are 700 of them. >> hello. >> and what i didn't realize is that there are 50 international airplanes with their own customs and everything else. so people are flying into the bahamas from all over the world. guess how they're getting here? >> this is so bad. >> great. there has been a merger of two major airlines.

it's on the cover of the bloomberg magazine. look at this. this is how they're getting here. >> we want you to look at it closely. >> let's get it on. ♪ let's get it on >> that's what it says. >> that's what we call the friendly skies. >> all right. you guys, we've had so much fun since we arrived here at the atlantis. so much fun. there are a lot of water activities. i know you guys who are from here and the ones visiting here -- >> water scares you. philosophically you don't like water. >> i don't like it because i am terrified. you know. okay. anyway, we decided to risk beauty and we snapped on these beautiful caps. >> yes. they told us they were beautiful. >> yeah. you know how you don't realize how hideously ugly you look until you look at the picture? look at that. anyway, we went down the mayan temple and had a good competition to see who won. we'll let you decide. it wasn't even close.

>> look how ugly. by the way, that's a lot of fun. >> look at my hips. >> that's frightening. look a that. >> i don't know who won it. oh, it's obvious. >> not even close. >> you did. it was a blowout. here's the other thing we had fun with. we have kissed a lot of people in our lives. >> well, you have. yeah. you've had a much more illustrious kissing career than i have. >> you know what happened yesterday? we kissed a girl and we liked it. ♪ i kissed a girl and i liked it ♪ >> her name is sasha. >> and she was so cute. >> she's beautiful! oh, my gosh. you know, i used to bring our kids down here all the time when they were little to the bahamas, and they have been swimming with the dolphins a lot. but we had never done it. neither of us have done it before. boy, was that special. you'll see a little of that. >> and we swam with them, too, which is one of those things when you see other people do it, it looks fun but a little scary.

>> to -- so strong and powerful. >> they're like rocketships. think put their nose on the heel of your foot and push you, propel you through the water. that's call eed sheer the terro. it was such fun. one of those things you don't forget. how about the atlantis being so great to us? >> you guy, when we got here the first night, we went straight to work when we got here, shooting some of the stuff you'll see. that night they were very sneaky. >> very. >> they came to our gorgeous hotel suites and said we're going to be cleaning some windows so please, we're going to close the drapes for a little while. inside i'm thinking i want to look out on -- they go, no, no, no, we don't want anybody -- i was about to take a bath. i was, like, you're right. if anybody sees me naked they're dead. i let them close it. and then you go out on this gorgeous terrace and we look down and what we saw. >> in candle, they spent three hours putting this together.

hard to see. >> 300 candles in six hours. >> it says the cove loves kathie lee and hoda. when you open your blinds and see something like that, this place -- >> we're feeling the love. >> we're feeling the love big time. we also, you guys, we've been tae tasting your drinks. >> just because we don't want to be rude. >> we like to be kind. they are crazy -- >> drinking again. >> i like you, lady! security! actually, we were at the tiki hut yesterday shooting and we'd been shooting all day long, right? >> yeah. >> they bring us over bahama mama. all right? we're thirsty. we're working. it's at least noon or something like that by then. i hear a lady from albany, new york, say, very loudly, wow, look at her slurp those things down! >> yeah. exactly. >> you are dead to me. she was right. she was right. >> you know how much i love you. i'm going to get those for you.

>> the cards? >> yeah. >> maybe not. >> so here's the thing. here are some -- what did you do? >> i don't know. there's something there. anyway, keep talking. don't worry about me, hoda. i'm your slave. >> stop. we've got to show the crowd because we can't thank you enough. we had a bunch of tickets to come watch the show. we had no idea how quickly they would go. if you could show our crowd. we had more than 300 people who came at the crack of dawn. the tickets went in 14 minutes. now they tell me it's up to 400 withi with a waiting list. >> they came with signs. we are going to ring our cowbells. >> and we're going to shake and bake and -- what's the name of the band? >> it is call rake and grape. >> these three lovely people have flown in from a different -- >> play a little? >> play a little music for us. >> they're called rake and scrape because they just recorded something together. go ahead.

>> basically, you pick up whatever's around and start making music out-it. and that's the way you feel in the bahamas. >> you really feel like you're in a great mood. these guys are terrific. we actually got on board yesterday, you guys, a little bit of a booze cruise. >> yes. >> have you ever been on the booze cruise here? >> yes. the bahamian queen i. we didn't want to do it but our tour was contractually obligated to go on the booze cruise. we went. >> we did. >> there were a lot of loving couples, a lot of people on their honeymoon. hoda and i are a loving couple. there was one particular lady that was alone. she was from oklahoma, and we were a little concerned about her. >> she had on a blue hat and she was totally -- >> straw hat. >> she was smashed. i mean, she was gone. but there she is. nyway, we want to show her because she was fun. she was dancing and letting it go. it just shows you, you know

what, when you want to go have fun, there is a place to have fun and this is the spot. >> we just hope she made it back to her cruise ship okay. >> we do. i, hoda, get to pick a song every thursday. >> even in the bahamas? >> this is an island song. it puts me in a good mood instantly when i start hearing the words. it's laid back. it's by my good friend in my heart -- i don't even know him -- jimmy buffett. crank it! >> really loud. "margaritaville"? >> you got it. >> come on. ♪ watching the sun bake all of us covered with oil strumming my six string ♪

♪ on my front porch swing ♪ ♪ >> all right, guys. >> okay. good one. good one, hoda. >> all right. we've got a great show coming up, you guys. we are going to get wet coming up. oh! we have to do those. >> what? >> those two -- we have to. >> we are going to blow a conk later in the show. what are you talking about? >> this is the aphrodisiac part

of the conk. you know what it is? it's the the aphrodisiac part of it. like sushi. ready? >> go. >> you promised. >> no! >> i'll do it if you do it. go.

everywhere you look here it is water, water, water. we're surrounded by the ocean. couldn't be more beautiful. >> yeah. so we decided to get our feet wet. so this involves, as you may imagine, a booze cruise. >> hmm. >> looking forward to today. >> you like to fish. >> yes. we're going not just fishing. we're going deep-sea fishing. >> it will probably be a grouper. that's the big fish down here or out there. >> i want barracuda. >> barracuda. >> careful. >> thank you. hardest part's over. >> hoda did it! >> this is the part we don't like. >> la, la, la, la, la. >> so i don't like this. no, no, no, no. >> you're going to do the other one. >> we're not touching it.

>> get the grouper! come on, baby! come here, fishy. come to mama. i don't like to wait for anything. ♪ tired of waiting tired of waiting for you ♪ >> fish on! >> what? whooo! >> we got work to do. >> come to me! come to mama! what did you get? >> mine's bigger. i can feel it. >> ew! >> ew. >> fess up. >> yeah. >> we had a little help. >> a little help. because we got bored waiting. >> so, mike, what did you do? >> pulled one out of the cooler. >> hoda woman, what? you ready for an adventure? does it involve getting my hair wet? >> yes. >> but it's going to be worth it. >> there's a cute guy involved.

>> i'm in. >> and some slick creatures known as dolphins we're going to be swimming with. let's swim with the dolphins. >> i love my suit. >> oh, my gosh! [ dolphin noises ] ♪ i wouldn't have it any other way ♪ >> oh, my gosh! >> oh, my gosh! >> oh, he's pushing your foot. your foot. >> i didn't even know what that was. >> you know what, we've been meaning to dance. and we haven't danced yet since we've been in the bahamas. it's almost time. >> this is for the booze cruise. i'm up for it if you are, hoda. >> i'm ready. >> are we ready! ♪ until the sunlight

♪ dancing in the moonlight >> so this is called the mayan temple. and you've got to -- you have to go up a whole bunch of steps. but at the top, there is a challenger slide. two slides side by side. it's a contest to see who gets down there first. >> that's what i smell. i smell contest. >> isn't it true that the person that weighs the most usually goes the fast snes. >> that's rude! >> protect at all costs. >> you look lovely. >> oh, my god. oh, okay. >> warm water. feels good. i think hoda's going to win not on style point, of course. i've got a lot on that. >> she has no chance to win in this competition. zero. i'm like a bullet. i'm like a bullet going down. >>ly get extra style points for this. and i will do that all the way down. >> let's go. >> okay. i'm ready.

♪ >> this is rich! >> good job, baby. awesome. >> it was legit. >> the one who weighs the most did go down the fastest. we'll try not to blow this, but hoda and i are about to get lessons in how to blow a conch. >> i'm not saying anything. >> stick around.

season of joy here in the bahamas. you can eat the conch or use the shell to play. >> a crash course on learning to play. make it sing a little bit. from chris. this guy, you'd never know to look at him. i'm just telling you. he's a lecturer in musicology and all things music at the college in the bahamas. right? >> yes, ma'am. >> and you were the founding member of the band we just heard. right? >> yes. i love being happy. the only way to be.

>> hard to be serious with your hat on. >> professor. >> tell us about blowing the conch. >> well, the conch shell is a very old instrument. and we use it for communicating. >> okay. >> in the early days. you could sound the shell for different alarms, if you wanted people to get out of bed or time to go to church or arrival of a bride. >> different sounds it made for different occasions or the same hold conch shell sound? >> the same conch shell sound. we can make it do different sounds. >> let's hear it. >> what i'm going to do, i'm going to put this modified version of a conch shell down. these are the original right out of the water. >> this has been for centuries. >> yes. >> show us what it sounds like. okay. ready? >> wow. >> so you blow it like you blow a trumpet kind of thing. >> yes. >> your lips are pursed. how come this one has a mouthpiece? >> i perform a j onkanoo.

and the cob is actually a stone. >> that's why it's a mao piece. >> tord to save your lips, you know, i've modified this and put a mouthpiece. i'm actual lay trombone player. >> chris, will you show us how you do it? >> you can put your lips on that one. >> do your lips like -- >> and do you hold it like -- >> no, no, not so loose. you're too loose. >> i'm loose. i've been told that. >> okay. one minute. >> into the mao piece. >> okay. let us do it. go. you go. >> there you go. >> wow! >> there you go! >> i lost my grip. >> i did, too. >> there you go. >> this is fun. do it.

>> o say can you see! >> hodie, we got another thing we got do. we got to go. all right. >> we have a lot coming up, you guys. sara haines takes a lap around the island.

good morning. it's 10:26. i'm marlo tellez. the bay area job market just got a little bit more crowded. one of the nation's largest

banks slashing jobs. the bank of america plans to close its concord customer services operations in may putting hundreds out of a job. the bank issued 450 pink slips yesterday. it's trying to eliminate 30,000 jobs to cut billions in operating expenses. caltrans says the new bay bridge is set to open on labor day of next year. crews say construction is ahead of schedule thanks in part to the planned closure of the westbound lanes over presidents' day weekend. caltrans says a full closure closer to the opening date will be necessary for crews to finish up work on the approach and the toll plaza careas.heck> we'll with christina and the roads with mike after the break. honey...? [ mom ] yes.

honey, i can't find my internet cord. oh, i'll borrow hailey's. you're downloading movies. fast! from here? where is her cord?! we switched to at&t high speed internet and got wireless access. no more cords. wireless, okay, honestly, can i just get a cord, please? dad, the cord's invisible. [ female announcer ] call at&t today to get high speed internet for just $14.95 a month for 12 months with a 1-year price guarantee. it's the fastest internet for the price. oooh. videos online? here? how much is that? nothing. at&t high speed internet at home includes access here. our invisible cord is really long, dad. oooh. [ female announcer ] get access to the entire national at&t wi-fi hot spot network for no extra charge. so call today to get high speed internet for just $14.95 a month for 12 months

with a 1-year price guarantee. aren't you glad we switched to at&t? yes...but i want my own invisible cord. you already have one. oh. ♪ >> welcome back. 10:29 now. gorgeous day shaping up over the city by the bay. plenty of blue sky and a little bit of high cirrus cloud and overall we're looking really good for today. we'll see more sun and clouds all day long and temperatures soaring as a result, it's 69 degrees in san jose and 63 in fremont and 66 degrees in redwood city. we continue with the warmth as we head there tomorrow and just a little bit cooler and we drop off and get rain sunday into monday. mike has a serious situation. >> folks traveling south 680 out of pleasanton. there's an accident involving a crane big rig. let's show how slow the traffic is traveling past our screen. vargas is where the accident is. we have a mangled smaller car

and we'll send this back to you. >> coming up on nbc bay area news at 11:00, california signs on to a federal mortgage deal with banks and how much relief will it bring to sgltr homeowners. that's coming up in 30 minutes. john and i hope to see you then. welcome back to this very special edition of "today" here at the gorgeous atlantis resort on paradise island in nassau. >> loving it. >> in honor of our friend, thomas thomas, we just want to say what a lovely pair of coconuts. >> hi, ladies. >> we did this instead of a drink. that's how much we love you. >> our style editor. everything but the bikini. >> let's face it, after your 20s, that's a function. you really have to pack what you're going to wear all day. we all claim to cover up some

more. >> beautiful. >> what you have on is very cute. >> thank you. >> the lace and d -- >> i love these crocheted pants. >> see through. >> these crochet pants are one of those things you see on the hanger and think you couldn't wear. this is the perfect place to wear them. >> let's talk about cover-ups. >> i am so excited. a producer from our show is bahamian. she helped me find the most beautiful ba bahama mamas and we have michelle, lisa, and lisa's mother, angela, all wearing cover-ups from echo design. what i love is this resource has become one of my favorites over the year because they start around $40. the most expensive is $140. but really affordable and everybody's personality. >> and they have to be washable. >> washable. >> easy care. >> light weight. look at the colors. michelle has the matching bag if you want to find accessories. >> fit everybody's coconuts so beautifully. one size fits all.

>> lisa's could even be a dress at night. >> really pretty. you guys look great. thank you, ladies. >> that's fun about koumps. consider them the gown on the beach like the red carpet. >> glamorous. >> i like this next group because if you're lounging around, you grab for a pair of sweats and want to chill out. >> not today. >> you want to feel good and look good on vacation. i love the high look on andrea. everything in the sizes extra small to triple xl. only around $30. >> i love that. >> pair it with a knit top even though you think a sweater, but an open knit is comfortable. the set -- sorry. we have christy, who's gorgeous. she's got a cover-up on from dinas only $39 and $35 for a white linen pant. >> is that turquoise or white? >> you know, right from the beach all of them can go to lunch or shopping. >> they might get arrested. >> thank you so much. >> thanks, guys. >> thank you, ladies. >> you want to be able to have

one outfit that will take you from the morning to the night so you don't have to pack multiple things. >> you want the versatility. donna and alycia are great examples of day and night dresses. donna, a swim coach and a great yogi, has a fantastic shape. you can go looser in the day. she has a belt that comes with the dress. i'm going to help her out. if you belt the silhouette it looks more polished for evening. and alycia is like the secret peekaboo cover-up. during the day, it opens up, but at night, you let it hang like a dress and with the jewelry, you're ready to go to drink. >> what is the price? >> very affordable. $70 for the dress approximately and then this is ribina, again, about $70-ish dollars. double duty. all the prices are on our website, klgandhoda.com. >> thank you, everybody. >> come on out. >> bobbie, nice job.

we'll see you tomorrow, too. >> and later for a little drinky poo by the pool. >> of course we will. >> coming up next, we'll seal the deal with our animal segment. >> uh-oh. >> sea lions. allegedly. ú?÷ú

whooo! >> we are back here live in the

bahamas.@? it's time for today's "call of the wild." a lot of interesting creatures. >> this interesting creature i actually met years ago when you showed my sonko di at the pp stingray @q@q experience. >> that's right. he's become the curator.@q@wú excuse me. good for you. i knew you'd go tar. >> great looking in your little starfish, by hisú the way, was over here and made its way there. tell us about the starfish. >> it has two feet. that's why it can walk along the bottom. >> are you kidding? >> if you look real close, sticking out, that's the two feet. that's how he walks along the bottom. like little suction cups on the end. they can climb on the walls. >> they don't have a brain, right? >> they don't have a brain. >> why do they exist? >> why do we exist? >> i wonder the same thing. but i wonder what god had in mind when he made the starfish. >> they're the cleaners of the ocean. they clean the bottom of the ocean. >> can they eat something outside of their bodies?

>> they push the stomach outside of their bodies and digest the food externally. >> this is the cucumber. >> yes. >> tell us about this guy. >> he does like you. >> he can't hear you. >> can you touch it? >> you can be gentle. >> i don't know. what do you think? >> it's related to the starfish, in the same group of animals. >> like peat moss. >> they have a unique thing they do to protect themselves against predators. >> i'm scared. what do they do? >> they can expel byes of their intestines out of their part. or@@?@? >> they need to see a doctor. >> all right.p÷ sea urchin.> that's the sea urchin. another relative of the starfish. >> that is a delicacy in japan but here not a food stuff. >> no. we don't eat sea urchins. >> take us to this mini shark. >> as adults they can get up to agent eight to ten feet. the record has been 14 feet long. from that little thing, you can get up to a 14-foot shark.

>> dangerously close to the posterior of the cucumber. does he know what could happen to him? you, sweetie. >> thank you very much. >> we are going to shift gears because we have a sea lion in the house. with him is russell morgan. >> hi, russell. >> hello, ladies. how are you? >> hi. how are you? >> say hello. >> hello. >> so a sea lion, russell, and a seal. completely different? >> not completely different. they are very closely related. five major differences between the two. easiest way to tell the difference is the ears. see the ears? see those? >> i have those, too. that's an ear. okay. >> more fish! >> yes, she does. there are four other differences. the way she walks. see walks around on land very, very easily. >> wow. >> a seal can't do that. they move like this. >> that's kra is si. >> showing off that he's better than a seal. >> she doesn't like to show off

like that. >> she doesn't. >> what other tricks does she do? >> she can dance. >> can she? >> yeah. >> play some music? >> yeah. got some music going? >> some music, please! >> ready? >> oh, my gosh. >> yeah!@ >> yeah! >> very cool. >> wow. >> whoa. we did not want to see that. >> how do you like that? >> that is talent. >> oh, my gosh. >> good. >> how long can she be out of water before she needs to get back in? >> these animals need the water for two different thing, one, the food they eat, obviously with a big fish. but also for body temperature regulation. days like today where it's not too hot -- >> 81. >> 81. not too hot for her. water ld stay out of theúw for weeks on end. >> she could take a booze

cruise. >> whoa. >> she could. >> could you? you want to? >> russell, thank you very much. >> thank you, guys. bye! >> sara is taking a tour of the islands. @ test. ...

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.

we are having an absolute ball here at atlantis. but the bahamas are so much more. islands more. >> and guess who went on a little plane over the last couple days and managed to hop around? >> our little sister sarah. >> take a look. >> i begin my exploration of the

bahamas in andros a little piece of tranquility. my first stop, learning to make the fabric of the bahamas. >> i made a special design for you. put it in the wax. >> take it off. that one's good. >> a few more wax stamps and the fabric is ready to be dyed. androsia also has vertical underwater caves. like this one called captain bill. what an adrenaline rush. next on my itinerary touring the abacos. a chain that's great for boaters. there i made a visit to the historic elbow reef lighthouse which has served as a beacon for sailors since 1864.

ever. >> see that piece of breaking water right there? that's the reef this is to protect people from running over. there are no other lighthouses lit by kerosene and hand cranked. >> from there i sailed over to a festive gem of an island. i got hair and makeup for this shoot. inside miss emily's bar, owner violet smith showed me how to mix up their famous cocktail. the goom bay smash. >> my mother created it. >> what's in it? >> g#no. it's a secret. >> coconut rum, pineapple juice and a few mystery ingredients later. >> you take it and just move your body. you just move this.

>> how is this for my own little piece of paradise? i landed in the exumas which have 365 islands. most of them are uninhabited. in great exuma, visitors can take in a round of golf at the sandals emerald grof course. i'm going to go with par here. my next adds veventure, swimmin pigs. look at his tail. >> not sure how it started. people locals put them here. >> okeydoke.

and we got a special glimpse at the new natives. and now at the chat n chill. the center piece of the festivity, a sign post created by customers from around the globe. >> i feel like there's something missing. >> really? >> i do. i do. >> a "today" sign. wonderful. >> it has been so much fun island hopping, but really exhausting. just another day at the office. >> and we're modeling the fabric. >> we want the pigs to be here. >> we were two swimming pigs with the dolphins yesterday. coming up next, we are going to play beach volleyball with some olympic hopefuls. >> but first this is "today" on nbc.

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well, our time here in the bahamas wouldn't be complete without hitting the beach. and we're here. gentlemen playing volleyball behind us are part of the bahamas men's beach volleyball team. they hope to go this time for the first time ever. >> definitely. it would be a big accomplishment for the bahamas. >> but first you've got nicaragua to beat. >> we have to win that round to qualify for the olympics. >> who's your biggest competition in the caribbean besides us? >> right now it's trinidad. we've played trinidad in the first and second round. >> and? >> we won the first round in

trinidad. unfortunately we lost to them second. >> you can take trinidad. >> you learn their weaknesses to play them. you know the weak spots. >> exactly. >> you're going to show us -- i know it's not an easy sport to learn. beach volleyball is difficult. >> unlike indoors, only two man a side. you have a lot of skills to execute to be competitive. >> and in sand you can't bounce in the sand. >> we can bounce anywhere. you know what i'm saying? given the right motivation. so we're going to go three on three? is that how it works? >> that's fine. >> i'm going to coach kathie. >> hey, guys! hi. how are you? >> we're ready. so where should i stand? here? tell me where to stand. >> have you played volleyball before? >> no. i want to be opposite klg. let's go. >> are we ready? all right.

>> oh. >> good hop. >> get it! get it over! >> come on kathie. good job. >> sorry. i thought it was yours. sorry. i should have gone for that. >> we got it. >> that won't happen again. >> right here i dare you. get it, get it. >> so sad. >> does that count? >> not really. >> no. >> ready? >> come on. >> yeah. >> nice touch. >> good, hoda. >> come on, hoda. >> i got it. >> there we go. >> oh!

>> nice try. >> thanks, guys. >> what is this? >> i don't know. but we're going to be back tomorrow. we have so much other great stuff here. we might get in trouble tonight to talk about tomorrow. >> see you tomorrow, everybody. @@púú