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tv   Today  NBC  February 19, 2012 6:00am-7:00am PST

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whitney, if you could hear me now, i would tell you, you weren't just good enough. you were great. >> good morning. emotional good-bye at a four-hour ceremony, family and friends bid farewell to whitney houston. and ex-husband bobby brown storms out o the funeral after a disagreement over seating. in the jury's hands. deliberations begin this week in the trial of a former university of virginia lacrosse player accused of killing his girlfriend. george huguely's lawyer described him as, quote, stupid,
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drink, but not a killer. but will jurors agree? and new chapter. elizabeth smart, whose kidnapping and return home gripped a nation a decade ago says "i do" in a private hawaiian ceremony. she's beginning her honeymoon and starting life as a newlywed "today," sunday, february 19th, and starting life as a newlywed "today," sunday, february 19th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good sunday morning, everyone. welcome to "today" oop pym lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolfe. i turned on the ceremony yesterday, it was televised, and at first i felt uncomfortable, whether i should be watching it. but it was a really, touching, beautiful, service. >> it was sad at times but also was a celebration. joyous and rousing. it was amazing. >> it was. and it was filled with memories of houston and also the music that she loved. friends including tyler perry
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and kevin costner all spoke warmly about houston and her deep religious beliefs. while stevie wonder, alicia keys song touching tributes. we're going to talk with two people who were actually there, including famed song writer dionne warwick who wrote several songs for houston. >> plus life as a deadly sharp shooter. a navy s.e.a.l. talks to us and takes us into his fighting world and details of what went through his mind during some of the most ferocious combat in iraq. and then, i recently spent some time with a couple of fellow speed demons. unlike myself. the three hosts of top gear usa. they will try almost any kind of stunt while on four wheels so i both got in the passengers seat, and then jumped behind the wheel to take part in some of their crazy antics. just a normal commute on a sunday morning when i pick up lester. on the way in. >> you did all that on 49th street. >> and then i came around 50th.
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so both legs of the -- get all that? >> looking forward to that. also we're going to tell you about some health problems for dame judi dench. why the oscar winning actress is struggling to read film scripts but she has no plans to retire. we'll find out more about what she's revealing coming up. we want to begin with whitney houston. the superstar will be laid to rest today. she'll be buried in new jersey next to her father. on saturday friends, family and fellow entertainers said good-bye in a heartwarming four-hour service. rehema ellis has details. ♪ >> reporter: the high spirited service lasted nearly four hours. it was an invitation-only affair. stars of music, movies, politics, and religion, all together in the modest baptist church in newark, new jersey, where a young whitney houston once sang in the choir. whitney's cousin, diane warwick, led the ceremony. and a stunning array of musical artists paid tribute.
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stevie wonder. ♪ with a sound so incredibly whitney's voice ♪ >> reporter: alicia keys. ♪ >> reporter: r. kelly. ♪ and do i hear a song >> reporter: whitney houston's ex-husband bobby brown entered the church, but quickly left after a dispute over seating arrangements. outside, press and fans gathered from all over the world. >> it's sad for me. it's hard to explain. >> reporter: clive davis, houston's friend, producer and mentor, talked about their close personal relationship. >> all i can say is that i loved her very much. >> reporter: kevin costner choked back his emotions as he talked about his co-star from the movie "the bodyguard." >> knowing that there's a lady in heaven who is making god himself wonder, how he created something so perfect.
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so off you go, whitney. off you go. >> reporter: finally, in the church that gave roots to her dazzling voice, it was the last voice that was heard. ♪ and i >> reporter: for "today," rehema ellis, nbc news, newark, new jersey. ♪ will always love you >> alicia corrals is the global entertainment and lifestyle reporter for the associated press. and she attended the funeral service for whitney houston. alicia, good morning. >> good morning. >> what was it like to be there? >> it was, first of all, i felt privileged. there weren't a lot of media inside. but also it was sad. you know, it was a celebration of her beautiful life but it was honest. people didn't deny that she had demons. but they talked about her gift of song. >> we hate to talk about something that would overshadow the service but you were in the front of the church and as things were about to get started bobby brown abruptly gets up and leaves. explain what was happening. >> i had this view on the second
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tier overlooking the entire church. you look up quickly and i thought was that bobby brown? i saw him touching the casket and he rushed out. there was a gig commotion. and i saw reverend al sharpton and jesse jackson rushing out of the church. later bobby brown said his family was moved several times. but we didn't see any of that in the church. there wasn't a big scene. everybody was very respectful. >> let me read a statement. we were seated by security and then subsequently asked to move on three separate occasions. security then prevented me from attempting to see my daughter bobbi kristina. i gave a kiss to the casket of my ex-wife and departed. as i refused to create a scene. now, alicia, bobbi kristina and cissy houston, did they see all this going on? >> they saw it, i'm sure, going on. his statement makes it seem like there was some big thing happening in the church. it wasn't that big of a scene at all. you saw him go up to the front of the church. i think the bigger scene was outside the church. we had a reporter there who said bobby came out with his family, he was very upset. he refused to talk to anybody and he was saying i'm leaving. they keep moving me.
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but the church was very quiet. it was very serene at that point. so it wasn't about bobby at all. >> well, there obviously was huge demand to be in that clinch and seated about 1,000 people. was it filled, we can only see the one camera? >> yes, it was absolutely filled. there were people along the sides. i mean, that church was packed. >> bobby, of course, is on tour and he returned last night to connecticut where he's performing with new edition. here's what he had to say. let's play this. >> seeing your faces, i can't even explain how that feels. i want to give blessings to my ex-wife whitney houston. i love you. >> what do you make of this? >> i make of it, you can take it two ways. you can say this is an entertainer trying to get some fame off of a tragedy. or is this somebody grieving? and people grieve in different ways. i think ultimately, it's about
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his daughter bobbi kristina. that's what the focus needs to be about. so whatever is going to be easier for her. if it's him not going on stage he needs to not be on stage. >> alicia squareles good to have you here. in our next hour song writer diane warren joins us with her memories of whitney houston. >> lester, we're going to switch gears now. the jury in george huguely's murder case will begin deliberations on wednesday morning. he's the former university of virginia lacrosse player accused of killing his girlfriend-year-oldly love. lawyers on both sides made their closing arguments in a rare saturday court session. nbc's mike viqueira has details. >> after two weeks of testimony, the defense and prosecution rested, leaving the fate of george huguely in the hands of the jury. on the final day of testimony, neurosurgeon ronald ushinski emerged from the courtroom after telling jurors he did not think a blow to the head killed yeardley love. >> did you explain out here why
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you did not think she died of trauma? >> i thought she died of oxygen deprivation. >> reporter: prosecutors charge huguely with breaking into her apartment intent on killing her. delivering his closing argument, prosecutor david chapman's voice broke as he described love on the night she died. she made a choice to stay in the safety of her home. only to have a drunken huguely burst in and attack love, chapman said. then leave her to die slowly, face down in her bed. >> well, legally, if george huguely was so drunk that he couldn't form a coherent thought, then he can't be guilty under virginia law of first degree murder. >> reporter: huguely attorney frances lawrence called love's death a tragic accident. a combination of injures inflebted by huguely and alcohol she drank earlier that night. he played' role in that, that's a fact, lawrence admitted. but portrayed huguely as incapable of planting and carrying out her murder. he's not calculating. he is what you get. he's a boy athlete. and said hid client was stupid,
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unthoughtful, loud and clumsy and intoxicated. another complication for huguely, he took love's computer as he left her apartment. >> i think they're going to focus first on premeditation. second, was there a robbery. third was whether there was a larceny, was it grand larceny. and once they've made those decisions then everything kind of falls into place. >> reporter: the jurors won't begin their deliberations until wednesday. they sort through the six charges brought against huguely. for "today," mike viqueira, nbc news. now to politics. and the race for the white house. the gop candidates are busy making their case this president's day weekend as they gear up for the next round of primaries, which are considered crucial. david gregory is moderator of nbc's "meet the press." david, good morning. >> hey, jenna, good morning. >> so we are just a week away from the primaries getting back into the swing of things. a lot at stake for two of the candidates. for newt gingrich, whose campaigning in his home state of georgia. mitt romney campaigning in his home state of michigan. both of them have this santorum surge to contend with. how big a factor is that going to be? he's really picking up steam.
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>> yeah, i think it's huge. i mean for mitt romney right now, the prospect of him losing michigan threatens to throw this entire race into a completely new dimension. and nobody likes it in the republican party. what that new dimension is. rick santorum is connecting with socially conservative voters in this primary. he is coming across, as i think more authentic than mitt romney is, and these are problems that romney's been struggling with for awhile. he could pull it out in michigan and he'll long stronger again. but i think it all goes to the point that the party is not satisfied with the choices. they don't love the rule change that drags this whole process out. and we simply don't know which way it's going to go. >> the other thing santorum is doing is going on the attack against president obama and he's taking issue with his moral values. he said obama's agenda was based on a phony theology. does the argument work for him in terms of picking up votes the next primaries? >> well, if he wants to energize social conservatives he can talk about faith, he can talk about gay marriage, he can talk about an assault by this administration on religious
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liberty. and he will energize those voters. and it seems like senator santorum is eager to do that. it's a different proposition when you get into the general election as to whether this is the best strategy. but it is something that i'm going to be talking about on the program this morning, whether this is where the party is comfortable going at this point. does it want to re-ignite culture wars in america over these kinds of issues when we thought it was supposed to be about the economy and how tough it is for so many americans who are out of work. this is a different direction that rick santorum and others, house republicans, seem to be taking this, as well. >> i want to ask you a question about president obama and his re-election campaign. the administration's announced they raised over $29 million in january for the re-election. 98% of those donations were $250 for less. what does that say about obama supporters? >> well, he's going to raise plenty of money. i don't think there should have been any doubt about that. there was talk about it being a billion dollar pain haul. i don't know if he's going to
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get to that mop he's going to raise plenty of money. this is the white house, the president, strong grassroots organization that's been building for four years picking up right where they left off. even if people are disappointed with the president, they're going to focus on the alternative. they're going to say do you really want to hand it over to republicans? i think democrats will be plenty energized and he's going to be able to raise plenty of money even in the season of the super pac with all this unregulated money coming in. >> david gregory, thank you so much. >> thanks, jenna. >> now let's get more of the headlines from richard lui over at the news desk. richard, good morning. >> good morning, lester and jenna. good morning, everyone. egypt has announced it will put 16 americans on trial february 27th, despite a u.s. threat to cut off $1.5 billion in aid. top u.s. and egyptian generals met saturday in cairo to seek a solution here. the americans face criminal charges for working with u.s.-funded pro-democracy groups. egypt's military sees them as a threat to its rule. meanwhile, egypt said today it's withdrawing its ambassador to syria. arab countries are trying to stop the bloody crackdown on a popular uprising in that
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country. meanwhile, wedding bells rang saturday for elizabeth smart. it's been a decade since the 24-year-old was kidnapped and held captive for nine months. she married matthew gilmore in a norman temple in hawaii. they melt while doing missionary work in paris. british actress dame judi dench says she struggling to keep her sight. nbc's duncan golistani reports from london for us. >> reporter: at the british academy awards last weekend, hundreds of movie fans lined up to see dame judi dench, but nobody realized she was struggling to see them. the actress has revealed her eyesight has become so bad she can't see the faces in front of her. >> i've interviewed her many times on red carpets and that's the reason why you see her always being guided. >> reporter: at 77 years old, dench is suffering from mack lar degeneration. an eye condition that affects vision. it's an illness common among seniors but so far age has been no barrier to the stars aoscar-winning movie career. >> tell master shakespeare
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something more cheerful next time. >> reporter: right now dench is promoting her new movie. >> glass of water. >> reporter: she says her daughter or a friend has to read scripts to her, but she doesn't mind, she thinks of it as story time. dame judi hopes recent injections will stop the condition getting worse, but either way, she has no plans to retire. for "today," nbc news, london. falling trees caused a lot of damage but no serious injuries in southwest louisiana, where funnel clouds and 75-mile-per-hour wind gusts were reported on saturday. in texas, fast-moving floodwaters picked up a pickup truck and submerged it in a creek. no one was in the vehicle and there were no injuries there. and it's a black eye for british boxing. heavy weights derek chisora in a white t-shirt and david hay with braided hair in this news conference got in an ugly brawl. it was during a news conference, calling a wbc title clash in
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munich. chisora mocked hay's loss and tried to goad him into a future match. you have to wonder if they watch too many rocky movies i guess here. >> amazing fighters getting in a fight. >> as long as there's a ring around them, it's cool and they're going to make millions of dollars. but you take that ring away and somehow they're doing something wrong. >> it becomes a brawl. >> oh, i see. it's a guy thing, right, janet? >> it's a guy thing. >> janice tough is here. good morning. how are you? >> i'm great. not so great the weather in some parts of the country today. there's atorm system in the east that's producing some severe weather over florida. but north of that, winter weather starting tos develop fm kentucky all the way into parts of north carolina, and virgini this storm has produceded a lot of rain already, from western tennessee but it's going to produce anywhere from unto up to six inches of snow across the appalachians of virginia and west virginia. and sunday morning starting off pretty chilly. in fact, temperatures almost 10
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to 15 degrees cooler than yesterday at this time. that means 30s and low 40s outside. another thing we'll see a lot of clouds today. most of the moisture will stay offshore but we could see it drift over the coastal hill tops. temperatures today fairly cool. highs in the 50s around the bay area today. late today and tomorrow, better chance of seeing at least a few showers, and then we start to warm up rapidly by the middle part of the week. now here's jenna. >> janice, thank you. up next on "today," a season-ending send-off for abbey. it fast? it's got 10 speeds, my friend. ♪ is it fast? it's got a lightning bolt on it, doesn't it? ♪ is it fast? i don't even know if it's street legal. ♪ is it safe? oh ya, it's a volkswagen. [ male announcer ] the security of a jetta, one of nine volkswagen models
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named a 2012 iihs top safety pick. ♪ got you in a stranglehold, baby ♪ downton abbey the pbs series about a family of british arrest contracts and their servants wraps up its second season tonight. the show is set in the early 1900s and has a cult following here in the u.s. its producer carnival films is owned by our parent company nbc universal. michelle franden takes a look at why the show is such a fan favorite. >> it is the latest british sensation to sweep across the pond. the pbs masterpiece classic drama "downton abbey." the second season premiered to a
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record 4.2 million viewers in the u.s. >> i'm obsessed with it. >> a growing fan base, now anticipating tonight's finale. >> friends who has a loft in soho and he's throwing an entire party. >> reporter: the unlikely hit is set against the backdrop of world war i and follows the tangled lives of the aristocratic crawly family and their servants at the english country estate of downton abbey. >> even though it feels very high brow with gorgeous costumes and fancy pants accents, when it comes down to it it's really a soap opera. >> will that be all? >> an epic tale of all things proper, and not. with lots of tea. and very little sympathy. >> put that in your pipe and smoke it. >> reporter: dame maggie smith's character steals the show, serving up the best one-liners. >> i suppose looks aren't everything. >> reporter: the show's success here in the states has been driven both by word of mouth, and the modern age of the internet and social media.
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>> of course if you turn on twitter account or if you turn on facebook you'll see something about it. >> reporter: the scenes of emotions unfold slowly. >> my gosh. >> reporter: a change of pace, adding to the fascination here at home. >> this is the day and age of jersey shore, so this kind of show is really the antidote to that. >> reporter: season three is already in the works. with acclaimed actress shirley maclaine joining the show. but fans will have to wait months to see what she, and the cast, dish out. for "today," michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. >> what does it say about us, that oh, britain has the show, and we have "jersey shore." >> do you watch? >> i watched two episodes because of all the hoopla, and i absolutely loved it! it is so addicting. you have to just -- just dive in from wherever you are. >> i came this close to calling it downdown abbey. >> this close. save for a couple of comments in the studio. >> thank you for saying that. still to come on a sunday edition of "today," inside
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whitney houston's funeral service. we'll talk with one of her musical collaborators who attend the memorial. first these messages. hey, aren't you supposed to be following that fidelity green line? well, yeah, but it keeps leading me back to my old office. i think it might be broken. or maybe it's trying to tell you something. yeah, but what could it be try-- oh, i left my 401(k) at my old job. and i left a jacket on the back of my door. but i think the line's talking about my 401(k).
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still to come on "today," back in the board room with donald trump. a new season of "celebrity apprentice" is about to get under way tonight. two of the contestants tell us what we can expect >> plus, talk about putting the pedal to 9 metal with the host of "top gear usa." of "top gear usa." fs ] bacon?! gotta get that bacon! bacon?! bacon! smokey bacon, meaty bacon, tasty bacon! bacon? ohh, la, la... oh, i say, is that bacon?! oh, good heavens!
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good morning to you. looking live at the bay bridge. that is all quiet. at least on the upper deck. of course, traffic all around the bay area, a little off kilter because that have construction project. i'm chris sanchez along with meteorologist rob mayeda. we've been talking about the rain, because that could impact, you know, the project on the bay bridge but we're also complaining about the cold. >> cold this morning. 30s in half the bay area. >> look at that. >> 37 in livermore right now and 39 in concord. napa, 35 degrees. 45 in san francisco. one thing we're going to watch today, especially on the kevin there. marin county, sonoma county
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coast, maybe even the santa cruz mountains, could see a few sprinkles today. a lot of moisture that's going to mainly stay over the ocean, but we will see extra cloud cover, and a chilly start to the day and the sun blocked out at times, don't think we're going to warm up much. highs today, mostly mid to upper 50s. later tonight, we will see a better chance of a few showers coming in. we're talking less than 0.05 inch of rain and mid-part of the week, 70s. spring preview coming our way starting wednesday and thursday. >> looking forward to it. thank you very much, rob. in the south bay police are searching for two men who stabbed two teenagers at a san jose mall. police responded to the double stabbing inside east ridge mall around 7:30 last night. officials closed and then evacuated j.c. penney's and macy's to allow officers to search the area. police detained three men at the scene but say as many as three others may have run away on foot, and they say it may be
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gang-related. police also say the victims were taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. a young man is fighting for his life after he was shot during a robbery attempt in pleasant hill. this shooting happened just before 7:30 last night at a field behind strandwood elementary school. three robbers approached the 20-year-old victim and several friends at gunpoint. there was a struggle ending with the victim shot in the chest. he is in critical condition at a hospital in the area. the suspects ran away, but anyone with information on this shooting is asked to call the pleasant hill police department. if you're planning on visiting church this morning don't be surprised to hear a message on the value of college education. the seventh annual super sunday will happen at several prominent african-american churches in san francisco. california state university officials will speak to congregations about the advantages of higher education. the event will take place this morning at providence baptist church, third baptist ingleside
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presbyterian city of refuge and grace tabernacle church, of course, at city college of san francisco. coming up at 7:00 on "today in the bay," overnight shooting in the east bay, the latest developments there and what you can do to help catch the assailants. plus, caltrans leaders weigh in on the progress of this weekend's construction project on the bay bridge. those stories and more coming up right here at 7:00. right how here's back to the "today" show.
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a sunday morning, february 19th, 2012. our thanks to some wonderful people who have come out this morning on presidents' day weekend to be part of the crowd outside on the plaza, i'm jenna wolfe, alongside lester holt. two things. one, dad is turning 50. not my dad. but this person's dad. are you the dad in this group? awesome, because if this was the dad we'd have big problems. and two -- > >> happy birthday. >> and we're talking more about whitney houston. >> we are. and the funeral went on for almost four hours yesterday. incredibly emotional as family,
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friends, and entertainers, well-known entertainers came to pay tribute to her. we're going to speak to one of her musical collaborators who wrote seven of whitney houston's songs who was at that funeral. >> and then we're going to switch gears. there is a show in britain called "top gear." have you ever seen it? >> kind of. >> well they've made a similar show here in the states also called "top gear usa." the host of the popular cable show took me on a once in a lifetime drive. when these guys go for a spin they're not messing around. it was an amazing ride and i'm looking forward to sharing my adrenaline with you. >> we've heard a lot about u.s. navy s.e.a.l.s in the last year with some of their exploits, including the killing of osama bin laden. and i met a man who was a former s.e.a.l. who has over 160 confirmed kills. he is the most deadly sniper in u.s. military history. and he talks -- >> look how calm you were standing next to him shooting. >> because the gun was pointed in the other direction. but we're going to find out what it was like as he did four tours of duty in iraq and some of the
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most ferocious battles there. >> so fascinating the life that they lead. then we've been doing a segment on the sunday "today" show called "life illustrated." we've been receiving thousands of photos from you, our viewers. this morning we're going to reveal pictures that are near and dear to your heart no matter what the topic is, send us some of your best pictures, tweet them to us, do whatever you need to do and we'll try to get them on the air. >> want to get another check of the weather from janice huff. looks like and friends. >> lester, it's not every day that your fourth grade teacher shows up to the "today" show. this is carolyn millett my fourth grade teacher and her family from d.c. and maryland. and she's from columbia, south carolina. the fourth grade at crane creek elementary school. everybody wants to know what kind of student i was. >> perfect. perfect. >> and i didn't pay her to say that. well, maybe i did. >> she's what you call a teacher's pet. >> uh-oh. now i'm in trouble. thanks so much. good to see all of you. thanks for coming down. let's check on the weather and
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she what's going on. today, not so good over north florida. you've got a chance for severe storms. a slight risk there from jacksonville down to gainesville, near cedar key, there's a cold front coming through. the same front that produced severe weather along the gulf coast yesterday is moving in your direction. north of that, it's changing over to some snow. but parts of the appalachians, tennessee, north carolina, virginia, and west virginia, and eastern kentucky, you could see up to maybe six inches of snow. nice here in the northeast. a high of 45 degrees here today in new york city. 84 in miami. some mountain snow over the interior west. and it's going to be windy across parts of west texas. right now we've got the radar fired up for a few showers showing up offshore. we're mainly seeing some high clouds out there around the bay area this morning, but you can see the moisture hanging just off the coast, and i think along the coastal range would not rule out a sprinkle or two and maybe a little more shower activity dropping our yeah for tomorrow. a cool day around the bay area
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today with filtered sunshine. mid to upper 50s. tomorrow, a few more clouds. still pretty cool for monday and a few showers and then things change tuesday. we warm up wednesday into thursday. valley highs in the 70s. when we're not here you can always check your weather any time on weather.com. now here's lester. ♪ because the greatest >> janice, thanks. more on whitney houston. she'll be buried today in new jersey, not far from where her funeral was held saturday. during that service, relatives and friends remembered houston's talents, laughter, and warmth. songwriter diane warren collaborated with houston seven times. she attended saturday's private service. diane, good morning. thanks for being here. >> good morning. >> we all watched the service on tv yesterday. you were there. do you think it -- it found the right tone? >> it was a beautiful service. very sad. you know, it was horribly sad. but it was -- it was a beautiful service. >> you know, a number of the speakers, you know, they -- they
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acknowledged that, you know, that crises and challenges in her life. do you think that was appropriate? >> i think the whole thing was done beautifully and appropriately. >> there were so many touching moments. clive davis spoke and said whitney had a voice that took your breath away, he said. when he heard her sing "the greatest love of all" it quote shattered him. what to you was the most moving part of the service? >> there were so many. clive's part was incredibly moving. kevin costner, his -- so emotional. that was -- everything -- everything about him was -- you know, i can't pick out a moment. it was a beautiful service. it was heartbreaking. >> you wrote -- you collaborated, wrote seven songs. >> yeah, i did. >> with whatny. what do you remember most about her? tell us what we don't know about her. >> aside from being like the best voice of the last 40 years, which undeniably she is, she was, i don't know if people knew how funny she was and how kind.
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she just was. she was just -- she was just, you know, a regular person. >> not a diva. >> not a diva at all. i work with a lot of divas. she would come in the studio and just sing. >> one song you wrote specifically for and about whitney was on her last album, it's called "i didn't know my own strength." let's just play a few seconds of it. and i want to talk to you. ♪ i didn't know my strength my faith kept me alive ♪ ♪ i didn't know my own strength ♪ >> let me continue with the lyrics, survived my darkest hour. my faith kept me alive. i picked myself back up, hold my head up high. how did she react when you -- >> she loved it. she said i wrote her story. and at the end, when she sang that song, she changed the -- she ended up with, i got to know
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my own strength. and when she did, i said oh, this really is her story. like -- >> was she living that story, feeling that she was picking herself up again? >> oh, yeah, yeah. we all thought, you know, that was -- you know, that was her comeback record. it was her comeback song. and to -- to be in the studio and watch her sing that, and bring that song to life, i mean i was scared she wouldn't be able to, you know, maybe hit those notes. >> well, that's a question -- as a songwriter, you clearly have followed what she was going through. there was a question at some point about her ability. >> right. >> so sing like we knew her to sing. >> the song particularly was a very hard song to sing, a lot of my songs are hard to sing. this one, i was writing it for the whitney that i knew. you know. and you know what? the whitney i knew showed up that day and blew us all away. >> well, it's a wonderful tribute to her. diane warren, thanks so much for joining us. >> thank you. we're back in a moment. but first, these messages. ♪
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cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free tfeal ofr.go to cymbalta.com ihe hangs here.e because you don't see this everyday. (child) because we read the books. (man) and watched the movies. and now we're living it. because i can fly with harry. follow me! because now i can turn my brother back into a human being. (narrator) from unforgettable adventures, to the wizarding world of harry potter, only at universal orlando resort.
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the secrets and mysteries surrounding navy s.e.a.l.s have been exposed somewhat since the killing of osama bin laden last year. yet so much of what they do is still unknown. but now a decorated former s.e.a.l. is breaking his silence a bit to take us inside some of the bloodiest battles of the iraq war. that's where he became known as
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the u.s.' most lethal marksman. this is a view of chris kyle that few people have seen and lived to tell about. kyle was a sniper with navy s.e.a.l. 53, who over four tours in iraq made 160 confirmed kills. the number, 160 kills, it obviously makes for bold attention getting headline. but when you were taking down insurgents, were you thinking numbers? >> not at all. in fact i didn't even want the numbers in the book. the publish is the one that made that call. if i could figure out a number of people i've saved, that's something i'm proud about. >> this book "american sniper" kyle's accounts of some of iraq's most ferocious urban battles are as unflinching as his deadly aim. from a hidden perch up high, he protected marines and soldiers as they moved house-to-house in places like fallujah and ramadi. in the movies they always go for the head shot. that's not what you do.
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>> no, sir. i mean this is so much easier to miss than this is. always went for center mass. >> reporter: one particular shot thwarted an enemy ambush and became the stuff of legends. >> i saw the insurgent on top of the roof, and so the movement had me zoom my scope in on him, try to figure out what he was doing and then i saw he had rpg, they were trying to hide, stay outside of him. about the time i saw he was getting into attack position, i started the shot. >> he hit his mark. from 2100 yards, or 1.2 miles away. an unheard of distance that stunned even him. 2100 yards. lucky shot? >> extremely lucky shot. >> reporter: most of those he killed never saw him. >> when you're going to war, it's definitely not about being fair. every person i killed i have a clear conscience of because they were actively trying to harm americans, allies, or civilians. >> reporter: local insurgents nicknamed kyle the devil of ramadi, and placed a $20,000
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bounty on his head. >> they gave me a price. knowing that i was doing my job enough to get in the minds of the terrorists and make them fearful of me. >> reporter: as a navy s.e.a.l. kyle was part of an elite but secretive fraternity of silent warriors. but the well publicized s.e.a.l. operations against somali pirates and the killing of osama bin laden have offered a peek under the veil. >> i remember watching the headlines going dang, i wish i could have been there on that one. >> now with even a new motion picture starring active duty s.e.a.l.s come question whether it's too much publicity. in telling his story, chris kyle says he doesn't share classified information. every s.e.a.l. i've ever talked to really doesn't like to talk about what they do. and that's, you know, part of the creed. >> right. it's definitely frowned on. there were two guys that were actively seeking to write a book about me. so i figured if someone's going to do it, i am going to do it, that way i assure the proper people would get credit for it. >> reporter: that would include other snipers he says were as
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good or better. but also his wife tea who in the book shares what it was like being a s.e.a.l. wife. did you sometimes feel like you were second or -- >> i was second. >> reporter: or third place. >> no, definitely i was. i knew chris loved me, absolutely. but i also knew that a little bit by little bit, his focus, his attention, and his heart were more with the teams than they were at home. >> reporter: kyle left the navy to return to his native texas where he first learned to shoot as a kid. but part of him will always be with his beloved s.e.a.l.s. >> you miss it. you never, especially that i'm able, willing bodied person and now someone else is in my spot. so you definitely feel bad when you see that person has died or whatever was that person that took my spot. >> you go into war, that's the guy you want watching your back. >> no doubt. >> amaze pg amaze storingries he writes. and with regard to pub leslie, he knows and others have noted that right now the military is relying more and more on these
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special operations units and they need a certain amount of publicity for rekrutding but they do carefully guard a lot of the secrets. most of what they do we will never know. >> and a very honest tell, too. >> chris kyle's proceeds from his book are going to the families of his navy s.e.a.l. mates. just ahead, hitting the road. >> i'm going to take you for a spin. literally. spin. wait till you see this. right after these messages. more people do that, security would be like -- there's no charge for the bag. thanks. i know a quiet little place where we can get some work done. there's a three-prong plug. i have club passes. [ male announcer ] now there's a mileage card that offers special perks on united, like a free checked bag, united club passes, and priority boarding. thanks. ♪ okay. what's your secret? ♪ [ male announcer ] the new united mileageplus explorer card. get it and you're in. this is mary. who thinks it might be time to listen to her heart. so she talked to her walgreens pharmacist
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who gave her a free blood pressure test and showed her how easy it is to do it herself at home. get a free blood pressure test any day in february at any walgreens pharmacy or take care clinic location. and we'll donate $1 to the american heart association as part of the walgreens way to well commitment. walgreens. there's a way to stay well.
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so, how would you like an all-access pass to any type of four wheel vehicle you could possibly choose from? and on top of that, you could do the most unimaginable, crazy stunts you could even dream up. i had the most unbelievable opportunity to do just that with
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the hosts of "top gear usa." if 55 sounds tame -- and a sedan doesn't get your motor running, then you might want to hit the road with these three guys. tanner, adam and rutledge, who take their top gear tv audience on an unprecedented joy ride. >> withs one of those things we just didn't have is a car show that really did justice to how big the car culture is in america. >> three, two, one. >> "top gear usa" which airs on the history channel is inspired by its british counterpart. >> here we go. >> a runaway hit overseas for nearly a decade. >> i describe the show as a show about three friends who basically are allowed to do anything they possibly can come up with with a car. they're basically like kids in a candy store. >> our stateside show capitalizes on america's thriving car culture. and widely popular automotive shows, to nascar's multibillion
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dollar industry, we love our wheels. tanner is the resident stunt driver with a pretty impressive presume. do you see iron man two or bourne ultimatum? how about the fast and the furious. all tanner. >> in reality i do anything with a steering wheel. >> and that includes racing a halo jumper. >> about 120 miles an hour. >> a $500 clunker. and finding the toughest pickup in america. >> mad ideas are engaging to people who don't necessarily love cars but just love what cars can do. >> so we went for a spin on their massive set in california. and when i say spin -- officially it's called drifting. >> drifting is like an action sport. it's like a controlled skid. >> well skidding is pretty much the last thing you want to do when you're on the road. but here, the objective is to do just that. only with style. >> okay, drifting is like
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halfway between like going straight, and going completely sideways. it feels -- >> oh, my gosh! >> with rutledge and adam in the rear, i sat shotgun for a closer look. and there goes my stomach. i have a kidney somewhere here. do you guys see it? now, in the driver's seat. >> just start searing a little bit into the skid, which will be to your left. >> towards that way. >> yeah. >> but wait until it starts to spin out. >> wait. >> yeah, and full throttle, go. start turning. start turning that way. good and look back to the cones. >> whoa! >> look back to the cone this way over here. look over here. >> are you guys okay? one hour, three guys.
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>> let's get on the road boys. >> four wheels, endless possibilities. an amazing and exhilarating and i want to do this all day long. all day long, i meant when i call you sunday morning, super super early, i'm not sure why it's such a big deal i can't come pick you up on the bay in. >> i'll just walk mind you. >> "top gear usa" airs on tuesday on the history channel. >> i call it a skid. >> no that's called drifting. i did that on purpose. >> nbc's "celebrity apprentice" kicks off a new season tonight and joining us we have two of the contestants from this season's show, diana mendoza and dean synder. good morning. >> good morning. >> very excited to have you here. diana, this particular year has got excitement, maybe even some romance in the season, right? >> oh, there is romance. there is tears, there is swear, there is everything going on. >> dean looked kind of like, what? >> if you told me that there would be an opportunity for d. synder and clay aiken to make nice with each other or not so
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nice with each other on one show i think you would be crazy. >> it gets crazy. clay and i are doing on my new record. >> are you really? >> just an eclectic group of personalities that had to get along? >> you know, you're under stress and everybody, and you're competing with each other against another team and everything and it's for charity. again you're trying to do your best. again, you're under stress. >> that's important because you're not playing for a job with the donald. >> no. >> you're playing for $250,000. >> for charity. >> for somebody else, right. >> but i also found that we have more in common than we differ. we go through a lot of the same things, with different kinds of music. maybe one is an actor, one is an athlete. we deal with a lot of situations. we get along on a certain level. >> who surprised you the most? >> besides her? >> yes. >> and besides him? >> well, clay aiken for sure. because i didn't see us ever like, being friends. >> i was going to say, really surprised.
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>> that's a huge surprise. >> the donald said she's tough. >> i don't think she's that tough. i think she is a cupcake. >> we're looking forward to it. thanks for stopping by, good to see both of you. >> good luck with the show. >> "celebrity apprentice" begins its new season tonight, 9:00, 8:00 central on nbc. and up next here on "today."
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