. good morning. suspect identified, we now know the name of the american soldier being detained in a deadly ram pamg in afghanistan. robert bales is now in the u.s. being held at fort leavenworth. guilty, a former rutgers student convictedn the webcam spying case that ended in his roommate's suicide why experts say the verdict represents a victory against bullying. a royal first, the dutchess of cambridge will hold an appearance, shamrocks and

pageantry fit for a future queen. today is saturday, march 17th, 2012. from nbc news, this is "today" with lester holt and amy robach. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everyone welcome to "today" on saturday i'm lester holt. >> i'm amy robach. i think they through green light, we're barely wearing green. >> i think a slight green stripe. i found green here. >> when you were kids if you didn't wear green you got pinched. >> yep. >> i didn't say do it, i asked if you did. >> apparently so. >> happy st. patrick's day. george clooney, friday he put his star power to use to get attention for the violence in sudan. that protest cost the oscar winner his freedom for a short while. we'll hear why he says the arrest was wort it.

there are videos that make the rounds on youtube, this one is being called the cinnamon challenge, a dare that involves trying to swallow a spoonful of cinnamon. sounds like innocent fun, but there are serious warnings how dangerous this fad can be, why anyone would want to try it i'm not sure. we'll check in on the trial of a wealthy florida tycoon, john goodman, you may have heard his story, he adopted his girlfriend to protect his wealth, during testimony this week he was painted as a rich, reckless drunk, but defense lawyers say might surprise you. titanic, most famous shipwreck in history. parts will be sold to the highest bidder, silver wear, gold counties. we want to begin with the soldier suspected of going on a shooting spree in afghanistan killing 16 civilians, back in

the united states. john yang is outside fort heal a leavenworth. >> reporter: robert bales is here at fort leavenworth in solitary confinement. staff sergeant robert bales seen training in california, is housed in a pre-trial detention facility. he's awaiting formal charges in connection with the shooting rampage that left 16 afghan civilians dead, including women and children. he's the married father of two young children of his own who have been moved to a military base in washington state for their own protection. >> they are suffering a lot. they're confused a lot. more than anything, everybody is very concerned. they are scratching their heads more than anything else.

>> reporter: neighbors are are shocked. >> super nice, super nice family, nice people, nice parents. i mean, nice friends. i just -- i'm completely blown away. according to his lawyer, bales enlisted after 9-11 and decided to make it his career. he suffered a head injury and lost part of a foot. >> he was told he would not be going to the middle east, was training to be a recruiter, overnight he was told he was going back. >> reporter: in afghanistan he was witness to brutality. >> an incident one of his fellow soldiers was mortally wounded. >> reporter: described as highly decorated member of the third striker brigade second infantry division, good conduct record. state-side said to lived a quiet life not far from base. his lawyer rejects reports of a

troubled marriage and questions allegations he was drinking the night of the shooting. he suggests he may be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and might play a role in his defense. legal analysts say insanity defenses are rare in military trials. >> i think you have to assume that is an uphill battle on general principles. >> reporter: court records in washington state show that twice since 2002 bale seven was in civilian court for misdemeanor charges and each time the court ordered him to undergo anger management training. the next court appearance is in military court, a required hearing to determine whether the military can continue to hold him while their investigation continues. lester? >> john yang starting us off. here is amy. to the presidential, the gop fight is in puerto rico. peter alexander is in san juan, good morning, peter.

>> amy, good morning from the island of puerto rico. the people of puerto rico can vote in the u.s. general election but do have a significant say this year in selecting the gop nominee. mitt romney on the island as we speak, getting a taste of puerto rican politics. take a look at remarkable video, this is not a scene mitt romney has seen during the course of the campaign. like a carnival than a get out the vote rally, this was the political rally with his host, the governor of puerto rico, who endorsed romney. there was music, dancing, it was a high, energetic passionate crowd, ann romney said "you show us how to party." mitt romney said he respected the people of puerto rico and cared for them as americans. his rival, rick santorum,will be spending today in missouri and illinois ahead of the caucus. santorum was here earlier in the

week, and he caused a firestorm of controversy before he left. leaving in his wake concerns among some supporters about his comments saying if puerto rico wanted to become the 51st state in the u.s., english would have to be the primary language, that upset folks here. he tried to back pedal he meant to say english should be the preferred language, unclear how badly that could haunt him here. this is a population who is expected to do well with the electorate, two-thirds catholic and one-third evangelical. >> peter, we know the primaries are all about the map, what impact does puerto rico have when it comes to the ever-important delegate count? >> it's remarkable you consider all the focus we put on new hampshire a couple months ago. puerto rico with 20 delegates at stake has more than new hampshire or vermont or hawaii, the fifth of the territories to vote this month.

romney swept through the territories. he's ahead of his rivals with 423 delegates more than the other three combined. peter alexander, thank you. once again here is lester. amy, gas prices are on the rise. the average national price for a gallon of regular unleaded 3.84 up six cents from last week. rising prices affect all our wallets what will people do if the national average tops $4 a gallon? cnbc bertha coombs is here good morning. >> good morning. >> a lot of people are paying more than $4, the national average is 3.84. what is driving it? >> oil prices are higher because of the situation with iran. iran is the second biggest producer in opec, 3.5 million barrels a day. the sanctions against iran to develop a nuclear bomb are

taking impact, so less of that oil is getting out in the market. it's coming at the same time that here in the u.s., we've got an infrastructure problem, producing more oil on land in places like north dakota, half a million barrels a day but that boom has come before we have the infrastructure to get that oil on land. >> we're not refining it up there. >> the big refine ris in texas and mississippi and louisiana, so that land lock situation is creating an imbalance. this is the time of year the refineries on the east coast and west coast go down for repair. it's coming at this time you have refining capacity off line, glitches in california just now they are coming back on line, that is part of the reason the prices are so high. >> a lot of people are confused the prices all over the map depending where you are. from where we are, we could be in new jersey in 15 minutes the price of gas drops in a big way, why? >> taxes, they are lower in new

jersey than new york. the regional differences around the country in part due to taxes, in part due to this imbalance about the refining situation. so because those refineries on the east coast and the west coast have been down, they are buying imported gasoline, and the gasoline that's refined down on the gulf coast because they can't get that on-land oil sole efficie efficiently, they are being imported oil, $20 higher than oil locally. >> i have to ask what this means for the overall economy. does it drive inflation across the board? >> it does. for every $20, that takes away half a point of economic growth. we've seen $4 gasoline before, in terms of the record back in 2008. usually they peak around july 4th, the height of the summer season. that was 4.11 the national average. we are likely to exceed that.

the big question is if we get to $5. people don't like $4, we learned how to deal with it. $5 would be a shock that is the one that would put us over and that would happen if prices spike if we have a confrontation with iran. >> a lot to think about, thank you, bertha coombs. time for a check of the other top stories, weigh head to say goodbye for the first time to tom. >> good morning, lester. authorities in southeast mish michigan prevented their system -- 13 homes were destroyed, more than 100 damaged. the tornado was part of a storm system which packed large hail, heavy rain and high winds that reached speeds of 135 miles per hour. the obama administration is indicating that it's willing to help insurance companies offset the cost of providing free birth

control to women working at church affiliate hospitals and colleges. the administration said friday it's seeking public comment before making a final decision. two explosions targeted compounds in damascus, a number of civilians and security personnel were killed. both sides are blaming the other side in the anti-government movement. the man who undernarrates t kony video was hospitalized after running through the streets in his underwear and acting irrationally. his video about joseph kony became an internet sensation this month. kate middleton's first solo military role she will hand out shamrock to the irish guards. she is performing the tradition on her own while her husband is on military duty in the falklands. more coming up in the 8:00 hour.

a lot of busted brackets, been 11 years since a 15th seeded team one in the ncaa mens basketball tournament but happened twice on friday in less than three hours. lehigh university defeating duke, 75-70. that shocker came after another number 15 seed, norfolk state beat missouri, 86-84. the third round begins today with three big east and three big ten conference teams in action. that's the news, now a look at the weather with bill karins. happy st. patrick's day today is brought to you by the new non-alcoholic bailey's coffee creamers. oh, what a beautiful st. patrick's day in some areas of the country, the exception the west coast, dealing with snow. california picked up a lot of it in the central sierra from tahoe to reno, now the snow is moving

south whardward southward. the mountains in l.a. will be getting snow. the rain will be heading to l.a. later. fresno getting the heaviest of the rain. snow shown in white. heavy amounts of snow, two feet in the mountains, eventually the mountains of l.a. and arizona will be dealing with snow, too. chicago in shorts everyone else on the west coast is after very soggy night we're seeing a few showers mainly on the coast now as most of the moisture you just saw moving towards fresno in the central and southernha sierra you see the batch of clouds off to our west. that will bring a chance of a few scattered showers. a lot of the action seems to be digging into central and southern california. today we'll see a dry start for the morning with patchy fog, still a risk of thunder this afternoon and more showers mixed with sunshine to wrap up the weekend. vial i'll have more on the crazy

weather later in the show, lester? bill, thanks. to the brutal drug war raging in mexico, we learned the number of children being used as cross border drug mules has grown ten-fold since 2008. there is also a big debate in the election year how much drug violence is spilling over to our side of the border. mark potter reports. >> reporter: in southern arizona, she and her family want to move, because of all the drug and immigrant smugglers from mexico crossing their ranch at night. >> we're being forced off our land because it's not safe out here. >> there is a trail we call it the illegal trail. >> kristin and sonny say their property is overrun by mexican traffickers. >> they are stealing my property and rights, i'm not happy. >> reporter: despite reports of smugglers crossing the border, federal authorities say the american side is safe. that the extreme violence of the

mexican drug war has not spilled over, thanks to increased u.s. law enforcement. >> everything that we're seeing along our nation's southwest border points to a much safer border today than has been in over the last 20 years. >> reporter: in el paso, president obama joked about republicans wanting more border security measures. >> maybe they'll need a moat, want alligators in the moat. >> there was a total mockery and insult of our situation here. >> reporter: the cochise sheriff disagrees with the administration and says mexican traffickers are increasingly aggressive. >> right up front the border is more dangerous than ever been. >> these are cartel seizures. >> reporter: steve mcgraw the texas department of public safety, cartel violence is spreading. >> we identified 25 murders cartel-related. 124 kidnappings and extortions

that are cartel related. we know 61 incidents officers were shot at. >> reporter: federal and state officials can't agree how to define spill over violence. the federal definition includes cartel attacks on u.s. citizens and police does not include attacks on other members. that would mean a wild shoot out here in dallas would not count. because this alleged mexican hit man was convicted of killing another cartel member. statement officials say the federal statistics do not include many cartel crimes. professor howard campbell says the issue is in flamed by election year politics. >> democrats claiming everything is peaceful and quiet, no problem. republicans arguing that the situation on the border is out of control, with spill over violence. >> reporter: campbell suggests the best way to get a straight

answer on the border is ask the people who live there. for "today" mark potter. to the desperate housewives trial in los angeles, jurors in the nicolette sheridan wrongful term i kanation case will try t reach a verdict. craig melvin has more from los angeles. >> reporter: the cliffhanger continued when the judge revealed jurors are hopelessly dead locked. >> unless they get one more vote we won't see a verdict. >> reporter: nicolette sheridan claimed her character was killed off because she claimed the show creator slapped her during rehearsal. he contended it was a light tap directing her in a scene. she is suing for $5.7 million. abc touchstone decided to off the character before the incident. if jurors don't agree on a verdict monday, the judge will declare a mistrial. she ordered both sides tom

reconsider a settlement. >> the judge asked the parties to talk. we talked, it went nowhere. >> the two week trial had all the makes of a housewife's episode. >> mystery with it surfaced. >> i received an e-mail. >> the producer leaked mike delfino is being killed off. then the biggest plot twist. >> i'm thrilled by the judge's decision. >> threw out a battery charge saying there was not enough evidence and a verdict goes beyond the housewives to all of hollywood. >> you know someone else my age with a body like this? all the studios and employees who work for them, because this will show whether you can beat goliath. >> if there is no decision, both vow to press on. >> we've seen everything they've got, every little trick, we'll try it again. >> meaning a possible to be continued for the real life

drama. it's now 19 after the hour. once again here is lester. amy, thanks. did you take a vitamin or have one of those natural weight loss shakes? if you did then what chris hanson discovered in his latest dateline investigation may come as a surprise. chris? >> good morning, lester. here's something a lot of people don't know. unlike medicines, dietary supplements don't have to be approved before being sold in stores. they may say "natural" some may not be as safe as they sound. >> my husband and i have a hobby, we have show dogs. >> barbara king trusted the label on her supplement. it was the start of a living nightmare. >> and i just progressively started feeling extreme fatigue. my hair started falling out. >> your hair started to fall out? >> my hair started to fall out. every time i would get out of the shower and look, it looked like a dog had been in there shedding. >> i said my hair is going,

carla. >> donny holbrook didn't know why her hair was falling out, either. >> this is where my hair was pretty much gone within ten days. >> ten days? >> two weeks. yes. >> that is stunning. in a matter of weeks she had gone from looking like this, to this. her nails were falling off, too. they never dreamed the culprit was hiding in plain sight. >> this is the actual product. >> this is the actual bottle. >> balance your body the way nature intended. >> right. >> turns out, instead of taking a livitamin they thought would help them, they were taking something toxic. >> ingredient, a mineral that is potentially deadly. >> we wondered how could what are supposed to be natural supplements make people so sick

and how could they make it to reputable stores? >> like the wild west, they do what they want. >> you and i could open a supplement company in the back of a pick up truck. >> 25 milligrams of selenium. >> might not be in the back of a pick up truck we're about to set up our own company, create poison supplements and ask labs to check them. >> these are perfectly normal. >> "dateline" goes undercover to ask who is testing your supplements. >> doctor, there is something i need to tell you. >> one of the other surprises, a supplement maker used women's panty hose to try to filter some mysterious black flecks out of a liquid vitamin formula. >> you'll give us advice what consumers need to do? >> consult your doctor and talk about weight loss supplements and supplements for muscle building and those supposed to help you in the bedroom, those are the top three targets. go to datelinenbc.com we'll link

you to the fda website to check it out. >> chris, thanks very much. you can see the entire report tomorrow night on the hanson files on "dateline" at 7:00, 6:00 central right here on nbc. still to comes, calls for justice an unarmed teen killed by a neighborhood watch guard, his family wants the fbi to intervene. we'll ask them why when they join us for a live interview. you know wgraduation.ing, when i look up into my student's faces, i see pride. you know, i have done something worthwhile. when i earned my doctorate through university of phoenix, that pride, that was on my face. i am jocelyn taylor, i am committed to making a difference in peoples lives and i am a phoenix. never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days.

(woman) the goal is to bring an end to breast cancer. (woman) there's no doubt in my mind that komen's funding helped saved my life. the 3-day is my opportunity to help save others' lives. (woman) i'll never stop walking, not till we find a cure. it is the most rewarding experience i have ever had in my entire life. (man) register today for the... because everyone deserves a lifetime.

"today," "hunger games" still i to come, "hunger games" why it isn't just for tes. tes. george clooney takes on a new role, arrested prote

this is "today in the bay." good saturday morning to you, looking live at our transamerica shot. you can see the beacon of light up top and that means that the clouds are further off in the distance. thank you so much for joining us this morning. i'm kris sanchez along with rob mayeda. it's a forecast that looks like the worst is past. >> yes, the nasty stuff has moved on. it's cold this morning in the north bay. patchy fog around there around santa rosa and napa. larkspur, almost 3 inches of

rain. ben lomond, 3.5 inches. you can see the front or what's left of it has moved çjjy scattered showers lurking off the coast. that is what we're going to have to watch as most of the action swings into central and southern california. for now, at least the morning i think is kind of catching a bit of a break. as we show you the futurecast, look at the afternoon, the unstable air that's out there, gets some extra heating of the day, that will destabilize the mosphere, east of san jose, that would somebody mt. hamilton snow. the highs will be in the mid-50s around the bay area. coming up in a half hour, we'll let you know what to expect for the rest of the forecast. the blast of winter weather has taken its toll all around the bay area. last night's storms were blamed for a power outage in walnut

creek. and in monto rio, a fir tree smashed to the ground, destroying a home. one of the residents says he feels lucky to be alive but feels he's still in shock. >> i don't know it could get much worse than this. >> the grounded is just saturated. these large firs, they have a shallow root system. it's not uncommon for these trees to come down. >> at sfo, the storm forced cancellations and delays, some up to four hours long. in the south bay, on highway 9, several tree branches were knocked to the ground. just down the road near redwood gulch road, the rain caused a mudslide. a judge in oakland decided to release most the investigation into the uc davis pepper spray incident. some parts will remain sealed for now. campus police were trying to keep the entire report on the

november 18th incident under wraps because it contained information that could affect police jobs. the judge decided to withhold portions of the report which named specific officers and criticized their actions. university officials say they don't know when the partial report will be released. coming up this morning on "today in the bay," a tragedy as friends of a missing mother learned she was likely killed by her son before he killed his younger sister and himself. a family member says this could have been prevented. all the day's news coming up at 7:00. more local news in 30 minutes and, of course, that rainy forecast you'll need to watch out for. grass gurus. doers. here's to more saturdays in the sun. and budgets better spent. here's to turning rookies - into experts, and shoppers into savers. here's to picking up. trading up. mixing it up.

to well-earned muddy boots. and a lot more - spring per dollar. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. lay down a new look - with earthgro mulch, now 3 bags for just 10 bucks. ♪ we are back on a saturday morning, march 17, 2012. happy st. patrick's day, everyone. in fact, you're looking at kate middleton, otherwise known as the duchess of cambridge. she's celebrating with the troops in england. how is she doing on her first social military engagement? you're going to find out in a live report coming up. and back across the pond, we have a huge crowd out on the plaza. it looks like they're gearing up for the big parade that will be

coming through new york city. >> can we get one of those? >> i don't know. back inside studio 1a i'm amy robach along with lester holt. coming up, george clooney under arrest. >> on friday he was add a planned protest outside the embassy in sudan when he and his dad were placed under arrest. will his star power help draw attention to the conditions in sudan? we may have answered our own question. we'll talk about that coming up. have you ever heard of a cinnamon challenge? it's dare that's making its round on youtube. the challenge is to try to swallow a spoonful of cinnamon without drinking water. the consequences are dangerous and it could be life-threatening. move over, twilight. it's for adults who can't seem to get enough of this upcoming block bust jeer we begin in florida where investigators are

looking into the death of an unaround teenager. he was shot by a man patrolling its gated community as part of the neighborhood watch. let's take a listen. >> wrestling right in the back of my porch. >> you just heard one shot go off? >> it was either that or a rock at the window or something. i don't know. the guy's yelling help, but i'm not going out. >> the shooter, george zimmerman has not been arrested. martin's family has demanded the reese lease of the 911 calls to better understand how he ended up dying after he walked home from a convenience store. we're joined from orlando. good morning. >> good morning. >> i want to ask you. when did you first learn that your son had been shot? >> monday morning. it may have been around 7:00,

8:00 in the morning, the day after he had been shot. >> and, tracy, i know that there's been so much uncertainty surrounding the facts of why zimmerman shot your son. he claims it was self-defense, but i know you don't believe that. >> not at all, and especially after hearing the tapes last night, it's devastating. >> and i know, sabrina, speaking of those tapes, you heard them for the first time last night. can you tell us the impact they had on you when you heard those calls, what went through your mind? >> just to hear my son begging for his life really disturbed me as a mother. that was my baby, and he was pleading for his life, and i just don't understand how that's self-defense. you can clearly hear him yelling

for help. >> it's hard to imagine how difficult this is for you all. and i want to bring mr. crump in. why do you think or why do police believe there was an altercation after that 911 call where the operator told zimmerman to stay put, not to get out of his car? >> you know, hearing these tapes that everybody can hear, it makes it clear he disregarded the police's instruction. he actually traced trayvon, and trayvon only had a bag of skittles. he had a .9 millimeter gun. the voice you hear is trayvon's. we have three witnesses who say it was trayvon's voice crying for help. why the police have not arrested jerry zimmerman for killing this kid in cold blood is

unbelievable to everybody, especially his mother and father. >> and i know police are saying there is not enough evidence, they believe, to convict zimmerman on charges of manslaughter, and it's been almost three weeks since trayvon was shot and killed. it wasn't getting much attention initial initially. why do you think police are paying attention now? >> you can't kill a kid in cold blood and have all these 911 tapes and have him with a bag of skittles and say self-defense and don't spend a night in jail. every night they go to bed knowing their son is in a grave while the man who killed their son is free as a jaybird. that cannot happen in america. >> tracy and sabrina, how has the community been acting or responding to you? >> they've been very supportive. our community is seeking the same thing we're seeking,

justice for trayvon. our son was gunned down cold-blooded. and from listening to the tapes last night and hearing my son's last cry for help, he begged and pleaded for his life. >> and it's just difficult for us right now because we don't understand why he has not been arrested. we have two witnesses that came forth and the tapes, the 911 tapes telling it all. >> there is certainly enough evidence to effect an arrest here. mine you have -- they said they couldn't arrest him because they didn't have any evidence to contradict his claim of self-defense. we now have those tapes where you hear him crying for help, and you have three witnesses now who said it was the kid who was crying for help. but for some reason, the police continue to try to protect george zimmerman, who, for whatever reason, disobeyed them, and yet, they're trying to

protect him. >> well, tracy martin, sabrina fulton, mr. crump. our hearts go out to you. thank you so much for joining us. time for a check of the weather with bill karins. bill? >> in the middle of the country, we mentioned the incredible heat it's going to be a very festive st. patrick's day. some of the areas that typically have snow on the ground and it's cold and still miserable, it's going to be beautiful. look at that. st. patrick, missouri, 79. north of there. 80 degrees. unheard of for thi a look at some of the weather headlines this morning shows perhaps a bit of the luck the irish for our dublin parade coming up this morning. we have a bit of a break from the rain. a chance of maybe scattered showers and maybe thunder out there. what's left of the rain is pushed off to the east as the

more unstable air which is rotating offshore. starts to work its way across the south coast this afternoon, that will likely trigger some afternoon showers. maybe some thunder at times, mix of cool sunshine. a few more showers on sunday, then things start to dry out early in the week. that's your saturday forecast. lester? george clooney shot a documentary to raise issues there and friday while planning a protest outside the embassy, he was placed under arrest. andrea mitchell was there. >> reporter: he's using a celebrity to sound the alarm, trying to stop atrocities by the leader of iran. >> we're not talking about milita military. >> as ann curry saw for herself k . time is short. rains will be starting.

desperate times call for desperate measures. the actor and his father, retired news man nick clooney along with others deliberately stepped onto the walk way in front of sudan's embassy and were immediately arrested. >> you know, it's actually a humiliating thing to be arrested. i'm proud to be standing with my father. >> the first thing that goes through thigh mind is what my father and his team experienced. >> reporter: clooney is known for his experience on the red carpets and paparazzi. he's also familiar with darfur. traveling with ann curry two years ago, hoping to dramatize a crisis a world away from hollywood as he told brian williams on "rock center." >> i'd like criminals to enjoy the same level of celebrity as me. that seems fair.

>> reporter: he's pleading for action to stop a murderous regime from the white house to congress. george clooney arrived in washington by train with a police escort and ended in handcuffs. >> i guess you're not allowed to hang out at the sudanese embassy. >> i didn't know that. did you know that? >> no. >> a man with a slight touch. >> it's worth it. >> he put on a show that could earn him yet another golden globe. in fact, he did exactly what he set out to do, got us all talking about the horrors of sudan. for today, andrea mitcher, nbc news washington. george clooney is one of david gregory's guests tomorrow on "meet the press." still today, miles or money. we look at making most of your frequee lyer milthesagmesseses .e esmessages. we can start losing muscle -- 8% every 10 years. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss

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this morning on "today's" travel, frequent travel. they start planning their summer vacation so the hard earned reward might be tougher to share. here to share with us is lisa, senior editor for conde nast magazine. good morning. we know the industry has gone through changes in recent years. how is this impacting frequent flyer mierls and offering that overall airlines have been flying at higher capacity and higher prices. this is due because of tighter supply/demand ratio and higher fuel costs. the more people are using their miles to get seats on flights which in turn leads to more competition and less availability for seats. >> 25,000 miles, you knew if you got that much, you'd be able to get a ticket. what is that number now. >> think of frequent flyer miles as the cost of currency. yes, they're still available.

they're much harder to get. you have to be smarter about using them. >> it's the 6:00 a.m. flights that they're available for, right? when you don't want to leave that early p when is it worth it to use your miles instead of paying for a ticket? >> there's no simple answer. it depends how often, when and where. there are general guidelines you can follow. the first is book as early as you can and have flexibility that will let you have the most choice and fewest miles to redeem. consider the short flights or inexpensive flights. you have to wonder about those. for expensive flights, all try to use your miles no-brainer there. for longer flights, consider using your miling for an upgrade so you can fly in comfort. if you spend miles to fly to your destination, that leaves more money to spend at the destination. >> we have questions from viewers asking about using mile.

this is an e-mail from mary alice from kansas city, she says what about airline mergers and bankruptcies? do those affect the miles i already have with airlines? that's a big one. >> the bottom line is, no. your miles will stay intact. they may shift to the company running them but they stay intact. same thing happens with bankruptcies. >> and you want to be strategic about earning miles. should you try to focus on one and just focus on that one airline versus spreading your miles out? >> the best way to go about this is observe your own flying habits and see how you can best maximize your earning potential of your miles. if you fly frequently, consider using an airline that goes to the airport that's closest to you as a hub, and chances are you'll always fly that flight and travel quickly. consider using a regional

airline. in alaska it uses less miles to acquire a leap status. and finally if you're flying just within north america, american airlines has a lot of flights in that region. they have a lot of merchandising partners. >> i like it. lisa gill. thanks so much. we appreciate it. coming up next, the "hung dwer games. wts why it's app appealing to a audiences after these messages. have rheumatoid arthritis, can you start the day the way you want? can orencia help? [ woman ] i wanted to get up when i was ready, not my joints. [ female announcer ] could your "i want" become "i can"? talk to your doctor. orencia reduces many ra symptoms like pain, morning stiffness and progression of joint damage. it's helped new ra patients and those not helped enough by other treatments. do not take orencia with another biologic medicine for ra due to an increased risk of serious infection. serious side effects can occur

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the upcoming movie the "hunger games" is already shaping up tothe biggest blockbuster and it's only march. it's from best-selling novels aimed at teens. when it opens next week, don't expect it to be opened to just kids. nbc's stephanie gosk explains why. >> reporter: the "hunger games'" teenaged fans are not difficult to hear, lining up to premieres, hoping to get a glimpse of film's young stars. but unique thing about suzanne collins' trilogy which she wrote for teenagers is it doesn't just speak to one generation. behind the screaming kids are their parents. like mother of two, charity finch who has been counting the days until it was released. >> as soon as i heard about it, i looked it online, lookedal all the trailers.

>> reporter: she cruised through the three books. in fact, plenty of the adults have. it's what kept it on the bestseller list for 100 consecutive weeks. the story is set where every year teenagers battle to a death in a reality tv show. the heroine is 16-year-old, a skill skilled huntress. beautiful and bold, she, of course, has a trail of besodded suiters. >> it has an element of danger and romance. >> reporter: it's not the first film to have cross-generational appeal. it's been compared to other franchises like "harry potter" and "the twilight series." it's broken the event's ticket sales records and it's not

released until next friday. a release in the spring instead of next summer means there will be little competition from others aet the box office, but that may not have mattered. fans young and old seem pretty determined. for "today," stephanie gosk, nbc news, los angeles. >> my daughter ava went through all three books like that and then to find out my co-workers are all reading them. it's an amazing book, old, young. >> i have not read them. it looks violent. >> it is violent. but she's reading and i thought, oh, well, i'll look past that. an auction of epic proportions. pieces from the titanic sold to the highest bidder. we'll take a look. but first this is "today" on nbc. never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles in 3 days is-- is huge. if my mom can fight and beat breast cancer, i can walk 60 miles. you just put one foot in front of the other, and you know that you're walking for such a great cause

that you just keep going. (man) that you have all these people coming together for one common goal. (woman) the goal is to bring an end to breast cancer. (woman) there's no doubt in my mind that komen's funding helped saved my life. the 3-day is my opportunity to help save others' lives. (woman) i'll never stop walking, not till we find a cure. with 3 days and 60 miles, you're making a bold statement. you're saying breast cancer is not going to win. (woman) and it has to end, but it starts with us. it is the most rewarding experience i have ever had in my entire life. we can do this. you can do this. we can all do this together. (man) register today for the... because everyone deserves a lifetime.

still to come on "today," kate middleton spent st. patrick's day with the british troops. we'llead h to loon. >> plus j.lo opens up about her new love, but first these messages. [ male announcer ] juice drink too watery?

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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 del this is "today in the bay." good morning to you. looking live at downtown san jose where the worst of the storm has passed but there's more. how is that for a cliff-hanger? i'm kris sanchez along with meteorologist rob mayeda. you're saying we have a brief break now but -- >> more showers coming. at least the main event seems to be over. patchy fog in the north bay, an early break from the rain. later on this morning, a few more scattered showers come through. with the cool air aloft, we could have thunder at times, maybe some hail, south of san jose and the air is cold enough

now for snow, pretty close to 2,500 feet. you can seeç here on the radar mostly right out. showers to our south, a few more on north coast. those will be sliding ashore as we go through the afternoon. most of the energy it seems like is going into central and southern california as we move through the afternoon. to today we'll call for the chances of scattered showers, maybe isolated thunder, too. tomorrow, we'll probably have a few more in the way of coverage of showers for your sunday. but then the good news is we catch a break, things start to dry out as the showers head off to the north bay and we warm up as we head towards the middle part of the week. the family of a missing gilroy mother says they have come to terms with the fact she's most likely dead. detectives believe 27-year-old able gutierrez shot his mother in her car and then went on to murder his sister before he killed himself. police say there's evidence of

vi violence in the car. we spoke with the doctor who says it is often difficult for veterans to admit they need help. >> going for help is an act of courage and confidence, not an act or admission of weakness. it's something that is a way of taking control of your life and doing something healthy and positive in the face of the symptoms and reactions the perch might experience. >> his family member told nbc bay area news they had been concerned about his mental state. the doctor hopes that this story will encourage other veterans to seek help. another failed attempt to save the gold dust lounge. the san francisco officials say the bar does not qualify for historic landmark status. a report released by a city commission found while the bar is an important local gathering spot, it doesn't meet the requirements to be an historic landmark. the owners of the gold dust lounge are trying to keep their

business from being evicted by their landlord who wants to turn the bar into retail space. a final vote will be taken next week on the status of the bar. coming up this morning on "today in the bay," a brothel run by a private investigator and one of contra costa county's top cops. what the madam says about this scandal. all the day's news coming up for you at 7:00. more local news in 30 minutes. of course, we're watching the forecast for you because we know rain on weekend is tough. we'll be back with you in 30 minutes.

welcome back to "today" on a saturday morning. it's the 17th day of march, 2012. happy st. patrick's day. we've got a great crowd on the plaza waving hello. wishing the luck of the irish to family and friends at home. they're spending part of their day with us. thank you for spending part of your day with us as well. outside on the plaza lester holt and amy robach. coming up, a trial that put a national spotlight on bullying in the cyber age. >> tliets. a former rutgers university student was found guilty of using a webcam to spy on his gay

roommate. we'll look what this message sending about cyber bullying. then we'll switch gears and focus on j.lo. she shows off a red-hot look on the cover of "vogue" and she speaks out about her split from mark anthony. and it's a special st. patrick's day for the duchess of cambridge. she's stepping out for her first solo military engagement and she's getting ready for another big royal first that we'll be talking about. but tom llamas has more. let's say good morning to him. >> the soldier suspected of killing 16 afghan villagers is back in the united states. john yang is live at the fort levavenwort leavenworth, kansas. he's in solitary confinement in a pretile detention center. he's awaiting formal charges in relation to that shooting

rampage that left 16 gachb civilians dead, including women and children. he's being describe as a loving husband and father of two young children of his own. he's a career military man. this was his fourth deployment overseas, his first to afghanistan. in three previous tours in iraq, his attorney says, he suffered a traumatic head injury when a vehicle he was in hit an ied and he lost part of a foot in combat. his attorney suggests that he may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and says that that could play a role in his defense. one interesting note, another fellow inmate in this pretrial detention center is private bradley manning, the soldier accused of leaking confidential documents, classified documents to wikileaks. tom? >> jong lang live for us this morning. john, thank you so much. german police say john who

was convicted last year of serving as a nazi death camp guard has died. he reported to germany in 2009 to face trial after being stripped of his u.s. citizenship. actor george clooney is free after paying a $100 fine. clooney was arrested friday after crossing a police line outside the sudan's embassy in washington. it was part of a protest in government in ckartun. the man who nair nates the kony 2012 video was detained by police this week in zaig. police tell nbc news jason russell was hospitalized for an evaluation after running through the streets in his underwear and acting irrags rally. the video of the wanted joseph kony became an international sensation this month.

his family says he's suffering from extreme exhaustion and dehydration and does not have a substance abuse problem. mitt romney and rick santorum have been campaigning in puerto rico. peater, i can think of about 20 good reasons why the kaernlts are taking this primary seriously. >> reporter: yeah, tom, you're right. a bounty of delegates here in puerto rico. the primary is tomorrow. 20 delegates at stake. that's more than new hampshire, vermont, or hawaii. mitt romney has a get out and vote event this morning. last night he got a really good taste of puerto rican politics. this was a carnival as it was a political event. he was on stage with the man who enzoorsed him, governor fortuno. his wife ann was there as well. music and dancing and unlike anything he's seen during the course of this campaign. ann romney told the people, you

show us how to party. romney taking advantage of the fact that rick santorum got himself in some trouble for some comments that he said were misquoted, that he has specifically said if puerto rico wants to become the 51st state, it would be necessary that english be the primary language. he said that was not what he said nor was it his intention. it did not have to be the first language but the preferred language. the "rosie" show is going off the air after five months. launching a new network is always a chance. the final rosie show will air march 30. that's the news. lester? >> another check of the weather. bill karins is here with that. >> lester, i was expecting a bunch of "kiss me, i'm irish"

signs dwoechl signs. we don't have that so i'm going to have to go talk with this lady. we have incredible heat, beautiful warmth in so many spots of the country. record highs. it has been amazing around chaurks indianapolis, all of the midwest to the northern plains. these temperatures are summer-like. it's going to feel like june tonight. once again you're 80 in chicago. i believe this will be the third or fourth day in a row. in minneapolis, the snow is gone. and the mon here's a look, some scattered showers off the coast there of san mateo county coastline down towards monterrey bay. we have a lot of rain that' pushed into central and southern california. today we'll be seeing scattered showers as some of the cold air aloft rotates through. we should see the temperatures running in mid-50s for most of the bay area today. with the cold air aloft, we may

have a thundershower this afternoon. sund a mix for sunday and thenç drying out for the new week. paddy's day. is that real? let's go inside now with amy. all right, bill. thank you so much. there's been a verdict in an explosive trial involving a former rutgers university student. he was found guilty of using a webcam to spy on his roommate who later committed suicide. here's nbc's rehema ellis. >> reporter: the 20-year-old, former rutgers university student, was found guilty of the most sear use of 15 charges. they included bias intimidation, a hate crime, invasion of privacy, for using a webcam to spy on his gay roommate tyler clementi and then texting othering to wachlt his attorneys argued he set up a webcam to keep an eye on his belongings and was caught off guard by what

he found. >> the evidence shows that tyler was targeted because of his sexuality. >> reporter: clementi, an 18-year-old student was an honor student. his parents called it a painful trial. >> we wanted to be here for our son and because we believed the trial was for our son and society today. >> reporter: one juror called it a tough decision. >> you don't go in there thinking you want to ruin someone's life but at the same time you have to think of all the facts and everything and the testimony. >> reporter: ravi said nothing as he left the court. the verdict continues to draw attention to the issue of bullying and some legal experts say it sends a message. >> i don't think it's excusable as a prank. i think people need to take their actions seriously and understand the consequences. i think 18-year-olds under the law need to understand their behavior has consequences. >> reporter: ro i have who

reject add plea gar began faces up to 18 years when he facing sentencing in may. it's eight minutes after the hour. now here's lester. >> amy, thanks. now to the manslaughter try of a wealthy florida polo tycoon. they'll start presenting their case after the state tried to paint jod good minnesota as a rich reckless drunk who left a student to die. >> reporter: a mangled mess of metal, the aftermath of a february 2010 collision that ultimately led to the death of 23-year-old scott wilson. his emotional mother viewed the wreckage after the jury got its turn. john goodman, a polo tycoon in palm beach county is charged with dui manslaughter. on friday a toxicologist estimated his blood alcohol level that night was almost three times the legal limit. >> i also detected --

>> reporter: he testified that goodman also had traces of painkillers in his system. prosecutors showed a 3-d recreation of the crash. they claim goodman was drunk when he drove his almost 3-ton bentley into a stop sign, ramming into scott into a canal. >> he drowned. what did the defendant do? he walked away. >> reporter: goodman's girlfriend who he also adopted as daughter to protect his wealth testified wednesday. >> did he tell you anything about the crash? >> reporter: the defense says he was not to fault claiming the bentley went out of control. good man's lawyers say he didn't immediately call 911 because his cell phone was dead. this woman testified that goodman arrived at her trailer and used his phone to call her girl friend.

she then encouraged him to call authorities. >> yes. i just had a wreck, and i -- my phone was dead. i'm on -- where am i? >> reporter: the defense says he only began to drink after the crash to control his pain. if convicted he faces 30 years in prison. still to come on "today," we'll find out why kate middleton has the troops seeing green. we'll head live to london right after this messages. sweet, nutty crunchy nut... can't wait 'til morning.

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younger and looking flawless along the way. jennifer lopez, dressed to thrill and looking better than ever in this behind-the-scenes photo shoot for april's "vogue." working the cameras. >> like anybody else, it doesn't come easy for me. you know, it takes a lot of hard work. >> opening up about keeping fit, younger men, and her outlook on life. the 42-year-old sexy singer, star, and mother of twins is everywhere these days. judging contestants on ""american idol."" >> the best thing i'veen ever seen on "american idol." >> reporter: fronting a new clothing line, and endorsing everything from beauty products to cars. the j.lo machine firing on all cylinders following the break-up

with husband mark anthony last year. the two are no longer together romantically but are still partners on their new bilingual tv talent series. she says it's still tough nash gating the divorce saying, quote, we're still friends and we're parents, but it's going to take time. last month lopez and anthony appeared on "ellen" promoting the series and showing they can still have fun. >> all i do is like that, you know what i mean? >> she can't help herself. >> i think if they really couldn't stand being in the same room, they wouldn't have done this show. >> reporter: when it comes to love, lopez tells "vogue" she's a mushy romantic but wouldn't reveal much about her new romance with 24-year-old casper smart other than to say he's adorable and a good egg. when it comes to age, lopez says, quote, i don't feel older, and i don't feel like i look it either. so i'm just acting the same way i have always acted. >> i think right now she's just

letting go. she's enjoying herself. why not have a little rebound romance. >> reporter: and along with gracing the cover of "vogue," lopez also announced the release of her new single and video due out next month. >> she's a busy woman. that's right. thank you. we receive a lot of the duchess of cambridge over the past year and we'll soon hear more of her. her first public speech. first this is "today" on nbc. [ female announcer ] pillsbury presents: how to solve a brother-sister standoff. ♪ pillsbury chocolate chip cookies, warm out of the oven. another sweet idea for bringing families together from pillsbury. [ younger brother ] oh, do you want it? yeah. ok, we'll split it. [ female announcer ] made fresh, so light... ...buttery and flaky... this is half. that is not half. guys i have more. [ female announcer ] do you have enough crescents?

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thomicide of young people in america has an impact on all of us. how can we save these young people's lives? as a police chief i have an opportunity to affect what happens in a major city. i learned early on if you want to make a difference you have to have the right education. university of phoenix opened the door. my name is james craig, i'm committed to making a difference and i am a phoenix. it is a big weekend for the duchess of cambridge. for the first time on her own, she's hosting a military engagement in england. duncan goal stayny is there. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the weather couldn't dampen st. patrick's day celebrations. that's because here the dutch em of cambridge is meeting the irish guard.

before her first solo military engagement. in the past few weeks she's done so many things by herself for the first time, we've had trouble keeping up with her. this might be news to kate, but she is following in the footsteps of royal tradition. members of the royal family have been presenting shamrocks to the irish guard on st. patrick's day for more than a hundred years, but kate, a well known dog lover, there was one for the regiment's mascot. it's certainly something to tell her husband when he gets back from the falkland islands. prince william has been gone for six weeks. >> they made sure she was kept busy while he was in the falklands. >> reporter: wearing tangerine colored jeans she was out to support the hockey league. she was a listle rusty. she said my radar's off and kept on missing.

they still gave her team best with team number 1. >> get behind our team and what we're doing. >> reporter: back in her usual hills and dress come bin nation, kate accompanied charles and camilla to an art project. kate's able to teach her father-in-law something and once again proving the crowds adore her. >> i thought she was very nice, skplemt, and will make an excellent queen. >> reporter: she's certainly getting enough practice despite her husband's absence. from carrying out her first ever solo engagement to accompanying the queen at the start of her jubilee tour. kate has been taken to the heart of the royal family. >> these engagements where she's been paired up with senior members of the royal family, the queen, camilla, shows how slowly she's been ingratiated into the

firm. after all, princess diana felt like she was thrown into things. >> reporter: on monday she ool give her first public speech, another royal challenge before being reunited with william. kate is now inside having a private lunch. she has undoubtedly brightened up this st. patrick's day for soldiers and their family. thank you. >> still to come on "today," the latest viral video fad. it's called a common challenge, but beware. this game has some very serious consequences. and items from the most famous shipwreck of all time are about to hit the auction block, but first these messages. [ jane ] how did i get here?

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good morning to you. looking live at the transamerica pyramid shot. you can see it quite yet because sunrise is about an hour away. what we can tell you, the bulk of the rain has moved on so you don't need too have the light outside to see that. thanks for joining us this morning, i'm kris sanchez along with meteorologist rob mayeda who's looking at a built of a scattered st. patrick's day forecast. >> that's a good way of saying it. >> after we got put through the pressure washer last night, it came down pretty good. the santa cruz mountains south

of san jose, you're seeing scattered showers there, most of the energy has moved on to, though, is often the central and southern california. clouds off to our west. that will toss a few more showers to our west. ì& san jose. the temperature as we go through the afternoon, mid to upper 50s today. cool sunshine. when we say cool we're talking snow levels today, close to 2,500 feet. a mixed bag of sun at times, maybe air that's cold enough for isolated thundershowers, too. as we head towards tomorrow, he'll see a few more showers as the trough gets in. monday and tuesday, we get a nice break. temperatures warming up and drying out. >> we could use dry weather in between. the blast of winter weather has taken its toll all around the bay area. last night's storms were blamed for a power outage in walnut creek, 22,000 people were in the dark there. and in monty rio, a huge fir tree smashed into two homes when

it fell to the ground. in one home, the tree smashed through three different floors. the other home was destroyed. one of residents says he feels lucky to be alive but he is still in shock mpl besides the house burning to the ground, i don't know that it could get much worse than this. >> the grounded is saturated. these large firs, their life span after 100 years, they have a shallow root system and it's not unusual for them to come down. in the south bay on highway 9 through saratoga, several tree branches were knocked to the ground. just down the road, the rain also caused a mudslide. today is st. patrick's day. that means it is time for the san francisco st. patrick's day parade. the annual parade has been a tradition for more than 160 years, making it the longest running st. paddy's day parade west the mississippi. while there may be rain on this parade, organizers say it is not

going to dampen their spirits. the event kicks off at 10:00 at the civic center. if the east bay head over to danville, norm's place in downtown danville is holding its 7th annual st. patrick's day party. organizers say there will be bagpipers, drummers, irish dancing and corn beef and cabbage. the party starts at noon there. come up this morning on "today in the bay," the death of an iraq war veteran has sent shock waves through a gilroy neighborhood after he killed his young sister and himself. now a doctor is speaking out on the dangers of post traumatic stress disorder. those stories and all of the day's news coming up at 7:00. we'll see you back here in 30.

morning, march 17, 2012. look at the baby. happy st. patrick's day. we're seeing a lot of green out on the plaza. it's a beautiful morning here in new york. we want to thank everyone who stopped by to say hello before heading to the st. patrick's day parade that takes place here in new york city. outside on the plaza, i'm amy robach along with lester holt. >> you're overcompensating. >> my daughter made me wear it. i told her i would. we're going to be talking about

the cinnamon challenge going around. >> it's gone viral. it's about swallowing cinnamon without any water to drink. it sounds simple but it's actually dangerous. we're going to enlighten you and tell you why it may not be as cute as it seems. >> are you trying to sell your house but not having success. coming up in today's "open house" we're going to show you ways. you won't want to miss this. and the titanic, it's been nearly a hundred years sincehe t most famous shipwreck of them all. thousands of items from the luxury liner like china, jewelry and pieces of the ship will be sold to the highest bidder. it's an amazing piece of history. it will be coming up. >> i brought my 9-year-old. >> show the ring. >> st. patrick's day pride right there. before we do all that, let's get a check of the weather from bill

karins. you have a ring, too. >> i gave it back to her. i was going to steal your daughter's ring but i gave it back. >> not cool. >> it wasn't very nice. there's a bunch of birthdays out here, about 150 years combined. it's your 50th. over here we've got two other 50ths, so we want to wish you a happy birthday as well. let's get to your weekend forecast. beautiful weekend. the exception. not so nice on the west coast. heavy rain head dound in southern california of all places. the record highs are so widespread from the northern plains. it's going to continue even into sunday. we're going to deal with wed weather there right along the mid-atlantic. a lot of fog right along the east coast, especially in new england. that should slowly burn for the most part, the heavy rain has moved on but in the south bay, around morgan hills we get down towards hollister and monterrey bay, a little bit

of rain coming in there. scattered showers which will rotate through during the day today. it will fire off perhaps some isolated thunder. chance of isolated thunder at least especially during the day. a few more showers for sunday and we start to dry out then. north bay showers monday and warmer and drier for the middle part of the week. and hopefully madison will behave herself on her first st. pa tick's day. >> we hope so. >> bake to you, amy. if you haven't heard of the cinnamon challenge, your teenager probably has. it's the latest viral video fad and it can be seen on youtube. but as nbc's lilia luciano reports, doctors say there is nothing funny about this stunt. >> reporter: seems pretty straightforward. grab a spoonful of cinnamon and try to gulp it down without taking a drink of water. but what happens next --

is so outrageous teens can't seem to get enough. it's called the cinnamon challenge and in the world of viral videos, with great failure comes great popularity. on youtube thousands have posted their attempts at the spicy challenge. but it's not just teens. during a radio interview illinois governor pat quinn gave it a try and remarkably conquered the challenge. >> i don't think it's that harmless. it's just cinnamon. >> reporter: but it is and potentially deadly, doctors say. >> a lot of times the lungs can be collapsed and that can set the stage for getting infections in the lung. >> reporter: 15-year-old seen in this video attempted the challenge twice. but on the third try, her laughter quickly turned into a life-threatening choke. >> i couldn't breathe at all. >> reporter: she was rushed to the hospital where she spent the next four days. >> she was in and out of consciousness and had a very

difficult time breathing. >> reporter: she's under treatment. >> i hate cinnamon now. >> reporter: hoping others will take their cinnamon with a dash of caution. for "today," lilia luciano, nbc news. here our media analyst and author of "you are the brand" and psychiatrist janet taylor. good morning to both of you. steve, apparently the cinnamon challenge has been around for years. what's driving this popularity? >> everyone thinks they have their own tv show. you can have your own ratings by being outrageous, having more cinnamon. but then you sit there and say, wait a minute, how far are you going to go? this little girl got hurt, this little girl is in the hospital. you say, wait a minute krks you get that on video. i'm sitting there myself with three little kids saying this is so out of control, this video drives it. more and more kids see

themselves as superstars in the waiting online, cyber space. this is driving it. and i've got to tell you something. it's scary stuff. i didn't know it until i saw this and the governor has done it and sanction it and. >> and doctors? and nba players are doing it. >> teens are going to be impulsive, we know their brains don't complete development until 25. what's disturbing is when you do see adults doing it. like anything, things you're using to hearing about you see and learn how to do it. it's about seeing something and parents need to talk about making right decision. >> i think you can talk about why kids might try it, but can you explain why n nba players a the governor will do it? >> there are thrill seekers. they'll say let me see if i can do it and others will say i'll try it. >> look it. one word. snooki. there are people who still believe they can become stars. >> do something outrageous.

>> the more outrageous, the more attention you're going to get, whether it's on a legitimate show like the "today" show or online. and there's not the fine line that we used to think was there. i don't think it's there anymore. you're one step away from becoming a legitimate tv star. >> always an taunt for parents and adults to talk about making right decision. just because you see something doesn't mean you have to do something. what are you going to do, kid, are you going to do it? and here's why. >> the challenge is for parents, how can they be there. we have small kids. how can you stop your kids from getting online, doing it themselves and putting more cinnamon on there which makes it more dangerous. there's no joke anymore. >> what can parents do other than hiding the spice rack. one school is banning certain types of booting where they're hiding cinnamon vials in there. >> sit down with the video and your kids and say what would you do about this? help them develop a logical

framework so they can make their own decisions. >> it's tough stuff, but parents need to not only know about it and talk about it. but i've got to tell you, the longer we wait for something bad to happen, we're partly responsible for this. >> steve and jan is, thank you. pr > tactics and strategies to get your house sold, but first these messages. isn't major medical enough? huh! no! who's gonna help cover the holes in their plans? aflac! quack! like medical bills they don't pay for? aflac! or help pay the mortgage? quack! or child care? quack! aflaaac! and everyday expenses? huh?! blurlbrlblrlbr!!! [ thlurp! ] aflac! [ male announcer ] help your family stay afloat at aflac.com. plegh! oh. where were you? uh, i was just in the car. come here. okay. [ inhales deeply ] mint. i had a shamrock shake. i hate you.

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. this morning on today's "open house," whacky out of the box-ways to sell your home. many homeowners are still struggling to sechlt "today's" barbara corcoran tested unique techniques on an apartment that's been on the market for over a year. take a look. >> i'm here with a real live smudger. what is this ritual? >> smudging is clearing of energy and spaces. i've lit the innocence, i take a bell, and i'm going to start to move around and that will start opening up the energy, and the innocence will help clear it out. >> when a buyer walks in, do they feel the energy? >> if it's an intuitive buyer, yeah. >> want to improve your luck selling your home? here's any. you tie three old chinese coins to a red ribbon and fasten it inside your front door on the

handle. the coins bring more coins otherwise known as cash buyers. there's all kinds of helpers out there that will help you unload a house. take this little guy, a chinese statue. simply blow in his mouth and let him capture your desierks and he will grab it and eat it and grab the guy that comes through the door. catholics believe that st. joseph always helps out on household matters. well, if you bury st. joseph head down only on the west side of the house, your house, poof, gets sold. or you can order this voodoo doll and it comes with its own blessing oil. $10. your house is sold. you never know what works. wish us luck. >> barbara corcoran joins us now. sorry to laugh. >> little extreme, i'm afraid. >> let me ask you. if you get to that point, maybe you have other issues with the

house, you know, if you're having trouble selling the house and you go to those kinds of measures. >> that's generally what it is. it's overpriced. this house is overpriced. nothing makes a difference unless the price is adjusted. >> what kind of extremes have you done. >> i've done a lot of smudging. laugh if you might. it's worked. >> let's face it. brokers make the sales happen most of the time. talk about some other things that agents can do to get your home noticed outside those sorts of things. >> certainly you can dress as an extreme character. >> the broker. >> the broker. they're fun-loving people. they like people. this is kim hurley of coldwall banker real estate. you have to love the guy. 80% of the traffic is brought in

by the broker. it's extreme, but it's a way to catch attention. >> i've seen more and more billboards, not just for the real estate company but specific properties. is it's affective. >> it is affective. the billboard will only set you back three to five months. one month on the billboard, everyone knows your house is for sale. >> this whole wrap advertising technique, wrap a car, wrap a bus, does it work? >> i've seen more of it. we live 30 miles from the house. why not wrap your car with old photos and details of your house and travel around. you're a traveling billboard. >> we've talked about staging of a house. you say don't have an empty house. >> it always sells for less. >> but you're going to tell me you can virtually furnish a house. >> it's so new. most people start their search

online. so here's a picture of a real bedroom and now it is virtually staged. it costs very little money, a lot cheaper than buying the furniture. if you look at the living room, it's amazing. i had to lice twice. there it is empty, there it is staged. a great way to sell a house because it looks so much better. >> because when you see furniture, you can see someone living. >> definitely. it shows the potential. >> a lot of people like myself, i can onto see what's there. >> i don't believe so. you dress too well. you put yourself together too well. >> okay. touche. you win. >> give me less tacky tips. >> one mistake that everybody out there makes is they wait until the buyer is hammering them against the wall, the seller, that is, to try to get benefits. if you can put the benefits up front, free lawn maintenance, no closing cost, seller financing, right on the front side, you'll attract twice as many people to

your home and most people will give it away anyway because it's still definitely a buyer's market. >> but that means taking a reality check of the market. >> definitely. it fits the market today. >> thanks. >> my pleasure. up next, treasures from the titanic. a look inside one of the grandest ships in the world 100 years later. but first this is "today" on nbc.

this spring marks 100 years since the titanic sank just a few days to its journey to america. next month on the anniversary of the tragedy, thousands of artifacts found in the wreckage are being auctioned off by the company that recovered them. ♪ a champagne bottle for a celebration that will never happen, letters from the sea deck, the "k," forever lost, a cracked tea cup in otherwise perfect condition. just a few of over 5,000 artifacts pulled up from the

watery grave of the titanic. simple objects that will soon become the sole historical record of the tragedy. >> scientists have told us that it may not be long before the wreck is going to be gone. terrible brutal conditions under the sea. so this is the legacy of the tie tang. >> a legacy that's about to be auctioned off to the highest bidder in an unprecedented sale, every piece of titanic brought up from the wrecked site will go up as one lot. >> this is appraised at $189 million. this historian showed me why this priceless collection is a time capsule of life onboard the world's most luxury ship. this lace-like diamond necklace, dazzling custom wedding ring, and sapphire and diamond dinner ring were all found inside a safe. >> they could wear these at

night because they had electricity and it would sparkle so much more. >> reporter: their owners will never be known. just like in the academy award winning movie there were real love stories. >> she got into the lifeboat and decided her husband wasn't coming with her and she decided to stay with him and got back out. she said we've been together so long i'm staying with you. in the end, they perished. >> reporter: more than 1,500 people died. their stories will soon go to a new owner. the court has ordered each bidder must prove they can maintain the collection and promise to make it available for public display. >> reporter: this replica of the grand staircase is where the wealthiest of passengers would make their big entrance and by today's standards, a first-class ticket would cost about $60,000. >> reporter: a few fragments from the real staircase

survived. >> here we have a piece of the landing floor from the grand staircase. they're tile. they're not marble as one might expect. it was linoleum. >> linoleum. >> it was new and modern, lighter weight, and that's what they wanted to use. >> reporter: who's bidding on this treasure trove, they won't say who's made offers but say they've gotten bids from companies, individuals, museums, cities, even countries. there was a 26 foot ton peace of the hull. >> it's a big piece and i can see why it's a big piece but only a small fraction of the ship itself. >> reporter: this is really a postage stamp when you take a look at where it fits in with the large e titanic. >> it is. it was really only one deck. it housed cap bin -- cabins 79

81. just as haunting are small personal effects. a chef's hat, a pair of shoes still laced, and clarinet, its keys corroded. >> and the socks. they're in better shape than some of my socks are. that's incredible. >> reporter: looking at a razor, a hair brush, playing cards, causes a visceral reaction. >> kanld of a thing that's very mundane and all of a sudden it becomes iconic and historical and of great importance to humanity. >> reporter: an now these ordinary objects are all that's left to tell their extraordinary stories. and we're lucky enough to have some of those artifacts with us right here today. there's that same chef's hat. >> i'm looking. the condition is remarkable. >> this was first-class china, second class -- oh, this is first-class, this is

third-class. these post cards are remarkable. a 17-year-old passenger was carrying them. he was going to his brother's wedding. they were in a luggage bag and that's why they survived. he perished but they survived. >> there's some money over there. >> just to see what made it through the rough conditions. it's all how it was housed. it's phenomenal to have them with us and a rare treat to share them with you. >> we'll be back in a moment. first these messag [ male announcer ] chicken broccoli alfredo. mushroom smothered beef burgers.

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fight both fast with new tums freshers! concentrated relief that goes to work in seconds and freshens breath. new tums freshers. ♪ tum...tum...tum...tum... tums! ♪ [ male announcer ] fast relief, fresh breath, all in a pocket sized pack. and that's going to do it for us on this saturday morning. our thanks to bill karins and tom llamas. coming up tomorrow on "today," a look at the world's frozen planet. >> and i'm going to speak to joan rivers and her daughter melissa, two very busy people. they've got great stories to talk about. >> all right. looking forward to it. have a great day, everyone. happy st. patrick's day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

good morning. i'm kris sanchez. coming up next on "today in the bay," mother nature gives a test blow to the bay area. storms knock out power, trees knock out homes. find out what we can expect for the rest of the weekend. plus, a bizarre kind of theft is on the rise in the bay area, why thieves are going after used cooking grease. and happy st. paddy's day. find out where you can celebrate the of the n.eegrri of the gree. "today in the bay" is coming up next.

switching to progressive could mean hundreds more in your wallet year after year. feed me! saving you money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. from nbc bay area, this is "today in the bay." good morning to you. looking live at our picture from the transamerica building in san francisco. blue sky, kind of in the distance sunrise about a half hour away. thanks so much forever joining us on this st. patrick's day. i'm kris sanchez along with meteorologist rob mayeda who